CHAPTER III
CHANCES AND CHANGES
The Whitneys had moved in May, to the great regret of everybody. Theirfamily had changed considerably through the winter. Archibald, theyounger son, was married, and Mr. Theodore had an opportunity to goabroad for a year.
The widowed cousin in Beach Street was married and went to Baltimorewith her two children. That left the two old aunts who owned the housequite alone. Mrs. Whitney and Delia had taken turns staying with them.
The children were all sorry to lose Nora and Pussy Gray.
"People say it's bad luck to move a cat," said Nora, in her sententiousfashion; "but we don't believe in it. We've moved him twice already. Andyou just put a little butter on his feet--"
"Butter!" interrupted the children, amazed.
"Why, yes. That's to make him wash his paws. If you can make him washand purr in a new place, he will stay. And then you must take him roundand show him every room and every closet. And you must come down realoften, Hanny. There's the lovely little park, you know. Aunt Boudinothas a key. They're such nice queer old ladies, you'll be sure to likethem."
"I don't always like queer people," said Hanny, rather affronted.
"I don't mean cross or ugly. Aunt Clem has soft down all over hercheeks, and such curly white hair. She's awful old and wrinkled anddeaf; but Dele can make her hear splendid. Aunt Patty isn't so old. Herreal name is Patricia. And Aunt Clem's is Clementine."
The children were not alone in regret. Ben was almost broken-hearted tolose Mr. Theodore. The boy and the man had been such good friends. AndBen was quite resolved, when he had served his apprenticeship, and wastwenty-one, to be a newspaper man and travel about the world.
Delia had told them quite a wonderful secret the day she came up aftersome articles her mother had left. She had written some verses, and hadthem printed unknown to any one. The. had said they were very fair. Andshe had actually been paid for a story; and the editor of the paperoffered to take others, if they were just as good. She had changed hercheck for a five-dollar goldpiece, which she carried about with her forluck. She showed it to them; and they felt as if they had seen amysterious object.
Hanny was greatly amazed, puzzled as well. That a grown man like Mr.Theodore should write grave columns of business matters for a newspaperhad not surprised her; she had a vague idea that people who wroteverses and stories must needs be lovely. She pictured them with floatingcurls and eyes turned heavenward for inspiration. It seemed to her thatbeautiful thoughts must come from the clouds. Then their voices shouldbe soft, their hands delicate. And the divine something that nodictionary has ever yet found a word to describe must surround them.There was a fair-haired girl at school who had such an exquisite smile.And Daisy Jasper! For her to write verses would be the supreme fitnessof things.
But careless, laughing, untidy Dele Whitney, neither fair nor darkand--yes, freckled, though her hair was more brown than red now. And tolaugh about it, and toss up her goldpiece and catch it with her otherhand!
"Handsome!" Ben ejaculated when Hanny confided some of her difficultiesto him in a very timid fashion. "Great people don't need to run tobeauty. Still, Mr. Audubon had a lovely face, to my thinking," he added,when he saw how disappointed the little girl looked. "And, oh! see here,Mr. Willis is handsome and Gaylord Clark, and there is that picture ofMrs. Hemans--"
The little girl smiled. Dr. Hoffman had given Margaret a beautifullybound copy of Mrs. Hemans's poems, and the steel engraving in the front_was_ handsome. She had already learned two of the poems, and recitedthem at school.
"And I don't think Delia so very plain," continued Ben. "You just watchwhat beautiful curves there are to her lips, and her brown eyes lightenup like morning; and when they are a little sad, you can think thattwilight overshadows her. I like to watch them change so. I'm awfullysorry they're gone away. If we _could_ have another big brother, I'dlike it to be Mr. Theodore."
Hanny used to hope when she was as big as Margaret she would be aspretty. She didn't think very much about it, only now and then some ofthe cousins said,--
"Hanny doesn't seem to grow a bit. And how very light her hair keeps!You'd hardly think she and Margaret were sisters."
