Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. XXIV, May 1852, Vol. IVVarious
General
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. XXIV, May 1852, Vol. IV
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
In half an hour after our arrival, Mrs. Jellyby appeared; and in the
course of an hour the various things necessary for breakfast straggled
one by one into the dining-room. I do not doubt that Mrs. Jellyby had
gone to bed, and got up in the usual manner, but she presented no
appearance of having changed her dress. She was greatly occupied during
breakfast; for the morning's post brought a heavy correspondence
relative to Borrioboola-Gha, which would occasion her (she said) to pass
a busy day. The children tumbled about, and notched memoranda of their
accidents in their legs, which were perfect little calendars of
distress; and Peepy was lost for an hour and a half, and brought home
from Newgate market by a policeman. The equable manner in which Mrs.
Jellyby sustained both his absence, and his restoration to the family
circle, surprised us all.
She was by that time perseveringly dictating to Caddy, and Caddy was
fast relapsing into the inky condition in which we had found her. At one
o'clock an open carriage arrived for us, and a cart for our luggage.
Mrs. Jellyby charged us with many remembrances to her good friend, Mr.
Jarndyce; Caddy left her desk to see us depart, kissed me in the
passage, and stood, biting her pen, and sobbing on the steps; Peepy, I
am happy to say, was asleep, and spared the pain of separation (I was
not without misgivings that he had gone to Newgate market in search of
me); and all the other children got up behind the barouche and fell off,
and we saw them, with great concern, scattered over the surface of
Thavies Inn, as we rolled out of its precincts.
CHAPTER VI.--QUITE AT HOME.
The day had brightened very much, and still brightened as we went
westward. We went our way through the sunshine and the fresh air,
wondering more and more at the extent of the streets, the brilliancy of
the shops, the great traffic, and the crowds of people whom the
pleasanter weather seemed to have brought out like many-colored flowers.
By-and-by we began to leave the wonderful city, and to proceed through
suburbs which, of themselves, would have made a pretty large town, in my
eyes; and at last we got into a real country road again, with
wind-mills, rick-yards, milestones, farmers' wagons, scents of old hay,
swinging signs, and horse-troughs: trees, fields, and hedge-rows. It was
delightful to see the green landscape before us, and the immense
metropolis behind; and when a wagon with a train of beautiful horses,
furnished with red trappings and clear-sounding bells, came by us with
its music, I believe we could all three have sung to the bells, so
cheerful were the influences around.
"The whole road has been reminding me of my namesake, Whittington," said
Richard, "and that wagon is the finishing touch. Halloa! what's the
matter?"
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