the village watch-tower-第15章

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otherways　than　scarlit　the　whole　durin'　time。　　She　had　a　change

of　heart　that　winter；　in　fact　she　had　two　of　'em；　for　she

changed　hers　for　Reuben's；　and　found　a　hope　at　the　same　time。

'T　was　a　good　honest　conversion；　too；　though　she　did　say　to　me

she　was　afraid　that　if　Reuben　hadn't　taught　her　what　love

was　or　might　be；　she　'd　never　have　found　out　enough　about　it

to　love　God　as　she　'd　ought　to。



〃There；　I've　begun　both　roses；　and　hers　is　'bout　finished。

I　sha'n't　have　more　'n　enough　white　alapaca。　　It's　lucky

the　moths　spared　one　breadth　of　the　wedding　dresses；

we　was　married　on　the　same　day；　you　know；　and　dressed　just　alike。

Jot　wa'n't　quite　ready　to　be　married；　for　he　wa'n't　any

more　forehanded　'bout　that　than　he　was　'bout　other　things；

but　I　told　him　Lovey　and　I　had　kept　up　with　each　other　from

the　start；　and　he　'd　got　to　fall　into　line　or　drop　out　o'

the　percession。Now　what　next？〃



〃Wasn't　there　anybody　at　the　wedding　but　you　and　Lovice？〃

asked　Priscilla；　with　an　amused　smile。



〃Land；　yes！　　The　meeting…house　was　cram　jam　full。　　Oh；　to　be　sure！

I　know　what　you　're　driving　at！　　Well；　I　have　to　laugh　to　think

I　should　have　forgot　the　husbands！　　They'll　have　to　be　worked

into　the　story；　certain；　but　it'll　be　consid'able　of　a　chore；

for　I　can't　make　flowers　out　of　coat　and　pants　stuff；　and　there

ain't　any　more　flowers　on　this　branch　anyway。〃



Diadema　sat　for　a　few　minutes　in　rapt　thought；

and　then　made　a　sudden　inspired　dash　upstairs；　where　Miss

Hollis　presently　heard　her　rummaging　in　an　old　chest。

She　soon　came　down；　triumphant。



〃Wa'n't　it　a　providence　I　saved　Jot's　and　Reuben's　wedding　ties！

And　here　they　are；one　yellow　and　green　mixed；　and　one　brown。

Do　you　know　what　I'm　going　to　do？　　I'm　going　to　draw　in　a　butterfly

hovering　over　them　two　roses；　and　make　it　out　of　the　neckties；

green　with　brown　spots。　　That'll　bring　in　the　husbands；　and　land！

I　wouldn't　have　either　of　'em　know　it　for　the　world。　　I'll　take

a　pattern　of　that　lunar　moth　you　pinned　on　the　curtain　yesterday。〃



Miss　Hollis　smiled　in　spite　of　herself。　　〃You　have　some

very　ingenious　ideas　and　some　very　pretty　thoughts；　Mrs。　Bascom；

do　you　know　it？〃



〃It's　the　first　time　I　ever　heard　tell　of　it；〃

said　Diadema　cheerfully。　　〃Lovey　was　the　pretty…spoken；

pretty…appearing　one；　I　was　always　plain　and　practical。　　While　I　think

of　it；　I'll　draw　in　a　little　mite　of　this　red　into　my　carnation　pink。

It　was　a　red　scarf　Reuben　brought　Lovey　from　Portland。

It　was　the　first　thing　he　ever　give　her；　and　aunt　Hitty　said

if　one　of　the　Abel　Grangers　give　away　anything　that　cost　money；

it　meant　business。　　That　was　all　fol…de…rol；　for　there　never

was　a　more　liberal　husband；　though　he　was　a　poor　minister；

but　then　they　always　_are_　poor；　without　they're　rich；

there　don't　seem　to　be　any　halfway　in　ministers。



〃We　was　both　lucky　that　way。　　There　ain't　a　stingy　bone　in　Jot

Bascom's　body。　　He　don't　make　much　money；　but　what　he　does　make　goes

into　the　bureau　drawer；　and　the　one　that　needs　it　most　takes　it　out。

He　never　asks　me　what　I　done　with　the　last　five　cents　he　give　me。

You　've　never　been　married　Miss　Hollis；　and　you　ain't　engaged；

so　you　don't　know　much　about　it；　but　I　tell　you　there　's　a　heap　o'

