Part 22 (1/2)
”If you knew that you would know all. But _I_ know that your husband lost his small patrimony in it--twenty-five hundred dollars--”
”H'm,” escaped Mrs. West's closely pressed lips.
”And that is one strong reason why I want to educate your two daughters.”
The knitting dropped from the unsteady fingers.
”And I've fretted and fretted about that money, and asked the Lord how my girls ever were to be educated.”
”You know now,” said Miss Prudence. ”I had to tell you, for I feared that you would not listen to my plan. You may guess how I felt when your sister-in-law, Mrs. Easton, told me that she was to take Linnet for a year or two and let her go to school. At first I could not see my way clear, my money is all spent for a year to come--I only thought of taking Marjorie home with me--but, I have arranged it so that I can spare a little; I have been often applied to to take music pupils, and if I do that I can take one of the girls home with me and send her to school; next year I will take all the expense upon myself, wardrobe and all.
There is a cheap way of living in large cities as well as an expensive one. If Linnet goes to Boston with her aunt, she will be kept busy out of school hours. Mrs. Easton is very kindhearted but she considers no one where her children are concerned. If I wore diamonds that Linnet's money purchased, aren't you willing she shall eat bread and b.u.t.ter my money purchases?”
”But you gave the diamonds up?”
”I wore them, though.”
”That diamond plea has done duty a good many times, I guess,” said Mrs.
West, smiling down upon the head in her lap.
”No, it hasn't. His brother has done many things for me; people are ready enough to take money from his brother, and the widows are my friends. It has not been difficult. It would have been without him.”
”The nights I've laid awake and made plans. My little boys died in babyhood. I imagine their father and I would have mortgaged the farm, and I would have taken in was.h.i.+ng, and he would have gone back to his trade to send those boys through college. But the girls don't need a college education. The boys might have been ministers--one of them, at least. But I would like the girls to have a piano, they both play so well on the melodeon! I would like them to be--well, like you, Miss Prudence, and not like their rough, hardworking old mother. I've shed tears enough about their education, and told the Lord about it times enough. If the Boston plan didn't suit, we had another, Graham and I--he always listens and depends upon my judgment. I'm afraid, sometimes, I depend upon my own judgment more than upon the Lord's wisdom. But this plan was--” the knitting needle was being pushed vigorously through her back hair now, ”to exchange the farm for a house and lot in town--Middlefield is quite a town, you know--and he was to go back to his trade, and I was to take boarders, and the girls were to take turns in schooling and accomplishments. I am not over young myself, and he isn't over strong, but we had decided on that. I shed some tears over it, and he looked pale and couldn't sleep, for we've counted on this place as the home of our old age which isn't so far off as it was when he put that twenty-five hundred dollars into that bank. But I do breathe freer if I think we may have this place to live and die on, small as it is and the poor living it gives us. Father's place isn't much to speak of, and James will come in for his share of that, so we haven't much to count on anywhere. I don't know, though,” the knitting needle was doing duty in the stocking again, ”about taking _your_ money. You were not his wife, you hadn't spent it or connived at his knavery.”
”I felt myself to be his wife--I am happier in making all the reparation in my power. All I could do for one old lady was to place her in The Old Ladies' Home. I know very few of the instances; I would not harrow my soul with hearing of those I could not help. I have done very little, but that little has been my exceeding comfort.”
”I guess so,” said Mrs. West, in a husky voice. ”I'll tell father what you say, we'll talk it over and see. I know you love my girls--especially Marjorie.”
”I love them both,” was the quick reply.
”Linnet is older, she ought to have the first chance.”
Miss Prudence thought, but did not say, ”As Laban said about Leah,” she only said, ”I do not object to that. We do Marjorie no injustice. This is Linnet's schooltime. There does seem to be a justice in giving the first chance to the firstborn, although G.o.d chose Jacob instead of the elder Esau, and Joseph instead of his older brethren, and there was little David anointed when his brothers were refused.”
Miss Prudence's tone was most serious, but her eyes were full of fun. She was turning the partial mother's weapons against herself.
”But David and Jacob and Joseph were different from the others,” returned the mother, gravely, ”and in this case, the elder is as good as the younger.”
It almost slipped off Miss Prudence's tongue, ”But she will not take the education Marjorie will,” but she wisely checked herself and replied that both the girls were as precious as precious could be.
”And now don't you go home to-night, stay all night and I'll talk to father,” planned Mrs. West, briskly; ”as Marjorie would say, Giant Despair will get Diffidence his wife to bed and they will talk the matter over. She doesn't read _Pilgrim's Progress_ as much as she used to, but she calls you Mercy yet. And you are a mercy to us.”
With the tears rolling down her cheeks the mother stooped over and kissed the lover of her girls.
”Mr. Holmes is coming to see Marjorie to-night, he hasn't called since her accident, and to talk to father, he likes to argue with him, and it will be pleasanter to have you here. And Will Rheid is home from a voyage, and he'll be running in. It must be lonesome for you over there on the Point. It used to be for me when I was a girl.”
”But I'm not a girl,” smiled Miss Prudence.
”You'll pa.s.s for one any day. And you can play and make it lively. I am not urging you with disinterested motives.”