UC-NRLF B 3 331 T5D p BREEZES By ^ LUCY G IBBONS MORSE CHAUNCEY WETMORE WELLS 1872-1933 This book belonged to Chauncey Wetmore Wells. He taught in Yale College, of which he was a graduate, from 1897 to 1901, and from 1 90 1 to 1933 at this University. Chauncey Wells was, essentially, a scholar. The range of his read- ing was wide, the breadth of his literary sympathy as uncommon as the breadth of his human sympathy. He was less concerned with the collection of facts than with meditation upon their sig- nificance. His distinctive power lay in his ability to give to his students a subtle perception of the inner implications of form, of manners, of taste, of the really disciplined and discriminating mind. And this perception appeared not only in his thinking and teaching but also in all his relations with books and with men. BREEZES BREEZES By LUCY GIBBONS MORSE HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY 1921 t C * C ,< , t K < IN MEMORIAM p.j<% •^ COPYRIGHT, I921, BY LUCY G. MORSE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TO MY GRANDCHILDREN FOREWORD BY AMY LOWELL This is a book of wind and leaves — wind and leaves and a most charming imagination. The pictures are done in black and white, but all tlie fresh, bright colour of a Summer's day seems to flash from the pages. Here are the pine-trees which crowd along the sandy shores of Cape Cod, the wood- bine which twines over the porches and round the windows of the white houses, the thistles, and clover, and sorrels of the open pastures above the lo\v bluft's ; and here are the winds which play through them, from the slow, almost im- perceptible lift of air which seems scarcely to move the pine- needles, to the swift, hurrying gusts which set all the branches sweeping and swaying. Mrs. Morse must have watched trees for hours to capture these moods of wind among them as she has done, and to embody them in the little people of her fancy. For, if we look closely, we shall see that it is just the little figures which give the calm or windy feeling to the picture. What produces the hushed atmosphere of the "Evening Hymn" picture but the attitudes of the two little girls? Why is the '' Hide-and-Seek in the Clover " so hot and still ? [ vii ] FOREWORD I think it is the little boy scratching his head under that very quiet clover-top which is so obviously heavy with heat. Take the suspense when the breezes hear the call in the pine-tree ; it is all in the little girl's outstretched hands and lifted, ex- pectant head. The wind begins to rise as the breezes follow the piper — why ? Because of the eager, running legs. Watch the gale come up through the " grand play " series : In what a gust do the breezes scurry down the woodbine ; what a tremendous slant and rush of wind is there in the dive of the "bold draught" (and what a splendid, hobbledehoy name for him, to be sure!); what a blowing every which way in the running, swinging figures of the "Wild Frolic," one can positively feel the wind against one's face ! Then the sleepy breezes as the wind dies down, followed by the complete stillness of the final picture, typified by the utterly relaxed and motionless little person huddled against the twig stem. Outdoors set to a wonderful fairy tune indeed ! And these designs are extraordinary in their sheer originality ; they are as new as they are beautiful, as enchanting as they are (now that we have seen them) inevitable. I can think of no illus- trations for children, done in America, half so delightful as these ; but perhaps the best tribute is the unconscious one of a little boy of five who, as they lay on my writing-table, begged to be shown them again and again, and never tired [ viii ] FOREfFORD of listening to the captivating, inconsequent little stories in which Mrs. Morse tells about them. For years now, the author has been making these pic- tures into lampshades ; but to the many people who knew and admired them in that form it seemed a hazardous thing that such beautiful \vork should find its only expression in so perishable a medium. These friends finally persuaded Mrs. Morse to let them be published in a book, and this rare and wholly bewitching little volume is the result. I should wish that I were looking at these silhouettes for the first time, were I not so glad to be doing so for at least the thousand and first. Every evening, when the lamps are lit, these little figures come back to me anew, and I never wear}- of them ; on the contrary, the more I look, the more I want to look. They will now find the larger public that they deserve, and also, I believe, the great public of the future, which they also deserve. BREEZES ' i ^i t BREEZES Hush! A breeze stirs the pine-needles a7id whispers to the twigs, A tiny hoy breeze nestles against his brother and they are listening. The pine-tree siyigs. Other breezes gather and rock the branches. " Gently ! '* says the pine-tree. ^'This is the children' s sleepy hour and you breezes must sing in harmony, keeping time and tune. The cries of the gulls and crows have ceased, the young birds are asleep in their nests. • « « t , c t c « < c :i BREEZES and there is sweet music somewhere, like a cradle song." c 4 : BREEZES A little breeze was so happy one day that, wherever she went, she ran zvith all her ?mght. She ran till her legs ached. " J^ever mind,'' said the pine-tree ; '^sit on one of my branches and rock zvhile I tell you a story.'' But she was too tired to listen and was fast asleep before she had rocked a minute. C 6 ] BREEZES One evening Tommy was restless after going to bed