Of School, the Tramper, and Many Things: From the Journal of Opal Whiteley

Six Years Old

IT was after some of our reading lessons this morning — it was then teacher did ask questions of all the school. First she asked Jimmy eight things at once. She did ask him what is a horse and a donkey and a squirrel and a engine and a road and a snake and a store and a rat. And he did tell her all. He did tell her in his way. Then she asked Big Jud some things, and he got up in a slow way and said, ‘I don’t know,’—like he most always does, — and he sat down. Then she asked Lola some things, and Lola did tell her all in one breath. And teacher marked her a good mark in the book, and she gave Lola a smile. And Lola gave her nice red hair a smooth back and smiled a smile back at teacher.

Then it was teacher did call my name. I stood up real quick. I did have thinks it would be nice to get a smile from her like the smile she did smile upon Lola. And teacher did ask me eight things at once. She did ask me what is a pig and a mouse and a baby deer and a duck and a turkey and a fish and a colt and a blackbird. And I did say in a real quick way, ‘A pig is a cochon and a mouse is a mulot and a baby deer is a daine and a duck is a canard and a turkey is a dindon and a fish is a poisson and a colt is a poulain and a blackbird is a merle.’ And after each one I did say, teacher did shake her head and say, ‘It is not,’ and I did say, ‘It is.’

When I was all through, she did say, ‘You have them all wrong. You have not told what they are. They are not what you said they are.’ And when she said that, I did just say, ‘They are — they are — they are.’ Teacher said, ‘Opal, you sit down.’ I so did. But when I sat down, I said, ‘A pig is a cochon — a mouse is a mulot — a baby deer is a daine — a duck is a canard — a turkey is a dindon — a fish is a poisson — a colt is a poulain — a blackbird is a merle.’ Teacher says, ‘Opal, for that you are going to stay in next recess and both recess-times to-morrow and the next day and the next day.’ Then she did look a look at all the school, and she did say as how me not getting to go out for recess-times would be an egg sam pull for all the other children in our school.

They are out at play. It is a most long recess, but I do know a pig is a cochon and a mouse is a mulot and a baby deer is a daine and a duck is a canard and a turkey is a dindon and a fish is a poisson and a colt is a poulain and a blackbird is a merle. So I do know, for Angel Father always did call them so. He knows. He knows what things are. But no one hereabouts does call things by the names Angel Father did. Sometimes I do have thinks this world is a different world to live in. I do have lonesome feels.

This is a most long recess. While here I do sit I do hear the talkings of the more big girls outside the window most near unto my desk. The children are playing Black Man and the ones more little are playing tag. I have thinks as how nice it would be to be having talks with Good King Edward I and lovely Queen Eleanor of Castile and Peter Paul Rubens and Brave Horatius and Lars Porsena of Clusium and Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus and Aphrodite. And I do think this is a most long recess.

I still do have hearings of the talkings of the girls outside the windows. The more old girls are talking what they want. Martha says she wants a bow. I don’t have seeings why she wants another one. Both her braids were tied back this morning time with a new bow, and its color was the color of the blossoms of crow-berry. Lola says she wants a white silk dress. She says her life will be complete when she does have on a white silk dress — a white silk dress with a little ruffle around the neck and one around each sleeve. She says she will be a great lady then; and she says all the children will gather around her and sing when she has her white silk dress on. And while they sing and while she does have her white silk dress on, she will stand up and stretch out her arms and bestow her blessing on all the people like the deacon does in the church at the mill town.

Now teacher is come to the door. She does say, ‘Opal, you may eat your lunch — at your desk.’ I did have hungry feels and all this is noon-time instead of short recess-time. It so has been a long recess-time. I did have thinks when came noon-time of all the things I would do down by the rivière.

I went to look for the fairies. I went to the near woods. I hid behind the trees and made little runs to big logs. I walked along the logs and I went among the ferns. I did tiptoe among the ferns. I looked looks about. I did touch fern-fronds and I did have feels of their gentle movements. I came to a big root. I hid in it. I so did to wait waits for the fairies that come among the big trees.

