Evelina's Garden by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman
page 57 of 60 (95%)
page 57 of 60 (95%)
![]() | ![]() |
|
little feet all the beautiful tender flower-beds; all the time
weeping, and moaning softly: "Poor Cousin Evelina! poor Cousin Evelina! Oh, forgive me, poor Cousin Evelina!" And at dawn the garden lay in ruin, for all the tender plants she had torn up by the roots and trampled down, and all the stronger-rooted shrubs she had striven to kill with boiling water and salt. Then Evelina went into the house, and made herself tidy as well as she could when she trembled so, and put her little shawl over her head, and went down the road to the Merriams' house. It was so early the village was scarcely astir, but there was smoke coming out of the kitchen chimney at the Merriams'; and when she knocked, Mrs. Merriam opened the door at once, and stared at her. "Is Sarah Judd dead?" she cried; for her first thought was that something must have happened when she saw the girl standing there with her wild pale face. "I want to see the minister," said Evelina, faintly, and she looked at Thomas's mother with piteous eyes. "Be you sick?" asked Mrs. Merriam. She laid a hard hand on the girl's arm, and led her into the sitting-room, and put her into the rocking-chair with the feather cushion. "You look real poorly," said she. "Sha'n't I get you a little of my elderberry wine?" "I want to see him," said Evelina, and she almost sobbed. "I'll go right and speak to him," said Mrs. Merriam. "He's up, I |
|