All dinner-time Rose felt that she was going to be talked about,and afterward she was sure of it, for Aunt Plenty whispered to heras they went into the parlour"Run up and sit awhile with Sister Peace, my dear. She likes tohave you read while she rests, and we are going to be busy."Rose obeyed, and the quiet rooms above were so like a church thatshe soon composed her ruffled feelings, and was unconsciously alittle minister of happiness to the sweet old lady, who for years hadsat there patiently waiting to be set free from pain.
Rose knew the sad romance of her life, and it gave a certain tendercharm to this great-aunt of hers, whom she already loved. WhenPeace was twenty, she was about to be married; all was done, thewedding dress lay ready, the flowers were waiting to be put on, thehappy hour at hand, when word came that the lover was dead.
They thought that gentle Peace would die, too; but she bore itbravely, put away her bridal gear, took up her life afresh, and livedon a beautiful, meek woman, with hair as white as snow andcheeks that never bloomed again. She wore no black, but soft, palecolours, as if always ready for the marriage that had never come.
For thirty years she had lived on, fading slowly, but cheerful, busy,and full of interest in all that went on in the family; especially thejoys and sorrows of the young girls growing up about her, and tothem she was adviser, confidante, and friend in all their tendertrials and delights. A truly beautiful old maiden, with her silveryhair, tranquil face, and an atmosphere of repose about her thatsoothed whoever came to her!
Aunt Plenty was utterly dissimilar, being a stout, brisk old lady,with a sharp eye, a lively tongue, and a face like a winter-apple.
Always trotting, chatting, and bustling, she was a regular Martha,cumbered with the cares of this world and quite happy in them.
Rose was right; and while she softly read psalms to Aunt Peace,the other ladies were talking about her little self in the frankestmanner.
"Well, Alec, how do you like your ward?" began Aunt Jane, as theyall settled down, and Uncle Mac deposited himself in a corner tofinish his doze.
"I should like her better if I could have begun at the beginning, andso got a fair start. Poor George led such a solitary life that the childhas suffered in many ways, and since he died she has been goingon worse than ever, judging from the state I find her in.""My dear boy, we did what we thought best while waiting for youto wind up your affairs and get home. I always told George he waswrong to bring her up as he did; but he never took my advice, andnow here we are with this poor dear child upon our hands. I, forone, freely confess that I don't know what to do with her any morethan if she was one of those strange, outlandish birds you used tobring home from foreign parts." And Aunt Plenty gave a perplexedshake of the head which caused great commotion among the stiffloops of purple ribbon that bristled all over the cap like crocusbuds.
"If my advice had been taken, she would have remained at theexcellent school where I placed her. But our aunt thought best toremove her because she complained, and she has been dawdlingabout ever since she came. A most ruinous state of things for amorbid, spoilt girl like Rose," said Mrs. Jane, severely.
She had never forgiven the old ladies for yielding to Rose'spathetic petition that she might wait her guardian's arrival beforebeginning another term at the school, which was a regular Blimberhot-bed, and turned out many a feminine Toots.
"I never thought it the proper school for a child in goodcircumstances an heiress, in fact, as Rose is. It is all very well forgirls who are to get their own living by teaching, and that sort ofthing; but all she needs is a year or two at a fashionable finishingschool, so that at eighteen she can come out with eclat," put inAunt Clara, who had been a beauty and a belle, and was still ahandsome woman.
"Dear, dear! how short-sighted you all are to be discussingeducation and plans for the future, when this unhappy child is soplainly marked for the tomb," sighed Aunt Myra, with a lugubrioussniff and a solemn wag of the funereal bonnet, which she refusedto remove, being afflicted with a chronic catarrh.
"Now, it is my opinion that the dear thing only wants freedom,rest, and care. There is look in her eyes that goes to my heart, for itshows that she feels the need of what none of us can give her amother," said Aunt Jessie, with tears in her own bright eyes at thethought of her boys being left, as Rose was, to the care of others.
