marm lisa-第7部分

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her　way；　Rhoda　dressed　her　in　daintier　ones　of　white　cambric；　with　a　ruffle　at　the　neck　and　sleeves；　the　child's　pleasure　knew　no　bounds；　and　she　kept　the　aprons　clean。　　With　Mrs。　Grubb's　permission　her　hair　was　cut　shorter；　and　brushed　back　under　a　round　comb。　　No　regiment　of　soldiers　could　have　kept　the　comb　in　place。　　It　was　taken　away　and　a　blue　ribbon　substituted。　　She　untied　the　ribbon　every　five　minutes　for　two　days；　when　Mary　circumvented　her　by　sewing　a　blue　ribbon　on　each　sleeve。　This　seemed　to　divert　her　attention　from　the　head…band；　and　after　a　week　or　two　she　allowed　it　to　remain　without　interference。　　Mary　gave　her　low　shoes；　hoping　that　the　lessened　trouble　of　lacing　them　would　make　the　task　a　possibility。　　There　was　no　improvement。　　If　she　laced　them；　it　was　only　under　supervision；　and　they　were　always　untied　within　the　hour；　the　dangling　laces　tripping　her　awkward　feet。　Slippers　or　old…fashioned　shoes　with　elastic　at　the　side　would　have　been　an　easy　way　out　of　the　difficulty；　but　to　Rhoda's　mind　that　would　have　been　a　humiliating　confession　of　failure。　　As　a　last　resort　she　bought　brown　shoes　and　brown　laces。

'If　these　do　not　succeed；'　she　said；　'I　will　have　red　ones　made；　paint　the　tips　blue；　and　give　her　yellow　laces；　but　I　will　fix　her　mind　on　her　feet　and　arouse　her　pride　in　them；　or　die　in　the　attempt。'

This　extreme；　fortunately；　proved　unnecessary；　since　for　some　unknown　reason　the　brown　foot…gear　appealed　to　Marm　Lisa；　and　she　kept　the　laces　tied。　　The　salient　peculiarity　and　encouraging　feature　of　the　child's　development　was　that；　save　in　rare　cases；　she　did　not　slip　back　into　her　old　habits　when　the　novelty　of　the　remedy　wore　off；　with　her；　almost　every　point　gained　was　a　point　kept。　　It　was　indeed　a　high　Hill　Difficulty　that　she　was　climbingso　high　that　had　she　realised　it　she　would　never　have　taken　the　first　step　of　her　own　unaided　will；　but　now　this　impelling　force　behind　her　was　so　great；　and　the　visions　for　ever　leading　her　on　were　so　beautiful；　that　she　ran　nor　grew　weary；　she　walked　yet　did　not　faint。

The　other　children；　even　the　youngest　of　them；　were　more　or　less　interested　in　the　novel　enterprise；　too；　though　they　scarcely　knew　the　nature　of　it　or　how　much　was　at　stake。　　That　a　human　mind　was　tottering　to　its　fall；　and　that　Mistress　Mary　was　engaged　in　preventing　it；　was　beyond　their　ken。　　They　could　see　certain　details；　however；　for　they　were　all　one　great　family　of　little　people；　and　it　was　no　unaccustomed　thing　for　them　to　watch　a　moral　conquest；　though　they　had　no　conception　of　an　intellectual　one。

Accordingly；　there　was　a　shout　of　triumph　from　a　corner　of　the　room　one　morning；such　a　shout　that　seventy　or　eighty　youngsters　held　their　breath　to　see　what　was　happening。

After　weeks　upon　weeks　of　torn　cards；　broken　threads；　soiled　patterns；　wrong　stitches；　weak　hand　held　in　place　by　strong　hand；　Marm　Lisa　had　sewed　without　help；　and　in　one　lesson；　the　outline　of　a　huge　red　apple；　and　there　she　stood；　offering　her　finished　work　to　Mistress　Mary。　　The　angels　in　heaven　never　rejoiced　more　greatly　over　the　one　repentant　sinner　than　the　tired　shepherdesses　over　their　one　poor　ewe　lamb；　as　she　stood　there　with　quivering　hands　and　wet　eyes；　the　first　sense　of　conscious　victory　written　on　her　inscrutable　brow；　and　within　the　turbid；　clouded　brain　the　memory　of　a　long　struggle；　and　a　hint；　at　least；　of　the　glory　she　had　achieved。

