Mary Jane Her Visit by Clara Ingram Judson
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MARY JANE--HER VISIT
by
CLARA INGRAM JUDSON
Author of "Mary Jane--Her Book," "Mary Jane's Kindergarten," "Mary Jane
Down South," "Mary Jane's City Home," "Mary Jane in New England," etc.
Illustrated by Frances White
Publishers
Barse & Hopkins
New York, N. Y. Newark, N. J.
1918
[Frontispiece: "'Thirty minutes to Glenville!' the voice of the porter
said."]
CONTENTS
MARY JANE'S ARRIVAL
EXPLORING THE FARM
THE HUNT FOR EGGS
THE MYSTERIOUS BUNDLES
GARDENING WITH GRANDFATHER
THE GARDEN THIEF
MARY JANE'S FAMILY
COUSIN JOHN'S VISIT
GRANDFATHER'S TREAT
LEARNING TO COOK
THE STRAWBERRY SOCIABLE
BURR HOUSES
EARNING MONEY
THE PICNIC AT FLATROCK
HOME AGAIN
ILLUSTRATIONS
"'Thirty minutes to Glenville!' the voice of the porter said" . . . . .
(Frontispiece)
"'We'll make a pattern and cut out our pieces--there's a lot to
quilt-making'"
"There, before their eyes were the rabbits, five of them"
"There were the berry bushes--fairly loaded with shining
black-berries"
MARY JANE'S ARRIVAL
It seemed to Mary Jane that some magic must have been at work to change
the world during the night she slept on the train. All the country she
knew had hills and valleys and many creeks and woods of pine trees.
But when she waked up in the morning and peeped out of the window of
her berth, she saw great wide fields and woods that seemed always far
away. And the occasional creek that the train rumbled over was small
and could be seen a long way off, coming across the fields toward the
railroad. And the roads! How funny they were! They came straight and
white toward the train, each just exactly as smooth and as regular as
the one before.
To be sure the country was pretty; yellow buttercups and bright blue
flowers bloomed along the track and the fields looked fresh and green
in the morning sun.
"I think I'm going to like it anyway, even if the hills are all
smoothed out," said Mary Jane as she looked at it thoughtfully, "and
maybe I'd better put on my shoes and stockings." She rummaged in the
funny little hammock that hung over her window, found the shoes and
stockings and put them on, and was just wondering if it was time to
dress when she heard Dr. Smith's voice outside.
"Yes, Sambo, I'm awake," he was saying, "and you may call the young
lady."
Before Mary Jane had had time to wonder who the "young lady" might be,
there was a great shaking of her curtain and the voice of the porter
said, "Thirty minutes to Glenville!"
Quick as a flash Mary Jane stuck her head out between the curtains and
replied, "That's where my great grandmother lives and I'm going to see
her!"
The porter was vastly surprised ("I guess he thought I was going to
sleep all day!" thought Mary Jane scornfully), but before he had a
chance to reply anything, Dr. Smith called across, "Good morning, Mary
Jane! How did you sleep?"
"All the night, just like I do at home," answered Mary Jane, "except
one time when they bumped something into my bed--what was it, do you
'spose?"
"Most like they put on a new engine," said Dr. Smith. "Now, how long
will it take you to dress, my dear?"
"Just a tinny while," said Mary Jane, "because I've got my shoes and
stockings on now. And when may I wash my face and you put on my hair
ribbon?"
Dr. Smith stepped out from his berth and looked at Mary Jane in dismay.
"You may wash your face any time you like, my dear," he said, "but I
can't tie your hair ribbon. I don't know how!"
Mary Jane laughed at the funny face he made and then she smiled in her
most motherly fashion. "Then it's a good thing I forgot and left it on
last night," she said, "and don't you worry, I can perk it up and make
it look real tidy."
"You're a good little traveler," complimented Dr. Smith. "I'll take
you along again. Now let's see who's ready first."
Mary Jane put on the rest of her clothes; then she took her little bag,
just as her mother had told her to, and went into the dressing room and
washed her face and made herself neat and tidy. She got back in time
to see the porter make up her bed and she was glad of that because
bed-unmaking on a train by daylight seemed even more wonderful and
interesting than bed-making the night before.
She sat down on the seat across the aisle while he worked, so she could
see everything he did.
"My mother and I don't make beds that way at home," she announced
suddenly.
"Sure not," agreed the porter, and then by way of keeping up the
conversation, he added, "Like to ride on a train?"
