Here Uncle Juvinell paused, and, with a countenance of undisturbed
sobriety, emptied his ninth mug. In justice, however, to the good man,
this pattern of old-fashioned gentility, it must be borne in mind,
that the mug was a Dutch mug, and consequently a small one (as indeed
are all things Dutch, from clocks to cheeses); and also that, small as
it was, he never more than half filled it, except once or twice in the
course of an evening, when he would gird up his loins, as it were,
with a brimmer to help him over some passage in his story of unusual
knottiness and difficulty.
Willie (whose surname should have been fox or weasel or lynx), having
heretofore divided his attention between what his uncle imparted and
what he imbibed, had, by careful counting, discovered that the ninth
mug invariably closed their evening lessons: so, without waiting for
any further signal that such was now the case, he alertly bounced from
his chair, and, snatching up a basket of big red apples that black
daddy had just brought in and set on the hearth, began handing them
round to the rest of the company with a great show of playing the
polite and obliging, but taking care, when unobserved, to pick out the
largest and mellowest one of them all for himself, and smuggle it
under his coat-tail. When all were helped, he reset the basket on the
hearth, and with a grand flourish, unmasking his royal red, opened
wide his mouth, as if he would have bolted it whole: but, seeming to
think better of it, he carefully laid it in Uncle Juvinell's mug,
which it exactly filled, saying as he did so, "It goes to my heart to
part with you; but only the king of historians is worthy to enjoy the
queen of apples." Then, plunging his hand into the basket, he snatched
up another, hap-hazard, and began eating it with savage voracity, as
if made reckless by this act of self-denial. Re-seating himself as he
had chosen his apple, hap-hazard, he missed his chair, and keeled
over, bringing his heels in the air where his head should have been,
and his head on the rug where the dog and cat were, and the
half-munched plug in his mouth, plump into his windpipe, so as to
almost strangle him out of his breeches, and cause his buttons to fly
like grains from a corn-cob when thrown into a corn-sheller. Of
course, all the little folks fairly screamed with laughter, in which
even Uncle Juvinell could not help joining right heartily: nor would
he venture upon the broad wedge which he had cut out of his apple,
till his chuckle was well ended; when he remarked, that "Willie was
one of the boys we read about." To which Willie, picking himself up
again, replied, that "he rather thought he was not, just then, but
perhaps would be as soon as he could get back some of the breath he
had lost, and gather up the buttons he had shed." Then, drawing down
his waistcoat from under his arm-pits to hide a breadth of white
muslin not usually intended for the eyes of a mixed company, he
reseated himself with such care and circumspection, that the middle
seam of his breeches tallied exactly with the middle round of the
chair-back, and began mincing and nibbling his apple delicately like a
sheep, as if to show that he meant to profit by the lesson his fit of
strangling had taught him.
After a little while, when he saw that the children had had their fill
of laughter and red apples, Uncle Juvinell wiped the blade of his
knife with his bandanna, and said, "And now, my darlings, don't you
think we are getting along swimmingly?"
"Swimmingly!" they all chimed in with one voice.
"Gloriously?" again inquired Uncle Juvinell.
"Gloriously!" cried all the children at once, as pat to their uncle's
words as an echo to the sound. Whereupon the old gentleman's
spectacles shone with a lustre that was charming to see. In a moment
after, however, Bryce, the pugnacious urchin of ten, expressed himself
a little disappointed that they had had so much building of forts, and
digging and cutting of roads, and so much scouting and marching, and
so much getting ready to fight, and yet withal so little downright
fighting.
"You quite forget, Bryce, that affair of Grant's defeat there at Fort
Duquesne," said Willie. "In my opinion, that was a very decent,
respectable piece of bloodshed; and quite as good as Braddock's
disaster, as far as it goes."
"How heartless you must be, Willie, to speak so lightly of such
horrible things!" exclaimed Miss Laura with a look of refined disgust.
"To my mind, Washington's courtship and wedding, and the pleasant life
he led at Mount Vernon, are more entertaining than all your dismal
battles."
