Such was Henry’s opinion of Mrs. Allen. It may have been unjust to her, but he evidently was persuaded in his heart that the woman disliked him, and he felt unhappy in consequence, and hinted of running away. As an illustration of his trials, he said that whenever he finished up his work, and wanted to go anywhere, Mrs. Allen would set him to braiding husk mats, just to keep him busy, although “she had mats enough to last her fifty years,” he added, rather indignantly. It was mat-braiding that prevented his coming over to build the snow temple at the appointed time, and he could not refer to his severe disappointment, even now, without some petulance.
“Well,” said Jessie, after listening patiently to this outpouring of complaint, “I am very sorry to hear this. I thought you had got a good home, and were happy. But I cannot believe that Mrs. Allen is as bad as you represent. There must be some mistake about this. She appears to be a good, kind-hearted woman, and she speaks of you as though she felt an interest in you. I can’t think that she dislikes you, unless you have given her cause. Are you careful to try to please her?”
“Why, yes, I do everything she tells me to do,” replied Henry.
“That may be,” continued Jessie, “and yet you may not try to please her. Do you remember the anecdote about the little girl who was asked why everybody loved her? ‘I don’t know,’ she said, ‘unless it’s because I love everybody.’ Now isn’t it possible that you think Mrs. Allen doesn’t love you, because you don’t love her?”
“I know I don’t love her—but it’s because I can’t,” replied Henry.
“Suppose, now,” resumed Jessie, “you go home with the determination of making her love you. Try to please her in everything. Do everything cheerfully, and do it just right. Anticipate her wishes. Don’t let her see any scowls, or impatient looks, or hear any fretting. Try to feel grateful and affectionate towards her, and think as well of her as you can. Come, Henry, will you do this?”
“It’s of no use to try that,” replied Henry. “You wouldn’t talk so, if you knew her as well as I do. I don’t like her, and I can’t.”
“Then do it for Mr. Allen’s sake,” continued Jessie, “if you cannot for hers. He treats you kindly, and you like him, and I suppose you would be glad to show your gratitude to him. But what would he think of you, if he knew how you feel towards his wife, and how you speak of her? For his sake, if for no other reason, you ought to try to get along pleasantly with her. But in any event, I beg of you never to say another word about running away, unless you want to wholly break mother’s heart. Sam ran away from home, and you know the consequences of it. You and I are all that mother has left now, and if we——” but emotion checked her utterance, and she gave way to her tears.
Henry seemed somewhat affected by the advice and entreaties of his sister, and before he left her, he promised to do his best to please Mrs. Allen, for one week, and to refrain, during that period, from saying anything evil of her, and from cherishing any unkind feelings towards her, whatever provocation she might give him. At the end of that time, or as soon after as convenient, he was to report the result to Jessie.
The “sugar season” had now commenced. The rock or sugar maple is a common tree, in Vermont, and every spring the farmers make large quantities of sugar from its sap. The sap, when it begins to ascend, and before the foliage has put forth, is very rich in sugar. The time when this takes place varies from February to May, according to the season. It was now the second week in March, and the sap had begun to run freely. Mrs. Page did not own a “sugar plantation,” as a maple forest is called; but there were several large maple trees on her land, near the house, which Marcus had always been accustomed to tap, in the spring, for his own amusement. The process of sugar-making was familiar to all the family except Oscar, who had resided in Highburg only since the previous autumn, and had never witnessed the operation. As Ronald hinted pretty broadly that he was quite willing to undertake the responsibility of extracting from the aforesaid half dozen trees their yearly rental of molasses and sugar, Marcus, remembering the pleasure he derived from the same occupation when a boy, gave up the business into the hands that coveted it.