statutes, not only on account of their wonderful beauty, but on the
account of your honored father. Your father, John Rogers Jr., was one of
the noblest men I ever got acquainted with—in a history way, I mean.
Folks may think they have got sound, well-seasoned principles that will
stand most any strain, but I tell you, let anybody be sot fire to, and
that will show what stuff they are made of.” Says I, “I have heerd folks
tell about gittin’ up and bearin’ the cross, in a room all carpeted off,
and jest warm enough for comfort; I never loved to hear it, for if that
means anything, it means bearin’ the hull sin and sorrows of the world,
the agony and despair, when earth destroyed and Heaven seemed to have
forgotten. It means a good deal; I’ve heerd folks talk about bearin’
their cross in gittin’ up and exhortin’ folks, when you couldn’t tie ’em
down they wanted to git up and talk so awful bad, and you couldn’t stop
’em, when they got at it. Why, to look round on the congregation
sometimes, you would think if there was any agony about it, the hearers
was the ones a sufferin’ of it. It is all right to talk in meetin’; I
have heerd them that I had jest as lives hear as any minister—tender,
simple messages that come straight from a good lovin’ Christian heart,
and went to other hearts, jest like a arrer from a bo.”
But I never loved to hear folks say they was bearin’ a cross when they
wasn’t. I say it is jest as bad to tell a wrong story in a meetin’-house
as in a barn, or a sugar bush. I have heerd these same folks git up and
say they was willin’ to die off that minute for the Lord’s sake, and
after meetin’ I would ask ’em to give 25 cents to help God’s poor—work
He left below for His childern to do in His name, and not a cent could I
git from ’em. They was willin’ to bear the cross for Him with their
tongue, and die off for Him with the same, in conference meetin’; but
when it come to lendin’ the Lord 25 cents, this they truly felt was
askin’ too much of ’em. And then I had my own idees whether they was
really willin’ to die off, and I had my own mind too whether I was
willin’ to have ’em. When they was baptized they left their pocket books
to home, in the stand draw, but _they_ ort to have been baptized too—all
over by immersion.
“When the Lord gives a person health and strength to enjoy the beautiful
world he placed him in, and powers to labor for Him and for humanity, I
don’t believe He requires at the same time dyin’ grace of em. He wants
them to have livin’ grace, and use it. They ort to be willin’ to live,
which is a great deal harder sometimes. But truly, I was drawed into
this episodin’ by comparin’ your honored father in my mind with these I
have named. If they won’t give 25 cents for their religion, what would
they say if they had to give what your father gave. His principle and
religion bore the flames of agony and death and wasn’t burnt up—they
couldn’t make a fire hot enough.” John put his handkerchief to his face
and I see he was dretfully affected, so I bid him a almost tender
good-bye and jined my pardner, and we went into England.
[Illustration: INTRODUCED TO JOHN ROGERS JR.]
I took a sight of comfort in my tower through Great Britain, a seein’
her noble doins and meditatin’ how well off she was, and how she has
prospered. Of course I can’t help feelin’ a little parshal to America,
but the old lady country seems awful near to me; I think a sight of her.
You can’t tear up a tree and set it out in a new place without leavin’
lots of little roots in the old soil; a mother and daughter can’t be
parted away from each other without lots of memories and affections
clingin’ round each other’s heart. Now, after I left Mother Smith’s and
had a home of my own, I was always glad to see Mother Smith have things
for her comfort; the more dresses and housen stuff she had, the better I
liked it. And so it was with me and England, I didn’t feel a bit hurt
because she seemed so well off; not a bit. Her display that she
displayed to the Sentinal was next to our own in size and grandeur. It
was beyond all description, so fur beyond, that description couldn’t
think of catchin’ up, but would set right down.
I will merely mention one thing, a statute of the Saviour holdin’ a
child in his arms, “Safe in the arms of Jesus;” it was beautiful,
extremely so; it almost brought tears to my eyes it was so affectin’.
And then we went to India, Josiah and me did; almost the oldest country
in the world, and exceedingly curious. Here we see some of the most fine
and delicate store clothes I ever laid eyes on; I could have hid a hull
muslin dress of thirty-five yards in Josiah’s vest pocket, if it would
have been right so to do, and nobody would have mistrusted he was
carryin’ off a thing. Why, a double thickness hangin’ over my Josiah
wouldn’t hinder me from seein’ my pardner a particle; and then we see
dresses of the lower class, all made ready to put on; fourteen yards of
cloth in a straight strip. Them wimmen don’t fool away their time on
boddis waists and overskirts.
