They's beautiful letters,Ruth,and it's come to me,as I've been settin'here,that you might make a book out'n these letters of James's.You write,don't you?""Why,yes,Aunty,I write for the papers but I've never done a book.""Well,you'll never write a book no earlier,and here's all the material,as you say,jest a-waitin'for you to copy it.I guess there's over a hundred letters.""But,Aunty,"objected Ruth,struggling with inward emotion,"Icouldn't sign my name to it,you know,unless I had written the letters.""Why not?"
"Because it wouldn't be honest,"she answered,clutching at the straw,"the person who wrote the letters would be entitled to the credit--and the money,"she added hopefully.
"Why,yes,that's right.Do you hear James?It'll have to be your book,'The Love Letters of a Sailor,'by James,and dedicated in the front 'to my dearly beloved wife,Jane Ball,as was Jane Hathaway.'It'll be beautiful,won't it,James?""Yes'm,I hev no doubt but what it will."
"Do you remember,James,how you borrered a chisel from the tombstone man over to the Ridge,and cut our names into endurin'granite?"
"I'd forgot that--how come you to remember it?""On account of your havin'lost the chisel and the tombstone man a-worryin'me about it to this day.I'll take you to the place.
There's climbin'but it won't hurt us none,though we ain't as young as we might be.You says to me,you says:'Jane,darlin',as long as them letters stays cut into the everlastin'rock,just so long I'll love you,'you says,and they's there still.""Well,I'm here,too,ain't I?"replied Mr.Ball,seeming to detect a covert reproach."I was allers a great hand fer cuttin'.""There'll have to be a piece writ in the end,Ruth,explainin'the happy endin'of the romance.If you can't do it justice,James and me can help--James was allers a master hand at writin'.
It'll have to tell how through the long years he has toiled,hopin'against hope,and for over thirty years not darin'to write a line to the object of his affections,not feelin'worthy,as you may say,and how after her waitin'faithfully at home and turnin'away dozens of lovers what pleaded violent-like,she finally went travellin'in furrin parts and come upon her old lover a-keepin'a store in a heathen land,a-strugglin'to retrieve disaster after disaster at sea,and constantly withstandin'the blandishments of heathen women as endeavoured to wean him from his faith,and how,though very humble and scarcely darin to speak,he learned that she was willin'and they come a sailin'home together and lived happily ever afterward.Ain't that as it was,James?""Yes'm,except that there wa'n't no particular disaster at sea and them heathen women didn't exert no blandishments.They was jest pleasant to an old feller,bless their little hearts."By some subtle mental process,Mr.Ball became aware that he had made a mistake."You ain't changed nothin'here,Jane,"he continued,hurriedly,"there's the haircloth sofy that we used to set on Sunday evenins'after meetin',and the hair wreath with the red rose in it made out of my hair and the white rose made out of your grandmother's hair on your father's side,and the yeller lily made out of the hair of your Uncle Jed's youngest boy.I disremember the rest,but time was when I could say'm all.
I never see your beat for makin'hair wreaths,Jane.There ain't nothin'gone but the melodeon that used to set by the mantel.
What's come of the melodeon?"
"The melodeon is set away in the attic.The mice et out the inside.""Didn't you hev no cat?"
"There ain't no cat,James,that could get into a melodeon through a mouse hole,more especially the big maltese you gave me.I kept that cat,James,as you may say,all these weary years.When there was kittens,I kept the one that looked most like old Malty,but of late years,the cats has all been different,and the one I buried jest afore I sailed away was yeller and white with black and brown spots--a kinder tortoise shell--that didn't look nothin'like Malty.You'd never have knowed they belonged to the same family,but I was sorry when she died,on account of her bein'the last cat."Hepsey,half frightened,put her head into the room."Dinner's ready,"she shouted,hurriedly shutting the door.
"Give me your arm,James,"said Mrs.Ball,and Ruth followed them into the dining-room.
The retired sailor ate heartily,casting occasional admiring glances at Ruth and Hepsey.It was the innocent approval which age bestows upon youth."These be the finest biscuit,"he said,"that I've had for many a day.I reckon you made 'em,didn't you,young woman?""Yes,sir,"replied Hepsey,twisting her apron.
The bride was touched in a vulnerable spot.
