Part 43 (1/2)
Drusilla laughed.
”I knowed it! I seen it a-comin' a long time. What you and Dr. Eaton been doin'?”
”We haven't been doing anything. Only I walked home with him from your house last night, and we walked a while and--and--Mother and Father talked to me, and--”
”Yes, your father's held some forth to me about Dr. Eaton, but I only laugh at him. I like that young man.”
Daphne snuggled her hand into Drusilla's.
”That's the reason I can talk to you; you will understand--because--”
Drusilla laughed again.
”Because--because--you like him too.” Daphne's pretty face colored.
”Well, why shouldn't you?” said Drusilla.
”Mother says that he's only a poor doctor, that he's not the kind that'll ever make money.”
”Money--money! Why, he'll always make enough for you to live on, and more money'd only be used to buy amus.e.m.e.nts to keep you from thinkin'; but the way you and him could live together, you'd like to think. So what's the use of money?”
”But Mother says--”
”Now, Daphne, I don't want to say nothin' about your mother. She's been real neighborly to me so far as she knows how, but she's too society for me, and we ain't got one thing that we can talk to each other about. She thinks more about the polish of a person's fingernails or the set of her dress than she does about the color of a soul or the heart that looks out from the eyes, but--I shouldn't say that--your mother is your mother and she means well by you, and you must respect her judgments.”
Daphne looked up with a twinkle in her eyes.
”Her judgment in regard to Dr. Eaton, too?”
”Well,” said Drusilla, ”I wouldn't go so far as _that;_ but--what else did she say besides that you wouldn't have enough to eat?”
”Oh, of course she didn't say that, but she said that he could never afford to give me a motor car or--”
”Well, if you don't have but one car you'll have to ride around with him in his'n, and that won't be no hards.h.i.+p. Just think what a nice time you could have ridin' around these roads in that noisy, smelly little car of his, and waitin' at the gate when he went in to see the Smith baby. Why--why--I'd like to do it myself!”
”Yes, I'd like it too; but Mother is always saying that it's a pity that he is a general pract.i.tioner instead of a specialist. It's only the specialists that make money and get on.”
”Pshaw, you tell her that Dr. Eaton is a general pract.i.tioner in his business, but a specialist in his love affairs, and that's all that you need worry about.”
”Then, you don't think it would be hard to economize?”
”Daphne, you won't have to economize on love, and with lots of that you won't miss the other things. Now, Daphne, I suppose I shouldn't meddle in this, it ain't none of my business, but I like Dr. Eaton, and I more'n like you, and I don't want you to make a mistake. Dr.
Eaton won't promise you a life of roses and leave you to pull out all the thorns. I know him. And I jest want you two young things to share the very best things in life when you're young, and when you grow old together you won't see the bald spot on his head gittin' bigger, and he won't see your gray hairs a-comin', 'cause you won't ever be lookin' above each other's eyes. You know, Daphne, I'm seventy years old and I've looked on lots of things with my old eyes, and it ain't always the rich that have found the most precious jewel; it's the poor couple who've got just enough to live on--and each other.”
Daphne smiled up at Drusilla.
”Oh, Miss Doane, you make it seem so heavenly!”
”Yes, it is Heaven, and love is the bridge that you cross on, and when you git across you can't always be singin' the weddin'-march --but afterwards--well, you can hum a lullaby.