surprises"is it pleasant?" was the question jill asked before she was fairlyawake on christmas morning.
"yes, dear; as bright as heart could wish. now eat a bit, and theni'll make you nice for the day's pleasure. i only hope it won't be toomuch for you," answered mrs. pecq, bustling about, happy, yetanxious, for jill was to be carried over to mrs. minot s, and it washer first attempt at going out since the accident.
it seemed as if nine o clock would never come, and jill, withwraps all ready, lay waiting in a fever of impatience for thedoctor's visit, as he wished to superintend the moving. at last hecame, found all promising, and having bundled up his smallpatient, carried her, with frank's help, in her chair-bed to theox-sled, which was drawn to the next door, and miss jill landed inthe boys den before she had time to get either cold or tired. mrs.
minot took her things off with a cordial welcome, but jill neversaid a word, for, after one exclamation, she lay staring about her,dumb with surprise and delight at what she saw.
the great room was entirely changed; for now it looked like agarden, or one of the fairy scenes children love, where in-doorsand out-of-doors are pleasantly combined. the ceiling was paleblue, like the sky; the walls were covered with a paper like a rustictrellis, up which climbed morning-glories so naturally that themany-colored bells seemed dancing in the wind. birds andbutterflies flew among them, and here and there, through arches inthe trellis, one seemed to look into a sunny summer world,contrasting curiously with the wintry landscape lying beyond thereal windows, festooned with evergreen garlands, and curtainedonly by stands of living flowers. a green drugget covered the floorlike grass, rustic chairs from the garden stood about, and in themiddle of the room a handsome hemlock waited for its prettyburden. a yule-log blazed on the wide hearth, and over thechimney-piece, framed in holly, shone the words that set all heartsto dancing, "merry christmas!""do you like it, dear? this is our surprise for you and jack, andhere we mean to have good times together," said mrs. minot, whohad stood quietly enjoying the effect of her work.
"oh, it is so lovely i don't know what to say!" and jill put up botharms, as words failed her, and grateful kisses were all she had tooffer.
"can you suggest anything more to add to the pleasantness?" askedthe gentle lady, holding the small hands in her own, and feelingwell repaid by the child's delight.
"only jack"; and jill's laugh was good to hear, as she glanced upwith merry, yet wistful eyes.
"you are right. we'll have him in at once, or he will come hoppingon one leg"; and away hurried his mother, laughing, too, forwhistles, shouts, thumps, and violent demonstrations of all kindshad been heard from the room where jack was raging withimpatience, while he waited for his share of the surprise.
jill could hardly lie still when she heard the roll of anotherchair-bed coming down the hail, its passage enlivened with cries of"starboard! port! easy now! pull away!" from ralph and frank, asthey steered the recumbent columbus on his first voyage ofdiscovery.
"well, i call that handsome!" was jack's exclamation, when thefull beauty of the scene burst upon his view. then he forgot allabout it and gave a whoop of pleasure, for there beside the fire wasan eager face, two hands beckoning, and jill's voice crying,joyfully.
"i'm here! i'm here! oh, do come, quick!" down the long roomrattled the chair, jack cheering all the way, and brought up besidethe other one, as the long-parted friends exclaimed, with oneaccord,"isn't this jolly!"it certainly did look so, for ralph and frank danced a wild sort offandango round the tree, dr. whiting stood and laughed, while thetwo mothers beamed from the door-way, and the children, notknowing whether to laugh or to cry, compromised the matter byclapping their hands and shouting, "merry christmas toeverybody!" like a pair of little maniacs.
then they all sobered down, and the busy ones went off to thevarious duties of the day, leaving the young invalids to repose andenjoy themselves together.
"how nice you look," said jill, when they had duly admired thepretty room.
