CHAPTER XVIII.
A SATISFACTORY EVENING.
THE little old grandmothers with their queer caps were perhaps thefeature of the evening. Everybody wanted a bouquet of them. In fact,long before eight o'clock, Jerry had been hurried away for a freshsupply, and Nettie had been established behind a curtain to "make moregrandmothers." In her excitement she made them even prettier thanbefore; and sweet, grave little Sate had no trouble in selling everyone. The pretty Roman flower girl was so much admired, that her father,a fine-looking young mechanic who came after her bringing red stockingsand neat shoes, carried her off at last in triumph on his shoulder,saying he was afraid her head would be turned with so much praise, butthanking everybody with bright smiling eyes for giving his little girlsuch a pleasant afternoon.
"She isn't Irish, after all," said Irene Lewis, watching them. "AndMr. Sherrill shook hands with him as familiarly as though he was anold friend; I wish we hadn't made such simpletons of ourselves. LorenaBarstow, what did you want to go and say she was an Irish girl for?"
"I didn't say any such thing," said Lorena in a shrill voice; andthen these two who had been friends in ill humor all the afternoonquarreled, and went home more unhappy than before. And still I tell youthey were not the worst girls in the world; and were very much ashamedof themselves.
Before eight o'clock, Norm came. To be sure he stoutly refused, atfirst, to step beyond the doorway, and ordered Nettie in a somewhatsurly tone to "bring that young one out," if she wanted her carriedhome. That, of course, was the little grandmother; but her eyes lookedas though they had not thought of being sleepy, and the ladies were notready to let her go. Then the minister, who seemed to understand thingswithout having them explained, said, "Where is Decker? we'll make itall right; come, little grandmother, let us go and see about it." Sohe took Sate on his shoulder and made his way through the crowd; andNettie who watched anxiously, presently saw Norm coming back withthem, not looking surly at all; his clothes had been brushed, and hehad on a clean collar, and his hair was combed, quite as though he hadmeant to come in, after all.
Soon after Norm's coming, something happened which gave Nettie aglimpse of her brother in a new light. Young Ernest Belmont was therewith his violin. During the afternoon, Nettie had heard whispers ofwhat a lovely player he was, and at last saw with delight that a spacewas being cleared for him to play. Crowds of people gathered about theplatform to listen, but among them all Norm's face was marked; at leastit was to Nettie. She had never seen him look like that. He seemed toforget the crowds, and the lights, and everything but the sounds whichcame from that violin. He stood perfectly still, his eyes never onceturning from their earnest gaze of the fingers which were producingsuch wonderful tones. Nettie, looking, and wondering, almost forgot themusic in her astonishment that her brother should be so absorbed. Jerrywith some difficulty elbowed his way towards her, his face beaming, andsaid, "Isn't it splendid?"
For answer she said, "Look at Norm." And Jerry looked.
"That's so," he said at last, heartily, speaking as though he wasanswering a remark from somebody; "Norm is a musician. Did you know heliked it so much?"
"I didn't know anything about it," Nettie said, hardly able to keepback the tears, though she did not understand why her eyes should fill;but there was such a look of intense enjoyment in Norm's face, mingledwith such a wistful longing for something, as made the tears start inspite of her. "I didn't know he liked _anything_ so much as that."
"He likes _that_," said Jerry heartily, "and I am glad."
"I don't know. What makes you glad? I am almost sorry; because he maynever have a chance to hear it again."
"He must make his chances; he is going to be a man. I'm glad, becauseit gives us a hint as to what his tastes are; don't you see?"
"Why, yes," said Nettie, "I see he likes it; but what is the use inknowing people's tastes if you cannot possibly do anything for them?"
"There's no such thing as it not being possible to do most anything,"Jerry said good humoredly. "Maybe we will some of us own a violin someday, and Norm will play it for us. Who knows? Stranger things than thathave happened."
But this thing looked to Nettie so improbable that she merely laughed.The music suddenly ceased, and Norm came back from dreamland and lookedabout him, and blushed, and felt awkward. He saw the people now, andthe lights, and the flowers; he remembered his hands and did not knowwhat to do with them; and his feet felt too large for the space theymust occupy.
Jerry plunged through the crowd and stood beside him.
"How did you like it?" he asked, and Norm cleared his voice beforereplying; he could not understand why his throat should feel so husky.
