现代灰姑娘 英文版 A Modern Cinderella
露意莎.梅.奥尔科特 Louisa May Alcott
NELLY'S HOSPITAL Page 1
Nelly sat beside her mother picking lint; butwhile her fingers flew, her eyes often lookedwistfully out into the meadow, golden withbuttercups, and bright with sunshine. Presently shesaid, rather bashfully, but very earnestly, "Mamma,I want to tell you a little plan I've made, ifyou'll please not laugh."
I think I can safely promise that, my dear,"said her mother, putting down her work that shemight listen quite respectfully.
Nelly looked pleased, and went on confidingly,
"Since brother Will came home with his lamefoot, and I've helped you tend him, I've heard agreat deal about hospitals, and liked it very much.To-day I said I wanted to go and be a nurse, likeAunt Mercy; but Will laughed, and told me I'dbetter begin by nursing sick birds and butterfliesand pussies before I tried to take care of men. Idid not like to be made fun of, but I've beenthinking that it would be very pleasant to have alittle hospital all my own, and be a nurse in it,because, if I took pains, so many pretty creaturesmight be made well, perhaps. Could I, mamma?"
Her mother wanted to smile at the idea, butdid not, for Nelly looked up with her heart andeyes so full of tender compassion, both for theunknown men for whom her little hands had donetheir best, and for the smaller sufferers nearerhome, that she stroked the shining head, and answeredreadily: "Yes, Nelly, it will be a propercharity for such a young Samaritan, and you maylearn much if you are in earnest. You must studyhow to feed and nurse your little patients, elseyour pity will do no good, and your hospital becomea prison. I will help you, and Tony shallbe your surgeon."
"O mamma, how good you always are to me!Indeed, I am in truly earnest; I will learn,I will be kind, and may I go now and begin?"
"You may, but tell me first where will youhave your hospital?"
"In my room, mamma; it is so snug and sunny,and I never should forget it there," said Nelly.
"You must not forget it anywhere. I thinkthat plan will not do. How would you like tofind caterpillars walking in your bed, to hear sickpussies mewing in the night, to have beetles clingingto your clothes, or see mice, bugs, and birdstumbling downstairs whenever the door wasopen?" said her mother.
Nelly laughed at that thought a minute, thenclapped her hands, and cried: "Let us have theold summer-house! My doves only use the upperpart, and it would be so like Frank in the storybook.Please say yes again, mamma."
Her mother did say yes, and, snatching up herhat, Nelly ran to find Tony, the gardener's son,a pleasant lad of twelve, who was Nelly's favoriteplaymate. Tony pronounced the plan a "jolly" one, and,leaving his work, followed his young mistress to thesummer-house, for she could not wait one minute.
"What must we do first?" she asked, as theystood looking in at the dusty room, full ofgarden tools, bags of seeds, old flower-pots, andwatering-cans.
"Clear out the rubbish, miss," answered Tony.
"Here it goes, then," and Nelly began bundlingeverything out in such haste that she broketwo flower-pots, scattered all the squash-seeds,and brought a pile of rakes and hoes clatteringdown about her ears.
"Just wait a bit, and let me take the lead,miss. You hand me things, I'll pile 'em in thebarrow and wheel 'em off to the barn; then itwill save time, and be finished up tidy."
Nelly did as he advised, and very soon nothingbut dust remained.
"What next?" she asked, not knowing in theleast.
"I'll sweep up while you see if Polly cancome and scrub the room out. It ought tobe done before you stay here, let alone thepatients."
"So it had," said Nelly, looking very wise allof a sudden. "Will says the wards--that meansthe rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day ortwo, and kept very clean, and well venti-some-thing--I can't say it; but it means having a plentyof air come in. I can clean windows while Pollymops, and then we shall soon be done."Away she ran, feeling very busy and important.Polly came, and very soon the room lookedlike another place. The four latticed windowswere set wide open, so the sunshine came dancingthrough the vines that grew outside, and curiousroses peeped in to see what frolic was afoot. Thewalls shone white again, for not a spider daredto stay; the wide seat which encircled the roomwas dustless now,--the floor as nice as willinghands could make it; and the south wind blewaway all musty odors with its fragrant breath." How fine it looks! " cried Nelly, dancingon the doorstep, lest a foot-print should mar thestill damp floor.
