Produced by Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
MARJORIE'S VACATION
BY
CAROLYN WELLS
AUTHOR OF "PATTY FAIRFIELD," "PATTY AT HOME," ETC.
TO
MY LITTLE FRIEND
MURIEL DUNHAM PRATT
THIS BOOK
IS
LOVINGLY DEDICATED
CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I. MARJORIE'S HOME
II. THE TRIP TO HASLEMERE
III. ON THE ROOF
IV. A PAPER-DOLL HOUSE
V. SOME INTERESTING LETTERS
VI. BOO!
VII. A BOAT-RIDE
VIII. A MEMORY BOOK
IX. THE FRONT STAIRS
X. A LONG DAY
XI. THE DUNNS
XII. THE BAZAAR
XIII. A BIRTHDAY
XIV. "BREEZY INN"
XV. THE BROKEN LADDER
XVI. FIRECRACKERS
XVII. PENNYROYAL
XVIII. WELCOME GIFTS
XIX. THE OLD WELL
XX. AN EVENTFUL DAY
XXI. A FAREWELL TEA-PARTY
MARJORIE'S VACATION
CHAPTER I
MARJORIE'S HOME
In the Maynards' side yard at Rockwell, a swingful of children was
slowly swaying back and forth.
The swing was one of those big double wooden affairs that hold four
people, so the Maynards just filled it comfortably.
It was a lovely soft summer day in the very beginning of June; the kind
of day that makes anybody feel happy but a little bit subdued. The kind
of day when the sky is so blue, and the air so clear, that everything
seems dreamy and quiet.
But the Maynard children were little, if any, affected by the
atmosphere, and though they did seem a trifle subdued, it was a most
unusual state of things, and was brought about by reasons far more
definite than sky or atmosphere.
Kingdon Maynard, the oldest of the four, and the only boy, was
fourteen. These facts had long ago fixed his position as autocrat,
dictator, and final court of appeal. Whatever King said, was law to the
three girls, but as the boy was really a mild-mannered tyrant, no
trouble ensued. Of late, though, he had begun to show a slight
inclination to go off on expeditions with other boys, in which girls
were not included. But this was accepted by his sisters as a natural
course of events, for of course, if King did it, it must be all right.
Next to Kingdon in the swing sat the baby, Rosamond, who was five years
old, and who was always called Rosy Posy. She held in her arms a
good-sized white Teddy Bear, who was adorned with a large blue bow and
whose name was Boffin. He was the child's inseparable companion, and,
as he was greatly beloved by the other children, he was generally
regarded as a member of the family.
On the opposite seat of the swing sat Kitty, who was nine years old,
and who closely embraced her favorite doll, Arabella.
And by Kitty's side sat Marjorie, who was almost twelve, and who also
held a pet, which, in her case, was a gray Persian kitten. This kitten
was of a most amiable disposition, and was named Puff, because of its
fluffy silver fur and fat little body.
Wherever Marjorie went, Puff was usually with her, and oftenest hung
over her arm, looking more like a fur boa than a cat.
At the moment, however, Puff was curled up in Marjorie's lap, and was
merely a nondescript ball of fur.
These, then, were the Maynards, and though their parents would have
said they had four children, yet the children themselves always said,
"We are seven," and insisted on considering the kitten, the doll, and
the bear as members of the Maynard family.
Kingdon scorned pets, which the girls considered quite the right thing
for a boy to do; and, anyway, Kingdon had enough to attend to, to keep
the swing going.
"I 'most wish it wasn't my turn," said Marjorie, with a little sigh.
"Of course I want to go for lots of reasons, but I'd love to be in
Rockwell this summer, too."
"As you're not twins you can't very well be in two places at once,"
said her brother; "but you'll have a gay old time, Mops; there's the
new boathouse, you know, since you were there."
"I haven't been there for three years," said Marjorie, "and I suppose
there'll be lots of changes."
"I was there two years ago," said Kitty, "but Arabella has never been."
"I'se never been, eever," said Rosy Posy, wistfully, "and so Boffin
hasn't, too. But we don't want to go, us wants to stay home wiv Muvver."
"And I say, Mops, look out for the Baltimore oriole," went on Kingdon.
"He had a nest in the big white birch last year, and like as not he'll
be there again."
"There was a red-headed woodpecker two years ago," said Kitty; "perhaps
he'll be there this summer."
"I hope so," said Marjorie; "I'm going to take my big Bird book, and
then I can tell them all."
It was the custom in the Maynard household for one of the children to
go each summer to Grandma Sherwood's farm near Morristown. They took
turns, but as Rosy Posy was so little she had not begun yet.
The children always enjoyed the vacation at Grandma's, but they were a
chummy little crowd and dreaded the separation. This was the reason of
their subdued and depressed air to-day.
It was Marjorie's turn, and she was to leave home the next morning.
Mrs. Maynard was to accompany her on the journey, and then return,
leaving Marjorie in the country for three months.
