Elsie's Motherhood by Martha Finley

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Children and nurses joined in one wild shriek of terror, and made a
simultaneous rush for the doors, tumbling over each other in their haste
and affright.

But fortunately for them, Mr. Travilla and Calhoun had come in from the
grounds, were on their way to the nursery, and entered it from the hall
but a moment later than the boys did by the opposite door.

Mr. Travilla instantly seized Dick, (Calhoun doing the same by Walter),
tore off his disguise, and picking up a riding-whip, lying conveniently
at hand, administered a castigation that made the offender yell and roar
for mercy.

"You scoundrel!" replied the gentleman, still laying on his blows,
"I have scant mercy for a great strong boy who amuses himself by
frightening women and helpless little children."

"But you're not my father, and have no right, oh, oh, oh!" blubbered
Dick, trying to dodge the blows and wrench himself free, "I'll--I'll sue
you for assault and battery."

"Very well, I'll give you plenty while I'm about it, and if you don't
want a second dose, you will refrain from frightening my children in
future."

It was an exciting scene, Walter getting almost as severe handling from
Calhoun, nurses and children huddling together in the farthest corner of
the room, Baby Herbert screaming at the top of his voice, and the others
crying and sobbing while shrinking in nervous terror from the hideous
disguises lying in a heap upon the floor.

"O, take them away! take them away, the horrid things!" screamed
Virginia Conly, shuddering and hiding her face. "Wal and Dick, you
wicked wretches, I don't care if they half kill you."

"Papa, papa, please stop. O, Cal, don't whip him any more. I'm sure
they'll never do it again," pleaded little Elsie amid her sobs and
tears, holding Vi fast and trying to soothe and comfort her.

"There, go," said Calhoun, pushing Walter from the room, "and if ever
I catch you at such a trick again, I'll give you twice as much."

Dick, released by his captor with a like threat, hastened after his
fellow delinquent, blubbering and muttering angrily as he went.

Calhoun gathered up the disguises, threw them into a closet, locked the
door and put the key into his pocket.

"There!" said he, "they're out of sight and couldn't come after us if
they were alive; and there's no life in them; and little else but linen
and cotton."

Baby Herbert ceased his cries and cuddled down on Aunt Chloe's shoulder;
the other four ran to their father.

He encircled them all in his arms, soothing them with caresses and words
of fatherly endearment. "There, there, my darlings, dry your tears; papa
will take care of you; nothing shall hurt you."

"Papa, they's like that horrid thing that shooted the man," sobbed Vi,
clinging to him in almost frantic terror. "Oh don't let's ever come
here any more!"

"I so frightened, papa, I so frightened; p'ease tate Harold home,"
sobbed the little fellow, the others joining in the entreaty.

"Yes, we will go at once," said Mr. Travilla, rising, Vi in one arm
Harold in the other; and motioning to the servants to follow, he was
about to leave the room, when Calhoun spoke.

"Do not go yet, Mr. Travilla: I think grandpa and the ladies will be
here directly."

"Thanks, but I will see Mr. Dinsmore at another time. Now my first duty
is to these terrified little ones."

"I am exceedingly sorry for what has occurred; more mortified than I can
express--"

"No need for apology, Conly; but you must see the necessity for our
abrupt departure. Good evening to you all."

Calhoun followed to the carriage door, helped to put the children in,
then addressing Mr. Travilla, "I see you doubt me, sir," he said, "and
not without reason, I own; yet I assure you I have no property in those
disguises, never have worn, and never will wear such a thing: much less
take part in the violence they are meant to protect from punishment."

"I am glad to hear you say so, Cal. Good evening." And the carriage
whirled away down the avenue.

The rapid motion and the feeling that the objects of their affright
were being left far behind, seemed to soothe and reassure the children,
yet each sought to be as near as possible to their loved protector.

Harold and the babe soon fell asleep, and on reaching home were carried
directly to bed; but the older ones begged so hard to be allowed to
"stay with papa till mamma came home" that he could not find it in his
heart to refuse them.

The Dinsmore party found Sophie devoting herself to her sick child; the
attack had been sudden and severe, and all the previous night the mother
had watched by the couch of the little sufferer with an aching heart,
fearing she was to be taken from her; but now the danger seemed nearly
over, a favorable change having taken place during the day.

Daisy had fallen into a quiet slumber, and leaving the nurse to watch at
the bedside, the mother received and conversed with her friends in an
adjoining room.

