Girls -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Sisters -- Juvenile fiction
Angela's dream in time was realised too. Her dream poultry farm became a
real one, and the most successful in the country. Very slowly at first
she added penny to penny, then shilling to shilling, then pound to pound,
until at last, instead of building more hens' houses, she bought a cow.
It was an experiment, and one those about doubted the success of; but
Angela never doubted, and presently another cow was added to her stock,
and soon after that they all moved to a small farm, where Poppy had to
become the little housewife, for Angela's time was quite taken up with her
dairy.
Poppy's market-gardening scheme never got beyond the bed of parsley.
With that one success she decided to be satisfied. "It was a most
wonderful pennyworth," she often remarked, "for it brought me quite a lot
of money, and Mademoiselle as a friend, and nothing could have been better
than that."
"Nothing," said Esther softly. "Life is very wonderful, Poppy dear, isn't
it?"
"Very," answered Poppy sagely, with a serious shake of her curly head.
One last scene before we bid them all good-bye!
It is Easter time once more. In the orchards and woods the daffodils are
bowing their golden heads, as though awed by the beauty of the
pear-blossom spreading between them and the glorious blue sky.
The hedges are starred with primroses, daisies, and king-cups, the air is
sweet with the scent of flowers and the fresh earth. Everything seems
brimming over with sunshine and happiness and joy of living. Easter is in
the heart of all things animate and inanimate.
Up in 'the Castle' the four girls are gathered as of old, but with one big
gap in their circle. Guard, dear old Guard, will never accompany them
more in their wanderings. He sleeps his last long sleep in the breast of
the moor he loved so well. Yet he is with them in spirit and thought,
for he lies buried close beside 'the Castle,' and they feel he is near
them whenever they go there.
Easter is in their hearts, too, for Penelope is home for her holidays and
Angela has just returned from a much-dreaded duty visit to Aunt Julia,
and their joy at being together again is intense.
Penelope lies in her old attitude, flat on the moor, one cheek pressed
close to its breast, her eyes gazing in a perfect rapture of delight over
the length and breadth of it.
"I _almost_ think," she says softly, "it is worth going away to have the
joy of coming home again; to step out of that dear little station, and
then to turn the corner and see--this," waving her hand in a wide sweep.
"Oh, girls, shall you ever forget the first time we came, and how we
dreaded it, and how shy we were, and frightened--"
"Until we saw Cousin Charlotte," chimed in Esther. "I never felt
frightened after that."
"And do you remember," burst in Angela, "our dear little rooms, and how
lovely it all looked when we came that night, and dear old Guard,"--her
voice wavered and dropped--"came out to meet us, and Anna?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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