CHAPTER XI
ONE THING THE OLD DOCTOR DID
Every girl in Briarwood Hall was much troubled by the result of the fire.The old rivalry between the East and the West Dormitories, that had beenquite fierce at times and in years before, had died out under RuthFielding's influence.
Indeed, since the inception of the Sweetbriars a better spirit had comeover the entire school. Mrs. Tellingham in secret spoke of this as thedirect result of Ruth's character and influence; for although RuthFielding was not namby-pamby, she was opposed to every form of rudebehavior, or to the breaking of rules which everyone knew to be important.
The old forms of hazing--even the "Masque of the Marble Harp," as it wascalled--were now no longer honored, save in the breach. The initiations ofthe Sweetbriars were novel inventions--usually of Ruth's active brain; butthey never put the candidate to unpleasant or risky tasks.
There certainly were rivalries and individual quarrels and sometimesclique was arrayed against clique in the school. This was a school ofupwards of two hundred girls--not angels.
Nevertheless, Mrs. Tellingham and the instructors noted with satisfactionhow few disturbances they had to settle and quarrels to take underadvisement. This class of girls whom they hoped to graduate in June werethe most helpful girls that had ever attended Briarwood Hall.
"The influence of Ruth and some of her friends has extended to our nextclass as well," Mrs. Tellingham had said. "Nettie Parsons and Ann Hickswill be of assistance, too, for another year. I wish, however, that RuthFielding's example and influence might continue through _my_ time----Icertainly do."
The girls of the East Dormitory held a meeting before breakfast and passedresolutions requesting Mrs. Tellingham to rearrange their duo andquartette rooms so that as many as possible of the West Dormitory girlscould be housed with them.
"We're all willing to double up," said Sarah Fish, who had become leaderof the East Dormitory. "I'm perfectly willing to divide my bureau drawers,book-shelves, table and bed with any of you orphans. Poor things! It mustbe awful to be burned out."
"Some of us haven't much to put in bureau drawers or on bookshelves," saidHelen, inclined to be lugubrious. "I--I haven't a decent thing to wearbut what I have on right now. I unpacked my trunk clear to the very bottomlayer."
However, as a rule, selfish considerations did not enter into the girls'discussion of the fire. When they looked at the ruined building, they sawmainly the loss to the school. A loyalty is bred in the pupils of such aninstitution as Briarwood Hall, which is only less strong than love of homeand country.
A new structure to house a hundred girls would cost a deal of money.
There was no studying done before breakfast the morning after the fire;and at the tables the girls' tongues ran until Miss Brokaw declared theroom sounded like a great rookery she had once disturbed near an oldEnglish rectory.
"I positively cannot stand it, young ladies," declared the nervousteacher, who had been up most of the night. "Such continuous chatter isenough to crack one's eardrums."
The girls really were too excited to be very considerate, although theydid not mean to offend Miss Brokaw. If the window or an outer door wasopened, the very tang of sour smoke on the air set their tongues off againabout the fire.
Once in chapel, however, a rather solemn feeling fell upon them. Theteacher whose turn it was to read, selected a psalm of gratitude thatseemed to breathe just what was in all their hearts. It gave thanks fordeliverance from the terrors of the night and those of the noonday, forthe Power that encircles poor humanity and shelters it from harm.
"We, too, have been sheltered," thought Ruth and her friends. "We havebeen guarded from the evil that flyeth by night and from the terror thatstalketh at noonday. Surely God is our Keeper and Strength. We will not beafraid."
When Helen played one of the old, old hymns of the Church she brought suchsweet tones from the strings of the violin that Miss Picolet hushed heraccompaniment, surprised and delighted. And when they sang, RuthFielding's rich and mellow voice carried the air in perfect harmony.
When the hymn was finished the girls turned glowing faces upon Mrs.Tellingham who, despite a sleepless night, looked fresh and sweet.
"For the first time in the history of Briarwood Hall as a school," shesaid, speaking so that all could hear her, "a really serious calamity hasfallen."
"We are all determined upon one thing, I am sure," pursued Mrs.Tellingham. "We will not worry about what is already done. Water that hasrun by the mill will never drive the wheel, you know. We will look forwardto the rebuilding of the West Dormitory, and that as soon as it canpossibly be done."
"Hoo-ray!" cried Jennie Stone, leading a hearty cheer.
"We will have the ruin of the old structure torn away at once."
The murmur of appreciation rose again from the girls assembled.
"I do not recall at this moment just how much insurance was on the WestDormitory; I leave those details to Doctor Tellingham, and he is nowlooking up the papers in the office. But I am sure there is ample torebuild, and if all goes well, a new West Dormitory will rise in the placeof these smoking ruins before our patrons and our friends come to ourgraduation exercises in June."
"Oh, bully!" cried Ann Hicks, under her breath. "I want Uncle Bill to seeBriarwood at its very best."
"But the dear old ivy never can be replaced," Mercy Curtis murmured toRuth.
"We shall endeavor," went on Mrs. Tellingham, smiling, "to repeat in thenew building all the advantages of the old. We shall have everythingreplaced, if possible, exactly as it was before the fire."
"There was a big inkspot on my rug," muttered Jennie Stone. "Bet theycan't get _that_ just in the same place again."
"You homeless girls must, in the meanwhile, possess your souls withpatience. The younger girls who had quarters in the West Dormitory willbe made comfortable in the East. But you older girls must be cared for ina different way.
"Some few I shall take into my own apartments, or otherwise find room forin the main building here. Some, however, will have to occupy quartersoutside the school premises until the new building is constructed andready for occupancy. Arrangements for these quarters I have already made.And now we can separate for our usual classes and work, with the feelingthat all will come out right and that the new dormitory will be builtwithin reasonable time."
She ceased speaking. The door near the platform suddenly opened and "theold doctor" as the girls called the absent-minded husband of theirpreceptress, hastily entered.
He stumbled up to the platform, waving a number of papers in his hand. Hestammered so that he could hardly speak at first, and he gave no attentionto the amazed girls in the audience.
"Mrs. Tellingham! Mrs. Tellingham!" he ejaculated. "I have made a greatmistake--an unpardonable error! In renewing the insurance for the variousbuildings I overlooked that for the West Dormitory and its contents. Theinsurance on that ran out a week ago. There was not a dollar on it when itburned last night!"