Cornelli

by Johanna Spyri

  One bright morning in May, a portly gentleman, leaning heavily on agold-headed cane, was walking up the narrow city street. The houseshere were so high that the upper windows could scarcely be seen frombelow. A steep rise in the street caused the gentleman to stop fromtime to time to get his breath. Scrutinizing the house numbers, hesaid to himself several times: "Not yet, not yet." Then, climbing upstill higher, he at last reached a house beside whose open door sixbells were hanging.

  The gentleman now began to study the names under the bells, meanwhilegravely shaking his head, for he did not seem to find the name he wasseeking.

  "Oh dear, at last! and the highest one up, too," he sighed, while heentered the house. Now the real climbing began. At first the steps,though rather high, were white and neat. But after a while they becamedark and narrow, and in the end the way led over worn, uneven stepsto a narrow door. The only standing room was on the last small step.

  "Is this a cage?" said the climber to himself, breathing hard andholding fast to the railing. The thin and creaking steps seemed to himextremely unsafe. After he had pulled the bell-rope, the door opened,and a lady dressed in black stood before him.

  "Oh, is it you, kind guardian?" she exclaimed with astonishment. "Iam so sorry that you had to come up these winding steps," she added,for she noticed that the stout gentleman had to wipe his face afterthe great exertion. "I should have been very glad to go down to you,if you had let me know that you were here." The lady meanwhile had ledthe gentleman into the room and asked him to seat himself.

  "As your guardian I simply had to come once to see you," he declared,seating himself on an old sofa and still leaning with both hands onthe golden knob of his cane. "I have to tell you, my dear Mrs. Halm,that I am sorry you moved to town. You should have followed my adviceand lived in a small house in the country. It would have been so muchmore practical for you than to live in this garret lodging where youhave no conveniences whatever. I am quite sure that the country airwould have been much better for both you and the children."

  "I could not think about conveniences for myself, when my husband died,and I had to leave the parsonage, Mr. Schaller," replied the lady,with a faint smile. "The country air would naturally have been muchbetter for my children, especially for my older boy. But he had tocome to town on account of school, and I could not possibly have senthim away from me, delicate as he is. Besides----"

  "There are boarding places in town where such boys are well taken careof," the visitor interrupted. "What other reasons did you have?"

  "My girls, too, are old enough to learn something which they can makeuse of later on," continued the lady. "You know that this is necessaryand that it is very hard to get such opportunities in the country. Ihope I have persuaded you that coming to town with the children wasnot a foolish undertaking. I am extremely glad that you have given mean opportunity to explain why I did not follow your advice."

  "What are your daughters going to learn?" the gentleman asked abruptly.

  "Nika, the elder, paints quite well," replied the lady, "and Agnes hasa decided talent for music. If both girls are earnest in their studies,they hope later on to be able to teach; indeed, they are very anxiousto do so."

  "These arts do not bring good returns, even after years and years ofstudy," said the gentleman. "It would be much more sensible for thesisters to busy themselves with dressmaking. They could quickly begina business in which they might help each other and make some money.This would really help both you and your son a great deal. If your boyis going to study, it will be a long time before he can be independent."

  The parson's widow looked sadly in front of her without saying a word.

  "Please do not misunderstand me. I am only speaking in your and yourchildren's interest," the gentleman began again. "I am very sorry notto have met your daughters, for they would soon have agreed with me,if they had heard my reasons. Nowadays young people understand quitewell what it means to make one's way easily and advantageously. Youcan be sure of that."

  "My children may still be a little backward in this knowledge. Theymay, through the influence of their parents, still care for the thingswhich you call the breadless arts," said the lady with a sigh. "ButI shall make my children acquainted with your ideas and I shall tryto speak to them according to your views, at least as far as I amable."

  "How old is the eldest? She ought to be old enough to understand myreasons," remarked the gentleman.

  "Nika is in her fourteenth year. Her education is, of course, stillincomplete in many ways," replied the lady. "Dino is twelve and Agneseleven years old. The latter must first of all complete her compulsoryschool years."

