The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Merryweathers, by Laura E. Richards

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: The Merryweathers

Author: Laura E. Richards

Illustrator: Julia Ward Richards

Release Date: May 17, 2008 [EBook #25505]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MERRYWEATHERS ***

Produced by Suzanne Shell, Emmy and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

THE MERRYWEATHERS

[Illustration: "'TU-WHOO!' SAID THE SNOWY OWL."]

THE MERRYWEATHERS

BY

LAURA E. RICHARDS

AUTHOR OF "CAPTAIN JANUARY," "MELODY," "QUEEN
HILDEGARDE," "GEOFFREY STRONG," ETC.

=Illustrated by=
JULIA WARD RICHARDS

[Illustration]

BOSTON
DANA ESTES & COMPANY
PUBLISHERS

_Copyright, 1904_
BY DANA ESTES & COMPANY

* * * * *

_All rights reserved_

THE MERRYWEATHERS

=Colonial Press=
Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co.
Boston, Mass., U. S. A.

TO

H. H. F., Jr.

WITH AFFECTIONATE GREETING.

FOR REMEMBRANCE

The sunlight falls in gold upon the golden fields,
The ruffling wave gives back the sky in blue;
The asters fringe the meadow's skirts in purple pride,
And proud the goldenrod is standing, too.

Oh! clear and far across the lonely water,
The wild bird calls his mate at close of day;
My heart cries out, my heart cries out in answer,
And oh, I fondly think of them that's far away.

Oh, fair the fields where now their feet are treading!
Oh, green the trees that blossom o'er their head!
Oh, deep and sweet the skies above them spreading,
And on their hearth the fire-glow warm and red!

Still may they hear, across the lonely water,
The wild bird call his mate at close of day;
Still may their hearts, still may their hearts make answer;
Still may they kindly think of them that's far away!

CONTENTS

CHAPTER