_A Trip to the Farm._
THE first sweet spring days had come, and even the grimy city began to
put on an aspect of youth and newness.
In the parks tiny green shoots appeared on tree and bush, and
dandelions showed their golden faces above the vivid green of freshly
springing grass.
From her nursery window Sally interestedly watched the gradual advent
of the new season as promulgated by the aspect of the back yard. Her
little soul thirstily responded to the call of nature and a vague
longing for woods and fields took possession of her heart.
Dr. North, watching keenly the little girl’s wistful face and feeling
in his own soul the echo of the wonderful song that spring sings to
all of us, after some consultation with mamma communicated to Sally a
plan that fairly made her jump for joy. And it was that at the week’s
end the family should pack up bag and baggage and depart for the farm,
there to spend a few weeks.
To be sure it was rather early in the season, but mamma decided that
house-cleaning and dress-making might for once take a back seat At
least that was the way Bob put it as he executed a joyful war dance
around the nursery floor, being finally joined by Sally with a Teddy
bear under each arm.
Surely no week ever seemed so long and no waiting so tedious. But at
last it did really come to an end, the trunks departed in a big express
wagon while the family made the trip to the depot in the motor car.
There was just time to catch the train and almost before they knew
it Bob and Sally were waving good-bye to Papa Doctor while the big
engine puffed and snorted, the bell rang, and then they were really
off, flying away from the smoke and grime, the roar and bustle of the
city streets to where green woods beckoned them, and dim blue hills,
wreathed in the faint haze that lay upon them like a bridal veil,
reflected the smile of God, which is the promise of all good things.
It was only a short ride of a couple of hours, through the beautiful
Cuyahoga valley, and the children, delightedly familiar with the
scenery, joyfully pointed out everything of special interest to Miss
Palmer, their governess, who, having come from the East, could not of
course be supposed to know anything about their dear valley. The big
Indian mound which lay near the end of their trip called forth especial
explanations, and Miss Palmer promised to read to them an exceptionally
interesting volume on Indian mounds that was in the library at home.
Miss Palmer was, both the children firmly believed, the dearest and
beet governess that ever children possessed and they listened with
the greatest interest, not forgetting, however, to point out to her a
place where the Cuyahoga (Crooked River), doubling upon itself, forms
a peninsula and the town which sprang up there had been given the name
Peninsula and is so called to this day.
The beautiful river, swollen by the spring freshets, rippled along
over the rocks that sometimes formed tiny cascades in its bed, shaded
by feathery pollard willows whose gray-green leaves were bursting from
their pinkish sheaths.
Another point of great interest was the canal, along whose tow path
President Garfield followed his mules as a lad. Miss Palmer knew a
great deal about the martyred president and so interested were the
children that they could scarcely believe the journey was at an end
when the conductor called out the name of the place that was their
destination. A big three-seated wagon was in waiting and when they were
all piled comfortably aboard, including Peter Pan and Bedelia, whom
nurse had carried while the rest of the Teddy bear family journeyed
in a trunk, the fine gray farm horses started off at a trot along the
uneven and rutty country road.
How sweet the breath of the spring was, how fresh and beautiful the
landscape! The voice of the river rose like a tinkle of silvery bells
and Sally cried out in delight that she saw a blue jay. And indeed she
did, for a pair of them rose, startled from their nest, and flew off
to a neighboring tree, their azure wings flashing like jewels in the
sunshine.
[Illustration]
The drive was all too short and the children were half regretful
when the wagon drew up in front of the “Bungalow,” as Mrs. North had
fancifully named the beautiful old farm house, which, with its gleaming
white paint and moss-green shingles, presented a most attractive
picture against the soft spring landscape.
And now Mrs. Hale who, with her husband, had taken care of the farm
ever since it had been the property of Dr. North, came bustling out,
full of a hearty welcome. She was a round and rosy woman, with bright
eyes and a jolly laugh that, when you heard it, made you want to laugh,
too.
She held up her hands and laughed till she shook when introduced to
Peter Pan and Bedelia, for the Teddy bear tribe had not yet penetrated
to her part of the world. After that they all went in to luncheon, set
forth in the big, square dining-room, a room that projected from one
side of the house and three sides of which were composed of windows,
from which one might look out for miles and miles over the beautiful
wooded hills with the sparkling river running its glittering way
between them.
The dining-room together with the broad, gallery-like verandahs that
ran around the three sides of the house had been a modern innovation
recently added and the verandahs had suggested to Mrs. North the quaint
appellation of the “Bungalow.”
Mrs. North had spent a part of her girlhood in India, where her father
had been an English officer, and had absorbed a good deal of the
Oriental which showed in a love of warm, glowing colors and luxurious
surroundings. She was a very pretty woman, so girlish looking that she
had more than once been taken for Bob’s elder sister.
Dr. North had expressed down from the city a quantity of beautiful
piazza furniture and when the happy party came out of the dining-room
after a meal that taxed even Bob’s capacity, they found a delightful
resting place awaiting them. Fine mats of Japanese make covered the
piazza floor and a gay red carpet draped the stone steps, for Papa
Doctor had not forgotten his little daughter’s predilection for sitting
upon them.
Handsome chairs and settees with one or two tables filled the spaces of
the piazza, the settees heaped with pretty cushions, while two hammocks
hung in opposite corners.
Mrs. North sank contentedly down in a big armchair that smelt
delightfully like sweet grass, while Miss Palmer took a cozy corner in
the settee opposite. Mrs. North adored her beautiful summer home, and
the restfulness it offered was ever welcome after a strenuous winter in
town.
As for the children, they of course saw no reason for wishing to rest,
but tore off to find Mr. Hale and persuade him to devote the rest of
the day to showing them over all the already familiar places; a thing
which they found not at all difficult to do. And soon their delighted
shouts rang merrily from the barn, where they succeeded in clambering
up into the hay loft and very nearly lost Bedelia whom, with Peter Pan,
they had carried up with them, by dropping her down a chute into one
of the mangers below. Here she was discovered with the occupant of the
stall thoughtfully nosing her over and over and evidently thinking that
someone had presented him with a very queer bunch of hay for dinner.
Bedelia, in addition to being badly scared, was also very much offended
and considered that she had been handled shamefully. Besides being
somewhat bruised, the horse had nipped her when trying to decide
whether or not she was good to eat, and Bedelia felt quite sure that he
had taken off a mouthful of her fur, which thought made her perfectly
furious, and she longed to scratch and bite when finally rescued by the
rather anxious Sally.
She immediately made up her mind to play all the pranks she could think
of while at the farm, and the result of one scheme which she later
carried out, was certainly of a nature to satisfy even a slighted Teddy
bear, as we shall see later on.