diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/55214-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/55214-0.txt | 3630 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 3630 deletions
diff --git a/old/55214-0.txt b/old/55214-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 10a8728..0000000 --- a/old/55214-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,3630 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Village of Hide and Seek, by Bingham Thoburn Wilson - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The Village of Hide and Seek - -Author: Bingham Thoburn Wilson - -Illustrator: W. Herbert Dunton - -Release Date: July 28, 2017 [EBook #55214] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE VILLAGE OF HIDE AND SEEK *** - - - - -Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Barry Abrahamsen and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - THE VILLAGE OF HIDE AND SEEK. - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -Illustration: _"The now smiling vagabond stood bowing and scraping in -the middle of the sunbaked road."_ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - THE VILLAGE - - OF - - HIDE AND SEEK - - - BY - - BINGHAM THOBURN WILSON - - AUTHOR OF - - "YE MOUNTAINEER," "THE TALE OF THE PHANTOM YACHT," ETC. - - - ILLUSTRATIONS BY - - W. HERBERT DUNTON - - Illustration: Publisher's logo - - NEW YORK - CONSOLIDATED RETAIL BOOKSELLERS - 1905 - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - COPYRIGHTED, 1905, BY - CONSOLIDATED RETAIL BOOKSELLERS - - REGISTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL, LONDON - - ------- - - (_All Rights Reserved_) - - ------- - - PUBLISHED, OCTOBER, 1905. - {Printed in the United States of America}. - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - _Dedication._ - - - TO THE CHILDREN OF POVERTY AND RAGS. TO THE - HOUSEHOLD OF SORROW AND BURDENSOME CARE. - TO THE LIVES IN THE SHADOW OF THE DARK GAUNT - FORM OF WOE. TO THOSE WHOSE EARS HAVE BEEN - ATTUNED TO THE HOLLOW, MOCKING VOICE OF - GRIEF. TO THE HUMBLEST OF THE HUMBLE, THE - POOR; THE VERY POOR. AND MAY THIS STORY - PROVE TO BE STARLIGHT IF NOT SUNSHINE. - - VERY RESPECTFULLY, - - THE AUTHOR. - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CONTENTS. - - ------- - - CHAPTER - I. "HIS HIGHNESS," THE VAGABOND - II. AUNT TWADDLES - III. THE PATH UP THE CLIFF - IV. THE CAVE IN THE MOUNTAIN - V. THE VILLAGE OF HIDE AND SEEK - VI. THE QUEEN OF THE DOLLS - VII. KIMBO, THE GIANT - VIII. THE ISLAND OF DREAMS - IX. SODA WATER FOUNTAIN - X. IN THE VILLAGE OF HIDE AND SEEK - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. - - ------- - - "Frontisepiece." - - "Almost dumb with surprise, the children turned about to gaze on the - world that lay far beneath them" - - "All the odd, ill-fitting garments ... were changed into raiments of - rich lace and gold" - - "He seemed to be leaping over great fields fully a mile at a stride" - - "The children stopped to look back upon the spot from which they had - just come" - - "Looking upward they were amazed to behold the open sky filled with - sweet-voiced angels" - - "He gave the old harp a nimble sweep with his dexterous fingers that - filled the air with enchanting music" - - "Perhaps you have noticed by my long hair and studious demeanor that I - am both a gentleman and a scholar" - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - THE VILLAGE OF HIDE AND SEEK - - ------- - - - CHAPTER I - - "HIS HIGHNESS," THE VAGABOND - - -On a bright sunny day in the middle of the month of August, a merry -group of gaily dressed children were romping upon the green lawn of a -country place, that, from its well kept and cleanly surroundings, could -not have been mistaken for any other than the home of some prosperous -and perhaps retired gentleman of wealth and refinement. - -The old-fashioned stone house, with its wide porch and heavily carved -wooden columns green-coated with climbing ivy, rose amid the stately -trees of the lawn, until it seemed lost in a bower of shadowy foliage. -The low, thatch-roofed out-buildings and long lines of far-reaching -fence, carefully coated with fresh whitewash, stood glistening in the -sunlight, quite in harmony with the polished marble window sills of the -great stone mansion. - -Standing in the very centre of the scene, like some still lingering -remnant of the long gone and almost forgotten past, arose the tall, -rustic arm of an old-fashioned well-sweep, that raised or lowered a -moss-covered, old oaken bucket, filled to overflowing and dripping wet -with cool, clear water, not unfrequently visited by this gamboling group -of merry children both during and after their play. - -As the children rested for a moment beneath the sheltering arms of an -old oak tree, they were much surprised to behold the form of a wandering -vagabond ambling along the dusty road. His hat was well drawn down over -his eyes to avoid the glaring rays of the mid-day sun. Over his shoulder -and made fast to the end of a crooked stick, that might have answered as -well for a defence as for a staff, hung his sum total of earthly -possessions, tied carefully into a small bundle and as carefully hid -from view within the folds of a red bandanna handkerchief. - -A passing glance only was needed to tell that the wanderer was weary; -and as his eyes, glistening with envy, beheld the cool shade of the -trees, and the still more inviting bucket above the well, that, -half-filled and leaking, hung suspended in mid-air, he halted his weary -pace in the road near the gate and beckoned the children to approach. - -No second invitation was needed. The boys, more daring and venturesome, -bounded toward him with a merry shout and were soon standing on the edge -of the lawn near the wanderer; but the little girls, like so many timid -fawns of the forest, with a feeling more of fear than of curiosity, -lingered tardily behind; and it was some time before they joined their -less cautious companions. - -He was a curious-looking, but quite jolly vagabond indeed; and although -his face was begrimed and smeared with mingled perspiration and dust, -his eyes shone with a merry, good-natured twinkle, as he doffed his well -worn and dusty black hat and bowed with an air of politeness, quite -unknown to the common everyday tramp of the highways of the world. - -One of the children laughingly exclaimed: - -"Where are you going?" - -And another: "Where did you come from?" - -And still a third: "Where is your home?" - -And so on, until the now smiling vagabond, waiting for a chance to -reply, stood bowing and scraping in the middle of the sunbaked road as -he calmly received volley after volley of almost unanswerable questions. - -"Well!" he exclaimed at last, as the children became suddenly silent, -"you ask me where I am from and where I am going, so now let me say: -just at present I am from everywhere in general and bound nowhere in -particular!" - -And he began pounding the dust from his body and limbs with his old hat, -as if wishing to make himself look presentable, even if out in the -middle of a hot, dusty roadway; and looking up with a longing glance, he -asked permission to obtain a drink of water from the well on the lawn. - -The big gate was still closed to "His Most Royal Highness," and as the -mere thought of his entering the lawn dawned upon the minds of the now -silent children, they drew back in affright and with solemn faces; nor -would they think of granting the stranger's request until finally one -little fellow called his companions together for a moment, as he almost -pleadingly said: - -"It is wrong to deny a poor man a drink of water. He is weary and -perhaps far from home, while God gives us the water so freely. Beside, -he cannot take the shade of these trees away with him when he goes, so, -while he rests on the lawn, I will bring him a drink from the well -myself." - -And with a light foot, but a much lighter heart, the boy bounded away in -haste, while the weary "Knight of the Road" entered the shadow of a big -maple tree on the lawn and stood waiting for him to return. - -As he gulped down the cool, refreshing water in a manner as though -famished, he blinked his bright sparkling eyes in evidence of much -relish; then casting a thankful glance upon the face of his new found -friend, he turned toward him with a smile as he said: - -"My little lad, for your kind act to a weary and thirsty man let me say; -if you will gather your little friends about me under the shade of this -tree, I will tell you an interesting story, which, if you will listen -carefully, may give you something of my past wanderings as well as an -answer to some of the questions you asked of me while I was out in the -road." - -Without a word of reply, the children, anxious to know what the -stranger's story might be, sank here and there upon the grass, as the -vagabond thus began his strange tale. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER II - - "AUNT TWADDLES" - - -"As I paused in the middle of the road near the gate," began the -vagabond, "this manly little fellow who so kindly brought me a drink -from the well, wanted to know where I came from. In answer to his -question let me say: I am, as you see, a friendless vagabond, wandering -hither and thither over the face of the earth. But think not that I -never had a home; for although I may not look it, I once had a dear -mother, just as each one of you has, who, when I was a baby kissed me -and rocked me to sleep every night with a sweet lullaby. But that was a -long time ago, and it is little wonder that, as you now gaze upon me, -you are anxious to know who I am and whence I came. - -"Now I might be an earthly prince in disguise for aught that you know, -though I'm not. Yet right here let me say, I _am_ the son of a King, for -we are _all_ the children of God and our earthly end is alike in this -dust that some of you children at first so pretended to scorn as you saw -it all over my clothes. So from this on, remember, we are only of the -dust; and the babies of satins and silks, all humbled at last, shall lie -down and sleep side by side with the children of tatters and rags. - -"Be that as it may; I was born in the village of Harpers Ferry on the -banks of the fair Shenandoah River, where lofty mountains rise and -overhang with rugged cliffs that seem about to fall into the deep valley -below; and where, in order to get into the town at all, the trains pass -through a dark tunnel in the mountains, and leaping with shrill whistle -across the long span of a great steel bridge, slow down and stop at a -quaint, stone station, so closely surrounded by tall mountains on all -sides that a traveller might think himself at the very end of the world. - -"It is here that the wild Shenandoah empties its foaming waters into the -Potomac River, (for be it remembered that the two streams were joined in -Holy wedlock by the Indians long, long ago), and mingling their currents -in loving embrace, they leap onward through a pass in the mountains and -together journey joyfully eastward toward the sea. - -"As the stranger stands upon the platform at the little stone station, -and gazes far across the Shenandoah River, he cannot help noticing a -dark path, or roadway, leading straight up the face of a steep cliff; -and long will he wonder how it could ever be possible to climb that -path, for it stands almost straight up and down. - -"Right here let me say there are but three persons on earth who can -truthfully boast of having once included that path as a part of their -journey; while strangest of all is the fact that one of these was an old -woman, so awkward and fat that she looked to be almost helpless, while -the other two, at the time of ascent, were mere children. - -"For many years prior to the time of my story, (how long, nobody ever -could tell), there dwelt an old woman somewhere up in these mountains, -and unless something has happened to her recently she is living there -still. - -"She was a strange-looking creature and from her jolly, good nature and -laughing, happy way, had grown in weight until she must have tipped the -scales at fully five hundred pounds. - -"She did not look in the least like a mountain climber, nor in fact -hardly able to mount a short flight of stairs; yet she was a quite -frequent wanderer up and down the opposite bank of the river, where most -of her time was spent in gathering wild herbs on the rough side of the -mountain, or along the fertile bed of the Shenandoah. - -"When the great bag, which she always carried slung over her shoulder, -was filled with herbs almost to bursting, she would start at the bottom -of this high cliff, and, aided by the scrubby bushes that grew from the -dark fissures in the mountain's time scarred face, she would manage in -some mysterious way to drag her full five hundred weight with its load -to the top, and then disappear in the mountain woodland above. - -"It was not only a tiresome, but likewise a dangerous journey, for there -were few places where she could catch her toes in the steep rock; and as -she climbed slowly upward, and with much difficulty felt for each -foothold, her great body swayed and staggered upon the face of the -cliff, while she puffed and blew from her toil so loudly that her heavy -breathing could plainly be heard far across in the village of Harpers -Ferry. - -"Never did she go up the cliff but that great boulders would break loose -under her ponderous tread, and tumbling headlong with mighty bound, -would dash down the steep mountain-side and land with a roaring crash in -the bed of the river below, where to this day they may be seen choking -the tide of the stream in a great rocky mass. - -"In many ways this strange woman was more odd than she looked. She was -not very high, but so terribly spread out that she was equally as tall -when lying down as when standing up; and if, like a turtle, she might -have drawn in her feet and her head, she could have rolled about over -the ground like a great ball—but of course she was not a turtle. - -"The garments, too, that she wore, both in make and material, were -strange to look upon. Her skirt, which could never have been made for -another, was fully a foot too long. It entirely concealed her feet, -which could not have been small, and so caused her to stumble and trip -that often indeed have I wondered how she could get along with her big -bag of herbs over a level road, much less up a path on the face of the -cliff, that even the bravest of hunters and mountain-men dared not -attempt to climb. Thus she went stumbling along in her own silent, -industrious way. - -"And now comes the strangest thing of all about this wonderful, fat -woman. - -"Many are the grown people that have passed her while busy at her labor -of herb gathering, yet not for a moment would she stop work to talk with -any of them. If they smiled, she might look up and smile in reply; but -if they asked her a question she would answer it with such an uncivil -grunt that they were glad to pass rapidly along on their way. - -"But should she happen to meet with a group of gay children, this -strange, fat woman was sure to drop her big bag of herbs, and pausing -for a long jolly chat, would unbosom her goodness of heart and draw from -her ponderous pockets handful after handful of candy and pop-corn balls, -taffy and chocolate drops, the like of which for sweetness and flavor, -no mortal man had ever made. - -"Nor was she in the least inclined to be stingy for she would give the -children as much of her sweets as they could eat and then bid them -good-bye with a kiss and a parting blessing. For so many years had she -thus kindly treated the children that they watched for her coming and -going day after day and were ever on the lookout to greet her, with -tears of joy in their eyes. - -"The name of this fat woman was 'Twaddles;' and as nobody thereabout -knew just whether she was a Miss or a Mrs., the children had nicknamed -her 'Auntie,' although that might have been as big a mistake as either -of the other two names. But it sounded motherly and sweet to her ears, -and, as its mention was sure to bring forth an abundance of bon-bons and -candies, all of the grown people as well as the children called her -'Aunt Twaddles.' - -"Where did she come from? you ask. Well, for many years nobody ever -could tell. Some claimed that she lived in a nest with the eagles far -off in the mountains. Others, that she dwelt alone with some half grown -cubs in the heart of a dark bear den, where the foot of a hunter had -never passed; while some even vowed that at night all the humming birds -kept guard while she slept far back in a cave in the rocks. - -"Old Nimrod, the hunter, declared, (and he had spent his whole life in -the mountains), that she was 'Queen of the Witches' and lived in the -dark hollow of a great tree, far down in a deep rocky glen, where -panthers and owls with wildcats and rattlesnakes dwell. Once when he saw -her, he said she was leading a pack of fierce wolves along on the side -of the mountain; and again she was holding a live panther close to her -breast and rocking it to sleep in her arms. - -"At any rate, wherever she lived, so marvelous indeed was she skilled in -the art of making candy, that her praises were sung by the children far -and near; and strangest of all was the fact that, should you once eat a -little bite of it, the sweetness and flavor it left in your mouth lasted -for over a week, while its memory lasted a lifetime. Years might pass -silently away and the children who had once tasted of 'Aunt Twaddles'' -candy grow up and be married, yet they could never forget it, though -they tried; while stranger still was the fact that a mere recollection -was sure to bring tears to the eyes, nor could one cease crying until he -went home and forgot about it. - -"In proof of this part of my tale let me say; I remember one day as I -stood quite hidden from view amid the green alder-berry bushes that grew -on the bank of the river, I beheld 'Aunt Twaddles' coming slowly down -the edge of the stream. Her big bag was heavily laden with herbs, and, -as the sun was quite high in the heavens, she paused in the shade of a -tree near the foot of the steep path for a moment of rest before -starting up the dangerous face of the cliff, for she needed all of her -strength to go up. - -"Just as she had comfortably seated herself on a log, I noticed a little -old man tottering across the long foot-bridge that led over from the -village. He was hurrying along, rapping his feet and his staff on the -boards as fast as his seventy-odd years would allow. His long, -snow-white hair waved on the midsummer breeze, while the long flaps of -his old-fashioned coat were dangling about his thin, wabbly legs in a -manner too funny for anything. - -"As he drew near, I noticed that there were real tears in his eyes, and -his withered old cheeks were much stained where they had fallen. -Carefully I watched him as he drew near, and, with a feeling of deepest -respect bowed low as he said in a tremulous, squeaky voice: - -"'Good morning, Aunt Twaddles. Would you mind giving an old, life-long -friend another bit of your candy?' - -"In a second 'Aunt Twaddles' arose. - -"'No sir!' she cried, with a frown, 'I gave you plenty of it, Sir, when -you were a good little boy. Tobacco seems to be your favorite candy now -from the appearance of your stained white beard, so you get none of -mine.' - -"And she began to empty her pockets that were filled with sweet, juicy -bon-bons, over the brink and down into the stream; and shouldering her -big bag of herbs, prepared to start up the face of the cliff. The little -old man went tottering back over the foot-bridge to the village; nor is -there any doubt that he went home and cried over the thought of her -candy and kept crying until he forgot about it. - -"And now," said the vagabond, "lest the thought of 'Aunt Twaddles'' -candy brings tears to my eyes, for I have eaten some of it myself, let -us pause for a moment while we more comfortably seat ourselves before I -proceed with the story." - -The almost vertical rays of the mid-day sun were pouring a merciless -fire upon a portion of the charmed circle and the story-teller with his -group of merry children was not slow in selecting a new spot further in -under the protecting branches of the tree. The children had been so -absorbed in the wonderful tale of the wanderer that they had failed to -notice the intense heat until, down the faces of some of the smaller -ones, drops of perspiration were flowing like tears. - -Amid a clamorous shout of "Go on! Go on!" uttered in concert by the -delighted children, it was thus the wanderer continued. