David's house stood about a hundred feet back from the street, facing
the east. The main body of the house was of two stories (through which
ran a deep bay in front), with mansard roof. On the south of the main
body of the house were two stories of the "wing," in which were the
"settin' room," Aunt Polly's room, and, above, David's quarters. Ten
minutes or so before one o'clock John rang the bell at the front door.
"Sairy's busy," said Mrs. Bixbee apologetically as she let him in, "an'
so I come to the door myself."
"Thank you very much," said John. "Mr. Harum told me to come over a
little before one, but perhaps I ought to have waited a few minutes
longer."
"No, it's all right," she replied, "for mebbe you'd like to wash an' fix
up 'fore dinner, so I'll jest show ye where to," and she led the way
upstairs and into the "front parlor bedroom."
"There," she said, "make yourself comf'table, an' dinner 'll be ready in
about ten minutes."
For a moment John mentally rubbed his eyes. Then he turned and caught
both of Mrs. Bixbee's hands and looked at her, speechless. When he
found words he said: "I don't know what to say, nor how to thank you
properly. I don't believe you know how kind this is."
"Don't say nothin' about it," she protested, but with a look of great
satisfaction. "I done it jest t' relieve my mind, because ever sence you
fust come, I ben worryin' over your bein' at that nasty tavern," and she
made a motion to go.
"You and your brother," said John earnestly, still holding her hands,
"have made me a gladder and happier man this Christmas day than I have
been for a very long time."
"I'm glad on't," she said heartily, "an' I hope you'll be comf'table an'
contented here. I must go now an' help Sairy dish up. Come down to the
settin' room when you're ready," and she gave his hands a little
squeeze.
"Aunt Po----, I beg pardon, Mrs. Bixbee," said John, moved by a sudden
impulse, "do you think you could find it in your heart to complete my
happiness by giving me a kiss? It's Christmas, you know," he added
smilingly.
Aunt Polly colored to the roots of her hair. "Wa'al," she said, with a
little laugh, "seein' 't I'm old enough to be your mother, I guess 't
won't hurt me none," and as she went down the stairs she softly rubbed
her lips with the side of her forefinger.
John understood now why David had looked out of the bank window so often
that morning. All his belongings were in Aunt Polly's best bedroom,
having been moved over from the Eagle while he and David had been in the
office. A delightful room it was, in immeasurable contrast to his
squalid surroundings at that hostelry. The spacious bed, with its snowy
counterpane and silk patchwork "comf'table" folded on the foot, the
bright fire in the open stove, the big bureau and glass, the soft
carpet, the table for writing and reading standing in the bay, his books
on the broad mantel, and his dressing things laid out ready to his hand,
not to mention an ample supply of _dry_ towels on the rack.
The poor fellow's life during the weeks which he had lived in Homeville
had been utterly in contrast with any previous experience. Nevertheless
he had tried to make the best of it, and to endure the monotony, the
dullness, the entire lack of companionship and entertainment with what
philosophy he could muster. The hours spent in the office were the best
part of the day. He could manage to find occupation for all of them,
though a village bank is not usually a scene of active bustle. Many of
the people who did business there diverted him somewhat, and most of
them seemed never too much in a hurry to stand around and talk the sort
of thing that interested them. After John had got acquainted with his
duties and the people he came in contact with, David gave less personal
attention to the affairs of the bank; but he was in and out frequently
during the day, and rarely failed to interest his cashier with his
observations and remarks.
But the long winter evenings had been very bad. After supper, a meal
which revolted every sense, there had been as many hours to be got
through with as he found wakeful, an empty stomach often adding to the
number of them, and the only resource for passing the time had been
reading, which had often been well-nigh impossible for sheer physical
discomfort. As has been remarked, the winter climate of the middle
portion of New York State is as bad as can be imagined. His light was a
kerosene lamp of half-candle power, and his appliance for warmth
consisted of a small wood stove, which (as David would have expressed
it) "took two men an' a boy" to keep in action, and was either red hot
or exhausted.
