THE LIBRARY.
Round the room are shelves of dainty lore,
And rich old pictures hang upon the walls,
Where the slant light falls on them; and wrought gems,
Medallions, rare mosaics and antiques
From Herculaneum, the niches fill;
And on a table of enamel wrought
With a lost art in Italy, do lie
Prints of fair women and engravings rare.
--_N.P. Willis_.
It was a noble room; four lofty windows--two on each side--admitting
abundance of light and air; at one end was a marble chimney-piece, over
which hung a fine picture of Christ disputing with the doctors in the
temple; on each side of this chimney-piece were glass cases filled with
rare shells, minerals, and other curiosities; all the remaining spaces
along the walls and between the windows were filled up with book-cases;
various writing tables, reading stands, and easy-chairs occupied the
center of the floor.
After a curious glance at this scene, Ishmael went to work at unpacking
the boxes. He found his task much easier than he had expected to find
it. Each box contained one particular set of books. On the top of one of
the boxes he found a large strong blank folio, entitled--"Library
Catalogue."
Ishmael took this book and sat down at one of the tables and divided it
into twelve portions, writing over each portion the name of the subject
to which he proposed to devote it, as "Theology," "Physics,"
"Jurisprudence," etc. The last portion he headed "Miscellaneous." Next
he divided the empty shelves into similar compartments, and headed each
with thy corresponding names. Then he began to make a list of the books,
taking one set at a time, writing their names in their proper portion of
the catalogue and then arranging them in their proper compartment of the
library.
Ishmael had just got through with "Theology," and was about to begin to
arrange the next set of books in rotation, when he bethought himself to
look at the timepiece, and seeing that it was after twelve, he hurried
back to Woodside to keep his appointment with Reuben.
But he returned in the afternoon and recommenced work; and not only on
this day, but for several succeeding days, Ishmael toiled cheerfully at
this task. To arrange all these books in perfect order and neatness was
to Ishmael a labor of real love; and so when one Saturday afternoon he
had completed his task, it was with a feeling half of satisfaction at
the results of his labor, half of regret at leaving the scene of it,
that he locked up the library, returned the key to Aunt Katie, and took
leave of Tanglewood.
Walking home through the forest that evening Ishmael thought well over
his future prospects. He had read and mastered all those text-books of
law that he had found in the old escritoire of his bedroom; and now he
wanted more advanced books on the same subject. Such books he had seen
in the library at Tanglewood; and he had been sorely tempted to linger
as long as possible there for the sake of reading them: but honest and
true in thought and act, he resisted the temptation to appropriate the
use of the books, or the time that he felt was not his own.
On this evening, therefore, he meditated upon the means of obtaining the
books that he wanted. He was now about eighteen years of age, highly
gifted in physical beauty and in moral and intellectual excellence; but
he was still as poor as poverty could make him. He worked hard, much
harder than many who earned liberal salaries; but he earned nothing,
absolutely nothing, beyond his board and clothing.
This state of things he felt must not continue longer. It was now nearly
nine months since he had left Mr. Middleton's school, and there was no
chance of his ever entering another; so now he felt he must turn the
education he had received to some better account than merely keeping
Reuben Gray's farm books; that he must earn something to support himself
and to enable him to go on with his law studies; and he must earn this
"something" in this neighborhood, too; for the idea of leaving poor
Reuben with no one to keep his accounts never entered the unselfish mind
of Ishmael.
Various plans of action as to how he should contrive to support himself
and pursue his studies without leaving the neighborhood suggested
themselves to Ishmael. Among the rest, he thought of opening a country
school. True, he was very young, too young for so responsible a post;
but in every other respect, except that of age, he was admirably well
qualified for the duty. While he was still meditating upon this subject,
he unexpectedly reached the end of his walk and the gate of the cottage.
Reuben and Hannah were standing at the gate. Reuben's left arm was
around Hannah, and his right hand held an open letter, over which both
their heads were bent. Hannah was helping poor Reuben to spell out its
contents.
Ishmael smiled as he greeted them, smiled with his eyes only, as if his
sweet bright spirit had looked out in love upon them; and thus it was
that Ishmael always met his friends.
"Glad you've come home so soon, Ishmael--glad as ever I can be! Here's
another rum go, as ever was!" said Gray, looking up from his letter.
"What is it, Uncle Reuben?"
"Why, it's a sort of notice from the judge. 'Pears like he's gin up his
v'y'ge to forrin parts; and 'stead of gwine out yonder for two or three
years, he and Miss Merlin be coming down here to spend the
summer--leastways, what's left of it," said Gray.
Ishmael's face flushed crimson, and then went deadly white, as he reeled
and leaned against the fence for support. Much as he had struggled to
conquer his wild passion for the beautiful and high-born heiress, often
as he had characterized it as mere boyish folly, or moon-struck madness,
closely as he had applied himself to study in the hope of curing his
mania, he was overwhelmed by the sudden announcement of her expected
return: overwhelmed by a shock of equally blended joy and pain--joy at
the prospect of soon meeting her, pain at the thought of the impassable
gulf that yawned them--"so near and yet so far!"
