ThroughthewindowMartinheardthebabycrying,andthewomantryingtosootheit,butunabletodoso。Martinroseandgoingoutofthedoorandupthestepshecalledtoher。
’Mydear,Isay,mydear!’
Thewomanheard,andturnedround。
’Whydoyoustandouttherewiththebabyinthecold?Comeinside。
Youcanwraphimupbetterinawarmplace。Comethisway!’
Thewomanwassurprisedtoseeanoldmaninanapron,withspectaclesonhisnose,callingtoher,butshefollowedhimin。
Theywentdownthesteps,enteredthelittleroom,andtheoldmanledhertothebed。
’There,sitdown,mydear,nearthestove。Warmyourself,andfeedthebaby。’
’Haven’tanymilk。Ihaveeatennothingmyselfsinceearlymorning,’
saidthewoman,butstillshetookthebabytoherbreast。
Martinshookhishead。Hebroughtoutabasinandsomebread。Thenheopenedtheovendoorandpouredsomecabbagesoupintothebasin。Hetookouttheporridgepotalsobuttheporridgewasnotyetready,sohespreadaclothonthetableandservedonlythesoupandbread。
’Sitdownandeat,mydear,andI’llmindthebaby。Why,blessme,I’vehadchildrenofmyown;Iknowhowtomanagethem。’
Thewomancrossedherself,andsittingdownatthetablebegantoeat,whileMartinputthebabyonthebedandsatdownbyit。
Hechuckedandchucked,buthavingnoteethhecouldnotdoitwellandthebabycontinuedtocry。ThenMartintriedpokingathimwithhisfinger;hedrovehisfingerstraightatthebaby’smouthandthenquicklydrewitback,anddidthisagainandagain。Hedidnotletthebabytakehisfingerinitsmouth,becauseitwasallblackwithcobbler’swax。Butthebabyfirstgrewquietwatchingthefinger,andthenbegantolaugh。AndMartinfeltquitepleased。
Thewomansateatingandtalking,andtoldhimwhoshewas,andwhereshehadbeen。
’I’masoldier’swife,’saidshe。’Theysentmyhusbandsomewhere,faraway,eightmonthsago,andIhaveheardnothingofhimsince。Ihadaplaceascooktillmybabywasborn,butthentheywouldnotkeepmewithachild。ForthreemonthsnowIhavebeenstruggling,unabletofindaplace,andI’vehadtosellallI
hadforfood。Itriedtogoasawet-nurse,butnoonewouldhaveme;theysaidIwastoostarved-lookingandthin。NowIhavejustbeentoseeatradesman’swifeawomanfromourvillageisinservicewithherandshehaspromisedtotakeme。Ithoughtitwasallsettledatlast,butshetellsmenottocometillnextweek。Itisfartoherplace,andIamfaggedout,andbabyisquitestarved,poormite。Fortunatelyourlandladyhaspityonus,andletsuslodgefree,elseIdon’tknowwhatweshoulddo。’
Martinsighed。’Haven’tyouanywarmerclothing?’heasked。
’HowcouldIgetwarmclothing?’saidshe。’WhyIpawnedmylastshawlforsixpenceyesterday。’
Thenthewomancameandtookthechild,andMartingotup。Hewentandlookedamongsomethingsthatwerehangingonthewall,andbroughtbackanoldcloak。
’Here,’hesaid,’thoughit’saworn-outoldthing,itwilldotowraphimupin。’
Thewomanlookedatthecloak,thenattheoldman,andtakingit,burstintotears。Martinturnedaway,andgropingunderthebedbroughtoutasmalltrunk。Hefumbledaboutinit,andagainsatdownoppositethewoman。Andthewomansaid:
’TheLordblessyou,friend。SurelyChristmusthavesentmetoyourwindow,elsethechildwouldhavefrozen。ItwasmildwhenI
started,butnowseehowcoldithasturned。SurelyitmusthavebeenChristwhomadeyoulookoutofyourwindowandtakepityonme,poorwretch!’
