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 2
decide whether he would be a cocoon or not. rest of Nelly's patients.
"You darling thing, did you fall out of yournest and hurt your wing?" cried Nelly, lookingup into the single tree that stood near by. Nonest was to be seen, no parent birds hoveredoverhead, and little Robin could only tell its troublesin that mournful "Queek, queek, queek!"
Nelly ran to get both her chests, and, sittingdown beside the bird, tried to feed it. To herjoy it ate crumb after crumb, as if it werehalf starved, and soon fluttered nearer aconfiding fearlessness that made her very proud.Soon baby Robin seemed quite comfortable, hiseye brightened, he "queeked" no more, and butfor the drooping wing would have been himselfagain. With one of her bandages Nelly boundboth wings closely to his sides for fear he shouldhurt himself by trying to fly; and though he seemedamazed at her proceedings, he behaved verywell, only staring at her, and ruffling up his fewfeathers in a funny way that made her laugh.Then she had to discover some way of accommodatingher two larger patients so that neither shouldhurt nor alarm the other. A bright thought cameto her after much pondering. Carefully liftingthe handkerchief, she pinned the two ends to theroof of the cart, and there swung little Forked-tongue, while Rob lay easily below.
By this time, Nelly began to wonder how ithappened that she found so many more injuredthings than ever before. But it never entered herinnocent head that Tony had searched the woodand meadow before she was up, and laid most ofthese creatures ready to her hands, that shemight not be disappointed. She had not yet losther faith in fairies, so she fancied they toobelonged to her small sisterhood, and presently itdid really seem impossible to doubt that the goodfolk had been at work.
Coming to the bridge that crossed the brook,she stopped a moment to watch the water rippleover the bright pebbles, the ferns bend down todrink, and the funny tadpoles frolic in quieternooks, where the sun shone, and the dragon-fliesswung among the rushes. When Nelly turned togo on, her blue eyes opened wide. and the handleof the ambulance dropped with a noise that causeda stout frog to skip into the water heels over head.Directly in the middle of the bridge was a prettygreen tent, made of two tall burdock leaves. Thestems were stuck into cracks between the boards,the tips were pinned together with a thorn, andone great buttercup nodded in the doorway like asleepy sentinel. Nelly stared and smiled, listened,and looked about on every side. Nothing wasseen but the quiet meadow and the shadygrove, nothing was heard but the babble ofthe brook and the cheery music of the bobolinks.
"Yes," said Nelly softly to herself, "that is afairy tent, and in it I may find a baby elf sickwith whooping-cough or scarlet-fever. Howsplendid it would be! only I could never nurse
such a dainty thing."
Stooping eagerly, she peeped over the buttercup'sdrowsy head, and saw what seemed a tinycock of hay. She had no time to feel disappointed,for the haycock began to stir, and, lookingnearer, she beheld two silvery gray mites, whowagged wee tails, and stretched themselves as ifthey had just waked up. Nelly knew that theywere young field-mice, and rejoiced over them,feeling rather relieved that no fairy had appeared,though she still believed them to have had a handin the matter.
"I shall call the mice my Babes in the Wood,because they are lost and covered up with leaves,"said Nelly, as she laid them in her snuggest bed,where they nestled close together, and fell fastasleep again.
laughed at these comical mites till thetears ran down her cheeks, and thought she nevercould be tired of looking at them. But presentlyshe saw four lines clearly.
Being very anxious to get home, that she mighttell her adventures, and show how great was theneed of a sanitary commission in that region,Nelly marched proudly up the avenue, and, havingdisplayed her load, hurried to the hospital,where another applicant was waiting for her. Onthe step of the door lay a large turtle, with oneclaw gone, and on his back was pasted a bit ofpaper, with his name,-- Commodore Waddle,U.S.N." Nelly knew this was a joke of Will's,but welcomed the ancient mariner, and calledTony to help her get him in.
All that morning they were very busy settlingthe new-comers, for both people and books hadto be consulted before they could decide whatdiet and treatment was best for each. Thewinged contraband had taken Nelly at her word,and flown away on the journey home. LittleRob was put in a large cage, where he could usehis legs, yet not injure his lame wing. Forked-tonguelay under a wire cover, on sprigs of fennel,for the gardener said that snakes were fond of it.The Babes in the Wood were put to bed in oneof the rush baskets, under a cotton-wool coverlet.Greenback, the beetle, found ease for his unknownaches in the warm heart of a rose, where he sunnedhimself all day. The Commodore wasmade happy in a tub of water, grass, and stones,and Mr. Fuzz was put in a well-ventilated glassbox to decide whether he would be a cocoon or not.
