Lucy Montgomery - Emily Climbs

"Aunt Ruth has been ABOMINABLE these past two months... ever since her bronchitis has prevented her from going out. You don't know WHAT it's been like."

"Oh, I do... I do. Ruth Dutton never made anyone feel better pleased with herself. Feet getting warm, Emily?"

"I HATE her," cried Emily, still grasping after self-justification. "It's horrible to live in the same house with anyone you hate... "

"Poisonous," agreed Cousin Jimmy.

"And it ISN'T my fault. I HAVE tried to like her... tried to please her... she's always twitting me... she attributes mean motives to everything I do or say... or DON'T do or say. I've never heard the last of sitting in the corner of the pew... and failing to get a star pin. She's always HINTING insults to my father and mother. And she's always FORGIVING me for things I haven't done... or that don't need forgiveness."

"Aggravating... very," conceded Cousin Jimmy.

"Aggravating... you're right. I know if I go back she'll say 'I'll forgive you this time, but don't let it happen again.' And she will SNIFF... oh, Aunt Ruth's sniff is the hatefulest sound in the world!"

"Ever hear a dull knife sawing through thick cardboard?" murmured Cousin Jimmy.

Emily ignored him and swept on.

"I can't be ALWAYS in the wrong... but Aunt Ruth thinks I am... and says she has 'to make allowances' for me. She doses me with cod- liver oil... she never lets me go out in the evening if she can help it... 'consumptives should never be out after eight o clock.' If SHE is cold, I must put on an extra petticoat. She is always asking disagreeable questions and refusing to believe my answers. She believes and always will believe that I kept this play a secret from her because of slyness. I never thought of such a thing. Why, the Shrewsbury Times referred to it last week. Aunt Ruth doesn't often miss anything in the Times. She twitted me for days because she found a composition of mine that I had signed 'Emilie.' 'Better try to spell your name after some unheard-of-twist,' she sneered!"

"Well, wasn't it a bit silly, pussy?"

"Oh, I suppose my grandmothers wouldn't have done it! But Aunt Ruth needn't have kept it up as she did. THAT is what is so dreadful... if she'd speak her mind on a thing and have done with it. Why, I got a little spot of iron-rust on my white petticoat and Aunt Ruth harped on it for weeks. She was determined to find out WHEN it was rusted and HOW... and I hadn't the least idea. Really, Cousin Jimmy, when this had gone on for three weeks I thought I'd have to scream if she mentioned it again."

"ANY proper person would feel the same," said Cousin Jimmy to the beef ham.

"Oh, any ONE of these things is only a pin-prick, I know... and you think I'm silly to mind it... but... "

"No, no. A hundred pin-pricks would be harder to put up with than a broken leg. I'D sooner be knocked on the head and be done with it."

"Yes, that's it... nothing but pin-pricks all the time. She won't let Ilse come to the house... or Teddy, or Perry... nobody but that stupid Andrew. I'm so tired of him. She wouldn't let me go to the Prep dance. They had a sleigh drive and supper at the Brown Teapot Inn and a little dance... everybody went but me... it was the event of the winter. If I go for a walk in the Land of Uprightness at sunset she is sure there is something sinister in it... SHE never wants to walk in the Land of Uprightness, so why should I ? She says I have got too high an opinion of myself. I HAVEN'T... HAVE I, Cousin Jimmy?"

"No," said Cousin Jimmy thoughtfully. "High... but not TOO high."

"She says I'm always displacing things... if I look out of a window she'll trot across the room and mathematically match the corners of the curtains again. And it's 'Why... why... why'... all the time, ALL the time, Cousin Jimmy."

"I know you feel a lot better now that you've got all that out of your system," said Cousin Jimmy. "'Nother doughnut?"

Emily, with a sigh of surrender, took her feet off the stove and moved over to the table. The crock of doughnuts was between her and Cousin Jimmy. She WAS very hungry.

"Ruth give you enough to eat?" queried Cousin Jimmy anxiously.

"Oh, yes. Aunt Ruth keeps up one New Moon tradish at least. She has a good table. But there are no snacks."

"And you always liked a tasty bite at bed-time, didn't you? But you took a box back last time you were home?"

"Aunt Ruth confiscated it. That is, she put it in the pantry and served its contents up at meal times. These doughnuts ARE good. And there is always something exciting and lawless about eating at unearthly hours like this, isn't there? How did you happen to be up, Cousin Jimmy?"

"A sick cow. Thought I'd better sit up and look after her."

"It was lucky for me you were. Oh, I'm in my proper senses again, Cousin Jimmy. Of course, I know you think I've been a little fool."

"Everybody's a fool in some particular," said Cousin Jimmy.

"Well, I'll go back and bite the sour apple without a grimace."

"Lie down on the sofa and have a nap. I'll hitch up the grey mare and drive you back as soon as it begins to be daylight."

"No, that won't do at all. Several reasons. In the first place, the roads aren't fit for wheels or runners. In the second place we couldn't drive away from here without Aunt Elizabeth hearing us, and then she'd find out all about it and I don't want her to. We'll keep my foolishness a dark and deadly secret between you and me, Cousin Jimmy."

"Then how are you going to get back to Shrewsbury?"

"Walk."

"Walk? To Shrewsbury? At this hour of the night?"

"Haven't I just walked from Shrewsbury at this hour? I can do it again and it won't be any harder than bumping over those awful roads behind the grey mare. Of course, I'll put something on my feet that will be a little more protection than kid slippers. I've ruined your Christmas present in my brain-storm. There is a pair of my old boots in the closet there. I'll put them on... and my old ulster. I'll be back in Shrewsbury by daylight. I'll start as soon as we finish the doughnuts. Let's lick the platter clean, Cousin Jimmy."

Cousin Jimmy yielded. After all, Emily was young and wiry, the night was fine, and the less Elizabeth knew about some things the better for all concerned. With a sigh of relief that the affair had turned out so well... he had really been afraid at first that Emily's underlying "stubbornness" had been reached and then, whew!... Cousin Jimmy settled down to doughnuts.

"How's the writing coming on?" he asked.

"I've written a good deal lately... though it's pretty cold in my room mornings, but I love it so... it's my dearest dream to do something worth while some day."

"So you will. YOU haven't been pushed down a well," said Cousin Jimmy.

Emily patted his hand. None realized better than she what Cousin Jimmy might have done if HE had not been pushed down a well.

When the doughnuts were finished Emily donned her old boots and ulster. It was a very shabby garment but her young-moon beauty shone over it like a star in the old, dim, candle-lighted room.

Cousin Jimmy looked up at her. He thought that she was a gifted, beautiful, joyous creature and that some things were a shame.

"Tall and stately... tall and stately like all our women," he murmured dreamily. "Except Aunt Ruth," he added.

Emily laughed... and "made a face."

"Aunt Ruth will make the most of her inches in our forthcoming interview. This will last her the rest of the year. But don't worry, Cousin darling, I won't do any more foolish things for quite a long time now. This has cleared the air. Aunt Elizabeth will think it was dreadful of you to eat a whole crockful of doughnuts yourself, you greedy Cousin Jimmy."

"Do you want another blank-book?"

"Not yet. The last one you gave me is only half-full yet. A blank-book lasts me quite a while when I can't write stories. Oh, I wish I could, Cousin Jimmy."