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Page 18
Emma was nonplussed. She knew that it was beautiful in heaven, to be
sure; but she did not want to go there now; the earth too was beautiful
and she was happy enough here; she had not half exhausted the pleasures
and delights of her life. Nora seemed waiting for an answer, and Emma
stammered out:--
"I never thought about it at all!"
Nora looked disappointed.
"Oh! that is too bad that we cannot talk about heaven. There is no one
but Clarissa whom I can speak to about it, and she did not come with us;
I don't mention it to mamma, because she begins to cry directly. I
thought when you came you would like it; I'm sorry you don't."
Emma did not answer. She was trying to think of something which Nora
would like to talk about instead of heaven. A gleam of hope came to her.
"I know one thing you will enjoy," she said; "very soon they will begin
to cut the grass on the meadow, and they will pile it into beautiful
soft hay-cocks, and we will go and lie down upon them all day long; it
cannot tire you to lie in the hay, and it's perfectly lovely."
But Nora only shook her head again, and said nothing; she had no belief
in the power of hay to make her well again, and the prospect was not to
be compared to the pleasures of a heavenly garden. Emma thought it time
for her to say good-bye. Mrs. Stanhope came in, and begged her to stay a
while longer; her mother knew where she was, and there was no reason for
her hurrying away. Nora, however, did not second her mother's efforts,
and Emma was anxious to go. It was getting late, she said, confusedly.
She had better be at home; and she hastily took her leave. As soon as
she stood outside the house, she made one big spring, and never stopped
running, downhill and then up, till she stood on her own door-step; and
then she suddenly reflected that she was not expected to come back so
soon, and that her brothers were sure to make some unpleasant remarks on
her quick return; so she tried to think what she could do with herself
for a while. "I'll find aunty," was her speedy decision, "and I'll tell
her all about my visit, and how different it was from what I expected,
and how I had to come away because I couldn't think of anything more to
say to Nora. Aunty'll understand, and she won't let the boys laugh at
me."
She ran into the house, and at her aunt's door she ran plump into Fred,
who was coming out.
"Oh, ho! what happened over there between you and your new friend, Emma?
Something has gone wrong, or you wouldn't be at home so soon!" cried
Fred, far too cleverly.
Emma did not answer, but went into the room, where her aunt was alone,
sewing at her work-table. Emma sat down as close as she could to her, to
show that she was in possession, and no one else could have aunty now.
In the kitchen, Marget was standing; Mrs. Stein offered her a chair and
gave her a cup of coffee steaming hot, saying:--
"Do take a moment to rest, Marget; I've been for some time wanting a
chance to talk with you. I sent for you not only to give you the
clothes, but to talk with you a little about Elsli. I am worried about
that child; she looks so pale and thin. Hanseli is far too heavy for her
to carry, and then the other two boys are always hanging about her and
pulling her down. She will soon break down at this rate; you must see
for yourself how miserably she looks, and you ought not to let her be so
overworked."
"Oh, yes, Mrs. Stein, it's very easy to say that," interrupted Marget;
"but what can people like us do? I have all I can do from morning till
night to get the children clothed and fed; and how could I do it if I
had to have all the little crybabies round me all the time? There's
nobody but Elsli to help me with them. That big Fani might help her to
be sure, but he always forgets; he means well enough, but he's
thoughtless. Elsli does have to work pretty hard, I know; but she may as
well get used to it, for it'll only be harder by and by."
"But, Marget," resumed Mrs. Stein, "I tell you Elsli will break down
and be sick, and then where will you be?"
"Where shall I be? God only knows. Such as us can't afford to stop and
think what's going to happen; it's all we can do to get along to-day,
without thinking about to-morrow. All I know is, I can't spare Elsli
from the children, and the older she grows the harder it will be for
her; for she'll have to go into the factory as soon as she can earn
wages, and that's harder work than looking after the children. Fani will
go first Old Cousin Fekli has his eye on him for Easter, and has said to
me two or three times that he wanted the boy as soon as possible. Cousin
Fekli wouldn't want him if he didn't think he could make something out
of him; he doesn't forget to look out for his own profits."
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