Lizzie Leigh.docx

Lizzie Leigh.docx

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LizzieLeigh

LizzieLeighbyElizabethGaskellCHAPTERI.

WhenDeathispresentinahouseholdonaChristmasDay,theverycontrastbetweenthetimeasitnowis,andthedayasithasoftenbeen,givesapoignancytosorrow--amoreutterblanknesstothedesolation.JamesLeighdiedjustasthefar-awaybellsofRochdaleChurchwereringingformorningserviceonChristmasDay,1836.Afewminutesbeforehisdeath,heopenedhisalreadyglazingeyes,andmadeasigntohiswife,bythefaintmotionofhislips,thathehadyetsomethingtosay.Shestoopedclosedown,andcaughtthebrokenwhisper,"Iforgiveher,Annie!

MayGodforgiveme!

""Oh,mylove,mydear!

onlygetwell,andIwillneverceaseshowingmythanksforthosewords.MayGodinheavenblesstheeforsayingthem.Thou'rtnotsorestless,mylad!

maybe--Oh,God!

"Forevenwhileshespokehedied.

Theyhadbeentwo-and-twentyyearsmanandwife;fornineteenofthoseyearstheirlifehadbeenascalmandhappyasthemostperfectuprightnessontheoneside,andthemostcompleteconfidenceandlovingsubmissionontheother,couldmakeit.Milton'sfamouslinemighthavebeenframedandhungupastheruleoftheirmarriedlife,forhewastrulytheinterpreter,whostoodbetweenGodandher;shewouldhaveconsideredherselfwickedifshehadeverdaredeventothinkhimaustere,thoughascertainlyashewasanuprightman,sosurelywashehard,stern,andinflexible.Butforthreeyearsthemoanandthemurmurhadneverbeenoutofherheart;shehadrebelledagainstherhusbandasagainstatyrant,withahidden,sullenrebellion,whichtoreuptheoldlandmarksofwifelydutyandaffection,andpoisonedthefountainswhencegentlestloveandreverencehadoncebeenforeverspringing.

Butthoselastblessedwordsreplacedhimonhisthroneinherheart,andcalledoutpenitentanguishforallthebitterestrangementoflateryears.Itwasthiswhichmadeherrefusealltheentreatiesofhersons,thatshewouldseethekind-heartedneighbours,whocalledontheirwayfromchurch,tosympathizeandcondole.No!

shewouldstaywiththedeadhusbandthathadspokentenderlyatlast,ifforthreeyearshehadkeptsilence;whoknewbutwhat,ifshehadonlybeenmoregentleandlessangrilyreservedhemighthaverelentedearlier--andintime?

Shesatrockingherselftoandfrobythesideofthebed,whilethefootstepsbelowwentinandout;shehadbeeninsorrowtoolongtohaveanyviolentburstofdeepgriefnow;thefurrowswerewellworninhercheeks,andthetearsflowedquietly,ifincessantly,allthedaylong.Butwhenthewinter'snightdrewon,andtheneighbourshadgoneawaytotheirhomes,shestoletothewindow,andgazedout,longandwistfully,overthedarkgreymoors.Shedidnothearherson'svoice,ashespoketoherfromthedoor,norhisfootstepashedrewnearer.Shestartedwhenhetouchedher.

"Mother!

comedowntous.There'snoonebutWillandme.Dearestmother,wedosowantyou."Thepoorlad'svoicetrembled,andhebegantocry.ItappearedtorequireaneffortonMrs.Leigh'sparttotearherselfawayfromthewindow,butwithasighshecompliedwithhisrequest.

Thetwoboys（forthoughWillwasnearlytwenty-one,shestillthoughtofhimasalad）haddoneeverythingintheirpowertomakethehouse-placecomfortableforher.Sheherself,intheolddaysbeforehersorrow,hadnevermadeabrighterfireoracleanerhearth,readyforherhusband'sreturnhome,thannowawaitedher.

Thetea-thingswereallputout,andthekettlewasboiling;andtheboyshadcalmedtheirgriefdownintoakindofsobercheerfulness.

Theypaidhereveryattentiontheycouldthinkof,butreceivedlittlenoticeonherpart;shedidnotresist,sherathersubmittedtoalltheirarrangements;buttheydidnotseemtotouchherheart.

Whenteawasended--itwasmerelytheformofteathathadbeengonethrough--Willmovedthethingsawaytothedresser.Hismotherleantbacklanguidlyinherchair.

"Mother,shallTomreadyouachapter?

He'sabetterscholarthanI.""Ay,lad!

"saidshe,almosteagerly."That'sit.ReadmetheProdigalSon.Ay,ay,lad.Thankthee."Tomfoundthechapter,andreaditinthehigh-pitchedvoicewhichiscustomaryinvillageschools.Hismotherbentforward,herlipsparted,hereyesdilated;herwholebodyinstinctwitheagerattention.Willsatwithhisheaddepressedandhungdown.Heknewwhythatchapterhadbeenchosen;andtohimitrecalledthefamily'sdisgrace.Whenthereadingwasended,hestillhungdownhisheadingloomysilence.Butherfacewasbrighterthanithadbeenbeforefortheday.Hereyeslookeddreamy,asifshesawavision;andby-and-byshepulledtheBibletowardsher,and,puttingherfingerunderneatheachword,begantoreadthemaloudinalowvoicetoherself;shereadagainthewordsofbittersorrowanddeephumiliation;butmostofall,shepausedandbrightenedoverthefather'stenderreceptionoftherepentantprodigal.

