84 The Story of the Hamiltons.

at Dover, with the whole family; but this
seemed quite an undertaking. There were
clothes and all sorts of etceteras to be
looked through and determined upon, which
to be taken and which to be left; work-
boxes and desks to be fitted up, with all
their accompaniments of needles, cottons,
tapes, and buttons, paper, stamps, and en-
velopes; and all these little matters were
found very useful in keeping their minds from
dwelling too much on the coming separation.
Still, there were times when, to Grace espe-
cially, it would force itself upon her notice;
almost every night, after she was in bed, she
thought the matter over, and it generally
ended in a flood of tears. To be away from
her mamma! it was dreadful! And then
their parents might be ill! Not but what
that might happen just as much if she were
at home, but still, she should be there and
know about it, whereas at school- Herbert,
for instance, might be suddenly seized with
a dangerous complaint, and before there was
time for them to hear, might- and then
followed a burst of tears at the very thought
of such a thing. Edith had no such gloomy
ideas; or, if she had, her nature was so unlike
Grace's, and her spirit so much more buoyant