Home as Found, James Fenimore Cooper [bookreader txt] 📗

nation is practical, and the practical qualities get

to be imparted even to its highest order of talents."

 

"The English women are thought to be less excitable, and not so much

under the influence of sentimentalism, as some of their continental

neighbours."

 

"And very justly--but----"

 

"But, what, Miss Effingham--there is, in all this, a slight return to

the cosmopolitism, that reminds me of our days of peril and

adventure. Do not conceal a thought, if you wish to preserve that

character."

 

"Well, to be sincere, I shall say that your women live under a system

too sophisticated and factitious to give fair play to common sense,

at all times. What, for instance, can be the habitual notions of one,

who, professing the doctrines of Christianity, is accustomed to find

money placed so very much in the ascendant, as to see it daily

exacted in payment for the very first of the sacred offices of the

church? It would be as rational to contend that a mirror which had

been cracked into radii, by a bullet, like those we have so often

seen in Paris, would reflect faithfully, as to suppose a mind

familiarized to such abuses would be sensitive on practical and

common sense things."

 

"But, my dear Miss Effingham, this is all habit."

 

"I know it is all habit, Sir George Templemore, and a very bad habit

it is. Even your devoutest clergymen get so accustomed to it, as not

to see the capital mistake they make. I do not say it is absolutely

sinful, where there is no compulsion; but, I hope you agree with me,

Mr. Powis, when I say I think a clergyman ought to be so sensitive on

such a subject, as to refuse even the little offerings for baptisms,

that it is the practice of the wealthy of this country to make."

 

"I agree with you entirely, for it would denote a more just

perception of the nature of the office they are performing; and they

who wish to give can always make occasions."

 

"A hint might be taken from Franklin, who is said to have desired his

father to ask a blessing on the pork-barrel, by way of condensation,"

put in John Effingham, who joined them as he spoke, and who had heard

a part of the conversation. "In this instance an average might be

struck in the marriage fee, that should embrace all future baptisms.

But here comes neighbour Howel to favour us with his opinion. Do you

like the usages of the English church, as respects baptisms, Howel?"

 

"Excellent, the best in the world, John Effingham."

 

"Mr. Howel is so true an Englishman," said Eve, shaking hands

cordially with their well-meaning neighbour, "that he would give a

certificate in favour of polygamy, if it had a British origin."

 

"And is not this a more natural sentiment for an American than that

which distrusts so much, merely because it comes from the little

island?" asked Sir George, reproachfully.

 

"That is a question I shall leave Mr. Howel himself to answer."

 

"Why, Sir George," observed the gentleman alluded to, "I do not

attribute my respect for your country, in the least, to origin. I

endeavour to keep myself free from all sorts of prejudices. My

admiration of England arises from conviction, and I watch all her

movements with the utmost jealousy, in order to see if I cannot find

her tripping, though I feel bound to say I have never yet detected

her in a single error. What a very different picture, France--I hope

your governess is not within hearing, Miss Eve; it is not her fault;

she was born a French woman, and we would not wish to hurt her

feelings--but what a different picture France presents! I have

watched her narrowly too, these forty years, I may say, and I have

never yet found her right; and this, you must allow, is a great deal

to be said by one who is thoroughly impartial."

 

"This is a terrible picture, indeed, Howel, to come from an

unprejudiced man," said John Effingham; "and I make no doubt Sir

George Templemore will have a better opinion of himself for ever

after--he for a valiant lion, and you for a true prince. But yonder

is the 'exclusive extra,' which contains our party."

 

The elevated bit of lawn on which they were walking commanded a view

of the road that led into the village, and the travelling, vehicle

engaged by Mrs. Hawker and her friends, was now seen moving along it

at a rapid pace. Eve expressed her satisfaction, and then all resumed

their walk, as some minutes must still elapse previously to the

arrival.

 

"Exclusive extra!" repeated Sir George; "that is a peculiar phrase,

and one that denotes any thing but democracy."

 

"In any other part of the world a thing would be sufficiently marked,

by being 'extra,' but here it requires the addition of 'exclusive,'

in order to give it the 'tower stamp,'" said John Effingham, with a

curl of his handsome lip. "Any thing may be as exclusive as it

please, provided it bear the public impress. A stagecoach being

intended for every body, why, the more exclusive it is, the better.

The next thing we shall hear of will be exclusive steamboats,

exclusive railroads, and both for the uses of the exclusive people."

 

Sir George now seriously asked an explanation of the meaning of the

term, when Mr. Howel informed him that an 'extra' in America meant a

supernumerary coach, to carry any excess of the ordinary number of

passengers; whereas an 'exclusive extra' meant a coach expressly

engaged by a particular individual.

 

"The latter, then, is American posting," observed Sir George.

 

"You have got the best idea of it that can be given," said Paul. "It

is virtually posting with a coachman, instead of postillions, few

persons in this country, where so much of the greater distances is

done by steam, using their own travelling carriages. The American

'exclusive extra' is not only posting, but, in many of the older

parts of the country, it is posting of a very good quality."

 

"I dare say, now, this is all wrong, if we only knew it," said the

simple-minded Mr. Howel. "There is nothing exclusive in England, ha,

Sir George?"

