登陆注册
5390800000032

第32章 A VILLAGE STRADIVARIUS.(10)

First and foremost, what were you hunting for?"

"My hat and the butter," said Anthony meekly, and at this unique combination they both laughed.

Lyddy's laugh was particularly fresh, childlike, and pleased; one that would have astonished the Reynolds children.

She had seldom laughed heartily since little Rufus had cried and told her she frightened him when she twisted her face so.

"Your hat is in the wood-box, and I'll find the butter in the twinkling of an eye, though why you want it now is more than--My patience, Mr. Croft, your hand is burned to a blister!"

"Don't mind me. Be good enough to look at the boy and tell me what ails him; nothing else matters much."

"I will with pleasure, but let me ease you a little first.

Here's a rag that will be just the thing," and Lyddy, suiting the pretty action to the mendacious worn, took a good handkerchief from her pocket and tore it in three strips, after spreading it with tallow from a candle heated over the stove.

This done, she hound up the burned hand skillfully, and, crossing the dining-room, disappeared within the little chamber door beyond.

She came out presently, and said half hesitatingly, "Would you--mind going out in the orchard for an hour or so?

You seem to be rather in the way here, and I should like the place to myself, if you'll excuse me for saying so.

I'm ever so much more capable than Mrs. Buck; won't you give me a trial, sir? Here's your violin and your hat.

I'll call you if you can help or advise me."

"But I can't let a stranger come in and do my housework," he objected.

"I can't, you know, though I appreciate your kindness all the same."

"I am your nearest neighbor, and your only one, for that matter," said Lyddy firmly; "its nothing more than right that I should look after that sick child, and I must do it. I haven't got a thing to do in my own house.

I am nothing but a poor lonely old maid, who's been used to children all her life, and likes nothing better than to work over them."

A calm settled upon Anthony's perturbed spirit, as he sat under the apple-trees and heard Lyddy going to and fro in the cottage.

"She isn't any old maid," he thought; "she doesn't step like one; she has soft shoes and a springy walk. She must be a very handsome woman, with a hand like that; and such a voice!

I knew the moment she spoke that she didn't belong in this village."

As a matter of fact, his keen ear had caught the melody in Lyddy's voice, a voice full of dignity, sweetness, and reserve power.

His sense of touch, too, had captured the beauty of her hand, and held it in remembrance,--the soft palm, the fine skin, supple fingers, smooth nails, and firm round wrist.

These charms would never have been noted by any seeing man in Edgewood, but they were revealed to Anthony Croft while Lyddy, like the good Samaritan, bound up his wounds.

It is these saving stars that light the eternal darkness of the blind.

Lyddy thought she had met her Waterloo when, with arms akimbo, she gazed about the Croft establishment, which was a scene of desolation for the moment. Anthony's cousin from Bridgton was in the habit of visiting him every two months for a solemn house-cleaning, and Mrs. Buck from Pleasant River came every Saturday and Monday for baking and washing.

Between times Davy and his uncle did the housework together; and although it was respectably done, there was no pink-and-white daintiness about it, you may be sure.

Lyddy came out to the apple-trees in about an hour, laughing a little nervously as she said, "I'm sorry to have taken a mean advantage of you, Mr. Croft, but I know everything you've got in your house, and exactly where it is.

I couldn't help it, you see, when I was making things tidy.

It would do you good to see the boy. His room was too light, and the flies were devouring him. I swept him and dusted him, put on clean sheets and pillow slips, sponged him with bay rum, brushed his hair, drove out the flies, and tacked a green curtain up to the window. Fifteen minutes after he was sleeping like a kitten. He has a sore throat and considerable fever.

Could you--can you--at least, will you, go up to my house on an errand?"

"Certainly I can. I know it inside and out as well as my own."

"Very good. On the clock shelf in the sitting-room there is a bottle of sweet spirits of nitre; it's the only bottle there, so you can't make any mistake. It will help until the doctor comes.

I wonder you didn't send for him yesterday?"

"Davy wouldn't have him," apologized his uncle.

"Wouldn't he ?" said Lyddy with cheerful scorn.

"He has you under pretty good control, hasn't he?

But children are unmerciful tyrants."

"Couldn't you coax him into it before you go home?" asked Anthony in a wheedling voice.

"I can try; but it isn't likely I can influence him, if you can't. Still, if we both fail, I really don't see what 's to prevent our sending for the doctor in spite of him.

He is as weak as a baby, you know, and can't sit up in bed: what could he do? I will risk the consequences, if you will! "

There was a note of such amiable and winning sarcasm in all this, such a cheery, invincible courage, such a friendly neighborliness and cooperation, above all such a different tone from any he was accustomed to hear in Edgewood, that Anthony Croft felt warmed through to the core.

As he walked quickly along the road, he conjured up a vision of autumn beauty from the few hints nature gave even to her sightless ones on this glorious morning,--the rustle of a few fallen leaves under his feet, the clear wine of the air, the full rush of the swollen river, the whisking of the squirrels in the boughs, the crunch of their teeth on the nuts, the spicy odor of the apples lying under the trees.

He missed his mother that morning more than he had missed her for years.

How neat she was, how thrifty, how comfortable, and how comforting!

