Deephaven and Selected Stories & SketchesJewett, Sarah Orne
General
Deephaven and Selected Stories & Sketches
Jewett, Sarah Orne
Maine -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
We asked her to come and see us. She said she had always thought she'd
get a chance some time to see Miss Katharine Brandon's house. She should
be pleased to call, and she didn't know but she should be down to the
shore before very long. She was 'shamed to look so shif'less that day,
but she had some good clothes in a chist in the bedroom, and a boughten
bonnet with a good cypress veil, which she had when "he" died. She
calculated they would do, though they might be old-fashioned, some. She
seemed greatly pleased at Mr. Lorimer's having taken the trouble to come
to see her. All those people had a great reverence for "the minister."
We were urged to come again in "rosbry" time, which was near at hand,
and she gave us messages for some of her old customers and
acquaintances. "I believe some of those old creatur's will never die,"
said she; "why, they're getting to be ter'ble old, ain't they, Mr.
Lorimer? There! ye've done me a sight of good, and I wish I could ha'
found the Bible, to hear ye read a Psalm." When Mr. Lorimer shook hands
with her, at leaving, she made him a most reverential courtesy. He was
the greatest man she knew; and once during the call, when he was
speaking of serious things in his simple, earnest way, she had so devout
a look, and seemed so interested, that Kate and I, and Mr. Lorimer
himself, caught a new, fresh meaning in the familiar words he spoke.
Living there in the lonely clearing, deep in the woods and far from any
neighbor, she knew all the herbs and trees and the harmless wild
creatures who lived among them, by heart; and she had an amazing store
of tradition and superstition, which made her so entertaining to us that
we went to see her many times before we came away in the autumn. We went
with her to find some pitcher-plants, one day, and it was wonderful how
much she knew about the woods, what keen observation she had. There was
something so wild and unconventional about Mrs. Bonny that it was like
taking an afternoon walk with a good-natured Indian. We used to carry
her offerings of tobacco, for she was a great smoker, and advised us to
try it, if ever we should be troubled with nerves, or "narves," as she
pronounced the name of that affliction.
_In Shadow_
Soon after we went to Deephaven we took a long drive one day with Mr.
Dockum, the kindest and silentest of men. He had the care of the Brandon
property, and had some business at that time connected with a large
tract of pasture-land perhaps ten miles from town. We had heard of the
coast-road which led to it, how rocky and how rough and wild it was, and
when Kate heard by chance that Mr. Dockum meant to go that way, she
asked if we might go with him. He said he would much rather take us than
"go sole alone," but he should be away until late and we must take our
dinner, which we did not mind doing at all.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account