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"I don't know anyone who likes to choose his company better than you!"
observed Isabelle sarcastically.
"Certainly I do. Similarity of environment presupposes similarity of
tastes. Probably my idea of enjoyment would not accord with the
chimney-sweep's, but at the same time I don't look down on the poor
beggar because... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"By the way, Evadne," said Mrs. Hildreth, "I beg you will not repeat
your mistake of yesterday."
"What do you mean, Aunt Kate?"
"Bringing such a disreputable character into the house. When I came in
and found her sitting in the hall and you talking to her I was perfectly
paralyzed. Horrible! Why her rags were abominab... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
CHAPTER VIII.
"Pompey," said Evadne one morning, "I am going to see your wife."
The black face beamed with satisfaction. "Dyee'll be mighty uplifted,
Miss 'Vadney. She think a powerful sight o' Mass Lennux."
Evadne stood watching him as he gave finishing touches to the silver
mountings of the handsome harness. "I don... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
Pompey gave one of his low chuckles. "'Specs dat's de way in dis worl',
Miss 'Vadney. We'se got ter keep on eatin', an' we can't sleep enuff one
night ter last fer a week,--but I 'low it's jes' one o' de beautiful
laws ob de Lord,--de sun an' de moon an' de stars keeps a'goin over de
same ground most continuous. So lo... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"You's mistaken, Mass Louis," said Pompey quietly.
"'Pon my word! And why don't you smoke, Pomp? You don't know what you're
missing. It is the greatest comfort on earth."
"'Specs I don't need sech poor comfort, Mass Louis. I takes my comfort
wid de Lord."
Pompey's voice was low and sweet. Evadne felt her heart glow.
"... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Why, how did you know me?" asked Evadne wonderingly.
The woman laughed softly. "Laws, honey, you'se de livin' image of yer
Pa."
She excused herself after a few moments and Evadne laid her head against
the cushions of a comfortable old rocking chair and rested. She wondered
sometimes where her old strength had gone. S... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"But you can't sing in the streets, Dyce!"
"Laws, chile, don't yer know de heart kin sing when de lips is silent?
It's de heart songs dat de King tinks de most of, but when de heart gits
too full, den de lips hez ter do deir share."
"But suppose you were to lose your eyesight, or Pompey got sick,
or----"
Dyce gave one... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
Evadne started. Surely she had heard that voice before! It must
be,--yes, it was,--her knight of the gate! Their eyes met. A great light
swept over his face and he lifted his hat. Then the surging crowd
carried him out of her range of vision.
"I don't see what you find to look so pleased about, Evadne," grumbled
Isabe... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
The kind-hearted French maid was bending over Evadne's pillow when Mrs.
Hildreth entered the room. She had grown to love the quiet stranger
whose courtesy made her work seem light, and it was with genuine regret
that she whispered to her mistress,--"It is the feevar. I know it well.
My seestar had it and died."
Evadne... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
But Evadne did not die. The fever spent itself at last and there
followed long days of utter prostration both of mind and body. Dyce's
cheery patience never failed. Her sunny nature diffused a bright
hopefulness throughout the sick chamber, until Evadne would lie in a
dreamy content, almost fancying herself back in th... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
Long days and nights of pain had followed, when John and Mrs. Hawthorne
were at their wits' end to alleviate the sufferings of the unfortunate
boy. Now the pain had resolved itself into a dull aching but Reginald
would never walk without a crutch again.
The mortification to his father was extreme. A passionate man, he... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
The concentrated bitterness of the last words made John's heart ache.
"Looking backward, Rege," he said quietly, "will never make a man of
you. It is only a waste of time and vital tissue. But there are lots of
noble lives in spite of limitations. Paul had his thorn in the flesh,
you know, and Milton his blindness. Di... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
John was called away just then to attend to some gentlemen who had come
to look at the horses, and Reginald waited for his return in vain. He
heard his father's voice once, raised high in stormy wrath, then all was
still again. Some time afterwards, through the leafy curtain of his
veranda, he saw Mr. Hawthorne drive ... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
On and on the hours swept while John fought his battle. At length he
rose, and with long, lingering glances of good-bye to every tree and
rock and flower, began his homeward way. He would think of it so while
he could. In a few short hours he would be a wanderer upon the face of
the earth. A sudden joy crept into the ... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"But, John, you mustn't go!" cried Reginald. "You cannot! My father is
out of his mind. People don't pay any attention to the ravings of a
lunatic."
