ast ten days, for a party of five,--Mr. and Mrs. Gordon, their
daughter Bessie, twenty years of age, their son Tom, fifteen years, and
a favorite cousin of theirs, Miss Ray, who was then visiting them, and
whose purse, as Mr. Gordon had so often practically remembered, was not
equal to her desire to see and to know.

In a few days satisfactory arrangements were made, which ended in their
all leaving the Old Colony depot, Boston, in the half-past twelve train,
for Wood's Holl, where they arrived in two hours and a half. From that
place they took the steamer for a nearly three hours' sail to Nantucket,
only to stop for a few moments at Martha's Vineyard.

While they were thus ploughing their way on the mighty deep, Nantucket's
famous crier, "Billy" Clark, had climbed to his position in the tower of
the Unitarian church of the town,--as had been his daily custom for
years,--spy-glass in hand, to see the steamer when she should come in
sight. Between five and six o'clock, the repeated blowing of the horn
from the tower announced to the people his success, and became the
signal for them to make ready to receive those who should come to their
shores. Just before seven o'clock the steamer arrived. While she was
being fastened to the wharf, Tom was attracted by this same "Billy,"
who, having received the daily papers, was running up the wharf toward
the town ringing his bell and crying out the number of passengers on
board, and other important news, which Tom failed to hear in the noise
of the crowd. A few minutes' walk brought the party to their
boarding-place. When Mrs. Gordon spied the soft, crayon likeness of
Benjamin Franklin on the wall, as she stepped into the house, her
historical pulse quickened to such an extent that she then and there
determined to hunt up more about the Folgers; for was not Benjamin
Franklin's mother a Folger and born on this island? Then, as she saw
about her some old portraits and copies of the masters, and, above all,
a copy of Murillo's Immaculate Conception in the dining-room, she was
sure that the atmosphere of her new quarters would be conducive to her
happiness and growth. The others saw the pictures, but they appreciated
more fully, just then, the delicious blue-fish which was on hand to
appease their hunger.

After a night of restful sleep, such as Nantucket is noted for giving,
they all arose early to greet a beautiful morning, which they used,
partly, for a stroll around the town. Of c