The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-09-03
Selected Storp.
Eleanor's Summer at the Sea-Shore.


What are you going to do in the va
cation, Alice?" asked her friend, Ruth.
"Ohl make the best use of my time l
can. have great deal of studying to
do to make up my conditions"
"Ah, yes, you poor thing, sick so
long last winter"
"And a wonderful store of patience
to cultivate for waiting on my cross old
aunt"
Patience will come for the asking,
dear. What are you planning, Ruth?"
inquired Eleanor Gray, a tall, fine
looking girl, looking aifectionately at
her two friends.
"Ohl nothing more than the same
old thing. Always plenty to do at
home. Children to train and sew for,
one stupid girl to look after, mother to
pet and nurse. l sometimes get tired
of the same old groove" she closed,
with a weary little sigh.
know what it is" said Eleanor,
pressing her hand. 1--WE had plenty
of it, too. Only there isn't any girl at
all to look after, for mother and l do
the work. But we are going to have
delightful change this summer-yes, in
deed, girls, am going to be giddy for
once in my life. Mother has a sister
who has taken cottage at the sea-
shore. Not one of the fine resorts, of
course, but a place where moderate
people like ourselves 90 and have a lit
tie subdued gaiety-"
"Dear me, how delightful" ex-
claimed Ruth.
"Waves signing, and surf breaking,
and ocean breezes tanning you," said
Alice.
eyes; don't l wish you were all 60
ingV' said Eleanor, fervently. " Well,
girls, wherever we are we may still
claim our royal lineage"
eyes, yes" responded the others in
earnest tones.
"And the daughters of our King can
never find work too humble or too tire
some for them"
"I'm going to look out for grand
work this summer" said Eleanor, her
eyes lighting with enthusiastic resolve.
" | have never before had a chance of
getting out of my groove as you call
it, Ruth, and it will be strange if l can't
find something far beyond the ordinary
either to learn for myself with view
to more usefulness or to do for some
one else."
"What stories you'll have to tell of
your adventures by the salt sea-"
laughed Alice.
Possibly" said Eleanor. "But
whatever else we do, we shall remem-
Der each other night and morning, and
hope to meet here again when the
leaves begin to turn"
L. 4 q Il
lance from the town in which they had
been boarding and attending school.
A few days after their little talk the
three girls babe each other an affection
ate farewell, and turned their faces
toward their respective homes.
Home again." said Eleanor, as she
met her mother. go mother, how
good it is to be home, no matter how
plain things are. But we're going very
soon, aren't we? How soon? 1t seems
as though | couldn't wait day, am
so crazy to get sight of blue water.
Nothing has happened to change our
plans, hey, mother?"
Nothing at all" said mother, smil-
ing with pleasure at seeing that the
hard study had not subdued the bright
girls flow of spirits. / suppose you
will need little while for sewing, won't
you?'
"No; not day here. The few new
things | can have, and the old things
to turn, twist, clean, trim, by way of
trying to hoax people into thinking
they are new, | can do all after we are
settled in our summer-house. And you
wrote me that Robbie is all fixed.
nd n11 ha
you are. And how Robbie will enjoy
the sea-shore, with sand-bucket and
a shovel!'
With kiss to her mother and a pat
on the head of her small brother,
Eleanor ran to pick up the threads of
some small household duties.
"pll attend to things in the kitchen,
mother, but | must take run into the
garden. / am fairly aching for a
bunch of the dear old pansies on the
supper table. Of course they're thirty
ing they always do?"
Who would have thought a walk in
the garden would bear such lasting re-
suits? Eleanor secured the pansies,
selecting with a beaming smile the
kind which from a child she had sought
out, those with markings which she
declared showed face looking into her
own. Then she gave little exclama-
ton of pleasure as her eye caught sight
of bright cluster above her head.
A bunch of apple-blossoms so late
in the season! l must take them to
mother"
Apple-blossoms they surely were,
thanks to a backward spring, and the
fact of tree having been overshadowec
and dwarfed by rapidly-growing box
alder. Eleanor stepped upon an in
verted hower-pot, then to the lone stone
wall which surrounded the garden.
But stone slipped, and she missed
her footing and came near falling
Grasping a limb of the tree, she triet
to regain her balance, but was obliged
to take a quick step back upon the
fower-pot. And then a sharp pair
shot through her foot as it seemed t.
twist under her weight, and she sanl
down upon the ground.
What is it, Eleanor" asked he
mother, hurrying out at sound of he