Oldtown Fireside Stories - Гарриет Бичер-Стоу 2 стр.

Why, ye see, boys, she was as withered and wrinkled and brown as an old frosted punkin-vine; and her little snaky eyes sparkled and snapped, and it made yer head kind o dizzy to look at em; and folks used to say that anybody that Ketury got mad at was sure to get the worst of it fust or last. And so, no matter what day or hour Ketury had a mind to rap at anybodys door, folks genlly thought it was best to let her in; but then, they never thought her coming was for any good, for she was just like the wind,she came when the fit was on her, she staid jest so long as it pleased her, and went when she got ready, and not before. Ketury understood English, and could talk it well enough, but always seemed to scorn it, and was allers mo win and mutterin to herself in Indian, and winkin and blinkin as if she saw more folks round than you did, so that she want no way pleasant company; and yet everybody took good care to be polite to her. So old Cack asked her to come in, and didnt make-no question where she come from, or what she come on; but he knew it was twelve good miles from where she lived to his hut, and the snow was drifted above her middle: and Capn Eb declared that there want no track, nor sign o a track, of anybodys coming through that snow next morning.

How did she get there, then? said I.

Didnt ye never see brown leaves a-ridin on the wind? Well, Capn Eb he says, she came on the wind, and Im sure it was strong enough to fetch her. But Cack he got her down into the warm corner, and he poured her out a mug o hot toddy, and give her: but ye see her bein there sort o stopped the conversation; for she sot there a-rockin backards and forards, a-sippin her toddy, and a-mutterin, and lookin up chimbley.

Capn Eb says in all his born days he never hearn such screeches and yells as the wind give over that chimbley; and old Cack got so frightened, you could fairly hear his teeth chatter.

But Capn Eb he was a putty brave man, and he want goin to have conversation stopped by no woman, witch or no witch; and so, when he see her mutterin, and lookin up chimbley, he spoke up, and says he, Well, Ketury, what do you see? says he. Come, out with it; dont keep it to yourself. Ye see Capn Eb was a hearty fellow, and then he was a leetle warmed up with the toddy.

Then he said he see an evil kind o smile on Keturys face, and she rattled her necklace o bones and snakes tails; and her eyes seemed to snap; and she looked up the chimbley, and called out, Come down, come down! lets see who ye be.

Then there was a scratchin and a rumblin and a groan; and a pair of feet come down the chimbley, and stood right in the middle of the haarth, the toes pintin outrds, with shoes and silver buckles a-shinin in the firelight. Capn Eb says he never come so near bein scared in his life; and, as to old Cack, he jest wilted right down in his chair.

Then old Ketury got up, and reached her stick up chimbley, and called out louder, Come down, come down! lets see who ye be. And, sure enough, down came a pair o legs, and jined right on to the feet: good fair legs they was, with ribbed stockings and leather breeches.

Wal, were in for it now, says Capn Eb. Go it, Ketury, and lets have the rest on him.

Ketury didnt seem to mind him: she stood there as stiff as a stake, and kep callin out, Come down, come down! lets see who ye be. And then come down the body of a man with a brown coat and yellow vest, and jined right on to the legs; but there want no arms to it. Then Ketury shook her stick up chimbley, and called, Come down, come down! And there came down a pair o arms, and went on each side o the body; and there stood a man all finished, only there want no head on him.

Wal, Ketury, says Capn Eb, this eres getting serious. I spec you must finish him up, and lets see what he wants of us.

Then Ketury called out once more, loudern ever, Come down, come down! lets see who ye be. And, sure enough, down comes a mans head, and settled on the shoulders straight enough; and Capn Eb, the minit he sot eyes on him, knew he was Jehiel Lommedieu.

Old Cack knew him too; and he fell flat on his face, and prayed the Lord to have mercy on his soul: but Capn Eb he was for gettin to the bottom of matters, and not have his scare for nothin; so he says to him, What do you want, now you hev come?

The man he didnt speak; he only sort o moaned, and pinted to the chimbley. He seemed to try to speak, but couldnt; for ye see it isnt often that his sort o folks is permitted to speak: but just then there came a screechin blast o wind, and blowed the door open, and blowed the smoke and fire all out into the room, and there seemed to be a whirlwind and darkness and moans and screeches; and, when it all cleared up, Ketury and the man was both gone, and only old Cack lay on the ground, rolling and moaning as if hed die.

