poor and proud-第3节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃A　merchant；　mother？　Then　he　was　a　rich　man；　and　lived　in　a　great　house；　and　had　plenty　of　servants。〃

〃He　was　rich；　and　lived　in　good　style。　One　day　there　came　a　young　man　in　great　distress　to　his　counting…room。　He　was　a　clerk；　and　had　been　sent　by　his　employer　in　Manchester　to　pay　a　large　sum　of　money　to　my　father。　After　leaving　the　train；　he　had　entered　an　ale…house；　where　he　had　been　robbed　of　the　remittance。　He　had　been　imprudent；　but　instead　of　running　away；　he　went　directly　to　my　father；　and　informed　him　of　his　misfortune。　The　young　man　felt　that　he　was　ruined；　but　he　said　he　was　determined　not　to　leave　Liverpool　till　he　had　found　the　money。　He　was　sure　he　knew　the　man　who　had　robbed　him；　and　my　father　procured　the　services　of　several　policemen　to　assist　him　in　his　search。　All　that　day　and　all　that　night；　attended　by　policemen；　he　visited　the　resorts　of　vice　and　crime；　and　his　perseverance　was　rewarded　with　success。　He　found　the　man；　and　the　money　was　recovered。　My　father　was　so　well　pleased　with　the　energy　of　the　young　man；　that　he　gave　him　a　situation　in　his　counting　room。　That　young　man　was　John　Redburn；　your　father。　My　father　gave　him　a　much　larger　salary　than　he　had　been　receiving　before；　so　that　his　misfortune　in　losing　the　money　proved　to　be　a　piece　of　good　fortune　to　him；　for　it　procured　him　a　much　better　situation。　The　new　clerk　performed　his　duties　very　faithfully；　and　at　the　end　of　a　year　my　father　presented　him　this　watch；　with　the　motto；　‘All　for　the　Best；'　in　allusion　to　the　manner　in　which　he　had　obtained　his　situation。〃

〃But　how　came　you　here；　mother；　if　your　father　was　rich；　and　lived　in　a　fine　house？　You　are　very　poor　now；〃　asked　Katy；　who　feared　that　the　mystery　was　yet　to　come。

Mrs。　Redburn　burst　into　tears；　and　covered　her　face　with　her　hands；　as　the　pleasant　memories　of　her　former　happy　home　rushed　through　her　mind。

〃Don't　cry；　mother；　I　won't　ask　you　any　more　questions；〃　said　Katy；　grieved　to　find　she　had　reminded　her　mother　of　some　unpleasant　thing。

〃It　was　all　my　own　fault；　Katy。　I　am　here　poor　and　wretched；　because　I　disobeyed　my　father；　because　I　did　what　he　desired　me　not　to　do。　I　will　tell　you　all　about　it；　Katy。　I　became　acquainted　with　the　new　clerk；　John　Redburn；　and　the　result　of　our　acquaintance　was；　that　we　were　married　in　about　a　year。　We　ran　away　from　home；　for　my　father；　however　much　he　liked　John　as　a　clerk；　was　not　willing　that　he　should　be　my　husband。　He　forbade　John's　coming　to　our　house；　and　forbade　my　seeing　him。　I　disobeyed　him。　We　were　married；　and　John　was　discharged。　My　father　refused　to　see　me　again。〃

〃That　was　cruel；〃　interposed　Katy

〃My　father　was　right；　and　I　have　always　regretted　that　I　disobeyed　him。　We　came　to　America；　and　your　father　procured　a　situation　in　New　York；　where　you　were　born；　about　a　year　after　we　arrived。　For　three　years　we　got　along　very　well。　I　wish　I　could　stop　here；　Katy；　for　the　rest　of　the　story　is　very　sad。〃

〃Don't　tell　me　any　more；　mother；　it　makes　you　feel　so　bad；　I　would　rather　not　hear　it。　I　know　now　why　you　value　the　watch　so　much；　and　I　hope　we　shall　be　able　to　get　it　back　again。〃

