The Diving Bell | Page 8

always
measure time by minutes and hours. That is not the only week of my
life that has appeared long. I have seen other weeks that seemed as long
as some months. We sometimes live very fast, and at other times, more
slowly.

But this is not the journey I am going to tell you about. I was young
then, and a little green, no doubt; but before I left home again, I had got
rid of my ignorance on some points. Miss Tompkins, a maiden lady,
who sometimes came to our house to sew, and who laid claim to more
personal experience in such matters than myself, had received from
some one a chapter of instructions about traveling--a kind of traveler's
guide--and as she did not wish to be so selfish as to keep all her
knowledge for her own use, she very freely gave away some of it for
my benefit.
[Illustration: AUNT KATE AND HER TUTOR]
"When you travel," said my instructor, "you must not be too modest
and retiring. You must always help yourself to the best things that
come within your reach, as if you considered them yours, as a matter of
course. If you only act as if you think yourself a person of consequence,
you will be treated as such. But if you stand one side, and seem to think
that anything is good enough for you, every one will be sure to think so
too. It is as much as saying that you don't think yourself of much
importance. Others, of course, will conclude that you ought to be the
best judge, and that you are a sort of nobody, who may be disposed of
to suit anybody's convenience."
Now as these items of advice were given as the result of the experience
of those who had seen a great deal of the world, and as I was very ready
to admit my own ignorance, I resolved to lay up these hints for future
service, when I should travel again.
The time came, at length, for another journey. The stage, which passed
regularly through our village once a day, accommodating those who
wished to go north one day, and those who wished to go south the next,
picked me and my baggage up, at my father's door. A very young lady,
an acquaintance of mine, and two stranger gentlemen, were the only
passengers besides myself, until we reached the next town, five miles
distant, where we stopped to change horses. When we got into the
coach again, at this place, we found a new passenger safely stowed
away in one corner of the back seat.

This passenger was an old lady, of a class sometimes found in our
country villages, who are aunts to everybody, and claim the greater part
of the younger portion of the community as sheer boys and girls. It
seems the driver was one of her boys, and, on account of his being so
nearly related, she claimed a free passage. She was already there, and
the driver had to choose between these two things--either to admit her
claim, or to turn her out. He wisely concluded to make a virtue of
necessity. It would not answer to be rude to Aunt Polly, he thought.
Some of the other nephews and nieces might think him cruel.
But there was another question to be settled. She had possession of the
back seat. This would hardly do on the strength of a free ticket, when it
was claimed by those who had paid their passage.
"You must get up, Aunt Polly," said the driver, "and let these ladies
have the back seat."
But Aunt Polly, alas! declared, in the most positive manner, that she
could not ride on the middle seat.
"Yes you can," said the driver, "and you must; so get up."
But Aunt Polly was by no means easily moved. She still, to the no
small vexation of the driver, kept on saying that she could not ride on
the middle seat. In this state of things one of the gentlemen undertook
the task of settling matters, and, addressing me, inquired which seat I
preferred. All the instructions which I had received at once rushed to
my mind. Now was the time to put them in practice--to let it be known
that I was not going to give up my seat to any one, certainly not to one
who had no claim to it. So drawing myself up to my full height--which
was nothing to boast of, by the way--I answered with becoming dignity,
"I prefer the back seat, sir."
He then turned to my companion, and said, "Which seat do you
prefer?"
"It makes no difference with me, sir," was the modest reply.

A smile passed over the face of