Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 3Sylvester, Charles Herbert
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Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 3
Sylvester, Charles Herbert
Children's literature; Literature -- Collections
"As we entered, a cormorant, with a cry of anger, flew from under the
table toward me, and was about to attack me fiercely. Miss Montrose
called it off, and she then told me she had captured and tamed the
bird soon after first landing, and since that time had contrived to
train it to assist her in every conceivable way; it now not only was a
pleasant companion, but brought her food of every description, fish,
flesh and fowl, for whether it dived into the waters, according to its
natural habit, struck down birds upon the wing, or seized rabbits and
other small animals upon the land, it laid all its booty at her feet.
"Before darkness closed in, all the curiosities and ingenious
contrivances of the place had been displayed--the kitchen stove,
cooking utensils, skin bottles, shell plates and spoons, the fishing
raft and numberless other things--and then, as I sat with my fair
hostess at a most appetizing meal she gave me a short account of her
life.
"Jenny Montrose was the daughter of a British officer, who had served
for many years in India, where she herself was born. At the early age
of three years she lost her mother.
"After the death of his wife, all the colonel's love and care was
centered upon his only child; under his eye she was instructed in all
the accomplishments suited to her sex; and from him she imbibed an
ardent love for field sports. By the time she was seventeen, she was
as much at home upon her horse in the field as in her father's
drawing-room. Colonel Montrose now received orders to return home with
his regiment, and as for certain reasons he did not wish her to
accompany him in the ship with the troops, he obtained a passage for
her on board a vessel which was about to sail at the same time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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