Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell (well read books .txt) đ
- Author: Elizabeth Gaskell
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THE BRADSHAW PEW AGAIN OCCUPIED
If Jemima allowed herself now and then to imagine that one good would result from the discovery of Richardâs delinquency, in the return of her father and Mr. Benson to something of their old understanding and their old intercourseâif this hope fluttered through her mind, it was doomed to disappointment. Mr. Benson would have been most happy to go, if Mr. Bradshaw had sent for him; he was on the watch for what might be even the shadow of such an invitationâbut none came. Mr. Bradshaw, on his part, would have been thoroughly glad if the wilful seclusion of his present life could have been broken by the occasional visits of the old friend whom he had once forbidden the house; but, this prohibition having passed his lips, he stubbornly refused to do anything which might be construed into unsaying it. Jemima was for some time in despair of his ever returning to the office, or resuming his old habits of business. He had evidently threatened as much to her husband. All that Jemima could do was to turn a deaf ear to every allusion to this menace, which he threw out from time to time, evidently with a view to see if it had struck deep enough into her husbandâs mind for him to have repeated it to his wife. If Mr. Farquhar had named itâif it was known only to two or three to have been, but for one half-hour even, his resolutionâMr. Bradshaw could have adhered to it, without any other reason than the maintenance of what he called consistency, but which was in fact doggedness. Jemima was often thankful that her mother was absent, and gone to nurse her son. If she had been at home, she would have entreated and implored her husband to fall back into his usual habits, and would have shown such a dread of his being as good as his word, that he would have been compelled to adhere to it by the very consequence affixed to it. Mr. Farquhar had hard work, as it was, in passing rapidly enough between the two placesâattending to his business at Eccleston; and deciding, comforting, and earnestly talking, in Richardâs sick-room. During an absence of his, it was necessary to apply to one of the partners on some matter of importance; and accordingly, to Jemimaâs secret joy, Mr. Watson came up and asked if her father was well enough to see him on business? Jemima carried in this inquiry literally; and the hesitating answer which her father gave was in the affirmative. It was not long before she saw him leave the house, accompanied by the faithful old clerk; and when he met her at dinner he made no allusion to his morning visitor, or to his subsequent going out. But from that time forwards he went regularly to the office. He received all the information about Dickâs accident, and his progress towards recovery, in perfect silence, and in as indifferent a manner as he could assume; but yet he lingered about the family sitting-room every morning until the post had come in which brought all letters from the south.
When Mr. Farquhar at last returned to bring the news of Dickâs perfect convalescence, he resolved to tell Mr. Bradshaw all that he had done and arranged for his sonâs future career; but, as Mr. Farquhar told Mr. Benson afterwards, he could not really say if Mr. Bradshaw had attended to one word that he said.
âRely upon it,â said Mr. Benson, âhe has not only attended to it, but treasured up every expression you have used.â
âWell, I tried to get some opinion, or sign of emotion, out of him. I had not much hope of the latter, I must own; but I thought he would have said whether I had done wisely or not in procuring that Glasgow situation for Dickâthat he would, perhaps, have been indignant at my ousting him from the partnership so entirely on my own responsibility.â
âHow did Richard take it?â
âOh, nothing could exceed his penitence. If one had never heard of the proverb, âWhen the devil was sick, the devil a monk would be,â I should have had greater faith in him; or if he had had more strength of character to begin with, or more reality and less outward appearance of good principle instilled into him. However, this Glasgow situation is the very thing; clear, defined duties, no great trust reposed in him, a kind and watchful head, and introductions to a better class of associates than I fancy he has ever been thrown amongst before. For, you know, Mr. Bradshaw dreaded all intimacies for his son, and wanted him to eschew all society beyond his own familyâwould never allow him to ask a friend home. Really, when I think of the unnatural life Mr. Bradshaw expected him to lead, I get into charity with him, and have hopes. By the way, have you ever succeeded in persuading his mother to send Leonard to school? He may run the same risk from isolation as Dick: not be able to choose his companions wisely when he grows up, but be too much overcome by the excitement of society to be very discreet as to who are his associates. Have you spoken to her about my plan?â
âYes! but to no purpose. I cannot say that she would even admit an argument on the subject. She seemed to have an invincible repugnance to the idea of exposing him to the remarks of other boys on his peculiar position.â
âThey need never know of it. Besides, sooner or later, he must step out of his narrow circle, and encounter remark and scorn.â
âTrue,â said Mr. Benson mournfully. âAnd you may depend upon it, if it really is the best for Leonard, she will come round to it by-and-by. It is almost extraordinary to see the way in which her earnest and most unselfish devotion to this boyâs real welfare leads her to right and wise conclusions.â
âI wish I could tame her so as to let me meet her as a friend. Since the baby was born, she comes to see Jemima. My wife tells me, that she sits and holds it soft in her arms, and talks to it as if her whole soul went out to the little infant. But if she hears a strange footstep on the stair, what Jemima calls the âwild-animal lookâ comes back into her eyes, and she steals away like some frightened creature. With all that she has done to redeem her character, she should not be so timid of observation.
