Adventures of Prince Lazybones, and Other Stories

by Mrs. Molesworth

  CHAPTER XIV

  PLANS FOR THE WINTER

  Summer had gone. Visitors had gone. Graham had gone to school. The banksof the lake were red and yellow, brown and purple, with autumnalfoliage. Aunt Rachel was superintending the making of preserves. Lisawas at work on the piazza. Phil was sketching.

  Slowly up the garden path came old Joe. He took off his hat and stoodstill a moment waiting for Phil to speak.

  "Well, Joe, what is it?" said Phil, hardly looking up, he was so busy.

  "This is just as fine as ever the garden of Eden was, but old Adam hadto go, you know, Massa Phil." He had lately, of his own accord, put theMassa before Phil's name.

  "What are you driving at, Joe?" asked Phil, absently.

  "I mean I's a-gwine home, Massa Phil."

  "To the city?" said Phil, surprised into attention.

  "Yes, back to New York. I wants to go to work."

  "Have you not enough to do here?"

  "No," said Joe, with a chuckle. "It's all play here--no real hard worksich as I's customed to."

  "It is time you took it easy, Joe," said Phil.

  "True nuff, but I's not one of the easy sort. Besides, who knows, MassaPhil, but there may be other chillen--poor sick chillen--waitin' for tohear my fiddle an' be comforted?"

  Phil looked up hastily; a bright look of gratitude and love came intohis eyes.

  Just then Miss Schuyler appeared, with a glass jar of jelly in herhand; the maid was following with a trayful.

  "Joe wants to go to the city, Aunt Rachel," said Phil.

  "I dare say," was the ready response. "He wants a little gossip over thekitchen fires, and he wants this nice jar of jelly for hisbread-and-butter when he has company to tea; and as we all are goinghome next week, he may as well wait for the rest of us."

  "Aunt Rachel!" said Phil, in dismay. Going home to the city seemed likegoing back to poverty and illness, and the garret room he so wellremembered.

  Aunt Rachel divined it all. "You belong to me now, Phil. Lisa and I arepartners henceforth; and while you and I travel in search of health,study, and improvement, Lisa is going to keep house for us in her ownnice, quiet way."

  "Travel!--where?--when?" said Phil, eagerly.

  "The doctors suggest our going abroad--to a warm climate for thewinter--where we please; in summer, to the German baths."

  "Oh, Aunt Rachel!"

  This was enough for Phil to think of and wonder about all the rest ofthe happy days at the lake. He could walk now with comparative ease, notof course without crutches, and the gold and scarlet glory of the autumnleaves was a perpetual delight to him. He gathered them for wreaths andbouquets; he pressed them and ironed them and varnished them, and triedevery method suggested to him for keeping them; and when it came packingtime it was found necessary to get an extra trunk to contain all thewoodland treasures.

  The happy summer had ended, and not without a lingering look of regretthat it could not last longer was the farewell said to the house andlake and every pretty graceful tree or plant that adorned them.

  They found the city house all in nice order for them, for Aunt Rachelwas always wise in her forethought and provision for future comfort.

  Phil's little room near her own had been especially attended to, and hefound it, in all its arrangements, as complete and satisfactory as thelovely summer nook he had vacated.

  In three weeks' time they were to start for Europe. The days were spentin preparation. Phil must have a steamer-chair, plenty of clothes,wraps, and contrivances. All Aunt Rachel's thoughts were for Phil'scomfort; but it did not spoil him nor make him selfish; he had the happyfaculty of receiving kindness gracefully, as if glad to be the means ofmaking others happy by his gratitude, not as if it were his due in anyway. And in his turn he was thoughtful and considerate for others, intrifles light as air, but nevertheless showing by the gentle, tendermanner that he meant them as evidences of his affection. He knew Lisadreaded parting from him, so before her he was quite silent as to hisexpected pleasures, although his imagination was constantly picturingthe details of an ocean voyage. His sketch-book was getting full ofyachts and craft of all sorts and sizes--some that would have astonisheda sailor very much. Whenever he met Lisa he kissed her, whether with haton she was hurrying out on some errand for Miss Schuyler, or on herreturn, with arms full of bundles, she was hastening through the hall.

  He was necessarily left much alone, and thus had the chance to draw acharming little picture for Lisa, and frame it with acorns, lichen, andred maple leaves. He hung it in her room one day when she was out, and,to his surprise, the next day it was missing. He had expected somerecognition of it, but none coming, he kept still, wondering what Lisahad done with it. The secret came out in due time.

  A day or two before their departure Lisa came to him with tears in hereyes and a little package in her hand.

  "Open it, dear; it is for you."

  It was a tiny leather purse with four dollars in it.

  "Lisa, you must not give me all this."

  "Yes, it is yours--your own earnings. I sold your little picture, andbought this purse with part of the money, so that you might havesomething to spend just as you pleased."

  "Oh, Lisa!" was all Phil could say, for though grateful, he was yetdisappointed that Lisa had not kept his picture.

  "Now, dear," she said, "you can buy some little trifle for Joe, and anyone else you want to make a present to."

  "Thank you, Lisa; yes, I will. It is a very nice purse," he replied; butas soon as he could find Miss Schuyler he unburdened his heart.

  "After all the pains I took with that little picture, Aunt Rachel, tothink of Lisa's selling it! Oh, how could she?"

  "Hush, dear Phil; Lisa is the most unselfish creature in the world. Hasshe not given you up to me? And for the pleasure she supposed it wouldgive you to have money of your own earning, she was willing to part witheven a thing so precious as a picture painted by you for her. Do notquestion her motive for a moment. Take the money, and buy her somethinguseful. Come, we will go get a pretty work-basket; she will find it evenmore to her taste than a picture."

  So they went out and bought a light, nicely shaped basket, with littlepockets all around it, and Aunt Rachel made it complete with a silverthimble, a strawberry emery cushion, a morocco needle-book, and an amplesupply of silk, thread, needles, pins, and buttons.

  Lisa was delighted; but Phil could not be satisfied until he had paintedanother little picture, and made Lisa promise that no one else shouldever have it.

  Joe was made happy with some new bandanna handkerchiefs in brilliantyellows and reds, a pipe, some tobacco, and a suit of clothes from MissSchuyler.

  It was a tranquil, lovely day in the fall when the steamship sailed withAunt Rachel and Phil on board. All the bay sparkled in the sunshine, andboats of every shape and size danced upon the blue water. After thebustle and confusion of getting off, the leave-takings, the cries andshouts of sailors, the blowing of whistles and ringing of bells, theysat quietly down to watch the receding shores, and look out upon theglittering water.

  "Aunt Rachel," said Phil, "it all seems like another fairy story to me,and we are sailing in a nautilus to the island of Heart's Ease."

  "Yes, dear child, so it does. And let us hope that we shall find thatbeautiful island, and never wish to leave it."

  FLORIO AND FLORELLA

  A CHRISTMAS FAIRY TALE