Amy Le Feuvre

“ She had had her opportunity and she used it.
"I'm as good as the girl in the Bible, now," she said to herself, with a happy sigh. "She telled a sick capting who would cure him, and I've done it too. I can't do no more. I wonder if he'll go."
"Aunt Alice," said Captain D'Arcy that afternoon. "You have an extraordinary specimen of a maid in your household."
"You must mean Peggy," said Mrs. Dale smiling. "I daresay she does look queer, but she is a rough diamond, Harry. She is a true, faithful little soul, who puts her heart into her work. ”

“ He looked at Peggy with a pleased smile.
"You do be a neat-handed maid," he remarked. "How you do hearten up our place!"
"'Tis you that untidies it after I goes," said Peggy, with her chin in the air. "I never can make out what you does to get the place so muddly."
She always gave herself airs with Bill; he seemed so big and clumsy that she lost patience with him. He now stood in the middle of the room, with his mouth partly open, rumpling his shock of thick hair with his big hands.
"We oughter have womankind to set us to rights, and to keep us there," he murmured. ”

“ Peggy was stopped once more, and this time it was a clergyman.
"Are you the little girl who sent up £13 odd in a stocking?"
Peggy beamed.
"Yes, please sir; but it were more than that: thirteen pounds two shillings and ninepence halfpenny. I hopes as how that young man didn't drop none! He looked quite scared."
"Has the stocking any history?" asked the clergyman, smiling.
Peggy stared at him, then answered with a little scorn in her tone—
"Why no, sir! A stockin' don't have no history. 'Tis only kings and queens and big men have history, same as I used to learn about at school!" ”

“ Dale, "but I haven't followed your prescription, Peggy."
Peggy looked troubled, but for once her tongue failed her.
Mrs. Dale went on—
"A patient must always believe in their doctor, Peggy, must they not? And they must be ready to take the medicine he gives them."
"In course they must, please 'm."
"And there are some people, Peggy, who find it difficult to get back the belief they once had. They would like to cure themselves if they knew how; they can't throw off their own efforts, and do nothing."
"Like the leper capting," said Peggy thoughtfully. ”

“ But it was a dreadful moment to the inexperienced rider when the pony ambled out of the yard. And before the gate was reached, he broke into a canter, and over went Peggy, head foremost, into a heap of straw. She picked herself up in a moment, and, barring a shaking, was none the worse for her tumble; but nothing would induce her to mount again.
"I haven't the legs for ridin'," she explained; "and I'll not waste a minute more time, but run off for the doctor at once."
Off she started, an odd little figure in her print gown and apron, and a sunbonnet perched on the top of her cap. ”

“ What is it?"
"Please, teacher, is there no ways of gettin' a cripple cured now, same as the leper capting in the Bible?"
"You mean Naaman? Well, no, Peggy. God does not work miracles now, nor let His servants do it; there is no need."
Peggy's face fell.
"Then poor cripples can't be done good to by no one?"
"Oh yes, indeed," and Miss Gregory's face brightened. "Their hearts may be made well and sound and happy, Peggy; and after all, that is the best part of us, isn't it? We think a lot of our body, with its aches and pains, but it is only a cage. ”

“ Peggy was full of curiosity, and her many questions amused Tom Bennett greatly.
"Please, sir," she said, "have you ever seen a heathen or a missionary?"
"I believe I has," was the smiling reply. "Why, bless your heart, every blacky is a heathen, and they be as plentiful as flies where we've come from." ”

“ The skies might fall before you'd give a thought to your sick aunt! You takes her money and vittles, and the clothes she gives yer, and you grumbles at all you has to do for her. Oh! If ever you loses your legs and lies on a hard bed, may you know what it is to have an ungrateful girl a-waitin' on yer!"
A sullen look crossed Peggy's face. She did not attempt to argue the matter out, or prove herself in the right. But she felt as if she would never try to do a kindness to her aunt again. She began to make preparations for tea, and she pitched the violets down on the floor. ”

“ A girl going to her first ball could not have taken more care not to spoil the dainty freshness of her gown, than Peggy did of her second-hand print dress that morning.
Joyce, coming down to help with the breakfast, returned to her sister upstairs exploding with laughter.
"Helen, your little maid will be the death of me!"
"What has she done now?"
"She has pinned newspapers all over herself to preserve her gown and apron. She looks like a walking edition of the 'Times!' And when I remonstrated, she said the coals and kitchen grate would soil her clothes. ”

“ Long she lingered in that sunny meadow; but the next field held a new joy, and only one or two horses at the farther end were the disturbing elements. In a sunny hedge were clusters of primroses. With a shriek of delight Peggy made a rush at them, and when she gathered the first handful and inhaled their sweet scent, she hugged and kissed them in ecstasy.
"I've never see'd 'em a-growin' wild. Oh! If only Mrs. Creak and Mrs. Jones and h'Arthur were here! Now this is somethin' like bein' in the country!" ”

“ Do you know where thrushes generally live, Peggy? In the sweet country, with flowers and dew-laden grass, and the free, clear air to fly in, with nothing above them but the infinite blue, and other birds to live and play with all day long. ”

“ India ruins a man's digestion, and plays the dickens with him generally!"
Peggy's blue eyes fairly sparkled with delight.
"Oh, please sir, I knows who will make you new inside. I knows the very One. Please, sir, may I tell you?"
Without waiting for a reply, she went on—
"'Tis the Lord Jesus, sir. He says He'll give us new hearts if we ask of Him. If you go to Him, please sir, He'll make your heart quite well. He will, indeed, for I knows heaps o' people that have had their hearts put right, and I has myself, sir, for I give it into His hands, and He done it. ”

