AN AUTOMOBILE JOURNEY
EARLY one morning three of the happiest children in France were stowed
away in the back of Mr. Carter's big automobile. They were still more
delighted when Pierre, Mr. Carter's fine, black French poodle, jumped
up on the seat beside him, looking very jaunty with his fore-locks tied
up with a blue ribbon, and as complacent as if he was driving the auto
himself.
"I thought we would go by way of La Roche-Guyon to Mantes and have
lunch there, and then come back by way of Vernon; that ought to show
you children a bit of the country," said Mr. Carter.
The children were ready for anything, and off they went at a pace that
nearly took away their breath.
They were soon flying through rolling farmlands, where the various
crops were planted in such regular fields that they looked like a
great patchwork quilt, with squares of green, yellow, and brown spread
out for miles. There were no divisions by fences or hedges, except
sometimes at each corner of a farm a small white stone marked the
boundary. Suddenly, they slowed down.
"Here is something which always stops me," said Mr. Carter. "It is like
running into a big spider's web."
A woman coming up the road was driving eight or nine cows, each
attached to a long rope, which she held in her hand. It seemed like a
maze to an outsider, but she drew in first one rope, and then twisted
another, and pulled back another, until she finally got her charges to
one side of the road.
The cows are taken out to pasture, where there are no regular fields
where they may run loose. So they must be guarded in this manner, and
when they have eaten one spot up clean, they are taken on to another.
Farther up the road two children were watching some goats on the side
of the road, but in this case each goat's rope was tied to an iron
stake which was driven in the ground, so the children could amuse
themselves until it was time to move the animals on to a fresh bit of
pasturage.
"Your horses wear gay clothes," said Mr. Carter, as they passed a great
lumbering wagon, swung between two big wheels, drawn tandem-wise,--that
is, one horse in front of the other,--by five heavy-limbed Norman
horses.
Around their big clumsy wooden collars, which are usually painted in
bright colours, was draped a dark blue sheepskin blanket. On their
heads bobbed big tassels of blue and red, or blue, red, and yellow,
which so dangled in their eyes that one wonders how they could see at
all.
The leader was more finely dressed than the others. His neck-blanket
had long stole-like ends, that hung almost to the ground, and an extra
high collar with more tassels. All this may not be comfortable for the
horses, but they looked so very picturesque, one hopes that they did
not mind it.
The automobile now whizzed by a team of slow-moving cream-coloured
oxen,--beautiful beasts with yokes twisted around their horns instead
of around their necks. They never so much as lifted their sleepy eyes
to look at our party.
"This is another frequent obstacle in the way of the automobilist,"
said Mr. Carter, as they came in sight of a flock of sheep with their
shepherd, which completely blocked up the road. "But I do not object
to stopping in this case, for it is worth one's while to watch the
sheep-dogs do their work."
The children stood up in the auto and watched the amusing performance
with much interest, and Pierre barked his appreciation. The dogs
knew perfectly well which side of the road must be left open for the
automobile, and they began to drive the sheep toward the other side,
pushing them and barking at them; the slow ones they would catch by the
wool, give them a little shake, as much as to say "you had better move
quickly," and then pull them out of the way, looking back every few
minutes to see how near to them was the automobile.
"They act with as much judgment as human beings," said Mr. Carter, as
he carefully steered through the flock. The shepherd, who had let the
dogs do the work, was a fine-looking fellow, in a long grayish white
cloak, striped with colour, which made him look like a shepherd of
Bible times. In the field near by stood his house, a kind of big box on
wheels, just large enough for him and his dogs to sleep in, which he
could move about where he liked.
They were now running down a long, steep hill into La Roche-Guyon.
"Look!" cried Germaine, "there are chimneys and stovepipes coming up
out of the ground; is it not funny?"
"Those are the cave-dwellings," explained Mr. Carter. "These people
have cut their houses in the side of the cliff; you can see the
openings to them, often in tiers one above the other, and those
chimneys you see come from the houses. There are many such dwellings
all over the country, especially along the other great river of France,
the Loire."
"Are people living in them?" asked Jean, "and how can they see in them?
Are they not dark and gloomy?"
