CHAPTER VIII.
STRUGGLES.
"Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home," carolled Winnie, asshe descended the stairs the next morning, feeling happy and contented,and as if the world were a pleasant place in which to live and love andto succeed in being good. She felt at peace with everybody, and had sucha sense of security that she imagined her giants all conquered, and sawin rosy hues a future of beautiful and pleasant right-doing.
What was her surprise when she entered the dining-room, expecting tofind the usual tempting breakfast on the table, to see not the slightestsigns of it, and to find the room unoccupied except by little Ralph, whowas sitting in front of the empty grate in his night-clothes; and a verycross little boy Winnie soon found him to be, for he set up a howl themoment he saw her.
"'Innie, I 'ants to be d'essed, and it's ugly izout any fire, and I'ants my b'eakast."
"Whatever is the matter?" said Winnie. But she received no answer exceptthe whining refrain, "I 'ants my b'eakast," until she began to feel soirritated that she would have liked to shake the child.
This, however, she did not do, simply because she did not dare. Butinstead of attempting to soothe him, she went into the kitchen to findout from Norah the reason for this unusual state of affairs. Instead ofNorah, she found her mother heating water and making mustard plasters,with an anxious look on her face.
"What is the matter, mamma?" asked Winnie; "and where are papa andJack?"
"They had important business at the store and couldn't wait, but willtake breakfast downtown. Norah was taken very sick in the night, butshe said nothing about it, and came down as usual this morning to getbreakfast, and I found her in a dead faint on the kitchen floor. Yourfather and I got her upstairs between us, and Jack went for the doctor.He says it is nothing serious, but that Norah will have to keep stillfor two or three days. Help me carry these things to Norah's room, andthen you will have to come downstairs and get some breakfast for us."
Winnie took the pail of water which her mother handed to her, andstarted upstairs, feeling a strange sense of resentment against Norah,as if she were to blame for this unpleasant condition of affairs.
When they reached Norah's room, her mother said, "Put down the pail,Winnie, and make haste downstairs and see if you can't get things intosome kind of order; it's getting very late."
Winnie put the water down so hurriedly that it splashed over the floor.Then she went out, but instead of hurrying, went down clinging to thebalusters as if she could not and would not make any exertion.
When she opened the dining-room door Ralph said: "I sink Norah's meanto det sick; she dust did it a-purpose, so Ralph touldn't have anyb'eakast."
"Why, Ralph," said Winnie, "you ought to be ashamed of yourself! Ofcourse it's no fun for Norah to be sick." But as she spoke to Ralph, herconscience reproached her, for she knew in her heart that she had hadthe same feeling, if not the same thought. This startled her, as if shehad suddenly had a mirror held up before her mind, and she spoke to thelittle boy more pleasantly, telling him to come into the kitchenwith her and watch her make the coffee and cook some ham and eggs forbreakfast.
But although aware that her conscience was speaking to her, Winnie hadnot in the least succeeded in overcoming her irritable feelings. Shehad made plans for such a pleasant day! She had intended to practicefaithfully, and get through all her little duties early in theafternoon, so that she could take Ralph through market--something thatshe particularly liked to do; it was always so exciting to her to seethe people jostling each other, to hear them haggling over the price ofsomething, to see the strange types and characters, and to imaginethe different motives which brought these different people together.Besides, she had been saving her money to surprise her mother with apot of English violets from the flower market, which would be sure tobe particularly lovely this afternoon, for the sun shone out brightly,giving promise of an unusually warm day for March.
"How could people do their duty, if they never knew what it was goingto be?" she mused, as she measured out the coffee and put it into thefilter. But as she went to turn the water over it, she remembered thather mother had emptied the hot water from the kettle into the pail.
"I should think mamma might have taken the water out of the tank forNorah!" she said, half aloud, although she knew very well that the waterin the tank was scarcely warm, as she proceeded to fill the kettle.
She poked the fire viciously, feeling as if here she could give herimpatience some vent.
The ham, fortunately, Norah had sliced the evening before, otherwisein her present state of irritation Winnie would certainly have cut herfingers.
Now, when Winnie chose, she could be a very nice little housekeeper;but this morning, as may well be imagined, everything went wrong, as shesaid, never thinking that perhaps her own impatience might be at fault.She burnt the ham, the eggs did not break open nicely, she cut herfinger in slicing the bread, and altogether it took her so long toget breakfast that poor little Ralph, still running about in hisnight-clothes, was, as he expressed it, "starved 'mos' to death."
