CHAPTER XVI
HOPE THROUGH A WIDER OUTLOOK
She had on nice-fitting button boots with heels only moderately high, adark-blue, thin summer-cloth skirt up to her ankles, with several rowsof stitching through the hem, the crumply white plisse waist that felllike drapery about shoulders and arms, her hair was a mass of braids atthe back with a straight parting from forehead to crown, some shortcurling ends about the edge of her fair brow, and the blue of her eyeswas many shades deeper than the ribbon around her neck. Mrs. Van Dornwas no more anxious to have her a young lady than Mr. Warfield.
She was just a bright, intelligent, good-looking girl, who would neverbe girlishly pretty, but something better, perhaps a handsome woman atfive-and-twenty, and always attractive from the sort of frank sweetness,the wholesomeness of the thorough girl.
Mr. Warfield felt rather vexed at being disappointed, yet down in hisheart he was glad she was fulfilling the sort of ideal he had of her,the girl she might become with proper training, he had often said, evento Mrs. Dayton. He thought he should know on just what lines to developthe best and highest in her. He held a very good opinion of a man'straining for certain natures, and hers was one. Then he felt a littlesore at not being able to keep a sort of supervision over her by letter.
But when she came and sat down by him in that unaffected manner andlooked out of such frank eyes; smiled with an every-day cordiality, asif the smile was in constant use, he was a little nonplused.
"What have you been doing this whole year?" he asked with interest."Could you pass an examination for the High School?"
"Oh, do you remember how frightened I was? But some of the questionswould not cause me five minutes' thought now. I've had a magnificenttime with history and literature, and a tough time with Latin. It is oneof the things I have to delve at this summer. It seems to me most of mylife is school life. I can't stop anywhere. Something is thrust at meall the time."
"You used to love to study," complainingly.
"I love it yet. Botany is delightful, it is so full of live wonders. Ido not care so much for chemistry. And physics----"
"They require close attention. And what accomplishments?" in adissatisfied tone.
"French that I am not in love with, but Mrs. Van Dorn insists upon it,and the piano, drawing, and painting."
"A waste of time most of them," he commented severely.
"Sketching is very fascinating."
"And a camera can give you the picture twice as well."
"Some of the Seniors do beautiful work. One of them goes abroad to studyand perfect herself in art. Miss Gertrude Aldred will go after nextyear."
"That may be very well for pastime, or waste-time," with a touch ofsarcasm, "but I don't suppose any of these girls could get their livingat it?"
"I don't know as they will be compelled to."
"But everybody has to be put through the same mill, I suppose?"
"Not exactly. Some studies are elective. Three of the girls go tocollege. Of course many of them do not expect to turn their educationto any account. I should like to know just what I am to do with mine,"and she laughed softly.
"I thought you once looked up to teaching as a sort of glorifiedexistence."
The touch of irony did not hurt her at all.
"I still think it one of the finest professions. Only--I should like tohave a school of smart, eager children, and go on and on with them. Ithink it must be very hard to take up a new dull class every season."
"It is," he returned frankly. "It was one of the drawbacks, like goingdown to the foot of your own class."
"So I think I shall have a boarding school and keep the girls year afteryear."
"Well, are you deep in metaphysics or transcendentalism?" asked acheerful voice, as Mrs. Dayton's ample figure emerged from the door-way."You do not seem to be 'sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought.'That is an old-fashioned quotation and was in the copy books at schoolin my day, when to be thin and pale was the mark of a student. Andwasn't midnight oil another? You do not show marks of either, Helen."
"Oh, the lights are out and we have to be in bed at ten. We can rise asearly as we like in the morning, however," laughed Helen.
"Numbers of the old ideas have been exploded. Still, we must admit theymade some good scholars. The students were more in earnest, they werenot so superficial."
"But it takes a long while to learn everything thoroughly. That is whereteachers and professors have the advantage, they can spend their wholelives over it," exclaimed Helen. "Honestly," and a rather mischievouslight flashed across her face, "I do not think the average girl is aborn student. Perhaps the boy isn't either. But there seem to be so manythings in a girl's life, so many sides to it"--and a thoughtful creasecame in her forehead.
"You have found that out early. But the successes must be able to doseveral things well, and to bring knowledge into action, not have a lotof useless matter stored up in the brain waiting for the time to make itserviceable, and then it is not fresh, often not useful."
"Like the old clothes you pile up in the garret," interpolated Mrs.Dayton. "They are out of date and moth-eaten. There are many things itis not worth while to save up. I have a boarder here who has saved upall her troubles since she was ten years old, and lives them over, takesthem out and puts them back. She is a well-informed woman, too. There isthe bell, so come in to dinner."
