"She didn"t see the reason," she said; "she never had a cold hang on so. She believed she"d better go out and shake it off. If she could have rode down-town she would, but somehow she didn"t seem to have the strength to walk."
The reason she "couldn"t have rode," was because all the horses were sick. It was the singular epidemic of 1872. There were no cars, no teams; the queer sight was presented in a great city, of the driveways as clear as the sidewalks; of n.o.body needed to guard the crossings or unsnarl the "blocks;" of stillness like Sunday, day after day; of men harnessed into wagons,--eight human beings drawing, slowly and heavily, what any poor old p.r.i.c.kle-ribs of a horse, that had life left in him at all, would have trotted cheerfully off with. A lady"s trunk was a cartload; and a lady"s trunk pa.s.sing through the streets was a curiosity; you could scarcely get one carried for love or money.
Aunt Blin was a good deal excited; she always was by everything that befell "her Boston." She would sit by the window in her blanket shawl, and peer down the Place to see the mail-carts and express wagons creep slowly by, along Tremont Street, to and from the railways. She was proud for the men who turned to and did quadruped work with a will in the emergency, and so took hold of its sublimity; she was proud of the poor horses, standing in suffering but royal seclusion in their stables, with hostlers sitting up nights for them, and the world and all its business "seeing how it could get along without them;" she was proud of all this crowd of business that had, by hook or by crook (literally, now), to be done.
She wanted the evening paper the minute it came. She and the music mistress took the "Transcript" between them, and had the first reading weeks about. This was her week; she held herself lucky.
The epizootic was like the war: we should have to subside into common items that would not seem like news at all when that was over.
We all know, now, what the news was after the epizootic.
Meanwhile Aunt Blin believed, "on her conscience," she had got the epidemic herself.
Bel had worked hard at the rooms this week, and late at home in the evenings. Some of the girls lived out at the Highlands, and some in South Boston; there were days when they could not get in from these districts; for such as were on the spot there was double press and hurry. And it was right in the midst of fall and winter work. Bel earned twelve dollars in six days, and got her pay.
On Sat.u.r.day night she brought home four Chater"s crumpets, and a pint of oysters. She stewed the oysters in a porringer out of which everything came nicer than out of any other utensil. While they were stewing, she made a bit of b.u.t.ter up into a "pat," and stamped it with the star in the middle of the pressed gla.s.s saltcellar; she set the table near the fire, and laid it out in a specially dainty way; then she toasted the m.u.f.fins, and it was past seven o"clock before all was done.
Aunt Blin sat by, and watched and smelled. She was in no hurry; two senses at a time were enough to have filled. She had finished the paper,--it was getting to be an old and much rehashed story, now,--and had sent it down to Miss Smalley. It would be hers first, now, for a week. Very well, the excitement was over. That was all she knew about it.
In the privacy and security of her own room, and with m.u.f.fins and oysters for tea, Aunt Blin took out her upper teeth, that she might eat comfortably. Poor Aunt Blin! she showed her age and her thinness so. She had fallen away a good deal since she had been sick. But she was getting better. On Monday morning, she thought she would certainly be able to go out. All she had to do now was to be careful of her cough; and Bel had just bought her a new pair of rubbers.
Bartholomew had done his watching and smelling, likewise; he had made all he could be expected to of that limited enjoyment. Now he walked round the table with an air of consciousness that supper was served. He sat by his mistress"s chair, lifted one paw with well-bred expressiveness, stretching out the digits of it as a dainty lady extends her lesser fingers when she lifts her cup, or breaks a bit of bread. It was a delicate suggestion of exquisite appreciation, and of most excellent manners. Once he began a whine, but recollected himself and suppressed it, as the dainty lady might a yawn.
Aunt Blin gave him two oysters, and three spoonfuls of broth in his own saucer, before she helped herself. After all, she ate in her turn very little more. It was hardly worth while to have made a business of being comfortable.
"I don"t think they have such good oysters as they used to," she remarked, stepping over her s"es in a very carpeted and stocking-footed way.
"Perhaps I didn"t put enough seasoning"--Bel began, but was interrupted in the middle of her reply.
The big bell two squares off clanged a heavy stroke caught up on the echo by others that sounded smaller farther and farther away, making their irregular, yet familiar phrase and cadence on the air.
It was the fire alarm.
"H--zh! Hark!" Aunt Blin changed the m.u.f.fled but eager monosyllable to a sharper one; and being reminded, felt in her lap, under her napkin, for her "ornaments," as Bel called them.
But she counted the strokes before she put them in, nodding her head, and holding up her finger to Bel and Bartholomew for silence.
Everything stopped where it was with Miss Bree when the fire alarm sounded.
One--two--three--four--five.
"In the city," said Aunt Blin, with a certain weird unconscious satisfaction; and whipped the porcelains into their places before the second tolling should begin. They were like Pleasant Riderhood"s back hair: she was all twisted up, now, and ready.
One--two.
"That ain"t fur off. Down Bedford Street way. Give me the fire-book, and my gla.s.ses."
She turned the folds of the card with one hand, and adjusted her spectacles with the other.
"Bedford and Lincoln. Why, that"s close by where Miss Proddle boards!"
"That"s the _box_, Auntie. You always forget the fire isn"t in the box."
"Well, it will be if they don"t get along with their steamers. I ain"t heard one go by yet."
"They haven"t any horses, you know."
"Hark! there"s one now! O, _do_ hush! There"s the bell again!"
Bel was picking up the tea-things for washing. She set down the little pile which she had gathered, went to the window, and drew up the blind.
"My gracious! And there"s the fire!"
It shone up, red, into the sky, from over the tall roofs.
Ten strokes from the deep, deliberate bells.
"There comes Miss Smalley, todillating up to see," said Bel, excitedly.
"And the people are just _rushing_ along Tremont Street!"
"_Can_ you see? asked Miss Smalley, bustling in like the last little belated hen at feeding-time, with a look on all sides at once to discover where the corn might be.
"_Isn"t_ it big, O?" And she stood up, tiptoe, by the window, as if that would make any comparative difference between her height and that of Hotel Devereux, across the square; or as if she could reach up farther with her eyes after the great flashes that streamed into the heavens.
Again the smiting clang,--repeated, solemn, exact. No flurry in those measured sounds, although their continuance tolled out a city"s doom.
Twice twelve.
"There goes Mr. Sparrow," said the music mistress, as the watchmaker"s light, unequal hop came over the stairs. "I suppose he can see from his window pretty near where it is."
A slight, dull color came up into the angles of the little lady"s face, as she alluded to the upper lodger"s room, for there was a tacit impression in the house--and she knew it--that if Miss Smalley and Mr. Sparrow had been thrown together earlier in life, it would have been very suitable; and that even now it might not be altogether too late.
Another step went springing down. Bel knew that, but she said nothing.
"Don"t you think we might go out to the end of the street and see?"
suggested Miss Smalley.
Bel had on hat and waterproof in a moment.
"Don"t you stir, Auntie, to catch cold, now! We"ll be back directly."
Miss Smalley was already in her room below, s.n.a.t.c.hing up hood and shawl.
Down the Place they went, and on, out into the broad street.
Everybody was running one way,--northward. They followed, hurrying toward the great light, glowing and flashing before them.
From every westward avenue came more men, speeding in ever thickening lines verging to one centre. Like streams into a river channel, they poured around the corners into Ess.e.x Street, at last, filling it from wall to wall,--a human torrent.
"This is as far as we can go," Miss Smalley said, stopping in one of the doorways of Boylston Market. A man in a blouse stood there, ordering the driver of a cart.