CHAPTER X.
PROGRESS
Mistress Kent was willing to confess, after a few weeks, that manybright children had come to her to be taught, but never had there come achild more swift to learn than Maid Sally Dukeen. She learned in fact asthough her beautiful little ringlets held each a cell in which to hidethe things she was all the time finding out.
Before the winter term of school began she could read well, and alsowrite and spell. No need to urge attention with the little maid; theonly thing needed was to hold her back.
Every evening except Wednesday and Saturday, as soon as her supper waseaten, over to Mistress Kent's raced Sally, the books the mistress hadlent her under her arm, and her lessons so perfectly learned that thegood teacher wondered when she found time for so much study.
Had she peeped into Mistress Brace's house almost any day she would haveknown. When Sally went to bed a book was under her pillow, for therewould be a little time for study before she got up in the morning. Whiledressing, she was busy spelling as well. And while the dishes were beingwashed, a book was before her on shelf or window-sill.
Sally managed to study midst the clattering of dishes and the swish of abroom. For Mistress Cory Ann thought not much of the books, and mindednot how much noise she made while the poor child was conning a lesson,but she dared not stop her. Sally had found out that the parson would beher friend should trouble arise, and the parson and the burgesses werepowers that Mistress Cory Ann dared not trifle with.
When it grew chilly, muddy, or it might be a little frosty, Sally boughtherself a pair of gum shoes, for with all her extra studying she yetfound time for mending and darning, so earning a little all the time.She also bought a good shawl, which kept her nice and warm.
And when she said, "I need a decent hat; I wonder would the parson helpme to get one," Mistress Brace bade her keep away and not go botheringthe parson. Then before the next week she got for Sally a poke bonnetthat was both warm and sightly.
Keen little Sally would not have gone to the parson; she was too proudto beg a single penny's worth, but she had found a new way of gettingaround Mistress Cory Ann since she had seen all that curtseying to theparson.
Then something else that was beautiful happened to Sally, that filledthe little maid's heart with joy and gladness.
She had gone one afternoon in January, soon after the beginning of theyear, to run about in the pine woods, for what with work and study shehad grown tired and felt stupid.
"Go and play," cried her Fairy.
"But my books," said Sally.
"You will grow dull, and do well neither with books, needle, or otherwork without some time for play," cried the Fairy.
And so Sally put by her book, left her mending, and ran like a wild,free thing into the woods, that had a fresh, sweet smell to them. Theair was cool and did the child good. She wandered farther and fartheron, thinking it was in truth a good thing to play at times.
"Sing!" cried her Fairy, "none will hear thee, sing'st thou ever soloudly here."
Now naught has yet been said of Sally's voice. She scarcely knew she hadwhat would be called "a voice." Often she sang at her work, but MistressBrace would likely as not bid her be quiet and not make so great aracket.
Mistress Cory Ann liked to talk a great deal herself, and so would hushSally's singing, which after a time made Sally think that singing wasonly making a troublesome noise, so she did not much of it in the house.
"Sing!" said the Fairy.
Sally stood against a tree and sang without a thought or care as to howher voice might sound. The notes rang out clear and strong, for she sangas would a bird. And over and again she sang a few sweet verses she hadlearned from hearing young Mistress Rosamond Earlscourt practising themwith her lute in the summer-house.
"SALLY STOOD AGAINST A TREE AND SANG WITHOUT A THOUGHT ORCARE."]
As she stopped, full of the joy of hearing her own young voice, sheheard a little sound, and, turning around, oh! oh! there stood MasterSutcliff, the precentor, or leader of the meeting-house choir, which wasmade up of all such young men and maidens as could sing with melody intheir voices.
Master Sutcliff was also teacher of the singing-school, to which allwere welcome who could pay the regular fee, either in money, apples,fruit, or hay.
"You have a heartsome voice," said the singing master, coming closer toSally, and speaking in his own rich bass. "A heartsome voice; how wouldit please you to come to the singing-school and help lead some of themore timorous ones?"
"I do not think my mistress would allow it," said Sally, with downcasteyes.
"If she consents would'st come?" asked Master Sutcliff. "I will teachyou to sing correctly, and do something toward training the voice a kindProvidence hath given thee."
"Yes, I would come," said Sally, without lifting her eyes.
Off strode Master Sutcliff, but Sally could sing no more. What wouldMistress Cory Ann say?
"She will not allow it," said Sally to herself.
"Wait and see," cheered her Fairy.
And it seemed that wonders would never cease now they had begun, forwhen Sally went about getting supper Mistress Brace said to her:
"If you would be doing some good by your screeching at tunes, MasterSutcliff has been here, and will pay me three shillings a term forletting you help at his singing-school. I told him I couldn't belending you for nothing, so now, all but Saturdays your evenings will betaken up. I hope that will satisfy you."
"My dress is not fit," said Sally.
"I will see to that!" snapped Mistress Cory Ann.
And see to it she did. For she went the next day to Goodman Chatfield'sstore, and bought a piece of blue linsey-woolsey, which in a day or twowas made into so becoming a dress, that Mistress Brace wished she hadbought the green one, which was not as pretty, but which GoodmanChatfield held at a higher price.
And Master Sutcliff knew he had made a good trade, for Sally's strongyoung voice was true as well, and soon led right bravely the chorus ofmany voices. And for the maid herself it was great joy thus to sing withothers, and be taught the notes that she soon learned.
