Helen Sherman Griffith

“ The wide field with the cows lazily browsing gave the children a homely, comfortable sense of security. They felt that they had penetrated a mysterious wild and were back again in civilization. Jo Perkins had already begun to unpack the basket and Christopher was watching him with his soul—or more literally his stomach—in his eyes, when Jane’s attention was suddenly attracted by the flutter of something white down in the lane below them. She knelt on the edge of the bank and peered over, in breathless excitement. ”

“ Letty’s cheeks were very red and her voice trembled, half with eagerness in pleading Perk’s cause, and half with fear at her own daring.
“Such a thing never entered my mind, Letty,” replied grandmother earnestly. “Of course we should do nothing so severe. But Jo must be made to realize how serious his wrong-doing of yesterday was. For it is very wrong indeed to neglect or betray a trust, you know, however slight the consequences may prove. And Letty, dear, remember that it is the little things, after all, that count in life. ”

“ It was not the first circus they had been to, by any means, but that does not make any difference; one always has that same furry creepiness in the back of one’s neck, and the same swelled-up, lost breath, wish-to-laugh-without-being-heard feeling.
They giggled at everything the clown said and did, clapped their hands wildly when the trick elephant bowed and waltzed; and shut their eyes tight—at least Jane did—when the “human fly” walked upside down on a piece of boarding suspended from the top of the tent like a ceiling. ”

“ Indeed, an uncle of the twins had once said:
“Kit talks the most, but Jane says the most.”
“See that squirrel running across the road?” said grandfather. “Did you see him, Janey? A pretty red one.”
“I could have shot him, if I’d had a gun,” boasted Christopher.
“Oh, Kit, that would have been mean! He wasn’t doing any one any harm.”
“How do you know he wasn’t? Perhaps he was doing something hateful to some other animal. Animals do that, you know; they’re such beasts.”
“Well, anyway, you couldn’t have shot it; squirrels run so fast,” replied Jane with satisfaction. ”

“ Joshua had harnessed the most reliable old horse in his stable to the wagon that was to be entrusted to Jo Perkins’s care for a whole afternoon—a horse that had never been known to look twice at any object and which would have been perfectly content to sleep through the day as well as the night. He lumbered over the country road at an easy trot, and when they were only half-way to the village Christopher looked over his shoulder and spied Jo Perkins speedily overtaking them on his bicycle. ”

“ Then, carried away by the remembered charms of the circus posters, the twins linked arms and ran down to supper, their slight disagreement already forgotten.
Thus life settled down at Sunnycrest, happy and peaceful for the most part; always interesting but with now and then a little cloud of disappointment or regret overshadowing the sky of their sunny content—which, alas, is apt to be the way in life at every age.
Jane was rather sorry that Jo Perkins had come to work on the farm. He took Christopher away from her so often. ”

“ It was evening of the last day of the delightful Sunnycrest house-party. By general request supper was an hour earlier than usual and none of the children—not even Christopher and Billy Carpenter—ate very much. They were in a constant fidget to have the meal come to an end. Indeed, the two boys excused themselves before it was over and rushed out to help Jo Perkins complete the final arrangements.
When the grown-ups went out to sit on the veranda as usual, they found a transformation. The front lawn had been turned into a circus ring by means of a low, rather wobbly circular railing. ”

“ They had the game before many more days, and it opened up a new world to Jane who thereafter queened it royally in fairy-land, with the dolls for ladies of honor and the birds and butterflies her royal messengers. Her faith in the real fairies was firm and deep-rooted, the most ardent desire of her life being to see one. She never confided this hope to Christopher and the new game was kept for her lonely hours when Christopher was away with Jo Perkins or Bill Carpenter, with which latter boy his intimacy was growing. ”

“ Before—when I was with the circus I used to wonder what I could do to get away from it all. I knew that I could never stand it to go on travelling about with a circus all my life. Mrs. Drake was very good to me and the baby was dear! But I hated the life; living in tents, always on the go; no school, no little girl friends, no home! ”

“ I could make up one dream; that an ugly little flower dreamed it was a lovely pink tulip, all pale and wide-open and satiny.”
“Huh, I’d rather be a red one, with yellow streaks down the middle. They’re lots showier and they live longer, too. The gardener that was putting our bulbs out last fall told me so.”
“But they’re beastly ugly. People don’t dream about being something ugly, even if it is strong and healthy. I’d rather not live so long, if I could only be so beautiful that people just had to stop and look at me. Wouldn’t you, Letty?” ”

