for a year the great house rising on the summit of prospect hill had been an object of interest and observation, and a chief subject for talk to the quiet country neighborhood surrounding it. hillsdale was an old town—a still, steady-going farming place—where the young men ploughed the unwilling fields, and coaxed reluctant crops out of the hard-hearted new england soil, as fathers and grandfathers had done before them. but in all the generations since the town was settled, no one had ever thought of building on prospect hill. it had been used as pasture ground, until now, when a man from boston had bought it, and had had a road made to its top, and a house built on its very brow.
this house was a wonder of architectural beauty.
"with its battlements high in the hush of the air,
and the turrets thereon."
[pg 176]
it was built of a kind of mixed stone; so that its variegated coloring had an air of brightness and gayety very unusual. the farmers about were exercised in mind over the amount of ox-flesh and patience required to drag stone enough for the great building up the high hill; but that did not trouble the architect, who gave his orders composedly, and went on with his business, quite unheeding comment. the house, itself, puzzled the neighbors, with its superb, arched dining-hall, its lovely, frescoed drawing-room, its wide passages, its little music-room, and its great library all lined with carven oak. then, why there should be so many chambers, unless, indeed, mr. shaftsbury had a very large family.
but it was when the furniture began to come in that wonder reached its height. such plenishings had never been seen before in hillsdale. the carpet on the drawing-room must have been woven in some loom of unheard-of size; for it seemed to be all in one piece, with a medallion in the centre, a border round the edge, and all over its soft velvet—into which your feet sank[pg 177] as into woodland moss—the daintiest flowers that ever grew. marble statues gleamed in front of the great mirrors; and pictures of lovely landscapes, and radiant sunsets, and handsome men, and fair women, hung upon the walls. in the music-room were placed a grand piano, a harp and a guitar. the shelves which ran round the library on all sides, half way from floor to ceiling, were filled with substantially bound books; and above them were busts of great men by whom immortal words had been written. it was a dream of beauty all through,—and when it was finished, and a troop of servants, men and women, came to make all things ready, expectation reached its height.
a presidential progress could hardly have excited more interest than did the arrival of a quiet, gentlemanly-looking man, dressed in gray, with iron-gray hair and beard, at the little railroad station, where a carriage had been sent down from prospect hill to meet him. this, of course, was mr. shaftsbury. he was accompanied, in spite of the many chambers, by a family of only[pg 178] two,—a lady much younger than himself, dressed with elegant simplicity, with a face full of all womanly sweetness, and a boy, about twelve or thirteen, apparently,—a high-bred little fellow in his appearance, but somewhat pale and delicate, and in need of the bracing air of prospect hill.
they drove home in the sunset,—this little family of three,—and looked for the first time on their new abode. mr. shaftsbury had selected the location, and bought the land, somewhat more than a year before; and then had put the whole matter into the hands of a competent architect, while he took his family to europe, so that the new residence had as entirely the charm of novelty for him as for the others.
for a month after that he was to be seen busily superintending matters about his place in the forenoon, while his wife and boy sauntered along, never far away from him, or driving with them in the pleasant may afternoons,—always these three only, and always together.
the first of june, the summer term of the [pg 179]district school began. it was an intense surprise to the scholars to find, first of all in his place, young shaftsbury, from the hill. "robert shaftsbury, thirteen years old," he replied to the teacher, who asked his name and age. he studied quietly till recess, and even then lingered in his seat, with evident shyness, though he watched the others with a look of interest on his face. they stood apart, and talked of him among themselves, instead of rushing out at once to play, as was their wont.
at last, after a good deal of wonderment and talk, one boy, bolder or more reckless than the rest, marched up to him.
"i say, velvet jacket, how came you here?" was his salutation. "seems to me you're too much of a gentleman for our folks."
a slight flush warmed young shaftsbury's pale cheeks; but he answered, with frankness as absolute as his courtesy was perfect:—
"i have been taught at home, up to now, but my father wants me to be with other boys of my own age; and he says a true gentleman belongs everywhere."
