By
Kate Pitts
Ben Cartwright watched from the porch as his
youngest son, ten-year-old Joe rode in from school. The boy was obviously still
dejected, riding slowly and dismounting carefully instead of jumping from the
horse the way he usually did. It was worrying Ben, this behavior. Joe was
usually so full of life, carefree and talkative, but for almost a week now the
child had been unnaturally quiet and withdrawn. When asked he maintained firmly
that nothing was wrong, though his whole family could see that this was plainly
not the case. "How was school?" He asked, walking over to join his son at the
stable.
"Fine."
Ben sighed at the one word answer, which seemed
to be all he heard from the boy lately, "And you're feeling all right?"
"Fine." Joe said again, dodging away as his
father put out a hand to feel his forehead. "I'm not ill." He protested.
"Well something's wrong." Ben said with
concern. He looked down at the boy; Joe was small for his age, with the fine
boned features of his mother, Ben's third wife Marie. A handsome little boy
with a face that clearly showed his emotions and anyone could see that the
child was unhappy over something. "I wish you'd tell me what it is Joe." Ben
continued. "Perhaps I could help."
For a long moment Joe stared up at his father,
then he turned away abruptly, "There's nothing wrong." He said. "I'm fine Pa,
honest."
"Go along in then and get started on your
homework." Ben said, frustration niggling at him, Joe had been close to telling
him something then, he was sure of it. Sighing, he watched his son as he
wandered slowly towards the house, he would have another try at finding out
later.
****
"Joe, are you playing this game or not?" Hoss
asked irritably. "It's your move."
Ben looked up from the book he was reading, his
two youngest sons were supposed to be playing checkers together but this was
the second time that Hoss had needed to prompt his little brother to make a
move.
"All right." Joe said, his voice tetchy. "I
know." He reached out his hand towards one of the pieces but somehow managed to
touch his sleeve on the board, moving the checkers off their places.
"Joe!" Hoss was annoyed. "Be careful, won't
you!"
With a swift move that surprised both his
father and brother Joe grasped the board and tipped it up, scattering checkers
everywhere.
"What did you do that for?" Hoss asked in
astonishment.
"I don't want to play, all right." Joe yelled,
getting to his feet and heading for the stairs
"Joseph." His father's angry voice stopped the
boy in his tracks. "Pick up those checkers right now." Ben told him firmly.
"And then apologise to your brother, and after you've done that perhaps you'd
like to tell me what prompted that little outburst."
Sulkily Joe returned to the table and began to
pick up the scattered pieces, returning them to their place on the board.
"Well?" Ben prompted, as Joe put the last
checker down on the table.
"Sorry, Hoss." The boy muttered, turning to his
brother, "I didn't mean to lose my temper."
"That's all right Joe." Hoss grinned at him.
Ben suppressed a smile, his two youngest sons were very close and Hoss was
always ready to forgive his little brother anything.
"Can I go to bed now Pa?" Joe asked quietly,
not looking at his father.
"I'd like an explanation first." Ben told him
sternly, Joe remained standing beside the table, eyes fixed on the floor.
"Well?" his father demanded eventually, breaking the silence.
"I don't know." Joe mumbled. "I just lost my
temper, I'm sorry all right?"
And that was as much as Ben could get out of
his son, who just kept insisting that everything was fine. At last, in
exasperation, he gave up and sent the boy up to bed.
****
"Morning Pa, Adam." Hoss greeted his father and
older brother as he took his place at the table the following morning
"Morning, son." Ben looked up from his
breakfast. "Any sign of your little brother yet?"
"No sound from his room." Hoss told him, intent
on piling his plate with food. "Guess he's still asleep."
"Then I'd better go and wake him." Ben got to
his feet, "Or he'll be late for school."
"Joseph" Ben called loudly as he opened the
bedroom door. "Time to get up, son."
"I'm awake." Joe mumbled as his father entered
the room. "But I don't feel so good, Pa."
"What's the problem?" Ben's tone was anxious as
he crossed to the bed and placed a gentle hand on the boy's brow, checking for
fever, to his relief there was no sign of high temperature.
"I feel a little sick." Joe told him quietly.