"I like a fiddle," he said. "There is a fellow comes into the cornergrocery down there by Crossman's and plays, sometimes; I always go downthere, when I hear of it."
If Jerry could have caught Nettie's eye just then he would have made asignificant gesture; the store by Crossman's made tobacco and liquorits chief trade. So a fiddle was one of the things used to draw theboys into it!
"Is a fiddle the only kind of music you like?" Jerry had beenaccustomed to calling it a violin, but the instinct of true politenesswhich was marked in him, made him say fiddle just now as Norm had done.
"Oh! I like anything that whistles a tune!" said Norm. "I've gonea rod out of my way to hear a jew's-harp many a time; even an oldhand-organ sounds nice to me. I don't know why, but I never hear onewithout stopping and listening as long as I can." He laughed a little,as though ashamed of the taste, and looked at Jerry suspiciously. Butthere was not the slightest hint of a smile on the boy's face, onlyhearty interest and approval.
"I like music, too, almost any sort; but I don't believe I like it aswell as you. Your face looked while you were listening as though youcould make some yourself if you tried."
The smile went out quickly from Norm's face, and Jerry thought he hearda little sigh with the reply:
"I never had a chance to try; and never expect to have."
"Well, now, I should like to know why not? I never could understand whya boy with brains, and hands, and feet, shouldn't have a try at almostanything which was worth trying, sometime in his life." It was notJerry who said this, but the minister who had come up in time to hearthe last words from both sides. He stopped before Norm, smiling as hespoke. "Try the music, my friend, by all means, if you like it. It is anoble taste, worth cultivating."
Norm looked sullen. "It's easy to talk," he said severely, "but when afellow has to work like a dog to get enough to eat and wear, to keephim from starving or freezing, I'd like to see him get a chance to tryat music, or anything else of that kind!"
"So should I. He is the very fellow who ought to have the chance; andmore than that, in nine cases out of ten he is the fellow who gets it.A boy who is willing and able to work, is pretty sure, in this country,to have opportunity to gratify his tastes in the end. He may have towait awhile, but that only sharpens the appetite of a genuine taste;if it is a worthy taste, as music certainly is, it will grow with hisgrowth, and will help him to plan, and save, and contrive, until oneof these days he will show you! By the way, you would like organ music,I fancy; the sort which is sometimes played on parlor organs. If youwill come to the parsonage to-morrow night at eight o'clock, I think Ican promise you something which you will enjoy. My sister is going totry some new music for a few friends, at that time; suppose you comeand pick out your favorite?"
All Jerry's satisfaction and interest shone in his face; to-morrownight at eight o'clock! All day he had been trying to arrange somethingwhich would keep Norm at that hour away from the aforesaid cornergrocery, where he happened to know some doubtful plans were to bearranged for future mischief, by the set who gathered there. If onlyNorm would go to the parsonage it would be the very thing. But Normflushed and hesitated. "Bring a friend with you," said the minister."Bring Jerry, here; you like music, don't you, Jerry?"
"Yes, sir," said Jerry promptly; "I like music very much, and I wouldlike to
go if Norm is willing."
"Bring Jerry with you." That sentence had a pleasant sound. Up to thismoment it was the younger boy who had patronized the elder. Normcalled him the "little chap," but for all that looked up to him witha curious sort of respect such as he felt for none of the "fellows"who were his daily companions; the idea of bringing him to a place ofentertainment had its charms.
"May I expect you?" asked the minister, reading his thoughts almost asplainly as though they had been printed on his face, and judging thatthis was the time to press an acceptance.
"Why, yes," said Norm, "I suppose so."
One of these days Norman Decker will not think of accepting aninvitation with such words, but his intentions are good, now, and theminister thanks him as though he had received a favor, and departs wellpleased.
And now it is really growing late and little Sate must be carried home.It was an evening to remember.
They talked it over by inches the next morning. Nettie finishing thebreakfast dishes, and Jerry sitting on the doorstep fashioning abracket for the kitchen lamp.
Nettie talked much about Ermina Farley. "She is just as lovely andsweet as she can be. It was beautiful in her to come over to me as shedid when she came into that yard; part of it was for little Trudie'ssake, and a great deal of it was for my sake. I saw that at the time;and I saw it plainer all the afternoon. She didn't give me a chance tofeel alone once; and she didn't stay near me as though she felt sheought to, but didn't want to, either; she just took hold and helped doeverything Miss Sherrill gave me to do, and was as bright and sweet asshe could be. I shall never forget it of her. But for all that," sheadded as she wrung out her dishcloth with an energy which the smallwhite rag hardly needed, "I know it was pretty hard for her to do it,and I shall not give her a chance to do it again."
