On entering her room she struck a light and then tried to warm her chilled
limbs over a few faint coals which still glimmered on the hearth; but
there was no wood in the room and she dared not go for any, so she sat
down with her cloak still around her, and for four long hours studied as
she had never done before in all her life. At the end of that time her
lessons were very nearly learned, and sick with cold and fatigue, she
threw aside her books and prepared for bed.
Her movements awoke Fanny, who, on seeing her sister up at that late hour
of the night, started with surprise, and exclaimed, "What is it, Julia?
What is the matter?" Julia immediately extinguished the light, lest her
sister should discover the books and then said, "Nothing, Fanny, nothing;
only I have the toothache, and I got up for the camphor, but I cannot find
the bottle anywhere."
"The camphor is downstairs," said Fanny, "but I will go for it if you wish
me to. Does your tooth ache very much?"
"Yes, rather," said Julia, and her kind-hearted sister arose and found her
way in the dark downstairs to her mother's room.
"What in thunder's come now?" called out Mr. Middleton. "'Pears like
somebody's been tousing round the house all night."
"It's only I, father," said Fanny. "Julia has the toothache, and I am
after the camphor bottle."
"Oh, it's you, Sunshine, is it? The camphire's on the mantletry. Be
keerful and not break it, honey."
While Fanny was after the camphor, Julia arose, and seizing her books,
threw them hastily into her bureau drawer. She then sprang back into bed
and when Fanny came in she was making a very appropriate moaning on
account of her aching tooth!
"How cold you are, sister," said Fanny; "let me warm my shawl and put it
around you."
"You can't warm it, for their is neither fire nor wood," said Julia; "and
besides, my tooth is much better now."
So Fanny lay down by her sister, and the two, purity and guilt, were soon
fast asleep, side by side, and the angel of innocence spread his broad
wing protectingly over the yellow locks of the one, while a serpent lay
coiled in the dark tresses of the other.