"so do you," gallantly returned jack, as he surveyed her withunusual interest.
they did look very nice, though happiness was the principalbeautifier. jill wore a red wrapper, with the most brilliant of all thenecklaces sparkling at her throat, over a nicely crimped frill hermother had made in honor of the day. all the curly black hair wasgathered into a red net, and a pair of smart little moccasinscovered the feet that had not stepped for many a weary day. jackwas not so gay, but had made himself as fine as circumstanceswould permit. a gray dressing-gown, with blue cuffs and collar,was very becoming to the blonde youth; an immaculate shirt, beststuds, sleeve-buttons, blue tie, and handkerchief wet with colognesticking out of the breast-pocket, gave an air of elegance in spite ofthe afghan spread over the lower portions of his manly form. theyellow hair was brushed till it shone, and being parted in themiddle, to hide the black patch, made two engaging little "quiris"on his forehead. the summer tan had faded from his cheeks, buthis eyes were as blue as the wintry sky, and nearly every whitetooth was visible as he smiled on his partner in misfortune, sayingcheerily.
"i'm ever so glad to see you again; guess we are over the worst ofit now, and can have good times. won't it be fun to stay here allthe while, and amuse one another?""yes, indeed; but one day is so short! it will be stupider than everwhen i go home to-night," answered jill, looking about her withlonging eyes.
"but you are not going home to-night; you are to stay ever so long.
didn't mamma tell you?""no. oh, how splendid! am i really? where will i sleep? whatwill mammy do without me?" and jill almost sat up, she was sodelighted with the new surprise.
"that room in there is all fixed for you. i made frank tell me somuch. mamma said i might tell you, but i'd idn't think she wouldbe able to hold in if she saw you first. your mother is coming, too,and we are all going to have larks together till we arethe splendor of this arrangement took jill's breath away, andbefore she got it again, in came frank and ralph with twoclothes-baskets of treasures to be hung upon the tree. while theywired on the candles the children asked questions, and found outall they wanted to know about the new plans and pleasures.
'who fixed all this?""mamma thought of it, and ralph and i'd id it. he's the man forthissort of thing, you know. he proposed cutting out the arches andsticking on birds and butterflies just where they looked best. i putthose canaries over there, they looked so well against the blue";and frank proudly pointed out some queer orange-colored fowls,looking as if they were having fits in the air, but very effective,nevertheless.
"your mother said you might call this the bird room. we caught ascarlet-tanager for you to begin with, didn't we, jack?" and ralphthrew a hon-hon at jill, who looked very like a bright little bird ina warm nest.
"good for you! yes, and we are going to keep her in this prettycage till we can both fly off together. i say, jill, where shall we bein our classes when we do get back?" and jack's merry face fell atthe thought.
"at the foot, if we don't study and keep up. doctor said i mightstudy sometimes, if i'd lie still as long as he thought best, andmolly brought home my books, and merry says she will come inevery day and tell me where the lessons are. i don't mean to fallbehind, if my backbone is cracked," said jill, with a decided nodthat made several black rings fly out of the net to dance on herforehead.
"frank said he d pull me along in my latin, but i've been lazy andhaven't done a thing. let's go at it and start fair for new year,"proposed jack, who did not love study as the bright girl did, butwas ashamed to fall behind her in anything.
"all right. they ve been reviewing, so we can keep up when theybegin, if we work next week, while the rest have a holiday. oh,dear, i do miss school dreadfully"; and jill sighed for the old desk,every blot and notch of which was dear to her.
"there come our things, and pretty nice they look, too," said jack;and his mother began to dress the tree, hanging up the gay horns,the gilded nuts, red and yellow apples and oranges, and festooninglong strings of pop-corn and scarlet cranberries from bough tobough, with the glittering necklaces hung where the light wouldshow their colors best.
"i never saw such a splendid tree before. i'm glad we could help,though we were ill. is it all done now?" asked jill, when the lastparcel was tied on and everybody stood back to admire the prettysight.
"one thing more. hand me that box, frank, and be very carefulthat you fasten this up firmly, ralph," answered mrs. minot, as shetook from its wrappings the waxen figure of a little child. the rosylimbs were very life-like, so was the smiling face under the locksof shining hair. both plump arms were outspread as if to scatterblessings over all, and downy wings seemed to flutter from thedimpled shoulders, making an angel of the baby.
