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diff --git a/26517-h/26517-h.htm b/26517-h/26517-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ada5170 --- /dev/null +++ b/26517-h/26517-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,5766 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" +"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> +<title> +The Project Gutenberg eBook of Mary Jane’s City Home, by Clara Ingram Judson. +</title> + +<style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p {margin-top: 0.5em; text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.5em;} + body {margin-left: 11%; margin-right: 10%;} + a {text-decoration: none;} + .figleft {padding: .5em .5em 0 0; float: left;} + .pncolor {color: silver;} + div.ce p {text-align: center; margin: auto 0;} + .figcenter {margin: 2em auto 2em auto; text-align: center;} + .caption {font-size:.8em;} + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; clear: both;} + .pagenum {display: inline; font-size: x-small; text-align: right; position: absolute; right: 2%; padding: 1px 3px; font-style: normal; font-variant:normal; font-weight:normal; text-decoration: none; background-color: inherit; border:1px solid #eee;} + hr.minor {width: 35%; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; border:none; border-bottom:1px solid black; clear:both;} + hr.major {width: 65%; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 2em; border:none; border-bottom:1px solid black; clear:both;} + hr.silver {width: 100%; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 2em; border:none; border-bottom:1px solid silver;} + h2 {text-align:center; font-weight:normal; font-size: 1.4em;} +// --> +/* XML end ]]>*/ +</style> + +</head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Mary Jane's City Home, by Clara Ingram Judson + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Mary Jane's City Home + +Author: Clara Ingram Judson + +Illustrator: Thelma Gooch + +Release Date: September 3, 2008 [EBook #26517] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARY JANE'S CITY HOME *** + + + + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<hr class='silver' /> + +<div class='figcenter'> +<a name='linki_1' id='linki_1'></a> +<img src='images/maryj-fpc.jpg' alt='' title='' style='width: 348px; height: 485px;' /><br /> +<p class='caption' style='margin: 0 auto; text-align:center;width: 348px;'> +And she pointed out the little seal who was a bit too slow.<br /> +Frontispiece<br /> +</p> +</div> + +<hr class='silver' /> + +<div class='ce'> +<p style=' font-size:2em; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:;'>MARY JANE’S CITY</p> +<p style=' font-size:2em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:2em;'>HOME</p> +<div style='margin-top:1em'></div> +<p style=' font-size:; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>BY</p> +<p style=' font-size:1.4em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>CLARA INGRAM JUDSON</p> +<div style='margin-top:1em'></div> +<p style=' font-size:0.8em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>Author of</p> +<div style='margin-top:1em'></div> +<p style=' font-size:0.8em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>“Flower Fairies,” “Good-Night Stories,” “Billy Robin</p> +<p style=' font-size:0.8em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>and His Neighbors,” “Bed Time Tales,”</p> +<p style=' font-size:0.8em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>“The Junior Cook Book,” and</p> +<p style=' font-size:0.8em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:4em;'>Other Works</p> +<div style='margin-top:1em'></div> +<p style=' font-size:; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>ILLUSTRATED BY</p> +<p style=' font-size:1.2em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>THELMA GOOCH</p> +<div style='margin-top:1em'></div> +<p style=' font-size:; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>NEW YORK</p> +<p style=' font-size:1.2em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>BARSE & HOPKINS</p> +<p style=' font-size:; margin-top:; margin-bottom:2em;'>PUBLISHERS</p> +</div> + +<hr class='silver' /> + +<div class='ce' style=' font-size:0.8em;'> +<p>Copyright, 1920,</p> +<p>by</p> +<p>Barse & Hopkins</p> +<div style='margin-top:1em'></div> +<p>PRINTED IN THE U. S. A.</p> +</div> + +<hr class='silver' /> + +<div class='ce'> +<p>TO</p> +<p>MY MOTHER and FATHER</p> +</div> + +<hr class='silver' /> + +<div class='ce'> +<p style=' font-size:1.4em; margin-bottom:1em;'>CONTENTS</p> +</div> + +<table border='0' width='500' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0' summary='Contents' style='margin:1em auto;'> +<tr> + <td align='left'><span style='font-size:small;'> </span></td> + <td align='right'><span style='font-size:small;'>PAGE</span></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td valign='top' align='left' style='padding-right:1em;'><span style='font-variant: small-caps'>Finding the New Home</span></td> + <td valign='bottom' align='right'><a href='#FINDING_THE_NEW_HOME'>11</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td valign='top' align='left' style='padding-right:1em;'><span style='font-variant: small-caps'>The Folks Around The Corner</span></td> + <td valign='bottom' align='right'><a href='#THE_FOLKS_AROUND_THE_CORNER'>22</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td valign='top' align='left' style='padding-right:1em;'><span style='font-variant: small-caps'>Visiting with Betty</span></td> + <td valign='bottom' align='right'><a href='#VISITING_WITH_BETTY'>35</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td valign='top' align='left' style='padding-right:1em;'><span style='font-variant: small-caps'>Sand Castles</span></td> + <td valign='bottom' align='right'><a href='#SAND_CASTLES'>49</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td valign='top' align='left' style='padding-right:1em;'><span style='font-variant: small-caps'>The Beach Supper</span></td> + <td valign='bottom' align='right'><a href='#THE_BEACH_SUPPER'>64</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td valign='top' align='left' style='padding-right:1em;'><span style='font-variant: small-caps'>Mary Jane Goes Shopping</span></td> + <td valign='bottom' align='right'><a href='#MARY_JANE_GOES_SHOPPING'>76</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td valign='top' align='left' style='padding-right:1em;'><span style='font-variant: small-caps'>The Bus Ride</span></td> + <td valign='bottom' align='right'><a href='#THE_BUS_RIDE'>88</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td valign='top' align='left' style='padding-right:1em;'><span style='font-variant: small-caps'>The Birthday Luncheon</span></td> + <td valign='bottom' align='right'><a href='#THE_BIRTHDAY_LUNCHEON'>100</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td valign='top' align='left' style='padding-right:1em;'><span style='font-variant: small-caps'>Lost—One Doll Cart</span></td> + <td valign='bottom' align='right'><a href='#LOST_ONE_DOLL_CART'>115</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td valign='top' align='left' style='padding-right:1em;'><span style='font-variant: small-caps'>A Trip to the Zoo</span></td> + <td valign='bottom' align='right'><a href='#A_TRIP_TO_THE_ZOO'>128</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td valign='top' align='left' style='padding-right:1em;'><span style='font-variant: small-caps'>A Day in the Parks</span></td> + <td valign='bottom' align='right'><a href='#A_DAY_IN_THE_PARKS'>143</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td valign='top' align='left' style='padding-right:1em;'><span style='font-variant: small-caps'>Visitors—and a Boat Ride</span></td> + <td valign='bottom' align='right'><a href='#VISITORS_AND_A_BOAT_RIDE'>156</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td valign='top' align='left' style='padding-right:1em;'><span style='font-variant: small-caps'>School Begins</span></td> + <td valign='bottom' align='right'><a href='#SCHOOL_BEGINS'>171</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td valign='top' align='left' style='padding-right:1em;'><span style='font-variant: small-caps'>Christmas in Chicago</span></td> + <td valign='bottom' align='right'><a href='#CHRISTMAS_IN_CHICAGO'>184</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td valign='top' align='left' style='padding-right:1em;'><span style='font-variant: small-caps'>A Summer Home—and a Telegram</span></td> + <td valign='bottom' align='right'><a href='#A_SUMMER_HOME_AND_A_TELEGRAM'>201</a></td> +</tr> +</table> +<hr class='silver' /> + +<div class='ce'> +<p style=' font-size:1.4em; margin-bottom:1em;'>ILLUSTRATIONS</p> +</div> + +<table border='0' width='400' cellpadding='2' cellspacing='0' summary='Illustrations' style='margin:1em auto'> +<col style='width:80%;' /> +<col style='width:20%;' /> +<tr> + <td></td> + <td align='right'><span style='font-size:small'>PAGE</span></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td valign='top' align='left'>And she pointed out the little seal who was a bit too slow.</td> + <td valign='bottom' align='right'><a href='#linki_1'>Frontispiece</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td valign='top' align='left'>And then, sliding in the wet sand, she sat right down in the lake and sent a wave of ripples right over her castle</td> + <td valign='bottom' align='right'><a href='#linki_2'>60</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td valign='top' align='left'>“But it’s all down my dress,” said Mary Jane, trying her very best not to cry</td> + <td valign='bottom' align='right'><a href='#linki_3'>110</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td valign='top' align='left'>This year, seeing Mary Jane was such a <i>very</i> old person, she was allowed to put the gold star on the top of the tree</td> + <td valign='bottom' align='right'><a href='#linki_4'>194</a></td> +</tr> +</table> +<hr class='silver' /> + +<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_11' name='page_11'></a>11</span></div> +<div class='ce'> +<p>MARY JANE’S CITY HOME</p> +</div> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 0em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='FINDING_THE_NEW_HOME' id='FINDING_THE_NEW_HOME'></a> +<h2>FINDING THE NEW HOME</h2> +</div> + +<p>The late afternoon sunshine sent its +slanting, golden rays through the car +windows on to the map that Mary Jane and +her sister Alice had spread out on the table +between the seats of the Pullman in which +they were riding.</p> +<p>“And all that wiggly line is water?” Mary +Jane was asking.</p> +<p>“Every bit water,” replied their father, +who bent over their heads to explain what +they were looking at; “a lot of water, you +see. You remember I told you that Chicago +is right on the edge of Lake Michigan. And +Lake Michigan, so far as looks are concerned, +might just as well be the ocean you saw down +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_12' name='page_12'></a>12</span> +in Florida—it’s so big you can’t see the other +side.”</p> +<p>“And does it have big waves?” asked +Mary Jane.</p> +<p>“Just you wait and see,” promised Mr. +Merrill. “Big waves! I should say it +has!”</p> +<p>“And all the green part of the map is +parks,” said Alice, quoting what her father +had told them when he first showed them the +map.</p> +<p>“Then there must be a lot of parks,” suggested +Mary Jane with interest. “I think +I’d like to live by a park,” she added +thoughtfully.</p> +<p>“I think I should too,” agreed Mr. Merrill, +“and it’s near a park we will make the +first hunt for a home.”</p> +<p>“Oh, look!” cried Mary Jane suddenly as +she glanced up from the spread-out map; +“what’s that, Dadah?”</p> +<p>“That’s the beginning of Chicago,” said +Mr. Merrill. “Let’s fold up the map now +and see what we can of the city. This is +South Chicago; and those great stacks and +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_13' name='page_13'></a>13</span> +flaming chimneys are steel mills and foundries +and factories—watch now! There are +more!”</p> +<p>The train on which the Merrill family +were traveling went dashing past factory +after factory—past an occasional open +space where they could see in the distance +the blue gleam of Lake Michigan and past +great wide stretches where tracks and more +tracks on which freight cars and engines sped +up and down showed them something of +the whirling industry that has made South +Chicago famous. No wonder it was a +strange sight to the two girls—they had +never before seen anything that made them +even guess the big business that they now +saw spread out before them.</p> +<p>They had spent all their lives thus far—Alice +was twelve and Mary Jane going on +six—in a small city of the Middle West and +though they had had a fine summer in the +country visiting grandma and grandpa and +had only the winter before taken a beautiful +trip through Florida, they had never been to +a great city. And now they were not going +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_14' name='page_14'></a>14</span> +to visit or to take a trip. They were going +to live there. The great big city of +Chicago was to be their home.</p> +<p>The pretty little house they had loved so +well was sold. The furniture and books +and dolls and clothes were all packed and +loaded on a freight car to follow them to +the city and all the dear friends had been +given a farewell. Mary Jane had loved the +excitement and muss of packing; the great +boxes and the masses of crinkly excelsior +and the workmen around who always had +time for a pleasant joke with an interested +little girl. But when it came time to say +good-by to Doris and to her much loved +kindergarten and to all the boys and girls +in school and “on her block,” going away +wasn’t so funny. In fact, Mary Jane felt +a queer and troublesome lump in her throat +most of the morning when the good-bys were +said.</p> +<p>But the ride on the train (and how Mary +Jane did love to ride on the train); and the +nice luncheon on the diner (and how Mary +Jane did <i>adore</i> eating on a diner—hashed +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_15' name='page_15'></a>15</span> +brown potatoes, a whole order by herself and +ice cream and everything!); and then father’s +nice talk about all the fun they were +going to have, made the lump vanish and in +its place there developed an eager desire to +see the new city and to begin all the promised +fun. It was then that Mr. Merrill +showed them the big map of the city and +pointed out the part of the city where they +would likely live.</p> +<p>As the girls watched, the great factories +and foundries slipped away into the distance, +and in their place the girls could see +houses and occasional stores and here and +there a station, past which their train +dashed as though it wasn’t looking for stations +to-day, thank you.</p> +<p>“Don’t we stop anywhere?” asked Mary +Jane after she had counted three of these +little stations.</p> +<p>“Those are suburban stations,” explained +Mr. Merrill, “and a big through train like +ours hasn’t time to stop at every one. +Pretty soon another train will come along +and stop at each one of those we are now +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_16' name='page_16'></a>16</span> +passing so don’t you worry about folks getting +left. <i>This</i> train we are on has got to +get us into Chicago in time for dinner.”</p> +<p>And just at that minute, when the big +three story apartment buildings that looked +so very queer and strange to Mary Jane, +began to fill every block, the porter came +to brush her off and to help her on with her +coat.</p> +<p>“I’m going to live here in Chicago,” she +said to him as he held the coat for her, “and +it’s a big place with lots of lake and +parks and—houses, I guess, and most everything.”</p> +<p>“’Deed it is big, missy,” replied the +porter, “and I hope you’s going to like it +a lot, I do.”</p> +<p>“I’m a-going to,” answered Mary Jane +confidently, as she picked up Georgiannamore +and Georgiannamore’s suit case which +at the last moment couldn’t possibly be +packed in the trunk, and followed her +father and mother down the aisle, “’cause +mother and Dadah and Alice are going to +live here too and we always have fun.” +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_17' name='page_17'></a>17</span></p> +<p>Mr. and Mrs. Merrill had decided to get +off at one of the larger suburban stations +and spend a few days in a near-by hotel; they +thought the comparative quiet of a residence +hotel would be better for their girls than +the flurry and hurry of a big down town +hotel. But to Mary Jane, accustomed to +the sights and sounds of a small city where +street cars went dignifiedly past every +fifteen minutes and where traffic “cops” +would have very few duties, the confusion +she found herself in was quite enough +to be very interesting.</p> +<p>They stepped off the train, walked down +some stairs and found themselves on the +sidewalk of a very busy street. Overhead +the noise of their own train rumbling cityward +made a terrific din; and as though that +were not enough, still higher up the great +elevated car line made a rumble and roar. +Mary Jane craned her neck as they walked +from under the trains and there high in the +air, she saw street cars running along as +though street cars always had and always +would, run on tracks high up in the air! +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_18' name='page_18'></a>18</span></p> +<p>“Can we ride on it, Dadah?” she shouted +to her father, “are we going to ride on that +train up on stilts?”</p> +<p>Mr. Merrill shook his head laughingly and +hurried them into a waiting taxi.</p> +<p>“We’re not going to ride there to-day,” +he explained when the door of the car shut +out some of the noise, “but some day soon +we’ll take a long ride on the elevated and +then you can see all the back yards and back +porches and parks and streets and everything +about the city, just as plain as plain +can be.”</p> +<p>While he was talking, the Merrills drove +through streets lined on both sides with +three-story apartment buildings. But before +Mary Jane had time to ask a question or +even think what she would like to say, they +whisked around a corner and out into the +beautiful wide driveway on the Midway—the +long, green parkway that stretched, or +so it seemed to Mary Jane, for miles in both +directions. The taxi pulled up in front of a +comfortable looking hotel right on the side +of the park and Mary Jane wasn’t a bit sorry +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_19' name='page_19'></a>19</span> +to get out and take a breath of fresh air and +look at the lovely view before her.</p> +<p>“Now just as soon as you are washed up,” +said Mrs. Merrill, briskly, as they went into +the hotel, “you and Alice may come out onto +this nice porch and watch the children play +on the Midway and get a little run before +dinner.”</p> +<p>You may be sure that with that promise +before her, Mary Jane didn’t take very long +to primp. She had spied a group of children +about her age, who seemed to be having a +beautiful time playing ball out there on the +grass and she couldn’t help noticing that +they played just as she and Doris did and +she couldn’t help wishing that she too, even +though she was a new little girl just come +to town, could play with them. So she +stood very still while Mrs. Merrill tied the +fresh hair bow and slipped on a clean frock +and then, holding tight to big sister Alice’s +friendly hand she went down the one flight +of stairs—she was in far too big a hurry to +wait for the elevator—and out onto the +long roomy porch. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_20' name='page_20'></a>20</span></p> +<p>Just across the narrow street in front of +the hotel and on the nearest bit of parkway, +three little girls about Mary Jane’s age were +still playing ball. One was dainty and +small and had yellow curls; one was rather +tall and had long straight dark hair and the +third had dark, straight hair bobbed short, +and snapping black eyes.</p> +<p>“Wouldn’t it be funny,” said Mary Jane +as she looked at them wistfully, “if I’d get +to know those girls and they’d be friends. +If I <i>did</i>,” she added, “I think she’d be my +mostest friend,” and Mary Jane pointed to +the little girl with the dark, bobbed hair.</p> +<p>While they watched and were trying to +get up courage to go over and play too, a +pretty girl about Alice’s age came along the +street. Her hair was copper colored and +curly and very, very pretty. And her smile +when she saw the little girls who were playing, +made her seem so friendly and +“homey.”</p> +<p>“I’ve been hunting you, Betty,” she said +to the little girl Mary Jane liked best. “It’s +time to come home for dinner.” +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_21' name='page_21'></a>21</span></p> +<p>So the four girls, three little folks and +one bigger one, went around the corner toward +home, and two strangers, standing on +the porch, watched them till they were quite +out of sight.</p> +<p>“It would be funny,” said Alice, “if +we’d ever get to know them. I’m sure I’d +like to.”</p> +<p>“Wouldn’t it though!” exclaimed Mary +Jane. “I hope we do!”</p> +<p>And all the time they were eating their +first dinner in Chicago, and telling mother +and father about the children they had seen +and making plans about what to do to-morrow, +they were thinking about those two +girls and wishing to know them better.</p> +<p>Little did they guess what would really +truly happen before the week was over!</p> +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='THE_FOLKS_AROUND_THE_CORNER' id='THE_FOLKS_AROUND_THE_CORNER'></a> +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_22' name='page_22'></a>22</span> +<h2>THE FOLKS AROUND THE CORNER</h2> +</div> + +<p>Three whole days of flat hunting! +And of all the fun she had ever had +in her more than five years of life, Mary +Jane thought flat hunting in Chicago was +the most fun of all! She loved the mystery +of each new apartment; the guessing +which room might be hers and which mother’s; +the hunting up the door bell and hearing +its sound (for as you very well know +each door bell has a sound of its own); the +poking into closets and pantries and porches. +It was the most delightful sort of exploring +she had ever come across and she couldn’t +at all understand why mother and father +got tired and somewhat discouraged. For +<i>her</i> part Mary Jane was tempted to wish +that they would never find a flat, well hardly +that; but that finding the right one would +take a long, oh, a very long time! +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_23' name='page_23'></a>23</span></p> +<p>But by the afternoon of the third day, her +legs began to get a little tired too, and her +eyes looked more often to the green of the +Midway they occasionally saw and she +thought that flats, even empty flats, really +should have chairs for folks to sit on. So, +as a matter of fact, she wasn’t half as sorry +as she had thought she would be, when, on +the afternoon of the third day of hunting +the Merrill family came across a charming +little apartment.</p> +<p>It was on the second floor of a very attractive +red brick building; it had five rooms, +quite too small, father thought, but then one +can’t have everything, they had found, and +every room was light and sunny and cheerful. +But the part about it that Mary Jane +and Alice liked the best was the back porch. +To be sure there was a front porch, a pretty, +little porch with a stone railing and a view +way down the street toward the park and +lake. But off the dining room the girls discovered +a small balcony that overlooked the +back yard next door, a back yard that had +a garden laid out and a chicken house and +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_24' name='page_24'></a>24</span> +everything so homey and comfortable looking +that the girls immediately wanted to sit +out and watch.</p> +<p>“I think if we’d stay here maybe some +children would come out to play,” suggested +Mary Jane in a whisper.</p> +<p>“I think they would, too,” agreed Alice. +“And I think if we lived here maybe we +could get acquainted and play with them.”</p> +<p>“Let’s live here!” exclaimed Mary Jane +and she ran back into the house just at the +very minute Mr. and Mrs. Merrill decided +to rent the apartment.</p> +<p>“So you think you’ll like it, do you?” said +Mrs. Merrill, smiling; “the rooms are pretty +small.”</p> +<p>“I know we’ll love it,” said Alice eagerly, +“and you should see the back porch.”</p> +<p>But Mr. Merrill laughed when they +showed him the porch.</p> +<p>“Do you call this a porch,” he exclaimed, +“why it’s not half big enough for a porch! +I’d call it a balcony.”</p> +<p>“Yes,” agreed Mrs. Merrill, “and then +when you watch folks in the yard down +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_25' name='page_25'></a>25</span> +there,—for you <i>are</i> planning to watch and +get acquainted, aren’t you?—then you can +pretend that this is your balcony seat and +that the folks down there are in a play for +you—wouldn’t that be fun?”</p> +<p>The girls thought it would, but there was +so much to plan and think about that they +didn’t stay on their little balcony any longer +just then, which was something of a pity, for +right after they went indoors, somebody +came out into the yard— But then, there’s +no use telling about <i>her</i> for Mary Jane +didn’t see her.</p> +<p>So Mary Jane and Alice went with their +father and mother into the room that was +to be theirs and they planned just where +each bed should be and where was the best +place for the desk and dressing table and +who should have which side of the closet. +And by that time, it was nearly six o’clock—time +to go back to the hotel for dinner.</p> +<p>Mr. Merrill stopped at the desk for mail +as they went up to their room and there he +found a message telling him that their furniture +had arrived in Chicago and that it must +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_26' name='page_26'></a>26</span> +be taken out of the freight house the next +morning.</p> +<p>“Dear me!” exclaimed Mrs. Merrill with +a gasp of dismay, “I think it’s a good thing +we found that flat! What ever would we +have done if we hadn’t! Well, girls, I +think we’d better eat a good dinner and then +go to bed early for we’ll have to get down +there and clean up the flat while father tends +to getting our things delivered.”</p> +<p>So bright and early the next morning +everybody started to work. Mr. Merrill +went down town to meet the moving men +he had engaged by ’phone and Mrs. Merrill +and the two girls put aprons and cleaning +rags and soap, all of which they had brought +in their small trunk, into a little grip and +went down to the new home.</p> +<p>Mary Jane had lots of fun that morning. +First she went down to the basement and +borrowed a broom from the janitor. Then +she went back for clean papers which she +folded neatly and spread on the pantry +shelves which Mrs. Merrill with the good +help of the janitor’s wife had cleaned +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_27' name='page_27'></a>27</span> +and ready. Then she put papers on the +shelf of the closet she and Alice were to +share and papers in the drawers near the floor +of that same closet. By that time—it takes +pretty long to fold papers neatly and get +every bit of the shelf covered, you know—the +door bell rang—a great, long, hard ring.</p> +<p>“Oh, dear! Can you go, Mary Jane?” +exclaimed Mrs. Merrill, “Alice and I both +have wet hands!” You see, Alice had been +washing mirrors that were on the closet doors +while her mother and the janitor’s wife did +windows and wood work.</p> +<p>“Yes, I’m dry,” said Mary Jane, “and my +papers are done and I’d like to go.”</p> +<p>To tell the honest truth, Mary Jane had +just that very minute been wishing the door +bell would ring. For the janitor’s wife had +showed her how to press the buzzer that +would release the lock of the front door and +let a person come up the stairs. And of +course Mary Jane wanted to try it. So she +hurried over to the house ’phone, took down +the receiver and said, “Who is it?” just as +any grown-up person would. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_28' name='page_28'></a>28</span></p> +<p>“Here’s your things!” said a gruff voice, +“we’ll bring ’em up the back!”</p> +<p>Mary Jane didn’t stop to press any buzzer. +She dashed over to the window nearest +the alley and there, sure enough, was a +great big moving van and it was piled up +full of boxes and barrels and crates—all +the things that Mary Jane had watched the +packing of only such a few days before. +Talk about fun! Moving was surely the +best sport ever!