"I wonder how Puffy will like it," she said, as she picked up the
kitten, and looked into its blue eyes.
"She'll be all right," said Kingdon, "if she doesn't fight with
Grandma's cats. There were about a dozen there last year, and they may
object to Puff's style of hair-dressing. Perhaps we'd better cut her
hair before she starts."
"No, indeed!" cried Marjorie, "not a hair shall be touched, unless
you'd like a lock to keep to remember her while she's gone."
"No, thank you," said King, loftily; "I don't carry bits of cat around
in my pockets."
"I'd like a lock," said Kitty; "I'd tie it with a little blue ribbon,
and keep it for a forget-me-not. And I'll give you a little curl of
Arabella's, and you can keep that to remember her by."
"All right," said Marjorie; "and I'll take a lock of Boffin Bear's hair
too. Then I'll have a memento of all the family, because I have
pictures of all of you, you know."
With the Maynards to suggest was to act. So the four scrambled out of
the swing, and ran to the house.
The Maynard house was a large square affair, with verandas all around.
Not pretentious, but homelike and comfortable, and largely given over
to the children's use. Though not often in the drawing-room, the four
young Maynards frequently monopolized the large living-room, and were
allowed free access to the library as well.
Also they had a general playroom and a nursery; and Kingdon had a small
den or workroom for his own use, which was oftener than not invaded by
the girls.
To the playroom they went, and Kingdon carefully cut small locks from
the kitten, the doll, and the bear, and Marjorie neatly tied them with
narrow blue ribbons. These mementoes the girls put away, and carefully
treasured all through the summer.
Another Maynard custom was a farewell feast at dinner, the night before
vacation began. Ordinarily, only the two older children dined with
their parents, the other two having their tea in the nursery. But on
this occasion, all were allowed at dinner, and the feast was made a
special honor for the one who was going away. Gifts were made, as on a
birthday, and festival dress was in order.
A little later, then, the four children presented themselves in the
library, where their parents awaited them.
Mr. Maynard was a man of merry disposition and rollicking nature, and
sometimes joined so heartily in the children's play that he seemed
scarcely older than they.
Mrs. Maynard was more sedate, and was a loving mother, though not at
all a fussy one. She was glad in many ways to have one of her children
spend the summer each year with her mother, but it always saddened her
when the time of departure came.
She put her arm around Marjorie, without a word, as the girl came into
the room, for it had been three years since the two had been parted,
and Mrs. Maynard felt a little sad at the thought of separation.
"Don't look like that, Mother," said Marjorie, "for if you do, I'll
begin to feel weepy, and I won't go at all."
"Oh, yes, you will, Miss Midge," cried her father; "you'll go, and
you'll stay all summer, and you'll have a perfectly beautiful time.
And, then, the first of September I'll come flying up there to get you,
and bring you home, and it'll be all over. Now, such a short vacation
as that isn't worth worrying about, is it?"
"No," put in Kingdon, "and last year when I went there wasn't any sad
good-by."
"That's because you're a boy," said his mother, smiling at him proudly;
"tearful good-bys are only for girls and women."
"Yes," said Mr. Maynard, "they enjoy them, you know. Now, _I_ think it
is an occasion of rejoicing that Marjorie is to go to Grandma's and
have a happy, jolly vacation. We can all write letters to her, and she
will write a big budget of a family letter that we can all enjoy
together."
"And Mopsy must wite me a little letter, all for my own sef," remarked
Rosy Posy, "'cause I like to get letters all to me."
Baby Rosamond was dressed up for the occasion in a very frilly white
frock, and being much impressed by the grandeur of staying up to
dinner, she had solemnly seated herself in state on a big sofa, holding
Boffin Bear in her arms. Her words, therefore, seemed to have more
weight than when she was her everyday roly-poly self, tumbling about on
the floor, and Marjorie at once promised that she should have some
letters all to herself.
When dinner was announced, Mr. Maynard, with Marjorie, led the
procession to the diningroom. They were followed by Mrs. Maynard and
Rosamond, and after them came Kingdon and Kitty.
Kitty was a golden-haired little girl, quite in contrast to Marjorie,
who had tangled masses of dark, curly hair and large, dark eyes. Her
cheeks were round and rosy, and her little white teeth could almost
always be seen, for merry Marjorie was laughing most of the time.
To-night she wore one of her prettiest white dresses, and her dark
curls were clustered at the top of her head into a big scarlet bow. The
excitement of the occasion made her cheeks red and her eyes bright, and
Mrs. Maynard looked at her pretty eldest daughter with a pardonable
pride.
"Midge," she said, "there are just about a hundred things I ought to
tell you before you go to Grandma's, but if I were to tell you now, you
wouldn't remember one of them; so I have written them all down, and you
must take the list with you, and read it every morning so that you may
remember and obey the instructions."
Midge was one of the numerous nicknames by which Marjorie was called.
