THE NEW HOME.
It is a quiet picture of delight,
The humble cottage, hiding from the sun
In the thick woods. You see it not till then,
When at its porch. Rudely, but neatly wrought,
Four columns make its entrance; slender shafts,
The rough bark yet upon them, as they came
From the old forest. Prolific vines
Have wreathed them well and half obscured the rinds
Original, that wrap them. Crowding leaves
Or glistening green, and clustering bright flowers
Of purple, in whose cups, throughout the day,
The humming bird wantons boldly, wave around
And woo the gentle eye and delicate touch.
This is the dwelling, and 'twill be to them
Quiet's especial temple.
--_W.G. Simms_.
"Welcome home, Hannah! welcome home, dearest woman! No more hard work
now, Hannah! and no more slaving at the everlasting wheel and loom!
Nothing to do but your own pretty little house to keep, and your own
tidy servant girl to look after! And no more anxiety about the future,
Hannah; for you have me to love you and care for you! Ah, dear wife!
this is a day I have looked forward to through all the gloom and trouble
of many years. Thank God, it has come at last, more blessed than I ever
hoped it would be, and I welcome you home, my wife!" said Reuben Gray,
as he lifted his companion from the wagon, embraced her, and led her
through the gate into the front yard.
"Oh, you dear, good Reuben, what a nice, large house this is! so much
better than I had any reason to expect," said Hannah, in surprise and
delight.
"You'll like it better still by daylight, my dear," answered Gray.
"How kind you are to me, dear Reuben."
"It shall always be my greatest pleasure to be so, Hannah."
A negro girl at this moment appeared at the door with a light, and the
husband and wife entered the house.
Ishmael sprang down from his seat, stretched his cramped limbs, and
gazed about him with all the curiosity and interest of a stranger in a
strange scene.
The features of the landscape, as dimly discerned by starlight, were
simple and grand.
Behind him lay the deep forest from which they had just emerged. On its
edge stood the white cottage, surrounded by its garden. Before him lay
the open country, sloping down to the banks of a broad river, whose dark
waves glimmered in the starlight.
So this was Judge Merlin's estate--and Claudia's birthplace!
"Well, Ishmael, are you waiting for an invitation to enter? Why, you are
as welcome as Hannah herself, and you couldn't be more so!" exclaimed
the hearty voice of Reuben Gray, as he returned almost immediately after
taking Hannah in.
"I know it, Uncle Reuben. You are very good to me; and I do hope to make
myself very useful to you," replied the boy.
"You'll be a fortun' to me, lad--an ample fortun' to me! But why don't
you go in out of the midnight air? You ain't just as strong as Samson,
yet, though you're agwine to be," said Gray cheerily.
"I only stopped to stretch my limbs, and--to help in with the luggage,"
said Ishmael, who was always thoughtful, practical, and useful, and who
now stopped to load himself with Hannah's baskets and bundles before
going into the house.
"Now, then, Sam," said Gray, turning to the negro, "look sharp there!
Bring in the trunks and boxes from the light wagon; take the furniture
from the heavy one, and pile it in the shed, where it can stay until
morning; put both on 'em under cover, feed and put up the horses; and
then you can go to your quarters."
The negro bestirred himself to obey these orders, and Reuben Gray and
Ishmael entered the cottage garden.
They passed up a gravel walk bordered each side with lilac bushes, and
entered by a vine-shaded porch into a broad passage, that ran through
the middle of the house from the front to the back door.
"There are four large rooms on this floor, Ishmael, and this is the
family sitting room," said Gray, opening a door on his right.
It was a very pleasant front room, with a bright paper on its walls, a
gay homespun carpet on the floor; pretty chintz curtains at the two
front windows; chintz covers of the same pattern on the two easy-chairs
and the sofa; a bright fire burning in the open fireplace, and a neat
tea-table set out in the middle of the floor.
But Hannah was nowhere visible.
"She has gone in her room, Ishmael, to take off her bonnet; it is the
other front one across the passage, just opposite to this; and as she
seems to be taking of her time, I may as well show you your'n, Ishmael.
Just drop them baskets down anywhere, and come with me, my lad," said
Gray, leading the way into the passage and up the staircase to the
second floor. Arrived there, he opened a door, admitting himself and his
companion into a chamber immediately over the sitting-room.
"This is your'n, Ishmael, and I hope as you'll find it comfortable and
make yourself at home," said Reuben, hastily, as he introduced Ishmael
to this room.
