Keziah Coffin
Page 12
gospel. When there's no rainthe roof don't leak and long's it don't blow too hard 'most any kind ofgear'll hold. That's philosophy--cabbage philosophy."
Ellery decided that he should like Captain Zeb, although it was evidentthat the old whaler had decided opinions of his own which he did nothesitate to express. He judged that the Mayos were of the so-calledaristocracy, but undoubtedly unique specimens. He visited four morehouseholds that afternoon. The last call was at Mrs. Thankful Payne's,and while there, listening to the wonderful "poem," he saw Miss VanHorne pass the window, as has already been told. He came home to a CapeCod supper of scalloped clams, hot biscuits, and baked Indian pudding,and Keziah greeted him with a cheery smile which made him feel that itWAS home. His summary disposal of the "chart" had evidently raised himin his housekeeper's estimation. She did not ask a single question as towhere he had been.
Next day he had a taste of Trumet's real aristocracy, the genuinearticle. Captain Elkanah Daniels and his daughter made their firstformal call. The captain was majestic in high hat, fur-collared cape,tailed coat, and carrying a gold-headed cane. Miss Annabel wore hernewest gown and bonnet and rustled as she walked. They entered thesitting room and the lady glanced superciliously about the apartment.
"Hum--ha!" barked Captain Elkanah. "Ahem! Mr. Ellery, I trust you'rebeing made comfortable. The parish committee are--hum--ah--anxious thatyou should be. Yes?"
The minister said that he was very comfortable indeed.
"It isn't what you've been used to, we know," observed Miss Annabel."Mr. Langley, our former pastor, was a sweet old gentleman, but he wasold-fashioned and his tastes were queer, especially in art. Have younoticed that 'fruit piece' in the dining room? Isn't it too ridiculous?"
Ellery admitted that the fruit piece was rather funny; but no doubt ithad been a gift and so
--"Yes, indeed. I guess it was a present, fast enough. Nobody would buysuch a thing. It seems strange to pa and me that, although so many ofour people have been abroad, they have such strange ideas of art. Do youremember the beautiful marbles in the palaces at Florence, Mr. Ellery?Of course you've seen them?"
The minister was obliged to admit that he had never been abroad.
"Oh, is that so? I've been so many times with pa that it seems almostas if everybody was as familiar with Yurrup as I am. You remember what Isaid about the marbles, pa?"
Her parent nodded.
"Hum--ha! Oh, yes, yes," he said. "That was when I was in thefruit-carrying trade and made a voyage to Valenchy."
"Valencia, pa," corrected Annabel. "And Valencia is in Spain."
"I know it. But we went to Leghorn afterwards. I sailed to Cronstadt forsome years regular. Cronstadt is in Rooshy, Mr. Ellery."
"Russia, pa," snapped his daughter. Then she changed the subject tochurch and parish affairs. They spoke of the sewing circle and thereading society and the Friday-evening meetings.
"The Come-Outers are so vexed with us," tittered Miss Annabel, "thatthey won't even hold prayer meeting on the same night as ours. They havetheirs on Thursday nights and it's as good as a play to hear them shoutand sing and carry on. You'll enjoy the Come-Outers, Mr. Ellery. They'rea perfect delight."
And as they rose to go Captain Elkanah asked:
"Is there anything you'd like done about the parsonage, Mr. Ellery?If so, it shall be done immejitly. How are you satisfied with yourhousekeeper?"
"Very well, indeed, Captain Daniels," was the prompt reply.
"She's a character, isn't she?" giggled Annabel. "She was born herein Trumet, but went away to New Bedford when she was young and grew upthere. Her maiden name was Hall, but while she was away she married aman named Ansel Coffin. They didn't live together very long and weren'thappy, I guess. I don't know whose fault it was, nobody knows muchof anything about it, for that's the one thing she won't talk about.Anyhow, the Coffin man was lost to sea, and after a while she came backto keep house for her brother Solomon. She's an awful odd stick, butshe's a good cook, I believe; though I'm afraid you won't get the mealspeople such as ourselves, who've been so much in the city, are used to."