Her tumbling, curly hair, which was everlastingly escaping from its
ribbon, had gained for her the title of Mops or Mopsy. Midge and Midget
had clung to her from babyhood, because she was an active and energetic
child, and so quick of motion that she seemed to dart like a midge from
place to place. She never did anything slowly. Whether it was an errand
for her mother or a game of play, Midge always moved rapidly. Her tasks
were always done in half the time it took the other children to do
theirs; but in consequence of this haste, they were not always done as
well or as thoroughly as could be desired.
This, her mother often told her, was her besetting sin, and Marjorie
truly tried to correct it when she thought of it; but often she was too
busy with the occupation in hand to remember the good instructions she
had received.
"I'm glad you did that, Mother," she replied to her mother's remark,
"for I really haven't time to study the list now. But I'll promise to
read it over every morning at Grandma's, and honest and true, I'll try
to be good."
"Of course you will," said her father, heartily; "you'll be the best
little girl in the world, except the two you leave here behind you."
"Me's the bestest," calmly remarked Rosamond, who seemed especially
satisfied with herself that evening.
"You are," agreed King; "you look good enough to eat, to-night."
Rosamond beamed happily, for she was not unused to flattering
observations from the family. And, indeed, she was a delicious-looking
morsel of humanity, as she sat in her high chair, and tried her best to
"behave like a lady."
The table was decorated with June roses and daisies. The dinner
included Marjorie's favorite dishes, and the dessert was strawberries
and ice cream, which, Kitty declared, always made a party, anyway.
So with the general air of celebration, and Mr. Maynard's gay chatter
and jokes, the little trace of sadness that threatened to appear was
kept out of sight, and all through the summer Marjorie had only
pleasant memories of her last evening at home.
After the dessert the waitress appeared again with a trayful of
parcels, done up in the most fascinating way, in tissue paper and
dainty ribbons.
This, too, was always a part of the farewell feast, and Marjorie gave a
little sigh of satisfaction, as the well-filled tray was placed before
her.
"That's mine! Open mine first!" cried Rosamond, as Marjorie picked up a
good-sized bundle.
"Yes, that's Rosy Posy's," said her mother, laughing, "and she picked
it out herself, because she thought it would please you. Open it first,
Midge."
So Marjorie opened the package, and discovered a little clock, on the
top of which was perched a brilliant red bird.
Rosamond clapped her hands in glee. "I knew you'd love it," she cried,
"'cause it's a birdie, a yed birdie. And I finded it all mysef in the
man's shop. Do you yike it, Mopsy?"
"Indeed I do," cried Marjorie; "it's just what I wanted. I shall keep
it on my dressing-table at Grandma's, and then I'll know just when to
get up every morning."
"Open mine next," said Kitty; "it's the square flat one, with the blue
ribbon."
So Marjorie opened Kitty's present and it was a picture, beautifully
framed to hang on the wall at Grandma's. The picture was of birds, two
beautiful orioles on a branch. The colors were so bright, and so true
to nature, that Marjorie exclaimed in delight:
"Now I shall have orioles there, anyway, whether there are real ones in
the trees or not. It is lovely, Kitsie, and I don't see how you ever
found such a beautiful bird picture."
Marjorie had always been fond of birds, and lately had begun studying
them in earnest. Orioles were among her favorites, and so Kitty's
picture was a truly welcome gift. King's present came next, and was a
beautiful gold pen with a pearl holder.
"That," he explained, "is so you'll write to us often. For I know,
Mops, your old penholder is broken, and it's silver, anyway. This is
nicer, because it's no trouble to keep it clean and bright."
"That's so, King, and I'm delighted with this one. I shall write you a
letter with it, first of all, and I'll tell you all about the farm."
Mrs. Maynard's gift was in a very small parcel, and when Marjorie
opened it she found a dear little pearl ring.
"Oh, goody!" she cried. "I do love rings, and I never had one before!
May I wear it always, Mother?"
"Yes," said Mrs. Maynard, smiling. "I don't approve of much jewelry for
a little girl not yet twelve years old, but you may wear that."
Marjorie put it on her finger with great satisfaction, and Kitty looked
at it lovingly.
"May I have one when I am twelve, Mother?" she asked.
"May I, may I?" chimed in Rosy Posy.
"Yes," said Mr. Maynard; "you girls may each have one just like
Marjorie's when you are as old as she is now. That last parcel, Mops,
is my present for you. I'm not sure that you can learn to use it, but
perhaps you can, and if not I'll take it back and exchange it for
something else."
Marjorie eagerly untied the wrappings of her father's gift, and found a
little snapshot camera.
"Indeed I can learn to use it," she cried; "I took some pictures once
with a camera that belonged to one of the girls at school, and they
were all right. Thank you heaps and heaps, father dear; I'll send you
pictures of everything on the place; from Grandma herself down to the
littlest, weeniest, yellow chicken."
"Next year it will be my turn to go," said Kitty; "I hope I'll get as
lovely presents as Mopsy has."
"You will," said Kingdon; "because last year mine were just as good,
and so, of course, yours will be."
"I'm sure they will," said Kitty.