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER III - - THE PATH UP THE CLIFF - - -"In the Village of Harpers Ferry, there stood for many years an old -Inn;—so old that no one knew its age. It was built in the days before -saw-mills were known, when all the lumber was either split out or sawed -out by hand. The weather-stained boards on its rickety sides were -covered with moss from the eaves down to the ground, while the shingles -of the roof were so twisted and warped out of place that they afforded -little or no protection to the dwellers within. - -"Travel was light in Harpers Ferry during the time of which I speak, and -the lack of good business, together with his miserly nature, kept the -old Inn-keeper peevish and cross; so much so that he was despised by -everyone about the village. - -"He was a wheezy little old man with a wooden leg, the rough oaken stump -of which, with its shafts and mysterious harness, was a source of much -wonder as well as merriment to the children of the neighborhood; while -the little old man himself seemed to be just withering away and drying -up on his feet, instead of growing weak and infirm, as is the usual -course with most things that are old. - -"Two bright little orphan grandchildren answered his cross, squeaky -call, and as their father had been dead ever since they were babies, and -their dear mother had died some two years before, they lived with the -cross old man at the Inn, where they received a scolding or whipping -much oftener than they did a good dinner. Never was he heard to speak a -kind word to either of them. - -"Through the early part of every spring this old Inn-keeper would suffer -dreadfully from asthma, which is a kind of disease that chokes people -just as if they were strangling all the time. During these bad spells of -smothering he would drive the poor children off into the mountains to -gather wild pennyroyal, which he burned under a funnel and inhaled the -smoke to relieve his wheezing during the night, for without it he could -not sleep. Many indeed were the whippings they had received at the hands -of the cruel old Inn-keeper just because they failed to find enough of -the herb in the mountain to suit his suffering needs. - -"The bright sun was warm on this particular spring morning although the -frost had not yet departed from some of the deep mountain glens. The old -Inn-keeper called the two children from their play in the village street -and bade them hasten away over the river to search for pennyroyal. He -did not forget to threaten them with an angry frown before they left, as -he loudly vowed that he expected to spend a bad night with the asthma, -and solemnly declared that, should they return without a goodly supply -of pennyroyal, he would whip them both soundly, deny them their suppers -and make them sleep without covers on the floor of the attic,—a place -that swarmed with both rats and mice. - -"With this terrible threat still ringing in their ears, the two children -hastened away toward the river and with much fear in their hearts -started across the long foot-bridge toward the mountains. - -"Arthur, the boy, was eleven years old, while his little sister Maud, a -beautiful but shy little thing, had hardly turned nine. They journeyed -along hand in hand and when midway the stream, they looked back just as -the old Inn-keeper entered the Inn, then paused for a moment to glance -over the wide flowing stream and look down into its clear waters for -bass,—which, I might add, was their principal sport on a hot summer day. - -"Far up the tide, a fish-hawk sailed silently round and round over the -foamy water, searching the more shallow places with a keen, piercing -eye, and looking no doubt for its dinner. A long-necked blue heron, -awakened by the loud, clattering footsteps and shouting voices of the -two children, arose from beneath a dark tangle of water-elms that grew -near the farther end of the foot-bridge, and, with lazy wings, and -dragging its slim legs over the water as if it were too much trouble to -lift them up under its body, it went on up the edge of the stream and -disappeared from sight along the dark shore. High over all and circling -with mysterious ease, a bald eagle held stately repose in the sky. - -"'Come, Maudie,' exclaimed little Arthur at last. 'Let us make haste, -for the journey may be tiresome and long.' And hand in hand they -hastened across the bridge. - -"As they came to the edge of the woods they began their search for -pennyroyal. This herb was not plentiful so early in the spring and the -side of the mountain was steep and rough. - -"Bright, fancy-formed ferns were growing here and there from beneath the -edge of the big rocks, and johnny-jump-ups were lifting their tiny blue -heads aloft to the fresh morning breeze, wherever an occasional dead -tree allowed the rays of the sun to fall unshadowed upon the rich soil -below. All through the woodland they noticed the poison-oak vine, as it -slowly began its long summer climb up the trunks of the stately oak -trees. - -"'Alas!' thought the two children as they journeyed along, 'there is no -pennyroyal.' - -"Then looking up with affright at the sound of a familiar voice, they -were greatly surprised, for there stood 'Aunt Twaddles' before them. - -"At once the object of their journey was forgotten and they buried their -grief for a time as the kind-hearted old lady drew forth a handful of -her sweet candy, and all three sank upon a green, moss-covered mound for -a rest and a feast and a chat. - -"When they were comfortably seated, 'Aunt Twaddles' glanced carefully -about her, and, as she measured the moss-covered mound with one sweep of -the eye, she suddenly exclaimed: - -"'Perhaps this mound is the grave of some long dead but great Indian -chief;' and while the two children sat gazing about, she continued: 'But -he can't scalp us now, children! He can't scalp us now!' - -"And with a loud, harsh laugh that rang through the woodland, she leaned -her fat back against the trunk of a tall tree that towered ever so high -above them. - -"'And where are you going, my dears?' at last she inquired. - -"'After pennyroyal for grandfather,' replied little Arthur, and his -words were followed by a deep sigh. - -"'Have you found any?' she asked, as her fat face lighted up with a -broad smile that drove all thoughts of sorrow and care from their minds. - -"'Not yet, Ma'am!' exclaimed little Maud. 'I don't think it has come up -out of the ground, for we have searched so far very carefully.' - -"'Aunt Twaddles' laughed outright. 'Oh yes, it has, dear,' she replied. -'Pennyroyal is the second flavoring herb of the spring-time.' - -"And she reached her hand down deep into her herb bag and drew forth -quite a quantity of fresh plucked pennyroyal and laid it before their -envious gaze on the ground. - -"'And what is the first flavoring herb, Aunt Twaddles?' inquired little -Arthur, as he glanced up from the pennyroyal. - -"'Mint, darling,' she replied with a laugh, and continued: 'On the south -side of the mountain, where the springs moisten and soften the soil, it -lifts its green head out of the earth as soon as the frost leaves the -ground.' - -"She lowered her hand to her big pocket as she ceased speaking and drew -from its mighty depth two great, round pop-corn balls, that were -dripping with honey and of the deep crimson color of ripe cherries. -Placing one in the hand of each of the children, she glanced down upon -them with a happy smile, as she exclaimed: - -"'There, darlings. These are flavored with mint that I gathered only -yesterday. Taste them and see what you think of the flavor.' - -"The two children were delighted with the sweet gift, but though it -pleased them greatly, they could not keep their envious eyes from the -pennyroyal, for they knew that the time thus spent in delay meant a -terrible whipping and a much more-to-be-dreaded night with the rats and -mice in the attic. - -"Seeming to notice the troubled look on their little faces, 'Aunt -Twaddles' exclaimed: - -"'Now, darlings, I know these mountains as well as you know yonder -streets of the village; and if you will take a short journey with me, I -will gather you enough pennyroyal to last the wheezy, old Inn-keeper for -the rest of his life.' And without waiting for them to reply, she -gathered her big bag of herbs into her arms and arose, as if ready to -start. - -"Little Arthur looked up, amazed at her words, while Maud could scarcely -believe her ears, so great was the promise of her dear, old, -kind-hearted friend. Well did they recall the long, sorrowful journeys -they had often made into the mountains in a vain search for the scarce -herb;—journeys that were followed by terrible beatings. The mere thought -of gathering enough pennyroyal to last their cruel old grandfather for -the rest of his life made their little hearts fairly leap with joy." - -"'Come, Maudie,' cried Arthur, as he leaped to his feet, 'let us go.' - -"In a second the children were standing beside 'Aunt Twaddles' who, -after shouldering her big bag of herbs, led the way. - -"They journeyed along down the bank of the river past the end of the -foot-bridge that led from the village, when, pausing at the foot of the -dangerous path on the face of the cliff, 'Aunt Twaddles' rested her -herb-bag on the ground for a moment, and, glancing first at the tall -mountain and then at the children, she exclaimed, with a somewhat -doubtful shake of her head: - -"'It's a pretty stiff climb, children! It's a pretty stiff climb! But -come on, let's go up!' - -"Had 'Aunt Twaddles' asked the two children to rise like two eagles and -soar high over the tops of the mountains, it would not have seemed to -them more of a task than to walk up the bald face of that cliff; and for -a long time they stood gazing upon 'Aunt Twaddles' as if they thought -she had gone completely out of her head. - -"Little Arthur suddenly exclaimed: - -"'Why, Aunt Twaddles, we could never go up there.' - -"As the children glanced at her face, they noticed a strange look in her -eyes that startled them. Was it the look of an evil one seeking to lure -two innocent children to certain death amid the cruel rocks of the -mountain? Or was it the look of the witch that Old Nimrod, the hunter, -had so often told them about as they sat at his feet by the fire in the -old inn? That look that charmed wildcats and panthers and snakes into -doing her will? - -"Without further delay she shouted with a frown. - -"'Oh yes, you can, children. You shall go up with me. How often have I -gone up this path with double your weight as a load!' - -"And gathering the thick twill of her skirt into a fold, she placed it -tightly within the clasp of Arthur's hands, at the same time saying: - -"'Come, Maudie, take hold by the side of your brother and hold fast.' - -"And before the two frightened children could realize what they had -done, they were high up on the side of the cliff and did not dare to let -go. - -"When they had climbed somewhat higher than the church spire that -towered aloft over the village across the river, a fisherman, going to -raise his nets, beheld them; and raising a shout of alarm, it was not -long before the street in the village was filled with excited people. -Men yelled with hoarse voices, pleading with 'Aunt Twaddles' to come -down, but their voices sounded faintly upon the ears of the children, -who hung dangling from the end of 'Aunt Twaddles'' skirt, high up in the -air. - -"The old, one-legged Inn-keeper hastened away, pounding his peg-leg on -the boards of the bridge, in a vain effort to get over to where his -squeaky voice might be heard; but without pausing to heed the tumult -below, 'Aunt Twaddles' continued on up the face of the cliff, constantly -warning the two children to 'Hold fast!' - -"Old Jonas, the fisherman, with dripping fish net gathered under his -arms, ran with all his might over the long foot-bridge and down the -opposite bank, where strong men, with pale faces, aided him in -stretching it at the base of the cliff, to catch, as he said, the -lifeless and mangled bodies of the two children in case they should -fall. - -"Old Nimrod, the hunter, came tottering out of the bar-room at the inn, -his long trusty rifle in hand, renewing his vow that 'Aunt Twaddles' was -a witch, as he took rest on the rail of the bridge, firmly resolved to -shoot her in case the children should let go. With eagle eye he gazed -along the polished barrel of his gun and covered the sight-sickening -climb with an unfaltering aim. - -"Out in the village street, women stood crying and wringing their hands, -while strong men turned white at the sight of the fat woman, swaying and -wabbling from side to side in her effort to get up the face of the -mountain. - -"From the loud sound of her puffing and blowing, she seemed almost -exhausted. Now she would stumble and totter as if about to fall, when, -suddenly grasping with desperate hand a stout, scrubby bush, or a ledge -of the broken rock, she would steady herself for a time and by the -merest chance gain a fortunate foothold. - -"Even the dogs began howling everywhere throughout the village. Every -house stood wide-open and deserted. Someone entered the old village -church and began slowly tolling the bell, the sound of which seemed to -add a doleful appeal to Heaven for the safety and care of the children. - -"Slower and slower, weaker and weaker, yet onward and upward, 'Aunt -Twaddles' toiled on the face of the cliff, when suddenly one loud moan -of horror swept from the parched throats of the multitude as 'Aunt -Twaddles,' by accident, stepped on the end of her long skirt and reeling -from the face of the rock, started to fall. Men turned from the horrible -sight and sank to their knees, while over in the village women fell -helpless into each others arms for support and turned from the sickening -scene. - -"The crack of a rifle rang out on the air from the end of the -foot-bridge and a puff of blue dust arose from the face of the cliff -just over 'Aunt Twaddles'' head, where the bullet had shattered the -rock. - -"Loud shouted the voice of Old Jonas, the fisherman, 'Stretch the net -tight, men! Stretch the net tight! They are falling!' While strong limbs -steadied themselves and firm hands drew tight on the meshes of stout -twine. - -"But Fate favors the brave who have presence of mind. 'Aunt Twaddles' -laid firm hold on the arm of a deep-rooted bush, and, as she drew her -swaying form close to the mountain, the frightened children, swung far -out in mid air, like the pendulum of a clock, and then heavily back -against the cliff. Still they held firmly on to her dress. - -"Louder and louder the people now renewed their cries for 'Aunt -Twaddles' to come down; but to attempt to descend in her weary condition -meant certain death to all. - -"Onward and upward she continued; and while the people below were -suffering the anguish of suspense, with one last weary reach she laid -firm hold on an overhanging arm of a dogwood tree that hung from above -and, with a deep sigh of relief, drew both herself and the children to -safety on top of the cliff. - -"A murmur of joy went up from the dry, hoarse throats of the men at the -base of the mountain, while women sank fainting far across in the -streets of the village. Strong men broke down and wept under the spell -of excitement. Old Nimrod, the hunter, ceased ramming the charge in his -gun, and Jonas, the fisherman, shouldered his fish net; but he trembled -so from excitement that he could not carry it home. The slow, solemn -toll of the church bell turned into one long, loud ring of joy. - -"A wild shout from high up in the air echoed and re-echoed over the -broad valley below. Far up on the side of the mountain, the people -beheld 'Aunt Twaddles' wildly waving her sun-bonnet and lifting the -children into plain view. In a moment she lowered them again in the -shade of a tree and then sank for a rest at their side. - -"As the children sat gazing about on the beautiful scene below, they -could plainly see the bent form of the old inn-keeper. He was rattling -his peg-leg back over the bridge, and as he hobbled along he was shaking -his head with an air of anxiety, thinking no doubt about the safety of -the children, left to the mercy of a witch on the side of the mountain. - -"'Mercy!' exclaimed 'Aunt Twaddles' with a deep, weary sigh, 'we will -take a good rest before we go on, for that was a hard climb.' - -"And now while 'Aunt Twaddles' and the two children are resting under -the shade of a tree on the side of the mountain, we will rest for a -moment, and I will thank you for a fresh drink of water before I go on -with my story." - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER IV - - THE CAVE IN THE MOUNTAIN - - -As the "Prince of the Highway" finished the first part of his story and -asked for a fresh drink of water before continuing, there was a wild, -scampering foot-race between the two largest boys as they hastened away -to the well, straining every muscle and nerve in the struggle to see who -might have the pleasure of honoring the wanderer with a drink. - -All the children that were seated upon the grass about the Vagabond, -began working closer and closer toward him, forgetful now of the cool -and almost unkind manner in which they had turned a deaf ear to his -request for a drink when first he paused in the centre of the hot, dusty -road. The little girls took off their bright colored sun-bonnets in -order that they might not lose a single word that fell from the lips of -the dust-covered story-teller. - -"Mercy!" exclaimed one of the boys, as if just awakening from the scene -that fancy had painted in his little brain. "Mercy!" again he exclaimed. -"What a terrible climb! Isn't it a wonder that the two children could -hold on so long?" - -As the words fell from the lips of the little speaker, the assembled -children seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, for they well remembered -that the two children were safe on the side of the mountain. - -Back over the lawn came the two boys bearing the water; and after the -thirsty Vagabond had refreshed himself, he blinked his little black eyes -and smacked his dry lips with evident delight, as thus he continued his -story: - -"'Aunt Twaddles' and the children, by this time, were well rested; and -rising from the ground she took them by the hands and went slowly up -through the mountain woodland. - -"The effort was not nearly so tiresome as the long struggle on the face -of the cliff had been, and for some time they made rapid progress; for -the mountain rose in a gentle slope and the way was closely shaded by -tall trees, that some weeks before had unfolded their bright foliage to -the blue sky of spring. - -"If nothing greater was to be expected, the journey was a delight in -itself; and it was fully an hour before they paused in a merry group on -the very top of the mountain. - -"As their feet reached the level soil of the mountain crown, 'Aunt -Twaddles' dropped her big bag of herbs for a moment of rest, and turning -to the children, she exclaimed: - -"'There, darlings, at last! Now gaze about you on the great underworld -and see if this isn't worth all the trouble and toil that we had on the -face of the cliff?' - -"Almost dumb with surprise, the children turned about to gaze upon the -world that lay far beneath them. - -"For some time they stood looking upon familiar scenes, dwarfed now by -the distance. The two children, both seeming to think of this fact, were -wondering in their little minds how they would ever get down the side of -the mountain, for they were really so high that it made them quite dizzy -to look below. - - -Illustration: _"Almost dumb with surprise, the children turned about to -gaze upon the world that lay far beneath them."