Little Fishers: and Their Nets

  CHAPTER VIII.

  A SABBATH TO REMEMBER.

  SUNDAY was a successful day at the Deckers. The sun shone brilliantly;a trifle too warm, you might have thought it, for comfort; but thelittle Deckers did not notice it. The fish was beautifully browned andthe coffee was delicious. Mr. Decker had a clean shirt which his wifehad contrived to wash and mend, the day before, and all things wereharmonious. Some time before nine o'clock. Sate and Susie were arrayedin their new white suits, and with their trim new shoes, and hairbeautifully neat, they were as pretty little girls as one need wantto see. Nettie surveyed them with unqualified satisfaction, and thenseated them, each with a picture primer, while she made her own toilet.She put on the dress which had been her best for Sunday, all summer. Itwas a gingham, a trifle finer and a good deal lighter than the brownone in which she had travelled. It was neatly made, and fitted herwell; and the brown hat and ribbons looked well with it.

  On the whole, when they set off for Sabbath-school, Jerry accompanyingthem, arrayed in a fresh brown linen suit, Mrs. Decker watching themfrom the side window, admitted that she never saw a nicer-looking setin her life! She even had the courage to call Mr. Decker to see hownice the two little girls looked, and he came and watched them out ofsight. And when he said that his Nan was about as nice a looking girlas he wanted to see, she answered heartily that Nannie was the verybest girl she ever saw in her life.

  Fairly in the Sabbath-school, a fit of extreme shyness came overthe two little Deckers. With Susie, as usual, it took the formof fierceness; she planted her two stout feet in the doorway andresolutely shook her head to all coaxings to go any farther; keepingfirm hold of Sate's hand, and giving her arm a jerk now and then, toindicate to her that she was not to stir from her protector's side.The situation was becoming embarrassing. Nettie could not leave them,and Jerry would not; though some of the boys were giggling, those ofhis class were motioning him to leave the group and join them. Thesuperintendent came forward and cordially invited the children in, butSusie scowled at him and shook her head. Then Jerry went around toSate's side and held out his hand. "Sate," he said in a winning tone,"come with me over where all those pretty little girls sit, and I willget you a picture paper with a bird on it."

  To Susie's utter dismay, Sate who had meekly obeyed her slightest whimduring all her little life, suddenly dropped the hand that held hers,and gave the other to Jerry, with a firm: "I'm going in, Susie; we cameto go in, and Nettie wants us to." Poor, astonished, deserted Susie!

  She had been so sure of Sate that she had neglected to keep firm hold,and now she had slid away. There was nothing left for Susie but tofollow her with what grace she could.

  They were seated at last. Seven little girls of nearly Nettie's sizeand age. As she took a seat among them, I wish I could give you an ideaof how she felt. Up to this hour, it had not occurred to her that shewas not as well dressed as others of her age. Not quite that, either;being a wise little woman of business, she was well aware that herclothes were plain, and cheap, and that some girls wore clothes whichcost a great deal of money. But I mean that this was the first timeshe had taken in the thought of the difference, so that it gave her asting. The Sabbath-school which she had been attending, was a mission,in the lower part of the city; the scholars, nearly all of them, comingfrom homes where there was not much to spare on dress; and the girlsof her class had all of them dressed like herself, neatly and plainly.It was very different with these seven girls. She felt at once, asshe seated herself, as though she had come into the midst of a flowergarden where choice blossoms were glowing on every side, and shemight be a poor little weed. Summer silk dresses, broad-brimmed hatsaglow with flowers, kid gloves, dainty lace-trimmed parasols--what abeautiful world it was into which this poor little weed had moved?

  Nettie knew that her hat was coarse, and the ribbon narrow and cheap,and her gloves cotton, but these things had never troubled her before.Why should they now?