  "Still rather young people," said Mr. Schaller, shaking his head. "Iam sure of one thing, however. The longer their education will take,the shorter should be the ways to the goal. I am more and more convincedthat my advice is right. If you give your little daughters into thehands of a clever dressmaker, your moving to the city will have beenof some real use."

  In his great zeal to convince his silent listener, the visitor had notnoticed that a small boy had entered. This little fellow had at firsthidden behind his mother, but, at a sign from her, approached thegentleman. He noticed the child only when a small fist pushed itselfforcibly into his closed right hand.

  "Please forgive the rather aggressive greeting of my small son," beggedthe mother.

  "Oh, here is another, still. I knew there was a smaller one," exclaimedthe dismayed visitor. "Well, boy, what is your name?"

  "Mux," was the reply.

  The gentleman looked questioningly at the mother.

  "That is the name his brother and sisters have given him and the onewhich seems to have remained quite permanently," she replied. "Hisname is really Marcus and he is just five years old."

  "Well, well, and what do you want to be when you grow up, my youngfriend?" asked Mr. Schaller.

  "An army general," unhesitatingly replied the small boy. After thesewords the gentleman got up.

  "It seems to me, my dear Mrs. Halm, that all your children have prettyhigh-flown ideas," he said impressively. "I can only hope that beforelong they will learn that in this world it is not possible for everybodyto do what he pleases."

  The mother approved this good wish, but added: "I have to tell you,though, that Mux has gotten this idea from his favorite book, wherethe picture of a general on horseback interests him more than anythingelse. This, of course, is a passing impression, like many others."

  "One can never urge proper and successful work too soon nor too often;please do not overlook that, my friend!" With these words the guardianended the interview and, saying good-bye, carefully descended the steepstaircase.

  Just then a child was running up the stairs so quickly that it actuallyseemed as if she had no need to touch the steps at all. As the gentlemanwas taking up all the room, the only space left for a passage was underthe arm with which he held the railing. Here the lithe creature triedto slip through.

  "Stop, stop! Do you not belong to the parson's widow, Mrs. Halm?" askedthe gentleman, making a barrier with his arm.

  "Yes, I belong to her," was the quick answer. And stooping down stilllower, the small person again tried to pass.

  "Just hold still one moment, if you can," the gentleman now demanded."You probably know that I am Mr. Schaller, your guardian. I have justgiven your mother some advice, which was meant for your good. You donot look in the least stupid, so you can help to persuade your mother.I am sure you can understand what is good for you. Are you the elder?"

  "No, the younger one," came quickly back for answer.

  "So much the better. Then the elder will be still more sensible. Ifyou take my advice you can both contribute to the prosperity of thewhole family." With these words the gentleman gave the little girl hishand and went away.

  Agnes flew up the rest of the stairs and into the narrow hall. Herbrother Mux was standing expectantly in the open doorway. He did thisevery day at the time his brother and sisters were coming home fromsch
ool. He loved the change that their coming brought after the quietmorning.

  "A fat gentleman was here and mother said afterward: 'Oh God!' and youcan't play the piano any more," he reported.

  Agnes ran into the next room and as quickly out again. "Where is mother?Mother, mother!" she called, opening one door after another.

  "Here I am, Agnes, but do not be so violent," sounded the mother'svoice from the kitchen.

  Agnes ran to her. "Mother, what is Mux saying? Is it really true? Iknow that Mr. Schaller has been here and that he can tell us what wehave to do. What did he say? Is it really true what Mux has said? Oh,I'll never eat again! I don't want to sleep or do anything any more.Everything, then, is lost!"

  Agnes was frightfully excited. Her cheeks were dark red and her eyesseemed to shoot forth flashes of lightning.

  "But, child, you must not speak this way. Do not get so terriblyexcited," the mother calmly admonished her. "There is no time now todiscuss a subject which we have to talk over quietly. We shall do soto-night. You know perfectly well that I have the greatest sympathyfor your wishes and ambitions, and that it means as much to me as toyou. As soon as we have a quiet hour together we can talk it all over."

