Aunt Hannah

“ Aunt Hannah shook her head, and a mist stole over her spectacles. She was getting very childish in her old age, that stern old maid.
"You are a nice girl, Mary," she said, "and mean right, I know. But Joseph will never be content to let you support him if you had the strength. He is very manly and proud with all his softness."
"I know it, aunt, but then remember I am like his sister."
"But sisters do not support their brothers, and men do not like to take favors where they ought to give them."
"Oh! aunt Hannah, you make me so unhappy. ”

“ Or what was it that made the stern woman shriek out, and wheel round so sharply on her stool?
"Why, Hannah, did I frighten her! has she kicked again?" cried uncle Nathan, surprised by the sharp action and wild look that she cast back upon him.
"Yes, she did start," answered aunt Hannah, rising and taking up the pail, now quite full, which made her waver to and fro, a singular weakness which no one had ever witnessed in her before.
"But you ain't frightened, sister; nothing can frighten you," said
Nathan, soothingly. ”

“ He burst into Aunt Hannah’s house with the news that he had been to Boston, that the soldiers were all gone, that he had seen his mother, that she had the small-pox and sent him off in a hurry.
“Tut! tut!” she cried. “It’s wicked to tell lies, Jeremy Jagger.”
“I’m not telling lies. Every word is true. Please give me something to eat.”
But Aunt Hannah did not wait to give the lad food, nor even to speak the prayer of thanksgiving that went like incense from her heart. She went into the barn-yard and threw corn on the barn-floor, to which the hens and turkeys made haste. ”

“ This was a long speech for aunt Hannah, and it made Mary start and blush like a guilty thing, especially as it followed a protracted silence that had been disturbed only by the click of aunt Hannah's knitting-needles.
"Matter with me, aunt? Nothing. What makes you think of me at all?"
"Because it is my duty to think of you. Because there is need that some one should take care of you."
"Of me?" said Mary, blushing to the temples, "what have I done, aunt?"
"What everything of womankind must do, sooner or later, I suppose, my poor girl." ”

“ Mary sobbed out the tenderness and gratitude that filled her bosom in a few low murmurs, that had no meaning, save to the heart over which they were uttered.
Aunt Hannah turned to uncle Nathan.
"Is it not best, my brother, that two creatures who love each other so much should be married?"
Uncle Nathan was busy wiping the tears from his brown eyes, that were full of tender light as those of a rabbit. It was seldom that he awoke to a sense of worldly wisdom; but the helplessness of the young creatures before him, for once overcame his benevolence. ”

“ I feel all the madness of my hopes. They are wild, insane perhaps, but I will not give them up; do not ask me, do not discourage me. Why must I, with my heart and brain alive like other men's, live and die alone?"
Aunt Hannah looked towards Mary Fuller, who sat trembling in the darkness. The triumphant consciousness that she was beloved, overwhelmed the girl with a pleasure so exquisite that it almost amounted to pain. Still she felt like a criminal stealing the secret of her own happiness, but the shadows were too thick; aunt Hannah saw nothing of this. ”

“ And of course music would be the most natural thing.”
“Yes, of course,” agreed Aunt Hannah.
“And it seems actually almost providential that Mary—I mean Mr. Arkwright is here to help me, now that Cyril is gone,” went on Billy, still a little wistfully.
“Yes, of course. He isn't like—a stranger,” murmured Aunt Hannah. Aunt Hannah's voice sounded as if she were trying to convince herself—of something.
“No, indeed! He seems just like one of the family to me, almost as if he were really—your niece, Mary Jane,” laughed Billy. ”

“ Is there another place in the wide world like this?"
"Well, no, to my thinking there isn't," said aunt Hannah, looking around the room with grim complacency; "but I don't see anything to cry about."
"I know it's wrong in me, ma'am, but somehow I can't help making a baby of myself when I'm very happy—don't be angry with me for it."
"I don't like crying people, never did," answered aunt Hannah, tersely; "tears never do anything but mischief, and never will—wipe your eyes now, and come down stairs."
Mary drew a little hand obediently across her eyes. ”

“ You see, Aunt Hannah is an up-and-down New England woman. She looks just like herself; I mean, just like her character. Her joints move up and down or backward and forward in a plain square fashion. I don't believe she ever leaned on anything in her life, or sat in an easy-chair. ”

