Document text
Ruth Widen
625 E. 15 St.
New lork. N. Y.
KINGDOM COME
By Ruth Widen
Mrs. Mary OIShaughnesay lifted her round, unwieldy body out of the
comfortable armchair and slowly pad -pad -padded across the kitohen floor
to the windowbox full of growing flowers. She stood there, looking down
at them, letting her stiff fingers ripple them a little like water, and
mumbling to them. Her shape was bulgy before and behind, but pulled in
about the waist by the corset she had always worn since she was a girl;
and her face was like a wrinkled dried apple. In spite of her many years
there was something babyish about her, so that you wanted to pick her up
and dance her on your knee.
"That marrigold's goin' t'have annother blossom," she announced with
slaw, positive emphasis. "T hasn't hadd a blossom since come Mickle Muss.
Ann' th° zinnya, that's all over an' done with now. I'm goin' t'root it
out t'morra."
She maneuvered her body halfway round to see if her husband was
listening. He was sitting sprawled in the other armchair, his long legs
making a thirty -degree angle in front of him. The newspaper he was read-
ing was held up higher than his head. He was a mild, colorless man with
a swish of gray mustache about his mouth.
"Th' marrigold's goin' t'have annother blossom," said his wife, loud-
ly, and in accordance with long habit he grunted, knowing that she would
go an saying it until she got a reply.
"Y'never lissen tem," said Mrs. O'Shaughnessy. "Y'sit there com-
fortable like a stick& woodd, an' y'don't pay no 'tention Vise. I c'd
KINGDON COME 2
talk, an' talk, an'talk unntill Dooms Day, an' yivuddent no more lissen
time than tithiwinnd."
"If ye want I sh'd lissen tiye," said James, "then ye sh'd say some
thin' int'restini an' new, like, here's a million dollars I been savint
up fer ye. Then yed see how I'd lissom!"
"Thitrouble is all thithings I say t'yi are too nice," his wife pro-
claimed. "I sh'd come an' say, I'm tired a -y' an' I'm gain' tirun away
with annother mann. Then y'd lissen time, y'soutt y'l Yid lissen time
if I inn t'say, I'm gain' tirun away with annother mann, all right. Yid
lissen time then, I'll warrant yie
She picked up a long whisk broom and absent-mindedly tried to brush
under the radiator. Isolated phrases sounded now and then in a half
whisper, as if her lips kept up the argument after her mind had dropped
it.
James gave up trying to read the newspaper and went into the front
roam and turned on the radio. It was a new kind of radio which played
only music, never any advertising or announcers, except one announcer
over SJCYZ who had a deep, pleasing, romantic voice Mary O'Shaughnessy
loved to hear. Its tones came faintly to her as she puttered around.
She was being soothed back into an agreeable frame of mind. She eased
herself back into the armchair and gradually settled down.
Her brother Henry came in, stomping in his great boots. She heard
the clatter he always made hanginE up his sheepskin coat in the hall.
Re came in with his red cheeks glowing from the out-of-doors. His black
hair was only partly streaked with gray, and he towered over her like a
FINGIOM COME 3
mischievous giant. She looked up at him) he always vaguely irritated her
by seeming younger than he was.
'Yeill have annother plate t'set fir timorra's breakfast, young woman,"
he said, looking down at her. She stared.
"An l who'll it be?"
"An' ye'd better make up annother bed fir tinight too," he went on
with maddening slowness.
'that diy'mean, Henry?" She Put a trembling hand on his rough sleeve.
"Who's comin'?"
"Ye'll be havin' a guest tinight," he said, spinning it out as long
as he could. She began getting angry.
"Tell me i I'm *skin' y', *lois comin'? E'y'hear me, er not? Who's
comin'?"
"AArgery's comin'," he said at last, and watched the effect of his
announcement. It had plenty. 'Vire. (.'Shaughnessy gasped, shifted her eyes
away and then back to his, and the cords in her throat moved convulsively.
