Elsie's Widowhood

by Martha Finley

  CHAPTER XXIII.

  "_Macbeth._ If we should fail--

  "_Lady M._ We fail! But screw your courage to the sticking place, And we'll not fail." --_Shakespeare._

  Sunday morning came and our young friends met at the breakfast table,not in their usual jesting, mirthful mood, but with cheerful gravity ofdemeanor, suited to the sacredness of the day.

  "There is no preaching, no sort of religious service within our reachto-day," Edward remarked.

  "Then shall we not have one of our own?" asked Mary. "I have a book ofsermons: one might be read aloud; then we can have three prayers and asmany hymns as we please; we all sing."

  "And we might have a Bible reading also," suggested Ella. "And supposewe take up the International Sunday-school Lesson and study it."

  All these propositions were received with favor and eventually carriedout.

  They did not think it wrong to stroll quietly along the shore, or to sitthere watching the play of the billows, and thus they ended theirafternoon.

  The evening was pleasantly spent in serious talk and the singing ofhymns on the front porch, where they could feel the breeze and see thefoam-crested waves by the light of a young moon.

  They retired early, feeling that they had had an enjoyable, restful day,and rose betimes, full of life and vigor--except Amy; and even she feltequal to a longer stroll than she had yet taken.

  The days flew by on swift wings, each bringing its duties and enjoymentswith it, and so pleasant was the gay, free life they led that at timesthey half regretted that it must come to an end.

  Yet there were other times when some, if not all of them, anticipated,with real satisfaction, the return to the more serious business of life.

  There was a very frequent exchange of visits between their party and theone to which Edward and Violet more properly belonged; sometimes by wayof the cars, at others by riding or driving; so that Violet was nevermany days without sight and speech of her mother and some of the otherdear ones at home; and that reconciled her to a longer absence from it.

  At length the younger Elsie was persuaded to come and spend a few dayswith Mary and her party, the mother consenting to spare both daughtersfor that length of time. The sweet girl's presence added much to theenjoyment of all, especially her sister, for their mutual attachment hadalways been very strong.

  One day there was a large fishing party, composed principally of guestsfrom other houses, which both Elsie and Violet declined to attend; butVi, fired with a laudable ambition to emulate her cousin Mary's skill inthe culinary art, volunteered to get dinner, and have it ready by thetime the others returned.

  Each one of them offered to stay and assist, but she would not hear ofit; laughingly asserting that "she wanted all the honor and glory, andwouldn't have anybody with her but Elsie, who knew nothing aboutcooking, but would keep her from being 'lone and lorn,' and perhaps helpa little in those things which were so easy that even the lads could dothem," she concluded, with a merry glance from one to the other.

  Edward was not there, some errand having taken him home by the morningtrain.

  "Can you stand that insinuation, Donald?" asked Charlie. "I vote thatyou and I stay at home to-morrow and get dinner, just to prove our skillin that line."

  "Agreed," said Donald; "but what's to be done with the lasses in themeantime? We can't let them go off pleasuring alone."

  "Oh, Edward can take care of them all for once; he's to be back bydinner-time to-day, you know, so will be on hand here to-morrow."

  "Thank you," said Ella, laughing, and with a mock courtesy, "but we areentirely capable of taking care of ourselves, as perhaps we may prove toyou one of these days. But here's the carriage at the gate. Come, Amy,I'll help you in. Let us show these lords of creation that they are ofnot quite so great importance as they are pleased to imagine."

  She ran gayly out, Amy following a little more slowly, with a regretfulgood-bye to the two who were to remain at home.

  The lads hurried after, in season to forestall Ella in assisting Amyinto the vehicle, which the former had hastily entered unaided, beforethey could reach it.

  Mary lingered behind a moment to say to Elsie and Violet that she didnot in the least care to go, indeed would prefer to stay with them.

  "No, no, cousin Mary," they both said, "we would not have you miss thesport, or deprive the rest of the pleasure of your society."

  "Besides," added Violet, with a merry look and smile, "if you were hereI know very well I should miss the opportunity to distinguish myself asa capable and accomplished cook. So away with you, fair lady! See, thelads are waiting to hand you into the carriage."

  "Good-bye then, but don't attempt an elaborate dinner," Mary returned,as she hastened away.

  The sisters stood on the little porch watching the departure till thecarriage was out of sight.

  Just then a boy carrying a large basket opened the gate and came in.

