The stage of life; a Kentucky story

Book i S > GpigM'N 0

COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT.

Aunt Jane and her

Luck Charm.

A KENTUCKY STOKY

— BY —

ELLANETTA HARRISON

CINCI NN ATI

The Robert Clarke Company 1903

Copyright, 1903, by

The Robert Clarke Company.

Two Copies Received

• • • * • •

PRESS OF THE ROBERT CLARKE CO.

CINCINNATI, OHIO, TJ. S. A.

Chapter I

‘ Mamma, what was it I heard papa saying to you this morning? You’ve looked so sad ever since,” said Nina Boise, looking earnestly into her mother’s pale, troubled face.

“ I can’t tell you just now, Nina,” her mother replied, and sighed deeply as she threw herself upon a couch. “ Pick up that shawl, daughter, and spread it over me.”

“ Mamma, dear, are you chilly, when this room is so warm?” asked Nina.

“Somewhat — darling; mamma must rest now; don’t disturb her,” said Mrs. Boise.

Driven thus to her own resources, Nina stood by the window watching the rain. All was dark and dreary outside, and seemed but to reflect the gloomy forebodings that filled the child’s mind. She felt that something must be wrong but little realized what sorrow was in store for her, or what a sad change was soon coming into her bright young life — a life that had been filled with such happiness and sunshine as none but a loving mother can put into the daily experiences of a little child. She looked at her mother’s sweet face (I,'

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now, as, with closed eyes and brows contracted as if she were in pain, Mrs. Boise lay white and still.

“ I wonder what can be the matter,” thought Nina; “it must be something dreadful. I never saw mamma look so sad. She hasn't smiled once this whole livelong day !”

Presently Mrs. Boise opened her eyes, and another long-drawn, quivering sigh escaped her.

“ I haven’t disturbed you, mamma, have I ?” Nina asked.

Without answering, Mrs. Boise raised herself, and pushed her hair from her face and temples with a gesture which showed she was deciding to make some unpleasant and painful effort.

“ My child,” she began, “the doctor says I must go to Europe ; says it is very important for my health that I go at once.”

“ Does he, mamma, and do you mean to go ?” questioned Nina.

. “ I am afraid I must, my darling,” answered her mother.

“ Not and leave me, mamma?”

The child’s imploring tone and look of mingled terror and sorrow took from her mother all power of replying in words, but Nina understood the silent answer too well. With a wild cry she threw both arms around her mother’s neck and gave way

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to such violent grief that it seemed as if body and soul would be rent in twain. The sensitive, affectionate child loved her mother, nay, worshiped her, with all the strength of her being. She felt that this sweet mother, with her smiles, her caresses and guiding hand, was the one thing in the wide world she could not live without.

Mrs. Boise was a quiet woman in all things, but had for some time been weak and ill, and herself gave way to a sorrow scarcely less violent in its expression than Nina’s own. Alas ! she had good reason. She knew that the chance of her ever returning to shield the little creature nearest her heart from the future evils and snares of life was very small. She had at first refused to leave her child, declaring she would rather die than take the chance of recovery at such a cost. Her physician insisted, however, that unless she had an immediate change of climate and entire freedom from care, her days were numbered. She had begged to have Nina go with her, but her husband thought the doctor’s orders should be carried out absolutely, and that she should be relieved of even the care 1 of her little daughter. It was hard, but she had at last consented to make the sacrifice and trust in Him who gave her child, for the rest. She had dreaded to open the matter to Nina, and nothing but necessity gave her the courage to do so. She was prepared for her child’s grief, but not for the passionate paroxysms of weeping that, one after another, shook the little frame ; the calmness and self-control she had determined to maintain were impossible — nature was too strong. Her tears fell like rain as they clasped one another in convulsive embraces. After some moments Mrs. J3oise regained composure, but Nina continued weeping and sobbing as if her very heart were broken. Mrs. Boise grew alarmed.

