At last,--it was already near Thanksgiving,--the news reached Elkanah.
"I thought you'd ha' been down afore this to see Hepsy Ann Nickerson in
her trouble," said an old coasting-skipper to him, with mild reproach,
handing him a letter from his mother,--of all persons in the world!
Whereupon, seeing ignorance in Elkanah's inquiring glance, he told the
story.
Elkanah was as one in a maze. Going to his little room, he opened his
mother's letter, half-dreading to find here a detailed repetition of
what his heart had just taken in. But the letter was short.
"MY SON ELKANAH,--
"Do you not know that Captain Elijah Nickerson will never come home
from the Banks, and that Hepsy Ann is left alone in the world?
"'For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and be joined
to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.'"
That was all.
Elkanah sat on his stool, before his easel, looking vacantly at the
unfinished picture, as one stunned and breathless. For the purport of
this message was not to be mistaken. Nor did his conscience leave him
in doubt as to his duty, O God! was this, indeed, the end? Had he
toiled, and hoped, and prayed, and lived the life of an anchorite these
five years only for this? Was such faith, such devotion, _so_ rewarded?
But had any one the right to demand this sacrifice of him? Was it not a
devilish temptation to take him from his calling, from that work in
which God had evidently intended him to work for the world? Had he a
right to spoil his life, to belittle his soul, for any consideration?
If Hepsy Ann Nickerson had claims, had not he also, and his Art? If he
were willing, in this dire extremity, to sacrifice his love, his
prospects of married bliss, might he not justly require the same of
her? Was not Art his mistress?--Thus whispered the insidious devil of
Selfishness to this poor, tempted, anguished soul.
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