Five Little Peppers And How They Grew [27]
had had since Joey was taken sick. And little Mrs. Beebe coming in found her thus.
"Polly," the good woman said, leaning over her, "you poor, pretty creeter, you; I'm goin' to tell you somethin'--there, there, just to think! Joel's goin' to get well!"
"Oh, Mrs. Beebe!" cried Polly, tumbling over in a heap on the floor, her face, as much as could be seen under the bandage, in a perfect glow, "Is he, really?"
"Yes, to be sure; the danger's all over now," said the little old lady, inwardly thinking--"If I hadn't a-come!"
"Well, then, the Lord wants him to," cried Polly, in rapture; "don't he, Mrs. Beebe?"
"To be sure--to be sure," repeated the kind friend, only half understanding.
"Well, I don't care about my eyes, then," cried Polly; and to Mrs. Beebe's intense astonishment and dismay, she spun round and round in the middle of the floor.
"Oh, Polly, Polly!" the little old lady cried, running up to her, "do stop! the doctor wouldn't let you! he wouldn't really, you know! it'll all go to your eyes."
"I don't care," repeated Polly, in the middle of a spin; but she stopped obediently; "seems as if I just as soon be blind as not; it's so beautiful Joey's going to get well!"
SUNSHINE AGAIN
But as Joel was smitten down suddenly, so he came up quickly, and his hearty nature asserted itself by rapid strides toward returning health; and one morning he astonished them all by turning over suddenly and exclaiming:
"I want something to eat!"
"Bless the Lord!" cried Mrs. Pepper, "now he's going to live!"
"But he mustn't eat," protested Mrs. Beebe, in great alarm, trotting for the cup of gruel. "Here, you pretty creeter you, here's something nice." And she temptingly held the spoon over Joel's mouth; but with a grimace he turned away.
"Oh, I want something to eat! some gingerbread or some bread and butter."
"Dear me!" ejaculated Mrs. Beebe. "Gingerbread!" Poor Mrs. Pepper saw the hardest part of her trouble now before her, as she realized that the returning appetite must be fed only on strengthening food; for where it was to come from she couldn't tell.
"The Lord only knows where we'll get it," she groaned within herself.
Yes, He knew. A rap at the door, and little David ran down to find the cause.
"Oh, mammy," he said, "Mrs. Henderson sent it--see! see!" And in the greatest excitement he placed in her lap a basket that smelt savory and nice even before it was opened. When it was opened, there lay a little bird delicately roasted, and folded in a clean napkin; also a glass of jelly, crimson and clear.
"Oh, Joey," cried Mrs. Pepper, almost overwhelmed with joy, "see what Mrs. Henderson sent you! now you can eat fit for a king!"
That little bird certainly performed its mission in life; for as Mrs. Beebe said, "It just touched the spot!" and from that very moment Joel improved so rapidly they could hardly believe their eyes.
"Hoh! I haven't been sick!" he cried on the third day, true to his nature. "Mammy, I want to get up."
"Oh, dear, no! you mustn't, Joel," cried Mrs. Pepper in a fright, running up to him as he was preparing to give the bedclothes a lusty kick; "you'll send 'em in."
"Send what in?" asked Joel, looking up at his mother in terror, as the dreadful thought made him pause.
"Why, the measles, Joey; they'll all go in if you get out."
"How they goin' to get in again, I'd like to know?" asked Joel, looking at the little red spots on his hands in incredulity; say, ma!
"Well, they will," said his mother, "as you'll find to your sorrow if you get out of bed."
"Oh, dear," said Joel, beginning to whimper, as he drew into bed again, "when can I get up, mammy!"
"Oh, in a day or two," responded Mrs. Pepper, cheerfully; "you're getting on so finely you'll be as smart as a cricket! Shouldn't you say he might get up in a day or two, Mrs. Beebe?" she appealed to that individual who was knitting away cheerily in the corner.