_ - - -"Way down in the deep valley, like the houses of so many pygmies, -nestled the village of Harpers Ferry, where the foot-bridge appeared -like a narrow strand of dark tape, stretching across a snow-white -stream. - -"Far to the westward, the long winding path of the Potomac River -glistened in the bright sunlight like a spotless streamer of snow-white -ribbon, sweeping with many a graceful curve far away into a narrow -trail. - -"Nearer by, dashing with loud, rumbling roar against the foot of the -Blue Ridge mountains on the very top of which they were standing, the -foaming, frolicking Shenandoah could be seen here and there, leaping -between the tall rocky cliffs with merry, gamboling shout that arose -like a song to their ears. - -"Green wheat-fields, like so many squares of bright velvet carpet that -good farmers had laid out in the sunlight to air, were plainly in view -up the broad valley; and the blossoming peach-trees on the far distant -hillsides, that stood bathing in the full glory of the day, looked to -them like so many tiny rose bushes just bursting into full bloom. - -"Nearer by on the mountain ridge, a stray mocking-bird sat in a tree -top, testing his ruffled throat by bursting forth in a wild, beautiful -chant, but changing the notes every moment or so to mock the sweet song -of some one of his feathered acquaintances. - -"Now sweet and low he was singing the song of the linnet and calling -them all about him from their busy labor of nest building. Now he was -causing the blue bird to flutter forth in jealous anger by softly -coaxing away its mate. Then, uttering a loud shrill whistle, he sank -into silence, waiting a reply to his eloquent call from some greatly -deceived 'Bob White' that was eating its dinner far off in a bramble of -mountain shrubs. - -"Now sweet and low, he sang a song all his own; so sweet that the linnet -and thrush grew silent; so tremulous and low that it called back his -faithless mate from its wanderings. Then growing bold and defiant, with -frantic effort, he carolled forth music wild and shrill, as if -challenging the rest of the song birds to a relentless vocal war. - -"A gray squirrel barked high up in the top of the tall chestnut tree -under which they were standing, and far down in a deep, cool hollow -below, they heard a plumed pheasant drumming his battle tune -unchallenged upon a log. - -"'Come, children,' exclaimed 'Aunt Twaddles,' 'let us go!' - -"They followed the ridge of the mountain for some time; but the journey -was made so delightful and charming by the wonderful scenes beneath them -that the two children did not seem to notice just how far they had -travelled, although they had gone a great distance and everything about -and beneath them seemed new and changed. - -"Suddenly they turned to the left from the mountain ridge and passed -down into a dark ravine, the sides of which were so very high that 'Aunt -Twaddles' said the sun never shone anywhere within its dark bounds, not -even during the noon hours of midsummer. - -"It was a dark and gloomy place indeed, filled with great pitfalls of -slimy, green liquid, from which arose an unpleasant odor; while there -was barely enough light for them to see that the steep sides of the -ravine were covered with a damp mould. - -"With a feeling of relief they emerged from this horrible place to find -themselves entering a beautiful and heavily wooded glen. - -"'Aunt Twaddles' informed them that the gloomy ravine through which they -just passed was called 'The Valley of Dry Bones,' for the reason, as she -said, that the bird or animal once entering it scarcely ever came out -alive, and that what few did escape death were mere skeletons. - -"'And how is it that we are not skeletons, Aunt Twaddles, now that we -have passed through the valley?' exclaimed Arthur, with an inquiring -glance. - -"'Because we have used the power of reason, my dear, which no bird or -animal except man possesses,' she replied. Then, pausing to glance back, -she continued: 'Knowing the dangers of the valley, I used the power of -reason and laid my course. If you do not use the power of reason, my -boy, you will often find yourself in the Valley of Dry Bones as you -journey along through life.' - -"Arthur would have questioned 'Aunt Twaddles' further, but they were now -in a beautiful glen; and as they journeyed along he turned about to -behold the lovely creations of nature that lay on every hand. - -"The glen was not very wide, and the leafy branches of the tall, -overhanging trees were so mingled together that the bright sunlight -could not break through, while the beautiful wild flowers seemed -striving to outdo each other in spreading their perfume about on the -balmy air. Yet search as they might, there was not a spray of pennyroyal -anywhere to be seen. - -"A second glance over the glen proved it to be a most picturesque spot -indeed; for the rocks that arose here and there from the flower-covered -soil were not dark and weather-stained like those along the Shenandoah -River, and the wild ferns and perfumed flowers tempted the observing -children to stay their steps. - -"'Now,' exclaimed 'Aunt Twaddles,' as they walked slowly along, 'this -beautiful glen, my darlings, is called Temporary Delight, which means -short pleasures; for, as you see, we are near its end.' - -"Looking up, the children were surprised to behold in front of them a -mountain of solid stone. - -"They had not met with a greater surprise during their entire journey -than this towering cliff of rock that now barred their way; and little -Maud, suddenly hushed, dropped her flowers upon the ground and turned -with a troubled look to 'Aunt Twaddles' as she said in a trembling -voice: - -"'Aunt Twaddles, the flowers are beautiful, but, see, they fade as -quickly as they are plucked, and are not worth carrying. Besides, I do -not see any pennyroyal. How shall we ever get beyond this great -mountain?' - -"'Aunt Twaddles' was standing on the top of a rock, the summit of which -she had reached with a mighty bound; and as she noticed the troubled -look on the faces of the children, she laughed until her fat sides -fairly shook, when she said to little Maud in reply: - -"'The pleasures of life, like these flowers, are never very lasting, my -dear. Never mind, you shall have your pennyroyal. Just learn to wait and -be patient, for all things require time.' - -"She made an effort to whistle, but her fat cheeks refused to make other -than a low hissing sound. - -"It was enough. There was an answering warble from far off in the -woodland, then a sudden flutter of swift crimson wings among the near-by -branches. In another second a beautiful Red Bird came sailing down the -dark glen and, greatly to the surprise of the two children, lighted upon -one of 'Aunt Twaddles'' shoulders where it began to sing a most -beautiful song. - -"In the excitement of the moment, Arthur dropped the handful of withered -flowers he had gathered for his little sister, and with hands half -raised, shouted for her to turn quickly that she might behold the -wonderful bird; but the startling cry of the boy was hushed as he beheld -the Red Bird drop from its slender claw a bright golden key into the -outstretched hand of 'Aunt Twaddles', and then sail away into the -woodland. - -"'Aunt Twaddles' stepped toward the cliff and, turning to the surprised -children, she waved the golden key in the air, as she said in her -usually kind way. - -"'Now, children, listen. I know the old one-legged miser who keeps the -Inn at the Ferry and have known him ever since he was an ill-tempered -boy who respected not the will of his parents. I knew your brave father, -too, let me say, many years before he marched gallantly away to the war -from which he never returned. Often have I given your sweet mother a -bite of my candy, long, long before she went to live with the angels. -And now, for the love of yourselves, as well as for the memory and -respect that I bear your dear, dead parents, I am going to give you that -moment of peace and joy that the cross old miser so begrudges you down -at the Inn.' - -"With that she faced the mountain and placed the golden key in a deep -crevice of the rock, at the same time repeating some strange and -mysterious words. - -"There was a deep, rumbling roar within, that sounded like the angry -roll of distant thunder and greatly frightened the children; when, with -a tearing crash, the tall mountain parted at the centre. - -"Pieces of bursting rock went flying through the air in every direction. - -"Great columns of smoke rose upward and spread over the entire sky like -a mighty cloud. - -"The severed cliff rolled away to the side and there before them stood -the entrance to a deep, dark cave that looked gloomy and filled with -danger. - -"At first, little Arthur and Maud drew back in affright and stood ready -to fly up the glen for their lives; but 'Aunt Twaddles,' turning toward -them, exclaimed in calm, easy tones: - -"'Fear not, my children! Fear not, for I am your friend!' - -"Then without another word she entered the mouth of the dark cave and at -the chiming sound of a deep-toned bell, the cavern became filled in a -second with a million bright and glowing lights, the like of which no -mortal eye had ever beheld. - -"The two little children, now overcome with amazement, stood for the -moment speechless and motionless in the presence of the strange scene -that lay before them. - -"The great flood of light that poured from the cavern illumined the -scene with a strange beauty, that, falling upon the clear, crystal-like -rocks of the glen, seemed to make them glow with sparkling radiance like -so many diamonds; and the wild flowers of the woodland and the foliage -of the trees hung trembling beneath the magic glare that the flood of -fire cast upon them from the mouth of the enchanted cave. - -"Both Arthur and Maud seemed enchanted too. They could have remained -upon the spot perfectly contented, for a long time, had not 'Aunt -Twaddles' broken the spell by calling them. Taking each by the hand, she -led them into the cavern. - -"Instead of the rough, rude, unpolished walls of dark stone that the two -children had expected to find, they were surprised to see the beautiful -crystallized formations that hung everywhere from the roof of the -cavern. The whole place seemed to be one living blaze of light. The -floor was as smooth as a piece of glass and so polished that it might -have answered the purpose of a mirror. - -"They stood gazing about the great cave for some time, when 'Aunt -Twaddles' hurried them on their journey, exclaiming: - -"'Come, children, for we have far to go!' - -"They walked rapidly on through the cavern for some distance, not -failing, however, to take time to explore its most interesting parts. - -"It was not long before they came to a broad river that, with its swift -current, dashed through the great cave with mighty roar. 'Aunt -Twaddles,' realizing that in order to proceed upon their journey they -had to cross this stream in some manner, paused with the two children on -the shore. They stood at the edge of the water, gazing far out over the -tide and wondering what they were going to do, when, at a wave of -command from 'Aunt Twaddles,' a water sprite rose slowly from the tide -and in another instant stood bowing and scraping before them. - -"He was a most curious-looking creature indeed; and, although bearing -little or no resemblance to the people of the earth, he was not at all -bad to look upon. - -"His face beamed constantly with a broad smile, that spread his wide -mouth with its thin lips almost from ear to ear; while, in addition to a -good pair of arms, and hands with long, bony but webbed fingers, he had, -on either side of his shoulder blades, broad fins like a fish, which, no -doubt, he used in his progress through the water. - -"His head ran up to a very sharp point on the top—not a bad feature at -all for diving, as it was sharp like a boat. His eyes, instead of -setting crosswise in his head, as the eyes of most everything do, set -straight up and down with an eyebrow running along on either side of his -nose, the sight of which caused little Arthur almost to laugh in his -face. - -"As he thus stood smiling and bowing before them, 'Aunt Twaddles' turned -to the two children and said: - -"'I left a boat here on this side of the river but this mischievous -creature has taken it away. We had him sent to this underground river -because one night he cut off the beautiful hair of a mermaid and made it -into a wig for himself. I wish you could have seen him when he appeared -the next day with his false golden locks and dark skin. He really looked -as ridiculous as some of those women who have yellow hair and black -eyebrows.' - -"With that she made a movement of the hand and the sprite leaped -straight upward into the air, almost as high as the roof of the cavern; -then, turning a somersault in mid air, he landed head first in the water -with a splash and was gone. - -"It was not long before a big boat came swiftly across the stream. No -one was in it, no one was pushing it, and no one was pulling it, so far -as anyone could see. It came rapidly on and landed with great care -directly in front of 'Aunt Twaddles' and the children, and without -visible aid, bore them swiftly across the stream and landed them safely -on the other side of the river, where they resumed their journey. - -"As they walked slowly along under the glaring light, the children -beheld long rows of shelves covering one entire side of the cavern. When -Arthur inquired of 'Aunt Twaddles' what they might be, they paused for a -moment while she informed them that this great cavern was the Store -House for the seeds of all the flowers and fruits that grew in 'Beauty -Valley.' - -"Although Arthur wanted to inquire further about 'Beauty Valley,' for he -had never heard its name mentioned before, his inquisitive nature was -silenced; for, scarcely had 'Aunt Twaddles' finished telling about the -wonderful places to be found in the enchanted cave, when they came to -its end and found themselves stopped by the presence of a great stone -door. - -"For a moment, 'Aunt Twaddles' stood before this door, waving her fat -arms in a strange, frantic manner, as if she had entirely gone out of -her mind. In a low tone she uttered many strange words, which the -children did not understand; and you can imagine their surprise as they -beheld the stone door move quickly but silently to one side, and a flood -of golden sunlight sweep into the cave. - -"They were now very anxious indeed to know what new wonder might lie -before them. - -"As the stone door rolled away, the enchanted cavern again became dark -and the children wanted to hasten out into the sunshine at once; but the -voice and hand of 'Aunt Twaddles' caused them to stay their steps, as in -earnest tones she exclaimed: - -"'Wait, darlings! We must wait until the Red Bird comes back with a -message before we dare step upon this sacred soil.' - -"And before she had finished speaking, a beautiful Red Bird flew into -the mouth of the cavern and lighted upon 'Aunt Twaddles' shoulder. She -whispered some strange words into its ear and it darted rapidly away. - -"And now while 'Aunt Twaddles' and the children are waiting the return -of the magical Red Bird in the mouth of the great cave, we will wait -here for a moment of rest while the boys bring some fresh water from the -well, for I know some of you are quite thirsty." - -And the Vagabond, wiping the perspiration from his dusty brow, sank into -silence and began fanning himself with his tattered black hat. