Kitabı oku: «The Knickerbocker, or New-York Monthly Magazine, April 1844», sayfa 8
AN EPITAPH
This shell of stone within it keepeth
One who died not, but sleepeth;
And in her quiet slumber seemeth
As if of heaven alone she dreameth.
Her form it was so fair in seeming,
Her eyes so heavenly in their beaming,
So pure her heart in every feeling,
So high her mind in each revealing,
A band of angels thought that she
Was one of their bright company;
And on some homeward errand driven,
Hurried her too away to Heaven.
THE CHURCH BELL
I
That old church bell is dear to me,
When from its ancient tower
Its silvery tones sound solemnly,
To tell the service-hour;
It seems as if it almost spoke
The words of trustful prayer,
And promised to the spirit broke
With sin, a pardon there.
II
I love it when it sadly tolls
The knell of life departed,
And gently murmurs sympathy
To mourners broken-hearted;
It whispers of a spirit passed
From doubt and pain and care,
And tells of heaven, and bids them hope
To meet the lost one there.
III
I love it when its merry peal
Welcomes the coming day,
And rouses me from peaceful sleep
My gratitude to pay;
It bids me pray for strength to do
My daily duty given;
To hope that each successive morn
May find me nearer heaven.
VI
Then dear is that old bell to me,
And dear its merry peal;
For ’tis a voice of sympathy
With human woe and weal;
Whether my heart with sadness sink,
Or light with pleasure dance,
It speaks to me in every tone
Of Life’s significance.
J. O. W.
THE QUOD CORRESPONDENCE
Harry Harson
CHAPTER XXIV
Harry Harson strode into his own house, with his jolly face brimful of cheerfulness. It shone out of his eyes; out of the corners of his half-closed mouth; and even out of his full, round double chin. Every part of him seemed glowing with it; and no sooner had he got in his parlor, than he flung his hat on the table; snapped his fingers over his head in perfect ecstacy; made the hazardous experiment of a slow pirouette around the table, and concluded his performances by making two or three passes with his cane at the nose of Spite, who had been watching his conduct with an air of extreme surprise, not unmingled with disapprobation. The attack upon himself was carrying the joke too far; and after several ineffectual attempts to avoid the point of the cane, with a discontented grumble, between a whine and a growl, he retreated under an old side-board, sadly troubled with misgivings as to the state of his master’s intellect.
‘Ha, ha! old pup! you don’t understand the science of fence; but don’t take it hard. I’ve got a drop of comfort in store for you; for we’re to have a blow-out, Spite—a real, regular, out-and-out blow-out—ha! ha! And you shall be under the table during the whole of it,’ exclaimed Harson, rubbing his hands together, and chuckling with indescribable glee. ‘I’ll speak about it at once.’ He opened the door and bawled out, in a voice that made the old house shake: ‘Hallo! there, Martha, Martha, come here, quick!’
A frantic rush across the kitchen was heard, succeeded by a violent clatter of slip-shod shoes through the entry; for Martha, since the late burglary, being haunted in idea by shabby looking gentlemen with pistols in their pockets, and dark lanterns under their arms, even in broad daylight, was on the look-out for emergencies, and had every thing ready for speedy egress to the street, either through the front door or the cellar window; and the tone of Harson’s voice being that of a man in extremity, had such an effect upon her, that when she reached the door, she could only gasp out:
‘Lor’ me! is they here ag’in?’
‘Who?’ demanded Harson, not a little surprised at the pale face of his housekeeper.
‘The robbers.’
‘Poh, poh, nonsense!’ replied he, perhaps not a little annoyed by the reflection that his own manner had contributed to her mistake. ‘There are no greater thieves here than our two selves. Perhaps I did speak rather loud; but I was not thinking of what I was about. I shall have some friends to dine with me to-morrow, and you must get things ready for them. There may be six, or eight, or a dozen; damme! I don’t know how many; but have enough for twenty; d’ye hear?’
