elinor wyllys-2-第1章

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　Elinor　Wyllys

by　Susan　Fenimore　Cooper




IN　TWO　VOLUMES。　VOL。　II。

EDITED　BY　J。　FENIMORE　COOPER。




CHAPTER　I　｛would　be　CHAPTER　XXIV；　if　numbered　from　beginning　of　Vol。　I｝

〃But　there　is　matter　for　another　rhyme；　And　I　to　this　would　add　another　tale。〃　WORDSWORTH。

〃And　how　do　Miss　and　Madam　do；　The　little　boy；　and　all？　All　tight　and　well？　and　how　do　you；　Good　Mr。　What…do…you…call？〃　COWPER。

｛William　Wordsworth　（English　poet；　1770…1850）；　〃Poems　of　the　Imagination：　Hart…Leap　Well〃　lines　95…96。　William　Cowper　（English　poet；　1731…1800）；　〃The　Yearly　Distress；　or；　Tithing　Time　at　Stock　in　Essex〃　lines　33…36｝

It　is　to　be　feared　the　reader　will　find　fault　with　this　chapter。　But　there　is　no　remedy；　he　must　submit　quietly　to　a　break　of　three　years　in　the　narrative：　having　to　choose　between　the　unities　and　the　probabilities；　we　greatly　preferred　holding　to　the　last。　The　fault；　indeed；　of　this　hiatus；　rests　entirely　with　the　young　folk　of　Longbridge；　whose　fortunes　we　have　undertaken　to　follow；　had　they　remained　together；　we　should；　of　course；　have　been　faithful　to　our　duty　as　a　chronicler；　but　our　task　was　not　so　easy。　In　the　present　state　of　the　world；　people　will　move　aboutespecially　American　people；　and　making　no　claim　to　ubiquity；　we　were　obliged　to　wait　patiently　until　time　brought　the　wanderers　back　again；　to　the　neighbourhood　where　we　first　made　their　acquaintance。　Shortly　after　Jane's　marriage；　the　whole　party　broke　up；　Jane　and　her　husband　went　to　New…Orleans；　where　Tallman　Taylor　was　established　as　partner　in　a　commercial　house　connected　with　his　father。　Hazlehurst　passed　several　years　in　Mexico　and　South…America：　an　old　friend　of　his　father's；　a　distinguished　political　man；　received　the　appointment　of　Envoy　to　Mexico；　and　offered　Harry　the　post　of　Secretary　of　Legation。　Hazlehurst　had　long　felt　a　strong　desire　to　see　the　southern　countries　of　the　continent；　and　was　very　glad　of　so　pleasant　an　arrangement；　he　left　his　friend　Ellsworth　to　practise　law　alone；　and　accompanied　Mr。　Henley；　the　Minister；　to　Mexico；　and　from　thence　removed；　after　a　time；　to　Brazil。　Charlie　had　been　studying　his　profession　in　France　and　Italy；　during　the　same　period。　Even　Elinor　was　absent　from　home　much　more　than　usual；　Miss　Wyllys　had　been　out　of　health　for　the　last　year　or　two；　and；　on　her　account；　they　passed　their　summers　in　travelling；　and　a　winter　in　the　West…Indies。　At　length；　however；　the　party　met　again　on　the　old　ground；　and　we　shall　take　up　the　thread　of　our　narrative；　during　the　summer　in　which　the　circle　was　re…united。　It　is　to　be　hoped　that　this　break　in　the　movement　of　our　tale　will　be　forgiven；　when　we　declare；　that　the　plot　is　about　to　thicken；　perplexities；　troubles；　and　misfortunes　are　gathering　about　our　Longbridge　friends；　a　piece　of　intelligence　which　will　probably　cheer　the　reader's　spirits。　We　have　it　on　the　authority　of　a　philosopher；　that　there　is　something　gratifying　to　human　nature　in　the　calamities　of　our　friends；　an　axiom　which　seems　true；　at　least；　of　all　acquaintances　made　on　paper。

〃｛Minister〃　=　a　diplomatic　rank　below　that　of　Ambassadora　Minister　heads　a　Legation；　an　Ambassador　an　Embassy；　prior　to　the　Civil　War；　the　United　States　was　not　considered　an　important　enough　country　to　send　or　receive　Ambassadors。　〃Secretary　of　Legation〃　=　a　diplomat　serving　under　a　Minister。　〃A　philosopher〃　=　Francois；　Duc　de　la　Rochefoucauld　（1618…1680）；　French　author　famous　for　his　maxims　or　epigraphs：　〃Dans　l'adversite　de　nos　meilleurs　amis；　nous　trouvons　quelque　chose　qui　ne　nous　deplait　pas〃　=　In　the　misfortune　of　our　best　friends；　we　find　something　which　is　not　displeasing　to　us。　Maxim　No。　99；　later　suppressed。　By　the　1840s；　a　well　known　expression｝

We　hear　daily　that　life　is　short；　and；　surely；　Time　flies　with　fearful　rapidity　if　we　measure　his　course　by　years：　three…score…and…ten；　the　allotted　span　of　man；　are　soon　numbered。　But　events；　thoughts；　feelings；　hopes；　cares；　are　better　marks　for　the　dial　of　life；　than　hours　and　minutes。　In　this　view；　the　path　of　life　is　a　long　road；　full　of　meaning　and　of　movement　at　every　step；　and　in　this　sense　only　is　time　justly　appreciated；　each　day　loses　its　insignificance；　and　every　yearly　revolution　of　the　earth　becomes　a　point　in　eternity。

