GRANDMOTHER
 
 Handy Volume Editions 
 of Copyrighted Fiction 
 
 BY 
 
 LAURA E. 
 RICHARDS 
 
 * 
 
 MRS. TREE'S WILL . . $ .75 
 MRS. TREE ...... 75 
 
 GEOFFREY STRONG . .75 
 FOR TOMMY ...... 75 
 
 LOVE AND ROCKS . . .75 
 CAPTAIN JANUARY . . .75 
 
 Tall jfimos, Individual Cover 
 Designs. Illustrated. 
 
 DANA ESTES & CO., PUBLISHERS 
 ESTES PRESS, BOSTON, MASS.
 
 "GRANDMOTHER KNELT DOWN BESIDE HIM, AND TOOK 
 HIS HAND." 
 
 (See page 62)
 
 RAND- # 
 MOTHER 
 
 The Story of a Life That Never 
 Was Lived 
 
 By 
 
 Laura E. Richards 
 
 Author of 
 
 " Captain January," " Melody," " Marie," " Mrs. Tree's 
 
 Will," etc. 
 
 Boston 
 
 Dana Estes & Company 
 
 Publishers
 
 Copyright, 1907 
 BY DANA ESTES & COMPANY 
 
 All rights reserved 
 
 GRANDMOTHEK 
 
 COLONIAL PRESS 
 
 Eltctrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co. 
 Boston, U.S.A.
 
 5RLI 
 
 TO 
 MY DAUGHTER
 
 I heard an angel singing 
 When the day was springing, 
 " Mercy, pity and peace 
 Are the world's release ! " 
 
 WILLIAM BLAKE.
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGB 
 
 I. How SHE CAME TO THE VILLAGE . 1 
 n. How THE FIRST LINE CAME IN 
 
 HER FACE 15 
 
 HI. How SHE PLAYED WITH THE CHIL- 
 DREN 30 
 
 IV. How SHE SANG GRANDFATHER TO 
 
 SLEEP 50 
 
 V. How THE SECOND LINE CAME IN 
 
 HER FOREHEAD .... 65 
 
 VI. How SHE WENT VISITING . . 81 
 
 VII. How THE LIGHT CAME TO HER . 99 
 
 VIII. How HER HAIR TURNED WHITE . 116 
 
 IX. How SHE FOUND PEACE . 132
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 " GRANDMOTHER KNELT DOWN BESIDE HIM, 
 
 AND TOOK HIS HAND " (Page 62~) Frontispiece 
 
 " THE LONG WHITE LILY PUTTING IT DELI- 
 CATELY TO HER CHEEK " ... 20 
 
 " GRANDMOTHER HAD FORGOTTEN ALL THE 
 
 WORLD EXCEPT THE CHILD " . . . 102 
 
 " SHE LAY LIKE AN IVORY STATUE " . . 145
 
 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 HOW SHE CAME TO THE VILLAGE 
 
 SHE was a slip of a girl when first she 
 came to the village; slender and 
 delicate, with soft brown hair blowing 
 about her soft face. Those who saw 
 her coming down the street beside 
 Grandfather Merion thought he had 
 brought back one of his grandnieces 
 with him from the west for a visit; it 
 was known that he had been out 
 i
 
 2 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 there, and he had been away all 
 summer. 
 
 Anne Peace and her mother looked 
 up from their sewing as the pair went 
 by; Grandfather Merion walking slow 
 and stately with his ivory-headed stick 
 and his great three-cornered hat, 
 the last one left in the village, his kind 
 wise smile greeting the neighbors as 
 he met them; and beside him this 
 tall slender maiden in her light print 
 gown that the wind was tossing about, 
 as it tossed the brown cloud of hair 
 about her cheeks. 
 
 " Look, mother ! " said Anne Peace. 
 " She is for all the world like a wind- 
 flower, so pretty and slim. Who is it, 
 think?" 
 
 " Some of his western kin, I s'pose,"
 
 HOW SHE CAME TO THE VILLAGE 3 
 
 said Widow Peace. " She is a pretty 
 piece. See if she's got the new back, 
 Anne; I was wishful some stranger 
 would coine to town to show us how it 
 looked." 
 
 " Land, Mother," said Anne ; " her 
 gown's nothing but calico, and might 
 have come out of the Ark, looks 's 
 though; not but what 'tis pretty on 
 her. Real graceful ! There ! see her 
 look up at him, just as sweet ! I expect 
 she is his grandniece, likely. There 
 they go in 't the gate, and he's left it 
 open, and the hens'll get out. Rachel 
 won't like that ! She keeps her hens 
 real careful." 
 
 " She fusses 'em most to death ! " 
 said Mrs. Peace. " If I was a hen I 
 should go raving distracted if Rachel
 
 4 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 Merion had the rearin' of me. Why, 
 Anne ! why, look at Rachel this minute, 
 runnin' down the garden path. She 
 looks as if something was after her. 
 My sakes ! she's comin' in here. What 
 in the - 
 
 Rachel Merion, a tall handsome 
 young woman with a general effect of 
 black and red about her, came out of 
 her door and down the path like an 
 arrow shot from a bow. At one dash 
 she reached the gate and paused to 
 flash a furious look back at the house ; 
 with a second dash she was across the 
 road, and in another instant she stood 
 in Mrs. Peace's sitting-room, quiver- 
 ing like a bowstring. 
 
 " Mis' Peace ! " she cried. " Anne ! 
 he's done it ! he has ! he has, I tell
 
 HOW SHE CAME TO THE VILLAGE 5 
 
 you ! I'll go crazy or drown myself ; 
 I will ! I will ! " 
 
 She began beating the air with her 
 hands and screaming in short breathless 
 gasps. Mrs. Peace looked calmly at 
 her over her spectacles. 
 
 " There, Rachel ! " she said. " You 
 are in a takin', aren't you ? Set down 
 a spell, till you feel quieter, and then 
 tell us about it." 
 
 Anne, seeing the girl past speech, 
 rose quietly, and taking her hand, 
 forced her to sit down; then taking a 
 bowl of water from the table, wet her 
 brow and head repeatedly, speaking 
 low and soothingly the while : ' There, 
 Rachel ! there ! You're better now, 
 aren't you ? Take a long breath, and 
 count ten slowly ; there ! there ! "
 
 6 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 The angry girl took a deep breath 
 and then another; soon the power of 
 speech returned, and broke out in a 
 torrent. 
 
 " I always knew he would ! " she 
 cried. " I've looked for it ever since 
 Mother was cold in her grave and 
 before, you know I have, Anne Peace. 
 I looked for it with Aunt 'Melia till I 
 routed her out of the house, and I 
 looked for it with Mis' Wiley till I sent 
 her flying. I wish't now I'd let 'em 
 alone, both of 'em. I'd sooner he'd 
 married 'em both, and been a Turk 
 and done with it, instead of this." 
 
 Mrs. Peace looked over her spectacles 
 with mild severity. 
 
 " Rachel Merion," she said, " what 
 are you talking about? If it's your
 
 HOW SHE CAME TO THE VILLAGE 7 
 
 grandfather, why then I tell you plain, 
 that is no proper way for you to talk. 
 What has happened? speak out 
 plain ! " 
 
 " He's married ! " Rachel fairly 
 shrieked. " Married to a girl of eight- 
 een, and brought her back to sit over 
 me and order me about in my own 
 house. I'll teach 'em ! I'll let 'em see 
 if I'm going to be bossed round by 
 a brown calico rag doll. They'll find 
 me dead on the threshold first. " 
 
 " Married ! " cried Mrs. Peace and 
 Anne. " Oh, Rachel ! it can't be. 
 You can't have understood him. 
 It's one of his grandnieces, I expect, 
 your Aunt Sophia's daughter. She 
 settled out west, I've always heard." 
 
 " I tell you he's married ! " cried
 
 8 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 Rachel. " Didn't he tell me so ? 
 didn't he lead her in by the hand 
 (she was scared, I'll say that for her; 
 she'd better be ! ) and say ' Rachel, 
 here's my wife ! here's your little 
 grandmother that's come to be a play- 
 mate for you.' Little grandmother ! 
 that's what I'll call her, I guess. Let 
 her be a grandmother, and sit in the 
 chimney corner and smoke a cob pipe 
 and wear a cap tied under her chin. 
 But if ever she dares to sit in my chair, 
 I'll kill her and myself too. Oh, Mis' 
 Peace, I wish I was dead ! I wish 
 everybody was dead." 
 
 So that was how Grandmother came 
 by her name. It seems strange that it 
 should have been first given as a taunt. 
 
 And while Rachel was raving and
 
 HOW SHE CAME TO THE VILLAGE 9 
 
 weeping, and the good Peaces, who 
 tried to live up to their name, were 
 soothing her with quiet and comfortable 
 words, Grandmother was standing in 
 the middle of the great Merion kitchen, 
 with her hands folded before her in 
 the light pretty way she had, listening 
 to Grandfather ; and while she listened 
 she looked to and fro with shy startled 
 glances, and seemed to sway lightly 
 from side to side, as if a breath would 
 move her; she was like a windflower, 
 as Anne Peace said. 
 
 ' You mustn't mind Rachel," 
 Grandfather was saying, as he filled 
 his long pipe and settled himself in 
 his great chair. " She is like the wind 
 that bloweth where it listeth; where 
 it listeth. She has grown up motherless
 
 10 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 - like yourself, my dear, but with a 
 difference; with a difference; neither 
 your grandmother I would say, 
 neither my wife nor I have ever governed 
 her enough. She has rather governed 
 me, being of that disposition; of that 
 disposition. Yes ! But she is a fine 
 girl, and I hope you will be good 
 friends. This is the kitchen, where 
 we mostly sit in summer, for coolness, 
 you see; Rachel cooks mostly in the 
 back kitchen in summer. That is the 
 sitting-room beyond, which you will 
 find pleasant in cooler weather. That 
 is the pantry door, and that one opens 
 on the cellar stairs. Comfortable, all 
 very comfortable. I hope you will be 
 happy, my dear. Do you think you 
 will be happy ? "
 
 HOW SHE CAME TO THE VILLAGE 11 
 
 He looked at . her with a shade of 
 anxiety in his cheerful eyes, and waited 
 for her reply. 
 
 " Oh yes ! " said Grandmother, 
 with a flutter in her voice that told of 
 a sob somewhere near. ' Yes, sir, if 
 if she will not always be angry. Will 
 she always, do you think ? " 
 
 "No! No!" said Grandfather; 
 " very soon, very soon, we'll all be 
 comfortable, all be comfortable. Just 
 don't mind her, my dear. Let her be, 
 and she'll come round." 
 
 He nodded wisely with his kind 
 grave smile. By and by he bade her 
 go out in the garden and gather a posy 
 for herself; and then he took his hat 
 and stepped across the road to Widow 
 Peace's.
 
 12 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 Grandmother started obediently, but 
 when she came to the garden door she 
 stopped and looked out with wide 
 startled eyes. Rachel in her scarlet 
 dress was down on her knees in the 
 poppy bed, the pride of her heart, and 
 was plucking up the poppies in furious 
 haste, dragging them up by the roots 
 and trampling them under her feet. 
 
 " It seemed the only thing to do ! " 
 said Grandfather Merion, absently. 
 * Wild parts, Susan ; wild parts, 
 ma'am ! Her parents dead, as I told 
 you, and the child left with the inn- 
 keeper's wife, who was not not a 
 person fitted to bring up a young girl ; 
 no other woman at least none of 
 suitable character near. It seemed
 
 HOW SHE CAME TO THE VILLAGE 13 
 
 clearly my duty to bring the child 
 away. Then my search led me 
 into mining-camps, and often I had 
 to be off alone among the mountains, 
 as a rumor came from here or there - 
 the marriage bond was a protection, 
 you see ; yes, I was clear as to my duty. 
 But I confess I forgot about Rachel, 
 Susan, and Rachel is so ungoverned ! 
 I fear she will not a not be sub- 
 ject to my wife whose name is 
 Pity, by the way, Susan; a quaint 
 name; she is a very good child. I 
 am sure you and little Annie will be 
 good to her." 
 
 Good Widow Peace promised, and 
 so did Anne, her soft brown eyes 
 shining with good- will; but when he 
 was gone back, the old woman shook
 
 14 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 her head. " No good can come of it ! " 
 she said. " I hadn't the heart to say 
 so, Anne, for poor Grandfather must 
 have a hard time, searching them cruel 
 mountains for his graceless son; but 
 no good can come of it." 
 
 " But we can try ! " said Anne.
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 HOW THE FIRST LINE CAME IN HER 
 FACE 
 
 RACHEL did not kill herself, nor go 
 crazy; nor did she even go away, as 
 she threatened to do when she wearied 
 of announcing her imminent death. 
 She stayed and made things unpleasant 
 for Grandmother. She was barely 
 civil to her in Grandfather's presence, 
 for she dared not be otherwise; but 
 the moment his back was turned she 
 was grimacing and threatening behind 
 it, and when he left the room she 
 would break out into open taunt and 
 
 15
 
 16 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 menace. There was no name too 
 hateful for her to call the pale girl who 
 never reviled her in turn; but Grand- 
 mother's very silence was turned against 
 her. 
 
 " You needn't think that I don't 
 know why you're dumb as a fish ! " 
 raved the frantic girl. ' You know 
 what I say is true, and you darsn't 
 speak ! you darsn't ! you darsn't ! - 
 She stopped short; for Grandmother 
 had come and taken her by both wrists, 
 and stood gazing at her. 
 
 " Stop ! " she said quietly. " That 
 is enough. Stop ! " 
 
 They stood for some minutes, look- 
 ing into each other's eyes ; then Rachel 
 turned her head away with a sullen 
 gesture. " Let me go ! " she said. " I
 
 THE FIRST LINE IN HER FACE 17 
 
 don't want to say anything more. I've 
 said enough. Let me go ! " 
 
 These were bad hours, but there 
 were good ones too for little Grand- 
 mother. She loved her housework, 
 and did it with a pretty grace and 
 quickness; she loved to sit by Grand- 
 father with her sewing, or read the 
 paper to him. She could not be doing 
 enough for the old man. She told 
 Anne Peace that he had saved her life. 
 " I should not have gone on living out 
 there," she said, " it was not good to 
 live after my father died. I had one 
 friend, but he left me, and there were 
 only strangers when Grandfather came 
 and saved me. It is a little thing to 
 let her scold " it was after one of 
 Rachel's tantrums " if only she will be
 
 18 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 quiet before him, and not make him 
 grieve." 
 
