Part 20 (1/2)

”Gracious, goodness me, the thing's alive!”

The little girl laughed heartily, and, taking up the discarded doll, explained to the woman the simple method employed to produce the sound.

”Well, it do sound quite _nataral_,” said her astonished companion. ”What will they find out next? It beats the railroad and the telegraph holler.”

”Ah, but I saw a big doll that could speak when I was with mamma in New York,” said the child, with glistening eyes.

”A doll that could speak? You don't say. Oh, do tell!”

While the young lady described the automaton doll, it was amusing to watch the expressions of surprise, wonder, and curiosity, that flitted over the woman's brig cadaverous face. She would have made a good study for a painter.

A young relative of mine went down in the steamboat, to be present at the Provincial Agricultural Show that was held that year in the town of Buckville, on the St. Lawrence. It was the latter end of September; the weather was wet and stormy, and the boat loaded to the water's edge with cattle and pa.s.sengers. The promenade decks were filled up with pigs, sheep and oxen. Cows were looking sleepily in at the open doors of the ladies' cabin, and bulls were fastened on the upper deck. Such a motley group of bipeds and quadrupeds were never before huddled into such a narrow s.p.a.ce; and, amidst all this din and confusion, a Scotch piper was playing l.u.s.tily on the bagpipes, greatly to the edification, I've no doubt, of himself and the crowd of animal life around him.

The night came on very dark and stormy, and many of the women suffered as much from the pitching of the boat as if they had been at sea. The ladies' cabin was crowded to overflowing; every sofa, bed, and chair was occupied; and my young friend, who did not feel any inconvenience from the storm, was greatly entertained by the dialogues carried on across the cabin by the women, who were reposing in their berths, and lamenting over the rough weather and their own sufferings in consequence. They were mostly the wives of farmers and respectable mechanics, and the language they used was neither very choice nor grammatical.

”I say, Mrs. C---, how be you?”

”I feel bad, any how,” with a smothered groan.

”Have you been sick?”

”Not yet; but feel as if I was going to.”

”How's your head coming on, Mrs. N---?”

”It's just splitting, I thank you.”

”Oh, how awful the boat do pitch!” cries a third.

”If she should sink, I'm afeard we shall all go to the bottom.”

”And think of all the poor sheep and cattle!”

”Well, of course, they'd have to go too.”

”Oh, mi! I'll get up, and be ready for a start, in case of the worst,”

cried a young girl.

”Mrs. C---, do give me something good out of your basket, to keep up my spirits.”

”Well, I will. Come over here, and you and I will have some talk. My basket's at the foot of my berth. You'll find in it a small bottle of brandy and some crulls.”

So up got several of the sick ladies, and kept up their spirits by eating cakes, chewing gum, and drinking cold brandy punch.

”Did Mrs. H--- lose much in the fire last night?” said one.

”Oh, dear, yes; she lost all her clothes, and three large jars of preserves she made about a week ago, and _sarce in accordance!_”

[A common Yankee phrase, often used instead of the word proportion.]

There was an honest Yorks.h.i.+re farmer and his wife on board, and when the morning at length broke through pouring rain and driving mist, and the port to which they were bound loomed through the haze, the women were very anxious to know if their husbands, who slept in the gentlemen's cabin, were awake.”