Under the Lilacs

by Louisa May Alcott

  CHAPTER VI

  A CIRCULATING LIBRARY

  After supper that night, Bab and Betty sat in the old porch playing withJosephus and Belinda, and discussing the events of the day; for theappearance of the strange boy and his dog had been a most excitingoccurrence in their quiet lives. They had seen nothing of him sincemorning, as he took his meals at the Squire's, and was at work with Patin a distant field when the children passed. Sancho had stuck closely tohis master, evidently rather bewildered by the new order of things, andbound to see that no harm happened to Ben.

  "I wish they'd come. It's sundown, and I heard the cows mooing, so Iknow they have gone home," said Betty, impatiently; for she regarded thenew-comer in the light of an entertaining book, and wished to read on asfast as possible.

  "I'm going to learn the signs he makes when he wants Sancho to dance;then we can have fun with him whenever we like. He's the dearest dog Iever saw!" answered Bab, who was fonder of animals than her sister.

  "Ma said--Ow, what's that?" cried Betty with a start, as somethingbumped against the gate outside; and in a moment Ben's head peeped overthe top as he swung himself up to the iron arch, in the middle of whichwas the empty lantern frame.

  "Please to locate, gentlemen; please to locate. The performance is aboutto begin with the great Flyin' Coopid act, in which Master Bloomsburyhas appeared before the crowned heads of Europe. Pronounced by allbeholders the most remarkable youthful progidy agoin'. Hooray! here weare!"

  Having rattled off the familiar speech in Mr. Smithers's elegant manner,Ben begin to cut up such capers that even a party of dignified hens,going down the avenue to bed, paused to look on with clucks ofastonishment, evidently fancying that salt had set him to fluttering andtumbling as it did them. Never had the old gate beheld such antics,though it had seen gay doings in its time; for of all the boys who hadclimbed over it, not one had ever stood on his head upon each of the bigballs which ornamented the posts, hung by his heels from the arch, goneround and round like a wheel with the bar for an axis, played a tattoowith his toes while holding on by his chin, walked about the wall on hishands, or closed the entertainment by festooning himself in an airyposture over the side of the lantern frame, and kissing his hand to theaudience as a well-bred Cupid is supposed to do on making his bow.

  The little girls clapped and stamped enthusiastically, while Sancho, whohad been calmly surveying the show, barked his approval as he leaped upto snap at Ben's feet.

  "Come down and tell what you did up at the Squire's. Was he cross? Didyou have to work hard? Do you like it?" asked Bab, when the noise hadsubsided.

  "It's cooler up here," answered Ben, composing himself in the frame, andfanning his hot face with a green spray broken from the tall bushesrustling odorously all about him. "I did all sorts of jobs. The oldgentleman wasn't cross; he gave me a dime, and I like him first-rate.But I just hate 'Carrots;' he swears at a feller, and fired a stick ofwood at me. Guess I'll pay him off when I get a chance."

  Fumbling in his pocket to show the bright dime, he found the torn page,and remembered the thirst for information which had seized him in themorning. "Look here, tell me about this, will you? What are these chapsup to? The ink has spoilt all but the picture and this bit of reading. Iwant to know what it means. Take it to 'em, Sanch."

  The dog caught the leaf as it fluttered to the ground, and carrying itcarefully in his mouth, deposited it at the feet of the little girls,seating himself before them with an air of deep interest. Bab and Bettypicked it up and read it aloud in unison, while Ben leaned from hisperch to listen and learn.

  "'When day dawned, land was visible. A pleasant land it was. Therewere gay flowers, and tall trees with leaves and fruit, such as they hadnever seen before. On the shore were unclad copper-colored men, gazingwith wonder at the Spanish ships. They took them for great birds, thewhite sails for their wings, and the Spaniards for superior beingsbrought down from heaven on their backs."

  "Why, that's Columbus finding San Salvador. Don't you know about him?"demanded Bab, as if she were one of the "superior beings," andintimately acquainted with the immortal Christopher.

  "No, I don't. Who was he any way? I s'pose that's him paddlin' ahead;but which of the Injuns is Sam Salvindoor?" asked Ben, rather ashamed ofhis ignorance, but bent on finding out now he had begun.

