*CHAPTER XXV*
*"THE CHILD HAS CHOSEN WELL."*
Our story is done. With the retirement of her son from the army, andhis return to England, and subsequent settling down at Carson Rise, Mrs.Beauchamp's responsibility over her once troublesome granddaughterceased. But to those readers who have been interested in the quartette,during a few months of their school life, a glimpse at them all, sevenyears after the events recorded, will not come amiss.
Olive Franklyn, having excelled in various drawing examinations, wasfortunate in securing an exhibition which admitted her, at a nominalfee, as student at a much-sought-after School of Art for a couple ofyears upon leaving the High School. From thence, she went over toParis, in order to perfect herself in her particular branch of art, andso talented are her sketches that already there seems a brilliant futurestretching out before her. She has made many friends among her fellowstudents, for Olive Franklyn is not only a clever artist, but acongenial companion as well. But in her inmost heart, she feels that noone will ever take Monica's place. They are friends still, although forseveral years they have only met occasionally; but they have very littlein common, for Olive has not yet surrendered to the King of kings,although Monica and Elsa have faith enough to believe that she will doso, sooner or later. She says she never intends to marry, for she iswedded already to her art, and that suffices her.
Elsa has been able to carry out her girlish ambition, and for the lasttwo years has been a nurse in the children's ward of a large Londonhospital. Her heart, brimming over with love for the pitiful specimensof humanity entrusted to her care, has found an outlet in tending thelittle ones, for as each newcomer arrives she seems to hear the Divinecommission, "Take this child, and nurse it _for Me_." She is beloved byall the staff for her gentle, helpful ways, and her influence over thelittle inmates of the cots in her ward is marvellous. Seldom indeeddoes a child remain refractory after Nurse Franklyn has spoken a fewwords to it, in her soft girlish tones; and the Sister persists insaying that even the tiniest baby knows when it is in her arms, andleaves off crying instantly! But it was not merely for the sake ofhelping to alleviate pain that Elsa made choice of hospital nursing as aprofession. That is a noble work; but it is a nobler still when the sadand suffering hearts of even little children are pointed to the tenderShepherd who said: "Suffer the little children to come unto Me." Andthat was Elsa's aim in all her work, and many were the young lives wonfor her Master in that large children's ward. She is hoping, some day,to become Sister of her ward if all goes well, and not one of herfellow-nurses would grudge her the honour; but the Rev. Marcus Drury,senior curate of Monkrigg, has other views for her, and, possibly, whenhe obtains a living, Nurse Franklyn will be persuaded to say "good-bye"to her bairnies; and if so, there will be much wailing and many regrets.
Amethyst Drury has not developed into a "platform woman" yet; but onecannot tell what the future has in store for her, as she has only latelycelebrated her twenty-first birthday. She has improved wonderfullysince her school-days, and is her mother's right hand in the parish,while Miss Drury's Bible Class for girls just too old for Sunday School,but not yet "young women," is remarkably well-attended. She has a verypretty, clear soprano voice, and is much in request at various choralclasses and concerts, and in that way has commenced platform work. Andas Amethyst long ago, in the words of Miss Havergal's hymn had said,
Take my voice, and let me sing Always, only, for my King,
her mother and father feel that she is speaking for Him, in words ofsacred song, just as clearly, and sometimes far more tellingly, than shecould ever hope to do as a lecturer.
The Drurys are still at Osmington, and Amethyst carries on themissionary working party begun so many years ago in the old playroom.Not one of the original members is still on the spot except her, but theyounger sisters of some of those girls have taken their places, JoanFranklyn, who will soon be leaving school, being the oldest member. Avery special interest is attached to the work this year, for it is alldestined for the mission station in China, where Lily Howell has beenworking with an older missionary (none other than Hope Daverel herself!)for some few months. Little did any of the quartette dream, when two ofthem so reluctantly admitted her to their working-party, that she wouldbecome their "first-fruits." But it seems that Monica's disinterestedaction on Lily's behalf, and subsequent Christlike life, influenced thegirl who was keenly criticising all her actions, with the result thatshe became an earnest Christian, while a great desire took root in herheart to go to the poor Chinese and tell them of the Saviour she hadfound. At first, her father was unwilling, and Lily felt she would haveto give up her cherished desire; but eventually all hindrances wereremoved, and after training she went out as an honorary missionary toinland China.
But what of Monica? Well, Monica Beauchamp is Monica Herschel now, andso, at last, she has a sister of her own in Robina, whom she dearlyloves. Life has not been all unclouded sunshine to Monica, for, soonafter her engagement to Leslie Herschel, who was home on furlough, hebecame seriously ill with African fever, and for days his life hung inthe balance. But God was with her through it all, and her faith, whichnever wavered, was eventually rewarded by the giving back to her of theone whom she had always enshrined in her heart, as her ideal, because itwas he who had been the means of her salvation.
Leslie's serious illness put an end to their hopes of working side byside for Christ in the Soudan, for the time being, at any rate; but theystill look forward to it, in the future, if God so wills it. Meanwhile,they are very happy in their work for Him at West Port, a largeseafaring town, where Leslie is acting as curate-in-charge for anelderly and infirm vicar. The work is arduous, for the fisher-folk atWest Port are hardly less heathen than the natives of Africa, but theseed is being faithfully sown there, and already a harvest of precioussouls is being reaped.
"Parson's lady" is a great favourite among the women, to whom Monicadevotes all her energies, and not a few among them will one day "rise upand call her blessed," for from her lips and life they have learnt theway into the Kingdom.
Perhaps the daily teaching, and oftentimes tending, of these poorignorant fisherwomen, was not just the career that Colonel Beauchampwould have chosen for his handsome daughter; and when he gave hisconsent to her marriage with Leslie Herschel such a future for her wasan undreamt-of thing.
But who could resist her pleading tones and soft caress, when, withcheeks like damask roses, she whispered, "Oh, dad, I love him! I thinkI always have, since the old Sandyshore days. There never _could_ beany one but Leslie for me, and he says just the same!" So her fondfather, remembering the sadness of his own short married life, confessedthat he was conquered.
"She might have married anybody, with her face and fortune," demurredMrs. Beauchamp, who was very little altered, outwardly, despite herseventy-six years; "but she always would have her own way."
"Well, I must say I think the child has chosen well," said the colonel."Leslie is a man in a thousand, and worthy even of our dearest Monica."
"Perhaps, as he was the means of my losing the troublesome part of mygranddaughter seven years ago, he has the best right to have heraltogether," murmured the old lady, more to herself than to her son, andshe fell into a reverie, and lived over again the days that are no more.
THE END.
_Printed by Hazell, Watson & Viney, Ld., London and Aylesbury._
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