Japhet, In Search Of A Father Part 1 - Frederick Marryat (polar express read aloud .txt) 📗

Never Ought To Have Been

Placed,  That I Take Her With Me."

 

"And This Upon Your Honour?"

 

"Yes,  Upon My Honour. I Love Her As My Sister,  And Cannot Help Indulging

In The Hope That In Seeking My Father,  I May Chance To Stumble Upon

Her'S."

 

Melchior Bit His Lips. "There Is Another Promise I Must Exact From You,

Japhet,  Which Is,  That To A Direction Which I Will Give You,  Every Six

Months You Will Inclose An Address Where You May Be Heard Of,  And Also

Intelligence As To Fleta'S Welfare And Health."

 

"To That I Gave My Cheerful Promise: But,  Melchior,  You Appear To Have

Taken,  All At Once,  A Strange Interest In This Little Girl."

 

"I Wish You Now To Think That I Do Take An Interest In Her,  Provided You

Seek Not To Inquire The Why And The Wherefore. Will You Accept Of Funds

For Her Maintenance?"

 

"Not Without Necessity Compels Me; And Then I Should Be Glad To Find,

When I Can No Longer Help Her,  That You Are Still Her Friend."

 

"Recollect,  That You Will Always Find What Is Requisite By Writing To

The Address Which I Shall Give You Before We Part. That Point Is Now

Settled,  And On The Whole I Think The Arrangement Is Good."

 

Timothy Had Been Absent During The Events Of The Morning--When He

Returned,  I Communicated To Him What Had Passed,  And Was About To Take

Place.

 

"Well,  Japhet,  I Don'T Know--I Do Not Dislike Our Present Life,  Yet I Am

Part 1 Chapter 16 Pg 82

Not Sorry To Change It; But What Are We To Do?"

 

"That Remains To Be Considered; We Have A Good Stock Of Money,

Fortunately,  And We Must Husband It Till We Find What Can Be Done."

 

We Took Our Suppers All Together For The Last Time,  Melchior Telling Us

That He Had Determined To Set Off The Next Day. Nattee Looked Very

Melancholy,  But Resigned; On The Contrary,  Little Fleta Was So

Overjoyed,  That Her Face,  Generally So Mournful,  Was Illuminated With

Smiles Whenever Our Eyes Met. It Was Delightful To See Her So Happy. The

Whole Of The People In The Camp Had Retired,  And Melchior Was Busy

Making His Arrangements In The Tent. I Did Not Feel Inclined To Sleep; I

Was Thinking And Revolving In My Mind My Prospects For The Future;

Sitting,  Or Rather Lying Down,  For I Was Leaning On My Elbow,  At A Short

Distance From The Tents. The Night Was Dark But Clear,  And The Stars

Were Brilliant. I Had Been Watching Them,  And I Thought Upon Melchior'S

Ideas Of Destiny,  And Dwelling On The Futile Wish That I Could Read

Mine,  When I Perceived The Approach Of Nattee.

 

"Japhet," Said She,  "You Are To Take The Little Girl With You,  I

Find--Will You Be Careful Of Her? For It Would Be On My Conscience If

She Were Left To The Mercy Of The World. She Departs Rejoicing,  Let Not

Her Joy End In Tears. I Depart Sorrowing. I Leave My People,  My Kin,  My

Habits,  And Customs,  My Influence,  All--But It Must Be So,  It Is My

Destiny. She Is A Good Child,  Japhet--Promise Me That You Will Be A

Friend To Her--And Give Her This To Wear In Remembrance Of Me,  But--Not

Yet--Not Till We Are Gone--." She Hesitated. "Japhet,  Do Not Let

Melchior See It In Your Possession; He May Not Like Me Having Given It

Away." I Took The Piece Of Paper Containing The Present,  And Having

Promised All She Required,  "This Is The Last--Yes--The Very Last Time

That I May Behold This Scene," Continued Nattee,  Surveying The Common,

The Tents,  And The Animals Browsing. "Be It So; Japhet,  Good-Night,  May

You Prosper!" She Then Turned Away And Entered Her Tent; And Soon

Afterwards I Followed Her Example.

 

The Next Day,  Melchior Was All Ready. What He Had Packed Up Was

Contained In Two Small Bundles. He Addressed The People Belonging To The

Gang,  In Their Own Language. Nattee Did The Same,  And The Whole Of Them

Kissed Her Hand. The Tents,  Furniture,  And The Greatest Part Of His

Other Property,  Were Distributed Among Them. Jumbo And Num Were Made

Over To Two Of The Principal Men. Timothy,  Fleta,  And I,  Were Also

Ready,  And Intended To Quit At The Same Time As Melchior And His Wife.

 

"Japhet," Said Melchior,  "There Is Yet Some Money Due To You For Our

Last Excursion--(This Was True,)--Here It Is --You And Timothy Keep But

One Purse,  I Am Aware. Good-Bye,  And May You Prosper!"

 

We Shook Hands With Nattee And Melchior. Fleta Went Up To The Former,

And Crossing Her Arms,  Bent Her Head. Nattee Kissed The Child,  And Led

Her To Melchior. He Stooped Down,  Kissed Her On The Forehead,  And I

Perceived A Sign Of Strongly Suppressed Emotion As He Did So. Our

Intended Routes Lay In a Different Direction,  And When Both Parties Had

Arrived To Either Verge Of The Common,  We Waved Our Hands As A Last

Farewell,  And Resumed Our Paths Again. Fleta Burst Into Tears As She

Turned Away From Her Former Guardians.