〃I　fear　not。　But　you　must　hear　the　rest　of　this　sad　story。〃

Mrs。　Redburn　continued　the　narrative；　though　tears　blinded　her　eyes；　and　sobs　chocked　her　utterance；　as　she　told　of　the　struggle　she　had　had　with　poverty　and　want。　Her　husband　had　done　very　well　in　New　York；　and；　gay　and　light…hearted　in　the　midst　of　his　prosperity；　his　habits　had　been　gradually　growing　worse　and　worse；　till　he　lost　his　situation；　and　became　a　common　sot。　The　poor　wife　had　then　been　compelled　to　toil　for　her　own　support　and　that　of　her　child；　and　having　been　brought　up　in　luxury　and　ease；　it　was　a　dreadful　task　to　her。

John　obtained　another　situation；　but　soon　lost　it。　He　was　a　good…hearted　man　when　he　had　not　been　drinking；　and　keenly　felt　the　disgrace　and　misery　he　was　heaping　upon　himself　and　his　unhappy　wife。　Once　he　had　the　resolution　to　abandon　the　cup；　fully　determined　to　redeem　his　lost　character；　and　make　his　family　happy　again。　The　better　to　accomplish　this；　he　removed　to　Boston；　where　he　obtained　a　good　situation；　and　for　more　than　a　year　he　adhered　to　his　resolution。　Mrs。　Redburn　was　happy　again　and　tremblingly　hoped　that　the　clouds　of　darkness　had　forever　passed　away。

The　evil　time　came　again；　and　John　Redburn　sank　down　lower　than　ever　before。　His　wife　lost　all　hope　of　him；　and　struggled；　with　the　courage　of　a　hero　and　the　fortitude　of　a　martyr；　against　the　adverse　tide　that　set　against　her。　She　was　fortunate　in　obtaining　plenty　of　sewing；　and　was　able　to　support　herself　and　child　very　well；　but　her　husband；　now　lost　to　all　sense　of　decency；　contrived　to　obtain；　from　time　to　time；　a　portion　of　her　hard　earnings。　She　could　never　have　believed　that　John　Redburn　would　come　to　this；　for；　as　a　clerk　in　her　father's　counting　room；　he　had　been　all　that　was　good　and　noble；　but　there　he　was　a　miserable　sot；　lost　to　himself；　to　his　family；　and　the　world。

One　morning　in　winter　he　was　brought　home　to　her　dead。　He　had　died　in　the　watch…house　of　delirium　tremens。　He　was　buried；　and　peace；　if　not　hope；　settled　on　the　brow　of　the　broken…hearted　wife。

Year　after　year　Mrs。　Redburn　struggled　on；　often　with　feeble　hands　and　fainting　heart；　to　earn　a　subsistence　for　herself　and　Katy。　She　had　been　bred　in　opulence；　and　her　wants　were　not　so　few　and　simple　as　the　wants　of　those　who　have　never　enjoyed　the　luxury　of　a　soft　couch　and　a　well…supplied　table。　She　had　never　learned　that　calculating　economy　which　provides　a　great　deal　with　very　small　means。

Hence　it　was　much　harder　for　her　to　support　herself　and　child；　than　it　would　have　been　for　one　who　had　been　brought　up　in　a　hovel。

She　had　done　very　well；　however；　until；　a　few　months　before　our　story　opens；　she　had　been　taken　sick；　and　was　no　longer　able　to　work。　Her　disease　was　an　affection　of　the　spine；　which　was　at　times　very　painful；　and　confined　her　to　the　bed。

〃But　where　is　your　father　now？〃　asked　Katy；　when　her　mother　had　finished　the　narrative。

〃I　do　not　know；　if　he　is　alive；　he　probably　lives　in　Liverpool。〃

〃Why　don't　you　write　a　letter　to　him？〃


〃I　have　done　so　several　times；　but　have　never　received　any　reply。　I　wrote　shortly　after　your　father　died；　giving　an　account　of　my　situation。　I　am　sure　my　father　never　could　have　got　my　letter；　or　he　would　have　answered　me。　I　know　he　would　not　let　me　suffer　here　in　woe　and　want；　if　he　were　aware　of　my　condition。〃

