THE HEARTH
When little Gerard was nearly three months old, a messenger came hot from Tergou for Catherine,"Now just you go back," said she, "and tell them I can't come, and I won't: they have got Kate," So he departed, and Catherine continued her sentence; "there, child, I must go: they are all at sixes and sevens: this is the third time of asking; and to-morrow my man would come himself and take me home by the ear, with a flea in't." She then recapitulated her experiences of infants, and instructed Margaret what to do in each coming emergency, and pressed money upon her, Margaret declined it with thanks, Catherine insisted, and turned angry.Margaret made excuses all so reasonable that Catherine rejected them with calm contempt; to her mind they lacked femininity,"Come, out with your heart," said she "and you and me parting; and mayhap shall never see one another's face again,""Oh! mother, say not so."
"Alack, girl, I have seen it so often; 'twill come into my mind now at each parting, When I was your age, I never had such a thought, Nay, we were all to live for ever then: so out wi' it,""Well, then, mother - I would rather not have told you - your Cornelis must say to me, 'So you are come to share with us, eh, mistress?' those were his words, I told him I would be very sorry.
"Beshrew his ill tongue! What signifies it? He will never know,"Most likely he would sooner or later, But whether or no, I will take no grudged bounty from any family; unless I saw my child starving, and - Heaven only knows what I might do, Nay, mother, give me but thy love - I do prize that above silver, and they grudge me not that, by all I can find - for not a stiver of money will I take out of your house,""You are a foolish lass, Why, were it me, I'd take it just to spite him,""No, you would not, You and I are apples off one tree"Catherine yielded with a good grace; and when the actual parting came, embraces and tears burst forth on both sides,When she was gone the child cried a good deal; and all attempts to pacify him failing, Margaret suspected a pin, and searching between his clothes and his skin, found a gold angel incommoding his backbone,"There, now, Gerard," said she to the babe; "I thought granny gave in rather sudden."She took the coin and wrapped it in a piece of linen, and laid it at the bottom of her box, bidding the infant observe she could be at times as resolute as granny herself.
Catherine told Eli of Margaret's foolish pride, and how she had baffled it.Eli said Margaret was right, and she was wrong.
Catherine tossed her head.Eli pondered.
Margaret was not without domestic anxieties.She had still two men to feed, and could not work so hard as she had done.She had enough to do to keep the house, and the child, and cook for them all.But she had a little money laid by, and she used to tell her child his father would be home to help them before it was spent.
And with these bright hopes, and that treasury of bliss, her boy, she spent some happy months.
Time wore on; and no Gerard came; and stranger still, no news of him.
Then her mind was disquieted, and contrary to her nature, which was practical, she was often lost in sad reverie; and sighed in silence.And while her heart was troubled, her money was melting.