Christmas with Grandma Elsie

by Martha Finley

  CHAPTER XVIII.

  "O Lu, tell me all about it!" exclaimed Grace when Lulu came home thenext day, from her visit to Eliza. "Are they very, very poor and needy?"

  "'Liza and her children? Well, not so very; because papa has been seeingto them for quite a while. They had a good fire ('Liza was ironing forsomebody) and pretty good clothes; but the children are growing too bigfor some of their things and have torn or worn holes in others. So papasays he thinks we should make them some new ones. I'm going to askGrandma Elsie to buy some flannel with some of my money, and let me makea skirt for the baby."

  "I'd like to make an apron for one of the little girls," said Grace.

  "Well I suppose you can. There are two girls and a boy besides the baby.Just think what a lot of trouble it must be to keep them all clothed andfed!"

  "And poor 'Liza will have to do it all herself while Ajax is in jail."

  "I don't believe he was much help anyhow," said Lulu, with a scornfullittle toss of her head; "she says he didn't work half the time and wasalways getting drunk and beating her and the children. I should thinkshe'd want him kept in jail as long as he lives."

  "But maybe he'll grow good, and be kind and helpful to her when he getsout."

  "Papa will do all he can to make him good," said Lulu; "he's gone now tothe jail to talk to him. Just think of his taking so much trouble forsuch an ungrateful wretch."

  "It's very good in him," responded Grace; "and it's being like the dearLord Jesus to take trouble to do good to ungrateful wretches."

  "Yes; so it is, and nobody can be acquainted with papa without seeingthat he tries always to be like Jesus."

  The captain's motive for visiting the jail that day was certainly mostkind and Christian; a desire to reason with the two prisoners on the sinand folly of their evil courses, and persuade them to repentance andreformation.

  He did not approach them in a self-righteous spirit, for the thought inhis heart was, "It is only the grace of God that maketh us to differ;and with the same heredity, and like surroundings and influences I mighthave been even a greater criminal than they;" but he found them sullenand defiant and by no means grateful for his kindly interest in theirwelfare.

  Still he continued his efforts, visiting them frequently while they layin the county jail awaiting trial.

  Lulu looked forward to the trial with some apprehension, dreading to beplaced on the witness-stand before the judges, jurymen, lawyers, and thecrowd of spectators likely to be present on the occasion.

  "It'll be a great, great deal worse than that time in the magistrate'soffice," she said to herself again and again. But by her father's adviceshe tried to put away the thought of it and give her mind to otherthings.

  She was interested in her studies, amusements, in the books andperiodicals furnished for the profit and entertainment of herself andbrother and sister, and in the young people's societies just started inthe connection.

  These prospered and grew by the addition of new members from among theyoung folks who, though of the neighborhood, were yet outside of theconnection.

  Under Grandma Elsie's wise and kindly instruction several of the oldermembers soon became quite expert in preparing work for themselves andthe others; also in gathering up information on the subject of missions,and in regard to the needy of their own vicinity.

  Thus their meetings were made interesting, were well attended and lookedforward to with pleasure, while quite an amount of good wasaccomplished through their means.

  The Woodburn children were never willing to miss a meeting, and tookpride and pleasure in doing their full share of the sewing undertaken bythe Dorcas society.

  That was a more congenial task to Grace than to Lulu, but thelatter--partly from pride, partly from a real desire to beuseful--insisted each time on carrying home at least as much work asGracie did.

  And for some weeks she was very faithful with her self-imposed task; butafter that her interest in that particular work began to flag and shedelayed doing it, giving her time and thoughts to other matters, till atlast Gracie reminded her that there was but a day left in which to doit, if the garment were to be ready for handing in at the next meetingof the society.

  "Oh dear!" cried Lulu, "I forgot the time was so short, and how I'm everto finish it so soon I don't see! I'll have to take all my play time forit."

  "I wish I could help you," Gracie said, with a very sympathizing look,"but you know papa said I mustn't do any more than my own."

  "Of course not," returned Lulu emphatically; "your own is too much forsuch a feeble little thing as you; and don't you worry about me, I'llmanage it somehow."

  "But how can you? You have that composition to write, and two lessons tolearn to recite to papa in the morning. I should think they would takeall your afternoon except what has to be given to exercise; and it'sdinner time now."

  "I'll study hard and try to get the lessons and composition all donebefore dark, and then I'll sew as fast as I can all the evening whilepapa is reading or talking to mamma Vi and us."

  "I'm afraid it's more than you can do," returned Grace, with a doubtfulshake of the head; "and perhaps somebody may come in to interrupt ustoo."

  "If they do I'll just go on with the sewing, not stopping even if thereare games to be played, and I'm asked to take part."

