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
Very diplomatically Yetta did. "Teacher," she began,
"buttoned-in-back-dresses is stylish fer ladies."
"Yes, honey," Miss Bailey acquiesced, "so I thought when I saw that
you wear one."
"On'y they opens," Yetta went on, all flushed by this high tribute to
her correctness. "All times they opens, yours und mine, und that makes
us shamed feelings."
Again Miss Bailey acquiesced.
"So-o-oh," pursued Yetta, with fast beating heart; "don't you wants
you should give me somethings from paper mit writings on it so I could
come on your room all times for see how is your buttoned-in-back-dresses?"
"A beautiful idea," cried Teacher. "We'll take care of one another's
buttons. I'll write the card for you now. You know what to do with it?"
"Yiss ma'an. Eva tells me all times how I could come where I wants
sooner you writes on papers how I is good girls."
"I'll write nicer things than that on yours," said Miss Bailey. "You
are one of the best little girls in the world. So useful to your mother
and to the babies and to me! Oh yes, I'll write beautiful things on
your card, my dear."
When the Grand Street car had borne Miss Bailey away Yetta turned to
Eva with determination in her eye and the "paper mit writings" in her
hand.
"I'm goin' on the country for see my papa und birds und flowers und
all them things what Teacher tells stands in the country. I need I
should see them."
"Out your mamma?" Eva remonstrated.
"'Out, 'out my mamma. She ain't got no time for go on no country. I
don't needs my mamma should go by my side. Ain't you said I could to
go all places what I wants I should go, sooner Teacher gives me papers
mit writings?"
"Sure could you," Eva repeated solemnly. "There ain't no place where
you couldn't to go mit it."
"I'll go on the country," said Yetta.
That evening Mrs. Aaronsohn joined her neighbours upon the doorstep
for the first time in seven years. For Yetta was lost. The neighbours
were comforting but not resourceful. They all knew Yetta; knew her to
be sensible and mature for her years even according to the exacting
standard of the East Side. She would presently return, they assured
the distraught Mrs. Aaronsohn, and pending that happy event they
entertained her with details of the wanderings and home comings of
their own offspring. But Yetta did not come. The reminiscent mothers
talked themselves into silence, the deserted babies cried themselves
to sleep. Mrs. Aaronsohn carried them up to bed--she hardly knew the
outer aspect of her own door--and returned to the then deserted doorstep
to watch for her first-born. One by one the lights were extinguished,
the sewing-machines stopped, and the restless night of the quarter
closed down. She was afraid to go even as far as the corner in search
of the fugitive. She could not have recognized the house which held
her home.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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