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029 - A Ray Of Sunshine · North and South

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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty nine O. North and South. This is a
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  Speaker 1: libervox recording. All Liberyrox accordings are in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit libervox dot org.
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  Speaker 1: Recording by Fu Debasson North and South by Elizabeth Cleaphorn,
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  Speaker 1: Gascon Chapter nine, twenty nine. A ray of sunshine, some
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  Speaker 1: wishes crossed my mind and dimly cheered it. And one
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  Speaker 1: or two poor melancholy pleasures, each in the pale and
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  Speaker 1: warming light of hope, silvering its flimsy wing flew silent
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  Speaker 1: by moss and the moonbeam. Coleridge the next morning brought
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  Speaker 1: Margaret a letter from Adit. It was affectionate and inconsequent
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  Speaker 1: like the writer, but the affection was charming to Margaret's
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  Speaker 1: son affectionate nature, and she had grown up with in consequence,
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  Speaker 1: so she did not perceive it. It was at falls, Oh, Margaret,
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  Speaker 1: it is worth a journey for England to see my boy.
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  Speaker 1: He is a superb little fellow, especially in his camps,
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  Speaker 1: and most especially in the wind. You send him your good,
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  Speaker 1: dainty fingered for serving little lady. Having made all the
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  Speaker 1: mothers here envious. I want to show him to somebody
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  Speaker 1: new and hear fresh set of admiring expressions. Perhaps that's
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  Speaker 1: all the reason. Perhaps it is not. Nay, Possibly there
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  Speaker 1: is just a little cousinly love mixed with it. But
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  Speaker 1: I do want you so much to come here, Margaret.
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  Speaker 1: I am sure it would be the very best thing
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  Speaker 1: for Aunt Hale's health. Everybody here is young and well,
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  Speaker 1: and our cars are always blue, and our son always shrines,
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  Speaker 1: and the band plays deliciously from morning till night. And
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  Speaker 1: to come back to the burden of my ditty, my
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  Speaker 1: baby always smiles. I am constantly wanting you to draw
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  Speaker 1: him for me, Margaret. It does not signify is what
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  Speaker 1: he is doing. That very thing is prettiest, graceful at best.
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  Speaker 1: I think I love him a great deal better than
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  Speaker 1: my husband, who is getting stouned and grumpy what he
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  Speaker 1: calls busy. No he is not. He has just come
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  Speaker 1: in with news of such a charming picnic given by
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  Speaker 1: the officers of the hazard and anchor at the baby below.
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  Speaker 1: Because he has brought in such a pleasant piece of news,
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  Speaker 1: I retract all I said just now. Did not somebody
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  Speaker 1: burn his hand for having said or done something he
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  Speaker 1: was sorry for? Well, I can't but mind, because it
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  Speaker 1: was hurt me, and the scar would be ugly. But
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  Speaker 1: I retract all I said as fast as I can.
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  Speaker 1: Cosmore is really quite as great a darling as baby,
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  Speaker 1: and not a bit stout, and as un grumpy as
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  Speaker 1: Eberhausen was. Only sometimes he is very, very busy. I
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  Speaker 1: may say that without love, wife did duty? Where was I?
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  Speaker 1: I had something very particular to say. I know once,
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  Speaker 1: Oh this it is this, dearest Margaret. You must come
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  Speaker 1: and see me. It would do Aunt Hale good. As
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  Speaker 1: I said before, Get the doctor to order it for her.
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  Speaker 1: Tell him it's the smoke of Milton that does her horn.
