CHAPTER XVI
THE FIRST LESSON
Jewel looked up as she heard a knock. Sarah had made the bed and gone.Who could this be?
At her "Come in," Eloise entered the room. The child's face brightenedquestioningly. She rose and gazed at the enchanted maiden, very lovelyin the wrapper of white silk, open at the throat, and with littlebillows of lace cascading down to the toes of her white Turkishslippers.
"Good-morning, cousin Eloise," said the child, waiting for the messageor order which she supposed to be forthcoming.
"Good-morning." The girl cast a comprehensive glance around the ratherbare room. Her eyes bore no traces of the tears so recently shed, buther face was sad. "I heard you singing," she said.
"Yes. Did I disturb anybody?" asked the child quickly.
"No. It is nice to be like the birds that sing in the rain."
"Like the robin out there," returned Jewel, relieved. "Did you hearhim?" She ran to the window and threw it open, listening a minute. "No,he has gone."
"You said you would show me your doll," went on Eloise when the windowwas closed again.
"Oh," returned Jewel pleased, "did you come to see Anna Belle? She'sright here. We were just going to have the lesson." She took the dollfrom the depths of a big chair and held her up with motherly pride."Would you--won't you sit down a minute?"
To her great satisfaction, her beautiful visitor condescended to takethe chair Anna Belle had vacated, and held out her white, ringless handsfor the doll.
"How neatly her clothes are made," said the girl, examining Anna Belle'sgarments.
"Yes, my mother made her all new ones when she knew she was going toEurope, so that she would be neat and not mortify me. Would you like tosee her clothes?" eagerly.
"Yes, I should."
Jewel brought them, her quick little fingers turning them back andforth, exhibiting the tiny buttonholes and buttons, and chatteringexplanations of their good points.
"It was a great deal for your mother to do all this, when she is such abusy woman," said Eloise.
"Yes, she did it evenings, and then surprised me just when we werecoming away. Wasn't it lovely?"
"Very."
"I love prettiness," said the child. As she spoke she regarded the graveface beside her. "When I first noticed that my nose wasn't nice, andneither were my eyes, I almost cried."
Eloise looked up at her, at a loss for a reply.
"But then I remembered that of course God never made anything thatwasn't perfectly beautiful, so I knew that it would come right sometime, and I asked mother when she thought it would."
"What did she say?" returned Eloise, wondering at this originaloptimism.
"She said we could never tell how soon anything would come right to oursense, but so long as we knew that Creation was perfect and beautiful,we could be patient about everything--big things and little things; andthen I remember how she talked to me about being careful never to pitymyself." Jewel gave her head a little serious shake. "You know it's verybad error to pity yourself, no matter what kind of a nose you have."
Eloise had sunk back in the large chair and was attentively watchingthe child standing beside her, while she still held Anna Belle. She hadnever before held converse with a Christian Scientist, but her state ofmind precluded the perception of a humorous side to anything.
"Wrong to pity yourself no matter what happens?" she asked.
"Yes--because--because--" Jewel looked off. She knew that it was error,but it was hard to explain why to the lovely grown-up cousin who was sostrangely sorry. "Well, you see," she added after the moment's thought,"it isn't having faith in God, it isn't knowing that you're His child,and that He takes care of you."
"No, I suppose not; but I have never learned how to know that, Jewel."
"I know you haven't," returned the little girl, and she slipped her handtoward her cousin's. The girl met it halfway and held it close. "SinceI've seen you," Jewel went on slowly, "I know that prettiness isn'tenough to make a person happy--nor all your lovely clothes--nor havingpeople fond of you and sending you presents--nor making the sweetestmusic; but you can be happy, cousin Eloise, unless you're doing wrong."
"I am doing wrong, but I can't help it." The girl took her supportinghand from the doll and pressed it to her eyes a second before droppingit. "What were you doing when I came in?"
"I was just going to get the lesson."
"Oh, do you go on with your studies? Perhaps I can help you better thanAnna Belle."
"Would you cousin Eloise?" Jewel flushed with pleasure. "Some of thewords are so long. I thought I'd ask grandpa to-night."
"Why didn't you wish to come to me?" questioned Eloise, well knowingwhy.
The little girl looked a trifle embarrassed. "I didn't want to troubleyou. Of course you aren't my real relations," she said modestly.
"Do you remember that, too!" exclaimed Eloise.
Jewel started at the hurt voice. "Would you like to be?" she askedearnestly. "I wish you were, because"--she hesitated and smiled with herhead a little on the side, "because I might look more like you."
The gravity of Eloise's lips remained unbroken. "I want you to promiseme something, Jewel. I want you to promise not to tell your grandfatherthat I have been with you to-day."
"Why? He'd be glad I was happy."
"I have a reason. I will help you with your studies every day if youwon't tell him."
"I might without meaning to," rejoined the child, her alert little mindbusy with the new problem suddenly presented to it.
"I will make a rainbow scarf for Anna Belle if you will never speak ofme to your grandfather."
"Why do you say my grandfather? He's yours, too."
"Not at all. Didn't you just say I was not your real relation?"
