Mary Erskine by Jacob Abbott
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Jacob Abbott >> Mary Erskine
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9 [Illustration: MARY ERSKINE'S FARM]
MARY ERSKINE
A Franconia Story,
BY THE AUTHOR OF THE ROLLO BOOKS.
NEW YORK: HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS. FRANKLIN SQUARE.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1850, by HARPER &
BROTHERS, In the Clerk's Office for the Southern District of New York.
PREFACE.
The development of the moral sentiments in the human heart, in early
life,--and every thing in fact which relates to the formation of
character,--is determined in a far greater degree by sympathy, and
by the influence of example, than by formal precepts and didactic
instruction. If a boy hears his father speaking kindly to a robin in
the spring,--welcoming its coming and offering it food,--there arises
at once in his own mind, a feeling of kindness toward the bird,
and toward all the animal creation, which is produced by a sort of
sympathetic action, a power somewhat similar to what in physical
philosophy is called _induction_. On the other hand, if the
father, instead of feeding the bird, goes eagerly for a gun, in order
that he may shoot it, the boy will sympathize in that desire, and
growing up under such an influence, there will be gradually formed
within him, through the mysterious tendency of the youthful heart to
vibrate in unison with hearts that are near, a disposition to kill and
destroy all helpless beings that come within his power. There is no
need of any formal instruction in either case. Of a thousand children
brought up under the former of the above-described influences, nearly
every one, when he sees a bird, will wish to go and get crumbs to feed
it, while in the latter case, nearly every one will just as certainly
look for a stone. Thus the growing up in the right atmosphere, rather
than the receiving of the right instruction, is the condition which
it is most important to secure, in plans for forming the characters of
children.
It is in accordance with this philosophy that these stories, though
written mainly with a view to their moral influence on the hearts and
dispositions of the readers, contain very little formal exhortation
and instruction. They present quiet and peaceful pictures of happy
domestic life, portraying generally such conduct, and expressing such
sentiments and feelings, as it is desirable to exhibit and express in
the presence of children.
The books, however, will be found, perhaps, after all, to be useful
mainly in entertaining and amusing the youthful readers who may peruse
them, as the writing of them has been the amusement and recreation of
the author in the intervals of more serious pursuits.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER
I.--JEMMY
II.--THE BRIDE
III.--MARY ERSKINE'S VISITORS
IV.--CALAMITY
V.--CONSULTATIONS
VI.--MARY BELL IN THE WOODS
VII.--HOUSE-KEEPING
VIII.--THE SCHOOL
IX.--GOOD MANAGEMENT
X.--THE VISIT TO MARY ERSKINE'S
ENGRAVINGS.
MARY ERSKINE'S FARM--FRONTISPIECE.
CATCHING THE HORSE
THE LOG HOUSE
MARY BELL AT THE BROOK
THE WIDOW AND THE FATHERLESS
MRS. BELL
MARY BELL AND QUEEN BESS
MARY BELL GETTING BREAKFAST
THE SCHOOL
GOING TO COURT
THE STRAWBERRY PARTY
THE FRANCONIA STORIES.
ORDER OF THE VOLUMES.
MALLEVILLE.
WALLACE.
MARY ERSKINE.
MARY BELL.
BEECHNUT.
RODOLPHUS.
ELLEN LINN.
STUYVESANT.
CAROLINE.
AGNES.
SCENE OF THE STORY
The country in the vicinity of Franconia, at the North.
PRINCIPAL PERSONS
MARY ERSKINE.
ALBERT.
PHONNY and MALLEVILLE, cousins, residing at the house of Phonny's
mother.
MRS. HENRY, Phonny's mother.
ANTONIO BLANCHINETTE, a French boy, residing at Mrs. Henry's; commonly
called Beechnut.
MRS. BELL, a widow lady, living in the vicinity of Mrs. Henry's.
MARY BELL, her daughter.
MARY ERSKINE.
CHAPTER I.
JEMMY.
Malleville and her cousin Phonny generally played together at
Franconia a great part of the day, and at night they slept in two
separate recesses which opened out of the same room. These recesses
were deep and large, and they were divided from the room by curtains,
so that they formed as it were separate chambers: and yet the children
could speak to each other from them in the morning before they got up,
since the curtains did not intercept the sound of their voices. They
might have talked in the same manner at night, after they had gone to
bed, but this was against Mrs. Henry's rules.
One morning Malleville, after lying awake a few minutes, listening to
the birds that were singing in the yard, and wishing that the window
was open so that she could hear them more distinctly, heard Phonny's
voice calling to her.
"Malleville," said he, "are you awake?"
"Yes," said Malleville, "are you?"
