Eight Cousins (Bedtime Story) Part 13

The story follows Rose Campbell, a 12-year-old orphan who has just lost her father and is sent to live with her uncle, Dr. Alec Campbell. As they get to know each other, they begin to accept and appreciate Rose's unique qualities. Throughout the book, Rose learns valuable lessons about family, friendship, and responsibility. She also helps her cousins to overcome their own struggles and challenges.

In the end, Rose finds a sense of belonging and happiness with her new family, and the cousins learn to appreciate each other's differences.

Transcript

Chapter 13 Cozy Corner Vacation was over,

The boys went back to school,

And poor Mac was left lamenting.

He was out of the darkened room and promoted to blue goggles,

For there was nothing he could do but wonder about and try to amuse himself without using his eyes,

The state of mind which caused Mac to say rose in a desperate tone one day.

Look here,

If you don't invent some new employment or amusement for me,

I shall knock myself on the head as sure as you live.

Rose flew to Uncle Alec for advice,

And he ordered both patient and nurse to the mountains for a month,

With Aunt Jessie and Jamie as escort.

Polky and her mother joined the party.

Six very happy-looking people were brought the express train for Portland.

Two smiling mamas,

Laden with luncheon basket and wraps,

A pretty young girl with a bag of books on her arm,

A tall thin lad with his hat over his eyes,

And two small children who sat with their short legs straight out before them,

And their chubby faces beamed with the first speechless delight of truly travelling.

Everyone especially Splendid Sunset seemed to have been prepared to welcome them,

When,

After a long day's journey,

They drove into a wide,

Green door-yard,

Where Holt,

A red cow,

Two cats,

Four kittens,

Many hens,

And a dozen people,

Old and young,

Were gaily disporting themselves.

Everyone nodded and smiled in the friendliest manner,

And a lively old lady kissed the newcomers all around,

As she said heartily,

Well,

Now,

I am proper glad to see you.

Come right in and rest,

And we'll have a tea in less than no time,

For you must be tired.

Lizzie,

You show the folk upstairs.

Kitty,

You fly round and help father in with the trunks,

And Jenny and I will have the table all ready by the time you come down.

They want to go and see the cats,

And so they shall.

The three pretty daughters did fly round,

And everyone felt at home at once.

All were so hospital and kind,

And Jessie had raptures over the homemade carpets,

Quilts and quaint furniture.

Wolves could not keep away from the windows,

For each framed a lovely picture,

And the little folks made friends at once with the other children,

Who filled their arms with chickens and kittens,

And did the honours handsomely.

The Tooth of Horn called all to supper,

And a goodly party,

Including six children besides the Campbells,

Assembled in the long dining room,

Armed with mountain appetites and the gayest spirits.

It was impossible for anyone to be shy or sober,

For such gales of merriment arose.

They blew the starch out of the stiffest,

And made the saddest jolly.

Mr.

Atkinson,

As all called,

Their hostess,

Was the merriest there,

And the busiest,

For she kept flying up to wait on the children to bring out some new dish,

Or to banish the livestock who were of such social turn that the colt came in to the entry and demanded sugar.

The cats sat about in people's laps,

Winking suggestively at them,

And speckled hens cleared the kitchen floor of crumbs as they joined in the chat with the cheerful plucking.

They turned out after tea to watch the sunset,

Till all the lovely red was gone,

And mosquitoes found their shrill horns to sound the retreat.

The music of an organ surprised the newcomers,

And in the parlour they found Father Atkinson playing sweet little instrument made by himself.

All the children gathered about him,

Led by the tuneless sisters,

Sang prettily till Pocky fell asleep behind the door,

And Jamie kept potty-plee right in the middle of his favourite.

''Coo,

'' said the little douse,

''coo,

'' said she,

All in the top of the old pine tree.

The older travellers,

Being tired,

Went to Bylow at the same time,

And slept like tops,

In homespun sheets,

On husk mattresses made by Mother Atkinson,

Who seemed to have put some soothing powder among them.

So deep and sweet was the slumber that came.

Next day began the wholesome outdoor life,

Which worked wonders with tired minds and nimble bodies.

The weather was perfect,

And the mountain air made the children as frisky as young lambs,

While the elders went about smiling at one another and saying,

''Isn't it splendid?

'' Even Mack,

The slow coach,

Was seen to leap over a fence as if he really could not help it,

And when Rose ran after him with his broad-brimmed hat,

He made the spirited proposal to go into the woods and hunt for a catamount.

Jamie and Pocky were at once enrolled at the cosy corner.

Light Infantry,

A truly superb company,

Composed entirely of officers,

All wearing cocked hats,

Carrying bags,

Waving swords or beating drums.

It was a spectacle to stir the dullest soul when this gallant band marched out of the yard in full regimentals,

With Captain Dove O'Solem,

Big-headedly of eleven,

Issuing his orders with the gravity of a general,

And his Walfestien,

Regiment obeying them with more docility than skill.

The little snow-children did very well,

And Lieutenant Jackdaw was fine to see,

So was drummer Frank,

The errant boy of the house,

As he rubbed up with all his heart and drumsticks Jamie had trained before and was made a colonel at once.

