Mother Morton is the presiding genius of the establishment. She is a stout13, bustling14 woman, of considerable business capacity; one of those restless characters to whom nothing is so irksome as want of occupation, and who are never more in their element than when they have a world of business on their hands, with little time to do it in.
Mrs. Morton is a widow, having with characteristic despatch15, hustled16 her husband out of the world in less than four years from her wedding-day. Shortly afterwards, being obliged to seek a subsistence in some way, good luck suggested the expediency17 of opening a boarding-house. Here at length she found scope for her superabundant energies, and in the course of seventeen years had succeeded in amassing18 several thousand dollars, in the investment of which she had sought advice from no one, but acted according to the dictates19 of her own judgment20. These investments, it must be acknowledged, proved to have been wisely made, affording a complete refutation, in one case at least, of the assertion often made, that women have no business capacity.
Why Mrs. Morton should have had the title of mother, so generally conferred upon her, is not quite clear. She had never been blessed with children. It might have been her ample proportions, for Nature had moulded her when in a generous mood; but at all events for many years, she had been best known by the name of Mother Morton.
Our landlady21 required promptness on the part of her lodgers in the payment of their bills. She had no mercy on those whom she suspected of fraudulent intentions. In such cases she had but one remedy, and that a most efficacious one,—immediate ejectment. When, however, no such design was suspected, and failure to make the regular payment 5proceeded from sickness or misfortune, she had been known to manifest great kindness and consideration. When, for example—Martha Grey, the young seamstress, was stricken down by a fever, induced by over-work, Mother Morton attended her faithfully during her illness, and, so far from making an extra charge, even remitted22 her rent for the time she had been ill.
With these preliminary words, our story begins.
The dinner hour had passed. The last lingerer at the table had left the scene of devastation23, which he had contributed to make, and the landlady, who superintended the clearing away, had just sent away the last dish, when her attention was arrested by a faint ring of the door-bell. Hastily adjusting her dress before the glass, she proceeded to answer the summons in person.
Opening the door, she saw standing24 before her a young girl of perhaps fourteen, and a man, who, though but little over forty, looked nearly ten years older. The little girl is mentioned first, for in spite of her youth, and the filial relation which she bore to her companion, she was the spokesman, and appeared to feel that the responsibility in the present instance fell upon her. There was a curious air of protection in her manner towards her father, as if the relationship between them were reversed, and he were the child.
“We’re pretty full, now,” said Mother Morton, looking with some curiosity at the eager face of the young questioner. “All our best rooms are taken.”
“That makes no difference,” said the young girl; “about the best rooms, I mean. We are not able to pay much.”
She cast a glance at her father, who wore an abstracted look as if he were thinking of some matter quite foreign to 6the matter in hand. Catching27 her glance and thinking that an appeal was made to him, he said, hurriedly, “Yes, my child, you are quite right.”
“I wonder whether he’s in his right mind,” thought the practical Mrs. Morton. “The little girl seems to be worth two of him.”
“I have one room in the fourth story,” she said aloud, “which is now vacant. It is rather small; but, if it will suit you, you shall have it cheaper on that account.”
“I should like to see it,” said the child. “Come, father,” taking him by the hand, and leading him as if she were the elder; “we’re going up stairs to look at a room which, perhaps, we may like well enough to hire.”
At the head of the fourth landing the landlady threw open a door, revealing a small room, some twelve feet square, scantily28 provided with furniture. Its dreariness29 was, in some measure, relieved by a good supply of light,—there being two windows.
The young girl was evidently accustomed to look on the bright side of things; for, instead of spying out the defects and inconveniences of the apartment, her face brightened, and she said, cheerfully, “Just what we want, isn’t it, papa? See how bright and pleasant it is.”
“I think,” said the young girl, addressing the landlady, “that we will engage the room; that is,” she added, with hesitation31, “if the rent isn’t too high.”
Mother Morton had been interested in the child’s behalf by the mingling32 of frank simplicity33 and worldly wisdom, which she exhibited, and perhaps not least by the quiet air of protection which she assumed towards her father, for whom it was evident she entertained the deepest and most devoted34 affection. An impulse, which she did not pause to 7question, led her to name a rent much less than she had been accustomed to receive for the room.
