Paula the Waldensian - Eva Lecomte

Chapter 17
The young school-mistress
The following day Paula had a word with my father regarding the
matter.
"Now don't worry any more about the Breton, Paula," he answered. "He
knows enough to do what's necessary to gain his living, and if he wants to
work faithfully and not spend all his money on drink, he can do that without
knowing how to read. However, if it bothers you because he cannot read,
why don't you advise him to go to night-school? I can't imagine what could
have happened to him, but he's changed mightily, and for the better. I only
hope the change in him will last!"
The days grew longer, the snow disappeared and the trees and fields
began to put on their spring clothes. Week by week the Breton's home also
began to show a marvelous transformation. The pigs who formerly found the
garden a sort of happy rooting-ground now found themselves confronted
with a neat fence that resisted all their attacks, and the garden itself with its
well-raked beds, showed substantial promise of a harvest of onions, potatoes
and cabbage in the near future. Spotless white curtains and shiny panes of
window-glass began to show in place of the dirty rags and paper which used
to stop part of the winter winds from entering, and the rain which formerly
kept merry company with the wind in that unhappy dwelling now found
itself completely shut out by shingles on the roof and sidewalk; and a certain
air of neatness and order so pervaded the whole place that it became the talk
of the little town.
"That's all very well, but it's not going to last long," said some.
172