02-the death of jean-第3部分

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she　would　send　them　away。　　If　I　only　knew　whom　she　intended　them

for！　　But　I　shall　never　know。　　I　will　keep　them。　　Her　hand　has

touched　themit　is　an　accoladethey　are　noble；　now。



And　in　a　closet　she　had　hidden　a　surprise　for　mea　thing　I

have　often　wished　I　owned：　　a　noble　big　globe。　　I　couldn't　see　it

for　the　tears。　　She　will　never　know　the　pride　I　take　in　it；　and

the　pleasure。　　Today　the　mails　are　full　of　loving　remembrances

for　her：　　full　of　those　old；　old　kind　words　she　loved　so　well；

〃Merry　Christmas　to　Jean！〃　　If　she　could　only　have　lived　one　day

longer！



At　last　she　ran　out　of　money；　and　would　not　use　mine。　　So

she　sent　to　one　of　those　New　York　homes　for　poor　girls　all　the

clothes　she　could　spareand　more；　most　likely。





CHRISTMAS　NIGHT。This　afternoon　they　took　her　away　from　her

room。　　As　soon　as　I　might；　I　went　down　to　the　library；　and　there

she　lay；　in　her　coffin；　dressed　in　exactly　the　same　clothes　she

wore　when　she　stood　at　the　other　end　of　the　same　room　on　the　6th

of　October　last；　as　Clara's　chief　bridesmaid。　　Her　face　was

radiant　with　happy　excitement　then；　it　was　the　same　face　now；

with　the　dignity　of　death　and　the　peace　of　God　upon　it。



They　told　me　the　first　mourner　to　come　was　the　dog。　　He　came

uninvited；　and　stood　up　on　his　hind　legs　and　rested　his　fore　paws

upon　the　trestle；　and　took　a　last　long　look　at　the　face　that　was

so　dear　to　him；　then　went　his　way　as　silently　as　he　had　come。

HE　KNOWS。



At　mid…afternoon　it　began　to　snow。　　The　pity　of　itthat

Jean　could　not　see　it！　　She　so　loved　the　snow。



The　snow　continued　to　fall。　　At　six　o'clock　the　hearse　drew

up　to　the　door　to　bear　away　its　pathetic　burden。　　As　they　lifted

the　casket；　Paine　began　playing　on　the　orchestrelle　Schubert's

〃Impromptu；〃　which　was　Jean's　favorite。　　Then　he　played　the

Intermezzo；　that　was　for　Susy；　then　he　played　the　Largo；　that　was

for　their　mother。　　He　did　this　at　my　request。　　Elsewhere　in　my

Autobiography　I　have　told　how　the　Intermezzo　and　the　Largo　came

to　be　associated　in　my　heart　with　Susy　and　Livy　in　their　last

hours　in　this　life。



From　my　windows　I　saw　the　hearse　and　the　carriages　wind

along　the　road　and　gradually　grow　vague　and　spectral　in　the

falling　snow；　and　presently　disappear。　　Jean　was　gone　out　of　my

life；　and　would　not　come　back　any　more。　　Jervis；　the　cousin　she

had　played　with　when　they　were　babies　togetherhe　and　her

beloved　old　Katywere　conducting　her　to　her　distant　childhood

home；　where　she　will　lie　by　her　mother's　side　once　more；　in　the

company　of　Susy　and　Langdon。





DECEMBER　26TH。　　The　dog　came　to　see　me　at　eight　o'clock　this

morning。　　He　was　very　affectionate；　poor　orphan！　　My　room　will　be

his　quarters　hereafter。



The　storm　raged　all　night。　　It　has　raged　all　the　morning。

The　snow　drives　across　the　landscape　in　vast　clouds；　superb；

sublimeand　Jean　not　here　to　see。





2：30　P。M。It　is　the　time　appointed。　　The　funeral　has　begun。

Four　hundred　miles　away；　but　I　can　see　it　all；　just　as　if　I　were

there。　　The　scene　is　the　library　in　the　Langdon　homestead。

Jean's　coffin　stands　where　her　mother　and　I　stood；　forty　years

ago；　and　were　married；　and　where　Susy's　coffin　stood　thirteen

years　ago；　where　her　mother's　stood　five　years　and　a　half　ago；

and　where　mine　will　stand　after　a　little　time。





FIVE　O'CLOCK。It　is　all　over。





When　Clara　went　away　two　weeks　ago　to　live　in　Europe；　it　was

hard；　but　I　could　bear　it；　for　I　had　Jean　left。　　I　said　WE　would

be　a　family。　　We　said　we　would　be　close　comrades　and　happyjust

we　two。　　That　fair　dream　was　in　my　mind　when　Jean　met　me　at　the

steamer　last　Monday；　it　was　in　my　mind　when　she　received　me　at

the　door　last　Tuesday　evening。　　We　were　together；　WE　WERE　A

FAMILY！　the　dream　had　come　trueoh；　precisely　true；　contentedly；

true；　satisfyingly　true！　and　remained　true　two　whole　days。



And　now？　　Now　Jean　is　in　her　grave！



In　the　graveif　I　can　believe　it。　　God　rest　her　sweet

spirit！



…



1。　　Katy　Leary；　who　had　been　in　the　service　of　the　Clemens　family

for　twenty…nine　years。



2。　　Mr。　Gabrilowitsch　had　been　operated　on　for　appendicitis。