Holcroft shared in his opinion and sighed deeply as he sat down to supper. "Ah, Tom!" he said, "you"re a lucky man. You"ve got a wife that keeps everything indoors up to the mark, and gives you a chance to attend to your own proper business. That"s the way it was with mine.
I never knew what a lopsided, helpless creature a man was until I was left alone. You and I were lucky in getting the women we did, but when my partner left me, she took all the luck with her. That aint the worst. She took what"s more than luck and money and everything. I seemed to lose with her my grit and interest in most things. It"ll seem foolishness to you, but I can"t take comfort in anything much except working that old farm that I"ve worked and played on ever since I can remember anything. You"re not one of those fools, Tom, that have to learn from their own experience. Take a bit from mine, and be good to your wife while you can. I"d give all I"m worth--I know that aint much--if I could say some things to my wife and do some things for her that I didn"t do."
Holcroft spoke in the simplicity of a full and remorseful heart, but he unconsciously propitiated Mrs. Watterly in no small degree. Indeed, she felt that he had quite repaid her for his entertainment, and the usually taciturn woman seconded his remarks with much emphasis.
"Well now, Angy," said Tom, "if you averaged up husbands in these parts I guess you"d find you were faring rather better than most women folks.
I let you take the bit in your teeth and go your own jog mostly. Now, own up, don"t I?"
"That wasn"t my meaning, exactly, Tom," resumed Holcroft. "You and I could well afford to let our wives take their own jog, for they always jogged steady and faithful and didn"t need any urging and guiding. But even a dumb critter likes a good word now and then and a little patting on the back. It doesn"t cost us anything and does them a sight of good. But we kind of let the chances slip by and forget about it until like enough it"s too late."
"Well," replied Tom, with a deprecatory look at his wife, "Angy don"t take to pettin" very much. She thinks it"s a kind of foolishness for such middle-aged people as we"re getting to be."
"A husband can show his consideration without blarneying," remarked Mrs. Watterly coldly. "When a man takes on in that way, you may be sure he wants something extra to pay for it."
After a little thought Holcroft said, "I guess it"s a good way to pay for it between husband and wife."
"Look here, Jim, since you"re so well up on the matrimonial question, why in thunder don"t you marry again? That would settle all your difficulties," and Tom looked at his friend with a sort of wonder that he should hesitate to take this practical, sensible course.
"It"s very easy for you to say, "Why don"t you marry again?" If you were in my place you"d see that there are things in the way of marrying for the sake of having a good b.u.t.ter maker and all that kind of thing."
"Mr. Watterly wouldn"t be long in comforting himself," remarked his wife.--"His advice to you makes the course he"d take mighty clear."
"Now, Angy!" said Tom reproachfully. "Well," he added with a grin, "you"re forewarned. So you"ve only to take care of yourself and not give me a chance."
"The trouble is," Holcroft resumed, "I don"t see how an honest man is going to comfort himself unless it all comes about in some natural sort of way. I suppose there are people who can marry over and over again, just as easy as they"d roll off a log. It aint for me to judge "em, and I don"t understand how they do it. You are a very practical man, Tom, but just you put yourself in my shoes and see what you"d do. In the first place, I don"t know of a woman in the world that I"d think of marrying. That"s saying nothing against the women,--there"s lots too good for me,--but I don"t know "em and I can"t go around and hunt "em up. Even if I could, with my shy, awkward ways, I wouldn"t feel half so nervous starting out on a bear hunt. Here"s difficulty right at the beginning. Supposing I found a nice, sensible woman, such as I"d be willing to marry, there isn"t one chance in a hundred she"d look at an old fellow like me. Another difficulty: Supposing she would; suppose she looked me square in the eyes and said, "So you truly want a wife?"
what in thunder would I say then?--I don"t want a wife, I want a housekeeper, a b.u.t.ter maker, one that would look after my interests as if they were her own; and if I could hire a woman that would do what I wish, I"d never think of marrying. I can"t tell a woman that I love her when I don"t. If I went to a minister with a woman I"d be deceiving him, and deceiving her, and perjuring myself promiscuously.
I married once according to law and gospel and I was married through and through, and I can"t do the thing over again in any way that would seem to me like marrying at all. The idea of me sitting by the fire and wishing that the woman who sat on the t"other side of the stove was my first wife! Yet I couldn"t help doing this any more than breathing.
