ELIZABETH • ROBERTS MACDONALD
THE LIBRARY OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF
NORTH CAROLINA
AT CHAPEL HILL
PRESENTED BY
Elizabeth Preston Ward
in memory of
Jean Versfelt Preston
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"WATTTlDor
UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL
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Our Little Canadian Cousin
THE
Little Cousin Series
(trade mark)
Each volume illustrated with six or more full-page plates in
tint. Cloth, i2mo, with decorative cover,
per volume, 60 cents
LIST OF TITLES
By Mary Hazelton Wade
(unless otherwise indicated)
Our Little African Cousin
Our Little Alaskan Cousin
By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet
Our Little Arabian Cousin
By Blanche McManus
Our Little Armenian Cousin
By Constance F. Curie wis
Our Little Australian Cousin
Our Little Brazilian Cousin
By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet
Our Little Brown Cousin
Our Little Canadian Cousin
By Elizabeth R. MacDonald
Our Little Chinese Cousin
By Isaac Taylor Headland
Our Little Cuban Cousin
Our Little Dutch Cousin
By Blanche McManus
Our Little Egyptian Cousin
By Blanche McManus
Our Little English Cousin
By Blanche McManus
Our Little Eskimo Cousin
Our Little French Cousin
By Blanche McManus
Our Little German Cousin
Our Little Greek Cousin
By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet
Our Little Hawaiian Cousin
Our Little Hindu Cousin
By Blanche McManus
Our Little Indian Cousin
Our Little Irish Cousin
Our Little Italian Cousin
Our Little Japanese Cousin
Our Little Jewish Cousin
Our Little Korean Cousin
By H. Lee M. Pike
Our Little Mexican Cousin
By Edward C. Butler
Our Little Norwegian Cousin
Our Little Panama Cousin
By H. Lee M. Pike
Our Little Philippine Cousin
Our Little Porto Rican Cousin
Our Little Russian Cousin
Our Little Scotch Cousin
By Blanche McManus
Our Little Siamese Cousin
Our Little Spanish Cousin
By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet
Our Little Swedish Cousin
By Claire M. Cobum
Our Little Swiss Cousin
Our Little Turkish Cousin
L. C. PAGE & COMPANY
New England Building, Boston, Mass.
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2012 with funding from
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
http://www.archive.org/details/ourlittlecanadiaOOmacd
" TWO CHILDREN SAT ON THE GRASS UNDER THE LILACS
(See page s)
| Our Little f
I Canadian Cousin I
* By %
ij* Elizabeth Roberts MacDonald *&
* *
& Illustrated by g*
4* L. J. Bridgman 4
* *
* *
4^ Boston ^
X L. C. Page & Company JT
4* Publishers ^
^^4 4** 4* 4^ 4^ 4* 4* 4* 4^4* 4^
Copyright, igo4
By L. C. Page & Company
(incorporated)
All rights reserved
Published July, 1904
Fifth Impression, June, 1908
Preface
In " Our Little Canadian Cousin," my
intention has been to tell, in a general way,
although with a defined local setting, the story
of Canadian home life. To Canadians, home
life means not merely sitting at a huge fire-
place, or brewing and baking in a wide country
kitchen, or dancing of an evening, or teaching,
or sewing ; but it means the great outdoor life
— sleighing, skating, snow-shoeing, hunting,
canoeing, and, above all, " camping out " —
the joys that belong to a vast, uncrowded
country, where there is " room to play."
This wide and beautiful Canadian Dominion
possesses, of course, a great variety of climate
and of scenery. To treat at all adequately of
those things, or of the country's picturesque
and romantic history, would require far more
scope than is afforded by this one small story.
List of Illustrations
PAGE
" TWO CHILDREN SAT ON THE GRASS UNDER THE
lilacs " {See page 2) . . . . Frontispiece
Fredericton 22
In the Government House Grounds . . .28
" The tree-clad shores wore a fairy glamour " 47
" A great bonfire was built " . . . .64
" Nothing, Dora thought, could be more beau-
tiful THAN THOSE WOODS IN WINTER " . . 99
Our Little Canadian Cousin
CHAPTER I.
It was the very first day of the loveliest
month in the year. I suppose every month
has its defenders, or, at least, its apologists, but
June — June in Canada — has surely no need
of either. And this particular morning was of
the best and brightest. The garden at the
back of Mr. Merrithew's house was sweet with
the scent of newly blossomed lilacs, and the
freshness of young grass. The light green of
the elms was as yet undimmed by the dust
of summer, and the air was like the elixir of
life.
2 Our Little Canadian Cousin
Two children sat on the grass under the
lilacs, making dandelion chains and talking
happily.
Jack, a little fair-haired boy of six, was noted
for his queer speeches and quaint ideas. His
sister Marjorie was just twice his age, but
they were closest chums, and delighted in
building all sorts of air-castles together. This
afternoon, when she had finished a chain of
marvellous length, she leant back against the
lilac-trees and said, with a sigh of happiness :
" Now, Jack, let's make plans ! "
" All right," Jack answered, solemnly.
" Let's plan about going to Quebec next
winter."
" Oh, Jackie ! Don't let's plan about
winter on the first day of June ! There's all
the lovely, lovely summer to talk about, — and
I know two fine things that are going to
happen."
" All right ! " said Jackie again. It was his
Our Little Canadian Cousin 3
favourite expression. " I know one of them ;
Daddy told me this morning. It's about
Cousin Dora coming to stay with us."
"Yes — isn't it good? She's coming for a
whole year, while uncle and aunt go out to
British Columbia, — to make him well, you
know."
" I wish she was a little boy," said Jackie,
thoughtfully. " But if she's like you, she'll
be all right, Margie. What's the other nice
thing you know?"
"Oh, you must try to guess, dear! Come
up in the summer-house ; it's so cosy there,
and I'll give you three guesses. It's some-
thing that will happen in July or August,
and we are all in it, father and mother and you
and Cousin Dora, and a few other people."
They strolled up to the vine-covered sum-
mer-house, and settled down on its broad seat,
while Jack cudgelled his brains for an idea as
to a possible good time.
4 Our Little Canadian Cousin
" Is it a picnic ? " he asked at last.
Marjorie laughed.
" Oh, ever so much better than that," she
cried.
" Try again."
" Is it — is it — a visit to the seaside ? "
" No ; even better than that."
" Is it a pony to take us all driving? "
" No, no. That's your last guess. Shall I
tell you ? "
" Ah, yes, please do ! "
" Well, — mother says, if we do well at
school till the holidays, and everything turns
out right, she and father — will — take us
camping ! "
" Camping ? Camping out ? Really in
tents? Oh, good, good!"
And Jackie, the solemn, was moved to the
extent of executing a little dance of glee on
the garden path.
" Camping out " is a favourite way of spend-
Our Little Canadian Cousin 5
ing the summer holiday-time among Cana-
dians. Many, being luxurious in their tastes,
build tiny houses and call them camps, but
the true and only genuine " camping " is done
under canvas, and its devotees care not for
other kinds.
As our little New Brunswickers were talk-
ing of all its possible joys, a sweet voice called
them from the door of the big brick house.
" Marjorie ! Jack ! Do you want to come
for a walk with mother ? "
There was no hesitation in answering this
invitation. The children rushed pell-mell
down the garden path, endangering the sway-
ing buds of the long-stemmed lilies on either
side.
Mrs. Merrithew stood waiting for them, a
tall, plump lady in gray, with quantities of
beautiful brown hair. She carried a small
basket and trowel, at sight of which the
children clapped their hands.
6 Our Little Canadian Cousin
"Are we going to the woods, mother?"
Marjorie cried, and " May I take my cart
and my spade ? " asked Jackie.
" Yes, dearies," Mrs. Merrithew answered.
" We have three hours before tea-time, and
Saturday wouldn't be much of a holiday with-
out the woods. Put on your big hats, and
Jack can bring his cart and spade, and Mar-
jorie can carry the cookies."
" Oh, please let me haul the cookies in my
cart," said Jack. " Gentlemen shouldn't let
ladies carry things, father says, — but Margie,
you may carry the spade if you want some-
thing in your hands very much ! "
"All right, boy," laughed Marjorie. "I
certainly do like something in my hands, and
a spade will look much more ladylike than a
cooky-bag ! "
The big brick house from which Mrs.
Merrithew and the children set out on their
walk stood on one of the back streets of a
Our Little Canadian Cousin 7
little New Brunswick city, — a very small but
beautiful city, built on a wooded point that
juts out into the bright waters of the St. John
River. Of this river the little Canadian
Cousins are justly proud, for, from its source
in the wilds of Quebec to its outlet on the
Bay of Fundy, it is indeed " a thing of
beauty and a joy for ever.''
Our little party soon left the streets, went
through a wide green space covered with
venerable maples, crossed a tiny stream and a
railway track, and entered the woods that
almost covered the low hill behind the town.
Though it was really but one hill, the various
roads that subdivided it gave it various names,
some derived from the settlements they led to,
and some from buildings on the way. It was
through the woods of " College Hill " that
Marjorie and Jack and their mother wandered.
Being all good walkers, they were soon back
of the fine old college, which stands looking
8 Our Little Canadian Cousin
gravely out over the tree-embowered town to
the broad blue river.
When the delicious green and amber
shadows of the woods were reached, little
Jack at once began to search for fairies.
Marjorie contented herself with looking for
wild flowers, and Mrs. Merrithew sought for
ferns young enough to transplant to her
garden.
" I am afraid I have left it rather late," she
said at last. " They are all rather too well-
grown to stand moving. But I will try a few
of the smallest. What luck have my chicks
had ? Any fairies, Jackie ? "
Jackie lifted a flushed face from its inspec-
tion of a tiny hole in the trunk of a fir-tree.
" No fairies yet> mother ; but I think one
lives in here, only she won't come out while I
am watching."
Mrs. Merrithew smiled sympathetically.
She heartily agreed with the writer (though
Our Little Canadian Cousin 9
she could not remember who it was) who said :
" I always expect to find something wonderful,
unheard-of, in a wood."
" In olden days/' she said, " people believed
that there were beautiful wood-spirits, called
dryads, who had their homes in trees. They
were larger than most fairies, and yet they were
a kind of fairy."
" Please tell more about them, mother,"
said Marjorie, coming up with her hands full
of yellow, speckled adder's-tongue.
" I know very little more, I am sorry to
say," their mother answered, laughing. " Like
Jackie with his fairies, I have always hoped to
see one, but never have as yet."
"Are they good things ? " Jackie asked, " or
would they frighten little boys ? "
" Oh, my dear, they were always said to be
kind and beautiful, and rather timid, more apt
to be frightened themselves than to frighten
any one else. But remember, dears, mother
io Our Little Canadian Cousin
did not say there were such things, but only
that people used to think so."
" Please tell us a story about one, mother,"
Jack pleaded.
But Mrs. Merrithew shook her head.
" We will keep the story for some other
time," she said. " Let us have a cooky now,
and a little rest, before we go home."
This proposal was readily agreed to. They
chose a comfortable spot where a little group
of white birches gave them backs on which to
lean, opened the precious bag, and were soon
well occupied with its crisp and toothsome
contents. Mrs. Merrithew, knowing well that
little folk are generally troubled with a won-
derful thirst, had also brought a cup and a
bottle of lemonade. How doubly delicious
things tasted in the clear, spicy air of the
woods !
By the time Jack had disposed of his sixth
cooky he felt ready for conversation,
Our Little Canadian Cousin 1 1
" Mother," he said, " I wish you would tell
us all about Dora."
" All about Dora, dearie ? That would take
a long time, I expect. But it would not take
long to tell you all that I know about her. I
have only seen her twice, and on one of those
occasions she was a baby a month old, and the
next time only two years, — and as she is now,
I do not know her at all."
"But — oh, you know, mother — tell us
about her father and mother, and her home,
and everything like that. It makes her more
interesting," urged Marjorie.
Mrs. Merrithew saw that she was to be
beguiled into a story in any case, so she smiled
and resigned herself to her fate.
" Well, my dears, I know a great many
things about Dora's father, for he is my only
brother, and we were together almost con-
stantly until we were both grown up. Then
your Uncle Archie, who had studied electrical
12 Our Little Canadian Cousin
engineering, went up to Montreal, and there
secured a good position. He had only been
there a short time when he met a very charm-
ing young lady " (" This sounds quite like a
book-story," Marjorie here interposed) " by
whom he was greatly attracted. She was
partly French, her mother having been a lady
of old French family. But her father was an
English officer, of the strongest English feel-
ings, so this charming young lady (whose
name was Denise Allingham) combined the
characteristics — at least all the best character-
istics — of both races. Do you know what
that means, Jackie ? "
Jack nodded, thoughtfully.
" I think so, mother. I think it means that
she — that young lady — had all the nicenesses
of the French and all the goodnesses of the
English."
" That is just it, my dear, and a very deli-
cate distinction, too," cried his mother, clap-
Our Little Canadian Cousin 13
ping her hands in approval, while Jackie
beamed with delight.
" Well, to continue : Miss Denise Ailing-
ham, when your Uncle Archie met her, was an
orphan, and not well off. She was teaching
in an English family, and not, I think, very
happy in her work. She and your uncle had
only known each other about a year when they
were married. "
" And lived happily ever after ? " Mar-
jorie asked.
Mrs. Merrithew considered a moment, then :
" Yes, I am sure I can say so/' she answered.
cc They have had some business troubles, and
a good deal of sickness, but still they have
been happy through it all. And they have
one dear little daughter, whom they love
devotedly, and who is named ' Dora Denise,'
after her mother and — who else ? "
" You, mother, you," both children ex-
claimed.
14 Our Little Canadian Cousin
" The chief trouble this happy trio has had,"
Mrs. Merrithew continued, " has been the
delicate health of your uncle. For the last
four years he has not been strong. Twice
they have all three gone away for his health,
and now the doctors have ordered him to try
the delightful climate of British Columbia, and
to spend at least a year there if it agrees with
him. He needs all his wife's attention this
time, and that, my dears, is why little Dora
Denise Carman is coming to spend a year with
her New Brunswick relations.
