Swiss Family Robinson(fiscle part-3 of 2) - Johann David Wyss (desktop ebook reader .TXT) 📗

Enjoyed in such A Home.

 

He Was Carried on Shore With The Utmost Care And Tenderness,  And

Comfortably Established in my Room,  A Camp-Bed for Mrs. Wolston Being

Added to The Furniture There,  That She Might Be Able Conveniently To

Attend On Her Husband.

 

Meantime The Scene At The Harbour And All Round Rockburg Was Of The

Liveliest Description; Merriment And Excitement Prevailed in all

Directions,  As The Beauties And Wonders Of Our Residence Were

Explored,  So That A Summons To Dinner Scarcely Attracted notice.

 

However,  As A Visit To Falconhurst Was Projected,  The Company Was At

Length Induced to Be Seated,  And To Partake Of Our Good Cheer,  But The

Spirit Of Restlessness Soon Returned,  And The Young People Kept Roaming

About Through Our Hitherto Quiet Lawns,  Avenues And Shrubberies,  Until

I Was Ready To Believe Their Number Three Times What It Actually Was.

 

Towards Evening the Universal Excitement Began To Abate,  And The Party

Assembled for Supper With Tolerable Composure.

 

Mr. Wolston Was Able To Join Us,  As The Rest He Had Enjoyed,  And The

Pleasure Inspired by The Hope Of A Residence Among Us,  Seemed to Have

Given Him New Life. This Wish He Now Distinctly Expressed in his Own

Name,  And In that Of His Wife; Inquiring what Our Intentions Were,  And

Proposing,  If Agreeable To Us,  That They,  With Their Eldest Daughter,

Whose Health,  Like His Own,  Was Delicate,  Should Make A Long Stay On

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The Island,  While The Younger Daughter Went For The Present To Her

Brother At The Cape Of Good Hope.

 

In The Event Of His Ultimately Deciding to Settle Altogether Among Us,

Mr. Wolston Would Propose That His Son Should Leave The Cape,  And Join

Our Colony.

 

With Sincere Satisfaction,  I Welcomed this Proposal,  Saying that It Was

My Wish And That Of My Wife To Remain For The Rest Of Our Days In new

Switzerland.

 

`Hurrah For New Switzerland! New Switzerland For Ever!' Shouted the

Whole Company Enthusiastically,  As They Raised their Glasses,  And Made

Them Touch With A Musical Ring,  Which So Expressively Denotes A Joyful

Unanimity Of Sentiment.

 

`Prosperity To New Switzerland; Long May She Flourish,' Echoed on All

Sides.

 

`Long Life And Happiness To Those Who Make New Switzerland Their

Home!' Added ernest To My Great Surprise,  Leaning forward As He Spoke,

To Ring his Glass With Mine,  His Mother'S And Mr. Wolston'S.

 

`Won'T Somebody Wish Long Life And Prosperity To Those Who Go Away?'

Inquired jenny With A Pretty Arch Look. `Much As I Long To Return To

England And My Father,  My Inclination Will Waver If All The Cheers Are

For New Switzerland!'

 

`Three Cheers For England And Colonel Montrose,' Cried fritz,  `Success

And Happiness To Us Who Return To Europe!' And While The Vaulted roofs

Rang With The Cheering elicited by This Toast,  A Glance From Jenny

Showed him How Much She Thanked him For Appreciating her Wish To Return

To Her Father,  Notwithstanding her Attachment To Our Family.

 

`Well,' Said I,  When Silence Was Restored,  `Since Fritz Resolves To Go

To England,  He Must Undertake For Me The Duty Of Bringing happiness To

A Mourning father By Restoring to Him This Dear Daughter,  Whom I Have

Been Ready To Regard As My Own,  By Right Of Finding her Cast On The

Shores Of My Island.

 

`Ernest Chooses To Remain With Me. His Mother And I Rejoice Heartily In

This Decision,  And Promise Him All The Highest Scientific Appointments

In Our Power To Bestow.

 

`And Now What Is Jack'S Choice? The Only Talent I Can Say He Possesses

Is That Of A Comic Actor,  And To Shine On The Stage He Must Needs Go To

Europe.'

 

`Jack Is Not Going to Europe,  However,' Was His Reply. `He Means To

Stay Here,  And When Fritz Is Gone,  He Will Be The Best Rider,  And The

Best Shot In new Switzerland,  Which Is The Summit Of His Ambition.

 

`The Fact Is,' He Continued,  Laughing,  `I Rather Stand In awe Of Their

European Schools,  And Should Expect To Find Myself Caught And Clapped

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Into One,  If I Ventured too Near Them.'

 

`A Good School Is Exactly What I Want,' Said Franz. `Among A Number Of

Students There Is Some Emulation And Enthusiasm,  And I Shall Have A

Chance Of Rising in the World.

 

`Fritz Will Probably Return Here Some Day; But It Might Be Well For One

Member Of The Family To Go Home With The Intention Of Remaining there

Altogether,  And As I Am The Youngest,  I Could More Easily Than The

Rest,  Adapt Myself To A Different Life. My Father,  However,  Will Decide

For Me.'