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER V - - THE VILLAGE OF HIDE AND SEEK - - -As the Vagabond ceased speaking, a murmur passed completely around the -party, and it was easily seen that the children were delighted with the -story so far as it had gone. - -Three of the boys arose, and bidding their near-by companions hold their -places in the charmed circle, dashed away to the well for water. The -rest of the children closed in about the now smiling wanderer and sat -silently gazing upon him, thinking, no doubt, how fortunate they were in -having given him a drink of water when he first paused in the roadway. - -By this time they were almost willing to give him the well itself if he -desired it. - -The three boys hastened back with the water, and the Vagabond, having -passed it around to the children, dampened his brow with the remainder, -and wiping it dry on his coat sleeve, waited for the boys to be seated. - -A robin came from far across the field and lighted in the top of the -tree under which they were seated, as if it, too, wanted to hear a part -of the story. Turning his eye for a second upon the red-breasted -songster, the Vagabond continued his tale. - -"A little time soon passes away like the song of that robin above us; -and it was not long before the Red Bird returned with a noisy flutter of -its crimson wings, while the clang of deep-toned bells sounded within -the cavern. As the great stone door moved slowly into place, 'Aunt -Twaddles' and the children stepped from the mouth of the cave with a -merry bound into the sunlight. - -"Before them lay a broad, beautiful, green valley, that, at a first -glance, seemed to be shut in by tall mountains on all sides; while in -the centre of a blue-grass lawn rose a village of tiny play-houses, each -as perfectly and as carefully built as the home of some boasted citizen -of wealth and fame. - -"Each house was ornamented with a vine-covered porch and green window -shutters, while through the open windows and doorways floated a balmy, -midsummer atmosphere, laden with mingled perfume of wild honeysuckle, -orange blossoms and roses,—so charming that I, a poor vagabond, am at a -loss for suitable words to describe it. - -"The village itself was laid out in wide, well-paved streets with a -great public square in the centre, where arose a most beautiful building -of white marble, ornamented here and there with figures of doll babies -carved from the solid stone. - -"The streets stretched away from the public square in every direction -for considerably more than a mile and so charmed and bewildered were the -children by this unexpected sight that, for a long time, they stood -looking at it, fairly trembling with delight. - -"From the side of a cliff that formed part of a mountain near where they -were standing, a great rock projected far over their heads like a rugged -shelf, to which a winding staircase of pure onyx gave easy access. A -golden throne stood far out on this rocky shelf from which all parts of -the village, as well as of the valley, could be seen with a sweeping -glance. - -"Before the children had time to make any inquiry, 'Aunt Twaddles' took -them by their hands and led them up this glistening stairway to the -golden throne, where they stood looking about over the wonderful -surroundings. - -"'Make yourselves at home,' said 'Aunt Twaddles,' as she sank back with -a sigh of relief into a golden chair; but when little Maud turned to -thank her politely, she found her little heart so full of gratitude and -joy she was unable to speak a single word. - -"Down in the village of tiny play-houses, bright, happy-faced dolls were -playing upon the clean streets and out on the lawn of the public square; -while hundreds of dolls were streaming in and out of the beautiful -building around which lay the miniature village. - -"They were laughing and talking, chatting and romping, until the air -fairly echoed with the sound of their merry voices. Many, separated from -the rest in groups, were playing all sorts of games; and so firmly were -the bright eyes of the children riveted upon the gamboling, playful -beauties that nothing seemed able to draw their attention away. - -"Over the village hung an unclouded arch of bright, blue sky, while -scattered everywhere on the green lay toys and playthings of every known -kind that might either amuse or instruct the doll babies. - -"Some dolls were busily engaged in running toy steam engines. Others -were spinning their tops on the streets of the village. Still others -were sending up crimson and yellow and blue balloons and watching them -pass out of sight or burst in mid-air. - -"Off in a vacant place a number of boy dolls were flying their kites, -and others were playing baseball and tennis; while marbles in millions -lay scattered all over the ground. Little Arthur, eyeing them enviously, -turned to his sister and said: - -"'Mercy! Wouldn't I like to have some of those beautiful toys down in -Harpers Ferry.' - -"Maud's only reply to her delighted brother was a long-drawn sigh, on -the very breath of which she exclaimed: - -"'Oh, Arthur! Look at the beautiful dolls!' - -"For a long time the children watched the dolls as they romped upon the -clean streets and green playgrounds. Finally, little Maud looked up at -'Aunt Twaddles' and inquired with a serious air and softened voice: - -"'Aunt Twaddles, is this Heaven?' - -"A sudden smile spread over 'Aunt Twaddles'' big fat face. Leaning -forward toward the edge of the golden throne, she placed her head -between the two children, and pointing to the village with a clumsy, -awkward hand, she said: - -"'This beautiful spot, my dear children, is the Village of Hide and -Seek. You might truthfully call it a heaven for the dolls, for they -never have any trouble or sorrow here.' - -"Little Maud breathed a deep sigh as she turned again to her friend and -exclaimed in breathless surprise: - -"'The Village of Hide and Seek! What a beautiful place! And I never -heard of it before!' - -"She sank into silence when she saw a little doll bowing very politely, -as it introduced one little doll to another whom they happened to meet -on a side street of the village. - -"The question asked by his little sister and so beautifully answered by -'Aunt Twaddles,' paved the way for Arthur to ask some questions himself. -Turning to 'Aunt Twaddles' he said: - -"'Aunt Twaddles, what is that beautiful white building with the tower of -gold standing in the very centre of the public square? See! The dolls -are hurrying to it from every direction!' - -"When the boy had finished speaking, 'Aunt Twaddles' took one sweeping -glance over the village and replied: - -"'That fine building, my darlings, is the Temple of Music. When the -clock in its tower strikes twelve all the dolls will come out of the -Temple, and, gathering on the green about the band stand, they will all -begin to sing.' - -"Arthur and Maud glanced away toward the clock that stood just beneath -the golden dome in the tower of the Temple of Music. It was five minutes -to the hour; yet the dolls were forsaking their playthings all over the -village and rapidly hastening to the Temple. In a moment more the -streets of the village were deserted. - -"There lay their thousands of fine toys with no one to molest them. -There stood their play-houses with wide-open windows and doors and no -one to touch the fine furniture within; while beyond lay the broad, -green, but now idle playground. - -"The hands of the clock in the tower closed slowly, one upon the other, -as if in loving embrace. - -"One, two, three, came the sound of the chime in the belfry, and thus it -continued until the last stroke of twelve, when, from the wide-open -doors of the Temple of Music, the dolls filed out into the public square -and formed themselves in circling rows around the band stand. - -"In glittering raiment of silver and gold lace, the Doll-Baby Brass-Band -of fully five hundred pieces appeared on the scene and took its place in -the band stand. - -"A marshall, or music master, climbed to his place on a pedestal. - -"There was a loud tap of his gold baton and the instruments went up to -the lips of the happy-faced players. Then came a firm wave of command; -and one grand, wild burst of sweet melody fell upon the ears of the -delighted children, so overcome by the sight and sound they had to lean -upon the side of the golden throne, as all the dolls in the village thus -began to sing: - - - "'Oh come to the Village of Hide and Seek, - For Little Boy Blue, and Little Bo-Peep, - With Hi-Diddle-Diddle, the Cat and the Fiddle, - Are coming to visit us soon. - Old Mother Goose will be sweeping the sky, - And poor Simple Simon will bring us a pie; - While Little Jack Horner will milk on the corner - The Cow that Jumped over the Moon. - - _Chorus._ - - "'We are glad that you came, so please tell us your name - And join us a while in our favorite game. - You should dwell in the Village of Hide and Seek, - For it's Saturday here every Day in the week,— - It is Saturday, Saturday all of the week. - - "'Now Jack from his Bean Stalk will jump to the ground. - The Black Birds will leave the King's pie with a bound. - While Old Mother Hubbard will open her cupboard - And search it again for a bone. - The Dish will come back with the Spoon that it stole, - And Dickery Dock bring the mouse from its hole, - While we will go hunting for Bye Baby Bunting, - And bring her poor Daddy back home. - - _Chorus._ - - "'Mary Contrary will pay us a call, - And fat Humpty Dumpty will tumble and fall, - While poor Jack and Jill, who fell down the hill, - Will gambol about on the green. - The Old Woman and children that lived in a Shoe, - With the Piper and Tom and the Pig, will come too— - And bring Mrs. Jack Sprat with a mouth full of fat, - And Jack with a mouth full of lean.' - - _Chorus._ - - -"The singing was over; and, as the last notes died on the air, the -children seemed to waken as if from a trance, for their eyes had been -riveted upon the singing dolls in one long, unbroken stare. - -"'Such singing!' cried little Maud, as she turned toward her still dazed -brother. - -"'Such a band!' he exclaimed, merrily clapping his hands as he glanced -from his sister to 'Aunt Twaddles;' while down in the Village of Hide -and Seek the dolls were filing back into the Temple of Music. - -"'Look!' exclaimed 'Aunt Twaddles,' as she pointed away toward the -village. 'The dolls are going back into the Temple to practise and the -streets of the village will now be deserted for at least an hour.' - -"The happy children turned about just in time to see the last of the -great army of dolls as they entered the doors of the Temple. All now -throughout the village lay quiet and still. - -"Off in the far end of the valley flowed a golden stream. It was quite -wide indeed and its current, as yellow as any gold that was ever made -into a finger ring, rippled at a surprisingly rapid rate. - -"The banks on this side were clear of bushes and nothing grew to hide -any of the swift-flowing river from view. On the opposite side, and -close to the edge of the tide, arose tall buildings surrounded by huge -piles of well-seasoned lumber, from which came a buzzing sound as if -this might be a factory of some kind. - -"Farther down on the edge of the stream stood several long sheds filled -with bolts of silk and ribbon, satins and laces in great piles without -number; while standing well up in the sky and high over all, as if -suspended from the arched heavens above, hung a tall, golden sign with -shining letters that glistened in the dazzling sun light. - -"For a long time the strange sign greatly puzzled the children, for the -letters seemed to be put up backward and failed to spell anything in -particular; while through the open spaces between them they could just -see the outlines of a herd of reindeer feeding afar in a field of -spotless snow. - -"Arthur's inquisitive nature could permit no such puzzle to remain long -unsolved, and turning to 'Aunt Twaddles' he excitedly asked: - -"'Aunt Twaddles, what are those tall buildings with the strange sign -over them?' - -"'Aunt Twaddles' looked up with a smile and almost shouted with a merry -laugh, 'Strange sign?' But as she glanced in the direction of the golden -stream, she burst forth in an astonished, serious tone and said: - -"'Mercy upon us! The wind has turned the sign completely around.' - -"She touched a small pearl button inlaid in the arm of her golden chair, -and all at once a gentle breeze swept down the valley, rustling the -leaves and tilting the tops of the trees that stood in its way. Slowly -the great sign turned upon its centre with a loud, squeaking sound. - -"Again 'Aunt Twaddles' touched the pearl button. The breeze ceased -blowing; the leaves became silent. Both Arthur and Maud nearly fainted; -for now before their very eyes they read in large letters of pure, -burnished gold. - -"'WORK SHOPS AND FACTORIES OF SANTA CLAUS. Established A. D. 1.' - -"No wonder that piles of seasoned lumber towered sky high! No wonder -great sheds filled with silk lined the bank of the stream! - -"There, surely enough, were his reindeer feeding far off in the -snow-fields; and as the ever good-natured Santa Claus himself appeared -on the roof of his factory and waved them a hearty welcome, the -children, awed by the sight of this great man, sank into the stout arms -of 'Aunt Twaddles' in a spasm of silent joy. - -"'Well!' exclaimed 'Aunt Twaddles' after a time. 'I am so glad you saw -Santa, for he seldom allows even the dolls to see him except about -Christmas time; and now if you will be patient for a moment, we shall -see what this button will bring forth.' - -"She touched a blue button inlaid among many in the arm of her golden -chair. - -"Instantly, far off in the mountain, the children heard singing. Not the -sweet singing of childish voices that had come from the multitude of -dolls in the village, but a wild, musical chant that seemed to set the -very air in motion and to waken a thrill in their hearts such as they -had never known before. - -"Closer and closer it came until the merry voices could be heard quite -plainly. Nearer and nearer, until the words fell upon their delighted -ears, as if spoken by someone upon the very throne at their side. - -"All the dolls came pouring out of the Temple of Music through every -door of the building, and forming themselves into line behind a -soldierly looking little leader, they separated into companies and -regiments and commenced a marching drill, as thus the voices sang: - - - "'The Ice Cream is so delicious, - And the Cake so soft and fine. - Come on, Brownies, bring the dishes, - And Doll Babies fall in line; - Tell the boy dolls and the ladies - To give every tot a spoon, - And put bibs upon the babies, - For we're coming with it soon. - - 'Down the hill, down the hill, - Not at all like Jack and Jill, - For the cream we never spill, - While our voices loud and shrill - Echo back from hill to hill.' - - -"Louder and louder came the chant from the mountain; when lo! as they -gazed in the direction of the music, they were surprised to behold dwarf -after dwarf marching down the mountain-side, each singing with all his -might. - -"At some distance behind them, scurrying helter skelter and pell mell, -were a group of acrobatic brownies, turning somersaults and handsprings, -flip flaps and cart wheels. Some were sliding down the steep on one ear, -while others paused for a moment to stand straight up in the air on the -tips of their noses. Some were walking along on their hands; but all -moved with merry, joyous shout onward toward the village, juggling their -dishes in the air as they came. - -"The voices of the singers were in perfect unison, from the little -pot-bellied brownie in the rear, who sang bass, to the flat-faced pygmy -in the centre, whose high tenor notes echoed and re-echoed among the -surrounding mountains. Thus gaily they came onward, while 'Aunt -Twaddles' and the children stood watching them from the throne. - -"Down in the Village of Hide and Seek all now was silent. The -Doll-General had scattered his forces and marched them away in a quiet, -orderly manner to long tables methodically grouped on the lawn. All the -dolls seemed to be listening to the sweet music. - -"Louder and louder came the song from the band of musical midgets. As -they drew nearer, Arthur and Maud noticed that each dwarf carried a -large tray before him and that the trays were loaded with good things to -eat, piled so high that a strong wide strap encircled the neck of each -dwarf and helped support the tray at its sides. - -"Down the line the army of tumbling pygmies came whirling along, each -bearing a tower of snow-white china dishes; and, strange as it may seem, -not a dish was broken in the rocky journey. - -"The dwarfs were not long in spreading their fine feast before the -dolls. They had scarcely begun to pass around the cake when two -sturdy-looking dwarfs staggered up the onyx steps of the throne, bearing -two heavily laden trays. - -"They were followed by four funny-faced little brownies who spread a -table before the children, and, winking and blinking and smiling, went -merrily about their work. - -"When the table was all prepared, the dwarfs placed before each of the -children a big turkey-dish piled two feet high with vanilla, strawberry -and chocolate ice cream. The four brownies then stepped between them and -sat down a wash tub filled with rich chocolate layer cake. Then, with a -wild shout of hilarious joy, they slid head first down the golden -balustrade and landed upon the grass, turning somersault after -somersault as they rolled along on the velvety lawn. - -"And such ice cream it was! You could fairly see the rich, yellow cream -oozing out of it. Little Maud declared, as she looked at her brother -with a delighted smile, that it surely must have been sweetened with -honey. - -"'My!' she exclaimed, as she tasted it again and again, 'What glorious -cream! I could die eating it, but we must save some to take home.' And -she tasted it again, with a loud smack of her pretty lips. - -"'Aunt Twaddles' leaned far back in her golden chair and, seeming to -have overheard little Maud, she straightened up as she exclaimed: - -"'Eat plenty of it, my darling! Eat plenty of it! For I have a whole -valley full lying over between the mountains.' - -"Instantly the children, startled at the very thought, looked up from -their delightful repast. - -"'A whole valley full!' exclaimed Arthur, but he could say no more, for -he had to stop eating to think about it. - -"He picked up a piece of cake and tasted it. - -"'Oh, Maud,' he cried, 'try some quick! Just try some! This is the -grandest cake you ever ate.' And as the children were feasting upon the -cake, Arthur added in a half-whisper, glancing down at the wash tub -piled full: - -"'But we must not eat it all, Maud, we must save some to take home.' - -"'Eat plenty, my darlings, eat plenty!' came from the lips of 'Aunt -Twaddles.' 