.dt The Village of Hide and Seek, by Bingham Thoburn Wilson—A Project Gutenberg eBook
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THE VILLAGE OF HIDE AND SEEK.
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"The now smiling vagabond stood bowing and scraping in \
the middle of the sunbaked road."
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Illustration: "The now smiling vagabond stood bowing and \
scraping in the middle of the sunbaked road."
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THE VILLAGE
OF
HIDE AND SEEK
BY
BINGHAM THOBURN WILSON
AUTHOR OF
"YE MOUNTAINEER," "THE TALE OF THE PHANTOM YACHT," ETC.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY
W. HERBERT DUNTON
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Illustration: Publisher's logo
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NEW YORK
CONSOLIDATED RETAIL BOOKSELLERS
1905
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Copyrighted, 1905, by
CONSOLIDATED RETAIL BOOKSELLERS
REGISTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL, LONDON
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(All Rights Reserved)
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Published, October, 1905.
{Printed in the United States of America}.
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Dedication.
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TO THE CHILDREN OF POVERTY AND RAGS. TO THE
HOUSEHOLD OF SORROW AND BURDENSOME CARE.
TO THE LIVES IN THE SHADOW OF THE DARK GAUNT
FORM OF WOE. TO THOSE WHOSE EARS HAVE BEEN
ATTUNED TO THE HOLLOW, MOCKING VOICE OF
GRIEF. TO THE HUMBLEST OF THE HUMBLE, THE
POOR; THE VERY POOR. AND MAY THIS STORY
PROVE TO BE STARLIGHT IF NOT SUNSHINE.
VERY RESPECTFULLY,
THE AUTHOR.
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CONTENTS.
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CHAPTER |
I. | #"His Highness," the Vagabond:ch01#
II. | #Aunt Twaddles:ch02#
III. | #The Path up the Cliff:ch03#
IV. | #The Cave in the Mountain:ch04#
V. | #The Village of Hide and Seek:ch05#
VI. | #The Queen of the Dolls:ch06#
VII. | #Kimbo, the Giant:ch07#
VIII. | #The Island of Dreams:ch08#
IX. | #Soda Water Fountain:ch09#
X. | #In the Village of Hide and Seek:ch10#
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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
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#"Frontisepiece.":illus004#
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#"Almost dumb with surprise, the children turned about to gaze on \
the world that lay far beneath them":illus059#
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#"All the odd, ill-fitting garments ... were changed into raiments \
of rich lace and gold":illus115#
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#"He seemed to be leaping over great fields fully a mile \
at a stride":illus123#
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#"The children stopped to look back upon the spot from which \
they had just come":illus133#
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#"Looking upward they were amazed to behold the open sky filled \
with sweet-voiced angels":illus151#
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#"He gave the old harp a nimble sweep with his dexterous fingers \
that filled the air with enchanting music":illus163#
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#"Perhaps you have noticed by my long hair and studious demeanor \
that I am both a gentleman and a scholar":illus191#
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THE VILLAGE OF HIDE AND SEEK
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CHAPTER I || "HIS HIGHNESS," THE VAGABOND
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On a bright sunny day in the middle of the
month of August, a merry group of gaily dressed
children were romping upon the green lawn of a
country place, that, from its well kept and cleanly
surroundings, could not have been mistaken for
any other than the home of some prosperous and
perhaps retired gentleman of wealth and refinement.
The old-fashioned stone house, with its wide
porch and heavily carved wooden columns green-coated
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with climbing ivy, rose amid the stately
trees of the lawn, until it seemed lost in a bower
of shadowy foliage. The low, thatch-roofed out-buildings
and long lines of far-reaching fence,
carefully coated with fresh whitewash, stood
glistening in the sunlight, quite in harmony with
the polished marble window sills of the great stone
mansion.
Standing in the very centre of the scene, like
some still lingering remnant of the long gone and
almost forgotten past, arose the tall, rustic arm of
an old-fashioned well-sweep, that raised or lowered
a moss-covered, old oaken bucket, filled to overflowing
and dripping wet with cool, clear water, not
unfrequently visited by this gamboling group of
merry children both during and after their play.
As the children rested for a moment beneath
the sheltering arms of an old oak tree, they were
much surprised to behold the form of a wandering
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vagabond ambling along the dusty road. His
hat was well drawn down over his eyes to avoid
the glaring rays of the mid-day sun. Over his
shoulder and made fast to the end of a crooked
stick, that might have answered as well for a defence
as for a staff, hung his sum total of earthly
possessions, tied carefully into a small bundle and
as carefully hid from view within the folds of a red
bandanna handkerchief.
A passing glance only was needed to tell that
the wanderer was weary; and as his eyes, glistening
with envy, beheld the cool shade of the
trees, and the still more inviting bucket above the
well, that, half-filled and leaking, hung suspended
in mid-air, he halted his weary pace in the road
near the gate and beckoned the children to approach.
No second invitation was needed. The boys,
more daring and venturesome, bounded toward
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him with a merry shout and were soon standing on
the edge of the lawn near the wanderer; but the
little girls, like so many timid fawns of the forest,
with a feeling more of fear than of curiosity,
lingered tardily behind; and it was some time before
they joined their less cautious companions.
He was a curious-looking, but quite jolly vagabond
indeed; and although his face was begrimed
and smeared with mingled perspiration and dust,
his eyes shone with a merry, good-natured twinkle,
as he doffed his well worn and dusty black hat and
bowed with an air of politeness, quite unknown to
the common everyday tramp of the highways of
the world.
One of the children laughingly exclaimed:
"Where are you going?"
And another: "Where did you come from?"
And still a third: "Where is your home?"
And so on, until the now smiling vagabond,
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waiting for a chance to reply, stood bowing and
scraping in the middle of the sunbaked road as he
calmly received volley after volley of almost unanswerable
questions.
"Well!" he exclaimed at last, as the children
became suddenly silent, "you ask me where I am
from and where I am going, so now let me say:
just at present I am from everywhere in general
and bound nowhere in particular!"
And he began pounding the dust from his body
and limbs with his old hat, as if wishing to make
himself look presentable, even if out in the middle
of a hot, dusty roadway; and looking up with a
longing glance, he asked permission to obtain a
drink of water from the well on the lawn.
The big gate was still closed to "His Most Royal
Highness," and as the mere thought of his entering
the lawn dawned upon the minds of the now
silent children, they drew back in affright and
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with solemn faces; nor would they think of
granting the stranger's request until finally one
little fellow called his companions together for a
moment, as he almost pleadingly said:
"It is wrong to deny a poor man a drink of
water. He is weary and perhaps far from home,
while God gives us the water so freely. Beside,
he cannot take the shade of these trees away with
him when he goes, so, while he rests on the lawn,
I will bring him a drink from the well myself."
And with a light foot, but a much lighter heart,
the boy bounded away in haste, while the weary
"Knight of the Road" entered the shadow of a big
maple tree on the lawn and stood waiting for him
to return.
As he gulped down the cool, refreshing water in
a manner as though famished, he blinked his
bright sparkling eyes in evidence of much relish;
then casting a thankful glance upon the face of
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his new found friend, he turned toward him with a
smile as he said:
"My little lad, for your kind act to a weary and
thirsty man let me say; if you will gather your
little friends about me under the shade of this tree,
I will tell you an interesting story, which, if you
will listen carefully, may give you something of
my past wanderings as well as an answer to some
of the questions you asked of me while I was out
in the road."
Without a word of reply, the children, anxious
to know what the stranger's story might be, sank
here and there upon the grass, as the vagabond
thus began his strange tale.
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CHAPTER II || "AUNT TWADDLES"
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"As I paused in the middle of the road near the
gate," began the vagabond, "this manly little
fellow who so kindly brought me a drink from the
well, wanted to know where I came from. In
answer to his question let me say: I am, as you
see, a friendless vagabond, wandering hither and
thither over the face of the earth. But think not
that I never had a home; for although I may not
look it, I once had a dear mother, just as each one
of you has, who, when I was a baby kissed me and
rocked me to sleep every night with a sweet lullaby.
But that was a long time ago, and it is little wonder
that, as you now gaze upon me, you are anxious to
know who I am and whence I came.
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"Now I might be an earthly prince in disguise
for aught that you know, though I'm not. Yet
right here let me say, I am the son of a King, for
we are all the children of God and our earthly
end is alike in this dust that some of you children
at first so pretended to scorn as you saw it all over
my clothes. So from this on, remember, we are
only of the dust; and the babies of satins and
silks, all humbled at last, shall lie down and sleep
side by side with the children of tatters and rags.
"Be that as it may; I was born in the village of
Harpers Ferry on the banks of the fair Shenandoah
River, where lofty mountains rise and overhang
with rugged cliffs that seem about to fall into the
deep valley below; and where, in order to get into
the town at all, the trains pass through a dark
tunnel in the mountains, and leaping with shrill
whistle across the long span of a great steel bridge,
slow down and stop at a quaint, stone station, so
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closely surrounded by tall mountains on all sides
that a traveller might think himself at the very
end of the world.
"It is here that the wild Shenandoah empties
its foaming waters into the Potomac River, (for be
it remembered that the two streams were joined in
Holy wedlock by the Indians long, long ago),
and mingling their currents in loving embrace,
they leap onward through a pass in the mountains
and together journey joyfully eastward
toward the sea.
"As the stranger stands upon the platform at
the little stone station, and gazes far across the
Shenandoah River, he cannot help noticing a
dark path, or roadway, leading straight up the
face of a steep cliff; and long will he wonder
how it could ever be possible to climb that path,
for it stands almost straight up and down.
"Right here let me say there are but three
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persons on earth who can truthfully boast of
having once included that path as a part of their
journey; while strangest of all is the fact that
one of these was an old woman, so awkward and
fat that she looked to be almost helpless, while
the other two, at the time of ascent, were mere
children.
"For many years prior to the time of my story,
(how long, nobody ever could tell), there dwelt an
old woman somewhere up in these mountains,
and unless something has happened to her recently
she is living there still.
"She was a strange-looking creature and from
her jolly, good nature and laughing, happy
way, had grown in weight until she must have
tipped the scales at fully five hundred pounds.
"She did not look in the least like a mountain
climber, nor in fact hardly able to mount a short
flight of stairs; yet she was a quite frequent
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wanderer up and down the opposite bank of the
river, where most of her time was spent in gathering
wild herbs on the rough side of the mountain,
or along the fertile bed of the Shenandoah.
"When the great bag, which she always carried
slung over her shoulder, was filled with herbs
almost to bursting, she would start at the bottom
of this high cliff, and, aided by the scrubby bushes
that grew from the dark fissures in the mountain's
time scarred face, she would manage in some mysterious
way to drag her full five hundred weight
with its load to the top, and then disappear in the
mountain woodland above.
"It was not only a tiresome, but likewise a
dangerous journey, for there were few places
where she could catch her toes in the steep rock;
and as she climbed slowly upward, and with much
difficulty felt for each foothold, her great body
swayed and staggered upon the face of the cliff,
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while she puffed and blew from her toil so loudly
that her heavy breathing could plainly be heard
far across in the village of Harpers Ferry.
"Never did she go up the cliff but that great
boulders would break loose under her ponderous
tread, and tumbling headlong with mighty bound,
would dash down the steep mountain-side and
land with a roaring crash in the bed of the
river below, where to this day they may be seen
choking the tide of the stream in a great rocky
mass.
"In many ways this strange woman was more
odd than she looked. She was not very high, but
so terribly spread out that she was equally as tall
when lying down as when standing up; and if,
like a turtle, she might have drawn in her feet
and her head, she could have rolled about over
the ground like a great ball—but of course she
was not a turtle.
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"The garments, too, that she wore, both in
make and material, were strange to look upon.
Her skirt, which could never have been made for
another, was fully a foot too long. It entirely
concealed her feet, which could not have been
small, and so caused her to stumble and trip that
often indeed have I wondered how she could get
along with her big bag of herbs over a level road,
much less up a path on the face of the cliff, that
even the bravest of hunters and mountain-men
dared not attempt to climb. Thus she went
stumbling along in her own silent, industrious
way.
"And now comes the strangest thing of all
about this wonderful, fat woman.
"Many are the grown people that have passed
her while busy at her labor of herb gathering, yet
not for a moment would she stop work to talk
with any of them. If they smiled, she might
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look up and smile in reply; but if they asked her
a question she would answer it with such an
uncivil grunt that they were glad to pass rapidly
along on their way.
"But should she happen to meet with a group
of gay children, this strange, fat woman was sure
to drop her big bag of herbs, and pausing for a
long jolly chat, would unbosom her goodness of
heart and draw from her ponderous pockets handful
after handful of candy and pop-corn balls,
taffy and chocolate drops, the like of which for
sweetness and flavor, no mortal man had ever
made.
"Nor was she in the least inclined to be stingy
for she would give the children as much of her
sweets as they could eat and then bid them good-bye
with a kiss and a parting blessing. For so
many years had she thus kindly treated the
children that they watched for her coming and
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going day after day and were ever on the lookout
to greet her, with tears of joy in their eyes.
"The name of this fat woman was 'Twaddles;'
and as nobody thereabout knew just whether she
was a Miss or a Mrs., the children had nicknamed
her 'Auntie,' although that might have been as
big a mistake as either of the other two names.
But it sounded motherly and sweet to her ears,
and, as its mention was sure to bring forth an
abundance of bon-bons and candies, all of the
grown people as well as the children called her
'Aunt Twaddles.'
"Where did she come from? you ask. Well,
for many years nobody ever could tell. Some
claimed that she lived in a nest with the eagles
far off in the mountains. Others, that she dwelt
alone with some half grown cubs in the heart of
a dark bear den, where the foot of a hunter had
never passed; while some even vowed that at
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night all the humming birds kept guard while
she slept far back in a cave in the rocks.
"Old Nimrod, the hunter, declared, (and he had
spent his whole life in the mountains), that she
was 'Queen of the Witches' and lived in the dark
hollow of a great tree, far down in a deep rocky
glen, where panthers and owls with wildcats and
rattlesnakes dwell. Once when he saw her, he
said she was leading a pack of fierce wolves along
on the side of the mountain; and again she was
holding a live panther close to her breast and
rocking it to sleep in her arms.
"At any rate, wherever she lived, so marvelous
indeed was she skilled in the art of making candy,
that her praises were sung by the children far and
near; and strangest of all was the fact that,
should you once eat a little bite of it, the sweetness
and flavor it left in your mouth lasted for
over a week, while its memory lasted a lifetime.
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Years might pass silently away and the children
who had once tasted of 'Aunt Twaddles'' candy
grow up and be married, yet they could never forget
it, though they tried; while stranger still was
the fact that a mere recollection was sure to bring
tears to the eyes, nor could one cease crying until
he went home and forgot about it.
"In proof of this part of my tale let me say; I
remember one day as I stood quite hidden from
view amid the green alder-berry bushes that grew
on the bank of the river, I beheld 'Aunt Twaddles'
coming slowly down the edge of the stream. Her
big bag was heavily laden with herbs, and, as the
sun was quite high in the heavens, she paused in
the shade of a tree near the foot of the steep path
for a moment of rest before starting up the
dangerous face of the cliff, for she needed all of
her strength to go up.
"Just as she had comfortably seated herself on
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a log, I noticed a little old man tottering across
the long foot-bridge that led over from the village.
He was hurrying along, rapping his feet and his
staff on the boards as fast as his seventy-odd years
would allow. His long, snow-white hair waved on
the midsummer breeze, while the long flaps of his
old-fashioned coat were dangling about his thin,
wabbly legs in a manner too funny for anything.
"As he drew near, I noticed that there were
real tears in his eyes, and his withered old cheeks
were much stained where they had fallen. Carefully
I watched him as he drew near, and, with a
feeling of deepest respect bowed low as he said in
a tremulous, squeaky voice:
"'Good morning, Aunt Twaddles. Would you
mind giving an old, life-long friend another bit of
your candy?'
"In a second 'Aunt Twaddles' arose.
"'No sir!' she cried, with a frown, 'I gave you
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plenty of it, Sir, when you were a good little boy.
Tobacco seems to be your favorite candy now
from the appearance of your stained white beard,
so you get none of mine.'