〃Why　don't　you　write　again？〃

〃It　is　useless。〃

〃Let　me　write；　mother。　I　will　call　him　dear　grandfather；　and　I　am　sure　he　will　send　you　some　money　then：　perhaps　he　will　send　for　us　to　go　to　Liverpool；　and　live　in　his　great　house；　and　have　servants　to　wait　upon　us。〃

〃Alas；　my　child；　I　have　given　up　all　hope　of　ever　seeing　him　again　in　this　world。　In　my　letters　I　confessed　my　fault；　and　begged　his　forgiveness。　He　cannot　be　alive；　or　I　am　sure　my　last　letters　would　have　melted　his　heart。〃

〃Haven't　you　any　brothers　and　sisters；　mother？〃

〃I　had　one　sister；　and　I　have　written　several　letters　to　her；　but　with　no　better　success。　They　may　be　all　dead。　I　fear　they　are。〃

〃And　your　mother？〃

〃She　died　when　I　was　young。　I　know　Jane　would　have　answered　my　letters　if　she　had　received　them。〃

〃She　was　your　sister？〃

〃Yes；　she　must　be　dead；　and　I　suppose　my　father's　property　must　be　in　the　hands　of　strangers；　covering　their　floors　with　soft　carpets；　and　their　tables　with　nice　food；　while　I　lie　here　in　misery；　and　my　poor　child　actually　suffers　from　hunger；〃　and　the　afflicted　mother　clasped　her　daughter　in　her　arms；　and　wept　as　though　her　heart　would　burst。

〃Don't　cry；　mother。　I　was　not　very　hungry。　We　have　had　enough　to　eat　till　to…day。　I　am　going　to　take　care　of　you　now；　you　have　taken　care　of　me　so　long；〃　replied　Katy；　as　she　wiped　away　the　tears　that　flowed　down　her　mother's　wan　cheek。

〃What　can　you　do；　poor　child？〃

〃I　can　do　a　great　many　things；　I　am　sure　I　can　earn　money　enough　to　support　us　both。〃

〃It　is　hard　to　think　how　much　I　have　suffered；　and　how　much　of　woe　there　may　be　in　the　future　for　me；〃　sobbed　Mrs。　Redburn。

〃Don't　cry；　mother。　You　know　what　it　says　on　the　watch‘All　for　the　Best。'　Who　knows　but　that　all　your　sorrows　are　for　the　best？〃

〃I　hope　they　are；　I　will　try　to　think　they　are。　But　it　is　time　for　you　to　go。　Pawn　the　watch　for　as　much　as　you　can；　and　I　trust　that　some　fortunate　event　will　enable　us　to　redeem　it。〃

Katy　took　the　watch；　smoothed　down　her　hair　again；　put　on　her　worn…out　bonnet；　and　left　the　house。



CHAPTER　III；

KATY　AND　MASTER　SIMON　SNEED　VISIT　THE　PAWNBROKER'S　SHOP。


The　court　in　which　Katy　lived　had　once　been　the　abode　of　many　very　respectable　families；　to　use　a　popular　word；　for　respectable　does　not　always　mean　worthy　of　respect　on　account　of　one's　virtues；　but　worthy　of　respect　on　account　of　one's　lands；　houses；　and　money。　In　the　former　sense　it　was　still　occupied　by　very　respectable　families；　though　none　of　them　possessed　much　of　the　〃goods　that　perish　in　the　using〃　Mrs。　Redburn；　the　seamstress；　was　very　respectable；　Mrs。　Colvin；　the　washer…woman；　was　very　respectable；　so　were　Mrs。　Howard；　the　tailoress；　Mr。　Brown；　the　lumper；　and　Mr。　Sneed；　the　mason。

Katy's　mo