 But her happiest hours were in the 
 garden. It was a lovely place, the 
 Merion garden; not large, only a 
 hundred feet from the house to the 
 street; but this space was so set and 
 packed with flowers that from a 
 little distance it looked like a gay 
 carpet stretched before the old red 
 brick house. Small lozenge-shaped 
 beds, each a mass of brilliant color; 
 sweet-william, iris, pansies, poppies, 
 forget - me - nots, and twenty other 
 lovely things. Between the beds, 
 round and round like a slender 
 green ribbon, ran a little grassy 
 path, just wide enough for one person. 
 Grandmother would spend her best
 
 THE FIRST LINE IN HER FACE 19 
 
 hours following this path ; pacing slowly 
 along, stopping here to look and there 
 to smell, and everywhere to love. 
 She was like a flower herself, as she 
 drifted softly along in her light dress, 
 her soft hair blowing about her sweet 
 pale face; a windflower, as Anne 
 Peace said. 
 
 One day she had followed the path 
 till she came to where it ran along by 
 the old vine-covered brick wall that 
 stood between the garden and the 
 road. You could hardly see the wall 
 for the grape-vines that were piled 
 thick upon it; and inside the vines 
 tumbled about, overrunning the long 
 bed of yellow iris that was the rear- 
 guard of the garden. 
 
 Grandmother was talking as she
 
 20 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 drifted slowly along; it was a way she 
 had, bred by her lonely life in the 
 western cabin; talking half to herself, 
 half to the long white lily that she held, 
 putting it delicately to her cheek now 
 and then, as if to feel which was the 
 smoother. 
 
 " But Manuel never came back ! " 
 she was saying. " I never knew, white 
 lily, I never knew whether he was 
 alive or dead. That made it hard to 
 come away, do you see, dear ? Whether 
 he was lost in the great snow up on 
 the mountains, or whether the Indians 
 caught him, I can never know now, 
 lily dear; and he was my only friend 
 till Grandfather came, and I loved him 
 I loved Manuel, white lily ! Ah ! 
 what is that ? "
 
 "THE LONG WHITE LILY PUTTING IT DELICATELY TO HER 
 CHEEK."
 
 THE FIRST LINE IN HER FACE 21 
 
 There was a smothered exclama- 
 tion; a rustle on the other side of the 
 wall. The next moment a figure 
 that had been lying under the wall 
 rose up and confronted Grand- 
 mother; the figure of a young man, 
 tall and graceful, with the look of a 
 foreigner. 
 
 " Pitia ! " cried the young man. " It 
 is you ? You call me ? see, I come ! 
 I am here, Manuel Santos." 
 
 Yes, things happen so, sometimes, 
 more strangely than in stories. 
 
 He stretched out his arms across the 
 wall in greeting. 
 
 " Are you alive, Manuel ? " asked 
 Grandmother, making the sign of the 
 cross, as her Spanish nurse had taught 
 her. " Are you alive, or a spirit ?
 
 22 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 Either way I am glad, oh, glad to see 
 you, Manuel ! " 
 
 She drew near timidly, and timidly 
 reached out her hand and touched 
 his ; he grasped it with a cry, and then 
 with one motion had leaped the wall 
 and caught her in his arms. ' Pitia ! " 
 he cried. ! To me ! mine, forever ! " 
 
 He lifted her face to his, but in 
 breathless haste little Grandmother put 
 him from her and leaned back against 
 the wall, with hands outstretched keep- 
 ing him off. 
 
 ' Manuel," she said. ' I have a 
 great deal to tell you. I thought - 
 you did not come back. I thought 
 you were dead." 
 
 " Yes," said the boy. " No wonder ! 
 The Apaches got me and kept me all
 
 THE FIRST LINE IN HER FACE 23 
 
 winter with a broken leg. What mat- 
 ter ? I got away. I found you had 
 come east. I found the man's name 
 who brought you found where he 
 lived. I followed. I come here an 
 hour ago, and lie down, I think by 
 chance, beneath the wall to rest. That 
 chance was the finger of Heaven. You 
 see, Pitia, it leads me to you. I take 
 you, you are mine, you go back with 
 me, as my wife." 
 
 The little windflower was very white 
 as she leaned against the wall, still with 
 outstretched pleading hands; whiter 
 than the lily that lay at her feet. 
 
 "Manuel," she said; "listen! I 
 was alone. Father died. There was 
 no woman save old Emilia " the 
 lad uttered an oath, but she hurried
 
 24 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 on. " I could not I could not stay. 
 I meant to die; I thought you dead, 
 and I I was going up into the great 
 snow to end it, when a good old 
 man came. Old, old, white as winter, 
 but good as Heaven. He saved me, 
 Manuel; he brought me here to his 
 home, and it is mine too. I am his 
 wife, Manuel." 
 
 " His wife ! " The young man stared 
 incredulous, his dark eyes full of pain 
 and trouble. " His wife an old 
 man ! You, my Pitia ? " Suddenly 
 his face broke into laughter. 
 
 " I see ! " he cried. ' You punish 
 me, you try me good ! I take it all ! 
 Go on, Pitia ! more penance, I desire 
 it, because at the last I have you - 
 so!"
 
 THE FIRST LINE IN HER FACE 25 
 
 Once more he sprang towards her 
 with a passionate gesture; but the 
 slender white arms never wavered. 
 
 " I am his wife," she repeated ; 
 " the good old man's wife. See 
 the ring on my finger. They they 
 call me Grandmother, Manuel dear." 
 
 She tried to smile. " And you are 
 alive ! " she said. * Manuel, that is 
 all I will think of; my friend is 
 alive, my only friend till Grandfather 
 
 came." 
 
 Alas ! poor little Grandmother, poor 
 little windflower; for now burst forth 
 a storm beside which Rachel's rages 
 seemed the babble of a child. Cruel 
 names the boy called her, in his wild 
 passion of love and disappointment; 
 cruel, cruel words he said; and she
 
 26 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 stood there white and quiet, looking at 
 him with patient pleading eyes, but 
 not trying to excuse or defend. 
 
 " Ah ! " he cried at last. " You are 
 not alive at all, I believe. You have 
 never lived, you do not know what life 
 
 is." 
 
 That was the first time she heard it, 
 poor little Grandmother. She was to 
 hear it so many times. Now she put 
 her hand to her heart as if something 
 had pierced it; a spasm crossed her 
 smooth forehead, and when it passed 
 a line remained, a little line of pain. 
 
 But she only nodded and tried to 
 smile, and said, " Yes, sure, Manuel ! 
 yes, sure ! " 
 
 Then they heard Grandfather's voice 
 behind them, and there was the good
 
 THE FIRST LINE IN HER FACE 27 
 
 old man standing, leaning on his stick 
 and looking at them with wonder. 
 
 " What is this ? " said Grandfather. 
 " I heard loud and angry words. 
 Who is this, my dear ? " 
 
 " This is Manuel, Grandfather ; my 
 friend of whom I told you. He is 
 angry because I am married to you ! " 
 said Grandmother simply ; " but I am 
 always so thankful to you, Grandfather 
 dear ! " 
 
 Grandfather looked kindly at the boy. 
 " I see ! " he said. ' Yes, yes ; I see ! 
 I see ! But come into the house with 
 us, sir, and let us try to be friends. 
 Sorrow in youth is hard to bear, yet 
 it can be borne, it can be borne, and 
 we will help you if we may." 
 
 And Grandmother said, " Yes, sure,
 
 28 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 Manuel dear; come in and eat with 
 us; you must be hungry." 
 
 A great sob burst from the boy's 
 throat, and turning away he flung his 
 arm upon the vine-covered wall and 
 wept there. 
 
 " Go you into the house, my dear," 
 said Grandfather; " and be getting 
 supper. We will come presently." 
 
 Grandmother looked at him for a 
 moment; then she took his hand and 
 put it to her heart, with a pretty 
 gesture, looking into his face with 
 clear patient eyes; he laid his other 
 hand on her head, and they stood so 
 for a moment quietly, with no words; 
 then she went into the house. 
 
 And by and by Grandfather brought 
 Manuel in to supper, and Rachel
 
 THE FIRST LINE IN HER FACE 29 
 
 was wonderfully civil, and they were 
 all quite cheerful together. 
 
 Manuel stayed, as we all know, and 
 worked for Grandfather on the farm, 
 and boarded with the Widow Peace 
 across the way; and he and Grand- 
 father were great friends, and he and 
 Rachel quarrelled and made up and 
 quarrelled again, over and over; and 
 always from that time there was a little 
 line on Grandmother's smooth fore- 
 head.
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 HOW SHE PLAYED WITH THE CHILDREN 
 
 I ASKED Anne Peace once, when we 
 were talking about Grandmother (it 
 was not till the next year that we came 
 to the village), how soon it was that the 
 children found her out. Very soon, 
 Anne said. It began with their 
 trying to tease her by shouting " Grand- 
 mother ! " over the wall and running 
 away. She caught one of them and 
 carried him into the garden screaming 
 and kicking (she was strong, for all 
 her slenderness), and soon she had him 
 down in the grass listening to a story, 
 
 30
 
 HOW SHE PLAYED WITH CHILDREN 31 
 
 eyes and mouth wide open, and all 
 the rest of them hanging over the wall 
 among the grapevines, " trying so hard 
 to hear you could 'most see their ears 
 grow ! " said Anne, laughing. 
 
 " It was wonderful the way she had 
 with them. I used to wish she would 
 keep a school, after she was left alone, 
 but I don't know ; maybe she couldn't 
 have taught them so much in the book 
 way; but where she learned all the 
 things she did tell 'em it passes me. 
 I used to ask her: ' Grandmother,' 
 I'd say, * where do you get it all ? ' 
 And she'd laugh her pretty way, and 
 say: 
 
 " ' Eye and ear, 
 See and hear; 
 Look and listen well, my dear! '
 
 32 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 That was all there was to it, she'd 
 say, but we knew better." 
 
 I can remember her stories now. 
 Perhaps they were not so wonderful 
 as we thought; perhaps it was the way 
 she had with her that made them so 
 enchanting. I never shall forget the 
 story of the little Prince who would go 
 a-wooing. His mother, the old Queen, 
 said to him : 
 
 " Look she sweet or speak she fair, 
 Mark what she does when they curl her 
 hair! 
 
 " So the little Prince started off on 
 his travels, and soon he met a beautiful 
 Princess with lovely curls as white as 
 flax. She looked sweet, and she spoke 
 fair, and the little Prince thought * Here
 
 HOW SHE PLAYED WITH CHILDREN 33 
 
 is the bride for me ! ' But he minded 
 him of what his mother said, and when 
 the Princess went to have her hair 
 curled he stood under the window and 
 listened. 
 
 " And what did he hear, children ? 
 He heard the voice that had spoken 
 him sweet as honey, but now it was 
 sharp and thin as vinegar. * Careless 
 slut ! ' it said. ' If you pull my hair 
 again I will have you beaten.' 
 
 ' Then the little Prince shook his 
 head and sighed, and started again on 
 his travels. By and by he met another 
 Princess, and she was red as a rose, 
 with black curls shining like jet, and 
 her eyes so bright and merry that the 
 Prince thought, * Sure, this is the bride 
 for me ! '
 
 34 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 c The Princess thought so too, and 
 she looked sweet and spoke fair; but 
 the Prince minded him of what his 
 mother had said, and when the Princess 
 went to have her hair curled he listened 
 again beneath the window. But oh, 
 children, what did he hear? Angry 
 words and stamping feet, and then a 
 sharp stinging sound; and out came 
 the maid flying and crying, with her 
 hand to her cheek that had been 
 slapped till it was red as fire. So 
 when the Prince saw that he sighed 
 again and shook his head, and started 
 off on his travels. 
 
 " Before long he met a third Princess, 
 and she was fair as a star, and her curls 
 like brown gold, and falling to her 
 knees. She looked so sweet that the
 
 HOW SHE PLAYED WITH CHILDREN 35 
 
 Prince's heart went out to her more 
 than to either of the others ; but he was 
 afraid after what had passed, and waited 
 for the hour of the hair-curling. When 
 that came, he was going toward the 
 window, when there passed him a 
 young maiden running, with her face all 
 in a glow of happiness. 
 
 " ' Whither away so fast, pretty 
 maid ? ' asked the Prince. 
 
 * Do not stay me ! ' said the maid. 
 
 * I go to curl the Princess's hair, and I 
 must not be late, for it is the happiest 
 hour of my day/ 
 
 * Is it so ? ' said the Prince. 
 
 * Then will you tell the Princess that 
 when her hair is curled I pray that she 
 will marry me ? ' 
 
 " And so she did, children, of course,
 
 36 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 and they had a happy day for every 
 thread of her brown-gold hair, so I am 
 told, and there were were so many 
 threads, I think they must be alive to 
 this day." 
 
 And the bird stories ! and the story 
 of how the butterfly's wings were 
 spotted ! and the flower stories ! I don't 
 suppose there was a child in the village 
 in those days who did not believe that 
 at night all the flowers in Grandfather 
 Merion's garden were dancing round 
 the fairy ring in the home pasture. 
 
