Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1895-10-17
THROUGH THE WINDOW.


NJ
After his legs were set. they carried
Bailey into the study and put him on
couch before the open window.
There he lay, live-even feverish
man down to the loins, and below
that double-barrelled mummy
swathed In white wrappingA He
tried to read, even tried to write .
little, but most OF the time he looked
out Of the window.
He had thought the window cheer
full to begin with, but now he thanked
God for 1t many times day. Within,
the room was dim and gray, and in the
reflected light the wear Of the furni-
ture showed plainly. His medicine
and drink stood on the little table,
with such litter as the bare branches
Of "a bunch Of grapes or the ashes
of cigar upon green plate, or day
old evening paper. The view outside
was flooded with light, and across the
corner Of it came the head Of the
acacia, and at the foot the top Of
the balcony railing Of hammered iron.
In the foreground was the weltering
silver Of the river. never quiet and yet
never tiresome. Beyond was the
reedy bank, a broad stretch Of meadow
land, and then dark line of trees
ending in group of poplars at the
bend of the river, and, outstanding be-
hind them, square church tower
Up and down the river all day long,
things were passing. Now q string
OF barges drifted down to London,
| piled with lime or barrels of beer; then
a steam-launch, disengaging heavy
masses Of black smoke, and disturbing
the whole width Of the river with long
rolling waves; then an impetuous
electric launch. and then boatload
Of pleasure seekers, solitary sculler.
or four from some rowing club. Per-
haps the river was quietest OF q morn
ing or late at night. One moonlight
night some people drifted down. sing
ing very pleasantly across the water,
and with either playing.
In q few days Bailey began to
recognize some OF the craft; in week
he knew the intimate history of half .
dozen. The launch Luzon, from Fitz-
gibbons, two miles up, would go
fretting by, sometimes three or four
times day, conspicuous with its
coloring of Indian red and yellow,
and its two oriental attendants; and
one day, to Bailey's vast amusement,
the house boat Purple Emperor came
to stop outside, and breakfasted In
the most shameless domesticity. Then,
one afternoon, the captain OF slow
moving barge began quarrel with
his wife as they came into sight from
! the left, and had carried it to personal
violence before he vanished behind
the window-frame to the right. Bailey
regarded all this as an entertainment
got up to while away his Illness, and
applauded all the more moving incl
dents. Mrs. Green, coming in at In
tervAls with his meals, would catch
him clapping his hands or softly cry
ing ..encorel" But the river players
had other engagements, and his encore
went UNDECIDED.
II should never have thought could
take such an interest In things thai
did not concern me-" said Bailey e
Vilderspin. who used to como in in hi
nervous friendly way and try to com
fort the sufferer by being talked to- =
thought this idle capacity was dis
tinctive of little children and ole
maids. But it's just circumstances.
simply can't work. and things hsv'
: to drift; it's no good to fret ant
$ struggle. And 30 lie here and am .
. amused as baby with arattle. At thi
J, river and its affairs"
!, Sometimes, of course. 1t gets . bi
], dull, but not often"
; II would give anything, Wilderspin
j, for swamp-just one swamp-once
: Heads swimming and steam launcl
!. to the rescue, and chap or so haule'
!, out with boat hook. i. There goe
Fitzgibbon's launchl They have nev
! boat-hook, see, and the little blacki
: is still in the dumpa don't think he
very well, Wilderspin. He's been lik
that for two or three days, squattin
sulky-fashion and meditating over tn
churning OF the water. Unwholesom
for him to be always staring at th
frothy waters running away from tn
stern"
They watched the little steamer fua
across the parallelogram Of sunll
river, suffer momentary occultatio
from the acacia. and glide out Of sigh
behind the dark window-frame.
"I'm getting wonderful eye Il
details" said Bailey. II spotted ths
new boat-hook at once. The othe
niger Is q funny little chap. He nevs
used to swagger with the old boa
; hook like that"
"Malays, aren't theyP" said Wilde
y spin.
o s.Don't know" said Bailey.
thought one called all that sort
mariner Lascar."
Then he began to tell Wilderspl
what he knew Of the private affairs
the house boat Purple Emperor. Flu
nv" he said, show these people con
" from all points Of the compass--fro
: Oxford and Windsor, from Asia ar
Il, Africa--and gather and pass opposi
!. the window Just to entertain me. Or
y. man AoatAd ont OF the infinite the DE-