THE RETURNING PRODIGAL

For a considerable time the Bible-seller plied Sam with every argument he could think of in order to induce him to return home, and he was still in the middle of his effort when the door opened, and two young men of gentlemanly appearance walked in, bearing a portable harmonium between them.

They were followed by one of the ladies of the Beehive, who devote all their time ­and, may we not add, all their hearts ­to the rescue of the perishing.  Along with her came a tall, sweet-faced girl.  She was our friend Hetty Frog, who, after spending her days at steady work, spent some of her night hours in labours of love.  Hetty was passionately fond of music, and had taught herself to play the harmonium sufficiently to accompany simple hymns.

After her came the missionary, whose kind face was familiar to most of the homeless ones there.  They greeted him with good-natured familiarity, but some of their faces assumed a somewhat vinegar aspect when the tall form of Sir Richard Brandon followed Seaward.

“A bloated haristocrat!” growled one of the men.

“Got a smart little darter, anyhow,” remarked another, as Di, holding tight to her father’s hand, glanced from side to side with looks of mingled pity and alarm.

For poor little Di had a not uncommon habit of investing everything in couleur de rose, and the stern reality which met her had not the slightest tinge of that colour.  Di had pictured to herself clean rags and picturesque poverty.  The reality was dirty rags and disgusting poverty.  She had imagined sorrowful faces.  Had she noted them when the missionary passed, she might indeed have seen kindly looks; but when her father passed there were only scowling faces, nearly all of which were unshaven and dirty.  Di had not thought at all of stubbly beards or dirt!  Neither had she thought of smells, or of stifling heat that it was not easy to bear.  Altogether poor little Di was taken down from a height on that occasion to which she never again attained, because it was a false height.  In after years she reached one of the true heights ­which was out of sight higher than the false one!

There was something very businesslike in these missionaries, for there was nothing of the simply amateur in their work ­like the visit of Di and her father.  They were familiar with the East-end mines; knew where splendid gems and rich gold were to be found, and went about digging with the steady persistence of the labourer, coupled, however, with the fire of the enthusiast.

They carried the harmonium promptly to the most conspicuous part of the room, planted it there, opened it, placed a stool in front of it, and one of the brightest diamonds from that mine ­in the person of Hetty Frog ­sat down before it.  Simply, and in sweet silvery tones, she sang ­“Come to the Saviour.”

The others joined ­even Sir Richard Brandon made an attempt to sing ­as he had done on a previous occasion, but without much success, musically speaking.  Meanwhile, John Seaward turned up the passage from which he had prepared to speak that evening.  And so eloquent with nature’s simplicity was the missionary, that the party soon forgot all about the Twitters while the comforting Gospel was being urged upon the unhappy creatures around.

But we must not forget the Twitters.  They are our text and sermon just now!

Young Sam Twitter had risen with the intention of going out when the missionary entered, for words of truth only cut him to the heart.  But his companion whispered him to wait a bit.  Soon his attention was riveted.

While he sat there spell-bound, a shabby-genteel man entered and sat down beside him.  He wore a broad wide-awake, very much slouched over his face, and a coat which had once been fine, but now bore marks of having been severely handled ­as if recently rubbed by a drunken wearer on whitewashed and dirty places.  The man’s hands were not so dirty, however, as one might have expected from his general appearance, and they trembled much.  On one of his fingers was a gold ring.  This incongruity was lost on Sam, who was too much absorbed to care for the new comer, and did not even notice that he pushed somewhat needlessly close to him.

These things were not, however, lost on Reggie North, who regarded the man with some surprise, not unmixed with suspicion.

When, after a short time, however, this man laid his hand gently on that of Sam and held it, the boy could no longer neglect his eccentricities.  He naturally made an effort to pull the hand away, but the stranger held it fast.  Having his mind by that time entirely detached from the discourse of the missionary, Sam looked at the stranger in surprise, but could not see his face because of the disreputable wide-awake which he wore.  But great was his astonishment, not to say alarm, when he felt two or three warm tears drop on his hand.

Again he tried to pull it away, but the strange man held it tighter.  Still further, he bent his head over it and kissed it.

A strange unaccountable thrill ran through the boy’s frame.  He stooped, looked under the brim of the hat, and beheld his father!

“Sammy ­dear, dear Sammy,” whispered the man, in a husky voice.

But Sammy could not reply.  He was thunderstruck.  Neither could his father speak, for he was choking.

