CHAPTER VII.
AN AFTERNOON AT DINGLE COTTAGE.
One Saturday afternoon, about a week after the events recorded in thelast chapter, Miss Latimer stood at the window of her cosy parlourlooking out into the quiet street with its small semi-detached villasand cottages, the tiny gardens of which were now strown with thefalling autumn leaves. There was a slight look of expectancy in hereyes and pleased expression on her face calculated to give any beholderthe idea that Aunt Judith was watching for something or somebody. Andso she was; for Winnifred Blake had gladly accepted the invitation tospend that afternoon and evening at Dingle Cottage, much to Nellie'sdelight; and that young lady, too impatient to await her guest'sarrival, had gone part of the way to meet the expected visitor.
Aunt Judith, after giving a quick glance round the room to see thateverything had a comfortable, inviting look, resumed her quiet watch,and for some time the silence of the house was unbroken, save by aslight sound now and then proceeding from the kitchen, where AuntDebby, Martha-like as usual, was busy with domestic work. At last twofigures appeared coming swiftly along the street, and Miss Latimer,hastening to the door, opened it with words of kindly welcome as Winnieand Nellie danced (I can use no better word) up the tiny garden path.
"Come in, dear; I am pleased to see you," she said in her gentle voice,leading the young guest to Nellie's bedroom, and assisting her to takeoff her hat and jacket. "Nellie has spoken so often about you that youseem no stranger to me, and I am glad to think my niece has gained sucha true, warm-hearted little friend."
Winnie, surveying the kind face bending over her, smiled at the words,but seemed to be too much overwhelmed by an unaccountable fit ofshyness to vouchsafe any reply. She kept her usually busy tonguesilent till the three were seated in the snug parlour, when, under theinfluence of Miss Latimer's simple, homely manner, she began, as Nellieexpressed it, to thaw, and the fountain once set free produced a playof bright, sparkling conversation.
Aunt Judith's nimble fingers plied the needle industriously, and thoughshe herself said little at first, her thorough enjoyment of the youngpeople's society was evident from the quiet, amused smile which lurkedround the corners of her lips, and the close attention she gave to themerry flow of talk. School and school-mates were the two chief themesof conversation, and if now and again a remark savouring ratherstrongly of girlish malice or jealousy fell from either lips, MissLatimer wisely made no comment; for she knew what, alas! many pay solittle heed to--that for everything there is a season, and that a wordof admonition thrown in at a wrong time serves rather to harden thansoften the heart.
"Nellie is getting on splendidly at school, Miss Latimer," announcedWinnie after a long pause. "Ada Irvine cannot call herself the dux anylonger; and I am so glad. It is quite delightful to see her angry,crestfallen look each time Nellie makes a correct answer;" and Winnie'sface glowed in thorough appreciation of the present state of affairs."As for revenge," she continued, "there will be a terrible climax someday, I am sure. Even now, and this is only the beginning, she cannotfind anything too horrible for herself or the other girls to say aboutNellie."
"I am sorry to hear that," replied Aunt Judith quietly; "but Nelliemust try to win Ada's love, and not provoke her by any appearance oftriumph or self-esteem. Draw your chairs nearer me, dears, and I willtell you what happened to me long, long ago when I was a girl;" andhere Miss Latimer smiled on the upturned young faces and commenced herstory.
There was nothing very exciting in the tale--nothing certainlybordering on the wonderful--and yet one might have heard a pin fall, sogreat was the silence while she spoke.
Winnie sat quite still, her eyes shining like twin stars, and the wholeexpression of her face denoting the most intense interest; whileNellie, her lips slightly parted as if in expectation, also seemed tohave her attention completely absorbed: for Aunt Judith was a splendidstory-teller, and entered heart and soul into the spirit of her tale.
Miss Deborah's little bright orbs twinkled when she entered the parlourwith the tea-tray and found how the three were occupied. There waslittle heed given to her entrance, and not even a glimpse of prettychina or a daintily-spread table could tempt the listeners' eyes orattention from Miss Latimer and her story till the last word wasspoken, when both roused themselves with a sigh of the utmostsatisfaction.