'I have a tall mountain of it standing just across the valley -before you.' - -"The excited children again looked up from their feast and there, sure -enough, just across the green valley and standing directly in front of -them, towered a tall golden-colored mountain, that reached almost to the -sky. - -"And to think that it was all cake! - -"The children were so surprised they could make no reply. Between every -mouthful they raised their sparkling eyes to look at Cake Mountain; and, -as there seemed to be no need of saving any of the cake or ice cream, -they started in to do full justice to their repast, for they were truly -hungry after the long journey from Harpers Ferry to the village of Hide -and Seek. - -"And now while little Arthur and Maud are enjoying themselves, and -swallowing great spoonfuls of delicious ice cream, we will pause in the -story for a moment while some of you swallow another drink of that nice -cool water, if the boys will kindly bring it to us from the well." - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER VI - - THE QUEEN OF THE DOLLS - - -The hot sun was now standing directly over the tops of the trees, and, -as the moving shade had left the Vagabond with a part of his circle of -children out in its broiling rays, he was glad indeed to pause with his -story while they all rose at his request and formed a new circle farther -in under the sheltering branches. Four of the boys leaped from the -ground and scampered away to bring the water as the Vagabond had -requested. - -When the new circle was formed, one of the little girls,—a sweet-faced -darling of not more than five years, pushed herself away from the -others, and with a feeling of pride, took a seat by the side of the -Vagabond, where she sat looking into his face quite anxious for him to -go on with his story. - -The boys were not slow in returning from the well; and in order to -assure themselves that the water would reach the parched lips of their -companions fresh and cool, they had unbound the old oaken bucket from -the well pole and were bearing it along, dripping full, between them. -The water soon arrived, and by order of the Vagabond it was passed -around, he not even forgetting to first wait upon the little lady who, -so honored, sat proudly by his side. When they were all comfortably -seated in the shade at last, it was thus he continued his interesting -tale: - -"After the two children had eaten all they possibly could, just as many -of you drank all the water you possibly could, the dwarfs and brownies -came hurrying up the stairs and were not long in removing the dishes and -table. The brownies, in a most winning manner, insisted upon their -eating more, for there was enough left to feed a dozen hungry children, -but they were forced to reluctantly decline. - -"The sun-tanned brownie, who removed the dishes from in front of Maud, -looked too funny for anything with his long-peaked cap set aslant on his -little round head and roguishly pushed over to one side. On his face -appeared a broad grin as he took the dishes under his arm, and gazing -intently toward little Maud, said in a shy, half-whisper though -sufficiently loud for her to hear: "Pretty girl!" - -"Then without waiting a reply, he made one wild, hilarious plunge, -dishes and all, down the balustrade. Nor did he stop when he struck the -ground, but hurried away toward the mountain, halting only for a second -when half way up its steep side to wave her an affectionate adieu with -his funny round cap. Thus waving he passed from sight under the -sheltering trees that grew along the mountain way, while the children -turned to view other parts of the beautiful valley. - -"'What broad, golden stream is that, Aunt Twaddles?' inquired little -Arthur, as he pointed toward the Work Shops of Santa Claus. - -"'Aunt Twaddles' glanced up as he spoke and looking in the direction of -the golden stream, she replied. - -"'That, my darlings, is Taffy River.' - -"'Taffy River!' exclaimed the children in one breath. Then Arthur, in an -excited tone, continued: 'You don't mean to tell us, Aunt Twaddles, that -taffy flows in a river like that!' - -"The children stood anxiously awaiting her reply. - -"'Yes, darlings! Oh, yes!' she replied. 'Taffy River gets its start up -at Honey Springs in the lower end of Ice Cream Valley and flows, as you -see, down between Ginger Bread Hills and Cake Mountain, then on past the -Work Shops of Santa Claus and empties into Lake Fudge, over beyond the -Pop-Corn Fields where you see the reindeer.' - -"Arthur was so bewildered he did not know what to say; while little Maud -stood with her mouth open in such a manner that she was quite amusing to -look upon. Suddenly she exclaimed: - -"'Mercy, Aunt Twaddles! Is that white field pop corn? Why I thought it -was snow!' - -"'No! no! my children!' smilingly exclaimed the good lady. 'That field -is all pop corn. You see,' she continued, 'we never have either rain or -snow here. Not a particle of water is ever permitted to fall in this -enchanted valley, not even a drop of dew; for if it should, though it -was only a tear, something dreadful would surely happen. This is not our -will, but the will of Heaven; and if you watch, you will see for -yourselves.' - -"'Aunt Twaddles' touched another button in the arm of her golden chair -and gazed calmly over the valley. - -"While they were waiting for something unusual to happen, little Maud -roused from a spell of deep thought and inquired: - -"'Aunt Twaddles, does any of Taffy River ever empty into the -Shenandoah?' And her eyes sparkled at the thought. - -"'Ah, no, darling,' replied the generous old woman with a knowing smile. -'When the children of the earth are good, Santa Claus takes most of it -on his journey at Christmas time; but when they are naughty it overflows -Lake Fudge and is wasted among the surrounding hills.' - -"'Aunt Twaddles' seemed somewhat impatient and again pressing the button -with a firm hand, the children were greatly surprised to behold a heavy, -dark cloud rising in the west. Leaping upward it came flying angrily -over the summit of Ginger Bread Hills; then dashing furiously against -the tall sides of Cake Mountain it rolled upward with the sound of deep, -muttering thunder and spread over the entire sky. - -"The wind came howling bitterly down the beautiful valley with a sudden -dash and roar, and again turned the sign above the factory of Santa -Claus out of reasonable position. - -"Strong trees bent low before the breath of the on-coming storm, while -the entire end of Beauty Valley grew suddenly dark. All the dolls of the -village hastened into their play-houses as fast as their little legs -could carry them. Santa Claus came out of his factory and, arching his -eyebrows with the palms of his wide-open hands, cast a sweeping glance -over the threatening sky and then disappeared within. - -"The doors throughout this great factory were suddenly closed. Windows -came down with a bang. Louder and louder the shrill wind howled with a -wintry wail and in a few moments a blinding snowstorm of pop corn buried -the distant field in a spotless coverlet of white. - -"'Aunt Twaddles' touched another button in the arm of her chair. -Suddenly the clouds melted away into a veil of thin mist and again the -sun poured down its wealth of golden glory. - -"Up went the windows in the factory of Santa Claus. The dolls rushed out -of their play-houses and danced once more upon the green, while a mighty -host of brownies rushed from the factories into the field and began to -gather basket after basket of pop corn to be made into pop-corn balls on -the banks of Taffy River. - -"'Aunt Twaddles' sat back in her chair, smiling silently, for she had -watched the expressions upon the faces of the children during the -wonderful storm. - -"The scene was indeed most marvelous and it was a long time before -either of the children ventured to say a word, for the wonderful -workings of nature, all under control of the little, shining buttons, -mystified them beyond utterance. - -"Suddenly they beheld a little brownie hurrying from the factory toward -the throne. 'Aunt Twaddles' arose when she saw him coming. - -"'Here comes a messenger,' she said, 'and something must be wrong.' - -"In another second he bounded up the onyx steps and soon afterward stood -tremblingly before them. - -"'What is it, Spit?' inquired 'Aunt Twaddles' as she gazed down upon -him. - -"'Spit,' for that was the name of the brownie, looked up into her face -as he stood awed by her presence. - -"'Twaddles!' he exclaimed, 'during the storm the lightning struck a -wooden doll in the village and hurt it mighty badly.' - -"As this sad bit of news fell on the ears of 'Aunt Twaddles,' she -dismissed the brownie with a wave of her hand and sank back in her -chair, and the children could see that she was much distressed. - -"'Come! come!' she said to herself at last, 'we must not grieve so much -over accidents, for they are often the will of Heaven.' - -"She arose and greeted the children with a glad smile. - -"'Aunt Twaddles,' inquired Arthur, 'does Santa Claus always live here?' - -"Instantly, 'Aunt Twaddles' stepped back from the children and paused. -She stood near the steps of the golden throne, her hand resting upon the -white polished onyx post that ornamented the end of the beautiful -balustrade, and turning to them, she said: - -"'Yes, children, Santa Claus always lives here and I am his sister.' - -"As she spoke the last word, a magical change came over her entire -features. - -"Instead of the fat, flabby, emotionless countenance the children had -long known and loved, each careworn line withered instantly away, and in -place came the bloom and smile of eternal youth and beauty; while the -ungainly and ponderous weight that had so encumbered her journeys, -disappeared all in a moment, until she now looked more like a beautiful -fairy than the dear, good 'Aunt Twaddles' of old. - -"All the odd, ill-fitting garments, with the long, heavy skirt to which -they had so firmly clung for their lives while climbing the face of the -cliff, were changed before their very eyes into raiments of rich lace -and gold; and she stood before them in her true character, no longer -'Aunt Twaddles,' the herb woman, but the fairy sister of Santa Claus, -more lovely by far than any doll they had ever beheld. - -"'You see me now, darlings, as no mortal eye has ever beheld me. Amid -the common walks of life, when gathering wintergreen, spices, and herbs -on the mountain, with which to flavor the candy for Santa Claus, I am -awkward and ugly, fat, and ungainly, and I care not; for the rarest of -womanly beauty on earth lies not in the looks, but the heart. But here, -in this haven of blissful repose, you now behold me as I truly am;—not -Aunt Twaddles, the herb woman, but _Twaddles, the Queen of the Dolls_, -and the ruler who reigns over the Village of Hide and Seek.' - - -Illustration: _"All the odd, ill-fitting garments were changed into -raiments of gold."_ - - -"Awed beyond measure and wrapt in admiring silence, the poor children -stood trembling in the presence of the queen. Nor could they reconcile -themselves to the sudden change, for 'Aunt Twaddles,' the herb woman, -had always been so good and kind to them. - -"Little Maud suddenly sank to her knees on the throne, and cried aloud -in a pitiful voice: - -"'Oh, dear queen, how beautiful you are! But please be your dear self -again, for I love the Aunt Twaddles who has always been so good to me.' - -"Before she could finish her heart-rending plea, the beautiful Doll -Queen folded her to her bosom and covered the face of the child with -sweet, motherly caresses. - -"'Come! come!' she said softly, at last. 'We will make a tour of Beauty -Valley, or, as the dolls of the village all love to call it, 'The Land -of Santa Claus.' And she unclasped Maud from her arms. - -"The Queen touched a bell on a silver stand and at the faint sound a -beautiful white-winged dove, with a pale blue ribbon about its snowy -neck, came flying from a near-by olive tree and lit upon the edge of the -throne before them. - -"The children, much interested in the unusual sight, drew back toward -the opposite side of the throne as if fearing they might frighten the -bird away; but the Queen, smiling so sweetly that they felt like falling -to their knees and worshipping her, turned to them as she exclaimed: - -"'Have no fear, my darlings, for you cannot frighten it away. This bird -is my private messenger that always finds Kimbo when I want him.' - -"The Queen waved her hands with a graceful, easy motion, and the dove -rose in the air on its snowy wings. Three times it circled above the -throne, and then took its course toward the buildings of Santa Claus and -passed out of sight. The Queen stepped lightly beside them and said: - -"'Let us wait now, my darlings, for the arrival of Kimbo.' - -"And now while we leave the beautiful Queen standing with the children -upon the golden throne and waiting for Kimbo, whoever he is, I will wait -here by the side of this little queen, seated upon God's Throne, the -green grass, until some of the boys bring us more water; for the day is -sultry and warm and Miss Lady, so sweet at my side, must be kept like a -fresh cut flower, shaded and cool." - -The Vagabond ceased with that part of his story. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER VII - - "KIMBO, THE GIANT" - - -"The Queen of the Dolls!" cried all the children with delight. - -"My, how I should like to meet her!" exclaimed one flaxen-haired little -maiden, who formed a part of the circle. - -The little girl beside the Vagabond declared she would have her mamma -write to the Queen that night and ask Santa Claus to take the letter to -her the next time he came around. - -There was a loud outburst of merry laughter that was joined in by His -Highness the Vagabond himself. - -The mirth soon subsided, and before they had hardly time to engage in -much general talk about the "Queen of the Dolls," five of the boys came -hurrying from the well, bearing the old oaken bucket, dripping and cool. -When the general thirst was quenched, the Vagabond cast a smile upon the -upturned face of his sweet little friend, who so honored his side by her -presence, as he thus went on with his tale. - -"The white-winged dove had scarcely passed out of sight before the two -children beheld a strange object moving up and down along the distant -horizon; and so rapid was its approach that it was not long before they -could distinguish the outlines of a gigantic personage. - -"He seemed to be leaping over great fields, fully a mile at a stride, in -his frantic effort to get to the throne. Turning to watch the -approaching figure, the Queen cried aloud: - -"'Oh, children, look quickly! Kimbo the Giant is coming with all his -might!' - - -Illustration: _"He seemed to be leaping over great fields fully a mile -at a stride."_ - - -"And before the amazed children could say a word, the wondrous Kimbo -cleared the factories of Santa Claus and Taffy River with a mighty -bound, and in another instant stood before them. - -"The giant was so tall that his ponderous chin was level with the floor -of the golden throne; and you can well imagine their surprise, not a -little of which was tinged with fear, when they saw his massive -features. - -"The children sank back in affright; but when the Queen assured them -that the Giant was as kind as any doll down in the village, they -ventured to turn with a shudder and look into his partly opened mouth. -It appeared to them like a hole in the mountain near Harpers Ferry where -the people once dug out coal. - -"As he uttered a few words of respect to the Queen, accompanied with a -low bow, the sound which came from his partly opened lips was like the -deep, growling rumble of distant thunder and shook the very throne on -which they were standing. - -"His eyes were larger than saucers; and the great veins in his glaring -eye-balls seemed like blood-red cords swollen and ready to burst. His -ears, each ornamented with an earring as big as a wagon-tire, were as -long as Maud's little arm; and never a pumpkin grew longer or larger -than Kimbo's great nose. - -"His neck was as thick as the trunk of the largest tree that grew down -by the Shenandoah River, and just about as wrinkled and rough as its -bark; while his broad shoulders were far wider than the entire throne of -the Queen. - -"His eyebrows resembled great patches of grass more than eyebrows, and -his massive jaws, supporting a wrinkled chin, looked as if they might -take a bite out of the very rock in the side of the mountain and not -mind it in the least. - -"On the top of his head he wore a peculiar kind of rig intended no doubt -for a hat, which was bound firmly in place by strands of his coarse -black hair, as thick and perhaps as strong as a hawser. On closer -inspection, however, this hat proved to be a kind of settee, for its -entire side was an upholstered seat with strong arms and deep cushions. - -"The Queen stepped toward the edge of the throne and invited the -children for a ride on the Giant's head. - -"As they were all ready to get aboard, the Giant lowered his head until -the settee was level with the floor of the throne and they were not -tardy in getting comfortably seated. In another moment they were off on -the journey. - -"They started away at such a rapid pace that the children could hardly -breathe; so the Queen cautioned the Giant to go more slowly, and he -slackened his pace to the speed of a railroad train. The Queen informed -them that he was then only walking, and that they need not be alarmed in -the least as the Giant was sure-footed and would not stumble or fall. - -"Onward they went like the wind, past the foot of Cake Mountain with its -towering sides and dome of rich, brown crusted cake; on up through the -Ice Cream Valley, where, with a mighty roar, the Honey Springs gushed -from the ground. Thence over the Ginger Bread Hills and past field after -field filled with pie plants, in which an army of brownies were -gathering hot pies and sprinkling them with sugar. - -"They passed through great groves of cocoanut trees from the tops of -which shouting bands of wild monkeys threw cocoanut shells after them; -thence through vineyards of ripening grapes and orchards of oranges and -lemons, and arrived at last at the border of a most beautiful lake that, -with its wild, wonderful surroundings, presented the grandest scene they -had ever beheld. - -"The great Kimbo backed cautiously up to a towering rock, one side of -which presented a straight cliff toward the lake; and when they had -stepped from their high perch on the Giant's head to the smooth level -top of the great rock, the Queen bade them pause for a moment to look -about over the beautiful scene that now lay beneath and before them. - -"Stretching away in the distance, almost as far as the eye could see, -lay a marvellous lake that, in its fitful, frolicsome mood, resembled -some rolling sea of crimson and gold and piled its great billows, -glistening in the sunlight, with a resounding crash upon the pebbly -shore. - -"Far off to the right, and many thousands of feet higher than the rock -on which they were standing, a stream came tumbling down from the crown -of a tall mountain, and churning its waters into endless foam, fell into -a deep and distant valley. - -"Pointing away with her pretty hand, the Queen said to the children: - -"'Behold, darlings, the famous Butter-milk Falls of which you have heard -so much! The stream, as you see, does not enter into this lake, but -falls from the top of Cheese Mountain and then wanders away through a -sandy valley where it sinks into the ground.' - -"For a moment the children gazed upon it; then Arthur exclaimed with -some satisfaction: - -"I'm glad it doesn't empty here for I never did like butter-milk.' - -"The Queen and the children laughed heartily at the very thought. - -"As they stood laughing upon the rock, they beheld at no great distance -a wild, noisy cataract, where a beautiful, wide, golden stream leaped -from a high rock, and whirling its never-ceasing torrent into endless -eddies of a thousand different dyes, plunged into the lake that lay -before them. - -"'Look, Maud!' exclaimed Arthur. 