remind me. In the midst of our own happiness we forget too often
that which we ought to remember before all things. When God has
shown us some special mercy we should think at once of those who
are denied so many things. I will telegraph to Frankfurt at once!
Fraulein Rottenmeier shall pack up the bed this very day, and it
will be here in two days' time. God willing, grandmother shall
soon be sleeping comfortably upon it."
Heidi skipped round grandmamma in her glee, and then stopping
all of a sudden, said quickly, "I must make haste down and tell
grandmother, and she will be in trouble too at my not having
been to see her for such a long time." For she felt she could not
wait another moment before carrying the good news down to
grandmother, and, moreover, the recollection came to her of the
distress the old woman was in when she last saw her.
"No, no, Heidi, what can you be thinking of," said her
grandfather reprovingly. "You can't be running backwards and
forwards like that when you have visitors."
But grandmamma interfered on Heidi's behalf. "The child is not
so far wrong, Uncle," she said, "and poor grandmother has too
long been deprived of Heidi for our sakes. Let us all go down to
her together. I believe my horse is waiting for me and I can ride
down from there, and as soon as I get to Dorfli the message
shall be sent off. What do you think of my plan, son?"
Herr Sesemann had not yet had time to speak of his travelling
plans, so he begged his mother to wait a few moments that he
might tell her what he proposed doing.
Herr Sesemann had been arranging that he and his mother should
make a little tour in Switzerland, first ascertaining if Clara
was in a fit state to go some part of the way with them. But now
he would have the full enjoyment of his daughter's company, and
that being so he did not want to miss any of these beautiful
days of later summer, but to start at once on the journey that he
now looked forward to with such additional pleasure. And so he
proposed that they should spend the night in Dorfli and that
next day he should come and fetch Clara, then they would all
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