Part 1 Chapter 13.docx

Part 1 Chapter 13.docx

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Part1Chapter13

Part1Chapter13

Aquietscenenowrisesbeforeus.Alarge,roomy,neatly-paintedkitchen,itsyellowfloorglossyandsmooth,andwithoutaparticleofdust;aneat,well-blackedcooking-stove;rowsofshiningtin,suggestiveofunmentionablegoodthingstotheappetite;glossygreenwoodchairs,oldandfirm;asmalldlag-bottomedrocking-chair,withapatch-workcushioninit,neatlycontrivedoutofsmallpiecesofdifferentcoloredwoollengoods,andalargersizedone,motherlyandold,whosewidearmsbreathedhospitableinvitation,secondedbythesolicitationofitsfeathercushions,--arealcomfortable,persuasiveoldchair,andworth,inthewayofhonest,homelyenjoyment,adozenofyourplushorbrochetelledrawing-roomgentry;andinthechair,gentlyswayingbackandforward,hereyesbentonsomefinesewing,satourfineoldfriendEliza.Yes,theresheis,palerandthinnerthaninherKentuckyhome,withaworldofquietsorrowlyingundertheshadowofherlongeyelashes,andmarkingtheoutlineofhergentlemouth!

Itwasplaintoseehowoldandfirmthegirlishheartwasgrownunderthedisciplineofheavysorrow;andwhen,anon,herlargedarkeyewasraisedtofollowthegambolsofherlittleHarry,whowassporting,likesometropicalbutterfly,hitherandthitheroverthefloor,sheshowedadepthoffirmnessandsteadyresolvethatwasneverthereinherearlierandhappierdays.

Byhersidesatawomanwithabrighttinpaninherlap,intowhichshewascarefullysortingsomedriedpeaches.Shemightbefifty-fiveorsixty;butherswasoneofthosefacesthattimeseemstotouchonlytobrightenandadorn.Thesnowyfissecrapecap,madeafterthestraitQuakerpattern,--theplainwhitemuslinhandkerchief,lyinginplacidfoldsacrossherbosom,--thedrabshawlanddress,--showedatoncethecommunitytowhichshebelonged.Herfacewasroundandrosy,withahealthfuldownysoftness,suggestiveofaripepeach.Herhair,partiallysilveredbyage,waspartedsmoothlybackfromahighplacidforehead,onwhichtimehadwrittennoinscription,exceptpeaceonearth,goodwilltomen,andbeneathshonealargepairofclear,honest,lovingbrowneyes;youonlyneededtolookstraightintothem,tofeelthatyousawtothebottomofaheartasgoodandtrueaseverthrobbedinwoman'sbosom.Somuchhasbeensaidandsungofbeautifulyounggirls,whydon'tsomebodywakeuptothebeautyofoldwomen?

Ifanywanttogetupaninspirationunderthishead,wereferthemtoourgoodfriendRachelHalliday,justasshesitsthereinherlittlerocking-chair.Ithadaturnforquackingandsqueaking,--thatchairhad,--eitherfromhavingtakencoldinearlylife,orfromsomeasthmaticaffection,orperhapsfromnervousderangement;but,asshegentlyswungbackwardandforward,thechairkeptupakindofsubdued"creechycrawchy,"thatwouldhavebeenintolerableinanyotherchair.ButoldSimeonHallidayoftendeclareditwasasgoodasanymusictohim,andthechildrenallavowedthattheywouldn'tmissofhearingmother'schairforanythingintheworld.Forwhy?

fortwentyyearsormore,nothingbutlovingwords,andgentlemoralities,andmotherlylovingkindness,hadcomefromthatchair;--head-achesandheart-achesinnumerablehadbeencuredthere,--difficultiesspiritualandtemporalsolvedthere,--allbyonegood,lovingwoman,Godblessher!

"AndsotheestillthinksofgoingtoCanada,Eliza?

"shesaid,asshewasquietlylookingoverherpeaches.

"Yes,ma'am,"saidEliza,firmly."Imustgoonward.Idarenotstop."

"Andwhat'lltheedo,whentheegetsthere?

Theemustthinkaboutthat,mydaughter."

"Mydaughter"camenaturallyfromthelipsofRachelHalliday;forherswasjustthefaceandformthatmade"mother"seemthemostnaturalwordintheworld.

Eliza'shandstrembled,andsometearsfellonherfinework;butsheanswered,firmly,

"Ishalldo--anythingIcanfind.IhopeIcanfindsomething."

"Theeknowstheecanstayhere,aslongastheepleases,"saidRachel.

"O,thankyou,"saidEliza,"but"--shepointedtoHarry--"Ican'tsleepnights;Ican'trest.LastnightIdreamedIsawthatmancomingintotheyard,"shesaid,shuddering.

"Poorchild!

"saidRachel,wipinghereyes;"buttheemustn'tfeelso.TheLordhathordereditsothatneverhathafugitivebeenstolenfromourvillage.Itrustthinewillnotbethefirst."

Thedoorhereopened,andalittleshort,round,pin-cushionywomanstoodatthedoor,withacheery,bloomingface,likearipeapple.Shewasdressed,likeRachel,insobergray,withthemuslinfoldedneatlyacrossherround,plumplittlechest.

"RuthStedman,"saidRachel,comingjoyfullyforward;"howisthee,Ruth?

shesaid,heartilytakingbothherhands.