But Reggie North had heard enough.  He was quick-witted, and at once guessed the situation.

“Now then, old gen’lm’n,” he whispered, “don’t you go an’ make a fuss, if you’re wise.  Go out as quiet as you came in, an’ leave this young ’un to me.  It’s all right.  I’m on your side.”

Samuel Twitter senior was impressed with the honesty of the man’s manner, and the wisdom of his advice.  Letting go the hand, after a parting squeeze, he rose up and left the room.  Two minutes later, North and Sammy followed.

They found the old father outside, who again grasped his son’s hand with the words, “Sammy, my boy ­dear Sammy;” but he never got further than that.

Number 666 was there too.

“You’ll find the cab at the end of the street, sir,” he said, and next moment Sammy found himself borne along ­not unwillingly ­by North and his father.

A cab door was opened.  A female form was seen with outstretched arms.

“Mother!”

“Sammy ­darling ­”

The returning prodigal disappeared into the cab.  Mr Twitter turned round.

“Thank you.  God bless you, whoever you are,” he said, fumbling in his vest pocket; having forgotten that he represented an abject beggar, and had no money there.

“No thanks to me, sir.  Look higher,” said the Bible-seller, thrusting the old gentleman almost forcibly into the vehicle.  “Now then, cabby, drive on.”

The cabby obeyed.  Having already received his instructions he did not drive home.  Where he drove to is a matter of small consequence.  It was to an unknown house, and a perfect stranger to Sammy opened the door.  Mrs Twitter remained in the cab while Sammy and his father entered the house, the latter carrying a bundle in his hand.  They were shown into what the boy must have considered ­if he considered anything at all just then ­a preposterously small room.

The lady of the house evidently expected them, for she said, “The bath is quite ready, sir.”

“Now, Sammy, ­dear boy,” said Mr Twitter, “off with your rags ­and g-git into that b-bath.”

Obviously Mr Twitter did not speak with ease.  In truth it was all he could do to contain himself, and he felt that his only chance of bearing up was to say nothing more than was absolutely necessary in short ejaculatory phrases.  Sammy was deeply touched, and began to wash his dirty face with a few quiet tears before taking his bath.

“Now then, Sammy ­look sharp!  You didn’t use ­to ­be ­so ­slow! eh?”

“No, father.  I suppose it ­it ­is want of habit.  I haven’t undressed much of late.”

This very nearly upset poor Mr Twitter.  He made no reply, but assisted his son to disrobe with a degree of awkwardness that tended to delay progress.

“It ­it’s not too hot ­eh?”

“Oh! no, father.  It’s ­it’s ­v-very nice.”

“Go at it with a will, Sammy.  Head and all, my boy ­down with it.  And don’t spare the soap.  Lots of soap here, Sammy ­no end of soap!”

The truth of which Mr Twitter proceeded to illustrate by covering his son with a lather that caused him quickly to resemble whipped cream.

“Oh! hold on, father, it’s getting into my eyes.”

“My boy ­dear Sammy ­forgive me.  I didn’t quite know what I was doing.  Never mind.  Down you go again, Sammy ­head and all.  That’s it.  Now, that’s enough; out you come.”

“Oh! father,” said the poor boy, while invisible tears trickled over his wet face, as he stepped out of the bath, “it’s so good of you to forgive me so freely.”

“Forgive you, my son! forgive! why, I’d ­I’d ­” He could say no more, but suddenly clasped Sammy to his heart, thereby rendering his face and person soap-suddy and wet to a ridiculous extent.

Unclasping his arms and stepping back, he looked down at himself.

“You dirty boy! what d’you mean by it?”

“It’s your own fault, daddy,” replied Sam, with a hysterical laugh, as he enveloped himself in a towel.

A knock at the bath-room door here produced dead silence.

“Please, sir,” said a female voice, “the lady in the cab sends to say that she’s gettin’ impatient.”

“Tell the lady in the cab to drive about and take an airing for ten minutes,” replied Mr Twitter with reckless hilarity.

“Yes, sir.”

“Now, my boy, here’s your toggery,” said the irrepressible father, hovering round his recovered son like a moth round a candle ­“your best suit, Sammy; the one you used to wear only on Sundays, you extravagant fellow.”

