REWARDS
Agoodwaytofindoutwhichhasthemostbenefercenteffectwouldbetotryrewardsonmyselfthisnextweekandwritemycompositiontheverylastday,whenIseehowmycharacteris。Itishardtofindrewardsforyourself,butperhapsAuntJaneandsomeofthegirlswouldeachgivemeonetohelpout。Icouldcarrymybeadpursetoschooleveryday,orwearmycoralchainalittlewhilebeforeIgotosleepatnight。IcouldreadCoraortheSorrowsofaDoctor’sWifealittleoftener,butthat’salltherewardsIcanthinkof。IfearAuntMirandawouldsaytheyarewickedbutoh!iftheyshouldturnoutbenefercenthowgladandjoyfullifewouldbetome!Asweetandbeautifulcharacter,belovedbymyteacherandschoolmates,admiredandpettedbymyauntsandneighbors,yetcarryingmybeadpurseconstantly,withperhapsmybesthatonWednesdayafternoons,aswellasSundays!
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AGREATSHOCK
ThereasonwhyAliceRobinsoncouldnotplaywas,shewasbeingpunishedforbreakinghermother’sblueplatter。JustbeforesuppermystorybeingfinishedIwentupGuideBoardhilltoseehowshewasbearingupandshespoketomefromherwindow。Shesaidshedidnotmindbeingpunishedbecauseshehadn’tbeenforalongtime,andshehopeditwouldhelpherwithhercomposition。Shethoughtitwouldgiveherthoughts,andtomorrow’sthelastdayforhertohaveany。ThisgavemeagoodideaandItoldhertocallherfatherupandbeghimtobeatherviolently。Itwouldhurt,Isaid,butperhapsnoneoftheothergirlswouldhaveapunishmentlikethat,andhercompositionwouldbealldifferentandsplendid。IwouldborrowAuntMiranda’switchhayzelandpouritonherwoundsliketheSamaritanintheBible。
IwentupagainaftersupperwithDickCartertoseehowitturnedout。AlicecametothewindowandDickthrewupanotetiedtoastick。Ihadwritten:\"DEMANDYOURPUNISHMENTTOTHE
FULL。BEBRAVELIKEDOLORES’MOTHERINTHEMartyrsofSpain。\"
Shethrewdownananswer,anditwas:\"YOUJUSTBELIKEDOLORES’
MOTHERYOURSELFIFYOU’RESOSMART!\"Thenshestampedawayfromthewindowandmyfeelingswerehurt,butDicksaidperhapsshewashungry,andthatmadehercross。AndasDickandIturnedtogooutoftheyardwelookedbackandIsawsomethingIcanneverforget。(TheGreatShock)Mrs。Robinsonwasoutbehindthebarnfeedingtheturkies。Mr。Robinsoncamesoftlyoutofthesidedoorintheorchardandlookingeverywheresaroundhesteppedtothewireclosetandtookoutasaucerofcoldbeanswithapickledbeetontop,andabigpieceofblueberrypie。ThenhecreptupthebackstairsandwecouldseeAliceopenherdoorandtakeinthesupper。
Oh!Whatwillbecomeofhercomposition,andhowcanshetellanythingofthebenefercenteffectsofpunishment,whensheislockedupbyoneparent,andfedbytheother?Ihaveforgivenherforthewayshesnappedmeupfor,ofcourse,youcouldn’tbegyourfathertobeatyouwhenhewasbringingyoublueberrypie。Mrs。Robinsonmakesakindthatleaksoutathickpurplejuiceintotheplateandneedsaspoonandblacksyourmouth,butisheavenly。
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ADREAM
TheweekisalmostupandverysoonDr。MoseswilldriveuptotheschoolhouselikeElijahinthechariotandcomeintohearusread。Thereisagooddealofsicknessamongus。Someoftheboysarenotabletocometoschooljustnow,buthopetobeaboutagainbyMonday,whenDr。Mosesgoesawaytoaconvention。
Itisaveryhardcompositiontowrite,somehow。LastnightI
dreamedthattheriverwasinkandIkeptdippingintoitandwritingwithapenstalkmadeofayoungpinetree。IslicedgreatslabsofmarbleoffthesideofoneoftheWhiteMountains,theoneyouseewhengoingtomeeting,andwroteonthose。ThenI
threwthemallintothefalls,notbeinggoodenoughforDr。
Moses。
DickCarterhadasplendidboytostayoverSunday。HemakestherealnewspapernamedThePilotpublishedbytheboysatWarehamAcademy。Hesayswhenhetalksabouthimselfinwritinghecallshimself\"we,\"anditsoundsmuchmorelikeprint,besidesconscealinghimmore。
Example:Ourhairwasmeasuredthismorningandhasgrowntwoinchessincelasttime……Wehavealoosetooththattroublesusverymuch……Ourinkspotthatwemadebynegligenceonouronlywhitepetticoatwehavebeenabletoremovewithlemonandmilk。Someofourpetticoatcameoutwiththespot。
Ishalltryitinmycompositionsometime,forofcourseIshallwriteforthePilotwhenIgotoWarehamSeminary。UncleJerryCobbsaysthatIshall,andthinksthatinfouryearsImightrisetobeeditoriftheyeverhavegirls。
IhaveneverbeenmoregoodthansinceIhavebeenrewardingmyselfsteady,eventoaskingAuntMirandakindlytooffermeacompanyjellytart,notbecauseIwashungry,butforanexperementIwastrying,andwouldexplaintohersometime。
Shesaidsheneverthoughtitwaswisetoexperementwithyourstomach,andIsaid,withaqueerthrillinglook,itwasnotmystomachbutmysoul,thatwasbeingtried。Thenshegavemethetartandwalkedawayallpuzzledandnervous。
ThenewministerhasaskedmetocomeandseehimanySaturdayafternoonashewritespoetryhimself,butIwouldrathernotaskhimaboutthiscomposition。
Ministersneverbelieveinrewards,anditisuselesstohopethattheywill。WehadthewrathofGodfourtimesinsermonsthislastsummer,butGodcannotbeangryallthetime,——nobodycould,especiallyinsummer;Mr。BaxterisdifferentandcallshiswifedearwhichislovelyandthefirsttimeIeverhearditinRiverboro。Mrs。Baxterisanotherkindofpeopletoo,fromthosethatliveinTemperance。Iliketowatchherinmeetingandseeherlistentoherhusbandwhoisyoungandhandsomeforaminister;itgivesmeveryqueeranduncommonfeelings,whentheylookateachother,whichtheyalwaysdowhennototherwiseengaged。
Shehasdifferentclothesfromanybodyelse。AuntMirandasaysyoumustthinkonlyoftwothings:willyourdresskeepyouwarmandwillitwearwellandthereisnobodyintheworldtoknowhowIlovepinkandredandhowIhatedrabandgreenandhowI
neverwearmyhatwiththeblackandyellowporkupinequillswithoutwishingitwouldblowintotheriver。
Whene’erItakemywalksabroadHowmanyquillsIsee。ButastheyarenotporkupinesTheynevercometome。
COMPOSITION
WHICHHASTHEMOSTBENEFERCENTEFFECTONTHECHARACTER,PUNISHMENTORREWARD?
