"Good-bye，Norah，"saidshe。

IsawNorahturnandrunupamongthetrees，almostasswiftlyandsilentlyasahare。Once，sheturnedtolookback。Iwaswatching，andcaughtthechancetowavemyhandtoher。

"Come！"commandedmother，andwewentbacktowherefatherwassit-

ting。

"Whatdoyouthink！"saidmother。

"IfoundthechildplayingwithoneoftheBadMadigans。Isn’tsheasight！"

Thelumpinmythroatswelledtoaterriblesize；somethingbuzzedinmyears，andIheardsomeoneweeping。

ForasecondortwoIdidn’trealisethatitwasmyself。

"Well，nevermind，dear，"saidmother’svoicesoothingly。"Thefrockwillwash，andthetearwillmend，andtheshoeswillblack。Yes，andthescratcheswillheal。"

"Itisn’tthat，"Isobbed。"Oh，oh，itisn’tthat！"

"Whatisit，then，forgoodnesssake？"askedmother。

ButIwouldnottell。Icouldnottell。HowcouldIsaythatthedaughteroftheBadMadiganswasthefirstrealandsatisfyingplaymateIhadeverhad？

IV

FAME

ASIremembertheboysandgirlswhogrewupwithme，Ithinkofthemasartists，oractors，ortravellers，orrichmerchants。Eachofus，bythetimewewerehalfthroughgrammarschool，hadselectedacareer。SofarasIrecollect，thiscareerhadverylit-

tletodowithourabilities。Wemerelychosesomethingthatsuitedus。Ourenergyandourvanitycrystallisedintoparticularshapes。TherewasasortofreligionabroadintheWestatthattimethatapersoncoulddoalmostanythinghesetouttodo。Theolderpeople，aswellasthechildren，hadanideathattheworldwastheirs——theyallwereMonteCristosinthatrespect。

Asforme，Ihaddecidedtobeanorator。

Atthetimeofmakingthisdecision，Iwasnineyearsofage，decidedlythinandlongdrawnout，withtwobrownbraidsdownmyback，andaterrificshynesswhichIoccasionallyovercamewithsuchamagnificentsplurgethatthosewhowerenotacquaintedwithmypeculiaritiesprobablythoughtmeashamefullyassertivechild。

Ibasedmyoratoricalaspirationsuponmyhavingtakentheprizeanum-

beroftimesinSunday-schoolforlearn-

ingthemostNewTestamentverses，anduponthefactthatIalwayscouldmakemyselfheardtothefarthestcor-

neroftheroom。IalsofeltthatIhadagreatmessagetodelivertotheworldwhenIgotaroundit，thoughinthis，I

wasinnowaydifferentfromseveralofmyfriends。Ihadnoticedanumberofthingsintheworldthatwerenotquiteright，andwhichIthoughtneededattention，andIbelievedthatifIwerequitegoodandstudiedelocution，inalittlewhileIshouldbeabletosetmypartoftheworldright，andperhapsevenextendmyinfluencetoadjoiningdistricts。

MeantimeIpractisedterriblevocalexercises，chieflyconsistingofarau-

cous"caw"somethinglikeacrow’sfavouriteremark，andadvocatedbymyteacherinelocutionfornoreasonthatIcannowremember；andIstoodbe-

foretheglassforhoursatatimemak-

inggrimacessoastoacquirethe"ac-

tor’sface，"tillmyfrightenedlittlesis-

tersimploredmetoturnbackintomy-

selfagain。

ItwasagreatdayformewhenI

wasaskedtoparticipateintheHarvestHomeFestivalatourchurchonThanksgivingDay。Ilookeduponitasthebeginningofmycareer，andboughtcrimpingpaperssothatmyhaircouldbeproperlyfluted。Ofcourse，Iwantedanewdressfortheoccasion，andI

spentseveraldaysinplanningthekindofaoneIthoughtbestsuitedtosuchamemorableevent。IevenpickedouttheparticularlacepatternIwantedfortheruffles。ThiswasbeforeIsubmittedthepropositiontoMother，however。WhenItoldheraboutitshesaidshecouldseenouseingettinganewdressandgoingtoallthetroubleofmakingitwhenmywhiteonewiththegreenharpswasperfectlygood。

Thiswassuchanunusualdressandhadgonethroughsomanyvicissitudes，thatIreallywasdevotedlyattachedtoit。Ithad，inthebeginning，belongedtomyAuntBess，andinthedaysofitsfirstgloryhadbeenasheerIrishlinenlawn，withtinygreenharpsonitatagreeableintervals。Butinthecourseoftime，ithadtobesenttothewash-tub，andthen，behold，allthelit-

tlelovelyharpsfollowedtheexampleoftheharpthat"oncethroughTara’shallthesoulofmusicshed，"anddis-

appeared！Onlyvague，dirty，yellowremindersoftheirbeautyremained，nottodecorate，buttodisfigurethefinefabric。

AuntBess，naturallyenough，feltir-

ritated，andshegavethegoodstomother，sayingthatshemightbeabletoboiltheyellowstainsoutofitandmakemeadress。Ihadgoneaboutmanyatime，likeloveamidtheruins，inthefragmentsofAuntBess’ssplen-

dour，andIwasnothappyinthethoughtofdanglingthesedimmedre-

mindersofIreland’spastaroundwithme。ButmothersaidshethoughtI’dhaveareallytrulywhiteSundaybestdressoutofitbythetimeshewasthroughwithit。Soshepreparedastrongsolutionofsodiumandthings，andboiledthebreadths，andeverylittlegreenharpcamedancingbackasifawaitingthehandofanewDublinpoet。

