A QUESTION OF DUTY (Pollyanna)

01Chapter Six of Pollyanna by Eleanor H.

02Porter.

03This LibriVox reporting is in the public domain.

04Chapter Six.

05A Question of Duty.

06It was nearly seven o'clock when Pollyanna awoke that first day after her arrival.

07Her windows faced the south and the west, so she could not see the sun yet, but she could see the hazy blue of the morning sky, and she knew that the day promised to be a fair one.

08The little room was cooler now, and the air blew in fresh and sweet.

09Outside, the birds were twittering joyously, and Pollyanna flew to the window to talk to them.

10She saw then that down in the garden her aunt was already out among the rose bushes.

11With rapid fingers, therefore, she made herself ready to join her.

12Down the attic stairs sped Pollyanna, leaving both doors wide open, through the hall, down the next flight, then bang through the front screen door and around to the garden she ran.

13Aunt Polly, with the bent old man, was leaning over a rose bush, when Pollyanna, gurgling with delight, flung herself upon her.

14Oh, Aunt Polly, Aunt Polly, I reckon I'm glad this morning just to be alive.

15Pollyanna, remonstrated the lady sternly, pulling herself as erect as she could, with a dragging weight of ninety pounds hanging about her neck.

16Is this the usual way you say good morning?

17The little girl dropped to her toes and danced lightly up and down.

18No, only when I love folks, so I just can't help it.

19I saw you from my window, Aunt Polly, and I got to thinking how you weren't a lady's aider, and you were just my really, truly aunt, and you looked so good.

20I just had to come down and hug you.

21The bent old man turned his back suddenly.

22Miss Polly attempted a frown, but not with her usual success.

23Pollyanna, you—I—Thomas, that will do for this morning.

24I think you understand about those rose bushes, she said stiffly.

25Then she turned and walked rapidly away.

26Do you always work in the garden, Mr.

27Man?

28asked Pollyanna interestedly.

29The man turned.

30His lips were twitching, but his eyes looked blurred as if with tears.

31Yes, miss, I'm old Tom the gardener, he answered, timidly, but as if impelled by an irresistible force, he reached out a shaking hand and let it rest for a moment on her bright hair.

32You are so like your mother, little miss.

33I used to know her when she was even littler than you be.

34You see, I used to work in the garden.

35Then— Pollyanna caught her breath audibly.

36You did?

37You knew my mother?

38Really?

39When she was just a little earth angel and not a heaven one?

40Oh, please tell me about her.

41And down plumped Pollyanna, in the middle of the dirt path by the old man's side.

42A bell sounded from the house.

43The next moment Nancy was seen flying out the back door.

44Miss Pollyanna, that bell means breakfast, mornings.

45She panted, pulling the little girl to her feet and hurrying her back to the house.

46And other times it means other meals, but it always means that you're to run like time when you hear it, no matter where you be.

47If you don't, well, it'll take something smarter than we be to find anything to be glad about in that.

48She finished shooing Pollyanna into the house as she would shoo an unruly chicken into a coop.

49Breakfast, for the first five minutes, was a silent meal.

50Then Miss Polly, her disapproving eyes following the airy wings of two flies darting here and there over the table, said sternly, "'Nancy, where did those flies come from?' "'I don't know, ma'am.

51There wasn't one in the kitchen.' Nancy had been too excited to notice Pollyanna's up-flung windows the afternoon before.

52"'I reckon maybe they're my flies, Aunt Polly,' observed Pollyanna amicably.

53There were lots of them this morning having a beautiful time upstairs.

54Nancy left the room precipitately, though to do so she had to carry out the hot muffins she had just brought in.

55"'Yours?' gasped Miss Polly.

56"'What do you mean?

57Where did they come from?' "'Why, Aunt Polly.

58They come from out of doors, of course, through the windows.

59I saw some of them come in.' "'You saw them?

60You mean you raised those windows without any screens?' "'Why, yes, there weren't any screens there, Aunt Polly.' Nancy at this moment came in again with the muffins.

61Her face was grave, but very red.

62"'Nancy,' directed her mistress sharply, "'you may set the muffins down, and go at once to Miss Pollyanna's room, and shut the windows.

63Shut the doors also.

64Later, when your morning work is done, go through every room with the spatter.

65See that you make a thorough search.' To her niece she said, "'Pollyanna, I have ordered screens for those windows.

66I knew, of course, that it was my duty to do that.

67But it seems to me that you have quite forgotten your duty.' "'My duty?' Pollyanna's eyes were wide with wonder.

68"'Certainly.

69I know it is warm, but I consider it your duty to keep your windows closed till those screens come.

70Flies, Pollyanna, are not only unclean and annoying, but very dangerous to health.

71After breakfast I will give you a little pamphlet on this matter to read.' "'To read?