John shook his head sadly. "He is master here, Rege. There is nothing
else for me to do."
"But, John, it is impossible--preposterous! Why, everything will go to
ruin with... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
John's voice choked. "Keep on loving, Nansie."
"Yes, me will. Does Desus carry de little chil'en in his arms like oo
do, Don? Me's so comf'able. Me loves Desus."
The little arm, soft and warm, crept closer around his neck, while the
golden curls swept his cheek. "Oo's my bootiful man, Don. Me'll marry oo
when me gets ... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
Suddenly Isabelle clapped her hands. "I have it!" she cried. "Send her
up to Aunt Marthe, and then we can tease Papa to let us go to Newport.
Marion is going to spend the summer with Christine Drayton, you know,
and Papa does not intend to leave the city, so we can persuade him that
it is our duty to seize such a gold... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Ah, Squire Higgins, good-evening. My niece by marriage, Miss Hildreth
of Barbadoes."
The Squire lifted his hat, there was a little desultory conversation,
then the carriages went on their separate ways, and soon Evadne found
herself at her destination.
She looked eagerly at the pretty house with its _entourage_ of fl... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
Everything was simple but delicious. The tender, juicy chicken, the
delicate pink ham, the muffins browned to a turn, the Jersey butter
moulded into a sheaf of wheat, and moist brown bread of Aunt Marthe's
own making, the blocks of golden sponge cake, the crisp lettuce, the
fragrant strawberries, the cool jelly froste... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"See to it also, my dear, that I am not disturbed at such an unearthly
hour again as I was this morning. Tesla, the great electrician, has put
himself on record as intimating that the want of sleep is a potent
factor in the deplorably heavy death rate of the present day. He thinks
sleep and longevity are synonymous, t... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
She drew a low chair up beside the bed. "Now we must begin to get
acquainted," she said.
"Dear Aunt Marthe!" cried Evadne, "I feel as if I had known you all my
life."
She gave her a swift caress. "You dear child! Then tell me about your
father."
Evadne looked at her gratefully. No one had ever cared to know about her
... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
Mrs. Everidge laughed. "The only one in all the world to puzzle over its
problems! Oh, yes, the older we grow, the more we find that the great
majority have the same feelings and perplexities as ourselves, although
some may not understand their thought clearly enough to put it into
words."
"What is your favorite verse... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Very fair must be the bride in the eyes of her royal lover, clothed in
the garments which he has selected,--all light and joy and tenderness,
for, the King's daughter is all glorious within."
"Aunt Marthe," said Evadne, after a long silence, in which they had been
tasting the sweetness of it, "I do not need to ask if... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"How do?" she said briskly, as she took the chair Evadne offered. "I
hope you're feelin' better sence you've cum?"
"Much better, thank you. I am very sorry my aunt is not at home."
"I'm sorry likewise, though it don't make as much difference as it might
have done, as I'm callin' a purpose to see you."
"That is very go... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"'Love thy neighbor as thyself,'" said Evadne. "I never thought of it in
that way before."
"Well," said Miss Riggs briskly, "I'm dredful glad you've cum, Evadne.
It'll do Mis' Everidge a sight of good to have you, though Marthe
Everidge is raised above the need of humans as far as any mortal can be
on this earth. With... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Well," she continued, "I must be goin'. I did think I'd be forehanded
in callin', but mother's been dredful wakeful lately, and when daylight
comes, it don't seem as if I had the ambition of a snail. She don't like
to be left alone for a minit, mother don't, so it's a bit of a puzzle to
keep up with society."
She lau... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"'Culture takes leisure, elegance, wide margins of time, a pocket-book;
drudgery means limitations, coarseness, crowded hours, chronic worry,
old clothes, black hands, headaches. Our real and our ideal are not
twins. Never were! I want the books, but the clothes basket wants me. I
love nature and figures are my fate. ... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"'Father and mother and the ancestors before them have done much to
bequeath those mental qualities to us, but that which scrubs them into
us, the clinch which makes them actually ours and keeps them ours, and
adds to them as the years go by,--that depends on our own plod in the
rut, our drill of habit, in a word our ... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
Mrs. Everidge laughed brightly. "If you will make holes, Horace, I must
make darns," she said.
