登陆注册
5390800000021

第21章 THE FORE-ROOM RUG.(4)

I s'pose I could have taken a piece of his baby blanket; but the moths never et a mite o' that, and it's too good to cut up.

There's one thing I can do: I can make the bud up with a long stem, and have it growing right up alongside of mine,--would you?"

"No, it must be stalk of your stalk, bone of your bone, flesh of your flesh, so to speak. I agree with you, the idea is the first thing. Besides, the gray is a very light shade, and I dare say it will look like a bluish white."

"I'll try it and see, but I wish to the land the moths _had_ eat the pinning-blanket, and then I could have used it.

Lovey worked the scallops on the aidge for me.

My grief! what int'rest she took in my baby clothes!

Little Jot was born at Thanksgiving time, and she come over from Skowhegan, where Reuben was settled pastor of his first church.

I shall never forget them two weeks to the last day of my life.

There was deep snow on the ground. I had that chamber there, with the door opening into the setting-room. Mother and father Bascom kep' out in the dining-room and kitchen, where the work was going on, and Lovey and the baby and me had the front part of the house to ourselves, with Jot coming in on tiptoe, heaping up wood in the fireplace so 't he 'most roasted us out.

He don't forget his chores in time o' sickness.

"I never took so much comfort in all my days.

Jot got one of the Billings girls to come over and help in the housework, so 't I could lay easy 's long as I wanted to; and I never had such a rest before nor since.

There ain't any heaven in the book o' Revelations that 's any better than them two weeks was. I used to lay quiet in my good feather bed, fingering the pattern of my best crochet quilt, and looking at the fire-light shining on Lovey and the baby.

She 'd hardly leave him in the cradle a minute. When I did n't want him in bed with me, she 'd have him in her lap.

Babies are common enough to most folks, but Lovey was diff'rent.

She 'd never had any experience with children, either, for we was the youngest in our family; and it wa'n't long before we come near being the oldest, too, for mother buried seven of us before she went herself. Anyway, I never saw nobody else look as she done when she held my baby.

I don't mean nothing blasphemious when I say 't was for all the world like your photograph of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

"The nights come in early, so it was 'most dark at four o'clock. The little chamber was so peaceful!

I could hear Jot rattling the milk-pails, but I'd draw a deep breath o' comfort, for I knew the milk would be strained and set away without my stepping foot to the floor.

Lovey used to set by the fire, with a tall candle on the light-stand behind her, and a little white knit cape over her shoulders.

She had the pinkest cheeks, and the longest eyelashes, and a mouth like a little red buttonhole; and when she bent over the baby, and sung to him,--though his ears wa'n't open, I guess for his eyes wa'n't,--the tears o' joy used to rain down my cheeks.

It was pennyrial hymns she used to sing mostly, and the one I remember best was "'Daniel's wisdom may I know, Stephen's faith and spirit show;

John's divine communion feel, Moses' meekness, Joshua's zeal, Run like the unwearied Paul, Win the day and conquer all.

"'Mary's love may I possess, Lydia's tender-heartedness, Peter's fervent spirit feel, James's faith by works reveal, Like young Timothy may I Every sinful passion fly.'

"'Oh Diademy,' she 'd say, 'you was always the best, and it 's nothing more 'n right the baby should have come to you.

P'r'aps God will think I'm good enough some time; and if he does, Diademy, I'll offer up a sacrifice every morning and every evening.

But I'm afraid,' says she, 'he thinks I can't stand any more happiness, and be a faithful follower of the cross. The Bible says we 've got to wade through fiery floods before we can enter the kingdom.

I don't hardly know how Reuben and I are going to find any way to wade through; we're both so happy, they 'd have to be consid'able hot before we took notice,' says she, with the dimples all breaking out in her cheeks.

"And that was true as gospel. She thought everything Reuben done was just right, and he thought everything she done was just right.

There wa'n't nobody else; the world was all Reuben 'n' all Lovey to them.

If you could have seen her when she was looking for him to come from Skowhegan! She used to watch at the attic window; and when she seen him at the foot of the hill she 'd up like a squirrel, and run down the road without stopping for anything but to throw a shawl over her head.

