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Wherever you listen to podcasts today, we'll be continuing rainbow Valley by Lucy Maud Montgomery chapter 23 The Good Conduct Club a light rain had been falling all day, a little, delicate, beautiful spring rain that somehow seemed to hint and whisper of Mayflowers and wakening violets.

The harbor and the gulf and the low lying shorefield had been dim with pro gray mists.

But now, in the evening, the rain had ceased, and the mists had blown out to sea.

Clouds sprinkled the sky over the harbor like little fiery roses.

Beyond it, the hills were dark against a spendthrift splendour of daffodil and crimson.

A great silvery evening star was watching over the bar.

A brisk, dancing new sprung wind was blowing up from Rainbow Valley, resinous with the odors of fur and damp mosses.

It crooned in the old spruces around the graveyard, and ruffled face splendid curls.

As she sat on hezakaya Pollock's tombstone with her arms round, mary Vance and Una, carl and Jerry were sitting opposite them on another tombstone, and all were rather full of mischief after being cooped up all day.

The air just shines tonight, doesn't it?

It's been washed so clean, you see, said Faith happily.

Mary Vance eyed her gloomily.

Knowing what she knew or fancied she knew, mary considered that Faith was far too light hearted.

Mary had something on her mind to say, and she meant to say it before she went home.

Mrs.

Elliot had sent her up to the mance with some new laid eggs and had told her not to stay longer than half an hour.

The half hour was nearly up, so Mary uncurled her cramped legs from under her and said abruptly, never mind about the air.

Just you listen to me.

You mance young ones have got to behave yourselves better than you've been doing this spring.

That's all there is to it.

I just come up tonight a purpose to tell you so.

The way people are talking about you is awful.

What have we been doing now?

Cried Faith in amazement, pulling her arm away from Mary.

Una's lips trembled, and her sensitive little soul shrank within her.

Mary was always so brutally frank.

Jerry began to whistle out of bravado.

He meant to let Mary see he didn't care for her tirades.

Their behavior was no business of hers anyway.

What right had she to lecture them on their conduct doing now you're doing all the time, retorted Mary.

Just as soon as the talk about one of your dietos fades away, you do something else to start it up again.

It seems to me you haven't any idea of how man's children ought to behave.

Maybe you can tell us, said Jerry.

Killingly sarcastic sarcasm was quite thrown away on Mary.

I can tell you what will happen if you don't learn to behave yourselves.

The session will ask your father to resign.

There now, master Jerry know it all.

Mrs.

Alec Davis said so to Mrs.

Elliot.

I heard her.

I always have my ears picked up when Mrs.

Alec Davis comes to tea.

She said you were all going from bad to worse and that though it was only was to be expected when you had nobody to bring you up.

Still, the congregation couldn't be expected to put up with it much longer and something would have to be done.

The Methodist just laugh and laugh at you, and that hurts the Presbyterian feelings.

She says you all need a good dose of birch tonic lor, if that would make folks good, I ought to be a young saint.

I'm not telling you this because I want to hurt your feelings.

I'm sorry for you.

Mary was past mistress of the gentle art of condescension.

I understand that you haven't much chance the way things are, but other people don't make as much allowance as I do.

Miss Drew says Carl had a frog in his pocket in Sunday school last Sunday and it hopped out while she was hearing the lesson.

She says she's going to give up the class.

Why don't you keep your insects home?

I popped it right back in again, said Carl.

It didn't hurt anybody.

A poor little frog.

And I wish old Jane Drew would give up our class.

I hate her.

Her own nephew had a dirty plug of tobacco in his pocket and offered us fellows a chew when Elder Claw was praying.

I guess that's worse than a frog.

No, because frogs are more unexpected like.

They make more of a sensation sides.

He wasn't caught at it.

And then that praying competition you had last week has made a fearful scandal.

Everybody's talking about it.

Why, the Blithes were in that as well as us.

Cried faith indignantly.

It was NAN Blithe who suggested it in the first place, and Walter took the prize.

Well, you get the credit of it anyway.

It wouldn't have been bad if you hadn't had it in the graveyard.

I should think a graveyard was a very good place to pray in, retorted Jerry.

Deacon Hazard drove past when you were praying, said Mary.

And he saw and heard you with your hands folded over your stomach and groaning after every sentence.

He thought you were making fun of him.

So I was declared unabashed.

Jerry.

