by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER IV
THE ARRIVAL AND WELCOME AT RIVERLAWN
It was about five o'clock in the afternoon when the road-wagon drew upin front of the mansion at Riverlawn. Less than a week before theNorthern family had left the deep snows and the icy cold of NewHampshire, and the air of the Southern clime was comparatively mild andsoft. The magnolias were as green as in summer; certain flowers hadpushed their way out of the ground, and blossomed in the garden.
The young people in the wagon had been delighted with the ride, the airwas so mild, and everything was so new and strange. They had struck theriver road leading from the estate to the village, and the rest of theway was along Bar Creek to the bridge which crossed it to the mansion.They had passed Pink, the old negro who came with the baggage, atBelgrade, where he had stopped to water his two horses. Levi Bedford hadtalked all the way, pointing out every object of interest to thenew-comers, telling stories, repeating all the old jokes of thelocality, which were quite new to his audience.
As the manager wheeled his horses from the creek road upon the bridge,he cracked his whip, which seemed to be the signal for the four spiritedhorses to dance and prance, in order to make a proper display as theyreached the end of their journey. Gathered in the walks in front of thehouse were all the servants of the mansion, and all the field-handsbelonging to the place, to welcome the family.
There were just fifty-one of them, Levi said, and they all broke out ina yell, which was intended for a cheer, as the magnificent animalsdanced up to the front door. It was a cordial welcome, and the "people"put their whole souls into it. Noah Lyon took off his Derby hat andwaved it to the crowd; Deck and Artie followed his example, all of thembowing; while Mrs. Lyon and the girls flaunted their handkerchiefsvigorously to the assembled population of the plantation.
Most of them were somewhat shy at first, though they intended to give aproper welcome to the family of the new proprietor, and they were ratherrestrained in their demonstration; but as soon as the party waved theirhats and handkerchiefs, with pleasant smiles on their faces, all of themshouted, "Glad to see you!" their enthusiasm being limited only by thevigor of their voices and the strength of their lungs.
The Lyons were intensely amused at the earnestness of the demonstration,and they laughed heartily. They retained their seats in the wagon afterit stopped, more interested in the gathering around them than inanything else for the time. The crowd closed up around the vehicle inorder to obtain a nearer view of their new masters and mistresses. Theyhad known and loved as a patriarch the colonel, for he had always beenkind and indulgent to them. Unfortunately they also knew Titus Lyon, byreputation if not personally, and for a month they had been wonderingwhether the new proprietor was like the colonel or his Kentucky brother.
The "people" were of all ages, from the bald-headed old negro with aflaxen fringe around his rear head on a level with his ears, down to theinfant in arms, whose toothless grin contrasted with the ivory displayof its mother. They were of all the hues of the colored race, from theebony face whereon charcoal could make no mark to the light saffron tintof the octoroon.
There was a plentiful sprinkling of "mammies" and "uncles" among them,for all the older ones are called by these names. But the great body ofthem were young or middle-aged men and women, able-bodied and fit forregular work. Noah Lyon and his wife were particularly struck with theappearance of two girls sixteen to eighteen years old, who were nearlyas white as their own children. They were neatly and modestly dressed,and both of them had very pretty faces. They were employed in the houseas waiters at the table, and in other general work.
"Glad to see you, mars'r!" shouted a score of the tribe in unison. "Gladto see you, missus!" "Gib you welcome to Barcreek, mars'r and missus!""Glad to see de young mars'rs and missusses!"
Levi, with a very broad and cheerful smile upon his round face,descended from the wagon with the reins in his hand, which he handed toa mulatto whom he called Frank, who had been the colonel's coachman. Heproceeded to assist Mrs. Lyon to alight, and her husband followed herwithout any of the assistance tendered to him, for he was only fortyyears old, and almost as nimble as he had ever been. The manager handedthe girls to the ground as politely as though he had served his time asa dancing-master, and the young ladies smiled upon him as sweetly asthough he had been a younger beau.
"This is Diana, Mrs. Lyon, the cook and housekeeper," said Levi, takinga yellow woman of fifty by the arm, and presenting her to the new ladyof the house.
"Diana, missus, and not Dinah," added the housekeeper, as the lady tookher hand.
"I will always call you Diana, and never Dinah," replied Mrs. Lyon. "Ihave no doubt we shall be good friends, though I am not used to yourways in Kentucky."
"This girl is Sylvie," said Diana, drawing the elder of the twooctoroons into the presence of the lady; and her color was light enoughto make her blushes transparent. "This is Julie," she added, bringingthe other of the pretty pair to the front. "Both of them wait on thetable, and 'tend on missus. Both of them come from New Orleans when theywere little girls, and both of them speak French like a pair ofmocking-birds."
"I am very happy to see you, girls, and I think we shall get along verywell together, for I have never been used to having any one to wait onme," said the lady, as she took each of them by the hand; and they wereso pretty that she was disposed to kiss them.
The rest of the family were presented in like manner to the houseservants, and Levi introduced them to the rest of the people in a mass.The Lyons all felt that they had suddenly become lions, at least so faras Riverlawn was concerned. Noah had been a prosperous farmer in NewHampshire, engaged in some outside operation in which he had beensuccessful; but even in haying-time he had never had more than threehired men. This avalanche of half a hundred servants suddenly attachedto him was a new and novel experience; and the situation was just asstrange to his wife and the young people.
