elinor wyllys-2-第31章

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and　his　infant　boy　were　laid　in　the　same　grave。

Jane　herself　was　ill　for　a　time；　and　when　she　partially　recovered；　was　very　anxious　to　accompany　Miss　Agnes　and　Elinor　to　Wyllys…Roofa　spot　where　she　had　passed　so　many　peaceful　hours；　that　she　longed　again　to　seek　shelter　there。　She　had　loved　her　husband；　as　far　as　it　was　in　her　nature　to　love；　but　her　attachments　were　never　very　strong　or　very　tender；　and　Tallman　Taylor's　neglect　and　unkindness　during　the　past　year；　had　in　some　measure　chilled　her　first　feelings　for　him。　She　now；　however；　looked　upon　herself　as　the　most　afflicted　of　human　beings；　the　death　of　her　baby　had　indeed　touched　the　keenest　chord　in　her　bosomshe　wept　over　it　bitterly。

Adeline　thought　more　seriously　at　the　time　of　her　brother's　death　than　she　had　ever　done　before：　and　even　Emma　Taylor's　spirits　were　sobered　for　a　moment。　Mr。　Taylor；　the　father；　no　doubt　felt　the　loss　of　his　eldest　son；　though　far　less　than　many　parents　would　have　done；　he　was　not　so　much　overwhelmed　by　grief；　but　what　he　could　order　a　very　handsome　funeral；　and　project　an　expensive　marble　monumenta　FASHIONABLE　TOMB…STONE　of　Italian　marble。　He　was　soon　able　to　resume　all　his　usual　pursuits；　and　even　the　tenor　of　his　thoughts　seemed　little　changed；　for　his　mind　was　as　much　occupied　as　usual　with　Wall…Street　affairs；　carrying　out　old　plans；　or　laying　new　schemes　of　profit。　He　had　now　been　a　rich　man　for　several　years；　yet　he　was　in　fact　less　happy　than　when　he　began　his　career；　and　had　everything　to　look　forward　to。　Still　he　continued　the　pursuits　of　business；　for　without　the　exciting　fears　and　hopes　of　loss　and　gain；　life　would　have　appeared　a　monotonous　scene　to　him；　leisure　could　only　prove　a　burthen；　for　it　would　be　merely　idleness；　since　he　had　no　tastes　to　make　it　either　pleasant　or　useful。　His　schemes　of　late　had　not　been　so　brilliantly　successful　as　at　the　commencement　of　his　course　of　speculation；　fortune　seemed　coquetting　with　her　old　favourite；　he　had　recently　made　several　investments　which　had　proved　but　indifferent　in　their　results。　Not　that　he　had　met　with　serious　losses；　on　the　contrary；　he　was　still　a　gainer　at　the　game　of　speculation；　but　the　amount　was　very　trifling。　He　had　rapidly　advanced　to　a　certain　distance　on　the　road　to　wealth；　but　it　now　seemed　as　if　he　could　not　pass　that　point；　the　brilliant　dreams　in　which　he　had　indulged　were　only　half　realized。　There　seemed　no　good　way　of　accounting　for　this　pause　in　his　career；　but　such　was　the　fact；　he　was　just　as　shrewd　and　calculating；　just　as　enterprising　now　as　he　had　been　ten　years　before；　but　certainly　he　was　not　so　successful。

On　commencing　an　examination　of　his　son's　affairs；　he　found　that　Tallman　Taylor's　extravagance　and　folly　had　left　his　widow　and　child　worse　than　penniless；　for　he　had　died　heavily　in　debt。　Returning　one　afternoon　from　Wall…Street；　Mr。　Taylor　talked　over　this　matter　with　his　wife。　Of　all　Tallman　Taylor's　surviving　friends；　his　mother　was　the　one　who　most　deeply　felt　his　death；　she　was　heart…stricken；　and　shed　bitter　tears　over　the　young　man。

〃There　is　nothing　left；　Hester；　for　the　child　or　her　mother；〃　said　the　merchant；　sitting　down　in　a　rocking…chair　in　his　wife's　room。　〃All　gone；　all　wasted；　five　times　the　capital　I　had　to　begin　with。　I　have　just　made　an　investment；　of　which　I　shall　give　the　profits　to　Tallman's　lady；　four　lots　that　were　offered　to　me　last　week；　if　that　turns　out　well；　I　shall　go　on；　and　it　may　perhaps　make　up　a　pretty　property　for　the　child；　in　time。〃

〃Oh；　husband；　don't　talk　to　me　about　such　things　now；　I　can't　think　of　anything　but　my　poor　boy's　death！〃

〃It　was　an　unexpected　calamity；　Hester；〃　said　the　father；　with　one　natural　look　of　sorrow；　〃but　we　cannot　always　escape　trouble　in　this　world。〃

〃I　feel　as　if　we　had　not　done　our　duty　by　him！〃　said　the　poor　mother。

〃Why　not？…he　was　very　handsomely　set　up　in　business；〃　remonstrated　Mt。　Taylor。

〃I　was　not　thinking　of　money；〃　replied　his　wife；　shaking　her　head。　〃But　it　seems　as　if　we　only　took　him　away　from　my　brother's；　in　the　country；　just　to　throw　him　in　the　way　of　temptation　as　he　was　growing　up；　and　let　him　run　wild；　and　do　everything　he　took　a　fancy　to。〃

