Susan Clegg and Her Friend Mrs. Lathrop.
by Anne Warner.
_PREFATORY NOTE_
_The first four chapters of "Susan Clegg and her Friend Mrs. Lathrop"
appeared in "The Century Magazine" as separate stories during the past year. They have been revised and partly rewritten for book publication, and "The Minister"s Vacation," never before printed, has been added._
_Miss Clegg and her friend Mrs. Lathrop, as well as the other characters in the book, and the scenes in which they figure, are wholly imaginary_.
I
THE MARRYING OF SUSAN CLEGG
Susan Clegg and Mrs. Lathrop were next-door neighbors and bosom friends. Their personalities were extremely congenial, and the theoretical relation which the younger woman bore to the elder was a further bond between them. Owing to the death of her mother some twenty years before, Susan had fallen into the position of a helpless and timid young girl whose only key to the problems of life in general had been the advice of her older and wiser neighbor. As a matter of fact Mrs. Lathrop was barely twelve years the senior, but she had married and as a consequence felt and was felt to be immeasurably the more ancient of the two.
Susan had never married, for her father--a bedridden paralytic--had occupied her time day and night for years. He was a great care and as she did her duty by him with a thoroughness which was praiseworthy in the extreme she naturally had very little leisure for society. Mrs.
Lathrop had more, because her family consisted of but one son, and she was not given to that species of housekeeping which sweeps under the beds too often. It therefore came about that the one and only recreation which the friends could enjoy together to any great extent was visiting over the fence. Visiting over the fence is an occupation in which any woman may indulge without fear of unkind criticism. If she takes occasion to run in next door, she is of course leaving the house which she ought to be keeping, but she can lean on the fence all day without feeling derelict as to a single duty. Then, too, there is something about the situation which produces a species of agreeable subconsciousness that one is at once at home and abroad. It followed that Susan and Mrs. Lathrop each wore a path from her kitchen door to the trysting-spot, and that all summer long they met there early and late.
Mrs. Lathrop did the listening while she chewed clover. Just beyond her woodpile red clover grew luxuriantly, and when she started for the place of meeting it was her invariable custom to stop and pull a number of blossoms so that she might eat the tender petals while devoting her attention to the business in hand.
It must be confessed that the business in hand was nearly always Miss Clegg"s business, but since Mrs. Lathrop, in her position of experienced adviser, was deeply interested in Susan"s exposition of her own affairs, that trifling circ.u.mstance appeared of little moment.
One of the main topics of conversation was Mr. Clegg. As Mr. Clegg had not quitted his bed for over a score of years, it might seem that his novelty as a subject of discussion would have been long since exhausted. But not so. His daughter was the most devoted of daughters, and his name was ever rife on her lips. What he required done for him and what he required done to him were the main ends of her existence, and the demands of his comfort, daily or annual, resulted in numerous phrases of a startling but thoroughly intelligible order. Of such a sort was her usual Sat.u.r.day morning greeting to Mrs. Lathrop, "I "m sorry to cut you off so quick, but this "s father"s day to be beat up and got into new pillow-slips," or her regular early-June remark, "Well, I thank Heaven "t father "s had his hair picked over "n" "t he"s got his new tick for _this_ year!"
Mrs. Lathrop was always interested, always sympathetic, and rarely ever startled; yet one July evening when Susan said suddenly, "I "ve finished my dress for father"s funeral," she did betray a slight shock.
"You ought to see it," the younger woman continued, not noticing the other"s start,--"it"s jus" "s _nice_. I put it away in camphor b.a.l.l.s, "n" Lord knows I don"t look forward to the gettin" it out to wear, f"r the whole carriage load "ll sneeze their heads off whenever I move in that dress."
"Did you put newspaper--" Mrs. Lathrop began, mastering her earlier emotions.
"In the sleeves? Yes, I did, "n" I bought a pair o" black gloves "n"
two handkerchiefs "n" slipped "em into the pockets. Everythin" is all fixed, "n" there "ll be nothin" to do when father dies but to shake it out "n" lay it on the bed in his room. I say "in his room," "cause o"
course that day he "ll be havin" the guest-room. I was thinkin" of it all this afternoon when I sat there by him hemmin" the braid on the skirt, "n" I could n"t but think "t if I sit "n" wait very much longer I sh"ll suddenly find myself pretty far advanced in years afore I know it. This world"s made f"r the young "s well"s the old, "n" you c"n believe me or not jus" "s you please, Mrs. Lathrop, but I "ve always meant to get married "s soon "s father was off my hands. I was countin" up to-day, though, "n" if he lives to be a hunderd, I "ll be nigh onto seventy "n" no man ain"t goin" to marry me at seventy. Not "nless he was eighty, "n" Lord knows I ain"t intendin" to bury father jus" to begin on some one else, "n" that"s all it "d be."
