`` The other evening Susan happened to say that the mayflowers were out in Rainbow Valley . I chanced to be looking at mother when Susan spoke . Her face changed and she gave a queer little choked cry . Most of the time mother is so spunky and gay you would never guess what she feels inside ; but now and then some little thing is too much for her and we see under the surface . ` Mayflowers ! ' she said . ` Jem brought me mayflowers last year ! ' and she got up and went out of the room . I would have rushed off to Rainbow Valley and brought her an armful of mayflowers , but I knew that was n't what she wanted . And after Walter got home last night he slipped away to the valley and brought mother home all the mayflowers he could find . Nobody had said a word to him about it -- he just remembered himself that Jem used to bring mother the first mayflowers and so he brought them in Jem 's place . It shows how tender and thoughtful he is . And yet there are people who send him cruel letters ! `` It seems strange that we can go in with ordinary life just as if nothing were happening overseas that concerned us , just as if any day might not bring us awful news . But we can and do . Susan is putting in the garden , and mother and she are housecleaning , and we Junior Reds are getting up a concert in aid of the Belgians . We have been practising for a month and having no end of trouble and bother with cranky people . Miranda Pryor promised to help with a dialogue and when she had her part all learnt her father put his foot down and refused to allow her to help at all . I am not blaming Miranda exactly , but I do think she might have a little more spunk sometimes . If she put her foot down once in a while she might bring her father to terms , for she is all the housekeeper he has and what would he do if she ` struck ' ?
XXXXX I were in Miranda 's shoes I 'd find some way of managing Whiskers-on-the-moon .
If about at for in of that to while with