Presently she returned and showed Maxwell a sample of her
skill--doubtless intended for a cushion-cover. To be sure it was a bit
angular and impressionistic. Like Browning's poems and Turner's
pictures, it left interesting room for speculation. To begin with,
there was a dear little pink dog in the foreground, having convulsions
on purple grass. In the middle-distance was a lay-figure in orange,
picking scarlet apples from what appeared to be a revolving
clothes-horse blossoming profusely at the ends of each beam. A little
blue brook gurgled merrily up the hill, and disappeared down the other
side only to reappear again as a blue streak in an otherwise
crushed-strawberry sky. A pumpkin sun was disappearing behind emerald
hills, shooting up equidistant yellow rays, like the spokes of a
cart-wheel. Underneath this striking composition was embroidered the
dubious sentiment "There is no place like home."
Maxwell examined carefully the square of cross-stitch wool embroidery,
biting his lip; while Hepsey watched him narrowly, chuckling quietly
to herself. Then she laughed heartily, and asked:
"Confess now; don't you think it's beautiful?"
Donald smiled broadly as he replied:
"It's really quite wonderful. Did you do it yourself?"
"To be sure I did, when I was a little girl and we used to work in
wool from samplers, and learn to do alphabets. I'm glad you appreciate
it. If you would like to have me embroider anything for the church,
don't hesitate to ask me." She busied herself examining the stoles
again, and asked:
"How much did these things cost, if you don't mind my askin'?"
"I don't know. They were given to me by a friend of mine, when I
graduated from the Seminary."
"Hm! a friend of yours, eh? She must think an awful lot of you."
Hepsey gave Donald a sharp glance.
"I didn't say it was a lady."
"No, but your eyes and cheeks did. Well, it's none of my business, and
there's no reason that I know of why the Devil should have all the
bright colors, and embroideries, and things. Are you High Church?"
Maxwell hesitated a moment and replied:
"What do you mean by 'High Church?'"
"The last rector we had was awful high." Hepsey smiled with
reminiscent amusement.
"How so?"
"We suspected he didn't wear no pants durin' service."
"How very extraordinary! Is that a symptom of ritualism?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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