STILL ONWARD.
His, all the mighty movements
That urge the hero's breast,
The longings and the lovings,
The spirit's glad unrest,
That scorns excuse to tender,
Or fortune's favor ask,
That never will surrender
Whatever be the task!
--_M.F. Tupper_.
Beatrice did not come again to the schoolroom to see Ishmael. The memory
of old school-day friendship, as well as the prompting of hospitality
and benevolence, had brought her there on her first visit. She had not
thought of the lapse of time, or the change that two years must have
made in him as well as in herself, and so, where she expected to find a
mere youth, she found a young man; and maiden delicacy restrained her
from repeating her visit.
On Thursday\morning, however, as Ishmael was opening his schoolroom he
heard a brisk step approaching, and Mr. Middleton was at his side. Their
hands flew into each other and shook mutually before either spoke. Then,
with beaming eyes and hearty tones, both exclaimed at once:
"I am so glad to see you!"
"Of course you arrived last night! I hope you had a pleasant journey,
and that Mrs. Middleton has recovered her fatigue," said Ishmael,
placing a chair for his visitor.
"A very pleasant journey. The day was delightfully cool, and even my
wife did not suffer from fatigue. She is quite well this morning, and
quite delighted with her new home. But, see here, Ishmael, how you have
changed! You are taller than I am! You must be near six feet in
height--are you not?"
"I suppose so," smiled Ishmael.
"And your hair is so much darker. Altogether, you are so much improved."
"There was room for it."
"There always is, my boy. Well, I did not come here to pay compliments,
my young friend. I came to tell you that, thanks to my little Bee's
activity, we are all comfortably settled at home now; and we should be
happy if you would come on Friday evening and spend with us Saturday and
Sunday, your weekly holidays."
"I thank you, sir; I thank you very much. I should extremely like to
come, but--"
"Now, Ishmael, hush! I do not intend to take a denial. When I give an
invitation I am very much in earnest about it; and to show you how much
I am in earnest about this, I will tell you that I reflected that this
was Thursday, and that if I asked you to-day you could tell your friends
when you get home this evening, and come to-morrow morning prepared to
remain over till Monday. Otherwise if I had not invited you till
to-morrow morning, you would have had to walk all the way back home
to-morrow evening to tell your friends before coming to see us. So you
see how much I wished to have you come, Ishmael, and how I studied ways
and means. Mrs. Middleton and all your old schoolmates are equally
anxious to see you, so say no more about it, but come!"
"Indeed, I earnestly thank you, Mr. Middleton, and I was not about to
decline your kind invitation in toto, but only to say that I am occupied
with duties that I cannot neglect on Friday evenings and Saturday
mornings; but on Saturday evening I shall be very happy to come over and
spend Sunday."
"Very well, then, Ishmael; so be it; I accept so much of your pleasant
company, since no more of it is to be had. By the way, Ishmael!"
"Yes, sir."
"That was a gallant feat and a narrow escape of yours as it was
described to me by my niece Claudia. Nothing less than the preservation
of her life could have justified you in such a desperate act."
"I am grateful to Miss Merlin for remembering it, sir."
"As if she could ever forget it! Good Heaven! Well, Ishmael, I see that
your pupils are assembling fast. I will not detain you from your duties
longer. Good-morning; and remember that we shall expect you on Saturday
evening."
"Good-morning, sir! I will remember; pray give my respects to Mrs.
Middleton and all the family."
"Certainly," said Mr. Middleton, as he walked away.
Ishmael re-entered the schoolroom, rang the bell to call the pupils in,
and commenced the duties of the day.
On Saturday afternoon, all his weekly labors being scrupulously
finished, Ishmael walked over to Rushy Shore Beacon, as Mr. Middleton's
house was called.
It was a very large old edifice of white stone, and stood upon the
extreme point of a headland running out into the river. There were many
trees behind it, landward; but none before it, seaward; so that really
the tall white house, with its many windows, might well serve as a
beacon to passing vessels.
Around the headland upon which it was situated the waters swept with a
mighty impetus and a deafening roar that gave the place its descriptive
name of Rushy Shore. As the air and water here were mildly salt, the
situation was deemed very healthy and well suited to such delicate lungs
as required a stimulating atmosphere, and yet could not bear the full
strength of the sea breezes. As such the place had been selected by Mr.
