Religion very nice must be, Much it pleases the people we see.

"The fundamental idea is very beautiful," said the teacher, "but it ought to have been developed better."

The wig nodded acquiescence.

Trudie Gier: "Juffrouw Pennewip."

The path of virtue she shows us each day, And we are glad to go that way; And as there's nothing to do more fitting, She teaches us sewing, darning and knitting.

The wig fairly leaped with pleasure, and the curls embraced one another. This out-pouring of Trudie's heart was borne at once to Juffrouw Pennewip, and was later hung by the fireplace in honor of the poetess and the subject of the poem.

Then followed a sublime poem on G.o.d by Klaasje van der Gracht, the son of the Catechist. He was thirteen years old, and had not been vaccinated--out of regard for predestination.

"If only his father didn't help him!"

The wig was rigid with astonishment.

Louwtje de Wilde: "Friendship."

Friendship very nice must be, Much it pleases the people we see.

The wig seemed dissatisfied. The "Religion" of Lucas de Wilde was pulled out and compared with Louwtje's "Friendship."

"H--emm. It is possible. Another example of how one thought can originate in two heads at the same time."

Wimpje de Wilde: "Fishing."

Fishing very----

"What's that?"

Yes, really, there it was again:

Fishing very nice must be, Much it pleases the people we see.

The wig was moving continually. It looked as if it were fishing too.

The teacher looked hurriedly through the remaining poems and picked out the offspring of the entire Wilde connection. His worst suspicions were realized. Mietje de Wilde, Kees de Wilde, Piet and Jan de Wilde--all uniformly declared that religion, friendship, fishing, dreaming, cauliflower and deception "very nice must be," and that they were also very pleasing "to the people we see." A regular flood of the nice and pleasing.

Now, what do you suppose the wig did? It did the best thing that could be done under the circ.u.mstances. More could not be expected of a wig. As soon as it saw the futility of its efforts to comprehend the difference between fishing, friendship, deception, dreams, religion and cauliflower, it merely ignored the whole matter, readjusted itself and a.s.sumed an expression of expectancy for what was yet to come.

Leentje de Haas: "Admiral de Ruyter."

Pulling the rope with emotion, To the top of the mast he came, And then he went to the ocean, And won for himself great fame.

And very much more he perfected, Saleh he vanquished, too; A hero he was then elected, With nothing else to do.

The wig lifted itself, the curls applauding enthusiastically. It was evidently pleased.

Grete Wauzer: "The Caterpillar."

The caterpillar, free from care, Crawls on the tree just over there.

"Descriptive poetry. A daring idea--the caterpillar crawling on the tree free from care."

Wig: Quiet.

Ah, the pleasure of a wig is short-lived! And how soon was this one--but I will not antic.i.p.ate. Soon, all too soon, the reader will know the worst.

Walter Pieterse: "A Robber Song."

"Aha, what's this? And 'goodness'? But where has he written on goodness?"

The teacher could scarcely believe his eyes. He turned the sheet of paper over and examined the back side, hoping to discover there some lines on goodness.

Then he saw that on Walter's sheet there was not a trace of "goodness."

Oh, wretched wig!

Yes, wretched wig! For after it had suffered as never wig had suffered before, after it had been pulled at and tugged at and martyred in a manner beyond even the imagination of the Wilde family, Master Pennewip s.n.a.t.c.hed it from his head, twisted it convulsively in his hands, stammered a short "Heaven-human-Christian-soul-good-gracious-my-life--how is it possible!" slapped it on his head again, covered it with his venerable cap and burst out the door like one possessed.

He was on his way to Walter's home, where we shall soon see him arrive. As a conscientious historian, however, it will be my duty first to give an account of the happenings there.

CHAPTER VIII

"Goodness, I'm glad to see you! And so early, too! Leetje, place a chair over there and get the footstool, but be in a hurry, or I'd rather do it myself. And how are you? Juffrouw Laps is coming too, you know--Myntje, you'd better be thinking of your dough and stop combing your head. That girl can't keep her hands off of her hair when there's company. But do take a seat--no, not in the corner; there's a draft there."

There was no more draft in this corner than is usual to corners; but Mrs. Stotter was only a Vrouw, and not a "Juffrouw." She had no right to the seat of honour; for on all occasions a Juffrouw takes precedence of a Vrouw, just as a Mevrouw takes precedence of a Juffrouw. Everyone must keep his place, especially those in III, 7, b1; or c., where etiquette is observed more closely than at the court of Madrid. The care and anxiety of the mistress of ceremonies make her work most trying, and, too, not merely for Juffrouw Pieterse.

"Ah, my dear Juffrouw Pieterse, I was so surprised when Louwie came to invite me, for I had just remarked to Wimpje, who makes caps, you know--no, thank you, Pietje, I don't care for any just now--I said to Wimpje, I wonder what Juffrouw Pieterse is doing, for I hadn't heard from you in so long, you know--yes, just throw it aside, it's my old one; I knew you wouldn't mind my wearing my old one--and then Wimpje said----"