首页 >出版文学> TWENTY-THREE TALES>第26章
  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。’