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Read book online Β«Paul Prescott's Charge by Jr. Horatio Alger (best fiction novels to read TXT) πŸ“•Β».   Author   -   Jr. Horatio Alger



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therefore contented himself with muttering that he guessed he worked as hard as anybody, and he didn't complain of his fare.

β€œMay I ask you, Mr. Mudge,” said the doctor, fixing his penetrating eye full upon him, β€œwhether you confine yourself to the food upon which you have kept this boy?”

β€œWell,” said Mr. Mudge, in some confusion, moving uneasily in his seat, β€œI can't say but now and then I eat something a little different.”

β€œDo you eat at the same table with the inmates of your house?”

β€œWell, no,” said the embarrassed Mr. Mudge.

β€œTell me plainly,β€”how often do you partake of this soup?”

β€œI aint your patient,” said the man, sullenly, β€œWhy should you want to know what I eat?”

β€œI have an object in view. Are you afraid to answer?”

β€œI don't know as there's anything to be afraid of. The fact is, I aint partial to soup; it don't agree with me, and so I don't take it.”

β€œDid you ever consider that this might be the case with others as well as yourself?” inquired the doctor with a glance expressive of his contempt for Mr. Mudge's selfishness. Without waiting for a reply, Dr. Townsend ordered Paul to be put to bed immediately, after which he would leave some medicine for him to take.

Here was another embarrassment for the worthy couple. They hardly knew where to put our hero. It would not do for them to carry him to his pallet in the attic, for they felt sure that this would lead to some more plain speaking on the part of Dr. Townsend. He was accordingly, though with some reluctance, placed in a small bedroom upstairs, which, being more comfortable than those appropriated to the paupers, had been reserved for a son at work in a neighboring town, on his occasional visits home.

β€œIs there no one in the house who can sit in the chamber and attend to his occasional wants?” asked Dr. Townsend. β€œHe will need to take his medicine at stated periods, and some one will be required to administer it.”

β€œThere's Aunt Lucy Lee,” said Mrs. Mudge, β€œshe's taken a fancy to the boy, and I reckon she'll do as well as anybody.”

β€œNo one better,” returned the doctor, who well knew Aunt Lucy's kindness of disposition, and was satisfied that she would take all possible care of his patient.

So it was arranged that Aunt Lucy should take her place at Paul's bedside as his nurse.

Paul was sick for many days,β€”not dangerously so, but hard work and scanty fare had weakened him to such a degree that exhausted nature required time to recruit its wasted forces. But he was not unhappy or restless. Hour after hour he would lie patiently, and listen to the clicking of her knitting needles. Though not provided with luxurious food, Dr. Townsend had spoken with so much plainness that Mrs. Mudge felt compelled to modify her treatment, lest, through his influence, she with her husband, might lose their situation. This forced forbearance, however, was far from warming her heart towards its object. Mrs. Mudge was a hard, practical woman, and her heart was so encrusted with worldliness and self-interest that she might as well have been without one.

One day, as Paul lay quietly gazing at Aunt Lucy's benevolent face, and mentally contrasting it with that of Mrs. Mudge, whose shrill voice could be heard form below, he was seized with a sudden desire to learn something of her past history.

β€œHow long have you been here, Aunt Lucy?” he inquired.

She looked up from her knitting, and sighed as she answered, β€œA long and weary time to look back upon, Paul. I have been here ten years.”

β€œTen years,” repeated Paul, thoughtfully, β€œand I am thirteen. So you have been here nearly all my lifetime. Has Mr. Mudge been here all that time?”

β€œOnly the last two years. Before that we had Mrs. Perkins.”

β€œDid she treat you any better than Mrs. Mudge?”

β€œAny better than Mrs. Mudge!” vociferated that lady, who had ascended the stairs without being heard by Aunt Lucy of Paul, and had thus caught the last sentence. β€œAny better than Mrs. Mudge!” she repeated, thoroughly provoked. β€œSo you've been talking about me, you trollop, have you? I'll come up with you, you may depend upon that. That's to pay for my giving you tea Sunday night, is it? Perhaps you'll get some more. It's pretty well in paupers conspiring together because they aint treated like princes and princesses. Perhaps you'd like to got boarded with Queen Victoria.”

The old lady sat very quiet during this tirade. She had been the subject of similar invective before, and knew that it would do no good to oppose Mrs. Mudge in her present excited state.

β€œI don't wonder you haven't anything to say,” said the infuriated dame. β€œI should think you'd want to hide your face in shame, you trollop.”

Paul was not quite so patient as his attendant. Her kindness had produced such an impression on him, that Mrs. Mudge, by her taunts, stirred up his indignation.

β€œShe's no more of a trollop than you are,” said he, with spirit.

Mrs. Mudge whirled round at this unexpected attack, and shook her fist menacingly at Paulβ€”

β€œSo, you've put in your oar, you little jackanapes,” said she, β€œIf you're well enough to be impudent you're well enough to go to work. You aint a goin' to lie here idle much longer, I can tell you. If you deceive Dr. Townsend, and make him believe you're sick, you can't deceive me. No doubt you feel mighty comfortable, lyin' here with nothing to do, while I'm a slavin' myself to death down stairs, waitin' upon you; (this was a slight exaggeration, as Aunt Lucy took the entire charge of Paul, including the preparation of his food;) but you'd better make the most of it, for you won't lie here much longer. You'll miss not bein' able to talk about me, won't you?”

Mrs. Mudge paused a moment as if expecting an answer to her highly sarcastic question, but Paul felt that no advantage would be gained by saying more.. He was not naturally a quick-tempered buy, and had only been led to this little ebullition by the wanton attack by Mrs. Mudge.

This lady, after standing a moment as if defying the twain to a further contest, went out, slamming the door violently after her.

β€œYou did wrong to provoke her, Paul,” said Aunt Lucy, gravely.

β€œHow could I help it?” asked Paul, earnestly. β€œIf she had only abused ME, I should not have cared so much, but when she spoke about you, who have been so kind to me, I could not be silent.”

β€œI thank you, Paul, for your kind feeling,” said the old lady, gently, β€œbut we must learn to bear and forbear. The best of us have our faults and failings.”

β€œWhat are yours, Aunt Lucy?”

β€œO, a great many.”

β€œSuch

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