MRS. LARKUM.
Hubert left for college before the time came around for the distribution
of our ripened fruit, and vegetables, for which fact I was very glad. I
knew the task was going to be no easy one, with Mr. Winthrop silently,
and no doubt sarcastically, watching me; and Hubert's good humored
raillery would in no wise lighten my cares.
Mrs. Flaxman counseled me as wisely as she knew, but Mrs. Blake was my
greatest help in the matter. Mr. Winthrop had not discovered, or if he
had, did not interfere with my continued friendship for that worthy
woman; so in my present perplexities I came to her for advice and
consolation.
She promised to notify all her poor acquaintances when they were to
come for their share of our gifts; she assured me there was already
considerable interest, as well as surprise, awakened by the expectation
of such a gathering at Oaklands.
For several days I watched Thomas and Samuel storing away such vast
quantities of fruit and vegetables, that I concluded we could safely
stand siege for a good many months, but I ruefully determined there would
be little remaining for me to distribute. But one bright morning, just in
range with my own windows, I saw the gardener nailing up some wooden
booths, and when completed, they began to pour in great basketfuls of all
sorts of vegetables, and afterward in separate booths, apples, pears, and
plums. I slipped out before Mr. Winthrop was astir and inquired of Thomas
if these were for my Mill Road pensioners.
"Yes, ma'am, that they are; and did I ever think I'd live to see this
day?"
"Why, Thomas, are you not willing to share your bountiful harvest with
those who have none?"
"Indeed I am. It's that makes me so glad this morning. I had that
good-for-nothing Sam up at four o'clock, helping me saw the boards to
build them bins to put the garden sass in. He reckoned you'd a much sight
better have been staying in them foreign parts than be giving decent
folks such bother. I give him a clip on the ear that made him howl in
earnest, I can tell you. I says to him, says I, 'Why, one would think you
was one of the aristocracy yourself to hear you talk so indifferent like
about the poor folk. There's Miss Selwyn, with full and plenty, and see
how she works for them; you'd ought to be ashamed of yourself,' I says to
him."
"But I hope you won't punish the poor fellow on my account again--won't
you please give him a holiday soon, for getting up to work so early this
morning?"
"I'll see about it; but he gets holidays right along; he's nothing but a
plague."
I saw poor Sam scuttling around a large apple tree quite within hearing
of the gardener's voice, and concluded he was another instance of
listeners never hearing any good of themselves. I did very little work or
reading that day, but watched from the shelter of my window curtains the
slowly accumulating pile. Samuel, I noticed, seemed to work with unusual
cheerfulness, and even the gardener himself did not empty his basket any
oftener than his well-abused help. Mr. Winthrop passed once or twice, and
seemed to give directions. I fancied he glanced up to my window as he
stood watching them empty their baskets. At luncheon he said:--
"Your pensioners may come this afternoon, and carry away their produce."
"I will let them know immediately."
"Will you go and tell them yourself?" he asked, rather sternly.
"I can do so with all safety; they are perfectly harmless." I gave him a
mutinous look, but my heart fluttered; for, in spite of myself, I was
very much afraid of my guardian.
"You must not go about from house to house peddling your generosity," he
said, sarcastically.
"It is your generosity, Mr. Winthrop," I said gravely; "besides, I do not
go to their houses at all. I have only to acquaint Mrs. Blake that your
gift is ready for distribution."
"One of the servants will go to Mrs. Blake. You will need all your
strength to maintain the proprieties when your ragged crowd comes."
"Have you ever seen the Mill Road people?" I asked abruptly.
"Probably on the streets sometimes; but are they a very distinguished
looking crowd, that you ask?"
"No, but they are human beings just like ourselves, created in God's
image as clearly as the President of these United States, and some of
them fulfilling the end for which they were made quite as acceptably,
perhaps."
"The President would, no doubt, feel flattered to have his name so
coupled."
"I beg your pardon, Mr. Winthrop, I had forgotten your Presidents
conquered the high position they fill, and are not born to it like mere
puppets."
"You will compare your humble friends with European Royalties then, I
presume."
"Oh, any one dropping into a soft nest prepared for them by others will
do just as well," I said, not very politely.
Mrs. Flaxman looked on helplessly as she sat nervously creasing her
napkin; then with a sudden look of relief she said: "Shall I despatch
Esmerelda to the Mill Road? They will have little enough time to get all
that heap of good things carried away before night."
Mr. Winthrop signified his willingness, and as she was leaving the room
Mrs. Flaxman, by a look, summoned me to follow her. Once outside she said
in her gentle way:--"I would not get arguing with Mr. Winthrop if I were
you. He is a good deal older, and, pardon me, a good deal wiser; and
while he never seems to lose his own temper he very easily makes others
lose theirs."
