Read Marjorie's Maytime Page 19


  CHAPTER XIX

  FUN AT COUSIN ETHEL'S

  Next morning Midget and Kitty were awake early, and found that thesunshine was fairly pouring itself in at their bay window.

  "I don't believe it's time to get up," said Midget, as she smiled atKitty across the room.

  "No; Mother said she'd call us when it was time," returned Kitty,cuddling down under her rosebudded coverlet.

  But just then something flew in at the open window, and landed on thefloor between their two beds.

  "What's that?" cried Marjorie, startled. And then she saw that it was alarge red peony blossom. It was immediately followed by another, and thatby a branch of lilac blooms. Then came hawthorn flowers, syringa, Rose ofSharon, roses, bluebells, and lots of other flowers, and sprays of green,until there was a perfect mound of flowers in the middle of the room, andstray blossoms fallen about everywhere.

  "It's Cousin Jack, of course," cried Marjorie. "Let's get up, Kit."

  The girls sprang out of bed, and throwing on their kimonas, ran andpeeped out of the window, from behind the curtains.

  Sure enough, Cousin Jack was standing down on the lawn, and when he sawthe smiling faces, he began to chant a song to them:

  "Susannah and Mehitabel, come out and play! For it's a lovely, sunny, shiny day in May; And Cousin Jack is waiting here for you, So hurry up, and come along, you two!"

  Marjorie and Kitty could dress pretty quickly when they wanted to, sothey were soon ready, and in fresh pink gingham dresses and pinkhair-ribbons, they ran downstairs and out on to the lawn. King wasalready there, for Cousin Jack had roused him also.

  "Hello, Kiddy-widdies!" Cousin Jack called out, as the girls flew towardhim. "However did you get bedecked in all this finery so quickly?"

  "This isn't finery," said Kitty; "these are our morning frocks. But say,Cousin Jack, how did you manage to throw those flowers in at our windowfrom down here?"

  "Oh, I'm a wizard; I can throw farther than that."

  "Yes, a ball," agreed Marjorie; "but I don't see how you could throwflowers."

  "Oh, I just gave them to the fairies, and they threw them in," and CousinJack wouldn't tell them that really he had thrown them from a nearbybalcony, and gone down to the lawn afterward.

  "Well, anyway, it was a lovely shower of flowers, and we thank you lots,"said Marjorie.

  "You're a nice, polite little girl, Mehitabel, and I'm glad to see youdon't forget your manners. Now we have a good half hour before breakfast,what shall we play?"

  Kitty sidled over to Cousin Jack, and whispered, a little timidly, "You_said_ we'd play Indians."

  "Bless my soul! A gentle little thing like you, Susannah, wanting to playIndians! Well, then that's what we play. I'll be the Chief, and my nameis Opodeldoc. You two girls can be squaws,--no, you needn't either.Mehitabel can be a Squaw, and Susannah, you are a pale-faced Maiden, andwe'll capture you. Then Hezekiah here can be a noble young Brave, whowill rescue you from our clutches! His name will be Ipecacuanha."

  Surely Cousin Jack knew how to play Indians! These arrangements suitedthe young Maynards perfectly, and soon the game was in progress. TheIndian Chief and the Squaw waited in ambush for the pale-faced Maiden tocome along; the Chief meanwhile muttering dire threats of terribletortures.

  Throwing herself into the game with dramatic fervor, Kitty came strollingalong. She hummed snatches of song, she paused here and there to pick aflower, and as she neared the bush behind which the two Indians werehiding, she stopped as if startled. Shading her eyes with her hand, shepeered into the bush, exclaiming, in tragic accents, "Methinks I hearsomebody! It may be Indians in ambush! Yes, yes,--that _is_ an ambush,there must be Indians in it!"

  This speech so amused Cousin Jack that he burst into shouts of laughter.

  Kitty, absorbed in her own part, did not smile. "Hah!" she exclaimed,"methinks I hear the Indians warwhooping!"

  Kitty's idea of dramatic diction was limited to "Hah!" and "Methinks,"and after this speech, Cousin Jack gave way to a series of terrificwarwhoops, in which Marjorie joined. Cousin Jack was pretty good at thissort of thing, but his lungs gave out before Marjorie's did, for, thisbeing her specialty, her warwhoops were of a most extreme and exaggeratednature.