  These words quieted the child. She knew that her mother always sharedevery experience with them. In coming to town, mother and daughter hadhoped to be able to carry out their most fervent wish, namely, thecompletion of Agnes' musical education. Agnes could count on hermother's help. It was for the happiness of both of them. So Agnes wentout to the kitchen to do her work as usual. Both the sisters alwayshelped to lighten their mother's work, for their only servant was quitea young girl, who did not do much besides run errands.

  Mux went back to his former place. He was intensely pleased with thegreat effect and excitement his words had produced on Agnes. Hearingsomebody else coming upstairs, he prepared to repeat his speech.

  When Nika was near enough to hear him he said: "A fat gentleman hasbeen here, and when he was gone mother said: 'Oh God!' and you are notto paint any more trees and flowers."

  Nika, not having seen Mr. Schaller, did not understand these words.Unruffled and silent, she passed Mux and went into the other room,which disappointed Mux terribly. So when he heard Dino coming up thestairs, he unloaded his disappointment on him.

  "We are not going to have them to-day," he announced.

  "What do you think we will have? What am I supposed to be thinking of,little guesser?" Dino called out.

  "Oh, I know. Whenever you think we are going to have green peas forlunch, you run up very quickly. You can't even wait, you love themso," Mux asserted. "But we won't have any to-day, for we are going tohave cabbage instead. There, now you have it!"

  "Now come in and we'll see who makes a worse face about it, you or I!"

  With these words Dino took his little brother's hand, and togetherthey ran into the room. Very soon afterwards, the family all sat downto their mid-day meal. On most days the children would be telling theirmother about the happenings of the morning. They would all talk atonce until it was quite hard for her to do them all justice. But to-dayit was different. It seemed as if a storm was in the air; everybodywas silent, and on all faces, except one, heavy clouds seemed to beresting. Nika sat brooding and staring in front of her, for Agnes hadinterpreted to her their little brother's words. She swallowed veryhard on every mouthful, because she had to swallow a great deal morebesides. Agnes was frowning so that her whole forehead was like onehuge wrinkle. The mother, too, was busy with deep thoughts, as onecould see from her worried expression.

  Mux, who generally was extremely talkative, was quietly nibbling onhis dish of cabbage, with many a deep sigh. Dino alone was merry. Heglanced with great expectation from one to the other, and his lunchdid not keep him very busy.

  "I am expecting a thunderstorm," he said, while the quiet was stillunbroken. "Nika is going to let loose the lightning which is flashingunder her lashes, and Agnes will follow with the thunder. After thisI predict a heavy rainstorm, for Mux can hardly keep back his tearsabout this cabbage."

  "But you have eaten much less cabbage than I have," Mux cried out.

  "I do this only from moderation, my little man, so that nobody willget too little."

  "I would answer you about the thunder and the cabbage, Dino, if I hadtime," Agnes at last exploded. "But I have a music lesson at one o'clockand I have enough to swallow without this horrid cabbage."

  "I only wish you could be more moderate in other things instead of ineating, Dino," said the mother with a melancholy smile. "You havehardly eaten anything, and I heard you cough all night. Your healthworries me dreadfully, Dino. Did you cough much in school this morning?"

  "Certainly, mother. But that is nothing to worry about," Dino repliedmerrily. "It always goes away again. My professor said to-day that itwould have been better for me to remain in the pastoral fields of mynative village, than to have sought the dust-laden corners of town.But I answered: 'Unfortunately the Latin language does not sprout fromthe pastoral fields, professor.'"

  "Oh, I hope you did not answer that," the mother said, quite frightened.

  "Oh yes, but only in my thoughts! Please, mother, don't worry aboutme," Dino implored.

  "I am afraid that your professor is right," the mother said with asigh. "But I have a plan which we shall talk over to-night. I shallalso talk over our guardian's proposal, girls. Please try not to lookso terribly unhappy, for everything is not yet lost."