While I did wait waits, I did have thinks about that letter I did write on the other day for more color pencils that I do have needs of to print with. I thought I would go to the moss-box by the old log. I thought I would have goes there to see if the fairies yet did find my letter. I went. The letter, it was gone. Then I did have joy feels all over. The color pencils, they were come.¹ There was a blue one and a green one and a yellow one. And there was a purple one and a brown one and a red one. I did look looks at them a long time. It was so nice, the quick way the fairies did bring them. While I was looking more looks at them someone did come near the old root. It was my dear friend Peter Paul Rubens. I gave him four pats and I showed him all the color pencils. Then I did make a start to go to the mill by the far woods. Peter Paul Rubens went with me and Brave Horatius came a-following after. All the way along I did feel glad feels, and I had thinks how happy the man that wears gray neckties and is kind to mice would be when he did see how quick the fairies did answer my letter and bring the color pencils.

When we were come near the mill by the far woods, it was near gray-light time. The lumber men were on their home way. They did whistle as they did go. Two went side by side, and three came after. And one came after all. It was the man that wears gray neckties and is kind to mice. Brave Horatius made a quick run to meet him, and I did follow after. I did have him guess what it was the fairies did bring this time. He guessed a sugarlump for William Shakespeare every day next week. I told him it was n’t a right, guess. He guessed some more. But he could n’t guess right, so I showed them all to him. He was so surprised. He said he was so surprised the fairies did bring them this soon. And he was so glad about it. He always is. He and I — we do have knows the fairies walk often in these woods, and when I do have needs of more color pencils to make more prints with, I do write the fairies about it. I write to them a little letter on leaves of trees, and I do put it in the moss-box at the end of the old log. Then, after they do come walking in the woods and find the letter in the moss-box, they do bring the color pencils, and they lay them in the moss-box. I find them there and I am happy.

No one does have knowing of that moss-box but one. He is the man that wears gray neckties and is kind to mice. He has knowings of the letters I do print on leaves and put there for the fairies. And after he does ask me and after I do tell him I have wrote to them for color pencils that I have needs of, he does take a little fern plant and make a fern wish with it that the fairies will bring to me the color pencils I have needs of. Then we do plant the little fern by the old log. And the time is not long until I do find the color pencils in the moss-box by the old log. I am very happy.

To-day the grandpa² dug potatoes in the field. Too, the chore-boy did dig potatoes in the field. I followed along after. My work was to pick up the potatoes they got out of the ground. I picked them up and piled them in piles. Some of them were very plump. Some of them were not big. All of them wore brown dresses. When they were in piles I did stop to take looks at them. I walked up close. I looked them all over. I walked off and took a long look at them. Potatoes are very interesting folks. I think they must see a lot of what is going on in the earth. They have so many eyes. And after I did look those looks as I did go along, I did count the eyes that every potato did have and their numbers were in blessings. To some piles I did stop to give geology lectures, and some I did tell about the nursery and the caterpillars in it — the caterpillars that are going to hiver sleep in silken cradles, and some in woolen so go.

And one I did tell about the new ribbon Aphrodite has to wear, and how she does have a fondness for chocolate creams. To the potato most near unto it I did tell of the little bell that Peter Paul Rubens does wear to cathedral service. To the one next to it I did tell how Louis II, le Grand Condé, is a mouse of gentle ways and how he does have likings to ride in my sleeve. And all the times I was picking up potatoes I did have conversations with them. Too, I did have thinks of all their growing days there in the ground and all the things they did hear.