"Well, as you can see, there is always a door and often one or two
windows. The poorer people do sometimes live in them, though not so
much as they used to many years ago when the French peasant was much
worse off than he is now. The working people are now building and
owning their own little homes, and these caves are being used more for
storehouses and, in the grape districts, for cellars in which to store
the wine-crop."
"I should not like to live in the ground like that," declared Jean.
They only stopped long enough in the town to look at the big château,
which to-day belongs to the noble French family in whose possession it
has been for hundreds of years. This splendid building was very odd,
for the back had been built into the high chalk-cliff which towers
above it.
"I can see the towers of a big church in the distance," said Germaine,
presently.
"That is the church of Mantes, and we shall soon be in the town,"
replied Mr. Carter. "It is said that this church was built by William
the Conqueror to replace one that was destroyed while he was besieging
the town, and it was at this same siege that he was mortally wounded."
After lunch and a walk around the town, they started for home over a
fine broad road shaded with trees.
"This is a 'National Road,'" said Jean. "Papa told me about these great
highways laid out all over France by the great Napoleon, so that
soldiers could be moved easily from one part of the country to another."
"Oh, look! What is that big gray thing in the sky just above that clump
of trees? It looks like a fish," suddenly cried Marie, as they were
passing a small village lying just off the highroad.
"Why, bless me if it is not an air-ship!" ejaculated Mr. Carter. "I
remember now that the big sugar manufacturer lives near here, who is so
much interested in flying-machines, and every now and again he sends
one up to find out how his experiments are getting on. Well, children,
that is a sight for you that I did not anticipate. Who knows, however,
but what you will live yet to see a flying-machine express going
between Rouen and Paris, stopping at Les Andelys to take up passengers."
This was sufficient to give the party something to talk about until
they reached Vernon, where they stopped at a pretty riverside café to
have a _sirop de groseille_, and, as Mr. Carter jokingly said, to rest
the horses.
It was still early when they again came in sight of Château Gaillard,
and so ended a blissful day for our young people, who had something to
talk about for many a long winter evening.
THE END.
Selections from The Page Company's Books for Young People
THE BLUE BONNET SERIES
_Each large 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated, per volume_ $1.75
=A TEXAS BLUE BONNET=
By CAROLINE E. JACOBS.
"The book's heroine, Blue Bonnet, has the very finest kind of
wholesome, honest, lively girlishness."--_Chicago Inter-Ocean._
=BLUE BONNET'S RANCH PARTY=
By CAROLINE E. JACOBS AND EDYTH ELLERBECK READ.
"A healthy, natural atmosphere breathes from every chapter."--_Boston
Transcript._
=BLUE BONNET IN BOSTON=
By CAROLINE E. JACOBS AND LELA HORN RICHARDS.
"It is bound to become popular because of its wholesomeness and its
many human touches."--_Boston Globe._
=BLUE BONNET KEEPS HOUSE=
By CAROLINE E. JACOBS AND LELA HORN RICHARDS.
"It cannot fail to prove fascinating to girls in their teens."--_New
York Sun._
=BLUE BONNET--DÉBUTANTE=
By LELA HORN RICHARDS.
An interesting picture of the unfolding of life for Blue Bonnet.
=BLUE BONNET OF THE SEVEN STARS=
By LELA HORN RICHARDS.
"The author's intimate detail and charm of narration gives the reader
an interesting story of the heroine's war activities."--_Pittsburgh
Leader._
=ONLY HENRIETTA=
By LELA HORN RICHARDS.
Cloth decorative, 12mo, illustrated $1.90
"It is an inspiring story of the unfolding of life for a young girl--a
story in which there is plenty of action to hold interest and wealth of
delicate sympathy and understanding that appeals to the hearts of young
and old."--_Pittsburgh Leader._
=HENRIETTA'S INHERITANCE:= A Sequel to "Only Henrietta"
By LELA HORN RICHARDS.
Cloth decorative, 12mo, illustrated $1.90
"One of the most noteworthy stories for girls issued this season. The
life of Henrietta is made very real, and there is enough incident in
the narrative to balance the delightful characterization."--_Providence
Journal._
=THE YOUNG KNIGHT=
By I. M. B. of K.
