CHAPTER X
CLARA'S LOVABLE GRANDMOTHER
There was much expectation and preparation about the house on thefollowing evening, for Grandmother Sesemann was coming. Tinette had anew white cap on her head, and Sebastian collected all the footstoolshe could find and placed them in convenient spots, so that the ladymight find one ready to her feet whenever she chose to sit.
At last the carriage came driving up to the door, and Tinette andSebastian ran down the steps, followed by the housekeeper, who advancedto greet the guest. Heidi had been sent up to her room and ordered toremain there until called down, as the grandmother would certainlylike to see Clara alone first. Heidi sat herself down in a corner andrepeated her instructions over to herself. She had not to wait longbefore Tinette put her head in and said abruptly, "Go downstairs intothe study."
Heidi had not dared to ask Miss Rottermeyer again how she was toaddress the grandmother: she thought the lady had perhaps made amistake, for she had never heard any one called by other than theirright name. As she opened the study door she heard a kind voice say,"Ah, here comes the child! Come along and let me have a good look atyou."
Heidi walked up to her and said very distinctly in her clear voice,"Good-evening, Mrs. Madam."
"Well!" said the grandmother laughing, "is that how they address peoplein your home on the mountain?"
"No," replied Heidi gravely, "I never knew any one with that namebefore."
"Nor I either," laughed the grandmother again as she patted Heidi'scheek. "Never mind! when I am with the children I am always grandmamma;you won't forget that name, will you?"
"No, no," Heidi assured her, "I often used to say it at home."
"I understand," said the grandmother, with a cheerful little nod ofthe head. Then she looked more closely at Heidi, and the child lookedback at her with steady, serious eyes, for there was something kindand warm-hearted about this newcomer that pleased Heidi, and indeedeverything about the grandmother attracted her. She had such beautifulwhite hair, and two long lace ends hung down from the cap on her headand waved gently about her face every time she moved, as if a softbreeze were blowing round her, which gave Heidi a peculiar feeling ofpleasure.
"And what is your name, child?" the grandmother now asked.
"I am always called Heidi; but as I am now to be called Adelaide, Iwill try and take care--" Heidi stopped short, for Miss Rottermeyer wasat this moment entering the room.
"Mrs. Sesemann will no doubt agree with me," she interrupted, "that itwas necessary to choose a name that could be pronounced easily, if onlyfor the sake of the servants."
"My worthy Rottermeyer," replied Mrs. Sesemann, "if a person is called'Heidi' and has grown accustomed to that name, I call her by the same,and so let it be."
Miss Rottermeyer was always very much annoyed that the old ladycontinually addressed her by her surname only; but it was no useminding, for the grandmother always went her own way, and so therewas no help for it. Moreover, the grandmother was a keen old lady, andhad all her five wits about her, and she knew what was going on in thehouse as soon as she entered it.
When on the following day Clara lay down as usual on her couch afterdinner, the grandmother sat down beside her for a few minutes andclosed her eyes, then she got up again as lively as ever, and trottedoff into the dining-room. No one was there. "Heidi is asleep, Isuppose," she said to herself, and then going up to Miss Rottermeyer'sroom she gave a loud knock at the door. She waited a few minutes andthen Miss Rottermeyer opened the door and drew back in surprise at thisunexpected visit.
"Where is the child, and what is she doing all this time?" said Mrs.Sesemann.
"She is sitting in her room, where she could well employ herself if shehad the least idea of making herself useful; but you have no idea, Mrs.Sesemann, of the out-of-the-way things this child imagines and does."
"I should do the same if I had to sit in there like that child, I cantell you; go bring her to my room; I have some pretty books with methat I should like to give her."
"That is just the misfortune," said Miss Rottermeyer with a despairinggesture, "what use are books to her? She has not been able to learnher A B C's even, all the long time she has been here; it is quiteimpossible to get the least idea of them into her head, and that thetutor himself will tell you; if he had not the patience of an angel hewould have given up teaching her long ago."
"That is very strange," said Mrs. Sesemann, "she does not look to melike a child who would be unable to learn her alphabet."
Heidi now appeared and gazed with open-eyed delight and wonder at thebeautiful colored pictures in the books which the grandmother gaveher to look at. All of a sudden the child gave a start and burst intosobs, for she had turned to a picture of a green pasture, full of younganimals, some grazing and others nibbling at the shrubs. In the middlewas a shepherd leaning upon his staff and looking on at his happy flock.
The grandmother laid her hand kindly on Heidi's. "Don't cry, dearchild, don't cry," she said, "the picture has reminded you perhaps ofsomething. But see, there is a beautiful tale to the picture which Iwill tell you this evening. And there are other nice tales of all kindsto read and to tell again. But now we must have a little talk together,so dry your tears and come and stand in front of me and tell me how youare getting on in your school-time; do you like your lessons, and haveyou learnt a great deal?"