"Well, if he keeps on as he's begun, I shouldn't know what to think," replied Mrs. Beebe. "It beats all how quick he's picked up. I never
"Polly," the good woman said, leaning over her, "you poor, pretty creeter, you; I'm goin' to tell you somethin'--there, there, just to think! Joel's goin' to get well!"
"Oh, Mrs. Beebe!" cried Polly, tumbling over in a heap on the floor, her face, as much as could be seen under the bandage, in a perfect glow, "Is he, really?"
"Yes, to be sure; the danger's all over now," said the little old lady, inwardly thinking--"If I hadn't a-come!"
"Well, then, the Lord wants him to," cried Polly, in rapture; "don't he, Mrs. Beebe?"
"To be sure--to be sure," repeated the kind friend, only half understanding.
"Well, I don't care about my eyes, then," cried Polly; and to Mrs. Beebe's intense astonishment and dismay, she spun round and round in the middle of the floor.
"Oh, Polly, Polly!" the little old lady cried, running up to her, "do stop! the doctor wouldn't let you! he wouldn't really, you know! it'll all go to your eyes."
"I don't care," repeated Polly, in the middle of a spin; but she stopped obediently; "seems as if I just as soon be blind as not; it's so beautiful Joey's going to get well!"
SUNSHINE AGAIN
But as Joel was smitten down suddenly, so he came up quickly, and his hearty nature asserted itself by rapid strides toward returning health; and one morning he astonished them all by turning over suddenly and exclaiming:
"I want something to eat!"
"Bless the Lord!" cried Mrs. Pepper, "now he's going to live!"
"But he mustn't eat," protested Mrs. Beebe, in great alarm, trotting for the cup of gruel. "Here, you pretty creeter you, here's something nice." And she temptingly held the spoon over Joel's mouth; but with a grimace he turned away.
"Oh, I want something to eat! some gingerbread or some bread and butter."
"Dear me!" ejaculated Mrs. Beebe. "Gingerbread!" Poor Mrs. Pepper saw the hardest part of her trouble now before her, as she realized that the returning appetite must be fed only on strengthening food; for where it was to come from she couldn't tell.
"The Lord only knows where we'll get it," she groaned within herself.
Yes, He knew. A rap at the door, and little David ran down to find the cause.
"Oh, mammy," he said, "Mrs. Henderson sent it--see! see!" And in the greatest excitement he placed in her lap a basket that smelt savory and nice even before it was opened. When it was opened, there lay a little bird delicately roasted, and folded in a clean napkin; also a glass of jelly, crimson and clear.
"Oh, Joey," cried Mrs. Pepper, almost overwhelmed with joy, "see what Mrs. Henderson sent you! now you can eat fit for a king!"
That little bird certainly performed its mission in life; for as Mrs. Beebe said, "It just touched the spot!" and from that very moment Joel improved so rapidly they could hardly believe their eyes.
"Hoh! I haven't been sick!" he cried on the third day, true to his nature. "Mammy, I want to get up."
"Oh, dear, no! you mustn't, Joel," cried Mrs. Pepper in a fright, running up to him as he was preparing to give the bedclothes a lusty kick; "you'll send 'em in."
"Send what in?" asked Joel, looking up at his mother in terror, as the dreadful thought made him pause.
"Why, the measles, Joey; they'll all go in if you get out."
"How they goin' to get in again, I'd like to know?" asked Joel, looking at the little red spots on his hands in incredulity; say, ma!
"Well, they will," said his mother, "as you'll find to your sorrow if you get out of bed."
"Oh, dear," said Joel, beginning to whimper, as he drew into bed again, "when can I get up, mammy!"
"Oh, in a day or two," responded Mrs. Pepper, cheerfully; "you're getting on so finely you'll be as smart as a cricket! Shouldn't you say he might get up in a day or two, Mrs. Beebe?" she appealed to that individual who was knitting away cheerily in the corner.
"Well, if he keeps on as he's begun, I shouldn't know what to think," replied Mrs. Beebe. "It beats all how quick he's picked up. I never