A Summer in a Canyon: A California Story

TTERS FROM THE

friend is a liken

ve demeanour, her discarded sun-bonnet, her corrugated brow, all bespoke more than

vera to her Friend and Confidant

ed nook in the Val

arral, Ju

its surface a few trifling freckles, which serve but to call attention to its exquisite purity of outline and the height of its ambition. Her eyes reflect the changing shadows of

stand it another minute, not being familiar with the language of wha

l gave me yesterday. Its internal organs are filled with ink, which it disgorges when pre

tter, like the last, because we want to write what we

and I have to suffer for every careless little speech. However, as we didn't wish to bore you with six duplicate letters, we invented a plan for keeping off each other's ground, and appointed Geoff a c

olly) is

hil) . .

off) . .

dge) . .

ll) . . .

k) . . . i

don't mention it for worlds! (I just screamed my fears about this matter to Jack, and

ent, tame sheep, skinning and cutting them up on the way home, and making us believe for two days that we were eating venison; and we never should have discovered the imposition had not Dicky dragged home four sheep-skins from the upper pool, and told us that he saw the boys 'peeling them off a venison.' Perhaps Phil may call this information, and Margery will vow that it is gossip an

with an exasperating snicker. 'You didn't know mutton, but I thought, being a Sunday-school teacher, you would know something about manna.' (N.B.-He alludes to that time I took the infant class for Miss Jones, and they all ran

Phil, and I had quite an experience in losin

mped my head against the table three times, as penance, and will now try to turn my thoughts into right channels. This letter is a b

is scarcely an amusing topic. I do want to be as prudent as possible, for Uncle Doc is going to rea

ered '"c," of course,' with such an air, you should have heard her! I had to remind

p, as I was going to take it out if it belonged to her topic, but she sa

ving you with us very soon, and meanwhile the beautiful bedstead is almost finished, and a perf

gain will I submit to this method of correspondence; it is absolutely petrifying to one's geni

raid I haven't a

ie in the gr

ould upon

t 'She did

he did h

The trouble is that Geoff thinks all the poetry in the universe is locked up in Bell's head, and if she once allows it to escape, Felicia Hemans and the rest will

d Laura is coming down again to spend the week. I can't

just now, but Geoff has spoken, a

z!! and

ioli

Philip

arral, Ju

ly doings of our party, not on any account, however, permittin

who will fulfil such a task with no special feeling

eoffrey carries his head in the clouds, and Jack is-well, Jack is Jack! So, as the light of a

ing of the camp has proved an immense undertaking, although

writes two or three hours a day, and thinks that he gets on with his book better here than at home. As for the rest of

struction. I say 'suppose you know,' because it is a profound secret,

es of furniture. I shall make it so deliciously easy that you will make me 'Knight of the Chair,' and perhaps permit me to play a sort of devoted John Brown to your Victoria. You w

ance and subsequent restoration of the Heir-Apparent; but I feel sure some

flint and steel, and if Aunt Truth didn't separate them the sparks would fly. With a girl like Polly, you have either to lie awake nights, thinking how you'll get the better of her, or else put on a demeanour of gentleness and patience, which serves as a sort of lightning-rod round which the fire of her fu

mule, because she thought the animal would be especially sure-footed. He was; in fact, he was so sure-footed that he didn't care to

oem on the occasion, when we became desperate, and dashed through a thicket of brush, tearing ourselves to bits, but stumbling on the trail at last. The view from the top is simply superb. The valleys below are all yellow with grain-fields and green with vineyards, with

d seen a battle of the same kind before. There they were-five huge, hairy, dirty, black creatures, as large as the palm of Dicky's hand, all locked in deadly combat. They writhed and struggled and embraced, their long, curling legs fastening on each other with a sound that was actually like the cracking of bones. It takes a little courage to stand and watch such a proceeding, for you feel as if the hideous fellows might turn and jump for you; but they were doubtless absorbed in their own battle, and we wanted to see the affair to the en

ese letters. You will see how wonderfully it is made, with its silken weaving inside, and its bits of bark and leaves outside; and I know you will admire the hinge, which the tarantula must have invented, and which is as pretty a bit of workmanship as the most accomplished mechanic could turn out. We tore away the web and the door from one of the nests, and then poured water down the hole. The spider was at home, came out as fact as his clumsy legs would carry him, and clutched the end of the stick Jack held out to him. Then we tumbled him

g every peak, valley, grove, and stream in the vicinit

em in neat black letters. Jack likes that kind of work, and spends most of his time at it; for now

I told you, and the little ca?on on its si

or P

one S

the Cloth

y N

p's Wa

-Cap

nt's Re

onour of Dicky, who was

e cents, which goes towards beautifying the place. Dr. Paul has had to pay two fines for Be

ndo, save that they are not love-poems at all, but appropriate quotations from Wordsworth or Bryant. And this brings me to our thrill

Bell carried off first honours and fairly captivated the actors as well as the audience, all th

diculous fashion; but the Burtons helped out wonderfully, Scott playing Oliver, and Laura doing Audrey. They

that the stage management was a triumph of inventive art; we worked like beave

would say, and yet we transformed all out of doors, first into

pose doing 'As You Like It' again when you are down here, and meanwhile we give diversified entert

ibed. This is certainly the ideal way to live in summer-time, and we should be perfectly happy and content if you could only shake off your troublesome cough and come to share our pleasure. We feel incomplete without you; and no matter how

p S.

