CHAPTER IX.
"He saw a cottage with a double coach-house, A cottage of gentility; And the devil did grin, for his darling sin Is the pride that apes humility."
_Devil's Thoughts._
It was now necessary to determine what course we ought next to pursue.It might appear presuming in men of our pursuits to go to the Nestbefore the appointed time; and did we proceed on to the village, weshould have the distance between the two places to walk over twice,carrying our instruments and jewel-box. After a short consultation, itwas decided to visit the nearest dwellings, and to remain as near my ownhouse as was practicable, making an arrangement to sleep somewhere inits immediate vicinity. Could we trust any one with our secret, our farewould probably be all the better; but my uncle thought it most prudentto maintain a strict incognito until he had ascertained the true stateof things in the town.
We took leave of the Indian and the negro, therefore, promising to visitthem again in the course of that or the succeeding day, and followed thepath that led to the farm-house. It was our opinion that we might, atleast, expect to meet with friends in the occupants of the home farm.The same family had been retained in possession there for threegenerations, and being hired to manage the husbandry and to take care ofthe dairy, there was not the same reason for the disaffection, that wassaid so generally to exist among the tenantry, prevailing among them.The name of this family was Miller, and it consisted of the two headsand some six or seven children, most of the latter being still quiteyoung.
"Tom Miller was a trusty lad, when I knew much of him," said my uncle,as we drew near to the barn, in which we saw the party mentioned, atwork; "and he is said to have behaved well in one or two alarms theyhave had at the Nest, this summer; still, it may be wiser not to leteven him into our secret as yet."
"I am quite of your mind, sir," I answered; "for who knows that he hasnot just as strong a desire as any of them to own the farm on which helives? He is the grandson of the man who cleared it from the forest, andhas much the same title as the rest of them."
"Very true; and why should not that give him just as good a right toclaim an interest in the farm, beyond that he has got under his contractto work it, as if he held a lease? He who holds a lease gets no rightbeyond his bargain; nor does this man. The one is paid for his labour bythe excess of his receipts over the amount of his annual rent, while theother is paid partly in what he raises, and partly in wages. Inprinciple there is no difference whatever, not a particle; yet Iquestion if the veriest demagogue in the State would venture to say thatthe man, or the family, which works a farm for hire, even for a hundredyears, gets the smallest right to say he shall not quit it, if its ownerplease, as soon as his term of service is up!"
"'The love of money is the root of all evil;' and when that feeling isuppermost, one can never tell what a man will do. The bribe of a goodfarm, obtained for nothing, or for an insignificant price, is sufficientto upset the morality of even Tom Miller."
"You are right, Hugh; and here is one of the points in which ourpolitical men betray the cloven foot. They write, and proclaim, and makespeeches, as if the anti-rent troubles grew out of the durable leasesystem solely, whereas we all know that it is extended to alldescriptions of obligations given for the occupancy of land--lifeleases, leases for a term of years, articles for deeds, and bonds andmortgages. It is a wide-spread, though not yet universal attempt ofthose who have the least claim to the possession of real estate, toobtain the entire right, and that by agencies that neither the law norgood morals will justify. It is no new expedient for partizans to place_en evidence_ no more of their principles and intentions than suitstheir purposes. But, here we are within ear-shot, and must resort to theHigh Dutch. _Guten tag, guten tag_," continued uncle Ro, droppingeasily into the broken English of our masquerade, as we walked into thebarn, where Miller, two of his older boys, and a couple of hired menwere at work, grinding scythes and preparing for the approachinghay-harvest. "It might be warm day, dis fine mornin'."
"Good day, good day," cried Miller, hastily, and glancing his eye alittle curiously at our equipments. "What have you got in yourbox--essences?"
"Nein; vatches and drinkets;" setting down the box and opening it atonce, for the inspection of all present. "Von't you burchase a gootvatch, dis bleasant mornin'?"
"Be they ra-al gold?" asked Miller, a little doubtingly. "And all themchains and rings, be they gold too?"
"Not true golt; nein, nein, I might not say dat. But goot enough goltfor blain folks, like you and me."
"Them things would never do for the grand quality over at the bighouse!" cried one of the labourers who was unknown to me, but whose nameI soon ascertained was Joshua Brigham, and who spoke with a sort ofmalicious sneer that at once betrayed _he_ was no friend. "You mean 'emfor poor folks, I s'pose?"
