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Main > Fairy tale > All authors > Frank Baum > Fairy tale "Aunt Jane's Nieces Abroad"

Aunt Jane's Nieces Abroad

The Major had no admonitions for Patsy, but she had plenty for him, and

gave him a long list of directions that would, as he said, cause him to

"walk mighty sthraight" if by good luck he managed to remember them all.

Having made up his mind to let the child go to Europe, the old fellow

allowed no wails or bemoanings to reach Patsy's ears to deprive her of a

moment's joyful anticipation of the delights in store for her. He

laughed and joked perpetually during that last day, and promised the

girl that he would take a vacation while she was gone and visit his old

colonel in Virginia, which she knew was the rarest pleasure he could

enjoy. And now he stood upon the deck amusing them all with his quaint

sayings and appearing so outwardly jolly and unaffected that only Patsy

herself suspected the deep grief that was gripping his kindly old

heart.

Uncle John guessed, perhaps, for he hugged the Major in a tight embrace,

whispering that Patsy should be now, as ever, the apple of his eye and

the subject of his most loving care.

"An' don't be forgetting to bring me the meerschaum pipe from Sicily an'

the leathern pocket-book from Florence," the Major said to Patsy,

impressively. "It's little enough for ye to remember if ye go that way,

an' to tell the truth I'm sending ye abroad just for to get them. An'

don't be gettin' off the boat till it stops at a station; an' remember

that Uncle John is full of rheumatics an' can't walk more n' thirty mile

an hour, an'--"

"It's a slander," said Uncle John, stoutly. "I never had rheumatics in

my life."

"Major," observed Patsy, her blue eyes full of tears but her lips trying

to smile, "do have the tailor sponge your vest every Saturday. It's full

of spots even now, and I've been too busy lately to look after you

properly. You're--you're--just disgraceful, Major!"

"All ashore!" called a loud voice.

The Major gathered Patsy into an embrace that threatened to crush her,

and then tossed her into Uncle John's arms and hurried away. Mrs.

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