Though evidently very glad to see them, she seemed, after the first few
moments, so depressed and anxious, that at length her sister remarked
it, and asked if there were any other cause than Daisy's illness.

"Yes, Rose," she said, "I must own that I am growing very timid in
regard to these Ku Klux outrages. Since they have taken to beating and
shooting whites as well as blacks, women as well as men, who shall say
that we are safe? I a Northern woman too and without a protector."

"I do not think they will molest a lady of your standing," said Mr.
Dinsmore, "the widow too of a Confederate officer. But where is Boyd,
that you say you are without a protector?"

A slight shudder ran over Sophie's frame. "Boyd?" she said, drawing her
chair nearer and speaking in an undertone, "he is my great dread, and
for fear of wounding mother's feelings I have had to keep my terrors to
myself. I know that he is often out, away from the plantation, all
night. I have for weeks past suspected that he was a Ku Klux, and last
night, or rather early this morning, my suspicions were so fully
confirmed that they now amount almost to certainty. I had been up all
night with Daisy, and a little before sunrise happening to be at the
window, I saw him stealing into the house with a bundle under his
arm,--something white rolled up in the careless sort of way a man would
do it."

"I am not surprised," said Mr. Dinsmore, "he is just the sort of man one
would expect to be at such work,--headstrong, violent tempered, and
utterly selfish and unscrupulous. Yet I think you may dismiss your fears
of him, and feel it rather a safeguard than otherwise to have a member
of the Klan in your family."

"It may be so," she said, musingly, the cloud of care partially lifting
from her brow.

"And at all events you are not without a protector, dear sister,"
whispered Rose, as she bade adieu. "'A father of the fatherless, and a
judge of the widows is God in his holy habitation.'"

Elsie too had a word of sympathy and hope for her childhood's friend,
and with warm invitations to both the Oaks and Ion as soon as Daisy
could be moved with safety, they left her, greatly cheered and refreshed
by their visit.

"My heart aches for her," Elsie said as they drove away, "what a sad,
sad thing to be a widow!"

"Yes;" responded Rose, "and to have lost your husband so,--fighting
against the land of your birth and love."

There was a long pause broken by a sudden, half frightened exclamation
from Rosie. "Papa! what if we should meet the Ku Klux!"

"Not much danger, I think: they are not apt to be abroad so early. And
we are nearing Ion."

"I presume Edward has reached home before us," remarked Elsie, "I wonder
how my little ones enjoyed their first visit to Roselands without their
mother."

She soon learned; for she had scarcely set foot in the veranda ere they
were clinging about her and pouring out the story of their terrible
fright.

She pitied, soothed and comforted them, trying to dispel their fears and
lead them to forgive those who had so ill-used them, though it cost no
small effort to do so herself.

Chapter Tenth.

"Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven."
--Luke vi, 87.

Calhoun Conly was much perturbed by the occurrences of the evening. He
was fond of his cousin Elsie and her children, and very sorry, for both
her sake and theirs, that they had suffered this fright; he greatly
respected and liked Mr. Travilla too, and would fain have stood well
in his esteem; he had hoped that he did; and also with his Uncle
Horace,--he had been so kindly treated, especially of late, at both Ion
and the Oaks; but now this unfortunate episode had placed him in a false
position, and he could hardly expect to be again trusted or believed in.

Such were his cogitations as he sat alone in the veranda, after the Ion
carriage had driven away. "What shall I do?" he asked himself, "what
shall I do to recover their good opinion?"

Just then Walter appeared before him, looking crestfallen and angry.

"I say, Cal, it's bad enough for you to have thrashed me as you did,
without bringing mother and Aunt Enna, and maybe grandfather too, down
on me about those wretched masks and things; so give 'em up and let Dick
and me put 'em back before they get home."

"Of course put them back as fast as you can; pity you hadn't let them
alone," said Calhoun, rising and with a quick step leading the way
toward the nursery, "and," he added, "we must see what we can do to keep
the young ones from blabbing; else putting them back will help your case
very little."

"Oh we'll never be able to do that!" exclaimed Walter, despairingly,
"one or another of 'em is sure to let it out directly. And there come
the folks now," as the rolling of wheels was heard in the avenue. "It's
of no use; they'll know all about it in five minutes."

"Yes, sir, you and Dick have got yourselves into a fine box, beside all
the trouble you've made for other people," said Calhoun angrily. Then
laying his hand on Walter's arm as he perceived that he was meditating
flight, "No, sir, stay and face the music like a man; don't add
cowardice to all the rest of it."

