章节正文
"No, but that's just the worst of it. We'll all be different and
everything will be changed."
"Just think," said Cecily, "last New Year's Eve we were wondering
what would happen this year; and what a lot of things have
happened that we never expected. Oh, dear!"
"If things never happened life would be pretty dull," said the
Story Girl briskly. "Oh, don't look so dismal, all of you."
"It's hard to be cheerful when everybody's going away," sighed
Cecily.
"Well, let's pretend to be, anyway," insisted the Story Girl.
"Don't let's think of parting. Let's think instead of how much
we've laughed this last year or so. I'm sure I shall never forget
this dear old place. We've had so many good times here."
"And some bad times, too," reminded Felix.
"Remember when Dan et the bad berries last summer?"
"And the time we were so scared over that bell ringing in the
house," grinned Peter.
"And the Judgment Day," added Dan.
"And the time Paddy was bewitched," suggested Sara Ray.
"And when Peter was dying of the measles," said Felicity.
"And the time Jimmy Patterson was lost," said Dan. "Gee-whiz, but
that scared me out of a year's growth."
"Do you remember the time we took the magic seed," grinned Peter.
"Weren't we silly?" said Felicity. "I really can never look Billy
Robinson in the face when I meet him. I'm always sure he's
laughing at me in his sleeve."
"It's Billy Robinson who ought to be ashamed when he meets you or
any of us," commented Cecily severely. "I'd rather be cheated
than cheat other people."
"Do you mind the time we bought God's picture?" asked Peter.
"I wonder if it's where we buried it yet," speculated Felix.
"I put a stone over it, just as we did over Pat," said Cecily.
"I wish I could forget what God looks like," sighed Sara Ray. "I
can't forget it--and I can't forget what the bad place is like
either, ever since Peter preached that sermon on it."
"When you get to be a real minister you'll have to preach that
sermon over again, Peter," grinned Dan.
"My Aunt Jane used to say that people needed a sermon on that
place once in a while," retorted Peter seriously.
"Do you mind the night I et the cucumbers and milk to make me dream?"
said Cecily.
And therewith we hunted out our old dream books to read them
again, and, forgetful of coming partings, laughed over them till
the old orchard echoed to our mirth. When we had finished we
stood in a circle around the well and pledged "eternal friendship"
in a cup of its unrivalled water.
Then we joined hands and sang "Auld Lang Syne." Sara Ray cried
bitterly in lieu of singing.
"Look here," said the Story Girl, as we turned to leave the old
orchard, "I want to ask a favour of you all. Don't say good-bye
to me tomorrow morning."
"Why not?" demanded Felicity in astonishment.
"Because it's such a hopeless sort of word. Don't let's SAY it at
all. Just see me off with a wave of your hands. It won't seem
half so bad then. And don't any of you cry if you can help it. I
want to remember you all smiling."
We went out of the old orchard where the autumn night wind was
beginning to make its weird music in the russet boughs, and shut
the little gate behind us. Our revels there were ended.
CHAPTER XXXIII
THE STORY GIRL GOES
The morning dawned, rosy and clear and frosty. Everybody was up
early, for the travellers must leave in time to catch the nine
o'clock train. The horse was harnessed and Uncle Alec was waiting
by the door. Aunt Janet was crying, but everybody else was making
a valiant effort not to. The Awkward Man and Mrs. Dale came to
see the last of their favourite. Mrs. Dale had brought her a
glorious sheaf of chrysanthemums, and the Awkward Man gave her,
quite gracefully, another little, old, limp book from his library.
"Read it when you are sad or happy or lonely or discouraged or
hopeful," he said gravely.
"He has really improved very much since he got married," whispered
Felicity to me.
Sara Stanley wore a smart new travelling suit and a blue felt hat
with a white feather. She looked so horribly grown up in it that
we felt as if she were lost to us already.
Sara Ray had vowed tearfully the night before that she would be up
in the morning to say farewell. But at this juncture Judy Pineau
appeared to say that Sara, with her usual luck, had a sore throat,
and that her mother consequently would not permit her to come. So
Sara had written her parting words in a three-cornered pink note.