Mrs. Lathrop chewed her clover.
"I set there thinkin" f"r a good hour, "n" when I was puttin" away the dress, I kep" on thinkin", "n" the end was "t now that dress "s done I ain"t got nothin" in especial to sew on "n" so I may jus" "s well begin on my weddin" things. There"s no time like the present, "n" "f I married this summer _he "d_ have to pay f"r half of next winter"s coal. "N" so my mind"s made up, "n" you c"n talk yourself blind, "f you feel so inclined, Mrs. Lathrop, but you can"t change hide or hair o" my way o" thinkin". I "ve made up my mind to get married, "n" I "m goin" to set right about it. Where there"s a will there "s a way, "n"
I ain"t goin" to leave a stone unturned. I went down town with the kerosene-can jus" afore tea, "n" I bought me a new false front, "n" I met Mrs. Brown"s son, "n" I told him "t I wanted him to come up to-morrow "n" take a look at father."
"Was you thinkin" o" marryin" Mrs. Br----" Mrs. Lathrop gasped, taking her clover from her lips.
"Marryin" Mrs. Brown"s son! Well, "f your mind don"t run queer ways!
Whatever sh"d put such an idea into your head? I hope you "ll excuse my sayin" so, Mrs. Lathrop, but I don"t believe anybody but you would ever "a" asked such a question, when you know "s well "s everybody else does "t he"s runnin" his legs off after Amelia Fitch. Any man who wants a little chit o" eighteen wouldn"t suit my taste much, "n"
anyhow I never thought of him; I only asked him to come in in a friendly way "n" tell me how long he thinks "t father may live. I don"t see my way to makin" any sort o" plans with father so dreffle indefinite, "n" a man who was fool enough to marry me, tied up like I am now, would n"t have s"fficient brains to be worth lookin" over.
Mrs. Brown"s son "s learnin" docterin", "n" he"s been at it long enough so "s to be able to see through anythin" "s simple "s father, _I_ sh"d think. "T any rate, "f he don"t know nothin" yet, Heaven help Amelia Fitch "n" me, f"r he"ll take us both in."
"Who was you thinkin" o"--" Mrs. Lathrop asked, resuming her former occupation.
"The minister," replied Miss Clegg. "I did n"t stop to consider very much, but it struck me "s polite to begin with him. I c"d marry him without waitin" for father, too, "cause a minister could n"t in reason find fault over another man"s bein" always to home. O" course he would n"t be still like father is, but I ain"t never been one to look gift-horses in the mouth, "n" I d"n" know "s I "d ought to expect another man _jus"_ like father in one life. Mother often said father"s advantages was great, for you always knew where he was, "n" "f you drew down the shade you c"d tell him it was rainin" "n" he could n"t never contrad.i.c.k."
Mrs. Lathrop nodded acquiescently but made no comment.
Miss Clegg withdrew somewhat from her confidentially inclined att.i.tude.
"I won"t be out in the mornin"," she said. "I sh"ll want to dust father "n" turn him out o" the window afore Mrs. Brown"s son comes.
After he"s gone I"ll wave my dish-towel, "n" then you come out "n" I "ll tell you what he says."
They separated for the night, and Susan went to sleep with her own version of love"s young dream.
Mrs. Brown"s son arrived quite promptly the next morning. He drove up in Mr. Brown"s buggy, and Amelia Fitch held the horse while he went inside to inspect Mr. Clegg. The visit did not consume more than ten minutes, and then he hurried out to the gate and was off.
The buggy was hardly out of sight up the road when Miss Clegg emerged from her kitchen door, her face bearing an imprint of deep and thorough disgust.
"Well, Mrs. Lathrop, I don"t think much o" _that_ young man," she announced in a tone of unmitigated disapproval; ""peared to me like he was in a hurry to get done with father "s quick "s he could just so "s to be back beside Amelia Fitch. I "d venture a guess that "f you was to ask him this minute he "s forgot every word I said to him already.
