poor and proud-第3章

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　a　year　he　adhered　to　his　resolution。　Mrs。　Redburn　was　happy　again　and　tremblingly　hoped　that　the　clouds　of　darkness　had　forever　passed　away。

The　evil　time　came　again；　and　John　Redburn　sank　down　lower　than　ever　before。　His　wife　lost　all　hope　of　him；　and　struggled；　with　the　courage　of　a　hero　and　the　fortitude　of　a　martyr；　against　the　adverse　tide　that　set　against　her。　She　was　fortunate　in　obtaining　plenty　of　sewing；　and　was　able　to　support　herself　and　child　very　well；　but　her　husband；　now　lost　to　all　sense　of　decency；　contrived　to　obtain；　from　time　to　time；　a　portion　of　her　hard　earnings。　She　could　never　have　believed　that　John　Redburn　would　come　to　this；　for；　as　a　clerk　in　her　father's　counting　room；　he　had　been　all　that　was　good　and　noble；　but　there　he　was　a　miserable　sot；　lost　to　himself；　to　his　family；　and　the　world。

One　morning　in　winter　he　was　brought　home　to　her　dead。　He　had　died　in　the　watch…house　of　delirium　tremens。　He　was　buried；　and　peace；　if　not　hope；　settled　on　the　brow　of　the　broken…hearted　wife。

Year　after　year　Mrs。　Redburn　struggled　on；　often　with　feeble　hands　and　fainting　heart；　to　earn　a　subsistence　for　herself　and　Katy。　She　had　been　bred　in　opulence；　and　her　wants　were　not　so　few　and　simple　as　the　wants　of　those　who　have　never　enjoyed　the　luxury　of　a　soft　couch　and　a　well…supplied　table。　She　had　never　learned　that　calculating　economy　which　provides　a　great　deal　with　very　small　means。

Hence　it　was　much　harder　for　her　to　support　herself　and　child；　than　it　would　have　been　for　one　who　had　been　brought　up　in　a　hovel。

She　had　done　very　well；　however；　until；　a　few　months　before　our　story　opens；　she　had　been　taken　sick；　and　was　no　longer　able　to　work。　Her　disease　was　an　affection　of　the　spine；　which　was　at　times　very　painful；　and　confined　her　to　the　bed。

〃But　where　is　your　father　now？〃　asked　Katy；　when　her　mother　had　finished　the　narrative。

〃I　do　not　know；　if　he　is　alive；　he　probably　lives　in　Liverpool。〃

〃Why　don't　you　write　a　letter　to　him？〃


〃I　have　done　so　several　times；　but　have　never　received　any　reply。　I　wrote　shortly　after　your　father　died；　giving　an　account　of　my　situation。　I　am　sure　my　father　never　could　have　got　my　letter；　or　he　would　have　answered　me。　I　know　he　would　not　let　me　suffer　here　in　woe　and　want；　if　he　were　aware　of　my　condition。〃

〃Why　don't　you　write　again？〃

〃It　is　useless。〃

〃Let　me　write；　mother。　I　will　call　him　dear　grandfather；　and　I　am　sure　he　will　send　you　some　money　then：　perhaps　he　will　send　for　us　to　go　to　Liverpool；　and　live　in　his　great　house；　and　have　servants　to　wait　upon　us。〃

〃Alas；　my　child；　I　have　given　up　all　hope　of　ever　seeing　him　again　in　this　world。　In　my　letters　I　confessed　my　fault；　and　begged　his　forgiveness。　He　cannot　be　alive；　or　I　am　sure　my　last　letters　would　have　melted　his　heart。〃

〃Haven't　you　any　brothers　and　sisters；　mother？〃

〃I　had　one　sister；　and　I　have　written　several　letters　to　her；　but　with　no　better　success。　They　may　be　all　dead。　I　fear　they　are。〃

〃And　your　mother？〃

〃She　died　when　I　was　young。　I　know　Jane　would　have　answered　my　letters　if　she　had　received　them。〃

〃She　was　your　sister？〃

〃Yes；　she　must　be　dead；　and　I　suppose　my　father's　property　must　be　in　the　hands　of　strangers；　covering　their　floors　with　soft　carpets；　and　their　tables　with　nice　food；　while　I　lie　here　in　misery；　and　my　poor　child　actually　suffers　from　hunger；〃　and　the　afflicted　mother　clasped　her　daughter　in　her　arms；　and　wept　as　though　her　heart　would　burst。

〃Don't　cry；　mother。　I　was　not　very　hungry。　We　have　had　enough　to　eat　till　to…day。　I　am　going　to　take　care　of　you　now；　you　have　taken　care　of　me　so　long；〃　replied　Katy；　as　she　wiped　away　the　tears　that　flowed　down　her　mother's　wan　cheek。

