Kitabı oku: «Маленькие мужчины / Little men. Уровень 4», sayfa 14

Mr. Bhaer suggested to compete for studying, and Nan found much pleasure in using her quick wits and fine memory as her active feet and merry tongue. She showed the lads that girls could do most things as well as boys, and some things better. There were no rewards in school, but Mr. Bhaer’s “Well done!” and Mrs. Bhaer’s good report on the conscience book taught them to love duty and try to do it faithfully. Little Nan felt the new atmosphere and enjoyed it. This little garden was full of sweet flowers, half hidden by the weeds. When kind hands gently began to cultivate it, all sorts of green shoots sprung up, promising to blossom beautifully in the warmth of love and care, the best climate for young hearts and souls.

Dan comes back

One night when the little lads were in bed, the elder ones bathing down at the brook, and Mrs. Bhaer undressing Teddy in her parlor, he suddenly cried out, “Oh, my Danny!” and pointed to the window, where the moon shone brightly.

“No, dear, he is not there, it was the pretty moon,” said his mother.

“No, no, Danny at a window; Teddy saw him,” persisted baby, much excited.

Mrs. Bhaer hurried to the window. But the face was gone, and nowhere appeared any signs of the boy. She called his name, ran to the front door with Teddy in his little shirt. No one answered, nothing appeared, and they went back much disappointed.

Mrs. Bhaer sat sewing, for the big basket was always piled with socks, full of portentous holes, and thinking of the lost boy. She had decided that baby had been mistaken, and did not even disturb Mr. Bhaer, for he was busy writing letters. It was past ten when she rose to shut up the house. As she paused a minute to enjoy the lovely scene from the steps, something white caught her eye on one of the hay-cocks scattered over the lawn. As she approached, she saw a shirt sleeve with a brown hand sticking out of it. She hurried round the hay-cock, and there lay Dan, fast asleep.

He looked ragged, dirty, thin, and worn-out. One foot was bare, the other was tied up in the old jacket which he had taken from his own back to use as a clumsy bandage for some hurt. He had hidden himself behind the hay-cock, but in his sleep had thrown out the arm that had betrayed him. He sighed and muttered as if his dreams disturbed him, and once when he moved, he groaned as if in pain, but still slept.

“He must not lie here,” said Mrs. Bhaer and gently called his name. He opened his eyes and looked at her, as if she was a part of his dream, for he smiled and said drowsily, “Mother Bhaer, I’ve come home.”

The look, the words, touched her very much. She put her hand under his head to lift him up,

“I’m glad to see you, Dan.”

He suddenly remembered where he was. His face changed, and he said,

“I will leave in the morning. I only stopped to look at the house, as I went by.”

“But why not come in, Dan? Didn’t you hear us call you? Teddy saw, and cried for you.”

“I didn’t suppose you’d let me in,” he said.

“Try and see,” Mrs. Bhaer answered, holding out her hand and pointing to the door, where the light shone hospitably.

With a long breath, Dan took up a stout stick, and began to limp towards the house, but stopped suddenly, to say inquiringly,

“Mr. Bhaer won’t like it. I ran away from Page.”

“He knows it, and was sorry, but it will make no difference. Are you lame?” asked Mrs. Jo, as he limped on again.

“A stone fell on my foot and smashed it,” and he did his best to hide the pain.

Mrs. Bhaer helped him into her own room, and, once there, he dropped into a chair, and laid his head back, white and faint with weariness and suffering.

“My poor Dan! Drink this, and then eat a little. You are at home now, and Mother Bhaer will take care of you.”

He only looked up at her with eyes full of gratitude, as he drank the wine she held to his lips, and then began slowly to eat the food she brought him.

“Where have you been, Dan?” she asked.

“I ran off more than a month ago. Page was good enough, but too strict. I didn’t like it, so I went down the river with a man who was going in his boat. That’s why they couldn’t tell where I’d gone. When I left the man, I worked for a couple of weeks with a farmer, but I thrashed his boy, and then the old man thrashed me, and I ran off again and walked here.”