The young people had a merry time over their breakfast the next
morning, rehearsing all they had gone through in their celebration of
Hallowe'en, each one seeming to have enjoyed his or her part in it.
They lingered over the meal, but soon after leaving the table scattered
to their homes, excepting Eva, who returned to Woodburn with Max and
Lucilla.
On arriving there Lucilla hastened to the library, where she found her
father examining some business letters.
"Good-morning, papa!" she said. "Here is your amanuensis, and haven't
you something for her to do?"
"Yes," he replied, looking up at her with a smile, as she stood close
at his side, "and the first thing is to give her father a kiss; that
is, if she will not find it a disagreeable task."
"Anything else than that, father dear," she returned, bending down to
give and receive a caress. "And won't you let me help, as usual, with
your correspondence?"
"I shall be very glad to do so," he returned, rising to take the cover
from her typewriter, and put the paper in place. Then she seated
herself and he began dictating. When they had finished, "Did you miss
me last night and this morning, father?" she asked.
"I did indeed," he said; "but that is something I will have to get used
to, when Chester takes you from me."
He ended with a sigh.
"Oh, papa, don't sigh so over it!" she exclaimed. "You know it isn't as
if I had to go away to a distance from you. I shall be close at hand,
and you can call me to your side whenever you will."
"Which will be pretty often, I think," he said, with a smile, drawing
her closer to him, and caressing her hair and cheek with his hand. "Had
you a pleasant time last evening? And did you go to bed in season, as
your father would have seen that you did had you been at home?"
"No, I did not get to bed early, papa," she replied. "I thought you
would excuse me for staying up, for once, to try my fortune. For you
see, we all wanted to know who were to be our future life partners,
Rosie telling us that there was 'many a slip 'twixt the cup and the
lip,' so that our engagements didn't make us safe."
She concluded with a light laugh and look that seemed to say she felt
no fear that he would be seriously displeased with her.
"You stayed up to try your fortune, did you?" he returned, with a look
of amusement. "Why, my child, I thought you considered it already made."
"So I do, papa, and last night's experience only confirmed my belief."
Then she went on to tell him the whole story, he seeming to enjoy the
tale as she told it.
"You are not vexed with me, papa, for staying up so late, just for
once?" she asked, when her tale was told.
"No," he replied, "though I should be far from willing to have you make
a practice of it.
"'Early to bed and early to rise,
Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise,'
the old saying is, and I want you to be all three."
"As you are, father; and I am the first, at all events," she returned,
with a happy little laugh. "You have never had to pay a big doctor's
bill for me."
"No; but to escape that is the least of my reasons for wanting to keep
you healthy."
Just then Max came in with Eva, bringing a book on architecture.
"Here are some plans for houses, father," he said, laying the book open
before the captain. "Please look at this, and tell me what you think of
it, as in some respects it is what would suit us. You too, Lu. Eva and
I like the most of it very much."
The captain and Lucilla examined it with interest, and were as well
pleased as were Max and Evelyn. It was a matter in which they and
Chester also were deeply interested, and they were taking time and
trouble to make sure of having their future home all that could be
desired. It was not to be built in haste. They had agreed to take
plenty of time and thought in regard to all the interior arrangements,
making everything as convenient as possible, as well as to the
exterior, which they were resolved should be such as to cause the
building to be recognized as an ornament to its neighborhood.
Chester was the one most anxious to get the house built and to secure
his bride; the other three seemed well content to defer their marriage
until the captain should give full and hearty consent.
The exact spot on which the building should stand had been selected,
and the plans for it almost matured, when there came an order for Max
to join a naval vessel about to sail for a distant foreign port.
There was a tender and sorrowful leave-taking, and Max was absent from
the home circle for many months.
