Her visit to the Vicarage did not take long, and rather depressed the poor woman, for the Vicar told her that, as it was a fever hospital to which Fanny had been taken, he did not think that friends would be allowed to visit the patients, for fear of catching the disease themselves or carrying the infection to other people.
"Oh, sir, but I must see my child," said Mrs. Brown, with tears in her eyes. "If Fanny is dangerously ill, I am sure she will want to see me, for she did not tell me she was going to leave the comfortable place Miss Martin got for her, and I know she will feel better when she has told me all about it."
"Very well. I hope the rules will allow you to see her, Mrs. Brown, for I can understand how anxious you must feel about poor Fanny. But do not forget that, although you may not be able to go to her, God is with her, to direct and comfort her, as He was with the other little woman when she was shut in the cave."
"Oh, sir, but Eliza was doing her duty when she got on those steps she told me about; but I am afraid Fanny has been naughty and wilful;" and there Mrs. Brown stopped.
"But God cares for His wilful children as well as those who try to serve Him in the way of duty. I do not say that they are alike in being happy in His service. The wilful ones may doubt whether God cares for them any longer, and may think themselves forgotten by God, but this does not make any difference in His love and care. You say Fanny has been naughty and wilful, but you are going to look for her the more carefully because you think she needs you the more on account of her wilfulness. Now, try to think that your mother-love is only a shadow of the greater love God has for us, and trust Him to take care of Fanny, although you can do very little for her yourself just now."
Mrs. Brown tried to thank the Vicar for his kindly advice; and having been assured that Eliza should come home some other day for the promised holiday, she hurried away, for she had a long walk before her, and as yet there were no tramcars running between this distant suburb and the neighbourhood of Mortimer Street.
Fortunately for Mrs. Brown, she had little difficulty in finding the address she wanted, and Mrs. Lewis was at home and saw her with very little delay. She also could give the poor woman some little comfort, for she spoke very highly of Fanny as a hard-working girl, and said she hoped she would come back to her when she was able to leave the hospital. But she could give her no information about the rules of the hospital, or whether she would be able to see Fanny if she went there.
[CHAPTER XVIII]
A MOTHER'S QUEST
THE uncertainty as to whether she would gain admittance to the fever hospital, did not deter Mrs. Brown from going there. Fortunately she found that a tramcar from the neighbourhood of Mortimer Street passed the gates of the hospital, so that she was able to reach it without walking much further. When at last the hospital was reached, and the gate opened to her impatient ringing, it seemed hours that she had to wait, before she could gain any certain news about Fanny. The only thing the porter did seem certain about was that she could not go beyond the porch of the building, where inquiries had to be made. To see Fanny, unless she was dangerously ill, was quite out of the question. So Mrs. Brown had to go back at last with what comfort she could get from the assurance that she was going on very well, and if there was any change for the worse, she would be sent for immediately, as this was the rule of the hospital.