CHAPTER II
PARADISE
The place to which the children were going was a sort of marshy thicketat the bottom of a field near the house. It wasn't a big thicket, but itlooked big, because the trees and bushes grew so closely that you couldnot see just where it ended. In winter the ground was damp and boggy, sothat nobody went there, excepting cows, who don't mind getting theirfeet wet; but in summer the water dried away, and then it was all freshand green, and full of delightful things--wild roses, and sassafras, andbirds' nests. Narrow, winding paths ran here and there, made by thecattle as they wandered to and fro. This place the children called"Paradise," and to them it seemed as wide and endless and full ofadventure as any forest of fairy land.
The way to Paradise was through some wooden bars. Katy and Cecy climbedthese with a hop, skip and jump, while the smaller ones scrambledunderneath. Once past the bars they were fairly in the field, and, withone consent, they all began to run till they reached the entrance of thewood. Then they halted, with a queer look of hesitation on their faces.It was always an exciting occasion to go to Paradise for the first timeafter the long winter. Who knew what the fairies might not have donesince any of them had been there to see?
"Which path shall we go in by?" asked Clover, at last.
"Suppose we vote," said Katy. "I say by the Pilgrim's Path and the Hillof Difficulty."
"So do I!" chimed in Clover, who always agreed with Katy.
"The Path of Peace is nice," suggested Cecy.
"No, no! We want to go by Sassafras Path!" cried John and Dorry.
However, Katy, as usual, had her way. It was agreed that they shouldfirst try Pilgrim's Path, and afterward make a thorough exploration ofthe whole of their little kingdom, and see all that had happened sincelast they were there. So in they marched, Katy and Cecy heading theprocession, and Dorry, with his great trailing bunch of boughs, bringingup the rear.
"Oh, there is the dear Rosary, all safe!" cried the children, as theyreached the top of the Hill of Difficulty, and came upon a tall stump,out of the middle of which waved a wild rose-bush, budded over withfresh green eaves. This "Rosary" was a fascinating thing to their minds.They were always inventing stories about it, and were in constant terrorlest some hungry cow should take a fancy to the rose-bush and eat it up.
"Yes," said Katy, stroking a leaf with her finger, "it was in greatdanger one night last winter, but it escaped."
"Oh, how? Tell us about it!" cried the others, for Katy's stories werefamous in the family.
"It was Christmas Eve," continued Katy, in a mysterious tone. "The fairyof the Rosary was quite sick. She had taken a dreadful cold in her head,and the poplar-tree fairy, just over there, told her that sassafras teais good for colds. So she made a large acorn-cup full, and then cuddledherself in where the wood looks so black and soft, and fell asleep. Inthe middle of the night, when she was snoring soundly, there was a noisein the forest, and a dreadful black bull with fiery eyes galloped up. Hesaw our poor Rosy Posy, and, opening his big mouth, he was just going tobite her in two; but at that minute a little fat man, with a wand in hishand, popped out from behind the stump. It was Santa Claus, of course.He gave the bull such a rap with his wand that he moo-ed dreadfully, andthen put up his fore-paw, to see if his nose was on or not. He found itwas, but it hurt him so that he 'moo-ed' again, and galloped off as fastas he could into the woods. Then Santa Claus waked up the fairy, andtold her that if she didn't take better care of Rosy Posy he should putsome other fairy into her place, and set her to keep guard over aprickly, scratchy, blackberry-bush."
"Is there really any fairy?" asked Dorry, who had listened to thisnarrative with open mouth.
"Of course," answered Katy. Then bending down toward Dorry, she added ina voice intended to be of wonderful sweetness: "I am a fairy, Dorry!"
"Pshaw!" was Dorry's reply; "you're a giraffe--Pa said so!"
The Path of Peace got its name because of its darkness and coolness.High bushes almost met over it, and trees kept it shady, even in themiddle of the day. A sort of white flower grew there, which the childrencalled Pollypods, because they didn't know the real name. They staid along while picking bunches of these flowers, and then John and Dorry hadto grub up an armful of sassafras roots; so that before they had fairlygone through Toadstool Avenue, Rabbit Hollow, and the rest, the sun wasjust over their heads, and it was noon.
"I'm getting hungry," said Dorry.
