Latest / The Wind Boy / Chapter 18 Comrades

Transcript

Chapter 18 Comrades · The Wind Boy

0:00
Chapter eighteen, the last chapter of The wind Boy by Ethel Cook Eliot.
0:08
This librivot recording is in the public domain. Chapter eighteen comrades. The artist
0:17
was true to his word. While the family in the little Brown cottage slept,
0:22
the telegraph wires and the radio waves, and even the great cables under
0:28
the oceans were busied with the news. Our greatest living artist has discovered a
0:35
genius, a new and entirely unknown sculptress. He has bought a statuette from
0:43
her and paid a fabulous sum for it. She is a refugee living with
0:49
her children at his very door, and has lived there for a year without
0:54
his knowing about her work. Then came her full name and her story.
1:00
By morning, all the papers in the country had the story, and many
1:04
printed it in headlines on their front pages. The people living in the artist's
1:11
village could hardly believe their eyes when they read. Their surprise and excitement were
1:19
unbounded. Why they had seen Debthra every morning, going to work in her
1:25
dark cape and returning like any working woman tired at evening. There'd been no
1:32
sign about her of this, or if there had been a sign, they
1:36
had failed to see it. Their curiosity led some of them, even so
1:42
early in the morning to go out and walk down the street to take a
1:46
good look at the little brown cottage that now housed so much fame. There
1:52
was even pride in their gaze, for after all, Debthra was one of
1:57
them, one of their village. And when Kay and Gentian with Rosemarie ran
2:04
by on their way to school, the villagers looked after them thoughtfully. Well
2:10
things will be different for those children after this, they said, wisely,
2:15
nodding their heads at one another. And I am not sorry. For better
2:22
manner or brighter children you would go far to find. As for Detra,
2:30
she went to work that morning as usual, for she meant to tell her
2:34
employer about her good fortune and give him a fair chance to replace her.
2:39
But her feet to day sped lightly toward her task, and she walked like
2:46
a princess. Not as a proud princess, you must know, but as
2:52
a happy one, for she had a strong hope that somehow, somewhere Huzzah,
2:59
the children's father would read the news and so find her at last.
3:06
And it did happen just as she hoped. In a city not far away
3:12
that very morning, a man with copper colored hair and eyes blue as the
3:17
sea. Stopped at a corner to read the headlines of the newspapers displayed there
3:23
on a stand, and immediately the name Datra shot out for him in rainbow
3:30
lettering. It was his joy that made the lettering rainbow, of course,
3:37
for it was just in printer's ink for ordinary eyes. From that minute,
3:43
the copper hair's young man moved as in a cloud, for that young man
3:50
was Hazah, the children's father. He had traced his wife and his children
3:55
to this country directly after the war, and since then he had been wandering
4:01
from city to city seeking them. He had no money to advertise with any
4:06
more than had Deettera. The war had left him penniless and without work,
4:13
so he had only tramped from city to city, doing odd jobs wherever he
4:17
could get them. But he thought little about the jobs, for his real
4:23
work was his searching. His eyes were always searching, searching among crowds in
4:30
all the poorer sections of the cities, and he would stand outside of stores
4:35
and factories at the close of the working day, hoping that Detra might come
4:41
out of some dark door and see him waiting there. And then at the
4:46
noon hour, he would wait in the same way at the doors of school
4:50
buildings. His blue eyes had grown haggard, watching at school doors for two
4:58
little coppery heads. But now that was ended. He was a young god,
5:05
striding away out of the city toward the road that led to the artist's
5:11
village. People who had never given him a glance before, in his shabby
5:16
workman's clothes and with his haggard seeking eyes now turned a stare at him as
5:23
he passed. But though it would not have taken him long by train,
5:29
it was long to walk, and Hzar was a day and a night coming
5:33
to the village. That day, Nan had spent in making the little brown
5:39
house spick and span from top to bottom. For although she had not yet
5:44
told Dettra, she knew that her work here was finished. The mountains were
5:50
calling her back. Kay and Gentien in school at the desks and playing at
5:57
recess time, and all the afternoon as they played with Rosemarie in her grandfather's
6:01
gardens, often lifted their heads to listen, for they thought they heard their
6:09
father calling their names. When bedtime came again, Datra and the children and
6:16
even Nan slept, but fitfully. They were so alive with their expectation,
6:24
and all during breakfast, the children talked of nothing but their father. Will
6:29
he come to day? Do you think he might come to day? But
6:33
Dettra, whose heart was beating even faster than her children's, said no,
6:40
no, hush, we must not expect him so soon. Why he may
6:45
be across the ocean, across the world from us. But in spite of
6:49
those sensible words, at every step that Datra heard, she turned her head
6:56
to listen. Would it turn in at the little winging gait? And the
7:01
children listened with her. Dettra's employer had found some one at once to take
7:08
Detra's place, and so she was to be at home to day, all
7:13
day and every day. That was glorious for the children, but the glory
7:20
faded vanished for a little while when Nan, after she had done the dishes
7:27
and put the house in order, went up to her room and came down
7:30
with her knotted purple bundle. Dettra looked at her in surprise. Why Nan,
7:39
you're not going to go away from us? Not now? Nan nodded.
