Beulah - Page 76/348

"Beulah, dear child, I am so glad to see you!" As she kissed her

white cheeks, Beulah felt the tears dropping down upon them.

"Come into my room, dear, and take off your bonnet." She led her to

the quiet little room, and took the bundle and the antiquated

bonnet, which Pauline declared "Mrs. Noah had worn all through the

forty days' shower."

"Mrs. Williams, can I stay here with you until I can get a place

somewhere? The managers will not object, will they?"

"No, dear; I suppose not. But, Beulah, I thought you had been

adopted, just after Lilly died, by Dr. Hartwell? Here I have been,

ever since I heard it from some of the managers, thinking how lucky

it was for you, and feeling so thankful to God for remembering his

orphans. Child, what has happened? Tell me freely, Beulah."

With her head on the matron's shoulder, she imparted enough of what

had transpired to explain her leaving her adopted home. Mrs.

Williams shook her head, and said sadly: "You have been too hasty, child. It was Dr. Hartwell's house; he had

taken you to it, and, without consulting and telling him, you should

not have left it. If you felt that you could not live there in peace

with his sister, it was your duty to have told him so, and then

decided as to what course you would take. Don't be hurt, child, if I

tell you you are too proud. Poverty and pride make a bitter lot in

this world; and take care you don't let your high spirit ruin your

prospects. I don't mean to say, dear, that you ought to bear insult

and oppression, but I do think you owed it to the doctor's kindness

to have waited until his return before you quitted his house."

"Oh, you do not know him! If he knew all that Mrs. Chilton said and

did he would turn her and Pauline out of the house immediately. They

are poor, and, but for him, could not live without toil. I have no

right to cause their ruin. She is his sister, and has a claim on

him. I have none. She expects Pauline to inherit his fortune, and

could not bear to think of his adopting me. I don't wonder at that

so much. But she need not have been so cruel, so insulting. I don't

want his money, or his house, or his elegant furniture. I only want

an education, and his advice, and his kind care for a few years. I

like Pauline very much indeed. She never treated me at all unkindly;

and I could not bear to bring misfortune on her, she is so happy."