"Not a natural sequence at all!" he retorted testily. "When the wear and
tear of time becomes visible in my underwear it must be relegated to
Reuben."
"But Reuben's affinity for patches may be no stronger than your own,
Uncl... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
The sun rose in a blaze of splendor and the birds began to twitter. The
gripsack which he carried grew strangely heavy, and he felt faint and
weary. The long strain of the day before was beginning to tell upon him,
and it was many hours since he had tasted food.
A sudden turn of the road brought him in sight of a trig... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"He ought to be hungry, poor lad, but I doubt if he eats much. Does thee
remember friend Randolph, Ruth?"
"Of course I do. But he's been dead these ten years. Thee doesn't mean
he's come back to breakfast with us?"
Her husband put his hand on her shoulder and shook her gently. Then he
kissed her. "Thee is fractious th... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Why, he wants men to pile wood," exclaimed his wife. "Thee would'st not
set John at that!"
"Lincoln split rails," said John with a smile, "why should not I pile
them? It's clean work, and honest, Mrs. Makepeace."
"He has a logging camp in the winter. Thee would'st have good pay then,
John."
"But thee would'st be so l... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"You see such beautiful things in the Bible!" said Evadne despairingly,
"why cannot I get below the surface?"
"You will, dearie. You forget I have been digging nuggets from this
precious mine for years and you have just begun to search for them.
Would you like another drive, or do you feel too tired?"
"Not in the leas... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Land, child! I ain't got but the one pair, an' they got broke this
morning. But it's jest my luck. Everything goes agin me."
"But you can get them mended," said Evadne.
"Sakes alive! There ain't much hope o' gettin' them mended, with Penel
behindhand on the rent, an' the firin' an' the land knows what else. I
don't s... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Well, I declar! Why, Barbaderz is t' other side of nowhere! Used ter
be when I went ter school. Well, well, some folks hez a lion's share uv
soarin' an' here I've ben all my life jest a' pinin' my heart out ter
git down ter Bosting, an' I ain't never got there! But that's allers the
way. I never git nuthin'. I'm sixt... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
Mrs. Everidge laughed. "No, you wouldn't dear, not if you _were_
Penelope."
"But, Aunt Marthe, how does she stand it? Why, it would drive me crazy
in a week! To think of that poor soul, working like a slave all day, and
then grudged the few winks of sleep she gets on a hard old sofa. I
declare, it makes me feel hopele... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Why, Horace," laughed Mrs. Everidge, "I thought this one was just
right! You remember you told me the last one we had, had hung five hours
too long."
"Exactly so. My friend, Trenton, will tell you that five hours is all
the length of time required to seal the fate of nations. It is a pet
theory of his that the finale... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Oh, Aunt Marthe!" she exclaimed, "must you waste this beautiful
afternoon listening to her dolorosities. I wanted you to go for a
drive!"
"You go, dearie, and take Penelope Riggs. It will be a treat to her and
you ought to be out in the open air as much as possible."
Evadne went out on the veranda. Through the open w... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"What has tumbled you, Penelope?" asked Evadne with a merry laugh.
"The Scribes and Pharisees," was the terse rejoinder. "I've just cum
from a Committee meeting of the Missionary Society an' I'm free to
confess my feelin's is roused tremendous. Seems to me nowadays the
church is built at a different angle from the Ser... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Why, yes; talkin' to myself, child. I did think, ef there was any place
folks was free an' eqal 'twould be in the Lord's service,' sez I. 'The
Bible teaches it's a pretty dangerous bizness to offend one uv these
little ones. I'm not much of a hand at quotations, but there's an
unpleasant connection between it an' a m... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
* * * * *
"Aunt Marthe," said Evadne, when they had settled down for their evening
talk, "what does it all mean? 'The victory of our faith,' you know, and
the 'Overcomeths' in Revelation? I thought Christ got the victory for
us?"
"So he does, dear child, and we through him. I came across... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Why, Horace, can this be possible?" Mrs. Everidge entered the room
quickly and stood before her husband. Neither of them noticed Evadne.
"My dear, many things are possible in this terrestrial sphere. What
particular possibility do you refer to?"
"That you have discharged Reuben?" The sweet voice trembled. Mr.
Everidg... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"But that will make it very awkward, Horace. I so often have to use the
carriage in the morning."
