III
SOUVENIRS
Marian came over to spend a few days with Patty before her departure.She was frankly envious of Patty's good fortune, but more than that,she was so desperately doleful at the thought of Patty's going awaythat she was anything but a cheerful visitor.
Although sorry for her cousin, Patty couldn't help laughing at thedejected picture that Marian continually presented. She followed Pattyaround the house wherever she went, or she would sit and look at herwith her chin held in her hands, and the big tears rolling down hercheeks.
"Marian, you are a goose," said Patty, exasperated by this performance."When I left Vernondale you cried and carried on just this way, butsomehow you seemed to live through it. And now that I live in New Yorkyou don't see me so very often anyhow, so why should you be sodisconsolate about my going away?"
"Because you're going so far, and you'll probably be drowned--thoseFrench steamers are ever so much more dangerous than the Englishlines--and somehow I just feel as if you'd never come back."
"Well, the best thing you can do then is to change your feelings. I'llbe back before you hardly realise that I'm gone; and I'll bring you theloveliest presents you ever saw."
This was a happy suggestion of Patty's, for Marian's tears ceased toflow and she brightened up at once.
"Oh, Patty, that is just what I wanted to talk to you about! If you aregoing to bring me anything in the way of a gift or a souvenir, wouldn'tyou just as lieve I'd tell you what I want, as to have you pick it outyourself, and likely as not bring me something I don't care for at all?Everybody who brings me home souvenirs from Europe brings the mosthideous things, or else something that I can't possibly use."
"Why, Marian, dear, I'd be only too glad to have you tell me what youwant, and I'll do my best to select it just right."
"Well, Patty, I want a lot of photographs. The kind we get over hereare no good. But I've seen the ones that come from Paris, and they'rejust as different as day and night. I'd like the Venus of Milo and theMona Lisa and the Victory and--oh, well--I'll make you out a list.There are several Madonnas that I want, and several more that I DON'Twant. And I do NOT want any of Nattier's pictures or a "Baby Stuart,"but I do want some of Hinde's hair curlers--the tortoise-shell kind, Imean--and you can only get them in Paris."
By this time Patty was shaking with laughter at Marian's list, and sheasked her if she didn't want anything else but photographs and haircurlers.
"Why, yes," said Marian, astonished; "I've only just begun. You knowphotographs don't cost much over there, and of course the curlers won'tcount for a present. I thought you meant to bring me something nice."
"I do," said Patty, looking at her cousin, who was so comically inearnest. "You just go on with your list, and I'll bring all the things,if I have to buy an extra trunk to bring them in."
"All right, then," said Marian, encouraged to proceed. "I want a beadbag--one of those gay coloured ones made of very small beads, worked inold-fashioned flowers, roses, you know, or hibiscus--not on any accountthe tulip pattern, because I hate it."
"You'd better write out these instructions, Marian, or I shall be sureto get tulips by mistake."
"Don't you do it, Patty; I'll write them all down most explicitly. Andthen I want a scarf, a very long one, cream-coloured ground, with aPersian border in blues and greys. But not a palm-leaf border--I meanthat queer stencilled sort of a design; I'll draw a pattern of it soyou can't mistake it."
"But suppose I can't find just that kind, Marian."
"Oh, yes, you can! Ethel Holmes has one, and hers came from Paris. Andyou've all winter to look for it, you know."
"Well, I'll devote the winter to the search, but if I don't find italong toward spring I'll give it up. What else, Marian?"
"Well, I'd like a lot of Napoleon things. Some old prints of him, youknow, and perhaps a little bronze statuette, and a cup and saucer orpen-wiper, or any of those things that they make with pictures ofNapoleon on. And then--oh! Patty, I do want some Cyclamen perfumery.It's awfully hard to get. There's only one firm that makes it. I forgetthe name, but it's Something Bros. & Co., and their place is across theSeine."
"Across the Seine from what?"
