|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 22
She had gone halfway down the stairs when a small, unsteady voice
called after her:
"Please, Aunt Polly, you didn't tell me which of my things you
wanted to--to give away."
Aunt Polly emitted a tired sigh--a sigh that ascended straight to
Pollyanna's ears.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, Pollyanna. Timothy will drive us into
town at half-past one this afternoon. Not one of your garments is
fit for my niece to wear. Certainly I should be very far from
doing my duty by you if I should let you appear out in any one of
them."
Pollyanna sighed now--she believed she was going to hate that
word--duty.
"Aunt Polly, please," she called wistfully, "isn't there ANY way
you can be glad about all that--duty business?"
"What?" Miss Polly looked up in dazed surprise; then, suddenly,
with very red cheeks, she turned and swept angrily down the
stairs. "Don't be impertinent, Pollyanna!"
In the hot little attic room Pollyanna dropped herself on to one
of the straight-backed chairs. To her, existence loomed ahead one
endless round of duty.
"I don't see, really, what there was impertinent about that," she
sighed. "I was only asking her if she couldn't tell me something
to be glad about in all that duty business."
For several minutes Pollyanna sat in silence, her rueful eyes
fixed on the forlorn heap of garments on the bed. Then, slowly,
she rose and began to put away the dresses.
"There just isn't anything to be glad about, that I can see," she
said aloud; "unless--it's to be glad when the duty's done!"
Whereupon she laughed suddenly.
CHAPTER VII. POLLYANNA AND PUNISHMENTS
At half-past one o'clock Timothy drove Miss Polly and her niece
to the four or five principal dry goods stores, which were about
half a mile from the homestead.
Fitting Pollyanna with a new wardrobe proved to be more or less
of an exciting experience for all concerned. Miss Polly came out
of it with the feeling of limp relaxation that one might have at
finding oneself at last on solid earth after a perilous walk
across the very thin crust of a volcano. The various clerks who
had waited upon the pair came out of it with very red faces, and
enough amusing stories of Pollyanna to keep their friends in
gales of laughter the rest of the week. Pollyanna herself came
out of it with radiant smiles and a heart content; for, as she
expressed it to one of the clerks: "When you haven't had anybody
but missionary barrels and Ladies' Aiders to dress you, it IS
perfectly lovely to just walk right in and buy clothes that are
brand-new, and that don't have to be tucked up or let down
because they don't fit!"
The shopping expedition consumed the entire afternoon; then came
supper and a delightful talk with Old Tom in the garden, and
another with Nancy on the back porch, after the dishes were done,
and while Aunt Polly paid a visit to a neighbor.
Old Tom told Pollyanna wonderful things of her mother, that made
her very happy indeed; and Nancy told her all about the little
farm six miles away at "The Corners," where lived her own dear
mother, and her equally dear brother and sisters. She promised,
too, that sometime, if Miss Polly were willing, Pollyanna should
be taken to see them.
"And THEY'VE got lovely names, too. You'll like THEIR names,"
sighed Nancy. "They're 'Algernon,' and 'Florabelle' and
'Estelle.' I--I just hate 'Nancy'!"
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|