When Posy was dressed all in white for the ride, she looked so beautiful, that the whole family had to kiss and keep kissing her, till Pollio was out of all patience; for he was in a hurry to get to the cars. He had been up ever since sunrise, and had filled every one of his pockets with peanuts to eat on the way in case of “hungriness.” Nanty had sternly declared the picnic-baskets should not be opened till dinner-time; and he did have a perfect horror of “hungriness.”
“Well, I believe, after all, I’ll go with you as far as the steamboat, if your mother doesn’t mind,” said Judge Pitcher, snatching up his hat at the last minute.
The cars were full. All the children in town seemed to be going; and, by the smiles on their faces, you would think they were all in love with the Lake of Lilies, and would rather see it than any other spot in the world.
Judge Pitcher took Posy on his knee; and a gentleman in the next seat touched him on the shoulder, and said,—
“Well, you must be a proud father to have such a lovely little girl as that!”
He was a perfect stranger; but he looked at Posy with a smile, of course, and offered her a rosebud. She blushed, and thanked him, and was going to give it to papa to keep for her; but papa pinned it into the bosom of her frock. He was proud: he did think his little girl and the pink rosebud looked very much alike,—both so sweet, so pure, so beautiful!
When they reached the steamboat, “The Lady of the Lake,” he went on board with the party, and said to the twins,—
“Now I leave you in charge of uncle Rufus and aunt Ann.”
“Just’s if I couldn’t take care o’ my little sister myself!” cried Pollio, quite offended.