Miss Plympton

“ I don't see why Miss Plympton can't see it, too."
"I know why! It's because she doesn't understand people. She thinks of us as being human beings of the female sex, who weigh a certain amount, are just so tall and so wide, have lived a certain time and come from such and such a city. Why, the only difference she sees between you and Mary Flannagan is that you are in 117 and Mary is in 115, and you have brown hair and Mary has red, and Mary is better on dates than you are. ”

“ Of course some girls do not regard honour as a very precious thing and they broke their word, but most girls, I am glad to say, have as keen a sense of honour as the best of men. Miss Plympton's attitude toward us was one of doubt and suspicion and, the honour system being abolished, we naturally felt that the most serious fault we could commit would be breaking the eleventh commandment: "Thou shalt not be found out." We developed astonishing agility in evading the authorities and getting out of scrapes. ”

“ There were not enough sheets in our rope then to touch the ground and I had to jump about six feet—and my ankle turned. I did not mean to let you think it was in the fire I had hurt it, but you just took it for granted."
I waited in great anxiety to see how this confession would strike our august principal. She looked at me curiously and then choked on her coffee and laughed and laughed until the little kittens in Bett's basket came out to see what was [305] the matter. No one had ever seen Miss Plympton really laugh before. Finally she was able to speak. ”

“ In the 12th century Plympton appears as a mesne borough under the lordship of the Redvers, earls of Devon, and in 1224 the burgesses claimed to have received a charter from William, the 6th earl, of which however nothing further is known, and the first charter of which a copy is extant was issued by Baldwin de Redvers in 1242, granting to the burgesses of Plympton the borough, with fairs and markets, and the liberties enjoyed by the citizens of Exeter, in consideration of a yearly payment of £24, 2s. ”

“ Of many other places it may be said that the new has entirely supplanted the old. Modern business requirements, new warehouses, and thoroughfares, have had the effect of stamping out all vestiges of the past, and even the traditions of them. An unpretending Railway Station and a dozen or more new houses have not had this effect at Plympton. The town has no novelties to shew us; the lions are just what they were two hundred years ago.
Plympton in the olden time had its castle and its priory, its two churches, and later its Guildhall and Grammar School. ”

“ It wasn't till the dirty tide began to fall that I could bring myself to dare to speak it, for there was that passion in me, and that tremble, and them curses, that I darsent try before the little gal.
At last I brings it slow.
"And where," says I, "is her?"
"Marm," said Blithe, "was sick."
"Where," says I, "is her?"
"She took it, father," said my little gal, in her patient little voice, "for neuralgy, father. We come from one house to another, and the more we come the more there was no money; and so we come to this one. And I curled the feathers; for I couldn't go to school. ”

“ The recorder of her history does not claim that she was a perfect wife. There are some women nearly that; one wonders at their number.
But Fortitude Fillebrown was more human than superior—a loving, impulsive, warm-hearted, quick-tongued woman. She found it hard to forgive. Things rankled. She brooded. Sometimes she nagged. Her sense of outraged womanhood was stronger in her than the warm, maternal pity for a man, which is often the sweetest thing in the wife of a better husband than Joe Fillebrown.
"You women don't understand us men," Joe said, one day, rather drearily. ”

“ I'll not say that a silly woman's passing whim isn't to count. I'll grant everything—everything in reason. I'll allow that you won her fair and square, though she didn't tell you quite the truth, I'm afraid. I'll allow that for the moment she honestly thinks that she loves you better than she loves me. But, beyond all that, there's these two points. I'll offer you good money to drop this, as in justice to me you should do at once; and I'll say that if you want Sarah Jane to be happy and content and prosperous, you must see that I'm the man to make her so—not you. ”

“ She sighed.
"I forgot that."
"It shows how ill-regulated your mind is, Sarah Jane. You oughtn't to let your ideas run so wild."
"'Tis no fault of yours that they do. And yet your fault it is, I do believe, Dan, for you keep me so terrible close to holy thoughts."
"The closer the better through the time that's coming. To think you could picture my boots stamping life out of a fellow-creature! 'Twasn't a kind fancy, to say no more of it. As much as to say I might be no better than a wild beast, given the temptation."
"All men are beasts when the wind blows from somewhere," she said. ”