 

`You May Go,  My Dear Son,' I Replied,  `And God Bless All Our Plans And

Resolutions. The Whole Earth Is The Lord'S,  And Where,  As In his Sight,

You Lead Good And Useful Lives,  There Is Your Home.

 

`And Now That I Know Your Wishes,  The Only Question Is,  Whether

Captain Littlestone Will Kindly Enable You To Carry Them Out?'

 

All Eyes Were Fixed eagerly Upon Him,  And After A Moment'S Pause The

Gallant Officer Spoke As Follows:

 

`I Think My Way In this Matter Is Perfectly Clear,  And I Consider That

I Have Been Providentially Guided to Be The Means Of Once More Placing

This Family In communication With Their Friends And With The Civilized

World.

 

`My Orders Were To Search For A Shipwrecked crew.

 

`Survivors From Two Wrecks Have Been Discovered.

 

`Three Passengers Express A Wish To Leave My Ship Here,  Instead Of At

The Cape,  While,  At The Same Time,  I Am Requested to Give To Three

Persons A Passage To England.

 

`Could Anything suit Better? I Am Most Willing to Undertake The Charge

Of Those Who May Be Committed to My Care.

 

`Every Circumstance Has Been Wonderfully Ordered and Linked together By

Divine Providence,  And If England Gains A Prosperous And Happy Colony,

It Will Prove A Fitting clasp To This Fortunate Chain Of Events. Three

Cheers For New Switzerland.'

 

Deep Emotion Stirred every Heart As The Party Separated for The Night.

Many Felt That They Were Suddenly Standing on The Threshold Of A New

Life,  While,  For Myself A Weight Was Rolled from My Heart,  And I

Thanked god That A Difficulty Was Solved which,  For Years,  Had

Oppressed me With Anxiety.

 

After This Nothing was Thought Of But Making preparations For The

Departure Of The Dear Ones Bound For England. Captain Littlestone

Allowed as Much Time As He Could Spare; But It Was Necessarily Short,

So That Incessant Movement And Industry Pervaded the Settlement For

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Several Days.

 

Everything was Provided and Packed up That Could In any Way Add To Our

Children'S Comfort On The Voyage,  Or Benefit Them After Their Arrival

In England,  And A Large Share Of My Possessions In pearls,  Corals,

Furs,  Spices And Other Valuables Would Enable Them To Take A Good

Position In the World Of Commerce.

 

I Committed to Their Care Private Papers,  Money,  And Jewels Which I

Knew To Have Been The Personal Property Of The Captain Of Our

Ill-Fated ship,  Desiring them To Hand Them Over,  If Possible,  To His

Heirs. A Short Account Of The Wreck,  With The Names Of The Crew,  A List

Of Which I Had Found,  Was Given To Captain Littlestone.

 

His Ship,  The Unicorn,  Was Amply Stored by Us With Fresh Provisions,

Fish,  Vegetables And Fruit,  For In our Gratitude To Him For His

Kindness And Sympathy,  We Felt Ready To Offer Every Possible

Assistance.

 

In A Long Conversation With My Sons I Solemnly Charged them With The

Future Responsibilities Of Their Life,  In all Its Varied aspects,  Of

Duty Towards God,  Their Fellow Men,  And Themselves,  Pointing out The

Temptations To Which Their Different Characters Were Likely To Expose

Them,  And Exhorting them Affectionately To Hold Fast To The Faith In

Which They Had Been Brought Up.

 

Fritz,  Having previously Made Known To Me,  What Indeed was Very

Evident,  The Attachment Between Himself And Jenny,  I Advised him To

Mention It To Colonel Montrose As Soon As Possible After Being

Introduced to Him,  And Ask For His Sanction To Their Engagement.

 

I On My Part,  Gladly Bestowing mine,  As Did His Mother,  Who Loved the

Sweet Girl Dearly,  And Heartily Grieved to Part With Her.

 

On The Evening before Our Separation,  I Gave To Fritz The Journal In

Which,  Ever Since The Shipwreck,  I Had Chronicled the Events Of Our

Life,  Desiring that The Story Might Be Printed and Published. `It Was

Written,  As You Well Know,' Said I,  `For The Instruction And Amusement

Of My Children,  But It Is Very Possible That It May Be Useful To Other

Young People.

 

`Children Are,  On The Whole,  Very Much Alike Everywhere,  And You Four

Lads Fairly Represent Multitudes,  Who Are Growing up In all

Directions. It Will Make Me Happy To Think That My Simple Narrative May

Lead Some Of These To Observe How Blessed are The Results Of Patient

Continuance In well-Doing,  What Benefits Arise From The Thoughtful

Application Of Knowledge And Science,  And How Good And Pleasant A Thing

It Is When Brethren Dwell Together In unity,  Under The Eyes Of Parental

Love.'

 

Night Has Closed around Me.

 

For The Last Time My United family Slumbers Beneath My Care. Tomorrow

This Closing chapter Of My Journal Will Pass Into The Hands Of My

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Eldest Son.

 

From Afar I Greet Thee,  Europe!

 

I Greet Thee,  Dear Old Switzerland!

 

Like Thee,  May New Switzerland Flourish And Prosper--Good,  Happy And

Free!