River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-01-17

| the two girls. Lett mostly TO himself, ms
| companions absent at their daily tasks,
| he became absorbed in the chemical
| mysteries of the kitchen. 1t is said that
| Dumas the elder was the best cook in
| France. Uncle John did credit to his
| short experience in culinary affairs.
| When the contents of Jennies little
| book case became too familiar, the pub
| lie library was at hand; and after an
early tea in the soft June twilight, Uncle
| John would read to the two girls, and
| he read with that appreciatlve feeling
which made it a real pleasure to listen
to him.
Two months swiftly sped awayand the
| school wear drew to It's close Teachers
and scholars were alike dispersed, and
| Jennie had settled down for the hot
| summer months in the little brown cot
| tage. 1t had not been so hard as she
/ anticipated. Uncle John had proved
| such pleasant companion, and, though,
| from the coming, she had been COM
| PEELED to fOrego few personal luxuries
she did not really regret them.
She was sitting in the little parlor, the
| shades mostly down, to keep out the
| hot July sunshine, herself in keeping
| with dainty yet inexpensive furnishings
| which surrounded her, when Uncle John
| entered, carrying an open letter and ex-
| claiming:
''In luck, in luck, at last, little girl.
| Here is one Of my old customers, who
| has long been indebted TO me and from
whom / never expected to realize q
| penny, at last taken pity on me and
| sent me draft for 800. "Come little
girl, and Uncle John spatcned some
| article OF sewing from her hands and
threw 1t into the corner, mo more work
hot
your boxes and We will away 20 the
White hills. | know you would have
made this journey if had not come, and
now, with Sue, and myself as baggage
master, we will see for ourselves how
much of truth and how much OF poetry
there is in the Starr King"
1t was needless for Jennie to indulge
in remonstrance. She could not tell
Uncle John it would be much better to
put the money aside, against further
| contingencies, without causing him to
| feel that his presence was a burden 10
her; and so 1t was arranged that the
White hills should be visited.
Uncle John at once put himself in the
hand of tailor. Was it Jennie's imagi-
nation, or did the perfectly fitting
clothes, aud the possession of well
filled purse, make difference in Uncle
Johns personal bearing? lie certainly
had little difficulty in assuming the pol
ished and courtly bearing that comes
from mlngling with the best of hunani-
ty, and the two girls grew to be very
proud of their escort. The pert hotel
clerks. the Obsequious walters, semed to
know that they had to do with 4 man of
the word, and everywhere the best
rooms, the choicest service was eXacted
and rendered. Before starting Uncle
John admonished his companions:
CHOW, little girls" he said, I'VE are
to consider this five hundred dollars as
so much mamma dropped into our mouths,
1 know that you, Jennie, have an uneX-
pressed idea that the old paupeT," there
his mouth was suddenly covered with a
little white hand) "Well, then, that
your Uncle John might better put it
aside, against the unknown demands of
the future; but | want to take one more
journey. and don't want any thoughts
of the past or fears for the future to mar
its pleasures. In days agOne, More for
tunate? Well, as regards companions,
certainly not more foTtunate), | used to
take long journeys, and | know all the
ins and outs of travel. Now you, little
girls, are not to worry, not even about
your baggage. | carry the checks and
the pocket book, and for once | am go
ing to play the autocrat. ! have put
fifty dollars one side for the fare home.
When the balance is spent, We will come
back TO Rifletown, and, well, we will
hoy,e that many more of my delinquent
customers will remember me"
And so they started. They went to
Springfield and up to the Connecticut.
They stopped at northampton that Jen-
ME might visit the female college there;
3 /. .i,ar eirnrr Il OF In
horo: they loitered everywhere. At
Haverill they engaged an open carriage,
drawn bv span of black horses that
made light of mountain road. They
put no at cross road hotels, and, tu-
tored by Uncle John, the girls drew from
the clear mountain streams many speck-
led beauty. Finally they reached the
enchanted land, and then it transpired
that this was not Uncle Johns first visit.
He was familiar with every desirable
drive, not even Starr King knew better
the best points for studying the charm
ing scenery. And then Jennie discov-
cred new treasures in her paupeT uncle.
If he was fairly familiar with every
branch of literature, he was equally at
home with the feral life of field and for
est. He read the formation in the con-
tour of the hills; he named the birds
from listening to their songs; not flow
er on the mountains For in the meadows
was unknown.
And so the weeks sped by in happy
content. From the White hills they
drifted to Portsmouth,; they sailed out
TO the AppledOrc; they staid several
days at the big hotel, and Jennie delight
ed her eyes with good long look ct
Celia Thaxter. They stopped at Now
buryport, rode along within sight Of the
Merrimack, passed the house on the IS
land which shelters Mrs. SpOfford and
her sister; and III a little side street,
leading off the long, rambling thorough
fare of Amesbury, found the home of
the Quaker poet. BY and by they
reached the Hub, stopping at the Bruins
wick, and Uncle john seemed as fami-
lar with Boston. as with the White hills
A week passed, and still the five hun
bred dollars held out and Jennie began
to think the purse that held it was like
the one so famous in myth. At last Au-
gust drew near its close; they had been
away from home seven weeks; Jennle's
school would soon recommence, and
Sues customers begin to think of fall
styles. Was not the five hundred speng
Once John drew n long face.
Little girls, what must be, must be,
he said, Though there Is still money in
the purse. What a pity we cannot keep
on 10 the end Just as we are, with no
thought of schools or the cutting OF
dresses
at would be nice, l must confess"
assented Jennie. This trip has almost
spoilt me, though have seen the White
hills, and now l want to see beyond the
Atlantic. l have had one good outing,
at any rate, if l never have another; and
| am ready TO go back to the little brown
cottage and take up my work once
more"
1t was almost dark when the parlor
car which contained them, (Uncle
Johns extravaganza holding out to the
end,l drew up at RifetoWn station. As
they alighted, a superb carria e. drawn
by magnificent black horses, stood
waiting, and servant in livery touched
his hat obsequious!y to Uncle John, and
opened the carriage door for the party
to enter.
Come, Uncle John, let US walk, said
Jennie. 1--WE know the streets OF Rifle
town well enough not to miss our way,
and am sure the money is all gone by
this time"
"Just enough left to pay the carriage
hire, j" laughed Uncle John. Jump IN,
girls, let's wind up our outing royalty"
The servant had already loaded In
their bundles, the driver had difficulty
IN holding the impatient horses, and
Jennie and Sue and Uncle John were
finally in the carriage, and away they
went with dash.
Finally the carriage stopped before a
stately gateway, illumined by two bril-
liant gaslights. and the door was opened