Hurrah for New England! | Page 2

must have work, Sir,--hard work, and hard fare. It would do you no
more good to take a luxurious trip in a steamer, than to remain quietly
in your fashionable lodgings at Baltimore. Your dyspepsia, Sir, can be
best cured by your taking a cruise in a Yankee fishing-smack, bound
for the Banks of Newfoundland."
"Then I shall die," said Clarendon; "and I had almost as lief, as to be
cooped up in a dirty fishing-smack with vulgar sailors, half-starved
with their miserable fare."
"It will do you good in more ways than one," observed Dr. Medway;
and he gave mother a significant look. "We poor Virginians think it
impossible to exist except in a certain way; but you are a young man of
sense, in spite of your prejudices, and will be very much benefited by a
little more familiar intercourse with your fellow-men."
As I stood by, listening to this conversation, I was not surprised at
Clarendon's reluctance to follow Dr. Medway's advice, but much more
astonished when, after arguing the point half an hour longer, he called
for Sukey,--his old mammy, you know,--and told her to have every
thing in readiness for him to leave the next day.
As soon as the Doctor was gone, Clarendon began to see more plainly
than ever the disagreeabilities of the scheme to which he had consented;
but he was too proud to give it up after his word had been pledged.
"I wish I could find somebody to accompany me on this horrid
excursion," he exclaimed. "Miss Sukey! there's no use putting in my
guitar-music. A pretty figure I should cut, strumming away on that,

upon the dirty deck of a Down East schooner! I can't have the face to
ask any friend to accompany me. O ho! it's a desperate case!"
All at once, as if a sudden idea had struck him, while pacing the room
impatiently, he turned to me:--"What say you, Pidgie, to spending the
holidays on this fishing excursion?"
You may be sure that I was ready enough to accept the proposal, for
you know I have always been crazy to go on the water, and like seeing
new places above every thing.
"Indeed, and double indeed, brother, I would rather go to the Banks
with you, than to see Queen Victoria herself. I'll run and ask 'ma
directly if she can spare me, and if she will, I won't even unpack my
valise, but shall be all ready to start in the morning."
So saying, I darted into 'ma's chamber, and she declares that my eyes
were almost dancing out of my head for joy, when I told her of the
proposal. At first she hesitated, for it was a trial to her to part with me
so soon again; but you know Clarendon is the pride of her heart, and
for his sake she at last gave her consent. Sister Nannie was grieved at
having both her brothers taken from her, but she is a little woman, and
always ready to make sacrifices for others; so she sat down very quietly
to looking over some of Clarendon's clothes, and though a tear now and
then rolled down her cheek, she would look up from her work with
quite a pleasant smile.
Before I had time to realize what had taken place, I was perched up in
the carriage with Clarendon, and in five minutes more had taken leave
of every thing at home but Uncle Jack, who was driving us to the cars,
in which we were to start for Baltimore.
You have heard so much of New York and Boston, that I cannot,
probably, tell you any thing new about them, though, to be sure, when
there, I felt as if the half had not been told me. All the streets and
houses look so nice and comfortable in the New England towns, that I
cannot imagine where the poor people live. At the hotel in New York,
when I rang the bell, such a nice-looking young gentleman came to our

door, that I thought he was a fellow-boarder who had made a mistake in
the room. I asked him, very politely, if he would have the kindness to
tell me where any servants were to be found, as they did not answer the
bell.
He stared at this request, and then answered, quite proudly,--"I wait on
gentlemen, my young friend; but we are all free men here."
I cannot get used to this new state of affairs, and should be quite out of
patience, having to do so many things for myself, if brother Clarendon
did not keep me laughing all the while with his perfect fits of despair.
But he is calling to me to stop writing, for, since here in Marblehead
they