The Chainbearer; Or, The Littlepage Manuscripts

  CHAPTER XXIX.

  "Mild as a babe reclines himself to rest, And smiling sleeps upon the mother's breast-- Tranquil, and with a patriarch's hope, he gave His soul to heaven, his body to the grave."--Harte.

  I saw that neither Chainbearer nor Dus looked at the revolting objectpresented in the corpse of Thousandacres, after that selfish andself-willed being ceased to live. I had another hut prepared immediatelyfor its reception, and the body was removed to it without delay. ThitherPrudence accompanied the senseless body; and there she passed theremainder of the day, and the whole of the succeeding night, attended byLowiny--with occasional offers of food and assistance from the men ofthe posse. Two or three of the latter, carpenters by trade, made acoffin of pine, and the body was placed in it in the customary manner.Others dug a grave in the centre of one of those rough fields that thesquatter had appropriated to his own uses, thus making everything readyfor the interment, as soon as the coroner, who had been sent for, shouldhave had his sitting over the body.

  The removal of the remains of Thousandacres left a sort of holy calm inthe cabin of Chainbearer. My old friend was fast sinking; and he saidbut little. His consciousness continued to the last, and Dus was oftenat prayer with him in the course of that day. Frank and I aided in doingthe duty of nurses; and we prevailed on Ursula to retire to the loft,and catch some rest, after her unwearying watchfulness. It was nearsunset that old Andries again addressed himself particularly to me, whowas sitting at his side, Dus being then asleep.

  "I shalt lif till mornin', I now fint, Mortaunt," he said; "put, letdeat' come when it wilt, it ist sent py my Lort and Maker, ant it istwelcome. Deat' hast no fears for me."

  "He never had, Captain Coejemans, as the history of your whole career inthe army shows."

  "Yes, lat, t'ere wast a time when I shoult haf peen glat to haf peenshot on t'e fielt, ant to haf diet with Montgomery, ant Laurens, antWooster, ant Warren, and sichlike gallant heroes; put t'at ist all gone,now. I'm like a man t'at hast peen walkin' over a wite plain, ant whohast come to its tarmination, where he sees pefore him an entless apyssinto which he must next step. At sich a sight, lat, all t'e trouples,ant lapors, ant tifficulties of t'e plain seem so triflin', t'at t'ey peforgotten. Mint, I do not wish to say t'at eternity is an apyss to me infears, ant pains, ant tespair; for t'e gootness of Got hast enlightenetmy mint on t'at supject, ant hope, ant love, ant longin' for t'epresence of my Maker, stant in t'eir places. Mortaunt, my lat, pefore Iquit you, I coult wish to say a coople of worts to you on t'is sacretsupject, if 'twill gif no offence?"

  "Say all, and what you please, dear Chainbearer. We are friends of thecamp and the field, and the advice of no one could be more welcome to methan yours, given at a moment as solemn and truthful as this."

  "T'ank ye, Mortaunt; t'ank ye wit' all my heart. You know how it hastpeen wit' me, since poyhoot; for often ant often you ant I haf talketover t'ese t'ings in camp. I wast t'rown young upon t'e worlt, and wastleft wit'out fat'er, or mot'er, to pring myself up. An only chilt of myown fat'er, for Dus comes from a half-sister, you know, t'ere wast noone to care for me in partic'lar, and I growet up in great ignorance oft'e Lort of Hosts, ant my tuties to him, and to his plesset son, moreast anyt'ing else. Well, Mortaunt, you know how it ist in t'e woots, antin t'e army. A man neet not pe fery pat, to pe far from pein' as goot asist expectet of him by t'e Almighty, who gafe him his soul, ant whoreteemet him from his sins, and who holts out taily t'e means of grace.When I come here, wit' Dus, a chilt knewest almost as much of t'e realnatur' of religion ast I knewest. Put, t'at precious gal, t'rough Divinegrace, hast been t'e means of pringin' an olt ant ignorant man to asense of his true contition, ant to petter hapits, t'an t'ose youknowest in him. Once I lovet a frolic, Mortaunt, and punch ant ot'ersavory liquors wast fery pleasant to me; ay, ant even a'ter years mightand shoult haf teachet me t'e folly of sich ways. Put you haf not seent'e glass at my lips t'is summer, lat, at unseemly moments, or inunseemly numpers of times, ant t'at ist owin' to the confersations I hafhat wit' Dus on t'e supject. It woult haf tone your heart goot,Mortaunt, to haf seen t'e tear gal seated on my knee, combin' my oltgray hairs wit' her telicate white fingers, ant playin' with my hart,ret cheeks, ast t'e infant plays wit' t'e cheeks of t'e mot'er, whilstshe talket to me of t'e history of Christ, ant his sufferin's for usall--ant tolt me t'e way to learn to know my Safiour in trut' antsincerity! You t'ink Dus hantsome; ant pleasant to look upon; antpleasant to talk wit'--put you can nefer know t'e gal in her colors ofgolt, Mortaunt, till she pegins to converse wit' you, unreservetly,apout Got ant retemption!"

