"Why, Renestine, you are not finished packing yet! We are
ready and our trunks are roped and standing at the door for Laaskar to
put on the post-wagon when he drives by on his way to the post-house
tonight."

The speaker stopped confused seeing that Renestine was silent
with no joy in her eyes and the mother sat quietly with flushed checks
and said nothing.

"What has happened?" said the three girls in chorus. "You are
not going to back out, are you?"

Still Renestine did not look up or make any sign that she was
interested in the preparations for her arranged trip. Presently the
mother spoke and her voice trembled.

"Renestine has changed her mind and will remain at home."

Then the girls broke into a laugh and chided Renestine, saying
she was a baby and would never see the ocean or go to America and ride
in carriages. The mental picture was doing its work. Not ride in
carriages and have pretty clothes and .learn to speak English? That
was too much to refuse. Renestine raised her head, wiped the tears
out of her eyes, brought the skirt neatly folded to her mother and
said: "Mutterchen, finish my trunk. I am going with Yetta, Selma and
Polly to America."

The journey began and Renestine made the voyage over in a
sailing vessel which took six weeks to make her port at Galveston,