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yond　mere　excitement　into　exultation。
I　exulted　in　life；　in　love。　My　conceit
and　sulkiness　died　in　that　storm；　as　did
many　another　thing。　I　was　alive。　I
was　loved。　I　said　it　over　and　over　to
myself　silently；　in　〃my　heart's　deep
core；〃　while　mother　washed　me　with
trembling　hands　in　my　own　dear　room；
bound　up　my　hurts；　braided　my　hair；
and　put　me；　in　a　fresh　night…dress；　into
my　bed。　I　do　not　recall　that　we　talked
to　each　other；　but　in　every　caress　of
her　hands　as　she　worked　I　felt　the　un…
spoken　assurances　of　a　love　such　as　I
had　not　dreamed　of。

Father　had　gone　running　back　to　the
school　to　see　if　he　could　be　of　any　as…
sistance　to　his　neighbours；　and　had
taken　Toot　with　him；　but　they　were
back　presently　to　say　that　beyond　a　few
sharp　injuries　and　broken　bones；　no
harm　had　been　done　to　the　children。　It
was　considered　miraculous　that　no　one
had　been　killed　or　seriously　injured；
and　I　noticed　that　father's　voice　trem…
bled　as　he　told　of　it；　and　that　mother
could　not　answer；　and　that　Toot　sobbed
like　a　big　silly　boy。

Then　as　we　talked　together；　behold；
a　second　storm　was　upon　us　　a　sharp
black　blast　of　wind　and　rain；　not　ter…
rifying；　like　the　other；　but　with　an
〃I've…come…to…spend…the…day〃　sort　of
aspect。

But　no　one　seemed　to　mind　very
much。　I　was　carried　down　to　the　sit…
ting…room。　Toot　busied　himself　com…
ing　and　going　on　this　errand　and　on
that；　fastening　the　doors；　closing　the
windows；　running　out　to　see　to　the　ani…
mals；　and　coming　back　again。　Father
and　mother　set　the　table。　They　kept
close　together；　and　now　and　then　they
looked　over　at　me；　without　saying　any…
thing；　but　with　shining　eyes。

The　storm　died　down　to　a　quiet　rain。
From　the　roof　of　the　porch　the　drops
fell　in　silver　strings；　like　beads。　Then
the　sun　came　out　and　turned　them　into
shining　crystal。　The　birds　began　to
sing　again；　and　when　we　threw　open　the
windows　delicious　odours　of　fresh　earth
and　flowering　shrub　greeted　us。　Mother
began　to　sing　as　she　worked。　And　I
sank　softly　to　sleep；　thrilled　with　the
marvels　of　the　world　　not　of　the　tem…
pest；　but　of　the　peace。

The　sweet　familiarity　of　the　faces
and　the　walls　and　the　furniture　and　the
garden　was　like　a　blessing。　There　was
not　a　chair　there　that　I　would　have　ex…
changed　for　any　other　chair　　not　a　tree
that　I　would　have　parted　with　　not　a
custom　of　that　simple；　busy　place　that
I　would　have　changed。　I　knew　now　all
my　stupidity　　and　my　good　fortune。



III

FRIENDSHIP

WHEN　I　look　back　upon　the　village
where　I　lived　as　a　child；　I　can…
not　remember　that　there　were　any　divi…
sions　in　our　society。　This　group　went
to　the　Congregational　church；　and　that
to　the　Presbyterian；　but　each　family
felt　itself　to　be　as　good　as　any　other；
and　even　if；　ordinarily；　some　of　them
withdrew　themselves　in　mild　exclusive…
ness；　on　all　occasions　of　public　celebra…
tion；　or　when　in　trouble；　we　stood　to…
gether　in　the　pleasantest　and　most　un…
affected　democracy。