"is it st. nicholas?" asked jill, who had never seen that famouspersonage, and knew but little of christmas festivities.
"it is the christ-child, whose birthday we are celebrating. i got thebest i could find, for i like the idea better than old santa claus;though we may have him, too," said mamma, holding the littleimage so that both could see it well.
"it looks like a real baby"; and jack touched the rosy foot with thetip of his finger, as if expecting a crow from the half-open lips.
"it reminds me of the saints in the chapel of the sacred heart inmontreal. one little st. john looked like this, only he had a lambinstead of wings," said jill, stroking the flaxen hair, and wishingshe dared ask for it to play with.
"he is the children's saint to pray to, love, and imitate, for he neverforgot them, but blessed and healed and taught them all his life.
this is only a poor image of the holiest baby ever born, but i hopeit will keep his memory in your minds all day, because this is theday for good resolutions, happy thoughts, and humble prayers, aswell as play and gifts and feasting."while she spoke, mrs. minot, touching the little figure as tenderlyas if it were alive, had tied a broad white ribbon round it, and,handing it to ralph, bade him fasten it to the hook above thetree-top, where it seemed to float as if the downy wings supportedit.
jack and jill lay silently watching, with a sweet sort of sobernessin their young faces, and for a moment the room was very still asall eyes looked up at the blessed child. the sunshine seemed togrow more golden as it flickered on the little head, the flamesglanced about the glittering tree as if trying to climb and kiss thebaby feet, and, without, a chime of bells rang sweetly, callingpeople to hear again the lovely story of the life begun onchristinus day.
only a minute, but it did them good, and presently, when thepleasant work was over, and the workers gone, the boys to church,and mamma to see about lunch for the invalids, jack said, gravcly,to jill,"i think we ought to be extra good, everyone is so kind to us, andwe are getting well, and going to have such capital times. don't seehow we can do anything else to show we are grateful.""it isn't easy to be good when one is sick," said jill, thoughtfully. "ifret dreadfully, i get so tired of being still. i want to screamsometimes, but i don't, because it would scare mammy, so i cry.
do you cry, jack?""men never do. i want to tramp round when things bother me; but ican t, so i kick and say, 'hang it! and when i get very bad i pitchinto frank, arid he lets me. i tell you, jill, he's a good brother!" andjack privately resolved then and there to invite frank to take it outof him in any form he pleased as soon as health would permit.
"i rather think we shall grow good in this pretty place, for i don'tsee how we can be bad if we want to, it is all so nice and sort ofpious here," said jill, with her eyes on the angel over the tree.
"a fellow can be awfully hungry, i know that. i didn't half eatbreakfast, i was in such a hurry to see you, and know all about thesecrets. frank kept saying i couldn't guess, that you had come,jack and jill lay silently watching, with a sweet sort of sobernessin their young faces, and for a moment the room was very still asall eyes looked up at the blessed child. the sunshine seemed togrow more golden as it flickered on the little head, the flamesglanced about the glittering tree as if trying to climb and kiss thebaby feet, and, without, a chime of bells rang sweetly, callingpeople to hear again the lovely story of the life begun on christmasday.
only a minute, but it did them good, and presently, when thepleasant work was over, and the workers gone, the boys to church,and mamma to see about lunch for the invalids, jack said, gravely,to jill.
"i think we ought to be extra good, everyone is so kind to us, andwe are getting well, and going to have such capital times. don't seehow we can do anything else to show we are grateful.""it isn't easy to be good when one is sick," said jill, thoughtfully. "ifret dreadfully, i get so tired of being still. i want to screamsometimes, but i don't, because it would scare mammy, so i cry.
do you cry, jack?""men never do. i want to tramp round when things bother me; but ican t, so i kick and say, 'hang it! and when i get very bad i pitchinto frank, and he lets me. i tell you, jill, he's a good brother!" andjack privately resolved then and there to invite frank to take it outof him in any form he pleased as soon as health would permit.
