CHAPTER V--INVESTIGATING GREEN HILL FARM
As Rachel labored breathlessly with the baggage, she failed to noticeany changes in the appearance of the house or grounds, but Natalie sawan improvement.
"What has been done, Jimmy, to make everything look so trim and nice?"
"I hadn't really noticed, Natalie, but now that you draw attention tothe fact, I see they have trimmed the box-hedges along all the paths,and the grass has been mowed. Even the shade-trees have been pruned andcleaned out. How well it looks."
"Laws'ee, Mis' James! Ef dey hain't gone an' nailed a brass knock on disdoah!" exclaimed Rachel, dropping her burdens on the mat and staring upat the quaint old knocker that had been fastened to the Colonial doorsince their last visit.
When the door was thrown open, Natalie had a glimpse of the inside--nowfurnished and most attractive. She followed Mrs. James and Rachelindoors and clapped her hands in pleasure.
"How perfectly lovely, Jimmy! Who would have dreamed that the dusty oldplace would look like this with a few pieces of furniture and a goodclean-up of the rooms."
"I swan!" breathed Rachel, in admiration, as she noted the braided ragrugs on the hall floor, the Colonial mirror on the wall, and thehall-table with drop-leaves flanked on either side by two straightbacked rush-bottom chairs.
"It's almos' as fine as dem ole manor houses in Norf Car'liny. I ust tobe nuss-maid in one on 'em befoh I come Norf," was her final appraisalof the inside of the house.
Every nook and corner had been scoured until the entire house smelled ofcleanliness. Then the antique furniture that had been discovered in theattic had been cleaned and polished until no one would have said theywere the same old objects.
Mr. Marvin had selected enough braided and carpet-rag rugs for thefloors as would look artistic without covering up much of the fine oldoak-flooring of great wide boards. Simple cottage draperies hung at theold-fashioned windows, and the personal effects belonging to Nataliewere so arranged as to give the entire interior a homey look. It was acheerful home for a forlorn little orphan, and she felt the atmosphereof the place instantly.
Rachel had gone directly to the kitchen after she left the others in thehall, and now she was heard exclaiming delightedly: "Oh, Mis' James--an'Honey darlin'! Come right out to my place an' see how fine I am!"
They hurried out through the pantry and were surprised to find what agreat improvement had been made in the large kitchen, with plenty ofwhite enamel paint, new porcelain sink and table, and a fine modernrange. Even the chairs and cupboards were glistening white, and whitedotted swiss sash curtains hung at the four large windows.
"Ain't it jus' too gran' fer anythin'!" giggled Rachel, as pleased as achild with a new toy.
"It certainly is! We will all want to live in the kitchen, I fear,Rachel," said Mrs. James.
"Who ever straightened up dis house fer us, suttinly knew her bis'nis!"declared Rachel. "Jus' look at my closets--not one thing outen place.Pans, pots, an' dishes--jus' whar I'd 'a' put them myse'f."
Natalie was too curious to inspect the up-stairs, now, to remain longerin the kitchen, so she ran away, followed by Mrs. James. Rachel was tooengrossed with the idea of preparing a luncheon on the nice kitchenrange to bother about up-stairs.
On the wide landing of the main stairs Mr. Marvin had had made acushioned window-seat, so that one could sit and look out over thekitchen gardens and beyond the fields, to the woodland that bordered thestream at the extreme end of the farm. Past the woodland on the fartherside of the river rose a pretty green hill, similar to the one the housestood upon.
"Isn't this view just glorious?" cried Natalie, as she dropped upon theseat and gazed enrapt at the scene.
After resting for some time in the window-seat, the young owner sighedand started up the rest of the stairs to the chamber floor. Here sheinspected the various rooms with the old four-posted beds and high-boys,then came to a large, low-ceiled corner-room that had a similar view ashad from the landing, of the side and back sections of the farm, withthe woodland and stream beyond.
"Oh, how darling!" cried Natalie, seeing that all her favoritefurnishings were arranged here. "This must be mine."
"It is, dear. Mr. Marvin said he wanted you to have the best room withall your beloved objects around you. Here you can read, or sew, or planfor your estate," said Mrs. James smiling gently at the pleased girl.
While Natalie rocked in the comfortable sewing-chair that she rememberedher mother had preferred to all others, Rachel was heard coming to thefoot of the stairs. She called authoritatively, "You-all hurry rightdown to dis fine lunch what I got ready! Dat range bakes like OleNed--an' I got jus' de fines' pop-overs you eveh saw'd!"
"Um! That sounds tempting, Jimmy! Let's run," laughed Natalie.
While the two sat down at the round mahogany table that would easilyseat ten, Rachel stood in the pantry door with her hands folded over herexpansive figure. She smiled indulgently when Mrs. James praised thebrown disks of hot bread just from the oven, and then went back to thekitchen.
The afternoon was spent in walking about the farm and planning variouswonderful things: the vegetable gardens; the place where Miss Masonproposed having her camp for the Girl Scouts; selecting the best pastureif Mr. Marvin would consent to their having a cow. Then theout-buildings had to be examined in order to ascertain if they were ingood enough order to house a cow, and a pig, and chickens.
