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

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  Speaker 1: Chapter seventeen Safe would you ever dream that four children
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  Speaker 1: could be homesick in such a beautiful house as mister Cordyce's.
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  Speaker 1: Jess was the first one to long for the old
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  Speaker 1: freight car, Oh, grandfather. She said, one morning, I wish
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  Speaker 1: I could cook something once more in the old kettle.
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  Speaker 1: Go out in the kitchen, said her grandfather, and mess
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  Speaker 1: around all you like. The maids will help you. Ess
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  Speaker 1: brightened up at once and flew out into the kitchen,
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  Speaker 1: where three or four maids brought her everything she wanted
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  Speaker 1: to cook with. And Benny was the last one to
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  Speaker 1: wish for his old home grandfather. He said, one day,
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  Speaker 1: I wish I could drink this milk out of my
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  Speaker 1: own pink cup. This set mister Cordyce to thinking he
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  Speaker 1: had plenty of pink cups, it is true, but none
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  Speaker 1: of them were as dear to Benny as his own.
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  Speaker 1: I think I shall have to surprise you children, said
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  Speaker 1: mister Cordyce at last. But before the surprise comes, perhaps
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  Speaker 1: you would like to see Benny's pony. Then he led
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  Speaker 1: the way to the stables. He owned several beautiful horses already,
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  Speaker 1: and nearly a dozen wonderful cars, but nothing was half
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  Speaker 1: so interesting as the pony. He was very small, and
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  Speaker 1: very fat and black. His wavy tail was so long
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  Speaker 1: that it nearly touched the ground, and his name was
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  Speaker 1: Cracker because his birthday fell on the fourth of July
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  Speaker 1: when fire crackers were popping. Benny took a short ride
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  Speaker 1: around the stable, being held on by a groom. But
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  Speaker 1: the second time around he said, Kath, that doesn't need
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  Speaker 1: you to hold on to him. I shouldn't wonder, and
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  Speaker 1: trotted around with great delight without help. All the others
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  Speaker 1: sat down on the fragrant hay to watch him ride.
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  Speaker 1: What am I going to do when I grow up,
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  Speaker 1: grandfather asked Henry. You are going to take my place
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  Speaker 1: Henry as president of the steel mills. Replied mister Cordyce,
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  Speaker 1: you will do it better than I ever have. And
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  Speaker 1: one day this came true, just as most of mister
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  Speaker 1: Cordyce's prophecies did. And what am I going to do?
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  Speaker 1: Asked Jess curiously. All you children must go to school
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  Speaker 1: and then to college. Then you may do whatever you
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  Speaker 1: choose for a living. Replied mister Cordyce, this also came true.
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  Speaker 1: Of course, I have more than enough money to support us,
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  Speaker 1: all went on mister Cordyce. But if you have something
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  Speaker 1: to do, you will be happier. This not only came true,
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  Speaker 1: but it is always and forever true all over the world.
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  Speaker 1: Am I going to college to morrow? Asked Benny, stopping
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  Speaker 1: his little pony in front of the group. Not to morrow, Benny,
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  Speaker 1: said his grandfather, laughing. But I'm glad you reminded me.
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  Speaker 1: All you children must go over to doctor mc allister's
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  Speaker 1: tomorrow and stay while the surprise comes. Is this surprise
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  Speaker 1: very nice? Asked Benny. No, not very replied mister Cordyce
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  Speaker 1: with a twinkle. Does it cost a great deal? Asked Jess.
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  Speaker 1: It didn't cost me anything, answered her grandfather. The only
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  Speaker 1: thing I shall have to pay will be express. He
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  Speaker 1: didn't tell them that the express cost him several hundred dollars. However,
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  Speaker 1: next day the children rode gladly over to see the
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  Speaker 1: kind doctor. They stayed until mister Cordyce telephoned to them
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  Speaker 1: that the surprise was ready, and then missus mc allister
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  Speaker 1: and her son rode back with them in the big car.
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  Speaker 1: Mister Cordyce was as happy as a boy. He led
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  Speaker 1: the merry little procession out through his mini gardens, past
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  Speaker 1: the rose garden, through the banks of purple asters. Then
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  Speaker 1: they came to an Italian garden with a fountain in
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  Speaker 1: the middle and a shady little wood around the edge.
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  Speaker 1: Among the trees was the surprise. It was the old
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  Speaker 1: freight car. The children rushed over to it with cries
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  Speaker 1: of delight, pushed back the dear old door, and scrambled in.
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  Speaker 1: Everything was in place. Here was Benny's pink cup, and
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  Speaker 1: here was his bed. Here was the old knife which
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  Speaker 1: had cut butter and bread and vegetables, and firewood and string.
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  Speaker 1: And here were the letters for Benny's primmer. Here was
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  Speaker 1: the big kettle on the tablecloth, And hanging on a
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  Speaker 1: nearby tree was the old dinner bell. Benny rang the
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  Speaker 1: bell over and over again, and Watch rolled on the
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  Speaker 1: floor and barked himself hoarse. The children were never homesick
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  Speaker 1: after that. To be sure, the dull and ugly freight
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  Speaker 1: car looked a little strange in a beautiful Italian garden,
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  Speaker 1: but it was never dull or ugly to the court's
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  Speaker 1: children or their dog. They were never so happy as
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  Speaker 1: when showing visitors each beauty of their beloved old home,
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  Speaker 1: and there there were many visitors. Some of them were
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  Speaker 1: fascinated by the stories of the wonderful dishes and the shelf,
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  Speaker 1: and the children never grew tired of telling them over
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  Speaker 1: and over again. One summer day, many years afterward, Watch
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  Speaker 1: climbed out of his beautiful padded silk bed and barked
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  Speaker 1: until Henry lifted him into the freight car. There he
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  Speaker 1: lay down on the hard, splintery floor, blinking his eyes
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  Speaker 1: in the sun and watching the children as they sat
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  Speaker 1: studying by the fountain. He likes the old home best,
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  Speaker 1: said Jess Cordyce, smiling at him and patting his rough back.
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  Speaker 1: And as Benny would say, if he hadn't grown up,
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  Speaker 1: that's true, I shouldn't wonder. End of chapter seventeen.