The Four Corners Abroad Read online

  CHAPTER IX

  WORK

  "GET up, lazybones, get up. Don't you know you are to see the whole ofOxford to-day and go to Stratford to-morrow?" cried Nan, shaking Jofrom her slumbers.

  "Hm, hm," answered Jo sleepily turning over.

  Nan gave her another shake. "Don't you know that the toast is gettingcolder, the black tea is getting blacker, the eggs getting harderand the slabs of bacon getting slabbier and flabbier? I am going tobreakfast."

  "Dear me, Nan, is it as late as that?" said Jo sitting up suddenly.

  "Yes, and there is honey instead of the marmalade you don't like,"replied Nan over her shoulder. "Mother got some yesterday."

  Jo, thoroughly aroused, sprang from her bed to rush through her toiletand join the others down-stairs.

  "We thought maybe you didn't care to see Oxford," said Miss Helensmiling as Jo came in hurriedly.

  "Well, no," drawled Jo. "I've seen Harvard, you know, and what arecolleges anyhow? I never expect to take a degree and why should I beinterested in Oxford? Of course I will go with you all if you insist,but if it were Earl's Court, for example, where there is a maze, awater toboggan and such things, I might be more enthusiastic." It waslike Jo to turn off things in this way, and every one laughed.

  "You know," said Miss Helen, "that Hawthorne called High Street thenoblest old street in England, so that is one of the things we must besure to see."

  "And Addison's walk," put in Nan.

  "To be sure, and you girls will find the Bodleian Library veryfascinating. As for the colleges themselves, with their chapels andquadrangles, if you do not think them beautiful as well as interestingI am much mistaken."

  "Again we sigh for that entire summer which cannot be ours," said Nan.

  "Yet----" Miss Helen began.

  "Oh, I know what you are going to say," interrupted Nan, "and we knowall about that possible future. When do we start out?"

  "As soon as I can gather the brood together. Don't dawdle, any of you,if you love me."

  Her appeal was not without effect, for the whole party appeared in avery short time, and they set forth to go from college to college, towalk up High Street, to turn into Addison's walk and to return at nighttired out.

  "We fairly skipped through," remarked Mary Lee. "I have a confusedjumble of colleges in my brain, and can't for the life of me tellBrasenose from Oriel or Lincoln from Queen's."

  "Study your post-cards, my dear," said Nan, "and they will tell you."

  "Not everything."

  "What they don't tell Baedeker does, so I wouldn't bother my dearlittle brain with trying to remember so exactly. As for myself,Oxford represents a mass of beautiful ivy-clad buildings, more orless resembling each other, lovely gardens, chapels and cloisters,a cathedral, a library and one long fine street. That is all theimpression my mind has received. After a while I shall try to separatethe conglomeration by looking over my post-cards, but just now I amcapable of seeing it only as a whole, an impressionistic picture, as itwere."

  "Shall we have another day of it, Miss Helen?" asked Jo.

  "I think another morning, so we can take the train for Warwick in theafternoon. It is not so very far and we need not start very early."

  "Then, ho for Stratford-on-Avon, where we shall become Shakespearemad, and for Warwick where Jack can see her white peacocks," cried Jo.

  Yet the glories of Warwick Castle were less attractive to the twinsthan the little tea-garden on Mill Street, which, indeed, pleased themall.

  "I never saw such a dear little place," said Jack with satisfaction.

  "That cunning cottage with vines all over it," said Jean.

  "And that lovely tangled garden down to the very water's edge," Nan putin.

  "And the ducks, look at the ducks!" cried Mary Lee.

  "Is this little stream really the Avon?" asked Jo. "What a fine view ofthe castle from here."

  "It is the loveliest place to rest in," said Mrs. Corner sinking into aseat by one of the little tables.

  "Are we going to have plum-cake?" whispered Jean.

  "Pig!" exclaimed Jack scornfully.

  "How did you happen upon such a charming spot, Helen?" asked Mrs.Corner.

  "I have been here before, and it was one of my pleasantest memories ofWarwick. Mother and I came more than once when we were here."

  Nan's thoughts flew back to her stately grandmother, whom she had knownbut such a short time, and she fancied her sitting at one of thetables sipping her tea and looking up at the great castle walls. Thegirl turned to her Aunt Helen. "I am glad you told us that," she saidin a low voice and Miss Helen gave her an appreciative smile, for sheunderstood what was in her niece's thoughts.

  "There comes a boat full of young folks," cried Jo. "Isn't thatinteresting? It is just like an illustrated story, isn't it? They aregoing to stop here for tea. Aren't the men fine looking, and the girlsare exactly like those you hear about. I can't say that they have thestyle of the Americans, but they have lovely complexions."

  "Come, let's feed the ducks," suggested Jack when the others were stillsipping their tea. "It will be such fun, Jean, and I am sure they areexpecting it."

