Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
You have heard that one of course, about the mill of the Martha joined them, knowing that she should be in tears,
gods, how they grind exceedingly fine, and grind yet finding that she had none to shed. It would ease the
exceedingly slow. Espeleta hadnt heard that one, nor tightness within her, would loosen the hard knot in her
had Martha. But Espeleta of course would have a more heart to cry. But you cannot summon tears when you
winded version of it. Anyhow, one day at the hospital, feel no grief, and the pain you feel is not of sorrow but
Martha was attendant nurse at an emergency case. A of the cruel justness of things. She could not even put
man had been shot. There were three bullets through his her arms around her weeping mother. When the doctor
chest, but he was still alive. Martha laughed queerly to told her that she would be excused from duty the rest of
herself, saying I must be dreaming, I am imagining that the day, that he would arrange it for her, she did not
man has my fathers face. thank him. She did not say anything for indeed she no
longer had any words, nor any emotions that required
speech. Or should be given speech. For one cannot say,
It was the doctor she loved who was in charge. With a how right! How just! When ones father has just died.
queer dreaming feeling, she raised her eyes to meet his,
Her mother and she took a taxi together to accompany
and was shocked to see him drop his gaze, and over his
the hearse that took her father home. There was a crowd
face steal a twist as of pain, as of pity. They were
awaiting them. Espeleta in tears. Espeleta crying
instantly their efficient selves again, cloaking themselves
condolence and opprobrium in the same breath. It was figure. That explained why the bullets had gone in
from them their good neighbours, their kind through his back and out through his chest. They said
neighbours that Martha learned how Gods justice that the street was spattered with blood and where he
had overtaken the sinner. fell, there was a pool of gory red. The killer had
surrendered himself at once. But everyone knew he
Colon is not as intimate as Espeleta. For it is a long
would not pay with his life he had taken. For the woman
street and broad street. But where the railroad crosses it,
was his wife and he had come upon them in his own
the houses group together in intimate warmth and
home.
neighbourly closeness and its families live each others
lives almost as meddlingly as Espeleta does. And is as Martha stayed with the kind condolers only a while. She
avid for scandals as Espeleta is. Among the people in left her mother for them to comfort as best as they could.
Marthas house were some from Colon. And it was they They would have praises like The good God knows
who supplied the grimmer details, the more lucid best; they would have words like, Your grief is ended,
picture. let your other grief commence. She went to look at her
father lying well arranged now in his bier. Already in
In that other womans house and Martha did not even
spite of the manner of his death, there were flowers for
know the other womans name there had existed the
him. Death had left no glare in the eyes that the doctor at
stalemate state of affairs that had existed in Marthas
the hospital had mercifully closed, over the features
house. Only where in Marthas house it had been a wife
lingered no evidence of pain. And Martha said, Death
who was patient, in that other womans house it had
was kind to you.
been the husband who had bided his time. And yet the
neighbours had thought he had not cared. For indeed he In Marthas room there hung a crucifix. Upon the
had seemed like a man blind and deaf, and if he raised crossed wood was the agonized Christ, His eyes soft and
his voice against his wife, it was not so they could hear deep and tender, even in his agony. But as Martha knelt,
it. Yet today, he had come home, after he had said he and lighted her candles, and prayed, in her eyes was no
was going away somewhere. And had come upon softness, and on her lips no words appealing for pity for
Marthas father in the house, and had, without saying him who had died. There was only the glitter of a justice
anything, taken out his revolver, and shot at him. meted out at last, and the thankfulness for a punishment
fulfilled. So she gave thanks, very fervent thanks. For
now, she hoped, she would cease to pay.
Martha heard all these. And thought you know often life
seems like an old fashioned melodrama, guns and all.
And yet the gun had not gone off. It had jammed, and
Marthas father had been able to run. And running, even
as he seemed far enough from the house to be safe, the
gun in the husbands hand had come right again. The
man had gone out in the street, aimed at the fleeing
c
2
22
2
$
2
2
%
&
$
'
&
&
!
2(
"
|