Jessie Carlton Part 6

Mrs. Carlton drew her closer to her heart, kissed her with great tenderness, and said:

"What has my child done?"

Jessie wept violently, and was silent, for her heart was too full of emotion, to coin its thoughts into words. Mrs. Carlton, like a sensible mother, said nothing until the floods of Jessie's grief pa.s.sed away. Then smoothing her head with her hand, she spoke in tones, so soft and lute-like, that they sounded like sweet music in Jessie's ears, and said:

"Tell me, my dear, what troubles you so much?"

Thus soothed, Jessie raised her head, and said:

"I want Pa and Uncle Morris to hear, too."

Mr. Carlton laid aside his book, smiled, and said:

"I'm all attention, Jessie."

Uncle Morris drew his chair close to Jessie, patted her head, and said:

"That's right, my little puss, make a clean breast of it. Confession is the pipe through which the great Father conducts the guilt of his little ones, when, for his Son's sake, he buries it in the fountain of forgetfulness."

Thus encouraged, Jessie gave a full account of how she came to hide in the little cave with Emily. When she had finished her story, Uncle Morris said--

"Ah, I see, the little wizard has been busy again. I'm sure it was he who helped Emily to tempt my little puss. An _impulse_ acted upon you, Jessie, and, without thinking, you hid in the cave, which was not a very grave fault in itself; but, as most little faults will do, it led you to commit a really serious evil; as you say, by pretending not to hear yourself called, you _acted a lie_, which was a sin against G.o.d. You also filled your party with alarm about you, which gave them great pain of mind. That was an offence against them, because it was your duty to do all in your power to afford them pleasure. The hawk did, indeed, catch my chicken on the day that she was pleased. Do you understand my proverb, now, Jessie?"

"Yes, Uncle, but what shall I do?"

"Do, my child? There is only one way by which any of us can escape from the chains of evil. Confess your _sin_ to G.o.d, ask his forgiveness for the Great Shepherd's sake, and apologize to your friends for giving them pain."

Jessie said she would do both of these things. Then her heart turned to her cousin, and she said--

"But what shall I say to Emily?"

"Just tell her your own thoughts and feelings about the matter, my child.

Maybe, she will be led to see the wrong of her own conduct, and you may yet be to her what your brother Guy has been to Richard Duncan."

After making this remark Uncle Morris took the old Family Bible and read a psalm of penitence. Then he and the family kneeled down to pray. The dear old man seemed to speak right to the Good Father in behalf of his sorrowful little niece. And while he pleaded the love of the great Shepherd for his precious lambs, Jessie felt as if a heavy burden rolled away from her heart, the big black cloud pa.s.sed from before her eyes, and the sweet springs of joy and gladness once more poured their streams over her happy spirit.

With a light step, Jessie tripped back to her chamber. Emily was still awake. Thoughts such as she had never cherished before were rushing through her brain and burning in her heart. She was strongly inclined to speak to Jessie. But pride set a seal upon her lips, and she kept her eyes closed in simulated sleep. As for Jessie, after whispering a prayer for Emily and a song of praise for herself, she laid down beside her cousin and slept as sweetly as a fairy in a blue-bell, or as a weary angel might slumber in one of the bright bowers of Paradise. You may be sure her dreamland was filled with images of love and beauty.

The next morning Jessie awoke wondering how Emily would feel about the events of the day before. Finding her cousin was also awake, she said--

"Emily!"

"Good morning, Jessie," replied Emily, sitting up in the bed and looking full in Jessie's face. "I hope you feel more cheery than you did last night."

"I am very happy this morning," replied Jessie, her eyes sparkling with delight as she spoke. "Shall I tell you how I came to be so?"

"As you please!" said Emily, shrinking from Jessie's proposal as if she feared her story might bring back the guilty feeling of the night previous.

Jessie told her cousin just what she had felt, and how she had confessed her wrong, and how her sorrow had been rolled away. She did this so simply, so sweetly, and so kindly, that Emily blushed, and the big tears stood like dew-drops on her eyelashes. Jessie had found the way to her cousin's heart.

But when she urged her to confess her faults and to join her in a note of apology to the Sherwoods, the pride of Emily's heart rose within her, and dashing away her tears, she said--

"_Apologize_, indeed! I won't do it!"

Just then the ringing of the first breakfast-bell warned them that it was time to rise. They did so; and Jessie, seeing that her cousin did not wish to talk any more, dressed herself in silence.

After breakfast Jessie went to her writing-desk, and wrote notes to the members of the nutting-party. These notes were all alike except in their different addresses. Here is a copy of the one for Mr. Sherman.

Glen Morris Cottage, October 25, 18--

Dear Sir--

When you thought I was lost yesterday, I was hiding with my cousin in a little cave in the stone quarry. I only did it for fun. If I had thought my hiding there would make you feel bad and spoil the pleasure of our nutting-party, I would not have done it. I am sorry I did it. Will you, and Walter, and Carrie, please excuse my fault?

Truly Yours, Jessie Carlton.

Mr. Walter Sherwood, Sen.

When Jessie read one of her notes to Uncle Morris, the good old man patted her head, and said--

"n.o.bly and sweetly written, my little puss. Never forget that next to avoiding a fault, the n.o.blest and most honorable thing you can do, is to confess it and apologize for it. Still, I hope you may never have need to write such a note again."

Having finished and sealed her notes, Jessie placed them carefully in the bottom of her work-basket, intending to ask Hugh to deliver them for her on his way to school in the afternoon.

It was Mrs. Carlton's wish that during her cousin's visit, her daughter should spend part of every morning, sewing and reading. Hence, after the notes were nicely put away, Jessie took out her famous piece of patchwork, and began sewing. She laughed heartily as she did so this morning, because she found pieces of paper pinned to the articles intended for Uncle Morris with these words written on them in large letters--

"Beware of the devices of the little wizard!"

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" laughed she. "Won't I beware? I'll sew, let me see; well, I'll sew a strip long enough to go once around my quilt before I stir, let the little wizard say what he will."

St.i.tch, st.i.tch, st.i.tch, went Jessie's bright, swift, little needle for the next half-hour. Then her two cousins bounced into the room, shouting--

"O Jessie, come and see! There is one of the funniest little men out here you ever did see. He's got no neck, and he wears the queerest sort of a hat! He's playing on the bagpipe. Come, just a minute."

"Beware of the devices of the little wizard!" said the writing on the patchwork. It caught Jessie's eye just as she was going to drop her work and run out to see the funny little man. She felt as if something was twinging her heart, but remembering her purpose, she brought her work to her side, and said--

"I thank you, cousins, but you must excuse me until I've finished my sewing."

"What a cross thing she is!" said Charlie, bouncing out of the room.

"Do come, just for a minute, that's all, cousin Jessie," said Emily in her most coaxing tones.

Charlie's words wounded Jessie more than Emily's soothed her. Unwilling to be thought cross, she dropped her work "just for a minute," and went out.

The queer little man excited her mirth greatly, and she soon forgot all about her patchwork. When the little pipe-player moved off, Emily said--

"Let us follow him up to Carrie Sherwood's. Won't she be tickled to see him?"

"Yes, do," said Charlie, "and I won't call you cross, Jessie, any more."

"We mustn't stay long, then," replied Jessie reluctantly, for a thought of her sewing flashed across her brain.