Mrs. Burton came down before Winnie had finished setting the table, anda glance at the little girl's flushed face was sufficient to tell theobservant mother the true state of affairs. As usual in such cases,however, she said nothing, but called Ralph and took him upstairs tobe dressed, telling Winnie that she would be down in ten minutes forbreakfast.
When they came down, Mrs. Burton said:
"This morning we will not say our verses till after breakfast, as I amsure we are all of us too hungry to receive any benefit from them now;"and she proceeded to pour the coffee. Then Winnie saw that she hadforgotten the cream and jumped up to get it.
"Your coffee is very nice, Winnie," said her mother.
"Oh, mamma, I didn't think anything would be nice! I had such a time!The fire wouldn't burn, and I burnt my fingers and afterward cut them,and everything was horrid generally."
"I had a defful time gene'lly, too," said Ralph. "I was so hung'y Itoudn't wait, and 'Innie 'ouldn't div me a tracker, and said I'se abodder. Is I a bodder, mamma?"
"Not when you're a good boy, my pet. Sister doesn't always think so,either; but you see, this morning she had so much to do."
"Did Norah det sick so 'Innie have to 'ork so hard? Poor 'Innie!" Andthe little fellow stroked Winnie's hand, while she scarcely knew whetherto laugh or cry.
Altogether it was quite an unusual breakfast. Ralph ate three eggs, andmore bread and butter than he had ever been known to eat before; andWinnie felt her own impatience dying away to some extent, as her hungerdiminished, although she had not realized before that she was hungry.
After breakfast Mrs. Burton gave her text, and then called upon Winniefor hers. Up to that moment Winnie's text had entirely left her mind,and she recited it with a feeling of shame as she remembered thecontrast between her morning conduct and the somewhat puffed-up feelingwith which she had selected it: "He that ruleth his own spirit isgreater than he that taketh a city."
"Perhaps only the One above knows how hard it is for people to governtheir own spirits. The temptation to yield to self is so strong that itsometimes seems as if there is nothing that will conquer it," commentedMrs. Burton.
"But mamma, everybody says, 'Do the duty that lies nearest thee.' Howare we to do this, when we never know what is going to happen fromone day to another? This morning I thought I was going to get my musiclesson, and now how can I do that?"
"That is where we all make mistakes, Winnifred. We lay our plans, andare annoyed and vexed when something occurs to change them. We are likesoldiers placed on the field of battle. Some of us would like an easyplace; some would rather stay behind and guard the rear; others, inspite of danger, wish to press forward where 'glory waits them.' But wecannot choose either our own places or the attending circumstances. Allwe can do is to fall to 'with might and main.' God will take care of theordinary duties, but there are some things which brook no delay. Do wenot know how the Savior turned away f
rom the chosen way to heal the sickor comfort the afflicted? But I think that my present duty is to cut mysermon short, for both you and I will have a great deal to do to-day. Iwill attend to things upstairs, and will be down to do the baking by thetime you are through the work here."
So saying, Mrs. Burton rose from the table and left the room. Winniestill felt a sense of disappointment, but the little sermon, arising, asit did, from the text she herself had selected, had been good for her,and she went to work cheerfully and systematically, and the difficultieswhich an hour ago had seemed so great, all disappeared.
Ralph, too--who was so unlike most children of his age as not to be fondof doing anything that appeared in the least like work--seemed animatedby the spirit of the occasion, and trotted back and forth betweenthe kitchen and dining-room carrying a plate or a cup and saucer, andfeeling that he was helping greatly.
As for Winnie, she had none of the feeling of some girls who are ashamedto be seen doing housework, for her mother had taught her, both by wordand example, the folly and sinfulness of such a notion, and that it isthe worker who degrades the work instead of the opposite; and as a verylittle girl, Winnie had learned Herbert's fine lines:
"Who sweeps a room as by God's laws, Makes that and the action fine."
Now that she was working cheerfully, she even found a pleasure indish-washing, as who should not, given plenty of hot water, cleantowels, a pleasant kitchen with the sun shining in, and a little cherubof a brother chattering on with his cunning tongue, which finds so muchdifficulty in pronouncing the consonants?
So, when Mrs. Burton returned to the kitchen, everything was in fineorder, and a bright fire had prepared the oven to do its share in theSaturday baking.
When noon came, Winnie really felt that she had had a pleasant morning,although it had been spent in beating eggs and grating lemons; besides,she had for once had her mother all to herself, and she sat down to thelunch she had prepared feeling quite happy.
She did not get an opportunity to leave the house all that day, exceptto do two or three errands in the neighborhood. She took Norah's toastand tea up to her, and spent the greater part of the afternoon in herroom, trying to make amends for the morning's impatience by bathing thesick girl's head, changing her pillows, and moistening her parched lips.