CHAPTER XIII.
OUR SAILOR BOY.
If one had peeped into the oak parlour on Thursday evening, one wouldnaturally have imagined the room to be untenanted, save for thepresence of a little white dog curled in peaceful slumber on the rug;but had the heavy folds of curtain been withdrawn, they would havedisclosed to view the form of a young lady nestling back in the windowembrasure, with two soft white hands folded wearily on her lap. Thenight was cold, but bright with moonlight; and the stars peeping in atthe window, the blind of which was drawn up to the top, whisperedtogether of the fairy picture she made with the moonbeams straying overher quiet, thoughtful face, and playing hide-and-seek amongst themeshes of her dark glossy hair.
"How pretty she looks!" they murmured softly, sparkling down theirtwinkling lights on the frost-gemmed city below. But the little starsfailed to notice the weary look of discontent and dissatisfaction onthat fair face, which marred all the beauty of the fairy picture.
She had left the gay drawing-room and fashionable company under plea ofa headache, and finding the oak parlour untenanted, had hidden herselfsnugly behind the curtains. But Edith Blake's headache had evidentlymerged into a heartache; for it was a weary, weary face that turnedfrom the window as approaching footsteps warned her of some one'sintrusion. Drawing aside the ruby folds and peering out cautiously,the girl saw Winnie enter and go straight towards the fire, where sheproceeded to ensconce herself snugly on the rug, and lift the littlewhite dog into her lap.
"Poor little doggie!" she said, stroking the affectionate animal, whichwas licking its mistress's gentle hand; "poor Puck! you'll have to loveme very much after Dick goes away. I like to be loved, doggie; but noone in this house believes in love except my dear boy, and it is lonelywhen not a single creature cares, for you. I should like to enjoy agood cry, Puck; but I must not make Dick sad, and it is a baby-fashionto cry when things go wrong and you can't get what you wish. But, ohdear! whatever shall I do after my dear good boy is gone away?"
"Write long letters and think of him every day," put in a blithe, merryvoice at the door; and Winnie sprang up with a cry of delight as Dickstrode into the room attired in all the splendour of his new uniform.
"How do I look, Win?" he cried, touching his cap, and standing in allthe pride of his young, bright strength, ready to be admired. "Am Irespectable?"
But he need hardly have asked that question, for the little sister'sface was all aglow, and her rosy lips laughing a glad, proud smile.
"Respectable!" (with scorn); "why, Richard, you're simply _splendid_!And oh! you do look every inch a sailor."
"I thought I would let you see me in full uniform before packing up mybaggage," said Dick, by way of apology for his childish display. "Lookat the brass buttons, Win, and the badge on my cap; they make me feelas if I were a sailor already."
Winnie duly admired.
"I hope you'll have a good voyage, and not find the work too hard," shewhispered afterwards, and the boy answered.
"Win," he began impressively, "I intend putting my whole 'shoulder tothe wheel.' If I cannot work with the brain, I will strive my verybest with hand and heart, and do my duty come what may. I mean to be atrue man, and live an honest, upright life, not in order to gain everyone's good opinion (though of course I should dearly like that too),but because it is right."
Winnie's eyes were shining. "I told you so," she said, clapping herhands joyously. "You'll be a king amongst men yet. And oh, howproudly our father will some day talk of 'my sailor son!'" The boy'sface flushed with pleasure. "But, Dick, you won't care less for mewhen you become both good and great; will you?" and the pretty voicehad a wistful ring in it as Winnie neared the close of her sentence.
"Good! why, you're an angel compared with me, Win," said the boylovingly; "but we'll both try our best, dear. I'm a great, rough boorof a lad, Win, and you're such a dainty, fairy creature. But think howgrand it would be to know that every day you at home and I out on theocean were striving to do our duty and live as we ought to live. I'vebeen all wrong in the past, I know, and it is little wonder the othersdon't care much about me; but I mean to strike out afresh and begin allover again. See here, Winnie; this is my farewell gift to you. Ithought you would prize it more than anything else," and Dick placed abeautiful pocket Bible in his sister's hands.
Winnie touched the little volume reverently, and the eyes of thelistener behind the curtains grew dim as the child's soft voicereplied, "I cannot thank you as I would, Dick, for your lovely present;but I love you dearly, dearly. I shall keep it always close beside me,and read a portion every day. Bow down your head, dear boy, and let mekiss you for your goodness."