Thegreenofthemwasevenmorecharmingthanithadbeenatfirst，andI，ashappyasifIhadacquiredthegoldenharpforwhichIthenvaguelylonged，wenttoSunday-schoolallthatsummerinthismiraculousdressofnow-you-see-them-and-now-you-don’t，andbecamesousedtobeingaskedifI

wereIrishthatmyheartexultedwhenIfoundthatImight——fractionally——

claimtobe，andthatoneoftheFenianmartyrshadbeenanancestor。Forayear，even，afterthatdiscoveryoftheFenianmartyr，ancestorswereafa-

voritestudyofmine。

Well，thoughthedressbecamesome-

thingmorethanfamiliartotheeyesofmyassociates，IwassoattachedtoitthatIfeltnoobjectiontowearingitonthegreatoccasion；and，thatbe-

ingsettled，allthatremainedwastoselectthepiecewhichwastorevealmytalentstoahithertounappreciative——

or，perhapsIshouldsay，unsuspecting——groupoffriendsandrelatives。ItseemedtomethatIknewbetterthanmyteacher（whohadagreedtoselectthepiecesforherpupils）possiblycouldwhatsortofathingbestrepre-

sentedmytalents，andso，aftersomethought，Iselected"AntonyandCleo-

patra，"andasIlaggedalongthetoo-

familiarroadtoschool，avoidingthecompanionshipofmyacquaintances，I

repeated：

Iamdying，Egypt，dying！

Ebbsthecrimsonlife-tidefast，AndthedarkPlutonianshadowsGatherontheeveningblast。

SometimesIgrewsoimpassioned，soheedlessofallsavemymimicsorrowandtheswingofthepurplelines，thatIcouldnotbringmyselftomodifymyvoice，andthepassers-byheardmyshrilltonesvibratingwith：

Asforthee，star-eyedEgyptian！

GlorioussorceressoftheNile！

LightthepathtoStygianhorrorsWiththesplendourofthysmile。

Iwipeddishestotherhythmofsuchphrasesas"scarredandveteranle-

gions，"andlacedmyshoestothemusicof"Thoughnoglitteringguardssur-

roundme。"

Confidentthatnoonecouldfailtoseethebeautyoftheselines，orthepro-

prietyoftheidentificationofmyselfwithAntony，IcalleduponmySunday-

schoolteacher，MissGoss，toreport。I

neverhadthoughtofMissGossasablithespirit。Shewasassociatedinmymindwithnumeroussolemnoccasions，andIwassurprisedtofindthatonthisdaysheunexpectedlydevelopedatraitofbreakingintonervouslaughter。I

hadgotasfaras"Shouldthebaseple-

beianrabble——"whenMissGossbrokedowninwhatIcouldnotbutregardasafitofgiggles，andIceasedabruptly。

Shepulledherselftogetherafteramomentortwo，andsaidifIwouldfol-

lowhertothelibraryshethoughtshecouldfindsomething——hereshehesi-

tated，toconcludewith，"morewithintheunderstandingoftheotherchil-

dren。"Isawthatshethoughtmyfeel-

ingswerehurt，andasIpassedamir-

rorIfearedshehadsomereasontothinkso。Myfacewasuncommonlyflushed，andalookofindignationhadcrept，somehow，evenintomybraids，which，havingbeenplaitedtootightly，stuckoutincrooksandkinksfromthesideofmyhead。Incidentally，IwashorrifiedtonoticehowthinIwas——

thin，evenforadyingAntony——andmyfrockwassooutgrownthatithardlycoveredmyknees。"Ridiculous！"I

saidundermybreath，asIconfrontedthismiserablefigure——soshamefullyin-

significantforthevicariousemotionswhichithadbeenhousing。"Ridicu-

lous！"

IhatedMissGoss，andmusthaveshownitinmystonystare，forsheputherarmaroundmeandsaiditwasapityIhadbeentoallthetroubletolearnapoemwhichwas——well，atrifletoo——tooold——butthatshehopedtofindsomethingequally"pretty"formetospeak。AttheuseofthatadjectiveinconnectionwithWilliamLytle’slines，I

wrenchedawayfromhergraspandstoodinwhatIwaspleasedtothinkahaughtycalm，awaitingherdirections。

Shetookfromtheshelvesalittlevol-

umeofWhittier，boundincalf，hand-

lingitastenderlyasifitwereaprice-

lesspossession。Somepressedvioletsdroppedoutassheopenedit，andshereplacedthemwithdevotionalfingers。

Aftersometimeshedecideduponalyriclamententitled"Eva。"Iwasaskedtorunovertheverses，andfoundthemremarkablyeasytolearn；fatallyimpossibletoforget。Ipresentlyaroseandwithanimpishbetrayalofthepov-

ertyofrhymeandtheplethoraofsen-

timent，repeatedthethingrelentlessly。

Oforfaithlikethine，sweetEva，Lightingallthesolemnreevah[river]，Andtheblessingsofthepoor，Waftingtotheheavenlyshoor[shore]。

"Idothink，"saidMissGossgently，"thatifyoutried，mychild，youmightmanagetherhymesjustalittlebetter。"

"Butifyou’reborninMichigan，"I

protested，"howcanyoupossiblymake’Eva’rhymewith’never’and’be-

liever’？"

"Perhapsitisalittlehard，"MissGossagreed，andstillclingingtoherWhittier，sheexhumed"ThePump-

kin，"whichshethoughtpreciselyfittedforourHarvestHomefestival。Thiswasquiteanotherthingfrom"Eva，"

andIsawthatonlyhoursofstudywouldfixitinmymind。Iwenttomyhome，therefore，with"ThePumpkin"

delicatelytranscribedinMissGoss’srunninghand，andItriedtogetsomecomfortfromtheforeignallusionsglit-

teringthroughWhittier’skindlyverse。

AsthedayswentbyIcametohaveacertainfondnessforthosehomelylines：

O——fruitlovedofboyhood！——theolddaysre-

calling，Whenwoodgrapeswerepurplingandbrownnutswerefalling！

Whenwild，uglyfaceswecarvedintheskin，Glaringoutthroughthedarkwithacandlewithin！

Whenwelaughedroundthecorn-heap，withheartsallintune，Ourchairabroadpumpkin——ourlanternthemoon，TellingtalesofthefairywhotravelledlikesteamInapumpkin-shellcoach，withtworatsforherteam！

Onallsidesthispoemwasconsideredveryfitting，andIwenttothefestivalwiththatcomfortablefeelingonehaswhenoneismovingwiththemajorityandiswearingone’sbestclothes。

Isatrigidwithexpectancywhilemyschoolmatesspoketheir"pieces"andsangtheirsongs。Withfrozenfacestheyfacedeachotherindialogues，losttheirquaveringvoices，andstumbleddownthestairsintheiranguishofspirit。Ipitiedthem，andthoughthowluckyitwasthatmymemoryneverfailedme，andthatmyvoicecarriedsowellthatIcouldarouseevenoldElderWaitefromhisslumbers。

