My Ántonia Read online

  XVI

  MR. SHIMERDA lay dead in the barn four days, and on the fifth they buriedhim. All day Friday Jelinek was off with Ambrosch digging the grave,chopping out the frozen earth with old axes. On Saturday we breakfastedbefore daylight and got into the wagon with the coffin. Jake and Jelinekwent ahead on horseback to cut the body loose from the pool of blood inwhich it was frozen fast to the ground.

  When grandmother and I went into the Shimerdas' house, we found thewomen-folk alone; Ambrosch and Marek were at the barn. Mrs. Shimerda satcrouching by the stove, Antonia was washing dishes. When she saw me sheran out of her dark corner and threw her arms around me. "Oh, Jimmy," shesobbed, "what you tink for my lovely papa!" It seemed to me that I couldfeel her heart breaking as she clung to me.

  Mrs. Shimerda, sitting on the stump by the stove, kept looking over hershoulder toward the door while the neighbors were arriving. They came onhorseback, all except the postmaster, who brought his family in a wagonover the only broken wagon-trail. The Widow Steavens rode up from her farmeight miles down the Black Hawk road. The cold drove the women into thecave-house, and it was soon crowded. A fine, sleety snow was beginning tofall, and every one was afraid of another storm and anxious to have theburial over with.

  Grandfather and Jelinek came to tell Mrs. Shimerda that it was time tostart. After bundling her mother up in clothes the neighbors had brought,Antonia put on an old cape from our house and the rabbit-skin hat herfather had made for her. Four men carried Mr. Shimerda's box up the hill;Krajiek slunk along behind them. The coffin was too wide for the door, soit was put down on the slope outside. I slipped out from the cave andlooked at Mr. Shimerda. He was lying on his side, with his knees drawn up.His body was draped in a black shawl, and his head was bandaged in whitemuslin, like a mummy's; one of his long, shapely hands lay out on theblack cloth; that was all one could see of him.

  Mrs. Shimerda came out and placed an open prayer-book against the body,making the sign of the cross on the bandaged head with her fingers.Ambrosch knelt down and made the same gesture, and after him Antonia andMarek. Yulka hung back. Her mother pushed her forward, and kept sayingsomething to her over and over. Yulka knelt down, shut her eyes, and putout her hand a little way, but she drew it back and began to cry wildly.She was afraid to touch the bandage. Mrs. Shimerda caught her by theshoulders and pushed her toward the coffin, but grandmother interfered.

  "No, Mrs. Shimerda," she said firmly, "I won't stand by and see that childfrightened into spasms. She is too little to understand what you want ofher. Let her alone."

  At a look from grandfather, Fuchs and Jelinek placed the lid on the box,and began to nail it down over Mr. Shimerda. I was afraid to look atAntonia. She put her arms round Yulka and held the little girl close toher.

  The coffin was put into the wagon. We drove slowly away, against the fine,icy snow which cut our faces like a sand-blast. When we reached the grave,it looked a very little spot in that snow-covered waste. The men took thecoffin to the edge of the hole and lowered it with ropes. We stood aboutwatching them, and the powdery snow lay without melting on the caps andshoulders of the men and the shawls of the women. Jelinek spoke in apersuasive tone to Mrs. Shimerda, and then turned to grandfather.

  "She says, Mr. Burden, she is very glad if you can make some prayer forhim here in English, for the neighbors to understand."

  Grandmother looked anxiously at grandfather. He took off his hat, and theother men did likewise. I thought his prayer remarkable. I still rememberit. He began, "Oh, great and just God, no man among us knows what thesleeper knows, nor is it for us to judge what lies between him and Thee."He prayed that if any man there had been remiss toward the stranger cometo a far country, God would forgive him and soften his heart. He recalledthe promises to the widow and the fatherless, and asked God to smooth theway before this widow and her children, and to "incline the hearts of mento deal justly with her." In closing, he said we were leaving Mr. Shimerdaat "Thy judgment seat, which is also Thy mercy seat."

  All the time he was praying, grandmother watched him through the blackfingers of her glove, and when he said "Amen," I thought she lookedsatisfied with him. She turned to Otto and whispered, "Can't you start ahymn, Fuchs? It would seem less heathenish."

  Fuchs glanced about to see if there was general approval of hersuggestion, then began, "Jesus, Lover of my Soul," and all the men andwomen took it up after him. Whenever I have heard the hymn since, it hasmade me remember that white waste and the little group of people; and thebluish air, full of fine, eddying snow, like long veils flying:--

  "While the nearer waters roll, While the tempest still is high."