The Guardian Angel

O >> Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. >> The Guardian Angel


Master Bytes Gridley was greatly exercised about the two "preposterous
names," as he called them, which in a moment of eccentric impulse he had
given to these children of nature. He ventured to hint as much to Mrs.
Hopkins. The good dame was vastly surprised. She thought they was about
as pooty names as anybody had had given 'em in the village. And they was
so handy, spoke short, Sossy and Minthy,--she never should know how to
call 'em anything else.

"But my dear Mrs. Hopkins," Master Gridley urged, "if you knew the
meaning they have to the ears of scholars, you would see that I did very
wrong to apply such absurd names to my little fellow-creatures, and that
I am bound to rectify my error. More than that, my dear madam, I mean to
consult you as to the new names; and if we can fix upon proper and
pleasing ones, it is my intention to leave a pretty legacy in my will to
these interesting children."

"Mr. Gridley," said Mrs. Hopkins, "you're the best man I ever see, or
ever shall see... except my poor dear Ammi.... I 'll do jest as you say
about that, or about anything else in all this livin' world."

"Well, then, Mrs. Hopkins, what shall be the boy's name?"

"Byles Gridley Hopkins!" she answered instantly.

"Good Lord!" said Mr. Gridley, "think a minute, my dear madam. I will
not say one word,--only think a minute, and mention some name that will
not suggest quite so many winks and whispers."

She did think something less than a minute, and then said aloud, "Abraham
Lincoln Hopkins."

"Fifteen thousand children have been so christened during the past year,
on a moderate computation."

"Do think of some name yourself, Mr. Gridley; I shall like anything that
you like. To think of those dear babes having a fund--if that's the
right name--on purpose for 'em, and a promise of a legacy, I hope they
won't get that till they're a hundred year old!"

"What if we change Isosceles to Theodore, Mrs. Hopkins? That means the
gift of God, and the child has been a gift from Heaven, rather than a
burden."

Mrs. Hopkins seized her apron, and held it to her eyes. She was weeping.
"Theodore!" she said, "Theodore! My little brother's name, that I buried
when I was only eleven year old. Drownded. The dearest little child
that ever you see. I have got his little mug with Theodore on it now.
Kep' o' purpose. Our little Sossy shall have it. Theodore P.
Hopkins,--sha'n't it be, Mr. Gridley?"

"Well, if you say so; but why that P., Mrs. Hopkins? Theodore Parker, is
it?"

"Doesn't P. stand for Pemberton, and isn't Father Pemberton the best man
in the world--next to you, Mr. Gridley?"

"Well, well, Mrs. Hopkins, let it be so, if you are suited, I am. Now
about Helminthia; there can't be any doubt about what we ought to call
her,--surely the friend of orphans should be remembered in naming one of
the objects of her charity."

"Cynthia Badlam Fund Hopkins," said the good woman triumphantly,--"is
that what you mean?"

"Suppose we leave out one of the names,--four are too many. I think the
general opinion will be that Hehninthia should unite the names of her two
benefactresses,--Cynthia Badlam Hopkins."

"Why, law! Mr. Gridley, is n't that nice?--Minthy and Cynthy,--there
ain't but one letter of difference! Poor Cynthy would be pleased if she
could know that one of our babes was to be called after her. She was
dreadful fond of children."

On one of the sweetest Sundays that ever made Oxbow Village lovely, the
Rev. Dr. Eliphalet Pembertan was summoned to officiate at three most
interesting ceremonies,--a wedding and two christenings, one of the
latter a double one.

The first was celebrated at the house of the Rev. Mr. Stoker, between the
Rev. Cyprian Eveleth and Bathsheba, daughter of the first-named
clergyman. He could not be present on account of his great infirmity,
but the door of his chamber was left open that he might hear the marriage
service performed. The old, white-haired minister, assisted, as the
papers said, by the bridegroom's father, conducted the ceremony according
to the Episcopal form. When he came to those solemn words in which the
husband promises fidelity to the wife so long as they both shall live,
the nurse, who was watching, near the poor father, saw him bury his face
in his pillow, and heard him murmur the words, "God be merciful to me a
sinner!"

