Sweetapple Cove Page 7

  CHAPTER VII

  _From John Grant's Diary_

  Atkins has just returned from St. John's, bringing loads of things forthe Jelliffes. He consulted me timidly as to how much he might chargethem for freight, for I am beginning to share with Mr. Barnett the honorof being considered as a general bureau of information. I craftilyobtained his own views, and suggested a slight increase. Mr. Jelliffeaudited the bill and gave the man five dollars extra for his trouble, sothat by this time the whole family is weeping with joy. Atkins alsobrought me a batch of medical journals and a letter.

  To look at Dora's handwriting one would judge that the young woman mustbe at least six feet high. The letters are so big and bold that theywould never suggest her actual five feet four, with a small fraction ofwhich she is rather proud. As usual she tells me little about herself,saying that I can easily understand the nature of her work in thetenements. Of course I can and, what is more, I am chagrined to think sheis toiling harder and enjoying herself less than I. Here I have a chanceat great breaths of pure air, whereas in New York she is ever hurryingthrough sordid little East Side streets and breathing their emanations. Iprefer the fish-houses, and if Miss Jelliffe were acquainted with some ofthose streets she would think as I do. The people I deal with here aregrateful and happy to see me. Dora's mob is apt to suspect her motives,to distrust her offers of care and instruction, and to disagree entirelywith her ideas of cleanliness. I wish she were here; it seems to me thata partnership in this place could accomplish wonderful things. I wouldbuild a bit of a hospital and she could boss the patients to her heart'scontent.

  The little girl says that she approves of my doings, but complains that Iwrite rather flippantly, at times. Considering that she has bidden me toavoid carefully all matters relating to the tender passion what else canI do? She says that if I persevere I shall realize that I am doing goodwork. We are all seeking achievement, she tells me, and she is sure I amaccomplishing great things.

  Poor little Dora! I wish I were as sure of this as she seems to be. As amatter of fact I am constantly disgruntled at the lack of facilities. Howcan a man do big work in surgery with no assistants? The least I shouldhave is a nurse. I have written to tell her so.

  Day before yesterday I took Miss Jelliffe over to Will's Island. I reallythink she had lost a little of her color in her assiduous care of herfather, and I was pleased to see the roses return to her cheeks on herway there. I would have thought that a young woman of her class wouldrequire a great deal of attention, but this young lady appears to be justas independent in her way as Dora is in hers. She was very much at homein the boat, and old Sammy just eats out of her hand. She has long agogathered him into the fold of her adorers. Ten minutes after we left shewas running our little ship and handling the tiller understandingly.

  She is a young woman whose life will be cast in pleasant places, and sheawaits the future cheerfully, secure in the belief that it can bring buthappiness. Dora, on the other hand, is prospecting with shovel and pick,and I'm afraid they may blister her little hands.

  When we arrived at Will's Island the young woman followed me into thehouse. I noticed that she shuddered just a little at the sight of Dick'sarm. It was a novel thing to her, and I must say she met it bravely.Indeed it was rather fine to see how quickly she adapted herself to thosesurroundings. She held bandages for me and handed me the solutions withquick intuition. Also she was delightfully simple and kind in hertreatment of poor Dick's bewildered wife.

  I decided to bring the man to the Cove. He insisted that he was perfectlyable to walk down to the boat, but staggered as soon as he tried to standup and would have fallen had I not been prepared for him. Sammy andFrenchy carried him down to the boat and lifted him on board, where theystretched him on the foot-boards which we had taken the precaution toupholster luxuriously with dried seaweed. An old sack, stuffed with thesame material, constituted a pillow.

  Dick's wife and her brother, with the children, waved their hands at usas we left the little bay and started on the long run close-hauled to themainland.

  For a short time Miss Jelliffe remained near Sammy. She was peering atthe retiring cliffs.

  "Who would ever have thought that men would cling to such places?" shesaid. "I don't know whether I am glad or sorry that I came."

