The Chronicles of Rhoda

It was a painful affair. They had mentioned every bad thing which I had done in the course of a whole week, some of w

" she had advanced, severely. "And as fo

anddad Lawrence rep

ed back at him wistfully. He was company, and it was very hard that company should hear me called a Hottentot. I was sure

ther children," my mot

her Harcourt looked over her spectacles and i

wrence went on, nodding his head. "They're very fond of candy, Hotten

other said again. "Rhoda gets into misch

chool?" granddad Lawrence as

her to school!" my mo

randmother prote

subject upon wh

There's the piano standing untouched. I've heard

being cross. He was good to everybody, from the little newsboy who ran after him every morning in the street to the stray dogs which selected him for a master on account of his smile. Most of all he was good to us, his grandchildren, and hardly a day passed by that granddad Lawrence did not come walking in

as I always did, and then we had what he called a mercan

draw on the bank?"

tever I liked, but the little brass pennies were the prettiest, and the cut

, generously. "Now gi

for pennies. I kiss

id, standing at the door to peep

his han

ntot," he called

wered, in rather

nk that I lik

could not be considered work, but play on a larger scale; and after I had slipped into the parlor, and touched the piano keys with a timorous finger, I knew that I should like it. The keys were voices. When grown-up people touched them, they sang together beautifully. There was one which was a fairy queen, and one which was a prince

her cried. "She is always

looked at

sician in our family," she

my mother answered. "There doesn'

a little as

one was whistling, shrilly. My mother rocked slowly that there might not be an accident. Most people would have thought that she was only

We might as well have the best teacher in town. Dad had the best fo

. We were a very tight fit for the chair. She sat a little forward in a meek way, so as to ma

because there were only a few little girls musically inclined in the town, or because, which seems more probable, she had a name for severity. She appeared very

in a terrifying voice like the ogre's

terwards,-and a red silk collar which exactly matched the hearty red in her cheeks. Her hair was black, and h

e hair back from my forehead. "Stand up straight, Rhoda. Y

s answered, in

She was evidently wild to begin, and had not

said, hurriedly. "Couldn't you use a chair, Madame Tomaso

ping in the door. I looked back at them grandly. I felt very old and important. It seemed almost impossible that only that morning we ha

ed, warningly, to th

ent alarm. Even Dick did

ixie asked, in a high voic

between th

l shoot her," he

such a trapped feeling. And the pillow was so high that I could not get down without help. Anything might happen! Madame Tomaso yawned

sked, sociably, point

shot at a Frog," I reci

with yellow trimmings. I could, also, say the catechism from cover to cover, if she would like to hear that, and Who Kill

ame Tomaso inq

ad a big Dog," I went on

She was rather nice. If I were very goo

" she demanded, in astonishme

ed, sadly. "I

he cried, in

e, that even a Hottentot

hen I played five notes without any trouble, she went down through a rent in her skirt which was fastened together with safety-pins, and fished me out a caramel from a hidden pocket. It was very old and hard, and looked as if it had seen much service, but she regarded me with a benevolent expression while I ate it, and I felt that we had made a good beginning. Take it alt

an eager way. "I've promised her a ring the day that she can play the T

d. I think my mo

dusted the parlor when I was there practicing, and she would sometimes put down a big finger herself on the piano keys in an experimental

he would say, suspiciously. "Ain't she keeping you b

answered

onclusively. "Madame Tomaso! It's a cat's name th

Norah,"

and throwing her arms around my neck, rocked back and forth with grief. For a moment I thought that I had hurt her feelings,

t before. I tried harder than ever to please her. I practiced with two fingers, and, at last, even with three, one very heavy in the bass, and two very shaky in the treble. I did not tell anybody about the things which she said, for I was ashamed, but I imagined that granddad su

. He puffed out his cheeks before he began to

her had," he said. "Her name was Polly.

d," I answer

d we had the parlor quite to oursel

like boys," gr

u, granddad," I a

ok his

ou. When I'd bring home a poor stray dog, she would turn it out to starve! And when I brought home stones,

m. I had felt

olly was going to sweep I scattered it around

show me just how he did it. For the

you could have heard her sneeze, it would have done you good. She sneezed for hours. At first they thought that Polly had a new kind o

h laughter at t

to you, granddad?" I

tory would have

e big black cellar," he

I felt that I could never have treated

in a consoling whisper. "

is cheeks, and

n't mind, bless you. We lived in the countr

questione

y took stock they we

I ga

ooked back at me quite gravely, sa

granddad?" I aske

nod

y doughnut

iration. What a dreadful bad

ld frown and beat time, and I would chase after her on the piano, with a blur before my eyes, and my heart in my mouth. Sometimes we arrived at a bar together, both out of breath; sometimes she left me far behind, very weak and miserable, with stumblin

me about her

s. Some of them do not make good music.

actually been saucy to her, and some of whom had merely played false notes like myself. A much larger girl than

he were trying to frighten me. Then suddenly

o looked down over the piano, had preached with a sword in his hand. All the Harcourts had been brave men. They had never been afraid of anything. And on t

d to awake. I turned and fac

said, steadily. "Never! I

er, such as a Hottentot m

ed. She laughed as if she would die, while I sat on my sofa pillow and

s, and they, also, set me a shining example. My mother rubbed up her musical knowledge, and even my grandmother would steal into the parlor in the early twilight, and play some Old World melody which held within its tune the hurry of

d one night. "It almost sounds like a tune.

exactly what it is myself, but it is probably so

dle,' mother," I s

She was looking at th

t," she said. "It was the first thing

I thought we bought the coffee-pot first

ve him a sta

he admitted, reluctantly. "At least

days as those did," my father said, musi

r my shoulder, and ex

manded, pointing to a broad str

e Tomaso beats time,

ed at one

suppose I ought not to complain. It's very good of her to take so much tro

ther!" I cr

not,

d the q

them, mother?" I

me as if I had sai

ake them cry. I knew that she would. Sometimes, although I was such a big girl, she almost made me cry, when she beat time and shouted, for she was beginning to shout. And that last scene, though I had been vic

ired next day, "wh

left," he

randdad?" I de

he could get her t

gainst his shoulde

o meet his eyes. I could never hide my thoughts from anybody. And granddad was always so horribly sharp! He chuckl

rage," he whisper

ard him ask my mothe

omaso come again?"

how Tuesdays raced around. That Tuesday, in particular, arrived almost

, Norah," my mother said at breakfast. "

ast night, ma'am!" N

nd when the door-bell rang I would get quite cold all over. It rang a great many times before Madame Tomaso came, fresh and alert from her walk, w

ittle Miss," she told me, in an awfu

n, and stared at her in fascination. Oh, how I wished that I had let the pepper

I will be an audience. I will be a great m

e. I played faster. She watched my notes, and sometimes she would moan, feebly, as if something hurt her. I played on faster still, one

he cried, and brought the

she s

grimly, to herself. "I felt

granddad. In a second she had lifted the piano cover, and found a pile of pepper under that well-worn spot. The things which she said were awful. She said them i

he cried. "She lays tra

my mother

er seemed st

me. I had forgotten h

very loud in her denunciation, and the mild words of shocked apology which my mother put in from time to time were swept away in the torrent of her wrath. I saw my gr

she lodged an arrow

, and snapped her fingers. "It would b

in the next room. It so

and gazed at me. They did not seem to know just what to say. It was evident that I had done something dreadful. I began to be frightened. We had a big b

me, and patted my head softly. I

sympathizing voice said. "G

still feel the thrill of gratitude wit