'Look! Look! The beautiful falls!' - -"The children asked of the Queen its name and she replied: - -"'That, my darlings, is the end of Taffy River and those are the Stick -Candy Falls. Here Taffy River pours its delicious stream over the rocks -into Lake Fudge that you see lying before you. Now,' she continued, 'we -will walk over and inspect Stick Candy Falls, after which we will return -to this rock, for I consider this the finest viewpoint anywhere along -the shore of the lake.' - -"The Queen did not have to assist the children in their descent from the -rock. With a merry bound they ran down the path ahead of her, delighted -with the prospect of visiting the Falls which appeared so beautiful. - -"Around them on all sides, grew sweet-scented flowers that, at any other -time, might have caused the children to stay their steps, for they were -fond of wild flowers indeed; but on this particular occasion all the -blossoms of the woodland would not have tempted them, for the sound of -the roaring cataract grew louder and louder as they drew near. - -"The path descended into a little glen, the rocky sides of which hid the -cataract from view; and the children stopped to look back upon the spot -from which they had just come. There towered the tall rock with its one -steep side facing the lake. The great Giant, Kimbo, sat on the ground at -its base leaning against the cliff, his head drooped heavily forward -almost between his drawn up knees. - - -Illustration: _"The children stopped to look back upon the spot from -which they had just come."_ - - -"As they drew near to where the angry river made its desperate leap, the -children were frightened, for the wind caused by the cataract came -roaring about their ears, bearing mist and spray that for a time almost -blinded them. They passed around this danger point and came to a more -sheltered spot, where they paused to view the falls. - -"As they stood there they noticed that a path led far in behind the -falling stream, and that the ledge over which this wonder of nature -poured its wealth of golden beauty was a peculiar rock crystal, quite -similar to that which ornamented the beautiful glen through which they -had passed before entering the Enchanted Cave. - -"Arthur's inquisitive nature was awake and ready. He proceeded to test -the tall ledge with the blade of his pen knife, when, as he placed a -shattered bit of the rock to his lips, he shouted aloud to his sister: - -"'Oh, Maudie, this ledge of rock is Rock Candy!' Then placing the -remaining piece in his mouth, he rushed into the arms of the Queen to -tell her of his surprising discovery. - -"Long formations of varying sizes and color were hanging everywhere; and -the children understood at a glance that this was the place where Santa -Claus gets all the stick candy with which he is so generous at Christmas -time. The sticks hung wherever a crevice or crack appeared in the ledge, -and no sooner was one broken off than another began to form in its place -at once. - -"As they stepped forward to get a better view behind the falling -torrent, they could see dozens of busy brownies breaking off the sticks -and carefully packing them in long paper boxes, which others were -carrying to the store house that stood on the towering brink above. - -"The Queen led them beyond the group of busy workers, when, looking up -at the ledge over which the cataract hung like a graceful veil, they saw -the following lines carved deep in the rock far above their heads. They -paused and with some difficulty, read these lines. - - "'Sweet Taffy River, with its eddies wild, - Comes dancing onward like a playful child, - Till from this towering ledge, with face aglow, - It bounds, delighted, to Lake Fudge below.' - - -"They returned then to the high rock, and the children were surprised to -see a great army of dolls moving rapidly toward the lake. The dolls were -romping and chatting as they hurried along, but all seemed to have the -same purpose in view for they were headed toward a certain point on the -shore. - -"Both Arthur and Maud were nearly crazy to join them, but the Queen -wanted to go up on the high rock again, and, as the will of the Queen -was the law of the land, up the high rock they went. - -"They paused for a moment to look down on the great Kimbo, and laughed -merrily when they saw he was still fast asleep. - -"'Don't disturb him,' said the Queen in a low tone, as she assisted the -children up the path to the top of the rock. - -"Shout after shout arose from the crowd of dolls gathered upon the -shore; and as their merry voices shook the air and resounded far over -the lake, Maud inquired of the Queen the cause of their presence and the -unusual tumult they were raising. - -"The Queen was standing still, looking far over the lake. It was some -moments before she replied, for the commotion seemed somewhat unusual. -Glancing toward Maud, she said, sweetly: - -"'These, darlings, are all the dolls from the Village of Hide and Seek. -They have come down to the shore and are anxiously waiting to be taken -over in their ferry-boat to the Island of Dreams that lies in the centre -of this beautiful lake.' - -"Pointing toward the location of the strange island, she continued: - -"'Wait a few moments and you will see!' she said, casting another hasty -glance far over the tide. - -"The children peered in the direction toward which the Queen pointed, -and beheld far in the distance the dim outlines of an island low down on -the very edge of the horizon. As they stood there they felt a drowsy -sensation creep over them and, like the great Kimbo, they too would have -fallen asleep had it not been for the sudden appearance of a -strange-looking boat that was coming rapidly across the foam toward the -shore. - -"As it drew into plain view the tumult of the dolls on the strand -ceased. The children noticed, to their great amazement, that twelve -dolphins were swimming in tandem through the tide and drawing the barque -after them; while astride the back of each dolphin sat a beautiful -mermaid to guide their course through the foam. With much skill as well -as grace, they swang their magnificent craft to a carefully selected -landing on the shore of the lake, while all the dolls scampered -clamorously aboard, and the boat was soon away on its journey. - -"Little Maud danced up and down on the big rock in a perfect spasm of -delight, at the same time exclaiming as loud as she could: - -"'Oh, Queen, can't we go, too? Can't we go, too?' - -"Little Arthur looked up at the Queen disappointed when he saw that the -barque was leaving the shore without taking them along. - -"'Well, darlings,' said the Queen, 'if you wish, you too may go to the -Island of Dreams.' - -"She looked down upon them with a sweet, winning smile. - -"Nothing in the world could have pleased them so well, for they hoped to -meet all the dolls from the village over there. The Queen blew a little -gold whistle that hung from a chain about her neck, and the massive head -of the great Kimbo instantly appeared above the level of the rock, and -he stood rubbing his sleepy eyes with the back of his hand, that seemed -larger than the prize ham of a county fair. - -"'Kimbo, my boy,' said the Queen, 'tell the mermaids to send a boat for -us.' - -"Then she turned to watch the doll boat that was fast disappearing in -the distance. - -"A broad smile swept over the Giant's good-natured face. He stamped his -great foot on the ground, and woe to the rocks that were beneath it. The -drowsiness left his leg, that, like himself, had fallen asleep, and as -his foot came down with a mighty bang the earth all around the big rock -trembled as if from an earthquake. - -"Glancing into the faces of the children, he winked his big, sleepy eye -with a sound like the clapping of hands that caused both of the children -to laugh in his face. Then he turned slowly about and repeated the -Queen's request in thunderous tones. - -"There was an instant pause of the dolphins in the distance; then a -bright gleam of sunlight flashed from their tails as they lifted them -from the lake in sportive glee. The shrill voice of an answering mermaid -came from far over the waves; then they continued their journey and were -soon lost to sight. - -"The Queen turned to the children with a bright smile upon her pretty -face and, giving each of them a sweet kiss, she said softly: - -"'It won't take them long, dear ones. It won't take them long. We shall -have to wait but a few moments.' - -"So now, while the beautiful Queen with the children are waiting on top -of the rock for a boat to come for them, we will wait here under this -tree for a fresh drink of water, that the dear ones gathered about me -may keep comfortable and cool." - -The Vagabond cast a smile over the excited and anxious faces in the -circle, as he brushed the sweat from his brow and ceased speaking. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER VIII - - THE ISLAND OF DREAMS - - -"I wonder if my papa knows Kimbo, the Giant?" exclaimed the little one -who was seated at the Vagabond's side. "He knows everybody. He knows -Santa Claus, and Rip Van Winkle; and I heard him say that he once ate -dinner with Jack the Giant Killer." - -She paused and with a sweet smile looked up into the Vagabond's face. - -"Your father must be quite a traveller himself!" he exclaimed in reply; -to which the little girl quickly responded: - -"He is." - -Then she pushed herself over and without invitation climbed on to the -Vagabond's knee, which he carefully brushed with his old hat to receive -her. - -The merry group gathered closer and closer, and the circle gradually -became smaller and smaller until now it was an all around squeeze; when -one of the little girls somewhat relieved the crowded condition by -pushing herself out from the rest and taking the place at the Vagabond's -side that had just been vacated by the little maiden for the preferable -seat on his knee. Half a dozen of the boys arose, took up the old oaken -bucket and hurried away to the well. - -All the children were in great haste for the story to continue, and it -did not take long for the boys to return with the water. The sun was -shining down red hot, although it was quite comfortable under the tree; -and after the water had been passed around the circle and the faithful -water carriers were seated in their respective places, the Vagabond went -on with his story. - -"In much less time than it has taken to refresh ourselves here under the -tree, the two children beheld a beautiful barque bearing rapidly down -upon them from far across the foam; and, as it approached, they noticed -it was drawn by a pair of blue dolphins, guided by two mermaids who far -exceeded in beauty any that accompanied the craft of the dolls. - -"The Queen summoned Kimbo, and by the time he had lifted them down from -the top of the tall rock, and they had dismounted from his hand upon the -shore, the boat was ready to receive them. - -"The Queen assisted the children on board, and they proceeded to examine -the boat. Arthur said he had never beheld a real mermaid before, while -little Maud declared that the closest she had ever been to one was in a -picture-book. They kept their eyes turning from one mermaid to the other -as the Queen said, by way of explanation: - -"'You will notice that one of the mermaids has beautiful, long, golden -hair that you might liken to sunlight, while that of the other is as -black and glossy as the wing of a raven. Now, you see, it is no trouble -to tell them apart, although it is a matter of mere taste as to which is -the more beautiful. This one,' she continued, 'we call Day, and that one -Night.' - -"Day and Night gathered up their long golden reins as if ready to start, -and the dolphins rolled impatiently in the tide. - -"A word of command came from the lips of each mermaid, then a wild, -spasmodic splash of the dolphins' tails, followed by a quick, forward -motion of the boat, and they were away on their journey. - -"They sped rapidly along, and the children could not help marvelling, as -they sank into the soft-cushioned seats of the boat. Seeming to notice -their appreciation of its beauty, the Queen said: - -"'This barque, my darlings, though not nearly so large as the one on -which the dolls from the village embarked, is much more swift, and is -never used by anyone except myself and Santa Claus.' - -"While she was speaking, the Island of Dreams came into full view. The -ride was simply delightful. The dolphins lunged forward at such a rapid -pace that a cool, soft breeze sprang up and fanned them. As they -journeyed rapidly toward the island, they glanced up occasionally to -admire its charming outlines. - -"The entire shore of the island seemed lined with tall, weeping willow -trees, the long arms of which, with longer tendrils, hung everywhere far -down to the ground, as if they, too, had partaken of the drowsy -influence of the place and were half asleep. Not a breath of air stirred -across the broad island to disturb their slumbering repose. - -"As they drew near the shore, the children noticed that the surface of -the lake was covered with broad leaves of water-lilies, that grew upward -from deep down in the tide and held their yellow and white blossoms -aloft to be admired. These water-lilies were so plentiful, that the -dolphins had some difficulty in working the boat through them to the -shore. - -"Arthur and his sister sat very still. They were watching the graceful -motions of the two laboring dolphins, when suddenly the very Heavens -seemed to open far above them, and a bright light overspread the entire -surface of the lake. Instantly the dolphins ceased from their labor. The -sound of rushing wings seemed to come from high in the air; and, looking -upward, they were amazed to behold the open sky filled with sweet-voiced -angels, who, as they came down from Heaven on fluttering pinions, sang -to the delighted children the following song of welcome. - - -Illustration: _"Looking upward they were amazed to behold the open sky -filled with sweet-voiced angels."_ - - - THE ISLAND OF DREAMS. - - "'In the midst of a lake that is crimson and gold, - Lies the magical Island of Dreams, - Where the flowers of fancy forever unfold, - And the sunlight of happiness gleams. - And no poor little girl, or no poor little boy - Need dread least some sorrow befall, - For the angels are near, when you're visiting here - And God fashioned this island for all. - The Island of Dreams, the Island of Dreams, - God fashioned this island for all. - - - "'On the isle in the lake that is crimson and gold, - You forget every sorrow and care, - And wander about amid beauties untold, - As free as a breath of the air; - And no lord of estate puts a lock on the gate, - To deny you its fanciful scenes, - For the angels of God guard the ever-green sod - Of the beautiful Island of Dreams. - The Island of Dreams, the Island of Dreams, - Guard the ever-green Island of Dreams. - - - "'When you visit the lake that is crimson and gold, - Bring poverty's tatters along. - Little care if your garments are ragged and old, - For your soul shall be clothed in a song. - Though a hovel alone, you may claim as a home, - Where the sunshine of life never gleams, - You may bask in its smile, as you journey awhile - In the beautiful Island of Dreams. - The Island of Dreams, the Island of Dreams, - As you stroll through the Island of Dreams.' - - -"As the beautiful song of welcome ceased, the angels disappeared in the -sky, and the boat swang gracefully toward the shore. - -"The Queen assisted the children to the beach, and they started up a -dark, cool and shady path toward the centre of the island. - -"As they journeyed slowly along, Arthur noticed that the air was heavily -laden with the dreamy perfume of flowers; and he suggested to the Queen -that perhaps this was what made everything so drowsy about the place, -for he declared that the odor made him sleepy. - -"There were only a few of these flowers the children had ever seen -before. - -"Arthur recognized the tall, blooming magnolia trees from the -description of them he had once read in a book; while the tuberose, the -calla lily and the lilies of the valley, both the children knew well for -they had often seen them in the gardens at home. All the rest were -strangers to them, and for a long time they lingered to admire their -wondrous beauty. - -"It was not long before they chanced to look up, and seeing a group of -dilapidated, half-fallen houses in the hazy distance, moss-covered and -almost hidden from view by the long branches of low-bending trees, the -children turned to the Queen and asked the name of the curious-looking -place. - -"She informed them that the village was the home of the Sand Man, and -that the name of it was 'Drowsy Town,' so named because everything about -the place was half asleep. - -"Often indeed had the children heard of the Sand Man, but they never -expected to visit his home; so they hastened their steps and soon -entered the curious village. - -"The place contained but few houses, all of which were badly neglected -and sadly out of repair; for who could stop to fix up houses in such a -sleepy place? Beside, what do people care about the outside of a house -when they are sleeping within all the time? - -"The fences were mostly fallen, save here and there where a moss-covered -stretch of old-fashioned wooden pickets leaned half-heartedly against -their warped railings, while now and then a gate hung over on one hinge -as if, like everything else, it was anxious to lie down in the dust and -sleep. - -"Long gray moss trailed from the eaves of the old buildings right down -to the very ground and spread over the window casements like gray-green -curtains to keep out the light, which it most certainly did. - -"As the children passed the home of the Sand Man, by far the most -neglected in the village, and to which the Queen pointed with evident -pride, they lingered on the corner for a moment to look about the place. - -"A cat came slowly out onto the old porch, yawned, stretched and went -in. A dog half arose, as the sound of their noisy feet on the worn-out -pavement disturbed his slumber, and raising his ears, glanced drowsily -about, growled and then sank down to sleep under a green vine that -sheltered one end of the porch. - -"They moved slowly on, then stopped on the opposite corner and looked -far down the silent and deserted street, where they saw a queer-looking -individual, staggering and stumbling toward them. - -"Now he would lunge forward head first into the trunk of an old tree; -then, rousing himself, he would stagger onward only to fall over the -curb stone, or run pell mell into a post. He finally tripped over a -broken slab in the neglected walk and fell flat upon his face, from -which position he seemed to