"And she began to empty her pockets that
were filled with sweet, juicy bon-bons, over the
brink and down into the stream; and shouldering
her big bag of herbs, prepared to start up the face
of the cliff. The little old man went tottering
back over the foot-bridge to the village; nor is
there any doubt that he went home and cried over
the thought of her candy and kept crying until
he forgot about it.
"And now," said the vagabond, "lest the
thought of 'Aunt Twaddles'' candy brings tears to
my eyes, for I have eaten some of it myself, let us
pause for a moment while we more comfortably
seat ourselves before I proceed with the story."
The almost vertical rays of the mid-day sun
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were pouring a merciless fire upon a portion of
the charmed circle and the story-teller with his
group of merry children was not slow in selecting
a new spot further in under the protecting branches
of the tree. The children had been so absorbed
in the wonderful tale of the wanderer that
they had failed to notice the intense heat until,
down the faces of some of the smaller ones, drops
of perspiration were flowing like tears.
Amid a clamorous shout of "Go on! Go on!"
uttered in concert by the delighted children, it was
thus the wanderer continued.
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CHAPTER III || THE PATH UP THE CLIFF
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"In the Village of Harpers Ferry, there stood for
many years an old Inn;—so old that no one knew
its age. It was built in the days before saw-mills
were known, when all the lumber was either split
out or sawed out by hand. The weather-stained
boards on its rickety sides were covered with moss
from the eaves down to the ground, while the
shingles of the roof were so twisted and warped
out of place that they afforded little or no protection
to the dwellers within.
"Travel was light in Harpers Ferry during the
time of which I speak, and the lack of good business,
together with his miserly nature, kept the
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old Inn-keeper peevish and cross; so much so that
he was despised by everyone about the village.
"He was a wheezy little old man with a wooden
leg, the rough oaken stump of which, with its
shafts and mysterious harness, was a source of
much wonder as well as merriment to the children
of the neighborhood; while the little old man
himself seemed to be just withering away and drying
up on his feet, instead of growing weak and
infirm, as is the usual course with most things
that are old.
"Two bright little orphan grandchildren answered
his cross, squeaky call, and as their father
had been dead ever since they were babies, and
their dear mother had died some two years before,
they lived with the cross old man at the Inn,
where they received a scolding or whipping much
oftener than they did a good dinner. Never was
he heard to speak a kind word to either of them.
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"Through the early part of every spring this
old Inn-keeper would suffer dreadfully from
asthma, which is a kind of disease that chokes
people just as if they were strangling all the time.
During these bad spells of smothering he would
drive the poor children off into the mountains to
gather wild pennyroyal, which he burned under a
funnel and inhaled the smoke to relieve his wheezing
during the night, for without it he could not
sleep. Many indeed were the whippings they had
received at the hands of the cruel old Inn-keeper
just because they failed to find enough of the herb
in the mountain to suit his suffering needs.
"The bright sun was warm on this particular
spring morning although the frost had not yet
departed from some of the deep mountain glens.
The old Inn-keeper called the two children from
their play in the village street and bade them
hasten away over the river to search for pennyroyal.
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He did not forget to threaten them with
an angry frown before they left, as he loudly
vowed that he expected to spend a bad night with
the asthma, and solemnly declared that, should
they return without a goodly supply of pennyroyal,
he would whip them both soundly, deny
them their suppers and make them sleep without
covers on the floor of the attic,—a place that
swarmed with both rats and mice.
"With this terrible threat still ringing in their
ears, the two children hastened away toward the
river and with much fear in their hearts started
across the long foot-bridge toward the mountains.
"Arthur, the boy, was eleven years old, while
his little sister Maud, a beautiful but shy little
thing, had hardly turned nine. They journeyed
along hand in hand and when midway the stream,
they looked back just as the old Inn-keeper
entered the Inn, then paused for a moment to
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glance over the wide flowing stream and look
down into its clear waters for bass,—which, I
might add, was their principal sport on a hot
summer day.
"Far up the tide, a fish-hawk sailed silently
round and round over the foamy water, searching
the more shallow places with a keen, piercing
eye, and looking no doubt for its dinner. A long-necked
blue heron, awakened by the loud, clattering
footsteps and shouting voices of the two
children, arose from beneath a dark tangle of
water-elms that grew near the farther end of the
foot-bridge, and, with lazy wings, and dragging its
slim legs over the water as if it were too much
trouble to lift them up under its body, it went on
up the edge of the stream and disappeared from
sight along the dark shore. High over all and
circling with mysterious ease, a bald eagle held
stately repose in the sky.
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"'Come, Maudie,' exclaimed little Arthur at
last. 'Let us make haste, for the journey may be
tiresome and long.' And hand in hand they hastened
across the bridge.
"As they came to the edge of the woods they
began their search for pennyroyal. This herb
was not plentiful so early in the spring and the
side of the mountain was steep and rough.
"Bright, fancy-formed ferns were growing here
and there from beneath the edge of the big rocks,
and johnny-jump-ups were lifting their tiny blue
heads aloft to the fresh morning breeze, wherever
an occasional dead tree allowed the rays of the sun
to fall unshadowed upon the rich soil below. All
through the woodland they noticed the poison-oak
vine, as it slowly began its long summer climb up
the trunks of the stately oak trees.
"'Alas!' thought the two children as they
journeyed along, 'there is no pennyroyal.'
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"Then looking up with affright at the sound of
a familiar voice, they were greatly surprised, for
there stood 'Aunt Twaddles' before them.
"At once the object of their journey was forgotten
and they buried their grief for a time as the
kind-hearted old lady drew forth a handful of her
sweet candy, and all three sank upon a green,
moss-covered mound for a rest and a feast and a
chat.
"When they were comfortably seated, 'Aunt
Twaddles' glanced carefully about her, and, as
she measured the moss-covered mound with one
sweep of the eye, she suddenly exclaimed:
"'Perhaps this mound is the grave of some long
dead but great Indian chief;' and while the two
children sat gazing about, she continued: 'But he
can't scalp us now, children! He can't scalp us
now!'
"And with a loud, harsh laugh that rang
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through the woodland, she leaned her fat back
against the trunk of a tall tree that towered ever
so high above them.
"'And where are you going, my dears?' at
last she inquired.
"'After pennyroyal for grandfather,' replied
little Arthur, and his words were followed by a
deep sigh.
"'Have you found any?' she asked, as her
fat face lighted up with a broad smile that
drove all thoughts of sorrow and care from their
minds.
"'Not yet, Ma'am!' exclaimed little Maud. 'I
don't think it has come up out of the ground, for
we have searched so far very carefully.'
"'Aunt Twaddles' laughed outright. 'Oh yes,
it has, dear,' she replied. 'Pennyroyal is the
second flavoring herb of the spring-time.'
"And she reached her hand down deep into her
// 043.png
herb bag and drew forth quite a quantity of fresh
plucked pennyroyal and laid it before their envious
gaze on the ground.
"'And what is the first flavoring herb, Aunt
Twaddles?' inquired little Arthur, as he glanced
up from the pennyroyal.
"'Mint, darling,' she replied with a laugh, and
continued: 'On the south side of the mountain,
where the springs moisten and soften the soil, it
lifts its green head out of the earth as soon as the
frost leaves the ground.'
"She lowered her hand to her big pocket as she
ceased speaking and drew from its mighty depth
two great, round pop-corn balls, that were dripping
with honey and of the deep crimson color of ripe
cherries. Placing one in the hand of each of the
children, she glanced down upon them with a
happy smile, as she exclaimed:
"'There, darlings. These are flavored with
// 044.png
mint that I gathered only yesterday. Taste them
and see what you think of the flavor.'
"The two children were delighted with the
sweet gift, but though it pleased them greatly,
they could not keep their envious eyes from the
pennyroyal, for they knew that the time thus
spent in delay meant a terrible whipping and a
much more-to-be-dreaded night with the rats and
mice in the attic.
"Seeming to notice the troubled look on their
little faces, 'Aunt Twaddles' exclaimed:
"'Now, darlings, I know these mountains as well
as you know yonder streets of the village; and if
you will take a short journey with me, I will gather
you enough pennyroyal to last the wheezy, old Inn-keeper
for the rest of his life.' And without waiting
for them to reply, she gathered her big bag of
herbs into her arms and arose, as if ready to start.
"Little Arthur looked up, amazed at her words,
// 045.png
while Maud could scarcely believe her ears, so
great was the promise of her dear, old, kind-hearted
friend. Well did they recall the long, sorrowful
journeys they had often made into the mountains
in a vain search for the scarce herb;—journeys
that were followed by terrible beatings. The mere
thought of gathering enough pennyroyal to last
their cruel old grandfather for the rest of his life
made their little hearts fairly leap with joy."
"'Come, Maudie,' cried Arthur, as he leaped to
his feet, 'let us go.'
"In a second the children were standing beside
'Aunt Twaddles' who, after shouldering her big
bag of herbs, led the way.
"They journeyed along down the bank of the
river past the end of the foot-bridge that led from
the village, when, pausing at the foot of the dangerous
path on the face of the cliff, 'Aunt Twaddles'
rested her herb-bag on the ground for a moment,
// 046.png
and, glancing first at the tall mountain and
then at the children, she exclaimed, with a somewhat
doubtful shake of her head:
"'It's a pretty stiff climb, children! It's a
pretty stiff climb! But come on, let's go up!'
"Had 'Aunt Twaddles' asked the two children
to rise like two eagles and soar high over the tops
of the mountains, it would not have seemed to them
more of a task than to walk up the bald face of
that cliff; and for a long time they stood gazing
upon 'Aunt Twaddles' as if they thought she had
gone completely out of her head.
"Little Arthur suddenly exclaimed:
"'Why, Aunt Twaddles, we could never go up
there.'
"As the children glanced at her face, they noticed
a strange look in her eyes that startled them.
Was it the look of an evil one seeking to lure two
innocent children to certain death amid the cruel
// 047.png
rocks of the mountain? Or was it the look of the
witch that Old Nimrod, the hunter, had so often
told them about as they sat at his feet by the fire
in the old inn? That look that charmed wildcats
and panthers and snakes into doing her will?
"Without further delay she shouted with a
frown.
"'Oh yes, you can, children. You shall go up
with me. How often have I gone up this path with
double your weight as a load!'
"And gathering the thick twill of her skirt into
a fold, she placed it tightly within the clasp of
Arthur's hands, at the same time saying:
"'Come, Maudie, take hold by the side of your
brother and hold fast.'
"And before the two frightened children could
realize what they had done, they were high up
on the side of the cliff and did not dare to let
go.
// 048.png
"When they had climbed somewhat higher than
the church spire that towered aloft over the village
across the river, a fisherman, going to raise his
nets, beheld them; and raising a shout of alarm,
it was not long before the street in the village was
filled with excited people. Men yelled with hoarse
voices, pleading with 'Aunt Twaddles' to come
down, but their voices sounded faintly upon the
ears of the children, who hung dangling from the
end of 'Aunt Twaddles'' skirt, high up in the air.
"The old, one-legged Inn-keeper hastened away,
pounding his peg-leg on the boards of the bridge,
in a vain effort to get over to where his squeaky
voice might be heard; but without pausing to heed
the tumult below, 'Aunt Twaddles' continued on
up the face of the cliff, constantly warning the two
children to 'Hold fast!'
"Old Jonas, the fisherman, with dripping fish
net gathered under his arms, ran with all his might
// 049.png
over the long foot-bridge and down the opposite
bank, where strong men, with pale faces, aided him
in stretching it at the base of the cliff, to catch, as
he said, the lifeless and mangled bodies of the two
children in case they should fall.
"Old Nimrod, the hunter, came tottering out of
the bar-room at the inn, his long trusty rifle in
hand, renewing his vow that 'Aunt Twaddles' was
a witch, as he took rest on the rail of the bridge,
firmly resolved to shoot her in case the children
should let go. With eagle eye he gazed along the
polished barrel of his gun and covered the sight-sickening
climb with an unfaltering aim.
"Out in the village street, women stood crying
and wringing their hands, while strong men turned
white at the sight of the fat woman, swaying and
wabbling from side to side in her effort to get up
the face of the mountain.
"From the loud sound of her puffing and blowing,
// 050.png
she seemed almost exhausted. Now she would
stumble and totter as if about to fall, when, suddenly
grasping with desperate hand a stout, scrubby
bush, or a ledge of the broken rock, she would
steady herself for a time and by the merest chance
gain a fortunate foothold.
"Even the dogs began howling everywhere
throughout the village. Every house stood wide-open
and deserted. Someone entered the old village
church and began slowly tolling the bell, the sound
of which seemed to add a doleful appeal to Heaven
for the safety and care of the children.
"Slower and slower, weaker and weaker, yet
onward and upward, 'Aunt Twaddles' toiled on the
face of the cliff, when suddenly one loud moan of
horror swept from the parched throats of the multitude
as 'Aunt Twaddles,' by accident, stepped on
the end of her long skirt and reeling from the face
of the rock, started to fall. Men turned from the
// 051.png
horrible sight and sank to their knees, while over
in the village women fell helpless into each others
arms for support and turned from the sickening
scene.
"The crack of a rifle rang out on the air from
the end of the foot-bridge and a puff of blue dust
arose from the face of the cliff just over 'Aunt
Twaddles'' head, where the bullet had shattered
the rock.
"Loud shouted the voice of Old Jonas, the fisherman,
'Stretch the net tight, men! Stretch the
net tight! They are falling!' While strong
limbs steadied themselves and firm hands drew
tight on the meshes of stout twine.
"But Fate favors the brave who have presence
of mind. 'Aunt Twaddles' laid firm hold on the
arm of a deep-rooted bush, and, as she drew her
swaying form close to the mountain, the frightened
children, swung far out in mid air, like the pendulum
// 052.png
of a clock, and then heavily back against the
cliff. Still they held firmly on to her dress.
"Louder and louder the people now renewed
their cries for 'Aunt Twaddles' to come down;
but to attempt to descend in her weary condition
meant certain death to all.
"Onward and upward she continued; and while
the people below were suffering the anguish of suspense,
with one last weary reach she laid firm hold
on an overhanging arm of a dogwood tree that
hung from above and, with a deep sigh of relief,
drew both herself and the children to safety on top
of the cliff.
"A murmur of joy went up from the dry, hoarse
throats of the men at the base of the mountain,
while women sank fainting far across in the streets
of the village. Strong men broke down and wept
under the spell of excitement. Old Nimrod, the
hunter, ceased ramming the charge in his gun, and
// 053.png
Jonas, the fisherman, shouldered his fish net; but
he trembled so from excitement that he could not
carry it home. The slow, solemn toll of the church
bell turned into one long, loud ring of joy.
"A wild shout from high up in the air echoed
and re-echoed over the broad valley below. Far up
on the side of the mountain, the people beheld
'Aunt Twaddles' wildly waving her sun-bonnet
and lifting the children into plain view. In a
moment she lowered them again in the shade of a
tree and then sank for a rest at their side.
"As the children sat gazing about on the beautiful
scene below, they could plainly see the bent
form of the old inn-keeper. He was rattling his
peg-leg back over the bridge, and as he hobbled
along he was shaking his head with an air of
anxiety, thinking no doubt about the safety of the
children, left to the mercy of a witch on the side of
the mountain.
// 054.png
"'Mercy!' exclaimed 'Aunt Twaddles' with a
deep, weary sigh, 'we will take a good rest before
we go on, for that was a hard climb.'
"And now while 'Aunt Twaddles' and the two
children are resting under the shade of a tree on
the side of the mountain, we will rest for a moment,
and I will thank you for a fresh drink of water
before I go on with my story."
// 055.png
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.h2 id=ch04
CHAPTER IV || THE CAVE IN THE MOUNTAIN
.sp 2
As the "Prince of the Highway" finished the
first part of his story and asked for a fresh drink
of water before continuing, there was a wild, scampering
foot-race between the two largest boys as
they hastened away to the well, straining every
muscle and nerve in the struggle to see who might
have the pleasure of honoring the wanderer with
a drink.
All the children that were seated upon the grass
about the Vagabond, began working closer and
closer toward him, forgetful now of the cool and
almost unkind manner in which they had turned a
deaf ear to his request for a drink when first he
paused in the centre of the hot, dusty road. The
// 056.png
little girls took off their bright colored sun-bonnets
in order that they might not lose a single word that
fell from the lips of the dust-covered story-teller.
"Mercy!" exclaimed one of the boys, as if just
awakening from the scene that fancy had painted
in his little brain. "Mercy!" again he exclaimed.