“ Nina! Nina! listen to me,” she said. “ This is not right, my child. Remember, darling, who it is that brings this sorrow upon us. We must try and bear it bravely. Though we must sorrow, dear, we must not rebel. You hurt both yourself and me, my daughter. God sends no trouble upon us but in love, and though all seems dark now, the clouds will break and all will be glorious in the end. Mamma will return to you strong and well. Then we will be happy again. Your papa has secured a home for you with your Uncle Thomas St. Clair and your Aunt Frances. Uncle Thomas writes that all care will be taken of you, that Aunt Frances will be glad to have you in her home and look after you.”

Nina stopped crying after a while, but con-'

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tinued to sob. She hid her pathetic little tear-stained face in her mother’s lap and tried to listen, but — oh, the days and weeks, and may be years, looked so empty, so gloomy, so terrible, without her precious mother — the mother from whom she had never been separated a day in her life! The first great sorrow of her life had come, or soon would come, upon the child, and with keen sensibility and insight she realized what suffering it would bring her.

When her mother had finished talking to her, Nina arose and went softly from the room. She had often seen her mother read the Bible when troubled or suffering, and now she went to her own little room, and after she had bathed her swollen eyes, began to read the twenty-third psalm : “ 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 ; he restoreth my soul; he leadet'h me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”

“ No ! no !” sobbed Nina, “ I can’t say that I do fear evil. I fear my dear mamma will never return to me ! Oh, how can I bear it ! How can I bear it !”

“Nina!” her mother called, “it is bed-time, darling.”

She went and pressed a good-night kiss upon her mother’s face, who said, as she embraced her child: “Trust in God, dear, and he will bring sweet peace to your heart.”

The resigned look in the dear, sad mothereyes — eyes so full of understanding and sympathy — awed and subdued Nina. • She returned to her room and began to get ready for bed. She looked around, and the tears rolled down her cheeks again. There were the cushions, the tidies, and all the pretty things her mother had made for her. “ Dear old room,” she said, “ I’ve got to leave you and the house where I’ve always been with my dear mamma and papa. Papa will return, may be ; but, oh, I am so afraid my sweet mamma will not come back to me — and I shall never live in my own dear home again !”

Presently she heard her father coming up the stairs.

“Nina, child, what’s the matter? Why don’t you retire ?” he said, opening the door. “ I’m afraid your crying will disturb your mother.”

“ Oh, papa, was I crying? I didn’t know it. I don’t want to disturb her,” sobbed Nina.

“ W ell, come kiss your papa good-night, then go to bed and to sleep, like a good girl.”

After he had gone, Nina went to bed, but it was long before sweet slumber finally closed her swollen eyes and made her, for a time at least, forget her troubles.

j

Chapter II

When Mrs. Boise opened her eyes the next morning, Nina was looking into her face.

“ How do you feel, mamma?” she asked.

“ Well, about the same, daughter,” said Mrs. Boise, drawing her child to her and kissing her softly. “ Nina, daughter, it’s very early. Go back to your room,” said Mrs. Boise. “ Mamma can not get up yet.”

Nina returned to her room and opened the window. It was a smoky September morning. She could see nothing to cheer her. All looked just as she felt — full of sadness.

After a time she remembered that her mother had told her when sorrow was upon her to always go to God in prayer. She knelt by her bed and tried to ask him to be with her, but deep sobs choked her. Soon, though, a hymn she had often heard her mother sing came to her :

“ I delivered thee when bound,

And, when bleeding, healed thy wounds;

Sought thee, wondering, set thee right,

Turned thy darkness into light. ”

Suddenly the sun came forth, and Nina arose from the floor with a smile.

“ 1 believe God has promised me light !” she exclaimed.

Yes, Nina, dear, God has promised all his children light, and after we have desired it with our whole soul and sought for it with our whole strength, gleams of God-given light will shine into our minds, not because we’ve striven for it, but because only then can our minds perceive it.