  Jean was not quite sure that she was willing to sacrifice any of herplum-cake to the ducks but concluded she would give them some bread."No doubt they will like it just as well," she told Jack.

  They lingered so long in the charming little garden that the melodiouscathedral chimes were ringing for six o'clock when they reached thehotel, enthusiastic in their praises of the castle and of the littletea garden on Mill Street.

  Stratford-on-Avon, with a walk across the pleasant country to AnneHathaway's cottage took them an hour when it had to be decided whetherthe Lakes or Devonshire should be included in the next move. Finally,Miss Helen proposed that she and the three eldest girls should takea flying trip to the Lakes, leaving Mrs. Corner and the twins atWarwick, a place where they were delighted to stay, with a promise ofthe tea-garden every afternoon and a sight of the peacocks on the wallof Warwick Castle between whiles. Mary Lee declared she much preferredGrasmere to Cambridge, and so Nan had her wish, for she beheld DoveCottage, Helm Crag and all the rest of the places made familiar to herby her last year's study of Wordsworth. The limits of the trip werereached at the Lakes, and then they turned their faces southward tocatch a glimpse of the Sussex downs on their way to Newhaven.

  Once more in Paris to gather up trunks and to make ready for a longstay in Munich with a glimpse of Switzerland on the way. There hadbeen a meeting with Miss Barnes and her party of schoolgirls and greatdoings for two or three days before the Corners should separate fromthe others. Jo, to her great joy, had received permission to staybehind. Daniella had bidden them all a reluctant farewell. The summerhad been a sort of fairy-tale to the little mountain girl, and if shehad not received altogether correct impressions, and had often beenbewildered, yet she had made great progress and could scarcely berecognized as the same girl who had so fearfully entered Miss Barnes'sschool the year before. Now she did not dread going back, for the samecompany with whom she had been traveling all summer would be hers foranother year. Yet she bade a wistful farewell to her first friends, theCorners, whispering, "I wish you were coming, too," as she took herplace in the train which should bear them all to Cherbourg.

  So while these traveled west, the Corner party journeyed east, and atlast they reached the clean, pretty city where they would settle downfor days of study. The two younger girls were to be day-boarders in asmall school, while the three elder ones were to give most of theirtime to particular studies. All would have lessons in German while Nanwanted to make a special point of music.

  "You're going to stay with us, mother, aren't you?" said Jeanwistfully. "You're not going to leave us here all alone like we werelast year?"

  Mrs. Corner smiled at the aggrieved tone. "I shall stay here till afterChristmas anyhow," she promised, "and then if I must go away for thecoldest months we shall all be together in Italy by the first of April."

  J
ean sighed. After so much freedom it was hard to adjust one's selfto school routine, and as yet she had not settled down to the newconditions. "Shall we have to wear funny hats and do our hair in braidsup over the tops of our heads or around our ears like the German girlsdo?" asked the little girl whose looks were something of a matter ofpride to her.

  "I think you will do as you have always done in that direction," hermother told her. "You are not a German girl, you know."

  "But Fraeulein is very particular," spoke up Jack. "To-day one of theGerman girls came with her hair done like ours, and Fraeulein marchedher out of the room and slicked up her hair and braided it so tight hereyes almost popped out of her head. She came back looking so scared."

  "And, oh, dear," groaned Jean, "we have to walk along so soberly whenwe go out for exercise. We don't dare turn our heads, and the girlslook so creer in those funny little flat hats, as if they had crackerson their heads. I feel like a craker, or something, myself."

  "Do you mean a cracker or a Quaker?" asked Jack mischievously.

  "I mean a craker that you spell with a cu," replied Jean with dignity.

  "Look here," said Nan laughing, "you youngsters mustn't begin towhine the minute we get here. Goodness! do you suppose there are notthousands of girls who would give their eyes to be in this beautifulplace and have the chances you have? We have been junketing around forso long that we don't want to do anything else. Every mother's daughterof us has got to work; that is what we came to Munich for, and betweentimes we shall have more to see than you would get in any other dozencities rolled into one."

  "It's all very well for you to talk," said Jack. "You are going tooperas and grown-up things like that, and we can't."

  "But you can do other things, and the operas and concerts are a part ofmy musical education; they would bore you to death. There are ever somany things for you to do."

  "Tell me," said Jack, getting into her eldest sister's lap. Nan alwaysmade things pleasant for her.

  "Well there is the Englischer Garden, a beautiful park that isn'twalled in like some of those in England. There is a playground forchildren there and fine walks and drives. Then just now the OctoberFest is going on; it is something like our county fair at home."

  "Are there merry-go-rounds and side-shows?"

  "Yes, ever so many."

  "Good!" Jack brought her hands smartly together.

