Chapter 4 Wisdom's Ways Rebecca started school the Monday following her arrival at her aunt's house.
The classroom in Riverboro was about a mile away.
On her first day, Aunt Miranda borrowed a neighbor's wagon to take her into town.
Miranda and Jane introduced Rebecca to Miss Dearborn, her new teacher, and got her sorted out in terms of her books and slate.
After the first morning, Rebecca walked to school with Emma Jane Perkins.
She loved that part of the day.
When the weather was good and the dew wasn't too heavy on the grass, the girls took a shortcut.
They walked through fields of buttercups and dandelions.
They passed groves full of wild grass and sweet ferns.
The girls played and laughed all the way to school.
At the last fence before the road the two girls usually met up with various members of the Simpson family.
The entire family lived in a black house with a bright red door and a red barn on Blueberry Plains Road.
Rebecca liked the Simpsons from the beginning because there were so many of them.
Susan Simpson was Rebecca's age, and they became fast friends.
The twins, Elijah and Elisha, and their sister, Clarabel, also went to school with Rebecca.
Last, there was Samuel Seesaw Simpson, who took quite a shine to Rebecca, much to her dismay.
Their big rambling farm was just like Sunnybrook.
How delicious it all was.
Rebecca clasped her grammar and math books tightly to her chest with the joy of knowing her lessons.
Her dinner pail swung from her right hand.
It was filled with buttercrackers and apple and a piece of gingerbread.
Her voice carried her lessons out to any wild animal that might hear her.
She loved every minute of her walk to school.
The little schoolhouse stood on a hill.
It had a tall flagpole on the roof and two doors in front.
One was for girls and the other was for boys.
On one side of the schoolhouse were rolling fields and meadows.
On the other side there was a stretch of pine woods with a river sparkling in the distance.
Inside the room was bare and uncomfortable.
The teacher's desk and chair stood on a platform in one corner.
There was an old stove that heated the room.
The walls held a map of the United States, two blackboards, and work by the students.
The bigger desks were at the back of the room.
These were for the larger children.
The smaller ones were up front, closer to Miss Dearborn.
One warm summer day, Rebecca put up her hand for the third time to ask for a sip of water.
Miss Dearborn nodded, but lifted her eyebrows as a warning.
Just as Rebecca put the dipper back into the barrel, she spotted Seesaw Simpson watching her.
Seesaw was quite fond of Rebecca.
Maybe it was because she never had any trouble making up her mind, or maybe it was because she was always asking questions.
It could even have been her long black braids, so unlike his own blonde hair.
Rebecca ignored him thoroughly, but he couldn't keep his eyes off her.
So, once she had gone up to the water pail, Seesaw's hand went up and he asked to do the same.
Miss Dearborn sighed and allowed him to go as well.
What is the matter with you, Rebecca? the teacher asked.
I had salty fish for breakfast, Miss Dearborn, Rebecca answered.
While there was nothing funny about her answer, Rebecca's reply sent the class into giggles.
Miss Dearborn didn't like jokes, even if she didn't quite understand how having salty fish made the children laugh.
I think you'd better stand by the pail for five minutes, Rebecca.
That might help you control your thirst.
Rebecca's heart fluttered.
She had to stand in the corner by the pail with everyone watching.
Without even realizing it, Rebecca's hands flew up and she started back to her seat.
"'Rebecca!
I said stand by the pail!
Samuel, how many times have you asked for water today?'
The poor boy stuttered.
"'This is the fourth?'
Don't touch that dipper, please.
This class has done nothing except drink this morning, which means you aren't studying.
I suppose you had salty fish for breakfast, too?
Cecil didn't quite know what to say.
I had fish, too.
Yes, just like Rebecca.
The class erupted in giggles again.
I thought as much.
You may stand beside Rebecca next to the pail.
Rebecca bowed her head in shame and anger.
It was bad enough to be punished for being thirsty, but to have to stand beside Seesaw Simpson, too.
The last lesson for that morning was singing.
Miss Dearborn asked Minnie Smelly to pick the song.
She chose Shall We Gather at the River.
The chorus rang out as the children sang about a beautiful river.
Miss Dearborn looked over at Rebecca.
Her face was pale with the exception of her two red cheeks.
There were big, wet tears hanging on the ends of her eyelashes.
The hand that held her pocket handkerchief trembled like a leaf.
"'You may take your seat now, Rebecca,' Miss Dearborn said when they had finished the song.
"'Samuel, you may stay there.'
Now class.
I made Rebecca stand in the corner to break up this bad habit of everyone asking for drinks all day long.
I know Rebecca is thirsty, but once she gets up, it seems that the rest of you want to do so as well.
Rebecca went back to her seat and pulled out her singing book.
Miss Dearborn's speech made her feel a little better.
The rest of the day passed without any other trouble.
Her classmates were very kind to her all afternoon.
Emma Jane gave her a bit of maple sugar from her own lunch, and Alice Robinson gave her a brand new slate pencil to use.
At the end of the day, Rebecca was left alone with Miss Dearborn for her grammar lesson.
I'm afraid I may have punished you more than I meant, the teacher said kindly.
Miss Dearborn, who was only 18, had never come across a child quite like Rebecca.
I didn't speak out in class, Rebecca's voice trembled.
I don't think I should have gotten in trouble for needing a drink of water.
But you see, you started all the others.
It seems that whatever you do whether it's laugh, write notes or ask to leave the room the rest of the class wants to do so as well.
It must be stopped.
