by J. F. Collen
“I have tea for two persons,” Elmer interrupted the all too interesting conversation to announce. Oblivious to his rudeness and the fact that the three dignitaries were vexed at having their conversation disturbed, Elmer looked only at Nellie and said, “I have reconnoitered a cozy nook by the fireplace in the library.”
Suddenly realizing his faux pas, Elmer’s ears turned bright red. Instead of apologizing, he blurted, “There is only room for two.” He jerked his head in that direction as if summoning Nellie to follow him, turned on his heel and practically cantered away. Nellie could see the tea sloshing out of the cups he held at bizarre angles away from his body.
Nellie thought fast. “Mercy, I do apologize for my acquaintance’s rude behavior. I confess I do not know him well and am at a loss to explain his peculiarities.”
“It is obvious his judgment is clouded by your beauty. You must forgive a man so smitten,” said Mrs. Bryant with a sympathetic smile.
Mr. Bryant laughed again.
Nellie searched for an appropriate way to end the conversation. But she remained silent, at a loss for words. Embarrassed and further distracted by the sight of the woebegone Otis peering at her from around the arch of the library, elbows still protruding awkwardly, she blushed. Still tongue-tied, she curtseyed her leave with as much grace as she could muster and made a beeline to Otis.
He was perched on the end of a seat, balancing the teacups on his knees. His face brightened so upon her arrival her heart melted, grateful that with Otis at least, she had not fallen from grace.
“I certainly appreciate your thoughtfulness—obtaining a cup of tea for me,” said Nellie.
“After you drink it, can we go for a walk?” Otis asked.
He is nothing if not persistent, Nellie thought.
Nellie shook her head in the negative. “I am sorry, Mutter has given me strict instructions in tea protocol. I am afraid I am a quite committed, obedient daughter and must pay my respects to other guests of the Superintendent.”
Elmer’s face fell.
Cornelia, do not add ‘heartless’ to your list of sins, she thought. Aloud she said, “Cadet Otis, after I perform my obligations as a proper guest at this fine tea, we may go for a short perambulation.”
A half hour later the exceptionally educated and learned dignitaries began to drift away. The number of guests at the splendid tea dwindled as the afternoon shadows lengthened. Nellie, still engaged in animated conversation, watched groups of invitees take their leave, cross the Academy’s Great Plain and head either to their hotel rooms or back to the steamboat to continue their tour of the Highlands.
Chapter 19 – There’s a Kind of Hush
West Point, March 1850
Mrs. Entwhistle was busy collecting her charges. Agnes and Armistead Long lingered in the library, deep in conversation. Anastasia and Zetus Searle continued their tête-à-tête over yet another cup of tea and plate of sandwiches in the drawing room. Their mother circled each couple, edging them closer toward the door in an effort to corral them into leaving. Elmer P. Otis, taking advantage of Nellie’s change of heart, appeared at Mrs. Entwhistle’s side and followed her around as she maneuvered.
At last they were all out of the parlor and walking down the front walk. Otis stopped still, blocked Mrs. Entwhistle’s path, snapped to attention and said, “Permission to escort your daughter Cornelia Rose on a sunset walk along the paths of our scenic Highlands, Madam.”
Even Mutter has to stifle a grin, observed Nellie.
“Not so fast, plebe,” Armistead Long spoke. Everyone looked at him in surprise. Here’s aid from an unexpected source, Nellie thought.
“Don’t you have a date with Anna Lytical?”
A sense of relief flooded Nellie.
Elmer blushed a brilliant shade of red. My he is a colorful fellow. Nellie giggled to herself at her own pun. Otis’ ears alone were a frightening color of sickly scarlet. Nellie secretly felt joyful. He is pursuing another? Alleluia! she thought.
“Speak boy,” commanded Long. “Don’t let old Albert Church down now.”
The group closed in together, looking at each other, confused. Augusta and Nathaniel spotted them and sauntered from the garden path to join them.
Agnes spoke from her position on Long’s arm. “Is Mr. Church the mathematics instructor you just spoke of, the one cadets call ‘an old mathematical cinder, bereft of all natural feeling’?” she asked. It seemed to Nellie Agnes’ mouth twisted into a question mark. “What has Church to do with Otis’ courtships?”