arise with much difficulty. - -"'Who is that staggering person' exclaimed Arthur, 'reeling toward us -like some drunken man?' - -"The Queen looked down the street as the boy spoke, and turning to the -children with a smile upon her face, she excitedly exclaimed: - -"'Why, children, here comes Mr. Sleepy Head to greet us! The Sand Man -has sent him, for you know the Sand Man cannot leave his labors just -now.' - -"They stood waiting for him to draw near and could not help but laugh -outright, as he again bumped squarely into a big tree. - -"'Who is Mr. Sleepy Head?' inquired Arthur. - -"'I never heard of him!' exclaimed little Maud. - -"'Oh yes, you have,' said the Queen, 'for many a book has been printed -about him and his wonderful achievements. Some years ago,' she -continued, 'he was quite a popular personage among the children of the -world, but many of them seem to have forgotten him of late. His most -popular mention perhaps was in a jingle that began something like this: - - "'To bed, to bed,' said Sleepy Head, - 'Let's wait a while,' said Slow. - - -"Little Maud declared she had often heard her grandfather speak of him. - -"'Yes,' said the Queen, 'he is always half asleep. It is his duty to -sing to the children while the Sand Man sprinkles his sand in their -eyes. He is a most beautiful singer, but the poor, industrious Sand Man -has a very hard task in keeping him awake.' - -"As the Queen finished her explanation, Mr. Sleepy Head fell headlong -into the gutter. He arose, brushed the dust from his garments, and with -another sleepy, lazy lunge, stood bowing and smiling before them. - -"He was a curious-looking little man, with dull, dreamy eyes, and -carried before him a small harp, securely bound to his person by a broad -strap that encircled his neck. The harp was a woeful sight and was -covered with dents and scars and cracks where he had fallen with it -against various objects during his sleepy journeys. - -"The Queen said it was a wonder that music could be produced from it at -all, so little was the care he gave it, and then turned to him with a -request for a song. - -"Mr. Sleepy Head looked up with a lazy smile as he shook himself and -then leaned with his back against the decayed trunk of a tree, while he -yawned with outstretched arms. After stamping the drowsiness from his -lazy limbs, he gave the old harp a nimble sweep with his dexterous -fingers that filled the air with enchanting music; and, smiling again at -the children, he proceeded to sing the song of - - - THE SAND MAN - - "'Always at evening and every day, - As the shades of the night come down; - The Sand Man calls good little children away - To the Village of Drowsy Town. - And no sorrow nor care ever entereth there, - But toiling with tireless hand, - He breathes o'er the slumbering children a prayer, - While sowing his sleepy sand. - - Chorus. - - "'When the shades of night come down - Over the Village of Drowsy Town, - Children gay drop their play, - And shake a day-day to their mammas: - Off through the meadow with little Bo-Peep, - Helping her gather her wayward sheep, - And praying the Lord their souls to keep, - While visiting Drowsy Town.' - - -Illustration: _"He gave the old harp a nimble sweep with his dexterous -fingers that filled the air with enchanting music."_ - - -"When the singer had finished the chorus, he was suddenly overtaken by a -fit of sleepiness; and, as his body slipped to one side, he reeled from -the tree and fell backward into the gutter with such force that the -children instantly sprang to his assistance, for they were sure he was -badly hurt. But he managed to stagger again to his feet, and excusing -himself for the great impoliteness of falling asleep in company, he -again leaned his back to the tree, ran his hand with a magical sweep -over the strings of his harp and thus continued his song: - - "'The rich and the poor have an equal share, - In the Village of Drowsy Town; - And the poor little orphan receiveth his care - As he maketh his nightly round. - With a sweep of his hand he goes sprinkling sand - As he wanders about through the street, - With a kiss and a smile for each dear little child, - As it falls fast asleep at his feet. - - Chorus. - - "'When the shades of night come down, - Over the Village of Drowsy Town, - Children gay, drop their play, - And shake a day-day to their mammas: - Off through the meadow with little Bo-Peep, - Helping her gather her wayward sheep, - And praying the Lord their souls to keep - While visiting Drowsy Town.' - - -"As the last sound of the singer's voice died on the air, his hands fell -limply from the strings of the harp and his eyelids closed with a last, -long, weary look. His head fell heavily forward upon his breast, and as -his knees gave way beneath him, he slipped slowly to the ground with a -loud snore and rolled over on one side, where, with harp in the gutter, -Mr. Sleepy Head lay fast asleep. - -"'Well!' exclaimed Arthur, 'I've often heard of such a thing but I never -saw anyone really fall asleep before.' - -"The good Queen smiled at the bright remark. - -"'Come,' she said. 'Don't disturb him.' - -"They tip-toed away from the slumberer and continued on down the street. - -"They had not gone very far before they saw a little old man approaching -in the distance. He was stooped and bent from the weight of a bag that -hung about his neck. Every now and again he would thrust his hand -inside, then withdraw it and swing it around as if scattering something -over the ground. - -"'There,' exclaimed the Queen, 'is the Sand Man scattering his sand!' - -"The children watched the bent form of the Sand Man busily engaged at -his toil in the distance; while the entire army of dolls were lying -about on the ground, fast asleep at his feet. - -"Both Arthur and Maud wanted to walk over and shake hands with him, but -the Queen, knowing how dreadfully sleepy it would make them, turned with -a sweet smile as she said: - -"'Do both my darlings want to fall asleep right here in Drowsy Town when -we have so many things to see?' - -"Without a word of protest they started back toward the landing, upon a -different street, as the Queen informed them, than the one on which the -home of the Sand Man was located. - -"'Let us walk slowly and talk,' she said, as she slackened her pace to -an easy, ambling gait, 'for we want to see the dolls get safely aboard -their boat and start for home.' - -"And now while the Queen and the children are walking slowly through the -Village of Drowsy Town, in no great hurry to reach the landing, we will -be in no great hurry to continue with the story, but will wait while we -refresh ourselves with some more water from the well, and at the same -time, hear what some of you think of the magical Island of Dreams." - -With that the story-teller breathed a deep sigh and sank into total -silence. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER IX - - THE SODA WATER FOUNTAIN - - -"That was a beautiful song the angels sang!" exclaimed one of the little -girls as four small boys struggled with three larger ones for possession -of the old oaken bucket, and the mossy accumulation on its sides -suffered somewhat from the effects of the scramble. - -"I like the song of Mr. Sleepy Head best!" exclaimed several at once; -and while they were giving their various opinions about different parts -of the story, the boys hastened back from the well and joined in the -merry chatter. - -As they hastily passed the water from one to another, one little fellow -exclaimed: - -"Mercy! I can't get over the Valley of Ice Cream and that Mountain of -Cake. I just wish we had some of it here!" - -"How about the Rock Candy Falls?" asked another. - -"They were just grand! just grand!" exclaimed several, almost in one -voice. The children now gathered closer than ever about the Vagabond. -The little girl on his knee sat holding his hat as thus the "Knight of -the Highway" continued: - -"As the Queen and the children were walking along on a back street of -the village, they met Mr. Sleepy Head again. His harp was hanging far -over to one side, and his head was resting heavily upon his breast; -while the sound of his loud snoring told them he was fast asleep. Once -in a while he would snore so loudly that he wakened himself, when he -would again lunge on. - -"He had not gone very far when he stumbled head first into a tree with a -bang that must have hurt him badly; for as he came to with a sudden -start, they noticed he rubbed his head with his hands and looked dazedly -about as if he had lost his way. Starting forward again, he changed his -course and journeyed on toward his master. - -"As they passed out of the village, the children were surprised to see a -great stream of water, shooting hundreds of feet into the air and -tossing its snowy spray about in a wickedly wasteful manner, while the -stream seemed to be coming straight up out of the ground. - -"As they stopped to look at it, Arthur said he had often seen a -waterfall falling down, but had never seen one fall up before. The -children were more than delighted with this strange wonder of nature. - -"The Queen smiled at Arthur's remark, and turning to the children, said: - -"'You know, children, somewhere, way down in the ground, there is a -chemical laboratory, the great chemist in charge of which is Mr. Nature. -There are not many places where he displays his wonderful ability in -such an unusual fashion, but here he seems to have outdone all his other -attempts. This is Soda Water Fountain, where day after day, and year -after year, he sends forth his exquisite drink to quench the thirst of -all weary travellers who visit the Island of Dreams.' - -"'Soda Water Fountain!' exclaimed little Maud. - -"And before they could half realize either the immensity of its height -or its volume, the Queen led them to where they could drink to their -hearts' content. - -"As they stood drinking and watching the tall stream shoot high into the -air, they could not help but ask questions; and, turning to the Queen, -little Maud wanted to know what sent it up so high. - -"'I believe the people of the world call such a display a geyser,' said -the Queen. 'Several of them are to be found in various parts of the -earth. When you have had all you wish to drink, and while we walk slowly -back to the landing, I want you to tell me, if you can, where they are -located.' - -"They started slowly away on their journey, the children wrapt in deep -thought. - -"Little Arthur said he had never been to school much since his mother -died, for his old grandfather didn't believe in schools, and perhaps -that was why he did not know more about such wonderful things. - -"The Queen cast a look of pity upon him as she softly said: - -"'Schools are great things, and every little boy and girl ought to learn -the lessons well; for the world is full of wonderful things, quite as -strange and curious, if you understand them, as any you have seen since -leaving Harpers Ferry. Every year,' she continued, 'Santa Claus visits a -great geyser in Wyoming, located in a place called Yellowstone Park; -while in Iceland and New Zealand there are very beautiful geysers -indeed, the waters of which are hot enough to cook an egg.' - -"While the conversation continued, and the Queen was instructing the -children and showing them why it was wise to learn their lessons well, -they came in sight of the spot where they first landed upon the island. - -"There was a loud commotion down on the shore of the lake, and they were -surprised to see all the dolls climbing into their boat. Scarcely had -they stopped to view the wonderful and interesting sight than the barque -which had borne them to the Island of Dreams appeared from a near-by bay -and was soon at the landing, awaiting the commands of the Queen. - -"The mermaids in charge of the doll-boat had driven their dolphins a -short distance from the shore where they lay as if waiting for a race -with the Queen's barque. It was not long before the two boats were -resting on the lake side by side. - -"Arthur expected every moment to see the waiting dolphins leap forward -in a wild effort to surpass each other; but, as there seemed to be no -effort made to start them, he soon changed his mind and sat looking upon -the plump, round backs of the dolphins as they lay motionless in the -lake before them. - -"There was a sound of rushing wings high in the air. Again the sky -separated as before, and the angels who first welcomed them to the -Island of Dreams came falling from the sky. - -"In the barque of the dolls all was now quiet. - -"There was a sudden outburst of celestial music from a chime of -rich-toned bells in the heavens above, and as the angels hovered over -the boats, it was thus they sang a parting song: - - "'Come again to the lake that is crimson and gold, - For the barques ever wait your command; - The mermaids are true and the dolphins are bold, - To pilot you safe to its strand. - Tell the children of earth that the Island of Mirth, - The one place where the sun ever gleams, - Like a story that's told that will never grow old, - Is the beautiful Island of Dreams. - The Island of Dreams, the Island of Dreams, - Ever gay is the Island of Dreams. - - "'Come again to the lake that is crimson and gold, - Come again to our heavenly clime; - Though the ways of the world may be cruel and cold, - It is warm over here all the time. - When despairing and sad, with no heart to be glad, - And engulfed by the tears that you weep, - Bring your troubles a while to our magical isle, - And the Sand Man will rock them to sleep. - In the Island of Dreams, the Island of Dreams, - The Sand Man will rock them to sleep.' - - -"No sooner had the angels ceased their beautiful song than they -disappeared as quickly as they had come, and there was nothing to be -seen but the unbroken arch of the deep blue sky. - -"The dolphins shot forward across the lake and bore the dolls away on -their homeward journey. As the barque containing the Queen and the -children passed leisurely along the shore, they could plainly see the -Sand Man, going home after his daily toil with Mr. Sleepy Head stumbling -and staggering behind him. - -"With a wave of their hands and a blessing upon the wonderful Island of -Dreams, the boat turned out into the lake and moved rapidly toward the -high rock on the distant shore. - -"Kimbo the Giant did not bother them to alight, but placing the palm of -his big hand down by the side of the boat, he bade them stand upon it; -then, in a trice, he lifted all three to the top of the high rock for a -last, long look on the lake. - -"The dolphins rolled playfully in the tide below. The mermaids waved a -bashful adieu; and then, with a burst of speed, the barque swept like a -whirlwind across the lake and was soon lost to sight. - -"The ride on top of the Giant's head back to the throne of the Queen was -just as delightful as their former trip through the land of Santa Claus, -for Kimbo tried in every possible manner to offer them amusement. - -"Now he would shout 'Hold tight!' as he jumped over a tall hill. Then he -would give them some other warning, as he suddenly leaped from the top -of one hill to another, and sailed through the air over the great valley -below. - -"It was thus he amused the Queen and the children until, with one last -mighty leap, he cleared the tall factories of Santa Claus and Taffy -River at a single bound and landed them safely upon the golden throne. - -"By this time the children had become well acquainted with the Giant, so -much so that for some time they stood talking with him. Little Arthur -thanked him for the kindness he had shown to both himself and his -sister, and as the Giant's mouth opened for a merry laugh, they noticed -that his white snowy teeth resembled, in shape as well as in size, the -grave-stones that stood in the village churchyard on the hill at Harpers -Ferry. Nor could they suppress their surprise as he raised his enormous -hand to bid them good-bye. - -"It was so huge that little Maud could barely clasp her two hands around -its little finger. She made a frantic effort to shake the hand up and -down, but there wasn't much shake about it. With a merry smile, Kimbo -backed away from the throne, bowed low before his Queen, and, with one -mighty hop-skip-and-a-jump, he leaped high over a tall mountain and was -gone. - -"'Come,' said the Queen, as she turned about and placed her finger -against a button on the side of her golden chair, 'we will now have some -refreshments and then visit the Village of Hide and Seek.' - -"So now, while the Queen and the children are waiting to refresh -themselves, let us once again send to the well, that we, likewise, may -be refreshed before we go with them into the beautiful village." - -With that the Vagabond drew a long breath, for he had been talking -rapidly; and, as he sank into silence, the happy children gazed upon him -with a feeling of pride that had slowly grown from dread to friendship -and almost to love. