a mortal antipathy-第59章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



listened　to　what　followed。



〃No！　you　must　not　leave　me。　　You　must　never　leave　me。　　You　saved　my

life。　　But　you　have　done　more　than　that；more　than　you　know　or　can

ever　know。　　To　you　I　owe　it　that　I　am　living；　with　you　I　live

henceforth；　if　I　am　to　live　at　all。　　All　I　am；　all　I　hope；will　you

take　this　poor　offering　from　one　who　owes　you　everything；　whose　lips

never　touched　those　of　woman　or　breathed　a　word　of　love　before　you？



What　could　Euthymia　reply　to　this　question；　uttered　with　all　the

depth　of　a　passion　which　had　never　before　found　expression。



Not　one　syllable　of　answer　did　listening　Mrs。　Butts　overhear。　　But

she　told　her　husband　afterwards　that　there　was　nothing　in　the

tableaux　they　had　had　in　September　to　compare　with　what　she　then　saw。

It　was　indeed　a　pleasing　picture　which　those　two　young　heads

presented　as　Euthymia　gave　her　inarticulate　but　infinitely　expressive

answer　to　the　question　of　Maurice　Kirkwood。　　The　good…hearted　woman

thought　it　time　to　leave　the　young　people。　　Down　went　the　stocking

with　the　needles　in　it；　out　of　her　lap　tumbled　the　ball　of　worsted；

rolling　along　the　floor　with　its　yarn　trailing　after　it；　like　some

village　matron　who　goes　about　circulating　from　hearth　to　hearth；

leaving　all　along　her　track　the　story　of　the　new　engagement　or　of　the

arrival　of　the　last　〃little　stranger。〃



Not　many　suns　had　set　before　it　was　told　all　through　Arrowhead

Village　that　Maurice　Kirkwood　was　the　accepted　lover　of　Euthymia

Tower。









POSTSCRIPT：　AFTER…GLIMPSES。





MISS　LURIDA　VINCENT　TO　MRS。　EUTHYMIA　KIRKWOOD。

ARROWHEAD　VILLAGE；　May　18。



MY　DEAREST　EUTHYMIA；Who　would　have　thought；　when　you　broke　your　oar

as　the　Atalanta　flashed　by　the　Algonquin；　last　June；　that　before　the

roses　came　again　you　would　find　yourself　the　wife　of　a　fine　scholar

and　grand　gentleman；　and　the　head　of　a　household　such　as　that　of

which　you　are　the　mistress？　　You　must　not　forget　your　old　Arrowhead

Village　friends。　　What　am　I　saying？…you　forget　them！　　No；　dearest；

I　know　your　heart　too　well　for　that！　　You　are　not　one　of　those　who

lay　aside　their　old　friendships　as　they　do　last　years　bonnet　when

they　get　a　new　one。　　You　have　told　me　all　about　yourself　and　your

happiness；　and　now　you　want　me　to　tell　you　about　myself　and　what　is

going　on　in　our　little　place。



And　first　about　myself。　　I　have　given　up　the　idea　of　becoming　a

doctor。　　I　have　studied　mathematics　so　much　that　I　have　grown　fond　of

certainties；　of　demonstrations；　and　medicine　deals　chiefly　in

probabilities。　　The　practice　of　the　art　is　so　mixed　up　with　the

deepest　human　interests　that　it　is　hard　to　pursue　it　with　that　even

poise　of　the　intellect　which　is　demanded　by　science。　　I　want

knowledge　pure　and　simple；I　do　not　fancy　having　it　mixed。　　Neither

do　I　like　the　thought　of　passing　my　life　in　going　from　one　scene　of

suffering　to　another；　I　am　not　saintly　enough　for　such　a　daily

martyrdom；　nor　callous　enough　to　make　it　an　easy　occupation。　　I

fainted　at　the　first　operation　I　saw；　and　I　have　never　wanted　to　see

another。　　I　don't　say　that　I　wouldn't　marry　a　physician；　if　the　right

one　asked　me；　but　the　young　doctor　is　not　forthcoming　at　present。

Yes；　I　think　I　might　make　a　pretty　good　doctor's　wife。　　I　could　teach

him　a　good　deal　about　headaches　and　backaches　and　all　sorts　of

nervous　revolutions；　as　the　doctor　says　the　French　women　call　their

tantrums。　　I　don't　know　but　I　should　be　willing　to　let　him　try　his

new　medicines　on　me。　　If　he　were　a　homeopath；　I　know　I　should；　for　if

a　billionth　of　a　grain　of　sugar　won't　begin　to　sweeten　my　tea　or

coffee；　I　don't　feel　afraid　that　a　billionth　of　a　grain　of　anything

would　poison　me；no；　not　if　it　were　snake…venom；　and　if　it　were　not

disgusting；　I　would　swallow　a　handful　of　his　lachesis　globules；　to

please　my　husband。　　But　if　I　ever　become　a　doctor's　wife；　my　husband

will　not　be　one　of　that　kind　of　practitioners；　you　may　be　sure　of

