Elsie's Womanhood

by Martha Finley

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIRST.

  "He who loves not his country can love nothing." --BYRON.

  "There were sad hearts in a darken'd home, When the brave had left their bower; But the strength of prayer and sacrifice Was with them in that hour." --MRS. HEMANS.

  The sea voyage had done much for the health of both ladies, and the softItalian air carried on the cure. Mr. Dinsmore, too, had recovered hisusual strength, for the first time since his attack of fever.

  There was no lack of good society at their command; good both socially andintellectually. American, English, Italian, French, etc.; many formerfriends and acquaintances and others desiring to be introduced by these;but none of our party felt disposed at that time to mix much with theoutside world.

  Elsie's deep mourning was for her sufficient excuse for declining allinvitations; while Rose could plead her still precarious state of health.

  She wore no outward badge of mourning for Mrs. Travilla, but felt deep andsincere grief at her loss; for the two had been intimate and dear friendsfor many years, the wide disparity in age making their intercourse andaffection much like that of mother and daughter.

  The condition of political affairs in their own country was another thingthat caused our friends to feel more exclusive and somewhat reluctant tomingle with those of other nationalities. Every mail brought them lettersand papers from both North and South, and from their distant standpointthey watched with deep interest and anxiety the course of events fraughtwith such momentous consequences to their native land.

  Neither Mr. Dinsmore nor Mr. Travilla had ever been a politician; but boththey and their wives were dear lovers of their country, by which theymeant the whole Union. The three who were natives of the Southacknowledged that that section was dearer to them than any other, but thatthe whole was nearer and dearer than any part; while Rose said "she knewno difference; it was all her own beloved native land, to her mind one andindivisible."

  They led a cheerful, quiet life in their Italian home, devoting themselvesto each other and their children; Mr. Dinsmore acting the part of tutor toyoung Horace, as he had done to Elsie.

  Her little ones were the pets and playthings of the entire household,while she and their father found the sweetest joy in caring for them andwatching over and assisting the development of their natures, mental,moral, and physical. Their children would never be left to the care andtraining of servants, however faithful and devoted.

  Nor would those of Mr. Dinsmore and Rose. In the esteem of these wise,Christian parents the God-given charge of their own offspring tookundoubted precedence of the claims of society.

  Thus placidly passed the summer and autumn, the monotony of theirsecluded life relieved by the enjoyment of literary pursuits, and variedby walks, rides, drives, and an occasional sail, in bright, still weather,over the waters of the lovely bay.

  Elsie entered the drawing-room one morning, with the little daughter inher arms. The child was beautiful as a cherub, the mother sweet and fairas ever, nor a day older in appearance than while yet a girl in herfather's house.

  She found him sole occupant of the room, pacing to and fro with downcasteyes and troubled countenance. But looking up quickly at the sound of herfootsteps he came hastily towards her.

  "Come to grandpa," he said, holding out his hands to the little one; thenas he took her in his arms, "My dear daughter, if I had any authority overyou now----"

  "Papa," she interrupted, blushing deeply, while the quick tears sprang toher eyes, "you hurt me! Please don't speak so. I am as ready now as everto obey your slightest behest."

  "Then, my darling, don't carry this child. You are not strong, and I fearwill do yourself an injury. She can walk very well now, and if necessaryto have her carried, call upon me, her father, or one of the servants;Aunt Chloe, Uncle Joe, Dinah, one or another is almost sure to be athand."

  "I will try to follow out your wishes, papa. Edward has said the samething to me, and no doubt you are right; but it is so sweet to have her inmy arms, and so hard to refuse when she asks to be taken up."

  "You mustn't ask mamma to carry you," Mr. Dinsmore said to the child,caressing her tenderly as he spoke; "poor mamma is not strong, and youwill make her sick."

  They had seated themselves side by side upon a sofa. The little one turneda piteous look upon her mother, and with a quivering lip and fast-fillingeyes, said, "Mamma sick? Elsie tiss her, make her well?"

  "No, my precious pet, mother isn't sick; so don't cry," Elsie answered,receiving the offered kiss, as the babe left her grandfather's knee andcrept to her; then the soft little hands patted her on the cheeks and thechubby arms clung about her neck.

  But catching sight, through the open window, of her father coming up thegarden walk, wee Elsie hastily let go her hold, slid to the floor and ranto meet him.

  Mr. Dinsmore seemed again lost in gloomy thought.