  "I can believe anything in favor of Ursula Malbone, my dear Chainbearer;and no music could be sweeter, to my ears, than thus to hear youpronouncing her praise."

  The death of Chainbearer occurred, as he had himself prognosticated,about the time of the return of light on the succeeding morning. A moretranquil end I never witnessed. He ceased to suffer pain hours before hedrew his last breath; but he had whispered to me, in the course of thatday, that he endured agony at moments. He wished me to conceal the factfrom Dus, however, lest it should increase her grief. "So long ast t'etear gal ist in ignorance of my sufferin's," the excellent old man addedin his whisper, "she cannot feel so much for me; since she must haveconfitence in t'e value of her own goot work, ant s'pose me to pe onlytrawin' nearer to happiness. Put, you ant I know, Mortaunt, t'at men arenot often shot t'rough t'e poty wit'out feelin' much pain; ant I haf hatmy share--yes, I haf hat my share!" Nevertheless, it would have beendifficult for one who was not in the secret to detect the smallest signthat the sufferer endured a tithe of the agony he actually underwent.Ursula _was_ deceived; and to this hour she is ignorant how much heruncle endured. But, as I have said, this pain ceased altogether aboutnine o'clock, and Andries even slumbered for many minutes at a time. Notlong before the light returned, however, he became aroused, and neverslumbered again until he fell into the long, last sleep of death. Hisniece prayed with him about five; after which he seemed to considerhimself as ready for the final march.

  It might have been owing to the age of the patient; but in this instancedeath announced his near approach by a rapid loss of the senses. Atfirst came a difficulty of hearing; and then the quick decay of thesense of sight. The first was made known to us by a repetition ofquestions that had already been more than once answered; while thepainful fact that sight, if not absolutely gone, was going, was broughthome to us by the circumstance that, while Dus was actually hoveringover him like a guardian angel, he inquired anxiously where she was.

  "I am here, uncle Chainbearer," answered the dear girl, in tremuloustones--"here, before you, and am about to wet your lips."

  "I want t'e gal--t'at ist--I wish her to pe near when t'e spirit mountsto Heafen. Haf her callet, Frank or Mortaunt."

  "Dear--_dearest_ uncle, I _am_ here, now--here before you--closest toyou of all--almost in your arms," answered Dus, speaking loud enough tomake herself heard, by an effort that cost her a great deal. "Do notthink I can ever desert you, until I know that your spirit has gone tothe mercy-seat of God!"

  "I knowet it," said Chainbearer, endeavoring to raise his arms to feelfor his niece, who met the effort by receiving his feeble and clammyhand in both her own. "Remember my wishes apout Mortaunt, gal--yetshoult t'e family agree, marry him wit' my plessin'--yes, my pestplessin'. Kiss me, Dus.--Wast t'em your lips?--t'ey felt colt; ant youare nefer colt of hant or heart. Mortaunt--kiss me, too, lat--t'at wastwarmer, ant hat more feelin' in it. Frank, gif me your hant--I owe youmoney--t'ere ist a stockin' half full of tollars. Your sister wilt paymy tebts. Ant General Littlepage owes me money--put most he owest megoot will. I pray Got to pless him--ant to pless Matam Littlepage--antolt Matam Littlepage, t'at I nefer did see--ant t'e major, or colonel,ast he is now callet--ant all our rijiment--ant _your_ rijiment,too, Frank, which wast a fery goot rijiment. Farewell,Frank--Dus--sister--precious--Christ Jesus, receive my----"

  These words came with difficulty, and were whispered, rather thanutt
ered aloud. They came at intervals, too, especially toward the last,in the way to announce the near approach of the state of which they werethe more immediate percursors. The last syllable I have recorded was nosooner uttered, than the breath temporarily ceased. I removed Dus bygentle force, placing her in the arms of her brother, and turned to notethe final respiration. That final breath in which the spirit appears tobe exhaled, was calm, placid, and as easy as comports with theseparation of soul and body; leaving the hard, aged, wrinkled, butbenevolent countenance of the deceased, with an expression of happyrepose on it, such as the friends of the dead love to look upon. Of allthe deaths I had then witnessed, this was the most tranquil, and thebest calculated to renew the hopes of a Christian. As for myself, itadded a profound respect for the character and moral qualities of UrsulaMalbone, to the love and admiration I bore her already, the fruits ofher beauty, wit, heart, and other attractions.

