Jennette Lee

Name: A Little Dunker
Author: Jennette Lee

A Little Dunker (1906)

Summary

“A Little Dunker”, published in 1906, is a work by Jennette Lee. It explores elements such as Dunker, meadow and dike.

Quotes from A Little Dunker (Jennette Lee)

Jennette Lee, A Little Dunker (1906)

“ Far across the level stretch a meadow-lark called low—like spring—and sweet. She lifted her head to listen. Then she followed the sound, the red cow going before her. She would never quite reach the lark, she knew, for always as she came he lifted wing, but she followed, trusting. She loved the high, sweet note coming across the grass; and when it sounded like this, an echo of spring in it, it floated to the clouds and rested there. All the songs of all the larks were there, and when the Dunker raised her face she heard them calling clear—on the south wind they came—calling "Ma-ree—Ma-ree!" ”

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Source: Wikisource

Jennette Lee, A Little Dunker (1906)

“ It may have been the red cow's discretion that had won her the right to wander over the great meadow, or it may have been the Dunker's quiet eyes, or perhaps it was a kind of sixth sense in both, that told them when to crop and when to pass on. No one forbade them and no one warned them off. A mouthful of grass here and there, a handful of daisies for the child, would not be missed, even by a poor man; and many acres still remained in the hands of the rich, who held them for tradition's sake. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Jennette Lee, A Little Dunker (1906)

“ The tail flicked a late fly and fell to idle swaying as the red cow bent her head to crop. To the casual eye she was merely a common, or red, cow with wide-spreading horns and clear, brown eyes. But to the Dunker she was a personage. She had shared the vicissitudes of the family, but they had never caused her to turn a hair or look other than gravely bored. Each spring when the river, rising in its might, swept across the meadow and, creeping around an unprotected corner of the dike, flooded the streets of "Little Venice," the red cow was in danger of her life. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Jennette Lee, A Little Dunker (1906)

“ From the dike the Dunker watched them, a sweet, happy smile on her face. Then she turned away and went down to the red cow. When the shoe had been replaced and the mother and children came to the top of the dike, the Dunker was far away, a misty bit of blue in the great meadow.
At luncheon, when the mill-owner heard the story, his face turned suddenly white and the hand that set down his glass trembled a little.
"We must do something for the child," he said. "Find out what she wants." ”

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Source: Wikisource

Jennette Lee, A Little Dunker (1906)

“ It could not have been for the wind passing softly over the grass, nor the shadows creeping slowly to the east, nor the dry grasses that whispered in the wind, rubbing their little blades and sighing gently. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Jennette Lee, A Little Dunker (1906)

“ The child's face dimpled to the joke. "You see folks—lots of 'em—every day."
"Yes, I see folks—" The man's eye strayed over the meadow. "You remember them Barrowses I was tellin' you about—the ones that had a bulldog chained up and a peacock in the yard?"
"Yes." She gave a sigh of content and moved a little nearer.
The man's eye smiled a little as it watched her face. "Well, they've done the cur'usest thing ..." Then his voice went on and on, weaving dream to dream, wonder to wonder. The cart jogged slowly and the red cow ambled behind. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Jennette Lee, A Little Dunker (1906)

“ She wanted to be as good as her mother. But in her dreams she never saw herself dressed like her mother, for her mother wore a sunbonnet made of calico, with a short, scant cape in the back. In her dreams the Dunker wore a large hat, like those that whirled by in the trolley—very large, with feathers and roses and lace. It was a superb structure, built up, tier on tier, out of nice fluffy dream-stuff. The Dunker had another dream—only this one was faint, like the call of the lark. ... Straight from the meadow rose a mountain, and beyond the mountain was a college, where girls were ”

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Source: Wikisource

Jennette Lee, A Little Dunker (1906)

“ From either side of the table two trusting blue eyes were turned to him, and across the table his wife's glance met his, full of wistful light.
"I don't think there is very much we can give her," she said, slowly. "She has everything. You should see her eyes." ”

Jennette Lee

Summary

Quotes from A Little Dunker (Jennette Lee)

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