The Bobbsey Twins in the Country
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Laura Lee Hope >> The Bobbsey Twins in the Country
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9 Prepared by Diane and Don Nafis--dnafis@nazlo.com
THE BOBBSEY TWINS IN THE COUNTRY
BY LAURA LEE HOPE
CONTENTS
I. THE INVITATION
II. THE START
III. SNOOP ON THE TRAIN
IV. A LONG RIDE
V. MEADOW BROOK
VI. FRISKY
VII. A COUNTRY PICNIC
VIII. FUN IN THE WOODS
IX. FOURTH OF JULY
X. A GREAT DAY
XI. THE LITTLE GARDENERS
XII. TOM'S RUNAWAY
XIII. PICKING PEAS
XIV. THE CIRCUS
XV. THE CHARIOT RACE
XVI. THE FLOOD
XVII. A TOWN AFLOAT
XVIII. THE FRESH-AIR CAMP
XIX. SEWING SCHOOL
XX. A MIDNIGHT SCARE
XXI. WHAT THE WELL CONTAINED
XXII. LITTLE JACK HORNER--GOOD-BYE
THE BOBBSEY TWINS IN THE COUNTRY
CHAPTER I
THE INVITATION
"There goes the bell! It's the letter carrier! Let me answer!" Freddie
exclaimed.
"Oh, let me! It's my turn this week!" cried Flossie.
"But I see a blue envelope. That's from Aunt Sarah!" the brother cried.
Meanwhile both children, Freddie and Flossie, were making all possible
efforts to reach the front door, which Freddie finally did by jumping
over the little divan that stood in the way, it being sweeping day.
"I beat you," laughed the boy, while his sister stood back,
acknowledging defeat.
"Well, Dinah had everything in the way and anyhow, maybe it was your
turn. Mother is in the sewing room, I guess!" Flossie concluded, and so
the two started in search of the mother, with the welcome letter from
Aunt Sarah tight in Freddie's chubby fist.
Freddie and Flossie were the younger of the two pairs of twins that
belonged to the Bobbsey family. The little ones were four years old,
both with light curls framing pretty dimpled faces, and both being just
fat enough to be good-natured. The other twins, Nan and Bert, were
eight years old, dark and handsome, and as like as "two peas" the
neighbors used to say. Some people thought it strange there should be
two pairs of twins in one house, but Nan said it was just like four-
leaf clovers, that always grow in little patches by themselves.
This morning the letter from Aunt Sarah, always a welcome happening,
was especially joyous.
"Do read it out loud," pleaded Flossie, when the blue envelope had been
opened in the sewing room by Mrs. Bobbsey.
"When can we go?" broke in Freddie, at a single hint that the missive
contained an invitation to visit Meadow Brook, the home of Aunt Sarah
in the country.
"Now be patient, children," the mother told them. "I'll read the
invitation in just a minute," and she kept her eyes fastened on the
blue paper in a way that even to Freddie and Flossie meant something
very interesting.
"Aunt Sarah wants to know first how we all are."
"Oh, we're all well," Freddie interrupted, showing some impatience.
"Do listen, Freddie, or we won't hear," Flossie begged him, tugging at
his elbow.
"Then she says," continued the mother, "that this is a beautiful summer
at Meadow Brook."
"Course it is. We know that!" broke in Freddie again.
"Freddie!" pleaded Flossie.
"And she asks how we would like to visit them this summer." "Fine,
like it--lovely!" the little boy almost shouted, losing track of words
in his delight.
"Tell her we'll come, mamma," went on Freddie. "Do send a letter quick
won't you, mamma ?"
"Freddie Bobbsey!" spoke up Flossie, in a little girl's way of showing
indignation. "If you would only keep quiet we could hear about going,
but--you always stop mamma. Please, mamma, read the rest," and the
golden head was pressed against the mother's shoulder from the arm of
the big rocking chair.
"Well, I was only just saying--" pouted Freddie.