Uncle Alec, who had listened silently as each spoke, turnedquickly towards the last sister, and said, with a decided nod ofapproval"You've got it, Jessie; and, with you to help me, I hope to make thechild feel that she is not quite fatherless and motherless.""I'll do my best, Alec; and I think you will need me, for, wise asyou are, you cannot understand a tender, timid little creature likeRose as a woman can," said Mrs. Jessie, smiling back at him witha heart full of motherly goodwill.
"I cannot help feeling that I, who have had a daughter of my own,can best bring up a girl; and I am very much surprised that Georgedid not entrust her to me," observed Aunt Myra, with an air ofmelancholy importance, for she was the only one who had given adaughter to the family, and she felt that she had distinguishedherself, though ill-natured people said that she had dosed herdarling to death.
"I never blamed him in the least, when I remember the perilousexperiments you tried with poor Carrie," began Mrs. Jane, in herhard voice.
"Jane Campbell, I will not hear a word! My sainted Caroline is asacred object," cried Aunt Myra, rising as if to leave the room.
Dr. Alec detained her, feeling that he must define his position atonce, and maintain it manfully if he hoped to have any success inhis new undertaking.
"Now, my dear souls, don't let us quarrel and make Rose a bone ofcontention though, upon my word, she is almost a bone, poor littlelass! You have had her among you for a year, and done what youliked. I cannot say that your success is great, but that is owing totoo many fingers in the pie. Now, I intend to try my way for a year,and if at the end of it she is not in better trim than now, I'll give upthe case, and hand her over to someone else. That's fair, I think.""She will not be here a year hence, poor darling, so no one needdread future responsibility," said Aunt Myra, folding her blackgloves as if all ready for the funeral.
"By Jupiter! Myra, you are enough to damp the ardour of a saint!"cried Dr. Alec, with a sudden spark in his eyes. "Your croakingwill worry that child out of her wits, for she is an imaginative puss,and will fret and fancy untold horrors. You have put it into herhead that she has no constitution, and she rather likes the idea. Ifshe had not had a pretty good one, she would have been 'markedfor the tomb' by this time, at the rate you have been going on withher. I will not have any interference please understand that; so justwash your hands of her, and let me manage till I want help, thenI'll ask for it.""Hear, hear!" came from the corner where Uncle Mac wasapparently wrapt in slumber.
"You were appointed guardian, so we can do nothing. But I predictthat the girl will be spoilt, utterly spoilt," answered Mrs. Jane,grimly.
"Thank you, sister. I have an idea that if a woman can bring up twoboys as perfectly as you do yours, a man, if he devotes his wholemind to it, may at least attempt as much with one girl," replied Dr.
Alec, with a humorous look that tickled the others immensely, forit was a well-known fact in the family that Jane's boys were moreindulged than all the other lads put together.
"I am quite easy, for I really do think that Alec will improve thechild's health; and by the time his year is out, it will be quite soonenough for her to go to Madame Roccabella's and be finished off,"said Aunt Clara, settling her rings, and thinking, with languidsatisfaction, of the time when she could bring out a pretty andaccomplished niece.
"I suppose you will stay here in the old place, unless you think ofmarrying, and it's high time you did," put in Mrs. Jane, muchnettled at her brother's last hit.
"No, thank you. Come and have a cigar, Mac," said Dr. Alec,abruptly.
"Don't marry; women enough in the family already," mutteredUncle Mac; and then the gentlemen hastily fled.
"Aunt Peace would like to see you all, she says," was the messageRose brought before the ladies could begin again.
"Hectic, hectic! dear me, dear me!" murmured Aunt Myra, as theshadow of her gloomy bonnet fell upon Rose, and the stiff tips of ablack glove touched the cheek where the colour deepened under somany eyes.
"I am glad these pretty curls are natural; they will be invaluable byand by," said Aunt Clara, taking an observation with her head onone side.
"Now that your uncle has come, I no longer expect you to reviewthe studies of the past year. I trust your time will not be entirelywasted in frivolous sports, however," added Aunt Jane, sailing outof the room with the air of a martyr.