"'Have,' my dear Marthe, is a word which admits of many
substitutions,--'cannot' in this case will be a suitable one. I find it
is necessary to resume possession of the reins. Atalanta is retrograding
and is rapidly losin... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
Upstairs in her own room Evadne paced the floor with tightly clenched
hands. "Oh!" she cried, "what shall I do? I hate him! I hate him! How
dare he! He ought to be glad to go down on his knees to serve her, she
is so sweet, so dear! Oh, I cannot bear it! That she should be compelled
to endure such servitude, and I can... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"You must not do it, dear!" said Aunt Marthe quickly. "Honor the King."
After a pause she began to speak slowly and her voice was sweet and low.
"When, the first night you came, you asked me if I knew Jesus Christ, I
told you he was my life. That explains it all. It is very sweet of you
to say the kind things that you... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"But we cannot have the Trinity abiding in our hearts!" said Evadne in
an awestruck voice.
"The Bible teaches us so."
"Not God, Aunt Marthe!"
"Jesus is God, little one. He said to the Jews, 'I and my Father are
one.' He says plainly, 'If any man love me, he will keep my word and my
Father will love him, and we will co... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"You talk of the cross, Aunt Marthe, and other people talk of crosses.
Aunt Kate and Isabelle are always talking about the sacrifices they have
to make, and Mrs. Rivers carries a perfect bundle of crosses on her
back. She is wealthy and has everything she wants, and yet she is always
wailing, while Dyce is as happy as... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
Evadne looked wistfully at the rapt face, irradiated now by the
moonlight which was streaming in through the window. "_How_ you love
him, Aunt Marthe!"
"He is my all," she answered simply. The girl stroked the hand which
she still held in both her own. She is absolutely satisfied, she thought
sorrowfully, she wants no... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
Evadne sighed. "You make it seem a wonderful thing to be a Christian,"
she said.
"To be a Christian, little one, Andrew Murray tells us, 'just means to
have Christ's love.' Real love means giving always, of our best."
[Illustration: THE SILENT FIGURE WITH THE AWFUL ENTREATY IN ITS STARING
EYES]
God so loved that he ga... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
Evadne took a long, yearning look at the dear face, as if she would
imprint it upon her memory forever. "He _is_ with you," she said softly.
"_You_ will never be a puzzle to the angels."
* * * * *
The time of her stay in Vernon drew near its close, and on the last day
but one she went to... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"It's all a wale, child, a wale o' tears," old Mrs. Riggs complained as
she bade her good-bye in the porch, but when she reached the turn in the
road she heard Penelope singing,--
"Thy way, not mine, O Lord,
However dark it be!
Lead me by Thine own hand;
Choose out my path for me.
I dare not choose my lo... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
Evadne laughed merrily. "Thank you. The atmosphere of Vernon has a
wonderful power," but it was not of the material ozone she was thinking
as she spoke.
"I believe I will try it. My constitution is running down at the rate of
an alarm clock. I must take my choice between a tonic and an early
grave. Will you vouch for ... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
Mrs. Hildreth smiled, well pleased. "Horace is so poetical," she said,
"but all the Everidges are clever. What a shame it seems that a man of
his talent should be forced by ill health to exist in a place where
there is not a single soul capable of appreciating his rare qualities.
Even his wife does not begin to unders... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"What a little prig you are getting to be, Evadne!" said Isabelle with a
sneer. "Your only diversion seems to be prayer meeting and church. You
are as bad as Aunt Marthe."
"Aunt Marthe a prig! Oh, that is too funny!" and Evadne gave one of her
low, sweet laughs. "Besides, does keeping one's engagements constitute a
pr... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Doubtless the Lord would appreciate that sort of faithfulness," said
Louis gravely, "although I notice Christianity seems to be a sort of
Sing-Sing arrangement with the majority. Everything is done under a
sense of compulsion, and the air is lurid with trials and lamentations
and woe. It is not an alluring life, and,... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Exactly so," said Louis from the doorway, where he stood leisurely
buttoning his gloves. "You will never pose as the goddess of liberty,
_ma belle soeur_. It is a good thing that Lincoln got the Emancipation
bill signed before you came into power, or dusky millions might still be
weeping tears of blood."
