Part 19 (1/2)
”No, I have not finished,” replied Stephen Trimble, nervously taking up a tool and beginning to remove a screw.
”You are tampering with the machine; put it down!” and the man seized it angrily.
”Let go!” shouted Stephen Trimble, ”you touch it at your peril; the b.u.t.ton is under your hand!”
The warning came too late--there was a blinding flash, then a crash as though the heavens had fallen; then blackness and silence.
CHAPTER XIII.
THE KING'S DAUGHTERS IN THE COUNTRY.
”Her father sent her in his land to dwell, Giving to her a work that must be done; And since the king loves all his people well, Therefore she, too, cares for them, every one.
And when she stoops to lift from want and sin, The brighter s.h.i.+nes her royalty therein.
She walks erect through dangers manifold, While many sink and fail on either hand; She dreads not summer's heat nor winter's cold, For both are subject to the king's command.
She need not be afraid of anything, Because she is the daughter of a king.”
_Anon._
[Ill.u.s.tration: {Drawing of woman sitting on fence.}]
While all these sad things were happening Winnie and I were enjoying a happy summer at my beloved home in the blessed country.
It is not to be imagined that Winnie dropped all her wild ways and became a saint at once. She had been sobered by her sad experience in plotting and scheming for the little prince; but since her full forgiveness her elastic spirits rose to the surface, and her cheerful disposition a.s.serted itself in many playful pranks and merry, tricksy ways.
We did not forget our promise to work for the Elder Brother, but for a time we did nothing but rest fully and completely.
She was delighted with the country. The fresh air and free, wholesome life acted upon her like wine. She climbed walls and trees, leaped brooks, whistled, shouted, rode on the hay-carts, helped in the kitchen and in the garden, drove Dobbin about the country roads, went berrying, and was a prime favorite with all the boys, though I regret to say that at first, perhaps on this very account, the country girls were a little jealous and envious of her. But not a whit cared Winnie for this. She tramped over the fields and through marshes, with her botanist's can swung across her shoulder by a shawl-strap, searching for specimens. She boated and bathed, taking like a duck to the water, and learning to swim more quickly than any other person I had ever known. She loved to work in our old-fas.h.i.+oned garden, pulled weeds diligently, and seemed to love to feel the fresh earth with her fingers. Our flowers were all such as had grown there in my grandmother's time. It seemed to me that she must have modeled it on Mary Howitt's garden, for we had the very flowers which she describes in her poems.
”And there, before the little bench, O'ershadowed by the bower, Grow southernwood and lemon thyme, Sweet-pea and gillyflower;
”And pinks and clove carnations, Rich-scented, side by side; And at each end a holly-hock, With an edge of London-pride.
”I had marigolds and columbines, And pinks all pinks exceeding; I'd a n.o.ble root of love-in-a-mist, And plenty of love-lies-bleeding.”
There was a bed of herbs, too, which my mother cherished--sweet-marjoram and summer savory, sage, rue, and rosemary.
Winnie took a great interest in all of these plants. The country girls thought it odd that she should care for the wild plants which were so common in our vicinity, not knowing Winnie's enthusiasm for botany, and her desire to make a large collection to show the princess. An unusually ignorant girl met her on one of her botanizing expeditions, and Winnie asked her if maiden-hair grew in our region. ”Of course it does!” the girl replied, indignantly; ”you didn't s'pose we all wore wigs, did you?”
It was some time before Winnie could control herself and explain that the maiden-hair of which she was in search was a kind of fern.
”Do you want it for a charm?” the girl asked.
”No,” replied Winnie; ”what will it do?”
”If you put it in your shoe and say the right kind of a charm, you will understand the language of the birds.”
”Then I shall certainly try it,” said Winnie, ”for that would be great fun.”