She
had seen the changes herself to which he referred; but how could a simple
girl wield such an influence over the grave, studious man? That was the
puzzle of puzzles. It was an enigma that she would be long in solving,
and yet the explanation was her own simplicity, her truthfulness to all
the conditions of unaffected girlhood.
On the way to the house Webb delighted Johnnie and Alf by gathering
sprays of the cherry, peach, pear, and plum, saying, "Put them in water
by a sunny window, and see which will bloom first, these sprays or the
trees out-of-doors." The supper-table was graced by many woodland
trophies--the "tawny pendants" of the alder that Thoreau said dusted his
coat with sulphur-like pollen as he pressed through them to "look for
mud-turtles," pussy willows now well developed, the hardy ferns, arbutus,
and other harbingers of spring, while the flowers that had been brought
back from the church filled the room with fragrance. To gentle Mrs.
Clifford, dwelling as she ever must among the shadows of pain and
disease, this was the happiest day of the year, for it pointed forward to
immortal youth and strength, and she loved to see it decked and garlanded
like a bride. And so Easter passed, and became a happy memory.
CHAPTER XXVI
VERY MOODY
The next morning Amy, on looking from her window, could scarcely believe
she was awake. She had retired with her mind full of spring and
spring-time beauty, but the world without had now the aspect of January.
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