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER X - IN THE VILLAGE OF HIDE AND SEEK - - -A general burst of applause greeted the ears of the story-teller as he -ceased speaking and sank into silence. All the boys now rose with merry -faces and surrounding the old oaken bucket, journeyed together to the -old well, while the little girls sat gazing intently upon the stranger, -as if he were the greatest man in the whole world. - -One little girl whispered to another little girl that some day he might -be President of the United States, but the other little girl gave it as -her honest opinion that he should have been long ago. Many of the others -were now almost as much interested in the man as in his wonderful story. - -A little girl asked him if Harpers Ferry was very far from there; while -another wanted to know if he could call around the next day for she was -anxious to introduce him to her father and mother, who, she declared, -would be more than delighted to meet him. - -The Vagabond's only answer to all was a good-natured smile. When the -water arrived, and it had been passed around to the children, the -Vagabond helped himself to his heart's content, after which he proceeded -to tell the last of his story. - -"The Queen did not have to wait long after pressing the button, for it -rang a bell that summoned into her presence a finely liveried butler, -who, when he learned the wants of Her Royal Highness, glided silently -down the steps of the throne. Presently two court attendants entered, -bearing a tray on which were a number of glasses filled with a fluid -referred to by the Queen as Nectar; although, as Maud said, it was too -good for language to describe. Shortly after the refreshment they -started to visit the Village of Hide and Seek. - -"When they were part way down the steps some little doll in the village -spread the news of their coming, and all the dolls, almost wild with -joy, dropped their playthings and flocked to meet them. - -"The Queen and the children followed a beautiful, pebbly path that led -through an orchard lying to the north of the village, for they wanted to -enter upon the main street; and as they went slowly along they passed -beneath boughs laden almost to breaking with ripe, mellow chocolate -drops, while the path was lined on either side with bushes where great, -rich, juicy clusters of gum drops hung, ready to fall to the ground. - -"They were soon joined by the romping dolls, and together they walked -down the main street to the public square and paused in front of the -beautiful Temple of Music. - -"Dolls with bright, rosy cheeks came running as if almost wild to meet -them. Some had azure eyes and light golden hair: while others, with dark -piercing eyes and long raven locks might put to blush the fairest -picture ever drawn. - -"They gathered around little Maud, and pulling at the hem of her dress, -begged to be taken into her arms. At last she lifted a flaxen-haired -beauty from the ground, and with a sweet, satisfied smile upon its face, -it laid its head lovingly upon her breast as it said in a contented -half-whisper: - -"'Please be my mamma, please be my mamma.' - -"Then a thousand sweet doll-baby voices cried out in chorus: - -"'No, she shall be my mamma. She shall be my mamma.' - -"And they raised such a hue and cry and scrambled so to get hold of her -dress, that in order not to be partial, she had to let the little beauty -down again on to the ground. - -"Amid the wild excitement of the dolls, Arthur was not alone. He stood -to one side watching a little doll that was lying under a tree and -talking with some other little dolls standing near by. - -"Its eyelids were wide-open, yet its eyes had an unnatural expression. -For a long time he regarded her pityingly when he saw that the doll was -blind. A strange manly-looking doll walked up to him, and, peering into -his face, exclaimed: - -"'Seeing you are a stranger, sir, in the village of Hide and Seek, and -noting your apparent sympathy for the blind doll lying yonder under the -tree, allow me to tell you the life story of her who has so touched your -emotions. Arthur bowed politely and expressed a desire to hear what the -strange doll might have to say. The little fellow continued: - -"'Perhaps you have noticed by my long hair and studious demeanor that I -am both a gentleman and a scholar; and right here let me say, I am the -Village Poet. I can converse much more easily in verse than in prose; so -if you will kindly listen to me for a moment, I will relate a little -circumstance which occurred some time ago, and will tell you the plain, -unvarnished truth about the blind doll.' - - -Illustration: _"Perhaps you have noticed by my long hair and studious -demeanor that I am both a gentleman and a scholar."_ - - -"Resting for a moment, for he did not appear to be very strong, he -breathed a long sigh as he began: - - "'Once on a time a Baboon came across yon mountain crown. - He sailed down in a big balloon and landed near the town; - And seeing, as he walked along, this blind doll lying near, - He paused to say a kindly word, or shed a gentle tear. - - "'Why is it, little doll?' he asked, 'you lie here all the day, - Instead of romping on the green, like other dolls at play? - And why avoid the jolly crowd, pray tell me if you will, - Is it that you thus like to be, or is it you are ill?' - - "'Oh, sir,' the little doll replied, 'you're surely more than kind, - But look at me and you will see that I, alas, am blind; - And thus all day I keep away, nor venture near the throng, - For not a friend a hand will lend to guide my feet along.' - - "'The Baboon picked the blind doll up and stared with all his might. - 'Pray, tell me Dolly,' he inquired, 'how did you lose your sight?' - 'Alas, kind sir, my sightless eyes, I strained them in a fog, - A-looking for a Christmas gift from Mother Hubbard's dog.' - - "'Then up spoke Simple Simon, and with utterance unkind - He cried, 'This doll who falsifies is lazy and not blind. - I'll prove my words,' but ere he could, to everyone's surprise, - The Baboon pulled his anchor up and sailed off through the skies. - - "'Poor Simple Simon, he was right. This doll is only blind - When lying flat upon its back, or partly so inclined; - But if you make it sit up straight, you'll find his words are true, - For then the sleepy-headed Doll can see as well as you.' - - -"Little Arthur walked over to the doll and lifted it into a sitting -position. It opened its eyes at once and looked squarely into his own. -Uttering a word of surprise to his poet friend, they walked away from -the blind doll together and passed down the street. - -"When they had nearly crossed the square, the Poet Doll bade him 'Good -day' and entered a house on the corner which Arthur concluded to be the -Poet's home. He found himself standing near a curious, round-faced -boy-doll, who was looking on the gathering in silence. His head was so -close shaven that he was almost bald, except for a long queue extending -far down his back like a pig-tail, while his little black almond-shaped -eyes sat well aslant on his head. - -"Arthur thought he would speak first; and, turning to the little fellow, -he said: - -"'Excuse me, my little man, this is a most lovely village. Do you live -here?' - -"There was a moment's pause and a look of bashfulness upon the -boy-doll's face, as, with a courteous bow and the politeness of a -prince, it said in reply: - -"'I humbly beg your honorable pardon, sir, but, as my education in -foreign languages was sadly neglected, I most heartily deplore the -deficiency and am quite sorry to inform you that I do not speak your -honorable language as I understand nothing but Chinese.' - -"Arthur, seeing his mistake, retired with a most polite bow and went -over to another little doll that spoke English. - -"'Come,' exclaimed this new found acquaintance in a quite familiar -manner, 'let us play a game of hide and seek. I know a dandy place to -hide.' - -"'All right, sir,' said Arthur, joyfully; 'but first let me tell my -sister about it for she dearly loves to play.' - -"And the two walked hand in hand to where Maud stood surrounded by a -multitude of little dolls. - -"As Arthur watched and listened, waiting to get an audience with his -sister, he overheard one little doll say to her: - -"'When did you come here?' - -"'To-day,' replied Maud, then added, 'but if I had only known the way, I -would have been here long ago. I am so sorry that I must soon leave.' - -"'Where are you going?' another doll shyly inquired. - -"'Going home,' replied Maud, with a deep sigh. - -"All the little beauties looked up into her face as if greatly -bewildered. - -"'What does she mean?' asked one of the dolls of her companions. 'What -is home?' And it arose on tip-toes to look into her face. - -"'My home,' replied little Maud, 'is down in Harpers Ferry on the -Shenandoah River.' - -"'River!' a doll repeated. 'Harpers Ferry!' And it turned a bewildered -look upon the rest of the assembled dolls standing in questioning -silence before her. - -"Maud soon realized that the dolls failed to understand her, and, -wishing to make herself understood, she gazed wistfully over the -gathering of bright faces, as she said: - -"'I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world.' - -"Before she could finish what she wished to say, however, one little -doll way back in the multitude spoke up, saying: - -"'World, did she say? Why, I have often heard Santa Claus speak of that -place.' - -"All the dolls turned their attention from Maud to the little speaker. -They assisted their little companion up on to the bottom of an inverted -tin sand pail that she might be seen as well as heard; when with a -bashful bow, she said: - -"'The world, playmates, is the place where mothers die and leave their -little children all alone.' - -"With a leap from the sand pail, the little speaker disappeared in the -assemblage of dolls. Instantly all turned to Maud with an inquiring -look. There was an expression of doubt upon their little faces and they -were now more than anxious for her to speak. - -"'Yes,' she replied, 'alas! That is only too true.' - -"And she breathed a sorrowful sigh as she thought of her mamma who had -been dead for two long years, and of how she had nestled close in her -loving arms waiting for Santa Claus to come, only three nights before -she passed away. - -"She glanced into the sad face of her orphan brother standing near, and -down in her little heart there came a sad longing for the sound of that -sweet mother's gentle voice, with its tender words of love and nightly -prayer. - -"Again the happy days, now gone forever, came back to her childish -memory; and the soft song of her mother stole into her soul with a -charming lullaby. Again she felt the warm, fervent kiss on her cheek, as -in fancy she heard her mother whisper a last 'Good night.' - -"A sob burst from her sweet lips. A tear rose to her eye and stood -trembling upon the long black lashes. Another followed and crowded it -from its place to the ground. - -"The Queen drew back horror-struck, for the Heaven-forbidden drop of -water had at last fallen upon Beauty Valley. - -"A sudden chorus of wild screams rent the air. There was a terrible -shock, an upheaval, as if from an earthquake. The very ground trembled -as if in a fit of convulsions. Sharp, darting pains struck the children -mercilessly down into a state of insensibility. All then grew silent as -death and pitch dark. - -"In a few moments the shrill whistle of a train resounded through the -Shenandoah Valley, as it dashed out of the tunnel in the mountain and on -over the great steel bridge into Harpers Ferry. - -"Little Maud, wakened by the echoing tumult, gazed in a bewildered -manner about her. There lay her brother asleep upon the green mound, -under the same tree where they had first met 'Aunt Twaddles.' She placed -her hand tenderly upon him, and he awoke with a sudden start. - -"'Oh, Maudie!' he exclaimed, 'what happened that it grew dark so -suddenly?' - -"The boy half arose as he received only a sob in reply, and you can well -imagine his surprise as he gazed about; for there at his side lay a huge -pile of freshly picked pennyroyal on the very top of which was a -snow-white card. The card was most beautifully embossed with a picture -of the Village of Hide and Seek, and, in the handwriting of 'Aunt -Twaddles,' it bore the following inscription: - - - _"To my darling Children: - Remember always that, as you saw a tear - destroy a realm of joy, so can a spirit of discontent destroy a life of - useful happiness. - Yours very lovingly, - 'Twaddles, the Queen of the Dolls_.' - - -"'Oh, Arthur!' exclaimed Maud, 'hurry and don't think of it any more.' - -"And the two children gathered up as much of the pennyroyal as each -could possibly carry and hurried across the long foot-bridge into the -village. - -"Men, women and children ran to greet them with tears of joy in their -eyes. With strong arms they bore them and their pennyroyal into the Inn, -where the stern, scolding, old inn-keeper stood ready to whip them, but -the sight of the pennyroyal caused him to relent. - -"On the afternoon of the following day, Arthur and his little sister -were seated all alone on the bank of the Shenandoah, looking far across -upon the steep path that led straight up the face of the mountain. Their -little elbows were planted firmly upon their knees, their chins sunk -deeply into the palms of their wide-open hands. For a long time they sat -motionless, thinking no doubt of their wonderful journey. Little Arthur -finally broke the silence. - -"'Maud!' he exclaimed, in a tone deeply touched with emotion. - -"'What is it, Arthur?' she replied, with a sob. - -"'Maud,' he repeated, 'I was just wishing that that big mountain over -yonder, right under Taffy River, would spring a leak.' - -"For a long time they sat weeping and thinking of it; nor is there any -doubt that they wept over it until far into the night, when they fell -asleep and forgot about it. - -"This then is the story, my children, of the strange path on the side of -the mountain that lies like a scar on the face of the cliff; and many -are the old settlers thereabout who will vouch for the truth of my tale. - -"It is needless to prove true what is true; still if there is any -feeling of doubt in your hearts, just stand on the banks of the fair -Shenandoah almost any warm morning in springtime, and no doubt you will -see 'Aunt Twaddles' slowly ascending the path with her big bag of herbs. - -"But if you should happen to miss her, and still want some proof of -these facts, just keep a close watch on the strangers who step from the -trains when they stop at the little stone station. If you see them -wiping their eyes with a handkerchief and gazing about on the -surrounding mountains, you may be sure they have once eaten some of -'Aunt Twaddles' candy and are wiping the tears from their eyes and -crying like children for more. - -"At the same time you will see them looking about on the cliffs, and -searching for the steep path that leads up to the Village of Hide and -Seek, quite firmly resolved at some future day to return and go up with -'Aunt Twaddles.' But for the present, (poor things), their only hope is -to go back into the cars and cry until they forget about it. - -"There are many more wonderful things I might tell you of the Village of -Hide and Seek, and likewise to the everlasting glory of 'Aunt Twaddles'' -candy as well, but the very thought of it makes me feel sad; for now as -I talk, I feel tears coming to my eyes and find I must either talk on -and cry on, or quit talking and forget about it. - -"Excuse me, dear children, won't you, while I weep?" - -As the Vagabond ceased speaking the tears flowed down his cheeks in a -perfect torrent; and although the children were delighted with his -story, they too wept in sympathy with him. The very loudest of all was -the dear little tot who had occupied the place of honor on his knee. - -While the group of children sat weeping in sympathy under the tree, the -Vagabond arose. Bidding them all farewell, he placed his old, worn-out -hat on his head, shouldered his crooked staff, waved a parting blessing -toward the well on the lawn, and still weeping, passed out of sight -along the dusty highway. - - - - - THE END. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - ● Transcriber's Notes: - ○ Punctuation has been standardized. - ○ For illustrations which had no caption in the book, a descriptive - phrase was added. For example: [Illustration: Decoration] - ○ Unbalanced quotation marks were left as the author intended. - ○ Typographical errors were silently corrected. - ○ Spelling and hyphenation were made consistent when a predominant - form was found in this book. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Village of Hide and Seek, by -Bingham Thoburn Wilson - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE VILLAGE OF HIDE AND SEEK *** - -***** This file should be named 55214-0.txt or 55214-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/5/2/1/55214/ - -Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Barry Abrahamsen and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you -do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the -rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose -such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and -research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do -practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution. - - - -*** START: FULL LICENSE *** - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at -http://gutenberg.org/license). - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy -all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. -If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" -or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the -collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from -copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative -works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg -are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project -Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by -freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of -this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with -the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate -access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently -whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, -copied or distributed: - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work -with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the -work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 -through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), -you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a -copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon -request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other -form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided -that - -- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is - owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he - has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the - Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments - must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you - prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax - returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and - sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the - address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to - the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - -- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or - destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium - and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of - Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any - money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days - of receipt of the work. - -- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set -forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from -both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. -To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 -and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at -http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent -permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. -Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at -809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email -business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact -information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official -page at http://pglaf.org - -For additional contact information: - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To -SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any -particular state visit http://pglaf.org - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. -To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. -unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - http://www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |