“I’m sure,” it was Mrs. Patience’s gentle voice, “Rose has won for herself a place in our home, that would be vacant without her.”
It was a moment longer before Mrs. Blossom spoke, and when she did there was a quiver in her usually firm, self-controlled tone, “Yes, I will keep Rose, and I will do for her just as I would have done for my own little Rachel if she had lived.”
Grandmother Sweet, sitting in her rocker with the sunshine falling across her snowy hair and serene face, laid down her knitting, whose subdued click, click, seemed like her own quiet personality to pervade the room, “I feel it borne on my mind, Elizabeth, that thee will never regret the word thee has just given.” And then to Mr. Jarvis, “Thee need feel no concern for the child, for while Silence and Patience in the tenderness of their hearts would, I fear, wholly spoil her, their mother will be heedful of her duty to guide and train. And truly it will be a pleasure to us all to have this little one of the dear Lord set in our midst.”
“Thank you, madam,” and Great-Uncle Samuel made a deferential bow to her; “I shall go away with my mind at ease.
“And now,” to Rose, “if I leave you with these kind ladies I shall expect you to be good and obedient in return for all they do for you.”
“I’ll try to be,” was Rose’s dutiful answer.
“That’s right, that’s right. I hope you always will remember to. Young people are very apt to think they know it all when they haven’t the first idea what’s for their good. I’m glad you look like your mother, and hope you will have all her good qualities, but I want you to remember the trouble she brought on herself and all who cared for her just by wilfulness. I believe that settles everything. Four dollars, I was told, is the average price for board here; if that is satisfactory a check will be sent you every three months, for that and Rose’s expenses. But mind,” turning to Rose, “you must be very prudent to make the money last.”
She hesitated a little. “I—I could go back to the Fifields’. They would pay me fifty cents a week and that would save a good deal.”
He threw up both hands. “What! Robert Jarvis’s granddaughter, Kate’s child, a servant? Bless me! Never let me hear of that again!”
“Rose is very helpful about the house,” added Mrs. Blossom. “I will not ask that price.”