"What a terrible climb! Isn't it a wonder that
the two children could hold on so long?"
As the words fell from the lips of the little
speaker, the assembled children seemed to breathe
a sigh of relief, for they well remembered that the
two children were safe on the side of the mountain.
Back over the lawn came the two boys bearing
the water; and after the thirsty Vagabond had refreshed
himself, he blinked his little black eyes and
smacked his dry lips with evident delight, as thus
he continued his story:
"'Aunt Twaddles' and the children, by this
time, were well rested; and rising from the ground
// 057.png
she took them by the hands and went slowly up
through the mountain woodland.
"The effort was not nearly so tiresome as the
long struggle on the face of the cliff had been, and
for some time they made rapid progress; for the
mountain rose in a gentle slope and the way was
closely shaded by tall trees, that some weeks before
had unfolded their bright foliage to the blue
sky of spring.
"If nothing greater was to be expected, the
journey was a delight in itself; and it was fully an
hour before they paused in a merry group on the
very top of the mountain.
"As their feet reached the level soil of the
mountain crown, 'Aunt Twaddles' dropped her
big bag of herbs for a moment of rest, and turning
to the children, she exclaimed:
"'There, darlings, at last! Now gaze about you
on the great underworld and see if this isn't worth
// 058.png
all the trouble and toil that we had on the face of
the cliff?'
"Almost dumb with surprise, the children turned
about to gaze upon the world that lay far beneath
them.
"For some time they stood looking upon familiar
scenes, dwarfed now by the distance. The two
children, both seeming to think of this fact, were
wondering in their little minds how they would
ever get down the side of the mountain, for they
were really so high that it made them quite dizzy
to look below.
.if h
.il id=illus059 fn=illus059.jpg w=500px
.ca
"Almost dumb with surprise, the children turned about to gaze \
upon the world that lay far beneath them."
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
Illustration: "Almost dumb with surprise, the children turned \
about to gaze upon the world that lay far beneath them."
.sp 2
.if-
"Way down in the deep valley, like the houses
of so many pygmies, nestled the village of Harpers
Ferry, where the foot-bridge appeared like a narrow
strand of dark tape, stretching across a snow-white
stream.
"Far to the westward, the long winding path
of the Potomac River glistened in the bright sunlight
// 059.png
// 060.png
// 061.png
like a spotless streamer of snow-white ribbon,
sweeping with many a graceful curve far away into
a narrow trail.
"Nearer by, dashing with loud, rumbling roar
against the foot of the Blue Ridge mountains on
the very top of which they were standing, the
foaming, frolicking Shenandoah could be seen here
and there, leaping between the tall rocky cliffs with
merry, gamboling shout that arose like a song to
their ears.
"Green wheat-fields, like so many squares of
bright velvet carpet that good farmers had laid out
in the sunlight to air, were plainly in view up the
broad valley; and the blossoming peach-trees on
the far distant hillsides, that stood bathing in the
full glory of the day, looked to them like so many
tiny rose bushes just bursting into full bloom.
"Nearer by on the mountain ridge, a stray
mocking-bird sat in a tree top, testing his ruffled
// 062.png
throat by bursting forth in a wild, beautiful chant,
but changing the notes every moment or so to
mock the sweet song of some one of his feathered
acquaintances.
"Now sweet and low he was singing the song of
the linnet and calling them all about him from
their busy labor of nest building. Now he was
causing the blue bird to flutter forth in jealous
anger by softly coaxing away its mate. Then,
uttering a loud shrill whistle, he sank into silence,
waiting a reply to his eloquent call from some
greatly deceived 'Bob White' that was eating its
dinner far off in a bramble of mountain shrubs.
"Now sweet and low, he sang a song all his
own; so sweet that the linnet and thrush grew
silent; so tremulous and low that it called back
his faithless mate from its wanderings. Then
growing bold and defiant, with frantic effort, he
carolled forth music wild and shrill, as if challenging
// 063.png
the rest of the song birds to a relentless
vocal war.
"A gray squirrel barked high up in the top of
the tall chestnut tree under which they were standing,
and far down in a deep, cool hollow below,
they heard a plumed pheasant drumming his battle
tune unchallenged upon a log.
"'Come, children,' exclaimed 'Aunt Twaddles,'
'let us go!'
"They followed the ridge of the mountain for
some time; but the journey was made so delightful
and charming by the wonderful scenes beneath
them that the two children did not seem to notice
just how far they had travelled, although they had
gone a great distance and everything about and
beneath them seemed new and changed.
"Suddenly they turned to the left from the
mountain ridge and passed down into a dark ravine,
the sides of which were so very high that 'Aunt
// 064.png
Twaddles' said the sun never shone anywhere
within its dark bounds, not even during the noon
hours of midsummer.
"It was a dark and gloomy place indeed, filled
with great pitfalls of slimy, green liquid, from
which arose an unpleasant odor; while there was
barely enough light for them to see that the steep
sides of the ravine were covered with a damp
mould.
"With a feeling of relief they emerged from
this horrible place to find themselves entering a
beautiful and heavily wooded glen.
"'Aunt Twaddles' informed them that the
gloomy ravine through which they just passed
was called 'The Valley of Dry Bones,' for the reason,
as she said, that the bird or animal once entering
it scarcely ever came out alive, and that what
few did escape death were mere skeletons.
"'And how is it that we are not skeletons, Aunt
// 065.png
Twaddles, now that we have passed through the
valley?' exclaimed Arthur, with an inquiring
glance.
"'Because we have used the power of reason,
my dear, which no bird or animal except man possesses,'
she replied. Then, pausing to glance back,
she continued: 'Knowing the dangers of the valley,
I used the power of reason and laid my course.
If you do not use the power of reason, my boy, you
will often find yourself in the Valley of Dry Bones
as you journey along through life.'
"Arthur would have questioned 'Aunt Twaddles'
further, but they were now in a beautiful
glen; and as they journeyed along he turned about
to behold the lovely creations of nature that lay on
every hand.
"The glen was not very wide, and the leafy
branches of the tall, overhanging trees were so
mingled together that the bright sunlight could
// 066.png
not break through, while the beautiful wild flowers
seemed striving to outdo each other in spreading
their perfume about on the balmy air. Yet
search as they might, there was not a spray of pennyroyal
anywhere to be seen.
"A second glance over the glen proved it to be a
most picturesque spot indeed; for the rocks that
arose here and there from the flower-covered soil
were not dark and weather-stained like those along
the Shenandoah River, and the wild ferns and perfumed
flowers tempted the observing children to
stay their steps.
"'Now,' exclaimed 'Aunt Twaddles,' as they
walked slowly along, 'this beautiful glen, my darlings,
is called Temporary Delight, which means
short pleasures; for, as you see, we are near its
end.'
"Looking up, the children were surprised to
behold in front of them a mountain of solid stone.
// 067.png
"They had not met with a greater surprise during
their entire journey than this towering cliff of
rock that now barred their way; and little Maud,
suddenly hushed, dropped her flowers upon the
ground and turned with a troubled look to 'Aunt
Twaddles' as she said in a trembling voice:
"'Aunt Twaddles, the flowers are beautiful, but,
see, they fade as quickly as they are plucked, and
are not worth carrying. Besides, I do not see any
pennyroyal. How shall we ever get beyond this
great mountain?'
"'Aunt Twaddles' was standing on the top of
a rock, the summit of which she had reached with
a mighty bound; and as she noticed the troubled
look on the faces of the children, she laughed until
her fat sides fairly shook, when she said to little
Maud in reply:
"'The pleasures of life, like these flowers, are
never very lasting, my dear. Never mind, you
// 068.png
shall have your pennyroyal. Just learn to wait
and be patient, for all things require time.'
"She made an effort to whistle, but her fat
cheeks refused to make other than a low hissing
sound.
"It was enough. There was an answering
warble from far off in the woodland, then a sudden
flutter of swift crimson wings among the near-by
branches. In another second a beautiful Red Bird
came sailing down the dark glen and, greatly to
the surprise of the two children, lighted upon one
of 'Aunt Twaddles'' shoulders where it began to
sing a most beautiful song.
"In the excitement of the moment, Arthur dropped
the handful of withered flowers he had gathered
for his little sister, and with hands half raised,
shouted for her to turn quickly that she might
behold the wonderful bird; but the startling cry
of the boy was hushed as he beheld the Red Bird
// 069.png
drop from its slender claw a bright golden key
into the outstretched hand of 'Aunt Twaddles', and
then sail away into the woodland.
"'Aunt Twaddles' stepped toward the cliff and,
turning to the surprised children, she waved the
golden key in the air, as she said in her usually
kind way.
"'Now, children, listen. I know the old one-legged
miser who keeps the Inn at the Ferry and
have known him ever since he was an ill-tempered
boy who respected not the will of his
parents. I knew your brave father, too, let me
say, many years before he marched gallantly away
to the war from which he never returned. Often
have I given your sweet mother a bite of my candy,
long, long before she went to live with the angels.
And now, for the love of yourselves, as well as for
the memory and respect that I bear your dear,
dead parents, I am going to give you that moment
// 070.png
of peace and joy that the cross old miser so begrudges
you down at the Inn.'
"With that she faced the mountain and placed
the golden key in a deep crevice of the rock, at the
same time repeating some strange and mysterious
words.
"There was a deep, rumbling roar within, that
sounded like the angry roll of distant thunder and
greatly frightened the children; when, with a tearing
crash, the tall mountain parted at the centre.
"Pieces of bursting rock went flying through
the air in every direction.
"Great columns of smoke rose upward and
spread over the entire sky like a mighty cloud.
"The severed cliff rolled away to the side and
there before them stood the entrance to a deep,
dark cave that looked gloomy and filled with
danger.
"At first, little Arthur and Maud drew back in
// 071.png
affright and stood ready to fly up the glen for their
lives; but 'Aunt Twaddles,' turning toward them,
exclaimed in calm, easy tones:
"'Fear not, my children! Fear not, for I am
your friend!'
"Then without another word she entered the
mouth of the dark cave and at the chiming sound
of a deep-toned bell, the cavern became filled in a
second with a million bright and glowing lights,
the like of which no mortal eye had ever beheld.
"The two little children, now overcome with
amazement, stood for the moment speechless and
motionless in the presence of the strange scene
that lay before them.
"The great flood of light that poured from the
cavern illumined the scene with a strange beauty,
that, falling upon the clear, crystal-like rocks of
the glen, seemed to make them glow with sparkling
radiance like so many diamonds; and the
// 072.png
wild flowers of the woodland and the foliage of the
trees hung trembling beneath the magic glare
that the flood of fire cast upon them from the
mouth of the enchanted cave.
"Both Arthur and Maud seemed enchanted too.
They could have remained upon the spot perfectly
contented, for a long time, had not 'Aunt Twaddles'
broken the spell by calling them. Taking
each by the hand, she led them into the
cavern.
"Instead of the rough, rude, unpolished walls of
dark stone that the two children had expected
to find, they were surprised to see the beautiful
crystallized formations that hung everywhere from
the roof of the cavern. The whole place seemed to
be one living blaze of light. The floor was as
smooth as a piece of glass and so polished that it
might have answered the purpose of a mirror.
"They stood gazing about the great cave for
// 073.png
some time, when 'Aunt Twaddles' hurried them
on their journey, exclaiming:
"'Come, children, for we have far to go!'
"They walked rapidly on through the cavern
for some distance, not failing, however, to take
time to explore its most interesting parts.
"It was not long before they came to a broad
river that, with its swift current, dashed through
the great cave with mighty roar. 'Aunt Twaddles,'
realizing that in order to proceed upon their journey
they had to cross this stream in some manner,
paused with the two children on the shore. They
stood at the edge of the water, gazing far out over
the tide and wondering what they were going to
do, when, at a wave of command from 'Aunt
Twaddles,' a water sprite rose slowly from the tide
and in another instant stood bowing and scraping
before them.
"He was a most curious-looking creature indeed;
// 074.png
and, although bearing little or no resemblance to
the people of the earth, he was not at all bad to
look upon.
"His face beamed constantly with a broad smile,
that spread his wide mouth with its thin lips almost
from ear to ear; while, in addition to a good pair
of arms, and hands with long, bony but webbed
fingers, he had, on either side of his shoulder
blades, broad fins like a fish, which, no doubt, he
used in his progress through the water.
"His head ran up to a very sharp point on the
top—not a bad feature at all for diving, as it was
sharp like a boat. His eyes, instead of setting
crosswise in his head, as the eyes of most everything
do, set straight up and down with an eyebrow
running along on either side of his nose, the
sight of which caused little Arthur almost to laugh
in his face.
"As he thus stood smiling and bowing before
// 075.png
them, 'Aunt Twaddles' turned to the two children
and said:
"'I left a boat here on this side of the river but
this mischievous creature has taken it away. We
had him sent to this underground river because
one night he cut off the beautiful hair of a mermaid
and made it into a wig for himself. I wish
you could have seen him when he appeared the
next day with his false golden locks and dark skin.
He really looked as ridiculous as some of those
women who have yellow hair and black eyebrows.'
"With that she made a movement of the hand
and the sprite leaped straight upward into the air,
almost as high as the roof of the cavern; then, turning
a somersault in mid air, he landed head first in
the water with a splash and was gone.
"It was not long before a big boat came swiftly
across the stream. No one was in it, no one was
pushing it, and no one was pulling it, so far as anyone
// 076.png
could see. It came rapidly on and landed
with great care directly in front of 'Aunt Twaddles'
and the children, and without visible aid,
bore them swiftly across the stream and landed
them safely on the other side of the river, where
they resumed their journey.
"As they walked slowly along under the glaring
light, the children beheld long rows of shelves
covering one entire side of the cavern. When
Arthur inquired of 'Aunt Twaddles' what they
might be, they paused for a moment while she informed
them that this great cavern was the Store
House for the seeds of all the flowers and fruits
that grew in 'Beauty Valley.'
"Although Arthur wanted to inquire further
about 'Beauty Valley,' for he had never heard its
name mentioned before, his inquisitive nature was
silenced; for, scarcely had 'Aunt Twaddles'
finished telling about the wonderful places to be
// 077.png
found in the enchanted cave, when they came to
its end and found themselves stopped by the presence
of a great stone door.
"For a moment, 'Aunt Twaddles' stood before
this door, waving her fat arms in a strange, frantic
manner, as if she had entirely gone out of her
mind. In a low tone she uttered many strange
words, which the children did not understand; and
you can imagine their surprise as they beheld the
stone door move quickly but silently to one side,
and a flood of golden sunlight sweep into the cave.
"They were now very anxious indeed to know
what new wonder might lie before them.
"As the stone door rolled away, the enchanted
cavern again became dark and the children wanted
to hasten out into the sunshine at once; but the
voice and hand of 'Aunt Twaddles' caused them
to stay their steps, as in earnest tones she exclaimed:
// 078.png
"'Wait, darlings! We must wait until the Red
Bird comes back with a message before we dare
step upon this sacred soil.'
"And before she had finished speaking, a beautiful
Red Bird flew into the mouth of the cavern
and lighted upon 'Aunt Twaddles' shoulder. She
whispered some strange words into its ear and it
darted rapidly away.
"And now while 'Aunt Twaddles' and the
children are waiting the return of the magical Red
Bird in the mouth of the great cave, we will wait
here for a moment of rest while the boys bring
some fresh water from the well, for I know some
of you are quite thirsty."
And the Vagabond, wiping the perspiration from
his dusty brow, sank into silence and began fanning
himself with his tattered black hat.
// 079.png
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=ch05
CHAPTER V || THE VILLAGE OF HIDE AND SEEK
.sp 2
As the Vagabond ceased speaking, a murmur
passed completely around the party, and it was
easily seen that the children were delighted with
the story so far as it had gone.
Three of the boys arose, and bidding their near-by
companions hold their places in the charmed
circle, dashed away to the well for water. The
rest of the children closed in about the now smiling
wanderer and sat silently gazing upon him, thinking,
no doubt, how fortunate they were in having
given him a drink of water when he first paused in
the roadway.
By this time they were almost willing to give
him the well itself if he desired it.
// 080.png
The three boys hastened back with the water,
and the Vagabond, having passed it around to the
children, dampened his brow with the remainder,
and wiping it dry on his coat sleeve, waited for the
boys to be seated.
