The Merryweathers
ked Mrs. Merryweather, lo
. Up on the hill, the wind is fierce. I had to ride round the blas
cket, and came in, unslinging the le
s!" he cried. "W
around him, holdi
or me,
rotector o
hil! I want th
Fergy my boy, I shudder at
and benches with their treasures, and for some minutes nothing wa
y, presently. "O
rald; and "Well! well!"
hand with an imperative gesture. "Exclamation must be followed by explanation!" she
with sparkling eyes. "Semiramis has eight
py at a time," said Gerald, "unle
ral
I never do. What kind of
hey are all like Semmy except one, and he is blue.' Who ever heard of a blue puppy? You shall have one, Snowy: I prom
p again shyly. "I-don't suppose you would care
"We should like it extremely, Peggy. A letter from t
!" sai
all, in their several ways, expres
, her rosy face beamin
ause it is just the way we talk to each other, you know. I
g so perfectly dear! they were all blind, and bald all over, and pink, and squealing like anything; you never did see anything so lovely in all your life, at least I never did. Well, she let me take them up, one by one, old darling, though I could see that it made her nervous. Most of them are like her, beautifully marked, with pink noses, and black ears, and just the right blackness and tanness on them; but one is very queer, great splotches of black on his nose and his hind quarters, and all the rest of him white. So they named him "Magpie," right off; but I haven't come to the names yet. He is not very pretty, but he looks very bright, and I shouldn't wonder if he was terribly clever, to make up for not being so handsome as the others. And the other different one is a perfect beauty, though you may not think so when
, looking up with a blush; "but it is as like Jean
ghing, "and 'it' certainly is a dear old thing. G
her a kiss,
nally made out. There are three females, and five males, you know: Cleopatra, Meg (Merrilies; that was Flora's,
concluded, folding up the letter. "I wish the
y fair list of names, Peggy, as names go. It is always hard to find a good name for a dog. 'Sh
"are we not to hear
ed Mrs. Merryweather. "Wha
te of that innocent look. On reading your letters, you and Jerry exclaimed: 'Well, well!' and 'Sapolio!' at the same instant, and your letters are on the sa
ad brightened up while Peggy was reading her letter, but now
t is from Cousin Anna Belleville. She tells me that Claud has been with her at Bar Harbor for some tim
hers. Bell and Gertrude exchanged a swift glance, but said n
id, thoughtfully, "I was thinking of takin
d his wife, quickly. "It
d Mr. Merryweather.
after a reproachful glance at him, turned to Gerald, as she folded her
rd with the greatest pleasure to roughing it a bit with us, and says that we must make no pre
erryweather, addressing Bell with a shade of warning i
regatta is to-morrow, an
s must be built by their owners, unaided; no boat must be over a foot long from stem to stern; all sails must be of paper. Aside from these limitations, the fancies of the campers might roam at will; accordingly, the boats were of every shape
lly. "She really begins to look quite like
should not make a very good boat, Peggy. I would round
red Mrs. Merryweather. "I must b
course!" said Phil. "W
the Limavaddy
aid Peggy. "It sounds like-I don't know what; tea-caddy, or someth
her hostess, smiling. "Peg of Limavaddy is the ch
I do
is the
heart
of Li
d if s
uld be t
child
of Li
is no
land of
eyond
of Lima
est stanzas, but it shows you
Gerald observed, pausing in the
m anything
lk like th
t
e makes
t from
blithe
f Lim
o'er th
g of a
e won m
f Lim
lding of
cess is
she won'
Limav
whether she floats or not. And anyhow, she is my first boat.
the rigor of the game, little Peg
d not; it simply was not possible. Gerald was positive at first that he could teach me, but after one
to my revered uncle, Margaret,-and I have at times desired to drown him for that
" asked Margaret; "I shall be very
ty!" said Gerald, demurely.
asked Mrs. Merryweathe
cipal Wha
t call my father nam
, do b
tinnabul
ycumpop,
-at-a-Bod
asses Co
ly Colog
opper,
that
rude. "Peggy, you must decid
ardest part of all. Margaret
the happy mother of the pu
hoed Gerald. "Don't hal
he name for the b
rest. "The Whole Puppy, it is!
all my life!" she said; "b
vely. "We invited you here in the hope that our united effort
!" said Margaret. "Whenever I ask, you all say, 'Oh, hus
n the Log," said Mrs. Merryweather, smil
hat lay open in her lap. "Here it is!"
ize it. It has more arms than legs, and more hair than either. It moves with great rapidity, its gait being something between a wallop and a waddle; and
hat I do!" Mrs. Merryweather
Margaret, laughing. "I a
e door, laid down his work, and held up a wa
wind!" sai
g o'er the stony st
I heard a voice, I
wind wailing in long sighing gusts; but-yes! ming
o, there! Me
ulder. "The Philistines are upon thee, Samson!" he cried. "I shou