'Lisbeth did not forget that it was a hundred miles to London; she never
forgot it. She did not forget the two men with the packs on their backs.
At the same time she could not forget that a hundred was a great many.
'Lisbeth told her mother that they could all put packs on their backs
and go to London, that she wanted to live in London; but her mother only
laughed, she did not want to go to London to live at that time; she did
not want to walk a hundred miles with a pack on her back.
After this 'Lisbeth felt very much discouraged; she had believed that
everybody would like to live in London; she did not know how to manage.
If 'Lisbeth had been more like the flowers she would have been contented
to grow just where she found herself; but she was not like the flowers;
she was not like them at all. She thought a great deal about getting to
London. I am not sure that 'Lisbeth thought enough about it to find out
how she would like getting to London if mother did not go along; that
is a part which I am almost sure that 'Lisbeth did not think about, but
she was very determined about getting there.
She invited Gorham to go with her, but Gorham knew better than to try to
do that; he knew that London was a great way off; that he could not go
unless mother went too; he knew that 'Lisbeth was very silly indeed. But
'Lisbeth did not believe Gorham when he told her all this; she had an
opinion of her own. She and Dickon used to play "going to London" every
day, but this did not suit 'Lisbeth.
There were five mothers who went to the mill every day. 'Lisbeth
concluded to ask the little boys and girls belonging to these mothers to
go to London with her. Then she concluded she would only ask the boys;
boys would not get frightened and run away; they would not let anybody
pick her up and put her in a bag; Dickon was a boy; she knew all about
boys; she was afraid the girls would get put in bags. She told the girls
they should not go. She stamped her foot at them; they should not go.
Indeed I do not believe they wanted to go, but the boys did; they
liked it. They all concluded to start at once.
[Illustration]
There were seven of them beside Dickon. Dickon carried a basket, as well
as a stick with a rag upon it which they called a flag. 'Lisbeth carried
a flag too and walked in front. Nobody was ever so proud in starting for
London; nobody was ever so well pleased, or so little afraid of what
might happen on the way, nor at the end of the way, nor at the end of
the whole affair. Nobody who thought so much of going to London, ever
forgot so entirely to think about what was to be done when they got
there; what was to be done for a supper, for a penny, for a roof, for a
bed, for a second dress or pair of trousers, for a mother! Nobody
remembered anything but that they were on the way to London.
They went a mile. They went across the fields, between clover tops and
sweet grasses, and flowers with pleasant faces; they marched, and then
forgot to march. 'Lisbeth knew the way to the mile-stone, she knew which
way the men had turned when they came to the forked road beyond. She
remembered watching them out of sight. 'Lisbeth was sure she knew the
way to London. They went beyond the forks of the road; they went a great
way. The little boys began to find out that they had gone a great way.
They began to look back for the church steeple, but it was gone; they
began to look back for the mill; but there was none. They began to be
afraid. 'Lisbeth was not afraid. She did not expect to see the church
steeple. She did not expect to see the mill; she did not want to see
them. She did want to see London.
'Lisbeth looked so happy that the little boys forgot to march, and all
drew up closer, and closer to 'Lisbeth; they were sure she must have
something to be happy about. Nobody liked to say he did not feel happy,
yet nobody was happy but 'Lisbeth. All these boys usually were very
happy, can you tell me why they did not feel happy now? Dickon was the
first to find out that everybody was keeping very close to 'Lisbeth;
that nobody looked pleased but 'Lisbeth.
"It's a dreadful way to London," said Dickon.
"I s'pose it is, Dickon; but don't be 'scouraged," said 'Lisbeth,
striding on faster and faster. If she had seen a church spire ahead she
would have believed she saw a London spire.
"S'pose we don't go to London," said Dickon, coming to a halt.
"Well, s'pose we don't!" said almost all the voices, some high and some
low; but 'Lisbeth almost gasped, "We will! we must! We've gone a
dreadful way, we cannot go back any more."
But the little boys were bigger than 'Lisbeth; they knew now that she
had made a mistake; they thought she might make a mistake about getting
to London; they began to think they had made a mistake themselves.
'Lisbeth stood stamping in the road; she stood stamping and crying as
hard as she could, but even Dickon began running toward the mile-stone,
and what could she do but turn around and run too? She could do nothing
else. She ran as fast as her feet would take her, but her feet were
tired. The boys' feet were not as tired; the most of them were bigger
than hers; they were bigger and not so tired, so they ran faster.
'Lisbeth was left somewhere, I do not know where; left away off on the
road carrying her flag, and trotting along at a great rate by herself.
This was what she got by taking the boys. She sighed over her mistake,
and she concluded that even Dickon would not have cared had she been
packed in a bag, and, indeed, it seemed he did not.
To be sure Dickon remembered her after a while, and ran as fast as he
could to find her, and see that she was all safe and give her a kiss
under her funny little hat to make it all right. But 'Lisbeth felt
herself hurt beyond measure, as well she might; only, if people will
make mistakes they must take the consequences. If people will choose the
boys when they should choose the girls, what can they expect; and if
they will want to grow in London instead of wanting to grow where God
put them, what can they expect? If we want to be very comfortable we
must be contented where we find ourselves.