There　were　only　the　〃Bad　Madi…
gans〃　outside　the　pale。

The　facts　about　the　Bad　Madigans
were；　no　doubt；　serious　enough；　but　the
fiction　was　even　more　appalling。　As　to
facts；　the　father　drank；　the　mother　fol…
lowed　suit；　the　appearance　of　the　house
　a　ramshackle　old　place　beyond　the
fair…grounds　　was　a　scandal；　the　chil…
dren　could　not　be　got　to　go　to　school
for　any　length　of　time；　and；　when　they
were　there；　each　class　in　which　they
were　put　felt　itself　to　be　in　disgrace；
and　the　dislike　focused　upon　the　in…
truders；　sent　them；　sullen　and　hateful；
back　to　their　lair。　And；　indeed；　the
Madigan　house　seemed　little　more　than
a　lair。　It　had　been　rather　a　fine　house
once；　and　had　been　built　for　the　oc…
cupancy　of　the　man　who　owned　the　fair…
grounds；　but　he　choosing　finally　to　live
in　the　village；　had　permitted　the　house
to　fall　into　decay；　until　only　a　family
with　no　sense　of　order　or　self…respect
would　think　of　occupying　it。

When　there　occurred　one　of　the　rare
burglaries　in　the　village；　when　anything
was　missing　from　a　clothes…line；　or　a
calf　or　pig　disappeared；　it　was　gen…
erally　laid　to　the　Madigans。　Unac…
counted…for　fires　were　supposed　to　be
their　doing；　they　were　accorded　respon…
sibility　for　vicious　practical　jokes；　and
it　was　generally　felt　that　before　we
were　through　with　them　they　would
commit　some　blood…curdling　crime。

When；　as　sometimes　happened；　I　had
met　one　of　the　Bad　Madigans　on　the
road；　or　down　on　the　village　street；　my
heart　had　beaten　as　if　I　was　face　to
face　with　a　company　of　banditti；　but
I　cannot　say　that　this　excitement　was
caused　by　aversion　alone。　The　truth
was；　the　Bad　Madigans　fascinated　me。
They　stood　out　from　all　the　others；
proudly　and　disdainfully　like　Robin
Hood　and　his　band；　and　I　could　not　get
over　the　idea　that　they　said：　〃Fetch
me　yonder　bow！〃　to　each　other；　or；
〃Go　slaughter　me　a　ten…tined　buck！〃　I
felt　that　they　were　fortunate　in　not　be…
ing　held　down　to　hours　like　the　rest　of
us。　Out　of　bed　at　six…thirty；　at　table
by　seven；　tidying　bedroom　at　seven…
thirty；　dusting　sitting…room　at　eight；　on
way　to　school　at　eight…thirty；　was　not
for　〃the　likes　of　them！〃　Only　we；
slaves　of　respectability　and　of　an　inor…
dinate　appetite　for　order；　suffered　such
monotony　and　drabness　to　rule。　I　knew
the　Madigan　boys　could　go　fishing
whenever　they　pleased；　that　the　Madi…
gan　girls　picked　the　blackberries　before
any　one　else　could　get　out　to　them；　that
every　member　of　the　family　could　pack
up　and　go　picnicking　for　days　at　a
time；　and　that　any　stray　horse　was
likely　to　be　ridden　bareback；　within　an
inch　of　its　life；　by　the　younger　mem…
bers　of　the　family。

Only　once　however；　did　I　have　a
chance　to　meet　one　of　these　modern
Visigoths　face　to　face；　and　the　feelings
aroused　by　that　incident　remained　the
darling　secret　of　my　youth。　I　dared　tell
no　one；　and　I　longed；　yet　feared；　to　have
the　experience　repeated。　But　it　never
was！　It　happened　in　this　way：

