"It is a lovely morning--a morning, I may add, befitting the sacred day. Nature is at peace and suggests that we and all should be at peace."
"There"s nothing I like more, Mrs. Mumpson, unless it is quiet."
"I feel that way, myself. You don"t know what restraint I have put upon myself that the sacred quiet of this day might not be disturbed.
I have had strong provercation since I entered this apartment. I will forbear to speak of it till tomorrow in order that there may be quietness and that our minds may be prepared for worship. I feel that it would be unseemly for us to enter a house of worship with thoughts of strife in our souls. At precisely what moment do you wish me to be ready for church?"
"I am not going to church, Mrs. Mumpson."
"Not going to church! I--I--scarcely understand. Worship is such a sacred duty--"
"You and Jane certainly have a right to go to church, and since it is your wish, I"ll take you down to Lemuel Weeks" and you can go with them."
"I don"t want to go to Cousin Lemuel"s, nor to church, nuther," Jane protested.
"Why, Mr. Holcroft," began the widow sweetly, "after you"ve once harnessed up it will take but a little longer to keep on to the meeting house. It would appear so seemly for us to drive thither, as a matter of course. It would be what the communerty expects of us. This is not our day, that we should spend it carnally. We should be spiritually-minded. We should put away things of earth. Thoughts of business and any unnecessary toil should be abhorrent. I have often thought that there was too much milking done on Sunday among farmers.
I know they say it is essential, but they all seem so p.r.o.ne to forget that but one thing is needful. I feel it borne in upon my mind, Mr.
Holcroft, that I should plead with you to attend divine worship and seek an uplifting of your thoughts. You have no idea how differently the day may end, or what emotions may be aroused if you place yourself under the droppings of the sanctuary."
"I"m like Jane, I don"t wish to go," said Mr. Holcroft nervously.
"But my dear Mr. Holcroft,"--the farmer fidgeted under this address,--"the very essence of true religion is to do what we don"t wish to do. We are to mortify the flesh and thwart the carnal mind.
The more th.o.r.n.y the path of self-denial is, the more certain it"s the right path. I"ve already entered upon it," she continued, turning a momentary glare upon Mrs. Wiggins. "Never before was a respecterble woman so harrowed and outraged; but I am calm; I am endeavoring to maintain a frame of mind suiterble to worship, and I feel it my bounden duty to impress upon you that worship is a necessity to every human being. My conscience would not acquit me if I did not use all my influence--"
"Very well, Mrs. Mumpson, you and your conscience are quits. You have used all your influence. I will do as I said--take you to Lemuel Weeks"--and you can go to church with his family," and he rose from the table.
"But Cousin Lemuel is also painfully blind to his spiritual interests--"
Holcroft did not stay to listen and was soon engaged in the morning milking. Jane flatly declared that she would not go to Cousin Lemuel"s or to church. "It don"t do me no good, nor you, nuther," she sullenly declared to her mother.
Mrs. Mumpson now resolved upon a different line of tactics. a.s.suming a lofty, spiritual air, she commanded Jane to light a fire in the parlor, and retired thither with the rocking chair. The elder widow looked after her and e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed, "Vell, hif she haint the craziest loon hi hever "eard talk. Hif she vas blind she might "a" seen that the master didn"t vant hany sich lecturin" clack."
Having kindled the fire, the child was about to leave the room when her mother interposed and said solemnly, "Jane, sit down and keep Sunday."
"I"m going to help Mrs. Wiggins if she"ll let me."
"You will not so demean yourself. I wish you to have no relations whatever with that female in the kitchen. If you had proper self-respect, you would never speak to her again."
"We aint visitin" here. If I can"t work indoors, I"ll tell him I"ll work outdoors."
"It"s not proper for you to work today. I want you to sit there in the corner and learn the Fifth Commandment."
"Aint you goin" to Cousin Lemuel"s?"
"On mature reflection, I have decided to remain at home."
"I thought you would if you had any sense left. You know well enough we aint wanted down there. I"ll go tell him not to hitch up."
"Well, I will permit you to do so. Then return to your Sunday task."
"I"m goin" to mind him," responded the child. She pa.s.sed rapidly and apprehensively through the kitchen, but paused on the doorstep to make some overtures to Mrs. Wiggins. If that austere dame was not to be propitiated, a line of retreat was open to the barn. "Say," she began, to attract attention.
"Vell, young-un," replied Mrs. Wiggins, rendered more pacific by her breakfast.
"Don"t you want me to wash up the dishes and put "em away? I know how."
"Hi"ll try ye. Hif ye breaks hanythink--" and the old woman nodded volumes at the child.
"I"ll be back in a minute," said Jane. A moment later she met Holcroft carrying two pails of milk from the barnyard. He was about to pa.s.s without noticing her, but she again secured attention by her usual preface, "Say," when she had a somewhat extended communication to make.
"Come to the dairy room, Jane, and say your say there," said Holcroft not unkindly.
"She aint goin" to Cousin Lemuel"s," said the girl, from the door.
"What is she going to do."
"Rock in the parlor. Say, can"t I help Mrs. Wiggins wash up the dishes and do the work?"
"Certainly, why not?"
"Mother says I must sit in the parlor "n" learn Commandments "n" keep Sunday."
"Well, Jane, which do you think you ought to do?"
"I think I oughter work, and if you and Mrs. Wiggins will let me, I will work in spite of mother."
"I think that you and your mother both should help do the necessary work today. There won"t be much."
"If I try and help Mrs. Wiggins, mother"ll bounce out at me. She shook me last night after I went upstairs, and she boxed my ears "cause I wanted to keep the kitchen fire up last night."
"I"ll go with you to the kitchen and tell Mrs. Wiggins to let you help, and I won"t let your mother punish you again unless you do wrong."
Mrs. Wiggins, relying on Jane"s promise of help, had sat down to the solace of her pipe for a few minutes, but was about to thrust it hastily away on seeing Holcroft. He rea.s.sured her by saying good-naturedly, "No need of that, my good woman. Sit still and enjoy your pipe. I like to smoke myself. Jane will help clear away things and I wish her to. You"ll find she"s quite handy. By the way, have you all the tobacco you want?"
"Vell, now, master, p"raps ye know the "lowance down hat the poor-us vasn"t sich as ud keep a body in vat ye"d call satisfyin" smokin". Hi never "ad henough ter keep down the "ankerin"."
"I suppose that"s so. You shall have half of my stock, and when I go to town again, I"ll get you a good supply. I guess I"ll light my pipe, too, before starting for a walk."
"Bless yer "art, master, ye makes a body comf"terble. Ven hi smokes, hi feels more hat "ome and kind o" contented like. An hold "ooman like me haint got much left to comfort "er but "er pipe."
"Jane!" called Mrs. Mumpson sharply from the parlor. As there was no answer, the widow soon appeared in the kitchen door. Smoking was one of the unpardonable sins in Mrs. Mumpson"s eyes; and when she saw Mrs.
Wiggins puffing comfortably away and Holcroft lighting his pipe, while Jane cleared the table, language almost failed her. She managed to articulate, "Jane, this atmosphere is not fit for you to breathe on this sacred day. I wish you to share my seclusion."
"Mrs. Mumpson, I have told her to help Mrs. Wiggins in the necessary work," Holcroft interposed.
"Mr. Holcroft, you don"t realize--men never do--Jane is my offspring, and--"
"Oh, if you put it that way, I shan"t interfere between mother and child. But I suppose you and Jane came here to work."
"If you will enter the parlor, I will explain to you fully my views, and--"