"Nor could the bright green world around A joy to her impart,For still she missed the eyes that made The summer of her heart."Soon as she had the piano,Shelley needed only the Paget man to make her happy as a girl could be;and having faith in that prayer,I decided to try it right away.So I got Laddie to promise surely that he'd wake me when he got up the next morning.
I laid my clothes out all ready;he merely touched my foot,and I came to,slipped out with him,and he helped me dress.We went to the barn when the morning was all gray.
"What the dickens have you got in your head now,Chicken?"he asked."Is it business with the Fairies?""No,this is with the Most High,"I said solemnly,like father.
"Go away and leave me alone."
"Well of all the queer chickens!"he said,but he kissed me and went.
I climbed the stairs to the threshing floor,then the ladder to the mow,walked a beam to the wall,there followed one to the east end,and another to the little,high-up ventilator window.
There I stood looking at the top of the world.A gray mist was rising like steam from the earth,there was a curious colour in the east,stripes of orange and flames of red,where the sun was coming.I folded my hands on the sill,faced the sky,and stood staring.Just stood,and stood,never moving a muscle.By and by I began to think how much we loved Shelley,how happy she had been at Christmas the way she was now,and how much all of us would give in money,or time,or love,to make her sparkling,bubbling,happy again;so I thought and thought,gazing at the sky,which every second became a grander sight.Little cold chills began going up my back,and soon I was talking to the Lord exactly as if He stood before me on the reddest ray that topped our apple trees.
I don't know all I said.That's funny,for I usually remember to the last word;but this time it was so important,I wanted it so badly,and I was so in earnest that words poured in a stream.I began by reminding Him that He knew everything,and so He'd understand if what I asked was for the best.Then I told Him how it looked to us,who knew only a part;and then I went at Him and implored and beseeched,if it would be best for Shelley,and would make her happy,to send her the Paget man,and to be quick about it.When I had said the last word that came to me,and begged all I thought becoming--I don't think with His face,that Jesus wants us to grovel to Him,at least He looks too dignified to do it Himself--I just stood there,still staring.
I didn't expect to see a burning bush,or a pillar of fire,or a cloud of flame,or even to hear a small,still voice;but I watched,so I wouldn't miss it if there should be anything different in that sunrise from any other I ever had seen,and there was not.Not one thing!It was so beautiful,and I was so in earnest my heart hurt;but that was like any other sunrise on a fine July morning.There wasn't the least sign that Jesus had heard me,and would send the man;yet before I knew it,I was amazed to find the feeling creeping over me that he was coming.
If I had held the letter in my hand saying he would arrive on the noon train,I couldn't have grown surer.Why,I even looked down the first time I moved,to see if I had it;but I was certain anyway.So I looked steadily toward the east once more and said,"Thank you,with all my heart,Lord Jesus,"then I slowly made my way down and back to the house.
Shelley was at the orchard gate,waiting;so I knew they had missed me,and Laddie had told them where I was and not to call.
She had the strangest look on her face,as she asked:"Where have you been?"I looked straight and hard at her and said,"It's all right,Shelley.He's going to come soon";but I didn't think it was a thing to mouth over,so I twisted away from her,and ran to the kitchen to see if breakfast had all been eaten.I left Shelley standing there with her eyes wide,also her mouth.She looked about as intelligent as Mehitabel Heasty,and it wouldn't have surprised me if she had begun to jump up and down and say there were snakes in HER shoes.No doubt you have heard of people having been knocked silly;I knew she was,and so she had a perfect right to look that way,until she could remember what she was doing,and come back to herself.Maybe it took her longer,because mother wasn't there,to remind her about her mouth,and I didn't propose to mention it.
At breakfast,mother said father was going to drive Frank home in the carriage,and if I would like,I might go along.I would have to sit on the back seat alone,going;but coming home I could ride beside and visit with father.I loved that,for you could see more from the front seat,and father would stop to explain every single thing.He always gave me the money and let me pay the toll.He would get me a drink at the spring,let me wade a few minutes at Enyard's riffles,where their creek,with the loveliest gravel bed,ran beside the road;and he always raced like wildfire at the narrows,where for a mile the railroad ran along the turnpike.
We took Frank to his office,stopped a little while to visit Lucy,and give her the butter and cream mother sent,went to the store to see Peter,and then to the post-office.From there we could see that the veranda of the hotel across the street was filled with gayly dressed people,and father said that the summer boarders from big cities around must be pouring in fast.When he came out with the mail he said he better ask if the landlord did not want some of mother's corn and milk fed spring chickens,because last year he had paid her more than the grocer.So he drove across the street,stopped at the curb,and left me to hold the team.
Maybe you think I wasn't proud!I've told you about Ned and Jo,with their sharp ears,dappled sides,and silky tails,and the carriage almost new,with leather seats,patent leather trimmings,and side lamps,so shiny you could see yourself in the brass.We never drove into the barn with one speck of mud or dust on it.That was how particular mother was.
