"I thought we had enough to do yesterday as it was," laughed Mrs. Merrill. "Let's see, we might go there at the end of our ride. We are having such a late breakfast too that we won't want much lunch—would that be all right?"
Breakfast over, Alice finished dressing while Mary Jane had her hair brushed and the big ribbon tied on; then she finished dressing while her mother and Alice got out hats and tidied the room ready to go. Mary Jane would have loved to linger all morning at the window, for the comfy chairs felt so good and there was always something interesting to watch in the Square below. But when one goes to Boston, they don't seem to expect to sit in chairs at windows; they seem to hurry around and see something every minute—Mary Jane had discovered that.
They went nearly halfway around the Square, leaving Mary Jane's shoes at a little basement shop they were referred to on the way, and then they got into a great blue automobile that took folks around the city. Mary Jane tried to remember everything they saw, for she could tell that when she grew up big like Alice and was in eighth grade as Alice was, she too would want to know all about the historical sights they were seeing. Alice seemed to know all about the Old South Church, the Boston Navy Yard, the first court house and the funny, narrow winding streets. For her part, Mary Jane liked the Navy Yard best, for there they got out of the car and saw many sorts of government boats. Also they had the fun of going all over the old ship Constitution—a famous boat of long ago. Mary Jane thought the funny little cannon they used in those days looked very queer compared with the great big guns they could see on the boats in use now—they looked like toy cannon ready for a boy's Fourth of July!
Back in the big auto again they drove through the tenement district, and there Mary Jane held her breath many a time for the streets were so very narrow, the buildings so high and close, and the ragged, hungry looking children ran across the streets in a reckless way that frightened Mary Jane nearly to death. She was glad when they left that part of the city and drove to see Bunker Hill Monument.
It seemed a very small monument to make such a fuss about, but Mrs. Merrill explained that monuments are important not for their size but for what they celebrate.
"It does seem too bad, though," said Mary Jane thoughtfully as they turned away to go back to the car, "that the battle of Bunker Hill couldn't have been where those poor children want to play! Here's a lovely park and there, why, there isn't anything but a narrow street! When I grow up, I'm going to have a park for everybody—that's the way things ought to be."
Mrs. Merrill had the driver let them out at the entrance to the Commons instead of Copley Square, and they walked over to the lagoon to take the ride in the swan boats.
"I think this is the nicest thing to do!" exclaimed Mary Jane happily as the boat slowly paddled away from the tiny dock. "I feel so grand and story-book-y!"
"Do you suppose we could ever come here and just ride and ride and ride?" she added, "I'd just love to ride all day!"
"Let me see," said Mrs. Merrill thoughtfully, "I'm afraid we couldn't ride all day, dear, but we might come again after the game this afternoon and get two or three rides. You know a friend of Uncle Hal's is going to take us on a drive to-morrow and there's something planned for every single day."