Hilda VI: Days End

Well, I have continued on with my new WIP Hilda again this week.

It is still progressing nicely, I may however be easing off it a bit as I have had some feedback on my other WIP Veil of Iron (thank you Kathy) and will probably be thinking about and working on it much more in coming weeks.

The scene this week, is like that of last week on the first day of the school year.

1910 
At the end of the day, Hilda wiped over the dirty slates with a damp cloth, Maggie took them from her, distributing them around the tables, checking as she did so that each desk had a long enough stick of chalk for the morning. Eighty desks, eighty slates, not a huge job, but at the end of a long day helping Miss Wilson with those eighty children it seemed never ending.

‘Last five,’ said Maggie as she brought the last few slates over, ‘I’ll fetch our satchels.’

Hilda smiled with relief, Maggie’s smiling face had made that day easier. How could it be such hard work to help Miss Wilson teach the class of eighty children the simplest things?

The third grade girls had got their times tables wrong again and again. Hilda would have cried with frustration if Miss Wilson hadn’t reminded her, ‘Remember, most children find maths difficult. Nearly as difficult as you would find climbing a mountain, you just need to have patience with them.’

Hilda finished wiping the last slate, and went to put the rag away as Maggie put the slates on the desks.

‘Well that was a day’s work and no mistake.’ said Maggie as they met at the door.

‘It was, hopefully it will seem easier as we get used to it.’

Hilda thought, as she stepped out, that this afternoon was the first time she had ever wanted a school day to finish.

Wilf’s little face beamed a smile at her from the bottom of the stair, ‘Look Hilda! Mister Marsh gave me a pencil for knowing my letters and my numbers!’

He waved a pencil under her nose, Hilda smiled, ‘Aren’t you a good boy, Mum and Dad will be happy!’

Maggie looked up and down the road, ‘Now where is that brother of mine?’

‘Here,’ Fred strode around the corner leading his horse, ‘I had to saddle Bob.’

Hilda wondered how they would mount such a large animal. Somehow Fred got his leg up into the stirrup before pulling himself up, he leaned close to Bob’s ear whispering some words.

Maggie looked up at her brother, ‘Fred has a horseman’s knack, all the horses do anything he wants.’

Fred smiled quietly, with the the help of a mounting block near the school gate and her brother’s hand Maggie scrambled up as well. She smiled at Hilda, ‘See you in the morning!’

‘Good afternoon’, replied Hilda remembering her manners.

‘Walk on,’ said Fred to the horse, he smiled down at them, tipped his cap and they were away.

Piccie of the Day: Split Point Light House and the calm before a storm.