by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER FIVE.
ROLFE'S EARLY HISTORY.
"Brothers," began he, "I am of your own race, although I am not anAmerican. I am an Englishman. I was born in the south of that countrysomething more than forty years ago. My father was a yeoman--anindependent, or, as he was sometimes styled, a gentleman-farmer.Unfortunately, he was a man of too much ambition for his class. He wasdetermined that I, his only son, should be a gentleman in the ordinarysense of the word; that is, that I should be educated in all thoseexpensive habits and accomplishments, which are sure to lead men ofmoderate fortune along the direct road to ruin. This was not wise of myfather; but it would not be graceful in me to reflect upon a fault, thatconsisted in his too great fondness for myself. I believe it was theonly fault which my good, kind father, was ever charged with. Beyondthis somewhat foolish ambition, his character was without reproach amongmen.
"I was sent to those schools where I should meet the scions of thearistocracy. I was taught to dance, to ride, and to play. I wasallowed spending money at will, and could call for champagne, and drinkit, with any of my companions. At the end of my college life, I wassent upon my travels. I made the tour of the Rhine, of France, andItaly; and after some years spent in this way, I returned to England--sent for, to be present at the death of my father.
"I was now sole heir to his property, which was by no meansinconsiderable for a man of his class. I soon reduced it in bulk. Imust needs live in London, where I could enjoy the company of many of myold school and college companions. I was welcome amongst them while mypurse held out--for many of them were needy men--lawyers without briefs,and officers with nothing to live upon but their pay. Of course, suchmen are fond of play. They have nothing to lose, and all to win; and itwas but a short year or two, until they had won from me the best part ofmy patrimonial property. I was on the eve of becoming a bankrupt. Butone thing saved me--_she_ saved me!"
Here our host pointed to his wife, who sat surrounded by her family atone side of the great fireplace. The lady held down her eyes andsmiled; while the children, who had been listening attentively, allturned towards her with looks of interest.
"Yes," continued he, "Mary saved me. We had been playmates together inearlier life; and at this time we again met. We felt an affection foreach other. It ended in our getting married.
"Fortunately, my dissipated life had not destroyed, as it often doeswith men, all my virtuous principles. Many of these, that had beenearly instilled into my mind by the teachings of a good mother, stillremained fixed and true.
"As soon as we were married, I resolved to change altogether my mode oflife. But this is not so easily done as men imagine. Once you aresurrounded by associates, such as mine were--once you are plunged intodebts and obligations--it requires both courage and virtuousdetermination to meet and discharge them. It requires a terrible effortto free one's self from evil companions, whose interest it is, that youshould still remain as profligate as themselves. But I was resolved;and, thanks to the counsels of my Mary, I succeeded in carrying out myresolve.
"To pay my debts, I was compelled to sell the property left me by myfather. This done, and every bill discharged, I found myself worth onlyfive hundred pounds.
"My little wife, there, had brought me the sum of twenty-five hundred;and this still left us three thousand pounds with which to begin theworld. Three thousand pounds is not much to live upon in England--thatis, among the class of people with whom I had hitherto associated; andafter spending several years in trying to increase it, I found that itwas every day growing less. I found, after three years engaged infarming, that my three thousand pounds was only worth two. I was toldthat this sum would go much farther in America--that it would purchaseme a fine home--and, with thoughts of providing well for my family, Iembarked with my wife and children for New York.
"There I found the very man whom I wanted--that was, some one to adviseme how to begin life in the New World. My predilections were in favourof agriculture; and these were encouraged by the advice of him whom Ihad met. He told me that it would be unwise for me to lay out my moneyupon new or uncleared land; as, with my want of experience as a farmer,I would have to pay more for clearing it of its timber than the landwould be worth. `It would be better for you,' continued my newacquaintance, `to buy a tract already cleared and fenced, with a goodhouse upon it, where you will be at home at once.'
"I admitted the truth of all this reasoning; but would my money besufficient for this? `Oh, yes,' answered he; and then he told me thathe `knew of a farm in the State of Virginia,'--a plantation, as hecalled it, that would suit me exactly. It could be purchased for fivehundred pounds. With the remainder of my money I should be able tostock it handsomely.
"After some farther conversation, I found that the plantation belongedto himself. So much the better, thought I; and in the end I bought itfrom him, and set out immediately after for my new home."