Read Online The Moffat Museum by Eleanor Estes - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Eleanor Estes
Tags: Ages 8 & Up
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Abbot says he has a pair of long pants that might fit you ... too snug for him now," she said. "They're probably black. He always wears black."
Joey's gloom deepened. "Black!" he exclaimed.
Rufus said, "Why don't you wear your Junior Reserve Navy uniform? Nice and white and with a middy blouse that has an anchor on it. If the pants are too short, Mama will lengthen 'em. If they're too tight, she'll let 'em out."
Somewhat cheered, Joey said, "Okay."
First they went in the house and put Joey's polliwog in a basin of water. What Rufus had in his fist was a tiny turtle. "To keep the polliwog company," he said cheerfully. "When they're a little older, we'll put them back in the reservoir with their cousins and sisters and brothers, uncles, too."
Then off they rode to the church, Rufus on the handlebars, Jane on the crossbar, and Joey pedaling as fast as he could with this big passenger load. On the way, Jane said, "Rufus, maybe you shouldn't come 'cause you're not in it."
"Church is church!" said Rufus. "Church is always open. I'll go up the winding stairway to the balcony, sit in the front row, watch the proceedings, and be a stand-in (Isn't that what you call them in plays?) in case someone faints. No one will know I'm up there."
And that was what Rufus did. He slipped into church, went up the narrow stairway, and sat down in the middle of the front pew of the balcony.
Sylvie and Ray Abbot were sitting downstairs in the back pew. Their heads were craned toward the door, hoping that the rest of the wedding party would come soon. Meanwhile, they tried to pay attention to what Mr. Gandy in the pew in front was telling them about his latest trip; he was a great traveler. He did not seem impatient. He liked the quiet little chat he was having.
Then he interrupted himself. "Ah..." he said. "Here they are, the rest of the wedding party. Now, we'll commence the rehearsal."
Mrs. Peale, the organist, who had been playing hymns, practicing for both the wedding tomorrow and the Sunday service the day after, fluffed up the red velvet cushion she was sitting on and awaited the cue.
The Reverend Gandy had gone to the front of the church. He held his hand up. The cue. Mrs. Peale burst into "Here Comes the Bride!" and the wedding party proceeded solemnly to the front of the church beside the pulpit, in the formation they would repeat tomorrow.
Too bad,
Joey thought,
that this couldn't be the real thing,
that they would have to do it all over again tomorrow in front of people and him with long pants of some sort or other....
Jane couldn't help it. Tears rolled down her cheeks when the organist played "Here Comes the Bride." It was as though this
were
the real thing. She must be sure to bring a handkerchief tomorrow.
They went through the service very quickly. And as the organist struck up the final triumphant march and the rehearsed wedding party turned to go back down the aisle, Jane thought that this was the moment the strewing of the petals should commence tomorrow.
Right then she spotted Rufus leaning on the railing up there in the balcony in the middle of the front pew. The sun shining through the round stained-glass window behind him cast a golden glow on his curly hair. Indeed, the late afternoon sun spread a lovely luminous glow over the entire church. Suddenly she envisioned clearly just how it would happen tomorrow.
All the bags of petals would be up there with Rufus, some under the pew on one side of him, some on the other. When one bag was emptied, he could reach for another. Rufus, the petal-strewer! Petals falling, falling on Sylvie, the bride, on the procession, on the ministers ... the one doing the marrying, the other one, Ray, the one being married ... on her, Jane, on everybody, and fall onto the aisle so Sylvie would have a soft carpet of rose petals to tread on lightly.
Wait till she told Rufus! And to Sylvie, who of course knew nothing of this, it would be a surprise. How did she look now after the rehearsal?
Joey's gloom deepened. "Black!" he exclaimed.
Rufus said, "Why don't you wear your Junior Reserve Navy uniform? Nice and white and with a middy blouse that has an anchor on it. If the pants are too short, Mama will lengthen 'em. If they're too tight, she'll let 'em out."
Somewhat cheered, Joey said, "Okay."
First they went in the house and put Joey's polliwog in a basin of water. What Rufus had in his fist was a tiny turtle. "To keep the polliwog company," he said cheerfully. "When they're a little older, we'll put them back in the reservoir with their cousins and sisters and brothers, uncles, too."
Then off they rode to the church, Rufus on the handlebars, Jane on the crossbar, and Joey pedaling as fast as he could with this big passenger load. On the way, Jane said, "Rufus, maybe you shouldn't come 'cause you're not in it."
"Church is church!" said Rufus. "Church is always open. I'll go up the winding stairway to the balcony, sit in the front row, watch the proceedings, and be a stand-in (Isn't that what you call them in plays?) in case someone faints. No one will know I'm up there."
And that was what Rufus did. He slipped into church, went up the narrow stairway, and sat down in the middle of the front pew of the balcony.
Sylvie and Ray Abbot were sitting downstairs in the back pew. Their heads were craned toward the door, hoping that the rest of the wedding party would come soon. Meanwhile, they tried to pay attention to what Mr. Gandy in the pew in front was telling them about his latest trip; he was a great traveler. He did not seem impatient. He liked the quiet little chat he was having.
Then he interrupted himself. "Ah..." he said. "Here they are, the rest of the wedding party. Now, we'll commence the rehearsal."
Mrs. Peale, the organist, who had been playing hymns, practicing for both the wedding tomorrow and the Sunday service the day after, fluffed up the red velvet cushion she was sitting on and awaited the cue.
The Reverend Gandy had gone to the front of the church. He held his hand up. The cue. Mrs. Peale burst into "Here Comes the Bride!" and the wedding party proceeded solemnly to the front of the church beside the pulpit, in the formation they would repeat tomorrow.
Too bad,
Joey thought,
that this couldn't be the real thing,
that they would have to do it all over again tomorrow in front of people and him with long pants of some sort or other....
Jane couldn't help it. Tears rolled down her cheeks when the organist played "Here Comes the Bride." It was as though this
were
the real thing. She must be sure to bring a handkerchief tomorrow.
They went through the service very quickly. And as the organist struck up the final triumphant march and the rehearsed wedding party turned to go back down the aisle, Jane thought that this was the moment the strewing of the petals should commence tomorrow.
Right then she spotted Rufus leaning on the railing up there in the balcony in the middle of the front pew. The sun shining through the round stained-glass window behind him cast a golden glow on his curly hair. Indeed, the late afternoon sun spread a lovely luminous glow over the entire church. Suddenly she envisioned clearly just how it would happen tomorrow.
All the bags of petals would be up there with Rufus, some under the pew on one side of him, some on the other. When one bag was emptied, he could reach for another. Rufus, the petal-strewer! Petals falling, falling on Sylvie, the bride, on the procession, on the ministers ... the one doing the marrying, the other one, Ray, the one being married ... on her, Jane, on everybody, and fall onto the aisle so Sylvie would have a soft carpet of rose petals to tread on lightly.
Wait till she told Rufus! And to Sylvie, who of course knew nothing of this, it would be a surprise. How did she look now after the rehearsal?
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