Dick submitted to the caress, and then invited Winnie up to his room inorder to inspect a few presents he had received from some of hisschool-fellows; and when brother and sister had disappeared, Edithstole softly from her place of concealment, and the dancing fire-flamessaw that her eyes were wet with tears.
"I have caught a glimpse of true life to-night," she said, smilingwistfully; "and it has shown me how hollow, hollow is the false one Idaily lead. Poor Dick! I am afraid we have misjudged him after all,and may yet find out, as Winnie so confidently prophesies, that he isworthy of all honour and admiration. As for her, she will learn, sofar as lies in my power, that love is to be found in the house,although her sailor boy has left the parent nest." Then seatingherself in the cosiest-looking chair, she lay back and waited quietlyfor the return of the owners of the oak parlour.
In the course of half-an-hour they re-appeared, and gazed withwide-open eyes on the fair intruder; but Edith, laughing lazily, badethem come forward and welcome the unexpected guest.
Winnie sprang to her side. "We are both awfully pleased to see you,Edith," she said; "only you surprised us so. Whatever brings you herewhen there are guests in the drawing-room?"
"I had a headache," replied the elder sister, drawing the little girlclose to her side and beginning to toy with the tangled hair;"besides"--looking up at the big, stalwart youth standing near--"Iwished to enjoy a little of Dick's society before he goes away."
Dick's face relaxed into a broad grin of unbelief, and Winnie cried out"Oh!" then caught herself and stopped short; but Edith's equanimityremained undisturbed.
"It is quite true," she said with a charming smile. "I see you are infull uniform, Dick. Stand back, and let me admire my sailor brother."
Edith could be very lovable and winning when she liked, and to-nightshe seemed thoroughly bent on doing her utmost to please. The boy,though mystified at this sudden change in his fashionable sister,obeyed her command, and stood erect before her, feeling perhaps alittle bashful, but never flinching under the steady scrutiny.
"You look very well," she said after a little pause. "Sit down, Dick;I wish to speak to you. I know perfectly Winnie is wondering why thecross elder sister is sitting here taking such an interest in you bothto-night. But don't ask an explanation for such conduct; only believethat her heart is not so hard as you deem it, and that she has begun tolook under the surface for some one's true character."
Winnie gave the speaker's hand a little squeeze of approbation, while apleased smile lit up Dick's face. As neither spoke, however, Edithcontinued: "And now, may I crave of you, Dick, a very great favour?Winnie is to be driven down to-morrow afternoon to see through yourship. May I come too? or is she to be the only privileged young lady?"
The boy looked incredulously at his pretty sister. "Are you really inearnest, Edith?" he inquired, "or are you laughing at me?"
"I mean what I say, Dick," was the grave reply; "but if you wouldrather I remained at home, I shall not trouble you."
"Oh, come! do come!" whispered Winnie delightedly. "Dick will be onlytoo pleased;--will you not, dear old boy?" So it was settled; andEdith rose to leave the cosy room, which seemed to her at that momentlike a haven of rest.
"It was very, very good of you to come and spend a wee quiet time withus," said Winnie, as she watched h
er beautiful sister shaking out hercrumpled skirts and pushing back little stray locks of hair from herwhite forehead. "Do you know we are going to have a great treatto-morrow night? Archie Trollope is coming in; and cook has promisedus a delicious supper in honour of Dick's last evening at home."
"I think you ought to give me an invitation," replied Edith, pausing atthe doorway. "I should like to enjoy the feast too.--No, no," as Dickand Winnie exchanged doubtful glances; "I was only teasing you both.Accept my best wishes for a happy evening, dears. Good-night;" andthen the soft silken figure glided quietly away.
"I'm glad she really did not mean what she said," announced Dick,giving a sigh of relief as he threw himself down on the rug beside Puckand commenced to tease that worthy little animal; "but I think, Win, ifwe had pressed her she would have come."
"I am sure of it," replied Winnie. "She looked so disappointed when wedid not speak. But, Dick, was she not ever so nice to-night? and isshe not beautiful?"
"Yes," replied her brother, pulling Puck's tail mischievously; "butwe're a good-looking family, Win, with the exception of myself."
The little girl's reply was thoroughly characteristic: "Every house hasits ugly duckling, dear boy," she observed quaintly, "and they seldomturn out swans except in story-books. However, it does not matter verymuch about a man's personal appearance; and you--why, you might havebeen a great deal worse."