"And those charming barge-rides by moonlight," chimed in Ella, "that
the old Virginia planters used to take when they visited each other up
and down the Potomac."
"You are welcome to your courtships and your weddings and your
boat-rides by moonlight," cried Willie, turning up his nose; "but I
would not have given a good fox-hunt with old Lord Fairfax for any of
them: and what a glorious fellow Washington must have been, with his
fine horses and his fine dogs, and his jumping twenty-one feet seven
inches at a bound!"
"Oh, Willie! how can you be so wanting in respect as to call such a
man as Washington '_fellow_'?" exclaimed Laura, with a look of pious
horror. "I am astonished at you!"
"But I said he was glorious; didn't I now, Miss Over-nice?" retorted
Willie.
"Your Cousin Laura, William, is quite right in what she says,"
observed Uncle Juvinell, with something like severity in his look and
tone. "We should never speak of the good and great in other terms than
those of esteem and reverence; for the effect of such a habit is to
cultivate in ourselves those very qualities of mind and heart which
make them worthy of our love and admiration."
Willie was somewhat abashed by this mild rebuke, and apologized in a
dumb way by coughing a time or two behind his slate.
"Uncle," inquired Ella, "is transcendentalism an art or a science?"
"I think I can tell you what that is, Ella," Daniel made haste to put
in; for he never let an opportunity slip of showing off what he knew
to the best advantage.
"I did not call upon you for information, Mr. Wiseacre," said Ella, a
little nettled at her brother's air of superior wisdom.
"Nevertheless," cried Uncle Juvinell, "let us listen, and be wise.
Come, give us the benefit of your knowledge, Daniel, touching this
important matter."
"I overheard father say to you the other day," replied Daniel, without
hesitation, "that your transcendentalism, uncle, was an equal mixture
of opium, moonshine, fog, and sick-man's dreams."
"Good! you have hit it exactly!" cried Uncle Juvinell; "and, to reward
you for your diligence in picking up and storing away such precious
bits of knowledge, I promise you for your next Christmas present a
gilt-edged copy of Bunyan's 'Pilgrim's Progress.'"
"I thank you very much, dear uncle," replied Dannie; "but, if it makes
no difference with you, I would prefer 'Josephus' to 'Bunyan.'"
"Certainly, certainly, my dear nephew; it shall be as you wish,"
replied Uncle Juvinell, a little provoked with himself for having been
so thoughtless as to overlook the fact, that Daniel, being a
curly-headed, Jewish boy, was not likely to be much interested in the
ups and downs of good old Christian's doleful pilgrimage.
"Tell me, uncle," cried John, who had an ear for rhyme, "what is meant
by taxation, and legislation by representation, in a nation. Is it
sense, or only poetry?"
"Bad poetry, but mighty good sense, my little boy," replied Uncle
Juvinell; "and, if you will be right attentive, I will endeavor to
make clear to you what is meant thereby. In a popular form of
government,--such as the one we live under,--the people tax
themselves, and make laws for themselves, through persons chosen by
themselves, and from among themselves, to serve for a certain term of
months or years in our State Legislatures or in our National
Congress, as the case may be. The persons whom the people thus
authorize to tax them and make laws, or, as it is otherwise termed, to
legislate for them, representing, as they do, the will, desires, and
wants of the communities by whom they are chosen, are called
representatives; and hence the phrase, 'taxation, and representation
by legislation.'"
"In a nation," added Johnnie, by way of giving it a finish, and to
show that it was all as clear as day to him.
"Yes, in a nation and a state too," rejoined Uncle Juvinell, with a
merry twinkle in his eye.
"Will you have the kindness, uncle," said Dannie, "to tell us the
difference between a legislature and a congress and a parliament?"
