What Is Visible: A Novel by Kimberly Elkins

Author:Kimberly Elkins [Elkins, Kimberly]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2014-06-03T00:00:00+00:00

Sarah dreamed of writing on Laura’s hands, having Laura write on hers with those endlessly moving fingers. She had considered it a nuisance then, all the touching that the girl required, but now she realized how much she longed for it.

Edward wasn’t in his chair, squirming and snoring, as he’d been the other nights. He must still be in the other room at prayer.

On Sunday, they rode into town for services. Rather than worship in the churches of their Protestant rivals for the islanders’ souls, the small band of Unitarians—fewer than twenty, including the families—met in the parlor of the Carpenters’ frame house. Sarah hadn’t seen anyone but Edward since the wedding a fortnight ago, so she was happy to be among people. Only the reverend and his wife had been at their ceremony. Edward had wanted them wed as soon as she arrived, so they wouldn’t have to inconvenience his employer by having her stay more than one night.

Reverend Carpenter delivered a sermon from Ecclesiastes and the group sang hymns together. Afterward, the women retired to the large terrace for cold jasmine tea and pineapple, while the men stayed inside to talk church business. At first Sarah didn’t know who Mrs. Carpenter was speaking to when she said, “Mrs. Bond, please pass the sugar.”

Sarah laughed. “I’m not used to my new name,” she said to the other ladies, but no one made any mention of her marriage to Edward. And not a soul had asked her about Laura, though the Carpenters knew she’d come straight from Perkins. Had Laura’s fame really begun to dim so quickly after the last terrible report? How lonely she must feel, her hands bereft of the hundreds she was used to clamoring for hers, and now not even a companion. And even if the people still wanted to see her, Sarah knew Doctor had cut back on the Exhibition and Visiting Days. Laura had spent most of her short life being celebrated, performing and being praised, and now she was left to her own thoughts and her darkness. Sarah prayed that she kept up her spirits enough to eat.

She mentioned Laura to the women and they nodded politely; of course they all knew who she was, but they asked her nothing. She’d never met anyone who wasn’t brimming with a thousand questions about her former charge. Sarah wondered if the oppressive heat made folks less talkative than in Boston, but no—soon the women were chattering on about everything, especially the indolence of their servants, even the converted ones. It sounded like everyone had servants but she and Edward.

Mrs. Carpenter asked if Sarah knew the story of the island’s chiefess, Kapiolani.

She shook her head.

“Kapiolani was one of the first converts in the islands. The Methodists accomplished it, but nonetheless. She was already a grown woman, married to her own brother, and still cavorting with half the population.”

Sarah gasped. She knew that the natives were unschooled, but she’d had no idea that they behaved that unnaturally.

The ladies tittered, and Mrs.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.