  "My gracious! twelve years old and not know your Quackenbos!" laughedBab, much amused, but rather glad to find that she could teach the"whirligig boy" something, for she considered him a remarkable creature.

  "I don't care a bit for your quackin' boss, whoever he is. Tell aboutthis fine feller with the ships; I like him," persisted Ben.

  So Bab, with frequent interruptions and hints from Betty, told thewonderful tale in a simple way, which made it easy to understand; forshe liked history, and had a lively tongue of her own.

  "I'd like to read some more. Would my ten cents buy a book?" asked Ben,anxious to learn a little since Bab laughed at him.

  "No, indeed! I'll lend you mine when I'm not using it, and tell you allabout it," promised Bab; forgetting that she did not know "all about it"herself yet.

  "I don't have any time only evenings, and then may be you'll want it,"begun Ben, in whom the inky page had roused a strong curiosity.

  "I do get my history in the evening, but you could have it morningsbefore school."

  "I shall have to go off early, so there won't be any chance. Yes, therewill,--I'LL tell you how to do it. Let me read while I drive up thecows. Squire likes 'em to eat slow along the road, so's to keep thegrass short and save mowin'. Pat said so, and I could do history insteadof loafin' round!" cried Ben full of this bright idea.

  "How will I get my book back in time to recite?" asked Bab, prudently.

  "Oh, I'll leave it on the window-sill, or put it inside the door as I goback. I'll be real careful, and just as soon as I earn enough, I'll buyyou a new one and take the old one. Will you?"

  "Yes; but I'll tell you a nicer way to do. Don't put the book on thewindow, 'cause teacher will see you; or inside the door, 'cause some onemay steal it. You put it in my cubby-house, right at the corner of thewall nearest the big maple. You'll find a cunning place between theroots that stick up under the flat stone. That's my closet, and I keepthings there. It's the best cubby of all, and we take turns to have it."

  "I'll find it, and that'll be a first-rate place," said Ben, muchgratified.

  "I could put my reading-book in sometimes, if you'd like it. There'slots of pretty stories in it and pictures," proposed Betty, rathertimidly; for she wanted to share the benevolent project, but had littleto offer, not being as good a scholar as Bab.

  "I'd like a 'rithmetic better. I read tip-top, but I ain't much on'rithmetic; so, if you can spare yours, I might take a look at it. NowI'm goin' to earn wages, I ought to know about addin' 'em up, and soon," said Ben, with the air of a Vanderbilt oppressed with the care ofmillions.

  "I'll teach you that. Betty doesn't know much about sums. But shespells splendidly, and is always at the head of her class. Teacher isreal proud of her, 'cause she never misses, and spells hard, fussywords, like chi-rog-ra-phy and bron-chi-tis as easy as any thing."

  Bab quite beamed with sisterly pride, and Betty smoothed down her apronwith modest satisfaction, for Bab seldom praised her, and she liked itvery much.

  "I never went to school, so that's the reason I ain't smart. I canwrite, though, better 'n some of the boys up at school. I saw lots ofnames on the shed door. See here, now,"--and scrambling down, Benpulled out a cherished bit of chalk, and flourished off ten letters ofthe alphabet, one on each of the dark stone slabs that paved the walk.

  "Those are beautiful! I can't make such curly ones. Who taught you todo it?" asked Bab, as she and Betty walked up and down admiring them.

  "Horse blankets," answered Ben, soberly.

  "What!" cried both girls, stopping to stare.

  "Our horses all had their names on their blankets, and I used to copy'em. The wagons had signs, and I le
arned to read that way after fathertaught me my letters off the red and yellow posters. First word I knewwas lion, 'cause I was always goin' to see old Jubal in his cage. Fatherwas real proud when I read it right off. I can draw one, too."

  Ben proceeded to depict an animal intended to represent his lost friend;but Jubal would not have recognized his portrait, since it looked muchmore like Sancho than the king of the forest. The children admired itimmensely, however, and Ben gave them a lesson in natural history whichwas so interesting that it kept them busy and happy till bedtime; forthe boy described what he had seen in such lively language, andillustrated in such a droll way, it was no wonder they were charmed.