Middleton for the residence of his invalid wife.
When Ishmael approached the house he found the family all assembled in
the long front porch to enjoy the fine view.
Walter Middleton, who was the first to spy Ishmael's approach, ran down
the steps and out to meet him, exclaiming, as he caught and shook his
hand:
"How are you, old boy, how are you? Looking in high health and
handsomeness, at any rate! I should have come down to school to see you,
Ishmael, only, on the very morning after our arrival, I had to mount my
horse and ride down to Baymouth to attend to some business for my
father, and I did not get back until late last night. Come, hurry on to
the house! My mother is anxious to see her old favorite."
And so, overpowering Ishmael with the cordiality of his greeting, Walter
drew his friend's arm within his own, and took him upon the porch in the
midst of the family group, that immediately surrounded and warmly
welcomed him.
"How handsome and manly you have grown, my dear," said Mrs. Middleton,
with almost motherly pride in her favorite.
Ishmael blushed and bowed in reply to this direct compliment. And soon
he was seated among them, chatting pleasantly.
This was but the first of many delightful visits to Bushy Shore enjoyed
by Ishmael. Mr. Middleton liked to have him there, and often pressed him
to come. And Ishmael, who very well knew the difference between
invitations given from mere politeness and those prompted by a sincere
desire for his company, frequently accepted them.
One day Mr. Middleton, who took a deep interest in the struggles of
Ishmael, said to him:
"You should enter some law school, my young friend."
"I intend to do so, sir, as soon as I have accomplished two things."
"And what are they?"
"Saved money enough to defray my expenses and found a substitute for
myself as master of this little school."
"Oh, bother the school! you must not always be sacrificing yourself to
the public welfare, Ishmael," laughed Mr. Middleton, who sometimes
permitted himself to use rough words.
"But to duty, sir?"
"Oh, if you make it a question of duty, I have no more to say," was the
concluding remark of Ishmael's friend.
Thus, in diligent labor and intellectual intercourse, the young man
passed the summer months.
One bright hope burned constantly before Ishmael's mental vision--of
seeing Claudia; but, ah! this hope was destined to be deferred from week
to week, and finally disappointed.
Judge Merlin did not come to Tanglewood as usual this summer. He took
his daughter to the seaside instead, where they lived quietly at a
private boarding house, because it was not intended that Miss Merlin
should enter society until the coming winter at Washington.
To Ishmael this was a bitter disappointment, but a bitter tonic, too,
since it served to give strength to his mind.
Late in September his friend Walter Middleton, who was a medical
student, left them to attend the autumn and winter course of lectures in
Baltimore. Ishmael felt the loss of his society very much; but as usual
consoled himself by hard work through all the autumn months.
He heard from Judge Merlin and his daughter through their letters to the
Middletons. They were again in Annapolis, where Miss Merlin was passing
her last term at the finishing school, but they were to go to Washington
at the meeting of Congress in December.
As the month of November drew to a close Ishmael began to compute the
labors, progress, and profits of the year. He found that he had brought
his school into fine working order; he had brought his pupils on well;
he had made Reuben Gray a very good reader, penman, arithmetician, and
bookkeeper; and lastly, he had advanced himself very far in his chosen
professional studies. But he had made but little money, and saved less
than a hundred dollars. This was not enough to support him, even by the
severest economy, at any law school. Something else, he felt, must be
done for the next year, by which more money might be made. So after
reflecting upon the subject for some time, he wrote out two
advertisements--one for a teacher, competent to take charge of a small
country school, and the other for a situation as bookkeeper, clerk, or
amanuensis. In the course of a week the first advertisement was answered
by a Methodist preacher living in the same neighborhood, who proposed to
augment the small salary he received for preaching on Sundays, by
teaching a day school all the week. Ishmael had an interview with this
gentleman, and finding him all that could be desired in a clergyman and
country schoolmaster, willingly engaged to relinquish his own post in
favor of the new candidate on the first of the coming year.
His second advertisement was not yet answered; but Ishmael kept it on
and anxiously awaited the result.