  One could see that she was moved. Life had taken a wider aspect for her.She doubtless knew of poverty and suffering, but to her they had beenabstract things near which her footsteps had never carried her.

  "In another year or two it will be deserted," I told her. "The few stickson the island have all been cut down, and they have begun to burn theboards of the abandoned house, though they also get a little driftwoodfor fuel. That is the story of many places on this coast, after thepeople have exhausted the scanty supply of wood."

  She evidently thought it marvelous that such desolate bits of rock shouldhave found human limpets to cling to them and be able to support lifeafter a fashion. Then she began to look at the man who was lying in thebottom of the boat. Although he was very pale and weak he lookedcontentedly at the sky and the fleecy clouds, and when his eyes caughthers he smiled bashfully. And the instinct then moved her, which lies inevery proper feminine heart, however dormantly, to mother something orsomebody.

  The screaming feathered life no longer interested her, nor the surging ofthe crested waves against the cliffs, nor the cleaving of the water byour little ship. She took a step forward and sat down on the roughboards, beside this wreck of manhood we were bringing in, unmindful ofthe dried fish-scales that would flake off upon her skirts. It was surelyan unconscious movement of hers when her hand went out and rested on thefisherman's rough paw.

  I saw him stare at her, his eyes filled with wonderment and gratitude,for men of these places know little of tender care.

  "How do you feel now?" she asked him, gently.

  "I feels like I once did after a day an' a night on th' ice," he replied,slowly. "I mind there wuz four on us to a small pan as had broke loose.An' two they give out with th' cold, an' wuz dead afore mornin', but th'steamer as had lost us in th' fog she jist sudden loomed up, all teronce, an' took Tom Pilley an' me off an' we wuz saved. I mistrust that'sjist how I feels again now."

  The girl turned her eyes towards me, and they were moist. She hadunderstood the man and realized the time he had spent in despairingresignation, with the image of death ever before him during the longbattle against cold and starvation. Then life had come, like a flash, outof the smothering mists, and soon he had been ready to struggle on again.And it was evident that the dreary prospect of such an existenceprolonged was enough to make him happy once more.

  After this she remained silent for a long time. Hitherto, in herexistence, sorrow and suffering had appeared like some other wonderfulthings occurring in nature, such as the forces holding atoms together orcompelling bodies to gravitate. One knew of such things, of course, yetone was unconscious of them. Now they were assuming an importance she hadnever realized before. Her head bent low, as if she were being chastenedby some strange feeling of reproach.

  It was perhaps the soothing touch of her hand that caused Dick to fallasleep, and Miss Jelliffe, with cramped limbs, rose to her feet.

  "See how quietly he is resting now," she said. "I should think that youwould feel ever so proud of what you have done. I'm sure I hope you do."

  I had taken charge of the tiller, upon which she also laid her hand. Idare say that I was a little surprised, and did not answer at once.

  "I don't think that I ever realized before how much just one man mayaccomplish," she continued.

  "I am afraid that in my profession most of us who try to be honest withourselves are inclined to deplore how very little we can achieve," Ireplied.

  "No man has any right to be entirely satisfied with his efforts," shedeclared, "and I think all this is a magnificent thing to be devotingone's energies to."

  "I am glad if I am sometimes able to justify an indulgent faculty forhaving granted me a parchment permitti
ng me to prune my fellow mortals,as Holmes puts it," I answered.

  She looked at me, seriously, and shook her pretty head.

  "You are not speaking at all seriously," she said.

  Dora has accused me of flippancy, and this young lady states that I don'ttalk seriously. Yet a fellow has a right to dislike the danger of beingunjustifiably placed in the category of meritorious people. I couldn'tvery well tell Miss Jelliffe that I was doing all this at the bidding ofa little nurse with whom I am mightily in love. Dora has as yet given meno right to speak of her as my affianced.

