|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 52
The natives watched Annadoah, as, arrayed in her immaculate garments,
she made her way, with bowed head, to her new home; they whispered
among themselves as they saw the _ilisitok_ (wise woman) follow later.
When she sank on the new and wonderful couch, gratitude filled
Annadoah's heart, and she murmured over and over again: "Thou art very
kind, Ootah: thou art brave and kind." Somehow the bright igloo became
black and she seemed to be floating on clouds. She remembered the
Eskimo women wailing in the moonlight . . . by the open sea . . . and
the curse they invoked upon her through the dead. She trembled and
felt inordinately cold. But she knew it was spring, for outside the
igloo, with blithesome and silvery sweetness, a bunting was singing.
When Annadoah awoke from her delirium of agony she saw that the wise
woman had left her. The walls of the igloo sparkled as the flames of
the lamp flickered. Over it a pot sizzled with walrus meat frying in
fat. In her half-waking condition Annadoah realized that something lay
by her, and turning, softly, she found a tiny, naked baby. Its skin
was pale golden, its hair, unlike that of other babies, was of the
color of the rays of the sun. With half-fearful gentleness she turned
it over and over. Speechless with wonder, an inexplicable stirring in
her bosom, she regarded its face--she observed its nose, the contour of
its cheeks, the arrogance of its little chin; she noted in her child
that curious and often brief resemblance of the new-born to the
father--and this immediately recalled vividly and achingly the face of
Olafaksoah. This was her child, and his. Surely, surely, with great
joy she understood! With this thought, an impetuous longing for the
father filled her. Passionately pressing the little creature to her
breast she gave vent to the homesickness and ache of her heart in wild,
convulsed sobs. The touch of the little one, the resemblance of its
tiny face to that of the blond man--these brought back the old passion
and longing in all their bitterness. Yet at the same time the child
brought a new satisfying solace to her; it filled an immeasurable void
in her heart. Now and again she held it from her, and suppressing her
violent sobs, solemnly regarded its face. She could not get over the
wonder and half-surprise that possessed her. With utter abandon she
finally fiercely clutched it to her. The infant began to cry.
Annadoah, with slow, cautious gentleness laid it down by her side,
scared, amazed. Thereupon the baby for the first time opened its eyes.
Annadoah leaned forward, gazing at it intently, wildly--then uttered a
scream as though she had been stabbed to the heart.
When the wise woman--who had left Annadoah alone for a long
sleep--returned to prepare food and to seek of the spirits the destined
name of the child, she saw Annadoah lying still, her face upturned,
tear drops glistening beneath her eyes. The wise woman placed some of
the fried walrus meat, or _seralatoq_--the prescribed food for a mother
the day her child is born--into a stone plate and put it on the floor
within reach of Annadoah. Then she melted some snow and placed it by
the couch. Slowly approaching the bed she lifted the naked infant.
"When thy mother wakes," she muttered, "I shall call upon the spirits.
I shall give thee the name they gave thee in the great dark ere thou
earnest hither--the name which was born with thee and which shall be as
thy shadow."
As she laid the little creature by the unconscious mother she saw a
strange and frightful thing. The curse! And thereupon she knew she
would not be called upon to learn of the spirits any name for this
unhappy child. It had, indeed, been named by the dead and with it the
unuttered name must soon return to the great dark. With set lips, and
the grim determination of duty on her face, she crept softly from the
igloo.
Annadoah awoke. At first she gazed about dazedly. Then she realized
that the _ilisitok_ had been with her--she observed the meat and warm
water by her couch. She realized also that the wise woman must have
seen the horror which had gripped her heart like the teeth of wolves.
Beneath lids scarred as by the claws of a hawk, the baby's eyes had
been blasted by some unknown prenatal disease--the terrible dead, with
their talon-hands, had smitten! The child was organically blind, and,
being defective and fatherless, Annadoah knew that, by the law of her
people, it was doomed to immediate death. While she shook with terror,
withal a grim determination rose within her. All the tremendous urge
of that mighty mother-love which has beautified and ennobled the world
clamored in the heart of this simple woman that her child _must not_
die.
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|