Part 13 (1/2)

”I'm thankful you thought of it, my boy. I've been troubling about Bella's having that long walk in all weathers, and the mornings and evenings getting darker and darker. Rocket's a good steady donkey too, I remember him; 'twas I advised poor old Mother Wintle to buy him,” and he laughed at the recollection.

The laugh raised Bella's spirits again, and their tongues wagged so fast after that, that when the bell rang at four o'clock for the visitors to leave, they felt sure there must have been a mistake. ”It can't be more than three!” said Bella, quite distressed. But all the clocks in the town were striking four, and all the other visitors in the ward were preparing to leave. Bella's spirits sank again, it seemed so dreadful to go away and leave her father there, and it took all her courage to keep from breaking down and weeping bitterly.

”Never mind,” said Tom, trying to be cheerful, ”one week has gone, and the worst one for father, I expect, and p'raps in two or three more he'll be home again.”

”The nurse said he would be home for Christmas,” said Bella dolefully; ”but I think she must have made a mistake, and meant Michaelmas, for Christmas is more than three months off yet. He'll be sure to be back before the Fair, won't he, Tom?”

”Oh yes,” said Tom decidedly, with never a doubt.

The nurse had said Christmas, and she meant Christmas, though, mercifully for the children, they continued for some time to feel sure she had made a mistake, and hope burnt brightly in their hearts week after week, and their spirits were never daunted.

CHAPTER IX.

HOME AGAIN.

The nurse had spoken truly enough. William Hender did not die, and he got back to his home in time for Christmas. All through September and October the children kept up their hopes, each week they felt sure the next would bring the news that he was well enough to return to them; but the weeks went by, September had slipped into October, and October into November, and still he did not come.

The heat had suddenly broken up at the end of September, and the weather turned wet and stormy and depressing. Bella and Tom found the work in the garden almost beyond their power, and they longed for their father's help and advice; but week after week went by, and still he could not come, and the work had to be done somehow, by somebody.

Then, in November, the blow that some had feared all along fell on them.

The doctor told Miss Hender that her brother might return to his home in a few weeks' time, but that he would never again be fit for hard work.

He would be able to walk about a little, but he would always be a cripple and an invalid, and quite unable to carry on his old occupation.

The news fell on them all with crus.h.i.+ng force. Miss Hender fell into her gloomiest mood, and drew the most miserable pictures of the future, with six to feed and clothe, rent to pay, an invalid man to keep, and only the children's earnings to do it all on.

Bella saw only her poor father's sad fate--a helpless cripple for the rest of his life, tied to the house, and with nothing to occupy his time, he who had always been so strong and active, who had never been able to stay patiently indoors for an hour, unless he had something to do.

And she felt that her heart would break with her sorrow and love for him.

Little Margery realised only the joy of having him back, and instantly became full of preparations for his coming. She had a new rose to show him, and her Sunday-school prize, and she had five s.h.i.+llings in her money-box, about the spending of which she wanted his advice.

Tom, watching her plans to give their invalid a happy welcome, decided that Margery, after all, was the one to imitate, and he tried to throw off the sickening sense of misery which had overwhelmed him since he had heard the stunning news, and to follow her example.

”We've got to make the best of it for his sake,” he said to Bella and Charlie, as they worked away together, turning over an empty strip of ground. ”It is worst of all for him, and if he sees we are all miserable, he'll feel it is his fault, and it will make it harder than ever for him.”

”I don't believe father'll be a cripple always,” said Charlie st.u.r.dily; ”he's sure to get better some day, and there's certain to be something he can do.”

”But the doctors say he mustn't do anything,” said Bella despondently.

”Doctors don't know everything! Everybody makes mistakes some time,”

he added quickly, for the doctor at the hospital was one of his special heroes.

It was a comfort to the others even to be unable to contradict him.

”Anyhow,” said Tom, ”we will go on as though we thought he was going to be better soon, and he'll be able to tell us what to do in the garden, and how to do it, and p'raps by degrees he'll find little things that he can do without hurting himself.” And so by making plans to help the poor invalid to be happy and comfortable, they made themselves happier too.

”I don't think we can do better than go on as we are,” said Bella. ”If I was to go out to service, or Tom was to get work anywhere, it would be one less to feed, but we shouldn't be able to earn as much for the rest as we do now.”

They all agreed on that point, and Aunt Maggie, who was called in to talk matters over, agreed with them. ”I think you've got a good opening that it would be a sin to waste,” she said heartily. ”I think the best thing you can do is to try to increase your business all you can.”