poor and proud-第3章

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nabled　her　to　cook　the　fish　properly；　and　dinner　was　ready。　There　were　still　a　few　small　stores　left　in　the　closet；　and　Katy　made　a　cup　of　tea　for　her　mother；　and　with　it　placed　the　delicate　little　flounder　by　the　side　of　the　bed。　The　invalid　had　no　appetite；　but　to　please　Katy　she　ate　a　portion　of　the　fish　and　bread　though　it　was　very　hard　work　for　her　to　do　so。　The　little　girl；　gladdened　by　this　unwonted　sight；　made　a　hearty　meal；　without　a　thought　of　the　trials　and　sorrows　which　the　future　might　have　in　store　for　them。

When　she　had　put　away　the　dishes；　and　placed　everything　in　order；　she　washed　herself；　combed　her　hair；　sewed　up　a　great　rent　in　her　dress；　and　otherwise　attempted　to　make　herself　as　tidy　as　possible　for　the　mission　she　was　about　to　undertake。

〃It　is　not　time　for　you　to　go　yet；　Katy；　and　before　the　watch　is　carried　off；　I　want　to　tell　you　something　about　your　father；　that　you　may　learn　to　prize　it　as　I　do。〃

Katy　seated　herself　on　the　side　of　the　bed；　for　she　was　very　anxious　to　hear　more　about　her　father　than　she　already　knew。　She　had　often　asked　her　mother　about　him；　but　she　had　generally　evaded　her　questions；　and　did　not　seem　willing　to　tell　her　all　she　knew。　She　thought　there　was　some　secret　connected　with　his　history；　and　with　a　child's　curiosity　she　was　eager　to　have　the　mystery　unfolded。　But　it　was　no　great　secret；　after　all　only　a　painful　history；　which　her　sensitive　mother　did　not　like　to　rehearse。　Mrs。　Redburn　handed　the　watch　to　Katy；　and　asked　her　to　look　upon　the　back　of　it。

〃Yes；　mother；　I　have　often　seen　those　words　on　there‘All　for　the　Best。'　What　do　they　mean？〃　said　Katy。

〃This　watch　was　given　to　your　father　by　my　father；〃　replied　Mrs。　Redburn；　with　a　deep　sigh；　for　the　words　seemed　to　recall　happy　memories　of　the　past。

〃Who　was　your　father？〃　asked　the　attentive　little　girl。

〃His　name　was　Matthew　Guthrie。　He　was　a　merchant　in　Liverpool；　England；　where　I　was　born。〃

〃A　merchant；　mother？　Then　he　was　a　rich　man；　and　lived　in　a　great　house；　and　had　plenty　of　servants。〃

〃He　was　rich；　and　lived　in　good　style。　One　day　there　came　a　young　man　in　great　distress　to　his　counting…room。　He　was　a　clerk；　and　had　been　sent　by　his　employer　in　Manchester　to　pay　a　large　sum　of　money　to　my　father。　After　leaving　the　train；　he　had　entered　an　ale…house；　where　he　had　been　robbed　of　the　remittance。　He　had　been　imprudent；　but　instead　of　running　away；　he　went　directly　to　my　father；　and　informed　him　of　his　misfortune。　The　young　man　felt　that　he　was　ruined；　but　he　said　he　was　determined　not　to　leave　Liverpool　till　he　had　found　the　money。　He　was　sure　he　knew　the　man　who　had　robbed　him；　and　my　father　procured　the　services　of　several　policemen　to　assist　him　in　his　search。　All　that　day　and　all　that　night；　attended　by　policemen；　he　visited　the　resorts　of　vice　and　crime；　and　his　perseverance　was　rewarded　with　success。　He　found　the　man；　and　the　money　was　recovered。　My　father　was　so　well　pleased　with　the　energy　of　the　young　man；　that　he　gave　him　a　situation　in　his　counting　room。　That　young　man　was　John　Redburn；　your　father。　My　father　gave　him　a　much　larger　salary　than　he　had　been　receiving　before；　so　that　his　misfortune　in　losing　the　money　proved　to　be　a　piece　of　good　fortune　to　him；　for　it　procured　him　a　much　better　situation。　The　new　clerk　performed　his　duties　very　faithfully；　and　at　the　end　of　a　year　my　father　presented　him　this　watch；　with　the　motto；　‘All　for　the　Best；'　in　allusion　to　the　manner　in　which　he　had　obtained　his　situation。〃

〃But　how　came　you　here；　mother；　if　your　father　was　rich；　and　lived　in　a　fine　house？　You　are　very　poor　now；〃　asked　Katy；　who　feared　that　the　mystery　was　yet　to　come。

Mrs。　Redburn　burst　into　tears；　and　covered　her　face　with　her　hands；　as　the　pleasant　memories　of　her　former　happy　home　rushed　through　her　mind。

〃Don't　cry；　mother；　I　won't　ask　you　any　more　questions；〃　said　Katy；　grieved　to　find　she　had　reminded　her　mother　of　some　unpleasant　thing。

