Elsie's Journey on Inland Waters

by Martha Finley

  CHAPTER XIX.

  Dinner was ready to be put upon the table when the party reachedagain their temporary home, and their long drive had given each onean appetite that made the meal most enjoyable. They rested upon theporches for a short time after leaving the table, then set out for awalk to the beach, Walter at his mother's side, Violet, the captain,and their two little ones near at hand. These were at some distancein the rear of the young girls, who had started for the beach a fewminutes earlier.

  "Mother," said Walter, "I should like very much to see that dear oldlady Cousin Molly talks about; also the old Revolutionary house shelives in. Do you think we might call there without seeming to intrude?"

  "Really I do not know," replied Mrs. Travilla. "If Molly were only hereshe could judge better than I."

  "Perhaps she is there," suggested Walter. "I noticed that she started alittle ahead of the girls."

  "So she did," said Violet, overhearing their talk, "and I think she isprobably there now, for she was telling me last evening that she feltanxious that you, Walter, should see her dear old lady before leavingto-night. Ah! and yonder they both are at the gate of the house now."

  "Then I would suggest that you three hasten on, leaving me to followmore slowly with the children. It would hardly do to overwhelm theold lady with so large a company at once," said the captain, andthey promptly carried out his suggestion. Mrs. Barker and Molly werestanding by the front gate chatting as they came up.

  "Ah, here they are, Mrs. Barker!" said Molly; "my cousins, Mrs.Travilla, her daughter, Mrs. Raymond, and her son Walter. He is the ladI was telling you of, who starts for college to-night, and was verydesirous to see you and your revolutionary house before going."

  "And to hear all you can tell me about its experiences in those days,Mrs. Barker, if you will be so kind," added Walter, with a polite bowand his most insinuating smile.

  "I shall be happy to tell and show all I can to you and your mother andsister," replied the old lady, leading the way toward the house, herguests following.

  She took them over the greater part of it, telling them what roomshad been occupied by the Hessians, and what by the family while theunwelcome intruders were there. They were much interested in all shetold them, and admired her housekeeping, everything being in beautifulorder. She told them the Mr. Barker of those days was a true patriot,in fact, a spy working for the American cause, and when their call wasfinished and they were taking their departure, she went with them tothe gate, and pointing out a ledge of rock on the farther side of thevalley, beyond the cottages they were occupying, told them that inrevolutionary times that was a part of the large tract of land ownedby Isaac Barker; that, in those days, instead of the stone wall nowrunning along its edge overlooking the water, there was a rail fence;and that Isaac Barker was in the habit of signalling the patriot troopsencamped on an island opposite, whenever there was an important itemof news for them, and that he did so by alterations in the fence, madeunder his supervision by the unsuspecting Hessians.

  "Oh, that was good!" cried Walter; "but did the British never catch himat it?"

  "No, never," she replied. "If they had, his life would not have beenworth much."

  "You must think a great deal of this old house," said Walter, turningand looking it over with admiring eyes. "If it were mine I wouldn'tgive it for any of the grand palaces built in these later days."

  "Nor would I," she said. "Come and see it again; it and me; if you careto do so."

  "Thank you; I should enjoy doing so, but I leave to-night for college."

  "Ah? I am glad for you; for a good education is worth more than moneyor almost any other earthly thing."

  "So I think, because it will enable me, or anyone who has it, to bemore useful in the world."

  "That is a right feeling," she said; then turning to the ladies gavethem a warm invitation to call again any day, as they passed on theirway to the beach.

  "Thank you, Mrs. Barker," said Grandma Elsie. "It is quite likely wemay do so, for we have greatly enjoyed our chat with you."

  "And will be glad to have you return our call, if you can convenientlydo so, while we linger in your neighborhood," added Violet.

  Arrived at the beach, Violet joined her husband and the young folksthere, but her mother and Walter passed on up the cliff, the lad sayinglaughingly that he wanted another peep into Purgatory before leavingthe neighborhood; but, as his mother well understood, a bit of privatechat with her was the chief object he had in view.

  They took a peep into the chasm, then wandered away a little and satdown side by side upon a ledge of rock. Looking at him with her ownloving smile, she laid her hand in his. He clasped it tightly, whileunbidden tears sprang to his eyes.

  "Mother," he said low and tremulously, "my own dear mother! You arealmost all the world to me. I think no other fellow had so dear andsweet a mother as mine. I don't know how I shall ever stand it to passweeks and months without a sight of your dear face."

  "Ah, you will soon learn to do without me," she said, between a sighand a smile. "But I do not believe my dear baby boy will ever cease tolove his mother, or to try to make her happy by a faithful attendanceto all his duties. But oh, above all, try to please and honor the Godof your fathers whose servant you profess to be. Begin every day withan earnest supplication for strength to perform every duty and resistevery temptation."

  "It is my fixed purpose to do so, mother dear, and I know you will beever helping me with your prayers," he answered earnestly. "Oh, what ablessing it is to have a praying, Christian mother! And I know that youwill write to me often, and that your dear letters will be a great helpto me in my efforts to resist temptation and keep in the strait andnarrow path."