"I will try not to," I said, very humbly, for now that my temper had
calmed I realized that I had been very foolish in saying what I did. I
went sorrowfully to my room, and, taking my knitting work, I sat down in
my easy chair where I could watch them working busily at the vegetables.
But there came so many desolate, homesick fancies to keep me company,
that pretty soon my eyes were so blinded with tears I could scarcely see
the enlivening prospect under my windows. Ashamed of my weakness I set
myself resolutely to thinking of Daniel Blake and his heavy, sad life; of
the poor barefoot children, and tired mothers on the Mill Road; and of
all the sadder hearts than mine should be, until the sultry, still air,
and monotonous click of the knitting needles overcame my heartaches, and
I went fast asleep. A knock at the door startled me. Hastily opening it,
I met Esmerelda, who had come to announce the arrival of her neighbors.
"There's a good lot of them coming, and they look as frightened, and
foolish as so many dogs that's been caught sheep killing. I declare I
pity them."
"Where is Mr. Winthrop?" I gasped.
"Oh, you may be certain he's not far off; it's just death to him having
so many of them poor wretches coming around his place. I can't think why
he lets them."
"I will be there presently, Esmerelda," I said, turning away. It was
certainly not my place to allow her to stand there gossiping about her
employer.
I did not wait to brush my rumpled hair or bestow more than a passing
glance in the mirror, where I caught sight of a pair of wide, frightened
eyes and an unusually pale face. Mr. Winthrop was waiting for me in the
hall. In my excitement I still held in my hand the little sock I had been
knitting. He glanced at it curiously, but made no mention of it.
"Your pensioners have come--a beggarly looking crowd."
"Are there many?"
"Not more than a dozen. You will have to negotiate with Thomas to get
your gifts carted home. Their baskets will hold only a tithe of what
you have to donate."
"May I tell him to get the horses?"
I looked up at him, I dare say, appealingly; for I felt quite overwhelmed
with care. He smiled grimly.
"You may order all the servants to go to work--anything to get that crowd
away."
"Don't you feel sorry for them, Mr. Winthrop?" I pleaded. "Just think how
hard it is to be poor, and to come to you with a basket for vegetables."
"Yes, that last must be the bitterest drop in their misery," he said,
sarcastically. We were walking slowly around to the garden, but our
progress was much too swift for my courage. I would gladly have walked
the entire length of Cavendish to have escaped what had now become a very
difficult task. I resolved on one thing, however; not to be drawn into
any further conversation with Mr. Winthrop, nor allow him to entrap me in
his merciless way again.
A bend in the garden walk brought me face to face with the Mill Road
people; the crowd consisted principally of women and boys; only a man or
two condescending to come with their baskets; or it may be they thought
the loss of a half day in the Mill would be poorly compensated by the
garden stuff they would get. Mrs. Blake was there,--a crape veil hanging
sideways from her bonnet, which I took as a mark of respect for Daniel's
wife. She carried no basket; and, from the compassionate look on her
face, I concluded she came with the hope to lighten my task, if possible.
I went directly to her, and shook her hand as cordially as if she had
been one of our bluest blooded Cavendish aristocracy. I saw her cast a
half frightened glance at Mr. Winthrop, but my fearless manner seemed to
reassure her, as she soon regained her customary coolness of demeanor. I
nodded cordially to the rest of the group who all seemed just then to be
gazing at me in a very helpless manner. I endeavored to comport myself as
the easy hostess dispensing the hospitalities of my home to a party of
welcome visitors; but with Mr. Winthrop watching my every movement I
found the task to do so herculean. The gardener stood watching the crowd
in a helpless way, apparently as uncertain what to do first as any of
them. I looked towards Mr. Winthrop; but he seemed deeply interested,
judging from his attitude and expression, in tying up a branch of an
overburdened pear tree; but he kept his face turned steadily towards me
all the time, I could not help observing.
"What shall I do?" I whispered to Mrs. Blake.
"Tell them to come forred and fill their baskets."
I cleared my throat, and stepping up to the gardener said: "If you will
please come now, we will fill your baskets."
At first no one moved; then a delicate, pretty looking woman, with
red-rimmed eyes and a baby in her arms came timidly forward.
"What would you like best?" I asked.
"Oh, I can't tell; they all look so good."
"We are going to send all of this that is left around to your homes in a
wagon."
"I might take some of these," she said, pointing longingly to the apples
and pears. The baby was stretching its pinched little arms out to them,
and cooing in a pitiful, suppressed way, as if it realized it and must be
on its good behavior. I took the little creature in my arms; its clothes
were clean, but so thin and poor, my heart ached, while I looked at them.
I gave it my watch, which it carried with all speed to its mouth; but a
soft, delicious pear which I picked from the very limb Mr. Winthrop had
been supporting, caused it to drop the watch indifferently.
