the choir invisible-第43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！


putting　up　some　bars　that　opened　into　a　wheat…filed　by　the　roadside。　He　had　on　long　boots；　corduroy　smalls；　a　speckled　red　jacket；　blue　coat　with　yellow　buttons；　and　a　broad…brimmed　hat。　He　held　a　hickory　switch　in　his　hand。　An　umbrella　and　a　long　staff　were　attached　to　his　saddle…bow。　His　limbs　were　so　long；　large；　and　sinewy；　his　countenance　so　lofty；　masculine；　and　contemplative；　and　although　he　was　of　a　presence　so　statue…like　and　venerable　that　my　heart　with　a　great　throb　cried　out；　It　is　Washington！〃

〃My　dear　friend；〃　he　wrote　at　the　close；　〃it　is　of　no　little　worth　to　me　that　I　should　have　come　to　Mount　Vernon　at　this　turning…point　of　my　life。　I　find　myself　uplifted　to　a　plane　of　thought　and　feeling　higher　than　has　ever　been　trod　by　me。　When　I　began　to　draw　near　this　place；　I　seemed　to　be　mounting　higher；　like　a　man　ascending　a　mountain；　and　ever　since　my　arrival　there　has　been　this　same　sense　of　rising　into　a　still　loftier　atmosphere；　of　surveying　a　vaster　horizon；　of　beholding　the　juster　relations　of　surrounding　objects。

〃All　this　feeling　has　its　origin　in　my　contemplation　of　the　character　of　the　President。　You　know　that　when　a　heavy　sleet　falls　upon　the　Kentucky　forest；　the　great　trees　crack　and　split；　or　groan　and　stagger；　with　branches　snapped　off　or　trailing。　In　adversity　it　is　often　so　with　men。　But　he　is　a　vast　mountain…peak；　always　calm；　always　lofty；　always　resting　upon　a　base　that　nothing　can　shake；　never　higher；　never　lower；　never　changing；　from　every　quarter　of　the　earth　storms　have　rushed　in　and　beaten　upon　him；　but　they　have　passed；　he　is　as　he　was。　The　heavens　have　emptied　their　sleets　and　snows　on　his　head；these　have　made　him　look　only　purer；　only　the　more　sublime。

〃From　the　spectacle　of　this　great　man　thus　bearing　the　great　burdens　of　his　great　life；　a　new　standard　of　what　is　possible　to　human　nature　has　been　raised　within　me。　I　have　seen　with　my　own　eyes　a　man　whom　the　adverse　forces　of　the　world　have　not　been　able　to　wrecka　lover　of　perfection；　who　has　so　wrought　it　out　in　his　character　that　to　know　him　is　to　be　awed　into　reverence　of　his　virtues。　I　shall　go　away　from　him　with　nobler　hopes　of　what　a　man　may　do　and　be。

〃It　is　to　you　soley　that　I　owe　the　honour　of　having　enjoyed　the　personal　consideration　of　the　President。　His　reception　of　me　had　been　in　the　highest　degree　ceremonious　and　distant；　but　upon　my　mentioning　the　names　of　father　and　brother；　his　manner　grew　warm：　I　had　touched　that　trait　of　affectionate　faithfulness　with　which　he　has　always　held　on　to　every　tie　of　kin　and　friendship。　That　your　father　should　have　fought　against　him　and　your　brother　under　him　made　no　difference　in　his　memory。　He　had　many　questions　to　ask　regarding　youyour　happiness；　your　familyto　some　of　which　I　could　return　the　answers　that　gave　him　pleasure　or　left　him　thoughtful。　Upon　my　setting　out　from　Mount　Vernon；　his　last　words　made　me　the　bearer　of　his　message　to　you；　the　child　of　an　old　comrade　and　the　sister　or　a　gallant　young　soldier。〃

Beyond　this　there　was　nothing　personal　in　his　letter　and　nothing　as　to　his　return。

When　she　next　heard；　he　was　in　Philadelphia；　giving　his　attention　to　the　choosing　and　shipment　of　the　books。　One　piece　of　news；　imparted　in　perfect　calmness　by　him；　occasioned　her　acute　disappointment。　His　expectation　of　coming　into　possession　of　some　ten　thousand　dollars　had　not　quite　been　realized。　An　appeal　had　been　taken　and　the　case　was　yet　pending。　He　was　pleased　neither　with　the　good　faith　nor　with　the　good　sense　of　the　counsel　engaged；　and　he　would　remain　on　the　spot　himself　during　the　trial。　He　added　that　he　was　lodging　with　a　pleasant　family。　Then　followed　the　long　winter　during　which　all　communication　between　the　frontier　and　the　seaboard　was　interrupted。　When　spring　returned　at　last　and　the　earliest　travel　was　resumed；　other　letters　came；　announcing　that　the　case　had　gone　against　him；　and　that　he　had　nothing。

