The best stories of Sarah Orne Jewett, Volume 1 (of 2)Jewett, Sarah Orne
General
The best stories of Sarah Orne Jewett, Volume 1 (of 2)
Jewett, Sarah Orne
American fiction -- 19th century; Short stories, American
“If I could have had more to read, I should have known ’most everything
about her,” said Mrs. Martin wistfully. “I’ve made the most of what I
did have, and thought it over and over till it came clear. I sometimes
seem to have her all my own, as if we’d lived right together. I’ve often
walked out into the woods alone and told her what my troubles was, and
it always seemed as if she told me ’twas all right, an’ we must have
patience. I’ve got her beautiful book about the Highlands; ’twas dear
Mis’ Todd here that found out about her printing it and got a copy for
me, and it’s been a treasure to my heart, just as if ’twas written right
to me. I always read it Sundays now, for my Sunday treat. Before that I
used to have to imagine a good deal, but when I come to read her book, I
knew what I expected was all true. We do think alike about so many
things,” said the Queen’s Twin with affectionate certainty. “You see,
there is something between us, being born just at the some time; ’tis
what they call a birthright. She’s had great tasks put upon her, being
the Queen, an’ mine has been the humble lot; but she’s done the best she
could, nobody can say to the contrary, and there’s something between us;
she’s been the great lesson I’ve had to live by. She’s been everything
to me. An’ when she had her Jubilee, oh, how my heart was with her!”
“There, ’twouldn’t play the part in her life it has in mine,” said Mrs.
Martin generously, in answer to something one of her listeners had said.
“Sometimes I think, now she’s older, she might like to know about us.
When I think how few old friends anybody has left at our age, I suppose
it may be just the same with her as it is with me; perhaps she would
like to know how we came into life together. But I’ve had a great
advantage in seeing her, an’ I can always fancy her goin’ on, while she
don’t know nothin’ yet about me, except she may feel my love stayin’ her
heart sometimes an’ not know just where it comes from. An’ I dream about
our being together out in some pretty fields, young as ever we was, and
holdin’ hands as we walk along. I’d like to know if she ever has that
dream too. I used to have days when I made believe she did know, an’ was
comin’ to see me,” confessed the speaker shyly, with a little flush on
her cheeks; “and I’d plan what I could have nice for supper, and I
wasn’t goin’ to let anybody know she was here havin’ a good rest, except
I’d wish you, Almira Todd, or dear Mis’ Blackett would happen in, for
you’d know just how to talk with her. You see, she likes to be up in
Scotland, right out in the wild country, better than she does anywhere
else.”
“I’d really love to take her out to see mother at Green Island,” said
Mrs. Todd with a sudden impulse.
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