Part 33 (1/2)
”The best is to come,” said Mrs. Henderson in her gentle way. When there was a lull in the gale, she took Polly's hand, and led her to a little stand of flowers in the corner concealed by a sheet--pinks and geraniums, heliotropes and roses, blooming away, and nodding their pretty heads at the happy sight--Polly had her flowers.
”Why didn't we know?” cried the children at last, when everybody was tying on their hoods, and getting their hats to leave the festive scene, ”how could you keep it secret, mammy?”
”They all went to Mrs. Henderson's,” said Mrs. Pepper; ”Jasper wrote me, and asked where to send 'em, and Mrs. Henderson was so kind as to say that they might come there. And we brought 'em over last evening, when you were all abed. I couldn't have done it,” she said, bowing to the Parson and his wife, ”if 'twasn't for their kindness--never, in all this world!”
”And I'm sure,” said the minister, looking around on the bright group, ”if we can help along a bit of happiness like this, it is a blessed thing!”
And here Joel had the last word. ”You said 'twan't goin' to be Christmas always, mammy. I say,” looking around on the overflow of treasures and the happy faces--”it'll be just forever!”
EDUCATION AHEAD
After that they couldn't thank Jasper enough! They tried to, lovingly, and an elaborate letter of thanks, headed by Mrs. Pepper, was drawn up and sent with a box of the results of Polly's diligent study of Jasper's book. Polly stripped off recklessly her choicest buds and blossoms from the gay little stand of flowers in the corner, that had already begun to blossom, and tucked them into every little nook in the box that could possibly hold a posy. But as for thanking him enough!
”We can't do it, mammy,” said Polly, looking around on all the happy faces, and then up at Cherry, who was singing in the window, and who immediately swelled up his little throat and poured out such a merry burst of song that she had to wait for him to finish. ”No, not if we tried a thousand years!”
”I'm a-goin',” said Joel, who was busy as a bee with his new tools that the tree had shaken down for him, ”to make j.a.ppy the splendidest box you ever saw, Polly! I guess that'll thank him!”
”Do,” cried Polly; ”he'd be so pleased, Joey.”
”And I,” said Phronsie, over in the corner with her children, ”I'm goin'
to see my poor sick man sometime, Polly, I am!”
”Oh, dear!” cried Polly, whirling around, and looking at her mother in dismay. ”She'll be goin' to-morrow! Oh, no, Phronsie, you can't; he lives miles and miles away--oh, ever so far!”
”Does he live as far as the moon?” asked little Phronsie, carefully laying Seraphina down, and looking up at Polly, anxiously.
”Oh, I don't know,” said Polly, giving Cherry a piece of bread, and laughing to see how cunning he looked. ”Oh, no, of course not, but it's an awful long ways, Phronsie.”
”I don't care,” said Phronsie, determinedly, giving the new doll a loving little pat, ”I'm goin' sometime, Polly, to thank my poor sick man, yes, I am!”
”You'll see him next summer, Phronsie,” sang Polly skipping around the kitchen, ”and j.a.ppy's sister Marian, the lovely lady, and all the boys.
Won't that be nice?” and Polly stopped to pat the yellow head bending in motherly attentions over her array of dolls.
”Ye-es,” said Phronsie, slowly; ”the whole of 'em, Polly?”
”Yes, indeed!” said Polly, gayly; ”the whole of 'em, Phronsie!
”Hooray!” shouted the two boys, while Phronsie only gave a long sigh, and clasped her hands.
”Better not be looking for summer,” said Mrs. Pepper, ”until you do your duty by the winter; then you can enjoy it,” and she took a fresh needleful of thread.
”Mamsie's right,” said Ben, smiling over at her. And he threw down his book and jumped for his cap. ”Now for a good chop!” he cried, and s.n.a.t.c.hing a kiss from Phronsie, he rushed out of the door to his work, whistling as he went.
”Warn't Mr. Henderson good, ma,” asked Polly, watching his retreating figure, ”to give Ben learning?”
”Yes, he was,” replied Mrs. Pepper, enthusiastically. ”We've got a parson, if anybody has in this world!”