Part 7 (1/2)

Bertie was so astonished he could not speak.

”It's your little sister, my son, and if papa consents, you may call her Violetta in memory of these pretty flowers.”

”Oh, mamma! I'm so glad! I love babies so dearly. Isn't she a darling?”

At this moment Mrs. Dodge came into the room. ”Well, Bertie,” she began, ”your mamma has a pretty surprise for you. What do you think Winnie will say?”

”She'll think it's a doll, mamma. Oh, may I bring her in?”

He ran to the door, and met papa with Winnie in his arms.

Papa looked very smiling and happy as he walked to the side of the bed.

Baby had fallen asleep now, and was so quiet Bertie could hardly believe she was alive.

Winnie's eyes grew larger and larger as she gazed, until at last she gave a spring almost out of her papa's arms upon the bed.

Mamma screamed, and Mrs. Dodge came forward quickly; but papa had caught her again and held her firm.

”It's your little sister,” he explained; ”but you must go now and stay with Nellie, for Nancy wants the new baby to sleep.”

”Let me take it a minute. Please, mamma, I wont break it. I wont, certain,” pleaded the child.

”Some day,” said mamma, and then she turned so pale that Mrs. Dodge hurried them all out of the chamber before mamma could ask whether the little spring flower should be named Violetta.

With his treasures safe in the house, Mr. Curtis, with his gardener, went to work with renewed zeal to beautify his grounds. His heart was full of grat.i.tude to the kind Being who had given him so many blessings; and his delight was to be of benefit to those around him.

No one really in need was ever turned from his door; while many, like Susy Hunt and Edgar Torrey, received the benefit of his donations.

”The Squire's son will be the father over again,” said Mr. Taylor to the clergyman, ”there's nothing pleases him so much, as to give him a chance to make somebody happy.”

”Yes,” was the reply, ”and I never see him without recalling to remembrance the words: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”

The fall previous all the rubbish about the place had been cleared away, the pieces of board and shavings, except what had been given to the poor, being carried to the shed adjoining the barn. The turf around the house had of course been a good deal cut up by the teams, and Mr. Curtis resolved to have new sods immediately laid down, not only on the terraces, but as far as the turf was broken.

This was quite a curiosity to Bertie, who followed Albert to the field where the men were cutting out pieces of turf about one foot in width and two feet in length; then back again to see that they were laid smoothly upon the well prepared ground, and nicely hammered down with large flat, wooden mallets.

With his exercise in the open air, Albert had lost something of his flesh; but his spirits were never better; and in his management of men, Mr. Curtis thought he had never known his equal. His gay good humor seemed to inspire all in his employ with new life, while his firm, clear manner of giving orders convinced them that he intended to be obeyed.

It was often a severe trial to Bertie to leave for school just as the men were engaged in some job which he particularly wished to see; but mamma explained that if he wished to be a useful man he must lay in a stock of knowledge while he was young.

One morning Mr. Curtis proposed to go to a nursery of trees near the city for the purchase of currant, gooseberry, blackberry and other bushes, together with a variety of ornamental shrubs.

Bertie's curiosity was greatly excited to visit such a place, which he fancied must be almost like Eden.

His mamma shook her head, saying:

”You have had a long vacation, my dear. School is the first duty now.”