Molly Browns Orchard Home | Page 7

appeals to me more than the brilliancy of the sunset."
"I fancy my daughter had no complaint to make of the brilliancy of the

color, but of being coerced into looking at it. She likes to be the
discoverer herself and the one to make others come to look. Isn't it so,
Molly?"
"Maybe it is," said Molly blushing. "I did not really mean much of
anything and was just talking for talk's sake."
"Anyhow," spoke the nephew, "this sunset is mine and I think it is
beautiful and all of you have simply got to look at it." Turning to Molly,
"You can have to-morrow's and make us look all you want to, but this
is my discovery."
The ice was broken and Molly and her mother made their first
acquaintances on their travels. Mr. Kinsella introduced himself and his
nephew Pierce and in the course of half an hour they were all good
steamer friends. Everyone must make up his or her mind to be ready to
make friends on a steamer or to have a very stupid, lonesome crossing.
Mrs. Brown and Molly were both too sociable and friendly to be guilty
of such standoffishness and were as pleased at making friends with the
two Kinsellas as those gentlemen were to secure such pleasant
companions as these ladies were proving themselves to be.
"We are all of us to be at the captain's table," said Pierce.
"And how do you know where we are to be?" asked Molly. "I don't
know myself where we are to sit, and how can you know?"
"Oh, that is easy. While you and your mother and Uncle Tom were
busy reading your letters and before I got my sunset ready, I was
finding out things like Rikki-tikki. First I got the steward's list and
located the Kinsellas at mess; then I looked over all the names and
where the people hailed from and decided that Miss Molly Brown of
Kentucky sounded kind of cheerful. And when I knew there was a Mrs.
Brown along, too, I decided that Miss Molly Brown was young enough
to have a mother along and the mother was young enough to be along,
and you were more than likely a pretty nice couple to cultivate. The
steward told me you were to be at the captain's table, too, as you were
friends of Miss Mary Stewart. Her father owns much stock in these nice

old tubs of steamers, and the daughter had made a special request that
you should be very well looked after."
"Isn't that too like Mary? She did not say one word about it. That
accounts for our having such a lovely stateroom to ourselves, too. We
had engaged a stateroom that was supposed to hold three persons. The
company had the privilege of putting someone else in with us, and as
the steamer is quite full, of course we had expected to have a roommate.
We hated the thought of it, too, but it was so much less expensive. And
Mother and I hoped to spend most of our time on deck, anyhow. We
could not understand the number not being the same as that on our
tickets, but thought the officials knew best and if we did not belong
there they would oust us in good time."
"Well, I am jolly glad you have the best stateroom on board. Uncle
tried to get it but had to content himself with second best."
"Are you seasick, as a rule? I do hope not," asked the young man of
Mrs. Brown, who had been conversing with Mr. Kinsella while the
nephew and Molly were making friends.
"No, we don't make it a rule to be any kind of sick; but my daughter
and I are on the ocean for the first time. In fact, we are really seeing the
ocean for the first time and do not know how we are to behave. So far
we feel as well as possible, but I fancy such a smooth sea is no test."
"Only fancy, Uncle Tom, what it must seem to see the ocean for the
first time! I almost wish I had never seen it until now, just for the
sensation."
"There was a superior New York girl at Wellington College who had a
great time trying to tease me because I had never seen the ocean. She
kept it up so long that I began to feel like a 'po' nigger at a frolic', so I
retaliated by asking her if she had ever been to a hanging. I completely
took the wind out of her sails, and then confessed that I hadn't either,"
said Molly with a laugh.
"Good for you, Miss Brown, give it to him. New York people are

certainly very superior