She was a year and
a month and a day younger than myself, but was far my senior in the
school. That was an advantage to me, as it had the effect of driving me
ahead in my studies in order to reach her classes. We were together a
good deal out of school hours, taking the same work to do, when that was
practicable, as feeding the rabbits in the warren back of the Eyrie, and
cultivating the herb-garden where we raised mint, anise and cummin,
sage, marjoram and saffron for the Boston market.
One other incident occurred on the Knoll perhaps worth recording, as it
gave me a name. Annie insisted on helping me pull the toboggan up the
slide, and, on the way, she remarked, "I did not know boys liked
perfumery."
"That," said I, "is from the cedar chest our clothes are packed in."
Just as we reached the group at the top of the hill she answered, "Oh,
cedar! So it is."
As she spoke, a little toddlekins, three or four years old, came running
to me, exclaiming, "Cedar, can't I ride on the 'bog-gan?"
That settled it! My Brook Farm name was thenceforth Cedar, and would be
Cedar, still, were there any of my companions left to remember it.
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