It has not been mentioned that Sarah, their
housemaid, accompanied the party. She had been left early an
orphan, and had been taken as a nursemaid by Mrs. Hardy. As time
went on, and the little girls no longer required a nurse, she had
remained as housemaid, and having no friends, now willingly
accompanied them. Mr. Hardy had, to her great amusement, insisted
upon her signing a paper, agreeing, upon her master's paying her
passage, to remain with him for a year; at the end of which time
she was to be at liberty to marry or to leave them, should she
choose.
Knowing the scarcity of young Englishwomen in the country that they
were going to, and the number of Englishmen doing well in the towns
or as farmers, Mr. Hardy had considered this precaution to be
absolutely necessary; as otherwise Sarah might have married and
left them within a month of her arrival. At the end of a year her
so doing would not matter so much, as by that time the party would-be
comfortably settled in their new home; whereas during the
necessary hardship at first, it would be a great comfort having a
faithful and reliable servant.
The last looks which the party cast toward England, as the Welsh
coast sank in the distance, were less melancholy than those of most
emigrants.
Pages:
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32