ByRebeccaRowenaRandall(ThiscopynotcorrectedbyMissDearbornyet。)
Wefindourselvesverypuzzledinapproachingthistrulygreatandnationalquestionthoughwehavetriedveryernestlytounderstandit,soastoshowhowwiselyandwonderfullyourdearteacherguidestheyouthfulmind,itbeingherwishthatourcompositionclassshalllongberememberedinRiverboroCentre。
Wewouldsayfirstofallthatpunishmentseemsmorebenefercentlyneededbyboysthangirls。Boys’sinsareveryviolent,likestealingfruit,profanelanguage,playingtruant,fighting,breakingwindows,andkillinginnocentlittlefliesandbugs。Ifthesewerenottakenoutofthemearlyinlifeitwouldbeimpossibleforthemtobecomelikeourmartyredpresident,AbrahamLincoln。
Althoughwehaveaskedeverybodyonourstreet,theythinkboys’
sinscanonlybewhippedoutofthemwithaswitchorstrap,whichmakesusfeelverysad,asboyswhennotsinningthedreadfulsinsmentionedaboveseemjustasgoodasgirls,andnevercrywhenswitched,andsayitdoesnothurtmuch。
Wenowapproachgirls,whichweknowbetter,beingone。Girlsseembetterthanboysbecausetheirsinsarenotsonoisyandshowy。Theycandisobeytheirparentsandaunts,whisperinsilenthour,cheatinlessons,sayangrythingstotheirschoolmates,telllies,besulkyandlazy,butallthesecanbeconductedquiteladylikeandgenteel,andnobodywantstostrapgirlsbecausetheirskinsaretenderandgetblackandblueveryeasily。
Punishmentsmakeoneveryunhappyandrewardsveryhappy,andonewouldthinkwhenoneishappyonewouldbehavethebest。Wewereacquaintedwithagirlwhogaveherselfrewardseverydayforaweek,anditseemedtomakeheraslovelyacharacterasonecouldwish;butperhapsifonewentonforyearsgivingrewardstoonesselfonewouldbecomeselfish。Onecannottell,onecanonlyfear。
Ifadogkillsasheepweshouldwhiphimstraightaway,andontheveryspotwherehecanseethesheep,orhewillnotknowwhatwemean,andmayforgetandkillanother。Thesameistrueofthehumanrace。Wemustbefirmandpatientinpunishing,nomatterhowmuchwelovetheonewhohasdonewrong,andhowhungrysheis。Itdoesnogoodtowhipapersonwithonehandandofferherapickledbeetwiththeother。Thisconfuseshermind,andshemaygrowupnotknowingrightfromwrong。(ThestrikingexampleofthepickledbeetwasremovedfromtheessaybytherefinedbutruthlessMissDearborn,whostrovepatiently,butvainly,tokeepsuchvulgarimagesoutofherpupils’literaryefforts。)
WenowrespectfullyapproachtheHolyBibleandthepeopleintheBiblewerepunishedthewholetime,andthatwouldseemtomakeitright。EverybodysaysWhomtheLordlovethhechasteneth;butwethinkourself,thattheLordisabetterpunisherthanweare,andknowsbetterhowandwhentodoithavingattendedtoiteversincetheyearB。C。whilethehumanracecouldnotknowaboutittill1492A。D。,whichiswhenColumbusdiscoveredAmerica。
Wedonotbelievewecanfindoutallaboutthistrulygreatandnationalsubjecttillwegettoheaven,wherethehumanrace,strappedandunstrapped,ifany,canmeettogetherandlayingdowntheirharpsdiscusshowtheygotthere。
Andwewouldgentlyadviseboystobemorequietandgenteelinconductandtryrewardstoseehowtheywouldwork。RewardsarenotalllikethelittlerosebudmeritcardswereceiveonFridays,andwhichboyssometimestearupandflingscornfullytothebreezewhentheygetoutside,butgirlspreservecarefullyinanenvelope。
Somerewardsaregreatandglorious,forboyscangettobegovernororschooltrusteeorroadcommissionerorpresident,whilegirlscanonlybewifeandmother。Butallofuscanhavetheornamentofameekandlowlyspirit,especiallygirls,whohavemoreuseforitthanboys。
R。R。R。
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STORIESANDPEOPLE
October,187——
TherearepeopleinbooksandpeopleinRiverboro,andtheyarenotthesamekind。Theynevertalkofchargersandpalfreysinthevillage,norsayHowoftandMethinks,andifaScotchmanoutofRobRoyshouldcometoRiverboroandwanttomarryoneofusgirlswecouldnotunderstandhimunlesshemademotions;thoughHuldahMeservesaysifanoblemanofhighdegreeshouldaskhertobehis,——oneofvastestateswithserfsathisbidding,——shewouldbeabletoguesshismeaninginanylanguage。
UncleJerryCobbthinksthatRiverboropeoplewouldnotmakeastory,butIknowthatsomeofthemwould。
Jack-o’-lantern,thoughonlyababy,wasjustlikearealstoryifanybodyhadwrittenapieceabouthim:HowhismotherwasdeadandhisfatherranawayandEmmaJaneandIgotAuntSarahCobbtokeephimsoMr。Perkinswouldn’ttakehimtothepoorfarm;
andaboutourlovelytimeswithhimthatsummer,andourdreadfullosswhenhisfatherrememberedhiminthefallandcametotakehimaway;andhowAuntSarahcarriedthetrundlebedupatticagainandEmmaJaneandIheardhercryingandstoleaway。
Mrs。PeterMeservesaysGrandpaSawyerwasawonderfulhandatstoriesbeforehisspiritwasbrokenbygrandmother。Shesayshewasthelifeofthestoreandtavernwhenhewasayoungman,thoughgenerallysober,andshethinksItakeafterhim,becauseIlikecompositionsbetterthanalltheotherlessons;butmothersaysItakeafterfather,whoalwayscouldsayeverythingnicelywhetherhehadanythingtosayornot;somethinksIshouldbegratefultobothofthem。Theyarewhatiscalledancestorsandmuchdependsuponwhetheryouhavethemornot。TheSimpsonshavenotanyatall。AuntMirandasaysthereasoneverybodyissoprosperousaroundhereisbecausetheirancestorswereallfirstsettlersandraisedonburntground。Thisshouldmakeusveryproud。
Methinksandmethoughtaresplendidwordsforcompositions。MissDearbornlikesthemverymuch,butAliceandIneverbringthemintosuither。MethoughtmeansthesameasIthought,butsoundsbetter。Example:Ifyouaretellingadreamyouhadaboutyouragedaunt:
MethoughtIheardhersayMychildyouhavesousefulbeenYouneednotsewtoday。
Thisisagoodexampleoneway,buttoounlikely,woeisme!