Then we went through the hull of the British Colonies, stopped in front
of the hull of ’em, treated ’em all friendly and alike. Then we tackled
a hull lot of Islands, sailed round the hull of ’em from Victoria to New
Zealand. While travellin’ through the last named, I clung to Josiah’s
arm almost mekanically, though I knew his small weight by the
steelyards, (one hundred pounds, mostly bones) was in his favor. We see
there the skeleton of the great wingless bird Moa, bigger than the
ostridge; by their tell, the eggs would be splendid for cookin’. Seven
by ten—one biled egg would be enough for a large family. I asked ’em if
they s’posed I could git a couple of eggs; I thought if I could, I would
set three or four hens on ’em and a goose or two, and git a flock
started.
And in Bermuda we see amongst lots of other things, some brain coral.
And as the poet truly saith, “Every part strengthens a part,” I thought
what a interestin’ and agreeable food that would be for some people to
eat three times a day, till their symptoms was removed. We was
travellin’ through the Nations now pretty middlin’ fast, not alone from
principle heretofore named, but also from the fact that we had seen so
much, that we didn’t see nothin’.
In Sweden my feelins got worked upon to a very affectin’ degree; first I
knew, right there in the midst of life, and the brilliant animation of
the scene, I see a little coffin and a cradle with a dead baby in it,
and leanin’ over it weepin’, as if her heart would break was the
afflicted mother; and in a chair nigh by, jest as if it was my Josiah,
sot the father lookin’ as if he would sink, with a little girl jest
about the age of Tirzah Ann when I married her pa, a standin’ by him. A
man, a minister I thought by his looks stood by ’em, but not a woman
nigh ’em, nobody offerin’ to do a thing for ’em, and they in a strange
land. I walked right up to ’em and says I in a tremblin’ voice:
“You are a stranger to me, mom, but I see you are in deep trouble, and
the hand of sorrow draws hearts that was wide apart close together, and
the voice of pity and sympathy speaks through every language under the
sun. Can I do anything to help you mom? If I can, command me do it, for
I feel for you,” says I drawin’ out my white cotton handkerchief and
wipin’ my eyes, “I too am a stepmother.”
She didn’t say nothin’; I see grief was overcomin’ of her, and I turned
to him and says I, “If I can be of any use to you sir, if there is any
preparations to make, I stand willin’ and ready to make ’em.”
He didn’t say nothin’; so I says to the minister: “Respected sir, I see
this afflicted family is perfectly overcome with their feelins; but I
want ’em to know when they come to and realize things, that if they need
help I stand ready to help ’em. Will you tell ’em so?”
He didn’t answer me a word; and thinks’es I, there haint but one more
step that I can take to show my good will, and I says to the little girl
in tender tones:
“Come to Aunt Samantha sissy, your poor pa is feelin’ awfully.” And I
took holt of her hand, and there it was, nothin’ but a dumb figger, and
there they all was, nothin’ but dumb figgers! And as I took a realizin’
sense of it, I was a dumb figger myself (as it were), for most a minute
I stood in deep dumbfounder—not shame, for my words had sot out from
good motives, and the home of principle. But I put my handkerchief in my
pocket and started along; Experience keeps a good school. There was more
than twenty other figgers that I should have tackled as sure as the
world, if I hadn’t come right out of that school kep’ by E. And in
Norway I persume I should have asked that Laplander in a sledge, some
questions about his own country; if reindeers was profitable as horses,
or if he didn’t think a cutter would be easier goin’, or sunthin’. But
as it was, I passed ’em with a mean almost marble for composure. I had
had an idee that Sweden and Norway was sort o’ hangin’ back in the
onward march of the Nations; why, I almost thought they was a settin’
down; but I see my ignorance; they are a keepin’ up nobly with
Jonesville and the world.
And then we, Josiah and me, went off into Italy, and there see more
carved wood-work, perfectly wonderful, some of it; and jewelry and
furniture, and statutes. There was one of David—I never see David look
any better—and then there was one small statute of Dante. I wasn’t
formally acquainted with Dante myself, but I have heerd Thomas J. read
about him a sight. Oh what troubles that man went through. It was very
interestin’ and agreeable to me to form his acquaintance here, (as it
were.)
And then, not wantin’ to slight nobody, we made a short tower, a very
short one, through the Argentine Republic, though the news never had got
to Jonesville—I never heerd in my life that there was such a Nation till
I see its name wrote out. And there we see minerals, and shawls, and so
4th, and so 4th. Hearin’ that Peru was right back of it, and feelin’
that I would ruther lose a dollar bill than to have Peru feel slighted,
we made ’em a short visit. I hadn’t been there two moments before I told
Josiah that I’d ruther have run the risk of hurtin’ her feelins than to
have gone near her, if I had had any idee what I was a goin’ to see.