  "Good gracious, Mehitabel, do hush up!" cried the Indian Chief, clappinghis hand over his Squaw's mouth. "You'll have all the neighbors overhere, and the police and the fire department! Moderate your transports!Warwhoop a little less like a steam calliope!"

  Marjorie giggled, and then gave a series of small, squeaky, lady-likewarwhoops, which seemed to amuse Cousin Jack as much as the others haddone.

  "You are certainly great kids!" he exclaimed. "I'd like to buy the wholebunch of you! But come on, my Squaw, we waste time, and the pale-facedMaiden approacheth. Hah!"

  "Hah!" replied Marjorie, and from behind his own distant ambush, Kingmuttered, "Hah!"

  Kitty stood patiently waiting to be captured, and so Chief Opodeldochissed between his teeth, "Hah! the time is ripe! Dash with me, oh,Squaw, and let us nab the paleface!"

  "Dash on! I follow!" said Marjorie, and with a mad rush, the two fierceIndians dashed out from behind their bush, and captured the pale-facedMaiden.

  Kitty struggled and shrieked in correct fashion, while the Indians dancedabout her, brandishing imaginary tomahawks, and shrieking moderately loudwarwhoops.

  The terrified paleface was just about to surrender, when the noble youngBrave, Ipecacuanha, dashed forth, and sprang into the fray, rescuing themaiden just in the nick of time. Holding the paleface, who lay limp andgasping in his left arm, the young Indian madly fought the other two ofhis own tribe with his strong right arm. Apparently he, too, had atomahawk, for he fearfully brandished an imaginary weapon, and did it sosuccessfully, that Opodeldoc and his faithful Squaw were felled to theground. Then the brave young Indian and the fair girl he had saved fromher dire fate danced a war dance round their prostrate captives, andchanted a weird Indian dirge, that caused the fallen Chief to sit up androar with laughter.

  "You children do beat all!" he exclaimed once more. "And, by jiminycrickets! there goes the breakfast bell! Are you wild Indians fit toappear in a civilized dining-room?"

  "'Course we are!" cried Marjorie, jumping up and shaking her frills intoplace. Kitty stood demurely beside her, and sure enough, the two girlswere quite fresh and dainty enough for breakfast.

  "You see," explained Marjorie, "this wasn't a real tumble around play.Sometimes when we play Indians, we lose our hair-ribbons and even tearour frocks, but to-day we've behaved pretty well, haven't we, King?"

  "Yep," assented her brother, looking at the girls critically, "you lookfine. Am I all right?"

  "Yes," said Marjorie, as she smoothed down one refractory lock at theback of his head. "We're all ready, Cousin Jack." She turned a smilingface toward him, and remarking once again, "You do beat all!" theex-Chief marched his young visitors in to breakfast.

  After that delightful and very merry meal was over, Cousin Ethelannounced that she would take charge of the two girls that morning, andthat King could share in their occupation or not as he chose.

  "You see, it's this way, girlies," said Cousin Ethel, after she had ledthe way to a pleasant corner of the veranda, and her guests were groupedabout her. "A Charity Club to which I belong is going to have a sort ofan entertainment which is not exactly a fair or a bazaar, but which iscalled a Peddler's Festival. Of course, it is to make money for charity,and while the older people have charge of it, they will be assisted byyoung people, and even children. Now I think it will be lovely for youchick-a-biddies to take part in this affair, if you want to; but if youdon't want to, you must say so frankly, for you're not going to doanything you don't like while your Cousin Ethel is on deck!"

  "S'pose you tell 'em about it, Ethelinda, and let them judge forthemselves," said her husband, who was sitting on the veranda railing,with Midge and Kitty on either side of him, and Rosamond in his arms.

  "Well, it's this way," began Cousin Ethel. "In
stead of having articlesfor sale in any room or hall, we are going to send them all around town,in pushcarts or wagons, each in charge of a peddler. These peddlers willbe young people dressed in fancy costumes, and each will try to sell hisload of wares by calling from house to house. Some peddlers will havepushcarts or toy express wagons, or even wheelbarrows. Others will carrya suitcase or a basket or a peddler's pack. They may go together orseparately, and the whole day will be devoted to it."

  "Great scheme!" commented Cousin Jack. "Wish we might be in it, eh, Ned?"

  "Well, no," said Mr. Maynard, "I don't believe I care about that sort ofthing myself, but I rather think the Maynard chicks will like it."

  "Yes, indeed," cried Marjorie, her eyes dancing at the thought; "I thinkit will be lovely fun, Cousin Ethel. But can we girls push a bigpushcart? Do you mean like the grocers use?"