〃We　did　no　more　than　other　parents；　in　taking　him　home　with　us；　to　give　him　a　better　education　than　he　could　have　got　at　your　brother's。〃

〃Husband；　husband！it　is　but　a　poor　education　that　don't　teach　a　child　to　do　what　is　right！　I　feel　as　if　we　had　never　taught　him　what　we　ought　to。　I　did　not　know　he　had　got　so　many　bad　ways　until　lately；　and　now　that　I　do　know　it；　my　heart　is　broken！〃

〃Tallman　was　not　so　bad　as　you　make　him　out。　He　was　no　worse　than　a　dozen　other　young　gentlemen　I　could　name　at　this　very　minute。〃

〃Oh；　I　would　give　everything　we　are　worth　to　bring　him　back！but　it　is　too　latetoo　late！〃

〃No　use　in　talking　now；　Hester。〃

〃We　ought　to　have　taken　more　pains　with　him。　He　didn't　know　the　danger　he　was　in；　and　we　did；　or　we　ought　to　have　known　it。　Taking　a　young　man　of　a　sudden；　from　a　quiet；　minister's　family　in　the　country；　like　my　brother's；　and　giving　him　all　the　money　he　wanted；　and　turning　him　out　into　temptation。Oh；　it's　dreadful！〃

〃All　the　pains　in　the　world；　Hester；　won't　help　a　young　man；　unless　he　chooses　himself。　What　could　I　do；　or　you　either？　Didn't　we　send　him　to　school　and　to　college？didn't　we　give　him　an　opportunity　of　beginning　life　with　a　fine　property；　and　married　to　one　of　the　handsomest　girls　in　the　country；　daughter　of　one　of　the　best　families；　too？　What　more　can　you　do　for　a　young　man？　He　must　do　the　rest　himself；　you　can't　expect　to　keep　him　tied　to　your　apron…string　all　his　life。〃

〃Oh；　no；　but　husband；　while　he　was　young　we　ought　to　have　taken　more　pains　to　teach　him　not　to　think　so　much　about　the　ways　of　the　world。　There　are　other　things　besides　getting　money　and　spending　money；　to　do；　it　seems　to　me　now　as　if　money　had　only　helped　my　poor　boy　to　his　ruin！〃

〃Your　notions　are　too　gloomy；　Mrs。　Taylor。　Such　calamities　will　happen；　and　we　should　not　let　them　weigh　us　down　too　much。〃

〃If　I　was　to　live　a　hundred　years　longer；　I　never　could　feel　as　I　did　before　our　son's　death。　Oh；　to　think　what　a　beautiful；　innocent　child　he　was　twenty　years　ago；　this　time！〃

〃You　shouldn't　let　your　mind　run　so　much　on　him　that's　gone。　It's　unjust　to　the　living。〃

The　poor　woman　made　no　answer；　but　wept　bitterly　for　some　time。

〃It's　my　only　comfort　now；〃　she　said；　at　length；　〃to　think　that　we　have　learned　wisdom　by　what's　passed。　As　long　as　I　live；　day　and　night；　I　shall　labour　to　teach　our　younger　children　not　to　set　their　hearts　upon　the　world；　not　to　think　so　much　about　riches。〃

〃Well；　I　must　say；　Hester；　if　you　think　all　poor　people　are　saints；　I　calculate　you　make　a　mistake。〃

〃I　don't　say　that；　husband；　but　it　seems　to　me　that　we　have　never　yet　thought　enough　of　the　temptations　of　riches；　more　especially　to　young　people；　to　young　menabove　all；　when　it　comes　so　sudden　as　it　did　to　our　poor　boy。　What　good　did　money　ever　do　him？it　only　brought　him　into　trouble！〃

〃Because　Tallman　didn't　make　the　most　of　his　opportunities；　that　is　no　reason　why　another　should　not。　If　I　had　wasted　money　as　he　did；　before　I　could　afford　it；　I　never　should　have　made　a　fortune　either。　The　other　boys　will　do　better；　I　reckon；　they　will　look　more　to　business　than　he　did；　and　turn　out　rich　men　themselves。〃

〃It　isn't　the　money！it　isn't　the　money　I　am　thinking　of！〃　exclaimed　the　poor　mother；　almost　in　despair　at　her　husband's　blindness　to　her　feelings。

〃What　is　it　then　you　take　so　much　to　heart？〃

〃It's　remembering　that　we　never　warned　our　poor　child；　we　put　him　in　the　way　of　temptation；　where　he　only　learned　to　think　everything　of　the　world　and　its　ways；　we　didn't　take　pains　enough　to　do　our　duty；　as　parents；　by　him！〃

〃Well；　Hester；　I　must　say　you　are　a　very　unreasonable　lady！〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Taylor；　who　was　getting　impatient　under　his　wife's　observations。　〃One　would　think　it　was　all　my　fault；　do　you　mean　to　say　it　was　wrong　in　me　to　grow　rich？〃

〃I　am　afraid　it　would　have　been　better　for　us；　and　for　our　children；　if　you　hadn't　made　so　much　money；〃　replied　the　wife。　〃The　happiest　time　of　our　life　was　the　first　ten　years　after　we　were　married；　when　we　had　enoug