CHAPTER II
A SUNDAY WALK AND ITS RESULTS
Ruth was out-of-doors early the following morning, enjoying the sweet,crisp breeze with its odor of dew-laden meadows. After sniffingdelightedly for a few moments, she skipped up and down the long veranda,calling to the birds and snapping her fingers at some curious squirrels.Sally heard the joyous child and came out to bid her a good-morning.
"Sally, what a beautiful farm Aunt Selina has! It looks lovelier thismorning than ever, but it makes me sad when I think that no one canenjoy it except the folks that live here," said Ruth, in a tone ofregret.
"Ya'as, Chile, I feels sorry dat Miss S'lina had dem high board fencesput up to keep anjoyin' eyes from de propaty. An' den agin, I kin s'cusede little chillern dat sneak fru de back fences jus' to pick wilets an'paddle in de brok up dere;" and Sally looked toward the invitingwoodland, whence came the sound of running water.
"If Aunt Selina is to be a really truly Blue Bird she will removewhatever keeps others from enjoying what she has," commented Ruth,seriously.
A bell, tinkling from an upper room, summoned Sally hurriedly indoors,so Ruth sat down in a large wicker rocker to await her aunt's coming.
Sally soon came and told Ruth breakfast was ready and there sat MissSelina welcoming her with a cheery smile!
"Do you feel as happy and free as a Blue Bird, Flutey?" asked Ruth,giving Aunt Selina a hearty embrace.
Unaccustomed to such healthy demonstrations of affection, she sufferedher lace cap to be pulled over one ear while her other was uncomfortablydoubled under Ruth's plump little arm.
"Yes, Fluff, I feel unusually well this morning. I slept like a babe allnight," replied her aunt.
"That's the way all Blue Birds sleep. Not one of us would stay in bed aminute just because something tried to make us feel too tired or sick toget up early in the morning! You know, the Camp Fire Girls receivehonors for keeping free from illness, and some day the Blue Birds expectto join the bigger girls in their Camp Fires. So we begin to practicegood health now," explained Ruth.
The breakfast passed quickly with not a sound or sigh from Aunt Selinaabout rheumatism. Sally was the most astonished of all, for it hadbecome second nature with her mistress to talk about her pains and woesat all times.
"While I was waiting on the piazza, this morning, I planned to take youfor a nice long walk," said Ruth.
"Why, my dear, I simply cannot walk out of doors. I could hardly hobbleabout the house this morning."
"Oh, I s'pose you couldn't walk very well, but I can walk and you canride in the wheel-chair. I will push it, and we will go down the meadowpath toward the summer-house," said Ruth.
Aunt Selina looked dubiously at Sally, but the latter was very busyplacing some of the family silver in the chest, and her back was turned.
After a few moments' hesitation she said, "I never take that chair offof the porch, and I am afraid you are too little to push it."
"Oh, no, indeed I'm not. It won't hurt the chair, and even if it did,your pleasure just now is better than ten chairs!" decided Ruth.
After several weak attempts to turn Ruth from her purpose, Aunt Selinasurrendered with a sigh.
As Sally left the room just then she chuckled to herself, "Dat chilewill shorely 'juvenate Miss S'lina!"
After breakfast aunt and grand-niece went out on the veranda and Ruthsoon had the chair down the steps and waiting for her aunt.
Aunt Selina felt a bit conscious at being wheeled like a baby, but Ruthwas too merry to permit anything but joy to prevail.
Ruth turned the chair into a path that ran along the brook, and chattedmerrily until Aunt Selina forgot herself in listening. At the end of thepath stood a rustic summer-house from which could be seen the wideexpanse of meadow and woodland. Having reached this spot, Ruth placedthe chair so her aunt could look about and admire her beautiful lands.
"Flutey, don't you ever go to church on Sunday mornings?" asked Ruth.
"The only church is so far away that I would have to drive for half anhour to reach it; then, too, it is not a denomination that I approveof," she replied, coolly.
But a little thing like a cold reply or a curt tone never daunted Ruthwhen she was after any particular information.
"What is the difference between one denomination and another? I don'texactly know the meaning of that word, but I know it means somethingabout churches."
"Well, some churches believe in worshipping God one way and some inanother. These different beliefs are called 'denominations.' Now, all ofour family were brought up to believe the Baptist manner of worship tobe the only true one, and this church at Greenfields is Presbyterian. Ofcourse, everyone knows that pre-destination is all wrong," said AuntSelina emphatically.