"Oh, that was splendid!" cried Winnie eagerly. "What a nicestory-teller you make, Miss Latimer; you talk just like a book." HereAunt Debby, accidentally, of course, choked slightly. "I could sit andlisten to you for ever,--couldn't you, Nellie?" and Winnie appealed toher companion for an enforcement of her statement.
"Scarcely, dear, scarcely," interrupted Aunt Judith, rising from herchair and advancing to the tea-table; "if you were to hear my storiesoften, the novelty would by-and-by wear away. But here is Aunt Debbywith the urn. Let us see what a successful tea-maker she is, and wecan talk more about stories and story-telling afterwards."
Both girls jumped up obediently, and gathering round the tempting tablethe happy party proceeded to enjoy the many goodly things displayedthereon, and kept up such a merry strain of conversation that the roomrang with laughter; and Aunt Meg, lying in her darkened chamber,bitterly bewailed her infirmities and the seeming lack of sympathyvouchsafed to her in her affliction.
Tea was followed by games and other interesting amusements, all ofwhich Winnie enjoyed immensely; and then Aunt Judith inquired if shewould like to see an old maid's den. "Nellie has never as yet beenprivileged to cross its threshold," she finished laughingly, "so itwill be something new for both of you to inspect."
With that she led the way and ushered the two girls into her study.
Both stood for a few minutes silent, glancing round the pretty room sosimply and tastefully furnished; then with a little cry of delight theysprang towards the bookcase and began to scan the contents eagerly.
"Why, I declare," cried Winnie excitedly, "here are ever so many bookslike the one I have at home just now. They are all by the same authortoo.--Miss Latimer," she continued, turning and speaking rapidly, "shemust be a good lady who writes those books. I have only read one ofthem, entitled 'A Summer's Pleasure;' but it was beautiful, and I feltas if I should like, oh _so much_, to talk with the author, and tellher how earnestly I long to be good, and how I can't."
Nellie, who had taken one of the pretty volumes into her hand and wasscanning the title-page, looked up at Miss Latimer's face with ahalf-incredulous light in her eyes; but Aunt Judith, gazing down on thelittle figure before her, failed to catch the puzzled gleam.
"My child," she said, oh so gently, taking the small white hands anddrawing the young girl to the warm fireside, "your words do my heartgood, and help to repay me for hours of weary labour. You wish to knowthe author of those books, dear. You feel you could tell her some ofyour deepest longings. What will you say when I confess that shestands before you--that it is in very truth Aunt Judith who loveschildren and sends them through print her best heart-thoughts?"
Nellie's face at this point was a study; but Winnie cried joyfully,--
"I knew it, I knew it! something whispered to me it was you. Oh, MissLatimer, I am so glad! Will you lend me one of your dear little books,and may I love you because you are so good? I wish you were my aunt; Ido indeed," and there was a lonely ache in the girlish voice as shespoke.
Miss Latimer laid her hand on the rough curly head.
"Little Winnie," she said tenderly, "don't you know that love is atreasure to me? I shall prize your warm, true affection very dearly.Call me Aunt Judith, my child; and when you read my little books, towhich you are heartily welcome, remember I am speaking simply from myheart, with the earnest wish to raise your thoughts to the good Fatherwho made this beautiful world and gave us all things richly to enjoy."
Words like these had a strange sound to Winnie, and filled her with anawe-stricken feeling; but she made no reply, only raising herself ontip-toe she kissed Miss Latimer warmly, and turned her attention to thebook
case again. At that moment the door-bell rang, and Miss Deborahannounced the arrival of Dick with the carriage to take his sisterhome. So once more they re-entered the little parlour where AuntDebby, with kind thoughtfulness, had prepared a repast of fruit andcake, and where Master Blake sat looking decidedly awkward and out ofplace in the dainty little room.