"In our own country," replied Uncle Juvinell, "a legislature is the
law-making assembly of a State, and Congress is the law-making
assembly of the whole nation; while Parliament is the great law-making
or legislative assembly of Great Britain and Ireland. The rules and
regulations in all these bodies are quite similar; and, besides being
vested with the power of laying taxes and making laws, they perform
other services necessary to the safety and welfare of the state or
nation. Thus the old Continental Congress was composed of
representatives from all the thirteen States, which entitled each,
through its representation, to one vote, and to equal weight and
influence with the rest, in the acts and deliberations of this
assembly, no matter what may have been its size and population,
whether large or small; nor what the number of its representatives,
whether one or several."
"And will you also tell me, uncle, wherein a convention differs from
all these legislative assemblies?" said Daniel, grappling manfully
with the tall words, but staggering under them nevertheless.
"Simply not being legislative at all, as the term is now generally
used in our country," replied Uncle Juvinell. "A convention is a body
of men assembled together as representatives of a party or state or
nation, for some special purpose, such as the formation of a new State
Constitution, or for making changes in an old one, or to give
expression to the views and designs of a party, and to nominate
candidates to the various offices of the government; which purpose
being effected, they are dissolved, and cease to exist or to have any
legal force."
"And why, uncle, was the name 'Continental' given to our first
Congress?" inquired Willie.
"To distinguish it from the Congress of the several States, and as the
one in which the common interest and welfare of all the States of the
continent were represented," was Uncle Juvinell's reply; and then he
added, "And hence the same term was applied to whatever belonged to
the States conjointly, and grew out of their union or confederation.
Thus, for example, besides the Continental Congress, there was a
Continental Army, raised, equipped, and supported at the joint expense
of all the States, and subject in a great measure to the control of
the Continental Congress. And there was the Continental uniform, which
was the uniform worn by an officer or a soldier of the Continental
Army. And there was the Continental currency, which was the
paper-money issued and put into circulation by the Continental
Congress, all the States unitedly holding themselves accountable for
its redemption in specie; or, in other words, binding themselves,
after having gained their independence as a nation, to take it back at
the value specified thereon, and giving to those who held it gold and
silver in exchange. But more of this in another place."
"And what is a minister, uncle?" inquired Laura. "And what is a
commissioner, uncle?" chimed in Ella. "And what is a revenue, uncle?"
put in Charlie. "And what is a remonstrance, uncle?" inquired Bryce,
following up the attack.
"Hold, you rogues! and one at a time!" cried Uncle Juvinell. "A
minister, Laura, in the sense in which we have been using the term, is
a high officer of State, intrusted with the control and management of
some office or department of the national government, such as that of
the navy or war or treasury or commerce or foreign affairs. All the
ministers, taken collectively, make up what is called the ministry;
who, besides discharging the duties of their respective offices, are
also expected to serve as counsellors to the king, and aid him in
carrying out the measures of the government. A commissioner, Ella, is
an agent appointed and authorized by another, or a number of others,
or a State, to transact some business of a private or public
character, as the case may be. A revenue, Charlie, is the income or
yearly sum of money of a State, raised from taxes on the people or
their property, from duties on foreign merchandise imported into the
country, and from the sale of public lands and other sources, to meet
the expenses of the government. A remonstrance, Bryce, is a
setting-forth in strong terms, either by writing or by word of mouth,
the facts and reasons against something complained of or opposed, as
unjust, unwise, or unadvisable."
"I can't imagine," said Daniel, with the air of one who had weighed
well in his own mind a matter of importance, "what advantage to
themselves or to the nation George the Third and his ministers could
have expected, when they laid those heavy taxes on their American
Colonies, then took from them the power to pay them by crippling their
commerce and putting a stop to their manufactures; and it seems
strange to me that Englishmen could ever have denied to Englishmen the
rights and liberties of Englishmen, without having something more to
gain." Here Daniel broke down, and scratched his head; and Uncle
Juvinell, with an approving, good-humored smile, replied, "Those very
questions, Daniel, have puzzled many an older head than yours, and
many a wiser head than mine; and, indeed, some of the most learned
historians, who have written about these matters, have expressed
themselves perplexed at this strange conduct of the king and his
ministers, and have been able to account for it only on the
supposition, that they were all, for the time being, bereft of their
wits, and therefore rendered incapable of foreseeing the tremendous
consequences of their unjust and ill-judged measures."
