The Little Missis Part 26

And what effect do you suppose that little speech had upon the young fellow? To make him proud and expect a bigger bonus than ever at Christmas? Not a bit of it; he was more than ever her willing slave. If masters knew the value of praise, there would be more "love-unions" than "trades-unions."

Every dinner-hour in a small corner of Suns.h.i.+ne Hall--that was its formal name--a little group of men gathered together, either for prayer or to talk over any difficulties, and it was astonis.h.i.+ng the knotty points they got hold of, and the difficult questions they afterwards propounded to their leader. In prayer they mostly spoke of her as "The Little Missis," "The Missis" being too cold and "Mrs. Waring" too formal.

But, in spite of all this suns.h.i.+ne there were still deep shadows. Public opinion in Hadley pa.s.sed very hard sentences on "The Little Missis,"

though fortunately she did not always hear them. "Unwomanly," "Forward,"

"Did not know her place," "Eager for popularity," "Fond of men's company," "Hand in glove with the world," "Knew how to advertise her business"--these were some of the comments. There was one good thing, however, about this state of matters--there was clearly no danger to be feared such as comes when all men speak well of you. How Satan must rejoice when he can get G.o.d's workers paralysed through the criticisms of Christians!

CHAPTER XX

A STRANGE KIND OF PREACHING

The afternoon Mrs. Marchant came into "Love's Hospital," Bessie was very excited. Mrs. Marchant had previously sent word of her intended visit.

"Are you pleased your mother is coming?" whispered Nanna to Bessie as they met on the stairs.

"Of course,--but you might as well ask a magpie if it liked black and white feathers."

"Well, don't act like a magpie, if you can help it, there's a dear," and Nanna patted the girl's cheek lovingly.

Nanna saw to it that it was a specially grand tea, being anxious that their neighbour should realise they were desirous of doing her honour.

To grace the occasion still further Nanna wore her Sunday gown and black silk ap.r.o.n; and Phebe, catching the contagion, put on a light coloured cashmere dress which Nanna had presented her with, having specially commissioned a traveller to buy it while on a visit to Paris.

Bessie did not dare to do anything extra in the way of smartening herself up, except putting a red flower in her dress, for fear her mother should openly chide her for her extravagance. And that would be dreadful, if she did it before Reynolds--or--D.J.!

"Do you think there is any chance that Mrs. Marchant will think we are trying to show off?" Phebe asked Nanna. "I should be so sorry if she did."

"She will take it as a compliment, I am sure," replied Nanna.

The fact was Phebe was not quite at home in her new dress, though she had a great liking for it, not only because it was Nanna's love-gift, but also because of its restful colour. She called it her "hope dress."

It was a pale heliotrope colour, with silk flowers on it of the same shade, and to Phebe it seemed to speak of the hopefulness and gladness of the springtime. As a girl she had often gathered the wild crocuses in the meadows, and her dress was of the same hue; and the gladness of her girlhood days seemed to s.h.i.+ne out at her from its folds. Though her dress was always of the simplest kind, she had a great liking for dashes of colour--not splashes. Nanna shared with her this love of colour, going in as she did for everything that increased true cheeriness. One of Phebe's favourite ideas was that there could not possibly be a "glum"

mealtime if a red geranium in full blossom was on the table.

Nanna presided at the tea-table; Phebe sat at the foot of the table, with Mrs. Marchant and Jack on her left, and Bessie and Reynolds on her right.

Both Phebe and Nanna did their best to keep up a bright conversation. At first Bessie was very quiet, but when she did wake up all lost time was more than atoned for; indeed, Phebe had to give her several quiet touches under the table.

When once Bessie started she always found it difficult to "slow up."

Phebe could see that her mother was looking at her in a rather ominous manner, and feared there might be trouble.

Reynolds happened to refer to some comical customer they had just had, and Bessie at once began a humorous description of the whole scene.

"But, Bessie," said Phebe, "it is not kind, when you know the poor thing cannot help her singular ways."

But it was too rich a bit of description for Bessie to let drop quickly, and she went on waving her arms in a dramatic manner.

Just at the moment Phebe was taking a cup of tea from Mrs. Marchant, Bessie was exclaiming, "She perfectly waltzed up to Reynolds," when, lo!

with a backward wave of her hand, she caused the cup with its contents to fall into Phebe's lap.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "SHE CAUSED THE CUP, WITH ITS CONTENTS, TO FALL INTO PHEBE'S LAP."]

In a moment there seemed a tempest in the room.

Reynolds exclaimed, "Now you've done something!"

Nanna screwed her lips up so tightly that only a little "Oh" came out.

"Oh, mummy, your French dress!" cried out young Jack.

Mrs. Marchant sprang to her feet and made a dash over the table as though she was going to box Bessie's ears. The table, however, being too broad she sank back into her chair, exclaiming: "There never, never was such a provoking girl, never! You may thank your stars, young madam, this did not happen in your own home!"

Phebe was the only quiet one in the company. She had placed the empty cup-and-saucer on the table, and as she stood up, the tea streaming down the front of her dress on to the floor, she said, in a calm, low voice, "Pray, Mrs. Marchant, do not trouble about it, I can soon change my dress," but before moving away she bent down and kissed Bessie, who was sitting gazing fixedly at the havoc she had made. The kiss seemed to waken her, and she exclaimed, as the tears streamed down her face, "What shall I do? What shall I do?"

"Do!" exclaimed Mrs. Marchant--"get some more sense into your head, that's what you should do, and drop all your wretched, nonsensical ways."

When Phebe returned Nanna had wisely arranged that she and Mrs. Marchant should finish their tea alone.

Mrs. Marchant's first words were: "Now I know that what our Phill said was true."

"What was that, Mrs. Marchant?"

"That you possess something I don't. If I had had a dress like that spoilt I should have gone into a towering pa.s.sion, I know I should. But to see you taking it all so calmly, fairly staggered me. Tell me what it is that makes this difference between us?" Mrs. Marchant's voice was quite eager, and she looked beseechingly into Phebe's face.

"Perhaps several things," said Phebe, after a moment's hesitation; "I have trained myself not to get into flurries if I can help it, for they never accomplish anything. Then I knew Bessie was grieved enough without me adding one word more. But the chief thing is--shall I tell you?--do you really want to know?"

"Yes, I do, for I long to be like you." There was a catch in her voice that quite went to Phebe's heart.

"My first thought was, Jesus is here, and He would not like to see me agitated over such a little thing."

"Jesus!"

"Yes,--Jesus."

"Oh." There was a world of meaning in that one word.

"I think the difference between us is this," said Phebe, taking Mrs.

Marchant's bony hand and gently stroking it: "I have put my life entirely into G.o.d's hands, and knowing He rules over everything, I can well afford to take things restfully."

"Then it is your religion that makes the difference?"

"Yes, if you like to put it that way."

"And would it make the same difference to me?"

"Of course it would."