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WILLIE'S PLANS BLOSSOM.
In the morning, Willie's head was full of his dream. How gladly would he
have turned it into a reality! That was impossible--but might he not do
something towards it? He had long ago seen that those who are doomed not
to realise their ideal, are just those who will not take the first step
towards it. "Oh! this is such a little thing to do, it can't be any
use!" they say. "And it's such a distance off what I mean, and what I
should give my life to have!" They think and they say that they would
give their life for it, and yet they will not give a single hearty
effort. Hence they just stop where they are, or rather go back and back
until they do not care a bit for the thoughts they used to think so
great that they cherished them for the glory of having thought them. But
even the wretched people who set their hearts on making money, begin by
saving the first penny they can, and then the next and the next. And
they have their reward: they get the riches they want--with the loss of
their souls to be sure, but that they did not think of. The people on
the other hand who want to be noble and good, begin by taking the first
thing that comes to their hand and doing that right, and so they go on
from one thing to another, growing better and better.
In the same way, although it would have been absurd in Willie to rack
his brain for some scheme by which to restore such a grand building as
the Priory, he could yet bethink himself that the hundredth room did not
come next the first, neither did the third; the one after the first was
the second, and he might do something towards the existence of that.
He went out immediately after breakfast, and began peering about the
ruins to see where the second room might be. To his delight he saw that,
with a little contrivance, it could be built on the other side of the
wall of Hector's room.
He had plenty of money for it, his grannie's legacy not being yet
touched. He thought it all over himself, talked it all over with his
father, and then consulted it all over with Spelman. The end was, that
without nearly spending his little store, he had, before the time came
for his return to the college, built another room.
As the garret was full of his grandmother's furniture, nothing was
easier than to fit it up--and that very nicely too. It remained only to
find an occupant for it. This would have been easy enough also without
going far from the door, but both Willie and his father were practical
men, and therefore could not be content with merely doing good: they
wanted to do as much good as they could. It would not therefore satisfy
them to put into their new room such a person--say, as Mrs Wilson, who
could get on pretty well where she was, though she might have been made
more comfortable. But suppose they could find the sickly mother of a
large family, whom a few weeks of change, with the fine air from the
hills and the wonderful water from the Prior's well, would restore to
strength and cheerfulness, how much more good would they not be doing in
that way--seeing that to help a mother with children is to help all the
children as well, not to mention the husband and the friends of the
family! There were plenty such to be found amongst the patients he had
to attend while at college. The expense of living was not great at
Priory Leas, and Mr MacMichael was willing to bear that, if only to
test the influences of the water and climate upon strangers.
Although it was not by any means the best season for the experiment, it
was yet thoroughly successful with the pale rheumatic mother of six,
whom Willie first sent home to his father's care. She returned to her
children at Christmas, comparatively a hale woman, capable of making
them and everybody about her twice as happy as before. Another as nearly
like her in bodily condition and circumstances as he could find, took
her place,--with a like result; and before long the healing that hovered
about Priory Leas began to be known and talked of amongst the professors
of the college, and the medical men of the city.
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