"Why, just across. On the other side, you know. Of course I don't knowacross from what, because I've never been to Paris; but everybody whohas lived there always just says 'across the Seine,' and everybodyknows at once where they mean. You'll know all right after you've livedthere a little while."
"Marian, you're a wonder," declared Patty. "I don't think I ever knewanybody with such a perfect and complete understanding of her own wantsas you seem to have. I hope you haven't mentioned half the things I'mto bring you, but don't tell me the rest now. I might change my mindabout going. But you buy a large blank book and write out all theseorders at full length, giving directions just when to cross the Seineand when to cross back again, and I'll promise to do my very best withthe whole list."
"Patty, you're a darling," said Marian, "and I'm almost reconciled tohaving you go when I think of having souvenirs brought to me that Ireally want."
"Marian," said Patty, struck with a sudden thought, "your idea of thedifference between desirable and undesirable souvenirs is aninteresting one. Now I shall bring little gifts to all my friends andrelatives, I expect, and if you happen to know of anything that wouldbe especially liked by Uncle Charlie or Aunt Alice or any of yourfamily, or the Tea Club girls, I wish you'd make another list and putthose things all down for me. It would be the greatest kind of a help."
Marian promised to do this, and Patty felt sure that she would be gladof the lists later on.
Aunt Isabel and Ethelyn also came to say good-bye to Patty, but theirdemeanour was very different from Marian's.
Aunt Isabel was much impressed by the fact that Patty was going totravel with the rich Farringtons, but she expressed a doubt as towhether it would do Patty much good in a social way after all. For sheknew something of Mrs. Farrington's habits and tastes, and they in noway corresponded to her own.
Ethelyn informed Patty that she need not bring her any souvenir unlessshe could bring something really nice. "I do hate the little traps andtrinkets most people bring," she said; "but if you want to bring me abracelet or locket or something really worth while, I'd be glad to haveit."
"Well," exclaimed Patty, "I certainly have most outspoken cousins! Theydon't seem to hesitate to tell me what to bring and what not to bringthem. But I'm sure of one thing! Bumble Barlow won't be so fussyparticular; she'll take whatever I bring and be thankful."
"So will I," said Nan, laughing; "anything no one else wants, Patty,you may give it to me."
"Don't spend all your money buying presents, child," said Aunt Isabel;"you'd better buy pretty clothes for yourself. I will give you a listof the best places to shop."
"Thank you, Aunt Isabel, I'll take the list with pleasure; but ofcourse my purchases will be at the advice of Mrs. Farrington. Shedresses Elise quite simply, and will probably expect me to do the same."
Aunt Isabel sniffed. "You ought to have gone to Paris with me," shesaid. "You're growing up to be a good-looking girl, Patty, and theright kind of clothes would set you off wonderfully."
Patty said nothing, but as she glanced at Ethelyn's furbelows she feltthankful she was not going to Paris with Aunt Isabel.
But Patty found that there was quite a great deal of shopping to bedone before she sailed.
Nan took these matters in charge and declared that Patty needed acomplete though not an elaborate steamer outfit.
Nan dearly loved buying pretty clothes and was quite in her elementmaking Patty's purchases. A dark blue tailor-made cloth, trimmed withtouches of green velvet, was chosen for her travelling costume.
Her "going-away dress" Marian persisted in calling it, just as if Pattywere a bride; but as Marian burst into tears every time she mentionedPatty's going away, her words were so indistinct that it matteredlittle what terms she used.
Then Nan selected one or two pr
etty light gowns of a somewhat dressynature for dinner on board the steamer, and one or two simple eveninggowns for the ship's concert or other festive occasions. A white sergesuit was added for pleasant afternoons on deck, and some dainty kimonosand negligees for stateroom use.
Patty was delighted with all these things, but could scarcely take timeto appreciate them, as she found so many other things to do by way ofher own preparations. So many people came to see her and she had to goto see so many other people. Then she had to have her photographs takento leave with her friends, and she was constantly being invited tolittle farewell luncheons or teas.