"Oh, no, Dorry, you mustn't be hungry till the bower is ready!" criedthe little girls, alarmed, for Dorry was apt to be disconsolate if hewas kept waiting for his meals. So they made haste to build the bower.It did not take long, being composed of boughs hung over skipping-ropes,which were tied to the very poplar-tree where the fairy lived who hadrecommended sassafras tea to the Fairy of the Rose.
When it was done they all cuddled in underneath. It was a very smallbower--just big enough to hold them, and the baskets, and the kitten. Idon't think there would have been room for anybody else, not evenanother kitten. Katy, who sat in the middle, untied and lifted the lidof the largest basket, while all the rest peeped eagerly to see whatwas inside.
First came a great many ginger cakes. These were carefully laid on thegrass to keep till wanted: buttered biscuit came next--three apiece,with slices of cold lamb laid in between; and last of all were a dozenhard-boiled eggs, and a layer of thick bread and butter sandwiched withcorn-beef. Aunt Izzie had put up lunches for Paradise before, you see,and knew pretty well what to expect in the way of appetite.
Oh, how good everything tasted in that bower, with the fresh windrustling the poplar leaves, sunshine and sweet wood-smells about them,and birds singing overhead! No grown-up dinner party ever had half somuch fun. Each mouthful was a pleasure; and when the last crumb hadvanished, Katy produced the second basket, and there, oh, delightfulsurprise! were seven little pies--molasses pies, baked in saucers--eachwith a brown top and crisp candified edge, which tasted like toffy andlemon-peel, and all sorts of good things mixed up together.
There was a general shout. Even demure Cecy was pleased, and Dorry andJohn kicked their heels on the ground in a tumult of joy. Seven pairs ofhands were held out at once toward the basket; seven sets of teeth wentto work without a moment's delay. In an incredibly short time everyvestige of the pie had disappeared, and a blissful stickiness pervadedthe party.
"What shall we do now?" asked Clover, while little Phil tipped thebaskets upside down, as if to make sure there was nothing left thatcould possibly be eaten.
"I don't know," replied Katy, dreamily. She had left her seat, and washalf-sitting, half-lying on the low, crooked bough of a butternut tree,which hung almost over the children's heads.
"Let's play we're grown up," said Cecy, "and tell what we mean to do."
"Well," said Clover, "you begin. What do you mean to do?"
"I mean to have a black silk dress, and pink roses in my bonnet, and awhite muslin long-shawl," said Cecy; "and I mean to look _exactly_ likeMinerva Clark! I shall be very good, too; as good as Mrs. Bedell, only agreat deal prettier. All the young gentlemen will want me to go andride, but I shan't notice them at all, because you know I shall alwaysbe teaching in Sunday-school, and visiting the poor. And some day, whenI am bending over an old woman and feeding her with currant jelly, apoet will come along and see me, and he'll go home and write a poemabout me," concluded Cecy, triumphantly.
"Pooh!" said Clover. "I don't think that would be nice at all. _I'm_going to be a beautiful lady--the most beautiful lady in the world! AndI'm going to live in a yellow castle, with yellow pillars to theportico, and a square thing on top, like Mr. Sawyer's. My children aregoing to have a play-house up there. There's going to be a spy-glass inthe window, to look out of. I shall wear gold dresses and silver dressesevery day, and diamond rings, and have white satin aprons to tie on whenI'm dusting, or doing anything dirty. In the middle of my back-yardthere will be a pond-full of Lubin's Extracts, and whenever I want any Ishall go just out and dip a bottle in. And I shan't t
each in Sundayschools, like Cecy, because I don't want to; but every Sunday I'll goand stand by the gate, and when her scholars go by on their way home,I'll put Lubin's Extracts on their handkerchiefs."
"I mean to have just the same," cried Elsie, whose imagination was firedby this gorgeous vision, "only my pond will be the biggest. I shall be agreat deal beautifuller, too," she added.
"You can't," said Katy from overhead. "Clover is going to be the mostbeautiful lady in the world."
"But I'll be more beautiful than the most beautiful," persisted poorlittle Elsie; "and I'll be big, too, and know everybody's secrets. Andeverybody'll be kind, then, and never run away and hide; and there won'tbe any post offices, or anything disagreeable."
"What'll you be, Johnnie?" asked Clover, anxious to change the subject,for Elsie's voice was growing plaintive.
But Johnnie had no clear ideas as to her future. She laughed a greatdeal, and squeezed Dorry's arm very tight, but that was all. Dorry wasmore explicit.