When I grow up I am going to write for children—and grown-ups that have n’t grown up too much — all the earthsongs I now do hear. I have thinks these potatoes growing here did have knowings of star-songs. I have kept watch in the field at night, and I have seen the stars look kindness down upon them. And I have walked between the rows of potatoes and I have watched the star-gleams on their leaves. And I have heard the wind ask of them the star-songs the star-gleams did tell in shadows on their leaves. And as the wind did go walking in the field talking to the earth-voices there, I did follow her down the rows. I did have feels of her presence near. And her goings by made ripples on my nightgown. Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus did cuddle more close up in my arms. And Brave Horatius followed after.

Sometimes, when a long time it is I have been walking and listening to the voices of the night, then it is Brave Horatius does catch the corner of my nightgown in his mouth and he pulls — he pulls most hard in the way that does go to the house we live in. After he does pull, he barks the barks he always does bark when he has thinks it is homegoing time. I listen. Sometimes I go back. He goes with me. Sometimes I go on. He goes with me. And often it is he is come with me to this field where the potatoes grow. And he knows most all the poetry I have told them.

On the afternoon of to-day, when I did have a goodly number of potatoes in piles, I did have thinks as how this was the going-away day of Saint François of Assisi and the borning-day of Jean François Millet; so I did take as many potatoes as they years did dwell upon earth. Forty-four potatoes I so took for Saint François of Assisi, for his years were near unto forty-four. Sixty potatoes I so took for Jean François Millet, for his years were sixty years. All these potatoes I did lay in two rows. In one row was forty-four and in the other row was sixty. And as I had seeing of them all there, I did have thinks to have a choir. First I did sing, ‘Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, Dominus Deus.’ After I did sing it three times, I did have thinks as how it would be nice to have more in the choir. And I did have remembers as how to-morrow is the going-away day of Philippe III, roi de France, and so for the forty years that were his years I did bring forty more potatoes in a row. That made more in the choir. Then I did sing three times over, ‘ Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritu Sancto. Hosanna in excelsis.'

Before I did get all through the last time with ‘Hosanna in excelsis,’I did have thinks as how the next day after that day would be the borning-day of Louis Philippe, roi de France, and the going-away day of Alfred Tennyson. And I did bring more potatoes for the choir. Seventy-six I did so bring for the years that were the years of Louis Philippe, roi de France. Eightythree I so did bring for the years that were the years of Alfred Tennyson. And the choir — there was a goodly number of folks in it — all potato folks wearing brown robes. Then I did sing one Ave Maria. I was going to sing one more when I did have thinks as how the next day after the next day after the next day would be the goingaway day of Sir Philip Sidney, so I did bring thirty-one more potatoes for the choir. It did take a more long time to bring them because all the potatoes nearabout were already in the choir.

Brave Horatius did walk by my side, and he did have seeing as how I was bringing potatoes to the choir. And so he did bring some — one at a time he did pick them up and bring them, just like he does pick up a stick of wood in his mouth when I am carrying in wood. He is a most helpful dog. To-day I did have needs to keep watches. I did so have needs to see that he put not more potatoes in the other choir-rows. First time he did bring a potato he did lay it down by the choir-row of Alfred Tennyson. Next potato he did bring, he did lay it by the choir-row of Jean François Millet. Next time I made a quick run when I did have seeing of him going to lay it down by the choirrow of Philippe III, roi de France. I did pat my foot and tell him where to lay it for the choir-row of Sir Philip Sidney. He so did. We did go for more. When there were thirty-one potatoes in the choir-row of Sir Philip Sidney we did start service again. I did begin with ‘Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, Dominus Deus.’ And Brave Horatius did bark amen. He is a most good dog.

When near gray-light time was come, the chore-boy went from the field. When most-dark time was come, Brave Horatius and I so went. When we were come to the house we live in, the folks had gone to visit at the house of Elsie. I did take my bowl of bread and milk and I did eat it on the back steps. Brave Horatius ate his supper near me. He did eat his all long before I did mine. So I did give him some of mine. Then we watched the stars come out.