Sammy put it on with some difficulty from want of practice, and, after combing out and brushing his hair, he presented such a changed appearance that none of his late companions could have recognised him.  His father, after fastening up his coat with every button in its wrong hole, and causing as much delay as possible by assisting him to dress, finally hustled him down-stairs and into the cab, where he was immediately re-enveloped by Mrs Twitter.

He was not permitted to see any one that night, but was taken straight to his room, where his mother comforted, prayed with, fed and fondled him, and then allowed him to go to bed.

Next morning early ­before breakfast ­Mrs Twitter assembled all the little Twitters, and put them on chairs in a row ­according to order, for Mrs Twitter’s mind was orderly in a remarkable degree.  They ranged from right to left thus: ­

Molly, Willie, Fred, Lucy, and Alice ­with Alice’s doll on a doll’s chair at the left flank of the line.

“Now children,” said Mrs Twitter, sitting down in front of the row with an aspect so solemn that they all immediately made their mouths very small and their eyes very large ­in which respect they brought themselves into wonderful correspondence with Alice’s doll.  “Now children, your dear brother Sammy has come home.”

“Oh! how nice!  Where has he been?  What has he seen?  Why has he been away so long?  How jolly!” were the various expressions with which the news was received.

“Silence.”

The stillness that followed was almost oppressive, for the little Twitters had been trained to prompt obedience.  To say truth they had not been difficult to train, for they were all essentially mild.

“Now, remember, when he comes down to breakfast you are to take no notice whatever of his having been away ­no notice at all.”

“Are we not even to say good-morning or kiss him, mamma?” asked little Alice with a look of wonder.

“Dear child, you do not understand me.  We are all charmed to see Sammy back, and so thankful ­so glad ­that he has come, and we will kiss him and say whatever we please to him except,” (here she cast an awful eye along the line and dropped her voice), “except ask him where ­he ­ has ­been.”

“Mayn’t we ask him how he liked it, mamma?” said Alice.

“Liked what, child?”

“Where he has been, mamma.”

“No, not a word about where he has been; only that we are so glad, so very glad, to see him back.”

Fred, who had an argumentative turn of mind, thought that this would be a rather demonstrative though indirect recognition of the fact that Sammy had been somewhere that was wrong, but, having been trained to unquestioning obedience, Fred said nothing.

“Now, dolly,” whispered little Alice, bending down, “’member dat ­you’re so glad Sammy’s come back; mustn’t say more ­not a word more.”

“It is enough for you to know, my darlings,” continued Mrs Twitter, “that Sammy has been wandering and has come back.”

“Listen, Dolly, you hear?  Sammy’s been wandering an’ come back.  Dat’s ’nuff for you.”

“You see, dears,” continued Mrs Twitter, with a slightly perplexed look, caused by her desire to save poor Sammy’s feelings, and her anxiety to steer clear of the slightest approach to deception, “you see, Sammy has been long away, and has been very tired, and won’t like to be troubled with too many questions at breakfast, you know, so I want you all to talk a good deal about anything you like ­your lessons, ­for instance, when he comes down.”

“Before we say good-morning, mamma, or after?” asked Alice, who was extremely conscientious.

“Darling child,” exclaimed the perplexed mother, “you’ll never take it in.  What I want to impress on you is ­”

She stopped, suddenly, and what it was she meant to impress we shall never more clearly know, for at that moment the foot of Sammy himself was heard on the stair.

“Now, mind, children, not a word ­not ­a ­word!”

The almost preternatural solemnity induced by this injunction was at once put to flight by Sammy, at whom the whole family flew with one accord and a united shriek ­pulling him down on a chair and embracing him almost to extinction.

Fortunately for Sammy, and his anxious mother, that which the most earnest desire to obey orders would have failed to accomplish was brought about by the native selfishness of poor humanity, for, the first burst of welcome over, Alice began an elaborate account of her Dolly’s recent proceedings, which seemed to consist of knocking her head against articles of furniture, punching out her own eyes and flattening her own nose; while Fred talked of his latest efforts in shipbuilding; Willie of his hopes in regard to soldiering, and Lucy of her attempts to draw and paint.

Mr and Mrs Twitter contented themselves with gazing on Sammy’s somewhat worn face, and lying in watch, so that, when Alice or any of the young members of the flock seemed about to stray on the forbidden ground, they should be ready to descend, like two wolves on the fold, remorselessly change the subject of conversation, and carry all before them.

Thus tenderly was that prodigal son received back to his father’s house.