Part 31 (2/2)
”Shall I?” asked Mrs. Blunt.
”It says, 'Ask, and ye shall _receive_,'” answered Meg.
A little before twelve o'clock Mrs. Blunt went down to prepare her husband's and children's dinner, and Meg rose to get ready for her Jem.
”Let me do it,” said Cherry, ”and then you can go on with the work; I've come to the end of all I can do now.”
Meg willingly let her try, and so the dress progressed rapidly, and when Mrs. Blunt and her babies reappeared after dinner, she was surprised to see how much had been accomplished.
About eight o'clock that night the last st.i.tch was put in it, and the last b.u.t.ton sewn on; and then Cherry went into the other room, and came back in it smiling and blus.h.i.+ng, and looking so pretty that Mrs. Blunt, who was preparing to go, was obliged to stoop and kiss her.
”Thank you, Mrs. Blunt,” said Cherry earnestly. ”I know you've put out your own work for me, and I think it's very kind of you.”
”You're welcome, my dear; and I've had one of the happiest days I ever spent--that I have.”
When she was gone Cherry suddenly turned to Meg.
”Oh, how selfish I've been! I never thought about d.i.c.kie's frock; shall you be able to take him to-morrow in his old one?”
”Yes,” answered Meg, ”it was impossible to do both; and his jacket will cover up the dear little old frock.”
”I wish I'd thought of it,” said Cherry, sorrowfully.
But Meg a.s.sured her, that even if she had it would have made no difference.
”So be happy, dear,” she said, ”and enjoy the nice new frock which G.o.d has given you.”
Cherry kissed her and wished her good night, and then went up-stairs to see if Mrs. Seymour should want her to do anything before she went to bed.
”My!” exclaimed Miss Hobson, when she stood in the doorway, with her golden hair falling over her shoulders. ”My! you do look nice so, Cherry.”
Cherry laughed. ”Mother-Meg wishes me to wear my hair like this,”
answered Cherry, ”and mother used to like it when she were alive. Only I couldn't, ye know, when I'd got no soap, nor brush, nor nothing.”
”Ain't that a nice dress!” said Miss Hobson, admiringly. ”I shouldn't 'a known ye, Cherry. But why didn't young Mrs. Seymour get ye a black one for yer poor father?”
Cherry looked a little troubled, and Mrs. Seymour quickly interposed.
”She would ha' done, but I advised her not; it's better as it is. Cherry is as sorry for her poor father in this one as ever she would be in a black; and 'tain't as if Meg could get her another best one in a hurry.”
”No,” said Miss Hobson; ”only some folks thinks a deal o' black.”
”Very foolishly,” answered Mrs. Seymour decidedly; ”but that's not my Jem's Meg. She never even got a bit of new black for the little darling that's gone. She had one as she'd had at the Hall, and she says to me, 'Mother, you'll not think as I don't care because I don't spend Jem's money getting black things.'”
”Well, you needn't be hot over it,” said Miss Hobson; ”I didn't know the reason, of course.”
Cherry came to her bedside, and spoke gently, though there were tears in her large sweet eyes.
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