Ruth's eyes opened wider and wider as she listened, for she had beentaught a very simple faith. She had been told that to live and followthe "Golden Rule" was the highest form of obedience, and that it wastrue worship. So she answered quietly:
"I love Jesus, and I believe he taught everyone the same way, and Ibelieve he just loved everybody the same way."
"We will not discuss religion, Ruth. Just keep on thinking and doing asMother has taught you."
"Well, I was only going to say, that as we cannot go to church such alovely morning, we might sit here and thank God for all these fields,"explained Ruth.
Aunt Selina looked about the land in the light of a new revelation.
"I was thinking," continued Ruth, "how I should love to have this farmnear Oakdale. I could come over so often to tell you what we are doing,and then, too, you could use all of that wonderful woodland for BlueBirds' Camps in the summer."
Aunt Selina looked across the fields and woods but said nothing, so Ruthcontinued.
"When the two Ferris children came out to Mrs. Mason's farm, they wereso happy to see real flowers and grass that they soon got well andstrong. That made me wish that I had hundreds of farms just like itwhere sick children could go and get well. That was one thing that madethe Oakdale folks help get the hundred city poor children out to ourcountry for a few weeks in August and the lovely time the children hadmade everyone wish to do bigger things this next summer. Nothing hasreally been planned yet, but everyone is trying to think of some way todo something. This morning when I saw this wonderful farm and so fewfolks to live on it, I just wished it was near Oakdale so a big crowd ofpoor children could enjoy it next summer."
As Ruth concluded and looked wistfully over the fertile land, her auntsat thinking for a time, then answered.
"Fluff, I determined to be a Blue Bird with all of my heart and soul.Now, we can't move this farm over to Oakdale, but the city children canbe moved out to this farm! You can do the planning from Oakdale, and Ican look after them when they get here."
Ruth gasped in amazement at the splendid idea, then jumped up and downwith delight while she shouted aloud.
"Oh, oh! Flutey! that is great! Why, just think of all the streets fullof poor children who can enjoy these wonderful woods!"
Aunt Selina winced at the word "street children," but she spoke withdetermination.
"I suppose we would have to build some sort of little houses, ortemporary camps for them to sleep in, and a long shed in which to servethe meals. It will need a lot of planning."
"Dear me, I wish we could run and ask mother about it," murmured Ruth,impatiently. "Now, if you were only visiting me instead of me being herewith _you_!"
"If I had gone to you, you might never have had the idea of using thesewoods for the children," ventured her aunt.
"No, that's so," admitted Ruth. "And we can go back to the house andwrite all our plans down on paper and send them to mother, can't we?"
Aunt Selina consenting, Ruth wheeled the chair back to the house. Whenthey reached the steps the invalid felt so strong that she liftedherself out of the chair and climbed up the low steps with only Ruth tolean upon.
"Why, I never felt a twinge in my joints all this time! I never knewrheumatism to disappear so qui
ckly as it has this time," she said, asshe sank down in a low chair.
"Let's hope it won't come back again," added Ruth. "If it stays awayyou could pack up and go to Oakdale with me, couldn't you?"
Aunt Selina, who never visited and seldom left her home, lookedhorrified for a moment. But Ruth continued innocently,
"We could get all of mother's advice for the farm plans besides seeingfather and being home with him!"
Sally, who had seen Miss Selina coming up the steps without a cane,thought some miracle had been performed. So, wishing to hear all aboutit, she hurried out with the announcement that dinner was almost ready.
"Dinner! Why, Sally, we just finished breakfast. I'm sure I don't wantanything to eat so soon," replied Miss Selina.
"It's pas' one o'clock, Miss S'lina, an' you allus likes de meals to beon time," ventured Sally.
"I'm sure I feel as if it was dinner time, 'cause I'm so hungry," addedRuth, who always had a healthy appetite.
Aunt Selina laughed indulgently as she rose and limped slowly indoors.
Immediately after dinner Ruth hurried to the library and brought fortha pencil and paper. Meeting her aunt in the hall she said, "Now, we'llsit down and put all of our plans on paper."
The greater part of the afternoon was passed in this engrossing work.
That night Aunt Selina again sought her bed with a great sense ofgratitude that she could enjoy the rest without any pain. She slept allthrough the night and awoke in the morning feeling strong and energetic.Almost every trace of her lameness had disappeared.
