chapter-5

Chapter 5. When Miss Matty went downstairs to speak to Martha, I quietly left with my

letter to the Arga Jenkins and went to Signor Brunoni's house to get his address. The

Signor was now healthy enough to travel, so the family would soon be leaving Cranford.

When I got the address, I went to the post office and sent the letter, then I quickly

returned home. Martha opened the door, crying. She pulled me into the kitchen. I'll never

leave Miss Matty. Never. But Martha, I said, she will have so little to live on. I don't

think she will have enough money to buy your food. I know you are like a friend to dear

Miss Matty, but not enough money. That's why Miss Matty didn't want a pudding today. She

said she didn't want something sweet, but I will make her a pudding, and I'll pay for

it myself. Don't tell her. I went upstairs and found Miss Matty very queer and sad. But

she tried to smile. We decided to write to my father and ask him to come to Cranford. After

we sent the letter, we began to talk about our plans. Miss Matty was thinking about selling

most of her furniture and getting a single room. She would live on the money that was left

after paying the rent. But I wanted more for her. What could a woman past middle age do to

earn some money? She could teach, I thought. She loved children. But what could she teach?

Music? She could not sing. Drawing? She could not really draw. Needle work? Her eyes were failing

her. Reading? When she read out loud, she always coughed before the long words. Writing. Her

spelling was terrible. There was nothing she could teach the children of Cranford. I kept

thinking and thinking until dinner time. Martha came in, her face red and swollen with crying.

Dear Martha, she normally found Miss Matty a little strange and childish. But today she

was talking to the 58 -year -old lady in a kind and caring way. She served the food the

way Miss Matty liked. When she was gone, I told Miss Matty that Martha had paid for the

pudding with her own money. Miss Matty's eyes filled with tears and she could not speak. Martha

returned with the pudding with a proud look on her face. Miss Matty wanted to thank her

but could not, so she took Martha's hand and shook it warmly. Martha began crying and

ran out of the room. I almost cried too. We did not talk much that afternoon because we

had too much on our minds. But as we were drinking tea, I had an idea. Miss Matty could

sell tea. She could be an agent to the East India Tea Company. It was not a vulgar business.

Tea was not dirty or heavy. She would not need to rent a shop. The only problem was the

buying and selling. Would Miss Matty agree to do that? Suddenly we heard a noise out on

the stairs and a whispering outside the door. Martha came in, pulling a great tall young

man who was read with Shinesse. Please, ma 'am, this is Jim Heian, said Martha. She looked

nervous. And please, ma 'am, he wants to marry me. And ma 'am, we want to rent a comfortable

house and have a lodger to make some money. Oh, dear Miss Matty, would you be that lodger?

Jim wants it as much as I do. She turned to Jim. You great clown. Say something. He wants

it too. Don't you, Jim? He's shy in front of you, ladies.

It's not that, said Jim. I didn't expect to get married so soon. I'm not against it,

ma 'am. But Martha acts so quickly when she has an idea in her head, ma 'am.

Please, ma 'am, said Martha, pulling at his arm. Don't listen to him. He asked me to marry

him only last night, and I said we should wait. Now he's confused because it's so sudden.

But you know, Jim, you want a lodger as much as I do. She pulled at his arm again.

Yes, he said. I am not against marrying Martha.

You've never stopped asking me, cried Martha, her face read. And now you're embarrassing

me in front of my Mrs. Now, now, Martha don't, said Jim. A man needs time. He turned to Miss

Matty. Ma 'am, I've always thought of Martha as my future wife. I respect everyone who

has been kind to her. She often tells me that you are the kindest lady. Ma 'am, you'd honor

us by living with us. We would do our best to make you comfortable.

Miss Matty had been very busy taking off her glasses, wiping them, and putting them back

on. Please don't hurry into marriage because of me, she said. Marriage is a very serious

thing. But Miss Matty will think of your plan, Martha, I said.

I thought it was a good idea, and we will never forget your kindness.

Yes, ma 'am, said Jim. I don't explain myself well. But I'm willing to get married.

He turned to Martha. Martha, my dear, why do you keep crying and pulling at my arm? He whispered.

Martha looked angrily at him and left the room. Jim followed her. Miss Matty sat down and

cried. The idea of Martha getting married so soon had shocked her.

I'll never forgive myself if she hurries into marriage because of me, she said.

I think I was more sorry for Jim. Both Miss Matty and I were grateful for their kindness.

Very early the next morning I received a mysterious note from Miss Poll. It came in a strange envelope.

The letter was hard to read, but I understood that she was asking me to be at her house at 11 o 'clock

that morning. I went. The door was opened to me by her little maid, Lizzie. The drawing room

upstairs was prepared for an important event. The table was covered with the best green cardcloth,

and there were writing materials on it. Miss Poll was dressed for visitors.