</p> +<p>Mary Jane stayed at the window watching +till the men brought the first load up. +Then they announced that they were going +for lunch and Mrs. Merrill said she and the +girls had better eat while the men were away. +So hastily putting on wraps, they went over +to a small tea room only a few doors away, +where they had a tasty little luncheon so +quickly served that they easily got back to +their flat before the moving men arrived +again.</p> +<p>How that afternoon went, Mary Jane +never quite remembered. It was one long +succession of excitement and fun. The unpacking +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_29' name='page_29'></a>29</span> +of boxes and crates, the piling up of +rubbish, the finding of cherished belongings +and putting them where they belonged in the +new home, and the gradual change of the +living room from a mess of boxes to a place +that might some day really look like home, +all seemed thrillingly interesting to a little +girl who had never moved before.</p> +<p>But by half past four or thereabouts, even +Mary Jane began to get a little tired.</p> +<p>“I’ll tell you something to do,” suggested +Mrs. Merrill, when a pause in her own work +gave her a chance to notice that Mary Jane +was getting flushed and tired. “Here is a +box of doll things I have just come across. +Suppose you take them out into your own +little balcony and sort them over. Put in +this box (and she handed her a little box) +all the things you must surely have upstairs; +and leave in the big box all the things you +will be willing to put in the store room. +Now take your time, dear, and sit down +while you work.”</p> +<p>Mary Jane was very glad for that advice. +For even though moving men are wonderful +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_30' name='page_30'></a>30</span> +to watch, and even though rubbish and boxes +and barrels are all very fascinating, a person +<i>does</i> get tired and sitting down isn’t at +all a bad idea.</p> +<p>One of the men who was unpacking gave +her her own little chair that he had just uncrated +and so she sat down in state, in her +own chair, on her own balcony and opened +the box of doll things. But that’s every bit +that got done to those doll things that day, +every bit.</p> +<p>For at that very minute, who should come +out of the house around the corner, the house +with the back yard and garden and chickens +and everything, but—yes, you must have +guessed it—the same two girls that Alice and +Mary Jane had seen on the Midway the day +they arrived in Chicago. Think of that! +Right under Mary Jane’s own balcony and, +moreover, it was plain to see that they lived +there.</p> +<p>“Now I guess we’ll get to know them,” +whispered Mary Jane to herself happily. +But of course, she didn’t say a thing out +loud. She only sat very still and watched. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_31' name='page_31'></a>31</span></p> +<p>And as she watched, two boys came out +on the back porch of the house around the +corner and one of the boys called, “Say, +Fran, did you feed the chickens?”</p> +<p>The girl who was about Alice’s age answered +back, “No I didn’t, Ed, I thought it +was Betty’s turn to-day.”</p> +<p>“Now I know a lot,” Mary Jane whispered +to herself. “She’s Frances, I’m sure, +and he’s Ed; and Betty must be the little +girl that’s ’bout as big as me.”</p> +<p>Just then, when Mary Jane was wishing +and wishing and wishing that she would +come, Alice came to the door of the balcony +and looked out.</p> +<p>“Sh-h-h!” whispered Mary Jane, tensely, +“they’re here, both of ’em, and there’s more +of ’em, too!”</p> +<p>Alice seemed to understand exactly what +Mary Jane meant, even though her sentence +was decidedly mixed up, and she stepped out +onto the balcony.</p> +<p>Frances heard the door shut and looked +up. For a long minute the two girls looked +at each other, then Frances, the girl with +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_32' name='page_32'></a>32</span> +the auburn hair and the friendly smile, +nodded shyly.</p> +<p>Little Betty didn’t take long deciding +what she would do. She called eagerly, +“Moving in?”</p> +<p>“Yes, we are,” laughed Alice, waving her +hand toward the piles of boxes and rubbish +stacked up on the back stairs of the building.</p> +<p>Ed, who had started back into the house, +looked around and, seeing his sisters had +made a small start toward conversation, +called a question on his own responsibility.</p> +<p>“Going to use ’em all?” he asked, pointing +to the boxes.</p> +<p>“Dear me, I guess not,” said Alice. “I +don’t see how we could!”</p> +<p>“Then will you give me a box?” he asked, +running back in the yard till he stood right +under the balcony. “We’re going to get +some rabbits, John and I are, and we want a +box for their home.”</p> +<p>“Come on over and see which one you +want,” suggested Alice, “and I’ll ask father.” +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_33' name='page_33'></a>33</span></p> +<p>Ed and his brother John lost no time +climbing over the fence and inspecting the +boxes. By the time Alice brought Mr. Merrill, +he had picked out just the one he wanted +and was very grateful when it was given him +for his own.</p> +<p>“Don’t you want to come over and see ’em +make the rabbit house?” suggested Frances +shyly. “Oh, maybe you’re busy.”</p> +<p>“I’m sure we can come,” replied Alice, +“because mother just told me she wished +we’d get some fresh air.” So Alice and +Mary Jane followed the others to the back yard +and helped hold nails and boards and make +the rabbit house. When it was nearly finished +the children’s mother, who proved to +be very charming Mrs. Holden, came out +with a plate of cookies and a welcome for +the two little strangers.</p> +<p>“Thank you for the cookies,” said Mary +Jane politely, “but we’re not strange—that +is, not any more, we aren’t, we know each +other—all of us do!”</p> +<p>And so it really seemed to all the children. +They were friends from the first day and +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_34' name='page_34'></a>34</span> +making the rabbit house was just the beginning +of many nice times in that friendly back +yard.</p> +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='VISITING_WITH_BETTY' id='VISITING_WITH_BETTY'></a> +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_35' name='page_35'></a>35</span> +<h2>VISITING WITH BETTY</h2> +</div> + +<p>Three days of hard work for everybody +and then the little flat into which +the Merrills had moved began to look like +a real home. The unpacking was all done +and the rubbish cleared away; the furniture +was polished and set in place; the closets +were in order and every cupboard and shelf +held just the right things for comfort. It +wasn’t such an easy matter to stow away all +the things the Merrills had used in their +pretty house—the five room apartment was +much smaller than the house of course—but +with everybody’s help the job was done.</p> +<p>“Now then,” said Mrs. Merrill, happily, +in the late afternoon of the third day, “if +you’ll run the rods in these curtains, Mary +Jane, I’ll hang them up where they belong +and then we’ll all three go to market and +then—guess what? We’ll have dinner in +our own new home!” +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_36' name='page_36'></a>36</span></p> +<p>Mary Jane thought that would be fun, +for, much as she loved eating in the hotel +where they had been living while getting +the new home fixed, she liked better to eat +her mother’s cooking. So it was a very +happy little girl who slipped the rods into +the living room curtains and then put on her +hat and hunted up the market basket from +the pantry.</p> +<p>Now many times before this, Mary Jane +had been marketing with her mother. But +never had she been to such a market! Before, +marketing meant going to the grocery +store about three blocks from their home; it +meant talking to the very interested and +friendly grocer who had known Mary Jane +ever since she first appeared at the grocery +in her big, well-covered cab—she was then +about two months old; it meant telling Mr. +Shover, the grocer, just what they wanted +and picking out the sorts of things they liked +best. But marketing in Chicago was +very different. In the first place there +wasn’t a person around they had ever seen +before; and then everything was so big and +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_37' name='page_37'></a>37</span> +there was so much food. Mary Jane +thought there couldn’t possibly be enough +folks in Chicago to eat all those good things! +But when she and her mother actually got +into the store and began to buy, Mary Jane +forgot all about the strangeness and remembered +only the fun. For they didn’t get +somebody to wait on them as they used to +at Mr. Shover’s—not at all! They waited +on themselves! They went through a little +turnstile and then wandered around +among the good things all by themselves and +they took down from the well-stocked +shelves anything they wanted. It certainly +was queer.</p> +<p>“Can we just take <i>anything</i>?” exclaimed +Mary Jane in amazement as her mother +explained what they were to do.</p> +<p>“Well,” laughed Mrs. Merrill, “you must +remember we have to pay for things just the +same as we used to at Mr. Shover’s. But we +can take anything we want—if we pay for +it.”</p> +<p>“Then I’ll pick you out some good things +to eat, mother!” cried Mary Jane happily, +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_38' name='page_38'></a>38</span> +“don’t you worry about thinking what we’re +going to have!”</p> +<p>Now Mary Jane really did know how to +read, at least a little, but she didn’t stop +to read on this important occasion. She +looked at the pictures on the cans of goodies +and she picked out a can of all her favorites +and set them in the basket Mrs. Merrill +carried on her arm. But that didn’t +work, for Mrs. Merrill had a long list and +the basket wouldn’t hold only so much. So +they decided to let Mrs. Merrill pick out +three things from her list and then Mary +Jane could buy one favorite; then three +more things from the list and then another +favorite. That proved to be great fun and +it certainly did fill the basket in a hurry! +Mary Jane was just trying to decide between +a box of marshmallows and a pan of nice, +gooey, sugary sweet rolls when Mrs. Merrill +said, “whichever you decide, Mary Jane, +you’ll have to carry the bundle yourself, because +this basket won’t hold another parcel—not +even a little one.”</p> +<p>Mary Jane decided on the rolls and she +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_39' name='page_39'></a>39</span> +took them over to the counter to have them +wrapped up and there she almost bumped +into—Betty Holden, no less! Betty and +her mother were shopping too, and their basket +was almost as full as Mrs. Merrill’s.</p> +<p>“We market after school,” said Mrs. +Holden, “and then Ed brings his wagon to +meet us and hauls the stuff home. We’ll +get him to give you a lift too.”</p> +<p>“And then can Mary Jane come over to +our house to play?” asked Betty.</p> +<p>“For a little while,” agreed Mrs. Merrill, +smilingly, “but she won’t want to stay very +long to-day because we’re going to have our +first dinner in our new home and she’s promised +to help me lots—and I need it.”</p> +<p>Just then they spied Ed’s face at the door +so they hurried through the second turnstile, +paid for their groceries and left the store. +Ed’s wagon proved to be very big and he +was glad to give them plenty of room for +the Merrill basket.</p> +<p>“Are you going to start in school to-morrow?” +asked Betty as they walked off toward +home. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_40' name='page_40'></a>40</span></p> +<p>“I’m going over to see about that to-morrow +morning,” said Mrs. Merrill. “We’ve +been so busy unpacking and settling that we +haven’t even thought about it till now. Do +you like your school, Betty?”</p> +<p>“Yes, I do, lots!” exclaimed Betty heartily. +“I’m just through kindergarten this +spring, I am, and next fall I’m first year.”</p> +<p>“Then I think you must be just about +where Mary Jane will be,” said Mrs. Merrill.</p> +<p>The two little girls ran skipping ahead, +talking about what they would do and where +they would sit and all the things that girls +plan for school.</p> +<p>But when Mrs. Merrill took Alice and +Mary Jane over the next morning, it didn’t +work out as planned. Alice was entered +and found herself in the very same room and +only two seats away from Frances, which +seemed perfect. But there wasn’t room +for Mary Jane! The kindergarten was +crowded, very, very crowded, and new little +folks weren’t allowed to come in. Miss Gilbert, +the teacher, talked with Mary Jane a +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_41' name='page_41'></a>41</span> +while and Mary Jane told her all the work +she had done and all the things she had +learned about.</p> +<p>“I really think, Mrs. Merrill,” said the +teacher finally, “that your little girl is ready +for the first grade. She seems very well +prepared. But they don’t take new first +graders so late in the year. Why don’t you +keep her out of school the rest of this term +and then next year, enter her in the first +grade?”</p> +<p>Mrs. Merrill thought that was a fine plan. +There would be so many new sights to see +and things to learn in the city that Mary +Jane would find plenty to do.</p> +<p>But Mary Jane was keenly disappointed. +“I wanted to stay in Betty’s room,” she explained +to the teacher. “She asked me to +sit by her this morning, she did, and I promised +yes I would.”</p> +<p>“Then I’ll tell you what you may do,” +suggested the teacher kindly. “Two of our +folks are absent this morning so we have +enough chairs to go around. Wouldn’t you +like to stay with Betty and visit? And +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_42' name='page_42'></a>42</span> +then just a little before time for school to +be out, Betty can take you up to your sister’s +room and she can bring you home.”</p> +<p>Mrs. Merrill agreed that that was a fine +plan, so Mary Jane went to the cloak room +to hang up her hat and her mother hurried +back home.</p> +<p>At first Mary Jane felt very strange in +the new school room. There were so many +children there and the songs were new and +the games were new and everything seemed +different. She almost—not really, but <i>almost</i>—wished +she had gone home with her +mother. And then, after singing three +songs Mary Jane didn’t know, the children +made a big circle and let Mary Jane stand in +the middle and they sang the song Mary +Jane knew so very well,</p> +<p>“I went to visit a friend to-day, +She only lives across the way, +She said she couldn’t come out to play +Because it was her ——”</p> +<p>Quick as a flash Mary Jane dropped onto +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_43' name='page_43'></a>43</span> +her knees and began to act out packing +things into a box.</p> +<p>For a minute the children hesitated. +That was a strange thing to be acting; Mary +Jane was not washing or ironing or churning +or sweeping or any of the things the children +usually acted and they were all +puzzled. Then suddenly Betty remembered +the back stairway and all the piles of +boxes and excelsior on Mary Jane’s back +stairway and she called out the end of the +song—“because it was her moving day!” +And everybody finished the verse with a +flourish.</p> +<p>After that Mary Jane felt more at home +and the morning went oh, so very quickly, +till recess time, when they all went out into +the big yard to play in the sunshine.</p> +<p>Betty and her particular friends were +gathering together for a circle game in the +corner of the yard when Mary Jane heard +a soft, helpless little sound close at hand. +Without stopping to say anything to any +one, she ran over to the fence and there, +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_44' name='page_44'></a>44</span> +caught in between the tall iron bars, was the +tiniest, blackest little dog she had ever seen. +He evidently had seen the children coming +out to play, had wanted to play with them +and had supposed he could slip right +through between the bars of the fence.</p> +<p>Mary Jane tried to pull him out but he +was stuck fast. So she called Betty.</p> +<p>“Here!” shouted one of the boys, “I’ll +pull him out!”</p> +<p>“No you don’t,” cried Betty imperatively, +“you let him alone! We’ll do it!” And +her snapping black eyes flashed so positively +that the boy obeyed. But Betty couldn’t +pull the dog through either, the bars were +too close, she couldn’t move him either way.</p> +<p>“I’ll tell you what let’s do,” she said. +“Mary Jane, you stay here and guard him +so nobody tries to pull him out and I’ll go +and get Tom and he’ll know what to do.” +Tom was the janitor.</p> +<p>Mary Jane stood close by the dog and +patted his head and talked kindly to him so +he would know somebody was trying to help +him. And all the girls and boys who had +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_45' name='page_45'></a>45</span> +started to play together gathered around and +watched Mary Jane while Betty ran back to +the school building and down into the basement +to fetch the janitor.</p> +<p>Fortunately, Tom was in his office and +came quickly in response to Betty’s call. +He saw at once what the trouble was and +discovered a way to remedy it. It seems +that the big iron bars that made the fence +were heavier at the bottom than nearer the +top, so the space between the bars got wider +higher up. Tom took firm hold of the wiggling +little creature and gently but very +firmly pushed him straight up between the +bars. That didn’t hurt like trying to pull +him out, so the dog stopped barking and +whining. And in a second Tom had him +out—half way up the fence there was plenty +of room to lift him right through.</p> +<p>Poor little doggie! He was so glad to be +out and so frightened by his experience that +when Tom laid him down on the grass he +looked quite forlorn. Mary Jane sat down +beside him and gathered him up into her +arms. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_46' name='page_46'></a>46</span></p> +<p>“Don’t you be afraid, doggie,” she said +softly, “we’ll take care of you, don’t you be +afraid a bit!”</p> +<p>“What you going to do with him?” asked +one of the girls.</p> +<p>But Mary Jane didn’t have to answer that +question. Before she could speak, a small +boy came running along the street, crying as +hard as he could cry and shouting between +sobs, “I’ve lost my dog! I’ve lost my dog! +Somebody’s stole my dog!”</p> +<p>“No they haven’t,” called Betty, “maybe +this is yours!”</p> +<p>The little boy rubbed his eyes, looked +through the fence—and a look of happiness +spread over his small face.</p> +<p>“It’s him! It’s him! It’s him!” he +shouted happily, “then he isn’t stole!”</p> +<p>It took only a minute to run around the +gate, dash across the school yard and grab +the tiny little dog into his arms. And the +children could tell by the way the little creature +snuggled down that the love wasn’t all +on one side—evidently the little boy was a +good master. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_47' name='page_47'></a>47</span></p> +<p>Right at that minute, before there was +a chance to start a game or any play, a great +bell in the school doorway began to ring. +Mary Jane was used to a small school of +course—a school so small that the teacher +came to the window and simply called when +recess was over. So she stared in amazement +when the great bell rang out so noisily.</p> +<p>“Come on!” shouted Betty, “recess is +over!”</p> +<p>“Soon as I tell this doggie good-by!” replied +Mary Jane.</p> +<p>Betty didn’t hear and, supposing Mary +Jane was right behind her, she went on into +her place in line. And Mary Jane, remembering +how leisurely folks went up after recess +at her old school, didn’t pay any attention +to the rapidly forming lines. She +turned around and patted the tiny dog and +nodded and smiled and whispered her +good-by.</p> +<p>When she did turn to go in with Betty, she +was amazed to see all the children had disappeared +into the building. She scampered +over to the door as fast as ever she could. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_48' name='page_48'></a>48</span> +And up the stairs—but not a soul did she +see! Only the click of a closing door could +be heard—a click that made Mary Jane feel +really shut out and lonely.</p> +<p>“Now let’s see,” said Mary Jane to herself, +“Betty’s room was right around a corner—” +But there wasn’t any room around +that first corner—only a long hall. A lump +came into Mary Jane’s throat. The building +was so big, so very, very big. And she +felt so little, so very, very little. She swallowed +twice, determined not to cry and then +she said out loud in a queer frightened little +voice, “I guess I’m lost. I’m lost in school!”</p> +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='SAND_CASTLES' id='SAND_CASTLES'></a> +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_49' name='page_49'></a>49</span> +<h2>SAND CASTLES</h2> +</div> + +<p>“I Guess I’m lost! I’m lost in school!”</p> +<p>Mary Jane’s frightened little whisper +sounded like a shout and the doors and +walls and hallways seemed to echo back, +“Lost! Little girl lost!” in a most desolate +fashion. Mary Jane was so frightened that +she stood perfectly still—just as still as +though her shoes were fastened to the floor. +And she looked straight ahead as though she +was trying to see through the wall at which +she was staring. To tell the truth, Mary +Jane wasn’t trying to see through the wall. +She didn’t even know a wall was in front of +her. She couldn’t see a single thing, not +even a big wall, because a mist of tears was +in her eyes and a great lump was growing in +her throat.</p> +<p>Now Mary Jane wasn’t a baby. And she +never cried—or any way, she <i>hardly</i> ever +cried because she was going on six and girls +who are going on six don’t cry. But to be +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_50' name='page_50'></a>50</span> +lost in a strange school and in a strange city +and—everything; well, it’s not much wonder +that Mary Jane felt pretty queer.</p> +<p>But before the tears had time to fall, there +was a heavy footstep behind her and Mary +Jane whirled around to see—the kindly face +of Tom the janitor smiling at her.</p> +<p>“Aren’t you pretty late getting to your +room?” he asked.</p> +<p>Mary Jane couldn’t answer. She was so +relieved to have someone around that for +a minute she just couldn’t get the lump out +of her throat enough to talk.</p> +<p>Tom must have been used to little girls—maybe +he had one of his own—because he +didn’t pay any attention to Mary Jane’s silence. +He took hold of her hand and said pleasantly, +“Now don’t you worry a minute. +You just show me which your room is and +I’ll go with you.”</p> +<p>“I’m looking for it too,” said Mary Jane, +finding her voice again, “but I don’t know +where it is.”</p> +<p>“Don’t know where your room is?” asked +Tom in surprise. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_51' name='page_51'></a>51</span></p> +<p>“No,” replied Mary Jane with a decided +shake of her head, “I don’t.” And then, for +talking was now getting comfortable and +easy, she added, “you see, it isn’t really my +room. It’s Betty’s. And I’m just a-visiting +her. I’m just moved to Chicago and +they haven’t any chair for me only just to +visit in when somebody’s absent.”</p> +<p>“That sounds like the kindergarten,” said +Tom.</p> +<p>“It is,” agreed Mary Jane with a laugh +of relief, “I’m kindergarten, I am.”</p> +<p>“Then here we go, right down this way,” +said Tom, and off they started in just the opposite +direction.</p> +<p>Before they got clear up to the kindergarten, +though, they met Miss Gilbert, who +was coming in search of the little visitor. +“Betty missed her,” she explained, “but I +thought you’d find her, Tom.” With a +thank you to her janitor friend, Mary Jane +took tight hold of the teacher’s hand and +they went into the kindergarten room together.</p> +<p>After that, the morning went very quickly +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_52' name='page_52'></a>52</span> +and happily and Mary Jane could hardly +believe her ears when the big whistles began +to blow for twelve o’clock and Miss Gilbert +told them to put away their scissors and +cut-out papers and get ready to go home. +Mary Jane had cut out two beautiful tulips +and she was very happy when she was told +they might be taken home as a souvenir of +her visit.</p> +<p>On the way home they met Frances and +Alice and Ed so they had plenty of company.</p> +<p>“What you doing Saturday?” asked Ed +as they neared their own corner.</p> +<p>“I don’t know,” replied Alice, “is there +anything nice to do—special?”</p> +<p>“Well,” answered Frances, “we were +afraid you might all be busy—but—well +you see, we were going to have a beach party +and we thought maybe you folks would like +to go along. All of you.”</p> +<p>Now Alice and Mary hadn’t the slightest +idea what a beach party was, only of course +they knew it must be something about the +lake. But there wasn’t time for questions +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_53' name='page_53'></a>53</span> +and talk just then for Frances discovered +that they had walked so slowly that they +must rush on home to lunch.</p> +<p>“We’ll get mother to tell you,” she promised, +“and do say you’ll come ’cause it’s a +fire and cooking and marshmallows and +piles of fun.”</p> +<p>“And we’ve plenty of wires,” added +Betty, “and they’re plenty long so you won’t +burn your fingers.”</p> +<p>It sounded amazingly puzzling to Alice +and Mary Jane, who couldn’t in the least +understand what a fire and wires and all that +had to do with a beach. But they were to +find out before so very long. For that same +afternoon, while Alice was still in school, +Mrs. Holden and Betty came over to call +on Mrs. Merrill and Mary Jane and then +the beach party was all explained.</p> +<p>“We go over to the lake very often,” said +Mrs. Holden. “And on the sandy beach, +close by the water, the children build a big +fire. Then, when the coals are good, we +toast sandwiches and roast ‘weenies’ and +toast marshmallows. The children are so +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_54' name='page_54'></a>54</span> +anxious to show your girls just how it is +done,” she added, “and as the weather promises +to be warm and sunny I think we should +have an extra fine time.”</p> +<p>So it was settled. And a person would +have thought from the excitement and fun +of preparation that the party was to be that +same day instead of twenty-four hours away. +For as soon as Alice and the older Holden +children came home from school, they all +set to work planning the menu and getting +out baskets and cleaning the wires on which, +so the Merrill girls learned, marshmallows +were held over the coals to be toasted.</p> +<p>But when everything that could be done +the day before, was finished, there was still +some time for play, so the children went +down into the Holden yard and the boys, +Ed and John, showed the girls how to run a +track meet—how to jump and vault and +race in proper track style. Alice and Mary +Jane thought the boys wonderfully skilled +and the boys, thrilled by such warm admiration, +broke all their previous records and had +a beautiful time. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_55' name='page_55'></a>55</span></p> +<p>At four o’clock the next afternoon the two +families set out for the beach party. And +it surely was quite a procession that made its +way the four or five blocks to the park. +First there was John with the wagon which +held all the heavy things—baskets of food +and such. Next came Ed, who started +out walking behind the wagon to see that +nothing dropped off. He and John were to +take turns pulling the load. Then the +others carried bundles of kindling and the +wires for marshmallows and toasting racks +for meat. They had such a jolly time getting +off that everybody felt sure the party +was to be a success.</p> +<p>Mary Jane had been so busy helping get +settled and all that, that she hadn’t had +time for a real visit on the beach. To be +sure she had had glimpses of the big blue +they could see down their own street, but to +really come over and see the lake and play +in the sand—this was her first trip. So she +skipped along very happily and thought she +could hardly wait till they got there.