"True, brother; and as the rain is your affair, perhaps you will be
good enough to delay it for an hour or so."
"I am sorry on my own account, as well as yours, that I have not yet
discovered the art of controlling the skies."
Here Fritz whispered a few words in his mother's ear, that called up
one of those ineffable smiles that the maternal heart alone can
produce.
"Well," said Mrs. Becker, "if you think so, deliver the message
yourself."
"Mrs. Wolston," said Fritz, "I am charged to invite you and your
family to Falcon's Nest this day week."
"The invitation is accepted, unless my daughters have any objections
to urge."
"How can you fancy such a thing, mamma?" said both girls.
"The fact is, that my daughters have got such a dread of cold water,
that they dread to wet the soles of their shoes, unless one or other
of you gentlemen is within hail."
"Mamma does so love to tease us," said Mary; "we are afraid of nothing
but putting you to inconvenience."
"Well, in that case, we shall be at Falcon's Nest on the appointed
day, unless the roads are positively submerged."
"In that case," said Jack, "a line of canoes will be placed upon the
highway, between the two localities."
As the prospect of a prize incites the young scholar to increased
exertion--as the prospect of worldly honors urges the ambitious man on
in his career--as the oasis cheers the weary traveller on his journey
through the desert, and makes him forget hunger and thirst--as the
dreams of comfort and home warm the blood of a wayfarer amongst snow
and ice--as hope smooths the ruggedness of poverty and softens the
calamities of adversity, so the prospect of meeting again mitigates
the regrets of parting.
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