〃What　can　you　do；　poor　child？〃

〃I　can　do　a　great　many　things；　I　am　sure　I　can　earn　money　enough　to　support　us　both。〃

〃It　is　hard　to　think　how　much　I　have　suffered；　and　how　much　of　woe　there　may　be　in　the　future　for　me；〃　sobbed　Mrs。　Redburn。

〃Don't　cry；　mother。　You　know　what　it　says　on　the　watch‘All　for　the　Best。'　Who　knows　but　that　all　your　sorrows　are　for　the　best？〃

〃I　hope　they　are；　I　will　try　to　think　they　are。　But　it　is　time　for　you　to　go。　Pawn　the　watch　for　as　much　as　you　can；　and　I　trust　that　some　fortunate　event　will　enable　us　to　redeem　it。〃

Katy　took　the　watch；　smoothed　down　her　hair　again；　put　on　her　worn…out　bonnet；　and　left　the　house。



CHAPTER　III；

KATY　AND　MASTER　SIMON　SNEED　VISIT　THE　PAWNBROKER'S　SHOP。


The　court　in　which　Katy　lived　had　once　been　the　abode　of　many　very　respectable　families；　to　use　a　popular　word；　for　respectable　does　not　always　mean　worthy　of　respect　on　account　of　one's　virtues；　but　worthy　of　respect　on　account　of　one's　lands；　houses；　and　money。　In　the　former　sense　it　was　still　occupied　by　very　respectable　families；　though　none　of　them　possessed　much　of　the　〃goods　that　perish　in　the　using〃　Mrs。　Redburn；　the　seamstress；　was　very　respectable；　Mrs。　Colvin；　the　washer…woman；　was　very　respectable；　so　were　Mrs。　Howard；　the　tailoress；　Mr。　Brown；　the　lumper；　and　Mr。　Sneed；　the　mason。

Katy's　mother　lived　in　a　small　house；　with　three　other　families。　She　occupied　two　rooms；　for　which　she　paid　four　dollars　a　month；　the　amount　of　rent　now　due　and　unpaid。　Dr。　Flynch　took　a　great　deal　of　pleasure　in　telling　Mrs。　Redburn　how　his　humanity　and　his　regard　for　the　welfare　of　the　poor　had　induced　him　to　fix　the　rent　at　so　cheap　a　rate；　but　he　always　finished　by　assuring　her　that　this　sum　must　be　promptly　paid；　and　that　no　excuses　could　ever　have　any　weight。

The　next　house　to　Mrs。　Redburn　was　tenanted　by　Mr。　Sneed；　the　mason。　I　don't　know　whether　I　ought　to　say　that　Mr。　Sneed　had　a　son；　or　that　Master　Simon　Sneed　had　a　father；　being　at　a　loss　to　determine　which　was　the　more　important　personage　of　the　two；　but　I　am　not　going　to　say　anything　against　either　of　them；　for　the　father　was　a　very　honest　mason　and　the　son　was　a　very　nice　young　man。

Katy　knocked　at　the　door　of　this　house；　and　inquired　for　Master　Simon　Sneed。　She　was　informed　that　he　had　not　yet　finished　his　dinner；　and　she　decided　to　wait　in　the　court　till　he　made　his　appearance。　Seating　herself　on　the　door　stone；　she　permitted　her　mind　to　wander　back　to　the　narrative　her　mother　had　related　to　her。　She　glanced　at　her　coarse　clothes；　and　could　hardly　believe　that　her　grandfather　was　a　rich　merchant；　and　lived　in　a　fine　house。　How　nice　it　would　be　if　she　could　only　find　the　old　gentleman！　He　could　not　be　cross　to　her；　he　would　give　her　all　the　money　she　could　spend；　and　make　a　great　lady　of　her。

〃Pooh！　what　a　fool　I　am　to　think　of　such　a　thing！〃　exclaimed　she　impatiently；　as　she　rose　from　the　door　stone。　〃I　am　a　beggar；　and　what　right　have　I　to　think　of　being　a　fine　lady；　while　my　poor　sick　mother　has　nothing　to　eat　and　drink？　It　is　very　hard　to　be　so　poor；　but　I　suppose　it　is　all　for　the　best。〃

〃Do　you　want　me；　Katy？〃　said　a　voice　from　the　door；　which　Katy　recognized　as　that　of　Master　Simon　Sneed。

〃I　want　to　see　you　very　much；〃　replied　Katy。

〃Wait　a　moment；　and　I　will　join　you。〃

And　in　a　moment　Master　Simon　Sneed　did　join　her；　but　he　is　so　much　of　a　curiosity；　and　so　much　of　a　character；　that　I　must　stop　to　tell　my　young　readers　all　about　him。

