Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-01-06
MERE SUSANNE.

When I first saw her, she was stand
ing in her cottage doorway, leaning
both hands on her stick. The sunset was
on her face, glorifying the cottage win
dows and the little garden, and there
was noise of singing birds about her.
Her eyes were turned westward. She
was little old woman, with gray hair
and small, determined face. Her lips
were thin and her eyes bright and deep
set, with penthouse brows.
fingered. wondering a little. From
inside the cottage there came the con-
tinual cheep 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 colorless wrap about her head,
and she wore colorless dress and a
blue apron. The sunset glorified them
all.
/ thought she did not see me, but as
went by she called to me, and turned
back She came down to the little gate
and said, Monsieur is stranger?"
YES, madame.
"And he has travelled perhaps?"
sin many lands.
HAS he ever met tall lad, sol
dier, very fair and handsome, with blue
eyes?'
81 have met many soldiers, madame.
'tBut this onel Think, monsieur, "
i L e..
gotten him. His hair was like the sky
yonder r''-she pointed to the ruined
gold of the sunset and his eyes
danced, danced always. He was always
merry"
'sI am very sorry, madame, do not
remember him. "
She seemed little saddened and was
turning away when said, "You keep
many singing birds, madame?'
.'They call me Mere Susanne," she
said. "Come in, monsieur, if you will,
and see them. -
The cottage was two roomed-one
room where she lived and slept; learn
ed afterward that the other was a
e-empty-where she went to
pray when her heart and hope were
numb.
The little kitchen was filed with
birds in cages. She had to put one on
the floor to offer me seat. AS for her
self she sat down on a stool in the
midst of them. Then she took up the
cage from the floor on to her knee, and,
putting in her hand, captured the song
ster. Itwas chaffinch. She stroked it's
wings and laid it against her face. 1t
did not try to escape, but nestled con-
tentedly against the wrinkled cheek.
1t knows you, . I said.
She gave a contented little laugh.
'sThey all do. But I won't need them
when he comes home.
"Who is he?''
"He-my boy that l told you of.
Some of them used to say he would
never come back when they thought |
didn't hear them. But know. y
The twilight was closing in. A grad
ual hush had crept over the linnets and
finches. the canaries and the rest She
put back the bird into its cage and rose I;
too. She did not ask me to go again.
went out into the little garden and
the twilight and continued my walk;
but returning home the same way, /
heard strange sound through the
spring darkness. It was Mere Susanne
crouched up by the garden paling, cry
ing to herself.
A few days later came across 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 alone all day?"
said.
"Yes,'' she answered, "but / hear
them singing all the same .
How, then, since your cottage is not
near here?"
How do know?" she said, straight
eHlAS ueIsSl IL SeJS palmer anu
palmer as / go home in the evenings,
and when l get in at the gate they all
begin together. Z She stopped down
again, smiling. 'It's almost like hav-
ing child waiting for one, . she said,
but not to me-
thought of her that evening when,
looking out of my window, saw that
the sky in the west had turned 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 / met her in the fields
or going her rounds in the village.
Sometimes when saw her talking with
the neighbors fancied that the glamour
OF spring evening had worked spell
and that after all there was nothing un-
common or evil about her, and then I
remembered the eyes that had watched
the sunset and the strange sound heard
through the spring darkness.
If in the daytime chanced to pass