ThisafternoonIwaswalkingovertothestoretobuymolasses,andasIcameoffthebridgeandturnedupthehill,Isawlotsandlotsofheelprintsinthesideoftheroad,heelprintswithlittlespikeholesinthem。
\"Oh!Theriverdrivershavecomefromupcountry,\"Ithought,\"andthey’llbebreakingthejamatourfallstomorrow。\"IlookedeverywhereaboutandnotamandidIsee,butstillIknewIwasnotmistakenfortheheelprintscouldnotlie。AllthewayoverandbackIthoughtaboutit,thoughunfortunatelyforgettingthemolasses,andAliceRobinsonnotbeingabletocomeout,Itookplaytimetowriteastory。Itisthefirstgrown-uponeIeverdid,andisintendedtobelikeCoratheDoctor’sWife,notlikeaschoolcomposition。ItiswrittenforMr。AdamLadd,andpeoplelikehimwholiveinBoston,andistheprintedkindyougetmoneyfor,topayoffamortgage。
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LANCELOTORTHEPARTEDLOVERS
Abeautifulvillagemaidenwasbetrothedtoastallwartriverdriver,buttheyhadhighandbitterwordsandparted,hetoweepintothecrystalstreamashedrovehislogs,andshetosighandmoanasshewentaboutherroundofhouseholdtasks。
Ateventidethemaidenwaswonttoleanoverthebridgeandhertearsalsofellintothefoamingstream;so,thoughthetwounhappyloversdidnotknowit,theriverwastheirfriend,theonlyonetowhomtheytoldtheirsecretsandweptinto。
ThemonthscreptonanditwasthenextJulywhenthemaidenwaspassingoverthebridgeandupthehill。Suddenlyshespiedfootprintsonthesandsoftime。
\"Theriverdrivershavecomeagain!\"shecried,puttingherhandtohersideforshehadaslighthearttroublelikeCoraandMrs。
PeterMeserve,thatdoesn’tkill。
\"TheyHAVEcomeindeed;ESPECIALLYONEYOUKNOW,\"saidavoice,andoutfromthealderbushessprungLancelotLittlefield,forthatwasthelover’snameanditwasnoneotherthanhe。Hishairwascurlyandlikelivinggold。Hisshirt,whiteofflannel,wasnewanddry,andofahandsomecolor,andasthemaidenlookedathimshecouldthinkofnoughtbutafairyprince。
\"Forgive,\"shemermered,stretchingoutherwaistedhands。
\"Nay,sweet,\"hereplied。\"’TisIshouldsaythattoyou,\"andbendinggracefullyononekneehekissedthehemofherdress。Itwasarichpinkginghamcheck,ellaboratelyornamentedwithwhitetapetrimming。
ClaspingeachothertotheheartlikeCoraandtheDoctor,theystoodthereforalongwhile,tilltheyheardtherumbleofwheelsonthebridgeandknewtheymustdisentangle。
Thewheelscamenearerandverily!itwasthemaiden’sfather。
\"CanIwedwithyourfairdaughterthisverymoon,\"askedLancelot,whowillnotbecalledhiswholenameagaininthisstory。
\"Youmay,\"saidthefather,\"forlo!shehasbeenreadyandwaitingformanymonths。\"Thishesaidnotnotinghowhewasshamingthemaiden,whosenamewasLindaRowenetta。
Thenandtherethenuptialdaywasappointedandwhenitcame,themarriageknotwastiedupontheriverbankwherefirsttheymet;theriverbankwheretheyhadpartedinanger,andwheretheyhadagainscealeldtheirvowsandclaspedeachothertotheheart。Anditwasverylowwaterthatsummer,andtheriveralwaysthoughtitwasbecausenotearsdroppedintoitbutsomanysmilesthatlikesunshinetheydrieditup。
R。R。R。
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CAREERS
November,187——
LongagowhenIusedtowatchMissRosspaintingtheoldmillatSunnybrookIthoughtIwouldbeapainter,forMissRosswenttoParisFrancewheresheboughtmybeadpurseandpinkparasolandIthoughtIwouldliketoseeastreetwithbeautifulbright-coloredthingssparklingandhanginginthestorewindows。
ThenwhenthemissionariesfromSyriacametostayatthebrickhouseMrs。BurchsaidthatafterIhadexperiencedreligionI
mustlearnmusicandtrainmyvoiceandgoouttoheathenlandsandsavesouls,soIthoughtthatwouldbemycareer。Butwegirlstriedtohaveabranchandbehomemissionariesanditdidnotworkwell。EmmaJane’sfatherwouldnotletherhaveherbirthdaypartywhenhefoundoutwhatshehaddoneandAuntJanesentmeuptoJakeMoody’stotellhimwedidnotmeantoberudewhenweaskedhimtogotomeetingmoreoften。Hesaidallright,butjustlethimcatchthatlittledough-facedPerkinsyoungoneinhisyardoncemoreandshe’dhavereasontorememberthecall,whichwasjustasrudeandimpoliteasourtryingtoleadhimtoapurerandabetterlife。
ThenUncleJerryandMr。AladdinandMissDearbornlikedmycompositions,andIthoughtI’dbetterbeawriter,forImustbesomethingtheminuteI’mseventeen,orhowshallweevergetthemortgageoffthefarm?Buteventhathopeistakenawayfrommenow,forUncleJerrymadefunofmystoryLancelotOrThePartedLoversandIhavedecidedtobeateacherlikeMissDearborn。
ThepatheticannouncementofachangeinthecareerandlifepurposesofRebeccawasbroughtaboutbyherreadingthegrown-upstorytoMr。andMrs。JeremiahCobbaftersupperintheorchard。