But Samuel Simpson is a copycat, Rebecca said angrily.
I wouldn't have minded standing in the corner by myself, but I didn't want to stand there with him.
I know, and that's why I sent you back to your seat.
It's all better now, and tomorrow all will be forgotten.
How about we work on our verbs?
That afternoon, the two parted as friends.
Miss Dearborn tended to Rebecca's wounds with a kiss on her forehead as she left the schoolhouse.
The schoolhouse on the hill was a welcome place for poor Rebecca.
It was a good thing she had school to go to, or her first summer in Riverboro would have been very hard to bear.
The idea of loving her Aunt Miranda was out of the question, but Rebecca tried very hard to like her.
Rebecca wanted to be a good girl.
She was miserable any time she fell below her own standards.
It was very hard for Rebecca to live with her Aunt Miranda, eat her bread, study the books she bought and dislike her all the time.
She knew in her heart that it was wrong and mean.
As a result, Rebecca often went out of her way to please her difficult aunt.
Needless to say, poor Rebecca irritated her aunt with every breath she drew.
She always forgot to use the back stair.
She left the water dipper on the counter instead of returning it to its hook.
She sang and whistled while doing her chores.
Rebecca reminded her aunt of the girl's father, and Miranda did not have a very high opinion of him.
But what a glimmer of sunshine her Aunt Jane was to the girl.
Aunt Jane had a quiet voice and understanding eyes.
She helped Rebecca settle into the ways of the old brick house.
The girl learned them slowly, but the weight of it all made her very tired indeed.
Once school was over for the afternoon, Rebecca would sit beside her Aunt Jane in the kitchen and sew.
Aunt Miranda worked by the window in the sitting room.
Sometimes all three of them would work outside on the porch, where a cool breeze would break through the summer heat.
To Rebecca.
Sewing lengths of brown gingham was tiresome and slow, but she tried her best and worked hard.
She polished her needles with her red tomato pin cushion until they shone, but they still always squeaked.
She broke her thread more times than she cared to count, pricked her fingers often and dropped her thimble more than she held on to it.
Aunt Jane was very patient.
She helped Rebecca and was proud to see her sewing slowly improve.
When the first brown dress was finished, Rebecca jumped at the chance that she might have another color for the next one.
I've bought a whole piece of this brown gingham, Miranda said firmly.
That'll make two more dresses with plenty left over for patches, new sleeves and to add to the skirts when you grow.
I know Rebecca pleaded, but Mr Watson said he'll take back part of it and let us have pink or blue for the same price.
Did you ask him?
Miranda said sternly.
Yes, ma'am, Rebecca replied timidly.
Well, that's none of your business.
I was helping Emma Jane choose aprons.
I didn't think you'd mind what color my dresses were.
Pink keeps just as clean and nice as brown.
Mr. Watson says it'll wash up well without fading, too.
Mr. Watson's quite an expert on washing, then, is he?
I don't approve of children wearing bright colors.
Isn't that right, Jane?
Aunt Jane said, I think it would be all right for Rebecca to have a pink or blue dress.
A child gets tired always sewing with one color.
Besides, she'll look like an orphan girl always wearing brown.
The last thing Rebecca needs is a reason to be vain, Miranda said coldly.
Oh, Miranda, she's young and likes bright colors.
I like them too at her age.
You were a fool at her age, Jane, Miranda reminded her sister.
Yes, I was.
Thank goodness.
I only wish I'd known how to take a little of my foolishness along with me, as some folks do, to brighten up my old age.
In the end, Miranda gave in, and they exchanged the brown gingham for pink.
Rebecca and Jane worked on her pink gingham dress in the evenings.
Aunt Jane even showed her how to sew a lovely trim of white linen along the bottom of the skirt.
Rebecca's joy knew no bounds.
Her fingers flew along as she sewed.
One day as they worked, Rebecca asked, "'Can I go and play, Aunt Jane?
It's twenty-nine minutes past four and Alice Robinson has been sitting under that tree waiting for me, so nicely'.
Aunt Jane smiled.
Yes, you may go.
You'd better run quickly now.
Go behind the barn so you don't distract Miranda.
I see Susan Simpson and Emma Jane Perkins waiting for you as well.
Rebecca flew off her chair and gave her aunt a kiss on the cheek.
She jumped down off the porch and ran as fast as she could toward her friends.
After she met up with Alice under the current bushes, the two girls gestured madly at Emma Jane to join them.
She quickly grabbed Susan and ran over.
The four girls snuck off to their secret spot.
It was a velvety patch of ground in the Sawyer pasture, full of small hills and interesting hollows.
It was the perfect place to create pretend houses.
A group of trees concealed the spot and gave the girls some welcome shade on hot afternoons.
They had stored soapboxes full of their props in the secret spot.
There were wee baskets, bits of broken china, and old cups.
A group of well-worn dolls often became a cast of characters for romance plays.
The girls played out their stories for hours until it was time for dinner.
Can't we just play for a few more minutes?
Alice asked.
I'm afraid not, Rebecca said plainly.
I can't be late getting back for supper, but tomorrow we'll act out the princess in the tower.
It's scary, but it's a fun story.
I don't know that story, Imogene said.
What happens to the princess in the tower?
You'll have to wait until tomorrow, Rebecca said, but we shall have a grand time playing it.
The girls packed up their games for the day and ran out of the secret spot.
They headed home for supper their heads filled with ideas of princes trapped in towers and all the fun they would have after school this summer.
