Jasper

by Mrs. Molesworth

p'raps I could carry things downstairs,or rerange them for you."

  "Thank you, my dear little boy. Yes--here in this corner are some booksand my knitting and some of my pet treasures that I should like to havein the drawing-room. Mumsey showed me the nice table she has kept forme."

  "Yes," said Jasper, "the table with the splendid big drawer. Shall Itake them down now?"

  "No, wait a minute or two till I have emptied this last trunk. You mayunwrap all those things and then we can throw away the paper."

  "Auntie," said Jasper, while he worked away busily, "will the glowin'plants come soon? I do so want them, 'cos you see they won't wither,"and he sighed. "Roots is funny things--when I was very little I thoughtflowers would grow wifout roots, just the same."

  "And now you know better," said his aunt with a smile. "Boots are verywonderful things--not only plant roots. We need them in our characterstoo." Jasper looked puzzled. His dream was in his mind, though he wastoo shy to tell it.

  "You see," Miss Fortescue went on, "it is like this. We should dothings because we feel we _ought_, not just because we're inclined.Being kind to each other, for instance, when we are feelinggood-humoured and pleasant is all very well, but we need more than that.We need to be kind even when we are feeling cross or tired, or evenwhen others are unkind to us, because it is _right_. Passing feelingsare like plucked flowers--what are called good principles are likeplants with roots."

  Jasper's face lighted up.

  "And then being good _grows_," he said.

  "Yes, indeed," said Aunt Margaret, almost startled by his quickness."Still it needs care. Watching, and above all, praying to God to helpus--that is like the refreshing, nourishing water that plants need ifthey are to grow and prosper."

  Jasper gave a deep sigh of satisfaction.

  "Now," said his aunt, "I think you might carry down some of thesethings. Suppose you first take the books. Not too many at a time--canyou manage all those?"

  "Oh yes. I could take more quite well," was the reply, for Jasper was amost zealous helper.

  "I don't think I want to send down any more, thank you, dear. I willkeep most of my books up here, on those nice little shelves."

  So off trotted the small messenger with his load. Perhaps he was _too_careful, glancing so often at the pile of books that he did not glanceenough at his own feet, for just as he was half-way down the last stair,there came an accident. Somehow or other he tripped and rolled down sixor seven steps, the books on the top of him. Poor Jasper! He did notcry out, though for a moment or two he could scarcely keep back histears--he felt bruised and giddy and rather mortified. But he was avery brave as well as patient little fellow, and he was struggling tohis feet again when the dining-room door opened and Chrissie looked out.

  "What was that noise?" she said. "Oh, it's you, Japs--have you fallendownstairs?"

  "Yes, I has," he replied, "but please don't tell Aunt Marg'ret or shewon't let me help her any more. I hasn't hurt myself much."

  "Poor Jasper," said Chrissie, "never mind. It's a good thing you wereonly carrying books, not china or glass. Leila's done enough in thatway for to-day. But I say, how pretty some of these books are," and sheheld up a small, beautifully bound prayer-book, and another "birthdaybook," exquisitely illuminated.

  "Yes," said Jasper, "I fink they're Auntie's bestest books. She's goin'to keep them in the droind-room, on her table."

  "I'll help you to carry them in," said Chrissie, and so she did--thecarpet by this time was beginning to dry, though only beginning!--"Iwish somebody would give me a prayer-book like this," she went on. "I'dlove to take it to church."

  And then, their pile being safely deposited, Jasper turned to goupstairs again, though limping a little.

  "I hope I won't tumble any more," he said, "for there's lots of fingsstill to bring down."

  "Suppose I offer to help too?" said Chrissie. "My face is quite cleannow and my hair's tidy. I think it was too bad of Mummy to say anythingabout them before Aunt Margaret, when it was all, or nearly all, Lell'sfault this morning."