" And now, chicks, look at that slanting,
golden light through the trees. That means
tea-time, and homeward-bound ! "
CHAPTER II.
It was a tired and homesick little girl that
Mr. Merrithew helped out of the coach and
led up the steps of his house, about a fortnight
after our story opens. The journey from
Montreal had been long and lonely, the part-
ing from her parents hard, and the thought of
meeting the unknown relatives had weighed
upon her mind and helped to make her
unusually subdued. But when the door of
the Big Brick House (which had been named
by the neighbours when it was the only brick
house on the street, and the largest one in
town) opened, and her aunt's motherly arms
closed around her, while Marjorie's rosy,
laughing face and Jackie's fair, cherubic one
*5
16 Our Little Canadian Cousin
beamed on her in greeting, her spirits began to
revive. The greeting was so warm and kind,
and the joy at her coming so genuine, that her
fatigue seemed turned, as by magic, to a pleas-
ant restfulness, and her homesickness was lost
in this bright home atmosphere.
Mrs. Merrithew took the little newcomer to
her room, had her trunks settled conveniently,
and then left her to prepare for the late tea
which was waiting for them all. When Dora
was ready, she sat down in the little armchair
that stood near a table piled with books, and
looked about her contentedly.
There was an air of solid comfort and cosi-
ness about this house that rested her. This
room — which her aunt had told her was just
opposite Marjorie's — was all furnished in the
softest shades of brown and blue, her favourite
colours. The carpet was brown, with a very
small spray of blue here and there ; the wall-
paper was lighter, almost creamy, brown, with
Our Little Canadian Cousin 17
a dainty harebell pattern, and the curtains had
a rich brown background with various Persian
stripes, in which blue and cream and gold
predominated. The bed, to her great delight,
had a top-piece, and a canopy of blue-flowered
chintz, and the little dressing-table was draped
to match it. Just over the side of the bed was
a book-shelf, quite empty, waiting for her
favourite books. While she sat and looked
about in admiration, the door was pushed
gently open, and a plump maltese kitten came
in, gazed at her doubtfully a moment, and
then climbed on her lap. Then Marjorie's
bright face appeared at the door, and, " May I
come in ? " she asked.
" Oh, please do," Dora cried. fC Kitty has
made friends with me already, and I think that
must be a good omen."
Marjorie laughed, as she patted the little
bunch of blue-gray fur in Dora's lap.
" Jackie has made friends with you already,"
1 8 Our Little Canadian Cousin
she said, "and I think that is a better omen
still. He told mother he thought you were
' the beautifulest girl he ever saw.' "
Dora's eyes opened wide with astonishment.
" It is the first time I ever was called beauti-
ful," she said, " let alone c beautifulest.' What
a dear boy Jack must be."
Then they both laughed, and Marjorie, obey-
ing one of her sudden impulses, threw her
arms around Dora's neck and gave her a
cousinly hug. " You and I will be friends,
too," she said. " I knew it as soon as I
looked at you."
Dora's dark brown eyes looked gravely into
Marjorie's blue ones. She seemed to be tak-
ing the proposition very seriously.
" I have always wished for a real friend, or a
twin sister," she said, thoughtfully. " The twin
sister is an impossibility, and I have never
before seen a girl that I wanted for a great,
great friend. But you, — ah, yes ! You are
Our Little Canadian Cousin 19
like my father, and besides, we are cousins, and
that makes us understand each other. Let us
be friends."
She held out her hand with a little gesture
which reminded Marjorie that this pale, dark-
haired cousin was the descendant of many
French grandes dames. She clasped the slender
hand with her own plump fingers, and shook
it heartily. So, in girlish romance and sudden
resolution, the little maids sealed a compact
which was never broken, and began a friendship
which lasted and grew in beauty and strength
all through their lives.
At the breakfast-table the next morning
there was a merry discussion as to what should
be done first to amuse Dora. Jackie, who had
invited her to sit beside him and beamed at her
approvingly over his porridge and cream, sug-
gested a walk to his favourite candy-store and
the purchase of some sticks of " pure choco-
late." Marjorie proposed a picnic at Old
20 Our Little Canadian Cousin
Government House. This was approved of,
but postponed for a day or two to allow for
preparations and invitations. Mr. Merrithew
said " Let us go shooting bears," but even
Jackie did not second this astounding proposi-
tion. As usual, it was " mother " who offered
the most feasible plan.
" Suppose, this morning/' she said, " you
just help Dora unpack, and make her thor-
oughly at home in the house and garden ; then
this afternoon perhaps your father will take
you for a walk, and show Dora the house where
Mrs. Ewing lived, and any other interesting
places. That would do for to-day, wouldn't
it ? Then, day after to-morrow we could have
the picnic ; and for the next week I have a
magnificent idea, but I want to talk it over
with your father," and she nodded and smiled
at that gentleman in a way which made him
almost as curious as the children.
" That's the way with mother," Marjorie
Our Little Canadian Cousin 21
said to Dora after breakfast. " She never ends
things up. There is always another lovely plan
just ahead, no matter how many you know
about already."
And Mr. Merrithew, who overheard the
remark, thought that perhaps this was part of
the secret of his wife's unfailing youthfulness
both in looks and spirits.
The walk that afternoon was one which
Dora always remembered. Mr. Merrithew
had, as Jackie said, " the splendidest way of
splaining things," and found something of
interest to relate about almost every street
of the little city. They went through the
beautiful cathedral, and he told them how it
had been built through the earnest efforts of
the well-known and venerated Bishop Medley,
who was afterward Metropolitan of Canada.
Then they wandered down the street along the
river, and saw the double house where Mrs.
Ewing (whose stories are loved as much in the
22 Our Little Canadian Cousin
United States and in Canada as they are in
England) lived for a time, and where she
wrote.
She had called this house " Rika Dom,"
which means " River House/' and had written
in many of her letters of the beautiful river on
which it looked, and the gnarled old willows
on the bank just in front of her windows.
These willows she had often sketched, and
Dora carried away a spray of the pale gray-
green leaves, in memory of her favourite story-
writer. It was one of Dora's ambitions, kept
secret hitherto, but now confided to Marjorie,
to write stories " something like Mrs. E wing's."
They saw, too, the picturesque cottage in
which a certain quaint old lady had attained
to the ripe age of a hundred and six years, —
a record of which Fredericton was justly
proud. This venerable dame had been ad-
dicted to the unlimited eating of apples, and her
motto — she was not a grammatical old lady !
FREDEKICTON
Our Little Canadian Cousin 23
— had been (according to tradition), "Apples
never hurts nobody/'
They spent some time in the Legislative
Library, where was enshrined a treasure in the
shape of a magnificent copy of Audubon's
Books of Birds. Then in the Departmental
Buildings, near by, there was a small but well-ar-
ranged museum of stuffed birds and beasts, all
Canadian, and most of them from New Bruns-
wick. There were other things, too, to see,
and many anecdotes to hear, so that it was a
somewhat tired, though happy and hungry
party which trudged home just in time for tea.
And such a tea, suited to hearty outdoor
appetites born of the good Canadian air !
There were fresh eggs, made into a white and
golden omelette by Mrs. Merrithew's own
hands ; for even Debby, who had cooked for
the family all their lives, owned that an omelette
like Mrs. Merrithew's she could not manage, —
" No, $zr } not if I was to cook day and night."
24 Our Little Canadian Cousin
There was golden honey in the comb ; there
was johnny-cake, hot and yellow and melting
in your mouth ; strawberry jam that tasted
almost as good as the fresh fruit itself; ginger-
cake, dark and rich and spicy ; milk that was
almost cream for the children, and steaming
fragrant coffee for their elders.
"It is rather nice to get good and hungry"
Jackie gravely observed, — " that is, if you
have plenty in the house to eat. I think life
would be very dull without meals."
These philosophical remarks rather aston-
ished Dora, who was not yet accustomed to
the contrast between Jack's sage reflections and
his tender years. Just now they seemed es-
pecially funny, because he was almost falling
asleep while he talked. When Mrs. Merrithew
saw him nodding, she rang, and the nurse —
who, like Debby, was a family institution —
came in and carried him off in her stalwart
arms, to his little white bed. When his
Our Little Canadian Cousin 25
mother stole up a little later to give him a final
good-night kiss, she heard Susan singing and
paused at the door to listen. " Now the day
is over " was ended, and then a drowsy voice
murmured :
" Now, Susan, my very favourite song ! "
And then Susan sang, in her soft, crooning
voice " The maple-leaf, the maple-leaf, the
maple-leaf for ever ! "
CHAPTER III.
The day of the picnic was hot, very hot, for
June, but that did not discourage the younger
picnickers at all.
"It will be pretty warm on the river," Mr.
Merrithew remarked, tentatively, as they sat at
dinner. The dining-room windows were open,
and the soft air, sweet with the scent of lilacs,
blew the white curtains into the room with lazy
puffs.
"It will be so lovely when we get to Gov-
ernment House, though," Marjorie cried.
" There is always a breeze up there, father, and
there are plenty of trees, and three summer-
houses, and that big veranda. Oh, I think
it will be perfect."
26
Our Little Canadian Cousin 27
" Yes, Daddy, I do, too ! I think it will be
gorlious ! " said Jackie.
When, after much hurrying about, telephon-
ing to tardy members of the party, and good-
natured discussion as to the arrangement of the
canoe-loads, they were at last afloat on the blue,
shining river, they all agreed with Jack. Dora
was charmed with the slender Milicete canoes.
She had seen chiefly canvas and wooden ones.
Her father, indeed, had owned a bark canoe,
but it was of much heavier and broader build
than these slim beauties, that glided through
the water like fairy craft, impelled this way or
that by the slightest turn of the steersman's
wrist.
They landed just back of Government
House, the grounds of which sloped down to
the water. The house is a long, stone build-
ing, with a broad veranda at the back, and in
front nearly covered with Virginia creeper. At
the time of the picnic it was empty, and in
28 Our Little Canadian Cousin
charge of a caretaker, who lived in a small
cottage on the grounds. When a suitable spot
had been chosen for tea, and the baskets piled
close by, Mrs. Merrithew proposed an excur-
sion through the house, and Mr. Merrithew
went with Jackie to procure the key. When
he returned, they all trooped merrily up the
front steps, and soon were dispersed through
the great echoing halls and lofty rooms. Most
of the grown people of the party had danced
here at many a stately ball, for in those days
Government House had been kept up in the
good old-fashioned way. Marjorie and Jack
delighted in hearing their mother tell of her
" coming out " at one of these balls, and how
she had been so proud of her first train that
she had danced without holding it up, which
must have been trying for her partners. Dora
was greatly interested in seeing the room where
King Edward, then the slim young Prince of
Wales, had slept, on the occasion of his visit
IN THE GOVERNMENT HOUSE GROUNDS
Our Little Canadian Cousin 29
to Fredericton. When the furniture of Gov-
ernment House was auctioned, a few years be-
fore our story opens, the pieces from this
room, which should have been kept together
as of historic interest, were scattered about
among various private purchasers. Mrs.
Merrithew described them to Dora, who
wished she could have seen the great bed, so
wide that it was almost square, with its canopy
and drapings of rich crimson, and its gilt
" Prince of Wales feathers," and heavy gold
cords and tassels.
When they came out of the dim, cool house
into the warm air, the elders looked appre-
hensively at the heavy black clouds which had
gathered in the west.
" That looks ominous," one of the gentle-
men said. " There will certainly be thunder
before night."
Thunder ! That was Marjorie's horror !
Her round, rosy face grew pale, and she clung
30 Our Little Canadian Cousin
tightly to her mother's arm. The men and
matrons held a hurried consultation, and de-
cided that the storm was probably not very
near, and that it would be safe to wait for
tea if they hurried things a little. It would
be a terrible disappointment to the children
(all, at least, but Marjorie !) to be hurried
away without " the picnic part of the picnic."
So they all bustled about, and in a short time
the cloth was spread, and well covered with
good things. The fire behaved well, as if
knowing the need of haste, and the coffee was
soon made, and as delicious as picnic coffee,
by some apparent miracle, generally is. By
the time the repast was over, the clouds had
drawn closer, the air was more sultry, and even
the most optimistic admitted that it was high
time to start for home. The canoes were
quickly loaded, the best canoe-men took the
paddles, and soon they were darting swiftly
down-river, running a race with the clouds.
Our Little Canadian Cousin 31
In spite of their best speed, however, the
storm broke before they reached their journey's
end. The thunder growled and muttered, a
few bright flashes lit up the sultry sky, and just
as they landed a tremendous peal caused the
most courageous to look grave, while poor
Marjorie could scarcely breathe from terror.
Then the rain came, and the pretty muslin
dresses and flower-trimmed hats looked very
dejected before their wearers were safely
housed ! Still, no one was the worse for that
little wetting, Marjorie recovered from her fright
as soon as she could nestle down in a dark
room with her head in her mother's lap, and
they all agreed with Jackie that it had been
"a gorlious time."
Before the children went to bed Mrs. Merri-
thew told them about the plan which she had
mentioned two days before, and to which Mr.
Merrithew had heartily consented. He was to
take a whole holiday, on Thursday of the fol-
32 Our Little Canadian Cousin
lowing week, and drive them all up to the
Indian Village, about thirteen miles above
town, to see the Corpus Christi celebrations.
Corpus Christi, a well-known festival in the
Roman Catholic Church, is one which has
been chosen by the Indians for special celebra-
tion. As it comes in June, and that is such a
pleasant time for little excursions, many drive
to the Indian Village from Fredericton and
from the surrounding country, to see the Mili-
cetes in their holiday mood.
The day being fresh and lovely, with no
clouds but tiny white ones in the sky, Mr. and
Mrs. Merrithew and the three children set off
early on Thursday morning. They had a
roomy two-seated carriage, and two big brisk,
white horses, plenty of wraps and umbrellas in
case history should repeat itself with another
storm, and an ample basket of dainties. The
road, winding along the river-bank most of the
the way, was excellent, and the scenery Dora
Our Little Canadian Cousin 33
thought prettier than any she had seen. The
river was smooth as a mirror, reflecting every
tree and bush on its banks. Little islands,
green and tree-crested, were scattered all along
its shining length.
