Julia Jenkins was a beautiful child with a sunny disposition and an
inclination toward sociability. Her voice was well modulated for a
child, and her manners were charming. She loved everybody. Her dresses
were fashionable, dainty and immaculate, her curls always becomingly
arranged. Altogether she was such a child as one delights to see, one
who brought a smile to the faces of almost all whom she met, strangers
as well as friends. As she entered the third grade school-room for the
first time, Miss Elliot, the teacher, exclaimed, “What a darling!”
Among other pupils in the room was Caroline Hillis, a timid little girl
with a solemn, little old-looking face. Her language was crude, her
manner unpolished and her dresses ill-fitting, coarse and faded. She was
the eldest of four children and long before she reached the third grade
was considered by her mother too big to be kissed and petted.
[Sidenote: Jealous of Playmate]
How Caroline watched Julia! at first with admiration only. But as the
days went by her attitude gradually changed to jealousy. Julia always
knew her lessons. Julia’s language was always correct. Julia never
slammed doors or walked noisily, and oh, most enviable privilege of all,
Julia often stood near Miss Elliot as she sat at her desk and put her
arm around the teacher’s neck. At such times Miss Elliot smiled at Julia
in an intimate way. How much Caroline would give to be able to stand
there thus and show her love for Miss Elliot in the same way but she
simply could not. Little did Miss Elliot think that Caroline had planned
to do just that very thing. As Caroline lay in bed before she went to
sleep she thought, “Now, tomorrow I’ll ask Miss Elliot how to work a
problem and I’ll stand by her and put my arm around her neck, just as
Julia does and Miss Elliot will look at me just as she does at Julia.”
But alas! just as Caroline tremblingly approached Miss Elliot, thinking
to carry out her plan, the teacher arose to discover the location of a
mild disturbance in the back of the room and Caroline in confusion told
her errand and went back to her seat where she shyly brushed aside a few
stray tears. With heroic courage she decided to try it again and this
time she found Miss Elliot seated, but before Caroline reached her she
said hurriedly, “What is it, Caroline?” with no smile and in such a
matter-of-fact voice that Caroline stammered her question before she
really reached Miss Elliot’s side. It was of no use. She didn’t believe
Miss Elliot liked her as well as she did Julia. Whereas Miss Elliot
soliloquized, “What an awkward, timid, unlovable child Caroline is
today, she seemed afraid of me. I know the rest of the children like me.
I can’t pet her in order to win her confidence. I’ve got to treat them
all alike.” Because Caroline regarded her teacher with such sad eyes,
the idea grew in Miss Elliot’s mind that Caroline disliked her.
In Caroline’s mind the thought persisted that Julia was favored by
everybody. She began to think of Julia’s faults. As she sought them
earnestly she found them: Julia always talked too much, she liked too
well to speak of her brother Eugene who was in college, she talked of
Miss Elliot as if she owned her.
One day a little girl spoke of her doll, another of a doll’s party and
soon Julia said, “Oh, girls, let’s all bring a doll tomorrow and have a
dolls’ party at recess! Wouldn’t that be fun?” All agreed but Caroline,
who was on the edge of the group. Her downcast face was unnoticed. The
truth is that Caroline’s only doll was badly soiled and somewhat
dismembered.
Julia easily gained the encouragement of Miss Elliot in her plan for the
next day. Some of the girls went early with their dolls. Julia’s was a
cunning little character doll. Caroline brought none. She imagined that
she could hear Miss Elliot say, “How cunning!” as she looked at Julia’s
doll, and then Julia and the teacher would exchange that intimate smile;
Caroline would be the only one who had no doll. She never could have
Miss Elliot’s approval.
While Caroline was feeling rather than thinking all this Julia said,
“Let’s lay all our dolls on Miss Elliot’s desk and then when she comes
have her guess which one belongs to which girl.”
“That will be fun,” said the others, so it was quickly done. Caroline
stood at a little distance feeling left out of the fun.
“Let’s go and meet Miss Elliot,” said Julia, “and tell her about it.
Soon all the girls but Caroline were out of the room and starting down
the street.
Caroline presently said to herself, “I’ll hide her doll and then I guess
Miss Elliot can’t brag about it.”
She cast her eyes about the room for a hiding place. There stood the
piano! Mrs. Fitzhugh had said yesterday that she kept her ring in the
piano. Hastily grabbing up Julia’s doll Caroline stood upon the piano
bench and lifting the lid of the upright piano, laid the doll inside
upon the hammers, closed the lid and jumped down to the floor just in
time to gain a place by the window before the girls and Miss Elliot came
in.
They led Miss Elliot to her desk, having already told her what they
wanted her to do. Almost immediately they noticed that Julia’s doll was
gone. Caroline, now remorseful and silent, was questioned. She said she
knew nothing about it. The girls sought everywhere for the doll until
school time, Caroline helping them look into desks and on closet
shelves.
Caroline, growing more and more remorseful as one girl after another
pitied Julia, resolved to return to the room at noon time, when
everybody was out of the room, and put the doll on Julia’s desk.
Imagine Caroline’s dismay when the piano was found out of order by Miss
Elliot as soon as she started to play the opening song.
Miss Elliot opened the piano lid and gave a little start. There was the
lost doll! Julia rushed for it and cuddled it. Molly said aloud, “How
did it get there?” Caroline hung her head and Miss Elliot looked very
grave.
“Caroline, come here,” she said. “Why did you put Julia’s doll into the
piano?”
“I don’t know,” said Caroline, with a degree of truth.
“It is a marvel that it isn’t broken. I’ll have to whip you for that.”
Taking a strap kept for the purpose Miss Elliot explained to Caroline
that she had lied as well as concealed the doll with a probable hope of
stealing it later. She then gave the child a severe whipping. Caroline
dumbly felt that she was misjudged and yet could not explain why, even
to herself.