"I means dem for any bodies dat will pay deir money for 'em," answeredmy uncle. "Vould you like a vatch?"
"That would I; and a farm, too, if I could get 'em cheap," answeredBrigham, with a sneer he did not attempt to conceal. "How do you sellfarms to-day?"
"I haf got no farms; I sells drinkets and vatches, but I doesn't sellfarms. Vhat I haf got I vill sell, but I cannot sells vhat I haf notgot."
"Oh! you'll get all you want if you'll stay long enough in this country!This is a free land, and just the place for a poor man; or it will be,as soon as we get all the lords and aristocrats out of it."
This was the first time I had ever heard this political blarney with myown ears, though I had understood it was often used by those who wish togive to their own particular envy and covetousness a grand and soundingair.
"Vell, I haf heards dat in America dere might not be any noples antaristocrats," put in my uncle, with an appearance of beautifulsimplicity; "and dat dere ist not ein graaf in der whole coontry."
"Oh! there's all sorts of folks here, just as they are to be foundelsewhere," cried Miller, seating himself coolly on the end of thegrindstone-frame, to open and look into the mysteries of one of thewatches. "Now, Josh Brigham, here, calls all that's above him in theworld aristocrats, but he doesn't call all that's below him his equals."
I liked that speech; and I liked the cool, decided way in which it wasuttered. It denoted, in its spirit, a man who saw things as they are,and who was not afraid to say what he thought about them. My uncle Rowas surprised, and that agreeably, too, and he turned to Miller topursue the discourse.
"Den dere might not be any nopility in America, after all?" he asked,inquiringly.
"Yes, there's plenty of such lords as Josh here, who want to beuppermost so plaguily that they don't stop to touch all the rounds ofthe ladder. I tell him, friend, he wants to get on too fast, and that hemustn't set up for a gentleman before he knows how to behave himself."
Josh looked a little abashed at a rebuke that came from one of his ownclass, and which he must have felt, in secret, was merited. But thedemon was at work in him, and he had persuaded himself that he was thechampion of a quality as sacred as liberty, when, in fact, he was simplyand obviously doing neither more nor less than breaking the tenthcommandment. He did not like to give up, while he skirmished withMiller, as the dog that has been beaten already two or three timesgrowls over a bone at the approach of his conqueror.
"Well, thank heaven," he cried, "_I_ have got some spirit in my body."
"That's very true, Joshua," answered Miller, laying down one watch andtaking up another; "but it happens to be an evil spirit."
"Now, here's them Littlepages; what makes them better than other folks?"
"You had better let the Littlepages alone, Joshua, seein' they're afamily that you know nothing at all about."
"I don't want to know them; though I _do_ happen to know all I want toknow. I despise 'em."
"No you don't, Joshy, my boy; nobody despises folks they talk sospitefully about. What's the price of this here watch, friend?"
"Four dollars," said my uncle, eagerly, falling lower than was prudent,in his desire to reward Mi
ller for his good feeling and soundsentiments. "Ja, ja--you might haf das vatch for four dollars."
"I'm afraid it isn't good for anything," returned Miller, feeling thedistrust that was natural at hearing a price so low. "Let's have anotherlook at its inside."
No man, probably, ever bought a watch without looking into its workswith an air of great intelligence, though none but a mechanician is anywiser for his survey. Tom Miller acted on this principle, for the goodlooks of the machine he held in his hand, and the four dollars, temptedhim sorely. It had its effect, too, on the turbulent and envious Joshua,who seemed to understand himself very well in a bargain. Neither of themen had supposed the watches to be of gold, for though the metal that isin a watch does not amount to a great deal, it is usually of more valuethan all that was asked for the "article" now under examination. Inpoint of fact, my uncle had this very watch "invoiced to him" at twicethe price he now put it at.
"And what do you ask for this?" demanded Joshua, taking up another watchof very similar looks and of equal value to the one that Miller stillretained open in his hand. "Won't you let this go for three dollars?"
"No; der brice of dat is effery cent of forty dollars," answered uncleRo, stubbornly.
The two men now looked at the pedlar in surprise. Miller took the watchfrom his hired man, examined it attentively, compared it with the other,and then demanded its price anew.
"_You_ might haf eider of dem vatches for four dollars," returned myuncle, as I thought, incautiously.
This occasioned a new surprise, though Brigham fortunately referred thedifference to a mistake.