It was almost time for the service when they
reached the picturesque little village which went
climbing bravely up its hill to the chapel and
priest's house near the top. The horses were
taken charge of by a sedate young half-breed,
evidently proud of his office as the " priest's
man," and our party at once filed into the
chapel. A plain enough little structure in
itself, to-day it was beautiful with green
boughs, ferns, and flowers. The congregation
consisted chiefly of Indians and half-breeds,
with a scattering of interested visitors. Most
of the natives were clad in gorgeous finery,
some of the older ones having really handsome
beaded suits and beautifully worked moccasins,
while others were grotesque in their queer com-
34 Our Little Canadian Cousin
bination of the clothes of civilization and sav-
agery. The priest, a tall, good-looking man
with piercing eyes, sang high mass, and then the
procession formed. First came an altar-boy
carrying a cross, then six boys with lighted
tapers, and two walking backward scattering
boughs. These were followed by the priest
bearing the host and sheltered by a canopy
which four altar-boys carried. These boys
were all Indians, and the mild well-featured
Milicete faces had lost their stolidity, and were
lit up with an expression of half-mystic adora-
tion. After them came the congregation, bare-
headed, and singing as they walked. Marjorie
and Dora clasped hands as they followed, their
eyes shining with excitement. They went
down the road and entered a schoolhouse not
far from the church, where the host was placed
in a little tabernacle of green boughs while the
service was continued. Then the procession
re-formed and went back to the church.
Our Little Canadian Cousin 35
After they had disbanded, the Indians scat-
tered to their houses to prepare for the various
other events of the day. Mr. and Mrs. Mer-
rithew and the children were carried off by the
priest (whom Mr. Merrithew knew well) to
have dinner with him in his house near the
chapel. The children stood a little in awe of
him at first, but he was so companionable and
kind that they were soon quite at their ease.
His mother, who kept house for him, was evi-
dently very proud of her son, and did her best
to entertain his visitors worthily. The house
was rather bare, but clean as wax and the per-
fection of neatness, while the repast, spread on
the whitest of linen, was excellent, and not
without some rather unusual dainties, — such
as candied fruits of many colours for the chil-
dren, and guava jelly brought out especially in
Mrs. Merrithew's honour.
After dinner the good father offered to
show them through the village, and they set
36 Our Little Canadian Cousin
out together on a tour of inspection. All the
full-grown Indians, the priest told them, were
holding a pow-wow in the schoolhouse, for
the purpose of electing a chief. " There is no
need of my being there this afternoon," he
said, in answer to Mr. Men-knew' s inquiry ;
" but this evening, when they have their feast
and their games, — ah, then I will keep my
eye on them ! "
Evidently this priest held very parental
relations toward his people. The visitors
noticed that some boys playing baseball on
the green eagerly referred their disputes to
him and accepted his word as final. He took
them into several of the little wooden houses,
all of which, probably in honour of the day,
were in splendid order. In one they found
twin papooses, brown as autumn beech-
leaves, sleeping side by side in a basket of
their mother's making. In another a wrinkled
old squaw had most dainty moccasins to sell,
Our Little Canadian Cousin 37
the Milicete slipper-moccasins, with velvet toe-
pieces beautifully beaded. Mr. Merrithew
bought a pair for each of his party (himself
excepted), letting them choose their own.
Mrs. Merrithew promptly selected a pair with
yellow velvet on the toes ; Dora's choice had
crimson, and Marjorie's blue, while Jackie's
tiny pair was adorned with the same colour as
his mother's.
" You see, mother dear," he said quite seri-
ously, " yours are a little larger, so we won't
be mixing them up ! "
Then, being in a gift-making mood, Mr.
Merrithew bought them each a quaint and
pretty basket, besides a big substantial scrap-
basket for his own study, and handkerchief-
cases, gorgeous in pink and green, for Susan
and Debby. The small baskets all had broad
bands of the fragrant " sweet hay " which
grows on many islands of the St. John, but
which very few white people can find. Dora
38 Our Little Canadian Cousin
was much interested in the Milicete women,
with their soft voices and kind, quiet faces.
She tried to learn some of their words, and
won their hearts by singing two or three songs
in French, a language which they all under-
stood, though they spoke it in a peculiar
patois of their own.
The bright summer afternoon went all too
quickly. Mrs. Merrithew was anxious to
reach home before too late an hour, so at five
o'clock, after tea and cakes, they " reem-
barked " for the return trip. The horses
were fresh, the roads good, the children just
pleasantly tired. As they drove on and on
through magic sunset light and fragrant sum-
mer dusk, Dora thought drowsily that this
was a day she would always remember, even if
she lived to be as old as the dame who ate the
innumerable apples.
" I will have such lovely things to write to
father and mother about/' she murmured, in
Our Little Canadian Cousin 39
sleepy tones, — and those were the last words
she said till the carriage stopped at the door
of" the Big Brick House," and she and Jackie
were tenderly lifted out and half led, half
carried up the steps. Then she opened her
eyes very wide and looked about her in
wonder.
" Why, I believe I nearly went to sleep for
a moment," she said.
And even Jackie woke up enough to laugh
at that !
CHAPTER IV.
The day before they left for camp, Dora
received a letter from her mother, telling some-
thing of their surroundings and of the beauties
of the Western land. As the others were
keenly interested, she read them many ex-
tracts, which even Jackie enjoyed.
" We are now," her mother wrote, after
describing the journey by the great Canadian
Pacific Railway, and speaking encouragingly
of the invalid's condition, " comfortably settled
in Victoria — which, as of course you know,
dear, is the capital city of British Columbia.
It is a truly beautiful spot, and the climate
is delightful. There are great varieties of
climate, we hear, in this maritime province
40
Our Little Canadian Cousin 41
of the West ; Victoria is supposed to enjoy
a very mild and even one, with roses and
geraniums blooming outdoors in December,
and the cold weather confined almost entirely
to parts of January and February. There is
another delightful part of the country which
we may visit later ; it is in one of the valleys
which cut across the Coast Range of moun-
tains. These deep valleys are entirely shut
off from the north winds, and freely admit the
warm breezes from the coast, while the rays of
the sun are concentrated on their steep sides,
helping to make, at times, almost tropical
weather. We may spend part of next winter
there, as it is even drier than Victoria, and that
is very important for your father. Some of
our new acquaintances have recommended the
southern part of Alberta, where the winter is
shortened and made almost balmy by the won-
derful chinook winds — so named from the
Chinook Indians, who used to occupy that
42 Our Little Canadian Cousin
part of the country from which they blow.
These west winds, coming from the mountains
across the plains, are warm and particularly
drying. When they melt the light and infre-
quent snowfalls of the winter, they also dry the
ground almost immediately, so that even the
hollows and ravines are free from dampness.
Your father is greatly interested in these
i warm chinooks/ and we are almost sure to
try their effect later. Another pleasure to
which we look forward, when he grows a little
stronger, is a trip by boat along the coast.
The fiords of British Columbia are said to
resemble those of Norway, and the whole
coast, with its wooded shores, snowy moun-
tain-peaks, and flashing cataracts, is marvel-
lously beautiful."
Dora went to sleep that night with her
mother's letter under her pillow, and dreamt
that they were camping out on the shore of a
British Columbian fiord, when a warm wind
Our Little Canadian Cousin 43
came and blew all the tents into little boats, in
which they went sailing away to some wonder-
ful country, where no one would ever be sick,
and where no winds blew but balmy west ones.
She had nearly reached the land, when a soft
touch woke her, and she found Marjorie's
happy face bending over her.
" Hurry up, dear ! Hurrah for camp ! We
want to start by ten at the latest, and it is
seven now, and such a perfect day. Mother
says we can take Kitty with us; won't that
be fun ? "
And Marjorie was off without waiting
for an answer. Dora heard her singing,
laughing, chatting, as she flashed here and
there, helping and hindering in about equal
proportions.
The whole house was filled with the pleasant
bustle of preparation. Mr. Merrithew was
as much of a boy, in the matter of high spirits,
as the youngest of the party. Mrs. Merrithew,
44 O ur Little Canadian Cousin
blithe and serene, had everything perfectly
planned, and engineered the carrying out of
the plans with quiet skill. It was she who
remembered where everything was, thought of
everything that ought to be taken, and saw
that every one of the party was properly clad.
The party, by the way, was quite a large one,
consisting of another whole family (the Greys)
besides the Merrithews, Will Graham, a young
collegian who was a friend of Mr. Merrithew's,
and Miss Covert, a rather delicate and very
quiet little school-teacher whom Mrs. Merri-
thew had taken under her wing from sheer
kindness, but who proved a charming addition
to the party. The Greys were six in number :
Doctor Grey, a grave professor ; Mrs. Grey,
a tiny, vivacious brunette, who had been Mrs.
Merrithew's " chum " since their schoolgirl
days ; Carl and Hugh, twin boys of fourteen ;
and two girls, Edith, just Jackie's age, and
Alice, so much older than the rest that she was
Our Little Canadian Cousin 45
" almost grown-up/' and Marjorie and Dora
looked upon her with admiring awe.
Doctor Grey, both mammas, Susan (who was
to do the cooking, as Debby did not dare ven-
ture on anything so wild as sleeping out-of-
doors), Jackie, little Edith Grey, and all the
provisions, tents, and bedding, were to go by
stage, while Mr. Merrithew, Will Graham, and
the twins were to divide the charge of three
canoes and the four girls.
At ten o'clock the big lumbering stage rat-
tled up to the door, and the canoeists saw the
others properly packed and waved them a
cheerful adieu. Then they gathered up pad-
dles, wraps, and lunch-baskets, and hastened
gaily off to the boat-house on the river-bank.
Here the work of embarking was quickly
accomplished, and the four slender birches shot
out into the stream, turned, and swept upward,
propelled against the current by vigorous arms.
" Please sing, Daddy," Marjorie begged, and
46 Our Little Canadian Cousin
Mr. Merrithew promptly began an old favour-
ite, but could get no further than the first verse.
" In the days when we went gypsying,
A long time ago,
The lads and lasses in their best
Were dressed from top to toe — "
So far he sang, and then declared that both
memory and breath had given out, and that-
the ladies, who had no work to do, must forth-
with provide the music. After a little hes-
itation and some coaxing from Marjorie, Dora
sang, in a clear, sweet treble, the well-known
and much-loved " En Roulant ma Boule "
(" Rolling My Ball"). Then some one started
" Tenting on the Old Camp Ground," and
all, even the paddlers, joined in, the little
school-teacher providing a rich alto that took
them all by surprise.
The river was deep-blue, reflecting the lit-
tle clouds that floated in the azure overhead.
Near the town the river was very broad ; as
"THE TREE - CLAD SHORES WORE A FAIRY GLAMOUR
Our Little Canadian Cousin 47
they forged upward, it gradually narrowed,
and was thickly studded with islands. They
passed Government House, left the ruined
Hermitage behind, and then began to feel that
they were at last out of civilization, and near-
ing the goal of summer quiet that they sought.
It was slow work, this paddling against the
current, but the time went in a sort of en-
chanted way; the tree-clad shores wore a fairy
glamour, and the islands, where masses of
grape-vine and clematis were tangled over the
bushes, might have been each the home of an
enchanted princess, a dryad, or any of the
many " fair forms of old romance." When
about five miles had been covered, they heard
the rush of water hurrying over shallows and
nagging at the rocks. This was what the chil-
dren delighted to call " The Rapids," but old
canoemen simply dubbed it " a stretch of
swift water." But by whichever name it went,
it called for strong and skilful paddling, and
48 Our Little Canadian Cousin
Mr. Merrithew proposed that, before they
undertook it, they should land and fortify
themselves with lunch. This suggestion met
with great favour; the canoes were swiftly
beached, and soon a merry little picnic party sat
under a clump of gray shore-willows, while
sandwiches, tarts, and cakes of many kinds,
vanished as if by magic. Success to the camp
was drunk in lemonade — not ice-cold — and
speeches were made that proved the good
spirits, if not the oratorical gifts, of the
group.
They rested here for an hour, for one of
the camp mottoes was, " Time was made for
slaves," and they knew that the ones who had
gone on by stage were resting comfortably in a
farmhouse, just opposite their destination, till
the canoeing party should come to ferry them
over. The farmhouse was owned by old
friends with whom Mrs. Merrithew and Mrs.
Grey would be glad to spend a little time, and
Our Little Canadian Cousin 49
for Jack and Edith the whole place would be
full of wonders.
When it came to actually facing the rapids,
Dora's heart failed her ; her cheeks paled, and
her eyes grew very large and dark ; but she
held on tight to both sides of the canoe, fixed
her eyes on Marjorie's back, and said not a
word. She tried hard not to see the swirling
water and the scowling rocks, but no effort
could shut out the confused seething noises
that made her feel as if nothing in the world
was stable or solid. When at last the rush was
over, the sounds grew softer, and the trium-
phant canoemen drew their good craft in to
shore, and paused to rest their tired muscles,
Dora gave a deep sigh of relief.
Marjorie turned a beaming face to see what
ever was the matter.
" Frightened, dear ? " she said. " I forgot
that you have not had much canoeing. It's
too bad."
5<d Our Little Canadian Cousin
But Dora laughed, and the colour came
back to her face.
" I ought not to mind," she said, " for I
have shot the Lachine Rapids. But I think
being in a large boat gives one a feeling of
safety. I know I wasn't half so afraid then as
I was to-day. It seemed to me there was
nothing between me and the dreadful con-
fusion."
" Shooting the Lachine Rapids is a great
experience," Mr. Merrithew said. " I must
confess I would not like to try those in a
canoe, as Champlain did ! But now, boys, let
us set off briskly, or we won't get things com-
fortable before night."