"'Deed I do," said Mary Jane happily, "and I like to go see my
grandmother--it's my Great-grandmother Hodges I'm going to see, you
know. And my mother isn't going and my daddah isn't going because he
works and my sister Alice isn't going because she's in school and
anybody isn't going but just my Dr. Smith and me 'cause I'm five and
that's a big girl."
"Well!" exclaimed the porter, and he actually stopped making beds to
look at such a big little girl. Mary Jane liked him and started to
tell him about Doris and the birthday party and the pretty things in
her trunk, but Dr. Smith came back just then and there was no more time
for talk.
"Got your coat?" he asked, "and your hat and your--everything?"
"He put 'em there," said Mary Jane, pointing to the next seat where she
had seen the porter put her things, "and my gloves are in my pocket and
my bag's all shut."
"That's good." said Dr. Smith. "You'd better put your things on now.
Here, I'll hold your coat."
It was a good thing Mary Jane started putting on her gloves just when
she did. For before she had the last button safely tucked in its
button hole, the porter had slipped in to a white coat and had picked
up her bag and Dr. Smith's big grip and started for the door of the
car; the great long train was slowing up at a little station.
They got off in such a hurry that Mary Jane hardly had time to say
good-by to the kind porter before the train hurried away and some one
picked her up and kissed her and exclaimed, "Well, well, well! Such a
_big_ girl!" and she found herself kissing dear Grandfather Hodges--she
knew him well because he had visited her home and she had a nice,
comfortable, "belonging" feeling the minute she saw him.
"Now you two stay right here by the car," said Grandfather, "while I
get the trunk." And Mary Jane had her first chance to look around.
The station wasn't a bit like the station at her home--not a bit. It
was a funny little frame house with a platform, out in front. And
there wasn't any roof out over where the trains went or anything like
that; just the little house and the platform. And instead of the piles
of trunks on great trucks that she supposed were in every station,
there was only her own little trunk dumped forlornly on the platform.
And instead of the many men busy about various duties, there was not a
single man, at least not one that Mary Jane could see. Grandfather
took the check that Dr. Smith gave him and went into the little station
with it. In a second he was back and what do you suppose he did? He
picked up her trunk and set it in the back of his waiting automobile
just as easy as could be! Mary Jane was that surprised he could see it
and he laughed gayly and said, "That's the way we do our baggaging
here, Mary Jane. We'll not wait for any sleepy baggage men--not when
Grandmother and hot griddle cakes and honey are waiting for us, will
we?"
And Mary Jane, who was getting hungry enough to find breakfast a most
interesting subject, settled down in the front seat beside her
grandfather and said, "No, we won't!"
Dr. Smith climbed into the back seat beside the trunk and Grandfather
started the car and went spinning down the road.
"Your roads all know where they're going, don't they?" Mary Jane asked
as they got under way.
"Yes," replied Grandfather in surprise; "don't yours?"
"Not like yours do," said Mary Jane positively; "ours go this way."
And with her finger she made some big curves in the air.
"Oh!" laughed Grandfather, "you mean that yours are curving because of
the hills and that ours are straight. Yes, our roads are pretty
straight but you'll like that when you get used to it, because then you
can't get lost. There's a road every mile and each road goes just the
way it by rights ought to go because there aren't any hills to get in
the way." And all the while Grandfather was talking, he was driving
the car along the straight road just as fast as could be.
"And aren't there any hills before we get to your house?" asked Mary
Jane after a while.
'"Well," said Grandfather smilingly, as he slowed the car down, "what
do you think about that yourself?"
Mary Jane looked before her, the way she could see Grandfather wanted
her to look, and, right there close, she saw a big, old-fashioned white
house. It had a flower bed, a great big round flower bed, in the yard
in front of it and a curving driveway along the side. And it had a
wide porch all across the front, a porch that had seats and a swing and
everything a little girl would like to see on a porch. A lot of
windows with green shutters were scattered over the house, and through
the windows Mary Jane could see ruffled white curtains at every window.
And on the porch of this house stood a pretty, white-haired
grandmother, just the sort of a grandmother that belongs to every white
house in the country.
"I think there aren't any hills because here we are!" exclaimed Mary
Jane happily as Grandfather stopped the car by the side steps.
Quick as a minute Dr. Smith jumped her out of the car and Grandmother
Hodges, for it really was she, just as Mary Jane had guessed, gave her
a hug and a dozen kisses and Mary Jane felt at home from that minute.