When Nina went into the dining-room that morning, she found her sweet mother there waiting for her with a smile and a kiss, though the child could see tears had recently been in her mother’s eyes.

“ Did you get to sleep again, Nina, dear?” her mother asked.

“ No, mamma, 1 have been up since five waiting for you,” answered Nina.

“ What did you do all that time, my daughter ?” questioned Mrs. Boise.

“ T was looking at the sky, mamma.”

“And were you thinking of him who made the sky?” asked her mother.

“ Not all the time. I wonder, mamma, if he will care for me after you are gone?”

“ Yes, darling; he cares for you now, and will care for you then more than mamma can — if you will only put your trust in him, Nina!”

IO

“ Mamma, won’t you tell me just what you mean by ‘ putting my trust in him ’ ?” she said.

“Yes, daughter. How do you trust me?” asked Mrs. Boise.

“ Well, mamma, I believe every word you say. I am not afraid when you are near, because I know you won’t let any harm come to me. I am so happy and love you so dearly that I wish I could live forever and always be with you,” Nina said.

“ Now, dear, that is just the way you must feel toward your heavenly Father. He is wiser, truer, stronger by far than I am, and so willing to- help you when you ask him. He will be with you and love you when I am away from you. What would you do, Nina, if — if I should never return?”

“Oh, mamma, mamma! you will come back, won’t you ?” cried the child, melting into tears and clasping her arms around her mother.

“ Hush, dear ; of course I’ll come back — if God permits it. There, there; I hear the doctor coming.”

Mrs. Boise wiped the tears from Nina’s eyes and tried hard to keep back her own.

“Well, Miss Nina, what do you think of this fine scheme of mine?” said the doctor, taking her small hand.

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1 1

“ What scheme, sir ?” she asked.

“ Why, the scheme of sending this sick mother of yours over the water to get well/’ he explained.

“Will it make her quite well, doctor?” questioned Nina, earnestly.

“ To be sure it will !” he replied. “ I shouldn’t want to send any one all the way across the ocean for nothing! Who do you think would want Dr. Jones if he sent people on wild goose chases in that kind of style?”

“Will she have to stay very long, doctor?” asked Nina/

“ Well, my dear, I can not say. It will depend upon circumstances,” he said, taking his patient’s wrist and looking attentively into her face. “Little lady,” he exclaimed, turning to Nina presently, “ I have a little business with you. Weren’t you to be my nurse? Well, Miss Nursy, this lady I put under your care is not so well.. You have been letting her get nervous. Excitement is very bad for her. She may laugh all she wants to, but you must see to it that she does not cry. I want her to start as soon as she can possibly get up. The quicker she gets away, the greater is her chance of getting well quick. Don’t look so sober about it, little girl. All you have to do is just to let

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mamma be ‘like a mouse’ — very quiet, you understand. Well, good-morning, Mrs. Boise. I’ll be back to-morrow.”

“ Poor woman !” he said to himself as he went out; “ I hope she will live to get to the other side. And poor little girl ! poor little girl ! How forlorn and pathetic she looked at the prospect of parting from her mother! Well, well, she’s young and a child, and will doubtless forget and be happy in a few weeks, at most !”

Ah, doctor, children don’t always “ forget in a few weeks,” or a few months, or a few years, and this child will not.

“ Mamma,” said Nina, “ I’m going to write to you every day, and tell you all I’m doing. I can pretend I’m talking to you, can’t I ? Then I won’t be so lonesome. I wish I had seen my Aunt Frances and Uncle Tom. Uncle Tom is your only brother, isn’t he? And is Aunt Frances papa’s only sister?”

“ Yes, dear, they are the only aunt and uncle you have,” her mother replied.

“ Do you think they will like me, mamma ?”

“ Of course they will like you, my child. You must be good, and they can’t help loving you.”

