The Brick Moon, and Other StoriesHale, Edward Everett
Science
The Brick Moon, and Other Stories
Hale, Edward Everett
Short stories; United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
(RUSHES UPON THE SPAN. CATCHES EACH HORSE BY THE BIT,
AND BY SHEER WEIGHT CONTROLS THEM. HORSES ON THEIR
METTLE; Mr. Starr ON HIS. ENTER, RUNNING, JOHN
CRADOCK.)
JOHN CRADOCK. Whoa, whoa! Ha! they stop. How
can I thank you, my man? You have saved my children's
lives.
MR. STARR (STILL HOLDING BITS). You had better
take the reins.
John Cradock mounts the seat, seizes reins, but is
eager to reward the poor, tattered wretch at their heads.
Passes reins to right hand, and with left feels for a
half eagle, which he throws, with grateful words, to Mr.
Starr. Mr. Starr leaves the plunging horses, and
they rush toward Prescott Street. (EXEUNT JOHN
CRADOCK, HORSES AND CHILDREN.)
Half amused, half ashamed, Mr. Starr picks up the
coin, which he also supposes to be half an eagle.
It proves to be a bright penny, just from the mint.
Mr. Starr lays it with delight upon the five-cent
nickel.
(ENTER A STREET CAR, L. H. L. E. Mr. STARR WAVES
HIS HAND WITH DIGNITY, AND ENTERS CAR. PAYS HIS FARE,
SIX CENTS, AS HE PASSES CONDUCTOR.)
In fifteen minutes they are at Maverick Square. Mr.
Starr stops the car at the office of Siemens & Bessemer,
and enters. Meets his friend Fothergill.
FOTHERGILL. Bless me, Starr, you are covered
with mud! Pottery, eh? Runaway horse, eh? No matter;
we are just in time to see Wendell off. William, take
Mr. Starr's hat to be pressed. Put on this light
overcoat, Starr. Here is my tweed cap. Now, jump in,
and we will go to the "Samaria" to bid Wendell good-by.
And indeed they both found Wendell. Mr. Starr bade
him good-by, and advised him a little about the man be
was to see in Dresden. He met Herr Birnebaum, and talked
with him a little about the chemistry of enamels. Oddly
enough, Fonseca was there, the attache, the same whom
Clara had taken to drive at Bethlehem. Mr. Starr talked
a little Spanish with him. Then they were all rung
onshore.
TABLEAU: DEPARTING STEAMER. CROWD WAVES
HANDKERCHIEFS.
SCENE III
CHRISTMAS--THE END
At Mr. Starr's Christmas dinner, beside their cousins
from Harvard College and their second cousins from
Wellesley College and their third cousins from Bradford
Academy, they had young Clifford, the head book-keeper.
As he came in, joining the party on their way home from
church, he showed Mr. Starr a large parcel.
"It's the `Alaska's' mail, and I thought you might
like to see it."
"Ah, well!" said Mr. Starr, "it is Christmas, and I
think the letters can wait, at least till after dinner."
And a jolly dinner it was. Turkey for those who
wished, and goose for those who chose goose. And when
the Washington pie and the Marlborough pudding came, the
squash, the mince, the cranberry-tart, and the blazing
plum-pudding, then the children were put through their
genealogical catechism.
"Will, who is your mother's father's mother's father?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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