"Indeed," as Patty expressed it, "the whole two weeks of preparationseems like one long, lingering farewell; and when I'm not sayinggood-bye to any one else, I'm trying to stop Marian's freshly flowingtears."
The girls bought Patty parting gifts, and though they were all eitheruseful or pretty, Patty appreciated far more the loving spirit whichprompted them.
"I made this all myself," said Hilda, as she brought Patty a daintysleeping gown of blue and white French flannel, "because it's utterlyimpossible to buy this sort of thing ready-made and have it just right.If you don't say this is just right I'll never make you another as longas I live."
"It's exactly right, Hilda," said Patty, taking the pretty garment. "Iknow I shall dream of you whenever I wear it, and that's too bad, too,for I ought to devote some of my dreams to other people."
"This is a cabin bag," said Lorraine, bringing her offering. "I didn'tmake it myself, because this is so much neater and prettier than ahomemade one. You see it has a pocket for everything that you canpossibly require, from hairpins to shoehorn. Not that you'll putanything in the pockets--nobody ever does--but it will look prettydecorating your cabin wall."
"Indeed I shall put things in it," said Patty. "I'm a great believer inputting things in their right places, and I shall think of you,Lorraine, whenever I'm trying to get the things out of these dinkylittle pockets, and probably not succeeding very well."
"This is my gift," said Adelaide Hart; "it isn't very elaborate, but Imade it all myself, and that means a good deal from me."
Patty opened the parcel and found a piece of cretonne about a yardsquare, neatly hemmed along each of the four sides, and having a tapeloop sewed on each corner.
"It's perfectly beautiful," said Patty, "and I never saw more exquisiteneedlework; but would you mind telling me what it is for? It can't be ahandkerchief, but I don't know of anything else that's exactly square."
"How ignorant you are," said Adelaide with pretended superiority."That, my inexperienced friend, is a wrap for your best hat."
"Oh," said Patty, not much enlightened.
"You see," Adelaide kindly went on to explain, "as soon as you get onboard your steamer you take off your best hat and put it exactly in themiddle of this square, having first spread the square out smoothly onthe bed or somewhere. Then you take up these four corners by the loopsand hang the whole thing on the highest hook in your stateroom. Thus,you see, your best hat is carried safely across; it is not jammed orcrushed, and it is protected from dust."
"I see," said Patty gravely; "and I suppose the dust is something awfulon an ocean steamer."
The laugh seemed to be on Adelaide at this, but she joined in it andprophesied that when Patty returned she would confess that that gifthad proved the most useful of all.
Clementine Morse brought a large post-card album which she had filledwith views of New York City.
"I know you will be homesick before you're out of sight of land," shesaid; "but if you're not you ought to be, and I hope these pictureswill make you so. When you look at this highly colored representationof Grant's tomb and realise that it is but a few miles from your ownlong-lost hearthstone, I'm sure you will feel qualms of patriotism--orsomething."
"I think very likely," said Patty, laughing. "But, Clementine, how manytrunks do you suppose I shall need to hold my farewell gifts? Thisalbum will take up considerable space."
"I know it," said Clementine, "but you needn't put it in your trunk.You can carry it on board in your hand, and then when you go ashore youcan carry it in your hand. I don't believe they will charge you duty onit, especially as it will probably be nearly worn out by that time."
"I'm sure it will," said Patty, "not only from my own constant use ofit, but I know everybody on board will want to borrow it and enjoythese works of art."
"Yes," agreed Clementine; "and then, Patty, when you're in Paris youcan throw away all these New York cards and fill it up with Paris viewsand bring it home and give it back to me."
"I certainly will, Clem; that's a first-rate idea."
Mary Sargent brought a French phrase book. It was entitled "FrenchBefore Breakfast," and as Mary explained that the French people neverhad breakfast until noon, Patty would have ample time to study it.
Patty accepted the little book with many thanks and promised Mary shewould never eat breakfast, at noon or any other hour, until she hadthoroughly mastered at least one of the phrases.