After we were across the rivière we went in a more slow way. There was so many things to see. Trees and trees were all along the way. There were more ranch-houses. I did have seeing of them set always back from the road, and smoke did come in curls from out their chimneys. At a bend in the road there was a big chêne tree—it was a very big one. On its arms there was bunches of mistletoe. I made a stop to have looks at them. I had thinks I might reach up to them. I stood on tiptoe on the back of William Shakespeare. I could reach a reach to one limb. I put my arms around it and had a swing. It was very nice to swing one forward and two back again.
But when I was ready to stand on William Shakespeare again, he was not there. I looked a look down and about. He was gone on a little way. I had wonders what to do. There was most too many rocks to drop down on. Lars Porsena came and perched on the limb above. I did call William Shakespeare four times, and in between I called him by the bird-call that does mean I have needs of him. He did come and he made a stop under the limb. I was most glad. My arms did have a queer feel from hanging there. I was real glad just to sit quiet on the back of William Shakespeare while he did walk on. And Lars Porsena of Clusium did sit behind me.
We went on. We had seeing of the section men working on the railroad track where the dinky engine goes with the cars of lumbers to the mill town. They were making stoop-overs. I had seeing they did screwtineyes the rails and the ties they stay upon. The men did wave their hands to us, and I did wave back, and on the fence there was a bird with a yellow and a little black moon across his front. His back—it was like the grasses of the field grown old. And his song is the song of all the voices of the field. We have seeing of him and his brothers all days of the year.
After we had going past the next turn in the road I did look a look back. A little bush with some tallness was yet a-nodding. It was asking a question. I gave William Shakespeare two pats on the shoulder. That means turn about. He did. When we were come to the bush a-nodding, I leaned over to the tallness of it. I put my ear close so I could have hearing. It had wants to know what day this was. I did tell it this day was the going-away day of John of Gaunt and the borning day of Felix Mendelssohn in 1809. It had hearings, but it did not stop nodding. But it was asking no questions. It was nodding nods of the day this is. I felt the satisfaction feels it did feel when it did know the answer to its question. I do too have likes to ask questions about things so to have knows.
We went on in a slow way. I did look looks about. And there were birds—robins and two bluebirds and more larks of the meadow and other crows like unto Lars Porsena of Clusium. When we was come to another bend in the road, William Shakespeare made a stop. I made a slide off. I went to pick him some grass. A wagon went by. Two horses were in front of it, and on its high seat was a man with his hat on sideways and a woman with a big fascinator most hiding her face. There was seven children in the wagon—two with sleeps upon them and a little girl with a tam-o’-shanter and a frown and a cape on her. I have thinks from the looks on their faces they all did have wants to get soon to where they were going to. I brought the grass back to the road to William Shakespeare. I smiled a smile and waved to the last little girl of all on the wagon. She smiled and waved her hand. Then three more of them waved. I waved some more. The wagon had its going on, and William Shakespeare had begins to nibble at the grass I was holding in my fingers. While he did nibble nibbles I did tell him poems. William Shakespeare does have such a fondness for poetry and nibbles of grass and apples and sugar-lumps.
While we did have waiting at the bend of the road, I saw a maple tree with begins of buds upon it. I did walk up to the tree. I put my ear to it to have listens to the sap going up. It is a sound I like to hear. There is so much of springtime in it. While I did listen, in the other ear that was not to the maple tree I did have hearings of the talkings of the wind and petite plants just having begins to grow out of the earth. The wind did say, “Je viens—je viens.” The plants did answer make, “Nous entendons—nous entendons.” So they did speak. Then the wind did say, “Le printemps viendra bientôt.” And the plants did answer make, “Nous fleurirons bientôt.”
I did have glad feels. William Shakespeare moved a little move. I had some doubts if he did hear all plainly they did say, so I went up to his nose and said it all over to him. He had understanding. We went on. When we were come again to a stump, I did climb again upon his back. We went by a big mill with piles of lumber to its near side, and a long wide roof it had. There was a row of lumber-shanties and some more. There was children about and dogs. They did smile and wave and I did too. We went on. More fir trees of great tallness was on either side the road. They did stretch out their great arms to welcome to us. I so do love trees. I have thinks I was once a tree growing in the forest; now all trees are my brothers.