 " And Sweet William said to Clove 
 Pink, * How sweet the fringe on your 
 gown is ! Will you dance with me, 
 pretty lady ? ' So they danced away 
 and away, and they met Bachelor's 
 Button waltzing with Cowslip, ajid
 
 HOW SHE PLAYED WITH CHILDREN 37 
 
 young Larkspur kicking up his heels 
 with Poppy Gay, and Prince's Feather 
 bowing low before sweet white Lily 
 in her satin gown, and Crown Imperial 
 leading out Queen Rose oh ! but 
 she was a queen indeed ! And the 
 music played such music ! the locust 
 went tweedle, tweedle, tweedle, and 
 the cricket went chirp, chirp, chirp, 
 and the big green frog that played the 
 bass viol said * glum ! glum ! glum ! ' 
 And they danced oh, they danced ! 
 
 " Whirl about, twirl about, hop, hop, 
 hop! till hush! something happened. 
 Oh ! children, come close while I 
 whisper. The green turf of the Ring 
 trembled and shook and opened 
 and oh ! off go the flowers scamper- 
 ing back to bed as fast as they can go ;
 
 38 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 and in their places oh! hush! oh, 
 hush ! I must not tell. 
 
 " Green jacket, red cap, and white owl's 
 feather ! 
 
 Little lights that twinkle, little bells 
 that jingle, little feet that trip, trip - 
 
 " Hush, children ! we must not look. 
 Home again, we too, after the flowers ! " 
 
 And she would catch their hands 
 and run with them round and round 
 the field till all were out of breath with 
 running and laughter. 
 
 The Saturday feasts were begun, 
 Anne Peace reminded me, for the little 
 lame girl who lived a mile beyond the 
 village. The poor little soul had 
 heard of all the merry play that went
 
 HOW SHE PLAYED WITH CHILDREN 39 
 
 on at Merion Farm, and had begged 
 her father to bring her in. So one day 
 a long lean tattered man came to the 
 gate and looked wistfully in at Grand- 
 mother, who was making daisy chains 
 against the children's coming. 
 
 " Mornin' ! " he said. " Mis' Mer- 
 ion to home ? " 
 
 ' Yes," said Grandmother ; "at 
 least I am here. Would you like some- 
 thing?" 
 
 " I swow ! " said the man. He looked 
 helplessly at the girlish figure a moment. 
 Then " My little gal heard tell how 
 that you told yarns to young 'uns, and 
 nothin' to it but I must fetch her in. 
 She she ain't very well " his rough 
 voice faltered, and he looked back to 
 his wagon.
 
 40 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 " Is she there ? " cried Grandmother. 
 " Oh, but bring her in ! bring her in 
 quickly ! why, you darling, I am so 
 glad you have come." 
 
 A poor little huddle of humanity; 
 hunchbacked, with the strange stead- 
 fast eyes of her kind, wise with 
 their own knowledge, which is apart 
 from all knowledge revealed to those 
 whose backs are straight, lame, too, 
 drawn and twisted this way and that, 
 as if Nature had been a naughty child 
 playing with a doll, tormenting it in 
 sheer wantonness, 
 
 A piteous sight; and still more 
 piteous the shrinking look of her and 
 of the poor gaunt wistful father, watch- 
 ful for a rebuff, a smile, some one of 
 the devilishly cruel tricks that hu-
 
 HOW SHE PLAYED WITH CHILDREN 41 
 
 manity startles into when it touches 
 the unusual. 
 
 But Grandmother's arms were out, 
 and Grandmother's face was shining 
 with clear light, like an alabaster lamp. 
 Oh, one would know that her name 
 was Pity, even though none used the 
 name now, even Manuel, even Grand- 
 father himself calling her Grand- 
 mother. 
 
 " Darling ! " she said, and she hugged 
 the child close to her, as if she would 
 shield it from all the world. " Here is 
 a daisy chain for you. See ! I will put 
 it round your neck. Now you are mine 
 for the whole afternoon. Good father 
 will go " she nodded to the man ; 
 " go and do the errands, and see to all 
 his business, and then when it gets
 
 42 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 toward supper-time he will come back 
 and pick you up and carry you off. 
 And now we'll go and make some posies 
 for the others; my name is Grand- 
 mother ; what is yours, darling ? whis- 
 per now ! " 
 
 The man turned away, and brushed 
 his hand across his eyes. " Gosh ! " 
 he said simply. " I guess you're a 
 good woman." 
 
 " I'm just Grandmother," said the 
 girl ; " that's all, isn't it, Nelly ? Good- 
 bye, father ! " 
 
 " Good-bye, father ! " echoed the 
 child, clinging round Grandmother's 
 neck as though she feared she might 
 vanish suddenly into thin air. 
 
 " Sure she won't pester ye ? " said 
 the man, timidly. " She's real clever ! "
 
 HOW SHE PLAYED WITH CHILDREN 43 
 
 " You won't pester me, will you, 
 Nelly ? " said Grandmother. 
 
 " Nelly Nell, Nelly Nell, 
 Come and hear the flowers tell 
 How they heed you, 
 Why they need you, 
 How they mean to love you well." 
 
 And off they went together, little 
 Nelly nodding and waving her hand, 
 with a wholly new smile on her pale 
 shrivelled face. 
 
 "Gosh!" said the father again; 
 he had not many words, and only one 
 to express emotion. 
 
 When the other children came, they 
 found a little girl with a radiant face, 
 crowned with a forget-me-not wreath, 
 and with the prettiest pale blue scarf
 
 44 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 over her shoulders, all embroidered 
 with butterflies. She was sitting in a 
 low round chair with cushioned back, 
 and chair and cushion and child were 
 all heaped and garlanded with flowers, 
 daisies and lilies, pink hawthorn and 
 great drifts of snowballs. 
 
 Grandmother called to them, " Come 
 children, come ! here is the Queen of 
 the May. Her name is Nelly, and she 
 has come to stay to tea, and you shall 
 all stay too." 
 
 The children came up half shy, 
 half bold. 
 
 ' What makes her sit so funny ? " 
 asked a very little boy. 
 
 " You be still or I'll bat your head 
 off ! " muttered his elder brother sav- 
 agely. No one else made any mistake,
 
 HOW SHE PLAYED WITH CHILDREN 45 
 
 and most of them were careful not to 
 look too much at Nelly; children are 
 gentlefolk, if you take them the right 
 way. 
 
 Then they listened to the story of 
 the princess in the brown dress; how 
 she came into the town, and no one 
 knew she was a princess at all, but 
 every one said, " See the poor woman 
 in the tattered brown gown ! " But 
 the princess did not mind. She went 
 hither and thither, up and down, and 
 whenever she met any one who was in 
 need, she put her hand inside the 
 folds of her gown, and brought out a 
 piece of gold or a shining jewel, and 
 gave it to the poor person. So when 
 this had gone on for some time, people 
 began to talk one to another. One
 
 46 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 said, " Where does this beggar woman 
 
 get the gold and the gems that she 
 
 *\ j> 
 gives ? 
 
 " She must have begged them ! " 
 said another. 
 
 " Or stolen them ! " said a third. 
 
 Then all the people cried out, " She 
 is a thief ! let her be stripped and 
 beaten ! " 
 
 So they brought the princess to the 
 market-place; and cruel men seized 
 her and pulled off her tattered brown 
 gown ; and oh ! and oh ! children, 
 what do you think? there stood the 
 most radiant princess that ever was 
 seen upon earth ; her dress was of pure 
 woven gold, and set from top to hem 
 with precious stones so bright that the 
 sun laughed in every one of them, and
 
 HOW SHE PLAYED WITH CHILDREN 47 
 
 her hair (for they had pulled off her 
 cap too) was as fair gold as the dress, 
 and fell around her like a golden cloak. 
 So she stood for a minute like heaven 
 come to earth; and then all in a 
 moment she vanished away, and only 
 the tattered brown dress was left for 
 them to do what they would with. 
 
 " So, darlings, be very careful to be 
 nice to everybody, especially to any- 
 one in a shabby brown dress, for there 
 may always be a princess inside it." 
 
 " Did you ever see a princess, Grand- 
 mother ? " asked a child. 
 
 " Oh, I so seldom see any other kind 
 of person," said Grandmother, " ex- 
 cept princes. You have no idea how 
 many I know. No, I can't tell you 
 their names; you'll have to find them
 
 48 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 out for yourselves; and now it is time 
 for a game." 
 
 They were quiet games that they 
 played that afternoon; but as the 
 children said afterwards, some of the 
 best games are quiet. And then came 
 the Feast; a wonderful feast, with a 
 great jug of creamy milk, and all the 
 bread and honey that any one could eat, 
 and little round tarts besides. 
 
 " Look at that ! " said Rachel to 
 Manuel. They had been for a walk, 
 and came back through the orchard, 
 where the feast was held. * We were 
 going to have those tarts for tea, and 
 she has given every last one to those 
 brats. That's all she cares for, just 
 childishness. She's nothing but a child 
 herself."
 
 HOW SHE PLAYED WITH CHILDREN 49 
 
 " Nothing but a child ! " echoed 
 Manuel, and he added, " She has 
 never lived; sometimes I think she 
 never will."
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 HOW SHE SANG GRANDFATHER TO 
 SLEEP 
 
 GRANDFATHER began to fail. He 
 complained of no pain or distress; 
 but his stately figure seemed to shrink, 
 and his head that he used to hold so 
 high was now bowed on his breast, 
 and he began to creep and shuffle in 
 his walk. Widow Peace said the 
 change had begun when he came back 
 from the vain search for his graceless 
 son, and I think it was true. " He 
 won't more than last out the winter," 
 said Mrs. Peace, :< if he does that. 
 
 50
 
 SANG GRANDFATHER TO SLEEP 51 
 
 The Merions don't run much above 
 seventy." 
 
 " Don't, mother ! " said Anne. 
 
 " Don'ting won't stop the course of 
 nature," said her mother, " nor yet is 
 it proper you should say ' Don't ' to me, 
 Anne Peace." 
 
 " I beg your pardon, mother ; I 
 meant no harm." 
 
 " No more you did, daughter. You 
 may hand me the tape measure. Anne, 
 if you can tell me how to cut this dress 
 so as to make Mis' Broadback look 
 like anything besides Behemoth in the 
 Bible I shall be obliged to you." 
 
 ' You're real funny, mother ! " said 
 Anne, who never quite understood her 
 parent. 
 
 " Fun keeps the fiddle going ! " said
 
 52 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 Mrs. Peace. ' You may cut them 
 gores if you're a mind to, Anne. 
 There's Rachel and Manuel goin' off 
 again. S'pose they're goin' to make a 
 match of it?" 
 
 " Oh, mother ! " said little Anne. 
 
 *' ' Oh,' said the owl, and set up a hootin', 
 But Jabez kept still when he done the 
 shootin'." 
 
 What does Grandmother do these days ? 
 I haven't seen her go out of the gate 
 for a week and more. You were over 
 this morning, wasn't you ? " 
 
 ' Yes," said Anne. " Oh, mother, 
 she just sits by Grandfather all the 
 time when her work is done, that's 
 to say; Grandmother never slights 
 anything; sits by him all day, reading
 
 SANG GRANDFATHER TO SLEEP 53 
 
 to him when he's awake, or talking, 
 or singing those little songs he likes; 
 and when he drops off asleep she just 
 reaches for her sewing and sits and 
 waits till he wakes up. And she's 
 growing so white and thin there ! it 
 just makes me ache to see her. I said 
 to her * Grandmother,' I said, ' when 
 he drops off asleep that way, you'd 
 ought to slip out into the garden for a 
 mouthful of air, even if you don't go 
 no further. Rachel can stay round,' 
 I said, ' case he should want anything,' 
 I said. But she just shook her head. 
 ' No, Anne ! ' she says. * I must be 
 here,' she says. * He has been so good 
 to me; so good to me; he must 
 always find me here when he wants 
 me.'
 
 54 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 " And sure enough, mother, directly 
 he woke up, before he opened his 
 eyes he says ' You here, Grand- 
 mother ? ' kinder restless like, and she 
 says * Yes, Grandfather, right here ! ' 
 and laid her hand on his and began 
 to sing, and he smiled real happy and 
 contented, said he didn't want anything 
 except just to know that she was there. 
 But, mother, 'tis a sweet pretty sight 
 now, to see them two together. Of 
 course he's an old man and she's a 
 young girl, but yet well, they aren't 
 like other folks, neither one of them. 
 What makes you look like that, 
 mother ? " 
 
 " Nobody ever was like other folks 
 that ever I heard of," said Widow 
 Peace rather grimly. " Now you be
 
 SANG GRANDFATHER TO SLEEP 55 
 
 quiet, Anne Peace. Here comes 
 Rachel." 
 
 Rachel Merion came flying in, splen- 
 did in her scarlet dress. " How do, 
 Mis' Peace ? " she said. " Anne, will 
 you lend me that mantilla pattern? 
 I want to make one out of some of 
 that black lace Grandmother Willard 
 had. Will you, Anne? hurry up, I 
 can't wait." 
 
 Mrs. Peace looked at her with mild 
 severity. " Rachel," she said ; " sit 
 down a spell. I want to speak to you." 
 
 "Oh, I can't, Mis' Peace!" said 
 Rachel. " Manuel's waiting for me 
 outside." 
 
 * Manuel can wait," said Mrs. Peace. 
 " It'll do him good. Sit down, 
 Rachel ! "
 
 56 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 " I'd full as lives stand, thank you," 
 said Rachel sullenly. 
 
 " I asked you to sit down," said 
 Mrs. Peace quietly; and Rachel sat 
 down with a flounce on the edge of a 
 chair, and listened with lowering brows. 
 
 " I want to speak to you about 
 Grandmother," said the little widow. 
 " She isn't well; Anne sees it, and I 
 see it. She's outdoing her strength, 
 caring for Grandfather all day long, 
 and I think you'd ought to help her 
 more than what you do." 
 
 Rachel's eyes flashed under their 
 black brows. 
 
 " She wanted him," she said, " and 
 she got him; now let her see to him. 
 I don't feel no call to take care of 
 Grandfather; he isn't my husband."
 
