ut good feelings when the occasion was such as to awaken them.

Gertrude's entrance having served to interrupt the stream of exclamatory
remarks in which the excitable lady had been indulging for ten minutes
or more, she now bethought herself of the necessity of removing her
bonnet and outside garments, a part of which, being loosed from their
fastenings, she had been dragging after her about the floor.

"Well!" exclaimed she, "I suppose I had better follow the girls' example
and get some of the dust off from me! I'm half buried, I believe! But
there, that's better than coming on in the horrid steamboat last night,
as my brother Clinton was so crazy as to propose. Where's Bridget? I
want her to take up some of my things."

"I will assist you," said Gertrude, taking up a little carpet-bag,
throwing a scarf, which had been stretching across the room, over her
arm, and then following Mrs. Graham closely, in order to support the
heavy travelling-shawl which was hanging half off that lady's shoulders.
At the first landing-place, however, she found herself suddenly
encircled in Kitty's warm embrace, and, laying down her burdens, gave
herself up for a few moments to the hugging and kissing that succeeded.

At the head of the staircase she met Isabel, wrapped in a dressing gown,
with a large pitcher in her hand, and a most discontented expression of
countenance. She set the pitcher on the floor, however, and saluted
Gertrude with a good grace. "I'm glad to see you alive," said she,
"though I cannot look at you without shuddering; it reminds me so of
that dreadful day when we were in such frightful danger. How lucky we
were to be saved, when there were so many drowned! I've wondered ever
since, Gertrude, how you could be so calm; I'm sure I shouldn't have
known what to do if you hadn't been there to suggest. But, oh dear!
don't let us speak of it; it's a thing I cant' bear to think of!" and
with a shudder and shrug of the shoulders, Isabel dismissed the subject
and called somewhat pettishly to Kitty--"Kitty, I thought you went to
get our pitcher filled!"

Kitty, who, in obedience to a loud call and demand from her aunt, had
hastily run to her room with the little travelling-bag which Gertrude
had dropped on the staircase, now came back quite out of breath, saying,
"I did ring the bell twice. Hasn't anybody come?"

"No!" replied Belle! "and I should like to wash my face and curl my hair
before tea, if I could."

"Let me ta