Authors: James Fenimore Cooper
That night we discussed the matter in the family circle, Mr. Hardinge
having come from the Rectory to join us. Everybody approved of the
scheme, it was so much better than leaving: Grace to pine away by
herself in the solitude of Clawbonny.
"I have a patient at the Springs," said Dr. Post, "who is very anxious
to see me; and, to own the truth, I am a little desirous of drinking
the waters myself, for a week. Carry me to Albany, and land me; after
which you can descend the river, and continue your voyage to as many
places, and for as long a time, as the strength of Miss Wallingford,
and your own inclinations, shall dictate."
This project seemed excellent in all our eyes; even Grace heard it
with a smile, placing herself entirely in our hands. It was decided
to put it in practice.
"And she sits and gazes at me,
With those deep and tender eyes,...
Like the stars, so still and saint-like,
Looking downward from the skies."
LONGFELLOW.
The next morning I set about the measures necessary for carrying out
our plan. Marble was invited to be of the party, the arrangements
concerning the ship, allowing of his absence for a few days; Once
engaged, he was of infinite service, entering into the plan as my
mate. The regular skipper was glad to have a furlough; and I retained
on board no one of the proper crew but the river-pilot; a man who
could not be dispensed with; By this arrangement, we cleared the cabin
from company that was not desirable for the circumstances. Neb, and
three of the Clawbonny blacks, were delighted to go on such an
excursion, and all were more or less familiar with the little duty
that would be required of them. Indeed, Marble, Neb and myself, were
every way able to take care of the vessel. But we chose to have plenty
of physical force; and a cook was indispensable. Clawbonny supplied
the latter, in the person of old Dido of that ilk.
By noon, the whole party were ready to embark. Grace was driven to the
wharf, and she walked on board the sloop, supported by Lucy and
myself; more, however, from solicitude than from absolute
necessity. Every precaution, however, was taken by order of the
physician to prevent anything like excitement; the blacks, in
particular, who would have followed "Miss Grace" to the water's edge,
being ordered to remain at home. Chloe, to her manifest satisfaction,
was permitted to accompany her "young mistress," and great was her
delight. How often that day, did the exclamation of "de feller,"
escape her, as she witnessed Neb's exploits in different parts of the
sloop. It was some little time before I could account for the black's
superfluous activity, imputing it to zeal in my sister's service; but,
in the end, I discovered Grace had to share the glory with Chloe.
No sooner was everybody on board than we cast off. The jib was soon
up; and under this short sail, we moved slowly out of the creek, with
a pleasant southerly breeze. As we passed the point, there stood the
whole household arrayed in a line, from the tottering grey-headed and
muddy-looking negro of seventy, down to the glistening, jet-black
toddling things of two and three. The distance was so small, it was
easy to trace even the expressions of the different countenances,
which varied according to the experience, forebodings, and characters
of the different individuals. Notwithstanding the sort of reverential
attachment all felt for "Miss Grace," and the uncertainty some among
these unsophisticated creatures must have experienced on the subject
of her health, it was not in nature for such a cluster of "niggers" to
exhibit unhappiness, at a moment when there were so many grounds of
excitement. The people of this race know nothing of the
word,
perhaps; but they delight in the
thing
, quite as much as if
they did nothing but electioneer all their lives. Most pliant
instruments would their untutored feelings make in the hands of your
demagogue; and, possibly, it may have some little influence on the
white American to understand, how strong is his resemblance to the
"nigger," when he gives himself up to the mastery of this much
approved mental power. The day was glorious; a brighter sun never
shining in Italy, or on the Grecian islands; the air balmy; the vessel
was gay to the eye, having been painted about a month before, and
every one seemed bent on a holiday; circumstances sufficient in
themselves, to make this light-hearted race smiling and happy. As the
sloop went slowly past, the whole line doffed their hats, or curtsied,
showing at the same time a row of ivory that shone like so many gay
windows in their sable faces. I could see that Grace was touched by
this manifestation of interest; such a field-day in the Clawbonny
corps not having occurred since the first time my mother went to town,
after the death of my father. Fortunately, everything else was
soothing to my sister's spirits; and, so long as she could sit on the
deck, holding Lucy's hand, and enjoy the changing landscape, with her
brother within call, it was not possible she should be altogether
without happiness.