A robin came from far across the field and lighted
in the top of the tree under which they were seated,
as if it, too, wanted to hear a part of the story.
Turning his eye for a second upon the red-breasted
songster, the Vagabond continued his tale.
"A little time soon passes away like the song of
that robin above us; and it was not long before the
Red Bird returned with a noisy flutter of its crimson
wings, while the clang of deep-toned bells
sounded within the cavern. As the great stone
door moved slowly into place, 'Aunt Twaddles'
and the children stepped from the mouth of the
cave with a merry bound into the sunlight.
"Before them lay a broad, beautiful, green valley,
// 081.png
that, at a first glance, seemed to be shut in by tall
mountains on all sides; while in the centre of a
blue-grass lawn rose a village of tiny play-houses,
each as perfectly and as carefully built as the home
of some boasted citizen of wealth and fame.
"Each house was ornamented with a vine-covered
porch and green window shutters, while
through the open windows and doorways floated a
balmy, midsummer atmosphere, laden with mingled
perfume of wild honeysuckle, orange blossoms and
roses,—so charming that I, a poor vagabond, am at
a loss for suitable words to describe it.
"The village itself was laid out in wide, well-paved
streets with a great public square in the
centre, where arose a most beautiful building of
white marble, ornamented here and there with
figures of doll babies carved from the solid stone.
"The streets stretched away from the public
square in every direction for considerably more
// 082.png
than a mile and so charmed and bewildered were
the children by this unexpected sight that, for a
long time, they stood looking at it, fairly trembling
with delight.
"From the side of a cliff that formed part of a
mountain near where they were standing, a great
rock projected far over their heads like a rugged
shelf, to which a winding staircase of pure onyx
gave easy access. A golden throne stood far out
on this rocky shelf from which all parts of the village,
as well as of the valley, could be seen with a
sweeping glance.
"Before the children had time to make any inquiry,
'Aunt Twaddles' took them by their hands
and led them up this glistening stairway to the
golden throne, where they stood looking about
over the wonderful surroundings.
"'Make yourselves at home,' said 'Aunt Twaddles,'
as she sank back with a sigh of relief into a
// 083.png
golden chair; but when little Maud turned to
thank her politely, she found her little heart so full
of gratitude and joy she was unable to speak a
single word.
"Down in the village of tiny play-houses, bright,
happy-faced dolls were playing upon the clean
streets and out on the lawn of the public square;
while hundreds of dolls were streaming in and out
of the beautiful building around which lay the
miniature village.
"They were laughing and talking, chatting and
romping, until the air fairly echoed with the sound
of their merry voices. Many, separated from the
rest in groups, were playing all sorts of games;
and so firmly were the bright eyes of the children
riveted upon the gamboling, playful beauties that
nothing seemed able to draw their attention away.
"Over the village hung an unclouded arch of
bright, blue sky, while scattered everywhere on the
// 084.png
green lay toys and playthings of every known
kind that might either amuse or instruct the doll
babies.
"Some dolls were busily engaged in running
toy steam engines. Others were spinning their
tops on the streets of the village. Still others were
sending up crimson and yellow and blue balloons
and watching them pass out of sight or burst in
mid-air.
"Off in a vacant place a number of boy dolls
were flying their kites, and others were playing
baseball and tennis; while marbles in millions lay
scattered all over the ground. Little Arthur, eyeing
them enviously, turned to his sister and said:
"'Mercy! Wouldn't I like to have some of
those beautiful toys down in Harpers Ferry.'
"Maud's only reply to her delighted brother was
a long-drawn sigh, on the very breath of which she
exclaimed:
// 085.png
"'Oh, Arthur! Look at the beautiful dolls!'
"For a long time the children watched the dolls
as they romped upon the clean streets and green
playgrounds. Finally, little Maud looked up at
'Aunt Twaddles' and inquired with a serious air
and softened voice:
"'Aunt Twaddles, is this Heaven?'
"A sudden smile spread over 'Aunt Twaddles''
big fat face. Leaning forward toward the edge of
the golden throne, she placed her head between the
two children, and pointing to the village with a
clumsy, awkward hand, she said:
"'This beautiful spot, my dear children, is the
Village of Hide and Seek. You might truthfully
call it a heaven for the dolls, for they never have
any trouble or sorrow here.'
"Little Maud breathed a deep sigh as she turned
again to her friend and exclaimed in breathless
surprise:
// 086.png
"'The Village of Hide and Seek! What a
beautiful place! And I never heard of it before!'
"She sank into silence when she saw a little
doll bowing very politely, as it introduced one
little doll to another whom they happened to meet
on a side street of the village.
"The question asked by his little sister and so
beautifully answered by 'Aunt Twaddles,' paved
the way for Arthur to ask some questions himself.
Turning to 'Aunt Twaddles' he said:
"'Aunt Twaddles, what is that beautiful white
building with the tower of gold standing in the
very centre of the public square? See! The dolls
are hurrying to it from every direction!'
"When the boy had finished speaking, 'Aunt
Twaddles' took one sweeping glance over the village
and replied:
"'That fine building, my darlings, is the
// 087.png
Temple of Music. When the clock in its tower
strikes twelve all the dolls will come out of the
Temple, and, gathering on the green about the
band stand, they will all begin to sing.'
"Arthur and Maud glanced away toward the
clock that stood just beneath the golden dome in the
tower of the Temple of Music. It was five minutes
to the hour; yet the dolls were forsaking their
playthings all over the village and rapidly hastening
to the Temple. In a moment more the streets
of the village were deserted.
"There lay their thousands of fine toys with no
one to molest them. There stood their play-houses
with wide-open windows and doors and no one to
touch the fine furniture within; while beyond lay
the broad, green, but now idle playground.
"The hands of the clock in the tower closed
slowly, one upon the other, as if in loving embrace.
// 088.png
"One, two, three, came the sound of the
chime in the belfry, and thus it continued until
the last stroke of twelve, when, from the wide-open
doors of the Temple of Music, the dolls
filed out into the public square and formed
themselves in circling rows around the band
stand.
"In glittering raiment of silver and gold lace,
the Doll-Baby Brass-Band of fully five hundred
pieces appeared on the scene and took its place in
the band stand.
"A marshall, or music master, climbed to his
place on a pedestal.
"There was a loud tap of his gold baton and the
instruments went up to the lips of the happy-faced
players. Then came a firm wave of command;
and one grand, wild burst of sweet melody fell upon
the ears of the delighted children, so overcome by
the sight and sound they had to lean upon the side
// 089.png
of the golden throne, as all the dolls in the village
thus began to sing:
.sp 2
.fs 85%
.nf b
"'Oh come to the Village of Hide and Seek,
For Little Boy Blue, and Little Bo-Peep,
With Hi-Diddle-Diddle, the Cat and the Fiddle,
Are coming to visit us soon.
Old Mother Goose will be sweeping the sky,
And poor Simple Simon will bring us a pie;
While Little Jack Horner will milk on the corner
The Cow that Jumped over the Moon.
Chorus.
"'We are glad that you came, so please tell us your name
And join us a while in our favorite game.
You should dwell in the Village of Hide and Seek,
For it's Saturday here every Day in the week,—
It is Saturday, Saturday all of the week.
"'Now Jack from his Bean Stalk will jump to the ground.
The Black Birds will leave the King's pie with a bound.
While Old Mother Hubbard will open her cupboard
And search it again for a bone.
// 090.png
The Dish will come back with the Spoon that it stole,
And Dickery Dock bring the mouse from its hole,
While we will go hunting for Bye Baby Bunting,
And bring her poor Daddy back home.
Chorus.
"'Mary Contrary will pay us a call,
And fat Humpty Dumpty will tumble and fall,
While poor Jack and Jill, who fell down the hill,
Will gambol about on the green.
The Old Woman and children that lived in a Shoe,
With the Piper and Tom and the Pig, will come too—
And bring Mrs. Jack Sprat with a mouth full of fat,
And Jack with a mouth full of lean.'
Chorus.
.nf-
.fs 100%
.sp 2
"The singing was over; and, as the last notes
died on the air, the children seemed to waken as if
from a trance, for their eyes had been riveted upon
the singing dolls in one long, unbroken stare.
"'Such singing!' cried little Maud, as she
turned toward her still dazed brother.
// 091.png
"'Such a band!' he exclaimed, merrily clapping
his hands as he glanced from his sister to 'Aunt
Twaddles;' while down in the Village of Hide
and Seek the dolls were filing back into the
Temple of Music.
"'Look!' exclaimed 'Aunt Twaddles,' as she
pointed away toward the village. 'The dolls are
going back into the Temple to practise and the
streets of the village will now be deserted for at
least an hour.'
"The happy children turned about just in time
to see the last of the great army of dolls as they
entered the doors of the Temple. All now throughout
the village lay quiet and still.
"Off in the far end of the valley flowed a golden
stream. It was quite wide indeed and its current,
as yellow as any gold that was ever made into a
finger ring, rippled at a surprisingly rapid rate.
"The banks on this side were clear of bushes
// 092.png
and nothing grew to hide any of the swift-flowing
river from view. On the opposite side, and close
to the edge of the tide, arose tall buildings surrounded
by huge piles of well-seasoned lumber,
from which came a buzzing sound as if this might
be a factory of some kind.
"Farther down on the edge of the stream stood
several long sheds filled with bolts of silk and
ribbon, satins and laces in great piles without
number; while standing well up in the sky and
high over all, as if suspended from the arched
heavens above, hung a tall, golden sign with shining
letters that glistened in the dazzling sun light.
"For a long time the strange sign greatly
puzzled the children, for the letters seemed to be
put up backward and failed to spell anything in
particular; while through the open spaces between
them they could just see the outlines of a herd of
reindeer feeding afar in a field of spotless snow.
// 093.png
"Arthur's inquisitive nature could permit no
such puzzle to remain long unsolved, and turning
to 'Aunt Twaddles' he excitedly asked:
"'Aunt Twaddles, what are those tall buildings
with the strange sign over them?'
"'Aunt Twaddles' looked up with a smile and
almost shouted with a merry laugh, 'Strange
sign?' But as she glanced in the direction of
the golden stream, she burst forth in an astonished,
serious tone and said:
"'Mercy upon us! The wind has turned the
sign completely around.'
"She touched a small pearl button inlaid in
the arm of her golden chair, and all at once a
gentle breeze swept down the valley, rustling the
leaves and tilting the tops of the trees that stood
in its way. Slowly the great sign turned upon its
centre with a loud, squeaking sound.
"Again 'Aunt Twaddles' touched the pearl
// 094.png
button. The breeze ceased blowing; the leaves
became silent. Both Arthur and Maud nearly
fainted; for now before their very eyes they read
in large letters of pure, burnished gold.
"'WORK SHOPS AND FACTORIES OF
SANTA CLAUS. Established A. D. 1.'
"No wonder that piles of seasoned lumber
towered sky high! No wonder great sheds filled
with silk lined the bank of the stream!
"There, surely enough, were his reindeer feeding
far off in the snow-fields; and as the ever
good-natured Santa Claus himself appeared on
the roof of his factory and waved them a hearty
welcome, the children, awed by the sight of this
great man, sank into the stout arms of 'Aunt
Twaddles' in a spasm of silent joy.
"'Well!' exclaimed 'Aunt Twaddles' after a
time. 'I am so glad you saw Santa, for he seldom
allows even the dolls to see him except about
// 095.png
Christmas time; and now if you will be patient for
a moment, we shall see what this button will
bring forth.'
"She touched a blue button inlaid among many
in the arm of her golden chair.
"Instantly, far off in the mountain, the
children heard singing. Not the sweet singing of
childish voices that had come from the multitude
of dolls in the village, but a wild, musical chant
that seemed to set the very air in motion and to
waken a thrill in their hearts such as they had
never known before.
"Closer and closer it came until the merry
voices could be heard quite plainly. Nearer and
nearer, until the words fell upon their delighted
ears, as if spoken by someone upon the very throne
at their side.
"All the dolls came pouring out of the Temple
of Music through every door of the building, and
// 096.png
forming themselves into line behind a soldierly
looking little leader, they separated into companies
and regiments and commenced a marching drill, as
thus the voices sang:
.sp 2
.fs 85%
.nf b
"'The Ice Cream is so delicious,
And the Cake so soft and fine.
Come on, Brownies, bring the dishes,
And Doll Babies fall in line;
Tell the boy dolls and the ladies
To give every tot a spoon,
And put bibs upon the babies,
For we're coming with it soon.
'Down the hill, down the hill,
Not at all like Jack and Jill,
For the cream we never spill,
While our voices loud and shrill
Echo back from hill to hill.'
.nf-
.fs 100%
.sp 2
"Louder and louder came the chant from the
mountain; when lo! as they gazed in the direction
// 097.png
of the music, they were surprised to behold dwarf
after dwarf marching down the mountain-side, each
singing with all his might.
"At some distance behind them, scurrying helter
skelter and pell mell, were a group of acrobatic
brownies, turning somersaults and handsprings,
flip flaps and cart wheels. Some were sliding
down the steep on one ear, while others paused for
a moment to stand straight up in the air on the
tips of their noses. Some were walking along on
their hands; but all moved with merry, joyous
shout onward toward the village, juggling their
dishes in the air as they came.
"The voices of the singers were in perfect unison,
from the little pot-bellied brownie in the rear, who
sang bass, to the flat-faced pygmy in the centre,
whose high tenor notes echoed and re-echoed
among the surrounding mountains. Thus gaily
they came onward, while 'Aunt Twaddles' and
// 098.png
the children stood watching them from the
throne.
"Down in the Village of Hide and Seek all
now was silent. The Doll-General had scattered
his forces and marched them away in a quiet,
orderly manner to long tables methodically grouped
on the lawn. All the dolls seemed to be listening
to the sweet music.
"Louder and louder came the song from the
band of musical midgets. As they drew nearer,
Arthur and Maud noticed that each dwarf carried a
large tray before him and that the trays were
loaded with good things to eat, piled so high that a
strong wide strap encircled the neck of each dwarf
and helped support the tray at its sides.
"Down the line the army of tumbling pygmies
came whirling along, each bearing a tower of snow-white
china dishes; and, strange as it may seem,
not a dish was broken in the rocky journey.
// 099.png
"The dwarfs were not long in spreading their
fine feast before the dolls. They had scarcely
begun to pass around the cake when two sturdy-looking
dwarfs staggered up the onyx steps of the
throne, bearing two heavily laden trays.
"They were followed by four funny-faced little
brownies who spread a table before the children,
and, winking and blinking and smiling, went merrily
about their work.
"When the table was all prepared, the dwarfs
placed before each of the children a big turkey-dish
piled two feet high with vanilla, strawberry
and chocolate ice cream. The four brownies then
stepped between them and sat down a wash tub
filled with rich chocolate layer cake. Then, with
a wild shout of hilarious joy, they slid head first
down the golden balustrade and landed upon the
grass, turning somersault after somersault as they
rolled along on the velvety lawn.
// 100.png
"And such ice cream it was! You could fairly
see the rich, yellow cream oozing out of it. Little
Maud declared, as she looked at her brother with a
delighted smile, that it surely must have been
sweetened with honey.
"'My!' she exclaimed, as she tasted it again
and again, 'What glorious cream! I could die
eating it, but we must save some to take home.'
And she tasted it again, with a loud smack of her
pretty lips.
"'Aunt Twaddles' leaned far back in her golden
chair and, seeming to have overheard little Maud,
she straightened up as she exclaimed:
"'Eat plenty of it, my darling! Eat plenty of
it! For I have a whole valley full lying over between
the mountains.'
"Instantly the children, startled at the very
thought, looked up from their delightful repast.
"'A whole valley full!' exclaimed Arthur, but
// 101.png
he could say no more, for he had to stop eating to
think about it.
"He picked up a piece of cake and tasted it.
"'Oh, Maud,' he cried, 'try some quick! Just
try some! This is the grandest cake you ever ate.'
And as the children were feasting upon the cake,
Arthur added in a half-whisper, glancing down at
the wash tub piled full:
"'But we must not eat it all, Maud, we must
save some to take home.'
"'Eat plenty, my darlings, eat plenty!' came
from the lips of 'Aunt Twaddles.' 'I have a tall
mountain of it standing just across the valley
before you.'
"The excited children again looked up from
their feast and there, sure enough, just across the
green valley and standing directly in front of
them, towered a tall golden-colored mountain, that
reached almost to the sky.
