Heidi (35 page)

"Speak, dear friend, and tell me what it is," said Herr Sesemann
entreatingly.

"I am growing old," Uncle went on, "and shall not be here much
longer. I have nothing to leave the child when I die, and she
has no relations, except one person who will always like to make
what profit out of her she can. If you could promise me that
Heidi shall never have to go and earn her living among strangers,
then you would richly reward me for all I have done for your
child."

"There could never be any question of such a thing as that, my
dear friend," said Herr Sesemann quickly. "I look upon the child
as our own. Ask my mother, my daughter; you may be sure that
they will never allow the child to be left in any one else's
care! But if it will make you happier I give you here my hand
upon it. I promise you: Heidi shall never have to go and earn her
living among strangers; I will make provision against this both
during my life and after. But now I have something else to say.
Independent of her circumstances, the child is totally unfitted
to live a life away from home; we found out that when she was
with us. But she has made friends, and among them I know one who
is at this moment in Frankfurt; he is winding up his affairs
there, that he may be free to go where he likes and take his
rest. I am speaking of my friend, the doctor, who came over here
in the autumn and who, having well considered your advice,
intends to settle in this neighborhood, for he has never felt so
well and happy anywhere as in the company of you and Heidi. So
you see the child will henceforth have two protectors near her—
and may they both live long to share the task!"

"God grant it indeed may be so!" added grandmamma, shaking
Uncle's hand warmly as she spoke, to show how sincerely she
echoed her son's wish. Then putting her arm round Heidi, who was
standing near, she drew the child to her.

"And I have a question to ask you too, dear Heidi. Tell me if
there is anything you particularly wish for."

"Yes, there is," answered Heidi promptly, looking up delightedly
at grandmamma.

"Then tell me at once, dear, what it is."

"I want to have the bed I slept in at Frankfurt with the high
pillows and the thick coverlid, and then grandmother will not
have to lie with her head down hill and hardly able to breathe,
and she will be warm enough under the coverlid not to have to
wear her shawl in bed to prevent her freezing to death."

In her eagerness to obtain what she had set her heart upon Heidi
hardly gave herself time to get out all she had to say, and did
not pause for breath till she reached the end of her sentence.

"Dearest child," answered grandmamma, moved by Heidi's speech,
"what is this you tell me of grandmother! You are right to
remind me. In the midst of our own happiness we forget too often
that which we ought to remember before all things. When God has
shown us some special mercy we should think at once of those who
are denied so many things. I will telegraph to Frankfurt at once!
Fraulein Rottenmeier shall pack up the bed this very day, and it
will be here in two days' time. God willing, grandmother shall
soon be sleeping comfortably upon it."

Heidi skipped round grandmamma in her glee, and then stopping
all of a sudden, said quickly, "I must make haste down and tell
grandmother, and she will be in trouble too at my not having
been to see her for such a long time." For she felt she could not
wait another moment before carrying the good news down to
grandmother, and, moreover, the recollection came to her of the
distress the old woman was in when she last saw her.

"No, no, Heidi, what can you be thinking of," said her
grandfather reprovingly. "You can't be running backwards and
forwards like that when you have visitors."

But grandmamma interfered on Heidi's behalf. "The child is not
so far wrong, Uncle," she said, "and poor grandmother has too
long been deprived of Heidi for our sakes. Let us all go down to
her together. I believe my horse is waiting for me and I can ride
down from there, and as soon as I get to Dorfli the message
shall be sent off. What do you think of my plan, son?"

Herr Sesemann had not yet had time to speak of his travelling
plans, so he begged his mother to wait a few moments that he
might tell her what he proposed doing.

Herr Sesemann had been arranging that he and his mother should
make a little tour in Switzerland, first ascertaining if Clara
was in a fit state to go some part of the way with them. But now
he would have the full enjoyment of his daughter's company, and
that being so he did not want to miss any of these beautiful
days of later summer, but to start at once on the journey that he
now looked forward to with such additional pleasure. And so he
proposed that they should spend the night in Dorfli and that
next day he should come and fetch Clara, then they would all
three go down to Ragatz and make that their starting point.

Clara was rather upset at first at the thought of saying good-
bye like this to the mountain; she could not help being pleased,
however, at the prospect of the journey, and no time was allowed
her to give way to lamentation.

Grandmamma had already taken Heidi by the hand, preparatory to
leading the way, when she suddenly turned. "But what is to
become of Clara?" she asked, remembering all at once that the
child could not yet take so long a walk. She gave a nod of
satisfaction as she saw that Uncle had already taken Clara up in
his arms and was following her with sturdy strides. Herr Sesemann
brought up the rear, and so they all started down the mountain.

Heidi kept jumping for joy as she and grandmamma walked along
side by side, and grandmamma asked all about grandmother, how
she lived, and what she did, especially in the winter when it was
so cold. And Heidi gave her a minute account of everything, for
she knew all that went on at grandmother's, and told her how
grandmother sat crouching in her corner and trembling with cold.
She was able to give her exact particulars of what grandmother
had and had not to eat. Grandmamma listened with interest and
sympathy until they came to Grandmother's. Brigitta was just
hanging out Peter's second shirt in the sun, so that he might
have it ready to put on when he had worn the other long enough.
As soon as she saw the company approaching she rushed indoors.

"The whole party of them are just going past, mother, evidently
all returning home again," she informed the old woman. "Uncle is
with them, carrying the sick child."

"Alas, is it really to be so then?" sighed the grandmother. "And
you saw Heidi with them? Then they are taking her away. If only
she could come and put her hand in mine again! If I could but
hear her voice once more!"

At this moment the door flew open and Heidi sprang across to the
corner and threw her arms round grandmother.

