Education of Patience Goodspeed

Chapter Thirteen For a love letter, good paper is indispensable. -- Ladies' Indispensable Assistant, Being a Companion for the Sister, Mother, and Wife"That beast must go," said Reverend Wiggins flatly, who was, predictably, furious when the insects were identified as fleas. Thaddeus looked so downcast at this pronouncement that Dr. Phillips stepped in."Don't you think you're being a bit hasty, Brother Wiggins?" he said."Nonsense -- this heathen hound has brought a pestilence upon us," retorted Reverend Wiggins. "He must be banished."Dr. Phillips rubbed his chin, his gaze shifting from my brother to Friday, who had slunk onto his belly next to Thaddeus and was looking suitably hangdog."Come now, Titus, this is an affliction that a good scrubbing will cure," he said. "Young Thaddeus here is obviously taken with the creature. It would do the boy a world of good to have a pet, what with his father so far away and all.""But we have limited resources here at the school," protested Reverend Wiggins. "And I am highly vexed that Captain Goodspeed didn't see fit to send along a donation to cover its care.""I'm quite sure table scraps will suffice. Having a dog is good for a boy's health. For that of your boys as well. Keeps them fit.""Their health, you say?" said Reverend Wiggins suspiciously. "Absolutely," said Dr. Phillips. Reverend Wiggins looked down at Friday with distaste. Friday stared back up at him, panting happily. One eye was headed due east, the other due west. "Oh, very well, then," he said, not bothering to disguise his irritation.Dr. Phillips smiled. "It's settled, then."Reverend Wiggins nodded reluctantly. "Doctor's orders." August 31, 1836After our poor flea-bitten guests had taken their leave, Mrs. Wiggins set us all to work vanquishing the intruders. First we boiled water, great vats of it, with which we doused the lanai's wooden floor. After the boards were duly scrubbed, we sprinkled them thoroughly with salt, making sure that plenty of it fell between the cracks. We left it overnight, then swept it up this morning.The remedy appears to be effective, for the "pestilence of fleas," as the much chagrined Reverend Wiggins calls it, seems to be over.I only hope that Thaddeus and Friday manage to stay out of further trouble. -- P. At exactly ten minutes before noon a couple of days later, as Fanny was supervising La'ila'i and the other girls in setting the tables for luncheon, Aunt Anne left the parlor and headed for the girls' privy. I waited for a minute or two, then did likewise, looking back over my shoulder several times to make sure we weren't being followed. But no one paid us any heed.Our privy was situated on a small rise on the far side of the dormitories, shielded from public view by a thicket of hala trees. Aunt Anne was waiting for me, gazing out toward the distant Pacific. "Did you bring it?" she asked.I patted my pinafore pocket. "Right here."Aunt Anne checked the small gold watch pinned to the bodice of her dress. "It's time," she said.I reached into my pocket, brought out my sextant, and handed it to her. "Mathematics has never been my strong suit, but I firmly believe it's never too late to teach an old dog new tricks," Aunt Anne had told me last night when she asked if I'd teach her to navigate. "Plus, it will be a surprise for Isaiah. Two assistant navigators for the price of one."Papa would indeed be surprised, I thought. I, on the other hand, was not. Aunt Anne's curiosity knew no bounds. Fanny was right; her nose was always stuck in a book, but only because she wanted to know about everything she encountered. The name of every bird, of every plant, of every constellation in the sky -- Aunt Anne drank in information like a sponge. She'd even managed to inspire the boys with her enthusiasm for learning by setting them to collecting insects in paFrederick, Heather Vogel is the author of 'Education of Patience Goodspeed', published 2004 under ISBN 9780689864117 and ISBN 0689864116.