The Sunbridge Girls at Six Star Ranch: Large Print

It was a pretty little grove in which the Happy Hexagons met to study and to talk Texas.Nor were they the only ones that met there. Though Harold Day, Alma Lane's cousin, wasnot to be of the Texas party, the girls invited him to meet with them, as he was Texas-born, and was one of Genevieve's first friends in Sunbridge. On the outskirts of the magic circle, sundry smaller brothers and sisters and cousins of the members hung adoringly. Evengrown men and women came sometimes, and stood apart, looking on with what the HappyHexagons chose to think were admiring, awestruck eyes-which was not a little flattering, though quite natural and proper, decided the club. For, of course, not every one could go toTexas, to be sure At the beginning, at least, of each meeting, affairs were conducted with the seriousnessdue to so important a subject. In impressive silence the club seated itself in a circle; andsolemnly Cordelia Wilson, the treasurer, opened the meeting, being (according to Tilly) a"perfect image of her uncle in the pulpit.""Fellow members, once more we find ourselves gathered together for the purpose of thestudy of Texas," she would begin invariably. And then perhaps: "We will listen to MissBertha Brown, please. Miss Brown, what new thing-I mean, what new features have youdiscovered about Texas?"If Miss Brown had something to say-and of course she did have something (she wouldhave been disgraced, otherwise)-she said it. Then each in turn was asked, after which thediscussion was open to all.They were lively meetings. No wonder small brothers and sisters and cousins hungentranced on every word. No wonder, too, that at last, one day, quite carried away with theenthusiasm of the moment, they made so bold as to have something to say on their ownaccount. It happened like this: "Texas is the largest state in the Union," announced Bertha Brown, who had been calledon first. "It has an area about one twelfth as large as that of the whole United States. If allthe population of the country were placed there, the state would not be as thickly settled asthe eastern shore of Massachusetts is. Six different flags have waved over it since itsdiscovery two hundred years ago: France, Spain, Mexico, Republic of Texas, ConfederateStates of America, and the Star Spangled Bann