In the Days of Poor Richard
2
"I dressed and went to dine with the Hares that evening. They lived ina large house on a fashionable 'road' as certain, of the streets werecalled. It was a typical upper class, English home. There were manyfine old things in it but no bright colors, nothing to dazzle orastonish; you like the wooden Indian in war-paint and feathers and thestuffed bear and high colored rugs in the parlor of Mr. Gosport inPhiladelphia. Every piece of furniture was like the quiet, stillfooted servants who came and went making the smallest possible demandupon your attention.
"I was shown into the library where Sir Benjamin' sat alone reading anewspaper. He greeted me politely.
"'The news is disquieting,' he said presently. 'What have you to tellus of the situation in America?'
"'It is critical,' I answered. 'It can be mended, however, if thegovernment will act promptly.'
"'What should it do?'
"'Make concessions, sir, stop shipping tea for a time. Don't try toforce an export with a duty on it. I think the government should notshake the mailed fist at us.'
"'But think of the violence and the destruction of property!'
"'All that will abate and disappear if the cause is removed. We whokeep our affection for England have done our best to hold the passionsof the people in check but we get no help from this side of the ocean.'
"Sir Benjamin sat thoughtfully feeling his silvered mustache. He hadgrown stouter and fuller-faced since we had parted in Albany when hehad looked like a prosperous, well-bred merchant in military dress andhad been limbered and soiled by knocking about in the bush. Now hewore a white wig and ruffles and looked as dignified as a Torymagistrate.
"In the moment of silence I mustered up my courage and spoke out.
"'Sir Benjamin,' I said. 'I have come to claim your daughter under thepromise you gave me at Fort Stanwix. I have not ceased to love her andif she continues to love me I am sure that our wishes will have yourfavor and blessing.'
"'I have not forgotten the promise,' he said. 'But America haschanged. It is likely to be a hotbed of rebellion--perhaps even thescene of a bloody war. I must consider my daughter's happiness.'
"'Conditions in America, sir, are not so bad as you take them to be,' Iassured him.
"'I hope you are right,' he answered. 'I am told that the whole matterrests with your Doctor Franklin. If we are to go on from bad to worsehe will be responsible.'
"'If it rests with him I can assure you, sir, that our troubles willend,' I said, looking only at the surface of the matter and speakingconfidently out of the bottomless pit of my inexperience as the youngare like to do.
"'I believe you are right,' he declared and went on with a smile.'Now, my young friend, the girl has a notion that she loves you. I amaware of that--so are you, I happen to know. Through Doctor Franklin'sinfluence we have allowed her to receive your letters and to answerthem. I have no doubt of your sincerity, or hers, but I did notforesee what has come to pass. She is our only child and you canscarcely blame me if I balk at a marriage which promises to turn heraway from us and fill our family with dissension.'
"'May we not respect each other and disagree in politics?' I asked.
"'In politics, yes, but not in war. I begin to see danger of war andthat is full of the bitterness of death. If Doctor Franklin will dowhat he can to reestablish loyalty and order in the colonies my fearwill he removed and I shall welcome you to my family.'
"I began to show a glint of intelligence and said: 'If the ministerswill cooperate it will not be difficult.'
"'The ministers will do anything it is in their power to do.'
"Then the timely entrance of Margaret and her mother.
"'I suppose that I shall shock my father but I can not help it,' saidthe girl as she kissed me.
"You may be sure that I had my part in that game. She stood beside me,her arm around my waist and mine around her shoulders.
"'Father, can you blame me for loving this big, splendid hero who savedus from the Indians and the bandits? It is unlike you to be such ahardened wretch. But for him you would have neither wife nor daughter.'
"She put it on thick but I held my peace as I have done many a time inthe presence of a woman's cunning. Anyhow she is apt to believeherself and in a matter of the heart can find her way throughdifficulties which would appal a man.
