miss sarah jack, of spanish town, jamaica-第1章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！






Miss　Sarah　Jack；　of　Spanish　Town；　Jamaica

by　Anthony　Trollope





There　is　nothing　so　melancholy　as　a　country　in　its　decadence；　unless
it　be　a　people　in　their　decadence。　　I　am　not　aware　that　the　latter
misfortune　can　be　attributed　to　the　Anglo…Saxon　race　in　any　part　of
the　world；　but　there　is　reason　to　fear　that　it　has　fallen　on　an
English　colony　in　the　island　of　Jamaica。

Jamaica　was　one　of　those　spots　on　which　fortune　shone　with　the　full
warmth　of　all　her　noonday　splendour。　　That　sun　has　set；whether　for
ever　or　no　none　but　a　prophet　can　tell；　but　as　far　as　a　plain　man　may
see；　there　are　at　present　but　few　signs　of　a　coming　morrow；　or　of
another　summer。

It　is　not　just　or　proper　that　one　should　grieve　over　the　misfortunes
of　Jamaica　with　a　stronger　grief　because　her　savannahs　are　so　lovely；
her　forests　so　rich；　her　mountains　so　green；　and　he　rivers　so　rapid；
but　it　is　so。　　It　is　piteous　that　a　land　so　beautiful　should　be　one
which　fate　has　marked　for　misfortune。　　Had　Guiana；　with　its　flat；
level；　unlovely　soil；　become　poverty…stricken；　one　would　hardly
sorrow　over　it　as　one　does　sorrow　for　Jamaica。

As　regards　scenery　she　is　the　gem　of　the　western　tropics。　　It　is
impossible　to　conceive　spots　on　the　earth's　surface　more　gracious　to
the　eye　than　those　steep　green　valleys　which　stretch　down　to　the
south…west　from　the　Blue　Mountain　peak　towards　the　sea；　and　but
little　behind　these　in　beauty　are　the　rich　wooded　hills　which　in　the
western　part　of　the　island　divide　the　counties　of　Hanover　and
Westmoreland。　　The　hero　of　the　tale　which　I　am　going　to　tell　was　a
sugar…grower　in　the　latter　district；　and　the　heroine　was　a　girl　who
lived　under　that　Blue　Mountain　peak。

The　very　name　of　a　sugar…grower　as　connected　with　Jamaica　savours　of
fruitless　struggle；　failure；　and　desolation。　　And　from　his　earliest
growth　fruitless　struggle；　failure；　and　desolation　had　been　the　lot
of　Maurice　Cumming。　　At　eighteen　years　of　age　he　had　been　left　by　his
father　sole　possessor　of　the　Mount　Pleasant　estate；　than　which　in　her
palmy　days　Jamaica　had　little　to　boast　of　that　was　more　pleasant　or
more　palmy。　　But　those　days　had　passed　by　before　Roger　Cumming；　the
father　of　our　friend；　had　died。

These　misfortunes　coming　on　the　head　of　one　another；　at　intervals　of
a　few　years；　had　first　stunned　and　then　killed　him。　　His　slaves　rose
against　him；　as　they　did　against　other　proprietors　around　him；　and
burned　down　his　house　and　mills；　his　homestead　and　offices。　　Those
who　know　the　amount　of　capital　which　a　sugar…grower　must　invest　in
such　buildings　will　understand　the　extent　of　this　misfortune。　　Then
the　slaves　were　emancipated。　　It　is　not　perhaps　possible　that　we；
now…a…days；　should　regard　this　as　a　calamity；　but　it　was　quite
impossible　that　a　Jamaica　proprietor　of　those　days　should　not　have
done　so。　　Men　will　do　much　for　philanthropy；　they　will　work　hard；
they　will　give　the　coat　from　their　back；nay　the　very　shirt　from
their　body；　but　few　men　will　endure　to　look　on　with　satisfaction
while　their　commerce　is　destroyed。

But　even　this　Mr。　Cumming　did　bear　after　a　while；　and　kept　his
shoulder　to　the　wheel。　　He　kept　his　shoulder　to　the　wheel　till　that
third　misfortune　came　upon　himtill　the　protection　duty　on　Jamaica
sugar　was　abolished。　　Then　he　turned　his　face　to　the　wall　and　died。

His　son　at　this　time　was　not　of　age；　and　the　large　but　lessening
property　which　Mr。　Cumming　left　behind　him　was　for　three　years　in　the
hands　of　trustees。　　But　nevertheless　Maurice；　young　as　he　was；
managed　the　estate。　　It　was　he　who　grew　the　canes；　and　made　the
sugar；or　else　failed　to　make　it。　　He　was　the　〃massa〃　to　whom　the
free　negroes　looked　as　the　source　from　whence　their　wants　should　be
supplied；　notwithstanding　that；　being　free；　they　were　ill　inclined　to
work　for　him；　let　his　want　of　work　be　ever　so　sore。

