Book: Elinor Wyllys

S >> Susan Fenimore Cooper >> Elinor Wyllys




Charlie blushed, in the excess of his modesty.

"Pray, bring all your sketches, too," said Elinor. "Mary wrote me
you were drawing all winter; you must have a great deal that we
have not seen."

"They are certainly not worth looking at; but such as they are,
you shall see them."

"And don't forget the Arithmetic, too," said Mr. Wyllys, smiling;
"we had better look a little into Compound Interest, of course."

Charlie looked as if that were rather a sore subject, as he left
the room.

While he was gone, a carriage stopped at the little gate. It
proved to be the Taylors; and Mr. Taylor, with his wife, and a
couple of children, walked in. After a general salutation had
been exchanged, and two additional chairs had been brought from a
bed-room, to accommodate such an unusual number of visiters, Mr.
Taylor turned to Miss Patsey, and observed, in a jocular way:

"It is not etiquette, I believe, to call twice in the same day;
but I hope you will excuse us; for on this occasion, Mrs. Taylor
has come to transact a little business."

"As you seem to be engaged, Miss Hubbard, we will put it off
until another time," said Mrs. Taylor.
"
"Just as you please," replied Miss Patsey. "I am always glad to
see my friends."

Mr. Taylor, however, liked quick measures, and never postponed
business if he could help it.

"We came to see you, this afternoon, about our two youngest
children; if you can conveniently take them into your school, it
would suit us very well."

Charlie, at that moment, returned with his picture in one hand,
and a portfolio in the other. He was rather sorry to find the
Taylors there, for he was far from admiring the gentleman. Mr.
Wyllys was really anxious to see the piece, and asked to look at
it at once. The canvass was placed near a window, in the proper
light, and the covering removed. The Wyllyses were immediately
struck with Charlie's rapid improvement; there was indeed, no
comparison between the young man's first attempts at the art, and
this last piece. His friends all congratulated him on his
success, and Charlie was delighted.

"This settles the question, I think, Miss Patsey," said Mr.
Wyllys.

"I suppose so," said Miss Patsey, with a shake of the head, and a
smile. "I think I can see myself that this picture looks more
natural than the first."

"Quite a tasty painting," said Mr. Taylor, stepping up with a
decided air towards the canvass. "I should conclude, however,
that you would find portRATES a more advantageous business."

"I like landscapes best, sir," replied the youth; and turning to
Mr. Wyllys, he added: "Mr. S----- advised me to please myself as
to the subjects I worked upon."

"Certainly," answered Mr. Wyllys; "and you seem to prefer my
mill-pond, Charlie, to the human face divine."

"But, here are sketches of faces," said Elinor, looking over the
portfolio; "very good, too;--this is excellent--grandpapa, do you
know yourself? and Miss Patsey--very good--Aunt Agnes, too! Why,
Charles, you must have drawn all these from memory."

The sketches Elinor was looking at, were roughly done in ink or
lead-pencil; but were generally good likenesses. Mr. Wyllys took
up one, that had not yet been observed by the rest of the party;
he smiled, and passed it to his granddaughter. Elinor coloured,
and her heart beat as she looked at it, for it was a sketch of
Harry. Mr. Taylor was standing behind her, and recognised it
immediately.

"That is Mr. Hazlehurst, if I am not mistaken; and a very good
likeness, Miss Wyllys."

"I suppose, your son and Harry have met, in Paris, Mr. Taylor,"
said Miss Agnes, by way of turning his attention from Elinor.

"Yes, madam, Thomas mentions having had some intercourse with Mr.
Hazlehurst, and observes, that he sees him, almost every day, in
the TULLYREES; which, Thomas says, is the RENDY-VUSS of the
fashionable world, in Paris."

"Will your son return home soon?"

"Why, no; I think not. He went for six months; but he calculates,
now, to stay some time longer. I am told, Mr. Hazlehurst will not
return until next year;--they might make the European TOWER
together. But Thomas seems to like the CAFFIES and the
BULLY-VARDS of Paris, too much to move from that city."

Elinor was going to take another sketch from the table, when
Charlie quickly passed his hand between Mr. Taylor and herself,
and drew the paper away.

"I beg your pardon--but it is a wretched thing; I did not know it
was there," said the youth, hastily.

"Pray, let me look at it," said Elinor, "for, I thought, I
recognised a friend."

"You must not see it, indeed, Miss Elinor; I dare say, you took
it for anybody but the right person;" said Charlie, a good deal
embarrassed, and hurriedly handing Elinor something else to look
at.

