Music Welcome to Snuescast, the podcast designed to help you fall asleep. Find us at snoozecast.com and if you enjoy our show, please share us with a friend. This episode is brought to you by a nice cold swim. Tonight, we'll read the next part too, the Boxcar Children written by first grade school teacher, Gertrude Chandler Warner, and published in 1924. The Boxcar Children tells the story of four orphan children, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny. They create a home for themselves in an abandoned boxcar in the forest. In the last episode, we explore the children's new box car home in the woods and they are introduced to a new member of their family, a lost but friendly dog with a thorn in his paw. get cozy.

Close your eyes. Relax your body into the softness of your bed. Now, take a few deep breaths. Housekeeping The next morning just was up before the others, as was fitting for a little housekeeper. That is, she was first if we accept the dog, who had opened one eye instantly every time his little mistress stirred in her sleep. He sat watching gravely in the door of the car, as just descended to get breakfast. walked from the little waterfall quite a distance down the brook, looking at it with critical eyes. This will be the well she said to herself, regarding a small but deep and quiet basin just below the falls.

Below that she found a larger basin lined with gravel, with flat stone surrounding it. This will be the wash tub she decided, and now I must go back to the refrigerator. This was the strangest spot of all. For behind the little waterfall was a small quiet pool in which Jess had set the milk bottles the night before. Not a drop of water could get in, but all night long the cool running water had surrounded the bottles. They were now fairly icy to the touch, just smiled as she drew them out. Is it good, Aspenney's voice? There he sat in the door of the car, swinging his legs, his arm around the shaggy dog. It's delicious, declared Jess, cold as ice. She climbed up beside him as she spoke, bringing the breakfast with her. The other two children sat up and looked at it. Today, Jess began Henry. I'll go back to town and try to get a job mowing lawns or something. Then we can afford to have something besides milk for breakfast. Milk suited Benny very well, however, so the older children allowed him to drink rather more than his share. Henry did not waste any time talking. He brushed his hair as well as he could without a brush, rolled down his sleeves, and started for town with the second dollar.

Glad you've got a dog Jess, he called back as he waived his straw hat. The children watched him disappear around the curve and then turned to Jess expectantly. They were not mistaken. Jess had a plan. We'll explore, she began mysteriously. We'll begin here at the car and hunt all over these woods until we find a dump. What's a dump? Inquired Benny. Oh, Benny, answered Violet. You know what a dump is. All old bottles and papers and broken dishes. And wheels answered Benny, interestingly. Will there be any old wheels? Yes, maybe. A scented violet, but cups, Benny, think of drinking milk out of a cup again. Oh, yes, said Benny politely, but it was clear that his mind was centered on wheels rather than cups. The exploring party started slowly down the rusty track, with the dog hopping happily on three legs. Fourth Paw nicely bandaged with Jess's hankerchief. He held up out of harm's way. I think this is a spur track. Said Jess. They built it in here so they could load wood on the cars. And then when they had all the wood they needed, then they didn't need the track anymore. This explanation seemed very likely, for here and there were stumps of trees and decaying chips. Violet took note of these chips and remembered them some days later. In fact, both girls kept their eyes open and pointed out things of interest to each other. Remember these logs, Violet, if we should ever need any?" said Jess pointing. Blackberry blossoms returned violet briefly, turning one over gently with her foot. Big flat stones remarked Jess later on as they came upon a great heap of them. Here the track came out into the open sunshine and broken pieces of rail showed clearly where it had joined the main track at some time in the past. And here, from the top of the wooded hill, the children could plainly see the city in the valley. They walked along the track, picking out a church steeple here and there, forgetting for a moment the object of their search. There's a wheel, Benny cried triumphantly from behind.

The girls looked down, and with a glad cry of surprise, just recognized a dump at the foot of the hill. They found it not composed entirely of ashes and tin cans, either. Although both of these were there in great profusion, it was a royal dump containing both cups and wheels. Oh, Benny, cried Jess, if it hadn't been for you, she hugged him, wheel and all, and began turning over the rubbish with great delight.

Here's a white pitcher, Jess, violet-called, holding up a perfect specimen with a tiny chip in its nose. Here's a big white cup said Jess delightedly, laying at a side.

What a teap. Here's a big white cup," said Jess, delightedly, laying it aside.

Want a tea pot, Jesse? Inquired Benny, offering her an enormous blue enameled affair without a handle. Yes indeed, Christ Jess, we can use that for water.

I found two cups and a bowl already, and Violet, we ought to be looking for spoons, too. Violet pointed without speaking to her little pile of treasures. There were five iron spoons covered with rust. Wonderful! pronounced Jess with rapture. Indeed, it is doubtful if collectors of rare and beautiful bits of porcelain ever enjoyed a search as much as did these adventurers in the dump heap.

Benny actually found four wheels exactly alike, probably from the same cart and insisted upon carrying them back. To please him, just allowed him to add them to the growing pile. Here's a big iron kettle, observed violet, but we won't really cook with a fire, will we Jess? We'll take it back though, replied Jess with a knowing look. We can pile lots of dishes in it. They could and did, but not until Benny had discovered his beloved pink cup. It was a tea party cup of bright rose color with a wreath of gorgeous roses on it and a little shepherdess giving her lamb a drink from a pale blue brook. It had a perfectly good handle, gold into the bargain. Its only flaw was a dangerous crack through the lamb's nose and front feet. Just made a cushion for it out of grass and laid it on top of the kettle full of treasures. All the things, even the wheels, were laid on a wide board which the two girls carried between them. Benny discovered his beloved pink cup.

