The Wit and Humor of America, Volume IX

Оглавление

Marshall Pinckney Wilder. The Wit and Humor of America, Volume IX

THE NINE LITTLE GOBLINS

OUR VERY WISHES

THE MYSTERY OF GILGAL

THE GUSHER

THE WIDOW BEDOTT'S VISITOR

THE LUGUBRIOUS WHING-WHANG

THE RUNAWAY TOYS

TIM FLANAGAN'S MISTAKE

THE MILLIONAIRES

OUR POLITE PARENTS

A BALLADE OF PING-PONG

BUDGE AND TODDIE

A REFLECTIVE RETROSPECT

"HULLO!"

THE WARRIOR

THE TALE OF THE TANGLED TELEGRAM

NATURAL PHILOSOPHY

HOW I SPOKE THE WORD

THE UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE OFFICE

THE COUNTRY SCHOOL

EVAN ANDERSON'S POKER PARTY

A THRENODY

THE CONSCIENTIOUS CURATE AND THE BEAUTEOUS BALLET GIRL

THE HOSS

WHEN DOCTORS DISAGREE

THE BOAT THAT AIN'T4

HOW JIMABOY FOUND HIMSELF

A RULE OF THREE

HOW THE MONEY GOES

A CAVALIER'S VALENTINE

A GREAT CELEBRATOR

THE OLD-FASHIONED CHOIR

WHEN THE LITTLE BOY RAN AWAY

HE WANTED TO KNOW

SOLDIER, REST!

THE EXPERIENCES OF GENTLE JANE

A FEW REFLECTIONS

Отрывок из книги

It was natural that it should be quiet for Mrs. Cairnes in her empty house. Once there had been such a family of brothers and sisters there! But one by one they had married, or died, and at any rate had drifted out of the house, so that she was quite alone with her work, and her memories, and the echoes in her vacant rooms. She hadn't a great deal of work; her memories were not pleasant; and the echoes were no pleasanter. Her house was as comfortable otherwise as one could wish; in the very centre of the village it was, too, so that no one could go to church, or to shop, or to call, unless Mrs. Cairnes was aware of the fact, if she chose; and the only thing that protected the neighbors from this supervision was Mrs. Cairnes's mortal dread of the sun on her carpet; for the sun lay in that bay-windowed corner nearly all the day, and even though she filled the window full of geraniums and vines and calla-lilies she could not quite shut it out, till she resorted to sweeping inner curtains.

Mrs. Cairnes did her own work, because, as she said, then she knew it was done. She had refused the company of various individuals, because, as she said again, she wouldn't give them house-room. Perhaps it was for the same reason that she had refused several offers of marriage; although the only reason that she gave was that one was quite enough, and she didn't want any boots bringing in mud for her to wipe up. But the fact was that Captain Cairnes had been a mistake; and his relict never allowed herself to dwell upon the fact of her loss, but she felt herself obliged to say with too much feeling that all was for the best; and she dared not risk the experiment again.

.....

Mrs. Maybury came down, however, when tea was ready, and all was serene again, especially as Susan Peyster came in to tell the news about Dean Hampton's defalcation at the village bank, and had a seat at the table.

"But I don't understand what on earth he has done with the money," said Mrs. Maybury.

.....