The little girls drew mysteriously closer after Nora went away. They allkept on at the same school, and played together. But dolls and teaparties didn't appear to have quite the zest of a year ago.
One Saturday, Mr. Underhill took Hanny down to Beach Street. They wereall delighted to see her, even to Pussy Gray, who came and rubbedagainst her, and stretched up until he reached her waist, and, oh, howhe did purr!
"I think he's been kind of homesick for the children," remarked Nora,gravely, as if she might be quite grown up. "You see he _was_ spoiledamong you all. I was a little afraid at first that he would run away."
"Did you put butter on his paws?"
"Oh, yes. He licked them, and then washed his face; but he kept lookingaround and listening to strange noises. He'd sit on the window-sill andwatch the children, and cry to go out. But he doesn't mind now."
He had a chair and a cushion to himself, and looked very contented.
They went upstairs to see the old ladies. Aunt Clem had a round, full,baby-face, for all she was so old. Nora said she was almost ninety. AuntPatty was twenty years younger, quite brisk and bright, with wonderfulblue eyes. They had the front room upstairs, and their bed stood in thealcove. The furnishing looked like some of the country houses. Mrs.Whitney had the back room, and Nora shared it with her. There were greatpantries between with shelves and drawers, and in one a large chest,painted green, that Nora said was full of curiosities.
Delia's room was up on the top floor. She had made it oddly pretty.There was a book-case and the small desk. They had used, ever so manypictures, and a pot of flowers on a little table. It had quite anorderly aspect.
"And I have another five-dollar goldpiece," laughed the girl. "I shallbe a nabob presently. I ought to invest my money; but it is socomforting to look at, that I hate to let it go."
Then Hanny had to tell them about the new neighbours. They wereforeigners, by the name of Levy; and there were four grown people, fivelittle children, and two servants. Mr. Levy was an importer, and theyall seemed jolly and noisy, but did not talk English, so there couldnot be any friendliness, even if they cared.
"We shall soon be a foreign city," declared Mrs. Whitney. "It'sastonishing how the foreigners do come in! No wonder people have to moveup-town."
Nora and Hanny went over in the Park after dinner. But it wasn't muchfun to be alone; so they walked up and down the street, and then Deliatook them in the stage down to the Battery. People were promenading ingala attire. Saturday afternoon had quite a holiday aspect. There was abig steamer coming up the bay. The Whitneys had heard twice from Mr.Theodore, who was now going over to Ireland.
"Tell Ben that The. is going to write to him," remarked Dele. "He saidso in his last letter."
When they returned to Beach Street, they found Doctor Joe waiting forHanny. But Ben said afterward he wished he had gone instead, he wasquite longing to see them all. And he was delighted with the prospect ofa letter.
Whether they would have liked their new neighbours or not, if they couldhave talked to them, made little difference to Mrs. Underhill. Margaretwas to be married in the early autumn. Dr. Hoffman had bought a housenot very far from Stephen's, in a new row that was just being finished.He wouldn't like it to stand empty, and he did not want to rent it for ayear, and perhaps have the pretty fresh aspect spoiled. And then it wasbetter for a doctor to be married and settled.
Father Underhill sighed. Mrs. Underhill said sharply that she couldn'tget ready; but for all that, pieces of muslin came into the house forsheets and pillow-cases, and Margaret was busy as a bee.
Another trouble loomed up before the anxious housekeeper. A sprightlywidower belonging to the same church as Martha, came home with her everySunday night, and class-meeting night, which was Thursday.
"You ought to consider we
ll," counseled Mrs. Underhill. "A stepmother isa sort of thankless office. And two big boys!"
"Well--I'm used to boys. They're not so bad when you know how to takethem, and they'll soon be grown up. Then he's quite forehanded. He ownsa house in Stanton Street, and has a good business, carting leather inthe Swamp."
The Swamp was the centre for tanneries and leather importers anddealers, and it still keeps its name and location.
