IN the summer weather all Moorlow, and indeed all the dwellers1 along the whole length of the shore, would gather in little groups on the beach to see the moon rise; but to-night the moon and the waves have the beach to themselves, for the ice is several inches thick on the fresh water ponds, and the wind is keen and biting.
Straight out of the ocean, with no summer fog to veil her coming, rises the great golden moon, and soon she is high enough to send a broad path of light shimmering2 across the water. And now she lights the way for Captain Murray's man Joe, trudging3 home from the village with the mail; and now she peers in through the dimity curtains of Nan's pretty room, making it bright as the day.
And what does she find there but something that never was there before; a bran new little trunk, with N.M. in black letters on the end toward the window, and no doubt she wonders if it can be possible that Nan is going away; little Nan, who never remembers having slept a night of her life out of sound of the sea. Travel on, old Moon, over the roof, until you can shine in at Sister Julia's window, and there you will discover two other trunks, which are ready for a start on the morrow, for you should know what every one else already knows—that Rex is going home, and Harry4 and Nan go with him to make a visit. Did you not discover as you sailed over the ocean the good ship Alaska drawing nearer and nearer, with Regie's papa and mamma on board? And do you not think, with your clear light to aid her, she will surely reach port by day after to-morrow?
But while we are so foolish as to stand out here in the cold, talking at the moon, Joe has reached the house and gone in with the mail, and among the other letters is a neat little package for Regie.
“Oh, here are the photographs!” he exclaimed; and right away there is such a solid little group, bending closely about him, that if it were not for the difference in the colour of hair you could hardly have told where one head commenced and the other ended. The children had been looking anxiously for these photographs for a week.
When Regie found from the proofs that the pictures that he had taken were satisfactory, he sent the plates up to New York, by express, to a photographer, who was accustomed to print his pictures for him, but he had heard nothing from them, and began to think they had gone astray.
It would have done your heart good to have heard Captain Murray's laugh as he looked at them. The one where the steamer was supposed to be coming to the relief of the shipwrecked mariners5 was, if possible, the funnier of the two. Nan was the only one who had fully6 entered into the spirit of the thing, and really looked as though something joyful7 was about to appear.. The others had smiled, as they were bid, but a heartless conventional smile is at the best a sorry affair, and doubly so on such pinched little faces as the Croxsons'.
But the pictures, as pictures, were good, and Rex had no need to be ashamed of his work. He imagined he could see Papa Fairfax now, and how much amused he would be by them.
As this was to be the last of the many happy evenings they had spent together in the little cottage, it occurred to Sister Julia that it ought to be celebrated9 in some special way, so she crossed the room and whispered to Mrs. Murray. As the result of the whispering Mrs. Murray asked the children “what they would say to a candy-pull.” Much scurrying10 about on the part of the children, and the delicious odour of boiling New Orleans molasses, which presently pervaded11 the house, showed they had said “yes” to the suggestion, and in the heartiest12 fashion possible.
At eleven o'clock, after enjoying to the full all the fun and satisfaction attending a thoroughly13 successful candy-pull, his little Royal Highness and the body-guard retired14 to rest, or, in less kingly English, Rex, Harry, and Nan tumbled into bed; and indeed it was high time, if they were to be ready for an early start in the morning.
To Nan and Harry Mr. Fairfax's house in town was a revelation. They were fortunate enough to be blessed with a comfortable and pretty little home of their own; but here was a home that was vastly more than comfortable and pretty. Nan gave vent8 to her admiration15 in a succession of audible “ohs!” the moment they entered the house, much to the amusement of Mrs. Mallory, the old housekeeper16, who was glad enough to welcome them into the house that had been “such a lonely place without Rex and Mr. and Mrs.”
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“You like it, don't you, Nan?” said Regie, beaming proudly.
“It is perfectly17 beautiful,” Nan answered, sinking down into a great easy chair, and trying to look everywhere at once. She was not in the least overpowered by the new surroundings, only supremely18 delighted.
“And to think we are to stay a week!” she exclaimed, with a happy sigh.
Harry, of a more enquiring19 turn of mind, was walking about the parlour, gazing up at the pictures, and making so bold as to touch certain little ornaments20 and articles of bric-a-brac to see how they felt.
