章节正文
"Indeed I will, Katy!" exclaimed he, promptly pulling out his
wallet. "And if you will come at this time to-morrow, you shall
have the whole twenty dollars."
"Thank you, Michael."
"There's six dollars; take it, Katy, and my blessing with it."
"Only three dollars, Michael," replied Katy, firmly.
Michael insisted, but all his persuasion would not induce her to
accept more than the sum she had mentioned, and he was
reluctantly compelled to yield the point.
"Here is the watch, Michael; you shall keep that till I pay you."
"Is it me!" exclaimed he, springing to his feet, with an
expression very like indignation on his countenance. "Sure, you
don't think I'd take the watch."
"Why not you as well as Mrs. Gordon?" asked Katy.
"She didn't take it," replied Michael triumphantly. "You couldn't
make her take it, if you try a month. Don't I know Mrs. Gordon?"
"But please to take it; I should feel much better if you would."
"Bad luck to me if I do! I wouldn't take it to save my neck from
the gallows. Where's my Irish heart? Did I leave it at home, or
did I bring it with me to America?"
"If you will not take it, Michael----
"I won't."
"If you won't, I will say no more about it," replied Katy, as she
returned the watch to her pocket. "You have got a very kind
heart, and I shall never forget you as long as I live."
Katy, after glancing at the portrait of the roguish lady that
hung in the room, took leave of Michael, and hastened home. On
her way, she could not banish the generous servant from her mind.
She could not understand why he should be so much interested in
her as to offer the use of all he had; and she was obliged to
attribute it all to the impulses of a kind heart. If she had been
a little older, she might have concluded that the old maxim,
slightly altered would explain the reason: "Like mistress, like
man," that the atmosphere of kindness and charity that pervaded
the house had inspired even the servants.
"Where have you been, Katy?" asked Mrs. Redburn, as she entered
the sick chamber, and Mrs. Sneed hastened home.
"I have been to Mrs. Gordon."
"What for?"
Katy did not like to tell. She knew it would make her mother feel
very unhappy to know that she had borrowed money of Mrs. Gordon's
servant.
"Oh, I went up to see her," replied Katy.
"No matter, if you don't like to tell me," faintly replied Mrs.
Redburn.
"I will tell you, mother," answered Katy, stung by the gentle
rebuke contained in her mother's words.
"I suppose our money is all gone," sighed the sick woman.
"No, mother; see here! I have three dollars," and Katy pulled out
her porte-monnaie, anxious to save her even a moment of
uneasiness.
But in taking out the money she exhibited the watch also, which
at once excited Mrs. Redburn's curiosity.
"What have you been doing with that, Katy?" she asked. "Ah, I
fear I was right. We have no money! Our business is gone! Alas,
we have nothing to hope for!"
"O, no, mother, it is not half so bad as that!" exclaimed Katy.
"I went up to Mrs. Gordon for the purpose of borrowing twenty
dollars of her; I didn't want it to look like charity, so I was
going to ask her to keep the watch till it was paid. That's all,
mother."
"And she refused?"
"No; she was not at home."
"But your money is not all gone?"
Katy wanted to say it was not, but her conscience would not let
her practisedeception. She had the three dollars which she had
just borrowed of Michael, and that was not all gone. But this was
not the question her mother asked, and it would be a lie to say
the money was not all gone, when she fully understood the meaning
of the question. Perhaps it was for her mother's good to deceive
her; but she had been taught to feel that she had no right to do
evil that good might follow.
"It was all gone, but I borrowed three dollars," she replied,
after a little hesitation.
"Of whom?"
"Of Michael."
"Who's he?"
"Mrs. Gordon's man.
"O Katy! How could you do so?" sighed Mrs. Redburn.
"I couldn't help it, mother. He would make me take it;" and she
gave all the particulars of her interview with Michael and
reviewed the considerations which had induced her to accept the
loan.
"Perhaps you are right, Katy. My pride would not have let me
borrow of a servant; but it is wicked for me to cherish such a
pride. I try very hard to banish it."
"Don't talk any more now, mother. We are too poor to be too proud
to accept a favor of one who is in a humble station." replied
Katy.
"I don't know what will become of us," said Mrs. Redburn, as she
turned her head away to hide the tears that flooded her eyes.
Katy took up the Bible that lay by the bedside, and turning to
the twenty-third psalm, she read, "The Lord is my Shepherd; I
shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he
leadeth me beside the still waters."