"I don't know what I shall do!" with a heavy sigh.
"You'll have good long warning. I wouldn't be mean enough to go off andleave you with all this fuss and worry on your hands. And, land sakes!his wife hasn't been dead a year yet. I told him I couldn't think ofsuch a thing before Christmas, anyhow. But he has such a hard time withboth grandmothers. One comes and fixes things her way, and gets tiredand goes off, and then the other one comes and upsets them. It's justdreadful! I do believe a man needs a second wife more than he did thefirst. They're poor sticks to get along alone when they've had some oneto look after things. And when this affair is over, you'll kind ofsettle down, and the family seem smaller. Just don't fret a bit, for thewhole thing may fall through."
"I shouldn't want you to give up the prospect of a good home," ratherreluctantly.
"Well, that's what I've thought about. And I ain't a young girl withyears of chances before me. But I'm not going to be caught too easy,"and Martha tossed her head.
Ben was very much interested in the war that was going on now in goodearnest. The Americans had taken Fort Brown, crossed to the Rio Grandeand driven the Mexicans from Matamoras. A plan had been laid to attackMexico on the Pacific side, and to invade both Old and New Mexico. SantaAnna had escaped from his exile in Cuba, and was longing to reconquerTexas. The whole question seemed in great confusion; but there was agreat deal of enthusiasm among some of the younger men, who thought wara rather heroic thing, and they were hurrying off to the scene ofaction. There was a spirit of adventure and curiosity about thewonderful western coast.
George Horton used to talk all these matters over with Ben, when he camedown on his occasional visits. He was a fine big fellow now, but he wasgetting tired of farming. It was quite lonely. Uncle Faid read thecounty paper, but was not specially interested in the questions of theday; and Retty and her husband never went beyond stock, and the crops,and the baby. Ben kept his brother supplied with books that opened awider outlook for him, and made him a little discontented with thehumdrum round.
"I wouldn't mind it if you were all there," he would say. "After all thecity is the only real live place! I've half a mind to come down andlearn a trade. Only I _do_ like the wide out of doors. I couldn't standbeing cooped up."
"And I'm going round the world some day," returned Ben.
"I'd like to go out with Fremont. The other side of our country seems socurious to me, I want to see what it is like. The other side of theRocky Mountains! It's almost like saying the Desert of Sahara," and theyoung fellow laughed.
There was the usual spring and summer dress-making for the ladies. EvenMiss Cynthia, looking sharply at Hanny, said:--
"I don't see what's the matter with that child! I supposed she'd haveeverything outgrown, and some of her last summer's skirts won't need anyletting down. They're wearing them shorter now; and you know, CousinUnderhill, you would have them made rather long last summer."
The little girl sometimes felt quite sore on the point. The Deans weregetting to be tall girls, and even Daisy Jasper had taken to growing.And her lovely curls were quite long again. She certainly was verypretty.
But when Hanny took this trouble to her father, he only laughed andsqueezed her in his arms, and sometimes rubbed her soft cheeks with hisbeard, his old trick, as he said:--
"But I want to keep you my little girl. I don't want you to grow biglike Margaret. For if you should, some nice fellow will come along andinsist upon carrying you off, and then I should lose you. Whatever wouldI do?"
That view of the matter was alarming to contemplate. She clung closer toher father, and said, in a half-frightened tone, that she never would becarried off. It quite reconciled her to the fact of not growing rapidly.
The girls all went down to see Nora Whitney one Saturday in June. Itlooked rather threatening in the morning, but a yard or two of blue skygave them hope. Mr. Underhill took them all in the family carriage. Oh,how lovely the little park looked with its soft grass and waving trees!And in the area windows there were pots of flowers: ten-weeks' stock,and spice pinks, and geraniums that were considered quite a rarity.
Nora was out on the front stoop with Pussy Gray, who arched his back andwaved his tail with an air of grandeur, and then sat down on the topstep and began to wash his face, while Father Underhill was planning totake them all for a drive late in the afternoon.
