The Merryweathers   By: Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards (1850-1943)

[Illustration: "'TU WHOO!' SAID THE SNOWY OWL."]

THE MERRYWEATHERS

BY

LAURA E. RICHARDS

AUTHOR OF "CAPTAIN JANUARY," "MELODY," "QUEEN HILDEGARDE," "GEOFFREY STRONG," ETC.

=Illustrated by= JULIA WARD RICHARDS

[Illustration]

BOSTON DANA ESTES & COMPANY PUBLISHERS

Copyright, 1904 BY DANA ESTES & COMPANY

All rights reserved

THE MERRYWEATHERS

=Colonial Press= Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co. Boston, Mass., U. S. A.

TO

H. H. F., Jr.

WITH AFFECTIONATE GREETING.

FOR REMEMBRANCE

The sunlight falls in gold upon the golden fields, The ruffling wave gives back the sky in blue; The asters fringe the meadow's skirts in purple pride, And proud the goldenrod is standing, too.

Oh! clear and far across the lonely water, The wild bird calls his mate at close of day; My heart cries out, my heart cries out in answer, And oh, I fondly think of them that's far away.

Oh, fair the fields where now their feet are treading! Oh, green the trees that blossom o'er their head! Oh, deep and sweet the skies above them spreading, And on their hearth the fire glow warm and red!

Still may they hear, across the lonely water, The wild bird call his mate at close of day; Still may their hearts, still may their hearts make answer; Still may they kindly think of them that's far away!

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. THE ARRIVAL 11

II. THE CAMP 26

III. AUF DAS WASSER ZU SINGEN 39

IV. AFTER THE PICNIC 55

V. KITTY AND WILLY 75

VI. A DISCUSSION 90

VII. WATER PLAY 106

VIII. THE MAIL 119

IX. MR. BELLEVILLE 138

X. PUPPY PLAY 155

XI. MRS. MERRYWEATHER'S VIGIL 171

XII. "SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT" 186

XIII. ABOUT VISITING 204

XIV. MOONLIGHT AGAIN 220

XV. CONCERNING VARIOUS THINGS 239

XVI. ON THE DOWN 259

XVII. THE SNOWY OWL 273

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

"'TU WHOO!' SAID THE SNOWY OWL" ( See page 281 ) Frontispiece

"'HERE IS YOURS,' SAID BELL; 'NEXT TO OURS'" 28

"''TIS NOT A PLATE SHIP!'" 81

"'COME ON! COME IN!'" 107

"MR. CLAUD BELLEVILLE WAS A TALL, PALLID YOUTH" 138

MRS. MERRYWEATHER'S VIGIL 175

"'SIMPLY FIERCE, YOUR REVERENCE!' SAID I" 217

"HE WAS STIRRING THE PORRIDGE INDUSTRIOUSLY, WHILE SHE MIXED THE JOHNNY CAKE" 233

THE MERRYWEATHERS

CHAPTER I.

THE ARRIVAL

"OH, Peggy, I am afraid!"

"Why, Margaret!"

"Yes, I am. I feel very shy and queer, going among strangers. You see, I have never really been away in my life; never in this way, I mean. I was always with father; and then afterward I went to Fernley; and though so many people have come into my life, dear, delightful people, I have never somehow gone into theirs. And now, to go into a whole great big family, only two of whom I mean which oh, dear me! I don't know what I mean, but I have only seen two of them, you know, and it is formidable, you will admit, Peggy."