Ishmael Or, In the Depths

Nevitte Southworth Emma Dorothy Eliza

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pubOne.info thank you for your continued support and wish to present you this new edition. This story, in book form, has been called for during several years past, but the author has reserved it until now; not only because she considers it to be her very best work, but because it is peculiarly a national novel, being founded on the life and career of one of the noblest of our countrymen, who really lived, suffered, toiled, and triumphed in this land; one whose inspirations of wisdom and goodness were drawn from the examples of the heroic warriors and statesmen of the Revolution, and who having by his own energy risen from the deepest obscurity to the highest fame, became in himself an illustration of the elevating influence of our republican institutions. In the Depths he was born indeed - in the very depths of poverty, misery, and humiliation. But through Heaven's blessing on his aspirations and endeavors, he raised himself to the summit of fame.

Informations

• Publié par: Pub One Info
• Date de parution: 23 octobre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9782819911432
• Langue: English

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PREFACE.
This story, in book form, has been called for duringseveral years past, but the author has reserved it until now; notonly because she considers it to be her very best work, but becauseit is peculiarly a national novel, being founded on the life andcareer of one of the noblest of our countrymen, who really lived,suffered, toiled, and triumphed in this land; one whoseinspirations of wisdom and goodness were drawn from the examples ofthe heroic warriors and statesmen of the Revolution, and who havingby his own energy risen from the deepest obscurity to the highestfame, became in himself an illustration of the elevating influenceof our republican institutions. "In the Depths" he was born indeed– in the very depths of poverty, misery, and humiliation. Butthrough Heaven's blessing on his aspirations and endeavors, heraised himself to the summit of fame.
He was good as well as great. His goodness won thelove of all who knew him intimately. His greatness gained thehomage of the world. He became, in a word, one of the brighteststars in Columbia's diadem of light.
His identity will be recognized by those who werefamiliar with his early personal history; but for obvious reasonshis real name must be veiled under a fictitious one here.
His life is a guiding-star to the youth of everyland, to show them that there is no depth of human misery fromwhich they may not, by virtue, energy and perseverance, rise toearthly honors as well as to eternal glory.
Emma D. E. N. Southworth. Prospect Cottage,Georgetown, D.C.
CHAPTER I.
THE SISTERS. But if thou wilt be constant then, Andfaithful of thy word, I'll make thee glorious by my pen And famousby my sword. I'll serve thee in such noble ways Was never heardbefore; I'll crown and deck thee all with bays, And love theeevermore. – James Graham . "Well, if there be any truth inthe old adage, young Herman Brudenell will have a prosperous life;for really this is a lovely day for the middle of April – the skyis just as sunny and the air as warm as if it were June," saidHannah Worth, looking out from the door of her hut upon a scene asbeautiful as ever shone beneath the splendid radiance of an earlyspring morning. "And what is that old adage you talk of, Hannah?"inquired her younger sister, who stood braiding the locks of herlong black hair before the cracked looking-glass that hung abovethe rickety chest of drawers. "Why, la, Nora, don't you know? Theadage is as old as the hills and as true as the heavens, and it isthis, that a man's twenty-first birthday is an index to his afterlife: – if it be clear, he will be fortunate; if cloudy,unfortunate." "Then I should say that young Mr. Brudenell's fortunewill be a splendid one; for the sun is dazzling!" said Nora, as shewound the long sable plait of hair around her head in the form of anatural coronet, and secured the end behind with – a thorn! "And,now, how do I look? Aint you proud of me?" she archly inquired,turning with "a smile of conscious beauty born" to the inspectionof her elder sister.
That sister might well have answered in theaffirmative had she considered personal beauty a merit of highorder; for few palaces in this world could boast a princess sosuperbly beautiful as this peasant girl that this poor hutcontained. Beneath those rich sable tresses was a high broadforehead as white as snow; slender black eyebrows so well definedand so perfectly arched that they gave a singularly open andelevated character to the whole countenance; large dark gray eyes,full of light, softened by long, sweeping black lashes; a small,straight nose; oval, blooming cheeks; plump, ruddy lips that,slightly parted, revealed glimpses of the little pearly teethwithin; a well-turned chin; a face with this peculiarity, that whenshe was pleased it was her eyes that smiled and not her lips; aface, in short, full of intelligence and feeling that might becomethought and passion. Her form was noble – being tall, finelyproportioned, and richly developed.
