CHAPTER XXI.
_HOW PHEBE EARNED HER WELCOME._
Dr. Alec had not arrived, but bad tidings had, as Rose guessed theinstant her eye fell upon Aunt Plenty, hobbling downstairs with hercap awry, her face pale, and a letter flapping wildly in her hand, asshe cried distractedly,--
"Oh, my boy! my boy! sick, and I not there to nurse him! Malignantfever, so far away. What can those children do? why did I let Alecgo?"
Rose got her into the parlor; and, while the poor old lady lamented,she read the letter which Phebe had sent to her that she might "breakthe news carefully to Rose."
"DEAR MISS PLENTY,--Please read this to yourself first, and tell my little mistress as you think best. The dear doctor is very ill; but I am with him, and shall not leave him day or night till he is safe. So trust me, and do not be anxious; for every thing shall be done that care and skill and entire devotion can do. He would not let us tell you before, fearing you would try to come at the risk of your health. Indeed it would be useless; for only one nurse is needed, and I came first, so do not let Rose or anybody else rob me of my right to the danger and the duty. Mac has written to his father; for Dr. Alec is now too ill to know what we do, and we both felt that you ought to be told without further delay. He has a bad malignant fever, caught no one can tell how, unless among some poor emigrants whom he met wandering about quite forlorn in a strange city. He understood Portuguese, and sent them to a proper place when they had told their story. But I fear he has suffered for his kindness; for this fever came on rapidly, and before he knew what it was I was there, and it was too late to send me away.
"_Now_ I can show you how grateful I am, and if need be give my life so gladly for this friend who has been a father to me. Tell Rose his last conscious word and thought were for her. 'Don't let her come; keep my darling safe.' Oh, do obey him! Stay safely at home; and, God helping me, I'll bring Uncle Alec back in time. Mac does all I will let him. We have the best physicians, and every thing is going as well as can be hoped till the fever turns.
"Dear Miss Plenty, pray for him and for me, that I may do this one happy thing for those who have done so much for
"Your ever dutiful and loving "PHEBE."
As Rose looked up from the letter, half stunned by the sudden news andthe great danger, she found that the old lady had already stoppeduseless bewailing, and was praying heartily, like one who knew wellwhere help was to be found. Rose went and knelt down at her knee,laying her face on the clasped hands in her lap, and for a few minutesneither wept nor spoke. Then a stifled sob broke from the girl, andAunt Plenty gathered the young head in her arms, saying, with the slowtears of age trickling down her own withered cheeks,--
"Bear up, my lamb, bear up. The good Lord won't take him from us I amsure: and that brave child _will_ be allowed to pay her debt to him; Ifeel she will."
"But I want to help. I _must_ go, aunty, I must: no matter what thedanger is," cried Rose, full of a tender jealousy of Phebe for beingfirst to brave peril for the sake of him who had been a father to themboth.
"You can't go, dear, it's no use now; and she is right to say 'Keepaway.' I know those fevers, and the ones who nurse often take it, andfare worse for the strain they've been through. Good girl to stand byso bravely, to be so sensible, and not let Mac go too near! She's agrand nurse: Alec couldn't have a better, and she'll never leave himtill he's safe," said Miss Plenty, excitedly.
"Ah, you begin to know her now, and value her as you ought. _I_ thinkfew would have done as she has; and if she does get ill and die itwill be our fault partly; because she'd go through fire and water tomake us do her justice, and receive her as we ought," cried Rose,proud of an example which she longed to follow.
"If she brings my boy home, I'll never say another word. She may marryevery nephew I've got, if she likes, and I'll give her my blessing,"exclaimed Aunt Plenty, feeling that no price would be too much to payfor such a deed.
Rose was going to clap her hands, but wrung them instead; rememberingwith a sudden pang that the battle was not over yet, and it was muchtoo soon to award the honors.
Before she could speak Uncle Mac and Aunt Jane hurried in; for Mac'sletter had come with the other, and dismay fell upon the family at thethought of danger to the well-beloved Uncle Alec. His brother decidedto go at once, and Aunt Jane insisted on accompanying him: though allagreed that nothing could be done but wait, and leave Phebe at herpost as long as she held out; since it was too late to save her fromdanger now, and Mac reported her quite equal to the task.
Great was the hurry and confusion till the relief party was off. AuntPlenty was heart-broken that she could not go with them, but felt thatshe was too infirm to be useful; and, like a sensible old soul, triedto content herself with preparing all sorts of comforts for theinvalid. Rose was less patient, and at first had wild ideas of settingoff alone, and forcing her way to the spot where all her thoughts nowcentred. But, before she could carry out any rash project, Aunt Myra'spalpitations set in so alarmingly that they did good service for once,and kept Rose busy taking her last directions, and trying to sootheher dying-bed; for each attack was declared fatal, till the patientdemanded toast and tea, when hope was again allowable and the rallybegan.