  The truth is, it was not the pretty things, but the curious glancesthat their owners gave at the small brown thrush which had come inamong them. They seemed to poor Nettie to be making a memoranda ofeverything she had on, from the narrow blue ribbon on her hair to thestrong neat boots in which her plump feet were encased. The look intheir eyes said, "How queerly she is dressed!" It was impossible toget away from the thought of their thoughts, and from the fact thatthe girl next to her drew her blue silk dress closer about her, andplaced her pink-lined parasol on the other side, even though the prettylady who sat before them in the teacher's seat, welcomed her kindly,and hoped she would be happy among them. Nettie hoped so, too; but shecould hardly believe that it could be possible.

  She looked over at Jerry. He seemed to be having a good time; there wasnot so much difference in boys' clothes as in girls. She did not seebut he looked as well as any of them. She looked forward at the littlegirls. Susie had allowed herself to be led in search of Sate, and thetwo were at this moment side by side in a seat full of bobbing heads;they had taken off their sunbonnets, and their pretty heads bobbedabout with the rest, and the white dresses of the two looked as wellat a distance as the others, though Nettie could see that there wereruffles, and tucks, and embroidery and lace. But some were plain; andnone of the wee ones seemed to notice or to care. It was only Nettiewho had gotten among those who made her care, by the glance of theireyes, and the rustle of their finery. She tried to get away from itall; tried hard. She listened to the words read, and joined as well asshe could, in the hymn sung, and answered quietly and correctly, thequestions put to her; but all the while there was a queer lump in herthroat, which kept her swallowing, and swallowing, and a wish in herheart that she could go back to Auntie Marshall's.

  LORENA BARSTOW.]

  When the service was over, she stood waiting, feeling shy and alone.Jerry was talking with the boys in his class, and the little girlswere being kissed by their pretty teacher. Her classmates stood andlooked at her. At last the teacher who had been talking with one of thesecretaries turned to her with a pleasant voice:

  "Well, Nettie, we are glad to have you with us. Can you come everySabbath, do you think? Are you acquainted with these girls? No? Thenyou must be introduced. This is Irene Lewis, and this is CeceliaLester," and in this way she named the seven girls, each one making inturn what seemed to poor Nettie the stiffest little bow she had everseen. At last, Irene Lewis, who stood next to her, and wore an elegantfawn-colored silk dress trimmed with lace, tried to think of somethingto say.

  "You haven't begun school yet, have you? I haven't seen anything ofyou. What grade are you in?"

  Nettie explained that she had not been in a regular school; that shewent afternoons to a private school which had no grades, and that nowshe did not expect to go at all; because mother could not spare her.

  "A private school!" said Miss Irene, "and held only in the afternoon!What a queer idea! I should think morning was the time to study. Whatwas it for?"

  Then it became necessary to further explain that the girls who attendedthis afternoon school, had all of them work to do in the mornings, andcould not be spared.

  "I have heard of them," said Lorena Barstow. "They are sort of charityschools, are they not?"

  Lorena was dressed in white, and looked almost weighed down with richembroidery; but she had a disagreeable smile on her face, and a look inher eyes that made Nettie's face crimson.

  "I don't know," she said, quietly, "I never heard it called by thatname. My auntie thought very well of it, and was glad to have me go."Then she turned away, and hoped that none of the girls would ask herany more questions, or try to be friendly with her. Just now, shecould be glad of only one thing, and that was, that she need not go toschool with these disagreeable people. She stepped quite out of sightbehind the screen which shielded the next class, and waited impatientlyfor the little girls. They seemed to be having a very nice time, andwere in no haste to come to her. Standing there, waiting, she had thepleasure of hearing herself talked about.

  "Isn't she a qu
eer little object?" said Lorena Barstow. And when one ofthe others was kind enough to say that she did not see anything veryqueer about her, Lorena proceeded to explain.

  "You don't! Well, I should think you might. Did you ever see a girl inour class before, with a gingham dress on? Of course she wore her verybest for the first Sunday; and her hat is of very coarse straw, justthe commonest kind, and last year's shape at that; then look at hercotton gloves! I'm sure I think she is as funny a little object as evercame into this room."