"I mean to have turkey every day," he declared, "and batter-puddings;not boiled ones, you know, but little baked ones, with brown shinytops, and a great deal of pudding sauce to eat on them. And I shall beso big then that nobody will say, 'Three helps is quite enough for alittle boy.'"
"Oh, Dorry, you pig!" cried Katy, while the others screamed withlaughter. Dorry was much affronted.
"I shall just go and tell Aunt Izzie what you called me," he said,getting up in a great pet.
But Clover, who was a born peacemaker, caught hold of his arm, and hercoaxings and entreaties consoled him so much that he finally said hewould stay; especially as the others were quite grave now, and promisedthat they wouldn't laugh any more.
"And now, Katy, it's your turn," said Cecy; "tell us what you're goingto be when you grow up."
"I'm not sure about what I'll be," replied Katy, from overhead;"beautiful, of course, and good if I can, only not so good as you, Cecy,because it would be nice to go and ride with the young gentlemen_sometimes_. And I'd like to have a large house and a splendiferousgarden, and then you could all come and live with me, and we would playin the garden, and Dorry should have turkey five times a day if heliked. And we'd have a machine to darn the stockings, and anothermachine to put the bureau drawers in order, and we'd never sew or knitgarters, or do anything we didn't want to. That's what I'd like to _be_.But now I'll tell you what I mean to _do_."
"Isn't it the same thing?" asked Cecy.
"Oh, no!" replied Katy, "quite different; for you see I mean to _do_something grand. I don't know what, yet; but when I'm grown up I shallfind out." (Poor Katy always said "when I'm grown up," forgetting howvery much she had grown already.) "Perhaps," she went on, "it will berowing out in boats, and saving peoples' lives, like that girl in thebook. Or perhaps I shall go and nurse in the hospital, like MissNightingale. Or else I'll head a crusade and ride on a white horse, witharmor and a helmet on my head, and carry a sacred flag. Or if I don't dothat, I'll paint pictures, or sing, or scalp--sculp,--what is it? youknow--make figures in marble. Anyhow it shall be _something_. And whenAunt Izzie sees it, and reads about me in the newspapers she will say,'The dear child! I always knew she would turn out an ornament to thefamily,' People very often say, afterward, that they 'always knew,'"concluded Katy sagaciously.
"Oh, Katy! how beautiful it will be!" said Clover, clasping her hands.Clover believed in Katy as she did in the Bible.
"I don't believe the newspapers would be so silly as to print thingsabout _you_, Katy Carr," put in Elsie, vindictively.
"Yes they will!" said Clover; and gave Elsie a push.
By and by John and Dorry trotted away on mysterious errands oftheir own.
"Wasn't Dorry funny with his turkey?" remarked Cecy; and they alllaughed again.
"If you won't tell," said Katy, "I'll let you see Dorry's journal. Hekept it once for almost two weeks, and then gave it up. I found thebook, this morning, in the nursery closet."
All of them promised, and Katy produced it from her pocket. Itbegan thus:
"March 12.--Have resolved to keep a jurnal.
March 13.--Had rost befe for diner, and cabage, and potato and appelsawse, and rice puding. I do not like rice puding when it is like ours.Charley Slack's kind is rele good. Mush and sirup for tea.
March 19.--Forgit what did. John and me saved our pie to take to schule.
March 21.--Forgit what did. Gridel cakes for brekfast. Debby didn'tfry enuff.
March 24.--This is Sunday. Corn befe for dinnir. Studdied my Bibelleson. Aunt Issy said I was gredy. Have resollved not to think so muchabout things to ete. Wish I was a beter boy. Nothing pertikeler for tea.
March 25.--Forgit what did.
March 27.--Forgit what did.
March 29.--Played.
March 31.--Forgit what did.
April 1.--Have dissided not to kepe a jurnal enny more."
Here ended the extracts; and it seemed as if only a minute had passedsince they stopped laughing over them, before the long shadows began tofall, and Mary came to say that all of them must come in to get readyfor tea. It was dreadful to have to pick up the empty baskets and gohome, feeling that the long, delightful Saturday was over, and thatthere wouldn't be another for a week. But it was comforting to rememberthat Paradise was always there; and that at any moment when Kate andAunt Izzie were willing, they had only to climb a pair of bars--veryeasy ones, and without any fear of an angel with flaming sword to stopthe way--enter in, and take possession of their Eden.