The dominie's son
page: (TitlePage) [View Page (TitlePage) ] THE DOMNIE'S SON. A NOVEL BY J. HILTON JONES. 1874. page: [View Page ] Entered acoording to act of Congress, in the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, by MRS. J. H. JONES, iu the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. Manufactured by G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS, Twenty-third St. and Fourth Ave. NEW YORK. DEDICATION d; ing ear ixe, AS A SOUVENIR OF THE MANY HAPPY HOURS WHCH ITS COMPOSITION OCCASIONED AS IT FLOWED FROM HS PEN, AND ALSO AS A SLIGHT TRIBUTE OF HS HGH REGARD AND APPRECIATION OF HER STERLING WORTH AND ADMRABLE CHARACTERISTICS, THE FOLLOWING NARRATIVE IS MOST AFFEC- TIONATELY INSCRIBED BY HER GRATEFUL, EVER- "OVING AND DEVOTED HUSBAND, THE AUTHOR. page: -5[View Page -5] THE DOMINIE'S SON. CHAPTER I. IN the year of grace eighteen hundred and forty-two, there lived in the sequestered valley of the placid Chenango in the state of New York, within a short distance of each other, two families, --a sketch of whose united and eventful history will be the subject of the following narrative. The family of Dominie Arbuckle in- cluded his helpmate and one child, his son Joshua, an interesting boy, about twelve years old. The home circle of Dr. Keesley, the village physician, consisted of his wife, and her father, Major Houston, a hero of the war of 1812, and the Doctor's two daughters. The elder of these, Arabella, a stylish-looking brunette, then in her eighteenth year, had but recently returned from a visit to her aunt in the city of New York, a visit the pleasure of which had been enhanced, by her having made a desirable conquest in the fascinating person of a page: 6-7[View Page 6-7] 6 THE DO.MNIE'S SON. junior partner of an old dry-goods house, - George M. Pickering, whose father was the head of the establish- ment. The younger daughter, Rosetta, a dear little witch, just budding into her teens, was the almost insepa- rable companion of the Dominie's son, and the pet of both families. The Dominie's congregation were formerly Presbyte- rians, but his views having passed beyond the tenets of that, or of those of any other established denomination, they unanimously agreed to withdraw from the Presby- tery, and to follow the Dominie in whatever doctrine he might in future think proper to enunciate. The house of worship was about a mile west from the nearest village, on an elevation in a grove of oaks, its front facing to the west. It was a plain, oblong build- ing, capable of seating between three and four hundred people. The parsonage occupied a position about two hundred yards north, on an eminence nearly thirty feet higher, embracing within its view an extensive ranrge of the undulating valley to the east, south and west, with the distant encircling hills in the background. The northern view being obstructed by mountains running due east and west about a mile from the house. There was but one service during the day, which usually commenced at eleven 'o'clock and occupied about a couple of hours. The congregation arriving in time for the male portion to assemble in knots among the trees, or on the stoop of the meeting-house, and discuss the weather and kindred topics; but as the hour for commencing the ser- 'vices drew nigh, and the Dominie was observed wending THE DOMNIE'S SON. 7 his way down the hill, the groups were instantly broken up, and all forthwith hastened to enter the edifice, to make suitable preparation for the serious occasion that called them together. A glance over the audience will reveal the notabilities. About three seats from the pastor's desk, the bald pate of old Uncle Josey Morehouse was' always a conspicuously shining mark. Uncle Joe would doubtless have dissented in otoo from such an expression so applied, and undoubt- edly have referred triumphantly to the half dozen hairs or so, drawn up on each side from over his ears and tied to- gether across the centre of his venerable head. Uncle Joe was the apparently happy possessor of a young second wife and two blooming daughters, and probably felt like holding on to his hair, what was left of it, as long as possible. The widely extended family of the Morehouses, of which Uncle Joe was a prominent member, were gene- rally considered to inherit the rare quality of being what was commonly termed natural singers, that is, to sing like birds, without any artificial training. Uncle Josey's two daughters, however, lacked the good fortune of being able -to lay any claim whatever to the family quality, which deficiency was viewed by the father in so serious a light, that he always appeared to feel as if nothing could possibly atone for such an -irredeemable and vital defect. The mother was a member of the Brewster family, not one of whom was ever known to lay the slightest claim to the gift of the birdlike quality, being unable, as a rule, to distinguish one tune from another; so that when- ever his daughters were invited and pressed to sing, page: 8-9[View Page 8-9] 8 THE DOMNIE'S SON. Uncle Josey would come to their rescue, and put an end to the pressure by petulantly declaring that it was of no use, as they had got too much of the Brewster in them. The door swayed on its hinges, and in stepped old Uncle Jesse Hulse, putting his feet down like two sledge ham- mers and looking all over like adamant itself. Jesse, it is almost needless to remark, was, to the back-bone, a regular hard-money old hickory man. Next in importance, after the two deacons, came the one-legged veteran, Major Houston, who had lost his other leg in the war of 1812. The Major was a kind-hearted humorous old fellow, who liked his joke, and although his dancing days had long since passed, nothing pleased him so well as to get an opportu- j nity to expatiate on that lively topic. He naturally en- tertained a perfect contempt for the style of dancing in vogue at the present day, and declared, that "this merely walking through the figures " was anything but dancing in the proper sense. "If people want to get exhilarated" said he, "there is nothing better than to give themselves a real shaking up, occasionally. People of the present day can scarcely conceive," the Major would say, " of the makeshifts that had to be resorted to during the Embargo. I knew of two doctors, named Cohen and Birsch, living together just over the Pennsylvania line, at that time re- duced to such a strait, that they had but one suit of clothes in common together, so that Cohen made his calls in the forenoon, and Birsch in the afternoon." Old Captain Jim Saybrook was quite a character among THE DOMNIE'S SON. 9 the congregation. He was engaged in the China trade until he had acquired a competency, when he retired to enjoy the well-earned fruits of his early industry and suc- cess, and at this time, had been a resident of the valley nearly twenty years. The question that puzzled the old Indian, "Why do American fathers work themselves to death, that their sons may live in idleness," never had any application to old Saybrook, nor in fact,to his father either, for it appeared, that the old man, after amas- sing a fortune in New York, of nearly half a million of dollars, left his three children but ten thousand dollars each, and the great bulk of his property he bequeathed for the propagation of the gospel in foreign parts. Perhaps it was quite as well, although Captain Saybrook never exactly appeared to see the wisdom of the bequest. He said, "as far as my experience in China went, it was worse than useless to send out one set of missionaries with the gospel of peace, if, at the same time, another set went out with the gospel of commerce. Strengthened and enforced as this is, from the cannon's mouth, the latter possessed the double advantage of saving the poor natives from com- mitting more sin, and at the same time of sending them to Heaven at once." Captain Saybrook was a great lover of good things but a decided hater of all extravagance and waste. There was no surer mode of gaining his dislike than by accepting of his hospitality and afterwards not doing justice to his liberal repasts. On such occasions the old fellow used to give expression to his feelings somewhat to the following page: 10-11[View Page 10-11] 10 THE DOMINIE'S SON. effect: "That old clipper, I rather gue s, knows his meas- urement to a fraction, and the sort of cargo he usually ships, and you may about calculate when he proceeds to load up, there is a certain weather-eye open that allows of no freight being dumped on his pier, he can't comfortably stow away in the hold." About midway up the centre aisle was the seat of the then reigning belle, Etty Gerow. In imagination I can once more recall her as she entered the house closely at- tended by her handsome brother, and gracefully sailed up to the family pew, her fascinating beauty being materially heightened by her bewitching smile. She appeared to receive the homage paid to her charms, as a something im- possible to be withheld. The stately beauty, Elizabeth Brooks, passed to her seat, which was on the left hand side of the louse near the door, evidently without desiring to attract the slightest atten- tion. Her family, who had enjoyed the reputation of being wealthy during two generations, had not as yet run to seed. She was generally credited with having plans for a family alliance outside of the immediate neighborhood. Over, and about eight feet back of the pastor's desk was a gallery, one seat deep, for the choir, which usually consisted of about a dozen young men and women, not one of whom knew so much as a single note of music. At- tached to the gallery at each end was a small square en- closure specially appropriated to the use of the colored brethren and sisters. For years the choir had been led by big Dave Morehouse, who belonged to the family of natural THE DOMNIE'S SON. " singers, and was Miller County Bank director, and store- keeper all combined, and likewise the great authority on singing throughout that section of the country. He dis- dained the trouble of learning music, as he said, "he could catch the airs as fast as he wanted them without an effort." He had two effective pieces de resistance always at com- mand, viz: "The Old Oaken Bucket that Hung in the Well," and "The Grave of Bonaparte," both of which he sang, to do him justice, with a good deal of pathetic feel- ing. As time passed on however, Dave began to tire of his voluntary-charge, and occasionally absented himself, where- upon the leading female singer endeavored to supply his place, which she soon more than accomplished, by filling the gap with a recent importation, a regular out and out John Bull, who handled his instrument the flute, like a master, and succeeded in invariably drawing therefrom a sweet and mellow tone. He fortunately knew enough and something more, when necessary, of music, to be able to play the air of the psalm or hymn tune as the choir fol- lowed him in singing it. The congregation were conse-, quently not a little surprised on the first Sabbath of his appearance to see the new accession arise with the choir, begin puckering his mouth with the flute in hand, and evident intention of trying to coax the instrument to raise its voice for the occasion. That best of men, our good Dominie, I recall after the lapse of a quarter of a century with feelings of the most profound veneration. He was in stature, rather small, well proportioned, and gracefully rounded, with a florid complex- page: 12-13[View Page 12-13] 12 THE DOMNIE'S SON. ion, fine silky skin, amiable blue eyes, of benign manner, and admirable self-control. His subject occupied usually four or five Sabbaths before it was finally dismissed. He invariably entered upon his discourse with unaffected diffi- dence and all the powers of his nature seemed concentra- ted upon its elucidation. In him, the intellectual and moral bore sovereign sway. He was the farthest removed from that class of men, who, mounting the high horse for the special occasion and making a vigorous onslaught upon the sins of the world, the flesh, and the devil, again meekly come forth as other men. As his discourse pro- ceeded, his glowing sentences and stately periods, like mighty rivers rolled majestically along, widening, and deep- ening as they moved, until they finally became absorbed in the illimitable ocean of eternal living truth, God is Love. As the end was approached all eyes would be involunta- rily riveted upon his luminous countenance, which seemed enshrined in a halo of beatitude. The final word was at last uttered. The Book of Life was once more closed, and after amoment's impressive pause, he slowly fell back in his seat, and we leave the house, always with the same pro- found emotion, our whole beings absorbed in feelings of love and gratitude, for the Great Giver of all good. Since that period, it has been the fortune of the writer from time to time to listen to many eminent and able men, but it has never been his pleasure as yet, to hear one with more than a tithe of the Reverend Dr. Arbuckle's genius and ability. THE DOMNIE'S SON. 13 He but rarely strayed from his flock, but happening on one occasion to visit Boston, for the purpose of consoling with the family of a much beloved friend, recently deceased, who had been the companion of his college days, and afterwards one of the most noted pulpit orators of his time, the Doctor was prevailed upon to occupy the vacant desk during the Sabbath that he remained in the city. Shortly after the close of the morning service, a unanimous call was extended to him, to become their pastor; and every inducement that usually prevails, was urged to influence his acceptance, but without the slightest avail. The salary was seven thousand dollars and a parsonage. Fully equal to twenty thousand dollars at the present time. The pittance which he received from his rural congregation was but seven hundred dollars, but he considered his honor was in ques- tion. He had deliberately undertaken to become the spir- itual guide of a rural flock, and he was not the man to desert them because they happened to have the best of the bargain. About a year and a half after the Dominie's return from Boston, his frame, long overwrought from his protracted habit of excessive and exhaustive study, at length suc- cumbed to a violent nervous fever, which unhappily ended fatally in a very brief period. page: 14-15[View Page 14-15] CHAPTER II. FTER the violent effects of the blow had become somewhat deadened, his poor sorrowing widow and child strove to sustain their irreparable loss with the fortitude and resignation of true Christian spirits. As change of air and scene soon be- came desirable, and a relinquishment of the parsonage was inevitable, the widow at once decided to return to her former home in Philadelphia, under the escort of her brother, and there make her plans for the future. At least one great object in life was spared to her which was certainly calculated to arouse into activity all the strength of her sterling, admirable nature. The destiny of her fine, promising boy, her nearest and dearest tie, re- quired to be moulded, and her great ambition was, that he should prove no unworthy son of a noble sire. Previous however to leaving the scene of so many years of unalloyed happiness, and of such a severe sorrow, Mrs. Arbuckle and her son, accepted the kind invitation of THE DOMNIE'S SON. 15 their old friends the Keesleys, and spent the few remain- ing days that intervened before their departure, in their genial home in true-hearted fellowship. Two of the young people at least, looked forward to the impending separation with many heartfelt pangs. They had been inseparable since they first knew each other, and time had ripened their intimacy into a warm, undying attachment, which had met with the sanction and encour- agement of their respective parents. These were the Dominie's son, Joshua, and the physician's younger daugh- ter, Rosetta. The day previous to the one designated for the com- mencement of their journey was at length ushered in, and after partaking of the morning's meal, Joshua accompanied by Rosetta, sauntered over to the old parsonage grounds for the last- time, to call up again the thoughtless, happy, joyous days of childhood, and to bid the spot of all others hallowed in their joyous, but now mournful memories, a lasting and regretful farewell. After lingering over each fond object of their youthful attachment with feelings which deepened in interest the longer the scene remained before them, the time at last arrived for them to depart, and they presently commenced the descent of the hill on their return, and at length Joshua gave expression to his feelings by observing: "Since God has taken father away, I don't mind how soon mother and I go away also, for things look so forlorn, and everybody 's so sorry and feel so badly about father. I only wish, though, you could go with us, but you'd rather stay at home, no doubt." page: 16-17[View Page 16-17] 16 THE DO MNIE'S SON. "No," said Rose, "I'd like to go with you, because I love your good dear mother so very much, and now I'll have hardly anybody to play with, only Carrie Burton, and Alf and Fred Peters, and I always hate him, because he gets cross so easily and goes and tells his mother all sorts of fibs, and then she tells my mother that I'm always play- ing tricks on her poor Fred, and teasing him so, which isn't a bit true." "Well, now, never mind, Rose," said her companion, "when we get all to rights again, your father and mother will sometimes come and see us, and they will bring you with them, be sure, and then shan't we have real jolly times, and won't it be nice when I come up here, to find out what this little witch has been about whilst I've been tugging away trying hard to earn a bird-cage to put her in. "Yes, but there will be dull, rainy days though, some- times," answered Rosetta, "when I shall so long for you to be here; but it will be so lonely when you are gone away." "Never mind," said Jot, "the time will soon pass away, and it won't be long, you may be sure, before I shall be with you again. What do you think, Rose? I don't believe mother has any notion what I've been thinking about, but do you know, I mean to go and do something right off. I've been thinking that when we are children, God means for us to have as much play as we like, but as we grow up, he expects us to work and accomplish some- thing useful. There is certainlyno good in living without THE DOMNIE'S SON. -17 even so much as trying to do something, like some folks we know, who appear to live only to eat, and drink, and sleep. Hasn't God set us the example? God's always at work, night and day, or else we should soon all starve." By this time, the young couple had reached the garden where they came upon Mrs. Keesley, who was engaged in the pleasant occupation of examining her flowers and shrubs. After a playful remark or two had been exchanged, they entered the house to prepare for the noontide meal. Early next day our travellers were in readiness for their journey, and the moment at length arrived to say "Good- bye." Jot and Rosetta were, of course, a good deal unnerved, but they still found strength enough to heartily embrace each other, for at least a dozen times, and also to bid each other a similar number of old-fashioned emphatic goodbyes, and, at last, Jot very reluctantly seated himself in the -carriage, which slowly moved from the village. After a monotonous, fatiguing journey of five days, with scarcely an incident worth recording, the travellers arrived in safety at their journey's end. On the third evening of their passage, they rested at a tavern in a good sized country town, and it happened that during the night, a Polish peddler, likewise staying at the inn, was seized with an excruciating toothache, and as soon as daylight had appeared he rushed with all imagin- able speed to the first dentist's office for the purpose of having the offender extracted. The peddler, it seems, was a muscular man with a heavy set jaw. As it turned out, 2 page: 18-19[View Page 18-19] 18 THE DOMNIE'S SON. the dentist, after dragging the poor sufferer all about the room, in his frantic efforts to extract the tooth, finally ended by fracturing it. He endeavored, however, to con- sole the peddler by declaring, "that he was the owner of the most powerful jaw that throughout the whole course of his professional experience it had ever been his fortune to encounter, and that under the circumstances he felt greatly relieved that matters had ended no worse, for at one time he must say, that he entertained quite serious fears that it might terminate in a fracture of the jaw, but, on the other hand," he continued, looking with the specu- lative air of a philosopher, "if the jaw had been less rigid, it would have undoubtedly relinquished the tooth without holding on to it with such terrible tenacity, and thereby permitted it to come out whole." He ended by affirming, "that, take it all in all, it might be looked upon as a very fortunate escape." Previous to leaving the inn in the morning, Joshua chanced to glance over the village paper, and there ob- served in good sized type, the following advertisement:- "Dr. J. T. Tidbull, Surgeon and Mechanical Dentist.- The Doctor's immense case of instruments, many of which are entirely unknown to the profession, were made after his own models, and are many of them of a character scarcely to be conceived of by the faculty. N. B. The building up of extra large cavities, a particular specialty." CHAPTER III. ABOUT a week after their arrival in Philadelphia, upon returning from a delightful stroll in the city, Joshua found his mother alone sewing in the sitting-room, and she thus addressed him: "Joshua, my dear child, you have now reached an age at which habits of life begin to form into the shape in which they ultimately develope them- selves, and it seems to me essential, no matter what profession or walk in life may finally be chosen, that you should be disciplined in strict business habits without unnecessary delay. A short time before we left home, I had a most kind and sympathizing letter from William Denniston, an old personal friend of your father in the city of New York, in which he was so good as to express a warm hope that he could be of some service to us in our severe affliction. In response to his kindness I expressed strongly my desire in reference to yourself, and this morning I had the pleasure of receiving his reply, offering if it met with my approbation, to take you into page: 20-21[View Page 20-21] 20 THE DOMNIE'S SON. his family, and give you a position in his business under his own special care. I am sure you will be delighted with him. He made us a visit three summers ago, and I shall never forget the pleasant impression made upon me by his bright geniality. It will be very hard for us both I know, to be separated from each other for even the shortest possible period; but I feel more resigned to it when I reflect that a child cannot be for ever attached to his mother's apron strings, if he is to turn out eventually such a man in the world, as I firmly trust my own dear boy will one day become." Joshua replied, "I need hardly tell you, my dear mother, that it will always give me the greatest pleasure to follow your wishes. There is nothing I should like so much as to be able to do something useful." "There are one or two things on my mind," said his mother, " that I have long wished for a suitable opportu- nity to say to you, and I fervently hope you will never for- get them. In the first place, you should remember that you and I are but mere atoms among the countless myriads of human beings who inhabit this immense universe. God has mixed good and evil together. There is no such thing in this world as a being composed of all evil, or of all good alone; every human being possesses more or less of good which can be reached if the right means are used. But it cannot be developed by hard or harsh treatment. Kind- ness alone is the magic wand that touches and softens all hearts, and calls to the surface all the good that lies hid away within. Therefore always try to view the expres- THE DOMNIE'S SON. 21 sions and acts of others in the most favorable light possi- ble. Remember that christian charity covers a multitude of sins. When I speak of christian charity, I mean charity in its most enlarged sense; including the highest humanity, and the greatest toleration of the earnest, hon- est opinion of others. The world can never venerate too much those glorious workers whose lives are revealed to us in history, who were ready to do battle to the last with the powers of evil, and who met suffering and death with equanimity, in behalf of the lasting good of their fellow creatures. You should bear in mind, for example, that sterling character, Sir Thomas More, one of the purest and noblest of Englishmen. Lord Campbell writes of More's Utopia, which was published nearly three hundred years ago, Since the time of Plato, there has been no composition given to the world which, for imagination, for philosophical discrimination, for a familiarity with the principles of government, for a knowledge of the springs of human action, for a keen observation of men and manners, and for felicity of expression, could be compared to the Utopia.' More was a man who could say No, and abide by it, even when he knew he risked his head through his firmness. Do you remember the account of his trial? ' Joshua replied, "Yes, mother, very well. King Henry the Eighth made application to the Pope to grant him a divorce, and, upon being refused, required his subjects to transfer their spiritual allegiance from the Pope to him- self on pain of death. More refused, and was put in prison; and when his wife visited him there, she took \ page: 22-23[View Page 22-23] 22 THE DOMNIE'S SON. occasion to picture to him the attractions and comforts of his beautiful home, and to remind him that he had only to utter the monosyllable Yes, to once more enter upon their enjoyment; but, without a moment's hesitation, More calmly replied that he could never sacrifice the heavenly for the earthly home." Mrs. Arbuckle, much gratified, resumed the conversa- tion by observing that she thought all truly feminine women admired sturdiness of character in the opposite sex. And she continued, "the three most conspicuous examples of that stamp, which strike me in English history, are Oli- ver Cromwell, Dr. Johnson, and the elder Chatham. Stur- diness of character usually begets intolerance of the weak- ness that surrounds it; consequently men of much sturdi- ness and persistency are generally looked upon as intoler- ant bears. Dr. Johnson, you remember, had especially that reputation among his cotemporaries. His character, however, has always been embalmed in my memory, in consideration of his constancy and great humanity, espe- cially to poor childlike Goldsmith, and his sturdy self-reli- ance and independence of the patronage of the titled noodles and buffoons of his age. In our young history, the most prominent example of great sturdiness of char- acter that we have is, in my opinion, thatp Washington. In him, however, it was blended withthe greatest for- bearance for the weakness in association with which he was called upon to act. He alone was a mighty host in himself." After a pause of a few moments, Joshua said, 6" if God THE D OMNIE'S SON. 23 should make me prosperous in life, I feel sure that I should want to do something to show how thankful I was to Him. Above all things I should most like to do as He does and help people who try to help themselves." "In my opinion," said the mother, (^ that is the highest use to which a human being can put himself. The world contains an abundance of all that is requisite for the wants of its living creatures, but a proper distribution is of course necessary. Therefore I think that the highest type of a human being, is one who labors to acquire sub- stance (or accumulated labor), and beyond a prudent re- servation for the present and future, gives his less fortunate fellow-beings-the benefit of his good fortune, as a free will offering and a permanent investment laid up in Heaven. My firm purpose in the future, will be to devote my income beyond what will be absolutely necessary to provide for my most simple wants, to relieve the necessities of my needy, suffering fellow-creatures. It has also been a mat- ter of astonishment to me, how rich men could be satisfied to live on from day to day, repeating night and morning the Lord's Prayer, 'Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, and also, 'Give us this -day our daily bread,' without seeming to care whether anybody else had any bread except themselves. What kind of a God can they conceive that they are addressing, who could approve of the use they are making of the means he has tempora- rily placed in their hands, and the manner in which they are gradually hardening their hearts against the misery and sufferings of their fellow-beings?" page: 24-25[View Page 24-25] 24 THE DOMNIE'S SON. Mrs. Arbuckle, laying aside her sewing slowly arose, and after a momentary glance from the nearest window, again seated herself and said, "About six years ago, my father, who had amassed considerable wealth, was suddenly called away, and he bequeathed to me, in my own right, fifty thousand dollars, which has since earned me annually three thousand five hundred dollars. One thousand of the amount I devote to my own needs, and the balance I try to use judiciously, in aiding and relieving the wants of others. If the Almighty spares me, it is my firm purpose to con- tinue so to act in the future. It is also my intention, whenever you may go to the Dennistons, to make you an allowance for pocket money of three dollars a week, over and above whatever money you may need for ordinary ex- penses, so that you may have an opportunity, once in a while in a small way, to cast a passing ray of sunshine on the dreary pathway of others. All I shall require will be that you do not dispense it indiscriminately, for that would be the worst folly. "Although misery and suffering in a great degree, will always be inseparable in all large cities, yet we fortunately as a people, have not, like older nations, the added injus- tice of centuries to remember and atone for. We happily commenced our national life free from great evils, and with the vast accumulated experience of countless cen- turies as a guide and monitor." In the course of a few days, Mr. Denniston, having oc- casion to visit Philadelphia on business, called upon Mrs. Arbuckle, to pay his respects, and Joshua had the good THE JDOMNIE' S SON. 25 fortune, as it will presently be seen, to return with him to New York, and to enter at once into his service and lasting friendship. As soon as the son had been thus hopefully arranged for, the mother hastened to set her own house in order, and to prepare to remove to the interior of a neighboring state, and to resume her former course of life. She was now at length beginning to feel herself at home, and in something like her old position. Her mother, Mrs. Halsey, had, it was true, felt some- what the advance of her threescore years, but her step was still elastic, her eye calm and bright, and her car- riage erect and dignified. Her well-kept house,-like her beautiful flowers, exhaled a charming fragrance which was delightful to all who came within its influence. It was one of the old lady's maxims, that all money laid out for comfort was well expended, but whatever was spent for mere show and finery might better have been thrown into the fire and burnt up at once, as it only tended to1 excite Vte jealousy and envy of others. The old lady was the honored mistress of the family homestead, the only other occupant, with the exception of the domestics, being her bachelor son, Walter, who, how- ever, was at home but at short intervals. His large interests in the west quite absorbed his attention. Walter Halsey was older than his sister, to whom he was strongly attached; and he always proved to her a considerate and sympathizing friend and adviser. Mrs. Arbuckle soon was able to feel, as well she might, page: 26-27[View Page 26-27] 26 THE DOMNIE'S SON. once more at home, and realizing full well that in order to have any satisfaction in life, the mind, as well as the body, needs to be supplied with healthy occupation, she soon again directed her steps into the well known channels of bygone times, and found herself, like the ministering angels of old, in the sad presence of disease and suffering, by the sick bed of poverty and want, desiring to render in deeds as well as in words, the outpourings of a grateful and fervent spirit, to the Almighty Father of the universe, for deigning to brighten the pathway of his lowly child and servant with the smiles of his gracious and adorable countenance. CHAPTER IV. I . . RlABELLA KEESLEY had now for (&"^T il I over a year enjoyed the satisfaction of H^J),\ -being the owner and representative of a card bearing the address of Mrs. George L. M. Pickering, Fourteenth Street, near Fifth Avenue. And she was not exact- ly the young lady who would be at all likely to find life in a gay city with - e 3 plenty of money at command very much of a bore. As a rule, women adapt themselves to circum- stances with much greater ease than men. Everything had been done for Mrs. Pickering in an educational point of view that the limited means and ' opportunities of her rural home would admit. She had acquired an ordinary, superficial education, together with a smattering of the usual accomplishments. It was notice- able she never ventured near the fire of a public school examination, and invariably excused herself by declaring that she learned her lessons with the greatest ease, but somehow they unfortunately slipped out of her memory the instant they had been recited, and appeared, as' the page: 28-29[View Page 28-29] 28 THE DOMNIE'S SON. saying is, "to go in at one ear and out at the other." She possessed a fine, clear and rather powerful soprano voice, with much musical taste, and had managed to acquire a far better execution on the piano, than was usual at that day in a sequestered country village. A German youth, whose musical talent had been well developed in his own country, wishing to take a more extended outlook of the world, and at the same time better his own fortune, made his way to New York, where, in a short time, his little means rapidly disappeared, and in a brief space he found himself one day engaging to work in the stables of a country hotel, in the Chenango valley. After his dinner had been dismissed, he made his way to the barn, and in a few moments he received an order to harness up the grey mare and bring her round to the front door of the hotel. After waiting for some considerable time, the mare fail- ing to appear, the landlord found his patience exhausted, and made for the barn with all conceivable dispatch, there, to his astonishment, he discovered the new ostler, standing midway of the animal, lost in a brown study and at his wits end, holding the horse's collar in both hands, first turning it up, and then down, at the same time closely eyeing the mare all over, unable for the life of him, to divine the possibility of getting such a queer thing as that on any part of the animal excepting on her tail. The tavern keeper called him a great fool, and ordered him "to git e-out," and proceeded to harness up the "critter," :i as he called her, himself. The poor German stepped across THE DOMNIE'S SON. 29 the yard to the back door of the inn, and in passing through the hall to the front door, happened to hear the tinkling of a piano in the parlor. The old love instinc- tively seized him and he involuntarily pushed open the door which stood a little ajar, and made a straight line to the instrument. The little girl who was trying to amuse herself, quickly vacated the seat, which was instantly taken possession of by the German, and the moment his fingers touched the keys, he was in his native element, at home, and a boy again, in the dear old never forgotten fatherland. In a short time, the tavern keeper entered the house and greatly to his surprise, he heard the piano thundering away at a furious rate. He declared afterwards that he had never heard anything like it in all creation. When he reached the parlor door and took a look in, he was still more surprised to find it was . is new ostler, who was driv- ing along at such a break-neck pace over the keys of the instrument. He advanced to the side of the player, who seemed utterly lost in the inspiration of the moment, and unconscious of his presence. At first, he said, there was a mysterious weirdness about the music, that sent a chill through his veins, for he felt there was a great infer- nal demon evidently in sore trouble and distress, and he couldn't seem to get pacified. In a short time the timid wail of a little child struck his ear apparently in a terrible fright, but the next moment he thought he heard a firm voice, probably the father's, trying to soothe and pacify the child. Suddenly the music became deliciously soft and page: 30-31[View Page 30-31] 30 THE DOMNIE'S SON. bewitching, and he imagined he detected the infernal demon using his magic power to entice the child away, but it didn't seem to prove successful, for he distinctly caught the wail of the child again, and in an instant after- wards plainly heard the father's voice trying to reassure the child. The dramatic intensity continually kept on the increase, and at length the performance grew quite tumul- tuous, and the tempo had evidently arrived at its utmost limit, and was going, il pit presto possible, when at last, after a grand outhurst of superb harmony the assured voice of the child was heard, this time evidently tired out by his exertions, but with a feeling, that he was then be- yond all harm. After the musician had struck two deliber- ate closing chords, his consciousness to his surroundings instantly returned. He had just animated with life the most dramatic composition that was ever heard from the piano. The world-renowned Erlkonig, by Schubert, dramatised for the piano forte by Liszt. The landlord was beside himself with amazement, and as soon as the last chord had ceased to vibrate, he seized the performer with both hands, and as he did so, said, "If I had to try and harness up that 'ere critter as you've done, I kind o' calk'late I shouldn't know which end to begin on any more than you did the old mare." It was soon evident that the village had received a real first class sensation, for every man, woman, and child in the neighborhood, seemed to have inhaled the wonderment at the same instant. That great autocrat, the leader of the choir, finally announced an opinion which no one took THE DOMNIE'S SON. 31 the trouble to controvert, by observing with a twinkle of the eye, and an emphatic nod of the head, "that that little Dutch fellow down to Smiley's, could thrash more music out of a Pie Anna in five minutes than could be blown out of a flute, or scraped out of a fiddle in a hull lifetime." The result was, tht in a few days the musician found himself pressed on all sides with applications for lessons in his art. He was desirous of acceding to their wishes, but unfortunately was in the sorry predicament of being unable to make a suitable appearance, in consequence of lacking a suitable outfit. The landlord's son, however, soon came to the rescue, by loaning him his best go-to- meeting clothes. He was accordingly shortly seen, per- ambulating the village encased in a coat which appeared a mile too long for him, the skirt nearly touching his heels. Arabella Keesley belonged to his first class of pupils, and during nearly three years, enjoyed the advantage of his thorough instruction; at the end of which time, the Pro- fessor embraced (not one of the village beauties, although as a secret, they were all dying of love for him,) but the lucrative offer of a celebrated New York piano firm, to travel for the sale of their instruments. He was not the man who needed much travel in order to cut his eye teeth, and he had advanced from one thing to another, until last year his taxes as a citizen of an important city in the Empire State, amounted to thousands of dollars. Since Arabella had changed her name and residence, she had redoubled her efforts to obtain a mastery over her favorite instrument, the piano. Fortunately her husband page: 32-33[View Page 32-33] 32 THE DOMNIE'S SON. was quite a musical amateur, and possessed a sweet tenor voice well cultivated. He had but recently received the benefit of some instruction under the celebrated Signor Faronilli, who at that period, was the fashion in New York, especially among the ladies. He was one of the sunniest and most complimentary of men; no matter when or where you chanced to meet with him he invariably over- flowed with inimitable drollery. George Pickering was one of his very particular friends, and Faronilli often made him a confidant of his little troubles. One morning late in the fall of the year, as George was on his way down town, he suddenly came upon Faronilli as he was just turning the corner of a street, apparently out of humor and highly excited. As soon as he was able to collect himself a little, he said, "What you tink. A charming ledy, so kine, so ver polite, invite me come to leetle party in her gran house. I could no refuse, she so ver fine ledy. When I go, she so charmin, she came and she shake my han, and she say, 'Signor, I so vera pleas see you.' In leetle while she say, 'Signor, you play piano?' I play on de Piano. Soon she say, 'Signor, you sing?" I sing T1 Barbiere. She so vera fine ledy, she bring me glass of wine, and she say, 'You play guitar?' I play the guitar. Then leetle man come wit music, and he want to sing, and he say, 'Professor, I sing basso profundo. You play accompaniment octave lower.' I try him on piano, and say, 'all right.' I transpose him four note below. When he get through, he say with sharp looking eye, 'Professor where did I give the double THE DOMNIE'S SON. 33 B?' He declare he never take him so nice before. I look at de music and say, ' verra fine beese.' Little man have verra mooch applause. Feel nice like great big man. Tink he hab such deep, so rich voice, but he make no music, he only make noise, like de leetle bullfrog. Verra amusing. In leetle while, very large gran ledy come to piano and she say, 'Signor you play accompaniment.' I play accompaniment, she sing oh so sweet, so ravish- ment beese of Mozart. She seize him savage and she tare him all into leetle beeses, and the company have mooch applause, and den de charming ledy come and she look so nice, and she say, 'Signor, you play on accordion. I nevar so passion. I nevare so insult. I seize de door, and I run so fast I can." After George had roared again and again at Faronilli's droll account of the party, he endeavored to stroke him down on the smooth side of the fur, in order to restore his good humor. So he said to him, "Faronilli, I hear that you are in the habit of going through Washington market at half past four every morning, and forestalling every- body by snapping up the choicest tidbits, whilst we poor devils are firmly bound down in the bonds of Somnus. That accounts somewhat, I suppose, for your looking so fresh and juicy." George had touched the right chord, for the signor's good humor was instantly restored, as he replied laugh- 'ingly, "Good biff, good sing. Poor biff, no sing." That very evening George Pickering and his wife went to see Mademoiselle Florentina in her grand role of Norma, 3 page: 34-35[View Page 34-35] 34 THE DOMNIE'S SON. at the opera house in Astor Place. They found the house closed, and a notice posted, stating that, in consequence of Florentina's sudden illness, the performance was unavoid- ably postponed. On the following evening as they were lounging after dinner over the dessert, George observed, "It's a wonder to me the public submit to be imposed upon as they do in all manner of ways, without, the slightest protest. Here, for instance, is a nice case in point. A showy, spruce, dapper-looking fellow of the name of McGuire, calls one day, upon the strength of a casual introduction, upon Faronilli, and unblushingly confesses to him that he does not know one note of music from another, but, not- withstanding, he has a notion of becoming a musical critic 'I for one of the morning papers. His object he said, in calling, was to ascertain the opinion of Faronilli as to the best dictionary of musical terms for his purpose as a mu- i - sical critic. Faronilli told him he thought Hamilton's would suit his purpose. McGuire accordingly soon pro- cured his stock in trade, and set up as a musical critic, and what is the result? Why, he forthwith proceeds to levy black mail upon everybody connected in any way with the opera he can possibly squeeze any thing from. He -? 