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1、【儿童英文读物】Mimi at Sheridan SchoolCHAPTER I HOME For the first time in ever so long Mimi was rude! She shoved, pushed, crowded, stepped on other passengers toes, jabbed them with her elbows. She forgot that every other camper on the train was as eager to be at home as she. For long minutes, Mimi had be
2、en poking her red-head out the window and then pulling it in, to report. A lady Jack-in-the-box, Sue thought. “That was Bristow. The next stop is B. G.”“Theres Howards house on the hillonly two miles from thereI know, Ive hiked it.”“Ooo-ooh were crossing the river into town” At the first soft p-s-s-
3、s of escaping steam and applied brakes, Mimi leaped to her feet. This was the signal to stampede the vestibule. Because she had more “junk” to pick up, drop and pick up again, Mimi was not the first to rush down the aisle, but by some miracle of shoving and crowding and complete forgetfulness of man
4、ners, Mimi was at the head of the steps when the train pulled under the long shed and stopped. Only the restraining arm of the flagman kept her from diving off headlong before the train came to a dead stop. “Careful, Miss.” But Mimi neither heard nor heeded. She was searching the faces of the crowdS
5、ues mother, Margies daddy, Miss Janes Dickbut her own darling family, where were they? “Hello, Mimimy child, youre freckled.” “Be seein you, Mimi”“Goodbye”“Bye.” Mimi seemed rooted to one small spot under the shed and all the happiness in the world was passing around her and leaving her alone. What
6、could be the matter? Something dreadful must have happened! Then she saw A black coupe swung down the drive and raced right up to heras near as it could come for the tracks, and stopped under a big sign which read, “No Parking.” The gravel was still flying from under the wheels and the dust was stil
7、l making fitful little clouds when the door popped open and Daddy jumped out. Mimi remembered later that he did not even wait to open the door for Mother Dear and Junior but let them scramble out the best they could. Daddy came striding toward her and scooped her up into his arms, bundles and all. “
8、I simply wouldnt have a doctor for a Daddy,” he was saying. And Mother Dear, quite out of breath from dragging Junior at a rapid pace, was adding “We had to go by the Hospital and Daddy was detained” But none of that mattered in the least now. They were herethe baggage was stowed away in the back of
9、 the coupe. Junior was stretched out on the shelf blocking any view out the back windowan ideal place to pull Mimis hair or tickle her earand Mimi, Daddy and Mother Dear were scrouged up together as Daddy stepped on the starter. One long happy sigh escaped Mimi as she cuddled down, and not two minut
10、es ago tears were, well, not quite in her eyes, but in her heart to say the least. Mimis blue eyes were usually merry. “Psst, psst!” in her ear. Juniors warm breath against her ear. “Secret!” in a hoarse stage whisper. “James Sherwood Hammond, Junior,” in Mothers sternest voice as she glared at Juni
11、or. A booming big laugh from Daddy who received the tail end of Mothers stern glance. He immediately swallowed the smile and began asking Mimi about camp. “Did Sues ankle get all right?” Daddy wanted to know. “Were there any stomach aches after the big Sunday dinner we brought? What finally became o
12、f Pluto?” “YesNoNo,” Mimi was answering. “Oh it was too perfectly preciousall of itand Daddy, Mother DearI am an honor camper! See!” She fished in her purse and held up the felt emblem. “And you are something else, too. Today you are” But stopMother scowled at Daddy over Mimis head and would have pu
13、t her hand over his mouth if she could have reached it; wondering frantically if it were harder for big boys or small boys to keep a secret, she changed the subject swiftly. “Is Miss Jane very tired from having the responsibility of you wild young things?” “Not at allshes grandwonderful. Next to you
14、 Mother, I love her best of nearly any oneand oh, Mother! She is” Then Mimi nearly told a secret. She stopped herself in time. Perhaps she would have gone on but Daddy was turning in the driveway. At the first sound of the car, Von, abandoning his watch on the porch and forgetting the restrained man
15、ners of German police pedigree, came bounding toward them. Mammy Cissy was standing in the door grinning. The striped runners of wandering jew falling over the edges of the hanging baskets brushed her hair as she ducked under and her swinging arm almost knocked a fern pot from its pedestal, for Mimi
16、 had jumped on to the porch neither from the porte-cochere nor the front steps. With Von barking boldly at her heels, she had cut across the lawn and leaped on to the porch to MammyPrecious old Cissy, who this instant hugged her close, and the next was holding her at arms length saying: “Lans sakes
