When the little girl was six years old Jan went along with her to
the Östanby school one day, to listen to the examinations.
This being the first and only schoolhouse the parish boasted,
naturally every one was glad that at last a long-felt want had
been met. In the old days Sexton Blackie had no choice but to go
about from farmhouse to farmhouse with his pupils.
Up until the year 1860, when the Östanby school was built, the
sexton had been compelled to change classrooms every other week,
and many a time he and his little pupils had sat in a room where
the housewife prepared meals and the man of the house worked at a
carpenter's bench; where the old folk lay abed all day and the
chickens were cooped under the sofa.
But just the same it had gone rather well with the teaching; for
Sexton Blackie was a man who could command respect in all weathers.
Still it must have been a relief to him to be allowed to work in a
room that was to be used only for school purposes; where the walls
were not lined with cubby-beds and shelves filled with pots and
pans and tools; where there was no obstructing loom in front of the
window to shut out the daylight, and where women neighbours could
not drop in for a friendly chat over the coffee cups during school
hours.
Here the walls were hung with illustrations of Bible stories, with
animal pictures and portraits of Swedish kings. Here the children
had little desks with low benches, and did not have to sit perched
up round a high table, where their noses were hardly on a level
with the edge. And here Sexton Blackie had a desk all to himself,
with spacious drawers and compartments for his record-books and
papers. Now he looked rather more impressive during school hours
than in former days, when he had often heard lessons while seated
upon the edge of a hearth, with a roaring fire at his back and the
children huddled on the floor in front of him. Here he had a fixed
place for the blackboard and hooks for maps and charts, so that he
did not have to stand them up against doors and sofa backs. He
knew, too, where he had his goose quills and could teach the
children how to make strokes and curves, so that each one of them
would some day be as fine a penman as himself. It was even possible
to train the children to rise in a body and march out in line, like
soldiers. Indeed, no end of improvements could be introduced now
that the schoolhouse was finished.
Glad as was every one of the new school, the parents did not feel
altogether at ease in the presence of their children, after they
had begun to go there. It was as if the youngsters had come into
something new and fine from which their elders were excluded. Of
course it was wrong of the parents to think this, when they should
have been pleased that the children were granted so many advantages
which they themselves had been denied.
The day Jan of Ruffluck visited the school, he and his little Glory
Goldie walked hand in hand, as usual, all the way, like good
friends and comrades; but as soon as they came in sight of the
schoolhouse and Glory Goldie saw the children assembled outside,
she dropped her father's hand and crossed to the other side of the
road. Then, in a moment, she ran off and joined a group of children.
During the examination Jan sat near the teacher's lectern, up among
the School Commissioners and other fine folk. He had to sit there;
otherwise he could not have seen anything of Glory Goldie but the
back of her neck, as she sat in the front row, to the right of the
lectern, where the smaller children were placed. In the old days
Jan would never have gone so far forward; but one who was father to
a little girl like Glory Goldie did not have to regard himself as
the inferior of anybody. Glory Goldie could not have helped seeing
her father from where she sat, yet she never gave him a glance. It
was as if he did not exist for her. On the other hand, Glory
Goldie's gaze was fixed upon her teacher, who was then examining
the older pupils, on the left side of the room. They read from
books, pointed out different countries and cities on the map, and
did sums on the blackboard, and the teacher had no time to look at
the little tots on the right. So it would not have mattered very
much if Glory Goldie had sent her father an occasional side-glance;
but she never so much as turned her head toward him.
However, it was some little comfort to him that all the other
children did likewise. They, too, sat the whole time with their
clear blue eyes fastened on their teacher. The little imps made
believe they understood him when he said something witty or clever;
for then they would nudge each other and giggle.
No doubt it was a surprise to the parents to see how well the
children conducted themselves throughout the examination. But
Sexton Blackie was a remarkable man. He could make them do almost
anything.
As for Jan of Ruffluck, he was beginning to feel embarrassed and
troubled. He no longer knew whether it was his own little girl who
sat there or somebody else's. Of a sudden he left his place among
the School Commissioners and moved nearer the door.
At last the teacher was done examining the older pupils. Now came
the turn of the little ones, those who had barely learnt their
letters. They had not acquired any vast store of learning, to be
sure, but a few questions had to be put to them, also. Besides,
they were to give some account of the Story of the Creation.
First they were asked to tell who it was that created the world.
That they knew of course. And then, unhappily, the teacher asked
them if they knew of any other name for God.
Now all the little A-B-C-ers were stumped! Their cheeks grew hot
and the skin on their foreheads was drawn into puckers, but they
could not for the life of them think out the answer to such a
profound question.
Among the larger children, over on the right, there was a general
waving of hands, and whispering and tittering; but the eight small
beginners held their mouths shut tight and not a sound came from
them. Glory Goldie was as mum as the rest.
"There is a prayer which we repeat every day," said the teacher.
"What do we call God there?"
Now Glory Goldie had it! She knew the teacher wanted them to say
they called God _Father_--and raised her hand.
"What do we call God, Glory Goldie?" he asked.
Glory Goldie jumped to her feet, her cheeks aflame, her little
yellow pigtail of a braid pointing straight out from her neck.
"We call him Jan," she answered in a high, penetrating voice.
Immediately a laugh went up from all parts of the room. The gentry,
the School Board, parents and children all chuckled. Even the
schoolmaster appeared to be amused.
Glory Goldie went red as a beet and her eyes filled up. The teacher
rapped on the floor with the end of his pointer and shouted
"Silence!" Whereupon he said a few words to explain the matter.
"It was _Father_ Glory Goldie wanted to say, of course, but said
Jan instead because her own father's name is Jan. We can't wonder
at the little girl, for I hardly know of another child in the
school who has so kind a father as she has. I have seen him stand
outside the schoolhouse in rain and bluster, waiting for her, and
I've seen him come carrying her to school through blizzards, when
the snow was knee-deep in the road. So who can wonder at her saying
Jan when she must name the best she knows!"
The teacher patted the little girl on the head. The people all
smiled, but at the same time they were touched.
Glory Goldie sat looking down, not knowing what she should do with
herself; but Jan of Ruffluck felt as happy as a king, for it had
suddenly become clear to him that the little girl had been his the
whole time.