Winnie's ambition to become a lady promised to be one of my strong
levers in uplifting her character.

I confess that I did not like the looks of the sky or of the snow-
flakes that began to whirl in the air, but the strong steamer plowed
her way rapidly past the city and the villa-crowned shores beyond.
The gloom of the storm and of early coming night was over all, and
from the distant western shores the Palisades frowned dimly through
the obscurity.

My wife came, and after a brief glance shivered and was turning
away, when I said, "You don't like your first glimpse of the
country, Winifred?"

"It will look different next June. The children will take cold here.
Let them come and watch the machinery."

This we all did for a time, and then I took them on excursions about
the enclosed parts of the boat. The lamps were already lighted, and
the piled-up freight stood out in grotesque light and shadow.

Before very long we were standing by one of the furnace rooms, and
the sooty-visaged man threw open the iron doors of the furnace. In
the glare of light that rushed forth everything near stood out
almost as vividly as it would have done in a steady gleam of
lightning. The fireman instantly became a startling silhouette, and
the coal that he shovelled into what was like a flaming mouth of a
cavern seemed sparkling black diamonds. The snow-flakes glimmered as
the wind swept them by the wide-open window, and in the distance
were seen the lights and the dim outline of another boat rushing