This audio was created with an artificial voice for the audiobook initiative on Sermon Audio. Chapter 8 Partners That day was the beginning of a new life. Heretofore the great world of nature had been a sealed book to me, and a book which I had had no great wish to understand, But from that eventful morning I learned to desire to read it aright, and each day found me more and more eager to dive down into its mysteries and to learn the wonderful and beautiful secrets which it held. I fancied Ted was not quite pleased when he first heard of the partnership into which Geoffrey and I had entered. He looked, I thought, a very little disconcerted, and then he laughed softly to himself. "'What is it, Ted?' I asked, for Aunt Mary had gone away, and there was no one near to hear us. "'Oh, nothing. Only it seems so funny, and I don't think it will last long.' "'Why shouldn't it?' I asked, a little nettled. "'Oh, I don't know quite. Only I don't think you and Jeff will ever understand each other or get on for long. Why not?' Oh, I can't explain quite, you'll soon see. Jeff is so very much in earnest over everything. He makes one quite tired of it all, what Papa calls making a labour of a pleasure. I'm sure you won't care about it long. You can't go tramping off with him, you know. It makes me quite tired. You'll soon give up, I'm sure. We shall see about that, I answered, rather offended by the suggestion. Ted saw that I was not quite pleased and was sorry directly to have vexed me. He came up in his caressing way and put his arms about my neck. Don't be cross with me, Arnold, dear, he said. I didn't mean to vex you. I love you very much indeed, and you mustn't love me less because you are going to be partner with Jeffrey. So we kissed each other and made peace. The days that followed were happy and busy. Geoffrey set to work with all his might upon the piece of ground Uncle Reginald allotted to me for a garden. He dug and watered and fertilised it, and the gardeners aided him with advice and assistance. Then came the transplanting of various hardy plants from other parts into my neatly prepared border, and deep consultations as to the seeds to be purchased, Geoffrey doing all the work, both bodily and mental, whilst I could only look on and ask questions, trying to learn a little of the secrets of nature, which Geoffrey seemed to read so easily. The purchase and planting of the seed were matters of deep interest to us both, and not less so was the arrival of the sitting of Duck's eggs, which was put at once under one of Geoffrey's hens. I thought it very hard to have to wait a month before they were hatched. Geoffrey's chickens were a great source of delight to me, I grew quite to love the little soft downy things that looked so pretty as they ran all over the yard after their adopted mothers, and always greeted our appearance at mealtimes by a simultaneous rush from every corner. "'When you've fed them twice a day for a few months you'll not care so much about it,' said Ted one day with his soft laugh. I had been asking him why he never came with us. I often used to go, but I got tired of it. Fowls are stupid creatures, and chickens soon get big. Jeffrey doesn't get tired. No, old Jeff always goes the same round. He never gets tired of anything, but I don't think there's anybody else in the world that wouldn't. I fancied that Ted had changed a little since his father's return. He seemed to me less childish in his speech and more precocious than before, and fond as he always appeared to be of his brother, there was a certain air of half-unconscious superiority in the way in which he spoke of old Jeff, which rather irritated me. But I had other matters for thought just then. I was learning what it was to have a companion like Geoffrey to go about with me and explain the meaning of all we saw. Nearly every day he took me a drive in the mended pony carriage. Driving had been ordered for me and was doing me great good already. and he would point out as we went along each flower in the hedgerows, each tree in the fields or woods, and would tell me when each would come into leaf, in which kind the birds preferred to build, what their nests were like, and he knew, too, the note of every bird as we know the voices of those around us, and I never knew him make a mistake or even hesitate a moment in his decision. In time I learned to know the trees myself, bare and leafless as they were still, to recognise the flowers as we went along, the primroses, violets, celandines and bluebells, even by their leaves when the blossoms were not out or were over. I did not realise then how much Geoffrey gave up in those days for my sake. When we wandered together into the fringe of woodland which I saw from my window to look for flowers, shy wood anemones and pure white wood sorrel, which Geoffrey loved to call by its sweet, old-fashioned, Kentish name of sleeping beauty. When we were out thus, I say, it never occurred to me, self-indulged child that I was, that what was quite an expedition to me, a cripple, was the merest idling to an active boy of Geoffrey's temperament. Had it not been for me, he would have been scouring the country for miles around, bringing in treasures from far and near, and learning new wonders day by day. For his eyes and ears were opened to receive every new impression, and of learning there is no end to a mind like his. But I never thought of this, and he took pains that I never should. I was happy in his company, and his eager interest in my education and his desire to satisfy my curiosity on every point which puzzled me quite blinded me to the fact that he was sacrificing anything for my sake. The giving up