Pollyanna by Eleanor H.
Porter Chapter 28.
The Game and Its Players It was not long after John Pendleton's second visit that Millie Snow called one afternoon.
Millie Snow had never before been to the Harrington homestead.
She blushed and looked very embarrassed when Miss Polly entered the room.
I came to inquire for the little girl,
She stammered.
You are very kind.
She is about the same.
How is your mother?
Rejoined Miss Polly warily.
That is what I came to tell you.
That is,
To ask you to tell Miss Pollyanna,
Hurried on the girl breathlessly and incoherently.
We think it's so awful,
So perfectly awful that the little thing can't ever walk again.
And after all she's done for us too.
For mother,
You know,
Teaching her to play the game and all that.
And when we heard how now she couldn't play it herself.
Poor little dear.
I'm sure I don't see how she can with her condition.
But when we remembered all the things she'd said to us,
We thought if she could only know what she had done for us,
That it would help,
You know,
In her own case,
About the game.
Because she could be glad,
That is,
A little glad.
Millie stopped helplessly and seemed to be waiting for Miss Polly to speak.
Miss Polly sat quietly listening,
But with a puzzled questioning in her eyes.
Only about half of what had been said had she understood.
She was thinking now that she always had known that Millie Snow was queer,
But she had not supposed she was crazy.
In no other way,
However,
Could she account for this incoherent,
Illogical,
Unmeaning rush of words.
When the pause came,
She filled it with a quiet.
I don't think I quite understand,
Millie.
Just what is it that you want me to tell my niece?
Yes,
That's it.
I want you to tell her,
Answered the girl feverishly.
Make her see what she's done for us.
Of course she's seen some things because she's been there,
And she knows Mother is different,
But I want her to know how different she is.
And me too,
I'm different.
I've been trying to play at the game,
A little.
Miss Polly frowned.
She would have asked what Millie meant by this game,
But there was no opportunity.
Millie was rushing on again with nervous energy.
You know,
Nothing was ever right before for Mother.
She always wanted everything different,
And really I don't know if one could blame her much,
Under the circumstances.
But now she lets me keep the shades up,
And she takes interest in things,
How she looks,
And her nightdress,
And all that.
And she's actually begun to knit little things.
Reins and baby blankets for fairs and hospitals.
And she's so interested,
And so glad to think she can do it.
And that was all Miss Pollyanna's doings,
You know,
Because she told Mother she could be glad she got her hands and arms anyway.
And that made Mother wonder right away why she didn't do something with her hands and her arms.
And so she began to do something,
To knit,
You know.
And you can't think what a different room it is now,
With the red and blue and yellow,
And the prisms and the window that she gave her.
Why,
It actually makes you feel better just to go in there now.
And before,
I used to dread it awfully.
It was so dark and gloomy.
And Mother was so,
So unhappy,
You know.
And so we want you to please tell Miss Pollyanna that we understand it's all because of her.
And please say we're so glad we know her,
That we thought maybe if she knew it,
It would make her a little glad that she knew us.
And that's all,
Sighed Millie,
Rising hurriedly to her feet.
You'll tell her?
Why,
Of course,
Murmured Miss Polly,
Wondering just how much of this remarkable discourse she could remember to tell.
These visits of John Pendleton and Millie Snow were only the first of many.
And always there were messages,
The messages which were in some ways so curious that they caused Miss Polly more and more to puzzle over them.
One day there was the little widow Benton.
Miss Polly knew her well,
Though they had never called upon each other.
By reputation,
She knew her as the saddest little woman in town,
One who was always in black.
Today,
However,
Miss Benton wore a knot of pale blue at the throat.
Though there were tears in her eyes.
She spoke of her grief and horror at the accident.
Then she asked diffidently if she might see Pollyanna.
Miss Polly shook her head.
I am sorry,
But she sees no one yet,
A little later perhaps.
Miss Benton wiped her eyes,
Rose and turned to go.
But after she had almost reached the hall,
She came back hurriedly.
Miss Harrington,
Perhaps,
Perhaps you'd give her a message?
She stammered.
Certainly,
Miss Benton,
I shall be very glad to.
Still the little woman hesitated.
Then she spoke.
Will you tell her please that,
That I put on this?
She said,
Just touching the blue bow at her throat.
Then,
At Miss Polly's ill-concealed look of surprise,
She added,
The little girl's been trying for so long to make me wear some color,
And I thought she'd be glad to know I begun.
She said that Freddy would be so glad to see it if I would.
You know Freddy's all I have now.
The others of all.
Miss Benton shook her head and turned away.
If you just tell Pollyanna,
She'll understand.
And the door closed after her.
A little later,
The same day,
There was another widow.
At least she wore widow's garments.
Miss Polly did not know her at all.
She wondered vaguely how Pollyanna could have known her.
The lady gave her name as Miss Tarbell.
I'm a stranger to you,
Of course,
She began at once.
But I'm not a stranger to your little niece,
Pollyanna.
I've been at the hotel all summer,
And every day I've had to take long walks for my health.
It was on one of these walks that I met your niece.
She's such a dear little girl.
I wish I could make you understand what she's been to me.
I was very sad when I came up here,
And her bright face and cheery ways reminded me of my own little girl that I lost years ago.
I was so shocked to hear of the accident,
And then when I learned that the poor child would never walk again,
And that she was so unhappy because she couldn't be glad any longer.
The dear child.
I just had to come to you.
You are very kind,
Murmured Miss Polly.
But it is you who are to be kind,
Demurred the other.
I want you to give her a message from me,
Will you?
Certainly.
Will you just tell her then that Miss Tarbell is glad now?
Yes,
I know it sounds odd,
And you don't understand,
But if you'll pardon me,
I'd rather not explain.
Sad lines came to the lady's mouth,
And the smile left her eyes.
Your niece will know what I mean,
And I felt that I must tell her.
Thank you,
And pardon me please for any seeming rudeness in my call,
She begged as she took her leave.
Thoroughly mystified now,
Miss Polly hurried upstairs to Pollyanna's room.
Pollyanna,
Do you know a Miss Tarbell?
Oh yes,
I love Miss Tarbell.
She's sick and awfully sad,
And she's at the hotel and takes long walks.
We go together.
I mean,
We used to.
Pollyanna's voice broke,
And two big tears rolled down her cheeks.
Miss Polly cleared her throat hurriedly.
Well,
She's just been here,
Dear.
She left a message for you.
But she wouldn't tell me what it meant.
She said to tell you that Miss Tarbell is glad now.
Pollyanna clapped her hands softly.
Did she say that?
Really?
Oh,
I'm so glad.
But Pollyanna,
What did she mean?
Why,
It's the game,
And.
.
.
Pollyanna stopped short,
Her fingers to her lips.
What game?
Nothing much,
Aunt Polly.
That is,
I can't tell it unless I tell of other things that I'm not allowed to speak of.
It was on Miss Polly's tongue to question her niece further,
But the obvious distress on the little girl's face stayed the words before they were uttered.
Not long after Miss Tarbell's visit,
The climax came.
It came in the shape of a call from a certain young woman with unnaturally pink cheeks and abnormally yellow hair.
A young woman who wore high heels and cheap jewelry.
A young woman whom Miss Polly knew very well by reputation,
But whom she was angrily amazed to meet beneath the roof of the Harrington homestead.
Miss Polly did not offer her hand.
She drew back indeed as she entered the room.
The woman rose at once.
Her eyes were very red,
As if she'd been crying.
Half defiantly,
She asked if she might,
For a moment,
See the little girl Pollyanna.
Miss Polly said no.
She began to say it very sternly,
But something in the woman's pleading eyes made her add the civil explanation that no one was allowed yet to see Pollyanna.
The woman hesitated.
Then a little briskly,
She asked.
Her chin was still at a slightly defiant tilt.
My name is Miss Payson.
Miss Tom Payson.
I presume you've heard of me.
Most of the good people in town have.
And maybe some of the things you've heard ain't true.
But never mind that.
It's about the little girl I came.
I heard about the accident,
And it broke me all up.
Last week I heard how she couldn't ever walk again.
And I wished I could give up my two uselessly well legs for hers.
She'd do more good trotting around on them for one hour than I could in a hundred years.
But never mind that.
Legs ain't always given to one who can make the best use of them,
I noticed.
She paused and cleared her throat,
But when she resumed,
Her voice was a little husky.
Maybe you don't know it,
But I've seen a good deal of that little girl's of yours.
We live on Pendleton Hill Road,
And she used to go by often.
Only she didn't always go by.
She came in and played with the kids and talked to me,
And my man when he was home.
She seemed to like it,
And to like us.
She didn't know,
I suspect,
That her kind of folks don't generally call on my kind.
Maybe if they did call more,
Miss Harrington,
There wouldn't be so many of my kind.
She added,
With sudden bitterness,
Be that as it may,
She came,
And she didn't do herself no harm,
And she did us good,
A lot of good.
How much she won't know,
Nor can't know,
I hope,
Because if she did,
She'd know other things that I don't want her to know.
But it's just this.
It's been hard times with us this year,
And more ways than one.
We've been blue and discouraged,
My man and me,
And ready for most anything.
He was reckoning on getting a divorce about now,
And letting the kids,
Well,
We didn't know what we would do with the kids.
Then came the accident,
And what we heard about the little girls never walking again,
And we got to thinking how she used to come and sit on our doorstep and train with the kids and laugh,
And just be glad.
