human
Mother, said Catherine suddenly,
gpt
How?
human
Why, about taking care of myself. Some of the really nice girls seem to think it's perfectly all right to be sick, even when it could have been avoided. And some of them think it's rather fine to be ailing.
gpt
Do you mean they want to be petted? That's natural enough.
human
Not just that. I don't mind that. But Dy-the Allen--
gpt
Stop a minute, Catherine. Once for all, what is her ridiculous name? I have wanted to know for nearly a year and never think to ask.
human
She was christened Edith, but when she was in High School she had a silly streak and wrote it with a 'y' for the 'i' and an 'e' on the end, so her brother called her E-dy-the, the way it looks, you know, just to tease her, and it turned into Dy-the and stayed that, though she signs herself Edith. She is one of the very dearest girls I ever knew, and how we shall get along without her next year at Dexter is more than I can guess. All the little preps adore her. But that was the very thing that made me crossest about her carelessness. She would go out in the snow with little thin dancing slippers on and lace stockings, and then take a horrible cold and be ill for days, and shut herself up in her room and have everybody bringing her flowers and meals and writing her notes. And then all her little satellites did similar things and it made a lot of bother for everybody. Little Hilda went to see a measles child because she thought it was fine to be reckless the way Dy-the is, and then she gave it to her roommate and two other girls. I got quite angry once and let Dy-the know just how it looked to me. I told her she ought to be ashamed to disobey Nature and be sent to bed for it, and she only laughed and quoted things from Stevenson about people who live on tepid milk and wear tin shoes. I told her Stevenson certainly tried to look out for his own health, for all that, but I couldn't make her think it a serious matter at all. She just laughed. She's such a dear, she doesn't know how to be angry, Dy-the doesn't,
gpt
Here comes somebody else of the dear variety, said Dr. Helen.
human
Go and let Polly in.
gpt
She doesn't need to be let in, said that young person, appearing with the words.
human
She let her own self in. I'm on an errand, Catriona darling. I want your mother's advice and yours. What do you think of a regular library opening, with refreshments and all that? And have people bring books for admission fees?
gpt
Do sit down, Polly, and rest for a minute. You look as though you expected to be called to the telephone.
human
It does feel good to let down for a minute, she admitted.
gpt
I get so into the habit of tearing through space at college that I can't stop rushing for a month after I get home, and this library business has kept me jumping. I suppose the public could get on a day or two longer without it, seeing they have so many years. I worked all day yesterday with Algernon, and then in the evening it was too hot to stay in the house, and the mosquitoes were so thick outside that it was harder work trying to keep comfortable than anything I had done all day.
human
They are worse than ever this year, sighed Dr. Helen,
gpt
I beg your pardon, Dr. Helen, for being rude, but I just remembered a woman who addressed an open air meeting on the campus this spring. She was a missionary returned from somewhere and she appeared at one of the houses and wanted to talk, so we got a few girls together on the lawn to hear her. The mosquitoes were simply unbearable. We all sat there slapping ourselves and making grabs at the air, and trying to look interested, and then she opened her Bible and read about being encompassed about with a cloud of witnesses: That was bad enough, when you could see them settling all about us like a great dotted veil, but nobody cracked a smile until she gave out the hymn. And that, if you please, was 'My soul be on thy guard, ten thousand foes arise!' You know how it goes.
human
She might have asked for 'Christian, up and smite them,' said Dr. Helen.
gpt
Now, children, I should like nothing better than to sit and hear college yarns all the morning, but I have an office hour to keep. Catherine, did you tell Inga to order peas for dinner?
human
That reminds me, said Polly, springing up.
gpt
Mamma wanted me to do some marketing before I came home, and I was forgetting it entirely. And I haven't found out yet what you think of the opening!
human
I should think it would be a good way to advertise it and get people interested. We ought to get a lot of books, too, though they wouldn't all be worth much. Are you going to work to-day? I decided I'd have to take a day off.
gpt
I don't believe any one will go down. Win won't, because Max has gone up to Madison to take a re in Trig and she won't bother about anything when he's not around. Dorcas said she'd see to the card-pockets at home--her Sunday-school class will do it, poor infants! And Bertha and Agnes have to help their mother because she's going to have the Ladies' Aid this afternoon. They are the best pair of workers I ever saw.
human
Aren't they? Bess was fine about the curtains, too. She is so changeable, though, that I don't know what to think of her.
gpt
Only a question of whether there's a man body about, my dear, said Polly oracularly.
human
Many a girl is all right and sensible when there are just girls around, but let a lad heave in sight, and the whole situation is altered. I've known Bess since she came to Winsted in a ruffled white apron, and no one can teach me anything about her. Now, having dissected all my friends, I think I really must do my marketing.
gpt
We haven't said anything about Dot, the dear,
human
Dot, the dear, echoed Polly.
gpt
That's all there is to say about her. Good-by, honey. To-morrow we'll go at it for a grand finale. That was the name of the last piece in my first music book, and I always like to say it. It sounds so complete, someway. You don't know, Catherine, and Polly stopped on the last step to look up at her tall friend,