What Two Children Did

In Short

Published in 1903, Charlotte Elizabeth Chittenden’s What Two Children Did is an episodic juvenile novel following young sisters Ethelwyn and Beth Rayburn. After inheriting a fortune from their grandfather, the girls, guided by their widowed mother, choose to fund a seaside home for sick and impoverished children rather than spend their money on luxury. Enduring as a sweet artifact of early twentieth-century American children's literature, the story blends mild domestic comedy, spiritual reflection, and sunny moral instruction, portraying childhood innocence as a force capable of softening adult hearts and alleviating real suffering.

The Story

The story opens on a train bound for the seaside, where young sisters Ethelwyn and Beth travel with their widowed mother, Mrs. Rayburn. The children learn that their late grandfather has left them a substantial fortune. Rather than raising them to love wealth for its own sake, Mrs. Rayburn encourages the girls to think about using the money to help others. Arriving at the beach, they lodge with Miss Dorothy Stevens and her mother, "Aunty" Stevens, two kind women carrying their own heavy sorrows over lost loved ones. The children settle into a happy life of seaside play alongside their spirited neighbor, Nan, and her friend Bobby.

As the sisters encounter less fortunate children, such as a crippled boy named Dick, their mother asks if they would give up personal luxuries—a yachting trip, fine dresses, and expensive toys—to help pay for medical care and build a refuge for sick youth. Ethelwyn and Beth enthusiastically agree. Inspired by their selfless spirit, Aunty Stevens donates her own large home to serve as a children’s rest and training school, while the girls' inheritance funds the renovations and operating expenses.

When the renovated facility opens, a trainload of pale, city-bound waifs arrives at the shore. Under the playful direction of Nan, Beth, and Ethelwyn, the children form a "Rough Riders" troop, with Dick serving as general from his wheelchair. After a joyful celebration complete with Japanese lanterns and fireworks, the Rayburns temporarily leave the coast for home, where the girls continue their daily adventures.

Back home, life is full of minor mishaps and harmless mischief: Ethelwyn crashes her bicycle while riding on a grass path, landing on two dozen eggs; Bobby accidentally drops his mother's grocery list into a public mailbox; and a live white mouse escapes from Bobby's pocket during a church service, prompting a comical chaos that ends with the children playing church in the front yard. Later, during a visit to their Grandmother Van Stark's country home, Beth dresses up in historic clothes, gets her picture taken by the local minister, and tries to care for a stray kitten named Johnny Bear.

Throughout these everyday events, financial concerns loom briefly when a bank failure threatens the community. However, during a trip back to the seaside home, the girls interact with Bobby's stern grandfather, the bank director. Through their simple, unselfish logic about the value of giving versus hoarding money, the children touch the old banker's heart, leading him to reflect on his own cynicism. Ultimately, the children's generosity bears rich fruit, leaving them with a lasting understanding of compassion and faith.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins While riding in a bright Pullman car, sisters Ethelwyn and Beth enjoy a lavish basket of sandwiches and cookies while noticing the worry lines on their widowed mother's forehead. Mrs. Rayburn reveals that their late grandfather has left them a large fortune, advising them to learn to use it generously rather than growing to love material wealth.

A project takes shape At the seashore, the children bond with their hosts, Aunty Stevens and her daughter Dorothy, as well as their lively young friend Nan. After hearing about a crippled boy named Dick who needs hospital care, Ethelwyn and Beth agree to forgo lavish birthday presents and vacations in order to use their inheritance to construct a seaside home for vulnerable children.

The summer refuge opens Aunty Stevens donates her house to serve as the training school and rest home, using the girls' money to equip it. A group of frail city waifs arrives by train and is immediately welcomed into playful antics led by the neighborhood children, culminating in a festive birthday celebration filled with fireworks and lanterns before the family returns home.

Mishaps and misadventures Back in town, everyday life resumes with gentle humor, including Ethelwyn falling off her bicycle onto two dozen fresh eggs and Bobby accidentally mailing his mother's grocery list. During a Sunday service, Bobby's escaped pet mouse causes a flurry in the pews, leading the children to slip out and hold their own outdoor sermon under the trees.