 

Part 1 Chapter 17 Pg 83

     A Cabinet Council--I Resolve To Set Up As A Gentleman,  Having As

     Legitimate Pretensions To The Rank Of One As Many Others.

 

 

 

 

I Led The Little Sobbing Girl By The Hand,  And We Proceeded For Some

Time In Silence. It Was Not Until We Gained The High Road That Timothy

Interrupted My Reverie,  By Observing,  "Japhet,  Have You At All Made Up

Your Mind What You Shall Do?"

 

"I Have Been Reflecting,  Timothy. We Have Lost A Great Deal Of Time. The

Original Intention With Which I Left London Has Been Almost Forgotten;

But It Must Be So No Longer. I Now Have Resolved That As Soon As I Have

Placed This Poor Little Girl In Safety,  That I Will Prosecute My Search,

And Never Be Diverted From It."

 

"I Cannot Agree With You That We Have Lost Time,  Japhet; We Had Very

Little Money When We Started Upon Our Expedition,  And Now We Have

Sufficient To Enable You To Prosecute Your Plans For A Long Time. The

Question Is,  In What Direction? We Quitted London,  And Travelled West,

In Imitation,  As We Thought,  Of The _Wise Men_. With All Deference,  In

My Opinion,  It Was Like _Two Fools_."

 

"I Have Been Thinking Upon That Point Also,  Tim,  And I Agree With You. I

Expect,  From Several Causes,  Which You Know As Well As I Do,  To Find My

Father Among The Higher Classes Of Society; And The Path We Took When We

Started Has Led Us Into The Very Lowest. It Appears To Me That We Cannot

Do Better Than Retrace Our Steps. We Have The Means Now To Appear As

Gentlemen,  And To Mix In Good Company,  And London Is The Very Best Place

For Us To Repair To."

 

"That Is Precisely My Opinion,  Japhet,  With One Single Exception,  Which

I Will Mention To You; But First Tell Me,  Have You Calculated What Our

Joint Purses May Amount To? It Must Be A Very Considerable Sum."

 

I Had Not Examined The Packet In Which Was The Money Which Melchior Had

Given Me At Parting. I Now Opened It,  And Found,  To My Surprise,  That

There Were Bank Notes To The Amount Of One Hundred Pounds. I Felt That

He Had Given Me This Large Sum That It Might Assist Me In Fleta'S

Expenses. "With This Sum," Said I,  "I Cannot Have Much Less Than Two

Hundred And Fifty Pounds."

 

"And I Have More Than Sixty," Said Timothy. "Really,  The Profession Was

Not Unprofitable."

 

"No," Replied I,  Laughing; "But Recollect,  Tim,  That We Had No Outlay

Part 1 Chapter 17 Pg 84

The Public Provided Us With Food,  Our Lodging Cost Us Nothing. We Have

Had No Taxes To Pay; And At The Same Time Have Taxed Folly And Credulity

To A Great Extent."

 

"That'S True,  Japhet; And Although I Am Glad To Have The Money,  I Am Not

Sorry That We Have Abandoned The Profession."

 

"Nor Am I,  Tim; If You Please,  We Will Forget It Altogether. But Tell

Me,  What Was The Exception You Were About To Make?"

 

"Simply This. Although Upwards Of Three Hundred Pounds May Be A Great

Deal Of Money,  Yet,  If We Are To Support The Character And Appearance Of

Gentlemen,  It Will Not Last For Ever. For Instance,  We Must Have Our

_Valets_. What An Expense That Will Be! Our Clothes Too--We Shall Soon

Lose Our Rank And Station In Society,  Without We Obtain A Situation

Under Government."

 

"We Must Make It Last As Long As We Can,  Timothy; And Trust To Good

Fortune To Assist Us."

 

"That'S All Very Well,  Japhet; But I Had Rather Trust To Our Own

Prudence. Now Hear What I Have To Say. You Will Be As Much Assisted By A

_Trusty_ Valet As By Any Other Means. I Shall,  As A Gentleman,  Be Only

An Expense And An Incumbrance; But As A Valet I Shall Be Able To Play

Into Your Hands,  At The Same Time More Than One Half The Expense Will Be

Avoided. With Your Leave,  Therefore,  I Will Take My Proper Situation,

Put On Your Livery,  And Thereby Make Myself Of The Greatest Use."

 

I Could Not Help Acknowledging The Advantages To Be Derived From This

Proposal Of Timothy'S; But I Did Not Like To Accept It.

 

"It Is Very Kind Of You,  Timothy," Replied I; "But I Can Only Look Upon

You As A Friend And An Equal."

 

"There You Are Right And Are Wrong In The Same Breath. You Are Right In

Looking Upon Me As A Friend,  Japhet; And You Would Be Still More Right

In Allowing Me To Prove My Friendship As I Propose; But You Are Wrong In

Looking Upon Me As An Equal,  For I Am Not So Either In Personal

Appearance,  Education,  Or Anything Else. We Are Both Foundlings,  It Is

True; But You Were Christened After Abraham Newland,  And I After The

Workhouse Pump. You Were A Gentleman Foundling,  Presenting Yourself With

A Fifty Pound Note,  And Good Clothes. I Made My Appearance In Rags And

Misery. If You Find Your Parents,  You Will Rise In The World; If I Find

Mine,  I Shall,  In all Probability,  Have No Reason To Be Proud Of Them. I

Therefore Must Insist Upon Having My Own Choice In The Part I Am To Play

In The Drama,  And I Will Prove To You That It Is My Right To Choose. You

Forget That,  When We