NEW LIFE.
Oh, mighty perseverance!
Oh, courage, stern and stout!
That wills and works a clearance
Of every troubling doubt,
That cannot brook denial
And scarce allows delay,
But wins from every trial
More strength for every day!
--_M.F. Tupper_.
When the judge met his daughter at dinner that evening, he informed her
of the new arrangement affected with Ishmael Worth.
Miss Merlin listened in some surprise, and then asked:
"Was it well done, papa?"
"What, Claudia?"
"The making of that engagement with Ishmael."
"I think so, my dear, as far as I am interested, at least, and I shall
endeavor to make the arrangement profitable also to the youth."
"And he is to remain with us until we go to town?"
"Yes, my dear; but you seem to demur, Claudia. Now what is the matter?
What possible objection can there be to Ishmael Worth remaining here as
my assistant until we go to town?"
"Papa, it will be accustoming him to a society and style that will make
it very hard for him to return to the company of the ignorant men and
women who have hitherto been his associates," said Claudia.
"But why should he return to them? Young Worth is very talented and well
educated. He works to enable him to study a profession. There is no
reason on earth why he should not succeed. He looks like a gentleman,
talks like a gentleman, and behaves like a gentleman! And there is
nothing to prevent his becoming a gentleman."
"Oh, yes, there is, papa! Yes, there is!" exclaimed Claudia, with
emotion.
"To what do you allude, my dear?"
"To his--low birth, papa!" exclaimed Claudia, with a gasp.
"His low birth? Claudia! do we live in a republic or not? If we do, what
is the use of our free institutions, if a deserving young man is to be
despised on account of his birth? Claudia, in the circle of my
acquaintance there are at least half-a-dozen prosperous men who were the
sons of poor but respectable parents."
"Yes! poor, but--respectable!" ejaculated Claudia, with exceeding
bitterness.
"My daughter, what do you mean by that? Surely young Worth's family are
honest people?" inquired the judge.
"Ishmael's parents were not respectable! his mother was never married! I
heard this years ago, but did not believe it. I heard it confirmed
to-day!" cried Claudia, with a gasp and a sob, as she sank back in her
chair and covered her burning face with her hands.
The judge laid down his knife and fork and gazed at his daughter,
muttering:
"That is unfortunate; very unfortunate! No, he will never get over that
reproach; so far, you are right, Claudia."
"Oh, no, I am wrong; basely wrong! He saved my life, and I speak these
words of him, as if he were answerable for the sins of others--as if his
great misfortune was his crime! Poor Ishmael! Poor, noble-hearted boy!
He saved my life, papa, at the price of deadly peril and terrible
suffering to himself. Oh, reward him well, lavishly, munificently; but
send him away! I cannot bear his presence here!" exclaimed the excited
girl.
"Claudia, it is natural that you should be shocked at hearing such a
piece of news; which, true or false, certainly ought never to have been
brought to your ear. But, my dear, there is no need of all this
excitement on your part. I do not understand its excess. The youth is a
good, intelligent, well-mannered boy, when all is said. Of course he can
never attain the position of a gentleman; but that is no reason why he
should be utterly cast out. And as to sending him away, now, there are
several reasons why I cannot do that: In the first place, he is not able
to go; in the second, I need his pen; in the third, I have made an
engagement with him which I will not break. As for the rest, Claudia,
you need not be troubled with a sight of him; I will take care that he
does not intrude upon your presence," said the judge, as he arose from
the table.
Claudia threw on her garden hat and hurried out of the house to bury
herself in the shadows of the forest. That day she had learned, from the
gossip of old Mrs. Jones, who was on a visit to a married daughter in
the neighborhood, Ishmael's real history, or what was supposed to be his
real history. She had struggled for composure all day long, and only
utterly lost her self-possession in the conversation with her father at
the dinner-table. Now she sought the depths of the forest, because she
could not bear the sight of a human face. Her whole nature was divided
and at war with itself. All that was best in Claudia Merlin's heart and
mind was powerfully and constantly attracted by the moral and
intellectual excellence of Ishmael Worth; but all the prejudices of her
rank and education were revolted by the circumstances attending his
birth, and were up in arms against the emotions of her better nature.
In what consists the power of the quiet forest shades to calm fierce
human passions? I know not; but it is certain that, after walking two or
three hours through their depths communing with her own spirit, Claudia
Merlin returned home in a better mood to meet her father at the
tea-table.
"Papa," she said, as she seated herself at the head of the table and
made tea, "you need not trouble yourself to keep Ishmael out of my way.