Can you imagine the dishwashing when the gay party returned to the freight car? Children do not usually care for dishwashing, but never did a little boy hand dishes to his sister so carefully as Benny did. On their hands and knees, beside the clear, cool little wash tub, the three children soped and rinsed and dried their precious store of dishes. Just scoured the rust from the spoons with sand. There, she said, drying the last polished spoon. The children sat back and looked admiringly at their own handy-work. But they did not look long. There was too much to be done. Jess, exclaimed Violet, I'll tell you, Violet seldom spoke so excitedly. Even Benny turned around and looked at her. Come and see what I noticed inside the car last night. children followed her and peered in at the door. See on the wall right over on the other door, Jess? Now all Jess could see were two thick chunks of wood nailed securely to the closed door opposite the open one. But she whirled around and around as fast as she could, clapping her hands. When she could get her breath, however, she skipped over to the board they had carried, dusted it nicely, and laid it carefully across the two wooden projections. It was a perfect shelf. There, said Jess. The children could hardly wait to arrange the shining new dishes on the shelf. Violet quietly gathered some feathery white flowers.

A d- the shining new dishes on the shelf.

Violet quietly gathered some feathery white flowers, a daisy or two, and some maiden hair ferns, which she arranged in a glass vase filled with water from the well. she put in the middle with the broken edge hidden.

There, said Jess. "'You said there three times, Jesse,' remarked Benny, contentedly. So I did,' replied Jess, laughing. "'But I'm going to say it again." She pointed and said, there, Henry was coming up the path. Earning a living. Henry had all sorts of packages under his arm and in his pockets. But he wouldn't open them or tell a thing about his adventures until dinner was ready, he said. Just, you're a wonder! He exclaimed when he saw the dishes and the shelf. The big kettle was selected, and they all began to pick blueberries as fast as they could, telling Henry meanwhile all about the wonderful dump. At last, the tablecloth was spread, and Henry unwrapped his parcels before the whole excited family. "'I bought some more brown bread,' he said, producing the loaves, and some more milk in the same little store where I went yesterday. It's kept by a little old man, and it's called a delicate tessin' shop.

He has everything in his store to eat. I bought some dried beef, because we can eat it in our fingers, and I bought a big bone for the dog. His name is Watch, just interrupted. All right," said Henry, accepting the name, I bought a bone for watch. Watch fell on the bone as if he were famished, which indeed he nearly was. It was a rapturous moment when Jess poured the yellow milk into four cups or bowls, and each child proceeded to crumble

the brown bread into it with a liberal scattering of blueberries. And then, when they ate it with spoons, Nobody was able to speak a word for several minutes.

Then... Nobody was able to speak a word for several minutes. Then Henry began slowly to tell his tale. I earned a dollar just this morning. He began proudly. I walked along the first shady street I came to. Nice houses, you know, and there was a fellow outmoving his lawn. He's a nice fellow, too. I can tell you, A young doctor, Henry paused to chew blissfully.

He was pretty hot. Henry went on, and just as I came to the gate, his telephone rang, I heard it, and called after him and asked him if he didn't want me to finish up. And he said that he did, cried Jess. Yes, he said, for goodness' sake, yes." Henry answered, smiling. You see, he wasn't used to it. So I mowed the lawn and trimmed the edges. And he said he never had a boy trim it as well as I did. And then he asked me if I wanted a steady job.

Oh, Henry! cried Violet and just together. I told him I did, so he said to come back this afternoon anytime I wanted, or tomorrow, he said he didn't care just when, anytime. Henry gave his cup a less polish with his spoon and set it down dreamily. It's a pretty house he went on and there's a big garden behind it, vegetable garden, and an orchard behind that, cherry orchard. You ought to see the cherry trees. Well, when I was trimming the edges near the kitchen door, the cook came and watched me. She's a fat Irish woman. Henry laughed at the recollection. She asked me if I liked cookies. Oh, if you had smelled them baking, you'd have died laughing, Benny. Delicious. So I said I did, and she passed me out one, and when she went back I put it in my pocket. Did she see you? As just anxiously. Oh, no. Said Henry, confidently, for I carefully chewed away for a long time on nothing at all. Benny began to look fixately at Henry's pocket. It certainly was still rather bulgy. When I went, the doctor paid me a dollar, and the cook gave me this bag. Henry grinned as he tossed the paper bag to Jess. Inside were 12 ginger cookies with scalloped edges, smelling faintly of cinnamon and sugar. I'm going to keep track of everything I earn and spend," said Henry, watching Jess as she handed around the cookies with reverence. How are you going to write without a pencil?" asked Jess. There are pieces of Taylor's chalk in my work bag," said Violet. Henry gave his younger sister a gentle pat as she returned with her work bag and fished for the chalk. While the girls rinsed the empty dishes in the brook and stored away the food for supper, Henry was beginning his cash account on the wall of his bedroom. It was never erased, and Henry often now looks at the account with great affection. Soon the girls came to inspect it. Meanwhile, Benny looked on with great delight as watch tried to bury his bone with only one paw to dig with.

Earned $1 cash on hand $3.85, red jess allowed. Below he had ridden milk 24 cents, bread 10 cents, bread 20 cents, cheese 10 cents, Milk, 24 cents, Beef, 20 cents,

Bone, 5 cents,

Claw. Beath, 20 cents, bone, 5 cents, cloth, 10 cents. Cloth exclaimed violet, what on earth? Henry laughed a little and watched her face as he drew out his last package and handed it to her. I thought we ought to have a tablecloth, he explained, so I got a yard at the Tencent store, but it isn't hemmed, of course. With a cry of delight, violet unwrapped the brown cloth with its edge of blue. Her clever fingers were already evening the two ends. She was never so happy as when with a needle. Henry set off again with a light heart. Here was one sister curled up happily against a big tree, setting tiny stitches into a very straight hem. Here was another sister, busily gathering client twigs into a bundle for a, with which to sweep the stray pine needles from the house.

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