سال دوم - فصل 01

THE SECOND YEAR

1 “Windy Poplars,

“Spook’s Lane,

“September 14th.

“I can hardly reconcile myself to the fact that our beautiful two months are over.

They were beautiful, weren’t they, dearest? And now it will be only two years before . . .

(Several paragraphs omitted.)

“But there has been a good deal of pleasure in coming back to Windy Poplars . . . to my own private tower and my own special chair and my own lofty bed . . . and even Dusty Miller basking on the kitchen window-sill.

“The widows were glad to see me and Rebecca Dew said frankly, ‘It’s good to have you back.’ Little Elizabeth felt the same way. We had a rapturous meeting at the green gate.

“‘I was a little afraid you might have got into Tomorrow before me,’ said little Elizabeth.

“‘Isn’t this a lovely evening?’ I said.

“‘Where you are it’s always a lovely evening, Miss Shirley,’ said little Elizabeth.

“Talk of compliments!

“‘How have you put in the summer, darling?’ I asked.109

“‘Thinking,’ said little Elizabeth softly, ‘of all the lovely things that will happen in Tomorrow.’

“Then we went up to the tower room and read a story about elephants. Little Elizabeth is very much interested in elephants at present.

“‘There is something bewitching about the very name of elephant, isn’t there?’ she said gravely, holding her chin in her small hands after a fashion she has. ‘I expect to meet lots of elephants in Tomorrow.’

“We put an elephant park in our map of fairyland. It is no use looking superior and disdainful, my Gilbert, as I know you will be looking when you read this.

Not a bit of use. The world always will have fairies. It can’t get along without them. And somebody has to supply them.

“It’s rather nice to be back in school, too. Katherine Brooke isn’t any more companionable but my pupils seemed glad to see me and Jen Pringle wants me to help her make the tin halos for the angels’ heads in a Sunday-school concert.

“I think the course of study this year will be much more interesting than last year.

Canadian History has been added to the curriculum. I have to give a little ‘lecturette’ tomorrow on the War of 1812. It seems so strange to read over the stories of those old wars . . . things that can never happen again. I don’t suppose any of us will ever have more than an academic interest in ‘battles long ago.’ It’s impossible to think of Canada ever being at war again. I am so thankful that phase of history is over.

“We are going to reorganize the Dramatic Club at once and canvass every family connected with the school for a subscription. Lewis Allen and I are going to take the Dawlish Road as our territory and canvass it next Saturday afternoon. Lewis will try to kill two birds with one stone, as he is competing for a prize offered by Country Homes for the best photograph of an attractive farmhouse. The prize is twenty-five dollars and that will mean a badly needed new suit and overcoat for Lewis. He worked on a farm all summer and is doing housework and waiting on the table at his boarding-house again this year. He must hate it, but he never says a word about it. I do like Lewis . . . he is so plucky and ambitious, with a charming grin in place of a smile. And he really isn’t over-strong. I was afraid last year he would break down. But his summer on the farm seems to have built him up a bit. This is his last year in High and then he hopes to achieve a year at Queen’s. The widows are going to ask him to Sunday-night supper as often as possible this winter. Aunt Kate and I have had a conference on ways and means and I persuaded her to let me put up the extras. Of course we didn’t try to110 persuade Rebecca Dew. I merely asked Aunt Kate in Rebecca’s hearing if I could have Lewis Allen in on Sunday nights at least twice a month. Aunt Kate said coldly she was afraid they couldn’t afford it, in addition to their usual lonely girl.

“Rebecca Dew uttered a cry of anguish.

“‘This is the last straw. Getting so poor we can’t afford a bite now and again to a poor, hard-working, sober boy who is trying to get an education! You pay more for liver for That Cat and him ready to burst. Well, take a dollar off my wages and have him.’

“The gospel according to Rebecca was accepted. Lewis Allen is coming and neither Dusty Miller’s liver nor Rebecca Dew’s wages will be less. Dear Rebecca Dew!

“Aunt Chatty crept into my room last night to tell me she wanted to get a beaded cape but that Aunt Kate thought she was too old for it and her feelings had been hurt.

“‘Do you think I am, Miss Shirley? I don’t want to be undignified . . . but I’ve always wanted a beaded cape so much. I always thought they were what you might call jaunty . . . and now they’re in again.”

“‘Too old! Of course you’re not too old, dearest,’ I assured her. ‘Nobody is ever too old to wear just what she wants to wear. You wouldn’t want to wear it if you were too old.’ ‘I shall get it and defy Kate,’ said Aunt Chatty, anything but defiantly. But I think she will . . . and I think I know how to reconcile Aunt Kate.

“I’m alone in my tower. Outside there is a still, still night and the silence is velvety. Not even the poplars are stirring. I have just leaned out of my window and blown a kiss in the direction of somebody not a hundred miles away from Kingsport.”