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"Well, honestly, I don't feel as if I could live without Miss Lothrop.
I've been thinking about it for months."
"I wouldn't stay much longer in that state," said Mrs. Marx, "if I wasyou. When people don' know whether they're goin' to live or die, theirexistence ain't much good to 'em."
"Then you think I may ask her?"
"Tell me first, what would happen if you did – that is, supposin' shesaid yes to you, about which I don't know anything, no more'n thepeople that lived in these old cellars. What would happen if you did?and if she did?"
"I would make her happy, Mrs. Marx!"
"Yes," said the lady slowly – "I guess you would; for Lois won't say yesto anybody she can live without; and I've a good opinion of yourdisposition; but what would happen to other people?"
"My mother and sister, you mean?"
"Them, or anybody else that's concerned."
"There is nobody else concerned," said Tom, idly defacing the rocks inhis neighbourhood by tearing the lichen from them. And Mrs. Marxwatched him, and patiently waited.
"There is no sense in it!" he broke out at last. "It is all folly. Mrs.
Marx, what is life good for, but to be happy?"
"Just so," assented Mrs. Marx.
"And haven't I a right to be happy in my own way?"
"If you can."
"So I think! I will ask Miss Lothrop if she will have me, this veryday. I'm determined."
"But I said, if you can. Happiness is somethin' besides sugar andwater. What else'll go in?"
"What do you mean?" asked Tom, looking at her.
"Suppose you're satisfied, and suppose she's satisfied. Willeverybody else be?"
Tom went at the rocks again.
"It's my affair – and hers," he said then.
"And what will your mother and sister say?"
"Julia has chosen for herself."
"I should say, she has chosen very well. Does she like your choice."
"Mrs. Marx," said the poor young man, leaving the lichens, "they botherme to death!"
"Ah? How is that?"
"Always watching, and hanging around, and giving a fellow no chance forhis life, and putting in their word. They call themselves very wise, but I think it is the other thing."
"They don't approve, then?"
"I don't want to marry money!" cried Tom; "and I don't care forfashionable girls. I'm tired of 'em. Lois is worth the whole lot. Suchabsurd stuff! And she is handsomer than any girl that was in town lastwinter."
"They want a fashionable girl," said Mrs. Marx calmly.
"Well, you see," said Tom, "they live for that. If an angel was to comedown from heaven, they would say her dress wasn't cut right, and theywouldn't ask her to dinner!"
"I don't suppose they'd know how to talk to her either, if they did,"said Mrs. Marx. "It would be uncomfortable – for them; I don't supposean angel can be uncomfortable. But Lois ain't an angel. I guess you'dbetter give it up, Mr. Caruthers."
Tom turned towards her a dismayed kind of look, but did not speak.
"You see," Mrs. Marx went on, "things haven't gone very far. Lois isall right; and you'll come back to life again. A fish that swims infresh water couldn't go along very well with one that lives in thesalt. That's how I look at it. Lois is one sort, and you're another. Idon't know but both sorts are good; but they are different, and youcan't make 'em alike."
"I would never want her to be different!" burst out Tom.
"Well, you see, she ain't your sort exactly," Mrs. Marx added, but notas if she were depressed by the consideration. "And then, Lois isreligious."
"You don't think that is a difficulty? Mrs. Marx, I am not a religiousman myself; at least I have never made any profession; but I assure youI have a great respect for religion."
"That is what folks say of something a great way off, and that theydon't want to come nearer."
"My mother and sister are members of the church; and I should like mywife to be, too."
"Why?"
"I told you, I have a great respect for religion; and I believe in itespecially for women."
"I don't see why what's good for them shouldn't be good for you."
"That need be no hindrance," Tom urged.
"Well, I don' know. I guess Lois would think it was. And maybe youwould think it was, too, – come to find out. I guess you'd better letthings be, Mr. Caruthers."
Tom looked very gloomy. "You think she would not have me?" he repeated.
"I think you will get over it," said Mrs. Marx, rising. "And I thinkyou had better find somebody that will suit your mother and sister."
And after that time, it may be said, Mrs. Marx was as careful of Loison the one side as Mrs. and Miss Caruthers were of Tom on the other.Two or three more days passed away.
"How is Mrs. Wishart?" Miss Julia asked one afternoon.
"First-rate," answered Mrs. Marx. "She's sittin' up. She'll be off andaway before you know it."
"Will you stay, Mrs. Marx, to help in the care of her, till she is ableto move?"