 

Every body laughed except the person who put this question, but the

rattling of wheels and the tramping of horses on the village bridge,

announced the near approach of the travellers. By the time the party

had reached the great door in front of the house, the carriage was

already in the grounds, and at the next moment, Eve was in the arms

of Mrs. Bloomfield. It was apparent, at a glance, that more than the

expected number of guests was in the vehicle; and as its contents

were slowly discharged, the spectators stood around it, with

curiosity, to observe who would appear.

 

The first person that descended, after the exit of Mrs. Bloomfield,

was Captain Truck, who, however, instead of saluting his friends,

turned assiduously to the door he had just passed through, to assist

Mrs. Hawker to alight. Not until this office had been done, did he

even look for Eve; for, so profound was the worthy captain's

admiration and respect for this venerable lady, that she actually had

got to supplant our heroine, in some measure, in his heart. Mr.

Bloomfield appeared next, and an exclamation of surprise and pleasure

proceeded from both Paul and the baronet, as they caught a glimpse of

the face of the last of the travellers that got out.

 

"Ducie!" cried Sir George. "This is even better than we expected."

 

"Ducie!" added Paul, "you are several days before the expected time,

and in excellent company."

 

The explanation, however, was very simple Captain Ducie had found the

facilities for rapid motion much greater than he had expected, and he

reached Fort Plain, in the eastward cars, as the remainder of the

party arrived in the westward. Captain Truck-who had met Mrs.

Hawker's party in the river boat, had been intrusted with the duty of

making the arrangements, and recognizing Captain Ducie, to their

mutual surprise, while engaged in this employment, and ascertaining

his destination, the latter was very cordially received into the

"exclusive extra."

 

Mr. Effingham welcomed all his guests with the hospitality and

kindness for which he was distinguished. We are no great admirers of

the pretension to peculiar national virtues, having ascertained, to

our own satisfaction, by tolerably extensive observation, that the

moral difference between men is of no great amount; but we are almost

tempted to say, on this occasion, that Mr. Effingham received his

guests with American hospitality; for if there be one quality that

this people can claim to possess in a higher degree than that of most

other Christian nations, it is that of a simple, sincere, confiding

hospitality. For Mrs. Hawker, in common with all who knew her, the

owner of the Wigwam entertained a profound respect; and though his

less active mind did not take as much pleasure as that of his

daughter, in the almost intuitive intelligence of Mrs. Bloomfield, he

also felt for this lady a very friendly regard. It gave him pleasure

to see Eve surrounded by persons of her own sex, of so high a tone of

thought and breeding; a tone of thought and breeding, moreover, that

was as far removed as possible from anything strained or artificial:

and his welcomes were cordial in proportion. Mr. Bloomfield was a

quiet, sensible, gentleman-like man, whom his wife fervently loved,

without making any parade of her attachment and he was also one who

had the good sense to make himself agreeable wherever he went.

Captain Ducie, who, Englishman-like, had required some urging to be

induced to present himself before the precise hour named in his own

letter, and who had seriously contemplated passing several days in a

tavern, previously to showing himself at the Wigwam, was agreeably

disappointed at a reception, that would have been just as frank and

warm, had he come without any notice at all: for the Effinghams knew

that the usages which sophistication and a crowded population perhaps

render necessary in older countries, were not needed in their own;

and then the circumstance that their quondam pursuer was so near a

kinsman of Paul Powis', did not fail to act essentially in his

favour.

 

"We can offer but little, in these retired mountains, to interest a

traveller and a man of the world, Captain Ducie," said Mr. Effingham,

when he went to pay his compliments more particularly, after the

whole party was in the house; "but there is a common interest in our

past adventures to talk about, after all other topics fail. When, we

met on the ocean, and you deprived us so unexpectedly of our friend

Powis, we did not know that you had the better claim of affinity to

his company."

 

Captain Ducie coloured slightly, but he made his answer with a proper

degree of courtesy and gratitude.

 

"It is very true," he added, "Powis and myself are relatives, and I

shall place all my claims to your hospitality to his account; for I

feel that I have been the unwilling cause of too much suffering to

your party to bring with me any very pleasant recollections,

notwithstanding your kindness in including me as a friend in the

adventures of which you speak."

 

"Dangers that are happily past, seldom bring very unpleasant

recollections, more especially when they were connected with scenes

of excitement, I understand, sir, that the unhappy young man, who was

the principal cause of all that passed, anticipated the sentence of

the law, by destroying himself."

 

"He was his own executioner, and the victim of a silly weakness that,

I should think, your state of society was yet too young and simple to

encourage. The idle vanity of making an appearance, a vanity, by the

way, that seldom besets gentlemen, or the class to which it may be

thought more properly to belong, ruins hundreds of young men in

England, and this poor creature was of the number. I never was more

rejoiced than when he quitted my ship, for the sight of so much

weakness sickened one of human nature. Miserable as his fate proved

to be, and pitiable as his condition really was while in my charge,

his case has the alleviating circumstance with me, of having made me

acquainted with those whom it might not otherwise have been my good

fortune to meet!"

 

This civil speech was properly acknowledged, and Mr. Effingham

addressed himself to Captain Truck, to whom, in the hurry of the

moment, he had not yet said half that his feelings dictated.

 

"I am rejoiced to see you under my roof, my worthy friend," taking

the rough hand of the old seaman between his own whiter and more

delicate fingers, and shaking it with cordiality, "for this _is_

being under my roof, while those town residences have less the air of

domestication and familiarity. You will spend many of your holidays

here, I trust; and when we get a few years older, we will begin to

prattle about the