Lippincott'S Magazine Of Popular Literature And Science, Volume 26 December, 1880. - Various None (e book reader android txt) 📗

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Fortunately,  Triggs'S Vessel,  Through Some Detention Of Its Cargo,  Had

Remained In London For An Unusually Long Time,  And Now,  When It Did

Sail,  Joan Was To Take Passage In It Back To Polperro.

 

"Awh,  Reuben,  My Dear," Sighed Joan One Evening As,  Eve Having Gone To

See Adam,  The Two Walked Out Toward The Little Spot Where Jerrem Lay,

And As They Went Discussed Joan'S Near Departure,  "I Wish To Goodness

You'D Pack Up Yer Alls And Come 'Longs To Polperro Home With Me: 'T 'Ud

Be Ever So Much Better Than Stayin' To This Gashly London,  Where There

Ain'T A Blow O' Air That'S Fresh To Draw Your Breath In."

 

"Why,  Nonsense!" Said Reuben: "You Wouldn'T Have Me If I'D Come."

 

"How Not Have 'Ee?" Exclaimed Joan. "Why,  If So Be I Thought You'D Come

I'D Never Stir From Where I Be Until I Got The Promise Of It."

 

"But There Wouldn'T Be Nothin' For Me To Do," Said Reuben.

 

"Why,  Iss There Would--Oceans," Returned Joan. "Laws! I Knaws Clocks By

Scores As Hasn'T Gone For Twenty Year And More. Us Has Got Two

Ourselves,  That Wan Won'T Strike And T' Other You Can'T Make Tick."

 

Reuben Smiled: Then,  Growing More Serious,  He Said,  "But Do You Know,

Joan,  That Yours Isn'T The First Head It'S Entered Into About Going Down

Home With You? I'Ve Had A Mind Toward It Myself Many Times Of Late."

 

"Why,  Then,  Do Come To Wance," Said Joan Excitedly; "For So Long As They

Leaves Me The House There'Ll Be A Home With Me And Uncle Zebedee,  And

I'Ll Go Bail For The Welcome You'Ll Get Gived 'Ee There."

 

Reuben Was Silent,  And Joan,  Attributing This To Some Hesitation Over

The Plan,  Threw Further Weight Into Her Argument By Saying,  "There'S The

Chapel Too,  Reuben. Only To Think O' The Sight O' Good You Could Do

Praichin' To 'Em And That! For,  Though It Didn'T Seem To Make No Odds

Before,  I Reckons There'S Not A Few That Wants,  Like Me,  To Be Told O'

Some Place Where They Treats Folks Better Than They Does Down Here

Below."

 

"Joan," Said Reuben After A Pause,  Speaking Out Of His Own Thoughts And

Paying No Heed To The Words She Had Been Saying,  "You Know All About Eve

And Me,  Don'T You?"

 

Joan Nodded Her Head.

 

"How I'Ve Felt About Her,  So That I Believe The Hold She'S Got On Me No

One On Earth Will Ever Push Her Off From."

 

"Awh,  Poor Sawl!" Sighed Joan Compassionately: "I'Ve Often Had A Feelin'

For What You'D To Bear,  And For This Reason Too--That I Knaws Myself

What 'Tis To Be Ousted From The Heart You'M Cravin' To Call Yer Own."

 

"Why,  Yes,  Of Course," Said Reuben Briskly: "You Were Set Down For Adam

Once,  Weren'T You?"

 

"Awh,  And There'S They To Polperro--Mother Amongst 'Em,  Too--Who'Ll Tell

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'Ee Now That If Eve Had Never Shawed Her Face Inside The Place Adam 'Ud

Ha' Had Me,  After All. But There! All That'S Past And Gone Long Ago."

 

There Was Another Pause,  Which Reuben Broke By Saying Suddenly,  "Joan,

Should You Take It Very Out Of Place If I Was To Ask You Whether After A

Bit You Could Marry Me? I Dare Say Now Such A Thought Never Entered

Your Head Before."

 

"Well,  Iss It Has," Said Joan; 'And O' Late,  Ever Since That Blessed

Dear Spoke They Words He Did,  I'Ve Often Fell To Wonderin' If So Be 'T

'Ud Ever Come To Pass. Not,  Mind,  That I Should Ha' Bin Put Out If 'T

Had So Happened That You'D Never Axed Me,  Like,  But Still I Thought

Sometimes As How You Might,  And Then Agen I Says,  'Why Should He,

Though?'"

 

"There'S Many A Reason Why _I_ Should Ask _You_,  Joan," Said Reuben,

Smiling At Her Unconscious Frankness,  "Though Very Few Why You Should

Consent To Take A Man Whose Love Another Woman Has Flung Away."

 

"Awh,  So Far As That Goes,  The Both Of Us Is Takin' What'S Another'S

Orts,  You Knaw," Smiled Joan.

 

"Then Is It Agreed?" Asked Reuben,  Stretching Out His Hand.

 

"Iss,  So Far As I Goes 'Tis,  With All My Heart." Then As She Took His

Hand A Change Came To Her April Face,  And Looking At Him Through Her

Swimming Eyes She Said,  "And Very Grateful Too I'M To 'Ee,  Reuben,  For I

Don'T Knaw By Neither Another Wan Who'D Take Up With A Poor Heart-Broke

Maid Like Me,  And They She'S Looked To All Her Life Disgraced By Others

And Theyselves."

