Family -- Juvenile fiction; Young women -- Juvenile fiction
When Dr. Gray called the next morning he advised a complete change for
Dorothy. She was physically well enough, he said, but the shock to her
nervous system might result in complete prostration, unless her mind
was speedily disabused of the unpleasant memory.
Major Dale knew this advice was wise, and he concluded to send Dorothy
to visit his sister, Mrs. Winthrop White, of North Birchland.
"Pleasant company," said the doctor to Major Dale as he left, "is all
the girl wants. I wouldn't wonder but that little friend of hers--the
lively one,--would help her, if it could be made convenient for her to
go along."
Convenient? That uncertainty had nothing to do with circumstances
important to his daughter's health, Major Dale decided. If Tavia's
company would be beneficial to Dorothy's health Tavia should go to
North Birchland with Dorothy.
The question of school did not signify, either, the major reasoned, for
if Tavia could not afford to lose the remaining weeks in the term he
would see that they were made up for, amply.
Arrangements were quickly made, letters dispatched back and forth, and
before the girls had time to think it over themselves, they were told
to be ready for the morning train.
"Oh, isn't it perfectly grand!" exclaimed the excited Tavia, "but do
you think, Doro, I will be able to behave myself, to eat properly and
all that?"
"Why, Tavia," answered Dorothy, "you will find real aristocratic people
are as simple as we are in manners; it is only those who try to be
'somebody,' and who do not know how, that make such a fuss over
everything. Aunt Winnie is a lovely lady--we call her Winnie from
Winthrop, because her own name is Ruth and we have another Aunt Ruth
out West."
"Lucky thing I had my 'new' dress, and all the other things Aunt Mary
sent by express last week. And father's new suit case his men presented
him with when he left the factory--wasn't that providential?" asked
Tavia.
Dorothy admitted it was fortunate, and so, as this was the very evening
before their departure, the girls arranged such matters as required
consultation and then hurried off to attend to so many little things
necessary for travelers.
Aunt Libby could not hide a tear when Dorothy put her arms about the
wrinkled neck, but when Major Dale helped his daughter to step upon the
train platform he was smiling; glad to have her go it seemed. Joe told
Johnnie afterwards that was the way soldiers always act when they face
trouble.
Mrs. Travers was really glad to have Tavia go, and she did not deny it.
It was such a chance for her, she told Aunt Libby, as they went home
from the depot, and Tavia, she declared, was a girl who always made the
most of her chances.
As the train flew along, or Dalton flew away, as it seemed from the car
windows, both girls indulged in a very creditable sentiment--a streak
of homesickness.
"It will be fun, of course," remarked Tavia, "but it's creepy to leave
them all."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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