Rockhaven

by Charles Clark Munn

  CHAPTER V

  JESS HUTTON

  Like one of the spruces that towered high above others on Rockhaven,like one of the granite cliffs bidding defiance to storm and wave, sodid Jess Hutton tower above his fellow-men. Not from stature, though hestood full six feet, or that he was impressive in other ways--far fromit. He was like a child among men in simplicity, in tenderness, in truthand kindly nature--a man among children in strict adherence to hisconscience, to justice and right living. And all on Rockhaven knew it,and all had the same unvarying confidence in his good sense and justice,his truth and honor, conscience and kindness. What he predicted nearlyalways came true; what he promised he always fulfilled, and no one everasked his aid in vain. Others quarrelled, made mistakes, repented oferrors, lost time in fruitless ventures; but Jess--never. He was like agreat ship moving majestically among boats, a lighthouse pointing tosafe harbor, a walking conscience like a compass, a giant among pigmiesin scope of mind, keenness of insight, and accurate reading of others'moods and impulses.

  And so he towered above all on Rockhaven.

  Beyond that he was a philosopher who saw a silver lining behind allclouds, laughed at all vanities, and made a jest of all follies. To himmen were grown-up children who needed to be amused and directed; andwomen the custodians of life and morals, home, and happiness. Theydeserved the mantle of charity and patience, love, and tenderness.

  He was not religious. He had never felt a so-called change of heart, andyet he was a walking example of the best that religion encourages, forhe governed himself, set the pace of right living, and illustrated thegolden rule.

  He believed in that first and foremost, and in setting a good example asfar as lay in his power, but not in any professions.

  "Ye mustn't feel I ain't on yer side," he said once to Parson Bush, whohad urged him to join the church, "for I am, only it's agin my natur ter'low I've had a special dispensation o' the Lord's grace in my behalf.I'm a weak vessel, like all on us, an' my impulses need caulkin'. I dothe best I kin, 'cordin' to my light, 'n' that's all any man kin. TheLord won't go back on us fer not gittin' dipped, an' if there's aheaven beyond, our only chance o' a seat is by startin' an annex righthere on airth. Sayin' you've joined the Lord's army's well enough, butdoin' what ye feel the Lord's tryin' to, is better.

  "Ez Sally Harper used ter say in meetin', 'We're all on us poorcritters, an' if we jine, there's no tellin' when we'll backslide.'"

  It was perhaps the consciousness of inherent human weakness that keptJess out of the fold.

  "A man may do right 'n' keep on doin' right 'most all his life long," hesaid, "an' some day up pops a temptation, when he's least preparedfor't, and over he goes like a sailboat 'thout ballast in a gale o'wind. An' then what becomes o' all yer 'lowin' the Lord's opened yereyes 'n' gin ye extra grace? Ye only get laughed at by the scoffers 'n'yer influence gone fer good. Human nature's brittle stuff, an' them asdoes right 'thout any change o' heart, come purty near bein' leaders inthe percession toward the Throne."

  His philosophy, broad as infinite mercy and humble as a child'shappiness, permeated all his thoughts and tinged all his speeches.

  "No joy's quite so comfortin' as we cac'late," he would say, "an' nosorrer quite so worryin'. We go through life anticipatin' happytermorrers and glorious next days, and when we git to 'em, somehowthey've sorter faded away, and it's to be the next day and the next asis ter be the bright uns. Then, we are all on us like boys, chasing jacko' lanterns over a swamp medder, an' if we 'low they're clus to an' jestready to grab, the next we know we've stumbled inter a ditch.