At length his perseverance was crowned with a success greater than he
could have anticipated. It was about the middle of December, a few days
before the breaking up of his school for the Christmas holidays, that he
called at the Shelton post office to ask if there were any letters for
"X.Y.Z.," those being the initials he had signed to his second
advertisement. A letter was handed him; at last, then, it had come!
Without scrutinizing the handwriting or the superscription, Ishmael tore
it open and read:
"Washington, December 14.
"Mr. 'X.Y.Z.'--I have seen your advertisement in the Intelligencer. I am
in want of an intelligent and well-educated young man to act as my
confidential secretary and occasional amanuensis. If you will write to
me, enclosing testimonials and references as to your character and
competency, and stating the amount of salary you will expect to receive,
I hope we may come to satisfactory arrangement.
"Respectfully yours,
"RANDOLF MERLIN."
It was from Claudia's father, then! It was a stroke of fate, or so it
seemed to the surprised and excited mind of Ishmael.
Trembling with joy, he retired to the private parlor of the quiet little
village inn to answer the letter, so that it might go off to Washington
by the mail that started that afternoon. He smiled to himself as he
wrote that Judge Merlin himself had had ample opportunity of personally
testing the character and ability of the advertiser, but that if further
testimony were needed, he begged to refer to Mr. James Middleton, of
Rushy Shore. Finally, he left the question of the amount of salary to be
settled by the judge himself. He signed, sealed, and directed this
letter, and hurried to the post office to post it before the closing of
the mail.
And then he went home in a maze of delight.
Three anxious days passed, and then Ishmael received his answer. It was
a favorable and a conclusive one. The judge told him that from the post
office address given in the advertisement, as well as from other
circumstances, he had supposed the advertiser to be Ishmael himself, but
could not be sure until he had received his letter, when he was glad to
find his supposition correct, as he should much rather receive into his
family, in a confidential capacity, a known young man like Mr. Worth
than any stranger, however well recommended the latter might be; he
would fix the salary at three hundred dollars, with board and lodging,
if that would meet the young gentleman's views; if the terms suited, he
hoped Mr. Worth would lose no time in joining him in Washington, as he,
the writer, was overwhelmed with correspondence that was still
accumulating.
Ishmael answered this second letter immediately, saying that he would be
in Washington on the following Tuesday.
After posting his letter he walked rapidly homeward, calling at Rushy
Shore on his way to inform his friends, the Middletons, of his change of
fortune. As Ishmael was not egotistical enough to speak of himself and
his affairs until it became absolutely needful for him to do so, he had
never told Mr. Middleton of his plan of giving up the school to the
Methodist minister and seeking another situation for himself. And during
the three days of his correspondence with Judge Merlin he had not even
seen Mr. Middleton, whom he only took time to visit on Saturday
evenings.
Upon this afternoon he reached Rushy Shore just as the family were
sitting down to dinner. They were as much surprised as pleased to see
him at such an unusual time as the middle of the week. Mr. Middleton got
up to shake hands with him; Mrs. Middleton ordered another plate
brought; Bee saw that room was made for another chair; and so Ishmael
was welcomed by acclamation, and seated among them at the table.
"And now, young gentleman, tell us what it all means. For glad as we are
to see you, and glad as you are to see us, we know very well that you
did not take time to come here in the middle of the week merely to
please yourself or us; pleasure not being your first object in life,
Ishmael," said Mr. Middleton.
"I regret to say, sir, that I came to tell you, I am going away on
Monday morning," replied Ishmael gravely, for at the moment he felt a
very real regret at the thought of leaving such good and true friends.
"Going away!" exclaimed all the family in a breath, and in
consternation; for this boy, with his excellent character and charming
manners had always deeply endeared himself to all his friends. "Going
away!" they repeated.
"I am sorry to say it," said Ishmael.
"But this is so unexpected, so sudden!" said Mrs. Middleton.
"What the grand deuce is the matter? Have you enlisted for a soldier,
engaged as a sailor, been seized with the gold fever?"
"Neither, sir; I will explain," said Ishmael. And forthwith he told all
his plans and prospects, in the fewest possible words.
"And so you are going to Washington, to be Randolph Merlin's clerk!
