第27章

The HermitageMY COMPANION and I had been so intent upon the subject of the conversation that we had not heard any one open the gate, but at this moment, above the noise of the rain, we heard a loud knocking.

We were all startled as we sat by the fire, and Mrs.Todd rose hastily and went to answer the call, leaving her rocking-chair in violent motion.Mrs.Fosdick and I heard an anxious voice at the door speaking of a sick child, and Mrs.Todd's kind, motherly voice inviting the messenger in: then we waited in silence.There was a sound of heavy dropping of rain from the eaves, and the distant roar and undertone of the sea.My thoughts flew back to the lonely woman on her outer island; what separation from humankind she must have felt, what terror and sadness, even in a summer storm like this!

"You send right after the doctor if she ain't better in half an hour," said Mrs.Todd to her worried customer as they parted;and I felt a warm sense of comfort in the evident resources of even so small a neighborhood, but for the poor hermit Joanna there was no neighbor on a winter night.

"How did she look?" demanded Mrs.Fosdick, without preface, as our large hostess returned to the little room with a mist about her from standing long in the wet doorway, and the sudden draught of her coming beat out the smoke and flame from the Franklin stove.

"How did poor Joanna look?"

"She was the same as ever, except I thought she looked smaller," answered Mrs.Todd after thinking a moment; perhaps it was only a last considering thought about her patient.

"Yes, she was just the same, and looked very nice, Joanna did.Ihad been married since she left home, an' she treated me like her own folks.I expected she'd look strange, with her hair turned gray in a night or somethin', but she wore a pretty gingham dress I'd often seen her wear before she went away; she must have kept it nice for best in the afternoons.She always had beautiful, quiet manners.I remember she waited till we were close to her, and then kissed me real affectionate, and inquired for Nathan before she shook hands with the minister, and then she invited us both in.

'Twas the same little house her father had built him when he was a bachelor, with one livin'-room, and a little mite of a bedroom out of it where she slept, but 'twas neat as a ship's cabin.There was some old chairs, an' a seat made of a long box that might have held boat tackle an' things to lock up in his fishin' days, and a good enough stove so anybody could cook and keep warm in cold weather.

I went over once from home and stayed 'most a week with Joanna when we was girls, and those young happy days rose up before me.Her father was busy all day fishin' or clammin'; he was one o' the pleasantest men in the world, but Joanna's mother had the grim streak, and never knew what 'twas to be happy.The first minute my eyes fell upon Joanna's face that day I saw how she had grown to look like Mis' Todd.'Twas the mother right over again.""Oh dear me!" said Mrs.Fosdick.

"Joanna had done one thing very pretty.There was a little piece o' swamp on the island where good rushes grew plenty, and she'd gathered 'em, and braided some beautiful mats for the floor and a thick cushion for the long bunk.She'd showed a good deal of invention; you see there was a nice chance to pick up pieces o'

wood and boards that drove ashore, and she'd made good use o' what she found.There wasn't no clock, but she had a few dishes on a shelf, and flowers set about in shells fixed to the walls, so it did look sort of homelike, though so lonely and poor.I couldn't keep the tears out o' my eyes, I felt so sad.I said to myself, Imust get mother to come over an' see Joanna; the love in mother's heart would warm her, an' she might be able to advise.""Oh no, Joanna was dreadful stern," said Mrs.Fosdick.

"We were all settin' down very proper, but Joanna would keep stealin' glances at me as if she was glad I come.She had but little to say; she was real polite an' gentle, and yet forbiddin'.

The minister found it hard," confessed Mrs.Todd; "he got embarrassed, an' when he put on his authority and asked her if she felt to enjoy religion in her present situation, an' she replied that she must be excused from answerin', I thought I should fly.

She might have made it easier for him; after all, he was the minister and had taken some trouble to come out, though 'twas kind of cold an' unfeelin' the way he inquired.I thought he might have seen the little old Bible a-layin' on the shelf close by him, an'

I wished he knew enough to just lay his hand on it an' read somethin' kind an' fatherly 'stead of accusin' her, an' then given poor Joanna his blessin' with the hope she might be led to comfort.

He did offer prayer, but 'twas all about hearin' the voice o' God out o' the whirlwind; and I thought while he was goin' on that anybody that had spent the long cold winter all alone out on Shell-heap Island knew a good deal more about those things than he did.

I got so provoked I opened my eyes and stared right at him.

"She didn't take no notice, she kep' a nice respectful manner towards him, and when there come a pause she asked if he had any interest about the old Indian remains, and took down some queer stone gouges and hammers off of one of her shelves and showed them to him same's if he was a boy.He remarked that he'd like to walk over an' see the shell-heap; so she went right to the door and pointed him the way.I see then that she'd made her some kind o'

sandal-shoes out o' the fine rushes to wear on her feet; she stepped light an' nice in 'em as shoes."Mrs.Fosdick leaned back in her rocking-chair and gave a heavy sigh.

"I didn't move at first, but I'd held out just as long as Icould," said Mrs.Todd, whose voice trembled a little."When Joanna returned from the door, an' I could see that man's stupid back departin' among the wild rose bushes, I just ran to her an'

caught her in my arms.I wasn't so big as I be now, and she was older than me, but I hugged her tight, just as if she was a child.

'Oh, Joanna dear,' I says, 'won't you come ashore an' live 'long o'