  "Papa, dear, what is it? What troubles you so?" asked Elsie, moving closerto him, and leaning affectionately on his shoulder, while the soft eyessought his with a wistful, anxious expression.

  He put his arm about her, and just touching her cheek with his lips,heaved a deep sigh. "The papers bring us bad news. Lincoln is elected."

  "Ah well, let us not borrow trouble, papa; perhaps he may prove a prettygood president after all."

  "Just what I think," remarked Mr. Travilla, who had come in with hislittle girl in his arms at the moment of Mr. Dinsmore's announcement, andseated himself on his wife's other side; "let us wait and see. All may goright with our country yet."

  Mr. Dinsmore shook his head sadly. "I wish I could think so, but in thepast history of all republics whenever section has arrayed itself againstsection the result has been either a peaceful separation, or civil war;nor can we hope to be an exception to the rule."

  "I should mourn over either," said Elsie, "I cannot bear to contemplatethe dismemberment of our great, glorious old Union. Foreign nations wouldnever respect either portion as they do the undivided whole."

  "No; and I can't believe either section can be so mad as to go thatlength," remarked her husband, fondling his baby daughter as he spoke."The North, of course, does not desire a separation; but if the Southgoes, will be pretty sure to let her go peaceably."

  "I doubt it, Travilla; and even if a peaceable separation should beallowed at first, so many causes of contention would result (such as thecontrol of the navigation of the Mississippi, the refusal of the North torestore runaway negroes, etc., etc.), that it would soon come to blows."

  "Horace, you frighten me," said Rose, who had come in while they weretalking.

  The color faded from Elsie's cheek, and a shudder ran over her, as sheturned eagerly to hear her husband reply.

  "Why cross the bridge before we come to it, Dinsmore?" he answeredcheerily, meeting his wife's anxious look with one so fond and free fromcare, that her heart grew light; "surely there'll be no fighting wherethere is no yoke of oppression to cast off. There can be no effectwithout a cause."

  "The accursed lust of power on the part of a few selfish, unprincipledmen, may invent a cause, and for the carrying out of their own ambitiousschemes, they may lead the people to believe and act upon it. No oneproposes to interfere with our institution where it already exists--eventhe Republican party has emphatically denied any such intention--yet thehue and cry has been raised that slavery will be abolished by the incomingadministration, arms put into the hands of the blacks, and a servileinsurrection will bring untold horrors to the hearths and homes of theSouth."

  "Oh, dreadful, dreadful!" cried Rose.

  "But, my dear, there is really no such danger: the men (unscrupulouspoliticians) do not believe it themselves; but they want power, and asthey could never succeed in getting the masses to rebel to compass theirselfish ends, they have invented this falsehood and are deceiving thepeople with it."

  "Don't put all the blame on the one side, Dinsmore," said Mr. Tr
avilla.

  "No; that would be very unfair. The framers of our constitution looked togradual emancipation to rid us of this blot on our escutcheon, thispalpable inconsistency between our conduct and our political creed.

  "It did so in a number of States, and probably would ere this in all, butfor the fierce attacks of a few ultra-abolitionists, who were more zealousto pull the mote out of their brother's eye than the beam out of theirown, and so exasperated the Southern people by their wholesale abuse anddenunciations, that all thought of emancipation was given up.

  "It is human nature to cling the tighter to anything another attempts toforce from you; even though you may have felt ready enough to give it upof your own free will."

  "Very true," said Travilla, "and Garrison and his crew would have been atbetter work repenting of their own sins, than denouncing those of theirneighbors."

  "But, papa, you don't think it can come to war, a civil war, in our dearcountry? the best land the sun shines on; and where there is none of theoppression that makes a wise man mad!"

  "I fear it, daughter, I greatly fear it; but we will cast this care, aswell as all others, upon Him who 'doeth according to His will, in the armyof heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.'"

  What a winter of uncertainty and gloom to Americans, both at home andabroad, was that of 1860-'61. Each mail brought to our anxious friends inNaples news calculated to depress them more and more in view of thecalamities that seemed to await their loved land.

  State after State was seceding and seizing upon United States propertywithin its limits--forts, arsenals, navy-yards, custom-houses, mints,ships, armories, and military stores--while the government at Washingtonremained inactive, doubtless fearing to precipitate the civil strife.

  Still Mr. Travilla, Rose, and Elsie, like many lovers of the Union, bothNorth and South, clung to the hope that war might yet be averted.