  "That's right, you are just in good time," was Vi's greeting. "Pleasecarry them into the kitchen. Have you brought all I ordered?"

  "Yes'm; potatoes, corn, beans, tomats, cabbage, lettuce, and youngbeets. All right fresh and nice."

  Violet paid him and he left.

  "There, I shall have a sufficient variety of vegetables," she remarked,viewing her purchase with satisfaction.

  "O Vi," sighed Elsie, with a look of apprehension, "do you in the leastknow what you are about?"

  "Why of course, you dear old goosie! haven't I watched Cousin Mary'scooking operations for over two weeks? Oh I assure you I'm going to havea fine dinner! There's a chicken all ready for the oven--cousin showedme how to make the stuffing and all that. I've engaged fresh fish andoysters--they'll be coming in directly. I shall make an oyster pie andbroil the fish. I mean to make a boiled pudding and sauce for dessert,and have bought nuts, raisins and almonds, oranges, bananas and candiesbesides, and engaged ice cream and cake."

  "Your bill of fare sounds very good, but what if you should fail in thecooking?"

  "Oh, no such word as fail for me!" laughed Vi. "I've screwed my courageto the sticking place, and don't intend to fail. Now we must don our bigaprons and to work; you'll help me with the vegetables, I know."

  "Willingly, if you'll show me how."

  Violet felt very wise and important as she gave her older sister therequested instruction, then went bustling about making her pudding andpastry: for she decided to add tarts to her bill of fare, and the oysterpie must have a very nice crust.

  But as she proceeded with her preparations she discovered that herknowledge was deficient in regard to many of the details of the businessin hand; she did not know exactly how much time to allow for the cookingof each dish--how long it would take the chicken to roast, pie and tartsto bake, pudding and vegetables to boil.

  She grew anxious and nervous in her perplexity; there was no one to giveher the needed information, the cookery books did not supply it, and insheer desperation she filled her oven, her pots and kettles as fast aspossible, saying to Elsie it would surely be better to have food alittle overdone than not sufficiently cooked.

  It proved an unfortunate decision, especially as the fishing party werean hour later in returning than had been expected.

  Poor Violet was too much mortified to eat when she discovered that therewas no sweetness left in the corn, that her potatoes were water-soaked,her oysters tough as leather, the chicken scorched and very muchoverdone, the fish burnt almost to a cinder, and--oh worst of all!cooked with the scales on. She had forgotten they had any.

  Her friends all comforted her, however, taking the blame on themselves."If they had not been so late, things would not have been so overdone;it was their fault. And the lettuce, the cold-slaw, and bread and butterwere all very nice. The tarts too."

  But as soon as she tasted them Violet knew she had forgotten the salt inher crust and that it was tough compared to her Cousin Mary's.

  And then
the pudding! oh why did it turn out so heavy? Ah, she had madeit with sour milk and put in no soda.

  "Oh what shall I do?" she said despairingly to Mary, who was helping herto dish it up. "There's hardly anything fit to eat, and I know you areall very hungry."

  "Indeed, dear little coz, there is a great deal that's fit to eat,"Mary said, glancing toward he table on which the last course was setout--except the ice cream, which had not yet been taken out of thefreezer.

  "Yes, those are nice, but the substantial of the meal--just what aremost needed--are all spoiled. Oh what's that?" with a sudden change oftone as a man bearing a large hamper appeared at the open door;"something from mamma, I do believe."

  "Yes," said Edward, stepping in after the man as the latter set thehamper down; "and as it's more than an hour past dinner time, I supposeit's very well I didn't come empty handed."

  "O Ned, Ned, you dear, good fellow!" cried Violet, springing to his sideand throwing her arms around his neck.

  "Yes, you may well say that!" he returned, laughing, as he gave her akiss, then put her aside and stooped to open the basket, "for I toldmother what you were attempting to-day, and she said 'The poor, dearchild! she will surely fail, so I'll send some provisions with you whenyou go.' And here they are, all of the best, of course, for mamma neverdoes anything by halves," he added, beginning to hand out the viands--apair of cold roast fowls, a boiled tongue, pickles, jellies, pies andcakes in variety,--Mary and Vi receiving them with exclamations ofsatisfaction, delight and thankfulness which quickly brought the othersupon the scene, just as the bearer of the hamper, who had gone out onsetting it down, re-entered with a basket of of beautiful, lusciouslooking peaches and grapes.