"Now don't bother about that trunk," said Grandmother briskly. "It can
wait! I don't know what Dr. Smith promised we'd have for breakfast
this morning, but griddle cakes and honey are what I have ready. Come
right on in, Dr. Smith."
She took off Mary Jane's coat and hat and laid them on the couch in the
living-room, and then they all went in to what Mary Jane thought was
the best breakfast she had ever eaten in all her five years. There
were bananas and cream, oh, such good cream; and eggs and bacon and
griddle cakes and honey. Mary Jane had never eaten honey on griddle
cakes before, and she liked it so well that they quite lost count of
the number she ate!
"If you go on as you're beginning," laughed Dr. Smith, "you'll be so
big and fat by the time you go home that I'll have to go along with you
and tell them you're Mary Jane Merrill, that's what I will!"
"I'll risk their knowing," said Grandmother; "that child was almost
starved! If you're in a hurry, don't wait for her. And Father" (she
turned to Grandfather Hodges), "you be sure to take Mary Jane's trunk
up to her room before you go to the barn. She'll want to open it right
away to get out her play dress."
By the time Mary Jane was through her breakfast the trunk had been
carried upstairs and Grandfather Hodges was off to the barn.
"You come out to see me whenever you're ready," he said as he left.
"And I'll be running along too," said Dr. Smith, "though I must admit
I'd rather stay and help show Mary Jane the farm than to call on sick
folks this morning. I'll be by to see you this evening, little girl,
to hear what you think of all the new sights." And he started down the
road toward his home--it was such a little way that he preferred to
walk.
"Now, Mary Jane," said Grandmother briskly, "what would you like to
play while I do the dishes?"
"I'd like to do them too," said Mary Jane promptly.
"A little girl five years old do dishes?" exclaimed Grandmother.
"'Deed, yes, Grandmother," said Mary Jane, much pleased to think
Grandmother was so impressed. "I'm a little _past_ five, you know, and
I can work a lot!"
"Just think of that," exclaimed Grandmother approvingly. "Then we'll
be through in no time. I'll wash and you wipe, and I'll put away. Let
me tie this apron over your pretty traveling dress."
While they did the work, Mary Jane answered all the questions about
Mother and Alice and Father that Grandmother could ask and then, as
soon as the last dish was put away the two went upstairs and unpacked
the trunk. Such fun as it was to put all her own ribbons and
handkerchiefs into the funny little bureau that stood in Mary Jane's
room! And to hang up her dresses, or watch Grandmother hang them, in
the queer little closet that had a latch like a front gate! Mary Jane
was to have a whole room and a whole closet and a bureau all to
herself, and she wouldn't feel a bit lonesome because Grandmother's
room was right next and the door stood open all the night long,
Grandmother said.
When everything was in neat order, Mary Jane put on her dark blue
rompers and big blue sun hat, and they went downstairs.
"There now," said Grandmother; "we're all fixed. And before I do
another thing, I'm going to take you all around and show you everything
you want to see."
They started down the back walk toward the barn that looked so
interesting. But they hadn't gone half the way to it before the
telephone, back in the house, gave a long, loud ring.
EXPLORING THE FARM
"There now!" exclaimed Mrs. Hodges impatiently, "that's the 'phone and
I'll have to answer and see what's wanted. You walk along slowly, Mary
Jane, right over to the barn and through the gate and I'll hurry and
catch up with you as quickly as I can."
Left alone, Mary Jane walked past the wood shed; passed what seemed to
be a tool house because through the open door she saw tools of all
sorts and sizes; and on across the yard toward the barn yard gate.
"She said 'through the gate,'" thought Mary Jane, "and this must be the
gate. I wonder if it opens?" She shook the gate as hard as she could
but it didn't open; it didn't even look as though it intended to open;
it looked shut for all day, and Mary Jane was almost discouraged about
getting into the barn yard till she happened to think of a gate at the
back of Doris's yard (her little playmate Doris who lived next door to
Mary Jane's own home) that looked surprisingly like this gate. To be
sure it was little, and this gate was big and wide, but both had boards
crosswise, just right for climbing.
"We climbed on Doris's when it wouldn't open," she thought, "so I guess
this one will climb too."
She put her foot carefully on the first bar--nothing happened; on the
second--everything seemed all right; on the third and in a minute she
was over and climbing proudly down on the other side.
"Grandfather! Grandfather!" she called as she ran gayly toward the
barn; "I did it! The gate wouldn't open so I--Oh, dear! Oh! Oh!