17、alive, Miss Mimi, yo sho is brought home a good crop of freckles and this newfangled sun tan both!” Then Daddy calling from the drive, “Here, camper, help take your things in. What good is this old land lubber with a bulging sea bag?” Daddy made such fun of things. He was unusually entertaining toda
18、y (Mother had told him to be). While he and Mimi carried the things upstairs to her roomher own room with its ivory furniture and crisp swiss curtains tied back with green taffeta bowsMammy, Mother and yes, Junior too, had disappeared. Daddy knew they were in the kitchen, busy putting last touches h
19、ere and there and lighting candleslighting candles in the middle of the day! “There,” Mimi said depositing the last load on the cedar chest under the double front window. “Can it be possible I smell food?” “Quite,” answered Daddy catching her mood. “It could even be probable, honey, that the nose ti
20、ckling, delectable odor assailing your nostrils is fried chicken!” Mimi ran for the stairs. Before Daddy caught up with her and took her arm, Mothers voice halted her rush for the kitchen. “Mimi, wash that train dirt off. You and Daddy both freshen up, for dinner is ready.” There was an excited unde
21、rtone in Mothers voice that should have told her something special was afoot but she didnt suspect a thing until she and Daddy went downstairs together and walked right into the blue velvet portieres! The dining room was shut off! Before Mimi could solve the puzzle Daddy pulled back the curtain and
22、bowed very low. This was the cue for the music to begin. Mother, Junior and Cissy in three entirely different keys were grouped at the foot of the table facing her singing, “Happy Birthday to you!” Mimi was speechless There was a white cloth on the table. She was somehow aware of Mothers good plates
23、 stacked at Daddys place, of the good silver which caught the candle light, and most of all of the big white cake in the middle of the table with fourteen yellow candles. Mimi knew without counting how many there were. It was her birthday. She was fourteen! How could she have forgotten? “I believe s
24、he really is surprised!” beamed Mother very pleased with it all. “We put something over on her once.” “Sho she is,” exclaimed Cissy ducking to the kitchen as soon as the song ended. “I nearly told,” commented Junior slipping into his place and adding in the same breath“Give me the drumstick, Daddy.”
25、 There was a deep note of gratitude in Daddys voice as he asked the simple blessing. He was thankful to have his small family all together again. It had been a long two weeks to Daddy without Mimi. There were not many more days to have them all four together at their own table. Daddy knew something
26、Mimi was yet to find out. While Daddy served the plates, Mother helped; while Cissy hovered behind Daddys chair with hot breads, while Junior clamored for both drumsticks now instead of one, Mimi made a discovery. She found a plain white envelope that was flat on the table, hidden under her napkin.
27、She hadnt taken her napkin up immediately as Daddy finished the blessing the way she usually did. She was watching tiny streams of tallow run down the candles and hoping they would not spoil the cake icing; admiring the snowy white cloth and Mothers thin, etched glasses, so different from the bare t
28、ables at camp and the thick glasses and heavy china. Not that camp wasnt all rightNo siree! But it was so grand to be home again. “A-hem” said Daddy. He had finished serving the plates and all eyes were focused on Mimi waiting for her to rip open the white envelope. “Its for me?” Mimi asked picking
29、it up and turning it over. No name, no anything “Look and see.” It was so thin and flat, it couldnt have much in it, Mimi thought as she tore the end open with scalloped little pinches. When she ran her finger in the envelope, it seemed empty. Then she shook it and out tumbled a check. It was for mo
30、re money than Mimi dreamed existed. “For you, daughter,” Daddy said (and when Daddy said “Daughter” she felt very grown-up and dignified if a slightly snubbed-nose person with unruly red hair and such merry blue eyes can ever be dignified). The check instead of being payable to Mimi was made out to
31、Sheridan School for one years room, board and tuition for Mimiin full “But?” said Mimi looking dazedly from Mother to Daddy. She wasnt old enough to go to college and she had heard Mother say she did not approve of Prep Schools when there were good High Schools at home. “Daughter, Daddy is going awa
32、y a year,” Dr. Hammond said“taking a leave of absence from his practice and going to Leipzig, Germany, to specialize.” “But what will we do without you?” “I was coming to that. You see, daughter, Mother is going along with me” Daddy reached over and patted Mothers hand. “And Junior is too small to l