"Go on, Katy; those words are real comfort," said Mrs. Redburn,
drying her tears. "I know it is wicked for me to repine."
Katy read the whole psalm, and followed it with others, which
produced a healing influence upon her mother's mind, and she
seemed to forget that the purse was empty, and that they had
placed themselves under obligations to a servant.
The sufferer rested much better than usual that night, and Katy
was permitted to sleep the greater part of the time--a boon which
her exhausted frame very much needed. About ten o'clock in the
forenoon, Michael paid her a visit, to inform her that Mrs.
Gordon had just arrived: and that, when he mentioned her case,
she had sent him down to request her immediate attendance and
that his mistress would have come herself, only she was so much
fatigued by her journey.
Katy could not leave then, for she had no one to stay with her
mother; but Mrs. Sneed could come in an hour. Michael hastened
home with the intelligence that Mrs. Redburn was better, and Katy
soon followed him.
CHAPTER XX.
MRS. GORDON FEELS FAINT, AND KATY ENTERS A NEW SPHERE.
On her arrival at Temple Street, Katy was promptly admitted by
Michael, and shown in the sitting-room, where Mrs. Gordon and
Grace were waiting for her.
"I was very sorry to hear that your mother is sick, Katy," said
the former; "and I should have paid you a visit, instead of
sending for you, if I had not been so much exhausted by my
journey from Baltimore."
"You are very kind, ma'am."
"Did Dr. Flynch call upon you at the first of the month?"
"Yes, ma'am; and we paid the rent as usual," replied Katy.
"I am sorry you did so, Katy; you should have told him you were
not in a condition to pay the rent."
"I couldn't tell him so, he is so cold and cruel."
"I think you misjudge him, for he has a really kind heart, and
would not have distressed you for all the world. Besides, I told
him he need not collect your rent any time when you did not feel
ready to pay it. I hope he gave you no trouble?"
"No, ma'am; I didn't give him a chance, for I paid him as soon as
he demanded it; though it took nearly all the money we had. I
hope you will excuse me, ma'am, but I haven't liked him since the
trouble we had a year ago, when he accused my dear mother of
telling a lie."
"Perhaps he was hasty."
"I forgive him, ma'am; but I can't help thinking he is a very
wicked man," answered Katy, with considerable emphasis.
"I hope not so bad as that; for I am sure, if you had told him it
was not convenient for you to pay the rent, he would not have
insisted. But you want some assistance Katy?"
"Yes, ma'am; that is, I want to borrow some money," replied Katy,
blushing deeply.
"That's just like you," interposed Grace, laughing. "I suppose
you will want to give your note this time."
"I don't care about giving a note, but I mean to pay the money
back again, every cent of it."
"And the interest too, I suppose?"
"Yes," said Katy, though she had not a very clear idea of the
value of money, as an article of merchandise.
"Don't distress her, Grace; you forget that her mother is very
sick, and she cannot feel like listening to your pleasantries,"
said Mrs. Gordon.
"Forgive me, Katy," replied Grace, tenderly.
Katy burst into tears, though she could not exactly tell why. She
was overcome with emotion as the beautiful young lady took her
hand, and looked so sorrowfully in her face. She was not used to
so much kindness, so much sympathy, so much love; for it seemed
as though both Grace and her mother loved her--that their hearts
beat with hers.
"Don t cry, Katy; I am sorry I said a word," pleaded Grace. "I
would not have hurt your feelings for all the world."
"You did not hurt my feelings; you are so kind to me that I could
not help crying. I suppose I am very silly."
"No, you are not, Katy; now dry up your tears, and tell us all
about it," added Mrs. Gordon, in soothing tones. "How long has
your mother been sick?"
"Almost two weeks."
"What ails her?"
"She has got a fever; but she is much better to-day. The doctor
says she hasn't got it very bad; but she has been very sick, I
think."
"Who takes care of her?"
"I do, ma'am."
"You! She must need a great deal of attention. But who takes care
of her at night?"
"I do, ma'am. I have been up a great deal every night."
"Poor child! It is enough to wear you out."
"I wouldn't mind it at all, if I had nothing else to trouble me."
"What other troubles have you?"
"I can't make any candy now, and haven't made any for nearly a
fortnight; so that we have no money coming in. We spent nearly
all we had in buying our winter clothing and fuel. It worries me
very much, for we had plenty of money before mother was taken
sick."
"I hope you haven't wanted for anything."