âYou may well say âwith all that she has done!â We of her own household hear little or nothing of what she does. If she wants help, she simply tells us how and why; but if notâperhaps because it is some relief to her to forget for a time the scenes of suffering in which she has been acting the part of comforter, and perhaps because there always was a shy, sweet reticence about herâwe never should know what she is and what she does, except from the poor people themselves, who would bless her in words if the very thought of her did not choke them with tears. Yet, I do assure you, she passes out of all this gloom, and makes sunlight in our house. We are never so cheerful as when she is at home. She always had the art of diffusing peace, but now it is positive cheerfulness. And about Leonard; I doubt if the wisest and most thoughtful schoolmaster could teach half as much directly, as his mother does unconsciously and indirectly every hour that he is with her. Her noble, humble, pious endurance of the consequences of what was wrong in her early life seems expressly fitted to act upon him, whose position is (unjustly, for he has done no harm) so similar to hers.â
âWell! I suppose we must leave it alone for the present. You will think me a hard practical man when I own to you, that all I expect from Leonardâs remaining a home-bird is that, with such a mother, it will do him no harm. At any rate, remember my offer is the same for a yearâtwo years hence, as now. What does she look forward to making him into, finally?â
âI donât know. The wonder comes into my mind sometimes; but never into hers, I think. It is part of her characterâpart perhaps of that which made her what she wasâthat she never looks forward, and seldom back. The present is enough for her.â
And so the conversation ended. When Mr. Benson repeated the substance of it to his sister, she mused awhile, breaking out into an occasional whistle (although she had cured herself of this habit in a great measure), and at last she saidâ
âNow, do you know, I never liked poor Dick; and yet Iâm angry with Mr. Farquhar for getting him out of the partnership in such a summary way. I canât get over it, even though he has offered to send Leonard to school. And here heâs reigning lord-paramount at the office! As if you, Thurstan, werenât as well able to teach him as any schoolmaster in England! But I should not mind that affront, if I were not sorry to think of Dick (though I never could abide him) labouring away in Glasgow for a petty salary of nobody knows how little, while Mr. Farquhar is taking halves, instead of thirds, of the profits here!â
But her brother could not tell herâand even Jemima did not know till long afterwardsâthat the portion of income which would have been Dickâs as a junior partner, if he had remained in the business, was carefully laid aside for him by Mr. Farquhar; to be delivered up, with all its accumulative interest, when the prodigal should have proved his penitence by his conduct.
When Ruth had no call upon her time, it was indeed a holiday at Chapel-house. She threw off as much as she could of the care and sadness in which she had been sharing; and returned fresh and helpful, ready to go about in her soft, quiet way, and fill up every measure of service, and heap it with the fragrance of her own sweet nature. The delicate mending, that the elder women could no longer see to do, was put by for Ruthâs swift and nimble fingers. The occasional copying, or patient writing to dictation, that gave rest to Mr. Bensonâs weary spine, was done by her with sunny alacrity. But, most of all, Leonardâs heart rejoiced when his mother came home. Then came the quiet confidences, the tender exchange of love, the happy walks from which he returned stronger and strongerâgoing from strength to strength as his mother led the way. It was well, as they saw now, that the great shock of the disclosure had taken place when it did. She, for her part, wondered at her own cowardliness in having even striven to keep back the truth from her childâthe truth that was so certain to be made clear, sooner or later, and which it was only owing to Godâs mercy that she was alive to encounter with him, and, by so encountering, shield and give him good courage. Moreover, in her secret heart, she was thankful that all occurred while he was yet too young to have much curiosity as to his father. If an unsatisfied feeling of this kind occasionally stole into his mind, at any rate she never heard any expression of it; for the past was a sealed book between
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