Ellery thought of the meals at his city boarding house and shuddered. Hewas an orphan and had boarded for years. Incidentally, he had worked hisway through college. Captain Elkanah cleared his throat.
"Keziah," he commanded. "Hum--ha! Keziah, come in here a minute."
Keziah came in response to the call, her sewing in her hand. Therenovation of the parsonage had so far progressed that she could nowfind time for a little sewing, after the dinner dishes were done.
"Keziah," said the captain pompously, "we expect you to look out for Mr.Ellery in every respect. The parish committee expects that--yes."
"I'll try," said Mrs. Coffin shortly.
"Yes. Well, that's all. You can go. We must be going, too, Mr.Ellery. Please consider our house at your disposal any time. Beneighborly--hum--ha!--be neighborly."
"Yes," purred Annabel. "DO come and see us often. Congenial society isvery scarce in Trumet, for me especially. We can read together. Are youfond of Moore, Mr. Ellery? I just dote on him."
The last "hum--ha" was partially drowned by the click of the gate.Keziah closed the dining-room door.
"Mrs. Coffin," said the minister, "I shan't trouble the parishcommittee. Be sure of that. I'm perfectly satisfied."
Keziah sat down in the rocker and her needle moved very briskly for amoment. Then she said, without looking up:
"That's good. I own up I like to hear you say it. And I am glad thereare some things I do like about this new place of mine. Because--well,because there's likely to be others that I shan't like at all."
On Friday evening the minister conducted his first prayer meeting.Before it, and afterwards, he heard a good deal concerning theCome-Outers. He learned that Captain Eben Hammond had preached againsthim in the chapel on Sunday. Most of his own parishioners seemed tothink it a good joke.
"Stir 'em up, Mr. Ellery," counseled Lavinia Pepper. "Stir 'em up! Don'tbe afraid to answer em from the pulpit and set 'em where they belong.Ignorant, bigoted things!"
Others gave similar counsel. The result was that the young man becamestill more interested in these people who seemed to hate him and all hestood for so profoundly. He wished he might hear their side of the caseand judge it for himself. It may as well be acknowledged now that JohnEllery had a habit of wishing to judge for himself. This is not always apolitic habit in a country minister.
The sun of the following Thursday morning rose behind a curtain of fogas dense as that of the day upon which Ellery arrived. A flat calm inthe forenoon, the wind changed about three o'clock and, beginning witha sharp and sudden squall from the northwest, blew hard and steady. Yetthe fog still cloaked everything and refused to be blown away.
"There's rain astern," observed Captain Zeb, with the air of authoritywhich belongs to seafaring men when speaking of the weather. "We'll geta hard, driving rain afore mornin', you see. Then, if she still holdsfrom the northwest'ard, it'll fair off fine."
"Goin' out in this, Mr. Ellery!" exclaimed Keziah, in amazement, as theminister put on his hat and coat about seven that evening. "Sakes alive!you won't be able to see the way to the gate. It's as dark as a nigger'spocket and thicker than young ones in a poor man's family, as my fatherused to say. You'll be wet through. Where in the world are you bound forTHIS night?"
The minister equivocated. He said he had been in the house all day andfelt like a walk.
"Well, take an umbrella, then," was the housekeeper's advice. "You'llneed it before you get back, I cal'late."
It was dark enough and thick enough, in all conscience. The main roadwas a black, wet void, through which gleams from lighted windows werebut vague, yellow blotches. The umbrella was useful in the same waythat a blind man's cane is useful, in feeling the way. The two orthree stragglers who met the minister carried lanterns. One of thesestragglers was Mr. Pepper. Kyan was astonished.
"Well, I snum!" cried Kyan, raising the lantern. "If 'tain't Mr. Ellery.Where you boun
d this kind of night?"
Before the minister could answer, a stately figure appeared and joinedthe pair. Lavinia, of course.
"Well, Mr. Ellery," she said. "Ain't you lost, out in this fog? Anybodysick?"
No, no one was sick.
"That's a mercy. Goin' callin', be you?"
"No."
"Hum! Queer weather for a walk, I call it. Won't be many out to-night,except