Only I didn't know he was going by.

Of course, that was just a mean accident.

I wasn't praying in real earnest.

I knew I had no chance of winning the prize, so I was just getting what fun I could out of it.

Walter blithe can pray.

Bully.

Why, he can pray as well as dad.

Una is the only one of us who really likes praying, said Faith pensively.

Well, if praying scandalizes people so much, we mustn't do it anymore, sighed Una.

Shucks.

You can pray all you want to, only not in the graveyard.

And don't make a game of it.

That was what made it so bad.

That and having a tea party on the tombstones.

We hadn't.

Well, a soap bubble party.

Then you had something.

The over harbor people swear you had a tea party, but I'm willing to take your word.

And you use this tombstone as a table.

Well, Martha wouldn't let us blow bubbles in the house.

She was awful cross that day, explained Jerry.

And this old slab made such a jolly table.

Weren't they pretty?

Cried Faith, her eyes sparkling over the remembrance.

They reflected the trees and the hills and the harbor like little fairy worlds.

And when we shook them loose, they floated away down the Rainbow Valley, all but one.

And it went over and bust up on the Methodist spire, said Carl.

I'm glad we did it once anyhow before we found out it was wrong, said Faith.

It wouldn't have been wrong to blow them on the lawn, said Mary impatiently.

Seems like I can't knock any sense into your heads.

You've been told often enough you shouldn't play in the graveyard.

The Methodists are sensitive about it.

We forget, said Faith dolefully.

And the lawn is so small and so caterpillary and so full of shrubs and things.

We can't be in Rainbow Valley all the time.

And where are we to go?

It's the things you do in the graveyard.

It wouldn't matter if you just sat here and talked quiet, same as we're doing now.

Well, I don't know what is going to come of it all, but I do know that Elder Warren is going to speak to your paw about it.

Deacon Hazardous his cousin.

I wish they wouldn't bother father about us, said Una.

Well, people think he ought to bother himself about you a little more.

I don't.

I understand him.

He's a child in some ways himself, that's what he is.

And needs someone to look after him as bad as you do?

Well, perhaps we'll have someone before long, if all tales is true.

What do you mean?

Asked Faith.

Haven't you got any idea?

Honest?

Demanded Mary.

No.

No.

What do you mean?

Well, you are a lot of innocence.

Upon my word, why, everybody is talking of it.

Your paw goes to see Rosemary West.

She is going to be your stepmaw.

I don't believe it, cried Una, flushing crimson.

Well, I don't know.

I just go by what folks say.

I don't give it for a fact, but it would be a good thing Rosemary Wested make you toe the mark if she came here.

I'll bet assent for all.

She's so sweet and smiley on the face of her.

They're always that way till they've caught them.

But you need someone to bring you up.

You're disgracing your paw, and I feel for him.

I've always thought an awful lot of your paw, ever since that night he talked to me so nice.

I've never said a single swear word since or told a lie.

And I'd like to see him happy and comfortable with his buttons on and his meals decent.

And you young ones looked into shape.

And that old cat of a Martha put in her proper place.

The way she looked at the eggs I brought tonight.

I hope they're fresh, says she.

I just wish they was rotten.

But you just mind that she gives you a one for breakfast, including your paw.

Make a fuss if she doesn't.

That was what they were sent up for.

But I don't trust old Martha.

She's quite capable of feeding them to her cat.

Mary's tongue being temporarily tired, a brief silence fell over the graveyard.

The man's children did not feel like talking.

They were digesting the new and not altogether palatable ideas Mary had suggested to them.

Jerry and Carl were somewhat startled, but after all, what did it matter?

And it wasn't likely there was a word of truth in it.

Faith, on the whole, was pleased.

Only Una was seriously upset.

She felt that she would like to get away and cry.

Will there be any stars in my crown?

Saying the Methodist choir beginning to practice in the Methodist church.

I want just three, said Mary, whose theological knowledge had increased notably since her residence with Miss Elliot.

Just three.

Setting up on my head like a coronet.

A big one in the middle and a small one each side.

Are there different sizes and soles?

Asked Carl.

Of course.

My little babies must have smaller ones than big men.

While it's getting dark and I must scoot home.

Mrs.

Elliot doesn't like me to be out after dark loss.

When I lived with Mrs.

Wiley, the dark was just the same as the daylight to me.

