the story of a pioneer-第2章

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new　scenes　and　strange　people；　I　have　heard　my

mother　describe　her　own　experiences　as　a　pupil。　

All　the　children　of　the　dependents　of　the　castle　were

expected　to　leave　school　at　fourteen　years　of　age。　

During　their　course　they　were　not　allowed　to　study

geography；　because；　in　the　sage　opinion　of　their　elders；

knowledge　of　foreign　lands　might　make　them　dis…

contented　and　inclined　to　wander。　　Neither　was　com…

position　encouragedthat　might　lead　to　the　writing

of　love…notes！　　But　they　were　permitted　to　absorb

all　the　reading　and　arithmetic　their　little　brains

could　hold；　while　the　art　of　sewing　was　not　only

encouraged；　but　proficiency　in　it　was　stimulated　by

the　award　of　prizes。　　My　mother；　being　a　rather　pre…

cocious　young　person；　graduated　at　thirteen　and

carried　off　the　first　prize。　　The　garment　she　made

was　a　linen　chemise　for　the　duchess；　and　the　little

needlewoman　had　embroidered　on　it；　with　her　own

hair；　the　august　lady's　coat　of　arms。　　The　offering

must　have　been　appreciated；　for　my　mother's　story

always　ended　with　the　same　words；　uttered　with　the

same　air　of　gentle　pride；　‘‘And　the　duchess　gave　me

with　her　own　hands　my　Bible　and　my　mug　of　beer！''　