I've been thinking about it for months."
"I wouldn't stay much longer in that state," said Mrs. Marx, "if I wasyou. When people don' know whether they're goin' to live or die, theirexistence ain't much good to 'em."
"Then you think I may ask her?"
"Tell me first, what would happen if you did – that is, supposin' shesaid yes to you, about which I don't know anything, no more'n thepeople that lived in these old cellars. What would happen if you did?and if she did?"
"I would make her happy, Mrs. Marx!"
"Yes," said the lady slowly – "I guess you would; for Lois won't say yesto anybody she can live without; and I've a good opinion of yourdisposition; but what would happen to other people?"
"My mother and sister, you mean?"
"Them, or anybody else that's concerned."
"There is nobody else concerned," said Tom, idly defacing the rocks inhis neighbourhood by tearing the lichen from them. And Mrs. Marxwatched him, and patiently waited.
"There is no sense in it!" he broke out at last. "It is all folly. Mrs.
Marx, what is life good for, but to be happy?"
"Just so," assented Mrs. Marx.
"And haven't I a right to be happy in my own way?"
"If you can."
"So I think! I will ask Miss Lothrop if she will have me, this veryday. I'm determined."
"But I said, if you can. Happiness is somethin' besides sugar andwater. What else'll go in?"
"What do you mean?" asked Tom, looking at her.
"Suppose you're satisfied, and suppose she's satisfied. Willeverybody else be?"
Tom went at the rocks again.
"It's my affair – and hers," he said then.
"And what will your mother and sister say?"
"Julia has chosen for herself."
"I should say, she has chosen very well. Does she like your choice."
"Mrs. Marx," said the poor young man, leaving the lichens, "they botherme to death!"
"Ah? How is that?"
"Always watching, and hanging around, and giving a fellow no chance forhis life, and putting in their word. They call themselves very wise, but I think it is the other thing."
"They don't approve, then?"
"I don't want to marry money!" cried Tom; "and I don't care forfashionable girls. I'm tired of 'em. Lois is worth the whole lot. Suchabsurd stuff! And she is handsomer than any girl that was in town lastwinter."
"They want a fashionable girl," said Mrs. Marx calmly.
"Well, you see," said Tom, "they live for that. If an angel was to comedown from heaven, they would say her dress wasn't cut right, and theywouldn't ask her to dinner!"
"I don't suppose they'd know how to talk to her either, if they did,"said Mrs. Marx. "It would be uncomfortable – for them; I don't supposean angel can be uncomfortable. But Lois ain't an angel. I guess you'dbetter give it up, Mr. Caruthers."
Tom turned towards her a dismayed kind of look, but did not speak.
"You see," Mrs. Marx went on, "things haven't gone very far. Lois isall right; and you'll come back to life again. A fish that swims infresh water couldn't go along very well with one that lives in thesalt. That's how I look at it. Lois is one sort, and you're another. Idon't know but both sorts are good; but they are different, and youcan't make 'em alike."
"I would never want her to be different!" burst out Tom.
"Well, you see, she ain't your sort exactly," Mrs. Marx added, but notas if she were depressed by the consideration. "And then, Lois isreligious."
"You don't think that is a difficulty? Mrs. Marx, I am not a religiousman myself; at least I have never made any profession; but I assure youI have a great respect for religion."
"That is what folks say of something a great way off, and that theydon't want to come nearer."
"My mother and sister are members of the church; and I should like mywife to be, too."
"Why?"
"I told you, I have a great respect for religion; and I believe in itespecially for women."
"I don't see why what's good for them shouldn't be good for you."
"That need be no hindrance," Tom urged.
"Well, I don' know. I guess Lois would think it was. And maybe youwould think it was, too, – come to find out. I guess you'd better letthings be, Mr. Caruthers."
Tom looked very gloomy. "You think she would not have me?" he repeated.
"I think you will get over it," said Mrs. Marx, rising. "And I thinkyou had better find somebody that will suit your mother and sister."
And after that time, it may be said, Mrs. Marx was as careful of Loison the one side as Mrs. and Miss Caruthers were of Tom on the other.Two or three more days passed away.
"How is Mrs. Wishart?" Miss Julia asked one afternoon.
"First-rate," answered Mrs. Marx. "She's sittin' up. She'll be off andaway before you know it."
"Will you stay, Mrs. Marx, to help in the care of her, till she is ableto move?"
Другие электронные книги автора Susan Warner
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