Cloth decorative, 12mo, illustrated $1.75
The clash of broad-sword on buckler, the twanging of bow-strings and
the cracking of spears splintered by whirling maces resound through
this stirring tale of knightly daring-do.
=THE YOUNG CAVALIERS=
By I. M. B. of K.
Cloth decorative, 12mo, illustrated $1.75
"There have been many scores of books written about the Charles Stuarts
of England, but never a merrier and more pathetic one than 'The Young
Cavaliers.'"--_Family Herald._
"The story moves quickly, and every page flashes a new thrill
before the reader, with plenty of suspense and excitement. There is
valor, affection, romance, chivalry and humor in this fascinating
tale."--_Kansas City Kansan._
THE MARJORY-JOE SERIES
By ALICE E. ALLEN
_Each one volume, cloth decorative, 12mo, illustrated,
per volume_ $1.50
=JOE, THE CIRCUS BOY AND ROSEMARY=
These are two of Miss Allen's earliest and most successful stories,
combined in a single volume to meet the insistent demands from young
people for these two particular tales.
=THE MARTIE TWINS:= Continuing the Adventures of Joe, the Circus Boy
"The chief charm of the story is that it contains so much of human
nature. It is so real that it touches the heart strings."--_New York
Standard._
=MARJORY, THE CIRCUS GIRL=
A sequel to "Joe, the Circus Boy," and "The Martie Twins."
=MARJORY AT THE WILLOWS=
Continuing the story of Marjory, the Circus Girl.
"Miss Allen does not write impossible stories, but delightfully pins
her little folk right down to this life of ours, in which she ranges
vigorously and delightfully."--_Boston Ideas._
=MARJORY'S HOUSE PARTY:= Or, What Happened at Clover Patch
"Miss Allen certainly knows how to please the children and tells them
stories that never fail to charm."--_Madison Courier._
=MARJORY'S DISCOVERY=
This new addition to the popular MARJORY-JOE SERIES is as lovable and
original as any of the other creations of this writer of charming
stories. We get little peeps at the precious twins, at the healthy
minded Joe and sweet Marjory. There is a bungalow party, which lasts
the entire summer, in which all of the characters of the previous
MARJORY-JOE stories participate, and their happy times are delightfully
depicted.
THE YOUNG PIONEER SERIES
By HARRISON ADAMS
_Each 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated, per volume_ $1.65
=THE PIONEER BOYS OF THE OHIO;= OR, CLEARING THE WILDERNESS.
"Such books as this are an admirable means of stimulating among the
young Americans of to-day interest in the story of their pioneer
ancestors and the early days of the Republic."--_Boston Globe._
=THE PIONEER BOYS ON THE GREAT LAKES;= OR, ON THE TRAIL OF THE IROQUOIS.
"The recital of the daring deeds of the frontier is not only
interesting but instructive as well and shows the sterling
type of character which these days of self-reliance and trial
produced."--_American Tourist, Chicago._
=THE PIONEER BOYS OF THE MISSISSIPPI;= OR, THE HOMESTEAD IN THE
WILDERNESS.
"The story is told with spirit, and is full of adventure."--_New York
Sun._
=THE PIONEER BOYS OF THE MISSOURI;= OR, IN THE COUNTRY OF THE SIOUX.
"Vivid in style, vigorous in movement, full of dramatic situations,
true to historic perspective, this story is a capital one for
boys."--_Watchman Examiner, New York City._
=THE PIONEER BOYS OF THE YELLOWSTONE;= OR, LOST IN THE LAND OF WONDERS.
"There is plenty of lively adventure and action and the story is well
told."--_Duluth Herald, Duluth, Minn._
=THE PIONEER BOYS OF THE COLUMBIA:= OR, IN THE WILDERNESS OF THE GREAT
NORTHWEST.
