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porch for his violin。
Five minutes later； Simeon Holly； coming into the kitchen； heard the
sound of a violin through the open window。 At the same moment his eyes
fell on the woodbox； empty save for a few small sticks at the bottom。 With
an angry frown he strode through the outer door and around the corner of
the house to the garden。 At once then he came upon David； sitting Turk…
fashion in the middle of the path before the pansy…bed； his violin at his
chin； and his whole face aglow。
〃Well； boy； is this the way you fill the woodbox？〃 demanded the man
crisply。
David shook his head。
〃Oh； no； sir； this isn't filling the woodbox；〃 he laughed； softening his
music； but not stopping it。 〃Did you think that was what I was playing？ It's
the flowers here that I'm playingthe little faces； like people； you know。
See； this is that big yellow one over there that's laughing；〃 he finished；
letting the music under his fingers burst into a gay little melody。
Simeon Holly raised an imperious hand； and at the gesture David
stopped his melody in the middle of a run； his eyes flying wide open in
plain wonderment。
〃You meanI'm not playingright？〃 he asked。
〃I'm not talking of your playing；〃 retorted Simeon Holly severely。 〃I'm
talking of that woodbox I asked you to fill。〃
David's face cleared。
〃Oh； yes； sir。 I'll go and do it；〃 he nodded； getting cheerfully to his
feet。
〃But I told you to do it before。〃
David's eyes grew puzzled again。
〃I know； sir； and I started to；〃 he answered； with the obvious patience
of one who finds himself obliged to explain what should be a self…evident
fact； 〃but I saw so many beautiful things； one after another； and when I
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JUST DAVID
found these funny little flower…people I just had to play them。 Don't you
see？〃
〃No； I can't say that I do； when I'd already told you to fill the
woodbox；〃 rejoined the man； with uncompromising coldness。
〃You meaneven then that I ought to have filled the woodbox first？〃
〃I certainly do。〃
David's eyes flew wide open again。
〃But my songI'd have lost it！〃 he exclaimed。 〃And father said always
when a song came to me to play it at once。 Songs are like the mists of the
morning and the rainbows； you know； and they don't stay with you long。
You just have to catch them quick； before they go。 Now； don't you see？〃
But Simeon Holly； with a despairingly scornful gesture； had turned
away； and David； after a moment's following him with wistful eyes；
soberly walked toward the kitchen door。 Two minutes later he was
industriously working at his task of filling the woodbox。
That for David the affair was not satisfactorily settled was evidenced
by his thoughtful countenance and preoccupied air； however； nor were
matters helped any by the question David put to Mr。 Holly just before
dinner。
〃Do you mean；〃 he asked； 〃that because I didn't fill the woodbox right
away； I was being a discord？〃
〃You were what？〃 demanded the amazed Simeon Holly。
〃Being a discordplaying out of tune； you know；〃 explained David；
with patient earnestness。 〃Father said〃 But again Simeon Holly had
turned irritably away； and David was left with his perplexed questions still
unanswered。
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JUST DAVID
CHAPTER VI
NUISANCES； NECESSARY
AND OTHERWISE
For some time after dinner； that first day； David watched Mrs。 Holly
in silence while she cleared the table and began to wash the dishes。
〃Do you want me tohelp？〃 he asked at last； a little wistfully。
Mrs。 Holly； with a dubious glance at the boy's brown little hands；
shook her head。
〃No； I don't。 No； thank you；〃 she amended her answer。
For another sixty seconds David was silent； then； still more wistfully；
he asked： 〃Are all these things you've been doing all day 'useful
labor'？〃
Mrs。 Holly lifted dripping hands from the dishpan and held them
suspended for an amazed instant。
〃Are theyWhy； of course they are！ What a silly question！ What put
that idea into your head； child？〃
〃Mr。 Holly； and you see it's so different from what father used to call
them。〃
〃Different？〃
〃Yes。 He said they were a necessary nuisance；dishes； and getting
meals； and clearing up；and he didn't do half as many of them as you do；
either。〃
〃Nuisance； indeed！〃 Mrs。 Holly resumed her dishwashing with some
asperity。 〃Well； I should think that might have been just about like him。〃
〃Yes； it was。 He was always that way；〃 nodded David pleasantly。 Then；
after a moment； he queried： 〃But aren't you going to walk at all to…day？〃
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JUST DAVID
〃To walk？ Where？〃
〃Why； through the woods and fieldsanywhere。〃
〃Walking in the woods； NOWJUST WALKING？ Land's sake； boy；
I've got something else to do！〃
〃Oh； that's too bad； isn't it？〃 David's face expressed sympathetic
regret。〃 And it's such a nice day！ Maybe it'll rain by tomorrow。〃
〃Maybe it will；〃 retorted Mrs。 Holly； with slightly uplifted eyebrows
and an expressive glance。 〃But whether it does or does n't won't make any
difference in my going to walk； I guess。〃
〃Oh； won't it？〃 beamed David； his face changing。 〃I'm so glad！ I don't
mind the rain； either。 Father and I used to go in the rain lots of times； only；
of course； we couldn't take our violins then； so we used to like the pleasant
days better。 But there are some things you find on rainy days that you
couldn't find any other time； aren't there？ The dance of the drops on the
leaves； and the rush of the rain when the wind gets behind it。 Don't you
love to feel it； out in the open spaces； where the wind just gets a good
chance to push？〃
Mrs。 Holly stared。 Then she shivered and threw up her hands with a
gesture of hopeless abandonment。
〃Land's sake； boy！〃 she ejaculated feebly； as she turned back to her
work。
From dishes to sweeping； and from sweeping to dusting； hurried Mrs。
Holly； going at last into the somber parlor； always carefully guarded from
su