第90章

'Did Bill prance right up like a man?'he asked, his hand upon her shoulder.

'Did very well,'said she, smiling, 'for a man with a wooden leg.

Unde Eb sank into a chair, laughing heartily, and pounding his knee. It seemed he had told her that I was coming home with a wooden leg! 'That is the reason I held your arm,'she said. 'I was expecting to hear it squeak every moment as we left the depot. But when I saw that you walked so naturally I knew Uncle Eb had been trying to fool me.

'Purty good sort uv a lover, ain't he?'said he after we were done laughing.

'He wouldn t take no for an answer,'she answered.

'He was aiwuss a gritty cuss,'said Uncle Eb, wiping his eyes with a big red handkerchief as he rose to go. 'Ye d oughter be mighty happy an'ye will, too - their am'no doubt uv it - not a bit. Trouble with most young folks is they wan'if fly tew high, these days. If they d only fly clus enough t'the ground so the could aiwuss touch one foot, they d be all right. Glad ye ain't thet kind.

We were off early on the boat - as fine a summer morning as ever dawned. What with the grandeur of the scenery and the sublimity of our happiness it was a delightful journey we had that day. I felt the peace and beauty of the fields, the majesty of the mirrored cliffs and mountains, but the fair face of her I loved was enough for me. Most of the day Uncle Eb sat near us and I remember a woman evangelist came and took a seat beside him, awhile, talking volubly of the scene.

'My friend,'said she presently, 'are you a Christian?

''Fore I answer I ll hex if tell ye a story,'said Uncle Eb. 'I recollec a man by the name o'Ranney over n Vermont - he was a pious man. Got into an argyment an'a feller slapped him in the face.

Ranney turned t other side an'then t other an'the feller kep'a slappin'hot 'n heavy. It was jes'like strappin'a razor fer haifa minnit. Then Ranney sailed in - gin him the wust lickin'he ever hed.

'"I declare," says another man, after 'twas all over, "I thought you was a Christian."

"Am up to a cert in p int," says he. "Can't go tew fur not 'n these parts - men are tew powerful. 'Twon't do 'less ye wan'if die sudden. When he begun poundin'uv me I see I wan t eggzac ly prepared."

''Fraid 's a good deal thet way with most uv us. We re Christians up to a cert in p int. Fer one thing, I think if a rnan ll stan'still an'see himself knocked into the nex'world he's a leetle tew good fer this.

The good lady began to preach and argue. For an hour Uncle Eb sat listening unable to get in a word. When, at last, she left him he came to us a look of relief in his face.

'I b'lieve,'said he, 'if Balaam's ass hed been rode by a woman he never 'd hey spoke.

'Why not?'I enquired.

'Never'd hey hed a chance,'Unde Eb added.

We were two weeks at home with mother and father and Uncle Eb.

It was a delightful season of rest in which Hope and I went over the sloping roads of Faraway and walked in the fields and saw the harvesting. She had appointed Christmas Day for our wedding and I was not to go again to the war, for now my first duty was to my own people. If God prospered me they were all to come to live with us in town and, though slow to promise, I could see it gave them comfort to know we were to be for them ever a staff and refuge.

And the evening before we came back to townJed Feary was with us and Uncle Eb played his flute and sang the songs that had been the delight of our childhood.

The old poet read these lines written in memory of old times in Faraway and of Hope's girlhood.

'The red was in the clover an'the blue was in the sky:

There was music in the meadow, there was dancing in the rye;An'I heard a voice a calling to the flocks o'Faraway An'its echo in the wooded hills - Co'day! Go'day! Go'day!

O fair was she - my lady love - an'lithe as the willow tree, An'aye my heart remembers well her parting words t'me.

An'I was sad as a beggar-man but she was blithe an'gay An'I think o'her as I call the flocks Go'day! Go'day! Go'day!

Her cheeks they stole the dover's red, her lips the odoured air, An'the glow o'the morning sunlight she took away in her hair;Her voice had the meadow music, her form an'her laughing eye Have taken the blue o'the heavens an'the grace o'the bending rye.

My love has robbed the summer day - the field, the sky, the dell, She has taken their treasures with her, she has taken my heart as well;An'if ever, in the further fields, her feet should go astray May she hear the good God calling her Co'day! Go'day! Go'day!