第22章
第22章thenextdaycommencedasbefore,gettingupanddressingbyrushlight;butthismorningwewereobligedtodispensewiththeceremonyofwashing;thewaterinthepitcherswasfrozen.achangehadtakenplaceintheweathertheprecedingevening,andakeennorth-eastwind,whistlingthroughthecrevicesofourbedroomwindowsallnightlong,hadmadeusshiverinourbeds,andturnedthecontentsoftheewerstoice.
beforethelonghourandahalfofprayersandbible-readingwasover,ifeltreadytoperishwithcold.breakfast-timecameatlast,andthismorningtheporridgewasnotburnt;thequalitywaseatable,thequantitysmall.howsmallmyportionseemed!iwishedithadbeendoubled.
inthecourseofthedayiwasenrolledamemberofthefourthclass,andregulartasksandoccupationswereassignedme:hitherto,ihadonlybeenaspectatoroftheproceedingsatlowood;iwasnowtobecomeanactortherein.atfirst,beinglittleaccustomedtolearnbyheart,thelessonsappearedtomebothlonganddifficult;thefrequentchangefromtasktotask,too,bewilderedme;andiwasgladwhen,aboutthreeo’clockintheafternoon,misssmithputintomyhandsaborderofmuslintwoyardslong,togetherwithneedle,thimble,&c.,andsentmetositinaquietcorneroftheschoolroom,withdirectionstohemthesame.atthathourmostoftheothersweresewinglikewise;butoneclassstillstoodroundmissscatcherd’schairreading,andasallwasquiet,thesubjectoftheirlessonscouldbeheard,togetherwiththemannerinwhicheachgirlacquittedherself,andtheanimadversionsorcommendationsofmissscatcherdontheperformance.itwasenglishhistory:amongthereadersiobservedmyacquaintanceoftheverandah:atthecommencementofthelesson,herplacehadbeenatthetopoftheclass,butforsomeerrorofpronunciation,orsomeinattentiontostops,shewassuddenlysenttotheverybottom.eveninthatobscureposition,missscatcherdcontinuedtomakeheranobjectofconstantnotice:shewascontinuallyaddressingtohersuchphrasesasthefollowing:—
“burns”(suchitseemswashername:thegirlsherewereallcalledbytheirsurnames,asboysareelsewhere),“burns,youarestandingonthesideofyourshoe;turnyourtoesoutimmediately.”“burns,youpokeyourchinmostunpleasantly;drawitin.”“burns,iinsistonyourholdingyourheadup;iwillnothaveyoubeforemeinthatattitude,”&c.&c.
achapterhavingbeenreadthroughtwice,thebookswereclosedandthegirlsexamined.thelessonhadcomprisedpartofthereignofcharlesi.,andthereweresundryquestionsabouttonnageandpoundageandship-money,whichmostofthemappearedunabletoanswer;still,everylittledifficultywassolvedinstantlywhenitreachedburns:hermemoryseemedtohaveretainedthesubstanceofthewholelesson,andshewasreadywithanswersoneverypoint.ikeptexpectingthatmissscatcherdwouldpraiseherattention;but,insteadofthat,shesuddenlycriedout—
“youdirty,disagreeablegirl!youhavenevercleanedyournailsthismorning!”
burnsmadenoanswer:iwonderedathersilence.“why,”thoughti,“doesshenotexplainthatshecouldneithercleanhernailsnorwashherface,asthewaterwasfrozen?”
myattentionwasnowcalledoffbymisssmithdesiringmetoholdaskeinofthread:whileshewaswindingit,shetalkedtomefromtimetotime,askingwhetherihadeverbeenatschoolbefore,whethericouldmark,stitch,knit,&c.;tillshedismissedme,icouldnotpursuemyobservationsonmissscatcherd’smovements.whenireturnedtomyseat,thatladywasjustdeliveringanorderofwhichididnotcatchtheimport;butburnsimmediatelylefttheclass,andgoingintothesmallinnerroomwherethebookswerekept,returnedinhalfaminute,carryinginherhandabundleoftwigstiedtogetheratoneend.thisominoustoolshepresentedtomissscatcherdwitharespectfulcourtesy;thenshequietly,andwithoutbeingtold,unloosedherpinafore,andtheteacherinstantlyandsharplyinflictedonherneckadozenstrokeswiththebunchoftwigs.notatearrosetoburns’eye;and,whileipausedfrommysewing,becausemyfingersquiveredatthisspectaclewithasentimentofunavailingandimpotentanger,notafeatureofherpensivefacealtereditsordinaryexpression.
“hardenedgirl!”exclaimedmissscatcherd;“nothingcancorrectyouofyourslatternlyhabits:carrytherodaway.”
burnsobeyed:ilookedathernarrowlyassheemergedfromthebook-closet;shewasjustputtingbackherhandkerchiefintoherpocket,andthetraceofatearglistenedonherthincheek.
theplay-hourintheeveningithoughtthepleasantestfractionofthedayatlowood:thebitofbread,thedraughtofcoffeeswallowedatfiveo’clockhadrevivedvitality,ifithadnotsatisfiedhunger:thelongrestraintofthedaywasslackened;theschoolroomfeltwarmerthaninthemorning—itsfiresbeingallowedtoburnalittlemorebrightly,tosupply,insomemeasure,theplaceofcandles,notyetintroduced:theruddygloaming,thelicenseduproar,theconfusionofmanyvoicesgaveoneawelcomesenseofliberty.
ontheeveningofthedayonwhichihadseenmissscatcherdflogherpupil,burns,iwanderedasusualamongtheformsandtablesandlaughinggroupswithoutacompanion,yetnotfeelinglonely:whenipassedthewindows,inowandthenliftedablind,andlookedout;itsnowedfast,adriftwasalreadyformingagainstthelowerpanes;puttingmyearclosetothewindow,icoulddistinguishfromthegleefultumultwithin,thedisconsolatemoanofthewindoutside.