CHAPTER XXVII. A SACRED CONCERT
In spite of Miss Cornelia's new point of view she could not help feelinga little disturbed over the next performance of the manse children.In public she carried off the situation splendidly, saying to all thegossips the substance of what Anne had said in daffodil time, and sayingit so pointedly and forcibly that her hearers found themselves feelingrather foolish and began to think that, after all, they were making toomuch of a childish prank. But in private Miss Cornelia allowed herselfthe relief of bemoaning it to Anne.
"Anne dearie, they had a CONCERT IN THE GRAVEYARD last Thursday evening,while the Methodist prayer meeting was going on. There they sat, onHezekiah Pollock's tombstone, and sang for a solid hour. Of course,I understand it was mostly hymns they sang, and it wouldn't have beenquite so bad if they'd done nothing else. But I'm told they finishedup with _Polly Wolly Doodle_ at full length--and that just when DeaconBaxter was praying."
"I was there that night," said Susan, "and, although I did not sayanything about it to you, Mrs. Dr. dear, I could not help thinking thatit was a great pity they picked that particular evening. It was trulyblood-curdling to hear them sitting there in that abode of the dead,shouting that frivolous song at the tops of their lungs."
"I don't know what YOU were doing in a Methodist prayer meeting," saidMiss Cornelia acidly.
"I have never found that Methodism was catching," retorted Susanstiffly. "And, as I was going to say when I was interrupted, badly as Ifelt, I did NOT give in to the Methodists. When Mrs. Deacon Baxter said,as we came out, 'What a disgraceful exhibition!' _I_ said, looking herfairly in the eye, 'They are all beautiful singers, and none of YOURchoir, Mrs. Baxter, ever bother themselves coming out to your prayermeeting, it seems. Their voices appear to be in tune only on Sundays!'She was quite meek and I felt that I had snubbed her properly. But Icould have done it much more thoroughly, Mrs. Dr. dear, if only theyhad left out _Polly Wolly Doodle_. It is truly terrible to think of thatbeing sung in a graveyard."
"Some of those dead folks sang _Polly Wolly Doodle_ when they wereliving, Susan. Perhaps they like to hear it yet," suggested Gilbert.
Miss Cornelia looked at him reproachfully and made up her mind that, onsome future occasion, she would hint to Anne that the doctor shouldbe admonished not to say such things. They might injure his practice.People might get it into their heads that he wasn't orthodox. To besure, Marshall said even worse things habitually, but then HE was not apublic man.
"I understand that their father was in his study all the time, with hiswindows open, but never noticed them at all. Of course, he was lost in abook as usual. But I spoke to him about it yesterday, when he called."
"How could you dare, Mrs. Marshall Elliott?" asked Susan rebukingly.
"Dare! It's time somebody dared something. Why, they say he knowsnothing about that letter of Faith's to the JOURNAL because nobodyliked to mention it to him. He never looks at a JOURNAL of course. ButI thought he ought to know of this to prevent any such performancesin future. He said he would 'discuss it with them.' But of course he'dnever think of it again after he got out of our gate. That man has nosense of humour, Anne, believe ME. He preached last Sunday on 'How toBring up Children.' A beautiful sermon it was, too--and everybody inchurch thinking 'what a pity you can't practise what you preach.'"
Miss Cornelia did Mr. Meredith an injustice in thinking he would soonforget what she had told him. He went home much disturbed and when thechildren came from Rainbow Valley that night, at a much later hour thanthey should have been prowling in it, he called them into his study.
They went in, somewhat awed. It was such an unusual thing for theirfather to do. What could he be going to say to them? They racked theirmemories for any recent transgression of sufficient importance, butcould not recall any. Carl had spilled a saucerful of jam on Mrs.Peter Flagg's silk dress two evenings before, when, at Aunt Martha'sinvitation, she had stayed to supper. But Mr. Meredith had not noticedit, and Mrs. Flagg, who was a kindly soul, had made no fuss. Besides,Carl had been punished by having to wear Una's dress all the rest of theevening.
Una suddenly thought that perhaps her father meant to tell them that hewas going to marry Miss West. Her heart began to beat violently andher legs trembled. Then she saw that Mr. Meredith looked very stern andsorrowful. No, it could not be that.
"Children," said Mr. Meredith, "I have heard something that has painedme very much. Is it true that you sat out in the graveyard all lastThursday evening and sang ribald songs while a prayer meeting was beingheld in the Methodist church?"
"Great Caesar, Dad, we forgot all about it being their prayer meetingnight," exclaimed Jerry in dismay.
"Then it is true--you did do this thing?"
"Why, Dad, I don't know what you mean by ribald songs. We sang hymns--itwas a sacred concert, you know. What harm was that? I tell you we neverthought about it's being Methodist prayer meeting night. They used tohave their meeting Tuesday nights and since they've changed to Thursdaysit's hard to remember."
"Did you sing nothing but hymns?"
"Why," said Jerry, turning red, "we DID sing _Polly Wolly Doodle_ at thelast. Faith said, 'Let's have something cheerful to wind up with.' Butwe didn't mean any harm, Father--truly we didn't."
"The concert was my idea, Father," said Faith, afraid that Mr. Meredithmight blame Jerry too much. "You know the Methodists themselves had asacred concert in their church three Sunday nights ago. I thoughtit would be good fun to get one up in imitation of it. Only they hadprayers at theirs, and we left that part out, because we heard thatpeople thought it awful for us to pray in a graveyard. YOU were sittingin here all the time," she added, "and never said a word to us."
"I did not notice what you were doing. That is no excuse for me, ofcourse. I am more to blame than you--I realize that. But why did yousing that foolish song at the end?"
"We didn't think," muttered Jerry, feeling that it was a verylame excuse, seeing that he had lectured Faith so strongly in theGood-Conduct Club sessions for her lack of thought. "We're sorry,Father--truly, we are. Pitch into us hard--we deserve a regular combingdown."
But Mr. Meredith did no combing down or pitching into. He sat down andgathered his small culprits close to him and talked a little to them,tenderly and wisely. They were overcome with remorse and shame, and feltthat they could never be so silly and thoughtless again.
"We've just got to punish ourselves good and hard for this," whisperedJerry as they crept upstairs. "We'll have a session of the Club firstthing tomorrow and decide how we'll do it. I never saw father so cut up.But I wish to goodness the Methodists would stick to one night for theirprayer meeting and not wander all over the week."
"Anyhow, I'm glad it wasn't what I was afraid it was," murmured Una toherself.
Behind them, in the study, Mr. Meredith had sat down at his desk andburied his face in his arms.
"God help me!" he said. "I'm a poor sort of father. Oh, Rosemary! If youhad only cared!"