Martha curtseyed, at the same time intimating in a faint tone, that she did hear; for she had not entirely recovered from the embarrassment attendant on the precipitancy of her advent into his presence.
‘And hark ye!’ continued Harson, warming as he went on; ‘Frank’s the very devil and all; we’ll tap the cask in the corner of the cellar. It’s prime stuff, which I’ve kept for some great occasion; and this is a glorious one. And there’s the fat saddle of mutton, hanging in the store room: we’ll have that. It’ll be the very thing for the half-starved boy we’ve found; and bring down a bottle or two of the red-seal wine; that of 1812. It’ll wake up old Dick Holmes, and make him ten years younger. There’s no fear of giving him the gout. Ha, ha! Dick Holmes with the gout! I’d like to see that!’ exclaimed he, bursting out into a broad laugh at the bare idea of such a catastrophe. ‘Well, well,’ added he, after a minute’s consideration, ‘you may go, Martha. Upon the whole, I think I’ll get the things myself, and go to market too. There, that’s all.’
Harson’s spirits however were too exuberant to permit him to remain quiet; for after he had returned to the room, drawn a chair to the fire, thrown on a few sticks of wood, seated himself with a foot on each andiron, folded his hands complacently over his abdomen, and fixed his eyes upon the clock, as if it were a settled thing that he was to retain this attitude for at least an hour, or perhaps a year, he suddenly started up, thrust his thumbs in his waistcoat pockets, and walked up and down the room, whistling with all his might; but even by whistling, he was unable to work off his surplus of buoyancy. It was evidently gaining ground upon him, do what he would. He had reached his present state by rapid stages. From a feeling of complacency he had passed to one of high satisfaction; from that to one of mirthfulness; thence he advanced rapidly to one of joviality; and he was now fast verging upon one of uproariousness. Something must be done! Excessive steam bursts a boiler; why should not a similar surplus of delight burst a man? He wouldn’t risk it! He must find some vent for it. Ha! ha! It just occurred to him that the widow hadn’t heard the news. He clapped on his hat, seized his cane, and sallied out into the street, in his haste shutting in Spite, who had started to follow him, and who yelped mournfully for an hour afterward, to the great edification of a thin maiden lady, who resided next door, and was indulging herself with a nervous head-ache.
There must have been something in the expression of Harson’s face which bore the stamp of his feelings; for as he trudged along, with a free independent air, striding as lustily as if only twenty instead of sixty years had passed over his head, and as if every sinew were as well strung, and every muscle as firm as ever; not a few turned to take a second look at his hearty, honest face; for such an one was not often met with; and as they did so, observed: ‘There goes a jolly old cock.’
Rap! rap! rap! went the head of his cane against the door of Mrs. Chowles’s blinking old house; but he was too much at home to think of waiting for a reply, and had gone through the ceremony only for the purpose of removing from his entrance all appearance of being underhanded or surreptitious; for no sooner had he knocked with one hand, than with the other he raised the latch and walked without hesitation toward the widow’s little parlor.
‘Ah, ha! my visit will be a surprise to her!’ thought he, as he took the knob of the door in his hand. He was a true prophet. A faint scream escaped the lady, for she was opening the door to come out at the very moment he was doing the same to enter; and as the movements of both were rapid, the lady precipitated herself into his arms, which in a most unexpected manner closed about her, while three hearty smacks were deposited on her forehead before she well knew where she was.
‘Mr. Harson!’ exclaimed she, extricating herself, though without any appearance of anger; ‘is it you?’
‘By Jove, I believe it is!’ replied Harson. ‘If it isn’t, it’s some gay fellow of twenty or thereabout, for I haven’t been so young for thirty years as I am to-day.’
Mrs. Chowles saw from his manner, and knew from the unusual hour of his visit, that there was something on his mind which he had come to communicate; and as she was not of that class who take pleasure in keeping others in suspense, especially when she was liable to be a fellow-sufferer, she drew an easy chair to the fire, and taking a seat in another, said: ‘Sit down, Harry. Now, what is it? what ails you?’
