Maida's Little Cache

A two-part cache in Graham Park commemorates a charming children’s novel written by Inez Haynes Irwin over 100 years ago.

“Maida’s Little Shop” tells the story of a motherless little girl recovering from a crippling illness that has left her lame and despondent. Her father, wealthy from his business pursuits, tries to interest his dearly loved little daughter with elaborate birthday parties, expensive presents, and luxurious vacations. But nothing has worked. Maida continues to be pale, dejected, and hollow-cheeked – and she still walks with a sad little limp.

But Maida’s life reverses direction when she spots, from her father’s limousine, a dusty little shop in a picturesque neighborhood. “[Primrose Court] was a big, wide court. Shaded with beautiful trees – maples beginning to flame, horse-chestnuts a little browned, it was lined with wooden toy houses, set back of fenced-in yards and veiled by climbing vines. Pigeons were flying about, alighting now and then to peck at the ground or to preen their green and purple necks. Boys were spinning tops. Girls were jumping rope. The dust they kicked up had a sweet, earthy smell in Maida’s nostrils. As she stared, charmed with the picture, a little girl in a scarlet cape and a scarlet hat came climbing up over one of the fences. Quick, active as a squirrel, she disappeared into the next yard.” Opposite the court is a “cunning little shop”; as Maida watches, “a wrinkled old lady came to the window to take a paper-doll from the dusty display…”. Entering the shop to buy pickled limes, Maida finds the shop “…unpleasantly dark…confused, cluttery, and dusty.”

Despite the dust and clutter, Maida is enchanted by the “…perfectly darling little place” as a sparkle comes into her smiling face. “ ‘What a funny little place that was! Oh, how I would like to keep a little shop just like it…I think I’d rather tend shop than do anything else in the world’ ” Noticing Maida’s enthusiasm, her father buys the shop, telling her he will “…fix the place all up for you, give you plenty of money to stock it, and then…expect [her] to run it and make it pay”.

Maida’s enthusiasm grows as she buys toys to stock the shop and workers brighten the interior with fresh paint. “The ceiling…[and] the faded drab woodwork had been painted white. The walls had been colored a beautiful soft yellow. Back of the counter a series of shelves, glassed in by sliding doors, ran the whole length of the wall and nearly to the ceiling.” Arranging her newly purchased stock in the front window, Maida pauses to admire her work. “Tops of all sizes and colors were arranged in pretty patterns in the middle. Marbles of all kinds…were displayed at the sides. Jump-ropes of variegated colors…were festooned at the back. One of the window shelves had been furnished like a tiny room. A whole family of dolls sat about on the tiny sofas and chairs. On the other shelf lay neat piles of blank-books and paper-blocks, with files of pens, pencils, and [erasers] arranged in a decorative pattern surrounding them all.” Outside, “…a freshly painted sign had taken the place over the door of the dingy old black and white one. The lettering was gilt, the background a skyey blue. It read ‘MAIDA’S LITTLE SHOP’ .”

As Maida tends shop, she meets the children of Primrose Court who become her friends as well as customers. Playing with her new friends, she regains her health. “Her big, gray eyes, soft with happiness… reflected the firelight. Her [once hollow] cheeks had grown round as well as pink and dimpled.”

Maida and her friends continue their adventures in “Maida’s Little House”, Maida’s Little School”, “Maida’s Little Island”, “Maida’s Little Camp”, “Maida’s Little Village”, and at least nine more novels. Inez Haynes Irwin wrote the first book in her series, “Maida’s Little Shop”, in 1909; snippets of her charming stories are quoted above.

Waypoint #1 recalls the sunshine that came into Maida’s life when she became friends with the children of Primrose Court. Waypoint #2, the cache, represents Maida’s Little Shop and its stock of toys. Cautions: (1) It may be tough to get good satellite locks at WP #2 when the trees are full of leaves and (2) Please be discreet if muggles are playing on the nearby tennis court. Maida’s Little Cache initially contains a Chutes and Ladders CD, a green truck, a blue-eyed doll, a box of crayons, a set of jacks, a stick of blue sidewalk chalk, a brown triceratops, a green frog, a butterfly ring, a bead craft kit, a purple top, and a jump rope. Maida asks traders to please stay with the toy theme and to leave the container well covered. Be sure to replace the lid securely, pushing down on all 4 corners.

Additional Waypoints