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  Speaker 1: I have no doubt that it is really three months
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  Speaker 1: you was not comfortless of this delicious climate. All sunshine
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  Speaker 1: and grapes as common as blackberries would cure her. I
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  Speaker 1: don't ask my uncle here. The letter became more constrained
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  Speaker 1: and better written. Mister Hale was in the corner like
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  Speaker 1: an older child, for having given up his living, because
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  Speaker 1: I dare say he disapproves of war and soldiers and
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  Speaker 1: bands of music. At least I know that many dissenters
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  Speaker 1: are member of the Peace Society, and I am afraid
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  Speaker 1: he would not like to come. But if he would,
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  Speaker 1: dear Pray say that Cosmon, I would do her best
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  Speaker 1: to make him happy, and I'd hide up Cosmon's red coat,
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  Speaker 1: ands for it, and make the band play all sorts
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  Speaker 1: of grave some things, or if they do play pomps
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  Speaker 1: and vanities, it shall be in double slow time. Dear Margaret,
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  Speaker 1: if he would like to accompany you on, aunt Hale,
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  Speaker 1: we will try and make it pleasant, though I am
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  Speaker 1: rather afraid of any one who has done something for
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  Speaker 1: conscience sake. You never did. I hope tell Hale not
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  Speaker 1: to bring many warm clothes, though I'm afraid it will
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  Speaker 1: be late in the year before he can come. But
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  Speaker 1: you have no idea what a heat here. I tried
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  Speaker 1: to wear my great beauty indan traumat a picnic. It
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  Speaker 1: kept myself up with proverbs, the log as I could pride,
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  Speaker 1: must abide, and such awesome piece of bith. But as
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  Speaker 1: was of me, Use I was like Mamma's little doctinnye
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  Speaker 1: with an elephant's trappings on, smothered, hidden, killed for my finery.
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  Speaker 1: So I met it into a capital carpet. Force on
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  Speaker 1: to sit down upon here's this boy of my Margaret.
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  Speaker 1: If you don't pack up your things. As soon as
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  Speaker 1: you get this letter and come straight off to see me,
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  Speaker 1: I shall think yo descended from king hereout. Margaret did
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  Speaker 1: long for a day of aded life, her freedom from care,
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  Speaker 1: her cheerful home, her sunny skies. If a wish could
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  Speaker 1: have transported her, she would have gone off just for
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  Speaker 1: one day. She yearned for the strength which such change
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  Speaker 1: would give, even for a few hours, to be in
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  Speaker 1: the midst of all that bright life, and to feel
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  Speaker 1: young again. Not yet twenty, and she had to bear
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  Speaker 1: up against such hard pressure that she felt quite old.
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  Speaker 1: That was her first feeling after reading edit letter. Then
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  Speaker 1: she read it again, and forgetting herself, was amusing a
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  Speaker 1: slightness to it itself, and was laughing merrily over it.
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  Speaker 1: When missus Hale came into the drawing room, leaning on
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  Speaker 1: Dixon's arm, Margaret flew to just the pillows. Her mother
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  Speaker 1: seemed more than usually feeble. What are you laughing at?
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  Speaker 1: Margaret asked she, as soon as she had recovered from
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  Speaker 1: the exertion of settling herself on the sofa. A letter
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  Speaker 1: I ever had this monophone. Edit shall read it here, mamma.
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  Speaker 1: She read it aloud, and for a time it seemed
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  Speaker 1: to interest her mother, who kept wondering what name Edit
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  Speaker 1: had given to her boy, and suggesting all probable names
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  Speaker 1: and all possible reasons why each and all of these
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  Speaker 1: names should be given. And to the very midst of
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  Speaker 1: these wonders, mister Thornton came, bringing another offering of fruit
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  Speaker 1: for missus Hale. He could not say, rather, he would
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  Speaker 1: not deny himself the chance of the pleasure of seeing Margaret.
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  Speaker 1: He had no end in this but present gratification. It
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  Speaker 1: was the sturdy wilfulness of a man most reasonable and
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  Speaker 1: self controlled. He entered the room, taking in at a
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  Speaker 1: glance the fact of Margaret's presence. But after the first cold,
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  Speaker 1: distant bow, he never seemed to let his eyes fall
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  Speaker 1: on her again. He only stayed to prison his speeches,
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  Speaker 1: to speak some gentle, kindly words, and then his cold,
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  Speaker 1: offended eyes met Margaret's with a grave farewell, and he
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  Speaker 1: left the room. She sat down, silent and pale. Do
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  Speaker 1: you know, Margaret, I really begin to quite like mister Thornton.
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  Speaker 1: No answer at first that Margaret forced out, and I see,
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  Speaker 1: do you yes? I think he is really quick, getting
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  Speaker 1: quite polished in his manners. Margaret's voice was more in
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  Speaker 1: order now, she replied, he is very kind and attentive.