that；　nor　an　〃eclectic；〃　nor　a　〃faith…cure　man。〃　　On　the　whole；　I

don't　think　I　want　to　be　married　at　all。　　I　don't　like　the　male

animal　very　well　（except　such　noble　specimens　as　your　husband）。　　They

are　all　tyrants；almost　all；so　far　as　our　sex　is　concerned；　and　I

often　think　we　could　get　on　better　without　them。



However；　the　creatures　are　useful　in　the　Society。　　They　send　us

papers；　some　of　them　well　worth　reading。　　You　have　told　me　so　often

that　you　would　like　to　know　how　the　Society　is　getting　on；　and　to

read　some　of　the　papers　sent　to　it　if　they　happened　to　be

interesting；　that　I　have　laid　aside　one　or　two　manuscripts　expressly

for　your　perusal。　　You　will　get　them　by　and　by。



I　am　delighted　to　know　that　you　keep　Paolo　with　you。　　Arrowhead

Village　misses　him　dreadfully；　I　can　tell　you。　　That　is　the　reason

people　become　so　attached　to　these　servants　with　Southern　sunlight　in

their　natures？　　I　suppose　life　is　not　long　enough　to　cool　their　blood

down　to　our　Northern　standard。　　Then　they　are　so　child…like；　whereas

the　native　of　these　latitudes　is　never　young　after　he　is　ten　or

twelve　years　old。　　Mother　says；you　know　mother's　old…fashioned

notions；　and　how　shrewd　and　sensible　she　is　in　spite　of　them；mother

says　that　when　she　was　a　girl　families　used　to　import　young　men　and

young　women　from　the　country　towns；　who　called　themselves　〃helps；〃

not　servants；no；　that　was　Scriptural；　〃　but　they　did　n't　know

everything　down　in　Judee；〃　and　it　is　not　good　American　language。　　She

says　that　these　people　would　live　in　the　same　household　until　they

were　married；　and　the　women　often　remain　in　the　same　service　until

they　died　or　were　old　and　worn　out；　and　then；　what　with　the　money

they　had　saved　and　the　care　and　assistance　they　got　from　their　former

employers；　would　pass　a　decent　and　comfortable　old　age；　and　be　buried

in　the　family　lot。　　Mother　has　made　up　her　mind　to　the　change；　but

grandmother　is　bitter　about　it。　　She　says　there　never　was　a　country

yet　where　the　population　was　made　up　of　〃ladies〃　and　〃gentlemen；〃　and

she　does　n't　believe　there　can　be；　nor　that　putting　a　spread　eagle　on

a　copper　makes　a　gold　dollar　of　it。　　She　is　a　pessimist　after　her　own

fashion。　　She　thinks　all　sentiment　is　dying　out　of　our　people。　　No

loyalty　for　the　sovereign；　the　king…post　of　the　political　edifice；

she　says；　no　deep　attachment　between　employer　and　employed；　no

reverence　of　the　humbler　members　of　a　household　for　its　heads；　and　to

make　sure　of　continued　corruption　and　misery；　what　she　calls

〃universal　suffrage〃　emptying　all　the　sewers　into　the　great　aqueduct

we　all　must　drink　from。　　〃Universal　suffrage！〃　　I　suppose　we　women

don't　belong　to　the　universe！　　Wait　until　we　get　a　chance　at　the

ballot…box；　I　tell　grandma；　and　see　if　we　don't　wash　out　the　sewers

before　they　reach　the　aqueduct！　　But　my　pen　has　run　away　with　men　I

was　thinking　of　Paolo；　and　what　a　pleasant　thing　it　is　to　have　one　of

those　child…like；　warm…hearted；　attachable；　cheerful；　contented；

humble；　faithful；　companionable；　but　never　presuming　grownup　children

of　the　South　waiting　on　one；　as　if　everything　he　could　do　for　one　was

a　pleasure；　and　carrying　a　look　of　content　in　his　face　which　makes

every　one　who　meets　him　happier　for　a　glimpse　of　his　features。



It　does　seem　a　shame　that　the　charming　relation　of　master　and

servant；　intelligent　authority　and　cheerful　obedience；　mutual

interest　in　each　other's　welfare；　thankful　recognition　of　all　the

advantages　which　belong　to　domestic　service　in　the　better　class　of

families；　should　be　almost　wholly　confined　to　aliens　and　their

immediate　descendants。　　Why　should　Hannah　think　herself　so　much

better　than　Bridget？　　When　they　meet　at　the　polls　together；　as　they

will　before　long；　they　will　begin　to　feel　more　of　an　equality　than　is

recognized　at　present。　　The　native　female　turns　her　nose　up　at　the

idea　of　〃living　out；〃　does　she　think　herself　so　much　superior　to　the

women　of　other　nationalities？　　Our　women　will　have　to　come　to　it；so

grandmother　says；in　another　gener