Clematis

In Short

Written in 1917, Clematis tells the heartwarming story of an impoverished, unschooled young orphan wandering the streets with her beloved kitten, Deborah. After being brought to a city children's shelter, she struggles to adjust to institutional rules and formal schooling. A summer placement on a New Hampshire farm transforms her world, giving her a taste of nature's beauty and country living. When her stay nears its end, her desperate attempt to avoid returning to the city leads her to a hermit's cabin on a mountain, setting off a chain of events that reveals her true family, restores a lonely man's purpose, and gives her a permanent home.

The Story

The narrative begins on a warm spring day in a busy city, where a young girl named Clematis wanders the brick sidewalks alone, carrying her kitten, Deborah, inside her coat. Friendly strangers feed her, but when a kindly policeman named Jim Cunneen questions her, she can reveal little about her identity except her name and the fact that she has no parents. She is brought to the local Children's Home, a shelter where lost and parentless youth are cared for and educated. Clematis initial days at the institution are filled with friction; she is fiercely protective of her cat, unaccustomed to basic hygiene routines, completely illiterate despite being eight years old, and prone to reckless impulse, such as climbing onto a high window ledge to pick maple buds.

Through the patient guidance of a caregiver named Miss Rose, Clematis gradually adapts. An elderly guardian named Mr. Smith visits the shelter to explain that Clematis was left in his care as an infant by her dying mother, confirming she has no known living relatives. Clematis longs desperately for the open countryside, dreaming of green fields away from brick walls. Recognizing her deep need, the shelter arranges for her to spend part of the summer in Tilton, New Hampshire, board with a generous farm couple, Mr. and Mrs. Alder.

Country life delights Clematis. She marvels at farm routines—milking cows, feeding pigs, operating the cream separator, and gathering fresh vegetables. Though well-meaning, her clumsiness leads to minor mishaps, such as breaking a cherished teacup and leaving a bed un-aired, which strains her relationship with the pragmatic Mrs. Alder. Her joy is further compromised when her cat kills several farm chicks, prompting the Alders to lock Deborah in the barn loft. As August draws to a close, Clematis overhears that her stay is nearly over. Heartbroken at the prospect of returning to the city shelter, she flees into the woods on the day of her scheduled departure, taking her cat with her.

Clematis wanders high up onto Bean Hill, where she collapses from exhaustion outside a secluded cabin owned by Mr. Brooks, an elderly, reclusive widower. Mr. Brooks takes the sleeping child inside, cares for her, and contacts the searching community to announce she is safe. Moved by her innocence and reminded of the transformative affection described in Silas Marner, he asks to keep her temporarily. Miss Rose travels to Tilton to investigate, bringing old family papers left by Clematis's mother. The records reveal a remarkable truth: Mr. Brooks is actually Clematis's long-lost grandfather. Reunited with her true family, Clematis moves into his white house on the hill, where she grows into a happy, helpful schoolgirl and eventually invites her friends from the orphan home to visit her every summer.

How It Unfolds

Lost in the city A small, nameless girl carrying a hidden cat accepts pastries from a sympathetic baker and policeman before being escorted to a municipal children's home. She refuses to part with her kitten, forcing the shelter staff to make special accommodations in the kitchen.

Life at the shelter Clematis struggles to conform to institutional discipline, forgetting to wash, risking her life to climb out a window for maple buds, and enduring embarrassment when placed in beginner reading classes. She clings to dreams of escaping the city's concrete environment for the green country.

A glimpse of background An impoverished man named Mr. Smith visits the shelter, clarifying that Clematis was left with him as a baby by a dying mother whose husband had already passed away. The shelter directress promises to place Clematis on the list for summer country visits if she works to improve her behavior.

A summer in Tilton Clematis arrives by train in rural New Hampshire to stay with Mr. and Mrs. Alder, where she discovers the wonder of farm chores, fresh produce, and farm animals. Her eager helpfulness is offset by her clumsiness, resulting in broken china and domestic friction.