She was surprised at his nervous manner, but said nothing more.

"I honestly think, Charlie," said Mr. Wyllys, who had been
examining the landscape, that Mr. C-----, and Mr. I-----, will
tell you to persevere, after this. There is something about the
water, in your picture, that strikes me as unusually good."

"I am very glad to hear you say so; for there is nothing I like
to paint so much as water. I took great pains with that part of
my piece; but it does not satisfy me yet."

"Do you intend to make use of water-colours altogether, in your
paintings?" asked Mr. Taylor.

Charlie looked puzzled, and the merchant repeated his question.

"I should think, you would find water-colours cheaper; but oils
must be more durable. Which are most generally in use among
painters?"

Charlie, understanding the point, at last, explained that
water-colours, and oils, were two entirely distinct branches of
the art.

"Which is your picture, there, done in?"

"I am learning to paint in oils, sir."

"And that porTRATE, overhead, which is your father, I presume; is
that in oils, too?"

"Yes, sir.--There are very few pictures, of that size, in
water-colours, I believe. Here is a miniature, in water-colours,
which Mrs. Van Horne lent me; I am taking a large picture, in
oils, from it."

Mr. Taylor examined the miniature. "It has puzzled me
considerably," he observed, "to know how painters could change
the size of an object, and be correct, without measuring it off
in feet and inches; but, I suppose, that is what you term
perspective."

One is sometimes surprised by the excessive ignorance, on all
matters concerning the fine arts, betrayed in this country, by
men of some education; very clever, in their way, and quite equal
to making a speech or a fortune, any day. In Europe, just
notions, on such matters, are much more widely spread. But, after
all, such a state of things is perfectly natural; we have
hitherto had no means of cultivating the general taste, in
America, having few galleries or even single works of art, open
to the public. With the means, it is probable, that as we grow
older, we shall improve, in this respect. That there is talent,
ay, genius, in the country, sufficient to produce noble works of
art, has been already proved. Nor can it be doubted, that there
is latent feeling, and taste enough, among the people, to
appreciate them, if it were called forth by cultivation. It is
only a brutal and sluggish nation, who cannot be made to feel, as
well as think. The cultivation necessary, however, is not that
which consists in forcing the whole body of the people to become
conceited smatterers; but that which provides a full supply of
models for mediocrity to copy, and for talent to rival. It is
evident, that common sense requires us to pursue one of two
courses; either to give true talent, in every field--in
literature, in music, painting, sculpture, architecture--some
share of the honourable encouragement which is its due, or else
honestly to resign all claim to national merit, in these branches
of civilization; leaving the honour to the individual. As neither
the government, nor men singly, can do much toward encouraging
the arts, this would seem to be the very field in which societies
might hope to produce great results. Would it not be a good
innovation, if those who often unite to present some public
testimonial of respect to an individual, should select, instead
of the piece of plate, usual on such occasions, a picture or work
of sculpture? Either, it is to be supposed, if respectable in its
way, would be a more agreeable offering, to a person of
education, than gold or silver in the shape most modern workmen
give them. Under such circumstances, who would not prefer a
picture by Cole or Wier {sic}, a statue like Greenough's Medora,
Power's Eve, or Crawford's Orpheus, to all the silver salvers in
New York? Who would not prefer even a copy from some fine bust or
head of antiquity, from some celebrated cabinet picture, to the
best medal that has yet been struck in this country?

{"Cole" = Thomas Cole (1801-1848), American painter and founder
of the so-called Hudson River School of landscape painting;
"Wier" = Robert Weir (1803-1889), another American landscape
painter; "Greenough" = Horatio Greenough (1805-1852), American
sculptor, and a close friend of Susan Fenimore Cooper's father;
"Power" = Hiram Powers (1805-1873), another famous American
sculptor; "Crawford" = Thomas Crawford (1813-1857), another
American sculptor, whose statue of Orpheus was purchased by the
Boston Athenaeum; "cabinet picture" = picture exhibited in a
gallery or museum}

Thoughts like these were passing through Mr. Wyllys's mind, as he
sat looking at Charlie's picture. Mrs. Taylor had, in the mean
time, been making arrangements for her younger children to enter
Miss Patsey's school for the summer. Mr. Taylor having joined the
ladies, something was heard about 'terms,' and the affair
appeared settled. Miss Agnes having mentioned to Mrs. Taylor that
she had intended calling on her, but would now postpone it until
another day, she was so strongly urged to accompany them home,
that she consented to do so, aware that the visit should have
been paid some time before. Accordingly, they all left the
Hubbards together.