I asked him to set some sort of a figger on father, "n" he would n"t so much "s set down himself. Stood on one leg "n" backed towards the door every other word, "n" me, father"s only child, standin" there at his mercy. Said "t last "s he _might_ die to-morrow "n" _might_ live twenty years. I tell you my patience pretty near went at that. I don"t call such a answer no answer a _tall_. I "ve often thought both them things myself, "n" me no doctor. Particularly about the twenty years.
Father"s lived seventy-five years--I must say "t to my order o"
thinkin" he"s pretty well set a-goin", "n" that the life he leads ain"t drainin" his vitality near "s much "s it"s drainin" mine."
Miss Clegg stopped and shook her head impatiently.
"I d"n" know when I "ve felt as put out "s this. "N" me with so much faith in doctors too. It"s a pretty sad thing, Mrs. Lathrop, when all the comfort you c"n get out of a man is the thinkin" "t perhaps G.o.d in his mercy has made him a fool. I had a good mind to tell that very thing to Mrs. Brown"s son, but I thought maybe he"d learn better later. Anyway I "m goin" right ahead with my marriage. It"ll have to be the minister now, "n" I can"t see what I "ve ever done "t I sh"d have two men around the house "t once like they "ll be, but that"s all in the hands o" Fate, "n" so I jus" took the first step "n" told Billy when he brought the milk to tell his father "t if he "d come up here to-night I "d give him a quarter for the Mission fund. I know the quarter "ll bring him, "n" I can"t help kind o" hopin" "t to-morrow "ll find the whole thing settled "n" off my mind."
The next morning Mrs. Lathrop laid in an unusually large supply of fodder and was very early at the fence. Her son--a placid little innocent of nine-and-twenty years--was still in bed and asleep. Susan was up and washing her breakfast dishes, but the instant that she spied her friend she abruptly abandoned her task and hastened to the rendezvous.
"Are you goin" t"--" Mrs. Lathrop called eagerly.
"No, I ain"t," was the incisive reply.
Then they both adjusted their elbows comfortably on the top rail of the fence, and Miss Clegg began, her voice a trifle higher pitched than usual.
"Mrs. Lathrop, it"s a awful thing for a Christian woman to feel forced to say, "n" Lord knows I would n"t say it to no one but you, but it"s true "n" beyond a question so, "n" therefore I may "s well be frank "n" open "n" remark "t our minister ain"t no good a _tall_.--"N I d"n"
know but I"ll tell any one "s asks me the same thing, f"r it certainly ain"t nothin" f"r me to weep over, "n" the blood be on his head from now on."
Miss Clegg paused briefly, and her eyes became particularly wide open.
Mrs. Lathrop was all attention.
"Mrs. Lathrop, you ain"t lived next to me "n" known me in "n" out "n"
hind "n" front all these years not to know "t I "m pretty sharp. I ain"t been cheated mor" "n twice "n my life, "n" one o" them times was n"t my fault, for it was printed on the band "t it would wash. Such bein" the case, "n" takin" the minister into consideration, I do consider "t _no_ man would "a" supposed "t he could get the better o"
me. It"s a sad thing to have to own to, "n" if I was anybody else in kingdom come I "d never own to it till I got there; but my way is to live open "n" aboveboard, "n" so to my shame be "t told "t the minister--with all "t he"s got eight children "n" I ain"t even married--is certainly as sharp as me. Last night when I see him comin"
up the walk I never "d "a" believed "s he c"d get away again so easy, but it just goes to show what a world o" deceit this is, "n" seein" "s I have father to clean from his windows aroun" to-day, I "ll ask you to excuse me "f I don"t draw the subjeck out none, but jus" remark flat "n" plain "t there ain"t no chance o" my _ever_ marryin" the minister. You may consider that a pretty strong statement, Mrs.
Lathrop, "n" I don"t say myself but "t with any other man there might be a hereafter, but it was me "n" not anybody else as see his face last night, "n" seein" his face "n" bein" a woman o" more brains "n falls to the lot of yourself "n" the majority, I may just as well say once for all that, "s far "s the minister"s concerned, I sh"ll never be married to _him_."
"What did he--" began Mrs. Lathrop.