  "There will be a few of those," said Cousin Ethel, "and in all caseswhere the vehicles are too heavy for the girls, there will be young menappointed to do the pushing, while the girls cajole the customers intobuying. It will not be difficult, as everybody will be waiting for youwith open hearts and open purses."

  "It's a grand plan," said Kitty, speaking with her usual air ofthoughtful deliberation. "What shall we sell, Cousin Ethel?"

  "Well, I'm undecided whether to put you two girls together, or put youeach with some one else. I'd like to put you each with another littlegirl, but if I do that, I will have to put Marjorie with Bertha Baker,and I know she won't like it."

  "Why won't she like it?" asked Marjorie, innocently. "I'll be nice toher."

  "Bless your heart, you sweet baby, I don't mean that!" cried CousinEthel; "but the truth is, nobody likes Bertha Baker. She is a nice childin many ways, but she is,--"

  "Grumpy-natured," put in Cousin Jack; "that's what's the matter withBertha,--she hasn't any sunshine in her makeup. Now as Marjorie hassunshine enough for two, I think it will be a good plan to put themtogether."

  "The plan is good enough," said his wife, "if Marjorie doesn't mind. ButI don't want her pleasure spoiled because she has to be with a grumpylittle girl. How about it, Marjorie?"

  "I don't mind a bit," said Midget. "We're always good-natured ourselves,somehow we just can't help being so. And if Bertha Baker is cross, I'lljust giggle until she has to giggle too."

  "That's right, Midget," said her father, nodding his head approvingly."And if you giggle enough, I think you'll make the grumpy Bertha merrybefore she knows it."

  "You see," said Cousin Ethel, "everybody else is arranged for. And unlessMarjorie goes with Bertha Baker, the child will have to go alone, fornobody else is willing to go with her."

  "What a disagreeable girl she must be!" said King. "I'm glad I don't haveto go with her."

  "But you will have to, King," said Marjorie. "He'll have to push ourcart, won't he, Cousin Ethel?"

  "Why, yes, I thought he would do that; but he shan't if he doesn't wantto."

  "Oh, I do want to," declared King, agreeably. "I'm not afraid of anygrumpy girl. I'll smile on her so sweetly, she'll _have_ to smile back."And King gave such an idiotic grin that they all smiled back at him.

  "Now," went on Cousin Ethel, briskly, "I thought, Marjorie, you couldhave the doll cart, and Kitty could be with May Perry and help sell theflowers. The flower wagon will be very pretty, and flowers are alwayseasy to sell."

  "So are dolls," said Marjorie. "Can I help you make some. Cousin Ethel,or are they already made?"

  "The more elaborate dolls are being dressed by the ladies of our Club.But I thought, that if your mother and I and you girls could get towork to-day, we could make a lot of funny little dolls that I'm surewould be saleable."

  "Let me help, too," said Cousin Jack. "I can make lovely dolls out ofpeanuts."

  "Nonsense," said his wife, "we can all make peanut dolls. And besides,Jack, you must get away to your business. Your office boy will thinkyou're lost, strayed, or stolen."

  "I suppose I must," sighed Cousin Jack; "it's awful to be a workingman.Come on, Ned; want to go in to Boston with me?"

  The two men went away, and after a while Cousin Ethel called the childrento come to what she called a Dolly-Bee.

  On the table, in the pleasant living room, they found heaps of materials.Bits of silk and lace and ribbon, to dress little dolls,--and all sort ofthings to make dolls of.

  King insisted on helping also, for he said he was just as handy aboutsuch things as the girls were. To prove this, he asked Cousin Ethel for aclothespin, and with two or three Japanese paper napkins, and a gayfeather to stick in its cap, he cleverly evolved a very jolly littledoll, whose features he made with pen and ink on the head of theclothespin.

  And then they made dolls of cotton wadding, and dolls of knitting cotton,and peanut dolls, and Brownie dolls, and all sorts of queer and odd dollswhich they invented on the spur of the moment.

  They made a few paper dolls, but these took a great deal of time, so theydidn't make many. Paper dolls were Kitty's specialty. But she cut them socarefully, and painted them so daintily, that they were real works ofart, and therefore consumed more time than Cousin Ethel was willing tolet her spend at the work.

  "You mustn't tire yourselves out doing these," she admonished them. "Ionly want you to work at them as long as you enjoy it."

