The Young Wife CHAPTER 16.
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It was about a week after the conversation alluded to, that Mr. and Mrs. Lawton, just after dinner, were seated in their parlor, when there was a quick, loud rap at their door, followed by the entrance of one of the boarders, a Mrs. Parr. Her face was red, and her eyes flashing with excitement.
"How do you do, Mrs. Parr?" said Mr. Lawton, rising, and offering her a chair.
"No thank you, sir," Mrs. Parr replied, straightening herself up, and placing one hand upon her hip. "I have come in to say, Mrs. Lawton," she began in an elevated tone of voice — "that I can't stand it any longer the way your Jim treats my little Tommy — and I won't stand it, neither! I'll leave the house first, I will!"
"I am very sorry that anything has gone wrong between the children, Mrs. Parr," replied Mrs. Lawton, her words seeming to choke her as she uttered them, while her voice was low and husky. "If James has treated your little boy in an improper manner, he shall certainly be punished for it."
"Well, he did treat him bad! He always treats him bad! He never sees him, but he pushes him, or knocks him over, or does something to him! He is a very bad boy, Mrs. Lawton! and ought to be half killed for his ugliness to the other children in the house. I never saw a worse one in my life; and if you don't take better care of him, he will come to the gallows in the end, so he will!"
"But what has James done to your little boy, Mrs. Parr?" inquired Mr. Lawton. "I would like to know very much."
"Done to him? Why, he is always hurting him. He never sees him, but he does something to him!"
"Still, your accusation is so indefinite, that I know not how to correct my boy, if he has done wrong?" Mr. Lawton said, calmly.
"Done wrong? Humph! That is too bad! He might kill my little Tommy, I suppose, and you'd want to know if he had done anything wrong! Humph!"
"But tell me, in a word, Mrs. Parr, what James has done to your little boy?"
"Why, he pushed him over, so he did, the wretch! and almost knocked his head off. And he does it every day of his life. But let me once catch him at it, and it will be the last time he touches my boy!"
And Mrs. Parr clenched her teeth and hands, and looked the personification of anger and revenge.
"Call Margaret up, Julia, if you please," Mr. Lawton said, turning to his wife.
"O, you needn't call her up to ask about it, for she is just as bad as he is, and encourages him to pick upon the other children in the house!"
"Call her, if you please, Julia," Mr. Lawton again said, seeing that his wife hesitated.
In a few moments Margaret appeared.
"Has there been any difficulty today, between James and Thomas Parr, Margaret?" he asked.
"There was a little disturbance between them just now, sir."
"Well, Margaret, did you see it?"
"Yes, sir."
"And who else?"
"Why, John the waiter saw it. And so did Fanny, the cook."
"Ask them to come up here for a minute or two." And Margaret departed on her errand.
In a few moments Margaret re-appeared, with John and Fanny.
"John, did you see my little boy push Thomas Parr over?" Mr. Lawton asked, calmly.
"Yes, sir, I did."
"Well, John, tell me exactly how it happened, and in doing so, I wish you to conceal nothing that James has done. If he is wholly to blame in the matter, I would a thousand times rather know it."
"I will tell you exactly, sir. Your little boy was rolling his hoop in the yard, when Tommy Parr ran out, and jerked it up, and before James could catch him, threw it over into the next yard."
"Well?"
"And then James caught hold of him, and was going to push him over, but Tommy screamed out, and then he let him go, and Tommy ran upstairs to his mother."
"Did you see it also, Fanny?" inquired Mr. Lawton.
"Yes, sir. And it happened just as John has said."
"It's all a made up lie, so it is!" exclaimed Mrs. Parr, still more angrily.
"There is another thing that I would like to know, John, and, as before, I want nothing but the simple truth. Did you ever see James strike Mrs. Parr's little boy?"
"No, sir."
"Did you ever see him push Thomas over?"
"Yes, sir."
"Often?"
"Yes; a good many times."
"Why he to do so, John?"
"He did it because Tommy wouldn't let him alone. He never picks on Tommy, or anyone; but Tommy is always picking on him."
"It's a lie!" again exclaimed Mrs. Parr.
"No, Ma'am, it is not a lie," John replied. "I never tell lies."
"Has he ever hurt Thomas?" further inquired Mr. Lawton.
"Hurt him, sir? No, I don't believe he ever hurt him any at all. But there is no telling, for Tommy screams out, if any of the children even look at him."