Mrs. Forrester was there, looking very sad. Soon Mrs. Fitz -Adam arrived, read with excitement.

Looking very serious, Miss Poll opined and shut the door, cuck -ed, and blew her nosey.

She envied us to the table, placing me opposite her. Finally she asked me the question.

Is it true that Miss Matty has lost all her money?

Yes, it is true, I said.

The three ladies looked very sad.

I wish Mrs. Jamison was here, said Mrs. Forrester.

Neither Mrs. Fitz -Adam nor Miss Poll agreed.

Even without Mrs. Jamison, we can find a solution, said Miss Poll. She turned to me.

Miss Smith, she said, they usually called me by my first name, Mary.

Yesterday afternoon, the ladies here and I talked about what has happened to our friend.

None of us are rich, but it will be a pleasure, a true pleasure, Mary, to give what we can

to help Miss Matilda Jenkins. Her voice was shaking, and she had to wipe her glasses.

But we wish to give our little bits secretly in order not to hurt her feelings.

We asked you to meet us this morning, because your father is Miss Jenkins's advisor.

You could speak with him, and he might find a way to deliver the money to her without knowing

that it comes from us.

Miss Poll finished her speech and looked around at us.

Now ladies, while Miss Smith thinks about it, let's have some tea and biscuits.

I was very thankful to them for their kind thoughts.

I said that I would talk to my father, and then I broke down and began to cry.

All the emotions that I had been hiding in the last few days came out.

The ladies cried too, even Miss Poll, Mrs. Forrester spoke first.

I'm not poor, but I'm not rich either. I wish I were.

But I'll write down what money I can give. I wish it was more my dear Mary.

Each lady wrote down what she could give on paper, put it in an envelope, and signed it.

If my father agreed with the plan, he would open the envelopes.

If not, I would return them to the ladies.

I got up to leave, but each lady wanted to speak to me alone.

Miss Poll kept me in the drawing room to say that Mrs. Jamison, who was very unhappy about

her sister -in -law's engagement to Mr. Hoggins, was coming home that afternoon.

She could not tell me this in front of Mrs. FitzAdam.

When I went downstairs, I found Mrs. Forrester waiting for me.

The poor old lady was shaking, trying with great difficulty to tell me something.

At last she said it. She had very little money to live on.

She had written a very small amount on the paper.

She wished she was rich so she could help Miss Matty more.

When I left the house, Mrs. FitzAdam stopped me outside.

She wanted to tell me the opposite.

She did not write down all that she could afford and was ready to give more.

Miss Matty, she said, she was such a fine young lady when I was just a country girl.

One day, I remember, I saw Miss Matty just outside Cranford.

She was walking and a gentleman rode beside her, talking to her.

She was looking down at some flowers she had picked, and she was crying, but she saw me.

And she turned around and ran after me to ask, oh so kindly, about my poor mother who was very ill.

I cried, and she took my hand to comfort me.

It was an honor that the rector's daughter spoke to me in that pretty way.

I have loved her ever since.

So I would like to give a little more without anyone knowing about it,

and my brother would be happy to be her doctor for nothing.

He and her ladyship would do anything for her, we all would.

I promised her I would do my best.

I was anxious to go home because I had been gone for two hours.

But Miss Matty had not missed me.

She had been busy making plans.

It was good to be doing something.

When I think of the poor Mr. Dobson with his five pound note, I feel terrible, she said.

The directors of the bank must be very sad too.

We took out and looked at all the valuable things that could be sold.

We kept Miss Matty's mother's wedding ring and her father's old brooch.

We made a list of all the furniture we could sell and were ready for my father's arrival.

My father came to Cranford the next morning.

Miss Matty and I sat listening to him as he talked about accounts and plans and reports and documents.

Although we did not understand most of what he said, we kept agreeing with him.

When we were alone, I told my father about my meeting with the Cranford ladies.

As he listened, he kept wiping his eyes and I knew that he was touched by their kindness.

Then I told him about Martha's plan.

He walked to the window and looked out.

Then he turned to me.

See Mary, he said.

A good life makes friends all around.

I could write an essay about this if I were a writer.

After lunch, my father and I took a long walk and talked about our plans.

If everyone agreed, Martha and Gem would get married as soon as possible.

They would rent Miss Matty's house with the money given by the Cranford ladies.

Martha would decide how much Miss Matty would pay her for her rooms.

I then told my father my idea that Miss Matty could make some money by selling tea.

He liked it very much.

He said she could make more than twenty pounds a year.

The small dining parlor could be turned into a shop and a glass door could be added.

When we told Miss Matty about our plan, she listened patently.

I know you are doing your best for me, she said.

But I don't know if I can sell tea.

It seems too difficult for me.

I'd be much better at selling sweets to children.