UncleJerrywasthepersonwhohadmaintainedallalongthatRiverboropeoplewouldnotmakeastory;andLancelotorThePartedLoverswasintendedtorefutethatassertionatonceandforever;anassertionwhichRebeccaregarded(quitetruly)asuntenable,thoughwhyshecertainlynevercouldhaveexplained。
UnfortunatelyLancelotwasapoormissionary,quiteunfittedforthehighachievementstowhichhewasdestinedbytheyouthfulnovelist,andUncleJerry,thoughastage-driverandnoreadingman,atonceperceivedtheflabbinessandtransparencyofthePartedLoversthemomenttheywerehelduptohisinspection。
\"YouseeRiverboropeopleWILLmakeastory!\"assertedRebeccatriumphantlyasshefinishedherreadingandfoldedthepaper。
\"Anditallcamefrommynoticingtheriverdrivers’tracksbytheroadside,andwonderingaboutthem;andwonderingalwaysmakesstories;theministersaysso。\"
\"Ye-es,\"allowedUncleJerryreflectively,tippinghischairbackagainsttheappletreeandforcinghisslowmindtoviolentandinstantaneousaction,forRebeccawashisprideandjoy;aperson,inhisopinion,ofsuperhumantalent,onethereforetobe\"whittledintoshape\"ifoccasiondemanded。
\"It’saRiverborostory,sureenough,becauseyou’vegottheriverandthebridgeandthehillandthedriversallrightthereinit;butthere’ssomethingawfulqueerboutit;thefolksdon’tactRiverboro,anddon’ttalkRiverboro,cordin’tomynotions。I
callitareg’larbookstory。\"
\"But,\"objectedRebecca,\"thepeopleinCinderelladidn’tactlikeus,andyouthoughtthatwasabeautifulstorywhenItoldittoyou。\"
\"Iknow,\"repliedUncleJerry,gainingeloquenceintheheatofargument。\"Theydidn’tactlikeus,but’tanyratetheyactedlike’emselves!Somehowtheywasallofapiece。Cinderellawasalittletoogood,mebbe,andthesisterswasmosttoothunderin’
badtoliveonthefaceo’theearth,andthatfayryoldladythatkep’thepunkin’coachuphersleeve——well,anyhow,youjestbelievethatpunkin’coach,rats,mice,andall,whenyou’rehearin’boutit,foreeveryoustoptothinkitain’tso。
\"Idon’knowhowtis,butthefolksinthatCinderellastoryseemtomatchtogethersomehow;they’reallpow’fulonlikely——theprincefellerwiththeglassslipper,andthehullbunch;butjestthesameyoukindo’gulpemalldowninalump。Butland,Rebecky,nobody’dswallerthattherevillagemaideno’your’n,andasforwhat’s-his-nameLittlefield,thatcomeouto’thembushes,suchafellernever’da’be’nINbushes!No,Rebecky,you’rethesmartestlittlecritterthereisinthistownship,andyoubeatyourUncleJerryallhollerwhenitcomestousin’aleadpencil,butIsaythatain’tnotrueRiverborostory!Lookatthewaytheytalk!Whatwasthat’boutbeingBETROTHED’?\"
\"Betrothedisagenteelwordforengagedtobemarried,\"
explainedthecrushedandchastenedauthor;anditwasfortunatethedotingoldmandidnotnoticehereyesinthetwilight,orhemighthaveknownthattearswerenotfaraway。
\"Well,that’sallright,then;I’masignorantasCooper’scowwhenitcomestothedictionary。Howaboutwhat’s-his-namecallin’thegirl’Naysweet’?\"
\"Ithoughtmyselfthatsoundedfoolish,:\"confessedRebecca;\"butit’swhattheDoctorcallsCorawhenhetriestopersuadehernottoquarrelwithhismotherwhocomestolivewiththem。Iknowtheydon’tsayitinRiverboroorTemperance,butIthoughtperhapsitwasBostontalk。\"
\"Well,itain’t!\"assertedMr。Cobbdecisively。\"I’vedruvBostonmenupinthestagefromMilltownmany’sthetime,andnoneofemeversaidNaysweettome,nornothin’likeit。Theytalkedlikefolks,everymother’ssonofem!IfI’da’hadthatwhat’s-his-nameontheharricanedeck’o’thestageandhetriedanynaysweetin’onme,I’da’pitchedhimintothecornfield,sideo’theroad。Iguessyouain’tgrowedupenoughforthatkindofastory,Rebecky,foryourpoetrycan’tbebeatinYorkCounty,that’ssure,andyourcompositionsaregoodenoughtoreadoutloudintownmeetin’anyday!\"
Rebeccabrightenedupalittleandbadetheoldcoupleherusualaffectionategoodnight,butshedescendedthehillinasaddenedmood。Whenshereachedthebridgethesun,aballofredfire,wassettingbehindSquireBean’swoods。Asshelooked,itshonefullonthebroad,stillbosomoftheriver,andforoneperfectinstantthetreesontheshoreswerereflected,allswimminginaseaofpink。Leaningovertherail,shewatchedthelightfadefromcrimsontocarmine,fromcarminetorose,fromrosetoamber,andfromambertogray。ThenwithdrawingLancelotorthePartedLoversfromherapronpocket,shetorethepagesintobitsanddroppedthemintothewaterbelowwithasigh。
\"UncleJerryneversaidawordabouttheending!\"shethought;
\"andthatwassonice!\"
Andshewasright;butwhileUncleJerrywasanilluminatingcriticwhenitcametotheactionsandlanguageofhisRiverboroneighbors,hehadnopowertodirecttheyoungmarinerwhenshe\"followedthegleam,\"andusedherimagination。
OURSECRETSOCIETY
November,187——
OurSecretsocietyhasjusthadasplendidpicnicinCandaceMilliken’sbarn。
