Elinor Wyllys; Or, The Young Folk of Longbridge: A Tale. Volume 1Cooper, Susan Fenimore
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Elinor Wyllys; Or, The Young Folk of Longbridge: A Tale. Volume 1
Cooper, Susan Fenimore
Frontier and pioneer life -- United States -- Fiction; Historical fiction
Elinor had placed in Jane's hands a small package, and a letter,
for Harry. The last we do not think ourselves privileged to open;
but the little box we know to have contained a purse of her own
knitting, and a lock of hair, which was sent at the special
request of Harry, as he intended to have it placed in a ring by a
Paris jeweller. Jane's baggage contained, moreover, in addition
to her own paraphernalia, several articles that one would not
expect to find among a young lady's trunks and hat-boxes. She,
carried with her a barrel of buckwheat, a keg of cranberries, and
a couple of jars of ginger-dainties for which, it appeared, some
American friends of the Hazlehursts had sighed, even amid all the
delicacies of Paris.
In a few weeks, the family at Wyllys-Roof had the pleasure of
hearing of Jane's safe arrival in Paris. The good news came
through Harry, and we shall give his letter, since it was the
last Elinor received from him in some months.
"Place Vendome, October, 18--.
"MY DEAREST ELINOR:--
"You will be glad to hear that Jane passed the barriers, this
morning, with the Howards. She has just finished a letter to Mrs.
Graham; and, as she dislikes writing so much, has given me leave
to announce her arrival to all at Wyllys-Roof. As Jane enters
Paris on one side, I leave it in the opposite direction, for, the
day after to-morrow, I am off for Constantinople; a movement
which will, no doubt, astonish you, though, I am sure, you will
wish me joy of such pleasant prospects. This letter will probably
be the last you will hear of me, for some time; not but what I
shall write as usual, but these long overland mails, through
countries where they suspect revolution or plague, in every
letter, often fail to do their duty. In fact, I delayed my
journey a week or two, expressly to see Jane, and have a good
supply of Longbridge news before setting out. Everybody tells me,
I must expect to lose more than half my letters, both ways. This
is bad enough, to be sure; but a journey to Greece and
Constantinople, would be too full of delights, without some
serious drawback. I believe Jane is more tired by answering our
questions, and hearing what we have to tell her, than by her
voyage. I cannot help wishing, my dear Elinor, that it were you
who had arrived in Paris, instead of our pretty little cousin.
How I should delight in showing you my favourite view, the quais
and the island, from the Pont Royal--the Louvre, too, and the
Madeleine. As for Jane, she will, doubtless, find her chief
pleasures at Delilles', and the Tuileries--buying finery, and
showing it off: it has often puzzled me to find out which some
ladies most enjoy.
{"barriers" = gateways leading into Paris, where travellers'
papers were examined}
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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