Part 8 (2/2)

When we had all become a little calm, and a substantial e demanded an account of all that had passed He applied to e the office of an historian, soainst my inclination There was no remedy, however, and I told the story in my own simple manner, and certainly in a way to leave very different impressions froht once or twice, as I proceeded, that Lucy looked sorrowful, and Grace looked surprised I do not think I coloured in the least, as regarded myself, and I know I did Neb no more than justice My tale was soon told, for I felt the whole ti Rupert, who, by the way, appeared perfectly unconcerned--perfectly unconscious, indeed--on the subject of the discrepancies in the two accounts I have since met with men who did not know the truth when it was even placed very fairly before their eyes

Mr Hardinge expressed his heartfelt happiness at having us back again, and, soon after, he ventured to ask if ere satisfied e had seen of the world This was a hoht it best tosatisfied, I told hiet on board one of the letters-of- out in the country, and to e to Europe Rupert, however, confessed he had ht he could do no better than to enter a lawyer's office

I was thunderstruck at this quiet admission of my friend, of his incapacity to make a sailor, for it was the first intimation I heard of his intention I had rey, in various situations that required action, in Rupert, but no want of courage; and I had ascribed soe of condition, and, possibly, of food; for, after all, that Godlike creature,but an aniestion as a sheep, or a horse

Mr Hardinge received his son's intimation of a preference of intellectual labours to a ratification my oishes did not afford him Still, heus both to enjoy our return to Clawbonny, without any of the drawbacks of advice or lectures

The evening passed delightfully, the girls beginning to laugh heartily at our own ludicrous accounts of theon board shi+p, and of our various scenes in China, the Isle of Bourbon, and elsewhere

Rupert had a great deal of hu it; in short, he was alenius in the mere superficialities of life; and even Grace rewarded his efforts to entertain us, with laughter to tears Neb was introduced after supper, and the felloas both censured and co abandoned the household Gods, and co deserted their master His droll descriptions of the Chinese, their dress, pigtails, shoes and broken English, diverted even Mr Hardinge, who, I believe, felt as much like a boy on this occasion, as any of the party A happier evening than that which followed in the little _tea_-parlour, as my dear mother used to call it, was never passed in the century that the roof had covered the old walls of Clawbonny

Next day I had a private conversation witha sort of account of the proceeds ofthe past year I listened respectfully, and with soreat satisfaction, and I confess the last afforded soone on very prosperously Ready , and I saw that, by the tiive me a shi+p of my own, should I choose to purchase one From that moment I was secretly deter time Little was said of the future, beyond an expression of the hope, by uardian, that I would take time to reflect before I came to a final decision on the subject ofa respectful inclination of the head

For the next month, Clawbonny was a scene of uninterrupted ht We had few fahbourhood, it is true; and Mr Hardinge proposed an excursion to the Springs--the country was then too new, and the roads too bad, to think of Niagara--but to this I would not listen I cared not for the Springs--knew little of, and cared less for fashi+on--and loved Clawbonny to its stocks and stones We re principally for each other Rupert read a good deal to the girls, under the direction of his father; while I passed no small portion of my time in athletic exercises The Grace & Lucycruises in the river, and at length I conceived the idea of taking the party down to town in the Wallingford Neither of the girls had ever seen New York, or much of the Hudson; nor had either ever seen a shi+p

The sloops that passed up and down the Hudson, with an occasional schooner, were the extent of their acquaintance with vessels; and I began to feel it to be matter of reproach that those in whonorant As for the girls themselves, they both adular, three-ed shi+p, was increased seven-fold

Mr Hardinge heard my proposition, at first, as a piece of pleasantry; but Grace expressing a strong desire to see a large town, or as thought a large town in this country, in 1799, and Lucy looking wistful, though she remained silent under an apprehension her father could not afford the expense of such a journey, which her ireat deal more formidable than it actually proved to be, the excellent divine finally acquiesced The expense was disposed of in a very simple ford; and Mr Hardinge was not so unnecessarily scrupulous as to refuse passages for hie-money from any ent to or from the farm Food was so cheap, too, as to be a ally to receive that at Clawbonny, it reat difference whether it were taken on board the vessel, or in the house Then there was a Mrs Bradfort in New York, alady of easy fortune, as a cousin-gerhter--and with her he always staid in his own annual visits to attend the convention of the Church--I beg pardon, of the Protestant Episcopal Church, as it is now _de rigueur_ to say; I wonder some ultra does not introduce the , ”I believe in the Holy Protestant Episcopal Catholic Church, &c”--but, the excellent divine, in his annual attendance on the convention, was accusto both Lucy and Grace to see her; her house in Wall street being abundantly large enough to accoe, ”that shall be the arrangeirls and I will stay with Mrs Bradfort, and the young men can live at a tavern I dare say this new City Hotel, which seei to my cousin, so as not to take her by surprise”

In less than a week after this determination, an ansas received from Mrs Bradfort; and, the very next day, the whole party, Neb included, ee down the Hudson from that which had preceded it Then I had the sense of error about irls we had left on the wharf; but now everything was above-board sincere, and by permission It is scarcely necessary to say that Grace and Lucy were enchanted with everything they saw The Highlands, in particular, threw theh I have since seen so much of the world as to understand, with nearly all experienced tourists, that this is _relatively_ the worst part of the scenery of this beautiful river When I say _relatively_, Ithe _bolder_ parts of our streah lands_-- a randeur_, while very few have so much lovely river scenery compressed into so small a space as is to be found in the other parts of the Hudson

In due time we arrived in New York, and I had the supreirls the State's Prison, the Bear Market, and the steeples of St Paul's and Trinity-_old_ Trinity, as it was so lately the fashi+on to style a church that was built only a few years before, and which, in nificent as it was venerable That building has already disappeared; and another edifice, which is now termed splendid, _vast_, and I know not what, has been reared in its place By the tis have succeeded, each approaching nearer to the high standard of church architecture in the old world, the Manhattanese will get to understand sorees of comparison on such subjects When that day shall arrive, they will cease to be provincial, and--not till then

What a different thing was Wall street, in 1799, from what it is to-day?