</p> +<p>Fortunately they hadn’t far to go. Three +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_56' name='page_56'></a>56</span> +blocks down and two blocks over and there +was the park—such a beautiful park with +tiny lakes and bridges and great trees whose +buds were swelling in the warm afternoon +spring sunshine. Mary Jane thought she +must be in fairyland come to life, it was all +so beautiful. They crossed an arched +bridge; saw a lovely view off toward the +south where other bridges and lagoons and +trees made such a pretty picture they were +tempted to stay and look longer; walked +around a big circle where, so John told them, +the band gave concerts in the summer time; +circled a tiny little inlet lake and came out, +quite suddenly, right close to the big lake—Lake +Michigan. It almost took Mary +Jane’s breath way, coming suddenly that +way, upon the sight of so much water. It +was all so blue and clear, she thought, for +the minute, that surely it must be the very +same ocean she had seen in Florida only a +few weeks before.</p> +<p>But the boys didn’t give much time for +sight-seeing of lakes—they had seen the +good old lake many a time and they were +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_57' name='page_57'></a>57</span> +thinking more about supper than any view, +however pretty.</p> +<p>So they hurried their wagon across the +boulevard driveway, and of course all the +folks had to follow close behind, and down +the beach walk a couple of hundred yards +and there they settled themselves on a +stretch of clean white sand.</p> +<p>“Now,” said big brother Linn, whom the +girls hadn’t seen much of as yet, but who +seemed to be master of ceremonies, “you boys +gather those big logs down there, you girls +fix the kindling and I’ll set these stones up +so we get a good draft when we light our +fire.”</p> +<p>Everybody set to work. The logs proved +to be so big and heavy that Ed and John +were very glad to have the help of their +father and Mr. Merrill to roll them into +place. The four girls sorted out the kindling +in their basket and added to it by picking +up drift wood on the beach. Frances +explained that they always brought some +along to be sure they had some real dry +wood for a start. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_58' name='page_58'></a>58</span></p> +<p>With such good help and so much of it, +of course it wasn’t long till a fine blaze was +going and the beach party was actually begun.</p> +<p>“Go ahead and play now,” said Linn, +when he saw the fire was started and that +there was a big pile of reserve wood close +by. “You know we can’t cook till we get +some coals.”</p> +<p>“But I’m starved,” hinted Ed, with a hungry +look toward the baskets his mother and +Mrs. Merrill were guarding.</p> +<p>“Then you’ll have to stay starved, young +man,” said his mother, laughing, “because +not a basket is to be opened till the coals are +ready for cooking.”</p> +<p>“Then let’s make a sand castle,” suggested +Betty and she ran down to a smooth place +on the beach, away from possible smoke, and +began molding the white sand.</p> +<p>That pleased Mary Jane. She hadn’t +forgotten the fun she had playing on +the beach in Florida, and while this beach +was different—it didn’t have any of the +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_59' name='page_59'></a>59</span> +pretty shells or funny little crawdads she +had found on the Florida beach—still it had +lovely white sand and dainty little waves +and was quite the nicest place for play that +Mary Jane had seen.</p> +<p>“I’ll tell you what let’s do,” suggested +Alice, as she saw that all the children were +going to play in the sand, “let’s each build a +castle and make it any way we like best and +then when they’re all finished, have an exhibition +and everybody look and see which +is the best.”</p> +<p>“All right, let’s,” agreed the children and +they set to work.</p> +<p>Mary Jane chose for her castle a place +down close by the water. She loved the +nearness of the waves and the thrill of knowing +that maybe, if she didn’t watch out, a +wave would come up really close and get +her wet. Betty picked out a spot nearer the +fire on the side away from the smoke and +Alice chose a place where a few pretty pebbles +would give her material with which to +pave a “moat” she intended to make. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_60' name='page_60'></a>60</span></p> +<p>And then everybody set to work. So busy +were they that Linn had to tend the fire all +by himself and Ed forgot he was hungry.</p> +<p>Before very long that beach looked like a +picture book. Towers and ditches and castles +and bridges were where flat sand had +been a few minutes before. The Holden +children had made many a sand house and +they knew just how to pack the damp sand +so it would stay in place and just how to put +a small board here and there to hold a second +story or a tower straight and tall.</p> +<p>But with all their experience, Alice’s castle +was as pretty as theirs, or at any rate she +thought it was, and Mary Jane’s was quite +wonderful. She smoothed off the “garden” +in front of her palace, stuck in a few sticks +for flowers, made a pebbly path down to the +tiny lake she had scooped out at one side +and then shouted, “Mine’s done! Look at +mine!” and stepped aside so all could see +her handiwork.</p> +<div class='figcenter'> +<a name='linki_2' id='linki_2'></a> +<img src='images/maryj-061.jpg' alt='' title='' style='width: 327px; height: 462px;' /><br /> +<p class='caption' style='margin: 0 auto; text-align:center;width: 327px;'> +And then, sliding in the wet sand, she sat right down in<br /> +the lake and sent a wave of ripples right over her castle <i>Page 61</i><br /> +</p> +</div> + +<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_63' name='page_63'></a>63</span></div> +<p>But Mary Jane wasn’t used to working so +close to the water and she forgot entirely +where she was! Instead of stepping to one +side, as she should have done, she stepped +backwards—straight into the big lake! +And then, sliding in the wet sand, she sat +right down in the lake and sent a big wave +of ripples—right over her castle and garden +and lake and everything and washed it all +away, every bit!</p> +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='THE_BEACH_SUPPER' id='THE_BEACH_SUPPER'></a> +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_64' name='page_64'></a>64</span> +<h2>THE BEACH SUPPER</h2> +</div> + +<p>A minute before Mary Jane slid into +the lake, the beach was a scene of busy +building and fun. Linn tended the fire, the +grown folks gathered wood and visited and +guarded baskets and the children all were intent +on their sand castles. But with Mary +Jane’s tumble everything changed.</p> +<p>Sand flew helter skelter as the children +jumped hastily and ran to Mary Jane’s assistance; +castles were trampled on as though +they didn’t exist and fire wood and baskets +were all forgotten.</p> +<p>“Don’t be afraid, you’re all right!” called +Mrs. Merrill as she ran toward her little +girl.</p> +<p>“Coming! Coming! Here!” shouted +Mr. Merrill reassuringly as he dashed over +to his little daughter, picked her up by the +shoulders and set her, safe and sound, on +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_65' name='page_65'></a>65</span> +dry sand just in time to miss a fair sized +wave.</p> +<p>“I guess I’m wet!” said Mary Jane.</p> +<p>“I guess you are,” laughed Mr. Merrill, +“but I guess things will dry and you’re not +so very awfully too wet—not enough to +spoil the party, is she, mother?”</p> +<p>Mrs. Merrill looked thoughtful and all +the children waited anxiously for her answer. +Would Mary Jane have to go clear +off home and miss the party and everything! +But it wasn’t to be as bad as all that. Mrs. +Merrill remembered the warm day, the glowing +sun that was still bright and warm and +she also remembered the hot fire Linn had +underway and the warm sand all around the +fire.</p> +<p>“Of course she isn’t wet enough to spoil +the party,” said Mrs. Merrill, much to every +one’s relief. “Only she’ll have to stay close +by the fire till she gets warm and dry. Suppose +we appoint her head cook and make her +stay right there where it’s hot?”</p> +<p>“She’ll get dry then!” exclaimed Ed, so +fervently that they all knew he had had +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_66' name='page_66'></a>66</span> +many a hot face from working by the fire +at previous picnics.</p> +<p>“But how about your castles?” asked Mr. +Holden, “weren’t we to have an exhibit?”</p> +<p>But the castles! Dear me! In the excitement +of Mary Jane’s tumble, no one had +given a thought to the castles. They were +stepped on, and trampled down and all +matted down into the sand.</p> +<p>“That’s just too bad!” said Mrs. Merrill.</p> +<p>“Pooh!” exclaimed John, dismissing the +whole question of castles with one wave of +the hand, “who cares about castles! <i>We’re</i> +going to have supper.” And every one set +to work.</p> +<p>Mary Jane was supposed to be head cook, +but as she had never before been to a beach +party, she really didn’t know what to do. +So she simply stayed close by the hot fire +while the boys brought three benches and +made them in a triangle around the fire—a +little way back of course. Then Mrs. +Holden and Mrs. Merrill unpacked the +baskets and fixed a place on the bench for +each person. To be sure nobody was expected +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_67' name='page_67'></a>67</span> +to sit on the bench—that would be +quite too proper for a beach party meal. +But the mothers put a paper plate and a cup +for each person on the benches and then they +put on the plate as many sandwiches and +pickles and cookies and everything as each +person was entitled to.</p> +<p>While they were doing this, Linn raked +down the hot coals, set in place a light wire +rack he had made and spread a couple of +dozen weenies out to roast.</p> +<p>“Now then, Mary Jane,” he said to the +head cook, “you take this long fork. And +as soon as a weenie begins to sputter and +brown, turn it over so it browns on the other +side too.”</p> +<p>That was a very important job, Mary +Jane could easily see, and she determined +that every weenie <i>she</i> cooked would be done +just to a turn. She bent over the fire till +her back got a crook in it; then she sat down +on the hot sand close to the coals and by the +time the weenies were done ready to eat she +was so dry and hot that she felt sure she had +never slipped into the lake—never! +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_68' name='page_68'></a>68</span></p> +<p>And all the time Mary Jane was cook, +Linn and Mr. Merrill stayed close to see that +the coals kept evenly hot and that no bit of +flame started up to burn the head cook.</p> +<p>At last the weenies were ready. Each +one was beautifully brown and was sizzling +and sputtering and sending a most tempting +odor to hungry folks.</p> +<p>“Form a line, folks,” said Mrs. Holden, +“ladies first!”</p> +<p>With much laughter, each person got their +own roll, which had been split and buttered, +and filed passed Mary Jane. And Mary +Jane, instructed by Linn just how to do her +job, picked up one weenie after another on +the long fork and dropped each one in an +open roll held out before her. It was a scary +job, for the sand was close below and Mary +Jane knew that weenies dropped into the +sand wouldn’t taste very good. But she +took her time—too much time, John thought.</p> +<p>“Don’t be ’fraid of any old sand,” he assured +her when she put his weenie in his +roll so very carefully, “I eat ’em any way—sand +or not.” +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_69' name='page_69'></a>69</span></p> +<p>Betty eyed Mary Jane a bit enviously. +This being chief cook and having a chance +to fill the rolls of each person must surely +be fun.</p> +<p>“Next time we have a beach party,” she +announced between bites, “<i>I’m</i> going to fall +into the lake too!”</p> +<p>“I’ll save you the trouble,” replied Mr. +Holden understandingly, “I’ll let you be +chief cook without getting wet.”</p> +<p>Betty needn’t have worried about Mary +Jane’s being willing to give up her job. +For there was one disadvantage in that position +Miss Betty hadn’t thought of and Mary +Jane had just discovered—the head cook +had no time to eat. And Mary Jane was +getting fearfully hungry. She was more +than willing to give up the big fork, let +Betty fill her roll for her and stand up with +the others to eat the good hot morsel.</p> +<p>Did anything ever taste as good as those +hot weenie sandwiches, eaten there on the +edge of Lake Michigan, with the fine lake +air blowing in their faces and the sunshine +warming them and making them forget the +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_70' name='page_70'></a>70</span> +chill of the long winter? The Merrills +thought they had never had so much fun and +tasted such good things. Every weenie +(and there had seemed to be far too many) +was eaten up; every roll disappeared and +cookies and pickles and sandwiches just vanished +as though a warm breeze had melted +them away.</p> +<p>Supper over, the sun going down reminded +the children that they must get the +fire ready for dark. They scampered up +and down the broad beach, gathering together +all the pieces of drift wood they could +find. Later in the year wood along that +beach would be hard to find. But in the +early spring, before the driftings of the winter’s +storms had been burned up by picnickers +like themselves, there was plenty to be +had.</p> +<p>Linn and Ed put away the cooking rack +in the case they had made for it, the two +mothers packed up débris and burned it so +the beach would be left clean and tidy, and +all the others gathered wood. Such a lot +as they did find! Linn piled it on high and +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_71' name='page_71'></a>71</span> +by the time the sun went to sleep in the +west, the fire was so bright that nobody noticed +the growing darkness. They all sat +around on the warm sand and sang—college +songs that the children had learned from the +fathers, school songs and popular songs that +they all knew. It was fun to sit there close +by the big lake, to watch the sparks fly upward, +to hear the waves swish against the +sand and to sing and sing as loud as they +liked.</p> +<p>But when the darkness settled down +enough so that mysterious shadows lurked +over every shoulder and the stars helped the +fire make a light, Ed announced, “Now let’s +play Indian.”</p> +<p>So they did. Playing Indian, the Merrill +girls found, meant a queer follow-the-leader +game. Ed led off first and everybody had +to follow. He ran round and round the +fire, prancing and yelling like a wild man. +And the point of the game was for everybody +to do exactly as he did. They ran and +jumped and yelled till everybody was +breathless with exercise and laughter and +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_72' name='page_72'></a>72</span> +was glad to sit down again and do nothing.</p> +<p>By this time the fire had again died down +to a bed of coals.</p> +<p>“<i>Now</i> it’s time for the marshmallows, +isn’t it?” asked Betty. She was right, it +was.</p> +<p>The boxes of marshmallows were opened, +wires pulled out of the baskets and all the +children sat around the fire a-toasting. +’Twas just as Betty had promised. The +wires were plenty long enough so that no +fingers needed to be burned or dresses +scorched and the bed of coals was big enough +to make room for all.</p> +<p>Betty and Mary Jane thought they would +keep count and see who could eat the most, +but after six they lost count, and they ate +and ate till they simply couldn’t eat any +more.</p> +<p>“Let’s play still pond,” suggested Frances.</p> +<p>She stood up near the fire and announced, +“Twenty steps, two jumps, three hops and +a roll. One, two, three, four, five, six, +seven, eight, nine, ten—<span style='font-variant: small-caps'>STILL POND</span>.” +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_73' name='page_73'></a>73</span></p> +<p>As she said the numbers off, the children +began scampering to a place to safety. All +but Mary Jane. She wasn’t used to playing +on the slippery, slidy sand. And +though she started off just as big as anybody, +she slipped and stumbled and hadn’t more +than got to her feet when the words, “Still +pond!” were called. And after that she +couldn’t move but just to use the steps, +jumps, hops and roll Frances had given +them.</p> +<p>To make matters even more exciting, +Frances started off exactly in her direction.</p> +<p>But Mary Jane hadn’t played “Still +Pond” in her own yard for nothing. Perhaps +she hadn’t learned to run on slippery +sand as yet, but she did know how to play +that game. Instead of trying to quietly +take her twenty steps in an effort to get out +of Frances’ way, she took two quick steps, +dropped down on the sand, gave one little +roll, and—was safely hidden under one of +the picnic benches they had used for supper!</p> +<p>Frances passed so close Mary Jane could +have touched her. Other folks were chased +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_74' name='page_74'></a>74</span> +and found, but Mary Jane’s hiding place +was undiscovered. Of course when she +rolled in under the bench, Mary Jane had +expected to roll right out again when somebody +else was caught. But when she found +that they couldn’t see her; that they went +right around close at hand, talking about her +and wondering where she was and all that, +she thought it was such a good joke that she +lay very still and watched.</p> +<p>She heard them asking each other where +she was seen last; she heard her father say +she couldn’t be so very far away; and she +saw them all start off in search of herself. +Then, just the minute their backs were +turned but before they had had time to be +really frightened, she slipped out from under +her seat, stood up close by the dying fire +and shouted, “Here I am, can’t you see me?”</p> +<p>They thought it a very good joke she had +played and Mary Jane was sure she would +always remember that the best hiding place +is often the nearest one.</p> +<p>“Time to go home,” said Mr. Holden, +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_75' name='page_75'></a>75</span> +looking at his watch, “the fire’s most out and +the party’s over.”</p> +<p>“But there’ll be another one, won’t +there?” begged Mary Jane.</p> +<p>“Let’s have it next week,” said Betty.</p> +<p>The boys loaded up the empty baskets on +their wagon—not much of a load going +home! Mr. Merrill raked out the fire so no +harm would come to anything; Mr. Holden +gathered the children together and started +the line of march. It was a happy little +crowd that wandered homeward and they all +agreed with Mary Jane when she said, +“Well, anyway, I think a beach party’s the +mostest fun I know. It’s more fun than +moving!”</p> +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='MARY_JANE_GOES_SHOPPING' id='MARY_JANE_GOES_SHOPPING'></a> +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_76' name='page_76'></a>76</span> +<h2>MARY JANE GOES SHOPPING</h2> +</div> + +<p>The days after the beach party seemed +to fly past on wings. First it was a +Monday and then, before a person could do +half the nice things planned, Saturday was +coming ’round again and Alice was home +all day from school and fun for the four +Merrills could be planned. Mrs. Merrill +and Mary Jane took to doing all their “Saturday +marketing” on Friday afternoon so +they could have more time on Saturday for +trips and sight-seeing and all the lovely +things folks like to do when they’ve just +moved to a big city.</p> +<p>One Saturday morning, not so very long +after the beach party, dawned—not bright +and warm and sunny as Mary Jane had +hoped it surely would—but rainy and cold +and windy as some May mornings are sure to +be in Chicago. A cold northeast wind raced +across the city and folks had blue noses and +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_77' name='page_77'></a>77</span> +shivery finger tips and not a single thing to +be seen looked like spring.</p> +<p>“Now just look at it!” exclaimed Mary +Jane as she stared out of the living-room +window, “and we were going to take a trip +through the parks and I was going to wear +my new hat and everything. And look!”</p> +<p>“And we can’t go to the parks again for +another whole week!” bemoaned Alice, +“’cause there’s school!”</p> +<p>“Just look!” exclaimed Mary Jane again +as a hard gust of wind tossed the rain against +the winds exactly as though Mr. Rain was +saying to Mary Jane, “Thought you’d go +out, did you? Well, look what I’m doing!”</p> +<p>“You girls talk as though parks were the +only things to see in Chicago,” said Mrs. +Merrill as pleasantly and comfortably as +though there was no such thing as a disappointment +in the world.</p> +<p>Alice and Mary Jane turned away from +the window quickly. Something in their +mother’s tone of voice made them suspect +that the day wasn’t to be a disappointment +after all. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_78' name='page_78'></a>78</span></p> +<p>“It’s funny to me,” continued Mrs. Merrill +in a matter of fact voice, “that you folks +haven’t asked to go to the big stores—wouldn’t +you like to?”</p> +<p>“Like to!” exclaimed Alice.</p> +<p>“Would we?” cried Mary Jane. “But +we didn’t think about it!”</p> +<p>“Then we’ll think about it now,” replied +Mrs. Merrill. “If you can hold an umbrella +down tight over your head so as not +to get your hat wet, I think we could manage +to get to the train without getting soaked. +And once down at the store, we could check +our wet umbrellas and shop and sight-see +through the stores all we wished to without a +bit of hurry.”</p> +<p>“Oh, may we really go?” asked Alice.</p> +<p>“Well,” answered Mrs. Merrill, pretending +to hesitate, “if you <i>really</i> care to—”</p> +<p>That settled it and there was no more time +wasted talking about weather <i>that</i> morning. +Dishes were washed and beds were made +and dusting was done so quickly that the +little flat must have been quite surprised and +pleased with itself—it got put into rights so +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_79' name='page_79'></a>79</span> +very quickly. Then Mary Jane got her +hair fixed nicely and a pretty hair bow put +on—the bow wouldn’t show very much under +the new hat, but even that little had to +be just right—and then, while mother fixed +her own and Alice’s hair, she put on a pretty +dress—not a party dress, of course, but a +nice, pretty, dark dress. Then they all put +on rubbers and raincoats and locked up the +doors and took their umbrellas and started +for the train.</p> +<p>Going down town on the train was fun. +In the city where Mary Jane lived before, +one could walk down town. Or if one +really wanted to ride, a street car hustled +one to the stores in about five minutes. But +in Chicago, so she discovered, she had to +have a ticket and go through a gate, and up +stairs and onto a platform and aboard a train +and everything just as though one intended +to go away, far off. The girls both liked to +ride down town. To be sure they couldn’t +see much of the lake, even though they did +ride right along beside it, because the rain +made it all look dim and gray and foggy. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_80' name='page_80'></a>80</span> +But they knew the lake was there; they could +see the spray the waves made and once in a +while they could hear the noise of splashing +water above the roar of the train. All too +soon, for there was so much to see, the train +pulled into their station and the conductor +shouted, “Randolph Street! Everybody +out! Far’s we go!” And all the folks +aboard got their umbrellas ready and went +out into the rain.</p> +<p>Fortunately it was only a very little way +from the station to the big store where Mrs. +Merrill took the girls, so they didn’t have a +chance to get tired or very wet. And as +soon as they got indoors, Mrs. Merrill found +a checking place and they left wet umbrellas +and wet raincoats and wet rubbers and +started out for fun.</p> +<p>“I think that’s awfully convenient—just +to leave things that way,” said Alice as she +settled her collars and cuffs and made sure +she was tidy, “and of course we’ll get them +back safely?” This checking system was +new to her and she wanted to be assured it +was all right. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_81' name='page_81'></a>81</span></p> +<p>“To be sure we will,” said Mrs. Merrill. +“See? I have the checks for them.”</p> +<p>“Well, then,” said Mary Jane, “let’s +begin.”</p> +<p>“Yes,” said Alice, “let’s. And let’s see +<i>everything</i>!”</p> +<p>“All right,” laughed Mrs. Merrill; “shall +we take an elevator first?”</p> +<p>“Oh, no,” answered Alice, “’cause then +we’d miss the first floor.”</p> +<p>So they “did” the first floor, seeing all the +handkerchiefs and jewelry and bags and +fans and pretty decorations and ribbons—Alice +could hardly leave those lovely ribbons—and +neckwear—Mary Jane saw five +different neckties she needed—and so many +things.</p> +<p>“Do they have anything left for the second +floor?” asked Mary Jane when they +finally got around to where they had started.</p> +<p>“You just see,” said Mrs. Merrill.</p> +<p>And sure enough there were plenty of +things on the second floor, pretty dishes and +lamps and so many things that, really, Mary +Jane almost got tired looking at them all. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_82' name='page_82'></a>82</span></p> +<p>By the time they got ready for the third +floor, Mary Jane was wondering if there +were any seats in that store. Not seats +where you sit down to buy things, but really +seats where you just sit down whether you +buy anything or not. And sure enough +there were just those seats. Nice, big +comfy ones, that appeared to be made for +Mary Janes who went a-shopping and +wanted to sit down. The Merrills sat down +on a big couch and Mary Jane leaned back +ready to rest when—who should she see +right in front of her but Frances Westland! +The girl she met at grandmother’s house +nearly a year ago.</p> +<p>In a jiffy Mary Jane forgot all about +wanting to sit down. She slid down from +the comfortable couch, dashed after Frances, +who, not guessing that a friend was so near, +was hurrying by, and brought her back to +meet mother and Alice.</p> +<p>Then they all sat down for a visit.</p> +<p>“No, I’m not living here,” said Frances in +answer to Mrs. Merrill’s question, “I’ve +been spending the spring with my auntie +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_83' name='page_83'></a>83</span> +and going to school here. But just as soon +as school is out I’m going back home. +Mother needs me.”</p> +<p>“I don’t doubt it,” replied Mrs. Merrill, +who was much pleased with the little girl, +“I’m sure your mother misses you greatly. +But where are you living and can’t we see +you before you go and can’t you take lunch +with us to-day?”</p> +<p>It seemed that Frances’s auntie lived in +the same part of the city the Merrills lived +in and there was every reason to believe that +the girls might see each other at least once or +twice in the little time left of the school +year.</p> +<p>“But I don’t believe I can eat lunch with +you,” added Frances, “’cause auntie and I +have to hurry home.” So with a promise to +come to see them soon at the address Mrs. +Merrill wrote out on her card for Frances, +the friends said good-by.</p> +<p>“I’ll declare!” exclaimed Mrs. Merrill, +looking at her watch after Frances left them. +“It’s almost twelve o’clock already! And +we were to meet father at one. If you girls +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_84' name='page_84'></a>84</span> +want to see anything of the toys and dolls +and playrooms, we’d better not be sitting +around here any longer.”</p> +<p>Of course the girls did want to see the +toys and dolls and everything. When they +got to the fourth floor where all the children’s +things were kept, they were sorry they +had spent even a minute any place else. +For all the lovely dolls and marvelous toys +and enticing games and beautiful pictures +and fascinating puzzles made a person think +that Santa Claus’s shop and fairyland and +magic were all mixed up together and set +down in one place. The girls looked and +looked and looked. They “oh-ed” and +“ah-ed” and exclaimed till they couldn’t +think of anything more to say—and then +they kept right on looking just the same.