Wal, Capn Eb he picked him up, and built up the fire, and sort o comforted him up, cause the crittur was in distress o mind that was drefful. The awful Providence, ye see, had awakened him, and his sin had been set home to his soul; and he was under such conviction, that it all had to come out,how old Cacks father had murdered poor Lommedieu for his money, and Cack had been privy to it, and helped his father build the body up in that very chimbley; and he said that he hadnt had neither peace nor rest since then, and that was what had driv him away from ordinances; for ye know sinnin will always make a man leave prayin. Wal, Cack didnt live but a day or two. Capn Eb he got the minister o Sherburn and one o the selectmen down to see him; and they took his deposition. He seemed railly quite penitent; and Parson Carryl he prayed with him, and was faithful in settin home the providence to his soul: and so, at the eleventh hour, poor old Cack might have got in; at least it looks a leetle like it. He was distressed to think he couldnt live to be hung. He sort o seemed to think, that if he was fairly tried, and hung, it would make it all square. He made Parson Carryl promise to have the old mill pulled down, and bury the body; and, after he was dead, they did it.

Capn Eb he was one of a party o eight that pulled down the chimbley; and there, sure enough, was the skeleton of poor Lommedieu.

So there you see, boys, there cant be no iniquity so hid but what itll come out. The Wild Indians of the forest, and the stormy winds and tempests, jined together to bring out this ere.

For my part, said Aunt Lois sharply, I never believed that story.

Why, Lois, said my grandmother, Capn Eb Sawin was a regular church-member, and a most respectable man.

Law, mother! I dont doubt he thought so. I suppose he and Cack got drinking toddy together, till he got asleep, and dreamed it. I wouldnt believe such a thing if it did happen right before my face and eyes. I should only think I was crazy, thats all.

Come, Lois, if I was you, I wouldnt talk so like a Sadducee, said my grandmother. What would become of all the accounts in Dr. Cotton Mathers Magnilly if folks were like you?

Wal, said Sam Lawson, drooping contemplatively over the coals, and gazing into the fire, theres a putty considable sight o things in this world thats true; and then agin theres a sight o things that aint true. Now, my old granther used to say, Boys, says he, if ye want to lead a pleasant and prosperous life, ye must contrive allers to keep jest the happy medium between truth and falsehood. Now, that ares my doctrine.

Capn Eb he was one of a party o eight that pulled down the chimbley; and there, sure enough, was the skeleton of poor Lommedieu.

So there you see, boys, there cant be no iniquity so hid but what itll come out. The Wild Indians of the forest, and the stormy winds and tempests, jined together to bring out this ere.

For my part, said Aunt Lois sharply, I never believed that story.

Why, Lois, said my grandmother, Capn Eb Sawin was a regular church-member, and a most respectable man.

Law, mother! I dont doubt he thought so. I suppose he and Cack got drinking toddy together, till he got asleep, and dreamed it. I wouldnt believe such a thing if it did happen right before my face and eyes. I should only think I was crazy, thats all.

Come, Lois, if I was you, I wouldnt talk so like a Sadducee, said my grandmother. What would become of all the accounts in Dr. Cotton Mathers Magnilly if folks were like you?

Wal, said Sam Lawson, drooping contemplatively over the coals, and gazing into the fire, theres a putty considable sight o things in this world thats true; and then agin theres a sight o things that aint true. Now, my old granther used to say, Boys, says he, if ye want to lead a pleasant and prosperous life, ye must contrive allers to keep jest the happy medium between truth and falsehood. Now, that ares my doctrine.

Aunt Lois knit severely.

Boys, said Sam, dont you want ter go down with me and get a mug o cider?

Of course we did, and took down a basket to bring up some apples to roast.

Boys, says Sam mysteriously, while he was drawing the cider, you jest ask your Aunt Lois to tell you what she knows bout Ruth Sullivan.

Why, what is it?

Oh! you must ask her. These ere folks thats so kind o toppin about sperits and sich, come sift em down, you genlly find they knows one story that kind o puzzles em. Now you mind, and jist ask your Aunt Lois about Ruth Sullivan.

THE SULLIVAN LOOKING-GLASS

Aunt Loiss quick black eyes gave a surprised flash; and she and my grandmother looked at each other a minute significantly. Who told you any thing about Ruth Sullivan, she said sharply.

Nobody. Somebody said you knew something about her, said I.

I was holding a skein of yarn for Aunt Lois; and she went on winding in silence, putting the ball through loops and tangled places.

Little boys shouldnt ask questions, she concluded at last sententiously. Little boys that ask too many questions get sent to bed.

I knew that of old, and rather wondered at my own hardihood.

Aunt Lois wound on in silence; but, looking in her face, I could see plainly that I had started an exciting topic.