 SANG GRANDFATHER TO SLEEP 57 
 
 Anne's soft eyes glowed with in- 
 dignation. She was about to speak, 
 her mother motioned her to silence. 
 " Rachel Merion," she said. " You'd 
 ought to be slapped, and I've a good 
 part of a mind to do it. You're careless 
 and shiftless, and heathen; and you'll 
 neither do good nor get it in this world 
 till you get a human heart in your 
 bosom. Grandmother is worth twenty 
 of you, and I pay her no compliment 
 either in saying it; it shows what she 
 is, that she has put up with your 
 actions so long. I wouldn't have, not a 
 single week. I'd have drove you out 
 with a broomstick, Rachel, and give 
 you time to learn manners before I let 
 you in again. There ! now I've said 
 my say, and you can go."
 
 58 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 As Anne said, it was a pretty sight 
 there, in the Merion kitchen. The 
 good old man sat in his great armchair, 
 dozing or dreaming the hours away, 
 less and less inclined to stir as the weeks 
 went on; and always beside him was 
 the slight figure in the clear print dress, 
 watching, waiting, tending ; yes, it was 
 pretty enough. 
 
 " Sing, Grandmother ! " he would 
 say now and then; and Grandmother 
 would sing in her low sweet voice, like 
 a flute: 
 
 " Sweet sleep to fold me, 
 Sweet dreams to hold me; 
 Listen, oh ! listen ! 
 This the angels told me. 
 Fair grow the trees there, 
 Soft blows the breeze there,
 
 SANG GRANDFATHER TO SLEEP 59 
 
 Golden ways, golden days, 
 When will ye enfold me ? " 
 
 Or that quaint little old song that he 
 specially liked: 
 
 " As I went walking, walking, 
 I heard St. Michael talking, 
 He spoke to sweet St. Gabriel, 
 The one who loves my soul so well, 
 
 ' Oh, brother, tell me here, 
 Why hold that soul so dear ? ' 
 
 * Because, alas, since e'er 'twas born, 
 I feel the piercing of its thorn.' ' 
 
 Or it would be the song of the river, 
 and that she loved to sing, because 
 Grandfather would fall asleep to the 
 soft lulling time of it: 
 
 " Flow, flow, flow down river, 
 Carry me down to the sea !
 
 60 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 Ropes of silk and a cedar paddle, 
 For to set my spirit free. 
 Roll, roll, rolling billow; 
 Smooth, smooth my sleepy pillow: 
 Silver sails and a cedar paddle, 
 For to set my spirit free ! 
 
 " Long, long work and weeping, 
 Trying for to do my best: 
 Soon, soon, time for sleeping; 
 Cover me up to rest ! 
 Roll, roll, rolling billow, 
 Smooth, smooth my sleepy pillow, 
 Golden masts and a cedar paddle, 
 For to set my spirit free ! " 
 
 One day she was singing this, softer 
 and softer, till she thought Grandfather 
 was fast asleep. Lower and lower 
 sank the lulling voice, till at length it 
 died away in a sigh. Then she sat
 
 SANG GRANDFATHER TO SLEEP 61 
 
 silent, looking at him; at the good 
 white head, the broad forehead, with 
 its strong lines of toil and thought, all 
 the kind face that she knew and loved 
 well now. She sighed again, not 
 knowing that she did; and at that 
 Grandfather opened his eyes without 
 stirring and looked at her oh, so 
 kindly ! 
 
 ' Little Grandmother," he said. 
 ' You know I am going soon ? " 
 
 ' Yes, Grandfather ! " said she. 
 
 ' You have been a good, good 
 child," said Grandfather; " a good 
 and faithful child, and when I go my 
 blessing stays with you. You are 
 young, and I want you to be happy. 
 Perhaps you will like to marry Manuel, 
 my dear ? "
 
 62 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 Grandmother lifted her clear eyes 
 to his. 
 
 ' Yes, Grandfather ! " she said. 
 
 * He is not good enough for you," 
 said Grandfather, " but well ! well ! 
 you are both young, both young, and 
 youth is a great thing. I was young 
 myself a long, long time ago, my 
 dear." He was silent. 
 
 Grandmother knelt down beside him, 
 and took his hand in her own two, 
 stroking it and singing softly. 
 
 " Silver sails and a cedar paddle, 
 For to set my spirit free." 
 
 Presently he looked up, and spoke 
 hurriedly, in a strange, confused voice. 
 
 " Mary ! " he said. " Are you 
 there?"
 
 SANG GRANDFATHER TO SLEEP 63 
 
 Now Mary was the name of the wife 
 of his youth. Grandmother was silent. 
 
 " Are you there, Mary ? " asked the 
 old man impatiently. " 'Tis so dark 
 I can't see you." 
 
 " Yes, I am here ! " said Grand- 
 mother. 
 
 " 'Tis time to light up ! " said Grand- 
 father. * We mustn't sit here in the 
 dark like old folks, Mary. Let me 
 get up and light the lamps." 
 
 The afternoon light fell clear on his 
 face with its open sightless eyes, and 
 on the angel face turned up to it in 
 faithful love. 
 
 * Wait just a little, John," said 
 Grandmother. "I I love the twi- 
 light ; 'tis restful. Let let me rest 
 a bit before we light up, won't you ? "
 
 64 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 " Surely, Mary ; surely, my dear. 
 We'll rest together then ; I I am 
 tired too, I think." 
 
 There was a long silence. The light 
 was growing softer, fainter; the old 
 clock ticked steadily; a coal tinkled 
 from the fire. 
 
 " Mary you are there ? " . 
 
 " Yes, dear ! " 
 
 " Song the sleepy song ; I think I 
 shall sleep." 
 
 Hush ! rest, dear white head, on my 
 breast; close, poor eyes that cannot 
 see the light. Rest, rest, in the quiet 
 twilight ! 
 
 " Roll, roll, rolling billow, 
 Smooth, smooth my sleepy pillow, 
 Golden mast and a cedar paddle, 
 For to set my spirit free ! "
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 HOW THE SECOND LINE CAME IN HER 
 FOREHEAD 
 
 IT was when Grandfather died that 
 the second line came across Grand- 
 mother's clear forehead. Sometimes 
 when she was playing with the children, 
 for example it was so faint one 
 hardly noticed it; but again it would 
 be deep, a line of thought or was it 
 pain ? drawn straight as by a ruler. 
 Manuel noticed it one day, and spoke 
 of it. 
 
 * You look troubled, Grandmother. 
 What is it?" 
 
 66
 
 " I have lost my best friend, Man- 
 uel," said Grandmother. " I may well 
 look troubled; yet it is not trouble 
 either, only sorrow, for missing him, 
 and for wishing I had done more for 
 him." 
 
 " No one could have done more," 
 said Manuel; 'you were an angel to 
 him." He was silent a moment; then 
 he said, " You used to call me your best 
 friend once. Shall I call you Pitia 
 again, Grandmother ? " 
 
 Something in his tone or was it 
 something not there ? drew the line 
 deeper across the white forehead. She 
 waited a moment before she spoke, and 
 then answered carefully, keeping an 
 even tone: 
 
 " Perhaps ' Grandmother ' is better,
 
 THE SECOND LINE IN HER FOREHEAD 67 
 
 Manuel; we are all used to it, you 
 know. Why should we change ? " 
 
 " As you please ! " said Manuel ; 
 and whether there was more regret 
 or relief in his voice, who shall say ? 
 He lingered a moment, hesitating, with 
 words on his lips which seemed to hang, 
 unready for utterance; and Grand- 
 mother stood very still, only her breath 
 fluttering a little; but he need not see 
 that, and did not. 
 
 Suddenly from the garden came a 
 voice, clear, shrill, imperious ; Rachel's 
 voice. " Manuel, where are you ? I 
 want you ! come, quick." 
 
 Manuel gave one glance at the still 
 face; hesitated a moment; then mut- 
 tering something about " Back soon ! " 
 he went out.
 
 68 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 Little Grandmother stood very still. 
 Sounds crept through her ears, the 
 clock ticking, the old cat purring on 
 the hearth, the song-sparrow singing 
 loud and clear in the apple-tree out- 
 side the sitting-room window, --but 
 she did not heed them. Her eyes were 
 wide open, fixed on the door through 
 which Manuel had gone. It formed a 
 lovely picture, blossoming trees, waving 
 grass (winter had come and gone since 
 Grandfather died), gay flower-beds; 
 but she did not see them. Only when 
 two figures crossed the space, a girl in 
 a scarlet dress, a man at her side, look- 
 ing down as she laughed up in his face, 
 Grandmother shivered a little, and 
 went over to where the great work- 
 basket stood, and caught up her sewing
 
 THE SECOND LINE IN HER FOREHEAD 69 
 
 with a kind of passion. !< I have you I " 
 she said. " You are mine, good lit- 
 tle stitches dear, kind, good little 
 stitches I " 
 
 If I have not said much about 
 Manuel, it is because there is not 
 very much to say. He was a hand- 
 some lad, and a merry one. His laziness 
 did not show much till after Grand- 
 father's death, for he feared and loved 
 the old man, and did his best to please 
 him. How he should have made the 
 effort to cross the Continent in search 
 of Grandmother was one of the things 
 that could not be understood. It was 
 like a fire of straw, as Mrs. Peace 
 said; it burned up bright, but there 
 were no coals left. 
 
 Mrs. Peace had little patience with
 
 70 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 Manuel. He had been boarding with 
 her now for two years, and had never 
 once, so she said, wiped his feet as 
 they should be wiped when he came 
 into the house. Also she pronounced 
 him lazy, shiftless, careless, and selfish. 
 
 " If he marries Rachel," she said, 
 : * there'll be a pair of 'em, and a 
 precious pair, too. I'm going to give 
 him a piece of my mind before I sleep 
 to-night." 
 
 ' That's a real pretty skirt of 
 Rachel's, mother," said Anne. ' Don't 
 you want I should stroke the gathers ? " 
 
 * You may stroke the gathers, Anne, 
 but you can't stroke me," said her 
 mother gently. " I tell you I am going 
 to give that fellow a piece of my mind. 
 Yes, it is a pretty dress, and it's the
 
 THE SECOND LINE IN HER FOREHEAD 71 
 
 third Rachel Merion has had this 
 spring, and if you'll tell me when 
 Grandmother has had a new dress, 
 I'll give you the next ninepence that's 
 coined." 
 
 " Grandmother always looks like a 
 picture, I'm sure," said Anne. 
 
 " I've no special patience with 
 Grandmother," said Mrs. Peace, " nor 
 yet with you, Anne Peace. If the Lord 
 had meant for us to be angels here, 
 it's likely he would have provided us 
 with wings and robes, 'cordin' to. 
 When I see an angel in a calico dress 
 goin' round askin* folks won't they 
 please wipe their feet on her and save 
 their carpets, I want to shake her." 
 
 " Shake Grandmother ? " said Anne, 
 opening great eyes of reproach.
 
 72 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 " There's Manuel now ! " said 
 Widow Peace. ' You might take this 
 waist home to Mis' Wyman, if you've 
 a mind to, Anne." 
 
 It is not known precisely what Mrs. 
 Peace said to Manuel Santos. Anne, 
 on her return from Mrs. Wyman's, met 
 him coming out, in a white flame of 
 rage. He glared at her, and muttered 
 something under his breath, but made 
 no articulate reply. 
 
 " Chatterin' mad, he was ! " Mrs. 
 Peace said calmly, in answer to Anne's 
 anxious questions. ' Fairly chatterin' 
 mad. I don't know, Anne, whether 
 I've done harm or good, but some- 
 thing had to be done, and there's 
 times when harm is better than noth- 
 ing."
 
 THE SECOND LINE IN HER FOREHEAD 73 
 
 ' Why, Mother Peace ! " exclaimed 
 Anne, aghast. " How you talk ! " 
 
 " It don't sound pretty, does it ? " 
 said the widow ; ;< but I believe it's 
 a fact. Something will happen now, 
 you see if it don't." 
 
 Something did happen. Manuel, 
 still white and inarticulate with rage, 
 met Rachel in the garden, on his way 
 to the house; Rachel in her red dress, 
 with scarlet poppies in her hair and 
 hands. She was waiting for him, per- 
 haps; certainly, at sight of him, the 
 color and light flashed into her face in 
 a way that might have moved a stronger 
 man than Manuel. 
 
 "Manuel!" she cried. "What's 
 the matter ? what makes you look so 
 queer ? are you sick, Manuel ? "
 
 74 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 ' Yes ! " cried the man roughly. " I 
 am sick ! sick of this place, sick of 
 these people. I am going away, back 
 to the west, where a man can live with- 
 out being watched and spied upon and 
 stung by ants and wasps.'* 
 
 " Going away ! Manuel ! " the pop- 
 pies dropped from the girl's hands, the 
 rich color fled from her cheeks. " If 
 you go," she said simply, " I shall die." 
 Rachel had never learned to govern 
 herself. 
 
 Well, after that there was only one 
 way out of it at least for a man like 
 Manuel. Among all these cold, thin- 
 blooded Eastern folk, here was one 
 whose blood ran warm and swift and 
 red like his own. No satin lily that a 
 man dared not touch, but a bright
 
 THE SECOND LINE IN HER FOREHEAD 75 
 
 poppy like those in her hair, fit and 
 ready to be gathered. Yet when he 
 passed the white lilies, with his arm 
 round the girl, his promised wife even 
 while he looked down at the rapture of 
 her face and thrilled at the thrill in her 
 voice the fragrance of the lilies 
 seemed a tangible thing, like a thorn 
 that pierced him. 
 
 At the garden door they parted. He 
 had to see to the stock, he said ; would 
 Rachel tell Grandmother? 
 
 Rachel ran into the house, calling 
 Grandmother. There was no answer; 
 but listening she heard the sound of the 
 wheel in the big empty chamber over- 
 head. She ran up-stairs, still calling. 
 Grandmother was spinning wool she 
 loved to spin at the great wool-
 
 76 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 wheel, stepping lightly back and for- 
 ward ; but at the first sound of Rachel's 
 voice below she stopped, and put her 
 hand to her heart. She was standing 
 so when the girl rushed in, panting 
 and radiant. 
 