and lay awake a long time listening to the wind in the pine-tree outside. Presently the soujid seemed to change to soft voices singing. He grew drowsy, and in a little while he went fast asleep. It was Lull and Whisper singing their evening hymn. C 8 3 A WAKING THISTLE *' I am sure it is too early to get up. It is too dark for me to see, and I am so sleepy /" says Rustle. " Go to sleep again,' says Velvet, " and Fll call you at sunrise.'' Rustle is sound asleep again in a minute. << She 's lazy," says Brisk. " There 's light over there," he adds, pointing to the eastern sky, ^' and I'm going to wake the daisies." " Oh, dear! " sighs Velvet, "• I wish I hadn't prom- ised to call Rustle, " L lo ] BREEZES "/ tell you, Prickle/* Sough is saying, "/ heard a mermaid sing, I heard her down on the beach, with my own ears, and I saw her with my ozvn eyes, rolling among the little breakers while the tide was rising.'' " Stuff! '' says Prickle. " It was Barbie singing, ' The Sun Shines Jfow.' She was splashing about between the verses and having a grand time.'' Ptickle is very determined, so Sough is silent, but she will always believe it was a mermaid. C 12 ] BREEZES *^0h. Feather!'' cried Tussle. "Where have you been ? I've hunted everywhere for you.'' Feather heaved a big sigh and said pitifully : " I got lost in this woodbine and the tendrils caught me and would not let me go, and, oh. Tussle ! " she moaned, <* / am so tired — so very, very tired I " ^^JVell, never mind — don't cry," said Tussle, rock- i?tg half an instant, and then, catching Feather's hand, he sprang up beside her, saying comfortingly : " JsTow you are safe and I'll take you to a pine-tree where you shall rest:' [ 14 ] BREEZES fVaft was sitting on the soft petals of a thistle-jlower playing a merry dance on his flute, '' Oh, JVaftf' cried Flutter, hurrying to the spot. ''Let me dance to that tune. My feet won't keep still while you play it.'' '* l^^ou HI get into the pricks,'' said JV aft, as she sprang up and lighted on a hare stem. JVaft was fidl of mischief and played a dozen tunes, changing suddenly from fast to slow, two-step and waltz- time, gay and solemn tunes. But Flutter changed her motions with the first note of each and did not once get into the pricks. ''How did you learn it?" asked JVaft. "I looked through the window on Sally' s piazza and saw her do it," said Flutter, Then she ran away, laughing. I 16 :i BREEZES J^ohody knows all the things the breezes do. They are never idle. Early and late they are always busy. They go softly in at open windozvs and squeeze through every chink and crack. They find sick children in their beds and cool their little hot cheeks. And sometimes they blow away little hot tempers. I 18 2 BREEZES A little breeze hid in the clover, but another one found him in no time. C 20 ;] Ruffle is telling Flurry how Tommy and his little sister were playing in a rowhoat on the beach when a sudden squall and the tide sent the boat adrift. '' It was going right out to sea,'' said Ruffle, ''but the contrary winds blew it back upon the beach, blew the children out, rolling on the sand, and blew their legs every which way while they blew 'em home.'* C 22 ] BREEZES Hark! fVas that a call? There was a rustle in the tree, and it seemed as if a voice cried: ** See who comes!" C 24 ] BREEZES Some breezes in the next tree stood quite still, won- dering who it could be. C 36 3 BREEZES In a minute there was a leap and a swing, and a strange young breeze sprang from one tree into another y skipping and dancing along branches and through the air with wonderful grace. Without stopping he took from his pocket a silver pipe and began to play magic music. c 28 n BREEZES All the little breezes who heard the music cried to one another, ^^ Comer' and they had to follow the piper. I 30 -} BREEZES It is Halloween and witches are out. These are Eeery, Airy, Gallop, and Flight, practicing tricks and telling one another of their doings. Eeety, laughing, says: ^'Oh, the fun I had! I was outside Tommy's house just as he zvas going off with his Jack-o'-lantern, and Betty was running out of the door after him. Their scarey grandmother tried to stop her, hut I blew her cap over her spectacles and squealed through the crack of the door in time to let the child get out of her reach. PFhat have you been doing. Sister Gallop^'' " Racing roujid and round Farmer Crosstick and blow- ing away his breath so he couldn't stop the boys' fun," says Gallop. Flight says : '' Airy and I had a gra?id time. C 32 ] BREEZES We got the pipers to play their liveliest tunes. C 34 3 BREEZES and set children to dancing all along the road." C 36 ] BREEZES These breezes are having a grand play. The one climb- ing up calls to them : " Only wait until I get there and we 'II have a regular rumpus ! '* C 38 3 BREEZES A westerly breeze cried : '' There 's a hurry-skurry on the cliff! Quicky if you don't want to miss it!'' I 40 ;] BREEZES A bold draught rushed through the top of a pine-tree and dived into the midst of the rumpus. [ 42 :] BREEZES There the breezes gathered in a wild frolic, making such a rushing and roaring and hubbub C 44 ] BREEZES that soon they were all tired out. c 46 n CAMBRIDGE . MASSACHUSETTS U . S. A W_'£'"^'v-i -iy.T 'Vui UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY BERKELEY Return to desk from which borrowed. This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 20 W-."^ 15luV59GW ftiJGl5l95£ ... ^\^^ 23%'e4DM REC'D LD JUN 16 '64-10 Ail LD 21-100m-ll,'49(B7146sl6)476 863697 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY