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FRANK AND FANNY:
A RURAL STORY.
BY MRS. CLARA MORETON.
WITH NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS.
BOSTON:
PHILLIPS, SAMPSON & CO.
1851.
Entered, according to act of Congress, in the year 1850,
By PHILLIPS AND SAMPSON,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of
Massachusetts.
PREFACE.
To inculcate gentleness of disposition, patience, and benevolence, and
to inspire the young with a love for the simple pleasures of rural
life, is the purpose of the following story. The love of exciting
narratives is not favourable to the developement of those mild virtues
which are the most beautiful ornaments of youth; and, in the following
pages, the quiet scenes and simple characters of rural life solicit
attention, in preference to the hairbreadth 'scapes and marvellous
adventures which are often brought under the notice of the young. If
the author has succeeded in the moral purpose of her little book, she
will be satisfied with the result.
FRANK AND FANNY.
CHAPTER I.
FRANK AND FANNY'S HOME.
Frank and Fanny Lee were orphans. Their parents died when they were
children, leaving them to the care of their grand-parents, who lived
in the suburbs of a beautiful village, in New England.
Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton were very fond of their grand-children, and did
every thing in their power to make them happy. They were not rich, and
therefore, had no money to throw away for useless toys; but this
caused Frank and Fanny no uneasiness. In fine weather, all the leisure
time which they could get from school, and from their tasks, was spent
in wandering through the woods which skirted the little village on
almost every side. In spring time they watched for the first flowers,
and many a bouquet of tiny 'forget-me-nots,' and dark blue, and pure
white violets, they brought to their grandmother, who welcomed the
wild flowers of spring, with as much pleasure, and youth of heart as
the grand-children.
As the season advanced, there was no end to the variety which they
gathered; and the sweetest were daily selected for the little vase,
which always stood upon the table, beside the large family Bible, out
of which, both morning and evening, the good grandmother read to her
children.
Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton owned the comfortable cottage, in which they
lived. It was shaded in front by a large elm tree, that spread its
arms far out over the moss-covered roof, as if it were some protecting
spirit. Around the door, a beautiful vine had been trained; and rose
bushes, and shrubs, were scattered through the yard. On one side of
the house, was a garden, where grew a profusion of currant bushes, and
raspberry vines, with many useful vegetables, and flowers were
scattered along on each side of the little walk that ran through the
centre of the garden. There were hollyhocks, and noonsleeps, and
tiger-lilies, and little patches of moss pinks, the tiny flowers all
tangled in with their green foliage, and sweet williams, and
love-lies-bleeding; and the children thought there was never such
another garden in the world. Here the children delighted to watch the
butterflies, and bees, and birds, revelling among the flowers,
especially the beautiful humming bird, with his jacket of golden
green, his ruby-colored throat, and long, slender bill, which he was
so fond of thrusting into the garden lilies and hollyhocks. He loved
to resort to the garden of Frank and Fanny, where the bright sun was
shining on the flowers.
[Illustration: THE HUMMING BIRD.]
Then there was a little brown arbor, with grape vines carefully
trained over it, and rustic seats within; and there were quince trees
just beyond, and up by the gateway there grew tall stalks of fennel;
and altogether, it _was_ a most delightful place. Back of the house
was an orchard, and here pippins, long-stems, flyers, greenings, and
seek-no-furthers, grew side by side.
[Illustration: THE CEDAR BIRD.]
Here these children delighted to watch the beautiful cedar bird with
his silky plumage, and his smart crest. He is a sociable, gentle bird,
who allowed the children to come very near him, as he was perched upon
the cedar bush.
The stone wall which surrounded the orchard, afforded shelter to a
great number of striped squirrels, whose nimble motions it was the
delight of Frank and Fanny to watch, as they scampered over the wall,
or ran along on its top, or sought a safer retreat in the thick
branches of the apple trees. This last retreat, however, was not often
sought, as the striped squirrel is not fond of trees. His nest is in
a hole under a stump, or stone wall; he seeks his living on the
ground, and is the most playful, elegant little animal I ever saw. He
is called in different parts of the country, Ground Squirrel, Chipping
Squirrel, and Chipmuck, the last being probably his Indian name. Frank
and Fanny loved the striped squirrel; but never threw stones at him,
or sought to make him a prisoner.
[Illustration: THE STRIPED SQUIRREL.]
The foot of the orchard was bounded by a clear, wide brook, shaded by
willows, and the fish plashed about in troops in the cool shade.
