Part 10 (2/2)
”She did come back, because her fairy G.o.dmother told her to. But the king's son sent for her and married her.”
”Oh, if she'd only come to us, Dil!” Bess had a quicker and more vivid imagination. She had not been so hard worked, nor had her head banged so many times. ”We'd have the char-what did you call it? an' go to heaven.
Then you wouldn't have to wheel me, Dil, an' we'd get along so much faster.” She laughed with a glad, happy softness, and her little face was alight with joy. ”Say, mister, you must think I've got heaven on the brain. But if you'd had hurted legs so long, you'd want to get to the Lord Jesus an' have 'em made well. I keep thinkin' over what you told us 'bout your Lord Jesus, an' I know it's true because you've come back.”
Such a little thing; such great faith! And he had been comparing claims, discrepancies, and wondering, questioning, afraid to believe a delusion.
Was he truly _his_ Lord Jesus? The simple belief of the children touched, melted him. It was like finding a rare and exquisite blossom in an arid desert. He wished he were not going away. He would like to care for little Bess until the time of her release came. Ah, would they be disillusioned when they came to know what the real pilgrimage was?
”There ain't no fairies truly,” said Dil with pathetic gravity. ”There ain't much of anything for poor people.”
”I can't take you to a palace; but when I come back I mean you shall have a nice, comfortable home in a prettier place-”
”Mother wouldn't let Dil go on 'count of the babies. There ain't but two to-day, 'n' she was awful mad! 'N' I wouldn't go athout Dil. No one else 'd know how to take care of me.”
”We will have that all right. And while I am gone you must have some money to buy medicines and the little luxuries your mother cannot afford.”
”She don't buy nothin' ever. I ain't no good, 'cause I'll never walk, 'n' only Dil cares about me,” Bess said, as if she had so long accepted the fact the sting was blunted.
”Yes, I care; and I will send a friend here to see you, a young lady, and you need not be afraid to tell her of whatever you want. And Dil may like to know-that I am going to put her in a picture, and the money will be truly her own.”
He was not sure how much pride or personal delicacy people of this cla.s.s possessed.
”O Dil!” Bess was electrified with joy. ”Oh, I hope you made Dil look-just as she'd look if we lived in one of them beautiful houses, 'n'
had a maid 'n' pretty clo'es, 'n' no babies to take care of. We never knowed any one like you afore. Patsey's awful good to us, but he ain't fine like an' soft spoken. Are you very rich, mister?”
He laughed.
”Only middling, but rich enough to make life a little pleasanter for you when I come back.”
She seemed to be studying him.
”You look as if you lived in some of the fine, big houses. I'd like to go in wan. An' you know so much! You must have been to school a good deal. Oh, how soft your hands are!”
She laughed delightedly as she enclosed one in both of hers, and then pressed it to her cheek.
He stooped and kissed her. No one ever did that but Dil and Patsey.
”You'll surely come back in time to go to heaven, soon as it's pleasant weather,” she said suddenly. ”An' Dil couldn't be leaved behind. Mother threatens to put her in a shop, an' she does bang her head cruel. But I wouldn't want to be in a pallis an' have everything, if I couldn't have Dil. An' you'll get it all fixed so's we can go?”
Ah, ah! before that time Bess would have been folded in the everlasting arms. There was a lump in his throat, and he began to untie the string of the book to evade a more decisive answer.
It was an ill.u.s.trated edition, simplified for children's reading. He turned some of the leaves and found one picture-Christiana ascending the palace steps amid a host of angels.
From this squalid place and poverty, to that-how could he explain the steps between? When he came back Bess would be gone-
”Past night, past day,”
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