As from the depths of a spacious lounging chair he surveyed his new
surroundings, and contrasted them with those from which he had been
rescued out of pure kindness, his heart was full, and it can hardly be
imputed to him as a weakness that for a moment his eyes filled with
tears of gratitude and happiness--no less.
Indeed, there were four happy people at David's table that Christmas
day. Aunt Polly had "smartened up" Mrs. Cullom with collar and cuffs,
and in various ways which the mind of man comprehendeth not in detail;
and there had been some arranging of her hair as well, which altogether
had so transformed and transfigured her that John thought that he should
hardly have known her for the forlorn creature whom he had encountered
in the morning. And as he looked at the still fine eyes, large and
brown, and shining for the first time in many a year with a soft light
of happiness, he felt that he could understand how it was that Billy P.
had married the village girl.
Mrs. Bixbee was grand in black silk and lace collar fastened with a
shell-cameo pin not quite as large as a saucer, and John caught the
sparkle of a diamond on her plump left hand--David's Christmas
gift--with regard to which she had spoken apologetically to Mrs.
Cullom:
"I told David that I was ever so much obliged to him, but I didn't want
a dimun' more'n a cat wanted a flag, an' I thought it was jest throwin'
away money. But he would have it--said I c'd sell it an' keep out the
poorhouse some day, mebbe."
David had not made much change in his usual raiment, but he was shaved
to the blood, and his round red face shone with soap and satisfaction.
As he tucked his napkin into his shirt collar, Sairy brought in the
tureen of oyster soup, and he remarked, as he took his first spoonful of
the stew, that he was "hungry 'nough t' eat a graven imidge," a
condition that John was able to sympathize with after his two days of
fasting on crackers and such provisions as he could buy at Purse's. It
was, on the whole, he reflected, the most enjoyable dinner that he ever
ate. Never was such a turkey; and to see it give way under David's
skillful knife--wings, drumsticks, second joints, side bones,
breast--was an elevating and memorable experience. And such potatoes,
mashed in cream; such boiled onions, turnips, Hubbard squash, succotash,
stewed tomatoes, celery, cranberries, "currant jell!" Oh! and to "top
off" with, a mince pie to die for and a pudding (new to John, but just
you try it some time) of steamed Indian meal and fruit, with a sauce of
cream sweetened with shaved maple sugar.
"What'll you have?" said David to Mrs. Cullom, "dark meat? white meat?"
"Anything," she replied meekly, "I'm not partic'ler. Most any part of a
turkey 'll taste good, I guess."
"All right," said David. "Don't care means a little o' both. I alwus
know what to give Polly--piece o' the second jint an' the
last-thing-over-the-fence. Nice 'n rich fer scraggly folks," he
remarked. "How fer you, John?--little o' both, eh?" and he heaped the
plate till our friend begged him to keep something for himself.
"Little too much is jest right," he asserted.
When David had filled the plates and handed them along--Sairy was for
bringing in and taking out; they did their own helping to vegetables and
"passin'"--he hesitated a moment, and then got out of his chair and
started in the direction of the kitchen door.
"What's the matter?" asked Mrs. Bixbee in surprise. "Where you goin'?"
"Woodshed," said David.
"Woodshed!" she exclaimed, making as if to rise and follow.
"You set still," said David. "Somethin' I fergot."
"What on earth!" she exclaimed, with an air of annoyance and
bewilderment. "What do you want in the woodshed? Can't you set down an'
let Sairy git it for ye?"
"No," he asserted with a grin. "Sairy might sqush it. It must be putty
meller by this time," And out he went.
"Manners!" ejaculated Mrs. Bixbee. "You'll think (to John) we're reg'ler
heathin."
"I guess not," said John, smiling and much amused.
Presently Sairy appeared with four tumblers which she distributed, and
was followed by David bearing a bottle. He seated himself and began a
struggle to unwire the same with an ice-pick. Aunt Polly leaned forward
with a look of perplexed curiosity.