</p> +<p>Mary Jane picked out the doll coat she +wanted Georgiannamore to have and Alice +selected a lovely desk. They agreed upon +a set of dishes and upon charming furniture +for their balcony—just the right size too.</p> +<p>“And we’ll pretend we’ll buy it all, +mother,” said Mary Jane, who knew perfectly +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_85' name='page_85'></a>85</span> +well she couldn’t buy all the things +she talked about getting, “and we’ll pretend +we’ll have it all sent up, that’ll be such fun.”</p> +<p>So they pretended and looked and looked +and pretended till they had been over most +all that part of the store.</p> +<p>“Now then,” said Mrs. Merrill, “if we’re +to meet Dadah for lunch—”</p> +<p>“Oh, goody!” cried Alice, “are we to meet +him here?”</p> +<p>“Not here,” said Mrs. Merrill, “but in +this store in the lunch room and in ten minutes. +So we’d better wash our hands and go +to the lunch room floor.”</p> +<p>Mr. Merrill was waiting for them and had +a table engaged close by a charming fountain +(“Just think of a fountain in a house!” +exclaimed Mary Jane when she spied it) and +all the time Mary Jane sat there eating, she +could look right over and watch the fishes +and she could hear the splash of the water.</p> +<p>But Mary Jane wasn’t thinking of fishes +or water just then. She was hungry. And +the things her father read to her sounded so +good—oh, dear, but they did sound good! +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_86' name='page_86'></a>86</span> +She and Alice had a dreadfully hard time +deciding just what did sound the best. But +Alice finally decided on stuffed chicken legs +(she hadn’t an idea what they were but they +sounded good) and potato salad and strawberry +parfait. And Mary Jane chose +chicken pie—a whole one all her own—and +hashed brown potatoes and orange sherbet.</p> +<p>While the lunch was being fixed, Mr. +Merrill took Mary Jane over to the window +so she could look down, down, way down, to +the street below, where the folks appeared +so little and upside down and where the +automobiles looked like the ones they had +just seen in the toy department.</p> +<p>When the lunch came, it proved to be just +as good as the menu promised it would be +and the girls enjoyed every bite. Mary +Jane was afraid for a minute that she had +made a mistake. For Alice’s parfait came +in a tall glass, with a long spoon that made +the girls think of the story of the fox and +the goose and the banquet, and Mary Jane +was sure nothing she had ordered could be +as nice as parfait. But when the maid set +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_87' name='page_87'></a>87</span> +the orange sherbet at her place, Mary Jane +was quite satisfied, for the ice was set in a +real orange, all cut out in dainty scallops +and trimmed with green.</p> +<p>“Yummy-um!” she whispered, happily. +“I’m so glad you had this party, Dadah!”</p> +<p>Dadah seemed to want everything to be +all right, for he had added to their order +some little cakes, done up in frilly papers +and unlike anything the girls had ever seen. +They almost hated to eat them, they were so +pretty, but cakes one cannot eat are not good +for much, Mr. Merrill reminded them, and +so the cakes were eaten up.</p> +<p>“Now then,” said Mary Jane, as she dabbled +her fingers in the finger bowl and ate up +the candy she found at the side of the tiny +tray, “what do we do next?”</p> +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='THE_BUS_RIDE' id='THE_BUS_RIDE'></a> +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_88' name='page_88'></a>88</span> +<h2>THE BUS RIDE</h2> +</div> + +<p>“What do we do next?” asked Mr. +Merrill, repeating Mary Jane’s +question. “I’m sure of this much—we must +do something <i>very</i> nice because it’s such a +nice day.”</p> +<p>“<i>Nice day</i>!” exclaimed Alice. “What in +the world are you talking about, Dadah? +This is the worst weather we’ve had since we +came to Chicago—but we don’t care ’cause +we’re having such a good time anyway.”</p> +<p>Mr. Merrill laughed and replied, “Suppose +you look out of the window.”</p> +<p>So they left their cozy table, where nothing +but empty dishes told the story of their +delightful lunch party, and wandered over +to the window where Mary Jane had looked +down at the street not much over an hour +before. But what a difference! With a +sudden, unexpected shift of wind that only +the Chicago weather man knows how to +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_89' name='page_89'></a>89</span> +bring about, the stiff, cold northeaster that +had brought the cold rain of the morning had +been sent off and in its place a warm breeze +from the south blew softly across the city, +bringing with it sunshine and warmth and +pleasantness for all.</p> +<p>“Why—” exclaimed Mary Jane, much +puzzled, “where’s the rain?”</p> +<p>“Did you want it back?” laughed Mrs. +Merrill, and then she explained to the girls +something about the effect the big lake +might have on weather and told them that +one of the queer things about Chicago was +its sudden changes to good, or sometimes +bad, weather.</p> +<p>“So I was wondering,” said Mr. Merrill, +“if you folks wouldn’t like an hour of fresh +air and then, if you’re not through shopping +we can come back to the stores.”</p> +<p>The girls hadn’t an idea what he might +want to do, but they were pretty sure it +would be fun. So they agreed that an hour +out of doors was just what they most wanted +and they went down to get wraps from the +check room. They left the umbrellas till +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_90' name='page_90'></a>90</span> +later, put on their wraps and left the store.</p> +<p>“Now then,” said Mr. Merrill, “see that +big bus down there—we’re going for a ride +on the top.”</p> +<p>“What’s a bus?” asked Mary Jane, who +had never heard the word before. But before +her father could answer they were +pushed into the crowd at the crossing, hurried +across and the next second Mr. Merrill +had hailed a great, lumbering, top-heavy +automobile and was helping the girls to step +aboard.</p> +<p>The “bus” proved to be a large-sized passenger +automobile, with a deck on top for +passengers who wished to ride in the open +air. Mary Jane and Alice were thrilled +with the fun of getting on it. It seemed +exactly like going aboard a house-boat on +wheels. They stepped into a little hallway +and then—and this wasn’t so easy because +the bus immediately began to move—they +climbed up a curving flight of stairs and +walked down an aisle—an awfully wiggly +aisle it was too!—to seats on the very front +row. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_91' name='page_91'></a>91</span></p> +<p>Then, before they had had a chance to +look around or feel at home, the conductor, +who stood at the back, shouted, “Low +bridge!” and everybody ducked their heads +while the great bus went under the elevated +railroad. Mary Jane felt, truly, as though +she must be a person in a story book—Arabian +Nights or something marvelous—because +surely the things that were happening +to her weren’t <i>really</i> happening.</p> +<p>But after the elevated was passed, the bus +rolled out onto Michigan Boulevard and +Mary Jane settled herself comfortably in +her front seat with her mother, smiled across +the aisle to Alice and her father and began +to feel really at home in her high perch. +By the time the bus had turned northward +and crossed the river, she began to +feel that riding on the top of a bus was the +thing she’d been wanting to do all her life. +It was such fun to sit up high and watch the +lake, so blue and beautiful in the sunshine, +the trees just getting a tinge of green at the +tips, the pretty houses that lined the parkway, +the people—it seemed as everybody in +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_92' name='page_92'></a>92</span> +Chicago must be out in their ’tother best +clothes—and most of all, it was fun to watch +the automobiles dart in and out of the crowd, +around the bus and beside it, till Mary Jane +was sure their driver must be some wonderful +being to be able to manage so that everybody +stayed alive!</p> +<p>“Here, Mary Jane,” said Mr. Merrill, interrupting +Mary Jane’s sight-seeing, “don’t +you want to pay your fare—Alice is paying +ours.” He slipped two dimes into her hand +just as the conductor stepped to the front of +the bus. Mary Jane wasn’t quite sure what +she was to do with the dimes till she noticed +that the conductor had in his hand a queer-looking +thing like a clock, only it had a hole +in the top just the right size for a dime. +Into that hole Mary Jane dropped a dime. +And—“ding<i>ding</i>!” went a musical little +bell somewhere in the “clock.” Then she +dropped the other dime. And again the bell +sounded, “ding<i>ding</i>!” just as though it tried +to say “Thank <i>you</i>!” that way. Alice then +dropped her two dimes and Mary Jane had +the fun of hearing the bell again. She +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_93' name='page_93'></a>93</span> +thought she wouldn’t do a thing but watch +the conductor and listen to his bell all the +time he collected fares, but just as he +stepped back to get the next folks’ money +the bus passed in front of the queer old stone +building with great tower that Mr. Merrill +said was the city water works building, and +of course that meant the girls wanted to hear +about when it was built and hear again the +story Mr. Merrill had started to tell them +several evenings before about how the great +Chicago fire started and how it burned up to +this very spot they were now passing. +Somehow, being at that place and seeing the +one building that stood through the fire +made the history stories seem very plain and +there were a lot of questions to be asked +and answered.</p> +<p>But buses don’t wait for questions—the +girls soon discovered that! Long before the +fire story was told they had raced up Lake +Shore Drive, passed its beautiful old homes, +and were turning into Lincoln Park. Here +it seemed to the girls that the city +ended and fairyland began. The grass +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_94' name='page_94'></a>94</span> +seemed greener, the lake bluer and the trees +greener than any place they had seen; and +hundreds of tulips peeping up through the +ground here, there and everywhere, made +spots of bright vivid color and beauty.</p> +<p>“Oh!” exclaimed Mary Jane happily, “I +hope the bus goes on and on forever! +I’d like to keep on riding all the time!”</p> +<p>But when, a minute or two later, they +passed near the buildings of the Zoo, Mary +Jane forgot all about wanting to ride forever +and wanted to get out, right away quick +and see all the animals she had heard lived +there.</p> +<p>“Not to-day,” said Mr. Merrill, looking +at his watch. “You remember we are to go +back to the stores—we’re just out for a bit of +fresh air this time. Some other day when +it’s still warmer so we can get our dinner +here, then we’ll come and visit the Zoo. +But to-day I want to get back to the stores +before they close.”</p> +<p>“Of course,” added Alice, “for our umbrellas.”</p> +<p>“Of course for something else too,” +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_95' name='page_95'></a>95</span> +laughed her father, and though both girls +were very curious, not another word would +he say.</p> +<p>So they stayed on the bus and rode clear +through the park, and up Sheridan Road a +long way till the bus turned around at a corner +and the conductor shouted, “Far’s we +go!”</p> +<p>But the Merrills didn’t get off. They +wanted to keep those good front seats so they +sat still and in about two minutes the bus +started south and whirled them through the +park and past all the same interesting +sights on the way cityward. This time, +Mary Jane felt very much at home in her +high-up perch. She dropped in the dimes +her father gave her, eyed the passing autos +without a bit of fear and looked down on all +the children she saw walking and playing +quite as though she had lived in a city and +ridden in busses all her young life.</p> +<p>It was a very reluctant pair of young +ladies that Mr. Merrill assisted to the sidewalk +when the big stores and “time to get +off” were reached. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_96' name='page_96'></a>96</span></p> +<p>“But what was it besides umbrellas you +wanted to get?” asked Mary Jane, suddenly +remembering.</p> +<p>“Well,” said Mr. Merrill, “I haven’t been +through the toy department with anybody. +And I have a calendar.”</p> +<p>The girls looked puzzled. What had the +toy department to do with a calendar? +They couldn’t guess. Even Mrs. Merrill +looked puzzled.</p> +<p>“Of course if you don’t intend to have +birthdays since we’ve moved—” said Mr. +Merrill teasingly. And then everybody +knew! To be sure! It was almost time for +Mary Jane’s birthday—almost a year, it +was, since the lovely birthday party when +the little girl was five years old—and in the +excitement of moving and getting settled +and seeing new sights, even the little lady +herself had forgotten how near the day was +at hand.</p> +<p>“It’s mine!” exclaimed Mary Jane happily, +“and I’ll be six! Come on, quick, +Dadah! and I’ll show you perzactly what I +want.” When Mary Jane got excited she +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_97' name='page_97'></a>97</span> +sometimes got words a little mixed, but her +father knew well enough just what she +meant. She grabbed hold of his hand, +called to her mother and Alice to come on +with them and away they went toward the +elevator that quickly took them to the toy +section.</p> +<p>Going through that department the second +time was even more fun than the first +trip, because now father was along to +see things and to explain mechanical toys. +And also because there was the fun of picking +out the thing she wanted to wish for, for +her birthday. That last was a very serious +matter, as every little girl knows.</p> +<p>They looked at dolls—but not a doll was +as lovely as Georgiannamore, at least that +was Mary Jane’s opinion—and then they +looked at furniture and at dishes and toys +and games and clothes for dolls and, well, +at every single thing in that whole big department. +After everything had been considered +and looked at and thought about, +and it was about time for the big warning +bell to ring and tell folks that in ten minutes +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_98' name='page_98'></a>98</span> +the store would close and everybody’d have +to get out, then and not until then, Mary +Jane decided that the thing she wanted most +of all was a doll cart. A beautiful little +ivory enameled doll cart made just exactly +like the one that Junior’s little brother had +back at their old home. A cart with a top +that moved back and forth just like a real +baby cart and that had cushions and tires and +everything that a really truly mother is particular +to want for her baby.</p> +<p>“Yes,” said Mary Jane, as she looked +around the store with a rather tired sigh, “I +think that’s the thing I want the most and +I’m going to wish for it, Dadah.”</p> +<p>“Sounds easily settled,” laughed her father, +“but do you know what time it is?”</p> +<p>Before she could answer, the warning bell +rang and clerks began to cover up counters +and to straighten up the store for its Sunday +rest. So the Merrills four hurried down to +get umbrellas and to go home.</p> +<p>On the train going home Mary Jane was +so tired looking at things that she didn’t +care a bit about looking any more. She +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_99' name='page_99'></a>99</span> +watched the lake some, but mostly she simply +settled back in her little corner behind the +door and just sat. Thoughts of all the wonderful +things she had seen that day raced +through her mind—the lunch, the ride, the +lake, the park—but most of all, that wonderful +doll cart, and she couldn’t help wondering +(and of course hoping) if she really truly +would, <i>possibly</i>, get that lovely gift for her +birthday.</p> +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='THE_BIRTHDAY_LUNCHEON' id='THE_BIRTHDAY_LUNCHEON'></a> +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_100' name='page_100'></a>100</span> +<h2>THE BIRTHDAY LUNCHEON</h2> +</div> + +<p>As soon as they got home that evening, +and had dinner and rested up a bit, +Mary Jane hunted up a calendar so she +could find out about her birthday. And she +discovered that two weeks from that same +day was “her” day.</p> +<p>“It’s Saturday, so you can do something +too!” she said to Alice. “Now, Mother, +let’s plan.”</p> +<p>So they talked over all the nice things a +person <i>might</i> do for a birthday, but long before +they could decide which was the very +nicest of all the plans, bedtime came. Then +the next morning there were interesting +things to do, and nobody thought about +plans for a day that was two weeks away. +That is, nobody but Mary Jane thought +about it, and, if the truth must be told, she +thought more about the doll cart she had +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_101' name='page_101'></a>101</span> +wished for than she did about what she might +do to celebrate.</p> +<p>Monday noon, when Alice came home for +her luncheon, she was much excited.</p> +<p>“Who do you s’pose I saw at recess this +morning?” she demanded. “Guess!”</p> +<p>But Mrs. Merrill and Mary Jane couldn’t +guess—they didn’t know anybody in Chicago +to guess! Or at least they thought +they didn’t.</p> +<p>“I saw—” began Alice slowly, for she +wanted the fun of keeping them waiting to +last as long as possible, “I saw—Frances +Westland! And she goes to my school!”</p> +<p>“Why in the world didn’t we know that?” +said Mrs. Merrill. “We should have +guessed! Of course she goes to your school. +I remember of thinking she wasn’t very far +from us.”</p> +<p>“Can’t we have her come to see us?” asked +Mary Jane eagerly.</p> +<p>“I already asked her if she couldn’t come,” +explained Alice, “because I knew you’d want +me to, and she says she’s sure she can. But +she can’t come next Saturday because she +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_102' name='page_102'></a>102</span> +and her auntie are going to Milwaukee to +spend the week-end. But she thought she +could come the next Saturday.”</p> +<p>“And that’s my birthday,” Mary Jane reminded +her.</p> +<p>“I know it,” agreed Alice, “but I didn’t +tell her. I just said I’d find out what we +were doing that day and let her know this +afternoon—was that all right, Mother?”</p> +<p>“You did exactly right, dear,” said Mrs. +Merrill reassuringly. “Come right out to +the dining-room now, because your soup is +ready and you mustn’t hurry yourself too +much with your lunch. While we eat, we’ll +plan for the birthday.”</p> +<p>Of course there were many plans to be +talked of, because in a big city there are so +many kinds of things one may do. And it +was awfully hard to decide which plan was +the very most fun—you know how that is +yourself. But after every plan that any of +the three could think of had been discussed +carefully, Mary Jane decided that there +were two things she wanted the most to do. +First, she wanted to stay home to celebrate +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_103' name='page_103'></a>103</span> +and have a party and all that; and, second, +she wanted to go down town and go to a big +grown-up theater where there was music and +lights and pretty things just like grown +folks see up town. And for her part she +admitted that she didn’t see how a person +possibly, even on a birthday, could do those +two conflicting things.</p> +<p>“Pooh!” laughed Mrs. Merrill, “that’s +easy! I was telling Dad the other night +that inasmuch as this was the first birthday +in the city and on Saturday and everything—so +convenient for us all—we’d better do +those very two things.”</p> +<p>“But how’ll we do it, Mother?” asked +Alice. “We can’t stay home for a party +while we’re down town at the theater!”</p> +<p>“To be sure, we can’t,” agreed Mrs. Merrill. +“But we can stay home for a party +<i>before</i> we go down town for a show. And +that’s just what we’re going to do. You +hurry off to school now, dear, because it’s +ten of one. And next time you see Frances +Westland, you invite her to come here for +twelve o’clock luncheon a week from next +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_104' name='page_104'></a>104</span> +Saturday. Be sure to tell her it’s an all-afternoon +party, so she can stay long enough to +go down town with us.”</p> +<p>“And who else’ll we have?” asked Mary +Jane, when Alice had gone. “It wouldn’t +be a party with one person.”</p> +<p>“Of course not,” said her mother. +“There are going to be three folks. After +school this very day you are going to invite +Frances and Betty Holden—that’ll make it +almost a ‘Frances’ party, won’t it? We’ll +ask them right away, even though a week +from Saturday is a long time off, because +Dadah will want to get the tickets and we +will all want to make our plans.”</p> +<p>A week and five days seem a very long +time, when you have to wait for them. But +Mary Jane found that, after all, they went +quicker than she had thought they could, because +there was so much to do. First she +had to decide what she wanted to have to +eat at the luncheon. After much thought +and consultation the menu was made out +and tacked up on the kitchen cabinet for future +reference. Mary Jane printed it out +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_105' name='page_105'></a>105</span> +all by herself and the letters were big and +plain and could be easily read by any cook—especially +Mother. It said:</p> +<table summary='poetry' style='margin:0 auto'><tr><td> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>CHICKEN BALLS</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>HOT ROLLS</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>FRUIT SALAD WITH WHIPPED CREAM</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>ICE CREAM CAKE</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>HASHED BROWN POTATOES</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>JELLY</p> +</td></tr></table> + +<p>Chicken balls really meant chicken croquettes, +but croquettes proved to be such a +big and puzzling word that Mary Jane decided +she would say balls and Mrs. Merrill +agreed to take a verbal order for the croquette +part of the luncheon.</p> +<p>When the food was planned for, Mary +Jane began to talk about the decorations. +It was soon found that to be really pretty, +the table trimmings would have to be made +by the hostess herself, so Mary Jane set to +work. From the advertising sections of +magazines she cut letters about an inch high. +Letters enough to spell everybody’s first +name and last initial. She had to have the +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_106' name='page_106'></a>106</span> +last initial because two of her guests had +the same first name. These she sorted very +carefully and put in envelopes; one envelope +for each person and just the right letters +in that envelope for the person’s name. +Then, she planned, when the luncheon was +all ready, she would put the letters in little +piles in front of each person’s place and let +them puzzle out the names before they sat +down.</p> +<p>Mrs. Merrill promised to have a basket of +flowers, spring flowers that Mary Jane loved +so very much, in the center of the table. +And Mary Jane planned to make a procession +of girls and boys all around the basket. +These she cut out of magazines too and she +chose girls and boys who were doing all the +things that she herself liked to do.</p> +<p>With all these things, besides regular +duties and fun, to keep her busy, Mary Jane +didn’t really have a chance to think her +birthday was a long time coming. First +thing <i>she</i> knew it was Friday night and the +birthday was the very next morning!</p> +<p>On Saturday morning, she waked up +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_107' name='page_107'></a>107</span> +knowing something nice was going to happen. +Then, before her eyes were really +open, she felt herself getting mother’s birthday +kisses and, before those were all delivered, +Alice’s birthday spats—six good big +lively ones!</p> +<p>“Never you mind, Alice,” she promised, +“just wait till it’s <i>your</i> birthday and you’ll +get some of the hardest—”</p> +<p>“Don’t stop for promises,” said Mr. Merrill, +coming in to deliver his spats too, “what +I want is breakfast and for the life of me, <i>I</i> +can’t get into that dining-room.”</p> +<p>“<i>Oh!</i>” cried Mary Jane rapturously, “I’ll +be right out!”</p> +<p>“Not till you get dressed, you know,” +Alice reminded her, “so do hurry!” For it +was one of the rules of the Merrill household +that birthdays and Christmases didn’t +really begin till folks were dressed. So +Mary Jane scrabbled into her clothes and +gave her face and hands about the most +hurry-up washing they had ever had and +then rushed out to the dining-room.</p> +<p>And there, standing right by her chair, was +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_108' name='page_108'></a>108</span> +the—yes, really—the very doll cart she had +picked out! She was so happy that for a +minute she couldn’t speak, she just stared. +The next minute she was down on her knees +with her arms around the whole cart—or at +least as much of the cart as two six-year-old +arms could get around—and she was counting +over all the wonderful virtues of her +gift. It surely was a cart to make any little +girl proud and when Mary Jane saw her own +Georgiannamore, wearing a lovely new coat +(Mrs. Merrill’s gift), and a pair of really +truly gloves (from Alice), and sitting up as +big as life in the cart, she thought the happiest +day of her life had come.</p> +<p>After breakfast the morning raced by on +wings. Of course Mary Jane had to show +the cart and doll’s clothes to Betty and they +had to walk around the block to give the doll +an airing. Then, just as they got back to +Mary Jane’s apartment, the postman came +with a box from grandpa and grandma. +Betty was invited up for the fun of opening +it and she was glad to come both for the fun +and for the big pieces of grandmother’s +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_109' name='page_109'></a>109</span> +candy that she got when the box was opened. +Then there was the table to set and the puzzle +letters to put around and everybody to +dress in their best—that’s a good deal for +one morning. No wonder it seemed to be +an unusually short one.</p> +<p>At the very last minute, Mary Jane with +her new white dress and pink ribbons all +just as they should be, went in to the kitchen +to see if she could help. And at that very +minute a neighbor came in to get Mrs. Merrill’s +advice about an important matter.</p> +<p>“Everything’s ready now,” said Mrs. +Merrill, as she left the kitchen. “Only, I +believe, Mary Jane, it would be a good idea +for you to put that whipped cream into the +ice box. We won’t make the salad till they +get here and I want to keep it stiff and cold.”</p> +<p>Now, Mary Jane had put things in the ice +box many a time. Big things and little +things and spilly things and all, and there +was no reason in the world why she couldn’t +do it all right. No reason, except— Just +as she picked up the bowl of cream, the door +bell rang a long, loud peal that she was sure +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_110' name='page_110'></a>110</span> +must be her three guests coming all at once, +so she hurried and the cream jiggled in the +bowl, and slid over the edge—and all down +the front of her best new dress!</p> +<p>Fortunately Alice came into the kitchen +just then, in time to see the accident, and +to notice two big tears which popped into +Mary Jane’s eyes and threatened to spill +down her cheeks.</p> +<p>“Pooh!” she exclaimed comfortably, +“don’t you worry about a little thing like +that, Mary Jane,” and she made a grab for +the bowl, rescued some of the cream and set +it in the ice box. “I’ll have you fixed up so +soon that you won’t know anything happened.”</p> +<p>“But it’s all down my dress,” said Mary +Jane, trying her very best not to cry.