 " Grandmother ! why didn't you 
 answer ? didn't you hear me ? " She 
 never waited for an answer but ran on 
 in a torrent of speech. " Grand- 
 mother, I've been hateful to you, and 
 I'm sorry. Do you hear? I'm sorry, 
 sorry; I'm so happy now, I mean to 
 be good, good all the time. Do you 
 know what's going to happen, Grand- 
 mother ? guess ! I'll give you three 
 guesses no, I won't, I won't give 
 you one ! I must tell you. I am going 
 to marry Manuel. Grandmother, are
 
 THE SECOND LINE IN HER FOREHEAD 77 
 
 you glad ? You are so good, I suppose 
 you'll be glad. I should hate you, I 
 should kill you, if it were you who were 
 going to marry Manuel. Do you 
 know " she caught her breath a 
 moment, then laughed on, the laugh 
 rippling through her speech "do 
 you know, Grandmother, I have been 
 jealous of you. I've always been 
 jealous I guess; first because of 
 Grandfather poor old Grandfather, 
 what a pity he isn't alive to know ! - 
 and then and lately oh, Grand- 
 mother, I didn't know I didn't know 
 but he might care about you. Are you 
 laughing ? it is funny, isn't it ? " But 
 Grandmother was not laughing. 
 
 " I might have known ! " the girl 
 went on, " I needn't have been afraid,
 
 78 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 need I, Grandmother? You aren't 
 like other folks, you've never lived; 
 you don't know what life is, do you, 
 Grandmother ? I'd be sorry for you if 
 I wasn't so glad for myself, so glad, so 
 glad ! Do you think I'm crazy ? I 
 want to kiss you, little Grandmother ! 
 What's the matter ? did my pin scratch 
 
 you?" 
 
 Grandmother had given a cry as the 
 girl flung her arms round her; a little 
 low cry, instantly silent. 
 
 ' Yes dear," she said quietly, but 
 with that little flutter in her voice 
 that one who loved her might have 
 noticed; " I think it must have been 
 the pin. Oh, Rachel," she said, " I 
 hope you will be so happy, so happy ! 
 I hope there will never be anything
 
 THE SECOND LINE IN HER FOREHEAD 79 
 
 but happiness for you and Manuel, my 
 dear." 
 
 Rachel opened her dark eyes wide. 
 " Why, of course there won't ! " she 
 said. 
 
 " Grandmother's all right ! " she said 
 an hour later, when she had run to 
 meet her lover in the dewy orchard, 
 and they were coming home together 
 in the sunset light; " she's all right. 
 She didn't say much I don't know as 
 I gave her a chance, Manuel. I had so 
 much to say myself; but she was real 
 pleased, and wished me joy. She's 
 good, Grandmother is. I mean never 
 to be hateful to her again if I can help 
 it. How sweet those lilies smell, 
 Manuel ! " 
 
 " Is she happy, do you think ? " said
 
 80 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 Manuel; it seemed to say itself, with- 
 out will of his. 
 
 " Who ? Grandmother ? of course 
 she is ! You don't expect her to cry 
 all her life for an old man, do you ? 
 She's as happy as a person can be who 
 has never lived. Hush ! hear her 
 singing this minute ! " 
 
 Yes ! hear her singing, in the quiet 
 twilight garden where she walks alone. 
 
 " ' Oh ! brother, tell me here 
 
 Why hold that soul so dear ? ' 
 * Because, alas ! since e'er 'twas born, 
 I feel the piercing of its thorn.' "
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 HOW SHE WENT VISITING 
 
 IT was after Rachel's marriage that 
 Grandmother first began to go about 
 in the village. Till then she had always 
 kept pretty much within the four walls 
 of the Merion garden, and people 
 thought she was proud, until they came 
 to know her. But now a restlessness 
 seemed to come over her, and she was 
 away from home a good deal. She 
 did not go to " circles " and meetings - 
 one would as soon have expected to 
 see a white birch walk into the vestry - 
 nor did she make what we loved to call 
 
 81
 
 82 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 " society calls ; " but she found out the 
 people who were sick or sad or lonely - 
 the Peaces always knew and she 
 went to them, sometimes with Anne to 
 introduce her, oftener alone, making 
 some errand, taking a flower, or a pot 
 of jelly or the like. Old Aunt Betsy 
 Taggart was living then, the white old 
 woman who had taken to her bed so 
 long ago that none of us young folks 
 ever knew why she had done it. In- 
 deed, I think Anne and I rather sup- 
 posed she had always been there - 
 grew there, perhaps, like some strange 
 old white flower. She was the most 
 independent old soul, Aunt Betsy. It 
 seemed terrible for her to live there 
 alone, but it was the only way she 
 would live. Her niece, Hepsy Babbage,
 
 HOW SHE WENT VISITING 83 
 
 came in morning and evening, and 
 " did for " the old lady, but she was 
 not allowed to stay more than an hour 
 at a time. * My soul is my own," 
 Aunt Betsy used to say, " and I like 
 to be able to call it so, my dear ! " 
 Hepsy was a great talker, certainly; 
 and Aunt Betsy did her own cooking 
 over a lamp that stood on the table by 
 her bed, and actually made her own 
 butter in a little churn that Wilbur 
 Babbage made for her the winter before 
 he died. (Anne Peace never would let 
 me say that Wilbur was talked to 
 death, but she could not prevent her 
 mother's saying so.) 
 
 Well, Grandmother and Aunt Betsy 
 took to each other from the first 
 moment, and never a week passed that
 
 84 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 Grandmother did not spend an after- 
 noon with the old lady and take tea. 
 Aunt Betsy seemed to know all about 
 her at once, which Anne and I never 
 did, though we adored her. 
 
 " Come here, child ! " she said when 
 she came in with Anne, the first time. 
 " I've heard of you, and I'm glad to 
 see you. Come and let me have a look 
 at you ! " She took Grandmother's 
 hand in hers, and the two looked at 
 each other, a long quiet look. " Ah ! " 
 said Aunt Betsy at last. ' Yes, I see. 
 The upper and the nether millstone, 
 my child ! " 
 
 Grandmother nodded simply; then 
 in a moment she began to talk about 
 the flowers she had brought, and how 
 Anne had helped her pick them, and
 
 HOW SHE WENT VISITING 85 
 
 what a comfort Anne and her mother 
 were to her. 
 
 " Such good neighbors ! " she said. 
 " Such dear, good, kind, neighbors ! 
 This place is so full of good people, 
 Miss Taggart." 
 
 " They call me Aunt Betsy," said 
 the old lady, " and they call you Grand- 
 mother, I'm told." 
 
 " Yes," said Grandmother laugh- 
 ing; " that is my name, isn't it, 
 Anne?" 
 
 Anne says that she Jiad really for- 
 gotten that she had ever had any other 
 name. 
 
 " We shall be friends, you and I ! " 
 said Aunt Betsy ; " and you will find 
 good people wherever you look for 
 them, my dear."
 
 86 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 " Oh, yes, surely ! " said Grand- 
 mother; and they looked at each 
 other again, that quiet understanding 
 look. 
 
 I don't suppose Anne was very much 
 younger than Grandmother, but she 
 felt a whole lifetime between them, 
 and worshipped the older girl with a 
 very real worship. Grandmother took 
 it sweetly and quietly, as she took 
 everything. When Anne brought some 
 offering, the first bride-rose from her 
 bush, or a deljcate cake, or a sunset- 
 colored jelly in a glass bowl, Grand- 
 mother would thank her affectionately, 
 and admire the gift, and then would 
 say, " But it is too pretty for any well 
 person, my dear. Let us take it quickly 
 to little Kitty who is so suffering with
 
 HOW SHE WENT VISITING 87 
 
 her measles ! or to poor old Mr. 
 Peavy, whose rheumatism is bad this 
 week." 
 
 Anne confessed to me that she some- 
 times wanted to say, " But I made it 
 for you, Grandmother, not for Mr. 
 Peavy ! " but I have often thought that 
 Anne was in a manner serving an 
 apprenticeship to Grandmother, and 
 making ready, all unawares, for the 
 life of love and sacrifice that she too 
 was to lead. 
 
 Another of Grandmother's friends 
 was Parker Patton. He was bedridden, 
 too I think we were rather proud of 
 our two stationary (I cannot say help- 
 less) people; he had fallen from a 
 haystack a strong man he was, in the 
 prime and pride of life and injured
 
 88 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 his spine so that he could never walk 
 again. 
 
 He was not a pleasant man, most 
 people thought; he had a crabbed, 
 knotty disposition, and who can wonder 
 at it ? The first time Grandmother 
 went to see him he snapped at her, 
 like some strong surly old dog. 
 
 * Who are you ? " he said, bending 
 his bushy eyebrows over his bright 
 dark eyes. " Who is it ? " to his wife, 
 who was hovering with anxious civility. 
 " Gran'ther Merion's widder ? humph ! 
 you don't look like a fool, but no more 
 did he. What ye want, hey ? " 
 
 " Oh, father ! " said poor Mrs. Pat- 
 ton. " Don't talk so ! Mis' Merion's 
 come to visit with you a spell. I'm 
 sure she's real "
 
 HOW SHE WENT VISITING 89 
 
 " Get out ! " said Parker. " Get out 
 of the room, d'ye hear ? " 
 
 The poor timid soul backed out, 
 murmuring some apology to the visitor, 
 whom she expected to follow her; but 
 Grandmother stood still, looking at 
 him with her quiet sweet eyes. 
 
 ' You can follow her ! " said Parker. 
 " She likes to see company; I don't! 
 I speak plain, and say what I mean." 
 
 " I'll go very soon ! " said Grand- 
 mother. " I'd like to stay a few 
 minutes ; may I ? " 
 
 " If I'm to be made a show of," 
 growled the cross old man, " I shall 
 charge admission same as any other 
 show. Think it's worth a quarter to 
 see a man with a broken back? If 
 you do you can stay."
 
 90 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 " I haven't a quarter," said Grand- 
 mother, " but it's worth something to 
 sit down in this comfortable chair. 
 Were you ever at sea, Mr. Patton ? " 
 
 " Ya-a-ow ! " snarled Mr. Patton. 
 It sounded almost as much like " no " 
 as " yes," but Grandmother did not 
 heed it much. She had dropped lightly 
 into the chair, and was looking at a 
 picture that hung opposite the bed; a 
 colored lithograph of a ship under full 
 sail. The workmanship was rough 
 and poor, but the waves were alive, 
 and the ship moved. 
 
 " I like that ! " said Grandmother 
 softly. " I never saw the sea, but I 
 knew a sailor once." She began to 
 sing very softly, hardly above her 
 breath.
 
 HOW SHE WENT VISITING 91 
 
 " There were two gallant ships 
 Put out to sea. 
 
 Sing high, sing low, and so sailed we. 
 The one was Prince of Luther and the other 
 
 Prince of Wales; 
 Sailing down along the coast of the high 
 
 Barbaric ; 
 Sailing down along the coast of the high 
 
 Barbaric." 
 
 " Who taught you that ? " growled 
 Parker Patton. 
 
 " A sailor ; his name was Ned- 
 dard, Neddard Prowst. He came " 
 The sick man started up on his 
 elbows. 
 
 " Neddard Prowst ! he was a ship- 
 mate of mine ; we sailed together three 
 years, and if I hadn't come ashore like 
 a grass-fool we might be sailing yet.
 
 92 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 Where did you see Neddard, young 
 woman ? " 
 
 " In the mountains. He came ashore ; 
 he thought he would like mining, but 
 he didn't. He was always longing for 
 the sea." 
 
 " Ah ! I'll lay my cargo he was. 
 All seamen have their foolish times. I 
 thought I was tired of the sea; all I 
 wanted in the world was to lay under a 
 tree and eat apples, day after day. 
 Well here I lay, and serve me 
 right. What about Neddard, young 
 woman ? " 
 
 " He was very good to me," she said. 
 " He liked me to sit with him when he 
 was sick ; he died a little before I came 
 here. He taught me all the songs. Do 
 you remember, now, this one?
 
 HOW SHE WENT VISITING 93 
 
 " Hilo, heylo, 
 Tom was a merry boy, 
 Hilo, heylo, 
 Run before the wind ! 
 Heave to, my jolly Jacky, 
 Pipe all for grog and baccy, 
 Hilo, heylo, 
 Run before the wind ! " 
 
 " Ay ! many's the time ! did he 
 learn you * Madagascar ' ? hey, what ? " 
 Grandmother, for all reply, sang again : 
 
 " Up anchor, 'bout ship, and off to Mada- 
 gascar ! 
 
 Cheerily, oh, cheerily, you hear the boat- 
 swain call. 
 
 Don't you ship a Portagee, nor don't you 
 ship a Lascar, 
 
 Nor don't you ship a Chinaman, the worst 
 of them all !
 
 94 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 '* Up foresail, out jib, and off to Madagascar, 
 Call to Mother Carey for to keep her chicks 
 
 at home. 
 Ship me next to Martinique, or ship me to 
 
 Alaska, 
 But Polly's got my heart at anchor, ne'er 
 
 to roam." 
 
 By and by when poor Mrs. Patton 
 ventured to put her timid head inside 
 the door, she kept it there, too as- 
 tonished to move. 
 
 Parker lay back on his pillows with 
 a look such as she had not seen for 
 many a long day. His thin hands were 
 beating time on the coverlet, and he 
 and Grandmother were singing to- 
 gether : 
 
 " Silver and gold in the Lowlands, Lowlands, 
 Silver and gold in the Lowlands low ;
 
 HOW SHE WENT VISITING 95 
 
 On the quay so shady 
 I met a pretty lady, 
 
 She stole away my heart in the Lowlands 
 low. 
 
 " Di'monds and pearls in the Lowlands, Low- 
 lands, 
 
 Di'monds and pearls in the Lowlands low ; 
 Daddy was a tailor, 
 But I will die a sailor, 
 
 And bury me my heart in the Low lands 
 low!" 
 
 When the song was finished the old 
 sailor looked up and saw his wife 
 gaping in the doorway. 
 
