"We must start sewing," said Miss Cordelia.
So they started sewing, Martha and the two maiden sisters, every stitch a
hope, every seam the dream of a young life's journey.
"We must think beautiful thoughts," spoke up Miss Patty another day.
So while they sewed, sometimes one and sometimes another read poetry, and
sometimes they read the Psalms, especially the Twenty-third, and
sometimes Martha played the Melody in F, or the Shower of Stars or the
Cinquieme Nocturne.
"We must think brave thoughts, too," said Miss Cordelia.
So after that, whenever one of them came to a stirring editorial in a
newspaper, or a rousing passage in a book, it was put on one side to be
read at their daily sewing bee; and when these failed they read Barbara
Fritchie, or Patrick Henry, or Horatio at the Bridge.
"Do you notice how much better Josiah is looking!" whispered Miss
Cordelia to her sister one evening.
"A different man entirely," proudly nodded Miss Patty. "I heard him
speaking yesterday about an addition to the factory--"
"I suppose it's because he's living in the future now--"
"Instead of in the past. But I do wish he wouldn't be quite so sure that
it's going to be a boy. I'm afraid sometimes--that perhaps he won't like
it--if it's a girl--"
They had grown beautiful as they spoke, but now they looked at each other
in silence, the same fear in both their glances.
"Oh, Cordelia," suddenly spoke Miss Patty. "Suppose it is a girl--!"
"Hush, dear. Remember, we must have brave thoughts. And even if the first
one is a girl, there'll be plenty of time for a boy--"
"I hadn't thought of that," said Miss Patty.
They smiled at each other in concert, and a faint touch of colour arose
to Miss Cordelia's slightly withered cheeks.
"Do you know," she said, hesitating, smiling--yes, and thrilling a
little, too--"we've had so much to do with bringing it about, that
somehow I feel as though it's going to be _my_ baby--"
"Why, Cordelia!" whispered Miss Patty, who had been nodding throughout
this confession. "That's exactly how I feel about it, too!"
It wasn't long after that before they began to look up names.
"If Josiah wasn't such a family name," said Miss Cordelia, "I'd like to
call him Basil. That means kingly or royal." Then of course they turned
to Cordelia. Cordelia meant warm-hearted. Patricia meant royal. Martha
meant the ruler of the house.
They were pleased at these revelations.
The week before the great event was expected, Martha had a notion one
day. She wished to visit the factory. Josiah interpreted this as the
happiest of auguries.
"After seven generations," was his cryptic remark, "you simply can't keep
them away. It's bred in the bone...."
He drove Martha down to the works himself, and took her through the
various shops, some of which were of such a length that when you stood at
one end, the other seemed to vanish into distance.
Everything went well until they reached the shipping room where a
travelling crane was rolling on its tracks overhead, carrying a load of
boxes. This crane was hurrying back empty for another load, its chain and
tackle swinging low, when Martha started across the room to look at one
of the boys who had caught his thumb between a hammer and a nail and was
trying to bind it with his handkerchief. The next moment the swinging
tackle of the crane struck poor Martha in the back, caught in her dress
and dragged her for a few horrible yards along the floor.
That night the house on the hill had two unexpected visitors, the Angel
of Death following quickly in the footsteps of the Angel of Life.
"You poor motherless little thing," breathed Cordelia, cuddling the baby
in her arms. "Look, Josiah," she said, trying to rouse her brother. "Look
...it's smiling at you--"
But Josiah looked up with haggard eyes that saw nothing, and could only
repeat the sentence which he had been whispering to himself, "It's God's
own punishment--God's own punishment--there are things--I can't tell
you--"
The doctor came to him at last and, after he was quieter, the two sisters
went away, carrying their precious burden with them.
"Wasn't there a girl's name which means bitterness?" asked Miss Cordelia,
suddenly stopping.
"Yes," said Miss Patty. "That's what 'Mary' means."
The two sisters looked at each other earnestly--looked at each other and
nodded.
"We'll call her 'Mary' then," said Miss Cordelia.
And that is how my heroine got her name.