第37章

IknewIwouldn’tdarelookathimwhenhecamedown，soIgotareaderandbeganonapieceIjustlove：

“Anightingalemadeamistake；

Shesangafewnotesoutoftune：

Herheartwasreadytobreak，Andshehidawayfromthemoon。“

WhenIdidgetapeep，graciousbuthewasblack！Maybeitwasn’tgoingtobesomuchfunafterall。Buthehadthemoneylastyear，andtheyearbefore，andifhe’dcleanedhisfeetwell——Iwasnothuntinghiseggs，whenIfoundthem。“Histracksbetrayedhim，“asfathersaid。Iwasthankfulsupperwasreadyjustthen，andwhileitwasgoingonmothersaid：“Assoonasyoufinish，allbringinyoureggs。Iwanttowraptheonestocolourto-night，andburytheminthefireplacesotheywillcolour，dry，andbereadytoopeninthemorning。“

Noonesaidaword，butneitherLaddienorLeonlookedveryhappy，andItookawfulbitestokeepmyfacestraight。WhenallofusfinishedMaybroughtalotfromthebranbarrelinthesmokehouse，butLaddieandLeononlysatthereandlookedsilly；

itreallywasfunny。

“Imusthavemoreeggsthanthis？“saidmother。“Wherearetheytocomefrom？“

FathernoddedtomeandIsaid：“Fromunderyourbed！“

“Oh，itwasyou！AndIneveroncecaughtyousnooping！“criedLeon。

“Easyson！“saidfather。“Thatwilldo。Youlostthroughyourowncarelessness。Youleftwetmudonthegarretfloor，andshesawitwhenmothersentherfortheonionskins。YourobbedLaddieofhislasteggthismorning；beagoodloseryourself！“

“Well，anyway，youdidn’tget’em，“saidLeontoLaddie。

“Andsheonlyfoundthembyaccident！“

Thenwehadabigtimecountingallthoseeggs，andsuchanotherheapastherewastosell，aftermotherfilledbasketstocookwithandcolour。Whenthetablewascleared，LaddieandLeonmadetallowpencilsfromacandleandwroteallsortsofthingsovereggsthathadbeenpreparedtocolour。Thenmotherboiledthemincopperaswater，andaniline，andallthedyesshehad，andtheboyspolishedthem，andtheystoodinshiningblack，red，blueandyellowheaps。Theoniononeswouldbedoneinthemorning。Leonhadagooseeggandmotherlethimkeepit，sohewroteandwroteonit，untilLaddiesaiditwouldbeallwriting，andnocolour，andheboileditinred，aftermotherfinished，andpolishedithimself。Itcameoutrealprettywithrosesonitandlotsofwordshewouldn’tletanyofusread；butofcourseitwasforSusieFall。

Nextmorningheslippedittoheratchurch。Whenwegothome，allofuswerethereexceptShelley，andwehadabigdinnerandafinetimeandLaddiestayeduntilaftersupper，beforehewenttoPryors’。

“Howishemakingit？“askedSally。

Youcouldseeshewasmakingitallright；sheneverlookedlovelier，andmothersaidPeterwaslettingherspendawaytoomuchmoneyonherclothes。Shetoldhimso，butPeterjustlaughedandsaidbusinesswasgood，andhecouldaffordit，andshewasafineadvertisementforhisstorewhenshewasdressedwell。“

“AllIknowis，“saidmother，“thathegoesthereeverywhipstitch，andthewomen，atleast，seemgladtohavehim。HesaysMr。Pryortreatshimdecently，andthatismorethanhedoeshisownfamilyandservants。Heandthegirlandhermotheraredividedaboutsomething。Shetreatsherfatherrespectfully，butshe’sinsympathywithmother。“

“Laddiecan’tfindoutwhatthetroubleis？“

“Idon’tthinkthathetries。“

“Maybehe’dfeelbetternottoknow，“saidPeter。

“Possibly！“saidmother。

“Nonsense！“saidfather。

“Youseemtobereconciled，“saidElizabeth。

“Thatgirlwouldreconcileamantoanything，“saidfather。

“Nottothelossofhissoul，Ihope，“saidmotherstiffly。

“Soulsarenotsoeasytolose，“saidfather。“Besides，IamcountingonLaddiesavinghers。“

CHAPTERXIII

TheGardenoftheLord“Withwhatcontentandmerriment，Theirdaysarespent，whosemindsarebentTofollowtheusefulplow。“

ThatspringIdecidedifschooldidn’tstopprettysoon，I’drunawayagain，andIdidn’tintheleastcarewhattheydidtome。

Acountryroadwasallrightanditwasgoodenough，ifithadbeenheapedup，leveledandplentyofgravelputon；andofcourseourroadwouldbefine，becausefatherwasoneofthecommissioners，andaslongashefilledthatoffice，everyroadinthecountywouldbejustasfineasthelawwouldallowhimtomakeit。Ihaveevenheardhimtellmotherthathe“stretcheditaleetlemite，“whenhewasforcedtobypeoplewhocouldn’tseemtobemadetounderstandwhatwasrequiredtoupbuildanation。

Hesaidourlanguagewasfoundedonthealphabet，andtomasterityouhadtobeginwith“a“。Andhesaidthenationwaslikethat；itwasbasedontownships，andwhenatownshipwasclean，hadgoodroads，bridges，schoolhouses，andchurches，acountywasinfineshape，andwheneachcountywasinorder，thestatewasright，andwhenthestatewasprosperous，thenationcouldrejoiceinitsstrength。

HesaidAtlasinthegeographybook，carryingtheworldonhisback，wasonlyasymbol，butitwasagoodone。Hesaidwhenthecountyelectedhimtofillanimportantoffice，itusedhisshoulderasapropforthenation，soitbecamehisbusinesstostandfirmly，anduseeveryounceofstrengthandbrainshehad，firstofalltomakehisownpossessionsamodel，thenhistownship，hiscounty，andhisstate，andifeveryoneworkedtogetherdoingthat，nonationonearthhadouramountofterritoryandsuchfineweather，sononeofthemcouldbea

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