  "What of it? I am sure she looks neat and clean, and she spoke veryprettily, and knew her lesson better than any of us."

  "I didn't say she didn't. I was only talking about her clothes."

  "Clothes are not of much consequence."

  "O Miss Ermina! When you dress better than any of us. Why don't youwear gingham dresses, and cheap ribbons, and cotton gloves, if youthink they look as well as nice ones?"

  "I did not say that; I wear the clothes my mother gets for me; but Itruly don't think they are the most important things in the world."

  "Neither do I. You needn't take a person up in that way, as though youwere better than anybody else. I am sure I am willing she should wearwhat she likes."

  Then Cecelia Lester took up the conversation:

  "She could not be expected to dress very well, of course. Don't youknow she is old Joe Decker's daughter?"

  "Who is Joe Decker? I never heard of him."

  "Well, he is just a drunkard; they live over on Hamlin street. Mrs.Decker washes for my auntie once in awhile, when they have extracompany, and I have seen her there, with both the little girls. I heardthat Joe's daughter who has been living out, for years, was cominghome."

  "Living out! that little thing! No wonder she hasn't better clothes.She has a pretty face, I think. But it seems sort of queer to have hercome into our class, doesn't it? We sha'n't know what to do with her!She can't go in our set, of course."

  "O, I don't know. Perhaps Ermina Farley will invite her to her party."At this point, all the others laughed, as though a funny thing hadbeen said, but Ermina spoke quietly: "So far as her gingham dress isconcerned, I am sure I would just as soon. I don't choose my friends onaccount of the clothes they wear; and I suppose the poor thing cannothelp her father being a drunkard; but then, I shouldn't like to inviteher, for fear you girls would not treat her well."

  Nettie could see the toss of Lorena Barstow's yellow curls as sheanswered: "Well, I must say I like to be careful with whom I associate;and mother likes to have me careful. I am sorry for the girl; butI don't know that I need make her my most intimate friend on thataccount. Say, girls, did you ever notice what fine eyes that boy haswho came in with her? Some think he is a real handsome fellow."

  "He seems to be a particular friend of this girl; I saw them on thestreet together yesterday, and they were talking and laughing, asthough they enjoyed each other ever so much. Who is that boy?"

  Lorena seemed to be prepared to answer all questions.

  "He isn't much," she said, with another toss of her yellow curls. "Hisname is Jerry Mack; a regular Irish name, and he is Irish in face; Ithink he is coarse-looking; dreadful red cheeks! The girls over on theWest Side say he is smart, and handsome, and all that. I don't seewhere they find it."

  "O, he is smart," said Cecelia Lester. "My brother knows him, and hesays there isn't a more intelligent boy in town. I used to think hewas splendid; I have talked with him some, and he is real pleasant; butI must say I don't understand why he goes with that Decker girl all thetime."

  "I don't see why he shouldn't," declared Lorena. "For my part, I thinkthey are well matched; he works for his board at Job Smith's thecarman's, and she is a drunkard's daughter; they ought to be able tohave nice times together."

  "Does he work for his board?" chimed in two or three voices at once.

  "Why, I suppose so, or gets it without working for it. He lives there,anyway. They say his father has deserted him, run away to California,or somewhere; Jerry will have to learn the carman's trade, and supporthimself, and Nettie, too, maybe." Whereupon there was a chorus ofgiggles. Something about this seemed to be thought funny.

  Ermina seemed to have left the group, so they took her up next. "ErminaFarley meant to invite him to her party, but I hardly think she will,when she finds out how all we girls feel about it. She tries to dothings different from everybody else, though; so perhaps that will bethe very reason why she will ask them both. I'll tell you what it is,girls, we must stand up for our rights, and not let her have everythingher own way. Let's say squarely that we will not go to her party if sheinvites out of our set. I could endure the boy if I had to, because heis very polite, and merry; and so few of the boys around here know howto behave themselves; but if he has chosen that Decker girl for hisfriend, we must just let them both alone. This class isn't the placefor that girl; I wonder who invited her in? I think it was real meanin Miss Wheeler to ask her to come again, without knowing how we feltabout it."

