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
Eva Gonorowsky was terribly distressed, and the plaintive sobs which,
from time to time, rent the bosom of Yetta's dingy plaid dress were
as so many blows upon her adviser's bruised conscience. Desperately
she cast about for some device by which Teacher's favour might be
reclaimed and all jubilantly she imparted it to Yetta.
"Say," she whispered, "I tell you what you want to do. You leave your
mamma wash your dress."
"I don't know would she like it. I washes me the face fer her und she
has a mad on me."
"She'd like it, all right, all right; ain't I tell you how she is crazy
fer what is clean? You get your dress washed and it will look awful
diff'rent. I done it und she had a glad."
Now a mamma who supports a family by the making of buttonholes, for
one hundred of which she receives nine cents, has little time for
washing, and Yetta determined, unaided and unadvised, to be her own
laundress. She made endless trips with her tin-pail from the sixth
floor to the yard and back again, she begged a piece of soap from the
friendly "janitor lady" and set valiantly to work. And Eva's prophecy
was fulfilled. The dress looked "awful diff'rent" when it had dried
to half its already scant proportions. From various sources Yetta
collected six buttons of widely dissimilar design and colour and, with
great difficulty since her hands were puffed and clumsy from long
immersion in strong suds, she affixed them to the back of the dress
and fell into her corner of the family couch to dream of Miss Bailey's
surprise and joy when the blended plaid should be revealed unto her.
Surely, if there were any gratitude in the hearts of teachers, Yetta
should be, ere the sinking of another sun, "monitors off of somethings."
That Teacher was surprised, no one who saw the glance of puzzled inquiry
with which she greeted the entrance of the transformed Yetta, could
doubt. That she had a glad, Yetta, who saw the stare replaced by a
smile of quick recognition, was proudly assured. Eva Gonorowsky shone
triumphant.
"Ain't I tell you?" she whispered jubilantly as she made room upon her
little bench and drew Yetta down beside her. "Ain't I tell you how
she's crazy fer what is clean? Und I ain't never seen nothings what
is clean like you be. You smells off of soap even."
It was not surprising, for Yetta had omitted the rinsing which some
laundresses advise. She had wasted none of the janitor lady's gift.
It was all in the meshes of the flannel dress to which it lent, in
addition to its reassuring perfume, a smooth damp slipperiness most
pleasing to the touch.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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