AT THE SILK MILL.
Mehetabel sank on the grass by the drive.
"I am worn out. I can go no further," she said, and bowed her head
over the child.
"You cannot remain here. It is not seemly--a house of mourning,"
said the woman.
"He would not mind, were he alive," sobbed Mehetabel. "He would
have cared for me and my babe; he was always kind."
"But he is not alive; that makes the difference," said the servant.
"You really must still the child or go away."
"I cannot go another step," answered Mehetabel, raising her head
and sinking it again, after she had spoken.
"I don't know what to do. This is unreasonable; I'll go call the
gardener. If you won't go when asked you must be removed by force."
The woman retired, and presently the gardener came up. He knew
Mehetabel--that is to say, knew who she was.
"Come," said he, "my cottage is just yonder. You must not remain
here on the green, and in the cold. No wonder the child screams.
There is a fire in my house, and you can have what you like for a
while, till you are rested. Give me your hand."
Mehetabel allowed him to raise her, and she followed him mechanically
from the drive into the cottage, that was warm and pleasant.
"There now, missus," said the man; "make yourself comfortable for
an hour or two."
The rest, the warmth, were grateful to Mehetabel. She was almost
too weary to thank the man with words, but she looked at him with
gratitude, and he felt that her heart was over full for her to
speak. He returned to his work, and left her to herself. There was
no one else in the cottage, as he was a widower, and had no family.
After a considerable time, when Mehetabel had had time to recruit
her strength, he reappeared. The short winter day was already
closing in. The cold black vapors rose over the sky, obscuring the
little light, as though grudging the earth its brief period of
illumination.
"I thought I'd best come, you know," said the man, "just to tell
you that I'm sorry, but I can't receive you here for the night.
I'm a widower, and folk might talk. Why are you from home?"
"I ran away. I cannot return to the Punch-Bowl."
"Well, now. That's curious!" said the gardener. "Time out of mind
I've had it in my head to run away when my old woman was rampageous.
I've knowed a man who actually did run to Americay becos his wife
laid on him so. But I never, in my experience, heard of a woman
runnin' away from her husband, that is to say--alone. You ain't
got no one with you, now?"
"Yes, my baby."
"I don't mean that. Well, it is coorious, a woman runnin' away
with her baby. I'm terrible sorry, but I can't take you in above
another half-hour. Where are you thinking of goyne to?"
"I know of no where and no one."
"Why not try Missus Chivers at Thursley. You was at her school, I
suppose?"
"Yes, I was there."
"Try her, and all will come right in the end."
Mehetabel rose; her child was now asleep.
"Look here," said the gardener. "Here's a nice plaid shawl, as
belonged to my missus, and a wun'erful old bonnet of hers--as the
cat has had kittens in since she went to her rest--and left me to
mine. You are heartily welcome. I can't let you turn out in the
cold with nothing on your head nor over your shoulders."
Mehetabel gladly accepted the articles of clothing offered her.
She had already eaten of what the man had placed on the table for
her, when he left the house. She could not burden him longer with
her presence, as he was obviously nervous about his character,
lest it should suffer should he harbor her. Thanking him, she
departed, and walked back to Thursley through the gathering gloom.
Betty Chivers kept a dame's school, in which she had instructed
the children of Thursley in the alphabet, simple summing, and in
the knowledge and fear of God. With the march of the times we have
abolished dames schools, and cut away thereby a means of livelihood
from many a worthy woman; but what is worse, have driven the little
ones into board schools, that are godless, where they are taught
to despise manual labor, and to grow up without moral principle.
Our schools are like dockyards, whence expensively-equipped vessels
are launched provided with everything except ballast, which will
prevent their capsizing in the first squall. The Vicar of Witley
had been one of those men, in advance of his time, who had initiated
this system.
Whatever of knowledge of good, and of discipline of conscience
Mehetabel possessed, was obtained from Mrs. Susanna Verstage, or
from old Betty Chivers.
We are told that if we cast our bread on the waters, we shall find
it after many days. But simple souls are too humble to recognize
it.
So was it with Goodie Chivers.
That Mehetabel, through all her trials, acted as a woman of
principle, clung to what she knew to be right, was due very largely
to the old dame's instructions, but Betty was too lowly-minded for
one instant to allow this, even to suspect it.
