The gay flags which had been hung out of the windows so joyfully2 were now rolled up again and put aside, and the people went about their work with dejected faces, awaiting the dread3 tidings that their loved ones were ordered to march forward towards Paris, and fight the enemy there.
But Violet knew nothing of all this. Secure in the certainty of her father's speedy return, she sat daily in the window watching. She very seldom spoke4 now; it seemed to tire her. But she smiled to herself much oftener than she had hitherto done, and waved her little thin hand to Fritz, who was ever on the watch in the house opposite; and [Pg 240]constantly, in the warm autumn evenings, when the windows of both houses were open, he called across to her and told her his news. Violet smiled and nodded her head, but she had no strength to call back again, nor even to draw up the cord of the little basket into which Fritz was constantly dropping little gifts and scraps6 of paper, on which were printed in large letters messages of love and comfort:—"Fritz will soon be well enough to see Violet"—"Fritz is making a boat for Violet;" and once or twice, in a very closely-folded message, were the words, "Fritz is always asking God to make Violet well."
But at last there came a message from Fritz which roused her for a time out of her lethargy, and set her heart beating wildly.
It was a beautiful autumn evening; the town was rosy7 red in the sunset, and all the casements8 of the oriel window lay wide open. Violet, who had not spoken for several hours, was lying back on her pillows half sleeping, half waking, with her eyes dreamily fixed9 on the hill, which was wrapped in a soft purple mist. The canary bird was picking out the loose feathers from its wings in the cage overhead; and the old jackdaw on the opposite side of the street, for a wonder was at rest, with his head tucked under his wing.
[Pg 241]
Fritz for a long time had been making signals to Violet from the high-up dormer window of the house; but her face had been turned away, and though her eyes were fixed on the far-off hill, she saw nothing but a waving meadow bright with flowers, over whose green fragrant10 grass she was passing with a delicious freedom, her feet not actually touching11 the ground, only here and there skimming over the cool meadow grass, while a refreshing12 air wafted13 her along without fatigue14 and without pain.
She often had this fancy now, that she was floating along over the earth, that she was free from the ache in her back and the weary heaviness of her limbs; and this afternoon she was listening again to that voice from the meadow saying, "I am going to lay this poor tired lamb in its mother's bosom15."
But all at once, when she was seeking once more to see the face of the child which the Lord Jesus held so lovingly in his arms, the basket-bell rang with a sharp tinkle16 overhead, and she awoke from her dream to find herself no longer wandering amid green pastures, but propped17 up among her pillows, oh so tired, and with a sudden tearful longing18 to lay her head against some loving heart and be at rest.
At the sound of the bell, Evelina, who had been dozing19 also in a chair near the stove, started up[Pg 242] angrily, and going over to the window, looked down into the street.
"Ha! it is just as I thought, thou little donkey. Hast thou no sense, Master Fritz, but to go and ring bells in people's ears when they are asleep? See, now, thou hast startled Violet out of her dreams, and she will be ill all the night."
"No, no," said Violet eagerly; but there were sudden tears of distress20 and weakness standing21 in her uplifted eyes.
"Look in the basket, Violet," cried Fritz, taking no notice of Evelina's wrath22; "there is something in it that I want thee to see, and it is all—" Before, however, Fritz could finish his sentence, his mother had appeared in the doorway23, and seizing Fritz by the collar of his coat, had dragged him backwards24 into the bakery.
"I will not have thee disturbing Violet with thy folly," she said angrily, and pushed him into the back passage.
Meantime Evelina, her own curiosity aroused, had drawn25 up the little cord from which dangled26 the basket.
"It is uncommonly27 light," she said, as she lifted it in at the window. "It strikes me, if I am not mistaken, that Master Fritz is at his old pranks28 again.[Pg 243] Yes, it is just as I thought; the basket is quite empty. It is just a silly trick he has played upon thee, and nothing else." Evelina turned the basket upside down as she spoke, and shook out some old dried moss29 and withered30 leaves, and a little scrap5 of dirty paper folded into a minute size, which fluttered down and lit on the window-seat beside Violet.
"Little wretch31! I shall box his ears the next time I see him," cried Evelina angrily. "To come and waken people up for such a senseless joke."
"There was something in the basket," pleaded Violet in a low voice.
"I tell thee there was not," replied Evelina sharply; "unless thou callest a handful of dead leaves something."
The child's eyes rested wistfully on the little scrap of folded paper lying almost within her reach on the window-seat, but she said nothing. When Evelina was vexed32, Violet felt afraid of her; and besides, she was down on her knees now gathering33 the moss and dirt off the floor, and she did not like to trouble her further.
But Evelina's tempers were never of long duration. When she stood up again she was smiling, and said with a laugh,—
"I have a mind to go across the street and tie this[Pg 244] basket on to Master Fritz's back and hunt him up and down the town for his pains. At any rate, the next time it happens I shall just cut the cord, and then there will be an end of it all."
"There is no saying what Evelina might do when she is angry," replied the girl, laughing lightly as she dropped the basket once more out of the window. "Ah, there is the newsman in the street and lots of people gathered round him; I must run down for a moment and see what fresh telegrams have come in. I shall just buy a paper from him and be back immediately."
Violet nodded her head silently, and Evelina, having again arranged the cord in its place, left the room.