  But the Maynards were energetic young people, and when interested, theyworked diligently; and the result was they accumulated a large number ofdolls to sell at the Festival.

  King was given his choice between pushing a tinware cart with anotherboy, or pushing the doll cart for the girls.

  He chose the latter, "because," said he, "I can't leave Mopsy to thetender mercies of that grumpy girl. And I don't think tinware is muchfun, anyhow."

  "How do we know where to go. Cousin Ethel?" said Marjorie, who wasgreatly interested in the affair.

  "Oh, you just go out into the streets, and stop at any house you like.There won't be any procession. Every peddler goes when and where hechooses, until all his goods are sold."

  "Suppose we can't sell them?" said Kitty.

  "There's no danger of that. They're all inexpensive wares, and the wholepopulation of Cambridge is expecting you, and the people are quite readyto spend their money for the good of the cause"

  CHAPTER XX

  THE FESTIVAL

  Fortunately, the day of the Festival was a perfectly beautiful, balmy,lovely spring day. The affair had been well-advertised by circulars, andthe residents of Cambridge had laid in a stock of small change, withwhich to buy the wares of the itinerant peddlers.

  All was bustle and merriment at the Bryant home. The children were tostart from there at about ten o'clock, and they were now getting ontheir costumes.

  Each peddler was expected to dress appropriately to the character of thegoods he was selling. This was not always an easy matter, but muchlatitude was allowed; and so a Greek peddler sold pastry, an Italianpeddler sold peanuts, and an Indian Chief sold baskets and little Indiantrinkets. There were many others, selling notions, fruits, and even freshvegetables. One boy trundled a peanut roaster, and another was a vendorof lemonade.

  When ready to start, the Maynard children and their carts presented apretty appearance. The dolls were arranged in a light pushcart, borrowedfrom the grocer. It was decorated with frills of crepe paper, and bigpaper bows at the corners. In it were more than a hundred dolls, rangingfrom the elaborately-dressed French beauties to the funny little puppetsthe children had made.

  Marjorie and Bertha Baker were themselves dressed to represent dolls.Marjorie's dress was of pink muslin, frilled with lace, and a broad pinksash, tied low, with a big bow in the back. A frilled bonnet of pinkmuslin and lace crowned her dark curls, and she had been instructed byCousin Ethel to walk stiffly, and move jerkily like a jointed doll.Bertha's costume was exactly like Marjorie's except that it was blue, andas Bertha's hair was blonde and curly, she looked very like a Bisquedoll. But Bertha's face wore naturally a discontented expression, whichwas far less doll-like than Ma
rjorie's smiling countenance.

  As Cousin Ethel had prophesied, Marjorie found her new acquaintancedecidedly ill-natured. But forewarned is forearmed, and Marjorie onlyreplied pleasantly when Bertha made a sullen remark. Of course she wasnot really rude, and of course she had no reason to dislike Marjorie. Butshe was continually complaining that she was tired, or that the sun wastoo hot, or that she didn't like their cart as well as some of theothers. She had an unfortunate disposition, and had not had the righttraining, so the result made her anything but an amiable child.

  Gay-hearted Marjorie, however, joked with Bertha, and then giggled at herown jokes, until Bertha was really forced to smile in return.

  King, who pushed the doll-cart, was also dressed like a doll. The boylooked very handsome, in a black velvet suit with lace ruffles at thewrists and knees, and long white stockings with black slippers. He wasclever, too, in assuming the character, and walked with stiff, jerkystrides, like a mechanical doll that had just been wound up.

  Kitty was a dream of beauty. She was a little flower girl, of course, andwore the daintiest sort of a Dolly Varden costume. Her overdress offlowered muslin was caught up at the sides in panniers over a quiltedskirt of light blue satin. A broad-brimmed leghorn hat with a wreath ofroses, and fluttering blue ribbons, sat jauntily on her golden hair. MayPerry, who was Kitty's companion, was costumed the same way, and the boywho pushed their cart was dressed like a page.

  The flower cart held not only bouquets and old-fashioned nosegays, butlittle potted plants as well.

  Cousin Jack had stayed home from business for the day; for, he said, hecouldn't get away from the glories of his bevy of young people.

  "Before you go," he said, as the two carts, with their attendants, wereready to start from his house, "I'll take a snap-shot of you."

  He brought out his large camera, and took several photographs of thepretty group, which, later, proved to be beautiful pictures, and wellworthy of framing.