I did not have goings to school today, for this is wash-day and the mamma did have needs of me at home. There was baby clothes to wash. The mamma does say that is my work, and I do try to do it in the proper way she says it ought to be done. It does take quite a time long, and all the time it is taking I do have longings to go on exploration trips. And the brook that does go by our house is always bringing songs from the hills. When the clothes of the baby were most white, I did bring them again to the wash-bench that does set on the porch that does go out from our back door. Then there was the chickens to feed and the stockings were to rub. Stockings do have needs of many rubs. That makes them clean. While I did do the rubs, I did sing little songs to the grasses that grow about our door.

After the stockings did have many rubs, the baby it was to tend. I did sing it songs of songs Angel Mother did sing to me. And sleeps came upon the baby. But she is a baby that does have wake-ups between times. To-day she had a goodly number. By and by, when the washing was part done, then the mamma went away to the grandma’s house to get some soap. When she went away, she did say she wished she did n’t have to bother with carrying water to scrub the floor. She does n’t. While she has been gone a good while, I have plenty of water on the floor for her to mop it when she gets back. When she did go away she said to me to wring the clothes out of the wash. There was a lot of clothes in the wash — skirts and aprons and shirts and dresses and clothes that you wear under dresses. Every bit of clothes I took out of the tubs I carried into the kitchen and squeezed all the water out on the kitchen floor. That makes lots of water everywhere — under the cook-table and under the cupboard and under the stove. Why, there is most enough water to mop the three floors, and then some water would be left over.

I did feel glad feels because it was so as the mamma did want it. While I did wait for her coming, I did make prints and mind the baby. When the mamma was come, she did look not glad looks at the water on the floor. She did only look looks for the switches over the kitchen window. After I did have many sore feels, she put me out the door to stay out. I did have sorry feels for her. I did so try hard to be helps.

When a little way I was gone from the door I did look looks about. I did have thinks about Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus — about his nose — its feels. I so went in the way that does go to the hospital. That dear pet rat’s nose is getting well. Some way he got his nose too near that trap they set for rats in the barn. Of course, when I found him that morning, I let him right out of the trap. He has a ward all to himself in the hospital. For breakfast he has some of my oatmeal. For dinner he has some of my dinner. And for supper I carry to him corn in a jarlid. Sadie McKinzie, who has on her face many freckles and a kind heart, gives me enough mentholatum to put on his nose seven times a day. And he is growing better. And to-day when I was come to the hospital I took him in my arms. He did cuddle up. Too, he gave his cheese squeak. That made me have lonesome feels. I can’t carry cheese to him any more out of the house we live in. I can’t because, when the mamma learned that I was carrying cheese to Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus, she said to me while she did apply a kindling to the back part, of me, ’Don’t you dare carry any more cheese out to that rat.’ And since then I do not carry cheese out to Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus, but I do carry him into the kitchen to the cheese. I let him sniff long sniffs at it. Then I push his nose back and I cut from the big piece of cheese delicate slices for Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus.

This I do when the mamma is n’t at home. To-day, she being come again to the house we live in, I could not have goings there with Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus to the cheese. I did go the way that goes to the house of Sadie McKinzie. I did go that way so she might have knowings of the noseimprovements of Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus. When I was most come there he did squeak more of his cheese squeaks. It was most hard — having hearing of him and not having cheese for him. I could hardly keep from crying. He is a most lovely wood-rat and all his ways are ways of gentleness. And he is just like the mamma’s baby — when he squeaks he does have expects to get what he squeaks for. I did cuddle him up more close in my arms. And he had not squeaks again for some little time. It was when I was talking to Sadie McKinzie about the château of Neuilly that I do have most part done; it was then he did give his squeaks. He began and went, on and did continue so.

I just could n’t keep from crying. His cheese longings are like my longings for Angel Mother and Angel Father. He did just crawl up and put his nose against my curls. I did stand first on one foot and then on the other. The things I was going to say did go in a swallow down my throat.

