the story of a pioneer-第3章

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ribly　burned；　but　they　are　mercifully　vague。　　My

next　vivid　impression　is　of　seeing　land；　which　we

sighted　at　sunset；　and　I　remember　very　distinctly

just　how　it　looked。　　It　has　never　looked　the　same

since。　　The　western　sky　was　a　mass　of　crimson　and

gold　clouds；　which　took　on　the　shapes　of　strange　and

beautiful　things。　　To　me　it　seemed　that　we　were

entering　heaven。　　I　remember　also　the　doctors　com…

ing　on　board　to　examine　us；　and　I　can　still　see　a　line

of　big　Irishmen　standing　very　straight　and　holding

out　their　tongues　for　inspection。　　To　a　little　girl

only　four　years　old　their　huge；　open　mouths　looked

appalling。



On　landing　a　grievous　disappointment　awaited

us；　my　father　did　not　meet　us。　　He　was　in　New

Bedford；　Massachusetts；　nursing　his　grief　and　pre…

paring　to　return　to　England；　for　he　had　been　told

that　the　John　Jacob　Westervelt　had　been　lost　at　sea

with　every　soul　on　board。　　One　of　the　missionaries

who　met　the　ship　took　us　under　his　wing　and　con…

ducted　us　to　a　little　hotel；　where　we　remained

until　father　had　received　his　incredible　news　and

rushed　to　New　York。　　He　could　hardly　believe　that

we　were　really　restored　to　him；　and　even　now；

through　the　mists　of　more　than　half　a　century；　I　can

still　see　the　expression　in　his　wet　eyes　as　he　picked

me　up　and　tossed　me　into　the　air。



I　can　see；　too；　the　toys　he　brought　mea　little

saw　and　a　hatchet；　which　became　the　dearest　treas…

ures　of　my　childish　days。　　They　were　fatidical

gifts；　that　saw　and　hatchet；　in　the　years　ahead　of

me　I　was　to　use　tools　as　well　as　my　brothers　did；

as　I　proved　when　I　helped　to　build　our　frontier

home。



We　went　to　New　Bedford　with　father；　who　had

found　work　there　at　his　old　trade；　and　here　I　laid

the　foundations　of　my　first　childhood　friendship；

not　with　another　child；　but　with　my　next…door

neighbor；　a　ship…builder。　　Morning　after　morning

this　man　swung　me　on　his　big　shoulder　and　took　me

to　his　shipyard；　where　my　hatchet　and　saw　had　vio…

lent　exercise　as　I　imitated　the　workers　around　me。　

Discovering　that　my　tiny　petticoats　were　in　my　way；

my　new　friend　had　a　little　boy's　suit　made　for　me；

and　thus　emancipated；　at　this　tender　age；　I　worked

unwearyingly　at　his　side　all　day　long　and　day　after

day。　　No　doubt　it　was　due　to　him　that　I　did　not

casually　saw　off　a　few　of　my　toes　and　fingers。　　Cer…

tainly　I　smashed　them　often　enough　with　blows　of

my　dull　but　active　hatchet。　　I　was　very；　very　busy；

and　I　have　always　maintained　that　I　began　to　earn

my　share　of　the　family's　living　at　the　age　of　five

for　in　return　for　the　delights　of　my　society；　which

seemed　never　to　pall　upon　him；　my　new　friend　al…

lowed　my　brothers　to　carry　home　from　the　ship…

yard　all　the　wood　my　mother　could　use。



We　remained　in　New　Bedford　less　than　a　year；

for　in　the　spring　of　1852　my　father　made　another

change；　taking　his　family　to　Lawrence；　Massa…

chusetts；　where　we　lived　until　1859。　　The　years　in

Lawrence　were　interesting　and　formative　ones。　　At

the　tender　age　of　nine　and　ten　I　became　interested

in　the　Abolition　movement。　　We　were　Unitarians；

and　General　Oliver　and　many　of　the　prominent　citi…

zens　of　Lawrence　belonged　to　the　Unitarian　Church。　

We　knew　Robert　Shaw；　who　led　the　first　negro　regi…

ment；　and　Judge　Storrow；　one　of　the　leading　New

England　judges　of　his　time；　as　well　as　the　Cabots

and　George　A。　Walton；　who　was　the　author　of

Walton's　Arithmetic　and　head　of　the　Lawrence

schools。　　Outbursts　of　war　talk　thrilled　me；　and

occasionally　I　had　a　little　adventure　of　my　own；　as

when　one　day；　in　visiting　our　cellar；　I　heard　a　noise

in　the　coal…bin。　　I　investigated　and　discovered　a

negro　woman　concealed　there。　　I　had　been　reading

Uncle　Tom's　Cabin；　as　well　as　listening　to　the

conversation　of　my　elders；　so　I　was　vastly　stirred

over　the　negro　question。　　I　raced　up…stairs　in　a

condition　of　awe…struck　and　quivering　excitement；

which　my　mother　promptly　suppressed　by　sending