Rhoda　took　the　square　of　neat　cardboard　with　the　precious　red　circle　that　meant　so　much；　and　ran　into　the　playground　with　it；　hugging　it　to　her　heart；　and　crying　and　laughing　over　it　like　a　child。

When　she　came　back　Mistress　Mary　put　her　arm　round　Lisa's　waist　and　said　to　the　whole　great　family：　　'Children；　after　trying　hard；　for　ever　so　long；　Lisa　has　sewed　this　lovely　picture　all　by　herself。　There　is　not　a　wrong　stitch；　and　one　side　is　as　neat　as　the　other。　What　shall　we　say？'

'Three　cheers！　　The　Chinese　must　go！'　shouted　Pat　Higgins；　a　patriotic　person　of　five　years；　whose　father　was　an　organiser　of　sand…lot　meetings。

All　the　grown…ups　laughed　at　this　unexpected　suggestion；　but　the　cheers　were　given　with　a　good　will；　and　Marm　Lisa；　her　mind　stirred　to　its　depths　by　the　unwonted　emotion；　puzzled　out　the　meaning　of　them　and　hid　it　in　her　heart。



CHAPTER　VIFROM　GRUBB　TO　BUTTERFLY



The　children　were　all　nearly　a　year　older　when　Mrs。　Grubb　one　day　climbed　the　flight　of　wooden　steps　heading　to　Marm　Lisa's　Paradise；　and　met；　as　she　did　so；　a　procession　of　Mistress　Mary's　neophytes　who　were　wending　their　way　homeward。

The　spectacle　of　a　number　of　persons　of　either　sex；　or　of　both　sexes；　proceeding　in　hue　or　grouped　as　an　audience；　acted　on　Mrs。　Grubb　precisely　as　the　taste　of　fresh　blood　is　supposed　to　act　on　a　tiger　in　captivity。　　At　such　a　moment　she　had　but　one　impulse；　and　that　was　to　address　the　meeting。　　The　particular　subject　was　not　vital；　since　it　was　never　the　subject；　but　her　own　desire　to　talk；　that　furnished　the　necessary　inspiration。　　While　she　was　beginning；　'Ladies　and　gentlemen；'　in　her　clear；　pheasant　voice；　her　convictions；　opinions；　views；　prejudices；　feelings；　experiences；　all　flew　from　the　different　corners　of　what　she　was　pleased　to　call　her　brain；　and　focussed　themselves　on　the　point　in　question。

If　the　discussion　were　in　a　field　in　which　she　had　made　no　excursions　whatever；　that　trifling　detail　did　not　impose　silence　upon　her。　　She　simply　rose；　and　said：

'Ladies　and　gentlemen；　though　a　stranger　in　your　midst；　I　feel　I　must　say　a　word　of　sympathy　to　you；　and　a　word　of　encouragement　for　your　cause。　　It　is　a　good　and　worthy　movement；　and　I　honour　you　for　upholding　it。　　Often　and　often　have　I　said　to　my　classes；　it　matters　not　what　face　of　truth　is　revealed　to　you　so　long　as　you　get　a　vision　that　will　help　you　to　bless　your　fellow…men。　　To　bless　your　fellow…　men　is　the　great　task　before　each　and　every　one　of　us；　and　I　feel　to　urge　this　specially　upon　occasions　like　this；　when　I　see　a　large　and　influential　audience　before　me。　　Says　Rudyard　Kipling；　〃I　saw　a　hundred　men　on　the　road　to　Delhi；　and　they　were　all　my　brothers。〃　Yes；　all　our　brothers！　　The　brotherhood　of　man　and　the　sisterhood　of　woman；　those　are　the　subjects　that　include　all　others。　　I　am　glad　to　have　met　with　you；　and　to　have　heard　the　eloquent　words　of　your　speakers。　　If　any　of　you　would　like　to　know　more　of　my　work；　I　will　gladly　meet　you　in　Room　A　at　the　close　of　this　meeting。'

