我的美母教师 | 乡村精品合集 | 乡村活寡 | 乡村欲爱 | 乡村春潮 | 乡村花医 | 欲望乡村（未删） | 乡村艳福 | 乡村春事 | 人妻四部曲

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

is　wife。　The　idea　of　a　house　without　anybody　to　take　care　of　it　went　to　her　heart；　then　she　loved　the　lovely　little　girl；　as　few　could　help　doing；　and　though　she　regarded　Augustine　as　very　much　of　a　heathen；　yet　she　loved　him；　laughed　at　his　jokes；　and　forbore　with　his　failings；　to　an　extent　which　those　who　knew　him　thought　perfectly　incredible。　But　what　more　or　other　is　to　be　known　of　Miss　Ophelia　our　reader　must　discover　by　a　personal　acquaintance。
There　she　is；　sitting　now　in　her　state…room；　surrounded　by　a　mixed　multitude　of　little　and　big　carpet…bags；　boxes；　baskets；　each　containing　some　separate　responsibility　which　she　is　tying；　binding　up；　packing；　or　fastening；　with　a　face　of　great　earnestness。
“Now；　Eva；　have　you　kept　count　of　your　things？　Of　course　you　haven’t；—children　never　do：　there’s　the　spotted　carpet…bag　and　the　little　blue　band…box　with　your　best　bonnet；—that’s　two；　then　the　India　rubber　satchel　is　three；　and　my　tape　and　needle　box　is　four；　and　my　band…box；　five；　and　my　collar…box；　and　that　little　hair　trunk；　seven。　What　have　you　done　with　your　sunshade？　Give　it　to　me；　and　let　me　put　a　paper　round　it；　and　tie　it　to　my　umbrella　with　my　shade；—there；　now。”
“Why；　aunty；　we　are　only　going　up　home；—what　is　the　use？”
“To　keep　it　nice；　child；　people　must　take　care　of　their　things；　if　they　ever　mean　to　have　anything；　and　now；　Eva；　is　your　thimble　put　up？”
“Really；　aunty；　I　don’t　know。”
“Well；　never　mind；　I’ll　look　your　box　over；—thimble；　wax；　two　spools；　scissors；　knife；　tape…needle；　all　right；—put　it　in　here。　What　did　you　ever　do；　child；　when　you　were　coming　on　with　only　your　papa。　I　should　have　thought　you’d　a　lost　everything　you　had。”　“Well；　aunty；　I　did　lose　a　great　many；　and　then；　when　we　stopped　anywhere；　papa　would　buy　some　more　of　whatever　it　was。”
“Mercy　on　us；　child；—what　a　way！”
“It　was　a　very　easy　way；　aunty；”　said　Eva。
“It’s　a　dreadful　shiftless　one；”　said　aunty。
“Why；　aunty；　what’ll　you　do　now？”　said　Eva；　“that　trunk　is　too　full　to　be　shut　down。”
“It　must　shut　down；”　said　aunty；　with　the　air　of　a　general；　as　she　squeezed　the　things　in；　and　sprung　upon　the　lid；—still　a　little　gap　remained　about　the　mouth　of　the　trunk。
“Get　up　here；　Eva！”　said　Miss　Ophelia；　courageously；　“what　has　been　done　can　be　done　again。　This　trunk　has　got　to　be　shut　and　locked—there　are　no　two　ways　about　it。”
And　the　trunk；　intimidated；　doubtless；　by　this　resolute　statement；　gave　in。　The　hasp　snapped　sharply　in　its　hole；　and　Miss　Ophelia　turned　the　key；　and　pocketed　it　in　triumph。
“Now　we’re　ready。　Where’s　your　papa？　I　think　it　time　this　baggage　was　set　out。　Do　look　out；　Eva；　and　see　if　you　see　your　papa。”
“O；　yes；　he’s　down　the　other　end　of　the　gentlemen’s　cabin；　eating　an　orange。”
“He　can’t　know　how　near　we　are　coming；”　said　aunty；　“hadn’t　you　better　run　and　speak　to　him？”
“Papa　never　is　in　a　hurry　about　anything；”　said　Eva；　“and　we　haven’t　come　to　the　landing。　Do　step　on　the　guards；　aunty。　Look！　there’s　our　house；　up　that　street！”
The　boat　now　began；　with　heavy　groans；　like　some　vast；　tired　monster；　to　prepare　to　push　up　among　the　multiplied　steamers　at　the　levee。　Eva　joyously　pointed　out　the　various　spires；　domes；　and　way…marks；　by　which　she　recognized　her　native　city。
“Yes；　yes；　dear；　very　fine；”　said　Miss　Ophelia。　“But　mercy　on　us！　the　boat　has　stopped！　where　is　your　father？”
And　now　ensued　the　usual　turmoil　of　landing—waiters　running　twenty　ways　at　once—men　tugging　trunks；　carpet…bags；　boxes—women　anxiously　calling　to　their　children；　and　everybody　crowding　in　a　dense　mass　to　the　plank　towards　the　landing。
Miss　Ophelia　seated　herself　resolutely　on　the　lately　vanquished　trunk；　and　marshalling　all　her　goods　and　chattels　in　fine　military　order；　seemed　resolved　to　defend　them　to　the　last。
