Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Hedged with Divinities

X

page 66

X.

How do you know," said Jack, "that the calamity was as great as you say? It might have been confined to these islands only. There might be plenty of men left in Australia or Europe to fill the vacant places."

"Alas, no," answered Miss Henley. "One of the occupations which women could be found to fill on the sudden demand was that of telegraphist. Some understood the Morse alphabet, and others soon learnt. Messages came in from Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, from all parts of the islands, telling the same story. Then followed the cable flashes from Europe, Asia, and America. For months we had the sad comfort of communicating our woes to each other; but now the wires are down towards the South, and none of us know enough or dare enough to start out into the lonely forest country to put them up. The cable is still working in Wellington between the North and South Islands, but there is no news save of disaster and death. The steamers are rotting at the wharf, or have drifted ashore, for we do not know how to manage them; the railways are idle, for we are afraid to touch them and are doubtful of the page 67women, themselves but few, hare been persuaded by bribes, which would once have been of immense value, to carry a letter now and then for us to Taranaki or Wellington. Now to you we are all looking. You will be the inspiration that can give the world a chance for life again. See how your coming has put the wine of hope and of life into these poor helpless despairing women, who yesterday were fainting with hopelessness, thinking that each hour the end of the race was drawing near, and that they might as well die now in languorous carelessness as drop off one by one through hunger or natural decay."

"I cannot quite understand," said Jack. "Why should they die of hunger? They could have occupied the near farms in companies; the cattle and sheep were there, and they could have grown enough potatoes and maize and pumpkins to keep themselves alive."

"You would have understood it had you been here," was the rejoinder. "No temperament, however courageous, could have borne up against such a deluge of troubles as overwhelmed us. Herds to be tended and managed by women whose husbands had always done it for them. Fences to be mended, beasts killed, carcases cleaned, roads repaired by those who had known such work only as lookers-on. Fields to be ploughed, crops gathered, flour made in quantities for a large population; all the labour (skilled labour) to be supplied by a sex accustomed to see men, and machines guided by men, conducting such operations. All this was to be begun instantly, and carried on under the wildness of crushing sorrow, of superstitious fear of an angry Heaven, with death and disease everywhere, and the future one great Dread! It could not be done. It was attempted here and there, as I said, by bands of brave women, but they page 68all broke down, and defeat was universal. Men themselves could not have coped with such a time, until they had somewhat recovered from the immense shock; and we have never recovered at all. A noble girl, whose name was Ethel Hammond, made a last and vigorous struggle only six months ago. It seemed as if she was really going to succeed in organising the community to meet the difficulties of the food-supply. She fought through all the petty difficulties, but in consequence of a flood the main sewer of the town accidentally broke in; half Queen Street and the lower town by the wharf became a hideous swamp. She could get no party of followers to face that foul work, and she gave up the struggle."

"I will make a note of her name, anyway," said Jack.

Victoria Stanley gave him a sharp suspicious glance, and the other girl flushed.

"Have you no later intelligence from any part of the world?" Jack resumed. "Is Australia not able to get enough clever girls together to work a steamer? Where are the millions of England? What of crowded India?"

"Ah," replied Miss Henley, "there are few left, I fear, in Britain or in India now; England could not feed her own people before the trouble, without food from abroad; plague and famine had swept her numbers down to a few before we ceased to hear. India was one huge grave; there famine and the wild beast were always near, and needed the strong arms of men to keep them back. In the past few years it has become a desolation."

"So will all the rest of the world be," broke in Victoria Stanley, "all places but this favored land, page 69when one is saved for us, one man's arm holding aloft the hope of life."

Her dark eyes beamed with the light of enthusiasm; she was evidently one of those frank natures in whom freedom of thought was blended with imagination and excitability. But the personality coming from a strange girl towards himself jarred upon Jack, who had oldfashioned notions upon certain subjects, and did not make allowance for the different points of view from which he and she were regarding the matter. She had been through the dismal experiences of despair for many months; she had shared the curious sense of there being but one sex in the world, till that fact alone had become overwhelming and hateful. Now she saw deliverance, and her impulsive nature had loosened her tongue to give utterance to the thought which (shared by all her sisters) was to her not indelicate.

But she flushed crimson as Jack, speaking under the jarring feeling that her speech had aroused in him, said calmly and with a laugh, "Remember the compact; only one speaker."

Victoria looked indignant, and her lip quivered a moment, but she became silent.

"I notice, Miss Henley, that you ladies have adopted the masculine costume."

Miss Henley smiled and said, "Yes, we did that, partly because some of our number had a great fancy for it, partly because we had to work at many rough unpleasant duties that could not be performed in petticoats. It was astonishing how in the matter of dress all the old instincts of vanity started up, even in the midst of distress. I suppose the feeling must be deep in us after so many centuries of considering the subject as important. The pretty girls came out in knicker-page 70bockers, but others who had not well-shaped legs were dissatisfied. They said that now that distress had made us all equal it was not fair that one should flaunt her personal advantages over the others. So they all came down to a jacket and trousers. Boots were a great trouble; we have exhausted all the women's boots in the shops and factories, and now we are wearing the men's boots. We perhaps could have made some for ourselves, but the supply of hides was short. For clothes we have used up the contents of the stores, and had to fall back upon cutting up our old dresses. I am afraid that you will be very much amused when you see some of us close; we are all right in a crowd, quite picturesque, but you must not examine the details. We could have woven cloth, but the shearing puzzled us, and the sheep are now missing."