  The two expected deaths had now taken place, and it only remained todispose of the legal questions connected with the events which hadcaused them, inter the bodies, and return to the Nest. I saw that one ofthe cabins was prepared for the reception of Ursula and Lowiny, thelatter still clinging to us, while the body of Chainbearer was laid outin a coffin that had been made by the same hands, and at the same time,as that of Thousandacres. About noon, the coroner arrived, not 'SquireNewcome, but another, for whom he had himself sent; and a jury wasimmediately collected from among the members of the posse. Theproceedings were of no great length. I told my story, or as much of itas was necessary, from beginning to end, and others gave their testimonyas to the proceedings at different periods in the events. The findingwas, in the case of Chainbearer, "murder by the hand of some personunknown;" and in that of Thousandacres, "accidental death." The firstwas right, unquestionably; as to the last, I conceive, there was aslittle of "accident" as ever occurred, when a man was shot through thebody by a steady hand, and an unerring eye. But such was the verdict,and I had nothing but conjectures for my opinion as to the agency of theIndian in killing the squatter.

  That evening, and a cool autumnal night it was, we buried Thousandacres,in the centre of the field I have mentioned. Of all his numerous family,Prudence and Lowiny alone were present. The service was short, and theman of violence descended to mingle with the clods of the earth, withouta common prayer, a verse from Holy Writ, or any religious rite whatever.The men who had borne the body, and the few spectators present, filledthe grave, rounded it handsomely, and covered it with sods, and wereturning away in silence, to retrace their steps to the dwellings, whenthe profound stillness which had reigned throughout the whole of thebrief ceremony, was suddenly broken by the clear, full voice ofPrudence, who spoke in a tone and manner that arrested every step.

  "Men and brethren," said this extraordinary woman, who had so many ofthe vices of her condition, relieved by so many of the virtues of hersex and origin; "Men and brethren," she said "for I cannot call yeneighbors, and _will_ not call you foes, I thank ye for this act ofdecent regard to the wants of both the departed and the living, and thatye have thus come to assist in burying my dead out of my sight."

  Some such address, even a portion of these very words, were customary;but as no one had expected anything of the sort at that moment, theystartled as much as they surprised us. As the rest of the partyrecovered from its wonder, however, it proceeded toward the huts,leaving me alone with Prudence, who stood, swinging her body as usual,by the side of the grave.

  "The night threatens to be cool," I said, "and you had better returnwith me to the dwelling."

  "What's the houses to me, now! Aaron is gone, the b'ys be fled, andtheir wives and children, and _my_ children, be fled, leaving none inthis clearin' but Lowiny, who belongs more to your'n in feelin', than tome and mine, and the body that lies beneath the clods! There's propertyin the housen, that I do s'pose even the law would give us, and maybesome one may want it. Give me that, Major Littlepage, to help to clotheand feed my young, and I'll never trouble this place ag'in. They'll notcall Aaron a squatter for takin' up that small piece of 'arth; and oneday, perhaps, you'll not grudge to me as much more by its side. It'slittle more squattin' that I can do, and the next pitch I make, will bethe last."

  "There is no wish on my part, good woman, to injure you. Your effectscan be taken away from this place whenever you please, and I will evenhelp you to do it," I answered, "in such a way as to put it in the powerof your sons to receive the goods without risk to themselves. I rememberto have seen a batteau of some size in the stream below the mill; canyou tell me whether it remains there or not?"

  "Why shouldn't it? The b'ys built it two years ago, to transport thingsin, and it's not likely to go off of itself."

  "Well, then, I will use that boat to get your effects off with safety toyourself. To-morrow, everything of any value that can be found aboutthis place, and to which you can have any right, shall be put in thatbatteau, and I will send the boat, when loaded, down the stream, bymeans of my own black and the Indian, who shall abandon it a mile or twobelow, where those you may send to look for it, can take possession andcarry the effects to any place you may choose."