“ Grey rejoined, flushing a little, for now he was nearing the real object of his interview with the rector, "You are sure, and Aunt Hannah is sure. She ought to know. You believe her a good woman?"
Mr. Sanford could not understand the breathless eagerness with which Grey awaited his reply, which came quickly, decidedly:
"Your Aunt Hannah! Yes, she is the best, the truest, the purest woman who ever lived. She is a martyr, a saint, an angel. I never knew one like her." ”

“ All at once the doctor rose and went into the hall, followed by Aunt Hannah, who looked at him wistfully as he put on a light overcoat, and took hat and stick.
“I’ll walk to the rectory,” he said, “and bring him back.”
Aunt Hannah laid her hand upon his arm, as he reached the door.
“Don’t be angry with him, my dear,” she whispered.
“Why not? Is that boy to do just as he pleases here? I’ll give him a good sound thrashing, that’s what I’ll do with him.” ”

“ Farnham don't want her girl to come here, is that it?" inquired aunt Hannah, setting the gathers in a neck-gusset with the point of her needle, which she dashed in and out as if it had been a poniard, and that cotton cloth her enemy's heart.
"You always hit the nail right on the head when you do strike, aunt Hannah. She don't want her gal to come here, nor your gal to come there; that's the long and short on it."
"What for?" inquired uncle Nathan, moving uneasily in his great wooden chair. "Isn't our little gal good enough?" ”

“ Aunt Hannah constituted an exception to the rule that women are rendered additionally attractive through being extraordinary. Had she been less extraordinary she would have been more lovable. As it was she came near, at this time, to being the reverse of lovable, or so it struck me when, upon my endeavour to talk calmly and rationally to her after hearing all that Jack Osborne had just told us, and striving to induce her to listen to reason, she remained prejudiced, illogical. ”

“ Seth was awakened next morning by Aunt Hannah’s voice, as she called gently:
“It’s time to get up, my dear. The sun is out looking for boys an’ dogs, an’ you mustn’t disappoint him.”
Snip ran eagerly down the stairs as if to greet some one for whom he had a great affection, and Seth heard the little woman say to him:
“I really believe Gladys was in the right when she said I would come to like you almost as much as if you were a cat. Do you want a saucer of milk?” ”

“ A few days after, just before sunset, uncle Nat was enjoying himself as usual in the old porch, while Mary Fuller and Joseph sat together on the threshold of the door, conversing in low tones between the impromptu air which he gave to them in delicious snatches. Behind, in the dark of the kitchen, sat aunt Hannah, gazing over her knitting-work at the group. Her hands were motionless upon the needles, and she seemed lost in profound thought. All at once her lips moved, and she muttered,
"Yes, they, too, will love each other. ”

“ Come along, my dear. Now, Vane, your face wants washing horribly, my boy. Hannah, my dear, you understand now the tremendous force of steam.”
“Yes, my dear,” said Aunt Hannah, sorrowfully. “I do indeed.”
“And if ever in the future you see anyone sitting upon the safety valve to get up speed, don’t hesitate for a moment, go and knock him off.”
“My dear Thomas,” said Aunt Hannah, dolefully, “this is no subject for mirth.”
“Eh? Isn’t it? I think it is. Why, some of us might have been scalded to death, and we have all escaped. Don’t you call that a cause for rejoicing? ”

“ Mary would have made herself useful about the tea-things, but aunt Hannah dismissed her with an observation that she might rest herself in the porch.
It was very pleasant to keep close up to the side of that old man, and find protection from her loneliness, in the shadow of his great chair. Still, a sadness crept over her poor heart, for with all her simple-hearted courage, the place was strange, and in spite of the cordial voice of uncle Nathan that came cheerfully through the gathering darkness, she felt a moisture creeping into her eyes. ”

“ Then Gladys’ voice was heard in the distance as she urged Snip on in his pursuit of a butterfly, and Aunt Hannah went quickly into the dwelling, leaving Seth gazing after her wistfully as he muttered:
“I never believed there was such a good woman in this world!” ”

