The Second Chance
Page 28
CHAPTER XXVIII
A SAIL! A SAIL!
The buds may blow and the fruit may grow And the autumn leaves drop crisp and sere; But whether the rain or the sun or the snow, There is ever a song somewhere, my dear.
_----James Whitcomb Riley._
THE first week after Thursa's marriage Arthur kept to his own house,and the neighbours, with fine' tact, stayed away. Many and variedwere the ways they took of showing the sincerity of their sympathy. Aroast of "spare ribs," already cooked, was left one day mysteriouslyon his door-step; the next day a jar of pincherry jelly and a roll ofjelly-cake were there. His mail was brought to him daily by one orother of the neighbours, and when it seemed to John Green's kindheart that Arthur's mail was very small and uninteresting, he broughtover several back numbers of the Orillia Packet, one of whichcontained obituary verses that his own cousin had composed, and whichMr. Green marked with wavy ink lines, so that Arthur would be sure tosee them. Mr. Green thought that his cousin's lachrymal symposium onthe uncertainty of all things human should be very comforting toArthur in his present mental state. Little parcels, too, camemysteriously through the mail to Arthur. One day it was a pair ofsocks, from an anonymous contributor; another time there came a pairof woollen mittens, red and blue, done in that intricate patternwhich is known to the elect as "Fox and Geese." A little slip ofpaper, pinned on the wrist of one, stated that they were "from afriend," and Arthur shrewdly suspected that Aunt Kate Shenstone hadsent them. The evil significance of the gift was not known to thegiver, and not noticed by the recipient.
These new evidences of neighbourly solicitude carried the intendedmessage, for they brought to his mind the comfort of knowing thatthere were loyal-hearted friends all around him who were sincerelysorry for his disappointment.
It was a week before Arthur left his own house, and then he went forhis bread to the Perkins home. If he had not been so burdened withhis own trouble he would surely have noticed how carefully Martha wasdressed, how light her step, how happy her face. The tiny speck onthe horizon had been a sail, sure enough. It might not be coming herway--it might never see the shipwrecked sailor--but it was a sail!
Pearlie Watson, the very day after the wedding, began to do somehard thinking on Martha's behalf. One fact--stood out above allothers--there was a chance for Martha now, if she could only qualify.
Pearl talked it over with her Aunt Kate, who was a woman of theworld, and had seen many marriages and much giving in marriage. AuntKate was hopeful, even confident, of the outcome of the present case.
"Of course Martha'll get him!" she said. "Why shouldn't she? I neverin all my life seen better hard soft soap than what she makes, andher bread is as light as a feather, you could make a meal of it; andnow since she's took to fluffin' her hair, and dressin' up so' nice,she's a good enough lookin' girl. She ain't as educated as he is, ofcourse, but land alive! you couldn't beat that hard soft soap ofhers, no matter what education you had."
Pearl shook her head and wished that she could share her aunt'soptimism, but she felt that something more than a knowledge ofsoap-making was needed for a happy married life. On her way to schoolshe thought about it so hard that it seemed to her that any onecoming behind her would be sure to find some of her thoughts in thesnow.
Mr. Donald, who saw that something was troubling her, inquired thecause of her worried face.
"Of course, I do not want to know if it is a secret, Pearl," he said;"but it may be that I could help you if I knew all about it."
Pearl looked at him before replying.
"It isn't a secret that I was told and promised, not to tell. It issomething that I found out by accident, or, at least, all by my ownself, and still it's not to be talked about, only among friends."
Mr. Donald nodded.
Pearl went on: "Maybe now you're just the one that could help me. Ibelieve I will tell you all about it."
This was at recess. The children were out playing "shinney." Theycould hear the shouts of the contending sides. Pearl told him herhopes and fears regarding Martha. "Martha's all right at heart, youbet," she concluded; "she's good enough for Arthur or any one,really. If she had vulgar ways or swore when she got mad, or sassedher Ma, or told lies, or was stingy or mean or anything like that, itwould be far worse and harder to get rid of, because nothing but amiracle of grace will cast out the roots of sin, and then even it isa big risk to marry any one like that, because you're never sure butone tiny little root may be left, and in due season it may bust upand grow."
"It may, indeed," Mr. Donald said, smiling. Then he added, when hissmile had faded: "'Bust up and grow' are the words to express it."
"But if Martha could only get smoothed up in education, and knowabout William the Conqueror, and what causes tides, and could talk alittle more and answer back a little smarter like, it would be allright, I do believe."
"I have known men to marry uneducated women, and be very fond ofthem, too," said Mr. Donald thoughtfully. "Some of the Hudson's Bayfactors married squaws."
"I know," Pearl agreed. "Old Louie Baker, the surveyor's guide, toldPa about his squaw, Rosie. He Eked Rosie fine, and thought she wasreal pretty when there wasn't a white woman in sight, but when thewhite women began to come into the country he got ashamed of poorRosie, and every day she seemed to get dirtier and greasier, and hertoes turned in more; and, anyway, Mr. Donald, it's hard for a womanto feel that she isn't just up to the mark. Gettin' married ain't allthere is to it, you bet. It's only in books that they say people gitmarried, and leave it like that, for that's when the real hard timesbegin--keepin' it up and makin' it turn out well. That's the hardpart."
