For in the elder teens adolescence may be completed, but not by experience, and these years know their own tragedies.  It is the time of life when one finds it unendurable not to seem perfect in all outward matters:  in worldly position, in the equipments of wealth, in family, and in the grace, elegance, and dignity of all appearances in public.  And yet the youth is continually betrayed by the child still intermittently insistent within him, and by the child which undiplomatic people too often assume him to be.  Thus with William’s attire:  he could ill have borne any suggestion that it was not of the mode, but taking care of it was a different matter.  Also, when it came to his appetite, he could and would eat anything at any time, but something younger than his years led him—­often in semi-secrecy—­to candy-stores and soda-water fountains and ice-cream parlors; he still relished green apples and knew cravings for other dangerous inedibles.  But these survivals were far from painful to him; what injured his sensibilities was the disposition on the part of people especially his parents, and frequently his aunts and uncles—­to regard him as a little boy.  Briefly, the deference his soul demanded in its own right, not from strangers only, but from his family, was about that which is supposed to be shown a Grand Duke visiting his Estates.  Therefore William suffered often.

But the full ignominy of the task his own mother had set him this afternoon was not realized until he and Genesis set forth upon the return journey from the second-hand shop, bearing the two wash-tubs, a clothes-wringer (which Mrs. Baxter had forgotten to mention), and the tin boiler—­and followed by the lowly Clematis.

V

SORROWS WITHIN A BOILER

There was something really pageant-like about the little excursion now, and the glittering clothes-boiler, borne on high, sent flashing lights far down the street.  The wash-tubs were old-fashioned, of wood; they refused to fit one within the other; so William, with his right hand, and Genesis, with his left, carried one of the tubs between them; Genesis carried the heavy wringer with his right hand, and he had fastened the other tub upon his back by means of a bit of rope which passed over his shoulder; thus the tin boiler, being a lighter burden, fell to William.

The cover would not stay in place, but continually fell off when he essayed to carry the boiler by one of its handles, and he made shift to manage the accursed thing in various ways—­the only one proving physically endurable being, unfortunately, the most grotesque.  He was forced to carry the cover in his left hand and to place his head partially within the boiler itself, and to support it—­tilted obliquely to rest upon his shoulders—­as a kind of monstrous tin cowl or helmet.  This had the advantage of somewhat concealing his face, though when he leaned his head back, in order to obtain clearer vision of what was before him, the boiler slid off and fell to the pavement with a noise that nearly caused a runaway, and brought the hot-cheeked William much derisory attention from a passing street-car.  However, he presently caught the knack of keeping it in position, and it fell no more.