It was not often that Miss Patsey's little parlour was so full,
and so much littered, as it had been that afternoon; it generally
looked crowded, if it contained two or three persons besides the
minister's portrait, and was thought out of order, if the large
rocking-chair, or the clumsy, old-fashioned tea-table did not
stand in the very positions they had occupied for the last twelve
years.

Very different was the aspect of things at Mr. Taylor's. Not that
the rooms were imposing, in size, but the elegance of the
furniture was so very striking. Of course, there were two
drawing-rooms, with folding-doors and Brussels carpets; while
everything corresponded to a fashionable model. Mrs. Taylor, good
soul, cared very little for these vanities of life. The
window-blinds, in her two drawing-rooms, were never opened,
except for some occasional morning visiter or evening tea-party;
she herself used what she called the 'living room,' where she
could have her younger children about her, and darn as many
stockings as she chose. The drawing-rooms were opened, however,
for the Wyllyses, who were urged to stay to tea. Miss Agnes
declined the invitation, though Mr. Wyllys and herself remained
long enough to look at the plan of a new house, which Mr. Taylor
was to build shortly; it was to be something quite grand, far
surpassing anything of the kind in the neighbourhood, for Mr.
Taylor had made a mint of money during the past winter.



CHAPTER VI.

"What say'st thou? Wilt thou go along?"
Henry VI.

{William Shakespeare, "3 Henry VI", IV.v.25}

JANE GRAHAM joined Elinor at Wyllys-Roof, after having made her
parting curtsey to Mrs. G-----. Her parents lived at Charleston;
but as her constitution was delicate, and required a more bracing
air than that of Carolina, Jane had been more than once, for a
twelvemonth at a time, entirely under Miss Wyllys's charge, and
was seldom absent from Longbridge for more than a few months
together. It was now settled that she was to remain with Elinor
until the autumn, when her parents, who were coming north for a
couple of months, were to carry her back to Charleston. Miss
Adeline Taylor, of course, found it impossible to remain longer
at school, when Jane, her bosom-friend, had left it. She, too,
returned to her family in the country, prepared to enliven the
neighbourhood to the best of her ability. The intimacy between
these two young ladies was only riveted more closely by the
necessity of living under different roofs; Adeline, indeed,
protested that she found the separation so distressing, that she
thought it would be an excellent plan, to divide the winter
together, between Charleston and New York; Jane to pass the first
three months with her, and she, in her turn, to accompany her
friend to Charleston, later in the season. But Jane thought her
mother would now wish to have her return home as soon as
possible, as it was already nearly a year since she had seen her
family. This affair, however, was not quite decided; Adeline
declaring that she could not bear to give up the idea, hinting
that there were all-important reasons for their remaining
together during the next winter.

Elinor often wondered that her cousin should find so much
pleasure in this intimacy with Miss Taylor, whom she was far from
liking herself; and she could not help thinking that Adeline was
more persevering in pursuit of Jane, than was agreeable. The
dislikes of young girls of seventeen are seldom violent, however,
whatever their likings may be. She made the best of it, and the
three girls were often together.

One evening, when they had been drinking tea at Mrs. Taylor's,
Elinor was much struck with a change in Jane's manner, which she
had already observed several times of late, when they had been in
society together. As they were coming home, and alone together in
the carriage, she spoke to her cousin on the subject.

"How gay you were to-night, Jane! I never saw you in better
spirits."

"Was I? Well, I'm very tired now; it is almost too much for me,
Elinor, to be so lively."

"Was it an effort? Did you not feel well?" inquired Elinor.

"I felt very well, indeed, before we went; but it tires me so to
be animated."

"If it fatigues you to go out, my dear Jane, we had better stay
at home next time we are asked; but I thought you wished to go
this evening."

"So I did. It does not tire me at all to go out; there is nothing
I like so much as going to parties. If one could only do as they
pleased--just sit still, and look on; not laughing and talking
all the time, it would be delightful."

"That is what I have often done at parties," said Elinor,
smiling; "and not from choice either, but from necessity."

"Do you really think that a person who is engaged ought not to
talk?"

"No, indeed;" said Elinor, colouring a little, as she laughed at
the inquiry. "I meant to say, that I had often sat still, without
talking, at parties, because no one took the trouble to come and
speak to me. Not here, at home, where everybody knows me, but at
large parties in town, last winter."

