Cornelli Read online

  In the Director's house in Iller-Stream reigned great excitement. Theday had come when the two ladies from town were expected to arrive fortheir lengthy stay. To celebrate the coming of his guests, the masterof the house had ordered a festive dinner for the middle of the day.He had been longing for this day, so was in a splendid humor. It wasvery important for him to start on his journey right away, and he hadwaited only to be able formally to receive his visitors. Also he hadpromised his cousin to give the reins of the household into her handshimself, after which event he had planned to start on his journey.

  To Cornelli the preparations for the arrival of the new members of thehousehold seemed very annoying, everything being different from usual.She commonly very much enjoyed the prospect of company, for on suchoccasions she paid frequent visits to the kitchen, where Esther wasalways busy cooking.

  As soon as Cornelli appeared in the doorway, Esther would call to her:"Come and see which you like best, Cornelli; I am sure they are notso bad." A small yellow apple tart and a round purple plum cake wereready for the child to taste, for her visit had been anticipated.Cornelli always assured the cook that the apple tarts were excellentand the plum cakes even better.

  Then Cornelli would go into the pantry, where Miss Mina was fixingfruit on the crystal platters. Here many a raisin and almond woulddrop beside the plate, and from there find its way into Cornelli'spocket. It was pleasant to have a supply whenever she felt like eating.The housekeeper dropped many nuts on purpose, for she did not want tobe less sought after than her rival in the kitchen.

  To-day Esther was flying around the kitchen violently rattling herpots and pans, and when Cornelli appeared, to see what was going on,the cook called to her: "Off with you! I have nothing for you hereto-day. The ladies from town must not think that they have to show mehow to cook a good dinner. I'll show them. Go away and make room herefor me. Make room, Cornelli! I have to fix the vegetables."

  Cornelli ran to the pantry.

  Mina was just building up a splendid pile of cookies and almond rings."Don't come rushing in like that, or it will all tumble down," sheobjected. "Don't come so near to the table; this plate is all readyand nothing must be missing from it. I won't have it said that one cansee there is no mistress in this house, and that nobody here knows howto set a table."

  "If you are all so stingy to-day, I won't bother you any more," saidCornelli, and with these words she turned around and marched indignantlyout of the house.

  That moment, hearing the sound of approaching wheels, and looking downthe road through the open place in front of the house, she spied theexpected carriage with two ladies sitting in it.

  "Matthew, Matthew," she called out, in the direction of the largestable and the barn. These lay a little distance from the house, andwere hidden by trees.

  Matthew was the gardener who looked after the horses, and had also tosuperintend all the work done by his assistant in the garden and thestable. He was Cornelli's special friend, whom she had known ever sinceshe could remember, for he had served her grandfather.

  He now came from the stable and mysteriously beckoned to her: "Comehere quickly, run fast!" he said. "We'll still get to the carriage intime. Only come for a moment."

  Cornelli ran to him, and looking into the stable, saw lying on softfresh hay a tiny, snow-white kid. It looked like a toy, but was reallyalive.

  "Oh, where did it come from, Matthew? Oh, how cunning it is! The whitefine fur is just like silk! Can it walk alone? Can it stand, too, ifit wants to? Oh, just see how friendly it is and how it is rubbing itslittle head against me."

  "Yes, but come, now; the carriage is driving up," Matthew urged. "Comequickly, you can see it every day. Just think! It was only born to-day."

  The carriage had just driven into the court and Matthew was there themoment the horses stopped. The Director was there, too; not to loseany time and yet not be tardy, he had put a watcher at the door to lethim know when the carriage was approaching. The Director was verypolite and lifted his cousin out of the carriage, greeting her heartily.Then he helped Miss Grideelen to dismount, thanking her warmly forcoming. He told her how glad he was that she had been willing to followhis cousin into this solitude, for otherwise it would have worried himto leave her alone so long. He appreciated their great sacrifice incoming and he hoped that his trip, which was very urgent, would notkeep him away too long.

  "Where is your daughter, Frederick?" asked Miss Dorner now.

  The Director glanced about.

  "I saw her just a moment ago. Where are you, Cornelli?" he calledtowards the house.