OurnameistheB。O。S。S。,andnotasingleboyinthevillagehasbeenabletoguessit。ItmeansBraidOverShoulderSociety,andthatisthesign。Allthememberswearoneoftheirbraidsovertherightshoulderinfront;thepresident’stiedwithredribbon(Iamthepresident)andalltheresttiedwithblue。
Toattracttheattentionofanothermemberwhenincompanyoratapublicplacewetakethebraidbetweenthethumbandlittlefingerandstandcarelesslyononeleg。ThisistheSecretSignalandthepasswordisSobb(B。O。S。S。spelledbackwards)whichwasmyideaandisthoughtratheruncommon。
OneoftherulesoftheB。O。S。S。isthatanymembermayberequiredtotellherbesettingsinatanymeeting,ifaskedtodosobyamajorityofthemembers。
ThiswasCandaceMilliken’sideaandmuchopposedbyeverybody,butwhenitcametoavotesomanyofthegirlswereafraidofoffendingCandacethattheyagreedbecausetherewasnobodyelse’sfatherandmotherwhowouldletuspicnicintheirbarnandusetheirplow,harrow,grindstone,sleigh,carryall,pung,sled,andwheelbarrow,whichwedidandinjuredhardlyanything。
Theyaskedmetotellmybesettingsinattheveryfirstmeeting,anditnearlykilledmetodoitbecauseitissuchacommongreedyone。ItisthatIcan’tbeartocalltheothergirlswhenIhavefoundathickspotwhenweareoutberryinginthesummertime。
AfterIconfessed,whichmademedreadfullyashamed,everyoneofthegirlsseemedsurprisedandsaidtheyhadnevernoticedthatonebuthadeachthoughtofsomethingverydifferentthatIwouldbesuretothinkwasmybesettingsin。ThenEmmaJanesaidthatratherthantellhersshewouldresignfromtheSocietyandmissthepicnic。SoitmadesomuchtroublethatCandacegaveup。WestruckouttherulefromtheconstitutionandIhadtoldmysinfornothing。
ThereasonwenamedourselvestheB。O。S。S。isthatMinnieSmelliehashadherheadshavedafterscarletfeverandhasnobraid,soshecan’tbeamember。
Idon’twantherforamemberbutIcan’tbehappythinkingshewillfeelslighted,andittakesawayhalfthepleasureofbelongingtotheSocietymyselfandbeingpresident。
That,Ithink,istheprincipaltroubleaboutdoingmeanandunkindthings;thatyoucan’tdowrongandfeelright,orbebadandfeelgood。Ifyouonlycouldyoucoulddoanythingthatcameintoyourmindyetalwaysbehappy。
MinnieSmelliespoilseverythingshecomesintobutIsupposeweothergirlsmusteitherhaveourhairshavedandcallourselvesTheBaldheadiansorletherbesomekindofaspecialofficerintheB。O。S。S。
ShemightbetheB。I。T。U。D。member(BraidintheUpperDrawer),forthereiswhereMrs。Smelliekeepsitnowthatitiscutoff。
WINTERTHOUGHTS
March,187——
ItisnotsuchacolddayforMarchandIamupinthebarnchamberwithmycoatandhoodonandAuntJane’swaterproofandmymittens。
AfterIdothreepagesIamgoingtohideawaythisbookinthehaymowtillspring。
PerhapstheygetmadeintoiciclesonthewaybutIdonotseemtohaveanythoughtsinthewintertime。Thebarnchamberisfullofthoughtsinwarmweather。Theskygivesthemtome,andthetreesandflowers,andthebirds,andtheriver;butnowitisalwaysgrayandnipping,thebranchesarebareandtheriverisfrozen。
ItistoocoldtowriteinmybedroombutwhilewestillkeptanopenfireIhadafewthoughts,butnowthereisanair-tightstoveinthediningroomwherewesit,andweseemsoclosetogether,AuntMiranda,AuntJaneandIthatIdon’tliketowriteinmybookforfeartheywillaskmetoreadoutloudmysecretthoughts。
IhavejustreadoverthefirstpartofmyThoughtBookandI
haveoutgrownitall,justexactlyasIhaveoutgrownmylastyear’sdrabcashmere。
Itisveryqueerhowanybodycanchangesofastinafewmonths,butIrememberthatEmmaJane’scathadkittensthedaymybookwasboughtatWatson’sstore。Mrs。Perkinskepttheprettiestwhiteone,AbijahFlaggdrowningalltheothers。
Itseemsstrangetomethatcatswillgoonhavingkittenswhentheyknowwhatbecomesofthem!Wewereverysadaboutit,butMrs。Perkinssaiditwasthewayoftheworldandhowthingshadtobe。
Icannothelpbeinggladthattheydonotdothesamewithchildren,orJohnandJennyMiraMarkandmewouldallhavehadstonestiedtoournecksandbeendroppedintothedeepestpartofSunnyBrook,forHannahandFannyaretheonlytrulyhandsomeonesinthefamily。
Mrs。PerkinssaysIdressupwell,butneverbeingdressedupitdoesnotmattermuch。Atleasttheydidn’twaittodressupthekittenstoseehowtheywouldimprove,beforedrowningthem,butdecidedrightaway。
EmmaJane’skittenthatwasbornthesamedaythisbookwasisnowquiteanoldcatwhoknowsthewayoftheworldherself,andhowthingshavetobe,forshehashadonebatchofkittensdrownedalready。
SoperhapsitisnotstrangethatmyThoughtBookseemssobabyishandfoolishtomewhenIthinkofallIhavegonethroughandthemillionsofthingsIhavelearned,andhowmuchbetterI
spellthanIdidtenmonthsago。
Myfingersarecoldthroughthemittens,sogood-byedearThoughtBook,friendofmychildhood,nowsofarfarbehindme!