She was always being glad about something,
And then one day she told us why,
About the game,
You know,
And tried to coax us to play it.
Well,
We've heard now that she's fretting her poor little life out of her because she can't play it no more,
That there's nothing to be glad about,
And that's what I came to tell her today,
That maybe she can be glad for us,
Because we've decided to stick to each other and play the game ourselves.
I knew she'd be glad,
Because she used to feel kind of bad at things we said sometimes,
Just how the game is going to help us.
I can't say that I exactly see yet,
But maybe it will.
Anyhow,
We're going to try,
Because she wanted us to.
Will you tell her?
Yes,
I will tell her,
Promised Miss Polly a little faintly.
Then,
With sudden impulse,
She stepped forward and held out her hand.
And thank you for coming,
Miss Payson,
She said simply.
The defiant chin fell.
The lips above it trembled visibly.
With an incoherently mumbled something,
Miss Payson blindly clutched at the outstretched hand,
Turned,
And fled.
The door had scarcely closed behind her before Miss Polly was confronting Nancy in the kitchen.
Nancy.
Miss Polly spoke sharply.
The series of puzzling,
Disconcerting visits of the last few days,
Culminating as it had in the extraordinary experience of the afternoon,
Had strained her nerves to a snapping point.
Not since Miss Polly's accident had Nancy heard her mistress speak so sternly.
Nancy,
Will you tell me what this absurd game is that the whole town seems to be babbling about?
And what pleas has my niece to do with it?
Why does everybody from Millie Snow to Miss Tom Payson send word to her that they're playing it?
As near as I can judge,
Half the town are putting on blue ribbons or stopping family quarrels or learning to like something they never liked before.
And all because of Pollyanna.
I tried to ask the child herself about it,
But I can't seem to make such headway.
And of course I don't like to worry her now.
But from something I heard her say to you last night,
I should judge you were one of them too.
Now will you tell me what it means?
To Miss Polly's surprise and dismay,
Nancy burst into tears.
It means that ever since last June,
That blessed child has just been making the whole town glad.
And now they're turning around and trying to tell her and make her glad too.
Glad of what?
Just glad.
That's the game.
Miss Polly actually stamped her foot.
There you go like the rest of them,
Nancy.
What game?
Nancy lifted her chin.
She faced her mistress and looked her squarely in the eye.
I'll tell you,
Ma'am.
It's a game Miss Pollyanna's father learned her to play.
She got a pair of crutches once in a missionary barrel when she was wanting a doll.
And she cried,
Of course,
Like any child would.
It seems t'was then her father told her that there wasn't anything,
But there was something always you could be glad about and that she could be glad about them crutches.
Glad for crutches?
Miss Polly choked back a sob.
She was thinking of the helpless little legs on the bed upstairs.
Yes,
Um,
That's what I said.
And Miss Pollyanna said that's what she said too.
But he told her she could be glad because she didn't need them.
Oh,
Cried Miss Polly.
And after that,
She said he made a regular game of it,
Finding something and everything to be glad about.
And she said she could do it too.
And that he didn't mind not having the doll so much because he was glad she didn't need the crutches.
And they called it Just Being Glad Game.
That's the game,
Ma'am.
She's played it ever since.
But how?
How?
Miss Polly came to a helpless pause.
And you'd be surprised to find how cute it works,
Ma'am,
Too,
Maintained Nancy,
With almost the eagerness of Pollyanna herself.
I wish I could tell you what a lot she's done for Mother and the folks out home.
She's been to see him,
You know,
Twice with me.
She made me glad too.
On such a lot of things.
Little things and big things.
And it's made him so much easier.
For instance,
I don't mind Nancy for a name half as much since she told me.
I could have been called Hephizabah.
And there's Monday mornings too that I used to hate so.
She actually made me glad for Monday mornings.
Glad for Monday mornings?
Nancy laughed.
I know it does sound nutty,
Ma'am,
But let me tell ye that blessed lamb found out I hated Monday mornings something awful.
And what does she do?
She says,
Well,
Anyhow,
Nancy,
I should think you could be gladder on Monday morning than on any other day in the week because it would be a whole week before you'd have another one.
And I'm blessed if I ain't thought of every Monday morning since.
And it has helped.
It made me laugh anyhow.
Every time I thought of it.
And laughing helps,
You know.
It does.
It does.
But why hasn't she told me the game?
Faltered Miss Polly.
Why has she made such a mystery of it when I asked her?
Nancy hesitated.
Begging your pardon,
Ma'am.
You told her not to ever speak of her father,
So she couldn't tell ye.
Twas her father's game,
You see.
Miss Polly bit her lip.
She wanted to tell you first off,
Continued Nancy,
A little unsteadily.