Then, where so many Grecian temples are now reared to Plutus, were rows of s; not a tittle more provincial, however, than the thousand meretricious houses of bricks and hbourhood, but far less pretending, and insomuch the more creditable Mrs Bradfort lived in one of these respectable abodes, and thither Mr Hardinge led the ith just as much confidence as one would noalk into Bleeker street, or the Fifth Avenue Money-changers were then unknown, or, if knoere of so little account that they had not sufficient force to forue by themselves Even the banks did not deem it necessary to be within a stone's throw of each other--I believe there were but two--as it ht be in self-defence We have seen all sorts of expedients adopted, in this sainted street, to protect the s, from the little temple that was intended to be so small as only to admit the dollars and those ere to take care of theues, as to render things safe on the fa a thief to catch a thief All would not do The difficulty has been found to be unconquerable, except in those cases in which the ho honest s of old age to an agreeable ho was still under forty

Mrs Bradfort received Mr Hardinge in a way to satisfy us all that she was delighted to see him She had prepared a rooies or excuses would be received We had to consent to accept of her hospitalities In an hour's time, all were established, and I believe all were at home

I shall not dwell on the happiness that succeeded We were all too young to go to parties, and, Ito have any; but in the last I should have been h there were not asfor the difference in population, as there are to-day If too young to be coh as I remember what these were at that tihtly of in a western city of fifteen or twenty years'

growth--a circus kept by a man of the name of Ricketts--the theatre in John street, a very modest Thespian edifice--and a lion, I e quite out of town, that his roaring ht not disturb people, sole_ that is called Franklin _Square_ now is All these , even to the theatre; good, indulgent Mr Hardinge seeing no hare of Mrs Bradfort I shall never forget the ecstasy of that night! The novelty was quite as great to Rupert and h we had been to China, we had never been to the play

Well was it said, ”Vanity, vanity--all is vanity!” He that lives as long as I have lived, will have seen most of his opinions, and I think Ishort of revelation has a stronger tendency to convince us of the temporary character of our probationary state in this world, than to note for how short a period, and for what imperfect ends, all our hopes and success in life have been buoying us up, and occupying our ive way; and, though we may continue to live, and even to be happy, blind indeed must be he who does not see the end of his road, and foresee soreat results to which it is to lead But of all this, our quartette thought little in the year 1799

CHAPTER VIII

”Thou art the same, eternal sea!

The earth hath many shapes and forms Of hill and valley, flower and tree; Fields that the fervid noontide warht with Autuolden store; Thou coverest up thy face with stor foao up to vex the sea-beat shore”

LUNT

I had a free conversation with uardian, shortly after we reached town, on the subject of ain The whole country was alive with the armament of the new an to appear in the streets, with a parade that always marks the new officer and the new service Now, oneabout their persons to denote the profession, unless in actual e laid aside; whereas in 1799 the harness was put on as soon as the parchment was received, and only laid aside to turn in shi+ps were building or equipping in all parts of the country; and it is matter of surprise to me that I escaped the fever, and did not apply to be made a midshi+pman Had I seen another captain who interested me as much as Captain Dale, I make no doubt s were, I had i, but, in a professional sense, very worthless, life of Nelson, has attributed to that hero--”aft, the ot into the cabin-s, and, like all youngsters who fairly begin on the forecastle, felt proud of my own manhood and disdain of hazards and toil I deterinally pointed out to myself, and follow in the footsteps of my father

Privateers were out of the question in a ith a country that had no coone in a privateer under any circuain, has ever struck h it must be admitted the American system of private-armed cruisers has always been more respectable and better conducted than that ofto the circuher class than is usual in Europe, have embarked in the enterprises To a letter-of-ular business is commerce; she ar, it is merely such enemies as cross her path, and ould capture her if they could I announced to Mr Hardinge, therefore, my determination not to return to Clawbonny, but to look for a berth in some letter-of-marque, while then in town

Neb had received private instructions, and ford--low enough the wreck had reduced both to be--and e was used to purchase an to look about me for a shi+p, detere Neb had orders to follow the wharves on the same errand I would sooner trust Neb than Rupert on such a duty The latter had no taste for shi+ps; felt no interest in theo to sea at all With Neb it was very different He was already an expert seaman; could hand, reef and steer, knot and splice, and was as useful as nine men in ten on board a vessel It is true, he did not knohen it became necessary to take in the last reef--had no notion of stowing a cargo so as to favour the vessel, or help her sailing; but he would break out a cask sooner than er” in hienious and ready enough in his way A sterling felloas Neb, and I got in time to love him very much as I can conceive one would love a brother