CHAPTER XVI

THE END OF A HAPPY SUMMER

“Say Micky, dis is some trip from Noo York to Happy Hills, ain’t it?” remarked Skelly, as he fidgeted in the seat.

“It’s cuz yeh are so anxious to git there. Now I’m a lookin’ out the winder at all the trees and little houses we pass an’ I ain’t so tired wid de ride,” replied Micky.

“Mick, do yeh really t’ink dey kin make a real artist of Nelly? Why, she’s on’y a kid,” said Skelly to whom it seemed impossible that quiet and meekness should have any power hidden under its cloak.

“Dat’s what Mister Uncle Ben tol’ me last week in his office, yeh know.”

“Why ain’t you or me got some such talent in our heads?” persisted Skelly, complainingly.

“Maybe we have, but we are so chuck full of work and fight that the quiet t’ings ain’t got time to sift out, yeh see. Ef we was to settle down quiet-like for a week at Happy Hills mebbe somethin’ would show up fer us, too.”

“Well, t’ank goodness we got a ticket to take a vacation anyway! I hope to goodness, dey don’t make you sing church hymns and pray every udder minute of de day!” muttered Skelly.

“Don’tche go an’ spoil everyt’ing at camp wid your kickin’, Skelly! Ef you don’t like de way t’ings are run yeh kin always go back to de city, yeh know. It ain’t costin’ yuh nuttin’,” advised Micky, with anxious concern.

“Oh, I’ll try and stick it out fer a week, as long as you t’ink you’ll stay too.”

When the station was called out where the two boys had to leave the train, they looked eagerly about at the lovely scene. Green grass, green trees, green bushes everywhere and no sign up: “Keep Off, Private Grounds”--or familiar boards such as they knew of in the city parks which read: “Keep off the Grass”--“Don’t pick flowers.”

“Gee, Micky! Even de sky looks green wid de udder green t’ings a-shinin’,” breathed Skelly, softly.

A lark suddenly began his lay and the two boys looked at each other, then about them for the songster.

“Dis is somethin’ like, eh, Skelly?” chuckled Micky.

“Bet’cher life, pard! Come on, le’s hurry to camp an’ see what it’s like. Ef it’s anything like dis, I kin stand a week of it,” replied delighted Skelly.

Before either boy could see which country road to take, a touring car sped up and Uncle Ben hailed the travellers.

“Oh, there you are, my boys! I was delayed down the road by a blow-out or I would have been here when the train pulled in.”

The boys grinned and looked at each other. Were _they_ going to ride in that swell car?

“Jump in now, and we’ll soon be whisked back to Happy Hills where your friends are waiting to greet you.”

So the two over-worked little newsboys scrambled in and dropped upon the soft leather cushions with a sigh.

“Hully gee! Dis is de life, all right, Mister Uncle Ben,” gurgled Micky.

“While we are passing this lovely country-side you can look about and see what an ideal place it is for boys and girls. See the big lake for the older boys where they can fish and swim? Over there is a stretch of forest land where we often go to hunt up wild flowers and other interesting things in Nature. And just a few miles on the other side of the station there is quite a town where we can buy anything we might need during the summer. Now when we reach Happy Hills you will see how complete everything is there for an outdoor life for Little Citizens.”

The boys paid attention to the remarks and agreed with Uncle Ben that the location was ideal for everyone. Then the car neared the woods from whence rose a noisy babel of sound--happy laughter and singing, or calling, of many children.

“Here we are, boys--and there comes Nelly!”

Micky could not believe his eyes. Was that rosy, plump little girl who was running to meet him, his sickly, crippled little sister? Even the precocious, hardened little Skelly was impressed by the great improvement in the little girl.

“Oh, Micky, I’m so glad you are here! And Micky I kin make pickshers of ladies’ dresses all de time now, and make money for you and me, some day!” cried Nelly, flinging her arms about her brother’s neck.

From that moment, Skelly was a subdued young man, for he was too interested to remember his threats about going back to the city, and he saw so many familiar faces of children--yet not familiar as they had been once, for these faces were round and rosy, and the children happy and always busy about something which is the secret of true happiness and contentment.

Little Mother Maggie was introduced to Nelly’s two visitors, and after a time, the little hostess asked Maggie to sing and show the boys how she was improving.

Without demur, Maggie sang her old favorites, and even though they sounded suspiciously like “the goody-goody hymns” he had heard before, Skelly sat and listened, keenly appreciative.

“Come and see my prize asters, now,” said Maggie, turning to lead the way to the Little Farms.

“Oh, and Micky, what you think?” exclaimed Nelly, eagerly.

“What?”

“Dutchy Bill what blows de brass horn, won a prize fer best playin’ dis month!” said Nelly, delightedly.

“An’ Ikey Einstein, your friend, took the medal for courage when Bob, the horse, ran away wid on’y two little kids in the buckboard. Ikey jumped out and hung on de horse’s neck till Mister Uncle Ben could catch up and help,” added Maggie.

“We raised seven fine hogs for market, boys. But Mister Uncle Ben bought them from us hisself, and is going to use ’em in the Blue Bird and Bobolink Home dis winter, you know,” laughed Nelly, eagerly.

So the four rattled on, telling great bits of news--at least it was great for Little Citizens--and finally they reached the garden plots.

Micky and Skelly were surprised at seeing all the fine vegetables and flowers growing in each square, and when Nelly told them of string beans, radishes, lettuce, and other produce that the children had gathered and sold to the housekeeper at Happy Hills, the two city boys began to see how profitable and pleasant a life on a farm must be. Ten times more profitable than selling papers!