 " Great bobstays ! 'Liza," he said, 
 " Ain't you got a drop of cider for Mis' 
 Merion to wet her throat with ? You'd 
 let her sing herself dry as pop-corn, I 
 believe, and never stir a finger."
 
 96 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 " Oh, Mr. Patton ! " said the poor 
 woman, and went to fetch the cider, 
 a great content shining in her face. 
 It was a good day when her husband 
 said " Great bobstays ! " 
 
 Meantime Grandmother was not 
 much missed at the Farm. Manuel 
 indeed seemed more at ease when she 
 was not there; he did not look at her 
 much in these days, nor speak to her 
 except when need was. She never 
 seemed to notice, but was quiet and 
 cheerful as she always had been. 
 
 As for Rachel, she saw nothing, heard 
 nothing, but Manuel. She seemed 
 all day in a kind of breathless dream 
 of joy. But she meant to be good to 
 Grandmother. She was glad that 
 Grandmother had given up her room
 
 HOW SHE WENT VISITING 97 
 
 to them, and taken the little back 
 one; she gloried in sitting at the 
 head of the table once more, and 
 ruling all like a queen. Manuel said 
 she was a queen ; " Queen Poppy " 
 he used to call her; and Rachel 
 thought it quite true; if only she had 
 had the luck to be born a princess, 
 and Manuel a prince ! Yes, she meant 
 to be good to Grandmother. 
 
 ' Why, Grandmother," she said one 
 day at table, " your hair is beginning 
 to turn ! Look, Manuel ! see the 
 white hairs ! " 
 
 Manuel looked, and his face dark- 
 ened, but he said nothing. 
 
 "I declare," said Rachel, "that's 
 queer enough. I'd like to know what 
 care you have, Grandmother, to turn
 
 98 
 
 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 your hair gray. I expect it's not having 
 any that's done it." 
 
 "Yes, Rachel," said Grandmother; 
 " perhaps that is it."
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 HOW THE LIGHT CAME TO HER 
 
 ALL this was before the child came. 
 With the coming of that little creature 
 the world changed once more for 
 Grandmother. It was in the early 
 autumn; the cardinal flowers were 
 past, but the St.-John's-wort was in 
 its bloom of tarnished gold, and the 
 fringed gentian, too, was beginning to 
 open its blue eyes. Anne Peace re- 
 membered this, because she had just 
 been out gathering gentians, and was 
 coming home with her hands full of 
 
 99
 
 100 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 the lovely things, when she saw her 
 mother come to the door of Merion 
 House and wave a white apron. Anne 
 dropped the flowers. " Oh ! Rachel ! " 
 she said; and came running over. 
 The white apron meant that it was a 
 girl; if it were a boy the blue table- 
 cloth was to be waved. 
 
 '" Doing well ! " said Mother Peace. 
 " Grandmother has the baby in the 
 back chamber; you can see it, if you 
 like, Anne, only go quiet." 
 
 As if Anne were ever anything but 
 quiet! Noiselessly she sped up the 
 back stairs, and opened the door of the 
 little bedchamber. There she saw 
 Madonna ! 
 
 Grandmother was sitting in a low 
 rocking-chair, with the baby in her
 
 HOW THE LIGHT CAME TO HER 101 
 
 arms, bending over it with eyes of 
 worship. 
 
 " Hush, Annie ! " she said softly. 
 " Come and see a piece of heaven ! " 
 
 Anne thought the heaven was in 
 Grandmother's face ; she never saw, she 
 said, such an angel look. She came 
 nearer, and looked at the tiny creature 
 nestling in its blankets. One little 
 pink fist was waving feebly. Grand- 
 mother lifted it and laid it against her 
 cheek. 
 
 " Little velvet roseleaf ! " she mur- 
 mured. " Look, Anne ! see the per- 
 fectness of this ! The little pink pearls 
 of nails, the tiny precious thumbkin. 
 Oh, wonderful, wonderful ! How good 
 God is, to let us begin in this heavenly 
 way. How can we ever be anything
 
 102 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 but good and lovely, when we begin 
 like this ? " 
 
 " Some of us can't," said little Anne 
 shyly. " She is a darling, Grand- 
 mother. Has Rachel seen her ? " 
 
 A shade passed over Grandmother's 
 rapt face. " Not yet ! " she said. " She 
 ought to. If you see your mother, 
 Anne, you might tell her that baby is 
 washed and dressed. Darling, your 
 gown should be made of white rose- 
 leaves, shouldn't it ? and you the little 
 blush-rose heart? Oh, little piece of 
 heaven, how could they let you go ? " 
 
 Anne stole away; looking back at 
 the door, she saw that Grandmother 
 had forgotten her and all the w r orld 
 except the child ; again it seemed Mary 
 that she was looking at; Mary in
 
 
 "GRANDMOTHER HAD FORGOTTEN ALL THE WORLD EXCEPT 
 THE CHILD."
 
 HOW THE LIGHT CAME TO HER 103 
 
 adoration, as she had seen her in an 
 old engraving. 
 
 With the awe and wonder of this 
 still on her, she crept along the passage, 
 past the door of Rachel's room, which 
 stood ajar. A fretful voice was speak- 
 ing. " No, I don't want to see it. I 
 never wanted any at all, but if I had to 
 have one I wanted a boy ; I don't want 
 a girl. I won't bother with it. It's 
 hard enough to have to be one, and go 
 through what I've been through 
 and then to have a girl ! it ain't fair ; 
 it's real mean ! " An angry sob fol- 
 lowed, and Mother Peace's calm voice 
 was heard. 
 
 ' You want to be quiet now, Rachel, 
 and try to get a nap. You'll feel dif- 
 ferent when you've seen your baby.
 
 104 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 Shut your eyes now and mebbe you'll 
 drop off, while I go and get you some 
 gruel." 
 
 " I hate gruel ! " said Rachel; " I 
 won't touch it, Mis' Peace, I tell you ! " 
 
 Mother Peace came out quietly and 
 drew the door to. Seeing Anne she 
 nodded, and beckoned her to follow 
 down-stairs, but did not speak till she 
 had gained the kitchen. 
 
 " Anne," she said. ' You needn't 
 tell me. There's mistakes made up 
 yonder sometimes same as other places ; 
 maybe some of the angels is young and 
 careless. But that baby '11 soon find 
 out who its real mother is, you see if 
 it don't." 
 
 " Why, Mother Peace," said Anne, 
 " how you talk ! "
 
 HOW THE LIGHT CAME TO HER 105 
 
 " Some one has to talk ! " said her 
 mother kindly. " You are little better 
 than a dumb image, Anne, when a 
 person wants to free her mind. You 
 might stir this gruel if you've a mind 
 to, while I go up and take a look at 
 those two lambs, and I don't mean 
 Rachel Merion by neither one of 
 'em." 
 
 Strange and terrible as it seems, 
 Rachel did not grow fond of her baby. 
 She had made up her mouth, she said, 
 for a boy; she had never liked girl 
 babies, and she wasn't going to pretend 
 that she did. 
 
 " You needn't look like that, Grand- 
 mother, as if you expected the sky to 
 fall on me. I'm one that isn't afraid 
 to say what I think, and I think it's
 
 106 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 real mean, so now, and I never shall 
 think anything else." 
 
 Manuel too was greatly disappointed. 
 Rachel had been so absolutely sure, 
 that he too had counted on the promised 
 boy, feeling somehow that she must 
 know. They had named the child - 
 Orlando Harold was to be his name. 
 He was to have Manuel's eyes and 
 Rachel's hair, and was to be President 
 or Major-General ; this was the only 
 point that was not settled. And now 
 still Manuel felt a stirring at his heart, 
 when he saw the little fair creature in 
 Grandmother's arms. " After all, there 
 have to be girls ! " he said. 
 
 " I didn't have to have one," said 
 Rachel, flouncing away from him. 
 
 Mother Peace, while she nursed
 
 HOW THE LIGHT CAME TO HER 107 
 
 Rachel faithfully and sturdily, grew 
 more and more rigid with indignation. 
 
 " Take this broth ! " she would say. 
 " Yes, you will ; take every sup of it ; 
 there ! If 'twasn't for my living duty 
 I'd put whole peppercorns into it, 
 Rachel Merion. Such actions ! what 
 the Lord was thinking of I don't 
 know." For Rachel was not nursing 
 the baby; said she could not, she 
 should die. 
 
 " I want a free foot," she said ; 
 " and they do just as well on a bottle, 
 Mis' Peace." 
 
 " They do not ! " said Mrs. Peace. 
 " I'll trouble you not to teach me to 
 suck eggs, Rachel. Now you are going 
 to take a nap, and much good may it 
 do you ! "
 
 108 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 " I'm not ! " said Rachel. 
 
 ' You are ! " said Mrs. Peace, and 
 drew down the shades and went out 
 closing the door after her. 
 
 Mrs. Peace's indignation even ex- 
 tended to Grandmother. " I believe 
 she don't care, either ! " she said. 
 " Grandmother, I really believe you 
 don't care that Rachel is a heathen 
 and a publican, and had ought to be 
 slapped instead of fed and cockered 
 up." 
 
 Grandmother looked up with a face 
 so radiant, it seemed to startle the 
 whole room into sudden light. 
 
 " Oh, but she will ! " she said. 
 " She will care, dear Mrs. Peace. 
 She can't possibly help it, you know, 
 when she comes to get about and hold
 
 HOW THE LIGHT CAME TO HER 109 
 
 the little darling angel, and feel its 
 little blessedness all warm in her arms. 
 She can't help it then, my Precious 
 Precious, can she? Oh, Mrs. Peace, 
 she is smiling. Anne, Anne, come 
 quick, she is smiling." 
 
 " Wind ! " said Mrs. Peace calmly. 
 
 Grandmother flushed and looked 
 almost angry. ;< How can you, Mrs. 
 Peace ? " she said. " But I know 
 better, I know ! I almost heard them 
 whisper ; I almost heard the rustle - 
 
 " What rustle ? " asked Anne under 
 her breath. 
 
 But Grandmother only smiled down 
 at baby. * Rachel says I may name 
 her ! " she said. " Isn't that kind of 
 her?" 
 
 Mrs. Peace sniffed.
 
 110 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 " What shall you call her ? " asked 
 Anne. 
 
 " Faith ! " said Grandmother. 
 " Sweet little Faith, God bless her ! 
 and God bless us, and give us wisdom 
 to rear His heavenly flower fit for His 
 garden." 
 
 Anne and I always said that the most 
 beautiful sight we had ever seen was 
 Baby Faith's christening. It was in 
 October, a bright glorious day. Grand- 
 mother hung great branches of maple 
 everywhere, making the sitting-room a 
 royal chamber with scarlet and gold. 
 Rachel had come down for the first 
 time and was on the sofa in a scar- 
 let wrapper, and Grandmother had 
 crowned her with golden leaves, and 
 told her she was the queen, and had
 
 HOW THE LIGHT CAME TO HER 111 
 
 come to the christening feast of the 
 princess. Rachel was all ready to be 
 crowned and petted. She kept Manuel 
 close by her side, or sent him now and 
 then on some little errand across the 
 room, never further and snatched 
 him back again jealously. She did not 
 want him even to look at the baby, 
 though she liked well enough now to 
 look at it herself, had even grown a 
 little vain of it because people admired 
 it so. 
 
 " I think it's real good of me to let 
 you name her, Grandmother ! " she 
 said jealously. " And giving her such 
 a mean, poor-sounding name too: so 
 old-fashioned. Ruby Emerald is the 
 name I should have picked out, and 
 after all she's my baby and not yours ;
 
 112 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 but I'm not going back on what I said. 
 I never would do that, though if I was 
 in your place I shouldn't want she 
 should have a name her own mother 
 despised." 
 
 I don't think Grandmother always 
 listened to Rachel; she certainly did 
 not seem to hear her now, for now the 
 minister came in, dear old Parson 
 Truegood. He stopped a moment in 
 the doorway, looking at Grandmother, 
 standing there in her white dress with 
 the baby in her arms. I think the 
 same thought was in his mind that 
 had come to Anne the thought of 
 Mary and the Child for he bowed 
 his head as if in prayer, just for a 
 minute. Then he came in, with his 
 cheery smile, and had just the right
 
 HOW THE LIGHT CAME TO HER 113 
 
 word for Rachel and Manuel, and all 
 the time it was at the other two he 
 looked. 
 
 Little Faith was one of those babies 
 that are beautiful from the very first. 
 Some people will tell you there are 
 none such, but do not believe them. 
 Even the first day there was no mottled 
 depth of redness, only a kind of velvet 
 rose color. That soon faded away 
 and left the white rose instead that 
 Grandmother always called her. She 
 was not pasty white, nor waxen white ; 
 it was a clear rosy whiteness ; you see, 
 I have only the same word to say over 
 again. White Rose; that is what she 
 was. And every little feature perfect, 
 as if carved with a fairy-fine tool ; and 
 her eyes like stars in blue water.
 
 114 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 Except Grandmother herself, she was 
 the most beautiful thing I ever saw. 
 
 She was asleep when the service 
 began; but when the water touched 
 her forehead she woke, and looked up 
 and smiled, a heavenly smile. 
 
 Grandmother looked up too, as if 
 she saw some one, or thought to see; 
 and I saw a listening look come over 
 her face, as if she heard some sound, or 
 hoped to hear. And when, a moment 
 later, she knelt down to pray, she 
 moved her dress a little aside, as if 
 making room for some one. Anne 
 knew what it meant. Grandmother 
 had told her. " I believe," she said, 
 " that a baby's angel stays by till after 
 it is christened. I can't tell you just 
 how I know, but I hear sometimes -
 
 HOW THE LIGHT CAME TO HER 115 
 
 I hear sounds that aren't this-world 
 sounds. And some one speaks to me 
 without words, yet I understand oh, 
 yes, I understand." 
 
 It was a pretty fancy; she was full 
 of pretty fancies, many of them coming, 
 I suppose, from her lonely childhood. 
 