It's coming! _Grandfather_!" she screamed breathlessly as she saw,
coming out of the barn--not Grandfather as she had expected--but a
great, fat, grunting _pig_!
Mary Jane shrank back toward the gate and how she did wish it was open
so she could slip through and shut it tightly behind her. She was
afraid to turn her back to the pig long enough to climb over the gate
as she had come; all the while she was trying her best to think of some
way to get away, that fat, grunting pig was coming closer and closer.
Now it was half the length of the barn yard away. Now it seemed to
have spied her and was coming straight for her--nose to the ground
sniffing and grunting louder than ever.
Grandfather, working in the barn, heard and came a-running as fast as
ever he could run; and Grandmother, 'way in the house, heard and
dropped the receiver and ran out so fast that she was breathless when
she reached the little girl. Grandfather was nearest so got to her
first. Really, he saw what the matter was as soon as he got outside
the barn and he shouted to the pig and flapped his arms in such a
comical fashion that Mary Jane hardly knew whether to be afraid of him
or to laugh. But the pig had no such doubts. She seemed to know that
he meant she should go away. She gave one final snort--almost at Mary
Jane's toes--and then turned and went back to the barn as fast as she
could waddle. The faster she waddled the more Grandfather flapped,
till first thing she knew Mary Jane was laughing and had forgotten all
about being afraid.
Grandfather reached down and picked her up, and Grandmother, who came
through the gate at that minute (she seemed to know how to open it,
Mary Jane noticed), patted her and gave her a kiss and a hug.
"Did we frighten you first thing, Puss?" asked Grandfather tenderly.
"That old Mrs. Pig wouldn't hurt you for anything. She was just trying
to get acquainted."
"Yes?" replied Mary Jane doubtfully, "but you see I'm not used to
getting acquainted that way. I 'spect she wouldn't hurt me, but she
didn't _act_ like she wouldn't hurt me," she added.
Grandfather threw back his head and laughed at that. "No, she didn't;
you're right, Mary Jane! She acted pretty bad. But you shouldn't be
here alone before you get used to our family."
Grandmother explained about the 'phone calling her back. "And I left
the receiver hanging, I came so quickly," she added laughingly. "I
guess I'll go back now and hang it up."
"Then I'll show Mary Jane around myself," said Grandfather firmly.
"She's more important than work, so there!" He set her down beside
him, took her hand snugly in his own (and it feels pretty good to have
somebody hold your hand when everything is strange, you know that
yourself), and they started off.
First they went into the barn where they saw Mrs. Pig, grunting still,
but standing very meekly in her own corner; and eleven little pigs that
grunted such cunning, squeaky little grunts. Mary Jane wasn't afraid
of them for one minute. They weren't dirty as Mary Jane supposed pigs
always were, not a bit dirty; they were tidy and neat and their little
round sides shone like silk.
"Oh, I like _them_, Grandfather!" she exclaimed. "Could I play with
them someday?"
"I thought you didn't like pigs," teased Grandfather.
"Oh, but these aren't _pigs_," corrected Mary Jane; "these are
_piggies_; nice piggies like in my painting book. I like _them_."
"I don't know about playing with them," laughed Grandfather; "we'll
have to see. But I'll tell you what you may do; when we're through
looking all over the place, you may come back here with me and feed
them. Would you like that?"
Would she? Mary Jane clapped her hands and wanted to insist on feeding
them right that very minute; only, just in time, she remembered that
she wasn't to tease. So she slipped her hand back into Grandfather's
big one and they went on with their walk.
Next they saw Brindle Bess, but Mary Jane didn't like her as well as
the little pigs. She switched her tail and looked around at Mary Jane
so pointedly that Mary Jane was really relieved when Grandfather
slipped around and opened the door and let her wander out to pasture.
"She's an awful _big_ cow, isn't she, Grandfather?" said Mary Jane, as
the cow ambled off.
"Oh, I don't know about that," said Grandfather, not understanding.
"Well, she's lots bigger than me when I'm five," said Mary Jane
positively. "I think I like little things best."
"Then I've the very creature to show you," said Grandfather, "and we
might as well see him now because your grandmother will want to show
you the chickens when she comes out. We'll lock this door so Mrs. Pig
can't get out into the front barn yard again, and then we'll cross the
road and I'll show you something you'll like."
"Will it be big?" asked Mary Jane as she skipped along beside him.
"Middling big and middling little," answered Grandfather.
"Will it be brown or gray?" asked Mary Jane, thinking of the cow and
the pigs.
"Neither," said Grandfather.