“ There's wisdom there—mark me. And hair like a good angel's. True 'tis only the first crop an' he'll moult it; but you can always take a line through the first what the lasting hair will be. Curly, I warrant, an' something darker than yours, but brighter than his father's."
"He've got his father's eyes to a miracle," said Sarah Jane.
"He'm listening to every word you be saying!" declared Susan.
"A precious, darling, li'l, plump, sweet, tibby lamb!" cried Mrs. Weekes in an ecstasy. "Hold off his blanket, Susie. Yes, if he ban't taking it all in. A wonder and a delight, you mark me, mother. ”

“ Sarah Jane laughed.
"What a man! Where was you brought up to? Ban't many so civil in these parts."
"I was teached to be civil by my mother. But I know nought beyond my business—not like Mister Woodrow. He has grammer-school larning, an' London larning, and reads books that I can't understand a word about."
She told him of her own childhood, of her mother, of her few friends.
"Girls don't seem to like me," she said. "I hardly know above half-a-dozen of 'em. There's Minnie Taverner to Lydford, and Mary Churchward—nobody much else. Mary's brother's nearly as big as you be. ”

“ No, mother; a man must have a dirty li’l heart in un if it ban’t big enough to hold mother an’ wife.”
She gripped his hand tighter.
“Ess fay, I knaw, I knaw; but doan’t ’e put your mother first now,—ban’t nature. God bless an’ keep the both of ’e. ’Twill allus be my prayer.”
The cart rattled away, Chris driving, and such silence as Phoebe had never known held the darkening land. She noted a yellow star against the sombre ridge of the world, felt Will’s arm round her and turned to him, seeking that comfort and support her nature cried out for. ”

“ I shan't be sorry to change my name now, Phyllis. And the sooner you cease to be called Lintern, too, the better."
"About mother?"
"I shouldn't presume to say a word about mother, one way or the other," answered Cora. "I'm not a fool, and I'm not going to trouble myself about the things that other people do; but all the same, I shall be glad to get out of it and start with a clean slate among a different class of people."
"What amazing cleverness to hide it all their lives like that," speculated Phyllis. "I'm sure us never would have been so clever as to do it." ”

“ But only Grace was within reach of his voice.
"At last, my darling dear! At last I shall kiss your sweet lips again! Such news—such brave news, my Gracie! I've found the hiding-place of the amphora!"
He passed on, and the girl, returning to her chamber, locked the door of it and wept as she had not wept since childhood.
"Three—three men," she sobbed to herself. "Three grown men can all love this wretched thing. And I hate one; and I—I—love one; and good John Lee, handsome, humble, kind, faithful John Lee; I would rather die a thousand deaths than break my troth to you!" ”

“ She felt the futility of it, not the humour. One objection specially beat upon her mother's heart, and that she uttered—
"You couldn't expect Grace to give up her first baby, my dear."
"Why not? Why not? Not to me? Not to her own father? 'Slife! Who should be better able than I to make a man of a young fellow? He would be my personal companion. He would be brought up from the cradle with this place in his eyes. He would understand that he was a Malherb and all that that means. 'Tis a very proper idea and, if the girl's not a fool, she'll be the first to see it. ”

“ A track over the heavy fens between the tor and the peat-works was known to Sarah Jane, and now she followed it, while her child ran on before.
Soon they entered the familiar ruin and took their way to the great drum. There, in dead heath and fern, little Gregory rested awhile; then he called for his favourite toy.
"Not yet, my dicky-bird," she said. "You've got something to do for mother first. Look over there—down to the end of the path—who be that coming after us?" ”

“ I say, Forty! You always were almighty clever. I guess that evidence would hold in any court—and he'd be no kind of a ghost who didn't lose his case on it."
"Well, then!" cried the widow, in uncanny triumph. She felt an awful exaltation. She wondered what Alicia would say to this tremendous thing. How petty, how paltry, all those vulgar Boston "manifestations" seemed beside her own elect experience!
"Forty!" called the voice from New York, in a strange, changed tone. "Girl, I hate to disappoint you. But it isn't true."
"What isn't true?" ”