  "It's very nice in you to be so determined," commented Grace, giving hersister an admiring affectionate look.

  "It's about time I was determined to do that sewing," said Lulu,laughing a little, "for I've put it off over and over again because Iwanted to indulge myself in playing games or reading a story."

  The ringing of the dinner bell put a stop to their talk.

  At the table the captain said to his wife that business called him tothe city, he must start directly the meal was over, and would not beable to get home till late, long after the usual bedtime; but he did notwant any one to sit up for him, as he could let himself in with hislatch key.

  "O papa," cried Lulu, "I'd like to sit up for you, if I may!"

  "No, my child," he said with his pleasant smile, "I quite appreciate thekind feeling that prompts that offer, but I want you to go to your bedat the usual hour."

  "Papa," observed Max insinuatingly, and with an arch look, "it wouldn'thurt a boy to sit up and wait for his father."

  "I'm not so sure of that," laughed the captain; "boys need sleep as wellas girls, and should not be deprived of their regular allowance, whenthere is no necessity."

  "How about wives?" asked Violet with a twinkle of fun in her eye.

  "Wives are of course not under orders," he returned gallantly, "but arefree to do as they please; but I should be loath to have mine miss herbeauty sleep."

  "Then I suppose she should try to take it for your sake," laughedViolet.

  "Papa, I wish you didn't ever have to go away," sighed Grace; "we shallmiss so much the fun with the babies, and the nice talk with you whilethey are being put to bed, and then the reading afterwards."

  "I have not said anything about taking the babies with me, and reallyhave no thought of doing so; as they would not be likely to prove ofassistance in transacting my business," returned her father gravely.

  At that everybody laughed and Violet said to Gracie, "So you see,dearie, you need not despair of some fun with the babies."

  "Maybe not, mamma, but it won't be just the same as when papa is with us,and while you are away putting them to bed we'll miss papa ever somuch."

  "I hope so," he said, smiling on her; "it is pleasant to feel that one'sabsence is regretted. But, my dear little daughter, we can't expect tohave all our enjoyments every day."

  "No, sir;" said Lulu; "and we'll miss you when Mamma Vi comes back andyou are not there to read to us."

  "Of course we will," said Violet, "but though your papa isunquestionably the finest reader among us, the rest of us can readintelligibly, and some of us can read aloud to the others; perhaps wemay take turns."

  "A very good plan," said the captain. "But, my dear, I can
not endorsethat statement of yours in regard to our relative ability as readers. Iconsider my wife as fine a reader as I ever listened to."

  "Mamma Vi does read beautifully," remarked Max, with an affectionate,admiring glance at her.

  "I think so too," assented Lulu, adding "and if she will read to us itwill be a great favor, and I am sure will make the time pass quickly andvery pleasantly."

  "No doubt," said the captain, "and I am glad you are ready to appreciatesuch an effort on your mamma's part; but she may have other plans forthe evening."

  Violet had intended to spend it in writing to her absent brothers, butinstantly decided to sacrifice her own wishes to those of the children.

  "I am sure I shall enjoy reading to so appreciative an audience," shesaid laughingly, "and feel myself highly honored in filling my husband'splace."

  "Max and Lulu," said the captain, "don't forget the tasks set for thisafternoon; you can easily accomplish them before tea and have an hour ormore for exercise beside."

  Both replied with a promise not to forget or neglect his requirements,and immediately upon bidding her father good-bye and seeing him out ofsight, Lulu went to her room and applied herself to the study of herlessons first, then to the writing of her composition.

  She did her work hurriedly, however, with the thought of the sewing forwhich she now had so little time, ever present with her; consequentlythe lessons took small hold upon her memory and the remaining task wasvery indifferently performed.

  She was in the act of wiping her pen when Max called to her and Gracethat the ponies were at the door and they three and Mamma Vi were tohave a ride together.

  "Oh how nice!" cried both little girls, and hastened to don riding hatsand habits.

  They had grown exceedingly fond of their young step-mother; and as shedid not very often find it convenient to share their rides, to have herdo so was considered quite a treat.

  On their return Lulu, hardly waiting to remove her out door garments andmake herself presentable for the evening, went at the sewing with allthe activity and determination of her very energetic nature.

  "It's got to be done if I have to work like a steam engine!" sheexclaimed to Grace, thrusting in and drawing out her needle with arapidity that surprised her little sister.

  "I never saw you sew so fast, Lu," she said. "I couldn't do it; I'd haveto take more time to be sure my stitches were nice and even."

  "Oh it's for poor folks and so it's strong, it won't make much differenceabout the looks," returned Lulu, working away at the same headlongpace.