There were only Mr. and Mrs. White, Mrs. Carson, the woman of manytroubles, and Mr. Conway, who gave Helen a warm welcome, but was amazedat the change in her.
They talked a little over the last summer's guests. "Miss Lessing wasmarried and the younger girl engaged. The Disbrowes had gone West. Andtruly I wouldn't mind having Mrs. Van Dorn again. She certainly is anuncommon woman and does enjoy life on all sides. And it is curious theway she picks up knowledge everywhere. I dare say she sometimes mentionsfacts about her own country to consuls and ministers abroad that theyhave scarcely heard of," declared Mrs. Dayton.
Mr. Warfield gave a little sniff and a curl of the lip that seemed torun all over his face in disapprobation, because he could find notrenchant sentence to apply to Mrs. Van Dorn. But Helen glanced at herhostess with a lovely grateful light more eloquent than words.
When they rose she lingered. "I ought to go out and dry the dishes forJoanna," the girl said laughingly.
"Indeed, you will do no such thing," was the quick reply. "And let mewhisper a secret in your ear, though I don't know as it need be that.Mrs. Van Dorn wrote me a note, asking me to invite you here and keep youas much of the time as Aunt Jane would be willing to spare you. And sheinclosed a check. I'd been ready enough to do it just for the pleasure."
"She is very generous," said Helen, much moved.
"And some people think her mean. She is unduly exact, but I guess theworld would be better if more people paid their just debts instead ofbuying you a dollar gift when they owed you forty or fifty. But run outon the porch and talk to Mr. Warfield. He came purposely to see you.I'll be out and join the fray presently," her eyes overflowing with anamused light. "If you were older I should say--there, run along."
She checked herself just in time. It was on the tip of her tongue toadd--"he is half in love with you." But the girl's face was soinnocently frank that it would have been both ill-bred and cruel tosuggest such a thing.
On the whole, it was a pleasant evening, though Helen was not a littlepuzzled by several things in Mr. Warfield's demeanor, and his resolutelykeeping to his opinion that she would have been better off at the HighSchool. Some way would have opened for her, he was confident.
Still, he gave her the most cordial good wishes. She had the making of asplendid girl and woman in her. He took great credit in theconsciousness that he had seen this, and roused her from a commonplaceexistence, for now, whatever happened, she could not be commonplace; asif, indeed, the every-day lives were not often doing heroic and lovelydeeds in their every-day sphere.
He was going for nine weeks to a summer college term, on the bord
ers ofa beautiful lake, where he would have refreshment of body as well asmind. So he might not see her again under a year.
"I do hope they will not have you spoiled," he said with his good-by.And as he walked down the street he muttered under his breath:
"That old woman will make a waiting maid of her in the end." He wasjealous that the old woman should be able to dictate the girl's lifejust because she was rich.
She had such a happy morning with Mrs. Dayton, talking over last summer;Joanna studied her with admiring eyes and declared that she was notchanged a bit, only had grown taller, and the mysterious alteration thatcomes to a girl on the boundary line, for which she had no words.
Uncle Jason came in quite early and was delighted with his warm welcome,more frank than Joanna's.
"My, you're growed every way!" he said, "and you're pretty as a pink,and fine as a lady! I declare I don't know what Aunt Jane will do withyou. And the children are just crazy to see you. My! My!"
He studied her from head to foot and turned her round. His eyestwinkled, he screwed up his face until it was a bed of wrinkles. Hishair was faded and grayer, the fringe of beard ragged. But there wassuch a gladness, such an utter satisfaction that she felt doubly assuredof his love.
When she had gone to pick up a few articles Mrs. Dayton made a littleexplanation that she felt would ease Helen's course. She would have agood deal of studying to do, and Mrs. Van Dorn had made arrangements forher to stay here part of the time, as it would be quiet, with nointerruptions to break in upon her time.
"Why, I thought it was vacation!" looking puzzled. "Mother's planned alot of things. And she's mortal afraid Helen will forget all abouthousekeeping."
"She belongs to Mrs. Van Dorn for the two years, you know, since thatlady is taking care of her. You see now that is only fair. Helen's timeis planned out."
"Sho, now!" and he bit at the end of a wheat stem he found hanging tohis clothes.
"Helen knows a good deal about housework and if she should ever have itto do, it will come back to her. But her heart is set upon teaching, andI think that is about as easy a way of earning money as any, if you arefitted for it."
Mr. Mulford said no more, but he felt there would be a clash betweenAunt Jane and Helen.
The rosy, bright-eyed girl said good-by to her dear friend, with thepromise of returning soon, and stepped into the rickety old wagon.