When we were gone a little way on from the very tall trees, in the sky the light of day was going from blue to silver. And thoughts had coming down the road to meet us. They were thoughts from out the mountains where are the mines. They were thoughts from the canyons that come down to meet the road by the rivière. I did feel their coming close about us. Very near they were and all about. We went on a little way only. We went very slow. We had listens to the thoughts. They were thoughts of blooming-time and coming-time. They were the soul thoughts of little things that soon will have their borning-time.
When we did go on we did hear little sounds coming from a long way down the road. They were like the shoe on the foot of a horse making touches on the road in a hurry way. The sound, it came more near. We made a stop to have a listen. It was coming more near gray-light-time and we could not have plain sees until the horse was come more near a way down the road. Then we had sees a man was riding on the horse. They came on in the quick way that made the little fast patter sounds on the ground. When he was most come to where we were, the man did have the horse to go in a more slow way. When he was come to where we were he did have the horse to stop. The man upon the horse was the man that wears gray neckties and is kind to mice. He did seem most glad that we were on the road he was on. He did breathe some satisfaction breathes just like Sadie McKibben does when she finds I have n’t broken my bones when I fall out of a tree. Then he made begins. He said, “The fairies—” And I said, “What?” He said, “The fairies have left a note on a leaf in the moss-box by the old log. It was a note for me to go until I find you and William Shakespeare—to bring you home again before starlight-time.”
There was a little fern-plant with the note on the leaf. He gave them to me. And we came our way home. Now I have thinks it was God in his goodness did send the fairies to leave that fern-note on the leaf. And William Shakespeare and I were glad he was come to meet us, for the stars were not and dark was before we were come home. But the man that wears gray neckties and is kind to mice, he did have knows of the way of the road by night.
“AFTER WE WERE ACROSS THE RIVIÈRE WE WENT IN A MORE SLOW WAY” [Return to text]
Jenny Strong is come to visit us. She came in the morning of to-day. She came on the logging train. She brought her bags with her. The mamma did send me to meet her at the meeting of the roads. The bags, they were heavy to carry, and my arms got some tired. As we did go along, in-between times I did look looks at Jenny Strong. There is so much of interest about her. The gray curls about her face did have the proper look she wants them to have. To get that proper look she does them up on curl-papers. I have seen her so do when she was come to visit us before. And this morning her plump cheeks were roses. And all her plumpness did most fill the gray dresses she was wearing. Jenny Strong has little ruffles around the neck of that dress, like the little ruffles that was around the neck of the man with the glove when Titian made his picture. Those ruffles on the neck of the gray dress of Jenny Strong did look like it was their joy to cuddle up against the back of her black bonnet.
That black bonnet has a pink rosebud on it, and every time that Jenny Strong does give her head a nod, that pink rosebud does give itself a nod. It must be interest to be a pink rosebud on a black bonnet that Jenny Strong wears. When we were come to the gate Jenny Strong did hold her cape and her gray dress up in a careful way. She had blue stockings on, and they was fastened up with pink ribbons. She went on while I did shut the gate. I did come after. I could not come after in a quick way because the bags was heavy. Pretty soon Jenny Strong did have seeing I was not there beside her, and she did wait waits for me a little while, and I did come to where she was.
We went on. The way was dampness near the singing creek and Jenny Strong did take dainty steps as we did go along. Lars Porsena of Clusium did come to meet us. And so came Brave Horatius. And Lars Porsena of Clusium did perch upon his back. We went on. The pink rosebud on the black bonnet of Jenny Strong did nod itself twelve times as we did go along. When we were come near unto the house, there was a rooster by our front door. He was strutting along. He was that same rooster that I tied a slice of bacon around his neck this morning because he had queer actions in the throat. When Jenny Strong saw him strutting along with the bacon wrapped around his throat, she did turn her head to the side with a delicate cough.
After Jenny Strong took off her cape and her black bonnet with the pink rosebud on it, I did pull the best rocking-chair out in the middle of the room for her. She sat down in it and she did start to have talks with the mamma. I did go to teeter the baby on the bed as the mamma did say for me to do. Jenny Strong did rock big rocks in that rocking-chair while she did talk. One time she did almost rock over. She breathed a big breath. Then, that she might not rock over again, I did put a stick of wood under the rocker. That helped some. But, too, it did keep her from rocking. She went on talking. I went back to the bed to teeter the baby. While I did teeter the baby I did look looks out the window. In a bush that I do tie pieces of suet to, there was a little gray bird with a black cap and his throat it was black. He was a fluffy ball and he almost did turn himself upside-down on that branch. Then he went a go-away. Only a little way he went. Then he was with more like himself. They went on together.