'forces Florentina to give nice little supper parties in his honor, besides receiving from her his agreed-upon allow- ance. Out of Burilli, the tenor, in addition to his fees, he gets cigars and wine, whenever the poor artist happens to be so unfortunate as to fall in with him; and sometimes when McGuire has a friend or two along, in order to show THE DOMNIE'S SON. 35 his consequence, he forces Burilli to sing four or five songs, according to his humor. If the tenor shows the slightest disinclination, he instantly darts a look at him that makes him quail under his eye. In a similar manner he mulcts every member of the establishment he can possibly get any thing out of. If from any cause, they chance at any time to be behind hand with their tribute, McGuire becomes furious, and swears he can damn the whole batch of beggarly Italians by merely one stroke of his pen. If, on the other hand, his greed be appeased, he is unbounded in his praise. However, as Dame Fortune would have it, he completely overshot the mark last night, and suddenly killed his business in the critical line, as far as this city, at least, is concerned. At the last moment, Florentina sent a physician's certificate to the manager, notifying him of her sudden sickness, and the house was conse- quently immediately closed. Well, the joke of the thing is, the innocent Mcuire came out in this morning's Puffer, with a flaming notich of last night's performance at Astor Place. "Only listen to this: ' The unsurpassable Norma with its inimitable cast at Astor Place last night, left nothing to be desired, Florentina was heard to the greatest advantage, and at this day, unquestionably stands without a rival in her magnificent r61e of the renowned maestro's chef d'cuvre. Her cadenzas, which she freely introduced, were extraordinary exhibitions of pyrotechnic brilliancy, and the house proved not insensible to their magic influ- ence. The climax was reached towards the close of the page: 36-37[View Page 36-37] 36 THE DOMNIE'S SON. third act, when Florentina not only surpassed everybody else, but even completely distanced herself, and strung the house up to the highest pitch of tension, by sustaining the final note but one, for a seemingly interminable period of time. As is well known, that is the chief test which an artist has to sustain at the present day, in order to obtain the consideration and favor of artistic New York. Upon the present occasion the audience stood eyeing the matchless child of song with the most breathless atten- tion and suspense, for full ten apparently never ending minutes, when finally she kindly relieved them of their embarrassment, and slowly dropped down to the tones below the staff, which she seized with an aplomb that was quite refreshing to the house, amid thunders of applause. The great prima donna was admirably sustained by the prominent artists of the company, who seemed to vie with each other in their efforts to share with the illustrious artiste in the plaudits of the brilliant assemblage. It is enough to say, the handsome Burilli has entirely recov- ered from his recent cold, and was again in charming voice. The orchestra did fairly, but was at times thin, and showed evident lack of timbre.' "Well," says George," now I will let you into a nice little secret. This immaculate critic, McGuire, is well known to be perfectly infatuated with one of the nymphs of the ballet, named Estella Peroski, and in order to appease from time to time, her insatiable demands upon him, he has been figuratively forced to wring every body dry, that he could possibly, by hook or by crook, get any kind of a hold upon." THE DOMNIE'S SON. 87 A few mornings after, George came across Faronilli, and as usual, he was overflowing with. quaint humor, and was especially highly tickled about McGuire. He said, "Very smart fellow that McGuire, he so great critic, he write gran' notice of opera, and no take trouble to look at him." Mrs. Pickering had now for more than a year been under the careful instruction of an accomplished pianist, named Hayward, an Englishman by birth, but a cosmopol- itan in feeling, and she had highly improved, both in her executive ability, and in true musical taste. Mr. Hay- ward was eminently judicious in all he said or did. With his advanced pupils he was in the habit, from time to time, of airing his views of art and its exponents. On one occa- sion, Mrs. Pickering, who was one of his favorite pupils, said to him, "Mr. Hayward, there is one thing I cannot possibly comprehend. You, not being a countryman of either party, can, I think, give me an unprejudiced opin- ion on the subject. Why, I should like to know, do the Germans arrogate to themselves all the good music, and allow only to that the term classical while they sneer at the music of every other people?" Mr. Hayward quietly arose from his' seat, and deliber- ately made his way to the right hand side of the piano, which he used as a desk, his calm, pleasant face meanwhile beaming with happy serenity, and he thus expressed him- self: "The Musical Notation which is used the world over, and nearly every musical instrument, originated with the Italians. Lyell, the geologist, affirms that every science had page: 38-39[View Page 38-39] 88 ' THE DOMNIE'S SON. its origin in Italy. The Italian Opera, which first became established in Rome in the year 1632, is the most refined and delightful entertainment the world has ever known. It charms the uncultivated as well as the cultivated ear. We go to the theatre to see a tragedy, and the finer the acting the more it wears upon our feelings, until we finally quit the house, worn out and exhausted. On the other hand, if we assist at an opera, no matter if we have X seen it at least a hundred times before, we are sure to leave the charming scene refreshed, and in a placid state both physically and mentally. No two casts ever present an opera exactly the same. The chief singers will vary, for instance, in quality of voice, and often more in their mode of interpretation and adaptation of the chief melodies of the opera, to the special requirements of their peculiar vocal organization. The same emotions which are captivated by the fire and genius of eloquence in oratory, are alike charmed unto ecstatic raptures of delight, by the overpowering divinity of vocal melody as portrayed by its great exponents. Of course, if the musical faculty be lacking in the subject, the magic wand will be raised in vain, as through this faculty alone can the emotions be acted upon. What a protracted strain a composer has to sustain, in order to produce a work that will occupy three mortal hours in -its performance, and which not even for an instant falls away, but constantly keeps on increasing in strength and intensity from its commencement to its final close. The genius which can accomplish the effort, is so extremly rare, that not more than one, or at the utmost * Ja THE DOMNIE'S SON. 39 two acknowledged successful maestros, appear in the course of a generation. The Italian school is pre-eminent for melody, probably for the reason that its language melts into music as naturally as a swan glides over the water. In recent times, the greatest masters of the piano, among whom may be mentioned, Thalberg, Liszt, Prudent and Willmers, have each, invariably produced their finest effects, by elaborating Italian opera melodies, which unquestionably possess the germ, and consequently form the most suitable vehicle for intense dramatic bravura exhibitions. Previous to the date of the establlishment of the Italian Opera in Rome, the early operatic spirit seems to have slumbered for a long interval. The principal Italian writers confining themselves to the production of oratorios, masses, madri- gals and motetts. We will now take a look at the German side. Like other nations the Germans owe their music to the Italians, and though they may not have equalled their masters in vocal melody, they have greatly surpassed them in instru- mental music. Their guttural language, to a foreign ear seems utterly unsuitable as a medium for vocalization. To that cause is chiefly to be ascribed the rarity of German opera outside of its own country, and although the Ger- mans have never been excelled or equalled in their ora- torios, we need only name-"The Ascension," and "The -Israelites," by Bach; 'The Death of Jesus," by Graun; "The Messiah," by Handel; and "The Elijah," by Men- delssohn. Still their forte seems to lie more in the pro- page: 40-41[View Page 40-41] 40 THE D OMNIES S ON. duction of ponderous masses of harmonic sound, chiefly instrumental. When Beethoven wrote for the piano in conjunction with the orchestra, he always instinctively and quickly veered into his great sphere, the orchestra, and for the time being, the separately-named instrument lost its usual prominence. In his day, the tone of the piano was very thin and poor, besides being very defective, in com- parison with an orchestra, in two vital points, which it still retains, namely, its untrue intonation and its in- capacity for prolonging the tone. With respect to its defective intonation. The same key on the instrument has to answer, for example, both for G sharp, and for A flat. Yet, to be accurately intoned, the G sharp ought to be an eighth of a tone higher than the sound which the key gives forth, whilst the A flat should be an eighth of a tone lower. An ordinary ear is, however, not aware of the difference. We often realize, that, what was quite interesting to us when heard from an orchestra, proves to be very monoto- nous-and, if the composition be of great length-some- times even quite tedious, when heard from a piano, which is, no doubt, to be charged to the want of variety in the tone of the instrument, in comparison with the almost unlimited production of varied effects by an orchestra. We often confound the difference between a classical piece of music and a piece written in the classical style. Where there is one composition in the classical style that receives the stamp of excellence, there are probably a thousand that merely live their brief hour and pass into oblivion." THE DOMNIE'S SON. 41 Mrs. Pickering observed, that "it had always seemed quite unaccountable to her, how Handel, who could only speak broken English, could have been so marvellously inspired as he unquestionably was, when he set to music, {I know that my Redeemer liveth."' Mr. Hayward replied, "Handel, like Beethoven, was a great giant in his art. When I picture to myself the aged musician, being led -stone blind to the organ, for the pur- pose of inaugurating the annual performance of his sublime 'Messiah,' in behalf of charity (a performance which has since been often repeated for the same great cause)-whilst I venerate his mighty genius-I warmly admire his great heart, which, so long-as it pulsated, never ceased to respond to the highest aspirations of a true Christian." Joshua Arbuckle availed himself of the first opportunity, after he was settled in his new home, to pay his respects to Mr. and Mrs. Pickering, who, as he was glad to find, were his neighbors. Their meeting was a mutual pleasure, and he left them with a pressing invitation to drop in upon them whenever he' had a moment to spare. Joshua was now getting somewhat used to his daily routine. After breakfast, the first thing was to pay a visit to Mr. Kinnard, an Oxford graduate, at eight o'clock precisely, and devote an hour and a half with him to his English studies. At half-past nine, he went down to the warehouse, and there he remained-with the exception of a few moments for lunch-until half-past four, when he accompanied Mr. Denniston home, and at six o'clock they had dinner. At seven o'clock, on two evenings of the week, he went to page: 42-43[View Page 42-43] 42 THE DOOMNIEIS SON. Monsieur Gounod, and made one of his class in French. Mr. Denniston and his estimable wife were quite literary, and extremely sociable, and their pleasant house, of an evening, was the resort of a select coterie of literary and professional frieids, who usually departed by half-past ten o'clock, as the host was inflexible in his adherence to early hours. Joshua always looked forward during the course of the day, to the entertaining evening that usually closed it. He never missed sending his weekly epistle to both his mother and Rosetta Keesley, and never failed to receive their weekly replies. One morning he was very much de- lighted to learn from Rose, that her father had finally acquiesced to her coming to her sister's, in New York, in one year from that date, to avail herself of the educational advantages of the city. That morning after his English studies were over, Joshua, as usual, made his way directly to the warehouse, and happening, for a moment, to take up the morning's paper, his eye chanced to glance at the following item, under the head of city news: "A SAD CASE OF YOUTHFUL DEPRAVITY.--Henry Rogers, a bright looking boy, fifteen years of age, was, yesterday, arrested by Officer Britton, charged with break- ing open a drawer in the house of his grandmother, Mrs. Eleanor Fairchild, at No. 27, V-- street, during her absence, and abstracting therefrom the sum of eighty-four dollars, being money which the old woman had laid by, in order to defray her funeral expenses. But a trifle of the money was found upon the culprit, when arrested. He THE DOMNIE'S SON. 43 acknowledged to the officer, that two boys, who are well known to the police, had assisted him in squandering the rest." As soon as Joshua had glanced over the account, he drew out his pencil and note-book, and, after making a memorandum therein, he turned to Mr. William Dennis- ton, and requested his permission to absent himself for a brief period, which was cheerfully granted. He then seized his hat, and quickly darted into the street. He soon arrived at No. 27, V-- street, and directed his steps to the second floor. Upon rapping at the first door that he came to, a middle-aged, care-worn looking woman presented herself, and, in response to his inquiry, after a moment's hesitation, directed him to a door a little far- ther up the passage way, on the other side, as the room he was in quest of. He accordingly made his way to the door indicated, and gently rapped. Instantly he caught the sound of a footstep moving in the room, and slowly the door moved on its hinges, and he stood facing a very sorrowful, but neat-looking, and rather elderly woman, whose countenance bore evident traces of recent trouble, iand who, he instantly surmised, was somewhat surprised at his presence. In answer to his request to speak to Mrs. Fairchild, the old woman, after respectfully inform- ing him that was her name, desired him to come in. Everything in the room seemed clean and tidy, and bore an air of careful preservation. After passing his eye for an instant over the room, Joshua helped himself to page: 44-45[View Page 44-45] " THE DOMNIE'S SON. the chair which stood nearest the door, in response to a request that he be seated, as the only other vacant chair in the room, after Mrs. Fairchild had sat down, was at the furthermost corner from the door. Holding his low- crowned, soft felt hat in his left hand, and partly resting on his left knee, Joshua thus addressed the old woman: "I felt very much pained a few moments ago, to learn you had met with a sad misfortune, and I thought I would come and see you about it." The old woman, after wiping the tears from her eyes for a moment, and heaving a deep drawn sigh, said, "nobody knows what trouble is but those who have to bear it. Rich people, when misfortune overtakes them, sometimes think it very hard and bitter, no doubt, but they don't know what hard trouble is, such as mine. I know Henry would never have taken the money of his own accord. He's in with those bad boys, and it's all their persuasion that's done it. It was the little all I had for a rainy day. I shouldn't have minded it as much, if anybody but he had taken it. I feel very bad for poor Henry. He, poor fellow, had nobody to show him what was right and help him a little, or to encourage him once in a while. After my daughter was taken, away, and she suffered very hard, poor thing, little Henry had nowhere to go, but to my little bit of a room. I did what I could for him, but that was little enough, and I couldn't see to him all the time, and keep him out of harm's way. It's pretty hard, in a large city, for an old woman such as I be, to have to work for a living, and take charge of a restless boy like him. He's not a bad boy, but he wants THE DOMNIE'S SON. 45 to be occupied, and have somebody to look after him, and speak a kind word to him once in a while." Joshua tried to soothe and comfort the old woman, and he told her that no doubt some one would come and help her, and that right soon; for, said he, "In this large city there are a great many very rich and good persons, and the sum of money which you have lost will only be a little trifle to them, and they will be very glad, I've no doubt, to come and find you out, and make it all right." The old woman eyed him for a moment, and then shook her head and replied: "Rich folks don't care much about hav- ing anything to do with people when they get poor. Even when their own friends and relations go down in the world, they generally want to avoid them, and pretend that they don't know 'em. So how can I expect anybody to bother themselves about coming to hunt up a poor body as badly off as I am, especially now that I'm in trouble." Joshua, although only a child in years, had apparently acquired the infallible key to all humbug, namely, over- acting. In order to lull to sleep all. doubt and suspicion, humbugs invariably go too far. He instinctively realized in this instance that he was in the presence of real trouble, and as he arose from his seat, he advanced and kindly took the shriveled right hand of the poor forlorn creature, in the warm grasp of his own, and at the same time said to her, "Don't take on so about it, and feel so badly. I'm only a boy it is true, but even I can do something to help you, in case I want to, and I'm agoing to do it; but I shall have to see my employer first. That, however, will not take long, and then I'll come back to you again." page: 46-47[View Page 46-47] " THE DOMNIE'S SON. Joshua soon found himself in the street, which as he first glanced hastily up and afterwards down, he confessed to himself some surprise, that all his observation had failed to detect any thing that had the slightest indica- tion of a semblance of a good Samaritan in quest of a fel- low-being in sore distress who stood in need of kindly aid and comfort. 'The more he thought of it, the more unaccountable it seemed to him, that men and women in that very city could find in their hearts to lavish thousands of dollars for the supposed benefit of a heathen race, thousands of miles away, when, at the same time, they could pass over a real case of hardship with a fellow-c hristian, at their very own doors, without evincing the slightest feeling in the matter or putting themselves to the least trouble in order to satisfy themselves of its genuineness, especially, when the merest trifle to them, would afford the necessary relief. As Joshua passed along, he soon became aware that the air was very disagreeable and impure, and he reflected how much better poor folks were off, out in the country, than persons in like circumstances, cooped up in a large city. Of the five essentials to existence, the poor in the country enjoy with the rich, all but one. They have as a general thing, good air and water, together with comfortable clothing, and a dry, warm shelter. The only essential difference being in the quality of their food. When Joshua arrived at the warehouse, he informed Mr. Denniston of the old woman's case, and related his conver- sation with her. That eminently prudent business man, for THE DOMNIE'S SON. 47 a moment, seemed struck with astonishment. He soon recovered himself, however, and said, "I don't see that anything can be done in the matter. It's no doubt, very hard for the poor woman, but even if the money was made up to her, I should like to know what is to prevent the young scamp from robbing her a second time, in a similar manner." Joshua replied, "I confess that chance was a 'poser' to me, but I think I have finally unriddled it. Mrs. Fairchild does not need to have the money on hand, she only requires that it be forthcoming when an inevitable emer- gency calls for it. Froni n y slight experience during the last three months, I have concluded that charity, in small driblets, is no advantage to the beneficiaries in the long run. For my part, I would rather effect ever so little per- manent good than be for everlastingly engaged in propping people up as they keep tumbling down, and, perhaps, in the end, get cursed for not sticking them up fast enough. My mother, at the moment when we parted, authorized me to draw my yearly allowance for charitable purposes, in part, or in full, at any time during the year, providing the special purpose of its appropriation met with your entire sanction. My wish in the present case is, to draw upon my mother for what money I may lack, and deposit the full amount in your hands to the credit of the old lady, but with a. special reservation that it is only to be applied to the original object of its requirement." Mr. Denniston requested Joshua to furnish him with the address, on a slip of paper, of the old woman; he page: 48-49[View Page 48-49] 48 THE DOMZIES SON. then called to the book-keeper and said, Ad Mr. Stafford, I desire you to go into the neighborhood of this address and make what inquiries you can as to the character and ante- cedents of the person indicated, and report them to me." Mr. Stafford quietly laid aside his pen, and instantly reached down his hat, which he deliberately proceeded to brush with his coat sleeve, after so doing, he adjusted it to the particular object it was intended to partially cover, and proceeded out into the street. After a short absence, he returned with the result of his inquiries. He learned that Mrs. Fairchild's deceased husband was ten years previously generally reputed to be in comfortable circumstances, but, the panic of 1837 completely overwhelmed him in difficul- ties, and annihilated his property, and he died soon after, of a broken heart. The couple had an only son and daughter. The son became second officer of an East India ship, and one day, a man and woman happening to fall overboard from a vessel from which they were taking off the passengers and crew, whilst a heavy sea was run- ning, Mr. Fairchild sprang overboard before the captain could stop him, to attempt the rescue of the woman, but at the instant he reached her and was buoying her up, the man unfortunately seized him by the back of his coat col- lar, and all his efforts to throw him off, proved in vain, and the three sank together. The daughter and her hus- band both died before attaining the meridian of life, leav- ing behind them an only child, a boy, who had since been a source of much anxiety and trouble to his old and afflict- ed grand parent, and had now brought this new misfortune THE DOMNIE'S SON. 49 upon himself and her. He also heard that the owner of the tenement, a Mr. Wiley, in consequence of his business ac- quaintance with her husband during his brief period of prosperity, had kindly tendered her the room she now oc- cupied, rent free for life, or as long as it answered her pur- pose. Mr. Denniston was visibly moved as the book-keeper re- lated the circumstances which his inquiries had once more called, and as Mr. Stafford ended, Joshua, who had been standing near the office door during the recital, an ab- sorbed and apparently spell-bound listener, suddenly re- covered his activity and asked Mr. Denniston to permit him to step down to the jail for a moment and have a talk with the boy. -Mr Denniston nodded his head in acquies- cence, and Joshua departed. He readily obtained admit- tance to the boy, whom he found quite downcast and in a state of much agitation and penitence. In answer to the interrogatory, How he could find in his heart to be so cruel to his poor grandmother who had always done all she could for him? He said,- Granny was sometimes very mad with him, and found a good deal of fault, but he didn't want to take her money from her, and never would have touched it, if it hadn't been for Fox and a big boy they call Rabbit, but his name is Joe Simmons. They persuaded him to get it, and said he must, that good money ought not to be lying idle ; it was a very great sin when there were so many like them who stood in such need of it, and knew how to dis- pose of it to advantage. Rabbit told him to go and get it 4 page: 50-51[View Page 50-51] 50 THE DOM2INIE'S SON. and look sharp, and they'd soon make a gentl'man of him and show him how to enjoy himself. He said ' he felt very sorry for old granny," but Joshua quickly told him "his being sorry would not put the money back again into his grandmother's drawer." "Well," said the boy, " nobody ever wanted to be friends with Hank but Fox and Rabbit. Everybody else when they said anything would get mad and shout out, 'Hurry out of the way, boy, or you'll get run over.' Nobody ever done anything, or cared anything, for Hank, only old granny, and nobody wants a boy that ain't dressed well and don't look smart. I should like to be doing something, but I know there's nobody wants to have me around." "Well," said Joshua, "if you are willing to work, and to try to earn a living, and become a good honest boy, I think somebody ought to take an interest in you, and try and help you along a little, then, after a while, you could take care of yourself." "What do you know about those two boys who you call Fox and Rabbit. How do they get a living?" "Oh!" said Hank, "them fellows gets lots of money. Rabbit says they've got nest eggs put wherp nobody knows where to find them." "Are those boys any older than you are? ' "Why, not a great sight. Fox says he's sixteen, arnd Rabbit don't know how old he is, but he thinks he'll be seventeen next March; but you never seen such a fellow as Rabbit is. He's smarter than anything. Only think- when the Mayor gets hisself into a fix, and don't know THE DOMNIE'S SON. 51 what to do fust, Rabbit says, 'he always has to send for him to stiffen his back up a little, and set him up on his pins again.' He knows everything, just like a book, does Rabbit. Why, -he says, 'the Aldermen are chasing him all the time, wanting to find out fust about this thing, and then about the tother thing; but Rabbit's getting his back up, and he says, 'he shan't let off any more sparks from his noddle, unless them fellows fork over some shiners once in a while.' He says, 'he can't be all the time a-stuffing their bald pates for nothing;' and then,' says he, 'only think of them fellows a swelling around and looking big on his brains, until they gets a touch of the cramps again, and then they comes whining around for him to turn the screw and ease 'em up a little;' but, he says, ' he shan't stuff 'em with anything but cold victuals the next time they comes along, as he can't afford to let 'em play that dodge on him all the time for nothing.' Why, do you know, he says, ' the President has to send for him to take a hold a little and give him a hand, once in a while, when he has a hard nut to crack. "' "Don't Rabbit work at anything to earn a living?" "I never know'd him work at anything; he says, 'only them fellows work that ain't got brains enough to show other fellows how to do it."' "Does Fox do anything for, a living?" ' Ohb, Fox, he's a ratcatcher, and he's an old hand at it, I tell you. When he gets hard up, he says he goes, some night, and -lets off a lot of rats out of his bag, around the back of a hotel that he knows is all right, and, in a day or page: 52-53[View Page 52-53] 522 THE DOMNIE'S SON. two, he takes his bag and goes to the side door of the hotel, and, says he to the porter, 'I say, old fellow, do you know anybody around here that wants a job done in my line.' I went with him once myself, and the'landlord, as soon as he caught a sight of his bag, halloed to him, and, says he, 'you're just the very fellow we're looking 'arter; but I want you to clean out the hull lot of pesky sarpents, and don't leave behind so much as the smallest end of one of their d----n tails.'" "How much does he generally make by the job?" "Why, when it's a big job, he always has an X for doing of it." "Well, how does he manage, I should like to know, to get hold of the rats?" "Oh, there's no trouble about that. Fox goes the fust night, and he takes some stuff along that he knows the rats are very fond of, and he sits down by a hole, and as soon as the rats gets a smell of the stuff, they comes right out and lets him take a-hold of 'em with his hands and don't bite him. After he's played with them a-while, he lets 'em run off again, so they can go and let their friends and relations know where they'll be likely to find his drug shop when it gets dark: and the next night, as he means business, he takes the bag along with him, and some more stuff, and it ain't anything for him to catch forty or fifty, and sometimes sixty rats before morning." Joshua, by this time, had obtained what information he Wanted in reference to the boy and his two associates, and he left him and returned to Mr. Denniston, to whom he gave the result of his interview. THE DOMNIE'S SON. 53 Mr. Denniston was much amused as Joshua related the boy's account of his two intimate friends, Fox and Rabbit. and when the narrative was ended, he turned his chair half round and occupied himself in looking through the window out into the back-yard, for at least five full minutes, apparently absorbed in a brown study. In a little while, however, he began to exhibit signs of anima- tion, by suddenly raising his head and moving his chair about a quarter round to its old place, and it was pretty evident that he had digested the subject of his cogitations. In a moment he arose from his chair, and taking hold of Joshua's left arm, led him out into the warehouse. As they walked along, he said, "I've been conning the matter over respecting the old woman and the boy, and I see no objection to your doing as you wished in reference to the money, and, of course, I cheerfully give my assent. My thoughts have, however, been running more on the boy. It's a sad thing to see a mere child standing upon the brink of moral perdition, and not to find, in this great city, so much as one human being ready to step out of his way in order to drag him from the very edge; and, on the other hand, to see his two pretended friends, Fox and Rabbit, so ready to help him in sliding down the precipice into the abyss below. Every human being, I think, is entitled to a fair opportunity of getting his faculties properly disciplined ill order to enable him to earn a live- lihood. How many thousands of both sexes annually find themselves enveloped in the moral sink of destruction before they have acquired even the slightest glimmer of page: 54-55[View Page 54-55] 54 THE DOM INIE'S SON. what life really is; who, in fact, have never experienced but one phase of it, and that in its most vicious form. Shakespeare says, 'there is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.' I'm very much afraid, however, that poor Henry'stide will never flow, unless somebody animates the attraction. Of course there is nothing done in this world without an effort. It is a hard thing, however, to look with indifference and see a fellow being run to waste, without even so much as ex- tending a helping hand and trying to uphold him until he can acquire sufficient strength to be enabled to walk in the path of virtue unaided. I don't see, for my part, how a conscientious man can feel that he has done his duty if he neglects seizing such an opportunity whenever it presents itself. The best man in this world, I take to be, the one who, possessed of the greatest humanity, without a particle of sickly maudlin sentimentality, tries to act in the most judicious manner possible, with things as they exist in their stern reality. I feel disposed to see that the boy has a fair chance, but, unless his grandmother prosecutes him he will never be good for anything. If a boy, such as he, who exhibited such an utter want of right feeling, should be let off without receiving some sort of punishment for his misdeed, it would be the worst thing that could possibly happen to him. You might see his grandmother and say, from me, if she will do what she can to have the boy punished, and stand firm, and show no whining, it will be for the boy's lasting good in the end; and re- mind her, also, that the punishment will be only for a THE DOMNIE'S SON. 55 short term, probably three months in the' House of Cor- rection, and that the disgrace is not in the punishment but in the crime. Tell her, moreover, the House of Correction is nbthing like the State Prison, and that it is the only thing which I know of, at all likely to recall the boy to a proper sense of right feeling and thinking. If the old woman will summon up her courage, and do as I advise in the matter, I will promise to take the boy as soon as he is released, and give him a chance; and if he proves at all worthy of it, he shall never lack, whilst I live and he needs it, the fostering care of a true and sincere friend. But, bear in mind the condition, I do nothing unless the boy is punished." Joshua hurried off to seek the old woman and notify her of the fortunate turn in the state of her affairs since he saw her in the morning. Then he told her he should make good to her the money which the boy had taken, in a day or two, or as soon as he should hear from his mother, and that he would deposit it with Mr. Denniston to be used for the object she had designed it, as it would be safer and could not so easily be stolen. He furthermore told her he would bring her a certificate of its deposit as soon as he possibly could. The old woman appeared much surprised and gratified, and thanked him exceedingly for his kind-hearted good- ness in her behalf. Joshua then told her what Mr. Denniston had said in reference to the boy, and what he would willingly do to aid him, if agreeable to her, after he had been sufficiently corrected for what he had done amiss. page: 56-57[View Page 56-57] 56 THE DOMNIE'S SON. The old woman, as he suspected, was averse to being, what she called hard, on the boy. She began making all kinds of excuses for him. She said "' it was a good deal her own fault, as she couldn't look after the boy and put him in a right way, and he was not aware of the full extent of what he was doing, although she confessed he was old enough to have knoown better." Then Joshua told her what a man Mr. Denniston was, and what a fine thing it would be for the boy to fall into such a map's hands, for hle assured the old woman there were not many boys who ever had such a friend as Mr. Denniston would be to him, if lie only turned out well and happened to have any impulses of good in him which could possibly be called forth." The old woman, after a while, reluctantly consented to follow his advice. . . CHAPTER VI. HEN the day for the trial arrived, and young Henry found himself in 1court, he evinced some surprise when he saw old Granny on hand, her head bent down, and her counte- S Inance looking very set and decided, but sorrowful. His trial was soon ^^ ^ JI/ ' over, and he was found guilty. Before the judge had passed sen- tence upon him, Mr. Denniston, who was in court, spoke a few words to him, apparently in reference to the prisoner, and the judge then arose, and said, "he would make the sentence but three months, instead of six, to the House of Reformation, in consequence of this kind gentleman, turning to Mr. Denniston as he spoke, having expressed a desire to look to the boy and see if he could do anything to redeem him, after he has been suitably punished for his misdeed." page: 58-59[View Page 58-59] 58 THE DOMNIE'S SON. About a month after Henry had been in the House of Correction, his two quondam friends, Fox and Rabbit, were arrested for a hard case of highway robbery. It appeared that a very delicate and sickly looking mal, who kept a small broker's exchange office in the Bowery, and was too poor to buy a good safe to keep his valuables in, was in the habit, when his day's business was over, towards dusk of evening, of gathering up his little all into a bag, and taking it home with him for safe keeping during the night. One evening, it seems, one of these scoundrels made some excuse to enter his office, for the purpose of seeing where he put his valuables, as he was engaged in gathering up his small stock and putting it into the bag, and, no doubt, afterwards watched him leave the office, with his bag, and depart for home. However, nothing happened until the broker had nearly gained his own door-sill, when Fox sprang upon him from behind and knocked him down. He snatched the bag, which he threw into a wagon that Rabbit had in waiting, into which he instantly sprang, and they both made off as fast as they could with their plunder. The poor broker regained his feet and in part his consciousness in time to see the rascals making off with all he had in the world-the hard-earned savings of years of toil and suffering. As fortune would have it, however, the villains got balked of their prize. As they turned the corner of the first street, they ran into the very jaws of destruction, for the roadway proved to be blocked up by a rail-car and two heavy drays. Two policemen, who happened to be THE DOMNIE'S SON. 59 near by, quickly observed the soared look of the miscreants, and concluded that something was wrong. They had just seized the wagon and its occupants when two other police- men and the poor broker, all nearly out of breath, came up round the corner. The broker was happy indeed to re- cover the bag which he had about given over for lost; and the officers, after taking down his address, marched the culprits, together with the horse and wagon, off to the station-house. Fox and Rabbit were afterwards tried and found guilty of the robbery. Fox being sentenced to the State Prison for the term of ten and Rabbit for seven years. At the end of Henry Rogers' term, Mr. Denniston was punctually on hand, and the first thing he did was to get the boy a good outfit of warm, substantial clothing, after which he took him down to the warehouse and placed him in the packing and cooperage department, under Mr. Greenough, the foreman. In order to break up his old associations, Mr. Denniston fitted him up a room in his own house, and he had his meals by himself in the kitchen. At six o'clock in the morning Henry had his breakfast so as to be able to reach the store by seven. A good lunch was always put up for him, which he took down to the store, and by half-past six in the evening he was at the house again ready for his dinner. At half-past seven he attended a night school for a c6uple of hours, and before ten o'clock he was usually home and in bed. Mr. Dennis- ton generally went with him to the school, about once in three weeks, to see how he was getting along, and also to. page: 60-61[View Page 60-61] 60 THE )DOINIIE'S SO0. Y let the teacher know there was some one who felt an interest in his advancement in his studies. "It's these night owls," Mr. Denniston used to say, "who play the mischief with folks, especially with the young. It's no manner of use occupying a boy in the day time, unless he is looked after, and you know what he is about in the evening." Mr. Denniston, in addition to Henry's board, clothing, and schooling, gave him two dollars a week, which sum was increased by a dollar weekly every year until Henry became of age. He also made his grandmother an annual Christmas present of fifty dollars, whilst Henry staid with him, which Joshua always carried to the old womnan, When Henry had reached his twenty-first birthday, he came into the office one morning and desired to speak to Mr. Denniston in reference to himself. He told him "that as he had saved a little money, he thought he should like to buy a horse and cart, and set up as a cartman, but he would wish to do," he said, "only what Mr. Denniston advised for the best.' Mr. Denniston highly approved of the step, and thought he would do well in that line, and as one of his carters was seriously sick and not expected to recover, he promised to give him a share of his cartage, and also to serve him in any way practicable. Henry very soon was doing a thriving business, and he and Nanny Phelps, the chambermaid at Mr. Denniston's, shortly became man and wife, and went to housekeeping; and the very first thing they did, after they had put their THE DOMNIE'S SON. 61 little snug home all in order, was to go and pay a visit to old granny, and invite her to come and make her home in future with them. They both assured her they would try and do all in their power to make her as happy as they could, and they should never take any pleasure in their new home unless she would come and make one among them.- The old woman was very reluctant, but finding that Henry and his wife would take no nay, she at length consented. Henry was industrious and thrived in his business, and soon began to get something ahead. After a few years, he relinquished the carting business, and formed a copartnership with a man named McComb, and they obtained several contracts from the city for making sewers and paving streets. Finally, he purchased an interest in the wholesale provision firm of Russell, Myers & Co. In a year or two the firm was changed to Russell, Myers and Rogers. Afterwards, to Myers, Rogers & Co., and finally it became Henry Rogers & Co., at which it stood for quite a' number of years, the first firm in its line of business in the city of New York. Mr. Rogers was superintendent of the Sunday school connected with his. church for several years. Afterwards, a commissioner of the Board of Public Charities of the city, both of which positions he filled with eminent credit. He never forgot the great lesson of his life, but was always doing good in a modest way, and his left hand "never knew what his right hand did." The old lady long, long ago, passed to the bourne from whence no traveler returns. Joshua Arbuckle had never failed, when in New York, page: 62-63[View Page 62-63] 62 - THE DOMNIE'S SON, to make his annual call upon the old lady to wish her a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. And on these occasions he always made the old lady a present in the shape of a new dress, and the old lady always returned the compliment by admiring Joshua's taste in the matter. When her time was ended, the grandson was notified of his grandmother's money in Mr. Denniston's hands, but, it is unnecessary to say he utterly refused to touch a penny of it, and he handed the certifi- cate back to Joshua, with a request that he should make a fresh application of the money. One evening, about a month after Henry had been in the service of the Dennistons, an old friend of theirs, Mr. William Crawford, who had retired from business some eight or nine years previously, and who seemed determined to remain a bachelor, called for .the purpose of paying his respects, and of apprizing them of his return from his foreign tour. In the course of conversation, he told Mr. Denniston, "he had heard of the great stroke of business that he and his protege had recently effected in the old woman line, and he begged to be allowed to congratulate them." "He considered it," he said, "to be the most judicious job of the kind which had ever come under his observation in the whole course of his life. Why," says he, "I tried to do a little in that direction myself, just after I gave over business, but, I assure you, I soon got enough of it. The fact is, I suppose, a fellow needs to be cut out for that line of business the same as for everything else. It's easy enough to make money, you know, but it THE DOMNIE'S SON. 63 don't seem that everybody was exactly cut out for using it in charities. I will give you my little experience in the matter. Before I went abroad, I wished to acquire a little knowledge of French and Italian. I could speak German and Spanish sufficiently to make myself understood. I accordingly made enquiries among my foreign friends, and I shortly heard of a family, who were- said to have met with great misfortunes, and were considered to be particularly deserving of commiseration. The family was named Dow- inski, and consisted of the old father, a short, round, podgy fellow, having much the greasy look, and hooked nose, of an old Chatham street Jew; and his two daughters,- the elder, Madame Penard, who had been once married, but whose husband-had, for some cause, deserted her; and Mademoiselle Dowinski, and one son, a mere boy. The ladies were considered to be very accomplished, speaking fluently four or five languages. They were also excellent musicians, and charming vocalists. Upon being intro- duced to them, I found that, although they were not beautiful, they were both fascinating in their manner, and ever ready to make the most of their opportunities and attractions. I soon became a pupil in French and Italian, under Madame Penard, and also took singing lessons from Mademoiselle Dowinski. I dropped in upon them of an evening, once in a while, as I found it was a very pleasant place to go to occasionally, the ladies always paying their guests much attention. At such times I usually finished up the evening by sending out and- ordering a nice little supper from a neighboring page: 64-65[View Page 64-65] " THE DOMNIE'S S80. restaurant. By degrees, they let me into their history, and worked a good deal upon my sensibilities, until I at length found myself making great exertions, and feeling a strong interest in advancing their prospects in every con- ceiveable way. For instance, I considered their then loca- tion was not the most desirable for their profession, and I mentioned the subject to them, and suggested a more fashionable neighborhood, but they pleaded poverty upon that as upon all other occasions, and said a change was impossible. I accordingly offered to become security for the year's rent, if they could only find a house in a locality that they thought would be precisely suitable. I assure you they were not long in making the exchange, and it was a good deal more of a cost than I had any idea of bargaining for. New carpets and lace curtains had to be obtained, and considerable new furniture and miscellaneous things. When, at last, they began to feel somewhat settled in their new quarters, I bestirred myself to hunt up scholars, and I succeeded in getting them many. I found out afterwards that the adventurers plied them in the same manner as they previously had me, with in- numerable tales of their former grandeur, and recent over- whelming misfortunes. All kind of expedients were re- sorted to for the purpose of obtaining funds. I remember Madame Penard had a very handsome lace shawl that she proposed raising money upon, by disposing of it by lottery among her friends and acquaintances. I accordingly in- terested myself, and finally succeeded in effecting the sale of a number of tickets to lady friends, whom I mnost highly THE DOMNIE'S SON. 65 esteemed. When the time for the drawing arrived, how- ever, the shawl was unaccountably missing, and has never since been seen but once, and that, I afterwards under- stood was. at their house. I was, as you may be sure, exceedingly mortified. At their receptions, they were in the habit especially, of dealing out flattery with a lavish hand. Mademoiselle used to say to the guests, 'Mr. Cowfud,'-she could not say Crawford--'has so rich voice,' then, turning to me, she would add, with one of her peculiarly bewitching smiles, 'Mr. Cowfud, you hab te--ars in you voice.' "I afterwards found that old Dowinski himself was a good deal keener than, at the time, I had any idea of. Wherever he went, he always carried along an empty purse, besides his portmonnaie, so that if he happened to drop upon an acquaintance, when' the time came for defraying any expense, either in the restaurant or cars, he invariably drew out the empty purse which he held up in both of his hands, and at the same time began making all kinds of grimaces with his face, accompanied by shrugs of his shoulders. Of course, there was no help but to relieve the old humbug of his embarrassment. "Shortly before the expiration of the year in their new quarters, they suddenly decamped, bag and baggage, and left me to foot the rent and the damage to the house, which they left in a filthy condition. Do you know, even after I had cleared off every score for which I was in any way at all liable, I soon became aware that I had got my- self into very bad odor. Why, even the landlord of the 5 page: 66-67[View Page 66-67] " THE DOMNIE'S SON. house, after he had received his money, seemed to eye me with a look of suspicion, and appeared to keep himself at arm's length as if he was afraid of soiling himself by com- ing in contact with me. So you see I was not only shorn to the very skin, but I found myself most damnably slan- dered into the bargain i; for I soon discovered that all kinds of reports, exceedingly detrimental to my character and standing as a gentleman and man of honor, were fly- ing around as thick as snow flakes. To escape the squall I went abroad." As Christmas drew nigh, Joshua Arbuckle began to entertain bright visions of pleasure and happiness in again beholding that best of God's gifts, his noble and admirable mother. At parting she had promised to come and see him during the holidays, and ascertain how he liked his change in life; and on the day before Christ- mas he had just reached the warehouse, when in she came, accompanied by Uncle Halsey, looking very much as he had left her, with the exception that he noticed she had a somewhat more resigned expression of countenance. After the first warm greetings were over, Mr. Denniston assented to Mrs. Arbuckle's request, and permitted Joshua to stay with his mother at the Astor House during her brief visit of a couple of days. The mother and son were consequently soon on their way to inspect the notable objects in the city, whilst the uncle was otherwise engaged in the pursuit of his business. Early in the afternoon Mrs. William Denniston, accom- panied by her husband, called upon Mrs. Arbuckle, and THE DOMNIE'S SON. 67 urgently pressed her to make her house her home during her stay, but Mrs. Arbuckle, after expressing her warmest thanks, assured Mrs. Denniston that her brother's business was such he was obliged to remain in the lower part of the city in order to accomplish it in the time prescribed, and she preferred not to leave him alone. As Joshua was walking along with his mother, he ex- pressed to her his surprise that so many rich persons seemed so careless and callous to the wants and sufferings of their less fortunate fellow beings. i His mother said, "Your father, who spent many years of his early life in Mohammedan countries, has often re- marked that the Mohammedans, in that respect, seemed to have the advantage of us. You probably," she continued, "are not aware how common it is in our country to find men who have succeeded in accumulating wealth, and who live in handsome style, yet know nothing whatever of the past, and go so far, even, as to tell you that they owe the world nothing. For instance, while they may have a faint impression that Cicero and Demosthenes were in some way connected with oratory, you would be surprised to discover they were quite uncertain as to whether Cicero and Demosthenes were both Romans, or both Grecians, or whether Cicero was a Grecian and Demosthenes a Roman. I once heard a wealthy man make the remark before a number of well-informed people, with the air of a classical scholar, that in reference to the subject under discussion, it was like Nero sitting down and crying because there were no more worlds to conquer. ,How can we give judg- page: 68-69[View Page 68-69] 68 THE DOMNIE'S SON. ment upon anything except through the experience of the past? Circumstances change, but the laws that govern events are immutable. It should be a cause of congratula- tion to us in remembering the fearful injustice and horrible inhumanity that have characterized so much of the history of past ages, that it is our good fortune to live in an age when so much more consideration is given to the rights and feelings of all men. The reflection should enable us to endure patiently the trifling annoyances which come to us in our combat with the world. I suppose you have hardly been with the Dennistons long enough to arrive at any definite idea as to the occupation in life which would be most in accordance with your feelings and desires." "Yes," said Joshua, "I think that may be said to have been settled from the day on which I first came here. I find a mercantile life has more charms for me every day. On the other hand, I have often thought of the professions of law and medicine. A doctor has usually to wait until he is getting old before he can attain to any considerable practice; and he is often called upon to witness most har- rowing scenes of suffering and distress without finding his science and art able to furnish any relief. Mr. Kennard has advised me to request your permission to read law for. a year or eighteen months, after I have finished my Eng- lish studies; as he says it is often invaluable to a business man to be prepared to act instantly upon any conjunc- ture." "Well," said Mrs. Arbuckle, "I am in entire accord with Mr. Kennard on that point, for I view the law in its THE DOMNIE'S SON. 69 highest aspect, as the science of justice,-the noblest of human sciences, as it is the conservator of all the others; and everything truly valuable in life hinges upon it. Still, my preference, in your case, would incline to a mer- cantilelife, unless I observed-which I confess I do not- -an undoubted capacity to meet the requirements which must come upon a successful practitioner in such a labori- ous profession." When his mother was gone, Joshua felt that her visit was more like a dream to him than a reality. George Pickering had the misfortune to lose his father suddenly a few days after Mrs. Arbuckle had returned home. The firm was in consequence dissolved, and George entered into a new line of business, that of an exchange broker and banker, writh the well known house of Dubois, Waring & Co., in Broad Street. Joshua now began to look forward to the advent of his playmate, Rosetta, with anticipations of pleasure and hap- piness; and day succeeded day, without anything of stir- ring moment occurring to mar its even tenor. He con- fessed to himself that he did not exactly expect to find Rose unchanged in all respects. The mere idea of coming to live in the gay fashionable city, he thought, was in itself sufficient at least to make some alteration, as he was well aware that its realization had in himself. He occasionally dropped in of an evening on the Pickerings, and his old friend, and, in expectation, future sister-in - law, was always happy to favor him with some charming and artis- tic music from her superb piano. His favorite piece was page: 70-71[View Page 70-71] 70 THE DOMNIE'S SON N the final allegro of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, which he said she made as effective to him as if it were played by an orchestra. Among other pieces which pleased him were the Grand Polonaise, preceded by an andante spinato, by Chopin, Schubert's little gem of the Trout, transcribed by Heller, which requires an extended left hand, but the latter part of which is of the rarest beauty; Mendels- sohn's Capriccioso, and Rossini's La Charite, by Liszt. Month succeeded month, until the long looked-for time was close at hand for Rosetta and the doctor to make their appearance. Joshua was regularly at the Pickerings pre- cisely at seven o'clock each evening, and was four times disappointed before he had, at length, the exquisite pleas- ure of welcoming his old playmate to the city that should have the honor of being their future home. Rosetta had grown to be a lovely young woman, with a pretty figure, and a bright, expressive face, overflowing with fun and good nature. She was evidently one of i those girls who naturally would look to comfort in life as the main object. To give pleasure to all who came within her influence appeared to be her great desire. This was only a surface observation, however, for upon a more inti- mate acquaintance, the fact soon evinced itself that her nature was strongly imbued with a clear, unyielding sense of religious duty, that only needed the development of time to become the great main spring upon which all her actions would revolve. Joshua was happy in observing her development, for he saw with pleasure it was in the right direction; and he THE DOMNIE'S SON. 71 knew her strong religious nature was counterbalanced by an equally strong vein of good common sense. Dr. Keesley was a rather spare made man in the prime of life, although looking, perhaps, ten years older; senten- tious, and of a reflective turn of mind, but he by no means lacked for a good opinion of himself, at least, pro- fessionally. Joshua was, of course, invited to dine at the Pickerings on the following day, and, during dessert, the Doctor en- tertained them with some of the latest items of news from the backwoods, showing himself by no means forgetful of a due sense of his own professional importance in Keesley- ville. "Do you know," said the Doctor, "that our old friend Wienburger, the shoemaker, who is such a great hand in trimming and managing grape vines, had the misfortune, whilst I was from home, to tumble over his cistern and break his leg. The fun of the thing was, that Swayne, the new fangled doctor, who went to one of the seaboard cities for the purpose of getting polished off by three months of lectures, was called in, and he quite frightened old Wienburger, by taking from his pack saddle a great case of instruments, which seemed, from their looks, as if they were now, for the first time, about to be called into requisition. After making his examination of the case, the Doctor at length expressed his profound con- clusion, that one of the main sinews had been rather badly strained. He doctored old Wienburger for over a week, and was all the time in utter ignorance that there was anything the matter with the bone of his limb. When page: 72-73[View Page 72-73] 72 THE DOMNIE'S SON. I arrived home and saw the leg, it was then too late, as it had set itself. As it fortunately happened not to be much out of the way, and as Wienburger was old, I preferred not to reset it. When the old man was able to be around on crutches, the state of his case was soon made evident to him. I feel much gratification," continued the doctor, "when I recur to a case at Rhytown, at which I was called in on consultation, about six months- ago. The patient was Mrs. Yardley, you know, the wife of Squire Yardley. The doctors there had examined and re-examined the case, and they all agreed in expressing a decided opinion that her heart was seriously diseased, and that it would be desirable for her to be kept as free as possible from all undue excitement. After a careful examination, I be- came thoroughly satisfied it was merely water which had collected in the tissues, that was pressing upon the heart; and that if it was allowed to go on undisturbed for a couple of months longer, all help would be unavailing. I ,accordingly ordered the very opposite of the doctors' advice; active exercise in every available form; and I assured Mrs. Yardley if she pursued the course I had marked out, there would not be a more healthy woman in the radius of a hundred miles, in the course of a couple of months. And so the result has proved. I quite dis- gusted the squire, though, about three weeks ago. He came to consult me about a bad case of liver complaint which he said he was suffering from, and wanted me to give him some medicine. I would not listen to him. I told him to go home, and occasionally to soak his lower- THE DOM1INIE'S SON. 78 limbs in a strong alkaline bath, and I felt convinced it would prove a panacea for his difficulty. As he went out, I remarked, 'Do not be a stranger to the bath-room more than a week at a time, and you will not have cause to visit me again on the present score.' 'Now,w says the doctor, " suppose we lay the doctoring on- one side, and let us decide upon the order of the day for the evening's entertainment. I have to make the most of my time, you must remember. When I was last in the city, I had the rare treat of seeing the lamented Powers, who was lost in the British Queen, in his inimitable O'Flanigan and the Faries. His singing of Rory O'Moore was a thing never to be forgotten. Why, I did not get over the excitement for over a month after. The truth is, I cannot stand those morbidly exciting tragedies, especially the miserable, stiff things that have recently been adopted from the French. If I cannot have some rollicking Irish fun, I would much rather go to the opera. There, if you do not get stirred up as much, you still leave it ;after all is over with a feeling of quiet pleasure and satisfaction, much refreshed and renewed." Mr. Pickering, who, in the mean time, had been look- ing over the list of amusements,. was at length happy to announce that Mr. Collins, in one of his best Irish charac- ters, was advertised for that evening at the Broadway. The host and hostess, with their guests accordingly made preparation for proceeding thither forthwith, anxious to secure the most eligible seats. The house filled rapidly, and the play commenced. The page: 74-75[View Page 74-75] 74 THE DOMNIE'S SON. doctor soon attained the height of his glory. Collins was evidently in good spirits, and flourished away in capital style. Presently he favored the audience with the "Bold Soger Boy; " after a while, with the "Widow Macree;" then again with the "Low Backed Car," and finally, as he neared the close of the entertainment, he quietly advanced to the footlights, this time a touch of sorrow was perceptible on his countenance; after the orchestra had played the prelude he sang, with a good deal of tender- ness and suppressed emotion, the touching ballad of "No- rah Dear." His mark covered the doctor, who felt him- self sensibly hit and his floodgates slightly ajar before he was in the slightest degree aware of it. The evening passed off delightfully. The doctor, and in fact, all the party, enjoyed the performance hugely. In the doctor's estimation, of course, Collins was not for a moment to be compared with Powers. The new is never the same when it has lost its first flush. Precisely at half past ten on the following morning, Joshua Arbuckle was on hand by appointment, for the purpose of escorting Rosetta to Goupil's and Schauss' art galleries on Broadway, to view some fine late importations. The day was bright and clear, and the air invigorating to ! a high degree. As they went along Joshua opened the conversation by saying, "Now, dear Rose, I want to hear your first im- pressions of New York. Suppose you begin on its men and women." "Well," replied Rose, I think the women are better THE DOMNIE'S SON. 75 fed, less worked, and altogether meet with an easier time than their sisters in the country. The burden, however, only seems to be moved upon other shoulders, for I notice that the men appear all in a fret. They have a very old, washed-out look, and are evidently worked to death." "What say you to the city as a place of residence?" "My first impressions of the city itself, of course, could not be otherwise than delightful, coming as I did to a charming home, where everything that could add to my comfort, even in the slightest degree, was amply provided. I should think the sight of fresh faces daily would be likely to make the observers themselves look newer and fresher. In the country, of course, one sees the same old faces, year in and year out, until our own faces are apt to settle down, and become devoid of even the faintest look of expectation. In the city I have especially observed that the countenances of the women in particular, seem all the time, as they turn their heads, on the very tiptoe of expectancy. I think if these careless, happy looking and well fed women can look with complacency on the haggard and cheerless countenances of their husbands, as they drain from them relentlessly, time and again, the where- withal required for the milliner, so that they may strut around like peacocks or walking advertisements, they must indeed possess hearts of granite." The young couple by this time had reached Schauss' gallery, and were becoming engrossed with three superb masterpieces of modern French art which were on exhibi- page: 76-77[View Page 76-77] 76 THE DOMNIE'S SON. tion in the back room. They also admired very much a brilliant painting of a trio of Italian Flower Girls, who were exceedingly beautiful, thoroughly children of nature; and a couple of exquisite fruit pieces. After spending an hour or so most pleasantly, they passed over to Goupil's, and upstairs on the second floor, they were a great deal astonished when they beheld, under a powerful light, those vivid old Flemish interiors. The homelike heartiness of those little worlds within themselves, elicited their unqualified admiration. One of the interiors especially, attracted Joshua's attention. It consisted of a large, barn like room, big enough to form four ordinary sized rooms, with one small latticed window placed very high up, shedding only suffi- cient light into the room to enable the inmates to see what they were about. The place seemed to contain every conceivable thing which could possibly be required in a house, with the one exception, that no sign of anything' in the shape of a bed was anywhere visible. A big, hearty, broad made, Dutch looking woman, was sitting near the centre of the room, holding a small prototype of her- self on her lap, and apparently just at that time thinking of nothing in particular. Within a couple of feet of her, were three children nearly of an age, busily engaged play- ing on the floor with their little playthings. In one cor- ner of the room was an elderly man in his shirt sleeves, apparently the grandfather, with his spectacles on, intently engrossed over some broken pieces of crockery, which he was evidently trying to cement together, whilst, a dog j] THE DOMNIE'S SON. " at his heels, was doing his utmost to tear an old handker- chief into tatters. After viewing it in silence for some moments, Joshua remarked, "that scene explains to me the observations of old Mrs. Suydam. You remember the time when we strolled up to her farm, on the side of the mountain, about a couple of years ago. The old woman being near the gate, I made a remark on the superb view before us, when she curtly snapped me up,'by saying in an unpleas- antly sharp, raspy tone of voice: "Yes, but. folks can't live on views." I replied, "folks can enjoy with greater complacency no doubt, after they have tucked a good, ten- der, juicy beef steak under their ribs." "Yes," says the old woman, " but it's something of a chore to get it, I tell you, a matter of six or eight mile forth and back, and, it's a good sight bigger chore to get a hold of the money that is to buy it, from out of this ere hard pan. We folks up here have to be satisfied with a bite now and then of good salt beef or pork, without idling time away, by running up and down after fresh meat." "I have no doubt," said Joshua, "that woman's nature was permeated with the instinct of centuries, of the satisfying home comforts of those old Flemish interiors. The outside, was but a vague nothingness, utterly unsuggestive to a being who in all probability possessed not the slightest glimmer of any- thing like ideality in her nature." In the beginning of the ensuing week after Rosetta's arrival in the city, she was installed as a day scholar in the fashionable French and English school kept by page: 78-79[View Page 78-79] 78 THE DOMLWIE'S SON. Madame Lemoine, and as the dancing season was just about to open, she prevailed with her father to allow her to attend; but that was not enough, she would not be satisfied of course, unless Joshua accompanied her. He accordingly requested permission from his mother, and he was not long in getting her reply. It was short and pithy but satisfactory. While she was desirous that he should learn dancing so as to acquire an easy, graceful deport- ment, she said, "she had no fears it would do him any injury as she was not in the least afraid his brains would ever be at all likely to run into his heels." They conse- quently attended the creme de la creme of dancing schools, presided over by Monsieur De Janon, with other young masters and misses in the afternoon. The first thing the Professor did to open their eyes and show them that he knew a thing or two, was to make clear to them the simple but important accomplishment of rising from a chair, and again of retaking it, of course with becoming propriety. He then proceeded to let them into the secret of how to enter and leave a carriage in the most graceful manner. After a while, they mastered all the ordinary steps, and soon entered on the figures. The Professor then took Joshua on one side, and in- formed him in an undertone and with a knowing look about the eye, that he would now proceed to teach him the three different modes of salutation. ' When, for instance, you dance with an inferior, you merely give her a slight nod, and at the same time, look her plump in the eye in a free and easy way, rather patronizingly,-in this manner, i THE DOMNIE'S SON. 79 -just so. With an equal, as you salute her, you raise your eyes in this style,-so that they meet hers pleasantly. But when you have the extreme honor of dancing with a superior, then it becomes imperative that you make a very low and profound obeisance, at the same time keeping your eyes down as if your great respect and regard would not permit you even to raise your eyelids for more than an instant at a time. That is an extremely nice thing to do,. I assure you, as it exhibits the perfect gentlemen; but I have no doubt we shall finally succeed in accomplishing it to admiration, although it's a thing that can't be acquired in a day." Joshua was exceedingly amused, but he soon collected his wits and informed the professor that the second mode of salutation would be all he should need to acquire, as he had no doubt that the rare honor of dancing with any one he should feel sensible of being extremely his superior would not be likely to occur in an age; and he never could entertain the slightest expectation of ever dancing with a woman he should not consider fully his equal. Before long Rosetta found herself the envy of all the larger young misses in the school, who did not fail of making an idle expression of their opinion that it was per- fectly preposterous for a young mince such as her to sup- pose they intended quietly to submit to her assumption in keeping such a nice, handsome manly fellow as Jot Ar- buckle was, all to herself, without their making a protest. U; - The thing was not to be endured, they declared, any longer than was necessary to concoct an effective mode of page: 80-81[View Page 80-81] 80 THE DOMNIE'S SON. attack, and they concluded that this could not be devised and brought to bear with effect until the next meeting of the school. Now, whilst Joshua was both in general appearance and manner exceedingly interesting, still, when his features came to be closely dissected, there was not even one which could be pronounced positively handsome, yet take him altogether, he had the happy faculty of being able to charm and win everybody whom he happened to come in contact with, for they all seemed to instinctively realize that there was a true manly stamina in him, which could be relied on most implicitly. As Joshua and Rosetta, upon leaving the dancing-room, reached the street, Rosetta said, "Jot, did you see what a storm was brewing there, upstairs? Those girls were in a perfect fury. Now, in future you will have to neglect me and pay them every attention, or else we shall finally have to leave the school. I know something about their feel- ings; to think that their charms should be entirely ig- nored, and all their little arts and winning ways should prove utterly ineffectual, is something which no doubt seems to them to be in the last degree unendurable." Joshua replied, "Rose, after this, I think of changing the abbreviation of your baptismal name, and calling you by its last four letters, slightly changing the final one, instead of by the first four as formerly, because I feel there is more meaning in it. How will the name of Etty suit you?" "That will be indeed quite charming. Etty Keesley V THE DOMNIE'S SON. 81 seems to agree as well as Etty Geron. Rose or Rosetta did very well in the country, but in the city, I agree in thinking with you, that it is entirely too stiff and formal. But what do you say, Jot, about the girls?" "Oh, I've watched their little games and been much amused for some time. I don't feel, however, like being driven into anything. It seems natural for you and me to always be closely associated in our pastimes, and I have never been in the habit of going out of my way to assume the appearance of pleasure where I did not really feel it. The truth is, I don't want to be bothered with the girls, and I feel more interest in seeing you improve in your dancing." "Well, Jot, I think that you have been sufficiently gen- tlemanly to them, but, I see, they are determined to get you away from me; therefore, in future, I propose that you entirely leave me to get along by myself, and humor the girls; and I don't doubt, if you watch them closely, you will gain a good deal of insight into character. You and I can practice together as much as we wish to at sister Arabella's, and we can quietly get a good deal of amusement out of the thing, besides which, I shall have the pleasure and gratification of proving more than a match for the whole batch of schemers combined." "As you say, Etty; I think it will perhaps be the part of wisdom to thus baffle their machinations. I know it's of no manner of use, our coming to loggerheads about a thing that's of no consequence. So, in the future we will dispose of the affair as you propose." 6 page: 82-83[View Page 82-83] CHAPTER VI. NE morning, about a week from this ft *"ftime, as Joshua was passing through the "Swamp," the headquarters of the gS^ I G leather trade in the city, accompanied by Mr. Stafford, the book-keeper, the latter suddenly called his attention to an elderly man, at that instant emerg- ing from a leather store on the opposite side of the way, having a basket on his arm which evi- dently contained his little stock in trade, consisting of combs, brushes, quills, toothpicks, and numerous knick- nacks that he was trying to dispose of. He wore a very high, stiff cravat,'and bore, unmistakably, a foreign air. His fixed, set, and rather austere look, strongly indicated that he had but recently occupied a very different position. Mr. Stafford, after eyeing him for a moment, said, "From what I know, I am positive that man's history would surprise you. I have often seen him, and likewise an THE DOMNIE'S SON. 83 his father and elder brother, in England, and I have also heard a good deal of their family history. I chanced to stumble upon the old man's lodging-place, one evening about a week ago, and it's my intention, sometime shortly, to go and hunt him up. Now, what do you say to joining me in the exploration? I will warrant that in any event you will see a character." Joshua readily assented, and the evening of the follow- ing day was decided upon for the undertaking, providing Joshua could obtain Mr. Denniston's consent. Upon arriving at the warehouse and stating the object to Mr. Denniston, that gentleman saw fit to offer no objec- tion, as he was well aware that his protege would not be in imprudent hands so long as he was with the book-keeper; consequently on the designated evening, Joshua, as soon as dinner was over, excused himself, and hurried down to the appointed rendezvous (the Astor House), and there he found Stafford already in waiting. The pair immediately started out in pursuit of their object. After going down Broadway until they had passed by old Trinity, they turned into the first street leading to the North River, and when the by-street in a north-easterly direction parallel with Broadway was reached, they passed into it, and after they had gone about half its length, on the right hand side of the way, they came to the house they were in quest of. After a gentle knock at the door once repeated, a plain, middle-aged, tidily clad woman appeared, and in response to Mr. Stafford's request to see the old man who peddled page: 84-85[View Page 84-85] 84 THE DOMrNIE'S SON. knicknacks, she said that Mr. Bradeley was up in his room, on the third floor back, and she would show them the way up if they would wait an instant, till she could procure a light. In a moment she appeared with this requisite, %and offering to lead the way, they all proceeded upstairs, and shortly stood before the door of the room which contained the object of their search. Upon slightly rapping, an order was given from the in- side to enter, and Mr. Stafford raised the latch. As the door opened and they entered, they were much sur- prised for the moment to observe the old man sitting in a high-backed chair, taking his ease after his arduous duties of the day had been fulfilled, his feet resting on a low stool, and a couple of wax candles, each stuck in the mouth of an old porter bottle, placed one on either side of him. He appeared to have been deeply absorbed just before their entrance in gleaning and digesting the news, from the latest edition of the Evening Post. The inner man had been cared for, as a bottle of porter uncorked, with an accompanying tumbler about two thirds empty, fully attested. Mr. Stafford, as he and Joshua entered, begged pardon for the intrusion, and hoped that the occu- pant would not take it amiss. "He had noticed him," he said, "engaged in his occupation, and he had thought that he might be of service to him in some mode or other, if he could only ascertain in what way his assistance would be most desirable." The old man, after raising his eyes from the paper, and bringing them to bear on his visitors in a sharp scrutiny, which after an instant seemed to dis- THE DOMNIE'S SON. 85 pel his suspicions, arose and kindly, but with a slight tremor of sorrow in his voice, desired them to help them- selves to what seats they could find. There fortunately proved to be just two old wooden chairs in the room, and they were consequently not long vacant. The room was about fourteen feet by twelve, with two small windows facing to the east. On the floor there was no carpet. A small single bedstead occupied the furthermost corner, and its opposite corner contained the basket with the knicknacks. Facing the door, sat the old man in his high chair, having on each side of him a small wooden stand. The two chairs before mentioned, and an old wooden trunk which helped to keep the knicknacks in counte- nance, as there were no doubt more of their fellows inside, completed the furniture. The peddler's clothes looked nearly threadbare, but there was a look of fallen greatness in the appearance of the man, which impressed Joshua quite forcibly. As soon as his visitors were seated, he remarked, "that the civilized portionof the human family seemed to him, to be like a vast aggregation of shuttle- -cocks, apparently made for the express purpose of being knocked hither and thither by the battledore of fortune, according to her humor and caprice." "That seems to me a very good simile," said Mr. Staf- ford, and your own case is a remarkable illustration in point. I had the pleasure of knowing the members of your family by sight, in the old country, and of becoming somewhat acquainted with their history. My young friend here, Mr. Arbuckle, I am sure, would feel his sym- page: 86-87[View Page 86-87] 86 THE DOMNIE'S SON. pathies strongly enlisted in your remarkable fortunes, and one of my principal objects in calling upon you this eve- ning, was connected with the probability that you would favor us with its recital. To recall the slumbering recol- lections of the past, may possibly be painful to you. My apology for the request is a vague hope that a compliance may possibly be of benefit in the future." Mr. Bradeley's countenance during the book-keeper's remarks assumed an amiable expression, and he expressed himself very ready to speak of his past experiences, if it would conduce in any degree to the gratification of his visitors. After say- ing that he would endeavor to be as brief as possible, he commenced as follows. "My first remembrance runs back to the time, when I had the misfortune to lose the dearest object to me on earth, my mother. I was then about five years old. I shortly afterwards found myself transferred to the care of my maternal grandmother, who had, quite unaccountably, expressed a strong fancy for me, and succeeded in inducing my father to allow her to take me in her charge. She was a very superior woman, and always treated me with a great deal of kindness and consideration. In return, I entertained for her the greatest esteem and respect, and at all times, I observed her every wish with becoming defer- ence and willing obedience. Her husband had been dead for sometime when I went to live with her, and she was then all alone, with the exception of her household. My mother had been her only child. Up to the time when I was nine years of age, my grandmother's lady's maid had THE DOMNIE'S SON. 87 devoted a short time each day to my instruction. I then went to the house of our next neighbor, Sir Worcester Bridges, in the park, and was instructed with his two sons, by Mr. Stafford Milnes, the private tutor. At four- teen, I was sent to Rughy, and at eighteen, to Cambridge. Twice a year I visited my father at his beautiful seat, Glenmorton Castle, Surrey. He was a man overflowing with exuberant good fellowship, a distinguished patron of the turf, himself maintaining a stud of over' eighty thoroughbreds, a great lover of fox hunting, and devoted to pleasure of every kind. A very handsome, distinguished lobking lady became his second wife, about a year and a half after the loss of my mother. It was no uncommon thing to see over fifty guests at the Castle at a time. During the day, they branched off into small parties, and went on hunting or fishing excursions, or whatever amuse- ment suited their fancy. About four o'clock they might be seen in all directions wending their way to the Castle, in order to dress for dinner. Half an hour before the dinner hour, six o'clock, the company assembled in the parlors for the purpose of being introduced to the new arrivals. At six precisely, the guests, to the music of the band, marched in due order into the great old ancestral dining hall. My father at that time, had the reputation of being the greatest epicure in all England. The Castle contained over forty servants. After I had taken my degrees at the University, my grandmother proposed for me to travel and become somewhat familiar with the outer world, and she kindly offered to make me a suitable page: 88-89[View Page 88-89] 88 THE DOMrINIE'S SON. allowance. I accordingly first made it an object to famil- . iarize myself with everything of marked interest in Europe, including its art galleries, and the ruins of Rome and Greece. I afterwards accompanied a small party on a hunting excursion into the interior of Africa. We did not fail to get some fine sport, but we came near paying dear for it, as we met with not a few hair-breadth escapes. We consequently had not much cause for regret, when we found ourselves after a time, safely back again in dear old England. I soon afterwards made a visit to the East Indies and also to China. It was whilst I was in the latter country, that I received the sad news of the death of my kind and most affectionate grandparent, and I hastened back to the old country. "As my grandmother possessed but a life interest in much of the property she held, the main portion of it reverted into other hands at her demise. She bequeathed to me however nearly all that she possessed in her own right, which amounted to the sum of nearly fifty thousand pounds, (close upon two hundred and fifty thousand dollars). The principal part of the amount, I invested in the public funds; the rate of interest was low, but the principal was safe. I lived about twelve years on my income, and during that period, made various speculations which cost me in the aggregate some ten thousand pounds. My father urged me to buy a commission in the Guards, but I entertained no idea of making myself a target in other people's quarrels. By the bye, I happened one day to call at the barracks, to make a visit to the officer on THE DOMNIE'S SON. 89 duty, and in strolling about, I chanced to get into the room where the surgeon was engaged in examining sev- eral new recruits. They had sold themselves to the recruiting sergeant for a shilling, as food for powder; but the doctor refused to ratify the bargain, and accept them even as a gift. As I passed out of the room upon dis- covering my mistake, the thought struck me that those poor fellows must have seen the elephant in London, at a pretty high cost. "After a while, I became tired of remaining idle, and began to entertain the thought of entering upon some kind of mercantile business, of course, on a large scale. I happened to mention the subject casually in presence of my father and brother, and they both became very indig- nant at the bare thought of my disgracing the family, as they termed it, in such a manner. I however still nur- tured the idea, and after a time, I hit upon a man in whom I thought I could put 'trust, and I accordingly embarked my entire capital in the leather business, which I was assured he fully understood; and allowed everything to be transacted under his name. "The business assumed a prosperous aspect for some time. In the course of years, several heavy losses were encountered, but whenever stock was taken, the affair always somehow made a fair exhibit. Our manufactory was in the north of England. I shall never forget when I had been in business about eight years, the visit which I paid my father at his town house in London during the height of that remarkable operatic episode, when Grisi, page: 90-91[View Page 90-91] 90 THE DOMNIE'S SON.0 Rubini, Tamberini and Lablache, the grandest quartette of vocal artists ever heard upon any stage, were nightly reaping their memorable victories. "The young Queen, and her admirable consort, were then in the very zenith of their happiness, and the first lady of the realm enjoyed the rare scene to her heart's content. Invariably when her favorite tutor, Lablache, that vast leviathan of sound, came rolling on to the stage like an old Dutch galleon, his sunny, jovial, fun provoking countenance, overflowing with the milk of human kind- ness and happy content, as he essayed one of his most inimitable roles, her Majesty's exuberant good humor and amiability seemed put to their most active exercise. Not even when, as she entered the house and the vast audience rose up as one man in her honor, while the artists and orchestra sang and played the soul inspiring patriotic national anthem, did the Queen evince so much real pleasure and delight. "My father, in the ensuing sporting season, whilst 'en- gaged in his favorite pastime, following the hounds, met with a sudden death by being thrown from his horse. His affairs, when things came to be looked into, proved to be greatly embarrassed. My brother, who succeeded to his estates, followed rapidly in his wake, and in less than three years time he ran away to France and abandoned everything to his creditors. Misfortune seems never to some alone. "A few months later my business manager, who as I afterwards ascertained had met with very serious losses, THEZ DOMNIE'S SON. 91 and made several disastrous speculations, suddenly de- camped with all he could possibly lay his hands upon, and left the concern insolvent, so that I found myself to be utterly ruined. I naturally did not feel like remaining longer in England, so I made my way over to New York, and here I am, as you find me to-night." "I think I can now understand, Mr. Bradeley," said Joshua, " what seemed quite an enigma when we entered the room, namely, the extragavance of the two wax candles." "Oh yes," replied Mr. Bradeley, "when I, sit myself down with a wax candle upon each side, and proceed to peruse a good respectable newspaper, like for instance your admirable Evening Post, after becoming somewhat mollified by the use of a little good English brown stout, or Dublin porter, the illusion steals over me for the moment that I am a gentleman again." Joshua observld, "I had no idea, Mr. Bradeley, until I listened to your recital, that the wheel of fortune effected such sudden transformations." "In England," said Mr. Bradeley, "nothing is more common, than to see a young man, the son of respectable parents, after thoroughly acquiring his special branch of trade, by serving thereto an apprenticeship of seven years, enter into business, and after a while get married to an apparently fine woman in his own station of life. In a few years, in consequence of the intense competition in all kinds of trade; he fails to meet his liabilities and is stript by his creditors of all that he possessed. If not very page: 92-93[View Page 92-93] 92 THE DOMNIE'S SON. long married the wife usually goes home to her friends, while the poor husband starts out on the tramp, to seek work at his trade, at which he can make at the best say five dollars a week, when he is so fortunate as to meet with employment. "They have," continued Mr. Bradeley, " no easy task before them in England to shape their institutions so that they will conform more to the requirements of the age. Legislation there for centuries, has all been in favor of capital, and against labor. The fruits of it are but too visible at the present time, in the terrible statistics, of over a million of people on that small island, dependent inside and outside, on the wretched public workhouse, which does not even profess to provide more than will merely hold body and soul together. A nation may be well likened to a family occupying a house, the true infallible test of its condition will soon be made apparent by an examination of its back door, the lowest strata of society." Joshua again warmly expressed his sympathies with Mr. Bradeley's misfortunes, and with a promise to call upon him again shortly, and in the meantime to see what could best be effected to his advantage, the book-keeper and Joshua arose and departed. As soon as they found themselves in the street, Joshua said, "I confess that poor fellow has interested me very much in his behalf. There's one thing about him I like very much. He seems to believe in trying to do something to help himself, has faith still in trade, and don't want to live idle. Now, I'll THE DOMNIE'S SON. 93 tell you, Stafford, what I've been thinking about. I' try and interest Uncle Walter in his behalf. I have a noton Bradeley is just the very man he is looking after, but the thing is, to bring him properly under his notice. My uncle, who was formerly connected in business with a French house in Marseilles, received orders from them sometime ago, to sell at auction, a tract of twenty-five thousand acres of land, situated in the Highlands of Georgia, which they had acquired in the course of trade. It was submitted in accordance to their directions, and the highest bid that could be obtained was fifty cents an acre, which bid my uncle raised five cents, and it was knocked down to him. He advised the owners of the sale, and offered to take it at the price he had bought it in for them, which they very willingly accepted. He now is in want of some one whom he can leave on the property, so that he can feel secure things are progressing all right, whilst he is away. Bradeley seems to me to be fitted exactly for the situation, providing his integrity is undoubted, and his habits good." "I know," said the book-keeper, "enough of his history to enable me to vouch for his integrity, and as to his habits, I think we saw enough to-night, to put any sus- picion on that head at rest. I take it, that a man who is in the habit of drinking to excess, does not usually con- tent himself by sitting in his room all alone with only one little bottle of porter by his side." "Very true," said Joshua, "so that settles the matter. I will write at once to Uncle Walter, and endeavor to page: 94-95[View Page 94-95] " THE DOMNIE'S SON7. make a proper presentation of the case, so that he may have an opportunity for once at least, in his life, of doing a good turn by a poor fellow in misfortune. It struck me, he seemed a little touched by Mr. Denniston's admirable managements of what Uncle Walter was pleased to call our smart stroke in the old woman line." As soon as they reached Broadway, Joshua expressed his obligations to the book-keeper and thanked him very much for his evening's entertainment. They parted and Joshua took the first conveyance home. Before he went to bed however, he sat down and addressed a rather long note to his uncle who was then in Chicago, and in the course of a week he had the pleasure of receiving from the old sailor, in reply, the following very quaint epistle: "MY DEAR JOT,--Rig him, and ship him, and I will soon ascertain what kind of a craft he is, and whether he has ballast enough aboard to answer my purpose. "Ever yours, affectionately, "WALTER HALSEY." After Joshua had perused the letter, he hurried down to the old man to make him acquainted with his success in obtaining his uncle's offer. He arrived just in the nick of time, as Mr. Bradeley was starting out with his wares in order to seek his daily business. Joshua briefly inform- ed him "that his uncle, who had formerly been a sea captain, had lately become possessed of a tract of valua- ble land, comprising twenty-five thousand acres, in the THE DOMNIPS SON. 95 Highlands of Georgia, the finest climate in America, that he stood in need of some one to just give an eye to opera- tions on the property whilst he was away, and he had applied, and fortunately succeeded in obtaining an offer of a trial of the situation by Mr. Bradeley." He continued, "the city, I think, is no place for you. If our good for- tune only continues, and you prove to meet the easy requirements of my uncle, you will have the satisfaction of finding him to be a noble, generous man, and your life henceforth can be made one of easy, quiet content, with everything in reason to satisfy one who, I doubt not, has long since become wearied of further probing the vain i illusions of the world." The old man, after thanking Joshua in the warmest terms for his kindness said, "the entirely unexpected interest that he had shown in his welfare, had for the instant, completely unnerved him; he desired, however, to convey to him the strongest assurances, that his confi- dence would not, in this instance at least, be misplaced, but every endeavor would be faithfully made on his part to conform to the wishes of his uncle." The knicknacks took their departure all in one lot. After which, Joshua escorted the retired peddler over to Brooks' clothing store in Cherry street, and saw that he was properly provided with everything needful; at the same time, offering to furnish whatever money the old man might require, which he however would only accept as a loan, to be repaid as quickly as possible. His ticket was purchased to Chicago, and Joshua afterwards page: 96-97[View Page 96-97] 96 THE DOMNIE'S SON. saw him to the evening train and to a seat; and as the cars were about to move, he warmly grasped him by the hand, and after wishing him health, happiness, and God's blessing, he left him to pursue his journey. In due time, he was taken in charge by the uncle, and having the good fortune to carry just enough ballast to meet his approbation, it thus happened that another unfortunate had the good luck at last to fall into the hands of an old salt, and got preserved. How the battle- door of fortune once more hit his shuttlecock and sent it up to a greater height than from whence it fell, we must not anticipate. On the Saturday preceding Christmas day, which hap- pened to fall, that year, on the second day of the week, Joshua, accompanied by Roseteta, and her sister Mrs. Pick- ering, proceeded to Philadelphia, according to a previous invitation, to spend a few days with Joshua's mother. They had the satisfaction of finding Mrs. Arbuckle, and also her mother, Mrs. Halsey, in their usual good health. Uncle Walter was, for once, missing. He was unavoid-. ably detained iii Georgia. Nothing worthy of note occurred during their short visit until the morning succeeding Christmas day, when, after partaking of an early breakfast, Mrs. Arbuckle notified Joshua and Rosetta that she desired them to accompany her in her morning walk, as she wished them to see a sight which, she said, "could not be otherwise than exceedingly interesting to them." They consequently shortly left the house, Mrs. Arbuckle taking the lead. THE DOMNIE'S SON. 97 After visiting a variety of stores, and making a selec- tion, of what articles she needed, which were directed to be sent immediately to the hospital, amongst them being a case of old Port wine, and also one of brandy, from the old French house of -Lachevardiere, Fils, she directed their footsteps to the Institution, and after passing the entrance, she ushered them into one of the reception rooms, and then desired them to excuse her for a few moments whilst she visited the wards alone, as she said, "that it made the patients feel uncomfortable to be intruded upon by strangers, and stared at, as if they were merely a collection of animals on exhibition. "In this matter of charity," she continued, "we Pro- testants profess to act on the same principle as the Catho- lics, but as a general thing, while with us it rarely ever goes beyond mere profession, with them it is a vital, ever living actuality. The principle is, that it is a great privi- lege to have it in our power to be able to relieve the needs and suffering of our fellow creatures, and for which we should continually offer up the homage of grateful hearts to the great Giver of all things, for being pleased to choose us as a medium of his dispensation. "I have seen, for instance, a Protestant visitor, who in all probability, during the whole course of his life, never contributed as much as a dozen sixpences to the plate, pass through this institution, as if all around him were but so many poor, miserable beggars, unworthy of as much consideration, as the dirt he brought in from the street on his boots, and look about him as if he considered 7 page: 98-99[View Page 98-99] Zi THE DOMNIE'S SO.8 the existence of the Institution from its inception, had entirely depended upon his special countenance and favor. On the other hand, I have never observed an ink- ling of the same feeling in a Catholic." After she had been gone about twenty minutes, she again appeared, and upon making a motion for them to join her, they all left the building together, and proceeded to the residence of the celebrated anatomist, Doctor Ehrenberg, who took pleasure in exhibiting to them, at Mrs. Arbuckle's especial desire, one of the most marvel- ous and complicated pieces of mechahism in animated creation that bad ever come under his observation. It was nothing more or less than the eye of a common fly under a powerful microscope. They examined it, and re-examined it, and each time uttered exclamations of admiration and surprise. After spending more than an hour, which seemed scarcely a moment, in looking over the Professor's rare Cabinet of Curiosities, they expressed to him their great gratifica- tion and thanks for his kindness, and withdrew. After they had returned home and were sitting in the parlor by themselves, Mrs. Halsey having gone out with Mrs. Pickering for a drive, Joshua's mother thus addressed them: "You have had an opportunity of beholding the wonderful power of the Almighty in one of the most minute forms of his creation. In this connection I may state that about one hundred and fifty thousand spe- cies of insects alone are known in public and private ivate museums. I now desire in contradistinction, to convey to you a slight idea of his wonderfully stupendous might, and grandeur, as expressed in the solar system. "According to the best astronomers, we may rely upon the following as facts. The globe upon which we live, is but one among a hundred and fifty planets which revolve about the sun in elliptical orbits. Nearly three quarters of its surface is covered by water; the remaining quarter, is estimated to contain fifty-two millions, one hundred and seven thousand square miles of land. In the immensity of space which the solar system occupies, our globe forms but an atom, invisible from the nearest fixed star, and scarcely to be seen even through a telescope, from the remoter planets. In reference to size, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, are of greater magnitude than the earth; yet even the largest in size can bear no compari- son with the sun, whose mass is three hundred and fifty-four thousand nine hundred and thirty-six times greater than that of the earth, which is situated at the distance of ninety-one million four hundred and thirty thousand miles fromn the sun's center. In winter it is about three mil- lion of miles nearer the sun than in summer. The moon revolves about the earth at a mean distance of two hun- dred and thirty-eight thousand seven hundred ninety- three miles. There may be other spheres and solar systems outside of our own. "The vast overpowering greatness and goodness of the Supreme Being, the evidences of which, all nature never ceases to proclaim, are entirely beyond our poor limited page: 100-101[View Page 100-101] 100 THE DOMNIE'S SON. comprehension. Mankind, it is true, have made extra- ordinary discoveries, and accomplished things that seem to us very wonderful in both science and art. Still the clay has to be created, before it can be moulded by the hand of iman." A pause of a few moments ensued, which was however shortly broken by Joshua, who seemed to have just awakened from a deep revery, expressing their obligations to his mother for placing so clearly before them, some sense of the Almighty Being to whose goodness and enduring mercy they were indebted for every instant of their existence, and for all they possessed and enjoyed. "Yes, indeed," said Mrs. Arbuckle, "beauty, wit, learning and all the arts of life, will soon, as far as we are concerned, pass away, but goodness, the essence of God himself, which he has implanted in the human soul, exists forever, and it is that quality alone, which renders him lovely in our eyes." Rosetta now arose from her seat and advancing to Mrs. Arbuckle, said, "she wanted very much to ask a question that she had been unable to solve. It was this: "Why do such great authors as Charles Dickens and Thackeray, always draw their good men so weak, and so much like sweet-meats, while they invariably paint their rascals in such bright and glowing colors?" "Well," said Mrs. Arbuckle, "I think the solution lies right on the surface. I have always considered a strong good man or woman, to be the most difficult object to draw throughout the realm of fiction, for the reason, that THE DOMNIE'S SON. 101 unless they are endowed with great judgment and judi- ciousness, they could be no match whatever for the sharp rascals with whom they may have to deal, and who usually stand at nothing, while they are limited by their sense of right. How are the unprincipled knaves, I should like to know, to exercise their smartness on the good folks whom they happen to fall into contact with, and obtain their share of success, and in conse- quence make the book entertaining, if the good folks are too strongly encased in the armor of judicious judgment and sound common sense, and thereby enabled to baffle their machinations." "May I ask you, Mrs. Arbuckle," said Rosetta, " who is your favorite novelist, and also what is your estimation of the writings of Charles Dickens?" "Walter Scott among novelists I regard," replied Mrs. Arbuckle, "as I do the sun as compared in size with its satellites. My favorites among the creations of his fancy, I read with increasing pleasure from year to year. He was master of such a vast field of varied information likewise, the interest in his novels keeps augmenting in intensity; and above all, they invariably leave the mind in a healthy condition. Besides, the moral worth and worlly life of the man, andhis manly, chivalric bearing, especially his almost superhuman efforts in his adversity, near the close of his life, claim universal admiration. "My heart has long gone out to Charles Dickens, and I feel that I owe to him a debt of gratitude, for which I can never be sufficiently thankful. In reference to his page: 102-103[View Page 102-103] 102 THE DO MNIE'S S ON. works, I think that everybody ought to read them at least once in their lives, in order to imbibe their great lessons of humanity, which I feel assured can never afterwards be- come entirely obliterated, unless they happen to fall upon a being whose feelings and sympathies may be likened to a sandy desert, or flinty rock, without the power of retain- ing and nurturing an object foreign to its'capabilities. I have, however, never read the works of Dickens but once, because the scenes which he vividly depicts, and pins the attention down to, created a sufficiently powerful impres- sion upon me when I read them, to render it at all essen- tial that they be again revived. Dickens' novels may be likened to a tortuous river that is continually becoming enlarged by receiving accessions where they are the least expected, whereas the novels of Scott are more like our noble Hudson, which after its rise, soon broadens out and developes itself, as it rolls along in ever varying interest and beauty, in all its natural strength and dignity, to its final termination." CHAPTER VII. B OUT two months after Joshua and i his companions had returned from walking one afternoon, accompanied by Rosetta, up to Broadway from one of the streets leading to the North River, t when they were within nearly a block of the great thoroughfare, they noticed a store door open as they were in the act of passing by, and a young girl emerge therefrom in a state of much agitation and distress, her eyes being suffused with tears. In countenance she was quite plain, her figure was how- ever good, and she bore a tidy, respectable appearance. Joshua noticed that she had just closed the door of a merchant tailor's store, and with half a glance he instinc- tively comprehended the situation. He and Rosetta had passed on a few steps, when a sudden thought seemed to strike him, and he stopped short, excusing himself to page: 104-105[View Page 104-105] 104 THE DOMNIE'S SON. his companion for detaining her for a few moments whilst he made an inquiry. He turned and hastily advanced to the strange young girl, and in his kindly manner begged to be informed of the cause of her distress, and what misfortune could have befallen her. By this time, Rosetta had retraced her steps to the spot where they stood, and the stranger gave them the follow- ing account of her trouble. She commenced by saying, that since her father had died she had been obliged to accept of whatever employ- ment first presented itself which she could possibly under- take, in order to eke out the little her mother had left for their support, and as she was without friends, she said, who could assist her to anything better, she had been driven to accept the work of sewing pantaloons, for the proprietor of the store before which they stood. She had been up all last night to complete three pairs by a stated time, and feeling somewhat tired she had taken a Third Avenue car down town, that she might rest herself, and also be enabled to reach her destination more quickly. She had an idea that she must have fallen into a doze, soon after entering the car, as when she went to get out, her parcel which contained the clothes was missing, and to her sad discornforture it could nowhere be found. The owner, she said, when she acquainted him of his loss, flew into a violent passion, and soundly rated her for her gross carelessness in allowing her eyes ever to lose sight of her parcel. He told her that she need never expect any more THE DOMNIE'S SON. 105 work from him, and threatened to have her arrested unless she made good to him his loss. Joshua, after ascertaining her opinion of the money value of the material she had lost, requested her to stay with his companion for a moment whilst he stepped into the store. He accordingly entered, and found the pro- prietor as the girl had described him, out of temper and in a state of much agitation. He was apparently in the habit of employing women to make his vests and pants, and afterwards having the garments put into artistic shape by one of his best workmen. If questioned he probably always assured his customers they might impli- citly rely upon all his garments being most thoroughly made. Joshua, after hoping he would pardon the liberty he had taken, stated that seeing a young girl leave his store in evident trouble, he had made bold to inquire into the cause, and had found that she had been the occasion of loss to him through a mischance, which we are all of us liable to meet with. After expressing his sympathy, both with the owner and the girl, he said he should like to know the lowest sum the owner would be willing to compromise with the girl for his loss, and if it was within his means he would endeavor to see that he was paid. Whether the tailor began to feel somewhat ashamed of himself, or he thought that the young man might in the future become a good customer to him, is immaterial, but he regained his usual affability of manner, and replied, page: 106-107[View Page 106-107] 106 THE DOMNIE'S SON. "although he could not replace the material for anything like such an amount, at the same time taking no account of the great disappointment to his customers, still if the girl payed him twenty dollars," he said, "he thought it would be no more than just and right, and he should be satisfied." "The public," he continued, "have no idea of the great drain upon the profits which people in our business have to bear. For instance, if the cut of the garment don't just happen to meet the caprice of the customer, or there should chance to be the slightest wrinkle in the fit, it is often thrown upon our hands. Joshua now took advantage of the opportunity, to ascertain what the tailor knew in reference to the circum- stances and antecedents of the girl and her mother, and he found her statement corroborated as to the destitute condition in which her father had left his wife and child, and. he also further learned, that her maternal grand- father had once been quite wealthy, but was ruined by the French privateers, and had never been able, any more than a host of similar sufferers, to obtain the slightest redress. He consequently ended his days in poverty, as he was too old to begin business life over again. Joshua expressed his thanks to the merchant for the information, and also for his leniency to the girl, in offer- ing to accept of a moderate sum in satisfaction of his loss. His pocket-book meanwhile entered upon the scene, from which he extracted, and handed over to the tailor, the amount he had mentioned. He then rejoined Ro- setta and the sewing girl. THE DOMNIE'S SON. 107 He desired the poor girl to make herself easy, as he had satisfied the merchant for his loss, and he said, "it would give him, and -also his companion, he felt sure, great pleasure, if she would permit them to escort her home, and it was highly probable, he thought, in the future he might be of service to her in obtaining employment less onerous, and more remunerative, and desirable in the eyes of the world. The girl rather reluctantly assented, and Joshua having ascertained that her mother lived about a block and a half from the Third avenue, leading to the East river, at the distance of a couple of miles from their present position, he led the way through Grand street into the Bowery and they took the first car passing up. The girl signified to him when it was time to leave the car, and they stepped out and she led them down the street towards the river. When they had gone half way down the second block, the girl opened the door of a house adjoining a court yard, and invited them to accompany her up stairs to the second floor. They followed her until they reached the door of the room which evidently had its outlook from the back of the house, which she opened, and revealed to them at last, her apology for a home. Her mother was sitting by the window engaged in sewing some fabric of a woollen texture. When informed of the mishap of her daughter, the mother seemed to smother her sorrow as much as possible, but Joshua saw enough to assure him she felt the situa- page: 108-109[View Page 108-109] 108 THE DOMNIE'S SON. tion keenly. He endeavored to assuage her feelings by remarking, "that it was always darkest before daylight, and in all probability it would turn out to be an advantage in the long run, for," said he, " if your daughter possesses anything like a fair education, and can write a legible hand, I should not be at all surprised if I may find it in my power to help obtain employment that would occupy but half the hours, and beyond all question in point of desirability as well as in health and remuneration, would be vastly preferable to the health-racking occupation in which she had been engaged." The mother informed him that her daughter had received a fair education, and when she left school was considered the best writer in her class, Both in matter and manner and as she spoke, she arose and went to a bureau drawer, from whence she brought forth three or four papers, which she said, were her daughter's last school compositions, and handed them to Joshua to examine. Joshua took them, and running his eye over the first one he happened to open, pronounced it very well done; and said, as if speaking to himself, "' so far so good." He now looked at his watch, and saw that his time was' up, so he and his companion arose, and after assuring the mother and daughter he would leave no stone unturned in their behalf, and had every reason to feel sanguine he could make himself of use to them, he and Rosetta withdrew. As soon as they reached Third avenue, they took a car down to Fourteenth street, and then crossed over to THE DOMNIE'S SON. 109 Union Square and home. Neither of them spoke, until they had left the car and commenced their walk, when Joshua remarked, "It is terrible to reflect, that a being like the mother they had just left, who showed every indication of having been well brought up, should, without any fault of her own, and when her best days were gone, be ending her life in such a forlorn place, with the chance even of fall- ing still some steps before the final end arrived. In this world," he added, "mental suffering must be immensely greater than bodily." "I wonder," said Rosetta, " when people become so very poor, why they do not move out into Othe country where their circumstances would not bear such a sad aspect." "There exists, doubtless, very good reasons for the why," replied Joshua, " if we only had the faculty of finding themn out. It is not improbable that in many cases, the poor unfortunates are so reduced in circum- stances as not even to have left the wherewithal to enable them to get into the country, and besides, it seems more likely to those who have been born and brought up in a city, the bare idea of going to live in poverty in the country would prove utterly irreconcilable to their natures." "It might have been on some such account," observed Rosetta, " that your father would not listen to the very lucrative offer which he received in Boston. He well knew that, with his tender heart, he could not endure the bare idea of having poverty all around him and not be page: 110-111[View Page 110-111] "O rBE DOMNIE'S SON. able adequately to relieve it. His salary, although large, would not in such a service have gone very far, and, be- sides, his time would have been largely absorbed in the preparation of his discourses, as great things would, of course, have been expected from him." "It is not unlikely it had something to do with influ- encing his decision," said Joshua, as he rang the bell at the front door of Mrs. Pickering's house, and wished Rosetta good-bye until after dinner, when he promised, at eight o'clock, to call and escort her to an entertainment at the house of a mutual acquaintance. He soon reached his room at Mr. Denniston's, and had barely time to wash the dust from his hands and face and to make a brief toilet, ere the dinner bell rang out its pleasant call. As good fortune would have it, just as Joshua was pre- paring to go over to Ninth street to make a call upon a Mr. Mitford, who was considered an authority in scientific and literary matters, and who was in the habit of occa- sionally spending an evening at Mrs. Denniston's, the gentleman himself was announced, together with two other old friends of the family. After some time had been spent in general conversa- tion, Joshua took the first opportunity to draw Mr. Mitford aside for the purpose of relating to him his adventure that afternoon with the sewing girl. When he came to the statement of the tailor about the French pri- vateers ruining her grandfather, "The deuce take them!" siid Mr. Mitford, "it was those confounded fellows that came near playing the mischief with my poor father. THE DOMNIES SON. 1O1 They destroyed three of his best vessels, and he never re- ceived so much as one cent of indemnity, and if it had not been for what he recovered from the English for the loss of a vessel including her cargo, I, myself, might have been as badly off as that poor woman and her child.." As Joshua well knew, Mr. Mitford was at that time under an engagement with one of the leading publishers to compile for them a work of reference, and as such things usually require a good deal of copying to be done, he took the liberty of enquiring if he could not make the services of the girl available in transcribing for his work, providing she was anything like a competent and ready penman. "There is little doubt that I could find her plenty to do," said Mr. Mitford, "if she proved to be at all handy, but I fear I should be able to -allow her but little remu- neration for her services, and the situation, of course, would be only temporary, for a few months at most. If, however, she possesses, as you infer, a fair education, I should think it more than likely, by my reviewing her studies occasionally whilst she is in my service,-which, if it would prove of benefit to her, I should be but too happy to do,-we might find no difficulty, with Mr. Denniston's assistance, in securing her afterwards the position of a teacher in one of the public schools." Joshua was quite delighted with the prospects of suc- cess in his plans, and he expressed his sense of Mr. MiUt- ford's kindly feeling and generous willingness to further his object in reference to the girl. In respect to the remuneration he said, page: 112-113[View Page 112-113] "2 THE DOMNIE'S SON. "If the girl at all answers your service, I request you to do me the favor to add to whatever sum you may think proper to allow her, the sum of three dollars a week, which, of course, I should not wish the girl to know anything at all about." "Very well," said Mr. Mitford; "now, if convenient to you, suppose you bring her over to my study at ten o'clock to-morrow morning, and we will then see what further can be effected in the matter." Joshua reiterated his thanks to Mr. Mitford, and apolo- gized for withdrawing him from the company so long, and he immediately excused himself to Mrs. Denniston and retired from the room to meet his engagement with Rosetta. When Mr. Mitford drew his chair again into the circle of the general company, a lively discussion was at its height in regard to the origin and development of man; and as soon as his presence was noticed, a general call was made upon him for his views on the subject. He accord- ingly made the following remarks: "Within recent years, I think we must all agree that the genus homo has made a pretty good development of his mode of evolution, so far, at least, as the surface of the earth is concerned, however we may differ as to the propo- sition of his own evolution from one of the lower animals. At the present time, the monkey seems to be the favorite animal to start him from; but I confess to a great deal of difficulty in bringing myself to decide upon any one ani- mal as being entitled to the honor. When I mix with my THE DOMNIE'S SON. 113 fellows, I experience not the slightest difficulty in detect- ing marked specimens of the Rodentia genus for instance, which are readily identified by certain long, wooden- looking faces, boring gimlet eyes, and lapping teeth, and in the characteristic qualities of climbing, grasping, gath- ering and secreting. Representatives of the piscatorial tribe are often noticeable by the contour of the physiogno- my, especially in their bulgy mouths. The descendants of the feline race make a strong exhibition. Their pres- ence is indicated by their peculiar purring manner of approach, as they stealthily draw near, so as to be enabled to stroke their intended victims down on the smooth side, while their cat-like eyes are unflinchingly fixed upon them, so as to seize the right moment for making the spring that is to devour them. Various other specimens which show unmistakable indications of their origin may easily be detected at any time among a crowd. In past ages people believed that the souls of the departed entered into the bodies of various animals, and continually existed in some form of animal life; now, I claim there is suffi- cient evidenc upon which to base a diametrically opposite theory. The great advantage of this subject as a topic of general conversation lies in the fact of its extending back to an almost interminable period of time, so that anything like demonstrable proof has been buried for ages in the unfathomable; consequently the subject will always pos- sess attractions for argumentative disquisition of the very highest order, because the imaginative faculties will never 8 page: 114-115[View Page 114-115] "4 THE DOMNIE' S SON. cease to command the most unbounded field wherein to disport themselves." A few minutes before eight o'clock that evening, Joshua had the pleasure of accompanying Rosetta, according to agreement, to assist at the performance of some private theatricals, which were given at the little theatre attached to the house of the fashionable Mr. Samuel Dobbs. That worthy gentleman was a retired hatter, and was probably not undesirous in the future of having his name men- tioned in some other connection, and accordingly set him- self up in the fashionable world as a prominent patron of the fine arts. The idea of bestowing the proceeds arising from the occasion upon some kind of a charitable object, was merely the shoe-horn for gratifying the inordinate cravings of the amateurs, both male and female, who, as the bills read, "made the first appearance on any stage that evening, for the express purpose of favoring the highest culture in the city with a taste of their vast and varied histrionic capa- bilities." The tickets were five dollars each, and were sent to every one who was supposed to live in accordance with, and to be at all desirous of being considered to be- long to the fashionable world of which our friend Dobbs was so anxious to be held up as a distinguished ornament. Mr. and Mrs. Denniston were favored with invitations, but they not caring to witness anything of the kind, gave Joshua their tickets, and desired him to invite Rosetta to grace the occasion with her presence. Everything, as far as Joshua observed, passed off satis- THEB DOMNIE'S SON. 15 factorily, and the elite of the city who honored the per- formance seemed highly delighted. Next morning, with all conceivable dispatch Joshua made his way up to the Third avenue to acquaint Mary Fulmer, the sewing girl, and her mother, with Mr. Mit- ford's offer. They both heartily thanked him for his remarkable diligence in the matter. As soon as they were ready, for Joshua desired the mother to go with them, he escorted them down to Mr. Mitford's study in Ninth street near Fourth avenue, and that gentleman courteously received them, although ac- cording to the ordinary phrase, he seemed to be up to his eyes in the particular business which then undoubtedly absorbed his undivided attention. Four assistants were observed busily occupied, apparently fully engrossed in the work. Mr. Mitford requested Joshua and the two females to accompany him into a private room, and after they had become seated, he stated that his particular friend there, at the same time, making a slight inclination of his head to Mr. Arbuckle, had suggested his taking into his service as a-copyist the young lady, .de begged the mention of her name once more, as he was somewhat preoccupied when she was introduced, and it had slipped his memory,) whom he had the favor of addressing. Joshua hastily refreshed his memory by mentioning the young lady's name a second time as Miss Mary Fulmer. "Oh, yes," said Mr. Mitford, "the name of an old friend of mine in the interior of Pennsylvania, long since gone to his reward, for he was an extra good man and unt page: 116-117[View Page 116-117] "6 THE DOMNIE'S SON. questionably had no difficulty in finding the right place at last. Well, now, Miss Fulmer, if you will take a seat here at my writing desk, and give me a specimen of your handwriting and capability for my requirements, by draw- ing off a transcript of this short paragraph, being careful to make sense of it by attending strictly to the marks of punctuation, I shall be enabled to form some idea as to whether you will be able to answer my purpose. The utmost care and attention, however, is absolutely requi- site." Miss Fulmer accordingly seated herself at the writing desk, and soon presented Mr. Mitford with a copy of his paragraph, which appeared to meet with his approbation, although he made no observation upon it beyond saying in a pleasant voice, "Very well, that will do." He then proceeded to inform the mother and daughter that the work he was now engaged upon would, in all probability, require close application for six months longer before he would be enabled to pronounce it finished. Ho would need her services, he said, from eight o'clock, A. M. until one o'clock P. M., daily, which would be five hours. The remuneration would be ten dollars a week, and he added, she might make a trial of the service for one week, and if it proved mutually satisfactory, the engagement would be continued until his labors in that special direc- tion were brought to an end." Both mother and daughter seemed pleased, and assented to his proposal. He then addressed the mother, although the daughter was quite womanly, and asked her how she THE DOM NIE'S SON.17 would like to have her daughter, if she continued with him as an assistant, prepare herself, in the meantime, under his direction, so that she might be competent by the fall to fill a permanent position in one of the public schools, which he had no doubt, with Mr. Denniston's assistance, they could readily obtain for her. The mother, and likewise the daughter, assured him that such a course would accord with their most sanguine desires. Mr. Mitford told them that as far as lay in his power, it would be a source of great pleasure to him, in any way to further the good intentions of his estimable young friend, Mr. Arbuckle, who had shown such a kindly and disin- terested desire to assist them. Mrs. Fulmer and Mary both expressed a due sense of their indebtedness to Mr. Arbuckle, and likewise to Mr. Mitford, and Mary was forthwith installed in her new vocation in the general business room, in the companion- ship of the four gentlemanly assistants. Mr. Mitford requested Miss Fulmer, if she at any time stood in need of directions whilst he might be occupied, to address Mr. Elphinstone Welling, the young gentleman on her right hand side, and he would be ready to give her the requisite information. As Mr. Mitford was leading his fair assistant into the general office, Mrs. Fulmer wished them good morning, and started to return home. Mr. Mitford, as soon as he was disengaged, returned to the private room in which he had requested Joshua to remain a few moments, when he eagerly made enquiries as page: 118-119[View Page 118-119] "8 THE DOMNIE'S SON. to how the theatricals went off on the preceding evening at the residence of Mr. Dobbs. Joshua entered into some particulars in reference to the entertainment, after which Mr. Mitford said, "I should like to give you a little experience which I underwent in a somewhat analogous affair, about twenty 'years ago, in the city which claims to be the great central radiator of culture on this continent. A retired tallow chandler of the suitable and euphonious name of Wickenhausen, was desirous of dabbling a little in the Fine Arts, from a mo- tive probably similar to that which doubtless influences our friend, Mr. Dobbs, in his theatrical enterprise. Wick- enhausen aimed, however, at rather higher game. He flattered himself into the belief that he possessed the extraordinary capacity of writing an opera, which should be, both in words and music, similar to Wagner's present work; and a rumor shortly gained credence in the art world, that the fashionable Mr. Wickenhausen, who was a great musical and literary dilettante, was then busily en- gaged in the production of an opera, to be performed at his private theatre for the benefit of some charity or other. Only the very cream of the fashionable and art world were to be admitted to witness the performance, which was to be given by amateurs of more than ordinary ability. Well, do you know, one fine morning, I had the honor of receiving a note from the distinguished dilettante himself, requesting my attendance at his house at my earliest con- venience, on a matter of urgent business importance. 1 accordingly called, and Wickenhausen was so kind as to -- .. . ,--o ouJ,. 119 inform me that he held me in such estimation, that he was desirous of deferring to my literary opinion on a mat- ter of some considerable importance. It was nothing less than the libretto of his new opera. I accordingly took a look at it, and, as might have been expected, it proved to be the most wretched doggerel that one could possibly imagine. The upshot was, however, that I spent a fort- night of the hardest drudgery I have ever endured, in putting the thing into passable shape, and although it was a matter of strict business, my services had to go to help the charity. However, I happened to be not the only sufferer in Wickenhausen's great effort of benevo- lence; for chancing, one morning about a month or five weeks later, to come in contact with my humorous and witty musical friend, Winkleman, and feeling myself somewhat overcome from the effects of a long walk in the hot sun, I accepted his invitation and accompanied himn into one of the little German gardens which happened to be close at hand. Winkleman promising to favor me with a little chat on the musical gossip of the day. "We had scarcely taken our seats, when I was struck by observing that everybody connected with the establish- ment seemed bent on showing unmistakably that they felt happy in being considered as the humble servants of my vial companion. His wants, in a national point of view, were anticipated before he could at all signify his desires. After he had cosily placed himself at his ease, and in good part satisfied his tremendous demands upon the tap, he very leisurely drew forth from a side pocket in the breast page: 120-121[View Page 120-121] 120 THE DOMNIE'S SON. of his coat a note book with a pencil attached, and he desired my pardon for an instant, whilst he scribbled a few words. "Now, be it known that Professor Winkleman at that time passed for a good deal of an autocrat, in his special line of business, at the "Hub," as he was the musical critic of a daily paper of some considerable notoriety, and was credited with possessing the power of making or un- making anybody or anything, by a mere stroke of the mighty talisman which he invariably carried in the breast pocket of his swallow-tailed coat. s. Presently calling to a person whom I afterwards found to be one of the proprietors of the place, he requested his attendance for a moment, whilst he read to him the notice he had just written, for the purpose of ascertaining, ac- cording to his expression, whether it struck the bull's eye right square in the centre. Winkleman accordingly read a most grandiloquent puff of the establishment and of its two proprietors, one of whom stood by, rolling his eyes about the little place with unquestionable signs of satis- faction and pleasure. "'Now,' says my friend, 'what does Mauritz say to that? Only think when the two brothers Gockel behold themselves and their favorite resort thus depicted in the great and mighty Hornblower to-morrow morning. It ought to make things hereabouts look very lovely.' "After he had read the notice, he called to one of the boys, at the same time tearing the leaf from his pocket- book, and enclosing it in an envelope which he directed, THE DOMNIE'S SON. 121 and ordered the boy to deliver it at the newspaper office forthwith. The proprietor assured Winkleman that he hit the bull's eye every time, and he and his brother could never sufficiently recompense him for the flattering estima- tion he was pleased to entertain of their humble efforts in behalf of the public. "At this moment, the proprietor's presence was in urgent request at another part of the premises, so he wished us a good day. After he was out of hearing, Winkleman said, in an undertone, 'You see, Mitford, how the matter stands. As life passes on, and we become somewhat familiar with the lay of the ground, which in youth, when viewed from 2 distance, presented quite a charming prospect, we are all of us apt to make unpleasant discoveries of one kind or another. The delightful looking aspect generally turns out quite unexpectedly to be an irreclaimable bog, or else an arid desert, without an oasis worth taking into considera- tion; and such is the fact in reference to the public. Be- tween you and me, the Great Intuitive are a despicable set of donkeys. You have to keep holding a thing up before their eyes forever, and constantly chime forth its praises, so as not to allow their attention to flag, or else the infernal jackasses will permit themselves to be led by the nose by the first addle-pated charlatan who shows himself, in an entirely opposite direction. Well, all that such grave, wise men of the East, as we two probably have no objec- tion to pass for, can do with such a stubborn, palpable fact continually staring us in the face, is to accept the world as we find it, and, like true philosophers, make what page: 122-123[View Page 122-123] 122 THE DOMNIE'S SON. we can out of it. As far as your humble servant is con-, cerned, he took the gauge of the public at a glance, and biding his time, embraced the first favorable opportunity: of seizing hold of a popular bell by the handle, so that he might ring it to as great an extent as his most obedient servants, the gullible public, furnished the quid pro quo. Since then, his lines have been cast in pleasant places, and it now only becomes necessary for the all important personage who is supposed to make or unmake as he rings, or declines to ring, the favorite bell, to show himself, in order to bask in the sunshine of popular favor, and gather in the spoils of legitimate war which accrue to his office. Once in a while it becomes necessary,' said he, to close one eye, while we ourselves get chiseled a trifle, and such inflictions we always bear with the best grace possible. We are now undergoing one of those inflictions at the hands of a retired tallow chandler of German descent of the name of Wickenhausen, who appears to be desirous of playing a leading part in society, by announcing his intention shortly to favor a select iportion of the fashiona- ble world with a very great novelty, in the performance, at the private theatre attached to his mansion, of an original opera of his own production by distinguished amateurs, for the benefit of one of the city charities.' "Just at this moment we observed a rather elderly man enter the gate nearly out of breath. I recognized him at once. "After eagerly running his eye over the place, he espied my friend, and directed his steps to the spot where we sat, THE DOMNIPS SON. 123 presented Winkleman a note, and then stood patiently awaiting an answer. "Winkleman begged me to excuse him whilst he perused it, which occupied him but an iistant, and he desired the man as he folded up the note, and inserted it in his vest pocket, to present his compliments to Mr. Wickenhausen, and assure him that an instant compliance with his wishes would afford him much pleasure. "The man had scarcely passed out of the gate, when the Professor unbosomed himself to the following effect: 'That confounded old would be pink of gentility, Wick- enhausen, is one of the most inflated hypocrites who ever undertook to blow his own horn for the purpose of aston- ishing the natives. He only aspires to the merest trifle, the authorship of an opera, both words and music.' "'Well,' says Winkleman, 'if my judgment does not play me false, Wickenhausen just strung together a lot of literary rubbish which he, poor soul, in his innocence no doubt really believed to be magnificent poetry, and then called in some literary character to put it ilto shape for his special purpose. No light job, I trow, as you no doubt are well aware of.' "Yes,' said I, 'you have stated the case exactly, for I myself was the poor victim.' "'That's just what I expected,' replied Winkleman. 'Old Wickenhausen is no fool there; he knows that it is always the best policy to go to headquarters in the first instance, for in the long run the expense is apt to be less if anything should have to be paid, and under the over- page: 124-125[View Page 124-125] 124 THE DOMNIE'S SON. powering plea of charity, Wickenhausen was pretty sure to chisel us both and get off scott free. Well, he next exercises his mighty genius on the music, and when he has gone to the full length of his tether, he condescends to flatter your humble servant by requesting him to examine the work, at the same time, offering to defer to any suggestions he might in his superior judgment think fit to present. I accordingly took a look at the music and what did I find? Why, everything that was not the baldest plagiarism was such insipid rubbish that his probably most remote ancestor, the Ape, would be utterly ashamed to own it, and the upshot was, I had to rewrite the thing, and leave the old jackanapes gloating over the impression that he was the original author of the ideas, and I merely smoothed and polished them off a little for him. The performers by this time undoubtedly could give a pretty accurate guess as to who did the main part of the work, although the public will in all probability never be any the wiser. The opera is now being rehearsed, and when- ever they get things into a snarl, Wickenhausen has to dispatch his man after Winkleman immediately, for his advice how to set things to rights again. As Wicken- hausen is rich, and stirs the fashionable world into a rip- ple occasionally, he has to be humored in his hobby, but you and I know to our cost the thing is no joke. Our labors are enlisted under the revered name of charity, and whilst Wickenhausen graciously accepts of the honors, the so called charity gulps down the profits which, if they had been increased ten times in bulk, would not, I will THE DOMNIE'S $ON., 125 guarantee, have occasioned it the smallest degree of in- quietude in its digestive apparatus.' ' Winkleman and I now proceeded to leave the garden, and as we passed out of the gate, two professional friends of my companion who were just upon the point of enter- ing, pressed him heartily to join them for a brief period, but he excused himself, promising shortly to return. After they had passed in, and as I was wishing him good- bye, he laughingly remarked: ' Did you notice, my boy, the little plump, red handed fellow with the fancy vest and neck tie on, who just this instant addressed me? "I nodded my assent. "'He's a humorous dog, is Stockmar,' said he, 'and although his fountain of fun is always chock full, he him- self is the dryest wag I know of. For, come here when I will, I am sure not to be kept long in waiting, before the rubicund face of my friend enlivens the aspect of the place, and calls to mind happy remembrances of time hon- ored old fatherland. Stockmar, by the bye, is an admira- ble pianist, and a most conscientious, painstaking instruc- tor, but he happens to possess a highly nervous organiza- tion, so he usually runs into excess in whatever he under- takes; and in consequence, he is forced to run down to the garden every little while in order to wet his whistle, so as to keep moist and rejuvenate himself. There is more excuse for his companion, Ernst, as his occupation is of a dry nature, that of a flute player. The fleshy tube through which the air is forced into the wooden tube, being liable, of course, to the loss of a considerable mois- ture from time to time.' page: 126-127[View Page 126-127] 126 THE DOMNIE'S SON. "After a hearty shake of the hand, I parted from one of the most genial of men, and shortly afterwards left Boston and became a resident of this city, wherein I have since continued to live." Joshua gave expression to the great pleasure which the experiences of Mr. AMitford and his friend, Winkleman, had afforded him; and he observed that his aims in life and line of action in reference to the public, his fellow beings, had long foreshadowed themselves to his mind until they had now become settled into a fixed, immovable principle, which he felt, that as long as he was an account- able being, he should strictly adhere to. He said he could not feel satisfied that he had done his duty in this world, if he failed to show his gratitude to the Almighty, in deed and in word, for his continued beneficence to him through every moment of his existence. He continued, "With the results of my own exertions, and with the prospects of my mother inheriting property from my uncle and my grandmother, I think I may entertain reasonable expectations of being at some future date a man of property; and if those expectations should in the end be realized, I shall endeavor to make the best and most judicious use of the means which a kind provi- dence has temporarily placed at my disposal. I intend, in a word, to make what I call permanent investments; that is, to use what means I may possess in excess of my mod- erate wants in strengthening the arm of struggling labor, and in endeavoring to alleviate the burdens of my less fortunate fellow beings. As I am constituted, I could THE DOMNIE'S SON. 127 never forgive myself, much less ask or expect the Almighty's pardon, after all that He has done, and is continually doing for me, if I failed in my duty to myself, and allowed existence to slip by, without living the high- est life which seems to be attainable to me in this world. Of all things, to live the life of a useless drone in society, would be, to my nature, the most unendurable purgatory imaginable." '"Where the inclination, means and capacity," said Mr. Mitford, "all coincide, such a disposition of life, is no doubt attainable, as it is in the highest degree desirable, and might even become an essential requisite to the hap- piness of a being so constituted, but such a combination, it must be remembered, is not vouchsafed to every one." "I admit," said Joshua, "such a life would require its votary to possess the soundest judgment, so as always to act with judicious prudence; but still, I feel that it might be attained." "No doubt of it," said Mitford; "but if the judgment should happen to be at fault in its discrimination, it would be like sending a ship to sea without rudder or compass." Joshua now bade his friend a good day, and took his departure. That evening Joshua escorted Rosetta to the aristo- cratic residence of Granville Fleming, in order that she might make a call upon her schoolmate, Adina May- flower Fleming, an attractive girl of a rather pensive cast of mind, but a great lover of the picturesque, and exceed- ingly romantic. She was, although she had hardly con- fessed it to herself, an admirer of Rosetta's companion. page: 128-129[View Page 128-129] 128 TIE DOMNIE'S SON. Joshua, who had made her acquaintance at the dancing school, had ere this intimated to Rosetta his opinion, that of all the girls he had met with in the city, Adina Flem- ing seemed to him most likely to be in accord with his special views and objects in life, although he added, "One cannot always rely upon appearances, for it is no uncom- mon occurrence, I assure you, to meet with those who in theory readily grant all your premises, yet when the su- preme moment arrives, turn round and obstinately refuse to second your endeavors." Adina and her brother Frank were the only children of their parents, and were utterly out of union or accord, both in their habits and tastes. Frank was a fair speci- men of the fast sons of wealthy, indulgent parents, of which so many exact copies from the original prototype are to be found in all large cities. He acted,-for I dare say that he never risked the danger of running himself into a quandary, by attempting to think of anything, at any period of his life,-as if the highest, or, at least, the best use that money could possibly be put to, was to get all the enjoyment he could out of it ; and the greatest enjoy- ment to him was, of course, what most tickled his fancy for the time being; such as, for instance, a fast horse, with which he could inaugurate an excitement by having a race, and laying a wager with some one similarly situ- ated with himself, and running the risk of getting his neck knocked out of joint, for unfortunately or fortu- nately as the case may be, he had no brains to lknock out. He acknowledged to feeling an Oriental delight in visiting THE DOMNIE'S SON. 129 his fashionable hairdresser twice or thrice a week, so as to dreamily while away an hour or so, as he lazily devoured the gossip of the place, and luxuriated in a delicious shampooing. The tailor's shop which he patronized was, as might naturally be expected, an inviting resort when- ever he failed to dispose of his time otherwise. His com- prehension seemed unable to grasp anything higher than the exquisite cut of a pair of pants, the fascinating pat- tern of a stylishy made vest, with the exception perhaps of the artistic set of a necktie, in giving shape to which he was, I understand, considered an adept among his com- panions. Frank flattered himself on being the possessor of a delicate and discriminating taste in the peculiar qualities of the rarest old vintages of champagne, but the proprietor of the fashionable resort where he usually gave his luxurious supper parties, who, whilst humoring his vanity and graciously accepting his money, had a pretty accurate opinion all the while of the worth of his extraor- dinary judgment in such matters. Frank's paternal grandfather had been the fortunate owner of a good milk farm, which in his day was situated a little way out of town, but in the course of time found itself encircled within the city limits, and consequently the cows were soon sent to grass elsewhere, and old Flem- ing sold the property and retired on a large fortune. The family, in the next generation, considered their right in- disputable to be classed among the first of the aristocracy, as their riches were derived from the land. Nobody could possibly turn round and throw up the taunt to them that 9 page: 130-131[View Page 130-131] 130 THE DOMNIE'S SON. they smelt of the trade, that they had acquired the starch that stuck them up, from their ancestors dabbling in soap, tobacco or any other mercantile commodity. Joshua and Rosetta were very courteously received by the young lady and her mother, and presently had the added pleasure of receiving the attentions of the aristo- cratic Granville himself. Aristocratic, I mean, as far as appearances and bearing were concerned. Granville Fleming enjoyed the reputation of being a high-toned, honorable and worthy man. Frank, alone, was absent. To a dashing young fellow of his expectations and tastes, the bare possibility of being caught attached to his mother's apron strings, at an hour when the beau monde were beginning to circulate into life, would have been the greatest conceivable slight to his pride that he could pos- sibly have imagined, as it would of course utterly have destroyed his reputation and supremacy among his fellows, if such a serious occurrence by any possibility had drifted into the gossip of the town. The head of the house, as I said before, was found in the place where no man ought to show to a greater advantage with his family. AI was not one of that class of men, who, when evening sets in, suddenly mke the discovery that an imperative engagement at the club requires their immediate attention, and forthwith depart. By the time, however, they have reached the corner of the street, a mysterious influence suddenly ap- pears to overshadow and control their movements, and they vanish in a contrary direction, and shortly find themselves THE DOMNIE'S SON. 131 at some resort, whose chief characteristics are opposite enough to those of the household which they have but just deserted. Such men take the flattering unction to their souls, that what with their dyed hair and whiskers, together with the youthful cut of their clothes and demeanor, they are still enabled to pass under the shaded gas lights, as gay youngsters who have not as yet by any means arrived at the zenith of their superlative attractions and powers. Poor Frank found no such avenue left unguarded from which he could silence the battery of the Governor when- ever he shot at him the raking, galling word of serious admonition; for the said governor had no such shallow tastes, or petty vanities. That evening, while his wife and daughter absorbed the attention of Rosetta, Mr. Fleming and Joshua were left together, and they appeared to be mutually interest- ed in each others' conversation, in the course of which, happening to touch upon the shams and subterfuges which pass current in society, Mr. Fleming remarked; "One of the most contemptible of habits which is now all but universal in our own country, is the besetting sin of throwing our faults on other people's shoulders. It's a mean business.' "I have often been exceedingly amused," interposed the young man, " at the seeming blindness of human nature in its freaks in that direction; but, none are so blind, as thos who do not wish to see." "Yoa know," said Mr. Fleming, "it's a common thing page: 132-133[View Page 132-133] 132 THE DOMNIE'S SON. for everyone here to rail against the French, and to make them the scapegoat for all our iniquities. We should have been of course, a very virtuous people, if it had not been for those outrageous French, inoculating us with their dreadful poison; but poor innocents! they have ut- terly ruined us morally, horse, foot and dragoons. You know, we simple, unprotected creatures, were entirely taken unawares by their artful seductions, and we fell, as a matter of course, at the very first interview." "Ah!" exclaimed Mr. Fleming, their cry is only the flimsy cover to hide the ulcerous spot where the cancer is eating into our very vitals. It's the moral impurity of the heart, which renders the imagination morbid, and stimulates it to seek a panacea in the most deleterious compounds, that were ever concocted." Mr. Fleming continued," when I was in Paris a short time ago, I happened to meet with one of our theatrical managers at the banking house of Munroe & Co., and he became nearly convulsed with laughter, at my innocently telling him that, to my great surprise, I had failed as yet to observe anything which I could consider to be at all out of the way, since I had taken up my domicile in the city." "' Why, no wonder,' says he. ' Such a cry as we raise on the other side of the Atlantic is all bosh, but it's neces- sary for us to keep it agoing in order that our theatrical ventures may meet with success. The cry of course, raises up an excitement, and then everybody feels them- selves called upon to go and make an examination of the THE DOMNIE'S SON. 133 thing, to see whether it is really as bad as Dame Rumor represented it. The actual truth is, that such undeniable abominations as are commonly exhibited in New York, would be here smothered by the police, before they had gained the slightest opportunity of polluting the moral atmosphere. Whatever rank seasoning the censor here extirpates, before granting permission for the piece to go before the public, we have to get always re-inserted, before translating it over the water, as our principals invariably write us, "you cannot get it spiced too high to suit the taste of our public, for, if the material for a genuine moral inferno ever existed anywhere in God's creation, it's right here." '" As Joshua was about to reply, he received an intima- tion from Rosetta, of a desire to depart; so he arose for the purpose