English
OverandoveragainhadMarkandRuthElmerreadthisparagraph,whichappearedamongthe“NortonItems”oftheweeklypaperpublishedinaneighboringtown:
“Wearesorrytolearnthatouresteemedfellow-townsman,MarkElmer,Esq.,owingtodelicatehealth,feelscompelledtoremovetoawarmerclimate.
Havingdisposedofhispropertyinthisplace,Mr.ElmerhaspurchasedaplantationinFlorida,uponwhichhewillsettleimmediately.
AshisfamilyaccompanyhimtothisnewhomeintheLandofFlowers,themanyschool-friendsandyoungplaymatesofhisinterestingchildrenwillmissthemsadly.”
“Itellyouwhat,Ruth,”saidMark,aftertheyhadreadthisitemforadozentimesormore,“wearesomebodiesafterall,anddon’tyouforgetit.
Weownaplantation,wedo,andhavedisposedofourPROPERTYinthisplace.”
AsMarklookedfromthehorse-blockonwhichhewassittingatthelittleweather-beatenhouse,nestlingintheshadowofitsglorioustrees,which,withitstinygrass-plotinfront,wasallthepropertyMr.Elmerhadeverowned,heflunguphishatinecstasyattheideaoftheirbeingpropertyowners,andtumbledoverbackwardintryingtocatchitasitfell.
“WhatIlike,”saidRuth,whostoodquietlybesidehim,“isthepartaboutusbeinginterestingchildren,andtothinkthatthegirlsandboysatschoolwillmissus.”
“Yes,andwon’ttheyopentheireyeswhenwewritethemlettersaboutthealligators,andtheorangegroves,andpalm-trees,andbread-fruit,andmonkeys,andIndians,andpirates?Whoop-e-e-e!Whatfunwearegoingtohave!”
“Bread-fruit,andmonkeys,andpirates,andIndiansinFlorida!Whatareyouthinkingof,MarkElmer?”
“Well,Iguess‘OsceolatheSeminole’livedinFlorida,andit’stropical,andpiratesandmonkeysaretropicaltoo,ain’tthey?”
Justthenthetea-bellrang,andthechildrenranintotakethepaperwhichtheyhadbeenreadingtotheirfather,andtoeattheirlastsupperinthelittleoldhousethathadalwaysbeentheirhome.
Mr.Elmerhad,forfifteenyears,beencashieroftheNortonBank;andthoughhissalarywasnotlarge,hehad,bypracticingthelittleeconomiesofaNewEnglandvillage,supportedhisfamilycomfortablyuntilthistime,andlaidbyasumofmoneyforarainyday.Andnowthe“rainyday”hadcome.
Fortwoyearspastthesteadyconfinementtohisdeskhadtoldsadlyuponthefaithfulbankcashier,andthestoopingform,hollowcheeks,andhackingcoughcouldnolongerbedisregarded.
ForalongtimegoodoldDr.Winghadsaid,
“YoumustmoveSouth,Elmer;youcan’tstanditupheremuchlonger.”
BothMr.Elmerandhiswifeknewthatthiswastrue;buthowcouldtheymoveSouth?Wherewasthemoneytocomefrom?Andhowweretheytoliveiftheydid?
Longandanxioushadbeentheconsultationsafterthechildrenweretuckedintotheirbeds,andmanyweretheprayersforguidancetheyhadofferedup.
Atlastawaywasopened,“andjustintime,too,”saidthedoctor,withagraveshakeofhishead.
Mrs.Elmer’suncle,ChristopherBangs,whomthechildrencalled“UncleChristmas,”heardoftheirtrouble,andlefthissaw-millsandlumbercampstocomeandsee“wherethejamwas,”asheexpressedit.
Whenitwasallexplainedtohim,hisgood-naturedface,whichhadbeeninawrinkleofperplexity,litup,andwitharesoundingslapofhisgreat,hardhandonhisknee,heexclaimed,
“Sakesalive!Whydidn’tyousendforme,NieceEllen?
Whydidn’tyoutellmeallthislongago,eh?
I’vegotaplacedowninFlorida,thatIboughtasaspeculationjustafterthewar.
Ihain’tneverseenit,andmighthaveforgotitlongagobutforthetaxbillscominginreg’lareveryyear.
It’sdownontheSt.Mark’sRiver,prettynightheGulfcoast,andefyouwanttogothereandfarmit,I’llgiveyouatenyears’leaseforthetaxes,withachancetobuyatyourownriggerwhenthetenyearsisup.”
“Butwon’titcostagreatdealtogetthere,Uncle?”askedMrs.Elmer,whosefacehadlightedupasthisnewhopeenteredherheart.
“Sakesalive!No;costnothin’!
Why,it’sactuallywhatyoumightcallprovidentialthewaythingsturnsout.
Youcangodown,slickasalogthroughachute,intheNancyBell,ofBangor,whichisfittingoutinthatportthisblessedminit.
She’sboundtoPensacolainballast,orwithjustafewnotionsofhardwaresentoutasaventure,foraloadofpinelumbertofilloutacontractI’vetakeninNewYork.
ShecanrunintotheSt.Mark’sanddropyoujestaswellasnot.
Butyou’llhavetopickupandraftyourfixin’sdowntoBangorinaterriblehurry,forshe’sgoingtosailnextweek,Wednesday,andit’sTuesdaynow.”
Soitwassettledthattheyshouldgo,andthefollowingweekwasoneoftremendousexcitementtothechildren,whohadneverbeenfromhomeintheirlives,andwerenowtobecomesuchfamoustravelers.
