Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Cousins -- Juvenile fiction
"After all, it isn't worth the trouble. She's just that sort of
obstinate old creature who will never listen to a word of advice. I
knew, the moment I looked at her, that nothing I could say would do any
good. Generally I can turn that kind of person round my finger. Why,
you'd be surprised if I told you of the bargains I have got out of old
garrets over on Conanicut and down the Island. But, really and truly,
I'm a little tired of it; and I never did care much for such old duds,
except that other people have them and it is the thing to have them. I'd
rather go to Howard's any day, and get a lot of nice French china.
Howard has such exquisite things always."
So the carriage was ordered to Coddington's Cove; and as they rolled
smoothly past the Maitland Woods, neither Mrs. Joy nor Candace guessed
that at that moment Miss Colishaw was sitting in her little back-room,
with the old yeast-pitcher in her lap, crying as if her heart would
break.
"It's bad enough to be old and poor and alone in the world," she sobbed
to herself, "without having fine stuck-up folks coming right in to sauce
you out of your senses." She wiped her eyes, and looked for a minute at
the pitcher.
"Betsey Colishaw, you're a fool!" she remarked aloud. "You might have
kept your temper. The woman didn't hurt you any. And there was that
young thing looking so kind of sorry. You might have said a pleasant
word to her, anyhow, even if you were all riled up with the other."
On sped the carriage, the lovely Upper Bay always in sight, until on the
curve of the long Coddington's Point it turned, and retraced its course
so as to strike Washington Street at the lower end. It was a delicious
afternoon. The tide was flowing freshly in, and the brisk northwest
breeze which met it sent little white-caps dancing all over the surface.
Crafts of all kinds were traversing the harbor: yachts and cat-boats
were out in numbers; schooners and barges sped up the bay, their sails
shining against the green Island shores; row-boats and steam-tugs were
crossing and recrossing between the city and the Fort and Torpedo
Station. A sharp double whistle announced the "Eolus" just started on
her up trip, with a long wake of creamy foam behind her. Fleets of white
clouds were drifting across the sky, which was bluer than the sea, like
ships of heaven, simulating and repeating the movements of those of
earth below. Every wharf and dock was full of people, fishing, idling,
or preparing to go out in boats. It was one of the moments when all
mankind seems to be a-pleasuring, and to have laid aside all memory of
the labors and the pains of this work-a-day world.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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