CHAPTER XIII.
FROM GRAY SKIES TO BLUE.
They were pretty poor, to be sure,--poor as in the hardest of times.There were the chickens, and Granny could make a bit of broth for Hal;but Kit and Charlie raced like deers, and had appetites. After Grannybought them clothes and shoes, the funds were rather low. Hal guessedat it all, but Granny never made any complaints.
He had begun a tidy in red-and-white diamond-shaped blocks; but itseemed to grow upon his hands; and one day when Dot called it abeautiful _bedcrilt_, for her tongue still had a few kinks in it, a newidea crept into his brain.
"Do you think it would make a pretty spread?" he asked Mrs. Howardrather timidly, during a call.
"Why, it would, to be sure, and so serviceable! It is a bright idea,Hal."
"Do you suppose I could sell it?"
"If you want to--yes."
"I can't do any thing else," said Hal with a sigh; "and if I have tostay here all winter."
For Hal's back was so weak that he could only be bolstered up in thebed, and he had not walked a step yet.
Mrs. Howard thought a moment, then said,--
"Finish it Hal, and I will see that it is sold."
So Hal went on hopefully. Granny bewailed the fact that she had donenothing all the fall to help along. They missed their allowance fromJoe; but they had heard from him in his usual glowing and exuberantfashion.
Mrs. Howard took a trip around Madison one morning, and held sundrymysterious conferences with some of her neighbors, returning home quitewell pleased.
"I am so glad I thought of it!" she said to her husband; and heanswered, "So am I, my dear."
One afternoon early in December she went over to Mrs. Kenneth's. Dothad been clearing up under Hal's instructions, and they looked neatas a pin. After she found that her visitor intended to remain, Grannyput on a fresh calico dress and a clean cap; and they had a niceold-fashioned time talking, which Hal enjoyed exceedingly.
Mrs. Howard had brought a basket full of various luxuries,--some nicecold tongue, and part of a turkey, besides jellies and cake. Quite alittle feast, indeed.
Hal begged them to have tea in the best room, where he lay; and heenjoyed it almost as much as if he could have sat up to the table. Kitand Charlie were delighted with the feast.
Then they settled every thing again, and Granny stirred the fire. Thewind whistled without, but within it was bright and cheerful. Hal feltvery happy indeed. It seemed as if God's strong arms were about him,helping him to bear the weariness, as he had been strengthened to bearpain.
Presently there was a tramping up the path, and a confusion of voices.
"Some one is coming;" and Hal raised himself. "I am almost sorry--wewere having such a nice, quiet time."
A knock at the door, which Granny opened. Kit, in the glowingchimney-corner, rubbed his eyes; and it would have been hard to tellwhich was the sleepiest, he or the old gray cat.
"O-o-h!" exclaimed Charlie; and then she darted to Hal. "A whole crowdof 'em!"
A crowd, sure enough. It was something of a mystery to know how theywere going to get in that small place. There was Dr. and Mrs. Meade,Mr. Howard, Mr. and Mrs. Morris, and the boys, all the Terrys,--indeed,half Madison, Hal thought.
Mrs. Howard laughed a little at Hal's puzzled face.
"Oh!--I guess"--
Granny in the other room was quite overcome. Parcels and bags andboxes, shaking of hands, and clattering of tongues.
"It isn't exactly Christmas, Hal," began Mr. Morris; "but Santa Clausdoes sometimes lose his reckoning. So we thought we'd all drop in."
"And give me a surprise-party," said Hal.
"Exactly. Why, you look quite bright, my boy!"
Hal was bright enough then, with cheeks like roses, and lustrous eyes.
Dr. Meade sat him up in the bed. One and another came to shake hands,and say a pleasant word; and in a few moments the whole group werelaughing and talking. There was skating already over on the pond, theboys told him; they were going to have a Christmas exhibition; JimTerry had received a letter from Joe; and all the small gossip thatsounds so pleasant when one is shut within doors.
Then Mrs. Howard brought out the bedspread. None of the boys laughed atHal, you may be sure; and the older people thought it quite wonderful.Mrs. Morris declared that she'd really like to have it.
"It is for sale," said Hal with a little flush.
"Let's take shares!" exclaimed Sam. "Now's your chance, mother: howmuch will you give?"
"A right good plan," returned Mrs. Meade.
After a little discussion they adopted it. There were twenty-six peoplewho subscribed a dollar; and then the slips of paper were arranged fordrawing. The younger portion were considerably excited; and Hal's facewas in a glow of interest.
