登陆注册
5237500000048

第48章 XIX DEACON ISRAEL'S SUCCESSOR(2)

"I'll lay down side o' Jane in our bedroom and see if I can get strength to cook supper. It's half past three--don't you let me lay a minute past five. I kep' a good fire in the kitchen stove. I don't know, I'm sure, why I should have baked a pot o' beans in the middle of the week, but they'll come in handy. Father used to say there was nothing that went right to the spot with returned missionaries like pork 'n' beans 'n' brown bread. Fix up the two south chambers, Rebecca."

Rebecca, given a free hand for the only time in her life, dashed upstairs like a whirlwind. Every room in the brick house was as neat as wax, and she had only to pull up the shades, go over the floors with a whisk broom, and dust the furniture. The aunts could hear her scurrying to and fro, beating up pillows and feather beds, flapping towels, jingling crockery, singing meanwhile in her clear voice:--

"In vain with lavish kindness The gifts of God are strown;

The heathen in his blindness Bows down to wood and stone."

She had grown to be a handy little creature, and tasks she was capable of doing at all she did like a flash, so that when she called her aunts at five o'clock to pass judgment, she had accomplished wonders. There were fresh towels on bureaus and washstands, the beds were fair and smooth, the pitchers were filled, and soap and matches were laid out; newspaper, kindling, and wood were in the boxes, and a large stick burned slowly in each air-tight stove. "I thought I'd better just take the chill off," she explained, "as they're right from Syria; and that reminds me, I must look it up in the geography before they get here."

There was nothing to disapprove, so the two sisters went downstairs to make some slight changes in their dress. As they passed the parlor door Miranda thought she heard a crackle and looked in.

The shades were up, there was a cheerful blaze in the open stove in the front parlor, and a fire laid on the hearth in the back room. Rebecca's own lamp, her second Christmas present from Mr. Aladdin, stood on a marble-topped table in the corner, the light that came softly through its rose-colored shade transforming the stiff and gloomy ugliness of the room into a place where one could sit and love one's neighbor.

"For massy's sake, Rebecca," called Miss Miranda up the stairs, "did you think we'd better open the parlor?"

Rebecca came out on the landing braiding her hair.

"We did on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I thought this was about as great an occasion," she said. "I moved the wax flowers off the mantelpiece so they wouldn't melt, and put the shells, the coral, and the green stuffed bird on top of the what-not, so the children wouldn't ask to play with them.

Brother Milliken's coming over to see Mr. Burch about business, and I shouldn't wonder if Brother and Sister Cobb happened in. Don't go down cellar, I'll be there in a minute to do the running."

Miranda and Jane exchanged glances.

"Ain't she the beatin'est creetur that ever was born int' the world!" exclaimed Miranda; "but she can turn off work when she's got a mind to!"

At quarter past five everything was ready, and the neighbors, those at least who were within sight of the brick house (a prominent object in the landscape when there were no leaves on the trees), were curious almost to desperation. Shades up in both parlors! Shades up in the two south bedrooms!

同类推荐
  • 释迦如来降生礼赞文

    释迦如来降生礼赞文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Storyof a Bad Boy

    The Storyof a Bad Boy

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • A Philosophical Enquiry htm1

    A Philosophical Enquiry htm1

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 救荒活民书

    救荒活民书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 环溪诗话

    环溪诗话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 欢喜冤家:媳妇你的老公掉了

    欢喜冤家:媳妇你的老公掉了

    他是一个花花公子,飞扬跋扈,蛮不讲理,在京都人人都惹不起的娱乐界大亨;可是遇见她之后就像是变了个人一样,整夜温柔。。。。他:“喂,村姑,你踩着我的脚了”她:"哦,是嘛,我怎么不知道啊"他;‘’你知道我是谁吗?敢这样跟我说话”她;"反正不是什么好人"其实她是想说反正不是人的。她是三亚某农场的女老板,是一个附有正能量的女孩,自己离开家乡来三亚开始了她的创业史,她认真负责,凭着自己的力量开起了一个小有名气的农场。当有一天他遇上了她两个小冤家发生了怎样有趣的事情了。
  • 皇后黑化手册

    皇后黑化手册

    皇后说:本宫回来了,你们怕是药丸!后来......“本宫乏了,拖这些贱人下去削着玩。”“还有,别劝本宫善良。”某真伪君子:......o(* ̄︶ ̄*)o非主流版:某日,皇后站在城墙上四十五度角仰望天空:当初,妳断了我翅膀,今日,我必废了你整個天堂!再牛逼的古琴师,也弹不出本宫的悲殇!--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 州县事宜

