The Adopting of Rosa Marie: (A Sequel to Dandelion Cottage) — John Shaqi
The Adopting of Rosa Marie: (A Sequel to Dandelion Cottage)Rankin, Carroll Watson
General
The Adopting of Rosa Marie: (A Sequel to Dandelion Cottage)
Rankin, Carroll Watson
Abandoned children -- Juvenile fiction; Humanitarianism -- Juvenile fiction; Toddlers -- Care -- Juvenile fiction
"It's a shame," sputtered Aunty Jane, "for Marjory to climb all those
stairs twice a day. It's all very well for the Ancient Order of United
Workmen to climb two flights with grown-up legs, but it isn't right for
delicate girls. However, there's no help for it just now, and I can't
say I blame the child for sliding down the banisters, though of course
I do scold her for it."
"There are saloons on both sides of that harness shop," said Mrs.
Bennett, "and six more this side of it, besides a livery stable that is
always full of loafers and bad language. Mabel has never been allowed
to go to that part of town alone, and now I have to send a maid with
her twice a day. But of course she has to go, even if the maid _is_
more timid than Mabel is."
"By next year," consoled the Board, "we'll have a bigger and better
schoolhouse than the old one. In the meantime we must all have
patience."
Except that Mabel, without the others to get her started, was always
late and that Bettie, without Marjory to coach her on the way, found it
difficult to learn her lessons, school life went on very much as usual,
for matters soon settled down as things always do and Lakeville turned
its attention to fresher problems.
Poor Bettie, indeed, was busier than ever because Miss Rossitor, the
Domestic Science teacher, whose classes were temporarily housed in the
Methodist kitchen, discovered that Bettie could draw. Every day or two
she asked Bettie to remain after school to copy needed illustrations on
the blackboard. One day, Miss Rossitor demanded a cow. She needed it,
she explained, to show her class the different cuts of meat.
"A side view of a plain cow," said she.
"I think," said Bettie, reflectively nibbling the fresh stick of chalk,
"that I could do the outside of that cow, but I know I couldn't get his
veal cutlets in the proper spot."
"I'll give you a diagram," smiled Miss Rossitor, "for I see very
plainly, that it wouldn't be safe not to."
"Perhaps Miss Bettie thinks," ventured a belated pupil, a pink-cheeked
girl with an impertinent nose, "that one cow is a whole butcher shop."
"Well," returned Miss Rossitor, meaningly, "it isn't a great while
since some other folks were of the same opinion. But, since you are
now so very much wiser, you may label the parts after Bettie has drawn
them."
The girl made such a comical face that Bettie's gravity was in sad
danger, but she accepted the chalk. On the cow's shoulder she printed
"Pork sausages," on the flank, "Mutton chops," on the backbone,
"Oysters on the half-shell," on the breast, "buttons."
Bettie looked puzzled and doubtful but Miss Rossitor laughed outright.
"Henrietta Bedford," she said, "you're a complete humbug. If you don't
settle down to business you won't get home to-night."
"I'm going to walk home with Bettie," returned Henrietta, quickly
substituting the proper labels. "I can easily write out that luncheon
menu while she's putting feathers on the cow's tail."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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