Thenmyturncame。Mycrimpswerebeautiful；thegreenharpsdancedonmyfreshly-ironedfrock，andIhadonmynewchainandlocket。Irelieduponasortofmechanisminmetosay：

Ogreenlyandfairinthelandsofthesun，Thevinesofthegourdandtherichmelonrun。

InthisseemlymannerWhittier’sodetothepumpkinbegan。ImeanttogoontoverseswhichIknewwouldde-

lightmyaudience——toreferencestothe"crook-necks"ripeningundertheSep-

tembersun；andtoThanksgivinggath-

eringsatwhichallsmiledatthereun-

ionoffriendsandthebountyoftheboard。

Whatmoistensthelipandbrightenstheeye！

Whatcallsbackthepastliketherichpumpkinpie！

Iwassuretheselineswouldmeetwithapproval，andhaving"comedowntothepopulartaste，"Iwaspreparedtodomybesttoplease。

Afterafewseconds，whenthegoldenpumpkinsthatlinedthestagehadceasedtodancebeforemyeyes，I

thoughtIoughttobeginto"getholdofmyaudience。"Ofcourse，mymem-

orywouldbegivingmetherightwords，andmyfaciletonguerunningalongre-

liably，butIwishedtodemonstratethat"ability"whichwastobringmefa-

vourandfame。Ilistenedtomyownwordsandwasshiveredintosilence。I

wastalkingabout"darkPlutonianshadows"；Iwasbegging"Egypt"toletherarmsenfoldme——Iwas，indeed，intheverythickoftheforbiddenpoem。

Icouldhearmythin，aspiringvoicereachingoutoverthatparalysedaudi-

encewith：

ThoughmyscarredandveteranlegionsBeartheireagleshighnomore；

AndmywreckedandscatteredgalleysStrewdarkActium’sfatalshore。

Mytongueseemedfrozen，orsomekindofaratchetatthebaseofithadgotoutoforder。Foramoment——amomentcanbethelittlesisterofeter-

nity——Icouldsaynothing。ThenI

foundmyselfintheclutchesofthein-

stinctforself-preservation。Ifeltitinmetostopthegigglesofthegirlsonthefrontseat；totakethepatronisingsmilesoutofthetoleranteyesofthegrownpeople。Maybemyvoicelostsomethingofitspipinginsistenceandwastouchedwithgenuinefeeling；per-

hapssomefaint，faintsparkofthedi-

vinefirewhichIlongedtofanintoaflamedidflickerinmeforthatonetime。

Ihadtheindescribablehappinessofseeingthesmilesdieonthefacesofmyelders，andofhearingthegigglesofmyfriendscease。

IwenttomyseatamidwhatIwaspleasedtoconsider"thundersofap-

plause，"andbywayofacknowledg-

ment，Ispoke，withchastenedpropri-

ety，Whittier’sodetothepumpkin。

IcannotrememberwhetherornotI

wasscolded。I’mafraid，afterward，somepeoplestilllaughed。Asforme，oddlyenough，myoratoricalaspira-

tionsdied。Idecidedtherewereothercareersbetterfittedtooneofmyphysique。SoIhadtogotothetroubleoffindinganothercareer；butjustwhatitwasIhaveforgotten。

V

REMORSE

ITisextraordinary，whenyoucometothinkofit，howveryfewdays，outofallthethousandsthathavepassed，lifttheirheadsfromthegreyplainoftheforgotten——likebowldersinalevelstretchofcountry。Itisnotalonetheunimportantonesthatarefor-

gotten；but，accordingtoone’selders，manyimportantoneshaveleftnomarkinthememory。Itseemstome，asI

thinkitover，thatitwasthedaysthataffectedtheemotionsthatdwellwithme，andIsupposeallofusmustbethesameinthisrespect。

AmongthosewhichIamnevertoforgetisthedaywhenAuntCordeliacametovisitus——mymother’saunt，shewas——andwhenIdiscoveredevil，andtriedtounderstandwhattheuseofitwas。

Great-auntCordeliawas，asIoftenandoftenhadbeentold，notonlymuchtravelled，richandhandsome，butgoodalso。Shewas，indeed，animportantpersonageinherowncity，anditseemedtoberegardedasanevidenceofunusualfamilyfealtythatsheshouldgoabout，nowandthen，brieflyvisitingallofherkinfolktoseehowtheyfaredintheworld。Ioughttohavelookedforwardtomeetingher，butthis，forsomeperversereason，Ididnotdo。IwishedImightrunawayandhidesomewheretillhervisitwasover。Itannoyedmetohavetocleanuptheplay-roomonheraccount，andtohelppolishthesilver，andtocomboutthefringeoftheteanapkins。I

likedtohelpinthesetasksordinarily，buttodoitforthepurposeofcominguptoavisiting——andprobably，acon-

descending——goddess，somehowmademecross。

Amongotherhardships，IhadtotakecareofmylittlesisterJulieallday。I

lovedJulie。Shehadsoftgolden-

browncurlsfuzzingaroundonherhead，andmischievousbrowneyes——

warm，extra-humaneyes。Therewasaplaceinthebackofherneck，justbelowthepointofhercurls，whichitwasaprivilegetokiss；andthoughshecouldnotyettalk，shehadathroaty，beauti-

fullittleexclamation，whichcannotbespelledanymorethanabirdnote，withwhichshegreetedallthethingssheliked——aflower，oratoy，ormother。

ButlovingJulieasshesatinmother’slap，andhavingtocareforherallofashiningSaturday，weretwoquitedif-

ferentthings。AsthehoursworealongIbecameboredwithlookingatthegoldencurlsofmybabysister；Ihadnoinclinationtokissthe"honey-spot"

inthebackofherneck；andwhenshefrettedfromheatandteethingandmyperfunctorycare，Igrewangry。