"Oh, but you never cared about being a belle. Adeline says
everybody knows you are engaged, and it is no matter what you do
or say. But Adeline says, to be a belle, you must laugh and talk
all the time, whether you feel like it or not; and she thinks you
need not be particular what you talk about, only you must be all
the time lively. The young men won't dance with you, or hand you
in to supper, unless you entertain them. Adeline says she is too
high-spirited to sit by, moping; and so am I, too, I'm sure!"

"But Jane, you are so very pretty, there is no danger of your
being overlooked."

"No, indeed, you are mistaken," said Jane, with perfect naivete.
"I was at two or three small parties, you know, in New York,
while I was staying with Mrs. Stanley, this spring; well, I
missed more than half the quadrilles, while those fat Miss
Grants, and the Howard girls, were dancing all the evening.
Adeline says it is all because I was not lively. They don't think
anything of you unless you are all the time talking, and
laughing, and moving about; and it does tire me so--I'm almost
sick of it already. I'm sure I shall never be able to be lively
at Charleston, in warm weather. I shan't be a belle, Elinor, I'm
afraid!" said the young beauty, with something like a sigh.

"Poor Jane!" said Elinor, laughing, though she really felt
provoked with Adeline for giving her cousin such notions; Jane
looked half worn-out with the evening's exertions. "And I
believed, all the time, that you were in such good spirits!
Charlie and I were looking at you with surprise; we thought Mr.
Van Horne, and John Bernard must be telling you something very
amusing, you were laughing and talking so much."

"No, indeed; it was I, who was trying to amuse the gentlemen."

But Jane was not destined to try the effect of the Charleston
climate upon the energies of a belle. Her parents arrived in New
York, where she met them. She found letters there from her
sister, Mrs. Robert Hazlehurst, to her mother and herself,
strongly urging the propriety of Jane joining their party, for
the last year of their European visit. Mrs. Hazlehurst thought
travelling would be of great service to her sister, in every
respect; it would, probably, restore her health entirety; in
Paris she would take lessons from the best masters, if she wished
it--besides enjoying the advantages of seeing the Old World; at
the same time that, in her sister's family, she would be as well
taken care of, as if at her father's house, or at Wyllys-Roof. It
was an opportunity which might not occur again, and Mrs.
Hazlehurst wrote so urgently, that her parents consented to the
arrangement, provided Jane, herself, liked the idea. An old
friend of the family, Mrs. Howard, was to sail next month for
France, and would willingly take charge of Mrs. Graham's daughter
during the voyage: everything was settled, it only remained for
Jane, herself, to decide. She was far less anxious, however, to
see the wonders of Europe, than many other young persons would
have been. Elinor congratulated her warmly upon her good fortune,
and dwelt upon the pleasure she would, no doubt, enjoy; still,
Jane appeared rather indifferent to the plan, and it would
probably have been abandoned, had it not been for two
circumstances. Her father thought the voyage and change of air
might have a happy effect on her health, and improve it
permanently; and, at the same time, Miss Adeline Taylor threw the
whole weight of her influence into the scales; she had a long
private interview with Jane, which seemed to decide the matter.
The arrangements were made, and the first of September, Jane,
accompanied by her parents, Miss Agnes, and Elinor, went on board
the Havre packet, and was placed under the care of Mr. and Mrs.
Howard. Though the separation took place under such happy
auspices, there were some tears shed, of course. Elinor felt
quite sad at parting from her young friend, to whom she was
warmly attached; but time and tide soon separated the cousins,
and the last farewell, and waving of handkerchiefs, were
exchanged.

{"Havre packet" = scheduled passenger ship to Le Havre, the
principal Atlantic port of arrival in France}

Elinor had placed in Jane's hands a small package, and a letter,
for Harry. The last we do not think ourselves privileged to open;
but the little box we know to have contained a purse of her own
knitting, and a lock of hair, which was sent at the special
request of Harry, as he intended to have it placed in a ring by a
Paris jeweller. Jane's baggage contained, moreover, in addition
to her own paraphernalia, several articles that one would not
expect to find among a young lady's trunks and hat-boxes. She,
carried with her a barrel of buckwheat, a keg of cranberries, and
a couple of jars of ginger-dainties for which, it appeared, some
American friends of the Hazlehursts had sighed, even amid all the
delicacies of Paris.

In a few weeks, the family at Wyllys-Roof had the pleasure of
hearing of Jane's safe arrival in Paris. The good news came
through Harry, and we shall give his letter, since it was the
last Elinor received from him in some months.

"Place Vendome, October, 18--.

