Chapter 4 - Aunts

by Louisa May Alcott

　　All dinner-time Rose felt that she was going to be talked about, andafterward she was sure of it, for Aunt Plenty whispered to her as they wentinto the parlour"Run up and sit awhile with Sister Peace, my dear. She likes to have youread while she rests, and we are going to be busy."Rose obeyed, and the quiet rooms above were so like a church that she sooncomposed her ruffled feelings, and was unconsciously a little minister ofhappiness to the sweet old lady, who for years had sat there patientlywaiting to be set free from pain.Rose knew the sad romance of her life, and it gave a certain tender charmto this great-aunt of hers, whom she already loved. When Peace was twenty,she was about to be married; all was done, the wedding dress lay ready, theflowers were waiting to be put on, the happy hour at hand, when word camethat the lover was dead. They thought that gentle Peace would die, too; butshe bore it bravely, put away her bridal gear, took up her life afresh, andlived on a beautiful, meek woman, with hair as white as snow and cheeksthat never bloomed again. She wore no black, but soft, pale colours, as ifalways ready for the marriage that had never come.For thirty years she had lived on, fading slowly, but cheerful, busy, andfull of interest in all that went on in the family; especially the joys andsorrows of the young girls growing up about her, and to them she wasadviser, confidante, and friend in all their tender trials and delights. Atruly beautiful old maiden, with her silvery hair, tranquil face, and anatmosphere of repose about her that soothed whoever came to her!Aunt Plenty was utterly dissimilar, being a stout, brisk old lady, with asharp eye, a lively tongue, and a face like a winter-apple. Alwaystrotting, chatting, and bustling, she was a regular Martha, cumbered withthe cares of this world and quite happy in them.Rose was right; and while she softly read psalms to Aunt Peace, the otherladies were talking about her little self in the frankest manner."Well, Alec, how do you like your ward?" began Aunt Jane, as they allsettled down, and Uncle Mac deposited himself in a corner to finish hisdoze."I should like her better if I could have begun at the beginning, and sogot a fair start. Poor George led such a solitary life that the child hassuffered in many ways, and since he died she has been going on worse thanever, judging from the state I find her in.""My dear boy, we did what we thought best while waiting for you to wind upyour affairs and get home. I always told George he was wrong to bring herup as he did; but he never took my advice, and now here we are with thispoor dear child upon our hands. I, for one, freely confess that I don'tknow what to do with her any more than if she was one of those strange,outlandish birds you used to bring home from foreign parts." And AuntPlenty gave a perplexed shake of the head which caused great commotionamong the stiff loops of purple ribbon that bristled all over the cap likecrocus buds."If my advice had been taken, she would have remained at the excellentschool where I placed her. But our aunt thought best to remove her becauseshe complained, and she has been dawdling about ever since she came. A mostruinous state of things for a morbid, spoilt girl like Rose," said Mrs.Jane, severely.She had never forgiven the old ladies for yielding to Rose's patheticpetition that she might wait her guardian's arrival before beginninganother term at the school, which was a regular Blimber hot-bed, and turnedout many a feminine Toots."I never thought it the proper school for a child in good circumstances anheiress, in fact, as Rose is. It is all very well for girls who are to gettheir own living by teaching, and that sort of thing; but all she needs isa year or two at a fashionable finishing school, so that at eighteen shecan come out with eclat," put in Aunt Clara, who had been a beauty and abelle, and was still a handsome woman."Dear, dear! how short-sighted you all are to be discussing education andplans for the future, when this unhappy child is so plainly marked for thetomb," sighed Aunt Myra, with a lugubrious sniff and a solemn wag of thefunereal bonnet, which she refused to remove, being afflicted with achronic catarrh."Now, it is my opinion that the dear thing only wants freedom, rest, andcare. There is look in her eyes that goes to my heart, for it shows thatshe feels the need of what none of us can give her a mother," said AuntJessie, with tears