Pussy Gray watched his little mistress out of one green eye, and washedover one ear. He was just going over the other when Nora caught him,"Why do you stop him?" asked Daisy.
"Because he wants to make it rain and spoil our day. Pussy Gray--if youdo!"
"But it wouldn't really?"
"Well, it's a sure sign when he goes over both ears. When I don't wantit to rain, I stop him."
"But suppose he does it when he is by himself?"
"I think sometimes he runs away and does it on the sly. Aunt Patty saysit is as sure as sure can be."
Pussy Gray winked at Hanny, as if he said he didn't believe in signs,and that he should wash over both ears when he found a chance.
Dele was bright and merry. She "bossed" the house, for Mrs. Whitney hadsubsided into novel-reading again, and now took books out of theMercantile Library. A woman was doing the Saturday morning's work, andscrubbing the areas. After that she went over the front one with a redwash that looked like paint, and freshened it. The girls took a run inthe yard. There was a long flower-bed down the side of the fence, and atone end all manner of sweet herbs, lavender, thyme, and rosemary, sweetverbena, and then tansy and camomile, and various useful things.
"Camomile tea is good for you when you lose your appetite," said Nora;"but it's awful bitter. Aunt Patty cuts off the leaves and blossoms ofthe sweet herbs, and sews them up in little bags of fine muslin, andlays them among the clothes and the nice towels and pillow-cases. Andit makes them all smell just delicious."
The air was full of fragrance now. They played tag around thegrass-plot. Daisy sat on the stoop and said she didn't mind, though shegave a little sigh, and wondered how it would feel to run about. Thelittle lame girl in Houston Street could get over the ground prettyrapidly. She had interested Doctor Joe in her, and he had hunted up thechild's mother, who wouldn't listen to anything being done for her.
"Sure," said she, "if it's the Lord's will to send this affliction toher, I'll not be flying in the face of Providence. She can manage, andshe's impident enough now. There'd be no livin' with her if she had twogood legs. And I'll not have any doctor cuttin' her up into mince-meat."
Pussy Gray came and sat beside Daisy with a flick of the ear and turn ofthe tail, as if he said: "We'll let those foolish girls fly about andsqueal and laugh and get half roasted, while we sit here at leisure andenjoy ourselves."
Afterward they swung, and then went up to Nora's play-house. Aunt Pattyhad given her a rag doll that she had when she was a little girl, and itwas over fifty years old. It was undeniably sweet, because it had beensteeped in lavender, but it was not very pretty. There was a curiouslittle wooden cradle Aunt Patty's brother had made. All the children'sstory-books were up here in a case Dele had made out of a packing box.
They thought after a little they would rather go over in the Park. Noratook the key. It was very pleasant; and they watched the carts andwaggons going by, and the pedestrians. Presently a young woman unlockedthe gate at the lower end, and came in with two little children ratherqueerly dressed. She had a white muslin cap on her head, very high infront. We often see them now, but then they were a rarity. The littlechildren had very black eyes and curly black hair, and stared curiouslyat the group of gir
ls.
"They're French," explained Nora. "They live a few doors down below. Andthey can't speak a word of English, nor the maid either, though we dosometimes talk a little. There are two quite big boys, then the motherand father, and the grandmother and grandfather. The old people come outand sit on the stoop, now that it is warm. He reads French books to her,and she makes lace. About four o'clock, the servant brings out atea-table, and they have some tea and little bits of cake. They do itall summer long, Aunt Patty says, and the old lady is beautiful,--justlike a picture."
The girls walked down a little. The maid smiled and nodded. The childrenmade queer stiff bows, both alike, though they were girl and boy; butthey looked half afraid. The maid said "Bon jour" to Nora, who repliedwith a longer sentence. And then she began to explain in English and herscanty French that these were her friends, and that they were studyingFrench in school. The Deans talked a little; but Hanny was too shy, andthe conversation would have been very amusing to a spectator. But justwhen it was getting quite exciting, and they couldn't make each otherunderstand at all, Hanny caught sight of Delia waving her handkerchieffrom the front stoop, which was a signal that dinner was ready, so theyall curtsied and said good-bye.
