[Illustration: JEAN WITH A PIGEON ON EACH SHOULDER WAS PERFECTLY HAPPY.
_Frontispiece_]
[Illustration]
The Corner Series
THE FOUR CORNERS ABROAD
By
AMY E. BLANCHARD
George W. Jacobs & Company
Philadelphia.
Copyright, 1909, by
GEORGE W. JACOBS & COMPANY
_Published August, 1909_
_All rights reserved_
Printed in U. S. A.
CONTENTS
I. THE FOURTH IN PARIS 7
II. THE DAY OF BASTILLE 25
III. HOUSEKEEPING 43
IV. A GLIMPSE OF SPAIN 65
V. A FIESTA 87
VI. SPANISH HOSPITALITY 105
VII. ACROSS THE CHANNEL 125
VIII. IN LONDON TOWN 145
IX. WORK 165
X. A NIGHT ADVENTURE 187
XI. SETTLING DOWN 209
XII. ALL SAINTS 229
XIII. THE FAIRY PLAY AND ITS CONSEQUENCES 247
XIV. "STILLE NACHT" 267
XV. IN THE MOUNTAINS 289
XVI. HERR GREEN-CAP 313
XVII. GOOD-BYE MUNICH 335
XVIII. JACK AS CHAMPION 357
XIX. A YOUTHFUL GUIDE 377
XX. TOWARD THE TOE 397
ILLUSTRATIONS
Jean with a pigeon on each shoulder was
perfectly happy _Frontispiece_
Nan volunteered to go for supplies _Facing page_ 52
Mary Lee was snapping her fingers and
taking her steps " " 96
Jo managed to get next to the driver " " 150
The children stood in awe and delight at
the Krippen " " 270
[Illustration: CHAPTER I
THE FOURTH IN PARIS]
CHAPTER I
THE FOURTH IN PARIS
IT was at Passy that a little party of American girls were discussing
the afternoon's plans one day in July. The three older girls were
most interested; the two younger were too much engrossed in a game of
Diabolo to notice very much what the others were talking about.
"You see it's raining," said Nan Corner, a tall girl with dark hair,
"so we can't go in the Bois as we intended."
"Neither do we want to follow Aunt Helen's example and go hunting for
antiques," put in Nan's sister, Mary Lee. "What do you say we do, Jo?"
Jo Keyes was drumming on the window-pane and looking out at the rather
unpromising weather. "I see an American flag, girls," she said. "Hail
to you, Old Glory!--Goodness me!" She turned around. "Do you all know
what day it is? Of course we must do something patriotic."
"It's the Fourth of July!" exclaimed Nan, "and we never thought of it.
For pity's sake! Isn't it ridiculous? We never made very much of it
at home, but over here I feel so American when I remember Bunker Hill
and Yorktown and our own Virginia Washington, that I could paint myself
red, white and blue, and cry 'Give me liberty or give me death,' from
out the front window."
"I beg you'll do no such thing," said Mary Lee, the literal.
Nan laughed. The twins stopped their play and began to take an interest
in what was being said. "Do paint your face red, white and blue and
lean out the front window, Nan," said Jack; "it would be so funny."
"Let Mary Lee do it," said Nan, putting her arm around her little
sister; "she's already red, white and blue."
"Let me see, Mary Lee, let me see," said Jack, eagerly.
The others laughed. "Blue eyes, white nose, red lips," said Nan,
touching with her finger these features of Mary Lee's.
"You fooled me," said Jack disgustedly. "I thought she might have
lovely stripes or something on her face."
"Foolish child," returned Nan, giving her a squeeze. "We must do
something, girls, and look 'how it do rain,' as Mitty would say."
"Can't we have torpedoes or firecrackers or some kind of fireworks?"
asked Jean.
"The gendarmes might come and rush us all off to the police court if we
did," Jo told her. "They're so terribly particular here in Paris, that
if a cab or an auto runs over you, you have to pay damages for getting
in the way."
"Thank heaven we're Americans," said Nan fervently. "I am more eager
than ever to flaunt my colors. Of all unjust things I ever heard it
is to run you down and make you pay for it. They needn't talk to me
about their _liberté_, _fraternité_, and _egalité_. I'll give a centime
to the first one who thinks a happy thought for celebrating, myself
included."
Jo was the first with a suggestion. "Let's have a tea and invite the
grown-ups, your mother and Miss Helen. We might ask that nice Miss
Joyce, too. We can have red, white and blue decorations and dress
ourselves in the national colors, and it will be fine."
