"God has been so good to me, Mary Louise!" she once exclaimed as they were sitting together in the garden. "He has given me sight, that I may revel5 in bookland and in the beauties of flowers and trees and shifting skies and the faces of my friends. He has given me the blessing6 of hearing, that I may enjoy the strains of sweet music and the songs of the birds and the voices of those I love. And I can scent7 the fragrance8 of the morning air, the perfume of the roses and—yes! even the beefsteak Aunt Hannah is frying for supper. The beefsteak tastes as good to me as it does to you. I can feel the softness of your cheek; I can sing melodies, in my own way, whenever my heart swells9 with joy. I can move about, by means of this wonderful chair, without the bother of walking. You don't envy me, Mary Louise, because you enjoy almost equal blessings10; but you must admit I have reason for being happy."
Irene read a good many books and magazines and through the daily papers kept well posted on the world's affairs. Indeed, she was much better posted than Mary Louise, who, being more active, had less leisure to think and thus absorb the full meaning of all that came to her notice. Irene would play the piano for hours at a time, though obliged to lean forward in her chair to reach the keys, and her moods ran the gamut11 from severely12 classical themes to ragtime13, seeming to enjoy all equally. She also sewed and mended with such consummate14 skill that Mary Louise, who was rather awkward with her needle, marveled at her talent.
Nor was this the end of the chair-girl's accomplishments15, for Irene had a fancy for sketching16 and made numerous caricatures of those persons with whom she came in contact. These contained so much humor that Mary Louise was delighted with them—especially one of "Uncle Peter" toying with his watch fob and staring straight ahead of him with round, expressionless eyes.
"Really, Irene, I believe you could paint," she once said.
"No," answered her friend, "I would not be so wicked as to do that. All imitations of Nature seem to me a mock of God's handiwork, which no mortal brush can hope to equal. I shall never be so audacious, I hope. But a photograph is a pure reflex of Nature, and my caricatures, which are merely bits of harmless fun, furnish us now and then a spark of humor to make us laugh, and laughter is good for the soul. I often laugh at my own sketches17, as you know. Sometimes I laugh at their whimsical conception, before ever I put pencil to paper. Lots of caricatures I make secretly, laughing over and then destroying them for fear they might be seen and hurt the feelings of their innocent subjects. Why, Mary Louise, I drew your doleful face only yesterday, and it was so funny I shrieked18 with glee. You heard me and looked over at me with a smile that made the caricature lie, so I promptly19 tore it up. It had served its purpose, you see."
So many of these quaint20 notions filled the head of the crippled girl that Mary Louise's wondering interest in her never flagged. It was easy to understand why Mrs. Conant had declared that Irene was the joy and life of the household, for it was impossible to remain morbid21 or blue in her presence.
For this reason, as well as through the warm and sincere affection inspired by Irene, Mary Louise came by degrees to confide22 to her the entire story of the mystery that surrounded her grandfather and influenced the lives of her mother and herself. Of her personal anxieties and fears she told her new friend far more than she had ever confessed to anyone else and her disclosures were met by ready sympathy.
"Phoo!" cried Irene. "This isn't a REAL trouble; it will pass away. Everything passes away in time, Mary Louise, for life is a succession of changes—one thing after another. Remember the quotation23: 'Whate'er may be thy fate to-day, remember—this will pass away.' I love that little saying and it has comforted me and given me courage many a time."
"Life will also pass away," observed Mary Louise pessimistically.
"To be sure. Isn't that a glad prospect24? To pass to a new life, to new adventures, planned for us by the wisdom of God, is the most glorious promise we mortals possess. In good time that joy will be ours, but now we must make the most of our present blessings. I take it, Mary Louise, that there is a purpose in everything—a Divine Purpose, you know—and that those who most patiently accept their trials will have the better future recompense. What's a twisted ankle or a shriveled leg to do with happiness? Or even a persecuted25 grandfather? We're made of better stuff, you and I, than to cry at such babyish bumps. My! what a lot of things we both have to be thankful for."