Much gratified at the interest the little folks had taken in such dry
matters, and seeing that they had no more questions to put to him, and
that some of the smaller ones were already nodding in their chairs,
Uncle Juvinell, by way of winding up the evening's entertainment,
concluded thus:--
"Some of you, my dear children, have read how good Christian, in his
pilgrimage to the Celestial City, went on sometimes sighingly,
sometimes comfortably, until he came to the foot of a hill called
Difficulty, where he found three roads to choose between. The one to
the right went around the bottom of the hill, and led into a
wilderness of dark woods, out of which no one ever found his way again
after venturing therein. The one to the left went likewise around the
bottom of the hill, and led into a wilderness of dark mountains, which
was even more difficult to escape from than the one to the right. But
the middle road, which was narrow and straight, went right up the
steep and flinty sides of the hill, and was the route that led direct
to Mount Zion. Not being the man to flinch from any difficulty,
however great, good Christian hesitated not a moment to choose the
middle road; and accordingly he fell from running to walking, and from
walking to going, and from going to clambering upon his hands and
knees, till he had made his way to the top. Here, as you must well
remember, there met his view a stately palace called Beautiful, kept
by a company of prim, precise, proper, prudent, and pious maiden
ladies, who gave our weary pilgrim a cordial but well-considered
reception, and, besides admitting him to the hospitalities of the
house gratis, entertained him with a variety of pleasing and edifying
discourse. And you have not forgotten, either, how, when they had a
clear morning, these discreet and well-ordered damsels, to reward him
for the zeal and diligence with which he had heretofore pursued his
journey, as well as to encourage him to still further effort, led him
up to the top of their house, whence he might have a delightful view
of the Delectable Mountains, far, far away. And you also still hear in
mind, how poor Christian must needs pass through the dismal Vale of
Humiliation, and there meet in deadly fight the terrible monster
Apollyon; then through the Valley and Shadow of Death, with all its
doleful sights and sounds; then through the wicked city of Vanity
Fair; then through the gloomy domains of Doubting Castle and Giant
Despair,--all before he could hope to set foot on these Delectable
Mountains of Emanuel's land.
"Now, do you not see, my dear children, that not altogether unlike
good Christian's case, at this stage of his journey, is that of our
own at this point of our story? But a little while ago we were
trudging along, sometimes heavily, sometimes swimmingly, till by and
by we reached the bottom of our Hill Difficulty; by which, of course,
you understand me to mean the causes that brought about our
Revolutionary War. And here, had we gone to the right or the left, we
should most assuredly have wandered into a wilderness of romance and
Brobdignagian wonders, among whose mazes we would have become
entangled beyond all reasonable hope of escape. But our eyes were
opened to our danger; and like good Christian, by whose example we
might profit oftener than we do, we knew in what direction lay our
best interest, and were not to be enticed astray by the prospect of
ease or novelty, nor turned back by flinty facts and rough realities.
So straightway up the difficult hill we marched, lofty and steep as it
was; and hardly left a stone unturned till we had scrambled to the
top. This gained, we have felt it our privilege to halt and rest a
while, and refresh ourselves with a little pleasing and edifying
discourse, one with another, touching what we have seen or heard in
the course of our journey.
"We have thus surmounted the most tedious and difficult part of our
story. But still there lies before us many a hard-fought battle, many
an irksome siege, many a forlorn retreat, many a gloomy winter-camp,
and many a season of doubt and discouragement, privation and dire
calamity, through which we must pass before we can hope to set our
weary feet on the Delectable Mountains of Freemen's Land, smiling
invitingly beyond. But to reward you for the diligent attention with
which you have followed me thus far, as well as to entice you to
trudge on to the end, I will, from this elevated point, unfold to your
view a glimpse of this glorious region, ere 'the war-clouds rolling
dun' from the plains of Lexington and the heights of Bunker's Hill
have too much obscured our morning sky.
