Chapter IX. To Garum Firs

WhilethepossibletroublesofMaggie’sfuturewereoccupyingherfather’smind,sheherselfwastastingonlythebitternessofthepresent.Childhoodhasnoforebodingsbutthen,itissoothedbynomemoriesofoutlivedsorrow. Thefactwas,thedayhadbegunillwithMaggie.ThepleasureofhavingLucytolookat,andtheprospectoftheafternoonvisittoGarumFirs,whereshewouldhearunclePullet’smusicalbox,hadbeenmarredasearlyaseleveno’clockbytheadventofthehair-dresserfromStOgg’s,whohadspokenintheseveresttermsoftheconditioninwhichhehadfoundherhair,holdinguponejaggedlockafteranotherandsaying,“Seehere!tut,tut,tut!”inatoneofmingleddisgustandpity,whichtoMaggie’simaginationwasequivalenttothestrongestexpressionofpublicopinion.MrRappit,thehair-dresser,withhiswell-anointedcoronallockstendingwavilyupward,likethesimulatedpyramidofflameonamonumentalurn,seemedtoheratthatmomentthemostformidableofhercontemporaries,intowhosestreetatStOgg’sshewouldcarefullyrefrainfromenteringthroughtherestofherlife. Moreover,thepreparationforavisitbeingalwaysaseriousaffairintheDodsonfamily,MarthawasenjoinedtohaveMrsTulliver’sroomreadyanhourearlierthanusual,thatthelayingoutofthebestclothesmightnotbedeferredtillthelastmoment,aswassometimesthecaseinfamiliesoflaxviews,wheretheribbon-stringswereneverrolledup,wheretherewaslittleornowrappinginsilverpaper,andwherethesensethattheSundayclothescouldbegotatquiteeasilyproducednoshocktothemind.Already,attwelveo’clock,MrsTulliverhadonhervisitingcostume,withaprotectiveapparatusofbrownholland,asifshehadbeenapieceofsatinfurnitureindangeroffliesMaggiewasfrowningandtwistinghershoulders,thatshemightifpossibleshrinkawayfromtheprickliestoftuckers,whilehermotherwasremonstrating,“Don’t,Maggie,mydeardon’tmakeyourselfsougly!”andTom’scheekswerelookingparticularlybrilliantasarelieftohisbestbluesuit,whichheworewithbecomingcalmness,having,afteralittlewrangling,effectedwhatwasalwaystheonepointofinteresttohiminhistoilet:hehadtransferredallthecontentsofhiseverydaypocketstothoseactuallyinwear. AsforLucy,shewasjustasprettyandneatasshehadbeenyesterdaynoaccidentseverhappenedtoherclothes,andshewasneveruncomfortableinthem,sothatshelookedwithwonderingpityatMaggie,poutingandwrithingundertheexasperatingtucker.Maggiewouldcertainlyhavetornitoff,ifshehadnotbeencheckedbytheremembranceofherrecenthumiliationaboutherhairasitwas,sheconfinedherselftofrettingandtwisting,andbehavingpeevishlyaboutthecard-houseswhichtheywereallowedtobuildtilldinner,asasuitableamusementforboysandgirlsintheirbestclothes.TomcouldbuildperfectpyramidsofhousesbutMaggie’swouldneverbearthelayingontheroof.ItwasalwayssowiththethingsthatMaggiemadeandTomhaddeducedtheconclusionthatnogirlscouldevermakeanything.ButithappenedthatLucyprovedwonderfullycleveratbuildingshehandledthecardssolightly,andmovedsogently,thatTomcondescendedtoadmireherhousesaswellashisown,themorereadilybecauseshehadaskedhimtoteachher.Maggie,too,wouldhaveadmiredLucy’shouses,andwouldhavegivenupherownunsuccessfulbuildingtocontemplatethem,withoutilltemper,ifhertuckerhadnotmadeherpeevish,andifTomhadnotinconsideratelylaughedwhenherhousesfell,andtoldhershewas“astupid.” “Don’tlaughatme,Tom!”sheburstoutangrily“I’mnotastupid.Iknowagreatmanythingsyoudon’t.” “Oh,Idaresay,MissSpitfire!I’dneverbesuchacrossthingasyou,makingfaceslikethat.Lucydoesn’tdoso.IlikeLucybetterthanyouIwishLucywasmysister.” “Thenit’sverywickedandcruelofyoutowishso,”saidMaggie,startinguphurriedlyfromherplaceonthefloor,andupsettingTom’swonderfulpagoda.Shereallydidnotmeanit,butthecircumstantialevidencewasagainsther,andTomturnedwhitewithanger,butsaidnothinghewouldhavestruckher,onlyheknewitwascowardlytostrikeagirl,andTomTulliverwasquitedeterminedhewouldneverdoanythingcowardly. Maggiestoodindismayandterror,whileTomgotupfromthefloorandwalkedaway,pale,fromthescatteredruinsofhispagoda,andLucylookedonmutely,likeakittenpausingfromitslapping. “Oh,Tom,”saidMaggie,atlast,goinghalf-waytowardhim,“Ididn’tmeantoknockitdown,indeed,indeedIdidn’t.” Tomtooknonoticeofher,buttook,instead,twoorthreehardpeasoutofhispocket,andshotthemwithhisthumbnailagainstthewindow,vaguelyatfirst,butpresentlywiththedistinctaimofhittingasuperannuatedblue-bottlewhichwasexposingitsimbecilityinthespringsunshine,clearlyagainsttheviewsofNature,whohadprovidedTomandthepeasforthespeedydestructionofthisweakindividual. ThusthemorninghadbeenmadeheavytoMaggie,andTom’spersistentcoldnesstoherallthroughtheirwalkspoiledthefreshairandsunshineforher.HecalledLucytolookatthehalf-builtbird’snestwithoutcaringtoshowitMaggie,andpeeledawillowswitchforLucyandhimself,withoutofferingonetoMaggie.Lucyhadsaid,“Maggie,shouldn’tyoulikeone?”butTomwasdeaf. Still,thesightofthepeacockopportunelyspreadinghistailonthestackyardwall,justastheyreachedGarumFirs,wasenoughtodivertthemindtemporarilyfrompersonalgrievances.AndthiswasonlythebeginningofbeautifulsightsatGarumFirs.Allthefarmyardlifewaswonderfulthere,—bantams,speckledandtop-knottedFrieslandhens,withtheirfeathersallturnedthewrongwayGuinea-fowlsthatflewandscreamedanddroppedtheirprettyspottedfeatherspouter-pigeonsandatamemagpienay,agoat,andawonderfulbrindleddog,halfmastiff,halfbull-dog,aslargeasalion.Thentherewerewhiterailingsandwhitegat