The sapper-bell reduced this sounding chaos to something like order. The children fed, and went to bed one after another. The tables were cleared, and with books, conversation, drafts, and backgammon, the evening passed pleasantly enough. Finding the atmosphere of the cabin rather close, Larkin invited the young ladies to go on deck to see the moon. Wrapping their shawls about them, they crept through the low-arched door and up the narrow steps. The air was chill, but the beauty of the shifting scenery, bathed in moonlight, made them forget the cold. "Miss D'Orsay," said the artist, "you may now float in what seems to be your native element. Is not this beautiful?" and Annette sank at his feet. "Good Heavens !" exclaimed Bob, "she's killed!" and hastily quitting Leonore, he kneeled beside his cousin and endeavored to raise her up. The deck of the boat was instantly a scene of confusion. "Is any one hurt ?" "Yes, a lady." "Bring lights-water! Run for a doctor!" By this time the Squire was on deck, fast followed by his consort, a couple of doctors, and about five-and-twenty volunteer assistants. Fortunately Leonore's salts bottle was all that was required. Annette got up, and leaning on her cousin's shoulder declared she was not at all hurt, but only felt a little dizzy. "Netty! Netty! how I am distressed!" whispered Bob, attempting to take her hand. "Can you forgive me ?" "Beautiful, indeed!" she replied, with unusual vivacity. "The boat seems to glide upon a stream of molten silver-and mark those arrowy "Go away, you wretch!" replied she, disenlines of light in the distance, glittering through gaging her hand with a smart jerk. "Papa, give the gray mist with their dim, undefined sur-me your arm, and let us go below. I feel chilled roundings. How much more engaging and suggestive are they than daylight pictures!" The artist looked at the moonlight reflected in Leonore's dark eyes, and sighed. "Thus it is that mystery invests all objects, animate or inanimate, with a strange, romantic interest. What moonlight is to the landscape, a graceful reserve is to the character-" here." Bob followed, openly proclaiming that it was all his fault-that he was a criminal of the deepest dye and several times expressed an intention of jumping into the canal. The worst of it was, that nobody seemed disposed to dispute his assertions. The Squire called him a careless puppy, and Mrs. B. fully sustained the unlucky artist in his self-condemnation. Jim Bug observed, "it was a shame for Mass' Robert to let dat sweet chile hurt husself in dat ugly manner." When they got into the cabin Leonore dabbled her embroidered handkerchief in Eau de Cologne, and bound it lovingly over Annette's temples, gracefully kissing her as she tied the knot. Even His companion here interrupted him: "If thou would'st view fair Melrose aright, Go visit it by the pale moonlight; For the gay beams of lightsome day, Gild but to flout the ruins gray." "Hark," continued Robert, "even the longdrawn notes of the driver's horn, certainly not over-musical by daylight, now seem to wail in consonance with the scene." The excitement had flushed Leonore's pale "Bri-i-i-dge!" screeched the man at the cheek, while the exuberant roses in Annette's face were softened by the recent accident, and, in truth, lamplight never shone upon a lovelier group. helm. "Pardon, Miss D'Orsay," said Bob, suddenly and unceremoniously seizing his fair companion's arm, and drawing her down just as the Bob had withdrawn himself into the shade. dark timbers of a bridge passed over their heads."Ah," thought he, "if she would only give At the same moment he heard a thump, a shriek, me a reproachful look, or call me a wretch again, I should be happy; but her eye is studi- that night has never been clearly explained. ously averted. Annette calm and cold! It seems When Jim Bug entered the cabin in the morn unnatural and unreal, but perhaps I have deserving, he saw a pair of boots which he recognized ed it. Boy," said Larkin to a waiter, "have you any thing to drink on board this boat ?" "Any thing you please, Master." "Then bring me a hot whisky punch, strong as Samson and hot as-!" hanging out of an upper bunk, and as he went to take them down for the purpose of polishing them he aroused Master Robert. He civilly ordered Jim to go about his business, and, slipping down from his bed, immediately sought the upper deck. Here he drank such draughts of the frosty biting air that soul and body felt invigorated. Dipping a basin of icy water from the canal, he performed his ablutions with the gusto of a muddy gander. "What a glorious morning!" he soliloquized; "earth and sky, rock and river, how incomparably beautiful-such tinting, such effects! Come, come!" he continued, half aloud, as he drew a case of Faber's crayons from his pocket; "come, old comrades--come pour your oil upon the troubled waters; you whose varied entertainment never palls, whose calm pleasures leave no sting behind, whose simple witchery can charm away ennui, pain, and sorrow! Faithful companions in many a lonely ramble, in many a hardy and hazardous adventure, I have neglected you too long!" The eye of the enthusiast kindled and his frame dilated as he paced the deck. "Oh, lovely art, bearer of the key to earth's treasurehouse of beauty; friendly guide, leading the way from the dull level realms