Meanwhile, the visit to Sunrise Farm came to a glorious close. The belated Fourth of July was celebrated on the evening of the fifth, in a perfectly “safe and sane” manner by the burning of the wealth of fireworks that Mr. Steele had supplied.
The days that followed to the end of the stay of the girls of Briarwood Hall and their brothers, were filled with delightful incidents. Picnics, fishing parties, tramps over the hills, rides, games on the lawn, and many other activities occupied the delightful hours at Sunrise Farm.
“This surely is the nicest place I ever was at,” Busy Izzy admitted, on the closing day of the party. “If I have as good a time the rest of the summer, I won’t mind going back to school and suffering for eight months in the year.”
“Hear! hear!” cried Heavy Jennie Stone. “And the eats!”
“And the rides,” said Mercy Curtis, the lame girl. “Such beautiful rides through the hills!”
“And such a fine time watching those fresh airs to see that they didn’t kill themselves,” added Tom Cameron, with a grimace.
“Don’t say a word against the poor little dears, Tommy,” urged his sister. “Suppose you had to live in an for orphanage all but four weeks in the year?”
“Tom is only fooling,” Ruth said, quietly. “I know him. He enjoyed seeing the children have a good time, too.”
“Oh! if you say so, Miss Fielding,” said Tom, laughing and bowing to her, “it must be so.”
The big yellow coach, with the four prancing horses, came around to the door. Bobbins mounted to the driver’s seat and gathered up the ribbons. The visitors climbed aboard.