‘What ails me?’ exclaimed her visitor, turning his round joyous countenance to her; ‘look at me. Don’t you see what a boy I’ve grown; how the wrinkles have gone from my cheeks, and how clear and bright my eye is! Look at me, from top to toe. See how jolly I am, and hear how loud and lusty my laugh is: Ha! ha! ha!’
The lady did look at him; and did observe all the peculiarities to which he called her attention; and did listen to his loud ringing laugh; and then, not knowing what to make of him, drew away.
‘Aha! widow, you’re frightened at finding yourself alone with such a gay fellow!’ said he, laughing still more merrily. ‘Well, well, don’t be alarmed, for I’m not in the least dangerous; and to tell the truth, I am so overjoyed to-day that I may be indulged in a little foolery. But I’ll keep you no longer in suspense. You recollect little Annie, the little child who fled to my house for protection?’
‘Yes; well?’
‘And you remember too, how often I told you that that poor starved, cast-off little thing looked to me like one born for a better destiny, and like one who had seen brighter times; and how often you ridiculed me, when I spoke of the faint recollections which still flitted through her mind of sunnier hours; and how you said that they were merely dreams, and that I was almost as great a child as she was, to attach any weight to them; though you admitted—I’ll give you credit for that—you did admit that she was a beautiful, good little thing, and worthy to belong to the best in the land. And when I said that Providence never would have sent such a frail being as that into the world as a beggar’s brat, you told me, on the contrary, that He might have cast the lot of that child, frail, feeble, sickly as she was, amid the very outcasts of the earth for wise purposes, which we never could fathom; and that I had no right to reason in that way on the subject, or to comment on His doings. And there, widow,’ added he solemnly, ‘you were right, and I was very wrong. But I was correct in my surmises as to the child. She was born for a brighter destiny, even than my humble roof; although,’ added he, his voice somewhat choked, ‘she’ll never be where they’ll love her more. But it’s all right, and she must go; for her parents are discovered. They are of the best in the land; she is not a beggar’s brat. Her brother too, is found; a miserably, thin hollow-eyed fellow; but we’ll put flesh on him. This is not all,’ added he, ‘every body seems in luck to-day. Old Jacob Rhoneland has escaped scathless out of Rust’s clutches. Rust himself is on his way to the devil post-haste, and there is nothing left to be done but to heal the breach between Jacob and Ned. This matter settled, I hope to see Kate’s cheeks once more plump and round and rosy. I hope not only to see them, but to kiss them too. I’m not too old to fancy such things, I can tell you; and now, widow, hadn’t I a right to be a little boisterous? Ah! I see that you think me excusable; but bring me a pipe, and I’ll give you all the particulars over that. I’m a little thirsty, too; for I’ve already told a long story, and have yet a longer one to tell.’
The pipe was produced; the small three-legged table was placed at his side, to support his elbow; and Harson, having carefully lighted his pipe, suffered the smoke to eddy about his nose, while he arranged his ideas, and cleared his throat; and then he entered into a full and faithful detail of the proceedings which had been taken to unmask the villany of Rust; and the various steps and precautions which had finally led to success.
It was a pleasant sight to see two such persons as Harson and his crony, both in the autumn of life, but with the charities of the heart yet green and unwithered, talking and gossipping together, with eyes bright and beaming with mutual admiration; each fully aware of the foibles of the other, but carefully indulgent to them; for each knew that the heart of the other was an odd casket, encasing a gem of the noblest kind, from which radiated love, charity, and benevolence to man. Oh! Harry, Harry! how joyously and yet mildly you looked into that widow’s dark liquid eyes; and how gently and confidingly she returned that look! What a risk you both ran! Had you and she been but a few years younger, had either of you cherished a whit less tenderly the memory of those who had once been all in all to you, and whose forms were slumbering under the green sod, that widow might have been a wife, and Harry Harson no longer a stout, sturdy old bachelor; for it cannot be denied, that he did become a little animated as he proceeded; and that he did take the widow’s hand in his, and did squeeze it, perhaps with a little too much freedom, and did look into her eyes, as if he loved her with his whole soul and body into the bargain; nor can it be denied that she was pleased with these tokens of esteem, or love, or friendship, or whatever else she might have thought them; for she did not withdraw her hand, and she smiled when he smiled; and there certainly was a strong sympathy apparent in their looks; and even when in the fervor of his feelings he held his pipe between his teeth to free the hand which held it, and deliberately squeezed both of her hands in his, still she did not appear embarrassed, nor vexed; and when he had released it, quietly went on with her sewing, as composedly as if what he had just done was quite usual, and a matter of course.
