Country life -- Juvenile fiction; Girls -- Juvenile fiction; Grandparents as parents -- Juvenile fiction
"But hit looks lak Sweetheart's ghos'," declared Johnny, "an' hit's got
pink ribbin on. I declar' hit look lak Sweetheart's ghos', Sistuh
Ma'y."
At that beloved name, Mary rushed out, while the family trailed behind,
Mrs. McSwiggins bringing up the rear with the wan baby in her arms.
Tied to the post was Sweetheart, but such a cow had never been seen
before in the history of Fairfax, for Judy was nothing if not original,
and with the help of Anne and Launcelot she had decked the little cow
gorgeously.
Around her neck was a huge wreath of roses, pink ribbons were tied to
her horns, and two long pink streamers like reins went over her back
and across the path and around the barn, where the ends were hidden.
"Gee," said Johnny McSwiggins, but the rest of them were silent, gazing
at this transformed and glorified Sweetheart, while Mary laid her head
against the sleek neck and murmured love names to her dear little cow.
"They's somethin' at the end of them ribbins," said Mrs. McSwiggins,
after awhile, "you all go an' look."
And when they looked they found two huge baskets, one filled with
wonderful things all ready to eat (Perkins had packed that), and the
other filled with fruits and vegetables (Launcelot had raised them),
and on top of one basket was a box of candy (Anne sat up to make it),
and on the other a package of raisin cookies (from the little
grandmother).
The little McSwiggins squealed and gurgled with delight, and then ate
as only people can who have seen the gaunt wolf of starvation at the
door, and as they ate they asked the question unceasingly:
"Who sent it?"
"They's a letter tied to her horn," volunteered Johnny McSwiggins after
he had devoured two cookies and three sandwiches and a chicken leg. "I
seen it."
They found it under the roses, and when they opened it, there dropped
out two yellow-backed bills (from the Judge and the Captain), and a
note (and that was from Judy), and the note said:
"I waved my wand and commanded that Sweetheart be brought back to you.
Also these other gifts. If you wish to keep them, and to keep my
favor, you must never ask whence they came.
"Your guardian fairy,
"JUANNLOT."
Then all the little McSwiggins stared, and the littlest
McSwiggins--except the baby, asked, "Was it really a fairy, mother?"
and Mrs. McSwiggins wiped her eyes and sobbed, "I reckon it was,
honey," but Mary McSwiggins with her eyes shining as they had never
shone before in her sad little life said softly to her mother, "I'll
bet it was them girls and that Bart boy. I'll bet it was--"
"What girls?" asked Mrs. McSwiggins.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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