By and by the mamma’s baby did go to sleep, and I climbed off the bed and made a start to go to the nursery. Jenny Strong did ask me where I was going. I did tell her. She said she thought she would like to go with me. We did go out the door. Then I ran a quick run back to get her black bonnet with the pink rosebud on it. I brought it to her. She said, being as I did bring it to her, she would wear it, but she had not in tent chuns to when we started. She had forgot it. But I did n’t have forgets. I do so like to see that pink rosebud nod itself.
We went on. We went a little way down the path. Then I did go aside. Jenny Strong did follow after me. She came over the little logs in a slow way. I did make stops to help her. The pink rosebud on the black bonnet did nod itself fifteen times on the way. I did count its times. When we were come to the nursery, first I did show her the many baby seeds I did gather by the wayside in the falltime. I did tell her how I was going to plant them when come springtime. She did nod her head. Every time she so did, the pink rosebud on the black bonnet did nod itself.
After I told her most all about the seeds, I did show her the silk bags with spider eggs in them. Then I did show her all the cradles the velvety caterpillars did make at falltime. I did give her explainings how butterflies and moths would be a-coming out of the cradles when springtime was come. She looked concentration looks at them. She gave her head some more nods and the pink rosebud on the black bonnet gave itself some more nods. I moved on to where the wood-mouse folks are. I was just going to show her what a nice nose and little hands Nannerl Mozart has, and what a velvety mouse Felix Mendelssohn is. When I did turn about to so do, there was Jenny Strong going in funny little hops over the logs. She was going in a hurry way to the house.
I did have a wonder why was it she so went. I gave Felix Mendelssohn more pats and I put him in my apron pocket. And Nannerl Mozart did curl up in the bed I have fixed for her in the nursery. Then I did sing a lullaby song to all the wood-mice in the nursery. And they are a goodly number. I did sing to them the song La Nonette sings as it goes on its way to Oise.
Then I did go through the near woods to the mill by the far woods. I so did go to see the man that wears gray neckties and is kind to mice. When he had seeing that I was come by the big tree, he did say in his gentle way, “What is it, little one? Is Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus not well?” “Oh, yes,” I said, “he is most well and he did have likes for that piece of cheese you did give to him on yesterday. He is a most lovely wood-rat, and what I have come to tell you about is, we got company. She has a fondness for pinkness. Her name is Jenny Strong. And she has a pink rosebud on her black bonnet and ties her blue stockings up with pink ribbons.”
And then I did ask him if he did not have thinks a pink ribbon would be nice for Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus to wear on some days—on days when he goes to cathedral service with me. And, too, I did tell him how I did have thinks a pink ribbon would be nice for William Shakespeare and Felix Mendelssohn and Lars Porsena of Clusium and Brave Horatius.
The man that wears gray neckties and is kind to mice did have thinks like my thinks. He did say for me to go write the fairies about it. And I did. I did write it on a gray leaf. I put the gray leaf in a moss-box at the end of an old log near unto the altar of Saint Louis. The man that wears gray neckties and is kind to mice knows about that moss-box where I do put letters for the fairies. He believes in fairies, too. And we talk about them. He does ask me what I write to them about and what things I have needs for them to bring. I do tell him, and when the fairies do leave the things at the end of the old log, I do take and show them to the man that wears gray neckties and is kind to mice. He is so glad. He does believe in fairies, too.
As I did come back through the near woods, I did stop by some grand fir trees to pray. When one does look looks up at the grand trees growing up almost to the sky, one does always have longings to pray. When I did come on, I did hear the mamma calling. When I was come to the door, she made me go stand in the corner of the wood-shed. Soon she came out. She did shut the door tight behind her. Then she did ask me what for was it I gave Jenny Strong such a scare, and she did spank me most hard. Now I have sore feels and I have thinks it would be nice to have a cushion to sit on. And I do have wonders what it was Jenny Strong got scares about. I think grown-ups are queer sometimes.
When I did go into the house, all the scares was gone off Jenny Strong. The mamma soon did make me to go under the bed. Here I print. Jenny Strong sits by the fire. She does sit in a rocking-chair with her feet propped up on a soap-box. She hums as she sits. She crochets as she hums. She does make lace in a quick way.