</p> +<div class='figcenter'> +<a name='linki_3' id='linki_3'></a> +<img src='images/maryj-111.jpg' alt='' title='' style='width: 327px; height: 459px;' /><br /> +<p class='caption' style='margin: 0 auto; text-align:center;width: 327px;'> +“But it’s all down my dress,” said Mary Jane, trying her<br /> +very best not to cry <i>Page 111</i><br /> +</p> +</div> + +<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_113' name='page_113'></a>113</span></div> +<p>“Oh, well,” replied Alice, nothing +daunted, “it’s not going to stay there long.” +She took a clean cloth, dampened it with +cold water and, with quick little dabs, +scrubbed the cream all off the front of the +birthday dress. Then she took a fresh cloth, +and more cold water and, putting a big, clean +towel under the front of the dress, scrubbed +again till every trace of the cream was gone. +Then she opened the oven door so the heat +would help dry the wetness and with a fresh +cloth rubbed and rubbed the wet place till it +was entirely dry.</p> +<p>“There now,” she said, as she shook the +dress into place, “I think the girls are here; +let’s go see.” And immediately the accident +that threatened to spoil Mary Jane’s +fun was forgotten.</p> +<p>Sure enough, the girls had come and the +party began at once.</p> +<p>The letter puzzles for place cards proved +to be lots of fun and filled in the time while +Mrs. Merrill brought in the plates of good +things to eat. Judging by the appetites +Mary Jane’s menu must have been a favorite +with everybody, for the goodies disappeared +by magic and Mrs. Merrill filled up plates +and passed rolls and brought in salad and +everything till she hardly had time to eat her +own luncheon.</p> +<p>The ice cream was a surprise even to Mary +Jane. On the plate was, first, a big, round +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_114' name='page_114'></a>114</span> +piece of cake; then, on top of that, was a slice +of ice cream, white, and on top of <i>that</i> a ball +of pink ice cream with a pink candle, +lighted, stuck in the top. They looked so +pretty and bright that the girls hated to blow +them out, but Mrs. Merrill said every one +was to make a wish and then blow and if the +candle went out on the first blow the wish +would come true.</p> +<p>Alice suddenly remembered that they were +to take a train at one-thirty and that it was +nearing one now, so the dessert was finished +in a hurry, wraps were hastily put on and the +whole party started for the train to meet Mr. +Merrill and have the rest of the fun.</p> +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='LOST_ONE_DOLL_CART' id='LOST_ONE_DOLL_CART'></a> +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_115' name='page_115'></a>115</span> +<h2>LOST—ONE DOLL CART</h2> +</div> + +<p>There was only one thing wrong +about the birthday celebration and +that was that the day was such a very busy, +happy one that there was very little time for +playing with the new doll cart. Of course +Mary Jane and Betty took their dolls out +for one airing in the morning soon after +breakfast. But what is one little airing +when one has a new cart? Nothing at all, +Mary Jane thought. All through the luncheon +and the ride down town and the play +father took them to, which proved to be just +the very most interesting kind of a play for +little girls to see, Mary Jane kept thinking +of her new cart and of the fun she would +have on Monday when there was a whole +day for Georgiannamore and the doll cart.</p> +<p>So when Monday morning actually came +Mary Jane lost no time getting up and doing +her share of the morning work. Mary +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_116' name='page_116'></a>116</span> +Jane was very particular about her morning +work. She didn’t want her mother to have +to do the things a six-year-old girl was +plenty big enough to do; and then, anyway, +she knew it was lots more fun to work when +two did the job than for one person to work +alone. She picked up all the papers, and +emptied the waste baskets, and cleaned the +bathroom washstand and the kitchen sink—she +liked those jobs the best because they +were so scrubby and grown-up and interesting—and +put out clean towels and dusted +the living-room. Of course this was after +the dishes were washed and put away; that +was a job with which Alice helped too, before +she started for school. So by the time +Mary Jane was ready to play Mrs. Merrill +was about through too, ready for sewing or +baking or whatever she had to do that day.</p> +<p>“I think I’d better help you take down +your cart,” suggested Mrs. Merrill, when the +last job was finished. “It’s not so easy for +one person to take that cart down from the +second floor. But it will be no trouble at +all for you to take one end and me to take +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_117' name='page_117'></a>117</span> +the other and carry it down together. Then +you can put Georgiannamore in it before you +start down and there’ll be no danger of +bouncing her out.”</p> +<p>“But how’ll I get back up, Mother?” +asked Mary Jane.</p> +<p>“Ring the bell three short taps and I’ll +come down to meet you,” answered Mrs. +Merrill. “Don’t try to bring it up alone; +it’s far too heavy.”</p> +<p>Mary Jane dressed Georgiannamore in +her very best dress, put on the new coat and +gloves, tucked her carefully into the cart so +she wouldn’t catch cold by being out for a +long walk, and then she and Mrs. Merrill +carried the cart, oh, so very carefully, down +stairs and out to the sidewalk.</p> +<p>Fortunately, that May morning was +bright and sunny; the breeze blew warm +from the southland instead of cold and blustery +from the lake, and it was the very +best kind of a morning possible for being out +of doors. Mary Jane walked around the +block, starting toward the lake, then she +went around the block the other way, and of +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_118' name='page_118'></a>118</span> +course she went rather slowly because there +was so much to see and to show Georgiannamore. +Bright colored crocuses were blooming +in all the yards where there were houses—and +in that particular neighborhood +there were many houses as well as apartments—tulips +were bursting up through the +ground and the lilac buds were swelling +their plump green sides nearly to the bursting +point.</p> +<p>On the third time around, Mary Jane +thought of school—to be sure, it couldn’t be +anywhere near time for school to be out, because +the morning hadn’t much more than +begun, but then it would be fun to go around +to the corner where the children crossed the +street to go to school. There were so many +automobiles whizzing around the streets +that a little girl even as old as six couldn’t +be allowed to cross streets without a grown +person or an older sister along.</p> +<p>She went around the block to the corner +where the children would come, after a +while, and there, just as she turned to start +back home, thinking she’d come here again +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_119' name='page_119'></a>119</span> +nearer noon, she heard a commotion. Looking +down the half block to the yard around +the school house she heard a bell peal out +and saw, yes, truly, crowds of children coming +out of school! And just as she was +about to look around to see if there was a +fire or a parade or anything special to cause +school to be dismissed early, she heard the +whistles blow for noon—the morning was +gone! That’s how time flies when a person +has a new doll cart!</p> +<p>Mary Jane waited at the corner till Alice +and Frances and Betty came along together +and they all four walked home.</p> +<p>“You shouldn’t bother to carry your cart +clear upstairs every time,” suggested Frances, +“when our front porch is so handy. +Just run the cart up on the porch, lock the +brake and it will be safe as can be till you +eat your lunch.”</p> +<p>Alice thought that was a good idea too, so +the cart was left there, locked with the +brake, and with the understanding that if +Mrs. Merrill didn’t approve, the girls would +come down and get it at once. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_120' name='page_120'></a>120</span></p> +<p>Lunch was ready and waiting, so the cart +stayed on the porch while the girls ate and +then Mary Jane walked back toward school +as far as she was allowed to go.</p> +<p>By the time Mary Jane got back in front +of her own apartment, Mrs. Merrill was +ready to go and do her marketing and errands +and of course Mary Jane and Georgiannamore +went along and had a beautiful +time—especially when they looked in the +windows and saw all the good things to eat. +Mary Jane had thought that she knew every +sort of good thing a person could possibly +want to eat, but she soon found out that she +didn’t. For in one of the windows they +passed she saw a tray of apples, covered with +something slick and brown and carrying in +their stem ends a small smooth stick like a +butcher’s skewer.</p> +<p>“What are they, Mother?” she exclaimed. +“Don’t they look <i>good</i>! And may we buy +some?”</p> +<p>Mrs. Merrill went inside the store and +Mary Jane, anxiously watching her mother +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_121' name='page_121'></a>121</span> +through the window, waited outside with the +doll and cart. She saw her mother speak to +the salesman, look at the apples and then, +oh, joy! saw him pick out four fine ones under +Mrs. Merrill’s direction and put them +in a paper bag.</p> +<p>“He says they are called Taffy Apples,” +explained Mrs. Merrill when she came out, +“and that all the girls and boys like them +very much. So I didn’t bother to consult +you,” she added with a twinkle in her eye. +“I bought some for you four girls to eat after +school—just on a chance that you might like +them.”</p> +<p>The bag was carefully tucked in under the +folds of Georgiannamore’s robe and the +walking and shopping were resumed, but all +the time, Mary Jane kept her eye on the +hump made by the bag of apples and kept +wishing that time for school to be out would +hurry up and come. Some good fairy must +have heard the wishes too, for the afternoon +hurried by almost as fast as the morning and +first thing Mary Jane knew they were all +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_122' name='page_122'></a>122</span> +through the errands and were going down +the street toward the school, ready to meet +Alice.</p> +<p>“Do you like ‘Taffy Apples’?” Mary Jane +asked Betty as soon as she came out of the +school yard.</p> +<p>“Like ’em—u-um!” replied Betty expressively.</p> +<p>“Well,” continued Mary Jane slowly, so +the surprise wouldn’t be over too soon, “I’ve +got one in there,” pointing to the cart.</p> +<p>Betty eyed the hump Mary Jane pointed +out and smiled knowingly.</p> +<p>“It looks like more than one,” she suggested +hopefully.</p> +<p>“It is more than one,” answered Mary +Jane delightedly; “it’s four—all for us.”</p> +<p>“Can we eat ’em now?” demanded Betty.</p> +<p>“Better wait till we get home,” suggested +Mrs. Merrill; “that won’t be more than five +minutes and then there won’t be any danger +of stumbling and running a stick into your +throats.”</p> +<p>The two little girls didn’t loiter much +after that. They skipped along briskly and +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_123' name='page_123'></a>123</span> +soon were ahead of Mrs. Merrill and Alice +and Frances.</p> +<p>“I’ll tell you what,” said Betty, as they +turned into her own yard, “let’s put the cart +up on the porch while I get my doll and then +when we get through eating our apples we’ll +be all ready to go walking.”</p> +<p>She picked up the front end and Mary +Jane took the handle end and they set the +cart up at the end of the porch and went into +the house. Fortunately Mary Jane took +Georgiannamore along with her into the +house; if she hadn’t—but then, that’s getting +ahead of the story.</p> +<p>The little girls had no more than gone inside +before Mrs. Merrill, Alice and Frances +turned the corner and strolled along toward +the Holden house.</p> +<p>“Funny where those girls have gone,” said +Frances, looking at the empty porch.</p> +<p>“They’ve hid our Taffy Apples somewhere, +I just know they have!” said Alice. +“Frances, we ought to be smart enough to +find them so quickly they won’t try teasing +again.” +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_124' name='page_124'></a>124</span></p> +<p>“I don’t believe they’ve hidden the apples,” +said Frances thoughtfully, “because +Betty would be so hungry she wouldn’t +bother with teasing till after she was +through eating. Maybe they’ve gone into +the house to get Betty’s doll and cart.”</p> +<p>“But why would they bother to take +Mary Jane’s cart indoors if Betty was just +going in for her doll?” asked Alice.</p> +<p>Before Frances or Mrs. Merrill could suggest +an answer, the two little girls themselves +came out of the front door, turned to +look at the porch and then stood there, as +though fastened to the floor—they were that +surprised.</p> +<p>“Why—why—” said Mary Jane, “I left +it right here!”</p> +<p>“Well, nobody ever stole anything before,” +said Betty. “Maybe the boys just +hid it!”</p> +<p>“No, they didn’t,” replied Frances, “because +they haven’t come home from school +yet. They stopped to see Jimmie’s new +chicken house and they won’t be home for +an hour.” +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_125' name='page_125'></a>125</span></p> +<p>“What’s the trouble?” asked Mrs. Holden, +who, hearing voices, came to the front +door to invite folks in for a visit.</p> +<p>“Trouble enough, Mother,” said Frances, +worriedly. “Mary Jane left her brand new +doll cart on our porch and it’s gone!”</p> +<p>“And we just went in to get my doll,” explained +Betty, getting very excited. “We +just went in a little minute and then we +were going to eat the taffy apples and now +they’re gone too—oh, dear!”</p> +<p>At that minute, yes, things really do happen +this way sometimes, who should go by +the house but the big friendly policeman +who always stood at the street corner nearest +the school to guard the children from swiftly +moving autos. Betty spied him and ran +down the walk to speak to him.</p> +<p>“So the cart’s gone, is it?” he said as he +and Betty came up toward the house. +“Well, if you’ll let me use your ’phone, I’ll +tell them down at the station just what kind +of a cart it is and maybe we can get a trace of +it—anyway, we can try.”</p> +<p>Mrs. Holden went indoors with him and +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_126' name='page_126'></a>126</span> +the others stood around on the porch hardly +knowing what to do. Losing her cart was +a real calamity to poor Mary Jane—she very +well knew that her father couldn’t afford to +get her another one and she had hard work, +awfully hard work, to keep back the tears +that came to her eyes and to swallow the +lump that filled her throat. She didn’t +want to be a crybaby, but—and the lump got +bigger and bigger—</p> +<p>Mrs. Merrill noticed that Mary Jane was +trying so very hard to be brave so she did +her best to help.</p> +<p>“Wasn’t it lucky that officer came by just +then!” she said cheerfully. “I can’t for the +life of me see why anybody would be mean +enough to steal a little girl’s doll cart and I +keep thinking we’ll find it somewhere. +Come on, Mary Jane, let’s sit down on this +settee here till Mrs. Holden comes out. +Then perhaps some of you girls will be good +enough to go up to the candy shop with me +and get some more taffy apples—I suppose +those went with the cart!”</p> +<p>Mary Jane stepped over toward her +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_127' name='page_127'></a>127</span> +mother, who had already seated herself on +the settee at the end of the porch. But before +she sat down she just happened to look +down toward the ground. The Holden +porch had no railing around the side and as +Mary Jane was always a little timid about +falling she kept a close watch on the end of +the porch every time she went near it. She +glanced down at the ground and then—her +face changed! The sorrowful look vanished +and smiles spread like sunshine over +her face.</p> +<p>“Look!” she exclaimed, as she pointed to +the ground. “Look there!”</p> +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='A_TRIP_TO_THE_ZOO' id='A_TRIP_TO_THE_ZOO'></a> +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_128' name='page_128'></a>128</span> +<h2>A TRIP TO THE ZOO</h2> +</div> + +<p>It wasn’t hard to guess what Mary Jane +had found; nothing but her precious doll +cart could have made her feel and look so +happy. They all ran to the end of the +porch, looked over the edge, and there, sure +enough, was the birthday cart all tumbled +down in a heap. Alice and Frances jumped +down, set it up straight and then, with Mrs. +Merrill’s help from above, lifted it up to the +porch just as the policeman and Mrs. Holden +came out of the house.</p> +<p>“Bless my soul!” exclaimed the officer. +“Another cart?”</p> +<p>“No, it’s mine!” cried Mary Jane happily. +She ran her hands over the hood, the body +part and then the wheels to make sure nothing +was broken. Everything seemed all +right, even the bag of taffy apples was still +tucked under the carriage robe that had come +loose but had not fallen clear out. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_129' name='page_129'></a>129</span></p> +<p>“Yours?” asked the officer. “But I +thought yours was lost!”</p> +<p>“It was,” admitted Mary Jane, “but it +isn’t any more.”</p> +<p>Mrs. Merrill hastened to explain that the +cart had just then been discovered on the +ground at the end of the porch.</p> +<p>“I know what was the trouble,” said Frances, +“she didn’t fasten the brake—did you, +Mary Jane?”</p> +<p>Mary Jane and the policeman bent down +to inspect the brake. No, it wasn’t fastened.</p> +<p>“It wouldn’t take much of a breeze to +blow that cart off the porch, young lady,” +said the officer, laughingly, “and so I suggest +that if you ever want to leave your doll in +the cart, you’d better be sure the brake is +locked. You might have a smashed doll instead +of a lost cart to report and then things +wouldn’t be so easy to straighten out!” +And with a pleasant good-by he went on +about his business.</p> +<p>Left alone the two mothers looked at each +other and laughed—such an easy ending to +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_130' name='page_130'></a>130</span> +disappointment didn’t often come! The +four girls made a dive for the bag of apples +and settled themselves on the broad +front steps for a few minutes of real enjoyment. +Mary Jane found that taffy apples +were a lot of fun to eat. The hard, slick +surface was delicious to “lick” and then, +when a small part was licked thin, it was +fun to bite right straight through to the apple.</p> +<p>“If you think they’re good now,” said +Frances, “you should taste them in the fall +when the fresh apples are in—yummy-um!”</p> +<p>“These are good enough for me,” said +Betty contentedly and she bit off a big chunk +of apple.</p> +<p>“Betty Holden!” exclaimed Frances with +big sisterly chagrin, “you look like a monkey +with that apple all over your face!”</p> +<p>“Oh, fiddle!” replied Betty indifferently, +“I like monkeys.”</p> +<p>“Did you ever see one?” asked Mary +Jane, “a really truly live one?”</p> +<p>Betty stared. “Why of course!” she answered, +“haven’t you?” +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_131' name='page_131'></a>131</span></p> +<p>Mary Jane shook her head.</p> +<p>“Well then you ought to go up to the +Zoo,” she said positively, “let’s all go.” +She jumped up and ran over to her mother. +“Mother!” she announced, “Mary Jane’s +never seen a monkey—never! Can’t we +take her up to the Zoo and show ’em to +her?”</p> +<p>“Never seen a monkey!” exclaimed Mrs. +Holden and she was as surprised as Betty +had been, “are you sure?”</p> +<p>“Yes, Betty’s right,” said Mrs. Merrill. +“Mary Jane has seen a great many things +for a little girl who has just had her sixth +birthday. But she hasn’t seen a monkey. +Her father and I were saying only last night +that we must take the girls up to the Zoo as +soon as possible.”</p> +<p>“Let’s all go next Saturday,” suggested +Mrs. Holden, “no, we can’t go next Saturday +because the girls and I have some shopping +to do. Let’s go a week from Saturday. +By that time the restaurant in Lincoln Park +will be open. The way we do,” she explained +to the Merrills, “is to take our lunch, +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_132' name='page_132'></a>132</span> +a picnic lunch, with us. We start up about +eleven, eat over by the lake and then +have the whole afternoon for watching the +animals; we eat dinner in that nice restaurant, +before dark, and then come home in the +early evening. Can you all go on that +day?”</p> +<p>Mrs. Merrill said she was sure they could, +so plans were made right then and there.</p> +<p>Mary Jane and Alice thought those two +weeks, or nearly two weeks, never would +pass. Of course there was the doll cart to +play with and Mary Jane loved it exactly as +much as ever. But she did want to see the +monkeys, and the foxes (Betty told her she +would love the foxes!) and all the creatures +that Betty seemed to know so much +about and which she had never even seen.</p> +<p>But at last the morning came, warm and +sunny and clear and the lunch boxes were +packed, the apartment locked up and everybody +started toward Lincoln Park feeling +happy and ready for fun. The fathers +couldn’t come for lunch, but really when all +the Holden girls and boys were added to the +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_133' name='page_133'></a>133</span> +three Merrills, there was such a crowd that, +for the time at least, fathers weren’t so very +much missed.</p> +<p>When they reached the park Mary Jane +realized, for the first time, how close it was +getting to really truly summer. The sun +shone with real summer warmth, the lake +was blue and beautiful and flowers bloomed +on every corner.</p> +<p>“Oh, I’d just like to live in a park all the +time,” she exclaimed as she looked around +her, “it seems just like home!”</p> +<p>“Yes, it does,” said Mrs. Merrill, with a +wee bit of a sigh, “I’m afraid I know some +folks who are going to miss their gardens +and flower bed this summer.”</p> +<p>“How stupid of me not to have thought +of that!” exclaimed Mrs. Holden. “You +know it will be just two weeks now till we +go up to the lake for all the summer. Why +didn’t I think to have you plant stuff in our +back garden? Then you could have all the +garden you liked right there handy—we always +do hate to leave the ground idle.”</p> +<p>“Perhaps we might plant something even +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_134' name='page_134'></a>134</span> +yet,” suggested Mrs. Merrill, much delighted +with the idea, “we’d love to try.”</p> +<p>But there was no time for further planning +just then—John Holden demanded his +lunch; Betty made a lively second and in a +minute or two a clean grassy place was +picked out, the individual lunch boxes were +passed out and then, for a few minutes, +everybody was quiet.</p> +<p>“I’m going to feed the black bear,” announced +Betty, as she paused to pick out +another sandwich, “I’m going to feed him +peanuts—I saved up enough money for two +bagsful.”</p> +<p>“But aren’t you afraid of him?” asked +Mary Jane breathlessly.</p> +<p>“Afraid? Pooh!” grunted Betty.</p> +<p>“Never you mind, Mary Jane,” said Linn +comfortingly, “she was afraid the first time +she saw him and I remember all about it. +But now she’s learned that he can’t get out +the cage.”</p> +<p>“Now, Linn, I never—” began Betty.</p> +<p>But John interrupted. “There!” he said, +“I’m through. Come on, let’s gather up the +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_135' name='page_135'></a>135</span> +boxes and papers and stick ’em in the trash +box on the way to get the peanuts.” So the +children all helped and in a jiffy the pretty, +grassy spot where they had eaten lunch was +as clean and tidy as when they came. And +then away they scampered after the peanuts.</p> +<p>Such an afternoon as it was! Mary Jane +tried to remember each thing they did so she +could tell her father when he met them after +three o’clock. But she couldn’t remember +half what they had done. She knew they +saw the little foxes—such pretty, dainty +white and tan colored foxes that played together +like little pet kittens and made her +want to hold them in her lap and pet them. +She knew they saw the bears—great big +bears and middle sized bears and little bit o’ +bears just like in the story book, and she fed +them peanuts which they caught very deftly +in their soft cushioned paws. But all the +rest, she really couldn’t remember in the +right order—there were kangaroos and buffaloes +and a giraffe who stuck his long neck +over the top of a great high fence and made +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_136' name='page_136'></a>136</span> +Mary Jane think of nothing so much as a +funny paper picture. And then of course +the monkeys—dozens of them and queer +birds with curious colored feathers and +funny bills and feet. Really, she had seen +in that one afternoon, more animals than she +had guessed lived in the whole world, oh, +many more!</p> +<p>“But have you seen the seals?” asked Mr. +Merrill who met them at the bird house.</p> +<p>No, they hadn’t.</p> +<p>“It’s almost four o’clock,” said Mr. Merrill, +looking at his watch, “and Mr. Holden +said they ate at four and we should meet him +there, so let’s hurry.”</p> +<p>It was a good thing they did hurry for +other folks seemed to know, too, that the +seals were fed at four. From all directions, +folks could be seen walking toward the big +enclosed pond where the seals were kept. +But, by hurrying, they got there in time to +stand close to the iron fence where they +could see the antics of those queerest of animals, +the seals.</p> +<p>One would suppose that even the seals +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_137' name='page_137'></a>137</span> +knew it was nearly four o’clock, dinner time, +for they were so excited and eager. They +barked and swam and flung themselves +around vigorously as though they could +hardly stand waiting for anything. Then, +just at four, a man came out of a near-by +building. In his hand he carried a basket +of fish—a great, well-filled basket. He +came over to a little platform close by where +the Merrill and Holden children were standing; +so they could see everything.</p> +<p>He picked up a big fish, tossed it over into +the rocky island in the middle of the seals’ +pond and then! such a scrambling as there +was till the middle-sized seal with a few ungainly +flops, grabbed the fish and gulped it +down in one bite.</p> +<p>Then he threw another fish and another +and another—one after the other so fast that +Mary Jane felt sure the seals must get all +mixed up about catching them. But they +didn’t. Those seals must have been smarter +than folks had thought for they seemed to +know, every time, just about where the fish +was to hit on the rocks and to know, too, +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_138' name='page_138'></a>138</span> +just how to get to that particular spot the +quickest. Mary Jane thought it very wonderful.</p> +<p>But one thing worried her. There was +one small seal, who for some reason or other, +seemed to be always just a second too late to +get a fish. Mary Jane was sure he had had +but one and all the others had had, oh, a lot. +And she couldn’t help wishing all the others +wouldn’t be quite so grabby.</p> +<p>When the man who was feeding the seals +got almost to the bottom of his big basket, +he stopped and looked at the crowd of children +assembled for the feeding. And as +he looked, he spied Mary Jane’s sober little +face.</p> +<p>“Don’t you like to watch them?” he asked +her in surprise.</p> +<p>“Yes, I like to only they’re so grabby,” +she replied promptly, “and he hasn’t had +but one.” She pointed out the little seal +who was a bit too slow.</p> +<p>“We’ll fix that,” said the keeper, kindly, +“you just watch.”</p> +<p>He tossed a great big fish close to the +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_139' name='page_139'></a>139</span> +crowd of waiting seals, then, quick as a flash +and before they had had time to get that one, +he tossed another, straight at the little seal +who was on the edge of the crowd.</p> +<p>“He got it! He got it!” cried Mary +Jane happily, “he got it before they had a +chance!”</p> +<p>“And he’s going to get another,” said the +keeper as he threw another and still another, +straight at the hungry little seal. “There!” +he added as he looked at the now empty +basket, “that ought to do him till to-morrow.” +Mary Jane thought he looked so +comfortable now that surely he had had as +much as he needed for the day.</p> +<p>“Better hurry if we’re to see the lions +eat,” said Mr. Holden, who during the seals’ +dining hour had come up behind his little +party.</p> +<p>“Lions!” exclaimed Mary Jane.