Our Board School masters and mistresses have quite as little
suspicion that they have sowed the seed which sprung up in the
youths who are dismissed from offices for defalcation, and the
girls who leave menial service to walk the streets.
Mrs. Chivers was glad to see Mehetabel when she entered. She had
heard talk about her--that she had run away from her husband, and
was wandering through the country with her babe; and having a
tender heart, and a care for all her old pupils, she had felt
anxious concerning her.
Mehetabel pleaded to be taken in for the night, and to this Mrs.
Chivers readily consented. She would share her bed with the mother
and the child, as well as her crust of bread and cup of thin tea.
Of milk, in her poverty, the old woman allowed herself but a few
drops, and of butter with her bread none at all.
Yet what she had, that she cheerfully divided with Mehetabel.
On the morrow, after a restful sleep, the young wife started for a
silk mill on one of those Hammer ponds that occupied a depression
in the Common. These ponds were formed at the time when iron was
worked in the district, and the ponds, as their name implies, were
for the storage of water to beat out the iron by means of large
hammers, set in motion by a wheel. When these ponds were constructed
is not known. The trees growing on the embankments that hold back
the water are of great size and advanced age.
One of these ponds, at the time of our tale, was utilized for a
silk mill.
On reaching the silk mill, she timidly asked for the manufacturer.
She knew him slightly, as he had been occasionally to the "Ship,"
where he had lodged a guest at one time when his house was full,
and at another to call on a fisherman who was an acquaintance, and
who was staying there. He was a blunt man, with a very round head
and a very flat face. His name was Lilliwhite. He had exchanged
words with Mehetabel when she was at the inn, and had always been
kindly in his address.
When she was shown into his office, as ill-luck would have it at
once the child became fretful and cried.
"I beg your pardon," said Mehetabel. "I am sorry to trouble you,
but I wish you would be so good, sir, as to let me do some work
for you in the mill."
"You, Mehetabel! Why, what do you mean?"
"Please, sir, I have left the Punch-Bowl. I cannot stay there any
longer. Do not ask me the reasons. They are good ones, but I had
rather not tell them. I must now earn my own livelihood, and--"
She was unable to proceed owing to the wailing of the infant.
"Look here, my dear," said the silk weaver, "I cannot hear you on
account of the noise, and as I have something to attend to, I will
leave you here alone for a few minutes, whilst I look to my
business. I will return shortly, when the young dragon has ceased
rampaging. I dare say it is hungry."
Then the good-natured man departed, and Mehetabel used her best
endeavors to reduce her child to quiet. It was not hungry, it was
not cold. It was in pain. She could feed it, she could warm it, but
she knew not how to give it that repose which it so much needed.
After some minutes had elapsed, Mr. Lilliwhite looked in again,
but as the child was still far from pacified, he retired once more.
Twenty minutes to half-an-hour had passed before the feeble wails
of the infant had decreased in force, and had died away wholly,
and then the manufacturer returned, smiling, to his office.
"'Pon my soul," said he, "I believe this is the first time my
shop has been turned into a nursery. Come now, before the Dragon
of Wantley is awake and roaring, tell me what you want."
Mehetabel repeated her request.
"There is no one I would more willingly oblige," said he. "You
have ever conducted yourself well, and have been industrious. But
there are difficulties in the way. First and foremost, the Dragon
of Wantley."
"I beg your pardon, sir."
"I mean the child. What will you do with it? If you come here,
engaged by me, you must be at the mill at seven o'clock in the
morning. There is an hour for dinner at noon, and the mill hands
are released at five o'clock in the afternoon in winter and six in
summer. What will the Dragon do all the time its mother is spinning
silk? You cannot have the creature here--and away, who will care
for it? Who feed it?"
"I had thought of leaving my baby at Mrs. Chivers'."
"That is nonsense," said the silk weaver. "The Dragon won't be
spoon-fed. Its life depends on its getting its proper, natural
nourishment. So that won't do. As for having it here--that's an
impossibility. Much you would attend to the spindles when the
Dragon was bellowing. Besides, it would distract the other girls.
So you see, this won't do. And there are other reasons. I couldn't
receive you without your husband's consent. But the Dragon remains
as the insuperable difficulty. Fiddle-de-dee, Matabel! Don't think
of it. For your own sake, for the Dragon's sake, I say it won't do."