| Paragraph # | 1907 Reprint of Old Friends and New 1879 | Text from Tales of New England 1890 |
| 1 | and that he had been lost at sea | and that he been lost at sea |
| 1 | her acquaintances had found out or made up | her acquaintances found out or made up |
| 2 | could be liked and respected, and she | could be liked and respected and she |
| 2 | some lilac-bushes around it; | some lilac-bushes near it; |
| 2 | She was a kind, just woman, whose | She was a kind, just woman whose |
| 3 | elderly cousins living at a distance, and | elderly cousins who lived at a distance, and |
| 3 | no young people staying in the house | no young people staying in her house |
| 3 | after she had spent a fortnight | after spending a fortnight |
| 3 | Her father had laughed at the visit | Her father had laughed at this visit |
| 3 | When the village-people saw her glance at the girl affectionately, as they sat together in the family-pew of a Sunday, or saw them walking together after tea, they said it was a good thing for Miss Horatia; how bright she looked; and | When the village people saw her glance at the girl affectionately, as they sat together in the family pew of a Sunday, or saw them walking together after tea, they said it was a good thing for Miss Horatia; how bright she looked! and |
| 4 | she was not mercenary: | she was not mercenary; |
| 4 | and she liked to please her. | and really liked to please her. |
| 4 | she was sensible and economical and busy; | she was sensible, and economical, and busy; |
| 4 | old Andrew, the man, to whom | old Andrew, the man servant to whom |
| 4 | knew the village-people almost | knew the village people almost |
| 4 | has that tact and cleverness | has the tact and cleverness |
| 5 | new friends said, in | new friends asked, in |
| 5 | she kept her eyes and ears open | she kept eyes and ears open |
| 6 | At last it happened one day that she had a good chance for a friendly talk with Melissa; for who should know about the family affairs better than she? | At last it happened one morning that she had a good chance for a friendly talk with Melissa; for who should know the family affairs better than she? |
| 6 | to do some morning errands | to do some household errands |
| 6 | shady kitchen-doorstep, | shady kitchen doorstep, |
| 6 | bother yourself," said she: "I've | bother yourself," said she. "I've |
| 10 | "but, as many years as I | "but as many years as I |
| 10 | didn't keep company long: it | didn't keep company long; it |
| 10 | they never were engaged | they never was engaged |
| 12 | I know he gave her that whale's tooth with the ship drawn on it that's on the mantel-piece in her room. | I expect he gave her that whale's tooth with the ship drawn on it that's on the mantelpiece in her room. |
| 13 | side of the door: they were straying | side of the door; they were straying |
| 13 | only Miss's mother she set everything by 'em | only Miss's mother, she set everything by 'em |
| 13 | good for bee-stings | good for bee stings |
| 13 | stalks of white lilies and its wandering | stalks of white lilies, and its wandering |
| 13 | picked a little nosegay of late red roses | picked a little bouquet of late red roses |
| 13 | to put on the parlor-table. | to put on the parlor table. |
| 13 | Miss Horatia's brothers, and | Miss Horatia's uncles and brothers, and |
| 13 | she would tell her her own little love-story | she would tell her own little love-story |
| 13 | she sat in the front-window-seat ... the sharp noise of the front-gate-latch waked her; and she looked out | she sat in the front window-seat ... the sharp noise of the front gate-latch waked her; and she looked out |
| 14 | to the kitchen, and | to the kitchen and |
| 17 | argue it with her: it ain't my place; ... any day; and, though I do say | argue it with her, it ain't my place; ... any day; and though I do say |
| 17 | he made a prayer, and he kep' sayin' `this aged handmaid,' I should think, a dozen times. Aged handmaid!" said Melissa scornfully: | he made a prayer and he kep' sayin' `this aged handmaid,' I should think a dozen times. Aged handmaid!" said Melissa scornfully; |
| 18 | Nelly laughed; Melissa looked cross | Nelly laughed. Melissa looked cross |
| 20 | "I wonder," said Nelly, after | "I wonder," said Nelly after |
| 23 | Melissa's grummest tone | Melissa's grum tone |
| 24 | light in the house; and | light in the house, and |
| 24 | some pine-chips I had handy for morning on the kitchen-fire | some pine chips I had handy for morning on the kitchen fire |
| 24 | I remember, when I come here, | I remember when I come here, |
| 25 | were straight, in a minute spent before the old mirror, and then she hurried down the long elm-shaded street to buy a pound of citron for the cake. She left it on the kitchen-table when | were straight in a minute spent before the old mirror, before she hurried down the long elm-shaded street to buy a pound of citron for the cake. She left it on the kitchen table when |
| 26 | After tea Nelly and Miss Dane sat in the front-doorway, - the elder woman in a high-backed arm-chair, and the younger on the doorstep. | After tea, Nelly and Miss Dane sat in the front doorway, - the elder woman in a high-backed chair, and the younger on the door-step. |