  At length came the news of the formation of the Confederacy: Davis'selection as its president; then of the firing upon the Star of the West,an unarmed vessel bearing troops and supplies to Fort Sumter.

  "Well, the first gun has been fired," said Mr. Dinsmore, with a sigh, ashe laid down the paper from which he had been reading the account.

  "But perhaps it may be the only one, papa," remarked Elsie hopefully.

  "I wish it may," replied her father, rising and beginning to pace to andfro, as was his wont when excited or disturbed.

  The next news from America was looked for with intense anxiety. It wasdelayed longer than usual; and at length a heavy mail came, consisting ofletters and Capers of various dates from the twelfth to the twentieth ofApril, and bringing news of the most exciting character in the fall ofFort Sumter: the call of the president for seventy-five thousand troops todefend the capital, the seizure of the United States armory at Harper'sFerry by the Confederates; the attack on the Massachusetts troops whilepassing through Baltimore, and lastly the seizure of Norfolk Navy-yard.

  Dinner was just over at the villa, the family still chatting over thedessert, children and all in an unusually merry mood, when this mail wasbrought in by a servant, and handed to Mr. Dinsmore.

  He promptly distributed it, took up the paper of the earliest date, andglancing over the headings, exclaimed, with a groan, "It has come!"

  "What?" queried the others, in excited chorus.

  "War! My country! oh, my country! Fort Sumter has fallen after a terrificbombardment of thirty-six hours." And he proceeded to read aloud theaccount of the engagement, the others listening in almost breathlesssilence.

  "And they have dared to fire upon the flag! the emblem of our nationality,the symbol of Revolutionary glory; to tear it down and trample it in thedust!" cried Mr. Travilla, pushing back his chair in unwonted excitement;"shameful, shameful!"

  Tears were rolling down Elsie's cheeks, and Rose's eyes were full.

  "Let us adjourn to the library and learn together all these papers andletters can tell us," said Mr. Dinsmore, rising. "'Twill be better so; weshall need the support of each other's sympathy."

  He led the way and the rest followed.

  The papers were examined first, by the gentlemen, now the one and now theother reading an article aloud, the excitement and distress of allincreasing with each item of intelligence in regard to public affairs.Rose and Elsie opened their letters, and now and then, in the short pausesof the reading, cast a hasty glance at their contents.

  Elsie's were from her Aunt Adelaide, Walter, and Enna. Rose's from hermother, Richard, May, and Sophie.

  The last seemed written in a state of distraction.

  "Rose, Rose, I think I shall go crazy! my husband and his brothers haveenlisted in the Confederate army. They, Harry especially, are furious atthe North and full of fight; and I know my brothers at home will enlist onthe other side; and what if they should meet and kill each other! Oh,dear! oh, dear! my heart is like to break!

  "And what is it all about? I can't see that anybody's oppressed; but whenI tell Harry so, he just laughs and says, 'No, we're not going to waittill they have time to rivet our chains,' 'But,' I say, 'I've had neithersight nor sound of chains; wait at least till you hear their clank.' Thenhe laughs again, but says soothingly, 'Never mind, little wife; don'tdistress yourself; the North won't fight; or if they do try it, will soongive it up,' But I know they won't give up: they wouldn't be Americans ifthey did.

  "Arthur and Walter Dinsmore were here yesterday, and Arthur is worse thanHarry a great deal; actually told me he wouldn't hesitate to shoot downany or all of my brothers, if he met them in Federal uniform. Walter isalmost silent on the subject, and has not yet enlisted. Arthur taunted himwith being for the Union, and said if he was quite sure of it he'd shoothim, or help hang him to the nearest tree.

  "Oh, Rose! pray, pray that this dreadful war may be averted!"

  Rose felt almost stunned with horror as she read; but her tears fell fastas she hurriedly perused the contents of the other three, learning fromthem that Richard, Harold, and Fred had already enlisted, and Edwardwould do the same should the war continue long.

  "My heart is torn in two!" she cried, looking piteously up in herhusband's face, with the tears streaming down her own.

  "What is it, my darling?" he asked, coming to her and taking her coldhands in his.

  "Oh my country! my country! My brothers, too--and yours! they are pittedagainst each other--have enlisted in the opposing armies. Oh, Horace,Horace! what ever shall we do?"

