The
Consciousness Of The Absence Of Suffocating Sensations, And Of The Comfort
Of A Floor Which Does Not Move Under
The feet - of space, and cleanliness,
and warmth - soon produce an oblivion of all past miseries; but if the
voyage
Has not terminated, and the relief is only temporary, it enhances
the dread of future ones to such an extent that, when the captain came to
the door to fetch me, I had to rouse all my energies before I could leave
a blazing fire to battle with cold and rain again. The offer of a cup of
tea, which I would have supposed irresistible, would not induce him to
permit me to finish my breakfast, but at length his better nature
prevailed, and he consented to send the boat a second time.
After allowing my pocket to be filled with "notions" by the generous
"Biddy," I took leave of Miss Kenjins, who is good, clever, and agreeable
enough to redeem the young-ladyhood of the island - nor was there enough of
pleasant promise for the future to compensate for the regret I felt at
leaving those who had received a stranger with such kindness and
hospitality.
I jumped into the boat, where I stood with my feet in the water, in
company with several gentlemen with dripping umbrellas, whose marked want
of nasal development rendered Disraeli's description of "flat-nosed
Franks" peculiarly appropriate. The rain poured down as rain never pours
in England; and under these very dispiriting circumstances I began my
travels over the North American continent.
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