"Yes," said Phonny, "I'm awake--but what a cold morning it is!"
It was indeed a cold morning, or at least a very _cool_ one.
This was somewhat remarkable, as it was in the month of June. But the
country about Franconia was cold in winter, and cool in summer. Phonny
and Malleville rose and dressed themselves, and then went down stairs.
They hoped to find a fire in the sitting-room, but there was none.
"How sorry I am," said Phonny. "But hark, I hear a roaring."
"Yes," said Malleville; "it is the oven; they are going to bake."
The back of the oven was so near to the partition wall which formed
one side of the sitting-room, that the sound of the fire could be
heard through it. The mouth of the oven however opened into
another small room connected with the kitchen, which was called the
baking-room. The children went out into the baking-room, to warm
themselves by the oven fire.
"I am very glad that it is a cool day," said Phonny, "for perhaps
mother will let us go to Mary Erskine's. Should not you like to go?"
"Yes," said Malleville, "very much. Where is it?"
The readers who have perused the preceding volumes of this series
will have observed that Mary Bell, who lived with her mother in the
pleasant little farm-house at a short distance from the village, was
always called by her full name, Mary Bell, and not ever, or scarcely
ever, merely Mary. People had acquired the habit of speaking of her in
this way, in order to distinguish her from another Mary who lived with
Mrs. Bell for several years. This other Mary was Mary Erskine. Mary
Erskine did not live now at Mrs. Bell's, but at another house which
was situated nearly two miles from Mrs. Henry's, and the way to it
was by a very wild and unfrequented road. The children were frequently
accustomed to go and make Mary Erskine a visit; but it was so long a
walk that Mrs. Henry never allowed them to go unless on a very cool
day.
At breakfast that morning Phonny asked his mother if that would not be
a good day for them to go and see Mary Erskine. Mrs. Henry said that
it would be an excellent day, and that she should be very glad to have
them go, for there were some things there to be brought home. Besides
Beechnut was going to mill, and he could carry them as far as Kater's
corner.
Kater's corner was a place where a sort of cart path, branching off
from the main road, led through the woods to the house where Mary
Erskine lived. It took its name from a farmer, whose name was Kater,
and whose house was at the corner where the roads diverged. The main
road itself was very rough and wild, and the cart path which led from
the corner was almost impassable in summer, even for a wagon, though
it was a very romantic and beautiful road for travelers on horseback
or on foot. In the winter the road was excellent: for the snow buried
all the roughness of the way two or three feet deep, and the teams
which went back and forth into the woods, made a smooth and beautiful
track for every thing on runners, upon the top of it.
Malleville and Phonny were very much pleased with the prospect of
riding a part of the way to Mary Erskine's, with Beechnut, in the
wagon. They made themselves ready immediately after breakfast, and
then went and sat down upon the step of the door, waiting for Beechnut
to appear. Beechnut was in the barn, harnessing the horse into the
wagon.
Malleville sat down quietly upon the step while waiting for Beechnut.
Phonny began to amuse himself by climbing up the railing of the
bannisters, at the side of the stairs. He was trying to poise himself
upon the top of the railing and then to work himself up the ascent
by pulling and pushing with his hands and feet against the bannisters
themselves below.
"I wish you would not do that," said Malleville. "I think it is very
foolish, for you may fall and hurt yourself."
"No," said Phonny. "It is not foolish. It is very useful for me to
learn to climb." So saying he went on scrambling up the railing of the
bannisters as before.
Just then Beechnut came along through the yard, towards the house. He
was coming for the whip.
"Beechnut," said Malleville, "I wish that you would speak to Phonny."
"_Is_ it foolish for me to learn to climb?" asked Phonny. In
order to see Beechnut while he asked this question, Phonny had to
twist his head round in a very unusual position, and look out under
his arm. It was obvious that in doing this he was in imminent danger
of falling, so unstable was the equilibrium in which he was poised
upon the rail.
"Is not he foolish?" asked Malleville.
Beechnut looked at him a moment, and then said, as he resumed his walk
through the entry,
"Not very;--that is for a boy. I have known boys sometimes to do
foolisher things than that."
"What did they do?" asked Phonny.
"Why once," said Beechnut, "I knew a boy who put his nose into the
crack of the door, and then took hold of the latch and pulled the
door to, and pinched his nose to death. That was a _little_ more
foolish, though not much."
So saying Beechnut passed through the door and disappeared.
Phonny was seized with so violent a convulsion of laughter at the idea
of such absurd folly as Beechnut had described, that he tumbled off
the bannisters, but fortunately he fell _in_, towards the stairs,
and was very little hurt. He came down the stairs to Malleville, and
as Beechnut returned in a few minutes with the whip, they all went out
towards the barn together.