  "Hello!" exclaimed Charlie, in high glee, "what's all this? a seconddinner?"

  "Yes," returned Violet, "my dear, good mother's atonement for herconceited daughter's failure."

  "No, no, we don't call it a failure, nor the cook conceited," cried achorus of voices; "some things are very nice, and others were spoiled byour fault in coming home so late."

  "Well, please come back to the table and we'll begin again," saidViolet, carrying the fowls into the dining-room, Mary following with thetongue, Elsie and Ella with other edibles.

  "Please, some of you, help me carry away dinner number one, to make roomfor dinner number two," said Vi, replacing the dish containing herunfortunate chicken with the one on which she had put the new arrivals.

  Upon that everybody seized one or more of the dishes and hurried back tothe kitchen; and so with a great rushing to and fro and amid muchlaughter and many merry jests they respread the board.

  Violet's spirits and appetite had returned, and she joined the others inmaking a hearty meal.

  The next morning was cloudy and cool for the season. All agreed it wasjust the day for a long stroll inland, and shortly after breakfast theyset out in a body--Mary, Ella and Edward leading the van, Donald andEdward's two sisters coming next, Charlie and Amy bringing up the rear.

  There seemed to be a tacit understanding that those two were always tobe together and no remark was ever made about it, but Charlie alwaysquietly took possession of the fragile little lady, just as if he hadentered into bonds to be her care-taker and entertainer, accommodatinghis pace to hers, which was so much slower than that most natural to theothers that they often unintentionally left her far behind.

  They presently met Mrs. Perkins, Fred and Susie, who were also startingout for a walk, and the two parties joined their forces.

  They passed through the village, and sat down for a little while on somerustic benches under the trees on the river bank, to rest and enjoy thepleasing prospect.

  The village lay behind them; before, green slopes dotted here and therewith trees standing singly or in groups; then the sparkling river, tothe left, beyond the bridge, widening into a lake-like expanse, to theright pouring its waters into the great ocean, on whose broad bosom manyships, steamers and smaller craft could be seen, some near, others faraway in the distance.

  The surface of the river too was enlivened by a number of smallsail-boats slowly moving before the wind, and skiffs that darted hitherand thither. On the further bank the scene was diversified by woods andfields, with here and there a farm-house, then the sandy beach borderingthe wide blue sea.

  "Are you quite tired out, Amy?" Charlie asked after a little.

  "Oh no, I'm quite rested," she answered gayly, "and feel able to walk agood deal farther. I am really surprised to find how strong and well Iam."

  "The sea-shore's the place for you evidently," he said; then as shesprang up nimbly to join the others as they rose and moved on again,"But I don't know that it would be best to keep you here too long; youmight grow so strong as to feel capable of dispensing with any help fromother folks."

  "Which would be very delightful indeed," she returned with an arch lookand smile as she accepted his offered arm.

  They hastened on after the rest of their party, over a bridge and alongthe roadside for some distance, then they all struck into a narrowfootpath on the farther side of the fence, the young men letting downthe bars to give the ladies easy ingress, and followed that through abit of woods, crossing a little stream by a broken bridge, where againthe lads had the pleasure of giving assistance to their companions ofthe weaker sex; then across some cornfields; making a circuit thatbrought them back to the river.

  The path now ran along its bank, and still pursuing it they came atlength to a little inlet where was neither bridge nor boat.

  There they stopped and held a consultation. No one wanted to go back bythe way they had come, it was too long and roundabout; if they could butcross this inlet they could soon reach one of the life-saving stationson the other side, and there probably find some one who would carry themacross the river in a boat, when a short walk along the beach would takethem to their temporary homes.

  "The water is not deep, I think," said Donald. "I propose that we ladsstrip off boots and stockings, wade through and carry the ladies over. Iwill wade across first and try its depth."

  He did so, spite of some protests from the more timid of the ladies, andfound it hardly knee-deep. All then agreed to his proposition.

  "Edward and I will make a chair by clasping hands," he said gayly, "andFred and Charlie can do likewise if they will, and we will divide thehonor of carrying the ladies over dryshod."

  Donald had a purpose in selecting Edward as his companion and helper inthe undertaking; feeling pretty certain that Elsie and Violet wouldchoose to be carried by their brother, which they did.