Her beauty owed nothing to her toilet – her onlydecoration was the coronet of her own rich black hair; her onlyhair pin was a thorn; her dress indeed was a masterpiece ofdomestic manufacture, – the cotton from which it was made havingbeen carded, spun, woven, and dyed by Miss Hannah's own busy hands;but as it was only a coarse blue fabric, after all, it would not beconsidered highly ornamental; it was new and clean, however, andNora was well pleased with it, as with playful impatience sherepeated her question: "Say! aint you proud of me now?" "No,"replied the elder sister, with assumed gravity; "I am proud of yourdress because it is my own handiwork, and it does me credit; but asfor you – " "I am Nature's handiwork, and I do her credit!"interrupted Nora, with gay self-assertion. "I am quite ashamed ofyou, you are so vain!" continued Hannah, completing her sentence."Oh, vain, am I? Very well, then, another time I will keep myvanity to myself. It is quite as easy to conceal as to confess, youknow; though it may not be quite as good for the soul," exclaimedNora, with merry perversity, as she danced off in search of herbonnet.
She had not far to look; for the one poor roomcontained all of the sisters' earthly goods. And they were easilysummed up – a bed in one corner, a loom in another, aspinning-wheel in the third, and a corner-cupboard in the fourth; achest of drawers sat against the wall between the bed and the loom,and a pine table against the opposite wall between thespinning-wheel and the cupboard; four wooden chairs sat justwherever they could be crowded. There was no carpet on the floor,no paper on the walls. There was but one door and one window to thehut, and they were in front. Opposite them at the back of the roomwas a wide fire-place, with a rude mantle shelf above it, adornedwith old brass candlesticks as bright as gold. Poor as this hutwas, the most fastidious fine lady need not have feared to sit downwithin it, it was so purely clean.
The sisters were soon ready, and after closing uptheir wee hut as cautiously as if it contained the wealth of India,they set forth, in their blue cotton gowns and white cottonbonnets, to attend the grand birthday festival of the young heir ofBrudenell Hall.
Around them spread out a fine, rolling, well-woodedcountry; behind them stood their own little hut upon the top of itsbare hill; below them lay a deep, thickly-wooded valley, beyondwhich rose another hill, crowned with an elegant mansion of whitefree-stone. That was Brudenell Hall.
Thus the hut and the hall perched upon oppositehills, looked each other in the face across the wooded valley. Andboth belonged to the same vast plantation – the largest in thecounty. The morning was indeed delicious, the earth everywherespringing with young grass and early flowers; the forest buddingwith tender leaves; the freed brooks singing as they ran; the birdsdarting about here and there seeking materials to build theirnests; the heavens benignly smiling over all; the sun glorious; theair intoxicating; mere breath joy; mere life rapture! All naturesinging a Gloria in Excelsis! And now while the sisters saunterleisurely on, pausing now and then to admire some exquisite bit ofscenery, or to watch some bird, or to look at some flower, takingtheir own time for passing through the valley that lay between thehut and the hall, I must tell you who and what they were.
Hannah and Leonora Worth were orphans, living alonetogether in the hut on the hill and supporting themselves byspinning and weaving.
Hannah, the eldest, was but twenty-eight years old,yet looked forty; for, having been the eldest sister, themother-sister, of a large family of orphan children, all of whomhad died except the youngest, Leonora, – her face wore thatanxious, haggard, care-worn and prematurely aged look peculiar towomen who have the burdens of life too soon and too heavily laidupon them. Her black hair was even streaked here and there withgray. But with all this there was not the least trace of impatienceor despondency in that all-enduring face. When grave, itsexpression was that of resignation; when gay – and even she couldbe gay at times – its smile was as sunny as Leonora's own. Hannahhad a lover as patient as Job, or as herself, a poor fellow who hadbeen constant to her for twelve years, and whose fate resembled herown; for he was the father of all his orphan brothers and sistersas she had been the mother of hers. Of course, these poor loverscould not dream of marriage; but they loved each other all thebetter upon that very account, perhaps.
Lenora was ten years younger than her sister,eighteen, well grown, well developed, blooming, beautiful, gay andhappy as we have described her. She had not a care, or regret, orsorrow in the world. She was a bird, the hut was her nest andHannah her mother, whose wings covered her. These sisters were verypoor; not, however, as the phrase is understood in the largecities, where, notwithstanding the many charitable institutions forthe mitigation of poverty, scores of people perish annually fromcold and hunger; but as it is understood in the rich lower countiesof Maryland, where forests filled with game and rivers swarmingwith fish afford abundance of food and fuel to even the pooresthutters, however destitute they might be of proper shelter,clothing, or education.
And though these orphan sisters could not hunt orfish, they could buy cheaply a plenty of game from the negroes whodid. And besides this, they had a pig, a cow, and a couple of sheepthat grazed freely in the neighboring fields, for no one thought ofturning out an animal that belonged to these poor girls. Inaddition, they kept a few fowls and cultivated a small vegetablegarden in the rear of their hut. And to keep the chickens out ofthe garden was one of the principal occupations of Nora. Theirspinning-wheel and loom supplied them with the few articles ofclothing they required, and with a little money for the purchase oftea, sugar, and sa