Hesper, the Home-Spirit

“I will come again,” said she, “when I feel better,” and she went away. Tick, tick, tick, went the old clock in the corner, and that was the only sound to be heard. Fred wished that she would scold, or beat him, or do anything but sit and look so sorrowful. Simple Johnny, who had come in to get his basket of playthings to take to aunt Nyna’s, knew that something unusual had happened. He looked from one to the other, and when he saw the tears rolling down Hesper’s cheeks, he stole softly up to her. He put his arm around her neck and laid his head on her bosom.

“Dear Johnny,” said Hesper, as she clasped him closely to her – “though you are a poor, simple child, yet you never make your sister’s heart ache.” That was enough. The silence was broken, and moved as by one impulse, both boys rushed towards her and hid their faces in her lap.

“Don’t cry, Hesper,” sobbed Fred, “don’t cry! and we will do all we can to help you. We do want to be good boys, but we don’t know how.” Hesper took their hands in her own, and looked steadily in their faces. She was very earnest, and her voice trembled, but she talked to them as only a loving and gentle hearted sister could. She told them, in simple words, of their father’s and mother’s sickness – of the weariness and hard labor of Mose, of the helplessness of little Johnny, of her own heavy trials, and then she told them very kindly, but so plainly they could not misunderstand, that now they were old enough to think of these things, and if they could not be of any assistance, they might, at least, try not to add to the trouble. Her words were fitly spoken, and they went down to the deep places of the children’s hearts. She had appealed to reason and affection, when they expected nothing but punishment and reproof. “I wish we could do something,” said Charlie. His little childish face was the picture of anxious care, and his eyes were swollen with weeping. Poor children! for them it had been a day of hard, but salutary experience.

“I’ll tell you!” exclaimed Fred, who was quick for a thought – “let’s take the great basket and go down where Capt. Clark’s ship is building, and ask him to give us some chips.” Both boys made a rush for the basket at once.

“Hush! hush!” whispered Hesper. That was enough; they checked themselves in an instant, and stole softly out of the house. That night, if aunt Betsey could have looked into the old shed, and seen the great pile of chips there, she would have been astonished. The ship-yard was a far better place than the House of Correction.

CHAPTER IX.

HESPER’S NEW FROCK

“Hesper,” said Mose, one morning, just as he was going to his work – “how much does it take to make you a frock?”

“O, never mind,” she replied, “I don’t want a new one. But there is one thing I do want, Mose, and that is that you should get you a good warm coat for winter. You will feel the need of it bitterly, when you come out of the hot mill into the cold, north wind, or perhaps a driving snow-storm.”

“I can’t have a coat till you have a new frock,” said Mose decidedly.

“Well then,” said she, “I shall try to get one as soon as possible. Perhaps the fairies are weaving one now, and will bring it along the next time the moon fulls. We will wait and see.” It happened very strangely, that not long after this conversation, aunt Betsey came in. She was very sorry that she had not been able to help Hesper by keeping the boys, and now she was determined to make amends in some other way.

“Hesper,” said she, “I have been thinking I would make you a new frock. I looked about the house and found an old black, bombazine dress, which will do very well to alter for you. I have come down now to take your measure, but I must be very quick, for I am still in a great hurry with my bed-quilt, and I wish to get the dress done to-night.”

Hesper thought she should not like a black bombazine dress, but she would not say so, lest she should wound aunt Betsey’s feelings. So she let her take the measure as she desired. Before night aunt Betsey made her appearance again, with the dress all finished. She helped Hesper put it on, and then viewed it with great satisfaction.

“There,” said she, “it fits nicely. I’m glad I’ve done you some good at last, though I don’t want to boast of it. You needn’t try to be saving of it, but wear it just as much as you please,” – and then she went away, before Hesper had a chance to say how she liked it. The skirt of the dress was very scanty, and so long that it came almost to her feet. The waist was short, and the sleeves large, and it was made so high in the neck that she could scarce bend her head. It felt very uncomfortable, but Hesper tried not to think of it, though she found it very hard to do so, for when she sat down to her work, she had to turn her head this side and that, to keep it from choking her, and almost the first thing she did, was to step on the skirt and fall. It was a real vexation, but she thought that aunt Betsey had taken a great deal of pains, and therefore she ought to be very grateful.

“Bless me! Hesper,” said her father, as soon as he saw her – “is that you? Why you look like some of the strange, black shadows I see in my dreams.”

“O! dear child!” said her mother, when she awoke, “you are all dressed in mourning. It makes me feel gloomy.”

Mose expressed his disapprobation in very strong terms, and as for Fred and Charlie, they laughed with all their might at Hesper’s strange appearance. Even simple Johnny pushed away the dress when it touched him, with a look of great dislike. She felt awkward and uneasy, and longed to slip on her old frock again, but she thought of aunt Betsey’s kindness, and determined to persevere.

After Fred and Charlie had gone to bed that night, they began, in low whispers, to talk over matters and things. By making a few inquiries, they had found out the whole history of Hesper’s new frock, and now they were considering the possibility of getting her another.

“How much money do you suppose we could get for our rabbits?” asked Charlie.

“O, not much,” replied Fred. “They aren’t good for anything but to eat.”

