THE
PLEASURES OF THE COUNTRY
Simple
STORIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE,
BY
MRS. HARRIET MYRTLE.
WITH EIGHT ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOHN GILBERT.
Second Edition.
London:
ADDEY AND CO., 21, OLD BOND STREET.
A VISIT TO THE OLD HALL.
A VISIT TO THE OLD HALL.
Edward and Kate lived in a country town. It was a cheerful, clean town,with wide streets, and an old church that had large trees round it, andivy growing up the tower. Their house had a garden behind it, in whichthey used to play very happily, drive their hoops round the walks, andrun and jump about on the grass-plot. They also made many pleasantlittle excursions into the country round, when their sister Laura wasable to go with them.
One of their favourite walks was through the woods belonging to anancient manor-house, always called "The Old Hall," about a mile from thetown. It belonged to a rich nobleman; but nobody had lived in it for along time. The gardens and park were, however, kept in fine order; andit was said, that some day the house would be put in repair andfurnished. As it was now, people could walk by the paths through thewoods close up to it.
One of these paths was just outside the wall of the flower garden, andled up to the portico of a sort of summer house or pavilion, partly goneto ruin. The door of this pavilion was always closed; but it was soshady and pleasant all round there, that it was a favourite place forEdward and Kate to play in, while Laura sat under a tree reading; andthey would often look up at the beautiful roses, jasmines, and othercreepers that hung over the top of the wall, and wish they might go intothe garden and see all the lovely flowers they thought must be there.
They longed the more to be admitted within the wall, and see not onlythe garden, but the Old Hall itself, because a young carpenter, who wasat work for their papa, putting up a book-case, had told them a greatdeal about it. This carpenter, John Wilson, was a great friend oftheirs. He made a whole fleet of boats for them, which they sailed inthe water-butt, in the garden, and taught them how to saw, and plane,and knock in nails; and while all this was going on, he would describethe painted windows and carved ceilings and walls in the Old Hall; andhe knew all its wonders quite well, for he had worked there for severalmonths, repairing some parts of the rooms that were going todestruction; and he said he hoped his lordship would soon have it allthoroughly done, and that he should be employed to do the work.
After all this, Kate and Edward were quite pleased, when, one day, Johnbrought them permission to go and see it, from Mrs. Hollis, thehousekeeper, who lived in one of the lodges, and was allowed to shew theplace to visitors. If they went to the door of the pavilion in theirfavourite path, and rang the bell, she would admit them, he said. Theythanked John very much for getting such a pleasure for them, and thenran to their mama to ask her leave to go, which she gave them directly;and, as the next day was very fine, they set out after their earlydinner, in high spirits, accompanied by Laura. To add to their pleasure,their mama had told them they might order a donkey-chaise in thevillage, near the Hall gates,