The news flew fast, as such tidings always do: and Aunt Plenty wasconstantly employed in answering inquiries; for her knocker kept up asteady tattoo for several days. All sorts of people came; gentle-folkand paupers, children with anxious little faces, old people full ofsympathy, pretty girls sobbing as they went away, and young men whorelieved their feelings by swearing at all emigrants in general andPortuguese in particular. It was touching and comforting to see howmany loved the good man who was known only by his benefactions, andnow lay suffering far away, quite unconscious how many unsuspectedcharities were brought to light by this grateful solicitude, as hiddenflowers spring up when warm rains fall.
If Rose had ever felt that the gift of living for others was a poorone, she saw now how beautiful and blest it was,--how rich thereturns, how wide the influence, how much more precious the tender tiewhich knit so many hearts together, than any breath of fame, orbrilliant talent, that dazzled, but did not win and warm. In afteryears she found how true her uncle's words had been; and, listening toeulogies of great men, felt less moved and inspired by praises oftheir splendid gifts than by the sight of some good man's patientlabor for the poorest of his kind. Her heroes ceased to be the world'sfavorites; and became such as Garrison fighting for his chosen people;Howe restoring lost senses to the deaf, the dumb, and blind; Sumnerunbribable, when other men were bought and sold: and many alarge-hearted woman working as quietly as Abby Gibbons, who for thirtyyears has made Christmas merry for two hundred little paupers in acity almshouse, beside saving Magdalens and teaching convicts.
The lesson came to Rose when she was ready for it, and showed her whata noble profession philanthropy is, made her glad of her choice, andhelped fit her for a long life full of the loving labor, and sweetsatisfaction unostentatious charity brings to those who ask no reward,and are content if "only God knows."
Several anxious weeks went by with wearing fluctuations of hope andfear; for Life and Death fought over the prize each wanted, and morethan once Death seemed to have won. But Phebe stood at her post,defying both danger and death with the courage and devotion womenoften show. All her soul and strength were in her work; and, when itseemed most hopeless, she cried out with the passionate energy whichseems to send such appeals straight up to Heaven,--
"Grant me this one boon, dear Lord, and I will never ask another formyself!"
Such prayers avail much, and such entire devotion often seems to workmiracles when other aids are vain. Phebe's cry was answered; herself-forgetful task accomplished, and her long vigil rewarded with ahappy dawn. Dr. Alec always said that she kept him alive by the forceof her will; and that, during the hours when he seemed to lieunconscious, he fel
t a strong, warm hand holding his, as if keepinghim from the swift current trying to sweep him away. The happiest hourof all her life was that in which he knew her, looked up with theshadow of a smile in his hollow eyes, and tried to say in his oldcheery way,--
"Tell Rose I've turned the corner, thanks to you, my child."
She answered very quietly, smoothed the pillow, and saw him dropasleep again, before she stole away into the other room, meaning towrite the good news; but could only throw herself down, and findrelief for a full heart in the first tears she had shed for weeks. Macfound her there, and took such care of her that she was ready to goback to her place,--now indeed a post of honor,--while he ran off tosend home a telegram which made many hearts sing for joy, and causedJamie, in his first burst of delight, to propose to ring all the citybells and order out the cannon.
"Saved: thanks to God and Phebe."
That was all; but every one was satisfied, and every one fella-crying, as if hope needed much salt water to strengthen it. That wassoon over, however, and then people went about smiling and saying toone another, with hand-shakes or embraces, "He is better: no doubt ofit now!" A general desire to rush away and assure themselves of thetruth pervaded the family for some days; and nothing but awful threatsfrom Mac, stern mandates from the doctor, and entreaties from Phebenot to undo her work, kept Miss Plenty, Rose, and Aunt Jessie at home.
As the only way in which they could ease their minds and bear thedelay, they set about spring cleaning, with an energy which scared thespiders, and drove char-women distracted. If the old house had beeninfected with small-pox, it could not have been more vigorouslyscrubbed, aired, and refreshed. Early as it was, every carpet wasrouted up, curtains pulled down, cushions banged, and glory-holesturned out, till not a speck of dust, a last year's fly, or straystraw could be found. Then they all sat down and rested in such animmaculate mansion that one hardly dared to move for fear ofdestroying the shining order everywhere visible.
It was late in April before this was accomplished, and the necessaryquarantine of the absentees well over. The first mild days seemed tocome early, so that Dr. Alec might return with safety from the journeywhich had so nearly been his last. It was perfectly impossible to keepany member of the family away on that great occasion. They came fromall quarters in spite of express directions to the contrary; for theinvalid was still very feeble, and no excitement must be allowed. Asif the wind had carried the glad news, Uncle Jem came into port thenight before; Will and Geordie got a leave on their ownresponsibility; Steve would have defied the entire Faculty, had itbeen necessary; and Uncle Mac and Archie said simultaneously,"Business be hanged to-day."