  "And then we borrer trouble, heaps on't, all through life. From the daywe git scared at thought o' speakin' pieces at school, till the doctorshakes his head an' asks us if we've got our will made, we are dreadin'suthin'. If 'taint sickness or bein' robbed, it's worryin' 'bout ournabors havin' more'n we do. The feller courtin' worries for fear the galwon't say 'yes,' an' when she does he is likely to see the time hewishes she hadn't, an' worries 'cause he's got her. We worry ourselvesold 'n' wrinkled 'n' gray, an' then, more'n all this world, worry 'boutthe next. An' thar's whar the parson 'n' I allus split tacks. He saysthe Lord made the brimstone lake fer sinners, 'n' I say the Lord madeconscience as a means o' torture, an' here or hereafter it's hot 'nuff."

  And here it must be inserted that Jess was to a certain extent a thornin the parson's side, from the fact that his influence and followingwere stronger than that worthy man's. It was what Jess believed andsaid that was quoted rather than the parson's assertions; and althoughJess seldom failed to be one of his listeners, and contributed more thanany five or ten others toward his scant salary, there were times when hewas made to feel that if Jess occupied the pulpit the church would bepacked. And so it would, humiliating as that fact was to him.

  And here also may be related an incident in Rockhaven history whichillustrates how slim a hold the parson and his preaching had upon thoseislanders. As it happened that year, mackerel were late in reaching thecoast. The price was correspondingly high, and Rockhaven's band offishermen eager to make the first haul. Most of them attended church,but now, while the suspense was on, when Sunday came, two or threewatchers were stationed on convenient cliffs with orders to report tothe church if a school was sighted.

  This was kept up for three weeks, and then, one Sunday, just as thefirst morning hymn in long metre had been sung, and the parson, withclosed eyes, had got well started in his prayer, down through thevillage street bounded one of those sentinels, yelling, "Mack'rel,mack'rel, millions on 'em!"

  And in less than five minutes there wasn't a man, woman, or child leftin the church except Jess Hutton and the parson. And when that good manhad said "Amen," Jess arose and suggested they too follow the crowd.

  "Ye might's well," said Jess, with a twinkle in his eye, "the model o'all Christianity sot the example, 'cordin' to Scriptur', an' ye might dogood by follerin' it."

  But the worthy leader of that flock who had thus deserted him failed tosee the humor of the situation and sadly shook his head. He remained inthe sanctuary and Jess joined the fishermen.

  It was such a peculiar, sympathetic, and broad understanding of thesefisher-folk's carnal as well as spiritual needs that made Jess theoracle and leader of the island.

  "Thar wa'n't no need o' gettin' fussy over it," he said later to thegood dominie, with a laugh, "religion's good 'nuff when mack'rel'sfetchin only a dollar a kit; but when three's offered 'n' scace at that,prayers hain't got their usual grip. And ye oughtn't ter 'spect it,parson. The way to reach 'em's to be one with 'em and sorter feel tharneeds, and make em feel they're yer own. If ye'd gone with 'em that dayand helped 'em make a haul, an' then invited 'em to join ye in a prayero' thankfulness, thar want one but 'ud a-kneeled down at yer biddingand said 'Amen.'"

  And that was Jess Hutton and partially the secret of his supremacy onRockhaven.

  Another point--he had always believed and practised the sterling rule of"paying scot and lot as you go." While Jess forgot injuries, he alwaysremembered favors. If an unwashed, uncombed, and even unnamed childbrought him but a sea-shell, Jess never failed to reward the act. And soon, upward, to each and all he returned all favors, paid all debts, andrewarded all kindnesses. And how they trusted him! A fisher lad, savingup for a new suit of clothes or a boat of his own, would, beforestarting on a trip, leave his money with Jess for safe keeping. Theowner of a smack or schooner, ready for another cruise, would ask Jessto take charge of the quintals and kits of fish just landed, sell themto best advantage, and hold the proceeds till he returned, or longer.Not only was Jess selling agent for most of them, but the safe in hisstore was a bank of deposit for them also. What he did not keep tosupply their needs, they told him to get without bargaining, sure itwould be what they wanted, and at right, or lowest price.

  And this trust was mutual.