That puzzled Mary Jane, but she couldn't think of anything else to
guess so she kept her eyes carefully ahead as they went down the yard
and across the road, in hopes she Would see the surprise quicker that
way.
Across the road from Grandfather's house was a strip of wooded land
which Grandfather had let grow wild. Grandmother loved the trees and
the wild flowers and liked to feel that they were near to her.
"Oh!" exclaimed Mary Jane as they crossed the road, "see those trees!
Are those the surprise?"
"My, no!" replied Grandfather; "those are only a couple of wild crab
trees--they do look pretty full of bloom as they are, don't they? But
the surprise is a real, live, running around surprise. Here, let me
boost you over the fence; that's more fun than a dozen gates." He set
Mary Jane over the fence and then came in the gate and locked it
carefully behind him.
"Are you 'fraid it'll get away, is that why you lock the gate?" asked
Mary Jane.
"Well, it's pretty little to run away," said Grandfather, "but you
never can tell, so I lock it to be sure." He took hold of Mary Jane's
hand again as he added, "now just behind these trees; and around these
bushes; and--"
"I see it myself," exclaimed Mary Jane, "and I know what it is--it's a
little sheep!" She dropped his hand and ran a few steps toward the
lamb she saw grazing a few steps away. But just as she drew near, the
lamb spied her and started to meet her. Mary Jane ran quickly back
toward her grandfather; it was one thing to go to meet the lamb herself
and quite another to have the lamb come and meet her! "Will he grunt?"
she asked.
"Not a single grunt!" laughed Grandfather. "He's the friendliest
little creature you ever saw. See?" Grandfather took Mary Jane's hand
and laid it on the soft wool of the lamb's back. "He likes you already
and he'll like you even better when you bring him something good to
eat. Before very long you will learn to climb this fence all by
yourself; then you can come over here and play with him any time you
want to."
"And pick flowers for my grandmother, too?" asked Mary Jane as she
looked at the lovely bluebells that grew around where they were
standing.
"You're a girl after your grandmother's own heart!" exclaimed
Grandfather delightedly; "you can pick all the flowers you like. But
let's not stop now. Don't you want to see more of the farm?"
Mary Jane did, so they left the lamb with a promise to come again later
and went back across the road to the house. There they met Grandmother
who declared that she was through with the telephone long ago and
wanted to show Mary Jane the chickens herself.
"Very well," said Grandfather; "but don't you show her the garden."
"I won't," replied Grandmother, and they both looked so mysterious that
Mary Jane was sure some surprise was in that garden.
"Are you going to show it to me?" she asked her grandfather.
"Some day," he replied, "but there's too much else to see this morning.
The garden can wait."
So Mary Jane and her grandmother went to the chicken yard and
Grandfather started for the barn to finish his work.
If you've ever seen about a hundred cunning, little, yellow and white
and gray chickens, so soft and fluffy they look as though they were
Easter trimmings; and dozens of motherly looking hens ambling around
and a few big, important-looking roosters crowing in the sunshine, you
know just what Mary Jane saw when they reached the chicken yard. For
her part, Mary Jane had never seen such a sight before, and she was so
surprised and pleased she could hardly believe her eyes.
"Are they all _yours_, Grandmother?" she asked in amazement.
"I should say they are," laughed Grandmother. "You stand right
here--no, that rooster won't come any closer," she added as one big
fellow crowed loudly near by. "You stay here till I get some feed and
you shall see a funny sight."
She slipped into the chicken house and returned in a minute with a
small basket of grain. "Here, Mary Jane," she said, "you hold this
so--and throw the grain out on the ground so--" and she did just as she
wanted Mary Jane to do, "and watch them come!"
Mary Jane reached her hand into the basket of grain, took out a handful
and threw it far as she could; and then how she did laugh as she saw
the chickens scramble for it!
"Can I do it again?" she asked delightedly.
"All you like till the grain is gone," replied Grandmother.
"There now," said Grandmother, after awhile, "we've stayed so long here
it's 'most dinner time. Are you hungry, Mary Jane?"
Mary Jane started to say no, because she was _sure_ the morning hadn't
more than begun, but to her surprise she found she _was hungry_, oh,
awfully hungry.
"I thought so," laughed Grandmother, who guessed what the little girl
was thinking, "and it's most eleven, so we'd better see what we're
going to have to eat. How about chicken and biscuits and apple
dumplings and cream?"
"They're my favorites," said Mary Jane, with a little skip of pleasure.
"Every one's my favorite, all of 'em!"
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