  "Now, go ahead, young peddlers," he said. "And whatever you do, rememberto charge enough for your wares,--but don't charge too much."

  "How shall we know what is just right?" asked Kitty, puckering her brow,as she pondered this knotty question.

  "Well, Kit, if you're in doubt, leave it to the buyers. They'll probablygive you more that way, than if you set the price yourself. Andespecially with flowers. People always expect to overpay for themat a fair."

  "But I don't want to cheat the people," said Kitty.

  "Don't worry about that; they quite expect to pay more than this trumperyis worth, because it's all for charity. Now skip along, my hearties! Andcome back home if you get tired, no matter whether you've sold all yourtruck or not. I'll buy whatever you have left."

  So waving good-byes to the group looking after them, the children prancedgaily down the driveway and out into the street.

  As Cousin Ethel had told them, they had no trouble at all in disposing oftheir wares. Marjorie concluded that half the population of Cambridgemust be small children, so eager did the ladies seem to buy dolls.

  At many of the houses they were cordially invited to come in and partakeof some refreshment, for the whole town seemed bent on entertaining thepeddlers. But the Maynard children preferred not to accept theseinvitations, as they were not well enough acquainted, and as for BerthaBaker, when she was invited in to a house, she would reply bluntly, "No,I don't want to go in."

  Midget and King looked at her in astonishment, for they were notaccustomed to hear children talk like that.

  When the cart full of dolls had been about half sold, the children saw alittle girl coming toward them with an empty express wagon.

  "Hello, Bertha," she said, "what are you selling?"

  "Dolls," said Bertha, shortly, and the Maynard children waited, expectingthat Bertha would introduce the stranger.

  But Bertha didn't, and only said, "Come on," to her own companions, andstarted on herself.

  "Wait a minute," said King, who was growing rather tired of Bertha'scompany, and was glad to meet somebody else. "I say, Bertha, introduceus to your friend."

  "She's Elsie Harland," said Bertha, ungraciously, and evidentlyunwillingly.

  But King took no notice of Bertha's unpleasant manner. "How do you do,Elsie?" he said, in his frank, boyish fashion. "This is my sister,Marjorie, and I am Kingdon Maynard. Can't I help you pull your wagon?I see you've sold all your things."

  "Yes; I only had post-cards to sell," said Elsie, "and the people boughtthem in such big bunches that now they're all gone. So I thought I'd liketo go around with you, and help sell your dolls." She looked inquiringlyat Bertha, who replied, "I s'pose you can, if you want to, but I shouldthink you'd go home."

  "Don't go home," said Marjorie, cordially; "come along with us, and we'llall sell dolls together."

  "She can't sell our dolls," said Bertha, snappily, and this so irritatedKing that he couldn't help speaking out.

  "Bertha Baker," he said, "if you don't behave yourself, and act morepleasant, I'll put you in the cart, and sell you for a doll!"

  This so surprised Bertha that she stared at King, wonderingly, but theother girls laughed, and then they all went on together.

  Bertha made no further objections, and Marjorie could see that she didtry to be a little more pleasant. King saw this, too, and he realizedthat she was the kind of a girl who obeyed scolding better than coaxing.So when they reached the next house, King said, "Now we'll all go in heretogether to sell the dolls; but we won't go until Bertha puts on a sweetsmile. So, smile away, my lady!"

  King's merry speech made Bertha laugh, and the dimples came in hercheeks, and she looked very pretty as they went up the walk.

  "Goodness, Bertha!" exclaimed Elsie. "If you knew how much prettier youlook when you smile, you'd always wear a broad grin!"

  Bertha scowled at this, and seeing it, King stopped stock-still.

  "Cook up that smile again!" he cried. "Not another step till you do!"

  As the lady of the house was waiting for them on the veranda, this wasembarrassing, so Bertha smiled, and then the whole group moved on.

  So they kept on for the rest of the trip, King jollying Bertha wheneverit was necessary, and the other girls making merriment for themselves.Marjorie and Elsie soon became friends, for they were alike merry-heartedand pleasant-mannered.

  It was about noon when they sold their last doll and turned their faceshomeward. Elsie and Bertha went with them, and when they reached CousinJack's house they found Kitty and May Perry already there.

  "Here you are, my little peddlers! Here you are, with your empty carts!"cried Cousin Jack, as the children came upon the veranda. "All sold out,I see."

  "Yes," said Marjorie, "and we could have sold more if we had had them."

