Jeff Benson, or the Young Coastguardsman by R. M. Ballantyne (no david read aloud TXT) đ
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- Author: R. M. Ballantyne
Read book online «Jeff Benson, or the Young Coastguardsman by R. M. Ballantyne (no david read aloud TXT) đ». Author - R. M. Ballantyne
He spoke in an almost querulous tone, and looked inquiringly in his nurseâs face. It did not occur to the youth, as he looked at her, that the weak-bodied, soft, and gentle creature herself had been, and still was, doing more good to the world than a hundred young men such as he!
Miss Milletâs face was a wholesome one to look into. She did not shake her head and look solemn or shocked. Neither did she laugh at his petulance. She merely said, with the sweetest of little smiles, âYou may live, Jeff, to be a very useful machine yet; if not quite as strong as you wereâthough even that is uncertain, for doctors are fallible, you know. Never forget that, Jeffâdoctors are fallible. Besides, your living at all shows that God has something for you to do for Him.â
âNonsense, auntie. If that is true of me, it is just as true of hundreds of men who live and die without making the smallest attempt to accomplish any work for God. Yet He lets them live for many years.â
âQuite true,â returned Miss Millet; âand God has work for all these men to do, though many of them refuse to do it. But I feel sure that that wonât be your case, Jeff. He finds work just suited to our capacitiesâat the time we need it, too, if we are only willing. Why, in my own very case, has He not sent you to me to be nursed, just as I had finished organising the new night-classes for the usher-boys; and I was puzzledâabsolutely puzzledâas to what I should do next and here you step in, requiring my assistance, and giving me full employment.â
âThatâs itâthatâs it,â returned Jeff hastily. âI am without means, and a burden on you and Captain Millet. Oh! it is hardâvery hard!â
âYes, indeed, it is hard to bear. Of course that is what you mean, for, as God has done it we cannot suppose anything that He does is really hard. If your illness had been the result of dissipation, now, or through your own fault, you could not have said exactly it was Godâs doing; but when it was the result of noble self-sacrificeââ
âCome, come, auntie; donât make me more vain than I am. Iâm bad enough as it is, andâandâIâm very weary.â
The poor youthâs head fell back on the pillow, and he sighed deeply as his nurse brought him some strengthening food. He needed it much, for he was reduced to a mere shadow of his former self.
His fine eyes had become quite awful in their size and solemnity. His once ruddy cheeks were hollow. His well-formed nose had become pinched, and his garments hung on, rather than clothed, a huge skeleton.
During all Jeffâs illness Captain Millet was unremitting in his attentions, insomuch that a certain careworn expression began to take up its settled abode on his countenance. But this was not altogether owing to sympathy with his friend, it was partly the consequence of his financial affairs.
Having lost his situation, as he had expected, he found it difficult to procure another, and was under the necessity of living on the small capital which he had accumulated in the course of laborious years. Had his own subsistence been all his care, he would have had little trouble; but Rose had to be supported and educated, his sister had to be assisted, his charities had to be kept up, and now Jeff Benson had to be maintained, and his doctor paid. The worst of it all was, that he could not talk on the subject to any of the three, which, to a sympathetic soul, was uncommonly hardâbut unavoidable.
âYes, quite unavoidable,â he muttered to himself one evening, when alone in his lodging. âThey think Iâm a rich old fellow, but I darenât say a word. If I did, Jeff would refuse to eat another bite, anâ that would kill him. If I told Rosebud, it could do no good, and would only make her miserable. If I told Molly, IâI really donât know what sheâd do. Sheâd founder, I think. No, I must go on sailinâ under false colours. Itâs a comfort, anyhow, to know that the funds will last some little time yet, even at the present rate of expenditure; but itâs perplexinââvery.â
He shook his head, wrinkled his brows, and then, rising, took a well-worn pocket-Bible from a shelf, and sought consolation therein.
Some time after that Captain Millet was seated in the same room, about the same hour, meditating on the same subject, with a few additional wrinkles on his brow, when he received a letter.
âFrom Hong Kong,â he muttered, opening it, and putting on his glasses.
The changes in his expressive face as he read were striking, and might have been instructive. Sadness firstâthen surpriseâthen blazing astonishmentâthen a pursing of the mouth and a prolonged whistle, followed by an expressive slap on the thigh. Then, crumpling the letter into his pocket he put on his glazed hat, sallied forth, and took the way to his sisterâs cottage.
At that cottage, about the same time, a great change had taken place in Jeff Bensonâspiritually, not physically, though even in the latter respect he was at all events not worse than usual. Having gone from bad to worse in his rebellion, he had at last reached that lowest depth wherein he not only despaired of the doctorâs power to cure him, and his own power of constitution, but began silently, and in his own mind, to charge his Maker with having made a complete failure in his creation.
âLife is a muddle, auntie, altogether!â he exclaimed when he reached this point. It was the lowest ebbâhopeless despair alike of himself and his God.
