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Sam's Chance And How He Improved It, a novel by Horatio Alger |
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Chapter 21. Arrived In Boston |
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_ CHAPTER XXI. ARRIVED IN BOSTON At nine o'clock the train entered the Old Colony depot. As they entered, Julia began to show signs of uneasiness. "I am afraid there will be no one here to meet me," she said. "Then I'll see you safe home," said Sam, rather hoping that it would be necessary for him to do so. They got out of the cars and walked slowly along, Julia scanning every face anxiously, in the hope of seeing her father or brother. But she could see no familiar face. "They must have been at the first train, and gone home," she said, in disappointment. "Have a carriage, sir?" asked the hackman. "I guess you'd better take one," said Sam. "Will you ride, too? I should be afraid to go alone." "Yes, I will go, too," answered Sam. "Any baggage?" asked the hackman. "I've got a trunk," said Julia; "I got it checked." "Give me the check, and I'll see to it." "Shall I?" asked Julia, appealing to Sam. "Yes, it'll be all right. How much will you charge?" "Where do you want to be carried?" "No.---, Mount Vernon Street," answered Julia. "I guess that's about right," said Sam, agreeably surprised with the smallness of the charge in comparison with the extortionate demands of New York hackmen. He considered it only gallant to offer to pay the hack fare, and was glad it would not be too heavy a tax on his scanty resources. The trunk was soon secured, and Sam and Julia entered the hack. "It seems so good to be in dear old Boston again," said Julia, with a young girl's warmth of feeling. "I suppose it does," said Sam, "but I never was here. I don't think the streets are as wide as they are in New York." "Oh, we've got some wide streets," said. Julia, jealous of the fair fame of her native city. "This isn't the best part of Boston, by any means. Wait till you see the common." "Shall we pass it?" "I don't know," said Julia; "I guess we shall." They did, in fact, go through a side street to Tremont, and drove alongside of the common. "What do you think of that?" asked Julia, triumphantly. "Is that the common?" "Yes; isn't it pretty?" "It's small," answered Sam. "Is it the biggest park you have got?" "Isn't it big enough?" retorted Julia. "It's nothing to Central Park." "Perhaps it isn't quite as large," admitted Julia, reluctantly; "but it's got bigger trees, and then there's the frog pond. There isn't any frog pond in Central Park." "There's a lake there." "And then there's the Old Elm, too," continued Julia, "It was standing hundreds of years before America was discovered." "I don't see how that can be known," said Sam, shrewdly. "Who said so?" "It's an Indian tradition, I suppose." "Where is it? I should like to see it." It was pointed out; but it's appearance neither contradicted nor confirmed Julia's assertion in regard to its antiquity. "What is that big building on the hill?" asked Sam. "Oh, that's the State House. You can go up to the dome and see the view from there. It's grand." "Isn't Bunker Hill monument round here somewhere?" asked Sam. "It over in Charlestown, only about two miles off." "I must go over there some time. I knew a boy that went up there." "What was his name?" The boy referred to by Sam was a bootblack named Terry O'Brien--a name which Sam conveniently forgot when questioned by Julia, as he was anxious to have her think that he had moved in good society in New York. Mount Vernon Street was now close at hand. The hack stopped before a nice-looking swell-front house, such as used to be in favor with Bostonians, and Julia exclaimed, joyfully: "There's mother looking out of the window!" Sam descended and helped Julia out. "Now mind," said Julia, "you're coming in. I want to introduce you to mother." She took out her purse to pay the driver. "Let me attend to that," said Sam. "No," said Julia, decidedly, "mother wouldn't like to have me. The carriage was got on my account, and I ought to pay for it." The hackman was paid, and Julia and Sam walked up the front steps. _ |
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