She　then　sat　down　amid　applause。　　Never　did　Mrs。　S。　Cora　Grubb　cease　speaking　without　at　least　a　ripple　of　approval　that　sometimes　grew　into　a　positive　ovation。　　What　wonder；　then；　that　she　mistook　herself　for　an　inspired　person？　　It　was　easy　to　understand　her　popularity　with　her　fellow…men。　　Her　eyes　were　as　soft　and　clear　as　those　of　a　child；　her　hair　waved　prettily　off　her　low；　serene　brow；　her　figure　was　plump　and　womanly；　and　when　her　voice　trembled　with　emotion　（which　in　her　was　a　shallow　well　very　near　the　surface）　the　charmingest　pink　colour　came　and　went　in　her　cheeks。　　On　such　occasions　more　than　one　member　of　the　various　brotherhoods　thought　what　a　cosy　wife　she　would　make；　if　removed　from　the　public　arena　to　the　'sweet；　safe　corner　of　the　household　fire。'　　To　be　sure；　she　had　not　much　logic；　but　plenty　of　sentiment；　rather　too　great　a　fondness　for　humanity；　perhaps；　but　that　was　because　she　had　no　husband　and　family　of　her　own　to　absorb　her　superfluous　sympathy　and　energy。　Mrs。　Grubb　was　not　so　easily　classified　as　these　'brothers'　imagined；　however；　and　fortunately　for　them　she　had　no　leanings　towards　any　man's　fireside。　　Mr。　Grubb　had　died　in　the　endeavour　to　understand　her；　and　it　is　doubtful　whether；　had　he　been　offered　a　second　life　and　another　opportunity；　he　would　have　thought　the　end　justified　the　means。

This　criticism；　however；　applies　only　to　the　family　circle；　for　Mrs。　Grubb　in　a　hall　was　ever　winning；　delightful；　and　persuasive。　　If　she　was　illogical；　none　of　her　sister…women　realised　it；　for　they　were　pretty　much　of　the　same　chaotic　order　of　mind；　though　with　this　difference：　　that　a　certain　proportion　of　them　were　everywhere　seeking　reasons　for　their　weariness；　their　unhappiness；　their　poverty；　their　lack　of　faith　and　courage；　their　unsatisfactory　husbands　and　their　disappointing　children。　　These　ladies　were　apt　to　be　a　trifle　bitter；　and　much　more　interested　in　Equal　Suffrage；　Temperance；　Cremation；　and　Edenic　Diet　than　in　subjects　like　Palmistry；　Telepathy；　and　Hypnotism；　which　generally　attracted　the　vague；　speculative；　feather…headed　ones。　　These　discontented　persons　were　always　the　most　frenzied　workers　and　the　most　eloquent　speakers；　and　those　who　were　determined　to　get　more　rights　were　mild　compared　with　those　who　were　determined　to　avenge　their　wrongs。　　There　was；　of　course；　no　unanimity　of　belief　running　through　all　these　Clubs；　Classes；　Circles；　Societies；　Orders；　Leagues；　Chapters；　and　Unions；　but　there　was　one　bond　of　aversion；　and　that　was　domestic　service　of　any　kind。　　That　no　woman　could　develop　or　soar　properly；　and　cook；　scrub；　sweep；　dust；　wash　dishes；　mend；　or　take　care　of　babies　at　the　same　timeto　defend　this　proposition　they　would　cheerfully　have　gone　to　the　stake。　　They　were　willing　to　concede　all　these　sordid　tasks　as　an　honourable　department　of　woman's　work；　but　each　wanted　them　to　be　done　by　some　other　woman。

Mrs。　Grubb　really　belonged　to　neither　of　these　classes。　　She　was　not　very　keen　about　more　rights；　nor　very　bloodthirsty　about　her　wrongs。　She　inhabited　a　kind　of　serene　twilight；　the　sort　that　follows　an　especially　pink　sunset。　　She　was　not　wholly　clear　in　her　mind　about　anything；　but　she　was　entirely　hopeful　about　the　world　and　its　disposition　to　grow　and　move　in　ever　ascending　spirals。　　She　hated　housework　as　much　as　any　of　her　followers；　although　she　was　seldom　allowed　to　do　anything　for　herself。　　'I'll　step　in　and　make　your　beds；　Mrs。　Grubb；　I　know　you're　tired。'　　'I'll　sweep　the　front　room；　Mrs。　Grubb；　you　give　yourself　out　so；　I　know　you　need　rest。'　　'Let　me　cook　your　supper　while　you　get　up　strength　for　your　lecture；　there　are　plenty　of　people　to　cook；　but　there's　only　one　Mrs。　Grubb！'　These　were　the　tender　solicitations　she　was　ever　receiving。

As　for　theories；　she　had　small　choice。　　She　had　looked　into　almost　every