"Well," said Jack, "I do not see that things cannot be remedied, if we all work hard and get a little time to turn round in. I must go about the place and inspect the actual condition of the roads, bridges, farms, and other things, so as to see what we can do to get plenty of food for the present and future. I thank you ladies very much for your kindness in coming to see me and telling me what occurred. If I can get Jenny to bring us some wine and refreshments I may perhaps offer you some."

"No," replied Miss Henley, "we do not wish for any. I have done my best to be calm, but I am really too excited to eat or drink. You could not offer us wine; the wine and spirits have all been destroyed. We went round to the hotels and warehouses and emptied the alcoholic drinks into the gutter, because they were a danger to all through the behaviour of the criminal women; and indeed some of the better sort page 71were beginning to fly to stimulants in their despair. Our mission to you is not yet finished. We, the women, have determined to call a great meeting to-night in the park, and then with all the inhabitants of the city present, you will be elected King."

"What?" said Jack, "King? Nonsense! I am not going to be King or to play the fool in any such way. I can work, and help, and direct affairs just as well with only the position of a citizen."

"You can do nothing of the kind," again broke in Victoria Stanley. "To do any good you will want a supreme authority, and a power which only high position gives."

"Yes," added Miss Henley, "she is quite right. They want to worship you; let them: that is the only way to move them properly. You must not be their equal, there must be no bickerings, no hesitation in carrying out orders, no petty jealousies. You are no common man. No king that has governed among the human race has had so much right as you to be sole and only ruler of his people, for if theirs has been the power of life and death you are the life or death of the people in the future. For myself I am old enough to speak very frankly, to say that I like you very much, and feel the utmost confidence and trust in your capacity to organize us again into a civilized community. But in the fact of manhood which is yours, and which makes us look to you with trust, is the weakness that you do not know your future vassals as I know them, so I am bold to offer what I believe is good advice. They will probably have the coronation ceremony the day after to-morrow. The order for the most splendid material for your robes has been given, all are offering their treasures which have been neglected or put away page 72as too rich for use in the time of calamity, and you will have to look your best."

"I will not," said Jack. "This thing finishes it all for me; I won't be a party to such mountebank folly. It is too much altogether."

"Now, Mr. Wallace," resumed Miss Henley, "you have had much patience; have a little more, and I will show you where the good advice I spoke of comes in. After this I shall have to address you with that deep respect and homage which suits with our new conditions. You are going to reign over a peculiar people, a people you can coax into doing anything if you will only study their foibles, and a people with whom you can do nothing if you rouse their obstinacy. They must not be ridden on the curb, but with a very gentle hand; be it as firm as you like. Give way to them in little things which are unessential, then you will get all the great things in their power to give; loyalty, affection, industry, self-abnegation. As to this matter of the coronation, this small matter, which you think ludicrous, but at which none who will be present at it will laugh; let it go on. Humour their love of colour, their pleasure in pretty sights and sounds, and dress, and music; remember that they have been living in the most awful trouble for months and years. Let the pageant be as splendid as their poverty can provide, and that splendour will be like the sun breaking from under the clouds upon their grey monotony of sorrow. Don't let them hear a harsh word, or see a cross look under whatever provocation, and you will have a people of willing devoted slaves, who would give their lives in your service, and serve you as never a king was served before."

"Miss Henley," said Jack, "you are a real immense page 73Brick; you will pardon the slang, I hope, in consideration of the short time remaining to me in which I may use words under three syllables and not talk of myself as 'we.' I feel that you have spoken the truth, and that if I am to do any good I must have large powers of control. I want you to do one more kindness, however; that is to see that a proper force of your able-bodied women is told off, not only to keep order generally, but to prevent my being mauled about as I was to-day. Some young men may like that sort of thing; I don't; I am one of the hunters, not the hunted. That reminds me, do either of you know a young lady named Nelly Farrell?"

"Farrell? Farrell?" said Miss Henley, "No." The others also shook their heads, but with a suspicious and half-angry look from Victoria toward Jack.

"I do not know the name," continued the elderly lady, "but there are hundreds of women here unknown to me; so many came in from the country districts, and, alas, so many have died. Was she a relative?"

"No," said Jack, proudly, "she was my betrothed, and I shall know no peace till I find her."

"I hope that you will find her," returned Miss Henley.

"So do I," said Victoria drily, as she passed the door which Jack had unlocked to allow their egress.

"I wish you and your friend," said Jack to Harriet Longfellow, "would come with me to-morrow, and bring some horses, that we might ride round the place, and that I might see exactly the state of things. I suppose you have horses? there were two with the carriage that met me on my entrance to the town."

"Yes," replied Harriet, her face growing pink on being thus directly addressed for the first time, "Yes, page 74we will bring a horse for you, and accompany you if the others will let us, but we shall have to slip round to the back entrance I fear. We were in such great straits for meat at one time that it was resolved to kill the horses, but no one would undertake it. We did kill one, but it was a horrid thing to do, and we couldn't get its dreadful skin off, or clean it properly, so we left them alone, and most of them have gone wild, but there are a few left."

"Till to-morrow then," said Jack, bidding farewell to his visitors.

"Won't you come with us incognito, and see the great meeting in the Park to-night, when you will be elected King?" Victoria said over her shoulder as she went down the steps.

"No," replied he, "I am tired out, and must have a good sleep; besides I am afraid."

"Afraid, what of?" questioned Victoria, "Of me?"

"Oh no," answered Jack, "of course not of you. Good-bye!" And he went back into the house.

That night he lay upon the sofa wrapped in a rug which had been passed through the vacant panel by Jenny, whose good-natured smiles had re-appeared, and who addressed the future King with some of the reverence which his coming dignity demanded.