“ Then she turned to Letty. “Run off now and play, child. Jane is hopping her toes through her shoes with impatience.”
Letty ran off and the two ladies discussed every detail of Christopher’s mishap, and how seriously it might have turned out.
“Children can be the greatest sort of cares,” Mrs. Hartwell-Jones said at length, half laughing but wholly in earnest, “almost nuisances sometimes; but they are a blessing for all that!” She paused a moment and then added: “Have you noticed what a fine nature Letty has, Mrs. Baker? What a splendid chance for the development of a noble character?” ”

“ Letty had exclaimed when she came into the sitting-room that morning with the breakfast tray, which she insisted upon preparing always herself. “How pretty you look! Your cheeks are as rosy as Jane’s!”
Mrs. Hartwell-Jones had laughed and kissed Letty, but she said nothing of what was on her mind, until the afternoon. It was a warm, sunshiny day with a sort of hush over the earth. The air was still and full of sweet, clean country smells. Mrs. Hartwell-Jones and Letty sat alone together in the large, up-stairs sitting-room. ”

“ Girls are just as clever as boys, every bit, only they don’t like such silly things.”
“The things a girl likes are heaps sillier,” retorted Christopher. “Fairies and dolls! Ho! There aren’t any such things as fairies, and who’d play with a doll? An old painted thing stuffed with sawdust!”
Jane’s face grew red and her eyes filled with tears.
“You have always been glad enough to play with dolls and to talk about fairies when you hadn’t got any horrid boys around,” she said slowly.
Then her injured feelings overcame her and she ran to her grandmother and buried her face on her shoulder. ”

“ I do trust Perk, my dear. He is a good lad, although like all boys, he’s fond of a lark.”
Grandmother sighed, but it was not at the thought of Jo Perkins enjoying a good time.
“Our baby Kit has gone,” she said dolefully, “and a big boy has come in his stead. I do hope Janey won’t miss him too much. She has seemed a little offended at times, when Kit goes off with Billy Carpenter, but just now her heart is so full of Mrs. Hartwell-Jones, Letty, and her dolly’s new bed, that she is happy even without Kit, bless her.” ”

“ Jane paused and her eyes grew wistful. “I wish Letty hadn’t had to go off in such a hurry the other day. She looked so sad. You know her mother died and she told me on the train platform that day that her brother had died too. I don’t believe she has anybody now. And she didn’t even have time to tell me where she was going.”
“Oh, she’ll turn up again; people always do,” declared Christopher cheerfully. “I don’t see why you need be so sorry for Letty. It must be jolly fun, belonging to a circus.”
“I wonder if she still has Punch and Judy. They were such cunning ponies, Mrs. Hartwell-Jones.” ”

“ Grandmother whispered comforting words in the little girl’s ear, and stroked her hair until Jane’s storm of tears was over. Christopher stood by in awkward silence. He felt sorry and a little taken aback, for he had not really meant to hurt his sister’s feelings.
“I didn’t mean to be a beast, Jane,” he said. “I’m sorry I said that about your dolls. Stop crying, do, there’s a good fellow. I’m sorry, honest Injun. I’ll—I’ll stay home!” he gulped heroically, “and play I’m Oberon or Puck all the afternoon; or I’ll doctor Sally through the scarlet fever. Stop crying, I say.” ”

“ As the party seated themselves, Christopher’s head could be seen every few seconds, bobbing around the corner of the house. Huldah and the two housemaids came out and stood on the veranda and Joshua joined them.
When every one had assembled Christopher, in rather an extraordinary costume composed of a long mackintosh, boots much too big for him and a silk hat of his grandfather’s—with a false band inside to make it fit—strutted into the ring. The long whip he carried proclaimed his character as ringmaster. He mounted on an inverted keg, evidently put there for the purpose. ”

“ I shall study hard and be good in school to show how grateful I am. And then, perhaps, when I am grown up, I can teach and pay you back for all you are going to do for me.”
“You dear little girl!” cried Mrs. Hartwell-Jones with a sob in her voice, “I want no thanks but your happiness!
“But now, listen to what I have to say. How would you like being somebody’s little girl in earnest? To have a real home to go to in holiday time, and—and some one to love you and be as nearly a mother to you as it is possible to be?”
Letty looked puzzled and a little frightened. ”

“ Jane was filled with rapture at the idea of more fairy plays, for Letty had entered into the game of dolls as eagerly and interestedly as Jane herself, her vivid imagination making the dainty waxen creatures seem all but alive. Christopher, for his part, rejoiced secretly over the chances these visits promised of going to the village and continuing his intimacy with Billy Carpenter. ”

“ Hartwell-Jones slowly, “that any one who wishes, and there are no reasons why one should not do so, can take a little girl or boy into one’s home and make that child her very own, by law. And it means, Letty darling, that if you are willing, I intend to take you to my home and make you my own little daughter!”
Letty sat staring at her with wide eyes. She was too bewildered—too overwhelmed to speak. Two great tears welled up in Mrs. Hartwell-Jones’s eyes and rolled down her cheeks. ”