"I'd almost like to fall sick for the sake ofstaying here," said Tony, admiringly. "Now, whatsort of beds are you going to have, miss?
"I suppose it won't do to put butterflies andtoads and worms into beds like the real soldierswhere Will was?" answered Nelly, lookinganxious.
Tony could hardly help shouting at the idea;but, rather than trouble his little mistress, he saidvery soberly: "I'm afraid they wouldn't layeasy, not being used to it. Tucking up a butterflywould about kill him; the worms would be apt toget lost among the bed-clothes; and the toadswould tumble out the first thing."
"I shall have to ask mamma about it. What willyou do while I'm gone?" said Nelly, unwillingthat a moment should be lost.
"I'll make frames for nettings to the windows,else the doves will come in and eat up the sickpeople.
"Yes, we must have the nettings. I'll askmamma for some lace," said Nelly, when she sawthat; and, taking her pet dove on her shoulder,told it about her hospital as she went toward thehouse; for, loving all little creatures as she did, itgrieved her to have any harm befall even the leastor plainest of them. She had a sweet child-fancythat her playmates understood her languageas she did theirs, and that birds, flowers, animals,and insects felt for her the same affection whichshe felt for them. Love always makes friends,and nothing seemed to fear the gentle child; butwelcomed her like a little sun who shone alike onall, and never suffered an eclipse.
She was gone some time, and when she cameback her mind was full of new plans, one handfull of rushes, the other of books, while over herhead floated the lace, and a bright green ribbonhung across her arm.
"Mamma says that the best beds will be littlebaskets, boxes, cages, and any sort of thing thatsuits the patients; for each will need different careand food and medicine. I have not basketsenough, so, as I cannot have pretty white beds, Iam going to braid pretty green nests for mypatients, and, while I do it, mamma thought you'dread to me the pages she has marked, so that wemay begin right."
"Yes, miss; I like that. But what is the ribbonfor?" asked Tony.
"O, that's for you. Will says that, if you areto be an army surgeon, you must have a greenband on your arm; so I got this to tie on when weplay hospital."
Tony let her decorate the sleeve of his grayjacket, and when the nettings were done, thewelcome books were opened and enjoyed. Itwas a happy time, sitting in the sunshine, withleaves pleasantly astir all about them, doves cooingoverhead, and flowers sweetly gossiping togetherthrough the summer afternoon. Nelly wove hersmooth, green rushes. Tony pored over his pages,and both found something better than fairy legendsin the family histories of insects, birds, and beasts.All manner of wonders appeared, and were explainedto them, till Nelly felt as if a new worldhad been given her, so full of beauty, interest, andpleasure that she never could be tired of studyingit. Many of these things were not strange toTony, because, born among plants, he had grownup with them as if they were brothers and sisters,and the sturdy, brown-faced boy had learnedmany lessons which no poet or philosopher couldhave taught him, unless he had become as child-like as himself, and studied from the same great book.
When the baskets were done, the marked pagesall read, and the sun began to draw his rosycurtains round him before smiling "Good night,"Nelly ranged the green beds round the room, Tonyput in the screens, and the hospital was ready.The little nurse was so excited that she couldhardly eat her supper, and directly afterwardsran up to tell Will how well she had succeededwith the first part of her enterprise. Now brotherWill was a brave young officer, who had foughtstoutly and done his duty like a man. But whenlying weak and wounded at home, the cheerfulcourage which had led him safely through manydangers seemed to have deserted him, and he wasoften gloomy, sad, or fretful, because he longedto be at his post again, and time passed veryslowly. This troubled his mother, and madeNelly wonder why he found lying in a pleasantroom so much harder than fighting battles ormaking weary marches. Anything that interestedand amused him was very welcome, and whenNelly, climbing on the arm of his sofa, told herplans, mishaps, and successes, he laughed out moreheartily than he had done for many a day, and histhin face began to twinkle with fun as it used todo so long ago. That pleased Nelly, and shechatted like any affectionate little magpie, tillWill was really interested; for when one is ill,small things amuse.
"Do you expect your patients to come to you,Nelly?" he asked.
"No, I shall go and look for them. I oftensee poor things suffering in the garden, and thewood, and always feel as if they ought to be takencare of, as people are."
