Little Citizens: The Humours of School LifeKelly, Myra
General
Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life
Kelly, Myra
Short stories; Students -- New York (State) -- New York -- Fiction; United States -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Fiction
"It was a trouble from off of real estate." With dignity and blandness
she proceeded to kiss Teacher's hand, and signified entire willingness
to entrust her precious Sadie to the care of so estimable a young
person, inquired solicitously if the work were not too much for so
small a lady, and cautioned the young person against rainy mornings.
Had she a mackintosh? Mr. Gonorowsky was selling them off that week.
Were her imperceptibles sufficiently warm? Mr. Gonorowsky, by a strange
chance, was absolutely giving away "fine all from wool" imperceptibles,
and the store was near. Mrs. Gonorowsky then withdrew, leaving a kindly
sentiment in Teacher's heart and an atmosphere of ironing-boards and
onions in the hall. On the following morning Sadie returned to her
"light-faced" teacher, and for one whole day hostilities were suspended.
But on the morning after this truce Eva was absent from her accustomed
place and Sadie blandly disclaimed all knowledge of her whereabouts.
After the noon recess a pathetic little figure wavered in the doorway
with one arm in a sling and one eye in a poultice. The remaining eye
was fixed in deep reproach on the face of Isidore Belchatosky, the
Adonis of the class, and the eye was the eye of Eva.
"Eva!" exclaimed Teacher, "oh, Eva, what can you have been doing?
What's the matter with your eye?"
"Isidore Belchatosky he goes und makes me this here shiner," said Eva's
accusing voice, as the eye under the poultice was uncovered for a
moment. It was indeed a "shiner" of aggravated aspect, and Isidore
cringed as it met his affrighted gaze. The sling and the bandages were
of gay chintz, showing forth the adventures of Robinson Crusoe, and
their lurid colours made them horribly conspicuous. Friday scampered
across Eva's forehead, pursued by savages; and Crusoe, under his
enormous umbrella, nestled close to her heart.
"Surely Isidore would never hit a little girl?" Teacher remonstrated.
"Teacher, yiss ma'an; he makes me this here shiner. Sadie she goes und
tells him she kisses him a kiss so he makes me a shiner. He's lovin'
mit her und she's got kind feelin's by him, the while his papa's got
a candy cart. It's a stylish candy cart mit a bell und a horn. So-o-oh
I was yesterday on the store for buy my mamma some wurst, und I don't
make nothings mit nobody."
Here the poor, half-blind Eva, with her love and talent for pantomime,
took a gay little walk past Teacher's desk, with tossing head and
swinging skirts. Then with a cry she recoiled from the very memory of
her wrongs.
"Come Isidore! Und he hits me a hack on my leg so I couldn't to hold
it even. So I falls und I make me this here shiner. Und when my mamma
seen how comes such a bile on my bone she had a mad; she hollered
somethin' fierce."
One could well sympathize with the harassed Mrs. Nathan Gonorowsky.
"So-o-oh," continued Eva with melancholy enjoyment, "my mamma she puts
medsin at a rag und bangages up mine eye. Und now I ain't healthy."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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