  "What I wish to know is how you are going to be paid for your work inthis case," pursued Miss Jelliffe, "and for the things you have given tothese people? And who pays for this boat and the wages of the men? Ofcourse if I am indiscreet you must say so."

  "I am the owner, in perspective, of absolutely unlimited codfish, MissJelliffe," I told her. "Some day these people will bury me under anavalanche of quintals. Still, it is also possible that they may come onthe installment plan. One hundred and twelve pounds of fish may seem anunusual fee for a rather protracted case, but consider how far it will goin the feeding of a lone bachelor. Even though it may be small recompenseit is promised with an honest and kindly heart. I am led to expect hugeamounts when some of the men get back from the Labrador, and still morewill flood my coffers if the shore catch is good and all sorts of otherwonderful things happen. These people actually mean it, and worrythemselves considerably over the matter. Some of the idiots actuallyrefuse to send for me for the specious reason that they have nothing topay me with, and permit themselves to die off in the silliest way,without my assistance."

  "Of course all that is mostly nonsense," said the young lady, decisively,"but--but I don't exactly see how you manage to get along. Of course justone glance such as I have seen that poor Dick give you ought to be a nicereward for any man, but then that sort of thing doesn't exactlyprovide..."

  "I am fortunate in having a little money which, in Sweetapple Cove,stretches out to a fairly important income, so that I am able to investin futures, if that be the proper financial term. In the meanwhile I amhaving a rather good time," I answered.

  For quite a while she remained silent, seeming to be engaged in profoundcalculations. After this she again watched the waters and the ruggedcoast, and the birds wheeling and screaming over shoals of fish.

  We soon neared the entrance to Sweetapple Cove and Miss Jelliffe lookedat it with renewed interest. Beyond those fierce ramparts with theircruel spurs dwelt men and women, most of whom she probably considered tobe among the disinherited ones of the earth, eking out a bare living fromhand to mouth.

  "Isn't it too bad that they should all have to strive so hard for thelittle they get," she said, suddenly.

  "They do it willingly and bravely, Miss Jelliffe," I said. "Here aselsewhere, of course, the rain falls on the just and the unjust, andusually spoils their fish."

  When we landed some men came out of the fish-houses, for the time of themidday meal was at hand. I called for volunteers to bring a hand barrow.

  "Who's got a bed in his house that I can put Dick Will in for a few days,till he gets better?" I asked.

  A number of offers were forthcoming at once. Finally he was carried away,with two sturdy men at the handles, while others walked alongside,supporting the patient in a sitting posture. He had begun by protesting.

  "I is sure I kin walk now, if ye'll let me try," he said.

  "You must do just as you are told," Miss Jelliffe admonished him. "Youand I know nothing about these things and we must obey the doctor. Youknow he is ever so proud of your arm and you mustn't dare to run chancesof spoiling his beautiful work."

  "No, ma'am, not never," he declared, properly ashamed of himself andquite aghast at the prospect.

  The procession caused some excitement in the village, and doubtless muchdiscussion on the part of the good women. I have no doubt that some ofthem lectured their husbands severely for their failure to offer suitableinducements. They are always eager to be helpful.

  "We has three beds i' th' house," the lucky contender had announced,proudly. It was only very late in the afternoon that I discovered thedomicile to be tenanted by three adults and seven children, most of whomnow cheerfully curl up on the floor. This, however, is never consideredas a hardship by a Newfoundlander. To him anything softer than a plank isluxury.

  When I saw Miss Jelliffe back to her house she asked me to come in forlunch. I thanked her and assured her that I would accept her kindinvitation another time, as I had to go at once to another patient.

  And so Miss Jelliffe turns out to be an exceedingly womanly young woman,which, after all, is the only kind we poor imperfect men are able toadmire. When the chance came for her to show courage and sympathy sheseized upon it instinctively. I am sure Dora would be ever so fond ofher, and I wish that they could meet one another.