The House That Grew

and the carpenter, though a rather slow, very silent man, understood his business and was quite ready to do all that

leading into mamma's, from which we could pass to ours. And the partitions made them really as good as three proper rooms, each with a nice window. There could be no fireplace in ours, but as it was the middle one, and therefore sure to be the warmest, that would not matter, as there were two, one at each end in th

walked home, that we ha

en managed without the iron

argery were coming with us. Hoskins was just a little melancholy about it all, not a bit for hersel

way in some other place altogether, among strangers. And when she said something about the cold, in case we stayed at the hut through the win

ot that, unless it amuses you. Margery is not a lazy girl-I would not own her for my

her and mother at the Lodge, but he had never had anything t

d woodman's hut within a stone's throw of our hut, Ida, so that a whistle would bring him in a moment. He will still live at the Lodge for eating, you see, but he will come round first thing and last thing. He's

erly. 'It would seem much more in keeping

, if you please, Miss

ging on three iron rods, the way gypsies do, or are supposed to do,-'better than brushwood, fir cones. They do smell so delicious when they are

ENZIL ABOU

three weeks after the days I have just been describing-the sorrowful morning arrived on which dear papa had to leave us. Esmé cried loudly, as was her way; Denzil, m

g what was in my mind, 'rather let us be glad that the child does not realise it. She is very young; it does n

his health, for the climate was a bad one, and it was not the safest season by any means. All these, and then the possibility of great disappointment when he got there-of finding that, after al

k of it. And I had promised

letters: 'The Hut, Eastercove' looked quite grand, we thought-was ready for us to move into. Our ten

p our quarters in our quaint new home till after papa had gone. He said it would have worried him rather if we had left sooner, but I know the

re roughly in the rooms too. But as everybody who has ever moved from one house to another knows, there were still heaps to be done, and seen to by ourselves, which no work-people cou

d as we could, even the little ones helping, by running messages and fetching and carrying. And by the time

business altogether. I don't believe papa will be able to get things right, out at that old hole of a place, and even if he doesn't get ill, as he very li

e; Esmé walking along soberly for once, and I caught snatches of mamma's voice coming back to us, for there was a light, though rather chi

id, nodding forwards, s

ough he did not say a

hat the wind is not the other way. I would not like her to he

nt it in any 'superior' way. I am sure I did not, for the words had scarcely passed my lips before they seemed to me to have been unk

on, 'if you got gloomy about things. We all depend on you so,'

as Geordie's arm, and it gave me a little hug, not the most comfortable thing in the w

nd cowardly of me, and I'm very sorry. I

hey are apt to do when they are tired. We none of us spoke much the rest of the way home, but Geordie said one or two little things about how com

lp them. That very evening we were cheered and amused by a letter which had

Taisy' for short. I have not spoken of her before; but, indeed, when I come to think of it I have not spoken of any of our relations, I have been so entirely taken up with th

would have been spoilt, for old Aunt Emmeline adored her and gave her n

this year, at any rate. Papa had written to Lady Emmeline to tell her of what had happened; she was one of the few whom he felt

up,' somehow, and Taisy would have none of hers till she was twenty-one. Besides, papa was not the sort of man to take or expect help, while he was strong

ages to us all, and something about that 'by hook or

d our curiosity, and kept us quite bright and interest

ed papa and mamma uncle and aunt, though they were really only cousins,-'I have been thinking and thinking about ho

as cared much to have visitors, though she is a wonderfully strong and active old lady. And now that Taisy is giving up regular lessons

quite ready yet, and I am not going to say anything to Granny about it till it is all cut and dried and ready to be stacked!-though, as she always lets me do whatever I want, I am not much afraid of her making any difficulties. Her old friend, Miss Merry, will

is

aid Geordie, looking u

isn't it?' I said, though I spoke rather d

about her getting to us. The railway and the roads are not blocked up because

y mind; 'we are quite closely enough packed as it is.

me really camp out, mamma? I could rig up a little te

ut, but as healthy and "civilised" as if we were in a house. So put that out of your head, my dear boy. I could not risk your catching cold, or anything of tha

ow I wouldn't feel safe-without having you actually

d my saying that. Bu

amusement to us that first evening of papa's being away. And it was worth w

full of nice ideas and funny ones too, and she never has headaches or neuralgia or horrid thin

satisfaction. The afternoon we went to the Hut 'for good,' it really looked nice enough for us to feel it, for the time, more 'home' than the big house, which, on the surface, seemed rather upset still, though in reality it was nearly ready for the

ce bright fires in the sitting-rooms and mamma's bedroom. And the children had already picked up a goo

awing-room; 'and oh, aren't you glad not to be starting on a railway journey to some strange place,

le to date my first letter to papa from the Hut. I must make time

e isn't really very much more to do, is there?

at means I have never been able to understand, for as far as we know them nowadays, apple-pies are rather untidy-looking! 'There is very little now for me to see to

, and a not-very-young daughter-and several of our serva

essons, and the little ones' too, and-and-everything. Our own clothes will tak

ed such heaps to unpack, for you see we had had to bring all our winter things with us too, and I was sensible enough to know that there must now be a lot of planning how to make frocks and coats and things last, that hitherto we should

it was a case of just spending the very least we could-without risking health or necessary comfor

rd, when the present was pretty clearly to be seen. And just then E

etting cold. So co