  "Here I am!" It sounded from very near, for Cornelli had hidden behindher father, so as to inspect the new arrivals without being seenherself.

  "Come forward and speak to your cousin and to Miss Grideelen!" orderedMr. Hellmut.

  Cornelli gave her hand first to her relative and then to the otherlady, saying to each: "How do you do?"

  "You can call me cousin, and this lady is called Miss Grideelen," saidthe cousin, hoping that the child would repeat her greeting and wouldcall her and her friend by the names she was just told to use inspeaking to them. But the child did not say another word.

  The Director now turned towards the carriage, giving Matthewinstructions for the horses. Then everybody stepped into the house andsoon the whole company sat down at the richly laden dinner table. MissMina earned many praises for the deliciously planned meal. When theafternoon came the host took the ladies around his place, for hiscousin was anxious to become acquainted with everything she had totake care of.

  "Oh, what an abundance of fruit!" Miss Grideelen exclaimed over andover again. "How many cherry trees and what enormous apple trees! Oh,what a row of pear trees! You must be able to fill your bins with fruitin the autumn, Mr. Hellmut! Where do you have room for it all?"

  "I do not know about it; my servants take care of that, for I have notime."

  "It is a great shame, Frederick, that you do not have half a dozenchildren. They would help to look after these matters," the cousinremarked. "By the way, I wonder where your child is. She does not seemto be very sociable."

  "I do not know where she is," replied Mr. Hellmut. "I am generally atwork about this time and Mina probably knows what she is doing. Perhapsshe is busy with her teacher. Cornelli has been alone so much that shecould not get very sociable. That is why I am so grateful to you bothfor coming. I am so glad she can at last be in the environment I havealways wanted for her. But what could I do? I have twice takengovernesses into the house, to supply her with proper intercourse andopportunity for study. The first ran away because she could not standthe solitude. The second wanted every servant to leave who had beenhere before her; Esther was to go, and even Matthew. She told me thatI had to choose between her and the 'old house-rats,' as she calledthem.

  "I showed no desire to send either of them away, and said to her: 'Itis better for you to go, for when the two have departed, it willprobably be my turn next, as I shall be the oldest house-rat left.'After that she departed and I had no more courage to go through anotherexperience. But I knew that it was time for Cornelli to have a ladyof refinement and culture with her. I am sure, dear cousin, that youcan give me some good advice as to her education, as soon as you havebecome acquainted with her."

  "I should like to know whom she resembles," said Miss Dorner; "shedoes not seem to resemble either you or your late wife."

  "Do you think so?" replied the father quickly. "Do you really thinkso? The child certainly does not need to resemble me, but I have alwayshoped that she resembled her mother. I always hoped that this wouldincrease with the years and that she would grow up to be my wife'simage. Do you not think that she has Cornelia's eyes? I think that mychild's rather straggly mane will in time resemble my Cornelia'sbeautiful brown hair; the child's hair is very thick and has just thesame color."

  The Director looked imploringly at his cousin. He seemed anxious forher to agree with him.

  Shrugging her shoulders, she replied: "I certain
ly see no resemblancebetween the tousled looking small savage and Cornelia. The latteralways was so lovely in her exquisite neatness. Her eyes always glowedwith happiness and seemed to smile at one from under her beautiful,wavy brown hair. I am sorry to tell you that your child is not exactlyengaging; she resembles a wild and furious little kitten with bristlinghair. She seems to me to be always making a round back; she looks asif she wanted to jump at one and scratch."

  "No, no, she does not do that," the Director assured "The child is notin the least ill-natured, at least, I do not think so. But I am afraidthat you are right in saying that she does not resemble her mother inthe least. Her education, I mean her lack of education, may havesomething to do with it. That is why I am so grateful to you both forcoming here. I am sure that with your influence the child will changeand gain much, and I do not think that it will be hard for Cornellito learn.

  "I can travel now with a light heart, cousin, for I know that I canleave my child, the house and the servants in your care. You do notknow in what a difficult position I am sometimes. I ought to go awayfrequently, and am not able to do so because there is nobody to takecare of the house for me. The servants have to be kept in good humor,and the house has to be ruled with authority and judgment. I cannotthank you enough for making this trip possible for me."