Sadie McKinzie did wipe her hands on her blue gingham apron with cross stitches on it. She did have askings what was the matter with Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus. And I just said, ‘O Sadie McKinzie, it’s his cheese squeak.’ And she said not a word, but she did go in a quick way to her kitchen. She brought back a piece of cheese. It was n’t a little piece. It was a great big piece. There’s enough in it for four breakfasts and six dinners. When Sadie McKinzie did give it to me for him, she did smooth back my curls and she did give me three kisses — one on each cheek and one on the nose. She smiled her smile upon us, and we were most happy and we did go from her house to the cathedral. There I did have a thank service for the goodness of God and the goodness of Sadie McKinzie, and the piece of cheese that, did bring peace to the lovely Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus.

When I was come to the house we live in, the mamma and the little girl and the baby — they were all gone to the house of Elsie. I made a start at the works. I did feed the chickens, and there was much wood to bring in and baby clothes to wash and ashes to empty from the stove. These four things I did. I looked looks about to see what other works did have needs to be done. I had remembers that, when the papa went away to work this morning, he said he did not have time to cut the ham before he went. I have know if he is too busy in the morning to get a thing done, it mostly don’t get. done when he comes home from work at night. It so does not because he has so tired feels.

To-day I had thinks the time was come when I better help about that ham. I went out to the woodshed. I went not out to get wood. I went out to the woodshed to tend to that ham. I had thinks I better make an early start or that ham would n’t be cut up by evening. I piled wood high enough so I could stand on tiptoes and reach to the flour-sack the ham was tied in. But I could not get that sack down. I pulled and pulled, but it would n’t come down. I did n’t have knows what I was going to do.

Pretty soon, by having concentration of my thinks, I thought of a way. I got the scissors and cut the bottom out of that sack. That ham came down right quick. It landed on its back on the wood-pile. My foot slipped and I landed on top of it. I got up and dragged it up on the choppingblock. Then I got the butcher knife from its place in the cook-table drawer. I went to work. That knife did n’t seem to make moves like the moves it does make when it is in the hands of the papa. I tried to make it go down in a quick way. It went not so. I looked close looks at it. Its appears did have looks like it did have needs of a sharp pennying. I have seen the papa sharp pen it on the grindstone by the singing brook. So did I. I poured a goodly amount of water on that stone wheel. Most of the water splashed off. The rest did trickle away. Then I did hold that knife to the stone wheel. And I did make tries to turn it in a quick way like I have seen the papa do. But I could not make that wheel go in quick turns. It would not so go. I made big tries for a long time.

When I had thinks the knife did look some better, I did go again to my work. I walked three times around that ham there on the chopping-block. I so did to take looks at it to see where I better make begins. I did have thinks in under its outside where it is most big would be the proper place. I made begins. I did make the knife to go a little way. Then I made a stop to rest. Then I made the knife go some more. I made another stop to rest. I went on. Pretty soon a slice of ham landed. It fell off the chopping-block on to a stick of wood. I picked it up. I held it up to take a look at it. My, I did feel such proud feels from my toes to my curls. I had it cut in such a nice way. It had frills around it and holes in between — just like Elsie’s crochet doily that she keeps on her best stand table. I have knows the papa never did cut a slice of ham that way. The slices of ham he cuts, they never do have frilly looks with holes in between. After I did hang that slice of ham on a nail by the door, I did cut another slice. It was not so wide but it had more longness and some strings on it like the little short strings on the nightcap of Jenny Strong. I had not decides yet where to hang it. It was when I was having thinks about it — it was then I did hear a heavy step.

I turned me all about, and there was a tramper by the woodshed door. He had not gentle looks like some trampers have. His beard did grow in the hobo way. And his appears did look like he knew not knowings of neatness. He stood there looking looks at that ham. He kept his looks on it and he did walk right into the woodshed. He had asking if the mamma was at home.

I said, ‘No, she is not. She is at the house of Elsie.’

Then he says, ‘I guess I’ll take this ham along with me.’

