CHAPTER V
A CHANGE IN THE FEEL OF THINGS
IT didn't take long for the town to wake up to the fact that some newelement had entered into its composition.
"I can't get over it, Susan Ralston's being up and about," Miss DebbyVane said distressedly to Mrs. Mead. "Why, she was 'most dead!"
"Matilda ought not to have gone away," Mrs. Mead said sternly. "Sickfolks in bed can't bear a change. A new face gives them a little spurtof strength, and then when they see the old face again, they kind ofgive up hope and drop right off."
"Yes, I know that," said Miss Debby; "my father had a cousin die thatway. There was a doctor going about in a wagon, pulling teeth and givingshocks, and he said he'd give Cousin Hannah a shock and cure her. Sothey took him up-stairs, and there she was dead of heart disease. Theythought of prosecuting him, but the funeral coming right on they hadn'ttime, and then he was gone to another place, and it seemed too muchbother."
"That girl is just the same kind, I believe," said Mrs. Mead; "thatdreadful way of making you feel that after all what she says is prettysensible, maybe. My Emily is awfully took with her, and Father's justcrazy about her. He come down on the stage with her, and then he wentout to see her. She knows how to get around men; she was fryingdoughnuts."
"Yes, and Mrs. Cowmull's artist was out there, and they had waffles inthe middle of the morning. That's a funny kind of new religion."
"Has she got a new religion?" Miss Debby looked frightened. "I hadn'theard of it."
"Why, yes; Emily says she's got the funniest religion you ever heard of.Whatever she wants to do or don't want to do, she says it's herreligion."
"Dear me, but I should think that that would be very convenient," saidMiss Debby, much impressed. "Why, my religion is always just theopposite of what I want to do or don't want to do. It says so everySunday, you know,--'we have done those things,' and so forth."
"Hers is different," said Mrs. Mead.
"Well, I declare," repeated Miss Debby; then, suddenly, "I remember nowthat Madeleine said that they had waffles because Jane said that shethought waffles would taste good, and it was her religion to do whateveryou thought of right off. Well, I declare!"
Both ladies stared in solemn amazement at one another.
"This'll be a nice town to live in, if she sets everybody to doingwhatever you like, because it's right," Mrs. Mead said finally. "Fatherwon't put on his coat again this summer."
"It'll make a great difference in the feeling of the town," said MissDebby, mysteriously, "a great difference. Well, I hope it won't changeMadeleine any way her family won't approve. Madeleine's in love, and Isuppose it's Mr. Rath. They knew each other before, and her family don'twant it. I've pieced it all out of scraps."
"Oh, dear!" said Emily Mead's mother, her face falling; "my, I hadn'theard but what he was a free man."
"Oh, no," said Miss Debby, "your sister isn't sure. But everybody elseis. My own view of artists is they're deluders and snares. I give anartist a picture and a dollar once to enlarge, and that was the last Iever heard of them both--of all three."
"I wonder if Emily knows Mr. Rath's engaged," said Mrs. Mead, sadly."Dear me, I never thought of that."
"Not engaged, but in love," corrected Miss Debby.
"Perhaps he's a real artist and changeable," suggested Mrs. Mead.
"There's no comfort in that for any one, 'cause if he'll change once,he'll change right along."
Mrs. Mead sighed very heavily. "Well, I must keep up for Father andEmily," she remarked, not tracing any very clear connection between wordand deed.
"Yes," said Miss Debby, "you must, and we'll all keep a sharp eye onthese new kind of ways of looking at things, for we don't know wherethey'll end."
The "new way of looking at things" had already been very efficacious inthe house at the other end of the street. It had assumed an utterly newappearance, both outside and in.
"And I never felt nothing like the change in the _feel_ of it," Susanexclaimed that afternoon, as she re-arranged her belongings in her ownroom. "Oh, you Sunshine Jane, you, you've just sunshone into every room,and I'm so happy turning my things about I don't know what to do.Matilda wouldn't never let me turn a china cow other end to, and I'velived with some of the ornaments facing wrong for the whole of thesefive long years."
"It isn't me, Auntie," said Jane, washing shelves with the hearty andhappy energy which she threw into every task in which she engaged; "it'sthe opening of the windows and the letting in of God and His sunshinetogether. I'll soon have time to clean the whole house, and then we'llhave fun re-arranging every room. You've such pretty things, and theymust be rubbed up and given a chance to play a part in the world. Godnever meant anything to be idle,--not even a brass andiron. If it can'twork, it can shine and be cheerful, anyway. What can't smile ought toshine, you know."