"Oh!" he said, "I understood you to say _forty_ dollars. Four dollars isa different matter."
"Josh," interrupted the more observant and cooler-headed Miller, "it ishigh time, now, you and Peter go and look a'ter them sheep. The conchwill soon be blowing for dinner. If you want a trade, you can have onewhen you get back."
Notwithstanding the plainness of his appearance and language, Tom Millerwas captain of his own company. He gave this order quietly, and in hisusual familiar way, but it was obviously to be obeyed without aremonstrance. In a minute the two hired men were off in company, leavingno one behind in the barn but Miller, his sons, and us two. I could seethere was a motive for all this, but did not understand it.
"Now _he's_ gone," continued Tom quietly, but laying an emphasis thatsufficiently explained his meaning, "perhaps you'll let me know the trueprice of this watch. I've a mind for it, and may be we can agree."
"Four dollars," answered my uncle, distinctly. "I haf said you might hafit for dat money, and vhat I haf said once might always be."
"I will take it, then. I almost wish you had asked eight, though fourdollars saved is suthin' for a poor man. It's so plaguy cheap I'm alittle afraid on 't; but I'll ventur'. There; there's your money, and inhard cash."
"Dank you, sir. Won't das ladies choose to look at my drinkets?"
"Oh! if you want to deal with ladies who buy chains and rings, the NestHouse is the place. My woman wouldn't know what to do with sich things,and don't set herself up for a fine lady at all. That chap who has justgone for the sheep is the only great man we have about this farm."
"Ja, ja; he ist a nople in a dirty shirt: ja, ja; why hast he dem pigfeelin's?"
"I believe you have named them just as they ought to be, _pig's_feelin's. It's because he wishes to thrust his own snout all over thetrough, and is mad when he finds anybody else's in the way. We'regetting to have plenty of such fellows up and down the country, and anuncomfortable time they give us. Boys, I _do_ believe it will turn out,a'ter all, that Josh is an Injin!"
"I _know_ he is," answered the oldest of the two sons, a lad ofnineteen; "where else should he be so much of nights and Sundays, butat their trainin's?--and what was the meanin' of the calico bundle I sawunder his arm a month ago, as I told you on at the time?"
"If I find it out to be as you say, Harry, he shall tramp off of thisfarm. I'll have no Injins here!"
"Vell I dought I dit see an olt Injin in a hut up yonder ast by derwoots!" put in my uncle, innocently.
"Oh! that is Susquesus, an Onondago; he is a true Injin, and agentleman; but we have a parcel of the mock gentry about, who are a pestand an eye-sore to every honest man in the country. Half on 'em arenothing but thieves in mock Injin dresses. The law is ag'in 'em, rightis ag'in 'em, and every true friend of liberty in the country ought tobe ag'in 'em."
"Vhat ist der matter in dis coontry? I hear in Europe how America ist afree lant, ant how efery man hast his rights; but since I got here deydo nothin' but talk of barons, and noples, and tenants, and arisdograts,and all der bat dings I might leaf behint me, in der olt worlt."
"The plain matter is, friend, that they who have got little, en_vy_ themthat's got much; and the struggle is to see which is the strongest. Onthe one side is the law, and right, and bargains, and contracts; and onthe other thousands--not of dollars, but of men. Thousands of voters;d'ye understand?"
"Ja, ja--I oonderstands; dat ist easy enough. But vhy do dey dalk somuch of noples and arisdograts?--ist der noples and arisdograts inAmerica?"
"Well, I don't much understand the natur' of sich things; theresartainly is a difference in men, and a difference in their fortun's,and edications, and such sort of things."
"Und der law, den, favours der rich man at der cost of der poor, inAmerica, too, does it? Und you haf arisdograts who might not pay taxes,and who holt all der offices, and get all der pooblic money, and who istpetter pefore de law, in all dings, dan ast dem dat be not arisdograts?Is it so?"
Miller laughed outright, and shook his head at this question, continuingto examine the trinkets the whole time.
"No, no, my friend, we've not much of _that_, in this part of the world,either. Rich men get very few offices, to begin with; for it's anargooment in favour of a man for an office, that he's poor, and _wants_it. Folks don't so much ask who the office wants, as who wants theoffice. Then, as for taxes, there isn't much respect paid to the rich,on that score. Young 'Squire Littlepage pays the tax on this farmdirectly himself, and it's assessed half as high ag'in, all thingsconsidered, as any other farm on his estate."
