Part 4 (1/2)
There was no natural science then. Even to-day there is room for improvement along this line. It is said that some advance has been made recently. It is more useful for a child to know how corn grows than to be able to call the name of it in a foreign language. I don't say that either is incompatible with the other.
The public schools were most deficient at the time when Walter and Keesje were slowly crawling around the arena of honor; but I doubt if one could say much more of the ”inst.i.tutes” of to-day. I would advise everyone to visit such a school as he attended when a boy; and I am convinced that after this test many a father who has the welfare of his children at heart will prefer to keep them at home. One comes to the conclusion, that after all in the school of clever Master Miller, who was so clever that he got himself addressed as M'sieu Millaire, precious little was to be learned.
Failing to make this test we continue to believe in the infallibility of M'sieu of Millaire. We always consider that one a great man whom we have known in childhood and haven't seen since.
When I remarked a moment ago that school-teachers are paid so n.i.g.g.ardly, I didn't mean that their remuneration was insufficient, considering the quality and quant.i.ty of the goods delivered--knowledge, scholars.h.i.+p, education. I only had in mind the bitterness of their lot, and the poor indemnity given to the man who spends his life in a wasp's nest.
In addition to versifying, Pennewip had still another hobby, which gave him more claim to a throne than did anything else. He was possessed with the mania for cla.s.sifying, a pa.s.sion known to few, but still of not infrequent occurrence. I have never quite understood the disease; and I gave up my search for the ”first cause” as soon as I saw how difficult it is to get around with a hobby-horse taken from somebody else's stable. So I am going to give only a short sketch of Pennewip's harmless animal.
Everything that he saw, perceived, experienced he divided into families, cla.s.ses, genera, species and sub-species, and made of the human race a sort of botanical garden, in which he was the Linne. He regarded that as the only possible way to grasp the final purpose of creation and clear up all obscure things, both in and out of school. He even went so far as to say that Walter's New Testament would have turned up again if Juffrouw Pieterse had only been able to tell to what cla.s.s the man belonged who had bound the volume in black leather. But that was something she didn't know.
As for myself, I shouldn't have said a word about Pennewip's mania for cla.s.sifying everything, if I hadn't thought it might help me to give the reader a better picture of our hero and his surroundings. I should have preferred to leave the said Pennewip in undisturbed intercourse with the muses; but we shall have occasion later to refer to his poetic art, when we shall quote some poems by his pupils.
After the usual general division into ”animate” and ”inanimate”--the good man gave the human race only one soul--followed a system that looked like a pyramid. On the top was G.o.d with the angels and spirits and other accessories, while the oysters and polyps and mussels were crawling about down near the base, or lying still--just as they pleased. Half way up stood kings, members of school-boards, mayors, legislators, theologians and D.D.'s. Next under these were professors and merchants who do not work themselves. Then came doctors of things profane, i. e., those driving double rigs, also lawyers and unt.i.tled preachers, the Colonel of the City Militia, the Rector of the Latin School. Philosophers (only those who have developed a system), doctors with one horse, doctors without any horse and poets were further down. Rather low down, and not far from the mussels, was the seventh sub-division of the third cla.s.s of the ”citizen population.” Our hero would come under this sub-section.
Citizen Population, Cla.s.s III., 7th Sub-Division.
People Living in Rented Flats.
a. Entrance for tenants only. Three-window front. Two stories, with back-rooms. The boys sleep alone, dress, however, with the girls. Fresh straw in case a baby is born. Learning French, poems at Christmas. The girls are sometimes called Lena or Maria, but seldom Louise. Darning. The boys work in offices. One girl kept, sewing-girl, and ”person for the rough work.” Was.h.i.+ng at home. Read sermons by Palm. Pickled pork on Sundays, with table-cloth, liquor after coffee. Religion. Respectability.