 And so Baby Faith was christened, 
 and became the light of Grandmother's 
 life.
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 HOW HER HAIR TURNED WHITE 
 
 Now followed the golden time of 
 Grandmother's life. I hardly know 
 how to describe the change that came 
 over her with the coming of little Faith. 
 She seemed to grow taller, straighter, 
 fuller. The windflower was gone, and 
 instead there was a tall white lily, 
 growing firm and strong, sending its 
 roots deep down, spreading its broad 
 green leaves and silver petals abroad 
 to the sun. 
 
 She took all the care of the baby. 
 Rachel was not strong, and could not 
 bear to lose sleep, and Grandmother 
 
 116
 
 HOW HER HAIR TURNED WHITE 117 
 
 joyfully declared that she slept the 
 better for having the cradle beside her 
 bed. Rachel slept late, and Grand- 
 mother would take Baby down and 
 tuck her up in Grandfather's great 
 chair while she got breakfast for Manuel 
 and herself, and then made ready the 
 pretty tray for Rachel. Then out she 
 would run into the garden with the 
 child in her arms, to get the morning 
 dew. 
 
 " The morning dew to make you fair, 
 The morning sun to curl your hair; 
 The birds to sing to you, 
 Fly to you, bring to you 
 Everything sweet from everywhere." 
 
 We realized now that many of 
 Grandmother's little songs were her
 
 118 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 own; we could see them making; 
 they came bubbling up like bird-songs, 
 and she would try one word and 
 another, one note and another, till all 
 was to her mind. 
 
 " How do you do it, Grandmother ? " 
 Anne Peace would say. And Grand- 
 mother would laugh and say, " I don't, 
 Anne. There isn't any making about 
 it; they just come." 
 
 She never used to laugh, except 
 with the children, but now she was 
 full of laughter and singing. How 
 could she help it? she would say. 
 Who could help singing with a baby 
 in the house, and such a baby as 
 Faith ? 
 
 The children were inclined to be 
 jealous at first, all except " Saturday
 
 HOW HER HAIR TURNED WHITE 119 
 
 Nelly," as they called the little lame 
 girl. She simply fell down and wor- 
 shipped with Grandmother. The 
 others well, it seemed strange to 
 some of them, especially the boys, to 
 have such a fuss made over a baby. 
 They had babies at home, that looked 
 (they thought in their ignorance) very 
 like this one; but no one ever called 
 them rose-leaf princesses or lily-bell 
 angels. To be sure, they often cried 
 squalled, the boys called it and this 
 one never seemed to, just smiled and 
 cooed. 
 
 " Why should she cry," said Grand- 
 mother, " when she is well and happy ? 
 If she cries, children, it is our fault, 
 and we must be whipped round the 
 garden with bramble whips all over
 
 120 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 thorns. So dance now, and make her 
 laugh ! " Then they all would dance, 
 and Baby Faith would leap in Grand- 
 mother's arms, and crow, and wave her 
 little arms. 
 
 * Where did she come from ? " asked 
 a little girl. 
 
 " Oh, I was just singing about 
 that before you came," said Grand- 
 mother. " Listen now, and you shall 
 hear. 
 
 " Down from the sky came 
 
 Little White Rose; 
 How they could spare her 
 
 Nobody knows. 
 Through the gate slipping, 
 Down the air tripping, 
 What she could tell us, 
 
 If she but chose !
 
 HOW HER HAIR TURNED WHITE 121 
 
 Down to the earth came 
 
 Little White Rose, 
 Sadly the gold gates 
 
 After her close; 
 Left them all sighing, 
 Sobbing and crying; 
 Will they come after her, 
 
 Do you suppose ? " 
 
 " Will who come ? " asked Benny 
 Mack. 
 
 " Angels ! " said Grandmother. 
 " Troops of them, all shining with 
 great white wings spread, and 
 white lily-dresses; look up there, 
 Benny ! what do you see in the 
 blue?" 
 
 " Clouds ! " said Benny. 
 
 " Yes," said Grandmother. " But 
 I see something else, Benny; a white-
 
 122 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 lily lady sitting in a cloudy chair. 
 Don't you see her, Nelly? Stay up 
 there, lily-lady ; don't come down here ! 
 Baby Faith is very well, you cannot 
 have her back." 
 
 " Do you know, children," she said, 
 lowering her voice, " do you know all 
 the things that happened the day Baby 
 came ? You don't ? come and sit round 
 here, all of you ! Nelly-Nell, you shall 
 oh, Nelly, you are so good and dear 
 and patient, you shall hold her a little, 
 while I tell. Listen now ! 
 
 " The lily-bells rang at the sight of her, 
 The sunflower turned to the light of her, 
 
 The little black mole 
 
 Crept out of his hole, 
 Just to peep at the darling delight of her.
 
 HOW HER HAIR TURNED WHITE 123 
 
 " The daisies all danced 'neath the feet of her, 
 The roses turned faint at the sweet of her; 
 The firefly's spark 
 Came and lit up the dark, 
 Just to show us the picture complete of her ! " 
 
 Two years; two golden, beautiful, 
 heavenly years. Then it will not 
 be easy to tell this part, yet it must be 
 told. 
 
 Anne Peace thinks I am hard upon 
 Rachel; her mother used to think I 
 was just the reverse. She always 
 seemed to me the one wholly selfish 
 person I ever knew. She loved Manuel 
 passionately; but so jealously that she 
 did not even like to see him caress the 
 baby, but would call him to her side, 
 or make some excuse to give the child
 
 124 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 to Grandmother. And yet she was 
 so jealous of Grandmother too ! I do 
 not think she ever cared much for the 
 baby, yet she would have fits of jealous 
 rage now and then. 
 
 " I'd like to know whose baby that 
 is, Grandmother ! " she would say. 
 Grandmother would look up with the 
 rapt smile she always wore when little 
 Faith was in her arms. 
 
 ' Whose baby ? why, Rachel, don't 
 you know? White Rose, look at 
 mother ! throw a kiss to mother ! " 
 
 " I don't know as I do ! " Rachel 
 would go on. " I thought 'twas mine ; 
 I didn't know as you'd had one, 
 Grandmother, but maybe I was mis- 
 taken; maybe I just thought I had a 
 baby, and she was yours all along."
 
 HOW HER HAIR TURNED WHITE 125 
 
 Then suddenly stamping her foot, 
 she would flash out in the old way. 
 
 " I want you should understand that 
 that child belongs to me and Manuel, 
 and to no one else. I won't have my 
 own child taken away from me; I tell 
 you I won't ! Give me my baby this 
 minute ! " And she would snatch the 
 child from Grandmother's arms. Of 
 course then the poor little thing would 
 begin to cry, frightened by her wild 
 looks and angry voice, and this only 
 enraged Rachel more. " You've turned 
 her against me ! " she shrieked. 
 ' You've stole her away from me, you 
 wicked, wicked - here she would 
 break into a passion of furious sobs; 
 and Grandmother would take the baby 
 out of her arms and go away without
 
 126 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 a word, leaving her to storm and rave 
 till Manuel came in to pet and caress 
 her into good humor again. 
 
 But again, it would be Manuel at 
 whom she would storm, accusing him 
 of abetting Grandmother in her de- 
 signs upon the baby; or still again, if 
 she had her wish of the moment, and 
 the baby was left with her for a few 
 minutes, she would find herself ill-used 
 and neglected, and left with all the care 
 of the child on her hands. Well ! poor 
 Rachel ! 
 
 One day it was a bright fair day, 
 like any other summer day - - Manuel 
 had promised to take Rachel for a 
 drive. " We might take Faith ! " he 
 said; he had grown very fond of the 
 little one since she began to talk.
 
 HOW HER HAIR TURNED WHITE 127 
 
 " I don't know as I want to ! " said 
 Rachel, who was in a bad mood. " I'd 
 like to have a chance to talk to you once 
 in awhile myself, Manuel." 
 
 " I'll take Baby out in her carriage," 
 said Grandmother happily. " We'll 
 go to the woods, won't we, White 
 Rose ? " 
 
 That was enough. " No, you won't ! " 
 said Rachel. " If she's going out she 
 can come with us. You put on her 
 things, Grandmother, while I get 
 
 mine." 
 
 Grandmother carried little Faith out 
 to the wagon, and put her into her 
 mother's arms, and waited to see them 
 start. It was surely a pretty sight, 
 Anne Peace said; she was watching 
 from her window. Rachel had a
 
 128 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 gipsy hat full of scarlet poppies tied 
 with scarlet ribbons under her chin. 
 Manuel was bare-headed, his crisp 
 black curls framing his brown hand- 
 some face; and between the two dark 
 beauties the little White Rose with her 
 silver curls and apple-blossom face. 
 She was dancing up and down on 
 Rachel's lap, clapping her hands at 
 the horse. A little piece of quicksilver 
 she was. 
 
 ' Hold her tight, won't you, 
 Rachel ? " said Grandmother ; " she 
 does jump about so, bless her ! " 
 
 " I guess I know how to hold my 
 own child ! " said Rachel. 
 
 So they started, and Grandmother 
 waved good-bye, and then went 
 back to the house with a still look;
 
 HOW HER HAIR TURNED WHITE 129 
 
 peaceful and serene, but the radiant 
 light gone out of her face. 
 
 No one was ever to see that light 
 again. 
 
 They were gone about an hour. 
 Grandmother was in the garden watch- 
 ing for them, when they came back. 
 It did not need her eyes to see that 
 something was terribly, terribly wrong. 
 Manuel was driving furiously, lashing 
 the horse, who galloped his best. 
 Rachel was in a heap on the floor 
 of the wagon moaning and crying; 
 what was that little white drift on her 
 knees, with the red stain creep- 
 ing- 
 No ! no ! I cannot tell that part. 
 Next moment Grandmother had the 
 child in her arms. She towered like an
 
 130 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 avenging angel over the wretched 
 parents, who cowered at her feet. 
 
 :< She isn't dead ! " shrieked Rachel. 
 " Grandmother, Grandmother, say she 
 isn't dead. She's only stunned a little, 
 I tell you. She lost her balance 
 
 But Manuel cried out hoarsely : " No 
 lies now ! we were quarrelling, and we 
 forgot her. . She sprang out " he 
 choked, and no more words came. 
 
 " Only one hour ! " said Grand- 
 mother. Three words; her terrible 
 eyes said the rest. 
 
 Grandmother fought for the child's 
 life, silently, desperately. The doctor 
 came, a kind, quiet man, and they 
 worked together. He said a few cheer- 
 ing words; but meeting Mrs. Peace's 
 eyes, he shook his head sadly.
 
 HOW HER HAIR TURNED WHITE 131 
 
 It lasted an hour or more ; the spirit 
 nestled wonderingly in the little broken 
 body, lately all light and strength and 
 answering joy. The sweet eyes opened 
 once or twice, seeking the face that had 
 been their sun. It was there, bending 
 close; it smiled, and White Rose 
 smiled back. The last time, the baby 
 arms moved, fluttered up toward 
 Grandmother, then dropped; the eyes 
 closed. 
 
 Presently the doctor rose and went 
 out, with bowed head ; he was a father 
 of children. The elder woman, weeping 
 silently, went to the window and 
 opened it wide; and the sunset light, 
 rosy and clear, streamed in on Grand- 
 mother, sitting motionless, with the 
 dead child in her arms.
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 HOW SHE FOUND PEACE 
 
 NEXT day her hair was quite white, 
 as if it had been snowed on in the 
 night. But she was herself again, and 
 went quietly about the house, doing 
 all that had to be done, and waiting on 
 Rachel, who lay moaning and crying 
 in her darkened room, exhausted after 
 a night of hysterical passion. Grand- 
 mother brought the breakfast tray, and 
 bathed her face and hands and brushed 
 her hair, in silence; she seemed un- 
 conscious of her sobs and tears. 
 
 " I think you might say something, 
 
 132
 
 HOW SHE FOUND PEACE 133 
 
 Grandmother ! " Rachel whimpered. 
 " It's dreadful enough, without your 
 going about looking like a stone image. 
 It isn't your baby that oh, dear! 
 and just as I was getting so fond of her. 
 She was just getting to the interesting 
 age. Oh, it's too awful; isn't it, 
 Grandmother ? " 
 
 Grandmother did not heed her, but 
 went on brushing the heavy black hair 
 mechanically. 
 
 " I know you were fond of her," 
 said Rachel, " and I sha'n't say a 
 word about your keeping her away 
 from me so much. But of course you 
 can't pretend to feel what I do, Grand- 
 mother. You've never had a child, 
 you don't know what a mother feels. 
 You've never had an/thing to feel,
 
 134 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 really, all your life. Oh, dear ! oh, dear ! 
 and Manuel takes it so hard; I'm 
 sure I don't know what is going to 
 become of us. Grandmother, if you 
 are going to be like a wooden stick, I 
 wish you'd go away and send Manuel 
 to me." 
 
 Grandmother went without a word. 
 At the door she met the kind old 
 minister, the same who christened 
 Baby Faith ah, how long ago ? She 
 led him aside to the hall window, and 
 with one hand on his arm pointed 
 upward with the other. 
 
 " He let it happen. He sent the 
 little life, and then let it be crushed 
 out like the life of a fly or a worm. 
 Why?" 
 
 Her eyes looked through and through
 
 HOW SHE FOUND PEACE 135 
 
 him, but the wise old eyes looked 
 back steadily and kindly. 
 
 " Daughter," he said. " His great 
 laws are not made to be broken. 
 When we transgress them, it is our- 
 selves we break, against their divine 
 and unchangeable order." 
 
 Grandmother's head dropped on her 
 bosom. " I see ! " she said. 
 
 She stood there quietly for awhile 
 after he had gone in to see Rachel; 
 then she went to find Manuel. 
 
 Manuel was sitting in the kitchen, 
 his head in his hands, staring moodily 
 before him. He looked up as Grand- 
 mother came in, looked at her with 
 haggard eyes, then dropped his head 
 again. 
 
 " Go away ! " he said hoarsely. " Go
 
 136 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 away, you white thing ! What have 
 you to do with murderers ? " 
 
 "I never saw one," said Grand- 
 mother simply. " Poor Manuel, come 
 out into the garden. It isn't good for 
 you to sit here and brood." 
 