</p> +<p>“Yes, hurry up!” called Betty and she +and her brother who were quite familiar with +the park because of many previous visits, +ran on toward a big brick house near by.</p> +<p>Mary Jane wasn’t afraid, but all the same +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_140' name='page_140'></a>140</span> +she thought it would be more fun to hold +her father’s hand and even though they were +a bit behind, they got into the lions’ house +in time.</p> +<p>Here the dinner was of meat, great big +chunks of raw, red meat that the keepers +tossed into the cages. And it was so funny +to watch! Just before the keeper appeared, +the lions and tigers and jackals and leopards +were pacing up and down their cages with +such weird roars and grunts and growls that +Mary Jane held tightly to her father’s hand +and didn’t go very close to the iron bars. +But when the keepers appeared with the +meat there was a wild scramble, and then +silence except for the crunching and smacking +of eating. It certainly was different, oh, +very, very different from anything Mary +Jane had ever seen before!</p> +<p>“Let’s not wait here any more,” suggested +Alice, “let’s show Dadah the monkeys.”</p> +<p>“Yes, and the foxes—the white ones,” +said Mary Jane, “they’re my favorites of +all.”</p> +<p>But before they had had time to show Mr. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_141' name='page_141'></a>141</span> +Merrill every single creature they had seen, +the Holden boys announced that they were +hungry and that it was long past dinner +time. And sure enough! Even though it +wasn’t really long <i>past</i> dinner time, it <i>was</i> +half past five—the time they had agreed +upon for dinner. So a very jolly party +seated themselves at a big round table on a +second story porch of the Park restaurant. +That was the nicest place to eat Mary Jane +had ever seen—unless perhaps a diner on a +train. For after they gave their order, she +discovered that they could look right down +on a small lake where ducks and geese and +swans lived. The children got so interested +watching the pretty creatures that for +once they didn’t have time to think the +waiter was slow!</p> +<p>They stayed there eating and watching +the birds, till the sun set back of the trees. +Then, when there wasn’t another scrap of +cake or teaspoonful of ice cream left, they +gathered up wraps and hats and started for +home.</p> +<p>“I know one thing,” said sleepy Mary +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_142' name='page_142'></a>142</span> +Jane as they waited for the bus that was +to take them to their train. “I know +there’re a lot more animal folks in the world +than I thought for—oh, a lot more! And I +think I’d better come again to see them all.”</p> +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='A_DAY_IN_THE_PARKS' id='A_DAY_IN_THE_PARKS'></a> +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_143' name='page_143'></a>143</span> +<h2>A DAY IN THE PARKS</h2> +</div> + +<p>A whole long vacation begun! Alice +home all day and plenty of time for +walks and playing together! It seemed almost +too good to be true. For although +Alice was several years older than her sister +Mary Jane, the two girls had always had +very happy times playing together and they +had missed each other very much during +school days. Now that the Holden family +was away, for they went off, bag and baggage, +to their country home up in Wisconsin +the very day school closed, the two girls had +no one near by to play with, so more than +ever before they needed and enjoyed each +other’s company. Frances Westland had +gone back to the country and the Merrill +girls had not made friends with anyone who +lived near enough to make a convenient +playmate.</p> +<p>They didn’t do as some girls and boys do +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_144' name='page_144'></a>144</span> +in vacation, get up late in the morning. +No, they thought it was more fun to get up +promptly and have breakfast with Dadah +and then, when the afternoon got hot, as +often happened, they took a nice long rest +and dressed fresh and clean for dinner. On +many a day Mrs. Merrill packed a basket of +dinner and they met Mr. Merrill over by the +park, had their dinner near one of the small +lagoons or close to the big lake. After dinner +they played ball or tennis—Alice was +learning to be very good at tennis.</p> +<p>“I wish there were swans in our park,” +said Mary Jane as she sat on the edge of +the lagoon and watched the row boats and +the electric launches gliding about on the +water. “I liked those swans at Lincoln +Park.”</p> +<p>“I was just thinking to-day,” said Mr. +Merrill, “we haven’t seen all the parks and +I promised you, that you should see them—all +the big ones anyway. I wonder when +we could go, mother?”</p> +<p>“I wonder <i>how</i> we could go,” said Mrs. +Merrill, “the parks are so far apart that a +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_145' name='page_145'></a>145</span> +journey through them all would be a hopeless +task, seems to me.”</p> +<p>“Depends on how you do it,” laughed Mr. +Merrill. “I’ll tell you what I thought. +I’ll take the whole day away from the office +so as to go along. We’ll start fairly early +and take the elevated out to Garfield Park—you +know we promised the girls a trip on +the elevated and we’ve always taken the +train! We’ll see that park well, you know +it has gardens and greenhouses and lakes, +and then we’ll get a taxi and go to two or +three other parks and ride home.”</p> +<p>The girls thought that was a wonderful +plan and they wanted to set the day for that +very same week. So Thursday was decided +upon.</p> +<p>“Now there’s one thing besides getting a +good lunch ready that I want you folks to +do,” said Mr. Merrill as they picked up their +baskets and balls ready to go home, “I want +you to get out that map of Chicago we had +on the train the day we came up here and +find just where Garfield Park is and how we +get there and how many interesting sights +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_146' name='page_146'></a>146</span> +like rivers and parks and boulevards we pass +on the way.” And of course the girls +promised that they would find the map and +get all that information first thing in the +morning.</p> +<p>Riding on the elevated proved to be great +fun. Mary Jane was afraid for a few minutes +she wasn’t going to like it—the stairs +were so very high up with holes in each step +to see down to the ground; and the train +dashed to the platform with such a roar and +bustle and people crowded on and jerk! the +train rushed off. But when she settled +down in the seat, comfortingly near her +mother, and looked out over the roofs of +houses and stores, and down long streets, +one after another, she found she wasn’t a bit +afraid and that she liked it very much. +She liked watching for children on folks’ +back porches. Some played on the porch +and some played in the dining-room windows—it +was easy to tell which were the +dining-room windows because always there +were three big windows and always she could +look right through the curtains and see the +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_147' name='page_147'></a>147</span> +big table in the middle of the room. The +only trouble with watching folks from an +elevated was that the train dashed by so +quickly she couldn’t any more than see, till—flash, +flash, and they were gone and there +was another street and another set of back +stairs and some different children playing. +It really was awfully queer.</p> +<p>Pretty soon they reached the big down +town and there they got off their train, +climbed over a big bridge to another elevated +train and away they went whizzing +again. It certainly was a queer way to +travel, Mary Jane thought.</p> +<p>But finally father announced that they +had come to Garfield Park, so they got off, +walked down the stairs to a park that looked +so much like their own park that Mary Jane +had to rub her eyes and look twice to make +sure she wasn’t dreaming. Here were the +same winding driveways, beautiful trees +and small lakes.</p> +<p>“Did we come back to our Park?” she +asked in surprise.</p> +<p>“Oh, no,” answered Alice who had run on +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_148' name='page_148'></a>148</span> +a little ahead, “look at the big greenhouse +and look back there! Now don’t you see +the swans?”</p> +<p>No, it wasn’t their own neighborhood +park, Mary Jane soon realized that, because +there were many new things to be seen. +The wonderful tropical greenhouse where +palms and bananas and wonderful ferns +such as the girls had seen in Florida were +growing. And then there were beautiful +out of door gardens—Mary Jane liked those +even better than the greenhouse gardens, +wonderful as those were. She seemed to +feel, someway, as though the flowers must +like the out of doors better.</p> +<p>Right in the middle of the many lovely +flower beds in the out of doors gardens, there +was a lily pool in which grew water lilies of +all colors and sorts. Mary Jane had never +seen water lilies before and she thought them +very lovely—and rather queer too, if the +truth must be told. She decided she would +stay right there a while and let Alice and +her father explore the rest of the gardens—they +wanted to know names of flowers and +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_149' name='page_149'></a>149</span> +names didn’t seem a bit interesting to the +little girl.</p> +<p>Just after she had decided to stay there +and play, she spied a boy of about her age +who was watching the lilies too.</p> +<p>“Can you walk all the way around the +edge?” he asked her.</p> +<p>“Edge of what?” asked Mary Jane.</p> +<p>“The edge of the pool,” he replied, +“see,” and he put his foot up on the stone +rim of the pool, “all the way around on +this.”</p> +<p>“Can you?” asked Mary Jane. She +wanted to see what he would say before she +answered his question.</p> +<p>“Sure!” he replied, “it’s just as easy! +Only girls are ’fraidies.”</p> +<p>“I guess I’m not,” declared Mary Jane +firmly, “watch!” She stepped up on the +stone rim—it was about eight inches wide—and +walked boldly along toward the middle +of the long side of the pool.</p> +<p>“You can, can’t you,” said the boy admiringly.</p> +<p>“Just as easy,” replied Mary Jane, for +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_150' name='page_150'></a>150</span> +when she found she could do what he had +asked she was anxious to have it appear to +be as easy for her as for him.</p> +<p>“Come on,” the boy suggested, “let’s +race!”</p> +<p>“Race?” asked Mary Jane, “how?”</p> +<p>“’Round the pool. You start this way, +and I’ll start that way and the one that gets +around home first beats.”</p> +<p>“All right,” agreed Mary Jane, “let’s.”</p> +<p>Now before Mary Jane saw the boy by the +pool, Mrs. Merrill spied some very beautiful +grasses over at one side of the gardens; +the very sort of grasses, she decided, +that Mary Jane’s grandmother would like to +use in her flower beds by the driveways. +And of course she wanted to find out the +names of the grasses so she could write to +grandmother about them. Seeing that +Mary Jane was so absorbed in the pool and +the lilies, she slipped over to look at the +name sign which she knew would be stuck +right by the roots. She jotted the name +down in her note book, looked along at a +few others and—turned back to the pool just +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_151' name='page_151'></a>151</span> +in time to see her small daughter and a +strange boy run racingly along the rim of +the pool straight at each other.</p> +<p>“Mary Jane! Mary Jane!” she called, +“jump down onto the ground! Jump +down!”</p> +<p>Whether Mary Jane heard her and became +confused, or whether the boy’s bumping +into her made her lose her balance, nobody +ever quite found out. But anyway, +right before Mrs. Merrill’s astonished eyes, +Mary Jane Merrill tumbled ’kplump—into +the lily pool!</p> +<p>Fortunately the lily pool wasn’t very deep +so Mary Jane didn’t fall far. But she did +hit the bottom pretty hard; so hard that +when she bobbed up, her head out of water +and her feet on the bottom, she hardly knew +what had happened to her.</p> +<p>Mrs. Merrill screamed and Mr. Merrill, +Alice, three policemen and about twenty +other people came running to see what had +happened. It wasn’t necessary for anybody +to jump in and make a triumphant rescue for +Mary Jane was so close to shore that Mrs. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_152' name='page_152'></a>152</span> +Merrill had taken firm hold of her hand and +pulled her out just as all the folks got there. +So there was nothing for them to do but to +stare and to ask questions.</p> +<p>“How did she do it?” asked the first +policeman.</p> +<p>“Hurt you any?” asked the second.</p> +<p>“You and your mother come with me,” +said the third (and Mary Jane guessed right +away from his voice that he must have some +little girls of his own), “and I’ll show you +where you can dry your clothes.”</p> +<p>The procession of policemen and onlookers, +led by a very wet and greatly embarrassed +little girl, crossed the gardens, crossed +the street and went into a comfortable big +building. There a kindly matron produced +a big bathrobe in which Mary Jane sat while +her dress was wrung out and dried. And +wasn’t she glad there was a good hot sun so +things could dry quickly!</p> +<p>Finally, when Mary Jane was beginning +to get awfully hungry, mother announced +that the clothes were dry and that she had +pulled and stretched them the best she could +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_153' name='page_153'></a>153</span> +in the place of ironing. So Mary Jane +dressed and they went in search of Alice and +her father.</p> +<p> “Well, you certainly do mix up baths with +your picnics,” laughed Mr. Merrill when he +saw them coming. “Remember the time +you fell into Clearwater, Pussy?”</p> +<p>“But it isn’t so bad, really, Dadah,” said +Mary Jane, “and I’m not wet now.”</p> +<p>“So you’re not,” said Mr. Merrill, “but <i>I</i> +am hungry—anybody agree with me?”</p> +<p>They all admitted to being nearly starved, +so they found a pretty, grassy spot close by +the lake on which several beautiful swans +were sunning themselves, and there they +spread out the luncheon they had brought. +At first the girls were so hungry they didn’t +want to do anything but eat. But by the +time they had eaten a plateful of potato +salad and three or four sandwiches, the +swans discovered their lunching place and +came to call. Evidently swans were used +to being treated very nicely by folks who +came to the park for they didn’t seem to have +a trace of fear of strangers. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_154' name='page_154'></a>154</span></p> +<p>The girls tossed the crusts of the sandwiches +to the edge of the water and the +swans bent their long necks and picked them +up and ate them, every crust, so daintily +just as though crusts were a diet fit for kings—and +swans. The swans didn’t actually +come out of the water, but they came so close +to the shore that the girls could almost touch +them and they soon got to feeling very well +acquainted.</p> +<p>So it was with some regret that they heard +Mr. Merrill say, “Well, girls, weren’t we +to see some of the other parks too?” And +here it was four o’clock!</p> +<p>The basket was packed—and there wasn’t +a scrap of anything a swan could eat, you +may be sure of that—and they strolled down +to the roadway. In a minute or two Mr. +Merrill hailed a passing taxi and they settled +themselves for a nice long ride.</p> +<p>They didn’t stop at any other park; Mary +Jane was sure no other could be as interesting +as the one where she had had such exciting +experiences and Alice was quite as content +as her father and mother to sit back, +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_155' name='page_155'></a>155</span> +cool and comfortable, and see the beautiful +flowers and shrubbery slip past them. So +they rode and rode through one park after +another, it seemed, till suddenly Mary Jane +spied something that looked familiar.</p> +<p>“That’s my Midway!” she announced, as +the car turned into the long, broad stretch of +parkway near their own home.</p> +<p>“Sure enough it is!” exclaimed Mr. Merrill +in pretended amazement, “we’ll have to +turn around and go back!”</p> +<p>“No we won’t,” said Mary Jane, “we’ll +go home.”</p> +<p>So they went on home, just in time to cook +a good warm dinner and to talk over and +over again the many things they had seen in +the parks.</p> +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='VISITORS_AND_A_BOAT_RIDE' id='VISITORS_AND_A_BOAT_RIDE'></a> +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_156' name='page_156'></a>156</span> +<h2>VISITORS—AND A BOAT RIDE</h2> +</div> + +<p>One day, not so very long after the +trip through the parks, the bell at the +Merrills’ front door pealed long and hard. +Mary Jane, whose job was answering the +door, ran to the little house ’phone, and +heard a loud voice shout, “Special for Merrill!”</p> +<p>“What’s he mean, mother?” she asked, in +a puzzled voice.</p> +<p>“Better press the buzzer and let him in, +dear,” replied Mrs. Merrill, “if he has the +name right he must have something for us.”</p> +<p>So Mary Jane pressed the downstairs buzzer +and then opened the front door. Yes, +it was for them—a special delivery letter +for Mrs. Merrill. Mary Jane and Alice +were much excited and could hardly wait +till the messenger’s book was signed and the +letter was opened.</p> +<p>“It’s from grandma,” said Mrs. Merrill as +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_157' name='page_157'></a>157</span> +she glanced at the writing, “and listen! +This is what she says:</p> +<p>“‘Grandpa finds quite unexpectedly that +he must come to Chicago on business and he +says that if it’s convenient to you folks I +can come along and we’ll stay two or three +days for a visit. Please wire reply because +we must start Wednesday evening.’”</p> +<p>“And it’s ten o’clock Wednesday morning +now!” exclaimed Mrs. Merrill. She +hurried to the telephone, called Mr. Merrill +so he could send a telegram at once, then she +and the two girls went right to work making +ready for the guests.</p> +<p>It was decided that Alice and Mary Jane +should sleep on couches and give up their +room to the visitors. “Now’s when I wish +we had our nice guest room,” said Mrs. Merrill, +“but then, grandma knows that folks +who live in Chicago flats don’t keep guest +rooms for infrequent visitors.” For her +part, Mary Jane thought sleeping on a couch +would be great fun—so grown up and different +from every day. She was to have the +dining-room couch and Alice was to sleep in +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_158' name='page_158'></a>158</span> +the living-room. When all plans were +made, bedding sorted out and laid ready for +making up the beds fresh first thing in the +morning, Mrs. Merrill began planning the +meals. If the visitors were to stay only a +short time she wanted to have as much baking +and marketing as possible done beforehand, +so every minute could be spent in fun and +visiting. Alice and Mary Jane, who had +been marketing so much with their mother of +late that they really could be trusted, took a +long list up to the grocery and Mrs. Merrill +set to work baking coffeecake and bread and +cookies. Um-m! It wasn’t an hour till +that tiny kitchen began to smell so good that +the girls could hardly be coaxed away. +Mrs. Merrill let them help in a good many +ways. Mary Jane put the sugar and nuts +on the tops of the cookies after her mother +put them in the pan and Alice, who was getting +to be a really good cook, tended to the +baking. She put the big pans in, and +watched the baking, and took them out when +every cookie was evenly browned. Then, +after she took a pan out of the oven, she +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_159' name='page_159'></a>159</span> +gently lifted the hot cookies out from the +baking pan onto a wire rack where they +could cool without losing their pretty +shapes. When the cookies were cool, it was +Mary Jane’s turn again. She put them all +in the tin cookie box, counting them and +laying them neatly between layers of paraffin +paper so they would keep fresh even in +the hot weather.</p> +<p>It was a rule that only perfect cookies +should be packed away—scraps never went +into the tin box. But for some reason or +other, the girls never seemed to mind the job +of eating the broken ones! In fact Mary +Jane often asked Alice <i>not</i> to be so careful—to +please break a few so there would be +plenty to eat right then and there.</p> +<p>The day went by so quickly that it was +bed time before the girls realized it and then, +after about forty winks, it was morning—the +morning when grandma and grandpa +were coming.</p> +<p>Everybody was up early, Alice and Mary +Jane made up the beds fresh and neat, +mother cooked a good breakfast and Dadah +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_160' name='page_160'></a>160</span> +went to the train, at a near-by suburban +station, to meet the travelers. It was a +jolly party that sat around the breakfast +table—you may be sure of that!</p> +<p>“Now then,” said Mr. Merrill, when the +breakfast was eaten up and news of the farm +had been told, “I’ll have to go to work and I +suppose grandpa has to do his business to-day, +so we’ll leave you folks to yourselves. +Then to-morrow, if grandpa is through his +business, we can plan some fun.”</p> +<p>So the two business folks went down town +and grandma was left to enjoy life at home. +The girls were glad she could stay.</p> +<p>“Let’s take grandma over to the lake,” +suggested Alice, “I know you’d love riding +in one of those little electric launches, +grandmother.”</p> +<p>“Let’s take some lunch and not come home +till she’s seen everything in Chicago,” said +Mary Jane in a rush of hospitality.</p> +<p>“Dear me! Child!” exclaimed grandma +in dismay, “don’t you know there’s another +day coming!”</p> +<p>Mary Jane agreed to leave a few sights +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_161' name='page_161'></a>161</span> +for the next day, but she didn’t want to lose +any time getting off. Fortunately the +morning work didn’t take but a tiny bit of +time, and as grandma, who didn’t care much +for “stuffy sleepers,” was very glad to get +out into the fresh air, they very soon were +on their way to the park.</p> +<p>The girls felt quite at home in the neighborhood +and in the park by this time, and +they thought it was great fun to show the +sights to somebody else—somebody who +didn’t know all about Chicago. Grandma +loved the beautiful Midway, the charming +lagoons and she enjoyed her ride on the little +launch fully as much as the girls had +thought she would.</p> +<p>“But don’t you have any <i>big</i> boats?” she +asked, “great big ones with two decks and +lots of passengers and all that? I’d like +to ride on a big boat too.”</p> +<p>“Then that’s exactly what we’ll do to-morrow, +mother,” said Mrs. Merrill. +“There is a big boat that runs from Jackson +Park up to the municipal pier. We’ll go on +it to-morrow and we’ll get our lunch up +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_162' name='page_162'></a>162</span> +town and then we’ll come back home on the +boat.”</p> +<p>And that’s exactly what they did.</p> +<p>When Mr. Merrill heard that grandma +wanted a ride on a big boat, the plans for the +next day were as good as made. He thought +the idea of going to town on the boat and +then getting lunch and coming home was a +fine one and he only made one change in +the plan.</p> +<p>“Instead of going to a store, in the loop, +let’s take one of the little launches that run +from the Municipal pier to Lincoln Park +and go up there for our lunch so grandma can +see your favorite swans and perhaps, if we +want to stay that long, see the seals get their +four o’clock tea.” But dear me, he little +guessed what would happen as his nice-sounding +plan worked out!</p> +<p>So the next morning, the Merrills all +had a nice, leisurely, visity breakfast, then +a walk through the park, and never did the +park look lovelier than on the sunny summer +morning, and then, boarding the boat +that rocked at the pier on the big lake, they +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_163' name='page_163'></a>163</span> +found comfortable seats on the shady side +and prepared for a pleasant ride.</p> +<p>Mary Jane chose to sit on the side nearest +the pier because she loved to look down +from the upper deck and watch the people +boarding the boat. She had never ridden +on boats very much, only when she went to +Florida, and this boat they were now aboard +seemed very different from the big, awkward, +flat bottomed boat they took their +river trip on through Florida jungles.</p> +<p>“You don’t need to sit by me if you want +to talk to mother,” she said to her father.</p> +<p>“Humph!” said her father teasingly, +“how do I know you’re not going to tumble +overboard! You know you have a way of +mixing up picnics and water, Mary Jane, so +I don’t think I’ll take any chances.” But +when Mary Jane promised that she would +sit very still and not walk around a step and +not lean over the edge, he went to speak to +grandpa a few minutes. And while he was +gone, Mary Jane leaned up against the side +of the boat and watched the folks down on +the pier. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_164' name='page_164'></a>164</span></p> +<p>She thought it must surely be about time +for the boat to start because there was hurrying +on the pier, and men were busy taking +ropes off of the big wooden posts along the +side nearest the water. While she was +watching, a woman came along the dock toward +the boat and with her were two little +children, a girl about Mary Jane’s own age +and a little boy some two years younger. +Just as they reached the gang plank, ready +to step onto the boat, the little boy began to +cry.</p> +<p>“I left my boat! I left my boat! I left +my boat!” he cried. Mary Jane could hear +him very plainly even though she sat so far +up above him.</p> +<p>She couldn’t hear what the mother said, +but evidently she promised to get the missing +boat for him, because she left both children +by the side of the gang plank, and +hurrying as fast as possible she ran back toward +the shore. And right at that minute, +the big bell overhead rang three times and +the engine aboard the boat began to throb—it +was time to go. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_165' name='page_165'></a>165</span></p> +<p>The men on the dock noticed the two children +and one said to the little girl, “Were +you going?” and she nodded yes. So he +picked up the boy and hurried the two children +aboard just as the gang plank was +hauled in and the boat made away from the +pier.</p> +<p>Mary Jane was so thrilled and excited she +could hardly sit still. She tried to call her +father but he was on the other side of the +boat and she had promised to sit still—perfectly +still—till he came back. What in +the world was a little girl to do? And back +on the shore that was so rapidly getting farther +and farther way, Mary Jane could see +the mother of the children, running frantically +toward the dock which the boat had +left. Surely the captain would see her, +Mary Jane thought. But if he did, he likely +thought she was merely somebody who had +missed the boat and that he had no time for +turning back. And so the boat continued +out into the lake.</p> +<p>Finally after what seemed the <i>longest</i> +time (though it really was hardly more than +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_166' name='page_166'></a>166</span> +five minutes), Mr. Merrill came back and +then, such a story as he heard!</p> +<p>“Are you sure, Mary Jane?” he asked, +“certain sure? The men wouldn’t put children +on a boat without grown folks along!”</p> +<p>“But they did, Dadah!” insisted Mary +Jane, “I saw ’em!”</p> +<p>“Then you come with me,” said Mr. Merrill, +“and we’ll see if we can find them.”</p> +<p>So Mr. Merrill and Mary Jane went +down the stairs, and that took some time +because folks were coming and going and +getting settled for the trip, and there, huddled +close together and crying as hard as +they could cry, were the two little waifs!</p> +<p>Mary Jane with real motherliness began +talking to the little girl; Mr. Merrill picked +up the boy and together the whole party +went in search of the captain. By the time +he was found though, the boat was still farther +on its journey toward the city and the +dock they started from was farther and farther +behind.