I can truly say without lyin’ that they had the very humbliest skulls
there that I ever did see. There haint any too much beauty in common
skulls, but these were truly hegus. And such relics of humbliness; such
awful lookin’ water-jars—how anybody could ever drink a drop of water
out of ’em is a mystery to me. And such fearfully humbly mummys; there
was eight on ’em, some with their knees drawd up to their breasts, and
some in other postures, but every one on ’em enough to scare a cast-iron
man—Josiah groaned aloud as he looked at ’em. I told him we ort to bear
up under the sight as well as we could, for they was interestin’ from
the fact that they was dug up out of old tombs and mounds.
But he groaned again louder than ever, and says he, “What made ’em dig
’em up?” Says he, “If they had been on _my_ land, I’d ruther give a
dollar than to have had ’em dug out where I could see ’em.”
I got Josiah out as quick as I could for I see them mummys and relics
had overcome him so. I hurried him out, for I was afraid he would git
completely unstrung, and I knew if he should, I was too afflicted with
horror myself to try to string him up again. So we went back still
further, into Orange, for I told Josiah I would be glad enough to git a
couple of fresh oranges, for we both needed refreshin’ after what we had
passed through. But I didn’t see an orange there, though I see some
noble ostridge feathers, and diamonds, and wheat, and elephant tusks,
and cream of tartar vegetable, and so 4th, and etcetery; and then we
went right off into China.
I told Josiah it would look friendly in us to pay considerable attention
to China, they bein’ neighbors of ours, (their land joins our farm I
s’pose, on the underside.) Some folks think that this is the most
strikin’ Nation to the Sentinal, but I don’t know as it struck me much
harder than Japan did—they both dealt my mind fearful blows. We entered
into this country through a tall noble gateway of carved wood painted in
dark colors, with the roof turned up, and trimmed off with dragons like
tea-chests and pagodas, and all other Chinese public structures. And the
show cases was on the same plan, all fixed off with such curious
figgers; and curious is no name for what we see there. Such carvin’s of
wood and ivory; why there was a hull meetin’ house, most all steeple,
seven or eight stories high, with bells a hangin’ from every one of ’em.
This meetin’ house was all fenced in with trees in the door yard, and
men and wimmen a walkin’ up to the house of Joss. The hull thing was
carved out of ivory. I almost disputed the eye of my spectacles as I see
it. And then there was a hull procession of ivory Mandarins, meanderin’
along; and balls within balls, fifteen in number, the outside one bein’
not much bigger than a hen’s egg, and every one of ’em carved with the
most exquisite vines and flowers. How they ever done it is a mystery to
me, and so it is to Josiah.
And then such splendid though extremely curious furniture as we see
here; there was seven elegant pieces which was made of mahogony, trimmed
off beautifully with whitewood and ivory; each piece was about the
height of a table, and the seven could be formed into seven thousand
shapes. Anybody could change ’em into a new article of furniture every
day for twenty years. For a restless woman that is always movin’ round
her bedstead and buro, and parlor table, these would be indeed
refreshin’ and agreeable housen stuff. And there was a four thousand
dollar bedstead, all ornamented and embellished with different sorts of
dragons, and other interestin’ reptiles. There was sights of work on it.
I haint got a bedstead in my house, that there is half the work on; but
I have got them that I believe my soul I could sleep in as well again,
for there was so many animals of different kinds a creepin’ up, and
lookin’ down from overhead, and crawlin’ along the sides, that,
thinks’es I to myself, after layin’ on it for several days, a nite mair
would be almost a treat. I don’t say that the mair would look so
curious, but she would be a sort of a rarity.
[Sidenote: IN THE CHINESE DEPARTMENT]
But if I had disputed the eye of my spectacle in China, what could I say
to ’em in Japan. Such nicety of work, such patience and long sufferin’
as must have gone into their manufactorys. Why there was a buro, black
and gold, with shelves and draws, and doors hung with gold and silver
hinges, and every part of that buro clear to the backside of the bottom
draw, was nicer, and fixed off handsomer than any handkerchief pin. They
asked four thousand five hundred dollars for it, and it was worth it; I
wouldn’t make it for a cent less, and so I told the Jappaned man that
showed it off to us. Though, as I said to him, bein’ a literary woman
doin’ my own housework, and off on towers of principle every little
while, it wasn’t much likely I should ever git time to make one.
