Truly , we had had a delectable summer ; and , having had it , it was ours forever . `` The gods themselves can not recall their gifts . '' They may rob us of our future and embitter our present , but our past they may not touch . With all its laughter and delight and glamour it is our eternal possession . Nevertheless , we all felt a little of the sadness of the waning year . There was a distinct weight on our spirits until Felicity took us into the pantry and stayed us with apple tarts and comforted us with cream . Then we brightened up . It was really a very decent world after all . CHAPTER XXVIII . THE TALE OF THE RAINBOW BRIDGE Felix , so far as my remembrance goes , never attained to success in the Ordeal of Bitter Apples . He gave up trying after awhile ; and he also gave up praying about it , saying in bitterness of spirit that there was no use in praying when other fellows prayed against you out of spite . He and Peter remained on bad terms for some time , however . We were all of us too tired those nights to do any special praying . Sometimes I fear our `` regular '' prayers were slurred over , or mumbled in anything but reverent haste . October was a busy month on the hill farms . The apples had to be picked , and this work fell mainly to us children . We stayed home from school to do it . It was pleasant work and there was a great deal of fun in it ; but it was hard , too , and our arms and backs ached roundly at night . In the mornings it was very delightful ; in the afternoons tolerable ; but in the evenings we lagged , and the laughter and zest of fresher hours were lacking . Some of the apples had to be picked very carefully .
But XXXXX others it did not matter ; we boys would climb the trees and shake the apples down until the girls shrieked for mercy .
In OF about as on over past to until with