‘And now, Mrs. Chowles,’ said Harson, as he concluded his narrative; ‘upon the strength of our success we are to have a jollification to-morrow at my house; and we’ll have Dick Holmes there, and Kate, and Ned Somers, and Kate’s father. He must make up with Ned then, if not before. He knows he was wrong, and he must give up.’
‘But will he?’ inquired the widow, anxiously. ‘You know Jacob’s a wrong-headed old man, in some things. Will he?’
‘Wont he?’ ejaculated Harson, with a peculiar wink and nod of satisfaction, as if he and himself were on excellent terms, and understood what they were about perfectly well. ‘I tell you what it is,’ added he, in a more grave tone; ‘Jacob has had his own way, or rather Michael Rust’s way, in this matter, too long. He shall have it no longer. He shall not break his child’s heart. I will not permit it.’ He took his pipe from his mouth, and slapped his knee emphatically. ‘Have you observed no change in the girl, since then? If you have not, I have. She is still the same devoted, affectionate child to that warped old man that she always was; but look at her face and form, and listen to her voice. She was once the gayest, merriest little creature that ever lived. It threw sunshine into one’s heart only to look at her; and when she spoke, did you ever hear a bird whose voice was half so joyous? Poor thing! when she laughs now, it makes my heart ache. It’s like the smile of one dying, when he is trying to whisper hope to those who are weeping over his death-bed. God bless her! and how should it be otherwise? But no matter; the worst is past. And now,’ said he, ‘I must be gone. I came here to tell you the story, and to ask you to dine with us; and between you and me, perhaps you had better come early in the day, and keep an eye over Martha; for the idea of a dinner party has quite frightened her; and there are so many little things to be done, which I know nothing about, and which you understand, and without which we should have every thing helter-skelter, that you must come, or I’ll never forgive you.’ Harry made this last menace with so fierce an air, and his mouth pursed up in so ferocious a manner, although his eyes were dancing with fun, that the lady consented at once.
‘It’s well for you that you did,’ said Harson, rising and putting on his hat; ‘if you hadn’t, I don’t know what I should have done; but it would have been something dreadful. I’m a terrible fellow when fairly roused.’ Then shaking the lady’s hand, as if he intended to dislocate her shoulders, he put his cane under his arm and went out.
‘Ha! ha! old Jacob! you and I must have a tussle. Ha! ha!’ exclaimed he, still carrying his cane under his arm, and his hands under his coat tails, ‘you must hear a little of what I think. A few words of wholesome advice will do you no harm, and will rub off the rust that old age has fastened upon you.’
With this hostile resolution upon his tongue, the old man made the best of his way to Rhoneland’s house. Jacob was there, dozing in his chair, with his white locks hanging loosely over his shoulders; and Kate was sitting at his side engaged in sewing. She was paler than usual; and there was a nervous restlessness in her manner, which did not escape the quick glance of Harson. He thought too that she seemed somewhat thinner than she was wont to be. It might be mere suspicion, but still he thought so.
‘It’s too bad,’ muttered he; ‘but I’ll set matters right, or my name’s not Harry Harson.’
There was something in the hearty greeting of the old fellow, as he took her hands in his and called her his bright-eyed girl, so full of happiness that it was impossible not to catch the same feeling as he spoke; and even Jacob, as he felt the cordial grasp of his hand, assured himself, and assumed something like a cheerful smile.
