the red acorn-第8节

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come　back　to　me。〃

She　bowed　and　entered　the　house。





Chapter　V。　　The　Lint…scraping　and　Bandage…making　Union。




At　length　I　have　acted　my　severest　part：　I　feel　the　woman　breaking　in　upon　me；　And　melt　about　my　heart：　　My　tears　will　flow。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Addison。


Rachel　Bond's　will　had　carried　her　triumphantly　through　a　terrible　ordealhow　terrible　no　one　could　guess；　unless　he　followed　her　to　her　room　after　the　interview　and　saw　her　alone　with　her　agony。　She　did　not　weep。　　Tears　did　not　lie　near　the　surface　with　her。　　The　lachrymal　glands　had　none　of　that　ready　sensitiveness　which　gives　many　superficial　women　the　credit　of　deep　feeling。　　But　when　she　did　weep　it　was　not　an　April　shower；　but　a　midsummer　tempest。

Now　it　was　as　if　her　intense　grief　were　a　powerful　cautery　which　seared　and　sealed　every　duct　of　the　fountain　of　tears　and　left　her　eyes　hot　and　dry　as　her　heart　was　ashes。

With　pallid　face　and　lips　set　until　the　blood　was　forced　from　them；　and　they　made　a　thin　purplish　line　in　the　pale　flesh；　she　walked　the　floor　back　and　forth；　ever　back　and　forth；　until　a　half…stumble；　as　she　was　turning　in　a　dreary　round；　revealed　to　her　that　she　was　almost　dropping　from　exhaustion。

She　had　thought　her　love　for　Harry　had　received　its　death…blow　when　her　pride　in　him　had　been　so　rudely　shattered。　　But　this　meeting；　in　which　she　played　the　part　set　for　herself　with　a　brave　perfection　that　she　had　hardly　deemed　possible；　had　resurrected　every　dear　memory；　and　her　passion　sprung　into　life　again　to　mock　and　jeer　at　her　efforts　to　throttle　it　out　of　existence。　　With　him　toppling　from　the　pedestal　on　which　her　husband　must　stand；　she　had　told　herself　that　there　was　naught　left　but　to　roll　a　great　stone　against　the　sepulcher　in　which　her　love　must　henceforth　lie　buried；　hopeless　of　the　coming　of　any　bright　angle　to　unseal　the　gloomy　vault。　　Yet；　despite　the　entire　approval　given　this　by　her　judgment；　her　woman's　heart　cried　bitterly　for　a　return　of　the　joys　out　of　which　the　beauty　had　fled　forever。

Hours　passed　in　this　wrestle　with　pain。　　How　many　she　did　not　know；　but　when　she　came　forth　it　was　with　the　composure　of　one　who　had　fought　the　fight　and　won　the　victory；　but　at　a　cost　that　forbade　exultation。

…

There　was　one　ordeal　that　thus　far　she　had　not　been　called　upon　to　endure。　　From　the　day　on　which　she　had　donned　her　sable　robes　to　that　of　Harry's　return　no　one　had　ventured　to　speak　his　name　in　her　presence。　　Even　her　father　and　mother；　after　the　first　burst　of　indignation；　had　kept　silence　in　pity　for　her　suffering；　and　there　was　that　in　her　bearing　that　forbade　others　touching　upon　a　subject　in　her　hearing　that　elsewhere　was　discussed　with　the　hungry　avidity　of　village　gossips　masticating　a　fresh　scandal。

But　she　could　not　be　always　spared　thus。　　She　had　not　been　so　careful　of　the　feelings　of　less　favored　women　and　girls；　inferior　to　her　in　brightness；　as　to　gain　any　claim　for　clement　treatment　now；　when　the　displacement　of　a　portion　of　her　armor　of　superiority　gave　those　who　envied　or　disliked　her　an　unprotected　spot　upon　which　to　launch　their　irritating　little　darts。