  "I hope so," she said; "also that my dear youngest son will never learnto conceal things from his mother, but will write me freely of all thatconcerns him, never doubting my love or my interest in it all, for hisdear sake."

  "Doubt your dear love, mother? No, never for one moment! Oh, it willbe hard to part from you to-day, even though I hope to see you againbefore you go home!"

  "Yes, I expect to give you a call at the college, to see that my dearson is made as comfortable as possible, and to take a view of his roomand all his surroundings, that I may be able to picture him in mymind's eye at his studies, recitations, and sports."

  "Just as I can see my loved mother in every room of the dear home atIon, or the other one at Viamede, should you go there at any timewithout me," he returned, making a determined effort to speak lightly."It seems a little hard to start off without you, mother; but asCousin Cyril has kindly promised to go with me, I shall do very well,especially with the knowledge that I am to see you again in a fewdays."

  "Yes," she said, "and you will like those New Jersey relatives of his,who are more distantly related to us, when you become acquainted withthem, as I hope you will at some not very distant day."

  "The uncle he is expecting to visit there is a brother of Cousin Annis,is he not?" asked Walter.

  "Yes."

  "Then I should think she and her husband, Cousin Ronald, would go withCousin Cyril."

  "I think they will follow a few days hence, when we start for home,"she answered.

  Just at that moment they were startled by a wild shriek, as of one ingreat peril or affright, instantly followed by a sound as of a heavybody plunging into the water. Both started to their feet, Walterexclaiming, "Oh, mother! someone must have fallen into that dreadfuldeep chasm they call Purgatory! Oh, what can we do?"

  "Nothing," she answered, with a laugh that sounded slightly hysterical."See! Cousin Ronald and several of the others have come up the hillunnoticed by us."

  "Oh! I think it was rather too bad for him to startle you so, mammadear!" exclaimed Walter.

  "Yes, I must acknowledge that it was," returned Mr. Lilburn, who hadnow drawn near enough to overhear the remark. "Pardon me, Cousin Elsie;I really did not intend to give you such a fright; for I deemed itlikely you would know at once that it was I and none o
ther."

  "As I probably should, had I been aware of your vicinity," shereturned, in a pleasant tone; "but my boy and I were so engrossed withour talk that we did not perceive your approach. I think Walter and Imust now go back to the cottage and see to the packing of his trunk."

  "Cannot I do that, mamma?" queried Violet.

  "Thank you, daughter, I have no doubt you could, but I have a fancy forthe job myself," was the pleasant-toned reply. "Besides, your placeis with your husband and little ones, who, I think, would find itagreeable and beneficial to remain here on the beach for another houror so."

  "I haven't unpacked much since we came here, mother," remarked Walter,as they walked away together, "so that it will not be a long job to getmy things in my trunk, but I am glad you came away so early with me,as it gives us time and opportunity for another private chat."

  "Yes, my dear boy, that was my principal object in proposing this earlyreturn, but I hope for many another pleasant chat with my dear youngestson in the years to come," his mother responded cheerfully.

  "I haven't seen quite all the places in and about Newport or Middletownthat I should take an interest in examining," remarked Walter. "But Ipresume I may hope to come again some day?"

  "Oh, yes; possibly a good many times in the course of a few years;though there are many other places in our great, beautiful countrythat are quite as well worth visiting, and far better worth seeingthan some noted resorts in Europe. I want my sons and daughters toappreciate their own country," she went on, her sweet face lightingwith enthusiasm, "with all that is beautiful and valuable in it, aswell as its free institutions--religious, civil, and political."

  "I think I do, mamma," he said, with a smile. "You have brought up allyour children to admire and love their own land, believing it the bestand greatest country in all the wide world."

  "Yes, and yet, alas! there is a vast deal of wickedness in it," shesighed; "wickedness, error, superstition, and vice, which we shouldmake it our life work to try to root out."

  "As I truly intend to, mamma. But are not most of the ignorant andvicious those who have come in from foreign lands?"

  "A very great many--a very large majority no doubt are," she answered;"and yet there are many ignorant and vicious ones who are native born;not a few of them being the children of natives. Some of the Toriesof revolutionary times were even worse than savages. 'The heart isdeceitful above all things and desperately wicked,' applies to thewhole of Adam's fallen race, and each one of us needs to pray, 'Createin me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.'"

  "I feel that I do, mother, but you have always seemed to me so perfectthat it is difficult to realize that it can be so with you," said thelad, turning upon her eyes filled with ardent love and admiration.

  "That is doubtless because your eyes are blinded by filial love, mydear boy," she returned, with her sweet and loving smile.

  They presently reached the house, and Walter set about his packing,under his mother's supervision, which made the work seem but apleasant pastime. It did not take long and, seated together in oneof the porches, they had time before the return of the others for aconfidential chat, such as Walter dearly loved to have with his mother.

  Then came the call to supper, and the meal was scarcely over when thehack was announced as at the door; there were hasty leave-takings, hismother's the last for Walter. She strained him to her heart with somewhispered words of love, while he embraced her with ardent affection,and in a moment more he was in the hack, with Mr. Keith by his side,and they were driving rapidly away toward the city to take the nighttrain for New York.