"Grandmother! grandmother! my bed is to be sent from Frankfurt
with all the three pillows and the thick coverlid; grandmamma
says it will be here in two days." Heidi could not get out her
words quickly enough, for she was impatient to see grandmother's
great joy at the news. The latter smiled, but said a little
sadly,—

"She must indeed be a good kind lady, and I ought to be glad to
think she is taking you with her, but I shall not outlive it
long."

"What is this I hear? Who has been telling my good grandmother
such tales?" exclaimed a kindly voice, and grandmother felt her
hand taken and warmly pressed, for grandmamma had followed Heidi
in and heard all that was said. "No, no, there is no thought of
such a thing! Heidi is going to stay with you and make you
happy. We want to see her again, but we shall come to her. We
hope to pay a visit to the Alm every year, for we have good cause
to offer up especial thanks to God upon this spot where so great
a miracle has been wrought upon our child."

And now grandmother's face was lighted up with genuine
happiness, and she pressed Frau Sesemann's hand over and over
again, unable to speak her thanks, while two large tears of joy
rolled down her aged cheeks. And Heidi saw the glad change come
over grandmother's face, and she too now was entirely happy.

She clung to the old woman, saying, "Hasn't it all come about,
grandmother, just like the hymn I read to you last time? Isn't
the bed from Frankfurt sent to make you well?"

"Yes, Heidi, and many, many other good things too, which God has
sent me," said the grandmother, deeply moved. "I did not think
it possible that there were so many kind people, ready to trouble
themselves about a poor old woman and to do so much for her.
Nothing strengthens our belief in a kind heavenly Father who
never forgets even the least of His creatures so much as to know
that there are such people, full of goodness and pity for a poor
useless creature such as I am."

"My good grandmother," said Frau Sesemann, interrupting her, "we
are all equally poor and helpless in the eyes of God, and all
have equal need that He should not forget us. But now we must
say good-bye, but only till we meet again, for when we pay our
next year's visit to the Alm you will be the first person we
shall come and see; meanwhile we shall not forget you." And Frau
Sesemann took grandmother's hand again and shook it in farewell.

But grandmother would not let her off even then without more
words of gratitude, and without calling down on her benefactress
and all belonging to her every blessing that God had to bestow.

At last Herr Sesemann and his mother were able to continue their
journey downwards, while Uncle carried Clara back home, with
Heidi beside him, so full of joy of what was coming for
grandmother that every step was a jump.

But there were many tears shed the following morning by the
departing Clara, who wept to say good-bye to the beautiful
mountain home where she had been happier than ever in her life
before. Heidi did her best to comfort her. "Summer will be here
again in no time," she said, "and then you will come again, and
it will be nicer still, for you will be able to walk about from
the beginning. We can then go out every day with the goats up to
where the flowers grow, and enjoy ourselves from the moment you
arrive."

Herr Sesemann had come as arranged to fetch his little daughter
away, and was just now standing and talking with Uncle, for they
had much to say to one another. Clara felt somewhat consoled by
Heidi's words, and wiped away her tears.

"Be sure you say good-bye for me to Peter and the goats, and
especially to Little Swan. I wish I could give Little Swan a
present, for she has helped so much to make me strong."

"Well, you can if you like," replied Heidi, "send her a little
salt; you know how she likes to lick some out of grandfather's
hand when she comes home at night."

Clara was delighted at this idea. "Oh, then I shall send a
hundred pounds of salt from Frankfurt, for I want her to have
something as a remembrance of me."

Herr Sesemann now beckoned to the children as it was time to be
off. Grandmamma's white horse had been brought up for Clara, as
she was no longer obliged to be carried in a chair.

Heidi ran to the far edge of the slope and continued to wave her
hand to Clara until the last glimpse of horse and rider had
disappeared.

And now the bed has arrived, and grandmother is sleeping so
soundly all night that she is sure to grow stronger.

Grandmamma, moreover, has not forgotten how cold the winter is
on the mountain. She has sent a large parcel of warm clothing of
every description, so that grandmother can wrap herself round
and round, and will certainly not tremble with cold now as she
sits in her corner.

There is a great deal of building going on at Dorfli. The doctor
has arrived, and, for the present, is occupying his old
quarters. His friends have advised him to buy the old house that
Uncle and Heidi live in during the winter, which had evidently,
judging from the height of the rooms and the magnificent stove
with its artistically-painted tiles, been a fine gentleman's
place at one time. The doctor is having this part of the old
house rebuilt for himself, the other part being repaired for
Uncle and Heidi, for the doctor is aware that Uncle is a man of
independent spirit, who likes to have a house to himself. Quite
at the back a warm and well-walled stall is being put up for the
two goats, and there they will pass their winter in comfort.

The doctor and Uncle are becoming better friends every day, and
as they walk about the new buildings to see how they are getting
on, their thoughts continually turn to Heidi, for the chief
pleasure to each in connection with the house is that they will
have the light-hearted little child with them there.

"Dear friend," said the doctor on one of these occasions as they
were standing together, "you will see this matter in the same
light as I do, I am sure. I share your happiness in the child as
if, next to you, I was the one to whom she most closely
belonged, but I wish also to share all responsibilities,
concerning her and to do my best for the child. I shall then feel
I have my rights in her, and shall look forward to her being with
me and caring for me in my old age, which is the one great wish
of my heart. She will have the same claims upon me as if she were
my own child, and I shall provide for her as such, and so we
shall be able to leave her without anxiety when the day comes
that you and I must go."

Uncle did not speak, but he clasped the doctor's hand in his,
and his good friend could read in the old man's eyes how greatly
moved he was and how glad and grateful he felt.

Heidi and Peter were at this moment sitting with grandmother,
and the one had so much to relate, and the others to listen to,
that they all three got closer and closer to one another, hardly
able to breathe in their eagerness not to miss a word.