"Now listen, dear." The mother went on once more reading from the
letter: "Aunt Sarah says Cousin Harry can hardly wait until vacation
time to see Bert, and she also says, 'For myself I cannot wait to see
the babies. I want to hear Freddie laugh, and I want to hear Flossie
"say her piece," as she did last Christmas, then I just want to hug
them both to death, and so does their Uncle Daniel.'"
"Good!--goody!" broke in the irrepressible Freddie again. "I'll just
hug Aunt Sarah this way," and he fell on his mother's neck and squeezed
until she cried for him to stop.
"I guess she'll like that," Freddie wound up, in real satisfaction at
his hugging ability.
"Not if you spoil her hair," Flossie insisted, while the overcome
mother tried to adjust herself generally.
"Is that all?" Flossie asked.
"No, there is a message for Bert and Nan too, but I must keep that for
lunch time. Nobody likes stale news," the mother replied.
"But can't we hear it when Bert and Nan come from school?" coaxed
Flossie.
"Of course," the mother assured her. "But you must run out in the air
now. We have taken such a long time to read the letter."
"Oh, aren't you glad!" exclaimed Flossie to her brother, as they ran
along the stone wall that edged the pretty terrace in front of their
home.
"Glad! I'm just--so glad--so glad--I could almost fly up in the air!"
the boy managed to say in chunks, for he had never had much experience
with words, a very few answering for all his needs.
The morning passed quickly to the little ones, for they had so much to
think about now, and when the school children appeared around the
corner Flossie and Freddie hurried to meet Nan and Bert, to tell them
the news.
"We're going! we're going!" was about all Freddie could say.
"Oh, the letter came--from Aunt Sarah!" was Flossie's way of telling
the news. But it was at the lunch table that Mrs. Bobbsey finished the
letter.
"'Tell Nan,'" she read, "'that Aunt Sarah has a lot of new patches and
tidies to show her, and tell her I have found a new kind of jumble
chocolate that I am going to teach her to make.' There, daughter, you
see," commented Mrs. Bobbsey, "Aunt Sarah has not forgotten what a good
little baker you are."
"Chocolate jumble," remarked Bert, and smacked his lips. "Say, Nan, be
sure to learn that. It sounds good," the brother declared.
Just then Dinah, the maid, brought in the chocolate, and the children
tried to tell her about going to the country, but so many were talking
at once that the good-natured colored girl interrupted the confusion
with a hearty laugh.
"Ha! ha! ha! And all you-uns be goin' to de country!"
"Yes, Dinah," Mrs. Bobbsey told her, "and just listen to what Aunt
Sarah says about you," and once more the blue letter came out, while
Mrs. Bobbsey read:
"'And be sure to bring dear old Dinah! We have plenty of room, and she
will so enjoy seeing the farming.'"
"Farming! Ha! ha! Dat I do like. Used to farm all time home in
Virginie!" the maid declared. "And I likes it fuss-rate! Yes, Dinah'll
go and hoe de corn and" (aside to Bert) "steal de watermelons!"
The prospects were indeed bright for a happy time in the country, and
the Bobbseys never disappointed themselves when fun was within their
reach.
CHAPTER II
THE START
With so much to think about, the few weeks that were left between
vacation and the country passed quickly for the Bobbseys. As told in
any first book, "The Bobbsey Twins," this little family had a splendid
home in Lakeport, where Mr. Bobbsey was a lumber merchant. The mother
and father were both young themselves, and always took part in their
children's joys and sorrows, for there were sorrows sometimes.
Think of poor little Freddie getting shut up all alone in a big store
with only a little black kitten, "Snoop," to keep him from being scared
to death; that was told of in the first book, for Freddie went shopping
one day with his mamma, and wandered off a little bit. Presently he
found himself in the basement of the store; there he had so much
trouble in getting out he fell asleep in the meantime. Then, when he
awoke and it was all dark, and the great big janitor came to rescue
him--oh!--Freddie thought the man might even be a giant when he first
heard the janitor's voice in the dark store.