| 26 | made no trouble; for his wife ... Miss Horatia had received the business-letter for which | made no distress; for his wife ... Miss Horatia had received the business letter for which |
| 28 | in her tone: "I find it ... and I don't mind it so much as I suppose you would." | in her tone; "I find it ... and I don't mind it as I suppose you would." |
| 33 | it is almost time to get a letter from him." | it is almost time to get a letter." |
| 35 | I suppose we are, too: only | I suppose we are, too; only |
| 35 | but he guessed at it himself | but he guessed it himself |
| 36 | the hour of Miss Dane's bed-time. | the hour of Miss Dane's bedtime. |
| 37 | did not go to bed at ten: she | did not go to bed at ten; she |
| 38 | This is such a natural thing: | This is such a natural thing; |
| 38 | used to trouble us so much when we look | used to trouble us so much, when we look |
| 38 | the more she had thought of it, the more | the more she thought of it, the more |
| 38 | on the ship Chevalier! | on the brig Chevalier! |
| 39 | granted her many blessings. She would try and serve him better. "I am an old | granted her many blessings. "I am an old |
| 40 | looking out at the moon?" thought she. "It is very silly; but it is such a beautiful night. | looking out at the moon?" she thought. "It is very silly; but this is such a beautiful night |
| 41 | Next morning at breakfast Nelly | Next morning at breakfast, Nelly |
| 41 | sat there in the morning, it was | sat there in the morning; it was |
| 42 | and she was busy for a while in the parlor | and was mysteriously busy for a while in the parlor |
| 42 | I think it was the tune of Windham | Perhaps it was the tune of Windham |
| 46 | after another on the kitchen-table, | after another on the kitchen table, |
| 47 | "I put up at an old barn three | "I lodged in an old barn three |
| 49 | Now, if I could go by water, | Now if I could go by water, |
| 50 | the conversation seemed to flag for a time. | the conversation flagged for a time. |
| 54 | "I'm a slow traveller," said he: "sailors | "I'm a slow traveler;" said he: "sailors |
| 54 | There was something in his being for once so comfortable - perhaps it was being with a lady like Miss Dane, who pitied him - that | There was something in his feeling, for once, so comfortable, - perhaps it was being with a lady like Miss Dane, who pitied him, - that |
| 54 | my mates died of it, and I was sick. | my mates died of it, and I was down myself. |
| 60 | Why, I didn't come back | You see, I didn't come back |
| 60 | I was always a hard fellow. I've spent as much as a couple o' fortunes, and here I am. | I was always a gay fellow. I've spent as much as a couple o' fortunes, and here I am a-begging. |
| 61 | The round stone that Melissa used | The round stone which Melissa used |
| 61 | Nelly was a little annoyed: she liked to hear ... that was hard to sew; so | Nelly was a little annoyed; she liked to hear ... that was hard to sew, so |
| 64 | I said he had been lifted a little | The old beggar had been lifted a little |
| 64 | quick as I can, hope | quick as I can; hope |
| 64 | things in which the old sailor found pleasure | things in which it was possible to find pleasure |
| 65 | But Nelly and Melissa both had heard a strange noise in the kitchen, as if some one had fallen, and had found | But Nelly and Melissa both heard a strange noise in the kitchen, as if some one had fallen, and they found |
| 65 | They helped her walk into | They helped her to walk into |
| 65 | as long as she lives what a comfort | as long as she lives, what a comfort |
| 66 | forgot the old sailor-tramp | forgot the old sailor tramp |
| 66 | truly called himself a wreck: he was | truly called himself a wreck; he was |
| 67 | Miss Dane thought many times in the days that came after. | Miss Dane thought bitterly, many times in the days that followed. |
| 67 | the missing ship Chevalier | the missing brig Chevalier |
| 68 | She had been a person | She had always been a person |
| 68 | She would not have liked even to touch him. She had never imagined | She had not liked even to stand near him. She had never imagined |
| 68 | such a brave, good man, with | such a brave, good man with |
| 69 | yet the towns-people still whispered it to strangers, and even Melissa and Nelly never knew how she had lost her lover | yet the townspeople still whispered it to strangers, and even Melissa and Nelly never knew how she had really lost her lover |
| 69 | the whale's tooth had disappeared | the whale's tooth disappeared |
| 70 | but I so often wish when a story comes to an end that I knew what became of the people afterward. Shall I tell you that | but we so often wish, when a story comes to an end, that we knew what became of the people afterward. Shall we believe that |
| 70 | Shall I say that Miss Dane ... as she used to be, and somehow misses | Shall we say that Miss Dane ... as she used to be, and secretly misses |
| 70 | harder thing to understand and a graver thing | harder thing to understand, and a graver thing |
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