  The woman seemed surprised, and even affected by this proposal, thoughshe a little distrusted my motives.

  "Can I depend on this, Major Littlepage?" she asked, doubtingly. "Tobitand his brethren would be desp'rate, if any scheme to take 'em should beset on foot under sich a disguise."

  "Tobit and his brethren have nothing to fear from treachery of mine. Hasthe word of a gentleman no value in your eyes?"

  "I know that gentlemen gin'rally do as they promise; and so I've oftentold Aaron, as a reason for not bein' hard on their property, but henever would hear to it. Waal, Major Littlepage, I'll put faith in you,and will look for the batteau at the place you've mentioned. God blessyou for this, and may he prosper you in that which is nearest yourheart! We shall never see each other ag'in--farewell."

  "You surely will return to the house, and pass the night comfortablyunder a roof!"

  "No; I'll quit you here. The housen have little in 'em now that I love,and I shall be happier in the woods."

  "But the night is cool, and, ere it be morning, it will become evenchilling and cold."

  "It's colder in that grave," answered the woman, pointing mournfullywith her long, skinny finger to the mound which covered the remains ofher husband. "I'm used to the forest, and go to look for my children.The mother that looks for her children is not to be kept back by windsand frost. Farewell ag'in, Major Littlepage. May God remember what youhave done, and will do, for me and mine!"

  "But you forget your daughter. What is to become of your daughter?"

  "Lowiny has taken desp'rately to Dus Malbone, and wishes to stay withher while Dus wishes to have her stay. If they get tired of each other,my da'ghter can easily find us. No gal of mine will be long put out insich a s'arch."

  As all this sounded probable and well enough, I had no furtherobjections to urge. Prudence waved her hand in adieu, and away she wentacross the dreary-looking fields with the strides of a man, burying hertall, gaunt figure in the shadow of the wood, with as little hesitationas another would have entered the well-known avenues of some town. Inever saw her afterward; though one or two messages from her did reachme through Lowiny.

  As I was returning from the grave, Jaap and the Trackless came in fromtheir scout. The report they made was perfectly satisfactory. By thetrail, which they followed for miles, the squatters had actuallyabsconded, pushing for some distant point, and nothing more was to befeared from them in that part of the country. I now gave my orders asrespected the goods and chattels of the family, which were neither verynumerous nor very valuable; and it may as well be said here as later,that everything was done next day, strictly according to promise. Thefirst of the messages that I received from Prudence came within a month,acknowledging the receipt of her effects, even to the gear of the mill,and expressing her deep gratitude for the favor. I have reason to think,too, that nearly half the lumber fell
into the hands of these squatters,quite that portion of it being in the stream at the time we removed fromthe spot, and floating off with the rains that soon set in. What wasfound at a later day was sold, and the proceeds were appropriated tomeet the expenses of, and to make presents to the posse, as anencouragement to such persons to see the majesty of the laws maintained.

  Early next morning we made our preparations to quit the deserted mill.Ten of the posse arranged themselves into a party to see the body ofChainbearer transported to the Nest. This was done by making a rudebier, that was carried by two horses, one preceding the other, andhaving the corpse suspended between them. I remained with the body; butDus, attended by Lowiny, and protected by her brother, preceded us,halting at Chainbearer's huts for our arrival. At this point we passedthe first night of our journey, Dus and Frank again preceding us, alwayson foot, to the Nest. At this place, the final halt of poor Andries, thebrother and sister arrived at an hour before dinner, while we did notget in with the body until the sun was just setting.

  As our little procession drew near the house, I saw a number of wagonsand horses in the orchard that spread around it, which at first Imistook for a collection of the tenants, met to do honor to the manes ofChainbearer. A second look, however, let me into the true secret of thecase. As we drew slowly near, the whole procession on foot, I discoveredthe persons of my own dear parents, that of Colonel Follock, those ofKate, Pris. Bayard, Tom Bayard, and even of my sister Kettletas, in thegroup. Last of all, I saw, pressing forward to meet me, yet a littlerepelled by the appearance of the coffin, my dear and venerable oldgrandmother, herself!