Mr. Donald looked at her in wonder. "You have wisdom beyond youryears, Pearl," he said gravely.
"All Martha needs is more education, and there's lots of it lyin'around loose--it's stickin' out of every-thing--it's in the air andon the ground, and all over, and it seems too bad if Martha can'tgrab holt of some of it, and her so anxious for it."
"The well is deep, and she has nothing to draw with," theschoolmaster quoted absently.
Pearl recognized the words, and quickly answered: "Do you mind thatthe woman was wrong about that when she said there was nothing todraw with? Well, now, I believe Martha has something to draw with,too--she has you and me, so she has. You have the education thatMartha needs. I'm gettin' it every day. Can't you and I pass it on toMartha?"
"How, Pearl?" he asked.
"I don't know just yet. I haven't got it thought out that far. Butthere's some way, there's always some way to help people."
It was time to call school then, and no more was said until the nextday, when Mr. Donald said to Pearl: "I believe events are coming ourway. Mrs. Steadman told me last night that she was going to Ontariofor three months, and I am to go elsewhere to board. I wonder wouldMrs. Perkins take me in?"
Pearl gave an exclamation of joy. "Would she?" she cried. "You betshe would, and you could help Martha every night. Isn't it just dandythe way things happen?"
That night Pearl went to see Martha on her way home from school.Pearl was to find out if the teacher would be taken to board.
Martha was alone in the house, her father and mother having gone toMillford. When Pearl knocked at the door, Martha opened it. Aspelling-book was in her hand, which she laid down hurriedly.
Pearl made known her errand. It was too good to be delayed.
"Say, Martha, isn't it great? He'll help you every night--he can tellyou the most interesting things--he gets lots of newspapers andmagazines, and he knows about electricity and politics and poetry andeverything, and a person can get educated just by listening to him."
Martha stood looking at Pearl a minute, then suddenly threw her armsaround her. "You are my good angel, Pearl Watson!" she cried. "Youare always bringing me good things. Of course we'll take him, and beglad to have him; and I'll listen to him, you may be sure; and Pearl,I just can't help telling you that I'm so happy now--I can't tell youhow happy I am."
Martha's brimming
eyes seemed to contradict her words, but Pearl, whounderstood something of the springs of the heart, understood.
"I can't help being happy," Martha went on. "I tell myself that it'swicked for me to feel so glad Thursa's gone, when he's so miserableover it. But she wouldn't ever have suited him, would she, Pearl?She'd have made him miserable before long, and herself, too; butthat's not all the reason that I'm glad she's gone," she added,truthfully.
Martha's face was hidden on Pearl's shoulder as she said this.
"I know about it," Pearl said. "I found it all out that day when youwere showing me the room, and I'm just as pleased as you are, orpretty near. Of course, it would never have done for him to marryThursa, and the way it all turned out would convince any one thatProvidence ain't feelin' above takin' a hand in people's affairs. Shewas nice and pretty, and all that, but she's the kind that wouldalways have sour bread, and you bet, sour bread cuts love; she'd bejust like Dave Elder's wife, it tires her dreadful to sweep thefloor; but she can go to three dances a week, and then she lies onthe lounge all day and says her nerves are bad. But, Martha, you doright to be glad. It's never wrong to be happy. God made everythingto have a good time. Look at the gophers and birds, and even themosquitoes--they have a bang-up time while it lasts. We've got to behappy every chance we get. Whenever you see it passin' by take a grabat it. I mind, when I was a wee little thing, I had a piece of brightblue silk that I had found, and it was just lovely; it put me througha whole winter takin' a look at it now and then. I had to stay athome while Ma was washing, and it was pretty cold in the housesometimes, but the blue silk kept me heartened up. It's just like apiece on Arthur's phonograph--here and there in it there's a littletinklin' song, so sweet and liltin' it just cuts into yer heart; but,mind you, you don't get much o' that at a time. There's all kinds ofclatterin' crash, smash, and jabber on both sides of it, cuttin' inon both ends of it, and just when yer gettin' tired of rough house,in she sails again sweeter than ever, just puttin' yer heartcrossways with the sweetness of it. It keeps ringin' in my ears allthe time, that dear little ripplin', tinklin' tune, and perhaps itneeded all that gusty buzzin' and rip-roarin' to drive the sweetnessclean into you. That's the way it is always; Martha; we've got tolisten for the little song whenever we can hear it."
"I am listening to it all the time, Pearl," Martha said softly. "Itmay not be meant for me at all, but it is sweet while it lasts, and Ican't help hearing it, can I, Pearl?"
Pearl kissed her friend warmly and whispered words of hope, and then,fearing that this might be faith without works, heard her spell apage of words from Bud's old speller.