SopassedtheChristmaseveningintheUpcloseFarm.

Thesnowhadfallenheavilyoverthedarkwavingmoorlandbeforethedayofthefuneral.Theblackstorm-ladendomeofheavenlayverystillandcloseuponthewhiteearth,astheycarriedthebodyforthoutofthehousewhichhadknownhispresencesolongasitsrulingpower.Twoandtwothemournersfollowed,makingablackprocession,intheirwindingmarchovertheunbeatensnow,toMilneRowChurch;nowlostinsomehollowofthebleakmoors,nowslowlyclimbingtheheavingascents.Therewasnolongtarryingafterthefuneral,formanyoftheneighbourswhoaccompaniedthebodytothegravehadfartogo,andthegreatwhiteflakeswhichcameslowlydownwerethebodingforerunnersofaheavystorm.Oneoldfriendaloneaccompaniedthewidowandhersonstotheirhome.

TheUpcloseFarmhadbelongedforgenerationstotheLeighs;andyetitspossessionhardlyraisedthemabovetherankoflabourers.Therewasthehouseandout-buildings,allofanold-fashionedkind,andaboutsevenacresofbarrenunproductiveland,whichtheyhadneverpossessedcapitalenoughtoimprove;indeed,theycouldhardlyrelyuponitforsubsistence;andithadbeencustomarytobringupthesonstosometrade,suchasawheelwright'sorblacksmith's.

JamesLeighhadleftawillinthepossessionoftheoldmanwhoaccompaniedthemhome.Hereaditaloud.Jameshadbequeathedthefarmtohisfaithfulwife,AnneLeigh,forherlifetime,andafterwardstohissonWilliam.ThehundredandoddpoundsinthesavingsbankwastoaccumulateforThomas.

Afterthereadingwasended,AnneLeighsatsilentforatimeandthensheaskedtospeaktoSamuelOrmealone.Thesonswentintothebackkitchen,andthencestrolledoutintothefieldsregardlessofthedrivingsnow.Thebrothersweredearlyfondofeachother,althoughtheywereverydifferentincharacter.Will,theelder,waslikehisfather,stern,reserved,andscrupulouslyupright.Tom（whowastenyearsyounger）wasgentleanddelicateasagirl,bothinappearanceandcharacter.Hehadalwaysclungtohismotherariddreadedhisfather.Theydidnotspeakastheywalked,fortheywereonlyinthehabitoftalkingaboutfacts,andhardlyknewthemoresophisticatedlanguageappliedtothedescriptionoffeelings.

MeanwhiletheirmotherhadtakenholdofSamuelOrme'sarmwithhertremblinghand.

"Samuel,Imustletthefarm--Imust."

"Letthefarm!

What'scomeo'erthewoman?

"

"Oh,Samuel!

"saidshe,hereyesswimmingintears,"I'mjustfaintogoandliveinManchester.Imunletthefarm."Samuellooked,andpondered,butdidnotspeakforsometime.Atlasthesaid-"Ifthouhastmadeupthymind,there'snospeakingagainit;andthoumuste'engo.Thou'ltbesadlypotteredwi'Manchesterways;butthat'snotmylookout.Why,thou'lthavetobuypotatoes,athingthouhastneverdoneaforeinallthybornlife.Well!

it'snotmylookout.It'sratherformethanagainme.OurJennyisgoingtobemarriedtoTomHigginbotham,andhewasspeakingofwantingabitoflandtobeginupon.Hisfatherwillbedyingsometime,Ireckon,andthenhe'llstepintotheCroftFarm.Butmeanwhile--""Then,thou'ltletthefarm,"saidshe,stillaseagerlyasever.

"Ay,ay,he'lltakeitfastenough,I'veanotion.ButI'llnotdriveabargainwiththeejustnow;itwouldnotberight;we'llwaitabit.""No;Icannotwait;settleitoutatonce."

"Well,well;I'llspeaktoWillaboutit.Iseehimoutyonder.

I'llsteptohimandtalkitover."

Accordinglyhewentandjoinedthetwolads,and,withoutmoreado,beganthesubjecttothem.

"Will,thymotherisfaintogoliveinManchester,andcovetstoletthefarm.Now,I'mwillingtotakeitforTomHigginbotham;butIliketodriveakeenbargain,andtherewouldbenofunchafferingwiththymotherjustnow.Lettheeandmebuckleto,mylad!

andtryandcheateachother;itwillwarmusthiscoldday.""Letthefarm!

"saidboththeladsatonce,withinfinitesurprise.

"GoliveinManchester!

"

WhenSamuelOrmefoundthattheplanhadneverbeforebeennamedtoeitherWillorTom,hewouldhavenothingtodowithit,hesaid,untiltheyhadspokentotheirmother.Likelyshewas"dazed"byherhusband'sdeath;hewouldwaitadayortwo,andnotnameittoanyone;nottoTomHigginbothamhimself,ormaybehewouldsethisheartuponit.Theladshadbettergoinandtalkitoverwiththeirmother.Hebadethemgood-day,andleftthem.

Willlookedverygloomy,buthedidnotspeaktilltheygotnearthehouse.Thenhesaid-"Tom,gototh'shippon,andsupperthecows.Iwanttospeaktomotheralone."Whenheenteredthehouse-place,shewassittingbeforethefire,lookingintoitsembers.Shedidnothearhimcomein:

forsometimeshehadlostherquickperceptionofoutwar