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ELSIE ON THE HUDSON
_AND ELSEWHERE_
BY
MARTHA FINLEY
AUTHOR OF THE ELSIE BOOKS, THE MILDRED BOOKS,
"WANTED, A PEDIGREE," ETC.
NEW YORK
DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
COPYRIGHT, 1898,
DODD, MEAD & COMPANY.
_All rights reserved._
THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS,
RAHWAY, N. J.
NOTE.
For information in regard to the events of our two wars
with England, the author is largely indebted to Lossing's
historical works--The Field Books of the Revolution and
of the War of 1812.
M. F.
ELSIE ON THE HUDSON
CHAPTER I.
Crag Cottage was almost overflowingly full the first night after the
arrival of its young mistress and her friends, but with a little
contrivance all were comfortably accommodated. Most of them, weary
with their journey, slept rather late in the morning, but Captain
Raymond and his eldest daughter were as usual out of doors--out in the
grounds--early enough to enjoy the beautiful sight of the rising of
the sun over the eastern mountains. They met upon the front porch just
in time to walk down together to Evelyn's favorite summer house on the
edge of the cliff, before the king of day showed his bright face
peeping above those eastern heights.
"Oh, what a lovely sight!" exclaimed Lucilla. "I am so glad, papa,
that we are out in time to see it."
"Yes," he said, "it is worth the giving up of an extra hour of sleep.
Especially as we can take that during the day if we feel the need of
it. I would never have you do without needed sleep, daughter. There is
nothing gained by it in the end."
"No, papa, but I think I do not need so much as do some
others,--Gracie, for instance,--and I do so enjoy these early walks
and talks with you--the dearest father that ever any girl had, I am
sure," she added, giving him a look of ardent affection.
"Ah, but you must remember there are some fathers you haven't tried,"
he returned with a slight laugh of amusement, but accompanied by a
fond pressure of the pretty white hand she had slipped into his.
"Yet I am just as sure as if I had tried them all, father," she
laughed. "There may perhaps be some few nearly as good, but I know
they can't be any better. Oh, see! yonder is a yacht coming up the
river. I wish it was ours."
"Possibly it may be. Look again," her father said.
"Oh, is it, papa?" she asked eagerly. "Did you order it brought here?"
"I did; and thought it might arrive some time to-day."
"And it is--it is the _Dolphin_! I'm so glad! How nice in you, papa,
to have it come to us so soon; for now we can supplement Eva's
sleeping accommodations and take delightful little trips up and down
the river."
"Yes; that was my idea in having the vessel brought here. There are a
number of historical scenes along the Hudson's banks which I have no
doubt you and the others would like to visit."
"Oh, yes, indeed, papa! and the very pleasantest way to do it will be
in our own yacht--with Captain Raymond to take charge of us and it,"
she added with a bright smile up into his face. "Oh, the yacht seems
to be heading for the little landing down at the foot of the hill!
Can't we run down and get aboard of her just to take a peep, here and
there, and see that all is right for us to move into the staterooms
whenever we will?"
"Yes, come along, daughter. I think we can go and come back again
before the summons to breakfast," he replied, leading the way as he
spoke. They reached the landing just as the _Dolphin_ had anchored and
thrown out a plank to the shore.
"Oh, how bright and fresh she looks!" exclaimed Lulu.
"Yes--outside," laughed her father. "We will go aboard and see whether
the same can be said of the inside," he added, leading her carefully
onward till they reached the deck.
"Lovely!" she exclaimed as they stepped upon it; "everything is as
spick-and-span as possible."
"I am glad indeed that it pleases you, Miss Raymond," said the man in
charge, coming hastily forward to greet and welcome them. "I hope you
too are satisfied, sir?"
"Perfectly, so far as I have yet examined," returned Captain Raymond
in a cheery tone. "You had good weather for your trip up the coast.
Mr. Bailey?"
"Yes, sir, yes; indeed, couldn't have asked finer. Hope you all
arrived safely and well?"
"Yes, thank you, and I expect to make pretty constant and good use of
the yacht. There could hardly be a better place for it than this
river."
"No, sir; I think not."
With Lucilla by his side, the captain went here and there, satisfying
himself that everything was in perfect order, exchanging kindly
greetings with the sailors, and bestowing words of praise upon their
care of the vessel.
"She seems in excellent condition," he said, "and I perceive no dirt
or disorder. I should not blush to show her to the highest dignitary
in the land."
"I hope not, sir," returned Mr. Bailey with a gratified smile; "and I
think if anything were wrong no eyes would detect it sooner than those
of her owner."
"Now let us go below, papa," said Lucilla. "I quite want to take a
peep into my own cosey stateroom."
"Yes, so you shall," he returned, leading the way.
"Oh!" cried Lulu as they stepped into the saloon; "I see you have been
making some changes here, father; and they are all improvements. What
lovely carpets and curtains!"
"I am glad you like them," he said with a smile, as she turned toward
him with a look of surprise and delight. "The old ones were looking
considerably the worse for the wear, and the good parts I knew would
be acceptable and useful in another place."
