"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。