[pg 180]
the boys all heard what he said; and, in spite of their boyish rudeness, it inspired them with a certain respect. that was the beginning of the title which they gave him, among themselves, of "little gentleman,"—only among themselves, at first; though afterwards, when they grew more familiar with him, they used to address him by it, more often than by his name.
if there had been a philosophical observer to take note of it, it would have been curious to watch how unconsciously the boys were influenced by my little gentleman,—how their manners grew more gentle,—how they avoided coarse or unclean or profane words in his presence, as if he had been a woman. he led his classes, easily, in their studies. the teacher had never to reprove him for carelessness in his duties, or for broken rules. his father had said, "a true gentleman belongs everywhere;" and he was quietly proving it.
the scholars liked him,—they could not help it, for his manner was as courteous as his nature was unselfish and kindly; and yet in their [pg 181]feeling for him there was a little strain of envy,—a slight disposition to blame him for the luxury and elegance to which he was born; and, because of his very courtesy, to underrate his courage and the real manliness of his character.
but there was one in whose eyes he was, from first to last, a hero. jamie strong was yet more delicate than young shaftsbury. he had something the matter with one of his ankles, and could not join in the rough sports of the others. he was the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. her husband and her other three children had all died of typhoid fever, and been, one after another, carried out of the little, lonesome cottage at the foot of the hill, where the sun seldom came, and now jamie was the last.
he would never be strong enough to do hard work. sowing, ploughing, mowing, harvesting,—he could never manage any of these; so for his weak limbs his quick brain must make up; and widow strong had determined that he should be a scholar,—a minister, if it pleased the lord to call him to that; if not a teacher.
[pg 182]
so she quietly struggled on to keep him at school, and to earn money to provide for future years of academy and college. she sewed, she washed, she picked berries,—she did any thing by which she could add a dollar to her hoard.
jamie understood and shared her ambition, and studied with might and main. he was used to harshness and rudeness from stronger boys, and he had grown shy and shrunk into himself. to him the coming of my little gentleman was as grace from heaven. here was one who never mocked at his feebleness, or his poverty,—who was always kind, always friendly, and who did many a little thing to make him happy. young shaftsbury on his part was quick to perceive the tender and loyal admiration of the other; and there grew between them the tie of an interest which had never been put into words.
it had been a damp and strange summer, intensely warm, even in that hilly region. it had rained continually, but the rains, which kept the fields green and made vegetation so unusually[pg 183] lush and ripe, had seemed scarcely to cool at all the fervid heat of the air. wiseacres predicted much sickness. indeed, several cases of slow fever were in the town already.
one day my little gentleman looked about in vain for his friend jamie, and finally asked for him anxiously, and found that the boy was ill of typhoid fever. at recess he heard the boys talking of it.
"he'll never get well," one said. "his father died just that way, and his three brothers. you see it's damp, down in that hollow, and the sun hardly ever touches the house. i heard dr. simonds say it was ten to one against anybody who was sick there."
when school was over robert shaftsbury hurried home. he found his mother sitting, dressed all in white, in the music-room, playing a symphony on the piano, while his father sat a little distance off, listening with half-closed eyes. he waited until the piece was over, and then he told his story and preferred his request.
the doctor had said it was ten to one against[pg 184] any one who was sick in that little damp house in the hollow; and he wanted jamie brought up the hill to their own home. he watched the faces of his father and mother as he spoke; and it seemed to him that a refusal was hovering upon their lips, and he said, earnestly,—
"don't speak, just yet. remember that he is his mother's only son, as i am yours. if i lay sick where there was no hope for me, and some one else might, perhaps, save me by taking me in, would you think they ought to try it, or to let me die?"
mr. shaftsbury looked into his wife's eyes.
"robert is right," she said, with the sudden, sweet smile which always seemed to make the day brighter when it came to her lips. "if the poor boy can be helped by being brought here, we must bring him."
"i will go and see," mr. shaftsbury answered, at once.
"and i, too, papa," said my little gentleman.
"not you, i think. i fear contagion for you."
[pg 185]
"i think there is no danger for me, living on this bright hill-top, in these great, airy rooms,—but even if there were, i am sure you would let me go if you knew how much jamie loves me."
"come, then," his father said, quietly. he had been, all his son's life, preaching to him of heroism and self-sacrifice and devotion. he dared not interfere with almost his first opportunity for any real exercise of them. so the two went down the hill together.
it chanced that they met dr. simonds coming away from the house, and proposed to him the question of the removal. it would not do, the doctor declared at once,—the disease had made too much progress. to remove him now would be more dangerous than to leave him where he was.
