"Then tell her I do; tell her I, her old governess, am sick and poor and in great trouble."
Tears rolled down her cheeks and for a moment her eyes rested upon her daughter"s face with an expression of keen anguish. "She"s going blind,"
she whispered in Elsie"s ear, drawing the child toward her, and nodding in the direction of Sally, st.i.tching away at the window.
"Blind! oh how dreadful!" exclaimed the little girl in low moved tones, the tears springing to her eyes. "I wish she could go to Doctor Thomson."
"Doctor Thomson! who is he?"
"An oculist: he lives in Philadelphia. A friend of mamma"s had something growing over her eyes so that she was nearly blind, and he cut it off and she can see now as well as anybody."
"I don"t think that is the trouble with Sally"s; though of course I can"t tell. But she"s always had poor sight, and now that she has to support the family with her needle, her eyes are nearly worn out."
Sally had been for several minutes making vain attempts to thread a needle.
Elsie sprang to her side with a kindly, eager, "Let me do it, won"t you?"
It was done in a trice and the girl thanked her with lips and eyes.
"It often takes me full five or ten minutes," she said, "and sometimes I have to get mother to do it for me."
"What a pity! it must be a great hindrance to your work."
"Yes, indeed, and my eyes ache so that I can seldom sew or read for more than an hour or two at a time. Ah, I"m afraid I"m going to lose my sight altogether."
The tone was inexpressibly mournful, and Elsie"s eyes filled again.
"Don"t fret about it," she said, "I think--I hope you can be cured."
The rain had nearly ceased, and Philip, saying the worst was over, and they were in danger of being late at dinner, hurried the girls into the phaeton.
"What was that woman whispering to you?" asked Gertrude, as soon as they were fairly off.
Elsie looked uncomfortable. "It was something I was to tell mamma," she replied.
"But what is it?"
"I"m afraid she wanted to keep it a secret from you, Gerty, or she would have spoken out loud."
"I think you"re very mean and disobliging," retorted Gertrude, beginning to pout.
"No, she isn"t," said Philip pompously, "she"s honorable, and one of the few females who can keep a secret. But I overheard it, Elsie, and feel pretty sure that the reason she whispered it, was to keep the poor girl from hearing. It"s very natural she shouldn"t want her to know she"s afraid her sight"s leaving her."
"Oh, yes; I suppose that was it!" returned Elsie. "But you were very wise to think of it, Phil."
"Don"t flatter him," said Gertrude; "he thinks a great deal too much of himself, already."
Dinner was just ready when they reached home, and their mammas were on the porch looking for them.
"So there you are at last! what detained you so long?" said Mrs. Ross.
"Went further than we intended; and then the rain, you know," said Philip.
"And, oh, we had an adventure!" cried the girls, and hastened to tell it.
Mrs. Travilla had not forgotten her old governess, and though no pleasant recollection of her lingered in her memory, neither was there any dislike or revengeful feeling there. She heard of her sorrows with commiseration and rejoiced in the ability to alleviate them.
"That Mrs. Gibson!" exclaimed Lucy, "I"ve seen her many a time at the door or window, in driving past, and have often thought there was something familiar in her face, but never dreamed who she was. That hateful Miss Day! as I used to call her; Elsie, I wouldn"t do a thing for her, if I were you. Why she treated you with absolute cruelty."
"She was sometimes unjust and unkind," said Mrs. Travilla, smiling at her friend"s vehemence, "but probably my sensitiveness, timidity and stupidity, were often very trying."
"No such thing!--if you will excuse me for contradicting you--everybody that knew you then, would testify that you were the sweetest, dearest, most patient, industrious little thing that ever was made."
Elsie laughed and shook her head, "Ah, Lucy, you always flattered me; never were jealous even when I was held up to you as a pattern an evidence that yours was a remarkably sweet disposition. Now, tell me, please, if you know anything about these Gibsons?"
"Not much; they came to that hut years ago, evidently very poor, and quite as evidently--so report says--having seen better days. The husband and father drank deeply, and the wife earned a scanty support for the family by sewing and knitting; that is about all I know of them, except that several of their children died of scarlet fever within a few days of each other, soon after they came to the neighborhood, and that a year ago last winter, the man, coming home very drunk, fell into a snow-drift, and next day was found frozen to death. I was told at that time they had only two children--a son who was following in his father"s footsteps, and this daughter."
"Poor woman!" sighed Elsie, "she is sorely tried and afflicted. I must go to her at once."
"Do, mamma, and get a doctor for her," said little Elsie; "she looked so sick and miserable."
Mrs. Ross offered her carriage, and the shower having cooled the air, Elsie went, shortly after the conclusion of the meal.
CHAPTER NINTH.
"I"ll not chide thee; Let shame come when it will, I do not call it."
--SHAKESPEARE.
"I never saw such a likeness in my life!" said Mrs. Gibson looking after the phaeton as it drove away; "she"s the very image of her mother. I could just have believed it was the very little Elsie Dinsmore I used to teach more than twenty years ago."
"She"s lovely!" exclaimed Sally with enthusiasm. "Mother, did you see what a pretty watch she had?"
"Yes," gloomily; "some folks seem to have nothing but prosperity, and others nothing but poverty and losses and crosses. They"re as rich as Croesus and we have hardly enough to keep us from starving."
"Better times may come," said Sally, trying to speak hopefully, "Tom may reform and go to work. I do think, mother, if you"d try to----"
"Hush! I"m a great deal better to him than he deserves."
It was some moments before Sally spoke again, then it was only to ask, "Will you have your dinner now, mother?"
"No; there"s nothing in the house but bread and potatoes, and I couldn"t swallow either. Dear me what a table they used to set at Roselands! enough to tempt the appet.i.te of an epicure."
"I must rest my eyes a little. I can"t see any longer," said the girl, laying down her work and going to the door.
"It"s just dreadful," sighed her mother, "but don"t get out of heart; these people will help us and it is possible some skilful oculist may understand your case and be able to help you."