On　a　certain　Sunday　afternoon　in
May；　my　father　and　mother　and　I　went
to　Emmons'　Woods。　　To　reach　Em…
mons'　Woods；　you　went　out　the　back
door；　past　the　pump　and　the　currant
bushes；　then　down　the　path　to　the
chicken…houses；　and　so　on；　by　way　of
the　woodpile；　to　the　south　gate。　After
that；　you　went　west　toward　the　clover
meadows；　past　the　house　where　the
Crazy　Lady　lived　　here；　if　you　were
alone；　you　ran　　and　then；　reaching　the
verge　of　the　woods；　you　took　your
choice　of　climbing　a　seven…rail　fence　or
of　walking　a　quarter　of　a　mile　till　you
came　to　the　bars。　The　latter　was　much
better　for　the　lace　on　a　Sunday　petti…
coat。

Once　in　Emmons'　Woods；　there　was
enchantment。　An　eagle　might　come　
or　a　blue　heron。　There　had　been　bears
in　Emmons'　Woods　　bears　with　roll…
ing　eyes　and　red　mouths　from　which
their　tongues　lolled。　There　was　one
place　for　pinky　trillium；　and　another
for　gentians；　one　for　tawny　adders'
tongues；　and　another　for　yellow　Dutch…
man's　breeches。　In　the　sap…starting
season；　the　maples　dripped　their　lus…
cious　sap　into　little　wooden　cups；　later；
partridges　nested　in　the　sun…burned
grass。　There　was　no　lake　or　river；　but
there　was　a　pond；　swarming　with　a
vivacious　population；　and　on　the　hard…
baked　clay　of　the　pond　beach　the　green
beetles　aired　their　splendid　changeable
silks　and　sandpipers　hopped　ridicu…
lously。

It　was；　curiously　enough；　easier　to
run　than　to　walk　in　Emmons'　Woods；
and　even　more　natural　to　dance　than　to
run。　　　One　became　acquainted　with
squirrels；　established　intimacies　with
chipmunks；　and　was　on　some　sort　of
civil　relation　with　blackbirds。　And；
oh；　the　tossing　green　of　the　young　wil…
lows；　where　the　lilac　distance　melted
into　the　pale　blue　of　the　sky！　And；　oh；
the　budding　of　the　maples　and　the　fring…
ing　of　the　oaks；　and；　oh；　the　blossom…
ing　of　the　tulip　trees　and　the　garner…
ing　of　the　chestnuts！　And　then；　the
wriggling　things　in　the　grass；　the　pro…
cession　of　ants；　the　coquetries　of　the
robins；　and　the　Beyond；　deepening；
deepening　into　the　forest　where　it　was
safe　only　for　the　woodsmen　to　go。

On　this　particular　Sunday　one　of　us
was　requested　not　to　squeal　and　run
about；　and　to　remember　that　we　wore
our　best　shoes　and　need　not　mess　them
unnecessarily。　It　was　hard　to　be　re…
minded　just　when　the　dance　was　getting
into　my　feet；　but　I　tried　to　have　Sun…
day　manners；　and　went　along　in　the　still
woods；　wondering　why　the　purple　col…
ours　disappeared　as　we　came　on　and
what　had　been　distance　became　near…
ness。　There　was　a　beautiful；　aching
vagueness　over　everything；　and　it　was
not　strange　that　father；　who　had
stretched　himself　on　the　moss；　and
mother；　who　was　reading　Godey's　La…
dies'　Book；　should　presently　both　of
them　be　nodding。　So；　that　being　a　well…
established　fact　　I　established　it　by
hanging　over　them　and　staring　at　their
eyelids　　it　seemed　a　good　time　for　me
to　let　the　dance　out　of　my　toes。　Still
careful　of　my　fresh　linen　frock；　and
remembering　about　the　best　shoes；　I
went　on；　demurely；　down　the　green　al…
leys　of　the　wood。　Now　I　stepped　on
patches　of　sunshine；　now　in　pools　of
shadow。　I　thought　of　how　naughty　I
was　to　run　away　like　this；　and　of　what
a　mistake　people　made　who　said　I　was
a　good；　quiet；　child。　I　knew　that　I
looked　sad　and　prim；　b