第93章

The north country lay buried in the snow that Christmastime. Here and there the steam plough had thrown its furrows, on either side of the railroad, high above the window line. The fences were muffled in long ridges of snow, their stakes showing like pins in a cushion of white velvet. Some of the small trees on the edge of the big timber stood overdrifted to their boughs. I have never seen such a glory of the morning as when the sun came up, that day we were nearing home, and lit the splendour of the hills, there in the land I love. The frosty nap of the snow glowed far and near with pulsing glints of pale sapphire.

We came into Hillsborough at noon the day before Christmas.

Father and Uncle Eb met us at the depot and mother stood waving her handkerchief at the door as we drove up. And when we were done with our greetings and were standing, damp eyed, to warm ourselves at the fire, Uncle Eb brought his palms together with a loud whack and said:

'Look here, Liz beth Brower! I want if hey ye tell me if ye ever see a likelier pair o'colts.

She laughed as she looked at us. In a moment she ran her hand down the side of Hope's gown. Then she lifted a fold of the cloth and felt of it thoughtfully.

'How much was that a yard?'she asked a dreamy look in her eyes.

'Wy! w'y!'she continued as Hope told her the sum. 'Terrible steep! but it does fit splendid! Oughter wear well too! Wish ye d put that on if ye go t'church nex'Sunday.

'O mother!'said Hope, laughing, 'I ll wear my blue silk.

'Come boys 'n girls,'said Elizabeth suddenly, 'dinner's all ready in the other room.

'Beats the world!'said Uncle Eb, as we sat down at the table. 'Ye do look gran'if me - ree-markable gran, both uv ye. Tek a premium at any fair - ye would sartin.

'Has he won yer affections?'said David laughing as he looked over at Hope.

'He has,'said she solemnly.

'Affections are a sing lar kind o'prop ty,'said Uncle Eb. 'Hain't good fer nuthin''iii ye ve gin em away. Then, like as not, they git very valyble.

'Good deal that way with money too,'said Elizabeth Brower.

'I recollec'when Hope was a leetle bit uv a girl'said Uncle Eb, 'she used if say 'et when she got married she was goin'if hev her husban'rub my back fer me when it was lame.

'I haven t forgotten it,'said Hope, 'and if you will all come you will make us happier.

'Good many mouths if feed!'Uncle Ebb remarked.

'I could take in sewing and help some,'said Elizabeth Brower, as she sipped her tea.

There was a little quiver in David's under lip as he looked over at her. 'You ain't able t'do hard work any more, mother,'said he.

'She won't never hey to nuther,'said Uncle Eb. 'Don't never pay if go bookin'fer trouble - it stew easy if find. There ain'no sech thing 's trouble 'n this world 'less ye look for it. Happiness won't hey nuthin if dew with a man thet likes trouble. Minnit a man stops lookin'fer trouble happiness 'II look fer him. Things came puny nigh's ye like 'em here 'n this world - hot er cold er only middlin .

Ye can either laugh er cry er fight er fish er go if meetin . If ye don't like erry one you can fin fault. I m on the lookout fer happiness - suits me best, someway, an don't hurt my feelin's a bit.

'Ev'ry day's a kind uv a circus day with you, Holden,'said David Brower. 'Alwuss hevin'a good time. Ye can hey more fun with yerseif 'n any man I ever see.'

'If I hey as much hereafter es I've hed here, I ain't a goin'if fin'no fault,'said Uncle Eb. ''S a reel, splendid world. God's fixed it up so ev ry body can hey a good time if they ll only hey it. Once I heard uv a poor man 'at hed a bushel o'corn give tew him. He looked up kind o'sad an'ast if they wouldn t please shell it. Then they tuk it away. God's gin us happiness in the ear, but He ain't a goin't'shell it fer us. You n 'Lizabeth oughter be very happy. Look a'them tew childern!

There came a rap at the door then. David put on his cap and went out with Uncle Eb.

'It's somebody for more money,'Elizabeth whispered, her eyes filling. 'I know 'tis, or he would have asked him in. We re goin't lose our home.

Her lips quivered; she covered her eyes a moment.

'David ain't well,'she continued. 'Worries night 'n day over money matters. Don't say much, but I can see it's alwuss on his mind.

Woke up in the middle o'the night awhile ago. Found him sittm by the stove. "Mother," he said, "we can't never go back to farmin .

I've ploughed furrows enough if go 'round the world. Couldn't never go through it ag in." "Well," said I, "if you think best we could start over see how we git along. I m willin'if try it." "No, we re too old," he says. "Thet's out o'the question. I've been thinkin'what'll we do there with Bill 'n Hope if we go t'live with 'em? Don't suppose they ll hey any hosses if take care uv er any wood if chop. What we'll hey if do is more n I can make out. We can't do nuthin; we've never learnt how."

'We ve thought that all over,'I said. 'We may have a place in the country with a big garden.

'Well,'said she, 'I m very well if I am over sixty. I can cook an wash an'mend an'iron just as well as I ever could.

Uncle Eb came to the door then.

'Bill,'he said, 'I want you 'n Hope if come out here 'n look at this young colt o'mine. He's playful 's a kitten.

We put on our wraps and went to the stable. Uncle Eb was there alone.