"Yes," Elsie answered thoughtfully, "but I do not give up hope for her yet."
"Dr. Morton is considered very skilful."
"Still he may be mistaken, and I shall not rest till I have made every effort to save her sight."
Little Elsie and her sister had already become deeply interested in poor Sally, and were laying plans to help her.
"What can we do, Elsie?" queried Vi, in an under tone, drawing her sister aside.
"She"ll want clothes; she had on a very old faded calico dress."
"And not a bow or pin; just an old linen collar around her neck," remarked Gertrude, joining them; "and her dress was ever so old-fashioned and patched besides."
"Let"s put our pocket money together, and buy her a new dress," proposed Vi.
"And make it for her," added Elsie; "it hurts her eyes to sew, and you know Dinah could fit it. Mamma had her taught the trade, and says she fits and sews very nicely."
"Oh, what"s the use of giving our money?" exclaimed Gertrude, impatiently.
"We want it ourselves, and your mamma has such loads and loads of money; hasn"t she, Eddie?" turning to him, as he stood near.
"I don"t know," he answered; "she never told us she had; she never talks much about money, except to tell us it all belongs to G.o.d, who only lends it to us."
"And that we must give it to the poor and needy," said Vi.
"Because "it is more blessed to give than to receive,"" added Elsie.
"Well, I know she has," persisted Gertrude, "for my mamma often says so, and I"m sure she knows."
"But even if she has, mamma"s money is not ours, and it"s a duty and a very great pleasure to give of our own."
"Every one to their taste, I haven"t a bit more money than I want myself,"
said Gertrude, walking away with her chin in the air.
"Gerty," said Elsie, running after her, "don"t be vexed; we weren"t meaning to ask you for anything; but only talking about our own duty."
"Oh, I can take a hint as well as other folks," said Gertrude, tossing her head.
"What"s it all about?" asked Kate, coming up to them; but they paid no heed to her, and she went to Vi for the desired information.
"Why, I"ll help, of course I will," she said; "I guess I"ve got some money, I"ll look after tea; there"s the bell now."
Elsie seized an opportunity to pet.i.tion her mother for a longer talk than usual in her dressing-room that evening, and the most of it was taken up in the discussion and arranging of plans for helping Mrs. Gibson and her daughter.
"What an unconscionable time you"ve been upstairs, Elsie," Philip remarked in a bantering tone, coming to her side as she and her mother returned to the drawing-room. "I"ve been dying to speak to you, as the girls say."
"All girls don"t talk so, Phil."
"You don"t, I know. Would you like a gallop before breakfast to-morrow morning?"
"Yes, indeed!" she answered, her eyes sparkling, "it"s what I"m used to at home. Papa rides with us almost every morning."
"Will I do for an escort?"
"Oh, yes, if mamma consents. Gert will go too, won"t she?"
"No, she prefers her morning nap."
Philip was a manly boy, the neighborhood a safe one, and the pony Elsie would ride, well-broken and not too spirited, so mamma"s consent was readily given, with the proviso that they should not go before sunrise, or choose a lonely road.
"By the way," she added, "I should like you to do an errand for me at Mrs.
Gibson"s."
As Sally Gibson was sweeping the doorstep early the next morning, a couple of ponies dashed up to the gate, in whose riders she instantly recognized Elsie Travilla and Philip Ross.
"Hallo!" shouted the latter, "this young lady has something for you."
"Good-morning," Elsie said, reaching out a little gloved hand, as the girl drew near, "mamma bade me bring you this note, and ask how your mother is to-day."
"A little better, thank you; it has done her a world of good to--to have her mind so relieved, and the doctor"s medicine seems to have helped her too. How very, very kind Mrs. Travilla is," she added, with tears in her eyes, "and Mrs. Ross. Won"t you come in?"
"Not this morning, thank you," and away they galloped. Sally looking after them with admiring eyes, and a murmured exclamation, "How pretty and sweet she is!"
It was not an envious sigh that accompanied the words, but born of mingled emotions,--the half-formed thought, "Shall I ever know such pleasures.
Alas, they are not for me!" quickly succeeded by another,--"Ah, that sweet child cannot live to maturity, and be always as happy and free from care, as now."
Her mother"s shrill voice recalled her to herself, "Why do you stand there? What"s that they gave you?"
"A note, mother. It"s directed to me."
"Then make haste and read it."
"Shall I not give you your breakfast first?"
"No, no! do as I bid you."
So the girl read the missive aloud without delay.
It was from Mrs. Travilla, and stated that she had already written to engage a room for Mrs. Gibson in a cottage in a quiet little seaside town; a place recommended by Doctor Morton as very suitable; and that she would secure a competent nurse to go with her.
"Why can"t she send you, too, instead of hiring a stranger to go with me?"
here interrupted Mrs. Gibson, angrily.
"Wait, mother," said Sally in quivering tones, tears of joy and grat.i.tude filling her eyes.
She dashed them away and read on.
"I have another plan for you. Doctor Morton told you his opinion,--that your case was hopeless. But do not despair; mistakes are often made even by the most skilful men. A friend of mine, whose trouble was very similar to yours--consulted a number of excellent oculists all of whom told her the nerve of her eye was affected and there was no help for it, she would certainly go blind; then as a last hope she went to Doctor Thomson of Philadelphia, who succeeded in giving her entire relief. If you are willing, I will send you to him. And now the first thing is to provide your mother and yourself each with a suitable outfit. Come up to the Crags as early this morning as you can, and we will make arrangements."