The reader is not to suppose from his language that Mr. Dodge was an agrarian, or that he looked forward to a division of property, at some future day; for, possessing in his own person already, more than what could possibly fall to an individual share, he had not the smallest desire to lessen its amount by a general division. In point of fact he did not know his own meaning, except as he felt envy of all above him, in which, in truth, was to be found the whole secret of his principles, his impulses, and his doctrines. Any thing that would pull down those whom education, habits, fortune, or tastes, had placed in positions more conspicuous than his own, was, in his eyes, reasonable and just--as any thing that would serve him, in person, the same ill turn, would have been tyranny and oppression. The inst.i.tutions of America, like every thing human, have their bad as well as their good side; and while we firmly believe in the relative superiority of the latter, as compared with other systems, we should fail of accomplishing the end set before us in this work, did we not exhibit, in strong colours, one of the most prominent consequences that has attended the entire destruction of fact.i.tious personal distinctions in the country, which has certainly aided in bringing out in bolder relief than common, the prevalent disposition in man to covet that which is the possession of another, and to decry merits that are unattainable.
"Well, I rejoice to hear this," returned Mrs. Abbott, whose principles were of the same loose school as those of her companion, "for I think no one should have rights but those who have experienced religion, if you would keep vital religion in a country. There goes that old sea-lion, Truck, and his fishing a.s.sociate, the commodore, with their lines and poles, as usual, Mr. Dodge; I beg you will call to them, for I long to hear what the first can have to say about his beloved Effinghams, now?"
Mr. Dodge complied, and the navigator of the ocean and the navigator of the lake, were soon seated in Mrs. Abbott"s little parlour, which might be styled the focus of gossip, near those who were so lately its sole occupants.
"This is wonderful news, gentlemen," commenced Mrs. Abbott, as soon as the bustle of the entrance had subsided. "Mr. Powis is Mr.
Effingham, and it seems that Miss Effingham is to become Mrs.
Effingham. Miracles will never cease, and I look upon this as one of the most surprising of my time."
"Just so, ma"am," said the commodore, winking his eye, and giving the usual flourish with a hand; "your time has not been that of a day neither, and Mr. Powis has reason to rejoice that he is the hero of such a history. For my part, I could not have been more astonished, were I to bring up the sogdollager with a trout-hook, having a cheese paring for the bait."
"I understand," continued the lady, "that there are doubts after all, whether this miracle be really a true miracle. It is hinted that Mr.
Powis is neither Mr. Effingham nor Mr. Powis, but that he is actually a Mr. Blunt. Do you happen to know any thing of the matter, Captain Truck?"
"I have been introduced to him, ma"am, by all three names, and I consider him as an acquaintance in each character. I can a.s.sure you, moreover, that he is A, No. 1, on whichever tack you take him; a man who carries a weather helm in the midst of his enemies."
"Well, I do not consider it a very great recommendation for one to have enemies, at all. Now, I dare say, Mr. Dodge, _you_ have not an enemy on earth!"
"I should be sorry to think that I had, Mrs. Abbott. I am every man"s friend, particularly the poor man"s friend, and I should suppose that every man _ought_ to be my friend. I hold the whole human family to be brethren, and that they ought to live together as such."
"Very true, sir; quite true--we _are_ all sinners, and ought to look favourably on each other"s failings. It is no business of mine-- I say it is no business of ours, Mr. Dodge, who Miss Eve Effingham marries; but were she _my_ daughter, I do think I should not like her to have three family names, and to keep her own in the bargain!"
"The Effinghams hold their heads very much up, though it is not easy to see _why_; but so they do, and the more names the better, perhaps, for such people," returned the editor. "For my part, I treat them with condescension, just as I do every body else; for it is a rule with me, Captain Truck, to make use of the same deportment to a king on his throne, as I would to a beggar in the street."
"Merely to show that you do not feel yourself to be above your betters. We have many such philosophers in this country."
"Just so," said the commodore.
"I wish I knew," resumed Mrs. Abbott; for there existed in her head, as well as in that of Mr. Dodge, such a total confusion on the subject of deportment, that neither saw nor felt the cool sarcasm of the old sailor; "I wish I knew, now, whether Eve Effingham has really been regenerated! What is your opinion, commodore?"
"Re-what, ma"am," said the commodore, who was not conscious of ever having heard the word before; for, in his Sabbaths on the water, where he often worshipped G.o.d devoutly in his heart, the language of the professedly pious was never heard; "I can only say she is as pretty a skiff as floats, but I can tell you nothing about resuscitation--indeed, I never heard of her having been drowned."
"Ah, Mrs. Abbott, the very best friends of the Effinghams will not maintain that they are pious. I do not wish to be invidious, or to say unneighbourly things; but were I upon oath, I could testify to a great many things, which would unqualifiedly show, that none of them have ever experienced."
"Now, Mr. Dodge, you know how much I dislike scandal," the widow- bewitched cried affectedly, "and I cannot tolerate such a sweeping charge. I insist on the proofs of what you say, in which, no doubt, these gentlemen will join me."
By proofs, Mrs. Abbott meant allegations.
"Well, ma"am, since you insist on my _proving_ what I have said, you shall not be disappointed. In the first place, then, they _read_ their family prayers out of a book."
"Ay, ay," put in the captain; "but that merely shows they have some education; it is done every where."