  Here, then, were assembled nearly all of the house of Littlepage, withtwo or three near friends, who did not belong to it! Frank Malbone wasamong them, and doubtless had told his story so that our visitors couldnot be surprised at our appearance. On the other hand, I was at no lossto understand how all this had been brought about. Frank's express hadfound the party at Fishkill, had communicated his intelligence, seteverybody in motion on the wings of anxiety and love, and here theywere. The journey had not been particularly rapid either, plenty of timehaving elapsed between the time when my seizure by the squatters wasfirst made known to my friends, and the present moment, to have got amessage to Lilacsbush, and to have received its answer.

  Kate afterward told me we made an imposing and solemn appearance, as wecame up to the gate of Ravensnest, bearing the body of Chainbearer. Inadvance marched Susquesus and Jaap, each armed, and the latter carryingan axe, acting, as occasion required, in the character of a pioneer. Thebearers and attendants came next, two and two, armed as a part of theposse, and carrying packs; next succeeded the horses with the bier, eachled by a keeper; I was the principal mourner, though armed like therest, while Chainbearer's poor slaves, now the property of Dus, broughtup the rear, carrying his compass, chains, and other emblems of hiscalling.

  We made no halt, but passing the crowd collected on the lawn, we wentthrough the gateway, and only came to a stand when we had reached thecentre of the court. As all the arrangements had been previously made,the next step was to inter the body. I knew that General Littlepage hadoften officiated on such occasions, and a request to that effect wasmade to him, through Tom Bayard. As for myself, I said not a word to anyof my own family, begging them to excuse me until I had seen the lastoffices performed to the remains of my friend. In half an hour all wasready, and again the solemn procession was resumed. As before, Susquesusand Jaap led the way, the latter now carrying a shovel, and acting inthe capacity of a sexton. The Indian bore a flaming torch of pine, thedarkness having so far advanced as to render artificial light necessary.Others of the party had these natural flambeaux also, which addedgreatly to the solemnity and impressiveness of the scene. GeneralLittlepage preceded the corpse, carrying a prayer-book. Then followedthe bearers with the coffin, the horses being now dismissed. Dus, veiledin black from head to foot and leaning on Frank, appeared as chiefmourner. Though this was not strictly in conformity with real New Yorkhabits, yet no one thought the occasion one on which to manifest thecustomary reserve of the sex. Everybody in or near the Nest, females aswell as males, appeared to do honor to the memory of Chainbearer, andDus came forth as the chief mourner. Priscilla Bayard, leaning on thearm of her brother Tom, edged herself in next to her friend, though theyhad not as yet exchanged a syllable together; and, after all was over,Pris. told me it was the first funeral she had ever attended, or thefirst time she had ever been at a grave. The same was true of mygrandmother, my mother, and both my sisters. I mention this lest someantiquarian, a thousand years hence, might light on this manuscript, andmistake our customs. Of late years, the New Englanders are introducingan innovation on the old usage of the colony; but, among the upper realNew York families, women do not even now attend funerals. In thisrespect, I apprehend, we follow the habits of England, where females ofthe humbler classes, as I have heard, do, while their superiors do notappear on such occasions. The reason of the difference between the twois very easily appreciated, though I limit my statements to what Iconceive to be the facts, without affecting to philosophize on them.

  But all our ladies attended the funeral of Chainbearer. I came next toTom and Priscilla, Kate pressing up to my side, and placing my arm inmine, without speaking. As she did this, however, the dear girl laid herlittle hand on mine, and gave the latter a warm pressure, as much as tosay how greatly she was rejoiced at finding me safe, and out of thehands of the Philistines. The rest of the party fell in behind, and, assoon as the Indian saw that everybody was placed, he moved slowlyforward, holding his flaming torch so high as to light the footsteps ofthose near him.

  Directions had been sent to the 'Nest to dig a grave for Andries, in theorchard, and at no great distance from the verge of the rocks. As Iafterward ascertained, it was at the very spot where one of the mostremarkable events in the life of the general had occurred, an event inwhich both Susquesus and Jaap had been conspicuous actors. Thither,then, we proceeded in funeral order, and with funeral tread, the torchesthrowing their wild and appropriate light over the nearer accessories ofthe scene. Never did the service sound more solemnly to me, there beinga pathos and richness in my father's voice that were admirably adaptedto the occasion. Then he felt what he was reading, which does not alwayshappen even when a clergyman officiates; for not only was GeneralLittlepage a close friend of the deceased, but he was a devoutChristian. I felt a throb at the heart, as I heard the fall of the firstclods on the coffin of Chainbearer; but reflection brought its calm, andfrom the moment Dus became, as it might be, doubly dear to me. Itappeared to me as if all her uncle's love and care had been transferredto myself, and that, henceforth, I was to be his representative with hismuch-beloved niece. I did not hear a sob from Ursula during the wholeceremony. I knew that she wept, and wept bitterly; but her self-commandwas so great as to prevent any undue obtrusion of her griefs on others.We all remained at the grave until Jaap had rounded it with his utmostskill, and had replaced the last sod. Then the procession formed anew,and we accompanied Frank and Dus to the door of the house, when sheentered and left us without. Priscilla Bayard, however, glided in afterher friend, and I saw them locked in each other's arms, through thewindow of the parlor, by the light of the fire within. At the nextmoment, they retired together to the little room that Dus hadappropriated to her own particular use.