"That will do, John. You and Fanny can go down again," Mr. Lawton said. "And now, Mrs. Parr," he continued. "I hope you are satisfied that my little boy has no disposition to hurt yours."
"Indeed, I am not satisfied of any such thing. I know that he does push and knock him about whenever he gets a chance, the little devil!" and so saying, Mrs. Parr swept out of the room, her passion unalloyed.
"Here comes trouble, at last, in good earnest," Mr. Lawton said, as Mrs. Parr banged the door after her.
"And only the beginning of it, I am afraid," replied Mrs. Lawton. "For I sent Lizzy Phipps downstairs this morning, and told her, that I did not wish her and Florence to be together so much."
"Did she make you any reply?"
"O yes. She warmed up in a minute, and said, with an indignant look, 'Humph! I suppose you think that I aren't good enough to keep company with your Florence.'"
"And she has told her mother, no doubt."
"O, of course; and she looked black enough at me while we sat at the dinner-table today."
"Then I suppose we must prepare for another storm."
"Yes. For — "
Mrs. Lawton did not finish her sentence, for the door opened, and in stalked the object of their conversation, with an indignant expression on her countenance.
"I have come in, Mrs. Lawton," began Mrs. Phipps, "to know what you meant by telling my Lizzy that you didn't want her and Florence to be together so much?"
"I meant simply what I said," Mrs. Lawton replied, in a firm tone, for she now began to feel herself indignant at the unreasonableness and brashness of her fellow-boarders.
"You did, did you? And what's the reason, please, that you don't want my Lizzy to keep company with your Florence? She is as good as she is, any day, let me tell you."
"I said nothing to the contrary, Mrs. Phipps. Still, as she is a noisy, rude, ill-behaved girl, who uses bad words, sometimes. I do not wish Florence to be in her company any more than can possibly be helped."
This was talking out pretty plainly, and much plainer than Mrs. Lawton had before any idea that she could ever speak to a mother about her own child. But she felt provoked, and that set her tongue free. As might have been expected, Mrs. Phipps went off into ablaze at once.
"She's as good as you, or any of your ugly breed, let me tell you, Mrs. Lawton! And ten hundred thousand million times better! Talk about my Lizzy being ill-behaved! You good-for-nothing, proud, stuck-up creature you! I'd like to know what you sprung from, to set yourself up for a lady. A lady! A lady!" drawing the word out with a tone and look of ineffable contempt. "But that is always the way with those who spring from the dirt!"
"I cannot allow anyone, man or woman to use such language to my wife," Mr. Lawton said, rising and going towards Mrs. Phipps; "and so, madam, you will please to leave the room."
"And I wonder how you'll help it, sir! I wonder how you'll help it, sir!"
"Go downstairs, Mrs. Phipps."
"I won't go down! I won't go down! You are both a mean, sordid couple — and all the boarders in the house know it!"
Mr. Lawton, finding that their visitor had no disposition to retire, went up to her, and taking her by the arm, led her to the door, and, after thrusting her out by main force, for she resisted him, closed it after her. To her resistance were added loud, passionate cries for her husband. Overcome by her angry feelings, when she found herself fairly shut out of the room, she sank upon the floor, and continued to scream more passionately than before. Mr. Phipps, who had not yet gone out, started in alarm when he heard the cries of his wife, and sprang up the stairs to see what was the matter. He found her lying on the floor, near the entrance to Mr. Lawton's room, panting and screaming hysterically!
"What's wrong, Jane? What is the matter? What have they done to you?" he asked, in an anxious tone, for he felt alarmed, as he lifted her up, and then supported her, while both passed downstairs to their own room as quickly as possible. There he let her sink, really too weak from passion to support herself on her feet, into a chair.
"And now, Jane," Mr. Phipps said, standing before her, his face growing dark with anger, "tell me what they have done to you! Let it be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."
"Why, Mr. Lawton abused me as if I had been one of the vilest creatures in town, and then took hold of me and pushed me out of the room with all his might. He might have killedme!"
Mr. Phipps paused to hear no more, but picked up a cane and hastily left the room. At his door he was met by four or five of the boarders, who had been attracted by his wife's screams.