I should think, pursued my grandmother in her corner, that Ruths case might show you, Lois, that a good many things may happen,more than you believe.

Oh, well, mother! Ruths was a strange case; but I suppose there are ways of accounting for it.

You believed Ruth, didnt you?

Oh, certainly, I believed Ruth! Why shouldnt I? Ruth was one of my best friends, and as true a girl as lives: there wasnt any nonsense about Ruth. She was one of the sort, said Aunt Lois reflectively, that Id as soon trust as myself: when she said a thing was so and so, I knew it was so.

Then, if you think Ruths story was true, pursued my grandmother, whats the reason you are always cavilling at things just cause you cant understand how they came to be so?

Aunt Lois set her lips firmly, and wound with grim resolve. She was the very impersonation of that obstinate rationalism that grew up at the New-England fireside, close alongside of the most undoubting faith in the supernatural.

I dont believe such things, at last she snapped out, and I dont disbelieve them. I just let em alone. What do I know about em? Ruth tells me a story; and I believe her. I know what she saw beforehand, came true in a most remarkable way. Well, Im sure Ive no objection. One thing may be true, or another, for all me; but, just because I believe Ruth Sullivan, Im not going to believe, right and left, all the stories in Cotton Mather, and all that anybody can hawk up to tell. Not I.

This whole conversation made me all the more curious to get at the story thus dimly indicated; and so we beset Sam for information.

So your Aunt Lois wouldnt tell ye nothin, said Sam. Wanter know, neow! sho!

No: she said we must go to bed if we asked her.

That ares a way folks has; but, ye see, boys, said Sam, while a droll confidential expression crossed the lack-lustre dolefulness of his visage, ye see, I put ye up to it, cause Miss Lois is so large and commandin in her ways, and so kind o up and down in all her doins, that I like once and a while to sort o gravel her; and I knowed enough to know that that are question would git her in a tight place.

Ye see, yer Aunt Lois was knowin to all this ere about Ruth, so there wernt no gettin away from it; and its about as remarkable a providence as any o them of Mister Cotton Marthers Magnilly. So if youll come up in the barn-chamber this arternoon, where Ive got a lot o flax to hatchel out, Ill tell ye all about it.

So that afternoon beheld Sam arranged at full length on a pile of top-tow in the barn-chamber, hatchelling by proxy by putting Harry and myself to the service.

Wal, now, boys, its kind o refreshing to see how wal ye take hold, he observed. Nothin like bein industrious while yer young: gret sight better now than loafin off, down in them medders.

But, Sam, if we work for you, you must tell us that story about Ruth Sullivan.

Lordy massy! yis,course I will. Ive had the best kind o chances of knowin all about that are. Wal, you see there was old Gineral Sullivan, he lived in state and grander in the old Sullivan house out to Roxberry. I been to Roxberry, and seen that are house o Gineral Sullivans. There was one time that I was a considable spell lookin round in Roxberry, a kind o seein how things wuz there, and whether or no there mightnt be some sort o providential openin or suthin. I used to stay with Aunt Polly Ginger. She was sister to Mehitable Ginger, Gineral Sullivans housekeeper, and hed the in and out o the Sullivan house, and kind o kept the run o how things went and came in it. Polly she was a kind o cousin o my mothers, and allers glad to see me. Fact was, I was putty handy round house; and she used to save up her broken things and sich till I come round in the fall; and then Id mend em up, and put the clock right, and split her up a lot o kindlings, and board up the cellar-windows, and kind o make her sort o comfortable,she bein a lone body, and no man round. As I said, it was sort o convenient to hev me; and so I jest got the run o things in the Sullivan house pretty much as ef I was one on em, Gineral Sullivan he kept a grand house, I tell you. You see, he cum from the old country, and felt sort o lordly and grand; and they used to hev the gretest kind o doins there to the Sullivan house. Ye ought ter a seen that are house,gret big front hall and gret wide stairs; none o your steep kind that breaks a fellers neck to get up and down, but gret broad stairs with easy risers, so they used to say you could a cantered a pony up that are stairway easy as not. Then there was gret wide rooms, and sofys, and curtains, and gret curtained bedsteads that looked sort o like fortifications, and picturs that was got in Italy and Rome and all them are heathen places. Ye see, the Gineral was a drefful worldly old critter, and was all for the pomps and the vanities. Lordy massy! I wonder what the poor old critter thinks about it all now, when his bodys all gone to dust and ashes in the graveyard, and his souls gone to tarnity! Wal, that are aint none o my business; only it shows the vanity o riches in a kind o strikin light, and makes me content that I never hed none.