There had been a week of active preparation, and now everything was ready, and Mary Duff and Courage, seated on a new little rope-bound trunk, were waiting for Larry to come. The house looked sadly forlorn and empty, for Mary had sold most of the furniture, that the money it brought might be put in the bank for Courage, and the only thing yet to be done was to hand over the keys to the new tenant1 expecting to take possession on the morrow. Mary had intentionally2 arranged matters in just this fashion. It was not going to be an easy thing to say good-bye to the little girl she had so lovingly cared for since her babyhood, and she knew well enough that to come back alone to the old home would half break her heart; therefore she had wisely planned that it should be “good-bye” to Courage and “how do you do” to little lame4 Joe in as nearly the same breath as possible.
At last there came a knock at the door, and Courage bounded to open it. Bruce, unmannerly fellow, crowded in first, and after Bruce, Larry, and after Larry—what? who? A most remarkable-looking object, with tight curling hair braided fine as a rope into six funny little pig-tails, with skin but a shade lighter6 than her coal-black eyes, and with a stiffly starched7 pink calico skirt standing8 out at much the same angle as the pig-tails. Mary Duff apparently9 was not in the least surprised at this apparition10, but Courage stared in wide-eyed wonder. “Oh, isn't she funny?” were the words that sprang to her lips, but too considerate to give them utterance11, she simply asked, “Who is she, Larry?”
“This is Sylvia,” said Larry; “Sylvia, this is Miss Courage,” whereupon Sylvia gave a little backward kick with one foot, which she meant to have rank as a bow.
“And who is Sylvia?” in a friendly voice that went straight to Sylvia's heart.
“She's to be company for you on the lighter, Courage, and a little maid of all work besides.”
“Spesh'ly I'se to wash up,” Sylvia volunteered, beaming from ear to ear.
“What do you mean?” asked Courage, with considerable dignity, seeming to realize at a bound the relation of mistress and maid.
“Mean dat on boats dere's allers heaps an' heaps to wash up—pots an' kittles an' dishes an' lan' knows what—an' dat me's de one dat's gwine do it. A-washin' of demselves is all de washin' dat's 'spected of dose little lily white han's, Miss Courage, case de Cap'n say so—didn't yer, Cap'n?” whereupon Sylvia gave a marvellous little pirouette on one foot, that made pigtails and skirt describe a larger circle than ever.
“Yes, that's what I said,” answered Larry, rather taken aback by this performance, and wondering if he had gotten more than he had bargained for in this sable13 little specimen14, chosen somewhat at random15 from the half dozen presented for his inspection16 at an asylum17 the day before. But Courage had no fears, and saw in anticipation18 delightful19 opportunities for no end of fun, and, when it should be needed, for a little patronizing discipline. Meanwhile Bruce, who seemed unquestionably worried as to what sort of a move was pending20, had made his way out of doors, and taken up his stand near the boy who stood in waiting with a hand-cart, ready to carry the trunk to the boat. When at last the trunk was in the cart, with Sylvia's bundle atop of it, and it became evident that the little party were actually on their way to the lighter, his delight knew no bounds, and he flew round and round after his tail, as a relief to his exuberant21 feelings.
Courage kept tight hold of Mary Duff's hand all the way. Of course it was going to be lovely out on the water all summer, and with Larry; but oh, how she wished Mary was to be there too! But that always seemed to be the way somehow—something very nice and something very sad along with it. Glancing ahead to Sylvia, who, with a jolly little swing of her own, was trotting22 along at the side of the cart, steadying her bundle with a very black hand, Courage wondered if she had found it so too, and resolved some day to ask her.
The good-byes were said rather hurriedly at the last. Mary Duff first went down into the cabin with Courage and helped to unpack23 her trunk. Then, when finally there was nothing more for her to do, there was just a good hard hug and two or three very hard kisses, and then you might have seen a familiar figure disappearing around the nearest corner of the dock, and Mary Duff was gone. As soon as she was out of sight she stopped a moment and wiped the tears from her eyes with a corner of her shawl, for they were fairly blinding her, and then hurried right on to the little cripple, to whom her coming was to prove the very most blessed thing that had ever happened. As for Courage, she went to her own little room and had a good cry there, and though neither of them knew of the other's tears, the skies soon looked clearer to them both. But there was one pair of eyes in which tears were not for a moment to be thought of. Tears! with the great orphan24 asylum left behind and all the delights of life on that beautiful boat opening out before her? No indeed! Let Miss Courage have her little cry out if she must, but for Sylvia, a face wreathed in smiles so broad as to develop not unfrequently into an audible chuckle25. And so while Courage was trying to get herself in hand, for she did not want Larry to know how badly she felt, Sylvia, acting26 under orders, was as busy as could be, setting the table in the cabin, and making supper ready in the tiny kitchen.