72Oh, thank you, Aunt Polly.

73I love to read.' Miss Polly drew in her breath audibly.

74Then she shut her lips together hard.

75Pollyanna, seeing her stern face, frowned a little thoughtfully.

76"'Of course I'm sorry about the duty.

77I forgot, Aunt Polly,' she apologized timidly.

78"'I won't raise the windows again.' Her aunt made no reply.

79She did not speak, indeed, until the meal was over.

80Then she rose, went to the bookcase in the sitting-room, took out a small paper booklet, and crossed the room to her niece's side.

81"'This is the article I spoke of, Pollyanna.

82I desire you to go to your room at once and read it.

83I will be up in half an hour to look over your things.' Pollyanna, her eyes on the illustration of a fly's head, many times magnified, cried joyously.

84"'Oh, thank you, Aunt Polly!' The next moment she skipped merrily from the room, banging the door behind her.

85Miss Polly frowned, hesitated, then crossed the room majestically and opened the door.

86But Pollyanna was already out of sight, clattering up the attic stairs.

87Half an hour later, when Miss Polly, her face expressing stern duty in every line, climbed those stairs and entered Pollyanna's room, she was greeted with a burst of eager enthusiasm.

88"'Oh, Aunt Polly, I never saw anything so perfectly lovely and interesting in my life.

89I'm so glad you gave me that book to read.

90Why, I didn't suppose flies could carry such a lot of things on their feet.

91And—' "'That will do,' observed Aunt Polly with dignity.

92Pollyanna, you may bring out your clothes now, and I will look them over.

93What are not suitable for you I shall give to the Sullivans, of course.' With visible reluctance, Pollyanna laid down the pamphlet and turned toward the closet.

94"'I'm afraid you'll think they're worse than the ladies' aid did, and they said they were shameful,' she sighed.

95"'But there were mostly things for boys and older folk in the last two or three barrels, and—' "'Did you ever have a missionary barrel, Aunt Polly?' At her aunt's look of shocked anger, Pollyanna corrected herself at once.

96"'Why, no, of course you didn't, Aunt Polly,' she hurried on with a hot blush.

97"'I forgot.

98Rich folks never have to have them.

99But you see, sometimes I kind of forget that you are rich up here in this room, you know.' Miss Polly's lips parted indignantly, but no words came.

100Pollyanna, plainly unaware that she had said anything in the least unpleasant, was hurrying on.

101"'Well, as I was going to say, you can't tell a thing about missionary barrels, except that you won't find in them what you think you're going to, even when you think you won't.

102It was the barrels every time, too, that were the hardest to play the game on for fatherin' just in time.' Pollyanna remembered that she was not to talk of her father to her aunt.

103She dived into her closet then, hurriedly, and brought out all the poor little dresses in both her arms.

104"'They aren't nice at all,' she choked.

105"'And they'd have been black if it hadn't been for the red carpet for the church.

106But they're all I've got.' With the tips of her fingers Miss Polly turned over the conglomerate garments.

107So obviously made for anybody but Pollyanna.

108Next she bestowed frowning attention on the patched undergarments in the bureau drawers.

109"'I've got the best ones on,' confessed Pollyanna anxiously.

110"'The ladies' aide bought me one set straight through all whole.

111Mrs.

112Jones, she's the president, told him I should have that if they had to clatter down Bear Isles themselves the rest of their days.

113But they won't.

114Mr.

115White don't like the noise.

116He's got nerves, his wife says.

117But he's got money, too.

118And they expect he'll give a lot toward the carpet on account of the nerves, you know.

119I should think he'd be glad that if he did have the nerves he'd got money, too, shouldn't you?' Miss Polly did not seem to hear.

120Her scrutiny of the undergarments finished.

121She turned to Pollyanna somewhat abruptly.

122"'You have been to school, of course, Pollyanna?' "'Oh, yes, Aunt Polly.

123Besides, I mean, I was taught at home some, too.' Miss Polly frowned.

124"'Very good.

125In the fall you will enter school here, of course.

126Mr.

127Hall, the principal, will doubtless settle in which grade you belong.

128Meanwhile, I suppose I ought to hear you read aloud half an hour each day.' "'I love to read.

129But if you don't want to hear me, I'd be just glad to read to myself.

130Truly, Aunt Polly.

131And I wouldn't have to have tried to be glad, either, for I like the best to read to myself, on account of the big words, you know.' "'I don't doubt it,' rejoined Miss Polly grimly.

132"'Have you studied music?' "'Not much.

133I don't like my music.

134I like other people's, though.

135I learned to play on the piano a little.

136Miss Gray, she plays for church.

137She taught me.

138But I'd just as soon let that go as not Aunt Polly.

