"You deserve the utmost credit," she returned, in her simple manner, that had in it no shade of patronage or condescension.
"I ought to do something for the pains and trouble you have taken."
"It is a pleasure too."
"Miss Kathie, you are so different from some rich people. I wonder what makes it?"
A soft color stole up into her face. She would fain have kept silence, but she saw that Sarah was waiting for an answer. "I think it is because mamma and Uncle Robert believe that wealth was not given for purely personal or selfish purposes. It is G.o.d"s treasure, and we are to put it out at usury, like the parable of the talents, and the usury means making other people happy if we can."
"Then I suppose I ought to try and make some one happy?"
"Do you not?" asked Kathie, simply.
"Yes, I do occasionally when it is quite a trouble. The children beg me to read to them,--they are so fond of stories; and now father always wants me to read our paper to him. It comes on Sat.u.r.day and he is always so tired that night. Still, that isn"t--" and Sarah paused as if she despaired of rendering her meaning clear to her young listener.
"I think Uncle Robert would say that _is_ it surely. Once in a while we can do larger things; but isn"t it the little deeds that require the most patience? It is the steps that make up the whole path."
"So it is. I never thought of it before"; and she smiled, relieved. "You believe, Miss Kathie, that what we do at home is just as good in G.o.d"s eyes as if we did it for a stranger? It almost seemed to me as if I ought to go out and look for some poor ignorant person instead."
"Both are doing good in different ways. Maybe it is best to learn to do the good at home first"; and Kathie remembered her early efforts in a.s.sisting her mother.
"I want father to see that all my knowledge and my queer likes, as he calls them, will not really spoil me. Grandmother Strong has just such old-fashioned notions. She thinks my going to school perfectly absurd.
But Cousin Ellen says the world has changed a good deal since grandmother was young."
"And I have brought your books," said Kathie, when there was a pause of sufficient length. "The three are half of a pretty set; some time you may like to get the others."
"You are so kind. I hated to bother you, but I knew you could make the best choice."
"It was no trouble at all,--Uncle Robert did it, and he bought them for half a dollar less than their usual price."
"I am so much obliged!" and Sarah"s face was in a grateful glow.
Kathie had wanted very much to supply the other three.
"If Sarah were poor," replied Uncle Robert, "I should not object; but when such a person asks you to do a favor, it is best to keep simply to the letter of the request. If you gave her so much more, she would hesitate about asking you to do such a thing a second time, that is, if she possessed any real delicacy."
Kathie saw the force of the reasoning.
Presently Cousin Ellen came down. She was a neat, commonplace-looking woman of about thirty, but with a good deal of shrewd sense in her dark gray eyes. Her black calico dress was the perfection of tidiness, and the merest little ruff of book-muslin edged it round the neck.
Kathie liked her very much. She had been in the midst of the war operations for the last three years, and to please Sarah she related numberless incidents that interested Kathie exceedingly. Then she had to go up stairs and see their room, take a tour around, and have all the flower-beds explained to her, to go to the barn and inspect several new articles Jim was making. Uncle Robert and the boys joined them here, and Kathie was introduced to Mr. Strong.
"Don"t you have a little too much in-doors and study?" he asked, pleasantly. "I shouldn"t like to see one of my gals look as white as you do."
"O, she is always white, father," said Sarah, admiringly.
"And she has plenty of roses too, for the most part," explained Uncle Robert, "only for the last few weeks she has been rather overtaxed, I think. We have had a returned soldier, a very dear friend, ill, and been in great anxiety about another."
"Thank the Lord for all who"ve come home safe," said Mr. Strong, in his clear, forcible tone, and every one of them felt like adding an "Amen"
to it.
Martha ran out to call them to tea.
There was the great table spread, and all the children around it, even to fatherless Willie, who would never need a friend while Jotham Strong lived.
It was a very enjoyable supper. The new influence was perceptible even in st.u.r.dy Mrs. Strong, who took a little pains that she might not shame Sarah before her company.
Kathie asked Mrs. Strong to let Sarah come down some Sat.u.r.day and make her a visit.
"I can"t exactly explain, Miss Kathie, and I hate to be ungrateful for your kindness, but I feel as if you and your friends were above Sarah.
Folks ain"t all alike, and I s"pose the Lord didn"t mean "em to be, but I don"t want Sarah laughed at, and I don"t want any one to think she"s trying to crowd in We"re plain, old-fashioned people"--
Mrs. Strong paused, very red in the face.
"No one will think that at Cedarwood," answered Kathie, softly.
So presently the promise was given. In a fortnight Cousin Ellen and Sarah were to go down to Brookside to do some shopping. Ellen wanted to call on several of the relatives, but Sarah might go at once to Cedarwood.
"I expect it will be like a little bit of heaven," the girl whispered.
"I never was in a real elegant house in all my life."
Kathie described her visit to Aunt Ruth in glowing terms. "I think it _is_ delightful to be rich, after all," she said, contentedly. "You can make so many people happy."
"And while you study the happiness of others and your duty towards them the riches will hardly prove a snare," returned Aunt Ruth.
Before another week had ended they had a new joy for which to be very thankful,--the return of Mr. Morrison. He still looked a little pale and thin, but had improved wonderfully since the day when General Mackenzie found him in the forlorn negro quarters. Glad enough he was to get home to his little Ethel, who hardly let him go out of her sight. Nothing would do but that the whole family must come down to the cottage and drink tea.
"I must express my obligations once more to you," said Uncle Robert, in the evening; "and I am most grateful to G.o.d for your return, and that he did not require so costly a sacrifice at my hands."
"He knows that I am glad enough to come back; but if you"ll believe me, sir, it was a great comfort, when I thought myself dying, that it was in your stead, and that your life, so much more valuable than mine, had been spared. I believe you would have sorrowed for me truly,--and Miss Kathie here,--as well as my own."
Kathie took his hand. "I"ve been thinking of this ever since the night you offered to go: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.""
The sweet voice trembled a little. It would always have a tender strand in it when it came to that verse.
"Ah, Miss Kathie, those precious words were for the Saviour of us all.
What can we ever do to merit them?" and the soldier drew the back of his hand across his eyes.
"G.o.d gives the grace to weak human nature," Uncle Robert said, with solemn sweetness.
Walking home, Kathie started from her revery. "Now if Rob could only come back," she exclaimed, "our soldiers would all be together. You remember the day he was so elated about the draft?"
"Yes. Dear Rob! I hope he has done good service. I am very anxious to see him again."
Then Kathie began to count on the promised visit. "It is not because I am so proud of Cedarwood, or the handsome things in it," she explained to Uncle Robert, "though I do think them all very lovely; but it will be such a pleasure to her,--just as my going to Miss Jessie"s when we were so poor."
"I understand"; and he smiled.
There had been quite a discussion about having a second girl. Uncle Robert fancied that Kathie"s further knowledge of household details had better be postponed until she had less upon her hands. Jane Maybin, who had been a good deal out of health lately, and unable to work in the factory, as the dust irritated her lungs and made her cough, was quite anxious to take the situation. What with company and increasing social duties, Mrs. Alston found her time much interrupted.