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welcome with my treasures,—my husband and child.
For me, I long so much to see you!
Should anything hinder our meeting upon earth, think of your daughter, as one who always wished, at least, to do her duty, and who always cherished you, according as her mind opened to discover excellence.
Give dear love, too, to my brothers; and first to my eldest, faithful friend!
Eugene;
1 a sister's love to Ellen; love to my kind and good aunts, and to my dear cousin E.,—God bless them!
I hope we shall be able to pass some time together yet, in this world.
But, if God decrees otherwise,— here and hereafter,—my dearest mother,
Your loving child,
Margaret.
The voyage.
2
The seventeenth of May, the day of sailing, came, and the
Elizabeth lay waiting for her company.
Yet, even then, dark presentiments so overshadowed Margaret, that she passed one anxious hour more in hesitation, before she could resolve to go on board.
But
Captain Hasty was so fine a model of the
New England seaman, strong-minded, prompt, calm, decided, courteous;
Mrs. Hasty was so refined, gentle, and hospitable; both had already formed so warm an attachment for the little family, in their few interviews at
Florence and
Leghorn; Celeste Paolini, a young
Italian girl, who had engaged to render kindly services to Angelino, was so lady-like and pleasing; their only other fellow-passenger,
Mr. Horace Sumner,