Afterward Aunt Patty showed them her "treasures," some very odd dishesand pitchers that were more than a hundred years old, and some jewels,and the gown Aunt Clem had worn to Washington's Inauguration, and toldthem about Mrs. Washington and going to the old theatre in John Street.She had some beautiful combs, and buckles that her father used to wear,and kid-gloves that had long arms and came most up to her shoulders. Shetold the children so many entertaining stories that before the afternoonseemed half gone Mr. Underhill came for them. Nora wanted to go also.
"You can take her home with you," said Dele; "and I'll come up for herthis evening. I'm just wild to see Mrs. Underhill and the boys. I hopethe children have had a good time. I've hardly had a glimpse of themexcept at dinner."
They crossed the ferry and went over to Jersey. It was still pretty wildand country-like, but the trees and shrubs and bloom everywhere lent ita glory. The children chatted merrily, and all agreed the day was tooshort.
"But you can come again," said Nora.
When the Deans sprang out, Charles Reed stood by the stoop talking toMr. Dean. Nora said the place hadn't changed a bit, and she wished shewas back again. There were nothing but old people in Beach Street, andshe had no little girls to play with. She didn't know what she should dowhen vacation came.
They were just through supper when Delia arrived, and she insisted uponsitting down at the table and having a cup of Mrs. Underhill's good tea.She was her olden jolly self, and had her brother's letters almost byheart. She thought them a great deal brighter and more amusing thanthose published in the "Tribune."
"But I like those," exclaimed Ben; "I'm cutting them out for ascrap-book. I just wish I was with him!"
"And he would like to have you," returned Dele. "I don't believe he evertook so much of a fancy to any one as he did to you."
They talked books a little. No, Dele had not written any more stories.The old ladies took a good deal of her time. And she had been studying.She wished she were going to school again; she should appreciate it somuch more. She was reading the English essayists and Wordsworth, andlearning about the great men and women.
Ben walked out to the Bowery to put them in the stage; and Dele said,rather ruefully:--
"I just wish we could study and read together. I miss The. so much, Icould always ask him questions; but now I have to look up everythingmyself, and it's slow work."
"Dele has quite a family on her hands," said John, when she had gone."She's getting to be rather good-looking, too. Her eyes are very fine."
"But she doesn't grow much tidier," returned his mother.
"Her hair is curly and always looks tumbled," was the half-apologisingrejoinder. "But she is very bright, and she'll do something withherself."
Mrs. Underhill glanced sharply at her son. There was no danger in Benbeing a little soft about Delia Whitney; but she was surprised at John'scommendation.
Doctor Joe walked down to see how his patient had stood the day. Hermother had been almost afraid to have her go, lest "something mighthappen." She was very tired, of course, and glad to take to thereclining chair with all the pillows; but her eyes were in a glow, andher cheeks a pretty pink that Mrs. Jasper was quite sure was undueexcitement.
"It was just splendid," Daisy declared; "Mamma, I do want to be likeother girls, and see what is going on in the world. The old ladies wereso quaint; and it was wonderful to have seen President Washington and somany famous people. And what interested me, was her talking about themjust like ordinary persons. And Nora is so amusing. I want to learnFrench so that I can really talk it. You can't imagine how funny it wasin the Park, trying to make each other understand. Oh, there are so manythings I want to learn."
"There will be time enough," said her mother.
When Doctor Joe took her hand and bent over her to say good-night, shewhispered softly,--
"I _did_ try to forget my own misfortune, and I was very happy. I amgoing to be brave. It is such a lovely world; and it is such a splendidthing to be happy. Doctor Joe, you are my Mr. Greatheart."