"But dat ist not right."
"Right! Who says it is?--or who thinks there is anything right aboutassessments, anywhere? I have heard assessors, with my own ears, usesuch words as these:--'Sich a man is rich, and can afford to pay,' and'sich a man is poor, and it will come hard on him.' Oh! they kiver updishonesty, now-a-days, under all sorts of argooments."
"But der law; der rich might haf der law on deir side, surely?"
"In what way, I should like to know? Juries be everything, and jurieswill go accordin' to their feelin's, as well as other men. I've seen thethings with my own eyes. The county pays just enough a-day to make poormen like to be on juries, and they never fail to attend, while them thatcan pay their fines stay away, and so leave the law pretty much in thehands of one party. No rich man gains his cause, unless his case is sostrong it can't be helped."
I had heard this before, there being a very general complaint throughoutthe country of the practical abuses connected with the jury system. Ihave heard intelligent lawyers complain, that whenever a cause of anyinterest is to be tried, the first question asked is not "what are themerits?" "which has the law and the facts on his side?" but "who islikely to be on the jury?"--thus obviously placing the composition ofthe jury before either law or evidence. Systems may have a very fairappearance on paper and as theories, that are execrable in practice. Asfor juries, I believe the better opinion of the intelligent of allcountries is, that while they are a capital contrivance to resist theabuse of power in narrow governments, in governments of a broadconstituency they have the effect, which might easily be seen, ofplacing the control of the law in the hands of those who would be mostapt to abuse it; since it is adding to, instead of withstanding andresisting the controlling authority of the State, from which, in apopular government, most of the abuses must unavoidably proceed.
&n
bsp; As for my uncle Ro, he was disposed to pursue the subject with Miller,who turned out to be a discreet and conscientious man. After a veryshort pause, as if to reflect on what had been said, he resumed thediscourse.
"Vhat, den, makes arisdograts in dis coontry?" asked my uncle.
"Wa-a-l"--no man but an American of New England descent, as was the casewith Miller, can give this word its attic sound--"Wa-a-l, it's hard tosay. I hear a great deal about aristocrats, and I read a great dealabout aristocrats, in this country, and I know that most folks look uponthem as hateful, but I'm by no means sartain I know what an aristocratis. Do you happen to know anything about it, friend?"
"Ja, ja; an arisdograt ist one of a few men dat hast all de power of degovernment in deir own hands."
"King! That isn't what we think an aristocrat in this part of the world.Why, we call them critturs here DIMIGOGUES! Now, young 'SquireLittlepage, who owns the Nest House, over yonder, and who is owner ofall this estate, far and near, is what _we_ call an aristocrat, and hehasn't power enough to be named town clerk, much less to anythingconsiderable, or what is worth having."
"How can he be an arisdograt, den?"
"How, sure enough, if your account be true! I tell you 'tis thedimigogues that be the aristocrats of America. Why, Josh Brigham, whohas just gone for the sheep, can get more votes for any office in thecountry than young Littlepage!"
"Berhaps dis young Littlebage ist a pat yoong man?"
"Not he; he's as good as any on 'em, and better than most. Besides, ifhe was as wicked as Lucifer, the folks of the country don't knowanything about it, sin' he's be'n away ever sin' he has be'n a man."
"Vhy, den, gan't he haf as many votes as dat poor, ignorant fellow mighthaf?--das ist ott."
"It is odd, but it's true as gospel. _Why_, it may not be so easy totell. Many men, many minds, you know. Some folks don't like him becausehe lives in a big house; some hate him because they think he is betteroff than they are themselves; others mistrust him because he wears afine coat; and some pretend to laugh at him because he got his propertyfrom his father, and grand'ther, and so on, and didn't make it himself.Accordin' to some folks' notions, now-a-days, a man ought to enj'y onlythe property he heaps together himself."
"If dis be so, your Herr Littlebage ist no arisdograt."
"Wa-a-l, that isn't the idee, hereaway. We have had a great manymeetin's, latterly, about the right of the people to their farms; andthere has been a good deal of talk at them meetin's consarnin'aristocracy and feudal tenors; do you know what a feudal tenor is, too?"