All　the　sewing；　dorcas　and　mite　societies　of　the　several　churches　in　Sardis　had　been　merged　into　one　consolidated　Lint…Scraping　and　Bandage…Making　Union；　in　whose　enlarged　confines　the　waves　of　gossip　flowed　with　as　much　more　force　and　volume　as　other　waves　gain　when　the　floods　unite　a　number　of　small　pools　into　one　great　lake。

In　other　days　a　sensational　ripple　starting；　say　in　the　Episcopalian　〃Dorcas；〃　was　stilled　into　calmness　ere　it　passed　the　calm　and　stately　church　boundaries。　　It　would　not　do　to　let　its　existence　be　even　suspected　by　the　keen　eyes　of　the　freely…censorious　Presbyterian　dames；　or　the　sharp…witted；　agile…tongued　Methodist　ladies。

And；　much　as　these　latter　were　disposed　to　talk　over　the　weaknesses　and　foibles　of　their　absent　sisters　in　the　confidential　environments　of　the　Mite　Society　or　the　Sewing　Circle；　they　were　as　reluctant　to　expose　these　to　the　invidious　criticisms　of　the　women　of　the　other　churches　as　if　the　discussed　ones　had　been　their　sisters　in　fact；　and　not　simply　through　sectarian　affiliation。　　Church　pride；　if　nothing　else；　contributed　to　the　bridling　of　their　tongues；　and　checking　the　free　circulation　of　gossip。

〃Them　stuck…up　Presbyterian　and　Episcopalian　women　think　little　enough　on　us　now；　the　land　knows；〃　Mrs。　Deborah　Pancake　explained　to　a　newly…received　sister；　whom　she　was　instructing　in　elementary　duties。　　〃There's　no　use　giving　'em　more　reason　for　looking　down　upon　us。　　We　may　talk　over　each　other's　short…comings　among　ourselves；　private　like；　because　the　Bible　tells　us　to　admonish　and　watch　over　each　other。　　But　it　don't　say　that　we're　to　give　outsiders　any　chance　to　speak　ill　of　our　sisters…in…Christ。〃

And　Mrs。　Euphrosyne　Pursifer　remarked　to　the　latest　agreeable　accession　to　the　parish　of　St。　Marks；　with　that　graceful　indirection　that　gave　her　the　reputation　in　Sardis　of　being　a　feminine　Talleyrand：

〃Undoubtedly　the　ladies　in　these　outside　denominations　are　very　worthy　women；　dear；　but　a　certain　circumspection　seems　advisable　in　conversing　with　them　on　subjects　that　we　may　speak　of　rather　freely　among　ourselves。〃

The　rising　fervor　of　the　war　spirit　melted　away　most　of　these　barriers　to　a　free　interchange　of　gossip。　　With　the　first　thrill　of　pleasure　at　finding　that　patriotism　had　drawn　together　those　whom　the　churches　had　long　held　aloof　came　to　all　the　gushing　impulse　to　cement　the　newly…formed　relationship　by　confiding　to　each　other　secrets　heretofore　jealously　guarded。　　Nor　should　be　forgotten　the　〃narrative　stimulus〃　every　one　feels　on　gaining　new　listeners　to　old　stories。

It　was　so　graciously　condescending　in　Mrs。　Euphrosyne　Pursifer　to　communicate　to　Mrs。　Elizabeth　Baker　some　few　particulars　in　which　her　aristocratic　associates　of　St。　Marks　had　grieved　her　by　not　rising　to　her　standard　of　womanly　dignity　and　Christian　duty；　that　Mrs。　Baker　in　turn　was　only　too　happy　to　reciprocate　with　a　similar　confidence　in　regard　to　her　intimate　friends　of　Wesley　Chapel。

It　was　this　sudden　lapsing　of　all　restraint　that　made　the　waves　of　gossip　surge　like　sweeping　billows。