The　occurrences　of　the　three　years　during　which　we　have　lost　sight　of　the　Longbridge　circle　will　speak　for　themselves；　as　our　tale　is　gradually　unfolded。　It　is　evident；　however；　at　the　first　glance；　on　returning　to　the　old　ground；　that　the　village　itself　has　undergone　some　alterations。　Though　belonging　to　a　part　of　the　country　occasionally　accused　of　being　〃unenterprising；〃　it　had　not　proved　insensible　to　the　general　movement　felt　throughout　the　republic；　in　those　halcyon　days　of　brilliant　speculation；　which　commenced　with　the　promise　of　good　fortune　to　all；　and　ended　by　bringing　poverty　to　many；　and　disgrace　to　others。　A　rail…road　now　runs　through　the　principal　street；　and　the　new　depot；　a　large；　uncouth　building；　stands　conspicuous　at　its　termination；　looking　commercial　prosperity；　and　internal　improvement。　Several　new　stores　have　been　opened；　half…a…dozen　〃tasty　mansions〃chiefly　imitations　of　Mr。　Hubbard'shave　been　built；　another　large　tavern　has　been　commenced；　and　two　additional　steamboats　may　be　seen　lying　at　the　wharf。　The　value　of　property　in　the　village　itself；　is　said　to　have　doubled；　at　least；　new　streets　are　laid　out；　and　branch　rail…roads　are　talked　of；　and　many　people　flatter　themselves　that　Longbridge　will　figure　in　the　next　census　as　a　flourishing　city；　with　the　full　honours　of　a　Corporation；　Mayor；　and　Aldermen。　In　the　population；　corresponding　changes　are　also　perceptible；　many　new　faces　are　seen　in　the　streets；　new　names　are　observed　on　the　signs；　others　again　are　missed　from　their　old　haunts；　for　there　is　scarcely　a　family　in　the　place；　which　has　not　sent　its　representation　westward。

｛〃those　halcyon　days〃　=　i。e。；　before　the　economic　Panic　of　1837；　and　the　seven…year　depression　that　followed｝

Most　of　our　old　acquaintances；　however；　still　remain　on　the　spot；　this　pleasant　afternoon　in　June；　183…。　There　stands　Mr。　Joseph　Hubbard；　talking　to　Judge　Bernard。　That　is　Dr。　Van　Horne；　driving　off　in　his　professional　sulkey。　There　are　Mrs。　Tibbs　and　Mrs。　Bibbs；　side…by…side；　as　of　old。　Mrs。　George　Wyllys　has　moved；　it　seems；　her　children　are　evidently　at　home　in　a　door…yard　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　street；　adjoining　the　Hubbard　〃Park。〃　On　the　door　of　that　bright…coloured；　spruce…looking　brick　house；　you　will　see　the　name　of　W。　C。　Clapp；　and　there　are　a　pair　of　boots　resting　on　the　window…sill　of　an　adjoining　office；　which　probably　belong　to　the　person　of　the　lawyer；　himself。　Now；　we　may　observe　Mrs。　Hilson　and　Miss　Emmeline　Hubbard　flitting　across　the　street；　〃fascinating　and　aristocratic〃　as　ever。

｛〃sulkey〃　=　light　two…wheeled　carriage；　seated　for　one　person；　usually　spelled　〃sulky〃｝

Let　us　leave　the　village；　however；　for　the　more　immediate　neighbourhood　of　Wyllys…Roof；　in　which；　it　is　hoped；　the　reader　will　feel　more　particularly　interested。　There　stands　the　little　cottage　of　the　Hubbards；　looking　just　as　it　did　three　years　since；　it　is　possible　that　one　or　two　of　the　bull's…eye　panes　of　glass　may　have　been　broken；　and　changed；　and　the　grey　shingles　are　a　little　more　moss…grown；　but　its　general　aspect　is　precisely　what　it　was　when　we　were　last　there。　The　snow…ball　and　the　sweet…briar　are　in　their　old　places；　each　side　of　the　humble　porch；　the　white　blossoms　have　fallen　from　the　scraggy　branches　of　the　snow…ball；　this　first　week　in　June；　the　fresh　pink　buds　are　opening　on　the　fragrant　young　shoots　of　the　sweet…briar。　There　is　our　friend；　Miss　Patsey；　wearing　a　sun…bonnet；　at　work　in　the　garden；　and　if　you　look　through　the　open　door　of　the　house；　you　will　see　beyond　the　passage　into　the　neat　little　kitchen；　where　we　catch　a　glimpse　of　Mrs。　Hubbard's　white　cap　over　the　back　of　her　rocking…chair。　It　is　possible　that　you　may　also　see　the　merry；　shining；　black　face　of　a　little　handmaiden；　whom　Miss　Patsey　has　lately　taken　into　the　family；　and；　as　the　tea…kettle　is　boiling；　and　the　day's　work　chiefly　over；　the　little　thing　is　often　seen　at　this　hour；　playing　about　the　corners　of　the　house；　with　the　old　cat。　Ah；