UNDER THE ROSE. "The iniquity of the fathers upon the children." O the rose of keenest thorn!

One hidden su er orn Under the rose ! "as #orn. ! do not $uess his na e %ho "rou$ht y &other's sha e( )nd $a*e e life forlorn( +ut y &other( &other( &other( ! kno" her fro all other. &y &other pale and ild( ,air as e*er "as seen( She "as #ut scarce si-teen( .ittle ore than a child( %hen ! "as #orn To "ork her scorn. %ith secret #itter throes( !n a passion of secret "oes( She #ore e under the rose. One "ho y &other nursed Took e fro the first/00 "O nurse( let e look upon This #a#e that cost so dear1 To0 orro" she "ill #e $one/ Other others ay keep Their #a#es a"ake and asleep( +ut ! ust not keep her here."00 %hether ! kno" or $uess( ! kno" this not the less. So ! "as sent a"ay That none i$ht spy the truth/ )nd y childhood "a-ed to youth )nd ! left off childish play. ! ne*er cared to play %ith the *illa$e #oys and $irls1 )nd ! think they thou$ht e proud( ! found so little to say )nd kept so fro the cro"d/ +ut ! had the lon$est curls( )nd ! had the lar$est eyes( )nd y teeth "ere s all like pearls1 The $irls i$ht flout and scout e( +ut the #oys "ould han$ a#out e !n sheepish oonin$ "ise. Our one0street *illa$e stood ) lon$ ile fro the to"n( ) ile of "indy do"n )nd #leak one0sided "ood( %ith not a sin$le house. Our to"n itself "as s all( %ith 2ust the co on shops( )nd thro*e in its s all "ay. Our nei$h#orin$ $entry reared The $ood old0fashioned crops(

)nd ade old0fashioned #oasts Of "hat 3ohn +ull "ould do !f ,rench an ,ro$ appeared( )nd drank old0fashioned toasts( )nd ade old0fashioned #o"s To y .ady at the Hall. &y .ady at the Hall !s $rander than they all/ Hers is the oldest na e !n all the nei$h#orhood1 +ut the race ust die "ith her Thou$h she's a lofty da e( ,or she's un arried still. 4oor people say she's $ood )nd has an open hand )s any in the land( )nd she's the co forter Of any sick and sad1 &y nurse once said to e That e*erythin$ she had 5a e of y .ady's #ounty/ "Thou$h she's $reatest in the county She's hu #le to the poor( No #e$$ar seeks her door +ut finds help presently. ! pray #oth ni$ht and day ,or her( and you ust pray/ +ut she'll ne*er feel distress !f needy folk can #less." ! "as a little aid %hen here "e ca e to li*e ,ro so e"here #y the sea. &en spoke a forei$n ton$ue There "here "e used to #e %hen ! "as erry and youn$( Too youn$ to feel afraid1 The fisher0folk "ould $i*e ) kind stran$e "ord to e( There #y the forei$n sea/ ! don't kno" "here it "as( +ut ! re e #er still Our cotta$e on a hill( )nd fields of flo"erin$ $rass On that fair forei$n shore. ! liked y old ho e #est( +ut this "as pleasant too/ So here "e ade our nest )nd here ! $re". )nd no" and then y .ady !n ridin$ past our door %ould nod to nurse and speak( Or stoop and pat y cheek1 )nd ! "as al"ays ready To hold the field0$ate "ide ,or y .ady to $o throu$h1 &y .ady in her *eil So seldo put aside( &y .ady $ra*e and pale.