And　the　flotsam　that　appeared　most　frequently　of　late　on　their　crests；　and　that　was　tossed　most　relentlessly　hither　and　thither；　was　Rachel　Bond's　and　Harry　Glen's　conduct　and　relations　to　each　other。

The　Consolidated　Lint…scraping　and　Bandage…making　Union　was　holding　a　regular　session；　and　gossip　was　at　spring…tide。

〃It　is　certainly　queer；〃　said　Mrs。　Tufis；　one　of　her　regulation　smiles　illuminating　her　very　artificial　countenance；　〃it　is　singular　to　the　last　degree　that　we　don't　have　Miss　Rachel　Bond　among　us。　She　is　such　a　LOVELY　girl。　　I　am　very；　very　fond　of　her；　and　her　heart　is　thoroughly　in　unison　with　our　objects。　　It　would　seem　impossible　for　her　to　keep　away。〃

All　this　with　the　acrid　sub…flavor　of　irony　and　insincerity　with　which　an　insincere　woman　can　not　help　tainting　even　her　most　sincere　words。

〃Yes；〃　said　Mrs。　Tabitha　Grimes；　with　a　premeditated　acerbity　apparent　even　in　the　threading　of　her　needle；　into　the　eye　of　which　she　thrust　the　thread　as　if　piercing　the　flesh　of　an　enemy　with　a　barb；　〃yes；〃　she　pulled　the　thread　through　with　a　motion　as　if　she　enjoyed　its　rasping　against　the　steel。　　〃Rachel　Bond　started　into　this　work　quite　as　brash　as　Harry　Glen　started　into　the　war。　　Her　enthusiasm　died　out　about　as　quickly　as　his　courage；　when　it　came　to　the　actual　business；　and　she　found　there　was　nobody　to　admire　her　industry；　or　the　way　she　got　herself　up；　except　a　parcel　of　married　women。〃

The　milk　of　human　kindness　had　begun　to　curdle　in　Mrs。　Grimes's　bosom；　at　an　early　and　now　rather　remote　age。　　Years　of　unavailing　struggle　to　convince　Mr。　Jason　Grimes　that　more　of　his　valuable　time　should　be　devoted　to　providing　for　the　wants　of　his　family；　and　less　to　leading　the　discussion　on　the　condition　of　the　country　in　the　free　parliament　that　met　around　the　stove　in　the　corner　grocery；　had　carried　forward　this　lacteal　fermentation　until　it　had　converted　the　milky　fluid　into　a　vinegarish　whey。

〃Well；　why　not？〃　asked　Elmira　Spelter；　the　main　grief　of　whose　life　was　time's　cruel　inflexibility　in　scoring　upon　her　face　unconcealable　tallies　of　every　one　of　his　yearly　flights　over　her　head；　〃why　shouldn't　she　enjoy　these　golden　days？　　Youth　is　passing；　to　her　and　to　all　of　us；　like　an　arrow　from　the　bow。　　It'd　be　absurd　for　her　to　waste　her　time　in　this　stuffy　old　place；　when　there　are　so　many　more　attractive　ones。　　It　ought　to　be　enough　that　those　of　us　who　have　only　a　few　remnants　of　beauty　left；　should　devote　them　to　this　work。〃

〃Well；〃　snapped　Mrs。　Grimes；　〃your　donation　of　good　looks　to　the　causeeven　if　you　give　all　you　gotwill　be　quite　modest；　something　on　the　widow's　mite　order。　　You　might　easily　obey　the　scriptural　injunction；　and　give　them　with　your　right　hand　without　your　left　knowing　what　was　being　done。〃

Elmira　winced　under　this　spiteful　bludgeoning；　but　she　rallied　and　came　back　at　her　antagonist。

〃Well；　my　dear；〃　she　said　quietly；　〃the　thought　often　occurs　to　me；　that　one　great　reason　why　we　both　have　been　able　to　keep　in　the　straight　and　narrow