// 102.png
"And to think that it was all cake!
"The children were so surprised they could
make no reply. Between every mouthful they
raised their sparkling eyes to look at Cake Mountain;
and, as there seemed to be no need of saving
any of the cake or ice cream, they started in to do
full justice to their repast, for they were truly
hungry after the long journey from Harpers Ferry
to the village of Hide and Seek.
"And now while little Arthur and Maud are
enjoying themselves, and swallowing great spoonfuls
of delicious ice cream, we will pause in the
story for a moment while some of you swallow
another drink of that nice cool water, if the boys
will kindly bring it to us from the well."
// 103.png
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=ch06
CHAPTER VI || THE QUEEN OF THE DOLLS
.sp 2
The hot sun was now standing directly over
the tops of the trees, and, as the moving shade had
left the Vagabond with a part of his circle of
children out in its broiling rays, he was glad indeed
to pause with his story while they all rose at
his request and formed a new circle farther in
under the sheltering branches. Four of the boys
leaped from the ground and scampered away to
bring the water as the Vagabond had requested.
When the new circle was formed, one of the
little girls,—a sweet-faced darling of not more
than five years, pushed herself away from the
others, and with a feeling of pride, took a seat by
// 104.png
the side of the Vagabond, where she sat looking
into his face quite anxious for him to go on with
his story.
The boys were not slow in returning from the
well; and in order to assure themselves that the
water would reach the parched lips of their companions
fresh and cool, they had unbound the old
oaken bucket from the well pole and were bearing
it along, dripping full, between them. The water
soon arrived, and by order of the Vagabond it was
passed around, he not even forgetting to first
wait upon the little lady who, so honored, sat
proudly by his side. When they were all comfortably
seated in the shade at last, it was thus he
continued his interesting tale:
"After the two children had eaten all they
possibly could, just as many of you drank all the
water you possibly could, the dwarfs and brownies
came hurrying up the stairs and were not long in
// 105.png
removing the dishes and table. The brownies, in
a most winning manner, insisted upon their eating
more, for there was enough left to feed a dozen
hungry children, but they were forced to reluctantly
decline.
"The sun-tanned brownie, who removed the
dishes from in front of Maud, looked too funny for
anything with his long-peaked cap set aslant on
his little round head and roguishly pushed over to
one side. On his face appeared a broad grin as he
took the dishes under his arm, and gazing intently
toward little Maud, said in a shy, half-whisper
though sufficiently loud for her to hear: "Pretty
girl!"
"Then without waiting a reply, he made one
wild, hilarious plunge, dishes and all, down the
balustrade. Nor did he stop when he struck the
ground, but hurried away toward the mountain,
halting only for a second when half way up its
// 106.png
steep side to wave her an affectionate adieu with
his funny round cap. Thus waving he passed
from sight under the sheltering trees that grew
along the mountain way, while the children turned
to view other parts of the beautiful valley.
"'What broad, golden stream is that, Aunt
Twaddles?' inquired little Arthur, as he pointed
toward the Work Shops of Santa Claus.
"'Aunt Twaddles' glanced up as he spoke and
looking in the direction of the golden stream, she
replied.
"'That, my darlings, is Taffy River.'
"'Taffy River!' exclaimed the children in one
breath. Then Arthur, in an excited tone, continued:
'You don't mean to tell us, Aunt
Twaddles, that taffy flows in a river like that!'
"The children stood anxiously awaiting her
reply.
"'Yes, darlings! Oh, yes!' she replied.
// 107.png
'Taffy River gets its start up at Honey Springs in
the lower end of Ice Cream Valley and flows, as
you see, down between Ginger Bread Hills and
Cake Mountain, then on past the Work Shops of
Santa Claus and empties into Lake Fudge, over
beyond the Pop-Corn Fields where you see the
reindeer.'
"Arthur was so bewildered he did not know
what to say; while little Maud stood with her
mouth open in such a manner that she was quite
amusing to look upon. Suddenly she exclaimed:
"'Mercy, Aunt Twaddles! Is that white field
pop corn? Why I thought it was snow!'
"'No! no! my children!' smilingly exclaimed
the good lady. 'That field is all pop corn. You
see,' she continued, 'we never have either rain or
snow here. Not a particle of water is ever permitted
to fall in this enchanted valley, not even a
drop of dew; for if it should, though it was only a
// 108.png
tear, something dreadful would surely happen.
This is not our will, but the will of Heaven; and
if you watch, you will see for yourselves.'
"'Aunt Twaddles' touched another button in
the arm of her golden chair and gazed calmly over
the valley.
"While they were waiting for something
unusual to happen, little Maud roused from a spell
of deep thought and inquired:
"'Aunt Twaddles, does any of Taffy River ever
empty into the Shenandoah?' And her eyes
sparkled at the thought.
"'Ah, no, darling,' replied the generous old
woman with a knowing smile. 'When the children
of the earth are good, Santa Claus takes
most of it on his journey at Christmas time; but
when they are naughty it overflows Lake Fudge
and is wasted among the surrounding hills.'
"'Aunt Twaddles' seemed somewhat impatient
// 109.png
and again pressing the button with a firm hand,
the children were greatly surprised to behold a
heavy, dark cloud rising in the west. Leaping
upward it came flying angrily over the summit
of Ginger Bread Hills; then dashing furiously
against the tall sides of Cake Mountain it rolled
upward with the sound of deep, muttering thunder
and spread over the entire sky.
"The wind came howling bitterly down the
beautiful valley with a sudden dash and roar, and
again turned the sign above the factory of Santa
Claus out of reasonable position.
"Strong trees bent low before the breath of the
on-coming storm, while the entire end of Beauty
Valley grew suddenly dark. All the dolls of the
village hastened into their play-houses as fast as
their little legs could carry them. Santa Claus
came out of his factory and, arching his eyebrows
with the palms of his wide-open hands, cast a
// 110.png
sweeping glance over the threatening sky and then
disappeared within.
"The doors throughout this great factory were
suddenly closed. Windows came down with a
bang. Louder and louder the shrill wind howled
with a wintry wail and in a few moments a blinding
snowstorm of pop corn buried the distant
field in a spotless coverlet of white.
"'Aunt Twaddles' touched another button in
the arm of her chair. Suddenly the clouds melted
away into a veil of thin mist and again the sun
poured down its wealth of golden glory.
"Up went the windows in the factory of Santa
Claus. The dolls rushed out of their play-houses
and danced once more upon the green, while a
mighty host of brownies rushed from the factories
into the field and began to gather basket after
basket of pop corn to be made into pop-corn balls
on the banks of Taffy River.
// 111.png
"'Aunt Twaddles' sat back in her chair, smiling
silently, for she had watched the expressions
upon the faces of the children during the wonderful
storm.
"The scene was indeed most marvelous and it
was a long time before either of the children ventured
to say a word, for the wonderful workings of
nature, all under control of the little, shining buttons,
mystified them beyond utterance.
"Suddenly they beheld a little brownie hurrying
from the factory toward the throne. 'Aunt
Twaddles' arose when she saw him coming.
"'Here comes a messenger,' she said, 'and
something must be wrong.'
"In another second he bounded up the onyx
steps and soon afterward stood tremblingly before
them.
"'What is it, Spit?' inquired 'Aunt Twaddles'
as she gazed down upon him.
// 112.png
"'Spit,' for that was the name of the brownie,
looked up into her face as he stood awed by her
presence.
"'Twaddles!' he exclaimed, 'during the storm
the lightning struck a wooden doll in the village
and hurt it mighty badly.'
"As this sad bit of news fell on the ears of 'Aunt
Twaddles,' she dismissed the brownie with a wave
of her hand and sank back in her chair, and the
children could see that she was much distressed.
"'Come! come!' she said to herself at last,
'we must not grieve so much over accidents, for
they are often the will of Heaven.'
"She arose and greeted the children with a glad
smile.
"'Aunt Twaddles,' inquired Arthur, 'does
Santa Claus always live here?'
"Instantly, 'Aunt Twaddles' stepped back from
the children and paused. She stood near the
// 113.png
steps of the golden throne, her hand resting upon
the white polished onyx post that ornamented the
end of the beautiful balustrade, and turning to
them, she said:
"'Yes, children, Santa Claus always lives here
and I am his sister.'
"As she spoke the last word, a magical change
came over her entire features.
"Instead of the fat, flabby, emotionless countenance
the children had long known and loved,
each careworn line withered instantly away, and
in place came the bloom and smile of eternal
youth and beauty; while the ungainly and ponderous
weight that had so encumbered her journeys,
disappeared all in a moment, until she now
looked more like a beautiful fairy than the dear,
good 'Aunt Twaddles' of old.
"All the odd, ill-fitting garments, with the long,
heavy skirt to which they had so firmly clung for
// 114.png
their lives while climbing the face of the cliff,
were changed before their very eyes into raiments
of rich lace and gold; and she stood before them
in her true character, no longer 'Aunt Twaddles,'
the herb woman, but the fairy sister of Santa
Claus, more lovely by far than any doll they had
ever beheld.
"'You see me now, darlings, as no mortal eye
has ever beheld me. Amid the common walks of
life, when gathering wintergreen, spices, and herbs
on the mountain, with which to flavor the candy
for Santa Claus, I am awkward and ugly, fat, and
ungainly, and I care not; for the rarest of
womanly beauty on earth lies not in the looks, but
the heart. But here, in this haven of blissful
repose, you now behold me as I truly am;—not
Aunt Twaddles, the herb woman, but Twaddles,
the Queen of the Dolls, and the ruler who reigns
over the Village of Hide and Seek.'
// 115.png
.if h
.il id=illus115 fn=illus115.jpg w=500px
.ca
"All the odd, ill-fitting garments were changed into raiments of gold."
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
Illustration: "All the odd, ill-fitting garments were changed into \
raiments of gold."
.sp 2
.if-
// 116.png
// 117.png
"Awed beyond measure and wrapt in admiring
silence, the poor children stood trembling in the
presence of the queen. Nor could they reconcile
themselves to the sudden change, for 'Aunt Twaddles,'
the herb woman, had always been so good
and kind to them.
"Little Maud suddenly sank to her knees on
the throne, and cried aloud in a pitiful voice:
"'Oh, dear queen, how beautiful you are! But
please be your dear self again, for I love the
Aunt Twaddles who has always been so good to
me.'
"Before she could finish her heart-rending plea,
the beautiful Doll Queen folded her to her bosom
and covered the face of the child with sweet, motherly
caresses.
"'Come! come!' she said softly, at last. 'We
will make a tour of Beauty Valley, or, as the dolls
of the village all love to call it, 'The Land of
// 118.png
Santa Claus.' And she unclasped Maud from her
arms.
"The Queen touched a bell on a silver stand and
at the faint sound a beautiful white-winged dove,
with a pale blue ribbon about its snowy neck, came
flying from a near-by olive tree and lit upon the
edge of the throne before them.
"The children, much interested in the unusual
sight, drew back toward the opposite side of the
throne as if fearing they might frighten the bird
away; but the Queen, smiling so sweetly that they
felt like falling to their knees and worshipping
her, turned to them as she exclaimed:
"'Have no fear, my darlings, for you cannot
frighten it away. This bird is my private messenger
that always finds Kimbo when I want him.'
"The Queen waved her hands with a graceful,
easy motion, and the dove rose in the air on its
snowy wings. Three times it circled above the
// 119.png
throne, and then took its course toward the buildings
of Santa Claus and passed out of sight. The
Queen stepped lightly beside them and said:
"'Let us wait now, my darlings, for the arrival
of Kimbo.'
"And now while we leave the beautiful Queen
standing with the children upon the golden throne
and waiting for Kimbo, whoever he is, I will wait
here by the side of this little queen, seated upon
God's Throne, the green grass, until some of the
boys bring us more water; for the day is sultry
and warm and Miss Lady, so sweet at my side,
must be kept like a fresh cut flower, shaded and
cool."
The Vagabond ceased with that part of his
story.
// 120.png
// 121.png
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=ch07
CHAPTER VII || "KIMBO, THE GIANT"
.sp 2
"The Queen of the Dolls!" cried all the children
with delight.
"My, how I should like to meet her!" exclaimed
one flaxen-haired little maiden, who formed a part
of the circle.
The little girl beside the Vagabond declared she
would have her mamma write to the Queen that
night and ask Santa Claus to take the letter to her
the next time he came around.
There was a loud outburst of merry laughter
that was joined in by His Highness the Vagabond
himself.
The mirth soon subsided, and before they had
hardly time to engage in much general talk about
// 122.png
the "Queen of the Dolls," five of the boys came
hurrying from the well, bearing the old oaken
bucket, dripping and cool. When the general
thirst was quenched, the Vagabond cast a smile
upon the upturned face of his sweet little friend,
who so honored his side by her presence, as he
thus went on with his tale.
"The white-winged dove had scarcely passed
out of sight before the two children beheld a strange
object moving up and down along the distant
horizon; and so rapid was its approach that it was
not long before they could distinguish the outlines
of a gigantic personage.
"He seemed to be leaping over great fields, fully
a mile at a stride, in his frantic effort to get to the
throne. Turning to watch the approaching figure,
the Queen cried aloud:
"'Oh, children, look quickly! Kimbo the Giant
is coming with all his might!'
.if h
.il id=illus123 fn=illus123.jpg w=500px
.ca
"He seemed to be leaping over great fields fully a mile at a stride."
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
Illustration: "He seemed to be leaping over great fields fully a mile at a stride."
.sp 2
.if-
// 123.png
// 124.png
// 125.png
"And before the amazed children could say a
word, the wondrous Kimbo cleared the factories of
Santa Claus and Taffy River with a mighty bound,
and in another instant stood before them.
"The giant was so tall that his ponderous chin
was level with the floor of the golden throne; and
you can well imagine their surprise, not a little of
which was tinged with fear, when they saw his
massive features.
"The children sank back in affright; but when
the Queen assured them that the Giant was as
kind as any doll down in the village, they ventured
to turn with a shudder and look into his partly
opened mouth. It appeared to them like a hole in
the mountain near Harpers Ferry where the people
once dug out coal.
"As he uttered a few words of respect to the
Queen, accompanied with a low bow, the sound
which came from his partly opened lips was like
// 126.png
the deep, growling rumble of distant thunder and
shook the very throne on which they were standing.
"His eyes were larger than saucers; and the
great veins in his glaring eye-balls seemed like
blood-red cords swollen and ready to burst. His
ears, each ornamented with an earring as big as a
wagon-tire, were as long as Maud's little arm;
and never a pumpkin grew longer or larger than
Kimbo's great nose.
"His neck was as thick as the trunk of the
largest tree that grew down by the Shenandoah
River, and just about as wrinkled and rough as its
bark; while his broad shoulders were far wider
than the entire throne of the Queen.
"His eyebrows resembled great patches of grass
more than eyebrows, and his massive jaws, supporting
a wrinkled chin, looked as if they might
take a bite out of the very rock in the side of the
mountain and not mind it in the least.
// 127.png
"On the top of his head he wore a peculiar kind
of rig intended no doubt for a hat, which was bound
firmly in place by strands of his coarse black hair,
as thick and perhaps as strong as a hawser. On
closer inspection, however, this hat proved to be a
kind of settee, for its entire side was an upholstered
seat with strong arms and deep cushions.
"The Queen stepped toward the edge of the
throne and invited the children for a ride on the
Giant's head.
"As they were all ready to get aboard, the Giant
lowered his head until the settee was level with
the floor of the throne and they were not tardy in
getting comfortably seated. In another moment
they were off on the journey.
"They started away at such a rapid pace that
the children could hardly breathe; so the Queen
cautioned the Giant to go more slowly, and he
slackened his pace to the speed of a railroad train.
// 128.png
The Queen informed them that he was then only
walking, and that they need not be alarmed in the
least as the Giant was sure-footed and would not
stumble or fall.
"Onward they went like the wind, past the foot
of Cake Mountain with its towering sides and
dome of rich, brown crusted cake; on up through
the Ice Cream Valley, where, with a mighty roar,
the Honey Springs gushed from the ground.
Thence over the Ginger Bread Hills and past
field after field filled with pie plants, in which an
army of brownies were gathering hot pies and
sprinkling them with sugar.