! often sat to "onder %ho i$ht y parents #e( ,or ! kne" of so ethin$ under &y si ple0see in$ state. Nurse ne*er talked to e Of other or of father( +ut "atched e early and late %ith kind suspicious cares/ Or not suspicious( rather )n-ious( as if she kne" So e secret ! i$ht $ather )nd s art for una"ares. Thus ! $re". +ut Nurse "a-ed old and $ray( +ent and "eak "ith years. There ca e a certain day That she lay upon her #ed Shakin$ her palsied head( %ith "ords she $asped to say %hich had to stay unsaid. Then "ith a 2erkin$ hand Held out so piteously She $a*e a rin$ to e Of $old "rou$ht curiously( ) rin$ "hich she had "orn Since the day that ! "as #orn( She once had said to e/ ! slipped it on y fin$er1 Her eyes "ere keen to lin$er On y hand that slipped it on1 Then she si$hed one rattlin$ si$h )nd stared on "ith si$htless eye/00 The one "ho lo*ed e "as $one. Ho" lon$ ! stayed alone %ith the corpse ! ne*er kne"( ,or ! fainted dead as stone/ %hen ! ca e to life once ore ! "as do"n upon the floor( %ith nei$h#ors akin$ ado To #rin$ e #ack to life. ! heard the se-ton's "ife Say/ "Up( y lad( and run To tell it at the Hall1 She "as y .ady's nurse( )nd done can't #e undone. !'ll "atch #y this poor la #. ! $uess y .ady's purse !s al"ays open to such/ !'d run up on y crutch ) cripple as ! a (" 6,or cra ps had *e-ed her uch(7 "Rather than this dear heart .ack one to take her part." ,or days( day after day( On y "eary #ed ! lay( %ishin$ the ti e "ould pass1 O( so "ishin$ that ! "as .ikely to pass a"ay/

,or the one friend "ho ! kne" %as dead( ! kne" no other( Neither father nor other1 )nd !( "hat should ! do8 One day the se-ton's "ife Said/ "Rouse yourself( y dear/ &y .ady has dri*en do"n ,ro the Hall into the to"n( )nd "e think she's co in$ here. 5heer up( for life is life." +ut ! "ould not look or speak( %ould not cheer up at all. &y tears "ere like to fall( So ! turned round to the "all )nd hid y hollo" cheek( &akin$ as if ! slept( )s silent as a stone( )nd no one kne" ! "ept. %hat "as y .ady to e( The $rand lady fro the Hall8 She i$ht co e( or stay a"ay( ! "as sick at heart that day/ The "hole "orld see ed to #e Nothin$( 2ust nothin$ to e( ,or au$ht that ! could see. 9et ! listened "here ! lay/ ) #ustle ca e #elo"( ) clear *oice said/ "! kno"1 ! "ill see her first alone( !t ay #e less of a shock !f she's so "eak to0day"/00 ) li$ht hand turned the lock( ) li$ht step crossed the floor( One sat #eside y #ed/ +ut ne*er a "ord she said. ,or e( y shyness $re" Each o ent ore and ore/ So ! said ne*er a "ord )nd neither looked nor stirred1 ! think she ust ha*e heard &y heart $o pit0a0pat/ Thus ! lay( y .ady sat( &ore than a ortal hour 6! counted one and t"o +y the house0clock "hile ! lay7/ ! see ed to ha*e no po"er To think of a thin$ to say( Or do "hat ! ou$ht to do( Or rouse yself to a choice. )t last she said/ "&ar$aret( %on't you e*en look at e8" ) so ethin$ in her *oice ,orced y tears to fall at last( ,orced so#s fro e thick and fast1 So ethin$ not of the past( 9et stirrin$ e ory1

) so ethin$ ne"( and yet Not ne"( too s"eet to last( %hich ! ne*er can for$et. ! turned and stared at her/ Her cheek sho"ed hollo"0pale1 Her hair like ine "as fair( ) "onderful fall of hair That screened her like a *eil1 +ut her hei$ht "as statelier( Her eyes had depth ore deep/ ! think they ust ha*e had )l"ays a so ethin$ sad( Unless they "ere asleep. %hile ! stared( y .ady took &y hand in her spare hand( 3e"elled and soft and $rand( )nd looked "ith a lon$ lon$ look Of hun$er in y face1 )s if she tried to trace ,eatures she ou$ht to kno"( )nd half hoped( half feared( to find. %hate*er "as in her ind She hea*ed a si$h at last( )nd #e$an to talk to e. "9our nurse "as y dear nurse( )nd her nurslin$'s dear(" said she/ "No one told e a "ord Of her $ettin$ "orse and "orse( Till her poor life "as past" 6Here y .ady's tears dropped fast7/ "! i$ht ha*e #een "ith her( ! i$ht ha*e pro ised and heard( +ut she had no co forter. She i$ht ha*e told e uch %hich no" ! shall ne*er kno"( Ne*er( ne*er shall kno"." She sat #y e so##in$ so( )nd see ed so "oe0#e$one( That ! laid one hand upon Hers "ith a ti id touch( Scarce thinkin$ "hat ! did( Not kno"in$ "hat to say/ That o ent her face "as hid !n the pillo" close #y ine( Her ar "as flun$ o*er e( She hu$$ed e( so##in$ so )s if her heart "ould #reak( )nd kissed e "here ! lay. )fter this she often ca e To #rin$ e fruit or "ine( Or so eti es hothouse flo"ers. )nd at ni$hts ! lay a"ake Often and often thinkin$ %hat to do for her sake. %et or dry it "as the sa e/ She "ould co e in at all hours( Set e eatin$ and drinkin$( )nd say ! ust $ro" stron$1

