CHAPTER IX.
THE JOURNEY.
Ruby and Aunt Emma were to start at nine o'clock, and as there were agreat many little things to be done before the travellers should getoff, the whole house was astir very early in the morning. Ruby wasvery much excited over her journey, but there was a little lump thatkept arising in her throat all the time as if it would choke her if shedid not swallow it back.
Ruthy was to go over to the station with her, and see her off, and itwas hardly daybreak when she came over to Ruby's house, eager to haveas long a time as possible with her little friend before she should goaway.
Ruby felt as if she was a little queen, every one was so kind to her,and so anxious to please her in every way. Even Ann was wonderfullysubdued, and when Ruby came downstairs, took her in her arms and said:"I don't know what we shall do without the precious child, I am sure."Coming from Ann, this was indeed a great compliment, and Ruby felt asif Ann was really very nice, indeed, since she had so high an opinionof the little girl.
"Are n't you sorry you have been so cross to me, sometimes?" askedRuby, presently, thinking that if Ann would admit that she had said agreat deal that she did not mean in the past, she would feel stillhappier.
Ann was sorry to have the child from whom she had never been separatedfor a whole day, go away for weeks, but she was not by any meansdisposed to admit that Ruby had not deserved all the scoldings she hadover given her, and her voice had quite a little of its usual sharpnessas she answered,--
"You know as well as I do, Ruby Harper, that you 've been enough to trythe patience of a saint many and many a time, more particularly sinceyour mother has been taken ill, and though I 'm sorry you 're goingaway, I am sure it is the best thing for you, for you had got long pastmy managing, and nobody knew what you were going to do next. If youwere n't going to school, likely enough you would burn us all down inour beds some night."
Ruby looked rather crestfallen.
"I don't think you need be cross the very last thing when I am goingaway so far, and you won't see me for ever and ever so long again," shesaid, with a little quiver in her voice.
"Well, I did n't mean to be," said Ann, giving her another hug. "It'sonly that I got provoked that I said that. You see you and me have alot to learn yet, Ruby, before we can say and do just what we ought to,and nothing else. I'll take it all back, and I'll show you the nicecake I have made for your lunch on the cars."
Ruby followed Ann to the buttery, and admired the cake with its whitecrust of icing, that looked like a coating of frost, to Ann's content,and would have been quite willing to have had a piece of it then andthere, if Ann would have permitted it.
Everybody talked a great deal about everything but Ruby's going away,for nobody wanted to give the little girl time enough to think aboutit, lest she should grow homesick; and it seemed quite like a party,Ruby thought, as she sat beside her father at the table, with Ruthysitting by her, all ready for another breakfast, she had risen so early.
After breakfast papa went down to the stable to harness up; the littletrunk was shut for the last time, and the key turned and put in AuntEmma's pocket-book,--greatly to Ruby's disappointment, for she wantedto keep it herself; but Aunt Emma said she might have it after they gotsafely to school, but it would be very inconvenient if she should loseit on the way there, and she tried to console herself with thatpromise. Ruby had had a parting frolic with Tipsey, and Ruthy hadpromised to come over and play with the kitten very often, so that shewould not miss her little mistress too much, and now Ruby was going tosay good-by to her mother, and have a few quiet minutes with her,before it should be time to put her hat and jacket on.
The room was dark and quiet, and when Ruby went in, old Mrs. Maggs, whospent all her time in staying with sick people and nursing them, got upand went out, so that the little girl should have her mother all toherself.
Ruby cuddled her face down beside her dear mother's face, in thepillow, and it was all the little girl could do to keep from burstinginto tears, and begging that she might not be sent away. Sheremembered her promise to her father to be brave, and she swallowed thelump in her throat, back, over and over again, while her mother toldher how she hoped that her little daughter would be a good girl, sothat all she should hear from Aunt Emma would be good news, of Ruby'simprovement in her studies, and of her good conduct.
Ruby listened to every word, and she promised her mother very earnestlythat she would indeed try to conquer her self-will, and be good.
"That will help you get well, won't it, mamma?" she asked, stroking thewhite face tenderly.
"Yes, darling, nothing will help me get well faster than that," hermother answered, giving her a tender kiss.
It was very hard to say good-by when papa's voice called,--
"Come little daughter, the carriage is ready." It was harder than Rubyhad had any idea that it would be. It seemed as if she could notpossibly say good-by to her mother, and go out of the room, knowingthat she could not kiss her good-night or good-morning any more forweeks and weeks. If it had been any one else, but to go away from herseemed quite impossible.
"Good-by, darling. Remember you are going to help me get well again,"her mother said, drawing the little girl's face down for a last kiss,and that helped Ruby to be very brave. She kissed her mother over andover again, and then jumped up and went out of the room without oneword.
