"Is it? Then I suppose I might as well let the neighbors git it direct. Yes, I been visitin" places where I"ve traipsed up and down stairs till I"m most knee sprung, but I"ve learnt a lot of things, and sense I"ve seen how some of "em live, I couldn"t sleep nights unless I done somethin" fer "em; and givin" a mother and her babies two weeks in the country is the least I kin do. Why, I look at all this gra.s.s, jest made fer babies to roll on, and I see the trees that ain"t doin" what a tree should do unless it has some one under it, and I lay awake nights to plan things; and Dr. Eaton don"t git no time to see his patients, I keep him so busy. Him and me"s been goin"
over the house and there"s twelve spare bedrooms goin" to waste besides the settin"-rooms that"s jined to "em. And we was talkin"
about the big armor room, that place with the tin men and horses.
Now, I don"t care much fer tin men, although John moons over "em a lot, but there"s a lot of people who like to look at "em, and don"t git a chance" cause they"re shut up here doin" no good to no one. Dr.
Eaton says that the Metropolitan Museum in the city"d be glad to have "em as a loan, and then everybody who likes such things could go and see "em, and I can make the room into a big playroom or day nursery, as folks call it."
Miss Lee looked up, horrified.
"Do you mean to say that you are goin" to spoil this beautiful house and these beautiful grounds?"
"Spoil "em? How"ll it spoil "em? They"re goin" to waste as it is."
"Why, having that cla.s.s of women in your house, and the children on the lawns, will certainly take away from their artistic beauty."
"Will it? Then it"ll have to be not so artistic and more useful.
Nothin" ain"t beauty unless it"s doin" something fer somebody, and G.o.d didn"t intend no sixty acres of His land to be lyin" here jest fer me and a lot of rich people to admire, when women and children are pantin" fer air in hot tenements. And as fer the house, land knows it"s big enough, and I feel like a lone pea in a tin can shakin" around loose in it, and I won"t never need to see no one unless I want to. But I want to see "em, I want to see life around me, and life that"s bein" made a little happier because of Drusilla Doane. What do you suppose G.o.d give me all this big place fer, and all the money, if it wasn"t to use fer His people?"
"What shockin" ideas you have, Miss Doane, to bring G.o.d into the subject! You are most sacrilegious, dear Miss Doane."
"Yes, I guess I am; most people seem to be afraid to mention Him."
"But the neighbors are feeling very indignant that you are turning the show place of the country into an orphan asylum and a mother"s home."
Drusilla looked up quickly, as word had come to her of her neighbors" disapproval.
"I don"t see that it"s none of their concern," she said.
"But, you see, it lowers the value of their property."
"Let "em move away."
"Oh, but they can"t."
"Well, let "em stay."
"But it"s very annoying to see a lot of dirty children."
"They won"t be dirty children, and the neighbors don"t need to look over the hedge if they don"t want to. It"s high enough."
"I am just telling you what they say, Miss Doane. There was a meeting the other day of the people of Brookvale, and they decided to appoint a committee to wait upon you and express their disapproval of your actions, and request you to change your plans in some way."
Drusilla looked over her gla.s.ses.
"You don"t tell me!" she e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed. "When be they comin"?"
"Mr. Carrington, the chairman of the Committee, is coming to see you to-night, I am told."
"Who"s he?"
"He lives in the big gray house near the river, and he feels very strongly on the subject."
Drusilla said with asperity: "Well, he"ll feel stronger when he leaves."
Miss Lee felt that she had gone far enough on that subject, so she changed it.
"Poor Mrs. Carrington! They feel very bad about children since they lost their little boy about a year ago."
"How did they lose him?"
"He died, and they have never recovered from the shock."
"If they lost their child, I should think they"d want to see other children happy, then. They must he queer people."
"It has changed them a great deal, as sorrow often does."
"It hasn"t changed them the right way, as true sorrow does. What"ve they done?"
"Mrs. Carrington--she was Elsie Young before she married Robert Carrington--is a very beautiful woman, and she was wrapped up in her boy. But since his death she has given herself wholly to society, and they say--now of course I don"t know how true it is, but they _say_--that she and her husband have grown apart since the child is gone. He kept them together, and now--well, she simply lives for amus.e.m.e.nt. And--now, of course I don"t say it is true--but I do know that she is going to Europe in the summer and they say--that is the ladies who know her well--that it means a separation. She is going to get a divorce in Paris."
Drusilla put down the dress in her hand.
"You don"t tell me! Just because she lost her baby! Why don"t she have more? Lots of people have lost babies, but it ain"t cause for divorce. It"d ought to bring "em closer together."
"Yes," sighed Miss Lee; "but it hasn"t in this case. They"ve just grown apart. They are never together. She goes her way and he goes his, and their paths never seem to meet. It is very sad, because she was such an exceedingly fine girl. So many marriages end unhappily."
Drusilla sniffed.
"I guess if they was poor people and had to work or if she had to git the dinner for her man and wonder if he liked chicken with dumplings better"n with saleratus biscuit, she wouldn"t find time to want to go to Paris. The trouble with the rich women around here is that they are thinkin" too much of how to pa.s.s the time, instead of doin" somethin" for their men."
"But what can they do? They all have servants to do the work for them. You can"t expect women like Mrs. Carrington to _cook_."
And Miss Lee plainly showed what she thought of a woman who cooked.
"No, I suppose they can"t cook; but a man"s a man, and he likes to feel that his woman is thinkin" about him and what he"ll eat, and not leave it all to a servant. A man"s like a baby: he wants a lot of attention, especially about his vittles. Now I know John don"t like some things and he does like others, and I see he gits "em; and I know he likes to smoke just as soon as he"s done eatin", and I see that his pipe and tobacco is put where he can reach it when he"s havin" his coffee. It ain"t much, but it tells him I"m thinkin" about his comfort, and men like their comfort in their own way."
Miss Lee was quiet a few moments.
"You--you are speaking of--of--this old gentleman who is living here?"
Drusilla looked up suddenly.
"John ain"t so old. He"s only two years older"n me, and I don"t call myself old yet--unless it"s to git me out of doin" somethin" that I don"t like to do, like makin" calls."
"Is--is Mr. Brierly a relation of yours?"
"No, John ain"t no relation; he"s just a friend."
"Is he--is he making you a long visit?"
"I hope so. He"s goin" to live here always with me if I can make him."