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Page 37
After that Fani and I go into the garden by ourselves and play
about as much as we like. We run into every corner of it, for all
about are stone seats to rest on, and white marble statues, and the
garden is large and beautiful and stretches way down to the river;
and there stand the great lindens, and it is all the most splendid
and beautiful place in the world. Please tell Fred that I am
looking all the time after beetles and such things, but I haven't
been able to catch any; he mustn't be vexed with me, perhaps I
shall succeed better by and by.
After supper Aunt Clarissa sits down at the piano, and we sing
Nora's favorite song and several others that she has taught me.
Generally Fani sits in the other room and draws by himself; but
when he sings with us it sounds much better, and it's only when he
sings, too, that Mrs. Stanhope comes in to listen. After this, we
get our lessons ready for the next day. But time passes much too
quickly here; and Fani and I are always sorry when the day is over
and we have to go to bed. I am almost never tired now; and, oh, it
is so lovely to live here and to be with Fani. When we go in to our
meals, Aunt Clarissa always says, "Thank God that we have children
again with us at table!" And yesterday Mrs. Stanhope answered: "I
think you would like to have the house full of children." And Aunt
Clarissa replied, "I should never have too many of them." Then Mrs.
Stanhope said: "Next year we must invite our friends from
Switzerland to visit us; all four of the doctor's children; and you
can take little Rikli under your special charge." At these words
Fani shouted for joy; but I couldn't utter a sound; I could
scarcely swallow, I was so delighted. Aunt Clarissa clapped her
hands and said, "Elsli must write directly and invite them, so that
we may make sure of them"; and, afterwards, she said to me again,
"What a splendid plan that is of Mrs. Stanhope's!" In the evening
Fani and I went all round the garden to pick out all the places
that we particularly want to show you. Fred will be able to catch
his own insects. Fani is going to write you a long letter, and then
one to Oscar; but first he wants to draw a picture of the linden
trees and the little spot under them, to send you for a present. We
send our love to you all a thousand times, and beg you to give it
to our father and mother and the little boys.
Fani sends his special love to you.
Your true friend,
ELSLI.
When the letter was finished, there came a burst of shouting and
hand-clapping that seemed as if it would never stop. Such good news for
the children! What a prospect of delights! The mother and aunt
sympathized in their pleasure; but they took the greatest satisfaction
in the thought that their anxiety for Fani was forever relieved, and
that God had led the two children whose welfare lay so near their
hearts, by such unlooked-for ways, into a happy and hopeful life.
Which of the four children was most pleased with the prospect of the
visit to the villa on the Rhine, it would be impossible to say. They
could talk of nothing else, and think of nothing else. Oscar saw in
imagination whole armies of Swiss collected there, and united in one
fraternal society by his efforts, with Fani's help. He began at once to
employ every spare moment in searching for a motto for the promised
banner. Emma was in a condition of almost feverish joy. Fani was really
on the road to become a painter, and her long-cherished wish was being
accomplished. Now that Mrs. Stanhope was evidently so fond of him,
surely everything would be done for his improvement. But she could
hardly wait for the time to come for their visit, for every day she had
some new idea for his future that she longed to tell him. Fred had his
hands full of preparations. He looked forward to making such an increase
of his collections that he was afraid he should not have room to contain
them all. He induced his aunt to promise him all the useless boxes in
the house, and all winter long he stored them away in his room in
readiness for the expected occupants.
Little Rikli enjoyed the anticipation of the summer with pure delight.
She was never so happy as when with Fred, yet her pleasure in being with
him had been always mixed with fright; but she was sure that under the
protection of good Aunt Clarissa there would be no danger that frogs or
beetles should be allowed to annoy her, or that any unpleasant creatures
would crawl out upon her under the shady lindens by the river.
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