“ Into the shop she went with the air of a duchess. If there was anything that Peggy loved, it was shopping. "Tis the only time folks is civil," she would say. "They don't bawl at me, nor yet scold then, and it makes me feel as if I'm a bigger person than them!" ”

“ Real ladies born they are. I comes from London."
"You don't say so!"
The girl stared at her as if she were some foreign product.
"Yes," Peggy went on, tilting her chin in the air, "I've seen a deal o' London, too much by a long way, so I set my mind to get a place in the country, and here I am. Don't you wear no caps?"
"No," said the girl, "us don't do with them in the farms. I've a sister in proper service, and she do."
"Ah, well," said Peggy grandly, "they take a lot o' care and keepin'. My name be Margaret Perkins. What be yours?"
"Ellen Tate. My home is in the village. ”

“ Her aunt's money had been left to her in silver.
"I am very pleased with you, Peggy," said Helen to her, "but of course you have still a great deal to learn. You are too noisy, too fond of talking, and break too many things. All this you must try to get the better of. I know you try to do your duty faithfully and well; ask God to help you to cure these faults." ”

“ I'm a-goin' to visit friends to-night, but I shall be home early."
Peggy had been out of hospital a fortnight, and the very next week she was going back to Sundale again. Her hair was still a trial to her, and her hands and arms were scarred with the traces of the fire. But her spirit was undaunted, and when Lucy pitied her, she said stoutly—
"I was never a beauty, and I ain't a-goin' to pity myself. I keeps myself clean and tidy, and I don't takes notice o' nothink else." ”

“ And you can't doctor 'em yourselves, can you, sir?"
"We think we can," the doctor said, with a laugh.
"Ah," said Peggy, shaking her head; "but you can't, sir. 'Tisn't to be done by no one but Jesus Christ; the Bible says so. He be lookin' after souls, ain't He? And He don't want no one else to meddle with His work. I thinks sometimes that it be very gran' to be a doctor, for you and the Lord gets curin' together, and He gives you the bodies to see what you can do with 'em, and He takes the souls. But, please sir, I really thinks you're mistook to think you can cure your own soul." ”

“ Joyce could not comfort her, neither could Helen. She cried herself to sleep that night, and the perfidy of Ellen was a daily, hourly nightmare to her.
"What's the good o' yer goin' on like this, Peggy?" she addressed herself passionately one lovely June day. "Better be like Albert Edward, and say nothin' to troubles that come to yer! He eats his food and sleeps, and don't make much o' disappointments. And nobody cares for your broken 'eart. The sun comes out just as fine, and the flowers keep on a-growin', and the summer don't turn to winter to soot your feelin's. ”

“ Webster's lodger, and she ventured to ask Helen when she came back if she had seen her.
"Yes, I have, Peggy. I have discovered that my father knew her some years ago. She used to be one of his Sunday school teachers. Then she married, and has had a lot of trouble since. She has come into the country to recruit her health."
Helen did not tell Peggy Mrs. Dale's history. It was a pitiable one. She was tempted to marry a man she did not love, for the sake of a home. Her husband proved to be an atheist and a drunkard; he led her a miserable life. ”

“ Aunt says I be a wicked girl."
"However wicked your heart is, it can be washed whiter than snow, Peggy. Jesus will do that if you give your heart to Him. He will make your heart fit to receive Him, and if He 'abides in us,' we are told we shall bring forth much fruit; you will be helped to be good and guarded from evil if Jesus is taking charge of you." ”

“ There be two gentlemen lodgers, and one first-floor lady that teaches music."
"Oh," sighed Peggy, depositing her small milk jug on the step, and placing her arms akimbo. "If only I could get into service, I'd be real happy."
"I live down in Kent," explained the red-haired girl. "But the country is too quiet, I want London; and so I've come up to my uncle's step-sister."
"But the best places must be in the country," said Peggy. "I'd a deal rather live out o' London. 'Tis so much cleaner for yer caps and aprons—Mrs. Creak says so."
"You are a queer one," said the red-haired girl, staring at her. ”

“ Peggy looked very grave.
"They has a right to know it, please, sir. And our Lord said they was to."
It was not many that could worst Captain D'Arcy in an argument; he whistled and walked out of the room.
"She isn't a simpleton," was his murmured comment. And he did not try to tackle Peggy again.
Peggy's conversations with Tom Bennett were lengthier and more unsatisfactory. He would greet her in the morning with such mild chaff as "Good mornin', Mrs. Missionary, is your passage took for Indy or Africa?" or, "Seen any heathen, Miss Peggy, this mornin'? Wish I could get you a blackymore. ”

“ Creak, with a little sigh, "your aunt ain't found out that happiness is found in the very folk who seem to have the least to make 'em happy. I should say your aunt would be better for more religion, my dear." ”

“ Perhaps God will show you that you can serve Him best at home. And certainly if you send your savings to enable others to go out, you will be taking part in the great work of evangelising the world."
Peggy's face dropped.
"I've set my mind to goin' to the heathen, please sir, and I'm hopin' to bring on a friend of mine called Ellen to do it too. But if God don't think me fit, He'll let me know it somehow." ”