"":flarr-geryl" she enunciated thickly. "Marrgery's comin' back?"
hesitated a bare second. Yes," he said, "iargery's camin'
back. he' 11 be here anny minnit now."
i,ith considerable eflort ,rs. .)'Shaughnessy pulled herself together.
wull wull then I've gott tifix her room firir," she said,
as one who thinks up an unheard-of new idea.
%that I've been tellin' Ar fir the past half hour," said her brother
dryly.
watched her until she had clambered up to the top of the stairs
KINGDOY COME 4
and then, without hurry, went back through the front hall, back past the
coat -rack where his sheepskin coat was hanging, and opened the front door
of the house to a pleasant young woman who was waiting outside.
"Did you tell yer?" Margery asked, hesitating. He nodded.
"1 preparred ter." He held the door open. "Ctmerin an' take off
yer things."
%here is she?" Margery hung her coat and hat beside his and fluffed
her hair before the hall mirror.
"Upstairs, fixin' y'r room. She'll be down in a minnit. Here's y'r
father Inside."
"it's a wonder he wouldn't come to meet me, after five years," said
Margery. She -walked into the living room and her father rose awkwardly
and came forward. "I'd a come out t' meet ye, but there's a fine program
on I wuz lissnin' ta."
"Same old Dad," said his daughter.
"How'd ya leave 'am all?"
Margery's face clouded. "1 sure hated to break away, and leave John
with those three kids. I've had two, you know, since you were
with us." She phrased this last delicately, as if afraid of wounding him.
"'4e11, how do you like the old house?" henry broke in, genially.
"It's just like it was." he waved his hand around the room.
"Oh we've changed it a lot in the meantime," said Margery. She looked
around and picked out one piece of furniture to bear the weight of her
disapproval. "We threw out that old desk since you went away."
James 01Shaughnessy looked inexpressibly pained. The desk, as she
KINGDOM COME 5
pointed to it, became faint and shadowyj its outlines wavered and it seemed
on the point of dissolving into thin air. "Not" he said. "Y'dident throw
it out, really, Margery? That wuz a good desk." The dissolving process
was checked. "Y'r mother an' I got that f'r a weddin' present," he went
on more boldly. "Eer uncle Luke's wife in Buffalo give it t'us, an' she
had thimoney annyway t'buy somethin' good. Feel of that Margery it's
good mahogany, it 1st" He placed his hand on the desk, which became solid
and opaque again, like the rest of the roam.
"It's so out of date," said Margery. "Everybody has walnut now."
"Th' whole house is out of date," her uncle broke in, "but she come
back t'it, didn't ye?" He grinned. He and Margery had always understood
each other.
"hyn't ye come before?" James asked, reproachfully.
"I wasn't coming at all," she answered quietly. "I'd made up my mind,
I'll never get back into that old coop again. But then I found out I had
a yen for it, somehow. Everything else here is so strange," and
she shivered a little and the tips of her fingers crept out as if to
touch something in the familiar old house.
Her father cleared his throat. "There's one thing I want t'warn
ye
about, Margery, before y'see y'r mother. She don't know what's happened,
see?"
Vhe girl stared at him, round -eyed.
"Loesn't knowe
"She don't know," said her Uncle henry.
e never told 'er," said James O'Shaughnessy.
KINGDOM CONE 6
"But how could she help knowing?"
it all took place so gradual like, an' th' end vus so peaceful,
ttwasn't really like annything much at all."
"Even so" his daughter said.
"So y'better be careful what y'say t'her, because a shook upsets her
T.,.o." he rubbed his hands together nervously.
Margery stood very straight and the lines of her face hardened. "If
she doesn't know it yet, it's time she did."
"If I wus you
Henry grinned. "I'm tellin' ye, Margery, th'house won't be fit t'live
in Pr a week."
"But she's got to know some time," said Aiargery.
"I wish her father protested.
"Aarr-geryl"
Ars. O'Shaughnessy's tremulous contralto echoed through the house.
Though not especialay loud there was something *impelling about it, some-
thing that would make a man in a come sit up and take notice.
:Ilargery drew a long breath. i_ree, do you remember haw she used to
wake me up every morning just that way?
