They all shouted with joy at the idea of asking her, and Solomon John and the younger children agreed to go and find her too.The herb-woman lived down at the very end of the street; so the boys put on their india-rubber boots again, and they set off.It was a long walk through the village, but they came at last to the herb-woman's house, at the foot of a high hill.They went through her little garden.Here she had marigolds and hollyhocks, and old maids and tall sunflowers, and all kinds of sweet-smelling herbs, so that the air was full of tansy-tea and elder-blow.Over the porch grew a hop-vine, and a brandy-cherry tree shaded the door, and a luxuriant cranberry-vine flung its delicious fruit across the window.They went into a small parlor, which smelt very spicy.
All around hung little bags full of catnip, and peppermint, and all kinds of herbs; and dried stalks hung from the ceiling; and on the shelves were jars of rhubarb, senna, manna, and the like.
But there was no little old woman.She had gone up into the woods to get some more wild herbs, so they all thought they would follow her,-Elizabeth Eliza, Solomon John, and the little boys.They had to climb up over high rocks, and in among huckleberry-bushes and black berry-vines.But the little boys had their india-rubber boots.At last they discovered the little old woman.They knew her by her hat.It was steeple-crowned, without any vane.They saw her digging with her trowel round a sassafras bush.They told her their story,-how their mother had put salt in her coffee, and how the chemist had made it worse instead of better, and how their mother couldn't drink it, and wouldn't she come and see what she could do? And she said she would, and took up her little old apron, with pockets all round, all filled with everlasting and pennyroyal, and went back to her house.
There she stopped, and stuffed her huge pockets with some of all the kinds of herbs.She took some tansy and peppermint, and caraway-seed and dill, spearmint and cloves, pennyroyal and sweet marjoram, basil and rosemary, wild thyme and some of the other time,-such as you have in clocks,-sappermint and oppermint, catnip, valerian, and hop; indeed, there isn't a kind of herb you can think of that the little old woman didn't have done up in her little paper bags, that had all been dried in her little Dutch-oven.She packed these all up, and then went back with the children, taking her stick.
Meanwhile Mrs.Peterkin was getting quite impatient for her coffee.
As soon as the little old woman came she had it set over the fire, and began to stir in the different herbs.First she put in a little hop for the bitter.Mrs.
Peterkin said it tasted like hop-tea, and not at all like coffee.Then she tried a little flagroot and snakeroot, then some spruce gum, and some caraway and some dill, some rue and rosemary, some sweet marjoram and sour, some oppermint and sappermint, a little spearmint and peppermint, some wild thyme, and some of the other tame time, some tansy and basil, and catnip and valerian, and sassafras, ginger, and pennyroyal.The children tasted after each mixture, but made up dreadful faces.Mrs.Peterkin tasted, and did the same.The more the old woman stirred, and the more she put in, the worse it all seemed to taste.
So the old woman shook her head, and muttered a few words, and said she must go.She believed the coffee was bewitched.She bundled up her packets of herbs, and took her trowel, and her basket, and her stick, and went back to her root of sassafras, that she had left half in the air and half out.And all she would take for pay was five cents in currency.
Then the family were in despair, and all sat and thought a great while.It was growing late in the day, and Mrs.Peterkin hadn't had her cup of coffee.At last Elizabeth Eliza said, "They say that the lady from Philadelphia, who is staying in town, is very wise.
Suppose I go and ask her what is best to be done." To this they all agreed, it was a great thought, and off Elizabeth Eliza went.
She told the lady from Philadelphia the whole story,-how her mother had put salt in the coffee; how the chemist had been called in; how he tried everything but could make it no better; and how they went for the little old herb-woman, and how she had tried in vain, for her mother couldn't drink the coffee.The lady from Philadelphia listened very attentively, and then said, "Why doesn't your mother make a fresh cup of coffee?" Elizabeth Eliza started with surprise.
Solomon John shouted with joy; so did Agamemnon, who had just finished his sum; so did the little boys, who had followed on.
"Why didn't we think of that?" said Elizabeth Eliza; and they all went back to their mother, and she had her cup of coffee.