“One dollar and seventy-five cents a week,” repeated the child. “Yes, that is reasonable. I think we had better engage the room; don’t you, papa?”
“Eh?”
“I think we had better engage this room at one dollar and seventy-five cents a week.”
“Oh, certainly,—that is, by all means, if you think best, my child. You know I leave all such matters to you. I have so many other things to think of,” he added, dreamily, raising his hand to his forehead.
“Yes,” said the child, softly; “I know you have, dear papa.”
“We’ll take the room,” she said to Mother Morton, whose curiosity momentarily increased, “at the price you named, and will commence now, if you have no objection.”
“Oh, no; but your baggage. You will need to bring that.”
“We have not much to bring. We shall get it to-morrow.”
“You will board yourselves?” asked the landlady.
“Yes, I shall cook. I am quite used to it,” was the grave reply.
“At any rate you won’t feel like it to-night. I will send you up some supper.”
“Thank you,” said the child, her face lighting35 up gratefully; “I am sure you are very kind,” and she held out her hand in instinctive36 acknowledgment.
If Mother Morton had before been prepossessed in her favor, this act, so frank and child-like, completed the conquest of her heart.
“I am very glad,” said she, quite enveloping37 in her own broad palm the little hand which the child extended; “I am 8very glad, my dear child, that you are going to live here. I think I shall like you.”
“How kind you are!” said the child, earnestly. “Everybody is kind to father and me;” and she turned towards her parent, who was gazing abstractedly from the window.
“Your father does not say much,” said Mrs. Morton, unable to repress her curiosity.
“He has a great deal on his mind,” said the child, lowering her voice, and looking cautiously to see whether he heard her; but the report of a pistol would scarcely have disturbed him, so profound seemed his meditations38.
“Oh!” said the landlady, somewhat surprised; “business, is it?”
“No,” said the child; “not exactly business.”
Observing that the landlady looked thoroughly39 mystified, she added, quietly, “Papa has a great genius for inventing. He is going to make a discovery that will give him money and fame. He is thinking about it all the time, and that is the reason he doesn’t say much. I wish he wouldn’t think quite so much, for I am afraid it will hurt him.”
Mother Morton looked at the father with a sudden accession of respect.
“Perhaps there is something in him, after all,” she thought. “There must be, or this little girl, who has a great deal more sense than many that are older, wouldn’t believe in him so firmly. I suppose he’s a genius. I’ve heard of such, but I never saw one before. I must think well of him for the child’s sake.”
“I hope your father’ll succeed,” she said aloud, “for your sake, my child. I am going down stairs now. Is there anything you would like to have sent up?”
“Nothing, thank you.”
“One thing more. Your names, please?”
“Good afternoon, Helen. I hope you will like your room.”
“Thank you; I am quite sure I shall.”
The landlady descended40 the stairs, wondering a little at the sudden liking41 she began to feel for her young lodger11.
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1
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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inviting
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| adj.诱人的，引人注目的 | |
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lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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hauteur
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| n.傲慢 | |
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industrious
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| adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的 | |
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intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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lodger
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| n.寄宿人，房客 | |
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lodgers
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| n.房客，租住者( lodger的名词复数 ) | |
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bustling
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| adj.喧闹的 | |
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despatch
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| n./v.(dispatch)派遣；发送；n.急件；新闻报道 | |
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hustled
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| 催促（hustle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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expediency
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| n.适宜；方便；合算；利己 | |
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amassing
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| v.积累，积聚( amass的现在分词 ) | |
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dictates
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| n.命令，规定，要求( dictate的名词复数 )v.大声讲或读( dictate的第三人称单数 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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landlady
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| n.女房东，女地主 | |
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remitted
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| v.免除（债务），宽恕( remit的过去式和过去分词 )；使某事缓和；寄回，传送 | |
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devastation
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| n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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scantily
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| adv.缺乏地；不充足地；吝啬地；狭窄地 | |
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dreariness
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| 沉寂，可怕，凄凉 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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instinctive
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| adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的 | |
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enveloping
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的现在分词 ) | |
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38
meditations
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| 默想( meditation的名词复数 )； 默念； 沉思； 冥想 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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40
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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