 | CHAPTER V. Dukesborough tales |  |
5. CHAPTER V.
On the night immediately succeeding this little misunderstanding, Mr.
and Mrs. Hodge happened to meet upon a subject on which they
agreed. It was perhaps a lucky thing that the subject was broached
that night. It would be difficult to say in whose mind the idea first
occurred of having a little bit of a store in one of the little shed-rooms.
It was so convenient, in the first place. Their house was within only
a few steps of the road, on the top of the first hill just this side of the
creek; and the little shed-rooms were in front, with little windows
opening towards the road. On the night aforesaid Mr. Hodge and
his wife seemed disposed to be chatty. Mr. Hodge was gratified that
the allusions to his predecessor had so soothing an effect. They
talked a while about their having no children, and both agreed that
it seemed to be the lot of some families not to have them. And then
it occurred to them that it was a pity that the two little shed-rooms
could not be put to some use. True, they had been keeping a sign-board
which promised “Entertainment for man and horse;” but the
stand was too near Dukesborough, where the great Mr. Spouter lived
and reigned. Besides, Mrs. Hodge had sometimes had her feelings
hurt by occasional side remarks of what few guests they did have
generally speaking, seemed high when compared with the supper, the
bed, and the breakfast. This business, therefore, for some time had
seemed to be discouraging.
On the night aforesaid, however, it seemed a fortunate accident that
the conversation gradually drifted about Dukesborough, its rapid
growth, and the probability that in time it would grow to be an
important place. Already people were coming to the stores from six
or seven miles around; and it was believed that the store-keepers,
especially Bland & Jones, were making great profits. Threats had
been made that unless they would fall in their charges they might
hear of opposition. While talking together upon these things, Mr.
and Mrs. Hodge seemed almost simultaneously to think that it might
be well, in all the circumstances, to convert one of the little shed-rooms
into a little store. The more they turned this idea over the
more it seemed good, especially to Mrs. Hodge. She was for going
into it immediately. Mr. Hodge thought he wanted a little more
time for reflection. He did have a few hundred dollars which he had
accumulated by honest work and good economy; but he was without
mercantile experience, and people had told him that merchants sometimes
break like other people. Besides, he should not think it
prudent to neglect the farm, and that required most of his attention.
But Mrs. Hodge suggested that she could attend to the store her own
self. She could do it, she knew she could. He could go on and attend
to the farm, and spend what time he could spare from that in the
store. Mrs. Hodge reasoned that her husband had sometimes complained
that she invested too heavily even in the purchase of necessary
articles; and here was an opportunity of getting all such things
at home and not have to pay out one cent for them, except of course
what little was paid out for them in the beginning, and that would be
lost sight of in the general profits of the concern.
Mr. Hodge reflected.
What about the housekeeping?
Mrs. Hodge in her turn reflected.
Where was Susan Temple?
There now! If ever one question was well answered by propounding
another, it was in this case. Mr. Hodge admitted this to
himself. It was a matter he had himself proposed once to do, to
take Susan to keep house. The truth was, the house ought to be
neat and orderly and industrious, and understood even most of the
things about a kitchen. Mr. Hodge thought to himself that as his
wife's talent did not seem to be in housekeeping, it might not be
wrong to let it make a small effort in the mercantile line. And so
they agreed.
This was all right. Susan was so thankful for a home that she did
her best, and any sensible and honest person would have been
obliged to see and admit that the housekeeping improved. Everything
was kept clean and nice. Mrs. Hodge, however, thought that
if she gave Susan too much credit for this change it might spoil her.
It was the way with all such people, she thought. So she took all the
credit to herself, and would occasionally remind Susan of what would
have become of her if they had not taken her and put clothes upon
her back. Susan ought to be very thankful, more so than she seemed
to be in fact, that she had not been left to the cold charities of an
unfeeling world. To make things under this head perfectly safe,
Mrs. Hodge sometimes insisted that Susan ought to be ashamed of
herself for not doing more than she did, considering what was done
for her. Susan, doing everything as it was, would seem to look about
as if to find something else to do. Not being able to find it, she
would get very much confused, and seem to conclude that she must
be a very incompetent person.
