“Debby Wilkins!” exclaimed aunt Betsey, with a look of contempt. “Well now, I do declare! She had much better have kept her money and bought herself a new bonnet, for I must say, that her old one is a disgrace to any Christian woman, more especially one who attends church so regularly. Two dollars! Well I suppose she thought you would tell of it, and she wasn’t mistaken either. Dear me! what won’t some people do for the sake of popularity?”—and aunt Betsey resumed her sewing again with great diligence.
The school at length was fully commenced, and there was a much larger attendance than had been expected. Not only did the children come, but also many of their parents, and teachers were in great demand. Even Fred and Charlie Greyson, with the Grimsby boys, were of great assistance in this respect, for they could, at least, teach the alphabet, although it often happened that some of their pupils were much older than themselves. It was no unusual thing to see little Charlie standing by the side of a good natured old colored lady—who wore both cap and spectacles—and as he slowly pointed out the letters with his little ruddy finger, she repeated them after him with great care. The school was not only composed of pupils of every age, size and color, but also of many nations, but everything went on harmoniously, and their improvement was rapid.
There was one, however, who notwithstanding various invitations, stood aloof from this arrangement, and resisted all efforts to draw him into it. This one was black Jake, and Mr. Byers at length concluded that as he would be more trouble than he was worth, it was best to give him up. Hesper was more hopeful however, and longed for an opportunity to speak with him, which she found it very difficult to obtain.
One day, however, as she was crossing the brook between her own home and aunt Nyna’s, she spied Jake on the bank, skinning a rabbit which he had killed a short time previous. His gun and a bunch of dead birds lay on the ground beside him.
“Dear me, Jake!” said Hesper, as she stopped suddenly—“what a nice parcel of birds you have! Did you kill them all this morning?”
“Yes, every one;” said Jake, briefly, as he continued his operations.
“And what a fine fat rabbit, too! Why, I declare, you are quite a sportsman!”
Jake looked up with a smile—“Yes,” said he, “this is a nice little fellow, and will make a first rate dinner for me. Won’t you please, Miss Hesper, to just hold him by the legs, while I pull the skin off over his back? There, that’s it. Thank you.”
“Why, Jake!” said Hesper, as she let go of the little creature with a secret shudder—“you did that in a real scientific manner. I don’t believe I could possibly have done it myself.”
“Ah!” said Jake, with a gratified look, “there is everything in knowing how.”