第18章

第18章“thechildisveryyoungtobesentalone,”saidshe,puttinghercandledownonthetable.sheconsideredmeattentivelyforaminuteortwo,thenfurtheradded—

“shehadbetterbeputtobedsoon;shelookstired:areyoutired?”sheasked,placingherhandonmyshoulder.

“alittle,ma’am.”

“andhungrytoo,nodoubt:letherhavesomesupperbeforeshegoestobed,missmiller.isthisthefirsttimeyouhaveleftyourparentstocometoschool,mylittlegirl?”

iexplainedtoherthatihadnoparents.sheinquiredhowlongtheyhadbeendead:thenhowoldiwas,whatwasmyname,whethericouldread,write,andsewalittle:thenshetouchedmycheekgentlywithherforefinger,andsaying,“shehopedishouldbeagoodchild,”dismissedmealongwithmissmiller.

theladyihadleftmightbeabouttwenty-nine;theonewhowentwithmeappearedsomeyearsyounger:thefirstimpressedmebyhervoice,look,andair.missmillerwasmoreordinary;ruddyincomplexion,thoughofacareworncountenance;hurriedingaitandaction,likeonewhohadalwaysamultiplicityoftasksonhand:shelooked,indeed,whatiafterwardsfoundshereallywas,anunder-teacher.ledbyher,ipassedfromcompartmenttocompartment,frompassagetopassage,ofalargeandirregularbuilding;till,emergingfromthetotalandsomewhatdrearysilencepervadingthatportionofthehousewehadtraversed,wecameuponthehumofmanyvoices,andpresentlyenteredawide,longroom,withgreatdealtables,twoateachend,oneachofwhichburntapairofcandles,andseatedallroundonbenches,acongregationofgirlsofeveryage,fromnineortentotwenty.seenbythedimlightofthedips,theirnumbertomeappearedcountless,thoughnotinrealityexceedingeighty;theywereuniformlydressedinbrownstufffrocksofquaintfashion,andlonghollandpinafores.itwasthehourofstudy;theywereengagedinconningovertheirto-morrow’stask,andthehumihadheardwasthecombinedresultoftheirwhisperedrepetitions.

missmillersignedtometositonabenchnearthedoor,thenwalkinguptothetopofthelongroomshecriedout—

“monitors,collectthelesson-booksandputthemaway!fourtallgirlsarosefromdifferenttables,andgoinground,gatheredthebooksandremovedthem.missmilleragaingavethewordofcommand—

“monitors,fetchthesupper-trays!”

thetallgirlswentoutandreturnedpresently,eachbearingatray,withportionsofsomething,iknewnotwhat,arrangedthereon,andapitcherofwaterandmuginthemiddleofeachtray.theportionswerehandedround;thosewholikedtookadraughtofthewater,themugbeingcommontoall.whenitcametomyturn,idrank,foriwasthirsty,butdidnottouchthefood,excitementandfatiguerenderingmeincapableofeating:inowsaw,however,thatitwasathinoatencakesharedintofragments.themealover,prayerswerereadbymissmiller,andtheclassesfiledoff,twoandtwo,upstairs.overpoweredbythistimewithweariness,iscarcelynoticedwhatsortofaplacethebedroomwas,exceptthat,liketheschoolroom,isawitwasverylong.to-nightiwastobemissmiller’sbed-fellow;shehelpedmetoundress:whenlaiddowniglancedatthelongrowsofbeds,eachofwhichwasquicklyfilledwithtwooccupants;intenminutesthesinglelightwasextinguished,andamidstsilenceandcompletedarknessifellasleep.

thenightpassedrapidly.iwastootiredeventodream;ionlyonceawoketohearthewindraveinfuriousgusts,andtherainfallintorrents,andtobesensiblethatmissmillerhadtakenherplacebymyside.wheniagainunclosedmyeyes,aloudbellwasringing;thegirlswereupanddressing;dayhadnotyetbeguntodawn,andarushlightortwoburnedintheroom.itoorosereluctantly;itwasbittercold,andidressedaswellasicouldforshivering,andwashedwhentherewasabasinatliberty,whichdidnotoccursoon,astherewasbutonebasintosixgirls,onthestandsdownthemiddleoftheroom.againthebellrang:allformedinfile,twoandtwo,andinthatorderdescendedthestairsandenteredthecoldanddimlylitschoolroom:hereprayerswerereadbymissmiller;afterwardsshecalledout—

“formclasses!”

agreattumulteededforsomeminutes,duringwhichmissmillerrepeatedlyexclaimed,“silence!”and“order!”whenitsubsided,isawthemalldrawnupinfoursemicircles,beforefourchairs,placedatthefourtables;allheldbooksintheirhands,andagreatbook,likeabible,layoneachtable,beforethevacantseat.apauseofsomesecondseeded,filledupbythelow,vaguehumofnumbers;missmillerwalkedfromclasstoclass,hushingthisindefinitesound.

adistantbelltinkled:immediatelythreeladiesenteredtheroom,eachwalkedtoatableandtookherseat.missmillerassumedthefourthvacantchair,whichwasthatnearestthedoor,andaroundwhichthesmallestofthechildrenwereassembled:tothisinferiorclassiwascalled,andplacedatthebottomofit.

businessnowbegan,theday’scollectwasrepeated,thencertaintextsofscriptureweresaid,andtotheseeededaprotractedreadingofchaptersinthebible,whichlastedanhour.bythetimethatexercisewasterminated,dayhadfullydawned.theindefatigablebellnowsoundedforthefourthtime:theclassesweremarshalledandmarchedintoanotherroomtobreakfast:howgladiwastobeholdaprospectofgettingsomethingtoeat!iwasnownearlysickfrominanition,havingtakensolittlethedaybefore.

therefectorywasagreat,low-ceiled,gloomyroom;ontwolongtablessmokedbasinsofsomethinghot,which,however,tomydismay,sentforthanodourfarfrominviting.isawauniversalmanifestationofdiscontentwhenthefumesoftherepastmetthenostrilsofthosedestinedtoswallowit;fromthevanoftheprocession,thetallgirlsofthefirstclass,rosethewhisperedwords—

“disgusting!theporridgeisburntagain!”