of commonplace to the wild upland of romance; interpreter, teaching intelligent communion with mystic nature as she sits enthroned in her loveliness and her majesty, in the shadow of the forest, on the spray of the cataract, on the pinnacle of the mountain, on the foam of the ocean! To-day and henceforth, beautiful mistress, I give myself to thee, and thee alone!" His The artist suddenly halted on the spot where the tragedy of the previous evening had occurred, and stooped to examine some darkcolored marks which had arrested his attention. There were several little drops of blood. lip quivered. There was no one on deck but the helmsman, who was looking over the side of the boat, talking to the cook. The young man pressed his lips upon each crimson spot, and rose, as he thought unobserved: "Now I have paid the debt-no more weakness." When the passengers collected at the breakfast-table it was observed that most of the company had disappeared during the night, for besides the Broadacre party there were not more than five or six persons visible. Every body had rested well and the breakfast was superb, so that general good-humor might have prevailed but for a little awkwardness on the part of the young people. Larkin took occasion, in a formal and pretty speech, to express his regret at the accident of last evening, and to inquire after Annette's health. She answered, with assumed carelessness, that the only bad consequences were a trifling bruise and scratch, which gave her no inconvenience whatever. Bob then turned to the Squire, and engaged him in a discussion on the comparative merits of the English and French, which, being a fruitful subject between them, lasted until the ladies retired. During the forenoon Larkin got up quite an excitement with his sketches. He pictured the cook, the mate, Aunt Hannah, the matron of the boat, and every body who was willing to sit. Leonore also attempted to hit some views on the wing; but the boat moved too rapidly, and she was obliged to give it up. Annette spent part of the day on deck, but did not seem well, although she laughed as much as usual. At first she seated herself as far from Robert as she could get, and scarcely condescended to comment on his drawings, which Leonore brought to show to her. At length she seemed to relent, or changed her tactics, for she looked over his shoulder as he sketched, and Cousined him two or three times as usual. Mrs. Broadacre applied herself industriously to embroidery, and the Squire, when he had pumped all his fellow-passengers dry, played with Tiny for the rest of the day, sending off paper boats in the canal. At supper every body agreed that they had passed a pleasant day, and traveling on the canal was voted charming, safe, and jolly. Mrs. B., however, still harped on the narrowness of the accommodations; but the Squire protested that there was room enough for reasonable people, and that those who took the trouble to make themselves too big for the world as it stood had no right to expect it to expand to suit their silly caprices. On awaking next morning our friends found themselves in the town of Lynchburg, and a comfortable omnibus in waiting to convey them from the boat to the Norvall House. Here they were ushered into richly furnished apartments, roomy enough to allow the ladies to spread themselves at pleasure. It being Sunday there was, of course, no traveling; but they went to church, dined, and in the afternoon walked upon the Heights to enjoy a magnificent view of the Blue Ridge and the celebrated Peaks of Otter. the evening the subject of their route was again discussed. The Squire proposed that they should continue on the canal as far as Buchanan, its present terminus, passing by the Balcony Falls, In the famous gap in the Blue Ridge, the Natural Bridge, and other points of interest. From the terminus of the canal, by staging ten or fifteen miles, they might join the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, and pursue their journey westward. On the other hand, the railroad would carry them through to the Tennessee line, 204 miles, in twelve hours, and there were numerous interesting points on the line, or within striking distance of its stations, which they might visit if so disposed. Bob Larkin, who had taken notes from the Gazetteer of Virginia, here mentioned the following items. The road sweeps around the base of the Peaks of Otter. North of Christiansburg is the Salt Pond Mountain. Near Newbern, the cliffs on the New River called the Glass Windows. The Salt-works in Smyth County, and the Natural Tunnel in Scott, besides minor points too numerous to mention. "But," said the Squire, "we may see all these things after following the canal to the end, as I suggest" "But by taking the cars," replied Mrs. B., "we will save time." "And pray, madam, what use do you intend to make of the time when you've saved it ?" "Pshaw, Mr. B.