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But thou," some one else, not mentioned, "thou sawedst it!" The last word was still on the speaker's lips, when there beside the path, with heavy eye and drunken frown, stood the father of Crébiche, the son of Catou, the little boy of twenty-five known as Chat-oué. He spoke: "To who is dat you speak? Talk wid de dev'?" Bonaventure murmured a salutation, touched his hat, and passed.
Again the riddle went unanswered; but Catou sat as if in meditation, looking to one side, and presently said: "I t'ink dass all humbug, dat titchin' English. What want titch English faw?" "Sir," cried Bonaventure, "in America you mus' be American! Three Acadians have been governor of Louisiana! What made them thus to become?" He leaned forward and smote his hands together. "What was it?
He say he don't get not'in' since he come yondeh," said Catou, the distress that had gathered on his face disappearing for a moment. The questioner laughed contemptuously. "Do you suppose he works that way for nothing? How do you know, at all, that his real errand is to teach school? A letter from Mr. Wallis! who simply told your simple-minded brother what the fellow told him!
Sidonie, Crébiche, Claude, rest in yo' seats." "Mo' betteh you tu'n 'em loose, I t'ink," said Catou amiably; "ain't it?" "I rather they stay," replied Bonaventure. All sat down. There was a sustained silence, and then Catou said with quiet abruptness: "We dawn't want no mo' school!" "From what cause?" "'Tain't no use." "Sir sirs, no use? 'Tis every use! The schoolhouse?
It will soon be good-by to sunbonnets; good-by to homespun; good-by to Grande Pointe, yes, and good-by to the faith of your fathers. Catou, what do you know about that man, anyhow? You ask him no questions, you 'Cadians, and he oh, he is too modest to tell you who or what he is. Who pays him?" "He say pay is way behine.
'Twas English education!" The men were silent again. Catou pushed his feet out, and looked at his shoes, put on for the occasion. Presently "Yass," he said, in an unconvinced tone; "yass, dass all right: but how we know you titch English? Nobody can't tell you titchin' him right or no." "And yet I do! And the time approach when you shall know! Sirs, I make to you a p'oposition. Time is passing.
'Tis not what is print' in the books, but what you learn through the books!" "Yes; and so you hadn't never ought to have made the bargain you made; but, my friends, a bargain's a bargain, and the teacher's" He paused invitingly, and an answer came from the audience. It was Catou who rose and said: "Naw, sah. Naw; he don't got to go!" But again 'Mian thundered: "Taise toi, Catou. Shot op!"
Christmas passed, and New Year time runs so fast! Presently yonder was 'Mian himself, spading a piece of ground to sow his tobacco-seed in; then Catou and his little boy of twenty-five doing likewise; and then others all about the scattered village.
Do you know that he can teach? No wonder he prefers to teach in English! I had a conversation with him the other day; I want no more; he preferred to talk to me in English. That is the good manners he is teaching; light-headed, hero-worshipping, free-thinker that he is." Catou was sore dismayed. He had never heard of hero-worship or free-thinking before, but did not doubt their atrocity.
Catou thought he had made one strong point when he objected to education as conducive to idle habits; but when the schoolmaster hurled back the fact that communities the world over are industrious just in proportion as they are educated, he was done. He did not know, but when he confronted the assertion it looked so true that he could not doubt it.
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