Iknewmotherwasbusymakingcus-

tardsandcakesforAuntCordelia，andIlongedtobeinwatchingthesepleas-

ingoperations。Ithought——butwhatdoesitmatterwhatIthought？Iwasbad！IwassobadthatIwasgladI

wasbad。Perhapsitwasnerves。May-

beIreallyhadtakencareofthebabytoolong。Buthoweverthatmaybe，forthefirsttimeinmylifeIenjoyedtheconsciousnessofhavingabaddisposi-

tion——orperhapsIoughttosaythatI

feltafiendishsatisfactioninthediscov-

erythatIhadone。

Alonginthemiddleoftheafternoonthreeofthegirlsintheneighbourhoodcameovertoplay。Theyhadtheirdolls，andtheywantedto"keephouse"

inthe"newpart"ofourhome。Wewerelivinginaroomyandcomfortable"addition，"whichhad，oddlyenough，beenbuiltbeforethebuildingtowhichitwasfinallytoserveasanannex。Thatistosay，ithadbeentheadditionbe-

foretherewasanythingtoadditto。

Bythistime，however，thenewhousewasgettingatrifleold，asitwaitedforthecompletionofitsratherdispropor-

tionatesplendours；splendourswhichrepresentedtheambitionsratherthantheachievementsofthefamily。Ittow-

ered，large，square，imposing，withhintsofM。Mansard’sgrandiosearchitectu-

ralideasinitsstyle，intheverycentreofavillageblockofland。Fromthefirst，itexercisedasortof"IdreamtI

dweltinmarblehalls"effectuponme，andinavagueway，atthebackofmymind，floatedtheideathatwhenwepassedfromourmodesthomeintothiscommandingedifice，well-trainedservantsmysteriouslywouldappear，beautifulgownswouldbefoundawait-

ingmyuseintheclosets，andfatherandmotherwouldbeabletotaketheirease，somethingafterthefashionofthe"landedgentry"ofwhomIhadreadinScotchandEnglishbooks。Theceil-

ingsofthenewhouseweresohigh，thesweepofthestairssodramatic，thesizeofthedrawing-roomssocopious，thatperhapsIhardlywastobeblamedforexpectingatransformationscene。

Butuntilthisnewlifewasrealised，theclean，bareroomsmadethebestofallpossibleplay-rooms，andwiththelightstreaminginthroughthetrees，andfalling，delicatelytingedwithgreen，uponthenewfloors，andwiththescentofthenewwoodallabout，itwasaplaceofindefinableenchantment。

IwasallowedtoplaythereallIpleased——exceptwhenIhadJulie。Therewereunguardedwindowsandyawningstair-

holes，andnostepsasyetleadingfromthegroundtothegreatopeningwherethecarvedfrontdoorwassometimetobe。Instead，therewereplanks，in-

clinedatasteepangle，beneathwhichlaythestonesofwhichthefoundationtotheporchweretobemade。Jaggedpiecesofyetunhewnsandstonetheywere，withcrueledges。

Butto-daywhenthegirlssaid，"Oh，come！"mynewlydiscoveredbadnessechoedtheirwords。Iwantedtogowiththem。SoIwent。

OutofthecornerofmyeyeIcouldseefatherinthedistance，butI

wouldn’tlookathimforfearhewouldbemagnetisedintoturningmyway。

Thegirlshadgoneup，andIfollowed，withJulieinmyarms。DidIhearfathercalltometostop？HealwayssaidIdid，butIthinkhewasmistaken。

PerhapsImerelydidn’twishtohearhim。Anyway，Iwenton，balancingmyselfasbestIcould。Theothergirlshadreachedthetop，andturnedtolookatus，andIknewtheywereafraid。I

thinktheywouldhaveheldouttheirhandstohelpme，butIhadbotharmsclaspedaboutJulie。SoIstaggeredon，gotalmosttothetop，thenseemedsub-

mergedbeneathawaveoffears——mineandthoseofthegirls——andfell！AsIwent，IcurledlikeasquirrelaroundJulie，andwhenIstruck，shewasstillinmygraspandontopofme。Butsherolledoutofmyrelaxingclutchafterthat，andwhenfatherandmothercamerunning，shewaslyingonthestones。

Theythoughtshehadfallenthatway，andasthebreathhadbeenfairlyknockedoutofherlittlebody，sothatshewasnotcrying，theyweremorefrightenedthanever，andranwithhertothehouse，wildwithapprehension。

Asforme，Igotupsomehowandfol-

owed。Idecidednoboneswerebroken，butIwasdizzyandfaint，andachingfrombruises。Isawmylittlefriendsrunningdowntheplankandmakingoffalongthepoplardrive，white-facedandpanting。IknewtheythoughtJuliewasdeadandthatI’dbehung。Ihadthesameidea。

Whenwegottothesitting-roomI

hadastrangefeelingofneverhavingseenitbefore。Thetallstove，thegreenandoakingraincarpet，thegreenrepchairs，thewhat-notwithitsshells，thesteelengravingsonthewalls，seemedabsolutelystrange。Isatdownandcountedthediamond-shapedfiguresontheoilclothinfrontofthestove；

andafteralongtimeIheardJuliecry，andmothersaywithimmeasurablere-

lief：

"Asidefromashakingup，Idon’tbelieveshe’sabittheworse。"

ThensomeonebroughtmeacupfulofcoldwaterandaskedmeifIwashurt。Ishookmyheadandwouldnotspeak。Ithenheard，insimpleandem-

phaticAnglo-Saxontheopinionsofmyfatherandmotheraboutagirlwhowouldputherlittlesister’slifeindan-

ger，andwoulddisobeyherparents。

AndafterthatIwasputinmymoth-

er’sbedroomtopasstherestoftheday，andwastoldIneedn’texpecttocometothetablewiththeothers。

Iacceptedmyfatestoically，andbe-

ingpermittedtocarrymyownchairintotheroom，Iputitbythewesternwindow，whichlookedacrosstwomilesofmeadowswavinginbuckwheat，incloverandgrass，andsatthereinacu-

rioustorporofspirit。Iwasgladtobealone，forIhaddiscoveredanewidea——theideaofsin。IwishedtobelefttomyselftillIcouldthinkoutwhatitmeant。IbelievedIcoulddothatbynight，and，afterIhadgottotherootofthematter，Icouldcastthewholeuglythingoutofmysoulandbegoodalltherestofmylife。

