Well, the big world we wuz inhabitin' moved on over the calm waters. Josiah read a good deal, settin' in the library with Tommy on his knee. And I read some myself, but took considerable comfort studyin' the different passengers, some as if they wuz books with different bindin's, some gilt and gay, some dull and solid and some sombry, but each with different readin' inside. And stiddy and swift, onheedin' any of our feelin's or fears, the great ship ploughed on, takin' us towards that wuz comin' to meet us onbeknown to us. Miss Meechim kep' up pretty well, keepin' a good lookout on Dorothy, but restin' her mind on Robert Strong's protection, and Robert and Dorothy seemed to enjoy themselves better and better all the time, singing together, and walking up and down the deck for hours on pleasant days and matchless nights lit with the brilliant light of moon and star, and Southern Cross, and I didn't know what other light might be shinin' on 'em onbeknown to Miss Meechim, but mistrusted by me. Elder Wessel, when we wuz with Lucia, didn't seem to want anything else on earth. She wuz a pretty girl, but I could see that she wuz very romantic; she had read sights of novels, and wuz lookin' out for some prince in disguise to ride up on a white charger to carry her off and share his throne. But I could see that if the right influences wuz throwd around her she had the makin' of a noble woman in her, and I hoped she would grow up a good, helpful woman. She had a great influence over Aronette, whose nater wuz more yieldin' and gentle, and I didn't altogether approve of their intimacy, but considered that it would be broke off pretty quick, as they would part for good and all when we got to China. You may wonder why I worried about Aronette; well, the reason wuz, I loved her, jest as everybody else did who knew her well. She wuz a darling girl, always sweet tempered, always trying to help somebody; Dorothy loved her just as much as though she wuz her sister and would have treated her exactly like one if it hadn't been for Miss Meechim. She loved Aronette herself, and showed her love by her goodness, buying her everything she needed and didn't need, but she wuz so hauty naturally that she insisted on Aronette's keepin' her place, as she said. And she was so sweet dispositioned and humble sperited she didn't want to do any different. Well, I spoze Miss Meechim wuz right; if Aronette wuz Dorothy's maid it wuzn't to be expected that she would take her visitin' with her, and it wuz Aronette's delight to wait on Dorothy as devotedly as if no ties of love bound their young hearts together. Robert Strong liked and respected her, I spoze mebby on Dorothy's account, and Tommy adored her; why, even Josiah felt towards her, he said, some as if she wuz Tirzah Ann growed young agin.