The Rainbow

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."