"Ja; dere ist moch of dat in Teutchland--in mine coontry. It ist notferry easy to explain it in a few vords, but der brincipal ding ist datder vassal owes a serfice to hist lort. In de olten dimes dis serficevast military, und dere ist someding of dat now. It ist de noples whoowe der feudal serfice, brincipally, in mine coontry, and dey owes it tode kings and brinces."
"And don't you call giving a chicken for rent feudal service, inGermany?"
Uncle Ro and I laughed, in spite of our efforts to the contrary, therebeing a pathos in this question that was supremely ridiculous. Curbinghis merriment, however, as soon as he could, my uncle answered thequestion.
"If der landlordt hast a right to coome and dake as many chickens as hebleases, und ast often ast he bleases, den dat wouldt look like a feudalright; but if de lease says dat so many chickens moost be paid a-year,for der rent, vhy dat ist all der same as baying so much moneys; und itmight be easier for der tenant to bay in chicken ast it might be to bayin der silver. Vhen a man canst bay his debts in vhat he makes himself,he ist ferry interpentent."
"It does seem so, I vow! Yet there's folks about here, and some atAlbany, that call it feudal for a man to have to carry a pair of fowlsto the landlord's office, and the landlord an aristocrat for asking it!"
"But der man canst sent a poy, or a gal, or a nigger, wid his fowls, ifhe bleases?"
"Sartain; all that is asked is that the fowls should come."
"Und vhen der batroon might owe hist tailor, or hist shoemaker, must henot go to hist shop, or find him and bay him vhat he owes, or be suetfor der debt?"
"That's true, too; boys, put me in mind of telling that to Josh, thisevening. Yes, the greatest landlord in the land must hunt up hiscreditor, or be sued, all the same as the lowest tenant."
"Und he most bay in a partic'lar ding; he most bay in golt or silver?"
"True; lawful tender is as good for one as 'tis for t'other."
"Und if your Herr Littlebage signs a baper agreein' to gif der applesfrom dat orchart to somebody on his landts, most he send or carry derapples, too?"
"To be sure; that would be the bargain."
"Und he most carry der ferry apples dat grows on dem ferry drees, mightit not be so?"
"All true as gospel. If a man contracts to sell the apples of oneorchard, he can't put off the purchaser with the apples of another."
"Und der law ist der same for one ast for anudder, in dese t'ings?"
"There is no difference; and there should be none."
"Und der batroons und der landlordts wants to haf der law changet, sodat dey may be excuset from baying der debts accordin' to der bargains,und to gif dem atfantages over der poor tenants?"
"I never heard anything of the sort, and don't believe they want anysuch change."
"Of vhat, den, dost der beople complain?"
"Of having to pay rent at all; they think the landlords ought to be madeto sell their farms, or give them away. Some stand out for the last."
"But der landlordts don't vant to sell deir farms; und dey might not bemade to sell vhat ist deir own, and vhat dey don't vant to sell, anymore dan der tenants might be made to sell deir hogs and deir sheep,vhen dey don't vant to sell dem."
"It does seem so, boys, as I've told the neighbours, all along. ButI'll tell this Dutchman all about it. Some folks want the State to looka'ter the title of young Littlepage, pretending he has no title."
"But der State wilt do dat widout asking for it particularly, vill itnot?"
"I never heard that it would."
"If anybody hast a claim to der broperty, vilt not der courts try it?"
"Yes, yes--in that way; but a tenant can't set up a title ag'in hislandlord."
"Vhy should he? He canst haf no title but his landlort's, and it vouldbe roguery and cheatery to let a man get into der bossession of a farmunder der pretence of hiring it, und den coome out und claim it asowner. If any tenant dinks he hast a better right dan his landlort, hecan put der farm vhere it vast before he might be a tenant, und den derState wilt examine into der title, I fancys."
"Yes, yes--in that way; but these men want it another way. What theywant is for the State to set up a legal examination, and turn thelandlords off altogether, if they can, and then let themselves have thefarms in their stead."
"But dat would not be honest to dem dat hafen't nothing to do wid derfarms. If der State owns der farms, it ought to get as moch as it canfor dem, and so safe _all_ der people from baying taxes. It looks likeroguery, all roundt."
"I believe it is that, and nothing else! As you say, the State willexamine into the title as it is, and there is no need of any laws aboutit."
"Would der State, dink you, pass a law dat might inquire into dedemandts dat are made against der batroons, vhen der tratesmen sent indeir bills?"