For a time those left behind seemed to have lost much of their interest
in the building of the new home. Then came the fall rains, after that
the winter storms, and it was decided that the actual work should not
be begun until spring. Then Grace had a serious illness, which kept
her in bed for several weeks, and she had hardly recovered when the
little ones at Fairview were taken down with measles. They all passed
through that trouble safely, but the weather had now grown warm enough
to make a more northern climate desirable, and they--the whole Fairview
family, accompanied by their grandma and the Raymonds--went aboard
the captain's yacht and sailed up the coast and the Hudson River to
Evelyn's pretty home, Crag Cottage.
That became their headquarters for the summer, though occasional
short trips were taken to one or another of the points of interest
in New York and the adjoining States. They all enjoyed themselves,
though Chester and Max were missed--especially by Lucilla and Evelyn.
Chester, however, joined the party late in the season, and was with
them on the journey home.
Soon after their return, work was begun upon the proposed site of the
new double dwelling, the cellars were dug, and the foundation was laid.
But the work proceeded slowly. Max was not likely to be at home again
soon, and it was well to take time to have everything done in the best
possible manner.
Evelyn and Lucilla had fully decided upon a double wedding, which of
course could not take place until Max obtained a furlough, and came
home for a visit of some weeks or months. Chester felt the delay hard
upon him, but had to content himself with being allowed to spend all
his spare time with his betrothed.
Fall and winter passed quietly. There were the usual holiday
festivities and exchange of gifts, then quiet home duties and pleasures
filled up the days, and the weeks glided swiftly by.
One morning in February the captain, looking over his daily paper,
uttered an exclamation of mingled regret and indignation.
"What is it, my dear?" asked Violet. "Something that troubles you, I
perceive."
"Yes," he replied; "here is a piece of very bad news. The _Maine_, one
of our favorite battleships, lying at anchor in Havana harbor, has
been suddenly destroyed by a terrible explosion--wrecked and sent to
the bottom with 266 American seamen; only the captain and a few of his
officers who were on shore escaping the awful fate of the others."
"Oh, that is dreadful, dreadful!" cried Violet. "But how did it happen?
What was the cause?"
"That has yet to be discovered, my dear," replied Captain Raymond;
"but I have little doubt that it was the work of some enemy among the
Spaniards. They have been angry at the presence of the vessel in their
harbor--their newspapers calling it a taunt and a banter, for they know
our people sympathize with the Cubans. Somebody has done this evil
deed; it remains to be discovered who it was."
"This is Sigsbee's despatch to the government," he added, and read
aloud:
"_Maine_ blown up in Havana Harbor at nine-forty to-night. Many
wounded and doubtless more killed or drowned. Wounded and others on
board Spanish man-of-war and Ward Line steamers. Send light-house
tenders from Key West for crew and the few pieces of equipment above
water. None has clothing other than that upon him. Public opinion
should be suspended until further report. All officers believed to
be saved. Jenkins and Merritt not yet accounted for. Many Spanish
officers, including representatives of General Blanco, now with me to
express sympathy."
"SIGSBEE."
It was directly after breakfast and the family were all present.
Lucilla and Grace seemed much excited, and little Ned asked anxiously
if "Brother Max" was on that ship.
"No, my son," replied his father; "I am very glad to know certainly
that he was not. Have you forgotten that he is with Commodore Dewey on
the coast of China?"
"Oh, yes, papa! I forgot where Havana was. I remember now that it is
not in China, but in Cuba."
"Oh, that is a dreadful piece of news, papa!" said Lucilla, in
tones of excitement. "Won't it be likely to bring on a war with
Spain--especially as we have been feeling so sorry for the poor Cubans
whom she has been abusing so terribly?"
"I am really afraid it can hardly fail to cause war," replied the
captain. "But that will depend very much upon the result of the
investigation which will no doubt be made by our government."
"Oh, I hope we won't have war!" cried Grace, shuddering at the thought.
"War is a very dreadful thing," sighed her father, "but sometimes
the right thing on one side--that of those who undertake it for the
downtrodden and oppressed."
"But we are not such folks, are we, papa?" asked Ned.
"No, son; but the poor Cubans are, and the question is whether we
should not undertake to win their freedom for them."
"By fighting the Spaniards who abuse them so, papa?" asked little
Elsie.