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  Speaker 1: There is no doubt of that. I wonder mister Thornton
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  Speaker 1: never calls. She must know I am ill because of
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  Speaker 1: the water bed. I dare say she hears how you
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  Speaker 1: are from her son. Still I should like to see her.
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  Speaker 1: You have so you friends here, Margaret. Margaret felt what
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  Speaker 1: was in her mother's thoughts, a tender craving to bespeak
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  Speaker 1: the kindness of some woman toward the daughter that might
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  Speaker 1: so soon be left motherless. But she could not speak. Do
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  Speaker 1: you think, said missus Hale, after a pause, that you
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  Speaker 1: could go and ask Misthers Thornton to come and see
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  Speaker 1: me only once. I don't want to be troublesome. I
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  Speaker 1: will do anything if you wish, mamma. But if but
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  Speaker 1: when Frederick comes, Ah, to be sure, we must keep
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  Speaker 1: our doors shut. We must let no one in. I
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  Speaker 1: hardly know whether her day wish him to come or not.
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  Speaker 1: Sometimes I think I would rather not. Sometimes I have
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  Speaker 1: such frightful dreams about him. Oh, mamma, we'll take good care.
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  Speaker 1: I will put my arm in the bon sooner than
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  Speaker 1: he should come to the slightest harm. Trust the care
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  Speaker 1: of him to me, mamma, I will watch over him
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  Speaker 1: like a liness over her young. When can we hear
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  Speaker 1: from him? Not for a week yet, certainly, perhaps more.
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  Speaker 1: We must send Martha away in good time. It would
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  Speaker 1: never do to have her here when he comes and
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  Speaker 1: then send her off in a hurry. Dixon is shrutched,
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  Speaker 1: remind us of that. I was thinking that if he
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  Speaker 1: wanted any help in the house while he is here,
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  Speaker 1: we should perhaps get Mary Higgins. She is very slack
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  Speaker 1: of work, and he is a good girl and would
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  Speaker 1: take pain to do her best, I am sure, and
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  Speaker 1: would sleep at home, and he'd never come upstairs so
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  Speaker 1: as to know who is in the house. As you please,
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  Speaker 1: as Dixon pleases, said Margaret. Don't get to use these
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  Speaker 1: horrid Milton words slack of work. It is a provincialism.
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  Speaker 1: What will your own Charles say if she hears you
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  Speaker 1: use it in her return? Oh, mamma, don't try to
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  Speaker 1: make a bag bay of aunt Shaw, said Margaret, laughing.
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  Speaker 1: Edit Pig stepped all sorts of military slang from Captain Lennox,
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  Speaker 1: and Ortroll never took any notice of it. But she's
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  Speaker 1: a factory slang, and if I live in a factory town,
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  Speaker 1: I must speak factory language when I wanted, why, Mamma,
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  Speaker 1: I could astonish you with a great many words you
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  Speaker 1: have never heard in your life. I don't believe you
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  Speaker 1: know what a knotstick is, not I child. I only
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  Speaker 1: know it has a very fulgular sound, and I don't
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  Speaker 1: want to hear reusing it very well, dearest mother, I won't.
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  Speaker 1: Only I shall have to use of all explanatory sentence instead.
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  Speaker 1: I don't like this Milton, said. Missus Hale ed, it
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  Speaker 1: is so right enough in saying it's the smoke here
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  Speaker 1: that has made me so ill. Margaret started up as
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  Speaker 1: her mother said this. Her father had just entered the room,
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  Speaker 1: and she was most anxious that the faint impression she
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  Speaker 1: had seen in his mind that the Milton air had
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  Speaker 1: enjured her mother's health should not be deepened, should not
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  Speaker 1: received any confirmation. She could not tell whether she had
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  Speaker 1: whether he had heard but missus Hale had said or not.
