Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1898-04-08
MERE SUSANNA.

Ank AZ ANA N0NNAHO A0oA MaJg ANaAAhH
both hands on her stick. The unset was
ON her face, clarifying the cottage win
dows and the little garden. and there
was q noise OF singing birds about her.
Her eyes were turned westward. She
was n little old woman, with gray hair
ind q small, determined face. Her lips
were thin and her eyes bright and deep
set, with penthouse brows.
fingered, wondering n little. From
inside the cottage there came the con-
tinual choep cheep and twitter of birds.
There were cages hung up outside
near the door, and one even on the door
step. The old woman looked straight
across the fiat fields to the sunset. She
had a colorless wrap about her head,
and she wore n colorlcss dress and a
blue apron. Tho sunset glorihed them
all.
/ thought sho did not seo me, but as
I went by she called to 1 and l turned
back. She came down to the little gate
and said. Monsieur is n ~stranger?"
Eyes, madame"
"And be las Travelled peThaps?'
'In many lands.
"Has he over met q tall lad, a sol
dier, very fair ami handsome, with blue
eycs?"
81 havo met many soldiers, madame"
"But this onei Think, monsieur"
she urged. you could neve- haze for
gotten him. His hair was like tho sky
yOhder"-sho pointed TO the ruined
gold Of tho sunset-'and his eyes
danced, danced always. Ho was always
merry"
II am very sor-y, madame, I do not
remember him."
She seemed u little saGdoncd and was
turning away when 1 said. "You keep
many singing birds, madanc?'
"1hey call ne Mere Suzanne" she
said. "Come IN, monsieur, il you will.
and $50 thcn."
Tho cottage was two roomed-ons
room where she lived and slept; l learn
ed nfterwnrd that tho other was u
shrine-empty-where sho won't to
pray when her heart and hope we're
numb.
Tho littlo Kitchen was filled with
birds in cages. She had to put n ON
the floor to offer mo q scat. AS for her
self she kat down n q stool in the
midst Of them. Then she took up the
eago from the floor on to her knee, and,
putting in her hand, captured tho song
ster. IL was "a chsfinch. She etroked its
wings and laid it against her fece. 1t
did not try to escape, but nestled cen
tentedly ngainEt the wrinklcd check.
at knows you, l said.
She gave a conteuted little laugh.
"They all do. But | won's need them
when he comes homo"
"Who is her"
"He-my boy that I t. Won Of.
Some Of them used to say ue would
never come back when they thought 1
eidn't hear them. But l know"
Ito twilight was closing in. A grad.
ual hush had crept over the linnets and
finches. the canaries and the rest. Sho
put back the bird into its cage and rose ;
! too. She did not ask me to go again.
/ went out into the little garden and
the twilight aud continued my walk;
but, returning home the same way, l
heard "a strange sound through the
spring darkness. 1t was Mere Susanna
crouchod up by the garden paliHg, cry
ing to herself.
A few days later 1 came ncross her in
the fields. She was plucking dandelion
and herbs for salad and groundsel for
birds She told me that she went about
selling them to those Of the neighbors
who had no time to come and look for
their own.
The new green was sPringing up
around us. The sky was blue. a spring
wind wandered about and blew apart
the old woman's hair on her forehead
as she worked.
You leave your birds nlore all day?"
said.
YES" she answered, "brt / hear
them singing all the same"
How, then, since your cottage is not
near here?'
"How do l known" she said, straight
ening herself. st gets palmer and
palmer as / so home in the evenings,
and when 1 get in at the gate they all
begin together" She stopped down
again, smiling. TITS almost like hay
ing n child waiting for one. " she said,
but not 10 me.
/ thought of her that evening when,
looking out Of my window, l saw that
the sky in the west hadturned primrose.
] saw her trudging home with the light
ON her face and the singing Of her birds
In her ears growing nearer and nearer,
till at last she turned in at the little
gate.
Often after that / niet her in the helds
or going her rounds in the village.
Sometimes when I saw her ealking with
the neighbors / fancied that the glamour
Of a spring evening had worked a spell
and that after all there was nothing an
common or evil about her, and tlsea l
femembered the eyes that had watched
ths sunset and the strange sound heard
1hTough the spring darkness.
- n the daytime ! CHANGED to pass