"Just as safe," said Beechnut, "as it would be for him to go under my
charge. There is always danger of accidents, in traveling," he added,
"but there is no more danger for Stuyvesant alone than if he were in
company."
"But will he know what to do always," said Mrs. Henry, "in order to
get along?"
"I think he will," said Beechnut. "I shall explain it all to him
beforehand."
"But there may be some accident," said Mrs. Henry. "The train may run
off the track, or there may be a collision."
"That is true," replied Beechnut, "but those things will be as likely
to happen if I were with him as if he were alone. It seems to me that
when a boy gets as old as Stuyvesant, the only advantage of having
some one with him when he is traveling is to keep him from doing
careless or foolish things,--and Stuyvesant can take care of himself
in that respect."
It was finally decided that Stuyvesant should go alone.
About eight o'clock, Mrs. Henry went up into Stuyvesant's room to pack
his trunk, but she found it packed already. Stuyvesant had put every
thing in, and had arranged the various articles in a very systematic
and orderly manner. The trunk was all ready to be locked and strapped;
but it was left open in order that Mrs. Henry might see that all was
right.
Besides his trunk, Stuyvesant had a small carpet-bag, which contained
such things as he expected to have occasion to use on the way. In this
carpet-bag was a night-dress, rolled up snugly, and also a change of
clean linen. Besides these things there were two books which
Stuyvesant had borrowed of Phonny to read in the cars, in case there
should chance to be any detention by the way. Stuyvesant had a small
morocco portfolio too, which shut with a clasp, and contained note and
letter paper, and wafers and postage stamps. This portfolio he always
carried with him on his journeys, so that he could, at any time, have
writing materials at hand, in case he wished to write a letter. He
carried the portfolio in his carpet-bag. There was a small square
morocco-covered inkstand also in the carpet-bag. It shut with a spring
and a catch, and kept the ink very securely.
Mrs. Henry calculated that it would cost Stuyvesant about ten dollars
to go from Franconia to New York; so she put ten dollars, in small
bills, in Stuyvesant's wallet, and also a ten dollar bill besides, in
the inner compartment of his wallet, to be used in case of emergency.
When all these arrangements were made, she told Stuyvesant that he
might go and find Beechnut, and get his directions.
Stuyvesant accordingly went in pursuit of Beechnut. He found him
sitting on a bench, under a trellis covered with woodbine, at the
kitchen door, enjoying the cool of the evening. Malleville was with
him, and he was telling her a story. Stuyvesant and Phonny came and
sat down upon the bench near to Beechnut.
"So then it is decided that you are to go alone," said Beechnut.
"Yes," said Stuyvesant, "and I have come to you to get my directions."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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