the village watch-tower-第25章

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to　have　Mrs。　Buck　live　with　them　altogether；　instead　of　coming　twice　a　week；

as　heretofore　？　　No；　he　shrank　from　that　with　a　hopeless　aversion　born

of　Saturday　and　Monday　dinners　in　her　company。　　He　could　hear　her　pour

her　coffee　into　the　saucer；　hear　the　scraping　of　the　cup　on　the　rim；

and　know　that　she　was　setting　it　sloppily　down　on　the　cloth。　　He　could

remember　her　noisy　drinking；　the　weight　of　her　elbow　on　the　table；

the　creaking　of　her　calico　dress　under　the　pressure　of　superabundant　flesh。

Besides；　she　had　tried　to　scrub　his　favorite　violin　with　sapolio。

No；　anything　was　better　than　Mrs。　Buck　as　a　constancy。



He　took　off　his　hat　unconsciously　as　he　entered　Lyddy's　sitting…room。

A　gentle　breeze　blew　one　of　the　full　red　curtains　towards　him　till

it　fluttered　about　his　shoulders　like　a　frolicsome；　teasing　hand。

There　was　a　sweet；　pungent　odor　of　pine　boughs；　a　canary　sang　in　the　window；

the　clock　was　trimmed　with　a　blackberry　vine；　he　knew　the　prickles；

and　they　called　up　to　his　mind　the　glowing　tints　he　had　loved　so　well。

His　sensitive　hand；　that　carried　a　divining　rod　in　every　finger…tip；

met　a　vase　on　the　shelf；　and；　traveling　upward；　touched　a　full　branch

of　alder　berries　tied　about　with　a　ribbon。　　The　ribbon　would　be　red；

the　woman　who　arranged　this　room　would　make　no　mistake；　for　in　one　morning

Anthony　Croft　had　penetrated　the　secret　of　Lyddy's　true　personality；

and　in　a　measure　had　sounded　the　shallows　that　led　to　the　depths

of　her　nature。



Lyddy　went　home　at　seven　o'clock　that　night　rather　reluctantly。

The　doctor　had　said　Mr。　Croft　could　sit　up　with　the　boy　unless　he　grew

much　worse；　and　there　was　no　propriety　in　her　staying　longer　unless

there　was　danger。



〃You　have　been　very　good　to　me；〃　Anthony　said　gravely；

as　he　shook　her　hand　at　parting；〃very　good。〃



They　stood　together　on　the　doorstep。　　A　distant　bell；

called　to　evening　prayer…meeting；　the　restless　murmur　of　the　river

and　the　whisper　of　the　wind　in　the　pines　broke　the　twilight　stillness。

The　long；　quiet　day　together；　part　of　it　spent　by　the　sick　child's　bedside；

had　brought　the　two　strangers　curiously　near　to　each　other。



〃The　house　hasn't　seemed　so　sweet　and　fresh　since　my　mother　died；〃

he　went　on；　as　he　dropped　her　hand；　〃and　I　haven't　had　so　many　flowers

and　green　things　in　it　since　I　lost　my　eyesight。〃



〃Was　it　long　ago？〃



〃Ten　years。　　Is　that　long？〃



〃Long　to　bear　a　burden。〃



〃I　hope　you　know　little　of　burden…bearing？〃



〃I　know　little　else。〃



〃I　might　have　guessed　it　from　the　alacrity　with　which

you　took　up　Davy's　and　mine。　　You　must　be　very　happy　to　have

the　power　to　make　things　straight　and　sunny　and　wholesome；

to　breathe　your　strength　into　helplessness　such　as　mine。

I　thank　you；　and　I　envy　you。　　Good…night。〃



Lyddy　turned　on　her　heel　without　a　word；　her　mind　was　beyond

and　above　words。　　The　sky　seemed　to　have　descended　upon；　enveloped　her；

caught　her　up　into　its　heaven；　as　she　rose　into　unaccustomed　heights

of　feeling；　like　Elijah　in　his　chariot　of　fire。　　She　very　happy！

She　with　power；　power　to　make　things　straight　and　sunny　and　wholesome！

She　able　to　breathe　strength　into　helplessness；　even　a　consecrated；

Godsmitten　helplessness　like　his！　　She　not　only　to　be　thanked；　but　envied！



Her　house　seemed　strange　to　her　that　night。

She　went　to　bed　in　the　dark；　dreading　even　the　light　of　a　candle；

and　before　she　turned　down　her　counterpane　she　flung　herself

on　her　knees；　and　poured　out　her　soul　in　a　prayer　that　had

been　growing；　waiting；　and　waited　for；　perhaps；　for　years：



〃O　Lord；　I　thank　Thee　for　health　and　strength　and　life。

I　never　could　do　it　before；　but　I　thank　Thee　to…night　for　life

on　any　terms。　　I　thank　Thee　for　this　home；　for　the　chance

of　helping　another　human　creature；　stricken　like　myself；

for　the　privilege　of　ministering　to　a　motherless　child。

Make　me　to　long　only　for　the　beauty　of　holiness；　and　to　be