I didn't mind it no more than a gray cat seemed a hundred years ago.

Now, you mind what I've said and try to behave yourselves for your paw's sake.

I'll always back you up and defend you.

You can be dead sure of that.

Mrs Elliott said she never saw the like of me for sticking up for my friends.

I was real sassy to Mrs Alec Davis about you and Mrs Elliot combed me down for it afterwards.

The fair Cornelia has a tongue of her own and no mistake.

But she was pleased underneath, for all because she hates old Kitty Alec and she's real fond of you.

I can see through folks.

Mary sailed off excellently well pleased with herself, leaving a rather depressed little group behind her.

Mary Vance always has something that makes us feel bad when she comes up, said Una resentfully.

I wish we'd love her to starve in the old barn, said Jerry vindictively.

Oh, that's wicked.

Jerry rebuked una may as well of the game as the name retorted unrepentant Jerry.

If people say we're so bad, let's be bad.

But not if it hurts.

Father.

Pleaded Faith.

Jerry squirmed uncomfortably.

He adored his father.

Through the unshaded study window they could see Mr Meredith at his desk.

He did not seem to be either reading or writing.

His head was in his hands, and there was something in his whole attitude that spoke of weariness and dejection.

The children suddenly felt it.

I dare say somebody's been worrying him about us today, said Faith.

I wish we could get along without making people talk.

Oh, Jim Blythe.

How you scared me.

Jim Blythe had slipped into the graveyard and sat down beside the girls.

He had been prowling about Rainbow Valley and had succeeded in finding the first little star white cluster of Arbidus for his mother.

The man's children were rather silent after his coming.

Jim was beginning to grow away from them somewhat.

This spring he was studying for the entrance examination of Queen's Academy and stayed after school with the older pupils for extra lessons.

Also, his evenings were so full of work that he seldom joined the others in Rainbow Valley.

Now he seemed to be drifting away into grown up land.

What is the matter with you all tonight?

He asked.

There's no fun in you.

Not much.

Agreed.

Faith dolefully.

There wouldn't be much fun in you either, if you knew you were disgracing your father and making people talk about you.

Who's been talking about you now?

Everybody.

So Mary Vance says, And Faith poured out her troubles to sympathetic Jim.

You see, she concluded, Dolefully, we've nobody to bring us up, and so we get into scrapes and people think we're bad.

Why don't you bring yourselves up?

Suggested Gem.

I'll tell you what to do.

Form a good conduct club and punish yourselves every time you do anything that's not right.

That's a good idea, said Faith, struck by it.

But she added doubtfully, things that don't seem a bit of harm to us seem simply dreadful to other people.

How can we tell?

We can't be bothering Father all the time and he has to be away a lot anyhow.

You could mostly tell if you stop to think a thing over before doing it and ask yourselves what the congregation would say about it, said Jim.

The trouble is you just rush into things and don't think them over at all.

Mother says you're all too impulsive, just as she used to be.

The Good Conduct Club would help you to think if you were fair and honest about punishing yourselves.

When you broke the rules, you'd have to punish in some way that really hurt or it wouldn't do any good.

Whip each other?

Not exactly.

You'd have to think up different ways of punishment to suit the person.

You wouldn't punish each other, you'd punish yourselves.

I read about such a club in a storybook.

You try it and see how it works.

Let's, said Faith, and when Jim was gone, they agreed they would if things aren't right.

We've just got to make them right, said Faith resolutely.

We've got to be fair and square, as Jim says, said Jerry.

This is a club to bring ourselves up, seeing there's nobody else to do it.

There's no use in having many rules.

Let's just have one.

And any of us that breaks it has got to be punished hard.

But how?

We'll think that up as we go along.

We'll hold a session of the club here in the graveyard every night and talk over what we've done through the day.

And if we think we've done anything that isn't right or that would disgrace dad, the one that does it or is responsible for it, must be punished.

That's the rule.

We'll all decide on the kind of punishment.

It must be made to fit the crime, as Mr.

Flag says.

And the one that's guilty will be bound to carry it out with no shirking.

There's going to be fun in this, concluded Jerry with a relish.

You suggested the Soap Bubble party said Faith.

But that was before we'd formed the club, said Jerry hastily.

Everything starts from tonight.

But what if we can't agree on what's right or what the punishment ought to be?

Suppose two of us thought of one thing and to another.

There ought to be five in a club like this.