"My OWN DARLING FRIEND:--WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS my feelings over not
being able to go up this morning to say good-bye to one I so
FONDLY ADORE. When I think that I cannot SEE YOU AGAIN my heart
is almost TOO FULL FOR UTTERANCE. But mother says I cannot and I
MUST OBEY. But I will be present IN SPIRIT. It just BREAKS MY
HEART that you are going SO FAR AWAY. You have always been SO
KIND to me and never hurt my feelings AS SOME DO and I shall miss
you SO MUCH. But I earnestly HOPE AND PRAY that you will be HAPPY
AND PROSPEROUS wherever YOUR LOT IS CAST and not be seasick on THE
GREAT OCEAN. I hope you will find time AMONG YOUR MANY DUTIES to
write me a letter ONCE IN A WHILE. I shall ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU
and please remember me. I hope we WILL MEET AGAIN sometime, but
if not may we meet in A FAR BETTER WORLD where there are no SAD
PARTINGS.
"Your true and loving friend,
"SARA RAY"
"Poor little Sara," said the Story Girl, with a queer catch in her
voice, as she slipped the tear-blotted note into her pocket. "She
isn't a bad little soul, and I'm sorry I couldn't see her once
more, though maybe it's just as well for she'd have to cry and set
us all off. I WON'T cry. Felicity, don't you dare. Oh, you
dear, darling people, I love you all so much and I'll go on loving
you always."
"Mind you write us every week at the very least," said Felicity,
winking furiously.
"Blair, Blair, watch over the child well," said Aunt Janet.
"Remember, she has no mother."
The Story Girl ran over to the buggy and climbed in. Uncle Blair
followed her. Her arms were full of Mrs. Dale's chrysanthemums,
held close up to her face, and her beautiful eyes shone softly at
us over them. No good-byes were said, as she wished. We all
smiled bravely and waved our hands as they drove out of the lane
and down the moist red road into the shadows of the fir wood in
the valley. But we still stood there, for we knew we should see
the Story Girl once more. Beyond the fir wood was an open curve
in the road and she had promised to wave a last farewell as they
passed around it.
We watched the curve in silence, standing in a sorrowful little
group in the sunshine of the autumn morning. The delight of the
world had been ours on the golden road. It had enticed us with
daisies and rewarded us with roses. Blossom and lyric had waited
on our wishes. Thoughts, careless and sweet, had visited us.
Laughter had been our comrade and fearless Hope our guide. But
now the shadow of change was over it.
"There she is," cried Felicity.
The Story Girl stood up and waved her chrysanthemums at us. We
waved wildly back until the buggy had driven around the curve.
Then we went slowly and silently back to the house. The Story
Girl was gone.
End
everything will be changed."
"Just think," said Cecily, "last New Year's Eve we were wondering
what would happen this year; and what a lot of things have
happened that we never expected. Oh, dear!"
"If things never happened life would be pretty dull," said the
Story Girl briskly. "Oh, don't look so dismal, all of you."
"It's hard to be cheerful when everybody's going away," sighed
Cecily.
"Well, let's pretend to be, anyway," insisted the Story Girl.
"Don't let's think of parting. Let's think instead of how much
we've laughed this last year or so. I'm sure I shall never forget
this dear old place. We've had so many good times here."
"And some bad times, too," reminded Felix.
"Remember when Dan et the bad berries last summer?"
"And the time we were so scared over that bell ringing in the
house," grinned Peter.
"And the Judgment Day," added Dan.
"And the time Paddy was bewitched," suggested Sara Ray.
"And when Peter was dying of the measles," said Felicity.
"And the time Jimmy Patterson was lost," said Dan. "Gee-whiz, but
that scared me out of a year's growth."
"Do you remember the time we took the magic seed," grinned Peter.
"Weren't we silly?" said Felicity. "I really can never look Billy
Robinson in the face when I meet him. I'm always sure he's
laughing at me in his sleeve."
"It's Billy Robinson who ought to be ashamed when he meets you or
any of us," commented Cecily severely. "I'd rather be cheated
than cheat other people."
"Do you mind the time we bought God's picture?" asked Peter.
"I wonder if it's where we buried it yet," speculated Felix.
"I put a stone over it, just as we did over Pat," said Cecily.
"I wish I could forget what God looks like," sighed Sara Ray. "I
can't forget it--and I can't forget what the bad place is like
either, ever since Peter preached that sermon on it."
