[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.“Nothing ill happened to me.’Twas just.you know, not knowing.I’ve come to understand more about America, Americans, and.well, I’ve learned that my security comes not from others but from God.”From a silent God? He had not stepped in and helped when Annie was in danger.Grace had seemed afraid, true, when she came over.Everyone is afraid of something.But Grace had worked to overcome her fears.That was how it was done.Still, if Annie were to say aloud that God had not helped them like they’d imagined, the women would surely chastise her.She kept those thoughts to herself.Mrs.Hawkins smiled and patted Grace’s hand.“You’ve done a wonderful job with the Parker children, love, teaching them a bit of what you’ve learned.”Grace let out a breath.“I’m trying.” She glanced at Annie.“Better to move on from memories like buttonhook eye examinations by immigrant doctors, aye? I’m sure your cousin will get through fine, just like thousands of others have.”Annie swallowed hard, the soup stinging her throat.She remembered thinking that no matter what that immigrant doctor did, she couldn’t be rejected and sent back.She just couldn’t.Aye.Better to move on.Mrs.Hawkins leaned her head to her shoulder, apparently noticing that Annie was lost in thought.“I understand there are health checks on Ellis Island.Indeed there must be more than what they did when I arrived.But the latest government regulations seem to be segregating more people for the purpose of deporting them.Tell me, what was that eye inspection like?”Annie lifted her gaze to the plastered ceiling as she recalled.Back then Annie had prayed to God just in case he might be listening anew in America.Please, God, remember Father Weldon’s blessing and have mercy on me.Standing in a line had helped save her before in the laundry.When she arrived in America, she had stood as close to the lass in front of her as she could.When it was her turn to lift her chin up toward the man doing the examination, sweat trickled down the back of her dress and a gray wooziness threatened to drop her to her knees.But then it was over.She had made it.Annie shook away the memory and answered.“We stood stoically as the doctor used an instrument—a buttonhook as Grace said—to pull back our eyelids, looking for trachoma.”Mrs.Hawkins gasped.“They did nothing like that to me when I arrived at Castle Garden years ago.I’ve never heard folks talk about that.How horrible, love.”“Well, I just gritted my teeth and endured it.Then I was sent on.Suppose folks don’t talk about it because they are eager to get admitted, and truly the screening is over quickly.” She didn’t like talking about doctors.There are some things a person doesn’t talk about because bad fortune might follow if you do.Not to mention the erroneous conclusions folks could make.Mrs.Hawkins had been gracious not to tell anyone Annie had been in a Magdalene Laundry.She had to know because her brother had rescued Annie, but they didn’t talk about it, thank the good Lord, or knock on wood, or whatever manner of luck that had been.Annie tried not to contemplate, even in private, the details of her experience in the laundry.Why give life to the words that would bring it all back fresh in her mind?When they finished eating and washing the bowls and utensils, they retired to the parlor.Mrs.Hawkins handed Grace her paper for drawing, a hobby Grace liked to pursue in the evenings.“Tell me, Grace.A man has not been here snooping around, has he?”“No one has been by.Who do you mean?”“A Pinkerton.Says he’s on a case, but for some reason he’s chosen our Kirsten to spy on, and he’s even threatened to report us as a disreputable house if I do not allow him to speak to her.”“What does he want?”“I have no idea, but perhaps we ought to have Owen stop by.”“I will ring the station house.” She hurried out to go to Mrs.Jenkins’s house next door, where the closest telephone was located.Annie’s discomfort must have shown because Mrs.Hawkins tried to distract her.“Why don’t you find something of interest in the Times to read aloud, Annie?” Mrs.Hawkins handed her the newspaper.Distractions were usually helpful.Annie thumbed through the pages, looking for something besides reports on the aftermath of the president’s death.The world was a scary place.She searched for more local news.Perhaps something from the society pages.She spotted a headline that looked promising.“Oh, J.Pierpont Morgan has a new collie dog.”Mrs.Hawkins looked up from her needlepoint.“Dogs are nice.What else does it say, Annie?”Annie looked over the article a moment.“Oh, I see why ’tis news.He has a whole kennel of Scotch collie dogs valued at over forty thousand dollars.”Mrs.Hawkins clicked her tongue.Annie ran a finger over the type.“It says the dog is a blue-ribbon winner imported from London at a cost of eight thousand dollars.He’s going to enter the dog in shows and expects to win prizes.His daughter also has some expensive pets called Chinese spaniels.Hers cost two thousand apiece.”Mrs.Hawkins threw down her needlepoint.“Think of all the hungry people who could be fed with that money.” She stared at the window.“I am not saying the businessmen should share all they make.They probably earn their money or else it was handed down.I don’t know.Theirs just the same.But those poor children out there on the streets, no more than a few blocks away, begging for a nickel.This is not the time for fancy dog shows.As Shakespeare wrote, ‘That thou mayst shake the superflux to them and show the heavens more just.’”Annie let the paper fall to her lap.“Shakespeare? I did not know you were fond of him, Mrs.Hawkins.My father used to recite his plays aloud.”The Hawk smacked her lips.“Some people think Shakespeare is just for the university types, but just because a woman hasn’t been to university doesn’t mean she can’t read, love.” She pointed to the shelves in the breakfront, where books stood as thick as a birch forest.Ah, books, aye.One had to amass as much knowledge and foresight as one could.The woman fussed.“My mission here is to help immigrant girls like you and Grace and our newest arrival, Kirsten.I will do so until my dying breath.”“I’m sorry all this has distracted you from seeing to Kirsten’s situation.”Aileen’s imminent arrival had preoccupied the Hawk so that she hadn’t yet quizzed Kirsten’s boss about her long hours.Already Aileen was interfering.Grace entered and handed Mrs.Hawkins something wrapped in a blue cloth napkin.“Mrs [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]