The Wooing of Calvin Parks

Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards

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• Publié par: pheam
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 12
• Langue: English

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Title: The Wooing of Calvin Parks

Author: Laura E. Richards

Release Date: February 18, 2010 [EBook #31320]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1

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THE WOOING OF

CAL

VIN PARKS

THE WOOING OF CALVIN PARKS

By LAURA E. RICHARDS

Author of "Captain January," "Melody," "Mrs. Tree," "Geoffrey Strong," etc.

ILLUSTRATED BOSTON * DANA ESTES & COMPANY * PUBLISHERS Copyright, 1908 By Dana Estes & Company All rights reserved

THE WOOING OF CALVIN PARKS

COLONIAL PRESS Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co. Boston, U.S.A. TO

H. H. R.

WITH MUCH LOVE

Transcriber's notes: Obvious printer errors have been silently corrected and hyphenated words have been standardized.

CONTENTS

I.INTRODUCING THE PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS11 II.BROTHERLY WAYS21 III.CALVIN'S STORY38 IV.THE CANDY ROUTE48 V.CONCERNING PEPPERMINTS63 VI.BOARD AND LODGING76 VII.MATCH-MAKING88 VIII."PLAYING S'POSE"101 IX.CANDY-MAKING120 X.JOHN ALDEN--WITH A DIFFERENCE134

XI.CONCERNING TRADE XII.CALVIN'S WATERLOO XIII.MERRY CHRISTMAS XIV.AT LAST! XV.BY WAY OF CONTRAST XVI.TOIL AND TROUBLE XVII.NIGHT XVIII.MORNING

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

CALVIN PARKS. "HE LOOKED FROM ONE TWIN TO THE OTHER, HALF AMUSED, HALF INDIGNANT." "CALVIN REGARDED THEM BENEVOLENTLY." MR. CHEESEMAN. "'HOLD ON, MISS HANDS!' SAID CALVIN, AS SHE MOVED TOWARD THE DOOR." "'THEN I HOVE HIM BACK INTO THE DRIFT TO COOL OFF A SPELL.'" MARY SANDS. "THEN WITH ONE SWIFT MOTION, CALVIN TRANSFERRED THE PIE FROM HIS PLATE TO THE STOVE."

148 160 187 204 219 238 252 259

Frontispiece 40 49 120 137

188 204

233

THE WOOING OF CALVIN PARKS

CHAPTER I

[Pg 11] INTRODUCING THE PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS

"If I'm not mistaken," said Calvin Parks, "this is the ro'd where Sam and Sim used to live!" He checked his horse and looked about him. "And there—well, I'm blowed if that ain't the house now. Same old pumpkin-color; same old well-sweep; same old trees; it certinly is the house. Well!" He looked earnestly at the house, which seemed to give him a friendly look in return; a large, comfortable yellow house, with windows of cheerful inquiry, and a door that came as near smiling as a door can. Two huge elms mounted guard [Pg 12] over it, and touched tips with a group of splendid willows that clustered round the ample barnyard; the front yard was green and smooth, with a neat flagstone path; a vast and friendly-looking dog lay on the broad door-step; everything about the place looked comfortable and sociable. "If that ain't a pictur'," said Calvin Parks, "I never see one, that's all." He drove into the yard, and clambered rather slowly out of his wagon. He was a tall, light-limbed, active-looking man, but the wheels seemed to be in his way. "I never shall get used to this rig," he muttered; "I'd ought to have a rope and tayckle to hi'st me out. " He cast a disapproving look at the wagon, and hurried toward the house. The vast dog rose, shook himself, yawned, and sniffed approvingly at his trousers. [Pg 13] "That's right, son!" said Calvin. "A friend is a friend, in pants or tails! Now let's see where the boys be. I must wipe my feet good, though, or I shall have the old lady after me!" He opened the front door; and after casting a look of friendly recognition round the hall, tapped on the door at his left. "Come in!" said a voice. "Sam!" said Calvin Parks; and he stepped into the room. "How are you, Sam?" he began. "How are you—why, where's Sim?" he added in an altered tone. "Where's your Ma?" A little man in snuff-brown clothes, with a red flannel waistcoat, came forward. "Calvin Parks," he said, "don't tell me this is you!" "I won't!" said Calvin. "I'll tell you it's old John Tyseed if that'll do you any good. What I want to know is, where's the rest of you? Don't tell me there's anything happened to your Ma and Sim, Sam Sill!" [Pg 14] The little man cast a curious look toward a door that stood ajar not far from where he sat. He was silent a moment, and then said in a half whisper, "Ma is gone, Calvin!" "Gone!" repeated the visitor. "What do you mean by gone?" "Dead!" said the little man. "Departed. No more." "Sho!" said Calvin Parks. "Is that so? Well, I'm sorry to hear it, Sam! And I'm —well, astounded is the word. Your Ma gone! Well, now! she was one, somehow or other of it, never seemed as if shecouldgo." I expect," said Mr. Samuel Sill in the same subdued tone, "she is with the " blessed;" he reflected a moment, and added, "and with father!" "To be sure! naturally!" said Calvin Parks reassuringly. "How long since you laid her away, Sam?" [Pg 15] "We laid her awa said Sam, "a ," a ear Calvin. She'd been o, oorl for a lon

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