The weather was cold, and there was much snow on the ground when they
left Bellemere, and the snow continued to cover the ground for some
distance. But as the train went farther and farther south the snow
seemed to disappear--melting away until, when the children looked from
the windows of their car toward the end of their journey, they saw green
leaves on the trees.

"Oh, are we down South now, Daddy?" called Sue.

"Yes, we are in the southern part of Georgia," was the answer. "We have
left winter behind us. In a little while, especially when we get into
Florida, you will be in the sunny South."

"Oh, what fun we'll have!" cried Sue.

"Where are the oranges?" demanded Bunny. "I don't see any," and he
looked at the trees.

"Oranges don't grow in Georgia, at least not in the open," said Mr.
Brown. "Some may be raised in hothouses, but to grow them in the open
air warmer weather than Georgia has in winter is needed. We shall have
to wait until we get to Florida to gather oranges."

"What about peanuts?" asked Bunny.

"Oh, I think I can promise you plenty of peanuts," answered his father.

"And shall we see cotton growing?" asked Mrs. Brown. "I have always
wanted to see a cotton field, with the darkies singing and picking the
white, fluffy stuff."

"There is plenty of cotton in Georgia," her husband answered, "but there
may be none where we are going. However, I hope you will have your wish.
If we can't have oranges we may have peanuts and cotton."

"We'll not eat the cotton though, shall we, Daddy?" asked Sue.

"You won't have to unless you want to," he laughed in answer.

A little later, when Mr. and Mrs. Brown had got together their baggage,
for they were near their destination, Bunny, who was looking from the
window, suddenly called:

"Oh, look! Here they are, picking cotton!"

Sue rushed to her window and Mrs. Brown turned to gaze out on the scene.
As Bunny had said, the train was then passing through a cotton section,
and in the fields on either side of the track a number of colored men,
women, and children were picking the big white clumps of cotton from the
bushes which grew in long, straight rows. It was a late crop.

"Oh, it's a cotton plantation!" cried Mrs. Brown. "I'm glad, for I've
always wanted to see one."

As they looked out at the sight, which was a new one to Bunny and Sue,
the train began to slow up. In a very few moments they could see painted
in very large letters on the end of t