On Friday morning the sun rose again at thirty-one minutes after four o'clock. Grandfather was awake and out of bed to greet it. Arthur awakened before Ardath. He had been so sleepy the night before he could not remember much that Grandfather had said during the "good-night hour". The blue pajamas were on the chair besides his bed.

Arthur looked at the pajamas, but he did not put them on. He went to the bathroom, then crept back into bed again. It seemed like a long time before Ardath awakened, but when she did, no time was lost in wondering what to do.

"Put on your new pajamas, Arthur." She directed. The sun shines through them and makes vitamins grow in your skin."

Arthur put on his blue silk pajamas, but only because Ardath said he should, not because he was happy about doing it. The children went downstairs hand in hand.

Arthur was pleasantly surprised when Grandfather met them on the lawn. He was wearing blue silk pajamas, too, but much worn and faded ones.

When Arthur had said he did not want to be seen wearing the pajamas, Grandfather had decided Arthur was not sure a boy should be wearing what he thought looked like girl's clothing to him. Arthur needed to see another male wearing them to impress their importance upon him. So, grandfather had gotten out his faded blue silk pajamas that he had had for many years and worn them.

Grandfather explained to Arthur about the vitamin "D" and the benefits of the blue silk. After the usual romp on the dew lawn, Arthur said, "I feel a vitamin crawling up my leg."

"Silly, a vitamin can't crawl up your leg." Ardath laughed.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that. Vitamin "D" is being created and creation is a motion." Grandfather said, but he did not expect the children to understand it at once. He knew they would store the statement away, deep in the minds, and think about it at some future time.

It took a little longer to get ready for breakfast than usually because the children and Grandfather had to change from blue silk pajamas to play and work clothing. By the time they were ready for breakfast, Mary had a huge stack of something covered with a bright orange napkin, waiting for them on the table. They smelled delicious.

"Waffles", Grandfather said as he sniffed the delicious odor. There was maple syrup in a little pump-shaped jug with a handle on the back and a spout on the front of it. Arthur was so fascinated with the mechanics of the jug that he pumped much too much syrup and it went all over his plate. He had no trouble at all in consuming all of the syrup.

After breakfast, Arthur went to do his chores as usual. He had learned to feed the puppies in a short time, so Adam had given him additional chores around the barn to do. After that, he usually hoed awhile, with Grandfather, but there was no hoeing, today, so Arthur was soon ready for wading in the little stream near the foot bridge. He went to find Ardath.

He found Ardath upstairs. She had been helping Mary clean the bedroom where the children slept.

"I'm going to sleep in the big bed, tonight." Ardath told Arthur.

"If you're going to sleep in it, tonight, I'm going to sleep in it tomorrow night." Arthur asserted.

"You must ask Mary, if you may sleep in it. She said I may sleep in it, tonight." Ardath asserted.

Arthur went to find Mary and asked her at once.

"All things being ‘equal', you may sleep in it," Mary promised Arthur.

Arthur did not know exactly what Mary meant as he had not heard that expression any place in Phoenix. Mary explained, "You may sleep in the big bed, so he planned to be especially orderly all day.

The children went to the stream to wade in the water. If it had not been such a warm day, they would have had to put on dry clothing before lunch time because they splashed and threw water on each other. The water only came up to their knees, but it was cold and stimulating. It made them breathe deep and "eat air".

During lunch, Arthur asked Grandfather, "May we wade in the stream again, this afternoon?"

"What about that ‘rest and listen' period? Do you want to miss that again and fall asleep during the 'good-night hour?"

Arthur looked shy and shook his head. He felt sure Grandfather knew he had not really liked missing his quiet time yesterday.

After lunch, Arthur took his basket and went for the mail. The mailman must have been late or Arthur was early, because he was just pulling up to the mailbox when Arthur got there.

"So, you are the new mail carrier around here?", the mailman asked with a friendly smile. "Hold up your basket and I'll put the mail right into it. We won't even open the mailbox."

Arthur held up his basket. "You'll like the mail, today," the mailman called as he drove away not giving Arthur a chance to say a word. It was all so sudden, Arthur stood for a moment and stared after him.

When Arthur took the mail to grandfather, it was sorted. There were cards for everyone from the children's parents, even for Mary and Adam.

On Ardath's card was a picture of a placid lake with wooded hills surrounding it. The picture on Arthur's card was of a canoe. Grandfather had another letter from Father and Mother. He glanced at it quickly and said, "Splendid." then he explained that the first cards they had received were mailed enroute from Watkins glen and the cards of today, were from the place the business convention was being held. Grandfather looked at his letter again and said, "Uhm, huh!"

Both children took their cards along to their room for the "rest and listen" period as they had done when they had received the first cards from their parents. It gave them a sense of nearness to Father and Mother.
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