And they did hurry, but for all their speed
it was nearly dusk by the time the five white
tents were pitched on Saunder's Island. This
was a fairly large island, ringed by a sandy
beach from which the ground rose steeply to
a green bank on which elms, white birches, and
Our Little Canadian Cousin 51
maples stood, with a tangle of raspberry-
bushes, and flowering shrubs among them.
Inside the belt of trees was a broad sweep of
rich meadow-land, with here and there a row
of feathery elms or a cluster of choke-cherry-
trees. Toward the upper end of the island
stood an old stone house, empty and almost a
ruin ; not far from this house were two barns,
kept in good repair for the storing of the sweet
island hay.
The tents were pitched about a hundred
yards from the house, just inside the tall bor-
dering trees, so that part of the day they would
be in the shade. These trees, too, would make
ideal places for slinging the numerous ham-
mocks which Mrs. Merrithew and Mrs. Grey
had brought.
Dora and Marjorie greatly enjoyed watching
the speed with which the tent-poles ■ — two
stout uprights and a horizontal ridge-pole —
were got into position, and the skill with which
52 Our Little Canadian Cousin
the white canvas was spread over them and
stretched and pegged down and made into a
cosy shelter. There was a tiny " A tent "
tucked away in the shadiest spot for the pro-
visions, and a large tent in -a central position
which Mr. Grey named " Rainy-Day House,"
and which was to be used as dining-room and
parlour in case of severe rains; then the other
three were called respectively, " The Chaper-
ons' Tent," "The Boys' Tent," and "The
Girls' Tent."
The chaperons' abode was inhabited by
Mrs. Merrithew, Mrs. Grey, Susan, Jackie,
Edith, and the kitten; "The Boys' Tent"
was well filled by Mr. Merrithew and Doctor
Grey (who insisted on being boys for the
occasion), Will Graham, and the twins ; and
"The Girls' Tent" sheltered Miss Kather-
ine Covert, Alice Grey, Marjorie, and Dora.
The beds were of hay, liberally provided by
the friendly farmer, — the owner, by the way,
Our Little Canadian Cousin 53
of island, house, and barns. Under each bed
was spread either a rubber sheet or a piece of
table oilcloth, then over the hay a thick gray
blanket was laid. There was another thick
blanket to wrap around each person, and still
another to put over him, or her, as the case
might be. In the chaperons' tent only were
they more luxurious ; there, two large mat-
tresses took the place of the hay, and made a
delightfully comfortable couch for three grown-
ups and two children.
While the tents and beds were being
attended to, Susan, with a little help from
Mrs. Merrithew, had succeeded in getting tea
without waiting for any sort of a fireplace to
be constructed.
She was rather anxious about the reception
of this first meal, as it had been cooked under
difficulties. But when she saw the speed with
which her fried beans disappeared, and found
Mrs. Grey taking a third cup of tea, her
54 Our Little Canadian Cousin
spirits rose, and she decided that campers were
thoroughly satisfactory people for whom to
cook !
After tea was over, and all the dishes were
washed, one of the old campers proposed the
usual big bonfire, whereby to sit and sing, but
every one was too sleepy, and it was unani-
mously resolved that just this once the delight-
ful evening of song and story must be omitted.
Hearty "good-nights" were exchanged, and
soon each tent for a brief while shone, like that
in the " Princess," " lamp-lit from the inner,"
— to be more absolutely accurate, lantern-lit;
but what is a trifle of one word, that it should
be allowed to spoil a quotation ?
Then gently, sweetly, silence settled down
over the little encampment; silence, save for
the soft murmur of the river in its sleep,
and sometimes the drowsy chirping of a bird
among the branches.
CHAPTER V.
Jack was the first to wake in the delicious
stillness of the morning. When his mother
opened her eyes a little later, she found him
sitting up beside her with a look of delight and
wonder on his face.
" The river talks in its sleep," he said, lean-
ing over her with shining eyes.
" What does it say, Jackie-boy ? " Mrs.
Merrithew asked.
"I don't know the words, — yet, " he
answered, " but I will some day."
"Yes, I believe you will, dear," his mother
said, with a smile and a sigh, for she firmly
believed that her boy, with his vivid imagina-
tion and quick apprehension, had the life of
a poet before him.
55
56 Our Little Canadian Cousin
Just then a shout from the boys* tent pro-
claimed that the twins were awake ; then Mr.
Merrithew's cheery voice was heard, and soon
the camp was alive with greetings and laughter.
Under Mr. Merrithew's direction (and with
his active assistance), a cooking-place was soon
made, and a bright fire inviting to preparations
for breakfast. The device for cooking con-
sisted of two strong upright sticks with forked
tops, and a heavy horizontal pole resting upon
them. On this pole two pothooks were fas-
tened, from which hung the pot and kettle, and
the fire was kindled under it. Then a little
circle of flat stones was made for the frying-
pan, the pot and kettle were filled with fresh
water, and Susan's outfit was complete.
Pending the erection of a " camp wash-
stand," and the choice of a safe and suitable
bathing-place, faces and hands were washed in
the river amid much laughter, and with careful
balancing on stones in the shallows. The
Our Little Canadian Cousin 57
toilets were barely completed when three toots
on the horn announced that breakfast was
ready. A long table and benches were among
the furniture which Doctor Grey and Mr.
Merrithew had planned to make ; until their
construction, they were glad to group them-
selves, picnic-fashion, around a table-cloth on
the ground. The way that breakfast was dis-
posed of showed that the true camp appetites
had begun already to assert themselves. Por-
ridge and molasses, beans, bacon and eggs, and
great piles of brown bread and butter, vanished
like smoke. Jackie astonished the party (and
alarmed his mother) by quietly disposing of a
cup of strong coffee, passed to him by mistake,
and handing it back to be refilled with the
comment that it was " much more satisfyinger
than milk."
After breakfast they all set to work with
enthusiasm to make camp more comfortable.
Susan washed dishes and arranged the pro-
58 Our Little Canadian Cousin
vision tent with housewifely zeal ; Mrs. Mer-
rithew and Mrs. Grey brought the blankets
out, and spread them on the grass to air, drove
shingle-nails far up on the tent-poles to hold
watches, pin-cushions, and innumerable small
but necessary articles, and superintended the
stretching of a rope from one pole to another,
about a foot from the ridge-pole. This last
arrangement proved most useful, all the gar-
ments not in use being hung over it, so that
the chaperons' tent, at least, was kept in good
order. The gentlemen busied themselves in
building the promised table and seats. Mr.
Andrews had told them to make use of any-
thing they wanted on his island, so the twins
had hunted about till they discovered a pile
of boards near one of the barns. These served
admirably for the necessary furniture, and after
that was finished several cosy seats were made,
by degrees, in favourite nooks along the bank.
The morning passed with almost incredible
Our Little Canadian Cousin 59
swiftness, and even the youngest (and hungri-
est) of the campers could scarcely believe their
ears when the horn blew for dinner.
In the afternoon some, bearing cushions and
shawls, chose shady spots for a read and a
doze ; some set off in the canoes for a lazy
paddle ; and others organized themselves into
an exploring party to visit the deserted house.
Marjorie and Dora, Miss Covert, and Will
Graham formed the latter group. The stone
house was a curious structure, with an air of
solidity about it even in its neglected and fail-
ing condition. It had been built many years
before by an Englishman, who did not know
the river's possibilities in the way of spring
freshets. When he found that he had built
his house too near the shore, and that April
brought water, ice, and debris of many sorts
knocking at his doors and battering in his
windows, he promptly, if ruefully, abandoned
it to time and the elements. It might, long
60 Our Little Canadian Cousin
ago, have been so arranged and protected as to
make it a very pleasant summer residence, but,
instead^ it was now used only for a week or
two in haying-time, when the haymakers slept
and ate in its basement, — for this quaint
little house had a basement, with a kitchen,
dining-room, and storeroom. Our visitors,
having gained entrance to the hall by a
very ruinous flight of steps and a battered
door, descended to the basement first, admired
the fireplace in the kitchen, and looked rather
askance at the deep pile of straw in the dining-
room, where the haymakers had slept. There
was a rough table in one corner of the room,
and on it some tin cups and plates and a piece
of very dry bread. The haying on the island
was about half-done ; there was a short inter-
mission in the work now, but it was to begin
again very soon.
They found nothing else of especial interest
in the basement, so went to the hall above.
Our Little Canadian Cousin 61
Here were two good-sized rooms, one on each
side of the hall. Each had a fine, deep fire-
place, and in one were two old-fashioned
wooden armchairs and a long table. The
windows — two in each room — were narrow
and high, and had small panes and deep win-
dow-seats.
" Oh, what fun it would be to play keeping-
house here, Dora ! " Marjorie cried.
" Wouldn't it ! " Dora answered. " Let us,
Marjorie ! Let us pretend it is ours, and
choose our rooms, and furnish it ! "
" That will be fine," Marjorie answered, fer-
vently, and soon the little girls were deep in a
most delightful air-castle.
" Let us play, too," said Will, persuasively,
and Katherine answered without hesitation :
" Yes, let us ! I feel just like a child here,
and could play with a doll if I had one ! "
" Well, — let me see ; we will begin by de-
ciding about the rooms," said Will. " Let us
62 Our Little Canadian Cousin
have this for the study, — shall we ? — and put
the books all along this wall opposite the win-
dows ! "
And so these two " children of a larger
growth " played house with almost as much
zest as Marjorie and Dora, — and greatly to
the amusement and delight of the latter couple
when they caught a word or two of their mur-
mured conversation. Up-stairs were four rather
small rooms with sloping ceilings, and in the
middle of the house, just over the front door,
a dear little room without the slope, and with
a dormer-window.
" This shall be our boudoir," Dora said, as
they entered, and then stopped and exclaimed
in surprise, for against one wall stood a piano !
Almost the ghost of a piano, or the skeleton,
rather, — at the very best, a piano in the last
stage of decrepitude, but still a piano. Its
rosewood frame had been whittled, chopped,
and generally ill-treated, and more than half
Our Little Canadian Cousin 63
its yellow keys were gone, but oh, wonder
of wonders, some of those remaining gave a
thin, unearthly sound when struck ! It seemed
almost like something alive that had been de-
serted, and the little group gathered around it
with sympathetic exclamations.
While they were talking and wondering
about it, lively voices proclaimed the approach
of the twins.
" We won't say anything about our house-
keeping play," said Dora, hastily, turning to
Mr. Graham, and Marjorie loyally added,
" except to mother."
" All right, if you like^ the student agreed,
and Miss Covert quickly added her assent.
The twins admired the stone house, the fire-
places, and the piano, but with rather an ab-
stracted manner. Soon the cause of their
absent-mindedness transpired. Mr. Merri-
thew had met some Indians that afternoon,
when they were out paddling, and had bought
64 Our Little Canadian Cousin
a salmon from them. This had led to a con-
versation about salmon-spearing, and the In-
dians had promised to come the following
night, and show them how it was done. They
could take one person in each canoe, and
Mr. Merrithew had said that Carl and Hugh
should be the ones. Of course they were
greatly excited over this prospect, and chattered
about it all the way back to the tents.
That evening, when dusk had settled down,
a great bonfire was built, and they all sat around
it on rugs and shawls, in genuine camp-
fashion. First, some of the favourite games
were played, — proverbs, "coffee-pot," charac-
ters, and then rigmarole, most fascinating of
all. Rigmarole, be it known, is r. tale told " from
mouth to mouth," one beginning it and telling
till his invention begins to flag or he thinks his
time is up, then stopping suddenly and hand-
ing it on to his next neighbour. The result is
generally a very funny, and sometimes quite
" A GREAT BONFIRE WAS BUILT "
Our Little Canadian Cousin 65
exciting, medley. To-night Mr. Merrithew
began the story, and his contribution (wherein
figured a dragon, an enchanted princess, and a
deaf-and-dumb knight) was so absorbing that
there was a general protest when he stopped.
But the romancer was quite relentless, and his
next neighbour had to continue as best he
could. Even Jackie contributed some startling
incidents to the narrative, and when at last
Mrs. Grey ended it with the time-honoured
(and just at present, most unfortunately, out-of-
fashion !) assurance that they all, even the
dragon, " lived happy ever after," there was a
burst of laughter and applause. Then some
one began to sing, and one after another the
dear old songs rose through the balmy night.
Sometimes there were solos, but every now and
then a chorus in which all could join. Dora
sang every French song she knew, — "A la
Claire Fontaine" (" At the Clear Fountain"),
" Malbrouck," and " Entre Paris et Saint-
66 Our Little Canadian Cousin
Denis " ( <c Between Paris and St. Denis ")
proving the favourites. Mrs. Grey, who de-
clared she had not sung for years, ventured on
"The Canadian Boat-Song" and " Her bright
smile haunts me still." At last, when voices
began to grow drowsy and the fire burned low,
they sang, " The Maple-Leaf For Ever " and
" Our Own Canadian Home," then rose
and joined in the camp-hymn, — "For ever
with the Lord," with its :
" And nightly pitch our moving tents
A day's march nearer home."
The next day seemed to fly, to every one, at
least, but Carl and Hugh. Their hearts were
so set on the salmon-spearing that for them
the time went slowly enough till night brought
the four Indians with their torches and spears.
Doctor Grey and Mr. Merrithew walked along
the shore to see what they could of the pro-
ceedings, but the rest — and even Will — were
content to sit around the fire as before. Carl
Our Little Canadian Cousin 67
sat in the middle of one canoe, and Hugh in
the other, both greatly excited and both trying
to think themselves quite cool. Only the
steersmen paddled, — the bowmen kneeling
erect and watchful, with their spears in readi-
ness. (The salmon-spear is a long ash shaft,
with two wooden prongs and a metal barb
between them. The spearing of salmon, by
the way, is restricted by law to the Indians,
and any white man who undertakes it is liable
to a fine.) Sticking up in the bow of each
canoe was a torch, made of a roll of birch-bark
fastened in the end of a split stick. The red-
gold flare of these torches threw a crimson
reflection on the dark water, and shone on the
yellow sides of the birches, and the intent,
dusky faces of the fishermen watching for their
prey. Slowly, silently, they paddled up the
stream, till at last the silvery sides of a mag-
nificent fish gleamed in the red light. Then,
like a flash, a spear struck down, there was
68 Our Little Canadian Cousin
a brief struggle, and the captive lay gasping
in the foremost canoe. It was too much for
Hugh. He had enjoyed with all his boyish
heart the beauty and the weirdness of the
scene, but the beautiful great fish, with the
spear-wound in his back, — well, that was
different. He was not sorry that the Indians
met with no more luck, and was very silent
when the others questioned them, on their
return, as to the joys of salmon-spearing.