同类推荐
  • 正法眼藏

    正法眼藏

    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 Crusade of the Excelsior

    The Crusade of the Excelsior

    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。
  • 佛说圣观自在菩萨梵赞

    佛说圣观自在菩萨梵赞

    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。
  • 金箓祈祷早朝仪

    金箓祈祷早朝仪

    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。
  • 巫峡

    巫峡

    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
  • 上班那点事:职场八卦经

    上班那点事:职场八卦经

    虽然其中难免掺杂某些捕风捉影甚至是人身攻击的成分,但是一般说来,那些并无恶意、由平凡琐事衍生出的八卦并不会加深职场人际关系的困扰,相反,它在某些情况下恰恰是协调入际关系的有益手段。适当的轻松八卦话题,既满足了人们通过讨论别人来探索自己。的心理需要,也使得职场中的成员在分享意见的同时,增进了解与多元化的沟通,最终得以缓解人际紧张所导致的巨大压力,更加愉悦、专注地投入工作。
  • 简单攻略

    简单攻略

    你是我想不到的无关痛痒,我是你猜不到的不知所措。飘呀飘,冥王太美却坏蛋,拎着她就爱抛。 飘呀飘,蛇肚肚里出来了。 飘呀飘,络腮胡子眼前跑。 飘呀飘,飘呀飘,飘呀飘~呀,她飘了飘了! 本文无男主!υ?(????)υ?
  • 黑萌炼药师

    黑萌炼药师

    【虐渣渣爽文+甜死人不偿命的宠文】打人技术哪家强?云族云箫第一王!云箫,21世纪王牌猎人,腹黑狂霸,绝世无双。一朝穿越,她成了云家废材九小姐。庶姐欺她软弱?三道耳光啪啪啪!渣男欺她懦弱?一拳揍飞滚尼玛!“娘子,温柔一点,”男子轻笑,俊颜如玉,宛如神邸。“谁是你娘子?说话请负责!”“负责?你想本王如何负责?”男子眉梢一挑,狡诈如狐。书友QQ群:424827957,敲门砖:玲珑。必须有敲门砖,不然不能确定是否是书友。
  • 喀尔巴阡城堡(语文新课标课外必读第八辑)

    喀尔巴阡城堡(语文新课标课外必读第八辑)

    国家教育部颁布了最新《语文课程标准》,统称新课标,对中、小学语文教学指定了阅读书目,对阅读的数量、内容、质量以及速度都提出了明确的要求,这对于提高学生的阅读能力,培养语文素养,陶冶情操,促进学生终身学习和终身可持续发展,对于提高广大人民的文学素养具有极大的意义。
  • 岷山深处

    岷山深处

    从远古的某个时候开始,白马人和大熊猫相遇了,从此相伴而行。他(它)们在共同的地域,良性互动,形成一种共生关系。在大熊猫在经历了猎杀、竹子开花、滥伐森林、栖息地因为交通而割裂等等灾难之后,今天,广大范围内的植被在恢复,熊猫数量稳中有升,人与大熊猫的关系得到调整和重建。虽然隐忧还不少,但仍值得欣慰,希望还是有的。白马人是古老民族的活化石。大熊猫是古老动物的活化石。他(它)们是平武之宝,也是中国之宝。
  • 错爱总裁:赎罪新娘

    错爱总裁:赎罪新娘

    “孩子必须拿掉,别在我面前装可怜,那只会让我感到恶心!”一场意外,好友因自己而惨死,她成为赎罪新娘。佣人嘲弄,小三横行,他弃她如敝履,嫁入豪门,确如坠入地狱。为了保住肚子里的孩子,她不得不选择离开……然而五年后重逢,他却对着她冷冷的说道:“你带着我的女儿,休想再嫁给别的男人。这辈子你都只能是我,尹三的女人。”
  • 凤凰斗:妻貌不扬(全本)

    凤凰斗:妻貌不扬(全本)

    有她这么倒霉的穿越么?“其貌不扬”也就罢了。嫁人,是代嫁。相公,是个傻瓜。却总在无人的时候坏坏地跟她说:“你不觉得我们该生个宝宝吗?”谢家家大业大幺蛾子大,俊男美女斗得不亦乐乎。她是谢家的长孙媳,更是遭人白眼的薄命女。她可不怕,步步为营,她精明强干,泼辣聪慧。别管什么老的乱来,小的胡搞,她照样能整成五好家庭。不就是当家主母么?舍她其谁!妻貌不扬,却依旧遭人嫉妒,惹人爱慕。而她依旧怡然自得:“有人讨厌有人喜欢才是正常人。都喜欢那是神,都不喜欢那不是人。”小媳妇修炼守则:聪明、精明、心明、情明、志明凤和凰的你争我斗,谁与称雄!
  • 徒然草·方丈记

    徒然草·方丈记

    《徒然草》是一部内容广博的散文随笔。作者吉田兼好将一生的丰富阅历和明达见识融入到简短随性的文字中,既有处事警语、经验感悟,又不乏奇闻逸事、四时风物。当这幅由243段短文构成的长卷缓缓展开时,日本镰仓末期的社会风貌以及吉田兼好汰尽浮华的禅悟之心跃然纸上。《方丈记》成书于1212年,被誉为日本隐士文学的巅峰之作。是作者鸭长明回忆生平际遇、叙述天地巨变、感慨人世无常的随笔集。这部作品对日本的文学、历史、思想等各方面都产生了极为深远的影响,被日本珍视为文化瑰宝。
  • 天道大择

    天道大择

    魔族入侵千年后,九州之中,却迎来了一场始料未及的大劫,一块昌盛繁荣的大陆,因此毁灭,武者人人自危,时光荏苒,魔族又将复苏?重犯九州?毁灭的废墟之上,孤岛之中,一个青年读着古籍,目光眺望远方......九州漫天繁星,辰星不落!凌辰星,少时,自灾变发生后,在流金荒岛上渡过了十载寒秋,是天才?还是废物?但无论如何,他的征程,从这里,开始,属于他的,崛起征程!
  • 历代诗话索考

    历代诗话索考

    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。