We can ask Jim Blythe to be umpire.

He is the squarest boy in Glenn St.

Mary.

But I guess we can settle our own affairs.

Mostly we want to keep this as much of a secret as we can.

Don't breathe a word to Mary Vance.

She'd want to join and do the bringing up.

I think, said Faith, that there's no use in spoiling every day by dragging punishments in.

Let's have a punishment day.

We'd better choose Saturday because there's no school to interfere, suggested Una.

And spoil the one holiday in the week, cried Faith.

Not much, no.

Let's take Friday.

That's fish day anyhow, and we all hate fish.

We may as well have all the disagreeable things in one day.

Then other days we can go ahead and have a good time.

Nonsense.

Said Jerry authoritatively.

Such a scheme wouldn't work at all.

We'll just punish ourselves as we go along and keep a clear slate.

Now, we all understand, don't we?

This is a good conduct club.

For the purpose of bringing ourselves up, we agree to punish ourselves for bad conduct and always to stop before we do anything, no matter what, and ask ourselves if it is likely to hurt dad in any way.

And anyone who shirks is to be cast out of the club and never allowed to play with the rest of us in Rainbow Valley again.

Gem Blithe to be umpire in case of disputes.

No more taking bugs to Sunday school, Carl.

And no more chewing gum in public, if you please, Miss Faith.

No more making fun of Elders praying or going to the Methodist prayer meeting, retorted Faith.

Why, it isn't any harm to go to the Methodist prayer meeting, protested Jerry in amazement.

Mrs Elliot says it is.

She says Man's children have no business to go anywhere but to Presbyterian things.

Darn it, I won't give up going to the Methodist prayer meeting.

Cried Jerry.

It's ten times more fun than ours.

You said a naughty word.

Cried Faith.

Now you've got to punish yourself.

Not till it's all down in black and white.

We're only talking the club over.

It isn't really formed until we've written it out and signed it.

There's got to be a constitution and bylaws.

And you know there's nothing wrong in going to a prayer meeting.

But it's not only the wrong things we're to punish ourselves for, but anything that might hurt Father.

It won't hurt anybody.

You know, Mrs Elliott is cracked on the subject of Methodists.

Nobody else makes any fuss about my going.

I always behave myself.

You ask Jim or Mrs Blythe and see what they say.

I'll abide by their opinion.

I'm going for the paper now and I'll bring out the lantern and we'll all sign.

15 minutes later the document was solemnly signed on Hezechia Pollock's tombstone, on the center of which stood the smoky man's lantern while the children knelt around it.

Mrs Elder Klau was going past at that moment and next day all the Glenn heard that the Man's children had been having another praying competition and had wounded up by chasing each other all over the graves with a lantern.

This piece of embroidery was probably suggested by the fact that after signing and ceiling was completed, carl had taken the lantern and had walked Circumspectly to the little hollow to examine his aunt hill.

The others had gone quietly into the mance and a bed.

Do you think it's true that Father's going to marry Miss West?

Una had tremulously asked of Faith after their prayers had been said.

I don't know, but I'd like it, said Faith.

Oh, I wouldn't said una chokingly.

She's nice the way she is, but Mary Vance says it changes people altogether to be made stepmothers.

They get horrid, cross and mean and hateful then and turn your father against you.

She says they're sure to do that.

She never knew it to fail in a single case.

I don't believe Miss West would ever try to do that, cried Faith.

Mary says anybody would.

She knows all about stepmother's, faith.

She says she's seen hundreds of them and you've never seen one.

Marius told me blood curdling things about them.

She says she knew of one who whipped her husband's little girls on their bare shoulders till they bled and then shut them up in a cold, dark, coal cellar all night.

She says they're all aching to do things like that.

I don't believe Miss West would.

You don't know her as well as I do, Una.

Just think of that sweet little bird she sent me.

I love it far more even than Adam.

It's just being a stepmother changes them.

Mary says they can't help it.

I wouldn't mind the whipping so much as having Father hate us.

You know nothing could make Father hate us.

Don't be silly, Una.

I dare say there's nothing to worry over.

Likely, if we run our club right and bring ourselves up properly, father won't think of marrying anyone.

And if he does, I know Miss West will be lovely to us.

But Una had no such conviction, and she cried herself to sleep.

Thank you for joining Bite at a Time books today while we read a bite of one of your favorite classics.

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