When he confided to Carl his hatred of the
" sport," the latter shook his head doubtfully.
" But you will help eat that salmon to-
morrow," he said.
"Well, — perhaps," Hugh answered, cc but,
all the same, it's no fun to see things killed,
and I'm not going to if I can help it!"
The fortnight of camp life passed like a
dream, and it is hard to tell who was most
sorry when the day of departure came. Dora,
who had written a regular diary-letter to her
Our Little Canadian Cousin 69
father and mother, and begun one of the
stories that were to be like Mrs. Ewing's, said
that never in all her life had she had such
a beautiful time. Katherine Covert, with life-
long friends to " remember camp by," and all
sorts of happy possibilities in her once gray
life, bore the same testimony with more, if
more quiet, fervour. Mr. Merrithew said that
he was ten years younger, and Jackie opined
that, in that case, they must have been living
on an enchanted island, — but added, that
he was very glad he had not been made ten
years younger, like Daddy !
Brown and plump and strong of arm, the
campers brought back with them hearty appe-
tites, delightful recollections, and inexhaustible
material for dream and plan and castles in the
air.
Many pleasant things were waiting to be
done on their return ; first and foremost, Miss
Covert had come to live at the Big Brick
yo Our Little Canadian Cousin
House, to teach the children when holiday
time should be over, and to be a help generally
to Mrs. Merrithew. Also, according to Mrs.
Merrithew's plans, to have a little real home
life and happiness, — for Katherine had been an
orphan since her childhood, and for five years
had taught school steadily, although it was
work that she did not greatly like, and that
kept her in a state of perpetual nervous strain.
Teaching a few well-bred and considerate chil-
dren, whom she already loved, would be quite
different, and almost entirely a pleasure.
CHAPTER VI.
In the delightful autumn days that followed,
the children, accompanied sometimes by Mrs.
Merrithew, sometimes by Katherine, spent
much of their time in the woods, and taking
long strolls on the country roads. In October
the woods were a blaze of colour, — clear gold,
scarlet, crimson, coppery brown, and amber.
The children brought home great bunches of
the brilliant leases, and some they pressed and
varnished, while others Katherine dipped in
melted wax. They found that the latter way
was the best for keeping the colours, but it
was rather troublesome to do. They pressed
many ferns, also, and, when the frosts became
keener, collected numbers of white ferns, deli-
cately lovely. Most of these treasures, with
71
72 Our Little Canadian Cousin
baskets full of velvety moss and yards of
fairy-like wild vines, were stowed away in a
cool storeroom to be used later in the Christ-
mas decorations.
When the last of October drew near, Mrs.
Merrithew made up her mind to give a little
Hallow-eve party. She let the children name
the friends they wished her to ask, and added
a few of her own ; then they all busied them-
selves in preparations, and in making lists of
Hallow-eve games and tricks. At last came
the eventful evening, and with it about thirty
merry people, old and young, but chiefly
young. All of the Greys were there, of
course; also Mr. Will Graham, who was tak-
ing his last year at college, and who spent
most of his spare time at Mr. Merrithew's.
So the whole camping-party met again, and
the camp-days, dear and fleeting, came back in
vivid pictures to their minds.
In the Big Brick House was a large room
Our Little Canadian Cousin 73
known as " the inner kitchen," but used as
a kitchen only in the winter. This room
Mrs. Merrithew had given up to the enter-
tainment of the Hallow-eve party. It was
lighted — chiefly, that is, for a few ordinary
lamps helped out the illumination — by lan-
terns made of hollowed pumpkins. Ears of
corn hung around the mantel, and a pyramid
of rosy apples was piled high upon it. There
was a great old-fashioned fireplace here, and
a merry fire sparkled behind the gleaming
brass andirons. Every trick that their
hostess's brain could conjure up was tried.
Those who cared to, bobbed for apples in
a tub of water, and some were lucky enough
to find five-cent pieces in their russets and
pippins. An apple was hung on a string
from the middle of a doorway, then set swing-
ing, and two contestants tried which could get
the first bite, — and this first bite, gentle
reader, is not so easy as you might imagine !
74 Our Little Canadian Cousin
A pretty little ring was laid on a mound of
flour, and whoever could lift it out between
their lips, without breaking down the mound,
was to win the ring. This necessitated a great
many remouldings of the flour, — but finally
the prize was captured by Miss Covert. A
little later, Dora noticed it hanging on Mr.
Graham's watch-guard.
Some of the braver spirits took turns in
walking backward down the garden steps, and
to the end of the middle path, a looking-glass
in one hand and a lamp in the other. What
each one saw in the looking-glass, or whether,
indeed, they saw anything, was, in most cases,
kept a secret, or confided only to the very
especial chum ! Then there were fortunes
told by means of cabbages, — a vegetable not
usually surrounded with romantic associations.
Marjorie was the first to try this mode of
divination. Well-blindfolded, she ventured
alone into the garden, and came back soon
Our Little Canadian Cousin 75
with a long, lean, straggly cabbage with a great
deal of earth attached to its roots. This fore-
told that her husband would be tall and thin,
and very rich !
There were many other quaint methods of
fortune-telling, most of them derived from
Scottish sources. After these had been tried,
amid much merriment, they played some of
the old-fashioned games dear to children every-
where, — blind-man's buff, hunt-the-feather,
post-towns, and other favourites. By and by,
when the fun began to flag, and one or two
little mouths were seen to yawn, a long table
was brought in and soon spread with a hearty
(but judiciously chosen) Hallow-eve supper.
When the days began to grow short and
bleak, and the evenings long and cosey, the
children were thrown more and more upon
indoor occupations for their entertainment. It
was on one of these bleak days, when a few
white flakes were falling in a half-hearted way,
76 Our Little Canadian Cousin
and the sky was gray and gloomy, that Jackie
had a brilliant idea. Four of them — Kather-
ine, Marjorie, Dora, and Jackie himself — were
sitting by the fire in Mrs. Merrithew's " Den,"
the very cosiest room in the house. Mr.
Merrithew had a den, too, but he called his
a study. Somehow it looked too much like
an office to suit the children very well. Most
of the volumes on his shelves, too, were
clumsy law-books ; all the books that any one
wanted to read, except the children's own,
were in "mother's den." Then, one could
come to mother's room at any hour of the day
or night, while sometimes no one, excepting
Mrs. Merrithew, was admitted to the study.
On this particular day Katherine was reading
" Rob Roy," and Jack building a castle of
blocks, while Dora dreamed in the win-
dow-seat, watching the scanty flakes, and
Marjorie, on the hearth-rug, tried to teach
reluctant Kitty Grey to beg.
Our Little Canadian Cousin 77
Now Jack had accompanied his mother on
the previous Sunday to the anniversary service
of the Sons of England, a well-known patriotic
society. He had been greatly impressed by
the procession, the hymns, and the sermon,
and on coming home had asked his father
many questions as to the " why and wherefore "
of the society. It was this episode which
suggested the bright idea to his active little
brain.
tc Aunt Kathie," he said, — for Miss Covert
was now a fully accepted adopted aunt, —
"why couldn't we form a patriarchal society ?"
" A whaty dear ? " said Kathie, in rather
startled tones, laying " Rob Roy " on the
table, for she liked to give her whole mind to
Jackie's propositions and queries.
" A patri — oh, you know what ; like the
Sons of England, you know !"
" Oh, yes ! Patriotic^ dearie ; a patriotic
society. You know a patriot is one who loves
78 Our Little Canadian Cousin
his country. What sort of a patriotic society-
would you like to have, Jack ?"
" Oh, pure Canadian, of course ! Let me
see, — we couldn't be the Sons of Canada,
because we are not all sons."
" Not quite all," murmured Dora, with
drowsy sarcasm, from the window.
" Why not Children of Canada ? " suggested
Kathie.
" No, Aunt Kathie, that would never do at
all, for mother and Daddy and you must be
in it, and you couldn't be called children, —
though, of course, you're not so very old," he
added, as if fearing he had hurt her feelings.
"Well, said Marjorie, thoughtfully, "how
would The Maple-leaves, or The Beavers,
do?"
But Jackie scorned this suggestion.
cc Those are names that baseball clubs have,"
he said. " No ; I believe £ The Sons and
Daughters of Canada ' would be the best of
Our Little Canadian Cousin 79
all, because everybody is either a son or a
daughter, even twins ! "
This statement, and the name, were accepted
with acclamation, and the quartette, entering
thoroughly into the spirit of Jackie's plan,
helped him zealously to put it into execution.
They insisted that he should be president, and
requested him to choose the other officers.
So he made his father and mother the honour-
able patrons, Dora and Marjorie vice-presi-
dents, and Kathie secretary-treasurer. This
office, I may mention, she nobly filled, and
also the informal one of general adviser, sug-
gester, and planner. It was she who proposed
the twins, Alice and Edith, as members, and
the president gave his consent, though he
considered Edith rather too young !
" For my part," he said, " I should like Mr.
Will Graham, if none of you would mind ! "
No one seemed to mind, so Mr. Graham's
name was added to the list, which Katherine
80 Our Little Canadian Cousin
was making out beautifully, with Gothic capi-
tals in red ink, on her very best paper. Her
next proposal was a regular course of study in
Canadian history and literature, and this was
enthusiastically received. When Mr. and Mrs.
Merrithew came home at tea-time, they found
a well-organized " Sons and Daughters of Can-
ada " club, and Miss Covert already engaged
in composing an article on " The Beginnings
of Canadian History/' —with Jackie in her
mind as an important member of her future
audience, and therefore an earnest effort to
make it simple in language and clear in con-
struction.
All through the winter the club flourished,
and indeed for a much longer time. The
members met every week, and the history and
literature proved so absorbing that the S. A.
D. O. C. night came to be looked forward to
as eagerly by the older as by the younger sons
and daughters. Kathie had the gift of making
Our Little Canadian Cousin 81
scenes and people of long-past days live before
one, and Carder and Champlain, La Salle and
De Maisonneuve, and many another hero be-
came the companions of our patriotic students,
both waking and in their dreams. The works
of Canadian poets and novelists began to fill
their book-shelves, and pictures of these celeb-
rities to adorn their walls. They had regular
weekly meetings, at which there were readings
and recitations, and always one short historical
sketch. Even Jack learnt his " piece " each
time, and said it with a severe gravity which
seemed to defy any one to smile at a mispro-
nunciation ! Mrs. Merrithew designed their
badges, — maple-leaf pins in coloured enamel,
with a little gilt beaver on each leaf, — and Mr.
Merrithew had them made in Montreal. But
perhaps the proudest achievement of the club
was Alice Grey's " Sons and Daughters of
Canada March," which was played at the
opening and closing of every meeting.
82 Our Little Canadian Cousin
So much pleasure and profit, many happy
evenings, and an ever deeper love for their
country, were some of the results of Jackie's
bright idea.
CHAPTER VII.
Now there came, warming the frosty heart
of December, that delightful atmosphere of
mystery and expectation which forms one pleas-
ure of the great Yule-tide festival. The Big
Brick House seemed particularly full of this
happy spirit of the season. There were many
mysterious shopping excursions, and much
whispering in corners, — a thing not usual in
this united family. Jackie showed a sudden
and severe self-denial in the matter of sticks of
pure chocolate, and was soon, therefore, able to
proudly flourish a purse containing, he told his
mother, "a dollar all but eighty-five cents,"
saved toward buying his presents for the
family. He also spent much time at a little
table in his own room, cutting out pictures and
83
84 Our Little Canadian Cousin
pasting them into a scrap-book for a little lame
boy of his acquaintance.
Mrs. Merrithew and Kathie had each, be-
sides innumerable other matters, a water-colour
painting on hand. Each picture, strange to
say, was of a house. Mrs. Merrithew's, the
Big Brick House itself, with its trees and
vines, was clearly intended for Daddy ; but
for whom, the children wondered, was Aunt
Kathie's ? It was a spirited little view of the
old stone house on Saunder's Island ; not so
pretty a subject as Mrs. Merrithew's, but set
in such a delicate atmosphere of early morning
light that even the sombre gray of the stone
seemed etherialized and made poetic. While
Marjorie and Dora wondered for whom it was
meant, Jackie promptly inquired, — but she,
his dear Aunt Kathie, who had never refused
to answer question of his before, only laughed
and shook her head, and said that every one
had secrets at Christmas-time.
Our Little Canadian Cousin 85
Marjorie and Dora did not, as was their
wont, spend all of their time together, for each
was making a present for the other. Marjorie
was working hard over a portfolio, which she
knew was one of the things Dora wanted.
She had carefully constructed and joined the
stiff cardboard covers, and plentifully provided
them with blotting-paper, and now she was
embroidering the linen cover with autumnal
maple-leaves in Dora's favourite colour, a rich,
vivid red. As for Dora, though she had no
love for needlework, she was laboriously mak-
ing a cushion of soft, old-blue felt for Mar-
jorie's cosey-corner, working it with a griffin
pattern in golden-brown silks. Marjorie had
a particular fancy for griffins, — partly, per-
haps, because a griffin was the chief feature of
the family crest.