When Courage again came on deck, the lighter had cleared the wharf27 and was well out upon the river. Larry was at the helm, and she made her way straight to him and slipped her hand in his, as much as to say, “I'm yours now, you know, Larry,” and Larry gave it a tight little squeeze, as much as to say, “Yes, I know you are, dear,” and they understood each other perfectly28, though not a word was spoken.
“Don't you think I had better call you uncle or something instead of just Larry?” said Courage after she had stood silently at his side for ever so many minutes.
“Why?” asked Larry, amused at the suggestion.
“Oh, because it doesn't seem right for a child like me to call you by your first name. I should have thought that they would have taught me different.”
“Oh, bless your heart, Courage! nobody taught you what to call me..You just took up 'Larry' of yourself in the cutest sort of a way, and before you could say half-a-dozen words to your name, and now to tack30 an uncle on to it after all these years would sound mighty31 queer, and I shouldn't like it.”
“Well, then, we'll just let it be Larry always,” and indeed Courage herself was more than willing to have things remain as they were. As for Sylvia, she soon decided32 that her one form of address for Larry should be “my Cap'n,” for was he not in very truth her captain by grace of his choice of her from among all the other little colored orphans33 whom he might have taken? Indeed, Sylvia fairly seemed to revel34 in the two-lettered personal pronoun, for if there is a Saxon word for which the average institution child has comparatively little use it is that word my. Where children are cared for by the hundreds, my and me and mine and all that savors35 of the individual are almost perforce lost sight of. No wonder, then, when Sylvia said “my Cap'n,” it was in a tone implying a most happy sense of ownership, and as though it stood for the “my father” and “my mother” and all the other “mys” of more fortunate little children.
At last Sylvia's supper was ready, and before announcing the fact, she stood a moment, arms akimbo, taking a critical survey of her labors36. Then, convinced that nothing had been forgotten, she cleared the cabin stairs at a bound, and beckoning37 to Larry and Courage, called out excitedly, “Come 'long dis minute, please, 'fore3 it all gets cold.”
Larry, who had many misgivings38 as to the result of his protegee's first efforts, was greatly surprised on reaching the cabin to find a most tempting39 little table spread out before them, but it was hard to tell whether surprise or indignation gained the mastery In the eyes of astonished Courage. That the table looked most attractive no one could for a moment deny, but what most largely contributed thereto was a glorious bunch of scarlet40 geraniums, to compass which Sylvia had literally41 stripped a double row of plants standing in the cabin window of every flower. These plants had been Mary Duff's special pride for several seasons, and she herself had carefully superintended their transportation in a wheelbarrow to the lighter the day before.
Who could marvel12, then, that the tears came unbidden, as Courage at one glance took in the whole situation—the elaborate decorations, the sadly despoiled43 plants.
“Oh, Sylvia, how could you?” was all she found words to say. Poor Sylvia, never more surprised in her life, stood aghast for a moment, looking most beseechingly44 to Larry. Then a possibility dawned upon her.
“Am it dem posies, Miss Courage?” and the question let the light in on Larry's bewildered mind.
“Of course I mean the flowers,” said Courage, laying one hand caressingly45 on a poor little dismantled46 plant. “You have not left a single one, and I wouldn't have had you pick them for all the world.”
“But I was 'bliged to, Miss Courage,” with all the aplomb47 of a conscientious48 performance of duty.
“Obliged to?” and then it seemed to occur simultaneously49 to Larry and Courage that they had possibly secured the services of a veritable little lunatic.
“Yes, Miss Courage; hab you neber hearn tell of a kitchen garden?”
“Never,” said Courage; and now she and Larry exchanged glances as to the certainty of Sylvia's mental condition.
“Well, I'se a kitchen-garden grajate,” Sylvia announced with no little pride.
“Bless my stars! if you're not a stark50 little idiot,” muttered Larry under his breath, but fortunately Sylvia was too absorbed to hear.
“Well, dere ain't much you kin5 tell a kitchen-garden grajate,” she continued complacently51, “'bout52 setting tables and sich like. Dere's questions and answers 'bout eberyting, you know, an' when Miss Sylvester ses, 'What must yer hab in de middle ob de table?' the answer is, 'Fruit or flowers so as there wasn't no fruit, why—” and Sylvia, pausing abruptly53, gave a little shrug54 of her shoulders, and with a grandiloquent55 gesture, pointed56 to the geraniums, as though further words were superfluous57.
“Oh, I didn't understand,” said Courage, for both she and Larry were beginning to comprehend the situation, and a little later on, when they had had time to realize more fully42 the careful arrangement of the table, to say nothing of the tempting dishes themselves, they were ready to pronounce the little lunatic of a few moments previous a veritable treasure. The ham was done “to a turn;” the fried potatoes were deliciously crisp; dainty little biscuits fairly melted in your mouth; the coffee was perfection, and Sylvia sat beaming and radiant, for there was no lack of openly expressed appreciation58.
