The Scarlet Leaves
"The Committee will please come to order!" said Maine."What's up?" asked Massachusetts, pausing in her occupation ofpeeling chestnuts."Why, you know well enough, Massachusetts. Here it is Wednesday, andwe don't know yet what we are going to do on Friday evening. We mustdo something, or go shamed to our graves. Never a senior class hasmissed its Frivolous Friday, since the school began.""Absolutely no hope of the play?""None! Alma's part is too important; no one could possibly take itat two days' notice. Unless--they say Chicago has a real gift foracting; but somehow, I don't feel as if she were the person.""I should bar that, positively," put in Tennessee. "In the firstplace, Chicago has not been here long enough to be identified withthe class. She is clever, of course, or she could not have enteredjunior last year; but--well, it isn't necessary to say anything more;she is out of the question.""It is too exasperating!" said Massachusetts. "Alma might havewaited another week before coming down with measles.""It's harder for her than for any one else, Massachusetts," saidMaine. "Poor dear; she almost cried her eyes out yesterday, when thespots appeared, and there was no more doubt.""Yes, I know that; she is a poor, unfortunate Lamb, and I love her,you know I do; still, a growl may be permitted, Maine. There'snothing criminal in a growl. The question is, as you were saying,what shall we do?""A dance?""We had a dance last week!" said Maine; "at least the sophomores did,and we don't want to copy them.""A straw-ride?""A candy-pull?""A concert?""The real question is," said Tennessee, cracking her chestnutleisurely, "what does Maine intend to do? If she thinks we made herClass President because we meant to arrange things ourselves, she ismore ignorant than I supposed her. Probably she has the whole thingsettled in her Napoleonic mind. Out with it, Moosetocmaguntic!"Maine smiled, and looked round her. The Committee was clustered in agroup at the foot of a great chestnut-tree, at the very edge of awood. The leaves were still thick on the trees, and the October sunshone through their golden masses, pouring a flood of warmth andlight down on the greensward, sprinkled with yellow leaves andhalf-open chestnut burrs. Massachusetts and Tennessee, sturdy andfour-square as their own hills; Old New York and New Jersey, andMaine herself, a tall girl with clear, kind eyes, and a color thatcame and went as she talked. This was the Committee."Well," said Maine, modestly. "I did have an idea, girls. I don'tknow whether you will approve or not, but--what do you say to afancy ball?""A fancy ball! at two days' notice!""Penobscot is losing her mind. Pity to see it shattered, for it wasonce a fine organ.""Be quiet, Tennessee! I don't mean anything elaborate, of course.But I thought we might have an informal frolic, and dress up in--oh,anything we happened to have. Not call it a dance, but have dancingall the same; don't you see? There are all kinds of costumes thatcan be got up with very little trouble, and no expense to speak of.""For example!" said Massachusetts. "She has it all arranged, girls;all we have to do is to sit back and let wisdom flow in our ears.""Massachusetts, if you tease me any more, I'll sit back, and letyou do it all yourself. Well, then--let me see! Tennessee--to tellthe truth, I didn't sleep very well last night; my head ached; and Iamused myself by planning a few costumes, just in case you shouldfancy the idea.""Quack! quack!" said Massachusetts. "I didn't mean to interrupt, butyou are a duck, and I must just show that I can speak your language.Go on!""Tennessee, I thought you might be an Indian. You must have somethingthat will show your hair. With my striped shawl for a blanket, andthe cock's feather out of Jersey's hat--what do you think?""Perfect!" said Tennessee. "And I can try effects with my newpaint-box, one cheek stripes, the other spots. Hurrah! next!""Old New York, you must be a flower of some kind. Or--why not abasket of flowers? You could have a basket-work bodice, don't you see?and flowers coming out of it all round your neck--your neck is sopretty, you ought to show it--""Or carrots and turnips!" said the irrepressible Massachusetts."Call her a Harvest Hamper, and braid her lovely locks with stringsof onions!""Thank you," laughed Old New York, a slender girl whose flower-likebeauty made her a pleasure to look at. "I think I'll keep to the posy,Massachusetts. Go on, Maine! what shall Massachusetts be, and whatwill you be yourself?""Massachusetts ought by rights to be an apple, a nice fat rosy apple;but I don't quite know how that can be managed.""Then I shall be a codfish!" said Massachusetts, decidedly."I am not going to desert Mr. Micawber--I mean the Bay State. Ishall go as a salt codfish. Dixi! Pass on to the Pine-Tree!""Why, so I might be a pine-tree! I didn't think of that. But still,I don't think I will; I meant to be October. The leaves at home areso glorious in October, and I saw some scarlet leaves yesterday thatwill be lovely for chaplets and garlands.""What are they? the maples don't