Now Jenny Strong and the mamma is gone to the house of Elsie to see the new baby. When she did go, the mamma did tell me to put the baby to sleep. I so did. I did sing it to sleep in the rocking-chair. I did sing it the Rivière and Fleuve song: “A is for Adour, Avre, Ain, Aube, Arroux, and Allier.” When I did get to “D is for Douze and Dordogne and Durance,” the baby did move its arm. When I did get to “G is for Garonne and Gers and Gard,” the baby did open its eyes. When I did get to “I is for Indre, and Isère and Iraouaddy,” it did close its eyes. I did sing on. And sleeps did come upon the baby.
We had lots on the table to eat to-night, because Jenny Strong is come. And most everything I did get to eat I did make divides of it for my animal friends. They will all have a good share. And they will be glad. There is enough for all to have a good amount to eat, which often is n’t. I did feel a goodly amount of satisfaction sitting there at the supper-table to-night for a little time. I was thinking how glad the mice will be for the corn I have saved for them; and too Brave Horatius will have good feels in his mouth when he sees that big bone. And the birds will like all the scraps that are on the plate of Jenny Strong if I can get them before the mamma gives them to that big gray cat.
I have seeings that the folks, they are almost through eating. I now am not at the table. I was only there for a very little while. I now am under the bed. The mamma did send me away from the table—it seems a long time ago. She did send me away from the table because when Jenny Strong asked me if I liked her dress, I said, “Yes, and the ruffles around your neck are like the ruffles around the neck of the man with the glove, when Titian made his picture.” Jenny Strong looked a queer look and she said to the mamma, “What a naughty child!” The mamma did straightway tell me to crawl under the bed and to stay there. I so am. I have feels Jenny Strong has not had seeing of the picture of the man with the glove that Titian did make. I thought it was nice to tell her her ruffles were like his. They did look so nice.
I have wonders about folks. They are hard to understand. I think I will just say a little prayer. My, I do have such hungry feels now. They at the table are not through yet. I make swallows down my throat. It is most hard not to eat what I have saved for my animal friends. But they will like it—so I can wait waits until breakfast-time. I can. In-between times I will have thinks and prayers.
This day—it was a lonely day. I did have longings all its hours for Angel Mother and Angel Father. In-between times all day at school I did print messages for them on gray leaves I did gather on the way to school. I did tell on the leaves the longings I was having. Too, on the leaves I did tell of William Shakespeare and our talks as we do go walking down the lane, and the poetry I do tell him in the manger. And I did print on more leaves how I do read out of the books they did make—how I do sit in the manger and read what is in them, and he does have understandings. And on other leaves I did tell them as how the nose of Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus that was soreness has now well feels with prayers and mentholatum that Sadie McKibben did give, and as how the head-ache of the most big rooster has now well feels with camphoratum and vaselineatum; and as how the stomach-ache of Aphrodite did get well feels with caster oilatum that Sadie McKibben did give. And after, I did tell of how on many days in gray-light-time I have had going on searches for the kisses of Angel Father, what he did tell me to keep watches for in the fleurs while he was away gone to the far lands. And on more leaves I did tell them as how Peter Paul Rubens that was is not now, and how I do carry about with me the little bell he always did wear in the cathedral.
And when these leaves were so done, I did not go on for a time little. For a little time I did have thinks. And the thinks I did have—they were about the glad song. The glad song in my heart sings not bright to-day. It is lonesome feels I have. But I do try to have thinks as how I can bring happiness to folks about. That is such a help when lonesome feels do come. Angel Mother did say, “Make earth glad, little one—that is the way to keep the fire-tongue of the glad song ever in your heart. It must not go out.” I so do try to keep it there. I so do try, for it is helps on cold days and old days. And I did have remembers as how it was Angel Mother did say, “When one keeps the glad song singing in one’s heart then do the hearts of others sing.”
So I did make hard swallows to swallow all the lonesome feels, and I did have thinks as how I would stop to get water-cress for the mamma on the way home from school. She does have such a fondness for it. And too she does have longings for singing lessons. I am saving my pennies to buy her one. All the pennies that the man that wears gray neckties and is kind to mice does give to me I save. I put them in the corner of the wood-shed where Brave Horatius sleeps at night. I think I have most enough pennies to buy her a singing lesson now. I have nineteen pennies. And when I grow up I am going to buy her a whole rain-barrel full of singing lessons.