"then i must go and see him," robert said, resolutely. "you know he has only his mother, and i must spend all the time i can spare from school with him."
"but i will send an excellent nurse, my son.[pg 186] do you not see that i cannot have you expose yourself?"
"send the nurse, too, please, papa; but do not keep me from going. he will not care for the nurse, and he does care very much for me. i do not believe in the danger, and i know how glad he will be to see me."
mr. shaftsbury hesitated. this boy was as the apple of his eye. must he indeed begin so soon to look danger in the face, for the sake of others? but dared he withhold him, when the boy felt that honor and duty called? it ended by his walking in with him quietly.
it was something to see how jamie's face brightened. he had been very dull and stupid all day, his mother said, and some of the time his mind had been wandering. but now a glad, eager light came into his eyes, and a smile curved his parched lips. he put out his hot hands.
"oh! is it you, my little gentleman?" he said: "i had rather see you than any thing else in the world."
[pg 187]
"well, then, i will come every day as soon as i am through school," robert shaftsbury answered.
"do you know what you have done?" his father asked, when, at last, they stood outside the house together.
"yes, papa. i have promised that poor, sick, helpless little fellow all the comfort i can give him. i have promised to do by him as i should want him to do by me if i were jamie strong, and he was robert shaftsbury."
mr. shaftsbury was silenced. this, indeed, was the rule of living he had taught. should he venture to interfere with its observance?
so my little gentleman had his way. he took every precaution which his mother's anxiety suggested, such as going home to lunch before he went to the little cottage where the sick boy lay and longed for him. but he went regularly. and no matter how wild jamie might be, his presence would bring calmness. the dim eyes would kindle; the poor, parched lips would smile; and mrs. strong said the visit did jamie more good than his medicines.
[pg 188]
at school the boys looked upon my little gentleman with a sort of wondering reverence. they all knew of his daily visits to the fever-haunted place, which they themselves shunned, and they marvelled at his courage. this was the boy they had fancied to be lacking in manliness, because he was slight and fair,—because he was carefully dressed and tenderly nurtured! they said nothing; but in a hundred subtile ways they showed their changed estimate.
the days went on, and with them jamie strong's life went toward its end. the doom of his house had come upon him; and love and prayers and watching were all, it seemed, of none avail. one night the fever reached its crisis, and the doctor, who watched him through it, knew that the end was near. jamie knew it, also. when the morning dawned he whispered faintly to his mother,—
"i shall never see another morning; but oh, if i can only live till night, and see my little gentleman!"
she proposed to send for him; but that was not what the boy wished.
[pg 189]
"no," he said, feebly, "i want to see him coming in, at the old time, with some flowers in his hand, 'and make a sunshine in a shady place.' somebody said that, mother, i forget who; i forget every thing now; but that's what he does; he makes a sunshine in this shady place."
a dozen times that day it seemed as if the breath coming so faintly must be his last; but he clung to life with a strange, silent tenacity. at last, just a few moments before it was time for the accustomed visit, he said,—
"kiss me good-by, mother. i want to save the rest of my strength for him."
she kissed him, with her bitter tears falling fast. he put up a hand so thin that you could almost see through it, and brushed the tears away.
"don't cry," he said; "it hurts me. life here was hard, and up above christ says it will be all made easy."
then he was silent, and presently robert came with a great bunch of white lilies in his hand.
"the lilies of heaven," murmured jamie, in a[pg 190] low, strange tone. then into his eyes broke once more the light which never failed to respond to robert's coming, and a wan smile fluttered over his lips, as a soul might flutter before it flies away.
"i am going now," he said. "i waited to say good-by, my little gentleman. do you think they are all gentlemen up there?"
with this question his life went out, and voices we could not hear made answer.
this was the beginning of robert shaftsbury's career. no harm came to him through his presence in the fever-tainted house,—but he had learned a lesson there. the one thing for which he has striven in life is to be a gentleman; and his interpretation of that much-abused phrase he finds in the book which tells us to do unto others as we would that they should do unto us.