“ Do yc u love them, mamma?” asked Nina.

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“ Well, Nina, it has been a long time since I’ve seen them, but they are our only relations, and I feel very kindly toward them for promising to take such good care of you, darling. You will find them different from us, perhaps, not like papa and mamma, but I hope you will love them and they will love you. You’ll have a nice little cousin there, near your own age. You m'ust help Auntie in all that she wants you to, and be sweet to your cousin.”

“ Mamma, I want to have so many things done to show you when you come back,” said Nina. “ I am going to be such a good girl, mamma, and I’m going to pray every day for you to get well. I will try and trust in God the way you said. I wish I was as good as you are, mamma; but I’ll try so hard to be good, and then we will meet in heaven some day, if — if — not on earth. ”

Tears were running down her cheeks again.

“ My dear, you are getting sad, and mamma will get the blues. Come, we must be as cheerful as we can. I sometimes think, dearest, losing me may be the means of your getting a better friend.”

“ What friend, mamma, in the whole world could be better or as good as you ?”

“ The Friend, dear^ ‘ that sticketh closer than a brother’ — or a mother!” she said. “What do you want mamma to get you before you start?” she added, in a bright tone.

“ Why, am I going alone, mamma?” asked Nina.

“ Papa can not go, dear, nor can I, but we will trust you in the keeping of some one,” said her mother.

“ All I want you to get me are paper and things to write to you with,” said Nina.

“ I shall get you a Bible, Nina, and I want you to read it often. What kind of a Bible would you like?” asked Mrs. Boise.

“Any you select will please me, mamma, and I want your name in it, too. I’ll read it often, and will pray always for you to return to me well. Do you suppose, mamma, God will grant that one thing?”

“ If you trust, believing, I believe he will,” said Mrs. Boise. “ You must feel toward him as you would toward me. Wouldn’t you ask me for a dress, believing I would get it for you?”

“Yes, mamma,” Nina answered; “ of course I would believe you would get it for me.”

“Well, when you ask God for anything, just believe he will grant it, and you will surely be

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satisfied,” said Mrs t Boise. “ Come, dear, and look at your trunk and your nice new clothes.”

“ I always wanted a trunk, but, oh, dear, now that I have one, I can see nothing but sadness in it. It — it looks like a — a coifin to me !”

“ Well, daughter, that will all vanish after a while, and you will then enjoy the things mother has got for you.”

“ How can I enjoy anything until you return, mamma? Oh, when you return, won’t we be happy then ! I wonder who will care for me on the journey to Uncle’s. It will be strange to go anywhere without you, mamma.”

“ I should love to take you to Uncle’s and see you settled, but I can’t, dear. Your father said he would find some friend who was going to Knoxville within a few days, who would take charge of you; and, my precious child, you will have the same eye to watch over you there that you have here — the all-seeing, ever-seeing eye of God.”

“ Oh,” said Nina, “ if I could only trust God as you do, mamma !”

CHAPTER III. “ Thy path is plain and straight: that light is given

Onward in faith! and leave the rest to heaven. ”

“ Come in, Aunt Jane,” said Mrs. Boise, as the black face of the colored “ aunty,” who had been Nina’s nurse, appeared at the half-open door. “ How do you feel to-day?”

“ Well, jis’ toTa’ble, Missus. I jis’ come up to see Miss Nina ’fore she go away. I had a luck cha’m I wanted fer to give her. It’s gole. Aunt Jane foun’ it when she was a slave, an’ she made a wish, an’ sho as the sun do shine it come true ! I want my Nina chile to make a wish, an’ wear the cha’m all the time her ma is gone, an’ it will sho’ly bring her luck. But we mus’ all pray that we may meet again in this ole worl’, fer lemme tell you, chile, Aunt Jane do feel pow’ful bad sometimes, an’ seems like I’se jis’ waitin’ that summons, ‘ Chile, come home ’ ; an’ then I git to thinkin’ ’bout Peter an’ John an’ all that’s gone afore, an’ I jis’ think, ‘ You ole black Jane, you don’ need to be a-feared’ ; but when you’s gone away, little Missis, Aunt Jane won’t have no one to bring her somethin’ to eat when she’s sick; an’ how I’ll hate to see the ole home here without my chile

