Madeline Leslie

“ When he sees the work of the different trades, and what belongs to a mason, or carpenter, he will remember it much better than if he read it in his book."
"But, Lawrence, I'm afraid he will [Pg 56] learn bad words from some men you will employ; or if not, he may be in their way."
Mr. Curtis smiled. "As to the first," he said, "we must train our children so well at home that they will know better than to imitate rude manners or rough expressions. So far, I am happy to say that I have never seen men more free from profanity than those I have met in this quiet village. ”

“ After dinner the next day, Nancy, the nurse, was giving the children a bath, preparatory to a walk around the farm, when a man drove into the yard with the queerest little carriage you ever saw. The carriage was drawn by a funny-looking animal, [Pg 59] with long ears and awkward-shaped legs.
"Papa, mamma!" shouted Bertie, "look, see what has come; see what a queer horse."
Mr. Curtis went to the door and his wife followed him.
"I've brought you a donkey at last," said the man, jumping briskly from the carriage.
"Is he docile?" asked papa.
"He's as tame as an old sheep. He's five years old. ”

“ That's the plan for you," the gentleman exclaimed, in an exultant tone.
"What's the cost of that?" asked Mr. Curtis.
"Pshaw! the cost of a building is nothing to you," Mr. Rand answered, [Pg 47] laughing. "The thing to be considered is whether you like it."
"What do you say, Cecilia?"
"It does not look home-like. The ground is high enough without mounting to the towers to see the prospect. I have an idea in my own mind if I could explain it to you."
"Try, if you please, Mrs. Curtis." ”

“ They are dragging stones for the cellar."
"Why don't they put the stones in a cart, papa?"
"Because, though it would be rather easier for the oxen to draw them, it would be harder for the men to load and unload."
[Pg 74]
"Are stones very heavy indeed?"
"You can try to lift one."
"I can't move it one mite, papa. I don't see what good they will do in the cellar."
"No, I suppose not; but you will learn."
"Haw, Bright! Come up, Buck!" shouted Tom.
Both the oxen pulled with all their strength; but the ground was soft and rising. Bertie could not see that the drag moved an inch. ”

“ When the stonelayer comes to that part of the cellar, you will see how he builds up a place each side of that road; and then the carpenter will make doors to fit down upon it. When we want to put coal or wood, or anything heavy into the house, instead of carrying them through the carpeted halls and down the nice stairs, we only [Pg 128] have to open the trap-doors and carry them down the steps, or put on a plank board and roll them down, as farmer Taylor does."
Bertie now was standing near the stone-masons and watched closely every movement. ”

“ Taylor, with Esther, the rosy-cheeked daughter, to lead Bertie to and from the school which she taught, did a great deal toward restoring vigor to the invalid. Every morning she rode with her husband around the road by the lake, and from thence through [Pg 33] the bars across the fields to the site of their new house.
They had named their place Woodlawn, on account of the beautiful old trees standing here and there on the greensward; and Mr. Curtis already had men at work making a solid road over which they could haul the lumber with their strong ox teams. ”

“ The little fellow drove the wagon under the shade of a tree; and very [Pg 70] soon Whitefoot, finding himself at liberty, walked slowly off toward the lake, nibbling grass as he went.
"Now," said papa, "you may walk about wherever you please. You are old enough to keep out of danger. When the men come with the oxen you will see them unload."
"What are all those men doing, papa?"
"They are Irishmen whom I hire by the day to dig the cellar to our new house. Do you see these sticks driven into the ground?" ”

“ These will gradually work down till the avenue is as hard as a brick."
"I understand now, papa, what a trench is."
[Pg 160]
"And how to make a cellar?" added papa, laughing.
"Yes, sir; I know the earth has to be dug out and carried off, and a wall made, and pointed with cement, which grows very hard, so that the underpinning which you bought can lie on the top of it; but I don't know how the wood is fastened on."
"That is the carpenter's job," answered his father; "we shall come to that by and by." ”

“ Curtis, a gentleman who [Pg 13] loves children and whom I am sure you will love before the book is finished.
Quite a number of years ago, a carriage drawn by two dapple-gray horses was passing slowly through the main street of a beautiful village, which I shall call Oxford.
There were five persons in it. On the front seat was a gentleman whose keen, sparkling eye and laughing mouth always made people wish to learn more of him. By his side were two children, Herbert and Winifred, [Pg 14] or, as they were usually called, Bertie and Winnie. ”

“ After they had decided where the house should stand, the first thing to be done was to make a plan of the building. Mr. Curtis sent to the city [Pg 34] for an architect to come to Oxford and bring his book of plans with him.
Perhaps you don't know what an architect is, and I will explain the work that he does. He is a man who draws upon paper a sketch of a house, or cottage, or church, or any kind of building. ”

“ The other man followed, though he often looked back, laughing to see the donkey carriage and the little boy driver.
[Pg 68]
"There's a good bit of things in the world that we never see," he said to his companion. "The Squire's son is a pert little chap, isn't he now?"
"He's the politest young un I ever see," was Tom's answer.
Bertie, meanwhile, drove through the field,—there was quite a good road now,—and on by the lake to Woodlawn. His father was standing near a company of men who were digging with spades, throwing the dirt out behind them. ”

“ When they reached the quarry, they found it so difficult to drive the carriage near to the rough building where they were told the owner could be found, that papa turned back and drove through one street to a fine hotel. He called for a private parlor, and left mamma resting on the sofa with Winnie to keep her company, while he took Herbert to the large quarry, tied Duke, and went to see the huge blocks of granite that were being cut out. ”