  "God reigns, dearest; let that comfort you and all of us," he said, inmoved tones. "It is dreadful, dreadful! Brothers, friends, neighbors, withhearts full of hatred and ready to imbrue their hands in each other'sblood and for what? That a few ambitious, selfish, unscrupulous men mayretain and increase their power; for this they are ready to shed the bloodof tens of thousands of their own countrymen, and bring utter ruin uponour beautiful, sunny South."

  "Oh, papa, surely not!" cried Elsie; "these papers say the war cannot lastmore than three months."

  "They forget that it will be American against American. If it is over inthree years, 'twill be shorter than I expect."

  Elsie was weeping, scarcely less distressed than Rose.

  "We will, at least, hope for better things, little wife," her husbandsaid, drawing her to him with caressing motion. "What do your letterssay?"

  "They are full of the war; it is the all-absorbing theme with them, aswith us. Aunt Adelaide's is very sad. Her heart clings to the South, asours do; yet, like us, she has a strong love for the old Union.

  "And she's very found of her husband, who, she says, is very strong forthe Government; and then, besides her distress at the thought that he willenlist, her heart is torn with anguish because her brothers and his are inthe opposing armies.

  "Oh, Edward! isn't it terrible? Civil war in our dear land! So many whomwe love on both sides!"

  There was a moment of sorrowful silence. Then her father asked, "What doesEnna say?"

  "She is very bitter, papa: speaks with great contempt
of the North; exultsover the fall of Fort Sumter and the seizure of United States property;glories in the war-spirit of Dick and Arthur, and sneers at poor Walterbecause he is silent and sad, and declines, for the present at least, totake any part in the strife. Grandpa, she says, and his mother, too, arealmost ready to turn him out of the house; for they are as hotsecessionists as can be found anywhere.

  "I have a letter from Walter too, papa. He writes in a very melancholystrain; hints mildly at the treatment he receives at home; says he can'tbear the idea of fighting against the old flag, and still less the oldfriends he has at the North, and wishes he was with us or anywhere out ofthe country, that he might escape being forced to take part in thequarrel."

  "Poor fellow!" sighed Mr. Dinsmore. "Ah, I have a letter here from myfather that I have not yet opened."

  He took it from the table as he spoke. His face darkened as he read, thefrown and stern expression reminding Elsie of some of the scenes in herearly days; but he handed the missive to Rose, remarking, in a calm, quiettone, "My father expects me to be as strong a secessionist as himself."

  "But you're for the Union, papa, are you not?" asked Horace. "You'd neverfire upon the Stars and Stripes--the dear old flag that protects us here?"

  "No, my son. I love the dear South, which has always been my home, betterfar than any other of the sections; yet I love the whole better than apart."

  "So do I!" exclaimed Rose warmly; "and if Pennsylvania, my own nativeState, should rebel against the general government, I'd say, 'Put her downwith a strong hand'; and just so with any State or section, Eastern,Northern, Middle or Western. I've always been taught that my country isthe Union; and I think that teaching has been general through the North."

  "It is what my mother taught me, and what I have taught my children," saidMr. Dinsmore; "not to love the South or my native State less, but theUnion more. I was very young when I lost my mother; but that, and someother of her teachings, I have never forgotten."

  "There is, I believe, a strong love for the old Union throughout the wholeSouth," remarked Mr. Travilla; "there would be no rebellion among themasses there, but for the deceptions practised upon them by their leadersand politicians; and it is they who have been whirling the States out ofthe Union, scarce allowing the people a voice in the matter."

  "I don't wonder at the indignation of the North over the insult to theflag," said Elsie; "nor the furor for it that is sweeping over the land."

  "I'd like to be there to help fling it to the breeze," cried Horaceexcitedly; "and to see how gay the streets must be with it flyingeverywhere. Yes, and I'd like to help fight. Papa, am I not old enough?mayn't I go?"

  "No, foolish boy, you are much too young, not yet fourteen. And supposeyou were old enough, would you wish to fight your uncles? kill one ofthem, perhaps? Uncle Walter, for instance?"

  "Oh papa, no, no, no! I wouldn't for the world hurt one hair of dear UncleWal's head; no, not if he were the hottest kind of secessionist."

  "Kill Uncle Wal! why Horace, how could you ever think of such a thing?"exclaimed Rosebud. "And mamma and sister Elsie, why are you both cryingso?"

