Part 19 (2/2)
”On the left-hand side, as you go down. There was thirteen children of 'em--all boys but two. The youngest was a gal, born the same day we sold our old brindle cow.”
Mr. Royden and the clergyman both started, and looked at the speaker.
”Don't mind her,--don't mind the poor creatur'!” said Job, softly. ”Her talk is all out of date; it's all about bygones. A kind old lady, but childish again, and very deaf.”
Father Brighthopes returned to the subject they were conversing upon.
”My wife has seen a mighty deal of bad weather,” said Job, very softly.
”Oh, she has got through it amazin' well, for a feeble woman. She astonishes me every day o' my life. But, then, you see, she's a good deal broken, late years.”
”I am sorry for her,--sorry for her!” exclaimed the clergyman, warmly.
”But there's a good time coming for all of us old people,”--looking up, with a peaceful smile.
”So I tell her,” replied Job. ”But she han't got the animal sperrits she once had. And that an't to be wondered at. Oh, she's a good soul! and if she'd pluck up heart a little,--gracious!” exclaimed the shoemaker, doubling his fists, and compressing his lips with hopeful firmness, ”I think I wouldn't like any better fun than to fight the world ten or a dozen years longer!”
”My bold Christian hero!”
”Thank you, sir! To be that is glory enough for me; though I didn't think exactly so when I stood strong and proud on two legs. I believed then I was destined to do wonders with bayonets and gun-powder.”
The clergyman patted his shoulder kindly, and said, ”Do you not feel it is better as it is?”
”Well, yes. I think of that a good deal. 'Supposing I had got to be a real, genuine b.l.o.o.d.y hero?' I say to myself. 'What would it all have come to, in the end?' I expect it was the best thing the devil could have done for me, when he knocked me off my pins. Ah! here comes mother, with Maggie.”
Mrs. Bowen entered, accompanied by a plain, good-natured, wholesome-looking girl, modest, but not awkward, coa.r.s.ely but quite neatly attired. She advanced to shake hands with Mr. Royden, and inquired about Mrs. Royden and the children.
”They will all be glad to see you,” he replied. ”What do you say to coming and helping us, next week?”
”I don't know how I can come, any way in the world,” said Maggie. ”Ma's health is so poor now, I ought to be at home.”
”I s'pose I shall have to spare you, if you think you would like to go,”
added Mrs. Bowen, in her sepulchral tone of voice.
Maggie colored very red. She seemed to know hardly what to say.
Fortunately, the grandmother in the corner attracted observation from her, by crying out, with a shrill, childish laugh,
”So she did! he, he, he! Eggs ten cents a dozen, and all the hens a settin'! That beat all the jokes I ever heard on! Eggs ten cents a dozen, and five hens a--'s--'s--'s--”
The words died away in the old woman's toothless jaws; but her lips continued to move, and her mind seemed to float lightly upon the waves of an inaudible laugh. Mrs. Bowen broke the silence which followed.
”The truth is,”--what a ghostly tone!--”Maggie didn't like to work for Mrs. Royden any too well, when she was there before.”
”Oh, ma!” spoke up the girl, entreatingly.
”It's the truth. She liked your folks well enough, but there's pleasanter families to work for.”
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