The sun shone brightly everywhere; but Hildegarde thought
that the laughing god sent his brightest golden rays down on the spot
where she was standing. The House in the Wood no longer justified its
name; for the trees had been cut away from around it,--only a few
stately pines and ancient hemlocks remaining to mount guard over the
cottage, and to make pleasant shady places on the wide, sunny lawns that
stretched before and behind it. The brook no longer murmured unseen, but
laughed now in the sunlight, and reflected every manner of pretty
thing,--fleecy cloudlet, fluttering bird or butterfly, nodding fern or
soldierly "cat-tail."

The house itself looked alert and wide-awake, with all its windows
thrown open, and its door standing hospitably ajar, as if awaiting
welcome guests. From an upper window came a sound of singing, for Rose
was there, arranging flowers in the vases; from another direction was
heard the ring of a hammer, as Bubble gave the last strokes to a
wonderful cart which he had been making, and which was to be his
contribution to the Country Home.

Hildegarde stood on the piazza, alone; her hands were full of flowers,
and the "laughing light" of them was reflected in her bright, lovely
face. She looked about her on the sunny greenery, on the blue shining
stream, up to the bluer sky above. "This is the happiest day of my
life!" said the girl, softly. She wondered what she had done, that all
this joy and brightness should be hers. Every one was so good to her;
every one had helped so kindly in the undertaking, from the beginning
down to this happy end. There had been a good deal to be done, of
course; but it seemed as if every hand had been outstretched to aid this
work of her heart.

Cousin Wealthy, of course, had made it possible, and had been absorbed
in it, heart and soul, as had all the others of the household. But there
had also been so many pleasant tokens from outside. When Mrs. Brett
arrived a week before, to take charge of the house, she brought a box of
contributions from her neighbors in Bixby, to whom she had told the
story of the Country Home,--scrap-books, comforters, rag-babies,
preserves, pop-corn, pincushions, catsup, kettle-holders. Bixby had
done what it could, and the girls and Miss Wealthy and Martha were
delighted with everything; but there was much laughter when the widow
pulled out a huge bottle of Vino's Vegetable Vivifier, and presented it,
with a twinkle in her eye, as the gif