"You won't like to carry insane bugs, lametoads, and convulsive kittens in your hands, andthey would not stay on a stretcher if you hadone. You should have an ambulance and bea branch of the Sanitary Commission," saidWill.
Nelly had often heard the words, but did notquite understand what they meant. So Will toldher of that great never-failing charity, to whichthousands owe their lives; and the child listenedwith lips apart, eyes often full, and so much loveand admiration in her heart that she could find nowords in which to tell it. When her brotherpaused, she said earnestly: "Yes, I will be aSanitary. This little cart of mine shall be myamb'lance, and I'll never let my water-barrels goempty, never drive too fast, or be rough with mypoor passengers, like some of the men you tellabout. Does this look like an ambulance, Will?"
"Not a bit, but it shall, if you and mammalike to help me. I want four long bits of cane, asquare of white cloth, some pieces of thin wood,and the gum-pot," said Will, sitting up to examinethe little cart, feeling like a boy again ashe took out his knife and began to whittle.Upstairs and downstairs ran Nelly till allnecessary materials were collected, and almostbreathlessly she watched her brother arch thecanes over the cart, cover them with the cloth,and fit an upper shelf of small compartments, eachlined with cotton-wool to serve as beds forwounded insects, lest they should hurt one anotheror jostle out. The lower part was left free for anylarger creatures which Nelly might find. Amongher toys she bad a tiny cask which only needed apeg to be water-tight; this was filled and fittedin before, because, as the small sufferers neededno seats, there was no place for it behind, and, asNelly was both horse and driver, it was moreconvenient in front. On each side of it stood abox of stores. In one were minute rollers, asbandages are called, a few bottles not yet filled,and a wee doll's jar of cold-cream, because Nellycould not feel that her outfit was complete withouta medicine-chest. The other box was full ofcrumbs, bits of sugar, bird-seed, and grains ofwheat and corn, lest any famished stranger shoulddie for want of food before she got it home. Thenmamma painted "U.S. San. Com." in bright letters onthe cover, and Nelly received her charitableplaything with a long sigh of satisfaction.
"Nine o'clock already. Bless me, what ashort evening this has been," exclaimed Will, asNelly came to give him her good-night kiss.
"And such a happy one," she answered.
"Thank you very, very much, dear Will. I onlywish my little amb'lance was big enough foryou to go in,--I'd so like to give you the firstride."
"Nothing I should like better, if it were possible,though I've a prejudice against ambulances ingeneral. But as I cannot ride, I'll try and hop outto your hospital to-morrow, and see how you geton,"--which was a great deal for Captain Willto say, because he had been too listless to leavehis sofa for several days.
That promise sent Nelly happily away to bed,only stopping to pop her head out of the windowto see if it was likely to be a fair day to-morrow,and to tell Tony about the new plan as he passedbelow.
"Where shall you go to look for your first loadof sick folks, miss?" he asked.
'll pile 'em in thebarrow and wheel .
"All round the garden first, then through thegrove, and home across the brook. Do you thinkI can find any patients so? " said Nelly.
"I know you will. Good night, miss," andTony walked away with a merry look on his face,that Nelly would not have understood if she hadseen it.
Up rose the sun bright and early, and up roseNurse Nelly almost as early and as bright. Breakfastwas taken in a great hurry, and before thedew was off the grass this branch of the S. C.was all astir. Papa, mamma, big brother andbaby sister, men and maids, all looked out to seethe funny little ambulance depart, and nowhere inall the summer fields was there a happier child thanNelly, as she went smiling down the garden path,where tall flowers kissed her as she passed andevery blithe bird seemed singing a "Good speed!"
be myamb'lance, and I'll never let my water-barrels goempty, never.
"How I wonder what I shall find first," shethought, looking sharply on all sides as she went.Crickets chirped, grasshoppers leaped, antsworked busily at their subterranean houses,spiders spun shining webs from twig to twig, beeswere coming for their bags of gold, and butterflieshad just begun their holiday. A large white onealighted on the top of the ambulance, walkedover the inscription as if spelling it letter by letter,then floated away from flower to flower, like onecarrying the good news far and wide.