7:45
There is nothing left here for me to do, she said, I
7:48
cannot stay where there is no work. Detra got up from the bench under
7:54
the window where she had been sitting arranging fresh tulips in the bowl. She
8:00
looked at Nan earnestly and steadily. She did not say, but there is
8:05
work Nan, the house to keep clean, meals to cook, dishes to
8:11
wash. Please stay on to do these things for us. No, it
8:16
did not enter Detra's head to utter such foolishness. For Detra now for the
8:24
first time, began to understand about Nan and what she might be. That
8:33
had not been the work she had left her mountains to do. She had
8:37
come to help Deetra toward happiness. And now Dettra was happy and all was
8:45
well with her and the children. So Dattra said not a word, but
8:52
stood looking at Nan steadily. But the children were dismayed. They cried,
8:58
oh, please, please, Nan, don't go away and leave us.
9:03
You must never do that. Nan turned to them, smiling. Why unless
9:11
I go back to the mountains, then how can you come to visit me
9:16
there? And that is what I want you to do. Soon their hearts
9:22
were eased. Deetra at last said, are you a good fairy? Nan?
9:28
Is that what you are? No, I'm not a fairy, but
9:33
she answered gravely, as though in reply to a sensible question, as though
9:39
she might very well have been a fairy. Only it happened that she was
9:43
not. I'm just a girl from the mountains. Dettra asked no more,
9:50
and Nan moved toward the door. Kay and Gentian heard the music that she
9:58
walked to. Then there could be no doubt about it. This time,
10:03
though it was faint and far, Gentian ran after her. Oh, may
10:09
I have one last peep at the starry brightness, she begged. Nan held
10:16
the purple bundle to her. Gentian parted the sides a little and looked in.
10:22
Yes, there was the blue shining with its stars. Gentian bent above
10:30
the purple bundle, looking into the sky. If she had not remembered her
10:35
own bit of sky folded away upstairs in her drawer, she could never have
10:41
had done. But looking now, when she lifted her face, her eyes
10:48
had caught the reflection of the stars. Nan tied her bundle a little tighter
10:56
then, so that no one as she passed along the street might catch glimpse
11:00
of the stars or suspect what wonderful thing was tied away there. Then she
11:07
said good bye. The children clung to her as far as the gate,
11:13
and stood watching there while she went away down the street. But they could
11:18
not be unhappy over her going, for this thing was true about Nan.
11:26
No one could ever be unhappy because of her. But they stayed swinging at
11:31
the gate, silent and thoughtful, after she had gone around the corner.
11:39
A little way around the corner, as Nan walked to the sound of that
11:43
music faint and far, she met a young man. He was striding along
11:48
with the morning sun in his eyes. His hair was a flame of copper.
