Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm | Page 8

fairy godmother who asks you your
wish and then gives it to you! Did you ever read Cinderella, or The
Yellow Dwarf, or The Enchanted Frog, or The Fair One with Golden
Locks?"
"No," said Mr. Cobb cautiously, after a moment's reflection. "I don't
seem to think I ever did read jest those partic'lar ones. Where'd you get
a chance at so much readin'?"
"Oh, I've read lots of books," answered Rebecca casually. "Father's and
Miss Ross's and all the dif'rent school teachers', and all in the Sunday-

school library. I've read The Lamplighter, and Scottish Chiefs, and
Ivanhoe, and The Heir of Redclyffe, and Cora, the Doctor's Wife, and
David Copperfield, and The Gold of Chickaree, and Plutarch's Lives,
and Thaddeus of Warsaw, and Pilgrim's Progress, and lots more.--What
have you read?"
"I've never happened to read those partic'lar books; but land! I've read a
sight in my time! Nowadays I'm so drove I get along with the Almanac,
the Weekly Argus, and the Maine State Agriculturist.--There's the river
again; this is the last long hill, and when we get to the top of it we'll see
the chimbleys of Riverboro in the distance. 'T ain't fur. I live 'bout half
a mile beyond the brick house myself."
Rebecca's hand stirred nervously in her lap and she moved in her seat.
"I didn't think I was going to be afraid," she said almost under her
breath; "but I guess I am, just a little mite--when you say it's coming so
near."
"Would you go back?" asked Mr. Cobb curiously.
She flashed him an intrepid look and then said proudly, "I'd never go
back--I might be frightened, but I'd be ashamed to run. Going to aunt
Mirandy's is like going down cellar in the dark. There might be ogres
and giants under the stairs, --but, as I tell Hannah, there MIGHT be
elves and fairies and enchanted frogs!--Is there a main street to the
village, like that in Wareham?"
"I s'pose you might call it a main street, an' your aunt Sawyer lives on it,
but there ain't no stores nor mills, an' it's an awful one-horse village!
You have to go 'cross the river an' get on to our side if you want to see
anything goin' on."
"I'm almost sorry," she sighed, "because it would be so grand to drive
down a real main street, sitting high up like this behind two splendid
horses, with my pink sunshade up, and everybody in town wondering
who the bunch of lilacs and the hair trunk belongs to. It would be just
like the beautiful lady in the parade. Last summer the circus came to
Temperance, and they had a procession in the morning. Mother let us
all walk in and wheel Mira in the baby carriage, because we couldn't
afford to go to the circus in the afternoon. And there were lovely horses
and animals in cages, and clowns on horseback; and at the very end
came a little red and gold chariot drawn by two ponies, and in it, sitting
on a velvet cushion, was the snake charmer, all dressed in satin and

spangles. She was so beautiful beyond compare, Mr. Cobb, that you
had to swallow lumps in your throat when you looked at her, and little
cold feelings crept up and down your back. Don't you know how I
mean? Didn't you ever see anybody that made you feel like that?"
Mr. Cobb was more distinctly uncomfortable at this moment than he
had been at any one time during the eventful morning, but he evaded
the point dexterously by saying, "There ain't no harm, as I can see, in
our makin' the grand entry in the biggest style we can. I'll take the whip
out, set up straight, an' drive fast; you hold your bo'quet in your lap, an'
open your little red parasol, an' we'll jest make the natives stare!"
The child's face was radiant for a moment, but the glow faded just as
quickly as she said, "I forgot-- mother put me inside, and maybe she'd
want me to be there when I got to aunt Mirandy's. Maybe I'd be more
genteel inside, and then I wouldn't have to be jumped down and my
clothes fly up, but could open the door and step down like a lady
passenger. Would you please stop a minute, Mr. Cobb, and let me
change?"
The stage driver good-naturedly pulled up his horses, lifted the excited
little creature down, opened the door, and helped her in, putting the
lilacs and the pink sunshade beside her.
"We've had a great trip," he said, "and we've got real well acquainted,
haven't we?--You won't forget about Milltown?"
"Never!" she exclaimed fervently; "and you're sure you won't, either?"
"Never! Cross my heart!" vowed Mr. Cobb