"And my stomach hurts, perhaps I should stay home today, Pa"
"Perhaps." Ben said slowly, Joe didn't look ill
and he couldn't help but feel that this might be a way to avoid going to
school. On the other hand Joe rarely complained of feeling unwell, in fact he
usually had to be really sick before he'd admit to any illness.
"You're to stay in bed, though." He told the
boy, deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt. "And I'll get Hop Sing to
bring you up something to settle your stomach."
"Yes, Pa." Joe snuggled back down under the
sheets. Watching him closely Ben couldn't help but see the look of relief that
crossed his son's expressive face when he realised he was getting to stay at
home.
****
With the distinct feeling that he'd been had,
Ben asked Hop Sing to take up something for Joe's 'stomach pains', and if
possible to make it as evil tasting as possible.
Sitting back down at the table, Ben looked at
his two elder sons. "Either of you have any idea what's bothering your little
brother?" He asked them. "Because he's certainly not telling me anything."
"He's hardly likely to confide in m.," Adam
said, a slightly bitter edge to his voice, a few years ago before Adam went
away to college he would often be his small brother's confidante but since his
return the two didn't get on as well as they had.
"He ain't said nothing to me, Pa." Hoss looked
concerned. "But I reckon it might be something to do with Miss Sprigg taking
over his class at school."
"Miss Pig!" Adam exclaimed. "Surely she's not
back again? I thought she was as old as Methuselah when she taught me."
Hoss laughed. "She's just standing in for the
regular teacher for a while." He said. "And I hear tell the kids still call her
by that name, Adam."
"Hardly respectful." Ben said, though he
couldn't hide a small smile. He had met Miss Sprigg on various occasions when
she had been teaching Adam and, with her small piercing eyes and high-pitched
voice, it was easy to see why the children christened her Miss Pig.
"So what makes you think that it's Miss Sprigg
that's upsetting our baby brother?" Adam asked Hoss.
Hoss pushed his empty plate aside and
considered the question. "I don't know." He admitted. "It's really just a
feeling I get. Since she took over he never wants to talk about school anymore,
just changes the subject. She never taught me but I hear she's real strict."
Adam nodded his agreement with that. "Of course it could be something else."
Hoss continued. "Perhaps he's just missing Mitch." Joe's best friend, Mitch had
been very ill, the boy was recovering, but it would be some weeks yet before he
would be fit enough to return to school.
"There's some problem at school all right." Ben
sighed. "But I guess we're just going to have to wait till Joe's ready to tell
us what it is, you know your brother, it's no good pushing him." Both Adam and
Hoss nodded at their father's statement, Joe was a very stubborn child and no
amount of probing would get him to discuss his problems until he was ready.
"He'll be back at school tomorrow though." Ben continued. "I won't have him
telling me he's ill if he isn't."
****
Alone in his room Joe lay thinking, he was sure
his father would make him go back to school tomorrow, however much he tried to
get out of it. The thought of school and Miss Sprigg made Joe's stomach churn.
He hadn't been lying to his father, he did feel sick, but he knew what was
causing it.
Last night he had come close to telling his Pa
what Miss Sprigg had been doing, what she said about him. But fear had stopped
him, the fear that just perhaps his father would agree with Miss Sprigg;
confirm that he was as stupid and clumsy as she said he was.
****
"Hey there Joe, how are you feeling now?" Joe
looked up as Adam opened his door, it was late afternoon and his older brother
had just come in from work.
"A bit better." Joe smiled, glad of someone to
talk to, even Adam. It had been a long day for the boy, and he was bored of his
own company.
"Well enough for school tomorrow?" Adam asked,
advancing into the room till he stood beside Joe's bed.
"I guess." Adam saw his little brother's
expression as he mentioned school; he had looked almost frightened for a
moment.
"How is school anyway?" He queried, sitting
down on the side of the bed. "Hoss tells me you've got a new teacher for a
while, Miss Sprigg, she was my teacher too for a time, did you know that?"
"I knew." Joe looked at his brother. "She talks
about you, says you were the cleverest boy she ever taught." Adam could hardly
have missed the resentment in Joe's tone.
"Doe's she?" He grimaced. "I didn't think much
of her though, Miss Pig we called her, you still call her that?" Joe nodded a
slight smile on his face as he thought of Adam, of all people, being cheeky to
a teacher. "She was very strict." Adam recalled. "Is she still?"