"The centime is yours," cried Nan. "You always were a good fellow with
ideas, Jo. Now let's set our wits to work. Who dares brave the elements
with me? I shall have to go foraging in the neighborhood."
"I'll go," cried Jack.
"I'd love to go foraging," said Jean.
"If you want any assistance in carrying bundles, I'm your man," said
Jo.
"Then you twinnies would better stay at home with Mary Lee," said Nan.
"But we do want to go, too," begged the two.
"I don't see why you want to get yourselves all drabbled, and very
likely you'd take cold," remarked Mary Lee. "For my part I'd much
rather stay in."
This quite satisfied Jean, but Jack still pouted until Nan suggested
that she help Mary Lee arrange the room and think up their costumes;
then the two oldest girls with umbrellas, rubbers and waterproofs set
out. Mrs. Corner and Miss Helen had gone to the city to attend to some
business at their banker's and would not return till later, therefore,
the girls concluded, it would be an excellent time to try their
ingenuity; they had been accustomed to do such things before now and
their imaginations, never rusty at any time, were in good working order.
"I know what I shall do," said Mary Lee, as soon as the door closed
after Nan and Jo. "I shall sew red stripes on one of my white frocks. I
have some Turkey red I was going to make into a bag; I'll use that."
"What can we do?" queried Jean.
"We shall have to get the room ready first," Mary Lee told her, "and
then we'll think of our dresses. Go into Aunt Helen's room, Jack, and
get all the red Baedekers you can find, and if you see any blue books,
bring them, too. Jean, go into all our rooms and bring any red-border
towels you see."
"What are you going to do with them?" asked Jean, pausing at the door.
"You'll see. Trot along, for we haven't any too much time."
Jean ran off and presently came back with a lot of towels hanging over
her arm. These Mary Lee disposed over the largest sofa pillow so as to
give the effect of a series of red and white stripes, setting a blue
covered cushion above the first. When Jack returned with the books,
which she managed to drop at intervals between the door and the lounge,
Mary Lee made neat piles on the table of the red and blue covered
volumes, the white edges giving the required combination of color.
"There are a great many more red than blue ones," remarked Jack,
watching the effect of Mary Lee's work. "I know what we can do, Mary
Lee, we can cover some of the books. I saw some blue wrapping-paper in
Aunt Helen's room."
"A good idea. Great head. Bring it along, Jack." And again Jack
scampered off to return in a few minutes with the blue paper which Mary
Lee used to cover the books needed.
"That does very well," she commented, surveying her work with pleased
eyes. "Now we'll have to wait till Nan comes before we can finish up
here. Fortunately Aunt Helen has blue and white tea things, and they
will need only to be set on a red covered tray. I won't do that yet
before I see what Nan and Jo bring back with them. Now, I'm going to
sew the stripes on my skirt. We will see about you chicks when Nan
comes."
She went off bent upon carrying out her design of wearing a red
striped frock and blue tie. "I've a lovely idea," Jack whispered to
her twin. "Let's go into mother's room and I'll show you." And the two
disappeared closing the door behind them.
Half an hour later Nan and Jo returned. Mary Lee met them, red striped
skirt in hand. "Well," she exclaimed eagerly, "did you manage to get
anything?"
"Indeed we did," Jo replied. "Look at these flowers. Aren't they just
the thing? We found an old woman around the corner with a cart full of
flowers and we took our pick." She held up a bunch of red and white
carnations with some blue corn-flowers.
"Perfect," agreed Mary Lee. "What else did you get?"
"Some red candies." Nan produced them. "We shall put them in that
little blue and white Japanese dish of mother's. We have a beautiful
sugary white cake, and I am going to make a little American flag to
stand up in the middle of it. We have some lady-fingers which we shall
tie up with red, white and blue ribbons, and with bread and butter I
think that will do. My, Mary Lee! you've done beautifully. It looks
fine. Who thought of the red Baedekers and the blue books?"
"I did, or at least Jack helped out the idea with the blue paper
covers."
"Where are the kiddies?"
"In mother's room getting ready. I've been basting these red stripes on
this skirt. I've the last one nearly finished. What are you going to
wear, Nan?"
"I'd copy-cat your red stripes if I had time, but I can cut out
some stars and paste them on a blue belt, maybe, and wear a white
shirt-waist and a red skirt. Jo has a striped red and white waist she
can wear with a blue tie. We must hurry up, for time is flying and I
have still the flag to make."
They skurried around and soon had everything arranged to their taste.
"Now I'll make the flag," said Nan, "though I'll never get as many
stars as I need on such a tiny blue ground, for there are such a number
of states. Perhaps I can find a scrap of that dark blue challis with
the tiny white stars on it; that would do very well to paste in one
corner."