Well, Ishmael, as he is a thorough lawyer, though no very brilliant
barrister, I do not know that you could be in a better school. Heaven
prosper you, my lad! By the way, Ishmael, just before you came in, we
were all talking of going to Washington ourselves."
"Indeed! and is there really a prospect of your going?" inquired
Ishmael, in pleased surprise.
"Well, yes. You see the judge wishes a chaperone for his daughter this
winter, and has invited Mrs. Middleton, and in fact all the family, to
come and spend the season with them in Washington. He says that he has
taken the old Washington House, which is large enough to accommodate our
united families, and ten times as many."
"And you will go?" inquired Ishmael anxiously.
"Well, yes--I think so. You see, this place, so pre-eminently healthy
during eight months of the year, is rather too much exposed and too
bleak in the depth of winter to suit my wife. She begins to cough
already. And as Claudia really does need a matronly friend near her, and
as the judge is very anxious for us to come, I think all interests will
be best served by our going."
"I hope you will go very soon," said Ishmael.
"In a week or ten days," replied Mr. Middleton.
Ishmael soon after arose and took his leave, for he had a long walk
before him, and a momentous interview with Hannah to brave at the end of
it.
After tea that evening Ishmael broke the news to Reuben and Hannah. Both
were considerably startled and bewildered, for they, no more than the
Middletons, had received any previous hint of the young man's
intentions. And now they really did not know whether to congratulate
Ishmael on going to seek his fortune or to condole with him for leaving
home. Reuben heartily shook hands with Ishmael and said how sorry he
should be to part with him, but how glad he was that the young man was
going to do something handsome for himself.
Hannah cried heartily, but for the life of her, could not have told
whether it was for joy or sorrow. To her apprehension, to go to
Washington and be Judge Merlin's clerk seemed to be one of the greatest
honors that any young man could attain; so she was perfectly delighted
with that part of the affair. But, on the other hand, Ishmael had been
to her like the most affectionate and dearest of sons, and to part with
him seemed more than she could bear; so she wept vehemently and clung to
her boy.
Reuben sought to console her.
"Never mind, Hannah, woman, never mind. It is the law of nature that the
young bird must leave his nest and the young man his home. But never you
mind! Washing-town-city aint out'n the world, and any time as you want
to see your boy very bad, I'll just put Dobbin to the wagon and cart you
and the young uns up there for a day or two. Law, Hannah, my dear, you
never should shed a tear if I could help it. 'Cause I feel kind o'
guilty when you cry, Hannah, as if I ought to help it somehow!" said the
good fellow.
"As if you could, Reuben! But it is I myself who do wrong to cry for
anything when I am blessed with the love of such a heart as yours,
Reuben! There, I will not cry any more. Of course, Ishmael must go to
the city and make his fortune, and I ought to be glad, and I am glad,
only I am sich a fool. Ishmael, my dear, this is Wednesday night, and
you say you are going o' Monday morning; so there aint no time to make
you no new shirts and things before you go, but I'll make a lot of 'em,
my boy, and send 'em up to you," said Hannah, wiping her eyes.
Ishmael opened his mouth to reply; but Reuben was before him with:
"So do, Hannah, my dear; that will be one of the best ways of comforting
yourself, making up things for the lad; and you shan't want for money,
for the fine linen nyther, Hannah, my dear! And when you have got them
all done, you and I can take them up to him when we go to see him! So
think of that, and you won't be fretting after him. And now, childun, it
is bedtime!"
On Friday evening Ishmael, in breaking up his school for the Christmas
holidays, also took a final leave of his pupils. The young master had so
endeared himself to his rough pupils that they grieved sincerely at the
separation. The girls wept, and even rude boys sobbed. Our stupid
little friend, Eddy, who could not learn grammar, had learned to love
his kind young teacher, and at the prospect of parting with him and
having the minister for a master roared aloud, saying:
"Master Worth have allers been good to us, so he have; but the
minister--he'll lick us, ever so much!"
Ishmael distributed such parting gifts as his slender purse would
afford, and so dismissed his pupils.
On Sunday evening he took leave of his friends, the Middletons, who
promised to join him in Washington in the course of a week.
And on Monday morning he took leave of Hannah and Reuben, and walked to
Baymouth to meet the Washington steamboat.