And then I did have thinks as how to-morrow I will be taking Elizabeth Barrett Browning to visit the girl who has no seeing. They do both have likings for one another. The girl who has no seeing has an understanding soul. All my friends do have appreciations of the pats she does give to them and the words she does say. And sometimes a goodly number of them do have goings to her house with me. That is when her folks are not at home. Then does Elizabeth Barrett Browning walk right by my side up to the door. And Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus cuddles up in my arms, and in my pockets do ride other folks—and Brave Horatius follows after.
When we are come, she does smooth back my curls and give me a kiss. She says when we are come, “Here is come the kingdom of heaven.” I have feels she has mistakes about that, because the kingdom of heaven, being up in the sky, is there beyond the stars. And when we are come, she does have asking about the voices. And I do help her to get understandings of the thoughts growing with the fleurs and the trees and the leaves. And I do tell her as how those are God’s thoughts growing right up out of the earth. And she wants to know more. Always she does ask for more. To-morrow we will go—Elizabeth Barrett Browning and me—we will go the way that does lead to the house of the girl that has no seeing.
To-day, after I did have thinks about it in school, I did print more messages on leaves for Angel Father and Angel Mother. I did tell them about the girl who has no seeing. And on more leaves I did print all about the cathedral and how the presence of Saint Louis is always near unto it. And then it was come time for school to let out.
I went adown the road. I went the way by the field where Aidan of Iona come from Lindisfarne was on yesterday. I climbed the fence. I looked looks about. He was not there to-day. But there were Bede of Jarrow and Felix of Croyland. I did have talks with them. I went on. I went on to the singing creek where the willows grew. I gathered water-cress for the mamma. Then I did go my way to the house we live in. No one was there. I put the water-cress for the mamma on the cook table. Then I did bring much wood in and put it in the wood-box back of the kitchen stove.
After the chickens did have their supper feed, I did go into the near woods. I so went to tie the messages I did print on gray leaves to the trees. And I tied one on one tree and one on another. I tied them there that they may go in thoughts to Angel Mother and Angel Father up in heaven there. And I did have thinks when the angels come to walk in the near woods they would see and carry them on. And I did say a little prayer every time I did tie on a leaf-message.
I did look looks about. This woods is gray in winter when come cold days. And gray shadows walk among the trees. They touch one’s face with velvet fingers when one goes walking there in the woods. In the winter old gray leaves grow to look like lace. They are very beautiful. As I did go along, I saw many gray rocks. Some gray rocks had gray and green patches on them. Some of these patches had ruffles all around their edges. The gray patches on gray rocks are lichens. My Angel Father said so. Lichen folks talk in gray tones. I think they do talk more when come winter days. I hear their voices more in December than I do hear their voices in July and June time. Angel Father did show me the way to listen to lichen voices. Most grown-ups don’t hear them at all. I see them walk right by—in a hurry sometimes. And all the time the lichen folks are saying things. And the things they say are their thoughts about the gladness of a winter day. I put my ear close to the rocks and I listen. That is how I do hear what they are saying. Then I do take a reed for a flute. I climb on a stump—on the most high stump that is near. I pipe on the flute to the wind what the lichens are saying. I am piper for the lichens that dwell on the gray rocks, and the lichens that cling to the trees grown old.
Morning works is done—and some more already too. There is enough barks in for to-day and to-morrow. And many kindlings are now in on the floor by the big wood-box. I have had my dinner at the noontime and I went into the barn. There were little sad sounds in the stall. It was the moos of Mathilde Plantagenet. Now I have thinks her moos were moos for some dinner at noontime. She has breakfast at morningtime and supper she has at gray-light-time. But when noontime is come, Mathilde Plantagenet is here in the barn, and her mother, the most gentle Jersey cow, is away out in the pasture. I have thinks there is needs for me to take Mathilde Plantagenet from the barn to the pasture at noontimes so she may have her dinner. I go now to so do.
I did give the latch of the barn-door a slip back. Then I led Mathilde Plantagenet out by the little rope I did use to use to lead Elizabeth Barrett Browning out by when she was a little calf. We went our way to the pasture-bars. I did give to one a push, and it made a drop down. Then I gave two more pushes, and they went drop downs. We went on through in between. It took a more long time to fix up the pasture-bars. They have so heavy feels when I go to put them back again. When I did have them so put, we made a go-on. We went a little way on. We did not have goes far, for the gentle Jersey cow had sees of our coming and she came to meet us. We was glad to have it so. I have thinks Mathilde Plantagenet did have most joy feels about it. She did start to get her dinner from her mother in a quick way. I watched her suck and suck some more. Seeing her have her dinner from her mother a long time before suppertime did make me to have such a big amount of satisfaction feels.