of pleasure was always associated in my mind with tears and discontent. and it never entered my head to suspect that my bright-faced, eager-eyed, laughing companion was making any sacrifice of his pleasure for my sake, making it so cheerfully that I was unconscious of it, and he was almost unconscious of it himself, I believe. His early morning walks he still continued, and he and King, as the days grew longer, used to be up and away by five o'clock. One great pleasure of my life at this time was to lie out in the sunshine if the afternoon was bright and warm, or to sit in the great conservatory if it were wet or cold, and listen to his account of his morning's ramble. As I think I have before hinted, my disposition was not naturally a happy or contented one, And though I might for a time be taken out of myself by the novelty and excitement of a new life, the old feelings of regret and of disappointed hope would be sure to return, and I should be out of love with my life and with everyone about me. Moreover, I now began to feel my lameness more acutely than I had ever done before, because the wish to exert myself was growing stronger day by day. For the first few weeks of my country life, the fresh air and the encouragement I received from those around me enabled me to make wonderful progress in walking and sitting up. But this was not really so much an increase of power as a right use of power which had really been mine before, but which, from idleness, disinclination, and unfavourable outward circumstances, I had never cared to employ. But when I found myself getting so much stronger and more independent, I jumped to the conclusion that I was growing out of my lameness, and should soon be as strong and active as other boys, even as my companion Geoffrey. And so my disgust and disappointment were very great when, after a few weeks' time, I found that I ceased to gain fleetness and strength, and made no farther advance towards perfect cure. I always made the most of a grievance when I had one, and the blank in my life caused by my mother's death had never been filled up, and always seemed to add to the burden of any trouble I had to bear. And so it came about that my discontent culminated one day in an absolute fit of sulkiness, and I would not go out with Geoffrey to look after our livestock, nor take any interest in what he told me about things, neither would I let him drive me out in the afternoon, and after several unavailing attempts to coax me out of my ill-humour he left me to myself and went off on a long ramble with his faithful friend and companion King. Although I had driven him away, I was aggrieved at his desertion, and grumbled a good deal to Ted when he came to pay me a visit. Ted was always sympathetic, and in my present mood I found him much more congenial than Geoffrey, who hated grumbling, and always would persist in seeing a bright side to everything. Ted thought it too bad of Geoffrey to have left me alone just when I was feeling so low and dull, and wished he could have stayed with me himself, but Papa wanted him, he said. He had ordered his pony as well as his own horse, and they were to ride together, so he must go. He kissed me and went regretfully, and I was left alone a while. Aunt Mary was engaged with callers, so I was thrown upon myself to find amusement, and still in a morose frame of mind and out of love with everything about me, and especially with my partner, I wandered out into the garden, down to a favourite shady green nook facing the west, from which Geoffrey and I always watched the sunset when we could. It was not nearly sunset time yet, but the stretch of undulating country which lay before me looked very beautiful in any light. Today a kind of blue haze seemed to have fallen upon everything. The quivering golden sunlight was softened in a way which was indescribably lovely and lay upon the smooth green grass and the tender green of the budding trees with a subdued brightness that was almost like a caress. It was the kind of day which, by its dreamy beauty, seems to make one just a little melancholy. I gazed until my eyes were weary. My thoughts flew to my mother in that far-off eternal home, which seemed so very, very distant to me, And I wondered if she ever looked down and saw me in my new home, and what she would think of it if she could do so. And then I wondered if the unseen world which she looked upon could be half so beautiful as the one I was now gazing at. And as I puzzled over these things, my eyes filled with tears. I hardly knew why. Far away, in the meadowland by the stream, I heard the cuckoo calling to his mate. Near at hand, in the great elm tree, a blackbird sat and whistled his clear note, or called Pretty Dick, Pretty Dick, Pretty Dick, as though he would never stop admiring himself. And high up over my head a skylark hovered, showering down his sweet liquid notes in one continuous, joyous stream. The heavy fragrance of the laurel blossom was wafted to me by the soft breeze. The bees hummed ceaselessly amongst the flowers, making dreamy, drowsy music. I looked and listened until my senses were overpowered and my mind worn out. Then I laid my head down upon the mossy bank, and amid the sweet influences of summer sunshine and nature's music, I fell fast asleep. End of chapter 8 Partners This audio was created with an artificial voice for the audiobook initiative on Sermon Audio. There may be mispronunciations or occasional repetitions. To report a mistake, please email us at info at sermonaudio.com and include the sermon ID or title of the message and the time at which the error occurs. We will do our best to get it corrected for future listeners.