Aunt Jessie said not a word, but kissed her little niece, with a lookof tender sympathy that made Rose cling to her a minute, andfollow her with grateful eyes as the door closed behind her.
After everybody had gone home, Dr. Alec paced up and down thelower hall in the twilight for an hour, thinking so intently thatsometimes he frowned, sometimes he smiled, and more than oncehe stood still in a brown study. All of a sudden he said, half aloud,as if he had made up his mind"I might as well begin at once, and give the child something new tothink about, for Myra's dismals and Jane's lectures have made heras blue as a little indigo bag."Diving into one of the trunks that stood in a corner, he brought up,after a brisk rummage, a silken cushion, prettily embroidered, anda quaint cup of dark carved wood.
"This will do for a start," he said, as he plumped up the cushionand dusted the cup. "It won't do to begin too energetically, or Rosewill be frightened. I must beguile her gently and pleasantly alongtill I've won her confidence, and then she will be ready foranything."Just then Phebe came out of the dining-room with a plate of brownbread, for Rose had been allowed no hot biscuit for tea.
"I'll relieve you of some of that," said Dr. Alec, and, helpinghimself to a generous slice, he retired to the study, leaving Phebeto wonder at his appetite.
She would have wondered still more if she had seen him makingthat brown bread into neat little pills, which he packed into anattractive ivory box, out of which he emptied his own bits oflovage.
"There! if they insist on medicine, I'll order these, and no harmwill be done. I will have my own way, but I'll keep the peace, ifpossible, and confess the joke when my experiment hassucceeded," he said to himself, looking very much like amischievous boy, as he went on with his innocent prescriptions.
Rose was playing softly on the small organ that stood in the upperhall, so that Aunt Peace could enjoy it; and all the while he talkedwith the old ladies, Uncle Alec was listening to the fitful music ofthe child, and thinking of another Rose who used to play for him.
As the clock struck eight, he called out"Time for my girl to be abed, else she won't be up early, and I'mfull of jolly plans for to-morrow. Come and see what I've found foryou to begin upon."Rose ran in and listened with bright attentive face, while Dr. Alecsaid impressively"In my wanderings over the face of the earth, I have picked upsome excellent remedies, and, as they are rather agreeable ones, Ithink you and I will try them. This is a herb-pillow, given to me bya wise old woman when I was ill in India. It is filled with saffron,poppies, and other soothing plants; so lay your little head on itto-night, sleep sweetly without a dream, and wake to-morrowwithout a pain.""Shall I really? How nice it smells." And Rose willingly receivedthe pretty pillow, and stood enjoying its faint, sweet odour, as shelistened to the doctor's next remedy.
"This is the cup I told you of. Its virtue depends, they say, on thedrinker filling it himself; so you must learn to milk. I'll teach you.""I'm afraid I never can," said Rose; but she surveyed the cup withfavour, for a funny little imp danced on the handle, as if all readyto take a header into the white sea below.
"Don't you think she ought to have something more strengtheningthan milk, Alec? I really shall feel anxious if she does not have atonic of some sort," said Aunt Plenty, eyeing the new remediessuspiciously, for she had more faith in her old-fashioned dosesthan all the magic cups and poppy pillows of the East.
"Well, ma'am, I'm willing to give her a pill, if you think best. It is avery simple one, and very large quantities may be taken withoutharm. You know hasheesh is the extract of hemp? Well, this is apreparation of corn and rye, much used in old times, and I hope itwill be again.""Dear me, how singular!" said Aunt Plenty, bringing her spectaclesto bear upon the pills, with a face so full of respectful interest thatit was almost too much for Dr. Alec's gravity.
"Take one in the morning, and a good-night to you, my dear," hesaid, dismissing his patient with a hearty kiss.
Then, as she vanished, he put both hands into his hair, exclaiming,with a comical mixture of anxiety and amusement"When I think what I have undertaken, I declare to you, aunt, I feellike running away and not coming back till Rose is eighteen!"