The Hired Boy |Ruby Gillis & Jerry Baynard|

Four | help from Jerry

"Look on the bright side, Ruby," said Anne, "I'm sure Jerry will be delighted to assist you with your assignment."

"That's what I'm afraid of," said Ruby. She was still convinced that Jerry Baynard was infatuated with her.

They had just left Diana at the crossroads between Green Gables and the Barry home. Anne had encouraged Ruby to tag along to Green Gables so she could discuss Jerry helping her with her assignment as soon as possible.

"I'd much rather do your assignment, Anne," said Ruby. "I could just talk to my own mother!"

"Oh, but Ruby, this is a momentous assignment! This envelope in my hand couldn't ended up in the hand of any Avonlea student whom has a mother, yet it wandered into the hands of a lowly orphan girl! I am one of the few students in school who could actually learn from talking to a mother. Don't you think that is significant?"

"I . . . I don't know," said Ruby. As usual, she had no idea what Anne was on about.

"There is Jerry now!" said Anne, pointing as they slipped through the opening in the white fence which surrounded Green Gables.

Ruby looked around and saw Jerry Baynard shoveling up horse manure with a pitchfork just by the Cuthbert's large gray barn.

The sound of Anne's voice made Jerry look around. When he saw Anne wasn't alone, Jerry dropped his pitchfork, and quickly adjusted his cap. Then he waved.

Yes, thought Ruby, that boy is in love with me. Sure and certain.

"Go on," said Anne. "Go talk to him!"

"Aren't you going to come with me?" said Ruby in alarm. 

"I need to help Marilla with some afternoon chores," said Anne. "You'll be alright. I assure you he doesn't bite."

Then with a smile and away, Anne was off skipping towards Green Gables. Ruby was left staring after Anne, with no choice but to go talk to Jerry alone.

When Jerry saw Ruby coming toward him, his eyebrows rose in surprise.

Ruby lifted her skirts as she distastefully tiptoed her way around the piles of horse manure Jerry had yet to clean up.

"Hello, Miss Ruby," said Jerry, wiping his hands on his trousers. "Can I help you with something?"

"I need to talk to you," said Ruby.

"Oh! Of course. What about?" asked Jerry eagerly. Though he insisted he did not like Ruby any more, he did suffer from the symptoms of having once liked her. That included getting excited when he talked to her.

"It is about school," said Ruby.

"Oh. Oh." He seemed slightly let down. "Well, I don't know much about school. How could I help with that?"

"It's a long story," said Ruby.

"I have a lot of work still left to do. Could you talk about it while I finish my chores?" said Jerry.

"I suppose," said Ruby.

She followed the boy into the barn and continued to trail behind him as he went about doing his daily afternoon chores, tending to the animals and anything else that needed doing. As Jerry worked, Ruby explained all about the assignment Ms. Stacey had given them and how they had to write essays about the different people that made up the Avonlea community.

"I have to write about a hired hand," Ruby told Jerry as he brushed Belle. "Could you help me?"

Jerry paused grooming the mare to smile at Ruby. "Sure. I can teach you how to chop wood, drive a carriage, plow —"

"Chop wood?" said Ruby in alarm.

"That's part of my job," said Jerry.

"But that's work for a boy!" said Ruby, aghast.

"I don't see why you couldn't chop-wood," said Jerry. "Anne does it all the time when Ms. Cuthbert isn't looking."

"I was thinking —" started Ruby, but then she paused. She knew Anne would not approve of what Ruby was about to suggest, but Ruby just couldn't live up to Anne's high standards. "I was thinking you could just write the essay for me?"

Ruby gave him a hopefully little upward glance. As endearing as that look was, Jerry could not oblige. His smile faded and he focused on Belle, brushing her rather vigorously.

"Sorry. Can't help you with that," said Jerry rather shortly.

"Why not?" asked Ruby.

Jerry paused, brush still held against Belle's brown coat. He looked over at Ruby.

"Because I can't read or write," said Jerry.

Ruby's eyes widened. "You can't read at all? Haven't you ever been to school?"

Jerry shook his head. "I have not gone to school. There are too many of us and some must work, including me. I can read and write a little in French, our mother taught us as much as she could, but I don't know much English."

"Oh . . . Well I suppose you really can't write my essay for me, can you?" said Ruby, disappointed.

"Not unless you want it written in misspelled French," said Jerry with a grin, trying to be humorous about the situation.

"Oh, well, no, I don't," said Ruby, who was not always the most tactful of girls.

"I can still tell you what it's like to be a hired hand," said Jerry. "You can tag along and I'll show you around the farm while I work."

"Oh, that's very kind of you," said Ruby. "But I don't think I need your help anymore." Ruby did not want to follow Jerry Baynard around a farm all day. "I'll just—"

Ruby turned to leave and found Anne standing in the doorway to the barn smiling.

"Hello Ruby, hello Jerry," said Anne, marching inside. She looked to Jerry. "Are you going to help Ruby with her assignment?"

"I do not think she wants me to," said Jerry, looking to Ruby.

"Of course she does!" said Anne.

"Now I don't know —" started Ruby, but Anne cut her off.

"It's all settled," said Anne, beaming at her two friends.

"But Anne —" started Ruby desperately.

"Ruby," said Anne. "Where else are you going to find for a hired hand? And even if you do you won't know him! You already know Jerry! The situation is ideal."

Ruby felt rather miserable. "Well, I suppose so."