of placing himself at her service, while at the same time he embraced the occasion to express his warm- est acknowledgments to his host for so kindly favoring him with the pleasure of his conversation, and the fruits of his extended experience. When Mr. Fleming took Joshua's extended hand as he was about to leave, he observed,-that their conversation recalled to his mind the old French song, which he heard when in France, "Where can a father happier be, than in the bosom of his family." Rather a startling sentiment that, to come from a people who bear such an immoral reputation among us, where their virtues are comparative- ly unknown. It reminds me of an Englishman, I hap- pened to meet at the house of a private family in one of page: 134-135[View Page 134-135] 134 THE DOMNIE'S SON. the French provinces, who, upon seeing the breakfast table on the morning after his arrival late the previous evening, seemed struck with astonishment as he exclaimed, 'why, I've had an idea somehow all my life, that a Frenchman lived mainly on frogs, and he couldn't make a meal with- out them; and here I am, before a French table, and not a solitary frog to be seen, but instead, nothing but good and substantial dishes."' On the following morning, Mr Fleming sat musing to himself at the breakfast table for some moments, in the company of his wife and daughter; Frank had not as yet made his appearance, having been more than ordinarily busy on the previous evening in fulfilling his various engagements, the more absorbing one of taking his place at his favorite gambling table, and getting handsomely fleeced, after waiting until the wee 'sma' hours to see if luck would not smile upon him for once. His father slowly remarked, " money can command almost every thing, but there are still a few things beyond its reach." "You know," addressing his wife, "I have spared neither trouble nor expense upon Frank, yet*what is it all likely to amount to. It is not more than a fortnight ago that I gave him fourteen hundred dollars to meet one of his little gambling liabilities, and he solemnly promised me never to get himself caught in such a scrape again; yet I should not be any way surprised to find my- self at any moment obliged to make a similar, worse than useless expenditure. Frank, it is true, is a very gentle- manly appearing, good natured kind of a fellow. He has TEE DOMNIE'S SON. 185 nothing of the stable boy in his manner and appearance, like Hodson's son Jim, yet he need not always anticipate he is going to meet with smooth sailing if his habits keep on increasing in their extravagance. He will finally become encircled by a set of toady sharks, and they will snap up what they are after, and before he has any idea of what he is about, he will find himself in among the breakers. In the course of another generation if the family are so fortunate as to last as long, the Flemings will in all likelihood have gone to the dogs, and of what good, I should like to know, in such a case, will all their property have been to them, except perhaps the mere fact of enabling two or three families to live in idleness." Mrs. Fleming, like an amiable mother, was at all times ready to uphold her son Frank, so she said, " what is the use, Granville, of giving way so to the blues about mere trifles. Frank is but a boy as yet,-not quite two and twenty-and of course like other boys, he must have a chance to sow his wild oats. Those prosy, exceedingly model young men who have never any wild oats to sow, do not in the end usually turn out any better. The fact is, they know so much when they begin life, that they seem never able to learn anything afterwards. Besides, Frank is looked up to, and expected to take the lead by his com- panions, and I should suppose you would not, yourself, be willing to see any of our family sink into the back- ground. If Frank does not shine exactly in the light that we -could most desire, still I would much prefer to see him try to make a glimmer of some kind or other, than to page: 136-137[View Page 136-137] 136 THE DOMNIE'S SON. sink down and mope away his life in the poor, miserable endeavor of trying to pass for a good, inoffensive boy. You may cry out about the expense, but that is not really worth a moment's consideration. In a city like this, per- sons of rank and station in society are unable to even turn themselves around without being continually disen- cumbered of their small change." "Young Arbuckle, although he is essentially different from Frank," said Mr. Fleming, " does not, by any means, strike me as a mope. At all events I can never sit down with Frank and have such a sensible talk as I had last night with young Arbuckle. If a topic worth discussing is introduced, Frank's head suddenly drops, and he be- comes mum. He never seems to tire of talking horse, or blustering forth about his sharpness in betting, and how he always outwitted everybody. I consequently soon lose all interest in his companionship, and feel that in my own house such kind of talk does but little credit to the establishment. I know one thing, if I owned such a son as Arbuckle is, I should be as proud a man as ever walked the streets of New York." Frank had by this time taken his seat at the table, and heard the closing sentence, as his father was deliberately engaged in refolding his napkin, preparatory to leaving the table. At any other time, he might have felt like joking the governor a little, but this morning he was rather sulky and out of humor. His conscience warned him that, in this instance, he had better let the im- peachment go by default, as he should need, before the day THE DOMNIE'S SON. 137 was out, to stick his beak into the old man's coffers, and make a small extract therefrom. Mr. Fleming had leisurely withdrawn from the table and left the room, and now once more the dashing Frank found a use for his tongue and his good humor at the same instant; as a couple of hot chops were placed before him from the kitchen, he exclaimed, "I should like to know, 'pon honor, if a fellow is expected to everlastingly devour such woolly-tasting, gross, fat stuff as that. Why, he ought to have a digestion like a cast iron refrigerator. Such things are only fit for a confounded, bullet-headed, beer-drinking Englishman; and you know, he is so fond of "them, he never lets them for an instant out of his sight, but always has one ready at hand, sticking on each side of his jaws. At Delmonico's, you may believe they would smile faintly if they ever had the least idea that I should be so reckless as to subject my digestive organs to such an infernal strain. Why, my reputation has long been estab- lished there, as the most fastidious man who ever entered their establishment. With all their efforts, they could not succeed in coming up to my taste, until, in a fit of desperation, they sent out to Paris, and, fortunately, ob- tained a couple of cooks from the Tuilleries; and even now, with a complete corps of artists, would you believe that a New York connoisseur can easily tax their abilities to the utmost possible limit? I should, 'pon my soul, just like for Adde to taste one little dish that Lafranc, the chef, concocts out of the brains of a chicken. Why, 'pon honor, it's the most delicious morsel that I ever rolled under my tongue." page: 138-139[View Page 138-139] 138 THE DOMNIE'S SON. "Why Frank," said his sister, laughing, "what brains I should like to know, can a chicken possibly have, it has not any place to hold them in." "Oh nonsense," said he, "that's just like you. Nobody has any brains except they are always poring over some stupid book or other. I tell you it takes a good deal more brains to drive a fast horse through the streets of New York, than a country bumpkin like Arbuckle will ever be likely to own, in spite of all the governor or any one else has to say to the contrary. If Jot Arbuckle had been born, and Brought up in the city, he might have acquired in time all the latest improvements, and even become an acknowledged leader of fashion; but it's too late in the day for him to begin now; his habits are all set. Why, I would wager my best hat he is such a green and innocent milksop, that he could no'more throw off a cocktail or a Roman punch gracefully and like a gentleman to the manor born, than he could thrust his curly wig through this napkin ring." The services of Mary Fulmer proving to be mutually satisfactory during her week's probation, Mr. Mitford concluded an engagement with her for the period that he expected to be occupied upon his work. As Joshua Arbuckle had recently finished his English studies with Mr. Kinnard, he now spent an hour each morning in the office of the Messrs. Dennistons' legal advisers, for the purpose of acquiring a general knowledge of the principles and forms of law. During the ensuing summer he visited Saratoga for a THE DOMNIE'S SON. 139 few days, in company with Rosetta and the Pickerings. While addressing the clerk in the office of the hotel one day, a daintily dressed and rather spare looking young man hastily approached the desk, and informed the clerk, that there was a very dirty, grubby looking old fellow who had fixed himself in the parlor, and he desired him to go and turn him out; for, he said, "he was too disgusting an object for him to contemplate for a moment." The clerk afterwards informed Joshua that he had a pretty acurate idea who the object was, but he thought he would first go and take a look at him before making an observation to the young man. Accordingly, after visiting the parlor and viewing the obnoxious individual, the clerk entered the office with a twinkle in his eye and, said' he, addressing the fastidious young man, " why, my dear sir; that is our great naturalist, Audubon, the most distinguished American now living, at least in the scientific world." "Oh dear me, said the young man, "I should be so delighted if you would give me an introduction to him." The clerk accordingly led him in, and went through the formality with the great man. When it was all over he came back to Joshua, and said, "you see, my dear sir, that it's an advantage to a man to pay a due regard to appearances where he is not known, if he expects to be courteously treated; although of course, Audubon would no more regard the opinion of such a snipe in artifical plumage, than he would the opinion of one of his namesakes of the feathered tribe." page: 140-141[View Page 140-141] CHAPTER VIII. N the fall of the year, Mrs. Hasley, Joshua's grandmother, died, leaving her (,a w property equally divided between her son and daughter, with the exception of ten thousand dollars, which she had gradually accumulated, with the intention S of making her grandson a present of on his attaining his majority; which day was set apart for his marriage with Rosetta. The old lady had, however, willed that the amount should be paid to him by his uncle, her executor, on the day which she had intended making the gift. At the conclusion of Mary Fulmer's engagement with Mr. Mitford, with the assistance of Mr. William Dennis- ton, and two of his friends, she was enabled to obtain a position in one of the public schools, at a fair salary; and before the expiration of her first school year in her new situation, she had the good fortune to win the affections of a very worthy man, Lawrence Edgar, the principal of THE DOMNIE'S SON. 141 the male department of the same school. His affection was reciprocated, and before the opening of the ensuing school year, their fortunes were joined in matrimony. I am happy to inform the reader, that their union proved in every way entirely harmonious. About four months after Mary had accepted Mr. Mit- ford's engagement, a small legacy which was bequeathed to her mother came into her hands, with which she fur- nished and started a boarding house, between the Third and Fourth avenues, and there Mary and her husband resided with her, for the brief space of two years, after which, they all transferred their activities into a similar sphere over the water,-in the city of churches, where they have since continued to live and thrive. One morning Joshua came across his friend Mr. Mit- ford, as he was passing into the rooms of the Mercantile Library, and by request joined him in his visit. While there, a young musical acquaintance of Mitford's entered upon a disquisition of the relative merits of the Italian and German schools of music, and while lauding the latter to the skies, he spoke of the former as languid, meretricious sentimentalism.. "The emotional sphere of the south" (Italy), he observ- ed, "when it endeavors to express, for instance, the sen- timents of love, is as much beneath the sphere of pure and vigorous, holy, true and tender North (Germany), as the waning moon is inferior to the. ever radiant sun." "One moment, my friend," said Mitford, "there is one thing I should advise you to ascertain before you ventilate page: 142-143[View Page 142-143] "2 THE DOMNIE'S SON. your views on art too decidedly, and that is, the country where the greatest number of illegtimate children are to be found. Perhaps you might be a little disconcerted by my assuring you of the fact, which cannot be gainsayed, that the land of your art heroes, Beethoven, Haydn, and Mozart, carries off the palm in that particular, and leaves its national rivals comparatively distanced." "That jumping to conclusions," continued Mr. Mitford, "often from untenable premises, is somewhat on a par with our established habit of stigmatizing the French as such an immoral people. Because Paris finds its profit in cater- ing to the wants and extragavances of the thronging multitude who continually swarm in and out of its gates, it has to bear the odium arising from their excesses, and of those who wink at and minister to their foibles, simi- larly as New York has to shoulder the disgrace, arising from ignorance and vice of the large number of emigrants who make its city their abiding place." Rosetta Keesley, during the time that she had been a denizen of the city, had availed herself of the great advantages which she found so abundantly spread before her. To acquire a thorough English education had been her chief aim. She however possessed a very accurate 'knowledge of Latin and drawing, and a tolerable insight into French and German, while her music at the best was but indifferent. She had a graceful figure, and made an elegant appearance in the ball-room. Monsieur De Janon always avowed, that Mademoiselle Keesley was the most finished young lady in the city who had ever enjoyed THE DOMNIE'S SON. 143 the extraordinary advantage of his great artistic ability. "In Paris," said he, "she would not of course, be any- thing at all remarkable, because there, the demoiselles have all the graces naturally, as they seem to imbibe them with their mother's milk; here, however, people have to be educated into them, and it's only one, here and there, that they are enabled to alight upon naturally, and with the greatest ease." "'Mademoiselle Kaiseley," continued the professor, "is a most delightful partner, and in dancing with her, I uncon- ciously lose myself and imagine that I am once more back in my own beloved Paris, the city of delight." Now Rosetta in her heart cared but little about danc- ing, but she was very ambitious to excel in whatever she undertook, so that she made no half-way work about it, but entered into it with a zest. One day, Rosetta came up to her sister's room after letting a young girl out at the front door, who had been to fit a new dress upon her, from the fashionable milli- nery establishment which Mrs. Pickering patronized. She said, "Bella, those poor milliner girls must have a very thankless time of it. Their nervous systems certainly undergo a severe trial, with so confining an employment." "Yes," said Mrs. Pickering. "They drag out a weary existence. It is stitch, stitch, stitch continually, and there is no end to it. Their lives are often sapped before they are at all aware of it. But what are they to do? The great mass of people in this world have to suffer and bear, the best way they can. It's only a few here and there, who can take care of themselves." page: 144-145[View Page 144-145] "4 THE DO MNIE'S SON. Mrs. Rhoda Sutton, the aunt of Mrs. Pickering and Rosetta, who was living in New York, at this instant was ushered into the room; and as her quick ear had caught up the closing sentence which fell from Mrs. Pickering, she exclaimed, as she proffered a hand to each of her nieces, "That is very true, my dears, for I, with what little means I possess, am often at fault in trying to take care of myself. There are so many pitfalls in this world, so many miserable shams and snares to trip a body up. It is true I am somewhat better off now that I am a widow, than I was when your poor uncle was alive, for then I only had one on the lookout,-and shortsighted enough he was, poor creature, God knows, for we stumbled a good deal, and met with some hard rubs and bruises;-but now, however, I can avail myself of any number, who are apparently only too glad to be at my service." "Well, aunt," said Rosetta, "what can be done to im- prove the condition of the poor milliner girls. You will acknowledge that the poor things have a hard time of it in this world." "Why yes," replied the aunt, " the fact is but too pat- ent, and the only way that I see for the better is for peo- ple to do as I do; dress plainly and simply, and leave style to servant girls, and, depend upon it, they will soon drop it when they find they can't be mistaken for ladies one day in the ek. Then these working girls will have a better chance of obtaining something like a fairer propor- tion of the proceeds, instead' of, as now, the head of the establishment taking the lion's share herself, for THE DOMNIE'S SON. 145 what she is pleased to call her exquisite, artistic style, which, by the bye, often outrages every instinct of good taste, while she doles out a trifling pittance to the poor drudge in her service." "The only consolation to me, aunt," said Mrs. Picker- ing,-"' for I know that people who are so wedded to fash- ion and do everything for appearance sake, as we Ameri- cans do, will never abandon it,-is, that as the world keeps on moving, the poor, hard-working milliner girl of to-day may in the brief future find herself in her mistress' place, at the head of a similar establishment, and enjoying the fruits of the enviable position." "Ah yes," said the aunt, "I grant that the smart, tasty ones may thu better their position; but you know it's the dull, hard-working ones that we have in view, and there is no such chance for them. They may, some of them, attach themselves to the wings of a good natured, obliging goose, and get him to drag them out of the quag- mire, but often they find that marriage in such a case is but escaping one evil for another that is quite as oppres- sive. No doubt marriage is very essential in order to keep the world a-jogging, on; but still, I suppose, if all womankind could have their choice, a majority would pre- fer to be born rich widows, say with one child like Jot Arbuckle, with a very rich old bachelor uncle. Hey, what do you say to that, my pretty Rose?" They all laughed heartily, and Rose at last exclaimed, "Why, aunt, I shall despair of ever being equal to you, 10 page: 146-147[View Page 146-147] "6 THE DOMNIE'S SON. you have such a faculty of digging right into the pith of the matter, and of turning everything clearly up to view." "Oh, you flatter me, my child," said Aunt Sutton, "but you may depend upon it, the only true way to deal with working people is not to be too fault-finding about trifles, and to adequately remunerate them for what they do for you, especially if you see that they are endeavoring to help themselves along. Wherever such people are found to be otherwise inclined, it is advisable to have no more to do with them than can possibly be helped, as the more liberal you are, the greater injury is done them finally; for it is apt to breed expensive habits, which, when they can not be indulged in, make matters worse for those who have acquired them." Late in the fall of the year, Mrs. Dr. Keesley's brother, Judge Houston, from Maple Grove, on the Chenango, went to New York for the first time in his life,-a railroad having recently brought that secluded section into direct communication with the chief city of the state,-to make his married niece a brief visit, and also to observe a little of the ways and doings of his more favored fellow citizens. It happened that during his stay a Philharmonic con- cert one evening took place; and as the Pickerings were regular attendants upon all such occasions, they could not do otherwise than to invite the Judge to accompany them, and hear for once in his life some of the very finest orchestral music. The Judge, of course, was very happy to accept of the invitation; and on the appointed evening they early occu- THE DOMNIE'S SON. 147 pied their seats in the building where the performance took place, Uncle Houston sitting next to his married niece, and Rosetta with Mr. Pickering, as Joshua, being somewhat indisposed, was unable to attend. The concert commenced, air the Pickerings, being great lovers of music, soon became absorbed in the variety of the effects that were produced. After the orchestra had been engaged about ten minute's, the Judge nudged his niece, and said, in an undertone, apparently much tickled, for he could scarcely Contain himself, "That's the most comi- cal and richest thing I ever saw in all my life. It beats Joe Pentland and the circus all, out of sight. Just look at the fiddlers, and see how their fiddle-sticks keep a-going all up and all down together, just like clock-work, and they never loo ak,tianothr. Why, did you ever! I declare, I never saw such a looking set of heads. See that round, big-headed, bald-pated old buffer with the spectacles on! You might look around for a year in the country before you would be able to pick up such a sight as he is. Now, then, look at that weazen-faced, dapper-looking chicken, with the wig on and the moustache! See, how he's rip- ping into it. There they are, all scratching away like a lot of woodchucks in a hurry to scrape out their holes, so that they can have more elbow room." Mrs. Pickering afterwards said that the grotesqueness of the sight had never attracted her attention so before, although she had attended an innumerable number of orchestral performances. She supposed that she must have been entirely engrossed in the music, and have looked upon the machinery as a matter of course. page: 148-149[View Page 148-149] "8 THE DOMNIE'S SON. As they were returning home after the performance, Mrs. Pickering explained to the Judge the reason why the fiddlers all made their fiddlestick go up and down so exactly together. She said the reason was, that every accented note had to be given with a down stroke, and consequently that they had all to move alike. The Judge remarked that he should have soon become tired of listening to such a never ending rigmarole of stuff without any kind of tune to it, if it had not fortu- nately been for the amusing way the players looked and made their queer kind of noises all together. Time and tide which waits for no one, passed on in the uninterrupted even tenor of their way, as far as our hero and heroine were concerned, until at length the day set apart for their wedding was drawing close at hand. Uncle Halsey, on behalf of his sister, Mrs. Arbuckle, after a consultation with all the parties concerned, fortunately succeeded in obtaining the consent of the Dennistons for Joshua to have an interest in their house upon his be- coming of age. To the ten thousand dollars left him by his grandmother, five thousand dollars each was added by his mother and his uncle. They also agreed to present him with a sufficient sum of money to enable him to make his wedding tour in Europ, One Saturday morning about a fortnight previous to their wedding, Joshua and his intended bride, as they were occasionally in the habit of doing, made an excursion so as to enjoy a little change of air and scene, down to Staten Island, where, after landing, they wended their way THE DOMNIE'S SON. 149 to an eminence from which they could obtain an unob- structed view of the ever-changing aspect of the bay, as the various vessels passed in or out of the harbor. After closely scrutinizing the principal objects of interest for a few moments, Joshua observed to Rosetta that he was very much pleased with her uncle Houston, as he seemed :to be a very generous, large-hearted man, and had a good deal of fun in him. 'Oh, yes," responded Rosetta, "t;he Judge is all of that and something more, for he is very fond of playing off what he calls his practical jokes, and sometimes they don't prove quite so amusing to other people as they do to him- self." "When he was here," resumed Joshua, "a short time ago, I had the pleasure of taking a walk with him one day down Broadway, and on our way we happened to meet with an acquaintance of his, and he eagerly enquired if he had as yet seen Edwin Forrest in any of his gladiato- rial characters. The Judge informed him that he had not as yet had that pleasure. 'Why,' replied his friend, 'I'm quite surprised, knowing as I do that you are a great ari- culturist, and always take such an interest in the exhibi- tions at the county fairs, for Forrest has in his possession the most magnificent calves on this continent, and proba- bly in the world. They are such-an attractive feature that I am told the butcher boys from the Bowery crowd' the theatre night after night, they are so carried away by the remarkable exhibition.' Your uncle enjoyed the joke exceedingly, and he and his friend roared again and again. page: 150-151[View Page 150-151] 150 THE DOMNIE'S SON. Finally the Judge succeeded in recovering the use of his tongue, and he exclaimed, 'Turnbull, that's the richest thing you ever got off in all your life, and I confess that I owe you one.' "In a short time," added Joshua, "we shall be in the land where some of the finest specimens of the masculine gender are said to exist. I have always looked with satis- faction upon a finely developed man." "Yes, and so have I," said Rosetta, "either man or woman. The physical should be always in excess of the mental, if a human being is to enjoy the greatest zest in life. For what is the use of anything if we are denied the pleasure of its enjoyment?" "The English must have had," said Joshua, "a great physical capacity for seizing hold of things and twisting them to their purpose, or else a comparatively mere hand- ful of men could never have accomplished what they have done. Mind can effect wonders. Ideas are, however, but airy visions of the imagination until they have been en- dowed with the requisite physical power to stamp them into actualities." "Everything," said Rosetta, is a great deal better, I think, for being properly balanced. When any one is gifted with a great genius in any one specialty, without possessing the balance wheel to hold it in proper control, it generally proves a source of unhappiness to its possessor, as it is so apt to carry him into extremes." "Very true," said her companion. "When we are over the water, we shall realize how things are on the other THE DOMNIE'S SON. 151 side; but I have somehow imbibed the impression that the English,-that is, the mass of them,-are a very stupid people. They have, however, sufficient sense to permit their ablest men to govern them, and it must be confessed that what they have accomplished, with such a small island and the means at their command, has been quite extraordinary." "There is one thing for which they deserve credit," said Etty, "and I very much admire them for it; and that is, with all their national egotism, which is natural, and there- fore pardonable in a people, they are not ashamed to point out and acknowledge their own shortcomings and defects, besides invariably criticizing them in the severest terms, without attempting the slightest effort at any sort of palliation, and such conduct I look upon as in the highest degree manly." "Do you know, Etty, I have sometimes thought," said Joshua, that Napoleon's miscalculations during the lat- ter part of his extraordinary career, were in a great degree to be ascribed to his unnatural physical condition, which unquestionably reacted on his intellect. He was often, you know, so engaged, that a dozen or more chickens had to be broiled so that one could be served at the right time from the gridiron, before he could manage for, a moment to tear himself away from the never-ending pressure of his public business. His brain and nervous system were, of course, far from that repose which is essential to a healthy state of the digestive faculties." "Jot, when we go to Paris we shall have an opportu- \ page: 152-153[View Page 152-153] 152 THE DOMNIES SON. nity of trying our French with the natives, and also the pleasure of seeing the demoiselles, who, Monsieur De Janon says, are embraced by the Graces at their birth, and consequently have not the trouble of hunting them up afterwards." Yes, and in the provinces we shall have an opportu- nity, Etty, of beholding that most perfect type of a well- ordered household, which elicited the admiration of my father,-a French family in the country,---where some- thing like due respect is paid to age. It is a matter of surprise to me, that we are led to look upon the French as such a light-minded, trifling people, because they seem not to be afraid to let the world know that they take pleasure in their enjoyments, and embrace them with a zest. In the natural sciences they are pre-eminent; while in everything else they bear comparison with other nations. Certainly, these cold, hard, atheistical, calculating ma- chines, the Prussians, ought not to set the French at a dis- advantage in the eyes of mankind, although the Germans are undoubtedly great plodders and delvers, and dive right down into the lowest strata of everything which they undertake to examine." "I expect," said Rosetta, "that we shall probably en- joy Scotland more than any other country; and by the bye, your surname must be Scotch. Keesley, I suppose, is English. Why, I should not be in the least surprised if you returned a good deal more of a canny Scot, after you have 'gang'd to the land o'cakes,' and been 'Within a mile of Edinboro' town.'" THE DOMNIE'S SON. 153 "I don't know why," said Joshua, "but I certainly anticipate a great deal of pleasure in roaming among the highlands of bonnie Scotland, the home of chivalric Wallace and Bruce the brave, as well as our favorites, Scott and Burns. I suppose that must be the most health-giving place to people from our dry climate." "Do you remember," asked Etty, "the old Scotch song your father loved so much, and delighted to hear beyond all others?" Oh, yes," chimed in Joshua, "but I have not tried it for a long while." He arose, and while strolling to and fro under the delightful shade of the fine old elms, he sang, in a sweet, mellow baritone voice, the charming old ballad of "O, Nannie, wilt thou gang with me to Scotland dear;" and afterwards, the manly song of "My Highland Home," by Sir Henry Bishop. As he resumed his seat, Rosetta said, "I only wish your dear father was alive now, to join us in visiting Scot- land, the land he loved so much. How he would have enjoyed the excursion, and how delightful his presence would have been to us!" "Yes, indeed," said Joshua; " it would have enhanced the pleasure more than tenfold; his companionship was so delightful, for his countenance was at all times radi- ant with good humor, except when he was engaged in his study, and absorbed in serious reflection. Ah, it is very true that we shall never see his like again; but we must try to walk after his example, for that alone,-if his page: 154-155[View Page 154-155] 154 THE DOMNIE'S SON. sainted spirit should be looking down upon us, which I firmly believe,-would unquestionably give him the great- est pleasure." After rambling about the island and along the shores of the bay for a couple of hours, they returned home, much refreshed by their pleasant trip, and in time to enjoy a good dinner; after which they were both content to spend the remainder of the day in peace and quietness. A few days afterwards, Joshua, accompanied by Rosetta and Mrs. Pickering, went up to Keesleyville, in the Che- nango Valley, to join in the preparations for the great event, which had been so long and so anxiously looked forward to by the two most concerned. On the morning after their arrival in the valley, they found the country for miles around, all busily astir to wit- ness the entree and performance of Joe Pentland's great American circus. Even Uncle Houston could talk of nothing else. He said he had never missed seeing a cir- cus that ever came within thirty miles of the valley since he was a child, and Joe Pentland was his favorite clown. Joe always recognized the Judge with a twinkle of his eye, as he casually surveyed the audience, for he knew then, that at least one among the crowd would properly appreciate his efforts for the entertainment of the public. Judge Houston, as was well known throughout that sec- tion of the country, invariably made it a point to arrive in town promptly at noon, on circus days, as he averred that to enjoy anything, it was necessary for him to eat his din- ner leisurely, in order to realize the most beneficial effects from the amusement. THE DOMNIE'S SON. 155 Uncle Houston on this occasion would take no nay, but insisted upon Joshua and his niece accompanying him to town and seeing his favorite clown. So to town they went, and when the performance commenced, the Judge, seated between his youthful companions, was in posses- sion of his favorite spot for viewing such exhibitions. Presently the notable object made his appearance, and, after casting his eye over at the Judge and finding that he was all agog, and apparently quite hungry for some- thing in his line, without being at all over-nice as to fineness of quality, providing the texture was tough enough to stand straining a little, he very deliberately opened his budget of comicalities, and although the prin- cipal part of them had been revamped unquestionably for more than fifty times, the Judge appeared to accept them all as entirely bran new, and to enjoy them hugely. The only new thing that Pentland did, and it tickled Uncle Houston amazingly, was to show the ring-master, after he had prompted his curiosity to find out how people used to perambulate in those days, how his grandmother used to walk. During the performance the innumerable-waistcoat feat was for the first time introduced in that section of the country. It took the audience by surprise, besides cre- ating a good deal of unlooked-for amusement. For it so happened that when the apparently stupid countryman tumbled into the ring with his jug of whisky, and told Pentland he could ride a heap sight better than anything he had seen that day, loud cries arose from one section of the tent, to put him out; to put out the intruder. \ page: 156-157[View Page 156-157] 156 THE DOMNIE'S SON. Whereupon Pat Murphy, who was the constable deputed to maintain order in the circus during the performance, feeling that the grave responsibility of enforcing a due regard to the observance and majesty of public law on that special occasion rested entirely on his shoulders, and happening at the moment to catch the anxious eye of the Judge upon him, he resolutely, like a man and an officer charged with the maintenance of public order, decided to do his duty at all hazards; so he sprang right into the ring and collared the supposed intruder, who had just that instant succeeded in regaining a horizontal position, and was apparently steadying himself preparatory to entering into a confab with the clown. Vehement demands were vociferously made by persons who had no doubt witnessed the trick before, for Pat Murphy to do his duty without flinching, and put him out. Now Pat was a sturdy, well-knit broth of a boy, and the signs showed that he had gone in on business, and was fully prepared to instantly levy in execution, no mat- ter at what cost, when the clown, probably realizing that the whole thing would be spoiled unless something was instantly done, managed to throw a glimmer of an idea into Murphy's ear, which in the hilarity of the moment, the crowd seemed not to be fully aware of, but it never- theless quickly had the effect which a small mice is said to produce when it approaches anywhere in the vicinity of the olfactory organs, for an utter contrariety of expression soon stole over and relaxed Pat's countenance, and he very sheepishy, and greatly to the amusement of the audience, TEE DOMNIE'S SON. 157 beat a hasty retreat, and left the law to stand up in its own defence, which, as the thing turned out, it was fully competent to do, for it happened after all not to get hit particularly savage in the affair. The over zealous constable was not long after that eventful scene in the service of the first requisite, as he found that the innumerable jokes which were constantly cast forth at his expense, kept-him rather too busy in par- rying them; so he concluded, happily, as things turned out, to betake himself to the poking business, and see what fun could be got out of it. He accordingly bought a small farm in the backwoods, a few miles out of town, which he soon set about poking in earnest. Now, it turned out that Pat soon became an expert in the business, and he found, greatly to his satisfaction, that the oftener and harder he poked it, the more the little farm laughed and enjoyed the fun. So that the episode in the circus was ,not quite such a serious piece of business for Murphy as it might have been after all. page: 158-159[View Page 158-159] CHAPTER IX. DAY or two afterwards, Judge Hous- ton was waited upon at his office by Professor Theophilus Gandy, who at that time filled the chair of oratory in one of the colleges of a neighboring state, and solicited to give the sanction of his presence to a lecture which the Professor was advertised to deliver that evening, in the town near by, before the Young Men's Literary Association. As the Judge was noted for his amiability, of course he consented to oblige the applicant for his favor, and in. vited Gandy to stay and take dinner with him; but the Professor excused himself on the 'plea of lack of time. After he was gone, the Judge rode over to Dr. Keesley's and invited Joshua to accompany him to thee lecture. "For," said he, "you will probably never again have an opportunity of hearing such a bombastic rigmarole of THE DOMNIE'S -SO Y 159 word-stringing in all your life, therefore it will not do to miss the occasion." The young man thanked his future uncle for his kind forethought in the matter; and when the evening arrived, Judge Houston and Joshua Arbuckle were visible among the audience. Presently the lecturer appeared, and after his introduc- tion was gone through with, he announced as his subject, "The Romance of Reform." As I had been led to infer that the discourse might prove to be a literary curiosity, I took the precaution to report it verbatim. And, with the exception of expunging not a few of its dullest paragraphs, it was precisely as follows : To chide the reprehensible is an impulse of humanity, but to impersonate the transgressor is to surrender in guilt. This surrender concedes an implication absolute as it is universal, of man's relationship as transgressor, and of his involvement in the limitless expansion of exception- able undertakings. The extension of this involvement varies like its magni- tude in the ratio of its intensity, in the indulgence of its participants, and in the complexity of its aspirations. In some, proneness to conservatism would abridge the guilt; while reversion, in others, would augment it. A roaming versatility tempers it; the canopy of heaven bounds it, and the complicity is glaring or latent as endowment may effect. Let this endowment be equalized, and you would but countervail to the weak the misfortunes of the strong, page: 160-161[View Page 160-161] 160 THE DOMNIE'S SON. you would but rob the possessor of his hope, you would but rob Nature of her crown. Assign them in possession reverse to reality, or deal capacity by the pattern of Na- ture, and you will witness revulsion and curbless revolts; for the supremacy of one is the destruction of the other. If then, with judgments of policy and judicious conformity, the assumed possessor adds wounds to his guilt, where lies the Romance of Reform? The politician would find it in howlings of danger, that our national fabric would be rent. The doctor, in running his patient through mills of exper- iment, while "Dispensation of Providence " imprisons his guilt. The banker would place it in charters where shavers are tellers, and discounts are bores. The attorney, in laws from moulds of convenience, while issuing reprieves by the heft of a purse. The preacher finds it no longer in cleansing the heart of a wretched sinner, or in praying for souls, except in a bunch; no longer in watching the bed of the dying, and easing their passage while soothing their pain. No; his message is longer, broader, deeper. It assumes control of our natiial eagle, and the inclination of its course, according to the decree of its arbitrary com- pass. Happy is it for our theme that sulphurous fumes tell no tales; that like corpses and coffins they make few dis- closures; that like the feelingless cinder it floats with the impetus of the graceful flame to be swamped by the poten- cy of its own calidity. Marvel not then that camisades and monopolies, frenzy and infatuation are obsequious in their obeisance. THE DOMNIE'S SON. 161 Obsequious to the prisoner crouching to the nod of the heartless despot; obsequious to the culprit knuckling to the lashes of a bloody scorpion. Obsequious, while gagging with sulphur and reeling with pain. Obsequious, as the pendulum of that clock on the mantelpiece of Eter- nity commenced that vibration, to which a diadrom seems a century, and a century an eternity! Marvel not, then, that dirges and wails, distresses and lamentations, hideous to the groans of a Homer's Mars are their, acclamations to exhilarate. Participants of a romance here, reinstallment is their doom hereafter. Adoration finds titular honors,- crucifying ambition its champion of victory here-disen- thrallment and abatement is champion there. Luxury having flaunted in the garb of life's focillation, and filter- ed enjoyment for Elysian bliss, finds equality its recipient, and romance its goal; for coordinations of its indulgence are copartners of bereavement. This process of imputation of deeds and consequences to the projector and conservatist emanate from the soul's personality and its relations with an inner sense; let these be coupled, and to one we have a verdict as deeds to obli- gations, and to the other, a reason for justice to guilt. Let this be recognized in nature's forum and they will be interwoven as indissolubly as duty and interest, and de- mand a compliance at the expense of pain; let this com- pliance be evidenced either in rectitude or malignity and reprehension or approval have no escape. It may have a Mars for its valor, or a Pallas for its wisdom, but it is ro- mance still. Romance to the angel issuing a summons " page: 162-163[View Page 162-163] 162 THE DOMNIES SON. and marshaling his culprit on wings of the skies. Ro- mance to the Brahmin simmering the flesh of the hus- bandless widow, till crumbling her ashes on his funeral pile. Romance to the Christian checked for, the steam- boat to land with a pilot whose harbor is heaven. Ro- mance to the sinner mounting an express with a different conductor, to run by the steamer for a depot not heaven. Romance to intrepidity spangling its epaulets with roses of innocence, to dance to the music of heaven's light in- fantry. Romance to malignancy drilled on the muster- ground in Beelzebub's valley, to open its batteries when devils may rally. The true patron of our theme reminds us of the Ameri- can turtle who conceals his head and feet in danger, bless- ing the roof which sinks him downward, till the hot coal reminds him of the brevity of his composure; or of the sharp-toothed walrus facing the shark whose leaden eyes are steered to close his existence; tearing and blowing, their fins are locked, his side is gnawed by the more agile shark, he hugs a branch, he conceals his agony, till blinded by blood and foam and pain he sinks, a prey to his victim; around him the dugong, the leopard, the mollusk, and the gaily darting fishes, which once found shelter in the fun- gus and tiny-armed algae, now gather to pick up their meal. Epicurean in sentiments, hopes and aspirations, viands and nectarian dainties are to their relish, but stale com- modities but vapor from the swamps of an alvine torpidity. Water from a puddle was much sweeter to Darius when r THE DOMNIE'S SON. 163 pursued by Alexander than wine or beer-; but a compro- mising subserviency of taste and smell, of palate and brain, to the speechless fruition of drinking beer, forbids detraction to her vinolent shrine. It matters not, he imagines, whether garbed for soi'ees at Nature's capital, or soliciting stock for a night air-line, he grasps for an- other Homer's chain, and is swung on the moorings of life's etheriality. It matters not whether noses are red, or eyes diverge, for the effulgence of one will luminate that lonesome valley, cordialize by its scintillations his welcome from earth, and secure for him a patent in the gas-lights of the skies; but the declination of the eye blending with its reflections the solar rays, selects the nostrils for its burning duct, fires up the vaults of the nasal dome, and is fed by sulphur from hell's gasometer. For pools to them are puddles still. Reality to the student tumbling the lumps for a whisky toddy, and reforming his classmate by holding his head; reality to the savage picking the leeches from his crural net trappings, to reform by their bites foul- blooded humanity; reality to the gambler pickling his dice in infamous bottles to throw double sixes from ro- mance, his bowl; reality to the sailor trifling with the whirlpool on life's giddy ocean, to be wrecked with the waves for his feelingless home; reality to the warrior tossed by the rockings of Time's furrowed billows, to gar- nish his sabre, with romance his goal. To some, this stands to our theme as the marrow to the bone, as the setueme to the beetle, their motor and major; as the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night to the page: 164-165[View Page 164-165] 164 TTHE DOMNIE'S SON. host of Israel in the ancient wilderness. To some appren- tices in crime, it is as fresh soldiers to an army, their vade mecum in sickness, in sorrow, in suffering and in pain; their vade mecuzn when storming batteries or levelling towers, when screaming trumpets start that yell as they scrabble mid the romance of crumbling mortality. Some have been steeped in acids of romance, while bathing in vats of curiosity, while generating gas for experiment, while swapping principle for fame; some in forestalling opinion by prejudice, in choking truth by error, in hug- ging mirth to pain. These it is whose puffing arrogance and nimble hopes, whose peerless fancy and winding schemes have looked for sway-that sway which no philos- opher can compass, that fertility which no theodolite can span. Some whine o'er the wounds of a bleeding present; sigh o'er the retinue of Satan's minions; plaster and poul- tice, stimulate and purge, wire and scheme till distraction has slaughtered an artful indulgence. The eyeballs roll, the lightnings flush the pallid cheek, the quivering lip are dedications to commemorate their approaching criminality. Assailment of missions, forma- tion of sects, scalping of creeds, and discarding the Scrip- tures "for an incorrupt original," are but virtuous abuses on their infamous rolls of negotiable depravity. The law- yer and perdition, the physician and graveyard, the preacher and eternity, are synonyms on their records of just reprehension. Revolution in their hope is revulsion in tears, heterodox to christianity, orthodox to infidelity, anarchy to liberty, the ultima thule to one of joy, the be- THE DOMNIE'S SON. 165 som to the other of woe. Warped by avarice and dra- gooned by disappointment, their estimation of enormity is tempered by excess, their apology by aggrandizement, their justification by interest. Seventy millions of- our race slaughtered by the hand of the stupid papist, martyrs at the stake of suffering hu- manity, Charles on the scaffold of a haughty Sydney, were once menageries in the damp coliseums of mournful de- pravity; but where are they now? Hope, affection, heart and rebels and counterfeits; man now is, at best, but fifty pounds of carbon and nitrogen, dissolved through six pailfuls of water; at best but a mushroom for frogs, and fun for dissection; at best but targets for sportsmen, and playthings for worms. Man, that being who dates his perceptions from human pantries ere he has smiled mid the blankets of trundle-bed innocence, or reeled in pantalets of frolicsome joy, m ust leave the hacienda with its foliaged lawns, must slide down the mountain of slip- pery temptation, must tumble mid the crags of icy malev- olence, must feed on the lizards of crawling fancy, must be snapped with the lashes of ivory-tailed scorpions, and be chewed by the sharks of remediless woe, for he is at best but a subsidized agent for a monarchized realm. He may for awhile rave and foam, prance and sigh, wheeze and groan, but soon "The rude wind is singing The dirge of the music dead; And the cold worms are clinging Where kisses lately