"Nicely,"saidRuth,takingoffherlittledrabbonnet,anddustingitwithherhandkerchief,displaying,asshedidso,aroundlittlehead,onwhichtheQuakercapsatwithasortofjauntyair,despiteallthestrokingandpattingofthesmallfathands,whichwerebusilyappliedtoarrangingit.Certainstraylocksofdecidedlycurlyhair,too,hadescapedhereandthere,andhadtobecoaxedandcajoledintotheirplaceagain;andthenthenewcomer,whomighthavebeenfive-and-twenty,turnedfromthesmalllooking-glass,beforewhichshehadbeenmakingthesearrangements,andlookedwellpleased,--asmostpeoplewholookedathermighthavebeen,--forshewasdecidedlyawholesome,whole-hearted,chirrupinglittlewoman,asevergladdenedman'sheartwithal.

"Ruth,thisfriendisElizaHarris;andthisisthelittleboyItoldtheeof."

"Iamgladtoseethee,Eliza,--very,"saidRuth,shakinghands,asifElizawereanoldfriendshehadlongbeenexpecting;"andthisisthydearboy,--Ibroughtacakeforhim,"shesaid,holdingoutalittlehearttotheboy,whocameup,gazingthroughhiscurls,andaccepteditshyly.

"Where'sthybaby,Ruth?

"saidRachel.

"O,he'scoming;butthyMarycaughthimasIcamein,andranoffwithhimtothebarn,toshowhimtothechildren."

Atthismoment,thedooropened,andMary,anhonest,rosy-lookinggirl,withlargebrowneyes,likehermother's,cameinwiththebaby.

"Ah!

ha!

"saidRachel,comingup,andtakingthegreat,white,fatfellowinherarms,"howgoodhelooks,andhowhedoesgrow!

"

"Tobesure,hedoes,"saidlittlebustlingRuth,asshetookthechild,andbegantakingoffalittlebluesilkhood,andvariouslayersandwrappersofoutergarments;andhavinggivenatwitchhere,andapullthere,andvariouslyadjustedandarrangedhim,andkissedhimheartily,shesethimonthefloortocollecthisthoughts.Babyseemedquiteusedtothismodeofproceeding,forheputhisthumbinhismouth（asifitwerequiteathingofcourse）,andseemedsoonabsorbedinhisownreflections,whilethemotherseatedherself,andtakingoutalongstockingofmixedblueandwhiteyarn,begantoknitwithbriskness.

"Mary,thee'dbetterfillthekettle,hadn'tthee?

"gentlysuggestedthemother.

Marytookthekettletothewell,andsoonreappearing,placeditoverthestove,whereitwassoonpurringandsteaming,asortofcenserofhospitalityandgoodcheer.Thepeaches,moreover,inobediencetoafewgentlewhispersfromRachel,weresoondeposited,bythesamehand,inastew-panoverthefire.

Rachelnowtookdownasnowymoulding-board,and,tyingonanapron,proceededquietlytomakingupsomebiscuits,firstsayingtoMary,--"Mary,hadn'ttheebettertellJohntogetachickenready?

"andMarydisappearedaccordingly.

"AndhowisAbigailPeters?

"saidRachel,asshewentonwithherbiscuits.

"O,she'sbetter,"saidRuth;"Iwasin,thismorning;madethebed,tidiedupthehouse.LeahHillswentin,thisafternoon,andbakedbreadandpiesenoughtolastsomedays;andIengagedtogobacktogetherup,thisevening."

"Iwillgointomorrow,anddoanycleaningtheremaybe,andlookoverthemending,"saidRachel.

"Ah!

thatiswell,"saidRuth."I'veheard,"sheadded,"thatHannahStanwoodissick.Johnwasupthere,lastnight,--Imustgotheretomorrow."

"Johncancomeinheretohismeals,iftheeneedstostayallday,"suggestedRachel.

"Dhankthee,Rachel;willsee,tomorrow;but,herecomesSimeon."

SimeonHalliday,atall,straight,muscularman,indrabcoatandpantaloons,andbroad-brimmedhat,nowentered.

"Howisthee,Ruth?

"hesaid,warmly,ashespreadhisbroadopenhandforherlittlefatpalm;"andhowisJohn?

"

"O!

Johniswell,andalltherestofourfolks,"saidRuth,cheerily.

"Anynews,father?

"saidRachel,asshewasputtingherbiscuitsintotheoven.

"PeterStebbinstoldmethattheyshouldbealongtonight,with_friends_,"saidSimeon,significantly,ashewaswashinghishandsataneatsink,inalittlebackporch.

"Indeed!

"saidRachel,lookingthoughtfully,andglancingatEliza.

"DidtheesaythynamewasHarris?

"saidSimeontoEliza,ashereentered.

Rachelglancedquicklyatherhusband,asElizatremulouslyanswered"yes;"herfears,everuppermost,suggestingthatpossiblytheremightbeadvertisementsoutforher.

"Mother!

"saidSimeon,standingintheporch,andcallingPachelout.

"Whatdoestheewant,father?

"saidRachel,rubbingherflouryhands,asshewentintotheporch.

"Thischild'shusbandisinthesettlement,andwillbeheretonight,"saidSimeon.

"Now,theedoesn'tsaythat,father?

"saidRachel,allherfaceradiantwithjoy.

"It'sreallytrue.Peterwasdownyesterday,withthewagon,totheotherstand,andtherehefoundanoldwomanandtwomen;andonesaidhisnamewasGeorgeHarris;andfromwhathetoldofhishistory,Iamcertainwhoheis.Heisabright,likelyfellow,too."

"Shallwetellhernow?

"saidSimeon.

"Let'stellRuth,"saidRachel."Here,Ruth,--comehere."

Ruth