  When they had returned from their walk they separated. Mr. Hellmut hadstill plenty of preparations to make for his journey, and the ladiesretired to their rooms to get settled there. At supper everybody metagain. The ladies and their host appeared punctually and dinner wasserved at once.

  "Where is your daughter? Does she not come to supper, too?" asked MissDorner.

  "Yes, of course. Do you know where she is, Miss Mina?" the fatherasked.

  At that moment the door opened and Cornelli, with cheeks aglow, raninto the room. She sat down quickly at her seat.

  "Did you creep through a hedge?" the cousin asked her.

  "No, I was in the hen house," replied Cornelli.

  "That is no reason to look the way you do. Go to your room first andhave your hair combed by Miss Mina. She will also give you some soap,for this is quite necessary."

  Cornelli glanced at her father. This was something new and she waitedfor his approval.

  "Quickly, Cornelli! Why do you hesitate?" he admonished her. "You haveto obey your cousin absolutely, for she is taking my place now. I hopethat everybody here understands that clearly," he added with a glanceat Miss Mina.

  The latter wanted to follow the child, but Cornelli called back: "Ican do it myself."

  When the child came back her face and hands were washed very thoroughly,but her hair looked most peculiar. She had combed it in such a waythat one could not tell what belonged to the left and what to the rightside, what to the front and what to the back.

  The cousin laughed and said: "Your head looks like a wind-blown hayfield. To-morrow Miss Mina will part your hair properly for you."

  Cornelli frowned so deeply that her eyes came quite close together.She did not look up any more from her plate.

  Next day quite early the Director departed.

  The village of Iller-Stream, where the church and the school housewere, was quite a distance from the iron works. Cornelli could not goto school there every day because it was much too far. She thereforehad lessons at home, and the teacher her father had chosen came everymorning and taught her in all the necessary subjects. In the afternoonshe was free, except for the work which she had to do for the followingday. That took little time and till now the child had really had avery free existence. She had always found time for a daily visit toMartha and a long conversation with her old friend. She could alsowander freely about the lovely beech wood and along the mountain side.Her time was never parcelled out for her.

  There were many wonderful things to find in the fields and woods, andCornelli never tired of them as long as the sun was shining. If rainor snow prevented her from her strolls, she spent her afternoons inMartha's cosy chamber. There she had the most pleasant times, for theold woman's conversation and tales were for Cornelli a never endingsource of enjoyment.

  The teacher had just left the house. Owing to her father's departure,there had been plenty of material for sentences in her grammar lesson.All the child's answers to his questions had come so promptly to-daythat the teacher had ended his lesson on the stroke of the hour. Healso gave Cornelli special praise for the excellent work she had done.Then he heartily shook her hand.

  The two were the best of friends and the teacher knew his pupil well.Whenever she was very bright and lively, he would work very hard withher and in a short time accomplish three times more than usual. Inorder not to spoil their mutual pleasure he would let her off mostpunctually. But whenever Cornelli was absent-minded and unwilling towork, he progressed slowly and carefully, treating her as if she werethe least bit weak minded.

  He would keep up this procedure till the hand of the clock showed aquarter, a half, or even three-quarters of an hour more than the settime for the lessons. Then Cornelli had hardly more than a quarter ofan hour's time before lunch to run over to the garden, the stable andthe hen house, something she always planned to do. The teacher wouldfinally stop and say in his most friendly manner: "I had to stay solong to-day because we did not do half of what we should have done.You were a little slow in understanding, Cornelli. I hope it will gobetter to-morrow, otherwise your lesson might last still longer."

  It always went much better after that, for Cornelli had no inclinationwhatever to have such a tiresome performance repeated. After such alesson many days went by before she was lazy again. To-day Cornellihad worked quickly and well, for she wanted to have lots of free timebefore lunch. She had not had time to see the little kid sinceyesterday. The lesson over, she flew to the stable. Lunch was set forone o'clock, so there was a whole hour left. Matthew spied theapproaching child and called to her: "Come here, Cornelli! It is justjumping around."