"i rather think we shall grow good in this pretty place, for i don'tsee how we can be bad if we want to, it is all so nice and sort ofpious here," said jill, with her eyes on the angel over the tree.
"a fellow can be awfully hungry, i know that. i'd idn't half eatbreakfast, i was in such a hurry to see you, and know all about thesecrets. frank kept saying i couldn't guess, that you had come,and i never would be ready, till finally i got mad and fired an eggat him, and made no end of a mess."jack and jill went off into a gale of laughter at the idea ofdignified frank dodging the egg that smashed on the wall, leavingan indelible mark of jack's besetting sin, impatience.
just then mrs. minot came in, well pleased to hear such pleasantsounds, and to see two merry faces, where usually one listless onemet her anxious eyes.
"the new medicine works well, neighbor," she said to mrs. pecq,who followed with the lunch tray.
"indeed it does, mem. i feel as if i'd taken a sup myself, i'm thateasy in my mind."and she looked so, too, for she seemed to have left all her cares inthe little house when she locked the door behind her, and nowstood smiling with a clean apron on, so fresh and cheerful, that jillhardly knew her own mother.
"things taste better when you have someone to eat with you,"observed jack, as they'd evoured sandwiches, and drank milk outof little mugs with rosebuds on them.
"don't eat too much, or you won't be ready for the next surprise,"said his mother, when the plates were empty, and the last dropgone down throats dry with much chatter.
"more surprises! oh, what fun!" cried jill. and all the rest of themorning, in the intervals of talk and play, they tried to guess whatit could be.
at two o clock they found out, for dinner was served in the birdroom, and the children revelled in the simple feast prepared forthem. the two mothers kept the little bed-tables well supplied, andfed their nurslings like maternal birds, while frank presided overthe feast with great dignity, and ate a dinner which would haveastonished mamma, if she had not been too busy to observe howfast the mince pie vanished.
"the girls said christmas was spoiled because of us; but i don'tthink so, and they won't either, when they see this splendid placeand know all about our nice plans," said jill, luxuriously eating thenut-meats jack picked out f or her, as they lay in eastern style atthe festive board.
"i call this broken bones made easy. i never had a better christmas.
have a raisin? here's a good fat one." and jack made a long armto jill's mouth, which began to sing "little jack homer" as anappropriate return.
"it would have been a lonesome one to all of us, i'm thinking, butfor your mother, boys. my duty and hearty thanks to you, mem,"put in grateful mrs. pecq, bowing over her coffee-cup as she hadseen ladies bow over their wine-glasses at dinner parties in oldengland.
"i rise to propose a health, our mothers." and frank stood up witha goblet of water, for not even at christmas time was wine seen onthat table.
"hip, hip, hurrah!" called jack, baptizing himself with a goodsprinkle, as he waved his glass and drank the toast with a look thatmade his mother's eyes fill with happy tears.
jill threw her mother a kiss, feeling very grown up and elegant tobe dining out in such style. then they'd rank everyone's healthwith much merriment, till frank declared that jack would float offon the deluge of water he splashed about in his enthusiasm, andmamma proposed a rest after the merry-making.
"now the best fun is coming, and we have not long to wait," saidthe boy, when naps and rides about the room had whiled away thebrief interval between dinner and dusk, for the eveningentertainment was to be an early one, to suit the invalids bedtime.
"i hope the girls will like their things. i helped to choose them, andeach has a nice present. i don't know mine, though, and i'm in atwitter to see it," said jill, as they lay waiting for the fun to begin.
"i do; i chose it, so i know you will like one of them, anyway.""have i got more than one?""i guess you'll think so when they are handed down. the bell wasgoing all day yesterday, and the girls kept bringing in bundles foryou; i see seven now," and jack rolled his eyes from onemysterious parcel to another hanging on the laden boughs.
"i know something, too. that square bundle is what you want everso much. i told frank, and he got it for his present. it is all red andgold outside, and every sort of color inside; you'll hurrah whenyou see it. that roundish one is yours too; i made them," cried jill,pointing to a flat package tied to the stem of the tree, and a neatlittle roll in which were the blue mittens that she had knit for him.