"I wonder why rubbing things makes 'em bright," said Susan, opening herbonnet-box and hitting her bonnet a smart cuff to knock dust out of thefolds. "I never could understand that."
"It's your individuality that you transfer till the poor dull things getenough of it to shine alone, without anybody's help."
"What a good reason," said Susan. "My, to think maybe I'll go to churchagain in this bonnet! Matilda was always wanting to rip it up, butsomething made me cling to it. It's a kind of souvenir. I wore it tohusband's funeral and my last picnic, and there are lots of otherpleasant memories inside it."
"I'll freshen it up with a cloth dipped in ammonia," said Jane. "Dearme, how I _do_ enjoy washing shelves. I love to sop the soapy water overand mop the corners, and dry the whole, and fit a clean newspaper in,and then see the closet in perfect order."
"You like to do everything, seems to me," said Susan.
"Yes, I do. I've been led to see that doing things well is about thefinest way in which one can pass one's time. And I'm crazy over doingthings _well_. If I fold a towel, I like to fold it just square, and ifI make a bed, I want the fold in the spread and the fold in the sheet tomeet even."
"You'll make a fine wife, Jane," said Susan, gravely, "only no man'llever appreciate the folds lying straight."
Jane laughed merrily. "I'm never going to marry; I'm one of the new sex,the creatures who are born to live alone and lend a hand anywhere.Didn't you know that?"
"That's nonsense," said Susan; "no woman's made so."
"No. It's a big fact. One of the newest facts in the world. The NewWoman, you know!"
"Mercy on us," said Susan, "don't you go in for any of that nonsense.The idea of a girl like you deciding not to marry! I never heard of sucha thing!"
"It's so, though," said Jane, smiling brightly; "you see, my littleOrder is a kind of Sisterhood. We're taught to want to help in so manyhomes and to never even think of a home of our own. We're taught to loveall children so dearly that we mustn't limit ourselves to one family oflittle ones. We're trained to be so fond of the best in every man thatwe see more good to be done as sisters to men than as wives."
"I don't believe Mr. Rath will agree with you," said Susan, "nor anyother real nice fellow."
Jane was cutting paper for the shelves. "Yes, he will," she said,nodding confidently; "men are so scarce nowadays that they are ready toagree with any one."
"Jane, _I_ think he's in love with you already." Susan's tone was verysolemn.
Jane merely laughed.
Then the door-bell rang, and she had to run. Presently she was back, alittle breathless. "It's Mrs. Mead and her daughter. Can you come down?"
"Yes, in a minute. You say, in a minute."
Jane ran down again with the message.
"Most remarkable," said Mrs. Mead, now dressed for calling, with herblack hair put back in three even crinkles on either side, "about youraunt, you know, I mean. Why, we looked upon her as 'most dead. You know,Emily, we've always been given to understand she was nearing her end."
"It does an invalid a lot of good to have something new to think about,"said Jane. "I'm very enlivening. Aunt Susan just cou
ldn't help gettingup, when she heard me upsetting her house in all directions."
"Yes, I expect it was enough to make her nervous," said Mrs. Mead,sincerely. "How long are you going to stay?"
"Until Aunt Matilda comes back."
"I don't believe she'll like these changes," said Mrs. Mead, gravely. "Ishould think that you'd feel a good deal of responsibility. It's nolight matter to leave a shut-up house and an invalid in bed to a nieceand come home to find the house open and the invalid all over it."
"And a man coming in and having waffles in the morning," said EmilyMead, with a smile meant to be arch.
Jane laughed. "That was dreadful, wasn't it?" she said, twinkling--"itwas all so impromptu and funny. And everybody had such a good time. Itjust popped into my head, and you see it's my religion to have to doanything that you think will make people happy, if you see a chance."
"Yes, we've heard about your religion," said Mrs. Mead; "dear me, Ishould think you'd get into a lot of trouble! Waffles in the morningwould upset some folks, except on Sunday."
"Perhaps most people haven't enough religion to manage them week-days,"Jane suggested.
"My aunt, Mrs. Cowmull, says Mr. Rath could hardly eat any lunch,"observed Emily, smiling some more.
"Oh, dear!" said Jane, "but I'm not surprised. Aunt Susan couldn't,either."
Mrs. Mead coughed significantly. "Susan Ralston's pretty delicate tostand many new ideas, I should think," she began, but stopped suddenlyas Susan entered, and viewed her with an expression of shocked surprise.
