Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-05-13
nttsttIloneolls.
This Two Widows.
BY NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.


BY NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.
The following story, the simple and domestic
incidents of which may be deemed scarcely
worth relating, after such lapse of time, awak-
ened degree of interest, hundred years ag,,
in principal seaport of The bay Of Massachu.
setls. The rainy twilight of an autumn day a
parlor on the second floor of a small house
plainly furnished, as besecmed the middIing
circumstances of its inhabitants, yet decorated
with little curosites from beyond the sea, and
these are the particulars 10 be promised in re
gard to scenes and seasons. Two young and
coneIy women sat together by the fire-side,
nursing their mutual and peculiar Sorrows
They were the recent brides of two brothers, a
sailor and a landsman, and two successive
days had brought tidings Of the death Of each,
by the chances of Canadian warfare and the
tempestuous Atlantic. The universal sympathy
excited by this bereavement, drew numerous
condoling guests to the habitation of the widow
ed sisters. Several, among whom was the min
lister, had remained, till the verge ofthe evening ;
when, enc by one, whispering many comfortable
passages of Scripture, that were answered BY
more abundant tears, they took their leave and
departed to their more happy homes. The
mourners. though not insensible to the kindness
of their friends, had yearned to be left alone
United as they have been, by the relationship Of
the living, and now more closely SO by that oi
the dead, each felt as if whatever consolation
her grief admitted, was to be found in the bosom
of the other. They joined their hearts, and
wept together silently. But after an hour of
such indulgence, one of the sisters, all of whose
s"'o'i~.'- --.--~ ;nanAnced BY her mild, quiet.
though not feeble character, began to recoleci
the precepts Of resignation and endurance which
plety had taught her, when she did not think to
need them. Her misfortunes, beside, as earliest
known, should earliest cease to interfere with
her regular courso Of duties accordingly hav.
ing placed the table before the fire, and arrane.
ed frugal meal, she took the hand Of her CON-
panion.
"Come, dearest sister, you have not eaten
morsel to-day" she SAID. Arise, pray you,
and let US ask blessing on that which is provi.
ded for u.s."
Her sisterin-aw was Of lively and irritable
temperament, and the first pangs of her sorrow
had been expressed by shrieks. and passionate
amentaton. She now shrunk from Mary'a
words, like wounded sufferer from hand that
revvcs the throb.
There is no blessing for me, neither will /
ask it," cried Margaret, with fresh burst of
tears. "Would it were His will that might
never tnste food more"
Yet she trcmbed at these rebellious express
sions, almost soon as they were uttered, and
by degrees Mary succeeded in bringing her
sisters mind nearer to the situation of her own.
Time went on, and their usual hour of repose
arrived. The brothers and their brides entered
the married state with no more than the slender
means which then sanctioned such step, and
confederated themselves into one household
with equal rights to the parlor, and claiming ex-
elusive privileges into two sleeping rooms cen.
iguous to it. Thither the widowed ones retir.
ed after henping ashes upon the dying embers
of the fire, and placing lighted lamp upon the
hearth the doors of both chambers were left
open, SO that part of the interior Of each, and
the beds, with their unclosed curtains, were re.
ciprocally visible.
Sleep did not steal upon the sisters at ono ant
the same time. Mary experienced the effects
often consequent upon grief quietly borne, and
soon sunk into temporary forgetfulness, while
Margaret became more disturbed and feverisl
in proportion as the night advanced with it
deepest and stest hours. She lay listening t
the drops Of rain that came down in monotonou
succession, unswayed by breath or wind, and
nervous impulse continually causing her to lii
her head from the pillow, and gaze into Mary
chamber and the immediate apartment. TIL
cold light OF the lamp threw the shadows of tn
furniture up against the wall, stamping ther
immovably there, except when they we're shake
by sudden flicker of the fame. Two vacar
arm chairs were in their old position on opposit
sides of the hearth, where the brothers had bee
wont to sit in young and laughing dignity 9
heads of families TWO humber seats were nea
them, the two shrines of that little empire, wher
Mary and herself had exercised in love powt
that love had won. The cheerful radiance
the fire had shone upon the happy circle, and Il
r dead giRmer of the lamp might have befttt
their reunion now. While Margaret groaned
bitterness, she heard q knock at the street dool
How would my heart have leaped at tn
sound but yesterday I" thought she, remembers
the anxiety with which she had long awaited
8 dngs from her husband. care not for it no
: let them begone, for will not arise.
0 But even while a sort of childish frettulne
|. made her thus resolved, she was breathing hi
Y redly and straining her ears to catch repetiti
f of the summons. 1t was difficult to be convinc
e of the death of one whom we have deem
If another self. The knocking was now renew
II in slow and regular strokes, apparently Civ
L with the soft end of double fist, and was