Freddie often got in trouble, but like most good little boys he was
always saved just at the right time, for they say good children have
real angels watching over them. Nan, Bert, and Flossie all had plenty
of exciting experiences too, as told in "The Bobbsey Twins," for among
other neighbors there was Danny Rugg, a boy who always tried to make
trouble for Bert, and sometimes almost succeeded in getting Bert into
"hot water," as Dinah expressed it.
Of course Nan had her friends, as all big girls have, but Bert, her
twin brother, was her dearest chum, just as Freddie was Flossie's.
"When we get to the country we will plant trees, go fishing, and pick
blackberries," Nan said one day.
"Yes, and I'm going with Harry out exploring," Bert announced.
"I'm just going to plant things," prim little Flossie lisped. "I just
love melons and ice cream and--"
"Ice cream! Can you really plant ice cream?" Freddie asked innocently,
which made the others all laugh at Flossie's funny plans.
"I'm going to have chickens," Freddie told them. "I'm going to have one
of those queer chicken coops that you shut up tight and when you open
it it's just full of little 'kippies.'"
"Oh, an incubator, you mean," Nan explained. "That's a machine for
raising chickens without any mother."
"But mine are going to have a mother," Freddie corrected, thinking how
sad little chickens would be without a kind mamma like his own.
"But how can they have a mother where there isn't any for them?"
Flossie asked, with a girl's queer way of reasoning.
"I'll get them one," Freddie protested. "I'll let Snoop be their
mamma."
"A cat! the idea! why, he would eat 'em all up," Flossie argued.
"Not if I whipped him once for doing it," the brother insisted. Then
Nan and Bert began to tease him for whipping the kitten after the
chickens had been "all eaten up."
So the merry days went on until at last vacation came!
"Just one more night," Nan told Flossie and Freddie when she prepared
them for bed, to help her very busy mother. Bert assisted his father
with the packing up, for the taking of a whole family to the country
meant lots of clothes, besides some books and just a few toys. Then
there was Bert's tool box--he knew he would need that at Meadow Brook.
The morning came at last, a beautiful bright day, a rare one for
traveling, for a fine shower the evening before had washed and cooled
things off splendidly.
"Now come, children," Mr. Bobbsey told the excited youngsters. "Keep
track of your things. Sam will be ready in a few minutes, and then we
must be off."
Promptly Sam pulled up to the door with the family carriage, and all
hurried to get in.
"Oh, Snoop, Snoop!" cried Freddie. "He's in the library in the box!
Dinah, get him quick, get him!" and Dinah ran back after the little
kitten.
"Here you is, Freddie!" she gasped, out of breath from hurrying. "You
don't go and forget poor Snoopy!" and she climbed in beside Sam.
Then they started.
"Oh, my lan' a-massy!" yelled Dinah presently in distress. "Sam
Johnson, you jest turn dat hoss around quick," and she jerked at the
reins herself. "You heah, Sam? Quick, I tells you. Get back to dat
house. I'se forgot to bring--to bring my lunch basket!"
"Oh, never mind, Dinah," Mrs. Bobbsey interrupted. "We will have lunch
on the train."
"But I couldn't leab dat nice lunch I got ready fo' de chillen in
between, missus," the colored woman urged. "I'll get it quick as a
wink. Now, Sam, you rush in dar quick, and fetch dat red and white
basket dat smells like chicken!"
So the good-natured maid had her way, much to the delight of Bert and
Freddie, who liked nothing so well as one of Dinah's homemade lunches.
The railroad station was reached without mishap, and while Mr. Bobbsey
attended to getting the baskets checked at the little window in the big
round office, the children sat about "exploring." Freddie hung back a
little when a locomotive steamed up. He clung to his mother's skirt,
yet wanted to see how the machine worked.
"That's the fireman," Bert told him, pointing to the man in the cab of
the engine.
"Fireman!" Freddie repeated. "Not like our firemen. I wouldn't be that
kind," He had always wanted to be a fireman who helps to put out fires.
"Oh, this is another kind," his father explained, just then coming up
in readiness for the start.