So they began. One after another took his or her chance; and, when itwas through, they all opened their slips of paper, looking eagerly ateach other.
Clara Terry blushed scarlet; and Sam's quick eyes caught the unusualbrilliancy. For the cream of the affair was, that Clara expected to bemarried in a few weeks.
Dr. Meade guessed also, and then they had a good laugh. Hal wasdelighted.
"It went to the right one," said Mr. Morris. "So much towardshousekeeping, Clara."
"I shall always think of Joe as well as you," she said in a softwhisper to Hal, holding the thin fingers a moment.
After that they had a pleasant time singing. Hal was very fond of vocalmusic. It seemed to him about the happiest night of his life. Then thecrowd began to disperse.
"I have thought of something new, Hal," said Dr. Meade. "I sent to NewYork this morning for a small galvanic battery, to try if electricitywill not help you. We shall have you around yet: do not be discouraged."
"Everybody is so kind"--and Hal's voice quivered. "This has been alovely surprise party."
After they were gone Charlie began to count up the spoils; and everyexclamation grew longer and louder. There was a large ham, a fineturkey, tea and coffee and butter, flour, rice, farina, cake andbiscuit, a bag of apples, and some cans of fruit.
"We shall live like kings," said Granny, with a little sound in hervoice that might have been a sob or a laugh. "And only this morning Iwas a wondering how we _should_ get along."
"And twenty-six dollars. Why, it is almost as good as being a minister,and having a donation-party."
"God doesn't forget us, you see," said Hal with great thankfulness.
He finished the spread a few days afterward, and sent it to Miss Clara;and then Mrs. Meade brought him the materials to make her one.
The fracture had united; but there seemed such a terrible weaknessof the muscles in Hal's back, that Dr. Meade had become ratherapprehensive. But, after using electricity a few weeks, there _was_ animprovement. And one day Hal balanced himself upon two crutches.
"That's red hot!" ejaculated Charlie.
"O Charlie! worthy follower of Joe, what will you do when you get to bea young lady?"
"Oh, dear! I wish I didn't have to be one;" and Charlie began to cry."I'll wear a big stone on top of my head."
"I am afraid it is too late. You are as tall as Granny now."
Hal gained slowly. All this time he was thinking what he should do?for he had a presentiment that he might never be very strong again.No more working around on farms; and, though there were some sedentarytrades in cities, he would meet with no chance to attain to them. So hemust have the green-house.
By spring he was able to go about pretty well. But he looked white as aghost, quite unlike the round rosy Hal of other days.
"Kit," said he, "you'll have to be my right-hand man this summer. Maybeby another Christmas we might have the violin."
"O Hal! I'd work from morning till night," and the eager eyes wereluminous.
"Well, we'll see."
Charlie was seized with a helpful fit also. After the garden wasploughed, they all planted and hoed and weeded; and, as it was an earlyseason, they had some quite forward vegetables.
r /> One day Hal went over to Salem, and invested a few dollars intuberoses, besides purchasing some choice flower-seeds. Then he stoppedinto a small place where he had noticed cut-flowers, and began toinquire whether they ever bought any.
"All I can get," said the man. "Flowers are coming to be the rage.People think they can't have weddings or funerals without them."
"But you want white ones mostly?"
"White ones for funerals and brides. There are other occasions, though,when colored ones are worth twice as much, and as much needed."
"You raise some?" said Hal.
"All I can. I have a small green-house. Come in and see it. Did youthink of starting in the business?"
Hal colored, and cleared his voice of a little tremble.
"I believe I shall some time," he said.
The green-house was not very large, to be sure, now quite empty, as theflowers were out of doors.
"I wonder how much such a place would cost?" Hal asked with somehesitation.
"About a thousand dollars," replied the man, eying it rathercritically. "Have you had any experience with flowers?"
"Not much;" and Hal sighed. A thousand dollars! No, he could never doany thing like that.
"The best way would be to study a year or two with a florist."
"I suppose so."
Hal was quite discouraged, for that appeared out of his power as well.
"There is not so great a demand for flowers in summer, you know; butin winter they are scarce, and bring good prices. Still, some of thechoicer kinds sell almost any time; fine rosebuds, heliotrope, and suchthings."
After a little further talk, Hal thanked the man, and said good-by witha feeling of disappointment. A hot-house was quite beyond his reach.
However, he did mean to have some early vegetable beds for anotherspring--if nothing happened, he said to himself, remembering his lastsummer's plans.
