Children's stories; Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Young women -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction
Much relieved, and a little ashamed now of their fright, every one
subsided; but Ethel could not sleep, and clung to Jenny in an
hysterical state till a soft voice began to sing “Abide with me” so
sweetly that more than one agitated listener blessed the singer and
fell asleep before the comforting hymn ended.
Ethel was up next day, and lay on the Professor's bearskin rug on
deck, looking pale and interesting, while the Sibleys sat by her
talking over the exciting event of the night, to poor Joe's great
disgust. Jenny crept to her usual corner and sat with a book on her
lap, quietly reviving in the fresh air till she was able to enjoy
the pleasant chat of the Homers, who established themselves near by
and took care of her, learning each day to love and respect the
faithful little soul who kept her worries to herself, and looked
brightly forward no matter how black the sky might be.
Only one other incident of the voyage need be told; but as that
marked a change in the relations between the two girls it is worth
recording.
As she prepared for bed late one evening, Mrs. Homer heard Jenny say
in a tone never used before,--
“My dear, I must say something to you or I shall not feel as if I
were doing my duty. I promised your mother that you should keep
early hours, as you are not very strong and excitement is bad for
you. Now, you WON'T come to bed at ten, as I ask you to every night,
but stay up playing cards or sitting on deck till nearly every one
but the Sibleys is gone. Mrs. Homer waits for us, and is tired, and
it is very rude to keep her up. Will you PLEASE do as you ought, and
not oblige me to say you must?”
Ethel was sleepy and cross, and answered pettishly, as she held out
her foot to have her boot unbuttoned,--for Jenny, anxious to please,
refused no service asked of her,--
“I shall do as I like, and you and Mrs. Homer needn't trouble
yourselves about me. Mamma wished me to have a good time, and I
shall! There is no harm in staying up to enjoy the moonlight, and
sing and tell stories. Mrs. Sibley knows what is proper better than
you do.”
“I don't think she does, for she goes to bed and leaves the girls to
flirt with those officers in a way that I know is NOT proper,”
answered Jenny, firmly. “I should be very sorry to hear them say of
you as they did of the Sibley girls, 'They are a wild lot, but great
fun.'”
“Did they say that? How impertinent!” and Ethel bridled up like a
ruffled chicken, for she was not out yet, and had not lost the
modest instincts that so soon get blunted when a frivolous
fashionable life begins.
“I heard them, and I know that the well-bred people on board do not
like the Sibleys' noisy ways and bad manners. Now, you, my dear, are
young and unused to this sort of life; so you cannot be too careful
what you say and do, and with whom you go.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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