  "Auntie's werry kind," said Jasper. "I daresay she'd like you to help,"and if he felt a tiny scrap of disappointment at not having all thehonour to himself, his good little heart would not allow him to show it."What's Lelly doing?" he went on.

  "Crouched up by the dining-room fire over a story-book, of course," saidChrissie. "_She_ won't mind," and her face was so bright and her toneso pleasant when she went into her aunt's room with Jasper, that MissFortescue began to think that she had really been taking the littlegirls' misdemeanours too seriously!

  "They are only children after all," she said to herself, and "Yes,dear," she replied to Christabel, "I shall be very glad of your help.Can you hang up some of these cloaks and things in the cupboard? I amso glad there is a cupboard! And Jasper, my boy, will you put my bootsand shoes and slippers neatly in a row on that lowest shelf? I won'tsend anything more downstairs till I see what had better stay up here,and I have not come across my wool for knitting yet."

  Her cheerfulness touched a gentle chord in Chrissie.

  "Aunt Margaret," she said, "it must be _awfully_ strange for you here inthis poky house, compared to Fareham. I wonder you don't mind more."

  "Dear child, you must not think me better than I am," Miss Fortescuereplied. "I have `minded'," and her voice shook a little, "terribly--wrongly, I fear. But it might have been so much worse. Think what somehave to bear--of loneliness and lovelessness when they are old like me!If I can feel that I am of use to you all, and able to brighten things alittle for your father and mother, it will be almost as great a joy asit used to be to me to have you all at Fareham."

  Christabel did not reply. But her aunt's words impressed her. Ideas--feelings rather, perhaps--were awaking in her, which were new to her;though she had often heard and read of "unselfishness," and thehappiness of living for others, of bearing, or at least sharing theirburdens, she had never really "taken in," realised these truths. To seethem acted upon, made the very sunshine of life, struck her as verywonderful. For perhaps the first time, she said to herself, "I wish Icould really care for other people and try to make them happy and notmind about myself," and though the thought passed off again, and she wasas ready as ever to grumble and to squabble with Leila and to fight forher own rights and fancies, still, it was something that it _had_ beenthere, a beginning, a tiny seedling, which might yet take root andblossom into beauty.

  So the day which had seemed likely, like poor long-ago Rosamund's, to be"one of misfortunes," cleared and improved as it went on. Chrissie hadone happy quality--she really, if once interested in a thing, did throwher whole heart and cleverness into it; and careless and unmethodicalthough she was, the sight of her aunt's fairy-like neatness and orderstruck her pleasantly.

  "If it wasn't such a trouble," she said, "I would like to be beautifullyneat like you, Aunt Margaret. Leila _thinks_ she is, but I don't callit neat just to be slow and dreamy and never sure where you are or whereyour things are. I think its just as bad as my dashing about andturning things topsy-turvy. I don't say she tears and spoils her frocksas much as I do, but she _forgets_ quite as badly, and--"

  A sigh from Jasper's corner interrupted her.

  "What's the matter?" she said.

  "Oh, I was only thinkin' I do hope I won't forget to water the growin'plants when they come," replied the little boy.

  Chrissie laughed.

  "He's got those plants on the brain, Aunt Margaret," she said. "You'dbetter forget about them for just now, Japs," she went on, turning tohim, "for very likely they won't come for ever so long. Things takesuch a time by luggage trains."

  Jasper's face fell--somehow his dream and the talk with his aunt had gotmixed up with the thought of the real plants and made him long for themwith the curious intensity of longing that one scarcely sympathises withenough in children. But his aunt understood.

  "Cheer up, Jasper," she said. "I shouldn't wonder if they come to-day--this ve
ry afternoon perhaps."

  CHAPTER NINE.

  PRAYER-BOOKS, LOST AND FOUND.

  And so they did! Aunt Margaret would not have raised Jasper's hopeswithout good reason, and she knew that there are ways and means ofhurrying up hampers and cases even by goods trains, when there is causefor doing so. Morris, the Fareham gardener, had seen to it