“ Sarah Jane was silent a moment—then broke out suddenly.
"I don't want you to fawn on God about me, Daniel."
He started.
"What do you say, my darling dear?"
"Us don't think all alike there. I hate a mean spirit in a man. Not that you've got one—far, far from that. But I hate even a dog that cringes; and maybe God thinks the same of a man that does."
"Can we cringe to the Almighty?"
"The Giver's more than the gift to you, perhaps?"
"Nought on earth could be more than the gift, and well you know it! ”

“ At home, under lock and key, he had fashioned two heads of putty. One, albeit still unpainted, indubitably resembled Sarah Jane; the other—a shrunken visage, with eyes made of grey slate and high cheek-bones, represented the farmer, Hilary Woodrow. A mass of bright tow hair fell about the female face; the male puppet wore a round hat. Presently William intended to paint these effigies up to the colour of life. Sarah Jane he had secretly studied when she came to visit his sister. Her pure, bright skin, just beginning to take the kiss of the sun as he warmed the spring again, he already knew. ”

“ Many a woman's been surprised into saying 'yes.' Do anything but write it. Sarah Jane wouldn't stand writing. For that matter, 'tis a question if she can read penmanship. An ignorant girl along of her bringing up."
"Good at figures, however; for Gregory Friend told me so."
"What does he know about figures? Still, 'tis very much in her favour if true."
Mrs. Weekes now went to the window and looked out of it. Down the street stood an ivy-covered cottage where two ways met. Beside it men were working in the road.
"The water-leat will run through your back orchard, won't it?" ”

“ She waited at the head of the stairs, then hurried half-way down to meet him. Her white robe was ungirdled and flowing; it fell apart—the laces above from the laces below—and the tired man's kiss fell upon her soft throat.
She was naturally a worrier in a sweet-natured way, but he had always been patient with her little weakness; some men are, with anxious women.
"No," he smiled, but rather feebly; "you've missed it again. The boy is saved. St. Clair's got hold of him. I'll talk presently, Mary—not just now." ”

“ Because you wanted for me to take Jarratt and I ban't going to—that's no reason why you shouldn't do me a kindness."
"Loramercy! you talk just like a man. If you don't carry a heart under your ribs, I do. You wait till you've got a proper son as hankers after a girl, and she won't have him—then we'll see how 'tis. Don't you never ax me for the price of a shoe-lace to keep you from the union workhouse, Sarah Jane, because you won't get it." ”

“ For my part, you was always balanced in my mind very tender against that changeable woman, and nought but a hair turned the balance her way. 'Tis a strange experience for me not to have my will, and I feel disgraced in a manner of speaking; but, if I've lost her, I've gained you, seemingly. And I shan't squeak about it, nor yet go courting no more; and I'll venture to bet, dear Jane, you won't neither."
"Never—never," she swore to him. "I hate every man on earth but you, dad." ”

“ You can't turn peat into coal, or hurry up nature. She won't be hurried, and there's an end of it."
"He've got a fine darter, seemingly."
Mr. Prout laughed.
"Ah! you met her—eh? Yes, she's a proper maiden—a regular wonder in her way—so open, and clear-minded as a bird. Never yet heard a girl speak so frank—'tis like a child more than what you'd expect from a grown-up woman. But ban't she lovely in her Sunday frill-de-dills! I was up over last spring, and drinked a dish of tea with 'em. Lucky the chap as gets her—bachelor though I am, I say it." ”

“ Bayard had thought Jane did not notice that lady that April day. Jane had by [211] heart every line and tint and detail of her, from the gold dagger on her bonnet to the dark purple cloth gaiter of her boots; from her pleased brown eyes, with the well-bred motion of their lids, to the pretty gestures that she made with her narrow, gloved hand. Jane looked at her own wash-day dress and parboiled fingers. The indefinable, undeniable fact of the stranger’s personal elegance crushed the girl with the sense of helpless bitterness which only women who have been poor and gone shabby can understand. ”