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Woolson, Constance Fenimore, 1840-1894

"Castle Nowhere"

But you have not told
me-your name.'
'Jarvis,' replied Waring promptly.
'Come, then, Jarvis.' And she led the way through a low door into a
long narrow room with a row of little square windows on each side all
covered with little square white curtains. The walls and ceiling were
planked and the workmanship of the whole rude and clumsy; but a gay
carpet covered the floor, a chandelier adorned with lustres, hung from
a hook in the ceiling, large gilded vases and a mirror in a tarnished
gilt frame adorned a shelf over the hearth, mahogany chairs stood in
ranks against the wall under the little windows and a long narrow
table ran down the centre of the apartment from end to end. It all
seemed strangely familiar; of what did it remind him? His eyes fell
upon the table-legs; they were riveted to the floor. Then it came to
him at once,--the long narrow cabin of a lake steamer.
'I wonder if it is not anchored after all,' he thought.
'Just a few shavings and one little stick, Lorez,' said Silver;
'enough to give us light and drive away the damp.'
Up flared the blaze and spread abroad the dear home feeling. (O
hearth-fire, good genius of home, with thee a log-cabin is cheery and
bright, without thee the palace a dreary waste!)
'And now, while Lorez is preparing supper, you will come and see my
pets,' said Silver, in her soft tone of unconscious command.


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