Isabelle swe... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"I don't know what to make of the child," said Mrs. Hildreth
discontentedly, as the door closed behind her. "I believe she would
rather associate with such people than with those of her own class. She
has a bowing acquaintance with the most _outré_ looking individuals I
ever saw. I really don't think Dr. Jerome is wis... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"What other answer but 'yes' can Petruchio make to 'the prettiest Kate
in Christendom'?" replied the Judge, bowing gallantly to the face in the
mirror as he came up and stood beside his wife. It was a handsome face
but there was a hardness about it, and the lines around the mouth which
bespoke an indomitable will, had... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
He saw again the young brother, handsome, easy-going to a fault, but
with a sense of honor so fine as to shrink in indignation from the
slightest breath of shame; read again the closing words of the farewell
letter which he had read for the first time on the day now so long ago,
which he would have given worlds to rec... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Steal away, steal away,
Steal away to Jesus!
Steal away, steal away home,
We ain't got long to stay here."
The soft, deep notes of the weird melody ended in a burst of triumph,
and Evadne bent her head while her tired heart thrilled with joy. When
she looked up again Dyce was speaking.
"I've ben thinkin',... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"We'se not payin' much complimen' ter Jesus, friens, when we 'low dat de
good tings of dis worl' kin make people happier dan he kin, an' 'pears
like we ought ter be 'shamed of ourselves. De Bible sez we'se ter 'live
an' move an' hev our bein' in God,' an' it don't 'pear becomin' when we
hev such a home pervided fer us... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
Varied experiences had come to him since he had said good-by to his kind
Quaker friends and started on his search for work. Monotonous days of
wood piling in a lumber yard, long weeks of isolation among the giant
trees of the forest, where no sound was to be heard except the whistle
of the axes, as they cleaved the ai... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
Somewhere in one of the great centers of the world's industry a workman
had blundered. His conscience urged him to confess his mistake, while
Satan whispered with a sneer,--"Yes, and get turned adrift for your
pains, with a rating into the bargain!"
"Never mind if you do lose a week's wages," conscience had pleaded,
"... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
* * * * *
Some days after the funeral the Manager sent for John to come to his
private office. He was a pleasant man and had taken a kindly interest in
the capable young workman from the start.
"Well, Randolph, this is a terrible business of poor Trueman," he said,
as he pointed him to a... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Now you can go, if you are in such a tremendous hurry, Randolph: only
don't try any more of such toploftiness with me. It won't go down, you
see;" and the Manager chuckled softly, as John, with broken thanks, left
the room. "I rather think I got the better of him that time!" he said to
himself.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Judge ... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
Judge Hildreth frowned heavily as he read the name, and was about to
deny himself to the visitor, but on second thought he curtly ordered
the boy to show him in.
The man who obeyed the invitation bowed deferentially to his chief and
then took a chair in front of him, with the table between. He was
elaborately dressed,... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
The Judge rubbed his hands in simulated pleasure. "Well, that shows good
management, Peters, if the public are hungry for our stock."
"The public are fools!" said the young man, hotly.
"Not at all, Peters. A discriminating public, you know, always chooses
the best depositaries." He chuckled softly. He had turned his e... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
His vehemence was tremendous and the words poured out in a torrent which
never checked its flow. He had risen and in his excitement paced up and
down the room. Now, overcome by his effort, he sank exhausted into a
chair.
Judge Hildreth rose suddenly and locked the office door. When he turned
again his face was not a p... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"If there should come a run on the funds," answered the Judge, "_you_
would be underneath."
The man's head fell forward upon the table, and the Judge, with a cruel
smile, left the room.
* * * * *
Two office boys lingered in the handsome offices of the Consolidated
Provident Savings Compa... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Well, here goes. I'm going to write my resignation with the president's
best gold pen. You can do as you like, but it's slow and honest for me."
CHAPTER XIX.
Miss Diana Chillingworth was sitting in the old-fashioned porch of her
old-fashioned house which opened into an old-fashioned garden in one of
the suburbs of M... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Dear me! I wish Thomas would not use such very forceful language," said
Miss Diana. "Do you think he finds it necessary? Being a butcher, you
know? I hardly understand the words. Do you think you would find them
defined in Webster?"