[Illustration: THE CHINESE DEPARTMENT.]
I was jest lookin’ admirinly at a tall noble tea-pot, when a woman
dressed up awful slick says to me: “Did you ever see such rare and
lovely articles of virtu?”
Says I coolly, “I have seen jest as virtuous tea-pots as that is,
though,” says I, “I don’t know a thing ag’inst its character, and
persume it is as likely a tea-pot as tea was ever steeped in; but I
don’t know as it is any more so.”
Says she, “You didn’t understand me Madam; I said they were rare
articles of virtu.”
Says I firmly, and with dignity, “I heerd you the first time; but I
differ with you mom. I don’t think virtuous tea-pots _are_ rare, I never
was one to be a mistrustin’ and lookin’ out for meanness so much as some
be. I never should think of mistrustin’ a tea-pot or sugar bowl no more
than I should my Josiah, and I should jest as soon mistrust a meetin’
house as him.”
She looked me full in the face in a sort of a wonderin’ way, and started
off. I guess she didn’t know much, or mebby she made a blunder. I know I
never heerd anybody talk about stunware bein’ virtuous in my hull life
before. But folks will git things wrong sometimes; I persume I should
myself if I wasn’t so awful careful what I said and who I said it to.
After she went off I went to lookin’ at the bronzes. Never before did I
feel on such intimate terms with dragons, and cranes, and storks. Why I
felt as if I knew ’em like sisters.
There was one vase higher than my Josiah, that the handles of it was
clear dragons, and nothin’ else, and a row of wimmen a dancin’ round it,
each one carryin’ a rose in her hand bigger than her head, and up the
sides of it was foxes in men’s clothes. And the handles of another vase
was a flock of birds settlin’ down on a rock, with a dragon on it, and
on top of it a eagle a swoopin’ down onto a snake. There was the most
lovely blue and white vases as tall again as my pardner, with gold
dragons on ’em; and scarlet and green vases with sandy complected
dragons on ’em. Oh, how well acquainted I did git with ’em! I told
Josiah I almost wished we could buy a span of ’em to take home with us,
to remember Japan by, for she is a example to follow in lots of things.
Her patriotism, her enthusiasm in learnin’ is a pattern for Jonesville
and other Nations of the world to foller. Better behaved, well-meaniner
little men than them Jappaned men (though dark complexioned) I don’t
want to see; they are truly gentlemen. To see ’em answerin’ questions so
patient and polite, impudent questions and foolish ones and everything,
and they a bearin’ it, and not losin’ their gentle ways and courtesy,
not gettin’ fractious or worrysome a mite; I hunched Josiah to take
notice, and says I, “Josiah Allen you might set at their feet and learn
of ’em with advantage to you. China and Japan are both queer, but
Japan’s queerness has a imaginative artistic quirl to it that China’s
queerness don’t have. Truly the imaginations of them Jappaned men must
be of a size and heft that we can hardly realize.”
Leavin’ Japan, I told Josiah I guessed we would not go to Denmark, and
he said he might live through it, and he might not, he was so near
starved. But he hadn’t hardly got into that country when all of a sudden
he laid holt of me and pulled me out one side, and says he:
“Look out my dear Samantha, or you’ll git hurt.”
I looked up and I was most startled for a minute myself, for a man stood
there holdin’ a great stun over his head, a lookin’ down as if he was a
goin’ to throw it right at our heads. But in a minute I says, “It is a
statute, Josiah, it wont hurt us.”
And he cooled down; he hadn’t called me “dear Samantha” before, for over
fourteen years; but truly danger is a blister that draws love to the
outside. He almost worships me, but like other married men, he conceals
it a good deal of the time. His affectionate mean had softened up my own
feelins too, so I didn’t stay to Denmark only jest long enough to see
some very beautiful crockery, and a large collection of exceedinly
curious curiosities from Greenland, and then Josiah and me (at his
request) went and took a lunch at a little tarvern right in the
buildin’.
I felt kinder disappointed about not stayin’ no longer in Denmark, on
account of Hamlet (he come from that neighborhood, you know) and I
always did think so much of him, and Ophelia too. I have often heerd
Thomas J. read about ’em; and I’ve always thought if they had been let
alone they would have done well, for she seemed to think everything of
him, and he of her. I got to thinkin’ over her affection and her
disappointment while I was eatin’ my dinner. Thinks’es I, love is too
sacred and holy a emotion to be dickered and fooled with; it is a great
emotion, and ort to be treated greatly and reverently; but their haint a
single emotion in the hull line of emotions that is so meddled and
fooled round with as this is. Folks that have it seem to be ashamed of
it, and other folks make fun of ’em for havin’ it. Curious! you haint
ashamed of havin’ gratitude, or pity, or generosity in your heart, and
other folks don’t make light of you for havin’ ’em; but when it comes to
love, which is the holiest of all, the shadder of the Infinite, the
symbol of all that is heavenly and glorious, the brightest reflection we
catch on earth of the Divine Nature, folks giggle at it and snicker;
curious, very! But I always felt sorry for Ophelia and Hamlet.
