Voices; Birth-Marks; The Man and the ElephantHolt, Mathew Joseph
History
Voices; Birth-Marks; The Man and the Elephant
Holt, Mathew Joseph
Kentucky -- Fiction; Kentucky -- History
When Jeannette rose to go Mrs. Allen said: “No! You must remain for
dinner. My husband will be home soon and he is anxious to see you. Only
the other night he said: ‘I am sorry John did not marry Jeannette before
he died. She would be here as our daughter and we would have something
to live for. It would be nice to have the young people coming to our
home again; and we could find a good husband for her; such as our boy
would have made. When she comes do not let her go until I see her’.”
Jeannette sat down again.
A little later they heard a step in the hall; the door was opened and a
man stood in the doorway. Just such a looking person as John would have
been at his age, only slightly larger.
“Mary you need not introduce us. It is Jeannette. We are glad to have
you in our home; would be glad to have you make it your own.” He came
forward as she arose and took her hand; and as he held it looking into
her face his eyes slowly filled with tears.
From then until after dinner, which was almost immediately announced,
the conversation was general. When they returned to the library
Jeannette had to relate her past life in detail and disclose all her
plans for the future. When they finally let her go it was late, and
though she told them she did not mind walking home alone, they
accompanied her to the dormitory.
Upon their insistent invitation she gave up her room at the dormitory
and came to live with them at the beginning of the mid-winter term;
remaining a welcome guest until the close of the school year in June,
1919, when she returned to Big Creek.
Mrs. Allen wrote repeatedly, addressing her as daughter; and in each
letter insisted that she must return to Lexington and live with them as
such. She also received a letter from Judge Allen in which he stated:
“Mary and I desire formally to adopt you as our daughter.” She answered:
“You and Mrs. Allen have taken from life much of its loneliness and
filled it with more happiness and love that I expected to be mine. When
I return, if you still wish it, I will live at your home as a daughter
during my remaining school year; and though I must leave you then, will
always give you a daughter’s love. I cannot consent to a formal
adoption, which necessitates a change of name. I owe it to my parents to
bear the name they gave me until I am married. Had your son lived, I
have indulged the dream-like joy, that at his suggestion it would have
been changed to your own.”
She telegraphed when she took the train for Lexington. They drove to
Winchester where they met her and taking her into their car brought her
home with them. She was given John’s room which was large and cheerful
and was delighted with it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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