"I want to know what there was hard about it?" said Jerry, looking upin astonishment. "I thought Ermina Farley seemed to be having as good atime as anybody there."
"Oh, well now, I know, you are not a girl; boys are different fromgirls. They are not so kind-of-mean! At least, some of them are not,"she added quickly, having at that moment a vivid recollection of somemean things which she had endured from boys. "Really I don't thinkthey are," she said, after a moment's thoughtful pause, and replyingto the quizzical look on his face. "They don't think about dresses,and hats, and gloves, and all those sorts of things as girls do, andthey don't say such hateful things. Oh! I _know_ there is a greatdifference; and I know just how Ermina Farley will be talked aboutbecause she went with me, and stood up for me so; and I think it willbe very hard for her. I used to think so about you, but you--are realdifferent from girls!"
"It amounts to about this," said Jerry, whittling gravely. "Good boysare different from bad girls, and bad boys are different from goodgirls."
Nettie laughed merrily. "No," she said, "I do know what I am talkingabout, though you don't think so; I know real splendid girls whocouldn't have done as Ermina Farley did yesterday, and as you do allthe time; and what I say is, I don't mean to put myself where she will_have_ to do it, much. I don't want to go to their parties; I don'texpect a chance to go, but if I had it, I wouldn't go; and just for hersake, I don't mean to be always around for her to have to take careof me as she did yesterday. I have something else to do." Said Jerry,"Where do you think Norm is to take me this evening?"
"Norm going to take you!" great wonderment in the tone. "Why, wherecould he take you? I don't know, I am sure."
"He is to take me to the parsonage at eight o'clock to hear somewonderful music on the organ. He has been invited, and has hadpermission to bring me with him if he wants to. Don't you talk aboutnot putting yourself where other people will have to take care of you!I advise you to cultivate the acquaintance of your brother. It isn'teverybody who gets invited to the parsonage to hear such music as MissSherrill can make."
The dishcloth was hung away now, and every bit of work was done. Nettiestood looking at the whittling boy in the doorway for a minute in blankastonishment, then she clasped her hands and said: "O Jerry! Did theydo it? Aren't they the very splendidest people you ever knew in yourlife?"
"They are pretty good," said Jerry, "that's a fact; they are most asgood as my father. I'll tell you what it is, if you knew my father youwould know a man who would be worth remembering. I had a letter fromhim last night, and he sent a message to my friend Nettie."
"What?" asked Nettie, her eyes very bright.
"It was that you were to take good care of his boy; for in his opinionthe boy was worth taking care of. On the strength of that I want you tocome out and look at Mother Speckle; she is in a very important frameof mind, and has been scolding her children all the morning. I don'tknow what is the trouble; there are two of her daughters who seem tohave gone astray in some way; at least she is very much displeased withthem. Twice she has boxed Fluffie's ears, and once she pulled a featherout of poor Buff. See how forlorn she seems!"
By this time they were making their way to the little house where thehen lived, Nettie agreeing to go for a very few minutes, declaring thatif Norm was going out every evening there was work to do. He wouldneed a clean collar and she must do it up; for mother had gone out toiron for the day. "Mother is so grateful to Mrs. Smith for getting hera chance to work," she said, as they paused before the two disgracedchickens; "she says she would never have thought of it if it had notbeen for her; you know she always used to sew. Why, how funny thosechickens look! Only see, Jerry, they are studying that eggshell asthough they thought they could make one. Now don't they look exactly asthough they were planning something?"
"They are," said Jerry. "They are planning going to housekeeping, Ibelieve; you see they have quarreled with their mother. They considerthat they have been unjustly punished, and I am in sympathy withthem; and they believe they could make a house to live in out of thateggshell if they could only think of a way to stick it together again.I wish _we_ could build a house out of eggshells; or even one room, andwe'd have one before the month was over."
"Why?" said Nettie, stooping down to see why Buff kept her foot underher. "Do you want a room, Jerry?"
"Somewhat," said Jerry. "At least I see a number of things we could doif we had a room, that I don't know how to do without one. Come overhere, Nettie, and sit down; leave those chickens to sulk it out, andlet us talk a little. I have a plan so large that there is no place toput it."