The lump in her throat was growing so big that she knew she should cryin a moment if she did not hurry away.
"I was brave, papa, I was brave," she said, when she went out into thehall and found her father waiting for her; but the tears came then fastand thick for a moment.
"Now you will be my brave little daughter again, I know," said herfather, comfortingly, "for it is time for us to start now. I am afraidthe train would not wait for us if you were not at the station in time,and it would never do to miss the train on your first journey, wouldit?"
Ruby smiled through her tears.
"Don't you think they would wait when they saw the trunk on theplatform, papa? I should think they would know somebody was going awaythen, and would wait."
"No, I don't think that even for anything as important as the trunk,the train would wait," her father answered.
Ann helped Ruby put on her hat and jacket with unusual gentleness, andRuby thought that Ann looked very much as if she wanted to cry.
"Do you feel sorry, really, that I am going away, Ann?" she asked.
"Of course I do, honey," Ann answered.
All at once Ruby remembered how she had teased Ann, how many times shehad been rude to her, and had done what she knew Ann did not want herto, and she put her arms around Ann's neck.
"Ann, I 'm sorry I have been so bad," she whispered. "I will be goodwhen I come home again."
Ann was very much touched by Ruby's apology.
"Never you think about that," she answered. "I'll miss you dreadfully,and I shall never remember anything but the times you have been as goodas a little lamb; so you need n't worry your head about that."
"Time to start," called papa again; so Ruby climbed up in the frontseat, where she was to sit with her father, and Aunt Emma and Ruthy gotin behind her. The little trunk, with Ruby's initials upon it, hadalready been taken down to the station, and was waiting for her there.It was quite a little drive to the station, and they had not startedany too soon, for by the time papa had purchased the tickets, and hadgiven Ruby the little pocket-book, that he had saved for a partingsurprise, with a crisp ten-cent bill in it, some bright pennies, and inan inside compartment what seemed to Ruby like untold wealth, a wholedollar note, the distant whistle of the train was heard. And thenalmost before Ruby knew it she had said good-by to Ruthy, who could notkeep her tears back when she said good-by to her little friend, and shewas sitting by the window, where she could look out at Ruthy, when thetrain started, and her papa leaned over to give her a last kiss and hug.
"Good-by. God bless and keep my little daughter," he said tenderly.
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The engine shrieked and whistled, the bell rang, and then with a jerkthe train began to move, and Ruby looked out, with her face pressedclose to the window, to see her father just as long as she possiblycould. He was on the platform by Ruthy now, and he waved hishandkerchief as the train started, and threw kisses to his little girl.Ruby pressed her face closer and closer against the glass, but at lastit was of no use. There was only an indistinct blur where papa andRuthy had been standing, for Ruby's eyes were so full of tears that shecould not see them, and by the time she had taken out her newhandkerchief and wiped them away, the train had begun to go so fastthat she could not see the station at all. It was far behind her, andRuby had really begun her first journey.
It was hard work not to put her head down in Aunt Emma's lap and cry asmuch as she wanted to, but Ruby glanced about the car, and saw thatevery one else was looking very happy, and watching the things thatpassed by the windows, so she thought, with some pride, that if sheshould cry people might not know that it was because she was going awayfrom her dear papa and mamma and Ruthy, but they might think that shewas frightened because she had never been in the cars before, and shecertainly did not want them to know that.
She wiped the tears away from her eyes and sat up very straight,looking out of the window as if she was very much interested ineverything she saw. Really, she could not have told you one thing thatthey went past. She was fighting back the tears, and her longing tohave the train stopped and get off even now, and go back home again,where every one loved her so much; and it took all her courage andresolution not to break down.
Aunt Emma guessed what the little girl was thinking about, and she didnot disturb her for a little while, until she thought that Ruby couldtalk without letting the tears come.
Then, all at once, she began to talk about the places they would passon their way to school, and Ruby grew so interested in listening to herthat the lump in her throat went away, and she really began to enjoythe journey.
She looked about the car at the other passengers, and she wonderedwhether they all knew that she was going away to school and had alittle trunk of her very own. It seemed to Ruby as if it was such animportant occasion that somehow every one must know, even if they hadnot been told about it.
It was very pleasant to travel, she decided, after a little while, andshe wondered why it was that when she looked out of the window, itseemed as if everything was running past the train, instead of thetrain seeming to be in motion. It was very funny, and Ruby almostlaughed when they passed a field full of cows, which shot by the windowas if they had been running with all their might, when really they hadbeen standing quite still, looking with soft, wondering eyes at thenoisy monster that shrieked and whistled as it rushed on its way,drawing a long train of cars after it.
Ruby at School Page 9