the golden road-第7章
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〃You let Peter alone；〃 said Felicity severely。 〃It's a very good resolution and one everybody ought to make。〃
〃I shall not be jealous；〃 wrote the Story Girl。
〃But are you？〃 I asked； surprised。
The Story Girl coloured and nodded。 〃Of one thing；〃 she confessed； 〃but I'm not going to tell what it is。〃
〃I'm jealous sometimes； too；〃 confessed Sara Ray； 〃and so my first resolution will be 'I shall try not to feel jealous when I hear the other girls in school describing all the sick spells they've had。'〃
〃Goodness； do you want to be sick？〃 demanded Felix in astonishment。
〃It makes a person important；〃 explained Sara Ray。
〃I am going to try to improve my mind by reading good books and listening to older people；〃 wrote Cecily。
〃You got that out of the Sunday School paper；〃 cried Felicity。
〃It doesn't matter where I got it；〃 said Cecily with dignity。 〃The main thing is to keep it。〃
〃It's your turn； Felicity；〃 I said。
Felicity tossed her beautiful golden head。
〃I told you I wasn't going to make any resolutions。 Go on yourself。〃
〃I shall always study my grammar lesson；〃 I wroteI； who loathed grammar with a deadly loathing。
〃I hate grammar too；〃 sighed Sara Ray。 〃It seems so unimportant。〃
Sara was rather fond of a big word； but did not always get hold of the right one。 I rather suspected that in the above instance she really meant uninteresting。
〃I won't get mad at Felicity； if I can help it；〃 wrote Dan。
〃I'm sure I never do anything to make you mad；〃 exclaimed Felicity。
〃I don't think it's polite to make resolutions about your sisters；〃 said Peter。
〃He can't keep it anyway；〃 scoffed Felicity。 〃He's got such an awful temper。〃
〃It's a family failing；〃 flashed Dan； breaking his resolution ere the ink on it was dry。
〃There you go；〃 taunted Felicity。
〃I'll work all my arithmetic problems without any help；〃 scribbled Felix。
〃I wish I could resolve that； too；〃 sighed Sara Ray； 〃but it wouldn't be any use。 I'd never be able to do those compound multiplication sums the teacher gives us to do at home every night if I didn't get Judy Pineau to help me。 Judy isn't a good reader and she can't spell AT ALL； but you can't stick her in arithmetic as far as she went herself。 I feel sure；〃 concluded poor Sara； in a hopeless tone； 〃that I'll NEVER be able to understand compound multiplication。〃
〃'Multiplication is vexation； Division is as bad； The rule of three perplexes me； And fractions drive me mad；'〃
quoted Dan。
〃I haven't got as far as fractions yet；〃 sighed Sara； 〃and I hope I'll be too big to go to school before I do。 I hate arithmetic； but I am PASSIONATELY fond of geography。〃
〃I will not play tit…tat…x on the fly leaves of my hymn book in church；〃 wrote Peter。
〃Mercy； did you ever do such a thing？〃 exclaimed Felicity in horror。
Peter nodded shamefacedly。
〃Yesthat Sunday Mr。 Bailey preached。 He was so long…winded； I got awful tired； and； anyway； he was talking about things I couldn't understand； so I played tit…tat…x with one of the Markdale boys。 It was the day I was sitting up in the gallery。〃
〃Well； I hope if you ever do the like again you won't do it in OUR pew；〃 said Felicity severely。
〃I ain't going to do it at all；〃 said Peter。 〃I felt sort of mean all the rest of the day。〃
〃I shall try not to be vexed when people interrupt me when I'm telling stories；〃 wrote the Story Girl。 〃but it will be hard；〃 she added with a sigh。
〃I never mind being interrupted；〃 said Felicity。
〃I shall try to be cheerful and smiling all the time；〃 wrote Cecily。
〃You are； anyway；〃 said Sara Ray loyally。
〃I don't believe we ought to be cheerful ALL the time；〃 said the Story Girl。 〃The Bible says we ought to weep with those who weep。〃
〃But maybe it means that we're to weep cheerfully；〃 suggested Cecily。
〃Sorter as if you were thinking； 'I'm very sorry for you but I'm mighty glad I'm not in the scrape too；'〃 said Dan。
〃Dan； don't be irreverent；〃 rebuked Felicity。