Flight into the hills Overhearing that her summer stay is ending, Clematis gathers her cat and flees into the wilderness on the day she is supposed to return to Boston. She treks up Bean Hill until she falls asleep from exhaustion outside an isolated mountain home.

A grandfather found A lonely widower, Mr. Brooks, shelters the lost girl, and news of her safety spreads through the relief-filled town. When shelter records are cross-examined, Mr. Brooks is revealed to be her biological grandfather, prompting them to move into his ancestral home together permanently.

The People

• Clematis: An eight-year-old orphan who wants nothing more than to live in the countryside surrounded by plants and animals. Her utter ignorance of social norms and formal education creates constant friction in structured environments, but her instinctive warmth, affection for her pet, and persistence endear her to caregivers. She matures from a wild, frightened stray into an attentive, hardworking granddaughter.
• Miss Rose: A compassionate teacher at the Children's Home who serves as Clematis's primary protector. She balances firm discipline with gentle understanding, advocating for the girl when she breaks rules and ultimately facilitating her life-changing trip to the country.
• Mr. Alder: A kindly New Hampshire farmer who welcomes Clematis with humor and patience. He validates her desire to help, teaches her farm tasks without judgment when she makes mistakes, and offers a reassuring presence during her transition to rural life.
• Mrs. Alder: Mr. Alder's practical, house-proud wife. She wants a neat, orderly home and grows frustrated by Clematis's domestic blunders, though her underlying goodwill ensures the child is well-fed and cared for.
• Mr. Brooks: A solitary, grieving widower living in self-imposed isolation on Bean Hill. Initially closed off from the world, his unexpected encounter with Clematis awakens his paternal instincts, leading him to claim his granddaughter and reintegrate into community life.

In Its Own Voice

When first questioned by authority figures at the police station, the lost child displays a naive, self-possessed logic:

"If you didn't know where you lived, how could you tell anyone?" she said.

Her intense craving for natural beauty drives her to risk physical harm just to touch green leaves:

"It is not wrong to take a twig, but think of the danger. Don't you know you might have fallen and killed yourself?"

Upon arriving in rural New Hampshire, the routine mechanics of dairy farming appear to her uneducated mind as pure magic:

Clematis had never seen a cow milked before, and stood watching the white streams which filled the foaming pail, as if Mr. Alder were a fairy.

What It's Really About

At its core, Clematis explores the vital relationship between a child's spirit and the natural environment. The narrative argues that concrete city streets and regimented institutional walls restrict a child's emotional and moral growth, whereas rural life, physical labor, and contact with nature nurture resilience and joy. It also examines the nature of belonging and kinship. The plot moves from institutional charity—which offers food and shelter but lacks intimacy—to authentic familial love. By referencing George Eliot's Silas Marner, the text underscores its central thesis: a vulnerable child possesses the power to redeem an isolated adult, bringing warmth, purpose, and community connection back to a life hardened by grief.

Why Read It Today

Clematis appeals to readers who enjoy classic, gentle orphan narratives in the vein of Anne of Green Gables or Heidi. It offers a sweet, nostalgic reading experience that captures the unvarnished simplicity of early 20th-century American children's literature. The prose is clean, direct, and unpretentious, making it a soothing, fast-paced restorative read.

Modern readers should note that the story reflects the era in which it was written. The plot relies heavily on ideal coincidences, particularly the fortuitous discovery of the grandfather on the mountain, which mirrors classic fairy-tale structures rather than modern realism. Additionally, the book's portrayal of institutional care and rural poverty is idealized, smoothing over the harsh historical realities of early orphanage systems. However, these period conventions do not detract from its core charm. The vivid descriptions of New Hampshire farm life—churning butter, shelling peas, and exploring forest trails—alongside the genuine bond between Clematis and her pet cat, give the narrative an enduring emotional resonance that continues to delight lovers of vintage juvenile fiction.