Joe nodded again, dropping his gaze to the
bedclothes, unable to meet his brother's eyes.
"She's all right." He mumbled.
"So everything's okay at school then?" Adam
asked gently, "No problems?"
"Everything's fine." Joe told him firmly.
After Adam had gone, Joe buried his head in the
pillow, depression creeping over him. It wasn't so bad he reminded himself, he
just had to get through the next two days, and then it was the Easter vacation.
****
Ben was surprised and pleased at the change
that came over Joe during the first part of the Easter vacation, the boy was
back to his normal self, full of energy, life and laughter.
But as the days wore on and the return to
school grew nearer it was as if a dark cloud settled over the child. He grew
irritable and morose. Realising that school was definitely proving a problem
for his youngest son, Ben resolved to go and talk to the boy's teacher, see if
he could get to the root of it.
****
"Mr. Cartwright, a pleasure to see you again."
Miss Sprigg rose from her desk as Ben entered the room. Unbeknown to Joe, Ben
had ridden into Virginia City to call on the teacher, hoping that he would be
able to find out the cause of his son's recent behavior.
"So how is Adam?" Miss Sprigg asked as Ben sat
down in the chair she indicated. "You must be so proud of him, doing so well at
college."
"He's well." Ben told her. "Keeping busy on the
Ponderosa."
"I must say it came as a surprise to me that
Adam returned here after college." Miss Sprigg said, reaching into the drawer
of her desk and taking out a thick blue book. "I thought he would have made
greater use of his education. Now." She continued, opening the book. "You
wanted to see me about young Joseph?"
"Yes." Ben felt a little annoyed at the woman's
assumption that Adam was wasting his education on the Ponderosa, but kept to
the matter in hand. "I wondered if there's any problem at school?" He began.
"The last few weeks Joe's not been himself. He's usually a happy, mischievous
little boy but lately he's quiet and withdrawn, not like Joe at all."
Miss Sprigg looked down at the book in front of
her, studying the pages in silence for a while before she spoke.
"I can't pretend that I haven't had a few
troubles with Joseph." She began, her small eyes regarding Ben solemnly. "The
boy is very high spirited and can be insolent."
"Insolent!" Ben said in surprise. "I'm sorry to
hear that."
"He's often disruptive in class and I'm afraid
to say that his work over the time I've been teaching him is of very poor
quality." Miss Sprigg concluded, shutting her book with a flourish.
"I don't know what to say, I had no idea Joe
was causing trouble in class, and you say his work is poor?" Ben was shocked,
his youngest had always been an able, if not exactly willing, student. And
though other teachers had described the boy as high spirited, none had ever
accused him of insolence.
"Take a look, Mr Cartwright." Miss Sprigg got
up from her desk and went over to a cupboard set against the wall, opening it
she withdrew a few sheets of paper and brought them across to Ben. "Joseph's
last essay."
Taking the pages from the woman's outstretched
hand Ben scanned them in dismay, the handwriting was barely legible, smeared
and blotched with ink. "This isn't like Joe's usual work at all." He told Miss
Sprigg. "I just don't understand it."
"I suggest." The teacher said, taking her seat
again. "That you advise Joseph to try a lot harder, Mr. Cartwright, he could
certainly do with taking a leaf out of Adam's book, such a joy that boy was."
As things stood between his youngest and
eldest, Ben thought, that wasn't something he'd be telling Joe.
****
"I do try Pa, really I do." Joe looked up at
his father. "I just can't do it the way Miss Sprigg wants me to."
"And how's that?" Ben asked gently. "You never
used to have any problem with your schoolwork Joe, what's changed?"
Joe's gaze dropped away from his father. "I
just can't do it." His voice was angry now. "Perhaps you'd be happier if I was
more like Adam, seeing as he was so good at school, but I'm not and I can't do
it!"
Ben put his arm round the boy's shoulders. "I
don't want you to be like Adam." He told him softly. "I like you just the way
you are, Joseph, but I do know you can do better than the work I saw today and
I'd just like to know what the problem is."
"There's no problem." Joe shrugged away from
his father's embrace. "I guess I'll just have to try harder is all."