"They passed through great groves of cocoanut
trees from the tops of which shouting bands of
wild monkeys threw cocoanut shells after them;
thence through vineyards of ripening grapes and
orchards of oranges and lemons, and arrived at
last at the border of a most beautiful lake that,
// 129.png
with its wild, wonderful surroundings, presented
the grandest scene they had ever beheld.
"The great Kimbo backed cautiously up to a
towering rock, one side of which presented a
straight cliff toward the lake; and when they had
stepped from their high perch on the Giant's head
to the smooth level top of the great rock, the Queen
bade them pause for a moment to look about over
the beautiful scene that now lay beneath and
before them.
"Stretching away in the distance, almost as far
as the eye could see, lay a marvellous lake that, in
its fitful, frolicsome mood, resembled some rolling
sea of crimson and gold and piled its great
billows, glistening in the sunlight, with a resounding
crash upon the pebbly shore.
"Far off to the right, and many thousands of
feet higher than the rock on which they were
standing, a stream came tumbling down from the
// 130.png
crown of a tall mountain, and churning its waters
into endless foam, fell into a deep and distant
valley.
"Pointing away with her pretty hand, the Queen
said to the children:
"'Behold, darlings, the famous Butter-milk
Falls of which you have heard so much! The
stream, as you see, does not enter into this lake,
but falls from the top of Cheese Mountain and
then wanders away through a sandy valley where
it sinks into the ground.'
"For a moment the children gazed upon it; then
Arthur exclaimed with some satisfaction:
"I'm glad it doesn't empty here for I never did
like butter-milk.'
"The Queen and the children laughed heartily
at the very thought.
"As they stood laughing upon the rock, they
beheld at no great distance a wild, noisy cataract,
// 131.png
where a beautiful, wide, golden stream leaped from
a high rock, and whirling its never-ceasing torrent
into endless eddies of a thousand different dyes,
plunged into the lake that lay before them.
"'Look, Maud!' exclaimed Arthur. 'Look!
Look! The beautiful falls!'
"The children asked of the Queen its name and
she replied:
"'That, my darlings, is the end of Taffy River
and those are the Stick Candy Falls. Here Taffy
River pours its delicious stream over the rocks
into Lake Fudge that you see lying before you.
Now,' she continued, 'we will walk over and
inspect Stick Candy Falls, after which we will
return to this rock, for I consider this the finest
viewpoint anywhere along the shore of the lake.'
"The Queen did not have to assist the children
in their descent from the rock. With a merry
bound they ran down the path ahead of her, delighted
// 132.png
with the prospect of visiting the Falls
which appeared so beautiful.
"Around them on all sides, grew sweet-scented
flowers that, at any other time, might have caused
the children to stay their steps, for they were fond
of wild flowers indeed; but on this particular
occasion all the blossoms of the woodland would
not have tempted them, for the sound of the roaring
cataract grew louder and louder as they drew
near.
"The path descended into a little glen, the
rocky sides of which hid the cataract from view;
and the children stopped to look back upon the
spot from which they had just come. There
towered the tall rock with its one steep side facing
the lake. The great Giant, Kimbo, sat on the
ground at its base leaning against the cliff, his
head drooped heavily forward almost between his
drawn up knees.
// 133.png
.if h
.il id=illus133 fn=illus133.jpg w=500px
.ca
"The children stopped to look back upon the spot from which they \
had just come."
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
Illustration: "The children stopped to look back upon the spot \
from which they had just come."
.sp 2
.if-
// 134.png
// 135.png
"As they drew near to where the angry river
made its desperate leap, the children were frightened,
for the wind caused by the cataract came
roaring about their ears, bearing mist and spray
that for a time almost blinded them. They passed
around this danger point and came to a more
sheltered spot, where they paused to view the falls.
"As they stood there they noticed that a path
led far in behind the falling stream, and that the
ledge over which this wonder of nature poured its
wealth of golden beauty was a peculiar rock
crystal, quite similar to that which ornamented
the beautiful glen through which they had passed
before entering the Enchanted Cave.
"Arthur's inquisitive nature was awake and
ready. He proceeded to test the tall ledge with
the blade of his pen knife, when, as he placed a
shattered bit of the rock to his lips, he shouted
aloud to his sister:
// 136.png
"'Oh, Maudie, this ledge of rock is Rock
Candy!' Then placing the remaining piece in
his mouth, he rushed into the arms of the Queen
to tell her of his surprising discovery.
"Long formations of varying sizes and color
were hanging everywhere; and the children understood
at a glance that this was the place where
Santa Claus gets all the stick candy with which
he is so generous at Christmas time. The sticks
hung wherever a crevice or crack appeared in the
ledge, and no sooner was one broken off than
another began to form in its place at once.
"As they stepped forward to get a better view
behind the falling torrent, they could see dozens
of busy brownies breaking off the sticks and carefully
packing them in long paper boxes, which
others were carrying to the store house that stood
on the towering brink above.
"The Queen led them beyond the group of
// 137.png
busy workers, when, looking up at the ledge over
which the cataract hung like a graceful veil, they
saw the following lines carved deep in the rock far
above their heads. They paused and with some
difficulty, read these lines.
.sp
.fs 85%
.nf b
"'Sweet Taffy River, with its eddies wild,
Comes dancing onward like a playful child,
Till from this towering ledge, with face aglow,
It bounds, delighted, to Lake Fudge below.'
.nf-
.fs 100%
.sp 2
"They returned then to the high rock, and the
children were surprised to see a great army of
dolls moving rapidly toward the lake. The dolls
were romping and chatting as they hurried along,
but all seemed to have the same purpose in view
for they were headed toward a certain point on the
shore.
"Both Arthur and Maud were nearly crazy to
join them, but the Queen wanted to go up on the
// 138.png
high rock again, and, as the will of the Queen
was the law of the land, up the high rock they
went.
"They paused for a moment to look down on the
great Kimbo, and laughed merrily when they saw
he was still fast asleep.
"'Don't disturb him,' said the Queen in a low
tone, as she assisted the children up the path to
the top of the rock.
"Shout after shout arose from the crowd of dolls
gathered upon the shore; and as their merry
voices shook the air and resounded far over the
lake, Maud inquired of the Queen the cause of
their presence and the unusual tumult they were
raising.
"The Queen was standing still, looking far over
the lake. It was some moments before she replied,
for the commotion seemed somewhat unusual.
Glancing toward Maud, she said, sweetly:
// 139.png
"'These, darlings, are all the dolls from the
Village of Hide and Seek. They have come down
to the shore and are anxiously waiting to be taken
over in their ferry-boat to the Island of Dreams
that lies in the centre of this beautiful lake.'
"Pointing toward the location of the strange
island, she continued:
"'Wait a few moments and you will see!' she
said, casting another hasty glance far over the tide.
"The children peered in the direction toward
which the Queen pointed, and beheld far in the
distance the dim outlines of an island low down on
the very edge of the horizon. As they stood there
they felt a drowsy sensation creep over them and,
like the great Kimbo, they too would have fallen
asleep had it not been for the sudden appearance
of a strange-looking boat that was coming rapidly
across the foam toward the shore.
"As it drew into plain view the tumult of the
// 140.png
dolls on the strand ceased. The children noticed,
to their great amazement, that twelve dolphins
were swimming in tandem through the tide and
drawing the barque after them; while astride the
back of each dolphin sat a beautiful mermaid to
guide their course through the foam. With much
skill as well as grace, they swang their magnificent
craft to a carefully selected landing on the
shore of the lake, while all the dolls scampered
clamorously aboard, and the boat was soon away
on its journey.
"Little Maud danced up and down on the big
rock in a perfect spasm of delight, at the same
time exclaiming as loud as she could:
"'Oh, Queen, can't we go, too? Can't we go,
too?'
"Little Arthur looked up at the Queen disappointed
when he saw that the barque was leaving
the shore without taking them along.
// 141.png
"'Well, darlings,' said the Queen, 'if you wish,
you too may go to the Island of Dreams.'
"She looked down upon them with a sweet, winning
smile.
"Nothing in the world could have pleased them
so well, for they hoped to meet all the dolls from
the village over there. The Queen blew a little
gold whistle that hung from a chain about her
neck, and the massive head of the great Kimbo
instantly appeared above the level of the rock, and
he stood rubbing his sleepy eyes with the back of
his hand, that seemed larger than the prize ham
of a county fair.
"'Kimbo, my boy,' said the Queen, 'tell the
mermaids to send a boat for us.'
"Then she turned to watch the doll boat that
was fast disappearing in the distance.
"A broad smile swept over the Giant's good-natured
face. He stamped his great foot on the
// 142.png
ground, and woe to the rocks that were beneath it.
The drowsiness left his leg, that, like himself, had
fallen asleep, and as his foot came down with a
mighty bang the earth all around the big rock
trembled as if from an earthquake.
"Glancing into the faces of the children, he
winked his big, sleepy eye with a sound like the
clapping of hands that caused both of the children
to laugh in his face. Then he turned slowly about
and repeated the Queen's request in thunderous
tones.
"There was an instant pause of the dolphins in
the distance; then a bright gleam of sunlight
flashed from their tails as they lifted them from the
lake in sportive glee. The shrill voice of an
answering mermaid came from far over the waves;
then they continued their journey and were soon
lost to sight.
"The Queen turned to the children with a
// 143.png
bright smile upon her pretty face and, giving each
of them a sweet kiss, she said softly:
"'It won't take them long, dear ones. It won't
take them long. We shall have to wait but a few
moments.'
"So now, while the beautiful Queen with the
children are waiting on top of the rock for a boat
to come for them, we will wait here under this tree
for a fresh drink of water, that the dear ones
gathered about me may keep comfortable and
cool."
The Vagabond cast a smile over the excited and
anxious faces in the circle, as he brushed the
sweat from his brow and ceased speaking.
// 144.png
// 145.png
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=ch08
CHAPTER VIII || THE ISLAND OF DREAMS
.sp 2
"I wonder if my papa knows Kimbo, the
Giant?" exclaimed the little one who was seated
at the Vagabond's side. "He knows everybody.
He knows Santa Claus, and Rip Van Winkle;
and I heard him say that he once ate dinner with
Jack the Giant Killer."
She paused and with a sweet smile looked up
into the Vagabond's face.
"Your father must be quite a traveller himself!"
he exclaimed in reply; to which the little
girl quickly responded:
"He is."
Then she pushed herself over and without invitation
// 146.png
climbed on to the Vagabond's knee, which
he carefully brushed with his old hat to receive
her.
The merry group gathered closer and closer, and
the circle gradually became smaller and smaller
until now it was an all around squeeze; when one
of the little girls somewhat relieved the crowded
condition by pushing herself out from the rest and
taking the place at the Vagabond's side that had
just been vacated by the little maiden for the preferable
seat on his knee. Half a dozen of the
boys arose, took up the old oaken bucket and hurried
away to the well.
All the children were in great haste for the
story to continue, and it did not take long for the
boys to return with the water. The sun was shining
down red hot, although it was quite comfortable
under the tree; and after the water had been
passed around the circle and the faithful water
// 147.png
carriers were seated in their respective places, the
Vagabond went on with his story.
"In much less time than it has taken to refresh
ourselves here under the tree, the two children beheld
a beautiful barque bearing rapidly down upon
them from far across the foam; and, as it approached,
they noticed it was drawn by a pair of
blue dolphins, guided by two mermaids who far exceeded
in beauty any that accompanied the craft of
the dolls.
"The Queen summoned Kimbo, and by the
time he had lifted them down from the top of the
tall rock, and they had dismounted from his hand
upon the shore, the boat was ready to receive them.
"The Queen assisted the children on board,
and they proceeded to examine the boat. Arthur
said he had never beheld a real mermaid before,
while little Maud declared that the closest she had
ever been to one was in a picture-book. They
// 148.png
kept their eyes turning from one mermaid to the
other as the Queen said, by way of explanation:
"'You will notice that one of the mermaids has
beautiful, long, golden hair that you might liken
to sunlight, while that of the other is as black and
glossy as the wing of a raven. Now, you see, it is
no trouble to tell them apart, although it is a matter
of mere taste as to which is the more beautiful.
This one,' she continued, 'we call Day, and that
one Night.'
"Day and Night gathered up their long golden
reins as if ready to start, and the dolphins rolled
impatiently in the tide.
"A word of command came from the lips of each
mermaid, then a wild, spasmodic splash of the dolphins'
tails, followed by a quick, forward motion of
the boat, and they were away on their journey.
"They sped rapidly along, and the children
could not help marvelling, as they sank into the
// 149.png
soft-cushioned seats of the boat. Seeming to
notice their appreciation of its beauty, the Queen
said:
"'This barque, my darlings, though not nearly
so large as the one on which the dolls from the
village embarked, is much more swift, and is never
used by anyone except myself and Santa Claus.'
"While she was speaking, the Island of Dreams
came into full view. The ride was simply delightful.
The dolphins lunged forward at such a rapid
pace that a cool, soft breeze sprang up and fanned
them. As they journeyed rapidly toward the
island, they glanced up occasionally to admire its
charming outlines.
"The entire shore of the island seemed lined
with tall, weeping willow trees, the long arms of
which, with longer tendrils, hung everywhere far
down to the ground, as if they, too, had partaken
of the drowsy influence of the place and were half
// 150.png
asleep. Not a breath of air stirred across the
broad island to disturb their slumbering repose.
"As they drew near the shore, the children
noticed that the surface of the lake was covered
with broad leaves of water-lilies, that grew upward
from deep down in the tide and held their yellow
and white blossoms aloft to be admired. These
water-lilies were so plentiful, that the dolphins
had some difficulty in working the boat through
them to the shore.
"Arthur and his sister sat very still. They
were watching the graceful motions of the two
laboring dolphins, when suddenly the very
Heavens seemed to open far above them, and a
bright light overspread the entire surface of the
lake. Instantly the dolphins ceased from their
labor. The sound of rushing wings seemed to
come from high in the air; and, looking upward,
// 151.png
they were amazed to behold the open sky filled
with sweet-voiced angels, who, as they came down
from Heaven on fluttering pinions, sang to the
delighted children the following song of welcome.
.if h
.il id=illus151 fn=illus151.jpg w=500px
.ca
"Looking upward they were amazed to behold the open sky filled \
with sweet-voiced angels."
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
Illustration: "Looking upward they were amazed to behold the \
open sky filled with sweet-voiced angels."
.sp 2
.if-
// 152.png
// 153.png
.sp 2
.fs 85%
.nf b
THE ISLAND OF DREAMS.
"'In the midst of a lake that is crimson and gold,
Lies the magical Island of Dreams,
Where the flowers of fancy forever unfold,
And the sunlight of happiness gleams.
And no poor little girl, or no poor little boy
Need dread least some sorrow befall,
For the angels are near, when you're visiting here
And God fashioned this island for all.
The Island of Dreams, the Island of Dreams,
God fashioned this island for all.
.sp 2"
"'On the isle in the lake that is crimson and gold,
You forget every sorrow and care,
And wander about amid beauties untold,
As free as a breath of the air;
// 154.png
And no lord of estate puts a lock on the gate,
To deny you its fanciful scenes,
For the angels of God guard the ever-green sod
Of the beautiful Island of Dreams.
The Island of Dreams, the Island of Dreams,
Guard the ever-green Island of Dreams.
.sp 2
"'When you visit the lake that is crimson and gold,
Bring poverty's tatters along.
Little care if your garments are ragged and old,
For your soul shall be clothed in a song.
Though a hovel alone, you may claim as a home,
Where the sunshine of life never gleams,
You may bask in its smile, as you journey awhile
In the beautiful Island of Dreams.
The Island of Dreams, the Island of Dreams,
As you stroll through the Island of Dreams.'
.nf-
.fs 100%
.sp 2
"As the beautiful song of welcome ceased, the
angels disappeared in the sky, and the boat swang
gracefully toward the shore.
// 155.png
"The Queen assisted the children to the beach,
and they started up a dark, cool and shady path
toward the centre of the island.
"As they journeyed slowly along, Arthur
noticed that the air was heavily laden with the
dreamy perfume of flowers; and he suggested to
the Queen that perhaps this was what made everything
so drowsy about the place, for he declared
that the odor made him sleepy.
"There were only a few of these flowers the
children had ever seen before.
"Arthur recognized the tall, blooming magnolia
trees from the description of them he had once
read in a book; while the tuberose, the calla lily
and the lilies of the valley, both the children knew
well for they had often seen them in the gardens
at home. All the rest were strangers to them, and
for a long time they lingered to admire their wondrous
beauty.