She　sold　at　once　all　the　new　linen　that　had　been　woven；　got　together　all　the　money　she　otherwise　could　and　despatched　it　with　Major　Falconer's　consent；　begging　him　to　make　use　of　it　for　the　sake　of　their　friendshipnot　to　be　foolish　and　proud：　there　were　lawyers'　fees　it　could　help　to　pay；　or　other　plain　practical　needs　it　might　cover。　But　when　the　post…rider　returned；　he　brought　it　all　back　with　a　letter　of　gratitude：　only；　he　couldn't　accept　it。　And　the　messenger　had　been　warned　not　to　let　it　be　known　that　he　was　in　prison　for　debt　on　account　of　these　same　suit　expenses；　for　having　from　the　first　formed　a　low　opinion　of　his　counsel's　honour　and　ability　and　having　later　expressed　this　opinion　at　the　door　of　the　court…room　with　a　good　deal　of　fire　and　a　good　deal　of　contempt；　and　being　furthermore　unable　and　unwilling　to　pay　the　exorbitant　fee；　he　had　been　promptly　clapped　into　jail　by　the　incensed　attorney；　as　well　for　his　poverty　and　for　his　temper　and　his　pride。

In　jail　he　spent　that　spring　and　summer　and　autumn。　Then　an　important　turn　was　given　to　his　history。　It　seems　that　among　the　commissions　with　which　he　was　charged　on　leaving　Lexington　was　one　from　Edward　West；　the　watchmaker　and　inventor；　who　some　time　before；　and　long　before　Fulton；　had　made　trial　of　steam　navigation　with　a　small　boat　on　the　Town　Fork　of　the　Elkhorn；　and　who　desired　to　have　his　invention　brought　before　the　American　Philosophical　Society　of　Philadelphia。　He　had　therefore　placed　a　full　description　of　his　steamboat　in　John's　hands　with　the　request　that　he　would　enforce　this　with　the　testimony　of　an　eye…witness　as　to　its　having　moved　through　water。　At　this　time；　through　Franklin's　influence；　the　Society　was　keenly　interested　in　the　work　of　inventors；　having　received　also　some　years　previous　from　Hyacinthe　de　Magellan　two　hundred　guineas　to　be　used　for　rewarding　the　authors　of　improvements　and　discoveries。　Accordingly　it　took　up　the　subject　of　West's　invention　but　desired　to　hear　more　regarding　the　success　of　the　experiment；　and　so　requested　John　to　appear　before　it　at　one　of　its　meetings。　But　upon　looking　for　this　obscure　John　and　finding　him　in　jail；　the　committee　were　under　the　necessity　of　appearing　before　him。　Whereupon；　grown　interested　in　him　and　made　acquainted　with　the　ground　of　his　unreasonable　imprisonment；　some　of　the　members　effected　his　releaseby　recourse　to　the　attorney　with　certain　well…direct　threats　that　he　could　easily　be　put　into　jail　for　his　own　debts。　Not　only　this；　but　soon　afterwards　the　young　Westerner　was　taken　into　the　law…office　of　one　of　these　gentlemen；　binding　himself　for　a　term　of　years。

It　was　not　until　spring　that　he　wrote　he　humorously　of　his　days　in　jail；　but　when　it　came　to　telling　her　of　the　other　matter；　the　words　refused　to　form　themselves　before　his　will　or　his　hand　to　shape　them　on　the　paper。　He　would　do　this　in　the　next　letter；　he　said　to　himself　mournfully。

But　early　that　winter　Major　Falconer　had　died；　and　his　next　letter　was　but　a　short　hurried　reply　to　one　from　her；　bringing　him　this　intelligence。　And　before　he　wrote　again；　certain　grave　events　had　happened　that　led　him　still　further　to　defer　acquainting　her　with　his　new　situation；　new　duties；　new　plans。

That　same　spring；　then；　during　which　he　was　entering　upon　his　career　in　Philadelphia；　she　too　began　really　to　live。　And　beginning　to　live；　she　began　to　buildinwardly　and　outwardly；　for　what　is　all　life　but　ceaseless　inner　and　outer　building？

As　the　first　act；　she　sold　one　of　the　major's　military　grants；　reserving　the　ample；　noble；　parklike　one　on　which　she　had　passed　existence　up　to　this；　and　near　the　cabin　she　laid　the　foundations　of　her　house。　Not　the　great　ancestral　manor…house　on　the　James　and　yet　a　seaboard　aristocratic　Virginia　country…place：　two　story　brick　with　two…story　front　veranda　of　Corinthian　columns；　wide　hall；　wide　stairway；　oak　wood　interior；　hand…carved；　massive；　sliding　doors　between　the　large　library　and　large　dining…room；　great　bedrooms；　great　fireplaces；　great　brass　fenders　and　fire…dogs；　brass　locks　and　keys：　full　of　elegance；　spaciousness；　comfort；　rest。

In　every　letter　she　sent　him　that　spring　and　summer　and　early　autumn；　always　she　had　something　to　tell　him　about　this　house；　about　the　room　in　it　built　for　him；　about　the　negros　she　had　bought；　the　land　she　was　c