Behind this arose the shingled
tower of Hohen-Cremmen, whose weather vane glistened in the sunshine,
having only recently been regilded. The front of the house, the wing,
and the churchyard wall formed, so to speak, a horseshoe, inclosing a
small ornamental garden, at the open side of which was seen a pond,
with a small footbridge and a tied-up boat. Close by was a swing, with
its crossboard hanging from two ropes at either end, and its frame
posts beginning to lean to one side. Between the pond and the circular
bed stood a clump of giant plane trees, half hiding the swing.
The terrace in front of the manor house, with its tubbed aloe plants
and a few garden chairs, was an agreeable place to sit on cloudy days,
besides affording a variety of things to attract the attention. But,
on days when the hot sun beat down there, the side of the house toward
the garden was given a decided preference, especially by the mother
and the daughter of the house. On this account they were today sitting
on the tile walk in the shade, with their backs to the open windows,
which were all overgrown with wild grape-vines, and by the side of a
little projecting stairway, whose four stone steps led from the
garden to the ground floor of the wing of the mansion. Both mother and
daughter were busy at work, making an altar cloth out of separate
squares, which they were piecing together. Skeins of woolen yarn of
various colors, and an equal variety of silk thread lay in confusion
upon a large round table, upon which were still standing the luncheon
dessert plates and a majolica dish filled with fine large
gooseberries.
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