// 156.png
"It was not long before they chanced to look up,
and seeing a group of dilapidated, half-fallen
houses in the hazy distance, moss-covered and
almost hidden from view by the long branches of
low-bending trees, the children turned to the
Queen and asked the name of the curious-looking
place.
"She informed them that the village was the
home of the Sand Man, and that the name of it
was 'Drowsy Town,' so named because everything
about the place was half asleep.
"Often indeed had the children heard of the
Sand Man, but they never expected to visit his
home; so they hastened their steps and soon
entered the curious village.
"The place contained but few houses, all of
which were badly neglected and sadly out of repair;
for who could stop to fix up houses in such
a sleepy place? Beside, what do people care about
// 157.png
the outside of a house when they are sleeping within
all the time?
"The fences were mostly fallen, save here and
there where a moss-covered stretch of old-fashioned
wooden pickets leaned half-heartedly against
their warped railings, while now and then a
gate hung over on one hinge as if, like everything
else, it was anxious to lie down in the dust
and sleep.
"Long gray moss trailed from the eaves of the
old buildings right down to the very ground and
spread over the window casements like gray-green
curtains to keep out the light, which it most certainly
did.
"As the children passed the home of the Sand
Man, by far the most neglected in the village, and
to which the Queen pointed with evident pride, they
lingered on the corner for a moment to look about
the place.
// 158.png
"A cat came slowly out onto the old porch,
yawned, stretched and went in. A dog half arose,
as the sound of their noisy feet on the worn-out
pavement disturbed his slumber, and raising his
ears, glanced drowsily about, growled and then
sank down to sleep under a green vine that sheltered
one end of the porch.
"They moved slowly on, then stopped on the
opposite corner and looked far down the silent and
deserted street, where they saw a queer-looking
individual, staggering and stumbling toward them.
"Now he would lunge forward head first into
the trunk of an old tree; then, rousing himself,
he would stagger onward only to fall over the curb
stone, or run pell mell into a post. He finally
tripped over a broken slab in the neglected walk
and fell flat upon his face, from which position he
seemed to arise with much difficulty.
"'Who is that staggering person' exclaimed
// 159.png
Arthur, 'reeling toward us like some drunken
man?'
"The Queen looked down the street as the boy
spoke, and turning to the children with a smile
upon her face, she excitedly exclaimed:
"'Why, children, here comes Mr. Sleepy Head
to greet us! The Sand Man has sent him, for
you know the Sand Man cannot leave his labors
just now.'
"They stood waiting for him to draw near and
could not help but laugh outright, as he again
bumped squarely into a big tree.
"'Who is Mr. Sleepy Head?' inquired Arthur.
"'I never heard of him!' exclaimed little Maud.
"'Oh yes, you have,' said the Queen, 'for many
a book has been printed about him and his wonderful
achievements. Some years ago,' she continued,
'he was quite a popular personage among the
children of the world, but many of them seem to
// 160.png
have forgotten him of late. His most popular
mention perhaps was in a jingle that began something
like this:
.fs 85%
.nf b
"'To bed, to bed,' said Sleepy Head,
'Let's wait a while,' said Slow.
.nf-
.fs 100%
.sp 2
"Little Maud declared she had often heard her
grandfather speak of him.
"'Yes,' said the Queen, 'he is always half asleep.
It is his duty to sing to the children while the
Sand Man sprinkles his sand in their eyes. He
is a most beautiful singer, but the poor, industrious
Sand Man has a very hard task in keeping him
awake.'
"As the Queen finished her explanation, Mr.
Sleepy Head fell headlong into the gutter. He
arose, brushed the dust from his garments, and
with another sleepy, lazy lunge, stood bowing and
smiling before them.
"He was a curious-looking little man, with dull,
// 161.png
dreamy eyes, and carried before him a small harp,
securely bound to his person by a broad strap that
encircled his neck. The harp was a woeful sight
and was covered with dents and scars and cracks
where he had fallen with it against various objects
during his sleepy journeys.
"The Queen said it was a wonder that music
could be produced from it at all, so little was the
care he gave it, and then turned to him with a request
for a song.
"Mr. Sleepy Head looked up with a lazy smile
as he shook himself and then leaned with his back
against the decayed trunk of a tree, while he
yawned with outstretched arms. After stamping
the drowsiness from his lazy limbs, he gave the
old harp a nimble sweep with his dexterous fingers
that filled the air with enchanting music; and,
smiling again at the children, he proceeded to sing
the song of
// 162.png
.sp 2
.fs 85%
.nf b
THE SAND MAN
"'Always at evening and every day,
As the shades of the night come down;
The Sand Man calls good little children away
To the Village of Drowsy Town.
And no sorrow nor care ever entereth there,
But toiling with tireless hand,
He breathes o'er the slumbering children a prayer,
While sowing his sleepy sand.
Chorus.
"'When the shades of night come down
Over the Village of Drowsy Town,
Children gay drop their play,
And shake a day-day to their mammas:
Off through the meadow with little Bo-Peep,
Helping her gather her wayward sheep,
And praying the Lord their souls to keep,
While visiting Drowsy Town.'
.nf-
.fs 100%
.sp 2
.if h
.il id=illus163 fn=illus163.jpg w=500px
.ca
"He gave the old harp a nimble sweep with his \
dexterous fingers that filled the air with enchanting music."
.ca-
.if-
.if t
Illustration: "He gave the old harp a nimble sweep with his dexterous fingers that
filled the air with enchanting music."
.if-
.sp 2
"When the singer had finished the chorus, he
// 163.png
// 164.png
// 165.png
was suddenly overtaken by a fit of sleepiness;
and, as his body slipped to one side, he reeled from
the tree and fell backward into the gutter with such
force that the children instantly sprang to his assistance,
for they were sure he was badly hurt.
But he managed to stagger again to his feet, and
excusing himself for the great impoliteness of falling
asleep in company, he again leaned his back
to the tree, ran his hand with a magical sweep over
the strings of his harp and thus continued his
song:
.fs 85%
.nf b
"'The rich and the poor have an equal share,
In the Village of Drowsy Town;
And the poor little orphan receiveth his care
As he maketh his nightly round.
With a sweep of his hand he goes sprinkling sand
As he wanders about through the street,
With a kiss and a smile for each dear little child,
As it falls fast asleep at his feet.
// 166.png
Chorus.
"'When the shades of night come down,
Over the Village of Drowsy Town,
Children gay, drop their play,
And shake a day-day to their mammas:
Off through the meadow with little Bo-Peep,
Helping her gather her wayward sheep,
And praying the Lord their souls to keep
While visiting Drowsy Town.'
.nf-
.fs 100%
.sp 2
"As the last sound of the singer's voice died on
the air, his hands fell limply from the strings of
the harp and his eyelids closed with a last, long,
weary look. His head fell heavily forward upon
his breast, and as his knees gave way beneath
him, he slipped slowly to the ground with a loud
snore and rolled over on one side, where, with
harp in the gutter, Mr. Sleepy Head lay fast
asleep.
"'Well!' exclaimed Arthur, 'I've often heard
// 167.png
of such a thing but I never saw anyone really fall
asleep before.'
"The good Queen smiled at the bright remark.
"'Come,' she said. 'Don't disturb him.'
"They tip-toed away from the slumberer and
continued on down the street.
"They had not gone very far before they saw a
little old man approaching in the distance. He
was stooped and bent from the weight of a bag that
hung about his neck. Every now and again he
would thrust his hand inside, then withdraw it and
swing it around as if scattering something over
the ground.
"'There,' exclaimed the Queen, 'is the Sand
Man scattering his sand!'
"The children watched the bent form of the Sand
Man busily engaged at his toil in the distance;
while the entire army of dolls were lying about on
the ground, fast asleep at his feet.
// 168.png
"Both Arthur and Maud wanted to walk over
and shake hands with him, but the Queen, knowing
how dreadfully sleepy it would make them,
turned with a sweet smile as she said:
"'Do both my darlings want to fall asleep right
here in Drowsy Town when we have so many
things to see?'
"Without a word of protest they started back
toward the landing, upon a different street, as the
Queen informed them, than the one on which the
home of the Sand Man was located.
"'Let us walk slowly and talk,' she said, as she
slackened her pace to an easy, ambling gait, 'for
we want to see the dolls get safely aboard their
boat and start for home.'
"And now while the Queen and the children are
walking slowly through the Village of Drowsy
Town, in no great hurry to reach the landing, we
will be in no great hurry to continue with the story,
// 169.png
but will wait while we refresh ourselves with some
more water from the well, and at the same time,
hear what some of you think of the magical Island
of Dreams."
With that the story-teller breathed a deep sigh
and sank into total silence.
// 170.png
// 171.png
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=ch09
CHAPTER IX || THE SODA WATER FOUNTAIN
.sp 2
"That was a beautiful song the angels sang!"
exclaimed one of the little girls as four small boys
struggled with three larger ones for possession of
the old oaken bucket, and the mossy accumulation
on its sides suffered somewhat from the effects of
the scramble.
"I like the song of Mr. Sleepy Head best!"
exclaimed several at once; and while they were
giving their various opinions about different parts
of the story, the boys hastened back from the well
and joined in the merry chatter.
As they hastily passed the water from one to
another, one little fellow exclaimed:
// 172.png
"Mercy! I can't get over the Valley of Ice
Cream and that Mountain of Cake. I just wish
we had some of it here!"
"How about the Rock Candy Falls?" asked
another.
"They were just grand! just grand!" exclaimed
several, almost in one voice. The children now
gathered closer than ever about the Vagabond.
The little girl on his knee sat holding his hat as
thus the "Knight of the Highway" continued:
"As the Queen and the children were walking
along on a back street of the village, they met Mr.
Sleepy Head again. His harp was hanging far
over to one side, and his head was resting heavily
upon his breast; while the sound of his loud snoring
told them he was fast asleep. Once in a while
he would snore so loudly that he wakened himself,
when he would again lunge on.
"He had not gone very far when he stumbled
// 173.png
head first into a tree with a bang that must have
hurt him badly; for as he came to with a sudden
start, they noticed he rubbed his head with his
hands and looked dazedly about as if he had lost his
way. Starting forward again, he changed his
course and journeyed on toward his master.
"As they passed out of the village, the children
were surprised to see a great stream of water, shooting
hundreds of feet into the air and tossing its
snowy spray about in a wickedly wasteful manner,
while the stream seemed to be coming straight up
out of the ground.
"As they stopped to look at it, Arthur said he
had often seen a waterfall falling down, but had
never seen one fall up before. The children were
more than delighted with this strange wonder of
nature.
"The Queen smiled at Arthur's remark, and
turning to the children, said:
// 174.png
"'You know, children, somewhere, way down in
the ground, there is a chemical laboratory, the
great chemist in charge of which is Mr. Nature.
There are not many places where he displays his
wonderful ability in such an unusual fashion, but
here he seems to have outdone all his other attempts.
This is Soda Water Fountain, where day
after day, and year after year, he sends forth his
exquisite drink to quench the thirst of all weary
travellers who visit the Island of Dreams.'
"'Soda Water Fountain!' exclaimed little
Maud.
"And before they could half realize either the
immensity of its height or its volume, the Queen
led them to where they could drink to their hearts'
content.
"As they stood drinking and watching the tall
stream shoot high into the air, they could not help
but ask questions; and, turning to the Queen,
// 175.png
little Maud wanted to know what sent it up so
high.
"'I believe the people of the world call such a
display a geyser,' said the Queen. 'Several of
them are to be found in various parts of the earth.
When you have had all you wish to drink, and
while we walk slowly back to the landing, I want
you to tell me, if you can, where they are located.'
"They started slowly away on their journey,
the children wrapt in deep thought.
"Little Arthur said he had never been to school
much since his mother died, for his old grandfather
didn't believe in schools, and perhaps that
was why he did not know more about such wonderful
things.
"The Queen cast a look of pity upon him as she
softly said:
"'Schools are great things, and every little boy
and girl ought to learn the lessons well; for the
// 176.png
world is full of wonderful things, quite as strange
and curious, if you understand them, as any you
have seen since leaving Harpers Ferry. Every
year,' she continued, 'Santa Claus visits a great
geyser in Wyoming, located in a place called
Yellowstone Park; while in Iceland and New
Zealand there are very beautiful geysers indeed,
the waters of which are hot enough to cook an
egg.'
"While the conversation continued, and the
Queen was instructing the children and showing
them why it was wise to learn their lessons well,
they came in sight of the spot where they first
landed upon the island.
"There was a loud commotion down on the
shore of the lake, and they were surprised to see
all the dolls climbing into their boat. Scarcely
had they stopped to view the wonderful and interesting
sight than the barque which had borne
// 177.png
them to the Island of Dreams appeared from a
near-by bay and was soon at the landing, awaiting
the commands of the Queen.
"The mermaids in charge of the doll-boat had
driven their dolphins a short distance from the
shore where they lay as if waiting for a race with
the Queen's barque. It was not long before the
two boats were resting on the lake side by side.
"Arthur expected every moment to see the waiting
dolphins leap forward in a wild effort to surpass
each other; but, as there seemed to be no
effort made to start them, he soon changed his
mind and sat looking upon the plump, round backs
of the dolphins as they lay motionless in the lake
before them.
"There was a sound of rushing wings high in
the air. Again the sky separated as before, and
the angels who first welcomed them to the Island
of Dreams came falling from the sky.
// 178.png
"In the barque of the dolls all was now quiet.
"There was a sudden outburst of celestial
music from a chime of rich-toned bells in the
heavens above, and as the angels hovered over the
boats, it was thus they sang a parting song:
.fs 85%
.nf b
"'Come again to the lake that is crimson and gold,
For the barques ever wait your command;
The mermaids are true and the dolphins are bold,
To pilot you safe to its strand.
Tell the children of earth that the Island of Mirth,
The one place where the sun ever gleams,
Like a story that's told that will never grow old,
Is the beautiful Island of Dreams.
The Island of Dreams, the Island of Dreams,
Ever gay is the Island of Dreams.
"'Come again to the lake that is crimson and gold,
Come again to our heavenly clime;
Though the ways of the world may be cruel and cold,
It is warm over here all the time.
// 179.png
When despairing and sad, with no heart to be glad,
And engulfed by the tears that you weep,
Bring your troubles a while to our magical isle,
And the Sand Man will rock them to sleep.
In the Island of Dreams, the Island of Dreams,
The Sand Man will rock them to sleep.'
.nf-
.fs 100%
.sp 2
"No sooner had the angels ceased their beautiful
song than they disappeared as quickly as they had
come, and there was nothing to be seen but the
unbroken arch of the deep blue sky.
"The dolphins shot forward across the lake and
bore the dolls away on their homeward journey.
As the barque containing the Queen and the children
passed leisurely along the shore, they could
plainly see the Sand Man, going home after his
daily toil with Mr. Sleepy Head stumbling and
staggering behind him.
"With a wave of their hands and a blessing
upon the wonderful Island of Dreams, the boat
// 180.png
turned out into the lake and moved rapidly toward
the high rock on the distant shore.
"Kimbo the Giant did not bother them to alight,
but placing the palm of his big hand down by the
side of the boat, he bade them stand upon it; then,
in a trice, he lifted all three to the top of the high
rock for a last, long look on the lake.
"The dolphins rolled playfully in the tide below.
The mermaids waved a bashful adieu; and then,
with a burst of speed, the barque swept like a
whirlwind across the lake and was soon lost to
sight.
"The ride on top of the Giant's head back to
the throne of the Queen was just as delightful as
their former trip through the land of Santa Claus,
for Kimbo tried in every possible manner to offer
them amusement.
"Now he would shout 'Hold tight!' as he
jumped over a tall hill. Then he would give them
// 181.png
some other warning, as he suddenly leaped from
the top of one hill to another, and sailed through
the air over the great valley below.
"It was thus he amused the Queen and the children
until, with one last mighty leap, he cleared
the tall factories of Santa Claus and Taffy River at
a single bound and landed them safely upon the
golden throne.
"By this time the children had become well
acquainted with the Giant, so much so that for
some time they stood talking with him. Little
Arthur thanked him for the kindness he had shown
to both himself and his sister, and as the Giant's
mouth opened for a merry laugh, they noticed that
his white snowy teeth resembled, in shape as well
as in size, the grave-stones that stood in the village
churchyard on the hill at Harpers Ferry. Nor
could they suppress their surprise as he raised his
enormous hand to bid them good-bye.