Rounding the point, as we entered the river, the Wallingford eased-off
sheet, set a studding-sail and flying-top-sail, and began to breast
the Hudson, on her way towards its sources.
In 1803, the celebrated river we were navigating, though it had all
the natural features it possesses to-day, was by no means the same
picture of moving life. The steam-boat did not appear on its surface
until four years later; and the journeys up and down its waters, were
frequently a week in length. In that day, the passenger did not hurry
on board, just as a bell was disturbing the neighbourhood, hustling
his way through a rude throng of porters, cart-men, orange-women, and
news-boys, to save his distance by just a minute and a half, but his
luggage was often sent to the vessel the day before; he passed his
morning in saying adieu, and when he repaired to the vessel, it was
with gentleman-like leisure, often to pass hours on board previously
to sailing, and not unfrequently to hear the unwelcome tidings that
this event was deferred until the next day. How different, too, was
the passage, from one in a steam-boat! There was no jostling of each
other, no scrambling for places at table, no bolting of food, no
impertinence manifested, no swearing about missing the eastern or
southern boats, or Schenectady, or Saratoga, or Boston trains, on
account of a screw being loose, nor—any other unseemly manifestation
that anybody was in a hurry. On the contrary, wine and fruit were
provided, as if the travellers intended to enjoy themselves; and a
journey in that day was a
festa
. No more embarked than could be
accommodated; and the company being selected, the cabin was taken to
the exclusion of all unwelcome intruders. Now, the man who should
order a bottle of wine to be placed at the side of his plate, would be
stared at as a fool; and not without reason altogether, for, did it
escape the claws of his
convives
and the waiters, he would
probably reach the end of his journey before he could drink it. In
1803, not only did the dinner pass in peace, and with gentleman-like
deliberation; not only were the cooler and the fruit taken on deck,
and the one sipped and the other eaten at leisure, in the course of an
afternoon, but in the course of many afternoons. Passages were
certainly made in twenty-four hours in the sloops; but these were the
exceptions, a week being much more likely to be the time passed in the
enjoyment of the beautiful scenery of the river. The vessel usually
got aground, once at least, and frequently several times in a trip;
and often a day, or two, were thus delightfully lost, giving the
stranger an opportunity of visiting the surrounding country. The
necessity of anchoring, with a foul wind, on every opposing tide, too,
increased these occasions, thus lending to the excursion something of
the character of an exploring expedition. No—no—a man would learn
more in one passage, up or down the Hudson, forty years since, than
can be obtained by a dozen at the present time. I have a true seaman's
dislike for a steam-boat, and sometimes wish they were struck out of
existence; though I know it is contrary to all the principles of
political economy, and opposed to what is called the march of
improvement. Of one thing, however, I feel quite certain; that these
inventions, coupled with the gregarious manner of living that has
sprung up in the large taverns, is, as one of our writers expresses
it, "doing
wonders
for the manners of the people;" though, in
my view of the matter, the wonder is, that they have any left.
There might have been thirty sail in sight, when the Wallingford got
fairly into the river, some turning down on a young ebb, making their
fifteen or twenty miles in six hours, and others like ourselves,
stealing along against it, at about the same rate. Half a dozen of
these craft were quite near us, and the decks of most of those which
were steering north, had parties including ladies, evidently
proceeding to the "Springs." I desired Marble to sheer as close to
these different vessels as was convenient, having no other object in
view than amusement, and fancying it might aid in diverting the
thoughts of my sister from her own sorrows, to the faces and concerns
of others. The reader will have no difficulty in understanding, that
the Wallingford, constructed under the orders of an old sailor, and
for his own uses, was a fast vessel. In this particular she had but
one or two competitors on the river; packets belonging to Hudson,
Poughkeepsie and Sing-Sing. She was now only in fair ballast-trim, and
being admirably provided with sails, in the light wind we had, she
actually went four feet to most-of-the-other-vessels-in-sight's
three. My request to Marble—or, order, as he chose to call it—was
easily enough complied with, and we were soon coming up close on the
quarter of a sloop that had its decks crowded with passengers who
evidently belonged to the better class; while, on its forecastle were
several horses, and a carriage; customary accompaniments to such a
scene in that day.