Iwillhideyouinthehaymowwhereyou’llbewarmandcosyallthelongwinterandwherenobodycanfindyouagaininthesummertimebutyouraffectionateauthor,RebeccaRowenaRandall。
FourthChronicleATRAGEDYINMILLINERY
I
EmmaJanePerkins’snewwinterdresswasablueandgreenScotchplaidpoplin,trimmedwithnarrowgreenvelvet-ribbonandsteelnail-heads。Shehadagrayjacketofthickfurryclothwithlargesteelbuttonsupthefront,apairofgreenkidgloves,andagrayfelthatwithanencirclingbandofbrightgreenfeathers。
Thebandbeganinfrontwithabird’sheadandendedbehindwithabird’stail,andangelscouldhavedesirednomorebeautifultoilette。Thatwasheropinion,anditwassharedtothefullbyRebecca。
ButEmmaJane,asRebeccahadoncedescribedhertoMr。AdamLadd,wasarichblacksmith’sdaughter,andshe,Rebecca,wasalittlehalf-orphanfromamortgagedfarm\"upTemperanceway,\"
dependentuponherspinsterauntsforboard,clothes,andschooling。Scotchplaidpoplinsweremanifestlynotforher,butdark-coloredwoolenstuffswere,andmittens,andlastwinter’scoatsandfurs。
Andhowabouthats?Wastherehopeinstoreforherthere?shewondered,asshewalkedhomefromthePerkinshouse,fullofadmirationforEmmaJane’swinteroutfit,andloyallytryingtokeepthatadmirationfreefromwickedenvy。Herred-wingedblackhatwashersecondbest,andalthoughitwasshabbyshestilllikedit,butitwouldneverdoforchurch,eveninAuntMiranda’sstrangeandnever-to-be-comprehendedviewsofsuitableraiment。
Therewasabrownfeltturbaninexistence,ifonecouldcallitexistencewhenithadbeenrainedon,snowedon,andhailedonfortwoseasons;butthetrimmingshadatanyrateperishedquiteoffthefaceoftheearth,thatwasonecomfort!
EmmaJanehadsaid,ratherindiscreetly,thatatthevillagemilliner’satMilliken’sMillstherewasaperfectlyelegantpinkbreasttobehad,abreastthatbeganinaperfectlyelegantsolferinoandterminatedinaperfectlyelegantmagenta;twocolorsmuchinvogueatthattime。Iftheoldbrownhatwastobeherportionyetanotherwinter,wouldAuntMirandaconcealitsdeficienciesfromacarpingworldbeneaththeshadedsolferinobreast?WOULDshe,thatwasthequestion?
Filledwiththeseperplexingthoughts,Rebeccaenteredthebrickhouse,hungupherhoodintheentry,andwentintothedining-room。
MissJanewasnotthere,butAuntMirandasatbythewindowwithherlapfullofsewingthings,andachairpiledwithpasteboardboxesbyherside。Inonehandwastheancient,battered,brownfeltturban,andintheotherweretheorangeandblackporcupinequillsfromRebecca’slastsummer’shat;fromthehatofthesummerbeforethat,andthesummerbeforethat,andsoonbacktoprehistoricagesofwhichherchildishmemorykeptnospecificrecord,thoughshewassurethatTemperanceandRiverborosocietydid。Trulyasighttochillthebloodofanyeageryoungdreamerwhohadbeenlookingatgayerplumage!
MissSawyerglancedupforasecondwithasatisfiedexpressionandthenbenthereyesagainuponherwork。
\"IfIwasgoingtobuyahattrimming,\"shesaid,\"Icouldn’tselectanythingbetterormoreeconomicalthanthesequills!Yourmotherhadthemwhenshewasmarried,andyouworethemthedayyoucometothebrickhousefromthefarm;andIsaidtomyselfthenthattheylookedkindofoutlandish,butI’vegrowntolikeemnowI’vegotusedtoem。You’vebeenhereforgoin’ontwoyearsandthey’vehardlybe’nouto’wear,summerorwinter,more’namonthtoatime!Ideclaretheydobeatallforservice!
Itdon’tseemasifyourmothercoulda’choseem,——Aureliawasalwayssuchapoorbuyer!Theblackspillsareboutasgoodasnew,buttheorangeonesaregittin’alittlemitefadedandshabby。IwonderifIcouldn’tdipallofeminshoeblackin’?Itseemsrealqueertoputaporcupineintohattrimmin’,thoughI
declareIdon’tknowjestwhattheanimilesarelike,it’sbe’nsolongsenceIlookedatthepicturesofeminageography。I
alwaysthoughttheirquillsstoodoutstraightandangry,butthesekindo’curlsroundsomeattheends,andthatmakesemstandthewindbetter。Howdoyoulikeemonthebrownfelt?\"sheasked,incliningherheadinadiscriminatingattitudeandpoisingthemawkwardlyonthehatwithherwork-stainedhand。
Howdidshelikethemonthebrownfeltindeed?
