Public-domain ebook
by Peary, Josephine Diebitsch; Peary, Marie Ahnighito
Language: en336 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: Children & Young Adult Reading·Biographies·Adventure
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #59527.
The opening · free to read
If any one had invited AH-NI-GHI´-TO to go back to the Snowland the day after her return to her Grossmamma’s house, she would not have listened a moment; for there was so much to tell, and do, and see, and learn that in her opinion she could not possibly spare time for another visit to the far-away land.
Yet, the next summer, when her father went off again in the great black ship, to the land where all AH-NI-GHI´-TO’S queer fur-clad friends lived, there was a big lump in her throat, and something that looked very much like tears in her eyes, when she found that she and mother were going to remain at home this time.
But she was nearly five years old now, and father said she must soon go to school and learn a great deal by the time he returned; and if she would be a very good girl, and do just what mother said, he would tell Santa Claus to bring her a sister.
AH-NI-GHI´-TO was much pleased. She wanted a playmate very much and promised to do all she was told; and father sailed away.
All through that summer AH-NI-GHI´-TO roamed about on a farm, where everything was new to her. She had bunnies to pet; chickens to feed; nests to hunt; cows to be driven to pasture in the morning and brought back in the evening; butter to be churned; flowers to be gathered and arranged; and really so many things to be done of which she had never even heard, that the days were hardly long enough.
The summer came to an end quickly and AH-NI-GHI´-TO returned to her “Grossy’s” home and to her kindergarten, of which she was very fond.
Then Christmas came bringing many pretty toys for her, and soon afterward, coming home from the kindergarten one day, AH-NI-GHI´-TO found the dearest little sister waiting for her. At first she thought father had brought her, and was quite disappointed to learn that she had been sent, but as sister brought a letter from “dear old Dad” in which he told AH-NI-GHI´-TO that she must be very good so that she might set sister a good example, she began at once to take the part of elder sister.
All through the winter and spring and well into the summer AH-NI-GHI´-TO was a happy little girl. Each day sister grew to be more of a playmate, and the two little girls had merry times together; sometimes on the bed, sometimes on the floor, and often on the white, warm sand of the seashore. But one morning sister was not well and did not care to frolic with AH-NI-GHI´-TO. She would lie still and only smile a little sometimes, too sick to enjoy the fun. The next evening she went to sleep and even AH-NI-GHI´-TO’S kisses could not awaken her. Poor AH-NI-GHI´-TO, this was her first grief and she was nearly heart-broken. It was a long time before she could believe it was better for sister to be an angel in heaven where she would have no pain and where AH-NI-GHI´-TO would rejoin her some day and they would never be separated again.
“_The Black Ship which sailed for the Snowland_” ]
“_AH-NI-GHI´-TO was Six Years old now._” ]
It seemed that AH-NI-GHI´-TO’S happy days were over for a while, for soon after this the big black ship which had sailed for the Snowland early in the summer to bring AH-NI-GHI´-TO’S father news of her and his homeland, returned with the sad tidings that he had been caught by the cruel Jack Frost far up in the Snow country during the cold, dark winter and had his feet frozen. Though his letters told AH-NI-GHI´-TO and her mother that he was quite well now, still they had their doubts, and AH-NI-GHI´-TO said, “Oh, mother, can’t we go to father? I think he must need us to take care of him.” Her mother agreed that when the ship went north again the next June, she and AH-NI-GHI´-TO would go too. AH-NI-GHI´-TO could not see why they must wait so long. Why not go at once? She had quite forgotten that in the far north the long, cold night was now beginning and that all the sea was frozen solid. For four months father would have no sunlight: only the faint light of the stars and once a month the moon. Only when the summer came again with its bright warm sun to thaw the ice and allow the ship to plough her way through, could she go to him.
AH-NI-GHI´-TO was six years old now and was going to real school, but all her spare time she spent in getting ready for her coming visit to father in the Snowland.
She made many picture scrap-books, and paper dolls (with dozens of dresses for them) to give to the little Danish children who had been so kind to her when father’s ship stopped at their villages on the way home with the great Star stone. All her pennies were carefully saved that she might buy other presents for her many little friends. So the winter and spring passed, and at last came the day, July 7, when AH-NI-GHI´-TO bade Grossy and Tante good-bye, promising to surely return in the early Fall and perhaps bring father too.
On the way to join the ship she stopped to say good-bye to Uncle in New York and to dear old Grandma in Portland, Maine. Here too she promised to return in the Fall and if possible to bring father with her.