Even if there was any chance of my succeeding I can"t see anything square or honest in my going out and hunting up a wife as a mere matter of business. I know other people do it and I"ve thought a good deal about it myself, but when it comes to the point of acting I find I can"t do it."
The two men now withdrew from the table to the fireside and lighted their pipes. Mrs. Watterly stepped out for a moment and Tom, looking over his shoulder to make sure she was out of ear shot, said under his breath, "But suppose you found a woman that you could love and obey, and all that?"
"Oh, of course, that would make everything different. I wouldn"t begin with a lie then, and I know enough of my wife to feel sure that she wouldn"t be a sort of dog in the manger after she was dead. She was one of those good souls that if she could speak her mind this minute she would say, "James, what"s best and right for you is best and right." But it"s just because she was such a good wife that I know there"s no use of trying to put anyone in her place. Where on earth could I find anybody, and how could we get acquainted so that we"d know anything about each other? No, I must just scratch along for a short time as things are and be on the lookout to sell or rent."
Tom smoked meditatively for a few moments, and then remarked, "I guess that"s your best way out."
"It aint an easy way, either," said Holcroft. "Finding a purchaser or tenant for a farm like mine is almost as hard as finding a wife. Then, as I feel, leaving my place is next to leaving the world."
Tom shook his head ruefully and admitted, "I declare, Jim, when a feller comes to think it all over, you ARE in a bad fix, especially as you feel. I thought I could talk you over into practical common sense in no time. It"s easy enough when one don"t know all the bearin"s of a case, to think carelessly, "Oh, he aint as bad off as he thinks he is.
He can do this and that and the t"other thing." But when you come to look it all over, you find he can"t, except at a big loss. Of course, you can give away your farm on which you were doing well and getting ahead, though how you did it, I can"t see. You"d have to about give it away if you forced a sale, and where on earth you"ll find a tenant who"ll pay anything worth considering--But there"s no use of croaking.
I wish I could help you, old feller. By jocks! I believe I can.
There"s an old woman here who"s right smart and handy when she can"t get her bottle filled. I believe she"d be glad to go with you, for she don"t like our board and lodging over much."
"Do you think she"d go tonight?"
"Oh, yes! Guess so. A little cold water"ll be a good change for her."
Mrs. Wiggins was seen, and feeling that any change would be for the better, readily agreed to go for very moderate wages. Holcroft looked dubiously at the woman"s heavy form and heavier face, but felt that it was the best he could do. Squeezing Mrs. Watterly"s cold, limp hand in a way that would have thawed a lump of ice, he said "goodby;" and then declaring that he would rather do his own harnessing for a night ride, he went out into the storm. Tom put on his rubber coat and went to the barn with his friend, toward whom he cherished honest good will.
"By jocks!" he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed sympathetically, "but you have hard lines, Jim. What in thunder would I do with two such widdy women to look after my house!"
Chapter IX.
Mrs. Mumpson Accepts Her Mission
As Holcroft drove through the town, Mrs. Wiggins, who, as matters were explained to her, had expressed her views chiefly by affirmative nods, now began to use her tongue with much fluency.
"Hi "ave a friend "herhabouts," she said, "an" she"s been a-keepin"
some of my things. Hi"ll be "olden to ye, master, hif ye"ll jes stop a bit hat the door whiles hi gets "em. Hif ye"ll hadvance me a dollar or so on me wages. .h.i.t"ll be a long time hafore I trouble ye hagain."
The farmer had received too broad a hint not to know that Mrs. Wiggins was intent on renewing her acquaintance with her worst enemy. He briefly replied, therefore, "It"s too late to stop now. I"ll be coming down soon again and will get your things."
In vain Mrs. Wiggins expostulated, for he drove steadily on. With a sort of grim humor, he thought of the meeting of the two "widdy women,"
as Tom had characterized them, and of Mrs. Mumpson"s dismay at finding in the "cheap girl" a dame of sixty, weighing not far from two hundred.
"If it wasn"t such awfully serious business for me," he thought, "it would be better"n going to a theater to see the two go on. If I haven"t got three "peculiar females" on my hands now, I"d like to hear of the man that has."
When Mrs. Wiggins found that she could not gain her point, she subsided into utter silence. It soon became evident in the cloudy light of the moon that she was going to sleep, for she so nodded and swayed about that the farmer feared she would tumble out of the wagon. She occupied a seat just back of his and filled it, too. The idea of stepping over, sitting beside her, and holding her in, was inexpressibly repugnant to him. So he began talking to her, and finally shouting at her, to keep her awake.
