How the days flew! One of the neighbors took her over Friday morning.
Joe and Jenny would bring her back. And she had a really happy time.
Jenny took her down to the house, and it was attractively nice and
comfortable, even if Jenny had tacked up some advertising pictures in
her chamber, and the dining-room. There was an old-time door-yard with
its long rows of flowers. Joe was a master hand for flowers. The
vegetable garden was in excellent order, and did not look ragged, as
gardens were wont to do in early autumn. There had been a second crop of
several things, which betokened thrift on Joe's part. Yes; Jenny would
be very happy. People _were_ different, and the same pursuits and
pleasures could not satisfy all alike.
"I'm glad you are going to that school, Helen. You would never have
liked working in the shop. It's suited me well enough, because I've been
thinking of the money. I have two hundred dollars in the bank in my own
name, and Joe is going to let me have the butter and egg money. But I
don't know how I'll keep busy all the time, though I can help mother
with the sewing. She'd counted so much on you. And she thinks now----"
Jenny looked at Helen, and laughed merrily, "that if Mrs. Van Dorn would
put the money out at interest that she's going to spend on you the next
two years, it would be ever so much better for you."
"No, it wouldn't," returned Helen decisively. "Beside, what good reason
would she have for doing such a thing? She knows I am just wild for an
education. There are so many splendid knowledges in the world," and the
girl's face was brilliant with eagerness.
"You've changed some way, Helen. I guess you always were a little
different, though." Jenny seemed studying her from head to foot. "You're
taller. My, if you had on long skirts, you'd be a young lady."
"I just want to be a girl for ever so long. Mrs. Van Dorn doesn't want
me grown up."
"And I went in the shop when I was only half-past fourteen," laughing.
"I made mother let me wear long skirts, and when I was fifteen Joe began
to come round and bring me home from cottage meeting and singing school,
but his mother didn't like it a bit. She wouldn't have let him marry if
she had lived, but I was willing to wait and that maddened her. Now if
she'd been nice, I'd a' been real glad to have her round. And I say to
mother, don't you be getting cranky and snappy so as no one will want to
live with you when you get old. Isn't that Mrs. Van Dorn rather queer?"
"She is so bright and intelligent, and has traveled about so much and
read almost everything. Why I've learned about countries and their
government, and what they do at Washington, and about Congress and our
own capital, and the cities and towns that have mayors, and boroughs,
and villages."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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