I almost lost my breathings because I did have remembers of all the days the papa has plans to have that ham for breakfast and dinner and supper. So I just sat down on the choppingblock. I sat on the ham and I spread my blue calico apron out over it. I put my hand on its handle that it hangs in the woodshed by. Me and my apron covered that ham so he could n’t have seeing of it. And while I sat on the ham I did pray God to keep it safe for the breakfasts and dinners and suppers of the papa and the mamma.

The tramper looked queer looks at me. He came a little more near. I did pray on. And God in his goodness sent answer to my prayer in a quick way. Brave Horatius came on a run from somewhere. He made a stop at the woodshed door. He looked a look in. He gave a growl. Then he went at that tramper. He did grab him by his ragged pants. I have thinks maybe his teeth did touch the ankle of the tramper, because he gave a little pain squeal and shook his leg. Then he did go in a hurry away. Brave Horatius followed after.

I was just going to start work again on that ham when the mamma was come home from her visit. She did soon give me a whipping and put me here under the bed. Now I have wonders what that whipping was for. I did feed the chickens and carry in the wood and do the baby’s washing and empty the ashes. And more I did beside — I cut two slices of ham with frills on them.

Some of the trampers that go the way that goes to the upper camps do have stops when they go by here. They stop to get a bite to eat. And some come to the front door, and some do come to the back door. They knock on the door. Some rap their knuckles hard and some tap in a gentle way. There was one who so did one week ago. Sleeps was just come upon the baby after I did sing it Le chanson de Saint Firmin, and I did go to the door to see who it was. The man that it was, he said he was on his way to get work at the upper camps. He was a man with a clean sad face and a kind look in his eyes. And the roll upon his back was a heavy roll. I straightway did go and get my bowl of bread and milk that I was going to have for dinner. I gave it to him. He ate it in a hungry way, like Brave Horatius does eat his supper when we are come back from a long explore trip. Then, when the man did eat all the bread and milk, he did split some wood out in the woodshed. He did pile it up in a nice way. Then he went. He went on to the upper camps. When he did go he said, ‘The Lord’s blessing be with you, child.’

I said, ‘It is.’ And I did tell him, ‘We have a cathedral in the woods; and this eventime, when we have prayers there, we will pray that you may get work at the upper camps.’ And at coining of eventime we did. And Peter Paul Rubens did grunt amen at in-between times. Now every day we do pray for the man that was hungry and had a kind look in his eyes.

When I was come to the house, I went around and I did walk in the back door-way. The mamma was n’t in. I took long looks about to see what works I best do first. There was washed-up dishes in a bake-pan, so I did dish-towel them all and put them away. There was needs to climb upon a chair and upon a box to put those dishes where they ought to be put. While I was up there, I took looks about to see what there was. I saw a cake of Bon Ami. Bon Ami is to give things a shine-up. And this morning I gave the knives a shine-up and the forks too. Then I tried Bon Ami on the black kettles and the bakepans. It did not give unto them such nice appears, so I gave them a shine-up with vaseline. After that I did take the broom from its place and I gave the floor a good brooming. I broomed the boards up and down and cross-ways. There was not a speck of dirt on them left. What I did sweep off with the broom I did place into a shoe-box lid and dust it in the stove. Then the floor did look clean like the mamma does say it ought to look all of the time. I put the broom back in its place, where the mamma does say it ought to be.

Then I did look looks from the floor to the window. I thought I better clean the window too while I was fixing things. Just when I started to put Bon Ami on the window, I did look out to see what I could see. I saw Agamemnon Menelaus Dindon going in a slow walk by. He was giving his neck a stretch-out. He gave it another one, and when he made a swallow his throat did look appears of croup. And croup does always have needs of being fixed up. So I laid down the Bon Ami, and I went and I did pour a whole lot of coaloil down the throat of Agamemnon Menelaus Dindon. That was to make his croup go away. Now he will be feeling well feels real soon. He did n’t want to take the coal-oil. I had to hold him tight. Some turkey gobblers can kick most hard. After that I went out in the woodshed where the papa keeps his tools. He keeps them in a big box. Some days he forgets to lock the box. Those days I have very interesting times in the woodshed. There are all kinds of queer-looking things in that tool-box.

