opposed it. But there were a great many reasons why I could not take
her. She was only eleven.

I had some money of my own, which I thought I would rather spend in
travel than in any other way, and, as it was not a large sum, and as my
father could not afford to add anything to it, my journey could not be
very extensive. Indeed, I only contemplated going to Florida and perhaps
a few other Southern States, and then--if it could be done--a visit to
some of the West India islands, and, as it was winter-time, that would
be a very good trip. My father did not seem to be afraid to trust me to
go alone. He and the professor talked it over, and they thought that I
would take good enough care of myself. The professor would have much
preferred to see me go to college, but, as I was not to do that, he
thought travelling much better for me than staying at home, although I
made no promise about taking my books along. But it was pretty well
settled that I was to go to college in the fall, and this consoled him a
little.

The person who first suggested this travelling plan was our old
physician, Dr. Mathews. I don't know exactly what he said about it, but
I knew he thought I had been studying too hard, and needed to "let up"
for a while. And I'm sure, too, that he was quite positive that I would
have no let up as long as I staid in the same town with the professor.

Nearly a year before this time, Rectus had left the academy. He had
never reached the higher classes,--in fact, he didn't seem to get on
well at all. He studied well enough, but he didn't take hold of things
properly, and I believe he really did not care to go through the school.
But he was such a quiet fellow that we could not make much out of him.
His father was very rich, and we all thought that Rectus was taken away
to be brought up as a partner in the firm. But we really knew nothing
about it: for, as I found out afterward, Rectus spent all his time,
after he left school, in studying music.

Soon after my trip was all agreed upon and settled, father had to go to
New York, and there he saw Mr. Colbert, and of course told him of my
plans. That afternoon, old Colbert came to my father's hotel, and
proposed to him that I should take his son with me. He had always heard,
he said, that I was a sensible fellow, and fit to be trusted, and he
would be very glad to have his boy travel with me. And he furthermore
said that if I had the care of Samuel--for of course he didn't