Tina

“ Presently they saw, not far off, what at first looked like the stump of a tree; but, on coming up to it, Tina saw it was an old woman, all huddled up. She had a quantity of leaves spread out before her, and she was saying, over and over:
“Turn to red and turn to gold,
Though we’re young, we must be old.” 34“What is she doing?” whispered Tina. ”

“ But Tina had other moods—alas! poor girl—which could also find their expression in her face, a weary bitterness that could make her lips cold and hard, could rob her cheek of its freshness and her features of their youth. And then, besides, if she ever found herself alone with any member of the sex that was not her own, there was yet another expression to be observed in [81] her eyes, which could impart to them the most attractive charm—a look of the softest, tenderest sympathy, which held as by magic the male glance bent on hers. ”

“ Tina mused aloud to herself. "God sends us omens to prepare us for misfortune! Black should be the only color of my nuptial ribbons, grandma! Only black! Nominoë does not come. The hour has passed—he will not come."
The belief in omens was so general in Brittany that, however singular or unreasonable in appearance, Tina's persistency in her presentiments impressed her companions. ”

“ Malison in despair—anxiety lent roughness to her voice. “This is nonsense, Tina. Come up-stairs this minute. The idea! with nothing on your feet—you’ll get your death of cold.” She led the girl to her own bed, tucking the soft form with resolute fingers, and lying [179] down herself afterwards under the coverlet with her cheek against Tina’s chill flesh.
“Oh, Tina, as if mother could ever be glad if you were unhappy! It’s just because I fear that if you have what you want that it will only be for your unhappiness that I look as I do. If your father were only at home!” ”

“ And then, out of the stillness, came a little gentle voice, full of wistful pathos.
"Oh, Tina Malone! Don't you know yet who it is? Oh, Tina Malone! We are together at last. Don't you know that our spirits have met and that it is through the things of the Occult World?"
The little voice had the silence all to itself. ”

“ Tugh and Tina had used it that morning. Gazing down its blue-lit length Larry saw, fifty feet or so away, that there was a metal-grid barrier which must be part of the electrical fortifications of the palace. A human guard was sitting there at a tiny gate-way, a hood-light above him, illumining his black and white garbed figure.
Tina called softly. "All well, Alent? Tugh has not passed back?"
"No, Princess," he answered, standing erect. The voices echoed through the confined space with a muffled blur.
"Let no one pass but humans, Alent." ”

“ Hearing the lessons he gives to others has interested and amused me so much, that I took a fancy to learn; for Tina runs in and out, leaving the door open, and I can hear. I had been sitting near this door, finishing off the last sock, and trying to understand what he said to a new scholar, who is as stupid as I am; the girl had gone, and I thought he had also, it was so still, and I was busily gabbling over a verb, and rocking to and fro in a most absurd way, when a little crow made me look up, and there was Mr. Bhaer looking and laughing quietly, when he made signs to Tina not to betray him. ”

“ Maybe she will let you go with her to-night, as you are a stranger here.”
“What shall we do now?” asked Tina.
“Oh, we can slide down the rainbow, or rock in one of the hammocks, or go sailing on the water.”
“I am almost afraid to slide down the rainbow; it goes right into the water.”
89“Yes, but you go right through that; it won’t hurt you. When we are in a hurry we go down to earth that way.”
“I think I would rather rock in a hammock.”
“Very well; come with me.”
She took Tina farther away from the sea, and in another moment she was lying on the softest, rosiest cloud, with Fleecy by her side. ”

“ Her moist eyes, piercing the glass in the leaden frame of the narrow window in the room, wandered far away, vainly expecting for a long time to see the nuptial procession at the head of which her betrothed was to appear. Tina's friends exchanged a few words in a low voice, while the grandmother held in her hands the nuptial ribbons—white, signifying the innocence of the bride; red, her beauty; and black, her sorrow at leaving her family. ”

“ But Tony laughed and looked shy.
"No, no, no, no," he said, "you musn't. If you let yourself give way to these things you'll become very ill—You must not do it, Tina!"
I felt horribly crushed. I had longed all my life to be an actress especially of this kind, and could so well catch the spirit of it—all the little arch and coquettish turns of the head and hands, tricks of voice and manner, and quaint little dancing movements of the body.
But Tony was firm. He was sorry for me I could see. He went away early and asked me to write to him again soon and tell him how I was. ”