Here upon the margin of the water, seated upon a little stump,
watching for his finny prey, the children used often to peep at the
Belted King Fisher, in his bluish coat, white collar, and prettily
marked wings. This bird's delight is to dwell on the borders of
running rivulets, or the bold cataracts of mountain streams, which
abound with small fish and insects, his accustomed fare. When the fish
do not approach his station, he flies along, just over the water, and
occasionally hovers with rapidly moving wings over the spot where he
sees a trout or minnow. In the next instant, descending with a quick
spiral sweep, he seizes a fish, with which he rises to his post and
swallows it in an instant. All these proceedings were watched
frequently by the children, with intense delight, as they stood
concealed among the bushes, not daring to move for fear of disturbing
the bird.
[Illustration: THE KING FISHER.]
On the other side of the brook was a cranberry marsh, with a raised
road passing through to the pine forest, still beyond, where the
children gathered the ground pine, and hunted for the bright scarlet
berries of the winter-green. When the children resorted to the
cranberry marsh to obtain a supply of berries for their mother, they
often saw the beautiful meadow lark, crouching among the reeds, or
flying slowly and steadily away, as they approached her, uttering her
lisping, melancholy note, which sounded like, "_et-se-de-ah_," and
sometimes, "_tai-sedilio_." This bird was much admired by Fanny, who
was dreadfully grieved when a neighboring sportsman shot a number of
meadow larks for the sake of their flesh, which is almost equal in
flavor to that of the partridge.
[Illustration: THE MEADOW LARK.]
[Illustration: THE AMERICAN AVOSET.]
In this marsh, too, the children sometimes saw that singular bird, the
Avoset, with its curious curved bill, its noisy clamor, and its long
legs, bending and tottering under him, as he ran about the marsh or
waded into its pools. He was a great curiosity in his way.
Thus the cranberry marsh had its pleasures for Frank and Fanny.
But this was not their favorite resort. They loved best to cross the
meadows in front of the house, to a forest, where the woods were more
open, and where trees of every variety, cast their shadows upon the
green turf, and wild flowers grew upon every hillock, and peeped out
from every mossy glade. There were little wildernesses of
honey-suckles, too, scattered through the woods, and long, pale green
fern leaves, fit for a fairy to sway to and fro upon; and there were
vines of wild grapes, with branches so strong, that they often made
swings of them.
Sometimes in their rambles in the woods, they started a wild hare,
which they called a rabbit, who fled away from them with long leaps,
and was soon out of sight, so that they could hardly catch a glimpse
of him in his rapid flight. But they were always greatly excited with
a view of him, and lamented that they had no means of catching him.
[Illustration: THE RABBIT.]
Some of Frank's school fellows, however, were more skilled in hunting.
They knew how to set snares for the poor rabbits, and were very often
successful in catching them. By means of an elastic branch, or
sapling, bent over, and furnished with a snare of strong twine, they
contrived to catch the poor rabbit by the neck, and string him up in
the air, like a criminal convicted of murder. It was no misfortune to
Frank to be ignorant of this hunting craft.
[Illustration: BOYS SNARING RABBITS.]
Another curious animal, which the children sometimes saw, and which
may be seen occasionally in the pastures and pine forests, in all
parts of our country, from Maine to Carolina, was the woodchuck, or
ground-hog, as it is sometimes called. It feeds, generally, upon
clover and other succulent vegetables, and hence it is often injurious
to the farmer. It is said to bring forth four or five young at a
litter. Its gait is awkward, and not rapid; but its extreme vigilance,
and acute sense of hearing, prevent it from being often captured. It
forms deep and long burrows in the earth, to which it flies upon the
least alarm. It appears to be sociable in its habits; for upon one
occasion, we noticed some thirty or forty burrows in a field of about
five acres. These burrows contain large excavations, in which they
deposit stores of provisions. It hybernates during the winter, having
first carefully closed the entrance of its burrow from within. It is
susceptible of domestication, and is remarkable for its cleanly
habits. Its cheeks are susceptible of great dilatation, and are used
as receptacles for the food which it thus transports to its
burrow. The capture of the woodchuck, forms one of the most exciting
sports of boys, and it is very easily domesticated.
[Illustration: THE WOODCHUCK.]
The woods abounded in other wild animals, all small and harmless, but
extremely interesting to the children. In their frequent visits to the
woods, it was their delight to watch the animals and birds, and
observe their motions, habits, and modes of life. But they were not
fond of disturbing them; and when they deviated from their rule in
this respect, on one remarkable occasion, as we shall now relate, it
gave them occasion for much sorrow.