The grandpa felt not so. There was disturbs on his temper. He was at our house when I was come home from leading Mathilde Plantagenet back to the barn after she had sucked her mother a long time. The mamma did spank me some and some more. Now I have wonders why was it the grandpa felt not satisfaction feels at Mathilde Plantagenet having her dinner near noontime just like most all other children.
After the mamma did spank me, she told me more works to do, and she went with her father to the ranch-house to see her mother that was newly come back from the mill town where she did go early on this morning.
When the more works was done, I went in a quick soft way to the woods. I made little hops over the bushes—the little bushes—as I did go along. I went along the path until I came near unto the way that does lead to the big old log where is the moss-box. I hid behind a tree when I was almost come there. I so did to wait a wait to see if the fairies were near about. I had not seeing of one about the moss-box.
I looked looks about. I looked looks about the old root by the log. It turned a big piece of bark over. Under it was something between two layers of moss tied up with a pink ribbon. I felt glad feels. When I did untie the pink ribbon around the moss, there was lots more of pink ribbons. They did have little cards, and the little card on a nice long piece of pink ribbon said, “For Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus.” Another card on a more long piece did say, “For William Shakespeare.” Another card on a more short piece did say, “For Lars Porsena of Clusium.” And there was a ribbon for Brave Horatius and Isaiah and Elizabeth Barrett Browning and for Mathilde Plantagenet, and there was more.
I did take them all in my arms and I did go to the mill in the far woods. I so went to show all those pretty pink ribbons to the man that wears gray neckties and is kind to mice. I did show him all the cards that was on them. He was glad. I had seeing of the glad light in his eyes. He and I—we do believe in fairies. Near him to-day was working the man of the long step that whistles most all of the time. He is a man with an understanding soul. When Brave Horatius did get his leg hurt the other day, this man did wash it and mentholatum it, and he wrapped his handkerchief in rounds around it. Brave Horatius has likes for him, too.
To-day, when I did show to the man that wears gray neckties and is kind to mice all the pink ribbons the fairies did bring, he did say he thought the other man would like to see Brave Horatius’s new pink ribbon that he was going to wear to cathedral service come a Sunday. And he did have likes to see it. When I told him how it was brought by the fairies to the moss-box by the old log, he said, “By jolly—that’s fine.” And the man that wears gray neckties and is kind to mice gave me pats on the head, and I brought the ribbons back to a box where I do keep things in the woods.
I went on. When I was come to the house we live in, I had sees the mamma was come back. When I was come into the house, I had sees with her the mamma brought back a little bottle—it is called china-mending glue—guaranteed to stick. That sounds great. I believe that bottle is quite a blessing. It has an interest look. It will be of much use in many ways. I’m glad the mamma set it on the lamp-shelf, because I can climb on the stove and reach up to the shelf.
Now I go to talk with the willows where Nonette flows. I am going to tell them about this being the borning day of Queen Elizabeth of York, in 1465. Then I am going goes to tell William Shakespeare and Lars Porsena of Clusium about it.
The nipple on Elsie’s baby’s milk-bottle has not stay-ons. It has had come-offs a lot of times to-day. The last time it did come off, Elsie did say, “I wish it would stick tight this time.” I was standing by with the bacon she was sending back that she did borrow from the mamma. When I did hear her express her wish, I did tell her I had knows of a way to make that nipple stick tight on the baby’s milk-bottle. She said, “That’s nice—I don’t know of a way.” Inside me I had feels she ought to have knows of a way—now that her babies are two. But I had sees how it was she had not knows of a way; on her lamp-shelf back of the stove there is no bottle of china-mending glue guaranteed to stick. I looked looks up to the shelf and there was not any.
She had asks for me to show her the way. I told her it was as I would have to go first to the house we live in. I so went in a quick way. The mamma was not in. I put the bacon on the cook-table. Then I made a climb up on the stove to get the bottle of china-mending glue. I most fell off the stove, but I did n’t. If I did, I might have broke the bottle of china-mending glue guaranteed to stick. That would have been a cal lamb of tea.