It was more rudely furnished than the one below. There was no carpet
except the strip laid down by the bedside; the bed itself was very
plain, and covered with a patchwork quilt; the two front windows were
shaded with dark green paper blinds; and the black walnut bureau,
washstand, and chairs were very old. Yet all was scrupulously clean; and
everywhere were evidences that the kindly care of Reuben Gray had taken
pains to discover Ishmael's habits and provide for his necessities. For
instance, just between the front windows stood an old-fashioned piece of
furniture, half book-case and half writing-desk, and wholly convenient,
containing three upper shelves well filled with books, a drawer full of
stationery, and a closet for waste paper.
Ishmael walked straight up to this.
"Why, where did you get this escritoire, and all these books, Uncle
Reuben?" he inquired, in surprise.
"Why, you see, Ishmael, the screwtwar, as you call it, was among the
old furnitur' sent down from the mansion-house here, to fit up this
place when I first came into it; you see, the housekeeper up there sends
the cast-off furniture to the overseer, same as she sends the cast-off
finery to the niggers."
"But the books, Uncle Reuben; they are all law books," said the boy,
examining them.
"Exactly; and that's why I was so fort'nate as to get 'em. You see, I
was at the sale at Colonel Mervin's to see if I could pick up anything
nice for Hannah; and I sees a lot of books sold--laws! why, the story
books all went off like wildfire; but when it come to these, nobody
didn't seem to want 'em. So I says to myself: These will do to fill up
the empty shelves in the screwtwar, and I dare say as our Ishmael would
vally them. So I up and bought the lot for five dollars; and sent 'em up
here by Sam, with orders to put 'em in the screwtwar, and move the
screwtwar out'n the sitting room into this room, as I intended for you."
"Ah, Uncle Reuben, how good you are to me! Everybody is good to me."
"Quite nat'rel, Ishmael, since you are useful to everybody. And now, my
lad, I'll go and send Sam up with your box. And when you have freshed up
a bit you can come down to supper," said Gray, leaving Ishmael in
possession of his room.
In a few minutes after the negro Sam brought in the box that contained
all Ishmael's worldly goods.
"Missus Gray say how the supper is all ready, sir," said the man,
setting down the box.
As Ishmael was also quite ready, he followed the negro downstairs into
the sitting room.
Hannah was already in her seat at the head of the table; while behind
her waited a neat colored girl. Reuben stood at the back of his own
chair at the foot of the table, waiting for Ishmael before seating
himself. When the boy took his own place, Reuben asked a blessing, and
the meal commenced. The tired travelers did ample justice to the hot
coffee, broiled ham and eggs and fresh bread and butter before them.
After supper they separated for the night.
Ishmael went up to his room and went to bed, so very tired that his head
was no sooner laid upon his pillow than his senses were sunk in sleep.
He was awakened by the caroling of a thousand birds. He started up, a
little confused at first by finding himself in a strange room; but as
memory quickly returned he sprang from his bed and went and drew up his
blind and looked out from his window.
It was early morning; the sun was just rising and flooding the whole
landscape with light. A fine, inspiring scene lay before him--orchards
of apple, peach, and cherry trees in full blossom; meadows of white and
red clover; fields of wheat and rye, in their pale green hue of early
growth; all spreading downwards towards the banks of the mighty Potomac
that here in its majestic breadth seemed a channel of the sea; while far
away across the waters, under the distant horizon, a faint blue line
marked the southern shore.
Sailing up and down the mighty river were ships of all nations, craft of
every description, from the three-decker East India merchantman, going
or returning from her distant voyage, to the little schooner-rigged
fishermen trading up and down the coast. These were the sights. The
songs of birds, the low of cattle, the hum of bees, and the murmur of
the water as it washed the sands--these were the sounds. All the joyous
life of land, water, and sky seemed combined at this spot and visible
from this window.
"This is a pleasant place to live in; thank the Lord for it!" said
Ishmael fervently, as he stood gazing from the window. Not long,
however, did the youth indulge his love of nature; he turned away,
washed and dressed himself quickly and went downstairs to see if he
could be useful.
The windows were open in the sitting room, which was filled with the
refreshing fragrance of the lilacs. The breakfast table was set; and
Phillis, the colored girl, was bringing in the coffee. Almost at the
same moment Hannah entered from the kitchen and Reuben from the garden.
"Good-morning, Ishmael!" said Reuben gayly. "How do you like Woodside?
Woodside is the name of our little home, same as Tanglewood is the name
of the judge's house, a half a mile back in the forest, you know. How do
you like it by daylight?"