His extreme agitation was not observed by either Reuben or Hannah, whose
heads were again bent over the puzzling letter. While he was still in
that half-stunned, half-excited and wholly-confused state of feeling,
Reuben went slowly on with his explanations:
"'Pears like the judge have got another gov'ment 'pointment, or some
sich thing, as will keep him here in his natyve land; so he and Miss
Claudia, they be a-coming down here to stop till the meeting of Congress
in Washington. So he orders me to tell Katie to get the house ready to
receive them by the first of next week; and law! this is Saturday!
Leastways, that is all me and Hannah can make out'n this here letter,
Ishmael; but you take it and read it yourself," said Gray, putting the
missive into Ishmael's hands.
With a great effort to recover his self-possession, Ishmael took the
letter and read it aloud.
It proved to be just what Reuben and Hannah had made of it, but
Ishmael's clear reading rendered the orders much plainer.
"Now, if old Katie won't have to turn her fat body a little faster than
she often does, I don't know nothing!" exclaimed Gray, when Ishmael had
finished the reading.
"I will go up myself this evening and help her," said Hannah kindly.
"No, you won't, neither, my dear! Old Katie has lots of young maid
servants to help her, and she's as jealous as a pet cat of all
interference with her affairs. But we will walk over after tea and let
her know what's up," said Gray.
After tea, accordingly, Reuben, Hannah, and Ishmael took a pleasant
evening stroll through the forest to Tanglewood, and told Katie what was
at hand.
"And you'll have to stir round, old woman, and that I tell you, for this
is Saturday night, and they may be here on Monday evening," said Gray.
"Law, Marse Reuben, you needn't tell me nuffin 'tall 'bout Marse Judge
Merlin! I knows his ways too well; I been too long use to his popping
down on us, unexpected, like the Day of Judgment, for me to be
unprepared! The house is all in fust-rate order; only wantin' fires to
be kindled to correct de damp, and windows to be opened to air de rooms;
and time 'nuff for dat o' Monday," grinned old Katie, taking things
easy.
"Very well, only see to it! Come, Hannah, let us go home," said Gray.
"But, Uncle Reuben, have you no directions for the coachman to meet the
judge at the landing?" inquired Ishmael.
"No, my lad. The judge never comes down by any of these little sailing
packets as pass here. He allers comes by the steamboat to Baymouth, and
then from there to here by land."
"Then had you not better send the carriage to Baymouth immediately, that
it may be there in time to meet him? It will be more comfortable for the
judge and--and Miss--and his daughter to travel in their own easy
carriage than in those rough village hacks."
"Well, now, Ishmael, that's a rale good idee, and I'll follow it, and
the judge will thank you for it. If he'd took a thought, you see, he'd
a-gin me the order to do just that thing. But law! he's so took up along
of public affairs, as he never thinks of his private comfort, though he
is always pleased as possible when anybody thinks of it for him."
"Then, Uncle Reuben, had you not better start Sam with the carriage this
evening? It is a very clear night, the roads are excellent, and the
horses are fresh; so he could easily reach Baymouth by sunrise, and put
up at the 'Planter's Rest,' for Sunday, and wait there for the boat."
"Yes, Ishmael, I think I had better do so; we'll go home now directly
and start Sam. He'll be pleased to death! If there's anything that
nigger likes, it's a journey, particular through the cool of the night;
but he'll sleep all day to-morrow to make up for his lost rest,"
returned Reuben, as they turned to walk back to the cottage.
Sam was found loitering near the front gate. When told what he was to
do, he grinned and started with alacrity to put the horses to the
carriage and prepare the horse feed to take along with him.
And meanwhile Hannah packed a hamper full of food and drink to solace
the traveler on his night journey.
In half an hour from his first notice to go, Sam drove the carriage up
to the cottage gate, received his hamper of provisions and his final
orders, and departed.
Hannah and Reuben, leaning over the gate, watched him out of sight, and
then sat down in front of their cottage door, to enjoy the coolness of
the summer evening, and talk of the judge's expected arrival.
Ishmael went up to his room, lighted a candle, and sat down to try to
compose his agitated heart and apply his mind to study. But in vain; his
eyes wandered over the pages of his book; his mind could not take in the
meaning. The thought of Claudia filled his whole soul, absorbed his
every faculty to the exclusion of every other idea.
"Oh, this will never, never do! It is weakness, folly, madness! What
have I to do with Miss Merlin that she takes possession of my whole
being in this manner! I must, I will conquer this passion!" he
exclaimed, at last, starting up, throwing aside his book, and pacing the
floor.
"Yes, with the Lord's help, I will overcome this infatuation!" he
repeated, as he paused in his hasty walk, bowed his head, and folded his
hands in prayer to God for deliverance from the power of inordinate and
vain affections.
This done, he returned to his studies with more success. And long after
he heard Hannah and Reuben re-enter the cottage and retire to their
room, he continued to sit up and read. He read on perseveringly, until
he had wearied himself out enough to be able to sleep. And his last
resolution on seeking his bed was:
"By the Lord's help I will conquer this passion! I will combat it with
prayer, and study, and work!"