CHAPTER XIII.
THANK GOD FOR ALL.
On a certain lovely evening in the beginning of September, when the air wasno longer too warm, and the whole world seemed bathed in absolute peace andrest, little Maggie Ascot and her Cousin Ralph might have been seenwalking, with their arms round each other, in very deep consultation.Maggie was quite strong again, had got her roses back, and the bright lightof health in her blue eyes. She and Ralph were pacing slowly up and down ashady path not far from the large entrance gates.
"I can't think what it means," exclaimed Maggie; "it is the fourth timeAunt Violet has gone up there to-day, and Susan the scullery-maid has gonewith her now, carrying an enormous basket. Susan let me peep into it, andit was full of all kinds of goodies. She said it was for the new laundress.I never knew such a fuss to make about a laundress."
Here Ralph thought it well to administer a little reproof.
"That's because you haven't been taught to consider the poor," he said."Why shouldn't a laundress have nice things done for her? and if this is apoor lonely stranger coming from a long way off, it's quite right formother to welcome her. Mother always thinks you can't do too much forlonely people, and she'll wash your dresses all the whiter if she thinksyou're going to be kind and attentive. Why, Maggie, our little Jo's motheris a laundress, you forget that. Laundresses are most respectable people."
At the mention of Jo's name Maggie sighed.
"There's nothing at all been done about her, Ralph," she said. "Nobodyseems to take any notice when I speak about her. She must be tired ofwaiting and watching by this time. She must be dreadfully sorry that shedid not go away to heaven and God; for she must know now that I nevermeant anything when I wanted to meet her in the country--and yet I did,Ralph, I did!"
Here Maggie's blue eyes grew full of tears.
"Never mind, Mag," replied her little cousin soothingly; "it is very odd,and I don't understand it a bit, but mother says things are sure to comeright, and you know Uncle John wished us to trust him."
"But the time is going on," said Maggie; "the summer days will go, and Jowon't have seen the lovely country where the grass is green. Oh! Ralph, wemust do something."
"If only Mrs. Aylmer were the new laundress!" began Ralph. "You can't thinkwhat a nice cottage that is, Mag--four lovely rooms, and such a nice, nicekitchen, with those dear little lattice panes of glass in the window, andlots of jasmine and Virginia creeper peeping in from outside, and a greenfield for the laundress to dry her clothes in, just beyond. Poor laundress!she will like that field awfully, and it would be very unkind of us to wishto take it away from her and give it to Mrs. Aylmer, for of course Mrs.Aylmer knows nothing about it, and the new laundress has probably arrived,and set her heart on it by this time; and she may be a widow, too, withlots and lots of little children."
"But none of the children could be like Jo," said Maggie.
"Well, perhaps not," answered Ralph. "Oh, here comes mother; let's run tomeet her. Mother darling, has the new laundress come?"
"Yes, Ralph, she and her family arrived about an hour ago; they aresettling down nicely into the cottage, and seem to be respectable people.They all think the cottage very comfortable."
"And are you going to see them again to-night, Auntie Violet?" asked Maggiewith rather a sorrowful look on her little face.
"Why, yes, Maggie; they are all strangers here, you know, and I fancy theyrather feel that, so it might be nice to walk up presently and take a cupof tea with them. There are some children, so you and Ralph might cometoo."
"Didn't I tell you how mother considered the poor?" here whispered Ralph,poking the little princess rather violently in the side. "Oh, yes, mother,we'd like to go to tea with the little laundresses. Is there anything wecould take them--anything they would like, to show that we sympathize withthem for having come so far, and having left their old home?"
"They don't seem at all melancholy, Ralph," said Mrs. Grenville, smiling,"and when they have seen you and Maggie, I fancy they will none of themhave anything further to desire to-night. Why, Maggie dear, you look quitesad; what is the matter?"
"I am thinking of little Jo," whispered Maggie. "Her mother is a laundress,too, and she's poor. Why couldn't you have considered the poor in the shapeof Jo's mother, Aunt Violet?"
Mrs. Grenville stooped down and kissed Maggie.
"Here come your father and mother," she said, "and I know they too want tosee the new people who have come to the pretty cottage. Now let us all setoff. I told the laundress and her family that you were coming to have teawith them, Maggie and Ralph. Suppose you two run on in front; you know thecottage and you know the way."
"Tell the good folks we'll look in on them presently," shouted Sir JohnAscot, and then the children took each other's hands and ran across somefields to the laundress' cottage. They heard some sounds of mirth as theydrew near, and saw two rather wild little boys tumbling about, turningsomersaults and standing on their heads; they also heard a high-pitchedvoice, and caught a glimpse of a remarkably round and red face, and itseemed to Maggie that the voice and the face were both familiar, althoughshe could not quite recall where she had seen them before.
"We must introduce ourselves quite politely," said Ralph as they walked upthe narrow garden path. "Now here we are; I'll knock with my knuckles. Iwish I knew the laundress' name. It seems rude to say, 'Is the laundressin?' for of course she has got a name, and her name is just as valuable toher as ours are to us. How stupid not to have found out what she is reallycalled. Perhaps we had better inquire for Mrs. Robbins; that's rather acommon name, and yet not too common. It would never do to call her Mrs.Smith or Jones, for if she wasn't Smith or Jones, she wouldn't like it.Now, Maggie, I'll knock rather sharp, and when the new laundress opens thedoor you are to say, 'Please is Mrs. Robbins the laundress in?'"
All this time the girl with the red face was making little darts to thelattice window and looking out, and there were some stifled sounds of mirthfrom the boys with the high-pitched voices.
"The laundress' family are in good spirits," remarked Ralph, and then hegave a sharp little knock, and Maggie prepared her speech.
"Please is the new--is Mrs. Rob--is, is--oh! Ralph, why, it's Mrs. Aylmerherself!"
Nothing very coherent after this discovery was uttered by any one forseveral minutes. Maggie found herself kneeling by Jo, with her arms roundJo's neck, and two little cheeks, both wet with tears, were pressedtogether, and two pair of lips kissed each other. That kiss was a solemnone, for the two little hearts were full.
In different ranks, belonging almost to two extremes, the child of richesand the child of poverty knew that they possessed kindred spirits, and thattheir friendship was such that circumstances were not likely again todivide them. Waters was right when she said there was a strong link betweenMaggie and Jo.
That is the story, an episode, after all, in the life of the littleprincess, but an episode which was to influence all her future days.
THE END.
TOM, PEPPER, AND TRUSTY.
"Therefore, to this dog will I, Tenderly, not scornfully, Render praise and favor: With my hand upon his head Is my benediction said, Therefore, and forever."
--E. B. BROWNING.