Silver Pitchers Author:Louisa May Alcott Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: TRANSCENDENTAL WILD OATS. A CHAPTER FROM AN UNWRITTEN ROMANCE. ON the first day of June, 184-, a large wagon, drawn by a small horse and containing a motley l... more »oad, went lumbering over certain New England hills, with the pleasing accompaniments of wind, rain, and hail. A serene man with a serene child upon his knee was driving, or rather being driven, for the small horse had it all his own way. A brown boy with a William Penn style of countenance sat beside him, firmly embracing a bust of Socrates. Behind them was an energetic-looking woman, with a benevolent brow, satirical mouth, and eyes brimful of hope and courage. A baby reposed upon her lap, a mirror leaned against her knee, and a basket of provisions danced about at her leet, as she struggled with a large, unruly umbrella. Two blue- eyed little girls, with hands full of childish treasures, sat under one old shawl, chatting happily together. In front of this lively party stalked a tall, sharp- featured man, in a long blue cloak; and a fourth small girl trudged along beside him through the mud as if she rather enjoyed it. The wind whistled over the bleak hills; the rain fell in a despondent drizzle, and twilight began to falL Hut the cairn man gazed as tranquilly into the fog as if hebeheld a radiant bow of promise spanning the gray sky. The cheery woman tried to cover every one but herself with the big umbrella. The brown boy pillowed his head on the bald pate of Socrates and slumbered peacefully. The little girls sang lullabies to their dolls in soft, maternal murmurs. The sharp-nosed pedestrian marched steadily on, with the blue cloak streaming out behind him like a banner; and the lively infant splashed through the puddles with a duck-like satisfaction pleasant to behold. Thus these modern pilgrims journeyed hop...« less