Maggie’s pet aster was admired to her heart’s content, but when Skelly bent down to sniff at it, that he might please Maggie by praising its perfume, he could not truthfully say a word in its defence.

Maggie laughed merrily. “You don’t like de smell, do you?”

“Hully chee, Maggie! I t’hot it was sweet like roses, but it’s just like medicine smell!” said Skelly.

A few Police sauntered up, eager to be introduced to the two strangers, and because the newcomers were a year older than the other boys at camp, they were shown about with much pride.

The Fire House and apparatus were displayed and admired, then the base-ball diamond and the team that was practicing for a match game against the Police Team was visited.

After this, the pigs had to be exhibited, and the Street Cleaning Squads were interviewed. By the time Micky and Skelly had met the Health Board, and the many other Squads and Boards formed that summer, they had met every Little Citizen at Camp, for everyone was a member of one or more organizations.

Miss Martin was very pleasant to the strangers and took them to the Refectory for some refreshments although it was not suppertime and dinner was long past. Later they were shown the Nest they might occupy for their visit, and when Skelly was removing his shoes that night preparatory to retiring, he whispered to Micky:

“Say, Mick! Ain’t dis a place, dough! Wish to goodness we had come out here sooner and stayed longer, eh?”

“It’s fine, all right, but yeh see, ef we hed been here and tooken up the place fer two sickly boys, it wouldn’t-a been right! We’se is big and healthy and didn’t need country-life like some of dem poor little kids we saw coming away from Noo York dat day in summer,” replied Micky, thoughtfully.

The next day was the Saturday preceding Labor Day and on the following Tuesday, the Camp would close at Happy Hills and all the Little Citizens were to be taken back to the city: some to take up a residence in the new home, and some to join their families or friends again, after a long, wholesome summer in the country.

That morning after Miss Martin’s usual story-hour, Uncle Ben stood up to address the children.

“Our New Home, thanks to the efforts of Mr. Richards and others, is now ready to receive all those who will belong to our family this winter. Those who hold passports for this privilege will stand over to my left side.”

In a short time a crowd of boys and girls had grouped themselves as directed. Then the speaker continued:

“Now I have some good news to offer the others. One of the visitors who was present at our circus saw a great need for a good home for other children than those who had some talent to develop, and she went to work and secured the large house adjoining our home. This she has renovated and turned into a lodging-house for those boys and girls who earn a living, or for those who do not wish to live separate from their brothers or sisters. For a small weekly fee, a Little Citizen can live comfortably and well in the next-door house to our home.

“Now I wish to know if there are any present who would like to engage a room with board at this house, so we can tell how many to provide for on the day we all go back to the city.”

“Oh, hully chee! What wouldn’t I give to be a Little Citizen right now!” sighed Skelly, while Micky looked wistful, too.

Bill overheard the remark and a thought came to him.

“Hey, Mister Uncle Ben! Can’t anyone like an outsider what is workin’ fer his livin’ join dis house?”

“The new house is open for anyone who can pass a satisfactory examination by the Board. Of course, you all know we have to question every applicant so as to keep out bad characters. Any honest, respectable boy can secure a home at this house.”

At that Micky and Skelly exchanged looks, and Ikey Einstein ran over to join them.

“Gee whiz! Boys le’s join quick! What a fine home we will have next to Mister Uncle Ben’s place!”

Miss Martin laughed as she heard the cause for rejoicing and called out:

“It will not be because you live next to Uncle Ben, but because you will be half of his family, as he will not leave you without his company once we are settled down for the winter.”

A score of boys had started towards Uncle Ben to sign an application for a home, when Micky and Skelly followed close upon Ikey’s heels to secure permission to live in such a heavenly place as Ikey described it to be.

While they were waiting in line to sign, or place a mark after their applications, Ikey whispered to his chums:

“Miss Marting said dey got a music-box and lots of good records fer de boys to play. Dey got a tank in de cellar fer us to swim in, and a big back room what is made over into a gym. And every feller’s got a bed and burear fer himself. He can lock de drawers, too, and ef he wants to be alone, he kin pull his curtains about his room and shet himself away from de udders!”

“I guess ye’re talkin’ about de swell home fer de gurls and talents, ain’t cher?” remarked Skelly, skeptically.

“Naw! _Dey_ got _real_ rooms fer demselves! Little square ones all fixed up fine! And downstairs in de big living room is a _real_ piano fer music makers. And all sorts of new-fangled things fer good times. Oh, dat Blue Bird and Bobolink City Home is one grand place, I kin tell yuh!”

“Who tol’ you all about it?” queried Micky.

“Maggie, what is called ‘Margaret’ by the grown-ups!” bragged Ikey.

“Well, as fur as I care, de camp kin shet down now and start us all back to dat city home. I never had a home, es I kin remember, in all my life!” said Skelly.

“Your turn next, Skelly,” called Uncle Ben at this moment, and the two city boys quickly went up and signed their names on the register.

“And you will be there Tuesday without fail?” asked Uncle Ben.

“Of course, we will, Mister Uncle Ben!” declared the newsboys.

And so they were. Not only were they eagerly welcomed to the first good home they had ever known, but the “Little Wonders” found at Happy Hills were welcomed to _their_ “Blue Birds’ City Nest” where many interesting and wonderful things came to pass that year, all about which will be told to you in the next book, entitled “Blue Birds’ City Nest.”

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:

Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_.

Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.

Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.