A Colonial Wooing
brought all beauty better into view, was idly spent on board, and after the commonplaces of wondering when they could proceed had been passed, each man took himself unto himself and wondered why more of his people did not flock hither to this land of endless promise. The captain was for a while otherwise engaged. After looking at the superscriptions on the letters he had had placed in his charge and wondering whether they contained good news or ill, he took a small book from his pocket, and summing up the probable gains of the year, said to himself, "If the season ends as well as it began, I shall have enough to carry out my plans and will make a change. I wonder if I could sell my boat to any one in Chesterfield. I will talk to John Bishop when we anchor at the ferry."
The ferry was not reached until late the next day, and then, when the boat was seen coming slowly up the creek, many of those who lived near came down to the landing, out of idle curiosity, or for such goods as they were expecting, or to receive possibly a
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