Somehow these conversations cheered Mary Louise considerably26 and her face soon lost its drawn27, worried look and became almost as placid28 as in the days when she had Gran'pa Jim beside her and suspected no approaching calamity29. Gran'pa Jim would surely have loved Irene, had he known her, because their ideas of life and duty were so similar.
As it was now less than a month to the long summer vacation, Mary Louise did not enter the Dorfield High School but studied a little at home, so as not to get "rusty," and passed most of her days in the society of Irene Macfarlane. It was a week or so after her arrival that Peter Conant said to her one evening:
"I have now received ample funds for all your needs, Mary Louise, so I have sent to Miss Stearne to have your trunk and books forwarded."
"Oh; then you have heard from Gran'pa Jim?" she asked eagerly.
"Yes."
"Where is he?"
"I do not know," chopping the words apart with emphasis. "The Colonel has been very liberal. I am to put twenty dollars in cash in your pocketbook and you are to come to me for any further sums you may require, which I am ordered to supply without question. I would have favored making you an allowance, had I been consulted, but the Colonel is—eh—eh—the Colonel is the Colonel."
"Didn't Gran'pa Jim send me any letter, or—any information at all?" she asked wistfully.
"Not a word."
"In my last letter, which you promised me to forward, I begged him to write me," she said, with disappointment.
Peter Conant made no reply. He merely stared at her. But afterward30, when the two girls were alone, Irene said to her:
"I do not think you should beg your grandfather to write you. A letter might be traced by his enemies, you know, and that would mean his undoing31. He surely loves you and bears you in mind, for he has provided for your comfort in every possible way. Even your letters to him may be dangerous, although they reach him in such roundabout ways. If I were you, Mary Louise, I'd accept the situation as I found it and not demand more than your grandfather and your mother are able to give you."
This frank advice Mary Louise accepted in good part and through the influence of the chair-girl she gradually developed a more contented32 frame of mind.
Irene was a persistent33 reader of books and one of Mary Louise's self-imposed duties was to go to the public library and select such volumes as her friend was likely to be interested in. These covered a wide range of subjects, although historical works and tales of the age of chivalry34 seemed to appeal to Irene more than any others. Sometimes she would read aloud, in her sweet, sympathetic voice, to Mary Louise and Mrs. Conant, and under these conditions they frequently found themselves interested in books which, if read by themselves, they would be sure to find intolerably dry and uninteresting. The crippled girl had a way of giving more than she received and, instead of demanding attention, would often entertain the sound-limbed ones of her immediate35 circle.
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1
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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despondent
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| adj.失望的，沮丧的，泄气的 | |
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deplore
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| vt.哀叹，对...深感遗憾 | |
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chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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revel
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| vi.狂欢作乐，陶醉；n.作乐，狂欢 | |
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6
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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7
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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fragrance
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| n.芬芳，香味，香气 | |
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9
swells
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| 增强( swell的第三人称单数 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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blessings
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| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
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gamut
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| n.全音阶，(一领域的)全部知识 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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ragtime
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| n.拉格泰姆音乐 | |
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14
consummate
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| adj.完美的；v.成婚；使完美 [反]baffle | |
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15
accomplishments
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| n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就 | |
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16
sketching
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| n.草图 | |
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sketches
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| n.草图( sketch的名词复数 )；素描；速写；梗概 | |
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18
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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morbid
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| adj.病的；致病的；病态的；可怕的 | |
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confide
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| v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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23
quotation
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| n.引文，引语，语录；报价，牌价，行情 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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25
persecuted
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| （尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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27
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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28
placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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calamity
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| n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件 | |
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30
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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31
undoing
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| n.毁灭的原因，祸根；破坏，毁灭 | |
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32
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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33
persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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34
chivalry
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| n.骑士气概，侠义；（男人）对女人彬彬有礼，献殷勤 | |
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35
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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