"Oh but, cousin Eloise," Jewel was sure of the hurt now, though the whyor wherefore was a mystery, "of course he wishes you were."
"Oh no he doesn't." The answer came quick and sharp, and the childreviewed mentally her own observations of the household. Her heartswelled with the desire to help.
"Now, cousin Eloise," her breath came a little faster with the throngingthoughts for which her vocabulary was insufficient, "error does tryto cheat people so. Just think how kind you were inside all the time,though you wouldn't smile at me. You're willing to make Anna Belle ascarf. I called you the enchanted maiden, because you were too sorryto try to make people happy, and now grandpa's just like that; he'senchanted, too, if he doesn't make you happy, because he's just as_kind_ inside, oh, just as _kind_ as he can be."
"He likes you," returned Eloise.
Jewel regarded her for a silent moment. "I noticed when I came," shesaid at last, apologetically, "that nobody here seemed to love oneanother; and the house was so grand and the people were so beautifulthat I couldn't understand; and I called it Castle Discord."
Eloise gave a little exclamation. "I call it the icebox," she returned.
Jewel's face lighted. "That's it, that's all it is," she said eagerly."It's easy to melt ice. Love melts everything."
"It's pretty slow work sometimes," said Eloise.
"Then you have to put on more love. That's all. Have you"--the childasked the question a little timidly, "have you put on much love tograndpa?"
"Why should I love him?" asked Eloise. "He doesn't love me."
"Oh dear," said Jewel. After a minute's thought her face brightened. "Iguess I'll show you my dotted letter."
She ran to the closet where hung her dotted challie dress and took fromthe pocket the message that had come to her the evening of her arrival."My mother put a letter into all my pockets for a happy surprise; andthis one came the first night, when I was feeling all sorry and alone,and it comforted me. Perhaps it will comfort you."
She put the paper into the girl's hand, and Eloise read it. She turnedit over and read it a second time.
Jewel stood beside her chair watching, and seeing that her cousin seemedinterested, she ran and brought her little wrapper. "Perhaps you'
d liketo see this one too," she said feeling in the pocket for the secondmessage.
Eloise accepted and read it. Every word of the two notes came to themind of the young girl as suggestions from another planet, so foreignwere they to any instruction or advice that had ever fallen to her lot.
She gave a slight exclamation as she finished. "Is your mother a saint?"she asked, looking up suddenly.
"No," returned Jewel innocently. "She's a Christian Scientist."
Eloise suddenly put out her hand, and drawing Jewel to her, hid herforehead on the child's breast.
"I wish you were older," she said.
Jewel put her little hands on the shining waves of hair she had admiredfrom afar. "I wish my mother was here," she answered. "Did you likethose things mother said?"
"Oh yes; but they're from heaven, and I'm in the other place," repliedEloise disconsolately.
"Then let's look in another pocket!" exclaimed Jewel. "I'll look in mybest dress. Perhaps she'd put the best one there."
The girl lifted her head, and the child went eagerly to the closet,coming back with a folded paper. "We'll read it together. You read itout loud, and I'll look over your shoulder."
The rain slanted against the window in gusts as the two heads bent abovethe paper. Eloise read:--
"Mother is thinking of you, little daughter, every day and every night,and the thing she hopes the most is, that you never let the day goby without studying the lesson. The words may be hard sometimes, butperhaps some one will read it with you, and if they do not, then you goon trying your best, and you will learn more and more all the time; fortruth will shine into your thought and help you. Grandpa will giveyou plenty of bread and butter, but you must remember that Spirit,not matter, satisfieth. You would starve without the Bible and thetext-book, and very soon the joy would go out of everything. Give mylove to Anna Belle, and tell her not to go out to play any day until youhave read the lesson."
"Your mother speaks as if you learned Christian Science out of theBible," said Eloise.
"Of course," returned Jewel.
"I thought a woman got it up," said the girl. "I thought your churchworshipped her."
The child smiled at the phrase. "You know Christ was the first one.That's why we call ourselves that. We couldn't be Christian Scientistsif we worshipped any one but God," she answered. "Of course we love Mrs.Eddy. Just think how good and unselfish a person has to be before theycan hear God's teaching. He showed her how to remind people of thethings that Christ taught, and how to get rid of their sins andsickness. We love her dearly for helping people so much, and shouldn'tyou think everybody would? But they don't. Some people think hatingthoughts about her, just as if she was teaching bad things instead ofgood ones. Mother says it reminds her of what the Saviour said, 'Forwhich of these works do ye stone me?'"
"Ah, but you see," returned Eloise, "Christian Scientists let people diesometimes without a doctor."
"But lots of people they do cure are the ones doctors said would have todie."
"I know they claim that."
"And such a lot of people pass on while doctors are taking care of themI wonder why it makes everybody so angry when a Scientist goes withoutany."
Eloise smiled faintly as she shook her head. "It is more respectable todie with a doctor at your side," she returned.
"Are you really willing to help me with the lesson, cousin Eloise? Ifyou are, it would be nice if you would get your Bible too."
The girl looked embarrassed. "I haven't any."
"Well, your mother's would do just as well," said Jewel politely.
