“Really, madam, I cannot tell you,” Santa Fé said. “You see, we ordered what would be needed through an agent East, and these came along. I must warn you, however, that they are expensive,” Hart said, remembering what them chips had cost him, one time and another, he allowed to himself Charley was right and they was about as expensive as they could be!
“Our other little appliances, madam,” Santa Fé went on, “are just our own makeshift imitations of what you are familiar with––building-blocks, and alphabet-blocks, and dissected pictures, and that sort of 116 thing. Our local carpenter made the blocks for us, and we put on the lettering ourselves––as, indeed, its poor quality shows. The dissected pictures I am rather proud of, because Mrs. Charles may be said to have invented them.” (It really was the Hen who’d made ’em, it turned out.) “The method is simple enough when you have thought of it, of course––and no doubt I value my wife’s work unduly because I take so much pride in all that she does. You see, she just pasted pictures from the illustrated papers on boards; and then Mr. Williams––our carpenter, you know––sawed the boards into little pieces. And there you are!”
“Now that was bright of her!” said Hart’s aunt. “If you don’t mind, I’ll put one of the pictures together myself right now. I want to see how it looks, made that home-fashioned way.”
“I fear that our time is getting a little short, madam,” said Santa Fé, in a hurry. “I’ve got my sermon to finish this afternoon, and I must be going in a few minutes now.” The fact of the matter was he had to call her 117 off quick. It seems the Hen hadn’t had anything but Police Gazettes to work on––and while the bits looked all right jumbled up, being put together they wouldn’t have suited nohow at all.
“Of course I mustn’t keep you,” said Hart’s aunt. “You’ve been more than kind, Mr. Charles, to give me so much of your valuable time as it is. I’m just like a child myself, wanting to play with dissected pictures that way! But I must say that her making them is a thing for your wife to be proud of––and I hope you’ll tell her so for me.”
“I guess we’d better be going now, Aunt Maria,” Hart said. “Mr. Charles has his sermon to write, you know, and I want you to have time to eat your supper comfortable before we start down to the train.”
“I do suppose we must go,” said Hart’s aunt. “But I hate to, William, and that’s a fact! Just because it’s so make-shifty, this is the most interesting kindergarten I’ve ever been in. When I get home I shall really and truly enjoy telling the folks about it. 118 And I know how pleased they’ll be, the same as I am, by finding what earnest-working men and women can do––out here in this rough country––with so little to go on but their wits and their own good hearts!”
And then she faced round sudden on Santa Fé and said: “I see you have your table covered with green, Mr. Charles. What’s that for? You’ve so many good notions about kindergartens that I’d like to know.”
“Well, you see, madam, that green cover is a––it’s a sort of––” Charley went slow for a minute, and then got a-hold of the card he wanted and put it down as smooth as you please. “That is an invention, madam,” he said, “of my good wife’s, too. Out here, where the sun is so violent, she said we must have a green cover on the table or the glare would be ruining all our dear little innocent children’s eyes. And it has worked, madam, to a charm! Some of the children who had bad eyes to start with actually have got well!”
“Well, I do declare!” said Hart’s aunt.