  Cornelli ran into the stable, where she saw the snow-white kid, hoppingmerrily over to its mother and then back again to the hay. It lookedso cunning in its gambols that Cornelli went into perfect raptures.

  "Oh, you darling little thing!" she called out, patting its spotlessfur; "I shall fetch a red ribbon for your neck and then we'll take awalk together." The child accordingly ran back to the house, and huntingabout among her things, soon returned with a bright red ribbon whichshe tied about the little kid's neck. Cornelli was perfectly delighted,for she had never in her life seen a prettier object than the littlecreature with its snow-white fur and the red ribbon round its neck,skipping lightly about. The next moment it lay down in the hay andlooked up happily at Cornelli.

  "Can I take it out for a walk, Matthew? Can I harness it to a littlewagon and drive around with it?" asked the child. She had many plansin her head, one following on top of the other.

  "Wait, wait; we have to let it grow first," replied Matthewthoughtfully. "The most important thing for it is to grow, for it islike a baby that has just learned how to walk. It has to stay near itsmother and can only run about near her. When it is bigger, it can takewalks, and when it is strong and big we can harness it and you candrive it about with two reins in one hand and a long whip in the other."

  Cornelli shouted with joy and patted the kid with new tenderness. Shealready pictured to herself the lovely drives that they would havetogether.

  "Did you hear the bell in the foundry? I am sure it must be time fordinner. You will have to be a little careful now, Cornelli. Rememberthat strange ladies are in the house," said old Matthew with foresight."You can come again this afternoon."

  Cornelli had really heard nothing, for she had been absorbed in hernew pet. She knew that she ought to appear punctually at her meals,so she left right away. She had also noticed that the ladies were notburied behind big newspapers, like her father. While running to thehouse, she passed a hydrant. There she remembered that she had to washher hands, so she held them both under the pipe and rubbed them hard.Then dipping her face in, sh
e rubbed it, too. She had nothing to dryherself with except a very small handkerchief.

  "Hurry up! The ladies are already at table," she heard Esther's voiceurging her from the kitchen window.

  Cornelli ran in and saw both ladies already seated at the table. Infront of her was a full soup plate.

  "You have to come punctually to your meals. I am sure that you canhear the loud bell out in the garden," said the cousin. "But how strangeyou look! Half wet arms, a soaking apron and damp feet. Have you beenin the water, or what have you done?"

  "I washed my hands under the water pump and I got splashed," Cornellianswered.

  "Naturally," remarked Miss Dorner. "There are arrangements in the roomsfor washing hands, which involve no splashing. Go, now, and put onanother apron. You have to be orderly and neat at mealtimes."

  Cornelli departed.

  "The child certainly obeys you--that is something," said Miss Grideelen."Since you told her to, she always comes to table properly washed."

  "That is true. But she has the most unheard-of manners," replied MissDorner.

  "How shall one get rid of those and start the child on the right path?I must ask you to help her in the morning, Miss Mina. Please comb herhair smoothly and part it the way I told you to."

  "I did it, Miss Dorner, and I do it every morning," she answered, quitehurt. "Cornelli's hair is just like bristles and it is very hard tobraid. When she jumps it all gets tangled again and she jumps everymoment."

  Cornelli now came back and ate her soup. Her seat was beside her cousinand faced the other lady.

  "What is sticking to your dress here?" asked Miss Dorner, looking withdisgust at the little skirt. Something was really hanging from thebottom. "Can this be hay or straw? It certainly does not look orderly.I hope you have not come from the stable!"

  "Yes, I have," replied Cornelli.

  "How horrid! Indeed, I can even smell it. That is too much!" sheexclaimed. "I am sure your father would not let you go there if heknew about it."

  "Oh, certainly; he goes himself," Cornelli retorted.

  "Do not reply impertinently. In the case of your father it is quitedifferent," explained Miss Dorner. "I want to tell you something whichyou must remember. If you are allowed to go to the stable and you enjoydoing it, you can go. But when afterwards you come to your meals, youmust first go to your room. Get properly washed there and also changeyour dress. Be sure not to forget."

  "Yes," replied Cornelli.

  "It is very strange what queer pleasures country children have,"remarked Miss Grideelen. "Have you no books, Cornelli? Don't you likereading better than wandering around and going to the stable?"

