CHAPTER XI

ELLA'S BURDENS

"WELL, Ella, and how is your Grannie to-day?"

"She doesn't feel very well, Mrs. Snowden, thank you," replied the little girl, to her morning visitor. "She seems to be fretting her heart out for father to come home."

Ella had been obliged to stay away from school for several days to nurse her grandmother, who seemed suddenly to have grown very feeble.

Mrs. Snowden called to see her constantly, and many were the dainties which found their way from the Hall to the humble lodgings where Mrs. Russell and Ella had now taken up their abode.

"There is one thing I want to ask you, Ella dear," said Mrs. Snowden next, and her voice was very sweet and tender as she spoke. "Has your Grannie forgiven you yet?"

"No, I—I don't think so." The answer came out with a long-drawn sob.

"Poor little girl! I'm so sorry," said the lady, who knew that Ella's penitence for her disobedience was very deep and real. "But for Marcia and her monkey this sad business would never have happened," she went on. "You're a brave little maid, Ella, and I feel sure it will all come right by and by."

"Oh, I'm not brave a bit," cried the child despondingly; "sometimes I feel so cross and unhappy. I don't know what father will think of me when he comes home."

"Ella," said Mrs. Snowden, "I am going to tell you a little story, or legend, which perhaps may help you over your troubles a bit. Would you like to hear it?"

Ella's face brightened. Somehow Mrs. Snowden's visits always did her good.

"Yes, very much," she said earnestly.

"Well, so far as I can remember, the legend runs thus—

"'In the creation of the world, when God made the birds, they had no wings wherewith to fly. Moreover, He bade them each carry two burdens, which were big or little, according to the size of the birds. These were placed on the ground beside them. Obedient to their Creator's voice, the feathered creatures took the burdens in their beaks and laid them across their shoulders. For a little while the weight seemed heavy to be borne. Then, on a sudden, a wonderful thing happened. The burdens grew firmly fixed to the bearers, and became wings. So, instead of the birds carrying their load, their load carried them.'

"And that, dear child, is what may happen to each one of us, if we patiently bear the burden our dear God puts upon us. Instead of weighing us down to earth, it will lift us nearer to His beautiful bright heaven above."

Ella's eyes were full of tears at the close of the little story.

"It's a lovely tale," said she, "and I'll just try and see if I can't be like the birds."

So successful was little Ella in her endeavours, that when Mrs. Snowden called next, she was greeted by a sunshiny face and the brightest of welcomes.

"Grannie is ever so much better this morning," said she. "I tried to be patient and good, and now she's quite forgiven me. Oh, I'm so happy, I don't know what to do with myself."

Mrs. Snowden smiled. "Then I'll see if I can't do something with you," she said mysteriously. "I've got a little plan I want to talk over with your Grannie this morning, so you can just run out into the sunshine for a while. Oh, there's one thing I must tell you," went on the lady. "Dr. Carteret is coming down soon again to see us. His ship is to be stationed in English waters for a time, so I dare say we shall often see him now."

Ella clapped her hands in delight. "Oh, how I shall love to see him again," she cried, her eyes shining with pleasure.

"You shall see him if you are a good girl," was the reply. "Now I must go and talk to Grannie, as my time is rather short this morning."

About a quarter of an hour later Mrs. Snowden returned to the child, who was awaiting her coming in the garden.

"Now I can tell you my plans, Ella," said she; "we are going to have a birthday party at the Hall in your honour."

"What, next Saturday week!" exclaimed Ella in joyful surprise.

"Yes, I believe that is the right day," said Mrs. Snowden with a twinkle of fun in her eyes. "I have been talking to your Grannie, and she has promised to come and spend that week-end at the Hall—of course, you are to come too. I have sent Dr. Carteret also an invitation."

Ella nearly gasped with the pleasure of it all, such a prospect seemed to take away her breath.

The days after this flew as on wings, and to add to Ella's happiness, her Grannie's health was steadily making progress in the right direction.

* * * *

"I beg your pardon!"

So said Dr. Carteret courteously as, coming out of a bookseller's shop one evening, where, as a matter of fact, he had been buying a book for little "Cinderella's" birthday, he ran full tilt upon a gentleman who was walking along the busy London street. "Why!—" Here the doctor's voice changed to one of intense surprise—"Russell, it is never you?"

"Yes, old chap, it is," was the pleased reply. "Who'd have thought of coming upon you like this?"

"Well, you are certainly the last person I should have expected to see. Here, come along to my club; it's close by. I must get to the bottom of this sudden appearance of yours."

In the conversation which shortly after took place, the doctor learnt one important fact, namely, that Gordon Russell was poor no longer, a relative in South Africa, in whose employment he had been, having died and left him a fortune.

"But, my dear fellow, why didn't you write home and tell your people about it?" asked Dr. Carteret in a puzzled voice.

"Oh, they know all about it," said Mr. Russell confidently. "I wrote to my mother and said I should be home nearly as soon as my letter."

Dr. Carteret then proceeded to tell him how completely in ignorance, both Mrs. Russell and Ella were of his movements. He told of the fire at Rose Cottage, and also of the burnt letter, for Mrs. Snowden had kept him well posted up in Berryland news.

"I'll wire to them at once, then," said Mr. Russell, rising from his chair.

"No, you won't, old chap," replied the doctor very decidedly; "that is, if I have any power to prevent it. Mrs. Russell and Ella will be at the Hall on Saturday; come down with me and join them there. We'll give them a bit of a surprise."

And this, after a few minutes' persuasion, Mr. Russell agreed to do.