Tony had not been idle while his mistress wasaway, and he showed her the hospital garden hehad made close by, in which were cabbage, nettle,and mignonette plants for the butterflies, floweringherbs for the bees, chick-weed and hemp forthe birds, catnip for the pussies, and plenty of roomleft for whatever other patients might need. Inthe afternoon, while Nelly did her task at lint-picking,talking busily to Will as she worked, andinteresting him in her affairs, Tony cleared apretty spot in the grove for the burying-ground,and made ready some small bits of slate on whichto write the names of those who died. He didnot have it ready an hour too soon, for at sunsettwo little graves were needed, and Nurse Nellyshed tender tears for her first losses as she laid themotherless mice in one smooth hollow, and thegray-coated rebel in the other. She had learnedto care for him already, and when she found himdead, was very glad she had been kind to him,hoping that he knew it, and died happier in herhospital than all alone in the shadowy wood.
The rest of Nelly's patients prospered, and ofthe many added afterward few died, because ofTony's skilful treatment and her own faithful care.Every morning when the day proved fair the littleambulance went out upon its charitable errand;every afternoon Nelly worked for the humansufferers whom she loved; and every evening brotherWill read aloud to her from useful books, showedher wonders with his microscope, or prescribedremedies for the patients, whom he soon knew byname and took much interest in. It was Nelly'sholiday; but, though she studied no lessons, shelearned much, and unconsciously made her prettyplay both an example and a rebuke for others.
At first it seemed a childish pastime, and peoplelaughed. But there was something in the familiarwords "sanitary," "hospital" and "ambulance"that made them pleasant sounds tomany ears. As reports of Nelly's work wentthrough the neighborhood, other children came tosee and copy her design. Rough lads lookedashamed when in her wards they found harmlesscreatures hurt by them, and going out they saidamong themselves, "We won't stone birds, chasebutterflies, and drown the girls' little cats anymore, though we won't tell them so." And mostof the lads kept their word so well that peoplesaid there never had been so many birds beforeas all that summer haunted wood and field. Tender-hearted playmates brought their pets to becured; even busy farmers bad a friendly wordfor the small charity, which reminded them sosweetly of the great one which should never beforgotten; lonely mothers sometimes looked outwith wet eyes as the little ambulance went by,recalling thoughts or absent sons who might bejourneying painfully to some far-off hospital, wherebrave women waited to tend them with hands aswilling, hearts as tender, as those the gentle childgave to her self-appointed task.
At home the charm worked also. No more idledays for Nelly, or fretful ones for Will, becausethe little sister would not neglect the helplesscreatures so dependent upon her, and the bigbrother was ashamed to complain after watchingthe patience of these lesser sufferers, and merrilysaid he would try to bear his own wound asquietly and bravely as the "Commodore" borehis. Nelly never knew how much good she haddone Captain Will till he went away again in theearly autumn. Then he thanked her for it, andthough she cried for joy and sorrow she neverforgot it, because he left something behind himwhich always pleasantly reminded her of thedouble success her little hospital had won.
When Will was gone and she had prayedsoftly in her heart that God would keep him safeand bring him home again, she dried her tearsand went away to find comfort in the place wherehe had spent so many happy hours with her. Shehad not been there before that day, and when shereached the door she stood quite still and wantedvery much to cry again, far something beautifulhad happened. She had often asked Will for amotto for her hospital, and he had promised tofind her one. She thought he had forgotten it;but even in the hurry of that busy day he hadfound time to do more than keep his word, whileNelly sat indoors, lovingly brightening the tarnishedbuttons on the blue coat that had seen somany battles.
saidamong themselves, "We won't stone birds, chasebutterflies, and drown the girls' little cats anymore, though.
Above the roof, where the doves cooed in thesun, now rustled a white flag with the goldenS.C." shining on it as the wind tossed it to andfro. Below, on the smooth panel of the door, askilful pencil had drawn two arching ferns, inwhose soft shadow, poised upon a mushroom,stood a little figure of Nurse Nelly, and undeneathit another of Dr. Tony bottling medicine, with spectaclesupon his nose. Both hands of the miniature Nelly wereoutstretched, as if beckoning to a train of insects,birds and beasts, which was so long that it not onlycircled round the lower rim of this fine sketch, butdwindled in the distance to mere dots and lines. Suchmerry conceits as one found there! A mouse bringing thetail it had lost in some cruel trap, a dor-bug witha shade over its eyes, an invalid butterfly carriedin a tiny litter by long-legged spiders, a fat frogwith gouty feet hopping upon crutches, JennyWren sobbing in a nice handkerchief, as shebrought dear dead Cock Robin to be restored tolife. Rabbits, lambs, cats, calves, and turtles, allcame trooping up to be healed by the benevolentlittle maid who welcomed them so heartily.
Nelly laughed at these comical mites till thetears ran down her cheeks, and thought she nevercould be tired of looking at them. But presentlyshe saw four lines clearly printed underneath herpicture, ahd her childish face grew sweetly seriousas she read the words of a great poet, whichWill had made both compliment and motto:-
"He prayeth best who loveth bestAll things, both great and small;For the dear God who loveth us,He made and loveth all."