</p> +<p>“Well, that is a time we were wrong,” admitted +the captain when he had listened to +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_167' name='page_167'></a>167</span> +all Mary Jane had to say and talked with +the man who had put the children aboard. +“But even though we were wrong, we can’t +go back now. We’ll have to make the children +comfortable and take them back to their +mother on the return trip.”</p> +<p>So Mr. Merrill and Mary Jane went back +to the deck, only this time they took with +them the two little strangers. Mrs. Merrill +was told the story and she and Alice and +Mary Jane, with help from grandma, +grandpa and Mr. Merrill, set themselves to +the task of making the little children happy. +At first it was hard work, because they cried +all the time for their mother. But erelong +they understood the friendliness around +them and they stopped crying and began to +have a good time. Grandpa discovered +some crackerjack and everybody knows what +a help <i>that</i> is; Mrs. Merrill told some funny +stories and Mr. Merrill took them all over +the boat—to see the great engine and everything. +Then there were the sights to watch +from the deck and the big buildings to count +and the boats they passed to watch—oh, +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_168' name='page_168'></a>168</span> +there surely was a lot to do that made that +trip interesting and so very short.</p> +<p>As the boat pulled up near the down town +pier, the Merrills saw a taxi dash up near +where the boat was to land: saw a woman +get out and, followed by a policeman, hurry +up to the side where the boat would pull +in.</p> +<p>“Look!” exclaimed Mary Jane excitedly. +“Look!”</p> +<p>The little girl, whose name was Ann, +looked along with the others, and then she +gave a happy cry.</p> +<p>“Mother!” she shouted, so loudly that +her mother, waiting on the pier could hear +and was so very relieved!</p> +<p>When the boat pulled into the dock, the +captain was the first one to step off; he met +the mother and the officer and brought them +aboard at once. Mary Jane was called upon +to explain all that she had seen and the officer, +as well as the mother, was satisfied that +the whole thing was an accident and not an +attempt to steal the children.</p> +<p>“But how did you get up here so quickly?” +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_169' name='page_169'></a>169</span> +asked Mary Jane, when the first excitement +was over.</p> +<p>“My dear child!” laughed Ann’s mother, +“a person can do a lot when she thinks something +is happening to her children! I took +a passing taxi, dashed to a police station +and then on up here. And nothing has happened +at all—except you nice people have +given my little folks a very pleasant trip. +Next time, Bobby,” she added, “we’ll leave +your toy boat or we’ll all go together to find +it. We won’t take any chances of losing +each other!”</p> +<p>“Well,” laughed Mr. Merrill when the +mother and children and officer and captain +had all gone on about their own business, +“what was it we were going to do to-day?”</p> +<p>Everybody laughed at that! They had +been so excited that they had forgotten, yes, +actually forgotten, that this was a sight-seeing +trip for grandma and grandpa. But +once they remembered, they knew just what +to do. They climbed aboard a waiting +launch, rode up to Lincoln Park, had a wonderful +dinner and fun all the rest of the day. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_170' name='page_170'></a>170</span></p> +<p>“I don’t see,” remarked grandma, as they +neared home, late that evening, “how you +girls are ever going to settle down to school +again! Did you know that school was only +a few weeks away? Vacation will be over +before you know it!”</p> +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='SCHOOL_BEGINS' id='SCHOOL_BEGINS'></a> +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_171' name='page_171'></a>171</span> +<h2>SCHOOL BEGINS</h2> +</div> + +<p>When grandma suggested that it +was nearly time for school to begin, +on that day of the boat ride, she guessed +better than the girls suspected. At the +time they laughed and thought she was joking, +but, after she and grandpa had gone +home, they got out a calendar and counted +up and there, to be sure, only one and one-half +weeks of vacation were left.</p> +<p>“I didn’t realize school began so early,” +exclaimed Mrs. Merrill in dismay.</p> +<p>“I thought summer was a long time!” +cried Alice, “but it isn’t any time at all!”</p> +<p>“Goody! Goody! Goody!” Mary Jane +said happily, “then I get to start to school +like a big girl.”</p> +<p>It was no wonder Mary Jane was happy, +for she remembered that the plan was for +her to start in the really truly school, not the +kindergarten where she had gone in her other +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_172' name='page_172'></a>172</span> +home, and any little girl likes to start to +school like her big sister.</p> +<p>When the day finally came, Alice was as +much excited as Mary Jane herself. For +although the summer had been so pleasant +she almost hated to see it end—the free days +with plenty of time for visits with mother +and picnics and marketing and all—still, +school was pleasant too and any little girl +who does nice work and tries to learn, will +make good friends and have happy days, just +as Alice always had had.</p> +<p>Mary Jane had a hard time deciding +which dress to wear. She wanted to look +very grown up, so that teacher would realize +she was a big girl, so she finally decided +upon a dark blue sailor suit. The one that +had the red insignia on the sleeve and that +looked just like a big girl’s dress. With a +clean ’kerchief peeking out of her pocket +and a smashing big red bow on the top of her +brown head, she looked very nice.</p> +<p>Alice and Mary Jane waked up that +morning the very minute they were called +for they wanted to help mother so she could +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_173' name='page_173'></a>173</span> +go over to school with them. And with all +that good help of course they were off on +time. Alice was glad to have company going +to school for Frances wasn’t home yet +and wouldn’t be there for a couple of weeks.</p> +<p>Mary Jane’s heart went thump, thump as +she and her mother went in at the teachers’ +gate, and up the stairs and into the principal’s +office. And thump, thump some more +when she saw the whole roomful of strange +boys and girls and thump, thump some more +when her turn came and she was sent (fortunately +with her mother along) to the first +grade room—number 104. The room was +full of children, hundreds, Mary Jane +thought there must be, though the teacher +told Mrs. Merrill there were about forty-five. +And if her heart went thump, thump +before, it certainly went thump, thump, +<i>thump</i> when the teacher, smiling at her so +kindly, gave her a seat in the—front-row—such +a nice seat for her very own! and +she sat down and tried to look as though she +had been used to going to school all her +whole life. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_174' name='page_174'></a>174</span></p> +<p>For a minute she couldn’t look around +or anything, she felt so queer. Then she +glanced at the next seat and there, sitting +right beside her, was—whom do you suppose? +Ann! The same pretty little Ann +who had been lost on the boat. Immediately +Mary Jane forgot all about being +afraid and thumping hearts and strangeness +and everything and began to like school. +The two little girls had much to say about +what they would do at recess and where did +they live and everything, so the time before +school began passed very quickly.</p> +<p>Suddenly, in the midst of their talk, a +bell rang, “GONG-GONG!” Two loud +tones close together that way, and school +began. Mary Jane Merrill was in a really +truly school like the big girl she was getting +to be.</p> +<p>Ann came home with Mary Jane that first +afternoon and Mrs. Merrill discovered that +her name was Ann Ellis and that she lived +two blocks from their own home and that +the two little girls would no doubt find it +very easy to be friends. They began having +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_175' name='page_175'></a>175</span> +a good time that very afternoon and they +planned still better times when Betty would +be back and they could all play together. +Now wasn’t that fine!</p> +<p>Mary Jane found that she liked school +every bit as much as she had thought she +would. She liked her teacher, a charming +Miss Treavor, and she liked her studies. +But most of all she liked the fun she had on +the playground. In the big cities, like Chicago, +where lots of girls and boys have no +yards, the school yards are the only places +were children can play. So, to make everything +safe and orderly, the school folks have +a playground teacher stay at school all the +day, to help in the games and to see that +every one has a happy time. The playground +teacher at Mary Jane’s school liked +little girls very much and she knew many +good games for them to play. So in addition +to “London Bridge” and “Drop the +Handkerchief” and “Tag” that all children +play, Mary Jane learned “Roman Soldiers” +and “Ghost Walk” and “Three times +Three.” +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_176' name='page_176'></a>176</span></p> +<p>Of the new ones, Mary Jane liked “Ghost +Walk” the best. To play it, the girls and +boys made a big circle, then they selected +some one to be “Ghost.” This person stood +in the middle of the circle and everybody +shut eyes tight, very tight. Then the +Ghost, while every one kept very quiet, tried +to tip-toe to the edge of the circle, slip out +between two folks and get away without being +caught. That may sound easy, but +played in a yard full of romping boys and +girls, it is not really as easy as it might seem +and it was lots of fun, because often folks +would think the “Ghost” was near them and +would try to grab—and the joke was on them +because all the while, maybe, the “ghost” +was in another part of the ring. And +whenever folks thought they caught the +“Ghost” and <i>didn’t</i>, then every one opened +their eyes, the person who had made the mistake +had to get out of the circle and the +game began again. But if the “Ghost” +really did get out of the circle without being +caught, then the “Ghost” could hide +anywhere in the yard and the game became +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_177' name='page_177'></a>177</span> +an old-fashioned hide-and-seek with everybody +hunting one lucky person.</p> +<p>One day, when Mary Jane was “Ghost,” +she was determined she would get out of +that circle without getting caught. She +had tried it many a time before and failed; +this time she was going to do it. She tiptoed, +oh, so softly over the loose gravel to +the edge of the circle. Then noiselessly she +dropped down on hands and knees and, without +a thought for her dress, crawled slowly +between Ann and the girl next to her. She +could hardly keep from giggling, it was so +funny to be so close she almost bumped them +and yet not to be discovered. Now she was +right between them, now she was almost +outside—now she was free and away she +dashed to the spot she had long ago picked +out as a hiding place for just such a time as +this.</p> +<p>The folks in the circle waited—but nobody +was caught, so they shouted, “Ghost +Walk?” and when the “ghost” didn’t answer +they opened their eyes and—no Mary +Jane was there! +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_178' name='page_178'></a>178</span></p> +<p>“I’ll get her,” shouted Ann, “I’ll find +her! I’ll bet she got out on your side of +the circle, Janny, she never could have +passed <i>me</i>!”</p> +<p>“I’ll find her myself,” answered Janny, +“but she never passed by me, she didn’t!”</p> +<p>So they hunted, up and down the yard, +around the bushes, by the doorway, everywhere +they could think of. But no sign of +Mary Jane did they discover. They hunted +and they hunted till the gong sounded and +they had to go into school again. But not +a sign of any Mary Jane did they find. +Was Mary Jane lost? Miss Treavor must +be told so everybody could hunt, for something +surely must have happened to a little +girl who didn’t answer the recess bell when +it rang for school to begin.</p> +<p>Now it happened that some days before, +when Mary Jane had first learned to play +“Ghost walk” she hunted around the yard +for a good place to hide—in case she ever +succeeded in getting out of the circle so she +<i>could</i> hide. She didn’t want to hide among +the bushes because that was the first place +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_179' name='page_179'></a>179</span> +the children looked; she didn’t want to hide +in the doorway because that was against +rules and if a child was discovered there by +a teacher, the child had to go straight upstairs +and stay the rest of recess. And there +didn’t seem to be any other place. But +there was another hiding place—and Mary +Jane found it. Around the corner of the +building, on the side nearest the furnace entrance, +there was a jog in the brick wall. +And in front of the little niche made by this +jog, boards left by some carpenters had been +carelessly tossed.</p> +<p>“I could climb over the boards,” Mary +Jane had thought, “and hide down behind +and nobody’d ever find me—ever.”</p> +<p>So when her time came, and she really did +get out of the circle without being caught, +she didn’t have to stop and hunt a hiding +place; she knew exactly where she wanted +to go.</p> +<p>But there was one thing Mary Jane hadn’t +figured on; one thing she didn’t even think +of as she crouched down behind her boards +while the children hunted for her, hither and +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_180' name='page_180'></a>180</span> +yon over the school yard. She hadn’t +thought that way off, ’round the corner and +behind boards that way, she couldn’t—<i>hear</i>. +The sounds of playing and romping seemed +so quiet, so quiet that they were hardly noticeable. +She didn’t hear the bell and she +didn’t even notice the sudden quiet when the +children fell in line to march upstairs. She +sat there, huddled in a snug little heap, and +she laughed to herself about the joke she was +playing on her mates.</p> +<p>To be sure the time <i>did</i> seem pretty long +and she thought they were very stupid—but +then—she never suspected that recess +was over and—</p> +<p>Till suddenly there descended upon her +a cloud of chalk dust! It powdered her +face and dress and shoes and made her forget +all about being quiet and jump up with +a lively scream of fright.</p> +<p>Overhead she heard Miss Treavor’s voice, +exclaiming, “Whatever in the world!” +And then, before she could quite get the dust +out of her eyes and understand what had +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_181' name='page_181'></a>181</span> +happened, Miss Treavor and two other +teachers who had heard the scream, stood before +her and the whole story came out. +Miss Treavor tried not to laugh when Mary +Jane told her she was hiding but she couldn’t +help it. Mary Jane looked so be-powdered +and forlorn. But Mary Jane didn’t mind +the laughing because at the same time, Miss +Treavor lifted her out from behind the +boards and set her down in the cheerful sunlight.</p> +<p>“That <i>was</i> a good place to hide,” the +teacher admitted, “and you were a clever +little girl to think of it. But I believe, +dear,” she added kindly, “that next time +you’d better hide some place where you can +hear the bell, even though you <i>are</i> more +likely to get caught.”</p> +<p>And Mary Jane promised that she would +never, never hide in such a very good place +again.</p> +<p>Mary Jane hated to go back into the +school room all mussed and tumbled as she +was, so Miss Treavor sent for Alice and the +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_182' name='page_182'></a>182</span> +two little girls skipped home for a fresh dress +and clean ribbons so Mary Jane could enjoy +the classes.</p> +<p>When, a half an hour later, she came back, +with the dark blue dress changed to a plaid +gingham and the red bow changed to green, +the children wanted to know where she had +been and what had happened. But Miss +Treavor wouldn’t tell. And she had made +Mary Jane promise not to tell, because that +place was <i>such</i> a good hiding place that the +teachers didn’t want other folks finding it +and hiding there to make trouble too.</p> +<p>But all of Mary Jane’s school fun wasn’t +from trouble. That was just one day. +Most of the time, she played without +anything happening just as the other folks +did. And all the time she made more +friends and had a better time, till, when +Betty came back from the country, she knew +most everybody in her room.</p> +<p>She liked school so very much that the +days slipped by one after another so fast a +person could hardly count them—one day +and another day and another day—just that +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_183' name='page_183'></a>183</span> +way. Till one Monday morning when they +went to school, Miss Treavor announced, +“Do you boys and girls know what we are +going to do to-day? We’re going to start +making Christmas presents. Because +Christmas is only <i>three weeks away</i>!”</p> +<p>“Christmas!” thought Mary Jane, with a +thrill of joy, “Christmas! Why, they <i>do</i> +have Christmas in Chicago! I wonder what +I’ll get and what I’ll do!”</p> +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='CHRISTMAS_IN_CHICAGO' id='CHRISTMAS_IN_CHICAGO'></a> +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_184' name='page_184'></a>184</span> +<h2>CHRISTMAS IN CHICAGO</h2> +</div> + +<p>Christmas in Chicago! When +Mary Jane heard those words she had +her first real pang of homesickness for the +home she had left when they moved to Chicago. +Would any Christmas anywhere ever +be so beautiful as the Christmas in that dear +home? She remembered the pine trees in +the yard, loaded down with their wealth of +snow: the glowing fire on the hearth with its +Christmas-y smell from the pine cones that +were saved through the year for the Christmas +Day fire; the tree in the angle near the +fireplace where the afternoon sun touched +it into a blaze of glory; the party for the +poor children that had been such fun to plan +for—would anything in Chicago ever be +half the fun of Christmas in the old home? +But Mary Jane was soon to discover that +Christmas doesn’t need certain houses or +fires or trees to make it perfect; that +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_185' name='page_185'></a>185</span> +Christmas is made in folks’ hearts and that +wherever there is a Christmas heart, there +will be a happy day—in village or city, the +place makes no difference.</p> +<p>When she went home from school that +afternoon and announced that Miss Treavor +said Christmas was so very near, she found +that mother wasn’t even a little surprised.</p> +<p>“Why to be sure Christmas is coming,” +laughed Mrs. Merrill, “and here I’ve been +waiting and waiting and <i>waiting</i> for you to +talk about it till, actually, I thought I’d had +to begin myself, if you didn’t wake up pretty +soon.” And then everybody began to talk +at once.</p> +<p>“Do they have trees in Chicago?” asked +Alice.</p> +<p>“Are there any poor folks who would like +parties?” asked Mary Jane.</p> +<p>“Is anybody coming to see us?” demanded +Mary Jane.</p> +<p>“Here! Here! Here!” exclaimed Mr. +Merrill, “one at a time, ladies, one at a +time! If you doubt that there will be trees +in Chicago, you should see what I saw this +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_186' name='page_186'></a>186</span> +morning as I went down to work. A train +load of Christmas trees—yes, sir!” (for he +noticed the girls could hardly believe him) +“a whole train load of trees. And I see by +the paper this evening that a boat load has +arrived, too, so there will be no shortage of +trees.”</p> +<p>“Then we can have one,” said Mary Jane, +with a satisfied sigh.</p> +<p>“And let’s put it in front of this foolish +little gas log,” suggested Alice, “then +we won’t think about a real fireplace.”</p> +<p>“And there are plenty of poor folks,” said +Mrs. Merrill, going back to Mary Jane’s +question, “only they will not be so easy to +get together, as back at home. How would +you like to take a Christmas party to some +family instead of having a party at home as +we did last year?”</p> +<p>The girls hardly knew what to say about +that new idea so Mrs. Merrill explained further. +“I telephoned to the Associated +Charities this very day,” she said, “and they +gave me the names of a fatherless family +in which there are two girls about your ages, +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_187' name='page_187'></a>187</span> +and one boy. I thought we could plan a +fine Christmas for them and then, on Christmas +morning, take it over and surprise +them.”</p> +<p>“Oh, let’s do that, mother,” said Mary +Jane happily, “then we’d be like a real Santa +Claus only we’d be a morning Santa. May +we do it, surely?”</p> +<p>“I thought you’d like the idea,” said Mrs. +Merrill, “so I got lists from the association +as to just what was most needed. Alice, if +you’ll get a pencil and paper, we’ll figure +it all out.”</p> +<p>Making plans was the girls’ favorite way +of spending an evening so they whisked the +cover off the dining table, pulled up chairs +for four and went to work list-making.</p> +<p>“Tom,” began Mrs. Merrill, consulting +her list, “hasn’t a bit of warm clothing.”</p> +<p>“Why couldn’t I knit him a muffler and +some mittens?” asked Mary Jane. “I remember +how and I haven’t knitted anything +since the war stopped.”</p> +<p>“Fine!” approved Mrs. Merrill, “I think +I have enough yarn for the mittens and if +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_188' name='page_188'></a>188</span> +you’ll get it out of the drawer there we can +wind it while we talk and it will be all ready +for you to set up at once. You’ll have to +work hard and fast if you want to make a +muffler and a pair of mittens before Christmas.”</p> +<p>“Now then,” she continued, looking at the +list, “they have very few bed covers and the +children get so cold at night.”</p> +<p>“Why couldn’t you make some covers, +mother?” suggested Alice, “and let me make +them each some flannelette pajamas like we +wear—you know how toasting warm they +are. And I have the pattern and I know I +could make them all myself.”</p> +<p>“That’s a beautiful idea,” approved Mrs. +Merrill, “and I hadn’t even thought of such +a thing. When we get through planning, +dear, you can get out your pattern and see +how much material you’ll need. Then, +when I go up town to-morrow, I’ll get it for +you.”</p> +<p>“And they need stockings,” she continued, +“and shoes—”</p> +<p>“Could any of ’em wear my good shoes +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_189' name='page_189'></a>189</span> +that are too little?” asked Mary Jane eagerly. +She had been greatly distressed about +those “best” shoes that were so good, and +yet were hopelessly outgrown.</p> +<p>“I think they’ll be exactly right,” said +Mrs. Merrill. “In fact I picked out this +particular family because I was sure we +could find nice things for them among you +girls’ outgrown things and that, put with +what we buy new, would make all the bigger +Christmas for them.</p> +<p>“And about toys,” she continued with the +list, “the girls have never had a doll—”</p> +<p>“Never had—” began Mary Jane but she +couldn’t quite get the words out. Never +had a doll. Never had a Marie Georgiannamore +to love and care for and take riding +in a beautiful cart. Never had—no, +she couldn’t quite imagine it.</p> +<p>After that there was no more reading off +a list. Mary Jane and Alice began making +a list of their own, of what those children +were to have for Christmas.</p> +<p>“But,” objected Mrs. Merrill, “you girls +forget that things cost money—a lot of +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_190' name='page_190'></a>190</span> +money these days. And you can’t possibly +buy all those things and get any Christmas +of your own too.”</p> +<p>“Humph!” grunted Mary Jane as she +squeezed her face up tight in an effort to +write, “then we won’t have one of our own! +Haven’t we got Marie Georgiannamore and +a cart and a nice house and warm clothes—and—everything?”</p> +<p>That settled it. There would be a tree +and dinner and a lot of fun in the Merrill +house on Christmas Day, but the presents +were to go to their adopted family to make +<i>their</i> Christmas one never to be forgotten.</p> +<p>If you have ever planned a Christmas for +somebody who never, in all their lives had +one, you will know something about the fun +that Mary Jane and Alice had in the time +that was left before Christmas. They were +about the busiest girls in all Chicago! They +hurried home from school and they worked +Saturdays but, actually, as soon as they got +one thing done they thought of something +else they wanted to make or buy and they +had to begin all over again. They made +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_191' name='page_191'></a>191</span> +cookies and candies and dressed dolls, one +for each girl, and made a complete set of +covers and pillows and “fixings” for an adorable +doll bed that Mr. Merrill made in the +evenings. Alice had to work pretty hard to +get the pajamas all finished in time for there +was considerable work on each pair; but she +got them finished and she could hardly wait +till Christmas to take them over to their family.</p> +<p>Mary Jane finished the muffler and mittens +though she <i>almost</i> had to knit while she +ate—towards the last—it takes a good many +stitches to make a muffler big enough for an +eight year old boy. The muffler was a deep +crimson and the mittens a warm shade of +gray with three rows of crimson in the wrist +end; Mary Jane had picked colors she was +sure Tom would like.</p> +<p>At last the twenty-fourth of December +came around—cold and snowy and just the +kind of a day for making a Christmas. The +trees were bought and set on the balcony, the +turkeys, two of them, were in the pantry +ready to dress and three big baskets were set +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_192' name='page_192'></a>192</span> +on the dining-room table ready for packing.</p> +<p>“Now, then,” said Mrs. Merrill, “if you +have everything ready, I think we’d better +pack all the things we can now, because +when Dadah comes home there’ll be plenty +to do.”</p> +<p>Mary Jane thought the packing was the +most fun of anything she had ever done. +They packed all the doll things in one +basket, doll things and toys and three nice +books. Of course the doll bed wouldn’t go +in the basket; it had to have a package all by +itself. A second basket was for clothing, +the pajamas—and no one would ever guess +that a girl as young as Alice had made those +charming garments—the muffler, the mittens, +one pair for each child, warm underwear +and a dress for each girl (one of the +nicest of Alice and Mary Jane’s outgrown +frocks). Mr. Merrill had added a nice flannel +shirt for Tom and Mrs. Merrill put in a +warm sweater for the good mother.</p> +<p>“That’s a basket they’ll like to open,” +said Alice, proudly, as she tucked the brand +new comforter Mrs. Merrill had made, +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_193' name='page_193'></a>193</span> +around the top, “they’ll be so happy they +won’t hardly be able to wait till they can +put ’em on!”</p> +<p>The third basket was fully as interesting +as the others. It was a big, big one and in +it the girls packed groceries, cans of vegetables +and soup and sugar—a very little bit +to be sure for there wasn’t much to be had, +but the Merrills had decided to send exactly +half of what they had—and oranges for +breakfast and cereals and bread. Then on +top, they were to put cookies and candy and +the turkey. But of course those last things +would go in in the morning, just before the +baskets were taken away.</p> +<p>By the time Mr. Merrill came home, the +three baskets were packed, covered up and +set in the corner of the dining-room ready +for morning.</p> +<p>“Now for the tree!” said Mr. Merrill as +he took off his coat ready for work. He set +their tree in the dining-room and with Alice’s +good help fixed a solid bottom standard and +set it up in the living-room right in front of +the foolish little fireplace. They wired it +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_194' name='page_194'></a>194</span> +firmly and then Mrs. Merrill brought in the +boxes of Christmas trimmings and everybody +set to work.