"Now every one will know about the hospitaland be glad to see me coming," thought Nelly.And indeed it seemed so, for just then a black-bird, sitting on a garden wall, burst out with asong full of musical joy, Nelly's kitten camerunning after to stare at the wagon and rub her softside against it, a bright-eyed toad looked outfrom his cool bower among the lily-leaves, and atthat minute Nelly found her first patient. In oneof the dewy cobwebs hanging from a shrub nearby sat a fat black and yellow spider, watchinga fly whose delicate wings were just caught in thenet. The poor fly buzzed pitifully, and struggledso hard that the whole web shook: but the morehe struggled, the more he entangled himself, andthe fierce spider was preparing to descend that itmight weave a shroud about its prey, when alittle finger broke the threads and lifted the flysafely into the palm of a hand, where he layfaintly humming his thanks.
Nelly had heard much about contrabands, knew whothey were, and was very much interested in them;so, when she freed the poor blackfly she played he was her contraband, and feltglad that her first patient was one that neededhelp so much. Carefully brushing away as muchof the web as she could, she left small Pompey,as she named him, to free his own legs, lest herclumsy fingers should hurt him; then she laid himin one of the soft beds with a grain or two ofsugar if he needed refreshment, and bade him restand recover from his fright, remembering that hewas at liberty to fly away whenever he liked,because she had no wish to male a slave of him.
Feeling very happy over this new friend, Nellywent on singing softly as she walked, and presentlyshe found a pretty caterpillar dressed inbrown fur, although the day was warm. He layso still she thought him dead, till he rolled himselfinto a ball as she touched him.
"I think you are either faint from the heat ofthis thick coat of yours, or that you are going tomake a cocoon of yourself, Mr. Fuzz," said Nelly.
"Now I want to see you turn into a butterfly, soI shall take you, and if get lively again I willlet you go. I shall play that you have given outon a march, as the soldiers sometimes do, andbeen left behind for the Sanitary people to see to."
In went sulky Mr. Fuzz, and on trundled theambulance till a golden green rose-beetle wasdiscovered, lying on his back kicking as if in a fit.
"Dear me, what shall I do for him?" thoughtNelly. "He acts as baby did when she was soilll, and mamma put her in a warm bath. I haven'tgot my little tub here, or any hot water, and I'mafraid the beetle would not like it if I had. Perhapshe has pain in his stomach; I'll turn him over,and pat his back, as nurse does baby's when shecries for pain like that."
She set the beetle on his legs, and did her bestto comfort him; but he was evidently in great distress,for he could not walk, and instead of liftinghis emerald overcoat, and spreading the wingsthat lay underneath, be turned over again, andkicked more violently than before. Not knowingwhat to do, Nelly put him into one of her softnests for Tony to cure if possible. She found nomore patients in the garden except a dead bee,which she wrapped in a leaf, and took home tobury. When she came to the grove, it was sogreen and cool she longed to sit and listen to thewhisper of the pines, and watch the larch-tasselswave in the wind. But, recollecting her charitableerrand, she went rustling along the pleasantpath till she came to another patient, over whichshe stood considering several minutes before shecould decide whether it was best to take it to herhospital, because it was a little gray snake, withbruised tail. She knew it would not hurt her,yet she was afraid of it; she thought it pretty,yet could not like it: she pitied its pain, yet shrunkfrom helping it, for it had a fiery eye, and a keepquivering tongue, that looked as if longing to bite.
"He is a rebel, I wonder if I ought to be goodto him," thought Nelly, watching the reptilewrithe with pain. "Will said there were sickrebels in his hospital, and one was very kind tohim. It says, too, in my little book, 'Love yourenemies.' I think snakes are mine, but I guess I'lltry and love him because God made him. Some boywill kill him if I leave him here, and then perhapshis mother will be very sad about it. Come,poor worm, I wish to help you, so be patient, anddon't frighten me."
Then Nelly laid her little handkerchief on theground, and with a stick gently lifted the woundedsnake upon it, and, folding it together, laid it inthe ambulance. She was thoughtful after that,and so busy puzzling her young head about theduty of loving those who hate us, and being kindto those who are disagreeable or unkind, that shewent through the rest of the wood quite forgetfulof her work. A soft "Queek,queek!" made herlook up and listen. The sound came from thelong meadow-grass, and, bending it carefullyback, she found a half-fledged bird, with onewing trailing on the ground, and its eyes dim withpain or hunger.