Country visits and lessons A trip to Grandmother Van Stark's country estate brings rides on their pony, Ninkum, and a dress-up session that results in Beth posing in old-fashioned attire for a church fundraiser photo. Ethelwyn tries to reform a vocal stray kitten named Johnny Bear, while both girls continue finding creative ways to share their happiness with others.

Softening adult hearts On a return trip to the children's home, the girls converse with Bobby's wealthy, pragmatic banker grandfather, who questions the wisdom of giving money away to charity. The children's innocent, openhearted answers about the true purpose of wealth move the old man to rethink his cynical views on human nature and generosity.

The People

• Ethelwyn Rayburn: The older, golden-haired sister, who possesses an inquisitive mind and a dramatic flare. She frequently ponders theological questions, cooks, and enthusiastically devotes her newly inherited money to helping poor children.
• Beth Rayburn: The younger, dark-haired sister, who is straightforward, affectionate, and deeply attached to her dolls. She matches her sister's generosity without hesitation, willingly giving up expensive toys for the sake of sick waifs.
• Mrs. Rayburn: The sisters' wise, widowed mother. She guides her daughters with gentle authority, teaching them to value Christian charity over financial accumulation while supporting them through life's small trials.
• Aunty Stevens: A grieving seaside homeowner who, inspired by the children's unselfishness, donates her large house to become a permanent rest home and training school for needy youth.
• Nan: The energetic, imaginative neighborhood friend whose mother is an invalid. She actively organizes the children's games, preaches impromptu sermons, and brings a lively spirit to every gathering.
• Bobby: A round-faced, freckled neighbor boy recently moved from a farm. He frequently finds himself at the center of minor catastrophes, such as mailing grocery lists or losing a white mouse in church.
• Bobby's Grandfather: A stern, handsome banker with a firm mouth and white mustache. He initially disapproves of financial extravagance in charity, but is ultimately softened by the children's naive wisdom.

In Its Own Voice

"Mistakes are very easy to make, I think," said Ethelwyn, with an uneasy look at her mother who sat opposite, thinking hard about something. On a brightly lit train, Ethelwyn worries that her mother's quiet reflection stems from the children's recent misbehavior.

"It is such a good idea to give things away instead of always getting them, but if you can do both, as happened this time, it covers everything." Reflecting on her eighth birthday celebration at the seaside home, Ethelwyn sums up her youthful philosophy on generosity and joy.

"Does keeping money make folks happy?" inquired Beth, suddenly popping up. Beth bluntly questions Bobby's banker grandfather, catching the cynical adult off guard during a discussion on wealth.

What It's Really About

At its heart, What Two Children Did is an extended moral parable about stewardship, empathy, and the spiritual dangers of wealth. Writing from a early twentieth-century Christian perspective, Charlotte E. Chittenden contrasts the hollow nature of material luxury with the active joy of self-sacrifice. Through the innocence of Ethelwyn and Beth, the narrative argues that children possess a natural capacity for boundless generosity that adults often lose to cynicism or financial anxiety. The book frames wealth not as a reward to be hoarded or spent on personal indulgence, but as a sacred trust meant to alleviate human suffering. By focusing on the establishment of a seaside home for impoverished and ailing children, the novel highlights the transformative power of practical charity over empty piety.

Why Read It Today

Modern readers interested in period juvenile literature, social history, or turn-of-the-century domestic fiction will find What Two Children Did a charming time capsule. It offers a clear window into the values, religious sentiment, and child-rearing ideals of early 1900s middle-class America. Reading it feels like stepping into a gentle, sunlit room where moral choices are clear and innocence consistently triumphs over worldly worry.

The prose is straightforward, lightened by period humor and the playful, flawed logic characteristic of young children's dialogue. Readers should be prepared for the story's heavy sentimentality and overt instructional tone, which reflect the era's juvenile publishing conventions rather than modern realistic fiction. Additionally, contemporary readers will encounter dated racial terminology in passing references to domestic servants, as well as period assumptions regarding social class and institutional charity. Despite these historical artifacts, the book's core warmth, gentle humor, and earnest advocacy for kindness give it a enduring sweetness that appeals to readers curious about vintage children's stories.