第22章

"Almiry," said Mrs.Fosdick, with sadness, "you may say what you like, but I am one of nine brothers and sisters brought up on the old place, and we're all dead but me.""Your sister Dailey ain't gone, is she? Why, no, Louisa ain't gone!" exclaimed Mrs.Todd, with surprise."Why, I never heard of that occurrence!""Yes'm; she passed away last October, in Lynn.She had made her distant home in Vermont State, but she was making a visit to her youngest daughter.Louisa was the only one of my family whose funeral I wasn't able to attend, but 'twas a mere accident.All the rest of us were settled right about home.I thought it was very slack of 'em in Lynn not to fetch her to the old place; but when I came to hear about it, I learned that they'd recently put up a very elegant monument, and my sister Dailey was always great for show.She'd just been out to see the monument the week before she was taken down, and admired it so much that they felt sure of her wishes.""So she's really gone, and the funeral was up to Lynn!"repeated Mrs.Todd, as if to impress the sad fact upon her mind.

"She was some years younger than we be, too.I recollect the first day she ever came to school; 'twas that first year mother sent me inshore to stay with aunt Topham's folks and get my schooling.You fetched little Louisa to school one Monday mornin'

in a pink dress an' her long curls, and she set between you an' me, and got cryin' after a while, so the teacher sent us home with her at recess.""She was scared of seeing so many children about her; there was only her and me and brother John at home then; the older boys were to sea with father, an' the rest of us wa'n't born," explained Mrs.Fosdick."That next fall we all went to sea together.Mother was uncertain till the last minute, as one may say.The ship was waiting orders, but the baby that then was, was born just in time, and there was a long spell of extra bad weather, so mother got about again before they had to sail, an' we all went.I remember my clothes were all left ashore in the east chamber in a basket where mother'd took them out o' my chist o' drawers an' left 'em ready to carry aboard.She didn't have nothing aboard, of her own, that she wanted to cut up for me, so when my dress wore out she just put me into a spare suit o' John's, jacket and trousers.Iwasn't but eight years old an' he was most seven and large of his age.Quick as we made a port she went right ashore an' fitted me out pretty, but we was bound for the East Indies and didn't put in anywhere for a good while.So I had quite a spell o' freedom.

Mother made my new skirt long because I was growing, and I poked about the deck after that, real discouraged, feeling the hem at my heels every minute, and as if youth was past and gone.I liked the trousers best; I used to climb the riggin' with 'em and frighten mother till she said an' vowed she'd never take me to sea again."I thought by the polite absent-minded smile on Mrs.Todd's face this was no new story.

"Little Louisa was a beautiful child; yes, I always thought Louisa was very pretty," Mrs.Todd said."She was a dear little girl in those days.She favored your mother; the rest of you took after your father's folks.""We did certain," agreed Mrs.Fosdick, rocking steadily.

"There, it does seem so pleasant to talk with an old acquaintance that knows what you know.I see so many of these new folks nowadays, that seem to have neither past nor future.

Conversation's got to have some root in the past, or else you've got to explain every remark you make, an' it wears a person out."Mrs.Todd gave a funny little laugh."Yes'm, old friends is always best, 'less you can catch a new one that's fit to make an old one out of," she said, and we gave an affectionate glance at each other which Mrs.Fosdick could not have understood, being the latest comer to the house.