"The story is full of spirited action and contains much valuable
historical information."--_Boston Herald._
THE FRIENDLY TERRACE SERIES
By HARRIET LUMMIS SMITH
_Each one volume, cloth, decorative, 12mo,
illustrated, per volume_ $1.75
=THE GIRLS OF FRIENDLY TERRACE=
"It is a book that cheers, that inspires to higher thinking; it knits
hearts; it unfolds neighborhood plans in a way that makes one tingle to
try carrying them out, and most of all it proves that in daily life,
threads of wonderful issues are being woven in with what appears the
most ordinary of material, but which in the end brings results stranger
than the most thrilling fiction."--_Belle Kellogg Towne in The Young
People's Weekly, Chicago._
=PEGGY RAYMOND'S VACATION=
"It is a clean, wholesome, hearty story, well told and full of
incident. It carries one through experiences that hearten and brighten
the day."--_Utica, N. Y., Observer._
=PEGGY RAYMOND'S SCHOOL DAYS=
"It is a bright, entertaining story, with happy girls, good times,
natural development, and a gentle earnestness of general tone."--_The
Christian Register, Boston._
=THE FRIENDLY TERRACE QUARTETTE=
"The story is told in easy and entertaining style and is a most
delightful narrative, especially for young people. It will also make
the older readers feel younger, for while reading it they will surely
live again in the days of their youth."--_Troy Budget._
=PEGGY RAYMOND'S WAY=
"The author has again produced a story that is replete with wholesome
incidents and makes Peggy more lovable than ever as a companion and
leader."--_World of Books._
"It possesses a plot of much merit and through its 324 pages it weaves
a tale of love and of adventure which ranks it among the best books for
girls."--_Cohoes American._
FAMOUS LEADERS SERIES
By CHARLES H. L. JOHNSTON
_Each large 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated, per volume_ $2.00
=FAMOUS CAVALRY LEADERS=
"More of such books should be written, books that acquaint young
readers with historical personages in a pleasant, informal way."--_New
York Sun._
=FAMOUS INDIAN CHIEFS=
"Mr. Johnston has done faithful work in this volume, and his relation
of battles, sieges and struggles of these famous Indians with the
whites for the possession of America is a worthy addition to United
States History."--_New York Marine Journal._
=FAMOUS SCOUTS=
"It is the kind of a book that will have a great fascination for boys
and young men."--_New London Day._
=FAMOUS PRIVATEERSMEN AND ADVENTURERS OF THE SEA=
"The tales are more than merely interesting; they are entrancing,
stirring the blood with thrilling force."--_Pittsburgh Post._
=FAMOUS FRONTIERSMEN AND HEROES OF THE BORDER=
"The accounts are not only authentic, but distinctly readable,
making a book of wide appeal to all who love the history of actual
adventure."--_Cleveland Leader._
=FAMOUS DISCOVERERS AND EXPLORERS OF AMERICA=
"The book is an epitome of some of the wildest and bravest adventures
of which the world has known."--_Brooklyn Daily Eagle._
=FAMOUS GENERALS OF THE GREAT WAR=
Who Led the United States and Her Allies to a Glorious Victory.
"The pages of this book have the charm of romance without its
unreality. The book illuminates, with life-like portraits, the history
of the World War."--_Rochester Post Express._
By EDWIN WILDMAN
=FAMOUS LEADERS OF INDUSTRY.=--First Series
"Are these stories interesting? Let a boy read them; and tell
you."--_Boston Transcript._
=FAMOUS LEADERS OF INDUSTRY.=--Second Series
"As fascinating as fiction are these biographies, which emphasize their
humble beginning and drive home the truth that just as every soldier of
Napoleon carried a marshal's baton in his knapsack, so every American
youngster carries potential success under his hat."--_New York World._
=THE FOUNDERS OF AMERICA= (Lives of Great Americans from the Revolution
to the Monroe Doctrine)
"How can one become acquainted with the histories of some of the famous
men of the United States? A very good way is to read 'The Founders of
America,' by Edwin Wildman, wherein the life stories of fifteen men who
founded our country are told."--_New York Post._
=FAMOUS LEADERS OF CHARACTER= (Lives of Great Americans from the Civil
War to Today)
"An informing, interesting and inspiring book for boys."--_Presbyterian
Banner._
"... Is a book that should be read by every boy in the whole
country...."--_Atlanta Constitution._
=FAMOUS AMERICAN NAVAL OFFICERS= With a complete index.