"Why, Mrs. Ralston, I'd no idea you were so well. Where have you keptyourself these last years, if you were so well?"
"In my own room," said Susan, with dignity. "I didn't see no specialcall to come down. Matilda knew where everything was, but Jane doesn't,so I've changed my ways for a little."
Jane took her hand and pressed it affectionately. The sunshine seedswere sprouting finely. "Don't you want to come out into the garden withme?" she asked Emily Mead, and Emily rose at once. "I thought auntiewould enjoy visiting alone with her old friend," she added, as theypassed through the hall.
"What are you, anyway?" Emily asked curiously. "I've heard you were atrained nurse,--are you?"
"I'm one of the brand-new women," said Jane; "not a Suffragette, nor anadvanced anything, but just a creature who means to give her life up toteaching happiness as an art."
"Yes, I heard that. But how do you do it?" asked Emily Mead.
"By being happy and thinking happy thoughts and doing happy things."
Emily considered. "But don't you ever have hard things to do?"
"Never. I enjoy them all--I love to work."
Emily looked at her wonderingly. "But washing dishes?--We don't keep agirl, and I hate washing dishes. What would you say to them?"
Jane laughed. "What, those two lovely tin pans and that nice boilingkettle? And all the dirty plates sinking under the soap-suds and thenpiling up under the clean hot water. And the shining dryness and theputting them on the shelves all in their own piles. And then the knowingthat God wanted those dishes washed, and that you've done them justexactly as He'd like to see them done. Why, I think dish-washing isgrand!"
Emily opened her eyes widely. "How funny you are! I never heard suchtalk before! But, then, you've lived in a big city and learned to thinkin a big way. You wouldn't see dish-washing so if you'd done it all yourlife and never been told it was nice. You couldn't."
"But you've been told now," said Jane, "and no work need ever seemhorrid to you again. Just look at it in my way after this."
"But all work seems horrid to me. I'd like to marry an awfully rich manand never see this place again. I hate it."
Jane thought a minute; then said in sweet, low, even tones: "You won'tevolve any man fit to marry out of that spirit, you know."
The other girl stared at her. "Evolve!"
"Yes. Don't you know that every minute in this world is the result ofall the minutes that have gone before, and that who we marry is part ofa result--not just an accident?"
"_What?_"
"Don't you know that? Don't you understand?"
"Not a bit. Tell me what you mean?"
"It's too long to explain right this minute, because one can't tell suchthings quickly, and if you've never studied them, you haven't thebrain-cells to receive them. You see brain-cells are the houses forthoughts, and they have to be built and ready before the thoughts canmove in. That's what they told me, when I was learning."
Emily looked at her in bewilderment.
"It's very interesting," said Jane. "I think that it's the mostinteresting thing in the whole world. You see, I didn't have any life atall; I was an orphan and not very bright. And then I happened to gethold of a book that said that all the life there was in the world wasmine, if I'd just take it. So I wrote to the man who wrote the book--"
"How did you ever dare?"
"Why, I knew that the man who wrote that book would help any one--hecouldn't have written the book if he hadn't been made to helppeople--and I asked him how I could begin."
"What did he answer?"
"He said: 'Seize every chance to prove your mind the master of your ownbody first, and when you are thoroughly master of yourself, you canmaster all else.'"
"What did he mean?"
"Well, I took it that he meant me to do anything that I thought of,right off, and that if I got in the habit of sweeping all work out of mysmall way, I'd soon be given a chance at big work in a big way."
"And were you?"
"Yes. I began to get through so quick--I lived with an uncle and helpedhis wife with the sewing and the children--that I had some spare time,and I went into the kitchen and learned to cook. Then one of thechildren was ill, and the doctor thought I'd make a good nurse, so hegot me into a hospital, and I met a woman there who had all the booksthat I wanted to read and who just took hold and helped me right out. Isaw that I didn't want to be a sick-nurse, because there's such a lot ofhumbug and such a lot that's silly, and my friend said that I was onewho would evolve opportunities--"
"What does that mean?"
"Evolve means to sort of develop out of the world and yourself togetherat the same time."
"I don't understand."
"Why, if you want anything, you want it because it's there, and you canget it if you've got the strength and perseverance to build a road toit."
"_What!_"
"I mean just what I say. We can get anything, if we have sufficientwill-power to build a way right straight to it."
"Suppose I want to marry a millionaire?"