Mount　Pleasant　had　been　a　very　large　property。　　In　addition　to　his
sugar…canes　Mr。　Cumming　had　grown　coffee；　for　his　land　ran　up　into
the　hills　of　Trelawney　to　that　altitude　which　in　the　tropics　seems
necessary　for　the　perfect　growth　of　the　coffee　berry。　　But　it　soon
became　evident　that　labour　for　the　double　produce　could　not　be　had；
and　the　coffee　plantation　was　abandoned。　　Wild　brush　and　the　thick
undergrowth　of　forest　reappeared　on　the　hill…sides　which　had　been
rich　with　produce。　　And　the　evil　re…created　and　exaggerated　itself。
Negroes　squatted　on　the　abandoned　property；　and　being　able　to　live
with　abundance　from　their　stolen　gardens；　were　less　willing　than　ever
to　work　in　the　cane　pieces。

And　thus　things　went　from　bad　to　worse。　　In　the　good　old　times　Mr。
Cumming's　sugar　produce　had　spread　itself　annually　over　some　three
hundred　acres；　but　by　degrees　this　dwindle　down　to　half　that　extent
of　land。　　And　then　in　those　old　golden　days　they　had　always　taken　a
full　hogshead　from　the　acre；very　often　more。　　The　estate　had
sometimes　given　four　hundred　hogsheads　in　the　year。　　But　in　the　days
of　which　we　now　speak　the　crop　had　fallen　below　fifty。

At　this　time　Maurice　Cumming　was　eight…and…twenty；　and　it　is　hardly
too　much　to　say　that　misfortune　had　nearly　crushed　him。　　But
nevertheless　it　had　not　crushed　him。　　He；　and　some　few　like　him；　had
still　hoped　against　hope；　had　still　persisted　in　looking　forward　to　a
future　for　the　island　which　once　was　so　generous　with　its　gifts。
When　his　father　died　he　might　still　have　had　enough　for　the　wants　of
life　had　he　sold　his　property　for　what　it　would　fetch。　　There　was
money　in　England；　and　the　remains　of　large　wealth。　　But　he　would　not
sacrifice　Mount　Pleasant　or　abandon　Jamaica；　and　now　after　ten　years'
struggling　he　still　kept　Mount　Pleasant；　and　the　mill　was　still
going；　but　all　other　property　had　parted　from　his　hands。

By　nature　Maurice　Cumming　would　have　been　gay　and　lively；　a　man　with
a　happy　spirit　and　easy　temper；　but　struggling　had　made　him　silent　if
not　morose；　and　had　saddened　if　not　soured　his　temper。　　He　had　lived
alone　at　Mount　Pleasant；　or　generally　alone。　　Work　or　want　of　money；
and　the　constant　difficulty　of　getting　labour　for　his　estate；　had
left　him　but　little　time　for　a　young　man's　ordinary　amusements。　　Of
the　charms　of　ladies'　society　he　had　known　but　little。　　Very　many　of
the　estates　around　him　had　been　absolutely　abandoned；　as　was　the　case
with　his　own　coffee　plantation；　and　from　others　men　had　sent　away
their　wives　and　daughters。　　Nay；　most　of　the　proprietors　had　gone
themselves；　leaving　an　overseer　to　extract　what　little　might　yet　be
extracted　out　of　the　property。　　It　too　often　happened　that　that
little　was　not　sufficient　to　meet　the　demands　of　the　overseer
himself。

The　house　at　Mount　Pleasant　had　been　an　irregular；　low…roofed；
picturesque　residence；　built　with　only　one　floor；　and　surrounded　on
all　sides　by　large　verandahs。　　In　the　old　days　it　had　always　been
kept　in　perfect　order；　but　now　this　was　far　from　being　the　case。　　Few
young　bachelors　can　keep　a　house　in　order；　but　no　bachelor　young　or
old　can　do　so　under　such　a　doom　as　that　of　Maurice　Cumming。　　Every
shilling　that　Maurice　Cumming　could　collect　was　spent　in　bribing
negroes　to　work　for　him。　　But　bribe　as　he　would　the　negroes　would　not
work。　　〃No；　massa：　　me　pain　here；　me　no　workee　to…day；〃　and　Sambo
would　lay　his　fat　hand　on　his　fat　stomach。

I　have　said　that　he　lived　generally　alone。　　Occasionally　his　house　on
Mount　Pleasant　was　enlivened　by　visits　of　an　aunt；　a　maiden　sister　of
his　mother；　whose　usual　residence　was　at　Spanish　Town。　　It　is　or
should　be　known　to　all　men　that　Spanish　Town　was　and　is　the　seat　of
Jamaica　legislature。

But　Maurice　was　not　over　fond　of　his　relative。　　In　this　he　was　both
wrong　and　foolish；　for　Miss　Sarah　Jacksuch　was　her　namewas　in
many　respects　a　good　woman；　and　was　certainly　a　rich　woman。　　It　is
true　that　she　was　not　a　handsome　woman；　nor　a　fashionable　woman；　nor
perhaps　altogether　an　agreeable　woman。　　She　was　tall；　thin；　ungainly；
and　yellow。　　Her　voice；　which　she　used　freely；　was　harsh。　　She　was　a
politician　and　a　patriot。　　She　regarded　England　as　the　greatest　of
countries；　and　Jamaica　as　the　greatest　of　colonies。　　But　much　as　she
loved　England　she　was　very　loud　in　denouncing　what　she　called