a summer in a canyon-第24章

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tree　where　the　horn　hung　and　blew　all　the　strength　of　her　lungs　into
blast　after　blast　for　five　minutes。

'That's　all　I　needed；'　she　said；　on　returning；　'that　was　an　escape…
valve；　and　I　shall　be　lady…like　and　well…behaved　the　rest　of　the
day。'



CHAPTER　VI：　　QUEEN　ELSIE　VISITS　THE　COURT



'An　hour　and　friend　with　friend　will　meet；
Lip　cling　to　lip　and　hand　clasp　hand。'


'Now；　Laura；'　asked　Bell；　when　quiet　was　restored；　'advise　us　about
Elsie's　tent。　　We　want　it　to　be　perfectly　lovely；　and　you　have　such
good　taste！'

'Let　me　think；'　said　Laura。　　'Oh；　if　she　were　only　a　brunette　instead
of　a　blonde；　we　could　festoon　the　tent　with　that　yellow　tarlatan　I
brought　for　the　play！'

'What　difference　does　it　make　whether　she　is　dark　or　light？'　asked
Bell；　obtusely。

'Why；　a　room　ought　to　be　as　becoming　as　a　dressso　Mrs。　Pinkerton
says。　　You　know　I　saw　a　great　deal　of　her　at　the　hotel；　and　oh；
girls！　her　bedroom　was　the　most　exquisite　thing　you　ever　saw！　　She
had　a　French　toilet…table；　covered　with　pale　blue　silk　and　white
marquise　lace；perfectly　lovely；with　yards　and　yards　of　robin's…
egg　blue　watered　ribbon　in　bows；　and　on　it　she　kept　all　her　toilet
articles；　everything　in　hammered　silver　from　Tiffany's　with　monograms
on　the　back；three　or　four　sizes　of　brushes；　and　combs；　and　mirrors；
and　a　full　manicure　set。　　It　used　to　take　her　two　hours　to　dress；　but
it　was　worth　it。　　Oh；　such　gorgeous　tea…gowns　as　she　had！　　One　of　old
rose　and　lettuce　was　a　perfect　dream！　　She　always　had　her　breakfast
in　bed；　you　know。　　I　think　it's　delightful　to　have　your　breakfast
before　you　get　up；　and　dress　as　slowly　as　you　like。　　I　wish　mamma
would　let　me　do　it。'

'What　does　she　do　after　she　gets　dressed　in　her　rows　of　old　lettuce
I　mean　her　old　rows　of　lettuce？'　asked　Polly。

'Do？　　Why　really；　Polly；　you　are　too　stupid！　　What　do　you　suppose　she
did？　　What　everybody　else　does；　of　course。'

'Oh！'　said　Polly；　apologetically。

'How　old　is　Mrs。　Pinkerton？'　asked　Margery。

'Between　nineteen　and　twenty。　　There　is　not　three　years'　difference
in　our　ages；　though　she　has　been　married　nearly　two　years。　　It　seems
so　funny。'

'Only　nineteen！'　cried　Bell。　　'Why；　I　always　thought　that　she　was　old
as　the　hillstwenty…five　or　thirty　at　the　very　least。　　She　always
seemed　tired　of　things。'

'Well；'　said　Laura；　in　a　whisper　intended　to　be　too　low　to　reach　Mrs。
Winship's　tent；　'I　don't　know　whether　I　ought　to　repeat　what　was　told
me　in　confidence；　but　the　fact　iswellshe　doesn't　like　Mr。
Pinkerton　very　well！'

The　other　girls；　who　had　not　enjoyed　the　advantages　of　city　life　and
travel；　looked　as　dazed　as　any　scandalmonger　could　have　desired。

'Don't　like　him！'　gasped　Polly；　nearly　falling　off　the　stump。　　'Why；
she's　married　to　him！'

'Where　on　earth　were　you　brought　up？'　snapped　Laura。　　'What
difference　does　that　make？　　She　can't　help　it　if　she　doesn't　happen
to　like　her　husband；　can　she？　　You　can't　make　yourself　like　anybody；
can　you？'

'Well；　did　she　ever　like　him？'　asked　Margery；　'for　she's　only　been
married　a　year　or　two；　and　it　seems　to　me　it　might　have　lasted　that
long　if　there　was　anything　to　begin　on。'

'But；'　whispered　Laura；　mysteriously；　'you　see　Mr。　Pinkerton　was　very
rich　and　the　Dentons　very　poor。　　Mr。　Denton　had　just　died；　leaving
them　nothing　at　all　to　live　on；　and　poor　Jessie　would　have　had　to
teach　school；　or　some　dreadful　thing　like　that。　　The　thought　of　it
almost　killed　her；　she　is　so　sensitive　and　so　refined。　　She　never
told　me　so　in　so　many　words；　but　I　am　sure　she　married　Mr。　Pinkerton
to　save　her　mother　from　poverty；　and　I　pity　her　from　the　bottom　of　my
heart。'

'I　suppose　it　was　noble；'　said　Bell；　in　a　puzzled　tone；　'if　she
couldn't　think　of　any　other　way；　but'

'Well；　did　she　try　very　hard　to　think　of　other　ways？'　asked　Polly。
'She　never　looked　especially　noble　to　me。　　I　thought　she　seemed　like
a　die…away；　frizzlygig　kind　of　a　girl。'