turn red here--too near the sea, Isuppose.""I don't know what they are. Pointed leaves, rather long and delicate,and the most splendid color you ever saw. There is just this onelittle tree, near the crossroad by the old stone house. I haven'tseen anything like it about here. I found it yesterday, and juststood and looked at it, it was so beautiful. Yes, I shall be October;I'll decide on that. What's that rustling in the wood? aren't we allhere? I thought I heard something moving among the trees. I dobelieve some one is in there, Massachusetts.""I was pulling down a branch; don't be imaginative, my dear. Well,go on! are we to make out all the characters?""Why--I thought not. Some of the girls will like better to choosetheir own, don't you think? I thought we, as the Committee, mightmake out a list of suggestions, though, and then they can do as theyplease. But now, I wish some of you others would suggest something;I don't want to do it all.""Daisy will have to be her namesake, of course," said Tennessee."Jersey can be a mosquito," said Old New York; "she's just thefigure for it.""Thank you!" said Jersey, who weighed ninety pounds. "Going on thattheory, Pennsylvania ought to go as an elephant, and Rhode Island asa giraffe.""And Chicago as a snake--no! I didn't mean that!" cried Maine."You said it! you said it!" cried several voices, in triumph."The Charitable Organ has called names at last!" said Jersey,laughing. "And she has hit it exactly. Now, Maine, what is the useof looking pained? the girl is a snake--or a sneak, which amountsto the same thing. Let us have truth, I say, at all hazards.""I am sorry!" said Maine, simply. "I am not fond of Chicago, andthat is the very reason why I should not call her names behind herback. It slipped out before I knew it; I am sorry and ashamed, andthat is all there is to say. And now, suppose we go home, and tellthe other girls about the party."The Committee trooped off across the hill, laughing and talking,Maine alone grave and silent. As their voices died away, the fernsnodded beside a great pine-tree that stood just within the border ofthe wood, not six yards from where they had been sitting. A slenderdark girl rose from the fern-clump in which she had been crouching,and shook the pine-needles from her dress. Very cautiously sheparted the screen of leaves, and looked after the retreating girls."That was worth while!" she said; and her voice, though quiet, wasfull of ugly meaning. "Snakes can hear, Miss Oracle, and bite, too.We'll see about those scarlet leaves!"
PART II"Tra la, tra lee,I want my tea!"Sang Tennessee, as she ran up-stairs. "Oh, Maine, is that you? mydear, my costume is simply too perfect for anything. I've been outin the woods, practising my war-whoop. Three yelps and a screech; Iflatter myself it is the most blood-curdling screech you ever heard.I'm going to have a dress-rehearsal now, all by myself. Come andsee--why, what's the matter, Maine? something is wrong with you.What is it?""Oh! nothing serious," said Maine, trying to speak lightly."I must get up another costume, that's all, and there isn't much time.""Why! what has happened?""The scarlet leaves are gone.""Gone! fallen, do you mean?""No! some one has cut or broken every branch. There is not one left.The leaves made the whole costume, you see; it amounts to nothingwithout them, merely a yellow gown.""Oh! my dear, what a shame! Who could have taken them?""I cannot imagine. I thought I would get them to-day, and keep themin water over night, so as to have them all ready to-morrow. Oh, well,it can't be helped. I can call myself a sunflower, or Black-eyedSusan, or some other yellow thing. It's absurd to mind, of course,only--""Only, being human, you do mind," said Tennessee, putting her armround her friend's waist. "I should think so, dear. We don't careabout having you canonized just yet. But, Maine, there must be morered leaves somewhere. This comes of living near the sea. Now, in mymountains, or in your woods, we could just go out and fill our armswith glory in five minutes, whichever way we turned. These murmuringpines and--well, I don't know that there are any hemlocks--are allvery splendid, and no one loves them better than I do; but for aHarvest festival decoration, 'Ils ne sont pas la dedans,' as theFrench have it.""Slang, Tennessee! one cent!""On the contrary; foreign language, mark of commendation."But come now, and see my war-dance. I didn't mean to let any onesee it before-hand, but you are a dear old thing, and you shall. Andthen, we can take counsel about your costume. Not that I have thesmallest anxiety about that; I've no doubt you have thought ofsomething pretty already. I don't see how you do it. When any onesays 'Clothes' to me, I never can think of anything but red flannelpetticoats, if you will excuse my mentioning the article. I thinkBlack-eyed Susan sounds delightful. How would you dress for it? youhave the pretty yellow dress all ready.""I should put brown velveteen with it. I have quite a piece leftover from my blouse. I'll get some yellow crepe paper, and make a hat,or cap, with a brown crown, you