When I was come to the house of Elsie, she had askings what was she to do. I told her to go in the bedroom and shut her eyes while her wish came true. She filled the baby’s bottle that used to be a brandy bottle with warm milk. She gave it and the nipple to me, and she went into the bedroom to wait waits for her wish to come true. A little time it took. I had to have carefuls, so there would n’t be glue in top of the bottle too. I made it in a nice ring around the top. Then I put some more china-mending glue guaranteed to stick in a ring around the edge of the nipple. That fixed it. When I put it on, I had knows it would stick.
I put the china-mending glue in my pocket, and when I did say, “It is fixed!” Elsie did come. I felt a big amount of satisfaction. It is nice to help people to have what they wish for. It was as Elsie did have wishes for it to be. When I did hand it to her, she did have askings how was she going to have it stick on on other days when I was not there to make it so do. She did have asks how did I do it. I told her it was n’t me—it was the china-mending glue guaranteed to stick. That was what did it.
She had a spell of cough. It came in a sudden way upon her while I was telling her what it was that made the nipple stick like she had wishes for it to. I had not knows in the morning of this day she had a cold. Whenever she does have a cold or feels of a one coming, she does send in a quick way for her mother. And her mother does come. She comes down the road that goes up to the mines. She has not come yet. And it’s an awful cough Elsie did have then, and tears in her eyes.
When she did get better of the cough, I did give more explains how she could always make the nipple stick on tight on the baby’s bottle by keeping there on her lamp-shelf a bottle of mending glue guaranteed to stick. She started to have coughs again and I gave her some pats on the back, like I have seen a man by the mill by the far woods pat his brother on the back. The pats on the back did help her some. When she had coughs no more, I went out the door. She stepped out on her back steps. She gave my curls a smooth back and told me thanks for making her wish come true. And she told me more thanks for the in form ashun about how to make the nipple stick on the baby’s bottle other times.
When I was come into the house we live in, I had thinks to go to visit Dear Love. When I did give my dress a smooth-out, I did have feels of that tear I got in it yesterday on top the barn door when I did go to talk with Michael Angelo Sanzio Raphael. That was not a little tear. It was quite a big one. I had thinks it might get some more tear if I did not mend it. I got a patch. It was almost like the dress. It was a piece of a piece that was left when the mamma did make for her baby a jacket of light blue outing flannel. The patch of light blue looked nice on my dark blue calico dress, and the patch did have a soft feel. I mended it onto my dress with china-mending glue guaranteed to stick. Mending it that way saves so much time. It is quicker than mending it with a needle and thread in the regular way.
Then I went to get the cap of the husband of Dear Love. The husband of Dear Love has given me one of his old caps to carry some of my pets in. Sometimes caterpillars do ride in it—black and brown ones that do roll up in a ball and sleep the all of the time that I have them out for a walk. And sometimes Felix Mendelssohn and Nannerl Mozart and Louis II, le Grand Condé, do all ride in it. It is a nice warm place for them to ride when we do go on winter walks. But mostly Louis II, le Grand Condé, has prefers to ride in the sleeves of my warm red dress.
Sometimes Brave Horatius does wear this cap that was the cap of the husband of Dear Love. It so was to-day when Brave Horatius and I did go to visit Dear Love; Brave Horatius did wear the cap of her husband. I put little pink-ribbon strings on it, and I did tie them under his chin in a nice way. He was very quiet while I did so do, and his being quiet did help me to get them tied in a nice way. He is such a lovely dog. And he does have appreciations for all the things I do for him. When I did have that cap tied on in a nice way, he did bark a joy bark, and he gave his tail three wags, and we did start to go to the house of Dear Love.
As we did go along I did make stops to look for cones and to get a piece of long moss. I put them in my pocket. I put them there for the girl who has no seeing. She has likes for the things I bring her to feel. She says she has likes to have them near her in the house she does live in. So most every day I do find something for her, so she can have joy with its feels. She so does like pine-needles. I did gather for her my little basket full of pine-needles under the most tall pine tree of all.
We went on. Little blue fleurs are early blooming now, before the oak and maple trees have yet their leaves. I do so like blue. It is glad everywhere. When I grow up I am going to write a book about the glads of blue—and about the dauphinelle and lin and cornette and nigelle and herbe-de-la-trinité.