"I guess Snoop's afraid," Freddie whispered to his mother, while he
peeped into the little box where Snoop was peacefully purring. Glad of
the excuse to get a little further away, Freddie ran back to where
Dinah sat on a long shiny bench.
"Say, chile," she began, "you hear dat music ober dar? Well, a big fat
lady jest jumped up and down on dat machine and it starts up and plays
Swanee Ribber."
"That's a weighing machine," Nan said with a laugh. "You just put a
penny in it and it tells you how much you weigh besides playing a
tune."
"Lan' o' massy! does it? Wonder has I time to try it?"
"Yes, come on," called Bert. "Father said we have plenty of time," and
at the word Dinah set out to get weighed. She looked a little scared,
as if it might "go off" first, but when she heard the soft strain of
an old melody coming out she almost wanted to dance.
"Now, ain't dat fine!" she exclaimed. "Wouldn't dat be splendid in de
kitchen to weigh de flour, Freddie ?"
But even the interesting sights in the railroad station had to be given
up now, for the porter swung open a big gate and called: "All aboard
for Meadow Brook!" and the Bobbseys hurried off.
CHAPTER III
SNOOP ON THE TRAIN
"I'm glad Dinah looks nice," Flossie whispered to her mother, when she
saw how beautiful the parlor car was. "And isn't Freddie good?" the
little girl remarked anxiously, as if fearing her brother might forget
his best manners in such a grand place.
Freddie and Bert sat near their father on the big soft revolving chairs
in the Pullman car, while Nan and Flossie occupied the sofa at the end
near their mother. Dinah sat up straight and dignified, and, as Flossie
said, really looked nice, in her very clean white waist and her soft
black skirt. On her carefully parted hair she wore a neat little black
turban. Bert always laughed at the number of "parts" Dinah made in her
kinky hair, and declared that she ought to be a civil engineer, she
could draw such splendid maps even on the back of her head.
The grandeur of the parlor car almost overcame Freddie, but he clung to
Snoop in the pasteboard box and positively refused to let the kitten go
into the baggage car. Dinah's lunch basket was so neatly done up the
porter carried it very carefully to her seat when she entered the
train, although lunch baskets are not often taken in as "Pullman car
baggage."
"I'm going to let Snoop out!" whispered Freddie suddenly, and before
anyone had a chance to stop him, the little black kitten jumped out of
the box, and perched himself on the window sill to look out at the
fine scenery.
"Oh!" exclaimed Mrs. Bobbsey, "the porter will put him off the train!"
and she tried to catch the now happy little Snoop.
"No, he won't," Mr. Bobbsey assured her. "I will watch out for that."
"Here, Snoop," coaxed Nan, also alarmed. "Come, Snoop!"
But the kitten had been captive long enough to appreciate his liberty
now, and so refused to be coaxed. Flossie came down between the velvet
chairs very cautiously, but as soon as Snoop saw her arm stretch out
for him, he just walked over the back of the highest seat and down into
the lap of a sleeping lady!
"Oh, mercy me!" screamed the lady, as she awoke with Snoop's tail
whisking over her face. "Goodness, gracious! what is that?" and before
she had fully recovered from the shock she actually jumped up on the
chair, like the funny pictures of a woman and a mouse.
The people around could not help laughing, but Freddie and the other
Bobbseys were frightened.
"Oh, will they kill Snoop now?" Freddie almost cried. "Dinah, please
help me get him!"
By this time the much scared lady had found out it was only a little
kitten, and feeling very foolish she sat down and coaxed Snoop into her
lap again. Mr. Bobbsey hurried to apologize.
"We'll have to put him back in the box," Mr. Bobbsey declared, but that
was easier said than done, for no sooner would one of the Bobbseys
approach the cat than Snoop would walk himself off. And not on the
floor either, but up and down the velvet chairs, and in and out under
the passengers' arms. Strange to say, not one of the people minded it,
but all petted Snoop until, as Bert said, "He owned the car."
"Dat cat am de worst!" Dinah exclaimed. "'Pears like it was so stuck up
an' fine dar ain't no place in dis 'yere Pullin' car good 'nough fer
him."
