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And now that the singer is gone, and his voice is silent, those hushed hearts recall the words of Father Felicien, Evangeline's pastor: "Forty years of my life have I labored among you, and taught you Not in word alone, but in deed, to love one another."
"Pieces of a coffin of one of the Acadians, exhumed at Grand Pré fourteen months ago, near the site of the old church," we are told; and when he continues: "A woman's bone was found in it", one unromantic and matter-of-fact member of the Octave asserts, "Evangeline's grandmother, of course"; while another skeptically remarks, "That's more than I can swallow; it would give me such a spell o' coughin' as I couldn't get over"; but the conductor and others staunchly avouch the genuineness of the article, affirming that they were present "when it wus dug up."
After spending a few days in Evangeline's country, about which Longfellow's beautiful poem has woven a spell of enchantment, Miss Sullivan and I went to Halifax, where we remained the greater part of the summer. The harbour was our joy, our paradise. What glorious sails we had to Bedford Basin, to McNabb's Island, to York Redoubt, and to the Northwest Arm!
John Bradford came that evening to sit on the porch in the soft warmth that autumn had borrowed from summers-to-come, with promissory note to pay it back when lovers were through with it. Miss Theodosia met him with the news. "Mustn't it be beautiful to be welcomed home like that, dear? If you could have seen Evangeline's little shiny face! And the way Elly Precious laughed when I tickled him!
To Mary's horror, she held a doll in her arms almost as large as herself, and on the table beside her stood a huge toy trunk. "I brought all of Evangeline's clothes with me," announced Girlie, as soon as Mrs. Sherman had left them to themselves. "'Cause I came to stay all morning, and I knew she'd have plenty of time to wear every dress she owns."
In the dark Miss Theodosia waited; she saw no light as yet. "If I could only have 'em if I only had've, anyway! Then I could take care of my darlin' dear. But Elly Precious's is the only measles we ever had in the family." Ah, light! Miss Theodosia blinked in the sudden inflow of it. Evangeline's released tongue leaped ahead. "How'd I know the Benjamin baby had 'em when she only just sneezed?
"It IS" declared Rose, "but she keeps writing it all the time." Just then Evangeline's round, white face again appeared above the hedge, and at that moment Aunt Rose came out on the porch. "Come over here, Evangeline," she said kindly, "and meet our little guest." "I'm not dressed up," said the voice behind the hedge, "but I've just made a poem, and I can read it from here!"
In the fisherman's cot the wheel and the loom are still busy, Maidens still wear their Norman caps and their kirtles of homespun, And by the evening fire repeat Evangeline's story."
All her thirty-six years she had held aside her dainty skirts from people who went to circuses, but how could she hold them aside now? There was not room. She was caught in the swirl and noise and glee. Suddenly a familiar voice struck her ear. Evangeline's voice!
The children slept the profound sleep of childhood and childhood's unbelonging toil. Sleep was smoothing Stefana's roughened little nerves with gentle hand and fortifying her courage for yet more strenuous toils to come. Evangeline's weary little arm and tongue were resting. Miss Theodosia prowled softly, to avoid disturbing the little box-house.
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