Shawl-Straps A Second Series of Aunt Jo's Scrap-Bag , livre ebook

Pub One Info - Alcott Louisa May

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71 pages

English

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There is a sort of fate about writing books of travel which it is impossible to escape. It is vain to declare that no inducement will bribe one to do it, that there is nothing new to tell, and that nobody wants to read the worn-out story: sooner or later the deed is done, and not till the book is safely shelved does peace descend upon the victim of this mysterious doom.

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Publié par	Pub One Info
Date de parution	23 octobre 2010
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9782819902430
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0100€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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PREFACE.
T here is a sortof fate about writing books of travel which it is impossible toescape. It is vain to declare that no inducement will bribe one todo it, that there is nothing new to tell, and that nobody wants toread the worn-out story: sooner or later the deed is done, and nottill the book is safely shelved does peace descend upon the victimof this mysterious doom.
The only way in which this affliction may belightened to a long-suffering public is to make the work ascheerful and as short as possible. With this hope the undersignedbore has abstained from giving the dimensions of any church, thepopulation of any city, or description of famous places, as far asin her lay; but confined herself to the personal haps and mishaps,adventures and experiences, of her wanderers.
To explain the undue prominence given to MissLavinia, it should be stated that she is an old and intimate friendof the compiler of this frivolous work; and therefore her views onall subjects, though less valuable, were easier to obtain thanthose of the younger and more interesting shawl-strappists.
L. M. A.
November 1872.
I.
OFF. 'On the first day of February we threewill sail from Boston for Messina, in the little fruit-ship "Wasp."We shall probably be a month going, unless we cross in a gale as Idid, splitting sails every night, and standing on our heads most ofthe way,' said Amanda, folding up her maps with an air of calmdecision. 'Hurrah! what fun!' cried Matilda, waving a half-finisheddressing-case over her head.
But Lavinia, with one sepulchral groan, fell flatupon her bed, and lay there, dumb with the horrors of such avoyage. 'Just the thing for you, my poor old dear. Think of thebalmy airs of Sicily, the oranges, the flowers. Then a deliciousmonth or two at Sorrento, with no east winds, no slush, no springcleaning. We shall be as merry as grigs, and get as buxom asdairy-maids in a month,' said the sprightly Amanda. 'You promisedto go, and if you back out we are lost, for we must have aduenna. You can lie round in Europe just as well as here, and Ihave no doubt it will do you a world of good,' added Matilda. 'Ishall keep my word; but you will bury me in the Atlantic, so makeup your minds to it. Do you suppose that I, a poor, used-up oldinvalid, who can't look at a sail-boat without a qualm, can survivethirty days of standing on my head, and thirty nights ofsail-splitting, as we go slamming and lurching across two or threeawful oceans?' demanded Lavinia, with the energy of despair.
Before anyone could reply, Amanda's little Mercuryappeared with a note. 'The "Wasp" will not take passengers,and no other fruit-ship sails this spring,' read Amanda. 'Oh dear!'sighed Matilda. 'Saved!' cried Lavinia. 'Be calm: we shall go,sooner or later, if I buy a ship and sail her myself;' with whichindomitable remark Amanda went forth to grapple with and conqueruntoward circumstances.
A month of plans, vicissitudes, and suspensefollowed, during which Amanda strove manfully; Matilda sufferedagonies of hope and fear; and Lavinia remained a passiveshuttlecock, waiting to be tossed wherever Fate's battledore choseto send her. 'Exactly two weeks from to-day, we sail with a partyof friends in the French steamer "Lafayette," from New York forBrest. Will you be ready?' demanded Amanda, after a protractedwrestle with aforesaid adverse circumstances. 'But that is exactlywhat we didn't mean to do. It's expensive and fashionable; Franceand not Italy, north and not south.' 'That's because I'm in theparty. If you take a Jonah nothing will go well. Leave me behind,and you will have a charming trip,' said Lavinia, who had anoyster-like objection to being torn from her bed. 'No matter, weare going, live or die, sink or swim; and I shall expect to meetyou, all booted and spurred and fit for the fight, April first,'said the unwavering Amanda. 'A most appropriate day for three lonewomen to start off on a wild-goose chase after health andpleasure,' groaned Lavinia from among her pillows. 'Very well,then; I leave you now, and shall expect to meet on the appointedday?' 'If I'm spared,' answered the sufferer. 'I'll bring her,never fear,' added the sanguine Mat, as she rattled the trays outof an immense trunk.
How they ever did it no one knows; but in a weekeverything was ready, and the sisters had nothing left to do but tosit and receive the presents that showered upon them from allquarters. How kind everyone was, to be sure! Six finedressing-cases arrived, and were hung upon the walls; foursmelling-bottles – one for each nostril; bed-socks, rigolettes,afghans, lunch-baskets, pocket-flasks, guide-books, needle-cases,bouquets in stacks, and a great cake with their names on top in redand blue letters three inches long.
