she was good for nothing-第2部分

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hand；　and　wept　bitter　tears；　and　I　wept　still　more　when　I　went　to　my

room；　and　threw　myself　on　the　bed。　I　passed　through　a　dreadful

night；　God　knows　what　I　suffered；　and　how　I　struggled。　The　following

Sunday　I　went　to　the　house　of　God　to　pray　for　light　to　direct　my　path。

It　seemed　like　a　providence　that　as　I　stepped　out　of　church　Eric

came　towards　me；　and　then　there　remained　not　a　doubt　in　my　mind。　We

were　suited　to　each　other　in　rank　and　circumstances。　He　was；　even

then；　a　man　of　good　means。　I　went　up　to　him；　and　took　his　hand；　and

said；　'Do　you　still　feel　the　same　for　me？'　'Yes；　ever　and　always；'

said　he。　'Will　you；　then；　marry　a　maiden　who　honors　and　esteems　you；

although　she　cannot　offer　you　her　love？　but　that　may　come。'　'Yes；　it

will　come；'　said　he；　and　we　joined　our　hands　together；　and　I　went　home

to　my　mistress。　The　gold　ring　which　her　son　had　given　me　I　wore　next

to　my　heart。　I　could　not　place　it　on　my　finger　during　the　daytime；　but

only　in　the　evening；　when　I　went　to　bed。　I　kissed　the　ring　till　my

lips　almost　bled；　and　then　I　gave　it　to　my　mistress；　and　told　her　that

the　banns　were　to　be　put　up　for　me　and　the　glovemaker　the　following

week。　Then　my　mistress　threw　her　arms　round　me；　and　kissed　me。　She　did

not　say　that　I　was　'good　for　nothing；'　very　likely　I　was　better　then

than　I　am　now；　but　the　misfortunes　of　this　world；　were　unknown　to　me

then。　At　Michaelmas　we　were　married；　and　for　the　first　year　everything

went　well　with　us。　We　had　a　journeyman　and　an　apprentice；　and　you　were

our　servant；　Martha。〃

　　　　〃Ah；　yes；　and　you　were　a　dear；　good　mistress；〃　said　Martha；　〃I

shall　never　forget　how　kind　you　and　your　husband　were　to　me。〃

　　　　〃Yes；　those　were　happy　years　when　you　were　with　us；　although　we

had　no　children　at　first。　The　student　I　never　met　again。　Yet　I　saw　him

once；　although　he　did　not　see　me。　He　came　to　his　mother's　funeral。　I

saw　him；　looking　pale　as　death；　and　deeply　troubled；　standing　at　her

grave；　for　she　was　his　mother。　Sometime　after；　when　his　father　died；

he　was　in　foreign　lands；　and　did　not　come　home。　I　know　that　he　never

married；　I　believe　he　became　a　lawyer。　He　had　forgotten　me；　and　even

had　we　met　he　would　not　have　known　me；　for　I　have　lost　all　my　good

looks；　and　perhaps　that　is　all　for　the　best。〃　And　then　she　spoke　of

the　dark　days　of　trial；　when　misfortune　had　fallen　upon　them。

　　　　〃We　had　five　hundred　dollars；〃　she　said；　〃and　there　was　a　house　in

the　street　to　be　sold　for　two　hundred；　so　we　thought　it　would　be　worth

our　while　to　pull　it　down　and　build　a　new　one　in　its　place；　so　it

was　bought。　The　builder　and　carpenter　made　an　estimate　that　the　new

house　would　cost　ten　hundred　and　twenty　dollars　to　build。　Eric　had

credit；　so　he　borrowed　the　money　in　the　chief　town。　But　the　captain；

who　was　bringing　it　to　him；　was　shipwrecked；　and　the　money　lost。

Just　about　this　time；　my　dear　sweet　boy；　who　lies　sleeping　there；

was　born；　and　my　husband　was　attacked　with　a　severe　lingering　illness。

For　three　quarters　of　a　year　I　was　obliged　to　dress　and　undress　him。

We　were　backward　in　our　payments；　we　borrowed　more　money；　and　all　that

we　had　was　lost　and　sold；　and　then　my　husband　died。　Since　then　I

have　worked；　toiled；　and　striven　for　the　sake　of　the　child。　I　have

scrubbed　and　washed　both　coarse　and　fine　linen；　but　I　have　not　been

able　to　make　myself　better　off；　and　it　was　God's　will。　In　His　own　time

He　will　take　me　to　Himself；　but　I　know　He　will　never　forsake　my

boy。〃　Then　she　fell　asleep。　In　the　morning　she　felt　much　refreshed；

and　strong　enough；　as　she　thought；　to　go　on　with　her　work。　But　as　soon

as　she　stepped　into　the　cold　water；　a　sudden　faintness　seized　her；　she

clutched　at　the　air　convulsively　with　her　hand；　took　one　step　forward；

and　fell。　Her　head　rested　on　dry　land；　but　her　feet　were　in　the　water；

her　wooden　shoes；　which　were　only　tied　on　by　a　wisp　of　straw；　were

carried　away　by　the　stream；　and　thus　she　was　found　by　Martha　when

she　came　to　bring　her　some　coffee。

　　　　In　the　meantime　a　messenger　had　been　sent　to　her　house　by　the

mayor；　to　say　that　she　must　come　to　him　immediately；　as　he　had

something　to　tell　her。　It　was　too　late；　a　surgeon　had　been　sent　for　to

open　a　vein　in　her　arm；　but　the　poor　woman　was　dead。

　　　　〃She　has　drunk　herself　to　death；〃　said　the　cruel　mayor。　In　the

letter；　containing　the　news　of　his　brother's　death；　it　was　stated　that

he　had　left　in　his　will　a　legacy　of　six　hundred　dollars　to　the

glovemaker's　widow；　who　had　been　his　mother's　maid；　to　be　paid　with

discretion；　in　large　or　small　sums　to　the　widow　or　her　child。

　　　　〃There　was　something　between　my　brother　and　her；　I　remember；〃　said

the　mayor；　〃it　is　a　good　thing　that　she　is　out　of　the　way；　for　now　the

boy　will　have　the　whole。　I　will　place　him　with　honest　people　to

bring　him　up；　that　he　may　become　a　respectable　working　man。〃　And　the

blessing　of　God　rested　upon　these　words。　The　mayor　sent　for　the　boy　to

come　to　him；　and　promised　to　take　care　of　him；　but　most　cruelly

added　that　it　was　a　good　thing　that　his　mother　was　dead；　for　〃she

was　good　for　nothing。〃　They　carried　her　to　the　churchyard；　the

churchyard　in　which　the　poor　were　buried。　Martha　strewed　sand　on　the

grave　and　planted　a　rose…tree　upon　it；　and　the　boy　stood　by　her　side。

　　　　〃Oh；　my　poor　mother！〃　he　cried；　while　the　tears　rolled　down　his

cheeks。　〃Is　it　true　what　they　say；　that　she　was　good　for　nothing？〃

　　　　〃No；　indeed；　it　is　not　true；〃　replied　the　old　servant；　raising　her

eyes　to　heaven；　〃she　was　worth　a　great　deal；　I　knew　it　years　ago；

and　since　the　last　night　of　her　life　I　am　more　certain　of　it　than

ever。　I　say　she　was　a　good　and　worthy　woman；　and　God；　who　is　in

heaven；　knows　I　am　speaking　the　truth；　though　the　world　may　say；

even　now　she　was　good　for　nothing。〃





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END

。