fed." page: 166-167[View Page 166-167] 1666 THE DOMNIES SON. Some of our ladies find this romance mid flounces and ostentation, mid luxury and expense, mid smatterers of French peppered with Latin, of Latin salted with Greek, or of Greek hashed with German. To petrify their brains with problems or dishes would be blowing up the ram- parts of beauty and fortune, pillaging the flower-pots of geranium magnificence, and insulting the bounties of a benevolent Creator. The hot-aired, furnace, the attenuated visage, the wasted finger, the powdered varnish, the wasp- like waist, are to them sublimated attainments, stereo- typed as the magnets to a pauperized neglect. Others, like Aurelian, inveigh for reformation against the frivolities of fashion, multiplications of silk, or their own inequality. Could the caterpillar solicit their eulogy as it rolls from its bowels their silks and their shawls, its drastic members would quiver with insult, ere its apertures of delivery could be sealed; but dissect their aims, or probe their prospects and the generality of its distribution, the expense of its duties, its history among the Moors, and our dependence upon an enemy will be preyed upon with euphuistic eloquence to proselyte their courtiers, to help gothicize the world. Steeped in these belfries of unmis- takable grandeur, and oscillating mid etherialities of femi- nine creeds, they rivet large clocks on the turnpike of mortality, they decorate its dials with stalwart lore, they lubricate its wheels with the oil of centuries, they carve its pendulum from the gristle of the valley; and for a while its audible tick, its mellow beat, its symphonious chime, so consonant with the pulse of conservatism, so THE DOMXNIE'S SON. 167 welcome to the call of humanity, challenges a parallel in the universality of acceptance; but how soon the change! how soon the composure of its uniformity is a bane to its worth! how soon those hands once replete in exigencies are pendant and motionless, how soon they drop those weights, tinker those wheels and loosen those spindles, to engrave on its dial the codes of reformation. The essence of these codes emanates from regarding ourselves as the patriotic Elijahs of the Western Continent, from regard- ing our homesteads as ideal foundries where miracles for emergencies are safeguards to guilt. Its prevalent quest and diverse plan, its quibbling dart and matchless scheme, germinating with conceptions of ideal worth, as it clasps the folds of dissimilarity, adds no scanty provender to its romantic indulgence. Graduated by capacity, it enfolds in its purview aversion and compliance, while deepening its regard for the mani- kins of Justice. Refusing estimation by a general scale, it discards the results of confederated wisdom, banters with the monotony of gradual reform, and consigns it as the mastodon of a fossilized antiquity. Thus susceptible, it allows conjecture to wander to participation in indul- gence,-participation to be met by revolt in exposure,- and exposure to be grasped by a bedlam of woe. Gener- ated and fostered by passion and indulgence, it pictures itself on the shifting scenes of life's panorama, vivid and resplendent; and tinged with the evergreens of flattering anticipation, while redolent with the rosebuds of gradual bloom, it canopies the range of intellectual procession, and page: 168-169[View Page 168-169] 168 THE DOMNIE'S SON. paints each reticule on the background of life. Once be- dimmed by the verdancy of homespun adornment, or cav- erned mid the domes of dispassionate hope, and the ritual of reformation is spotless, the channel to glory clear; once tapestried mid the gayety of romance, or nettled by the dictates of conservatism, and the route to Elyrsium is snag- gy, the by-paths of sorrow drear; for roaming mid the avenues of frolicsome indulgence, it rejoices in the fluctua- tions of flattering schemes, and enrolls as its vanguard revolution or death. Such efficiency carved on tablets of immortal romance let history tell; let it be a warning through a Fryon poi- soning with arsenic the peas of Washington.; through a Constantine thrown in a dirt-cart, to be drawn to the gal- lows as a martyr to his faith; through a Maxentius reck- lessly reining his horse to the Tiber,-recklessly scorning a Constantine's friendship,-recklessly scoffing and mur- dering his friends, --recklessly as he parts with that bridge, to be left with the waves and a horse for his fune- ral. You see it in a Heliogabulus wretchedly begging to be spared with his life,-wretchedly hugging his tenderest friend,--wretchedly floating a corpse from his throne,- wretchedly as he is whirled by that mob, who have select- ed for his coffin the fishes of the Tiber. Yes, you see it in an Andre tremblingly measuring his footsteps to his gallows; - tremblingly scorning that es- pionage which had doomed him to die with a cart for his gallows,-tremblingly as the restless tear struggles for de- liverance, and his throbs are manacled in a soothless bo- THE DOMNIE'S SON. 169 som,-tremblingly, alas! as he circles that rope, to pay for his penalty at an impartial tribunal. If you give its simile to the rainbow, salient mid the blushings of bashful effulgence, you will see it waltzing with the violets of cloudy magnificence, while smiling o'er the death scenes of its flickering hues. If you throw its reflections on the lens of telescopic enquiry, it will be por- trayed on the diagrams of foundered anticipation, memo- rialized on the canvas of death-bed realities, and penciled on the blackboard of shipwrecked hopes. Thirty-three millions of our race annually wrapped in the sods -of the valley, with all the wrecks of shattered hopes, with all the sobs of panting grief, with all the wails of ragged misery, are insufficient to appease the ravings of an unrelenting aspiration. It may answer as the wood to Death's locomotive; but oil and water are lacking. This oil and water, the worm- wood of their hopes, the gall of their fears, are a nullity to their commodities of inseparable fruition; they are the clergymen in their paradise of intoxicated bliss; they are the cholera in their summer of vigorous bloom. To the true patron it is a pacificator which checks the cries of restless frenzy, mounts the waves of battered grief, and stems the tide of error. They would feed Death's locomotives with oil and water, and when with nimble wheels, limber joints and snorting pipes, it is fired for the lack of glory, as the drawhridge of life is closing, they would fly for the glassy portals, and when with shivering fear, aching hope, and page: 170-171[View Page 170-171] 170 THE DOMNIE'S SON. pallid chleek, they approach Mortality's junction, they would join the express of Jordan, and having entered Immortality's depot, they would wrap them in the icicles of Death's cold mantle, and lay them in the graveyards of endless woe. Such ebullitions of incorrigible vengeance, which blister the passions, and give flash to the storm, are confined to no wiles of state or dens of corruption; no sections hold it, no geography bounds it. Enter the Senate, and it is there. Shake hands with Misery, and it is there. Roam o'er the prairies of national pride, and it is there, where its records are sprinkled with grief. Traverse the forests of savage luxuriance, and there it is sepulchred in wigwams of hope. The pioneer writes its trail as it mildews the valley, while he copies the epitaph engraved on its tomb. Sunburnt mid the slopes of nuptial inconstancy, it fires up in the Mormon aspirations for luxuriance, and at the point of his dagger his victim must yield. Having localized resentment, it hives in no section, or sports with no race; congenial to avarice it is subservient to revenge; abdicating justice, it provokes patience unto desperation, assuming a position which no ambition can plead. Such a theme needs no epitasis. It needs no amphithea- tre with its Ignatius irritating the lions to accelerate his glory. It needs not the intellect of an Origen, the inflexi- bility of a Laurentius, or the suavity of a Pionius, for its' apodosis. That colossal dome whose walls once sweat with the blood of martyrs is its eloquence. That elo- -THE DOMNIE'S SOY. 171 quence is immortal, for Blandina is the christian whose hope nursed her agony. That eloquence is pathetic, for Cyprian is the hero who died for his country. That elo- quence is matchless, for Innocence is the culprit who was roasted for shame. That eloquence is celestial, for reli- gion is the life-boat which bore them to eternity. It needs no Ridley caressing his companion ere the flames checked his misery, no compassionate emotion or farewell sob to sentimentalize their epilogue, for no snowhrow sympathy or griping anguish can ever humanize the death rattle of romantic malignancy. Yet the breeze which once dried up the tear o'er their ashes will sigh with the zephyrs of classic exuberance, and pant as it mellows the sods o'er their grave. Romance of reform thwarts constitutional liberty. It effects this by recognizing the catechism of sceptics and fools, or of schemers and enthusiasts, which may serve as a suppression in a local emergency, as a grand panacea for future ills. Each with fermented passion and turgid brain hacks and hews for glory. The sharpest knife wins, but honor and justice are garroted. Give the victor an emetic, and he will disgorge platforms for parties, law- books for courts, and bibles for sinners, inked over with lies, and punctuated with infamy, driving at the suppres- sion of local ills. Did tot a whisper effect a universe, and a novelty a clime? A grudge against a sect or country might be suppressed rather than sap the foundation of centuries. But that grand shuttle which has woven sympathies and page: 172-173[View Page 172-173] 172 THE DOMrINIErS SON. dependence, habits and life, in one national woof, has woven a solicitude for schemes and motives for preference, which extorts a disgust or approval. Once- temper that preference, or graduate that solicitude, by any standard which is unper verted, and these schemes which suggest not the highest good of the whole country will vanish. Then free love, woman's rights and polygamy, with all their train of sickly hopes will float towards the banks of oblivion; and when their last ray shall have glimmered, and despair is dismissed for the grave, immortality will hail their requiem as wild monstrosities of- turbid intel- lects. Romance of reform we have thus dissected. We have found its embryo in fancy, kindling ideas to sensibility, sensibility to monopoly, and monopoly to reform, con- structive and destructive; passion its instinct, inconsis- tency its impulse, and anarchy its doom. We could hunt the heterodox of pulpits, fumble the rubbish of antiquity, and clarify the theology of its smoky caves, but like the enchanted horn of Astolpho, we might make our audience mad. Yes, we might rally the documents--recall Elijah's trip to Heaven, the whale's seventy-two hours guest, the familiarity of the ass and serpent, the halting of the stars and suspension of the waves, and distill from their coun- sels wisdom; but we have already lanced the humors, poulticed the sores, and explored this malady of nations; the lobes of the liver, the sacs of the heart, and the ventri- cles of the brain, which have been paralyzed, clogged up, THE DOMNIE'S SON. 1738 or bewildered, we have cleaned out and remedied; but if we have lanced too deep, or purged too high, our regrets will expiate our indiscretion. Gentlemen, this subject claims application to you. Young men are but the crowhars and minions at the ful- crum of life, not pigmies or hollyhocks. It is the sinewed intellect, the sympathetic beat and ingenuousness that vamps a nationality, and whets its sensibilities., You then head the van, whose plasmatic front can sway an universe. You behold in our national flank and rear, Mi- nos and Rhodomanthos, Neros and Domitians, beckoning you to the crookel policies of mistaken wisdom, dictating conjectures and issues by desperation and life, sheltering speculations and blemishes behind beauty and hope, and flooding our land with isms of vipers, but to seduce your affections and macerate your brains. Would you remove these Sennacheribs from Araman- thus, then become Melancthons in reform, not Catalines of your country. Better banish, like Lycurgus, politician and poet, rather than not tear from our wheels this drag- chain of romance, which is the pabulum of fancy and nursery of woe. Yes, weigh possibilities and conjectures'on steelyards of the Union; and when the reviving embers of freedom have luminated with halcyon reminiscences your route to the grave; with "Non mzihi sed populo " on your banners, Immortality will welcome you as guest in another city, where like Mahomet you can exclaim, "My wounds are as resplendent as vermillion, and as odoriferous as musk!" page: 174-175[View Page 174-175] 174 THE DOMNIE'S SON. The Judge, as they rode home, asked his companion how he liked the lecture, and assured him he had heard a good specimen of the lecturer's peculiar style, and that it was Gandy all over, and nothing else but Gandy. "He is unquestionably," replied Joshua, "a splendid elocutionist; but his strings of sentences were intermina- ble, and his long drawn out periods reminded one some- what of Dr. Johnson." Yes," said the Judge, " there can be no question that Gandy has talent; but there is a fearful lack of ballast in his composition, and he appears to be a little touched in the head." "I should not be at all surprised," replied Joshua, c if his terrible earnestness might not be attributable to some slight cerebral derangement." i CHAPTER X. GREAT absorbing subject of conver- sation for months previous to the time set apart for its occurrence, was the wedding of "Jot Arbuckle" and "Etta Keesley," as the country folks styled them. It was much remarked how differ- ently Dominie Arbuckle's son had turned out from Elder Gyson's boy, who had the bad habit of borrowing quarters from every one whom he thought would be likely to have any spare change, and who was also unfortunate enough to continually mistake other people's gardens for his father's, and to run off from them their choicest vegetables to the nearest market. Another bad example in the community was Deacon Sypher's son, who had committed forgery; and although the matter was hushed up, his poor father took it so to heart that he became suddenly quite gray and bowed down, presenting the appearance of a very aged mah. At the wedding were present the friends and acquain- page: 176-177[View Page 176-177] 176 THE DOMNIES SOr. tances of the families concerned. The bride looked exceed- ingly charming, and received many handsome presents; noteworthy among which were those from Mrs. Arbuckle, Uncle Halsey, Mrs. Denniston and Mr. Pickering. There were also innumerable tokens of affectionate attachment- pure offerings of the heart, from her old school and play- mates, which, although of but little intrinsic value, were as highly prized by her as the most costly of her gifts. After the ceremony was over, and as the company were partaking of refreshments, the bridegroom found himself placed next to Mrs. Geron, an old friend of the family, at that time verging on three score years, and the mother of a large family of married children. She had the appear- ance of not being more than forty-two or three years of age, and was a remarkably fine, full, handsome-looking woman, and looked as if she had extracted from life the healthiest and most rational enjoyment and happy con- tenement. In the course of conversation, Joshua happened to touch upon the flight of time, and the changes which it inevita- bly brings forth, in the loss of friends and the impairment of the faculties and the powers of enjoyment, and Mrs. Geron rejoined, "Yes, but only think what a forlorn, wretched, intoler- able state it would be, if we had to remain in this world forever. For my part, I am glad that things are not thus ordered, for I look forward to a change with a good deal of pleasurable hope." "Ah," said Joshua, "now I understand the cause of THE DOMNIE'S SON. 1" your always looking so young and handsome. Old Father Time doubtless finding you so willing to take the journey with him has not thought it essential to call upon you and leave his notice; and in consequence you are growing younger and handsomer every day." The newly married couple crossed the ocean to Europe, under the especial care of an old sea captain of their ac- quaintance, who had taken from time to time, as he informed them, a large number of newly married couples across in his vessel, and said he, "if they had not been married previous to their starting, the greater part of them certainly would never have been married after- wards." Joshua fortunately was not troubled with sea-sickness, and Rosetta but slightly, for a couple of days. Their voy- age was very favorable and they enjoyed it exceedingly. After a brief sojourn in England, where they luxuriated in the comfort and commodiousness of their hotel accom- modations, they passed over the channel and made the tour of the continent, visiting the usual sights worth see- ing, and having the common luck of Americans at that day, of often having their nationality confounded with a people speaking the same language. As they were leaving a public building one day, which contained one of the most notable sights in Paris, the jan- itor in thanking them for so handsomely remembering him, casually observed that their countrymen, the English, were as a general thing very liberal in their gratuities for his attentions. Upon which Joshua informed him that 12 page: 178-179[View Page 178-179] 178 THE DOMNIfJS SON. they were not English but Americans; when the man in apparently blank astonishment exclaimed, after he had drawn a deep breath, "Why, I thought the Americans were all of a deep brown or copper color." After a few months of rare enjoyment, they returned to England, as Joshua had agreed previous to leaving New York to attend to some business transaction for the firm he was now connected with, and which it was expected would require his attention at intervals in England for a year and a half at the least. Upon landing at Dover, they proceeded to Birmingham, where they took up their residence at Dee's Royal Hotel. A few mornings after their arrival, they visited the town hall in order to listen to an organ performance by the renowned Chevalier Neukomn, who was then reputed to be the greatest living player on that instrument. Upon their return to the hotel, greatly to their surprise, they found, awaiting their return with impatience, Mr. Brade- ley, Joshua's old acquaintance, the knicknack peddler of New York. And they were not long in learning that the battledoor of Fortune had given his shuttlecock a tremen- dous upward impetus since they had last met. It appeared that Mr. Bradeley's brother, a few months previously, had been victorious in an important lawsuit, which had enabled him to settle with his creditors and resume control of his estates which were entailed. Mtr. Bradeley seeing the account of his brother's success, in the newspapers, had immediately relinquished his employment under Uncle Halsey and hastened to the old country, THE DOMNIE'S SON. 179 much to the regret of his employer, who declared that he should never be able -to fill his place. "For," said he, a the Englishman is satisfied and contented if he can live along comfortably and at his ease, but one of my own countrymen would be looking about whilst my back was turned, to see what he could manage to make out of me." It appeared further that Mr. Bradeley's brother, about three months after he had been reinstated in his former position, was one day taken suddenly ill, and died, leaving his possessions to his only heir, the former knicknack peddler. Mr. Bradeley having heard that Joshua was married and in Europe, had written to the Dennistons to ascertain his whereabouts, and they had apprised him that the young couple would in all probability be found in Birmingham at a certain date; therefore he had hastened up front Surrey, to present his congratulations in person at the earliest mo- ment, accompanied by a handsome and extremely valuable wedding present to Joshua's bride, with whom he ex- pressed himself as very much charmed. He invited them to make him a visit at Glenmorton Castle whenever it should suit their convenience. And he remarked upon Joshua's observing that his mother had procured him two letters of introduction to Mr. Dickens, whom he had the greatest desire to know, that he would have no need to hunt him up, as Mr. Dickens had been a very great favor- ite-of his father and also of his brother, and it would give him the greatest pleasure to invite him to the castle dur- ing their visit. %/ page: 180-181[View Page 180-181] 180 THE DOMNIE'S SON. "Then," said he, "you will have the best opportunity to see that good and talented man to advantage. But for that matter," he continued, "Charles Dickens is a true man, and he shows to advantage under all circum- stances. Joshua expressed his extreme surprise at the sudden transformation in Mr. Bradeley's circumstances, and con- gratulated him exceedingly in the resumption of his for- mer position in society. He promised to accept his kind invitation in behalf of his wife and himself, in the course of a week or ten days. Mr. Braideley afterwards joined them at dinner, and in the evening they all attended a grand concert in the large and admirable concert-room of the hotel, where they had the pleasure of hearing Miss Clara Novello, Mr. and Mrs. Wood and Mr. Henry Phillips, besides some very charm- ing instrumental virtuosos. Among the vocal selections, Mr. Wood's little ballad, CWhile the Maid of Rangollen smiles sweetly on me," particularly pleased both Joshua and Rosetta; and at thile latter's urgent request, her husband promised to add it to the number of his songs, if he found on trial that it suited his voice. On the following morning Mr. Bradeley took his depart- ure in order to make preparations for the reception of his -guests, and to invite some friends to meet them. And in ten days from that date, MJr. and Mrs. Arbuckle took the train for London, where they found Mr. Bradeley awaiting them according to arrangement, to escort them to his country seat. THE DOMNIE'S SON. 181 One day after dinner, as the company were enjoying themselves at the table, (the ladies having passed into the drawing-room,) the conversation turned upon the incidents of travel, which the various persons then assembled had in the course of their journeyings witnessed; and Mr. Bradeley said that he had perhaps never been more, amused in his life than by something he had once seen at dinner on one of the lake steamers in the States. "(A young, grown-up girl, very respectably dressed and of good appearance, had just dipped her bread on the point of her fork into a bowl of gravy, before the eyes of the whole company, and while engaged very deliberately in withdrawing it to her own plate, said aloud to her younger brother, with the most perfect nonchalance imaginable, 'Dip into the gravy, Jake, and don't be afraid, for dad's paid as much as any of -em.' After the company had passed into the drawing-room, the host asked Mrs. Arbuckle which nationality of men and women she had been most pleased with in society in Europe. Her reply, which the host appeared to take as a great compliment, was that the English men and the French women most charmed her by their exquisite manners and polished address. On the sixth day of their sojourn at Glenmorton Castle, the object of their warmest regards, the one of all others in England that they had the most intense desire to behold, and the greatest living favorite of the English-speaking public in both hemispheres,-Charles Dickens-came to page: 182-183[View Page 182-183] ,182 THE DOMNIE'S SON. the castle on a visit of a few days, and Joshua had the long wished-for pleasure of presenting the letters of intro- duction with which his mother had taken so much pains to furnish him, and also to express in conjunction with his own, his mother's deep sense of their united obligations to Mr. Dickens, for stimulating their feelings of humanity into channels of activity and usefulness. The object of their admiration handsomely acknowledged the kind com- pliments in his favor; and during the few days that the Arbuckles enjoyed the rare treat of his fascinating society, the high opinion which they had previously formed of him was more than fully confirmed by a more intimate ac- quaintance, which in public men is not always found to be the case. Mr. Dickens, on leaving, took occasion to give expres- sion to the pleasure which their brief acquaintance had afforded him, and to express the hope that he might be favored with a visit from them at his own home in the country, and have the gratification of presenting to his household one of the most attractive couples of young Americans he ever had the good fortune to meet. The morning succeeding the departure of Mr. Dickens, Rosetta sent the following epistle to Joshua's mother in Philadelphia. "MY DEAR GOOD MOTHER,- I find myself unable longer to resist writing to you, to make you acquainted with the very great treat of which we have been the recipients, during the last few days at Glenmorton Castle, THErN DO MNoIE'S S ON. 183 in the intimate companionship of your dear favorite, Charles Dickens. We find that he proves to be a great deal more worthy of esteem, the nearer you become acquainted with him and have opportunity to realize something of the worth and goodness of the man. As Joshua very truly says of him, ' the master is better than his work.' "We always thought, you know, that Joshua had a very keen eye, but, would you believe it, in comparison with Mr. Dickens', it seems as dull as other people's. Dickens sees fun and humor in everything; not the slightest objeet escapes his glance. He possesses also a charming and admirable sense of appropriateness, and his great, large heart, whenever its chords are rightly touched, give forth the sweetest, tenderest and most deli- cate tones that could ever be extracted from the highest and the most profound sensibilities of the most finely- wrought woman who ever lived. In him, however, there is not the slightest danger of their ever degenerating into mere sentimentality, .as his tenderest and most feminine tones are at all times accompanied and counterbalanced by the clarion ring of a gallant, masculine, self-reliant spirit. "O, how I wish, my darling mother, that you had been with us in our rambles in' the fields and woods, and along the winding banks of the running brook, and the pretty little miniature lake, in such entertaining companionship. It would have afforded you a world of pleasure, as I need not assure you that it did us, for Dickens' most trivial remarks are so permeated with good sense, and are the page: 184-185[View Page 184-185] 184 THE D OMINIE'S SON. offshoot of such clear insight and such keen reflective ob- servation, that on all occasions it is a great charm and delight to listen to him. How naturally and admirably everything he does is done. "Only think, the lovable man wants your two children to make him a visit at his country house; and we, poor, foolish things, are so vain, we take it in good part, and are not afraid of his stamping us into one of his books, before we have the slightest idea that he has secured us. We are looking forward to the event with anticipations of the most exquisite pleasure. "We have enjoyed all the time since we left home. Our hearts at all times go out to our dearest and best of friends, and we never tire of asking God to bless and re- ward her for all her love and goodness to those more nearly around her, and especially for her loving kindness and forethought'for her dear children. "With love and affectionate remembrances to Uncle Halsey, and a thousand kisses and embraces to your dear self, "From your loving child, ROSETTA. CHAPTER. XI. X'M S Mrs. Rosetta Arbuckle had expressed ! kkko^ ^to Viscount Ormbury, who was also a '^ a, xeg^ guest of Mr. Bradeley's, a desire to visit Scotland, arid view its remarkable i^ Iscenery, that nobleman invited the ^9^ young couple to accompany him at the ' g ; ^ termination of their stay at Glenmor- t ciZ" ton, to his shooting grange in- Perth- shire, where, he informed them, they could ramble and make excursions among the most lovely and romantic scenery of the land of the picturesque. Joshua and his young wife were happy to avail them- selves of so attractive an offer, and at the expiration of . the time set apart for their visit to Mr. Bradeley, after gratefully expressing to him their sense of his unremitting attention and kindness in sparing no pains to afford them the greatest enjoyment and delight' during their' brief sojourn, and with a promise to spend a few days with him in London during the ensuing winter, they left in the company of their noble escort, for the purpose of devoting page: 186-187[View Page 186-187] 186 THE DOMNIE'S SON. a few weeks to one of the most charming and diversified lands that the foot of man has ever trod.- s In the course of a few days after their arrival at the Grange, the Right Honorable Eastcourt Neville Arbuckle, a member of Her Majesty's Privy Council, and an exten- sive landowner, residing in the immediate vicinity of the Grange, called upon Lord Ormsbury, and Joshua and his wife had the pleasure of an introduction to their distin- guished namesake. It proved to be an exceedingly inter- esting meeting, especially for Joshua and Rosetta, as it ended with the discovery being made that young Mr. Ar- buckle was the only living heir of the Honorable Neville. It appeared that the late Dominie's father was the only brother of the old gentleman, and having greatly dis- pleased and incensed his father by formings an alliance which his parent considered to be derogatory to the rank and station of the family, he was cut off withba shilling; and all the acquired property, together with the entailed estates, were left to the elder brother, who married, and whose only child, a son, had died before coming of age. His wife had also quite recently passed away, leaving the old man in his last days all alone in the world. Afteyrfinding there was no hope of his father ever be- coming reconciled to him, the younger brother emigrated to America, and his only child became a Presbyterian minister, and was settled over a congregation in the Che- nango Valley of the state of New York; a fact that the old gentleman said he had been fully aware of for a num- ber of years. He had, he said, for some time intended to THE DOMNIIS SON. 187 send his grand-nephew an invitation to come over and make acquaintance with the "Banks and braes of Bonnie Doon." All parties were of course highly interested in the state- ment of facts which were elicited, and the old gentleman at once desired his newly-found relations to accompany him home and see how they liked Kenleeth Orbray, his present residence. Their host, Lord Ormsbury, appreciative of the situa- tion, with cheerful alacrity assented to forego the further pleasure of their company for the present, at least; and the young couple in a very brief period entered the car- riage, and were driven home with their long undiscovered relative, to the great delight and satisfaction of all who were most nearly concerned in the matter. After a charming drive uphill and down dale, through an ever varying prospect for nearly three quarters of an hour, the carriage entered the park gates, and after pass- ing through a winding avenue of about two thirds of a mile in length entirely arched over by the foliage of the old ancestral trees, they finally emerged into the open sun- light, and in the foreground beheld a beautiful serpentine sheet of water, with a fine breadth of lawn on a gentle incline from its banks, running up to the residence of the family. The old gray hall stood on a commanding emi- E nence overlooking the surrounding landscape, with the deep mountain fastnesses in the background. After alighting, Mr. Arbuckle led them in under the massive arches of the old time-defying hall, and from page: 188-189[View Page 188-189] 188 THE DOMNIPS SON. thence into his study, as the chief part of the building, he said, had been closed since the death of his wife. He then sent for Mrs. Asten, the housekeeper, and introduced her to his two relatives from America, and they all ascended the great stairway in order to ascertain in which section of the building the young couple would prefer to establish their quarters. Rosetta soon made choice of a large, quaint, airy, old- fashioned room, with a smaller bed and dressing-room attached, in the south-west corner of the mansion. While the rooms were being aired and put in order, the late arri- vals with their aged host strolled out upon the lawn, and down to the water's edge, the situation of which Rosetta thought was more romantic and charming than even Mr. Bradeley's miniature lake. In a little while they returned to the house, and the young couple ascended to their quarters, in order to pre- pare for the principal repast of the day. At dinner, Ro- setta, at Mr. Arbuckle's request, took her seat at the head of the table, and she proved fully equal to the occasion, and acquitted herself with becoming presence of mind and dignity. The evening was afterwards spent in the old gentle- man's study, in answering his numerous questions in reference to the characteristics of their country, and the manner in which it chiefly contrasted with the parts of the world they had recently visited. He promised to show them, the next day, when the rooms were thrown open, the old family portraits and armor. During the THE DOMtINIES BON. 189 evening, he exhibited for their entertainment various curi- osities and rare gems of art which were in the library. In referring to their own country, he said, "It must be a great and laborious undertaking to bring new land into a high state of cultivation, and to make a smiling land- scape out of a howling wilderness." "Yes," said Joshua, "the first generation are usually sacrificed to the undertaking, and their descendants ought never to forget the debt which they owe to their fore- fathers, for the trials and sufferings they have undergone, that their lines and those of their children might fall in pleasant places." "Your country," said Mr. Arbuckle, "seems to be em- phatically 'El Dorado' for the working man." "I am happy to confirm your impression in that re- spect," said Joshua; "for there the industrious laborer, no matter at what he may be engaged, if he only acquires his living honestly, earns and enjoys the respect and esteem of all those whose good opinion is worth having; and there also, as a general thing, the poor man's children succeed better than those of their more favored neighbors in the strife for the coveted prizes of life." The old gentleman inquired of Rosetta if her country- women were as much the slaves of dress and fashion as were their European sisters. Rosetta laughed heartily, and even Joshua could not withhold a rather broad smile as his wife gave the only answer to the question that he knew could possibly be forthcoming. page: 190-191[View Page 190-191] 190 THE DO MNIE'S SON. "Only a great deal more so," she replied. "No matter what extreme absurdity fashion thinks fit to devise, its votaries in America obey its behests with obsequious alacrity. When I observe," continued Rosetta, "the great amount of vigorous exercise, which, as a general thing, is taken .by Europeans, I am very much surprised that my countrywomen manage to secure a sufficiency of health to make life at all endurable." "How common a thing it is," said Joshua, "in the interior of our own country especially, to observe a large majority of the women, who, when they have barely reached an age which should find them at their prime, are utterly broken down in constitution, and a prey to various maladies, many of which are, no doubt, pure creations of the imagination. The result is a continual dabbling into all kinds of quackery,. greatly to the advantage of a host of mercenary, unprincipled speculators, who thrive and fatten on the weaknesses of their fellow creatures. Another thing which is greatly to be deplored in our country, is the sad fact of the old people keeping aloof from the young ln their amusements." As soon as the mist had dissolved on the ensuing morn- ing, the carriage was ordered, and its owner directed the coachman to drive them over to Dunkeld. The scenery on the way presented an ever-varying aspect of charming richness and beauty to the strangers, during the couple of hours of their drive. They were taken to what is by uni- versal assent the most lovely spot in all Scotland, the far- famed Dunkeld, with its thirty miles of superb carriage THE DOMNIE'S SON. 191 drives, and its fifty miles of charming rambles for the pedes- trian, which presents every possible variety of picturesque scenery in a constant transition from one style of land- scape to another. Previous to their return, they visited the greatest curi- osity in the neighborhood, the renowned Cascade of the Bran, the natural impressions of which have been so magi- cally heightened and intensified by the artificial contri- vances at the Hermitage, called Ossian's Hall, forty feet above the basin of the cascade. After returning to Kenleeth Orbray and partaking of lunch, their kind host, as the principal rooms of his exten- sive mansion had been thrown open during their absence, invited them to view the various relics and objects that were in any degree associated with the history of the family. The portraits of his ancestors, as a matter of course, interested Joshua exceedingly, and he examined them with much attention, especially the likeness of his great-grandfather, the man who opposed his son's marry- ing the girl of his choice. As he was engaged in intently scanning this portrait, he observed to the old gentleman, that the son's union must have been the very essence of happiness after all, or else things must go greatly by contrariety. "For, my sainted father, the fruit of their union, was the very embodiment of virtue and goodness, and was cer- tainly a happy man if it were possible for any living mortal to attain happinesss." 'On the succeeding morning, Mr. Arbuckle and his page: 192-193[View Page 192-193] 192 THE DOMNIE'S SON. visitors strolled down the lawn, and by the water to the edge of the park, to take a closer view of the great lime avenue, the foliage of which formed a gothic arch over four hundred feet in length. While thus engaged, they observed approaching a pony phaeton drawn by an elegant pair of slender, jet black ponies, containing a young gen- tleman and lady, closely followed by an apparently younger couple on horseback. The young gentleman was mounted on a massive iron gray, and the lady gracefully seated on a cream-colored pony; while, at a distance of about twenty yards in the rear, an attendant accompanied them, also on horseback. The cortege emerged from the park avenue on the right, and leisurely proceeded to the main entrance of the building. As soon as the owner of the domain caught the sound of the horses' hoofs, (for he had privately notified his neighbors of the arrival of his- transatlantic visitors, and was expecting their coming,) he hastened up to the house in order to receive them without undue delay. By the time the old gentleman had mounted the brow of the hill, he breathed with considerable difficulty; he never delayed, however, for even a moment, but hastened quickly in to the great reception-room, where he presented the young couple to the grown-up scions of one of the oldest ducal houses in Scotland. After a short stay, and a pleasant chat with the old gentleman, the party took their leave, but not before they had invited Joshua and his wife to join them in their outdoor amusements on the ensuing day, at the family seat in the neighborhood. THE DOMNIESs SON. 193 Accordingly, the next day, bright and early, Joshua and his spouse were on their way, so as to reach the castle grounds soon after ten o'clock, the hour appointed. The drive was invigorating, and the scenery exceedingly inter- esting. Upon reaching their destination, after alighting from the carriage, they espied their kind hosts and hostesses on a beautifully shaded lawn, about a third of a mile from the castle, preparing with their guests and attendants for the sports of the day. As soon as Joshua and Rosetta had alighted, one man- servant took charge of the carriage and another led them to the sceineof the entertainment. Upon nearing the party their friends of the previous day came forward and cordially welcomed them, after which they were introduced to the guests assembled, who had been invited to meet them on this occasion. The target by this time was in position, and everything in readiness, and the party pro- ceeded to commence their amusements with the practice of archery. Rosetta had the good fortune, unskilled as she was, of making decidedly the best shot of the day. In most of the games, the strangers were of course but mere novices, but they entered into the robust, health-giving sports of their new acquaintances with great zest and glee. At the close the party made their way to the castle and partook of an elegant though substantial luncheon, shortly after which the large music-room was thrown open, and the company, upon entering, discovered the grand piano, harp, violin and flute in position for use. While the elder of the two young ladies took pos- 13 page: 194-195[View Page 194-195] 194 THE DOMINIE'S SON. session of the harp, the younger unpretentiously seated herself at the piano; while the two brothers proceeded to bring the violin and the flute into accord wfth the superb "Broadwood." They then proceeded to entertain their visitors with some of the finest classical parlor music which they had succeeded in mastering, much to the de- light of all present. At the close of the performance the Right Honorable Eastcourt Neville Arbuckle, of Kenleeth Orbray, was announced, and was ushered into the music- room. He was apparently a great favorite with the young folks, especially the ladies, judging from the warm, genial manner in which they received him. It appeared that having a visit to make in the neighborhood, he had turned a little out of his way, for the purpose of looking after his guests. As soon as the company became again some- what settled, Rosetta was invited to favor them with any- thing that she might be pleased either to sing or play. She accordingly gave them two of Wallace's exquisite little romances with charming expression, and was highly com- plimented by the musical part of her audience for her fine taste and delicate shading of tone. When, however, in answer to a request to favor them with something dis- tinctively American, she stumbled through Yankee Doodle and variations, after a fashion, her success was not quite so satisfactory, at least to herself. In a short time Joshua was called upon to favor the company, by Edith, the younger of the two sisters, the one of all the ladies assem- bled who had the most struck his fancy, and in response he sang, to her sister's accompaniment on the harp, "O, THE DOMNIE'S soY. 195 Nanny, wilt thou gang with me to Scotland dear," in an easy, off-hand way, greatly to the delight of all present, and especially of the old gentleman, who was still more pleased when he heard him afterwards sing, with good emphasis and effect, "My Highland Home." After nearly five hours of great enjoyment, the delight of which was greatly heightened by the simplicity and ease of manner of their kind entertainers, the young couple returned with their aged host to Kenleeth Orbray, highly delighted with their day's entertainment. At dinner, afterwards, Rosetta inquired from the old gentleman "if the Duke and Duchess," who wore at that time on the continent in Switzerland, "were as charming as their children?" "As charming, only a great deal more so," replied her host, "which is naturally to be expected in their case, as they have seen a great deal of the world and human na- ture, and consequently can better adapt themselves to all the various kinds and conditions of their fellow-beings." I ti page: 196-197[View Page 196-197] CHAPTER XII. ONE fine morning, early in the fall of the year, when the glowing heats of sum- mer had but recently passed, and all nature seemed again to feel a strength- ening invigoration creeping through its arteries, giving increasing animation and tone to its throbbing, ceaseless pul- sations, Mr. William Denniston walked down town and entered his counting- house in New York, with a feeling of buoyancy from his morning's exercise in the bracing air, that spoke well for his health and constitution, and ability to encounter the busi- ness responsibilities and anxieties of another year. He had settled himself down in his easy chair and taken up the Journal of Commerce to scan its business items, when a messenger entered with a bulky package for the Dennistons from England. Mr. William Denniston, (his elder bachelor brother, Robert, being confined to his residence with rheumatism), on opening it, found a smaller enclosure in the shape of a rather good - sized letter, directed in a large, round hand, to the address of his book- THE DOMNIE'S SON. 197 keeper, Mr. Stafford.