CHAPTER XII.
“Over the river and through the wood,To have a first-rate play.Over the river and through the wood,And straight through the barn-yard gateWe seem to goExtremely slow,—It is so hard to wait.Hurrah for the fun!Our ride is done,And our frolics are just begun!”
“Over the river and through the wood,To have a first-rate play.Over the river and through the wood,And straight through the barn-yard gateWe seem to goExtremely slow,—It is so hard to wait.Hurrah for the fun!Our ride is done,And our frolics are just begun!”
“Over the river and through the wood,To have a first-rate play.Over the river and through the wood,And straight through the barn-yard gateWe seem to goExtremely slow,—It is so hard to wait.Hurrah for the fun!Our ride is done,And our frolics are just begun!”
“Over the river and through the wood,
To have a first-rate play.
Over the river and through the wood,
And straight through the barn-yard gate
We seem to go
Extremely slow,—
It is so hard to wait.
Hurrah for the fun!
Our ride is done,
And our frolics are just begun!”
“Now,” said Mr. Harwood, when the Menagerie were safely packed, “we will start for the station, where Jem, my oldest, is due from boarding-school. Come, ponies, do your best, we won’t keep the dear boy waiting.”
There, upon the station steps, guarding his trunk and packages, stood a tall boy of fifteen, in gray uniform, looking eagerly up the road. Mr. Harwood tightly grasped the boy’s brown hand as he presented him to his friend. Jem’s first words were an inquiry after his Mamma, and then, without ceremony, he plunged in among the young folk, and before a single mile of the long road which lay between Bristol and his country home was passed, Jem Harwood was regarded by all the little party as just the best fellow that ever lived. How patiently that big boy, who had travelled all day in a heated rail-car, answered all those little questions! Yes! and put away from his mind pleasant thoughts of the longed-for meeting with the darling mother, to repeat to them the stories they had heard so many, many times. How little Alice was missedone Saturday afternoon at “Tub” time, as they called the bathing-hour, and was found bare-footed, in the brook, with the new little Indian pony, giving him his Saturday bath, scrubbing him down with her little pocket-handkerchief, and smoothing out his long, glossy mane with her own comb, whilst her tooth-brush, powder-box, and toilet-soap were lying, ready for use, in a little basket, suspended from her neck. “The squirrel” was as playful as ever, and one day he had hidden in Ned’s overcoat, quite unknown to its owner, who had hung it up in the school-room hall, and was surprised enough, when prayers were over, to see the squirrel hopping upon the master’s table.
How the children screamed with fun to see how spryly Johnny Black sprung away from the master’s long arm, till, at last, the teacherwas fairly tired out, and Johnny Black gained for the boys a good hour’s play, hunting him from pillar to post, and finally catching him by the aid of a slip-noose. “The fun,” Jem said, “did not appear half so funny when the recess brought to light the fact that Johnny Black, always so well-behaved at home, had spent the prayer-time in pilfering nuts from the boys’ dinner-baskets, and nibbling their crackers and cheese. Poor Ned felt he was somehow to blame for the theft, and coaxed Mamma into giving him a basket of “goodies” to make a regular “spread” for the next day’s nooning.
“Johnny Black is a funny name for a gray squirrel, Jem,” said little Bear, who was taking a lively interest in the stories.
“Oh! we had two squirrels, and the other, whose name was Dandy Jim, was lost. Wegot the names from some funny verses in May’s Rhyme Book.”
“Do say them, Jem, dear,” begged Rosie.
“Well, then, here goes—
“Two little squirrels lived in a wood,One was naughty and one was good;The naughty one’s name was Dandy Jim,(His mother was very fond of him;)The good one’s name was Johnny Black,He had beautiful fur all down his back,And he never went near the railroad track.But Dandy Jim (alas for him!)Would not heed what his mother did say,But far away from his home would strayOver the hills and far away.And one bright summer dayHenevercame back!For, going too near the railroad track,The locomotive ran over him,And that was the end of Dandy Jim.But Johnny Black,Healwayscame back.He never went far from his home astray,He thought that at home was the place to stay,He minded his Mother, where’er he might be;He thought that his Mother knew better than he.”
