menu_book Chapter 26

esther read by pansy chapter twenty six confusion cross-bearing consequence but the autumn days were not all bright and glowing and glorious one morning it rained not a soft silent and warm rain but a gusty windy turbulent one a rain that drove into windows ever so slightly raised and hurled itself angrily into your face whenever you ventured to open a door it was a day in which fires didn't like to burn but smouldered and sizzled and smoked and people when around shivering their shoulders shrugged up under little dingy unbecoming shawls and the clouds were low and gray and heavy and everything and everybody seemed generally out of sorts ester was no exception the toothache had kept her awake during the night and one cheek was puffy and stiff in the morning and one tooth still snarled threateningly whenever the slightest whisper of a draught came to it the high-toned exalted views of life and duty which had held possession of her during the past few weeks seemed suddenly to have deserted her in short her body had gained that mortifying ascendency over the soul which it will sometimes accomplish and all her hopes and aims and enthusiasms seemed blotted out

things in the kitchen were uncomfortable maggie had ceased on this occasion for having the mumps and acting upon the advice of her sympathizing mistress had pinned a hot flannel around her face and gone to bed the same unselfish counsel had been given to ester but she had just grace enough left to refuse to desert the camp when dinner must be in readiness for twenty-four people in spite of nerves and teeth just here however the supply failed her and she worked in ominous gloom julia had been pressed into service and was stoning raisins or eating them a close observer would have found it difficult to discover which she was certainly rasping the nerves of her sister in a variety of those endless ways by which a thoughtless restless questioning child can almost distract a troubled brain ester endured with what patience she could the ceaseless draughts upon her and worked at the interminable cookies with commendable zeal alfred came with a bang and a whistle and held open the side door while he talked in rushed the spiteful wind and all the teeth in sympathy with the aching one set up an immediate growl mother i don't see any why where is mother questioned alfred and he was answered with an emphatic shut that door well but said alfred i want mother i say esther will you give me a cookie no answered esther with energy did you hear me tell you to shut that door this instant

well now don't bite a fellow and alfred looked curiously at his sister meantime the door closed with a heavy bang mother say mother he continued as his mother emerged from the pantry i don't see anything of that hammer i've looked everywhere mother can't i have one of esther's cookies i'm awful hungry why i guess so if you're really suffering try again for the hammer my boy don't let the poor little hammer get the better of you well said alfred i won't meaning that it should answer the latter part of the sentence and seizing the cookie he bowed a triumphant look upon ester and a loving one upon his mother and vanished amid a renewal of the whistle and bang this little scene did not serve to help esther she rolled away vigorously at the dough but felt some way disturbed and outraged and finally gave vent to her feeling in a peremptory order julia don't eat another raisin you've made away with about half of them now julia looked aggrieved mother lets me eat raisins when i pick them over for her was her defence to which she received no other reply than keep your elbows off the table

then there was silence and industry for some minutes presently julia recovered her composure and commenced with say esther what makes you prick little holes all over your biscuits to make them rise better does everything rise better after it is pricked sadie was parrying apples at the end table and interposed at this point if you find that to be the case julia you must be very careful after this or we shall have ester pricking you when you don't rise in time for breakfast in the morning julia suspected that she was being made a dupe of and appealed to her older sister honestly ester do you prick them so that they will rise better of course i told you so didn't i well but why does that help the many can't they get up unless you make holes in them and what is all the reason for it now these were not easy questions to answer especially to a girl with a toothache and esther's answer was not much to the point julia i declare you are enough to distract one if you ask any more questions i shall certainly send you upstairs out of the way her scientific investigations thus nipped in the bud julia returned again to silence and raisins until the vigorous beating of some eggs roused anew her spirit of inquiry

she leaned eagerly forward with a say esther please tell me why the whites all foam and get thick when you stir them just like the beautiful white soap suds and she rested her elbow covered with its blue sleeve plump into the platter containing the beaten yolks you must remember esther's face ache but even then i regret to say that this disaster culminated in a decided box on the ear for poor julia and in her being sent weeping upstairs sadie looked up with a wicked laugh in her bright eyes and said demurely you didn't keep your promise esther and let me live in peace so i needn't keep mine and i consider you pretty well out of the spasm which has lasted for so many days sadie i'm really ashamed of you this was mrs reed's grave reproving voice and she added kindly ester poor child i wish you would wrap your face up in something warm and lie down awhile i am afraid you are suffering a great deal poor ester it had been a hard day late in the afternoon as she stood at the table and cut the bread and cake and cheese and cold meat for tea when the sun had made a rift in the clouds and was peeping in for good night when the throbbing nerves had grown quiet once more she looked back upon this weary day in shame and pain

