Page 48 - pollyanna

are properly instructed in at least the rudiments of music.
You sew, of course.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’ Pollyanna sighed. The Ladies’ Aid taught
me that. But I had an awful time. Mrs. Jones didn’t believe
in holding your needle like the rest of ‘em did on button-
holing, and Mrs. White thought backstitching ought to be
taught you before hemming (or else the other way), and
Mrs. Harriman didn’t believe in putting you on patchwork
ever, at all.’
‘Well, there will be no difficulty of that kind any longer,
Pollyanna. I shall teach you sewing myself, of course. You
do not know how to cook, I presume.’
Pollyanna laughed suddenly.
‘They were just beginning to teach me that this summer,
but I hadn’t got far. They were more divided up on that than
they were on the sewing. They were GOING to begin on
bread; but there wasn’t two of ‘em that made it alike, so af-
ter arguing it all one sewing-meeting, they decided to take
turns at me one forenoon a week—in their own kitchens,
you know. I’d only learned chocolate fudge and fig cake,
though, when—when I had to stop.’ Her voice broke.
‘Chocolate fudge and fig cake, indeed!’ scorned Miss Pol-
ly. ‘I think we can remedy that very soon. ‘She paused in
thought for a minute, then went on slowly: ‘At nine o’clock
every morning you will read aloud one half-hour to me.
Before that you will use the time to put this room in or-
der. Wednesday and Saturday forenoons, after half-past
nine, you will spend with Nancy in the kitchen, learning to
cook. Other mornings you will sew with me. That will leave