They heard the clatter of little feet running through the house and out
upon the veranda, the carriage draw up before the door, then the voices
of the children pouring out the story of their fright, and the
punishment of its authors, and the answering tones of their grandfather
and the ladies; Mr. Dinsmore's expressing surprise and indignation,
Enna's full of passion, and Mrs. Conly's of cold displeasure.

"Let go o' me! they're coming this way," cried Walter, trying to wrench
himself free.

But the inexorable Calhoun only tightened his grasp and dragged him on
to the nursery.

Dick was there trying to pick the lock of the closet door with his
pocket knife.

"What are you about, sir? No more mischief to-day, if you please,"
exclaimed Calhoun, seizing him with the free hand, the other having
enough to do to hold Walter.

"Give me that key then," cried Dick, vainly struggling to shake off his
cousin's strong grip.

The words were hardly on the boy's tongue, when the door was thrown
open, and Mr. Dinsmore and his daughters entered hastily, followed by
the whole crowd of younger children.

"Give you the key indeed! I'd like to know how you got hold of mine, and
how you dared to make use of it as you have, you young villain! There,
take that, and that and that! Hold him fast, Cal, till I give him a
little of what he deserves," cried Mrs. Johnson, rushing upon her son,
in a towering passion, and cuffing him right and left with all her
strength.

"Let me alone!" he roared; "'taint fair; old Travilla's half killed me
already."

"I'm glad of it! You ought to be half killed, and you won't get any
sympathy from me, I can tell you."

"And you had a share in it too, Walter?" Mrs. Conly was saying in
freezing tones. "If you think he deserves any more than you gave him,
Cal, you have my full permission to repeat the dose."

"Where is the cause of all this unseemly disturbance?" demanded Mr.
Dinsmore severely. "Calhoun, if you have the key of that closet and
those wretched disguises are there, produce them at once."

The young man obeyed, while Enna, holding Dick fast, turned a half
frightened look upon her sister; to which the latter, standing with her
arms folded and her back braced against the wall, replied with one of
cold, haughty indifference.

Calhoun drew out the obnoxious articles and held them up to view, a
flush of mortification upon his face.

The children screamed and ran.

"Be quiet! they can't hurt you," said the grandfather, stamping his
foot; then turning to Calhoun, "Ku Klux--your property and Arthur's, I
presume, you are members doubtless?" and he glanced from one to the
other of his older grandsons in mingled anger and scorn; Arthur having
just entered the room to ascertain the cause of the unusual commotion.

He flushed hotly at his grandsire's words and look. "I, sir! I a Ku
Klux?" he exclaimed in a hurt, indignant tone, "I a midnight assassin
stealing upon my helpless victims under cover of darkness and a hideous
disguise? No, sir. How could you think so ill of me? What have I done to
deserve it?"

"Nothing, my boy; I take it all back," said the old gentleman, with a
grim smile, "it is not like you--a quiet bookish lad, with nothing of
the coward or the bully about you. But you, Calhoun?"

"I have no property in these, sir; and I should scorn to wear one, or to
take part in the deeds you have spoken of."

"Right. I am no Republican, and was as strong for secession as any man
in the South, but I am for open, fair fight with my own enemies or those
of my country; no underhand dealings for me; no cowardly attacks in
overwhelming numbers upon the weak and defenceless. But if these
disguises are not yours, whose are they? and how came they here?"

"I must beg leave to decline answering that question, sir," replied
Calhoun respectfully.

His mother and aunt exchanged glances.

"Ah!" exclaimed their father, turning to Enna, as with a sudden
recollection, "I think I heard you claiming some property in these
scarecrows speak out; are they yours?"

"No, sir; but I'm not ashamed to own that I helped to make them, and
that if I were a man, I would wear one."

"You? you helped make them? and who, pray, helped you? Louise--"

"Yes, sir, Louise it was," replied Mrs. Conly drawing herself up to her
full height, "and she is no more ashamed to own it, than is her sister.
And if Calhoun was a dutiful son he would be more than willing to wear
one."

"If you were a dutiful daughter, you would never have engaged in such
business in my house without my knowledge and consent," retorted her
father, "and I'll have no more of it, let me tell you, Madams Conly and
Johnson; no aiding or abetting of these midnight raiders."

Then turning to a servant he ordered her to "take the hideous things
into the yard and make a bonfire of them."

"No, no!" cried Enna. "Papa, do you understand that you are ordering the
destruction of other men's property?"