Mary Lee and Jo followed her to the room which the three shared in
common. The twins had a little room adjoining and from this issued a
murmur of voices.
"Who has taken my paint box?" cried Nan diving down into her trunk.
"I've looked everywhere for it. I was sure I left it on this table."
"I'll bet that scamp Jack has it," declared Mary Lee.
Nan opened the door leading to the next room and there beheld the two
sitting on the floor, the color box between them. A mug of water stood
near. Jack had just painted a series of ragged stripes across her white
shoes and was regarding this decoration with much complacency. Jean was
about to emulate her twin by similarly adorning the white stockings
upon her slim little legs. She had carefully begun at the very top and
had just made her first brush mark.
"Do you think there should be thirteen stripes?" she was asking Jack
when Nan opened the door.
"You wretches!" cried the latter. "What are you doing with my paints?"
"We're just fixing up for Fourth of July," responded Jack thrusting out
a brilliantly striped foot for Nan's inspection, and in consequence
upsetting the mug of water over the color box.
"I should think you were just fixing up," returned Nan. "Just look
at my color box. You've nearly used up a whole pan of vermilion, and
now look what you have done. Get a towel, Jean, and sop it up. You've
spoiled your shoes, Jack. They'll never be fit to wear again."
Jack looked ruefully at the feet in which she had taken such pride.
"Mayn't I stripe my stockings, Nan?" asked Jean looking up from her
task of mopping up the water.
"No, chickie, I think you'd better not."
"But Jack has such beautiful stripes," said Jean regretfully.
"I'll tell you what you can have," said Nan. "I've a lot of red ribbons
and I'll wind your sweet little pipe-stems with those."
Jean was so pleased with this idea that she did not mind the aspersions
cast upon her slim legs. "That will be lovely," she agreed, "and it
will save the trouble of painting. I saw it was going to be crite hard
to have exactly thirteen stripes and all the same width."
Nan picked up the sloppy looking color box. "I've got to make a little
flag," she said, "and as soon as that is done I'll get the ribbons for
you." She bore off the colors into the next room and proceeded hastily
to make her flag, sticking a bit of the starred challis in one corner
for the field. When it was completed she looked around for a proper
staff, and finally settled on one of her paint brushes whose pointed
handle served excellently well to stick in the centre of the cake.
Having put it in place, Nan stood off to see the effect. "It doesn't
look quite right," she observed. "What is the matter with it, girls?"
"You've made thirteen red stripes instead of having thirteen in all,
red and white included," Mary Lee told her. She was always an exact
person.
"Dear me, that's just the thing," said Nan. "Why didn't I know enough
to do it right?"
"Never mind," said Jo. "Nobody will notice it, and I am sure it looks
very well. Isn't the table lovely? I wish they would come."
"Oh, but I don't," returned Nan. "I've yet to dike, and I promised
Jean to wind her legs for her. They will look like barbers' poles, but
she'll never think of that, so please don't any one suggest it. It is
so late I'll have to fling on any red, white and blue doings I can
find."
"I'll wind the legs," volunteered Jo. "I'm all ready as you see, and
you've had the most to do."
"Good for you," responded Nan. "I'll get the ribbons."
"Don't you think," said Jo, "that we ought to have speeches or
something?" Jo was always great at that sort of thing.
"It wouldn't be bad." Nan was quick to accept the suggestion. "You
get up a speech, Jo. We'll sing Yankee Doodle and Dixie to comb
accompaniments, and I'll recite that poem of Emerson's about the firing
of the shot heard round the world. What will you do, Mary Lee?"
"I might give a cake-walk," she replied; "that would be truly American."
"Let's all do a cake-walk," Nan suggested. "We have the cake, you see,
and you can dance a breakdown, Mary Lee, and sing a plantation song."
"The programme is rolling up splendidly," said Jo. "Go along, Nan, and
get dressed. If you stand here talking the guests will be here before
you are ready."
Nan rushed off and, in her usual direct and expeditious manner, soon
had herself arrayed. Her blue skirt, white shirt-waist and red sash
gave the foundation of her costume which was further enlivened by a
red, white and blue cockade, made hastily of tissue-paper snatched out
of various places. This she wore in her dark hair while she had put on
a pair of red stockings with white shoes, the latter made resplendent
by huge blue bows.
"Your get-up is fine," cried Jo, regarding her admiringly. "You always
outdo every one else, Nan, and with the least fussing and the slightest
amount of material. Here I've taken the trouble to put these white
stars on a blue belt, and Mary Lee has basted all those stripes around
her skirt, yet look at you with that dandy little cockade and those
fetching blue bows which didn't take you five minutes to make."