"It would mean a lot of well-directed effort, and the effort wouldslowly train you to want something much better than to live rich andidle." Jane paused a minute, and Emily looked at her curiously. "If youwant to marry a millionaire bad enough to start in and make yourself allover new, you'll have such control over your future that I think you'llget something much better than a millionaire."
"I never heard any one like you in all my life," said Emily Mead.
"I'd be so glad to help you straight along," Jane said. "I've got twobooks with me, and you can read one and then the other. Then you'll getwhere you can get the meaning out of the Bible, and then you'll begin tosee the meaning of everything. The world gets so wonderful. You seemiracles everywhere. You feel so well. The sun shines so bright. Lifebecomes so lovely."
Emily looked at her with real wonder.
"How did you happen to come here?" she asked.
"Oh, that came long after all the rest of the story. One day Iremembered that my mother had two sisters, and I wrote to them. Myletter arrived just as Aunt Matilda's arm began to trouble her, and sheasked me if I could come for a visit. You see that was anotheropportunity I evolved."
Emily seized her hand impulsively. "I'm so glad that you came. I'm goingto try, and you'll help me?"
"Yes, indeed, I will. Would you like one of the books right now?"
"Oh, I should."
"I'll get it for you, and then
I'll tell you some day about the doctor Imet and his Sunshine Order."
They went towards the house. "You mustn't expect to understandeverything right off, you know," Jane said to her gently. "You see thisis all new to you, and that means that you can't any more understandright off than you could paint a picture right off. You have to learngradually."
"But I mean to learn," said Emily.
They went in the door, and Jane ran upstairs and fetched the book."There!" she said, "you read it, and I'll help you all I can. You seethe thing is to learn with your whole heart to do God's will, and then,in some strange, subtle way, you get to feel what is coming and to sortof shape all. It's so fascinating and thrilling to realize that what youwant is marching towards you as fast as you can march towards it."
"What do you want?" Emily asked.
"I want to do exactly what I'm doing," said Jane, very quietly. "I'vepassed wanting anything else. I want lots of chances to teach andhelp,--that's all."
"Don't you want to marry?"
"Oh, no,--I want to be able to teach and help everywhere. I don't wantthings for myself, somehow."
"How strange!"
They went into the sitting-room.
"Oh, Jane," Susan cried, "how I have enjoyed hearing about everybody intown! Sister never told me about Eddy King's running off with the storecash or Mrs. Wilton's daughter going to cooking-school, or one thing."
"We must be going," said Mrs. Mead, rising; "we'll come again, though.It's good to see you up, Mrs. Ralston, and I only hope you may stay up.You know Katie Croft's mother-in-law got up just as you have and thenhad a stroke that night."
"Oh, is old Mrs. Croft dead?"
"No, she isn't," said Mrs. Mead; "if she was, she wouldn't be such awarning as she is."
"Dear, dear," said Susan, "think of all I've missed. Has she got it justin her legs or all over? Matilda never told me."
"Legs," said Mrs. Mead, "and it's affected her temper. Katie has anawful time with her."
"Dear, dear," said Susan again,--"and, oh, Jane, a boy I've known sincehe was a baby has had his skull japanned and nearly died. Matilda'snever told me a thing!"
"Well, she didn't know much, you know," said Mrs. Mead; "she keptherself about as close as she kept you. We were given to understandpretty plainly that we weren't wanted to call."
"Think of that now," said Susan, "and me up-stairs, feeling all myfriends had forgot me!"
"Everybody'll come now," said Mrs. Mead; "folks will be glad to see youso well. We were told you never got up and hardly ate enough to keep acat."
"An ordinary cat," corrected Emily; "Miss Matilda's always told what alot your cat ate."
"He is an eater," said Susan, crinkling a bit about the eyes; "but Ieat, too, now, I can tell you."
After they were gone, Jane came back into the sitting-room. Her aunt wasstanding by the window. "It's so beautiful to be down-stairs," she said,without turning. "My goodness, and to think that only a week ago I laidup-stairs wanting to die."
"You can thank Aunt Matilda that you didn't die," said Jane, going andputting her arm around her. "If she had kept you thinking of all theillnesses in town, you'd have died long ago. Sick thoughts are morecatching than diseases. But we don't need to talk of that now."
"No, indeed we don't," said Susan, "for there's Mr. Rath coming."
Jane gave a little start. "I wonder what for," she said.
"What for!" Susan's tone was full of deep meaning; "why, he's fallendead in love with you, Jane, that's what it means, and I don't wonder,for you're the nicest girl I ever saw."
"Oh, Auntie!" said Jane, quite red. "The very idea!"