"i can wait"; but the boy's eyes shone with eagerness, and he couldnot resist firing two or three pop-corns at it to see whether it washard or soft.
"that barking dog is for boo, and the little yellow sled, so mollycan drag him to school, he always tumbles down so when it isslippery," continued jill, proud of her superior knowledge, as sheshowed a small spotted animal hanging by its tail, with a redtongue displayed as if about to taste the sweeties in the hornbelow.
"don't talk about sleds, for mercy's sake! i never want to seeanother, and you wouldn't, either, if you had to lie with a flat-irontied to your ankle, as i do," said jack, with a kick of the well legand an ireful glance at the weight attached to the other that itmight not contract while healing.
"well, i think plasters, and liniment, and rubbing, as bad asflat-irons any day. i don't believe you have ached half so much as ihave, though it sounds worse to break legs than to sprain yourback," protested jill, eager to prove herself the greater sufferer, asinvalids are apt to be.
"i guess you wouldn't think so if you d been pulled round as iwas when they set my leg. caesar, how it did hurt!" and jacksquirmed at the recollection of it.
"you didn't faint away as i'd id when the doctor was finding out ifmy vertebrums were hurt, so now!" cried jill, bound to carry herpoint, though not at all clear what vertebrae were.
"pooh! girls always faint. men are braver, and i didn't faint a bitin spite of all that horrid agony.""you howled; frank told me so. doctor said i was a brave girl, soyou needn't brag, for you'll have to go on a crutch for a while. iknow that.""you may have to use two of them for years, maybe. i heard thedoctor tell my mother so. i shall be up and about long before youwill. now then!"both children were getting excited, for the various pleasures of theday had been rather too much for them, and there is no knowingbut they would have added the sad surprise of a quarrel to thepleasant ones of the day, if a cheerful whistle had not been heard,as ralph came in to light the candles and give the last artistictouches to the room.
"well, young folks, how goes it? had a merry time so far?" heasked, as he fixed the steps and ran up with a lighted match in hishand.
"very nice, thank you," answered a prim little voice from the duskbelow, for only the glow of the fire filled the room just then.
jack said nothing, and two red sulky faces were hidden in the dark,watching candle after candle sputter, brighten, and twinkle, till thetrembling shadows began to flit away like imps afraid of the light.
"now he will see my face, and i know it is cross," thought jill, asralph went round the last circle, leaving another line of sparksamong the hemlock boughs.
jack thought the same, and had just got the frown smoothed out ofhis forehead, when frank brought a fresh log, and a glorious blazesprung up, filling every corner of the room, and dancing over thefigures in the long chairs till they had to brighten whether theyliked it or not. presently the bell began to ring and gay voices tosound below: then jill smiled in spite of herself as molly loo'susual cry of "oh, dear, where is that child?" reached her, and jackcould not help keeping time to the march ed played, while frankand gus marshalled the procession.
"ready!" cried mrs. minot, at last, and up came the troop of eagerlads and lasses, brave in holiday suits, with faces to match. aunanimous "0, o, o!" burst from twenty tongues, as the fullsplendor of the tree, the room, and its inmates, dawned upon them;for not only did the pretty christ-child hover above, but santaclaus himself stood below, fur-clad, white-bearded, and powderedwith snow from the dredging-box.
ralph was a good actor, and, when the first raptures were over hedistributed the presents with such droll speeches, jokes, andgambols, that the room rang with merriment, and passers-bypaused to listen, sure that here, at least, christmas was merry. itwould be impossible to tell about all the gifts or the joy of thereceivers, but everyone was satisfied, and the king and queen ofthe revels so overwhelmed with little tokens of good-will, thattheir beds looked like booths at a fair. jack beamed over thehandsome postage-stamp book which had long been the desire ofhis heart, and jill felt like a millionaire, with a silver fruit-knife, apretty work-basket, and oh! coals of fire on her head a ring fromjack.