Just when I did have the lid open, the mamma did call. She was come again home, and she sent me back to Elsie’s to get the tidy she was crocheting that she did forget and leave there. So I did go the way that does lead to the house of Elsie. It is not far from the house we live in, and Elsie has not been married long. She only has one baby. She has much liking for it. Elsie is a very young girl — a very young girl to be married, the mamma says. To-day, when I came to the house of Elsie, she was trotting on her knee that dear baby boy the angels brought her when she did live at the other camp where we did live too. To him she was singing a song. It was

She tossed her head as she did sing. And the joy-light danced in her eyes. I have thinks it must be wonderful happiness, being married. I have seen the same joy-light in the eyes of her tall young husband. It is there much when he is come home at eventide from work in the woods. Then she does have many kinds words and kisses for him. He has adores for her, and too he has a pumpadoor that he smooths back with vaseline. Why to-day I did see he had used most all of the vaseline out of that jar that sets on their kitchenshelf. That vaseline jar has an interest look. I have been watching it. And every day when I do stand on tiptoe and take peeks at it, there is not so much vaseline in it as there was in it the day before. I have thinks it does take a goodly amount to keep his pumpadoor smooth.

While I was bringing home the tidy the mamma did leave at the house of Elsie, I saw a gray board. I did turn it over. Under that old gray board were five little silk bags. They were white and they did feel lumps. I know baby spiders will come out of them when come spring days, because last year I found bags like these, and this year in the spring baby spiders walked out. They were very fidgety youngsters.

Just when I did most have decides to take them to the nursery, I heard the mamma calling. I put the board back again in the way it was before I came that way. Then I did run a quick run in the house. And the mamma did send me in a hurry to the woodshed. It was for two loads of wood she wanted. I did bring in the first load in a hurry. The second load I brought not so. I did pick up all the sticks my arms could hold. While I was picking them up, I looked long looks at them. I went not to the kitchen with them in a quick way. I was meditating. I did have thinks about the tree they all were before they got chopped up. I did wonder how I would feel if I was a very little piece of wood that got chopped out of a very big tree. I did think that it would have hurt my feelings. I felt of the feelings of the wood. They did have a very sad feel.

Just when I was getting that topmost stick a bit wet with sympathy tears, then the mamma did come up behind me with a switch. She said while she did switch, ‘Stop your meditations.’ And while she did switch, I did drop the wood. I felt the feels the sticks of wood felt when they hit the floor. Then I did pick them up with care, and I put them all in the woodbox back of the cook-stove. I put them there because the mamma said I must put them there. But all the time I was churning I did hum a little song. It was a good-bye song to the sticks in the wood-box back of the kitchen stove.

When the churning was done and the butter was come, the mamma did lift all the little lumps of butter out of the churn. Then she did pat them together in a big lump, and this she put away in the butter-box in the woodshed, When she went to lay herself down to rest on the bed, she did call me to rub her head. I like to rub the mamma’s head, for it does help the worry lines to go away. Often I rub her head, for it is often she does have longings to have it so. And I do think it is very nice to help people have what they do have longings for.

By and by, when the mamma did have sleeps and after I did print, I did go to listen to the voices. The wind was calling. He was in a rush. I raced. Brave Horatius ran. We played tag with the wind. By and by I came to a log. I climbed upon it. The wind did blow in a real quick way. He made music all around. I danced on the log. A grand pine tree did wave its arms to me. The wind did blow back my curls. They clasped the fingers of the bush people most near. I did turn and untangle them.

When I did turn to untangle my curls, I saw a silken cradle in a hazel bush. It was cream with a hazel leaf half way round it. I put it to my ear and I did listen. It had a little voice. It was not a tone voice; it was a heart voice.

