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a mortal antipathy-第48章

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explains the situation altogether too emphatically。  Such scenes did

not frequently occur between the two friends; and this little flurry

was soon over; but it served to warn Lurida that Miss Euthymia Tower

was not of that class of self…conscious beauties who would be ready

to dispute the empire of the Venus of Milo on her own ground; in

defences as scanty and insufficient as those of the marble divinity。



Euthymia had had admirers enough; at a distance; while at school; and

in the long vacations; near enough to find out that she was anything

but easy to make love to。  She fairly frightened more than one rash

youth who was disposed to be too sentimental in her company。  They

overdid flattery; which she was used to and tolerated; but which

cheapened the admirer in her estimation; and now and then betrayed

her into an expression which made him aware of the fact; and was a

discouragement to aggressive amiability。  The real difficulty was

that not one of her adorers had ever greatly interested her。  It

could not be that nature had made her insensible。  It must have been

because the man who was made for her had never yet shown himself。

She was not easy to please; that was certain; and she was one of

those young women who will not accept as a lover one who but half

pleases them。  She could not pick up the first stick that fell in her

way and take it to shape her ideal out of。  Many of the good people

of the village doubted whether Euthymia would ever be married。



〃There 's nothing good enough for her in this village;〃 said the old

landlord of what had been the Anchor Tavern。



〃She must wait till a prince comes along;〃 the old landlady said in

reply。  〃She'd make as pretty a queen as any of them that's born to

it。  Wouldn't she be splendid with a gold crown on her head; and

di'monds a glitterin' all over her!  D' you remember how handsome she

looked in the tableau; when the fair was held for the Dorcas Society?

She had on an old dress of her grandma's;they don't make anything。

half so handsome nowadays;and she was just as pretty as a pictur'。

But what's the use of good looks if they scare away folks?  The young

fellows think that such a handsome girl as that would cost ten times

as much to keep as a plain one。  She must be dressed up like an

empress;so they seem to think。  It ain't so with Euthymy: she'd

look like a great lady dressed anyhow; and she has n't got any more

notions than the homeliest girl that ever stood before a glass to

look at herself。〃



In the humbler walks of Arrowhead Village society; similar opinions

were entertained of Miss Euthymia。  The fresh…water fisherman

represented pretty well the average estimate of the class to which he

belonged。  'I tell ye;〃 said he to another gentleman of leisure;

whose chief occupation was to watch the coming and going of the

visitors to Arrowhead Village;〃I tell ye that girl ain't a gon to

put up with any o' them slab…sided fellahs that you see hangin'

raound to look at her every Sunday when she comes aout o' meetin'。

It's one o' them big gents from Boston or New York that'll step up

an' kerry her off。〃



In the mean time nothing could be further from the thoughts of

Euthymia than the prospect of an ambitious worldly alliance。  The

ideals of young women cost them many and great disappointments; but

they save them very often from those lifelong companionships which

accident is constantly trying to force upon them; in spite of their

obvious unfitness。  The higher the ideal; the less likely is the

commonplace neighbor who has the great advantage of easy access; or

the boarding…house acquaintance who can profit by those vacant hours

when the least interesting of visitors is better than absolute

loneliness;the less likely are these undesirable personages to be

endured; pitied; and; if not embraced; accepted; for want of

something better。  Euthymia found so much pleasure in the

intellectual companionship of Lurida; and felt her own prudence and

reserve so necessary to that independent young lady; that she had

been contented; so far; with friendship; and thought of love only in

an abstract sort of way。  Beneath her abstractions there was a

capacity of loving which might have been inferred from the expression

of her features; the light that shone in her eyes; the tones of her

voice; all of which were full of the language which belongs to

susceptible natures。  How many women never say to themselves that

they were born to love; until all at once the discovery opens upon

them; as the sense that he was born a painter is said to have dawned

suddenly upon Correggio!



Like all the rest of the village and its visitors; she could not help

thinking a good deal about the young man lying ill amongst strangers。

She was not one of those who had sent him the three…cornered notes or

even a bunch of flowers。  She knew that he was receiving abounding

tokens of kindness and sympathy from different quarters; and a

certain inward feeling restrained her from joining in these

demonstrations。  If he had been suffering from some deadly and

contagious malady she would have risked her life to help him; without

a thought that there was any wonderful heroism in such self…devotion。

Her friend Lurida might have been capable of the same sacrifice; but

it would be after reasoning with herself as to the obligations which

her sense of human rights and duties laid upon her; and fortifying

her courage with the memory of noble deeds recorded of women in

ancient and modern history。  With Euthymia the primary human

instincts took precedence of all reasoning or reflection about them。

All her sympathies were excited by the thought of this forlorn

stranger in his solitude; but she felt the impossibility of giving

any complete expression to them。  She thought of Mungo Park in the

African desert; and she envied the poor negress who not only pitied

him; but had the blessed opportunity of helping and consoling him。

How near were these two human creatures; each needing the other!  How

near in bodily presence; how far apart in their lives; with a barrier

seemingly impassable between them !









XXIII



THE MEETING OF MAURICE AND EUTHYMIA。



These autumnal fevers; which carry off a large number of our young

people every year; are treacherous and deceptive diseases。  Not only

are they liable; as has been mentioned; to various accidental

complications which may prove suddenly fatal; but too often; after

convalescence seems to be established; relapses occur which are more

serious than the disease had appeared to be in its previous course。

One morning Dr。 Butts found Maurice worse instead of better; as he

had hoped and expected to find him。  Weak as he was; there was every

reason to fear the issue of this return of his threatening symptoms。

There was not much to do besides keeping up the little strength which

still remained。  It was all needed。



Does the reader of these pages ever think of the work a sick man as

much as a well one has to perform while he is lying on his back and

taking what we call his 〃rest〃?  More than a thousand times an hour;

between a hundred and fifty and two hundred thousand times a week; he

has to lift the bars of the cage in which his breathing organs are

confined; to save himself from asphyxia。  Rest!  There is no rest

until the last long sigh tells those who look upon the dying that the

ceaseless daily task; to rest from which is death; is at last

finished。  We are all galley…slaves; pulling at the levers of

respiration;which; rising and falling like so many oars; drive us

across an unfathomable ocean from one unknown shore to another。  No!

Never was a galley…slave so chained as we are to these four and

twenty oars; at which we must tug day and night all our life long



The doctor could not find any accidental cause to account for this

relapse。  It presently occurred to him that there might be some local

source of infection which had brought on the complaint; and was still

keeping up the symptoms which were the ground of alarm。  He

determined to remove Maurice to his own house; where he could be sure

of pure air; and where he himself could give more constant attention

to his patient during this critical period of his disease。  It was a

risk to take; but he could be carried on a litter by careful men; and

remain wholly passive during the removal。  Maurice signified his

assent; as he could hardly help doing;for the doctor's suggestion

took pretty nearly the form of a command。  He thought it a matter of

life and death; and was gently urgent for his patient's immediate

change of residence。  The doctor insisted on having Maurice's books

and other movable articles carried to his own house; so that he

should be surrounded by familiar sights; and not worry himself about

what might happen to objects which he valued; if they were left

behind him。



All these dispositions were quickly and quiet
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