Not that he was idle, either. He did a good deal in the lighter kindsof gardening. The new houses required considerable in the way ofadornment; and Dr. Meade spoke a good word for him whenever opportunityoffered. He had so much taste, besides his extravagant love forflowers; and then he had studied their habits, the soil they required,the time of blossoming, parting, or resetting. And it seemed as if hecould make any thing grow. Slips of geranium, rose-cuttings, and indeedalmost every thing, flourished as soon as he took it in hand.
The new railroad brought them in direct and easy communication withanother city, Newbury. Hal took a journey thither one day, and found aflorist and nurseryman who conducted operations on quite an extensivescale. But still it was expensive in the start. He had thought ofmortgaging the place; but the little money he could raise in that waywould hardly be sufficient; and then, if he was not prosperous, theymight lose their little home.
At midsummer they heard some wonderful news about Florence. Mrs.Osgood wrote that she was going to marry very fortunately, a gentlemanof wealth and position. She sent love to them, but she was very muchengrossed; and Mrs. Osgood said they must excuse her not writing. Sheenlarged considerably upon Florence's brilliant prospect, and appearedto take great pleasure in thinking she had fitted her for the newposition.
"Oh!" said Granny with a sigh, "we've lost her now. She will be toorich and grand ever to come back to us."
"I don't know," returned Hal. "She did owe Mrs. Osgood a good deal ofgratitude; and it was right for her to be happy and obedient when shewas having so much done for her. But now she may feel free"--
"She has forgotten us, Hal: at least, she doesn't want to remember;"and Granny wiped her eyes.
"I can't quite believe it. She had a good heart, and she did love us.But maybe it's best anyway. We have been unfortunate"--
Hal's voice trembled a little. Granny rocked to and fro, her old methodof composing her mind when any thing went wrong. And, though she couldnot bear to blame Flossy, there was a soreness and pain in the oldheart,--a little sting of ingratitude, if she had dared to confess it.
"Hal," said Dr. Meade one day, "they are going to start a new schoolover at the cross-roads. It's a small place, and probably there willnot be more than twenty or thirty scholars,--some of the mill-children.If you would like to teach it, I am pretty sure that I could get it foryou."
"Oh, if I could!" and Hal's eyes were all alight.
"To be sure you can. The salary is very small"--and Dr. Meade made along pause.
"Even a little would help along," was Hal's reply, his heart beatingwith a strange rapidity.
"There can't be any appropriation made for it, yousee, as there will be no election till spring. But four hundred dollarshave been subscribed, and the committee had a fancy that they might geta lady for that."
"I'd take it," said Hal. Four hundred dollars looked like quite afortune to him.
"It may get up to four hundred and fifty, though I would not like topromise. It _is_ a small sum."
"But there's always Saturday to yourself, and nights and mornings," wasHal's hopeful reply.
"Well, I will propose you, then. I shall be on the examining committee."
"How kind you are!" and Hal's smile was most grateful.
Still Hal was in so much doubt about his good fortune that he didn'tsay a word to Granny until the examination was over and he was sure ofthe appointment.
"It's just royal, isn't it?" and his eyes danced with delight. "Iwas wondering what we should do this winter, when there would be nogardening, unless I went to work in one of the mills."
"And you'd like this better? O Hal! it does seem as if the good Godwas watching over us, and always sent something along in the righttime."
"He does, Granny, I am sure."
"For, when we were nearly out last winter, there was that splendidsurprise-party. I never can get over it, Hal. And your _bew_tifulquilt, that I don't believe another boy in the world could have done. OHal! you're such a comfort!"
And Granny wiped her poor old eyes.
The first pea-vines were pulled up; and then Hal began to prepare forhis spring bed. It was vacation; and Charlie and Kit went into theexperiment with a great deal of zeal. First Hal dug two trenches abouttwelve feet long, and four feet apart. He laid in these the stones thechildren brought in a wagon that he had manufactured for Dot a longwhile before. He piled them up like a wall, sifted sand between them,and then banked up the outside, making one edge considerably higherthan the other. Around it all, at the top, he put a row of plankingabout twelve inches high, and fixed grooves for the sashes to slideacross. Then he lowered the ground inside, and enriched it with manure,making quite a little garden-spot.
Charlie wanted to have something planted right away; and she did put insurreptitiously some peas, morning-glories, and a few squash-seed.
"I don't know but we might make another," said Hal, surveying it with agood deal of pride.
"Oh, do!" exclaimed Charlie. "It's such fun!"
