Vesty of the Basins | Page 9

from the path.
"What 's the time, major?" said he, as he led me into the kitchen, "or do
you take her by the sun? I had Leezur up here a couple o' days to mend
my clock. 'Pharo,' says he, 'thar 's too much friction in her.' So, by clam!
he took out most of her insides and laid 'em by, and poured some ile
over what they was left, and thar' she stands! She couldn't tick to save
her void and 'tarnal emptiness. 'Forced-to-go never gits far,' says
Leezur, he says--'ye know.'"
Captain Pharo and I, standing by the wood-box, nudged each other with
delight over this conceit.

"'Forced-to-go never gets far, you know,'" said I.
"'Forced-to-go,'" began Captain Pharo, but was rudely haled away by
Mrs. Pharo Kobbe, to dress.
That was another thing; apparently they could never get me to the
house early enough, pleased that I should witness all their preparations.
They led me to the sofa, and Mrs. Kobbe came and combed out her
hair--pretty, long, woman's hair--in the looking-glass, over me; and
then Captain Pharo came and parted his hair down the back and
brushed it out rakishly both sides, over me. Usually I saw the children
dressed; they were at school. It was too tender a thought for explanation,
this way of taking me with brotherly fondness to the family bosom.
"How do you like Cap'n Pharo's new blouse?" said his wife.
In truth I hardly knew how to express my emotions; while he sniffed
with affected disdain of his own brightness and beauty, I was so
dim-looking, in comparison, sitting there!
"When I took up the old carpet this spring, I found sech a bright piece
under the bed, that I jest took and made cap'n a blouse of her--and wal,
thar? what do you think?"
I looked at him again. The hair of my soul's brother had ceased from
the top of his head, but the long and scanty lower growth was brushed
out several proud inches beyond his ears. He was not tall, and he was
covered with sections of bloom; but as he turned he displayed one
complete flower embracing his whole back, a tropical efflorescence,
brilliant with many hues.
"She is beautiful," I murmured; "what sort of a flower is she?"
"Oh, I don' know," said Captain Pharo, with the same affected
indifference to his charms, but there was--yes, there was--something
jaunty in his gait now as he walked toward the barn; "they're rather
skeerce in this kentry, I expect; some d--d arniky blossom or other! Poo!
poo!

[Illustration: Music fragment: 'Or as the morning flow'r, The blighting
wind sweeps o'er, she with-']
Come, wife, time ye was ready!"
I was not unprepared, on climbing to my seat in the carriage, to have to
contest the occupancy of the cushions with a hen, who was accustomed
to appropriate them for her maternal aspirations. I was in the midst of
the battle, when Mrs. Kobbe coolly seized her and plunged her entire
into a barrel of rain-water. She walked away, shaking her feathers, with
an angry malediction of noise.
"Ef they're good eggs, we'll take 'em to Uncle Coffin Demmin' and
Aunt Salomy," said Mrs. Kobbe.
She brought a bucket of fresh water, benevolently to test them, but left
the enterprise half completed, reminded at the same time of a jug of
buttermilk she had meant to put up.
She went into the house, and Captain Pharo, absorbed in lighting his
pipe, and stepping about fussily and impatiently, had the misfortune to
put a foot into two piles of eggs of contrasting qualities.
"By clam!" said he, white with dismay. "Ho-hum! oh dear! Wal, wal--
[Illustration: Music fragment: 'My days are as--']
Guess, while she 's in the house, I'll go down to the herrin'-shed and git
some lobsters to take 'em; they're very fond on 'em." He gave me an
appealing, absolutely helpless smile of apology, and the arnica blossom
faded rapidly from my vision.
Left in guardianship of the horse, I climbed again to my seat and
covered myself with the star bed-quilt, which served as an only too
beautiful carriage robe. Thus I, glowing behind that gorgeous,
ever-radiating star, was taken by Mrs. Kobbe, I doubt not, for the
culprit, as she finally emerged from the house and the captain was
discovered innocently returning along the highway with the lobsters.

Let this literal history record of me that I said no word; nay, I was even
happy in shielding my soul's brother.
"Now," said Mrs. Kobbe, as we set forth, "Miss Lester said not to come
to her house for her, but wherever we saw the circle-basket settin'
outside the door, there she'd be."
"I wish she'd made some different 'pointment," said the captain, with a
sigh.
"Why?"