"What is the matter? What is the matter?" was asked in eager tones, but Mr. Phipps stopped to answer no questions. Springing up the stairs, he swung open the door of Mr. Lawton's sitting-room, and walked in, cane in hand, with a furious aspect of countenance.
Mrs. Lawton screamed and turned pale.
"Don't be alarmed, Julia," her husband said, in a calm tone, as he rose to his feet. Then turning to his excited visitor, he said, sternly,
"Leave this room, sir, on the instant!"
By this time, a number of curious faces were to be seen clustered around the door.
The calm, decisive, fearless tone and manner of Mr. Lawton cooled off his assailant several degrees, which was indicated by an involuntary lowering of his cane, that was held over his head in a menacing position, as he entered the room.
"I want to know, sir," began Mr. Phipps, "how you dared to — "
"Leave this room, sir, without another word, or I will pitch you downstairs! These are my premises, remember!"
"I won't go till I have satisfaction," Mr. Phipps began, with a flourish of his cane.
"Won't you?" And Mr. Lawton strode towards him with an air of determination not to be mistaken. The other paused but a moment, and then turning, glided from the room, amid an involuntary burst of laughter from the group of boarders and servants at the door.
"What is the matter, Lawton?" asked one of the spectators of this scene.
"The matter is simply this. My wife took the liberty of telling Mr. Phipps' little girl that she did not wish her to come up into her room so often; and Mrs. Phipps got angry at this, and was so thoughtless and imprudent as to come up here and use very ill language to Mrs. Lawton. As it occurred in my presence, I told her she must cease, or leave the room. As she would do neither, I took her by the arm and led her out, as I should do again under similar circumstances. I feel bound to protect my wife from insult in all cases, and I shall do so while I have the power."
"Right!" "Right!" "Right!" was responded from several of the group, and then all dispersed, leaving the different actors in this unpleasant, and, to one party, disgraceful affair, to their own reflections.
Poor Mrs. Lawton was much alarmed, and it was a long time before her husband could soothe down her agitated feelings.
"This is dreadful!" she said, giving way to tears.
"Don't let it agitate you, Julia, it is all over now."
"O, but I am afraid, dear husband, that Mr. Phipps will do you some harm. He looked so wicked when he came in."
"Don't give yourself a single uneasy thought about that, Julia. I know precisely what kind of a man Phipps is; and, therefore, have no more fear of his making another attack upon me, than I have of the sky's falling. One trial of that kind is all-sufficient for him."
"Dear father, let us go away from here!" Florence now said, coming out from the chamber, with pale face, tearful eyes, and trembling lips. "It isn't a good place to live in at all, and I don't want to stay."
"Why is it not a good place, my daughter?" asked Mr. Lawton, soothingly.
"Because it isn't like it was at Mrs. Baillie's. There all of them were kind to us; and we could have as much as we wanted at the table. But we can't get it here, unless we choose to want more potatoes and bread than anything else, and I never liked potatoes; and Mrs. Newell always looks and speaks so cross at us children while we are at the table. I wish we were back home again."
"Aren't we ever going to go home again, father?" spoke up James.
"Why, this is your home, James," Mrs. Lawton said to the little boy.
"O no, it isn't any kind of a home."
"Why not, my son?"
"Because you nor father can't do what you please in this house. And we have to stay up in these rooms so much. When we were home we could go where we pleased, and there was no one to say, 'Clear out there, and go off up into your own room!'"
Mr. Lawton felt keenly the innocent and earnest regrets of the child, and were it not that he had fully resolved not to recommence housekeeping until his wife had become so completely sick of boarding as to propose the change herself — he would have then urged upon her the propriety of their at once resuming housekeeping. But he thought it best to have the boarding mania thoroughly cured, now that it was under treatment.
"I think, Julia, we had better look out for another boarding-house," he said, after the silence of a few moments.
"I shall certainly never be happy here," Mrs. Lawton responded. "Two of the boarders are mortally offended, and, of course, we can meet no longer upon even the common terms of civility."
"That is very true; and to live so, will be exceedingly unpleasant."
"Indeed it will! There is that cough again!" she added, in a lower tone, and one indicating a feeling of uneasiness, as Florence gave one or two hoarse, resounding coughs.
"Why, how long has she had that? I did not notice it before," the father said; and then calling Florence to him, took hold of her hand, which he found to be hot, and perceived other indications of fever.
"Don't you feel well, dear?" he asked, drawing her to his side.
"Not very well, father. I feel hot all over, and my throat has been a little sore all day."
"I didn't know that, Florence!" her mother said, in surprise, and some alarm. "And now that I come to notice it, how red her skin looks," she added, turning to her husband.
The name of a fatal disease, of which there had been one case in the house recently, trembled upon the tongue of each, but neither had the resolution to mention it.
"If she is no better when I return this evening, I will call in the doctor," Mr. Lawton said, as he was about parting with his wife at the door.
"Yes, by all means. But aren't you afraid Mr. Phipps will — "
"Will what, Julia?"
"Will attack you in a secret manner."
"Not in the least."
"Well, I am," his wife replied, while a shadow of fear passed over her countenance.
"There is not the slightest danger, I do assure you, Julia. Phipps is, by this time, I have not the least doubt, heartily ashamed of himself."
"I wish you would look out for a new place soon, for I shall have no more peace while I stay here," Julia said, after a few moments of troubled silence.
"I will, this very afternoon," and so saying, Mr. Lawton departed for his store.
As he came down the stairs and through the passages, he had to pass near the room occupied by Mr. Phipps and his wife. When a few steps beyond the door of this room, it was opened, and Mr. Phipps glided out and followed close after Mr. Lawton. A momentary chill ran through the nerves of the latter, for, although he could not believe that the man would attempt, in cool blood, to harm him, yet the thought passed instantly through his mind, that under the excitement of angry feelings, he might be tempted to do him some personal injury.
He, therefore, while he seemed not to notice Mr. Phipps, as he pursued his way towards the front door, was yet perfectly on his guard. The latter did not speak until they were both in the street. Then coming to the side of Mr. Lawton, he said —
"I believe I have acted like a fool, Mr. Lawton, as I always do, when I allow myself to get into a passion without really knowing the cause why."
"Now you talk like a rational man, Mr. Phipps, and I shall be pleased to offer any explanation that circumstances may seem to require."
"I have not come to ask for explanations, Mr. Lawton, but to apologize for my really outrageous conduct in coming to your room, in the spirit and manner that I did.
"Having done that, Mr. Phipps, it is now but justice to yourself and to myself, that I should explain the causes of the unpleasant occurrence that took place in my room. They are simply these. My wife, as well as myself, thought that it would be much better for your little girl and mine to be less frequently in each other's company. Accordingly we kept Florence in our own rooms, most of the time when she was home from school. But this had not the desired effect, for Lizzy's very natural desire for company of her own age was so great, that she would come up to see Florence as soon as she came home from school. It then became my wife's duty to speak to her about it, and request her not to do so. Was there anything wrong in that, Mr. Phipps?"
"O no, sir; nothing at all. We have few enough comforts in a boarding-house, anyhow, and it would be hard indeed, if our own rooms were not free from intrusion."
"Well, Mrs. Phipps came in and complained of this, which caused my wife to use some very plain talk, and then — "
"I understand it all perfectly, Mr. Lawton. I know my wife's infirmity of temper, and my own too. You had to put her out of the room."
"I did. And much I regretted the necessity."
"It was rather a severe remedy, Mr. Lawton, though, for all."
"I admit it. But what could I do? She was getting more and more excited every moment."
"I don't blame you, sir;" and Mr. Phipps sighed and remained silent for some moments. At length he said, with an emphasis that indicated his having felt on the subject —
"How I do detest this miserable system of boarding! Every man ought to have his own family in his own house. If he can't afford to have a big house, let him have a little one, say I. I've never been in a boarding-house yet, that there hasn't been trouble among the children. And I am sure not a month passes, that I am not put into hot water about mine."
"I agree with you, there, perfectly, Mr. Phipps."
"I only wish that my wife did, Mr. Lawton. In that case I wouldn't be here twenty-four hours. But she's got a notion in her head that, for a man to expect his wife to take care of his house for him, is for him to want to make a slave of her. She never seems to think that I have to work, steadily, ten and twelve hours a day, and sometimes longer, to support the family. That is all nothing. But if I complain about my clothes being neglected, and the children not well attended to — I am told that I needn't expect that she's going to make aslave of herself for me or them either. I was once in hopes that she would learn better as she grew older. But I see no improvement."
Thus Mr. Phipps ran on, until it became necessary for him and Mr. Lawton to take different directions; when they shook hands, and parted in mutual good will.
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