And I did hurry away in the way that does lead to the house of the girl that has no seeing. I went that way so she too might know its feels and hear its heart voice. She does so like to feel things. She has seeing by feels. Often I do carry things to her when I find them, and she knows some of my friends. Peter Paul Rubens has gone with me to visit her. So has gone Felix Mendelssohn and Nannerl Mozart — the two mice with voices that squeak mouse-songs in the night. And Plato and Pliny, the two bats, and others go too. And their goings and what she has thinks about them I have printed here in my prints. And it is often I go the way that does lead to her house, for the girl who has no seeing — she and I — we are friends. One day I told her about the trees talking. Then she did want to know about the voices — and now I do help her to hear them.

I led her in the way that does lead to that grand fir tree, Good King Louis VI. And when we were come unto him, I did touch his finger-tips to her cheeks. She liked that. Then we did stand near unto him, and I told her of the trees in the night, of the things they tell to the shadows that wander through the woods. She said she did n’t think she would like to be a shadow. And just then she stubbed her toe. She did ask me what that was there near unto her foot. I told her it was a ville I did build there — the ville of St. Denis. She wanted to know why I builded it there. I told her there was needs of it being near unto Good King Louis VI, for he so loved it; so I builded it there where his branches shelter it and his kindness looks kind looks upon it. And I did tell her about his being on his way to St. Denis when he died. While I builded up again the corner of the abbey, I did give explanations about how lovely it is to be a gray shadow walking along and touching the faces of people. Shadows do have such velvety fingers.

After that we did go on. We went on to where dwell Alan of Bretagne and Étienne of Blois and Godefroi of Bouillon and Raymond of Toulouse. To each I led the girl who has no seeing, and she was glad to know them all. They are grand trees. As we went our way we did listen unto the voices. And I took all the hairpins that were in her hair out of it. I so did, so the wind could blow it back and whisper things into her ears. The wind does have so much to tell of far lands and of little folks that dwell near unto us in the fields and in the woods.

When I was come near unto the barn, I did go in to get Plato and Pliny. I put them in my apron-pockets. The barn was rather dark. There were friendly shadows in its corners. When I came out I thought of Peter Paul Rubens. I did have thinks cathedral service would be good for his soul. I went again into the barn to get his little bell that he does always wear around his neck to service, and I did put it on. There was a time when there was no little bell for Peter Paul Rubens to wear to service. That was in the days before one day when I did say to the man that wears gray neckties and is kind to mice, ‘ I do have needs of a little bell for Peter Paul Rubens to wear to church.’ I got it. And Peter Paul Rubens always knows he is going to the cathedral when I put that little bell around his neck. It does make lovely silver tinkles as he goes walking down the aisle to the altar.

To-night so we did go and too with us was Elizabeth Barrett Browning. When we were come near unto the hospital, I went aside for Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus. In the cathedral the wind and the trees sang a vesper song. And I prayed for quite a long time little prayers and long prayers for the goodness of us all. Peter Paul Rubens did grunt amen in between.

Now I hear the mamma say I wonder where Opal is. She has forgets. I’m still under the bed where she did put me quite a time ago. And all this nice long time light is come to here from the lamp on the kitchen table — light enough so I can print prints. I am happy. I think I better crawl out now and go into the bed for sleeps.

DRAMATIS PERSONSÆ of this chapter of Opal’s Journal

LARS PORSENA OF CLUSIUM, a crow.

AGAMEMNON MENELAUS DINDON, a turkey.

FELIX MENDELSSOHN

NANNERL MOZART } mice.

Louis, LE GRAND CONDÉ

THOMAS CHATTERTON JUPITER ZEUS, a most dear wood-rat.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, the gray horse.

APHRODITE, the mother pig.

PETER PAUL RUBENS, her son.

BRAVE HORATIUS, the shepherd dog.

PLATO

PLINY } bats.

ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING, a cow.