The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-09-07

IOr Jnem, ana tney maze cOrnDalls.
Bedtime came before she knew it,
and really she was 80 tired Pen went
straight to sleep without even
chance for tear.
Somehow that first day set the key
for the rest. There were all sorts of
things to do-delightful old books,
treasures of Aunt PENS childhood;
Arabian Nights and Pilgrims Pro-
gress, Karl Krinken, and the Wide,
Wide World; there was big garnet
to play in on stormy days, with cam
phor trunks full of queer old dresses
and bonnets, in which the children
dressed up and were all sorts of
grand personages; queer old play
things-a fox and geese board on
which Silas taught them to play;
battledores and worn old shuttle
cock which Aunt Pen could use to
admiration; old furniture with which
they set up housekeeping and treas
ures untold.
One rainy day they discovered
pile of old magazines and picture
papers, and Pen thought what
glorious scrap book they would make
for the Children's Hospital in which
her mother was so much interested.
Aunt Pen said that was splendid
idea, so she sent for lot of smooth
wrapping paper sheets from the
store, and after that they had bust
ness enough.
Pen learned to knit, too, and began
some patchwork, and Eliza let her
make little pies and cut out cookies
in the kitchen, and mould butter and
make beautiful gingerbread all by
herself. Once in while they had out
the little tea set that had been Aunt
PENS when she was only ten years
old; funny little black and white
cups with high standards, and queer
little men and women on them, tax
ing tea out of doors; and Pen and
Kitty made the tarts and cakes them
selves. and invited Aunt Pen and
Kitty's mother.
The spring came on suddenly at
last, and there was a faint mist of
green on the trees, the bluebird's
MARBLE came across the fields, and
the frogs in the swamp below the
meadow piped shrilly in the twilight
The marsh marigolds began to star
the swamp, and Silas gathered the
leaves for greens" Aunt Pen called
them cowslips. Then the graceful
adder's tongues and shy anemones
blossomed, and the wake robins
dropped under their green leaves,
Jack -the-pulpit appeared, and by
andby there were violets everywhere.
Sometimes, in the wood when the sun
shine was golden all about her, and
the delicate shadows of young leaves
fecked the MOSES and dead leaves
below, Pen thought she had never
seen anything so beautiful, and pitied
her mother and the little ones shut
up in the city streets. She had never
seen country spring before, and it
seemed to her it was the happiest
time of all her little life. She grew
learned about planting corn and peas
with Silas, and helped put in Aunt
PENS flower seeds, secretly regretting
that she must go before they had a
chance to come up-for the beautiful
May days were slipping by, the
month was past, six weeks and even
seven. Mr.. Willis coming had been
twice put off, but next week Pen must
really go. She longed to see mamma
and the children with all her heart,
and Marjorie-how much she had to
tell her! but she did not want to
leave Aunt Pen, who was the very
jolliest and incest auntie in the world,
and Pen was proud of wearing her
name!
She didn't want to leave Kitty
either, nor Silas and Eliza, nor the
wide beautiful country, the far away
blue hills and the little wood, the
farm and all its creatures that she
had so often fed-and she didn't
want to go back to the city. Her
eyes were quite strong again, and she
had gHOwn 80 Fat and rosy her father
could scarcely believe her the pale
little girl he had left.
20 Aunt Pen~ she sighed, that last
evening of her stay, GIVE had such a
good timel And If / can only come
again next year as papa says, I'd just
love it. / do wish we lived here,"
Sand to think" she added mus
ingly, show did dread to come! 1
didn't know you, you see, and I'd
never been away from mamma before.
wanted to get right on the cars
again and go back that first night, l
was SO miserable and homesick. But
/ never had such good time any
where before-never, never!"