One day Mistress Brace saw Parson Kendall again coming up her steps,and, curtseying as before, she bade him enter.
"I hear," said the parson, "that Master Sutcliff pays thee a quarterlysum for allowing the young maid that is in thy care to lead somewhat atthe singing-school."
"Yes," said Mistress Cory Ann, "I could not let her sing for naught. Ifeed her, there surely should be some return."
"But she sings only at night, when a maid of her tender years had farbetter be in her bed. And she serves thee a large part of the day. So Ithink it but thy duty to use what Master Sutcliff gives thee for her usealone."
"I shall," said Mistress Brace, "and more, too, for I clothe as well asfeed her."
"But not overabundantly," insisted the parson. "I met the young damselyesterday, and I think she wore no hosen."
"She hath stockings," said Mistress Brace.
"More than one pair?"
"Perhaps not, parson."
"Then more she must have. I find that I once met the maiden's father, awell-dressed, goodly appearing man. It puzzleth me that so little shouldhave been left for his little daughter's needs. A gentleman he waswhose image hath not faded from my mind."
Very much it vexed Mistress Brace that Parson Kendall should keep sosharp an eye on Maid Sally. And still more it troubled her that heshould speak again of her father and the kind of man he seemed.
But from that time Sally had better clothes to wear and felt no shame asshe went to and fro to evening lessons and to singing-school.
And so came the springtime, the sweet springtime, and there was beautyeverywhere. On the porch at Ingleside the honeysuckle and climbing roseswere bursting into radiant bloom. The birds began nesting in themagnolias and the white-belled halesia-trees.
Sandpipers went scudding along down by the water, and the mountain hollybegan putting on a new dress. The pink azalea,
or swamp pink, violets,buttercups, and all kinds of meadow beauties began peeping up allaround.
So smart a scholar had Sally shown herself, that Mistress Kent wouldgladly have taken her into her classes, but the proud Virginia matronswho sent their richly clothed children to the dame school would stillhave thought Sally too poorly dressed a little maid to sit beside theirdainty little darlings.
Sally was beginning to add, subtract, divide, and multiply. And when theschool closed for the summer and Mistress Kent lent her a simple historyto read, she was wild with delight that she would still have a book nearby.
And much as Sally hated to give up her lessons for a few months, therewas a bird singing in her heart, singing a song of which poor Sally washalf ashamed and yet which made her very, very glad. For in June, rich,flowery, song-bird June, _he_ was coming home, her Fairy Prince!
"And now I can far better understand all he reads," she said to herFairy. Then her glad voice fell. "But I can never, never come up tohim," she sighed; "there is yet a mountain of difference between us."
"You have begun to climb," said her Fairy.
"Ah, but there is proud Lady Rosamond Earlscourt, and Lady IreneWestwood, and so many other high-born damsels of his own kind, all soproud, so well-born."
"What know you of your own birth?" asked her Fairy, sharply. "How oftenmust I ask thee?"
"I only remember the Flats and Slipside Row," said Sally's forlornvoice.
"Keep climbing," said her Fairy. "Does not something within you stillurge you to climb and climb?"
"Yes, yes," cried Sally, "and climb I will!"
And now that evenings of study had stopped for awhile, Sally went againafter supper to the beloved seat at Ingleside. And Lady LucretiaGrandison and Lady Rosamond Earlscourt strolled often over to the arborand chatted gaily while their white fingers held the embroidery at whichthey worked continually when not reading.
Many the scarf, cape, or flowing sleeve they worked themselves withwhich to deck their fair necks, shoulders, and arms.
One evening, as Sally sat dreaming on the stones, she heard RosamondEarlscourt say:
"I must furbish up my riding-suit, for cousin Lionel will want to mountHotspur once he is home again, and I my Lady Grace."
And Lucretia answered, "Lionel liketh best to ride alone when onHotspur's back. Do not you remember he thought it made Hotspur impatientto have another horse beside him, and raised his temper?"
"Then there are other horses he can ride," returned Rosamond. "Mybeautiful Lady Grace is tired of standing in the stable, but I like notto ride alone or only with a groom for company."
These words seemed to rouse something in Sally's soul, and she cried,inwardly:
"Oh, why could not I have a 'Lady Grace,' a dear horse of my own onwhich to fly across the country? I could ride, I know I could, and oh,oh! I feel it within me that a fine horse, fine books, fine clothes, afine house, all, all that I see at Ingleside or Cloverlove, would fitinto my soul!"
"Dear child," said her Fairy, pityingly, "it is hard not to have whatthe heart cries out for. Why not try to find out more about yourself?Have you ever questioned Mistress Brace about your father, or it mightbe about your mother, or what she may know of the home from whence theycame?"
Sally had never thought of this before. She was now twelve years old,but the three years spent at the Flats, rather a miserable place, andnow nearly four at Slipside Row, were all that she plainly remembered.
Now, seeing and hearing these people who were so far above her, hadwakened that spirit or Fairy within her, which set her thinking of abetter kind of life.
"Perhaps Mistress Brace has things that belonged to my parents, and thatought to be given me," murmured Sally.
"Why not ask her that, too?" said the Fairy.
"It would be no use," sighed the maiden.
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