  All this time was poor Nettie behind that screen. Not daring to stir,because there was no place for her to go. The little girls were stillengaged with their teacher, who had Sate on her lap, and Susie by herside, and was showing them some picture cards, and apparently tellingthem a story about the pictures. Jerry had sat down beside a boy whowas copying something which Jerry seemed to be reading to him, andvarious groups stood about, chatting. They were waiting for the bellto toll before they went into church. Nettie could not go without thelittle girls, and she could not stir without being brought into fullview. And just then she felt as though it would not be possible for herto meet the eyes of anybody. If only she could run away and hide, whereshe need never see any of those dreadful girls again! or, for thatmatter, see anybody. It was true, she was a drunkard's daughter, andwould go down lower and lower, until her neat dress would be in rags,and her hat, coarse as it was, would grow frayed, and be many yearsbehind the fashion. What a cruel, wicked world it was! Who could haveimagined that those pretty, beautifully dressed girls could have suchcruel tongues, and say such hateful words! Didn't they know she waswithin hearing? Couldn't they have waited until she got out of the way,so that she need not have known how dreadful they were?

  So far as that was concerned, they did not know it. To do them justice,I think none of them would have wounded her so, quite to her face.They might have been cold, but they would not have been cruel in herpresence. They thought she went out of the room, instead of behind thescreen. The bell tolled, at last, and Jerry finished his reading, andcame over to her, his face bright. The girls in their beautiful plumagefluttered away like gay birds, the teacher of the little girls cametoward her holding a hand of each, and saying brightly: "Are these yourlittle sisters? What dear little treasures they are! We have had sucha pleasant time together. I hope you have enjoyed your first day atSabbath-school?"

  "Thank you, ma'am," said Nettie. She was in great doubt as to whetherthis was a correct answer, for the sentence had the tone of a questionin it, but truthful Nettie could not say that she enjoyed it very much,and did not want to say that she had never had a more miserable time inher life.

  Jerry was harder to answer. "Was it nice?" he asked her, as soon asthey were fairly outside. "Did you have a good time? Those girls lookeda trifle like peacocks, didn't they? I thought you were the bestdressed one among them."

  O, ignorant boy! If there hadn't been such a lump in Nettie's throat,she would have laughed at this bit of folly. As it was, she contrivedto give him a very little shadow of a smile, and was glad that thechurch door was near at hand, and that there was no more time forcloser questions.

  All through the morning service she was trying to forget. It wasnot easy to do, for there sat three of the girls in a seat on whichshe could look down all the time; and try as she would, it seemedimpossible to keep eyes or thoughts from turning that way. The girlsdid not behave very well. They whispered a good deal, during the Biblereading, and giggled over a book that fell while the hymn was beingsung; and though Nettie c
overed her eyes during prayer, she could nothelp hearing a soft little buzz of whispering voices, even then. Jerrylooked straight before him, with bright, untroubled face, and seemedto be having a good time. Susie and Sate, who had never been in churchbefore in their lives, behaved remarkably well. In the course of themorning Sate leaned her little brown head trustingly against Nettie anddropped asleep, and Nettie put her arm around her, arranged her prettyhead comfortably, and looked lovingly down upon her, and was glad thatshe had a little sister to love. Two of them, indeed, for Susie satbolt upright and looked straight before her, and took in everythingwith wide-open eyes, and looked so handsome with her glowing cheeks andher lovely curls, that it was almost impossible not to feel proud ofthe womanly little face.

  Nettie contrived to keep herself occupied with the prattle of thechildren during the walk home. She was not yet ready for Jerry'squestions. She did not know what to say. Of one thing she felt sure;that was, that she never meant to go to that Sabbath-school again.