“Shall　I　take　your　trunk；　ma’am？”　“Shall　I　take　your　baggage？”　“Let　me　’tend　to　your　baggage；　Missis？”　“Shan’t　I　carry　out　these　yer；　Missis？”　rained　down　upon　her　unheeded。　She　sat　with　grim　determination；　upright　as　a　darning…needle　stuck　in　a　board；　holding　on　her　bundle　of　umbrella　and　parasols；　and　replying　with　a　determination　that　was　enough　to　strike　dismay　even　into　a　hackman；　wondering　to　Eva；　in　each　interval；　“what　upon　earth　her　papa　could　be　thinking　of；　he　couldn’t　have　fallen　over；　now；—but　something　must　have　happened；”—and　just　as　she　had　begun　to　work　herself　into　a　real　distress；　he　came　up；　with　his　usually　careless　motion；　and　giving　Eva　a　quarter　of　the　orange　he　was　eating；　said；
“Well；　Cousin　Vermont；　I　suppose　you　are　all　ready。”
“I’ve　been　ready；　waiting；　nearly　an　hour；”　said　Miss　Ophelia；　“I　began　to　be　really　concerned　about　you。
“That’s　a　clever　fellow；　now；”　said　he。　“Well；　the　carriage　is　waiting；　and　the　crowd　are　now　off；　so　that　one　can　walk　out　in　a　decent　and　Christian　manner；　and　not　be　pushed　and　shoved。　Here；”　he　added　to　a　driver　who　stood　behind　him；　“take　these　things。”
“I’ll　go　and　see　to　his　putting　them　in；”　said　Miss　Ophelia。
“O；　pshaw；　cousin；　what’s　the　use？”　said　St。　Clare。
“Well；　at　any　rate；　I’ll　carry　this；　and　this；　and　this；”　said　Miss　Ophelia；　singling　out　three　boxes　and　a　small　carpet…bag。
“My　dear　Miss　Vermont；　positively　you　mustn’t　come　the　Green　Mountains　over　us　that　way。　You　must　adopt　at　least　a　piece　of　a　southern　principle；　and　not　walk　out　under　all　that　load。　They’ll　take　you　for　a　waiting…maid；　give　them　to　this　fellow；　he’ll　put　them　down　as　if　they　were　eggs；　now。”
Miss　Ophelia　looked　despairingly　as　her　cousin　took　all　her　treasures　from　her；　and　rejoiced　to　find　herself　once　more　in　the　carriage　with　them；　in　a　state　of　preservation。
“Where’s　Tom？”　said　Eva。
“O；　he’s　on　the　outside；　Pussy。　I’m　going　to　take　Tom　up　to　mother　for　a　peace…offering；　to　make　up　for　that　drunken　fellow　that　upset　the　carriage。”
“O；　Tom　will　make　a　splendid　driver；　I　know；”　said　Eva；　“he’ll　never　get　drunk。”
The　carriage　stopped　in　front　of　an　ancient　mansion；　built　in　that　odd　mixture　of　Spanish　and　French　style；　of　which　there　are　specimens　in　some　parts　of　New　Orleans。　It　was　built　in　the　Moorish　fashion；—a　square　building　enclosing　a　court…yard；　into　which　the　carriage　drove　through　an　arched　gateway。　The　court；　in　the　inside；　had　evidently　been　arranged　to　gratify　a　picturesque　and　voluptuous　ideality。　Wide　galleries　ran　all　around　the　four　sides；　whose　Moorish　arches；　slender　pillars；　and　arabesque　ornaments；　carried　the　mind　back；　as　in　a　dream；　to　the　reign　of　oriental　romance　in　Spain。　In　the　middle　of　the　court；　a　fountain　threw　high　its　silvery　water；　falling　in　a　never…ceasing　spray　into　a　marble　basin；　fringed　with　a　deep　border　of　fragrant　violets。　The　water　in　the　fountain；　pellucid　as　crystal；　was　alive　with　myriads　of　gold　and　silver　fishes；　twinkling　and　darting　through　it　like　so　many　living　jewels。　Around　the　fountain　ran　a　walk；　paved　with　a　mosaic　of　pebbles；　laid　in　various　fanciful　patterns；　and　this；　again；　was　surrounded　by　turf；　smooth　as　green　velvet；　while　a　carriage…drive　enclosed　the　whole。　Two　large　orange…trees；　now　fragrant　with　blossoms；　threw　a　delicious　shade；　and；　ranged　in　a　circle　round　upon　the　turf；　were　marble　vases　of　arabesque　sculpture；　containing　the　choicest　flowering　plants　of　the　tropics。　Huge　pomegranate　trees；　with　their　glossy　leaves　and　flame…colored　flowers；　dark…leaved　Arabian　jessamines；　with　their　silvery　stars；　geraniums；　luxuriant　roses　bending　beneath　their　heavy　abundance　of　flowers；　golden　jessamines；　lemon…scented　verbenum；　all　united　their　bloom　and　fragrance；　while　here　and　there　a　mystic　old　aloe；　with　its　strange；　massive　leaves；　sat　looking　like　some　old　enchanter；　sitting　in　weird　grandeur　among　the　more　perishable　bloom　and　fragrance　around　it。
The　galleries　that　surrounded　the　court　were　festooned　with　a　curtain　of　some　kind　of　Moorish　stuff；　and　could　be　drawn　down　at　pleasure；　to　exclude　the　beams　of　the　sun。　On　the　whole；　the　appearance　of　the　place　was　luxurious　and　romantic。
As　the　carriage　drove　in；　Eva　seemed　like　a　bird　ready　to　burst　from　a　cage；　with　the　wild　eagerness　of　her　delight。
“O；　isn’t　it　beautiful；　lovely！　my　own　dear；　darling　home！”　she　said　to　Mis