The
arrangement made was, that, as soon as his work was over, he
should come and see whether there was anything he could do for
them. And he never came but there was plenty to do. He took a
lodging close by, that he might be with them earlier, and stay
later; and, when nothing else was wanted of him, he was always
ready to discourse on his violin. Sometimes Tom enjoyed his music
much, though he found no little fault with his mode of playing,
for Tom knew something about everything, and could render many a
reason; at other times, he preferred having Mary read to him.
On one of these latter occasions, Mary, occupied in cooking
something for the invalid, asked Joseph to read for her. He
consented, but read very badly--as if he had no understanding of
the words, but, on the other hand, stopping every few lines,
apparently to think and master what he had read. This was not
good reading anyway, least of all for an invalid who required the
soothing of half-thought, molten and diluted in sweet, even,
monotonous sound, and it was long before Mary asked him again.
Many things showed that he had had little education, and
therefore probably the more might be made of him. Mary saw that
he must be what men call a genius, for his external history had
been, by his own showing, of an altogether commonplace type.
His father, who was a blacksmith before him, and a local
preacher, had married a second time, and Joseph was the only
child of the second marriage.
Pages:
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490