By CHARLES LEE LEWIS
_Professor, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis_
"Professor Lewis does not make the mistake of bringing together simply
a collection of biographical sketches. In connection with the life of
John Paul Jones, Stephen Decatur, and other famous naval officers, he
groups the events of the period in which the officer distinguished
himself, and combines the whole into a colorful and stirring
narrative."--_Boston Herald._
STORIES BY EVALEEN STEIN
Each, one volume, cloth decorative, 12mo, illustrated,
with a jacket in color $1.65
=THE CHRISTMAS PORRINGER=
This story happened many hundreds of years ago in the quaint Flemish
city of Bruges and concerns a little girl named Karen, who worked at
lace-making with her aged grandmother.
=GABRIEL AND THE HOUR BOOK=
"No works in juvenile fiction contain so many of the elements that
stir the hearts of children and grown-ups as well as do the stories so
admirably told by this author."--_Louisville Daily Courier._
=A LITTLE SHEPHERD OF PROVENCE=
"The story should be one of the influences in the life of every child
to whom good stories can be made to appeal."--_Public Ledger._
=THE LITTLE COUNT OF NORMANDY=
"This touching and pleasing story is told with a wealth of interest
coupled with enlivening descriptions of the country where its scenes
are laid and of the people thereof."--_Wilmington Every Evening._
=WHEN FAIRIES WERE FRIENDLY=
"The stories are music in prose--they are like pearls on a chain of
gold--each word seems exactly the right word in the right place; the
stories sing themselves out, they are so beautifully expressed."--_The
Lafayette Leader._
=PEPIN: A Tale of Twelfth Night=
"This retelling of an old Twelfth Night romance is a creation almost as
perfect as her 'Christmas Porringer.'"--_Lexington Herald._
THE HADLEY HALL SERIES
By LOUISE M. BREITENBACH
_Each large 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated, per volume_ $1.65
=ALMA AT HADLEY HALL=
"The author is to be congratulated on having written such an appealing
book for girls."--_Detroit Free Press._
=ALMA'S SOPHOMORE YEAR=
"It cannot fail to appeal to the lovers of good things in girls'
books."--_Boston Herald._
=ALMA'S JUNIOR YEAR=
"The diverse characters in the boarding-school are strongly drawn,
the incidents are well developed and the action is never dull."--_The
Boston Herald._
=ALMA'S SENIOR YEAR=
"A healthy, natural atmosphere breathes from every chapter."--_Boston
Transcript._
DOCTOR'S LITTLE GIRL SERIES
By MARION AMES TAGGART
_Each large 12mo, cloth, illustrated, per volume_, $1.75
=THE DOCTOR'S LITTLE GIRL=
"A charming story of the ups and downs of the life of a dear little
maid."--_The Churchman._
=SWEET NANCY:= THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF THE DOCTOR'S LITTLE GIRL.
"Just the sort of book to amuse, while its influence cannot but be
elevating."--_New York Sun._
=NANCY, THE DOCTOR'S LITTLE PARTNER=
"The story is sweet and fascinating, such as many girls of wholesome
tastes will enjoy."--_Springfield Union._
=NANCY PORTER'S OPPORTUNITY=
"Nancy shows throughout that she is a splendid young woman, with plenty
of pluck."--_Boston Globe._
=NANCY AND THE COGGS TWINS=
"The story is refreshing."--_New York Sun._
IDEAL BOOKS FOR GIRLS
_Each, one volume, cloth decorative, 12mo_, $1.10
=A LITTLE CANDY BOOK FOR A LITTLE GIRL=
By AMY L. WATERMAN.
"This is a peculiarly interesting little book, written in the simple,
vivacious style that makes these little manuals as delightful to read
as they are instructive."--_Nashville Tennessean and American._
=A LITTLE COOK-BOOK FOR A LITTLE GIRL=
By CAROLINE FRENCH BENTON.
This book explains how to cook so simply that no one can fail to
understand every word, even a complete novice.
=A LITTLE HOUSEKEEPING BOOK FOR A LITTLE GIRL=
By CAROLINE FRENCH BENTON.
A little girl, home from school on Saturday mornings, finds out how to
make helpful use of her spare time, and also how to take proper pride
and pleasure in good housework.
=A LITTLE SEWING BOOK FOR A LITTLE GIRL=
By LOUISE FRANCES CORNELL.
"It is comprehensive and practical, and yet revealingly instructive.