Dreadful as this discovery is, he is not to blame, poor boy. And I think
we had better not make any change in our treatment of him; he would be
wounded by our coldness; he would not understand it and we could not
explain. Besides, the six weeks will soon be over, and then we shall be
done with him."
"I am glad to hear you say so, my dear; especially as I had invited
Ishmael to join us at tea this evening, and forgotten to tell you of it
until this moment. But, Claudia, my little girl," said the judge,
scrutinizing her pale cheeks and heavy eyes, "you must not take all the
sin and sorrows of the world as much to heart as you have this case;
for, if you do, you will be an old woman before you are twenty years of
age."
Claudia smiled faintly; but before she could reply the regular
monotonous thump of a crutch, was heard approaching the door, and in
another moment Ishmael stood within the room.
There was nothing in that fine intellectual countenance, with its fair,
broad, calm forehead, thoughtful eyes, and finely curved lips, to
suggest the idea of an ignoble birth. With a graceful bow and sweet
smile and a perfectly well-bred manner, Ishmael approached and took his
seat at the table. The judge took his crutch and set it up in the
corner, saying:
"I see you have discarded one crutch, my boy! You will be able to
discard the other in a day or so."
"Yes, sir; I only retain this one in compliance with the injunctions of
the doctor, who declares that I must not bear full weight upon the
injured limb yet," replied Ishmael courteously.
No one could have supposed from the manner of the youth that he had not
been accustomed to mingle on equal terms in the best society.
Claudia poured out the tea. She was not deficient in courtesy; but she
could not bring herself, as yet, to speak to Ishmael with her usual ease
and freedom. When tea was over she excused herself and retired. Claudia
was not accustomed to seek Divine help. And so, in one of the greatest
straits of her moral experience, without one word of prayer, she threw
herself upon her bed, where she lay tossing about, as yet too agitated
with mental conflict to sleep.
Ishmael improved in health and grew in favor with his employer. He
walked daily from his chamber to the library without the aid of a
crutch. He took his meals with the family. And oh! ruinous extravagance,
he wore his Sunday suit every day! There was no help for it, since he
must sit in the judge's library and eat at the judge's table.
Claudia treated him well; with the inconsistency of girlish nature,
since she had felt such a revulsion towards him, and despite of it
resolved to be kind to him, she went to the extreme and treated him
better than ever.
The judge was unchanged in his manner to the struggling youth.
And so the time went on and the month of November arrived.
Ishmael kept the Rushy Shore schoolhouse in mind. Up to this time no
schoolmaster had been found to undertake its care. And Ishmael resolved
if it should remain vacant until his engagement with the judge should be
finished, he would then take it himself.
All this while Ishmael, true to the smallest duty, had not neglected
Reuben Gray's account-books. They had been brought to him by Gray every
week to be posted up. But it was the second week in November before
Ishmael was able to walk to Woodside to see Hannah's babes, now fine
children of nearly three months of age. Of course Ishmael, in the
geniality of his nature, was delighted with them; and equally, of
course, he delighted their mother with their praises.
The last two weeks in November were devoted by the judge and his family
to preparations for their departure.
As the time slipped and the interval of their stay grew shorter and
shorter, Ishmael began to count the days, treasuring each precious day
that still gave him to the sight of Claudia.
On the last day but one before their departure, all letters having been
finished, the judge was in his library, selecting books to be packed and
sent off to his city residence. Ishmael was assisting him. When their
task was completed, the judge turned to the youth and said:
"Now, Ishmael, I will leave the keys of the library in your possession.
You will come occasionally to see that all is right here; and you will
air and dust the books, and in wet weather have a fire kindled to keep
them from molding, for in the depths of this forest it is very damp in
winter. In recompense for your care of the library, Ishmael, I will give
you the use of such law books as you may need to continue your studies.
Here is a list of works that I recommend you to read in the order in
which they are written down," said the judge, handing the youth a folded
paper.
"I thank you, sir; I thank you very much," answered Ishmael fervently.
"You can either read them here, or take them home with you, just as you
please," continued the judge.
"You are very kind, and I am very grateful, sir."
"It seems to me I am only just, and scarcely that, Ishmael! The county
court opens at Shelton on the first of December. I would strongly
recommend you to attend its sessions and watch its trials; it will be a
very good school for you, and a great help to the progress of your
studies."
"Thank you, sir, I will follow your advice."
"And after a while I hope you will be able to go for a term or two to
one of the good Northern law schools."
"I hope so, sir; and for that purpose I must work hard."
"And if you should ever succeed in getting admitted to the bar,
Ishmael, I should advise you to go to the Far West. It may seem
premature to give you this counsel now, but I give it, while I think of
it, because after parting with you I may never see you again."
