Christian life -- Fiction; Conduct of life -- Fiction; Young women -- Fiction
He took care of her down the stairs, and saw her safe to the
very door of the saloon, and within it, and there again took
her hand, and kindly bade her good-night.
Ellen entered the saloon only to sit down and cry as if her
heart would break. She saw and heard nothing till Mrs.
Dunscombe's voice bade her make haste and be ready, for they
were going ashore in five minutes.
And in less than five minutes, ashore they went.
"Which hotel, Maam?" asked the servant who carried her
baggage "the Eagle, or Foster's?"
"The Eagle," said Mrs. Dunscombe.
"Come this way, then, Maam," said another man, the driver of
the Eagle carriage; "now, Maam, step in, if you please."
Mrs. Dunscombe put her daughter in.
"But it's full!" said she to the driver; "there isn't room for
another one!"
"Oh yes, Maam, there is," said the driver, holding the door
open "there's plenty of room for you, Maam just get in,
Maam, if you please we'll be there in less than two
minutes."
"Timmins, you'll have to walk," said Mrs. Dunscombe. "Miss
Montgomery, would you rather ride, or walk with Timmins?"
"How far is it, Maam?" said Ellen.
"Oh, bless me! how can I tell how far it is? I don't know, I
am sure not far; say, quick would you rather walk or
ride?"
"I would rather walk, Maam, if you please," said Ellen.
"Very well," said Mrs. Dunscombe, getting in; "Timmins, you
know the way."
And off went the coach with its load; but, tired as she was,
Ellen did not wish herself in it.
Picking a passage-way out of the crowd, she and Timmins now
began to make their way up one of the comparatively quiet
streets.
It was a strange place that she felt. She had lived long
enough in the place she had left, to feel at home there: but
here she came to no street or crossing that she had ever seen
before; nothing looked familiar; all reminded her that she was
a traveller. Only one pleasant thing Ellen saw on her walk,
and that was the sky; and that looked just as it did at home;
and very often Ellen's gaze was fixed upon it, much to the
astonishment of Miss Timmins, who had to be not a little
watchful for the safety of Ellen's feet while her eyes were
thus employed. She had taken a great fancy to Ellen, however,
and let her do as she pleased, keeping all her wonderment to
herself.
"Take care, Miss Ellen!" cried Timmins, giving her arm a great
pull; "I declare I just saved you out of that gutter! Poor
child! you are dreadfully tired, ain't you?"
"Yes, I am very tired, Miss Timmins," said Ellen; "have we
much farther to go?"
"Not a great deal, dear; cheer up! we are almost there. I hope
Mrs. Dunscombe will want to ride one of these days herself,
and can't."
"Oh, don't say so, Miss Timmins," said Ellen, "I don't wish
so, indeed."
"Well, I should think you would," said Timmins; "I should
think you'd be fit to poison her; _I_ should, I know, if I was
in your place."
"Oh, no," said Ellen, "that wouldn't be right that would be
very wrong."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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