"She hasn't any--here, I'm sure."
The little girl stood very still a moment. "No wonder they're sorry,"she thought.
"All right. We can both look over one," she answered, and going to thedresser she brought her books.
"Was this the study you meant?" asked Eloise, looking at the three bookscuriously. "I thought I was offering to help you with something I knewabout. I used to learn verses out of the Bible when I was a little girlin Sunday-school. I don't know anything about it now."
"But you can read everything, the big words and all," replied Jewel. "Iwish I could."
Eloise saw that this reply was designed to minister to her self-respect.She took up the small black book lying with the Bible. "What is this?"
"That is 'Science and Health,' that Mrs. Eddy wrote to explain to uswhat the Bible means; and this other one is to tell us where to pick outthe places for the day's lesson." Jewel pulled up a chair, and seatingherself, turned over the leaves of the Quarterly briskly until she foundthe right date.
"Please find Zechariah, cousin Eloise."
"What's that?" asked the girl helplessly.
"It's in the Old Testament. Would you rather I'd find them? All right,then you can take 'Science and Health' and find that part."
"I hope it's easy, for I'm awfully stupid, Jewel."
"Oh, it's very easy. You'll see." The child found the chapter and versein the Bible and read, with her finger on the line. Eloise looked overand read with her. Thus they went through all the verses for the day,then Jewel began to give the page and line to be read in the text-book.
This volume was small and agreeable to handle, the India paper pleasantto the girl's dainty touch. According to the child's request, she readaloud the lines which were called for.
"That's all," said Jewel at last. "Oh cousin Eloise, it's just lovelyand easy to get the lesson with you," she added gratefully.
Eloise made no response. Her eye had been caught by a statement on thepage before her, and she read on in silence.
Jewel waited a minute and then, seeing that her cousin was absorbed, shelaid down the Quarterly and took up her doll and sat still, watching thepretty profile, undisturbed by doubts as to what her cousin might thinkof the book she held, and full of utter confidence that He who healethall our diseases would minister to her through its pages.
At last Eloise again became conscious of her surroundings. She turned toher companion, a skeptical comment on her lips, but she suppressedthe words at sight of the innocent, expectant face. She certainly hadnothing to give this child better than what she already possessed.
"You can read it any time when you feel sorry, cousin Eloise, that andmy Bible too. Mother always does."
"Does she ever feel sorry?"
"Sometimes; but it can't last where the Bible is."
"I never saw that the Bible had anything to do with us," said Eloise.
"Why--ee!" Jewel suddenly dropped Anna Belle and again took up theBible.
"What do you think I opened to?" holding the verse with her finger asshe looked up. Then she read, "'If ye love them that love you what thankhave ye?' Now isn't that something to do with you and grandpa?"
"I don't see how I can love people who don't choose to be lovable,"returned Eloise. "What's the use of pretending?"
"But then," said the child, "the trouble is that everything that isn'tlove is hate."
Her visitor raised her eyebrows. "Ah! I should have to think aboutthat," she returned.
"Yes, you'd better," agreed Jewel. Then she turned to the Psalms andread the ninety-first.
When she had finished she looked up at her cousin, an earnestquestioning in her eyes.
"That is very beautiful," said Eloise. "I never heard it before. Howwell you read it, Jewel."
"Yes," replied the child. "It's so much easier to read things when youknow them by heart." Then she turned to the Twenty-third Psalm and readit.
"Yes, I've heard that one. It's beautiful of course, but I never thoughtof its having anything to do with us." Eloise was watching her cousincuriously. It seemed too strange for belief that a healthy child of herage should be taking a vital interest in the Bible and endeavoring toprove a position from its pages.
When the girl finally rose to go she turned at the door:--
"Remember your promise not to tell grandfather about this morning," shesaid.
Jewel, hovering about her, looked trouble
d.
"Would you just as lief tell me why?" she asked.
Eloise gave the ghost of a smile. "It would be a long story, and Iscarcely think you would understand."
"I think I could obey you better if you would tell me."
"Very well. We, my mother and I, are not Mr. Evringham's realrelations,--to put it as you do,--and we have come here because my poorfather lost his money and we have nowhere else to go. We came withoutbeing invited, and it hurts to have to stay where we are not wanted. Idon't wish grandfather to think that I am being kind to you, for fear hewill believe that I am doing it to make him like me better and because Iwant to stay here."
The girl spoke slowly and with great clearness.
Jewel looked at her, speechless with surprise and perplexity.
Eloise went on: "I don't want to stay here, you understand. I wish to goaway. I would go to-day if my mother were willing."
Her large eyes grew dark as she closed, and the child received a senseof the turbulence that underlay her words.
"Thank you for explaining," she returned in an awed tone. "I wish mymother was here; but God is, and He'll take care of you, cousin Eloise.Mother says we don't ever need to stay in the shadow. There's always thesunshine, only we must do our part, we must come into it."
"How Jewel? Supposing you don't know how."
"You can learn how," replied the child earnestly, "right in those books.Lots of sorry people grow glad studying them."
Jewel: A Chapter in Her Life Page 19