I had not been so happy in a long time, as I felt at that
moment. Grace was better, as I fancied at least, and it was certain
she was more composed and less nervous than I had seen her since my
return; and this of itself was removing the weight of a mountain from
my heart. There was Lucy, too, her rounded cheek rosy with the
pleasure of the moment, full of health, and with eyes that never
turned on me that they did not beam with confidence and kindness—the
sincerest friendship, if not love—while every look, movement,
syllable or gesture that was directed towards Grace, betrayed how
strongly the hearts of these two precious creatures were still knit
together in sisterly affection. My guardian too seemed happier than he
had been since our conversation on the state of my own feelings
towards his daughter. He had made a condition, that we should all—the
doctor excepted—return to Clawbonny in time for service on the
ensuing Sunday, and he was then actually engaged in looking over an
old sermon for the occasion, though not a minute passed in which he
did not drop the manuscript to gaze about him, in deep enjoyment of
the landscape. The scene, moreover, was so full of repose, that even
the movements of the different vessels scarce changed its Sabbath-like
character. I repeat, that I had not felt so perfectly happy since I
held my last conversation with the Salem Witches, in The Duomo of
Firenze.
Marble was excessively delighted with the behaviour of the
Wallingford. The latter was a sloop somewhat smaller than common,
though her accommodations were particularly commodious, while she was
sparred on the scale of a flyer. Her greatest advantage in the way of
sailing, however, would have been no great recommendation to her on a
wind; for she was nearly start light, and might not have been able to
carry full sail in hard November weather, even on the Hudson—a river
on which serious accidents have been known to occur. There was little
danger in mid-summer, however; and we went gliding up on the quarter
of the Gull of Troy, without feeling concern of any sort.
"What sloop is that?" demanded the skipper of the Gull, as our
boom-end came within a fathom of his rail, our name being out of his
view.
"The Wallingford of Clawbonny, just out of port, bound up on a party
of pleasure."
Now, Clawbonny was not then, nor is it now, what might be called a
legal term. There was no such place known in law, beyond the right
which usage gives; and I heard a low laugh among the passengers of the
Gull, as they heard the homely appellation. This came from the
equivocal position my family occupied, midway between the gentry and
yeomanry of the State, as they both existed in 1803. Had I said the
sloop came from near Coldenham, it would have been all right; for
everybody who was then anybody in New York, knew who the Coldens were;
or Morrisania, the Morrises being people of mark; or twenty other
places on the river: but the Wallingfords were as little known as
Clawbonny, when you got fifteen or twenty miles from the spot where
they had so long lived. This is just the difference between obscurity
and notoriety. When the latter extends to an entire nation, it gives
an individual, or a family, the note that frees them entirely from the
imputation of existing under the first condition; and this note,
favourably diffused through Christendom, forms a reputation—transmitted
to posterity, it becomes fame. Unfortunately, neither we nor our place
had even reached the first simple step in this scale of renown; and
poor Clawbonny was laughed at, on account of something Dutch that was
probably supposed to exist in the sound—the Anglo-Saxon race having a
singular aptitude to turn up their nose's at everything but their own
possessions, and everybody but themselves. I looked at Lucy, with
sensitive quickness, to see how she received this sneer on my
birth-place; but, with her, it was so much a matter of course to think
well of everything connected with the spot, its name as well as its
more essential things, that I do not believe she perceived this little
sign of derision.