"Again I thank you, Judge Merlin; but if ever that day of success should
come for me, it will find me in my native State. I have an especial
reason for fixing my home here; and here I must succeed or fail!" said
Ishmael earnestly, as he thought of his mother's early death and
unhonored grave, and his vow to rescue her memory from reproach.
"It appears to me that your native place would be the last spot on earth
where you, with your talents, would consent to remain," said the judge
significantly.
"I have a reason--a sacred reason, sir," replied Ishmael earnestly, yet
with some reserve in his manner.
"A reason 'with which the stranger intermeddleth not,' I suppose?"
Ishmael bowed gravely, in assent.
"Very well, my young friend; I will not inquire what it may be," said
Judge Merlin, who was busying himself at his writing bureau, among some
papers, from which he selected one, which he brought forward to the
youth, saying:
"Here, Ishmael--here is a memorandum of your services, which I have
taken care to keep; for I knew full well that if I waited for you to
present me a bill, I might wait forever. You will learn to do such
things, however, in time. Now I find by my memorandum that I owe you
about sixty dollars. Here is the money. There, now, do not draw back and
flush all over your face at the idea of taking money you have well
earned. Oh, but you will get over that in time, and when you are a
lawyer you will hold out your hand for a thumping fee before you give an
opinion on a case!" laughed the judge, as he forced a roll of banknotes
into Ishmael's hands, and left the library.
The remainder of the day was spent in sending off wagon loads of boxes
to the landing on the river side, where they were taken off by a
rowboat, and conveyed on board the "Canvas Back," that lay at anchor
opposite Tanglewood, waiting for the freight, to transport it to the
city.
On the following Saturday morning the judge and his daughter left
Tanglewood for Washington. They traveled in the private carriage, driven
by the heroic Sam, and attended by a mounted groom. The parting, which
shook Ishmael's whole nature like a storm, nearly rending soul and body
asunder, seemed to have but little effect upon Miss Merlin. She went
through it with great decorum, shaking hands with Ishmael, wishing him
success, and hoping to see him, some fine day, on the bench!
This Claudia said laughing, as with good-humored raillery.
But Ishmael bowed very gravely, and though his heart was breaking,
answered calmly:
"I hope so too, Miss Merlin. We shall see."
"Au revoir!" said Claudia, her eyes sparkling with mirth.
"Until we meet!" answered Ishmael solemnly, as he closed the carriage
door and gave the coachman the word to drive off.
As the carriage rolled away the beautiful girl, who was its sole
passenger, and whose eyes had been sparkling with mirth but an instant
before, now threw her hands up to her face, fell back in her seat, and
burst into a tempest of sobs and tears.
Ignorant of what was going on within its curtained inclosure, Ishmael
remained standing and gazing after the vanishing carriage, which was
quickly lost to view in the deep shadows of the forest road, until Judge
Merlin, who at the last moment had decided to travel on horseback, rode
up to take leave of him and follow the carriage.
"Well, good-by, my young friend! Take care of yourself," were the last
adieus of the judge, as he shook hands with Ishmael, and rode away.
"I wish you a pleasant journey, sir," were the final words of Ishmael,
sent after the galloping horse.
Then the young man, with desolation in his heart, turned into the house
to set the library in order, lock it up, and remove his own few personal
effects from the premises.
Reuben Gray, who had come up to assist the judge, receive his final
orders, and see him off, waited outside with his light wagon to take
Ishmael and his luggage home to Woodside. Reuben helped Ishmael to
transfer his books, clothing, etc., to the little wagon. And then
Ishmael, after having taken leave of Aunt Katie, and left a small
present in her hand, jumped into his seat and was driven off by Reuben.
The arrangement at Tanglewood had occupied nearly the whole of the short
winter forenoon, so that it was twelve o'clock meridian when they
reached Woodside.
They found a very comfortable sitting room awaiting them. Reuben in the
pride of paternity had refurnished it. There was a warm red carpet on
the floor; warm red curtains at the windows; a bright fire burning in
the fireplace; a neat dinner-table set out, and, best of all, Hannah
seated in a low rocking chair, with one rosy babe on her lap and another
in the soft, white cradle bed by her side. Hannah laid the baby she held
beside its brother in the cradle, and arose and went to Ishmael, warmly
welcoming him home again, saying:
"Oh, my dear boy, I am so glad you have come back! I will make you
happier with us, lad, than you have ever been before."
"You have always been very good to me, Aunt Hannah," said Ishmael
warmly, returning her embrace.