“Otis. Speak,” repeated Long, in a low voice, an inch from Otis’ nose.
Otis opened his mouth took a deep breath, and recited without stopping:
“Of all the girls I ever knew
The one I’ve most neglected
Is called Miss Anna Lytical
For her I’ve least respected.
O! Anna, Anna Lytical
I’ll never love you more
For you, I fear will cause my fall
And make me leave the Corps.”
Otis saluted Long while everyone except Nellie laughed—even Mrs. Entwhistle could not hide her smile.
“Tarnation,” whispered Nellie.
“There but for the grace of God go I,” Nathaniel said quietly to Augusta. She gave him a sympathetic squeeze of his arm.
“May I escort your daughter on a promenade?” asked Elmer, ears still flaming red.
Mrs. Entwhistle’s resolve broke. Perhaps it was Elmer dogged repeating of his request, but more likely she felt a twinge of sympathy for the poor embarrassed cadet. “While it does go against my better judgment, I do suppose you can steal Cornelia Rose away for a brief expedition. I believe I really must supervise the repacking of the luggage and ensure it is ferried to the dock in readiness for our steamboat departure.”
Dadblame it! Nellie’s ire rose. There was no escaping it now. Mutter, how could you think I desire to undertake this unchaperoned excursion?
Mrs. Entwhistle shooed Cornelia down the path.
In an instant Otis was at her side, steering her along the Superintendent’s front walk. He walked her briskly across the Great Plain, skirting Execution Hollow, the rift in the lawn so-called after its alleged function during the Revolutionary War. He averted the path toward the Central Barracks and the heart of the campus, practically galloping towards the ruins at Fort Putnam.
The pace was so rapid they were past the old fort in less than five minutes. Nellie had a stich in her side and her corset pinched her back as they entered a path both lovely and remote.
“Are you quite certain it is permissible to be this far from your barracks un-chaperoned?” asked Nellie. Apprehension at the distance between them and the rest of her companions compelled her to make one last attempt to rejoin the others.
“This is an area off limits to everyone but the cadets. We are actively encouraged to enjoy the view and the beauties of each season here,” replied Elmer.
Each season’s debutantes? Nellie thought. Could Otis be capable of a double entendre? The thought certainly amuses me.
They stepped through the trellised archway. Otis’ voice soared and sang, “I’ve oft had occasion to imagine the ecstasy of my feelings would the woman of my dreams accompany me on this walk. You will observe—the path is just broad enough for the passage of two. The pleasing peal of laughter will alert us to the close proximity of another couple.”
Nellie reined in her runaway imaginative fears. It is rather foolish to fret! she thought. After all, Elmer Petulant Otis attends me—hardly a situation fraught with danger. ‘Tis but a lark; and my good humor will ensure it thus.
“Listen to the birds sing. Songs so melodious are not oft heard on more plebian paths,” Otis continued, oblivious to Nellie’s qualms.
“Early spring, I am told, is the prime season to make this journey. The tiny buds on the otherwise bare trees only just hint their future glory, keeping the vistas unimpeded by flora, yet intimating the lush green color to co
me.”
Elmer is certainly waxing poetic! Nellie thought.
They continued down the path fragrant with early spring blossoms of crocuses and daffodils. Nellie admired both nature’s beauty and the man-made marvels highlighted by Elmer. They passed Gee’s Point and had their first glimpse of Constitution Island; winter browns retreating as green buds commandeered the landscape. The path wound around to the west and Otis pointed out the ruins of the earthen fortification where The Great Chain originated during the Revolutionary War.
“The capstan still stands, stalwart, awaiting further use,” said Nellie, pointing to a large round metal fixture.
“On April 30, 1778,” intoned Elmer in an officious voice. “Rafts made of wood, covered in pitch to prevent waterlog, floated enormous link segments of the chain forged in nearby Sterling Iron Works.”
I underestimated Elmer’s vigor to be tour guide. Nellie smiled to herself. Perhaps there is hope that I will not have to parry any unwanted romantic advances.