"Oh, very much, indeed, uncle. Don't you like it, Aunt Hannah? Isn't it
pleasant?" exclaimed the youth, appealing to Mrs. Gray.
"Very pleasant, indeed, Ishmael!" she said. "Ah, Reuben," she continued,
turning to her husband, "you never let me guess what a delightful home
you were bringing me to! I had no idea but that it was just like the
cottages of other overseers that I have known--a little house of two or
three small rooms."
"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Gray, "I knew you too well, Hannah! I knew if I
had let you know how well off I was, you would never have taken me; your
pride would have been up in arms and you would have thought besides as
how I was comfortable enough without you, which would have been an idee
as I never could have got out of your head! No, Hannah, I humored your
pride, and let you think as how you were marrying of a poor, miserable,
desolate old man, as would be apt to die of neglect and privations if
you didn't consent to come and take care of him. And then I comforted
myself with thinking what a pleasant surprise I had in store for you
when I should fetch you here. Enjoy yourself, dear woman! for there
isn't a thing as I have done to this house I didn't do for your sake!"
"But, Reuben, how is it that you have so much better a house than other
men of your station ever have?"
"Well, Hannah, my dear, it is partly accident and partly design in the
judge. You see, this house used to be the mansion of the planters
theirselves, until the present master, when he was first married, built
the great house back in the woods, and then, 'stead of pulling this one
down, he just 'pointed it to be the dwelling of the overseer; for it is
the pleasure of the judge to make all his people as comfortable as it is
possible for them to be," answered Reuben. As he spoke, Phillis placed
the last dish upon the table, and they all took their seats and
commenced breakfast.
As soon as the meal was over, Ishmael said:
"Now, Uncle Reuben, if you will give me those farm books you were
wanting me to arrange, I will make a commencement."
"No, you won't, Ishmael, my lad. You have worked yourself nearly to
death this winter and spring, and now, please the Lord, you shall do no
more work for a month. When I picked you up for dead that day, I
promised the Almighty Father to be a father to you; so, Ishmael, you
must regard me as such, when I tell you that you are to let the books
alone for a whole month longer, until your health is restored. So just
get your hat and come with us; I am going to show your aunt over the
place."
Ishmael smiled and obeyed. And all three went out together. And oh! with
how much pride Reuben displayed the treasures of her little place to
his long-loved Hannah. He showed her her cows and pigs and sheep; and
her turkeys and geese and hens; and her beehives and garden and orchard.
"And this isn't all, either, Hannah, my dear! We can have as much as we
want for family use, of all the rare fruits and vegetables from the
greenhouses and hotbeds up at Tanglewood; and, besides that, we have the
freedom of the fisheries and the oyster beds, too; so you see, my dear,
you will live like any queen! Thank the Lord!" said Reuben, reverently
raising his hat.
"And oh, Reuben, to think that you should have saved all this happiness
for me, poor, faded, unworthy me!" sighed his wife.
"Why, law, Hannah, who else should I have saved it for but my own dear
old sweetheart? I never so much as thought of another."
"With all these comforts about you, you might have married some blooming
young girl."
"Lord, dear woman, I ha'n't much larnin', nor much religion, more's the
pity; but I hope I have conscience enough to keep me from doing any
young girl so cruel a wrong as to tempt her to throw away her youth and
beauty on an old man like me; and I am sure I have sense enough to
prevent me from doing myself so great an injustice as to buy a young
wife, who, in the very natur' of things, would be looking for'ard to my
death as the beginning of her life; for I've heard as how the very life
of a woman is love, and if the girl-wife cannot love her old
husband--Oh, Hannah, let us drop the veil--the pictur' is too sickening
to look at. Such marriages are crimes. Ah, Hannah, in the way of
sweethearting, age may love youth, but youth can't love age. And another
thing I am sartin' sure of--as a young girl is a much more delicate
cre'tur' than a young man, it must be a great deal harder for her to
marry an old man than it would be for him to marry an old woman, though
either would be horrible."
"You seem to have found this out somehow, Reuben."
"Well, yes, my dear; it was along of a rich old fellow, hereaway, as
fell in love with my little Kitty's rosy cheeks and black eyes, and
wanted to make her Mrs. Barnabas Winterberry. And I saw how that girl
was at the same time tempted by his money and frightened by his age; and
how in her bewitched state, half-drawn and half-scared, she fluttered
about him, for all the world like a humming-bird going right into the
jaws of a rattlesnake. Well, I questioned little Kitty, and she answered
me in this horrid way--'Why, brother, he must know I can't love him; for
how can I? But still he teases me to marry him, and I can do that; and
why shouldn't I, if he wants me to?' Then in a whisper--'You know,
brother, it wouldn't be for long; because he is ever so old, and he
would soon die; and then I should be a rich young widow, and have my
pick and choose out of the best young men in the country side.' Such,
Hannah, was the evil state of feeling to which that old man's courtship
had brought my simple little sister! And I believe in my soul it is the
natural state of feeling into which every young girl falls who marries
an old man."