"It makes no difference," he answered coolly, "they are forfeit by
having been brought surreptitiously into my house. Carry them out,
Fanny, do you hear? carry them out and burn them."

"And pray, sir, what am I to say to the owners when they claim their
property?" asked Enna with flashing eyes.

"Refer them to me," replied her father leaving the room to see that his
orders were duly executed.

Calhoun and Arthur had already slipped away. Dick was about to follow,
but his mother again seized him by the arm, this time shaking him
violently; she must have some one on whom to vent the rage that was
consuming her.

"You--you bad, troublesome, wicked boy! I could shake the very life out
of you!" she hissed through her shut teeth, suiting the action to the
word. "A pretty mess you've made of it, you and Walter. Your birthday
coming next week too; there'll be no presents from Ion for you, you may
rest assured. I hoped Mr. Travilla would send you each a handsome suit,
as he did last year; but of course you'll get nothing now."

"Well, I don't care," muttered Dick, "it's your fault for making the
ugly things." And freeing himself by a sudden jerk, he darted from the
room.

Children and servants had trooped after Mr. Dinsmore to witness the
conflagration, and Dick's sudden exit left the ladies sole occupants of
the apartment.

"I declare it's too bad! too provoking for endurance!" exclaimed Enna,
bursting into a flood of angry tears.

"What's the use of taking it so hard?" returned her sister.

"You're a perfect iceberg," retorted Enna.

"That accounts for my not crying over our misfortune, I presume; my
tears being all frozen up," returned Mrs. Conly with an exasperating
smile. "Well there is comfort in all things: we may now congratulate
ourselves that Foster and Boyd did not wait for these but supplied
themselves elsewhere."

There was a difference of two years in the ages of Dick Percival and
Walter Conly, but they were born on the same day of the same month, and
their birthday would occur in less than a week.

"I say, Wal, what precious fools we've been," remarked Dick as the two
were preparing to retire that night; "why didn't we remember how near it
was to our birthday? Of course, as mother says, there'll be no presents
from Ion this time."

"No, and I wish I'd never seen the hateful things," grumbled Walter,
"but there's no use crying over spilt milk."

"No; and we'll pretend we don't care a cent. Mother sha'n't have the
satisfaction of knowing that I do anyhow;" and Dick whistled a lively
tune as he pulled off his boots and tossed them into a corner.

At about the same time Elsie and her husband, seated alone together in
their veranda, were conversing on the same subject. Mr. Travilla
introduced it. They had been regretting the effect of the fright of the
evening upon their children--Vi especially as the one predisposed to
undue excitement of the brain--yet hoping it might not prove lasting.

Elsie had just returned from seeing them to bed. "I left them much
calmed and comforted," she said, "by our little talk together of God's
constant watch over us, His all-power and His protecting care and love;
and by our prayer that He would have them in his keeping."

He pressed her hand in silence; then presently remarked, "The birthday
of those boys is near at hand. They certainly deserve no remembrance
from us; but how do you feel about it?"

"Just as my noble, generous husband does," she said, looking up into his
face with a proud, fond smile.

"Ah! and how is that?"

"Like giving them a costlier and more acceptable present than ever
before; thus 'heaping coals of fire upon their heads.'"

"And what shall it be?"

"Whatever you think they would prefer, and would not that be a pony
a-piece?"

"No doubt of it; and I will try to procure two worth having, before the
day comes round."

Talking with her little ones the next morning, Elsie told them of the
near approach of the birthday of Dick and Walter, spoke of the duty of
forgiveness and the return of good for evil, and asked who of them
would like to make their cousins some nice present.

"I should, mamma," said little Elsie.

Eddie looked up into his mother's face, dropped his head, and blushing
deeply muttered, "I'd rather flog them like papa and Cal did."

"So would I; they're naughty boys!" cried Vi, the tears starting to her
eyes at the remembrance of the panic of fear their conduct had cost
herself, brothers and sister.

Their mother explained that it was papa's duty to protect his children
from injury, and that that was why he had flogged naughty Dick; but now
he had forgiven him and was going to return good for evil, as the Bible
bids us. "And you must forgive them too, dears, if you want God to
forgive you," she concluded; "for Jesus says, 'If you forgive not men
their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.'"

"I can't, mamma: I don't love them," said Eddie, stoutly.

"Ask God to help you, then, my son."

"But mamma, I can't ask him with my heart, 'cause I don't want to love
them or forgive them."

"Can my boy do without God's forgiveness? without Jesus' love?" she
asked, drawing him to her side. "You feel very unhappy when papa or
mamma is offended with you, and can you bear your heavenly Father's
frown?"