“Two little squirrels lived in a wood,One was naughty and one was good;The naughty one’s name was Dandy Jim,(His mother was very fond of him;)The good one’s name was Johnny Black,He had beautiful fur all down his back,And he never went near the railroad track.But Dandy Jim (alas for him!)Would not heed what his mother did say,But far away from his home would strayOver the hills and far away.And one bright summer dayHenevercame back!For, going too near the railroad track,The locomotive ran over him,And that was the end of Dandy Jim.But Johnny Black,Healwayscame back.He never went far from his home astray,He thought that at home was the place to stay,He minded his Mother, where’er he might be;He thought that his Mother knew better than he.”
“Two little squirrels lived in a wood,One was naughty and one was good;The naughty one’s name was Dandy Jim,(His mother was very fond of him;)The good one’s name was Johnny Black,He had beautiful fur all down his back,And he never went near the railroad track.But Dandy Jim (alas for him!)Would not heed what his mother did say,But far away from his home would strayOver the hills and far away.And one bright summer dayHenevercame back!For, going too near the railroad track,The locomotive ran over him,And that was the end of Dandy Jim.But Johnny Black,Healwayscame back.He never went far from his home astray,He thought that at home was the place to stay,He minded his Mother, where’er he might be;He thought that his Mother knew better than he.”
“Two little squirrels lived in a wood,
One was naughty and one was good;
The naughty one’s name was Dandy Jim,
(His mother was very fond of him;)
The good one’s name was Johnny Black,
He had beautiful fur all down his back,
And he never went near the railroad track.
But Dandy Jim (alas for him!)
Would not heed what his mother did say,
But far away from his home would stray
Over the hills and far away.
And one bright summer day
Henevercame back!
For, going too near the railroad track,
The locomotive ran over him,
And that was the end of Dandy Jim.
But Johnny Black,
Healwayscame back.
He never went far from his home astray,
He thought that at home was the place to stay,
He minded his Mother, where’er he might be;
He thought that his Mother knew better than he.”
The children clapped their hands so loudly, when Jem finished, that the horses pricked up their ears and started off on a brisk gallop. Presently, a gay sight met the eyes of the party.
Coming up the road to meet them, was a little cart, drawn by a solemn-looking Indian pony, whose head and harness were decked with small flags; the cart was filled to overflowing with merry-faced boys and girls, with flags and streamers fastened to their hats, and bearing a banner with the words “Welcome Home,” in large letters, upon its face.
Mr. Harwood reined in the impatient horses as the gay cavalcade came near, whilst Jem stood up and raised his hat. Then came such a hurrahing and clapping of hands, and flapping of streamers, in which the Haven children joined so heartily that Artie’s hands were blistered, and Jack’s voice hoarse as a young raven’s for hours after.
The good-natured elder brother had to get down from the wagon, and submit to be smothered with kisses, and then it was arranged that all the boys, except Harry, should ride together in the cart, and the little girls were lifted up into the beach wagon, where, at first, they felt a little shy, till May discovered a dolly’s head peeping from under Daisy’s wrap, and then the young mothers “found their tongues,” and very soon everybody was talking,—and nobody was listening,—and every little body thought every other little body “ever so nice.”
Presently, the pony-cart drew up to the wagon-side, and Jem called out—
“Mr. Havens, and Papa, is there any objection to our stopping a few moments at Sam Colt’s, the blacksmith’s? It seems these city children have never seen a horse shod, and I see Mike taking in Farmer Boyce’s gray.”
“Thank you for the thought, Jem,” called Papa; “and the little girls would enjoy it, too.”
Sam Colt Shoeing Farmer Boyce’s Gray. Page 186.
Sam Colt Shoeing Farmer Boyce’s Gray. Page 186.
Sam Colt Shoeing Farmer Boyce’s Gray. Page 186.
