Produced by Diane and Don Nafis. HTML version by Al Haines.
THE BOBBSEY TWINS IN THE COUNTRY
BY
LAURA LEE HOPE
CONTENTS
I. THE INVITATION
II. THE START
III. SNOOP ON THE TRAIN
IV. A LONG RIDE
V. MEADOW BROOK
VI. FRISKY
VII. A COUNTRY PICNIC
VIII. FUN IN THE WOODS
IX. FOURTH OF JULY
X. A GREAT DAY
XI. THE LITTLE GARDENERS
XII. TOM'S RUNAWAY
XIII. PICKING PEAS
XIV. THE CIRCUS
XV. THE CHARIOT RACE
XVI. THE FLOOD
XVII. A TOWN AFLOAT
XVIII. THE FRESH-AIR CAMP
XIX. SEWING SCHOOL
XX. A MIDNIGHT SCARE
XXI. WHAT THE WELL CONTAINED
XXII. LITTLE JACK HORNER--GOOD-BYE
THE BOBBSEY TWINS IN THE COUNTRY
CHAPTER I
THE INVITATION
"There goes the bell! It's the letter carrier! Let me answer!" Freddie
exclaimed.
"Oh, let me! It's my turn this week!" cried Flossie.
"But I see a blue envelope. That's from Aunt Sarah!" the brother cried.
Meanwhile both children, Freddie and Flossie, were making all possible
efforts to reach the front door, which Freddie finally did by jumping
over the little divan that stood in the way, it being sweeping day.
"I beat you," laughed the boy, while his sister stood back,
acknowledging defeat.
"Well, Dinah had everything in the way and anyhow, maybe it was your
turn. Mother is in the sewing room, I guess!" Flossie concluded, and so
the two started in search of the mother, with the welcome letter from
Aunt Sarah tight in Freddie's chubby fist.
Freddie and Flossie were the younger of the two pairs of twins that
belonged to the Bobbsey family. The little ones were four years old,
both with light curls framing pretty dimpled faces, and both being just
fat enough to be good-natured. The other twins, Nan and Bert, were
eight years old, dark and handsome, and as like as "two peas" the
neighbors used to say. Some people thought it strange there should be
two pairs of twins in one house, but Nan said it was just like
four-leaf clovers, that always grow in little patches by themselves.
This morning the letter from Aunt Sarah, always a welcome happening,
was especially joyous.
"Do read it out loud," pleaded Flossie, when the blue envelope had been
opened in the sewing room by Mrs. Bobbsey.
"When can we go?" broke in Freddie, at a single hint that the missive
contained an invitation to visit Meadow Brook, the home of Aunt Sarah
in the country.
"Now be patient, children," the mother told them. "I'll read the
invitation in just a minute," and she kept her eyes fastened on the
blue paper in a way that even to Freddie and Flossie meant something
very interesting.
"Aunt Sarah wants to know first how we all are."
"Oh, we're all well," Freddie interrupted, showing some impatience.
"Do listen, Freddie, or we won't hear," Flossie begged him, tugging at
his elbow.
"Then she says," continued the mother, "that this is a beautiful summer
at Meadow Brook."
"Course it is. We know that!" broke in Freddie again.
"Freddie!" pleaded Flossie.
"And she asks how we would like to visit them this summer." "Fine,
like it--lovely!" the little boy almost shouted, losing track of words
in his delight.
"Tell her we'll come, mamma," went on Freddie. "Do send a letter quick
won't you, mamma?"
"Freddie Bobbsey!" spoke up Flossie, in a little girl's way of showing
indignation. "If you would only keep quiet we could hear about going,
but--you always stop mamma. Please, mamma, read the rest," and the
golden head was pressed against the mother's shoulder from the arm of
the big rocking chair.
"Well, I was only just saying--" pouted Freddie.
"Now listen, dear." The mother went on once more reading from the
letter: "Aunt Sarah says Cousin Harry can hardly wait until vacation
time to see Bert, and she also says, 'For myself I cannot wait to see
the babies. I want to hear Freddie laugh, and I want to hear Flossie
"say her piece," as she did last Christmas, then I just want to hug
them both to death, and so does their Uncle Daniel.'"
"Good!--goody!" broke in the irrepressible Freddie again. "I'll just
hug Aunt Sarah this way," and he fell on his mother's neck and squeezed
until she cried for him to stop.
"I guess she'll like that," Freddie wound up, in real satisfaction at
his hugging ability.
"Not if you spoil her hair," Flossie insisted, while the overcome
mother tried to adjust herself generally.
"Is that all?" Flossie asked.
"No, there is a message for Bert and Nan too, but I must keep that for
lunch time. Nobody likes stale news," the mother replied.
"But can't we hear it when Bert and Nan come from school?" coaxed
Flossie.
"Of course," the mother assured her. "But you must run out in the air
now. We have taken such a long time to read the letter."
"Oh, aren't you glad!" exclaimed Flossie to her brother, as they ran
along the stone wall that edged the pretty terrace in front of their
home.
"Glad! I'm just--so glad--so glad--I could almost fly up in the air!"
the boy managed to say in chunks, for he had never had much experience
with words, a very few answering for all his needs.
The morning passed quickly to the little ones, for they had so much to
think about now, and when the school children appeared around the
corner Flossie and Freddie hurried to meet Nan and Bert, to tell them
the news.
"We're going! we're going!" was about all Freddie could say.
"Oh, the letter came--from Aunt Sarah!" was Flossie's way of telling
the news. But it was at the lunch table that Mrs. Bobbsey finished the
letter.
"'Tell Nan,'" she read, "'that Aunt Sarah has a lot of new patches and
tidies to show her, and tell her I have found a new kind of jumble
chocolate that I am going to teach her to make.' There, daughter, you
see," commented Mrs. Bobbsey, "Aunt Sarah has not forgotten what a good
little baker you are."
"Chocolate jumble," remarked Bert, and smacked his lips. "Say, Nan, be
sure to learn that. It sounds good," the brother declared.
Just then Dinah, the maid, brought in the chocolate, and the children
tried to tell her about going to the country, but so many were talking
at once that the good-natured colored girl interrupted the confusion
with a hearty laugh.
"Ha! ha! ha! And all you-uns be goin' to de country!"
"Yes, Dinah," Mrs. Bobbsey told her, "and just listen to what Aunt
Sarah says about you," and once more the blue letter came out, while
Mrs. Bobbsey read:
"'And be sure to bring dear old Dinah! We have plenty of room, and she
will so enjoy seeing the farming.'"
"Farming! Ha! ha! Dat I do like. Used to farm all time home in
Virginie!" the maid declared. "And I likes it fuss-rate! Yes, Dinah'll
go and hoe de corn and" (aside to Bert) "steal de watermelons!"
The prospects were indeed bright for a happy time in the country, and
the Bobbseys never disappointed themselves when fun was within their
reach.