The christenings were both to take place at the same service, in the old
meeting-house. Colonel Clement Lindsay and Myrtle his wife came in, and
stout Nurse Byloe bore their sturdy infant in her arms. A slip of paper
was handed to the Reverend Doctor on which these words were
written:--"The name is Charles Hazard."

The solemn and touching rite was then performed; and Nurse Byloe
disappeared with the child, its forehead glistening with the dew of its
consecration.

Then, hand in hand, like the babes in the wood, marched up the broad
aisle--marshalled by Mrs. Hopkins in front, and Mrs. Gifted Hopkins
bringing up the rear--the two children hitherto known as Isosceles and
Helminthia. They had been well schooled, and, as the mysterious and to
them incomprehensible ceremony was enacted, maintained the most stoical
aspect of tranquillity. In Mrs. Hopkins's words, "They looked like
picters, and behaved like angels."

That evening, Sunday evening as it was, there was a quiet meeting of some
few friends at The Poplars. It was such a great occasion that the
Sabbatical rules, never strict about Sunday evening,--which was, strictly
speaking, secular time,--were relaxed. Father Pemberton was there, and
Master Byles Gridley, of course, and the Rev. Ambrose Eveleth, with his
son and his daughter-in-law, Bathsheba, and her mother, now in
comfortable health, aunt Silence and her husband, Doctor Hurlbut and his
wife (Olive Eveleth that was), Jacob Penhallow, Esq., Mrs. Hopkins, her
son and his wife (Susan Posey that was), the senior deacon of the old
church (the admirer of the great Scott), the Editor-in-chief of the
"Banner and Oracle," and in the background Nurse Byloe and the privileged
servant, Mistress Kitty Fagan, with a few others whose names we need not
mention.

The evening was made pleasant with sacred music, and the fatigues of two
long services repaired by such simple refections as would not turn the
holy day into a day of labor. A large paper copy of the new edition of
Byles Gridley's remarkable work was lying on the table. He never looked
so happy,--could anything fill his cup fuller? In the course of the
evening Clement spoke of the many trials through which they had passed in
common with vast numbers of their countrymen, and some of those peculiar
dangers which Myrtle had had to encounter in the course of a life more
eventful, and attended with more risks, perhaps, than most of them
imagined. But Myrtle, he said, had always been specially cared for. He
wished them to look upon the semblance of that protecting spirit who had
been faithful to her in her gravest hours of trial and danger. If they
would follow him into one of the lesser apartments up stairs they would
have an opportunity to do so.

Myrtle wondered a little, but followed with the rest. They all ascended
to the little projecting chamber, through the window of which her scarlet
jacket caught the eyes of the boys paddling about on the river in those
early days when Cyprian Eveleth gave it the name of the Fire-hang-bird's
Nest.

The light fell softly but clearly on the dim and faded canvas from which
looked the saintly features of the martyred woman, whose continued
presence with her descendants was the old family legend. But underneath
it Myrtle was surprised to see a small table with some closely covered
object upon it. It was a mysterious arrangement, made without any
knowledge on her part.

"Now, then, Kitty!" Mr. Lindsay said.

Kitty Fagan, who had evidently been taught her part, stepped forward, and
removed the cloth which concealed the unknown object. It was a lifelike
marble bust of Master Byles Gridley.

"And this is what you have been working at so long,--is it, Clement?"
Myrtle said.

"Which is the image of your protector, Myrtle?", he answered, smiling.

Myrtle Hazard Lindsay walked up to the bust and kissed its marble
forehead, saying, "This is the face of my Guardian Angel." forehead,
saying, "This is the face of my Guardian Angel."