Other
Read books online Ā» Other Ā» Pollyanna Grows Up Eleanor H. Porter (booksvooks .TXT) šŸ“–

Book online Ā«Pollyanna Grows Up Eleanor H. Porter (booksvooks .TXT) šŸ“–Ā». Author Eleanor H. Porter



1 ... 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 ... 72
Go to page:
have something in the bank, and a little coming in, of course. And we have this house. But of what earthly use is the house? We canā€™t eat it, or wear it. Itā€™s too big for us, the way we shall have to live; and we couldnā€™t sell it for half what itā€™s really worth, unless we happened to find just the person that wanted it.ā€

ā€œSell it! Oh, auntie, you wouldnā€™tā ā€”this beautiful house full of lovely things!ā€

ā€œI may have to, Pollyanna. We have to eatā ā€”unfortunately.ā€

ā€œI know it; and Iā€™m always so hungry,ā€ mourned Pollyanna, with a rueful laugh. ā€œStill, I suppose I ought to be glad my appetite is so good.ā€

ā€œVery likely. Youā€™d find something to be glad about, of course. But what shall we do, child? I do wish youā€™d be serious for a minute.ā€

A quick change came to Pollyannaā€™s face.

ā€œI am serious, Aunt Polly. Iā€™ve been thinking. Iā ā€”I wish I could earn some money.ā€

ā€œOh, child, child, to think of my ever living to hear you say that!ā€ moaned the woman; ā€œā ā€”a daughter of the Harringtons having to earn her bread!ā€

ā€œOh, but that isnā€™t the way to look at it,ā€ laughed Pollyanna. ā€œYou ought to be glad if a daughter of the Harringtons is smart enough to earn her bread! That isnā€™t any disgrace, Aunt Polly.ā€

ā€œPerhaps not; but it isnā€™t very pleasant to oneā€™s pride, after the position weā€™ve always occupied in Beldingsville, Pollyanna.ā€

Pollyanna did not seem to have heard. Her eyes were musingly fixed on space.

ā€œIf only I had some talent! If only I could do something better than anybody else in the world,ā€ she sighed at last. ā€œI can sing a little, play a little, embroider a little, and darn a little; but I canā€™t do any of them wellā ā€”not well enough to be paid for it.

ā€œI think Iā€™d like best to cook,ā€ she resumed, after a minuteā€™s silence, ā€œand keep house. You know I loved that in Germany winters, when Gretchen used to bother us so much by not coming when we wanted her. But I donā€™t exactly want to go into other peopleā€™s kitchens to do it.ā€

ā€œAs if Iā€™d let you! Pollyanna!ā€ shuddered Mrs. Chilton again.

ā€œAnd of course, to just work in our own kitchen here doesnā€™t bring in anything,ā€ bemoaned Pollyanna, ā€œā ā€”not any money, I mean. And itā€™s money we need.ā€

ā€œIt most emphatically is,ā€ sighed Aunt Polly.

There was a long silence, broken at last by Pollyanna.

ā€œTo think that after all youā€™ve done for me, auntieā ā€”to think that now, if I only could, Iā€™d have such a splendid chance to help! And yetā ā€”I canā€™t do it. Oh, why wasnā€™t I born with something thatā€™s worth money?ā€

ā€œThere, there, child, donā€™t, donā€™t! Of course, if the doctorā ā€”ā€ The words choked into silence.

Pollyanna looked up quickly, and sprang to her feet.

ā€œDear, dear, this will never do!ā€ she exclaimed, with a complete change of manner. ā€œDonā€™t you fret, auntie. Whatā€™ll you wager that I donā€™t develop the most marvelous talent going, one of these days? Besides, I think itā€™s real excitingā ā€”all this. Thereā€™s so much uncertainty in it. Thereā€™s a lot of fun in wanting thingsā ā€”and then watching for them to come. Just living along and knowing youā€™re going to have everything you want is soā ā€”so humdrum, you know,ā€ she finished, with a gay little laugh.

Mrs. Chilton, however, did not laugh. She only sighed and said:

ā€œDear me, Pollyanna, what a child you are!ā€

XVIII A Matter of Adjustment

The first few days at Beldingsville were not easy either for Mrs. Chilton or for Pollyanna. They were days of adjustment; and days of adjustment are seldom easy.

From travel and excitement it was not easy to put oneā€™s mind to the consideration of the price of butter and the delinquencies of the butcher. From having all oneā€™s time for oneā€™s own, it was not easy to find always the next task clamoring to be done. Friends and neighbors called, too, and although Pollyanna welcomed them with glad cordiality, Mrs. Chilton, when possible, excused herself; and always she said bitterly to Pollyanna:

ā€œCuriosity, I suppose, to see how Polly Harrington likes being poor.ā€

Of the doctor Mrs. Chilton seldom spoke, yet Pollyanna knew very well that almost never was he absent from her thoughts; and that more than half her taciturnity was but her usual cloak for a deeper emotion which she did not care to show.

Jimmy Pendleton Pollyanna saw several times during that first month. He came first with John Pendleton for a somewhat stiff and ceremonious callā ā€”not that it was either stiff or ceremonious until after Aunt Polly came into the room; then it was both. For some reason Aunt Polly had not excused herself on this occasion. After that Jimmy had come by himself, once with flowers, once with a book for Aunt Polly, twice with no excuse at all. Pollyanna welcomed him with frank pleasure always. Aunt Polly, after that first time, did not see him at all.

To the most of their friends and acquaintances Pollyanna said little about the change in their circumstances. To Jimmy, however, she talked freely, and always her constant cry was: ā€œIf only I could do something to bring in some money!ā€

ā€œIā€™m getting to be the most mercenary little creature you ever saw,ā€ she laughed dolefully. ā€œIā€™ve got so I measure everything with a dollar bill, and I actually think in quarters and dimes. You see, Aunt Polly does feel so poor!ā€

ā€œItā€™s a shame!ā€ stormed Jimmy.

ā€œI know it. But, honestly, I think she feels a little poorer than she needs toā ā€”sheā€™s brooded over it so. But I do wish I could help!ā€

Jimmy looked down at the wistful, eager face with its luminous eyes, and his own eyes softened.

ā€œWhat do you want to doā ā€”if you could do it?ā€ he asked.

ā€œOh, I want to cook and keep house,ā€ smiled Pollyanna, with a pensive sigh. ā€œI just love to beat eggs and sugar, and hear the soda gurgle its little tune in the cup of sour milk. Iā€™m happy if Iā€™ve got a dayā€™s baking before me. But there

1 ... 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 ... 72
Go to page:

Free ebook Ā«Pollyanna Grows Up Eleanor H. Porter (booksvooks .TXT) šŸ“–Ā» - read online now

Comments (0)

There are no comments yet. You can be the first!
Add a comment