“Until the war’s end, troops hauled the chain in, link by link, every winter before ice choked the water’s navigability. Every spring they repositioned it. Its mere presence was so effective—this fort so secure—that those damn Brits never even approached our country’s first fortress.
“Verily, they did not risk navigation this far up the river,” said Otis, with so much pride Nellie got the impression he had personally forged and strung the chain himself.
They paused in front of a boulder on the mountainside of the trail. Before Nellie knew why they had stopped, Otis whisked her into his arms and placed her gently on top of the perch. In one quick scramble, he was by her side. “Cornelia, here we are, just the two of us. There’s no one else in sight. We are present in this romantic location, with an unobstructed view of the sunset behind us, its colors already playing on the water before us.” Otis made grand, almost graceful, sweeping motions with his hand, behind them toward the mountains and then in front of them at the view of the color-dappled water. He now looked side-to-side, anywhere to avoid her eyes, his pimply chin wobbling. “I am truly smitten by your charm. Will you do me the honor of wearing my spoony button?”
Tarnation! This is a most compromising turn of events, thought Nellie. In the dead silence, she chose her words carefully. “Elmer, I am truly flattered. Howsoever, I fear you perhaps might be laboring under some preconceived notions that bear little correlation to a harsher reality. You have only just made my acquaintance.”
“No—not true, I knew you when we attended the one room schoolhouse on Brandreth Street.”
“Elmer, I was a mere child. As truly were you. Now surely, this is quite the scintillating excursion, packed with many exceptional events. Furthermore, this pathway, with its lovely spring blooms festively decorating our wanderings, fills our senses with heady fragrances, perhaps overwhelming our emotions. I am quite certain that many a young man has spouted protestations of undying love on this path. Never-the-less, I would like to forestall any such confessions until such time as we have become better acquainted.”
Elmer protested, “But you have not given me pause to indicate my true intentions. I need no further information to make up my mind—my heart has already made clear its desire to me. I will not be delayed nor silenced. I must tell you, I wish to seek your hand in marriage.”
Nellie grimaced. Precisely the exact words I hoped to circumvent.
“Elmer, dearest. I cherish your sentiment, and am truly touched. Be that as it may, I am forced to admit I cannot reciprocate those affections at this time,” said Nellie, trying to extricate herself from this awkward situation without humiliating her escort.
“You’re not sweet on that stupid Buckskin?” demanded Elmer, grabbing her hand.
“Buckskin?” asked Nellie, withdrawing her hand from his grasp.
“You know—the Virginian,” said Elmer.
“My goodness, I never did get to convey to you my deep distress at the impudence of that First Cadet, hustling you out the door, trespassing on your good nature under the guise of rank and military discipline, in order to monopolize my attention. Such boorish behavior! I do hope such tricks and chicanery play little role in your daily life here?” Nellie asked.
Distracted by her question, Elmer unburdened himself. “Daily? More like hourly! Furthermore, the humiliation of the tasks they set us to—sweeping rubbish, scrubbing kitchen pans, is enough to shame even a saint. Pshaw! Manual labor. Making us scullery maids and ditch diggers.”
“I garner from my reading ‘tis merely a hazing period, a training exercise to ensure that no matter how odious, a soldier will perform the task commanded. Does this initiation period not terminate when the new class is enlisted in June?”
“Rumor has it. However, the degradation does try me to the quick and I begin to doubt if I will ever put it behind me.” Elmer sighed and Nellie knew his thoughts were heading back toward her. “I had thought, ‘if I but had Nellie as my betrothed, wearing my spoony button, this ignominy would be easier to endure.’”
Tarnation! Must he tug on my heartstrings, using my pity to ensnare me?
“Elmer Pet...” Nellie caught herself before saying ‘petulant’ as his middle name. “...Otis, I will not stoop to the feminine frailty of giving you false hope by promising myself to you.”
She tried not to notice how crushed the cadet looked.
He said, “Then all is lost. All is for naught.”
Nellie took his hand with sympathy, but with no less resolve. This unwanted attention must end now, she thought, and said, “I am sure that time will reveal to us both the way forward from here.”