His efforts were useless. He glanced with rueful dismay over his shoulder as he thought, "If she falls out, I don"t see how on earth I"ll ever get her back again."
Fortunately the seat slipped back a little, and she soon slid down into a sort of mountainous heap on the bottom of the wagon, as unmindful of the rain as if it were a lullaby. Now that his mind was at rest about her falling out, and knowing that he had a heavy load, Holcroft let the horses take their own time along the miry highway.
Left to her own devices by Holcroft"s absence, Mrs. Mumpson had pa.s.sed what she regarded as a very eventful afternoon and evening. Not that anything unusual had happened, unless everything she said and did may be looked upon as unusual; but Mrs. Mumpson justly felt that the critical periods of life are those upon which definite courses of action are decided upon. In the secret recess of her heart--supposing her to possess such an organ--she had partially admitted to herself, even before she had entered Holcroft"s door, that she might be persuaded into marrying him; but the inspection of his room, much deliberate thought, and prolonged soliloquy, had convinced her that she ought to "enter into nuptial relations," as her thought formulated itself. It was a trait of Mrs. Mumpson"s active mind, that when it once entered upon a line of thought, it was hurried along from conclusion to conclusion with wonderful rapidity.
While Jane made up Mr. Holcroft"s bed, her mother began to inspect, and soon suffered keenly from every painful discovery. The farmer"s meager wardrobe and other belongings were soon rummaged over, but one large closet and several bureau drawers were locked. "These are the receptercles of the deceased Mrs. Holcroft"s affects," she said with compressed lips. "They are moldering useless away. Moth and rust will enter, while I, the caretaker, am debarred. I should not be debarred.
All the things in that closet should be shaken out, aired, and carefully put back. Who knows how useful they may be in the future!
Waste is wicked. Indeed, there are few things more wicked than waste.
Now I think of it, I have some keys in my trunk."
"He won"t like it," interposed Jane.
"In the responserble persition I have a.s.sumed," replied Mrs. Mumpson with dignity, "I must consider not what he wants, but what is best for him and what may be best for others."
Jane had too much curiosity herself to make further objection, and the keys were brought. It was astonishing what a number of keys Mrs.
Mumpson possessed, and she was not long in finding those which would open the ordinary locks thought by Holcroft to be ample protection.
"I was right," said Mrs. Mumpson complacently. "A musty odor exudes from these closed receptercles. Men have no comprehension of the need of such caretakers as I am."
Everything that had ever belonged to poor Mrs. Holcroft was pulled out, taken to the window, and examined, Jane following, as usual, in the wake of her mother and putting everything to the same tests which her parent applied. Mrs. Holcroft had been a careful woman, and the extent and substantial character of her wardrobe proved that her husband had not been close in his allowances to her. Mrs. Mumpson"s watery blue eyes grew positively animated as she felt of and held up to the light one thing after another. "Mrs. Holcroft was evidently unnaturally large," she reflected aloud, "but then these things could be made over, and much material be left to repair them, from time to time. The dresses are of somber colors, becoming to a lady somewhat advanced in years and of subdued taste."
By the time that the bed and all the chairs in the room were littered with wearing apparel, Mrs. Mumpson said, "Jane, I desire you to bring the rocking chair. So many thoughts are crowding upon me that I must sit down and think."
Jane did as requested, but remarked, "The sun is gettin" low, and all these things"ll have to be put back just as they was or he"ll be awful mad."
"Yes, Jane," replied Mrs. Mumpson abstractedly and rocking gently, "you can put them back. Your mind is not burdened like mine, and you haven"t offspring and the future to provide for," and, for a wonder, she relapsed into silence. Possibly she possessed barely enough of womanhood to feel that her present train of thought had better be kept to herself. She gradually rocked faster and faster, thus indicating that she was rapidly approaching a conclusion.
Meanwhile, Jane was endeavoring to put things back as they were before and found it no easy task. As the light declined she was overcome by a sort of panic, and, huddling the things into the drawers as fast as possible, she locked them up. Then, seizing her mother"s hand and pulling the abstracted woman to her feet, she cried, "If he comes and finds us here and no supper ready, he"ll turn us right out into the rain!"
Even Mrs. Mumpson felt that she was perhaps reaching conclusions too fast and that some diplomacy might be necessary to consummate her plans. Her views, however, appeared to her so reasonable that she scarcely thought of failure, having the happy faculty of realizing everything in advance, whether it ever took place or not.