Black-Eyed Susan Part 1

BLACK-EYED SUSAN.

by Ethel Calvert Phillips.

CHAPTER I-BLACK-EYED SUSAN OF FEATHERBED LANE

A pair of black eyes, a head covered with short brown curls, two red cheeks, and a tip-tilted nose-that was Susan. A warm heart, a pair of eager little hands always ready to help, little feet that tripped willingly about on errands-that was Susan, too.

"The best little girl in Putnam County," said Grandfather, snuggling Susan up so close that his gray beard tickled her nose and made her laugh.

"My little comfort," said Grandmother, with a hand on Susan's bobbing curls that simply couldn't be made to lie flat no matter how much you brushed and brushed.

Susan herself didn't say very much to this, but oh, how she did love Grandfather, from the crown of his big slouch hat to the toes of his high leather boots that he delighted to wear both winter and summer!

As for Grandmother, who could help loving her, with her merry smile, her soft pink cheeks shaded by a row of little white curls, and her jar of cinnamon cookies on the low shelf in the pantry? Yes, her jar of cinnamon cookies on the low shelf in the pantry, for, somehow, in Susan's mind, Grandmother and the cinnamon cookies were pleasantly mingled and together made up the love and comfort and cheer that to Susan meant home.

The house Susan lived in with Grandmother and Grandfather Whiting and Snuff the dog was a broad, low, white house that stood far back from the road at the end of Featherbed Lane.

Susan thought this the funniest name she had ever heard.

As she and Grandfather, hand in hand, would carefully pick their way over the stones that covered the road from house to highway, she never tired of asking, "Grandfather, why do you call it Featherbed Lane? It's not a bit like a feather bed. It's as hard as hard can be."

"Because there are just as many stones in this lane as there are feathers in a feather bed," Grandfather would answer gravely. "Some day you must count them and see."

"But how many feathers are there in a feather bed?" Susan would ask.

"You must count them, too," was Grandfather's reply.

At the end of the lane, on the roadside, stood a little house with three windows, a front door, and a pointed roof with a chimney. This was Grandfather's law office, and here he was to be found at work every day, coming up to the house only at meal-time. Inside there was one big room, not only lined all round with books, but with books overflowing their shelves and piled upon the chairs and tumbled upon the floor.

Grandfather's big desk was drawn up close to the windows, and as Susan pa.s.sed in and out of the gate she never failed to smile and wave her hand in greeting.

If Grandfather were not busy, he would invite her in, and then Susan on the floor would build houses of the heavy law books, using Grandfather's shabby old ha.s.sock for table or bed as the case might be.

One cool May afternoon Susan climbed upon Grandfather's lap as he sat in front of the coal fire that burned in the office grate every day that gave the least excuse for it.

Grandmother had gone calling in the village, and Susan was staying with Grandfather until her return. Susan cuddled her head down on Grandfather's broad shoulder.

"Say 'William Ti Trimity' for me, please," said she coaxingly.

So Grandfather obediently repeated,

William Ti Trimity, he's a good fisherman; Catches his hens and puts them in pens.

Some lays eggs and some lays none.

Wire, briar, limber lock, Three geese in a flock.

One flew east, and one flew west, And one flew over the cuckoo's nest.

Susan gave Grandfather's cheek a pat by way of thanks.

"Sing to me now, please," was the next command.

Obligingly Grandfather tuned up and sang in his sweet old voice-

It rains and it hails and it's cold stormy weather.

In comes the farmer drinking up the cider.

You be the reaper and I'll be the binder, I've lost my true love, and right here I find her.

This was an old favorite, and it never failed to delight Susan to have Grandfather in great surprise discover her as the lost true love "right here" in his arms.

"Now, 'Chickamy,'" said Susan, smoothing herself down after the vigorous hug she felt called upon to bestow.

Chickamy, Chickamy, crany crow, Went to the well to wash his toe.

When he came back the black-eyed chicken was gone-

said Grandfather in a mysterious voice.

"Can't you remember any more of it, Grandfather?" implored Susan. "Don't you know who Chickamy was, or who stole the black-eyed chicken? I do wish I knew."

"No, I can't remember," said Grandfather regretfully. "You know all I know about it, Susan. Only I do think Chickamy was a foolish fellow to wash his toe just at that minute. Why didn't he take the black-eyed chicken with him or leave somebody at home to take care of him?"

"Yes, it is a pity," sighed the little girl. "Or why didn't he wash his toe in the tub at home? Well, anyway, Grandfather, now tell about the time I came to live with you." And Susan re-settled herself comfortably as Grandfather slipped down in his chair and stretched out his feet toward the low fire.

"It was a cold winter night," began Grandfather, with the ease of one who has told his story many times, "and the ground was covered with snow. All the little rabbits were snuggled down in their holes in the ground trying to keep warm. All the little birds were cuddled together in their nests under the eaves. All the little boys and girls were sound asleep tucked in their warm beds-"

"All but one," interrupted Susan.

"Yes, all but one," agreed Grandfather, "and she was riding along in a sleigh, and the sleigh-bells went _jingle jangle, jingle jangle_, and the horses' feet went _crunch, crunch, crunch_, through the snow."

"Now, tell was I cold," prompted Susan, as Grandfather paused to spread his silk handkerchief over his head to keep off the draught.

"The little girl wasn't one bit cold," went on Grandfather smoothly, "because she was dressed in fur from head to foot. She wore a white fur coat and a white fur cap that came so far down over her face that all you could see was the tip of her nose."

"And that was red," supplied Susan.

"And she had a pair of white furry mittens on her hands, and her feet were wrapped in a white fur rug.

"Well, by and by the horse turned in a lane that was so packed with snow that you couldn't tell whether it was a Featherbed Lane or not. _Crunch, crunch, crunch_, went the horses' feet, _jingle jangle, jingle jangle_, went the bells until they were almost up to the white house at the end of the lane.

"Now in that white house there sat a grandmother and a grandfather before the fire.

"Presently the grandmother laid down her knitting.

"'I think I hear sleigh-bells in the lane,' said she.

"The grandfather put down his book.

"'I think I hear horses' feet,' said he.

"Then the grandmother rose and looked out of the window.