‘Well, Kate,’ said Harson, drawing a chair between her and her father; ‘I’ve news for you; and for you too, my old fellow,’ said he, turning to Rhoneland; ‘we’ve used Rust up.’
Jacob stared at him, smiled faintly and half doubtfully, and then sank back in his chair without speaking.
‘Do you hear me?’ exclaimed Harson, seizing him by the collar and shaking him; ‘do you hear me? Why don’t you jump up and hurrah at the downfall of such a scoundrel? Ha! ha! We’ve been on his track for months; but we’ve run him down at last; and then he made a virtue of necessity, and told all—all about the children, and about you, and about Ned; all lies, all lies—every word of them: Ned he swore was as honest a fellow as ever lived, or something to that effect. You, he admitted, had committed no forgery; not a word of truth in it; but all invented, to force you to consent to his marriage with my own little sweet-heart, Kate. God bless me! how near I was to losing her! Perhaps you don’t know that I intend marrying her myself? Why don’t you get up now, and hurrah? Confound it, I never saw such people in all my life. Halloh! by Jove! Kate, quick! some water! I swear, the old fellow has fainted!’
As he spoke, Rhoneland’s head fell back, and the color forsook his cheeks. Harson caught him, while Kate ran for water and brandy, a small quantity of which being poured into his mouth, soon brought him to himself. Having waited until he was sufficiently composed to listen, Harson commenced from the beginning of his story, and detailed to both of his listeners much that they already knew, and not a little which they had never dreamed of; the causes which had first led to the enmity between Grosket and Rust, and then, step by step, what they had done to detect and bring to light his villany. ‘Rust manœuvred well and skilfully,’ said he, ‘for he was a bold, reckless man, who stuck at nothing, and fought to the last. It is doubtful whether he would not have got the better of us in the end, had not a sudden misfortune fallen upon him, which prostrated his energies and broke his hard heart. After that, he was no longer the same man; but confessed every thing, and among other things, that it had been his intention to become the husband of Kate, and finding that you were opposed to it, he tried the effect of a display of wealth upon you. This failed. Then he resolved to see what fear could do; and threatened to have you indicted for forgery; and admitting that you were innocent, he yet showed so clearly how he could support his charge, and succeed in blasting your character, that you shrunk from collision with him: still you would not consent to sacrifice your child, although you dared not give him such an answer as would shut out all hope. There was another obstacle in his way. This was a certain young fellow, who as well as Rust, had an eye on Kate, and whom perhaps Kate did not think the worst man in the world. Rust determined to be rid of him; so he basely slandered him to you; and you, not suspecting Rust’s veracity, as the knowledge which you already had of his character should have induced you to do, rashly forbade his rival the house; and I am sorry to say, added harsh words to the wrong which you were already committing. I need not tell you who that young man was. He came to me shortly afterward and told me what had occurred. He’s a noble fellow, for not one hard word or epithet did he breathe against you. He said he was aware that for a long time back some person had been endeavoring to poison your mind against him. He had observed it in the gradual change of your manner, and in your avoiding his society. He had hoped, he said, that in time, when you found out that his character was fair and irreproachable, that these hard feelings would wear off, and you could again meet as heretofore. But this was not to be. Instead of diminishing, your hostility to him increased, until one day when he was in your own house, you used language to him which left him no alternative but to quit it forever. The charges which you made against him were very grave, Jacob, and very vile; and when you made them you had no right to withhold the name of the person on whose authority you accused him; but you did; and although Ned might and did suspect one person, Michael Rust, to be the kind friend to whom he owed your ill will, yet he had no proof of it that would justify him in calling him to account. Ned had a hard task before him; for the charge you made against him was that of harboring evil thoughts and of cherishing unfair designs against your child. It was a serious charge, and one that he could not refute; for a man’s thoughts are not susceptible of proof; all that he can do in justification, is to point to his past life and say: ‘Judge by that;’ and unless Ned could impeach the character of his traducer, of whom he was then ignorant, but who now stands revealed in the person of Michael Rust, as great a scoundrel as ever lived, he had no alternative but to submit, and to hope that time would exculpate him. Now Jacob, even supposing Rust had not confessed that the tales which he had told you respecting Ned were calumnies, is there any thing in Ned’s past life to justify the suspicion you have cherished against him? Answer candidly, and you will answer ‘No.’ Rust’s motive was clear enough; he feared Somers, and wished to drive from you one who might be a friend in time of need, and who might one day stand as a shield between you and his dark purposes. Come, Jacob, Rust has confessed all; what he did, what his motives were; and now, tell me, whether you cannot say, from the bottom of your heart, ‘Ned Somers, I have wronged you?’’
