CHAPTER ELEVENTH.
"Beware the bowl! though rich and bright, Its rubies flash upon the sight, An adder coils its depths beneath, Whose lure is woe, whose sting is death." --STREET.
Mrs. Ross had found a nurse for Mrs. Gibson and a seamstress to help withthe sewing; a good many of the needed garments were ordered from New Yorkready made, and in a few days the invalid was comfortably established inthe seaside cottage recommended by Dr. Morton.
In another week, Sally found herself in possession of a wardrobe that morethan satisfied her modest desires. She called at the Crags in her newtraveling dress, to say good-bye, looking very neat and lady-like; happytoo, in spite of anxiety in regard to her sight.
Not used to the world, timid and retiring, she had felt a good deal ofnervous apprehension about taking the journey alone; but business calledMr. Ross to Philadelphia, and he offered to take charge of her and see hersafe in the quiet boarding-place already secured for her by Mrs. EdwardAllison, to whom Elsie had written on her behalf.
Adelaide had never felt either love or respect for the ill-temperedgoverness of her younger brothers and sisters, but readily undertook to doa kindness for her child.
"Have you the doctor's address?" Mr. Ross asked, when taking leave of thegirl in her new quarters.
"Yes, sir; Mrs. Travilla gave it to me on a card, and I have it safe. Aletter of introduction too, from Dr. Morton. He says he is not personallyacquainted with Dr. Thomson, but knows him well by reputation, and ifanybody can help me he can."
"That is encouraging, and I hope you will have no difficulty in findingthe place. It is in the next street and only a few squares from here."
Sally thought she could find it readily; Mrs. Travilla had given her verycareful directions about the streets and numbers in Philadelphia; besides,she could inquire if she were at a loss.
When Mr. Ross returned home, he brought some one with him at sight of whomthe Ion children uttered a joyous cry, and who stepping from the carriage,caught their mother in his arms and held her to his heart, as if he meantnever to let her go.
"Papa! papa!" cried the children, "we did not know you were coming; mammadid not tell us. Mamma, did you know?"
"Yes, mamma had known; they saw it in her smiling eyes; and now they knewwhy it was that she had watched and listened so eagerly for the coming ofthe carriage; even more so than Aunt Lucy, who was expecting Uncle Philip,and who was very fond of him too. But then he had left her only the otherday, and mamma and papa had been parted for weeks."
Mr. Travilla had rented a furnished cottage at Cape May and come to takethem all there. The doctors thought that would be best for Lily now.
The young folks were greatly pleased, and ready to start at once; they hadenjoyed their visit to the Crags, but had missed papa sadly, and now theywould have him with them all the time, grandpa and the whole family fromthe Oaks, too; for they were occupying an adjoining cottage. And thedelicious salt sea breeze, oh, how pleasant it would be!
Mrs. Ross was sorry to part with her guests, had hoped to keep her friendwith her all summer, but a good deal comforted in her disappointment, bythe knowledge that her mother, Sophie and her children would soon taketheir places.
As for young Philip he was greatly vexed and chagrined. "It is really toobad!" he said seeking little Elsie out, and taking a seat by her side.
She was on the porch at some little distance from the others, and busiedin turning over the pages of a new book her papa had brought her.
"What is too bad, Phil?" she asked, closing it, and giving her fullattention to him.
"That you must be hurried away so soon. I've hardly been at home twoweeks, and we hadn't seen each other before for two years."
"Well a fortnight is a good while. And you will soon have your cousinshere--Herbert, Meta----"
"Herbert!" he interrupted impatiently, "who cares for him? and Meta,prying, meddling, tell-tale Meta's worse than nobody. But there! don'tlook so shocked, as if I had said an awfully wicked thing. I really don'thate her at all, though she got me into trouble more than once withgrandma and Aunt Sophie that winter we spent at Ashlands. Ah, a brightthought strikes me!"
"Indeed! may I have the benefit of it?" asked the little girl, smilingarchly.
"That you may. It is that you might as well stay on another week, or aslong as you will."
"Thank you, but you must remember the doctor says we should go at once, onbaby's account."
"I know that, but I was speaking only of you personally. Baby doesn't needyou, and papa could take you to your father and mother after a while."
"Let them all go and leave me behind? Oh, Phil, I couldn't think of such athing!"
The Travillas had been occupying their seaside cottage for two weeks, whena letter came from Sally Gibson; the first she had written them, thoughshe had been notified at once of their change of address, told that theywould be glad to hear how she was and what Dr. Thomson thought of hercase, and a cordial invitation given her to come to them to rest andrecruit as soon as she was ready to leave her physician.
Elsie's face grew very bright as she read.
"What does she say?" asked her husband.