Dick roared at the attempted consolation. "What a Job's comforter youare, Win!" he said with a broad grin; "but as you say, little sister, aman's personal appearance, though it sometimes goes a long way, is notthe main thing, and I reckon Dick Blake will manage through the worldwell enough in spite of freckled skin and fiery hair."
"Of course he will," replied Winnie; "there's no doubt about that."
Then the two began to talk seriously and lovingly their ownheart-thoughts, and the minutes passed all too rapidly. Both startedwhen the clock struck the hour for retiring, and there was a littlequiver in Winnie's voice as she wished her brother good-night, andthought that only another evening, then the kind face bending over herwould be looking out on the wide waste of waters, and she would have towhisper her loving good-nights to the stars instead. "Oh, my dear, mydear," she sobbed to herself in the darkness, "how sorely, sorely Ishall miss you! But I am so glad there is a great, good Father inheaven who will guide and keep you wherever you are. Oh! if AuntJudith were only here to say something comforting to me--something thatwould ease this ache of sorrow at my heart and help me to feel strongand brave."
Then, as she lay weeping out her loneliness in the quiet night, somewords she had read in one of Aunt Judith's books stole softly into hermind, like a ray of golden sunlight penetrating through the chinks of adarkened room: "Whatever is grieving you, however burdensome or trivialthe trouble may be, tell it to Jesus."
Winnie's eyes flashed, and springing out of bed with suddendetermination she knelt down, a little, fragile figure, by the windowledge, and prayed reverently and trustingly her first heart-prayer. Itwas a very simple petition, uttered in Winnie's own quaint style, atthe language of which some people might have smiled; but I think thatin heaven there would be a great hush amongst the white-robed throng asthey bent their heads to catch the first breathings of a child's soulupwards. And oh, the bursts of hallelujahs as the trusting wordsfloated to the throne of grace, and told of a young heart groping inthe darkness for the strong, firm clasp of a Father's hand!
Next afternoon, when the carriage drove round to the door as appointed,the little girl, running downstairs warmly muffled up, found Edithwrapped in soft velvets and furs, thoroughly equipped for the drive.There was the faintest suspicion of a smile wreathing the corners ofher lips as she stood tapping impatiently the tesselated floor of thehall with her tiny high-heeled boot, and running the gauntlet of a fewteasing remarks from her two brothers, who were loitering near; but onWinnie's approach she turned round, and waving a careless farewell,accompanied her little sister down the broad stone steps to thecarriage, where Mr. Blake was awaiting them.
The drive proved to be a pleasant one, and in a short time they foundthemselves at the docks, and saw the great ships ranging far and near,with their tapering masts pointing upwards to the cloudy sky. The_Maid of Astolat_ lay close at hand, and as they went on board Dickappeared, his face black and grimy, but all aglow with a welcomingsmile.
"You come along with me," he said, drawing Winnie aside, as thecaptain, a tall, gentlemanly-looking man, stepped forward and addressedMr. Blake. "I'll do the honours of the ship tip-top, Win, and show youall round in first-rate style;" and the little sister delivered herselfover to his guidance.
How they peered about, to be sure--here, there, everywhere; and howproudly Dick aired the small amount of nautical language he had managedto pick up! Rough men turned and smiled half unconsciously as the twoblithe figures flitted past and their merry laughter rang out in thefrosty air. They seemed so happy, and the hearts hardened by sin andadversity sighed over their bygone childhood's days, and thought what ablessed thing it was to be young.
Returning from their exploration, brother and sister found Mr. Blakeand Edith still talking to the captain, whose grave, stern face wasrapidly relaxing under the influence of that young lady's winningmanner and bright, sparkling conversation. Dick eyed the group as hedrew near, and then a comical thought seemed to strike him, for he washeard to mutter, "Jemima! what a lark!" and he twitched his face into adecided grimace of amusement.
There was scant time in which to make remarks, however, for Mr. Blakerequired to be back in the city at a certain hour, and Winnie must notbe exposed to the night air. So good-byes were courteously exchanged.The Blakes, re-entering their carriage, drove rapidly away, and soonthe high, tapering masts appeared like specks in the distance.
Next day the _Maid of Astolat_ sailed from the harbour, bearing onboard the strong, stalwart figure and honest, true face of RichardBlake.