Beechnut had already put the bags of grain into the wagon behind,
and now he assisted Phonny and Malleville to get in. He gave them the
whole of the seat, in order that they might have plenty of room, and
also that they might be high up, where they could see. He had a small
bench which was made to fit in, in front, and which he was accustomed
to use for himself, as a sort of driver's seat, whenever the wagon was
full. He placed this bench in its place in front, and taking his seat
upon it, he drove away.
When the party had thus fairly set out, and Phonny and Malleville had
in some measure finished uttering the multitude of exclamations of
delight with which they usually commenced a ride, they began to wish
that Beechnut would tell them a story. Now Beechnut was a boy of
boundless fertility of imagination, and he was almost always ready to
tell a story. His stories were usually invented on the spot, and were
often extremely wild and extravagant, both in the incidents involved
in them, and in the personages whom he introduced as actors. The
extravagance of these tales was however usually no objection to them
in Phonny's and Malleville's estimation. In fact Beechnut observed
that the more extravagant his stories were, the better pleased his
auditors generally appeared to be in listening to them. He therefore
did not spare invention, or restrict himself by any rules either of
truth or probability in his narratives. Nor did he usually require any
time for preparation, but commenced at once with whatever came into
his head, pronouncing the first sentence of his story, very often
without any idea of what he was to say next.
On this occasion Beechnut began as follows:
"Once there was a girl about three years old, and she had a large
black cat. The cat was of a jet black color, and her fur was very soft
and glossy. It was as soft as silk.
"This cat was very mischievous and very sly. She was _very_ sly:
very indeed. In fact she used to go about the house so very slyly,
getting into all sorts of mischief which the people could never find
out till afterwards, that they gave her the name of Sligo. Some people
said that the reason why she had that name was because she came from
a place called Sligo, in Ireland. But that was not the reason. It was
veritably and truly because she was so sly."
Beechnut pronounced this decision in respect to the etymological
import of the pussy's name in the most grave and serious manner, and
Malleville and Phonny listened with profound attention.
"What was the girl's name?" asked Malleville.
"The girl's?" repeated Beechnut. "Oh, her name was--Arabella."
"Well, go on," said Malleville.
"One day," continued Beechnut, "Sligo was walking about the house,
trying to find something to do. She came into the parlor. There was
nobody there. She looked about a little, and presently she saw a
work-basket upon the corner of a table, where Arabella's mother had
been at work. Sligo began to look at the basket, thinking that it
would make a good nest for her to sleep in, if she could only get it
under the clock. The clock stood in a corner of the room.
"Sligo accordingly jumped up into a chair, and from the chair to the
table, and then pushing the basket along nearer and nearer to the edge
of the table, she at last made it fall over, and all the sewing and
knitting work, and the balls, and needles, and spools, fell out upon
the floor. Sligo then jumped down and pushed the basket along toward
the clock. She finally got it under the clock, crept into it, curled
herself round into the form of a semicircle inside, so as just to fill
the basket, and went to sleep.
"Presently Arabella came in, and seeing the spools and balls upon
the floor, began to play with them. In a few minutes more, Arabella's
mother came in, and when she saw Arabella playing with these things
upon the floor, she supposed that Arabella herself was the rogue that
had thrown the basket off the table. Arabella could not talk much.
When her mother accused her of doing this mischief, she could only say
"No;" "no;" but her mother did not believe her. So she made her go and
stand up in the corner of the room, for punishment, while Sligo peeped
out from under the clock to see."
"But you said that Sligo was asleep," said Phonny.
"Yes, she went to sleep," replied Beechnut, "but she waked up when
Arabella's mother came into the room."
Beechnut here paused a moment to consider what he should say next,
when suddenly he began to point forward to a little distance before
them in the road, where a boy was to be seen at the side of the road,
sitting upon a stone.
"I verily believe it is Jemmy," said he.
As the wagon approached the place where Jemmy was sitting, they
found that he was bending down over his foot, and moaning with, pain.
Beechnut asked him what was the matter. He said that he had sprained
his foot dreadfully. Beechnut stopped the horse, and giving the
reins to Phonny, he got out to see. Phonny immediately gave them to
Malleville, and followed.
"Are you much hurt?" asked Beechnut.
"Oh, yes," said Jemmy, moaning and groaning; "oh dear me!"
Beechnut then went back to the horse, and taking him by the bridle,
he led him a little way out of the road, toward a small tree, where
he thought he would stand, and then taking Malleville out, so that
she might not be in any danger if the horse should chance to start, he
went back to Jemmy.
