Waiting

Mamma and papa were only now and then of the party. That I was
very sorry for, but it could not be helped. Mamma had seen it
all, she said; and when I urged that she had not been to this
particular "horn," she said that one "horn" was just like
another, and that when you had seen one or two you had seen
them all. But I never found it so. Every new time was a new
revelation of glory to me. If I could have had papa with me,
my satisfaction would have been perfect; but papa shunned
fatigue, and never went where he could not go easily. I was
obliged to be content with my brother and my brother's
friends; and after I had made up my mind to that, the whole
way was a rejoicing to me, from the time I left the house till
we returned, a weary and hungry party, to claim mamma's
welcome again. Our party was always the same four. Mr. de
Saussure and Hugh Marshall were, I found, very intimately at
home with my father and mother, and naturally they were soon
on the same footing with me. As far as care went, I had three
brothers to look after me, of whom indeed Ransom was not the
most careful; and as to social qualifications, they were
extremely well-bred, well-educated, and had a great deal of
general and particular cultivation. In the evenings we had
music and conversation; which last was always very pleasant
except when it turned upon American affairs. Then I had great
twinges of heart, which I thought it wise to keep to myself as
closely as possible.