how very little her noble resolves and efforts and advances had been worth after all how far back she seemed to have gone in that one day not strength enough to bear even the little crosses that befell in an ordinary quiet life how she had lost the so lately gained influence over alfred and julia by a few cross words how much reason she had given to sadie to think that her attempts at following the master were after all only spasmodic and visionary but esther had been to that little clothes-press upstairs in search of help and forgiveness and now she clearly saw that there was something to do besides mourn over her failures it was hard to do it too esther's spirit was proud and it was very humbling to confess herself in the wrong she hesitated and shrank from the work until she finally grew ashamed of herself for that and at last without turning her head from her work or giving her resolve time to falter she called to the twins who were occupying seats in one of the dining-room windows and talking low and soberly to each other children come here a moment will you the two had been very shy of esther since the morning's trials and were at the moment sympathizing with each other in a manner uncomplimentary to her

however they slid down from their perch and slowly answered her call esther glanced up as they entered the store-room and then went on cutting her cheese but speaking in low gentle tones i want to tell you two how sorry i am that i spoke so crossly and unkindly to you this morning it was very wrong in me i thought i never should displease jesus so again but i did you see and now i am very sorry indeed and i want you to forgive me alfred looked aghast this was an esther that he had never seen before and he didn't know what to say he wriggled the toes of his boots together and looked down at them in puzzled wonder at last he faltered out i didn't know your cheek ached until mother told me or else i'd have shut the door right straight i'd ought to anyhow cheek or no cheek this last in a lower tone and more looking down at his boots it was new work for alfred this voluntary owning himself in the wrong julia burst forth eagerly and i was very careless and naughty to keep putting my elbows on the table after you had told me not to and i am ever so sorry that i made you such a lot of trouble

well then said esther we'll all forgive each other shall we and begin over again and children i want you to understand that i am trying to please jesus and when i fail it is because of my own wicked heart not because there is any need of it if i tried harder and i want you to know how anxious i am that you should love this same jesus now while you are young and get him to help you their mother called the children at this moment and esther dismissed them each with a kiss there was a little russell in the flower-room and sadie whom nobody knew was downstairs emerged therefrom with suspiciously red eyes but a laughing face and approached her sister ester said she i'm positively afraid that you are growing into a saint and i know that i'm a sinner i consider myself mistaken about this spasm it is evidently a settled disease while the bell tolled for evening service ester stood in the front doorway and looked doubtfully up and down the damp pavements and muddy streets and felt of her stiff cheek how much she seemed to need the rest and help of god's house to-night and yet julia's little hand stole softly into hers we've been talking about what you said you wanted us to do alfred and i have we've talked about it a good deal lately we most wish so too

ere ester could reply other than by an eager grasp of the small hand dr douglass came out his horses and carriage were in waiting miss reed he said pausing irresolutely with his foot on the carriage step and finally turning back i am going to drive down to church this evening as i have a call to make afterward will you not ride down with me it is unpleasant walking esther's grave face brightened i am so glad she answered eagerly i did want to go to church to-night and i was afraid it would be imprudent on account of my tooth alfred and julia sat right before them in church and esther watched them with a prayerful and yet a sad heart what right had she to expect an answer to her petitions when her life had been working against them all that day and yet the blood of christ was all-powerful and there was always his righteousness to plead and she bent her head in renewed supplications for these too and it shall come to pass that before they call i will answer and while they are yet speaking i will hear into one of the breathless stillnesses that come while beating hearts were waiting for the request that they hoped would be made broke julia's low trembling yet singularly clear voice please pray for me

there was a little choking in alfred's throat and a good deal of shuffling done with his boots it was so much more a struggle for the sturdy boy than the gentle little girl but he stood manfully on his feet at last and his words though few were fraught with as much meaning as any which had been spoken there that evening for they were distinct and decided me too chapter twenty six recording by trisha g