"No, ma'am; for when my purse was empty, I came up here, only
yesterday, to borrow some of you, if you would please to lend it
me."
"Certainly, I will, my child. I am very glad you came."
"Michael would make me tell what I wanted, and then he let me
have three dollars, and offered to let me have as much as I
wanted. I didn't know as you would like it if I borrowed money of
your servant."
"You did just right: and I am glad that Michael has a kind heart.
Now, how much money do you want?"
"I thought I would ask you to lend me twenty dollars; and just as
soon, after mother gets well, as I can gather the money together,
I will pay you--and the interest," she added, glancing at Grace.
wallet. "And if you will come at this time to-morrow, you shall
have the whole twenty dollars."
"Thank you, Michael."
"There's six dollars; take it, Katy, and my blessing with it."
"Only three dollars, Michael," replied Katy, firmly.
Michael insisted, but all his persuasion would not induce her to
accept more than the sum she had mentioned, and he was
reluctantly compelled to yield the point.
"Here is the watch, Michael; you shall keep that till I pay you."
"Is it me!" exclaimed he, springing to his feet, with an
expression very like indignation on his countenance. "Sure, you
don't think I'd take the watch."
"Why not you as well as Mrs. Gordon?" asked Katy.
"She didn't take it," replied Michael triumphantly. "You couldn't
make her take it, if you try a month. Don't I know Mrs. Gordon?"
"But please to take it; I should feel much better if you would."
"Bad luck to me if I do! I wouldn't take it to save my neck from
the gallows. Where's my Irish heart? Did I leave it at home, or
did I bring it with me to America?"
"If you will not take it, Michael----
"I won't."
"If you won't, I will say no more about it," replied Katy, as she
returned the watch to her pocket. "You have got a very kind
heart, and I shall never forget you as long as I live."
Katy, after glancing at the portrait of the roguish lady that
hung in the room, took leave of Michael, and hastened home. On
her way, she could not banish the generous servant from her mind.
She could not understand why he should be so much interested in
her as to offer the use of all he had; and she was obliged to
attribute it all to the impulses of a kind heart. If she had been
a little older, she might have concluded that the old maxim,
slightly altered would explain the reason: "Like mistress, like
man," that the atmosphere of kindness and charity that pervaded
the house had inspired even the servants.
"Where have you been, Katy?" asked Mrs. Redburn, as she entered
the sick chamber, and Mrs. Sneed hastened home.
"I have been to Mrs. Gordon."
"What for?"
Katy did not like to tell. She knew it would make her mother feel
very unhappy to know that she had borrowed money of Mrs. Gordon's
servant.
"Oh, I went up to see her," replied Katy.
"No matter, if you don't like to tell me," faintly replied Mrs.
Redburn.
"I will tell you, mother," answered Katy, stung by the gentle
rebuke contained in her mother's words.
"I suppose our money is all gone," sighed the sick woman.
"No, mother; see here! I have three dollars," and Katy pulled out
her porte-monnaie, anxious to save her even a moment of
uneasiness.
But in taking out the money she exhibited the watch also, which
at once excited Mrs. Redburn's curiosity.
"What have you been doing with that, Katy?" she asked. "Ah, I
fear I was right. We have no money! Our business is gone! Alas,
we have nothing to hope for!"
"O, no, mother, it is not half so bad as that!" exclaimed Katy.
"I went up to Mrs. Gordon for the purpose of borrowing twenty
dollars of her; I didn't want it to look like charity, so I was
going to ask her to keep the watch till it was paid. That's all,
mother."
"And she refused?"
"No; she was not at home."
"But your money is not all gone?"
Katy wanted to say it was not, but her conscience would not let
her practisedeception. She had the three dollars which she had
just borrowed of Michael, and that was not all gone. But this was
not the question her mother asked, and it would be a lie to say
the money was not all gone, when she fully understood the meaning
of the question. Perhaps it was for her mother's good to deceive
her; but she had been taught to feel that she had no right to do
evil that good might follow.
"It was all gone, but I borrowed three dollars," she replied,
after a little hesitation.
"Of whom?"
"Of Michael."
"Who's he?"
"Mrs. Gordon's man.
"O Katy! How could you do so?" sighed Mrs. Redburn.
"I couldn't help it, mother. He would make me take it;" and she
gave all the particulars of her interview with Michael and
reviewed the considerations which had induced her to accept the
loan.
"Perhaps you are right, Katy. My pride would not have let me
borrow of a servant; but it is wicked for me to cherish such a
pride. I try very hard to banish it."
