Other Things Being Equal

Chapter VII

CHAPTER VII RS. LEVICE was slowly gaining the high-road to recovery , and many of the restrictions for her cure had been removed* As a consequence, and with an eye ever to Ruth's social duties, she urged her to leave her more and more to herself* As a matter of course, Ruth laid the case of Bob and his neighborhood before her father's consideration* A Jewish girl's life was, at that epoch, an open page to her family. Matters of small as well as of larger moment were freely shared and discussed—a good clearing-house institution which guarded against many indiscretions . This may have been a relic of more restricted days, days sadly narrowing, but broadly beautiful in that they implanted an unconquerable love of home and family in the core of every Jewish heart, a love which lies at the root of all a Jew's best inspirations. It was as natural for Ruth to consult her father in this trivial matter, in view of Arnold's disapproval, as it was for her friend, Dorothy Gwynne, to sally anywhere as long as she herself felt justified in so doing. Ruth ardently wished to go, and as her father, after considering the matter, could find no objection, she went. After that it was enough to tell her mother that she was going to see Bob. Mrs. Levice had heard the doctor speak of him to Ruth, and any little charity that came in her way she was only too happy to forward. Bob's plain, ungarnished room soon began to show signs of beauty under Ruth's deft fingers. A pot of mignonette in the window, a small painting of exquisite chrysanthemums on the wall, a daily bunch of fresh roses, were the food she brought for his poet soul. But there were other substantial things. 107 108 OTHER THINQS BEINQ EQUAL The day after she had replaced the coarse horse-blanket with a soft quilt, the doctor made one of his bi-weekly visits to her mother. As he stood taking leave of Ruth on the veranda, he turned, with his foot on the last step, and looked up at her as if arrested by a sudden thought, "Miss Levice," said he, "I'd like to give you a friendly scolding. May I?" "How can I prevent you?" "Well, if I were you I wouldn't indulge Bob's love of luxury as you do. He positively refused to get up yesterday on account of the 'soft feel,' as he put it, of that quilt. Now, you know, he must get up; he's able to, and in a week I want to start him in to work again. Then he won't be able to afford such 'soft feels,' and he'll rebel. He's had enough coddling for his own good, I really think it's mistaken kindness, Miss Levice," The girl was leaning lightly against one of the supporting columns , A smile played about her lips while she listened, "Dr, Kemp," she replied, "may I give you a little friendly scolding?" "You have every right," His tone was very earnest, despite his smiling eyes. For a fleeting moment Ruth let the new note in his voice possess her, then, "Well, don't you think it's rather hard of you to deprive poor Bob of any pleasure today may bring, on the ground that tomorrow he may wish it too, and won't be able to have it?" "As you put it, it does seem so; but I'm hard enough to want you to see it as practically as I do. Put sentiment aside, and the only sensible thing to be done now is to prepare him for the hard, uncushioned facts of a hard life," "But why must it be so hard for him?" "Why? In the face of the inevitable, that's a time-wasting, useless question. Life is so; even if we find the underlying cause, the discovery won't alter the fact," "Yes, it will," "How?" OTHER THINQS BEINQ EQUAL 109 "By its enabling us to turn our backs on the hard way and seeking a softer/' "You forget that strait-jacket to all inclination—circumstance/' "And aren't you forgetting that friendly hands may help to loosen the strait-jacket?" Her lovely face looked very winning, there above him, "Good!" said he, raising his...