Then we sot sail for Egypt. There was a heavy lookin’ wall and gateway,
and on each side was a big square column, or pillow, though some
tippin’. Over the gate was the flags of Egypt and the United States,
green and yeller, red, white, and blue, minglin’ together jest as
friendly as the green earth, and red and yeller sunsets, with stars a
shinin’ through ’em ever did; and some of the curiousest lookin’ writin’
I ever did see. On each side, amongst lots of other ornaments and
things, was two as ancient lookin’ females as I ever see on a bust, and
these words printed out in good noble writin’: “The oldest people of the
world sends its morning greeting to the youngest Nation.”
As we went in, two Egyptians met us, dressed in their national costume,
as loose and baggy as a meal bag, and Josiah looked admirinly at ’em,
and says he, “How remarkable they do hold their age, Samantha; they
don’t look much older than _I_ do;” and says he in a still more
respectful tone, “they must be pretty nigh onto two hundred.”
“What makes you think so, Josiah Allen?” says I.
“Why” says he “you see it wrote out there ‘the oldest people in the
world’, and we have ’em here over a hundred.”
Says I, “Josiah Allen if it wasn’t for me how little your tower would
elevate you, and inform you;” says I, “it don’t mean them, it means most
probable them old wimmen up there on a bust, or mebby it means old
sphynx—the old lady who takes care of the pyramids—you know she is old
as the hills, and older than lots of ’em.”
Says he “I wonder if that is her handwritin’ clear up over the gateway!
I should think she was old by that; I should jest as lives go down to
the creek and read duck’s tracks and slate stuns.”
And we see a bust of Pharioh, who was drownded in the Red Sea. A good
lookin’ man for one that was twenty-two hundred and fifty years old, and
was plagued so much, and went through with what he did. And in another
room of the Court we see the man that built one of the pyramids,
Cephenes by name,—a feller six thousand years old. Good land! As I
looked on him, I felt as if Josiah and me was two of the very smallest
drops in a mighty ocian that hadn’t no beginnin’ nor no endin’, no
bottom and no shore. I felt almost choked up, and exceedinly curious.
From Egypt we went straight into Turkey, and there we saw lots of
beautiful articles them Turkeys had made out of olive-wood, and
etcetery. We saw pipes with long stems for smokin’ water; Josiah said
he’d love to try one of ’em, and I believe he would if it hadn’t been
for me. There was a Turkish Bazzar on the grounds where they go to smoke
’em; but I told him almost coldly, that he had better go home and smoke
the penstock that he draws water with from the canal; and he give up the
idee.
And there was handsome silks of all colors; there was one piece of a
soft grey color, that I told Josiah I would love dearly to have a dress
of it, and after I said that, that man hurried me along so I didn’t
hardly see anything—I s’pose he wanted to git the idee out of my head,
for he never seemed easy a minute till he got me out of Turkey back into
Portugal. I never felt intimately acquainted with this Nation—I knew our
port come from Portugal, and that they raised considerable cork—but I
found many handsome things there; splendid paper of all sorts, writin’
paper, and elegant bound books, and some printin’ on satin, invitations
to bull fights, and other choice amusements. I told Josiah I should
think they would have to be printed on satin to git anybody started to
’em. And jest as I was sayin’ this, a good-lookin’ woman says to me:
“Splendid stationery, isn’t it?”
I see she had made a blunder and it was my duty to set her right, so
says I to her: “I don’t know as it is any more stationery than paper and
books commonly is; they are always stationary unless you move ’em
round.”
She looked at me sort o’ wonderin’ and then laughed but kep’ her head up
as high as ever. It beats all what mistakes some folks will make and not
act mortified a mite; but if _I_ should make such blunders I should feel
cheap as dirt. Then we took a short tower into Spain, and we found she
had trimmed and ornamented herself beautiful. You could stand for hours
a lookin’ at the front of this Nation painted to look like colored
marble, and all figured off so emblematical and curious. And then we
started for Russia, and we see that if any Nation had done well, and put
her best foot forred, she had. Such furs as I see there I don’t never
expect to see again.