****
Creeping softly down the stairs late that
night, Joe headed for the kitchen. Unable to sleep, he had thought over the
situation and come to a decision. Deciding that he could no longer face the
daily humiliation Miss Sprigg was inflicting on him, and not wanting to tell
his father why his work was so bad lately, he had decided that running away was
the best solution. After all he would only need to be gone for a few weeks, his
regular teacher was returning in June. His father would be angry, he knew, but
the thought of facing his father's wrath wasn't quite as bad as the thought of
Miss Sprigg's treatment.
Finding a bag, Joe grabbed bread and cheese,
then added a few cookies from the jar on the side. He had a few dollars he had
saved and could use that to buy more food. He hadn't figured out quite where he
was going to go, just knew that he had to get away.
Back in the great room, the boy grabbed his
jacket and hat and headed for the door. Just as he reached out to open it, the
door swung inward revealing Adam, returning late from Virginia City.
For a moment neither brother spoke, each
shocked to see the other.
"Joe." Adam broke the silence. "Where in
heavens name do you think you're going at this time of night?" Then, seeing the
bag that the child was carrying, realisation dawned. "Thinking of leaving were
you?"
Closing the door behind him, Adam grasped his
little brothers arm firmly and led him over to the table. "Sit down." He instructed, Joe obeyed
reluctantly as his brother lit the lamp, then sat down himself.
"So where were you thinking of going?" Adam
asked softly.
"Just away." Joe muttered.
"And didn't you think how much that would worry
Pa?"
"I don't want to upset him." Joe said quietly.
"But I don't want to go to go to school anymore." He looked at Adam defiantly.
"You might have stopped me leaving but I'm not going to go to school again, if
Pa makes me I'll just run away."
Adam sighed. "I think you'd better tell me what
all this is about Joe." He said. "I know Miss Sprigg's a bit of an old dragon,
but I didn't think she was that frightening."
"I'm not frightened of her!" Anger flared in
Joe's eyes at Adam's words. "I just don't like her is all. It was all right for
you." He said bitterly. "She's always talking about you, what a wonderful kid
you were. Adam always wrote so beautifully." He imitated the teacher's
high-pitched voice. "Such
penmanship. But I can't do it like you." The anger had faded from Joe's voice
now as misery overtook him. "I try, but I can't."
A faint memory stirred in Adam's mind as he
listened to the boy's words, in particular the way he had said 'I can't do it
like you'. Awareness dawned, if he was right it explained so much, the messy
work, the reluctance to go to school. "Joe." He kept his voice calm and steady.
"Are you saying Miss Sprigg wants you to write differently from the way you
usually do? With your right hand?"
Startled, Joe stared up at him, then figuring
there was no point in denial now Adam had worked it out, he nodded slowly.
****
"She did what?" Ben thundered, incensed at what
he was hearing from Adam.
"She tied his arm to his side to make him write
'correctly' as she put it." Adam was almost as angry as his father, he had
listened with mounting fury the night before as Joe told him all about Miss
Sprigg. "That's why he didn't want to go to school Pa, he felt embarrassed,
shown up in front of the other children."
"Why on earth didn't he tell me that?" Ben was
baffled. "I asked him over and over what the problem was."
Adam sat down at the table, not looking at his
father. "Miss Sprigg told him that he wasn't normal because he's left handed."
He said softly. "And when he couldn't use his right hand she accused him of
being clumsy and stupid. He's only ten Pa, she almost had him believing
it."
"What made you realise what was going on?" His
father asked. "I never thought of his left handedness at all."
"I remembered a boy in my class years ago."
Adam told him. "She insisted he write with his right hand. I think he must have
managed to do so because I don't recall anything else being said about it, it
certainly never went as far as this. He was planning on running away last night
Pa."
Ben paled at the thought of his youngest son
being driven to such measures. "I think a visit to Miss Sprigg is called for."
He said. "And a meeting of the school board."
****
Joe woke to find the bedroom flooded with
sunlight, puzzled he lay quietly for a while, wondering why no-one had come to
wake him for school. Despite his brave words to Adam, he had been sure his
father would make him go to school, even if he had to take him there. It was
strange, Joe thought, how easy it had been to tell Adam all his problems last
night, his elder brother had not interrupted or asked questions, just sat
quietly listening. Afterwards he had escorted Joe back to bed and told him not
to worry, he'd take care of it, and something in the tone of his voice had
reassured the boy that Adam meant what he said, it would be taken care of.
