Charlotte's Ladies Page #2

"Charlotte's Ladies" is a poignant novella by Lucy Maud Montgomery that weaves together themes of friendship, love, and the complexities of women's lives in a small community. The story centers around Charlotte, a kind-hearted and introspective woman who navigates the challenges and joys of her relationships with a diverse group of women. As they each face their unique struggles, the bonds of sisterhood and solidarity emerge, highlighting the importance of understanding and supporting one another. Through Montgomery's lyrical prose, the narrative explores the nuanced emotions and aspirations of its characters, celebrating the strength and resilience of women in early 20th-century society.

• Short story

								


Charlotte shook her head. "I don't. I'd love to be adopted, but I
wouldn't really like to be anybody but myself, even if I am homely.
It's better to be yourself with mousy hair and freckles than somebody
else who is ever so beautiful. But I do envy Lizzie, though the
matron says it is wicked to envy anyone."

Envy of the fortunate Lizzie did not long possess Charlotte's mind,
however, for that very day a wonderful thing happened at noon hour by
the northwest gap. Charlotte had always been very careful not to let
the Pretty Lady see her, but today, after the Pretty Lady had gone
past, Charlotte leaned out of the gap to watch her as far as she
could. And just at that very moment the Pretty Lady looked back; and
there, peering at her from the asylum fence, was a little scrap of a
girl, with mouse-coloured hair and big freckles, and the sweetest,
brightest, most winsome little face the Pretty Lady had ever seen. The
Pretty Lady smiled right down at Charlotte and for just a moment her
eyes looked as Charlotte had always known they ought to look.
Charlotte was feeling rather frightened down in her heart but she
smiled bravely back.

"Are you thinking of running away?" said the Pretty Lady, and, oh,
what a sweet voice she had--sweet and tender, just like a mother's
voice ought to be!

"No," said Charlotte, shaking her head gravely. "I should like to run
away but it would be of no use, because there is no place to run to."

"Why would you like to run away?" asked the Pretty Lady, still
smiling. "Don't you like living here?"

Charlotte opened her big eyes very widely. "Why, it's an orphan
asylum!" she exclaimed. "Nobody could like living in an orphan asylum.
But, of course, orphans should be very thankful to have any place to
live in and I am thankful. I'd be thankfuller still if the matron
wouldn't make me take sulphur and molasses. If you had a little girl,
would you make her take sulphur and molasses?"

"I didn't when I had a little girl," said the Pretty Lady wistfully,
and her eyes were sad again.

"Oh, did you really have a little girl once?" asked Charlotte softly.

"Yes, and she died," said the Pretty Lady in a trembling voice.

"Oh, I am sorry," said Charlotte, more softly still. "Did she--did she
have lovely golden hair and pink cheeks like yours?"

"No," the Pretty Lady smiled again, though it was a very sad smile.
"No, she had mouse-coloured hair and freckles."

"Oh! And weren't you sorry?"

"No, I was glad of it, because it made her look like her father. I've
always loved little girls with mouse-coloured hair and freckles ever
since. Well, I must hurry along. I'm late now, and schools have a
dreadful habit of going in sharp on time. If you should happen to be
here tomorrow, I'm going to stop and ask your name."

Of course Charlotte was at the gap the next day and they had a lovely
talk. In a week they were the best of friends. Charlotte soon found
out that she could make the Pretty Lady's eyes look as they ought to
for a little while at least, and she spent all her spare time and lay
awake at nights devising speeches to make the Pretty Lady laugh.

Then another wonderful thing happened. One evening when Charlotte went
to the southeast gap, the Tall Lady with the Black Eyes was not in the
garden--at least, Charlotte thought she wasn't. But the Very Handsome
Cat was, sitting gravely under a syringa bush and looking quite proud
of himself for being a cat.

"You Very Handsome Cat," said Charlotte, "won't you come here and let
me stroke you?"

The Very Handsome Cat did come, just as if he understood English, and
he purred with delight when Charlotte took him in her arms and buried
her face in his fur. Then--Charlotte thought she would really sink
into the ground, for the Tall Lady herself came around a lilac bush
and stood before the gap.

"Please, ma'am," stammered Charlotte in an agony of embarrassment, "I
wasn't meaning to do any harm to your Very Handsome Cat. I just wanted
to pat him. I--I am very fond of cats and they are not allowed in
orphan asylums."

"I've always thought asylums weren't run on proper principles," said
the Tall Lady briskly. "Bless your heart, child, don't look so scared.
You're welcome to pat the cat all you like. Come in and I'll give you
some flowers."

"Thank you, but I am not allowed to go off the grounds," said
Charlotte firmly, "and I think I'd rather not have any flowers because
the matron might want to know where I got them, and then she would
have this gap closed up. I live in mortal dread for fear it will be
closed anyhow. It's very uncomfortable--living in mortal dread."

The Tall Lady laughed a very jolly laugh. "Yes, I should think it
would be," she agreed. "I haven't had that experience."

Then they had a jolly talk, and every evening after that Charlotte
went to the gap and stroked the Very Handsome Cat and chatted to the
Tall Lady.

"Do you live all alone in that big house?" she asked wonderingly one
day.

"All alone," said the Tall Lady.

"Did you always live alone?"

"No. I had a sister living with me once. But I don't want to talk
about her. You'll oblige me, Charlotte, by not talking about her."

"I won't then," agreed Charlotte. "I can understand why people don't
like to have their sisters talked about sometimes. Lily Mitchell has a
big sister who was sent to jail for stealing. Of course Lily doesn't
like to talk about her."

The Tall Lady laughed a little bitterly. "My sister didn't steal. She
married a man I detested, that's all."

"Did he drink?" asked Charlotte gravely. "The matron's husband drank
and that was why she left him and took to running an orphan asylum. I
think I'd rather put up with a drunken husband than live in an orphan
asylum."

"My sister's husband didn't drink," said the Tall Lady grimly. "He was
beneath her, that was all. I told her I'd never forgive her and I
never shall. He's dead now--he died a year after she married him--and
she's working for her living. I dare say she doesn't find it very
pleasant. She wasn't brought up to that. Here, Charlotte, is a
turnover for you. I made it on purpose for you. Eat it and tell me if
you don't think I'm a good cook. I'm dying for a compliment. I never
get any now that I've got old. It's a dismal thing to get old and have
nobody to love you except a cat, Charlotte."

"I think it is just as bad to be young and have nobody to love you,
not even a cat," sighed Charlotte, enjoying the turnover,
nevertheless.

"I dare say it is," agreed the Tall Lady, looking as if she had been
struck by a new and rather startling idea.
								Rate this book:0.0 / 0 votes