The mail lay upon a silver tray beside her plate, and she smiled as shehanded two letters to Ruth.
"May I read them, Flutey?" asked Ruth, as soon as she had peeped at thepost marks.
Aunt Selina nodded, and Ruth tore open the one from the Blue Birdsfirst, saying in an explanatory tone, "I like to leave the best for thelast."
The Blue Birds had written her because they promised to do so, but therehad not been time for anything of importance to happen, so Ruth laidaside their short note and took up her mother's letter. The firstsentence made her gasp, and at the second, she giggled outright. AuntSelina waited patiently to hear the news.
"Just think, Flutey, I didn't miss father, anyway--and just see all wehave accomplished by my coming here to you! Mother writes that she had atelegram from father late Saturday night, saying the steamer wasdetained at quarantine on account of some suspects in the steerage whoseemed to have symptoms of yellow fever. He is not sure when they willget off, but he will wire mother each day they are detained."
Aunt Selina nodded understandingly, and Ruth continued: "Wish you and Icould be there to welcome father when he comes! Flutey, you are so wellthis morning, _don't_ you think you could go with me in our automobile,if we traveled very carefully?"
Her aunt was so aghast at the proposition that she failed to answer, andRuth continued, believing that she was thinking it over.
"You see, Flutey, we really need to get to the Blue Birds and mother totalk over this fine farm plan, and I am sure the visit will do you aheap of good, for I have heard folks say that a change is a great thingwhen you have been sick and tired of the same things about you."
Still Aunt Selina said not a word, so Ruth returned to her letter toread it aloud. As she did so, her aunt sent a covert glance at Sally'sdirection to see what effect Ruth's invitation had had upon the oldservant. But Sally, the wise, appeared not to have overheard a word.
Later, as Ruth stood beside her aunt's rocker on the veranda, she againbroached the subject.
"Flutey, the air is so warm and balmy like it always is in Indiansummer, and our car is so comfy, you wouldn't know but what you were inan easy chair. I don't see why you can't come home with me."
"Fluff, do you know, that I could almost say 'Yes, I will go,' for Ithink I would like to see all of your little friends, but I reallywouldn't know what to do with the house if I went away on a visit," saidAunt Selina.
"Goodness me! The house won't run away. What does it do when you aresick in bed and can't walk about to look after it? It can go on just thesame when you are in Oakdale as when you are in bed," replied practicalRuth.
Never before had Aunt Selina been brought face to face with the factthat Sally was the actual manager. She began to feel a certainresentment against her faithful old servant, and then she thought what arelief it was to have someone upon whom she could depend.
"I never did ride in one of those machines, dearie. I have said that Inever would. I always use my victoria, or coupe," she observed.
"You never rode in an automobile! Why, Flutey, you have the treat ofyour life waiting, then," exclaimed Ruth, surprised. "It only goes toshow how careful we should be about saying things we are not sure of;now, you see, you are going to ride in an auto and so prove to yourselfthat you were wrong."
Ruth took for granted that the visit and method of traveling had beendecided upon, and, after some more futile excuses, Aunt Selina was wonover to considering going the next day if it were clear.
"But the sky looks cloudy, Fluff, and your mother may not spare the carto-morrow," she objected, making a last brave stand against thepersistent little girl.
"Oh, no, those clouds are not rain clouds--they are wind and motherwould borrow Mrs. Catlin's car if she had to go anywhere rather thandisappoint me by not sending Ike with ours," replied Ruth, very certainof her mother's loving cooeperation.
"Well, I shall have to break the news to Sally and see if she can spareme for a few days," sighed her aunt, tingling with anticipation at theunusual event, but loath to forego the hope that her presence wasnecessary at home.
"I'll run and ask her to come here at once, so we can telegraph motherabout the car," said Ruth, as she ran to call Sally.
One never had to go far to find Sally, for wherever Miss Selina was,there would Sally be found hovering about, also. Ruth caught hold of theplump brown hand and dragged her out to the piazza.
When the important question was put before her, Sally was diplomaticenough to stand considering whether the household could possibly bemanaged without the mistress. After some time, she said, "If it t'wantdat dis wisit is jus' what you need to put you on yer feet, I wouldsay, 'I don' see how we'all kin manage.' But, seein' dat all de fruitis dun up an' de fall house-cleanin' not yet due, I adwise you to beshore an' go an' fin' healin' in de change of air."
