[{"node":{"title":"Hanna012","Collections":"Part One","Contributor":"Linen Hall Library","Coverage":"1951","Creator":"Linen Hall Library","Date":"Thursday, April 7, 2016","Format":"TIFF","Identifier":"Hanna012","Item Description":"Manuscript","Keywords":"Andrew, Martha","Language":"English","Path":"https://www.niliteraryarchive.com/content/hanna012","Publisher":"Linen Hall Library","Relation":"Linen Hall Library","Rights":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA","Scanned image":{"src":"https://www.niliteraryarchive.com/sites/default/files/Hanna012_0.jpg","alt":""},"Source":"LHL Archive","Transcript":"Andrew Echlin sent word to Mrs Gomartin that he would have her come up\n\nto Rathard at her convenience. Accordingly, the next evening, Martha and\n\nher daughter entered the close before the Echlin's farmhouse. A collie rose\n\ndustily from a corner of the close and stretching out his neck, barked at\n\nthe two women. They heard the screech of a chair pushed back on the tiled\n\nfloor of the kitchen, and Andrew appeared on the threshold, twisting his\n\nfingers in his beard. \u201cCome in, Martha\" he said smiling at his neighbour\n\nand her daughter.\n\nThe Echlins had worked late at some distance from the farmhouse and were\n\nnow seated at their evenly meal. When Martha had spoken to the two sons, who\n\nducked their head in answer, she and Sarah took seats along the wall close to\n\nthe door. Andrew reached down cups and saucers from the dresser and filled\n\nthem with dark pungent tea. ..hen he added milk the tea turned to a bright\n\nunappetising brown. Only the faintest thread of vapour rose from the cups.\n\nHe watched Martha take one sip and then 3et her cup aside on the shelf of the\n\nsewing-machine, her daughter held her cup cradled in her lap.\n\nThe old man laughed apologetically. \"Ye can see, Martha. There's hands\n\nwanted here.\"\n\nMrS Gomartin was cautious. She studied the roughly set table and the choked\n\nhearth. \"Things might be red up a wee-thing, Andrew,\u201d she agreed,\n\n\"Well, there ye are now\" said Andrew slapping his leg softly.\n\nThe young men and the young woman studied each other discreetly in\n\npassing glances. The seated men were framed in the long black oak dresser on\n\nthe shelves of which rested row on row of cottage-blue and willow-pattern plates,\n\nthe women itched to be at the soot that masked their bright faces. The mother\n\nsaw them sparkling; the daughter saw them sparkling and ranked in symmetry of\n\nsize and shape. But not a sign was made. Martha, her hands resting lightly\n","Type":"Text"}}]