  Now it was that I embraced and was embraced by my friends. My motherheld me long in her arms, called me her "dear, dear boy," and left tearson my face. Kate did pretty much the same, though she said nothing. Asfor Anneke, my dear sister Kettletas, her embrace was like herself,gentle, sincere, and warm-hearted. Nor must my dear old grandmother beforgotten; for though she came last of the females, she held me longestin her arms, and, after "thanking God" devoutly for my late escape, sheprotested that "I grew every hour more and more like the Littlepages."Aunt Mary kissed me with her customary affection.

  A portion of the embraces, however, occurred after we had entered theparlor, which Frank, imi
tating Dus, had delicately, as well asconsiderately, left to ourselves. Colonel Follock, nevertheless, gave mehis salutations and congratulations before we left the court; and theywere as cordial and hearty as if he had been a second father.

  "How atmiraply the general reats, Mortaunt," our old friend added,becoming very Dutch as he got to be excited. "I haf always sayet t'atCorny Littlepage woult make as goot a tominie as any rector t'ey everhat in olt Trinity. Put he mate as goot a soltier, too. Corny ist anextraordinary man, Mortaunt, ant one tay he wilt pe gofernor."

  This was a favorite theory of Colonel Van Valkenburgh's. For himself, hewas totally without ambition, whereas he thought nothing good enough forhis friend, Corny Littlepage. Scarce a year passed that he did notallude to the propriety of elevating "t'e general" to some high officeor other; nor am I certain that his allusions of this nature may nothave had their effect; since my father _was_ elected to Congress as soonas the new constitution was formed, and continued to sit as long as hishealth and comfort would permit.

  Supper was prepared for both parties of travellers, of course, and indue time we all took our seats at table. I say all; but that was notliterally exact, inasmuch as neither Frank, Dus, nor Priscilla Bayard,appeared among us again that evening. I presume each had something toeat, though all took the meal apart from the rest of the family.

  After supper I was requested to relate, _seriatim_, all the recentevents connected with my visit to the 'Nest, my arrest and liberation.This I did, of course, seated at my grandmother's side, the old ladyholding one of my hands the whole time I was speaking. The most profoundattention was lent by all the party; and a thoughtful silence succeededmy narration, which ended only with the history of our departure fromthe mills.

  "Ay," exclaimed Colonel Follock, who was the first to speak after I hadterminated my own account. "So much for Yankee religion! I'll warrantyou now, Corny, t'at t'e fellow, T'ousantacres, coult preach ant prayjust like all t'e rest of our Pilgrim Fat'ers."

  "There are rogues of New York birth and extraction, Colonel Follock, aswell as of New England," answered my father, dryly; "and the practice ofsquatting is incidental to the condition of the country; as men arecertain to make free with the property that is least protected andwatched. Squatters are made by circumstances, and not by any peculiardisposition of a particular portion of the population to appropriate theland of others to their own uses. It would be the same with our hogs andour horses, were they equally exposed to the depredations of lawlessmen, let the latter come from Connecticut or Long Island."

  "Let me catch one of t'ese gentry among my horses!" answered thecolonel, with a menacing shake of his head, for, Dutchman-like, he had awonderful love for the species--"I woult crop him wit' my own hands,wit'out chudge or chury."

  "That might lead to evils _almost_ as great as those produced bysquatting, Dirck," returned my father.

  "By the way, sir," I put in, knowing that Colonel Follock sometimesuttered extravagances on such subjects, though as honest andwell-meaning a man as ever breathed--"I have forgotten to mention acircumstance that may have some interest, as 'Squire Newcome is an oldacquaintance of yours." I then recounted all the facts connected withthe first visit of Mr. Jason Newcome to the clearing of Thousandacres,and the substance of the conversation I had overheard between thesquatter and that upright magistrate. General Littlepage listened withprofound attention; and as for Colonel Follock, he raised his eyebrows,grunted, laughed as well as a man could with his lips compressing apipe, and uttered in the best way he was able, under the circumstances,and with sufficient sententiousness, the single word "Danpury."