It seemed curious to her, but everything about looked so much smaller.The houses appeared to have shrunk, fences were dilapidated, gates hungby one hinge, the paths at the roadside were overgrown with weeds.Every street and plot of ground at Westchester was so pretty and tidy,the hills were so high and grand, and there was the beautiful river. Tobe sure the great Creator of all had placed it there, had raised themountains to their height, but the residents had added the thriftinessand beauty. Oh, she could never live here! She wondered how her fatherhad taken to it, and how Mr. Warfield endured it.
Uncle Jason was a better farmer than most of his neighbors. Aunt Janetook the credit of that; perhaps she did deserve most of it. People andtowns seldom remain stationary; if they do not improve they retrograde.The railroad was building up North Hope at the expense of the Center.
The house and the front fence needed painting sadly. The flower-bedslooked rather ragged, the grass wanted cutting. Sam had gone in thespring to learn a mason's trade and only came home for over Sunday. SoUncle Jason was short-handed.
The children made a rush, then paused. Helen sprang down with a dignitythat checked them, but she kissed them all round, and Aunt Jane, whowas wiping her arms and hands on her apron.
"I thought I'd get trigged up before anyone came," she exclaimed, "butthere's so much to do on Saturday. You might have opened the front door,'Reely, but never mind," and they all trailed around through thekitchen. Off the end of the dining room was a small room that Jenny hadused for sewing and odds and ends, and they went thither.
"Now take off your hat. My, didn't you bring anything but that satchel!And here's a fan--it's hot in here, and as for flies, they eat you up!'Reely, you and Fan set the table. How you've changed, Helen, you'remost grown up. But land! When I was fourteen I was grown up and did awoman's work. And you're fifteen! Well, I suppose you've had a grandgood time, and forgot all the useful things you ever knew."
Aunt Jane's tone was good-humored, but it had a certain air ofauthority, indicating that Helen could never outgrow _her_ right orproprietorship.
"No, I do not think I have forgotten much, and certainly have learned agreat deal more," she replied quietly.
"Well, book-learnin' isn't everything. I'd like to know how houses andfarms would go on if everybody kept to books."
"There's Jenny," and Helen was delighted with the break. Jenny wassunburned but looked well, quite like a country farmer's wife, and wasgayly cordial, laughed because her mother's supper was late; they alwayshad theirs early on Saturday afternoon.
"You wait until you get a house full of children," said her mother witha touch of annoyance.
The girls sat out on the old bench that had gone a little more tosplinters. Uncle Jason came in; he had not quite worked Nathan up to thepoint of Sam's usefulness. Aunt Jane didn't mean to lead off with anyfuss for Helen, so supper was in the kitchen, but the tablecloth wasclean--the other had met with a big accident at noon.
Nothing was much changed except the children were a year older andlarger. Two or three of them still talked at once. Jenny sat by and hada cup of tea. Aurelia and Fanny were a little awed by Helen's fine ways,and began to eye her furtively. Jenny kept most of the talk and when themeal was through took Helen out on the front stoop. What was the schoollike and were there many rich girls in it? And what did Mrs. Van Dornmean to do with her when she was through with school?
Helen was relieved when she branched off on her own affairs. How muchthe egg and butter money had amounted to, and another scheme she hadstruck. She helped mother out with her sewing, but she found in thewinter she had a good deal of time on her hands, so she began to sew forthe neighbors. "You know I always did like running the machine," shedeclared. "And you'd be surprised at the money I've earned. I don't seehow women can dawdle away their time so, when they've small families. Ithink working in a shop is a grand good training. You must be there at acertain hour, you must put in every moment if you are going to be asuccess, and you get brisk ways if there's anything at all to you."
Joe came over presently, and the two farmers smoked and talked. ThenJenny said she would take Helen home with her, she had such a nice spareroom, and she and Aunt Jane had some words over it, but Jenny carriedher point. It was lovely and quiet, and Helen was thankful.
Yes, she _had_ grown away from them; while she loved them just as well,she thought she loved Uncle Jason better. The life was so different. Itneed not be so hard and,--yes, it was coarse, really untender. Aunt Janewould have suffered anything for her children's sake, but it must be in_her_ way. After all these years of married life, children, and acertain degree of hard-won prosperity, she knew better than anyone elsehow the world could be managed.
'Reely and Fan were fascinated with Helen, and Jenny said she had a gooddeal of common sense, and she supposed all the airish ways were justright at school, but they seemed queer among common folks. It wasinevitable that Helen and Aunt Jane should clash, and Helen felt even atthe risk of being misunderstood and wrongfully accused, she mustestablish her own standing. She had not come home to help withhousework.
"I wish I'd never let you gone over there to wait on that old woman, andhave your head filled with airs and graces that you think sets you upabove your family. I knew that day I should be sorry for it. And this isall the thanks I get for what I've done for you, while you'll crawl onthe ground after her."