He acknowledged Miss Latimer's greeting with a few unintelligiblewords, and seemed altogether to be labouring under some restraint, tillWinnie said with a light laugh,--
"For the first time in my life, Dick, I am sorry to see you. Whatevermade you come so soon?" and at the plain-spoken words there was such ageneral laugh that the boy's reserve vanished, and--"Richard washimself again."
Nellie and he became fast friends, and chatted away pleasantly; whileWinnie, after having partaken plentifully of fruit and cake, went toput on her hat and jacket under Miss Latimer's escort.
"May I come again soon?" she inquired naively, looking round the tinyroom with loving eyes; "this is such a dear little house, and you areall so kind, I should like to spend an afternoon often here." Winnieseemed very earnest as she spoke.
"We shall be only too pleased to see you," replied Aunt Judith, smilingdown on the upturned face, and neatly adjusting the tie round thegirl's soft neck. "I love to have young people about me, and it isgood to hear the sound of a blithe young voice."
Those words amply satisfied Winnie, and after many good-nights had beenexchanged, she and Dick drove homewards, bearing with them two of AuntJudith's precious volumes.
"I say, Win, that's a jolly little house," said the boy as they rolledalong in the darkness. "What a funny, brisk old lady Aunt Debby is!Did you notice the way she dodged about, and how her front curls shookand bobbed a regular jig every time she spoke? She puts me in mind ofa little bird peeping out at you from those small twinkling eyes.She's a rum old customer, sure enough;" and Dick chuckled at theremembrance of Miss Deborah's round chubby face and crisp chirpingvoice.
"Yes, she is rather queer," assented Winnie musingly; "but I like MissLatimer dearly. She is awfully good, Dick; and fancy her being theauthor of those books after all. Is it not strange?"
"Slightly, perhaps; but 'truth is stranger than fiction,' my dearsister.--By-the-by, I did not notice any Quaker fashion in their dressto-night. Miss Latimer wore some lace fal-lal about her neck, and AuntDebby's cap was a regular flower-garden." Dick was a severe critic onfemale attire.
"That's quite true," replied Winnie; "but if you saw them in thestreet, with their long loose cloaks and huge bonnets, you would speakdifferently. O Dick, how happy they all seem! don't they? and how cosyeverything looks! Such a contrast to our great big rooms, where youfeel like a--a--" Winnie stopped short for lack of a simile, and herbrother supplied the missing word,--
"Pelican in the wilderness. That's it, Win; and you're about right.Love won't make the pot boil; but money can't buy everything, and Ireckon there's a screw loose somewhere in our home."
With that there followed a long silence, and Winnie was almost in theland of dreams when the carriage stopped at No. 3 Victoria Square, andDick shouted roguishly in her ear the one word--"Awake!"
The windows were ablaze with light, and there were sounds of music andsinging as brother and sister, entering the house, wended their way tothe oak parlour and warmed their hands at the cheerful blaze. The gaswas lit, the curtains drawn, the room tidy and inviting-looking; but nokind motherly face was there to welcome them and ask if the evening hadbeen a pleasant one. At other times Winnie would not, most probably,have felt the blank, having been accustomed to such neglect; but comingstraight from Aunt Judith's gentle presence, and with the remembranceof her loving words and kind voice stirring the lonely little heart, itstruck home to her with a chill. Leaving Dick to his own meditationsshe slipped away to the large nursery, where old nurse sat quietlywatching the slumbers of her young charge, Winnie's little step-brother.
Here at least there was no lack of sympathy or welcome, for dearly didthe faithful servant love her first mistress's children, and bitterlydid she bewail the neglect with which the two youngest were treated.Kneeling down by her side, Winnie rehearsed the whole history of theafternoon and evening at Dingle Cottage; and old nurse, listeningintently, did not fail to raise her hands and express due astonishmentat the knowledge of Aunt Judith's authorship. So the young girl wascomforted, and after kissing her little brother lovingly, she rejoinedDick in the oak parlour, and passed the rest of the evening contentedlyin his society.