When Mrs. Mallory had helped the children to lay off their wraps, she showed Harry and Nan all through the house, taking as much pleasure in their exclamations21 of wonder and delight as though she herself owned everything in it.
Two members of the party from Moorlow did not seem in the least overjoyed at their arrival at the house in town. Secured by one leash22, Hereward and Ned followed Regie obediently enough, for they were too well trained to offer any resistance; but if you could have had a word with either of the poor fellows they would have told you that life at Moorlow was glorious freedom, and life in New York a sadly limited affair, with whole days together when they did not have so much as a run in the park. So it was not strange that they suffered themselves to be led down the kitchen stairs, and out to their kennels23 in the little city yard, without one sign of jubilance over their return. If Mr. Fairfax had been on hand to welcome them, no doubt there would have been no end of boisterous24 demonstration25, for the joy of seeing their master would have eclipsed the thought of how changed their life was to be. Early the next morning a telegram from their friend at the Highland26 Light came, addressed to Regie, and announced that the Alaska had been sighted from Sandy Hook, and would reach her pier27 about half-past eight. Then there was such a hurry and flurry, for the telegram had not been delivered very promptly28, and there was no time to spare. Mrs. Mallory went flying bare-headed round the corner to order a carriage from the livery stable, while Sister Julia and the children ate a hasty breakfast.
“Drive as fast as possible, please,” said Sister Julia, bundling the children into the carriage, and she reached up and dropped something into the driver's hand; the only thing, in fact, that ever seems to impart any real life to a livery team of horses.
They reached the pier just in time, for the Alaska was so near you could almost recognise anyone on board. Realising that they must not lose a moment, Sister Julia, with the children following close after her, pushed her way as politely as she could through the crowd. Indeed, people rather made way for them, for there was that in their eager, childish faces which seemed to make everyone feel that they must not be disappointed in the matter they had in hand.
As soon as they succeeded in reaching the edge of the wharf29, Regie discovered Papa and Mamma Fairfax, close to the rail, in the very bow of the steamer, and his enthusiasm found vent in a lusty hurrah30 at the top of his lungs, to the general amusement of everyone.
Somehow or other they all managed going home to crowd into the same carriage, notwithstanding the wraps and portmanteaus, and then such a laughing, chattering31 party as they were! People on the side walk, and people in the street cars, could not keep from smiling as they glanced in at the noisy, merry load.
There is no gladness surpassing that of a happy home-coming, after a long and distant journey, and it is sad that we so soon settle back into the old routine of life and forget how supremely happy we were.
Fortunately for the Fairfax household, just this sort of gladness lasted for a whole week. Papa Fairfax went but once to the office, and Mamma Fairfax unpacked32 little beside the Christmas presents. In whole-souled fashion they simply gave themselves up to the amusement of the children.
Christmas came midway in the week, and such a Christmas! Nan may live to be ninety, but she'll never forget it, and Harry may grow to be a man with all sorts of cares and responsibilities, but he'll never forget it. Indeed, these two little people had so many treasures thrust upon them, that Mr. Fairfax thought best to make them a present of an extra trunk, in which to carry home their booty.
“All hands” were constantly on the go—morning, noon, and night I was going to say, for each day Mr. Fairfax planned some fine sight-seeing scheme, and every afternoon they “topped off” with an invigorating sleigh ride.
It was an ideal Christmas week, with a heavy fall of snow preceding it' and clear, cold weather that kept the sleighing in perfect condition until its close, and for many days after.
There was not a prettier turn out in the park than Mr. Fairfax's Russian sleigh with its red plumes33 and black horses, and many a one turned and gazed at the merry load as it passed.
“That's the foinest paarty what sleigh-roides in this park,” said a burly Irishman to one of his brother policemen, as they jingled34 merrily by on the day after Christmas; and, for one, I think he was quite right in the matter.
Mrs. Fairfax and Harry and Regie were on the back seat enveloped35 in a great white bearskin robe. It was Nan's turn to ride in front with Mr. Fairfax, and there she sat, a charming embodiment of serene36 satisfaction.
