Since I haven't started writing a new story yet about the Parker family, I decided to post a new story I'd written to keep people entertained. Perhaps you can pretend that Elizabeth wrote it, and then it will be associated with the Parker family.
Covered Wagons and Steam Trains
Nellie gazed out the window, watching trees and buildings fly by. What fun it is to ride on a train! she thought. Nellie and her family: her father, mother, younger brother Robert, and younger sister Charlotte, along with her grandfather, were traveling on rails to bring her older brother Percy home for the Christmas holidays. Percy was away at boarding school in New York, far from their home in Kentucky, and Nellie was very excited to see him.
“How long it has been since we've seen Percy!” she cried aloud to no one in particular.
“Indeed!” replied her grandfather, “but, we are quite blessed to be able to see him at all during his time in school.”
“How come, Grandfather?” inquired Robert.
“Why?” corrected his mother, straightening her bonnet.
“Yeth, why Grandfather?” lisped Charlotte, “Grandfather will tell me, won’t he?”
“Yes, I will,” assured Grandfather, pulling the little girl on his lap. “You see, when I was your age...” and he paused while Nellie and Robert scurried over to his seat on the train and snuggled close to him, their eyes bright with anticipation.
“Go on, Grandfather,” Nellie exclaimed. “I love to hear your stories of when you were little like us.”
“Of course, I was just waiting for you to get ready,” he replied, adjusting his cap on his head. “Ahem,” he cleared his throat.
“Oh, get on with it, Grandfather!” demanded Robert.
“Robert Cole Weston!” Father scolded, “Respect your elders!”
“Beg pardon, Grandfather,” Robert uttered ashamedly.
“You are entirely forgiven,” Grandfather responded, “I was impatient when I was a little boy like you too.”
“But I’m almost nine! I’m not so little!”
“True, True! I was impatient to grow up too.”
“Grandfather, pleathe tell uth the thtory, pleathe,” begged the little one on his lap, patting his leathery cheek.
“Oh, dear, I’m sorry, quite forgot, quite forgot,” muttered Grandfather, “Well, let’s see, where was I? Ah! Yes! When I was a little boy...”
At this, his son let out a little chuckle.
“Peter! You’re as bad as the rest, keeping poor Charlotte from her story, and Nellie too!” cried his wife.
“Oh, Hettie, they can afford to wait a trifling moment, we’re hardly started on our long journey,” he contended.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Susan's Art Project, Part 5
When we last left Helen and Harry they had just heard their Mother coming up the stairs while they were painting each other...
What Now?, they both thought.
Guess we just have to take our punishment, no backing out, Helen decided.
Mother reached the door and tried the handle.
Oh no, thought Harry, now we'll be in trouble for locking the door.
"Open this door at once," Mother commanded firmly.
Harry and Helen looked at each other, then Helen ran to the door, unlocked it, and ran back next to Harry. She wasn't taking her punishment without Harry at her side.
Mother came in and shut the door behind her.
Then she saw the painting. The twins' faces. Their clothes.
"Helen, Harry. Go to the bathroom at once and wash the paint off your faces," Mother demanded, "then change your clothes and put those ones in the bathtub. After that I want you to lay down in your beds and think about what you've done. Eventually, I will come and tell you what your punishment is."
Helen and Harry started to run to the bathroom.
"And no locking doors, except the bathroom," Mother added, "do you understand?"
They both nodded and ran.
Helen and Harry lay down on their beds, waiting for Mother's punishment.
Finally, Mother came in.
"I am very disappointed in you," Mother began, "not only was the painting not yours, it was a school project," Mother paused to let her words sink in. The twins hung their heads.
"I have decided that you won't be allowed to do crafts for two weeks," she went on.
Helen and Harry groaned.
"But what about school?" Harry piped up.
"Do what your teacher asks, but at here at our house, no crafts. Understand?"
The twins nodded solemnly.
Helen and Harry looked up as Mother added, "The other thing is that you two are becoming too old and mischievous to share a room. Helen, you will stay in this room, but Harry, you will now be sharing John's room. I have already asked him about it."
The twins were shocked. It had never occurred to them that they might not share a room.
Suddenly, a great cry arose. All three rushed out of the twins' room, but Helen and Harry backed away when they realized where it was coming from: Susan's room.
"My beautiful painting is all ruined!" Susan cried.
"No, you don't," Mother spoke firmly, as the twins backed into their room, "You come and apologize."
"I don't have time to get more supplies and paint another before Wednesday," they heard Susan sob.
"It's not your fault, Susan," Mother soothed, "we'll work something out," then turning to Helen and Harry she motioned them forward.
"We're sorry," Harry began, "for painting your painting."
"Yes," nodded Helen, "we shouldn't have done it."
"Right," Harry agreed.
"Do-you--forgive-us?" They both asked slowly.
Susan knelt down on the floor, and hugged Helen and Harry tightly, "Of course, I do," she replied. "I love you, you two mischievous darlings."
The End
What Now?, they both thought.
Guess we just have to take our punishment, no backing out, Helen decided.
Mother reached the door and tried the handle.
Oh no, thought Harry, now we'll be in trouble for locking the door.
"Open this door at once," Mother commanded firmly.
Harry and Helen looked at each other, then Helen ran to the door, unlocked it, and ran back next to Harry. She wasn't taking her punishment without Harry at her side.
Mother came in and shut the door behind her.
Then she saw the painting. The twins' faces. Their clothes.
"Helen, Harry. Go to the bathroom at once and wash the paint off your faces," Mother demanded, "then change your clothes and put those ones in the bathtub. After that I want you to lay down in your beds and think about what you've done. Eventually, I will come and tell you what your punishment is."
Helen and Harry started to run to the bathroom.
"And no locking doors, except the bathroom," Mother added, "do you understand?"
They both nodded and ran.
Helen and Harry lay down on their beds, waiting for Mother's punishment.
Finally, Mother came in.
"I am very disappointed in you," Mother began, "not only was the painting not yours, it was a school project," Mother paused to let her words sink in. The twins hung their heads.
"I have decided that you won't be allowed to do crafts for two weeks," she went on.
Helen and Harry groaned.
"But what about school?" Harry piped up.
"Do what your teacher asks, but at here at our house, no crafts. Understand?"
The twins nodded solemnly.
Helen and Harry looked up as Mother added, "The other thing is that you two are becoming too old and mischievous to share a room. Helen, you will stay in this room, but Harry, you will now be sharing John's room. I have already asked him about it."
The twins were shocked. It had never occurred to them that they might not share a room.
Suddenly, a great cry arose. All three rushed out of the twins' room, but Helen and Harry backed away when they realized where it was coming from: Susan's room.
"My beautiful painting is all ruined!" Susan cried.
"No, you don't," Mother spoke firmly, as the twins backed into their room, "You come and apologize."
"I don't have time to get more supplies and paint another before Wednesday," they heard Susan sob.
"It's not your fault, Susan," Mother soothed, "we'll work something out," then turning to Helen and Harry she motioned them forward.
"We're sorry," Harry began, "for painting your painting."
"Yes," nodded Helen, "we shouldn't have done it."
"Right," Harry agreed.
"Do-you--forgive-us?" They both asked slowly.
Susan knelt down on the floor, and hugged Helen and Harry tightly, "Of course, I do," she replied. "I love you, you two mischievous darlings."
The End