Lippincott's Magazine, August, 1885 Read online

  THE PRIMITIVE COUPLE.

  I.

  PARADISE.

  The island in Magog Lake was like a world by itself. Though there werebut fifteen or twenty acres of land in it, that land was so diversifiedby dense woods, rocks, verdant open spots, and smooth shore-rims that itseemed many places in one.

  Adam's tent was set in the arena of an amphitheatre of hills, uponclose, smooth sward sloping down to the lake-margin of milk-white sand.Beyond the lake stood up a picture as heavenly to man's vision as theNew Jerusalem appearing in the clouds.

  This was a mountain bounded at the base by two spurs of the lake, andclothed by a plumage of woods, except upon spaces near the centre of itsslope. Here green fields disclosed themselves and two farm-houses werenested, basking in the light of a sky which deepened and deepenedthrough infinite blues.

  Though it was high noon, dew yet remained upon the abundance of fernsand rock-mosses on those heights around the camp. The tent stood open atboth ends, framing a triangular bit of lake-water and shore. Within itwere a table piled with books, an oval mirror hung over a toilet-stand,garments suspended along a line, a small square rug overlying the sward,and camp-chairs.

  The two cots had been stripped of their blankets--which were out sunningupon a pole--and set in the thickest shade, and upon one of these cotsEva was stretched out, having a pillow under her head. Her dress was ofa green woollen stuff, and barely reached the instep of her low shoes. Amighty bunch of trailing ferns, starred with furry azure flowers andox-eyed daisies, was fastened from her neck to her girdle. She had drawnher broad sun-hat partly over the bewitching mystery of her eyes andforehead, to keep the sky-glow at bay, but left space enough throughwhich to search the whole visible world, and her face was smiling withpure joy. To be alive beside Lake Magog was sufficient; and she was bothalive and beloved.

  She thought within herself how indescribable all this beauty was. Apleasant wind smelling of world-old fern-loam fanned her. There wereneither mosquitoes nor flies to sting, and, had there been, Adam wasprovided with a bottle of pennyroyal oil, wherewith he would anoint herface and hands, kissing any lump planted there before he came to therescue.

  Eva felt sure she never wanted to go back to civilization again. Daysand days of shining weather, fog-or dew-drenched in the morning,wine-colored or opaline in the evening; cool, starry nights, so cool, sodense with woods-shade that they drove her to hide her head in theblankets under Adam's arm; glowing noons, when the world swam inecstasy; long pulls at the oars from point to point of this magic lake,she holding the trolling-line at the stern of the boat, her husbandsometimes resting and leaning forward to get her smile at nearer rangeupon his face; plunges into the warm lake-water in the afternoon whentime stood still in a trance of satisfaction:--what a honeymoon she washaving! Why should it ever end? There were responsible folks enough tocarry the world's work forward. Two people might be allowed to spendtheir lives in paradise, if a change of seasons could only be prevented.Anyhow, Eva was soaking up present joy. She half closed her eyes, andwhispered fragmentary words, feeling that her heart was a censer ofincense, swinging off clouds of thanksgiving at every beat.

  Adam came from the spring with a dripping pail. A fret-work of cooldrops stood all over the tin surface, even when he set the pail besidehis heated stove. That water had been filtered through moss and pebblesand chilled by overlaced boughs until its nature was glacial.

  The cooking-stove stood quite apart from the tent, under a tree. Bluewoodsmoke escaped from its pipe and straight-way disappeared. A coveredpot was already steaming, and Adam filled and put the kettle to boil.Not far from the stove was a stationary table, made of boards fastenedupon posts. The potato-cellar and the cold-chest were boxes sunk in theground. Some dippers, griddles, and pans hung upon nails driven in thetree.

  Adam spread the table with a red cloth, brought chairs from the tent,and came and leaned over Eva's cot. He was a sandy-haired, blue-eyed,hardy-looking Scotchman, gentlemanly in his carriage, and bearing uponhis visible character the stamp of Edinbro' colleges and of Calvinisticsincerity. He wore the Highland cap or bonnet, a belted blouse,knickerbockers, long gray stockings, and heavy-soled shoes.

  "Well, Mrs. Macgregor," said Adam, giving the name a joyful burr in histhroat, "my sweethairt. I must have a look of your eyes before you tastea bit of my baked muskalunge."

  "Well, Mr. Macgregor. And will I get up and set the table and help puton dinner?"

  "No, my darling. It's all ready,--or all but a bit of fixing."

  "I am so happy," said Eva, "so lazy and happy, it doesn't seem fair tothe rest of the world."

  "There is at this time no rest of the world," responded Adam. "Nothinghas been created but an island and one man and woman. Do you belaiveme?"

  "I would if I didn't see those farm-houses, and the boats occasionallycoming and going on the lake; yes, and if you didn't have to row acrossthere for butter and milk, and to Magog village for other supplies."

  "That's a mere illusion. We live here on ambrosial distillations fromthe rocks and muskalunge from the lake. I never came to Canada from oldGlazka town, and never saw Loch Achray, or Loch Lomond, or any body ofwater save this, since I was created in God's image without anyknowledge of the catechism. And let me see a mon set foot on thisstrond!"

  "Oh, you inhospitable creature!"

  "I but said let me see him."

  "Yes, but I know what you meant. You meant you didn't want anybody."

  "My wants are all satisfied, thank God," said Adam, lifting his cap. "Ihave you, and the breath o' life, and the camp-outfit."

  "And the mountains, and the lake, and the rocks, and the woods," addedEva. "I never could have believed there were such sublime things in theworld if I hadn't seen them."