in her own bright eyes at the thought of her boys beingleft, as Rose was, to the care of others.Uncle Alec, who had listened silently as each spoke, turned quickly towardsthe last sister, and said, with a decided nod of approval"You've got it, Jessie; and, with you to help me, I hope to make the childfeel that she is not quite fatherless and motherless.""I'll do my best, Alec; and I think you will need me, for, wise as you are,you cannot understand a tender, timid little creature like Rose as a womancan," said Mrs. Jessie, smiling back at him with a heart full of motherlygoodwill."I cannot help feeling that I, who have had a daughter of my own, can bestbring up a girl; and I am very much surprised that George did not entrusther to me," observed Aunt Myra, with an air of melancholy importance, forshe was the only one who had given a daughter to the family, and she feltthat she had distinguished herself, though ill-natured people said that shehad dosed her darling to death."I never blamed him in the least, when I remember the perilous experimentsyou tried with poor Carrie," began Mrs. Jane, in her hard voice."Jane Campbell, I will not hear a word! My sainted Caroline is a sacredobject," cried Aunt Myra, rising as if to leave the room.Dr. Alec detained her, feeling that he must define his position at once,and maintain it manfully if he hoped to have any success in his newundertaking."Now, my dear souls, don't let us quarrel and make Rose a bone ofcontention though, upon my word, she is almost a bone, poor little lass!You have had her among you for a year, and done what you liked. I cannotsay that your success is great, but that is owing to too many fingers inthe pie. Now, I intend to try my way for a year, and if at the end of itshe is not in better trim than now, I'll give up the case, and hand herover to someone else. That's fair, I think.""She will not be here a year hence, poor darling, so no one need dreadfuture responsibility," said Aunt Myra, folding her black gloves as if allready for the funeral."By Jupiter! Myra, you are enough to damp the ardour of a saint!" cried Dr.Alec, with a sudden spark in his eyes. "Your croaking will worry that childout of her wits, for she is an imaginative puss, and will fret and fancyuntold horrors. You have put it into her head that she has no constitution,and she rather likes the idea. If she had not had a pretty good one, shewould have been 'marked for the tomb' by this time, at the rate you havebeen going on with her. I will not have any interference please understandthat; so just wash your hands of her, and let me manage till I want help,then I'll ask for it.""Hear, hear!" came from the corner where Uncle Mac was apparently wrapt inslumber."You were appointed guardian, so we can do nothing. But I predict that thegirl will be spoilt, utterly spoilt," answered Mrs. Jane, grimly."Thank you, sister. I have an idea that if a woman can bring up two boys asperfectly as you do yours, a man, if he devotes his whole mind to it, mayat least attempt as much with one girl," replied Dr. Alec, with a humorouslook that tickled the others immensely, for it was a well-known fact in thefamily that Jane's boys were more indulged than all the other lads puttogether."I am quite easy, for I really do think that Alec will improve the child'shealth; and by the time his year is out, it will be quite soon enough forher to go to Madame Roccabella's and be finished off," said Aunt Clara,settling her rings, and thinking, with languid satisfaction, of the timewhen she could bring out a pretty and accomplished niece."I suppose you will stay here in the old place, unless you think ofmarrying, and it's high time you did," put in Mrs. Jane, much nettled ather brother's last hit."No, thank you. Come and have a cigar, Mac," said Dr. Alec, abruptly."Don't marry; women enough in the family already," muttered Uncle Mac; andthen the gentlemen hastily fled."Aunt Peace would like to see you all, she says," was the message Rosebrought before the ladies could begin again."Hectic, hectic! dear me, dear me!" murmured Aunt Myra, as the shadow ofher gloomy bonnet fell upon Rose, and the stiff tips of a black glovetouched the cheek where the colour deepened under so many eyes."I am glad these pretty curls are natural; they will be invaluable by andby," said Aunt Clara, taking an observation with her head on one side."Now that your uncle has come, I no longer expect you to review the studiesof the past year. I trust your time will not be