Calico Illustrated Classics: Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farms
Certainly is said Mr Cobb But it’s a tad too hot Why don’t you put up your parasol Oh dear no I never put it up when the sun shines Pink fades terribly I only carry it on cloudy Sundays It’s the thing I care most about except my large family of course How many are there asked Mr Cobb Well there’s Mother and seven children Hannah is the oldest I come next Then John Jenny Mark Fanny and Mira Well that is a big family Everybody says it’s too big said Rebecca Hannah and I haven’t done anything but put babies to bed and wake them up in the morning It’s been that way for years and years But we’re fi nished with babies now Mother says so She always keeps her promises There hasn’t been any since Mira and she’s three She was born the day Father died on the farm Oh you live on a farm do you Where is it asked Mr Cobb What’s your folks name 8
Randall My mother’s name is Aurelia Randall Your farm ain’t the old Hobbs place is it No it’s just Randall’s Farm At least that’s what Mother calls it I call it Sunnybrook Farm I guess it doesn’t make any difference what you call it as long as you know where it is remarked Mr Cobb Rebecca frowned Oh Don’t say that Don’t be like all the rest It does make a difference what you call things When I say Randall’s Farm do you see how it looks No I can’t say I do said Mr Cobb Now when I say Sunnybrook Farm what does it make you think of I suppose there’s a brook somewhere near it he said Rebecca looked disappointed That’s pretty good she said encouragingly There’s a brook It has young trees and baby bushes on each side of it It has a white sandy bottom and lots of shiny pebbles Whenever there’s a bit of 9
sunshine the brook catches it It’s always full of sparkles I know a lake like that in Milltown said Mr Cobb Then I hope to see Milltown one day said Rebecca I suppose it’s bigger and grander than where I come from Is it more like Paris She reached into her pocket My beaded purse is from Paris Look how it opens with a snap I’ve twenty cents in it It’s got to last three months for stamps paper and ink Mother says Aunt Miranda won’t want to buy things like that when she’s feeding and clothing me Knowing Miranda like he did he knew her mother was right Paris ain’t great said Mr Cobb It’s the dullest place in the state of Maine Oh no Mr Cobb Paris isn’t in Maine It’s the capital of France said Rebecca The French are such polite people He ignored her Milltown ain’t great neither But if your Aunt Miranda will let you 10
I’ll take you down to Milltown this summer As long as the stagecoach ain’t full he added To think I should see Milltown It’s like having a fairy godmother who asks you your wish and then gives it to you Did you ever read Cinderella or The Fair One with Golden Locks No said Mr Cobb cautiously Where’d you get a chance to read so much Oh I’ve read lots of books answered Rebecca I’ve read The Lamplighter Ivanhoe and David Copperfi eld What have you read Nowadays I get along with the Almanac He pointed to the green fi elds ahead When we get to the top of that hill we’ll see the chimneys of Riverboro in the distance Rebecca’s hand stirred nervously in her lap I didn’t think I was going to be afraid Want to go back asked Mr Cobb I’d never go back I might be frightened but I’d be ashamed to run Going to Aunt Miranda’s is like going down the cellar in the 11