foolishness　talked　about　husbands。　　If　you　get　the　one　you　like　yourself；

I　don't　know　as　it　matters　if　all　the　other　women　folks　in　town　don't

happen　to　like　him　as　well　as　you　do；　they　ain't　called　on　to　do　that。

They　see　the　face　he　turns　to　them；　not　the　one　he　turns　to　you。

Jot　ain't　a　very　good　provider；　nor　he　ain't　a　man　that　's　much

use　round　a　farm；　but　he　's　such　a　fav'rite　I　can't　blame　him。

There　's　one　thing：　　when　he　does　come　home　he　's　got　something　to　say；

and　he　's　always　as　lively　as　a　cricket；　and　smiling　as　a　basket　of　chips。

I　like　a　man　that　's　good　comp'ny；　even　if　he　ain't　so　forehanded。

There　ain't　anything　specially　lovable　about　forehandedness；　when　you

come　to　that。　　I　shouldn't　ever　feel　drawed　to　a　man　because

he　was　on　time　with　his　work。　　He　's　got　such　pleasant　ways；　Jot　has！

The　other　afternoon　he　didn't　get　home　early　enough　to　milk；

and　after　I　done　the　two　cows；　I　split　the　kindling　and　brought

in　the　wood；　for　I　knew　he　'd　want　to　go　to　the　tavern　and　tell

the　boys　'bout　the　robbery　up　to　Boylston。　　There　ain't　anybody

but　Jot　in　this　village　that　has　wit　enough　to　find　out　what　's

going　on；　and　tell　it　in　an　int'resting　way　round　the　tavern　fire。

And　he　can　do　it　without　being　full　of　cider；　too；　he　don't　need

any　apple　juice　to　limber　_his_　tongue！



〃Well；　when　he　come　in；　he　see　the　pails　of　milk；

and　the　full　wood…box；　and　the　supper　laid　out　under　the　screen

cloth　on　the　kitchen　table；　and　he　come　up　to　me　at　the　sink；

and　says　he；　'Diademy；　you　're　the　best　wife　in　this　county；

and　the　brightest　jewel　in　my　crown；that　's　what　_you_　are！'

（He　got　that　idea　out　of　a　duet　he　sings　with　Almiry　Berry。）

Now　I'd　like　to　know　whether　that　ain't　pleasanter　than　't

is　to　have　a　man　do　all　the　shed　'n'　barn　work　up　smart；

and　then　set　round　the　stove　looking　as　doleful　as　a　last

year's　bird's　nest？　　Take　my　advice；　Miss　Hollis：

get　a　good　provider　if　you　can；　but　anyhow　try　to　find　you

a　husband　that'll　keep　on　courting　a　little　now　and　then；

when　he　ain't　too　busy；　it　smooths　things　consid'able

round　the　house。



〃There；　I　got　so　int'rested　in　what　I　was　saying；　I've　went

on　and　finished　the　carnation；　and　some　of　the　stem；　too。

Now　what　comes　next？　　Why；　the　thing　that　happened　next；

of　course；　and　that　was　little　Jot。



〃I'll　work　in　a　bud　on　my　rose　and　one　on　Lovey's；

and　my　bud'll　be　made　of　Jot's　first　trousers。　　The　goods

ain't　very　appropriate　for　a　rosebud；　but　it'll　have　to　do；

for　the　idee　is　the　most　important　thing　in　this　rug。

When　I　put　him　into　pants；　I　hadn't　any　cloth　in　the　house；

and　it　was　such　bad　going　Jot　couldn't　get　to　Wareham　to　buy

me　anything；　so　I　made　'em　out　of　an　old　gray　cashmere　skirt；

and　lined　'em　with　flannel。〃



〃Buds　are　generally　the　same　color　as　the　roses；

aren't　they？〃　ventured　Priscilla。



〃I　don't　care　if　they　be；〃　said　Diadema　obstinately。

〃What's　to　hender　this　bud's　bein'　grafted　on？　　Mrs。　Granger

was　as　black　as　an　Injun；　but　the　little　Granger　children

were　all　red…headed；　for　they　took　after　their　father。

But　I　don't　know；　you've　kind　o'　got　me　out　o'　conceit　with　it。

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　ai