// 182.png
"It was so huge that little Maud could barely
clasp her two hands around its little finger. She
made a frantic effort to shake the hand up and
down, but there wasn't much shake about it.
With a merry smile, Kimbo backed away from the
throne, bowed low before his Queen, and, with one
mighty hop-skip-and-a-jump, he leaped high over
a tall mountain and was gone.
"'Come,' said the Queen, as she turned about
and placed her finger against a button on the side
of her golden chair, 'we will now have some refreshments
and then visit the Village of Hide and
Seek.'
"So now, while the Queen and the children are
waiting to refresh themselves, let us once again
send to the well, that we, likewise, may be refreshed
before we go with them into the beautiful
village."
With that the Vagabond drew a long breath, for
// 183.png
he had been talking rapidly; and, as he sank into
silence, the happy children gazed upon him with a
feeling of pride that had slowly grown from dread
to friendship and almost to love.
// 184.png
// 185.png
.pb
.sp 4
.h2 id=ch10
CHAPTER X | IN THE VILLAGE OF HIDE AND SEEK
.sp 2
A general burst of applause greeted the ears
of the story-teller as he ceased speaking and sank
into silence. All the boys now rose with merry
faces and surrounding the old oaken bucket,
journeyed together to the old well, while the little
girls sat gazing intently upon the stranger, as if
he were the greatest man in the whole world.
One little girl whispered to another little girl
that some day he might be President of the United
States, but the other little girl gave it as her
honest opinion that he should have been long ago.
Many of the others were now almost as much interested
in the man as in his wonderful story.
// 186.png
A little girl asked him if Harpers Ferry was
very far from there; while another wanted to know
if he could call around the next day for she was
anxious to introduce him to her father and mother,
who, she declared, would be more than delighted
to meet him.
The Vagabond's only answer to all was a good-natured
smile. When the water arrived, and it had
been passed around to the children, the Vagabond
helped himself to his heart's content, after which
he proceeded to tell the last of his story.
"The Queen did not have to wait long after
pressing the button, for it rang a bell that summoned
into her presence a finely liveried butler,
who, when he learned the wants of Her Royal
Highness, glided silently down the steps of the
throne. Presently two court attendants entered,
bearing a tray on which were a number of glasses
filled with a fluid referred to by the Queen as Nectar;
// 187.png
although, as Maud said, it was too good for
language to describe. Shortly after the refreshment
they started to visit the Village of Hide and
Seek.
"When they were part way down the steps some
little doll in the village spread the news of their
coming, and all the dolls, almost wild with joy,
dropped their playthings and flocked to meet
them.
"The Queen and the children followed a beautiful,
pebbly path that led through an orchard lying
to the north of the village, for they wanted to enter
upon the main street; and as they went slowly
along they passed beneath boughs laden almost to
breaking with ripe, mellow chocolate drops, while
the path was lined on either side with bushes where
great, rich, juicy clusters of gum drops hung, ready
to fall to the ground.
"They were soon joined by the romping dolls,
// 188.png
and together they walked down the main street to
the public square and paused in front of the
beautiful Temple of Music.
"Dolls with bright, rosy cheeks came running
as if almost wild to meet them. Some had azure
eyes and light golden hair: while others, with
dark piercing eyes and long raven locks might put
to blush the fairest picture ever drawn.
"They gathered around little Maud, and pulling
at the hem of her dress, begged to be taken into
her arms. At last she lifted a flaxen-haired beauty
from the ground, and with a sweet, satisfied smile
upon its face, it laid its head lovingly upon her
breast as it said in a contented half-whisper:
"'Please be my mamma, please be my mamma.'
"Then a thousand sweet doll-baby voices cried
out in chorus:
"'No, she shall be my mamma. She shall be
my mamma.'
// 189.png
"And they raised such a hue and cry and scrambled
so to get hold of her dress, that in order not to
be partial, she had to let the little beauty down
again on to the ground.
"Amid the wild excitement of the dolls, Arthur
was not alone. He stood to one side watching a
little doll that was lying under a tree and talking
with some other little dolls standing near
by.
"Its eyelids were wide-open, yet its eyes had an
unnatural expression. For a long time he regarded
her pityingly when he saw that the doll
was blind. A strange manly-looking doll walked
up to him, and, peering into his face, exclaimed:
"'Seeing you are a stranger, sir, in the village
of Hide and Seek, and noting your apparent
sympathy for the blind doll lying yonder under
the tree, allow me to tell you the life story of her
who has so touched your emotions. Arthur bowed
// 190.png
politely and expressed a desire to hear what the
strange doll might have to say. The little fellow
continued:
"'Perhaps you have noticed by my long hair
and studious demeanor that I am both a gentleman
and a scholar; and right here let me say, I am the
Village Poet. I can converse much more easily
in verse than in prose; so if you will kindly listen
to me for a moment, I will relate a little circumstance
which occurred some time ago, and will tell
you the plain, unvarnished truth about the blind
doll.'
.if h
.il id=illus191 fn=illus191.jpg w=500px
.ca
"Perhaps you have noticed by my long hair and studious demeanor \
that I am both a gentleman and a scholar."
.ca-
.if-
.if t
.sp 2
Illustration: "Perhaps you have noticed by my long hair and studious demeanor \
that I am both a gentleman and a scholar."
.sp 2
.if-
"Resting for a moment, for he did not appear to
be very strong, he breathed a long sigh as he
began:
.fs 85%
.nf b
"'Once on a time a Baboon came across yon mountain crown.
He sailed down in a big balloon and landed near the town;
And seeing, as he walked along, this blind doll lying near,
He paused to say a kindly word, or shed a gentle tear.
// 191.png
// 192.png
// 193.png
"'Why is it, little doll?' he asked, 'you lie here all the day,
Instead of romping on the green, like other dolls at play?
And why avoid the jolly crowd, pray tell me if you will,
Is it that you thus like to be, or is it you are ill?'
"'Oh, sir,' the little doll replied, 'you're surely more than kind,
But look at me and you will see that I, alas, am blind;
And thus all day I keep away, nor venture near the throng,
For not a friend a hand will lend to guide my feet along.'
"'The Baboon picked the blind doll up and stared with all his might.
'Pray, tell me Dolly,' he inquired, 'how did you lose your sight?'
'Alas, kind sir, my sightless eyes, I strained them in a fog,
A-looking for a Christmas gift from Mother Hubbard's dog.'
"'Then up spoke Simple Simon, and with utterance unkind
He cried, 'This doll who falsifies is lazy and not blind.
I'll prove my words,' but ere he could, to everyone's surprise,
The Baboon pulled his anchor up and sailed off through the skies.
// 194.png
"'Poor Simple Simon, he was right. This doll is only blind
When lying flat upon its back, or partly so inclined;
But if you make it sit up straight, you'll find his words are true,
For then the sleepy-headed Doll can see as well as you.'
.nf-
.fs 100%
.sp 2
"Little Arthur walked over to the doll and lifted
it into a sitting position. It opened its eyes at
once and looked squarely into his own. Uttering
a word of surprise to his poet friend, they walked
away from the blind doll together and passed down
the street.
"When they had nearly crossed the square, the
Poet Doll bade him 'Good day' and entered a house
on the corner which Arthur concluded to be the
Poet's home. He found himself standing near a
curious, round-faced boy-doll, who was looking on
the gathering in silence. His head was so close
shaven that he was almost bald, except for a long
queue extending far down his back like a pig-tail,
// 195.png
while his little black almond-shaped eyes sat well
aslant on his head.
"Arthur thought he would speak first; and,
turning to the little fellow, he said:
"'Excuse me, my little man, this is a most
lovely village. Do you live here?'
"There was a moment's pause and a look of
bashfulness upon the boy-doll's face, as, with a
courteous bow and the politeness of a prince, it said
in reply:
"'I humbly beg your honorable pardon, sir, but,
as my education in foreign languages was sadly
neglected, I most heartily deplore the deficiency
and am quite sorry to inform you that I do not
speak your honorable language as I understand
nothing but Chinese.'
"Arthur, seeing his mistake, retired with a most
polite bow and went over to another little doll that
spoke English.
// 196.png
"'Come,' exclaimed this new found acquaintance
in a quite familiar manner, 'let us play a
game of hide and seek. I know a dandy place to
hide.'
"'All right, sir,' said Arthur, joyfully; 'but
first let me tell my sister about it for she dearly
loves to play.'
And the two walked hand in hand to where
Maud stood surrounded by a multitude of little
dolls.
"As Arthur watched and listened, waiting to
get an audience with his sister, he overheard one
little doll say to her:
"'When did you come here?'
"'To-day,' replied Maud, then added, 'but if I
had only known the way, I would have been here
long ago. I am so sorry that I must soon leave.'
"'Where are you going?' another doll shyly
inquired.
// 197.png
"'Going home,' replied Maud, with a deep sigh.
"All the little beauties looked up into her face
as if greatly bewildered.
"'What does she mean?' asked one of the dolls
of her companions. 'What is home?' And it
arose on tip-toes to look into her face.
"'My home,' replied little Maud, 'is down in
Harpers Ferry on the Shenandoah River.'
"'River!' a doll repeated. 'Harpers Ferry!'
And it turned a bewildered look upon the rest of
the assembled dolls standing in questioning silence
before her.
"Maud soon realized that the dolls failed to
understand her, and, wishing to make herself understood,
she gazed wistfully over the gathering of
bright faces, as she said:
"'I live in one of the most beautiful places in
the world.'
"Before she could finish what she wished to say,
// 198.png
however, one little doll way back in the multitude
spoke up, saying:
"'World, did she say? Why, I have often heard
Santa Claus speak of that place.'
"All the dolls turned their attention from Maud
to the little speaker. They assisted their little
companion up on to the bottom of an inverted tin
sand pail that she might be seen as well as heard;
when with a bashful bow, she said:
"'The world, playmates, is the place where
mothers die and leave their little children all alone.'
"With a leap from the sand pail, the little
speaker disappeared in the assemblage of dolls.
Instantly all turned to Maud with an inquiring
look. There was an expression of doubt upon
their little faces and they were now more than
anxious for her to speak.
"'Yes,' she replied, 'alas! That is only too true.'
"And she breathed a sorrowful sigh as she
// 199.png
thought of her mamma who had been dead for two
long years, and of how she had nestled close in her
loving arms waiting for Santa Claus to come, only
three nights before she passed away.
"She glanced into the sad face of her orphan
brother standing near, and down in her little heart
there came a sad longing for the sound of that
sweet mother's gentle voice, with its tender words
of love and nightly prayer.
"Again the happy days, now gone forever, came
back to her childish memory; and the soft song of
her mother stole into her soul with a charming
lullaby. Again she felt the warm, fervent kiss on
her cheek, as in fancy she heard her mother whisper
a last 'Good night.'
"A sob burst from her sweet lips. A tear rose
to her eye and stood trembling upon the long
black lashes. Another followed and crowded it
from its place to the ground.
// 200.png
"The Queen drew back horror-struck, for the
Heaven-forbidden drop of water had at last fallen
upon Beauty Valley.
"A sudden chorus of wild screams rent the air.
There was a terrible shock, an upheaval, as if from
an earthquake. The very ground trembled as if
in a fit of convulsions. Sharp, darting pains struck
the children mercilessly down into a state of insensibility.
All then grew silent as death and
pitch dark.
"In a few moments the shrill whistle of a train
resounded through the Shenandoah Valley, as it
dashed out of the tunnel in the mountain and
on over the great steel bridge into Harpers
Ferry.
"Little Maud, wakened by the echoing tumult,
gazed in a bewildered manner about her. There
lay her brother asleep upon the green mound,
under the same tree where they had first met
// 201.png
'Aunt Twaddles.' She placed her hand tenderly
upon him, and he awoke with a sudden start.
"'Oh, Maudie!' he exclaimed, 'what happened
that it grew dark so suddenly?'
"The boy half arose as he received only a sob
in reply, and you can well imagine his surprise as
he gazed about; for there at his side lay a huge
pile of freshly picked pennyroyal on the very top
of which was a snow-white card. The card was
most beautifully embossed with a picture of the
Village of Hide and Seek, and, in the handwriting
of 'Aunt Twaddles,' it bore the following inscription:
.sp 2
.fs 85%
.nf b
"To my darling Children:
Remember always that, as you saw a tear
destroy a realm of joy, so can a spirit of discontent destroy a life of
useful happiness.
Yours very lovingly,
'Twaddles, the Queen of the Dolls.'
.nf-
.fs 100%
.sp 2
// 202.png
"'Oh, Arthur!' exclaimed Maud, 'hurry and
don't think of it any more.'
"And the two children gathered up as much of
the pennyroyal as each could possibly carry and
hurried across the long foot-bridge into the village.
"Men, women and children ran to greet them
with tears of joy in their eyes. With strong arms
they bore them and their pennyroyal into the Inn,
where the stern, scolding, old inn-keeper stood
ready to whip them, but the sight of the pennyroyal
caused him to relent.
"On the afternoon of the following day, Arthur
and his little sister were seated all alone on the
bank of the Shenandoah, looking far across upon
the steep path that led straight up the face of the
mountain. Their little elbows were planted firmly
upon their knees, their chins sunk deeply into the
palms of their wide-open hands. For a long time
they sat motionless, thinking no doubt of their
// 203.png
wonderful journey. Little Arthur finally broke
the silence.
"'Maud!' he exclaimed, in a tone deeply
touched with emotion.
"'What is it, Arthur?' she replied, with a sob.
"'Maud,' he repeated, 'I was just wishing that
that big mountain over yonder, right under Taffy
River, would spring a leak.'
"For a long time they sat weeping and thinking
of it; nor is there any doubt that they wept over
it until far into the night, when they fell asleep
and forgot about it.
"This then is the story, my children, of the
strange path on the side of the mountain that lies
like a scar on the face of the cliff; and many are
the old settlers thereabout who will vouch for the
truth of my tale.
"It is needless to prove true what is true; still
if there is any feeling of doubt in your hearts, just
// 204.png
stand on the banks of the fair Shenandoah almost
any warm morning in springtime, and no doubt
you will see 'Aunt Twaddles' slowly ascending the
path with her big bag of herbs.
"But if you should happen to miss her, and still
want some proof of these facts, just keep a close
watch on the strangers who step from the trains
when they stop at the little stone station. If you
see them wiping their eyes with a handkerchief
and gazing about on the surrounding mountains,
you may be sure they have once eaten some of
'Aunt Twaddles' candy and are wiping the tears
from their eyes and crying like children for more.
"At the same time you will see them looking
about on the cliffs, and searching for the steep
path that leads up to the Village of Hide and Seek,
quite firmly resolved at some future day to return
and go up with 'Aunt Twaddles.' But for the
present, (poor things), their only hope is to go
// 205.png
back into the cars and cry until they forget about
it.
"There are many more wonderful things I might
tell you of the Village of Hide and Seek, and
likewise to the everlasting glory of 'Aunt Twaddles''
candy as well, but the very thought of it
makes me feel sad; for now as I talk, I feel tears
coming to my eyes and find I must either talk on
and cry on, or quit talking and forget about it.
"Excuse me, dear children, won't you, while I
weep?"
As the Vagabond ceased speaking the tears
flowed down his cheeks in a perfect torrent; and
although the children were delighted with his
story, they too wept in sympathy with him. The
very loudest of all was the dear little tot who had
occupied the place of honor on his knee.
While the group of children sat weeping in
sympathy under the tree, the Vagabond arose.
// 206.png
Bidding them all farewell, he placed his old, worn-out
hat on his head, shouldered his crooked staff,
waved a parting blessing toward the well on the
lawn, and still weeping, passed out of sight along
the dusty highway.
.sp 4
.ce
THE END.
.pb
.sp 4
.ul
.it Transcriber's Notes:
.ul indent=1
.it Punctuation has been standardized.
.it For illustrations which had no caption in the book, \
a descriptive phrase was added. \
For example: [Illustration: Decoration]
.it Unbalanced quotation marks were left as the author intended.
.it Typographical errors were silently corrected.
.it Spelling and hyphenation were made consistent \
when a predominant form was found in this book.
.ul-
.ul-