'I　wish；　Miss　Oliver；　that　you　would　be　kind　enough　to　remember　that
Mrs。　Pinkerton　is　one　of　my　most　intimate　friends；'　said　Laura；
sharply。　　'And　I　do　wish；　also；　that　you　wouldn't　talk　loud　enough　to
be　heard　all　through　the　canyon。'

The　colour　came　into　Polly's　cheeks；　but　before　she　could　answer；
Mrs。　Winship　walked　in；　stocking…basket　in　hand；　and　seated　herself
in　the　little　wicker　rocking…chair。　　Polly's　clarion　tones　had　given
her　a　clue　to　the　subject；　and　she　thought　the　discussion　needed
guidance。

'You　were　talking　about　Mrs。　Pinkerton；　girls；'　she　said；　serenely。
'You　say　you　are　fond　of　her；　Laura；　dear；　and　it　seems　very
ungracious　for　me　to　criticise　your　friend；　that　is　a　thing　which
most　of　us　fail　to　bear　patiently。　　But　I　cannot　let　you　hold　her　up
as　an　ideal　to　be　worshipped；　or　ask　the　girls　to　admire　as　a　piece
of　self…denial　what　I　fear　was　nothing　but　indolence　and　self…
gratification。　　You　are　too　young　to　talk　of　these　things　very　much；
but　you　are　not　too　young　to　make　up　your　mind　that　when　you　agree　to
live　all　your　life　long　with　a　person；　you　must　have　some　other
feeling　than　a　determination　not　to　teach　school。　　Jessie　Denton's
mother；　my　dear　Laura；　would　never　have　asked　the　sacrifice　of　her
daughter's　whole　life；　and　Jessie　herself　would　never　have　made　it
had　she　been　less　vain；　proud；　and　luxurious　in　her　tastes；　and　a
little　braver；　more　self…forgetting　and　industrious。　　These　are　hard
words；　dear；　and　I　am　sorry　to　use　them。　　She　has　gained　the　riches
she　wanted；the　carriages　and　servants；　and　tea…gowns；　and　hammered
silver　from　Tiffany's；　but　she　looks　tired　and　disappointed；　as　Bell
says；　and　I've　no　doubt　she　is；　poor　girl。'

'I　don't　think　you　do　her　justice；　Mrs。　Winship；　I　don't；　indeed；'
said　Laura。

'If　you　are　really　attached　to　her；　Laura；　don't　make　the　mistake　of
admiring　her　faults　of　character；　but　try　to　find　her　better
qualities；　and　help　her　to　develop　them。　　It　is　a　fatal　thing　when
girls　of　your　age　set　up　these　false　standards；　and　order　their　lives
by　them。　　There　are　worse　things　than　school…teaching；　yes；　or　even
floor…scrubbing　or　window…washing。　　Lovely　tea…gowns　and　silver…
backed　brushes　are　all　very　pretty　and　nice　to　have；　if　they　are　not
gained　at　the　sacrifice　of　something　better。　　I　should　have　said　to
my　daughter；　had　I　been　Mrs。　Denton；　〃We　will　work　for　each　other；　my
darling；　and　try　to　do　whatever　God　gives　us　to　do；　but；　no　matter
how　hard　life　is；　your　heart　is　the　most　precious　thing　in　the　world；
and　you　must　never　sell　that；　if　we　part　with　everything　else。〃　　Oh；
my　girls；　my　girls；　if　I　could　only　make　you　believe　that　〃poor　and
content　is　rich；　and　rich　enough。〃　　I　cannot　bear　to　think　of　your
growing　year　by　year　into　the　conviction　that　these　pretty　glittering
things　of　wealth　are　the　true　gold　of　life　which　everybody　seeks。
Forgive　me；　Laura；　if　I　have　hurt　your　feelings。'

'I　know　you　would　never　hurt　anybody's　feelings；　if　you　could　help
it；　Mrs。　Winship；'　Laura　answered；　with　a　hint　of　coldness　in　her
voice；　'though　I　can't　help　thinking　that　you　are　a　little　hard　on
poor　Jessie；　but；　even　then；　one　can　surely　like　a　person　without
wishing　to　do　the　very　same　things　she　does。'

'Yes；　that　is　true；'　said　Mrs。　Winship；　gravely。　　'But　one　cannot
constantly　justify　a　wrong　action　in　another　without　having　one's　own
standard　unconsciously　lowered。　　What　we　continually　excuse　in　other
people　we　should　be　inclined　by　and　by　to　excuse　in　ourselves。　　Let
us　choose　our　friends　as　wisely　as　possible；　and　love　them　dearly；
helping　them　to　grow　worthier　of　our　love　at　the　same　time　we　are
trying　to　grow　worthier　of　theirs；　because　〃we　live　by　admiration；
hope；　and　love；〃　you　know；　but　not　by　admiring　and　loving　the　wrong
things。

'But　there　is　the　horn；　and　I　hear　the　boys。　　Let　us　come　to
luncheon；　and　tell　our　good　news　of　Elsie。'


＇Music　follows＇
With　incredible　energy。
The　horn！　　The　horn！　　The　lus…ty；　lus…ty　horn！　　'Tis
not　a　thing　to　laugh　to　scorn；　A　thing　to　laugh　to　scorn！


Long　before　the　boys　appeared　in　sight；　their　voices　rang　through　the
canyon　in　a　chorus　that　woke　the　echoes；　and　presently　they　came　into
view；　bearing　two　quarters　and　a　saddle　of　freshly　kille