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  Speaker 1: But she began speaking hurriedly of other things, unaware that
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  Speaker 1: mister Thornton was forming him. Mamma is accusing me of
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  Speaker 1: having picked up a great deal of vulgarity since came
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  Speaker 1: to Milton. The vulgarity Margaret spoke of referring plerely to
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  Speaker 1: the use of local words, and the expression rose out
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  Speaker 1: of the conversation they had just been holding. But mister
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  Speaker 1: Thornton's brow dardened, and Margaret suddenly felt how her speech
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  Speaker 1: might be misunderstood by him. So, in the national sweet
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  Speaker 1: desire to avoid giving unoscessir vein, she forced us have
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  Speaker 1: to go forwards with a little greeting and continue what
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  Speaker 1: she was saying, addressing herself to him expressly. Now, mister Thornton,
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  Speaker 1: though knobstick has not a very pretty sound? Is it
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  Speaker 1: not expressive? Could I do without it? In speaking of
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  Speaker 1: the thing it represents? If using local words as vulgar,
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  Speaker 1: I was very vulgar in the forest, was I not, Mamma?
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  Speaker 1: It was unusual with Margaret to obtrude her own subject
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  Speaker 1: of conversation and other but in this case she was
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  Speaker 1: so anxious to prevent mister Thornton from feeling annoyance at
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  Speaker 1: the words he had had simply and overheard, that it
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  Speaker 1: was not until she had done speaking that she called
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  Speaker 1: it all over with consciousness, especially as missus Thornton seemed
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  Speaker 1: hardly to understand the exact gist or bearing of what
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  Speaker 1: she was saying, but passed her by with the cold
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  Speaker 1: reserve of the ceremonious movement to speak with Missus Hale.
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  Speaker 1: The sight of him reminded her of the wish to
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  Speaker 1: see his mother and command Margaret to her care. Margaret,
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  Speaker 1: sitting in burning suns vexed and ashamed of her difficulty
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  Speaker 1: in keeping her right place and her calm and consciousness
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  Speaker 1: of heart, when mister Thornton was by, heard her mother's
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  Speaker 1: slow entreaty that Missus Thornton didn't come and see her,
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  Speaker 1: see her soon tomorrow if it were impossible. Mister Thornton
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  Speaker 1: promised that she should converse. So listen, and then took
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  Speaker 1: his leave, and Margaret's movement and voice seemed at once
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  Speaker 1: released from some invisible chains. He never looked at her,
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  Speaker 1: and yet the careful avoidance of his eye betoken that
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  Speaker 1: in some way he knew exactly where if they fell,
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  Speaker 1: by chance, they would rest on her. If she spoke,
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  Speaker 1: She gave no sign of attention, and yet his next
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  Speaker 1: speech to any one else was modified by what she
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  Speaker 1: had said. Sometimes there was an express answer to what
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  Speaker 1: she had ad marked, but given to another person, as
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  Speaker 1: though unsuccessed by her. It was not the bad manners
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  Speaker 1: of ignorance. It was the wilful, bad manners rising from
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  Speaker 1: deep offense. It was wilful at the time, repented of afterwards,
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  Speaker 1: But no indeed, plan, no careful cunning, could have stood
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  Speaker 1: in him in such good stead. Margaret thought about him
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  Speaker 1: more than she had ever done before, not with any
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  Speaker 1: tender of what is called love, but with regret that
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  Speaker 1: she had wounded him so deeply, and with a gentle patience,
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  Speaker 1: striving to return to their former position of antagonistic friendship.
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  Speaker 1: For a friend's position was what she found that she
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  Speaker 1: had held in her regard, as well as in that
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  Speaker 1: of the rest of the family. There was a pretty
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  Speaker 1: humility in her, in her behavior to him, as if
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  Speaker 1: mutely apologizing for the overstrong words which were the reactions
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  Speaker 1: from the deed of the day of the riot. But
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  Speaker 1: he resented those bitterly. There wrung an his ears, and
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  Speaker 1: he was proud of the sense of justice which made
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  Speaker 1: him go on in every kindness he could offer to
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  Speaker 1: her parents. He exulted in the power he showed in
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  Speaker 1: compelling himself to face her whenever he could think of
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  Speaker 1: any action which might give her father a mother pleasure.
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  Speaker 1: He thought that he disliked seeing one who had mortified
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  Speaker 1: him so keenly, but he was mistaken. It was a
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  Speaker 1: distincting pleasure to be in the room with her and
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  Speaker 1: feel her presence. But he was no greater an Eliza
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  Speaker 1: of his ill motives, and was mistaken, as I have said,
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  Speaker 1: end of Chapter twenty nine.