Emma Field Book I - coming of age in the changing times of the mid-19th century

Chapter X - Learning

The schoolroom's wood stove was pinging with heat as Anna Williams, straight as a pine tree, entered the room. Mr. Brown cleared his throat at the front of the classroom. He was paler than ever, his eyelids heavy. Last night Anna's father had spoken with Mr. Brown in the front parlor. Emma felt a drop of secret pleasure knowing this; but she knew that every child would need to be on guard today.

"Reading from the Apocrypha...Let us pray...," Mr. Brown intoned. His spirits seemed bruised as he led the children through the opening exercises. "We will begin with mathematics this morning, since so many of you were having difficulty yesterday. Second form, slates ready? Twelve divided by six." To Emma's right, Anna scratched the question on her slate. "George Robertson?"

"I don't know, sir."

"What do you mean, you don't know? Anna Williams?"

"Twelve divided by six is two, sir."

"How do you know that?"

"I learned it."

"Who taught you? Is your mother teaching you at home? Don't you know that I am fully capable of teaching you?"

"No, sir. Yes, sir."

Emma looked out the window at the yellow ribbons of willow and silently prayed that Mr. Brown might today leave them alone.

He did leave them alone and the morning passed as slowly as the afternoon usually did. Finally, with their lunch buckets empty of cheese and bread, the children buttoned and tied their outer garments in preparation for leaving.

"So, your mother is teaching you at home, Anna? My mother says she will teach me in the new year," said Jane Morgan as they stepped out into the wind. She tucked her shawl under the puffiness of her hair.

"My mother didn't teach me at all. Emma did!" called Anna over her shoulder.

"You?" asked Jane in puzzlement.

"Yes, me. Dr. Watson showed me how to teach her. Want me to show you? All right, then gather some little things...stones, twigs...it doesn't matter what."

The girls sat on the big rocks against the fence. Anna and Mary Victoria leaned against the trees and they listened as Emma explained the mysteries of division.

"Well, that's easy! Why didn't Mr. Brown explain it that way a long time ago?"

"Because he's an injured soldier who can't get other work," said Mary Victoria.

"Is that true?" asked Emma.

"Yep. But he'd better treat us kindly or he will be teaching somewhere else. That's what Father said."

"What if we tricked him somehow, then he'd be mean and he'd be made to leave?" asked Jane.

"Tricked him? He'll be mean enough to us without our helping him along! Anna, why did your parents send John to the boarding school, especially when your father is a trustee of this school?"

"Send him? They didn't send him," laughed Mary Victoria. "I don't think Mother and Father could send him anywhere! He wanted to go because he thought it was a waste of time with Mr. Brown. He wanted to learn more – about mathematics and business and farming."

"Farming? Your father is such a good farmer, John could learn everything he needed from him, couldn't he? Daniel is the eldest. He'll be taking over the farm, won't he?"

"No, Daniel is homesteading. He is clearing land near Allisonville."

"And he is to be married this Christmas!" added Mary Victoria. "John finds that boring!"