The Little Colonel's House Party

sts," Jun

ame, godmother heard me wishing that I could put a slice of my good times away in a box every day, and save it to take home and enjoy afterward, as people do fruit-cake sometimes, after Ch

y reading the account of what we did at this house party. So far I am the only guest.

ng my white bread now," for it is noth

s best of all. Then we sit on the porch in the twilight, and godmother talks about mamma. I never knew a

old-time charm to use modern lights. And she plays on the piano, and Lloyd on the harp. Lloyd is only learning, and godmother doesn't seem to think much of her playing, but to me

nd high up, where it is wide and open, and where the stars are. It makes me want to write. All sorts of beautiful thoughts come to me, that I can almos

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o-day, and he and Llo

We had to take off our shoes and stockings to wade out to it, and after we got there the rock was hardly big enough to

how it happened, but we got to laughing so hard that Lloyd choked on a piece of chicken. We began pounding her

he water out of our eyes. We laughed so hard we could scarcely fish the basket out of the creek and wade to sh

ll had to hurry home for dry clothes. But Rob came back again in the after

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any. It is just soft and wavy, and hangs in two long braids below her waist. Her eyes are gray, with long dark lashes, and while she isn't exactly pretty, s

she drew on the train. There is one that is so funny. It is the head of an old man, gone to sleep with his mouth open. She wrote under that one, "As others see us." Then she drew two cunning babies playing

ce. She has been here only a part of a day, an

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d Lloyd drove down to the station to meet her, but Joyce and I walk

iage and shook hands with us, she made me feel awkward and shy and out of place. Maybe it was because she had such a grown-up manner and seemed so young-ladi

uld be thankful to the end of time that I got here first. Seeing her arrive in such a stylish travelling suit, gloves, and Knox hat, and carrying such a handsome leather bag, opened

heek, and said, "You funny little Bettykins! As if i

. Joyce had not heard about the necklace, so I showed her my gold beads and told her their story. She thought it was lovely of godmother to make the fairy tale come true, but she advised me not to tell Eugenia. Girls who always travel in p

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. Behind her came one of the coloured men leading two ponies, so that we could all have a ride. The bay mare was for Eugenia, who is a fine horsewoman. She learned i

purpose. He was a clown pony in a circus one time, and is supposed to know a lot of tricks. Joyce wanted him because he is so gentle, and she had never ridden any before. She didn't mind

nd the five of us raced all over the valley till nearly lunch-time. It was grand. The

s we reached the grove, and Joyce's pony, Calico, began turning around and around as if he had lost his senses. Joyce screamed and threw her arms around his neck, frightened almost to de

until the music stopped. Then he walked over to Rob and held up his fore foot to shake hands, as if he wanted to be congratulated. The music of the band seemed to have brought back all his old

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en. She has a way of looking down on you that would rile anybody. But she is a fascinating sort of girl, w

he showed us the picture of her three best friends at school. It is in a big silver locket set with sapphires, and hangs over a corner of

t. She seems to have a great influence over Lloyd. I don't believe godmother would like it if she knew how much. Already Lloyd has promised to tease her father and mother into letting her go to New York next fall, to enter Eugenia's school

nd she answered in such a disgusted, patronising way, "

public schools were considered better than the private ones. They had better teachers and more progressive met

you wouldn't, being from the West, you know. I've always heard it spoken o

on for her to think about. Joyce looked out of the window with a sort of don't-care expression, and said something in French. O

irst day she came, and said Eugenia is just as apt to use the wrong word as the right one. This was the first time that Joyce had spoken French, and Eugenia was so surprised she couldn't help showing it, and asked her why she had never said anything before

hat, and said she didn't know that they taught French out West. Joyce said yes, that they did, but that of course

t her father will not humour her in. He says that she must wait until she is older, and he has time to go with her himself. All her friends have

ave paired off as we have. Joyce and I go together now, and Eugenia and Lloyd. Eugenia flatters her all the

ggled all over the page. There were only a few lines, but I knew how long the little fellow must have worked over them, gripping the pencil tight in his hard little fist. I was so proud of it, Davy's first letter, that I passed it around for the girls t

now that anybody ever wrote on ruled paper nowadays, but servan

vy in the plain old farmhouse, where it doesn't make any difference whether there are lines on your paper or not, or any such silly things as that. Everyb

big wide world outside of Eugenia's set with its silly airs and graces, and sensible people made fun of them. Then she offered to illustrate my answer to Davy's letter, and drew a picture o

athers, almost back to Noah, was a lord. But it doesn't make her remember to act l

are more th

aith than No