  "And then there are the museums full of all sorts of interesting thingsthat you will like to see. On Saturdays we can make lovely excursionsto Starnberger See or the Isarthal, and on some other days there ismusic played by military bands in different places. I believe it isevery day at the Guardhouse on the Marienplatz, and every other dayat the Feldhernhalle on the Odeonsplatz, but we can find out exactly.Those are amusements of the present; in winter there will be otherthings."

  "What?"

  "Well, there will be lots of skating."

  "I can't skate very well."

  "It will be a fine chance to learn here. About Christmas time thereis always a fairy play for children, and at other times there is themarionette theatre that you and Jean will adore. Then, too, we shallprobably go to the mountains for the holidays where you can see allsorts of funny doings."

  "What kind?"

  "Oh, _ski-ing_, and _rodeling_ and all that."

  "They're funny words, and I haven't the least idea what they mean."

  "_Ski_ is spelled with a k, but it is pronounced as if it were _she_,and _rodeling_ means simply tobogganing on a small sled. _Skis_ aregreat long things something like snow-shoes. I am crazy to learn to_ski_, for it must be something like flying. Then there will be thecarnival that begins in January, though I don't suppose we shall seemuch of that. Besides, Jack," she went on, "the Munich streets arelovely. There are so many pretty squares and parks and fountains, notto mention the shops, so I don't think we could get very lonely orbored. After all I have told you I am sure you will think it is a niceplace to be in, and that we shall have a good time here."

  "I know I shall when you are around, you dear old Nan," said Jack,rubbing her cheek against her sister's.

  "Even Aunt Helen is going to study," Nan said. "She knows French mightywell but her German isn't up to the scratch, she thinks, and she sayswhile studying is in the air she will take advantage of it."

  "We aren't going to stay in this hotel, are we?"

  "No, we are going to a _pension_ Aunt Helen knows of. There isn'troom for us there now, but next week there will be, and we shallprobably stay there till we go to Italy. Aunt Helen says it is nice andhomelike, and we can be left there in perfect safety if mother and shehave to go away."

  "Will there be any other little girls?"

  "I don't know. Very likely there will be. Now I must go and practicethat dreadful Bach thing that I am getting ready for to-morrow." Shegave Jack a hug and went off.

  "Nan's such a nice old comfort," said Jack to her mother. "She alwayssmooths out the wrinkles for me. I hope she won't get married before Ido."

  "I don't think I would begin to worry about that just yet," said Mrs.Corner smiling.

  "Oh, I'm not worrying; I'm just taking time by the oar-lock."

  Mrs. Corner laughed outright while Jack wondered why.

  "Mayn't we go out into that pretty square where the big fountain is?"she asked.

  "I don't like you to go alone."

  "But it is so near. You can look out of the window and see it, and I amasking permission," said Jack as if the mere matter of asking were allsufficient.

  "But you know over here in Europe little girls don't run about asfreely as they do at home. Get one of your older sisters to go withyou."

  "Nan can't; she has to practice and Mary Lee has gone somewhere withJo, and Aunt Helen went to see about lessons or books or something."

  "Then I will go with you and sit by the fountain while you amuseyourselves."

  This arrangement pleased the twins mightily. The big Wittelsbacherfountain in the Maximilianplatz was a thing to be admired and they werenever tired of watching, what Jack called, its big splash of water. "Ifeel so satisfied when I look at it," she told her mother. "I never sawa fountain with so much water all going at once."

  "I wish we could have brought over our dear little doggie," said Jeanas she watched numberless little _dachshunds_ trotting by.

  "We couldn't very well do it," Mrs. Corner told her, "for we shouldhave had to carry him around everywhere, and there is a law in somecountries which makes it very hard for travelers to bring in theirdogs. He is much better off where he is."

  "I am afraid he will forget me," said Jack, whose dog the littlecreature really was.

  "I don't doubt but that he will be quite ready to make friends again,"her mother told her.

  "I never saw such a crauntity of dogs as there are in Munich,"said Jean. "I think everybody must own a dog, and there are more_dachshunds_ than any other kind."

  "I like them best," Jack declared. "With their little short legs andlong bodies they look so funny, and they have such serious faces as ifthey had something to do and it was very important that they should getit done."

  "There come Aunt Helen and the girls," cried Jean.

  Miss Helen with Mary Lee on one side and Jo on the other mounted thelittle incline which led past the bench where the three were sitting."Why," cried Miss Helen, "what are you doing here?"

  "Mother came over with us to sit by the fountain. Isn't it a beauty,Aunt Helen? We like it so much."

  "I like it, too, and we are so pleasantly near it. Indeed, I thinkthis is a very convenient part of the city, for we are within walkingdistance of almost everything. Where is Nan?"

  "She said she had to get that music into her fingers before to-morrow,so she is the only one who didn't come out-of-doors."