"I should like to see any patroon ask sich a thing! He would be laughedat, from York to Buffalo."
"Und he would desarf it. By vhat I see, frient, your denants be derarisdograts, und der landlordts der vassals."
"Why you see--what may your name be?--as we're likely to becomeacquainted, I should like to know your name."
"My name is Greisenbach, und I comes from Preussen."
"Well, Mr. Greisenbach, the difficulty about aristocracy is this. HughLittlepage is rich, and his money gives him advantages that other mencan't enj'y. Now, that sticks in some folks' crops."
"Oh! den it ist meant to divite broperty in dis coontry; und to say n
oman might haf more ast anudder?"
"Folks don't go quite as far as that, yet; though some of their talkdoes squint that-a-way, I must own. Now, there are folks about here thatcomplain that old Madam Littlepage and her young ladies don't visit thepoor."
"Vell, if deys be hard-hearted, und hast no feelin's for der poor andmiseraple----"
"No, no; that is not what I mean, neither. As for that sort of poor,everybody allows they do more for _them_ than anybody else about here.But they don't visit the poor that isn't in want."
"Vell, it ist a ferry coomfortable sort of poor dat ist not in any vant.Berhaps you mean dey don't associate wid 'em, as equals?"
"That's it. Now, on that head, I must say there is some truth in thecharge, for the gals over at the Nest never come here to visit my gal,and Kitty is as nice a young thing as there is about."
"Und Gitty goes to visit the gal of the man who lives over yonter, in dehouse on der hill?" pointing to a residence of a man of the veryhumblest class in the town.
"Hardly! Kitty's by no means proud, but I shouldn't like her to be toothick there."
"Oh! you're an arisdograt, den, after all; else might your daughtervisit dat man's daughter."
"I tell you, Grunzebach, or whatever your name may be," returned Miller,a little angrily, though a particularly good-natured man in the main,"that _my_ gal shall _not_ visit old Steven's da'ghters."
"Vell, I'm sure she might do as she bleases; but I dinks derMademoiselles Littlepage might do ast dey pleases, too."
"There is but one Littlepage gal; if you saw them out this morning inthe carriage, you saw two York gals and parson Warren's da'ghter withher."
"Und dis parson Warren might be rich, too?"
"Not he; he hasn't a sixpence on 'arth but what he gets from the parish.Why he is so poor his friends had to edicate his da'ghter, I have heernsay, over and over!"
"Und das Littlepage gal und de Warren gal might be goot friends?"
"They are the thickest together of any two young women in this part ofthe world. I've never seen two gals more intimate. Now, there's a younglady in the town, one Opportunity Newcome, who, one might think, wouldstand before Mary Warren at the big house, any day in the week, but shedoesn't! Mary takes all the shine out on her."
"Which ist der richest, Obbordunity or Mary?"
"By all accounts Mary Warren has nothing, while Opportunity is thoughtto come next to Matty herself, as to property, of all the young galsabout here. But Opportunity is no favourite at the Nest."
"Den it would seem, after all, dat dis Miss Littlebage does not chooseher friends on account of riches. She likes Mary Warren, who ist boor,und she does not like Obbordunity, who ist vell to do in de vorlt.Berhaps der Littlepages be not as big arisdograts as you supposes."
Miller was bothered, while I felt a disposition to laugh. One of thecommonest errors of those who, from position and habits, are unable toappreciate the links which connect cultivated society together, is torefer everything to riches. Riches, in a certain sense, as a means andthrough their consequences, may be a principal agent in dividing societyinto classes; but, long after riches have taken wings, their fruitsremain, when good use has been made of their presence. So untrue is thevulgar opinion--or it might be better to say the opinion of thevulgar--that money is the one tie which unites polished society, that itis a fact which all must know who have access to the better circles ofeven our own commercial towns, that those circles, loosely andaccidentally constructed as they are, receive with reluctance, nay,often sternly exclude, vulgar wealth from their associations, while thedoor is open to the cultivated who have nothing. The young, inparticular, seldom think much of money, while family connections, earlycommunications, similarity of opinions, and, most of all, of tastes,bring sets together, and often keep them together long after the goldenband has been broken.