Marr-geryi
The parlor door opened and zary's form trundled over the threshold.
YArgery sprang forward. She took her mother's pulpy hands in her own and
met the questioning, reproachful gaze. he couldn't speak.
"Ye've come back, Marr-gery, said Wu -s. O'Shaughneswy. It was an
accusation. The girl straightened up and cleared her throat. There was
a long half -minute in Whick nobody said anything. filen she spoke.
KING:CY-4A CO YI 7
"No Ma, I haven't come back. 1 haven't been away."
James O'Fliaughnessy moved restlessly about the room. i-Aanry slipped
out discreetly and was heard disposing his big body in one of the arm-
chairs in the kitchen.
"What d'y'meaa?" The olC woman's troubled eyes stared into her
daughter's. "Sure y've beet away. Y've not been here in five years.
6hy d'y'go away, Marrgeryr
"You vent away," said Margery firmly. her father's hands twitched.
"I been here right along, Al.rrgery," her mother protested. never
left here."
'car daughter looked at her, full of compassion, and spoke slowly and
carefully, as when one explains a new idea to a small child. "You died
five --ears ago, At. Doli't you remember?"
"'T sandy rate, I wuddent use just that word," James muttered in a
last futile protest.
nary O'Shaughnesay's eyes grew very round. !er lips moved soundless-
ly. The cords in her throat throbbed like sone helpless mild creature
caught in a trap. "D -died?" she whispered- She evidently didn't believe
it.
"It was the week after ehristmab, othen Junior wee only six months
old, said .largery relentlessly. "i,on't you remember how sick you were?"
?,,,res,
wuz verry sick then, -.ary said, catching at a straw.
remember. wuz verry sick. .tlt gott better, Aarrgery, an' then you'd
one away."
KINGDOM. COME 9
right here, I said total, I had my daughter (that wuz Catherine y'know,
Margery) I had my grown daughter go down t'thsoffice Monday, I said, an'
she tuk care ofit fir me an' y've no business here, I said. Botherie
around a poor widda woman that's harrdly got up outs. bed. Get ontta this
house, I said, 'r I'll take the broom t'y'. Oh, he went quick, I'll tell
y'. he went away quick, Marrgery. He musta been scairrta ma."
I never saw the like4" cried the younger woman, breaking into
discordant laughter. "Ma, you're a riot."
Old Mary looked around triumphantly, swaying a little. her eyes
fell successively on the hangings in the door to the kitchen, on the wall,
on the mantel, on the big rocker, on her husband trying to be unobtrusive
behind the big rocker. There they rested. Their owner stopped swaying
and seemed to grow larger in sie.
"Ja-a-amesl" she enunciated thickly.
bhe got over to her husband's side and stood there heavily, breath-
ing fire. "So y'muddent tell me," she proclaimed bitterly and slowly.
"An' here I've been deadd five years an y'wuddent tell ma nuthin' about'ts
Yisit around an' y'sit around here all thIlivelong day like the blessed
stachue of I-don't-know-mhatt, an' y'never tell me a livin', breathin'
thing.'
dames regarded her blandly, though he couldn't avoid sucking hard on
his eigar. "'For sure Mary alanna," he said pacifically, "an' ye never
asked me itself."
His wife glared at him steadily. been a good wife t'you, James
O'Shaughnessy," she announced. "It's a good wife I've been t'y' these
KINGOOti, COME 10
thirrty five years, ant there's no mother's son c'd say i haven't.
James, glancing at Margery, saw no help forthcoming and settled him-
self resignedly in the big rocking chair while the storm beat about his
ears for half an hour.
"Scutt" Mary finished contemptuously. "It's not annother mann, it's
a man i shud have found, tibegin with. A man that'd be a mann.
She began to toddle absent-mindedly around the room. From time to
time her lips moved and dropped whispers, as if unconsciously. "Diedde
"Dead
;nen suddenly she straightened up. "Ye 'ye had nuthin' t'eat yet,"
she accused Margery. "Come inta thikitchen an' let me feed y'."
"Spice cakes?" her daughter asked, brightening.