 

Reuben Pressed The Hand That Joan Had Given To Him,  And Drawing It

Through His Arm The Two Walked On In Silence,  Pondering Over The

Unlooked-For Ending To The Strange Events They Both Had Lately Passed

Through. Joan'S Heart Was Full Of A Contentment Which Made Her Think,

"How Pleased Adam Will Be! And Won'T Mother Be Glad! And Uncle Zebedee

'Ull Have Somebody To Look To Now And Keep Poor Jonathan Straight And

Put Things A Bit In Order;" While Reuben,  Bewildered By The Thoughts

Which Crowded To His Mind,  Semed Unable To Disentangle Them. Could It Be

Possible That He,  Reuben May,  Was Going Down To Live At Polperro,  A

Place Whose Very Name He Had Once Taught Himself To Abominate?--That He

Could Be Willingly Casting His Lot Amid A People Whom He Had But Lately

Branded As Thieves,  Outcasts,  Reprobates? Involuntarily His Eyes Turned

Toward Joan,  And A Nimbus In Which Perfect Charity Was Intertwined With

Great Love And Singleness Of Heart Seemed To Float About Her Head And

Shed Its Radiance On Her Face; And Its Sight Was To Reuben As The First

Touch Of Love,  For He Was Smitten With A Sense Of His Own Unworthiness,

And,  Though He Did Not Speak,  He Asked That A Like Spirit To That Which

Filled Joan Might Rest Upon Himself.

 

That Evening Eve Was Told The News Which Joan And Reuben Had To Tell,

And As She Listened The Mixed Emotions Which Swelled Within Her

Perplexed Her Not A Little,  For Even While Feeling That The Two Wishes

She Most Desired--Joan Cared For And Reuben Made Happy--Were Thus

Fulfilled,  Her Heart Seemed Weighted With A Fresh Disaster: Another

Wrench Had Come To Part Her From That Life Soon To Be Nothing But A

Lesson And A Memory. And Adam,  When He Was Told,  Although The Words He

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Said Were Honest Words And True,  And Truly He Did Rejoice,  There Yet

Within Him Lay A Sadness Born Of Regret At Rendering Up That Love So

Freely Given To Him,  Now To Be Garnered For Another'S Use; And

Henceforth Every Word That Reuben Spoke,  Each Promise That He Gave,

Though All Drawn Forth By Adam'S Own Requests,  Stuck Every One A

Separate Thorn Within His Heart,  Sore With The Thought Of Being An

Outcast From The Birthplace That He Loved And Cut Off From Those Whose

Faces Now He Yearned To Look Upon.

 

No Vision Opened Up To Adam'S View The Prosperous Life The Future Held

In Store--No Still Small Voice Then Whispered In His Ear That Out Of

This Sorrow Was To Come The Grace Which Made Success Sit Well On Him And

Eve; And Though,  As Years Went By And Intercourse Became More Rare,

Their Now Keen Interest In Polperro And Its People Was Swallowed Up Amid

The Many Claims A Busy Life Laid On Them Both,  Each Noble Action Done,

Each Good Deed Wrought,  By Adam,  And By Eve Too,  Bore On It The Unseen

Impress Of That Sore Chastening Through Which They Now Were Passing.

 

Out Of The Savings Which From Time To Time Adam Had Placed With Mr.

Macey Enough Was Found To Pay The Passage-Money Out And Keep Them From

Being Pushed By Any Pressing Want On Landing.

 

Already,  At The Nearest Church,  Adam And Eve Had Been Married,  And

Nothing Now Remained But To Get On Board The Vessel,  Which Had Already

Dropped Down The River And Was To Sail The Following Morning,  Triggs Had

Volunteered To Put Them And Their Possessions Safely On Board,  And

Reuben And Joan,  With Eve'S Small Personal Belongings,  Were To Meet Them

At The Steps,  Close By Which The Mary Jane'S Boat Would Be Found

Waiting. The Time Had Come When Adam Could Lay Aside His Disguise And

Appear In Much The Same Trim He Usually Did When At Polperro.

 

Joan Was The First To Spy Him Drawing Near,  And Holding Out Both Her

Hands To Greet The Welcome Change She Cried,  "Thank The Lord For Lettin'

Me See Un His Ownself Wance More!--Awh,  Adam! Awh,  My Dear! 'T Seems As

If I Could Spake To 'Ee Now And Know 'Ee For The Same Agen.--Look To Un,

Reuben! You Don'T Wonder Now What Made Us All So Proud Of Un At Home."

 

Reuben Smiled,  But Adam Shook His Head: The Desolation Of This Sad

Farewell Robbed Him Of Every Other Power But That Of Draining To The

Dregs Its Bitterness. During The Whole Of That Long Day Eve And He Had

Hardly Said One Word,  Each Racked With Thoughts To Which No Speech Gave

Utterance. Mechanically Each Asked About The Things The Other One Had

Brought,  And Seemed To Find Relief In Feigning Much Anxiety About Their

Safety,  Until Triggs,  Fearing They Might Outstay Their Time,  Gave Them A

Hint It Would Not Do To Linger Long; And,  With A View To Their

Leavetaking Being Unconstrained,  He Volunteered To Take The Few

Remaining Things Down To The Boat And Stow Them Safely Away,  Adding That

When They Should Hear His Whistle Given It Would Be The Signal That They

Must Start Without Delay.

 

The Spot They Had Fixed On For The Starting-Place Was One But Little

Used And Well Removed From All The Bustle Of A More Frequented Landing.

A Waterman Lounged Here And There,  But Seeing The Party Was Another'S

Fare Vouchsafed To Them No Further Interest. The Ragged Mud-Imps Stayed

Their Noisy Pranks To Scrutinize The Country Build Of Triggs'S Boat,

Leaving The Four,  Unnoticed,  To Stand Apart And See Each In The Other'S

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