The old tumble-down blacksmith’s shop, at the fork of the roads, was a picture indeed. The red-hot iron, throwing out its shower of golden sparks, Farmer Boyce’s gray, bending his proud, arched neck, and meekly yielding his fore foot to the clasp of the smith’s sinewyarm! Little Jack thought it must be “so nice to sleep in your shoes, and have no bother with shoe-butnens and laces,” but timidly shrank back at the nailing part, and could not be made to understand that it was not painful to the horny hoof.
Now, the road, for a short distance, lies close along the shore of Bristol Bay, where the setting sun has just given a golden “tipping” to the wavelets, whose soft lapping sound is new music to the city children’s ears.
A huge farm-gate, at the end of this bit of shore road, swings open to receive the gay cavalcade; a thick grove of chestnut trees was passed through, then beach wagon and pony cart halted at the door of a large, old-fashioned farm-house, over whose broad porch rose-bushes and honeysuckles climbed at will,even boldly venturing to peer into the very windows of the chambers above, whilst buttercups and white daisies, quite at home, nestling in the green grass of the smooth lawn, laughed out their bright welcome to the little folk, and bade them make themselves at home, too, for this was Liberty Hall.
Jem gives a spring, and is in the lovely-looking lady’s arms, who stands waiting on the porch, whilst shy little Bessie hides her curly head in the folds of her mother’s dress, half afraid and half eager for the stranger brother’s kiss.
Mrs. Harwood needs no introduction to her dear friend’s children, for Mamma’s letters have long ago made “Artie, Daisy, Rosie, Harry, and Jack,” household words at Harmony Hall.
The bread and butter on the waiting tea-table was capital, never milk more golden, Lady Bee at home, and Busy Bee in her hive, have helped to spread the table with dainties, and salt sea is the best sauce in the world; but still the ten children found it a tedious meal, and wondered whether good Jem had been quite starved at school,—that he could stow away such a quantity of food, and whether he had not, may be, lost his teeth, that he took such a while.
Kind Mr. Harwood, at last, read the wistful look in their faces, and bade them take a run to the shore before it grew too late, and good Jem left such a bit of cocoanut cake on his plate as boarding-school boys onlydreamof, to marshal the excited little crowd down the sloping lawn to the nice sanded floor of their shore parlor, and out to the edge of the little wharf where layPsyche, Mr.Harwood’s yacht, with its gay streamers, in anticipation of the morrow’s sport. The good-natured yachtsmen helped all the little ones on board, and enjoyed the eagerness with which they examined sails, anchor, cable, compass, cabin, deck, and pantry, and peered into the well-filled hampers. Then, on shore again, Jem and his brothers exhibited rare powers of “skipping” stones, and the younger ones splashed and dashed with bits of wood and pebbles, to their hearts’ content. Ned suddenly cried—
“Halloo! men alive, if there isn’t old Sam, the blind clam-man, and his cart, coming up our road. What does that mean, I should like to know? Let’s find out.”
“The men alive,” consisting of Ned, Artie, Charlie, and Kit, with little Jack toiling in their rear, started off on a quick run to find outfor themselves the “meaning” of Black Sam’s clam-cart paying them a visit at that time of night. Mamma explained the mystery thus—
“You know, children, to-morrow is the Fourth, and as your Papa and his friends are to be gone all day on the yacht, I thought the greatest pleasure I could give you was an out-of-door fish dinner, which you are to prepare entirely yourselves. I will be your guest. I know you like to dig your own clams; but, as you will need many, Papa thought it best for Sam to bring some to-night, with oysters, too.”
“Thank you, Mamma; clam-bakes are the best of fun,” screamed Ned, and Jem, coming near with the little girls, called out—
“Three cheers for the best Mamma in the world!” That was a signal; and I am sure the clams in Bristol Bay must have heardthose cheers, and opened their mouths in astonishment, and am quite certain the fishes must have popped up their heads to ask if the Fourth of July had really come. Oh, wasn’t it well for those soft-shelled clams and simple fishes that they could not know what the morrow was to bring forth?