"Oh, the porter! the porter!" Bert cried. "He'll surely throw Snoop out
of the window."
"Snoop! Snoop!" the whole family called in chorus, but Snoop saw the
porter himself and made up his mind the right thing to do under the
circumstances would be to make friends.
"Cat?" exclaimed the good-looking colored man. "Scat! Well, I declare!
What you think of that?"
Freddie felt as if he were going to die, he was so scared, and
Flossie's tears ran down her cheeks.
"Will he eat him?" Freddie blubbered, thinking of some queer stories he
had heard like that. Mr. Bobbsey, too, was a little alarmed and hurried
to reach Snoop.
The porter stooped to catch the offending kitten, while Snoop
walked right up to him, sniffed his uniform, and stepped upon the
outstretched black hand.
"Well, you is a nice little kitten," the porter admitted, fondling
Snoop in spite of orders.
"Oh, please, Mr. Porter, give me my cat!" cried Freddie, breaking away
from all restraint and reaching Snoop.
"Yours, is it? Well, I don't blame you, boy, for bringing dat cat
along. An' say," and the porter leaned down to the frightened Freddie,
"it's against orders, but I'd jest like to take dis yer kitten back in
de kitchen and treat him, for he's--he's a star!" and he fondled Snoop
closer.
"But I didn't know it was wrong, and I'll put him right back in the
box," Freddie whimpered, not quite understanding the porter's
intention.
"Well, say, son!" the porter exclaimed as Mr. Bobbsey came up. "What do
you say if you papa let you come back in de kitchen wid me? Den you can
jest see how I treat de kitty-cat!"
So Freddie started off after the porter, who proudly carried Snoop,
while Mr. Bobbsey brought up the rear. Everybody along the aisle wanted
to pet Snoop, who, from being a little stowaway was now the hero of the
occasion. More than once Freddie stumbled against the side of the big
seats as the cars swung along like a reckless automobile, but each time
his father caught him by the blouse and set him on his feet again,
until at last, after passing through the big dining car, the kitchen
was reached.
"What you got dar? Somethin' fer soup?" laughed the good-natured cook,
who was really fond of cats and wouldn't harm one for the world.
Soon the situation was explained, and as the porters and others
gathered around in admiration, Snoop drank soup like a gentleman, and
then took two courses, one of fish and one of meat, in splendid
traveler fashion.
"Dat's de way to drink soup on a fast train," laughed the porter. "You
makes sure of it dat way, and saves your clothes. Ha! ha! ha!" he
laughed, remembering how many men have to have their good clothes
cleaned of soup after a dinner on a fast train. Reluctantly the men
gave Snoop back to Freddie, who, this time, to make sure of no further
adventures, put the popular black kitten in his box in spite of
protests from the admiring passengers.
"You have missed so much of the beautiful scenery," Nan told Freddie
and her father when they joined the party again. "Just see those
mountains over there," and then they sat at the broad windows gazing
for a long time at the grand scenery as it seemed to rush by.
CHAPTER IV
A LONG RIDE
The train was speeding along with that regular motion that puts many
travelers to sleep, when Freddie curled himself on the sofa and went to
sleep.
"Poor little chap!" Mr. Bobbsey remarked. "He is tired out, and he was
so worried about Snoop!"
"I'm glad we were able to get this sofa, so many other people like a
rest and there are only four sofas on each car," Mrs. Bobbsey explained
to Dinah, who was now tucking Freddie in as if he were at home in his
own cozy bed. The air cushion was blown up, and put under the yellow
head and a shawl was carefully placed over him.
Flossie's pretty dimpled face was pressed close to the window pane,
admiring the big world that seemed to be running away from the train,
and Bert found the observation end of the train very interesting.
"What a beautiful grove of white birch trees!" Nan exclaimed, as the
train swung into a ravine. "And see the soft ferns clinging about them.
Mother, the ferns around the birch tree make me think of the fine lace
about your throat!"