  "Neither could I," owned the Scotchman. "Especially such a sublime thingas me wife."

  Eva struck at him, restraining her palm from bringing more than a patupon his cheek.

  "How your little hand makes me tremble!" said Adam, drawing his breathfrom chest-depths. "Will I ever grow to glimpse at you without havingthe blood spurt quick from me hairt, or to touch you without thisfaintness o' joy? And don't mock me wi' your eyes, bonnie wee one, forit's bonnie wee one you'll be to me when you're a fat auld woman thesize of yonder mountain. And _that_ changes the laughter in your eyes."

  "I didn't suppose you ever _could_ call me a fat old woman."

  "I'll be an auld man then meself, me fiery locks powthered with ashes,and my auld knees knocking one at the ither," laughed Adam.

  "But hand in hand we'll go,"sang Eva, "And sleep thegither at the foot, Joh--n Ander--son, my jo--o."

  "Oh, don't!" said Adam, with a sudden grasp on her wrist. "My God! onemust go first; and I could naither leave you nor close these eyes ofyours." He put his other hand across his eyelids, his lower featureswincing. "Sweetheart," said Adam, removing it, and taking her headbetween his palms, "for what we have already received the Lord make usduly thankful. And shut up about the rest. And there's grace said fordinner: excepting I didn't uncover me head. Excuse me bonnet."

  "Take off your ridiculous bonnet," said Eva, emerging from the eclipseof a long kiss, "and drag me out of my web. If I am to be your helpmeet,make me help."

  "You naidn't lift a finger, my darling. I don't afford and won't have asairvant in the camp, so I should sairve you myself."

  Passing over this argument, Eva crept up on the stretcher and had himlift her to the ground. Her shape was very slender and elegant, and whenthe two passed each an arm across the other's back to walk togetherschool-girl fashion, Adam's grasp sloped far downward. She did not quitereach his shoulder.

  They made coffee, and served up their dinner in various pieces ofpottery. The baked muskalunge was portioned upon two plates andsurrounded with stewed potato. Potatoes with scorched jackets, enclosingtheir own utmost fragrance, also came out of the ashes. Adam pouredcoffee for Eva into a fragile china cup, and coffee for himself into atin pint-measure. The sugar was in a glass
fruit-jar, and the cream camedirectly off a pan in the cold-box. They had pressed beef in slices,chow-chow through the neck of the bottle, apricot jam in a little whitepot, baker's rolls, and a cracked platter heaped with wild strawberries.Around the second point of Magog Island, down one whole stony hill-side,those strawberries grew too thick for stepping. The hugest, most deadlysweet of cultivated berries could not match them. You ate in them thelight of the sky and the ancient life of the mountain.

  "I never was so hungry at home," said Eva, accepting a finely-done bitof fish with which her lord fed her as a nestling. "Perhaps things tastebetter eaten out of unmatched crockery and under a roof of leaves. Iwouldn't have a plate different in the whole camp."

  "Nor would I," said Adam.

  She looked across at the mountain-panorama, for, though stationary, itwas also forever changing, and the light of intense and burning noon wasdifferent from the humid veil of morning.

  "And yonder goes a sail," she tacked to the end of hermountain-observations.

  "Heaven speed it!" responded Adam, carrying his cup for a second fillingto the coffee-pot on the stove. "Will ye have a drop more?"

  "Indeed, yes. I don't know how many drops more I shall drink. We get sofierce and reckless about our victuals. Will it be the spirit of the oldcounterfeiters who used to inhabit this island entering into us?"suggested Eva, using the English-Canadian idiom of the westernprovinces.

  "Without doot. It was their custom never to let a body leave this strondalive, and they can only hairm us by making us eat oursels to death."

  "Nearly a hundred years ago, wasn't it, they lived here and madecounterfeit money and drew silly folks in to buy it of them? When I hearthe rocks all over this island sounding hollow like muffled drummingunder our feet, I scare myself thinking that gang may be hid hereaboutsyet and may come and peep into the tent some night."

  "Behind them all the army of bones they drowned in Magog watther orburied in the island," laughed Adam. "It's not for a few old ghosts we'dtake up our pans and kettles and move out of the Gairden of Eden. I'llkeep you safe from the counterfeiters, my darling, never fear."

  "You said heaven speed that sail yonder; but the man has taken it downand is rowing in here."

  "Then he's an impudent loon. Who asked him?"

  "The sight of our tent, very likely. And maybe it will be some friend ofours, stopping at the Magog House. He wears a white helmet-hat; andisn't that a yachting-suit of white flannel?"

  "He comes clothed as an angel of light," said Adam.

  They both watched the figure and the boat growing larger in perspective.Features formed in the blur under the rower's hat; his individualitysprung suddenly from a shape which a moment ago might have been anyman's.

  "Oh, Adam, it will be Louis Satanette from Toronto," exclaimed Eva.

  "And what's a Toronto man doing away up on Lake Magog?"

  "What will a Glasgow man be doing away off here on Lake Magog?"

  "Camping with his wife, and getting more religion than ever was taughtin the creeds."

  "I'm not so sure of that, then."

  "Because I don't love a Frenchman?"

  "A French-Canadian. And a member of Parliament, too. Think of that athis age! They say in Toronto he is one of the most promising men in theprovinces."

  "Can he spear a salmon with a gaff, and does he know a pairch from alunge? And he couldn't be a Macgregor, anyhow, if he was first man inCanada."

  Eva laughed, and, forming her lips into a kiss, slyly impressed the sameupon the air, as if it could reach Adam through some invisible pneumatictube. He was not ashamed to make a return in kind; and, the boat beingnow within their bay, they went down to the sand to meet it.