The Fairchild Family Read online

  A Visit to Mrs. Goodriche

  In the summer parlour]

  Nothing happened for some weeks after Miss Crosbie went away whichcould be put down in this history, because almost every day was likeanother, unless we were to say what lessons the children did, and whatthe doll was dressed in, and what walks were taken. The spring came on,and a very fine spring it was; and Henry found a place among the treeswhere he thought a very beautiful arbour might be made, and he gotleave to make it, and John helped, and Lucy and Emily were very busyabout it, and a most pleasant place it was. The hut in the wood was toofar off for the children to run to when they had but little time; butHenry's arbour could be reached in three minutes by the shortest way.Mr. Fairchild was so good as to pay John Trueman to make a thatchedroof and sides to it, and the man-servant John found some old boardsfor seats; but he could not find time to finish the seats as soon asHenry wished.

  During this time Mrs. Goodriche came over to visit Mrs. Fairchild, andshe then invited all the family to come and spend a whole day with herin the summer, and she promised that on that day, if all was well, shewould tell them another story about old Mrs. Howard.

  But the happiest times of people's lives are often those in which thereis least to write and talk about; so we must pass over the spring, andgo on to the month of June, the very first day of which was that fixedfor the visit to Mrs. Goodriche.

  It was a bright morning when the party set out in the carriage whichMr. Fairchild had bought. The dew was not off the ground, for they wereto breakfast at Mrs. Goodriche's; but, as Henry said, the day would betoo short anyhow, for these happy children thought many days too short.

  What a curious old house Mrs. Goodriche's was! it was the very house inwhich Mrs. Howard had lived, and it had been scarcely altered for Mrs.Goodriche. There was what the old lady had called her summer parlour,because she never sat in it in cold weather; it was low and large, andhad double glass doors, which opened upon the old-fashioned garden; andthere was a short walk which went from the door to the old arbour. Thewalls of the room were painted blue, the windows were casements, andhad seats in them, and there was a step up from the floor into thegarden.

  The visitors found Mrs. Goodriche in this summer parlour.

  After breakfast the two elder ladies took out their work. Mr. Fairchildwalked away somewhere with a book, and the children went into thearbour. Lucy and Emily had their doll's work, and Henry had his knifeand some bits of wood; it was very hot, so that they could not runabout.

  "I love this arbour," said Henry.

  _Lucy._ "So do I; don't you remember, Henry, that we were sitting hereonce, thinking of poor Emily when she had the fever, when Mrs.Goodriche came to us and told us that Emily was so much better and thefever gone, and how glad we were, and how we jumped and screamed? Oh!that was a dreadful time."

  "To me it was not dreadful," replied Emily; "I think I may say it was ahappy time, Lucy, for I had thoughts put into my mind in that illnesswhich make everything seem different to me ever since. You know what Imean, Lucy, I can't explain it."

  _Lucy._ "I know what you mean, Emily."

  _Emily._ "I never felt anything like that till I had the fever, so Icall the fever a happy time."

  "I wish you would not talk about it," said Henry; "Lucy and I weremiserable then; were not we, Lucy?"

  Mrs. Goodriche dined very early, and after dinner she and Mrs.Fairchild came into the arbour, and there she told the story which shehad promised.