A Cry in the WildernessWaller, Mary E. (Mary Ella)
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A Cry in the Wilderness
Waller, Mary E. (Mary Ella)
New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction; Québec (Province) -- Fiction
I did as I was bidden, and waited. I am told I have a talent for
waiting on another's unexpressed intentions without fidgetting, as so
many women do, with any trifle at hand. I occupied myself with looking
at the man whom Jamie loved, who "interested" him. I, too, found the
personality and face interesting. By no means of uncommon type,
nevertheless the whole face was noticeable for the remarkable moulding
of every feature. There were lines in it and, without aging, every one
told. They added character, gave varied expression, intensified
traits. Life's chisel of experience had graven both deep and fine; not
a coarse line marred the extraordinary firmness that expressed itself
in lips and jaw; not a touch of unfineness revealed itself about the
nose. Delicate creases beneath the eyes, and many of them, mellowed
the almost hard look of the direct glance. Thought had moulded; will
had graven; suffering had both hardened and softened--"tempered" is the
right word--as is its tendency when manhood endures it rightly. But
joy had touched the contours all too lightly; the face in repose showed
absolutely no trace of it. When he smiled, however, as he did, looking
up suddenly to find me studying him, I realized that here was great
capacity for enjoying, although joyousness had never found itself at
home about eyes and lips. He laid aside the drawing and turned his
chair to face me.
"Doctor Rugvie--and Cale," he added pointedly, "tell me you were for
several years in a branch of the New York Library. Did you ever do any
work in cataloguing?"
"No; I was studying for the examinations that last spring before I was
taken ill."
"Then I am sure you will understand just how to do the work I have laid
out for you. I have a few cases still in storage in Montreal--mostly
on forestry. Before sending for them, I wanted to see where I could
put them."
"Cut and dried already! I need n't have given myself extra worry about
my future work," I thought; but aloud I said:
"I 'll do my best; if the books are German I can't catalogue them. I
have n't got so far."
"I 'll take care of those; there are very few of them. Most of them
are in French; in fact, it is a mild fad of mine to collect French
works, ancient and modern, on forestry. I 'll send for the books after
the office has been furnished and put to rights. I am expecting the
furniture from Quebec to-morrow. And now that I have laid out your
work for you for the present, I 'll ask a favor--a personal one," he
added, smiling as he rose, thrust his hands deep into his pockets and
jingled some keys somewhere in the depths.
"What is it?" I, too, rose, ready to do the favor on the instant if
possible, for his wholly businesslike manner, the directness with which
he relied upon my training to help him pleased me.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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