"No, I haven't, Ishmael, no, I haven't, my boy; but I will be. Sally,
bring in the fish directly. You know very well that Ishmael don't like
rock-fish boiled too much," she said by way of commencement.
The order was immediately obeyed, and the family sat down to the table.
The thrifty overseer's wife had provided a sumptuous dinner in honor of
her nephew's return. The thriving overseer could afford to be
extravagant once in a while. Ah! very different were those days of
plenty at Woodside to those days of penury at the Hill hut. And Hannah
thought of the difference, as she dispensed the good things from the
head of her well-supplied table. The rock-fish with egg sauce was
followed by a boiled ham and roast ducks with sage dressing, and the
dinner was finished off with apple pudding and mince pies and new cider.
Ishmael tried his best to do justice to the luxuries affection had
provided for him; but after all he could not satisfy the expectation of
Hannah, who complained bitterly of his want of appetite.
After dinner, when the young man had gone upstairs to arrange his books
and clothes in his own room, and had left Hannah and Reuben alone,
Hannah again complained of Ishmael's derelictions to the duty of the
dinner-table.
"It's no use talking, Hannah; he can't help it. His heart is so full--so
full, that he aint got room in his insides for no victuals! And that's
just about the truth on't. 'Twas the same with me when I was young and
in love long o' you! And wa'n't you contrairy nyther? Lord, Hannah, why
when you used to get on your high horse with me, I'd be offen my feed
for weeks and weeks together. My heart would be swelled up to my very
throat, and my stomach wouldn't be nowhar!"
"Reuben, don't be a fool, it's not becoming in the father of a family,"
said Mrs. Hannah, proudly glancing at the twins.
"Law, so it isn't, so it isn't, Hannah, woman. But surely I was only
a-telling of you what ailed Ishmael, as he was off his feed."
"But what foolishness and craziness and sottishness for Ishmael to be in
love with Miss Merlin!" exclaimed Hannah impatiently.
"Law, woman, who ever said love was anything else but craziness and the
rest of it," laughed Gray.
"But Miss Merlin thinks no more of Ishmael than she does of the dirt
under her feet," said Hannah bitterly.
"Begging your pardon, she thinks a deal more of him than she'd like
anybody to find out," said honest Reuben, winking.
"How did you find it out then?" inquired his wife.
"Law, Hannah, I haven't been fried and froze, by turn, with all sorts of
fever and ague love fits, all the days of my youth, without knowing of
the symptoms. And I tell you as how the high and mighty heiress, Miss
Claudia Merlin, loves the very buttons on our Ishmael's coat better nor
she loves the whole world and all the people in it besides. And no
wonder! for of all the young men as ever I seed, gentlemen or
workingmen, Ishmael Worth is the handsomest in his looks, and his
manners, and his speech, and all. And I believe, though I am not much of
a judge, as he is the most intelligentest and book-larnedest. I never
seed his equal yet. Why, Hannah, I don't believe as there is e'er a
prince a-livin' as has finer manners--I don't!"
"But, Reuben, do you mean what you say? Do you really think Miss Claudia
Merlin condescends to like Ishmael? I have heard of ladies doing such
strange things sometimes; but Miss Claudia Merlin!"
"I told you, and I tell you again, as she loves the very buttons offen
Ishmael's coat better nor she loves all the world besides. But she is as
proud as Lucifer, and ready to tear her own heart out of her bosom for
passion and spite, because she can't get Ishmael out of it! She'll never
marry him, if you mean that; though I know sometimes young ladies will
marry beneath them for love; but Miss Merlin will never do that. She
would fling herself into burning fire first!"
The conversation could go no farther, for the subject of it was heard
coming down the stairs, and the next moment he opened the door and
entered the room.
He took a seat near Hannah, smiling and saying:
"For this one afternoon I will take a holiday, Aunt Hannah, and enjoy
the society of yourself and the babies."
"So do, Ishmael," replied the pleased and happy mother. And in the very
effort to shake off his gloom and please and be pleased, Ishmael found
his sadness alleviated.
He was never weary of wondering at Hannah and her children. To behold
his maiden aunt in the character of a wife had been a standing marvel to
Ishmael. To contemplate her now as a mother was an ever-growing delight
to the genial boy. She had lost all her old-maidish appearance. She was
fleshier, fairer, and softer to look upon. And she wore a pretty
bobbinet cap and a bright-colored calico wrapper, and she busied herself
with needlework while turning the cradle with her foot, and humming a
little nursery song. As for Reuben, he arose as Ishmael sat down, stood
contemplating his domestic bliss for a few minutes, and then took his
hat and went out upon his afternoon rounds among the field laborers. A
happy man was Reuben Gray!