Aunty Diana conducted the family into the house with many bows andflourishes, followed by the pretty octoroons, and ushered them into thedrawing-room, which had seldom been used when the colonel was alive; forhe was as simple in his manners as Noah, though he felt obliged to keepup the style of the mansion.
"Help you take your things off, missus?" said Diana to Mrs. Lyon, whileSylvie and Julie tendered their services to Dorcas and Hope.
"We should like to go to our rooms, Diana," replied the lady. "I supposethey are all ready for us."
"All ready, missus."
"Of course you can take your choice of the rooms, Mrs. Lyon," interposedLevi, who had come into the house as soon as he had sent the people totheir cottages. "There are eight rooms on the second floor, besides twocompany chambers; and I suppose Diana has already picked out one for theowner and his wife."
"You can take just what room you like, missus, but I picked out thecolonel's chamber for mars'r and missus, 'cause it is the biggest, has adressing-room and four great closets. I think that one suit missusbest," added Diana.
"We will all go up-stairs and look at the rooms," replied Mrs. Lyon.
She concluded to take the colonel's room, to which Noah assented; and itwas a palatial apartment to both of them. The girls were next providedwith rooms, and the two octoroons were unremitting in their attentionsto them. Though they knew that these girls were slaves, they treatedthem like sisters, and before the day was over they were fast friends;for both of them were utterly devoid of any Southern prejudices againstthose who were so nearly of their own color. They were disposed to treatall the servants kindly, but they had not the same feeling towards thoseof ebony hue.
The same sentiment prevailed through the family; and as a rule itpervaded most of the enlightened families of the South. The girls aswell as the mother--and Dorcas and Artie looked upon and called Mrs.Lyon by this endearing name--had been accustomed to wait uponthemselves, and they found it rather difficult to economize the willinghands of Sylvie and Julie. But when Pink arrived with the trunks andother baggage, the field-hands "toted" them to
the proper chambers, andthe aid of the servants was very welcome, for both of them were tiredafter the long journey they had made.
As the great clock in the spacious hall below struck six, the familywere summoned to supper. Levi acted as master of ceremonies, for Dianawas busy in the kitchen, with her two assistants; but he seemed to havesome doubts about seating himself at his employer's table, though he hadalways had a place there in the colonel's time.
"Sit here, if you please, Levi, and always consider yourself as one ofthe family," said Noah, after he had asked Deck to take the second seaton the right, giving the manager the first, which is the seat of honor;and the question of Levi's position at Riverlawn was settled once forall.
"Thank you, Major Lyon," replied he, as he took the place assigned tohim. "I always sat at the table with Colonel Lyon, even when he hadguests; but it isn't always the rule with planters to have the overseerat his table, and I am much obliged to you for your consideration."
"When I had two or three hired men on my farm, they always came to thetable with me, and would have thought they were abused if they had beenplaced at a separate board," laughed the embryo planter. "But they werethe 'mud-sills' of the North, you know."
"I was raised in Tennessee, Major, and was tolerably well educated. Iwas in business for myself in Shelbyville, the capital of our county,which was named for one of my ancestors. But I did not succeed, for theplace was not big enough. I bought some nice horses of Colonel Lyon, andfor some reason he took a fancy to me."
"I don't think that was very strange," added Noah.
"When I failed, he wanted me to come and manage this place for him; andI have been here ever since. He paid me well, and I have always done thebest I could for him. He was a good man; and it looks to me just asthough his successor was as good a man as he was."
"Thank you, Levi; I believe we shall be friends."
"Betwixt you and me, Major," continued the manager in a low tone, "whenthe colonel's health began to be rather shaky, though I had no idea hewas so near his end, I had a mortal dread that a certain other man wouldcome into possession of this place. Excuse me for saying that, but Icouldn't help it. Since I met you this noon, Major, I have been liftedup to the seventh heaven."
Noah did not deem it wise to make any reply to this remark then; but heintended to inquire more particularly in regard to his Kentucky brotherwhen he had an opportunity; and it appeared that the manager had somevery pronounced opinions in regard to Titus. He changed the subject, andcontinued to eat his supper.
The meal was elaborate enough for a family feast. After the fried hamand bacon, the fried chicken, with baked potatoes and the nicest whitecornbread the family had ever eaten, came hot biscuits, waffles, andgriddle-cakes, and cake of several kinds, which were fully approved byMrs. Lyon. Diana came in before the party rose from the table, and thepraises bestowed upon her handiwork in the kitchen would have made herblush if she had been as light-colored as the two girls that waited uponthe table.
When Noah Lyon went to his room after supper, and was alone there, hetook from his pocket the letter from his deceased brother which ColonelCosgrove had given him. It was with no little emotion that he broke thecumbrous seals. It looked very much like a mystery to him, for theestate had been duly divided in the will.
It was a very kindly and brotherly letter for the first page. Then thecolonel stated that Noah had by the time he received the letterdiscovered that the value of the fifty-one negroes on the estate had notbeen included in his valuation of the property. They were worth at leasttwenty-five thousand dollars. They had been given to him with theplantation, but he enjoined it upon him on no account to sell one ofthem.
In the letter he found another as carefully sealed as the one thatenclosed it, directed to his successor, with the direction: "Not to beopened till five years from the date of my death. Duncan Lyon."
The letter evidently related to the slaves on the plantation; but themystery in regard to them was still unsolved.