As the long-looked-for day drew nearer,
there was other work to do, almost the pleas-
antest Christmas work of all, Dora thought, —
86 Our Little Canadian Cousin
the making wreaths out of fir and hemlock and
fragrant spruce. They worked two or three
hours of each day at the decorations for the
beautiful little parish church which they all
attended, and which, being very small, was
much easier than the cathedral or the other
large churches to transform into a sweet-smell-
ing tabernacle of green. Then they trimmed
the Big Brick House almost from attic to
cellar. The drawing-rooms were hung with
heavy wreaths, with bunches of red cranberries
here and there, making a beautiful contrast to
the green. In the other rooms there were
boughs over every picture, and autumn leaves,
ferns, and dried grasses here and there. Mr.
Merrithew was sure to buy some holly and
mistletoe at the florist's on Christmas Eve, so
places of honour were reserved for these two
plants, which have become so closely entwined
with all our thoughts of Christmas and its
festivities. The holly would adorn the old
Our Little Canadian Cousin 87
oil-painting of Mrs. Merrithew's great-aunt,
Lady Loveday Gostwycke, which hung over
the mantelpiece in the front drawing-room.
As for the pearly white berries of the mistletoe,
they were to hang from the chandelier in the
hall, where people might be expected forgetfully
to pass beneath them. Jackie, who was very
useful in breaking twigs for the wreath-making,
begged a few fine wreaths as a reward, and
carried them off to decorate little lame Philip's
room. These lengths of aromatic greenery
gave the greatest pleasure to the invalid, and
scarcely less to his mother, who spent the
greater part of her time in that one room.
Besides all these pleasant doings, there were
great things going on in the kitchen. Such
baking and steaming and frying as Debby
revelled in ! Such spicy and savoury odours as
pervaded the house when the kitchen door was
opened ! Marjorie and Dora liked to help,
whenever Debby would let them, with these
88 Our Little Canadian Cousin
proceedings. It was great fun to shred citron
and turn the raisin-stoner, and help chop the
mince-meat, in the big kitchen, with its shining
tins, and general air of comfort. Jackie liked
to take a share in the cooking, too, and
as he was Deborah's pet, he generally got
the wherewithal to make a tiny cake or
pudding of his own. When it came to the
making of the big plum pudding, all the
family by turns had to stir it, according
to a time-honoured institution. Then Mr.
Merrithew would make his expected contribu-
tion to its ingredients, — five shining five-cent
pieces, to be stirred through the mixture and
left to form an element of special interest to
the children at the Christmas dinner. Besides
this big pudding, there were always three or
four smaller ones (without any silver plums,
but very rich and good), for distribution among
some of Mrs. Merrithew's proteges.
On Christmas day all the old customs were
Our Little Canadian Cousin 89
faithfully observed. It was the rule that who-
ever woke first in the morning should call the
others, and on this occasion it was Jackie who,
as the great clock in the hall struck six, came
running from room to room in his moccasin
slippers and little blue dressing-gown, shout-
ing " Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas," at
the top of his voice.
Every one tumbled out of bed, as in duty
bound, and soon a wrappered and slippered
group, all exchanging Christmas wishes, met
in Mrs. Merrithew's den. Here a fire glowed
in the grate, and here, too, mysterious and
delightful, hung a long row of very fat white
pillow-cases ! These were hung by long cords
from hooks on the curtain-pole. Each pillow-
case bore a paper with the name of its owner
written on it in large letters, and they were
arranged in order of age, from Jackie up to
Mr. Merrithew. This had been the invariable
method of giving the Christmas presents in
90 Our Little Canadian Cousin
this particular family for as long as any of
them could remember.
Armchairs and sofas were drawn near the
fire, and the party grouped themselves com-
fortably ; then Mr. Merrithew lifted down
Jackie's pillow-case and laid it beside him, as
he sat with his mother in the largest of the
chairs. Every one looked on with intensest
interest while, with shining eyes, and cheeks red
with excitement, he opened his parcels, and ex-
claimed over their contents. Truly a fortu-
nate little boy was Jack ! There were books
— the very books he wanted, — games, a top,
the dearest little snow-shoes, a great box of
blocks, — evidently Santa Claus knew what a
tireless architect this small boy was, — a bugle,
drum, and sword, a dainty cup and saucer, a
picture for his room, and, too large for the
pillow-case, but carefully propped beneath it,
a fine sled, all painted in blue and gold and
crimson, beautiful to behold !
Our Little Canadian Cousin 91
When Jackie had looked at every one of his
presents, it was Marjorie's turn, and she was
just as fortunate as her brother. So it went
on up the scale, till they had all enjoyed their
gifts to the very last of Mr. Merrithew's, and
every box of candy had been sampled. And
still Aunt Kathie's picture of the little stone
house had not appeared !
When at last, a merry party, they went
down to breakfast, Deborah and Susan came
forward with Christmas greetings, and thanks
for the well-filled pillow-cases which they had
found beside their beds. The dining-room in
its festal array looked even cheerier than was
its wont. By every plate there lay a spray of
holly, to be worn during the rest of the day.
The breakfast-set was a wonderful one of blue
and gold, an heirloom, which was only used
on very special occasions. In the centre of
the table stood a large pot of white and purple
hyacinths in full bloom, the fourth or fifth of
g2 Our Little Canadian Cousin
Mr. Merrithew's presents that morning to his
wife.
At eleven o'clock there was the beautiful
Christmas service, which all the family at-
tended, with the exception of Jackie. He was
considered too young to be kept still for so
long a time ; so he stayed at home with Susan,
trying all the new toys and having samples
read aloud from each new book. Kitty Grey,
decorated with a blue ribbon and a tiny gilt
bell, also kept him company, and seemed to
take great pleasure in knocking his block
castles down with her soft silvery paws.
When the churchgoers returned there was
lunch ; then, for the children, a long, cosey
afternoon with their presents. Mrs. Merri-
thew and Katherine early disappeared into the
regions of the kitchen and dining-room, for the
six o'clock dinner was to have several guests,
and there was much to be arranged and over-
seen. But by half-past five the whole family
Our Little Canadian Cousin 93
was assembled in the big drawing-room, and
neither Mrs. Merrithew nor Kathie looked as
if they had ever seen the inside of a kitchen.
Mrs. Merrithew wore her loveliest gown, a
shimmering silver-gray silk with lace sleeves
and fichu, and lilies-of-the-valley at her neck
and in her abundant hair. As for Katherine,
in her fawn-coloured dress with trimmings of
yellow beads, and deep yellow roses, Jackie
said she looked like a fairy lady, — and on the
subject of fairies he was an authority. The
little girls were in pure white, with sashes of
their favourite colours, and the gold and coral
necklaces which had been among their gifts ;
while Jackie, in his red velvet suit and broad
lace collar, looked not unlike the picture of
Leonard in cc The Story of a Short Life."
Presently the guests began to arrive. First
came Miss Bell, a second cousin of Mr. Mer-
rithew's, and the nearest relative he had in
Fredericton. She was very tall, very thin,
94 Our Little Canadian Cousin
quite on the shady side of fifty, and a little
deaf. Nevertheless, she was decidedly hand-
some, with her white hair, bright, dark eyes,
and beautifully arched brows. She was a great
favourite with the children, and always carried
some little surprise for them in her pocket. A
little later came a widowed aunt of Mrs. Mer-
rithew's, fair, fat, and frivolous ; and a bachelor
uncle, who came next in the esteem of the
children to Cousin Sophia Bell. Two young
normal school students, sisters, who were not
able to go home for the holidays, soon swelled
the party, and last, but not least, came Mr.
Will Graham, looking very handsome in his
evening clothes.
When they went out to dinner Jackie
escorted Cousin Sophia, and Marjorie over-
heard him saying, in urgent tones :
" I wish that you and Uncle Bob would
come and live with us, — but I dorit want
Aunt Fairley ; she is too funny all the time ! "
Our Little Canadian Cousin 95
The Christmas dinner was much like other
Christmas dinners, except that Debby's cook-
ing was unsurpassable. After every one had
tasted everything, and three of the five-cent
pieces had come to light, the chairs were
pushed back a little, and while nuts and raisins
were being discussed, they had also catches,
rounds, and choruses. Each person with any
pretence to a voice was expected to give one
solo at least. Jackie, who had a very sweet
little voice, sang " God Save the King,"
with great fervour. But the favourite of the
evening was the beautiful " Under the Holly
Bough," with the words of which they were all
familiar.
Presently, Jackie, who had been promised
that he should choose his own bedtime that
night, was found to be fast asleep with his
head on his green-leaf dessert plate, and a
bunch of raisins clasped tightly in one hand.
He was tenderly carried away, undressed, and
96 Our Little Canadian Cousin
tucked into bed, without once opening an eye.
As Kathie turned to leave him, she picked up
one of his best-beloved new books, — " Off to
Fairyland," in blue and gold covers, with
daintily coloured pictures, — and laid it beside
him for a pleasant waking sight the next morn-
ing. Down-stairs she found the rest of the
party gathered around the fire, telling stories
of Auld Lang Syne. As almost every one
had been up early that morning, no very lively
games seemed to appeal to them ; but the
children thought no game could be so interest-
ing as these sprightly anecdotes and rose-leaf-
scented romances that were being recalled and
recounted to-night. "Do you remember — "
Cousin Sophia would say ; then would follow
some entrancing memories, to which Mr. and
Mrs. Merrithew, Uncle Bob, and Mrs. Fairley
would contribute a running comment of " Yes,
yes ! she was a lovely girl ! " " He never
held up his head after she died ! " and so on.
Our Little Canadian Cousin 97
Then Mrs. Fairley would hum an old-time
waltz, and branch off into reminiscences of
balls, — and of one in particular at Govern-
ment House, where she had lost her satin
slipper, and the governor's son had brought it
to her, and called her Cinderella. She put out
a satin-shod foot as she talked, and Marjorie
thought that, though it certainly was tiny, it
was not at all a pretty shape, and began to
understand why her mother made her wear
her boots so loose.
About ten, Susan brought tea and plum-
cake, and when this had been disposed of,
they all, according to another time-honoured
custom, gathered around the piano, and sang
the grand old words that unnumbered thou-
sands of voices had sung that day :
" Oh, come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant ;
Oh, come ye, oh, come ye
To Bethlehem !
98 Our Little Canadian Cousin
Come and behold him
Born the King of angels;
Oh, come let us adore him,
Christ the Lord!"
NOTHING, DORA THOUGHT. COULD BE MORE RE
THAN THOSE WOODS IN WINTER "
CHAPTER VIII.
Snow -shoeing is one of the national sports
of Canada, in which most Canadians, big and
little, are proficient. Marjorie and her cousin
were no exception to the rule, and Jackie
proved a very apt pupil. He soon learned to
avoid striking one snow-shoe against the other,
and fell quickly into that long, easy swing,
which makes the snowy miles go by so quickly.
Sometimes the three children tramped on the
broad, frozen river, but that was a cold place
when there was any wind, so they generally
chose the hill-roads or the woods. Nothing,
Dora thought, could be more beautiful than
those woods in winter, with the white drifts
around the grayish tree-trunks, the firs and
hemlocks rising like green islands out of a
99
ioo Our Little Canadian Cousin
snowy sea, and the wonderful tracery of brown
boughs against the pale blue of the sky.
Once, Mr. and Mrs. Merrithew went with
them for a moonlight tramp, and that was
something never to be forgotten.
It was just after a heavy snowfall, and the
evergreens were weighed down with a white
covering that sparkled and glittered as with
innumerable jewels. Another favourite amuse-
ment was coasting, — not tobogganing, but
good, old-fashioned coasting, generally on Col-
lege Hill, but sometimes down the steep bank
of the river. Coasting parties were frequent,
and it was a pretty sight to see the hill dotted
with blanket-coated and toqued or tam-o'-
shantered figures, and pleasant to hear the
merry voices and laughter as the sleds
skimmed swiftly down the road.
The winters in Eastern Canada, though
cold, are wonderfully bright and clear, and
the air is so free from dampness that one does
Our Little Canadian Cousin 101
not realize how cold it sometimes becomes,
unless one consults the thermometer. Cana-
dians, as a rule, spend a great deal of time in
the open air in winter as well as summer, and
are as hardy a race as can be found anywhere,
but when they are indoors they like their
houses good and warm, — no half-measures,
no chilly passages and draughty bedrooms for
them !
Mr. Merrithew did not keep horses, but
occasionally he would hire a big three-seated
sleigh and take the family for a delightful spin.
They would all be warmly wrapped in wool-
lens and furs, and snuggled in buffalo-robes ;
the bells would jingle merrily, the snow would
" skreak " under the horses' feet, and the
white world slip by them like a dream.
One day, about the middle of February,
Mrs. Merrithew announced, at breakfast, that
it was high time for the drive to Hemlock
Point, which Mr. Merrithew had been promis-
102 Our Little Canadian Cousin
ing them all winter. As the latter quite agreed
with this idea, they decided to go on the fol-
lowing morning, spend a long day with the
friends they always visited there, and return by
moonlight. Hemlock Point was somewhere
between ten and twenty miles up-river, — it
does not always do to be too exact, — and their
friends lived in a quaint old farmhouse, on
high ground, well back from the river-bank.
That evening, when they sat in the Den
after lessons were done, Marjorie told Dora
about the good folk who lived there, — an old
bachelor farmer, the most kind-hearted and
generous of men, but as bashful as a boy ; his
two unmarried sisters, who managed his house
and thought they managed him, but really
spoilt him to his heart's content ; and an
orphan niece, who had lived with them for
several years, and who was the only modern
element in their lives. She graphically de-
scribed the old loom, the big and little spin-
bur Little Canadian Cousin 103
ning-wheels, and the egg-shell china, till Dora
was as anxious as Jackie for to-morrow to
come.
The three-seated sleigh and the prancing
horses were at the door of the Big Brick
House by eight the next morning, for the
drive would be long and the load heavy, and
it was well to be early on the way. The girls
and Jackie wore their blanket-suits, — Dora's
and Jackie's crimson and Marjorie's bright
blue, — and Mrs. Merrithew herself, snugly
wrapped in furs, brought a grand supply of
extra cloaks and shawls. She was always pre-
pared for any emergency. Mr. Merrithew said
that he never knew her fail to produce pins,
rope, a knife, and hammer and nails, if they
were needed. But the hammer and nails she
repudiated, and said it was twine, not rope,
she carried ! The sky was a little overcast
when they started, but the prospect of a snow-
storm did not daunt them in the least.