  "If I ain't here, help yourselves," while not a sign over his door, wasunderstood by all to be the rule; and every one in the island, from achild wanting a stick of cand
y to the skipper needing a dozen suits ofoilers, followed it.

  Jess had habits, and one was to devote all the time his dearly lovedniece, Mona Hutton, claimed to her amusement; and when she asked that heaccompany her flower or shell hunting of a summer afternoon, the storecould run itself for all that he cared.

  It may be surmised that children exposed to the temptation of candy,oranges, and nuts in his store, would pilfer, and some did; but that didnot annoy him.

  "Hookin' things allus carries its own whip," he would say, "an' if theywanter try it, let 'em. It's bound to be found out, one way or 'nother,and when I've shamed 'em once or twice, they'll larn it's cheaper to askfor 'em."

  Children were seldom refused in his store, for he was like a boy baitingsquirrels with nuts in his desire to lure children there.

  They were his chief solace and companions by day, for he kept bachelor'shall over his store, and to have a crowd of them around was the companyhe best enjoyed.

  And what a godsend and wellspring of delight Jess and his store were toall Rockhaven's progeny. In summer they came in barefooted bunches, evento the toddlers who could scarce lisp their own names. They played hideand seek behind his barrels and beneath his counter; they hid in emptyboxes and under piles of old sails in his back room. They littered hispiazza with crabs, starfish, long strips of kelpie and shells, they hadgathered among the rocks and on the beach, and left the few poor toysand rag babies they possessed there. They ran riot over him and hisstore; and as a climax to the happy after-school hour, Jess wouldproduce his old fiddle, and if there is any music that will reach achild's heart, it is that.

  And while Jess played they leaped, danced, crowed, and shouted asinsanely happy children will.

  To him it was also supreme delight.

  To them he was a perpetual Santa Claus, a wonder among men, a fatherbountiful, whose welcome never failed, whose smile was always cordial,and whose love seemed limitless. And they would obey a shake of his headeven. And when the frolic had lasted long enough and he said, "Run homenow," off they scampered. It is small wonder Jess Hutton was chief manof Rockhaven.

  But Jess had a vein of satire as well as philosophy.

  "It's human natur," he would say, "for all of us to think our ownchildren's brighter'n our neighbor's, an' our own joys and sorrers o'more account, and 'specially our aches and pains, 'n' them we never gettired o' tellin' 'bout.

  "There was the Widder Bunker, fer instance; she had a heap o' troubleand the only comfort she got was tellin' on't. She had rumatiz 'n' biles'n' janders 'n' liver complaint, ever since she was left a widder, an'all she could talk 'bout was what ailed her an' how long it had lastedan' what the symptoms were an' what she was doin' fer 'em. She'd run onfer hours 'bout all her ailin's till folks 'ud go off 'n' leave her. Shegot so daft on this subject, finally, everybody'd run fer safety andhide when they saw her comin'. She used ter talk in meetin' onct in awhile, 'n' arter a spell her aches got sorter mixed up with herreligion, an' as nobody else 'ud listen to her 'bout 'em, the first weknowed, she 'gan tellin' the Lord how her asmer bothered her and how herrumatiz acted. She enjied it so much, an' the Lord seemed to listen sowell, she kept at it over an hour, until the parson had to ask her toquit.

  "It was sorter rough on the widder, an' as I told the parson arterward,it really wa'n't any wuss fer the Lord to hev to listen to her bodilyaches and pains than the spiritual ones the rest allus told him 'bout;'sides it gin a spice o' variety ter the meetin'.

  "But he said her tellin' the Lord how she'd hump herself to get breath,and how the rumatiz had started in her big toe and skipped from one jintto 'tother, 'ud set the boys in the back seats to titterin' 'n' break upthe meetin'.

  "I allus felt sorry for the Widder Bunker, fer she had considerable hairon her upper lip an' a hair mole on her chin, 'sides bein' poorer'n achurch mouse, an' sich unfortunate critters hez to take back seats atthe Lord's table."