Unavella's eyes twinkled through her gloom. "I guess Tummas ain't got
much use for di... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"You are a wonderful cook, Unavella," she said, with a pathetic
cheerfulness which did not deceive her faithful handmaiden, who, as she
confided afterwards to a friend, wuz weepin' bitter gall tears in her
mind, though she kep' a calm front outside, for she wuzn't goin' ter be
outdid in pluck by that little bit of swe... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
She caught her breath a little as she thought of the wide stretching
field where her dainty Jersey was feeding, with its cluster of trees in
one corner, under which a brook babbled joyously as it danced on its way
to the river; the pretty barn with its pigeon-house where her
snow-white fantails craned their imperious ... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
* * * * *
Miss Diana had been to see her lawyer and he had confirmed her decision.
Her income was gone. With the exception of a couple of hundred dollars,
coming to her from a different source, she was penniless. There was
nothing left her but to sell.
When she reached home that night sh... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"You dear Unavella!" Miss Diana laid her soft hand upon the
toil-roughened ones. "If you only knew how I dread the thought of
leaving you! But what else is there for me to do?"
"Gentlemen boarders," was the terse reply.
"Gentlemen boarders!" echoed Miss Diana in bewilderment.
"Yes. You catch 'em, an' I'll cook'em. We'... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Dick, my boy," he said cheerily one evening, after they had finished
what he pronounced a sumptuous repast, "I have a presentiment that this
month will witness a turning point in our career. I believe you and I
are going to become suburbanites."
The boy's sad eyes grew wide with wonder.
"What do you mean, John?"
"Wel... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"If you love, you will know," said John, the light which the boy loved
to watch creeping into his eyes. "He is the best friend we will ever
have, Dick, you and I."
He opened several papers as he spoke and ran his eyes over the
advertising columns. "H'm, I don't like the sound of these," he said,
"they promise too much... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Oh, ho! Dick, so you're pining for frills, eh? Well, if it will make
you feel more comfortable, we'll go down to Stewart's and get fitted out
to your satisfaction. But don't forget that you can be a gentleman in
homespun as well as broadcloth, Dick. Real diamonds don't need to borrow
any luster from their setting; on... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
Weeks and months flew past and the household at 'The Willows' was a very
happy one. Unavella was in great glee over the success of her scheme.
"I used ter think," she confided to her bosom friend, "thet boarders wuz
good fer nuthin' 'cept ter be an aggervation an' a plague; but I
couldn't think o' nuthin' else ter do,... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Lady Di! Lady Di!" and little Dick came hurrying into the library where
Miss Diana was sitting in the gloaming. "John wants you to come out and
see if you like the new flowers he is planting. He says I must be sure
to put your shawl on, for the dew is falling."
Miss Diana's eyes grew misty as her little cavalier adju... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
Marion sighed dismally. "Oh, dear! I don't know what I mean, except that
I'm a failure. It is no wonder Louis thinks Christianity is a humbug,
though he must confess there is something in it when he looks at you.
You are so different, Evadne! I should think Isabelle would be ashamed
of herself, for I believe half the ... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
When, some hours later, Evadne went down-stairs to luncheon, she felt
strangely happy. Marion had said Louis must confess there was something
in Christianity when he looked at her. That was what she longed to
do--to prove to him the reality of the religion of Jesus. And that
afternoon she was going to give such a plea... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
Evadne's lips quivered. "You are cruel," she said, "to shut out the
sunlight from a poor little crippled child!"
"My dear coz, I give you my word of honor, I am sorry. But there is
nothing to make a fuss about. Any other day will suit your little beggar
just as well. I promised some of the fellows to drive them out an... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
And they put their own disappointment out of sight, these kindly German
folk, and tried to make her think they cared as little as if they were
used to driving every day.
"Did you notice, Gretchen," said Hans, after Evadne had left them, "how
sweet our Fraulein was this afternoon? But her eyes looked as if she
had been... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
Louis was traveling in Europe. Isabelle and Marion were at a fashionable
French Conservatory, for the perfecting of their Parisian accent.
Evadne was alone. She had chosen to have it so. She wanted to follow up
a special course in physiology which was her favorite study.
"A nurse, Evadne! My dear, you are beside yours... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Are you mad, Lawrence, to let her take this step? Think of the Hildreth
honor!"
Again Judge Hildreth laughed--that strange, feeble laugh. "Evadne is of
age, Kate; she must do as she thinks right. As to the rest--I think the
less we say about the Hildreth honor now the better for us all."