  "Oh, it will come to that in the end," said Nika, leaving the room.

  "Yes, and much worse, I guess," said Agnes. Violently pushing her chairin place, she departed, after thrusting her music into a folder.

  "What can be worse than when all is lost?" Dino called after her. "Iknow what," responded Mux knowingly, while Agnes looked back at Dinoas if to say: If I had time I certainly would give an answer to you.

  "What is it, wise little man?" asked Dino.

  "If she had to eat nothing but cabbage all the time," replied Mux,full of a conviction which he seemed to have acquired from his ownexperience.

  Dino, too, prepared to depart. With a sorrowful look, the mother passedher hand over the boy's thick hair. "Please be careful, and do not runtoo fast," she begged. "It's very bad for you to sit in the cool schoolroom when you are so overheated. I can scarcely ever see you go, withoutanxiety."

  "But I am surely not as sick as that, little mother," Dino said,tenderly embracing her. "When somebody has a cough it always goes awayagain after a while. That is the way with me. Be merry and everythingwill be all right in the end. But I have to go now, it is late," heexclaimed.

  "But do not hurry so terribly, Dino, there is time enough yet, andremember what I told you," she called after him. Then stepping to theopen window, she followed the running boy down the street with hereyes.

  Dino gave Mrs. Halm great anxiety, for he seemed more delicate everyday. Her watchful eye had detected how poor his appetite had beenlately. Despite that, the boy had a very sweet disposition and wasalways full of fun. He was always anxious to have everybody in a goodhumor, and above all, his mother. Of all the burdens she had to bear,the trouble about her son's health was the hardest. One could see thisby the painful expression on her face when she left the window and satdown beside her work table.

  Mux was just repeating a question for the third time, but his motherdid not hear him. Loudly raising his voice he said once more: "Oh,mother, why does one have to eat what the cows get?"

  "What do you mean, Mux? What are you talking about?" she asked.

  "I saw it in my picture book. The leaves the cows get are just thesame as those in the kitchen," he explained none too clearly, but themother understood him directly. She remembered how interestedly he hadlooked at the cabbage leaves when the girl had brought them home frommarket. She also bore in mind a picture in his favorite book, wherea stable boy was shown giving a glossy brown cow splendid green leavesto eat.

  "So you still have the cabbage in your head, Mux?" said the mother
."You must not be dissatisfied when there are so many poor children whohave to go hungry. While you get bread and good vegetables, they maybe suffering."

  "Oh, can't we send them the rest of the cabbage?" Mux quickly suggested.

  "Come and work on the embroidery I have started for you, Mux. We shallsee who can beat to-day. Perhaps that will clear away your thoughtsabout the cabbage. Come and sit beside me, Mux."

  The mother put a little chair beside hers and placed the work in theboy's nimble fingers. Now a race with stitches began, and in his zealto beat his mother he at last forgot the subject that had troubled himso much.

  The late evening had come and the children's work for school was done.Mrs. Halm put the big mending basket away and took up her knitting.The time had come, when, clustering eagerly about their mother, thechildren told her all the troubles and joys of the day.

  It was the hardest hour of the day for Mux, for it was his bedtime.His mother always took him by the hand, to lead him to bed, before shebegan to talk with the three elder children. Every evening he put upa fight, for the wily youngster always thought that by obstinateresistance he could break the rule. His mother, however, knew wellthat his success would only result in dreadful yawns and heavy eyes.

  This evening he found himself ready for bed before he had had time toprepare for his fight. His mother seemed anxious to have him in bedpunctually that night. The boy was always reconciled to his fate whenshe sat down a moment beside his bed to hear of anything that mightbe troubling him. Mux, knowing that all conversation was irrevocablyclosed after his prayers were said, would try every night to prolongthis period.

  After Mux had climbed into bed, he said thoughtfully: "Don't you think,mother, that if people planted cherries where cabbage now growseverybody could eat cherries instead of cabbage?"