“ Carpenter came out of her house next door and called to Letty across the fence:
“Are you looking for those boys? Most likely they won’t get home before dark. Boys never know what time it is.”
“Kit’s got a watch,” wailed Jane, still swinging disconsolately on the gate.
“Don’t you worry, little girl. Watches don’t mean anything to boys when they’re off on a picnic. Nothing has happened with Jo Perkins to take care of them. When I get my Billy home I shall spank him and put him to bed without any supper.” ”

“ Letty was sorry to leave Sunnycrest; it was so lovely, so quiet and peaceful. But she loved and admired Mrs. Hartwell-Jones so extremely that she would have been glad to go anywhere with her. There were lessons to be studied every day, to prepare for the glorious prospect of school in the autumn, and little drives to take about the countryside. Then it was understood, before Mrs. Hartwell-Jones left Sunnycrest, that the twins were to come into the village nearly every afternoon for a tea-party, and grandmother was to come with them as often as she could. ”

“ Jane had already climbed out of her lap and was running down the drive.
“It’s Kit, it’s Kit!” she cried joyfully.
Grandmother kissed Christopher first, and cried over him. Then she took him aside and gave him a long, serious lecture. Christopher knew that he had been disobedient, but he did not realize that he had also been selfish until grandmother pointed out to him how much upset every one had been by his long absence.
“We did not mean any harm, grandmother,” he said. “We only wanted to have a good time. Is it always wrong to have a good time?” ”

“ Hartwell-Jones.
“Blossoms do change colors, different years. I’ve seen ’em in our own garden,” said Anna Parsons practically.
“Oh, it was because the tulip wanted it so much!” exclaimed Letty.
“Yes, it was because the tulip wanted it; but there are different kinds of wants, Letty, dear. Some people want things selfishly, just because the things would give them pleasure. But the little tulip felt that it had disappointed some one by being the color it was—and so felt that it was not doing its real duty in the world. ”

“ Hartwell-Jones gave grandmother all the particulars of her interview with Mrs. Drake, but the mere fact that Letty was there satisfied the twins; they carried her off to the orchard, completely contented at the new turn events had taken.
“Here’s where we play fairies,” said Jane, leading the way to the orchard. “This is Titania’s throne—this mound with the grapevine twisted into a seat. Kit made it for me. Isn’t he clever? He plays with me, too; sometimes he’s Oberon and sometimes he’s Puck. He’s funniest when he’s Puck.” ”

“ At the bottom of the hill were the farmhouse, barn, chicken and cow-houses and, where the brook curved and ran through a shallow, cemented basin, the spring-house and dairy. Behind the house was a big orchard and beyond stretched fields of grain and hay.
Christopher jumped down from the wagon almost before it stopped and rushed into the kitchen where Jane’s bobbed head could be seen, topped with a big pink bow. Huldah the cook was another old and very dear friend of the children’s.
“Hullo, Huldah. Got any ginger cakes?” shouted Christopher. ”

“ In a panic of alarm the boys harnessed the horse and drove as rapidly as they dared in the growing dusk, down the winding wood road.
“There is no use in going into the town,” said Jo Perkins as they emerged from the gloom of the trees into the lighter twilight of the open road. “Jane will have got home somehow before this. Letty’s taken her home, most likely. I shouldn’t be surprised if they had searching parties out for us,” he added, eyeing the reddening western sky.
“Oh, shucks,” boasted Christopher, “I guess they know we can take care of ourselves.” ”

“ But Perk could not be cheered so easily, and set about unharnessing the ponies in a glum fashion so different from his usual whistling gayety that even Punch and Judy felt the difference.
Letty went straight to Mrs. Baker and told her how badly Perk felt.
“I hope you and Mr. Baker won’t send him away,” she pleaded. “He’s a good boy, but it will make him reckless and bitter if he should be turned off now. He’ll think that if people make so much of a small matter, there won’t be much punishment left for big wrongs, and that it isn’t worth while to be good. ”

“ He did not mean to be rude to his grandmother, but he was tired, hungry and a bit conscience-stricken; all of which are apt to make any one feel a little out of temper.
Grandmother did not reprove him. A new and not very pleasant idea had been suggested by Christopher’s words. Had they made too much of a girl-boy of him? Pampered him and watched him too closely? she asked herself.
She sent Christopher up-stairs to tidy himself while she saw Letty off for home and sent Jo Perkins on horseback to find Joshua and bring him back from his fruitless search. ”