</p> +<p>Such fun as it was! Mary Jane kept saying, +“Remember this!” And Alice added, +“Remember that!” till it seemed as though +it <i>couldn’t</i> be more than a week since last +Christmas when they had put the same things +on a tree that looked exactly like the one +they were now trimming. This year, seeing +Mary Jane was such a <i>very</i> old person, she +was allowed to put the gold star on the top +of the tree; she climbed the ladder, with +father holding one hand and wired it on all +by herself; and Alice, as a special privilege, +was allowed to hang the crystal icicles on +every tip.</p> +<p>Nobody put any tinsel on the tree—that +was left for the middle of the night like the +story of the old time legend. Whether the +spiders and the Christmas fairies, working +together, really covered the tree with silver, +Mary Jane never stopped to figure out. +But at any rate the tree was covered with +strings of gold the next morning and Mary +Jane thought it the prettiest Christmas tree +she had ever seen!</p> +<div class='figcenter'> +<a name='linki_4' id='linki_4'></a> +<img src='images/maryj-195.jpg' alt='' title='' style='width: 327px; height: 461px;' /><br /> +<p class='caption' style='margin: 0 auto; text-align:center;width: 327px;'> +This year, seeing Mary Jane was such a <i>very</i> old person,<br /> +she was allowed to put the gold star on the top of the tree<br /> +<i>Page 195</i><br /> +</p> +</div> + +<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_197' name='page_197'></a>197</span></div> +<p>The very last thing before she went to +bed, Mary Jane hung up her stocking. And +Alice, looking a bit foolish, hung hers close +by.</p> +<p>“I thought you two folks weren’t going to +have any Christmas,” said Mr. Merrill teasingly.</p> +<p>“Of course we’re not,” said Mary Jane +bravely, “but we want to hang our stockings +just the same as if—you know.” And +Dadah must have understood for he nodded +his head and didn’t tease any more.</p> +<p>Nobody would say how it ever happened. +Certainly it was well understood that there +were to be no presents. But, anyway, when +Mary Jane and Alice looked at those stockings +Christmas morning they were fat, as +fat could be! Just bulging over with queer +shaped parcels!</p> +<p>Mary Jane couldn’t even wait to put her +slippers on! She bundled a kimono around +her, grabbed up her stocking and ran into her +mother’s room to open it. Alice wasn’t far +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_198' name='page_198'></a>198</span> +behind and certainly for girls who were to +have <i>no</i> presents, they fared very well indeed! +Santa Claus must have got his signals +mixed some way! There were doll +things for Marie Georgiannamore, and a +ring for Mary Jane; hair ribbons, handkerchiefs, +skates for Alice (think of that in a +stocking!) and slippers for the little girl +who forgot to put on her old pair and, oh, +many lovely little things that could be +tucked into a stocking.</p> +<p>The girls spread the things out on mother’s +bed and had a happy time till suddenly +Mr. Merrill exclaimed, “Girls! It’s eight +o’clock and I ordered that taxi for nine!”</p> +<p>Then there <i>was</i> a scramble! Gifts were +hustled away, clothes were put on, breakfast +was eaten and a few last things packed in the +baskets, just as the taxi arrived.</p> +<p>It was fortunate Mr. Merrill had ordered a +big car for with three baskets, a bundle containing +the doll bed and another the turkey, +to say nothing of the tree roped on the side +of the car and the box of trimmings on Mrs. +Merrill’s lap even a big car was pretty full. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_199' name='page_199'></a>199</span></p> +<p>Mary Jane felt like a real Santa Claus for +sure!</p> +<p>The family they were going to see didn’t +know they were coming, so when the car +stopped in front of a shabby little house, +three puzzled and very sober faces pressed +against the window and looked out. But +the sober faces soon changed. In a few minutes +the mother was helping Mrs. Merrill +put the turkey in to roast, the older girl was +helping Mr. Merrill set the Christmas tree +in place and Tom and Ellen, the little girl, +were helping the Merrill girls trim the tree.</p> +<p>When the Merrills left the house some +two hours later the turkey was almost +cooked, the tree was trimmed, presents unpacked +and happiness and good cheer had +settled down in the little house for many a +day.</p> +<p>It was a good thing they came away +when they did, though, for exactly as they +drove up to their own home, they met an +express wagon. And in their own vestibule +they found the driver. “Family of Merrill +here?” he asked them. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_200' name='page_200'></a>200</span></p> +<p>“They’re us,” said Mary Jane eagerly. +And whereupon the driver carried upstairs +the biggest, fattest Christmas box Mary Jane +had ever seen.</p> +<p>Of course it was from grandma and in it +were so many lovely things from uncles and +grandparents and cousins that Mary Jane +thought she never would get everything unpacked!</p> +<p>“Well,” said the little girl as some time +later the family sat down to their own belated +dinner, “I think for not having any +presents, we got a lot! And I think I like +Christmas in Chicago just as much as anywhere, +I do.”</p> +<hr class='major' /> +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='A_SUMMER_HOME_AND_A_TELEGRAM' id='A_SUMMER_HOME_AND_A_TELEGRAM'></a> +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_201' name='page_201'></a>201</span> +<h2>A SUMMER HOME—AND A TELEGRAM</h2> +</div> + +<p>“Let’s go skating!” called Frances one +cold morning as she saw Alice shake +the bath room rug from the balcony.</p> +<p>“Skating?” answered Alice, “where?”</p> +<p>“Down on the Midway,” said Frances. +“As soon as you get your work done, you and +Mary Jane come around to our front door +and Betty and I will be ready.”</p> +<p>“But Mary Jane doesn’t know how to +skate,” said Alice.</p> +<p>“Betty doesn’t either,” answered Frances, +“but they can take their sleds and coast down +the sides of the bank while you and I skate.”</p> +<p>Alice promised and then she hurried inside +to finish her work. She had heard +about the fine skating on the Midway where +the park board flooded the sunken greens +for the benefit of neighborhood children, but +thus far the weather had been too mild for +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_202' name='page_202'></a>202</span> +any skating, so she hadn’t had a chance to +try it. But a sudden cold snap, with snow +enough to cover the sloping banks, had provided +both skating and coasting.</p> +<p>Well protected with warm mittens and +leggings the girls set out and had the jolliest +kind of a morning. At one end of the ice, +the younger folks did their coasting, the sloping +sides giving a flying start and the smooth +ice a glorious finish. At the other end the +older boys and girls did their skating, so +there was no mix up or interference.</p> +<p>That morning was the first of many happy +Saturday mornings spent on the ice. Even +Mary Jane got some skates and, with the +help of Dadah when he could get away from +the office, she learned to be a fine skater.</p> +<p>But winter fun never lasts very long. +Just about the time Mary Jane learned to +skate well enough to challenge Alice to a +race, the spring sun sent the ice to nowhere +land and the while-ago ice pond turned to +green grass! Spring had come.</p> +<p>With the coming of spring, Mary Jane +grew very restless. She wasn’t sick, but +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_203' name='page_203'></a>203</span> +something was wrong. Something was +making her very solemn and sober—quite +unlike her usual lively self.</p> +<p>“I know what’s the matter with me,” she +announced one warm sunny morning, “I +want to dig.”</p> +<p>“You want to dig?” exclaimed Mrs. Merrill +in amazement, “well, why don’t you go +down and dig in the Holdens’ yard? You +know Mrs. Holden said you might.”</p> +<p>“But I don’t want to dig in somebody’s +yard,” answered Mary Jane, without a spark +of interest, “I want to dig in my <i>own</i> yard +and have flowers and a sand pile and everything +right in my own yard, I do.”</p> +<p>Mrs. Merrill didn’t reply but she did do a +lot of thinking and that evening she and +Mr. Merrill had a long conference.</p> +<p>As a result, at breakfast table the next +morning Mr. Merrill said, “How would you +girls like to have a summer home of your +own? A place in the woods where we could +go as soon as school closes and where you +could wear bloomers and play in the sand +and gather flowers and make garden and all +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_204' name='page_204'></a>204</span> +the things you love to do but can’t do in +the city. How would you like that?”</p> +<p>Mary Jane and Alice stared at him. +Would they <i>like</i> it? anybody could see by +their faces that they would <i>love</i> it!</p> +<p>“But we wouldn’t want to leave you here +in Chicago, all summer,” objected Alice.</p> +<p>“And I wouldn’t want to be left,” Mr. +Merrill assured them. “But I am sure, +somewhere in the suburbs around Chicago +there must be <i>some place</i> we could get a summer +home. And we’ll make it our business +to find that place.”</p> +<p>“I thought,” began Mrs. Merrill, and then +she hesitated.</p> +<p>“Something nice?” asked Alice, encouragingly.</p> +<p>“It would have been nice,” admitted Mrs. +Merrill, “but likely we couldn’t do it. I’d +been thinking how pleasant it would be to +take another trip this summer. You know +how you girls enjoyed going to Florida. +And you remember Uncle Hal graduates +from Harvard this June. I had been wondering +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_205' name='page_205'></a>205</span> +if we could go east in time to be there +when the festivities are going on.”</p> +<p>“Oh, mother!” cried Mary Jane, “what +fun! I do want to ride on a train, a big +train with a sleeper and a diner! But then +I want to dig, too,” she added, insistently.</p> +<p>“Then we’ll take one thing at a time,” +suggested Mr. Merrill. “We’ll look into +the question of a summer home—we know +we’d all like that. And you folks don’t +know that a very popular uncle would <i>want</i> +a grown up sister and two small nieces hanging +around at commencement time,” he +added teasingly.</p> +<p>“How do you find a summer home?” asked +Alice thoughtfully.</p> +<p>“That’s what we’ll have to discover,” +laughed Mr. Merrill. “And we’ll begin +this very Saturday afternoon if the weather +is fine. We’ll take a suburban train and +ride till we see a place that looks homey and +there we’ll get off and hunt.”</p> +<p>The next Saturday was warm and sunny, +the kind of a day for bringing flowers into +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_206' name='page_206'></a>206</span> +bloom and for making little girls want to +play out of doors. Mrs. Merrill and the +girls met Mr. Merrill at his office so as not +to lose a minute’s time, and they hurried +right over to the station, and got aboard the +first suburban train they could find.</p> +<p>“I think this is lots of fun,” said Mary +Jane as they found their seats, “we don’t +know where we’re going—we’re just going!” +And the train was off.</p> +<p>For some time the girls were really discouraged. +They passed factories, and tenements, +and more factories till Mary Jane was +sure they were never coming to country—real +country. But suddenly, when she was +about to give up, the factories were gone and +from the window the girls could see wide +fields and strips of woods and an occasional +brook. Two or three little stations were +passed and then the train ran through a +beautiful stretch of woods—rolling woods +all leafy and budding and flower decked. +The ground was fairly covered with early +blossoms and trees of wild crab were just +bursting into pink bloom. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_207' name='page_207'></a>207</span></p> +<p>Mary Jane grabbed her coat and started +down the aisle.</p> +<p>“Make ’em stop the train, Dadah,” she +said, “this is where we want to live!”</p> +<p>Fortunately at that minute the train really +did stop at a small station and the Merrills +got off and looked around. It didn’t take +long to explore into the woods far enough to +find that they had come to the very place +they were looking for—a spot not too far +from the city for Mr. Merrill’s daily trip and +yet wild enough to give the girls some real +woods. The girls picked flowers as they explored +and had such a happy time that it was +hard work to persuade them to go back to the +city when the twilight came. But they had +found the very place!</p> +<p>Three weeks later Mr. Merrill bought a +lot in the heart of the woods, and the summer +home was no longer a mere dream—it +was to be really truly.</p> +<p>“Now,” announced Alice, “we’ll draw +the kind of a house we want. I love to draw +plans of a house!” She cleared off the dining +table, sharpened pencils, brought two +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_208' name='page_208'></a>208</span> +tablets and insisted that everybody come out +and help.</p> +<p>And just then the door bell rang.</p> +<p>“Telegram for Merrill!” shouted a voice +through the tube and Mary Jane pressed the +buzzer in a hurry—a telegram usually meant +something exciting.</p> +<p>It was addressed to Mrs. Merrill and said, +“Have all tickets and hotel reservations. +You and the girls must come.” And it was +signed by Mrs. Merrill’s brother.</p> +<p>“If that isn’t just like a college boy!” +laughed Mrs. Merrill. “For weeks he +doesn’t answer a letter and then he telegraphs! +Girls,” she added, “let’s go! +Wouldn’t you like to go to Boston and see +the college and the ocean and the White +Mountains—and—everything?”</p> +<p>“Oh, mother, <i>really</i>?” exclaimed Mary +Jane. (She felt as though she must be +dreaming, things were happening so fast!)</p> +<p>“But what about the summer home?” +asked Alice.</p> +<p>“Don’t you worry about the summer +home,” Mr. Merrill assured her, “we’ll have +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_209' name='page_209'></a>209</span> +that summer home just the same. You girls +take your trip east. You won’t be gone +more than a couple of weeks—and what are +two weeks out of a whole summer? And +before you go, we’ll get the shack all planned +and when you come back we’ll move out.”</p> +<p>“Goody! Goody! Goody!” cried Mary +Jane happily, “then I can see Uncle Hal +and ride on the train and dig a garden and +<i>everything</i>!”</p> +<p>And if you want to hear all about Mary +Jane’s beautiful trip to Boston and the +White Mountains, the fun she had sight-seeing +and the jolly party on “Class Day,” +you must read—</p> +<table summary='poetry' style='margin:0 auto'><tr><td> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>“<span style='font-variant: small-caps'>Mary Jane in New England</span>”</p> +</td></tr></table> + +<hr class='silver' /> + +<div class='ce'> +<p style=' font-size:1.4em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>THE MARY JANE SERIES</p> +<p style=' font-size:; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>BY CLARA INGRAM JUDSON</p> +<p style=' font-size:0.8em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>Cloth, 12mo. Illustrated.</p> +<p style=' font-size:0.8em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>With picture inlay and wrapper.</p> +</div> + +<div class='figleft'> +<img src='images/adv001.jpg' alt='' title='' style='width: 89px; height: 131px;' /><br /> +</div> + +<p>Mary Jane is the typical American little +girl who bubbles over with fun and the +good things in life. We meet her here on +a visit to her grandfather’s farm where she +becomes acquainted with farm life and farm +animals and thoroughly enjoys the experience. +We next see her going to +kindergarten and then on a visit to Florida, and then—but +read the stories for yourselves.</p> +<p>Exquisitely and charmingly written are these books which +every little girl from five to nine years old will want from the +first book to the last.</p> +<table summary='poetry' style='margin:0 auto'><tr><td> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>1 MARY JANE—HER BOOK</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>2 MARY JANE—HER VISIT</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>3 MARY JANE’S KINDERGARTEN</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>4 MARY JANE DOWN SOUTH</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>5 MARY JANE’S CITY HOME</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>6 MARY JANE IN NEW ENGLAND</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>7 MARY JANE’S COUNTY HOME</p> +</td></tr></table> + +<div class='ce'> +<p style=' font-size:; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>BARSE & HOPKINS</p> +<p style=' font-size:0.8em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:; font-style:italic;'>PUBLISHERS</p> +<p style=' font-size:; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>NEWARK, N. J. NEW YORK, N. Y.</p> +</div> + +<hr class='silver' /> + +<div class='ce'> +<p style=' font-size:1.2em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>CHICKEN LITTLE JANE SERIES</p> +<p style=' font-size:; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'><i>By</i> LILY MUNSELL RITCHIE</p> +</div> + +<div class='figleft'> +<img src='images/adv002.jpg' alt='' title='' style='width: 121px; height: 180px;' /><br /> +</div> + +<p>Chicken Little Jane is a +Western prairie girl who +lives a happy, outdoor life +in a country where there +is plenty of room to turn +around. She is a wide-awake, +resourceful girl +who will instantly win her +way into the hearts of +other girls. And what +good times she has!—with +her pets, her friends, and +her many interests. +“Chicken Little” is the affectionate +nickname given to her when she is +very, very good, but when she misbehaves it is +“Jane”—just Jane!</p> +<table summary='poetry' style='margin:0 auto'><tr><td> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>Adventures of Chicken Little Jane</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>Chicken Little Jane on the “Big John”</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>Chicken Little Jane Comes to Town</p> +</td></tr></table> + +<div class='ce'> +<p style=' font-size:0.8em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'><i>With numerous illustrations in pen and ink</i></p> +<p style=' font-size:; margin-top:; margin-bottom:1em;'>By CHARLES D. HUBBARD</p> +<p style=' font-size:1.2em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>BARSE & HOPKINS</p> +<p>NEWARK NEW YORK</p> +<p> N. J. N. Y.</p> +</div> + +<hr class='silver' /> + +<div class='ce'> +<p style=' font-size:1.4em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>Dorothy Whitehill Series</p> +<p style=' font-size:1.2em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'><i>For Girls</i></p> +</div> + +<div class='figleft'> +<img src='images/adv003.jpg' alt='' title='' style='width: 136px; height: 181px;' /><br /> +</div> + +<p>Here is a sparkling new +series of stories for girls—just +what they will like, +and ask for more of the +same kind. It is all about +twin sisters, who for the +first few years in their +lives grow up in ignorance +of each other’s existence. +Then they are at +last brought together and +things begin to happen. +Janet is an independent +go-ahead sort of girl; +while her sister Phyllis is—but meet the twins +for yourself and be entertained.</p> +<div class='ce'> +<p>5 Titles, Cloth, large 12mo.,</p> +<p>Covers in color.</p> +</div> + +<table summary='poetry' style='margin:0 auto'><tr><td> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>1. JANET, A TWIN</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>2. PHYLLIS, A TWIN</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>3. THE TWINS IN THE WEST</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>4. THE TWINS IN THE SOUTH</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>5. THE TWINS’ SUMMER VACATION</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>6. THE TWINS AND TOMMY JR.</p> +</td></tr></table> + +<div class='ce'> +<p style=' font-size:1.2em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>BARSE & HOPKINS</p> +<p style=' font-style:italic;'>PUBLISHERS</p> +<p>NEWARK, N. J. NEW YORK, N. Y.</p> +</div> + +<hr class='silver' /> + +<div class='ce'> +<p style=' font-size:1.2em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>THE POLLY PENDLETON SERIES</p> +<p style=' font-size:1.2em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>BY DOROTHY WHITEHILL</p> +</div> + +<div class='figleft'> +<img src='images/adv004.jpg' alt='' title='' style='width: 89px; height: 122px;' /><br /> +</div> + +<p>Polly Pendleton is a resourceful, wide-awake +American girl who goes to a boarding +school on the Hudson River some miles +above New York. By her pluck and resourcefulness, +she soon makes a place for +herself and this she holds right through the +course. The account of boarding school +life is faithful and pleasing and will attract +every girl in her teens.</p> +<table summary='poetry' style='margin:0 auto'><tr><td> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>1 POLLY’S FIRST YEAR AT BOARDING SCHOOL</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>2 POLLY’S SUMMER VACATION</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>3 POLLY’S SENIOR YEAR AT BOARDING SCHOOL</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>4 POLLY SEES THE WORLD AT WAR</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>5 POLLY AND LOIS</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>6 POLLY AND BOB</p> +</td></tr></table> + +<div class='ce'> +<p><i>Cloth, Large 12mo., Illustrated.</i></p> +</div> + +<hr class='minor' /> + +<div class='ce'> +<p>BARSE & HOPKINS</p> +<p>PUBLISHERS</p> +<p>Newark, N. J. New York, N. Y.</p> +</div> + +<hr class='silver' /> + +<div class='ce'> +<p style=' font-size:1.4em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>The Sunny Boy Series</p> +<p style=' font-size:1.2em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>By RAMY ALLISON WHITE</p> +</div> + +<div class='figleft'> +<img src='images/adv005.jpg' alt='' title='' style='width: 136px; height: 180px;' /><br /> +</div> + +<p>Children, meet Sunny +Boy, a little fellow with +big eyes and an inquiring +disposition, who finds the +world a large and wonderful +thing indeed. And +somehow there is lots going +on, when Sunny Boy +is around. Perhaps he +helps push! In the first +book of this new series he +has the finest time ever, +with his Grandpa out in +the country. He learns a +lot and he helps a lot, in his small way. Then +he has a glorious visit to the seashore, but this is +in the next story. And there are still more adventures +in the third book and fourth book. You +will like Sunny Boy.</p> +<div class='ce'> +<p>4 Titles, Cloth, illustrated, 12mo.,</p> +<p>with colored covers.</p> +</div> + +<table summary='poetry' style='margin:0 auto'><tr><td> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>1. SUNNY BOY IN THE COUNTRY</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>2. SUNNY BOY AT THE SEASHORE</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>3. SUNNY BOY IN THE BIG CITY</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>4. SUNNY BOY IN SCHOOL AND OUT</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>5. SUNNY BOY AND HIS PLAYMATES</p> +</td></tr></table> + +<div class='ce'> +<p style=' font-size:1.2em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>BARSE & HOPKINS</p> +<p style=' font-style:italic;'>PUBLISHERS</p> +<p>NEWARK, N. J. NEW YORK, N. Y.</p> +</div> + +<hr class='silver' /> + +<div class='ce'> +<p style=' font-size:1.2em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>GOOD STORIES FOR CHILDREN</p> +<p>(From four to nine years old)</p> +<p style=' font-size:1.4em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>THE KNEETIME ANIMAL STORIES</p> +<p>By RICHARD BARNUM</p> +</div> + +<div class='figleft'> +<img src='images/adv006.jpg' alt='' title='' style='width: 91px; height: 120px;' /><br /> +</div> + +<p>In all nursery literature animals have +played a conspicuous part; and the reason +is obvious, for nothing entertains a child +more than the antics of an animal. These +stories abound in amusing incidents such +as children adore, and the characters are +so full of life, so appealing to a child’s +imagination, that none will be satisfied until +they have met all of their favorites—Squinty, +Slicko, Mappo, and the rest.</p> +<table summary='poetry' style='margin:0 auto'><tr><td> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>1 Squinty, the Comical Pig.</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>2 Slicko, the Jumping Squirrel.</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>3 Mappo, the Merry Monkey.</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>4 Tum Tum, the Jolly Elephant.</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>5 Don, a Runaway Dog.</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>6 Dido, the Dancing Bear.</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>7 Blackie, a Lost Cat.</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>8 Flop Ear, the Funny Rabbit.</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>9 Tinkle, the Trick Pony.</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>10 Lightfoot, the Leaping Goat.</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>11 Chunky, the Happy Hippo.</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>12 Sharp Eyes, the Silver Fox.</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>13 Nero, the Circus Lion.</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>14 Tamba, the Tame Tiger.</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>15 Toto, the Rustling Beaver.</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>16 Shaggo, the Mighty Buffalo.</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>17 Winky, the Wily Woodchuck.</p> +</td></tr></table> + +<div class='ce'> +<p style=' font-size:0.8em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'><i>Cloth, Large 12mo., Illustrated.</i></p> +</div> + +<div class='ce'> +<p style=' font-size:1.2em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>BARSE & HOPKINS</p> +<p>Publishers</p> +<p>Newark, N. J. New York, N. Y.</p> +</div> + +<hr class='silver' /> + +<div class='ce'> +<p style=' font-size:1.2em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>The Yank Brown Series</p> +<p><i>By</i> DAVID STONE</p> +<p><i>Cloth, large</i> 12 <i>mo. Illustrated.</i></p> +</div> + +<div class='figleft'> +<img src='images/adv007.jpg' alt='' title='' style='width: 128px; height: 180px;' /><br /> +</div> + +<p>When Yank Brown comes +to Belmont College as a +callow Freshman, there is +a whole lot that he doesn’t +know about college life, +such as class rushes, rivalries, +fraternities, and what +a lowly Freshman must +not do. But he does know +something about how to +play football, and he is a +big, likeable chap who +speedily makes friends.</p> +<p>In the first story of this +series we watch Yank buck the line as a Halfback. +In the second story he goes in for basketball, +among many other activities of a busy college +year. Then there are other stories to follow—each +brimful of action and interest. This +is one of the best college series we have seen in +a long while.</p> +<table summary='poetry' style='margin:0 auto'><tr><td> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>YANK BROWN, HALFBACK</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>YANK BROWN, FORWARD</p> +<p style='margin: 0 0 0 0.0em;'>YANK BROWN, CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNER</p> +</td></tr></table> + +<div class='ce'> +<p style=' font-size:1.2em;'>BARSE & HOPKINS</p> +<p>NEWARK NEW YORK</p> +<p>N. J. N. Y.</p> +<div style='margin-top:1em'></div> +<p style=' font-size:0.8em; margin-top:; margin-bottom:;'>(<i>Other volumes in preparation.</i>)</p> +</div> + +<!-- generated by ppgen.rb version: 2.25 --> +<!-- timestamp: Wed Sep 03 07:23:41 -0400 2008 --> + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Mary Jane's City Home, by Clara Ingram Judson + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARY JANE'S CITY HOME *** + +***** This file should be named 26517-h.htm or 26517-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/6/5/1/26517/ + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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