I had two delays on the road, one of about ten minutes at the ferry, and as I had left very late I missed the train by three minutes. I had driven six miles in a pouring rain. As it was bright when I left, and my buggy umbrella is faded and torn I had left that good friend at home, so I had to take the rain protected only by a small umbrella. And then to come to a hotel where there was no fire or means of warming!
However, these are occasions for showing one's philosophy, and I have not fretted at all, but amused myself imagining what it would be to live in a hotel, or hostelry of any sort, permanently. The thought made my strenuous, and sometimes a little hard, life seem ideal in spite of its limitations.
Cherokee, March 19.
Returned from Carrollton last night and was most pleasantly entertained at Woodstock. Brought poor, thin, shaky little Rab up as far as Gregory, having written to Jim to meet him at the train and take him to his house for the night.
The child seemed overjoyed to be coming home. Dab brought the buckboard and pair to Woodstock, without any catastrophe, at 10 o'clock. I drove into Gregory to Jim's house to pick up Rab.
I found him still beaming in a very feeble black way, and still grasping the coverless shoe box with which he had appeared at the station. Jim's wife said she had been glad to have him spend the night there, and her mother, who belonged to one of our most trusted families in the far past, came out and gave me a very beautiful blessing, which went to my heart, and at the same time made me laugh, as she began:—
"Po' little man! will ondertak t'ing too big fur um! But de Lawd'll bless um all de same," and so on indefinitely.
When we reached Cherokee the mystery of the shoe box was revealed. With trembling fingers Rab unrolled a gorgeous cup and saucer, rose adorned and with a heavy gilt band, which he presented most awkwardly to Chloe, and after some fumbling in the newspapers of the box produced a mint candy basket filled with broken bits of candy which he poked into Dab's hands. The effect was dramatic.
Chloe had not pretended to be glad of Rab's return, and her greeting had been cool, to say the least. Now she was so surprised as to be quite overcome. Dab had said to his confidants that as soon as I brought Rab home he would leave, for he knew he could not keep good with Rab here. The candy had a most pleasing effect upon him, so poor little Rab had a cordial home-coming at last.
When I went to the orphanage to see him and the arrangements were made for him to meet me the next day at the train his look of tremulous joy at the prospect of going "home" was very pathetic to me, for I knew I was the only creature who would greet him with pleasure there. I took out a quarter from my very empty purse and said:—