- In a few moments that personage entered the counting-house, and very leisurely proceeded to hang his hat on the rack, appearing to be in a reverie, with his eyes fixed on some object in the back yard, when his employer suddenly broke the spell by exclaiming, forcibly, "Mr. Stafford, there is a letter on your desk from England; it came enclosed in a business package from Mr. Arbuckle. " The bookkeeper hastened to break the seal, which bore quite a handsome coat of arms. His surprise may be imagined on examining the enclosure, to find a draft on the -Bank of England, payable to his order, for one thousand pounds sterling, besides a heavy, massive gold ring, with the giver's coat of arms handsomely en- graved thereon. With these came a letter of thanks and kind wishes from the donor, his old acquaintance, Mr. Bradeley, the knicknack peddler, who had realized his happy vision, and once more become, what he was pleased to imagine himself, when he sat of an evening in his contracted apartments back of old Trinity, engaged in conning over the Evening Post, with his two wax candles stuck into porter bottles. When his surprise had somewhat abated, he handed the letter with its enclosures to Mr. enniston, and awaited his observations. They were not long in coming, for that gentleman, after running his eye over the note, exclaimed: "What! can it be possible, that the old man whom Ar- buckle induced his uncle to employ, has turned up again in England, after this fashion?" \, page: 198-199[View Page 198-199] 198 THE DOMNIE'S SON. "It appears so," said the bookkeeper, -" and although I never made such an observation to any one, still, I always had a feeling that some such result would sooner or later happen, if Bradeley could only manage to bridge his time over a little; but I confess I had no idea it would occur so soon." "Well," said Mr. Denniston, "you have my warmest congratulations, Mr. Stafford, on your good fortune. It is not every one who can manage to kill two birds with one stone, and afterwards have the happy fortune to find the fattest-one in his own larder." At the commencement of the new year, Mr. Stafford was enabled to purchase a small interest in the firm he had so long and so faithfully served i and after that date he became, much to his satisfaction, an active member of the house. In the course of a month, Mr. Denniston had the pleasure of receiving a long epistle from Joshua, giving him a detailed insight into the mode of life in vogue among the privileged classes in Eng- land; also an account of his meeting with Charles Dickens, and of his subsequent trip to Scotland, together with a brief relation of his accidental introduction to his aged grand uncle, and the great enjoyment and pleasure which had arisen to the fortunate young couple therefrom. As he laid down the letter on his desk and proceeded to wipe the glasses of his gold spectacles, he exclaimed: "Well, if Arbuckle was not born under a lucky star, I should like to know what being ever was! Why, luck seems to be his most obsequious servant. It is continually thrusting THE DOMNIE'S SON. 199 something in his way, and whether he wishes it or not, it appears to make little difference, and although the kind of life which he describes will doubtless charm him exceed- ingly whilst it possesses novelty, yet I am much mistaken in him, if he is just the kind of man to be contented to settle down and live a humdrum existence to the end of his days. It is impossible. He could never reconcile it with his ideas of his duty to God, to himself, and his- fellow-beings." The book-keeper, when he heard the sound of his prin- cipal's voice, and became conscious that no one was in his immediate vicinity, with the exception of himself, slightly turned his head in the direction from nwhence the sound proceeded, and as soon as he became reassured, he said, as he looked intently at Mr. Denniston, "That may be relied upon I think, sir, for to my knowledge, Mr. Arbuckle is extremely conscientious, and the probabilities are that he will eventually desire to be of use in the world to the greatest possible degree which he finds attainable." When the young couple had been the guests of their grand uncle for about ten days, Lord Ormsbury drove over one day and presently handed Joshua a letter, which upon opening, proved to be from Mr. Bradeley, enclosing a note and a pressing invitation from Charles Dickens, for young Mr. and Mrs. Arbuckle to honor him with their company for a few days at Gadshill, in the course of a week from that date, if it should meet their pleasure. As Joshua had some business to look after in Warwick and Staffordshire previous to the date indicated, and as no page: 200-201[View Page 200-201] 200 TLE DOMNIE'S SON. time was to be lost, he explained the matter to the old gentleman, and obtained his assent to their absence for a period sufficiently long to enable thelll to take a run down to Birmingham and the back country, in addition to the time requisite for making the intended visit, on the promise of immediately returning, and renewing their stay at Kenleeth Orbray, as soton as they were at liberty. Joshua immediately accepted MPr. Dickens' invitation. On the ensuing day they departed for Birmingham, where, after making a brief stay so as to enable Joshua J to transact some business matters for the house in New York, they took the omnibus for Wolverhampton, and passed over one of the finest macadamized roads in the world, and soon found themselves right in the heart of the coal and iron country. At night the country side seemed all ablaze with the demoniacal-looking flames whichl shot forth from the numerous forges and rolling-mills that were in active operation. One morning as they were out in the country and a little uncertain which path to take in order to arrive at their desired destination, Rosetta, noticing a large, broad-built woman, standing at the door of a collier's tenement house, with a brawny boy at her side, turned and stepped up to the woman, for the purpose of inquiring the way. After receiving an answer, she addressed a remark to the mother on the robust, healthy appearance of her son who stood near. The collier's wife, Rosetta thought, felt a good deal flattered at her observations in respect to her child, and she replied, as she cast her eye upon him with an approv- -s, *' THE DOMNIrS SON. 20i ing smile: "Luke beyhent mor' n hef a mon yit, but he con wheyheck his feyather oney day!" After Joshua had finished his business in thegiron dis- trict, they hastened back to Birmingham, and from thence to London, where taking the train on the following morn- ing, they soon reached the nearest station to Gadshill, and on alighting from the railway carriage, to their great sat- isfaction, found Mr. Dickens awaiting their arrival. It is unnecessary to dilate on their reception and enter- tainment at Gadshill, as their experience in that charming abode but confirmed that of all others who have ever en- joyed the good fortune of entering the great novelist's famed home, there to enjoy his genial wit, while they honored his genial cheer. After experiencing what a home may be, under the happiest auspices, during their brief stay, the effects of which they both declared could never be effaced from their memories, they bid adieu to their honored liost and his charming household, and made their way without delay,-once more to the land of the North, and in a short time found themselves ensconced again, and at home, at Kenleeth Orbray. At about this period, Rosetta, in one of her letters to Joshua's mother, thus describes 'the old gentleman, their host: "Joshua's grand-uncle, the member of Her Majesty's Privy Council, the Right Honorable Eastcourt Neville Arbuckle, of Kenleeth Orbray, is a very plain appearing, tall and rather slenderly formed personage of the olden school. In manner, exceedingly winning and polished, and of a benign, contented expression of countenance. page: 202-203[View Page 202-203] 202 THE DOMJNIE'S SON. His deep-set, penetrating gray eyes, encased in somewhat heavy eyebrows, have seemingly worn off their lustre, probably in the pursuit of his studies in the two branches of science that he has made his specialty, for he is looked upon as one of the greatest antiquarian authorities in all the three kingdoms, and is also a most distinguished nat- uralist. You would be astonished to see his vast cabinets of all kinds of curiosities. He appears to be fifty-seven or eight years of age, but I learn that he has nearly reached the allotted period of life. To your children he has been all kindness and attention, seeming to never tire in exerting himself in behalf of their entertainment and amusement." In reading his mother's reply to his letter, apprising her of his good fortune in meeting with this aged repre- sentative of their family, Joshua became aware that she had previously been well informed of the true state of the family connection in England, and also of the probabili- ties likely to arise therefrom. She wrote, however, that "she had preferred not to excite in him expectations which wight never become realized; the most wretched spectacle in the world," she said, "is to behold a human being endowed with God-given faculties and powers, ut- terly negligent of what has been thus liberally bestowed upon him, and willing to calmly and contentedly rest on his oars, whilst gliding down the stream of time, wrapped up in the generally delusive anticipation of succeeding at some period in the future to the fortune that is now the portion of some more immediately favored individual. THE DOMNIE'S SON. 203 Ah," she continued, "it is not so much the mere possession of abundant means of usefulness and enjoyment as may be placed at our disposal that should be coveted by us, as the use made of such means that should be looked to, to see that it may be possible in the dread future to rightly answer for the responsible trust." During the time that intervened, after the return of the young couple to the land of the heather and the pibroch, until the advent of the Christmas festivities, they made several extended excursions for the purpose of viewing the chief objects of interest in the country. Soon after the New Year had been entered upon, they took their departure for London, accompanied by their relative. On their arrival at their journey's end, the party entered a coach and were driven to the Albemarle, the usual stop- ping place of Mr. Arbuckle, where a commodious suite of rooms during the fashionable season always awaited his occupancy. Shortly after -their arrival, Joshua called and paid his respects to Mr. Bradeley, at his town house. The invita- tion to make him a brief visit in London had previously been cancelled in consequence of the unexpected change in the circumstances of the young couple. Mr. Bradeley, however, returned with Joshua to the hotel, and called upon his wife, and was introduced to his distinguished relative. Before taking leave he invited the party to dine with him at his residence, which invitation was cordially accepted. At the time specified, on their arrival at Mr. Bradeley's page: 204-205[View Page 204-205] 204 THE DOMNIE'S SON. city domicile, they found a distinguished company already assembled to meet them, and partook of a superb enter- tainment. When the guests had departed, their host ordered his carriage and drove his visitors to the opera, where, during the performance, they had the pleasure of observing and enjoying the scene which had been so vividly depicted to Joshua and the book-keeper in the little room back of old Trinity, of the Queen surrounded by the flowers of her realm, enjoying to her heart's con- tent the inimitable humor and overflowing exuberance of the most ponderous living exponent of vocalism, the irre- pressible Lablache himself. After entering to the fullest extent into the ceaseless rush and bustle of metropolitan life during the height of the great London season, the party began to look forward to their return to Scotland with renewed anticipations of pleasure, when suddenly, on the day previous to that set apart-for their exit from town, a letter airived for Joshua from America, containing the sad announcement of the sudden death from apoplexy of his large-hearted and gen- erous uncle. The programme was in consequence entirely changed, and on the following day, as the old gentleman was journeying back to the Highlands, the young couple were making their way to Liverpool, there to embark upon a tedious ocean voyage. Upon arriving in New York they made but a brief stay, in order to call upon the Dennistons, the Pickerings, Mr. Mitford and a few friends, and departed for Philadel- phia as quickly as possible, to condole with their mother THE DOMNIE'S SON. 205 on the sudden and severe affliction which they had all experienced in the loss of her only brother. Mrs. Arbuckle was happy to embrace and press once more to her heart the children who were, she felt, indeed so worthy of her highest esteem; and with them to comfort her, she felt herself fortified to endure the greatest ills that life could bring. The uncle, it appeared, had made his nephew his sole inheritor, at the especial request of his sister, and the settlement of the estate now demanded Joshua's imme- diate attention. Before moving in the matter, however, he secured the services of his friend Mr. Mitford, and that gentleman continued as long as he lived to be his confi- dential adviser and business manager. When everything had been adjusted, and the property in Georgia estimated, the estate exhibited a balance in his favor of something over half a million of dollars. Upon finding means accumulating at his disposal, the long-deferred wish of his heart, the great desire to be of use to his laboring fellow-men, and to ease the hard lot of beings quite as deserving, but by chances less fortunate than himself, took possession of his soul, and he deter- mined to make his investments so permanent that they could never be cancelled or obliterated, in this world at least, as they would be engrossed for all time in the great book of life, the mighty record of all consciousness. As Joshua Arbuckle was on his way with Rosetta to visit hbr parents for the :first time since their return from abroad, they remained over in New York for a couple of page: 206-207[View Page 206-207] 206 THE DOMNIES SON. days to enable him to attend to several matters which required his presence at the office of his business manager, Mr, Mitford. Before leaving that gentleman, after his affairs for the time being had been disposed of, he remarked, "that in the disposal of his surplus pecuniary means in the future, he should adhere to two leading principles, the soundness of which, he said, was too self-evident to be called in question. The first was, to sacredly maintain and preserve intact the principal that had been, and that also might be, bequeathed to him, which, he said, he considered he had no right to permanently dispose of. The interest money, however, which that principal might earn he intended to dispose of as his judgment might dictate. The second principle he proposed to follow was to aid those who were striving to help themselves. Mr. Mitford, who had been engaged in rubbing his spectacles with his handkerchief while Mr. Arbuckle had unfolded to him his principles of action, readjusted those important auxiliaries to his clearness of vision, and after scrutinizing his friend for a moment in apparent surprise, he said: "I have been waiting, my esteemed friend, with a good deal of anxious solicitude to ascertain the rule of action which you would propose to yourself in this difficult undertaking, as in similar endeavors so many old heads before you have made such wretched and woful fiascos, with the best intentions. In the present instance I admit with much pleasure that a sounder road to travel on I have never seen laid down, and I think there can be little THE DOMNIE'S SON. 207 danger, with ordinary prudence, of your finding yourself at fault. Still, however, so far this is only theory, and until it becomes an actuality, the fruit that may be pro- duced can hardly be estimated. The advantages in your favor over those who have left bequests to be benevolently applied, are very obvious. You enter on the work during your life and while still young, and, consequently, any defect in the working of the machinery can be rectified on the instant, which in such an undertaking is a vital matter." Joshua bid Mr. Mitford good day, with the understand- ing that he was to meet him at Keesleyville in two weeks from that date, when they were to proceed to carry Joshua's plan into operation in one of the most seques- tered agricultural counties in the State. Previous to leaving the city Joshua made a business call upon his friend Mr. Denniston, for the purpose of ascertaining whether it would meet with the sanction of the firm, if he should transfer his interest therein to their worthy co-laborer, Mr. Stafford, as he stated that his attention henceforth would be required in looking after his own affairs, and he would like to take the opportunity to do Mr. Stafford a substantial service. Mr. Denniston expressed himself highly gratified that Joshua's-opinion of that gentleman's faithfulness to the house entirely coincided with his own, and whilst regret- ting exceedingly the firm should lose Mr. Arbuckle's valu- able services, he said "his desire to do a kindness to so deserving a man could not be viewed by them otherwise than as highly satisfactory." J page: 208-209[View Page 208-209] 208 THE DOMNIE'S SON. Joshua immediately had an interview with Mr. Stafford and informed him that he should be unable longer to remain in the firm, and he had the consent of Mr. Den- niston to transfer his interest of twenty thousand dollars over to him, which he- proposed doing if it met with his approbation, on the following terms, namely: to take his own note unindorsed for the amount, without interest, and payable in ten years; the note to be kept good by his making whatever payment he might find to be convenient on the first day of each year during the time specified. The late book-keeper, in accepting so unexpected and remarkable an offer of good will on the part of one who had, however, enjoyed every opportunity of making a thorough estimate of his character, gave expression to the most grateful feelings of his heart, and said "uhe hoped Mr. Arbuckle might long live to enjoy the great satisfac- tion which must arise from a life spent in the service of virtue and goodness, so happily directed by sterling good feeling and good sense." Joshua and his wife, in resuming their journey from the seaboard to the interior of the State, passed up the Hudson to Piermont, and from thence by the cars of the Erie Railroad to the immediate vicinity of their destina- tion. After the train had been in motion about ten minutes, a very antique-looking, but exceedingly restive and talkative old woman, who occupied a neighboring seat, suddenly made the astounding discovery that she had unfortunately left her umberell, as she called it, behind on the boat, and soon exhibited strong signs of vexation THE DOM1NIE'S SON. 209 and deep distress at what she seemed to feel was a very serious mishap, and declared that "she would as soon have, parted with all she had in the world as have bid good-bye to that old faithful stand-by." Rosetta was about to endeavor to allay the old woman's tribulation by offering to present her with the brown silk umbrella that was in the rack overhead, but her husband smilingly dissuaded her from so doing, as he said "she might be liable to meet with a rebuff, and have her offer- ing rejected with contempt, on the ground of its not being half big enough, and the color of the article not being at all to the old lady's taste." As the matter ended, it was well Joshua interposed, for that prince of good fellows, the gay Captain Ayres, in passing through the ladies' cabin of the boat, after the passengers had gone ashore, at a glance of his eye observed the object in question. Soon, however, the gallant and portly Captain managed to reach the cars, and provided the object of so much solicitude with a snug berth. Upon entering the car which contained the antique- looking woman, the worthy Captain's eye soon understood the situation. As he was approaching the old woman for the purpose of receiving her ticket, some one whispered into her ear that the conductor could telegraph for the lost article, and have it sent right on. So soon as that necessary personage addressed her and politely requested permission to take a look at her ticket, she quickly made him aware of what, however, he knew very well before, the all-absorbing subject that had stirred up her emotions " page: 210-211[View Page 210-211] 210 THE DOMNIE'S SON. , and sensibilities, and she particularly wanted to ascertain from him whether such was a fact which she had he-erd, that " he could have it sent right on by telegraph." The Captain in his blandest manner politely informed the old lady, greatly to her satisfaction, that in the en- lightened state of the world, and the high degree of scien- tificinvestigation that had been reached during the period in which they had the good fortune to exist, there seemed to be nothing but what appeared quite easy of accom- plishment. He left the car for a moment, and returned immediately, holding the rotund and somewhat ancient relic, high up in the air, on a line with his fun-provoking countenance. When the owner caught a sight of her old and well- tried friend, her delight was beyond all bounds. As soon as she became composed, she addressed her thoughtful friend, the Captain, in the following terms: "Wal, ne'ow, Cap'n, who'd ha' tho't on 't? - Why, I he'erd tell that they sent letters and sich things on them plaguey wires, but for marcy's sakes alive, who'd ha' supposen they could carry packages and things like this ar' umberel, so nice!" As the Captain left the car, the old woman, evidently very much tickled, confidentially remarked to Rosetta, that "he was the cutest and best mannered Captain she had ever took a journey with; "for," says she, " he ain't one of them ar' sort of tarnel fluster-buster stuck-ups, that kinder scrowl down on folks and cut 'em up short, as if they had no sort of business to be eternally podging around." -L-L . JJY-III!Yj,'S SON. 2" Rosetta kindly inquired the old lady's name, and asked her if she had far to travel in order to reach her home. "O," says she "I'm Susan Millican, and when I'm to hum, I lives up to Kattleville. A'most all the folks up in them ar parts, has he-erd of old Deacon Millican, and he's my ole man, but he's ne-ow laid up pretty snug with rhumatiz." At the time appointed Mr. Mitford made his appearance in Keesleyville, and Joshua, before proceeding to business devoted a few days in showing him the beauties of the val- ley in a variety of directions. One day was occupied in visiting the wonderful piece of mechanical ingenuity on the Erie Railroad, then known as the Cascade Bridge, with its extraordinary combination of a myriad of timbers which spanned a deep and very narrow chasm on the Delaware Division, also the far-famed Viaduct, consisting of a number of very high stoned arches extending over a wide field between two hills a short distance to the west on the same division. One morning Joshua invited Mr. Mitford to accompany him to Judge Houston's office, where they found with the Judge, his brother in-law, Dr. Keesley, awaiting their arrival. After the exchange of a few observations, Joshua stated as briefly as possible the object for which he had convened them. He said, "I am desirous of availing myself of your practical knowledge in perfecting a plan that I contemplate putting into operation immediately. My twenty-fourth birthday has not as yet arrived, and I find myself possessed of power to dispose of, for good or page: 212-213[View Page 212-213] 212 THE DOMNIE'S SON. evil, the amount of four hundred and fifty thousand dollars, besides being the owner of a tract of twenty-five thousand acres of land in the highlands of Georgia, estimated to be now worth another one hundred thousand dollars. I have seen sufficient of the world to fully realize, that it is only for what adds to our comfort and enjoyment, that the piper is worth paying for. I could never sit down in isolation and enjoy myself, neither could I take my comfort in frittering away means in running about the world in pursuit of pleasure that continually eluded my grasp. On the contrary, I propose to myself to find what pleasure I can in giving practical effect to some- thing like the following plan. As my income from interest at present is but very limited, I shall be obliged to make use of the principal. In the future when the family estates in Scotland come into my hands, my income of over two hundred thousand dollars a year will then be quite sufficient to carry out the object which I now desire to inaugurate. Fully recognizing that we owe everything in this world to work, my earnest desire is with what sur- plus means I may be able to devote to the purpose, to aid labor in its hardest form. That is, in my opinion, where men of brave hearts and firm resolutions, who feeling the blood of freemen coursing in their veins, prefer, rather than pass their lives in the service of others, to encounter nature in her most rugged shape, and devote their lives to her service. Long after they have passed away, the fruit- ful results of their labors remain to gladden the hearts of descendants, who in all probability, scarcely ever bestow THE DOMNIE'S SON. 213 upon these first workers a grateful thought for all the lifelong toil which has enured to their own benefit and comfort. It is with the men who win their hard earned bread from an almost sterile soil, right here at home on our own hillsides, in sight of the spot where I first saw the light, and where my sainted father so long and so faithfully breathed forth the word of loving kindness and good will to man, that I purpose turning in to help hoe their row. My plan is briefly as follows: besides retain- ing the tract of land in Georgia, which however I shall soon endeavor to put to some use, I intend laying aside one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, the interest of which sum will be fully ample to provide for all my wants. The surplus of three hundred thousand dollars, I propose investing equally in three separate counties. The first thing will be to visit the sheriff of each county for the purpose of ascertaining the -section most suitable for our object. The next move of course would be to visit every farmer in the designated localities, to see how he and his land look. Wherever I find a fellow being, with a heavy load, putting forth all his exertions in. order to climb a steep acclivity, I will hasten to his assistance and bid him take heart and bold bravely on, strengthening him by the assurance that I intend to stick right to him, and to for- get there ever was such a word as fail, until he safely sur- mounts the summit." "I certainly ought not to offer," said Dr. Keesley, " any objection to such a kind of investment, as it will not be at all likely to prove a disadvantage to our profession. page: 214-215[View Page 214-215] 214 THE DOMNIE'S SON. The hardest part of my work is done in the backwoods for what may be considered a mere nothing, and I never look upon such work in the light of bad debts and conse- quently don't waste good paper and ink in making any record of such items. The country doctor has to make a good many permanent investments, as Joshua calls them, I and it is to be hoped they will stand him in something in his time of need." l Mr. Mitford said, that it seemed to him to be a feasible experiment, and he was happy to see his young friend hope- ful of having pleasure in such an undertaking. "Nothing is easier, of course," said he, " than to be able to pick a thing all to pieces, but that is hardly worth the trouble of doing unless something better can be put in the place of what is demolished, and when a person has -reached my time of life, he usually has attained some sort of an idea, I think, of the difficulty of such an operation." The next morning, Mr. Mitford turned his back on the valley to return to the busy, restless life of the great city. In the evening after his departure, as Dr. Keesley'sfamily were gathered around the tea-table, the Doctor said to his wife, as he was passing his cup a second time: "Margaret, I have just heard a piece of bad news. The Butternut tract up Woodland Creek, is all mortgaged, and old Sammy Perkens, who's got the mortgage, says that he shall have to sell 'em all out, and there's no help for it." "Hasn't the Colonel left enough, to make the matter straight?" said the good wife. ,%j THEE DOMNIrS SON. 215 "Why no," said the Doctor, "I thought you were better posted than that. Old Mansfield's estate has all caved in ;- utterly bankrupt;-not twenty cents on a dollar. You see, as the Colonel was a kind of retired lawyer, he drew up the contracts for the land, himself,- and promised to make out the titles whenever the settlers had each paid up the full amount, which the old rascal well knew would never take place in his lifetime. And as they supposed, like everybody else, that the old fellow was rich, such an idea as a possibility of the land being mortgaged, never of course entered into their heads; and now the upshot is, when the property is nearly paid for, the occupants dis- cover to their sorrow, that the burden has suddenly grown to vaster proportions than ever before. Of course the law don't protect a man from the consequences of his own negligence." "Who'd ha' thought," replied the Doctor's wife " the old Colonel would have done such a hard, rascally thing as that. Why, I never should have supposed it to be possible, although he always wanted to be thought so extemely honest, and had such a meek hang-dog kind of a look." "I don't think that the Colonel originally set out to be a rogue," again spoke the Doctor, " but you know his wife was always so imperious, and nursed such big notions about the overpowering greatness of her family, so that when the poor fellow found his affairs getting involved, he couldn't summon up courage enough to say his soul was his own, aitd turn right about face, and she consequently drove him to the wall and bound him hand and foot." page: 216-217[View Page 216-217] 216 THE DOMNIE'S SON. During the evening, Joshua went over to see old Uncle Sammy Perkens, as he was called, to find out all the par- ticulars in reference to the mortgage on the Butternut tract. Only a small part of the original tract, it appear- ed, then covering about seventeen hundred acres, had retained the name, and had been disposed of by contract to nine settlers, in farms of about two hundred acres each,-- some being greater and some much less,-at an average price of about eight dollars an acre; and the mortgage at that time amounted, with all the interest, to a little over five thousand and four hundred dollars. Joshua told the old man, that it seemed to him to be an exceedingly hard case for the poor settlers and their families. "Yes," said Perkens, "there's no sort of doubt about that, but you knowqhere's so many hard cases turning up all the time, and there'd be a mighty sight more of 'em if people paid any heed to 'em. Folks has got to look out for themselves in this world, or else they've no business in it. Their eye-teeth has got to get cut, and if they don't hurry up aJid cut 'eml themselves, there's plenty of sharp- ers around that 'll cut 'em, and 'll take no heed how they wince,-they 'll have no marcy on 'em. I know plaguey well what a job it is to scratch together a little money, and I can't afford to let it slip out of my fingers now I'm beginning to get old." As soon as the tongue of that thrifty personage came to a momentary stand-still, Joshua arose, and as he had long been fully aware that no sort of aid whatever, was to be THE DOMNIE'S SON. 217 looked for in that quarter, he retired, after thanking him for his information. Upon returning to Dr. Keesley's he retired to his room and made his wife acquainted with the information which he had obtained, and asked her, how it would accord with her feelings to accompany him on the morrow to the set- tlement, and see folks in real trouble in the country. Rosetta assured him, she had a great desire to go with him, especially as she had learned, during the evening, that one of the settlers Was confined with the rheumatism, and the wife of another was nursing a very sick child with a ferer, and it was thought to be doubtful if it would get any .better. So, early on the following day, Mr. and Mrs. Arbuckle were picking their way over the rough, stony road that lay up Woodland Creek to Butternut settlement, and after a somewhat tiresome journey,-although they both expressed delight in the newness of the scenery, and the pleasant change of air, redolent with the fresh aromatic scent of the pines,-they finally arrived at the first house on the settlement, and it proved to be the shelter of the man who was confined with the rheumatism. The slight frame building had a very crazy, shalk look, and was evidently very poorly put together, as Joshua observed to his wife, when he called her attention to several wide air avenues inbetween the siding, or clapboards on the side. On entering, Joshua casually remarked, "that it must be a difficult thing to keep warm in such a house, all through the long winter months." page: 218-219[View Page 218-219] 218 THE DOMNIE'S SON. The head of the family assured him, that it was all the healthier, and made them feel brisk, but it took a heap sight more fire wood. "If the air got stagnated in such a place," he said, "they would soon all be down sick, and not any of them able to crawl around." When Joshua mentioned, that the object of their visit to those parts was to enquire about their trouble in reference to the suddenly discovered mortgage, the prematurely worn-looking man sitting in the corner, with both his legs very much swollen and in bandages, spoke up and said, "I didn't s'pose, stranger, that I'd bin workin' all these blessed years, for that old wolf, who looked like sich a meek lamb, to cheat me out of house and home in this cussed style. I kinder thought, you know, that when the old Colonel had passed all his life for an honest man, he wasn't at all likely to go and cut up sich a caper as this, 'specially with poor folks -as couldn't take any sort of care o' themselves. You know, stranger, that livin' ain't good for much, if it comes to that. that we've got to suspicion every fellow around as a darned infernal cutthroat. Val, I was brought up, stranger, down on the river flats at the three forks, and being considered a right handy, smart, good dispositioned kind of a boy, folks took rather a shy to red- haired Bill, as they called him, and he thrived some in. them are parts until he began to calculate that it was about time for him to set up a little on his own hook, and see how the world wagged when he elbowed his way in among 'em; so as Nancy Courtright, my old woman here, kind o' took a shine and set her cap for Bill, and was right THE DOMNVIE' S SON. 19 smart herself, and some pumpkins in them diggins, Bill toed the scratch, and they jined hands, and went into partnership, -to see what sort of a row they could manage to hoe. Wal, we've kep' on pretty snug since then. We hired a place for a while of old Deacon Smithers down in Nianticote, and as soon as we'd got a trifle ahead, we pulled up stakes and pitched right in here. You see, if a fellow's got a place of his own, even if it ain't any great shakes, there's nobody to sass him and boss him around, and he feels that if he keeps the land lively, and on the move while he is young and strong, and is good natured to it, and don't stint it in feed, it's mor'n likely it 'ull turn in and back him up in his old age, when his time is about played out, and keep him in a good humor. Wal, you see after all the hard tugging, and scratching, taking to market all the best of what was raised, and eating the poorest our- selves, jist when we thought we saw daylight a streaking into the woods, we are knocked back all up in a heap, by this old sharper of a lawyer." "My good friend," said Rosetta, "why did you not look out and see that there was not anyT mortgage hanging over your head?" "Why," said the settler, "this darned thing might have happened jist so if I'd ha' looked out ever so sharp. You see, the old Colonel agreed to sell the land pretty reasonable, and give a heap o' time on it, and so he made out the contract, and said he'd fix out the title when it was all paid up. So you see he could ha' clapped a mortgage on it after he had sold to us ,on contract, and we couldn't page: 220-221[View Page 220-221] 220 THE DOMNIE'S SON. have helped ourselves, no how. Its a fact, that poor folks sometimes has to pay pretty steep for being poor, but I'm clear grit, stranger, and my principle is to pick your flint and try her agin. As soon as I can git around on these old stumps, I shall pitch right in agin and ask no odds of anybody. There's nothing like a leetle ambition. I always tell 'em, if howsomever a fellow don't always strike the bulls-eye every time, he comes a plaguey sight nearer to it, than if he never took any sort of aim. What's your sentiments, stranger?" Joshua told him that he entirely indorsed all he had said, and was highly pleased to see him bear up and face the trouble in such a spirit for, said he, "it's the brave old spirit of '76 and the last war., After all, don't give up the / ship. I have an idea, Mr. Speedling, that this calamity is not going to turn out quite so disatrous as it was at first anticipated; at any rate, I am glad we came up to the set- tlement and took a look in upon you, and saw the matter in its true light." After ascertaining the nearest way to the house where the woman was nursing her sick child, the young couple bid the family good day, and departed in the direction indicated. They soon arrived in sight of the spot, which they found to be occupied by a genuine old fashioned log cabin. Upon drawing up at the door, Joshua observed the occupant, coming towards them from the edge of a piece of woodland. So, after helping his wife to alight, and making fast his horse to the fence, he desired her to go in and see the child, -while he went and had a little conversa- tion with the man. THE DOMNIE'S SON. 221 Rbsetta, upon approaching the cabin, and finding the door wide open, and the place apparently deserted, slightly rapped on the door, with the handle of her parasol, and as she did so, she took a general survey of the interior, ? which consisted of one veryjarge room, with a cotton l screen hanging from the roof to the floor, that partitioned off a small triangular portion of the western end of the room. In a moment after Rosetta had rapped, a young face peeped out from a corn of the screen, and suddenly disappeared again; and Rosetta instantly caught the sound of a woman's voice, in an undertone, and the next instant, the curtain was pushed -aside, and a rather hag- gardbut young looking woman, advanced with some tre- pidation to the door, and as she did so, eyed the stranger all over, with an evident look of considerable surprise. Rosetta, as soon as she became aware of her presence, advanced towards her, and enquired in a low, kind, soothing tone of voice, if her child was very sick, and what ailed it, and if she had had good advice? The woman, who seemed as if all earthly hope had left her eyes, replied, as she led her visitor to the enclosed spot, behind the screen, where the child lay on a thin straw mattress, that it had been a very sick child, and was restive all night, but it then seemed to be a good deal easier, and had finally got into a doze. In answer to Rosetta's question, as to what the Doctor -considered the child's sickness attributable, the woman informed her, that they hadn't any doctor; that she had nursed it herself, with the assistance of Mary Bar- page: 222-223[View Page 222-223] 222 THE DOMNIR'S SoVN. Xer, who lived down the r9ad, and would insist upon staying and keeping her company, and bearing a hand with the child. "George," she continued, "was up with the child all night long, and he had just gone out to do his chores, and get the fresh morning air. I've been wishing some time, that we could get Doctor Keesley to see the child, for I've always had confidence in him, and he might help him; but the fact is, we've had a good many sick about', and we haven't paid the Doctor as much as we ought, for the trouble he's been at in coming up so many times, and I didn't care about sending for him if we could get along without; but to tell the truth, I've had a misgiving since this trouble about the mortgage, that we shoild lose the child, 'cause, if you notice, trouble never comes alone-there's always something comes along to keep it company." "Don't get discouraged," said Rosetta, " there's nothing that shows out what there is in folks, like real trouble that comes to them, if they only take the lesson to themselves, and apply it aright. Ifdon't think my husband would stand by, and see the settlers ousted from what ,they have all nearly paid for; and therefore, I hope there will not be any need for the child to die, in order to keep trouble company." A sudden gleam of hope seemed to take possession of the woman's face for a moment, and she replied, "I only wish that Millspaugh could get hold of such an idea. Why, when he went out a while ago, he seemed to be struck all of a heap, and was like a crazy man. He said he hadn't got any sort of appetite, and it wasn't of any use his trying to force anything down." "You should make an effort to bear up, and not let your feelings distress you so much about the child, and it rill react upon your husband, and give him heart, and help to sustain him, in his trouble about the mortgage. To-morrow," added Rosetta, "I will come up and see you again, and bring my father, Dr. Keesley, along, who, I am sure, when I tell him, will be happy to do what he possi- bly can to help the child." As she now became aware that her husband was waiting for her, she looked into the poor woman's sorrowful face, and at the same time took her kindly by the hand, and told her not to get disheartened, as there was no kind of doubt but what the child would soon be himself again, and she then bid her good-by until the morrow. As they drove back to the village, the husband said, "For my part, I am glad we came up and took a look into this matter, as otherwise, I should certainly have retained the impression that the settlers owed their trouble a good deal to their own carelessness. To-morrow, I intend, if he can leave his office, to takl the Judge up with me, and convene the settlers at Speedling's house, and let him state to them what I propose to do to help them. I have thought it all over, and have at last decided about it. At first I con- cluded to buy up the mortgage and apportion the amount pro rata among them, and allowr them the use of the money for a term of years without interest; but, upon i a second consideration, it seemed as the poor fellows had a! page: 224-225[View Page 224-225] 224 THE DOMNIE'S SON. all ried so hard to get out of the woods, and came so near its accomplishment, it would be rather too severe, you know, to set them right back in the thicket again, and smother up all their hope, so I have concluded to get the Judge to buy up the mortgage for me, for the benefit, and with the assent, of the settlers; and if a fair compromise cannot be effected with the administrator of Mansfield's estate, in that case we will foreclose the mortgage and wipe out all the contracts, which will save a trifle, and then the Judge can give them all a clear recorded title to whatever their agreements entitle them to receive. It is not pro- bable I should have decided to go quite as far as that out- side of my own county, but I hope it will be a lesson, for a while at least, that will cause people who hold property on mere contracts, to use a little more circumspection, to examine the records from time to time, so as to be sure there is no spectre hanging over their heads, that may some day darken their households. In this matter, I shall have, however, to obtain your assent before anything is entered upon, as the money will have to come out of my income, and will require some self-denial to be practiced on our part, for the remainder of the year at the least. Now what say you to that pro- position, my dear. You see this thing can't be done with- out some one paying the fiddler. A certain new hat may have to be worn with a feather less in the plumage, and another certain hat may have to cover a very different head from the one which it might have capped, if this thing had not occurred; but the self-denial will be THE DOMNIE'S SON. 225 but for a short time, whereas the object for which it was made, will shine the brighter the oftener it is turned over in our thoughts, until the time will come when the exact fit of a new garment, or the becomingness of the new hat, will not seem to be such vital matters in our eyes as they may now appear to be." "God knows that I would willingly forego anything in this world," said Rosetta, "to do so great and lasting a service to people who stand in such need of assistance." "Well said, indeed," replied the husband, "my good wife talks like an enthusiast. The thing shall be, done. Wewill now let the subject rest for the present, and con- sider it as all settled." As they passed by a log hut standing all alone in the woods, and observed an old man sitting near the door, Rosetta remarked that, " such a place might do very well to live in while the occupants were young and strong, and had their attention taken up by their surroundings, and in making efforts to exist, but when they had become old and infirm, it must be dreary and wretched enough." "We have but little idea," said Joshua, "how people who have been accustomed from infancy to a certain mode of life, get to like it, and eventually to prefer it over any other. It is marvellous how the human system adapts itself to circumstances." The next morning, Dr. Keesley and Rosetta drove up to the settlement, followed by Joshua and Judge Houston. The Doctori after feeling the child's pulse, and examining it carefully, assured the mother, that it was getting along 15 page: 226-227[View Page 226-227] 226 THE 1DOMNIE'S SON. very well, and would soon be all Tight again. "Rosetta here," he said, has something better, both for yourself and the child, than all the medicine in the world." Rosetta by this time had opened the- package of good things which she had brought along for the comfort of the poor woman and her child; and as her father spoke, she took ' from her parcel and handed to him, a bottle of old French brandy, her husband had purchased in France, and which she had with her, in case of sickness; and in doing so, said: T Here's your great panacea, father, for folks when they get run down, and which you said, would do more good than all the rest of the things put together." "Yes," said the Doctor, " the child has had a good deal of fever, but it has worn itself out, and he now needs something nourishing; therefore, for the next three or four days I would give him a tea-spoonful of brandy, three times a day, in whatever liquid you have been in the habit of giving to quench his thirst; and I recommend you your- self, to take a tablespoonful in a little water, or tea, twice a day, at about eleven in the morning and four o'clock in the afternoon, and you will soon realize the benefit of it." Rosetta now handed to the woman, who she was glad to see, was looking much more composed than on the preced- ing day, the various things, which she hoped might prove to be conducive to her comfort, and the father and daugh- ter shortly withdrew, after receiving the warm thanks of the settler's wife for their kindness to her child and her- self, Rosetta promising to come and see her again in a few days, when, she said, she hoped to find them all well, and happy. THE DOMNIE'S SON. 297 In the meantime, Joshua, accompanied by the Judge, had arrived at Speedling's house, where they found the settlers, as arranged, patiently awaiting their arrival. After a few moments delay, the Judge, at Joshua's request, informed the settlers, that his young relative, Joshua Arbuckle, the son of the late Dominie Arbuclde, who was then present, had decided, as he felt that they were a hard-working and deserving set of men, and had been hardly dealt by, to come to their assistance, and pay off the mortgage out of his own pocket. The plan which he desired to submit for their approbation was, that he, (the Judge) if they had full confidence in him, or any one else they might choose to substitute, should purchase the mortgage from old Per- kens, and afterwards make the best terms they could with the administrator of the estate of the late Colonel Mans- field, and then give them all a clear and recorded title. "Now, what say you to that, my boys," said the Judge. The response was a rousing, hip, hip, hurra, and nine cheers and a tiger from all hands. The black squall had suddenly blownriglht over their heads and disappeared, leaving the bright, clear, unclouded sunshine gleaming on their future pathway. It was quickly evident, that a great change had taken possession of the spirit which animated their waking dreams. As young Mr. Arbuckle was about to leave, in order to return home, Rosetta and her father having just driven up from the next settler's house, Bill Speedling, who was confined to his chair, with rheumatism, and was sitting in front of the door, made a sign to Joshua that he desired to page: 228-229[View Page 228-229] 228 THE DOMNIE'S SON. speak with him; and upon the young man approaching, he extended his hand toward him, and warmly congratulated him upon his good fortune, in being able and willing to give a helping hand to his fellow-beings in trouble. "I myself," said he, a have heard the Dominie, your father, preach, and it's a good spell ago now, but he held forth the true doctrine, I tell you,-there was no getting round it anyhow. He said, that God sent all these things on the earth for the good and welfare of his creatures, and when a man went to work faithfully, and tried to win his bread by the sweat of his brow, his fellow man should encourage him in his efforts, and not try to put obstacles in his way to dishearten and sour him against the world; and I shall never forget the manner of the man, and what he said and how it took right hold o' me the only time I ever heard him preach. I've always felt a better man for it, and what he said warn't lost, I tell you, on red-haired Bill. He's never missed a chance since, of turning in and giving a fellow a lift, when he saw that folks was - in need, and he ain't been any the wuss for it, that he knows on. If the Dominie had a lived, how glad he'ed, a bin, to see his boy make his mark in this ar' style. I guess he wouldn't ha' felt, as if how he and his had a lived for nothing. Well now, my boy, when these two old stumps get the twist out of 'em, Uncle Bill, I calc'late will be about as good as new again, and feel like old times." The mortgage was purchased, and the matter finally disposed of, by the settlers receiving each a free recorded title for the property which they claimed, and everyone THE DOMNIE'S SON. 229 was highly satisfied, with the .exception, perhaps, of old Sammy Perkens, who was very backward in parting with the mortgage, and became greatly displeased at finding anyone willing to interpose and save the settlers, as it appeared that he had made calculations upon selling them all out, and of realizing a handsome thing by the operation. As soon, however, as he felt satisfied he would be check- mated in his scheme, he allowed the Judge to have the mortgage for the benefit of the settlers, and the balance of the arrangement was soon adjusted and settled. page: 230-231[View Page 230-231] CHAPTER XIII. ONE fine bright, sunny morning, as Joshua was engaged in conversation with Judge Houston in the pleasant law office of the latter, a large, heavy, broad-chested man in rugged health, en- tered, and wished to know if the Judge would do him the favor to examine a contract which he drew forth, as le spoke, from his coat pocket, and laid on the desk before which that personage sat. The Judge, after taking up the paper and eyeing it sharply all over, contracted his features into a sarcastic smile as he laid it down again, with his spectacles at the same time, and threw himself back in his easy chair, and broke out into a violent fit of uncontrollable laughter which lasted for some time. After his feelings had had unchecked play in that direction to his heart's content, the Judge suddenly sobered down, and somewhat hastily picked up his spectacles again and took a second look at the contract, after which he said to the heavy man who stood near him, "Howell, old Pinchback never expected that you would ..l VI 231 be able to pay for the land, and the contract plainly shows he intended to cheat you finally out of all that he could manage to get out of you. Now, as Pinchback is old and infirm, and likely to drop off any day, in which case you might not be able to secure a title, I'll make out a title and mortgage now, and you go right over to his office, and lay it before him, and old Pinch has got to sign it, and he can't help himself. He'll be blazing mad, no doubt, especially when he recognises my handwriting, but, no matter, only mind, when the payments become due don't fail to be on hand, for if you are a day behindhand it will costyou ten dollars, and in sixty days afterwards he can sell you right out, mind that." "Whys" said the man, (I'm three years ahead of my payments on the contract, now." 