Part 1 Chapter 13.docx
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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
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