I suppose my father has got home again by this time. I like to have my
father come to see me. The boys all say my father is a tip-top one. I
guess they like to have a man treat them with so many peanuts and good
seed-cakes. I got back here to-day from Dorry’s cousin’s party. My
father let me go. I wish my sister could have seen that party. Tell her
when I get there I will tell her all about the little girls, and tell
her how cunning the little ones, as small as she, looked dancing, and
about the good things we had. O, I never saw such good things before! I
didn’t know there were such kinds of good things in the world.
Did my father tell you all about that letter that Tom Cush wrote to
Dorry? Ask him to. Dorry sent that letter right to Tom Cush’s mother.
And when Dorry and I were walking along together the next morning after
the party, she was sitting at her window, and as soon as she saw us she
said, “Won’t you come in, boys? Do come in!” And looked so glad! And
laughed, and about half cried, after we went in, and it was that same
room where we went before. But it didn’t seem so lonesome now, not half.
It looked about as sunshiny as our kitchen does, and they had
flower-vases. I wish I could get some of those pretty seeds for my
sister, for she hasn’t got any of that kind of flowers.
She seemed just as glad to see us! And shook hands and looked so
smiling, and so did Tom’s father when he came into the room. He had a
belt in his hand that Tom used to wear when he used to belong to that
Base-ball Club. And when we saw that Dorry said, “Why! has Tom got
back?” Tom’s mother said, “O no.” But his father said, “O yes! Tom’s got
back. He hasn’t got back to our house, but he’s got back. He hasn’t got
back to town, but he’s got back. He hasn’t got back to his own country,
but he’s got back. For I call that getting back,” says he, “when a boy
gets back to the right way of feeling.”
Then Tom’s mother took that belt and hung it up where it used to be
before, for it had been taken down and put away, because they didn’t
want to have it make them think of Tom so much.
She said when Tom got back in earnest, back to the house, that we two,
Dorry and I, must come there and make a visit, and I hope we shall, for
they’ve got a pond at the bottom of their garden, and Tom’s father owns
a boat, and you mustn’t think I should tip over, for I sha’ n’t, and no
matter if I should, I can swim to shore easy.
Your affectionate grandchild,