We made more stops to tell the willows by Nonette about this day being the borning day of Galileo in 1564 and the going-away day of Michael Angelo in 1564. And I did say another little thank prayer to God for their borning. This morning we did have prayers of thanks in the cathedral for the works they did on earth. And Elizabeth Barrett Browning was there and Brave Horatius and most of the rest of us, except Louis II, le Grand Condé.
When we were come to the house of Dear Love, the husband of Dear Love was making for her a chair. He was putting much work on all the little pieces. He did make all little rough places to have much smoothness. He so did with tools out of a tool-box he does keep in the kitchen of their little house. When he is not having uses of the tools in the tool-box, then the tool-box has its lid down and it is a seat to sit on. Sometimes on rainy days when I do take Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus to visit Dear Love, we all do sit on the tool-box and Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus does allow Dear Love to give him gentle pats on his nice white paws. He does have such beautiful ones. To-day he did have allows for her to pat his paws while we did sit on a little bench.
Dear Love had thinks the appears of the cap of her husband on the head of Brave Horatius was very nice. And the husband of Dear Love did say the pink ribbons now on his cap made it a better-looking cap. I had thinks so, too. Before I did have comes back to the house we live in, Dear Love did get out a piece of calico just like my dress. Then she cut out the light blue patch that I did mend on with china-mending glue guaranteed to stick. She did sew on the blue calico patch in a nice way. She so did because she thought the light blue patch of outing flannel would be nice for a crib-robe for Felix Mendelssohn.
While Dear Love was sewing that blue calico patch on my blue calico dress with little stitches, her husband did smile and look at her and he did say, “Another reason.” Now I have thinks the other reason was that he had fears if I longer wore that light blue patch of outing flannel on my dress, some of its soft feels would get wored off and would n’t be there for the joys of Felix Mendelssohn. He is a mouse that has likes for soft feels to go to sleep in.
The papa is again come home from one of the upper camps—one of those by the rivière. I had seeing of him when I went to look for Lucian Horace Ovid Virgil under the front step. He said he was going to make early garden. He said he thought he would set some onions out and plant some radishes and some seeds that will grow into lettuce. I did make a stop to help him. He said for me to carry off the rocks where he did make spade-ups. I did. I picked up the rocks in a quick way. I carried them a little way away by the brook. When summertime is come, I have thinks I will put them in the brook with some more to make the brook have more wideness. And the man of the long step that whistles most all of the time has made me a water-wheel to go rounds in the brook when summertime is come.
The time it took to pick up those rocks—it was a time long. I did like to do it. I had thinks it would be of helps to the papa. After they was all picked up and carried over by the brook, I did go to the papa to see what more helps I could be. He was talking with the husband of Elsie. When I did ask him what helps I could be, he told me to run away from there—he wanted to talk.
I so did. I got Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus, and we went to the woods. Brave Horatius did come a-following after. And Louis II, le Grand Condé, did ride in the sleeve of my warm red dress. As we did go along, the leaves of salal did make little rustles. They were little askings. They had wants to know what day this was. I made stops along the way to tell them it was the going-away day of Gentile Bellini in 1507 and Sir Joshua Reynolds in 1792 and John Keats in 1821 and the borning day of George Frederick Handel in 1685. I have thinks they and the tall fir trees were glad to know.
Brave Horatius barked a bark and we went on. He looked a look back to see if we was coming. Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus did cuddle up more close in my arms. We saw six birds and I did sing to Brave Horatius the bird song of grandpère of roitelet and ortolan and bruant and étourneau and rossignol and tourterelle and durbec and orfraie and roussette and loriot and nonnette and sarcelle and draine and épeiche and cygne and hirondelle and aigle and ramier and tarin and rousserolle and émerillon and sittelle. Brave Horatius and William Shakespeare do have likes for that song. Sometimes I do sing it to them four times a day.
We all did go on until we were come near to where were two men of the mill by the far woods. They were making divides of a very large log. They were making it to be many short logs. There was a big saw going moves between. One man did push it and one man did pull it. I went on. I did look a look back. I had sees there was a tall fern growing by the foot of one man, and he did have his new overalls cut off where they do meet the boots. I wonder why it is the lumber-camp folk do cut off their overalls where they do meet the boots. When they so cut them, they get fringy—and such fringes are more long than other fringes. I wonder why it is they so cut them—it maybe is because they so want fringes about the edge of the legs of their overalls. I would have prefers for ruffles.