  Dinner was nearly ready when they reached home; such an appetizingsmell of soup as had never filled the Decker kitchen before. Mrs.Decker had followed the directions of her young daughter with greatcare; and presently a very comfortable family sat down to the table.There were no soup plates, but there were two bowls for the father andmother, and a deep saucer for Norm; and the little girls were madehappy with tin cups, two of which Nettie had found and scoured, the daybefore. It was certainly a very pleasant time. After dinner, as Nettiewas preparing to wash the dishes, her mother came out with a troubledface, and whispered:

  "Norm says he guesses he will go out for a walk; and I know whatthat means; he gets with a mean set every Sunday, and they carousedreadful; it is the worst day in the week for boys. I was thinking,what if you could get that boy next door to go a-fishing again; Normenjoyed it last night first-rate; and he said that boy was as jollycompany as he should ever want. If he could keep him away from thatset, he would be doing a good deed."

  "But, mother," she said, "it is Sunday."

  "Yes," said Mrs. Decker, "that's just what I've been saying; Sunday isthe day when he gets into the worst kind of scrapes. Do you think Jerrywould help us?"

  "I know he would if he could; but he could not go fishing on Sunday,you know."

  "Why not? I should think it was enough sight better than for Norm to gooff with a set of loafers, who do all sorts of wicked things."

  Poor Nettie was not skilled in argument; she did not know how toexplain to her mother that Jerry must not do one wrong thing, to keepNorm from doing another wrong thing, even though the thing he chosemight be the worse of the two. There was only a simple statement whichshe could make. "This is God's day, mother, and he says we must not doour own work, or our own pleasure on his day; and I know Jerry willtry to obey him, because he is his soldier."

  Mrs. Decker looked at the red-cheeked young girl a moment, then drew along sigh.

  "Well," she said, "I know that is the way good folks talk; I used tohear plenty of it when I was young; and I was brought up to keep theSabbath as strict as anybody; I would do it now if I could; but I'mfree to confess that I would rather have Norm go a-fishing, ten timesover, than to go with those fellows and get drunk."

  "Yes'm," said Nettie, respectfully. "But then, God says we must obeyhim; and he has told us just how to keep the Sabbath day. He couldn'thelp us to do things for other people, if we begin by disobeying Him."

  Mrs. Decker went away, the trouble still on her face, and Nettie beganto wash the dishes. Suddenly, she dropped her dish towel and rushedafter Norman as he lounged out of the door.

  "Norman," she called, just as he was moving down the street, "won't youtake the little girls and me over to that green place, that I see, theother side of the pond? There is such a pretty tree there, and it looksso pleasant on the bank. I have some story papers that I promisedto read to the little girls, and that would be such a nice place forreading. Won't you?"

  Norm stopped and looked down at her in astonishment, and someembarrassment. "You can go over there without me," he said, at last;"it isn't such a dreadful ways off; there's a plank across the streamdown there a ways, where it is narrow. Lots of girls go there."

  Nettie looked over at it timidly. She was honestly afraid of the water,and nothing short of keeping Norm out of harm's way would have temptedher to cross a plank, with the little girls for companions. She spokein genuine timidity.

  "I wouldn't like to go over there alone, with just the children. I amnot used to going about alone. Couldn't you go with us, for just alittle while? It will seem so nice to have a big brother to take careof me."

  Something about it all seemed suddenly rather nice to Norm. He hadnever been asked to take care of anybody before. He stood irresolutelyfor a moment, then said lazily, "Well, I don't know as I care; bring onyour babies, then, and we'll go."

  Nettie sped back to the kitchen, dashed after the little girls andtheir sunbonnets, saying to Mrs. Decker as she went: "Mother, would youmind finishing the dishes? Norman is going to take the little girls andme over to the big tree, and we are going to stay there awhile, andread."

  "I'll finish,'em," said Mrs. Decker, comfort in her tone, and shemurmured, as she watched them away, Sate with her hand slipped insideof Norm's, "I declare, I never see the beat of that girl in all mylife."