of the Spectacle

ighness, our beloved Gold Elsie, Queen o

ur next of kin and high in the royal favour has la

bulletin which your Highness commanded to be written; but, alas, with indifferent success; for t

ully ordered me to 'edify' your Majesty with wise utterances; as if such poor, rude words as mine could please

s hope to see their gracious

s Paulina look as if you might have chosen one of your attendants from 'Afric's sunny fountains, or India's coral strand'; and as for the Court Chaplain, Rev. Jack-in-the-Pulpit, he has woefully forsaken the manners of

indigestion, caused by too generous indulgence in the flowing bowl-of milk and cherries; we have al

and your Majesty's special interpreters of the drama w

ir own hands and place it on a brow which needs naught but its golden crown of hair to affirm its queenly dignity. And as for crown jewels, has not our Empress of He

charms gladden the eyes of thy wait

rey Stron

and Knight of

ry's Cont

k, July

ith as many pages of 'gossip' as I choose; which means that I may run on to my heart's content and tell you all the lit

wish them simple, full-skirted gowns, like the last; everybody thinks them so pretty and becoming. Bell's two must be buff and pink, Polly's grey and green, and mine blue and brown. We find

olly began this letter, for there have been vario

aces. To be sure they were so awfully tired that I couldn't help pitying them; but Uncle Doc had tried to persuade them not to walk, so that it was their own fault after all. You cannot imagine what a dreadful feeling it gives one to be climbing a slippery

irritate each other so, for I am sure that there is no lack of real friendship between them; but Jack is a confirmed tease, and he seems to keep all his mischief bottled up for especial use with Polly. I have tried to keep hi

's mistake. It was the last bottle; and as we can't get any more for a week, the situation was serious, and she was very much tried. Poor Polly had a good cry over her carelessness, and came to the dinner-table in a very sensitive frame of mind. Then what should Jack do but tell Dicky to take Villikins a head of lettuce for his supper, and ask Polly why she didn't change his name from Villikins to Sal

d on the scene. We had sent over to see if Laura would play Audrey on so short notice, and bring over some odds and ends for c

with eight students. They were on a walking tour, and were just camping for the night when Scott and Jack met them, and in

ys like Scott very much; he falls right into the camp ways, and doesn't disturb the even current of our lif

d school friends, and Bell has known Laura for two years, but they will never follow in their mothers' footsteps. Laura is so different from her mother that I should never think they were relations; and she has managed to change all our arrangements in some mysterious way

t two winters in San Francisco, where she went out a great deal to par

d another to read Spanish with her, and so on. Now, you know very well that she will never get all this so long as Bell Winship is in camp, for

had grown so vain and airy and self-conscious that it was painful to see her. I could not help being hurt; for you know what Bell is-brimful of nonsense and sparkle and bright speeches, but just as open as the day and as warm a

or she is too proud and sensitive to resent it. I can see that she is different in her ways, as if she felt she was being

she is deceitful, but that she is honestly anxious for their good opinion. You remember Aunt Truth's hobby that we should

e didn't know that she could come until the last

to Bell, when we were rehearsing. 'Nobody would ever catch you playing second fiddle, m

g we would have offered you the best part, but I only took

hasn't she, Geoffrey?' asked La

mind. Bell and Polly and I have talked the matter all over, and are going to try and make her like us, whether she wants to or not. We have agreed to be j

y night, and drop double doses of the homoeopathic cure for h

hundred kisses

ery

her Store of Mental Ric

hyme, merely because the committee insists upon it. I send you herewith all the poetr

hat the best of my own, which are all ba

e I was swinging Marg

-f

ily,

the

g-sw

sily

ds and

ep-

er is

ulnes

t-s

how t

and be

hey do it oftener, then? And how was he to know that Polly and Jack had just gone through a terrible battle of words in which I was peacemaker, and that Dicky ha

en to mamma, and slipped into the box

woman fai

ining te

meet their

ghts withi

silver we

d were

ot look to

a singl

were a li

dhood's t

heart would

-because

were an e

ty heart

I might cha

my chos

so that people can write poetry to me if they feel like it! Here is Jack's, for Poll

from a wa

dly gift

te steed, or a

very wel

quiverin

and a goo

withering

and three

cks and a p

ing dew i

ope, and a

nate, pale-

greenery,

tomb room

narrow gr

the stain

y unhitched, but he says that's t

Polly's birthday, which we shall celebrat

love for tea, which she cannot conceal,

unded by seven cats, all frying to get a drink out of her tea-cup. Then Geoff is going to get a live cat from the milk

TO

OF HER B

mong the un

the 'Moun

there are

to wish

known, and f

uline i

joy as a

uent cup

this dear c

ny a ye

e is but ju

she ough

his gift I

iate to

of her st

conceal-

upon these

all pla

he meets m

erent it

o be given with a pr

young maiden

it couldn'

do you

her so

her light-w

ck's last

little poppet

ntly falls

terrib

reetur'

ere dumb she

eply, and we delivered

be deaf,

one sense

id of y

always

if it neve

until I am allowed to write you

he camp-fire, and I must go out and jo

love, now

e

ood deal of a bookworm, and uses very long words; his favourite name for me at present is Calliope; I thought it was a sort of

I

rral, July

o Rap

e they do. Keep them in your private portfolio, and when I am famous you can p

real 'William Henry' pictures, bu

ar letter this week you must not growl, for the sketches took

mother a

oving

a

d you ever meet him, as no one could expect to get a striking likeness at a dista