What Katy Did Read Online

That was your doing – wasn’t it?’

Katy was careful; this time all went well. The tray was placed safely on a little table beside the bed, and Katy sat watching Cousin Helen eat her supper with a warm loving feeling at her heart. I think we are scarcely ever so grateful to people as when they help us to get back our own self-esteem.

Cousin Helen hadn’t much appetite, though she declared everything was delicious. Katy could see that she was very tired.

‘Now,’ she said, when she had finished, ‘if you’ll shake up this pillow – so, and move this other pillow a little, I think I will settle myself to sleep. Thanks – that’s just right. Why, Katy dear, you are a born nurse. Now kiss me. Good night! To-morrow we will have a nice talk.’

Katy went downstairs very happy. ‘Cousin Helen’s perfectly lovely,’ she told Clover. ‘And she’s got on the most beautiful night-gown, all lace and ruffles. It’s just like a night-gown in a book.’

‘Isn’t it wicked to care about clothes when you’re sick?’ questioned Cecy.

‘I don’t believe Cousin Helen could do anything wicked,’ said Katy.

‘I told mamma that she had on bracelets, and mamma said she feared your cousin was a worldly person,’ retorted Cecy, primming up her lips.

Katy and Clover were quite distressed at this opinion. They talked about it while they were undressing.

‘I mean to ask Cousin Helen to-morrow,’ said Katy.

Next morning the children got up very early. They were so glad that it was vacation. If it hadn’t been, they would have been forced to go to school without seeing Cousin Helen, for she didn’t wake till late. They grew so impatient of the delay, and went upstairs so often to listen at the door, and see if she were moving, that Aunt Izzie finally had to order them off. Katy rebelled against this order a good deal, but she consoled herself by going into the garden and picking the prettiest flowers she could find to give to Cousin Helen the moment she should see her.

When Aunt Izzie let her go up, Cousin Helen was lying on the sofa all dressed for the day in a fresh blue muslin, with blue ribbons, and pretty bronze slippers with rosettes on the toes. The sofa had been wheeled round with its back to the light. There was a cushion with a pretty fluted cover, that Katy had never seen before, and several other things were scattered about, which gave the room quite a different air. All the house was neat, but somehow Aunt Izzie’s rooms never were pretty. Children’s eyes are quick to perceive such things, and Katy saw at once that the Blue-room had never looked like this.

Cousin Helen was white and tired, but her eyes and smile were as bright as ever. She was delighted with the flowers, which Katy presented rather shyly.

‘Oh, how lovely!’ she said; ‘I must put them in water immediately. Katy, dear, won’t you bring that little vase on the bureau and set it on this chair beside me? And please pour a little water into it first.’

‘What a beauty!’ cried Katy, as she lifted the graceful white cup swung on a gilt stand. ‘Is it yours, Cousin Helen?’

‘Yes, it is my pet vase. It stands on a little table beside me at home, and I fancied that the water-cure would seem more home-like if I had it with me there, so I brought it along. But why do you look so puzzled, Katy? Does it seem queer that a vase should travel about in a trunk?’

‘No,’ said Katy slowly; ‘I was only thinking – Cousin Helen, is it worldly to have pretty things when you’re sick?’

Cousin Helen laughed heartily.

‘What put that idea into your head?’ she asked.

‘Cecy said so when I told her about your beautiful night-gown.’

Cousin Helen laughed again.

‘Well,’ she said, ‘I’ll tell you what I think, Katy. Pretty things are no more “worldly” than ugly ones, except when they spoil us by making us vain, or careless of the comfort of other people. And sickness is such a disagreeable thing in itself that unless sick people take great pains, they soon grow to be eyesores to themselves and everybody about them. I don’t think it is possible for an invalid to be too particular. And when one has the back-ache, and the head-ache, and the allover-ache,’ she added, smiling, ‘there isn’t much danger of growing vain because of a ruffle more or less on one’s night-gown or a bit of bright ribbon.’

Then she began to arrange the flowers, touching each separate one gently, and as if she loved it.

‘What a queer noise!’ she exclaimed, suddenly stopping.

It was queer – a sort of snuffling and snorting sound, as if a walrus or a sea-horse were promenading up and down in the hall. Katy opened the door.