Lavender-Green Magic by Andre Norton Page B

There’s a fire there t’other end an’ that keeps th’ freeze out. Set me up a little garden there, I have. You take a look-see when you is done eatin’.”
    Judy, spooning up one of Grandma’s stews, thanked her through an overfull mouth. Holly sighed with relief: Crock had made his warning, sure enough. Judy could put her bag back in there somewhere, and perhaps Grandma would not notice it at all. Then, in the spring, they could plant what Tamar had given them. Holly relaxed, and for the first time really enjoyed her food.
    â€œGrandpa”—before Holly was aware of the danger Crock spoke now—“those Dimsdales, the ones who owned this place once, they were here an awfully long time, weren’t they?”
    â€œBefore they even took to lay out Sussex town, far’s I heard it.” Grandpa was transferring a generous spoonful of jam onto a round of bread. “You better ask your Grandma. She used t’ listen to all old Miss Elvery’s tales. Lived in th’ past, old Miss Elvery did, more’n in th’ rightful times. I ’member how once she came down to this here barn all dressed up an’ wanted as how I should take out th’ carriage an’ drive her into some party or other in town. Lawsy, that there carriage had been broken up for years, an’ the twohorses—they was dead an’ gone. People she talked about—they was a-lyin’ out in the churchyard, too. But she was certain sure they was just a-waitin’ for her to come to see ’em. Took your grandma th’ better part of an hour to talk her back to th’ house. But you couldn’t ever talk her back into th’ right time. She wouldn’t have a clock runnin’ in her whole house. Said as how those there made the time pass, an’ if one didn’t be lookin’ at ’em all day long one could just get on top of time, not be burdened down with it.”
    He bit off a generous amount of the thickly spread bread and then nodded. “Don’t know but what she had a point right there. Time is queer-like. When you do somethin’ as you want, it speeds along jus’ like one of them big ’planes which can go ’round th’ world in a day or so. But if you have to put up with some measlin’ little job as makes you want to throw somethin’ right across th’ room, then that just lasts forever.”
    Holly had stopped eating and was listening closely. She had never really thought about time before. Oh, she had heard a lot about it—such as “too late to do this,” “we’ll be early,” “hurry now, there’s not much time.” Over and over again people said things just like that. But what Grandpa said was true. If you liked doing something, then time went so fast you were provoked; and if you were unhappy or bored, time dragged and dragged.
    â€œBut you asked did the Dimsdales be here long—yes, they were. Mercy, didn’t Grandma tell you a whole book-like of stories ’bout them an’ all their hard luck an’ all?”
    â€œWhy were they so unlucky?” Holly asked then.
    â€œNow that be a question.” Grandma pushed back in herchair as if she were going to make another flying trip to the stove for second helpings all around, but she did not get up. “Miss Elvery—a kinder lady never set foot on this earth! She would do her best for any poor soul as was in need. But it seems like every time she tried to help herself—well, it turned out th’ worse for her. Th’ last time, when that slick crook got her railroad shares offen her, she was really broke down. Said as how it was th’ witch’s curse, an’ noways could it go from Dimsdale or them what had Dimsdale blood in ’em. But she was beginnin’ to fail then, poor old lady—an’ she thought too much ’bout all the misfortunes as she had had to