Reuben Tracy s Vacation Trips. 369
Mrs. Tracy, her sorrow was still keen, played together their vacation plays,
but her interest in her living child's and had, each day, their hour's talk
growth was becoming the means of and reading with Mrs. Tracy on the
softening its sharpest edge. She had geography and history of the Isles of
discovered, an elixir which should Shoals. At last they were ready to go,
renew her life to larger ends. and the day was set. Mrs. Tracy had
By another week's time Marblehead invited Reuben's school-teacher, Miss
was pretty well talked over, and Mrs. De Severn, a lovely yoimg lady, whom
Tracy was interested to find another sad reverses had sent to hard work,
subject for the rest of the vacation, and denied much pleasure in travel, to
A few days before, Reuben had asked join her in their trip. Reuben teased
her what an island was. She felt then, his papa to go with them, but business
as she answered him, that a visit to engagements prevented his so doing,
such a place would give him a much But he encouraged his son in his
better idea of its capabilities than any pleasure, and told him that whenever
description which she could give. So, he could tell all that he wanted to see
now, in thinking over an interesting in Europe he should go there on a tour,
island within easy distance, for a day's but not before. Frank, particularly,
trip, she recalled the pleasure which, caught his uncle's idea, and determined
some years before, she had found in then to read all the good books of
a short stay upon Star Island, among travel that he could find,
the Isles of Shoals. When she had On the pleasant morning of the
decided that this should be the place, appointed time they were all on hand
she talked the matter over with Reu- in the Salem station to take the train
ben, telling him that he might invite for Portsmouth; they arrived there in
his cousin Frank, a boy of fifteen years, time to take the steamer Appledore,
to come from a neighboring town and as it started at eleven o'clock, for its
spend the rest of the vacation with ten-mile trip to the Shoals. The boys
him ; for he would enjoy studying were delighted with the novelty of
with them about the Isles of Shoals sailing between New Hampshire on
before they should all go to see them, one side and Maine on the other. As
Reuben was delighted with the propo- they passed on the right the quaint old
sition ; he secretly wondered what had town of Newcastle, Miss De Severn
made his mother so extra good lately ; told them of the old Wentvvorth house,
he determined that he would love her built in 1750, which was still standing
more and more, and do all that he there, and which still contained the old
could for her ; he did wish that his portraits of Dorothy Quincy and others,
brother Albert was alive to go with She promised to read to them, on their
them, but he was so glad to have his return home, the story of Dorothy
cousin Frank, who was certainly Quincy, as told by Dr. Holmes, and
coming to him the next day. also the story of Martha Hilton, the
The following morning brought him, Lady Wentworth of the Hall, as told
after which the days flew quickly by. by Longfellow. While she was telling
Reuben not only showed to him the them of the old Fort Constitution,
antiquities of Salem, but told him which they soon passed, and other tales
much of Marblehead to\vn. They of Great Island, or Newcastle, Mrs.
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