know, and yellow petals for the brim;and have a brown bodice laced together over the full yellow waist,and--"The two girls passed on, talking cheerfully--it is always soothingto talk about pretty clothes, especially when one is as clever asMaine was, and can make, as Massachusetts used to say, a court trainout of a jack-towel.A few minutes after, Massachusetts came along the same corridor, andtapped at another door. Hearing "Come in!" she opened the door andlooked in."Busy, Chicago? beg pardon! Miss Cram asked me, as I was going by, toshow you the geometry lesson, as you were not in class yesterday.""Thanks! come in, won't you?" said Chicago, rising ungraciously fromher desk, "I was going to ask Miss Cram, of course, but I'm muchobliged."Massachusetts pointed out the lesson briefly, and turned to go, whenher eyes fell on a jar set on the ground, behind the door."Hallo!" she said, abruptly. "You've got scarlet leaves, too. Wheredid you get them?""I found them," said Chicago, coldly. "They were growing wild, onthe public highway. I had a perfect right to pick them."There was a defiant note in her voice, and Massachusetts looked ather with surprise. The girl's eyes glittered with an uneasy light,and her dark cheek was flushed."I don't question your right," said Massachusetts, bluntly,"but I do question your sense. I may be mistaken, but I don'tbelieve those leaves are very good to handle. They look to meuncommonly like dogwood. I'm not sure; but if I were you, I wouldshow them to Miss Flower before I touched them again."She nodded and went out, dismissing the matter from her busy mind."Spiteful!" said Chicago, looking after her sullenly."She suspects where I got the leaves, and thinks she can frighten meout of wearing them. I never saw such a hateful set of girls asthere are in this school. Never mind, sweet creatures! The 'snake'has got the scarlet leaves, and she knows when she has got a goodthing."She took some of the leaves from the jar, and held them against herblack hair. They were brilliantly beautiful, and became her well.She looked in the glass and nodded, well pleased with what she sawthere; then she carefully clipped the ends of the branches, and putfresh water in the jar before replacing them."Indian Summer will take the shine out of Black-eyed Susan, I'mafraid," she said to herself. "Poor Susan, I am sorry for her." Shelaughed; it was not a pleasant laugh; and went back to her books.
PART III."What a pretty sight!"It was Miss Wayland who spoke. She and the other teachers wereseated on the raised platform at the end of the gymnasium. The longroom was wreathed with garlands and brilliantly lighted, and theywere watching the girls as they flitted by in their gay dresses, tothe waltz that good Miss Flower was playing."How ingenious the children are!" Miss Wayland continued. "Look atVirginia there, as Queen Elizabeth! Her train is my old party cloakturned inside out, and her petticoat--you recognize that?""I, not!" said Mademoiselle, peering forward. "I am too near of mysight. What ees it?""The piano cover. That Persian silk, you know, that my brother sentme. I never knew how handsome it was before. The ruff, and thosewonderful puffed sleeves, are mosquito-netting; the whole effect issuperb--at a little distance.""I thought Virginie not suffeeciently clayver for to effect zis!"said Mademoiselle. "Of custome, she shows not--what do you say?--invention.""Oh, she simply wears the costume, with her own peculiar little airof dignity. Maine designed it. Maine is costumer in chief. TheValiant Three, Maine, Massachusetts, and Tennessee, took all theunpractical girls in hand, and simply--dressed them. Entre nous,Mademoiselle, I wish, in some cases, that they would do it every day.""Et moi aussi!" exclaimed Mademoiselle, nodding eagerly."Maine herself is lovely," said Miss Cram. "I think hers is reallythe prettiest costume in the room; all that soft brown and yellow isreally charming, and suits her to perfection.""Yes; and I am so glad of it, for the child was sadly disappointedabout some other costume she had planned, and got this up almost atthe last moment. She is a clever child, and a good one. Do look atMassachusetts! Massachusetts, my dear child, what do you callyourself? you are a most singular figure.""The Codfish, Miss Wayland; straight from Boston State-House. Admiremy tail, please! I got up at five o'clock this morning to finish it,and I must confess I am proud of it."She napped her tail, which was a truly astonishing one, made ofnewspapers neatly plaited and sewed together, and wriggled her body,clad in well-fitting scales of silver paper. "Quite a fish, Iflatter myself?" she said, insinuatingly."Very like a whale, if not like a codfish," said Miss Wayland,laughing heartily. "You certainly are one of the successes of theevening, Massachusetts, and the Mosquito is another, in that filmygray. Is that mosquito-netting, too? I congratulate you both on yourskill. By the way, what does Chicago represent? she is very effective,with all those scarlet leaves. What are they, I wonder!"Massachusetts turned hastily, and a low