75 лучших рассказов / 75 Best Short Stories

And says I, “Honey, has it got anything to do with Moses and his law?” You know the Commandments[84 - the Commandments – in the Bible, the list of religious principles revealed to Moses, a Hebrew prophet of the 14th—13th centuries BC, on Mount Sinai] was called the Mosaic Law[85 - the Mosaic Law – the religious principles of Judaism revealed to Moses, a Hebrew prophet of the 14th—13th centuries BC], and was all on tables o’ stone. And Henrietta jest laughed, and says she: “No, grandma; I don’t believe it has.

But,” says she, “the minute I stepped on that pavement I thought about you, and I drew this pattern off on a piece o’ paper and brought it all the way to Kentucky for you to make a quilt by.” Henrietta bought the worsted for me, for she said it had to be jest the colors o’ that pavement over yonder, and I made it that very winter.’

Aunt Jane was regarding the quilt with worshipful eyes, and it really was an effective combination of color and form.

�Many a time while I was piecin’ that,’ she said, �I thought about the man that laid the pavement in that old church, and wondered what his name was, and how he looked, and what he’d think if he knew there was a old woman down here in Kentucky usin’ his patterns to make a bed quilt.

’

It was indeed a far cry from the Florentine artisan of centuries ago to this humble worker in calico and worsted, but between the two stretched a cord of sympathy that made them one – the eternal aspiration after beauty.

�Honey,’ said Aunt Jane, suddenly, �did I ever show you my premiums?’

And then, with pleasant excitement in her manner, she arose, fumbled in her deep pocket for an ancient bunch of keys, and unlocked a cupboard on one side of the fireplace. One by one she drew them out, unrolled the soft yellow tissue-paper that enfolded them, and ranged them in a stately line on the old cherry center-table – nineteen sterling silver cups and goblets. �Abram took some of ’em on his fine stock, and I took some of ’em on my quilts and salt-risin’ bread and cakes,’ she said, impressively.

To the artist his medals, to the soldier his cross of the Legion of Honor[86 - the Legion of Hono(u)r – the National Order of the Legion of Honour, a military and civil order of the French Republic, created by Napoleon in 1802], and to Aunt Jane her silver cups. All the triumph of a humble life was symbolized in these shining things.