It was very burdensome to Ursula, that she was the eldest of
the family. By the time she was eleven, she had to take to
school Gudrun and Theresa and Catherine. The boy, William,
always called Billy, so that he should not be confused with his
father, was a lovable, rather delicate child of three, so he
stayed at home as yet. There was another baby girl, called
Cassandra.
The children went for a time to the little church school just
near the Marsh. It was the only place within reach, and being so
small, Mrs. Brangwen felt safe in sending her children there,
though the village boys did nickname Ursula "Urtler", and Gudrun
"Good-runner", and Theresa "Tea-pot".
Gudrun and Ursula were co-mates. The second child, with her
long, sleepy body and her endless chain of fancies, would have
nothing to do with realities. She was not for them, she was for
her own fancies. Ursula was the one for realities. So Gudrun
left all such to her elder sister, and trusted in her
implicitly, indifferently. Ursula had a great tenderness for her
co-mate sister.
It was no good trying to make Gudrun responsible. She floated
along like a fish in the sea, perfect within the medium of her
own difference and being. Other existence did not trouble her.
Only she believed in Ursula, and trusted to Ursula.
The eldest child was very much fretted by her responsibility
for the other young ones. Especially Theresa, a sturdy,
bold-eyed thing, had a faculty for warfare.
"Our Ursula, Billy Pillins has lugged my hair."
"What did you say to him?"
"I said nothing."
Then the Brangwen girls were in for a feud with the
Pillinses, or Phillipses.
"You won't pull my hair again, Billy Pillins," said Theresa,
walking with her sisters, and looking superbly at the freckled,
red-haired boy.
"Why shan't I?" retorted Billy Pillins.
"You won't because you dursn't," said the tiresome
Theresa.
"You come here, then, Tea-pot, an' see if I dursna."
Up marched Tea-pot, and immediately Billy Pillins lugged her
black, snaky locks. In a rage she flew at him. Immediately in
rushed Ursula and Gudrun, and little Katie, in clashed the other
Phillipses, Clem and Walter, and Eddie Anthony. Then there was a
fray. The Brangwen girls were well-grown and stronger than many
boys. But for pinafores and long hair, they would have carried
easy victories. They went home, however, with hair lugged and
pinafores torn. It was a joy to the Phillips boys to rip the
pinafores of the Brangwen girls.
Then there was an outcry. Mrs. Brangwen would not have
it; no, she would not. All her innate dignity and
standoffishness rose up. Then there was the vicar lecturing the
school. "It was a sad thing that the boys of Cossethay could not
behave more like gentlemen to the girls of Cossethay. Indeed,
what kind of boy was it that should set upon a girl, and kick
her, and beat her, and tear her pinafore? That boy deserved
severe castigation, and the name of coward, for no boy
who was not a coward--etc., etc."