"What you got there?" she asked.
"Vewve Clikot's universal an' suv'rin remedy," said David, reading the
label and bringing the corners of his eye and mouth almost together in a
wink to John, "fer toothache, earache, burns, scalds, warts, dispepsy,
fallin' o' the hair, windgall, ringbone, spavin, disapp'inted
affections, an' pips in hens," and out came the cork with a "_wop_," at
which both the ladies, even Mrs. Cullom, jumped and cried out.
"David Harum," declared his sister with conviction, "I believe thet
that's a bottle of champagne."
"If it ain't," said David, pouring into his tumbler, "I ben swindled out
o' four shillin'," and he passed the bottle to John, who held it up
tentatively, looking at Mrs. Bixbee.
"No, thank ye," she said with a little toss of the head, "I'm a son o'
temp'rence. I don't believe," she remarked to Mrs. Cullom, "thet that
bottle ever cost _less_ 'n a dollar." At which remarks David apparently
"swallered somethin' the wrong way," and for a moment or two was unable
to proceed with his dinner. Aunt Polly looked at him suspiciously. It
was her experience that, in her intercourse with her brother, he often
laughed utterly without reason--so far as she could see.
"I've always heard it was dreadful expensive," remarked Mrs. Cullom.
"Let me give you some," said John, reaching toward her with the bottle.
Mrs. Cullom looked first at Mrs. Bixbee and then at David.
"I don't know," she said. "I never tasted any."
"Take a little," said David, nodding approvingly.
"Just a swallow," said the widow, whose curiosity had got the better of
scruples. She took a swallow of the wine.
"How do ye like it?" asked David.
"Well," she said as she wiped her eyes, into which the gas had driven
the tears, "I guess I could get along if I couldn't have it regular."
"Don't taste good?" suggested David with a grin.
"Well," she replied, "I never did care any great for cider, and this
tastes to me about as if I was drinkin' cider an' snuffin' horseradish
at one and the same time."
"How's that, John?" said David, laughing.
"I suppose it's an acquired taste," said John, returning the laugh and
taking a mouthful of the wine with infinite relish. "I don't think I
ever enjoyed a glass of wine so much, or," turning to Aunt Polly, "ever
enjoyed a dinner so much," which statement completely mollified her
feelings, which had been the least bit in the world "set edgeways."
"Mebbe your app'tite's got somethin' to do with it," said David,
shoveling a knife-load of good things into his mouth. "Polly, this young
man's ben livin' on crackers an' salt herrin' fer a week."
"My land!" cried Mrs. Bixbee with an expression of horror. "Is that
reelly so? 'T ain't now, reelly?"
"Not quite so bad as that," John answered, smiling; "but Mrs. Elright
has been ill for a couple of days and--well, I have been foraging
around Purse's store a little."
"Wa'al, of all the mean shames!" exclaimed Aunt Polly indignantly.
"David Harum, you'd ought to be ridic'lous t' allow such a thing."
"Wa'al, I never!" said David, holding his knife and fork straight up in
either fist as they rested on the table, and staring at his sister. "I
believe if the meetin'-house roof was to blow off you'd lay it onto me
somehow. I hain't ben runnin' the Eagle tavern fer quite a consid'able
while. You got the wrong pig by the ear as usual. Jest you pitch into
him," pointing with his fork to John. "It's his funeral, if anybody's."
"Wa'al," said Aunt Polly, addressing John in a tone of injury, "I do
think you might have let somebody know; I think you'd ortter 've
known--"
"Yes, Mrs. Bixbee," he interrupted, "I did know how kind you are and
would have been, and if matters had gone on so much longer I should have
appealed to you, I should have indeed; but really," he added, smiling at
her, "a dinner like this is worth fasting a week for."
"Wa'al," she said, mollified again, "you won't git no more herrin'
'nless you ask fer 'em."
"That is just what your brother said this morning," replied John,
looking at David with a laugh.