"No, I shouldn't; I do not," replied Helen with dignity. "I shall alwaysfeel thankful to you and Uncle Jason for what you have done, and, AuntJane, when I get to where I can earn money I want to pay you back for mykeep after father died----"
H
elen's face was scarlet and the hot blood was racing up and down in herpulses.
"Yes," she continued, controlling her voice by a strong effort, "I havemade that one of my duties. I can't take your way of life, Aunt Jane,but I shall always feel grateful for the care."
"Helen Grant, do you suppose your uncle would take one penny from you,his own sister's child! It isn't that, it's the--the----"
"Oh, Aunt Jane, I _am_ grateful. Do not let us quarrel because our pathslie in different directions. I must work in the way I am best fittedfor, the way I shall like above all things----"
"Oh, yes, you'll go off with that woman, and she'll get tired of you andship you off. You mark my words."
"Then I can take up teaching, which will be my delight. She has offeredme these two years of training and I mean to make the best of them, tocrowd in all I can, to fit myself to earn my living in the way I likebest of all. I do suppose we all have some choice."
Aunt Jane flounced out of the room. There was something burning on thestove, and she was glad of the excuse. And all she said when Helen wasgoing over to North Hope, was:
"Well, come whenever you like. The house is always open to you."
Uncle Jason was very tender to her.
"Mother's a bit cranky," he said. "Even Jenny plagues her about it. Ithink she's jealous of that Mrs. Van Dorn, and she has an idea of herown about bringing up girls. But they're not all alike and some are fitfor one thing, some for another. Jenny's got the right of it. It's bestfor everyone to do what he's best fitted for, or _she_," smiling alittle. "And it stands to reason that you might take after your ownfather. You're not all Mulford."
It was very delightful to be back with Mrs. Dayton. One new couple hadcome, but they were very quiet people. And the girls about began to callon her. Ella Graham had enough of the High School.
"I just went for the name of it," she explained. "I should never teach,and what is the use of wasting all that time and bothering your brainsfor nothing? I shall get married the first good chance I have."
Lu Searing bewailed the hard work as well and wasn't sure she would keepon. She wanted to go somewhere to boarding school, she had heard girlshad such fun getting in scrapes and out of them again. Marty Pendletonwas sick of it too, and was going to learn dressmaking. Dan Erlick hadgone to be clerk in the drug store.
"And to think how hard Mr. Warfield worked over them all!" Helenexclaimed, indignantly. "It doesn't do him a bit of credit."
"He had four new ones this summer. Well, there does seem a good deal ofwork in this world without much result," said Jenny.
Helen studied her Latin with a will, and one day to make some knottypoint clearer went to the reference department of the library. MissWesterly, the librarian, had seen her the summer before and beeninterested in what had befallen her, and now they took up quite afriendship. The library was open only two evenings in the week, aftereight o'clock, and Miss Westerly found it very pleasant to visit onMrs. Dayton's porch and talk to a girl as bright and ambitious as Helen.She was a college graduate and a thorough student, not considering hereducation finished.
"I should like so to go to college," Helen said. "But I don't know--Ishould have to earn some money first."
"I have a friend who entered college at twenty-seven. She was a clerk ina store and then an old uncle left her some money. She was born for astudent, and she graduated with honors. She is thirty-five now,vice-principal in a large seminary at the West, and a very successfulteacher. Then I know of a girl who spent two years at college, taughtthree years and then went back and finished. Some women, as well as somemen, love knowledge."
"I have half a mind to say I will go, no matter what stands in the way,"and Helen smiled vaguely. If one _could_ see into the future.
"Perhaps your friend may send you."
Helen wondered whether she would dare propose it.
Once a week she went out to the farm. Aunt Jane had "cooled down" alittle, for Uncle Jason had said, "If you can't get along, mother, I'llhire someone through the heat of the summer. Nancy Bird would come in aminute. As for thinking to put Helen to housework, washing and ironingand all that, when someone else is taking care of her, I don't see as itwould be just the thing, no more than to call Sam home when Mr. Bartowhas given him a good lay."
"I don't see as Helen is any better than my girls, and they are going tobe brought up to work. Her father didn't make out much for all hiseducation."
Helen did have some nice visits with Jenny, who was rather more modernand broader minded than her mother. She kept her house with some system,of course, there was no one to disarrange her methods. She was blitheand cheerful and eager to get along, but she and Joe went off drivingnow and then, and she listened with slow-growing interest when he readaloud to her.
But altogether, Helen was not sorry when she found herself on the wayback to school. She had a warmer feeling than ever for Mrs. Van Dorn andhad written her two charming letters from Mrs. Dayton's porch.
What a trouble her education seemed to some of those who had no hand init.