whistle came from her lips."Whew! I beg pardon, Miss Wayland. It was the codfish whistled, not I;it's a way they have on Friday evenings. I told that girl to askMiss Flower about those leaves; I am afraid they are--oh, here isMiss Flower!" as the good botany teacher came towards them, ratherout of breath after her playing."Miss Flower, what are those leaves, please? those in Chicago's hair,and on her dress."Miss Flower looked, and her cheerful face grew grave."Rhus veneneta" she said; "poison dogwood.""I was afraid so!" said Massachusetts. "I told her yesterday that Ithought they were dogwood, and advised her to show them to youbefore she touched them again.""Poor child!" said kind Miss Flower. "She has them all about herface and neck, too. We must get them off at once."She was starting forward, but Miss Wayland detained her."The mischief is done now, is it not?" she said. "And after all,dogwood does not poison every one. I have had it in my hands, andnever got the smallest injury. Suppose we let her have her evening,at least till after supper, which will be ready now in a few minutes.If she is affected by the poison, this is her last taste of theHarvest Festivities."They watched the girl. She was receiving compliments on her strikingcostume, from one girl and another, and was in high spirits. Sheglanced triumphantly about her, her eyes lighting up when they fellon Maine in her yellow dress. She certainly looked brilliantlyhandsome, the flaming scarlet of the leaves setting off her darkskin and flashing eyes to perfection.Presently she put her hand up to her cheek, and held it there amoment."Aha!" said Massachusetts, aloud. "She's in for it!""In for what?" said Maine, who came up at that moment. Following thedirection of Massachusetts' eyes, she drew her apart, and spoke in alow tone. "I shall not say anything, Massachusetts, and I hope youwill not. Don't you know?" she added, seeing her friend's look ofinquiry. "Those are my scarlet leaves.""No!""Yes. I have found out all about it. Daisy lingered behind the restof us the other day, when I had been telling you all about the leaves,to pick blackberries. She saw Chicago come out of the wood a fewminutes after we left, looking black as thunder. Don't you remember,I thought I heard a rustling in the fern, and you laughed at me? Shewas hidden there, and heard every word we said. Next day the leaveswere gone, and now they are on Chicago's dress instead of mine.""And a far better place for them!" exclaimed Massachusetts,"though I am awfully sorry for her. Oh! you lucky, lucky girl! andyou dear, precious, stupid ignoramus, not to know poison dogwoodwhen you see it.""Poison dogwood! those beautiful leaves!""Those beautiful leaves. That young woman is in for about two weeksof as pretty a torture as ever Inquisitor or Iroquois could devise.I know all about it, though there was a time when I also was ignorant.Look! she is feeling of her cheek already; it begins to sting.Tomorrow she will be all over patches, red and white; itching--thereis nothing to describe the itching. It is beyond words. Next day herface will begin to swell, and in two days more--the School Birthday,my dear--she will be like nothing human, a mere shapeless lump ofpain and horror. She will not sleep by night or rest by day. Shewill go home to her parents, and they will not know her, but willthink we have sent them a smallpox patient by mistake. Her eyes--""Oh, hush! hush, Massachusetts!" cried Maine. "Oh! poor thing! poorthing! what shall I do? I feel as if it were all my fault, somehow.""Your fault that she sneaked and eavesdropped, and then stole yourdecoration? Oh! come, Maine, don't be fantastic!""No, Massachusetts, I don't mean that. But if I had only known,myself, what they were, I should never have spoken of them, and allthis would never have happened.""The moral of which is, study botany!" said Massachusetts."I'll begin to-morrow!" said Maine.* * * * *"And what is to be the end of the dogwood story, I wonder!" saidTennessee, meeting Massachusetts in a breathless interval betweentwo exercises on the School Birthday, the crowning event of theHarvest Festivities at Miss Wayland's. "Have you heard the lastchapter?""No! what is it?""Maine is in a dark room with the moaning Thing that was Chicago,singing to her, and telling her about the speeches and things lastnight. She vows she will not come out again to-day, just because shewas at chapel and heard the singing this morning; says that was thebest of it, and she doesn't care much about dancing. Maine! andMiss Wayland will not let us break in the door and carry her offbodily; says she will be happier where she is, and will always beglad of this day. I'll tell you what it is, Massachusetts, if thisis the New England conscience I hear so much about, I'm preciousglad I was born in Tennessee.""No, you aren't, Old One! you wish you had been born in Maine.""Well, perhaps I do!" said Tennessee.
zpostcode
Recruit
weather
mreligion
Yellowpages
sport
constellation
shopping
name
game
directory
literature
Word
tour
furnish
Lottery
tftnews
lyrics
News
digital
car
dir
Edu
Finance