a simple little thing enough, with one tiny turquoise forget-me-not, but something like a dew-drop fell on it when no one waslooking, and she longed to say, "i'm sorry i was cross; forgive me,jack." but it could not be done then, so she turned to admiremerry's bed-shoes, the pots of pansies, hyacinths, and geraniumwhich gus and his sisters sent for her window garden, molly'squeer christmas pie, and the zither ed promised to teach her howto play upon.
the tree was soon stripped, and pop-corns strewed the floor as thechildren stood about picking them off the red threads when candygave out, with an occasional cranberry by way of relish. booinsisted on trying the new sled at once, and enlivened the trip bythe squeaking of the spotted dog, the toot of a tin trumpet, andshouts of joy at the splendor of the turn-out.
the girls all put on their necklaces, and danced about like fineladies at a ball. the boys fell to comparing skates, balls, andcuff-buttons on the spot, while the little ones devoted all theirenergies to eating everything eatable they could lay their hands on.
games were played till nine o clock, and then the party broke up,after they had taken hands round the tree and sung a song writtenby one whom you all know so faithfully and beautifully does shelove and labor for children the world over.
the blessed day"what shall little children bringon christmas day, on christmas day?
what shall little children bringon christmas day in the morning?
this shall little children bringon christmas day, on christmas day;love and joy to christ their king,on christmas day in the morning!
"what shall little children singon christmas day, on christmas day?
what shall little children singon christmas day in the morning?
the grand old carols shall they singon christmas day, on christmas day;with all their hearts, their offerings bringon christmas day in the morning."jack was carried off to bed in such haste that he had only time tocall out, "good-night!" before he was rolled away, gaping as hewent. jill soon found herself tucked up in the great white bed shewas to share with her mother, and lay looking about the pleasantchamber, while mrs. pecq ran home for a minute to see that allwas safe there for the night.
after the merry din the house seemed very still, with only a lightstep now and then, the murmur of voices not far away, or the jingleof sleigh-bells from without, and the little girl rested easily amongthe pillows, thinking over the pleasures of the day, too wide-awakefor sleep. there was no lamp in the chamber, but she could lookinto the pretty bird room, where the fire-light still shone onflowery walls, deserted tree, and christ-child floating above thegreen. jill's eyes wandered there and lingered till they were full ofregretful tears, because the sight of the little angel recalled thewords spoken when it was hung up, the good resolution she hadtaken then, and how soon it was broken.
"i said i couldn't be bad in that lovely place, and i was a cross,ungrateful girl after all they ve done for mammy and me. poorjack was hurt the worst, and he was brave, though he did scream.
i wish i could go and tell him so, and hear him say, 'all right. oh,me, i've spoiled the day!"a great sob choked more words, and jill was about to have acomfortable cry, when someone entered the other room, and shesaw frank doing something with a long cord and a thing thatlooked like a tiny drum. quiet as a bright-eyed mouse, jill peepedout wondering what it was, and suspecting mischief, for the boywas laughing to himself as he stretched the cord, and now and thenbent over the little object in his hand, touching it with great care.
"maybe it's a torpedo to blow up and scare me; jack likes to playtricks. well, i'll scream loud when it goes off, so he will besatisfied that i'm dreadfully frightened," thought jill, littledreaming what the last surprise of the day was to be.
presently a voice whispered,are you awake?""yes.""anyone there but you?""catch this, then. hold it to your ear and see what you'll get."the little drum came flying in, and, catching it, jill, with somehesitation, obeyed frank's order. judge of her amazement whenshe caught in broken whispers these touching words:
"sorry i was cross. forgive and forget. start fair to-morrow. allright. jack."jill was so delighted with this handsome apology, that she couldnot reply for a moment, then steadied her voice, and answeredback in her sweetest tone,"i'm sorry, too. never, never, will again. feel much better now.
good-night, you dear old thing."satisfied with the success of his telephone, frank twitched backthe drum and vanished, leaving jill to lay her cheek upon the handthat wore the little ring and fall asleep, saying to herself, with afarewell glance at the children's saint, dimly seen in the softgloom, "i will not forget. i will be good!"