MissSawyerhadnotbeenlookingatRebecca,butthechild’seyeswereflashing,herbosomheaving,andhercheeksglowingwithsuddenrageanddespair。Allatoncesomethinghappened。Sheforgotthatshewasspeakingtoanolderperson;forgotthatshewasdependent;forgoteverythingbutherdisappointmentatlosingthesolferinobreast,rememberingnothingbuttheenchanting,dazzlingbeautyofEmmaJanePerkins’swinteroutfit;andsuddenly,quitewithoutwarning,sheburstintoatorrentofprotest。
\"IwillNOTwearthosehatefulporcupinequillsagainthiswinter!Iwillnot!It’swicked,WICKEDtoexpectmeto!Oh!HowIwishthereneverhadbeenanyporcupinesintheworld,orthatallofthemhaddiedbeforesilly,hatefulpeopleeverthoughtoftrimminghatwiththem!Theycurlroundandticklemyear!Theyblowagainstmycheekandstingitlikeneedles!Theydolookoutlandish,yousaidsoyourselfaminuteago。Nobodyeverhadanybutonlyjustme!Theonlyporcupinewasmadeintotheonlyquillsformeandnobodyelse!IwishinsteadofstickingOUTofthenastybeasts,thattheystuckINTOthem,sameastheydointomycheek!Isuffer,suffer,suffer,wearingthemandhatingthem,andtheywilllastforeverandforever,andwhenI’mdeadandcan’thelpmyself,somebody’llripthemoutofmylastyear’shatandstickthemonmyhead,andI’llbeburiedinthem!Well,whenIamburiedTHEYwillbe,that’sonegoodthing!Oh,ifIeverhaveachildI’llletherchooseherownfeathersandnotmakeherwearuglythingslikepigs’bristlesandporcupinequills!’
WiththislengthytiradeRebeccavanishedlikeameteor,throughthedooranddownthestreet,whileMirandaSawyergaspedforbreath,andprayedtoHeaventohelpherunderstandsuchhumanwhirlwindsasthisRandallnieceofhers。
Thiswasatthreeo’clock,andathalf-pastthreeRebeccawaskneelingontheragcarpetwithherheadinheraunt’sapron,sobbinghercontrition。
\"Oh!AuntMiranda,doforgivemeifyoucan。It’stheonlytimeI’vebeenbadformonths!Youknowitis!YouknowyousaidlastweekIhadn’tbeenanytroublelately。Somethingbrokeinsideofmeandcametumblingoutofmymouthinuglywords!Theporcupinequillsmakemefeeljustasabulldoeswhenheseesaredcloth;
nobodyunderstandshowIsufferwiththem!\"
MirandaSawyerhadlearnedafewlessonsinthelasttwoyears,lessonswhichweremakingher(atleastonher\"gooddays\")atriflekinder,andatanyrateajusterwomanthansheusedtobe。Whenshealightedonthewrongsideofherfour-posterinthemorning,orfeltanextratouchofrheumatism,shewasstillgrimandunyielding;butsometimesacurioussortofmeltingprocessseemedtogoonwithinher,whenherwholebonystructuresoftened,andhereyesgrewlessvitreous。AtsuchmomentsRebeccausedtofeelasifasuperincumbentironpothadbeenliftedoffherhead,allowinghertobreathfreelyandenjoythesunshine。
\"Well,\"shesaidfinally,afterstaringfirstatRebeccaandthenattheporcupinequills,asiftogainsomeinsightintothesituation,\"well,Inever,senceIwasbornint’theworld,heerdsuchaspeechasyou’vespoke,an’Iguessthereprobablyneverwasone。You’dbettertelltheministerwhatyousaidandseewhathethinksofhisprizeSunday-schoolscholar。ButI’mtoooldandtiredtoscoldandfuss,andtrytotrainyousameasI
didatfirst。Youcanpunishyourselfthistime,likeyouusedto。Gofiresomethingdownthewell,sameasyoudidyourpinkparasol!You’veapologizedandwewon’tsaynomoreaboutittoday,butIexpectyoutoshowbyextrygoodconducthowsorryyoube!Youcarealtogethertoomuchaboutyourlooksandyourclothesforachild,andyou’vegotatemperthat’llcertainlylandyouinstate’sprisonsomeo’thesedays!\"
Rebeccawipedhereyesandlaughedaloud。\"No,no,AuntMiranda,itwon’t,really!Thatwasn’ttemper;Idon’tgetangrywithPEOPLE;butonly,onceinalongwhile,withthings;likethose,——coverthemupquickbeforeIbeginagain!I’mallright!
Shower’sover,sun’sout!\"
MissMirandalookedathersearchinglyanduncomprehendingly。
Rebecca’sstateofmindcameperilouslyneartodisease,shethought。
\"Haveyouseenmebuyin’anynewbunnits,oryourAuntJane?\"sheaskedcuttingly。\"Isthereanyparticularreasonwhyyoushoulddressbetterthanyourelders?Youmightaswellknowthatwe’reshortofcashjustnow,yourAuntJaneandme,andhavenointentionofriggin’yououtlikeaMilltownfact’rygirl。\"
\"Oh-h!\"criedRebecca,thequicktearsstartingagaintohereyesandthecolorfadingoutofhercheeks,asshescrambledupfromherkneestoaseatonthesofabesideheraunt。\"Oh-h!HowashamedIam!Quick,sewthosequillsontothebrownturbanwhileI’mgood!IfIcan’tstandthemI’llmakeaneatlittleginghambagandslipoverthem!\"
Andsothematterended,notasitcustomarilydid,withcoldwordsonMissMiranda’spartandbitterfeelingsonRebecca’s,butwithagleamofmutualunderstanding。
Mrs。Cobb,whowasamasterhandatcoloring,dippedtheoffendingquillsinbrowndyeandleftthemtosoakinitallnight,notonlymakingthemanicewarmcolor,butsomewhatweakeningtheirrockyspines,sothattheywerenotquiteasrampantlyhideousasbefore,inRebecca’sopinion。
ThenMrs。PerkinswenttoherbandboxintheatticandgaveMissDearbornsomepalebluevelvet,withwhichsheboundthebrimofthebrownturbanandmadeawonderfulrosette,outofwhichtheporcupine’sdefensivearmorsprang,buoyantlyandgallantly,liketheplumeofHenryofNavarre。
Rebeccawasresigned,ifnotgreatlycomforted,butshehadgraceenoughtoconcealherfeelings,nowthatshekneweconomywasattherootofsomeofheraunt’sdecreesinmattersofdress;andshemanagedtoforgetthesolferinobreast,saveinsleep,whereavisionofithadawayofappearingtoher,danglingfromtheceiling,anddazzlinghersowithitsrichcolorthatsheusedtohopethemillinerwouldsellitthatshemightneverbetemptedwithitwhenshepassedtheshopwindow。
