How the hearts of the mother and her two oldest children trembledwith hope and fear! A marked change was apparent in Mr. Ellis whenhe came home with Kate. He was sober, and very serious, but saidnothing; and Mrs. Ellis deemed it prudent to say nothing to him.
On the next morning, he did not rise early. Henry had eaten hisbreakfast and was away to his work, and Kate had gone to market toget something for dinner, when he got up and dressed himself. Mrs.Ellis was ready for him with a good cup of coffee, a piece of hottoast, some broiled steak, and a couple of eggs. She said little,but her tones were subdued and very kind. Noticing that his handtrembled so that he spilled his coffee in raising his cup to hislips, (his custom was to get a glass of liquor before breakfast tosteady his nerves,) she came and stood beside him, saying, as shedid so--"Let me hold your cup for you."
Ellis acquiesced; and so his wife held the cup to his lips while hedrank.
"Oh, dear! This is a dreadful state to be in Cara!"
The exclamation was spontaneous. Had Ellis thought a moment, hispride would have caused him to repress it.
Mrs. Ellis did not reply, for she was afraid to trust herself tospeak, lest her words or voice should express something that wouldcheck the better feelings that were in the heart of her husband.But, ere she could repress it, a tear fell upon his hand. Almostwith a start, Ellis turned and looked up into her face. It was calm,yet sorrowful. The pale and wasted condition of that face had neverso struck him before.
"Ah, Cara," said he, dropping his knife and fork, "it is dreadful tolive in this way. Dreadful! dreadful!"
The poor, almost heart-broken wife could command herself no longer;and she laid her face down upon her husband and sobbed--the moreconvulsively from her efforts to regain self-possession.
"Oh, Henry!" she at length murmured, "if the past were only ours! Ifwe could but live over our lives, with some of the experience thatliving gives, how differently should we act! But, surely, hope isnot clean gone for ever! Is there not yet a better and a brighterday for even us?"
"There is, Cara! There is!" replied Ellis, in tones of confidence."It has been a long, long night, Cara; a cold and cheerless night.But the morning breaks. There is not much strength left in this poorarm," and he extended his right hand, that trembled like an aspenleaf--"but it can yet do something. It shall not be with us as ithas been any longer. In the sight of Heaven, and in the hope ofstrength from above, I promise that, Cara. Will you help me to keepmy promise?"
"Yes--yes--yes," was the emphatic response. "If there is in me aparticle of strength, it is yours, and you may lean on itconfidently. Oh, Henry! trust in me. The lessons of the past havenot been learned in vain."
"I am very weak, Cara; the pressure of a child's hand might throw meover. Do not forget this. Never forget it! If you will keep close tomy side, if you will help me, and love me,"--his voice quivered, andhe paused, but regained himself in a few moments--"I think all willbe well with us again. God helping me, I will try."
"Oh, my husband!" sobbed Mrs. Ellis, drawing her arms lovingly abouthim--"it will be well with us, for God will help you, I will helpyou, all will help you. Forget? Oh, no! I can never forget. Have wenot all been thoughtful of you, and kind to you in the night that ispassing away?"
"Yes, Cara, yes."
"And will we not be kinder and more loving in the brighter future?We will! we will, Henry! Oh! how my glad heart runs over!"
"I saw Mr. Wilkinson yesterday," said Ellis, after both had growncalmer; "and he said that he could and would get me a situation asclerk. I am now going to see him, and, if he be as good as his word,this desert place"--and he glanced about the room--"will soonbrighten as the rose."
The entrance of Kate closed the interview. In a little while, Ellis,after shaving himself, and in every possible way improving hisappearance, left the house and went direct to the store ofWilkinson.
"Henry! Is it possible!" exclaimed the latter, in surprise, whenEllis stood before him.
"In my right mind again," was the calm, but firmly spoken answer.
"How glad I am to hear you say so!" And Wilkinson grasped the handof his old friend, and shook it warmly.
"You remember your promise of yesterday?" said Ellis. He spokeseriously.
"To get you a good situation?"
"Yes."
"I have not forgotten my word, Henry; and will keep it. You are agood accountant?"
"I am."
"This morning my book-keeper notified me of his intention to leaveas soon as I could supply his place. If you will take the situationat seven hundred and fifty dollars a year, it is open for you."
"John Wilkinson!" exclaimed Ellis, seizing the hand of his friend,and exhibiting much agitation. "Are you indeed in earnest?"
"I never was more so in my life," was replied.
"Then, indeed the day has broken!" said Ellis, with emotion. "Whenwill you want me to begin?" he asked after a short period ofsilence.
"Now," replied Wilkinson.
"Now, did you say?"
"Yes. I have work that needs attention at once. When will you come?"
"A good beginning never can be made too early. Now."
Wilkinson turned, and the two men walked back to a vacant desk. Anumber of accounts and letters lay thereon, and, as Wilkinson beganto enter into some explanation in regard to them, Ellis took up apen and laid the point of it on a sheet of paper. The nervous tremorof his hand showed him to be in no condition for the task upon whichhe was about entering. Wilkinson comprehended this in a moment, anda fear lest the drunkard's delirium should follow so sudden awithdrawal of stimulant from the system of Ellis, sent a chillthrough his feelings. Instead of putting him to the desk at once, hedetermined, on the instant, to employ him at more active work aboutthe store for a few weeks, until, if he kept to his good resolution,some degree of firmness was restored to his shattered nerves. Inagreement with this humane purpose he acted.
With what trembling anxiety did Mrs. Ellis await the return of herhusband at dinner-time! The hours wore slowly away, and, at last,her watchful ear caught the sound of his footsteps. She scarcelybreathed until the door opened. One glance sufficed. All was well.How glad was the impulse with which her stilled heart went on again!Tears of joy bedewed her face, when he related the good fortune thathad attended his call on Wilkinson.
"Yes, yes," said he, when he had told her all, and glancing aroundthe room as he spoke. "This desert place shall blossom as the rose.I have said it, and I will keep my word."
In the evening, Henry and his father met, for the first time, faceto face, since they parted in anger on one side and grief on theother. When Kate came home with the latter on the night previous,Henry had managed to enter the house before them, and so kept out ofhis father's way. Now, on coming in from his work, he found himalready at home, and so changed in appearance, that he gazed uponhim with a surprise which he could not at first conceal.
"Henry, my son," said Mr. Ellis, in a kind, self-possessed tone ofvoice, and he reached out his hand as he spoke.
The boy took his father's hand, and looked earnestly into his face.
"Henry, how long have you been with Mr. Wilson?" inquired Mr. Ellis.
"Two years, sir," was answered.
The father looked at the boy's hands, and sighed. They were hard anddiscolored from labour.
"Tell Mr. Wilson, in the morning," said he, "that I wish you toleave him after this week."
"Sir!" Henry looked surprised.
"Tell him that I wish you to go to school for a year or two."
"Father!" The blood flew suddenly to the lad's face. For a fewmoments he looked at his father; then turning, he passed quicklyinto the adjoining room. In the stillness that followed, wereaudible the sobs that came from his overflowing heart.
A week, a month, a year have passed, yet the promise of that happytime is dimmed not by a single cloud. Firm in his better purpose andfully sustained at home, Henry Ellis is walking steadily the path ofsafety. Home is what it ever should have been, the pleasantest placein all the world; for she who is its sunlight never meets him with aclouded face. His desert has, indeed, blossomed as the rose. May thebloom and fragrance thereof never fade nor lose its sweetness!
THE END.
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