Kit didn't mind, if Hal would only tell him a story now and then.Mozart's childhood that he had read in a stray copy of an old magazine,fragments of Mendelssohn, and all the floating incidents he couldrecall of Ole Bull. When these were exhausted, Hal used to draw alittle upon his imagination. They had a wonderful hero named Hugo, whowas stolen by gypsies when he was a little boy, and wandered aroundin the German forest for years, meeting with various adventures, andalways playing on a violin to solace himself when he was cold, ortired, or hungry, or beaten.
And, though Hal often declared that he couldn't think of any thingmore, Kit pleaded so wistfully with his luminous blue eyes and softvoice, that Hugo would be started upon his travels again.
When the frames were done, Hal went to see Mr. Sherman, the carpenterat Madison, to find what the sashes would cost.
"There's an odd lot up in the loft," he said to the boy. "They areold-fashioned; and nobody seems to want any thing of that kind, exceptnow and then for a kitchen. I'll sell 'em cheap, if you can make 'emanswer."
So they were sent down to the Kenneths. Hal worked over them a fe
wdays, and found that he could make them serviceable, only there wouldnot be quite enough. He was very handy; and soon fitted them in theirplaces.
"Now, that's what I call smart," exclaimed Mr. Sherman. "Why, Hal!you'd make a good carpenter. Tell you what I'll do. I'm in an awfulhurry; and, if you'll come over and work for me a spell, we will quitsquare."
Hal was delighted, and accepted at once.
"How lucky it all comes round, Granny!" he said in a gratified tone."And I've been thinking"--
"I'll be bound it's a bright idea;" and Granny gave her littlechirruping laugh.
"I was considering about the loom-room, Granny. You'll never weave anymore carpets; it's too hard work: and then Mr. Higgins wants to set upin the business. He asked me about our loom the other day."
"No, I sha'n't never weave no more;" and Granny sighed, not at theconfusion of negatives, but at the knowledge that old things werepassing away.
"And it would make such a beautiful flower-room, lying to the south andwest!"
Joe would have said, "What! the loom?" But dear, rollicking Joe was notthere to catch anybody tripping in absence of mind.
"So it would. Yes, you shall have it, Hal."
For Granny would have given him her two eyes, if it would have done himany good, and been satisfied to be led about by a dog and a string allthe rest of her life.
They ran up stairs to survey. The afternoon sun was shining in at thewindows, covering half the floor.
"Oh, it _would_ be splendid! We can put up a little stove here; and Ican have it for a kind of study besides. And a room full of flowers!"
The tears fairly stood in Hal's eyes.
There was not much time to lose; for in ten days school would begin.And now Hal considered what he must do.
The windows came almost down to the floor, the ceiling being low. Butit would not do to have all the flowers stand on a level, as the sunwould not reach them alike. And then a brilliant idea occurred to Hal.
He went over to Mr. Sherman's, and gathered some pieces of joist thathad been sawed off, and thrown by as nearly useless. He found eightthat he made of a length, about three feet high, and bespoke a numberof rough hemlock-boards. Out of these he made a sort of counter, withthe joists for support; and then, nailing a piece all round, he hadquite a garden-bed. This was to stand back from the windows, and haveslips and various seeds planted in it. Charlie and Kit helped bring upthe soil to fill it.
Then Hal bought, for a trifle, a lot of old butter-tubs and firkinsthat Mr. Terry was not sorry to be rid of. He sawed them down just theheight he wanted; and they made very good flower-pots for some of thelarger plants. They were so beautiful, that it would be a shame toleave them out to perish in the cold blasts.
"And somehow they seem just like children to me," he said, his browneyes suffused with tenderness.
On the last Saturday he cast up his accounts, and took a smallinventory.
"We shall have potatoes and vegetables for winter; and we have a barrelof flour, and a hundred of meal, besides lots of corn for the chickens;then my salary will be a little more than thirty-six dollars a month,counting eleven months; and fifty dollars for our poultry."
"Why, we'll be as rich as kings!" was Granny's delighted reply. "You'rea wonderful boy, Hal!"
"And if I could sell some flowers! Anyhow, there will be the springthings. It does look a little like prosperity, Granny."
"I'm so thankful!" and Granny twisted up her apron in pure gratitude.
"Charlie had better go to school again. I wish she could learn to be ateacher; for she never will like to sew."
"No," replied Granny, with a solemn shake of the head.
"And she is getting to be such a large girl! Well, I suppose somethingwill come. It has to all of us."