-you ask such silly questions." "As if," continued Mr. B., "it makes a particle of difference whether we while away our time here, there, or elsewhere. But I have observed invariably that those who have nothing | enabled to dine heartily upon the crumbs from to do are most solicitous about saving time-to Tiny's table. enable them to do it thoroughly, I suppose." "But, Papa," said Annette, "the boat starts an hour earlier. We will gain an hour's sleep in the morning by taking the cars." There was a hard-looking countryman in the seat opposite, whose exit had been prevented by the stoppage in the door, who also opened his saddle-bags and took out a large package "That, my daughter, is something tangible. carefully tied up. We must take the cars, then." "I think," said he, "we'll do as well staying here as if we had got out. That's nothing more than a fried-meat tavern, anyhow." Tiny stared at him as if she expected some addition to her bill of fare, but the philosopher's bundle only contained about fifteen pounds of tobacco, from which he cut off a hunk to fit his mouth, and returned the re The promised scenery fully answered their expectations, but their inability to sketch and enjoy it at their leisure elicited many expressions of regret from the artists. At Christiansburg they ascertained that the Salt Pond Mountain was out of distance, and consequently concluded to pass it by. Indeed, the Squire observed that with trunks, bandboxes, and fin-mainder to its place. ery, his party was so unwieldy, he thought it better to go on directly to Abingdon, establish headquarters there, and make excursions to the points they most desired to visit; "for after all," he continued, "from what I have observed, I doubt very much whether any of you, except Larkin, and maybe Leonore, care any thing about the scenery or the information to be acquired by travel. I begin to think-" The Squire's bluntness brought a shower of protestations from the maligned individuals, which he received by shutting his eyes and feigning a sleep, which presently became reality. At arriving at the central dépôt, dinner was announced in the ordinary form, and the ladies commenced making their preparations to get out in their usual leisurely manner. Having arranged their bandboxes, work-boxes, gloves, cloaks, and bonnets, and primped a little, they commenced their stately march toward the door of the car. Before they arrived there the time allowed for passengers to get out had expired, and the train commenced a retrograde movement toward a watering station several hundred yards back. "Hurry!" exclaimed the Squire, vehemently. “I shan't hurry,” replied madam, curtly. The speed of the cars increased, and the procession of ladies came to a dead stand; for Mrs. B., in trying to get through the door without damaging her skirts, had stuck fast. "Now," said the Squire, "you may as well return to your seats, for you will have at least a quarter of a mile to walk, even if you succeed in getting out." And he accordingly, with great nonchalance, resumed the seat he had left. After spending some time in hesitations and uncertain evolutions, the whole party followed, declaring it was an abominable arrangement, not allowing folks time to get out. "There was time," said the Squire, "but you wasted it with your hoops and dawdling." Tiny, to whom the disappointment was a serious trial, wept outright, and thereby proved the falsity of the often-repeated assertion that "there's no use in crying;" for in a trice, several hospitable carpet-sacks were opened, and bread, butter, pickles, and ham were proffered in such quantities that the whole family were Larkin was determined not to miss the New River Cliffs, and on their arrival at the Newbern Dépôt suddenly announced his intention of leaving the party for a few days to visit the Glass Windows and make a few sketches. He promised to join them again at Abingdon in three days thereafter. This announcement excited some surprise, but was set down to Bob's love of nature and eccentricity; and with a recommendation from the Squire not to exceed the proposed limit of time, he took his leave. At four o'clock the travelers landed at Abingdon, and put up at the Washington House, where they sojourned for several days. From this point Annette wrote a letter to a schoolmate, as follows: "ABINGDON, November —, 1856. "DEAR MOLLY,-We are now in Abingdon, the county town of Washington County, a neat, pleasant-looking little town, but very dull, nothing to do and nothing to see, and very little sociability. In short, we pass our time reading and sewing, just as if we were at home. I am chiefly occupied in making doll-baby dresses for Tiny, who is a perfect little cormorant in such matters, and has as many dresses for her dolls as the Empress Eugénie had on the occasion of her marriage, yet continually wants more. "I was much pleased with Washington and Richmond. Richmond is indeed the most delightful city I've ever seen, and I would like to live there. We had quite a pleasant time, and a great deal of fun on the canal packet. I thought I should have killed myself laughing at Ma. She got her skirts and bonnet all smashed as flat as pancakes. Then we slept in such funny little places, called bunks, strapped up to the ceiling. There was an old fat woman, who occupied the one above me, who broke the straps of her bunk and came down upon me, and we both went down upon Ma; so between the two I was smothered to death; and there was such a kicking, and scolding, and groaning, and lamenting that I nearly killed myself laughing. However, when we had roused the whole cabin, and startled all the babies, Aunt Hannah came in to our assistance; but I was so flattened out that I haven't recovered my natural shape yet. "Aunt Hannah is the old black woman that |