Jerome, A Poor Man: A NovelFreeman, Mary Eleanor Wilkins
General
Jerome, A Poor Man: A Novel
Freeman, Mary Eleanor Wilkins
New England -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
Old 'Liza set the tray on a little table in the midst of the arbor,
and immediately odors, at once dainty and delicate, spicy, fruity,
and aromatically soothing, diffused themselves about. The four yellow
cats stirred; they yawned, and stretched luxuriously; then, suddenly
fully awake to the meaning of those savory scents which had disturbed
their slumbers, sat upright with eager jewel eyes upon the tray.
"Take the cats away, 'Liza," said Miss Camilla.
Old 'Liza advanced grinning upon the cats, gathered them up, two
under each arm, and bore them away, moving out of sight between the
box borders like some queer monster, with her wide humping flanks of
black bombazine enhanced by four angrily waving yellow cat tails,
which gave an effect of grotesque wrath to the retreat.
Lucina looked, in spite of her manners, at the tray when it was on
the table before her very face and eyes. It was covered with a napkin
of finest damask, whose flower pattern glistened like frostwork, and
upon it were ranged little cups and saucers of pink china as thin and
transparent as shells, a pink sugar-bowl to match, a small silver
teapot under a satin cozy, a silver cream-jug, a plate of delicate
bread-and-butter, and one of fruit-cake.
"You will have a cup of tea, will you not, dear?" said Aunt Camilla.
"If you please; thank you, ma'am," replied Lucina, striving to look
decorously pleased and not too delighted at the prospect of the
fruit-cake. Tea and bread-and-butter presented small attractions to
her, but she did love old 'Liza's fruit-cake, made after a famous
receipt which had been in the Merritt family for generations.
Miss Camilla removed the cozy and began pouring the tea. Lucina took
a napkin, being so bidden, spread it daintily over her lap, and
tucked a corner in her neck. The feast was about to commence, when a
loud, jovial voice was heard in the direction of the house:
"Camilla! Camilla! Lucina, where are you all?"
"That's father!" cried Lucina, brightening, and immediately Squire
Eben Merritt came striding down between the box-ridges, and Jerome
Edwards was at his heels.
"Well, how are you, sister?" Squire Eben cried, merrily; and in the
same breath, "I have brought another guest to your tea-drinking,
sister."
Jerome bobbed his head, half with defiant dignity, half in utter
shyness and confusion at the sight of this fine, genteel lady and her
wonderful tea equipage. But Miss Camilla, having welcomed her brother
with gentle warmth, greeted this little poor Jerome with as sweet a
courtesy as if he had been the Governor, and bade Lucina run to the
house and ask 'Liza to fetch two more cups and saucers and two
plates, and motioned both her guests to be seated on the arbor bench.
Squire Eben laughed, and glanced at his great mud-splashed boots, his
buckskin, his fishing-tackle, and a fine string of spotted trout
which he bore. "A pretty knight for a lady's bower I am!" said he.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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