“Not so bad as that; but chist is particularly bad pronunciation. I cannot tell what the sick sailors and soldiers need in the way of medicines without seeing them,” protested the lady.
“But they are all sick with contagious diseases!” exclaimed the Prince.
“I have had the small-pox, and I am not afraid of that. I have taken care of many people who were sick with the typhoid-fever, of which ship-fever is only another form. I will go on board of the ship, and do all I can for the poor creatures,” replied Mrs. Frisbone earnestly.
“You, my dear?”
“I never yet shrunk from doing my duty, and I shall not now,” added the lady.
“I will go with you, sister!” exclaimed Miss Rodwood.
“You will not expose her to these diseases?” demanded Mr. Frisbone, not a little alarmed at the proposition.
“I cannot prevent her from doing a duty which is as binding upon her as it is upon me,” replied Mrs. Frisbone, with a sort of solemnity that greatly impressed her husband.
“Very well; and I shall go with you,” continued the benevolent American noble. “If it is your duty,—and I don’t dispute that it is,—it is as much mine, and I shall share it with you. But we must not expose any of these boys to the contagion. I wouldn’t have one of them catch the small-pox or the ship-fever for a million dollars. I haven’t any thing in particular to do on board of this vessel; and I can just as well be on board of the other, doing what I can to make the sick comfortable.”
The adults and the officers were astonished when the decision of the Frisbone party was announced. Capt. Fairfield and O’Hara did their best to reason them out of the purpose; but that was useless. Mrs. Frisbone declared that God had given her this duty to perform, and she should be recreant to her trust if she failed to do it. This was her opportunity to do the will of Heaven; and she could no more neglect it than she could refuse her daily bread.