"'Keep yourself in bounds, my daughter,' her father answered. 'I knowhis merits and should like to see you married and hope to, but I mustask you to be patient until you can go to a loyal colony with yourhusband.'
"It was a pleasant dinner through which they kept me telling of myadventures in the bush. Save the immediate family only Mrs. Biggars, asister of Lady Hare, and a young nephew of Sir Benjamin were at thetable."
Jack has said in another of His letters that Mrs. Biggars was a sweet,stout lady whose manner of address reminded him of an affectionatehouse cat. "That means, as you will know, that I liked her," he added.
"The ladies sat together at one end of the table. The baronet pumpedme for knowledge of the hunting and fishing in the northern part ofTryon County where Solomon and I had spent a week, having left our boatin Lake Champlain and journeyed off in the mountains.
"'Champlain was a man of imagination,' said my host. 'He tells oftrying to land on a log lying against the lake shore and ofdiscovering, suddenly, that it was an immense fish.'
"'Since I learned that I was to meet you I have been reading a bookentitled _The Animals of North America_,' said Mrs. Biggars. 'I havelearned that bears often climb after and above the hunter and doublethemselves up and fall toward him, knocking him out of the tree. Haveyou seen it done?'
"'I think it was never done outside a book,' I answered. 'I never sawa bear that was not running away from me. They hate the look of a man.'
"Mrs. Biggars was filled with astonishment and went on: 'The authortells of an animal on the borders of Canada that resembles a horse. Ithas cloven hoofs, a shaggy mane, a horn right out of its forehead and atail like that of a pig. When hunted it spews hot water upon the dogs.I wonder if you could have seen such an animal?'
"'No, that's another nightmare,' I answered. 'People go hunting fornightmares in America. They enjoy them and often think they have foundthem when they have not. It all comes of trying to talk with Indiansand of guessing at the things they say.'
"Sir Benjamin remarked that when a man wrote about nature he seemed toregard himself as a first deputy of God.
"'And undertakes to lend him a hand in the work of creation,' Isuggested. 'Even your great Doctor Johnson has stated that swallowsspend the winter at the bottom of the streams, forgetting that theymight find it a rather slippery place to hang on to and a winter a longtime to hold their breaths. Even Goldsmith has been divinely recklessin his treatment of 'Animated Nature.'
"'I am surprised, sir, at your familiarity with English authors,' hedeclared. 'When we think of America we are apt to think of savages andpoverty and ignorance and log huts.'
"'You forget, sir, that we have about all the best books and theleisure to read them,' I answered.
"'You undoubtedly have the best game,' said he. 'Tell us about theshooting and fishing.'
"I told of the deer, the moose and the caribou, all of which I hadkilled, and of our fishing on the long river of the north with a luremade of the feathers of a woodpecker, and of covering the bottom of ourcanoe with beautiful speckled fish. All this warmed the heart of SirBenjamin who questioned me as to every detail in my experience on trailand river. He was a born sportsman and my stories had put a smile onhis face so that I felt sure he had a better feeling for me when wearose from the table.
"Then I had an hour alone with Margaret in a corner of the great hall.We reviewed the years that had passed since our adventure and there wasone detail in her history of which I must tell you. She had had manysuitors, and among them one Lionel Clarke--a son of the distinguishedGeneral. Her father had urged her to accept the young man, but she hadstood firmly for me
.
"'You see, this heart of mine is a stubborn thing,' she said as shelooked into my eyes.
"Then it was that we gave to each other the long pledge, often on thelips of lovers since Eros strung his bow, but never more deeply felt.
"'I am sure the sky will clear soon,' she said to me at last.
"Indeed as I bade them good night, I saw encouraging signs of that.Sir Benjamin had taken a liking to me. He pressed my hand as we dranka glass of Madeira together and said:
"'My boy, I drink to the happiness of England, the colonies and you.'"
"'"Time and I" and the will of God,' I whispered, as I left their door."