satisfied　if　I　attain　to　it。　　Wash　my　soul　pure　and　clean；

and　let　that　be　the　only　mirror　in　which　I　see　my　face。

I　have　tried　to　be　useful。　　Forgive　me　if　it　always　seemed

so　hard　and　dreary　a　life。　　Forgive　me　if　I　am　too　happy　because

for　one　short　day　I　have　really　helped　in　a　beautiful　way；

and　found　a　friend　who　saw；　because　he　was　blind；　the　real

me　underneath；　the　me　that　never　was　burned　by　the　fire；

the　me　that　isn't　disfigured；　unless　my　wicked　discontent

has　done　it；　the　me　that　has　lived　on　and　on　and　on；

starving　to　death　for　the　friendship　and　sympathy　and　love

that　come　to　other　women。　　I　have　spent　my　forty　years　in

the　wilderness；　feeding　on　wrath　and　bitterness　and　tears。

Forgive　me；　Lord；　and　give　me　one　more　vision　of　the　blessed

land　of　Canaan；　even　if　I　never　dwell　there。〃



VI。





〃Nor　less　the　eternal　poles

Of　tendency　distribute　souls。

There　need　no　vows　to　bind

Whom　not　each　other　seek；　but　find。〃



Emerson's　_Celestial　Love。_





Davy's　sickness　was　a　lingering　one。　　Mrs。　Buck　came　for　two　or

three　hours　a　day；　but　Lyddy　was　the　self…installed　angel　of　the　house；

and　before　a　week　had　passed　the　boy's　thin　arms　were　around　her　neck；

his　head　on　her　loving　shoulder；　and　his　cheek　pressed　against　hers。

Anthony　could　hear　them　talk；　as　he　sat　in　the　kitchen　busy　at

his　work。　　Musical　instruments　were　still　brought　him　to　repair；

though　less　frequently　than　of　yore；　and　he　could　still　make

many　parts　of　violins　far　better　than　his　seeing　competitors。

A　friend　and　pupil　sat　by　his　side　in　the　winter　evenings

and　supplemented　his　weakness；　helping　and　learning　alternately；

while　his　blind　master's　skill　filled　him　with　wonder　and　despair。

The　years　of　struggle　for　perfection　had　not　been　wasted；

and　though　the　eye　that　once　detected　the　deviation　of　a　hair's

breadth　could　no　longer　tell　the　true　from　the　false；　yet　nature

had　been　busy　with　her　divine　work　of　compensation。

The　one　sense　stricken　with　death；　she　poured　floods　of　new　life　and

vigor　into　the　others。　　Touch　became　something　more　than　the　stupid；

empty　grasp　of　things　we　seeing　mortals　know；　and　in　place　of　the　two

eyes　he　had　lost　he　now　had　ten　in　every　finger…tip。　As　for　odors；

let　other　folks　be　proud　of　smelling　musk　and　lavender；　but　let　him

tell　you　by　a　quiver　of　the　nostrils　the　various　kinds　of　so…called

scentless　flowers；　and　let　him　bend　his　ear　and　interpret　secrets

that　the　universe　is　ever　whispering　to　us　who　are　pent　in　partial

deafness　because；　forsooth；　we　see。



He　often　paused　to　hear　Lydia's　low；　soothing　tones　and　the　boy's

weak　treble。　　Anthony　had　said　to　him　once；　〃Miss　Butterfield　is　very

beautiful；　isn't　she；　Davy？　　You　haven't　painted　me　a　picture　of　her　yet。

How　does　she　look　？〃



Davy　was　stricken　at　first　with　silent　embarrassment。

He　was　a　truthful　child；　but　in　this　he　could　no　more　have

told　the　whole　truth　than　he　could　have　cut　off　his　hand。

He　was　knit　to　Lyddy　by　every　tie　of　gratitude　and　affection。

He　would　sit　for　hours　with　his　expectant　face　pressed　against

the　window…pane；　and　when　he　saw　her　coming　down　the　shady

road　he　was　filled　with　a　sense　of　impending　comfort　and　joy。



〃NO；〃　he　said　hesitatingly；　〃she　isn't　pretty；　nunky；　but　she's　sweet

and　nice　and　dear；　Everything　on　her　shines；　it's　so　clean；　and　when　she

comes　through　the　trees；　with　her　white　apron　and　her　purple　calico　dress；

your　heart　jumps；　because　you　know　she's　going　to　make　everything　pleasant。

Her　hair　has　a　pretty　wave　in　it；　and　her　hand　is　soft　on　your　forehead；

and　it's　most　worth　while　being　sick　just　to　have　her　in　the　house。〃



Meanwhile；　so　truly　is　〃praise　our　fructifying　sun；〃　Lydia　bloomed

into　a　hundred　hitherto　unsuspected　graces　of　mind　and　heart　and　speech。

A　sly　sense　of　humor　woke　into　life；　and　a　positive　talent　for　conversation；

latent　hitherto　because　she　had　never　known　any　one　who　cared

to　drop　a　plummet　into　the　crystal　springs　of　her　consciousness。

When　the　violin　was　laid　away；　she　w