"There they come," cried Mary Lee.
"Start the teakettle, somebody, while I go tell Miss Joyce. I hope
she has not gone out." She rushed off leaving the others to begin the
tea-making. On the way from Miss Joyce's room, where she fortunately
found the young lady, Nan encountered Mrs. Corner and Miss Helen.
"Happy Fourth of July," cried the girl. "Get your things off, please,
and come right in to tea; it's all ready."
"Good child," answered Miss Helen. "We are ready for tea, for we
are both tired out. There was so much red tape connected with this
morning's business. We'll be right in, Nan."
"You didn't get wet?"
"Fortunately we didn't, for we had a cab."
"Good! then you won't have to change your gowns. Don't stop to prink,
mother dear, and come as soon as you can." She stopped to snatch a
kiss from her mother and hurried back. Her costume had indicated that
something out of the ordinary was going on, but the grown-ups were
not prepared for what met their eyes when they entered the little
sitting-room.
"Well, if this isn't just like you children," exclaimed Mrs. Corner
when she saw the array.
"Is it just like them?" Miss Joyce turned with an appreciative smile.
"Then all I have to say is that you have the dearest children in the
world."
The entertainment began with Jo's patriotic speech which was given
while the ladies drank their tea. There were sly hits at the rights
and wrongs of foot passengers in Paris, references to the difficulties
of the French language, to the law forbidding anything to be placed
on the window-sills, to the lack of sweet potatoes and green corn, to
the small portions of ice-cream served, and the whole oration was full
of such humor as brought much laughter and applause. Jo was always
happiest in such impromptu speeches. Next each girl provided with
a comb covered with tissue-paper gave a shrill rendering of Yankee
Doodle and Dixie, then followed Mary Lee's breakdown, and next Nan's
recitation. After this the twins, not to be outdone, sang a ridiculous
negro song, patting juba as they did it. The whole performance ended
with a cake-walk in which Nan and Jack surpassed themselves, taking the
cake amid much laughter and applause.
"I haven't laughed so much for a year," said Miss Joyce, wiping her
eyes. "I must confess to having felt rather blue this gloomy day,
but you dear things have driven my homesickness so far away that I
don't believe there is any danger of its coming back for a long time,
certainly not while you are in the house. How did you think of all
this?"
"Oh, we often do such things on the spur of the moment," Nan told her.
"It's much more fun than to plan a long time ahead. We never realized
what day it was till Jo chanced to see an American flag hanging from a
window near by. You know down in Virginia we don't make much ado over
the Fourth, but here in Paris somehow it seemed quite different, and we
suddenly felt wildly patriotic, so we had to let off the steam in some
way, and this idea of Jo's was very easy to carry out."
"It's been an immense success," Miss Joyce assured her. "The
decorations are so original, and such costumes, I don't see how you
managed to get them up in such a short time."
Nan looked down at her flaunting blue bows. "It's nothing when you're
used to depending upon whatever comes handy. This blue paper happened
to came around a package, and one can pinch up a couple of bows in no
time; as for the other things, it just means a little ingenuity. When
we were out in California we used to have a different kind of tea every
week, and it was lots of fun to think up something new."
"We like to encourage our girls to exercise imagination and invention,"
Miss Helen remarked. "Nowadays when children are not encouraged to read
the old-fashioned fairy tales, and have so many toys that they never
have a chance to invent any plays for themselves, there is danger of
certain fine qualities of mind being left out of the composition of the
coming generation."
"I quite agree with you," said Miss Joyce. "Creatures of 'fire and dew
and spirit' must feed on different mental food from the ordinary, and
I'm sure your girls will always possess individuality."
"That is what we are aiming for," returned Miss Helen.
Jack's intention was so good, that she was spared a scolding on account
of the shoes, and the afternoon ended happily though it continued to
rain dismally. Jack, it may be said in passing, seldom allowed an
occasion to go by without getting into some sort of scrape, and that
she had done nothing worse than spoil a pair of inexpensive white
shoes was really to her credit. Jean admired her own red strappings so
unreservedly that she continued to wear the decorations till bedtime,
while Nan's cockade still adorned her head at the dinner table.
"We shall pass but one more national holiday over here," she remarked,
"and what's the sense of being in a foreign country if you can't
remember your own sometimes! To be sure the tri-color is French, too,
but it means the United States to us." So ended this Fourth of July
which was a day long remembered.
[Illustration: CHAPTER II
THE DAY OF BASTILLE]