When the door was closed, and Evelina's flying footsteps were distinctly audible in the street beneath, Violet tried to stretch out her hand for the piece of paper which had fluttered down out of the basket on to the window-seat beside her; but she found, to her grief, that it was just an inch or two beyond the reach of her finger-tips. She looked round for something with which she could draw it nearer to her, and at last, after some difficulty, she succeeded with the help of the spotted35 book in pushing it to the[Pg 245] edge of the cushion, where she could stretch out her hand and take hold of it.
Even this little exertion36 tried her. She panted, and for some moments did not attempt to open the paper. Her heart beat quickly and her hands trembled. She did not believe that Fritz had been playing a trick upon her, and she guessed that there was some special piece of news to be found in the little crumpled37 scrap which she held tightly pressed up in her hand.
At last she opened it out, and as she read the words printed across it in large letters she gave quite a sharp cry and started up in her chair.
"Ella is going to be an angel, and have wings."
This was the whole message—no explanation, no other word to give a hint or a reason, and no Fritz at the window opposite to make things clear.
She stared again at the words. Her cheeks grew crimson38, her eyes darkened, tears came into them and fell upon the dirty scrap of paper on her knee.
Ella was going to have wings! Ella, who could run and jump and walk and was never tired; who could laugh and sing and hop39 and follow Fritz wherever he went. Ella was going to have wings!
And Ella had no hump upon her back, no pain, no tiredness. She had not been waiting for them[Pg 246] long, oh, so long as she had! A great lump came struggling up into her throat, drops of sweat gathered on her forehead. The book with the spotted cover lay across her knees; the tears came splash, splash upon the yellow binding40; and Violet, bending her head down lower, said in a sobbing42 whisper,—
"Oh, dear Lord Jesus! canst thou not also give wings to Violet? Violet is so tired, and cannot walk or run." Then followed another long sob41 and a shower of burning tears, in the midst of which the door opened and Evelina came laughing in, her eyes brimming with fun and her whole manner joyous43 and gay.
"Did any one ever hear of such an idea?" she cried, flinging herself down on a chair. "To make that great fat Miss Ella an angel! the very thought of it gives one almost a fit. I could almost die of laughter.—But what is the matter with the child? What art thou crying for, Violet?" and Evelina rose and came over to Violet, whose head was bent44 upon her purple frock, and her face was covered with her hands.
"What troubles thee? Look up, Violet, and hear my news. There is going to be a great procession through the town. The general is coming home wounded from the war. Such a brave old fellow![Pg 247] he has had both his arms shot off, and two of his sons have been killed in the battle of Sedan; so all Edelsheim is going out to meet him on his return and give him a welcome. And there are to be hundreds of girls dressed in white, who are to sing beautiful songs and scatter45 flowers on the road; and a whole band of little angels, who are to have wings, and they are to sing too. And just imagine—Ella over the way is to be an angel! Such an idea! one might just as well make an angel of a little fat, squeaking46 pig; but of course it is for her voice they want her. Ah, Miss Violet, it is a shame for thee to go on crying so when I have brought thee home such a grand piece of news. What ails47 thee? Look up and tell me."
"I want to be an angel too," cried Violet with a bursting sob.
"An angel! Ah, is that it? Poor little darling! thou wilt be an angel soon enough."
"But Ella will have wings first, and will fly away from Violet, and Violet is so lonely."
"Miss Ella fly!" cried Evelina, throwing up her hands again and bursting into a fresh fit of laughter. "Why, it would take all the wings in the town to lift her off her feet. No, no; do not be afraid; Miss Ella will not fly."
[Pg 248]
"Ah, no, no, my treasure; that would be impossible. Thou canst not walk, and it is a long way to the station."
"But if I had wings."
"Yes, yes, of course, if thou hadst wings that would be another thing; then thou couldst fly wherever thou hadst a wish," said Evelina soothingly49, for the pleading eyes so full of their sorrow pained her.
"And the doctor said, soon, very soon, Violet would have them; and perhaps God would give Violet wings that very day, and then she could go with all the other angels. Is it not so, Evelina?"
"Yes, yes; of course, when the Lord Jesus gives Violet wings then she can go where she likes."
"I will ask him, yes, I will ask him," said Violet softly; and through her tears there broke a sweet struggling smile as she lifted her eyes to the sky above the shadowy hill and held communion with her God.
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1
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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joyfully
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| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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4
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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5
scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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scraps
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| 油渣 | |
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7
rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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8
casements
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| n.窗扉( casement的名词复数 ) | |
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9
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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10
fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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11
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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12
refreshing
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| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
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13
wafted
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| v.吹送，飘送，（使）浮动( waft的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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15
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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16
tinkle
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| vi.叮当作响；n.叮当声 | |
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17
propped
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| 支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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19
dozing
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| v.打瞌睡,假寐 n.瞌睡 | |
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20
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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21
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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22
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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24
backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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25
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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26
dangled
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| 悬吊着( dangle的过去式和过去分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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27
uncommonly
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| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
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28
pranks
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| n.玩笑，恶作剧( prank的名词复数 ) | |
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29
moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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30
withered
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| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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31
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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32
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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33
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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34
wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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35
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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36
exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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37
crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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38
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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39
hop
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| n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过 | |
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40
binding
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| 有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的 | |
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41
sob
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| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
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42
sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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43
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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44
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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45
scatter
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| vt.撒，驱散，散开；散布/播；vi.分散，消散 | |
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46
squeaking
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| v.短促地尖叫( squeak的现在分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
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47
ails
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| v.生病( ail的第三人称单数 )；感到不舒服；处境困难；境况不佳 | |
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48
sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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49
soothingly
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| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
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