11:56
Nan could not help knowing at once that it was the children father Azar,
12:01
nearing the end of his search. She spoke to him, coming to
12:07
a stand before him on the sidewalk, But his eyes were full of the
12:11
morning sun, rather blinded, and to him it seemed it was only a
12:18
voice in the street speaking to him out of the sunlight. He could never
12:24
remember afterwards having seen Nan, but he remembered her words, if you were
12:31
looking for Detra's little brown cottage, it is just around that corner, and
12:35
Gentean and Cay are out in front swinging on the gate. The young man
12:43
did not even thank her for you see, he never realized until afterwards.
12:48
The children told him, so that a young girl must have stopped to give
12:52
him the direction. He truly thought it was only a voice out of the
12:58
sunshine in the morning sunshine that was full in his eyes. But he heard
13:05
the words well enough, and suddenly he started running. He ran around the
13:11
corner as fast as his long legs would take him, and the next minute
13:16
both the children on the gate had uttered shrill, glad cries that brought Datra
13:24
to the door. When she got there, she saw Huzzar with Gentian and
13:28
Kay tight in his arms, as though he would never let them go.
13:35
Then Dtra cried out too and ran down the walk, But Huzzar was quicker
13:43
than she. He let the children go and met her half way from the
13:48
door. The artist at that minute was coming through the hole in the hedge.
13:54
He had made it larger for convenience the day before. He was coming
13:58
from call. But he stopped short now, and the morning sunshine got into
14:05
his eyes, or something did, for he saw no more, but turned
14:11
away and waited until later for his visit to the little brown house. It
14:18
was a marvelous day for Kay and Gentian. They held to their father's hands,
14:24
leaned against him whenever he stood still and followed him about like shadows.
14:31
Most of the morning they wandered over the meadows at the back of the house
14:35
while their father and Detta talked about the young tree nurseries that he was to
14:41
grow there. The children were so happy they were almost silent. As for
14:50
Dettra, they looked at her wonderingly again and again, for she did not
14:54
seem like their mother at all. Now she was like a wide eyed young
15:01
girl listening to a fairy tale. They'd all forgotten about school, of course,
15:07
but no one ever blamed them for that. In the afternoon, father
15:13
and mother took a bench out under the cherry tree. The children sat at
15:18
their feet in the grass. It was then that they noticed the policeman walking
15:24
back and forth past the gate, pausing irresolutely each time, as though he
15:30
would like to come in. About the twentieth time this happened, Huzzar called
15:35
to him, do you want anything, policemen. At that the policeman took
15:41
courage and pushed open the gate. It's a welcome you are to this village,
15:46
he said to Huszar, for he knew very well who he was and
15:50
meant his welcome heartily. But then he turned to Datra and asked, in
15:56
a hesitating voice, has your go all left you? I saw her on
16:02
the street with a bundle this morning, and though I have passed the house,
16:06
offered, since I have caught no sig of her about Nan, Yes,
16:12
she has gone back to the mountains. Came a pause, while the
16:18
children could see that this was very sorry news for the big policeman. Then
16:22
he said shortly, well, with a man in the house on all,
16:27
I suppose the work might very well be too hard for a slip of a
16:32
girl like that. No, indeed, Dettter answered, laughing, she had
16:37
not noticed his sorriness. It was just that the work was too easy that
16:44
she left us. She thought she could no longer find enough to do.