Her one wish now was to board the ship and get away, and this she really did on July 20 at Sydney, Cape Breton. That night before going to sleep she wrote in her diary.
“_July 20, 1900._—Glory, glory, at last mother and I are on our way to see father. I wonder how long it will take us. I can hardly wait.
“We have such tiny rooms here that one of us must stay in bed while the other dresses. Everything is very clean and comfortable and I have a little kitty with which to play, and I think I will like our maid too.
“_A little Kitty with which to play_” ]
“_When a Breeze would fill the Sails_” ]
“She is the wife of the steward. She has never been away from her home in Newfoundland before, except to go on the fishing boats to Labrador. They spend the summer there catching codfish, and live on it through the winter.”
During the first week the weather was clear but quite cold. At least AH-NI-GHI´-TO and her mother thought it was, to what they had had before leaving home.
The old ship, called the “Windward” was very slow, and so they were thankful when a breeze would fill the sails and help the engines push the ship ahead.
From Sydney they sailed through the Gulf of St. Lawrence, along the Newfoundland shore as far as the Straits of Belle Isle. Then through the straits, where the last lighthouse was passed, and along the Labrador coast. On July 29th letters for home were given a passing fisherman, who promised to mail them at the nearest place in Labrador where the mail boat would touch. This was AH-NI-GHI´-TO’S last chance to send news home to her dear ones until she returned herself the next autumn, and in one of her letters she wrote the following:
“_Charlie the Steward_” ]
“S. S. WINDWARD,” July 29, 1900.
MY DEAR UNCLE,—Nearly every day has been fine.
In the Straits of Belle Isle we passed many large cakes of ice. I am glad we had sunshine, because Captain Bartlett, whom I like very much, says there are rocks there too. If our ship should strike either of these it would wreck her; and we might easily run against them if the fog was thick and he could not see ahead.
My kitty is very wild and will not come to me, though I feed her milk and bread and try my best to make friends with her. The Captain is very jolly, and helps me have fun. He has had a nice swing put up for me on deck, and when our ship does not roll too much I have fine times there.
Percy, the maid, says she never saw children play, that where she comes from they only sit with their hands in their laps and keep quiet. I am glad I don’t live in that place. I am teaching her to play with my paper dolls and to play tea-party, but as she feels seasick most of the time we do not get along very fast.
“_Percy the Maid_” ]
Mother and I with Percy are at one end of the ship, while the Captain and his men are at the other end. We live in what is called the “after cabin” and the Captain and his officers live in the forward saloon, but the sailors are in the forecastle; so, you see, there is the whole length of the ship between us. I can make as much noise at my play as I choose, without any one being able to hear me. Percy serves our meals in our cabin, and it is just as if mother and I lived alone on the ship.
“_Captain Sam_” ]
The Captain comes down sometimes and plays checkers with me, which is very nice of him; and I am going to call him Captain Sam, because father has had two other captains by the name of Bartlett.
To-day it is raining and quite cold, and the poor fishermen look as if they would rather be indoors; but they say it is a good day for fish and they must try to get as many as they can. Mother bought enough fish for dinner and breakfast; and now I must close, for Captain Sam is waiting for our mail.
With much love and a bushel of kisses, from
Your AH-NI-GHI´-TO.
P. S. We don’t have any real night at all now. It is daylight almost all night long.
As soon as the fisherman dropped into his boat with the mail the “Windward” went on her way, but the foggy weather and north winds kept her back a few days along the Labrador shore. Davis Strait was crossed in a wind storm which kept up for days, and one day while AH-NI-GHI´-TO’S mother was reading to her in the cabin there came a gust of wind wilder than any before. It was followed by a great crash on deck, a shower of broken glass from the cabin skylight and the shouting of the Captain to his men and the running of the sailors obeying his orders. AH-NI-GHI´-TO’S mother was frightened, but hardly had the glass stopped falling when AH-NI-GHI´-TO cried, “Go on with the story, mother.” She had been in so many storms at sea that she was not the least afraid, and took everything that happened on board ship as a matter of course.
“_A Great Iceberg_” ]
Captain Sam said afterwards that the ship had been tossed on the waves like a ball, and in the storm and fog had come so near a great iceberg that when the man on the lookout saw it she had to be brought round the shortest and quickest way, to keep her from being dashed to pieces against its frozen sides.
The book keeps going
Reading is free forever. Sign up and watch scenes appear while you read.
Scenes Storieta drew for other classics.
New illustrated classics
Once or twice a month: the latest books to get full character casts, scene art, and free comic editions. No account needed.