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I think even Mrs. Murray would hardly have recognised her own little Nan in an otter37-trimmed dark-red coat, with an otter cap and muff to match. Mrs. Fairfax had bought the pretty outfit38 for her in Paris, and it was wonderfully becoming. Indeed, I believe there was a touch of pride in her bright little smile this morning, but I guess we can forgive it, if the head of this little Moorlow maiden39 was a trifle turned by the joyous40 experience of a happy week in New York at the gayest time of the year. Remember, too, that she had been the owner of this beautiful coat scarcely twenty-four hours, and I think you will admit her to be made of different stuff from other little maidens41 did she not feel considerably42 elated by it. But Nan is not vain by nature, and never you fear but that she will go back to Moorlow the same dear child that she left it.
At the upper end of the park Mr. Fairfax met two old bachelor friends driving in a low cutter, whereupon the whole sleigh-full favoured them with the most smiling and cordial of bows. Harry and Regie were too fond of the accomplishment43 of gallantly44 touching45 their hats to lose a single opportunity, and Nan “was not going to sit stiff and straight as though she did not know anybody.”
“Fairfax seems to get more out of life than any fellow I know,” remarked one of the old bachelors; “and he's a good sight better-looking than he used to be. I wonder how it is?”
“Well, I'll tell you how it is,” answered the other; “he's a deal happier than he used to be. They say his wife's a real treasure. I suppose that sort of thing goes a long way toward making a fellow get a good deal out of life. Then Fairfax has told me himself how much they enjoy that boy of theirs, and they ought to. It was a mighty46 kind thing to do. You know they did not have any children of their own, so they adopted that youngster of Will Reginald's.”
“Yes, I know,” replied Bachelor No. 1.; “but who are the other two children?”
“Why, I heard at the club last night that they are a pair of French orphans47 that they picked up in Paris. They have just returned from abroad, you know. I wonder where they'll stop; they seem to have a passion for adopting.”
Surely the merry party in the Russian sleigh would have laughed harder than ever could they have heard all this.
A pair of French orphans indeed! Nan and Harry Murray; whose every look and accent betrayed them such thoroughgoing little Americans, and for whose home-coming a father and mother were waiting so impatiently. But that's about as straight as the world often gets things.
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1
dwellers
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| n.居民，居住者( dweller的名词复数 ) | |
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shimmering
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| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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3
trudging
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| vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的现在分词形式） | |
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harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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mariners
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| 海员，水手（mariner的复数形式） | |
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6
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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joyful
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| adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的 | |
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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9
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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scurrying
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| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的现在分词 ) | |
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pervaded
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| v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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12
heartiest
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| 亲切的( hearty的最高级 )； 热诚的； 健壮的； 精神饱满的 | |
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13
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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14
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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15
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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housekeeper
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| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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supremely
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| adv.无上地，崇高地 | |
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enquiring
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| a.爱打听的，显得好奇的 | |
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20
ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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21
exclamations
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| n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词 | |
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22
leash
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| n.牵狗的皮带，束缚；v.用皮带系住 | |
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kennels
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| n.主人外出时的小动物寄养处，养狗场；狗窝( kennel的名词复数 )；养狗场 | |
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boisterous
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| adj.喧闹的，欢闹的 | |
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demonstration
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| n.表明，示范，论证，示威 | |
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26
highland
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| n.(pl.)高地，山地 | |
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pier
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| n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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wharf
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| n.码头，停泊处 | |
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30
hurrah
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| int.好哇，万岁，乌拉 | |
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31
chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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32
unpacked
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| v.从（包裹等）中取出（所装的东西），打开行李取出( unpack的过去式和过去分词 )；拆包；解除…的负担；吐露（心事等） | |
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33
plumes
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| 羽毛( plume的名词复数 )； 羽毛饰； 羽毛状物； 升上空中的羽状物 | |
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jingled
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| 喝醉的 | |
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enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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serene
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| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
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otter
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| n.水獭 | |
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outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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accomplishment
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| n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能 | |
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44
gallantly
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| adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地 | |
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45
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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46
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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orphans
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| 孤儿( orphan的名词复数 ) | |
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