"When you get to be a real minister you'll have to preach that
sermon over again, Peter," grinned Dan.
"My Aunt Jane used to say that people needed a sermon on that
place once in a while," retorted Peter seriously.
"Do you mind the night I et the cucumbers and milk to make me dream?"
said Cecily.
And therewith we hunted out our old dream books to read them
again, and, forgetful of coming partings, laughed over them till
the old orchard echoed to our mirth. When we had finished we
stood in a circle around the well and pledged "eternal friendship"
in a cup of its unrivalled water.
Then we joined hands and sang "Auld Lang Syne." Sara Ray cried
bitterly in lieu of singing.
"Look here," said the Story Girl, as we turned to leave the old
orchard, "I want to ask a favour of you all. Don't say good-bye
to me tomorrow morning."
"Why not?" demanded Felicity in astonishment.
"Because it's such a hopeless sort of word. Don't let's SAY it at
all. Just see me off with a wave of your hands. It won't seem
half so bad then. And don't any of you cry if you can help it. I
want to remember you all smiling."
We went out of the old orchard where the autumn night wind was
beginning to make its weird music in the russet boughs, and shut
the little gate behind us. Our revels there were ended.
CHAPTER XXXIII
THE STORY GIRL GOES
The morning dawned, rosy and clear and frosty. Everybody was up
early, for the travellers must leave in time to catch the nine
o'clock train. The horse was harnessed and Uncle Alec was waiting
by the door. Aunt Janet was crying, but everybody else was making
a valiant effort not to. The Awkward Man and Mrs. Dale came to
see the last of their favourite. Mrs. Dale had brought her a
glorious sheaf of chrysanthemums, and the Awkward Man gave her,
quite gracefully, another little, old, limp book from his library.
"Read it when you are sad or happy or lonely or discouraged or
hopeful," he said gravely.
"He has really improved very much since he got married," whispered
Felicity to me.
Sara Stanley wore a smart new travelling suit and a blue felt hat
with a white feather. She looked so horribly grown up in it that
we felt as if she were lost to us already.
Sara Ray had vowed tearfully the night before that she would be up
in the morning to say farewell. But at this juncture Judy Pineau
appeared to say that Sara, with her usual luck, had a sore throat,
and that her mother consequently would not permit her to come. So
Sara had written her parting words in a three-cornered pink note.
"My OWN DARLING FRIEND:--WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS my feelings over not
being able to go up this morning to say good-bye to one I so
FONDLY ADORE. When I think that I cannot SEE YOU AGAIN my heart
is almost TOO FULL FOR UTTERANCE. But mother says I cannot and I
MUST OBEY. But I will be present IN SPIRIT. It just BREAKS MY
HEART that you are going SO FAR AWAY. You have always been SO
KIND to me and never hurt my feelings AS SOME DO and I shall miss
you SO MUCH. But I earnestly HOPE AND PRAY that you will be HAPPY
AND PROSPEROUS wherever YOUR LOT IS CAST and not be seasick on THE
GREAT OCEAN. I hope you will find time AMONG YOUR MANY DUTIES to
write me a letter ONCE IN A WHILE. I shall ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU
and please remember me. I hope we WILL MEET AGAIN sometime, but
if not may we meet in A FAR BETTER WORLD where there are no SAD
PARTINGS.
"Your true and loving friend,
"SARA RAY"
"Poor little Sara," said the Story Girl, with a queer catch in her
voice, as she slipped the tear-blotted note into her pocket. "She
isn't a bad little soul, and I'm sorry I couldn't see her once
more, though maybe it's just as well for she'd have to cry and set
us all off. I WON'T cry. Felicity, don't you dare. Oh, you
dear, darling people, I love you all so much and I'll go on loving
you always."
"Mind you write us every week at the very least," said Felicity,
winking furiously.
"Blair, Blair, watch over the child well," said Aunt Janet.
"Remember, she has no mother."
The Story Girl ran over to the buggy and climbed in. Uncle Blair
followed her. Her arms were full of Mrs. Dale's chrysanthemums,
held close up to her face, and her beautiful eyes shone softly at
us over them. No good-byes were said, as she wished. We all
smiled bravely and waved our hands as they drove out of the lane
and down the moist red road into the shadows of the fir wood in
the valley. But we still stood there, for we knew we should see
the Story Girl once more. Beyond the fir wood was an open curve
in the road and she had promised to wave a last farewell as they
passed around it.