"Yes."
"What have they been doing to them, papa?" asked Ned.
"Oppressing, robbing, murdering them, burning down their houses,
forcing them into the cities and towns and leaving them to starve to
death there."
"Why, papa, how dreadful! I should think our folks ought to go and
fight for them. I wish I was big enough to help."
"My dear little son, I am glad you are not," said his mother, drawing
him to her side and giving him a fond caress.
"Why, mamma?"
"Because you might be badly hurt or even killed, and that would break
your mother's heart."
"Then, mamma, I'm glad I don't have to go, for I wouldn't like to hurt
you so," said the little fellow, stroking and patting his mother's
cheek, and gazing fondly into her eyes.
"Oh, I hope it won't come to war for us!" exclaimed Grace; "though I
should like to have the poor Cubans helped. Just think how dreadful,
if Max should be engaged in a naval battle."
"Well, my child, we won't borrow trouble about that," said her father
soothingly.
"And I hope there is not much danger, as he is away off in the China
seas," said Lucilla, trying to cheer Grace, though she herself had
little idea that he would escape taking part if there should be war.
"In case of war, that will hardly excuse him from doing his duty," said
their father; "nor would our dear brave boy wish to be excused. But we
will all pray that he may be spared injury, if such be the Lord's will."
"Indeed we will, in that case, pour out constant petitions for him--the
dear fellow!" said Violet, with emotion. "But, Levis, do you think this
will bring on war?"
"It looks very likely to me," replied her husband, sadness perceptible
in both his countenance and tones. "And, really, I think it is our duty
to interfere for those poor, savagely treated Cubans. I think it is
high time that this powerful people undertook their cause."
"And I suppose the Spaniards are already angry with the Americans for
sympathizing with those poor, oppressed Cubans," said Lucilla.
"Yes," said her father, "and this awful deed--the blowing up of
our grand battleship with its hundreds of sailors--is doubtless an
expression of their ill-will."
And that was not the thought of Captain Raymond alone, but of many
others as well. The wrongs and sufferings of the Cubans had so touched
the hearts of thousands of the Americans that they felt strongly
impelled to make some effort to help them to win their freedom; and
now this wanton destruction of one of our favorite battleships--and,
what was far worse, the lives of nearly three hundred innocent
men--so increased their anger and distrust that it could scarcely be
restrained. Through all the land of the Americans there was a strong
feeling of indignation over the treachery and cruelty of the blow
that had destroyed that gallant ship and sacrificed so many innocent
lives; but the people were sternly quiet while the Court of Inquiry
was making its investigations. They were ready to punish the doers of
that dastardly deed, but not without proof of their guilt. For forty
days they and their Congress silently awaited the report of the board
of naval officers engaged in examining into the evidences of the cause
of the destruction of the _Maine_. Their verdict came at length, but
in rather vague form--that, according to the evidence obtainable,
the vessel had been destroyed by an explosion against her side from
without. So much was clearly proven, but they did not say by whom the
evil deed was done. More than a week before that report came in, both
Congress and the people had been greatly moved by the speech of Senator
Proctor, describing what he had witnessed in Cuba, the scenes of
starvation and horror; men, women, and children robbed of their homes,
their cattle--all their earthly possessions--driven into the towns and
left to starve to death in the streets.
The senator's speech made a great impression, and there were others
on the same subject and in a like strain, delivered by members of the
commission sent to Cuba by the New York _Journal_.
Some days later--on the 28th--came the report of the Court of Inquiry
into the _Maine_ catastrophe, and put an end to the patience of
Congress, which had long been ready to undertake the cause of the
oppressed and suffering Cubans.
It was not until noon of the 11th of April that the President's message
reached Congress. In that he turned over to it the whole policy of the
government toward Spain. Congress did not make a formal declaration of
war with Spain until the 25th of April, but actual hostilities began on
the 19th. Indeed, four days before the declaration of war the United
States navy began the blockade of Cuba, and captured a vessel on the
high seas.