Aunt Selina was so pleased at Sally's answer that she told her to helpRuth telegraph at once for the car. Sally bowed and hurried away to thetelephone where the message was sent to Greenfields to be wired to Mrs.Talmage.
The rest of the day was spent in pleasant excitement, with Ruth and heraunt wondering what to pack in the small steamer trunk, while the wholehousehold felt the unusual stir of their mistress' going away for avisit.
That evening an answering telegram came saying that Ike would leaveOakdale at dawn in the morning so as to get to Happy Hills by noon. Ifthey were ready to start back at once they could arrive at Mossy Glenbefore night set in.
Ruth was so joyous over the happy termination of her visit that shecould hardly stand still long enough for Sally to tie her hair ribbon.As for Aunt Selina, she looked from her bedroom windows before retiring,anxiously scanning the sky for any possible rain clouds. She felt asexcited as a child over its first journey away from home. Seeing thesky a deep blue with myriads of stars gleaming down at her, she smiledand turned out the light.
Ike arrived earlier than expected, for he made record time from Oakdale.
"Ike, do the Blue Birds know I'm coming?" she asked.
"Sure thing, Miss Ruth," replied Ike.
"And Ned--did he miss me?" queried the little girl.
"Master Ned, he went 'round like a bear wid a sore head. He was justlost without the head of the Blue Birds," grinned Ike.
"And mother--and Ike, father? Did father wonder why I left withoutseeing him," half-whispered Ruth.
Ike dropped his wrench and stood up.
"Why, Miss Ruth,
I forgot to tell you! Mr. Ta'mage ain't home yet. Awire came late last night saying he expected to get off the boat to-day,so they are looking for him this noon."
"Oh, oh, Ike! how could you keep such grand news from me all this time!"exclaimed Ruth, racing indoors to tell her aunt.
When Ike said he was ready to start, Aunt Selina and Ruth were helpedto the comfortable seat and robes were tucked in about them, while theservants stood in a semi-circle about the car, smiling and noddinggood-byes.
Ike honked the siren for the benefit of the servants, then started theeasy-running machine.
Aunt Selina felt so very comfortable that she admitted the fact to Ruth.
"I never knew these cars were so easy-riding."
After passing a stretch of bad road Ike put on more speed and AuntSelina leaned forward to admonish him.
"Don't go fast enough to be dangerous! Are we going about eight miles anhour?"
Ike smiled to himself as he heard the question.
"We're travelin' a bit more than eight, ma'am. I s'pose you are'customed to that speed from drivin' horses?"
"Yes, that's it. I never like to go faster than that rate, but you arenot going too fast, yet. Be sure to slow up going around corners--wemight run into someone," she returned, settling herself comfortably backin the robes.
Ike promised to be most careful, but dared not hint at the actual speedthey were traveling, and would have to keep up, to enable them to reachOakdale before night.
With the sun shining brightly, and the beautiful autumn coloring in thefoliage, the journey was most enjoyable.
About six o'clock the car reached Mason's farm and Ruth told her auntthat there the first little city children lived all summer. Next, thecar passed Betty's home, but no one was in sight, although Ruth watchedfor Betty to appear. Mrs. Catlin's beautiful home on the hill waspointed out to the interested old lady, and then Ike turned off of themain road and drove along the woodland road that ran by the swimmingpool. Ruth told all about it, and hoped the Nest in the cherry-treecould be seen in the twilight.
Ike stopped under the old tree and Ruth spied all of the Blue Birds inthe Nest. She jumped out to greet them and they ran down the steps tocrowd about her. Aunt Selina was introduced and received a quaint littlecurtsey from each child. Then the children said good-night and Ike droveon to the house.
There, on the lower step, stood the long-looked-for father, and themoment Ruth saw him, she gave a cry of joy. Mrs. Talmage and Ned stoodback in the shadow to enjoy Ruth's first sight of her father.
After the greetings were over, Aunt Selina was made to feel quite athome in the cheery library until dinner was announced. The travelerswere too tired to dress for dinner, so they were soon seated about thetable and the conversation naturally turned to Blue Bird talk.
Ruth went to bed soon after dinner, for the day had been tiresome, andAunt Selina also felt the need of rest. She admitted that she enjoyedthe trip very much, but her old bones felt the strain of the long day.