The Long Vacation eBook



Sorrow He gives and pain, good store;
Toil to bear, for the neck which bore;
For duties rendered, a duty more;
And lessons spelled in the painful lore
  Of a war which is waged eternally.-—Anon.

“Ah! my Gerald boy!  There you are!  Quite well?”


“Cherie sweet!  You are well?  And the Vicar?”

“Getting on.  How are they all at Vale Leston?”

“All right.  Your mother got to church on Easter-day.”  This was to Anna Vanderkist, a young person of the plump partridge order, and fair, rosy countenance ever ready for smiles and laughter.

“Here are no end of flowers,” as the butler brought a hamper.

“Daffodils!  Oh!-—and anemones!  How delicious!  I must take Clement a bunch of those dear white violets.  I know where they came from,” and she held them to her lips.  “Some primroses too, I hope.”


“A yellow primrose is much more than a yellow primrose at present,” said Mrs. Grinstead, picking out the few spared from political purposes.  “Clement will want his button-hole, to greet Lance.”

“So he is advanced to button-holes!  And Lance?”


“That’s prime, whatever brings him.”



“The thought of Uncle Lance has cheered them both very much.”

“So the Vicar is really recovering?”



Project Gutenberg
The Long Vacation from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.
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