"Why, daughter, you seem to be quite poetical!" and the mother smiled,
for indeed Nan had a very promising mind.
"What time will we get there, papa?" Bert asked, returning from the
vestibule.
"In time for dinner Aunt Sarah said, that is if they keep dinner for us
until one o'clock," answered the parent, as he consulted his watch.
"It seems as if we had been on the train all night," Flossie remarked.
"Well, we started early, dear," the mother assured the tired little
girl. "Perhaps you would like one of Dinah's dainty sandwiches now?"
A light lunch was quickly decided on, and Dinah took Flossie and Nan to
a little private room at one end of the train, Bert went with his
father to the smoking room on the other end, while the mother remained
to watch Freddie. The lunch was put up so that each small sandwich
could be eaten without a crumb spilling, as the little squares were
each wrapped separately in waxed paper.
There was a queer alcohol lamp in the ladies room, and other handy
contrivances for travelers, which amused Flossie and Nan.
"Dat's to heat milk fo' babies," Dinah told the girls, as she put the
paper napkins carefully on their laps, and got each a nice drink of
icewater out of the cooler.
Meanwhile Bert was enjoying his lunch at the other end of the car, for
children always get hungry when traveling, and meals on the train are
only served at certain hours. Two other little girls came into the
compartment while Flossie and Nan were at lunch. The strange girls wore
gingham aprons over their fine white dresses, to keep the car dust off
their clothes, and they had paper caps on their heads like the favors
worn at children's parties. Seeing there was no stool vacant the
strangers darted out again in rather a rude way, Nan thought.
"Take you time, honeys," Dinah told her charges. "If dey is very hungry
dey can get ice cream outside."
"But mother never lets us eat strange ice cream," Flossie reminded the
maid. "And maybe they can't either."
Soon the lunch was finished, and the Bobbseys felt much refreshed by
it. Freddie still slept with Snoop's box close beside him, and Mrs.
Bobbsey was reading a magazine.
"One hour more!" Bert announced, beginning to pick things up even that
early.
"Now we better all close our eyes and rest, so that we will feel good
when we get to Meadow Brook," Mrs. Bobbsey told them. It was no task to
obey this suggestion, and the next thing the children knew, mother and
father and Dinah were waking them up to get them ready to leave the
train.
"Now, don't forget anything," Mr. Bobbsey cautioned the party, as hats
and wraps were donned and parcels picked up.
Freddie was still very sleepy and his papa had to carry him off, while
the others, with some excitement, hurried after.
"Oh, Snoop, Snoop!" cried Freddie as, having reached the platform, they
now saw the train start off. "I forgot Snoop! Get him quick!"
"Dat kitten again!" Dinah exclaimed, with some indignation. "He's more
trouble den--den de whole family!"
In an instant the train had gotten up speed, and it seemed Snoop was
gone this time sure.
"Snoop!" cried Freddie, in dismay.
Just then the kind porter who had befriended the cat before, appeared
on the platform with the perforated box in his hand.
"I wanted to keep him," stammered the porter, "but I knows de little
boy 'ud break his heart after him." And he threw the box to Mr.
Bobbsey.
There was no time for words, but Mr. Bobbsey thrust a coin in the man's
hand and all the members of the Bobbsey family looked their thanks.
"Well, I declare, you can't see anybody," called out a good-natured
little lady, trying to surround them all at once.
"Aunt Sarah!" exclaimed the Bobbseys.
"And Uncle Dan!"
"And Harry!"
"Hello! How do? How are you? How be you?" and such kissing and
handshaking had not for some time entertained the old agent at the
Meadow Brook station.
"Here at last!" Uncle Daniel declared, grabbing up Freddie and giving
him the kind of hug Freddie had intended giving Aunt Sarah.
The big wagon from the Bobbsey farm, with the seats running along each
side, stood at the other side of the platform, and into this the
Bobbseys were gathered, bag and baggage, not forgetting the little
black cat.
"All aboard for Meadow Brook farm!" called Bert, as the wagon started
off along the shady country road.
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