b 1. Still three windows. One story. Neighbors live above who ring twice (Vide b. 2). Leentje, Mietje; Louise heard seldom. House-door opened with a cord, which is sleek from long use. Sleep in one room. Straw-heaps in cases of confinement. One maid-servant for everything. Sundays cheese, no liquor, but religion and respectability as above.
b 2. Neighbors who ring twice. About as above. No maid, only a ”person for the rough work.” Seamstress. White table-cloth. Cheese from time to time, only occasionally. Religion as above.
c. One story higher. Two-window front. Small projecting back-room. The entire family sleeps in two beds. No trace of straw. The boys are called Louw, Piet, or Gerrit, and become watchmakers or type-setters. A few become sailors. Continual wrangle with the neighbors about the waste-water. Religion as above. a.s.sociate with ”respectable folk.” Read ”Harlemmer” with III. 7, b. 2. No maid, or person for rough work, but a seamstress on seven stivers and a piece of bread and b.u.t.ter.
That brings us to Juffrouw Pieterse.
The reader will now have a very good idea of Walter's environment, and will readily understand why I said he had a ”city complexion.” That was when we saw him in the Hartenstraat, on the road to fame, or on the road to that nameless ”other thing” of Juffrouw Laps. At all events he was on his way to things that will occupy our attention for some time yet.
CHAPTER VI
It was Wednesday, and the Pieterses were going to give a party. Juffrouw Laps had been invited, also the Juffrouw living over the dairy, whose husband was employed at the ”bourse.” Further Mrs. Stotter, who had been a midwife for so long and was still merely ”very respectable.” Then the widow Zipperman, whose daughter had married some fellow in the insurance business, or something of the kind. Also the baker's wife. That was unavoidable: it was impossible to buy all kinds of pastry and cakes without her finding out what was up. Then the Juffrouw living below and to the rear. Of course she wouldn't come, but the Pieterses wanted to show that they had forgotten the late quarrel over the broken window-pane. If she didn't come that was the end of the matter, so far as Juffrouw Pieterse was concerned. She would have nothing more to do with the Juffrouw from below. I may add that the lady from below did not come, and that her name was stricken from the calling-list of those higher up.
The children were to go to bed early, with the promise of a cup of sage-milk for breakfast if they would not make any noise the entire evening. This drink largely took the place of tea then. It was thought that the ”noise” made by children would not be appreciated. Walter got permission to go play with the Halleman boys, who were thought to be very respectable. He must be at home by eight o'clock; but this was said in a tone that gave him no cause to fear a reprimand in case he should stay out later. Laurens, who of course was an apprentice to a printer, and usually came home about seven o'clock in the evening, was big enough to be present with the guests, but must promise to sit still and drink only two gla.s.ses. The big girls were to be present as a matter of course: They had been confirmed. Stoffel presided. His business was to meet the gentlemen when they came for the ladies about ten o'clock, and entertain the company with stories of Mungo Park.
Leentje was to remain till the people were all there, as it was so inconvenient to have to open the door every time. She could make herself useful in arranging the table and doing other things incident to such occasions. But she ”must move about a little brisker,”
otherwise they would prefer to do everything themselves.
The eldest of the girls, Juffrouw Truitje, must look after the ”sage-milk.” Pietje had charge of the sandwiches; but Myntje was to see to it that the b.u.t.ter was spread a little thicker, for the last time the bread had been too dry.
Everything was going to turn out so nicely, ”if only Juffrouw Laps wouldn't talk so much.” That was her failing. And, too, they hoped that the widow Zipperman would ”brag a little less about her son-in-law.” This was considered a source of weariness. And the Juffrouw who lived over the dairy ”might be more modest.” She had ”never lived in such a fine house”; and as for the shop--that was no disgrace; and on the top floor--but one cannot tell how it will be.
No one understood why the baker's wife used so many French words, which was not becoming in one of her station. ”If she does it this evening, Stoffel, say something to me that she can't understand, then she will find out that we are not 'from the street,' that we know what's what.”