And Reuben would ketch her up as if she was a child, and scold her for not putting a hat on, and take her under his coat coming up the hill.

They was a sight for the neighbors, I must confess, but it wa'n't one you could hardly disapprove of, neither. Aunt Hitty said it was tempting Providence and couldn't last, and God would visit his wrath on 'em for making idols of sinful human flesh.

"She was right one way,--it didn't last; but nobody can tell me God was punishing of 'em for being too happy.

I guess he 'ain't got no objection to folks being happy here below, if they don't forget it ain't the whole story.

"Well, I must mark in a bud on Lovey's stalk now, and I'm going to make it of her baby's long white cloak.

同类推荐
  • 太上灵宝洪福灭罪像名经

    太上灵宝洪福灭罪像名经

    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。
  • 十洲记

    十洲记

    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。
  • 佛说缘本致经

    佛说缘本致经

    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。
  • 戒子益恩书

    戒子益恩书

    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。
  • 大方广佛华严经入法界品四十二字观

    大方广佛华严经入法界品四十二字观

    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
  • 释鉴稽古略续集

    释鉴稽古略续集

    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。
  • 在残酷的世界里骄傲地活着

    在残酷的世界里骄傲地活着

    《在残酷的世界里骄傲的活着》告诉大家,没有人的青春是在红毯上走过,当有一天,你迂迂回回后终于到达了想去的地方,才会惊讶地发现,原来之前所走过的一切,都只是通往这里的必经之路,少一步都无法塑造出今天的你。而这时,你定会深鞠一躬,感谢那年那月,命运给你的所有刁难。本书让更多的人感受到美好和力量。
  • 运气要诀

    运气要诀

    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。
  • 世界最具欣赏性的优美散文(3)

    世界最具欣赏性的优美散文(3)

    我的课外第一本书——震撼心灵阅读之旅经典文库,《阅读文库》编委会编。通过各种形式的故事和语言,讲述我们在成长中需要的知识。
  • 医学举要

    医学举要

    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。
  • 光中离歌

    光中离歌

    黑夜的世界,不一定都是寂静。光中的世界,不一定都是喧哗。一群人,一个城,风中见奇闻。我随心所欲,想写便写,不屑一切。
  • 问道者:周辅成文存

    问道者:周辅成文存

    本书由华语文学传媒大奖年度散文家、《燃灯者》作者赵越胜先生亲自选编,精选著名哲学家和伦理学家、享受国务院政府特殊津贴专家、北京大学哲学系教授周辅成先生的十三篇文章,并将其分成四个单元,勾勒出周辅成先生学而不厌、诲人不倦的问道精神,也体现那一代学者的风骨和学识。
  • 生活中的诡计

    生活中的诡计

    “诡计”,在词典中的解释是:狡诈的计策;使用不正当的手段。也许,对于很多人来说,这就是一个不好的词汇,认为诡计都是阴谋诡计,是和暗箱操作这些词连在一起,是见不得人的。在生活中,我们究竟是否应该纵容这个词的存在呢?其实,生活中很多地方都需要诡计,生活中的诡计并不单指坏事,我们也常常需要一些小的计谋去解决生活中困难的事,这就是生活中的诡计。在古时,有兵法三十六计,在现代,我们更需要利用适当的诡计去解决生活中无法解决的事情。诡计,对于一个人的爱情、婚姻、人际交往以及工作事业等社会生活都有着重要的影响,有时甚至起到了决定性作用。
  • 词品

    词品

    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。
  • 腹黑的五小姐

    腹黑的五小姐

    二十五世纪最强杀手,异世大陆懦弱五小姐。说她废材?她让你求生不得求死不能!没有修仙资质?让你们知道什么才叫修仙!一念成神,一念成魔!明能真刀真枪,打的你满地找牙!暗能杀人于无形,叫你死无葬身之地!比文比武她都能碾压一切!说没有灵兽跟她签约?她把神兽签下反手就是一巴掌!不过神你的气度非凡呢?魔你的威武霸气呢?主神爹爹、魔君娘亲,快来管管他们吧!⊙﹏⊙