"Don't talk any more now, mother. We are too poor to be too proud
to accept a favor of one who is in a humble station." replied
Katy.
"I don't know what will become of us," said Mrs. Redburn, as she
turned her head away to hide the tears that flooded her eyes.
Katy took up the Bible that lay by the bedside, and turning to
the twenty-third psalm, she read, "The Lord is my Shepherd; I
shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he
leadeth me beside the still waters."
"Go on, Katy; those words are real comfort," said Mrs. Redburn,
drying her tears. "I know it is wicked for me to repine."
Katy read the whole psalm, and followed it with others, which
produced a healing influence upon her mother's mind, and she
seemed to forget that the purse was empty, and that they had
placed themselves under obligations to a servant.
The sufferer rested much better than usual that night, and Katy
was permitted to sleep the greater part of the time--a boon which
her exhausted frame very much needed. About ten o'clock in the
forenoon, Michael paid her a visit, to inform her that Mrs.
Gordon had just arrived: and that, when he mentioned her case,
she had sent him down to request her immediate attendance and
that his mistress would have come herself, only she was so much
fatigued by her journey.
Katy could not leave then, for she had no one to stay with her
mother; but Mrs. Sneed could come in an hour. Michael hastened
home with the intelligence that Mrs. Redburn was better, and Katy
soon followed him.
CHAPTER XX.
MRS. GORDON FEELS FAINT, AND KATY ENTERS A NEW SPHERE.
On her arrival at Temple Street, Katy was promptly admitted by
Michael, and shown in the sitting-room, where Mrs. Gordon and
Grace were waiting for her.
"I was very sorry to hear that your mother is sick, Katy," said
the former; "and I should have paid you a visit, instead of
sending for you, if I had not been so much exhausted by my
journey from Baltimore."
"You are very kind, ma'am."
"Did Dr. Flynch call upon you at the first of the month?"
"Yes, ma'am; and we paid the rent as usual," replied Katy.
"I am sorry you did so, Katy; you should have told him you were
not in a condition to pay the rent."
"I couldn't tell him so, he is so cold and cruel."
"I think you misjudge him, for he has a really kind heart, and
would not have distressed you for all the world. Besides, I told
him he need not collect your rent any time when you did not feel
ready to pay it. I hope he gave you no trouble?"
"No, ma'am; I didn't give him a chance, for I paid him as soon as
he demanded it; though it took nearly all the money we had. I
hope you will excuse me, ma'am, but I haven't liked him since the
trouble we had a year ago, when he accused my dear mother of
telling a lie."
"Perhaps he was hasty."
"I forgive him, ma'am; but I can't help thinking he is a very
wicked man," answered Katy, with considerable emphasis.
"I hope not so bad as that; for I am sure, if you had told him it
was not convenient for you to pay the rent, he would not have
insisted. But you want some assistance Katy?"
"Yes, ma'am; that is, I want to borrow some money," replied Katy,
blushing deeply.
"That's just like you," interposed Grace, laughing. "I suppose
you will want to give your note this time."
"I don't care about giving a note, but I mean to pay the money
back again, every cent of it."
"And the interest too, I suppose?"
"Yes," said Katy, though she had not a very clear idea of the
value of money, as an article of merchandise.
"Don't distress her, Grace; you forget that her mother is very
sick, and she cannot feel like listening to your pleasantries,"
said Mrs. Gordon.
"Forgive me, Katy," replied Grace, tenderly.
Katy burst into tears, though she could not exactly tell why. She
was overcome with emotion as the beautiful young lady took her
hand, and looked so sorrowfully in her face. She was not used to
so much kindness, so much sympathy, so much love; for it seemed
as though both Grace and her mother loved her--that their hearts
beat with hers.
"Don t cry, Katy; I am sorry I said a word," pleaded Grace. "I
would not have hurt your feelings for all the world."
"You did not hurt my feelings; you are so kind to me that I could
not help crying. I suppose I am very silly."
"No, you are not, Katy; now dry up your tears, and tell us all
about it," added Mrs. Gordon, in soothing tones. "How long has
your mother been sick?"
"Almost two weeks."
"What ails her?"
"She has got a fever; but she is much better to-day. The doctor
says she hasn't got it very bad; but she has been very sick, I
think."
"Who takes care of her?"
"I do, ma'am."
"You! She must need a great deal of attention. But who takes care
of her at night?"