“ They all gathered around Miss Sunshine, and some of them went out with her; but two or three stayed behind to have their lessons explained by Miss Wind and Miss Rain.
“Where is Snow-drop?” said Tina. “I have not seen her.”
“She is so little and delicate she doesn’t often come to school. She is with Eolus, Miss Wind’s brother; he is so fond of music, and Snow-drop loves to hear him play.”
65They passed along through the garden, and everywhere Miss Sunshine went it looked brighter. She smiled down on Tina, and Tina blushed with pleasure. ”

“ In some unexplained way Tina wasn’t with them; something ineffably bright and soul-inspiring had dropped out of the household. The loss of it made a growing little undercurrent of uneasiness, of anxiety. Through all the daily living there is in every home a fateful knowledge of the unexpressed. ”

“ Anything and everything to make her miserable, self-conscious, selfish. And the same chores as though she weren't going to leave at all. "Vida, let Tina out. Vida, let Tina in. Vida, give Tina this bone." What a garbage can! Pa drunk and smelling like an old beer barrel. "A great big eighteen-year-old girl who never helps her poor hardworking mother." Too young to leave, too old to leave. Eighteen in two months. Ma with her whine, Pa with his smell, holding her in a vise. Do not honor thy Father and Mother. Oh my!
When the train at last pulled out she felt herself a criminal. ”

“ But Bessie would not believe and told me not to talk such nonsense.
Once more she came to me but it was some months later.
I was forced to leave those rooms.
Once more I packed my books and took down my pictures.
As I sat, tired out, the last day, I felt the consciousness of my mother's spirit once more. My head began to move sadly to and fro and the old well-remembered smile came on my face. But she did not want to come.
"Why do you do it, Tina? Why do you do it?" she said in reproach. "You know it's not right—You know it's not right." ”

“ Then his eyes fell on a group of photographs in the shape of postal cards; a wonderful assortment of fleshlings, of young ladies who dazzle and display abundant charms before the footlights. He remembered that an explanation was due to Snorky, and that the explanation would have to be very convincing. One photograph fascinated him; it was so like the way Tina would look, if there were a Tina! ”

“ Gathered close to their mothers bosom, they were too full of joy for words, till the dear Papa came flying like the wind with Tina, whose locks were all blown about her face, and little garments sadly ruffled with his speed. But when she saw who waited for her, she fluttered from one to the other, eager to welcome them back, and show that she could fly as well as they. Then, lying in their mother's arms, they told all their wanderings, and the hope each cherished that the good Star's lessons had been so well learned that they could never be forgotten. ”

“ Before they could rally, Harland came to the rescue with the carriage; and Tina pushed both of us into it. It was one of those double phaetons which we all used to have then. I don't know whether Tina's mercy would have included the dog; but he included himself with a flying leap into Nannie's lap."
"And that was how you met Nancy?" said Mrs. Clymer. "You took her home, didn't you, and found her conversation on the way very entertaining?"
"Entrancing. She was full of thrilling knowledge of the world. She went to school all alone. ”

“ There was a little rustle, and Tina saw the maiden glide forward and stand by the prince.
“Go, my children,” said the king; “the world will be glad to see you together, and I hope your dear Breeze will grow stronger, for the world’s sake,” he said to the prince. “I see now that it would not do to part you.”
Then there was a sound of rushing wings. Tina felt a cool air blowing on her face; the palace, the prince, and all seemed to melt away, and she was looking around the parlor to find that a shutter on the shady side of the room had blown open, and 19quite a breeze was blowing. ”

“ Reckless, capricious, improvident, with no education in the laws of right and wrong, with a love of amusement which had never been restrained by any fear for another besides herself—Tina might have been held, in spite of comparative youth and innocence, to represent one part of the darker side of life, the type of woman who through all succeeding ages has been able to be the danger, if not the ruin, of man. ”