"See yon land of shining mountains,
Stately forests, verdant dells,
Sun-bright rivers, sparkling fountains,
Healthful breezes, balmy smells,
Golden grain-fields, pleasant meadows,
Fruitful orchards, gardens fair,
Lasting sunshine, fleeting shadows!
Freedom dwells for ever there!
Hark! what song is that high swelling,
Like an anthem dropped from heaven,
Of some joyful tidings telling,
Some rich boon to mankind given?
'Tis a happy people, singing
Thanks for Freedom's victory won;
Valley, forest, mountain, ringing
With one name,--great Washington.
Through distress, through tribulation,
Through the lowering clouds of war,
They have risen to be a nation:
Freedom shines, their morning-star.
Would we reach those realms of glory,
Would we join that righteous band,
We must speed us in our story:
Come, let's on to Freemen's Land!"
The next evening, the little folks, upon repairing to the library,
found their Uncle Juvinell seated, as was his wont, cross-legged in
his great arm-chair, looking with a fixed and absent gaze into 'the
glowing embers of the fire,' as if his thoughts were far away.
In his hand he held an open letter which he had just brought from the
post-office, in the contents whereof, it was evident, he had found
somewhat of a painful character; for a slight shadow had dimmed the
brightness of his otherwise placid countenance. So rare a thing as
that of a cloud on their good old uncle's sunny face caught their
notice at once; and instead of gathering round him in their usual
coaxing, teasing, bantering, frolicsome way, they seated themselves
quietly on either hand, and awaited in respectful silence until he
should rise to the surface of the deep brown-study into which he
seemed to be plunged. But the longer he sat, the harder he looked at
the fire, and the deeper he sank into his revery, till the little
folks began to fear that it would be a full hour before he would reach
the bottom and come up again.
Daniel, the young historian, sat watching his uncle's countenance with
his sharp black eyes, expecting each moment to hear him break the
silence with, "After the battle of Bunker's Hill;" or, "Washington,
upon his arrival at Boston;" or something to that effect. But, last in
his own thoughts, Uncle Juvinell still sat cross-legged in his
arm-chair, and spoke not a word. At last, just by way of reminding him
that a select and highly enlightened audience were in waiting to hear
him, Willie softly arose from his chair, and, filling the little Dutch
mug to the brim with rich brown cider, offered it to his uncle, with a
forward duck of the head and a backward jerk of the heel, which he, no
doubt, intended for a genteel bow. Uncle Juvinell took it; but set it
again, with an absent air, untasted on the table. Then, drawing his
spectacles down from his forehead, he again perused the letter he held
in his hand, with earnest attention, the shadow on his brow deepening
as he read.
When he had finished, he laid it on the table, and finally broke the
long silence; his first words falling like ice-water on the ears of
the little folks.
"Sad news for you, my dear children; sad news for us all! I have just
received a letter from my old friend and kinsman, Peter Parley, of
whom you have all heard so much, and to whom, for the many delightful
books he has written, the younger generations of America are more
indebted than perhaps to any man now living. In his letter he tells
me, that, owing to his declining health, and increasing years, he has
ceased his literary labors altogether, and betaken himself to New
Orleans, in whose milder climate he hopes he may, in some measure,
recruit his failing powers. What he says in addition to this I will
give you in his own words:--
"The effects of that unlucky fall on the ice, while crossing
Boston Common, so many years ago, I have felt in my right hip,
to a greater or less degree, ever since; and within the past
year my lameness has so much increased as to have become a
matter of much anxiety to my friends, and some uneasiness to
myself. Taking this in connection with the growing infirmities
of age, I sometimes have a foreboding that I shall never return
to Boston alive.
"Under this impression, I now write you, my Cousin Juvinell,
entreating you, as my nearest living kinsman and much-beloved
friend, to come and see me at this place, and sojourn here with
me, until, in the wisdom of a kind Providence, it be determined
whether my span of life is to be shortened or lengthened yet a
little more. It will be a comfort to me to have you by my side
at the closing scene; and it may be that your cheerful presence
and sunny humor will do more to revive me than I can hope for
even from this mild, pleasant Louisiana air.