âA muddle, Jeff?â said the little woman, raising her eyebrows slightly. âHow can that be possible in the work of a Perfect Creator, and a Perfect Saviour who redeems from all evilâyour supposed âmuddleâ included?â
Our young coastguardsman was silent. It was probably the great turning-point when the Holy Spirit opened his eyes to see Jesus, and all things in relation to Him. For a long time he did not speak. The lips of his nurse were also silent, but her heart was not so. At last Jeff spokeâ
âIt must be so. Perfection is bound to work out perfection. This apparent evil must be for good. âHe doeth all things well.â Surely I have read that somewhere!â
In a low clear voice his nurse saidâ
ââHe doeth all things well,â
We say it now with tears;
But we shall sing it with those we love
Through bright eternal years.â
âI think the light is dawning, auntie.â
âI am sure it is, Jeff.â
Again they were silent, and thus they remained while the natural light faded, until the western sky and sea were dyed in crimson.
The first thing that diverted their thoughts was a quick step outside, then a thunderous knock at the door, and next moment the captain stood before them, beaming with excitement, panting heavily, and quite unable for some minutes to talk coherently.
âSister,â said he at last, âsit down anâ listen. Jeff, open your ears.â
He drew a crumpled letter from his pocket, spread it on his knee, put on his glasses, and read as follows:â
ââMy Dear Captain Millet,â
ââYou will, I know, be grieved, though not surprised, to hear that your old friend Nibsworth is dead. Poor fellow! his end came much as you and I had anticipated when we last parted. He followed his dear Clara about two months after her death. I suppose you know that she died three days after you left their house.
ââMy object in writing just now, however, is to convey to you a piece of good news; namely, that Nibsworth has left you the whole of his property, which, altogether, cannot amount to less, I should think, than eighty thousand pounds.ââ
At this point the captain paused and looked over his glasses at his sister, who, with wide-open eyes, exclaimedâ
âBrother! he must be joking!â
âSister,â returned the captain, âmy friend never jokes, except when in extremely congenial society, and then his jokes are badâso bad as to be unworthy of repetition.â
âWonderful!â exclaimed Miss Millet.
âSingular,â murmured Jeff, whose thoughts seemed to be engaged with some far-off prospect.
âHe goes on,â continued the captain, reading: ââI am left the sole executor of his affairs. Pray, therefore, write as to what you wish done. I am not at present conversant with the precise duties of an executor, but of course I will get the best advice possible in the circumstances, and do the best I can. I would recommend you to do the same at your end of the world, and let me have your instructions as soon as possible. The enclosed statement will show you the nature of your property. The greater part, you will observe, is in hard cash. I may add that the house and grounds here would sell well at present, if you feel inclined to dispose of them.
ââIn conclusion, allow me to congratulate you on this piece of good fortuneâperhaps, knowing your character so well, I should have written, this good gift from God.ââ
âAy, my friend,â said the captain, folding the letter, âyou might have written, âthis unexpected and undeserved gift from God.â But now, Molly, what think ye of it all?â
âWonderful!â exclaimed the good lady in reply; and beyond this word she seemed unable to go for a time, save that, after a strong mental effort, she varied it to âamazing!â Suddenly she seemed to recover, and said with a quick, earnest lookâ
âDick, what are you going to do?â
âDo?â exclaimed Captain Millet, smiting his knee and looking from his sister to Jeff with a broad smile. âIâll run up to London, anâ take a mansion in the West End, call at Long Acre in passing, and buy a carriage and four. Then Iâll run down to Folkestone anâ buy a villa there, or a castle if they have one in stock; if not, Iâll order one oâ the newest pattern, with gas, water, electricity, and steam laid on. After that Iâll buy a steam-yacht and take a trip round the world, so as to calm my brain and think over it. Of course Iâll drop in at Hong Kong, in passing, to have a look at my property; and thenââ
âHush, brother! donât run on with such nonsense when we ought to be only filled with serious thoughts.â
âHow can a man be filled with serious thoughts, Molly, when a sort of Arabian Nightsâ affair has tumbled on him all of a suddenâtook him aback like a white squall, and thrown him on his beam-ends?â
âAnd what a selfish fellow you are, too!â said Jeff; ânot one word in all you propose to do about anybody except yourselfâno mention even of Rosebud.â
âPooh! Jeff, are you so green as not to know that a wise man never puts his best foot foremost? Donât you know that it is usual, when a man makes a speech, to keep tumblinâ out one point after anotherâclinkinâ âem all as he goes alongâuntil he comes to the âlast but not leastâ point? If you had let me alone, Molly, I was cominâ to Rosebud and yourself too; but as youâve been so unmannerly, Iâll keep these points till another time. By the way, when you write to Rosebud, not a word about all this. It might unsettle the darlinâ with her lessons. Anâ that reminds me that one oâ my first businesses will be to have her supplied wiâ the best of teachersâFrench, Italian, Spanish, German mastersâGreek anâ Hebrew anâ Dutch ones too if the dear child wants âemâto say nothinâ oâ dancinâ anâ drawinâ anâ calisthenics anâ mathematics, anâ the use oâ the globes, anâ conundrums oâ that sort.â
âReally, brother, if you go on like this, Iâll begin to think your good fortune, as you call it, has turned your brain.â
âNever fear, Molly, when I come to say what Iâm going to
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