Of course, the aunts arrived all in their best; all cautioningeverybody else to keep quiet, and all gabbling excitedly at the leastprovocation. Jamie suffered most during that day, so divided was hebetween the desire to behave well and the frantic impulse to shout atthe top of his voice, turn somersaults, and race all over the house.Occasional bolts into the barn, where he let off steam by roaring anddancing jigs, to the great dismay of the fat old horses and two sedatecows, helped him to get through that trying period.
But the heart that was fullest beat and fluttered in Rose's bosom, asshe went about putting spring flowers everywhere; very silent, but soradiant with happiness that the aunts watched her, saying softly toone another, "Could an angel look sweeter?"
If angels ever wore pale-green gowns and snowdrops in their hair, hadcountenances full of serenest joy, and large eyes shining with aninward light that made them very lovely, then Rose did look like one.But she felt like a woman: and well she might; for was not life veryrich that day, when uncle, friend, and lover were coming back to hertogether? Could she ask any thing more, except the power to be to allof them the creature they believed her, and to return the love theygave her with one as faithful, pure, and deep?
Among the portraits in the hall hung one of Dr. Alec, taken soon afterhis return by Charlie, in one of his brief fits of inspiration. Only acrayon, but wonderfully life-like and carefully finished, as few ofthe others were. This had been handsomely framed, and now held theplace of honor, garlanded with green wreaths, while the great Indianjar below blazed with a pyramid of hot-house flowers sent by Kitty.Rose was giving these a last touch, with Dulce close by, cooing over ahandful of sweet "daffydowndillies," when the sound of wheels sent herflying to the door. She meant to have spoken the first welcome and hadthe first embrace; but when she saw the altered face in the carriage,the feeble figure being borne up the steps by all the boys, she stoodmotionless till Phebe caught her in her arms, whispering with a laughand a cry struggling in her voice,--
"I did it for you, my darling, all for you!"
"O Phebe, never say again you owe me any thing! I never can repay youfor this," was all Rose had time to answer, as they stood one instantcheek to cheek, heart to heart, both too full of happiness for manywords.
Aunt Plenty had heard the wheels also, and, as everybody rose _enmasse_, had said as impressively as extreme agitation would allow,while she put her glasses on upside-down, and seized a lace tidyinstead of her handkerchief,--
"Stop! all stay here, and let _me_ receive Alec. Remember his weakstate, and be calm, quite calm, as I am."
"Yes, aunt, certainly," was the general murmur of assent: but it wasas impossible to obey as it would have been to keep feathers still ina gale; and one irresistible impulse carried the whole roomful intothe hall, to behold Aunt Plenty beautifully illustrate her own theoryof composure by waving the tidy wildly, rushing into Dr. Alec's arms,and laughing and crying with an hysterical abandonment which even AuntMyra could not have surpassed.
The tearful jubilee was soon over, however; and no one seemed theworse for it: for the instant his arms were at liberty Uncle Alecforgot himself, and began to make other people happy, by sayingseriously, though his thin face beamed paternally, as he drew Phebeforward,--
"Aunt Plenty, but for this good daughter I never should have come backto be so welcomed. Love her for my sake."
Then the old lady came out splendidly, and showed her mettle; for,turning to Phebe, she bowed her gray head as if saluting an equal;and, offering her hand, answered with repentance, admiration, andtenderness trembling in her voice,--
"I'm proud to do it for her own sake. I ask pardon for my sillyprejudices, and I'll prove that I'm sincere by--where's that boy?"
There were six boys present: but the right one was in exactly theright place at the right moment; and, seizing Archie's hand, AuntPlenty put Phebe's into it, trying to say something appropriatelysolemn, but could not; so hugged them both, and sobbed out,--
"If I had a dozen nephews, I'd give them _all_ to you, my dear, anddance at the wedding, though I had rheumatism in every limb."
That was better than any oration; for it set them all to laughing, andDr. Alec was floated to the sofa on a gentle wave of merriment. Oncethere, every one but Rose and Aunt Plenty was ordered off by Mac, whowas in command now, and seemed to have sunk the poet in the physician.
"The house must be perfectly quiet, and he must go to sleep as soon aspossible after the journey; so all say 'Good-by' now, and call againto-morrow," he said, watching his uncle anxiously, as he leaned in thesofa corner, with four women taking off his wraps, three boyscontending for his overshoes, two brothers shaking hands at shortintervals, and Aunt Myra holding a bottle of strong salts under hisdevoted nose every time there was an opening anywhere.
With difficulty the house was partially cleared: and then, while AuntPlenty mounted guard over her boy, Rose stole away to see if Mac hadgone with the rest; for as yet they had hardly spoken in the joyfulflurry, though eyes and hands had met.