Oneday,notlongafterward,MissMirandaborrowedMr。Perkins’shorseandwagonandtookRebeccawithheronadrivetoUnion,toseeaboutsomesausagemeatandheadcheese。SheintendedtocallonMrs。Cobb,orderaloadofpinewoodfromMr。Stroutontheway,andleavesomeragsforarugwitholdMrs。Pease,sothatthejourneycouldbemadeasprofitableaspossible,consistentwiththelossoftimeandthewearandtearonhersecond-bestblackdress。
Thered-wingedblackhatwasforciblyremovedfromRebecca’sheadjustbeforestarting,andthenightmareturbansubstituted。
\"Youmightaswellbegintowearitfirstaslast,\"remarkedMiranda,whileJanestoodinthesidedoorandsympathizedsecretlywithRebecca。
\"Iwill!\"saidRebecca,rammingthestiffturbandownonherheadwithavindictivegrimace,andsnappingtheelasticunderherlongbraids;\"butitmakesmethinkofwhatMr。Robinsonsaidwhentheministertoldhimhismother-in-lawwouldrideinthesamebuggywithhimathiswife’sfuneral。\"
\"Ican’tseehowanyspeechofMr。Robinson’s,madeyearsan’
yearsago,canhaveanythingtodowithwearin’yourturbandowntoUnion,\"saidMiranda,settlingthelaprobeoverherknees。
\"Well,itcan;becausehesaid:Haveitthatway,then,butit’llspilethehullblamedtripforme!’\"
Janeclosedthedoorsuddenly,partlybecausesheexperiencedadesiretosmile(adesireshehadnotfeltforyearsbeforeRebeccacametothebrickhousetolive),andpartlybecauseshehadnowishtooverhearwhathersisterwouldsaywhenshetookinthefullsignificanceofRebecca’sanecdote,whichwasafavoriteonewithMr。Perkins。
Itwasacoldblusteringdaywithahighwindthatpromisedtobringanearlyfallofsnow。Thetreeswerestrippedbareofleaves,thegroundwashard,andthewagonwheelsrattlednoisilyoverthethank-you-ma’ams。
\"I’mgladIworemyPaisleyshawlovermycloak,\"saidMiranda。
\"Beyouwarmenough,Rebecca?Tiethatwhiterigolettetighterroundyourneck。Thewindfairlyblowsthroughmybones。Imostwishtwe’dwaitedtillapleasanterday,forthisUnionroadisalluphillordown,andweshan’tgetoverthegroundfast,it’ssorough。Don’tforget,whenyougointoScott’s,tosayIwantallthetrimmin’swhentheysendmethepork,formebbeIcantryoutalittlemiteo’lard。Thelastloado’pine’sgoneturriblequick;Imustseeif\"BijahFlaggcan’tgetussomecut-roundsatthemills,whenhehaulsforSquireBeannexttime。Keepyourmindonyourdrivin’,Rebecca,anddon’tlookatthetreesandtheskysomuch。It’sthesameskyandsametreesthathavebeenhererightalong。GoawfulslowdownthishillandwalkthehossoverCook’sBrookbridge,forIalwayssuspicionit’sgoin’tobreakdownunderme,an’Ishouldn’twanttobedroppedintothatfastrunnin’waterthiscoldday。It’llbefrozestiffbythistimenextweek。Hadn’tyoubettergetoutandlead\"——
Therestofthesentencewasverypossiblynotvital,butatanyrateitwasnevercompleted,forinthemiddleofthebridgeafiercegaleofwindtookMissMiranda’sPaisleyshawlandblewitoverherhead。Thelongheavyendswhirledinoppositedirectionsandwrappedthemselvestightlyaboutherwaveringbonnet。Rebeccahadthewhipandthereins,andintryingtorescueherstrugglingauntcouldnotsteadyherownhat,whichwassuddenlytornfromherheadandtossedagainstthebridgerail,whereittrembledandflappedforaninstant。
\"Myhat!Oh!AuntMiranda,myhatefulhat!\"criedRebecca,neverrememberingattheinstanthowoftenshehadprayedthatthe\"fretfulporcupine\"mightsometimevanishinthisviolentmanner,sinceitrefusedtodieanaturaldeath。
Shehadalreadystoppedthehorse,so,givingheraunt’sshawlonelastdesperatetwitch,sheslippedoutbetweenthewagonwheels,anddartedinthedirectionofthehatedobject,thelossofwhichhaddignifieditwithatemporaryvalueandimportance。
Thestiffbrownturbanroseintheair,thendroppedandflewalongthebridge;Rebeccapursued;itdancedalongandstuckbetweentwooftherailings;Rebeccaflewafterit,herlongbraidsfloatinginthewind。
\"Comeback\"!Comeback!Don’tleavemealonewiththeteam。I
won’thaveit!Comeback,andleaveyourhat!\"
Mirandahadatlengthextricatedherselffromthesubmergingshawl,butshewassoblindedbythewind,andsoconfusedthatshedidnotmeasurethefinanciallossinvolvedinhercommands。
Rebeccaheard,butherspiritbeinginarms,shemadeonemoremadscrambleforthevagranthat,whichnowseemedpossessedwithanevilspirit,foritflewbackandforth,andboundedhereandthere,likealivingthing,finallydistinguishingitselfbyblowingbetweenthehorse’sfrontandhindlegs,Rebeccatryingtocircumventitbygoingaroundthewagon,andmeetingitontheotherside。
Itwasnouse;asshedartedfrombehindthewheelsthewindgavethehatanextrawhirl,andscurryingintheoppositedirectionitsoaredabovethebridgerailanddisappearedintotherapidwaterbelow。
\"Getinagain!\"criedMiranda,holdingonherbonnet。\"Youdoneyourbestanditcan’tbehelped,Ionlywish’tI’dletyouwearyourblackhatasyouwantedto;andIwish’twe’dnevercomesuchaday!Theshawlhasbrokethestemsofthevelvetgeraniumsinmybonnet,andthewindhasblowedawaymyshawlpinandmybackcomb。I’dliketogiveupandturnrightbackthisminute,butIdon’tliketoborrerPerkins’shossagainthismonth。Whenwegetupinthewoodsyoucansmoothyourhairdownandtietherigoletteoveryourheadandsettlewhat’sleftofmybonnet;
it’llbeanexpensiveerrant,thiswill!\"