But I will try it, and if I'm not successful, I can give it up.

When Mrs. Jamison returned, she thought about Miss Matty's new situation for a few days.

Finally, she approved it, and Miss Matty could keep being part of Cranford society,

although she would be in business.

Mrs. Jamison also made a decision about Lady Glenmeyer's new situation.

A married woman takes her husband's level in society,

but an unmarried woman, like Miss Matty, keeps her father's level.

So Cranford was allowed to visit Miss Matty,

and, whether allowed or not, it was going to visit Lady Glenmeyer.

Then we learned that Mr. and Mrs. Hoggins were returning the following week,

not Lady Glenmeyer, but Mrs. Hoggins.

That woman always had low taste, said Mrs. Jamison.

But Mr. and Mrs. Hoggins looked very happy the next time we saw them at church,

and we did not turn away from them as Mrs. Jamison did.

Miss Matty's furniture sale was a success.

An unknown friend bought some of the furniture back for her.

I suspected it was Mrs. FitzAdam.

The rector bought the late Mr. Jenkins's library.

Later he wrote to Miss Matty that there was no room in the rector for all of the books,

and asked her to keep some of them in her house.

We then began working on the new shop.

We put the tea in bright green tins and the sweets in big glass jars.

I had some money, and I spent it all on sweets because Miss Matty loved being around children.

Martha cleaned the place, and we put a sign above the new glass door,

Matilda Jenkins tea cellar.

Miss Matty looked very proud as we stood in the shop on the evening before it opened.

But she was worried about one thing.

Mr. Johnson also sold tea in his shop, so she felt bad about hurting his business.

Without telling me, she went to him and told him about her shop.

Mr. Johnson was very kind, and told her that it would not hurt his business at all.

I know that afterwards he sent customers to her, saying that Miss Jenkins sold higher quality tea than he did.

When my father heard about this, he was shocked.

Business people can't make any money if they keep thinking about each other, he said.

This would never happen in Drumble.

It was very pleasant to see that Miss Matty's kindness brought out the good in others.

Everyone wanted to help her.

During the first two days she sold more tea than we had expected.

Suddenly everyone seemed to be out of tea.

I stayed in Cranford a little more until Miss Matty got used to her new life.

I left her with a light heart and went back home to Drumble.

I visited her every three months to do the shop's bookkeeping and help with business letters.

This made me think of the letter I had sent to the Arga Jenkins.

No reply had come from India, so I was glad that I had not told anyone about it.

About a year after Miss Matty opened her shop, I received a letter from Martha asking me to come to Cranford.

I was afraid that Miss Matty was ill, so I set off that afternoon.

Martha was surprised when she saw me at the door.

We went into the kitchen and she told me she was expecting a baby in a few weeks,

but Miss Matty did not know about it.

She wanted me to tell her the news.

Martha began crying because she was worried about Miss Matty.

Who's going to take care of her when I'm in bed?

She asked.

I comforted Martha and told her I would stay in Cranford until she got back on her feet.

Then I went downstairs to the shop.

Through the half open door, I could see Miss Matty sitting behind the counter,

knitting and singing a song.

I felt happy to see her like this.

I went in and surprised her.

We chatted for a while and I decided not to tell her about Martha's baby yet.

A week after I arrived, I went in to see Miss Matty with the baby in my arms.

She asked for her glasses and then looked at the baby in surprise.

She was very quiet all day.

But later she went upstairs to see Martha and they both cried with happiness.

When I congratulated him, the shy, proud, honest gem shook my hand so hard that I can still feel the pain when I think of it.

While Martha was in bed, I was busy in the house.

I helped Miss Matty in the shop too.

I enjoyed watching her there.

If a little child wanted some sweets, she would always add a little bit more.

When I told her she was losing money by doing this, she would say, but the children love it so much.

When I told her that sweets were unhealthy for the children, she would agree.

Next time she would put the extra sweet into the child's hand instead of putting it into the paper bag,

but she did make a lot of money by selling tea.

She liked the work and had a good relationship with everyone.

The country people would bring the old rector's daughter, little presents of eggs, fruit and flowers.

Things in Cranford were the same.

Mr. and Mrs. Hoggins were very happy together and Mrs. Jamison still refused to speak to them.

Even Mr. Mulliner avoided them and crossed the street if he saw them.

What will Mrs. Jamison do when she needs a doctor?

Miss Pole often asked.

I don't think she can go to Mr. Hoggins after the way she treated them.

It was June now and Martha was up again.

One afternoon I was sitting in the shop with Miss Matty.

A gentleman went slowly past the window and stood at the door.

He was searching for the name on the door.

Then he came in.

His clothes looked foreign, his hair was white and his face was brown.

All of a sudden I realized who it was.

It was the Arga Jenkins.

He looked at Miss Matty.

