The following morning, the coach, of which they had secured the whole of
the inside, drove up to the Hall door, and they all got in, the tenants
and poor people standing round them, all with their hats in their hands
out of respect, and wishing them every success as they drove away
through the avenue to the park gates. The Hall and the park itself had
been long out of sight before a word was exchanged. They checked their
tears, but their hearts were too full for them to venture to speak.
The day afterward they arrived at Liverpool, where Alfred had provided
lodgings. Every thing had been sent on board, and the ship had hauled
out in the stream. As they had nothing to detain them on the shore, and
the captain wished to take advantage of the first fair wind, they all
embarked four days after their arrival at Liverpool; and I shall now
leave them on board of the London Merchant, which was the name of the
vessel, making all their little arrangements previous to their sailing,
under the superintendence of Alfred, while I give some little more
insight into the characters, ages, and dispositions of the family.
CHAPTER IV.
Mr. Campbell was a person of many amiable qualities. He was a religious,
good man, very fond of his wife, to whose opinions he yielded in
preference to his own, and very partial to his children, to whom he was
inclined to be over indulgent. He was not a person of much energy of
character, but he was sensible and well-informed. His goodness of heart
rendered him liable to be imposed upon, for he never suspected any
deceit, notwithstanding that he was continually deceived. His character
was therefore that of a simple, good, honest man.
Mrs. Campbell was well matched with him as a wife, as she had all that
energy and decision of character which was sometimes wanting in her
husband. Still there was nothing masculine in her manners and
appearance; on the contrary, she was delicate in her form, and very soft
in her manners. She had great firmness and self-possession, and had
brought up all her children admirably. Obedience to their parents was
the principle instilled into them after their duty to God; for she knew
too well that a disobedient child can never prosper. If ever there was a
woman fitted to meet the difficulty and danger which threatened them, it
was Mrs. Campbell, for she had courage and presence of mind, joined to
activity and cleverness.
Henry, the eldest son, was now nearly twenty years of age. He possessed
much of the character of his father, was without vice, but rather
inclined to inaction than otherwise. Much was to be ascribed to his
education and college life, and more to his natural disposition.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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