The book is written by Laura D. Nichols; and those of the Pansies who have read her "Overhead" and "Underfoot," need no further introduction to this book. They know they will like it. For the rest of you, you need to get acquainted with sweet, womanly little Nelly Marlow, and her good brother Harry. You want to know how they went to the country, leaving Harry behind to be brave and manly at his uncle's; how Nelly cared for her mother's breakfast, and even, with "Miss Gage's" help, went into the furniture business, and manufactured a lovely table for the somewhat barely furnished room.
This is only a hint of her helpfulness, and her wise sweet ways. Plenty of fun she had, too; and a most astonishing way of making friends with everybody, and having unexpectedly good times because they liked to have her with them. Just let me give you a taste of one of the days which her good friend Dave planned for her:
"'Say, Nelly,' he began, 'do you want to go up to Hackmatack to-morrow?'
"'Of course I do!' cried she; 'who's going?'
"'Well, Abner is, an' I be, an' Sam, an' Sam's father. There's an ol' house an' barn half-way up the mounting, where 'Siah Buckman's folks used to live, an' they're all gone out West, an' Abner an' Sam's father have bought the standin' grass on the halves, an' we're goin' up to cut it. Miss Gage said she'd like to go, if you would, an' there's a woman an' her boy boardin' at Sam's an' mebbe they'll go too. You could take your dinner and have a kind of a picnic.'
in sap time.—From "Up Hill and Down Dale."
"'O, that would be perfectly lovely!' cried Nelly. 'I'm so glad you thought of it. I'll go and ask mother now. Good-night, aunty, I'll come and tell you all about it, if we go.'
"Mrs. Marlow was well pleased that her daughter should have a whole day out-of-doors, under such safe escort, and assured her that, although she should miss her, she would be fully recompensed by hearing of her adventures.
"The next day proved as perfect a hay-day as could be desired. Abner, Mr. Burns and Sam had an early breakfast, and were off before six o'clock, with their scythes and rakes in the Burns's single wagon, leaving Dave to follow with a two-seated one, bringing the ladies and dinner pails. The boarders from Sam's house proved to be a Mrs. Symonds, a gayly dressed and lively young woman, and her little boy Ambrose, a quiet child eight or nine years old.