“To eat!” exclaimed Charlie, “I would not sell Billy and Bunny for people to eat, not for all the money in the world.”

“And I don’t want to,” said Fred, “but that’s the only thing we can do.”

“Well,” replied Charlie, as he drew a long breath, “then we will, though I wish we could think of something else.”

The next morning they went out bright and early to get their rabbits, resolved to make the sacrifice, but one was missing. They searched all about the yard, and peeped into every crack and corner, but it was nowhere to be found. Charlie cried, and Fred scolded.

“There,” said he, “the Grimsby boys have stolen him, and I’ll call them thieves every time I see them. If it wasn’t for Hesper, I would tumble them both into the duck pond. I’ll call them thieves though, anyhow.”

“No, no,” said Hesper, who stood close behind them. She had heard the crying and came out to see what it meant. “If you begin with hard names, you will soon come to blows. Leave it to me, and see if I can’t get your rabbit again, without any trouble. Perhaps the Grimsby boys know nothing about it, and then you would have no reason whatever for calling them thieves.”

Fred was just beginning to argue the case, when Hesper said, “Now don’t,” in such a pleasant, persuasive way, that he gave it up and went off, but it was a great disappointment.

CHAPTER X.

A GREAT SECRET

There was no person in the whole village kinder, or more considerate to those in trouble, than Capt. Clark. He owned several large ships and part of the mill where Mose worked. He was formerly a sea-captain, but now he lived at home with his aged mother, for he had no family of his own. When he heard how much trouble Hesper had with her two brothers, he offered to employ them on his farm during the harvest.

One Saturday night, just as the full moon was rising above the hills, Fred and Charlie finished their day’s work, and were about to return home. Capt. Clark called the boys into the great store room, and told them to fill their handkerchiefs with apples and corn.

“Now boys,” said he, “you have worked well, and I am very much pleased. Here is a new silver dollar for each of you, and when you go home, tell Hesper that I say you have behaved like men.” It seemed to the boys as though they could feel themselves grow taller that very minute. Their hearts really did expand, as they thought that they had been doing something useful, for which they were justly praised and rewarded. “I never felt so happy in all my life,” said Fred, as they trudged along towards home, with their stout oaken sticks over their shoulders, to which they had attached their bundles.

“Nor I, either,” replied Charlie. “Only think, Fred? Two great silver dollars! What shall we do with them? We can buy a whole lot of ducks, and have a pond of our own.”

“Yes,” said Fred, “and some more rabbits.”

“No!” exclaimed both boys at once, “Hesper’s frock! O, now we can do it!”

“I don’t know how we shall manage about buying it though,” said Fred, “for I am sure I don’t know how, and if we tell Hesper, she won’t let us do anything about it.”

“Can’t we ask aunt Nyna?” suggested Charlie.

“Just the very one!” replied Fred, “and here we are, close by. Let’s go in now” – and both boys started upon a run, up the lane that led to the cottage.

The good lady was very much surprised as she sat at her tea table, to see these two little fellows come marching in with their sticks and bundles.

“Whither now, my young travellers?” she said. “Have ye come to bid me good bye?”

“No,” replied Fred, “we’ve come on business.”

“On business!” she repeated, with a comical look – “well what is it?” Fred laid the silver dollars on the table.

“There,” said he, “Capt. Clark paid us those for our work. Now we want you to take them and buy Hesper a new dress – a real good one, and have it made in the very prettiest way.” “Heaven bless ye, darlings!” exclaimed the old lady. “How delighted Hesper will be! Yea, I will go down to the village as soon as possible, to purchase it, and if one of you will manage to bring me her old frock to-night, I will have the dress all finished on Monday.”

“Well,” said Fred, “we will run home directly, and as soon as we get a good chance, one of us will bring you the frock. Good night” – and away they started. When they came in sight of home, they observed George Grimsby standing at the front door, crying and making a great noise. As soon as Fred saw him he thought of the rabbit, and made up his mind to call him a thief. But he remembered what Hesper had said, and changed his purpose; besides, just then he felt too good natured.

“What’s the matter, George?” he said, very kindly.

“None o’yer business!” returned George. “I’ve a right ter cry when I’m a mind ter, without everybody’s askin’ me what’s ther matter.”

“So you have,” said Fred, and he was just about giving him a poke with his stick, when he changed his mind again, and instead of doing so, drew two large apples from his bundle, and held them towards him. George stopped crying and stared at him with open mouth and eyes. “Don’t you want them?” asked Fred. He put out his hand slowly, still looking Fred in the face. Then he snatched the apples, and turning about, ran through the entry without speaking a word.

“There!” exclaimed Fred, indignantly, “did you ever see such actions! Now I am sorry I gave them to him. I mean to tell Hesper of that.” Mose and Hesper both laughed well when Fred made his complaint.

“I can tell you what made him act so,” said Hesper. “It was because he was ashamed of having answered you thus, and if I am not much mistaken, he will speak very pleasantly the next time he sees you.” While they were talking the matter over, the door was opened a little way, and the lost rabbit hopped into the room. Then the door was quickly closed again.

“There!” said Hesper, “see what your apples have brought you already. How much better that was, than calling him a thief!”