"I know that your compliance with my request will for a season
prove a serious interruption to the enjoyment of the little
folks in your vicinity, whom you have taken under your wing,
and to whose entertainment and instruction so much of your
useful life is devoted. But they will, I am sure, without
hesitation, make this sacrifice in behalf of one who has for
many long years labored so hard and faithfully for their
happiness and improvement. Commend me kindly to them. Hoping to
see you at an early day, I remain, as ever, your affectionate
friend and kinsman,
"PETER PARLEY."
Uncle Juvinell went on: "I am gratified, my dear children, to see in
your grateful and sympathetic looks, saddened and disappointed though
I know you really to be, that you are ready and willing to sacrifice
what pleasure and entertainment my company and conversation may afford
you, to the comfort and wishes of this venerated and excellent man. My
going-away at this moment will, it is true, cause a sad interruption
to our story of the life of Washington; but next Christmas, if we all
be spared, and your Uncle Juvinell keep his memory fresh and green, we
will gather together again in this very room, and take it up where we
now drop it, and follow it through all its eventful changes to the
glorious and happy end. Meanwhile, ponder well in your minds what I
have already told you of the childhood, youth, and early prime of this
illustrious man. And after all, now that I give the matter a second
thought, we could not have been interrupted at a more suitable place;
for the account I have given up to this point needs scarcely a single
important particular to make it a complete and separate story. We
have followed him step by step, and seen how he rose, first from the
boy-farmer to the youthful surveyor, from that to the young colonel,
from that to the legislator of more mature years, and lastly from that
to commander-in-chief of the armies of a young and rising nation.
"The history of his career after this period is, in fact, so closely
connected with that of his country, as to be altogether inseparable
from it.
"And again I repeat, ponder well in your minds what I have already
told you, as being, after all, the part most necessary for you at
present to know. Ever strive to keep his example before your eyes,
ever to cherish his virtues in your hearts. Like him, be industrious
in your habits, diligent in your studies, polite in your manners,
orderly in your dress, peaceable in your disposition, upright in your
dealings, faithful in your friendships, patient under trials,
persevering under difficulties, strangers to covetousness, content
with little, moderate with much, generous, self-denying, courageous in
well-doing, pure in heart, devout in spirit, modest before men,
reverent to your parents, respectful to your superiors, humble before
God; and, like him, let the clear light of truth shine forth in all
your words, in all your actions, in all your looks and gestures, in
all your secret thoughts, and in your very souls. Be all this, that
men may reverence you, that angels may honor you, that God may bless
and reward you."
Here Uncle Juvinell paused; and, as he looked round on the saddened
faces of his little auditors, a moisture crept out softly upon his
eyelashes, and dimmed the brightness of his spectacles. "It grieves me
much, my dearest children," said he, after a moment or two,--and there
was a tremor of deep fatherly feeling in his voice,--"it grieves me
much, that our happy little circle must be broken up. It will be but
for a season, however; and, when we meet again, we shall be happier
than had we not parted at all. On Monday, I take the stage-coach for
Louisville; and there I take the steamer 'Eclipse' for New Orleans. As
it is a long journey I have before me, I must needs write many
letters, and do a deal of packing, before setting out: so we will sing
our evening hymn now, and separate for the night."
Then, joining their voices together, they sang that beautiful hymn,
"Though far away from friends and home." At the second line,
however,--"A lonely wanderer I may roam,"--the little folks fairly
broke down; their hearts rising into their throats from very grief,
and choking their voices: but, with all the ease of a professed
singing-master, Uncle Juvinell, though his heart was full too, glided
at once from the lowest bass to the highest treble, which he carried
alone, until some of the children, getting the better of their
feelings, chimed in with him, when he softly dropped to the very
bottom of his bass again.
The hymn ended, the little folks came one by one, and, without
speaking a word, embraced and kissed their dear old uncle, this best
of men; he laying his gentle hand upon their bowed heads, and blessing
them with more than his usual fervor.