16:48
The policeman shook his head. He could not understand that at all. He
16:53
asked, then, will you kindly let me have her address? I'd be
17:00
taking a trip to the mountains some day. Her address. Detta and the
17:07
children looked to one another in sudden bewilderment. How could they ever have neglected
17:14
to ask Nan for that? Why? Just Nan? The mountains would never
17:21
be enough. Of course, no one could find her that way. Dettra
17:26
looked at the policeman, almost ashamedly. I never thought to ask her for
17:33
it, she owned, the policeman stared, never thought to ask. Don't
17:40
you know at all as she's gone to? Just that, she's gone back
17:45
to the mountains. Which mountains? Why I see now that I don't know
17:52
that. But I always supposed the purple mountains, the ones we see off
17:57
there beyond the meadows and the woods. Yes, that's what I thought too,
18:03
the policeman answered. But that isn't enough to find her by, And
18:07
there was something in particular I had to say to her. No one could
18:14
overlook the trouble in his face. Now, Gentian suddenly stood up and took
18:19
his hand. Yes, Gentian took the policeman's hand, the big hand that
18:26
had gripped Kay by the shoulder so roughly. She said, softly but surely,
18:33
her blue eyes looking confidently up into his. She promised that Kay and
18:38
I were to go to the mountains to visit her soon. That means she
18:44
will let us know where she lives. When that time comes. Perhaps she
18:48
will let you know too. The policeman, in some strange, deep way,
18:53
was comforted. It was as though Nan herself had promised him through Gentian's
19:00
voice, and so he turned back to his trampings of the peaceful village streets,
19:06
with his trouble changed into thoughtfulness. When the policemen had gone, the
19:12
artists came through the hole in the hedge. Then he and Hussar and Detterra
19:18
put their heads together in a very grown up way to make plans for the
19:22
future of Dettra's art and Hussar's tree nurseries. The children lost interest in that,
19:30
and they were glad to hear rose Marie calling to them, although they
19:34
had heard her many times before. That afternoon without answering. She was playing
19:40
with some of their schoolmates over the Lilac hedge on the artist's lawn. The
19:47
lawn was a sea and the Sundial was a pirate ship. Rose Marie was
19:53
the captain. Come along, Ky and Gentian, She called, we are
19:59
on track of hidden treasure. So Kay left his father's side and ran away
20:06
to be a pirate. But Gentian got no farther than the door. There,
20:11
she suddenly had no heart for play and sat down on the door stone.
20:18
Aren't you coming? Kay called back to her in surprise from over the
20:22
hedge. By and by, I'll come perhaps not now, So the pirates
20:27
went dashing off after hidden treasure without her. Now she could think the thought
20:36
that had been knocking at the door of her mind through the day, under
20:40
all the happiness of her father's return. It was it isn't fair that the
20:45
wind boy should stay away. So I wouldn't give him up for Kay and
20:51
all those others. But he gave me up the minute he got his clear
20:56
comrades back again. After a time, the Artist came out of the door
21:02
to go home. All plans for Hussar's nurseries settled, but he stopped a
21:07
minute by Gentian to say, why aren't you off with Caine Rosemary, little
21:14
wind girl? Or are you waiting here for your wind boy? No,
21:19
I'm not waiting for him, Gentian answered, looking up rather mournfully at the
21:25
artist. He doesn't come to play any more. The Artist's face grew rueful.
21:33
Is that because I have taken him away for a while? But soon
21:37
he will be back, you know, all done in bronze life size and
21:41
out in the tulip garden. He will play with you, then, won't
21:47
he. No, I don't mean the statue, I mean the real wind
21:52
boy up in the clear village. The one mother copied, it's him I've
21:57
lost. I'm sorry. The artist said to that, but perhaps his wings
22:04
will bring him back down to you. Yet, who knows. The artist
22:11
was so fond of his little wind girl already that it troubled him to see
22:15
her sad. When he had gone, Gentean suddenly thought, well, anyway,
22:22
I have my starry brightness. I can run up and see that.
22:26
And she did get up and go softly into the house through the open sitting
22:33
room door. She saw her mother and father sitting on the bench under the
22:37
window. They were looking each other over the bowl of tulips, which was
22:41
still there, saying nothing but smiling. Gentian went past on tiptoe. They
22:49
are glad to be alone, she thought. When she got up to her
22:55
mother's room and opened her own bedroom raw she out before it on the floor,
23:02
looking deep, deep into the starry blue depths. And as she looked,
23:08
her thoughts cleared. They cleared until they were crystal clear. And this
23:18
is what came of their clearness. How foolish I am. Of course,
23:22
the wind boy will come back. He is my comrade. He wouldn't forget
23:27
me just because he is happy. He would remember all the more she was
23:34
herself again. Lightheartedly, she closed the drawer and jumped up. I'll just
23:41
go and play pirate after all, she thought. Perhaps while we're playing,
23:45
the wind boy will come some time anyway. But now that she was standing,
23:52
she saw that she was through into the clear land. The light was
23:57
not sunlight anymore, but the crystal, clearer light of the higher village.