It was evening before Natalie dreamed it, and they turned toward thehouse with appetites that made them as ravenous as any half-starvedtramp. But Rachel was ready for them, and Natalie ate a supper such asshe had not enjoyed in years. Mrs. James watched with pleasure, for theair and change had already worked a great good in the girl.
The sun was setting over the woodland when Natalie came from thedining-room. She sat down on the step of the side piazza to admire thescene, when Mrs. James joined her, carrying two books.
"Oh, I wondered where those Scout books were," remarked Natalie, takingone from her friend. "Are you going to read yours now?"
"Yes, and I thought you would like to, too. We can sit and enjoy thecool of the evening, and discuss anything in the book that you do notunderstand."
After reading eagerly for some time, Natalie said: "I see here in thesection of the book that is devoted to forming a Patrol or Troop, thateach Patrol has a Leader, and also a Corporal to assist her. Theseoffices are held through votes cast by the Scouts, and each one of theseofficers holds her position until another election.
"But there can be no Patrol until there are eight girls banded togetherto form one. How could we five girls expect to start a unit when wehaven't enough girls to begin with?"
"Miss Mason suggested that, after she opens the camp on the river land,you girls might attend one of the meetings of her Scouts and, if youlike the work, join her Patrol until you have enough members with you tobranch out and organize one of your own. This will not only give yougirls a good beginning in the work, but also help her girls to charter aTroop."
"When will this be, Jimmy, if Miss Mason's girls can't get away beforeJuly 1st?"
Mrs. James laughed. "I'm sure I don't know, dear. Miss Mason will bebetter able to tell us that important point."
"Well, at least I have the book that I can read and find out what GirlScouts are supposed to do. Then I will be able to go right along when wedo join Miss Mason's girls."
"That's a good ambition, Natalie, and let the future take care ofitself. You only have to take one step at a time, you know, and no humanbeing ever lives more than one moment at a time. But how many of us planfor the future and worry about to-morrow or next week! People would stopworrying and hoarding if they understood the only right way to think andlive."
Natalie smiled, for she knew Mrs. James desired to help humanity stopits worries. So she said nothing but continued her reading of theManual. When she reached page 60, Section VII, and began reading aboutthe tests for Girl Scouts, she exclaimed: "Oh, now I see what I can do!"
Mrs. Jame
s looked up from her copy and waited to hear.
"I can learn and recite to you the Scout Promise and the Scout Laws, asis requested in this section. I can acquaint myself with the ScoutSalute, and when to use it. I can memorize the Scout Slogan and theMotto, and learn how respect to our Flag is expressed. All these otherthings I can study and know, so that I can stand up before Miss Mason'sgirls and answer any questions on this section that are asked me."
"Yes, Natalie, and you can also practice making knots, as mentionedhere; learn the Scout exercises in every way; become proficient inmaking a fire, cook decent food, make a bed properly, demonstrate yoursewing, and all the other things requested of a Scout for the tests,"added Mrs. James.
The two readers became so interested in the books that they failed tonotice how dim the light was growing, until Rachel came to the side doorand exclaimed at seeing them with noses buried in "Scouting for Girls."
"Laws'ee! Ef dem books tell you-all to spile yoh eyes like-a-dis, den Iain't got no use foh 'em. Come right along in, now, and set by a lampan' read--ef yoh gotta finish de hull book in one night!"
Mrs. James looked up, laughed, and placed a hand over Natalie's page."Rachel is quite right! Here we are trying to read by twilight thatwould forbid anyone with common sense to attempt such a thing."
"I've reached a thrilling place in the book, Jimmy! Can't I just finishthis chapter?" begged Natalie.
"Certainly, but not out here. Let us go indoors and use thetable-light."
Rachel had gone in and the lights were switched on, so Natalie ran in toenjoy the engrossing page.
"What is the chapter you are so interested in, dear?" asked Mrs. James,as they settled down in cozy comfort to continue their reading.
"Oh, this chapter called 'Woodcraft.' It is so wonderful to one whonever dreamed of such things being in the woods!"
"My! But you must have read very quickly to have reached the thirteenthsection already. I have only read up to the ninth," returned Mrs. James.
Natalie laughed. "To tell the truth, Jimmy, I skipped some of thechapters that looked dry and educational. I saw the pictures of thesemushrooms, and the little creatures of the wood, and I glanced at theopening words of the chapter. After that, I kept right on, and couldn'tstop."
Mrs. James smiled and shook her head. "That is a bad habit toform--skipping things that _seem_ dry and hard to do."
Natalie heard the gentle rebuke but smiled as she read the woodcraftchapter to its end. Then, instead of repenting of the habit of"skipping," she turned the pages of the book and read where she foundanother interesting chapter. This happened to be Section XVI on a GirlScout's Garden. She read this part way through and then had a brilliantidea.
"Jimmy! Janet Wardell says I ought to start a vegetable garden at once,and not only raise enough for us all to live on this summer, but havesome to send to the city to sell to my friends."