“ It is impossible to hide one’s secrets. The whole family felt sure that Tina was thinking of Francis Fanshawe, though she never even looked out of the window when he spun past it, as sometimes happened, in his big, white motor car, filled with a gay crowd of bugle-blowing boys. Elinor, with the tacit consent of her elders, actually wrote a note inviting him to the house. He came, indeed, but Tina refused to see him, playing checkers up-stairs in the library with Robert, who had a meditative, humorous way of beating her, while Elinor, perforce, did the entertaining. ”

“ The mother went around all day with a stone on her heart, that made her face white and drawn and breathing difficult, while Annette and Elinor talked excitedly and incessantly with household avocations half done, and sought the dear little wayward sister separately afterwards, Annette with mute caresses, and larges pieces of bread and jam to supplement the lack of a breakfast, and Elinor with intelligent reasoning as she put the child’s collar straight and fastened her belt. Tina had never dressed herself alone in her life. ”

“ It seems that Tina is the child of the Frenchwoman who does the fine ironing in the laundry here. The little thing has lost her heart to Mr. Bhaer, and follows him about the house like a dog whenever he is at home, which delights him,—as he is very fond of children, though a 'bacheldore.' Kitty and Minnie Kirke likewise regard him with affection, and tell all sorts of stories about the plays he invents, the presents he brings, and the splendid tales he tells. The young men quiz him, it seems, call him Old Fritz, Lager Beer, Ursa Major, and make all manner of jokes on his name. ”

“ A MAGIC ROSE. “Well, here you are again,” she said. “You must have wings. I don’t see how else you could get about as you do. I really am tired of you;” and, giving the fan a fling, she threw it over the wall.
“Ha! ha! You can’t get rid of me that way,” said some one. “You’ll have to give me a rose now.”
71“Who on earth is that?” said Tina. And a little girl appeared on the other side of the wall.
“I suppose you came out of the fan?” said Tina.
“Of course,” said she. “You had no business to throw the fan away; and now you will have to give me a rose for it.” ”

“ You’ve always been down on Francis! And I don’t care whether I keep on with my studies or not.”
“Tina!” Elinor carefully inserted the bathtub in the cage before flinging herself volubly upon the subject. “Tina, you can’t mean that—you want to be educated, I hope! Besides, you’ll enjoy coming out into society a great deal more later, and if you’re seen everywhere now, people will be taking you for much older than you are.”
“I wouldn’t care!” Tina’s defiant tone took on an increasing rapidity. “I don’t see what good it does to be educated, anyway. People like you just as well when you’re silly. ”

“ Just then the cat got up, stretched herself, and walked over to where Tina was sitting. She jumped up on the lounge and put her paw in Tina’s lap.
77 78Tina looked around for the little girl, but she was gone, and only the rose was lying where she had been sitting.
Tina picked up the rose, but the cat took it from her, saying, “You must not have that till you go. Now it is time for me to take another nap; so you can go to your room.” And, holding the rose in her paw, she gave Tina a tap with it, and she at once found that she was in her own room at home. ”

“ The long night thro’ the feasters cried them thro’ the hills and none but Him could shield our Tina from their din.
“Take heart, my lad, I fear me yet to look within the crib. Hold thou my hand, man. Nay, not yet! Come, waken Leta that she then do feed thy lambs.”
(Timon) “Come, Leta, wake! The sun hath tipped the crown o’ yonder hill and spread a blush adown her snow-white side.”
(Leta) “Yea, sire. And Tina, how be she?”
(Timon) “A fairy, sleeping, Tad.”
(Leta) “Ah, sire, but I did dream the dark 140o’ yesterday away. And, mother, she doth strain unto the sun! I see her eyes be-glistened. ”

“ Tina is a perfect baby. Who cares what a foolish little flirting thing says about Elizabeth! You ought not to repeat such speeches."
"There is always so much gossip in a village," observed Malcolm, with a laudable intention of casting oil on the troubled waters, for he saw that Dinah was really vexed at Cedric's careless speech; "and an unmarried curate is always rather an attraction to some genus of young ladies."
"Mr. Carlyon never encouraged them," returned Dinah quietly. "The fact is, Mr. Herrick, Tina Ross is rather a mischievous little person. ”