Woodside

Woodside

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Title: Woodside or, Look, Listen, and Learn.
Author: Caroline Hadley
Release Date: April 25, 2006 [EBook #18256]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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WOODSIDE ***

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WOODSIDE

[Illustration: THE VISIT TO THE WATCH-DOG. Page 13.]

Thomas Nelson and Sons,
LONDON, EDINBURGH, AND NEW YORK.
[Illustration: THE ARRIVAL AT GRANDPAPA'S. Page 10.]

WOODSIDE
OR,
Look, Listen, and Learn.
BY
Caroline Hadley,
AUTHOR OF "CHILDREN'S SAYINGS," "STORIES OF OLD,"
"STORIES OF THE APOSTLES," ETC. ETC.
London:
T. NELSON AND SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW. EDINBURGH;
AND NEW YORK. 1902
"And Nature, the old nurse, took The child upon her knee, Saying:
'Here is a story-book Thy Father has written for thee.
"'Come wander with me,' she said, 'Into regions yet untrod, And read
what is still unread Of the manuscripts of God.'
"And he wandered away and away With Nature, the dear old nurse,
Who sang to him night and day The rhymes of the universe."
H. W. LONGFELLOW.
Contents.
I. GRANDPAPA'S HOUSE, 9

II. LISTENING IN THE WOODS, 17
III. TOM'S BIRDS' EGGS, 27
IV. JACK AND THE GARDENER, 36
V. HIVING THE BEES, 47
VI. WASPS AND THEIR WAYS, 58
VII. CHARLEY FOSTER'S PETS, 66
VIII. A TALK WITH AUNT LIZZIE, 80
IX. AFTER THE RAIN, 95
X. THE SIX CLOSED DOORS, 105
List of Illustrations.
THE ARRIVAL AT GRANDPAPA'S, Frontispiece
THE VISIT TO THE WATCH-DOG, Vignette
THE VISIT TO THE PONY, 13
TOM SHOWING THE REDBREAST'S EGGS, 29
JACK AND THE THRUSH'S NEST, 36
REYNARD HARD PUSHED, 45
CHARLEY FOSTER'S COLLECTION, 68
THE TEA ON THE LAWN, 82

WOODSIDE.

I.
GRANDPAPA'S HOUSE.
"Now for the dear, dear country, Its trees and meadows fair, Its roses,
cowslips, violets, Whose sweetness fills the air.
"'Tis there we hear the music Of lark's and blackbird's song, And merry
little finches, Singing the whole day long."--C. H.
One bright spring day, not so very long ago, three little children arrived
at their grandfather's house. They had come to pay a long visit, as their
parents were travelling abroad for two or three months.
Now grandpapa lived less than twenty miles from London, yet his
house was quite in the country,--indeed you might have thought that it
was a hundred miles away from any town,--and it was called
Woodside.
You may be sure that Jack, Mary, and Annie--for those were the names
of the children--thought the change from London most delightful.
Jack was the eldest--that is why I have put his name before those of his
sisters--and he was ten years old. Mary was the next in age, and she
was nearly nine; while Annie, the youngest, was seven.
On the day they arrived they felt very quiet, all was so strange after
London; besides, they were busy unpacking their toys and
picture-books, and in finding places for all their treasures in the rooms
grandmamma had set apart for them.
They went to bed early too, and never once woke till their nurse called
them in the morning. At first they felt sorry it was time to get up, but
when Jane drew up the blinds, and they saw the bright sunshine and the
clear blue sky, they made haste to dress, so that after breakfast was over
they might go out of doors.

Each of them had visited at Woodside several times before, but they
had not been all together there at the same time. They knew very well
how many interesting things there were to see out of doors, and they
hoped that there would be something new. There was sure to be a
difference among the animals and flowers.
The old house looked the same as they drove up to it, with its twenty
oak trees in a semi-circle and the gates in the middle. There was the
same watch-dog, Lion; and on the parlour hearth-rug, lying curled up in
the sunshine, lay Smut, grandmamma's large black cat.
A very respectable old gentleman was Smut, with his sleek, glossy coat;
but he stood too much on his dignity ever to play. The children coaxed
him and patted him; yet he took no notice, he just curled himself round
and went to sleep again.
A proud old cat was Smut; he would never touch food or milk in the
kitchen. His food was put on a plate for him out of doors, and he had
his milk in