 " One place is as good as an- 
 other," said Manuel. " Leave me 
 alone in the hell we have made, she 
 and I." 
 
 Grandmother did not speak for a 
 time; then she said, " Manuel, God's 
 will must be done in hell as much as 
 anywhere else." 
 
 " God ! " said Manuel ; and he 
 laughed, an ugly laugh. " Do you still 
 believe in God after yesterday ? " 
 
 " Oh, so much more ! " said Grand- 
 mother; and she added softly as if
 
 HOW SHE POUND PEACE 137 
 
 she were saying over a lesson that she 
 had learned by heart, " His great 
 laws may not be broken. When we 
 trangress them, it is ourselves we 
 break Come, Manuel, come out 
 into the sunshine." 
 
 She spoke as to a child, and like a 
 child he obeyed, and followed her out 
 into the blossoming garden, all life 
 and color and fragrance. As the 
 glory shone upon him, the young man 
 staggered on the threshold and uttered 
 a groan; then he glanced at Grand- 
 mother. " Your hair is as white as 
 snow ! " he said. 
 
 " Is it ? " said Grandmother. " It 
 doesn't matter. We must gather 
 flowers, all the brightest flowers, 
 Manuel, for Little One. She liked
 
 138 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 the gay ones best, and there is nothing 
 else to do now." 
 
 She moved away slowly, among her 
 flowers; she had grown heavy-footed 
 since yesterday ; and the man followed 
 her with hanging head. 
 
 The thing that was between them, 
 instead of drawing Rachel and her 
 husband together, seemed to turn them 
 against each other. There were bitter 
 words, words that pierced and stung 
 like poisoned arrows ; and every quarrel 
 left Rachel more hysterical, Manuel 
 more gloomy and silent, brooding over 
 that sweet past that had been flung 
 into the dust. 
 
 Grandmother would come out of 
 her dream and try hard to make peace,
 
 HOW SHE FOUND PEACE 139 
 
 and she could always quiet Manuel, 
 but that often exasperated Rachel the 
 more. When the bitter tongue was 
 turned against her she did not seem to 
 hear, but lapsed again into the listless 
 half-dreaming state in which she lived 
 now, moving softly, doing with exquisite 
 care everything that was to be done, 
 but seeming little conscious of what 
 was going on around her. 
 
 Then came the day when Rachel 
 rushed wild-eyed into her room, as she 
 sat sewing by the empty cradle. 
 
 " Grandmother," she cried ; " some- 
 thing is the matter with Manuel. 
 He's sick ; he won't speak to me. 
 Go and see what is the matter, quick ! " 
 
 Grandmother went into the kitchen. 
 Manuel was sitting by the table as he
 
 140 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 was that other day, his head in his 
 hands. He looked up and smiled at 
 her, a dull, foolish smile. :< Grand- 
 mother," he said thickly, " I'm glad - 
 see you. I sent the other one away. 
 She's no good; I've had enough of 
 her. No good ! but you, Grand- 
 mother you weren't always Grand- 
 mother; what's your other name? 
 I know - - Pitia ! give me a kiss, 
 Pitia ! I always liked you best, you 
 know." 
 
 He rose and staggered toward her. 
 She recoiled, her arms stretched out, 
 her face alight with anguish. * Don't 
 come a step nearer ! " she cried. 
 " Manuel not a step ! " 
 
 He stopped and stared at her 
 stupidly. Suddenly, swiftly, her face
 
 HOW SHE FOUND PEACE 141 
 
 changed, softened into pity and tender- 
 ness. ' Poor Manuel ! " she said. 
 ' Poor boy ! come out into the air ; 
 come with me ! " Again the quiet hand 
 rested on his arm, compelling him, 
 again he stumbled out into the good 
 clear blessed sunshine. Poor Manuel ! 
 Grandmother brought water and 
 bathed his aching head, and made him 
 lie down under the great russet-apple 
 tree where the shade was thick and 
 cool, and bade him sleep till the head- 
 ache was over. Then she came back 
 to Rachel, who watched half -jealous, 
 half-terrified, from the hall window. 
 
 What need to dwell on the time that 
 followed? Manuel had found the 
 thing that for the moment dead- 
 ened the pain at his heart and dulled
 
 142 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 his ears to Rachel's reproaches and 
 complaints. 
 
 Some latent poison in the blood - 
 who can read these mysteries ? made 
 the drink a fire that consumed him. 
 He wasted away, and hugged his des- 
 troyer ever closer to him. Grand- 
 mother battled for his life, as she had 
 for that other sweet life which was the 
 light of her own; Rachel looked on 
 terrified and helpless. 
 
 Then came the winter night when he 
 fell down senseless by the garden gate 
 and lay there all night, while the 
 women watched and waited in the 
 house. It was Grandmother who found 
 him. She had persuaded Rachel to lie 
 down, and then thrown a cloak over 
 her wrapper and crept out in the gray
 
 HOW SHE FOUND PEACE 143 
 
 iron-bound dawn to look down the 
 road for one who might be coming 
 stumbling along, and might need help 
 to gain the house; and she saw the 
 frozen face glimmering up from the 
 snow-bank where he lay. 
 
 There was one cry; a long low cry 
 that shivered through the still frosty 
 air; but no one heard. 
 
 How could she carry him in? We 
 never knew; she never spoke of it; 
 but no one else saw him till he was laid 
 decently in his bed and the staring 
 eyes closed. Then she called his wife. 
 
 The doctor came again, and good 
 Mrs. Peace, and all was done that 
 might be; but it was a bitter night, 
 and all was over,, as Grandmother 
 knew at the first sight of that glimmer-
 
 144 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 ing face. Poor Manuel ! A fire of 
 straw, as Mother Peace said. 
 
 It was after this that Grandmother 
 had the long illness; when she lay for 
 weeks speechless and motionless, with 
 barely strength enough to move her 
 little finger for "Yes" or "No" 
 when we asked her a question. I 
 helped Mrs. Peace and Anne with the 
 nursing. Rachel had gone away to her 
 mother's people. Sometimes, indeed 
 many times, we thought she was gone ; 
 she lay so still ; and we could not catch 
 even the slightest flutter of breath. I 
 remember those nights so well ; one 
 moonlight night in particular. We 
 knew how she loved the moonlight, 
 and opened the shutters wide. It was 
 a cold still night, the snow silver white
 
 " SHE LAV LIKE AN IVORY STATUE.
 
 HOW SHE FOUND PEACE 145 
 
 under the moon. The light poured in 
 full and strong on the bed where she 
 lay like an ivory statue, and turned the 
 ivory to silver. I thought she was 
 dying then, and thought what a beauti- 
 ful way to die, the heavenly spirit 
 mounting along the moon-path, leaving 
 that perfect image there at rest. 
 
 That was in February. April found 
 her still lying there, just breathing, 
 no more. The doctor gave a little 
 hope, now; she might slip away any 
 time, he said, but still it had lasted so 
 long, there must be a reserve of 
 strength; it was possible that she 
 might come through it. 
 
 One bright warm April day we had 
 opened the windows, and the air came 
 in sweet and fresh, and the robins
 
 146 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 were singing loud and merry in the 
 budding apple-trees. 
 
 Suddenly from the road outside came 
 a child's laugh; sweet and clear it 
 rang out like a silver bell, and at the 
 sound the ivory figure in the bed moved. 
 A slight shiver rippled through it from 
 head to foot. The eyes opened and 
 looked at us, clear and calm. 
 
 Dear Anne Peace knelt down beside 
 the bed and took the slender trans- 
 parent hands in hers, the tears running 
 down her face. " Grandmother," she 
 said, " you are going to get well now - 
 for the children ! Spring has come, 
 Grandmother dear, and the children 
 need you ! " 
 
 She did get well. Slowly but surely 
 life and strength returned; by June
 
 HOW SHE FOUND PEACE 147 
 
 she was in the garden again with the 
 children around her. Not the same, 
 not the light-foot girl who frolicked 
 and ran with the other children, but as 
 you all remember her; serene, clear- 
 eyed, cheerful, full of wisdom, grace, 
 tenderness. Grandmother ! who in 
 this village does not remember her? 
 To you young people she seemed an 
 old woman, with her snow-white hair 
 and ivory face, drawn into deep patient 
 lines. She was not fifty when she died. 
 
 During the twenty years she had yet to 
 live, what a benediction her days were 
 to old and young ! 
 
 People came to her with their joys 
 and their sorrows. Strangers came, 
 from outlying places, and brought their 
 troubles to her ; they had heard, no one
 
 148 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 knows how, that she had power and 
 wisdom beyond that of other women. 
 I met one of these strangers once. I 
 was going in to see Grandmother, and 
 I met a lady coming away ; a handsome 
 lady, richly dressed. She had been 
 weeping, but her face was full of light. 
 
 She looked at me. ' Young woman," 
 she said, " do you live near here ? " 
 
 ' Yes, madam," I said; " close by, 
 in that brown cottage." 
 
 "Yours is a high privilege," she 
 said, " to dwell so near to heaven." 
 
 She looked back to the house and 
 kissed her hand to it; then beckoned, 
 and a fine carriage came up and she 
 drove away. I never knew who she 
 was. 
 
 I found Grandmother sitting quietly
 
 HOW SHE FOUND PEACE 149 
 
 with her knitting, by the empty 
 cradle. 
 
 ' What did you say to that lady, 
 Grandmother ? " I asked, though I 
 knew next moment I should not have 
 done it. 
 
 " I told her an old lesson, my dear," 
 said Grandmother; " a lesson I learned 
 long ago." 
 
 Once it was Saturday Nelly who 
 came; Nelly, now grown a woman 
 if it could be called growing. 
 
 " Grandmother," she said, " look 
 at me, and tell me what you see." 
 
 Grandmother looked into the pale 
 drawn face with its strange eyes. 
 
 " Nelly dear," she said, " I see a 
 face that I love, a face full of truth and 
 goodness."
 
 150 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 " You see a monster ! " said the poor 
 girl. She made a passionate gesture 
 toward a mirror that hung opposite 
 them; indeed, the glass showed a 
 strange contrast. 
 
 " Look ! " she said. " Look, Grand- 
 mother, and tell me ! When one is 
 shut up in a prison like that, full of 
 pain and horror hasn't one a right 
 to get out if one can ? " 
 
 Seeing the wonder in Grandmother's 
 face she hurried on. " Father's dead; 
 poor father ! I would not let myself 
 think of it while he was living. He is 
 dead, and there is no one else except 
 you, Angel, and you would understand, 
 wouldn't you ? If I put this thing to 
 sleep " she struck her heart fiercely 
 " and slipped out of prison-
 
 HOW SHE FOUND PEACE 151 
 
 Grandmother, what harm would it 
 do ? what harm could it do ? " 
 
 " Nelly ! Nelly dear," said Grand- 
 mother, " you couldn't could you 
 go with your lesson half -learned ? 
 Such a strange, wonderful lesson, Nelly, 
 and you have been learning so well. 
 To go there, and when they asked you, 
 have to say ' I didn't finish, I left it 
 half-done, because I didn't like it;' 
 could you do that, do you think, Nelly 
 dear ? because it wouldn't be ready 
 at the other end either, don't you see, 
 darling? It wouldn't fit in. You 
 haven't thought of that, have you, 
 Nelly?" 
 
 Nelly hid her face in her hands, and 
 there was a long silence. Presently 
 she spoke, low and trembling.
 
 152 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 " Grandmother - - suppose there 
 wasn't any other end! Suppose I 
 couldn't see suppose I didn't be- 
 lieve there was anything more 
 when this hateful thing " she plucked 
 at her poor twisted body as if she would 
 have torn it " is buried out of 
 sight with the other worms! what 
 then?" 
 
 "Oh, Nelly!" said Grandmother 
 softly. "Nelly dear! if it were so; 
 if this were the only lesson, mustn't 
 we try all the harder to learn it well ? 
 if this should be our only chance to 
 help and love and tend and cheer, 
 would we give up one minute of 
 the time? Oh, no! Nelly, no! 
 Think a little, my dear! think a 
 little ! "
 
 HOW SHE FOUND PEACE 153 
 
 We all remember Saturday Nelly, 
 in the little shop that Grandmother 
 set up for her, selling sweeties to the 
 children, selling thread and needles 
 and tape, tending her birds and flowers, 
 the cheeriest, gayest little soul in the 
 village. Her shop was a kind of centre 
 of merry innocent chatter for young and 
 old ; it was full from morning to night. 
 We never thought much about Nelly's 
 looks except when we spoke of Grand- 
 mother; then her face grew beautiful. 
 
 I think the children loved Grand- 
 mother better even than in her girl- 
 days. 
 
 The Saturday feasts were quieter, 
 but still full of light and joy, and the 
 stories well, they were like no other 
 stories that ever were told.
 
 154 GRANDMOTHER 
 
 " And oh ! the words that fell from her mouth, 
 Were words of wisdom and of truth." 
 
 So she lived, blessing and blessed, 
 twenty more heavenly years ; and so, 
 when God called her, she died. We 
 found her one morning sitting by the 
 little cradle, her head resting on it, and 
 a white rose in her quiet hand. When 
 we raised her face and looked at it, 
 there was no need to ask whither the 
 spirit had gone. 
 
 And Rachel ? A year after Manuel 
 died, she married a man from a neigh- 
 boring village, a masterful man who 
 broke her over his knee like a willow 
 switch, and whom she adored for the 
 rest of her life. She bore him sons and
 
 HOW SHE FOUND PEACE 155 
 
 daughters, and grew comparatively 
 - cheerful and placid. 
 
 She came to see Grandmother now 
 and then, and marvelled at her. 
 
 ' How you do age, Grandmother ! " 
 she would say. " And you without a 
 care in the world. I wonder what 
 would have happened if you had really 
 lived, as I have ! " 
 
 THE END.
 
 tttiL Oi CAtif* U8RARY. LQ5
 
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