But men have great difficulty in comprehending things that lie beyondtheir reach; and money being apparent to the senses, while refinement,through its infinite gradations, is visible principally, and, in somecases, exclusively to its possessors, it is not surprising that commonminds should refer a tie that, to them, would otherwise be mysterious,to the more glittering influence, and not to the less obvious. Infinite,indeed, are the gradations of cultivated habits; nor are as many of themthe fruits of caprice and self-indulgence as men usually suppose. Thereis a common sense, nay, a certain degree of wisdom, in the laws of evenetiquette, while they are confined to equals, that bespeak the respectof those who understand them. As for the influence of associations onmen's manners, on their exteriors, and even on their opinions, my uncleRo has long maintained that it is so apparent that one of his time oflife could detect the man of the world, at such a place as Saratogaeven, by an intercourse of five minutes; and what is more, that he couldtell the class in life from which he originally emerged. He tried it,the last summer, on our return from Ravensnest, and I was amused withhis success, though he made a few mistakes, it must be admitted.
"That young man comes from the better circles, but he has nevertravelled," he said, alluding to one of a group which still remained attable; "while he who is next him _has_ travelled, but commenced badly."This may seem a very nice distinction, but I think it is easily made."There are two brothers, of an excellent family in Pennsylvania," hecontinued, "as one might know from the name; the eldest has travelled,the youngest has not." This was a still harder distinction to make, butone who knew the world as well as my uncle Ro could do it. He went onamusing me by his decisions--all of which were respectable, and somesurprisingly accurate--in this way for several minutes. Now, like has anaffinity to like, and in this natural attraction is to be found thesecret of the ordinary construction of society. You shall put two men ofsuperior minds in a room full of company, and they will find each otherout directly, and enjoy the accident. The same is true as to the meremodes of thinking that characterize social castes; and it is truer inthis country, perhaps, than most others, from the mixed character ofour associations. Of the two, I am really of opinion that the man ofhigh intellect, who meets with one of moderate capacity, but of mannersand social opinions on a level with his own, has more pleasure in thecommunication than with one of equal mind, but of inferior habits.
That Patt should cling to one like Mary Warren seemed to me quite asnatural as that she should be averse to much association withOpportunity Newcome. The money of the latter, had my sister been in theleast liable to such an influence, was so much below what she had beenaccustomed, all her life, to consider affluence, that it would have hadno effect, even had she been subject to so low a consideration inregulating her intercourse with others. But this poor Tom Miller couldnot understand. He could "only reason from what he knew," and he knewlittle of the comparative notions of wealth, and less of the powers ofcultivation on the mind and manners. He was struck, however, with a factthat did come completely within the circle of his own knowledge, andthat was the circumstance that Mary Warren, while admitted to be poor,was the bosom friend of her whom he was pleased to call, sometimes, the"Littlepage gal." It was easy to see he felt the force of thiscircumstance; and it is to be hoped that, as he was certainly a wiser,he also became a better man, on one of the most common of the weaknessesof human frailty.
"Wa-a-l," he replied to my uncle's last remark, after fully a minute ofsilent reflection, "I don't know! It would seem so, I vow; and yet ithasn't been my wife's notion, nor is it Kitty's. You're quite upsettingmy idees about aristocrats; for though I like the Littlepages, I'vealways set 'em down as desp'rate aristocrats."
"Nein, nein; dem as vat you calls dimigogues be der Americanarisdograts. Dey gets all der money of der pooblic, and haf all derpower, but dey gets a little mads because dey might not force demselveson der gentlemen and laties of der coontry, as vell as on der lands undder offices!"
"I swan! I don't know but this may be true! A'ter all, I don't know whatright anybody has to complain of the Littlepages."
"Does dey dreat beoples vell, as might coome to see dem?"
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br /> "Yes, indeed! if folks treat _them_ well, as sometimes doesn't happen.I've seen hogs here"--Tom was a little Saxon in his figures, but theirnature will prove their justification--"I've seen hogs about here, boltright in before old Madam Littlepage, and draw their chairs up to herfire, and squirt about the tobacco, and never think of even taking offtheir hats. Them folks be always huffy about their own importance,though they never think of other people's feelin's."
We were interrupted by the sound of wheels, and looking round, weperceived that the carriage of my grandmother had driven up to thefarm-house door, on its return home. Miller conceived it to be no morethan proper to go and see if he were wanted, and we followed him slowly,it being the intention of my uncle to offer his mother a watch, by wayof ascertaining if she could penetrate his disguise.
The Redskins; or, Indian and Injin, Volume 1. Page 10
