We live on the bank of the Mystic River, and have a view of Bunker
Hill Monument, which is just opposite to us, on the Charlestown
side of the river. There is also on Bunker Hill a beautiful bronze
statue of Colonel Prescott. Our home is very pretty, and in the
summer we row in our boat on the river. The tide rises and falls
twice a day five or six feet. When it is low, and the rocks and
beach are bare, we find a great many star-fish. They have five
points, just like a star. The eye is in the middle. We dry them on
a board, and keep them as curiosities.
We have a pair of goats. When the weather is good, they draw us in
a wagon, but now they draw a sled, which they do not like as well.
Our cow has a great deal of sense; the goats stay in the stable
with her, and when we take them out, she misses them, and moos
until they go back. Papa takes an apple to the goats, cow, and
horse nearly every morning. Sometimes when he has only one, he
gives it to the horse, for we all love that best; then you ought to
hear the old cow scold. When the weather was warm, she learned to
know that she always got an apple when she came to the library
window, so she came for one every day. When it got too cold for the
window to be raised, she stood rubbing her nose on the window
glass, and would not leave until she received her apple. One day
she came with five other cows; I think she wanted all of them to
get an apple. She would not go away until mamma threw some to a
distance, and then the procession went after them. Nelly, our
horse, eats out of our hands, and we are sure no other horse was
ever so gentle.
We have twelve canaries. Mamma raised them all, besides a great
many others she has given away. Some are light, some dark; some
have crests, or top-knots. One of them looks as if her feathers
were "banged" like a little girl's hair, they fall so prettily over
her eyes. She flies to us to eat sugar from our fingers. There are
five females, who live together in one cage. We also have on the
place four dogs; two of them belong to us, the others to the
farmer. One of ours is a setter named Ring. He is very fond of the
farmer's dogs, especially of the puppy. A few days ago we called
him to the house. He brought all the other dogs with him. The older
ones followed him up the stairs, but the little pup did not know
what to make of the steps; he stood in the lower hall whining. Ring
went back to him, licked him on the face, ran up the steps again,
the little pup still whining. Ring went back to him several times.
At last he got out of patience; he made mamma open the door and let
the puppy out. The way he tells mamma he wants the door opened is
by biting the toes of her slippers, and he will not stop until she
lets him out.
There is a very high hill back of our house, where we have a fine
coasting place. We have also built a snow fort, with port-holes
through which we can see our enemies coming, and pelt them with
snow-balls.