"Don't you feel sorry for this little crumb of humanity?" I impulsively
asked, forgetting too speedily my determination not to converse with
him more than was really necessary.
"Did Madame Buhlman give you lessons in philanthropy along with drawing
and music?"
"Oh no, indeed; but I hope God has. I don't want my heart to be a rock
like"--and then I shut my mouth and with moist eyes and flushed face
turned abruptly from him.
I swallowed down my tears, but my heart was too sore to play any longer
with the baby, so I slipped it back into its mother's arms, who had got
her basket filled and was ready to start for home; a neighbor's lad had
come to carry it for her, and with quite a cheerful face she bade me
good-bye. The rest of my crowd had got their baskets filled, and paused
with longing eyes regarding the heaps that still remained. I made their
faces grow suddenly much brighter as, with a slight elevation of voice, I
said: "Thomas will carry the rest of these vegetables around for you with
the horses. You will please stand at your doors, and, as he drives along,
come out for it." There was a subdued murmur of thanks, and then they
started homewards. Mrs. Blake waited a few moments behind them to look
around the old place where she had spent so many days, and shook hands
with Thomas who remembered her very distinctly.
"It's odd doings for Oaklands having yon crowd come with their baskets,"
he said, grimly; "the young miss be like to turn things topsy-turvey."
"It's high time somebody did; what kind of reckonins will folks have
bime-by, of all their riches, and overplus, and so many of their own
kind of flesh and blood going hungry and naked?"
"Their reckonins be none in my line. I sees to the roots and posies, that
they thrive; and there my work ends."
"Yes, posies are fed and sheltered, and little human creeturs like the
widow Larkum's there can starve for all the great folks cares. Deary me!
it's a terble onjointed sort of world; seems to me I could regilate
things better myself. Well, a good afternoon, Mr. Prime."
"Good afternoon," Mr. Prime coldly responded. Plainly he did not enjoy
Mrs. Blake's freedom of speech. I felt my trespasses against Mr. Winthrop
were already so great I could scarcely increase them by leaving Mrs.
Blake abruptly, so I walked with her through the old gardens, where she
had many a time, no doubt, dreamed her dreams long before my spirit got
started on its long voyage through time and the eternities. I accompanied
her all the way to the gate, listening sadly while she told me for the
second time the sorrowful story of the widow Larkum, whose baby I had
just been fondling. "Ever since her man fell on the circular saw and got
killed, she's been crying more or less. Her eyes look as if they'd been
bound in turkey red; and I tell her she'll be blind soon as well as her
father; but, laws! when the tears is there, they might as well come. It's
their natur, I s'pose, to be a droppin'."
"What is to support them?" I asked.
"I guess the parish, but my! they dread it. I believe Mr. Bowen would be
the happiest man in town if the Lord would send his angels for him; he's
about the best Christian I ever sot eyes on."
"I think I can help them. Does it cost very much to keep a family."
"It depends on how they're kept. A trifle would do them. She's that
savin', the hull of 'em don't cost much more'n a hearty man."
"I will tell, Thomas, to leave plenty of his vegetables with her; and, in
the meantime, will you please tell her that I will help to keep the wolf
from her door?"
"Indeed, I will, and be glad to. I can do a little myself; so you won't
have all to do; and then she is right handy with her needle. My! I feel a
burden lifted already. I couldn't help frettin' as well as her, though,
she's no more to me than any other body."
"God has given you the heart that feels another's woes. Every one don't
have that blessed gift."
"I expect not; or if they do, it's not minded. Seems to me the master
looked none too well pleased along wi' us bein' there to-day." She
looked at me keenly; but I was not going to make my moan even to this
true-hearted friend.
"I hope this act of kindness may leave him so happy that he will give me
leave to give away all the unused stuff I see going to waste about the
place," I said, a trifle hypocritically.
"He's never knew what want is; and any way his heart's not over tender
naterally; but there, young women can do most anything with men folks
when they're good-lookin' and have nice ways wi' 'em. There's a sight of
difference wi' girls. Some of 'em without any trouble get right into a
man's heart, and they'll go through fire and water to please 'em; and
others may be just as good-lookin' and they have hard work to get any
man to marry 'em. I've wondered more'n a little about it, but it's a
mystery." She turned her kindly wrinkled face on me and said, "You're one
of them kind that can just wind a man round your finger, and I'm looking
for better days at Oaklands. My! but you could do lots of good, if you
got him on your side."
"Oh, Mrs. Blake, you don't know anything about it, but you are to be
disappointed I am sure. But I can do something without any one's help.
Good-bye."
She took my hand, holding it for some time in silence; then she said
softly: "Dear; you can get into other folk's hearts beside the men's."