"I do, ma'am. I have been up a great deal every night."
"Poor child! It is enough to wear you out."
"I wouldn't mind it at all, if I had nothing else to trouble me."
"What other troubles have you?"
"I can't make any candy now, and haven't made any for nearly a
fortnight; so that we have no money coming in. We spent nearly
all we had in buying our winter clothing and fuel. It worries me
very much, for we had plenty of money before mother was taken
sick."
"I hope you haven't wanted for anything."
"No, ma'am; for when my purse was empty, I came up here, only
yesterday, to borrow some of you, if you would please to lend it
me."
"Certainly, I will, my child. I am very glad you came."
"Michael would make me tell what I wanted, and then he let me
have three dollars, and offered to let me have as much as I
wanted. I didn't know as you would like it if I borrowed money of
your servant."
"You did just right: and I am glad that Michael has a kind heart.
Now, how much money do you want?"
"I thought I would ask you to lend me twenty dollars; and just as
soon, after mother gets well, as I can gather the money together,
I will pay you--and the interest," she added, glancing at Grace.
- promptly [´prɔmptli]
ad.敏捷地；即时地 (初中英语单词) - blessing [´blesiŋ] n.祝福 (初中英语单词)
- persuasion [pə´sweiʒən] n.说服(力)；劝说；见解 (初中英语单词)
- countenance [´kauntinəns] n.面部表情；脸色；面容 (初中英语单词)
- generous [´dʒenərəs] a.慷慨的；丰盛的 (初中英语单词)
- mistress [´mistris] n.女主人；情妇；女能手 (初中英语单词)
- atmosphere [´ætməsfiə] n.大气；空气；气氛 (初中英语单词)
- unhappy [ʌn´hæpi] a.不幸的；不快乐的 (初中英语单词)
- anxious [´æŋkʃəs] a.担忧的；渴望的 (初中英语单词)
- conscience [´kɔnʃəns] n.良心；道德心 (初中英语单词)
- practise [´præktis] v.实践(行，施)；提倡 (初中英语单词)
- interview [´intəvju:] n.&vt.接见；会见；交谈 (初中英语单词)
- wicked [´wikid] a.邪恶的；不道德的 (初中英语单词)
- humble [´hʌmbəl] a.谦卑的 vt.贬抑 (初中英语单词)
- shepherd [´ʃepəd] n.牧羊人 vt.带领 (初中英语单词)
- intelligence [in´telidʒəns] n.智力；消息 (初中英语单词)
- arrival [ə´raivəl] n.到达；到达的人(物) (初中英语单词)
- temple [´tempəl] n.庙宇；寺院；太阳穴 (初中英语单词)
- waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)
- forgive [fə´giv] vt.原谅，谅解，宽恕 (初中英语单词)
- considerable [kən´sidərəbəl] a.重要的；值得重视 (初中英语单词)
- convenient [kən´vi:niənt] a.方便的 (初中英语单词)
- assistance [ə´sistəns] n.协作；援助；帮助 (初中英语单词)
- distress [di´stres] n.痛苦 vt.使苦恼 (初中英语单词)
- overcome [,əuvə´kʌm] vt.战胜，克服 (初中英语单词)
- emotion [i´məuʃən] n.感情；情绪；激动 (初中英语单词)
- sympathy [´simpəθi] n.同情，怜悯 (初中英语单词)
- indignation [,indig´neiʃən] n.愤慨；气愤 (高中英语单词)
- portrait [´pɔ:trit] n.肖像；相片；雕像 (高中英语单词)
- banish [´bæniʃ] vt.流放；消除(顾虑等) (高中英语单词)
- charity [´tʃæriti] n.施舍；慈悲；博爱 (高中英语单词)
- chamber [´tʃeimbə] n.房间；议院；会议室 (高中英语单词)
- faintly [´feintli] ad.微弱地，软弱无力的 (高中英语单词)
- cherish [´tʃeriʃ] vt.珍爱；怀有(感情) (高中英语单词)
- triumphantly [trai´ʌmfəntli] ad.胜利地；洋洋得意地 (英语四级单词)
- gallows [´gæləuz] n.绞刑架 (英语四级单词)
- bedside [´bedsaid] n.床边 a.护理的 (英语四级单词)
- sufferer [´sʌfərə] n.受苦的人；患者 (英语四级单词)
- taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)
- deception [di´sepʃən] n.欺骗，诈骗；骗术 (英语六级单词)
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章节正文
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