    州县事宜

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 上古妖兽都市生活录

    上古妖兽都市生活录

    他,自有意识以来无父无母,他,没有滔天法力,他,没有绝世神器,他,只是靠着努力一步步的成长。他,没有种马一般的生活,他,没有那么多的奇遇,他没有王霸之气一显,四方来投,他大半身都在孤军奋战。本书没有神奇的功法,没有夸张的奇遇,没有盘古为父,女娲为母的显贵身份,也没有血海深仇,他修炼只是为了一个真相。
  • 帝仙殿下超冷的

    帝仙殿下超冷的

    【本文反套路-己完结】“本王帅气多金,能替她吊打白莲花,脚踩炮灰,美人为何不愿嫁与本王为妃?”南越尘看着下属,正色问道。下属面无表情:“她徒手能撕千军万马!”南越尘强颜微笑,控制住寄几:“本王愿割舍城池十座为聘,为她卸去那万人敬仰的身份,美人为何还是不愿嫁与本王为妃?”下属一本正经:“她徒手能撕千军万马!”南越尘扬起衣袖就将下属抽地一脸茫然:“给本王说人话。”“主子,你是存在于一本没男主的书里啊……”
  • 相府有女名清河

    相府有女名清河

    她忧伤想着,她前世不是古武世家嫡长女,也不是智商二百五的网络黑客,当然更不可能是精通医术的天才小医仙!重生后的她是全侵朝野当朝丞相大人的庶出之女!额!她一开始还以为按照套路来说她会是嫡长女来着。生母难产而亡?嫡姐看她不爽!所谓的嫡母无时不刻都想除掉她!当朝二皇子各种看她不顺眼!三皇子每次见到她,都和看到动物园猴子一般!她真想来一句,三殿下你该滴眼药水了!至于大皇子,不好意思,听说他是弱鸡,快要被废了。她能怎么办!她也很绝望啊!所以她这是穿越宫斗文,还是宅斗文了!
  • 爱尔兰之旅

    爱尔兰之旅

    《爱尔兰之旅》是海因里希·伯尔最富盛名的作品之一,包含十八篇文章。二十世纪五十年代,伯尔多次游历爱尔兰,本书是此间心灵闪光时刻的精妙记录,描写了动人的爱尔兰风情,神秘的凯尔特文化,以及爱尔兰大地上的众生相,被称为“二十世纪最富同情心的散文杰作”。作者伯尔是诺贝尔文学奖获得者,是战后德国最重要、最多产的作家之一。该书被称为“二十世纪最富同情心的散文杰作”。
  • 如卿醉挽风

    如卿醉挽风

    她本是应该平淡开心的过完这一生,可是,命不由己.她遭遇背叛,明明很深爱的那个人却亲手杀了她全府上下,甚至她的亲人也惨死他的手中,她逃了出来,势必复仇……三年后,她重新归来,早已不是以前,更不会敞开心扉,或许不在爱了,可直到遇见他……“娘子,你想为夫没”“……死开”某王一脸委屈。可殊不知,还有一场更大的阴谋等着他们……
  • 茉莉花与臭豆腐

    茉莉花与臭豆腐

    “什么怪味?这么难闻!……有点象臭鸡蛋味儿。”睡过午觉,小梁第一个推门走进基建科设计组办公室。他那患过鼻窦炎、嗅觉本来就不太灵敏的鼻子,却一下嗅出办公室内的空气成份突然发生了明显的变化。他心里嘀咕着,转动灵活的黑眼珠象两台雷达上的扫瞄器,立刻对办公室进行一番扫瞄。一切如旧,未见异常。小梁坐到自己办公桌前,铺开图纸,取出绘图工具,开始伏案工作。这是他大学毕业以来第一次单独搞设计,虽然是项挺不起眼的工程——与矿俱乐部配套的公共厕所。
  • 顾先生,您有个儿子请签收

    顾先生,您有个儿子请签收

    车祸之后,她被他从医院带回家。记忆全无,她只能缠上他。失忆时的她琢磨着怎么逼婚,恢复记忆的她琢磨着怎么逼婚逼婚逼婚。终于在她的步步紧逼下,他决然丢出一叠照片。车祸真相大白,本以为一切都该归位时,她扔给他一张宝宝B超图。于是,八个月后顾念收到了一个快递,里面装着他亲儿子。还有一张照片,一模一样两个宝宝边上提字:AA