Wiseli also rejoiced over the flowers and the sunshine, especially when
she went to and from school. Beyond this she had little time for
enjoyment, for she had so much work to do. Every moment out of school
she had to employ in some useful occupation; and, indeed, often was
obliged to stay away from school for a half-day at a time, there was so
much to be done that could not be neglected, as her cousin Gotti, and
particularly his wife, were forever telling her. The cultivation of the
fields had begun, and also the garden work; and when her cousin's wife
was in the garden, then Wiseli had to wash the cooking utensils, and had
the hogs' trough to cleanse and carry back to the barn; and then the
boys' stockings and shirts must be mended, and her cousin's wife always
said, "Oh, the child can do that, she has nothing else to do;" and yet
she never was idle a single moment, and felt almost giddy at times,
because she was called from one piece of work to another before she had
time to breathe. Moreover, she found that if, for example, she ran over
to the field with the seed-potatoes that her cousin Gotti was calling
for, then his wife would scold because she had not made the kitchen-fire
for the supper, as she was bidden to do; but if she stopped to make the
fire, then she was found fault with by Cheppi because she had not mended
the hole in his jacket-sleeve he had told her to long ago; and everybody
called out, "Why don't you do this, or why don't you do that? you have
nothing else to do.
Pages:
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200