  "Then there's nothing left for me to buy from you, and I really need adoll."

  "I'll make you one before I go home, Cousin Jack," said Marjorie; "andthen you can keep it to remember me by."

  "All right, Mehitabel; good for you! I'll play with it every day,--andwhen I go to see my little friends I'll take it with me. And now, myweary peddlers, let me tell you what you have still before you! A numberof young people, mostly retired peddlers, are coming here to luncheonwith you. But we won't call it luncheon, because that sounds so prosaic.We'll call it,--what shall we call it?"

  "A festival feast," said Kitty. "That sounds gay and jolly."

  "So it does," agreed Cousin Jack, "A May Day Festival Feast for theMaynards, and nothing could be pleasanter nor that!"

  And even before Cousin Jack finished speaking, the young guests began toarrive, and Marjorie realized that it was a party her kind cousins hadmade for them.

  There were about twenty guests all together, and as they wore the prettycostumes they had worn as peddlers, it was a picturesque group.

  "Ho, for the Festival Feast!" exclaimed Cousin Jack, and taking Marjorieand Kitty by either hand he went dancing with them across the lawn.

  Under a clump of trees they discovered that a
table had been set, thoughit had not been visible from the house.

  The table was like a vision of Fairyland, and Marjorie thought she hadnever before seen such a pretty one.

  The decorations were of pink, and in the middle of the table was a wickerpushcart of fairly good size, filled with parcels wrapped in pink tissuepaper. From each parcel a long end of ribbon led to the plate of eachlittle guest. Also at each place was a much smaller pushcart of gildedwicker-work tied with pink bows, and filled with candies.

  Pink sweet peas and ferns were scattered over the white tablecloth, andacross the table ran a broad pink satin ribbon which bore in gold lettersthe legend, "May for the Maynards, the Maynards for May!"

  "What a beautiful table!" cried Marjorie, as the lovely sight greeted hereyes.

  "What beautiful guests!" cried Cousin Jack, as he looked at the smiling,happy crowd of children. And then he helped them to find their places,which were marked by pretty cards, painted with pink flowers.

  As far as possible, everything was trimmed with pink. The china was whitewith pink bands, the rolled sandwiches were tied with little pinkribbons, the little cakes were iced with pink, and there were pinkcandies, and pink ice cream, and pink lemonade.

  Then after the feast was over, the children were instructed to pullgently on the ribbons that lay at their plate, and thus draw toward themthe pink paper parcels.

  These being opened proved to contain a dainty gift for each one, theprevailing color, of course, being pink.

  "It's the pinkiest party I ever saw!" exclaimed Marjorie. "It makes itseem more like May, being so pinky!"

  "That's because it's for the Pink of Perfection," said Cousin Jack,looking fondly at Marjorie, whom he considered his chief guest.

  Then they all left the table, and with Cousin Jack as ringleader, theyplayed merry games until late in the afternoon.

  At last the children all went home, and Marjorie threw her arms aroundCousin Jack's neck, in a burst of gratitude. "You are too good to us!"she exclaimed.

  "Now, Mehitabel, you know I think nothing could be too good for you,you're such a gay little Maynard! Can't I induce you to stay here withme when your people go home to-morrow?"

  Marjorie laughed, for this was the second invitation she had had to leaveher family. But she well knew Cousin Jack didn't expect her to do it, andso she smiled, and said, "I couldn't be induced to do that, Cousin Jack;but I think it would be awfully nice if you and Cousin Ethel would comeand live in Rockwell. Then we could see you so much oftener."

  "I'm not sure that we can go and live there,--but if we were coaxed veryhard, we might come and visit you same time."

  "I rather think you will!" said Mr. Maynard, heartily, "and the sooneryou come, and the longer you stay, the better we'll like it!"

  And before the Maynards left Cambridge, it was definitely arranged thatCousin Jack and Cousin Ethel should visit them in the near future.

  The next day the Maynards started for home. They were to stop a day ortwo in Boston, and then proceed by easy stages back to Rockwell.

  As the big car started away from the Bryant house, after farewells bothmerry and affectionate, the children sang in gay chorus, one of theirfavorite road songs:

  "All through the May The Maynards play; And every day Is a holiday. Glad and gay, The Maynards play; Maytime for Maynards, Maynards for May! No longer in Cambridge can we stay, But over the hills and far-a-way; And so good-day, For we must away, May for the Maynards! The Maynards for May!"

 
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