“Do you know,” continued Rosamond, without listening to what her mother said—“Do you know, mamma, that they are going in the boat, on the river; and there are to be streamers flying, and music playing all the time? And Mrs. Blisset, and Miss Blisset, and the master Blissets, will be here in a few minutes. Will you go, mamma? may Godfrey and I go with you?”
“Yes, my dears.”
Scarcely had her mother added the word “yes,” than Rosamond uttered a loud exclamation of joy, and ran to tell her brother Godfrey, and returned, repeating as she capered about the room—
“Oh! we shall be so happy! so happy!”
“Moderate your transports, my dear Rosamond,” said her mother. “If you expect so much happiness beforehand you may be disappointed.”
“Disappointed, mamma!—I thought people were always happy on parties of pleasure; Miss Blisset told me so.”
“My dear, you had better judge for yourself, than to trust to what Miss Blisset tells you, without knowing any thing of the matter yourself.”
“Mamma, if I know nothing of the matter, how can I judge? Why should I not trust what Miss Blisset says?”
“Wait and you will know, my dear.”
“You said, mamma, do not raise your expectations. Is it not well to expect to be happy?—to hope to be happy, makes me happy now. If I thought I should be unhappy, it would make me unhappy now.”