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In the Closed Room
by
“You have come to play with me,” she said.
“Yes,” answered Judith. “I wanted to come all night. I could not stay down-stairs.”
“No,” said the child; “you can’t stay down-stairs. Lift up the doll.”
They began to play as if they had spent their lives together. Neither asked the other any questions. Judith had not played with other children, but with this one she played in absolute and lovely delight. The little girl knew where all the toys were, and there were a great many beautiful ones. She told Judith where to find them and how to arrange them for their games. She invented wonderful things to do–things which were so unlike anything Judith had ever seen or heard or thought of that it was not strange that she realized afterwards that all her past life and its belongings had been so forgotten as to be wholly blotted out while she was in the Closed Room. She did not know her playmate’s name, she did not remember that there were such things as names. Every moment was happiness. Every moment the little girl seemed to grow more beautiful in the flower whiteness of her face and hands and the strange lightness and freedom of her movements. There was an ecstasy in looking at her–in feeling her near.
Not long before Judith went down-stairs she found herself standing with her outside the window in among the withered flowers.
“It was my garden,” the little girl said. “It has been so hot and no one has been near to water them, so they could not live.”
She went lightly to one of the brown rose-bushes and put her pointed-fingered little hand quite near it. She did not touch it, but held her hand near–and the leaves began to stir and uncurl and become fresh and tender again, and roses were nodding, blooming on the stems. And she went in the same manner to each flower and plant in turn until all the before dreary little garden was bright and full of leaves and flowers.
“It’s Life,” she said to Judith. Judith nodded and smiled back at her, understanding quite well just as she had understood the eyes of the bird who had swung on the twig so near her cheek the day she had hidden among the bushes in the Park.
“Now, you must go,” the little girl said at last. And Judith went out of the room at once–without waiting or looking back, though she knew the white figure did not stir till she was out of sight.
It was not until she had reached the second floor that the change came upon her. It was a great change and a curious one. The Closed Room became as far away as all other places and things had seemed when she had stood upon the roof feeling the nearness of the blueness and the white clouds–as when she had looked round and found herself face to face with the child in the Closed Room. She suddenly realized things she had not known before. She knew that she had heard no voice when the little girl spoke to her–she knew that it had happened, that it was she only who had lifted the doll–who had taken out the toys–who had arranged the low table for their feast, putting all the small service upon it–and though they had played with such rapturous enjoyment and had laughed and feasted–what had they feasted on? That she could not recall–and not once had she touched or been touched by the light hand or white dress–and though they seemed to express their thoughts and intentions freely she had heard no voice at all. She was suddenly bewildered and stood rubbing her hand over her forehead and her eyes–but she was happy–as happy as when she had fallen awake in her sleep–and was no more troubled or really curious than she would have been if she had had the same experience every day of her life.