The Brick Moon, and Other StoriesHale, Edward Everett
Science
The Brick Moon, and Other Stories
Hale, Edward Everett
Short stories; United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
Mrs. Ohstrom, the motherly Swedish woman, who has
four children and ten tin cups and a great bed and five
trunks and a fatuous, feckless husband makes time,
between cousins and uncles and custom-house men and
sharpers, to run up every now and then to say that Nora
must not cry, that she must be easy, that she has spoken
to the master and the master has said they are three
hours earlier than they were expected. And all this
was so kindly meant and so kindly said that poor Nora
brushed the tears away, if they were tears, and thanked
her, though she did not understand one word that dear
Mrs. Ohstrom said to her. What is language, or what are
words, after all?
And the bright-buttoned, daintily dressed little
ship's doctor, whom poor Nora hardly knew in his shore
finery,--he made time to stop and tell her that the ship
was too early, and that she must not worry. Father, was
it, she was waiting for? "Oh, brother! Oh, he will be
sure to be here! Better sit down. Here is a chair.
Don't cry. I am afraid you had no breakfast. Take this
orange. It will cheer you up. I shall see you again."
Alas! the little doctor was swept away and forgot
Nora for a week, and she "was left lamenting."
For one hour went by, and two, and three. The
Swedish woman went, and the doctor went, and the girl
could see the captain go, and the mate that gave them
their orders every morning. The custom-house people
began to go. The cabs and other carriages for the gentry
had gone long before.
And poor Nora was left lamenting.
Then was it that that queer Salvation Army girl, with
a coal-scuttle for a bonnet, came up again. She had
smiled pleasantly two or three times before, and had
asked Nora to eat a bun. Poor Nora broke down and
cried heartily this time. But the other was patient and
kind, and said just what the others had said. Only she
did not go away. And she had the sense to ask if Nora
knew where the brother lived.
"Why, of course I do, miss. See, here is the
paper."
And the little soldier lass read it: "99 Linwood
Street, Boston."
"My poor child, what a pity you did not let us see it
before!"
Alas and alas! Nora's box was of the biggest. But
the army lass flinched at nothing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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