"Don't look so sorry, dear mamma: I love you ever so much," he said,
putting his arms about her neck and kissing her again and again.

"I cannot be happy while my dear little son indulges such sinful
feelings," she said, softly smoothing his hair, while a tear rolled down
her cheek.

"Mamma, how can I help it?"

"Try to think kind thoughts of your cousins, do them all the kindness
you can, and ask God to bless them, and to help you to love them. I want
my little Vi to do so too," she added, turning to her.

"Mamma, I will; I don't 'tend to say cross things 'bout 'em any more,"
Violet answered impulsively; "and I'll give 'em the nicest present I can
get with all my pocket-money."

"Mamma, must I give them presents?" asked Eddie.

"No, son, I do not say must; you shall decide for yourself whether you
ought, and whether you will."

"Mamma, they made me hurt my dear father."

"No, Eddie, no one can _make_ us do wrong; we choose for ourselves
whether we will resist temptation or yield to it."

"Mamma, what shall we give," asked the little girls.

"Talk it over between yourselves, daughters, decide how much you are
willing to spend on them, and what your cousins would probably like
best. I want my children to think and choose for themselves, where it
is proper that they should."

"But mamma, you will 'vise us."

"Yes, Vi, you may consult me, and shall have the benefit of my opinion."

The little girls held several private consultations during the day, and
in the evening came with a report to their mother. Elsie was willing to
appropriate five dollars to the purpose, Vi three, and the gifts were to
be books, if mamma approved, and would help them select suitable ones.

"I think you have decided wisely," she said, "and as it is too warm for
us to drive to the city, we will ask papa to order a variety sent out
here, and he and I will help you in making a choice."

Eddie was standing by. Nothing had been said to him on the subject,
since his morning talk with his mother, but all day he had been
unusually quiet and thoughtful.

"Mamma," he now said, coming close to her side, "I've been trying to
forgive them, and I'm going to buy two riding whips, one for Dick, and
one for Wal; if you and papa like me to."

Her smile was very sweet and tender as she commended his choice, and
told him his resolve had made her very happy.

The birthday found Dick and Walter in sullen, discontented mood, spite
of their resolve not to care for the loss of all prospect of gifts in
honor of the anniversary.

"What's the use of getting up?" growled Dick, "it's an awful bore, the
way we've been sent to Coventry ever since we got into that scrape with
the young ones. I've a great mind to lie a-bed and pretend sick; just to
scare mother and pay her off for her crossness."

"Maybe you might get sick in earnest," suggested Walter. "I'm going to
get up anyhow," and he tumbled out upon the floor, "for it's too hot to
lie in bed. Hark! there's Pomp coming up the stairs to call us now. Why,
what's all that, Pomp?" as the servant rapped, then pushing open the
door, handed in a number of brown paper parcels.

"Dunno, Mars Wal," replied the man grinning from ear to ear; "somethin'
from Ion, an de rest's down stairs; one for each ob you."

"One what?" queried Dick, starting up and with one bound placing himself
at Walter's side.

"Birthday present, sahs. Wish you many happy returns, Mars Wal and Mars
Dick, an' hope you'll neber wear no mo' Ku Klux doins."

But the lads were too busily engaged in opening the parcels and
examining their contents, to hear or heed his words.

"Two riding whips--splendid ones--and four books!" exclaimed Walter;
"and here's a note."

"Here let me read it," said Dick. "I declare, Wal, I'm positively
ashamed to have them send me anything after the way I've behaved."

"I too. But what do they say?"

"It's from Travilla and Cousin Elsie," said Dick turning to the
signature. "I'll read it out."

He did so. It was very kind and pleasant, made no allusion to their
wrong doing, but congratulated them on the return of the day, begged
their acceptance of the accompanying gifts, stating from whom each came,
the largest a joint present from themselves; and closed with an
invitation to spend the day at Ion.

"I'm more ashamed than ever, aren't you, Wal?" Dick said, his face
flushing hotly as he laid the note down.

"Yes, never felt so mean in my life. To think of that little Ed sending
us these splendid whips, and the little girls these pretty books. I
'most wish they hadn't."

"But where's 'the larger gift' they say is 'a joint present from
themselves'?"

"Oh that must be what Pomp called the rest left down stairs. Come, let's
hurry and get down there to see what it is."

Toilet duties were attended to in hot haste and in a wonderfully short
time the two were on the front veranda in eager quest of the mysterious
present.

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