139I'd rather truly.' "'Very likely.

140Very likely,' observed Aunt Polly, with slightly uplifted eyebrows.

141"'Nevertheless, I think it is my duty to see that you are properly instructed in at least the rudiments of music.

142You so, of course.' "'Yes, ma'am,' Pollyanna sighed.

143"'The lady's aide taught me that.

144But I had an awful time.

145Mrs.

146Jones didn't believe in holding your needle like the rest of them did on buttonholing, and Mrs.

147White thought backstitching ought to be taught you before hemming, or else the other way.

148And Mrs.

149Harriman didn't believe in putting you on patchwork ever at all.' "'Well, there will be no difficulty of that kind any longer, Pollyanna.

150I shall teach you sewing myself, of course.

151You do not know how to cook, I presume?' Pollyanna laughed suddenly.

152"'They were just beginning to teach me that this summer, but I hadn't got far.

153They were more divided up on that than they were on the sewing.

154They were going to begin on bread, but there wasn't two of them that made it alike.

155So after arguing at all one sewing meeting, they decided to take turns at me one forenoon a week in their own kitchens, you know.

156I'd only learn chocolate fudge and fig cake, though, when—when I had to stop.' Her voice broke.

157"'Chocolate fudge and fig cake, indeed,' scorned Miss Polly.

158"'I think we can remedy that very soon.' She paused and thought for a minute, then went on slowly.

159"'At nine o'clock every morning you will read aloud one half-hour to me.

160Before that you will use the time to put this room in order.

161Wednesday and Saturday forenoons, after half-past nine, you will spend with Nancy in the kitchen, learning to cook.

162Other mornings you will sew with me.

163"'That will leave the afternoons for your music.

164I shall, of course, procure a teacher at once for you.' She finished decisively as she arose from her chair.

165Pollyanna cried out in dismay.

166"'Oh, but Aunt Polly, Aunt Polly, you haven't left me any time at all.

167Just to—to live.' "'To live, child?

168What do you mean?

169As if you weren't living all the time?' "'Oh, of course I'd be breathing all the time.

170I was doing those things, Aunt Polly.

171But I wouldn't be living.' "'You breathe all the time.

172You're asleep.

173But you aren't living.

174I mean, living.

175Doing the things you want to do.

176Playing outdoors.

177Reading.

178To myself, of course.

179Climbing hills.

180Talking to Mr.

181Tom in the garden.

182And Nancy.

183And finding out all about the houses and the people and everything.

184Everywhere.

185All through the perfectly lovely streets I came through yesterday.

186That's what I call living, Aunt Polly.

187Just breathing isn't living.' Miss Polly lifted her head irritably.

188"'Pollyanna, you are the most extraordinary child.

189You will be allowed a proper amount of playtime, of course.

190But surely it seems to me, if I am willing to do my duty, in seeing that you have proper care and instruction, you ought to be willing to do yours, by seeing that care and instruction are not ungratefully wasted.'!

191Pollyanna looked shocked.

192"'Oh, Aunt Polly!

193As if I could ever be ungrateful to you!

194Why, I love you!

195And you aren't even a lady's aider.

196You're an aunt!' "'Very well.

197Then see that you don't act ungrateful.' Vow saved Miss Polly as she turned toward the door.

198She had gone halfway down the stairs, when a small, unsteady voice called after her.

199"'Please, Aunt Polly, you didn't tell me which of my things you wanted to—to give away.' Aunt Polly emitted a tired sigh.

200A sigh that ascended straight to Pollyanna's ears.

201"'Oh, I forgot to tell you, Pollyanna.

202Timothy will drive us into town at half-past one this afternoon.

203Not one of your garments is fit for my niece to wear.

204Certainly I should be very far from doing my duty by you, if I should let you appear out in any one of them.' Pollyanna sighed now.

205She believed she was going to hate that word, duty.

206"'Aunt Polly, please,' she called wistfully, "'isn't there any way you can be glad about all that duty business?' "'What?' Miss Polly looked up in dazed surprise.

207Then suddenly, with very red cheeks, she turned and swept angrily down the stairs.

208"'Don't be impertinent, Pollyanna.' In the hot little attic room Pollyanna dropped herself onto one of the straight-backed chairs.

209To her, existence loomed ahead one endless round of duty.

210"'I don't see really what there was impertinent about that,' she sighed.

211"'I was only asking her if she couldn't tell me something to be glad about in all that duty business.' For several minutes Pollyanna sat in silence, her rueful eyes fixed on the forlorn heap of garments on the bed.

212Then slowly she rose and began to put away the dresses.

213"'There just isn't anything to be glad about that I can see,' she said aloud.

214"'Unless it's to be glad when the duty's done.' Whereupon she laughed suddenly.

215End of chapter 6