“ The young gentleman himself can harness and unharness him, and for the matter of that he can drive all over the country with him."
All this while Bertie had been palling grass and feeding the patient creature; but now he sprang a foot from the ground, exclaiming, with a flush of joy,—
"Papa, [Pg 61] papa, did you buy the donkey for me? is it mine? my own?"
"Yes," answered papa. "It is your's; and I shall ask Mr. Taylor to give you a stall in the barn, where you can feed it and groom it yourself."
"Oh, papa! I'm going to be a real good boy, I'm so very much obliged to you ”

“ The gentleman walked along the edge of the bank leading Winnie, while Bertie, more cautious, kept at a respectful distance from the precipice. They came at last to the bulkhead where the road had been made to the cellar, and the gentleman, after a glance at Winnie's thin slippers laced so nicely over the ankles, lifted the child again and walked down where the masons were at work.
"May I go too, papa?" asked Bertie.
"Certainly. Come, and I'll ask the [Pg 126] workmen to show you how to make a stone wall." ”

“ The fewer boundaries the better, was my father's motto."
"Did you ever live in the country, Squire?"
"Yes, I was born and brought up on a farm."
"'Cause it's been a wonder to all the Oxford people," continued Jim, "where you picked up such a heap [Pg 123] of farming knowledge. Folks say you could keep a school and larn farmers a sight more'n they know now."
"I'm much obliged to Oxford for its good opinion," answered Mr. Curtis, with a merry laugh.
[Pg 124]
CHAPTER XI. THE KIND BOY.
It does workmen good to hear a genuine, hearty laugh from their master. ”

“ Bertie knew by his papa's mouth that he was joking, and, more happy than I can tell you, he jumped into the funny carriage and began to pull at the reins. But the donkey had begun to nibble the sweet, fresh grass and did not like to move.
"Go along," shouted the boy, "go [Pg 63] along," and then the animal pricked up his ears, and trotted off to his new home in Mr. Taylor's great barn.
[Pg 64]
CHAPTER VI. DRAGGING STONES.
The next morning the donkey was as good as new, farmer Taylor said, as he taught Herbert how to harness him into his wagon. ”

“ Each of them wore a straw hat to shade their eyes from the sun, and the voice of Winnie sounded like the warbling of a bird, as she gayly echoed her brother's laugh.
"Mamma say I may dive Whitefoot drass," lisped the child, not yet having learned to articulate the letter g. "Whitefoot not bite me, no."
[Pg 112]
"Whitefoot is a good donkey. He never bites," answered Herbert, decidedly. "Now, Winnie, you must keep hold of my hand, and not run away as you do at the farm. I sha'n't have time to chase after you as Nancy does."
"I'm doin' to be dood dirl, Bertie, mamma say so. ”

“ The chambers, well provided with closets, must be for after consideration."
"A capital plan!" exclaimed the architect. "You have given me a very good general idea; now if you will particularize or express in detail what kind of finish suits your taste, I will draw you a plan that I think you will accept; but wouldn't it be an addition to run up a tower at one corner? It would be very imposing."
[Pg 50]
"That is my principal objection. We are intending to settle in this quiet village. We hope to pass the rest of our lives here. We mean to be one of the people. ”

“ Taylor's farm, where they found a nice dinner of roast lamb and fresh vegetables awaiting them. For dessert there was plenty of strawberries and [Pg 45] sweet, thick cream, which the grown people as well as the children enjoyed very much.
After dinner Mr. Rand opened a large book which Bertie thought looked like a big atlas; and then the stranger and papa and mamma gathered around the table to look at the plans of houses Mr. Rand had brought with him.
First, there was a picture of a pretty cottage with a verandah running around it. Then came the plan of a barn, very pretty and picturesque ”

“ Mr. Rand tumbled these over without any ceremony, saying,—
"You must have something better than that;" and presently he came to the picture of a large house with turrets and towers, which looked very imposing. ”

“ This time they did not carry the gravel far, and so were ready to back down again in a very few minutes.
"What makes this dirt look so different from that?" inquired Bertie, [Pg 106] pointing to a pile of rich black loam.
"The top of the ground is always richer earth," answered Jim, who was just going by, driving Star and Spot. "Underneath it is only gravel."
"What is gravel good for?" ”

“ Curtis, in a cheerful tone. "Crying for a donkey never brought one back, that I ever heard of. Take a handful [Pg 79] of corn from Tom's pail, and run toward the lake. Call him by name and perhaps he will come."
Bertie hesitated, his cheeks growing very red. At last, when papa wondered what made him delay, the little fellow asked,—
"Can't I wait till Tom comes back? I'm almost sure he'll give me some of his corn; but mamma told me never to touch anything that belongs to the men, without asking their leave."
"Mamma was right, my son, as [Pg 80] she always is ”

“ The Squire isn't one of your sot-up men who thinks working-folks are made of different stuff, and haven't any more souls than a beast. He lives his religion right straight through the week instead o' keeping [Pg 86] it bottled up for Sunday use, like some long-faced men I could name. ”

“ He was sure, too, that it would be [Pg 31] much better for Bertie and Winifred to grow up surrounded by the beauties of nature; and he was also sure that if he and his wife had hearts to do good, they could find abundant opportunities for it in this beautiful village. On every account, then, he was pleased with his purchase, and drove away from Oxford with the happiest anticipations of a long and useful life passed within its limits.
[Pg 32]
CHAPTER III. WOODLAWN.
A few weeks under the care of good Mrs. ”