"Oh, yes, I am sure of that," she said in reply, as she hastened to
the door of her own little bedroom and threw it open. "Oh, this looks
as neat, sweet, and pretty as possible!" she exclaimed joyously.
"Can't Gracie and I occupy it to-night, papa? Won't you let us?"
"Probably; if matters are so arranged that your mamma and I, with the
younger ones, can be here also. Now," consulting his watch, "we will
take a hasty look at the other staterooms and then hurry back to the
cottage on the crag; lest we keep Evelyn's breakfast waiting."
"I am so glad the yacht is here, papa," Lucilla said as they walked up
the winding path that led to Crag Cottage. "I felt last night as if it
were an imposition for so many of us to crowd into Evelyn's small
house--even though we were there by her own invitation; and yet I was
afraid she might feel hurt if we should go off very speedily to some
house of entertainment."
"Yes," returned her father; "but it will be all right now, I think. If
I had known you were so troubled about the matter, I should have told
you I was expecting the _Dolphin_."
"But you didn't because you wanted to give me and all the rest a
pleasant surprise?" she said questioningly, and with a loving look up
into his eyes.
"Yes, that was it. You are as good at guessing as a Yankee."
"But I am a Yankee, am I not?" she laughed.
"Yes; you certainly belong to the universal Yankee nation; as did your
ancestors for several generations. Both mine and your mother's were
here long before the Revolution."
"A fact which I think is something to rejoice over," she said in
joyous tones.
"Therefore something to be thankful for," he said in a tone between
assertion and inquiry.
"Oh, yes, sir; yes, indeed! I am very glad and thankful that you are
my father and I am your child."
"And I that you are my own dearly loved daughter," he said in
response.
"Ah," as a turn in the walk brought the house into full view, "I see
we are no longer the only ones up and about"--for nearly all the
guests were now gathered upon the porch or wandering to and fro under
the trees or among the flower beds near at hand.
"Oh, yonder come papa and Lu!" shouted Ned at the same moment,
starting on a run toward them, quickly followed by his cousins, the
Leland boys.
"Good-morning, papa and Lu," "Good-morning, uncle and Lu," cried the
three as they drew near. Eric adding: "Have you been down by the
river? and is there a walk along down by the waters edge?"
"In some places," his uncle answered, "but you can go down and see for
yourselves after breakfast."
"Oh, yes; I presume we can get permission; especially if papa or you
will go with us, Uncle Levis."
"It would be still pleasanter to go up and down the river in a boat
though," remarked Ned, taking possession of his father's hand as they
all moved on toward the house. "Papa, can't you have our yacht brought
here for us to go in?"
"I suppose that might be possible," was the smiling rejoinder.
"Oh, that would be splendid, uncle," exclaimed the two Leland boys in
a breath.
"Yes," said Ned; "for then we could go every day, and all day, if we
wanted to. I mean, if papa and the rest of the grown folks thought
best."
But now they had reached the house, and morning greetings were the
order of the moment. Everyone was well, in good spirits, and ready to
answer with alacrity the summons of the breakfast bell which presently
sounded out.
Naturally, their talk turned principally upon the plans for the best
manner of spending the next few weeks, in order to gain all possible
pleasure and information from their brief sojourn in that part of the
country.
"Papa," said Grace, "I should like to see every place along this
river that can boast of any Revolutionary incident occurring there. I
wish we had our yacht here to travel up and down in. Won't you please
send for it?"
"No, daughter," he said gravely; "I have a particular reason for not
doing so; though I should like to gratify you."
"Yes, I know you would, father, and so I am quite satisfied with your
decision," she returned pleasantly, though with a little sigh of
regret.
Violet gave her husband a look of surprise, but made no remark, and
the talk went on.
"I think we would all enjoy visiting any and every place occupied by,
or visited by, our Washington," remarked Mrs. Leland.
"Yes," said her husband; "Newburgh, for one, and it is not so very far
away."
"No," said the captain, "that is quite true."
"And there are boats passing up and down every day, I suppose?"
remarked Sydney Dinsmore inquiringly.
"Oh, yes, indeed," said Evelyn; "so we won't have any difficulty in
getting there; though we can't have the _Dolphin_ to go in."
"Papa, why can't we have our yacht come here so that we can go up and
down in it?" asked Neddie.
"Have I said we couldn't?" was his father's smiling rejoinder.
"No, sir; at least, I didn't hear you say it--but she isn't here."
"It is really quite wonderful how much some little boys know," laughed
Lucilla. "However, I don't believe it would require a great deal of
coaxing to induce papa to send for her."
"But he just refused," said Grace.
"You could telegraph, couldn't you, papa?" asked Lucilla. "But perhaps
the repairs you said she needed are not finished yet?"
"I think they must be," returned the captain pleasantly. "Perhaps we
may get some news in regard to her to-day."
"And if the repairs are finished, will you send for her?" asked
Violet.
"In case they are, I see no reason why we should not have the use of
her," was the rather non-committal reply.