Nina took the charm. Upon one side was engraved :

“ I will not forsake thee in dark hours of need. ”

“ Oh, mamma !” said Nina, “ that seems as if it was God speaking to me. I will always wear it, Aunt Jane; and dear, old, black Auntie, will you pray for me?”

“God bless you, honey. Of cou’se I will pray fer you ; less see, ’bout eight at night an’ ’bout six eb’ry mawnin’ ; an’ now good-by. God bless you, chile, and yo’r sweet ma.”

Nina threw both arms around Aunt Jane’s waist and began to cry. “ Oh, Aunt Jane, I won’t see any one but strangers, may be, ever again!”

“ Don’ you cry, honey,” said the good old soul. “ You’s good, an’ the Uawd ’ll take care o’ you.”

After Aunt Jane had gone, Mrs. Boise took from her casket a slender gold chain, placed the charm on it, and locked it around Nina’s neck.

“ Mamma,” said she, looking up with tears in her sweet blue eyes, “ Mamma, that shall stay locked until you return. You please keep the key.”

Mrs. Boise then talked to Nina long and earnestly about life and duty, what true living was, and what God expected of all his children. The child listened attentively, then she talked, telling her ( 2 )

1,8

mother her thoughts and feelings, her hopes and fears, and asking all manner of questions. Her very soul drank in her mother’s replies, for she felt that this beautiful mother, whom she loved so dearly, and whom she regarded the whole eleven years of her life as the one fountain of infallible wisdom and goodness, would soon be far, far away from her. Occasionally, when a full realization of what this meant came over her, her little heart would almost stop beating, her face grow white with fear. Then she would put her arms around her mother and gaze into her face, and the mother would understand and would strain her child to her heart, and talk on, trying to calm her child’s fears.

Tate in the afternoon a message came from Mr. Boise, saying that he would not be home to tea, and that he might be detained down town until late. So Mrs. Boise and Nina had to have their tea without him ; and afterwards, when bed-time came, Mrs. Boise, invalid though she was, would not deny herself the pleasure of putting Nina to bed, as she used to do when Nina was a little child. She held her in her arms and heard her precious one’s prayer to God for safe-keeping through the night, then tucked her in bed and sang to her until the child, made happy by her mother’s loving ministrations, fell asleep.

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When Mr. Boise came home, some hours later, his first words were : “ Well, I have found a fine opportunity for Nina at last.”

His poor wife could not reply. He little realized what a pang went through her heart. Her face grew white ; her lips were thin and blue ; but she only closed her eyes and kept quite still.

“ I am so glad to be relieved of that burden, and now we can get off directly. ’Tis time, I’m sure, for, dear, you look worse every day,” he said.

“A burden!” thought Mrs. Boise; “that precious child, the light of my heart, the breath of my body, a burden!” “When will she start, and with whom?” she asked, faintly.

“ Early to-morrow morning with Mrs. Knight and her daughter and servant,” replied Mr. Boise. “ So you see the child will be well taken care of. Such a fine opportunity. Captain Knight you’ve heard me speak of, and a better man or truer gentleman never lived. I have known him a long time. 1 went with him to see his wife this evening. She is a very handsome woman, and was quite pleasant ; seemed very willing to have Nina go with her. She will come for Nina at six in the morning.”

“ So early !” exclaimed Mrs. Boise. “ Why, Sarah won’t have breakfast ready by that time.”

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“ Well, that won’t matter. They will get their breakfast on the boat,” said Mr. Boise.

“ On the boat !” repeated his wife.