33、eave so we are taking him.” “But me, Daddywhat about me?” Mimis voice was getting thinner and higher. “You, daughter, are going to Sheridan School.” For an awful moment Mimi was silent. No Mother or Daddy for a whole year? She wished she were too small to leave too. They wouldnt leave her; then with
34、out moving her lips she whispered “Sheridan School.” The very words were healing magic. How often with great longing she had said them. “When I get big Im going to Sheridan School.” She wasnt big yet, but fourteen is quite a responsible age. She began to understand that the long looked forward to “s
35、omeday” would be September. “Of course, of course,” she burst out. Holding her head high and her chin firm, and without the least bit of quiver in her voice, she looked Daddy squarely in the eyes, “I am going to Sheridan School!”CHAPTER II MISS JANES WEDDING If Daddys office nurse hadnt called and s
36、aid that he had an emergency case there is no telling when the Birthday dinner party would have ended. Even as the telephone rang and Cissy drawled, “Doctahs residence,” Daddy glanced guiltily at his wrist watch and stood up. “Tell Miss Gould Im on my way, Cissy,” and that quick Daddy was gone. Mimi
37、 was off too, but out the back door, not the front. She stopped at the buffet on the way out taking an apple out of the fruit bowl. “Surely, child, you cant eat anything else.” “No maam, its for KingIm going out to see him.” “King isnt here, Mimihes at the veterinarians.” “What for? Is he sick?” “No
38、thing at all. Dr. Kirby wants a friend to see him. Daddy will explain.” “Dr. Kirby isnt trying to sell King, is he, Mother?” In the instant Mother hesitated, Mimi knew. “Thats entirely up to you and Daddy.” “Oh,” said Mimi going on out the door toward the stable. She had no word for Von who trotted
39、at her heels, only a pat on the head. Together they stood before the empty stall; Mimi leaning against the rail, Von pressing against her knees. No proud head nuzzling against her shoulder, no welcoming neigh, no pawing. Daddy wouldnt sell King without asking her; Mimi knew that, but King was a valu
40、able horse and Daddy might need the money to go to Germany. He couldnt take the horse with him. She couldnt take him to Sheridanor could she? Boarding horses out a whole winter was dreadfully expensive. Theyd have to do something with King. Wrapped in her calculations and nibbling at the apple inten
41、ded for her pet, she wandered back toward the house and upstairs to her room. There was very little breeze. The scent of honeysuckle was heavy. She was full and tired and had no inclination whatever to open her duffle bag and begin putting things in place. “No wonder, Im sleepy. Its quiet hour by ca
42、mp time.” So saying she skinned her linen dress off over her head, kicked off her sandals, stretched out on her own bed and in two winks and no blinks was sound asleep. Two hours later when Mother opened the door, Mimi opened her eyes but she did not get up. She rolled over on her stomach, doubled h
43、er knees up and propped her head in her hands. “Could you stand another big surprise today?” Mother asked, handing Mimi the afternoon paper. The paper was turned inside out putting the Society Page on the outside. “There,” Mother added, putting her finger on an item. Mimi was too sleepy to hurry. Sh
44、e had to shift her position to hold the paper and as she moved leisurely she said to her mother: “I suppose it says the charming and onliest daughter of Dr. and Mrs. James Sherwood Hammond has returned from an extended vacation at Camp Mammoth Cave”a big yawn“and that her parents were tardy at the t
45、rain?” “Hurry, Mimi. This is important.” Mother, who usually had all the calmness and poise a doctors wife soon acquires, was weaving her hands like Zasu Pitts before Mimi focused her blue eyes on the column. “Mrs. Josephine Herold announces the engagement and approaching marriage of her daughter, A
46、licia Jane, to Mr. Dick Donnell. The wedding will be an event of early autumn.” “Umph! Thats no surprise to me. Ive known it all day longfor sure,” said Mimi superiorly. “Why, we even planned Miss Janes wedding for her on the train this morning coming home.” “And what are her plans?” “Well, I dont k
47、now exactly,” Mimi had to admit, “but were going to be in the weddingall five of us who were in Miss Janes hut at camp, and Miss Millie, too. We told her we were.” “And where will the wedding be?” “Oh, Mother,” laughed Mimi, “you sound just like that silly old nursery rhyme about Mr. Frog went a cou
48、rtin and he did ride, umphum saying where shall the wedding supper be? and if I answer like the rhyme, way down yonder in a hollow tree, that could be true for all I know. I dont care where it is just so Im in it.” “A church wedding would be frightfully expensive for Mrs. Herold, I fear; and since Mr. Herold passed away and Mrs. Herold had the house made into two apartments, their present living quarters are rathe