Therewasalargeupholsteredchairstandinginfrontofme，andIputmyheaddownontheseatofthatandthoughtandthought。MythoughtsreachedsofarthatIgrewfrightened，andIwasrelievedwhenIfeltthelittlesoftgreyveilsdrawingaboutmewhichIknewmeantsleep。ItseemedtomethatIreallyoughttoweep——thatthecircumstancesweresuchthatIshouldweep。Butsleepwassweeterthantears，andnotonlythepaininmymindbutthejarandbruiseofmybodyseemedtodemandthatoblivion。SoI

gavewaytotheimpulse，andthegreyveilswrappedaroundandaroundmeasaspider’swebenwrapsafly。AndforhoursIknewnothing。

WhenIawokeitwasthecloseofday。

Longtendershadowslayacrossthefields，theskyhadthatwonderfulclear-

nessandkindnesswhichislikeahu-

maneye，andthesoftwindpuffinginatthewindowwassweetwithfieldfragrance。Aglassofmilkandaplatewithtwoslicesofbreadlayonthewin-

dowsillbyme，asifsomeonehadplacedthemtherefromtheoutside。I

couldhearbirdssettlingdownforthenight，andcheepingdrowsilytoeachother。Mycatcameonthesceneand，seeingme，lookedatmewithserious，expandingeyes，twitchedherwhiskerscynically，andpassedon。PresentlyI

heardthevoicesofmyfamily。Theywerere-enteringthesitting-room。Sup-

perwasover——supper，withitscoldmeatsandshiningjellies，its"floatingisland"anditsfigcake。Icouldhearavoicethatwasnewtome。Itwasdeeperthanmymother’s，anditsac-

centwasdifferent。Itwasthesortofavoicethatmadeyoufeelthatitsownerhadtalkedwithmanydifferentkindsofpeople，andhadcontrivedtoholdherownwithallofthem。IknewitbelongedtoAuntCordelia。AndnowthatIwasnottoseeher，Ifeltmycuri-

osityarisinginme。Iwantedtolookather，andstillmoreIwishedtoaskheraboutgoodness。Shewasrichandgood！Wasonetheresultoftheother？

Andwhichcamefirst？Idimlyper-

ceivedthatiftherehadbeenmoremoneyinourhousetherewouldhavebeenmorehelp，andIwouldnothavebeenledintotemptation——babywouldnothavebeenlefttoolonguponmyhands。However，afterafewmomentsofself-pity，Irejectedthisthought。I

knewIreallywastoblame，anditoc-

curredtomethatIwouldaddtomyfaultsifItriedtoputtheblameonany-

bodyelse。

Nowthatthefirstshockwasoverandthatmysleephadrefreshedme，Ibe-

gantoseewhatterriblesorrowhadbeenmineifthefallhadreallyinjuredJulie；andasuddenthoughtshookme。

Shemight，afterall，havebeenhurtinsomewaythatwouldshowitselflateron。Iyearnedtolookuponher，toseeifallhersweetnessandsoftnesswasin-

tact。ItseemedtomethatifIcouldnotseehertherisinggriefinmewouldbreak，andIwouldsobaloud。Ididn’twanttodothat。Ihadnonotiontocallanyattentiontomyselfwhatever，butseethebabyImust。So，softly，andlikeathief，Iopenedthedoorcom-

municatingwiththelittledressing-

roominwhichJulie’scradlestood。Thecurtainhadbeendrawnanditwasal-

mostdark，butIfoundmywaytoJulie’sbassinet。Icouldnotquiteseeher，butthedelicateodourofherbreathcameuptome，andIfoundherlittlehandandslippedmyfingerinit。

Itwasgrippedinababypressure，andIstoodthereenraptured，feelingasifaflowerhadcaressedme。Iwasthrilledthroughandthroughwithhap-

piness，andwithloveforthislittlecrea-

ture，whommyselfishnessmighthavedestroyed。TherewasnothinginwhathadhappenedduringthismomentortwowhenIstoodbyhersidetoassuremethatallwaswellwithher；butIdidsobelieve，andIsaidoverandover：

"Thankyou，God！Thankyou，God！"

Andnowmytearsbegantoflow。

Theycameinastorm——astormIcouldnotcontrol，andIfledbacktomother’sroom，andstoodtherebeforethewestwindowweepingasIneverhadweptbefore。

Thequietlovelinessoftheclosingdayhadpassedintothesplendouroftheafterglow。Mightywingsasofbrightangels，pinkandshiningwhite，reachedupoverthesky。Thevaultwaspurpleaboveme，andpaledtolilac，thentogreenofunimaginabletenderness。

NowIquenchedmytearstolook，andthenIweptagain，weepingnomoreforsorrowandlonelinessandshamethanforgratitudeanddelightinbeauty。Sofairaworld！Whathadsintodowithit？Icouldnotmakeitout。

Theshiningwingsgrewpaler，faded，thendarkened；themelancholysoundofcow-bellsstoleupfromthecommon。

Thebirdswerestill；alowwindrustledthetrees。Isatthinkingmyyoung"nightthoughts"ofhowmarvellousitwasforthesuntoset，torise，tokeepitsplaceinheaven——ofhowwrappedaboutwithmysterieswewere。Whatiftheworldshouldstarttofallingthroughspace？Wherewoulditland？

Wasthereevenabottomtotheuni-

verse？"Worldwithoutend"mightmeanthattherewasneitheranendtospacenoryettotime。Ishiveredatthoughtofsuchvastness。

Suddenlylightstreamedaboutme，warmarmsenfoldedme。

"Mother！"Imurmured，andslippedfromtheunknowntothedearfamiliar-

ityofhershoulder。

Itwas，Isoonperceived，asilk-cladshoulder。Motherhadonherbestdress；nay，sheworehercoralpinandear-rings。HerlacecollarwasscentedwithJockeyClub，andherneck，intowhichIwasburrowing，hadtheinde-

scribablesomethingthatwasnotquiteodour，notallsoftness，butwascom-

poundedoftheseandmeantmother。

Shesaidlittletomeasshedrewmeawayandbathedmyface，brushedandplaitedmyhair，andputonmycleanfrock。Butwefelthappytogether。I

knewshewasasgladtoforgiveasI

wastobeforgiven。

Inalittlewhilesheledme，blinking，intothelight。Atallstranger，aladyinprune-colouredsilk，satinthehigh-

backedchair。

"Thisismyeldestgirl，AuntCor-

delia，"saidmymother。Iwentfor-

wardtimidly，wonderingifIwerereallygoingtobegreetedbythisper-

sonwhomusthaveheardsuchterriblereportsofme。Ifoundmyselfcaughtbythehandsanddrawnintotheem-

braceofthisnew，grandacquaintance。

"Well，I’vebeenwantingtoseeyou，"saidtherich，kindvoice。"TheysayyoulookasIdidatyourage。Theysayyouarelikeme！"