He was alone. Mrs. Hildreth h... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
He fitted the key in the lock and turned it, then his hand fell by his
side. No, no, he had not come to that--yet. He had always held that
tampering with the mails evinced the blackest turpitude. He was an
honorable gentleman. He started. What was that? A long, low,
blood-curdling laugh, as if a dozen mocking fiends s... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Oh, Louis!" she cried one morning, and her voice was full of pain,
"how you are wasting this beautiful life that God has given you!"
Louis stretched himself lazily in his arm-chair and clasped his hands
behind his head. "Thanks for your high opinion, coz. Of what special
crime do I stand accused before the bar of you... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Because it is no profession at all. I am sure he would not mind what
you did, if it were only real work."
[Illustration: 'TAKE HER, RANDOLF, SHE IS WORTHY OF YOU.']
"Oh, pshaw! Always work, Evadne. I tell you I prefer to play. Miss
Angel told me at the General's ball last night that she liked a man who
took his glas... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
His mother looked after him with a sigh. "He is so fearless! What a
splendid cavalry officer he would make! He makes me think of the
regiment that went to the war from Marlborough." Her eye fell casually
upon Pompey who was shutting the carriage gates. "What a waste of
precious lives it was to be sure, just to free a ... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
The faithful eyes looked up at her, the brave lips tried to smile. "De
Lord Jesus is a powerful help in de time of trubble, Miss 'Vadney; I'se
leanin' on his arm."
Evadne repeated, as well as she could for tears. "'Fear thou not, for I
am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I will strengthen
thee, yea, I wil... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Uncalled for!" ejaculated Louis. "I'll venture to say the Judge will
never have a chance to follow such a brave man again."
"He sent his carriage. That was all that was necessary."
"Doubtless Dyce finds that superlative honor a perfect panacea for her
grief," said Louis sarcastically. "It is eminently fitting that Br... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Don't you think Papa looks very badly, Isabelle? And he seems so
absent, as if he had something on his mind. I noticed it long before
this happened."
Isabelle laughed carelessly. "What a girl you are, Marion! You are
always imagining things about people. For my part I have too many
worries of my own."
Upstairs Evadne... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"When Peter gave his answer--'Thou art the Christ,--the Anointed
One,--the Son of the living God,--' Christ said, 'On this rock--the
faith of thine--I will build my church.' Humanitarianism, pure and
simple, seems to me but an attempt to imitate Christ. It is beautiful as
far as it goes, but it is not my idea of follo... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Take that ring off your finger and I go straight to the devil! You say
you want to win my soul. Here is your chance. You can make of me what
you will. I own there is something in your Christianity. I can't help
sneering when I see Isabelle and Marion playing at it, but I have never
sneered at you. Now, take your choi... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
They had seen comparatively little of each other. Evadne was constantly
busy, either at private or hospital nursing, and very short were the
furloughs which she spent under her uncle's roof. Louis had spent the
first winter after his illness with his mother in the South of France,
now he was in Florida, but he wrote r... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
He stopped suddenly and bit his lips in pain. Would he not follow his
grandfather's example--if he had the chance?
"What in the world is the meaning of all this?"
Louis had arrived by an earlier train than he was expected and only his
mother was at home to greet him. The hall was in confusion, workmen's
tools lay abou... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"Oh, she is always well, you know," said his mother carelessly. "There
they come now."
"These Indian famines are a terrible business," said Judge Hildreth as
they lingered over their dessert that evening. It was pleasant to have
Louis and Evadne back again. He too was glad to see his son so well. "I
don't see what the... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
"The sufferings must be awful," said Evadne, anxious to relieve Marion's
embarrassment. "I saw in the paper to-day that----"
Mrs. Hildreth lifted her hands in mock alarm. "Pray spare us any recital
of horrors, Evadne! I never want to hear about any of these dreadful
things. What is the use, when one cannot help in any... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 | |
They were standing in an alcove partially screened by a tall palm from
the crowd which surged up and down through the rooms. He took from his
pocket a morocco case, and, opening it, held it towards her. What made
the color flush her cheeks while her eyes fell beneath his gaze? She
only saw a little square of lawn and ... | A Beautiful Possibility | Black, Edith Ferguson | 1857 | 1936 | ['en'] | 23 | {'Orphans -- Fiction', 'Christian life -- Fiction'} | PG10037 |
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