Children -- Death -- Juvenile fiction; Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Farm life -- Juvenile fiction; Siblings -- Juvenile fiction
"Easy enough, --if one could find the right one."
"Why you've had me in the house a great while, already," said
Rose.
"I _have had_ --" said Elizabeth. -- "I wonder if I shall ever
have anything again!"
"Why what have you lost?"
"Everything -- except myself."
"You have a great respect for Mr. Haye," said Rose.
"I had."
Rose at this point thought fit to burst into a great fit of
tears. Elizabeth stood by the table, taking up and putting
down one book after another, as if the touch of them gave her
fingers pain; and looking as if, as she said, she had lost
everything. Then stood with folded arms eyeing something that
was not before her; and then slowly walked out of the room.
"Lizzie --" said Rose.
"What?" said Elizabeth stopping at the door.
"What's the use of taking things so?"
"The use of necessity."
"But we can be just as we were before."
Elizabeth went on and gained her own room; and there she and
pain had a fight that lasted the rest of the day.
The fight was not over, and weary traces of it were upon her
face, when late in the afternoon she went out to try the
change of a walk. The walk made no change whatever. As she was
coming up the Parade, she was met by Winthrop going down. If
he had seen only the gravity and reserve of the morning, it is
probable he would not have stopped to speak to her; but though
those were in her face still, there was beside a weary set of
the brow and sorrowful line of the lips, very unwonted there,
and the cheeks were pale; and instead of passing with a mere
bow he came up and offered his hand. Elizabeth took it, but
without the least brightening of face.
"Are you out for a walk?" said he.
"No -- I am for home -- I have had a walk."
"It is a very fine afternoon," said he, turning and beginning
to walk along slowly with her.
"Is it?"
"Haven't you found out that it is?"
"No."
"Where have you been, not to know it?"
"Hum --" said Elizabeth, -- "if you mean where my _mind_ has
been, that is one question; as for my bodily self, I have been
on the Castle Green."
"You have lost your walk," said he. "Don't you feel inclined
to turn about with me and try to pick up what you came out
for?"
"Better there than at home," thought Elizabeth, and she turned
about accordingly.
"People come out for a variety of things," she remarked
however.
"That is true," said Winthrop smiling. "I am afraid I was
hasty in presuming I could help you to find your object. I was
thinking only of mine."
"I don't know but you could, as well as anybody," said
Elizabeth. "If you could give me your mother's secret for not
minding disagreeable things."
"I am afraid I cannot say she does not mind them," he
answered.
"What then? -- I thought you said so."
"I do not remember what I said. I might have said that she
does not struggle with them -- those at least which cannot be
removed by struggling."
"Not struggle with them?" said Elizabeth. "Sit down quietly
with them!"
"Yes," he said gravely. "Not at first, but at last."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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