The Golden Land

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER V. In Which The Children Discuss Uncle William's Letter. The letter was listened to with absorbed attention, and when Mr. Spencer gazed upon his auditors he found them spell-bound. This did not last long, however; their tongues were soon loosened, and eager voices began to ask questions and answer...
More Description

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER V. In Which The Children Discuss Uncle William's Letter. The letter was listened to with absorbed attention, and when Mr. Spencer gazed upon his auditors he found them spell-bound. This did not last long, however; their tongues were soon loosened, and eager voices began to ask questions and answer them, almost at random. It was evident that their young blood wasstrangely stirred; the prospect held out was so new, so novel, so full of captivating possibilities, that there was no doubt as to what would be the result of the family consultation. Mr. Spencer held up his hand, and called for silence. Slap-bang, cried Harry, till papa has finished what he's got to say And slap- bang, slap-bang, slap-bang, came from Irving, Joe, and Eleanor. Lal was too tired to say it, so he thought it. You see now, said Mr. Spencer, why the money Uncle Wiliam has sent is mine and isn't mine. It is mine if I act one way, it isn't mine if I act another. The proposition made by Uncle William is so important that I thought we could all assist each other to a decision upon it. That is why I called you together. It comes at a critical time. Harry, you are now fourteen years of age, and in our circumstances it will be necessary, if we remain at home, that you should obtain a situation. I should counsel a trade, and you to become an apprentice. Now, if that had happened before the arrival of Uncle William's letter, you would have been bound to remain here a certainnumber of years, and I think none of us would have cared to leave you alone in England. But we are all free at present. Except the ties of home and of a native land dear to us, as it is to all men, we are our own masters, to stay or go. If we go, we go together; if we stay, we stay together. For myself, ...