The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1880-11-10
IpOREAU 0UTDOHE;
How Jessie and ] Camped Out
#HE BY NJ, G. c.. "H


Jessie and I were not sisters. o, no
Pretty pink-and-white Jessie lived q
Beechwoods, some miles out of histori,
C, while | was Cousin Nan, dowl
from the city to spend the summer holi
days in the grand old place, where W,
two worked our own sweet will through
the long bright days for was no
Brother FREQ" in distant city practic
ing his profession, and was not Aunt
Kate the most indulgent of hostesses?
1t would be hard to imagine greater
contrast than Jessie and l presented il
outer aspect. She, with her fluffy,
crimpy waves of golden hair, peach.
blossom complexion and pansy- purple
eyes, beside my glossy jetty braids, my
tawny olive face, with smothered red
burning in either cheek, and nay large
dark orbs, was no more striking differ
ence than her slight, fairy-like form be-
side my own goodly stature.
But, despite all this, our tastes were
very much i'll common, aud our minds
wont to run in the selt-same grooves,
though Jessie would persist in looking
up to "Cousin Nan" rs a very prodigy
of learning-a walking encyclopedia, in
TACT, to the uncalled-for detrimcnt of her
own woll-stored little head.
1t WIS l that brought Thoreau down
from the city-the whole set-deeming
them suitable mental pabulum for our
country summer We had been reading
Walden" and became thereby so i'm
bued with n love of nature, pure and
simple, and such distaste for the artih-
cial refnements of civilized life as to look
with disdain upon such modern appli-
ances as cushioned chairs, lace curtains,
and temptingly cozy couches; even turn
ing away from the dainty repasts where
with Aunt Kate was wont to reealc us,
with muttered exclamations such as
these: so, the hurry and waste of
life, ," We are 'lost in the whirlpool Of
dinner ;" and refused the wonted sol.
ace afforded by the morning paper, al.
leging, in excuse, that call nows, SO
called, is gossip" And Jessie began to
pity her father openly for having "in-
herited houses and lands," and for be-
coming, as she was pleased to style it,
"a serf Of the soil" until genial Uncle
Ned lifted hands and voice in comical
amazement, crying out, "What ails the
girls, pray tell?" "They read altogeth.
er too much, was Aunt Kate'srejoinder !;
"they must have more company.
Whereat exclaimed, thcatrically,
"Company What is there that can
bring two minds nearer together q" And
Jessie chimed in with the assertion of
having 8" known many coats but few
men," And what was there for Aunt
Kate to do but leave the field in despair.
ing silence?
One morning we received letter
that Thoreau, Notwithstanding was
worth paying the postage on, for was
it not from certain other cousins OF ours,
and did it not contain glowing accounts
of their delightful "camping-out" ex-
periences? This communication was
the metaphorical "last straw" and we
sat in gloomy silence--a silence broken,
at last, by triumphant exclamation
from Jessie
81 have it +" Then, seeing my in.
quiring look, she proceeded to more
thorough explanation of her plan.
"You know that little cottage down
by Clear brook, Nan, where jim, the
gardener, used to live? Well, it is in
good repair, not far away, but quiet and
secluded, and just the place for us to
camp out.
Seeing the gloomy delight in my face,
she went on: "Wc can take our books
down there and study rs well as not.
There is my German and your English
literature that we've scarcely y looked into
what with our drives, our sails, and
our toilets which was literally true,
for Beechwoods was known far and wide
for its hospitality, and the "fair women
and brave men" of c. were well
content to sojourn there for days at a
time.
OF course I gave enthusiastic assent,
but queried doubtfully,
"What will Aunt Kate say?"
Jessie shared my look of doubt for
an instant, but quickly added .
"Never mind; / can coax her over. "
Which proved to be the case, for
hard, indeed, must be the heart that
could withstand the pleading look in
those pansy-purple eyes-though for one
instant the prospect was rather dark,
until Uncle Ned came to the rescue with
his hearty,
"Let the midgets go, Kate; the old
hut is safesenough, and they'll enjoy it. y
And think the memory of certain Oh
his boyhood pranks. rose very pleasantly
before him just then, prompting hall
wish to share our retreat.
So it was settled, and Jessie and de-
voted the remainder of that day to an
inspection of our new home.
The cottage, which we christened
"Walden " at first sight, in honor OF
our illustrious prototype. WAS a small
one-roomed ediice, destitute of paint,
but mantled with most luxurious
growth of woodbine. A fence, with di.
lapidated palings, inclosed the small
garden spot which sloped down to the
banks of Clear brook, with the stretch
of beech woods on ono hand that gave
name to the place--said bit of wood
land having been left in the earlier days
for convenience, but in these later and
more degenerate days for "effect." But
whatever tire cause. the result was one
to us, namely, that Of producing the re-
quired air Of retirement as well as the
wherewithal to build our morning fire,
for we refused all such modern con-