104 Our Little Canadian Cousin
The bells, of which there were a great many
on the harness, kept up a musical, silvery ac-
companiment to the conversation, as the horses
swung at a good speed along the level. When
the hills began to rise, the pace slackened,
and the passengers had a better chance to
enjoy the beauties spread on both sides of
the road.
" But oh, you ought to see it in summer ! "
Marjorie said, when Dora praised the varied
and lovely landscapes. " There are so many
things yet for you to see all around here.
You will have to stay two or three years more
at least ! "
But Dora laughed at this.
" What about all the things there are for you
to see in Montreal ? " she said. " What about
the Ice Palace, and — "
" Please tell about the Ice Palace, Dora,"
Jack interrupted. " That must be a gorlious
sight ! "
Our Little Canadian Cousin 105
So Dora tried to give her cousins some idea
of the great palace of glittering ice, and the
hundreds of snow-shoers, in bright costumes
and carrying torches, gathered together to
storm this fairylike fortress.
" It must be fine," said Marjorie, when the
story was done, " but I'd rather storm Hem-
lock Point, and get fried chicken and butter-
milk as the spoils of war."
Marjorie, being a tremendous home-girl,
generally tried to change the subject if Dora
made any allusions to a possible visit of Mar-
jorie alone to Montreal. She could not bear
the thought of parting with Dora, but to part
with mother and Daddy and Jack would be
three times worse !
The last part of the road was decidedly
hilly, and the horses took such advantage of
Mr. Merrithew's consideration for their feel-
ings, that Jackie, lulled by the slow motion
and the sound of the bells, fell asleep against
106 Our Little Canadian Cousin
his mother's shoulder, and knew no more till
he woke on a couch in Miss Grier's sitting-
room. The oldest Miss Grier — whom every
one called Miss Prudence — was bustling
about, helping Marjorie and Dora off with
their things, and giving advice to Miss Alma,
who was hastening to start a fire in the great
old-fashioned Franklin. Miss Dean, the niece,
was taking off Mrs. Merrithew's overboots, in
spite of her polite protests. Jackie's eyes were
open for some moments before any one noticed
him ; then he startled them by saying, in per-
fectly wide-awake tones :
" I think, Miss Lois Dean, you are the
very littlest lady in the world ! "
Miss Dean, who certainly could not well be
smaller and be called grown-up at all, and
whose small head was almost weighted down
by its mass of light hair, looked at her favour-
ite with twinkling eyes.
" Never mind, Jackie, the best goods are
Our Little Canadian Cousin 107
often done up in small parcels; and I'm big
enough to hold you on my lap while I tell
you stories, which is the main thing, isn't it ? "
"Yes, indeed," Jack cried, jumping up to
hug her, which resulted in the pretty hair get-
ting loosened from its fastenings and tumbling
in wild confusion around the " littlest lady,"
where she sat on the floor.
" Now you are a fairy godmother ! Now
you are a fairy godmother ! " exclaimed Jackie,
dancing around her.
" Then I will put a charm upon you at
once," Lois said. " No more dancing, no
more noise, no more anything, until we get the
wraps all off and put away ; then you and
I will go and — fry chicken — and sausages —
for dinner ! "
The last part of the sentence was whispered
in Jack's ear, and caused him to smile con-
tentedly, and to submit without a murmur to
the process of unwrapping.
108 Our Little Canadian Cousin
After dinner, — which did great credit to
Lois and her assistant, — they gathered around
the Franklin in the sitting-room, with plates
of " sops-of-wine " and golden pippins within
easy reach, and Mr. Grier and Mr. Merrithew
talked farming and politics, while Miss Pru-
dence recounted any episodes of interest that
had taken place at or near Hemlock Point
during the past year.
Mrs. Merrithew, who had spent her sum-
mers here as a girl, knew every one for miles
around, and loved to hear the annals of the
neighbourhood, told in Miss Prudence's pic-
turesque way, with an occasional pithy com-
ment from Miss Alma.
Dora sat, taking in with eager eyes the view
of hill and intervale, island and ice-bound
river ; then turning back to the cosey interior,
with its home-made carpet, bright curtains,
and large bookcase with glass doors.
After a little while Lois, who saw that the
Our Little Canadian Cousin 109
children were growing weary of sitting still,
proposed a stroll through the house, to which
they gladly consented. Katherine asked if
she might go with them, and they left " the
enchanted circle around the fire," and crossed
the hall to the " best parlour," — - which Miss
Prudence always wished to throw open in
Mrs. Merrithew's honour, and which the latter
always refused to sit in, because, as she frankly
said, it gave her the shivers. This was not
on account of any ill-taste in the furnishing,
but because it was always kept dark and shut
up, and Mrs. Merrithew said it could not be
made cheery all of a sudden. The children,
however, loved the long room, and the mys-
terious feeling it gave them when they first
went in, and had to grope their way to the
windows, draw back the curtains, and put up
the yellow Venetian blinds, letting the clear,
wintry light into this shadowy domain. This
light brought out the rich, dark colours of the
no Our Little Canadian Cousin
carpet, and showed the treasures of chairs and
tables that would have made a collector's
mouth water. There was a round table of
polished mahogany in the centre of the room,
a tiny butternut sewing-table in one corner,
and against the wall, on opposite sides of the
room, two rosewood tables, with quaint carved
legs, and feet of shining brass. On the tables
lay many curious shells, big lumps of coral,
and rare, many-coloured seaweeds, — for there
had been a sailor-uncle in the family, — annu-
als and beauty-books in gorgeous bindings,
albums through which the children looked
with never-failing delight, work-boxes and
portfolios inlaid with mother-of-pearl ; almost
all the treasures of the family, in fact, laid
away here in state, like Jean Ingelow's dead
year, cc shut in a sacred gloom. 1 '
When this room had been inspected and
admired, they lowered the blinds, drew the
curtains, and left it again to its solitude. The
Our Little Canadian Cousin 1 1 1
rest of the house was much less awe-inspiring,
but it was all delightful. The loom, now
seldom or never used, stood in one corner of
the kitchen. Not far away was the big spin-
ning-wheel. Miss Dean tried to teach them
to spin, and when they found it was not so
easy as it looked, gave them a specimen of
how it should be done that seemed almost
magical. There is, indeed, something that
suggests magic about spinning, — the rhythmi-
cally stepping figure, the whirling brown wheel,
the rolls of wool, changed by a perfectly meas-
ured twirl and pull into lengths of snow-
white yarn, and the soothing, drowsy hum,
the most restful sound that labour can pro-
duce.
Then there was the up-stairs to visit. The
chief thing of interest there was the tiny flax-
wheel which stood in the upper hall, and which
certainly looked, as Jack said, as if it ought to
belong to a fairy godmother. In the attic,
112 Our Little Canadian Cousin
great bunches of herbs hung drying from the
rafters, and the air was sweet with the scent
of them. There were sage, summer-savoury,
sweet marjoram, sweet basil, mint, and many
more, with names as fragrant as their leaves.
On the floor, near one of the chimneys,
was spread a good supply of butternuts,
and strings of dried apples stretched from
wall to wall at the coolest end of the one big
room.
" If I lived in this house/' Dora said, " I
would come up here often and write, — try to
write, I mean ! "
"I come up here often and read," Miss
Dean said, with a quick glance of comprehen-
sion at the little girl's eager face. " I love it !
And sometimes, when I feel another way and
it's not too cold, I put up one blind in the best
parlour, and sit in there."
C£ I wish you were coming down to sit in
mother's den, and read — and talk — and
Our Little Canadian Cousin 113
everything ! " said Marjorie, and the others
echoed the wish.
" So I am, some time or other," Lois
answered. " Mrs. Merrithew has asked me,
and now it's just a question of how soon Aunt
Prudence can spare me. That may be next
week, — or it may be next winter ! "
"It may be for years and it may be for
ever/' Dora quoted, laughing, and Jackie
added, cc and then — when you do come —
we will make you a Son and Daughter of
Canada right away ! "
The search for the egg-shell china took
them back to the sitting-room, where Lois
begged Miss Prudence to exhibit this most
fragile of her belongings. With natural pride,
that lady unlocked a china-closet, and brought
out specimens of the beautiful delicate ware
which their grandmother had brought over
with her from Ireland, and of which, in all
these years, only three articles had been
H4 Our Little Canadian Cousin
broken. It certainly was exquisite stuff, deli-
cately thin, of a rich cream-colour, and with
gilt lines and tiny wreaths of pink and crimson
roses.
" I thought we would have them out for
tea," Miss Alma suggested, but Mrs. Merri-
thew, with three children, all rather hasty in
their movements, to look after, begged her
not to think of such a thing.
u Your white and gold china is pretty
enough for any one ; " she said, cc and, my
dear Prudence, if you are determined to give
us tea after that big dinner, we will have to
ask for it soon, or we will be spending most
of the night on the road."
" Dear, dear ! " said Miss Prudence, putting
back her treasures tenderly, " it does seem as
if you'd been here about half an hour, and I
do hate to have you go ! But I know how you
feel about being out late with the children,
and you won't stay all night. Come along,
Our Little Canadian Cousin 115
Alma, let's hustle up some tea, and let Lois
talk to Mrs. Merrithew awhile."
And " hustle " they certainly did, spread-
ing a board that groaned with the good
old-fashioned dainties, for the cooking of
which Miss Prudence was noted through-
out the country. Then the horses were
brought to the door, tossing their heads in
haste to be off, wraps were snugly adjusted,
good-byes said many times, and they were
off.
" I believe Grier has given these horses
nothing but oats all day," Mr. Merrithew
muttered, as the pretty beasts strained and
tugged in their anxiety to run down-hill ; but
when it came to the up-hill stretches, they
soon sobered down, and were content with a
reasonable pace. Warm and cosey, nestled
against his mother, Jackie soon slept as be-
fore ; but the others, with rather a reckless
disregard of their throats, sang song after song,
Ii6 Our Little Canadian Cousin
in spite of the frosty air, and dashed up to the
door of the Big Brick House, at last, to the
sound of:
" 'Twas from Aunt Dinah's quilting party
I was seeing Nellie home."
CHAPTER IX.
To invalids, or to the really destitute, Cana-
dian winters, clear and bright though they are,
may seem unduly long ; but for our little
Canadian Cousins, warmly clad, warmly housed,
and revelling in the season's healthful sports,
the months went by as if on wings. With
March, though the winds were strong, the sun
began to show his power, and by the middle
of the month the sap was running, and the
maple-sugar-making had begun. Jackie per-
suaded his father to take him out one morning
to the woods, and to help him tap a number
of trees. When they went back later and
collected the tin cups which they had left
under the holes in the trees, they found alto-
gether about a pint of sap. This they took
117
i iS Our Little Canadian Cousin
carefully home, and Jack persuaded every one
to taste it, then boiled the remainder until it
thickened a little, — a very little, it is true, —
and the family manfully ate it with their muf-
fins for tea, though Mrs. Merrithew declared
that she believed they had tapped any tree
they came across, instead of keeping to sugar-
maples.
Toward the end of the month Mrs. Grey
got up a driving-party to one of the sugar-
camps, and though it was chiefly for grown
people, Mrs. Merrithew allowed Dora and
Marjorie to go. The drive was long, and
rather tiring, as the roads were beginning to
get " slumpy," and here and there would come
a place where the runners scraped bare ground.
But when they reached the camp they were
given a hearty welcome, allowed to picnic in
the camp-house, and treated to unlimited
maple-syrup, sugar, and candy.
The process of sugar-making has lost much
Our Little Canadian Cousin 119
ef its picturesqueness, since the more conve-
nient modern methods have come into use.
Mrs. Grey remembered vividly when there
were no camp-houses, with their big furnaces
and evaporating pans, and no little metal
<c spiles " to conduct the sap from the trees
to the tins beneath. In those days the spiles,
about a foot in length, were made of cedar,
leading to wooden troughs, — which, she main-
tained, gave the juice an added and delicious
flavour. But this their host of the sugar-
camp would not admit, though he agreed with
her that the process of boiling must have been
much more interesting to watch when it was
done in big cauldrons hung over bonfires in
the snowy woods. When the visitors left
camp, each one carried a little bark dish (called
a " cosseau ") of maple-candy, presented by
the owner of the camp, and most of them
had bought quantities of the delicious fresh
sugar.
120 Our Little Canadian Cousin
April brought soft breezes, warmer sunshine
and melting snow. It seemed to Dora that
people thought of scarcely anything but the
condition of the ice, and the quantity of snow
in the woods. Then they began to say that
there would be a freshet, and Debby, who was
apt to forebode the worst, announced that the
bridges would go this time, sure ! Mr. Merri-
thew only laughed when Marjorie asked him
about it, and said that this prophecy had been
made every year since the bridges were built,
and that there was no more danger this year
than any other. But Mrs. Merrithew, though
she could not be said to worry, still quietly
decided what things she would carry with her
in case of a flight to the hills ! The freshet
which was talked about so much was, in spite
of Mr. Merrithew's laughter, a remote possi-
bility ; certainly not a probability. In his own
and Mrs. Merrithew's youth, it had been so
imminent that people actually had gone to the
Our Little Canadian Cousin 121
hills. A tremendous jam had been formed a
few miles above town ; but a few days of hot
sun had opened the river farther down, and
the danger had passed. Since the two bridges,
however, had been built, some people thought
that there was a chance of the ice jamming
above the upper bridge. Usually the worst
jams were between the islands, not far above
town.
Each day some fresh word was brought in
as to the river's condition. " The River St.
John is like a sick person, isn't it?" Dora
said one afternoon. " The first thing every
one says in the morning is, ( I wonder how
the river is to-day.' "
The words were scarcely out of her mouth
when Mr. Merrithew came in hastily, calling
out :
" Come, people, if you want to see the ice
go out. The jam by Vine Island is broken.