Friendly fingers sewed for them; even the gentlemenof the house – and there were eight – had a 'bee,' and hemmedhandkerchiefs for Mat, marked towels; and one noble being actuallytook off his coat and packed the trunks in layers of mosaic-workwonderful to behold. A supper celebrated the last evening; and eventhe doleful Lavinia, touched by such kindness, emerged from herslough of despond and electrified the ball by dancing a jig withgreat spirit and grace.
Devoted beings were up at dawn to share the earlybreakfast, lug trunks, fly up and down with last messages, cheerheartily as the carriage drove off, and then adjourn enmasse to the station, there to shake hands all round once more,and wave and wring handkerchiefs as the train at last bore thejocund Mat and the resigned Lavinia toward the trysting-place andAmanda.
All along the route more friends kept bursting intothe cars as they stopped at different places; more gifts, morehand-shakes and kisses, more good wishes and kind prophecies, tillat last in a chaos of smiles, tears, smelling-bottles, luncheon,cloaks, books, and foot-warmers, the travellers left the lastfriendly face behind and steamed away to New York. 'How de-liciousthis is!' cried the untravelled Matilda, as they stepped upon thedeck of the 'Lafayette,' and she sniffed the shippy fragrance thatcaused Lavinia to gasp and answer darkly, – 'Wait tillto-morrow.'
While Mat surveyed the steamer under the care ofDevoted Being No. 10, who appeared to see them off, Laviniaarranged the stateroom, stowing away all useless gear and layingforth dressing-gowns, slippers, pocket-handkerchiefs, with ananguished smile. She had crossed the ocean twice, and was awiser, sadder woman for it. At eight she turned in, and ten minuteslater Amanda came aboard with a flock of gay friends. But notemptations of the flesh could lure the wary spinster from her den;for the night was rough and cold, and the steamer a Babel ofconfusion. 'It's perfectly delightful! I wish you'd been there,Livy. We had supper, and songs, and funny stories, and all sorts oflarks. There are quantities of nice people aboard, and we shallhave a perfectly splendid trip. I shall be up bright and early, puton my scarlet stockings, my new boots, and pretty sea-suit, and goin for a jolly day,' said the ardent Matilda, as she came skippingdown at midnight and fell asleep full of rosy visions of the joysof a Life on the ocean wave. 'Deluded child!' sighed Lavinia,closing her dizzy eyes upon the swaying garments on the wall, andfeebly wishing she had hung herself along with them.
In the gray dawn she was awakened by sounds of woe,and peering forth beheld the festive Matilda with one red stockingon and one off, her blonde locks wildly dishevelled, her face of apale green, and her hands clasping lemons, cologne, and salts, asshe lay with her brow upon the cool marble of the toilet-table.'How do you like it, dear?' asked the unfeeling Lavinia. 'Oh, whatis it? I feel as if I was dying. If somebody would only stop theswing one minute. Is it sea-sickness? It's awful, but itwill do me good. Oh, yes! I hope so. I've tried everything, andfeel worse and worse. Hold me! save me! Oh, I wish I hadn't come!''Shipmates ahoy! how are you, my loves?' and Amanda appeared, rosy,calm, and gay, with her pea-jacket on, skirts close reefed, hatwell to windward, and everything taut and ship-shape; for she was afine sailor, and never missed a meal.
Wails greeted her, and faint inquiries as to thestate of things in the upper world. 'Blowing a gale; rain, hail,and snow, – very dirty weather; and we are flying off the coast infine style,' was the cheerful reply. 'Have we split any sails?'asked Lavinia, not daring to open her eyes. 'Dozens, I dare say.Shipping seas every five minutes. All the passengers ill but me,and every prospect of a north-easter all the way over,' continuedthe lively Amanda, lurching briskly about the passage with herhands in her pockets.
Matilda dropped her lemons and her bottles to wringher hands, and Lavinia softly murmured – 'Lord, what fools wemortals be, That we ever go to sea!' 'Breakfast, ladies?' cried thepretty French stewardess, prancing in with tea-cups, bowls ofgruel, and piles of toast balanced in some miraculous manner allover her arms. 'Oh, take it away! I shall never eat again,' moanedMatilda, clinging frantically to the marble, as the water-pitcherwent down the middle with a hair-brush, and all the boots and shoeshad a grand promenade round the room. 'Don't speak to me; don'tlook at me; don't even think of me for three days at least.Go and enjoy yourself, and leave us to our doom;' with whichtragical remark Lavinia drew her curtains, and was seen nomore.
Great heavens, what a week that was! Rain, wind,fog; creak, pitch, toss; noise, smells, cold. Broken sleep by day,woe in every variety by night; food and drink a delusion and asnare; society an affliction; life a burden; death a far-offblessing not to be had at any price. Slowly, slowly the victimsemerge from the lower depths of gloom, feebly smile, faintly joke,pick fearfully but wistfully at once-rejected dishes; talk aboutgetting up, but don't do it; read a little, look at their sallowcountenances in hand-glasses, an