Jenny laughed; and just then the door opened, and Mr. Van
Brunt and the old news-carrier came in.
He was a venerable, mild-looking man, with thin hair as white as snow. He wore a long snuff-coloured coat and a broad- brimmed hat, the sides of which were oddly looped up to the crown, with twine; his tin horn or trumpet was in his hand. His saddle-bags were on Mr. Van Brunt's' arm. As soon as she saw him, Ellen was fevered with the notion that perhaps he had something for her; and she forgot everything else. It would seem that the rest of the company had the same hope, for they crowded round him, shouting out welcomes, and questions, and inquiries for letters all in a breath.
"Softly softly," said the old man, sitting down, slowly; "not all at once; I can't attend to you all at once; one at a time one at a time."
"Don't attend to 'em at all till you're ready," said Miss
Fortune "let 'em wait." And she handed him a glass of cider.
He drank it off at a breath, smacking his lips as he gave back the glass to her hand, and exclaiming, "That's prime!" Then taking up his saddle-bags from the floor, he began slowly to undo the fastenings.
"You are going to our house to-night, ain't you, Father
Swaim?" said Jenny.
That's where I was going," said the old man "I was agoing to stop with your father, Miss Jenny; but since I've got into farmer Van Brunt's hands, I don't know any more what's going to become of me; and after that glass of cider, I don't much care! Now let's see let's see 'Miss Jenny Hitchcock,' here's something for you. I should like very much to know what's inside of that letter there's a blue seal to it. Ah, young folks! young folks!
Jenny received her letter amidst a great deal of laughing and joking, and seemed herself quite as much amused as anybody.
" 'Jedediah B. Lawson' there's for your father, Miss Mimy; that saves me a long tramp if you've twenty-one cents in your pocket, that is; if you han't, I shall be obleeged to tramp after that. Here's something for 'most all of you, I'm thinking. 'Miss Cecilia Dennison' your fair hands how's the squire? rheumatism, eh? I think I'm a younger man now than your father, Cecilly; and yet I must ha' seen a good many years more than Squire Dennison; I must, surely. 'Miss Fortune Emerson' that's for you; a double letter, Maam."
Ellen with a beating heart had pressed nearer and nearer to the old man, till she stood close by his right hand, and could see every letter as he handed it out. A spot of deepening red was on each cheek as her eye eagerly scanned letter after letter; it spread to a sudden flush when the last name was read. Alice watched in some anxiety her keen look as it followed the letter from the old man's hand to her aunt's, and thence to the pocket, where Miss Fortune coolly bestowed it. Ellen could not stand this; she sprang forward across the circle.