"There is first an apology for not answering sooner (her eyes were so fullof belladonna that she could not see to put pen to paper, and she had noone to write for her), then a burst of joy and gratitude--to God, to thedoctor and to me,--'success beyond anything she had dared to hope,' butshe will be with us to-morrow, and tell us all about it."
"And she won't be blind, mamma?" queried Violet, joyously.
"No, dear; I think that she must mean that her eyes are cured, or hersight made good in some way."
"Oh, then, I'll just love that good doctor!" cried the child, clasping herhands in delight.
The next day brought Sally, but they scarcely recognized her, she hadgrown so plump and rosy, and there was so glad a light in the eyes thatlooked curiously at them through glasses clear as crystal.
Mrs. Travilla took her by both hands and kissed her.
"Welcome, Sally; I am glad to see you, but should scarcely have knownyou, had we met in a crowd;--you are looking so well and happy."
"And so I am, my dear kind friend," the girl answered with emotion; "and Ican see! see to read fine print that is all a blur to me without theseglasses; and all the pain is gone, the fear, the distress of body andmind. Oh, the Lord has been good, good to me! and the doctor so kind andinterested! I shall be grateful to him and to you as long as I live!"
"Oh, did he make you those glasses? what did he do to you?" asked theeager, curious children. "Tell us all about it, please."
But mamma said, "No, she is too tired now; she must go to her room and liedown and rest till tea-time."
Little Elsie showed her the way, saw that nothing was wanting that couldcontribute to her comfort, then left her to her repose.
It was needed after all the excitement and the hot dusty ride in the cars;but she came down from it quite fresh, and as ready to pour out the wholestory of the experiences of the past two weeks as the children coulddesire.
When tea was over, they clustered round her on the cool breezy verandaoverlooking the restless murmuring sea, and by her invitation, questionedher to their heart's content.
"Is he a nice kind old man, like our doctor at Ion?" began little Harold.
"Quite as nice and kind I should think, but not very old."
"Did he hurt you very much?" asked Elsie, who had great sympathy forsuffering, whether mental or physical.
"Oh, no, not at all! He said directly that the eyes were not diseased; thetrouble was malformation and could be remedied by suitable glasses; andoh, how glad I was to hear it!"
"I thought mamma read from your letter that he put medicine in your eyes."
"Yes, belladonna, but that was only to make them sick, so that he couldexamine them thoroughly, and measure them for the glasses."
Turning to Mrs. Travilla, "He is very kind an
d pleasant to every one; sofar as I could see making no difference between rich and poor, but deeplyinterested in each case in turn; always giving his undivided attention tothe one he has in hand at the moment; putting his whole heart and mindinto the work."
"Which is doubtless one great reason why he is so successful," remarkedMrs. Travilla, adding, "Remember that, my children; half-hearted workaccomplishes little for this world or the next."
"Weren't you afraid the first time you went?" asked timid little Elsie.
"My heart beat pretty fast," said Sally smiling. "I am rather bashful yousee, and worse than that, I was afraid the doctor would say like theothers, that it was the nerve and I would have to go blind, or that somedreadful operation would be necessary; but after I had seen him and foundout how kind and pleasant he was, and that I'd nothing painful ordangerous to go through, and might hope for good sight at last, I didn'tmind going at all.
"It was a little tedious sitting there in the outer office among strangerswith no one to speak to, and nothing to do for hours at a time, but thatwas nothing compared to what I was to gain by it."
Then the children wanted to know what the doctor measured eyes with, andhow he did it, and Sally amused them very much by telling how she had tosay her letters every day and look at the gaslight and tell what shape itwas, etc., etc.
"The doctor told me," she said, addressing Mrs. Travilla, "that I wouldnot like the glasses at first, hardly any one does; but I do, though notso well, I dare say, as I shall after a while when I get used to them."
Mrs. Gibson's health was improving so that she was in a fair way torecover and as she was well taken care of and did not need her daughter,Sally felt at liberty to stay with these kind friends and enjoy herself.
She resolved to put away care and anxiety for the future, and take thefull benefit of her present advantages. Yet there was one trouble thatwould intrude itself and rob her of half her enjoyment. Tom, her only anddearly loved brother, was fast traveling the downward road, seeming whollygiven up to the dominion of the love of strong drink and kindred vices.
It was long since she had seen or heard from him and she knew not where hewas. He had been in the habit of leaving their poor home on the Hudsonwithout deigning to give her or his mother any information as to whitherhe was bound or when he would return; sometimes coming back in a fewhours, and again staying away for days, weeks or months.
One day Elsie saw Sally turn suddenly pale while glancing over the morningpaper and there was keen distress in the eyes she lifted to hers as thepaper fell from her nerveless hand.
"Poor child; what is it?" Elsie asked compassionately, going to her andtaking the cold hand in hers, "anything that I can relieve or help you tobear?"