We watched the curve in silence, standing in a sorrowful little
group in the sunshine of the autumn morning. The delight of the
world had been ours on the golden road. It had enticed us with
daisies and rewarded us with roses. Blossom and lyric had waited
on our wishes. Thoughts, careless and sweet, had visited us.
Laughter had been our comrade and fearless Hope our guide. But
now the shadow of change was over it.
"There she is," cried Felicity.
The Story Girl stood up and waved her chrysanthemums at us. We
waved wildly back until the buggy had driven around the curve.
Then we went slowly and silently back to the house. The Story
Girl was gone.
End
- cheerful [´tʃiəful]
a.快乐的；高兴的 (初中英语单词) - pretend [pri´tend] v.假装；借口；妄求 (初中英语单词)
- ashamed [ə´ʃeimd] a.惭愧；不好意思 (初中英语单词)
- minister [´ministə] n.部长；大臣 v.伺候 (初中英语单词)
- preach [pri:tʃ] v.宣扬；鼓吹 n.训诫 (初中英语单词)
- therewith [ðɛə´wið] ad.于是，随即 (初中英语单词)
- orchard [´ɔ:tʃəd] n.果园 (初中英语单词)
- circle [´sə:kəl] n.圆圈 v.环绕；盘旋 (初中英语单词)
- lonely [´ləunli] a.孤独的；无人烟的 (初中英语单词)
- feather [´feðə] n.羽毛 (初中英语单词)
- farewell [feə´wel] int.再见 n.&a.告别 (初中英语单词)
- darling [´dɑ:liŋ] n.爱人 a.亲爱的 (初中英语单词)
- prosperous [´prɔspərəs] a.繁荣的；顺利的 (初中英语单词)
- wherever [weər´evə] conj.无论在哪里 (初中英语单词)
- sometime [´sʌmtaim] ad.曾经 a.从前的 (初中英语单词)
- softly [´sɔftli] ad.软化地；柔和地 (初中英语单词)
- valley [´væli] n.谷；河谷；流域 (初中英语单词)
- standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)
- sunshine [´sʌnʃain] n.日光，阳光 (初中英语单词)
- blossom [´blɔsəm] n.花；开花期 vi.开花 (初中英语单词)
- careless [´keəlis] a.粗心的；草率的 (初中英语单词)
- driven [´driv(ə)n] drive 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)
- silently [´sailəntli] ad.寂静地；沉默地 (初中英语单词)
- dismal [´dizməl] a.灰暗的；阴郁的 (高中英语单词)
- severely [si´viəli] ad.剧烈地；严格地 (高中英语单词)
- sermon [´sə:mən] n.说教；训诫；讲道 (高中英语单词)
- hopeless [´həupləs] a.无望的，无可救药的 (高中英语单词)
- awkward [´ɔ:kwəd] a.笨拙的；为难的 (高中英语单词)
- consequently [´kɔnsikwəntli] ad.因此，所以 (高中英语单词)
- earnestly [´ə:nistli] ad.认真地；急切地 (高中英语单词)
- loving [´lʌviŋ] a.爱的，有爱情的 (高中英语单词)
- bravely [´breivli] ad.勇敢地；毅然 (高中英语单词)
- fearless [´fiələs] a.不怕的，无畏的 (高中英语单词)
- briskly [´briskli] ad.轻快地；活泼地 (英语四级单词)
- parting [´pɑ:tiŋ] a.&n.分离(的) (英语四级单词)
- frosty [´frɔsti] a.霜冻的；冷淡的 (英语四级单词)
- valiant [´væliənt] a.勇敢的，英勇的 (英语四级单词)
- gracefully [´greisfuli] ad.优美地，斯文地 (英语四级单词)
- utterance [´ʌtərəns] n.发音；言辞；所说的话 (英语四级单词)
- sorrowful [´sɔrəuful] a.悲伤的，使人伤心的 (英语四级单词)
- felicity [fi´lisiti] n.幸福；(措词)适当 (英语六级单词)
- horribly [´hɔrəbli] ad.恐怖地 (英语六级单词)
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章节正文
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