  "I see through you, young man," Charlie said to Donald in a laughingaside while making ready for the trip, "but I don't care very much, ifyou leave Miss Fletcher for me."

  "All right," returned Donald, "I intended to, for I see which way thewind blows. She's light too, my lad, and will be the better suited toyour strength."

  "Strength, man! I'm as able to lift and carry as Lieutenant Keith, ifI'm not greatly mistaken," Charlie said with pretended wrath, "and toprove it I speak for the carrying of Mrs. Perkins and Miss Neff, whomust be a trifle heavier than any of the other ladies."

  "All right; but fortunately there isn't one in the party heavy enough tobe any great burden to either of us."

  So amid a good deal of mirth and laughter and some timidity andshrinking on the part of the younger girls, the short journey was made,and that without mishap or loss.

  Then a short, though toilsome walk through the soft yielding sandbrought them to the life-saving station, a small two-story framebuilding standing high on the sandy beach, the restless billows of oldocean tossing and tumbling not many rods away.

  They were courteously treated by the brave fellows who make this theirabode during eight months of the year, were shown the room on the lowerfloor where they cook and eat, the two above where they sleep, and alsoall the apparatus for saving the shipwrecked and any others who may bein danger of drowning within reach of their aid.

  Our friends were all greatly inter
ested in looking at these things--thecolored lamps and flags for signalling, the life-boat, the breeches-buoyand the life-car--this last especially: it was of metal, shaped like arow-boat, but covered in over the top, except a square opening largeenough to admit one passenger at a time, and having a sliding door, theclosing of which, after the passengers are in, makes the car completelywater-tight.

  "How many will it hold?" asked Edward.

  "Six or seven grown folks, if they are not very large sized."

  "Oh, I should think they would smother!" cried Violet.

  "It is only about three or four minutes they'd have to stay in it," saidthe exhibitor.

  Then he showed them the thick, strong rope or hawser on which itruns, and the mortar by means of which they send a line to thedistressed vessel with a tally-board attached on which are printeddirections--English on one side, French on the other--for the propersecuring of the hawser to the wreck.

  "The other end is made fast on shore, I suppose?" said Amy inquiringly.

  "Yes, Miss."

  "And when they have made their end fast and got into the car--"

  "Then we pull 'em ashore."

  "Not a particularly pleasant ride to take, I imagine," remarked Donald.

  "Not so very sir; she's apt to be tossed about pretty roughly by the bigwaves; turn over several times, liker than not."

  "Yes, I suppose so."

  "Oh," cried Amy, with a shudder, "I think I'd almost rather drown."

  "No, Miss," said the man, "I guess you'd find even that better'ndrowning."

  Having fully satisfied their curiosity, our friends inquired if therewas anybody about there who would take them across the river.

  "Yes, sir, I'll row you across, half of you at a time," answered theman, addressing Donald, who had acted as spokesman for the party. "Allof you at once would be too big a load for the boat."

  It was but a short walk to the river, a few minutes' row across it, andsoon they were all on the farther side and walking along the beachtoward home.

  "Dinner time!" exclaimed Ella, looking at her watch. "What's to be doneabout it?"

  Her question seemed to be addressed to Mary.

  "Don't ask me," was the demure reply. "It's none of my concern to-day.Didn't you hear the agreement between Charlie and Don yesterday?"

  "There! Mr. Charles Perrine, see the scrape you have got yourself and meinto!" exclaimed Donald with a perplexed and rueful look.

  "What in the world are we to do!" cried Charlie, stopping short with hishand upon the gate and turning so as to face the others.

  "Get in out of the sun for the first thing," replied his cousin.

  "Yes, yes, of course!" and he stepped back and held the gate open forthe ladies to pass in.

  "We are all hungry as bears, I suppose," he said when they were fairlyin the house. "Come, Mary, be good and tell us what to do. Shall we goto one of the hotels?"

  "No, make the fire, set the table, and grind some coffee," she answered,laughing. "I foresaw that I'd have to come to the rescue, and amprepared. We'll have coffee, stewed oysters, cold fowl left fromyesterday, plenty of good bread, rolls and butter, fruits and cake, andit won't take many minutes to get it ready."

  "Mary, you're a jewel!" Charlie returned, catching her about the waistand kissing her on both cheeks.

  "Begone, you impertinent fellow!" she said laughingly as she releasedherself and pushed him away. "Even a cousin shouldn't take suchliberties."