The old woman's face fell into delighted wrinkles. "Ye -es, I've got
plentya spice cakes fir y', an' we'll all have a cuppa coffee t'gether."
She bustled out into the kitchen.
The others waited until the smell of percolating coffee crept in-
vitingly between the hangings, and until they heard Henry call, "Cemonin,
thigrub's waitinll" then, slowly and with dignity, as if tearing them-
selves reluctantly away, they sauntered into the kitchen.
"ow sitt down," said llary authoritatively, looking from one face to
another, and having to look up at each one. 'ow sitt down, every last
one of y', an' eatt, b'fore I take a stick t'y'."
'At down yourself ata," said argery presently. "We're all eating
but you. Sit down."
-7'd ought t'gett a new sett of salt shakers," the old lady murmured
KINGDOV COME 1i
as she got into her chair by inches.
"ere, have some of your own cake. You didn't forget how to make it
1 see."
016haughnessy smiled raptly, but absent-mindedly. "L'y'like it?
Take some more, Aarrgery. Help y'self t'some more cake."
annything she makes 'em bettern she tlid before," said -,enry,
taxing another.
"Didd I have a 600d funilI" :,etry burst forth suddenly leaning forward.
",Azz there sunny wreaths of flowers, Aarrgery?"
"tirand funerall" said .4rgery with her mouth full. "Uncle ilenry was
there. You remember it, Uncle ienry.
ALsn't it a grand funeral?"
'They wuz eighteen wreaths an' two other pieces." Henry nodded slow-
ly. counted em ard own self.
"biggest funeral they'd bad In tne churce in ten years, Wargery
supplemented.
Aary's eyes began to shine, ana a deep sigh of pleasure noticeably
swelled her ample bosom.
"Aho wuz at th funil? tell Ae4" she commanded. 'Nuz th' Aaginnises
there?
or two hours they told her about the funeral. the grew more and
more excited and happy all the time, somehow getting to look absurdly
like a younglpirl planning the details of her first party. She wanted
to know about the candles, 11,1c the shroud, and the casket, and the hearse,
and the horses, ann the funeral oration, and hundreds of other thinge.
1-er daughter and her brother did the best they could with their five-year-
KINGDO_!:. COME 12
91d memories, ana when thcse failed, began making u more to satisfy her.
James sipped his coffee, smoked his cigar and said nothing, like the
meek abstracted little man that he was.
.ben the kitchen clock struck eleven -thirty :Airy roused herself.
'it's time 'wuz goin' t'bedd," the said accusingly. "I've Eott y/r
room all made up f'r y'."
"'ll help you wee, the di0h35. :argery began picking up the cups
aad saucers. The men rose, and nei.e.n strolling away, talkine. Aargery
took ,.,At) dish -towel and dried the cups, polishing them carefully, as her
motheI washed.
;ood nigh .argery, called .enry at tho foot of the stairs. "See
y in 'mornin'."
Ja-a-amest' came -ary's voice in a tired cracked rumble. "See
that all thilights is out out, Jamea, all through th'house."
more to doV Istrgert; put up the dish towel. "Ah leave all
that, a, and come upstairs.
.':)1.1 go on up, aarrgerg. Jeave now an go on up t"lede.'
right, goo/niht, ergery yawned, ana dropped a kiss on her
mother 'r forehead.
-ru. .)''Adaughnessy puttered *roam. the kitchen another half hour be-
fore s e went apstairL.
efore iidin. into bed coside her snoring husband, ary J'haughnessy
Libtoet..to ,he aindow in her here feet and looked out at the moonlight
toucl-ine the back yards with dramatic mystery. :er lips moved. She
1ookec a d looked. Itwas al -lost too beautiful to turn away from. 'tend-
KINGDOM COME 13
in 'there, looking at the hack yards and the moonlight, she did something
she'd hover done in her life before. he made a philosophical generalisa-
tion.
"It don't make such a nawfai diff'rence, aein deada,' she said slow-
and positively, as if someone were there to oispute it. don't see
why they make th'ruse they do lbout't."