Likeher——whowasgood！Butnoonereferredtothisdifferenceorsaidanythingaboutmysins。Whenweweresorry，wasevil，then，forgottenandsinforgiven？Aweightasofirondroppedfrommyspirit。Isankwithasighonthehassockatmyaunt’sfeet。Iwasoncemoreamemberofsociety。

VI

TRAVEL

ITwastimetosaygood-bye。

Ihadbeendowntomylittlebrother’sgraveandwateredthesorrelthatgrewonit——Ithoughtitwassor-

row，andsotendedit；andIhadwalkedaroundthehouseandsaidgood-byetoeverywindow，andtotherobin’snest，andtomyplayhouseintheshed。I

hadputacleanribbononthecat’sneck，andkissedmydoll，andgivenpresentstomylittlesisters。Now，shiveringbe-

neathmynewgreyjacketinthechilloftheMaymorningair，Istoodreadytopartwithmymother。Shewasalittleflurriedwithhavingjustironedmypinaforesandcollars，andwithhav-

ingputthelasthookonmynewStuartplaidfrock，andshelookedmeoverwithratherananxiouseye。Asforme，Ithoughtmyclothescharming，andI

lovedthescarletquillinmygreyhat，andthesetofmynewshoes。Ihoped，aboveall，thatnoonewouldnoticethatIwastremblingandlayitdowntofear。

Ofcourse，Ihadbeenawaybefore。

ItwasnotthefirsttimeIhadlefteverythingtotakecareofitself。ButthistimeIwasgoingalone，andthatgaveratheradifferentaspecttothings。

Togointothecountryforafewdays，oreventoDetroit，inthecompanyofawatchfulparent，mightbecalleda"visit"；buttogoalone，partlybytrainandpartlybystage，andtoarrivebyone’sself，amountedto"travel。"I

hadanauntwhohadtravelled，andI

feltthismorningthatloveoftravelraninthefamily。ProbablyevenAuntCordeliahadbeenatriflenervous，atfirst，whenshestartedoutforHa-

waii，say，orforEgypt。

MotherandIwerebothfearfulthatthedriverofthestation’bushadn’treallyunderstoodthathewastocall。

Firstshewouldaskfather，andthenI

wouldaskhim，ifhewasquitesurethemanunderstood，andfathersaidthatifthemancouldunderstandEnglishatall——andhesupposedhecould——hehadunderstoodthat。Fatherwasrightaboutit，too，forjustwhenwe——thatis，motherandI——werealmostgivingup，the’bushorsesswunginthebiggateandcamepoundingupthedrivebe-

tweentheLombardypoplars，whichwereoutintheiryellow-greenspringdress。Theywereabayteamwithayellowharnesswhichclinkedsplendidlywithbonerings，andthe’buswasasyellowasapumpkin，andshapednotunlikeone，sothatIgaveitmyinstantapproval。ItwaspreciselythesortofvehicleinwhichIwouldhavechosentogoaway。SoabsorbedwasIinitthat，thoughImusthavekissedmother，Ihavereallynorecollectionofit；anditwasonlywhenwewereswingingoutofthegate，andIlookedbackandsawherstandinginthedoorwatchingus，thataterriblepangcameoverme，sothatforonecrazymomentIthoughtIwasgoingtojumpoutandrunbacktoher。

ButIheldontofather’shandandturnedmyfaceawayfromhomewithallthecourageIcouldsummon，andwewentonthroughthetownandoutacrossalonelystretchofcountrytotherailroad。Forwewereanobstinatelit-

tletown，andwouldnotbuilduptotherailroadbecausetherailroadhadre-

fusedtorunuptous。Itwasanewstationwithafineechoinit，andthemanwhocalledoutthetrainshadabeautifulvoiceforechoes。Itwascre-

atedtoinspirethemandtoencouragethem，andIstoodfascinatedbythethunderousnoiseshewasmakingtillfatherseizedmebythehandandthrustmeintothecareofthetrainconductor。

Theysaidsomethingtoeachotherinthesharp，explosivewaymenhave，andtheconductortookmetoaseatandtoldmeIwashisgirlforthetimebe-

ing，andtostayrighttheretillhecameformeatmystation。

Whatamazedmewasthatthecarshouldbefullofpeople。Icouldnotimaginewheretheyallcouldbegoing。

Itwasallverywellforme，whobe-

longedtoafamilyoftravellers——aswit-

nessAuntCordelia——tobegoingonajourney，butfortheseothers，thesemany，manyothers，tobewanderingaround，heavenknowswhere，struckmeasbeingnotright。Itseemedtotakesomewhatfromthegloryofmyadven-

ture。

However，Inoticedthatmostofthemlookedpoor。Theirclotheswereoldandugly；theirfacesnotthoseofpleas-

ure-seekers。Itwasverydifficulttoimaginethattheycouldaffordajour-

ney，whichwas，asIbelieved，agreatluxury。Atfirst，thepeoplelookedtobeallofasort，butafteralittleIbe-

gantoseethedifferences，andtono-

ticethatthisonelookedhappy，andthatonesad，andanotherasifhehadmuchtodoandlikedit，andseveralothersasiftheyhadverylittleideawheretheyweregoingorwhy。