She　never　saw　anything　amusing　in　this　association

of　gifts；　and　I　always　stood　behind　her　when　she　told

the　incident；　that　she　might　not　see　the　disrespectful

mirth　it　aroused　in　me。



My　father　and　mother　met　in　Alnwick；　and　were

married　in　February；　1835。　　Ten　years　after　his

marriage　father　was　forced　into　bankruptcy　by　the

passage　of　the　corn　law；　and　to　meet　the　obliga…

tions　attending　his　failure　he　and　my　mother

sold　practically　everything　they　possessedtheir

home；　even　their　furniture。　　Their　little　sons；　who

were　away　at　school；　were　brought　home；　and

the　family　expenses　were　cut　down　to　the　barest

margin；　but　all　these　sacrifices　paid　only　part　of　the

debts。　　My　mother；　finding　that　her　early　gift　had

a　market　value；　took　in　sewing。　　Father　went　to

work　on　a　small　salary；　and　both　my　parents　saved

every　penny　they　could　lay　aside；　with　the　desperate

determination　to　pay　their　remaining　debts。　　It　was　a

long　struggle　and　a　painful　one；　but　they　finally　won

it。　　Before　they　had　done　so；　however；　and　during　their

bleakest　days；　their　baby　died；　and　my　mother；　like

her　mother　before　her；　paid　the　penalty　of　being

outside　the　fold　of　the　Church　of　England。　　She；

too；　was　a　Unitarian；　and　her　baby；　therefore；　could

not　be　laid　in　any　consecrated　burial…ground　in　her

neighborhood。　　She　had　either　to　bury　it　in　the

Potter's　Field；　with　criminals；　suicides；　and　paupers；

or　to　take　it　by　stage…coach　to　Alnwick；　twenty

miles　away；　and　leave　it　in　the　little　Unitarian　church…

yard　where；　after　her　strenuous　life；　Nicolas　Stott

now　lay　in　peace。　　She　made　the　dreary　journey

alone；　with　the　dear　burden　across　her　lap。



In　1846；　my　parents　went　to　London。　　There

they　did　not　linger　long；　for　the　big；　indifferent　city

had　nothing　to　offer　them。　　They　moved　to　New…

castle…on…Tyne；　and　here　I　was　born；　on　the　four…

teenth　day　of　February；　in　1847。　　Three　boys　and

two　girls　had　preceded　me　in　the　family　circle；　and

when　I　was　two　years　old　my　younger　sister　came。　

We　were　little　better　off　in　Newcastle　than　in

London；　and　now　my　father　began　to　dream　the

great　dream　of　those　days。　　He　would　go　to　America。　

Surely；　he　felt；　in　that　land　of　infinite　promise　all

would　be　well　with　him　and　his。　　He　waited　for　the

final　payment　of　his　debts　and　for　my　younger

sister's　birth。　　Then　he　bade　us　good…by　and　sailed

away　to　make　an　American　home　for　us；　and　in

the　spring　of　1851　my　mother　followed　him　with　her

six　children；　starting　from　Liverpool　in　a　sailing…

vessel；　the　John　Jacob　Westervelt。



I　was　then　little　more　than　four　years　old；　and　the

first　vivid　memory　I　have　is　that　of　being　on　ship…

board　and　having　a　mighty　wave　roll　over　me。　　I　was

lying　on　what　seemed　to　be　an　enormous　red　box

under　a　hatchway；　and　the　water　poured　from　above；

almost　drowning　me。　　This　was　the　beginning　of　a

storm　which　raged　for　days；　and　I　still　have　of　it　a

confused　memory；　a　sort　of　nightmare；　in　which

strange　horrors　figure；　and　which　to　this　day　haunts

me　at　intervals　when　I　am　on　the　sea。　　The　thing

that　stands　out　most　strongly　during　that　period　is

the　white　face　of　my　mother；　ill　in　her　berth。　　We

were　with　five　hundred　emigrants　on　the　lowest

deck　of　the　ship　but　one；　and　as　the　storm　grew

wilder　an　unreasoning　terror　filled　our　fellow…pas…

sengers。　　Too　ill　to　protect　her　helpless　brood；　my

mother　saw　us　carried　away　from　her　for　hours　at　a

time；　on　the　crests　of　waves　of　panic　that　sometimes

approached　her　and　sometimes　receded；　as　they

swept　through　the　black　hole　in　which　we　found　our…

selves　when　the　hatches　were　nailed　down。　　No　mad…

house；　I　am　sure；　could　throw　more　hideous　pictures

on　the　screen　of　life　than　those　which　met　our　childish

eyes　during　the　appalling　three　days　of　the　storm。　

Our　one　comfort　was　the　knowledge　that　our　mother

was　not　afraid。　　She　was　desperately　ill；　but　when

we　were　able　to　reach　her；　to　cling　close　to　her　for　a

blessed　interval；　she　was　still　the　sure　refuge　she　had

always　been。



On　the　second　day　the　masts　went　down；　and　on

the　third　day　the　disabled　ship；　which　now　had

sprung　a　leak　and　was　rolling　helplessly　in　the

trough　of　the　sea；　was　rescued　by　another　ship　and

towed　back　to　Queenstown；　the　nearest　port。　　The

passengers；　relieved　of　their　anxieties；　went　from

their　extreme　of　fear　to　an　equal　extreme　of　drunken

celebration。　　They　laughed；　sang；　and　danced；　but

when　we　reached　the　shore　many　of　them　returned

to　the　homes　they　had　left；　declaring　that　they　had

had　enough　of　the　ocean。　　We；　however；　remained

on　the　ship　until　she　was　repaired；　and　then　sailed

on　her　again。　　We　were　too　poor　to　return　home；

indeed；　we　had　no　home　to　which　we　could　return。　

We　were　even　too　poor　to　live　ashore。　　But　we　made

some　penny　excursions　in　the　little　boats　that　plied

back　and　forth；　and　to　us　children　at　least　the　weeks

of　waiting　were　not　without　interest。　　Among　other

places　we　visited　Spike　Island；　where　the　convicts

were；　and　for　hours　we　watched　the　dreary　shuttle

of　labor　swing　back　and　forth　as　the　convicts　car…

ried　pails　of　water　from　one　side　of　the　island；　only

to　empty　them　into　the　sea　at　the　other　side。　　It

was　merely　‘‘busy　work；''　to　keep　them　occupied

at　hard　labor；　but　even　then　I　must　have　felt　some

dim　sense　of　the　irony　of　it；　for　I　have　remembered

it　vividly　all　these　years。



Our　second　voyage　on　the　John　Jacob　Westervelt

was　a　very　different　experience　from　the　first。　　By

day　a　glorious　sun　shone　overhead；　by　night　we　had

the　moon　and　stars；　as　well　as　the　racing　waves　we

never　wearied　of　watching。　　For　some　reason；　prob…

ably　because　of　my　intense　admiration　for　them；

which　I　showed　with　unmaidenly　frankness；　I　be…

came　the　special　pet　of　the　sailors。　　They　taught　me

to　sing　their　songs　as　they　hauled　on　their　ropes；

and　I　recall；　as　if　I　had　learned　it　yesterday；　one

pleasing　ditty：

　　　　　Haul　on　the　bow…line；

　　　　　Kitty　is　my　darling；

　　　　　Haul　on　the　bow…line；

　　　　　The　bow…lineHAUL！



When　I　sang　‘‘haul''　all　the　sailors　pulled　their

hardest；　and　I　had　an　exhilarating　sense　of　sharing

in　their　labors。　　As　a　return　for　my　service　of　song

the　men　kept　my　little　apron　full　of　ship　sugar

very　black　stuff　and　probably　very　bad　for　me；　but

I　ate　an　astonishing　amount　of　it　during　that　voy…

age；　and；　so　far　as　I　remember；　felt　no　ill　effects。



The　next　thing　I　recall　is　being　seriously　scalded。　

I　was　at　the　foot　of　a　ladder　up　which　a　sailor　was

carrying　a　great　pot　of　hot　coffee。　　He　slipped；　and

the　boiling　liquid　poured　down　on　me。　　I　must

have　had　some　bad　days　after　that；　for　I　was　ter…

ribly　burned；　but　they　are　mercifully　vague。　　My

next　vivid　impression　is　of　seein