〃I know a story about old Mr。 and Mrs。 Davidson of Markdale；〃 said the Story Girl。 〃She was always smiling and it used to aggravate her husband； so one day he said very crossly； 'Old lady； what ARE you grinning at？' 'Oh； well； Abiram； everything's so bright and pleasant； I've just got to smile。'
〃Not long after there came a time when everything went wrongthe crop failed and their best cow died； and Mrs。 Davidson had rheumatism； and finally Mr。 Davidson fell and broke his leg。 But still Mrs。 Davidson smiled。 'What in the dickens are you grinning about now； old lady？' he demanded。 'Oh； well； Abiram；' she said； 'everything is so dark and unpleasant I've just got to smile。' 'Well；' said the old man crossly； 'I think you might give your face a rest sometimes。'〃
〃I shall not talk gossip；〃 wrote Sara Ray with a satisfied air。
〃Oh； don't you think that's a little TOO strict？〃 asked Cecily anxiously。 〃Of course； it's not right to talk MEAN gossip； but the harmless kind doesn't hurt。 If I say to you that Emmy MacPhail is going to get a new fur collar this winter； THAT is harmless gossip； but if I say I don't see how Emmy MacPhail can afford a new fur collar when her father can't pay my father for the oats he got from him； that would be MEAN gossip。 If I were you； Sara； I'd put MEAN gossip。〃
Sara consented to this amendment。
〃I will be polite to everybody；〃 was my third resolution； which passed without comment。
〃I'll try not to use slang since Cecily doesn't like it；〃 wrote Dan。
〃I think some slang is real cute；〃 said Felicity。
〃The Family Guide says it's very vulgar；〃 grinned Dan。 〃Doesn't it； Sara Stanley？〃
〃Don't disturb me；〃 said the Story Girl dreamily。 〃I'm just thinking a beautiful thought。〃
〃I've thought of a resolution to make；〃 cried Felicity。 〃Mr。 Marwood said last Sunday we should always try to think beautiful thoughts and then our lives would be very beautiful。 So I shall resolve to think a beautiful thought every morning before breakfast。〃
〃Can you only manage one a day？〃 queried Dan。
〃And why before breakfast？〃 I asked。
〃Because it's easier to think on an empty stomach；〃 said Peter； in all good faith。 But Felicity shot a furious glance at him。
〃I selected that time；〃 she explained with dignity； 〃because when I'm brushing my hair before my glass in the morning I'll see my resolution and remember it。〃
〃Mr。 Marwood meant that ALL our thoughts ought to be beautiful；〃 said the Story Girl。 〃If they were； people wouldn't be afraid to say what they think。〃
〃They oughtn't to be afraid to； anyhow；〃 said Felix stoutly。 〃I'm going to make a resolution to say just what I think always。〃
〃And do you expect to get through the year alive if you do？〃 asked Dan。
〃It might be easy enough to say what you think if you could always be sure just what you DO think；〃 said the Story Girl。 〃So often I can't be sure。〃
〃How would you like it if people always said just what they think to you？〃 asked Felicity。
〃I'm not very particular what SOME people think of me；〃 rejoined Felix。
〃I notice you don't like to be told by anybody that you're fat；〃 retorted Felicity。
〃Oh； dear me； I do wish you wouldn't all say such sarcastic things to each other；〃 said poor Cecily plaintively。 〃It sounds so horrid the last night of the old year。 Dear knows where we'll all be this night next year。 Peter； it's your turn。〃
〃I will try；〃 wrote Peter； 〃to say my prayers every night regular； and not twice one night because I don't expect to have time the next；like I did the night before the party；〃 he added。
〃I s'pose you never said your prayers until we got you to go to church；〃 said Felicitywho had had no hand in inducing Peter to go to church； but had stoutly opposed it； as recorded in the first volume of our family history。
〃I did； too；〃 said Peter。 〃Aunt Jane taught me to say my prayers。 Ma hadn't time； being as father had run away； ma had to wash at night same as in day…time。〃
〃I shall learn to cook；〃 wrote the Story Girl； frowning。
〃You'd better resolve not to make puddings of〃 began Felicity； then stopped as suddenly as if she had bitten off the rest of her sentence and sw