"Your pardon, sir; no people but the Catholics and the church people commit this impiety. The idea of _reading_ to the Deity, Mrs.
Abbott, is particularly shocking to a pious soul."
"As if the Lord stood in need of letters! _That_ is very bad, I allow; for at _family_ prayers, a form becomes mockery."
"Yes, ma"am; but what do you think of cards?"
"Cards!" exclaimed Mrs. Abbott, holding up her pious hands, in holy horror.
"Even so; foul paste-board, marked with kings and queens," said the captain. Why this is worse than a common sin, being unqualifiedly anti-republican."
"I confess I did not expect-this! I had heard that Eve Effingham was guilty of indiscretions, but I did not think she was so lost to virtue, as to touch a card. Oh! Eve Effingham; Eve Effingham, for what is your poor diseased soul destined!"
"She dances, too, I suppose you know that," continued Mr. Dodge, who finding his popularity a little on the wane, had joined the meeting himself, a few weeks before, and who did not fail to manifest the zeal of a new convert.
"Dances!" repeated Mrs. Abbott, in holy horror.
"Real fi diddle de di!" echoed Captain Truck.
"Just so," put in the commodore; "I have seen it with my own eyes.
But, Mrs. Abbott, I feel bound to tell you that your own daughter--"
"Biansy-Alzumy-Anne!" exclaimed the mother in alarm.
"Just so; my-aunty-all-suit-me-anne, if that is her name. Do you know, ma"am, that I have seen your own blessed daughter, my-aunty- Anne, do a worse thing, even, than dancing!"
"Commodore, you are awful! What _could_ a child of mine do that is worse than dancing?"
"Why, ma"am, if you _will_ hear all, it is my duty to tell you.
I saw aunty-Anne (the commodore was really ignorant of the girl"s name) jump a skipping-rope, yesterday morning, between the hours of seven and eight. As I hope ever to see the sogdollager, again, ma"am, I did!"
"And do you this as bad as dancing?"
"Much worse, ma"am, to my notion. It is jumping about without music, and without any grace, either, particularly as it was performed by my-aunty-Anne."
"You are given to light jokes. Jumping the skipping-rope is not forbidden in the bible."
"Just so; nor is dancing, if I know any thing about it; nor, for that matter, cards."
"But waste of time is; a sinful waste of time; and evil-pa.s.sions, and all unrighteousness."
"Just so. My-aunty-Anne was going to the pump for water--I dare say you sent her--and she was misspending her time; and as for evil pa.s.sions, she did not enjoy the hop, until she and your neighbour"s daughter had pulled each other"s hair for the rope, as if they had been two she-dragons. Take my word for it, ma"am, it wanted for nothing to make it sin of the purest water, but a cracked fiddle."
While the commodore was holding Mrs. Abbott at bay, in this manner, Captain Truck, who had given him a wink to that effect, was employed in playing off a practical joke at the expense of the widow. It was one of the standing amus.e.m.e.nts of these worthies, who had gotten to be sworn friends and constant a.s.sociates, after they had caught as many fish as they wished, to retire to the favourite spring, light, the one his cigar, the other his pipe, mix their grog, and then relieve their ennui, when tired of discussing men and things, by playing cards on a particular stump. Now, it happens that the captain had the identical pack which had been used on all such occasions in his pocket, as was evident in the fact that the cards were nearly as distinctly marked on their backs, as on their faces. These cards he showed secretly to his companion, and when the attention of Mrs.
Abbott was altogether engaged in expecting the terrible announcement of her daughter"s errors, the captain slipped them, kings, queens and knaves, high, low, jack and the game, without regard to rank, into the lady"s work-basket. As soon as this feat was successfully performed, a sign was given to the commodore that the conspiracy was effected, and that disputant in theology gradually began to give ground, while he continued to maintain that jumping the rope was a sin, though it might be one of a nominal cla.s.s. There is little doubt, had he possessed a smattering of phrases, a greater command of biblical learning, and more zeal, that the fisherman might have established a new shade of the Christian faith; for, while mankind still persevere in disregarding the plainest mandates of G.o.d, as respects humility, the charities, and obedience, nothing seems to afford them more delight than to add to the catalogue of the offences against his divine supremacy. It was perhaps lucky for the commodore, who was capital at casting a pickerel line, but who usually settled his polemics with the fist, when hard pushed, that Captain Truck found leisure to come to the rescue.
"I"m amazed, ma"am," said the honest packet-master, "that a woman of your sanct.i.ty should deny that jumping the rope is a sin, for I hold that point to have been settled by all our people, these fifty years.
You will admit that the rope cannot be well-jumped without levity."
"Levity, Captain Truck! I hope you do not insinuate that a daughter of mine discovers levity?"
"Certainly, ma"am; she is called the best rope jumper in the village, I hear; and levity, or lightness of carriage, is the great requisite for skill in the art. Then there are "vain repet.i.tions" in doing the same thing over and over so often, and "vain repet.i.tions" are forbidden even in our prayers. I can call both father and mother to testify to that fact."
"Well, this is news to me! I must speak to the minister about it."
"Of the two, the skipping-rope is rather more sinful than dancing, for the music makes the latter easy; whereas, one has to force the spirit to enter into the other. Commodore, our hour has come, and we must make sail. May I ask the favour, Mrs. Abbott, of a bit of thread to fasten this hook afresh?"