She wanted someone to play it with.
That's why I began.
So she could have someone.
And?
And the others?
Miss Polly's voice shook now.
Oh,
Everybody most knows it now,
I guess.
Anyhow,
I should think they did from the way I'm hearing of it everywhere I go.
Of course she told a lot,
And then they told the rest.
Them things go,
You know,
When they get started.
And she was always so smiling and pleasant to everyone.
And so,
So just glad herself all the time that they couldn't help knowing it anyhow.
Now since she's hurt,
Everybody feels so bad.
Especially when they heard how she feels bad,
And she can't find anything to be glad about.
And so they've been coming every day to tell her how glad she made them,
Hoping that'll help some.
You see,
She always wanted everybody to play the game with her.
Well,
I know somebody who'll play it now,
Choked Miss Polly,
As she turned and sped through the kitchen doorway.
Behind her,
Nancy stood staring amazedly.
Well,
I'll be believing anything,
Anything now,
She muttered to herself.
You can't stop me with anything I wouldn't believe now,
Oh Miss Polly.
A little later in Pollyanna's room,
The nurse left Miss Polly and Pollyanna alone together.
And you've had still another caller today,
My dear,
Announced Miss Polly,
In a voice she vainly tried to steady.
Do you remember Miss Payson?
Miss Payson?
Why,
I reckon I do.
She lives on the way to Mr.
Pendleton's,
And she's got the prettiest little girl,
Baby,
Three years old,
And a boy almost five.
She's awfully nice,
And so's her husband,
Only they don't seem to know how nice each other is.
Sometimes they fight,
I mean,
They don't quite agree.
They're poor too,
They say,
And of course they don't even have barrels,
Cause he isn't a missionary minister,
You know.
A faint color stole into Pollyanna's cheeks,
Which was duplicated suddenly in those of her aunt.
But she wears real pretty clothes sometimes,
In spite of being so poor,
Resumed Pollyanna in some haste.
And she's got perfectly beautiful rings with diamonds and rubies and emeralds in them.
But she says she's got one ring too many,
And that she's going to throw it away and get a divorce instead.
What is a divorce,
Aunt Polly?
I'm afraid it isn't very nice,
Because she didn't look happy when she talked about it.
And she said if she didn't get it,
They wouldn't live there anymore,
And that Mr.
Payson would go way off,
And maybe the children too.
But I should think they'd rather keep the ring,
Even if they did have so many more.
Shouldn't you,
Aunt Polly?
What is a divorce?
But they aren't going away off,
Dear,
Evaded Aunt Polly hurriedly.
They're going to stay right there together.
Oh,
I'm so glad.
Then they'll be there when I go see.
Oh dear,
Broke off the little girl miserably.
Aunt Polly,
Why can't I remember that my legs don't go anymore,
And that I won't ever go up to see Mr.
Pendleton again?
There,
There,
Don't,
Choked her aunt.
Perhaps you'll drive up sometime.
But listen,
I haven't told you yet all that Miss Payson said.
She wanted me to tell you that they,
They were going to stay together and to play the game,
Just as you wanted them to.
Pollyanna smiled through tear-wet eyes.
Did they?
Did they really?
Oh,
I am glad of that.
Yes,
She said she'd hoped you'd be,
And that's why she told you,
To make you glad,
Pollyanna.
Pollyanna looked up quickly.
Why,
Aunt Polly,
You,
You spoke just as if you knew.
Do you know about the game,
Aunt Polly?
Yes,
Dear.
Miss Polly sternly forced her voice to be cheerfully matter-of-fact.
Nancy told me.
I think it's a beautiful game.
I'm going to play it now with you.
Oh,
Aunt Polly,
You?
I'm so glad.
You see,
I really wanted you most of anybody,
All the time.
Aunt Polly caught her breath a little sharply.
It was even harder this time to keep her voice steady,
But she did it.
Yes,
Dear.
And there are all those others,
Too.
Why,
Pollyanna,
I think all the town is playing that game now with you,
Even to the minister.
I haven't had a chance to tell you yet,
But this morning I met Mr.
Ford when I was down at the village,
And he told me to say to you,
Just as soon as I saw you,
He was coming to tell you that he hadn't stopped being glad over those 800 rejoicing texts that you told him about.
So you see,
Dear,
It's just that you have done it.
The whole town is playing the game,
And the whole town is wonderfully happier,
And all because of one little girl who taught the people a new game and how to play it.
Pollyanna clapped her hands.
Oh,
I'm so glad,
She cried.
Then suddenly,
A wonderful light illuminated her face.
Why,
Aunt Polly,
There is something I can be glad about after all.
I can be glad I've had my legs anyway,
Else I couldn't have done all that.
And that is the end of our story this evening.
Until next time,
Sweet dreams.