24:03
And again she was alone in a room of the house belonging to the Twilight
24:10
Girl. She looked towards the window. There were the cherry tree boughs,
24:15
all aflow with pink and white cherry blossoms. Not the boughs of the cherry
24:21
tree that stood at the door of their mother's little brown house, but the
24:26
boughs of the other cherry tree above it, in the clear air. The
24:32
cherry blossom down there was still in bud, but these up here were full
24:37
blown. And there among the cherry blossoms on a swaying bow waited the wind
24:45
boy. She knew he was waiting by the droop of his wings and the
24:51
expression on his face. But it was not the wind bowyer she had seen
24:56
him first. Now the light across his brow was clear. He was wearing
25:02
silver sandals like her own. He did not see her standing at the window.
25:07
He was looking down through the blossoming branches, as though he expected her
25:12
to come up that way. Oh, wind boy, she called, here,
25:18
I am, I have come. He started up, looking about laughing.
25:25
She jumped over the window sill and went running to him through the blue
25:29
air. The wind boy made room for her, balancing on the trembling bow.
25:36
It took you long enough, he said, holding her hands. It's
25:40
been two whole days. Oh, but I was looking for you all that
25:45
time down in our village. You see, I didn't know how to get
25:49
up here. My coming just has to happen. I can do nothing about
25:56
it. But you could come down to me any time. Oh. I
26:00
did go down, of course, many many times. But I couldn't get
26:06
you to see me, not see you. I was looking for you every
26:11
minute, even to day with father there. Yes, you were looking for
26:18
me. But were you believing in me? Believing in you? Of course?
26:23
Why. I've always known you were real as real, no matter how
26:29
much anyone calls you a dream. Oh that kind of real. Yes,
26:34
that is nothing. You couldn't help knowing that, could you. I mean,
26:38
were you believing in the real myself, the comrading part of me.
26:45
Genten dropped her head. No, that is what I had stopped believing in,
26:52
she owned. I had stopped believing that you were my comrade. I
26:56
thought you wanted only your clear children and playmates. Now, the wind boy
27:03
smiled, Well, that tells us, then, why you had to come
27:07
up here to find me. I could never have got to you there with
27:11
such silly thoughts in your head. But you've come at last, and it's
27:17
all right. We are comrades. He stepped towards her on the bough.
27:22
His purple eyes were close above hers early morning purple. They kissed each other
27:30
on the cheeks. That sealed their comradeship past any more befogging. Where are
27:37
the clear children? Gentian asked, then, why are you alone? I
27:45
was only waiting for you. They were over in the woods by the spring
27:48
somewhere looking for flowers. We'll go find them. But you've never been to
27:53
the spring, have you. There are little gray stones in the bottom.
27:57
They are great to your first glance. But after a while, yes,
28:03
I know then they are all colors. Oh, you have been there,
28:10
the wind boy cried, disappointed that he was not the first to show her.
28:15
No, I do not think I was there, but I saw you.
28:19
There. You were with my mother. She was working on the statuette
28:23
all the time. She was talking to you. She was trying to make
28:27
you smile. Yes, she was telling me stories, stories you had told
28:33
her, she said, But where were you? Why didn't we know you
28:38
were near? I was only looking through the spring, the one below.
28:45
Neither you nor mother could see me nor hear me when I called, And
28:49
I could not hear your words either, though I saw your lips moving.
28:56
The wind Boy shuddered. That must have been horrid, strange and horrid.
29:02
Yes it was. Well, it's nothing like that this time. You're here,
29:07
now, safe and sound in the clear land, as yell will be
29:11
waiting by the spring to see if you came. She thought you would surely
29:17
find the way as yel. Oh, I'm glad, come, let's go.
29:25
Gentian and the wind Boy ran away fleetily, then out paths the blue
29:30
air towards the clear spring in the clear woods, and the wind Boy spread
29:37
his wings so wide as they went that I lost sight of Gentian behind their
29:42
purple. The end end of Chapter eighteen and end of The Wind Boy by
29:53
Ethel cook eliot read by Adrian Pratzellis in Santa Rosa, California, December twenty
30:04
twenty three,