"O no!" replied Heidi sighing, "but I knew beforehand that it was notpossible to learn."
"What is it you think impossible to learn?"
"Why, to read, it is too difficult."
"You don't say so! and who told you that?"
"Peter told me, and he knew all about it, for he had tried and triedand could not learn it."
"Peter must be a very odd boy then! But listen, Heidi, you must notalways go by what Peter says. You must believe what I tell you--and Itell you that you can learn to read in a very little while, as manyother children do, who are made like you and not like Peter. As soon asyou are able to read you shall have that book for your own."
Heidi had listened with eager attention to the grandmother's words andnow with a sigh exclaimed, "Oh, if only I could read now!"
"It won't take you long now to learn, that I can see; and now we mustgo down to Clara; bring the books with you." And hand in hand the tworeturned to the study.
* * * * *
Since the day when Heidi had so longed to go home, and Miss Rottermeyerhad met her and scolded her on the steps, and told her how wickedand ungrateful she was to try and run away, a change had come overthe child. She at last understood that she could not go home whenshe wished as Dete had told her, but that she would have to stay onin Frankfurt for a long, long time, perhaps for ever. The weightof trouble on the little heart grew heavier and heavier; she couldno longer eat her food, and every day she grew a little paler. Shelay awake for long hours at night, for as soon as she was alone andeverything was still around her, the picture of the mountain with itssunshine and flowers rose vividly before her eyes; and when at last shefell asleep it was to dream of the rocks and the snow-field turningcrimson in the evening light, and waking in the morning she wouldthink herself back at the hut and prepare to run joyfully out into thesun--and then--there was her large bed, and here she was in Frankfurtfar, far away from home. And Heidi would often lay her face down on thepillow and weep long and quietly so that no one might hear her.
Her unhappiness did not escape the grandmother's notice. One day shecalled her into her room, and said, "Now tell me, Heidi, what is thematter; are you in trouble?"
But Heidi, afraid if she told the truth that the grandmother wouldthink her ungrateful, and would then leave off being so kind to her,answered, "I can't tell you."
"Well, could you tell Clara about it?"
"Oh no, I cannot tell any one," said Heidi in so positive a tone, andwith a look of such trouble on her face, that the grandmother felt fullof pity for the child.
"Then, dear child, let me tell you w
hat to do: you know that when weare in great trouble, and cannot speak about it to anybody, we mustturn to God and pray Him to help. You say your prayers every evening doyou not?"
"No, I never say any prayers," answered Heidi.
"Have you never been taught to pray, Heidi; do you not know even whatit means?"
"I used to say prayers with the first grandmother, but that is a longtime ago, and I have forgotten them."
"That is the reason, Heidi, that you are so unhappy, because you knowno one who can help you. Think what a comfort it is to be able to telleverything to God, and pray Him for the help that no one else can giveus. And He can aid us and give us everything that will make us happyagain."
A sudden gleam of joy came into Heidi's eyes. "May I tell Himeverything, everything?"
"Yes, everything, Heidi, everything."
Heidi drew her hand away, which the grandmother was holdingaffectionately between her own, and said quickly, "May I go?"
"Yes, of course," was the answer, and Heidi ran out of the room intoher own, and sitting herself on a stool, folded her hands togetherand told God about everything that was making her so sad and unhappy,and begged Him earnestly to help her and to let her go home to hergrandfather.
It was about a week after this that the tutor informed Mrs. Sesemannthat Heidi had really learnt to read at last.
GRANDMOTHER'S KIND ADVICE BRINGS COMFORT TO HEIDI]
"It is indeed truly marvelous," he said, "because she never seemed ableto even learn her A B C's before. I had made up my mind to make nofurther attempts at the impossible, but to put the letters as they werebefore her without any dissertation on their origin and meaning. Nowshe has learnt her letters and started at once to read correctly, quiteunlike most beginners."
That same evening Heidi found the large book with the pictures, lyingon her plate when she took her place at table, and when she lookedquestioningly at the grandmother, the latter nodded kindly to her andsaid, "Yes, it's yours now."
"Mine, to keep always? even when I go home?" said Heidi, blushing withpleasure.
"Yes, of course, yours for ever," the grandmother assured her."Tomorrow we will begin to read it."
"But you are not going home yet, Heidi, not for years," put in Clara."When grandmother goes away, I shall want you to stay on with me."
When Heidi went to her room that night she had another look at her bookbefore going to bed, and from that day forth her chief pleasure was toread over and over again, the tales which belonged to the beautifulpictures.
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