CHAPTER XI SUNDAY

seher,you'lllearnahymnrightoff.Come,now,shewantsmetobeclevertoyou,andI'dliketodoitbutifyougetpeppery,howcanI?" Thornyspokeinahearty,bluntway,whichsuitedBenmuchbetterthantheother,andherespondedpleasantly,— "Ifyouwon'tbegrandIwon'tbepeppery.NobodyisgoingtobossmebutMissCeliasoI'lllearnhymnsifshewantsmeto." "'Inthesoftseasonofthyyouth'isagoodonetobeginwith.IlearneditwhenIwassix.Nicethingbetterhaveit."AndThornyofferedthebooklikeapatriarchaddressinganinfant. Bensurveyedtheyellowpagewithsmallfavor,forthelongsintheold-fashionedprintingbewilderedhimandwhenhecametothelasttwolines,hecouldnotresistreadingthemwrong,— "TheearthaffordsnolovelierfightThanareligiousyouth." "Idon'tbelieveIcouldevergetthatintomyheadstraight.Haven'tyougotaplainoneanywhereround?"heasked,turningovertheleaveswithsomeanxiety. "Lookattheend,andseeifthereisn'tapieceofpoetrypastedin.Youlearnthat,andseehowfunnyCeliawilllookwhenyousayittoher.Shewroteitwhenshewasagirl,andsomebodyhaditprintedforotherchildren.Ilikeitbest,myself." Pleasedbytheprospectofalittlefuntocheerhisvirtuoustask,Benwhiskedovertheleaves,andreadwithinterestthelinesMissCeliahadwritteninhergirlhood: "MYKINGDOM AlittlekingdomIpossess, Wherethoughtsandfeelingsdwell AndveryhardIfindthetask Ofgoverningitwell. Forpassiontemptsandtroublesme, Awaywardwillmisleads, Andselfishnessitsshadowcasts Onallmywordsanddeeds. "HowcanIlearntorulemyself, TobethechildIshould,— Honestandbrave,—norevertire Oftryingtobegood? HowcanIkeepasunnysoul Toshinealonglife'sway? HowcanItunemylittleheart Tosweetlysingallday? "DearFather,helpmewiththelove Thatcastethoutmyfear! Teachmetoleanonthee,andfeel Thatthouartverynear Thatnotemptationisunseen, Nochildishgrieftoosmall, SinceThou,withpatienceinfinite, Dothsootheandcomfortall. "Idonotaskforanycrown, Butthatwhichallmaywill Norseektoconqueranyworld Excepttheonewithin. BethenmyguideuntilIfind, Ledbyatenderhand, Thyhappykingdominmyself, Anddaretotakecommand." "Ilikethat!"saidBen,emphatically,whenhehadreadthelittlehymn."Iunderstandit,andI'lllearnitrightaway.Don'tseehowshecouldmakeitallcomeoutsoniceandpretty." "Celiacandoanything!"andThornygaveanall-embracingwaveofthehand,whichforciblyexpressedhisfirmbeliefinhissister'sboundlesspowers. "Imadesomepoetryonce.BabandBettythoughtitwasfirst-rate,Ididn't,"saidBen,movedtoconfidencebythediscoveryofMissCelia'spoeticskill. "Sayit,"commandedThorny,addingwithtact,"Ican'tmakeanytosavemylife,—nevercouldbutI'mfondofit." "Chevalita, Prettycretr, Idoloveher Likeabrother Justtoride Ismydelight, Forshedoesnot Kickorbite," recitedBen,withmodestpride,forhisfirstattempthadbeeninspiredbysincereaffection,andpronounced"lovely"bytheadmiringgirls. "Verygood!YoumustsaythemtoCelia,too.ShelikestohearLitapraised.YouandsheandthatlittleBarlowboyoughttotryforaprize,asthepoetsdidinAthens.I'lltellyouallaboutitsometime.Now,youpegawayatyourhymn." CheeredbyThorny'scommendation,Benfelltoworkathisnewtask,squirmingaboutinthechairasiftheprocessofgettingwordsintohismemorywasaverypainfulone.Buthehadquickwits,andhadoftenlearnedcomicsongssohesoonwasabletorepeatthefourverseswithoutmistake,muchtohisownandThorny'ssatisfaction. "Nowwe'lltalk,"saidthewell-pleasedpreceptorandtalktheydid,oneswinginginthehammock,theotherrollingaboutonthepine-needles,astheyrelatedtheirexperiencesboyfashion.Ben'swerethemostexcitingbutThorny'swerenotwithoutinterest,forhehadlivedabroadforseveralyears,andcouldtellallsortsofdrollstoriesofthecountrieshehadseen. Busiedwithfriends,MissCeliacouldnothelpwonderinghowtheladsgotonand,whenthetea-bellrang,waitedalittleanxiouslyfortheirreturn,knowingthatshecouldtellataglanceiftheyhadenjoyedthemselves. "Allgoeswellsofar,"shethought,asshewatchedtheirapproachwithasmileforSanchosatboltuprightinthechairwhichBenpushed,whileThornystrolledbesidehim,leaningonastoutcanenewlycut.Bothboysweretalkingbusily,andThornylaughedfromtimetotime,asifhiscomrade'schatwasveryamusing. "SeewhatajollycaneBencutforme!He'sgreatfunifyoudon'tstrokehimthewrongway,"saidtheelderlad,flourishinghisstaffastheycameup. "Whathaveyoubeendoingdownthere?Youlooksomerry,Isuspectmischief,"askedMissCelia,surveyingthemfrontthesteps. "We'vebeenasgoodasgold.Italked,andBenlearnedahymntopleaseyou.Come,youngman,sayyourpiece,"saidThorny,withanexpressionofvirtuouscontent. Takingoffhishat,Bensoberlyobeyed,muchenjoyingthequickcolorthatcameupinMissCelia'sfaceasshelistened,andfeelingasifwellrepaidforthelaboroflearningbythepleasedlookwithwhichshesaid,asheendedwithabow,— "Ifeelveryproudtothinkyouchosethat,andtohearyousayitasifitmeantsomethingtoyou.IwasonlyfourteenwhenIwroteitbutitcamerightoutofmyheart,anddidmegood.Ihopeitmayhelpyoualittle." BenmurmuredthatheguesseditwouldbutfelttooshytotalkaboutsuchthingsbeforeThorny,sohastilyretiredtoputthechairaway,andtheotherswentintotea.Butlaterintheevening,whenMissCeliawassinginglikeanightingale,theboyslippedawayfromsleepyBabandBettytostandbythesyringabushandlisten,withhisheartfullofnewthoughtsandhappyfeelingsforneverbeforehadhespentaSundaylikethis.Andwhenhewenttobed,insteadofsaying"NowIlayme,"herepeatedthethirdverseofMissCelia'shymnforthatwashisfavorite,becausehislongingforthefatherwhomhehadseenmadeitseemsweetandnaturalnowtoloveandlean,withoutfearupontheFatherwhomhehadnotseen.