ButIlikedbettertolookfromthewindowsandtoseetheworld。ThehousesseemedquitefamiliarandasifIhadseenthemoftenbefore。IhardlycouldbelievethatIhadn’twalkedupthosepaths，openedthosedoorsandseatedmyselfatthetables。IfeltthatifIwentinthosehousesIwouldknowwhereeverythingwas——justwherethedisheswerekept，andtheBible，andthejam。Itstruckmethathouseswereverymuchalikeintheworld，andthatledtothethoughtthatpeople，too，wereprobablyalike。SoIforgotwhattheconductorhadsaidtomeaboutkeepingstill，andIcrossedovertheaisleandsatdownbesidealittlegirlwhowasregrettablyyoung，butwholookedpleasant。Hermotherandgrand-

motherweresittingopposite，andtheysmiledatmeinawaterysortofwayasiftheythoughtasmilewasexpectedofthem。Imeanttotalktothelittlegirl，butIsawshewasalmostonthevergeoftears，anditdidn’ttakemelongtodiscoverwhatwasthematter。

Herlittlepinkhatwasheldonbyanelasticband，which，beingputbehindherearsandunderherchin，wascut-

tinghercruelly。Iknewbyexperiencethatifthebandwereplacedinfrontofherearsthetensionwouldbelessened；

so，withthemostbenevolentintentionsintheworld，Iinsertedmyfingersbe-

tweentherubberandherchubbycheeks，drewitoutwithnervousbutfriendlyfingers，somehowletgoofit，andsnapacrosshertworedcheeksandherprettypugnosewentthelacerat-

ingelastic，leavingaweltbehindit！

"Whatdoyoumean，youbadgirl？"

criedthemother，takingmebytheshoulderswithasortofgripIhadneverfeltbefore。"Ineversawsuchachild——never！"

Anoldwomanwithafacelikeahenleanedoverthebackoftheseat。

"What’sshedone？What’sshedone？"shedemanded。Themothertoldher，asthegrandmothercomfortedthehurtbaby。

"Gobacktoyourseatandstaythere！"commandedthemother。"Seeyoudon’tcomenearhereagain！"

MylipstrembledwiththeanguishI

couldhardlyrestrain。Neverhadanoblesoulbeenmoremisunderstood。

Stupidbeings！Howdarethey！Yet，nottobelikedbythem——nottobeun-

derstood！Thatwasunendurable。

Wouldtheylistentothegentlewordthatturnethawaywrath？Iwasin-

clinedtothinknot。Iwasfairlypant-

ingundermyloadofdismayandde-

spondency，whenalargemanwithanextraordinarilycleanappearancesatdownoppositeme。Hewasastudyingrey——greysuit，tie，socks，gloves，hat，top-coat——yes，andeyes！Heleanedforwardingratiatingly。

"WhatdoyouthinkAuntEllensentmelastweek？"heinquired。

Weseemedtobeoldacquaintances，andinmysecondofperplexityIde-

cidedthatitwasmereforgetfulnessthatmademeunabletorecalljustwhomhewastalkingabout。SoIonlysaidpolitely："Idon’tknow，I’msure，sir。"

"Why，yes，youdo！"helaughed。

"Couldn’tyouguess？WhatshouldAuntEllensendbutsomeofthatwhitemaplesugarofhers；betterthanever，too。I’veapoundofitalongwithme，andI’dbegladtopryoffafewpiecesifyou’dliketoeatit。YoualwaysweresofondofAuntEllen’smaplesugar，youknow。"

Thetonecarriedconviction。OfcourseImusthavebeenfondofit；

indeed，uponreflection，IfeltthatIhadbeen。Bythetimethemanwasbackwithaparallelogramofthemaplesugarinhishand，Iwasconvincedthathehadspokenthetruth。

"AuntEllencertainlyisadear，"hewenton。"IrundowntoseehereverytimeIgetachance。Sameoldrain-

barrel！Sameoldbeehives！Sameoldwell-sweep！Wouldn’ttradethemforanyothersintheworld。Ilikeevery-

thingabouttheplace——likethe’OldMan’thatgrowsbythegate；andthetomatotrellis——nobodyelsetreatsto-

matoeslikeflowers；andtheherbgar-

den，andthecupboardwiththelittlewood-carvingsinitthatUncleBenmade。YourememberUncleBen？

Beenasailor——brokebothlegs——had’emcutoff——andsataroundandcarvedwhileAuntEllentaughtschool。Happytheywere——noonehappier。Broughtmeup，youknow。Didn’thaveafatherormother——justgatheredmein。Goodsort，those。UncleBen’sgone，butAuntEllen’samothertomeyet。

Thinksofme，travelling，travelling，neverputtingmyheaddowninthesamebedtwonightsrunning；andhereandthereandeverywheresheovertakesmewithlittlescrapsoutofhome。That’sAuntEllenforyou！"

Asthedelicioussugarmeltedonmytongue，thesorrowsmeltedinmysoul，andIwasjustabouttomakesomein-

quiriesaboutAuntEllen，whoseper-

sonalqualitiesseemedtobegrowingclearerandclearerinmymind，whenmyconductorcamestridingdowntheaisle。

"Where’smylittlegirl？"hede-

mandedheartily。"Ah，theresheis，justwhereIlefther，ingoodcompanyandeatingmaplesugar，asIlive。"

"Well，shehain’tbinthereallthetimenow，Ikentellyethat！"criedtheoldwomanwithafacelikeahen。

"Indeed，sheain’t！"theotherwomenjoinedin。"She’samischief-

makin’child，that’swhatsheis！"saidthemother。Thelittlegirlwaslook-

ingoverhergrandmother’sshoulder，andsheranoutaveryred，serpent-

liketongueatme。

"She’sagoodgirl，andalmostasfondofAuntEllenasIam，"saidthelargeman，findingmypocket，andput-

tingahugepieceofmaplesugarinit。

Theconductor，meantime，wasgath-

eringmythings，andwitha"Comealong，now！Thisiswhereyouchange，"heledmefromthecar。I

glancedbackonce，andthehen-facedwomanshookherwitheredbrownfistatme，andthelargemanwavedandsmiled。TheconductorandIranashardaswecould，hecarryingmylightluggage，toastagethatseemedtobewaitingforus。Heshoutedsomedi-

rectionstothedriver，depositedmewithin，andranbacktohistrain。AndI，aloneagain，lookedaboutme。