MarkElmer,Jr.,ashewrotehisname,wasasmerry,harum-scarum,mischief-lovingaboyaseverlived.
Hewasfifteenyearsold,theleaderoftheNortonboysinalltheirgames,andtheoriginatorofmostoftheirschemesformischief.
ButMark’smischiefwasneverofakindtoinjureanybody,andhewasashonestasthedayislong,aswellaslovingandloyaltohisparentsandsisterRuth.
AlthoughayearyoungerthanMark,Ruthstudiedthesamebooksthathedid,andwasabetterscholar.
Inspiteofthisshelookeduptohimineverything,andregardedhimwiththegreatestadmiration.
Althoughquietandstudious,shehadcrinklybrownhair,andamerrytwinkleinhereyesthatindicatedareadyhumorandathoroughappreciationoffun.
ItwasMondaywhenMarkandRuthwalkedhomefromthepost-officetogether,readingthepaper,forwhichtheyhadgoneeveryMondayeveningsincetheycouldremember,andtheyweretoleavehomeandbegintheirjourneyonthefollowingmorning.
DuringthepastweekMr.Elmerhadresignedhispositioninthebank,soldthedearlittlehousewhichhadbeenahometohimandhiswifeeversincetheyweremarried,andinwhichtheirchildrenhadbeenborn,andwithaheavyheartmadethepreparationsfordeparture.
WiththewillingaidofkindneighborsMrs.Elmerhadpackedwhatfurnituretheyweretotakewiththem,andithadbeensenttoBangor.
MarkandRuthhadnotleftschooluntilFriday,andhadbeenmadeyounglionsofalltheweekbytheotherchildren.
ToallofhergirlfriendsRuthhadpromisedtowriteeverysinglethingthathappened,andMarkhadpromisedsomanyalligatorteeth,andothertrophiesofthechase,that,ifhekeptallhispromises,therewouldbeadecidedadvanceinthevalueofFloridacuriositiesthatwinter.
Asthelittlehousewasstrippedofallitsfurniture,exceptsomefewthingsthathadbeensoldwithit,theywerealltogotoDr.Wing’stosleepthatnight,andMrs.Winghadalmostfelthurtthattheywouldnottaketeawithher;butbothMr.andMrs.Elmerwantedtotakethislastmealintheirownhome,andpersuadedhertoletthemhavetheirway.
Thegoodwomanmusthavesentovermostofthesuppershehadintendedthemtoeatwithher,andthis,togetherwiththegoodthingssentinbyotherneighbors,soloadedthetablethatMarkdeclareditlookedlikearegularsurprise-partysupper.
Asurprise-partyitprovedtobe,sureenough,forearlyintheeveningneighborsandfriendsbegantodropintosaygood-bye,untilthelowerroomsofthelittlehousewerefilled.
Asthechairswereallgone,theysatontrunks,boxes,andonthekitchentable,orstoodup.
MarkandRuthhadtheirownparty,too,rightinamongthegrownpeople;formostoftheboysandgirlsofthevillagehadcomewiththeirparentstosaygood-bye,andmanyofthemhadbroughtlittlegiftsthattheyurgedtheyoungElmerstotakewiththemaskeepsakes.
OfallthesenonepleasedRuthsomuchasthealbum,filledwiththepicturesofherschool-girlfriends,thatEdnaMaybroughther.
EdnawastheadopteddaughterofCaptainBillMay,whohadbroughtherhomefromoneofhisvoyageswhenshewasalittlebaby,andplacedherinhiswife’sarms,sayingthatshewasabitofflotsamandjetsamthatbelongedtohimbyrightofsalvage.
HisshiphadbeeninaSouthernportwhenawoman,withthischildinherarms,hadfallenfromapierintotheriver.
Springingintothewaterafterthem,CaptainMayhadsucceededinsavingthechild,butthemotherwasdrowned.
Asnothingcouldbelearnedofitshistory,andasnobodyclaimedit,CaptainMaybroughtthebabyhome,andshewasbaptizedEdnaMay.
Shewasnowfourteenyearsold,andRuthElmer’smostintimatefriend,andthefirstpictureinthealbumwasagoodphotographofherself,takeninBangor.
TheotherswereonlytintypestakenintheneighboringtownofSkowhegan;butRuththoughtthemallbeautiful.
Thenextmorningwasgrayandchill,foritwaslateinNovember.
Thefirstsnowoftheseasonwasfallinginahesitatingsortofaway,asthoughithardlyknewwhethertocomeornot,anditwasstillquitedarkwhenMrs.WingwokeMarkandRuth,andtoldthemtohurry,forthestagewouldbealongdirectly.
Theyweresoondressedanddown-stairs,wheretheyfoundbreakfastsmokingonthetable.
Amomentlatertheywerejoinedbytheirparents,neitherofwhomcouldeat,sofullweretheyofthesorrowofdeparture.
Thechildrenwerealsoveryquiet,evenMark’shighspiritsbeingdampenedbythoughtsofleavingoldfriends,andseveraltearsfoundtheirwaydownRuth’scheeksduringthemeal.
Afterbreakfasttheysaidgood-byetotheWings,andwentovertotheirownhousetopackafewremainingthingsintohandbags,andwaitfortheSkowheganstage.
Atsixo’clocksharp,witha“toot,toot,toot,”ofthedriver’shorn,itrattleduptothegate,followedbyawagonforthebaggage.
Afewminuteslater,withfullheartsandtearfuleyes,theElmershadbiddenfarewelltothelittleoldhouseandgrandtreestheymightneverseeagain,andwereontheirwaydownthevillagestreet,theirlongjourneyfairlybegun.
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