  "But Grandma Elsie is particular about the stitches," said Grace; "don'tyou remember she told us she was, for our own sakes more than the poorfolks'; because it would be a sad thing for us to fall into slovenlyhabits of working?"

  "Yes, I do remember now you speak of it; and I'll try to make the workneat as well as to do it fast."

  Lulu worked on not allowing herself a moment's rest or relaxation, tillthe tea bell rang.

  Violet invited them all to spend the evening in her boudoir.

  Lulu carried her sewing there directly after leaving the table, andViolet more than once spoke admiringly of the diligence and energy shedisplayed in working steadily on till it was time for them to separatefor the night.

  "It isn't done yet; dear me how many stitches it does take to make agarment!" sighed Lulu to Grace when they had retired to the room of thelatter.

  "So it does," said Grace, "but papa says having to take so many of them,one right after another, is a good lesson in patience and perseverance."

  "Kind of lessons I'm not fond of," laughed Lulu.

  "And you've worked so hard all the evening! you must be very tired."

  "Yes, I'm tired; but I'd sit up and work an hour or two longer if itwouldn't be disobedience to papa.

  "Well I'll see how much I can do before breakfast to-morrow morning.Perhaps I can finish; I hope I can."

  She carried out her resolution, and when their father came in for thecustomary bit of chat with his little daughters before breakfast, hefound her sewing diligently.

  He commended her industry, particularly when Grace had told how much ofit had been shown the previous evening, but added that he hoped thetasks he had set her had been first properly attended to.

  "Yes, sir; I learned my lessons and wrote my composition yesterday,before I began the sewing," she replied.

  "That is well," he said, "I am glad to see you willing to use some ofyour leisure time in working for the poor, but your education--which isto fit you for greater usefulness in the future--must not be neglectedfor that or anything else."

  Lulu blushed with a sudden half conviction that her tasks had not beenso faithfully attended to as they should have been. But it was now toolate to remedy the failure, as the school hour would come very soonafter breakfast and family worship.

  She wished she had learned her lessons more thoroughly and spent moretime and pains upon her composition, but hoped she might be able toacquit her herself better, on being called to recite, than she feared.

  However, it proved a vain hope; she hesitated and gave incorrect answersseveral times in the first recitation, and when it came to the secondshowed herself almost entirely unacquainted with the lesson.

  Her father looked very grave but only said, as he handed back her book,"These are the poorest recitations I have ever heard from you."

  Then taking up her composition, which he had found lying on his desk andhad already examined, "And this, I am sorry to have to say, is a pieceof work that does no credit to my daughter; the writing is slovenly, thesentences are badly constructed, and the spelling is very faulty. Itmust be re-written this afternoon, and both lessons learned so that youcan recite them creditably to me before I can allow you any recreation."

  "I don't care," she said with a pout and a frown, "I just have too muchto do, and that's all there is about it."

  "My child, are you speaking quite as respectfully as you ought inaddressing your father?" he asked in grave, reproving accents.

  She hung her head in sullen silence.

  He waited a moment, then said with some sternness, "When I ask you aquestion, Lucilla, I expect an answer, and it must be given."

  "No, sir; it wasn't respectful," she replied penitently. "But pleaseforgive me, papa, I hope I'll never speak so again."

  He drew her to him and kissed her tenderly. "I do, dear child. But now Imust know what you mean by saying that you have too much to do."

  "It's that sewing for the Dorcas society, papa, beside all my lessons andpractising, and other things that you bid me do every day."

  "Then you must undertake less of it, or none at all; for as I have saidbefore, your lessons are of much more importance. I can pay some one towork for the poor, but my little girl's stock of knowledge must beincreased, and her mind improved by her own efforts."

  "I don't want to give it up, papa; because it would be mortifying tohave it said I couldn't do as much as the other girls."

  "You seem to be doing charitable work from a very poor motive," heremarked in a tone of grave concern.

  "Papa, that isn't my only motive," she replied, hanging her head andblushing. "I do want to please the Lord Jesus and to be kind andhelpful to the poor."

  "I am glad to hear it; but you must be willing to undertake less if youcan not do so much without neglecting other, and more important duties.Did you bring home an extra quantity of work from the last meeting ofyour society?"

  "No, sir," and she blushed again as she spoke, "but I--I kept puttingoff doing it because there was always something else I wanted to do--astory to read, or a game to play, or a bit of carving, or somethingpleasanter than sewing--till Grace reminded me there was only one dayleft, and then I hurried over my lessons and composition and worked ashard and fast as I could at the sewing."

  "Ah," he said, "it is an old and very true saying that 'Procrastinationis the thief of time.' The only way to accomplish much in this world isto have a time for each duty, and always atte
nd to it at that set time.

  "If you want to go on with this Dorcas work you must set apart someparticular time for it, when it will not interfere with other duties,and resolve not to allow yourself to use that time for anything else."

  "Unless my father orders me?" she said half inquiringly, half inassertion, and with an arch look and smile.

  "Yes; there may be exceptions to the rule," he replied returning thesmile.

  "Now we have talked long enough on this subject and must begin to put inpractice the rule I have just laid down."

  "Yes, sir; I have my ciphering to do now. But, papa, must I learn thelessons over and rewrite the composition this afternoon? If you say Imust, I'll have to miss the meeting of our society. I'd be very sorryfor that and ashamed to have to tell why I wasn't there. Please, papa,won't you let me go, and do my work over after I get back? There'll bean hour, or more before tea and then all the evening."

  He did not answer immediately, and she added, with a wistful, pleadinglook, "I know I don't deserve to be let go, but you've often been agreat deal better to me than I deserved."

  "As I well may be, considering how far beyond my deserts are myblessings," he said with a tender smile and another kiss. "Yes,daughter, you may attend the meeting and I shall hope to hear someexcellent recitations from you before you go to your bed to-night."

  "Oh thank you, dear papa! I'll try my very hardest," she exclaimedjoyously, giving him a vigorous hug.

  The society met at Ion that day. The captain and Violet drove over withthe children, and leaving them there while they went on some milesfarther, called for them again on their return at the close of the hourappropriated to its exercises.

  Grandma Elsie's face hardly expressed approval as she examined Lulu'swork, but she let it pass, only saying in a low aside to the littlegirl, "It is not quite so well done as the last garment you brought in,my child, but I will overlook the partial failure, hoping the next bitof work will be an improvement upon both."

  Lulu blushed and was silent; once she would have made an angry retort,but she was slowly learning patience and humility.

  On arriving at home she set immediately to work at her tasks, nor leftoff till the tea bell rang. The time had been too short for her to makemuch progress, and it was quite a trial to have to spend the wholeevening in her own room while the others were enjoying the usualpleasant hours of relaxation together;--the sport with the babies, thefamiliar chat, and interesting reading; but that too she bore withpatience.

  It was not till the call to evening worship that she joined the family.When the service was over she drew near her father.

  "Papa, I have re-written that composition and hope you will find it agreat deal better, I have studied my lessons too, till I think I canrecite them creditably."

  "Ah, that is well," he said, laying a hand tenderly on her head andsmiling affectionately down into the eyes upraised to his. "I will gowith you presently to hear the lessons and examine your little essay."

  When he had done so, "I am very glad indeed, daughter," he said, "to beable to bestow hearty praise on you this time; you have greatly improvedyour composition, and your recitations were quite perfect."

  He drew her to his knee as he spoke, she blushing with pleasure at hiswords.

  "I missed my eldest daughter, from the family circle this evening," hewent on smoothing her hair caressingly; "indeed I think we all missedher. I hope we will not be deprived of her company in the same wayagain."

  "I hope not, papa; I do mean to be more faithful in preparing mylessons. I'm sure I ought when I have such a kind, kind teacher," sheadded looking lovingly into his eyes. "Dear papa," putting her arm roundhis neck and laying her cheek to his, "I do love you so, _so_ much!"

  "My darling," he responded, "your love is very precious to me, and Idon't think it can be greater than mine for you. My daughter's worth toher fond father--could not be computed in dollars and cents," he addedwith a happy laugh.

  "I hope Grandma Elsie found your sewing well done?"

  "Not so very, papa," she replied, her tone expressing somemortification; "she said it was not so nicely done as the last."

  "That is a pity; it will hardly do to keep on so--going backward insteadof forward as regards improvement in that line of work."

  "No, papa, I don't mean to; I didn't bring home quite so much this time,though some of the girls did look as if they thought I was growinglazy--and it was dreadfully mortifying to have them think so--and I'mgoing to try Eva's plan. She says she divides her work into as manyportions as there are days to do it in, and won't let herself miss doingat least one portion each day. She says she gets it done quite easily inthat way, often finished before the day when it is to be handed in."

  "But it can't be that she puts it off for story-reading, games and whatnot?"

  "No, sir; and I don't mean to any more. I'll put that sewing first afterwhat you say are more important duties, and not let myself have any playtill it's done. I think I can 'most always do it before breakfast, nowthat you don't require me to sweep or dust my own rooms. I'm very muchobliged to you, papa, for saying I needn't do those things any morewhile I have so many lessons."

  "I want my daughters to understand all kinds of housework so thatthey may be competent to direct servants, if they have them, or beindependent of them if they have not," he said; "but now that you havelearned how to sweep and dust, I do not think it necessary for you tomake use of that knowledge while your time can be better employed, and Iam able to pay a servant for doing the work."