entirely wasted infrivolous sports, however," added Aunt Jane, sailing out of the room withthe air of a martyr.Aunt Jessie said not a word, but kissed her little niece, with a look oftender sympathy that made Rose cling to her a minute, and follow her withgrateful eyes as the door closed behind her.After everybody had gone home, Dr. Alec paced up and down the lower hall inthe twilight for an hour, thinking so intently that sometimes he frowned,sometimes he smiled, and more than once he stood still in a brown study.All of a sudden he said, half aloud, as if he had made up his mind"I might as well begin at once, and give the child something new to thinkabout, for Myra's dismals and Jane's lectures have made her as blue as alittle indigo bag."Diving into one of the trunks that stood in a corner, he brought up, aftera brisk rummage, a silken cushion, prettily embroidered, and a quaint cupof dark carved wood."This will do for a start," he said, as he plumped up the cushion anddusted the cup. "It won't do to begin too energetically, or Rose will befrightened. I must beguile her gently and pleasantly along till I've wonher confidence, and then she will be ready for anything."Just then Phebe came out of the dining-room with a plate of brown bread,for Rose had been allowed no hot biscuit for tea."I'll relieve you of some of that," said Dr. Alec, and, helping himself toa generous slice, he retired to the study, leaving Phebe to wonder at hisappetite.She would have wondered still more if she had seen him making that brownbread into neat little pills, which he packed into an attractive ivory box,out of which he emptied his own bits of lovage."There! if they insist on medicine, I'll order these, and no harm will bedone. I will have my own way, but I'll keep the peace, if possible, andconfess the joke when my experiment has succeeded," he said to himself,looking very much like a mischievous boy, as he went on with his innocentprescriptions.Rose was playing softly on the small organ that stood in the upper hall, sothat Aunt Peace could enjoy it; and all the while he talked with the oldladies, Uncle Alec was listening to the fitful music of the child, andthinking of another Rose who used to play for him.As the clock struck eight, he called out"Time for my girl to be abed, else she won't be up early, and I'm full ofjolly plans for to-morrow. Come and see what I've found for you to beginupon."Rose ran in and listened with bright attentive face, while Dr. Alec saidimpressively"In my wanderings over the face of the earth, I have picked up someexcellent remedies, and, as they are rather agreeable ones, I think you andI will try them. This is a herb-pillow, given to me by a wise old womanwhen I was ill in India. It is filled with saffron, poppies, and othersoothing plants; so lay your little head on it to-night, sleep sweetlywithout a dream, and wake to-morrow without a pain.""Shall I really? How nice it smells." And Rose willingly received thepretty pillow, and stood enjoying its faint, sweet odour, as she listenedto the doctor's next remedy."This is the cup I told you of. Its virtue depends, they say, on thedrinker filling it himself; so you must learn to milk. I'll teach you.""I'm afraid I never can," said Rose; but she surveyed the cup with favour,for a funny little imp danced on the handle, as if all ready to take aheader into the white sea below."Don't you think she ought to have something more strengthening than milk,Alec? I really shall feel anxious if she does not have a tonic of somesort," said Aunt Plenty, eyeing the new remedies suspiciously, for she hadmore faith in her old-fashioned doses than all the magic cups and poppypillows of the East."Well, ma'am, I'm willing to give her a pill, if you think best. It is avery simple one, and very large quantities may be taken without harm. Youknow hasheesh is the extract of hemp? Well, this is a preparation of cornand rye, much used in old times, and I hope it will be again.""Dear me, how singular!" said Aunt Plenty, bringing her spectacles to bearupon the pills, with a face so full of respectful interest that it wasalmost too much for Dr. Alec's gravity."Take one in the morning, and a good-night to you, my dear," he said,dismissing his patient with a hearty kiss.Then, as she vanished, he put both hands into his hair, exclaiming, with acomical mixture of anxiety and amusement"When I think what I have undertaken, I declare to you, aunt, I feel likerunning away and not coming back till Rose is eighteen!"