so much trouble keeping anything else tidy! Jean thinks I should get a bob, but I’ve had long hair all my life. I don’t see any reason to change.”
“Mrs. Tuttle told us we should get
our
hair bobbed,” said Polly. “She said we looked old-fashioned.”
“Nonsense! Your long hair is lovely. Would you like me to braid it?”
Polly shook her head. She always wore her hair loose, with barrettes or a ribbon pulling it back from her face. Its weight was like a comforting shawl around her shoulders.
“You’re the image of Una as a child,” Noni told her. “However, Una cut her hair short when she was twelve without my permission. How we argued about that!” She sighed. “Do you remember your mother at all, Polly?”
Again, Polly shook her head. “Maud does. Sometimes she tells me about her. She taught Maud how to whistle with two fingers!”
Noni smiled, although her sad eyes looked sadder. “Una often used to startle us doing that. Maud is so much like her, even though she doesn’t resemble her mother at all.”
They both flushed, realizing whom Maud did resemble.
Aunt Jean burst through the door. “Are you dressed, Clara? It’s almost ten o’clock! Polly, I swear your grandmother is the laziest person on earth! I’ve been up since five! I’ve gathered the eggs, fed the chickens, and made your uncle’s breakfast.
Some
of us can’t afford help!”
“Help is cheap these hard times, Jean. You just prefer doing it all yourself.”
“Well, I do like things to be done properly. Clara, I’m about to go to the store—do you need anything? Would Polly like to come with me? The rain seems to be letting up.”
Noni smiled. “I’m sure she would—she can help carry things. I’ll make you a list.”
Aunt Jean chattered all the way to the store. “The Cunninghams live there,” she said as they passed a large brown house. “Mildred was my first friend on the island. She thinks because she married a doctor she’s a cut above me, but I think a rector’s wife is higher than a doctor’s wife, don’t you? Gregor is good friends with Alec Cunningham. Alec is in Montreal right now, attending McGill, and Mildred never stops boasting about him—it’s Alec this, Alec that, whenever we run into her. I can hardly get in a word about Gregor, and he’s doing just as well.”
Polly followed Aunt Jean up and down the aisles of the store as she filled her basket. Everything was here, from food to dishes to clothes to fishing gear.
“Clara has written ‘Boots for Polly.'” Aunt Jean smiled. “Come and try these on.”
She bought Polly a pair of green gumboots and some thick wool socks. “You can wear them home,” she said.
Mr. Wynne, the storekeeper, gave Polly a piece of licorice. “Why aren’t you in school, young lady?” he asked.
“She’s not starting until next week,” said Aunt Jean. Mr. Wynne waited for further explanation, but Aunt Jean went on to ask about his sick mother.
All the way back Polly stomped through puddles in her new boots. She helped put away the groceries in Noni’s and then in Aunt Jean’s kitchen. Uncle Rand came out of his study and joined them in the kitchen for a cup of coffee; Polly had milk and ate one of Aunt Jean’s brownies.
Aunt Jean never sat still for long. She jumped up to wash their dishes, then took Polly over to the church. Polly helped her dust the pews until it was time to go back to Noni’s for lunch.
The rest of the day was so filled with new things that Polly hardly had time to think about Maud. After lunch Noni went upstairs for a nap and Uncle Rand took Polly with him on a drive to visit an ill parishioner. She waited in the car while he went in, watching a sheepdog follow a man down the road. The dog paused and glanced at her; it had such an appealing face. Polly was about to get out and pat it, but then it hurried to catch up with its master.
“Sorry to take so long, Polly.” Uncle Rand got into the car. “Mrs. Butler is a cross I
“Mrs. Tuttle told us we should get
our
hair bobbed,” said Polly. “She said we looked old-fashioned.”
“Nonsense! Your long hair is lovely. Would you like me to braid it?”
Polly shook her head. She always wore her hair loose, with barrettes or a ribbon pulling it back from her face. Its weight was like a comforting shawl around her shoulders.
“You’re the image of Una as a child,” Noni told her. “However, Una cut her hair short when she was twelve without my permission. How we argued about that!” She sighed. “Do you remember your mother at all, Polly?”
Again, Polly shook her head. “Maud does. Sometimes she tells me about her. She taught Maud how to whistle with two fingers!”
Noni smiled, although her sad eyes looked sadder. “Una often used to startle us doing that. Maud is so much like her, even though she doesn’t resemble her mother at all.”
They both flushed, realizing whom Maud did resemble.
Aunt Jean burst through the door. “Are you dressed, Clara? It’s almost ten o’clock! Polly, I swear your grandmother is the laziest person on earth! I’ve been up since five! I’ve gathered the eggs, fed the chickens, and made your uncle’s breakfast.
Some
of us can’t afford help!”
“Help is cheap these hard times, Jean. You just prefer doing it all yourself.”
“Well, I do like things to be done properly. Clara, I’m about to go to the store—do you need anything? Would Polly like to come with me? The rain seems to be letting up.”
Noni smiled. “I’m sure she would—she can help carry things. I’ll make you a list.”
Aunt Jean chattered all the way to the store. “The Cunninghams live there,” she said as they passed a large brown house. “Mildred was my first friend on the island. She thinks because she married a doctor she’s a cut above me, but I think a rector’s wife is higher than a doctor’s wife, don’t you? Gregor is good friends with Alec Cunningham. Alec is in Montreal right now, attending McGill, and Mildred never stops boasting about him—it’s Alec this, Alec that, whenever we run into her. I can hardly get in a word about Gregor, and he’s doing just as well.”
Polly followed Aunt Jean up and down the aisles of the store as she filled her basket. Everything was here, from food to dishes to clothes to fishing gear.
“Clara has written ‘Boots for Polly.'” Aunt Jean smiled. “Come and try these on.”
She bought Polly a pair of green gumboots and some thick wool socks. “You can wear them home,” she said.
Mr. Wynne, the storekeeper, gave Polly a piece of licorice. “Why aren’t you in school, young lady?” he asked.
“She’s not starting until next week,” said Aunt Jean. Mr. Wynne waited for further explanation, but Aunt Jean went on to ask about his sick mother.
All the way back Polly stomped through puddles in her new boots. She helped put away the groceries in Noni’s and then in Aunt Jean’s kitchen. Uncle Rand came out of his study and joined them in the kitchen for a cup of coffee; Polly had milk and ate one of Aunt Jean’s brownies.
Aunt Jean never sat still for long. She jumped up to wash their dishes, then took Polly over to the church. Polly helped her dust the pews until it was time to go back to Noni’s for lunch.
The rest of the day was so filled with new things that Polly hardly had time to think about Maud. After lunch Noni went upstairs for a nap and Uncle Rand took Polly with him on a drive to visit an ill parishioner. She waited in the car while he went in, watching a sheepdog follow a man down the road. The dog paused and glanced at her; it had such an appealing face. Polly was about to get out and pat it, but then it hurried to catch up with its master.
“Sorry to take so long, Polly.” Uncle Rand got into the car. “Mrs. Butler is a cross I
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