〃It　was　all　my　own　fault；　Katy。　I　am　here　poor　and　wretched；　because　I　disobeyed　my　father；　because　I　did　what　he　desired　me　not　to　do。　I　will　tell　you　all　about　it；　Katy。　I　became　acquainted　with　the　new　clerk；　John　Redburn；　and　the　result　of　our　acquaintance　was；　that　we　were　married　in　about　a　year。　We　ran　away　from　home；　for　my　father；　however　much　he　liked　John　as　a　clerk；　was　not　willing　that　he　should　be　my　husband。　He　forbade　John's　coming　to　our　house；　and　forbade　my　seeing　him。　I　disobeyed　him。　We　were　married；　and　John　was　discharged。　My　father　refused　to　see　me　again。〃

〃That　was　cruel；〃　interposed　Katy

〃My　father　was　right；　and　I　have　always　regretted　that　I　disobeyed　him。　We　came　to　America；　and　your　father　procured　a　situation　in　New　York；　where　you　were　born；　about　a　year　after　we　arrived。　For　three　years　we　got　along　very　well。　I　wish　I　could　stop　here；　Katy；　for　the　rest　of　the　story　is　very　sad。〃

〃Don't　tell　me　any　more；　mother；　it　makes　you　feel　so　bad；　I　would　rather　not　hear　it。　I　know　now　why　you　value　the　watch　so　much；　and　I　hope　we　shall　be　able　to　get　it　back　again。〃

〃I　fear　not。　But　you　must　hear　the　rest　of　this　sad　story。〃

Mrs。　Redburn　continued　the　narrative；　though　tears　blinded　her　eyes；　and　sobs　chocked　her　utterance；　as　she　told　of　the　struggle　she　had　had　with　poverty　and　want。　Her　husband　had　done　very　well　in　New　York；　and；　gay　and　light…hearted　in　the　midst　of　his　prosperity；　his　habits　had　been　gradually　growing　worse　and　worse；　till　he　lost　his　situation；　and　became　a　common　sot。　The　poor　wife　had　then　been　compelled　to　toil　for　her　own　support　and　that　of　her　child；　and　having　been　brought　up　in　luxury　and　ease；　it　was　a　dreadful　task　to　her。

John　obtained　another　situation；　but　soon　lost　it。　He　was　a　good…hearted　man　when　he　had　not　been　drinking；　and　keenly　felt　the　disgrace　and　misery　he　was　heaping　upon　himself　and　his　unhappy　wife。　Once　he　had　the　resolution　to　abandon　the　cup；　fully　determined　to　redeem　his　lost　character；　and　make　his　family　happy　again。　The　better　to　accomplish　this；　he　removed　to　Boston；　where　he　obtained　a　good　situation；　and　for　more　than　a　year　he　adhered　to　his　resolution。　Mrs。　Redburn　was　happy　again　and　tremblingly　hoped　that　the　clouds　of　darkness　had　forever　passed　away。

The　evil　time　came　again；　and　John　Redburn　sank　down　lower　than　ever　before。　His　wife　lost　all　hope　of　him；　and　struggled；　with　the　courage　of　a　hero　and　the　fortitude　of　a　martyr；　against　the　adverse　tide　that　set　against　her。　She　was　fortunate　in　obtaining　plenty　of　sewing；　and　was　able　to　support　herself　and　child　very　well；　but　her　husband；　now　lost　to　all　sense　of　decency；　contrived　to　obtain；　from　time　to　time；　a　portion　of　her　hard　earnings。　She　could　never　have　believed　that　John　Redburn　would　come　to　this；　for；　as　a　clerk　in　her　father's　counting　room；　he　had　been　all　that　was　good　and　noble；　but　there　he　was　a　miserable　sot；　lost　to　himself；　to　his　family；　and　the　world。

One　morning　in　winter　he　was　brought　home　to　her　dead。　He　had　died　in　the　watch…house　of　delirium　tremens。　He　was　buried；　and　peace；　if　not　hope；　settled　on　the　brow　of　the　broken…hearted　wife。

Year　after　year　Mrs。　Redburn　struggled　on；　often　with　feeble　hands　and　fainting　heart；　to　earn　a　subsistence　for　herself　and　Katy。　She　had　been　bred　in　opulence；　and　her　wants　were　not　so　few　and　simple　as　the　wants　of　those　who　have　never　enjoyed　the　luxury　of　a　soft　couch　and　a　well…supplied　table。　She　had　never　learned　that　calculating　economy　which　provides　a　great　deal　with　very　small　means。

Hence　it　was　much　harder　for　her　to　support　herself　and　child；　than　it　would　have　been　for　one　who　had　been　brought　up　in　a　hovel。

She　had　done　very　well；　however；　until；　a　few　months　before　our　story　opens；　she　had　been　taken　sick；　and　was　no　longer　able　to　work。　Her　disease　was　an　affection　of　the　spine；　which　was　at　times　very　painful；　and　confined　her　to　the　bed。

〃But　where　is　your　father　now？〃　asked　Katy；　when　her　mother　had　finished　the　narrative。

〃I　do　not　know；　if　he　is　alive；　he　probably　lives　in　Liverpool。〃

〃Why　don't　you　write　a　letter　to　him？〃


〃I　have　done　so　several　times；　but　have　never　received　any　reply。　I　wrote　shortly　after　your　father　died；　giving　an　account　of　my　s