Across the YearsPorter, Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman)
General
Across the Years
Porter, Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman)
Fiction; Short stories
"Humph!" retorted the man, "I thought as much. It's always 'nice an'
cool' here in summer an' 'nice an' warm' here in winter when Jennie goes
somewheres that you want ter go an' don't take ye. An' when 't ain't
that, you say you 'hain't had time.' I know ye! You'd talk any way ter
hide their selfishness. Look a' here, Abby, did ye ever ride in them
'lectric-cars? I mean anywheres?"
"Well, I hain't neither, an', by ginger, I'm agoin' to!"
"Oh, Hezekiah, Hezekiah, don't--swear!"
"I tell ye, Abby, I will swear. It's a swearin' matter. Ever since I
heard of 'em I wanted ter try 'em. An' here they are now 'most ter my
own door an' I hain't even been in 'em once. Look a' here, Abby, jest
because we're 'most eighty ain't no sign we've lost int'rest in things.
I'm spry as a cricket, an' so be you, yet Frank an' Jennie expect us ter
stay cooped up here as if we was old--really old, ninety or a hundred,
ye know--an' 't ain't fair. Why, we _will_ be old one of these
days!"
"I know it, Hezekiah."
"We couldn't go much when we was younger," he resumed. "Even our weddin'
trip was chopped right off short 'fore it even begun."
A tender light came into the dim old eyes opposite.
"I know, dear, an' what plans we had!" cried Abigail; "Boston, an'
Bunker Hill, an' Faneuil Hall."
The old man suddenly squared his shoulders and threw back his head.
"Abby, look a' here! Do ye remember that money I've been savin' off an'
on when I could git a dollar here an' there that was extra? Well,
there's as much as ten of 'em now, an' I'm agoin' ter spend 'em--all of
'em mebbe. I'm _agoin'_ ter ride in them 'lectric-cars, an' so be
you. An' I ain't goin' ter no old country fair, neither, an' no more be
you. Look a' here, Abby, the folks are goin' again ter-morrer ter the
fair, ain't they?"
Abigail nodded mutely. Her eyes were beginning to shine.
"Well," resumed Hezekiah, "when they go we'll be settin' in the sun
where they say we'd oughter be. But we ain't agoin' ter stay there,
Abby. We're goin' down the road an' git on them 'lectric-cars, an' when
we git ter the Junction we're agoin' ter take the steam cars fer Boston.
What if 'tis thirty miles! I calc'late we're equal to 'em. We'll have
one good time, an' we won't come home until in the evenin'. We'll see
Faneuil Hall an' Bunker Hill, an' you shall buy a new cap, an' ride in
the subway. If there's a preachin' service we'll go ter that. They have
'em sometimes weekdays, ye know."
"Oh, Hezekiah, we--couldn't!" gasped the little old woman.
"Pooh! 'Course we could. Listen!" And Hezekiah proceeded to unfold his
plans more in detail.
It was very early the next morning when the household awoke. By seven
o'clock a two-seated carryall was drawn up to the side-door, and by a
quarter past the carryall, bearing Jennie, Frank, the boys, and the
lunch baskets, rumbled out of the yard and on to the highway.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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