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17 - The Box Car Children - Gertrude Warner · Classic Adventure Books Collection

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  Chapter seventeen Safe would you ever dream that four children could be homesick in such
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  a beautiful house as mister Cordyce's. Jess was the first one to long for
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  the old freight car, Oh, grandfather. She said, one morning,
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  I wish I could cook something once more in the old kettle. Go out
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  in the kitchen, said her grandfather, and mess around all you like.
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  The maids will help you. Ess brightened up at once and flew out into
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  the kitchen, where three or four maids brought her everything she wanted to cook
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  with. And Benny was the last one to wish for his old home grandfather.
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  He said, one day, I wish I could drink this milk out
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  of my own pink cup. This set mister Cordyce to thinking he had plenty
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  of pink cups, it is true, but none of them were as dear
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  to Benny as his own. I think I shall have to surprise you children,
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  said mister Cordyce at last. But before the surprise comes, perhaps you
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  would like to see Benny's pony. Then he led the way to the stables.
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  He owned several beautiful horses already, and nearly a dozen wonderful cars,
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  but nothing was half so interesting as the pony. He was very small,
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  and very fat and black. His wavy tail was so long that it nearly
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  touched the ground, and his name was Cracker because his birthday fell on the
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  fourth of July when fire crackers were popping. Benny took a short ride around
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  the stable, being held on by a groom. But the second time around
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  he said, Kath, that doesn't need you to hold on to him.
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  I shouldn't wonder, and trotted around with great delight without help. All the
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  others sat down on the fragrant hay to watch him ride. What am I
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  going to do when I grow up, grandfather asked Henry. You are going
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  to take my place Henry as president of the steel mills. Replied mister Cordyce,
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  you will do it better than I ever have. And one day this
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  came true, just as most of mister Cordyce's prophecies did. And what am
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  I going to do? Asked Jess curiously. All you children must go to
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  school and then to college. Then you may do whatever you choose for a
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  living. Replied mister Cordyce, this also came true. Of course, I
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  have more than enough money to support us, all went on mister Cordyce.
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  But if you have something to do, you will be happier. This not
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  only came true, but it is always and forever true all over the world.
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  Am I going to college to morrow? Asked Benny, stopping his little
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  pony in front of the group. Not to morrow, Benny, said his
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  grandfather, laughing. But I'm glad you reminded me. All you children must
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  go over to doctor mc allister's tomorrow and stay while the surprise comes. Is
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  this surprise very nice? Asked Benny. No, not very replied mister Cordyce
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  with a twinkle. Does it cost a great deal? Asked Jess. It
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  didn't cost me anything, answered her grandfather. The only thing I shall have
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  to pay will be express. He didn't tell them that the express cost him
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  several hundred dollars. However, next day the children rode gladly over to see
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  the kind doctor. They stayed until mister Cordyce telephoned to them that the surprise
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  was ready, and then missus mc allister and her son rode back with them
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  in the big car. Mister Cordyce was as happy as a boy. He
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  led the merry little procession out through his mini gardens, past the rose garden,
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  through the banks of purple asters. Then they came to an Italian garden
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  with a fountain in the middle and a shady little wood around the edge.
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  Among the trees was the surprise. It was the old freight car. The
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  children rushed over to it with cries of delight, pushed back the dear old
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  door, and scrambled in. Everything was in place. Here was Benny's pink
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  cup, and here was his bed. Here was the old knife which had
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  cut butter and bread and vegetables, and firewood and string. And here were
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  the letters for Benny's primmer. Here was the big kettle on the tablecloth,
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  And hanging on a nearby tree was the old dinner bell. Benny rang the
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  bell over and over again, and Watch rolled on the floor and barked himself
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  hoarse. The children were never homesick after that. To be sure, the
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  dull and ugly freight car looked a little strange in a beautiful Italian garden,
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  but it was never dull or ugly to the court's children or their dog.
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  They were never so happy as when showing visitors each beauty of their beloved old
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  home, and there there were many visitors. Some of them were fascinated by
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  the stories of the wonderful dishes and the shelf, and the children never grew
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  tired of telling them over and over again. One summer day, many years
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  afterward, Watch climbed out of his beautiful padded silk bed and barked until Henry
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  lifted him into the freight car. There he lay down on the hard,
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  splintery floor, blinking his eyes in the sun and watching the children as they
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  sat studying by the fountain. He likes the old home best, said Jess
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  Cordyce, smiling at him and patting his rough back. And as Benny would
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  say, if he hadn't grown up, that's true, I shouldn't wonder.
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  End of chapter seventeen.