  "No--no--Dirck," answered my father, "we must not put all the crimes andvices on our neighbors, for many of them grow, from the seedling to thetree bearing fruit in our own soil. I know this man, Jason Newcome,reasonably well; and while I have confided in him more than I ought,perhaps I have never supposed he was the person in the least influencedby our conventional notions of honor and integrity. What is called 'lawhonest,' I _have_ believed him to be; but it would seem, in that I havebeen mistaken. Still I am not prepared to admit that the place of hisbirth, or his education, is the sole cause of his backslidings."

  "Own t'e trut', Corny, like a man ast you pe, ant confess it ist all ourpilgrim fat'ers' ant Tanpury itees. What use ist t'ere in misleetin'your own son, who wilt come, sooner or later, to see t'e whole trut'?"

  "I should be sorry, Dirck, to teach my son any narrow prejudices. Thelast war has thrown me much among officers from New England, and theintercourse has taught me to esteem that portion of our fellow-citizensmore than was our custom previously to the revolution."

  "Tush for 'intercourse,' ant 'esteem,' ant 'teachin', Corny! T'e wholet'ing of squattin' hast crosset t'e Byram rifer, ant unless we look toit, t'e Yankees wilt get all our lants away from us!"

  "Jason Newcome, when I knew him best, and I may say first," continued myfather, without appearing to pay much attention to the observations ofhis friend the colonel, "was an exceedingly unfledged, narrow-mindedprovincial, with a most overweening notion, certainly, of the highexcellences of the particular state of society from which he had notlong before emerged. He had just as great a contempt for New York, andNew York wit, and New York usages, and especially for New York religionand morals, as Dirck here seems to have for all those excellences asthey are exhibited in New England. In a word, the Yankee despised theDutchman and the Dutchman abominated the Yankee. In all this, there isnothing new, and I fancy the supercilious feeling of the New Englandmancan very easily be traced to his origin in the mother country. But,differences _do_ exist, I admit, and I consider the feeling with whichevery New Englander comes among us to be, by habit, adverse to our stateof society in many particulars--some good and some bad--and this merelybecause he is not accustomed to them. Among other things, as a whole,the population of these States do not relish the tenures by which ourlarge estates are held. There are plenty of men from that quarter of thecountry, who are too well taught, and whose honesty is too much ofproof, not to wish to oppose anything that is wrong in connection withthis subject; still, the prejudices of nearly all who come from the eastare opposed to the relation of landlord and tenant, and this becausethey do not wish to see large landlords among them, not being largelandlords themselves. I never found any gentleman, or man of educationfrom New England, who saw any harm in a man's leasing a single farm to asingle tenant, or half-a-dozen farms to half-a-dozen tenants; proof thatit is not the tenure itself with which they quarrel, but with a class ofmen who are, or seem to be, their superiors."

  "I have heard the argument used against the leasehold system, that itretards the growth and lessens the wealth of any district in which itmay prevail."

  "That it does not retard the growth, is proved by the fact that farmscan be leased _always_, when it often requires years to sell them. Thisestate is half filled now, and will be entirely occupied, long ereMooseridge will be a third sold. That the latter may be the richest andthe best tilled district, in the end, is quite probable; and this forthe simple reasons that richer men buy than rent, to begin with, and theowner usually takes better care of his farm than the mere tenant. Someof the richest, best cultivated, and most civilized regions on earth,however, are those in which the tenures of the actual occupants are, andever have been, merely leasehold. It is easy to talk, and to feel, inthese matters, but not quite so easy to come to just conclusions as someimagine. There are portions of England, for instance--Norfolk inparticular--where the improvements are almost entirely owing to theresources and enterprise of the large proprietors. As a question ofpolitical economy, Mordaunt, depend on it, this is one that has twosides to it; as a question of mere stomach, each man will be apt to viewit as his gorge is up or down."

  Shortly after this was said, the ladies complained of fatigue, a feelingin which we all participated; and the party broke up for the night. Itseems the general had sent back word by the express, of theaccommodations he should require; which enabled the good people of theNest to
make such arrangements as rendered everybody reasonablycomfortable.