"That is terrible, Reuben."
"Sartinly it is."
"What did you say to your sister?"
"Why, I didn't spare the feelings of little Kitty, nor her doting
suitor's nyther, and that I can tell you! I talked to little Kitty like
a father and mother, both; I told her well what a young traitress she
was a-planning to be; and how she was fooling herself worse than she was
deceiving her old beau, who had got into the whit-leathar age, and would
be sartin' sure to live twenty-five or thirty years longer, till she
would be an old woman herself, and I so frightened her, by telling her
the plain truth in the plainest words, that she shrank from seeing her
old lover any more, and begged me to send him about his business. And I
did, too, 'with a flea in his ear,' as the saying is; for I repeated to
him every word as little Kitty had said to me, as a warning to him for
the futur' not to go tempting any more young girls to marry him for his
money and then wish him dead for the enjoyment of it."
"I hope it did him good."
"Why, Hannah, he went right straight home, and that same day married his
fat, middle-aged housekeeper, who, to tell the solemn truth, he ought to
have married twenty years before! And as for little Kitty, thank Heaven!
she was soon sought as a wife by a handsome young fellow, who was suited
to her in every way, and who really did love her and win her love; and
they were married and went to Californy, as I told you. Well, after I
was left alone, the neighboring small farmers with unprovided daughters,
seeing how comfortable I was fixed, would often say to me--'Gray, you
ought to marry.' 'Gray, why don't you marry?' 'Gray, your nice little
place only needs one thing to make it perfect, a nice little wife.' 'Why
don't you drop in and see the girls some evening, Gray? They would
always be glad to see you.' And all that. I understood it all, Hannah,
my dear; but I didn't want any young girls who would marry me only for a
home. And, besides, the Lord knows I never thought of any woman, young
or old, except yourself, who was my first love and my only one, and
whose whole life was mixed up with my own, as close as ever warp and
woof was woven in your webs, Hannah."
"You have been more faithful to me than I deserved, Reuben; but I will
try to make you happy," said Hannah, with much emotion.
"You do make me happy, dear, without trying. And now where is Ishmael?"
inquired Reuben, who never in his own content forgot the welfare of
others.
Ishmael was walking slowly and thoughtfully at some distance behind
them. Reuben called after him:
"Walk up, my lad. We are going in to dinner now; we dine at noon, you
know."
Ishmael, who had lingered behind from the motives of delicacy that
withheld him from intruding on the confidential conversation of the
newly-married pair, now quickened his steps and joined them, saying,
with a smile:
"Uncle Reuben, when you advised me not to study for a whole month you
did not mean to counsel me to rust in idleness for four long weeks? I
must work, and I wish you would put me to that which will be the most
useful to you."
"And most benefital to your own health, my boy! What would you say to
fishing? Would that meet your wishes?"
"Oh, I should like that very much, if I could really be of use in that
way, Uncle Reuben," said the youth.
"Why, of course you could; now I'll tell you what you can do; you can go
this afternoon with Sam in the sailboat as far down the river as Silver
Sands, where he hopes to hook some fine rock fish. Would that meet your
views?"
"Exactly," laughed Ishmael, as his eyes danced with the eagerness of
youth for the sport.
They went into the house, where Phillis had prepared a nice dinner, of
bacon and sprouts and apple dumplings, which the whole party relished.
Afterwards Ishmael started on his first fishing voyage with Sam. And
though it was a short one, it had for him all the charms of novelty
added to the excitement of sport, and he enjoyed the excursion
excessively. The fishing was very successful, and they filled their
little boat and got back home by sunset. At supper Ishmael gave a full
account of the expedition and received the hearty congratulations of
Reuben. And thus ended the holiday of their first day at home.
The next morning Reuben Gray went into the fields to resume his
oversight of his employer's estate.
Hannah turned in to housework, and had all the furniture she had brought
from the hill hut moved into the cottage and arranged in one of the
empty rooms upstairs.
Ishmael, forbidden to study, employed himself in useful manual labor in
the garden and in the fields.
And thus in cheerful industry passed the early days of spring.