“Yes; they go by boat as far as Kingston, a distance, I should say, of some three hundred miles from Louisville ; then they have several hours’ ride in a stage-coach before reaching Knoxville.”

“ Do you think I’d better call Nina and tell her?” asked Mrs. Boise. •

“ No, indeed. My dear wife, what are you thinking of? You would both get so worked up you couldn’t sleep, and she would not be fit, when morning comes, to start. I’ll see that she is wakened early enough in the morning, and she won’t lay awake to-night thinking about her trip.”

“ Well,” said Mrs. Boise, “ if she must go, I shall have to pack up her precious little things to-night.”

“ Can’t I do it? You ought to be in bed and asleep,” said Mr. Boise.

“ No, no ! I prefer to do it myself,” his wife replied.

Nina’s things were all ready, and it did not take Mrs. Boise long to put them in the new trunk that stood waiting for them. No one but God and the suffering, grief-stricken mother knew what bitter

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tears fell in the trunk with them. When she had finished this last “ labor of love ” she could perform for her darling child, she stood by Nina’s bed a moment. The child’s lips were moving. Mrs. Boise bent over her and caught the words, “ Mamma, my mamma !” The mother knelt by the little bed and prayed, oh, so- earnestly, that God would take care of her child. A deep, heartrending groan escaped the poor lady, and then her husband came in.

“ My wife, are you suffering? What is the matter?” he said.

“ Oh, I can’t let my child go ! I can’t, I can’t !” she cried.

“ Come, dear,” he said, lifting her from her knees and leading her to her own room. “ You are tired and nervous. You must not worry about Nina. She will be well taken care of. My sister is anxious to have her, and you know your brother has written four or five letters assuring us they will do all in their power to make her contented and happy.”

Mrs. Boise went to bed, but the poor woman lay awake nearly all night. Not until toward morning did she get a few hours of fitful sleep.

When she awoke Mr. Boise was up and dressed.

the: stage: ot life::

“What time is it?” she asked.

“ It’s after five, and time to wake Nina,” he said ; “ but had you not better lie still ? She can come here and tell you ‘ good-by,’ and I’ll see her off.”

“ Indeed I must at least go to the door with her. Do you think I could lie here when she was leaving?” and with that Mrs. Boise arose and began making a hasty toilet.

“Nina! Nina!” she heard her husband call; “ time to get up, daughter. You start this morning with Mrs. Knight. She will be here at six, and you must be ready.”

“ How did she take it?” asked Mrs. Boise when he returned.

“As a sensible child should,” he replied; “did not move a muscle in her face.”

“ God help us !” sighed Mrs. Boise.

“ Now you have begun. My dear wife, do try and control yourself,” said her husband.

After Nina had taken in the full meaning of what her father had said, she lay a moment with wide-open, staring eyes. She wanted to scream, but did not. Instead she arose and dressed herself with feverish haste, then rushed to her mother and threw her arms around her. How they clung

Nina’s Grief at the Separation from her Mother

*

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to each other ! Both were afraid this sad embrace might be their last on earth. The dear little head, the mother thought, would never rest upon her bosom again, and this would be the last time forever that she could press these precious lips to her own. She felt that death would no more have power to give her pain after this parting was over ; indeed, the parting of soul and body would then be welcome, she thought.

They heard Mr. Boise talking to some men who were taking out Nina’s trunk, and presently he brought his daughter’s hat and said that the carriage was there. Together mother and child went to the door.

“ God bless you, my darling child !” said Mrs. Boise, “ and make you his own, — and bring you to me — where parting can not be !”

Nina felt as if her heart would burst. She screamed and held to her mother. “ Don’t make me go ! Don’t make me go !” she cried wildly, and almost fell in a convulsion. Her face was black and blue, and the blood ran from her nose.

Her father wiped her face, then with the driver’s help took her away by force and carried her to the carriage, saying as he kissed her : “ Good-by, daughter ; I am sorry to see you act