Master　Simon　Sneed　was　about　fifteen　years　old；　and　tall　enough　to　have　been　two　years　older。　He　was　very　slim；　and　held　his　head　very　straight。　In　1843；　the　period　of　which　I　write；　it　was　the　fashion　for　gentlemen　to　wear　straps　upon　their　pantaloons；　and　accordingly　Master　Simon　Sneed　wore　straps　on　his　pantaloons；　though；　it　is　true；　the　boys　in　the　street　used　to　laugh　and　hoot　at　him　for　doing　so；　but　they　were　very　ill…mannered　boys；　and　could　not　appreciate　the　dignity　of　him　they　insulted。

Master　Sneed's　garments　were　not　of　the　finest　materials；　but　though　he　was　a　juvenile　dandy；　it　was　evident　that　it　required　a　great　deal　of　personal　labor　to　make　him　such。

Clearly　those　straps　were　sewed　on　by　himself；　and　clearly　those　cowhide　shoes　had　been　thus　elaborately　polished　by　no　other　hands　than　his　own。　In　a　word；　the　appearance　of　his　clothes；　coarse　as　was　their　texture；　and　unfashionable　as　was　their　cut；　indicated　the　most　scrupulous　care。　It　was　plain　that　he　had　a　fondness　for　dress；　which　his　circumstances　did　not　permit　him　to　indulge　to　any　very　great　extent。

Master　Simon　Sneed　was　a　great　man　in　his　own　estimation；　and；　as　he　had　read　a　great　many　exciting　novels；　and　had　a　good　command　of　language；　he　talked　and　acted　like　a　great　man。　He　could　hold　his　own　in　conversation　with　older　and　wiser　persons　than　himself。　He　could　astonish　almost　any　person　of　moderate　pretensions　by　the　largeness　of　his　ideas；　and；　of　late　years；　his　father　had　not　pretended　to　hold　an　argument　with　him；　for　Simon　always　overwhelmed　him　by　the　force　and　elegance　of　his　rhetoric。　He　spoke　familiarly　of　great　men　and　great　events。

His　business　relationsfor　Master　Sneed　was　a　business　manwere　not　very　complicated。　According　to　his　own　reckoning；　he　was　the　chief　person　in　the　employ　of　Messrs。　Sands　&　Co。；　wholesale　and　retail　dry　good　Washington　Street；　one　who　had　rendered　immense　service　to　the　firm；　and　one　without　whom　the　firm　could　not　possibly　get　along　a　single　day；　in　short；　a　sort　of　Atlas；　on　whose　broad　shoulders　the　vast　world　of　the　Messrs。　Sands　&　Co。's　affairs　rested。　But　according　to　the　reckoning　of　the　firm；　and　the　general　understanding　of　people；　Master　Simon　was　a　boy　in　the　store；　whose　duty　it　was　to　make　fires；　sweep　out；　and　carry　bundles；　and；　in　　consideration　of　the　fact　that　he　boarded　himself　to　receive　two　dollars　and　a　half　a　week　for　his　services。　There　was　a　vast　difference　between　Master　Simon　Sneed's　estimate　of　Masters　Simon　Sneed；　and　the　Messrs。　Sands　&　Co。's　idea　of　Master　Simon　Sneed。

But　I　beg　my　young　friends　not　to　let　anything　I　have　written

create　a　prejudice　against　him；　for　he　was　really　a　very　kind…hearted　young　man；　and　under　certain　circumstances　would　have　gone　a　great　way　to　oblige　a　friend。　He　had　always　been　exceedingly　well　disposed　towards　Katy；　perhaps　it　was　because　the　simple…hearted　little　girl　used　to　be　so　much　astonished　when　he　told　her　about　his　mercantile　relations　with　the　firm　of　Sands　&　Co。；　and　how　he　managed　all　their　business　for　them　after　the　store　was　closed　at　night；　and　before　the　front　door　was　unlocked　in　the　morning；　how　he　went　to　the　bank　after　immense　sums　of　money；　and　how　the　firm　would　have　to　give　up　business　if　he　should　die；　or　be　obliged　to　leave　them。　Katy　believed　that　Master　Simon　was　a　great　man；　and　she　wondered　how　his　long；　slim　arms　could　accomplish　so　much　labor；　and　how　his　small　head　could　hold　such　a　heap　of　magnificent　ideas。　But　Master　Simon；　notwithstanding　his　elevated　position　in　the　firm；　was　condescending　to　her；　he　had　more　than　once　done　her　a　favor　and　had　always　expressed　a　lively　interest　in　her　welfare。　Therefore　she　did　not　scruple　to　apply　to　him　in　the　present　emergency。

〃Well；　Katy；　in　what　manner　can　I　serve　you？〃　inquired　Simon；　as　he　elevated　his　head；　and　stood　picking　his　teeth　before　her。

〃I　want　you　to　do　something　for　me　very　much　indeed。〃

〃State　your　business；　Katy。〃

〃Dr。　Flynch　has　been　to　our　house　to…day；　and　wants　the　rent；　mother　hasn't　any　money　〃