me　to　bed。　　No　doubt　she　questioned　my　youthful

discretion；　for　she　almost　convinced　me　that　I　had

seen　nothing　at　allalmost；　but　not　quite；　and　she

wisely　kept　me　close　to　her　for　several　days；　until

the　escaped　slave　my　father　was　hiding　was　safely

out　of　the　house　and　away。　　Discovery　of　this　seri…

ous　offense　might　have　borne　grave　results　for　him。



It　was　in　Lawrence；　too；　that　I　received　and　spent

my　first　twenty…five　cents。　　I　used　an　entire　day　in

doing　this；　and　the　occasion　was　one　of　the　most

delightful　and　memorable　of　my　life。　　It　was　the

Fourth　of　July；　and　I　was　dressed　in　white　and　rode

in　a　procession。　　My　sister　Mary；　who　also　graced

the　procession；　had　also　been　given　twenty…five

cents；　and　during　the　parade；　when；　for　obvious

reasons；　we　were　unable　to　break　ranks　and　spend

our　wealth；　the　consciousness　of　it　lay　heavily　upon

us。　　When　we　finally　began　our　shopping　the　first

place　we　visited　was　a　candy　store；　and　I　recall　dis…

tinctly　that　we　forced　the　weary　proprietor　to　take

down　and　show　us　every　jar　in　the　place　before　we

spent　one　penny。　　The　first　banana　I　ever　ate　was

purchased　that　day；　and　I　hesitated　over　it　a　long

time。　　Its　cost　was　five　cents；　and　in　view　of　that

large　expenditure；　the　eating　of　the　fruit；　I　was

afraid；　would　be　too　brief　a　joy。　　I　bought　it；　how…

ever；　and　the　experience　developed　into　a　tragedy；

for；　not　knowing　enough　to　peel　the　banana；　I　bit

through　skin　and　pulp　alike；　as　if　I　were　eating　an

apple；　and　then　burst　into　ears　of　disappointment。　

The　beautiful　conduct　of　my　sister　Mary　shines

down　through　the　years。　　She；　wise　child；　had

taken　no　chances　with　the　unknown；　but　now；

moved　by　my　despair；　she　bought　half　of　my　banana；

and　we　divided　the　fruit；　the　loss；　and　the　lesson。　

Fate；　moreover；　had　another　turn　of　the　screw　for

us；　for；　after　Mary　had　taken　a　bite　of　it；　we　gave

what　was　left　of　the　banana　to　a　boy　who　stood　near

us　and　who　knew　how　to　eat　it；　and　not　even　the

large　amount　of　candy　in　our　sticky　hands　enabled

us　to　regard　with　calmness　the　subsequent　happiness

of　that　little　boy。



Another　experience　with　fruit　in　Lawrence　illus…

trates　the　ideas　of　my　mother　and　the　character　of

the　training　she　gave　her　children。　　Our　neighbors；

the　Cabots；　were　one　day　giving　a　great　garden　party；

and　my　sister　was　helping　to　pick　strawberries　for

the　occasion。　　When　I　was　going　home　from　school

I　passed　the　berry…patches　and　stopped　to　speak　to

my　sister；　who　at　once　presented　me　with　two　straw…

berries。　　She　said　Mrs。　Cabot　had　told　her　to　eat

all　she　wanted；　but　that　she　would　eat　two　less　than

she　wanted　and　give　those　two　to　me。　　To　my

mind；　the　suggestion　was　generous　and　proper；　in

my　life　strawberries　were　rare。　　I　ate　one　berry；

and　then；　overcome　by　an　ambition　to　be　generous

also；　took　the　other　berry　home　to　my　mother；　tell…

ing　her　how　I　had　got　it。　　To　my　chagrin；　mother

was　deeply　shocked。　　She　told　me　that　the　trans…

action　was　all　wrong；　and　she　made　me　take　back

the　berry　and　explain　the　matter　to　Mrs。　Cabot。　

By　the　time　I　reached　that　generous　lady　the　berry

was　the　worse　for　its　journey；　and　so　was　I。　　I　was

only　nine　years　old　and　very　sensitive。　　It　was　clear

to　me　that　I　could　hardly　live　through　the　humilia…

tion　of　the　confession；　and　it　was　indeed　a　bitter

experience　the　worst；　I　think；　in　my　young　life；

though　Mrs。　Cabot　was　both　sympathetic　and

understanding。　　She　kissed　me；　and　sent　a　quart

of　strawberries　to　my　mother；　but　for　a　long　time

afterward　I　could　not　meet　her　kind　eyes；　for　I　be…

lieved　that　in　her　heart　she　thought　me　a　thief。



My　second　friendship；　and　one　which　had　a　strong

influence　on　my　after…life；　was　formed　in　Lawrence。　

I　was　not　more　than　ten　years　old　when　I　met　this

new　friend；　but　the　memory　of　her　in　after…years；

and　the　impression　she　had　made　on　my　susceptible

young　mind；　led　me　first　into　the　ministry；　next　into

medicine；　and　finally　in