"Tom!" and Sally burst into almost hysterical weeping.
He had been arrested in Philadelphia for drunkenness and disorderlyconduct, fined and sent to prison till the amount should be paid.
Elsie did her best to comfort the poor sister, who was in an agony ofshame and grief. "Oh," she sobbed, "he is such a dear fellow if only hecould let drink alone! but it's been his ruin, his ruin! He must feel sodisgraced that all his self-respect is gone and he'll never hold up hishead again or have the heart to try to do better."
"Don't despair, poor child!" said Elsie, "he has not fallen too far forthe grace of God to reclaim him; 'Behold the Lord's hand is not shortened,that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear.'"
"And oh, I cry day and night to him for my poor Tom, so weak, so besetwith temptations!" exclaimed the girl, "and will he not hear me at last?"
"He will if you ask in faith pleading the merits of his Son," returned herfriend in moved tones.
"He must be saved!" Mr. Travilla said with energy, when Elsie repeated tohim this conversation with Sally. "I shall take the next train forPhiladelphia and try to find him."
Tom was found, his fine paid, his release procured, his rags exchanged forneat gentlemanly attire, hope of better things for this world and the nextset before him, and with self-respect and manhood partially restored byall this and the kindly considerate, brotherly manner of his benefactor,he was persuaded to go with the latter to share with Sally for a fewweeks, the hospitality of that pleasant seaside home.
He seemed scarcely able to lift his eyes from the ground as Mr. Travillaled him into the veranda where the whole family were gathered eagerlyawaiting their coming; but in a moment Sally's arms were round his neck,her kisses and tears warm on his cheek, as she sobbed out in excess ofjoy, "O Tom, dear Tom, I'm so glad to see you!"
Then Mrs. Travilla's soft white hand grasped his in cordial greeting, andher low sweet voice bade him welcome; and the children echoed her words,apparently with no other thought of him than that he was Sally's brotherand it was perfectly natural he should be there with her.
So he was soon at ease among them; but felt very humble, kept close bySally and used his eyes and ears far more than his tongue.
His kind entertainers exerted themselves to keep him out of the way oftemptation and help him to conquer the thirst for intoxicating drink, Mrs.Travilla giving Sally carte blanche to go into the kitchen and prepare hima cup of strong coffee whenever she would.
"Sally," he said to his sister, one evening when they sat alone togetheron the veranda, "what a place this is to be in! It's like a little heavenbelow; there is so much of peace and love; the moral atmosphere is sosweet and pure: I feel as though I had no business here, such a fallenwretch as I am!" he concluded with a groan, hiding his face in his hands.
"Don't, Tom, dear Tom!" she whispered, putting her arms about his neck andlaying her head on his shoulder. "You've given up that dreadful habit?you're never going back to it?"
"I don't want to! God knows I don't!" he cried as in an agony of fear,"but that awful thirst--you don't know what it is! and I--I'm weak aswater. Oh if there was none of the accursed thing on the face of theearth, I might hope for salvation! Sally, I'm afraid of myself, of thedemon that is in me!"
"O, Tom, fly to Jesus!" she said, clinging to him. "He says, 'In me isthine help.' 'Fear not; I will help thee,' and he never yet turned a deafear to any poor sinner that cried to him for help. Cast yourself wholly onhim and he will give you strength; for 'every one that asketh, receiveth;and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall beopened.'"
There was a moment of silence, in which Sally's heart was going up inearnest prayer for him; then Mr. Travilla joined them and addressing Tomsaid, "My wife and I have been talking about your future; indeed Sally'salso; for we suppose you would like to keep together."
"That we should," they said.
"Well, how would you like to emigrate to Kansas and begin life anew; awayfrom all old associates? I need not add that if you decide to go the meansshall not be wanting."
"Thank you, sir; you have been the best of friends to us both, and to ourmother, you and Mrs. Travilla," said Tom, with emotion: "and this is justwhat Sally and I have been wishing we could do. I understand something offarming and should like to take up a claim out there in some good locationwhere land is given to those who will settle on it. And if you, sir, canconveniently advance the few hundred dollars we shall need to carry usthere and give us a fair start, I shall gladly and thankfully accept it asa loan; hoping to be able to return it in a year or two."
This was the arrangement made and preparations to carry it out wereimmediately set on foot. In a few days the brother and sister badegood-bye to their kind entertainers, their mother, now nearly recovered,joined them in Philadelphia, and the three together turned their faceswestward.
In bidding adieu to Elsie, Sally whispered with tears of joy the good newsthat Tom was trusting in a strength mightier than his own, and so, asyears rolled on, these friends were not surprised to hear of his steadfastadherence to the practice of total abstinence from all intoxicatingdrinks, and his growing prosperity.
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