“What did you say you were, Sylvia?” asked Courage during the progress of the meal.
“Oh, I didn't say I was nuffin 't all,” nervously59 fearing that in some unconscious way she might again have offended her new little mistress.
“Yes, you did, don't you know?” pretending not to notice the nervousness. “It was something nice to be; it began with kitchen.”
“Oh, yes,” said Sylvia, much relieved, “a kitchen-garden grajate. Want to see my di-diplomer?” including both Larry and Courage in one glance as she spoke29. Wholly mystified as to what the article might be, both of course nodded yes, whereupon Sylvia, plunging60 one little black fist down the neck of her dress, vainly endeavored to bring something to the surface.
“It kinder sticks,” she explained confidentially61, but in another second a shining medal attached to a blue ribbon came flying out with appalling62 momentum63. “Dere now,” she said, giving a backward dive through the encircling ribbon, “dat's what I got for larning all dere was to larn.”
Courage took the medal and examined it. It was made of some bright metal, and was stamped with the figure of a girl with a broom in her hand. Across the top were the words “Kitchen Garden,” and on a little scroll64 at the bottom the name Sylvia Sylvester.
“Why do they call it a kitchen garden?” asked Courage, passing the medal on for Larry's inspection; “it's an awful funny name.”
“Glory knows! ain't no sense in it, I reckon.”
“And that medal,” added Courage, “was a sort of a prize for doing things better than the others, wasn't it?”
“No, Miss Courage, dat's a reg'lar diplomer. All de chillens in de school had 'em when, dey grajated.”
Courage looked appealingly toward Larry, to see if he knew what she meant, and Larry looked just as appealingly to Courage. The truth was, Sylvia had the best of them both. To be sure, she used a pronunciation of her own, but it was near enough to the original to have suggested graduate and diploma to minds in anywise familiar with the articles.
“And did they teach you to cook in the kitchen garden?” Courage asked, feeling that she must remain quite hopelessly in the dark regarding the words in question.
“No, dat was an extry. One ob de lady man'gers, Miss Caxton, teached us de cookin'. She was a lubly lady—sich a kind face, and sich daisy gray haar, and allers so jolly. She came twic't a week, case she was dat fond ob cookin' and liked chillens. She ses black skins didn't make no difference. One ob dese days I'se gwine to write down for yer all de dishes what she teached how to cook.”
And so the first meal aboard the lighter fared on, and before it was over Larry made up his mind that as soon as he could afford it he would send five dollars to the orphan asylum and a letter besides, in which he would warmly express his approval of an institution that sent its little waifs out into the world so well equipped for rendering65 valuable service.
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1
tenant
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| n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用 | |
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intentionally
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| ad.故意地，有意地 | |
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fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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starched
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| adj.浆硬的，硬挺的，拘泥刻板的v.把（衣服、床单等）浆一浆( starch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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sable
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| n.黑貂；adj.黑色的 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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asylum
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| n.避难所，庇护所，避难 | |
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anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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pending
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| prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的 | |
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exuberant
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| adj.充满活力的；（植物）繁茂的 | |
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trotting
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| 小跑，急走( trot的现在分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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unpack
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| vt.打开包裹（或行李），卸货 | |
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orphan
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| n.孤儿；adj.无父母的 | |
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chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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wharf
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| n.码头，停泊处 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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tack
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| n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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orphans
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| 孤儿( orphan的名词复数 ) | |
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34
revel
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| vi.狂欢作乐，陶醉；n.作乐，狂欢 | |
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savors
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| v.意味，带有…的性质( savor的第三人称单数 )；给…加调味品；使有风味；品尝 | |
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labors
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| v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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37
beckoning
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| adj.引诱人的，令人心动的v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的现在分词 ) | |
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38
misgivings
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧 | |
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tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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40
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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42
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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43
despoiled
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| v.掠夺，抢劫( despoil的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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beseechingly
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| adv. 恳求地 | |
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caressingly
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| 爱抚地，亲切地 | |
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46
dismantled
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| 拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 )； 拆卸； 废除； 取消 | |
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47
aplomb
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| n.沉着，镇静 | |
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48
conscientious
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| adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的 | |
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49
simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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50
stark
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| adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地 | |
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51
complacently
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| adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地 | |
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52
bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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53
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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54
shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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55
grandiloquent
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| adj.夸张的 | |
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56
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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57
superfluous
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| adj.过多的，过剩的，多余的 | |
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58
appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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59
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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60
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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61
confidentially
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| ad.秘密地，悄悄地 | |
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62
appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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63
momentum
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| n.动力，冲力，势头；动量 | |
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64
scroll
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| n.卷轴，纸卷；(石刻上的)漩涡 | |
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65
rendering
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| n.表现，描写 | |
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