Joe sat up as he heard footsteps on the
landing, then his bedroom door was flung wide as Hoss came into the room,
"Hey there, shortshanks." He grinned at his
brother. "Any chance of you getting up today? It's almost noon."
Flinging back the covers Joe jumped out of bed.
"I didn't sleep too well last night." He explained, heading for the washstand.
"I didn't know it was so late, bet Pa's real mad at me."
"Pa ain't here." Hoss told him. "Him and Adam
rode into town early this morning, told me to let you sleep as late as you
wanted." He smiled at Joe." Wouldn't have got you up now." He told him. "'Cept
I figured you'd want some lunch."
"Where did they go?" Joe asked, wondering if last
night had something to do with it. "And what about school?"
"I don't know where they went." Hoss told him.
"But I do know Pa was powerful mad over something, he said you weren't to go to
school today. Now hurry up will you." He continued impatiently. "Hop Sing's
almost ready to dish up."
****
"Mr. Cartwright, Adam what a pleasure." Miss
Sprigg came hurrying from the classroom to the office where Ben and his son
waited to see her. "How was college Adam? How did you find life in the East? A
great deal more civilised than here I'll wager."
"I'm not here to discuss my
education." Adam told her coolly. "This is about my little brother."
"Joseph?" Miss Sprigg looked
from Adam to Ben. "I realise he isn't in school today, I trust he's not
unwell?"
"No." Ben said, his voice
dangerously quiet as he held his anger in check. "He's not ill. He won't be
returning to school however for as long as you hold a teaching post here." He
looked at Miss Sprigg's astonished face. "So I intend to see to it that you are
removed as soon as possible."
"But why?" The woman blustered.
"What has Joseph been telling you about me that has made you so angry?"
"He eventually told me what's
been bothering him ever since you started teaching him." Adam told her. "You've
been victimising the child because he's left-handed. Tying him up, telling him
he's not normal. Tell me." Adam's voice was icy now, contempt in his eyes. "Do
you really think that's any way to treat a boy of ten?"
"Yes I do." Miss Sprigg's tone
was angry. "I just try to do my best for these children. You must realise that
it isn't normal to use the left hand.
I'm just attempting to bring Joseph into line with the rest of his
classmates, in the long run I'm sure he would have been grateful to me for
insisting upon the change."
"You really believe that?" Ben
was incredulous. "Madam, let me tell you that my son was a perfectly normal,
happy little boy until you came along. In just a few short weeks you have made
him unhappy and withdrawn, prepared to run away from home rather than face any
more of your schooling. I have asked the school board to call an emergency
meeting this afternoon and I shall be recommending your immediate dismissal
from the school."
And leaving Miss Sprigg staring
after them in dismay, Ben and Adam left the schoolhouse.
****
"She's really not coming back?"
Joe said happily, looking from his father to his eldest brother. "Ever?"
"She won't be back." Adam
assured him, smiling. "The school board were shocked to hear what she'd been
doing. They agreed with Pa's request to have her dismissed, so no more Miss
Pig."
"And, Joseph, next time you
have a problem please tell me about it." Ben told him, tousling his son's hair
fondly. " That's what I'm here for son, to help you. If you'd told me about
Miss Sprigg before it could have all been sorted out weeks ago."
"I thought she might be right."
Joe said softly, his eyes fixed on his father's face watching for his reaction.
"All the rest of my friends do write with their right hands, so do you and Adam
and Hoss, perhaps I'm not normal, Pa."
Putting his hands on the boy's
shoulders Ben looked down at his youngest son. "Joseph." he told him firmly.
"You are perfectly normal. So you use your left hand instead of your right,
that just makes you different, and everybody has something different and unique
about them. No two people are exactly the same. You being left handed is part
of what you are, part of what makes you special, understand that?" He smiled as
Joe nodded, happy at his father's words. "Now get off to bed with you." He
continued with mock sternness. "School
in the morning."
And he watched happily as Joe
ran lightly up the stairs to bed.
THE END
This little story was suggested by memories of my
Grandfather, Wilfred Thomas Arthur Baker 1895 – 1980, or 'Papa' as he was known
to me, who as a left-handed child in 1900 did actually suffer the humiliation
of having his arm tied to his side to force him to write with his right hand.
©
Kathleen Pitts 1999