It takes a little girl who lives alone with her mother, and shows how
her mother taught her the art of sewing in its various branches. The
illustrations aid materially."--_Wilmington Every Evening._
=A LITTLE PRESERVING BOOK FOR A LITTLE GIRL=
By AMY L. WATERMAN.
In simple, clear wording, Mrs. Waterman explains every step of the
process of preserving or "canning" fruits and vegetables.
=A LITTLE GARDENING BOOK FOR A LITTLE GIRL=
By PETER MARTIN.
This little volume is an excellent guide for the young gardener. In
addition to truck gardening, the book gives valuable information on
flowers, the planning of the garden, selection of varieties, etc.
THE SANDMAN SERIES
Each large 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated, per volume $1.75
BY WILLIAM J. HOPKINS
=THE SANDMAN:= HIS FARM STORIES.
"Mothers and fathers and kind elder sisters who take the little
ones to bed and rack their brains for stories will find this book a
treasure."--_Cleveland Leader._
=THE SANDMAN:= MORE FARM STORIES.
"Children will call for these stories over and over again."--_Chicago
Evening Post._
=THE SANDMAN:= HIS SHIP STORIES.
"Little ones will understand and delight in the stories and their
parents will read between the lines and recognize the poetic and
artistic work of the author."--_Indianapolis News._
=THE SANDMAN:= HIS SEA STORIES.
"Once upon a time there was a man who knew little children and the kind
of stories they liked, so he wrote four books of Sandman's stories, all
about the farm or the sea, and the brig Industry, and this book is one
of them."--_Canadian Congregationalist._
BY JENNY WALLIS
=THE SANDMAN:= HIS SONGS AND RHYMES.
"Here is a fine collection of poems for mothers and friends to use
at the twilight hour. They are not of the soporific kind especially.
They are wholesome reading when most wide-awake and of such a soothing
and delicious flavor that they are welcome when the lights are
low."--_Christian Intelligencer._
BY HELEN I. CASTELLA
=THE SANDMAN:= HIS FAIRY STORIES.
This time the Sandman comes in person, and takes little Joyce, who
believes in him, to the wonderful land of Nod. There they procure pots
and pans from the pansy bed, a goose from the gooseberry bush, a chick
from the chick weed, corn from the cornflower, and eat on a box from
the boxwood hedge. They have almost as many adventures as Alice in
Wonderland.
By HARRY W. FREES
=THE SANDMAN:= HIS ANIMAL STORIES.
"The simplicity of the stories and the fascinating manner in which they
are written make them an excellent night-cap for the youngster who is
easily excited into wakefulness."--_Pittsburgh Leader._
=THE SANDMAN:= HIS KITTYCAT STORIES.
"The Sandman is a wonderful fellow. First he told farm stories, then
ship stories, then sea stories. And now he tells stories about the
kittens and the fun they had in Kittycat Town. A strange thing about
these kittens is the ability to talk, work and play like boys and
girls, and that is why all of the little tots will like the Sandman's
book."--_Pittsburgh Chronicle Telegraph._
=THE SANDMAN:= HIS BUNNY STORIES.
"The whole book is filled with one tale after another and is
narrated in such a pleasing manner as to reach the heart of every
child."--_Common Sense, Chicago._
=THE SANDMAN:= HIS PUPPY STORIES.
Another volume of Mr. Frees' inimitable stories for tiny tots, this
time about the "doggie mothers who lived with their puppies" on the
other side of Kitty-way lane in Animal Land. The illustrations are
from photographs posed by the author with the same appeal which has
characterized his previous pictures.
By W. S. PHILLIPS
(EL COMANCHO)
=THE SANDMAN:= HIS INDIAN STORIES.
The Indian tales for this Celebrated Series of Children's Bedtime
Stories have been written by a man who has Indian blood, who spent
years of his life among the Redmen, in one of the tribes of which he
is an honored member, and who is an expert interpreter of the Indian
viewpoint and a practised authority on Indians as well as a master
teller of tales.
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes:
Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
Page xiii, "107" changed to "108" to reflect actual start of chapter
VIII.
Page 81, "nother" changed to "another" (another, with nearly every)
End of Project Gutenberg's Our Little French Cousin, by Blanche McManus