Chapter Two: School

"Leslie! Kenneth! Hurry down here please!" Ellen West called up to them. She turned and bustled back out to the kitchen, and started to stir a small pot on the stove, and glancing at the thin stocked pantry, making a note to have someone pick up a few groceries.

Kenneth came down, rubbing his eyes sleepily. He had dressed in a hurry, and as a result, only half his shirt was tucked, and his hair stuck up. Ellen sighed, went over and fussed over him.

Leslie had followed her brother down, and stood there, tall her age of twelve. Her faded green cotton dress was far too big on her- it had been her mother's. Kenneth, too, was tall and thin for a lad of eight. He looked over his mother's shoulder, saying, "Porridge?"

"Well, er, yes dear. It has chunks of fresh apple in it though, isn't that nice? Isn't it, Kennie?" She said fondly. He nodded, and started to spoon some out into a bowl, and Leslie followed suit. They took it to a small table next to the window and proceeded to eat.

"You'd better hurry and do your chores, else you'll be late for school!" Ellen exclaimed, glancing at the battered old grandfather clock that both Leslie and Kenneth loved. They finished and went outside, putting on tall barn boots, and went to the field behind the barn.

A lone Jersey cow stood there, munching on the new grass and staring at them with big brown eyes. They walked up to her, fastened a rope 'round her neck and led her into the next patch of pasture. Leslie let her go and shut the gate as the cow again, quite unworried, and began to eat once again.

"Look!" Leslie said, "Look at that bird, Ken!" Kenneth looked up, and sure enough, a little robin flew to the top of the barn, tweeting and chirping. It stood there in a proud little pose, so funny looking that the two laughed, and moved on toward the chickens.

"Leslie, we forgot the corn in the barn!" Kenneth said.

"Don't move, I'll get it." Leslie ran up the hill to the barn, and in one quick movement, pulled the door aside. In a dusty corner, there was a large bin filled with a corn mixture, which she scooped into a pail and brought out to Kenneth.

"Quickly," she said, "let's do it together," as if it were some wondrous treat. They threw the corn to the chickens, and watched them strut around, jolting their necks this way and that. They both had forgotten that they were supposed to be hurrying, until Ellen came onto the porch and said,

"Come get your lunches!"

Leslie gave Kenneth a guilty look as they ran to the door and took their lunches. They both thanked their mother, dashed inside for their battered slates and books, and started to walk, until...

"Leslie! Kenneth!" said their mother in her singsong voice. "You both forgot your shoes!" Kenneth looked down at his muddy boots. He sighed and they ran back to the door and pulled on their shoes.

When, finally, they were out of their mother's clutches, both Leslie and Kenneth breathed a sigh of relief. Now, they just had to get to school on time.

Once at school (which, thankfully, they made just as the bell rang through the little building), Kenneth went to sit towards the front, and Leslie the back, of the rows of desks. Leslie sat next to her only chum, Pauline. Pauline gave her a roguish wink, and both turned smilingly to hear what the teacher was saying about the French Revolution.

After reading history, doing sums, listening to scientific achievements, and writing compositions, it was time to go home. Leslie and Kenneth took their empty lunch pail, said goodbye to Teacher, and left with Pauline.

"Hey-Leslie, have you heard anything about the new preacher who moved into the manse? I saw his wife the other day, and my mother and I both agreed that she wears much too sophisticated clothing for the wife of a Reverend. I have even heard it said that she wears a three-foot high peacock hat to church every Sunday. Ain't that scandalous?" Pauline said in a quick, low breath.

"Polly, I don't even care what her hat looks like as long as she's nice. She's likely be our Sunday-school teacher, you know." Polly looked at Leslie and sighed.

"Oh-you're so good. Well, what do you think, Ken?"

The boy shrugged. "Well, I don't care much for peacock hats, just not my style, I suppose," he said, in a dignified and pompous voice that had them all laughing within a moment.

Soon, they were at the West farm, so Leslie asked, "Polly, see you tomorrow?" Polly assured her that she didn't mean to be missing school or anything, so of course. "See ya tomorrow, farm kids!"

Leslie and Ken watched her walk away, Leslie saying to Kenneth, "I think I'll start tutoring her tomorrow. She, um, kind of worried me today in class, especially in History."

Kenneth snorted. "She worried me, and I am at the wise old age of eight," he said.

Leslie replied, "And, if I ever want to get past Queens, I'll need the money. It's a bit awkward, but her parents like the idea, although I know she doesn't. Oh well, let's go, quick, before mother comes out." Kenneth nodded, and they dropped their pail, and peeled off shoes, and, in Leslie's case, stockings, and ran to a huge old red maple, next to the barn. It was Leslie's favorite color (Kenneth's was green).

Both of them nimbly climbed the tree, sitting on the lowest branch. Leslie pulled two delicious looking apples from her pocket, and Ken showed her the two peppermint sticks he had been saving since Christmas. Every year, when Spring came, they slept with the window blowing in soft, sweet secrets and dreams, to welcome the sweetest season, and they would have a picnic in the maple. They solemnly handed each other a peppermint stick or apple, and munched silently. Leslie leaned against the tree, breathing in the strong smell of the bark.

"Leslie! Kenneth!" Ellen had emerged onto the porch. "Where are you two?"

Ken sighed, the spell was broken, and it would be a long time until the two could do it again, far longer that either thought it could be. Ellen had rolled her eyes and gone inside. At least she hadn't found them, for she really wouldn't have approved, especially with Leslie in the tree, skirt blowing in the wind. It couldn't possibly be proper.

They both climbed down and went to the door. Just before going in, Leslie whispered, so even Ken couldn't hear her when she quoth,

"Ours shall be the moonrise stealing

Through the birches ivory-white

Ours shall be the mystic healing

Of the velvet-footed night.

Ours shall be the gypsy winding

Of the path with violets blue,

Ours at last the wizard finding-"

"Leslie!" Ellen said impatiently, as she slipped inside, murmuring,

"Of the land where dreams come true."

Tell me what you think of this! The poem at the end is called Spring Song, written by LMM. It really reminds me of Leslie, like the one I included at the beginning. Sorry for the delay in getting the chapter out, I'm trying! I have tried to start to include a picture of the poverty they live in, as well as show the close relationship of Kenneth and Leslie. Please review!

Hester