He paused, and looked earnestly at Rhoneland, while every feature glowed with the fervor of his feelings. ‘Come, Jacob, what do you say?’
There was one other person too who leaned forward to catch the reply; but Rhoneland answered:
‘She’s my only child, and she’s very dear to me. It was a cruel suspicion, and perhaps I did act hastily. I will not say that I did not, for I was greatly excited, and said many things that I have since forgotten. But it was better that he should go. Wasn’t it, Kate?’
He turned to his daughter, took her hand, and repeated his question. ‘Wasn’t it better that he should keep away Kate?’
Kate’s voice trembled as she asked: ‘What harm did he do, father, in coming here? If his character is fair, why should he not come?’
Her father eyed her with an uneasy look. In truth, he feared Ned’s presence; for he knew that he loved Kate, and that she reciprocated the feeling; and with the selfishness which old age sometimes brings with it, he was unwilling that she should care for another than himself, or that another should have a claim upon her. At last, he replied rather sharply: ‘The reason why he should not come, is because I don’t want him.’
Kate drew back, and said not another word; but Harson saw from her compressed lip that the reply had cut deeply; and catching her eye, he made a sign to her to leave them. Kate took the hint, and went out; and Harson, after looking Rhoneland steadily in the face for some time, said, ‘Jacob, you have given your reason why Ned Somers should not come here. It’s a very poor one, and not such as I expected. Now I’ll give you mine why he should: Kate loves him, and he loves her.’
Jacob knit his brows, but made no reply.
‘And let me tell you, too, that unless you do consent, your child will die. I’m in earnest. There are some who fall in love, as they call it, a hundred times; bestowing their affections, such as they are, sometimes on one, sometimes on another; until at last perhaps the owner of a handsome face offers his hand and gets in return the tattered thing they call their heart. God help me! this is called love. But thank God, for the credit of human nature, there are others who love as they should—purely, nobly, with their whole soul. These love once, and only once; and wo to the man who unwisely, or for his own selfish ends, crosses them! The sin of a broken heart too often lies at his door. Jacob, you’re an old man; but you are not too old to have forgotten the wife who once was yours. You loved her well, my dear old fellow, I know it,’ said he, taking his hand. ‘She deserved it too. Kate is very like her. What would have been your feelings had any one stepped in between you and her?’
Rhoneland grew very pale, and the tears came in his eyes.
‘Come, come, Jacob, I’ll not press the matter now; but you must reflect on what I’ve said; and you must not forget how much Kate has at stake. Ned’s a glorious fellow, and will make your house very cheery.’
‘Well, I’ll think of it,’ replied Rhoneland, after a short pause.
‘Do; that’s a good fellow. I’ll consider it a personal favor; and I do think you owe me something for the pains I’ve taken in aiding to rid you of that rascal, Rust.’
‘I do indeed owe you much,’ replied Rhoneland, earnestly, ‘and I am sincerely grateful.’
‘Well, well, we wont speak of that; only reflect on what I have just said; and by the way,’ added he, rising to go, ‘you must oblige me in another matter. Two or three friends are to dine with me to-morrow; you and Kate must be of the party.’
‘We will,’ was the reply.
‘Good! Now go up stairs and comfort Kate.’