Come quick. It's piling up finely ! "
122 Our Little Canadian Cousin
In a very few minutes the whole family
answered to his summons, and they set out in
great excitement to watch their dear river shake
off its fetters. They made their way quickly
to the wooden bridge, and found a good share
of the population of Fredericton there assem-
bled. It was truly a sight well worth going
to see. Below the bridge the dark water was
running swiftly, bearing blocks of ice, bits of
board, and logs, — indeed, a fine medley
of things. But above the bridge ! Jackie
clapped his hands with delight, as he watched
the ice, pushed by the masses behind it, throw
itself against the mighty stone piers, and break
and fall back, while the bridge quivered afresh
at each onslaught. It was truly grand to see,
and they stayed watching it for more than an
hour ; stayed till Jackie began to shiver, and
Mrs. Merrithew hurried them home.
By the next morning the river was rapidly
clearing, so that some reckless spirits ventured
Our Little Canadian Cousin 123
to cross in boats and canoes, dodging the ice-
cakes with skill worthy to be employed in
a better cause. In a day or two more the
deep whistle of the river-boat was heard ; a
sound that brings summer near, though not
a leaf be on the trees. But it was not until
the ice had entirely ceased running, and the
river had begun to go down, that really warm
weather could begin, for, until then, there was
always a chill air from the water.
But after that, — ah, then spring came in
earnest, with balmy airs and singing birds,
pussy-willows, silver gray, beside the brooks,
and little waterfalls laughing down the hills.
Then came the greening fields, the trees
throwing deeper shadows, and the Mayflowers,
pink and pearly and perfect, hiding under
their own leaves in damp woodland hollows !
The children made many excursions to gather
these fragrant blooms, and kept quantities of
them in the Den until the season was over.
124 Our Little Canadian Cousin
It would be hard, Mrs. Merrithew thought, to
find anything more lovely, and to show how
thoroughly she appreciated their attention, she
made for each child a little Mayflower picture
in water-colours. In Marjorie's the flowers
were in a large blue bowl, on a table covered
with an old-blue cloth ; for Jackie she painted
them in a dainty shallow basket, just as he had
brought them from the woods ; and for Dora
there was a shadowy green bit of the woodland
itself, and a few of the braver blossoms just
showing among leaves and moss.
CHAPTER X.
Once more the lilacs were in blossom in the
garden of the Big Brick House. The black-
birds called and chuckled in the lofty branches
of the elms, and robins hopped about the
lawns, seemingly with the express purpose of
tantalizing Kitty Grey. On the lawn, where
the hammocks hung, a happy group was
gathered. Mr. and Mrs. Merrithew were
there, Marjorie and Dora, Katherine and Jack,
and two others who evidently formed the
centre of attraction. Of these, one was a tall,
thin man, with a frame that must once have
been athletic, and a pathetic stoop in the broad
shoulders. He sat in a deep armchair, with
Dora contentedly nestled on his knee. In a
hammock near him sat a lady, with a dark,
lovely face, beautifully arched brows, and soft
125
126 Our Little Canadian Cousin
eyes, so like Dora's that a stranger might
have guessed their relationship.
Mr. Carman, though still an invalid, was
wonderfully better, and both he and his wife
were full of praises of the great, beautiful
West, its scenery, its climate, and its possi-
bilities.
" I have come to the conclusion," Mr.
Carman said, after an enthusiastic description
of a sunset in the Rocky Mountains, " that it
is no wonder we Canadians are proud of our
country."
" Then you and Aunt Denise shall be £ Sons
and Daughters/ " cried Jackie, c< and you can
read a paper about the West at our very next
meeting. That will be fine ! "
And Uncle Archie and Aunt Denise were
accepted then and there as members of the
S. A. D. O. C.
The travellers had only arrived the day
before, so there was still much to ask and tell ;
Our Little Canadian Cousin 127
but Dora and her parents had already had a
long talk as to plans and prospects, and the
little girl was radiant with delight over the
arrangements that were decided upon. Mar-
jorie, who could not help being a little cast
down at the prospect of a separation from her
cousin, wondered that Dora did not seem to
mind at all. But when, by and by, they
strolled off together to the grape-arbour for a
talk, she understood the reason of this cheer-
fulness.
" I want to tell you all about our plans/'
Dora began, as soon as they were seated in
their favourite nook. " You see, mother says
that dear father, though he is certainly better,
won't be able to work for a long, long time.
Next winter they will probably go to Barba-
does, where some friends of mother's are
living ; and if they do, I am to stay with you
all winter again, — if you will have me, Mar-
jorie ! Your mother says she will ! "
128 Our Little Canadian Cousin
" Have you ! " Marjorie exclaimed. " Oh,
but I am glad ! I don't know what I will do
without you all summer, but it is fine to know
that at least we will have the winter together."
Then Dora burst into a peal of laughter,
and clapped her hands over the news that she
had to tell.
" Oh, I've got the best to tell you yet/' she
said. " Father and mother have quite decided
to stay here, in Fredericton, all summer !
They want to rent a furnished house, just as
close to this one as they possibly can ; and
then we will be together almost every minute,
just as we are now. Wont it be lovely ? "
Marjorie sat quiet for a minute, and thought
it over with shining eyes. Then she gave
Dora a regular <c bear-hug," and cried :
" I feel just like Jackie does when he dances
a war-dance ! I was going to say that it was
too good to be true, but mother says she
doesn't like that saying, for there is nothing
Our Little Canadian Cousin 129
too good to come true sometime, if it isn't
already. Come and tell Jack and Aunt
Kathie, quick ! They will be almost as glad
as I am ! "
So these little Canadian Cousins went hand
in hand down the garden-path, full of happy
thoughts of the long bright summer days that
spread before them.
THE END.
THE LITTLE COUSIN SERIES
The most delightful and interesting accounts possible
of child life in other lands, filled with quaint sayings,
doings, and adventures.
Each one vol., x 2mo, decorative cover, cloth, with six or more
full-page illustrations in color.
Price per volume $0.60
By MARY HAZELTON WADE {unless otherwise
indicated)
Our Little African Cousin Our Little Irish Cousin
Our Little Alaskan Cousin Our Little Italian Cousin
By Mary F. Nixon -Roulet Qur Litt , e Japanese Cou8in
Our Little Arabian Cousin Qur Uttle Jewish Cousin
By Blanche McManus
_ . . . _ Our Little Korean Cousin
Our Little Armenian Cousin j} y jj L ee jyj # pjk e
Our Uttle Brown Cousin Qur Little Mexican Cousin
Our Little Canadian Cousin By Edward C. Butler
By Elizabeth R. Macdonald Qur Little Norwegian Cousin
Our Little Chinese Cousin Qur LittIe Panama Cousin
By Isaac Taylor Headland By H> Lee M Pike
Our Little Cuban Cousin 0ur Uttle Philippine Cousin
Our Uttle Dutch Cousin Our Little Porto Rican Cousin
By Blanche McManus -...,_ . „
_ _ . _ _ . . Our Little Russian Cousin
Our Little English Cousin ,*»..« • ^
By Blanche McManus ° ur ""le Scotch Cousin
J Xi-ww L>l^^»i^V>A A/l^A/l'
Our Little Eskimo Cousin
By Blanche McManus
Our Little Siamese Cousin
Our Little French Cousin
By Blanche McManus ° ur LlttIe Spanish Cousin
Our Little German Cousin
By Mary F. Nixon -Roulet
Our Little Swedish Cousin
Our Little Hawaiian Cousin g y Claire M. Coburn
Our Little Hindu Cousin Qur LitUe Swisg Cousin
By Blanche McManus
Our Little Indian Cousin
Our Little Turkish Cousin
THE GOLDENROD LIBRARY
The Goldenrod Library contains stories which appeal
alike both to children and to their parents and guardians.
Each volume is well illustrated from drawings by
competent artists, which, together with their handsomely
decorated uniform binding, showing the goldenrod,
usually considered the emblem of America, is a feature
of their manufacture.
Each one volume, small i2mo, illustrated . . $0.35
LIST OF TITLES
Aunt Nabby's Children. By Frances Hodges White.
Child's Dream of a Star, The. By Charles Dickens.
Flight Of Rosy Dawn, The. By Pauline Bradford Mackie.
Findelkind. By Ouida.
Fairy of the Rhone, The. By A. Comyns Carr.
Qatty and I. By Frances E. Crompton.
Helena's Wonderworld. By Frances Hodges White.
Jerry's Reward. By Evelyn Snead Barnett.
La Belle Nivernaise. By Alphonse Daudet.
Little King Davie. By Nellie Hellis.
Little Peterkin Vandike. By Charles Stuart Pratt.
Little Professor, The. By Ida Horton Cash.
Peggy's Trial. By Mary Knight Potter.
Prince Yellowtop. By Kate Whiting Patch.
Provence Rose, A. By Ouida.
Seventh Daughter, A. By Grace Wickham Curran.
Sleeping Beauty, The. By Martha Baker Dunn.
Small, Small Child, A. By E. Livingston Prescott.
Susanne. By Frances J. Delano.
Water People, The. By Charles Lee Sleight.
Young Archer, The. By Charles E. Brimblecom.
COSY CORNER SERIES
It is the intention of the publishers that this series shall
contain only the very highest and purest literature, —
stories that shall not only appeal to the children them-
selves, but be appreciated by all those who feel with
them in their joys and sorrows.
The numerous illustrations in each book are by well-
known artists, and each volume has a separate attrac-
tive cover design.
Each i vol., i6mo, cloth .... $0.50
By ANNIE FELLOWS JOHNSTON
The Little Colonel. (Trade Mark.)
The scene of this story is laid in Kentucky. Its hero-
ine is a small girl, who is known as the Little Colonel,
on account of her fancied resemblance to an old-school
Southern gentleman, whose fine estate and old family
are famous in the region.
The Giant Scissors.
This is the story of Joyce and of her adventures
in France. Joyce is a great friend of the Little Colonel,
and in later volumes shares with her the delightful ex-
periences of the " House Party " and the " Holidays."
Two Little Knights of Kentucky.
Who Were the Little Colonel's Neighbors.
In this volume the Little Colonel returns to us like an
old friend, but with added grace and charm. She is
not, however, the central figure of the story, that place
being taken by the " two little knights."
Mildred's Inheritance.
A delightful little story of a lonely English girl who
comes to America and is befriended by a sympathetic
American family who are attracted by her beautiful
speaking voice. By means of this one gift she is en-
abled to help a school-girl who has temporarily lost the
use of her eyes, and thus finally her life becomes a busy
happy one.
L. C. PAGE AND COMPANY'S
By ANNIE FELLOWS JOHNSTON {Continued)
Cicely and Other Stories for Girls.
The readers of Mrs. Johnston's charming juvenile»
will be glad to learn of the issue of this volume for
young people.
Aunt 'Liza's Hero and Other Stories.
A collection of six bright little stories, which will
appeal to all boys and most girls.
Big Brother.
A story of two boys. The devotion and care of
Steven, himself a small boy, for his baby brother, is the
theme of the simple tale.
Ole Mammy's Torment.
" Ole Mammy's Torment" has been fitly called "a
classic of Southern life." It relates the haps and mis-
haps of a small negro lad, and tells how he was led by
love and kindness to a knowledge of the right.
The Story of Dago.
In this story Mrs. Johnston relates the story of Dago,
a pet monkey, owned jointly by two brothers. Dago
tells his own story, and the account of his haps and mis-
haps is both interesting and amusing.
The Quilt That Jack Built.
A pleasant little story of a boy's labor of love, and
how it changed the course of his life many years after
it was accomplished.
Flip's Islands of Providence.
A story of a boy's life battle, his early defeat, and his
final triumph, well worth the reading.
4-
COSY CukNER SERIES
By EDITH ROBINSON
A Little Puritan's First Christmas.
A Story of Colonial times in Boston, telling how
Christmas was invented by Betty Sewall, a typical child
of the Puritans, aided by her brother Sam.
A Little Daughter of Liberty.
The author introduces this story as follows :
" One ride is memorable in the early history of the
American Revolution, the well-known ride of Paul
Revere. Equally deserving of commendation is another
ride, — the ride of Anthony Severn, — which was no less
historic in its action or memorable in its consequences."
A Loyal Little Maid.
A delightful and interesting story of Revolutionary
days, in which the child heroine, Betsey Schuyler,
renders important services to George Washington.
A Little Puritan Rebel.
This is an historical tale of a real girl, during the
time when the gallant Sir Harry Vane was governor of
Massachusetts.
A Little Puritan Pioneer.
The scene of this story is laid in the Puritan settle-
ment at Charlestown.
A Little Puritan Bound Girl.
A story of Boston in Puritan days, which is of great
interest to youthful readers.
A Little Puritan Cavalier.
The story of a " Little Puritan Cavalier " who tried
with all his boyish enthusiasm to emulate the spirit and
ideals of the dead Crusaders.
A Puritan Knight Errant.
The story tells of a young lad in Colonial times who
endeavored to carry out the high ideals of the knights
of olden days.
L. a PAGE AND COMPANY'S
By OUIDA {Louise de la Ramie)
A Dog Of Flanders : A Christmas Story.
Too well and favorably known to require description.
The Nurnberg Stove.
This beautiful story has never before been published
at a popular price.
By FRANCES MARGARET FOX
The Little Giant's Neighbours.
A charming nature story of a " little giant " whose
neighbours were the creatures of the field and garden.
Farmer Brown and the Birds.
A little story which teaches children that the birds
are man's best friends.
Betty of Old Mackinaw.
A charming story of child-life, appealing especially to
the little readers who like stories of " real people."
Brother Billy.
The story of Betty's brother, and some further ad-
ventures of Betty herself.
Mother Nature's Little Ones.
Curious little sketches describing the early lifetime,
or " childhood," of the little creatures out-of-doors.
How Christmas Came to the Mul-
vaneys.
A bright, lifelike little story of a family of poor chil-
dren, with an unlimited capacity for fun and mischief.
The wonderful never-to-be forgotten Christmas that
came to them is the climax of a series of exciting inci-
dents.
.
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