She was never distracted, as Rosie so often was by Katie Price's
clothes. Katie had on a new sash to-day, and Rosie sighed and poked
Elizabeth and asked her if she didn't wish to goodness she had one,
too. Elizabeth glanced at the sash quite unmoved. The Gordon girls
never had sashes, nor finery of any kind, but why should one who knew
she would some day wear a flashing suit of silvery armor and a crimson
velvet cloak be envious of mere ribbons? Elizabeth did not confide
this comforting assurance to Rosie, but she whispered truthfully, No,
that she didn't want one like Katie Price's. She was quite unconscious
of the fact that there dwelt in her mind not a little of Aunt
Margaret's pride--the feeling that it was infinitely better to be a
Gordon in a dun-colored pinafore than a Price in a silk sash and a
flower-trimmed hat.
She soon forgot all about Katie in her absorption in the lesson.
Anything savoring of religion took strong hold of Elizabeth, and even
Martha Ellen's presentation of a passage of Scripture appealed to her.
When the passage was re-read, Miss Robertson read a list of questions
off the printed page before her. "Who was Zaccheus?" was the first
question. Katie Price was looking at her sash and didn't know. Susie
Martin hung her head and blushed, Eppie Turner was always too shy to
speak, and Rosie Carrick ventured the remark that "he was a man." Miss
Robertson passed on perfectly good-natured. "Lizzie Gordon, who was
Zaccheus?" Lizzie Gordon knew all about him, and spun off information,
even to his being little and having to climb a tree. "I can tell lots
more," she said invitingly, as Miss Robertson held up her hand to stem
the flood. But the teacher smilingly shook her head. Lizzie was
getting too far ahead. "Where did he live?" was the next question read
off in the direction of Katie Price, and so on they went until all the
questions were read and answered, Elizabeth supplying whatever
information the rest of the class failed to give. Next came the
"Application," which Elizabeth enjoyed most, because it left room for
discussion. The "Application" applied to each verse and was also read
by the teacher. "Zaccheus was a small man. We may be small and
insignificant in the eyes of the world, but none the less does
responsibility devolve upon each one of us." "Zaccheus climbed a tree.
We learn from this that we should all strive to climb to the loftiest
that life can attain." Elizabeth put in an occasional remark, and
Martha Ellen responded. This was one of the former's grown-up moments
and she reveled in it. There was none of the family there to carry
home the tale that Lizzie was putting on pious airs, and so expose her
to Jean's ridicule; and Martha Ellen's marked appreciation drew her out
to make the wisest and profoundest remarks.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account