  "We simply have to stop now, Mux," Mrs. Halm replied to hisastonishment, for he had hoped to start a long conversation.

  "Well, Mux, you don't seem to be able to get over the cabbage to-day.Go to sleep, for you have talked enough about it."

  Mux knew then that nothing could be done that day, After his eveningprayer and a kiss from his mother, he lay down and was fast asleepbefore his mother had even shut the door.

  Agnes had just finished her last task and was throwing her books intoa drawer, each more violently than the other. She was still terriblyexcited, and as soon as her mother came back to the room, she burstforth: "Oh, mother, if I am not allowed to study music any more, Iwould rather stop learning anything. Why can't I become a servant girl?I could do the work well enough. As soon as I have earned enough money,I'll buy a harp and then I can wander from house to house, singing andplaying. I can easily live like that. Nobody needs to be a dressmaker.People can wear petticoats and jackets. That is enough, and those canbe woven. All other children are better off than we are. They can learnwhat they please and we can't learn anything!" An outburst of tearschoked all further words.

  During her sister's speech Nika had been quietly drawing, but she washolding her head lower and lower over her work without once lookingup. She continued her studies, but her eyes seemed to be filling.Pushing her work away, she held her handkerchief before her face.

  "Oh, children," said the mother, looking sadly at them, "do not be sodesperate right away. You know that your good is my good as well, andthat I am doing and shall keep on doing everything in my power tofulfill your ambitions. It would be my happiest joy to have your talentsdeveloped, so that you could devote all your lives to music andpainting. If we should find it impossible, however, dear children, wemust firmly believe that it would not have been for the best, had wesucceeded, for God alone knows which way to lead us.

  "Do not lose your confidence in a kind Father in Heaven, for that isour greatest consolation. He won't forget us, if we do not forget Him,and we must remember that He can see further than we can, for He knowswhy and where He is leading us. We cannot look into the future, butlater we shall understand it all and realize why we had to bear ourtroubles. Out of them will come the greatest blessings."

  "Now let us be happy again and let us sing a song," said Dino, wholoved to be gay and who liked to see everyone about him merry, too.

  "Let us sing:

  If winter's storms are wild and long We know that spring is coming. To Agnes, whom I hear rebel, This consolation I here tell."

  "Yes, Dino, it is easy enough for you to laugh," Agnes exclaimed. "Youwould probably whistle another tune if you had to become a tailor. Butyou can learn and study everything you want to."

  "I shall certainly not study everything," Dino informed her. "But yoursinging is much nicer than your arguing, Agnes, so please begin, andif you don't like my song, you can start another."

  "We shall all sing together later on, children," said the mother. "Ihave to speak to you, too, Dino. I am troubled about your cough andyour health. I have looked about for quite a while to find a suitableplace in the country where I could send you. Of course, there areplenty of places, but I want you to go into some modest house whereyou can be looked after. I found a notice in the paper to-day whichmight be just what I am looking for. Read it yourself, Dino."

  Dino began to read. "Yes, yes, mother, I must go there," he said,shaking with merriment. "I must go to Martha in Iller-Stream. I amsure that it is very cosy in Martha Wolf's house, where everything isso neat and the covers are so fresh."

  The sisters now wanted also to see the notice that made Dino laugh soheartily. He read the paragraph aloud about Martha Wolf in Iller-Streamand they all agreed that it would be pleasant there. The mother decidedto write to the woman at once and to take Dino there as soon aspossible.

  "Now we shall sing a song to end the day," she said, sitting down atthe old piano. Every day the children sang an evening song to heraccompaniment. Opening the book she herself started and the threechildren took up the song with their pure, fresh voices:

  When bowed with grief, Go seek relief Of God, our Lord above.

  UP IN THE TOP STORY

  Thy need has grown, When left alone, For great and helping love. Before thou'st said, Before thou'st prayed, He knows thy inmost need. And by His care, His love so rare, From sorrow thou art freed.

  CHAPTER III

  NEW APPEARANCES IN ILLER-STREAM