  Miss Helen sank down on the bench by the side of Mrs. Corner. "Iam tired," she said, "and in this thoroughly democratic place whereone can do exactly as she pleases, I don't mind sitting openly in asquare where the public passes by. That is one
of the things I likeabout Munich. Nobody seems to mind wandering about deliberately. Menand women take time to stare into the shop-windows, and no one paysthe least attention to them. You can wear your old clothes and notfeel that you are dressed worse than half your neighbors. People hereseem to live for something more than to change the fashion of theirsleeves and to rush for ferry-boats and trains. They take time to enjoythemselves, as few do at home. I wonder if it is too late for a cup oftea. I feel the need of one."

  Mrs. Corner consulted her watch. "It is just a little after five."

  "Then, Jack," said Miss Helen, "go tell Nan she has practiced longenough and I want her to come with you to join us at the _Conditorei_on the Promenadeplatz. We will go there and you can meet us; it is onlya little way from here."

  Jack scampered off to obey, for this would be a new entertainment andNan must not miss it.

  "What is a _Conditorei_?" asked Jean.

  "It means a confectioner's as near as I can make out, though this oneseems to be a tea-room as well. It is a very pleasant place to go. Youcan choose your cakes at the counter and take them to the table withyou, or else you can order them brought. I generally like to pick outwhat I would like best."

  "That is what I should like," said Jean with much satisfaction, "forthen you get them sooner. I am very glad you came along, Aunt Helen,for we mightn't have gone to the tea place if you hadn't."

  Jack and Nan soon appeared, and the girls found it a very agreeablething to sit in the pleasant little place watching the persons who cameand went. There were many Americans among them, and the Germans werenoticeable from taking their pet dogs with them here, as to other shops.

  "You always see a collection of the dear things outside the bigdepartment stores," said Mary Lee. "I've counted a dozen sometimes,and even outside the churches you see them sometimes waiting for theirmasters. I like the way they are made to belong to the family and takenout as a matter of course; only sometimes they get so tired and look sobored and unhappy, though no doubt they would rather go than be left athome."

  "I like those magnificent horses," said Nan. "I never believed therewere horses with such noble arched necks, except in pictures or instatuary. They are the biggest things I ever saw, such great massivesplendid specimens."

  "They come from the north of Germany," Miss Helen told her. "They areused for draught horses, and you always see them harnessed to the bigwagons. The oxen here are very large, too, and you will often see themhauling a load of bricks or stones through the streets."

  "I have noticed a rather curious thing," remarked Mrs. Corner."Sometimes you will see a wagon with a horse harnessed to one side thepole and not in shafts; it has a most curious effect, a very one-sidedlook."

  "I saw something funnier than that," said Jack: "a man and a dogpulling a cart piled up with all sorts of stuff, old chairs and bits ofstovepipe and things like that. The dog was pulling just as hard as theman and when the man stopped the dog lay down and seemed so pleased tothink he had been helping. I liked that dog earning his living. I hopehe gets well paid for it in nice food with plenty of bones to gnaw."

  Here Jean heaved a long sigh having eaten the last morsel of her cake."It was so good," she said. "May I have another piece, mother?"

  "My dear child, I think one slice of that rich Prinz-Regenten cake isquite enough for one afternoon. Another time, but not now," and Jeanmournfully accepted the decree.

  "Speaking of Prinz-Regenten," said Miss Helen, "I am sorry we had tomiss the Wagner Festival at the Prinz-Regenten Theatre, but we had togive that up or the trip to England."

  "I really don't think we have been unwise in taking England instead,"said Mrs. Corner, "for we shall be here long enough to enjoy all theopera necessary. The prices at the Festival are so very high, fivedollars for a single performance, and I am told it is chiefly touristswho patronize the opera then. Sensible people wait till they can hearthe same singers later on at a lower price."

  "Nan is wild to hear Herr Knote," said Jo. "She already has tenpost-card pictures of him and is always on the lookout for more."

  "Of course," returned Nan. "He is the greatest German tenor, and whyshouldn't I want to hear him; besides he isn't like some of the others,for everybody in Munich respects him and that speaks well, for he liveshere."

  "How do you know so much?" asked her mother.

  "My music teacher told me."

  "So that is what you talk about."

  "It is one of the things. I am supposed to get history of music as wellas the theory and practice, and he belongs to the history, I am sure."

  "Without doubt," her aunt assured her, rising to go. "Well, Nan, I hopeyou will not be disappointed when you hear him."

  "I know I shall not be," said Nan with conviction. "Frau Burg-Schmidtsays his voice is simply great."

  They wandered out into the street and across the fine Maximilianplatzto their hotel, feeling that they had chosen well in settling in Munichfor six months.

  CHAPTER X

  A NIGHT ADVENTURE]