First Page of Text in the 1853 H. G. Bohn Reprint, Version 1

THE WIDE, WIDE WORLD.
CHAPTER I.

Enjoy the spring of love and youth,
To some good angel leave the rest,
For time will teach thee soon the truth,
" There are no birds in last year’s nest.”
Longfellow.

“ Mamma, what was that I heard papa saying to you this morning about his lawsuit ?”

“ I cannot tell you just now. Ellen, pick up that shawl, and spread it over me.”

“ Mamma!—are you cold in this warm room ?”

“A little,—there, that will do. Now, my daughter, let me be quiet awhile—don’t disturb me.”

There was no one else in the room. Driven thus to her own resources, Ellen betook herself to the window and sought amusement there. The prospect without gave little promise of it. Rain was falling, and made the street and everything in it look dull and gloomy. The foot passengers plashed through the water, and the horses and carriages plashed through the mud; gaiety had forsaken the side-walks, and equipages were few, and the people that were out were plainly there only because they could not help it. But yet Ellen, having seriously set herself to study everything that passed, presently became engaged in her occupation: and her thoughts travelling dreamily from one thing to another, she sat for a long time with her little face pressed against the window-frame, perfectly regardless of all but the moving world without.

Daylight gradually faded away, and the street wore a more and more gloomy aspect. The rain poured, and now only an occasional carriage or footstep disturbed the sound of its steady pattering. Yet still Ellen sat with her face glued to the window as if spellbound, gazing out at every dusky form that passed, as though it had

B