)t last the day see ed lon$ )nd ho e see ed scarcely ho e !f she did not co e. %ell( ! $re" stron$ a$ain/ !n ti e of pri roses ! "ent to pluck the in the lane1 !n ti e of nestlin$ #irds ! heard the chirpin$ round the house1 )nd all the herds %ere out at $rass "hen ! $re" stron$( )nd days "ere "a-en lon$( )nd there "as "ork for #ees ) on$ the &ay0#ush #ou$hs( )nd ! had shot up tall( )nd life felt after all 4leasant( and not so lon$ %hen ! $re" stron$. ! "as $oin$ to the Hall To #e y .ady's aid/ "Her little friend(" she said to ")l ost her child(" She said and s iled( Si$hin$ painfully1 +lushin$( "ith a second flush( )s if she #lushed to #lush.

e(

,riend( ser*ant( child/ 2ust this &y standin$ at the Hall1 The other ser*ants call e "&iss(" &y .ady calls e "&ar$aret(" %ith her clear *oice usical. She ne*er chides "hen ! for$et This or that1 she ne*er chides. E-cept "hen people co e to stay 6)nd that's not often7 at the Hall( ! sit "ith her all day )nd ride out "hen she rides. She sin$s to e and akes e sin$1 So eti es ! read to her( So eti es "e erely sit and talk. She noticed once y rin$ )nd ade e tell its history/ That e*enin$ in our $arden "alk She said she should infer The rin$ had #een y father's first( Then y other's( $i*en for e To the nurse "ho nursed &y other in her isery( That so quite certainly So e one i$ht kno" e( "ho00 Then she "as silent( and ! too. ! hate "hen people co e/ The "o en speak and stare )nd ean to #e so ci*il. This one "ill stroke y hair( That one "ill pat y cheek )nd praise y .ady's kindness( E-pectin$ e to speak1

! like the proud ones #est %ho sit as struck "ith #lindness( )s if ! "asn't there. +ut if any $entle an !s stayin$ at the Hall 6Thou$h fe" co e pryin$ here7( &y .ady see s to fear So e do"nri$ht dreadful e*il( )nd akes e keep y roo )s closely as she can/ So ! hate "hen people co e( !t is so trou#leso e. !n spite of all her care( So eti es to keep ali*e ! so eti es do contri*e To $et out in the $rounds ,or a "hiff of "holeso e air( Under the rose you kno"/ !t's char in$ to #reak #ounds( Stolen "aters are s"eet( )nd "hat's the $ood of feet !f for days they ustn't $o8 :i*e e a lon$er tether( Or ! ay #reak fro it. No" ! ha*e eyes and ears )nd 2ust so e little "it/ ")l ost y lady's child"1 ! recollect she s iled( Si$hed and #lushed to$ether1 Then her story of the rin$ Sounds not i pro#a#le( She told it e so "ell !t see ed the actual thin$/00 O keep your counsel close( +ut ! $uess under the rose( !n lon$ past su er "eather %hen the "orld "as #losso in$( )nd the rose upon its thorn/ ! $uess not "ho he "as ,la"ed honor like a $lass )nd ade y life forlorn1 +ut y &other( &other( &other( O( ! kno" her fro all other.