"I spoke to Rachel about that plan, Natalie, and she is of the sameopinion: we really ought to garden and thus save cost of living."
"You know, Jimmy, that Janet is crazy over the war-garden she had fortwo years, and she told me it was the most fun! Digging and seeding downthe soil, and weeding or harvesting was as much fun as playing croquetor tennis,--and a lot more remunerative. But then Janet always wasambitious. We all say she should have been a boy instead of a girl--withher go-a-headness."
"I don't see why a boy should be accredited with all the ambitions, andenergy, or activity of young folks!" protested Mrs. James. "Girls arejust as able to carry on a successful career as a boy,--and that is onething the Girl Scouts will teach the world in general,--there is nodifference in the Mind, and the ambitions and work that that Mindproduces, whether it be in boy or girl. So I'm glad Janet is so positivea force with you four girls: she will urge you to accomplish more thanyou would, if left to your own indolent devices."
"I'll grant you that, Jimmy, but let's talk about the possibilities of agarden, without losing any more time. Do you think we might start in atonce? To-morrow, say?"
"Of course we can! In fact, I wrote our next-door neighbor, Mr. Ames, tobring his plough and horse in the morning and turn over the soil so wecould see what its condition is."
"Goody! Then I will start right in and raise vegetables and by the timethe girls come down, I ought to have some greens growing up to showthem!" cried Natalie.
Mrs. James laughed. "I'm not so sure that seeds will grow so quickly asto show green tops in two weeks. You must remember that ploughing,cleaning out stones and old weeds, then raking and fertilizing the soil,will take several days. By the time the seeds are planted it will havetaken a week. In ten days more, we shall have the girls with us. So ourvegetables will be wonders if they pop up in ten days' time."
"Well--anyway--I can point out all that has been done in that time, andexplain why the greens do not show themselves," argued Natalie.
Mrs. James nodded, smilingly, to keep Natalie's ambition alive. It wasthe first time in all the time she had known the girl that she had foundher eagerly planning anything that was really constructive andbeneficial to everyone. And especially would it prove beneficial toherself, for working in the open air, and digging in the ground, wouldbe the best tonics she could have. And the slender, undersized, morbidgirl needed just such tonic.
So Mrs. James laid aside her book and devoted the rest of the evening tothe plans for a fine truck garden.
In half an hour the two had sketched a rough diagram for the garden,following the picture given in the Scout book. "All around the outsideof the rows of vegetables, I want to plant flowers, so it will beartistic as well as useful," said Natalie.
"If I were you, dear, I'd stick to the vegetables in the large garden,and plant flowers in the roundel and small beds about the house, wherethe color and perfume will reach us as we sit indoors or on thepiazzas," suggested Mrs. James.
"But the vegetable garden will look so plain and ugly with nothing butbean poles and brush for peas," complained Natalie.
"Not so, Natalie. When the blossoms on the bean-vines wave in thebreeze, and the gorgeous orange flowers bloom on the pumpkin and melonvines, or the peas send you their sweet scent, you will be glad you didas I suggest. Besides, we will need so many flowers about the house thatit will take all the time and money we have to spare to take care ofthose beds."
So Natalie was persuaded to try out Mrs. James' ideas.
"How long will it take us to get the seeds to plant in our vegetablegarden, Jimmy?" asked she later.
"I can telephone my order in to the seed store in the morning, and theycan mail the package at once. We ought to have it in two days, atleast," answered Mrs. James.
"That will be time enough, won't it? Because we have to plough and rakethe beds first. Oh, I do hope that farmer won't forget to come in themorning," sighed Natalie, running to the door to look out at the nightsky and see if there was any indication of rain for the morrow.
"The sky is clear and the stars are shining like beacons," exclaimedshe, turning to Mrs. James.
That lady smiled for she understood why Natalie had gone to investigatethe weather signals.
"Perhaps we ought to go to bed early, Natalie, so we can be up whenFarmer Ames arrives," hinted she.
"Why, what time do you think he will be here?"
"Farmers generally begin work at five, but he may not arrive until afterhis chores are attended to. I suppose we may look for him about seveno'clock."
"Seven o'clock! Mercy, Jimmy, we won't be awake then," cried Natalie,surprised at such hours.
"Oh yes, we will, because everyone in the country goes to bed at nineand rises at five. We must begin the same habit."
"Oh, oh! How outlandish! Why, we never _think_ of bed in the city untileleven,--and later if we go to the theatre, you know."
"That's why everyone has pasty complexions and has to resort to rouge.If folks would keep decent hours they'd be healthier and deprive thedoctors and druggists of an income. We will begin to live in the countryas country peop
le do, and then we will show city folks what we gain bysuch living," replied Mrs. James, mildly but firmly.
So they prepared to retire that first night on Green Hill Farm, when thehands on the old grandfather's clock pointed to eight-forty-five. EvenRachel laughed as she started up-stairs back of her young mistress, andafter saying good-night, added: "Ef I onny could grow roses in m' cheekslike-as-how you-all kin! But dey woulden show, nohow, on my black face!"
She laughed heartily at her joke and went to the small room over thekitchen, still shaking with laughter.