  All the afternoon the elders of the family remained together, talking overthe news--they could scarce think or speak of anything else: very graveand sad all of them, the ladies now and then dropping a tear or two whileeach paper was carefully scanned again and again, lest some item on theall-absorbing subject might have been overlooked, and every letter thathad any bearing upon it read and re-read till its contents had been fullydigested.

  May's gave a graphic account of the excitement in Philadelphia; therecruiting and drilling of troops, the making of flags, the constant,universal singing of patriotic songs, etc., then closed with the story ofthe sorrowful parting with the dear brothers who might never return fromthe battle-field.

  It had been a bright, warm day, but at evening the sea breeze came in cooland fresh; thin clouds were scudding across the sky, hiding the stars andgiving but a faint and fitful view of the young moon that hung, a brightcrescent, amid their murky folds.

  Mr. Dinsmore was pacing slowly to and fro upon an open colonnadeoverlooking the bay. He walked with bent head and folded arms, as one inpainful thought.

  A slight girlish figure came gliding towards him from the open doorway."Papa, dear, dear papa," murmured a voice tremulous with emotion, "you arevery sad to-night; would that your daughter could comfort you!"

  He paused in his walk, took her in his arms and folded her close to hisheart.

  "Thank you, darling. Yes, I am sad, as we all are. Would that I couldcomfort you, and keep all sorrow from your life. Nay, that is not a rightwish, for 'whom the Lord _loveth_ He chasteneth, and scourgeth every sonwhom He receiveth.' 'As many as I love I rebuke and chasten.'"

  "Yes, papa, those words make me more than willing to bear trials. But oh,how dreadful, how dreadful, to know that our countrymen are alreadyengaged in spilling each other's blood!"

  "Yes, that is harrowing enough; but that it should be also our near anddear relations! Elsie, I am thinking of my young brothers: they are notChristians; nor is my poor old father. How can they bear the trials justat hand? How unfit they are to meet death, especially in the sudden, awfulform in which it is like to meet those who seek the battle-field.Daughter, you must help me pray for them, pleading the promise, 'If two ofyou shall agree.'"

  "I will, papa; and oh, I do feel deeply for them. Poor Walter and poor,poor grandpa. I think he loves you best of all his sons, papa; but itwould be very terrible to him to have the others killed or maimed."

  "Yes, it would indeed. Arthur is his mother's idol, and I dare say she nowalmost regrets that he has now so entirely recovered from his lameness asto be fit for the army."

  He drew her to a seat. "The babies are in bed, I suppose?"

  "Yes, papa; I left my darlings sleeping sweetly. I am trying to train themto regular habits and early hours, as you did me."

  "That is right."

  "Papa, it is so sweet to be a mother! to have my little Elsie in my lap,as I had but a few moments since, and feel the clasp of her arms about myneck, or the tiny hands patting and stroking my face, the sweet baby lipsshowering kisses all over it, while she coos and rejoices over me; Mamma!mamma, my mamma! Elsie's dear mamma! Elsie's own sweet pretty mamma.' Ah,though our hearts ache for the dear land of our birth, we still have manymany blessings left."

  "We have indeed."

  Mr. Travilla, Rose, and Horace now joined them, and the last-namedbesieged his father with questions about the war and its causes; all ofwhich were patiently answered to the best of Mr. Dinsmore's ability, Mr.Travilla now and then being appealed to for further information, or hisopinion, while the ladies listened and occasionally put in a remark or aquery.

  From that day the mails from America were looked for with redoubledanxiety and eagerness: though the war news was always painful, whicheverside had gained a victory or suffered defeat.

  At first, papers and letters had been received from both North and South,giving them the advantage of hearing the report from each side; but soonthe blockade shut off nearly all intercourse with the South, a mail fromthence reaching them only occasionally, by means of some Confederate orforeign craft eluding the vigilance of the besieging squadron.

  Early in June there came a letter from Miss Stanhope, addressed to Elsie.Like all received from America now, it dwelt almost exclusively uponmatters connected with the fearful struggle just fairly begun between thesections. The old lady's heart seemed full of love for the South, yet shewas strongly for the Union, and said she should be so if any other sectionor State rebelled.

  Lansdale was full of excitement, flags flying everywhere; they had onestreaming across from the top of the house, and another from a tree in thegarden.

  Harry had enlisted in response to the first call of troops, and was nowaway, fighting in Virginia; while she, praying night and day for hissafety, was, with most of the ladies of the town, busy as a bee knittingstockings and making shirts for the men
in the field, and preparing lint,bandages, and little dainties for the sick and wounded.