The Hired Boy |Ruby Gillis & Jerry Baynard|

Thirteen | Ruby's essay

"— it can be a difficult way of living. Work starts at dawn and often the work is not finished until evening. The results can be less than rewarding. If you are fortunate to be employed by a kind family, then you are lucky. More than often hired hands are treated terribly by their employers. Overall, though often pleasant, it is a way to get by."

As Ruby finished her essay, a spattering of applause from her audience. Most of the students clapped unenthusiastically, already bored after reading essays all morning. But the exuberant clapping of Ms.Stacey, Anne and Diana was enough to make Ruby smile. And of course Gilbert's goodhearted applause is not to go uncredited in the creation of that smile.

She was rather proud of her essay. Ruby rarely put too much work into her schoolwork, choosing to put her attention towards other things, like baking and thinking about Gilbert. Ruby doubted she'd ever put so much effort in any schoolwork again, but there was still a certain satisfaction in having a job well done.

Even Jerry had said it was good. He'd met Ruby on the wooded path that morning and accompanied her almost all the way to school, but of course Ruby had made sure no one saw. She'd read her essay to him and he told her he found it to be an accurate representation of the life of a hired boy. But even Jerry had not heard the final line of the essay. Ruby had added it the night before, but then scratched it out that morning.

"I am so glad those essays are finally over," said Josie Pie as they gathered their baskets and headed to the corner of the room at lunch time.

"I think I will miss it," said Anne. "While I was writing my essay I imagined my mother was alive. It was the most wonderful feeling. Mrs. Lynde told everything there is to know about being a mother. I suppose she is quite reliable seeing as she's had ten children. But I can't help but think my mother's version of motherhood must have been quite difference than Mrs. Lynde's"

The girls sat down and began taking out there lunch.

"Ms. Stacey seemed quite pleased with your essay," said Diana, smiling at Ruby.

Before Ruby could reply Josie said, "It was very good, Ruby."

For a moment Ruby, Diana, Tillie, Jane and Anne all stared at Josie, astounded by this purely kind comment, until she added, "I just hope you didn't have to talk to an actual hired boy."

Ruby wasn't sure what to say. Josie was alarmed. "You didn't, did you?"

"Of course not," lied Ruby, carefully not looking at Anne or Diana.

"Well, good," said Josie, with a toss of her blonde hair. "I didn't even think about talking to a widow."

"Hence the reason you got such  low marks," muttered Anne. "Besides, what's so bad about a widow? Is isn't their fault their husband died!"

"And it's not my fault either!" said Josie. "So I don't see why I should have to deal with it."

After lunch, as Ruby brushed past Anne, returning to her seat, Anne whispered, "Ruby, why did you lie?"

"Josie would never forgive me for taking to a hired boy," Ruby whispered back.

There wasn't any more time to talk. They hurried to their desks.

As Ruby took her seat beside Josie, she was extremely thankful that the girl couldn't read minds. Or she would know that Ruby had lied, and she would also know what the last line of her essay had read; I think the biggest thing I learned about hired hands, is that they aren't any different than the rest of us and they shouldn't be treated unkindly. Ruby still believed those words to be true, but it was better if Josie didn't know that.