"MY DEAREST ELINOR:--

"You will be glad to hear that Jane passed the barriers, this
morning, with the Howards. She has just finished a letter to Mrs.
Graham; and, as she dislikes writing so much, has given me leave
to announce her arrival to all at Wyllys-Roof. As Jane enters
Paris on one side, I leave it in the opposite direction, for, the
day after to-morrow, I am off for Constantinople; a movement
which will, no doubt, astonish you, though, I am sure, you will
wish me joy of such pleasant prospects. This letter will probably
be the last you will hear of me, for some time; not but what I
shall write as usual, but these long overland mails, through
countries where they suspect revolution or plague, in every
letter, often fail to do their duty. In fact, I delayed my
journey a week or two, expressly to see Jane, and have a good
supply of Longbridge news before setting out. Everybody tells me,
I must expect to lose more than half my letters, both ways. This
is bad enough, to be sure; but a journey to Greece and
Constantinople, would be too full of delights, without some
serious drawback. I believe Jane is more tired by answering our
questions, and hearing what we have to tell her, than by her
voyage. I cannot help wishing, my dear Elinor, that it were you
who had arrived in Paris, instead of our pretty little cousin.
How I should delight in showing you my favourite view, the quais
and the island, from the Pont Royal--the Louvre, too, and the
Madeleine. As for Jane, she will, doubtless, find her chief
pleasures at Delilles', and the Tuileries--buying finery, and
showing it off: it has often puzzled me to find out which some
ladies most enjoy.

{"barriers" = gateways leading into Paris, where travellers'
papers were examined}

"We are to be a party of four of us, on our eastern expedition.
In the first place, Ellsworth, whom you may have seen; a very
clever fellow, and brother-in-law to poor Creighton. By-the-bye,
Mrs. Creighton is still here, and has been living, very quietly,
with her brother, since her husband's death; she is now going to
the Howards, who are her connexions, I believe; so says Louisa,
at least. Ellsworth, you know, poor fellow, lost his wife about a
year ago; he has left his little girl with her mother's friends,
and has come abroad for a year or two. Having been in Europe
before, he was very glad to make one, in our party to the East,
where he has not yet been. I mention him first, for he is the
most agreeable of our set. There is not much to be said on the
chapter of young Brown; and, I must confess, that I don't quite
agree with Col. Stryker, in the very good opinion he evidently
entertains of himself. By-the-bye, American Colonels are as
plenty, now-a-days, as the 'Marquis' used to be, at Versailles,
in the time of the Grand Louis. Some simple European folk,
actually believe that each of these gentry has his
regiment-----in the garrison of 'Nieu Yorck,' I suppose; it would
puzzle them, to find the army, if they were to cross the
Atlantic; I don't remember to have seen one of Uncle Sam's
soldiers for five years before I left home.

{"Grand Louis" = French King Louis XIV (1638-1715), known as
"Louis the Great"}

"Many thanks, dearest Elinor, for the contents of your box; you
cannot doubt but they will accompany your preux chevalier on his
pilgrimage. This Eastern movement has been such a sudden one,
that I have still a thousand things to do, which will oblige me
to make my letter shorter than I wish. Ellsworth is waiting for
me, at this moment. We expect to be gone six, or, possibly, eight
months. I shall write again from Marseilles; and, I hope, the
letter from thence will reach you. Pull Bruno's ears for me, and
don't let him forget his master; which will be one way, my dear,
kind, Elinor, of obliging you to remember that individual also.
Best respects to Mr. Wyllys and Aunt Agnes, with much love for
yourself, dearest Elinor, from

Your affectionate, present and FUTUR,

H. H.

P. S.--Many remembrances for Mrs. Stanley, if she is with you; I
wrote to her last month."

{"preux chevalier" = valiant knight; "FUTUR" = future (French)}



CHAPTER VII.

"What tidings send our scouts? I pr'ythee, speak."
Henry VI.

{William Shakespeare, "1 Henry VI", V.ii.10}

ABOUT the middle of the following March, the season, by courtesy
called spring, but when winter sometimes reigns de facto, in the
neighbourhood to which Wyllys-Roof belonged, Mr. Wyllys proposed,
one morning, to drive his granddaughter to Longbridge, with the
double object, of making the most of a late fall of snow, and
procuring the mail an hour earlier than usual.

The light cutter slipped through a track in which there was quite
as much mud as snow, and, it seemed, as if most people preferred
staying at home, to moving over roads in that half-and-half
condition: they met no one they knew, excepting Dr. Van Horne.

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