But Pocky was the best of all,

And called forth a spontaneous burst of applause from the spectacles as she brought up the rear,

Her cocked hat all over one eye,

Her flag trailing over her shoulder,

And her wooden sword straight up in the air,

Her face beaming and every curl bobbing with delight as her fat legs tottered in the vain attempt to keep step manfully.

It is proper to muffle drums and lower the flags as we go by,

And we'd better take off our hats,

Too.

It is more respectable,

I think.

Isn't that cunning of the dears,

Whispered Rose,

As the little troop marched slowly by,

The muffled roll of the drums,

Every flag and sword held down,

And the childish faces very sober as the leafy shadows flickered over them?

Let's follow and see what they are after,

Proposed Mac,

Who found sitting on the wall and being fed with blackberries luxurious but tiresome.

So they followed and heard the music grow lively when the graveyard was passed,

And watched the company file into the dilapidated old church that stood at the court of three woodland roads.

Only the sound of singing made the outsiders quicken their steps,

And stealing up they peeped in at one of the broken windows.

Captain Dove was up in the old wooden pulpit,

Gazing solemnly down upon his company,

Who,

Having stacked their arms in the porch,

Now sat in the bare pews to Sunday school him with great vigor and relish.

Let us pray,

Said Captain Dove,

With as much reverence as an army chaplain,

And folding his hands he repeated a prayer,

Which he thought all would know,

An excellent little prayer,

But not exactly appropriate the morning for it was.

Now I lay me down to sleep.

Everyone joined in saying it,

And it was a pretty sight to see,

The little creatures bowing their curly heads,

And lisping out the words they knew so well.

Tears came into Rose's eyes as she looked.

Mac took his hat off involuntarily,

And then clapped it on again,

As if ashamed of showing any feeling.

Now I shall preach you a short sermon,

And my text is Little Children Love One Another.

I asked Mama to give me one,

And she thought that would be good.

So you all sit still and I'll preach it.

You mustn't whisper,

Marian,

But hear me.

It means that we should be good to each other,

And play fair,

And not quarrel as this very day about the wagon.

Jack can't always drive,

And needn't be mad,

Because I like to go with Frank.

Annette ought to be hoarse sometimes,

And not always driver,

And Willy may as well make up his mind to let Marian build her house by his,

For she will do it,

And he needn't to fuss about it.

No,

Pokey,

People don't kiss in church.

Now you must all remember what I tell you,

Because I am the captain.

Here Lieutenant Jack spoke right out in the meeting with the rebellious remark.

Don't care if you are,

You'd better mind yourself,

And tell how you took away my strap,

And kept the biggest donut,

And didn't throw fair when we had the truck.

You slapped Frank,

I saw you,

Bought Willy's now,

Popping up his pew,

And you took my book away and hid it,

Added Annette,

The oldest of the snow trio.

I shan't build my house by Willy's,

Put in little Marian joining the mutiny.

I will this dimmy,

And I tore up my hat,

To as a pin picked me,

Shouted pokey,

Regardless of Jamie's efforts to restrain her.

Captain Doe looked rather taken aback at this outbreak in the ranks,

But being a dignified and calm person,

He quelled the rising rebellion,

With great tact and skill,

By saying briefly,

We'll sing the last hymn,

Sweet,

Sweet good-bye.

You all know that,

So do it nicely,

And then we will go and have luncheon.

Peace was instantly restored,

And a burst of melody drowned the suppressed giggles of Rose and Mack during the latter part of this somewhat remarkable service.

Fifteen minutes of repose rendered it a physical impossibility for the company to march out as quietly as they had marched in.

I grieve to state that the entire troop raced home as hard as they could pelt,

And were soon skirmishing briskly over their lunch,

Utterly oblivious of what Jamie,

Who had been much impressed by the sermon,

Called the captain's beautiful deck.

It was astonishing how much they all found to do at Cozy Corner,

And Mack,

Instead of lying in a hammock and being read to,

As he had expected,

Was busiest of all.

He was invited to survey and lay out Skeeterville,

A town which the children were getting up in a Huckleberry Pastor,

And he found much amusement in planning little roads,

Staking of house lots,

Attending to the waterworks,

And consulting with the selectmen about the best sites for public buildings,

For Mack was a boy still,

In spite of his fifteen years and his love of books.

Then he went fishing with Isle Gentleman from the west,

And though they seldom caught anything but codes,

They had great fun and exercised chasing the phantom trout they were bound to have.

Mack also developed a geomania,

And went tapping about at rocks and stones,

Discoursing wisely of strata,

Periods,

And fossil remains,

While Rose picked up leaves and lichens,

And gave him lessons in botany in return for his lectures in geology.

They led a very merry life,

For the Atkinson girls kept up a sort of perpetual picnic,

And did it so capitally that one was never tired of it,

So their visitors drove finely,

And long before the month was out,

It was evident that Dr.

Alec had prescribed the right medicine for his patients.

Reviews

Sounds so wonderful… I would like that medicine too! Can you tell me which chapter has what happened to Mac? I can’t find it… thank you so much!