But the store. Mr. Hodge went all the way to Augusta. Mrs.
Hodge would have liked to go too; but it was thought not necessary
for both to go. So Mr. Hodge went alone, and laid in his stock. A
hundred dollars well laid out would buy something in those times.
Such a sum goes a precious little way these days. He brought home
with him some pieces of calico and skeins of silk, a few hats, a
smart box of shoes, nails, a barrel of molasses, and one of sugar;
some coffee in a keg, two or three jars of candy, mostly peppermint;
some papers of cinnamon, a reasonable number of red pocket-handkerchiefs,
any quantity of pins and needles, a good supply of tobacco
and snuff, and one side-saddle. Mrs. Hodge had urged and rather
insisted upon the last article. Mr. Hodge hesitated, and seemed to
think it not a perfectly safe investment; but he yielded. In addition
to this stock Susan made ginger-cakes and spruce-beer. These sat
on a shelf outside the window, except in rainy weather. Mr. Bill
Williams once brought me one of these cakes, and I thought it was as
good as I ever ate.
Mr. Hodge, being a man somewhat adroit in the use of tools, made
his own counter and desk and shelves. It was a great time the night
on which the goods arrived. It was after dark when they came, but
there was no going to bed until those goods were opened and set in
their places. And oh, how particular they were in handling! Susan
must positively be more particlar, and quit bein so keerless, because
them things cost money. Susan got to be so particular that she even
handled the tobacco-box and the coffee-keg as if they were all cut
glass. When she took the pieces of calico one by one into her
hands and put them on the shelves, you would have thought every one
was a very young baby that she was lifting from the cradle and laying
upon its mother's breast. When the box of shoes was opened Susan
declared that they actilly smelt sweet, that they smelt the sweetest of
anything in that sto' exceptin the cinnamon. Mrs. Hodge's feelings
were too deep to allow very many words; but she let Susan go on.
Much as Mrs. Hodge admired everything, she was most deeply affected
by the side-saddle. The seat had a heart quilted into it of red stuff.
This was so becoming that Mrs. Hodge declared, and made Susan
admit, that it was the loveliest picter that ever was seen. She said
that that picter wer the picter of her own heart, and which it had been
on a new side-saddle for she didn't know how long. But still — Mrs.
Hodge didn't say any more about it then. She merely kept caressing
the heart softly with her hand until Mr. Hodge placed it on a small
board-horse which he had made for the purpose, and set it in a corner.
When all was finished they took a good look at everything, and it
was the unanimous opinion that nobody could have had any reason to
expect that that shed-room could have been made to look like it did
then. If that store wasn't carefully locked and bolted that night,
there never was one that was. Susan, who lodged in the other shed-room,
lay awake for hours — she declared she did — a thinking on it
all; but as for her part, she owned it was mostly about the shoes
and the cinnamon.
There was some talk about the store in the neighborhood for a
while. Some were for it and some against it. The Dukesborough
merchants were all of the latter party. Mr. Bland asked, if Hodge
wanted to set up in opposition, why didn't he come into town like a
man? It didn't look fair to be having a store away out there and be
a farming at the same time. But when he heard what the stock
consisted in he pretended to laugh, and people said that it would
a little in tobacco and shoes.
A person in going along the road and looking upon this store,
might have imagined that, apart from the cake and spruce-beer, it had
been established mainly for the purpose of supplying country people
with such little things as they would be likely to forget while in town.
Indeed, after the novelty had passed away it gradually relapsed into
such a state of things. It was seldom that a customer stopped while
on his way into town. Mrs. Hodge's hopes and reliance were mainly
on the outward bound. When any of these would call, she was wont
to meet them with an expression of countenance which seemed to
ask, “Well, what is it that you have forgotten to-day?” Like other
merchants, Mrs. Hodge, who gradually became the principal person
in the concern, studied the chances and possibilities of trade; and
her husband at her suggestion laid in his stock in the fall,
principally of such articles as a person might be expected to overlook
while making purchases of other more important things. He added
largely to his stock of pins, and went very extensively upon combs
and buttons.
The side-siddle seemed hard to get off. But Mrs. Hodge at the
very start, on learning the cost, had declared that it was entirely too
cheap; and she asked for the pricing of that herself, and she thought
she was warranted in putting it at a high figure. She had offers for
it. The heart in the seat had attracted several ladies, and once it
was within a half-dollar of going. But Mrs. Hodge, so far from falling,
intimated an intention upon reflection of rising, and that drove the
customer away.
Upon the whole, things went on right well. Mrs. Hodge certainly
improved in spirits; but of course she never could attain to that
state of contentment which Mr. Hodge could have wished, and which
at first he did fondly anticipate. In the matter of dressing herself
she looked up a little, and there was about her person not unfrequently
the odor of mingled cinnamon and peppermint. And it
must be remarked that the displeasure that it seemed inevitable for
her to indulge at intervals was now divided between Mr. Hodge and
Susan Temple, with the greater share to the latter. Susan did not
reflect nigh as often as she ought what it was to her to have a home
and clothes upon her back. The girl knew she ought to do it, and
was everlastingly trying to do it, and filled herself with reproaches
express any opinion upon the subject, but seemed to be satisfied with
taking care of himself the best he could. His attention lately had
been restored mostly to his farm.
In one of his trips to Augusta he brought back with him Mr.
Lively. He had made his acquaintance some time before, and had
mentioned the fact that the gentleman had talked about coming to
take board with them, and even went so far as to propose, in such an
event, to pay as much as five dollars a month. This sounded well.
Mrs. Hodge had an idea that the having a boarder might make the
house come to be regarded more as a public place; and so she said that,
as for herself, she was willing. So Mr. Lively came. When he did
come, she thought he was certainly the queerest person that she had
ever seen. She looked at his hair and then at his nose and legs, and
then at his hair again, from which he never removed his hat, not even
at meals. But he was a boarder, she knew, and was entitled to
privileges. She tried to pick him; but Mr. Lively was a man of
some experience and would not be picked. Mrs. Hodge being
satisfied that it was best for Mr. Lively to know at once that she was
a person of consideration, berated Susan the very first night of his
arrival for her carelessness and general worthlessness.
Messrs. Hodge and Lively seemed to get along together very well.
The latter, like the former, was a man of few words; and as time
lapsed they seemed to have something of a friendship for each other.
On the contrary, Mrs. Hodge seemed to have less and less regard for
her boarder according as he and her husband seemed to like each other
the more, and was often heard to say that in her opinion there was
nothing in Mr. Lively. Whatever estimate Mr. Lively placed upon her
he never told to anybody; but he went along and acted as if Mrs.
Hodge and whatever might be her thoughts about him were not at all
in his way. As time passed Mr. Hodge would often sit with Mr.
Lively, and talk with him with some freedom of his business and
other matters. Small as was Mr. Hodge's business comparatively,
he was careful of his papers and always kept them locked up in his
desk.
On one of his return trips from Augusta Mr. Hodge spent a little
more time than usual at his desk in looking over his papers and one
thing and another; but when he came out he seemed to be very well
satisfied. The next day he was taken sick. Little was thought of it
his time was coming. Mr. Hodge himself did not seem to be aware
of the state of the case until it was too late to leave any special
directions about anything. At the last he did rouse himself a little,
looked very hard at Mr. Lively, and muttered a few unintelligible
words about “my desk,” and Mr. Lively's being “mighty particular,”
and such things. But at last he had to give it up, and then Mr.
Hodge carried his succession of Mr. Simmons to extremes.
| CHAPTER V. Dukesborough tales | |