Martinsmiledandsaid;’Itisquitetrue;itwashemademedoit。
Itwasnomerechancemademelookout。’
Andhetoldthewomanhisdream,andhowhehadheardtheLord’svoicepromisingtovisithimthatday。
’Whoknows?Allthingsarepossible,’saidthewoman。Andshegotupandthrewthecloakoverhershoulders,wrappingitroundherselfandroundthebaby。Thenshebowed,andthankedMartinoncemore。
’TakethisforChrist’ssake,’saidMartin,andgavehersixpencetogethershawloutofpawn。Thewomancrossedherself,andMartindidthesame,andthenhesawherout。
Afterthewomanhadgone,Martinatesomecabbagesoup,clearedthethingsaway,andsatdowntoworkagain。Hesatandworked,butdidnotforgetthewindow,andeverytimeashadowfellonithelookedupatoncetoseewhowaspassing。Peopleheknewandstrangerspassedby,butnooneremarkable。
AfterawhileMartinsawanapple-womanstopjustinfrontofhiswindow。
Shehadalargebasket,buttheredidnotseemtobemanyapplesleftinit;shehadevidentlysoldmostofherstock。Onherbackshehadasackfullofchips,whichshewastakinghome。Nodoubtshehadgatheredthematsomeplacewherebuildingwasgoingon。Thesackevidentlyhurther,andshewantedtoshiftitfromoneshouldertotheother,sosheputitdownonthefootpathand,placingherbasketonapost,begantoshakedownthechipsinthesack。Whileshewasdoingthisaboyinatatteredcapranup,snatchedanappleoutofthebasket,andtriedtoslipaway;buttheoldwomannoticedit,andturning,caughttheboybyhissleeve。Hebegantostruggle,tryingtofreehimself,buttheoldwomanheldonwithbothhands,knockedhiscapoffhishead,andseizedholdofhishair。Theboyscreamedandtheoldwomanscolded。Martindroppedhisawl,notwaitingtostickitinitsplace,andrushedoutofthedoor。Stumblingupthesteps,anddroppinghisspectaclesinhishurry,heranoutintothestreet。Theoldwomanwaspullingtheboy’shairandscoldinghim,andthreateningtotakehimtothepolice。Theladwasstrugglingandprotesting,saying,’Ididnottakeit。Whatareyoubeatingmefor?
Letmego!’
Martinseparatedthem。Hetooktheboybythehandandsaid,’Lethimgo,Granny。ForgivehimforChrist’ssake。’
’I’llpayhimout,sothathewon’tforgetitforayear!I’lltaketherascaltothepolice!’
Martinbeganentreatingtheoldwoman。
’Lethimgo,Granny。Hewon’tdoitagain。LethimgoforChrist’ssake!’
Theoldwomanletgo,andtheboywishedtorunaway,butMartinstoppedhim’AsktheGranny’sforgiveness!’saidhe。’Anddon’tdoitanothertime。
Isawyoutaketheapple。’
Theboybegantocryandtobegpardon。
’That’sright。Andnowhere’sanappleforyou,andMartintookanapplefromthebasketandgaveittotheboy,saying,’Iwillpayyou,Granny。’
’Youwillspoilthemthatway,theyoungrascals,’saidtheoldwoman。
’Heoughttobewhippedsothatheshouldrememberitforaweek。’
’Oh,Granny,Granny,’saidMartin,’that’sourway——butit’snotGod’sway。Ifheshouldbewhippedforstealinganapple,whatshouldbedonetousforoursins?’
Theoldwomanwassilent。
AndMartintoldhertheparableofthelordwhoforgavehisservantalargedebt,andhowtheservantwentoutandseizedhisdebtorbythethroat。Theoldwomanlistenedtoitall,andtheboy,too,stoodbyandlistened。
’Godbidsusforgive,’saidMartin,’orelseweshallnotbeforgiven。
Forgiveeveryone;andathoughtlessyoungstermostofall。’
Theoldwomanwaggedherheadandsighed。
’It’strueenough,’saidshe,’buttheyaregettingterriblyspoilt。’
’Thenweoldonesmustshowthembetterways,’Martinreplied。
’That’sjustwhatIsay,’saidtheoldwoman。’Ihavehadsevenofthemmyself,andonlyonedaughterisleft。’Andtheoldwomanbegantotellhowandwhereshewaslivingwithherdaughter,andhowmanygrandchildrenshehad。’Therenow,’shesaid,’Ihavebutlittlestrengthleft,yetIworkhardforthesakeofmygrandchildren;
andnicechildrentheyare,too。Noonecomesouttomeetmebutthechildren。LittleAnnie,now,won’tleavemeforanyone。
“It’sgrandmother,deargrandmother,darlinggrandmother。“’
Andtheoldwomancompletelysoftenedatthethought。
’Ofcourse,itwasonlyhischildishness,Godhelphim,’saidshe,referringtotheboy。
Astheoldwomanwasabouttohoisthersackonherback,theladsprangforwardtoher,saying,’Letmecarryitforyou,Granny。
I’mgoingthatway。’
第26章