'That's no nlatter%" said the Judge. "He gave you a long time so as to lull you into security until he saw a favorable opportunity to pounce upon you unawares, and tear you to pieces." As the man was leaving the office, Joshua said to him, "lMr. Howell, if you should happen to be -short of the necessary funds, when the day of payment arrives, by being disappointed in any way, and can't succeed in making up what may be lacking, I wish you to do me the favor to come in here to the Judge, and he will advance you, on my account, whatever you may need, and give you all the time you may want to repay the money, without requiring anything for the use of it. W hat say you to that, Judge ?" "Yes, HIowell. You will make the payments all right, page: 232-233[View Page 232-233] 232 THE DOMNIE'S SON. there's not much fear of that. Pinchback got hold of the wrong customer when he undertook to harness Howell." v "Put the boot on the wrong foot, I should say," said Joshua, "by the look of the thing." "Oh, a heap sight worse than that," replied the Judge. "Howell, I should say, will harness Pinchback with his own gear before he's done with him. The place has increased in value two or three thousand dollars, I suppose, since the contract was made. How is that, Howell?" "It's gone up all of that, Squire, land's riz considerable since then," said 4owell. Well, Howel, if you happen to get disappointed and want a little help," ended the Judge, "come in and see me, and we'll straighten it out, and it'll be all right." The man took the papers as directed, to Pinchback, and as he opened them out and laid them before him, he said that the old rascal's eyes rolled like two great balls of fire, but, a minute' or two after, rubbing his hand over his fore- head a few times, he took up a pen and signed the deed, and the man, according to directions, hurried straight off with it to the Clerk's office, and had it entered on the records. When the time for the first payment arrived, it appears that he was promptly on hand with the money; but on the day, six months later, when the second and last install- ment of three hundred'and fifty dollars became due, "I went to his office and reminded Pinch that he had originally given me seven years to make the payments in, and that I had paid him nearly all the amount in less than THE DOM INIE'S SON. 233 half the time, but, as the railroad paymaster would not be around for a week later than usual, and as money was tight and hard to get hold of, I wanted a week longer to make the last payment in." "You should have seen," continued Howell, "what a sudden change came over the man. He raised himself up in his chair, and looked as if he was made of chilled steel and could cut his way through any kind of substance, as he roared out in an authoritative manner, "'When an agreement is made to pay money I expect to receive it." Howell appearq! at the Judge's office and reported his intentions with Pinchback. "I then remarked to him very quietly, that he needn't get ready to draw his rope just yet, as I hadn't come to be strangled. As I said so, I put my right hand into my left side vest pocket, and brought out?fat sized roll of bank bills, and as Pinch caught sight of 'em, he knew that his game was up, and fully realized that I had slipped out of his noose. As I laid the money down before him (my nephew, was stand- ing by my side) I said, "Pinchback, I see I might as well finish this thing off at once, and be done with it." When he had slowly counted the money all carefully over for the third time at least, and thought to himself for a moment to see if he couldn't trump up some charge or other still to make a further call upon me, he deliberately put it away, and wrote out a satisfaction piece. After he had handed it to me, I said, "you will pay the charge of making out the title, I suppose, as that is the usual thing." "No," said he, "you have made a good sum of money page: 234-235[View Page 234-235] 234 Thi E DOMNIE'S SON. out of me by this operation already. I would have made a title out for you, however, without any charge, but you hadn't confidence in me, you went to the Judge, who hates me, 'cause I went out of town to employ a lawyer." "Yes, I did so," said I, "because you couldn't draw a title, Pinchback." "How do you know," said he, in a stentorian tone of voice,- "that I can't draw a title?" "Why," replied I, "if you can't make out a contract all straight, I reckon, Pinchback, you'll have to hold on a while, afore you try your hand on a title for me." About a fortnight after the settlers' matter had been dis- posed of, Joshua accompanied the Judge over to Blooming- ton, the county town, as the latter wished to examine the records, and also transact some business with the Honor- able Twitchel Britcher, the representative in Congress for that district, whom Joshua had known well when a child. When the Judge visited Bloomington, he always had the use of the Honorable Britcher's private consulting room, in his law office, to transact his business in during his stay. On this occasion, the Judge went to the office by himself, after dinner, on the second day of their stay, and Joshua, after going to his room in the hotel for a moment, followed him quickly in the same direction. It appears that when the Judge entered the outer office, and passed into the inner, Britcher was then present, but he' stepped almost immediately into a neighboring law office, for a few moments, for the purpose of making an enquiry. While he was thus engaged,.Joshua passed through into * ^ ^ THE DOMNIE'S fON. 235 the inner room, and as Britcher returned to his office, the Judge after shutting the door of the private office, and leaving Joshua all alone for a short time, perusing some public document that he found, wended his way to the County Clerk's office. Above the door of the inner room was a window one pane deep, which moved on a pivot and was then open, and in about five minutes after the Judge had gone out, Joshua heard a heavy footstep enter the main office, and at the same instant he recognized the voice which gave forth the following exclamation: "Ah! is that you, Bert. How goes it down at Piper- ville?" Oh," says Bert, ' things is about so, so. They are all so slow down there, you know. Don't know enough io go in when it rains. That confounded old mule in the post office is beginning to rear up and kick some in the traces. I pretty soon gave him to understand that you intended to drive with a tight rein and a sharp whip this hitch. I warned him that you warn't a-going to stand by quietly and let fellows blow their own, bugles, and disor- ganise the camp so the woodenheads wouldn't know their friends from their enemies." Our readers must understand, the Honorable Twitchel was at that time perfecting his arrangements for a renomi- nation and the fall canvass." "The next time you see Dunk," said Twitchel, "let into his ear, that when the keynote from headquarters has been rung out, the sapheads must toe the mark and keep step page: 236-237[View Page 236-237] 236 THE DOMNIE'S SON. to the music, or else I'll have every one of the rascals drummed out double-quick." "Barker and Buff Sayers 'ill be on the right side of the fence," said Bert, I've fixed their fodder all right and square. I told Barker he'd got the ultimatum. His brother could have the post office at Waring Centre, but that you said it was a darned sight too much, as he didn't amount to shucks. Buff stuck out for the Custom House in New York, but I kep a stiff upper lip and let him know it warn't no use his fiddling, you wouldn't help him there unless he went in as a weigher. I told Dodge you'd let his name go on the slate for Clerk next hitch, if that would satisfy him, but it was a tight pinch. Sol Jevons says, you can count him in every time, if he only has the inside track for Sheriff. iMorgan has altogether too high an opinion of himself. In a short time, Joshua heard footsteps receding from the outer office, and, in a few moments afterwards, the Judge once more returned, and after looking through his papers, they departed for the hotel, and in the course of half an hour, were directing their course for Keesleyville. On their way, Joshua gave the Judge an inkling of the political light that had been let in upon him in the inner office, and remarked, "that the member handled the ex- pletives like a master."' "That I'll waer," said the Judge. "Somepeople think that Snook, the editor in New York, when he is wrought up, can shoot 'em out faster, but its a mistake; and be- sides, Twitchel always carries along, wherever he goes, a THE DOMNIE'S SON. 237 full assortment of broad jokes and soiled stories of the dirtiest description, so that he can at all times accommo- date his customers to just exactly the requisite article for the occasion. How woulq it suit you to dabble a little in politics," continued the Judge, "I suppose you would rather be counted out, after getting a look at the inside?" "Why, yes," said Joshua, " for while it may be all very true that everyone should try and serve their country, I, nevertheless, shall have to hold back awhile, and turn my attention into other channels until the time comes aground, which will probably not be in my day, when the office seeks the man, and, not as now, the man the office, by all kinds of "bargain and sale and contemptible chicanery." As Joshua and the Judge on the following morning were engaged in the latter's law office, a young man, a native of the place, who had known Joshua when a child, called to see the Judge on his return from Philadelphia, whither he had been for the purpose of attending the medical college. The Judge, afterf a few unimportant remarks, said, "Henry Chevasse, I wish you from the bottom of my heart the greatest success in your chosen profession, but it is not my province, or any other nian's, to chalk out the groove in which your future should run. Every one who is at all competent should decide that for himself. If you look around, you will see many men in your profes- sion who have pursued diametrically opposite paths, and the fruit of their courses are plainly visible. One man, my brother-in-law, Dr. Keesley, for instance, has followed page: 238-239[View Page 238-239] 238 THE DOMhINIE'S SON. his laborious calling for over thirty years, and has endeav- ored to be a faithful and honest member of his profession, utterly ignoring humbug in every form and shape. He has succeeded, it is true, in respectably supporting his family, but is probably not much better off to-day than he was when he started. His services have been very poorly paid for, and I should not be at all surprised, if one-half of his work had been done for nothing; yet I entertain no doubt, from my thorough knowledge of the man, that he is perfectly satisfied, taking one thing with another, and viewing life in its highest phase, that he has not been en- tirely unsuccessful. "An example of another kind is little Dr. Claptrap, who has his institution up the ravine, which is thronged when in full blast during the season, by upwards of two hundred patients, who may be seen, like a set of scare- crows, rambling about at all hours of the day, in the vicin- ity of the so called cure, or with their skull-pieces on their heads, reclining one camp bedsteads in the shade of the trees. The doctor, who is exceedingly oily himself, feeds them on split wheat, and crowds them two in a room, un- less they pay extra,-and what is the result? Why, they go there or to some similar place, season after season, and keep on dragging out a miserable existence, look- ing about half washed-out, and as if they had not a friend in the world. For the little which they get at Claptrap's place, they pay at least a half more, and some- times quite as much again, as good substantial board in hotels would cost them; and in proportion as Claptrap has THE DOMNIE'S SON. 239 stinted them he has thrived himself, until, in a very brief period, he has succeeded in amassing a large fortune, so that he now has a very handsome private residence, and takes things in the easiest manner, occasionally absenting himself for days together, and leaving the attendants in entire charge; and at the close of the season he goes to New York, and passes the winter season among the gayest of the gay. Such a man, if he only has a surface knowl- edge of his profession, and is adroit in properly interlard- ing it with plausible humbug, will always succeed in the eyes of the superficial public. Humbug is one of the most potent things with the multitude. They like it and are not satisfied with the honest, genuine article unmixed; but it must be skillfully compounded and not made into too thin a salve, or else the jackdaws will discover it is all surface and nothing else, and then of course- the game is up. - More than half a year was taken up by Joshua anid the Judge in visiting the backwoodsmen in the three selected counties, and in purchasing and transferring the mort- gages. It was a settled plan with Joshua that whenever he found the head of the family beyond his prime, or himself or wife permanently disabled, to clear off whatever indebt- edness remained on the homestead, and see that they each had a clear recorded title. The gross amount which he so appropriated exceeded somewhat thirty thousand dollars; but Joshua had repeat- edly affirmed to his business agents that he had never page: 240-241[View Page 240-241] 240 THE DOMNIES SON. made a permanent investment which gave him an equal amount of pleasure and satisfaction. As soon as the money had all been invested, it was arranged that the backwoodsmen should make their pay- ments to Judge Houston, and the latter was to remit the amounts as they came into his hands, to Mr. Mitford in New York. Joshua, accompanied by his agents, made a visit to the Georgia property, where he spent a couple of weeks in making a somewhat cursory survey of the tract, and then returned to New York. Being now again at liberty, and having a long time since received a pressing invitation from Scotland to make his aged relative another visit, accompanied by a strongly expressed wish to see his mother at the same time at Ken- leeth Orbray, Joshua hastened with his wife to Philadel- phia; and being fortunately supported by the family physician, who urged upon his mother the desirability of a respite from her voluntary labors and an entire change of air and scene, he finally prevailed in inducing her to leave a substitute in her place while absent, andI make a tour in Europe, spending a few months before passing on to the continent, in invigorating her constitu- tion by roaming among the Scotch highlands, and getting the full benefit of its bracing mountain air. Their arrangements were accordingly soon completed, and in a fortnight after stepping from the soil of the New World, they found themselves snugly housed at Kenleeth Orbray, in the land of the mist and heather. lw UOMStIES SON. 241 The old gentleman, who it appeared, had been very anxious for them to renew their visit, had been impa- tiently awaiting their arrival for some time; and as 6oon as their presence was anffounced, he hurried in to meet them, and heartily congratulated them on the happy ter- mination of their voyage. From the moment that he first beheld Joshua's mother he seemed instinctively to recognize that the air and bear- ng of the moman ing of the woman were not of mushroom growth, and he accordingly treated her with the most deferential respect and esteem. It is true there was something indefinable in the presence and manner of Mrs. Arbuckle that every one instinctively felt, but found difficult to account for,and which made all who came within her influence her willing servitors. While their kind host devoted himself to showing the most prominent beauties of the surrounding country to his lder guest, the young people delightfully spent their ime in making extensive excursions in various directions round the immediate neighborhood, and occasionally fish- ng in the Tay, where their labors were usually rewarded y an abundance of fine trout and perch. When they had been enjoying life in an earthly para- ise for nearly four months, their day-dreams were some- hat jarred by the receipt of a letter from Dr. Keesley, Inouncing a sad reverse of fortune to Arabella's husband, :r. Pickering and the firm with whom he was connected. appeared they had undertaken the financial manage- Ont of a line of railroad then in the course of construc- 16 page: 242-243[View Page 242-243] 242 THE DOMNIE'S ON. tion in one of the most flourishing of the western states, and which was intended to connect two of the most impor- tant centres of traffic with all that region of country. Trade becoming suddenly depressed, many failures took place, and the money market in consequence grew exceed- ingly tight, when the firm made the startling discovery that the outlay had overrun the estimates by a very large amount, so that three millions of dollars more would be requisite in order to complete the undertaking. As they found it impossible after all their exertions to raise more than a fraction of the necessary sum, and the fortunes of the firm were staked on their financial success, of course they had the mortification of seeing all their great castles in the air suddenly dissolve, just as they were prepared to behold them growing into substantial structures on terra firma. Their calculations in respect to the profitableness of the undertaking have long since proved to be eminently sound, as it has remained from the time of its construction one of the most remunerative lines in the entire country. Mr. Pickering took their failure so to heart that he died shortly after surrendering up everything he possessed to the creditors. In his letter the Doctor informed them that Arabella and her two children, a boy and a girl, named after Joshua and Rosetta, were then at the old home at Kees- leyville, whither he had taken them after the death of Mr. Pickering. Arabella, it appeared, was desirous of earning a liveli- hood ]y teaching music in the city, but her father would ... " 243 listen to no such course at that time. He insisted on her going home and staying with him until she had somewhat recovered from her severe shock. Under the promptings of both wife and mother, Joshua indited a feeling letter of sympathy and heartfelt affection to his sister-in-law, in which, after expressing their united condolence with her in her overwhelming reverse of for- tune, he begged her to allowRosetta and himself to adopt little Jot and Rosie, promising faithfully to see to their future welfare to the best of their ability. In the course of a month they were in receipt of Ara- bella's reply, in which she gave expression to the warmest emotions of her heart, for their loving kindness and ten- der sympathies in her sore affliction. In reference to the children, she said they had already become strongly at- tached to their dear uncle and aunt, who at all times had been so considerate to their little wants and foibles, and had always shown such a warm interest in their well- being that she had determined to sacrifice her feelings somewhat in the matter, in consideration of the great advantages that would accrue to them from an acceptance of their generous offer. She would prefer, however, she said, not to make the transfer, until Jot, the younger, was as old as his uncle was when he had been placed by his mother in charge of Mr. Denniston. After Joshua's mother had listened to the reading of &rabella's reply, she expressed a warm approval of her notherly feeling and good sense in the matter, and ex- pressed a strong desire that Mrs. Pickering would consent page: 244-245[View Page 244-245] 244 THE DOS I ojNIE'S SoN. 244 to the children spending a couple of years, at least, under her roof, before they passed into the charge of her son. Joshua warmly thanked his mother for her practical kindness, and added that it would unquestionably be ex- tremely advantageous to the children to fall under such an influence, at precisely the age when right impressions of life are so easily absorbed and become the basis of future character. PrL CHAPTER XIV. ONE morning about luncheon time, Lord Ormsbury was announced at Kenleeth Orbray in company with Mr. Bradeley, who had taken a run up to Scotland to visit his friend, and at the same time, to pay his respects to his esteemed friends from America, and their hon- ored host. He extended to them a pressing invitation, and observed that he should feel ex- ceedingly disappointed, if they failed to devote a few days to him whenever they visited the metropolis of the empire, in refreshing the memory of their former visit. The young couple assured Mr. Bradeley that the great pleasure they had derived from their previous visit to Glenmorton was still fresh and blooming in their memo- ries, and they felt that their obligations to him already were exceedingly great; but on Mrs. Arbuckle's account they were especially desirous to avail themselves of his genial hospitality for a few days, during the time which they had set aside for a visit to London, previous to leav- page: 246-247[View Page 246-247] 246 THE DOMNIFS SON. ing for the continent. They were certain she would be highly delighted to view the lovely surroundings of his estate, and the massive and impressive pile of masonry which constituted the home of an English gentleman of old family. As Mr. Bradeley and Joshua, after partaking of lunch, strolled down the lawn to take a view of the magnificent old limes at the edge of the park, the elder gentleman gave expression to the delight he had experienced in mak- ing the acquaintance of the estimable mother of his com- panion; and he remarked-that it was not a matter of won- der to him, such a mother had such a son. "For," said he, "from the impression which she has made upon me during the few observations I have had the pleasure of exchanging with her, I feel that she is more than worthy of her great good fortune. Such a woman would unques- tionably grace and adorn any position in the world, as she possesses, joined to an impressive presence, that rarest of all gifts, a clear, finely developed instinct of the appropri- ate. By which, I mean the happy faculty of saying and doing precisely the right word and act at precisely the right time." Joshua thanked Mr. Bradeley, for the extremely grati- fying opinion which he had expressed in regard to his mother; and he remarked that of all the human beings he had had the good fortune to meet with in life, he had never found one who had impressed him as possessing such a clear and lofty sense of duty as his mother. Previous to leaving Scotland, Mrs. Arbuckle visited THE DOMNIE'S SON. 247 Edinburgh for the express purpose of familiarizing herself with thee workings of the numerous private charities which render that city remarkable. The first institution that came under her inspection, was the hospital founded by George Heriot, the goldsmith and jeweler of James the Sixth of Scotland, and the First of England, whose portrait Scott has so skillfully drawn in the Fortunes of Nigel. It is devoted to the maintenance and education of poor father- less children, and at that time contained one hundr ed and eighty. Its income from the bequest being upwards of eighty-five thousand dollars, and much beyond its needs, its managers had been empowered to extend aid to outside objects that were in consonance with their own charity, which they had done to a large extent. It had then been in existence about two hundred years. The principal in- stitutions she visited besides the above were, George Wat- son's Hospital, founded in 1741, containing eighty boys; John Watson's Hospital, founded in 1825, and containing one hundred and twenty children, male and female; the Merchants' Maiden and Trades' Maiden Hospitals, the Orphans' Hospital, Gillespie's Hospital for aged men and women, to which is attached a free school attended by about one hundred and sixty poor children; Trinity Hospital, founded by the widow of James II., in 1461, for the bene- fit of "burgesses, their wives or children, not married nor under the age of fifty years;"Condin's Hospital, for the maintenance and education of the sons of poor teachers and farmers; the institution for the Deaf and Dumb; Asylum for the Blind, Magdalene Asylum, Lunatic Asy- page: 248-249[View Page 248-249] 248 THE DOMNIE'S SON. lum, House of Refuge, Royal Infirmary, Society for the Relief of the Destitute Sick, and the Dispensaries. In addition, Mrs. Arbuckle examined the new hospital, the building for which is quadrangular, in the Elizabethan style, and one of the finest structures belonging to Edin- burgh. It was erected in pursuance of a bequest of James Donaldson, printer, Edinburgh, who died in 1830, leaving one million and fifty thousand dollars fox the endowment and erection of a hospital for the maintenance of poor boys and girls, and a certain number of deaf and dumb. Also the hospital for the maintenance and education of poor boys, established in accordance with the bequest of Mr. Daniel Stewart; the fund for the support of which then amounted to four hundred and fifty thousand dollars. She likewise learned that Sir William Fettes, who died in 1836, left the greater part of his large fortune to form an endowment for the maintenance, education, and outfit of young people whose parents have fallen into adverse cir- cumstances, and that George Chalmers, a plumber, who died in 1836, bequeathed one hundred and fifty thousand dollars for the erection of a hospital for the sick and hurt. The population of the city at that time was one hun- dred and sixty-eight thousand one hundred and twenty- one, while the number of residents in the city of New. York was then somewhat over eight hundred thousand. As according to an old saying, "the proof of the pud- ding is in the eating," Mrs. Arbuckle was extremely grat- ified to know at the close of her inquiries, that no city in the world, irrespective of relative population, has sent * li THE DO.3IEr'S BO. 249- out anything like the proportion of first class men in every walk of life, who have obtained eminence in their professions* or a like proportion of men who have succeed- ed in every part of the world by dint of unwearied indus- try and frugality, in acquiring a competency and the lasting esteem of the people among whom their lots were cast, as had been sent forth from the poor but sterling community of the city of Edinburgh. In a conversation between Mrs. Arbuckle and the aged proprietor of Kenleeth Orbray, a few days after her return from Edinburgh, the old gentleman remarked tat the . e c. ^ n ly ., t at al Wat the recent statement, by a distinguished authority, that the ancient Grecians of two thousand years ago were as much superior to us of the present day as we believe ourselves to be the superiors of the benighted Africans, would not be very palatable to her go-ahead countrymen, who seemed to view the present as the most marvelous age of progress and development mankind had ever known, and to think that perfection was now upon the point of attainment. "It appears to be very natural," replied Mrs. Arbuckle in a comparatively new country, the population of which is exceedingly sparse, that all kinds of labor-saving ma- chinery and modes of rapid transit should be highly esti- mated, and perhaps unduly so, by the great mass of its people, but nevertheless, I believe every thoughtful and reflective American is fully cognizant of the true position of the present age when viewed in comparison with thoro that preceded. it, and to which it is of course so enor- mously indebted. The limit affixed to all human enquiry page: 250-251[View Page 250-251] ;50 THE DOMNIE'S SON. '50 aust be patent to every one who reflects but for an in- tant. The ideas which animate the aims of the thinking vorld are constantly moving like the sphere on which the iving mass itself exists. Art, when it has reached the ving mass itsf - in a fresh top of its revolving orbit, declines and reappears in a fresh form. Musical art, for instance, was, during the age o Beethoven, at the height of its natural sphere. It then appeared in all its native grace and majestic sublimity, when such potent votaries of its mysteries who worship- ped at its shrine, were specially endowed by the Omnipo- tent, to infuse its spirit and its mighty inspirations into the world ;-when they appealed with irresistible force to the highest and purest emotions of every human soul capable of feeling its divine spell. "As an illustration, we may recall the effect of the Fifth Symphony, one of the innumerable masterpieces of the illustrious composer, which was so admirably per- formed in Edinburgh a few evenings ago. After each subject is introduced, how thoroughly and satisfactorily it receives its fullest and most appropriate development, as it flows along in its unique grandeur to its end, imbued in its every fibre with the fire and massive genius of its con- summate master. What a wonderful burst of impassioned magnificence is displayed and sustained throughout its en- tire finale! There we see Beethoven himself, in all the full- ness of his sturdy masculine nature, giving the freest vent to overflowing hilarity. Since the time of Mendelssohn, -whose footprints on art can however only be compared with those of a delicate nature in comparison with the massive imprints of his predecessor-the German school has been rapidly going down on the other side of the re- volving wheel of art, until now the great aim seems to be to raise the art itself out of its proper sphere-the emo- tional-into the intellectual. "It is true, the two accredited prophets at present in charge of the field, favor us once in a while with morsels of ineffable sweetness; but they are buried in such prodi- gious masses of far-fetched and astonishing nothingness, that it is an interminable bore to wade through such sci- entific deserts in order to reach a little oasis now and then in the journey. It is harassing to find oneself dragged suddenly by the ears into an apparently never-ending sandy desert, with neither growth, development, nor pur- pose of any kind foreshadowed by our self-sufficient guide, who, after running forward and back, and then from side to side, in the evidently fruitless attempt to gain what he conceived might be a suitable stopping-place, suddenly makes a grand pyrotechnic display, by the aid of a few paltry Roman candles and sky rockets; and then becomes suddenly non est inventus, leaving us to grope our way out as best we may, and look out for a better guide on the next occasion." "Your views," exclaimed her host, "exactly accord with my own on the subject. I have long held as absurd and disastrous, the frantic efforts which have been insti- tuted in Germany during a recent period, to lead the musical art into what is proclaimed to be a new sphere, Wherein melody, which should always be the controlling page: 252-253[View Page 252-253] 252 THE DOMNIE'S SON. spirit and suggest its accompanying harmonies, is par- tially discarded, and in its stead, harmony is placed in the foreground, and its disjointed whims and caprices mainly catered to; the unerring effect, I need not say, of such false views of art, when carried into practice, can only lead to one result, and that is to fossilize the art of which the disciples of the so styled music of the future, claim to be its most advanced exponents. At the present day, what ephemeral sensationalism is reflected from the public mirror,-the stage! It must not be forgotten, however, that this is the moneyed age, and people now look more to present profit than for future fame; and especially when they have become fully aware the legitimate field has been well gleaned previous to their advent, and all that is left to them is to play second fiddle on the beaten track of the most renowned maestros, or else proclaim a newly discov- ered sphere, and drag their dupes off into a wayside waste, to wander forth in the often vain hope of being enabled to cull a little flower as they jog along." CHAPTER XV. T last the time came for Mr Arbuckle's American visitors to take their de- parture, and they accordingly left Kenleeth Orbray, accompanied by their aged host, for London, from whence, after resting a day, they made Mr. Bradeley a brief visit at Glenmor- ton Castle, in the county of Surrey, when Joshua and Rosetta enjoyed the opportunity of re- newing the delights and pleasures which they had experi- enced during their former visit. Joshua's mother was exceedingly surprised at the immense dimensions of Glen- morton, and could hardly be brought to realize that such an establishment could possibly be the residence of a single private personage. After fully enjoying the sumptuous hospitality of their kind and admirable host, the party bid adieu to Surrey, and returned to the capital. Early on the morning of the day succeeding their advent in town, Joshua learned through a newspaper that page: 254-255[View Page 254-255] 254 THE DOMNIES SON. Charles Dickens was staying in the city for a few days; so he hastened to call upon that gentleman, but he was not so fortunate as to find him at home, and he accordingly left him his card with his address. In the course of the day they had the great pleasure of receiving a visit from the author himself, and the elder Mrs. Arbuckle was en- abled to satisfy her long cherished wish of beholding face to face, and looking into the expressive eyes of the great man who traced the fortunes of David Copperfield aind little Nell. As Mrs. Arbuckle's health had now become entirely restored, she was impatient to return and resume her labors of love in Philadelphia; and as her schoolmate, the wife of the American Minister was about to return home, she decided to avail herself of the fortunate opportunity of accompanying her on the voyage, as she had not the slightest desire to travel on the continent of Europe. After seeing his mother safely off, Joshua and his wife departed for the continent with the intention of spending the ensuing winter in Italy, and the spring and summer in the Tyrol, the Pyrenees, and in Switzerland. When they had been but a very short period of time in the last named country, a special messenger reached Joshua from Scotland, bearing a letter from his great- uncle, in which he urgently requested his presence at Kenleeth Orbray, as expeditiously as possible, as he said he had forebodings that his health would rapidly fail him. Joshua and Rosetta accordingly set out without delay, and succeeded in soon reaching the bedside of their rela- THE DOMNIrES SON. 255 tive, whom they found evidently succumbing to the devastating inroads of a disease that had been lurking in his constitution for years. After manfully battling against the fell destroyer for nearly five weeks from the time of their arrival, his frail mortality finally succumbed, and at last calmly surren- dered up the spirit, that it might receive its due reward, and be installed in its appropriate abiding-place, in the tabernacles of the living God. The old gentleman it appeared, had taken every precau- tion to see that his only heir should be placed in undis- puted possession of the family estates, together with the vast accumulations of years of prudent and highly judi- cious management. And so soon as Joshua found himself in entire control, he sent word to his business agent in New York, Mr. Mitford, apprizing him of the state of his affairs, and requesting his attendance and advice in Scotland at his earliest convenience. Upon receipt of the summons, that gentleman immedi- ately set out on his mission, and in a very brief period of time found himself by the side of his esteemed friend, engaged in the, no doubt, highly pleasant occupation of examining and consulting with him in reference to the best disposition that could be made of the newly acquired property. It was finally decided, as the system of perpetual entail had then been recently superseded by the statutes 11 & 12 Victoria, chap. 36, which went into force in the year 1848, and abolished perpetuities, by which, whenever all the page: 256-257[View Page 256-257] 256 THE DOMYXIIS SON. remaining heirs to an estate acquiesce, the entail could be cut off and the property disposed of, and as Joshua hap- pened to be the last remaining heir, either direct or collat- eral, to the estates in question, it was decided to make the law available in his case, and to cut off the entail and dis- pose of the property gradually and in the course of four or five years. Kenleeth Orbray alone was to be retained during Joshua's life; but the entail was to be cut off, in order that it might be disposed of, and the proceeds appro- priated to found and support an asylum, wherein a specific number of aged and indigent married people, residents of the immediate neighborhood, might find a comfortable abiding place during the close of their earthly pilgrimage. After a close and careful estimate of the various proper- ties belonrging to the estate, the conclusion was arrived at that after making the best disposition of everything out- side of Kenleeth Orbray, and reinvesting the proceeds judiciously in real estate in the city of New York, Joshua's income would amount to rather more than one hundred and seventy thousand dollars per annum. To properly maintain Kenleeth Orbray and live in a very prudent manner indeed, it was ascertained that fifty thousand dol- lars at least, yearly, would need to be devoted. One hun- dred and twenty thousand dollars yearly would therefore, when everything was properly consummated, be at Joshua's disposal, with which to continue to make his "permanent investments." As soon as the aboveWstated conclusion had been reached, Mr. Arbuckle said to his confidential adviser: "Well, now, my dear friend, suppose I acquaint you with my proposed mode of making my next permanent investments. It will certainly not give me anything like the trouble and fatigue that my investments in the Che- nango Valley cost me; and will in all probability not afford me anything like the same degree of pleasure and satisfaction. In making investments of this character, I should always prefer as a matter of choice, to act as inde- pendently of others as the circumstances will permit, as then the giver is honestly entitled to all the blame or credit of his actions, as the case may be. To enable oneself,' however, to distribute his charity over a wider range, so as to include the most praiseworthy of our noble public benevolent institutions, it becomes essential to co-operate with our fellows to a certain degree. "I think the principle should always be adhered to, not to make a donation to an institution until being perfectly satisfied that the charity is honestly administered; and, furthermore, the donator should endeavor to become per- sonally cognizant that whatever he may ohoose to award is faithfully and strictly applied. Bearing those two necessary restrictions in mind, I have decided to give as follows: First, to all the public hospitals that are established in the city in which I may live. As soon as I conve- niently can, I shall purchase a residence and make my home in the city of New York. fMy blessed and revered mother, having always evinced such an absorbing interest in the chief hospital of her native city, I shall endeavor to 17 : c page: 258-259[View Page 258-259] 258. THE DOMNIE'S SON. second her aims and desires in reference to the strength- ening and support of what is doubtless a most worthy and admirably managed institntion. In the second place, I propose, after general hospitals, giving to the Home for Incurables, and also to the Home for Consumptives. Suc institutions, if their management is above board, and cai withstand the scrutiny of the public eye, should meet with hearty support from all who sympathize with affliction in its severest form, and are possessed with sufficient ability to aid them in their noble undertaking. In the third place, I would give, proportionately to my jmeans, aid to every philanthropic object that I found worthy of bein - sustained. And lastly, as time passes on, I would endovr a home, a short distance in the country, in the vicinity o the city of New York,. for indigent old married people who had attained to the age of sixty years and upwards; and if I then found myself further enabled to act, with God's blessing, I would endeavor to assist poor work- ing women, by erecting dwellings wherein all who were suitable could find a desirable home, at about one-third of the actual cost of the accommodations bestowed. After what I have mentioned, I think that, in a compara- tively new country like ours, it will be unnecessary to look farther at its wants in this direction at the preseIt time.' "The views that you have expressed in regard to such institutions," said Mr. Mitford, "meet with my warmest approbation. To aid in ameliorating and soothing the acute physical pain and chronic suffering which arise THE DOMNIE'S SON. 259 from the accidents of life, or that is developed from the seeds of disease that flesh is heir to, in the persons of our poorer and less fortunate fellow-beings, is the first great duty in the category of benevolent enterprises. It will be generally admitted, I think, by all who have looked into the working of such objects, that in our country more than in any other, the charitable are too often basely im- posed upon by unprincipled and systematically designing knaves, who in the aggregate, divert vast sums from the worthy objects which have enlisted the sympathies and substantial aid of a generous public, and misappropriate them to their own selfish purposes." Mr. Mitford after a short stay in Scotland returned to the United States, the bearer of a very pressing letter of invitation from Mr. Joshua Arbuckle and his wife to their old and highly prized friends, Mr. and Mrs. Denniston, to come over and enjoy a lengthened season of repose and of health-restoring, mind-diverting recreation from the wear- ing cares and anxieties of so many long years of business assiduity, in the charming neighborhood of the Tay. The invitation reached Mr. Denniston at a very oppor- tune time, as his family physician had long urged upon him the desirability of a change of scene and relaxation. ie accordingly crossed the ocean, in the fall of the year, accompanied by his wife, and spent the winter on the continent, principally in Italy and the south of Prance; and in the spring paid a visit to his former proteg6 and his charming wife at Kenleeth Orbray. Joshua exerted himself in every possible manner to page: 260-261[View Page 260-261] 260 THE DOMNIRS SON. render the visit of his most estimable friends as pleasan and entertaining as possible; and Mr. Denniston an his wife found it a difficult task to bid adieu and gan awa' from the picturesque charms and hearty welcome o the bonnie land that nurtured the chivalrous and fearles spirits of a Wallace, and of a Bruce and Burns. After passing a couple of years most delightfully ii Scotland, Mr. and Mrs. Arbuckle returned once more to America; and Joshua made his first investment in re estate in the city of New York, by purchasing for himself a residence in one of the most desirable localities for h s object. He then in conjunction with his business mana- ager made a thorough and exhaustiv' amination into the workings of the most essential benevolent institutions of the city, and according as he found them worthy of the public confidence, he aided them generously, and promised to continue his assistance so long as each succeeded in maintaining its efficiency; and even hinted he might eve- tually make such a bequest that would earn the institutin fully as much as it was then yearly receiving from his bounty. Joshua would have preferred to live while in the New World, near his mother in Philadelphia, the often object d to monotonous uniformity of the city not being distasteful either to himself or Rosetta; but as he considered it his duty to make the best investments in real estate that the entire country afforded, he made choice of the commercjal emporium of the Union, as the most desirable field for such operations, and the result has proved, from his im- mense accumulations, that he chose wisely. A considera- ble portion of his time is at intervals devoted to his mother, whom he esteems and venerates in increased ratio as time rolls by. Whenever Mr. and Mrs. Arbuckle returned to their home in New York from Scotland, Mr. Stafford, Mr. Henry Smith, and Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Edgar of Brooklyn, who had each known and highly esteemed their benefactor from the time of his boyhood days, called upon him to make inquiries personally as to the state of his health, and of that of his worthy partner, and to wish them joy, on returning safe and sound. When the time arrived for young Joshua Pickering-to make a choice of the mode in which to pass his life in honorable usefulness, he selected the profession which his maternal grandfather had so laboriously and honorably pursued before him. And after being graduated with high honors from the University of Pennsylvania, his uncle took him to the city of Edinburgh in order that he might be enabled to finish his professional education in one-of the best medical schools of Europe. He has since removed to London and been appointed one of the medical staff in Gray's Hospital, which magnificent charity was founded in 1721, by Thomas Gray, a bookseller, who expended nearly ninety-four thousand dollars upon the building, and left over one million and ninety thousand dollars for its endowment. Its revenues have since been increased by the liberality of another benefactor in the person of a citizen of the name of Thomas Hunt, who be- queathed to it in 1829, the sum of two hundred thousand pounds sterling--nearly one million of dollars. page: 262-263[View Page 262-263] TEHE DOMME'$S SON. His sister, Rosetta Pickering, having early exhibited a most remarkable talent for music, her uncle and aunt took her to Stuttgart, where they continued to reside for up- wards of three years, in order that she might enjoy the very best advantages in perfecting her execution, and, more particularly, her expression on the piano forte and in vocalism, which the admirable and thorough school in that delightful city afforded. The tuition charges, strange to say, seem to run in an entirely opposite scale to the ratio of its excellence; being a trifle below fifty dollars per annum for everything taught in the conservatory. A few years ago, Rosetta Pickering was married very happily, to the excellent son of a very worthy citizen of Philadelphia; and she has since continued to reside in the immediate neighborhood of her very dear and cherished friend, the universally respected Widow Arbuckle. The three hundred thousand dollars loaned out in the Chenango Valley to the backwoodsmen, has been recently reinvested for the second time, having been used by two previous sets of people to their no small advantage. At the conclusion of the previous reinvestment, Joshua made the Judge, his relative, a present of twenty-five thousand dollars in acknowledgment of his untiring services, and also as a slight testimony of the high esteem in which he personally held him. While Joshua Arbuckle and his wife were recently stay- ing at Keesleyville, a poor but hard-working man, whom they had both known from childhood, met with a fatal accident from a premature discharge of a cannon, while 263 engaged in firing a salute in honor of Independence day, leaving a widow and three small children totally unpro- vided for. As soon as the sad news reached the ear of our worthy couple, they hastened over to the house of mourning, and after expressing their heartfelt sympathy with the severe misfortune that had befallen the family, Joshua told the poor and distressed mother to take heart, and endeavor to bear up as well as she could under the trying circum- stances, and he would use his best endeavors to see that her family lacked for nothing that would assist in placing them all in the best position for making their capacities most available in earning a future livelihood, and in win- ning their due share of success in life. Such instances of personal sympathy and substantial aid have been innumerable during the life of our hero from his boyhood; but their mention has been passed over in this narrative, as its limits forbid their citation. This strong and good man has, as yet, more than a quarter of a century of years spread out before him, in which to continue making his favorite permanent invest- ments, before he will have reached the allotted period of life as set forth by the Psalmist. For every moment that his Heavenly Father deigns to continue his existence upon the earth, and to direct his course into the most desirable channels of usefulness, the unceasing prayers of a fervent and grateful being are constantly poured forth from the overflowing fountain of responsive love that gushes from the innermost recesses of his soul to its divine and adora- ble Creator. page: 264-265[View Page 264-265] 264 THE DOMNIEzS SON. The spirit which has animated his course and aims in life, has nowhere been more fitly and admirably expressed, than in the following lines of the poet Akenside, which appropriately closes this brief sketch of our hero's career. "Say, why was man so eminently rais'd Amid the vast creation? Why ordain'd Through life and death to dart his piercing eye, With thought beyond the limit of his frame? But that th' Omnipotent might send him forth, In sight of mortal and immortal pow'rs As on a boundless theatre, to run The great career of justice; to exalt His gen'rous aim to all diviner deeds; To chase each partial purpose from his breast; And through the mists of passion and of sense, And through the tossing tide of chance and pain To hold his course unfaltering, while the voice Of Truth and Virtue, up the steep ascent Of Nature calls him, to his high reward,-- The applauding smile of Heav'n." THE END.
