Lilac went to bed that night with a heart full of gratitude for her uncle’s kindness, and delight at the promised visit; but her last thought before she slept was: “I’m sorry as how None-so-pretty has got to be sold.”
Chapter Nine.
Common Things.
”...Find out men’s wants and will
And meet them there, all earthly joys grow less
To the one joy of doing kindnesses.”
George Herbert.
Lilac could hardly believe her own good fortune when nothing happened the next morning to prevent her visit, not even a cross word nor a complaint from her aunt, who seemed to have forgotten her objections of last night and to be quite pleased that she should go. Mrs Greenways put a small basket into her hand before she started, into which she had packed a chicken, a pot of honey, and a pat of fresh butter.
“There,” she said, “that’s a little something from Orchards Farm, tell him. The chick’s our own rearing, and the honey’s from Peter’s bees, and the butter’s fresh this morning.”
She nodded and smiled good-naturedly; Joshua should see there was no stint at the farm. “Be back afore dusk,” she called after Lilac as she watched her from the gate.
So there was nothing to spoil the holiday or to damp Lilac’s enjoyment in any way, and she felt almost as merry as she used to be before she came to live in the valley, and had begun to have cares and troubles. For one whole day she was going to be White Lilac again, with no anxieties about the butter; she would hear no peevish voices or wrangling disputes, she would have kindness and smiles and sunshine all round her, and the blue sky above. In this happy mood everything along the well-known road had new beauties, and when she turned up the hill and felt the keener air blow against her face, it was like the greeting of an old friend. The very flowers in the tall overgrown hedges were different to those which grew in the valley, and much sweeter; she pulled sprays of them as she went along until she had a large straggling bunch to carry as well as her basket, and so at last entered Joshua’s cottage with both hands full.