“Do you mean to say we will progress no further on this path?” asked Elmer.
Thinking he meant the figurative path towards marriage, Nellie nodded her agreement.
Elmer made a face. “I can’t even take you to kissing rock?”
Nellie smiled with relief at his simplicity—she most definitely wanted to dodge that bullet. “No, we will have to save that for a later date.” And a different companion, she finished in her head.
Elmer jumped down, and pulled Nellie off the perch. Then he turned her around and marched her back up Flirtation Walk. In his haste to hustle her off the path, he brushed rudely by several wandering intertwined couples, practically dragging Nellie as she apologized in his wake.
Chapter 20 – Benny Havens, O!
West Point, April 1850
“Come along, Cornelia. I never took you for an overly cautious wench,” urged William T. Magruder. His long strides across the damp and uneven terrain immediately left Nellie winded and his words left her speechless.
Wench? How very uncouth! Nellie thought, scurrying, taking three steps to his one. Her tongue wiggled free of her labored breathing. “Consumption of liquor is pernicious to your health! Playing cards, nay any game of chance is forbidden, I read it in Thayer’s Rules myself. Why, even having cards in your possession is grounds for dismissal.”
Cornelia’s intrepid spirit wavered. For over a month William Magruder had been courting her through the mail, wooing her to his side, seducing her with words that whispered of adventures and thrills. Intrigued by the idea of a new trip to West Point with an escort she actually desired, intoxicated by the thought of high society and romance, she schemed with Magruder to devise a visit with a less diligent chaperone than her mother. I would never have had any latitude for intrigue under Mutter’s watchful eye. But a clandestine trip to the cadet watering hole? This madness was not included in our agreed agenda. Furthermore, this trudge through the woods is entirely devoid of romance....
“Cadet Magruder,” Nellie said, pulling at his jacket to slow him down. “I have no desire to imbibe an alcoholic beverage.”
Magruder was unperturbed. “Beer is not alcohol. At least that’s what Jefferson Davis said— his pranks are legendary! Yet his escapades at Benny Havens’ certainly did not retard his career. Officers in the know say the President is considering Davis for Secretary o
f War,” said Magruder, easily clearing the log blocking the path into the woods behind the Central Barracks.
Nellie’s hem caught rough bark and she heard a rip as she struggled over that same obstacle in their path. “Did you not reprimand poor Elmer P. Otis for this very infraction?” she panted.
Magruder laughed and said, “‘Tis but part of the hazing of the plebes.... I see you still require some education as to the real workings of this institution. In any case, the occasions for ‘extra training’ have all passed now. In just four short weeks the plebes will graduate to second year cadets whilst I receive my diploma. The time is ripe for just a bit more amusement before I begin my commission and head out West to fight those savage Indians.” William pulled Nellie’s hand and she reluctantly followed him further into the dense woods.
Savage Indians? What an uninformed prejudice. He is the height of conceit and rudeness, she thought.
“You have already received your commission?” asked Nellie. Focusing on this new piece of information, rather than more confrontation, Nellie followed William across a short meadow toward another path. “I thought commissions were only granted after passing the June examinations.”
William’s look of pride shone even in the meager moonlight. “Thayer’s merit roll for ranking a cadet’s performance still dictates the commission I receive at graduation. Since I have an exceptional, in fact outstanding, record of academic merit....”
There is barely even a footpath, Nellie thought, as she stumbled over an enormous root protruding from the sticks and leaves that formed the path. The trail was rough going in the dark, with only the scant light of a waxing crescent moon to periodically illuminate the way.
“...extraordinary performance on the drill field, superior riding skills and conduct....”
Nellie interrupted, “Eureka! Conduct. I am quite certain a trip to Benny Havens’ is an infraction of the disciplinary codes. I assure you, from what little I read of former Superintendent Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Sylvanus Thayer, and his copious rules, I am sure he has prescribed against just this sojourn. Thayer would be outraged that a first classman, one who is ranked high enough to have already received his commission, would even contemplate sneaking off to the tavern.”
