Between the Larch-woods and the WeirKlickmann, Flora
General
Between the Larch-woods and the Weir
Klickmann, Flora
Country life -- England; England -- Social life and customs -- 20th century; Friendship; Household employees
Later in the day Mr. Jasper thought of the new official regulations
_re_ Daylight Saving; and knowing the uselessness of ever hoping to get
a brain that was merely feminine to grasp any great truth as set forth
in newspapers, he himself put the clock on an hour; as master of the
house he regarded it as his peculiar office to see that the law was
duly enforced. He didn’t mention the matter to his wife; what would be
the good? And it wasn’t her concern anyhow; but as he shut the door of
the clock, he wondered where indeed the household would be if it were
not for him and his thoughtful habits!
Then there was Maudie Jasper. Being a bright child of twelve, brought
up on modern educational lines, naturally she had no very high opinion
of her parents’ intellects. Since it was she who illumined the home
with the torch of learning, she felt it devolved on her to see that
the clock kept abreast of current events. Besides, she was a shining
example in the matter of Sunday-school tickets; she didn’t intend to be
late next morning. So she, too, put on the hands an hour.
It was just as Mrs. Jasper was going upstairs to bed at night, tired
out with the Saturday night bathing of the children, that the clock
stared her in the face, and the question arose: Had she, or had she
not, put on that clock an hour as she had meant to? Her memory isn’t
good at the best of times, and she was especially done up with a day
that somehow had not seemed _nearly_ long enough for its accustomed
duties, though she couldn’t make out why. But to make quite sure,
she gave the hands a flick round; better be quite certain than have
Maudie late for Sunday-school. Only she did wish they didn’t leave
_everything_ for her to do!
Next morning, when the Vicar drew up his blind at 7 A.M., as is his
unfailing wont, he saw a small group of children standing forlornly
outside the Sunday-school door, waiting for the 10 o’clock opening!
* * * * *
Mrs. Jasper’s was the next cottage we called at, to inquire after her
husband, who was now at the front. Mrs. Jasper was delighted to see us,
and of course asked if we had further news of the burglar, the fame of
our footprints having spread far and wide. She told us all about the
neuralgia in her head, and seemed much relieved when we assured her
that it was not at all likely to turn to appendicitis.
She had had a lurking fear that if it became appendicitis, she would
have to go to a hospital, and she hadn’t much belief in hospitals.
There was her sister’s little boy Tommy, up in London, just four years
old, and all nerves, as you may say; screamed and kicked like anything
if you didn’t give him what he wanted the moment he asked for it. They
couldn’t do nothing with him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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