Wewereintheheartofalittletown，andanumberofmenwerestandingaroundwhilethehorsestooktheirfillatthewatering-trough。Thisaccom-

plished，thedrivercheckedupthehorses，mountedtohishighseat，wasjoinedbyaheavyyoungman；twogen-

tlemenenteredtheinsideofthecoach，andwewereoff。

Oneofthesegentlemenwasveryold。

Hissilverhairhungonhisshoulders；

hehadabeautifulflowingheardwhichgleamedinthelight，thekindestoffaces，litwithlaughingblueeyes，andheleanedforwardonhisheavystickandseemedtomindtheplungingofourvehicle。Theothermanwasmid-

dle-aged，dark，silent-looking，and，I

decided，ratherlikeaking。Weallrodeinsilenceforawhile，butbyandbytheoldmansaidkindly：

"Whereareyougoing，mychild？"

Itoldhim。

"Andwhosedaughterareyou？"heinquired。Itoldhimthatwithpride。

"Iknowpeopleallthroughthestate，"

hesaid，"butIdon’tseemtorememberthatname。"

"Don’tyouremembermyfather，sir？"Icried，anxiously，edgingupclosertohim。"Notthatgreatandgoodman！Why，AbrahamLincolnandmyfatherarethegreatestmenthateverlived！"

Hisheadnoddedstrangely，ashelifteditandlookedatmewithhislaughingeye。

"It’sapityIdon’tknowhim，thatbeingthecase，"hesaidgently。"But，anyway，you’realuckylittlegirl。"

"Yes，"Isighed，"Iam，indeed。"

ButmyattentionwastakenbyourapproachtowhatIrecognisedasan"estate。"Agreatgatewithhighposts，flatontop，metmygaze，andthroughthisgatewayIcouldseeadriveandmanybeautifultrees。Alittleboywassittingontopofoneoftheposts，watchingus，andIthoughtIneverhadseenaplacebetteradaptedtoviewingthepassingprocession。Ilongedtobeontheothergatepost，exchangingconfi-

dencesacrosstheharmlessgulfwiththisnice-lookingboy，when，mostunex-

pectedly，thehorsesbegantoplunge。

Thenextsecondtheairwasfilledwithbuzzingblackobjects。

"Bees！"saidtheking。Itwasthefirstwordhehadspoken，andatrueworditwas。Swarmingbeeshadset-

tledintheroad，andwehaddrivenun-

awareintothemidstofthem。Thehorsesweredistracted，andmadeblind-

lyforthegate，thoughtheyseemedmuchmorelikelytorunintothepoststhantogetthroughthegate，Ithought。

Theboyseemedtothinkthis，too，forheshotbackward，turnedasomersaultin。theair，anddisappearedfromview。

"Godblessme！"saidtheking。

Theheavyyoungmanonthefrontseatjumpedfromhisplaceandbeganbeatingawaythebeesandholdingthehorsesbythebridles，andinafewmin-

uteswewereonourway。Thehorseshadbeenbadlystung，andtheheavyyoungmanlookedratherbumpy。Asforus，thekinghadshutthestagedooratthefirstapproachoftrouble，andwewereunharmed。

Afterthis，weallfeltquitewellac-

quainted，andtheoldgentlemantoldmesomewonderfulstoriesaboutgoingaboutamongtheIndiansandaboutthemeninthelumbercampsandtheset-

tlersonthelakeislands。AfterwardI

learnedthathewasabishop，andabraveandholymanwhomitwasagreathonourtomeet，but，atthetime，Ionlythoughtofhowkindhewastopareapplesformeandtotellmetales。

Thekingseldomspokemorethanonewordatatime，buthewaskind，too，inhisway。Oncehesaid，"Sleepy？"tome。And，again，"Hungry？"Hedidn’tlookoutatthelandscapeatall，andneitherdidthebishop。ButIranfromonesidetotheother，andthelastofthejourneyIwastakenupbetweenthedriverandtheheavymanonthehighseat。

Presentlywewereinalittletownwithcottagesalmosthiddenamongthetrees。Abluestreamranthroughgreenfields，andthewaterdashedoveradam。Icouldhearthesongofthemillandtherippingoftheboards。

"We’rehere！"saidthedriver。

Theheavymanliftedmedown，andmyyoungunclecamerunningoutwithhisarmsopentoreceiveme。"Whatatraveller！"hesaid，kissingme。

"It’sbeenatremendouslylongandinterestingjourney，"Isaid。

"Yes，"heanswered。"Tenmilesbyrailandtenbystage。Isupposeyou’vehadagreatmanyadventures！"

"Oh，yes！"Icried，andachedtotellthem，butfearedthiswasnottheplace。

Isawmyunclerespectfullyhelpingthebishoptoalight，andheardhiminquir-

ingforhishealth，andthebishopan-

sweringinhiskind，deepvoice，andsayingIwasindeedagoodtravellerandsawalltherewastosee——andalit-

tlemore。Thekingshookhandswithme，andthistimesaidtwowords：

"Goodluck。"Unclehadnoideawhohewas——noonehadseenhimbefore。

Uncledidn’tquitelikehislooks。ButIdid。Hewasuncommon；hewasdif-

ferent。Ithoughtofallthosepeopleinthetrainwhohadbeensoalike。AndthenIrememberedwhatunexpecteddifferencestheyhadshown，andturnedtosmileatmyuncle。

"IshouldsayIhavehadadven-

tures！"Icried。

"We’llgethometoyouraunt，"hesaid，"andthenwe’llhearallaboutthem。"

Wecrossedabridgeabovetheroar-

ingmill-race，wentupalane，anden-

teredArcadia。Thatwasthewayitseemedtome。Itwasreallyacottageaboveastream，whereyouthandlovedwelt，andhonourandhospitality，andthelittlehousewastobeexchangedforagreateronewhere——thoughyouthde-

parted——loveandhonourandhospital-

itywerestilltodwell。

"Travel’sagreatthing，"saidmyuncle，ashehelpedmeoffwithmyjacket。

"Yes，"Ianswered，solemnly，"itisagreatprivilegetoseetheworld。"

Istillamofthatopinion。Ihaveseensomeoddbitsofit，andIcannotunderstandwhyitisthatotherjour-

neyshavenotquitecomeuptothatfirstone，whenIheardofAuntEllen，andsawtheboyturnthesurprisedsomersault，andwaswelcomedbytwoloversinalittleArcadia。

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