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Authors: Margaret J. Anderson
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under blankets in the broom closet, drinking cups of hot, sweet tea, and then crept back up to their cold beds after the all clear sounded, shivering and wakeful, wishing for morning.
The interrupted nights were having a bad effect on Anna. As the weeks wore on, she became more and more ill tempered, and everything seemed to go wrong. One Friday morning they all slept in. The Miss Campbells rushed out to get the shop open by nine, leaving Marjorie and Anna to get themselves ready for school. Anna dawdled over breakfast and refused to do anything for herself.
“You tie my shoes, if you’re in such a big hurry,” she ordered Marjorie. “And you can find my gloves too!”
“Find them yourself,” Marjorie answered angrily. “And you can walk to school on your own. I’m not waiting any longer. We’re late already!”
Marjorie rushed out of the house and ran all the way to school, getting there after the bell had stopped ringing. She hoped Anna wouldn’t get into trouble. At playtime, Marjorie looked for her, but didn’t find her.
When she reached home, Anna was already there, and Marjorie asked suspiciously where she’d been all day.
“Mind your own business!” Anna shouted, running from the room.
The next day things were worse. In the morning Anna went into the spare bedroom and took out the box of Christmas ornaments, which was kept in a drawer in the bottom of the wardrobe. She thought it a shame that such lovely things should be hidden away in a drawer all year and only looked at for a few days at Christmas. There was one ornament in particular, a tiny silver bird, that she wanted to see again.
Each ornament nestled in paper in its own section of the box. She slowly unwrapped them and laid them on the bed. She worked very carefully, and all might have gone well had not Miss Morag come bursting into the room and startled her. Anna jumped guiltily and knocked against the bed. Two fragile ornaments rolled off and fell to the floor with the tinkling sound of broken glass.
Miss Campbell was very angry and banished Anna to her room, telling her never, never to touch things that didn’t belong to her.
At lunch Anna spilled her milk, and there were more shouts and tears. Even Marjorie sided with the Miss Campbells, saying primly that one shouldn’t waste food in wartime.
In the afternoon both Miss Campbells had to go back to the shop. Saturday afternoons were usually busy, and Miss Morag asked Marjorie to see if they couldn’t find something useful to do. She sounded tired and discouraged.
After they’d gone, Marjorie took out the big wicker basket full of newly washed clothes waiting to be ironed. She put the flat irons in front of the fire to heat.
“Can I do some?” Anna asked.
“You just go along and play,” Marjorie answered sharply.
She herself wasn’t quite sure about this undertaking because she had only ironed handkerchiefs and pillowcases, and that had been under Miss Agnes’s supervision. However, all went well. It was very satisfying to turn the wrinkled garments smooth and new looking, and she liked the smell of the hot cotton and linen. She was careful to test each iron before using it on the clothes, and while she used one iron, she set the other in front of the fire to heat. She hung the ironed garments neatly on the airing rack.
At last only two dresses were left, the Miss Campbells’ Sunday-best silk dresses. Marjorie knew they would want to iron them themselves. With a feeling of great satisfaction, she went off to look for her book.
Anna had been sitting in the armchair by the fire watching Marjorie. She liked the easy way the heavy iron slid over the cloth, leaving it flat and smooth. Several times she asked if she could have a turn, but Marjorie didn’t listen. So, when Marjorie finally left the room, Anna realized her chance had come. She could now have the fun of ironing, and also she could make up to the Miss Campbells by doing an especially good job on their Sunday
The interrupted nights were having a bad effect on Anna. As the weeks wore on, she became more and more ill tempered, and everything seemed to go wrong. One Friday morning they all slept in. The Miss Campbells rushed out to get the shop open by nine, leaving Marjorie and Anna to get themselves ready for school. Anna dawdled over breakfast and refused to do anything for herself.
“You tie my shoes, if you’re in such a big hurry,” she ordered Marjorie. “And you can find my gloves too!”
“Find them yourself,” Marjorie answered angrily. “And you can walk to school on your own. I’m not waiting any longer. We’re late already!”
Marjorie rushed out of the house and ran all the way to school, getting there after the bell had stopped ringing. She hoped Anna wouldn’t get into trouble. At playtime, Marjorie looked for her, but didn’t find her.
When she reached home, Anna was already there, and Marjorie asked suspiciously where she’d been all day.
“Mind your own business!” Anna shouted, running from the room.
The next day things were worse. In the morning Anna went into the spare bedroom and took out the box of Christmas ornaments, which was kept in a drawer in the bottom of the wardrobe. She thought it a shame that such lovely things should be hidden away in a drawer all year and only looked at for a few days at Christmas. There was one ornament in particular, a tiny silver bird, that she wanted to see again.
Each ornament nestled in paper in its own section of the box. She slowly unwrapped them and laid them on the bed. She worked very carefully, and all might have gone well had not Miss Morag come bursting into the room and startled her. Anna jumped guiltily and knocked against the bed. Two fragile ornaments rolled off and fell to the floor with the tinkling sound of broken glass.
Miss Campbell was very angry and banished Anna to her room, telling her never, never to touch things that didn’t belong to her.
At lunch Anna spilled her milk, and there were more shouts and tears. Even Marjorie sided with the Miss Campbells, saying primly that one shouldn’t waste food in wartime.
In the afternoon both Miss Campbells had to go back to the shop. Saturday afternoons were usually busy, and Miss Morag asked Marjorie to see if they couldn’t find something useful to do. She sounded tired and discouraged.
After they’d gone, Marjorie took out the big wicker basket full of newly washed clothes waiting to be ironed. She put the flat irons in front of the fire to heat.
“Can I do some?” Anna asked.
“You just go along and play,” Marjorie answered sharply.
She herself wasn’t quite sure about this undertaking because she had only ironed handkerchiefs and pillowcases, and that had been under Miss Agnes’s supervision. However, all went well. It was very satisfying to turn the wrinkled garments smooth and new looking, and she liked the smell of the hot cotton and linen. She was careful to test each iron before using it on the clothes, and while she used one iron, she set the other in front of the fire to heat. She hung the ironed garments neatly on the airing rack.
At last only two dresses were left, the Miss Campbells’ Sunday-best silk dresses. Marjorie knew they would want to iron them themselves. With a feeling of great satisfaction, she went off to look for her book.
Anna had been sitting in the armchair by the fire watching Marjorie. She liked the easy way the heavy iron slid over the cloth, leaving it flat and smooth. Several times she asked if she could have a turn, but Marjorie didn’t listen. So, when Marjorie finally left the room, Anna realized her chance had come. She could now have the fun of ironing, and also she could make up to the Miss Campbells by doing an especially good job on their Sunday
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