Five Happy Weeks

Edith, Mabel and Johnnie Evans face five weeks away from their parents when their mother's poor health calls for a trip south. They travel by steamer to Norfolk, where Aunt Maria takes the children into her care. Preparations bring their own difficulties: Edith wants her doll and its belongings, Mabel hopes to take her pets, and Johnnie asks about his wheelbarrow and tools. These small attachments make the separation a matter of daily feeling as well as family arrangements.

Margaret Elizabeth Munson Sangster builds this children's story around conversations about generosity, manners and worry. Miss Simms uses Bible verses to settle a dispute over a basket of fruit. Later, Miss Rose helps the sisters consider whether they may enjoy themselves while their mother is ill, linking cheerfulness with prayer and kindness to others. Flower garlands, a letter from their mother and Johnnie's shrimp-net give the lessons a setting of ordinary childhood pleasures. Readers interested in Sunday school literature will find moral teaching woven into the children's visit.