She did not recognize him.

She thought he was just another customer.

But he stood opposite her without asking for anything.

Then he turned to me and asked, is your name Mary Smith?

Yes, I said.

He did not know how to tell Miss Matty who he was.

He looked around to find something to buy.

He saw some sweets and said, give me a pound of those things.

A pound of sweets was too much.

Miss Matty looked up at him in shock.

Suddenly her face changed.

Oh sir, can you be my brother Peter?

She asked.

In a moment he was around the table and held her in his arms.

They were both crying.

Mr. Peter kept saying, I have been too sudden for you Matty, my little girl.

Miss Matty looked white, so we carried her upstairs into the drawing room.

She lay on the sofa and held her brother's hand tightly.

I left them alone and went back to the shop.

At tea time Miss Matty sat opposite her brother, not eating or drinking, just looking at him.

I suppose people get older quickly in hot climates, she said.

When you left Cranford you did not have a grey hair in your head.

That was many years ago, said Mr. Peter, smiling.

Ah, true!

Yes, I suppose you and I are getting old.

But white hair suits you Peter.

Matty, I have brought for you a pretty dress and a pearl necklace from India.

I'm afraid I'm too old to wear them, she said.

But it was very kind of you.

Yes, my dear Matty, I remembered your taste.

It was like my dear mothers.

The brother and sister held each other's hands and sat silently.

I got up to leave them alone.

But Peter got up too.

I must go and get a room at the George Inn.

My bag is there too.

No, said Miss Matty.

Please dear Peter, don't go.

Peter sat down again and gave her his hand.

I left to arrange the room.

Peter would stay with us.

Later that night Miss Matty told me about her brother's life and adventures.

He had fought in Rangoon and had been taken prisoner by the Burmese.

He was out of prison many years later.

He had sent letters to England, but they were returned with the word dead, written on them.

So he had decided to settle down in India as a planter.

He had become used to life there.

Then my letter had arrived.

He had sold everything and come home to his sister.

Mr. Peter was not a rich man.

But neither he nor Miss Matty cared much about that.

He and Miss Matty had enough money to live comfortably in Cranford.

And a day or two after Peter's arrival the shop was closed.

The sweets were given to the children, and some of the tea was given to the old people,

and some of it was sent to the Cranford ladies.

The pretty Indian dress was given to Flora Gordon, Miss Jessie Brown's daughter.

Many presents came for Miss Paul, Mrs. Forrester, Mrs. Jameson, and Mrs. FitzAdam.

I myself received the best edition of Dr. Johnson's works.

Dear Miss Matty, with tears in her eyes, told me that it was a present from her sister as well as herself.

Mr. Peter became a favorite with the Cranford ladies.

He told many wonderful stories, but they got wilder every time, and I doubted that they were all true.

I noticed that when Miss Matty or the rector was present, the stories were less wild.

But the ladies in Cranford loved his stories and his foreign ways.

One day at a party in Miss Paul's house, he said he was tired of sitting on the chair and sat cross -legged on the floor.

Before I returned to Drumble, I helped with the changes in the house.

The shop was turned into a parlor once again, decorated with lots of furniture.

Martha and Gem wanted to move to another house, but Miss Matty refused.

She liked having Martha with her, loved Baby Matilda, and did not mind Gem.

When I left Cranford, I was happy to know that Miss Matty and Mr. Peter were comfortable and happy.

The only sadness was the disagreement between Mrs. Jameson and the Hogginses.

One October morning, I received letters from Miss Paul and Miss Matty asking me to come to Cranford.

The Gaudens had returned to England with their two children.

They would be in Cranford on the 14th and had invited everyone to a lunch at the George Inn.

When I arrived in Cranford, nobody knew if Mrs. Jameson would go to the lunch.

Mr. Peter said that she should and would go.

Leave Mrs. Jameson to me, he said.

We believed that nothing could change her mind, but shortly after we heard that Mrs. Jameson was going.

Later we learned how Mr. Peter had done this.

He had asked Senior Brunoni to do a magic show in Cranford and sent everyone free tickets.

He showed us a large sign.

Senior Brunoni, magician to the King of Delhi, will perform in Cranford for one night only.

And under this we saw the words, in honour of the honourable Mrs. Jameson.

Senior Brunoni's show would be in the assembly room on the evening of the Gaudens lunch.

We all gathered in the George Inn for lunch.

Mrs. Jameson came and enjoyed listening to Mr. Peter's wonderful stories about his travels in India.

I want everybody to be friends, Mr. Peter said.

And that night he walked into the assembly room with Mrs. Jameson on one side and Mrs. Hoggins on the other.

Ever since that day we have had the old friendliness in Cranford.

I am thankful for this because my dear Miss Matty loves peace and kindness.

We are all better people when she is near us.