  "Oh no, I don't like it better, but I have some books," replied thechild.

  "What are you going to do in the afternoon, when you have no morelessons to study?" asked Miss Dorner.

  "I always go to Martha," was the reply.

  "Who is Martha?" inquired the cousin.

  "A woman," said Cornelli.

  "I can guess that," replied the cousin. "But what kind of a woman isshe?"

  "A good one," answered Cornelli quickly.

  "What an answer!" The cousin turned now to Miss Mina: "Who is thiswoman? Can the child go to see her? Does anybody here know about her?"she questioned.

  "Oh yes, she is well known here and was here long before I came," wasMina's reply. "She nursed the mistress of this house in her lastillness. She is a very good woman and always looks neat and clean. Ourmaster likes her well."

  "Now I have really found out something! You must learn to give properanswers, Cornelli, do you hear?" said the cousin. "You are like a wildhare which does everything in leaps and bounds. You can go to see thewoman after finishing your work for your teacher. I am sure you musthave some to do for to-morrow."

  Cornelli assented to this, and as soon as the ladies had left the roomto retire to their bedrooms for the hottest hours of the day, she satdown at her little table in the corner. Here she wrote down a pagewith lightning speed, then taking up her book she read her lesson overand over again till she knew it by heart. Soon she was finished, andflinging the books into the drawer, she ran out of the house.

  "Oh, Martha, I wish you knew how terrible it is at home now since Papahas gone," called Cornelli to her old friend, before she had evenreached the top of the stairs. "I just wish Papa was back already andeverything was again as before."

  "What is it, Cornelli, what makes you so cross? Come, sit down herea while and tell me about it," said Martha kindly. She put a chairbeside her own at the table where her mending lay neatly sorted out.

  "Of course, you can't understand it, Martha," Cornelli continued, justas excited as before. "Here with you everything is always the same andnobody comes and orders everything to be changed. Now, I am not allowedto come in any more without getting washed; now, I cannot come out ofthe stable without changing my clothes. Then I must not wash my handsat the hydrant because I get splashed, and, oh, so many new thingshave to be done; so different from before."

  "I am sure, Cornelli, that it is not at all bad that things should notalways be the way they were before," said Martha reflectively. "Ibelieve that the lady who is related to you wants the same thing fromyou that your mother would have wished had she lived. This is verygood for you. Of course, Miss Mina and Esther mean well, but yourrelation knows much better what is to be done to make you grow up theway your mother would have desired. Just think how happy your fatherwould be if you should resemble your mother and he be reminded of herevery time he looked at you. You well know what great joy that wouldbe to him."

  Cornelli did know that her father would be very happy then, for he hadmade many remarks which she had understood. A short time ago he hadsaid that his cousin found no likeness between his child and her mother,and Cornelli had observed the sad expression of his eyes when he hadsaid it.

  Cornelli shook her head. "You said once that my mother was differentfrom anybody," she said. "So I can't ever be like her; you said soyourself, Martha."

  "Yes, yes, I have said that," confirmed Martha. "But I have to explainsomething to you, Cornelli. If you can't become exactly like yourmother, you certainly can become more like her than anybody else, foryou are her child, and a child always has something from her mother.I have seen you look at me just the way she did, with the same browneyes; but not when you frown the way you do to-day. You must try towatch the two ladies very carefully in all they do and in the way theyspeak. They are your mother's kind, and that is why I am so glad thatyou can watch their manners and can try to imitate them. You can learnto resemble your mother in your ways, if you copy the ladies."

  "Yes, I shall do that," agreed Cornelli. "Just the same, I am notterribly pleased that they are here and that everything has to bechanged. Oh dear, I have just remembered that I have to be back nowand drink some hot coffee and milk, because Miss Dorner says that theafternoons are so frightfully long in the country they have to beinterrupted. At that time I always used to get from the garden someapples or cherries or whatever else there was, and they always tastedso awfully good. If I only could lengthen my afternoon, which seemstoo long to them! I never can do all I plan to do. Good-bye, Martha."

  And with these words Cornelli ran away.

  CHAPTER IV

  THE UNWISHED-FOR HAPPENS