“ Oh, uncle Nathan, tell me where mine lies!"
"You ain't much more helpless than I am," answered uncle Nathan, sadly. "It seems as if the more things go wrong, the more clumsy I grow, and the heavier I weigh. The chair is getting almost too small for me, and I ain't fit for anything but sitting now."
Mary shook her head, and a quaint smile stole across her lips in the darkness.
"You are too large, uncle Nathan, and I am too helpless; we are good for nothing but to comfort one another."
"Aunt Hannah, you don't know how much she loves us both." ”

“ He rushed into the hut and threw the bundle on the table, exclaiming gleefully:
"There, Aunt Hannah! I have done it!"
"Done what, you crazy fellow?" cried Hannah, looking up from the frying pan in which she was turning savory rashers of bacon for their second meal.
"I have got you—'an engagement,' as the professor calls a big lot of work to do. I've got it for you, aunt; and I begin to think a body may get any reasonable thing in this world if they will only try hard enough for it!" exclaimed Ishmael. ”

“ Uncle Nathan stationed his easy-chair by the kitchen fire, but insisted on resigning it to Isabel whenever she came down to sit with the family. Aunt Hannah became more and more lonesome, but was always keenly observant, and towards the young girls her kindness was exhibited in a thousand noiseless ways, that filled their warm hearts with gratitude. Young Farnham had been to the city, and it was only two evenings before his birth-day that he returned. ”

“ Dong Ling found him there a minute later polishing a silver teaspoon with a fringed napkin that had been spread over Bertram's tray. In the hall above Aunt Hannah was crying into William's gray linen duster that hung on the hall-rack—Aunt Hannah's handkerchief was on the floor back at Hillside.
In the den neither Billy nor Bertram knew or cared what had become of Aunt Hannah and Pete. There were just two people in their world—two people, and unutterable, incredible, overwhelming rapture and peace. ”

“ Our faithful Hannah is well and happy. She is a great comfort to us, and tries by her activity and zeal to make a return to your uncle and aunt for all their kindness to her: she sends you her most respectful greeting. Judith and Amaziah salute you and your father and mother with sincere affection, and join with me in fervent prayers for your preservation and happiness both here and hereafter. ”

“ Gladys cried as she tossed the tiny dog in the air while he gave vent to an imitation growl. “Aunt Hannah and I have arranged it without so much as asking your permission. You two are to live here; Snip’s work is to enjoy himself with me, while you’re to make a garden, the like of which won’t be seen this side of New York. What do you think of settling down to being a farmer?”
“I’d like it mighty well, but it can’t be done.” And Seth gazed out through the open door, not daring to meet Miss Gladys’ startled gaze. ”

“ The woman stood musing, her cold face unchanged, her eyes cast thoughtfully downward.
"You see, sister," persisted uncle Nathan, "this little girl isn't as the Judge says, a sort of person to make a pet of, like the one Mrs. Farnham has adopted."
Aunt Hannah started, and looked up with one of those sharp glances, that we have once seen disturb the cold monotony of her face. There was something in the name of Mrs. Farnham, that seemed to sting her into life.
"She isn't handsome, you know," persisted the good man, "but you won't care for that, Hannah. ”

“ She is dearer than a child to us, the true-hearted Mary, and he—who could help being good under the care of a father like Esmond? She loves him, I can see it in her eyes, in the quiet humility of her look; she loves him, and he loves her; they will soon find it out, but the others, I must see the young man; I must try to read all these young hearts."
Aunt Hannah was disturbed in her reverie by a light step that came through the outer room, followed by the quick opening of a door, and Isabel Chester entered the kitchen. ”

“ It was Aunt Hannah who said, evidently in reply to a suggestion from Gladys:
“It is a pity and a shame to see a child like that poor little lame boy wandering about the country trying to find work, when he isn’t fitted for anything of the kind. ”

“ For if I go to school and get some little education, I shall be able to work at something better than odd jobbing. The professor and Mr. Middleton, and even the commodore himself, thinks that if I persevere, I may come to be county constable, or parish clerk, or schoolmaster, or something of that sort; and if I do, you know, Aunt Hannah, we can live in a house with three or four rooms, and I can keep you in splendor! So you won't think your boy selfish in wanting to go to school, will you, Aunt Hannah?"
"No, my darling, no. I love you dearly, my Ishmael. ”