"You see," said Jemmy, "I was going to mill, and I was riding along
here, and the horse pranced about and threw me off and sprained my
foot. Oh dear me! what shall I do?"
"Where is the horse?" asked Beechnut.
"There he is," said Jemmy, "somewhere out there. He has gone along the
road. And the bags have fallen off too. Oh dear me!"
Phonny ran out into the road, and looked forward. He could see the
horse standing by the side of the road at some distance, quietly
eating the grass. A little this side of the place where the horse
stood, the bags were lying upon the ground, not very far from each
other.
The story which Jemmy told was not strictly true. He was one of the
boys of the village, and was of a wild and reckless character. This
was, however, partly his father's fault, who never gave him any kind
and friendly instruction, and always treated him with a great degree
of sternness and severity.
A circus company had visited Franconia a few weeks before the time of
this accident, and Jemmy had peeped through the cracks of the fence
that formed their enclosure, and had seen the performers ride around
the ring, standing upon the backs of the horses. He was immediately
inspired with the ambition to imitate this feat, and the next time
that he mounted his father's horse, he made the attempt to perform it.
His father, when he found it out, was very angry with him, and sternly
forbade him ever to do such a thing again. He declared positively that
if he did, he would whip him to death, as he said. Jemmy was silent,
but he secretly resolved that he would ride standing again, the very
first opportunity.
Accordingly, when his father put the two bags of grain upon the horse,
and ordered Jemmy to go to mill with them, Jemmy thought that the
opportunity had come. He had observed that the circus riders, instead
of a saddle, used upon the backs of their horses a sort of flat pad,
which afforded a much more convenient footing than any saddle; and as
to standing on the naked back of a horse, it was manifestly impossible
for any body but a rope-dancer. When, however, Jemmy saw his father
placing the bags of grain upon the horse, he perceived at once that a
good broad and level surface was produced by them, which was much
more extended and level, even than the pads of the circus-riders. He
instantly resolved, that the moment that he got completely away from
the village, he would mount upon the bags and ride standing--and ride
so, too, just as long as he pleased.
Accordingly, as soon as he had passed the house where Phonny lived,
which was the last house in that direction for some distance, he
looked round in order to be sure that his father was not by any
accident behind him, and then climbing up first upon his knees, and
afterward upon his feet, he drew up the reins cautiously, and then
chirruped to the horse to go on. The horse began to move slowly along.
Jemmy was surprised and delighted to find how firm his footing was
on the broad surface of the bags. Growing more and more bold and
confident as he became accustomed to his situation, he began presently
to dance about, or rather to perform certain awkward antics, which
he considered dancing, looking round continually, with a mingled
expression of guilt, pleasure, and fear, in his countenance, in order
to be sure that his father was not coming. Finally, he undertook to
make his horse trot a little. The horse, however, by this time,
began to grow somewhat impatient at the unusual sensations which
he experienced--the weight of the rider being concentrated upon one
single point, directly on his back, and resting very unsteadily
and interruptedly there,--and the bridle-reins passing up almost
perpendicularly into the air, instead of declining backwards, as they
ought to do in any proper position of the horseman. He began to trot
forward faster and faster. Jemmy soon found that it would be prudent
to restrain him, but in his upright position, he had no control
over the horse by pulling the reins. He only pulled the horse's head
upwards, and made him more uneasy and impatient than before. He then
attempted to get down into a sitting posture again, but in doing
so, he fell off upon the hard road and sprained his ankle. The horse
trotted rapidly on, until the bags fell off, first one and then the
other. Finding himself thus wholly at liberty, he stopped and began
to eat the grass at the road-side, wholly unconcerned at the mischief
that had been done.
Jemmy's distress was owing much more to his alarm and his sense of
guilt, than to the actual pain of the injury which he had suffered. He
was, however, entirely disabled by the sprain.
"It is rather a hard case," said Beechnut, "no doubt, but never mind
it, Jemmy. A man may break his leg, and yet live to dance many a
hornpipe afterwards. You'll get over all this and laugh about it one
day. Come, I'll carry you home in my wagon."
"But I am afraid to go home," said Jemmy.
"What are you afraid of?" asked Beechnut.
"Of my father," said Jemmy.
"Oh no," said Beechnut. "The horse is not hurt, and as for the grist
I'll carry it to mill with mine. So there is no harm done. Come, let
me put you into the wagon."
"Yes," said Phonny, "and I will go and catch the horse."
While Beechnut was putting Jemmy into the wagon, Phonny ran along the
road toward the horse. The horse, hearing footsteps, and supposing
from the sound that somebody might be coming to catch him, was at
first disposed to set off and gallop away; but looking round and
seeing that it was nobody but Phonny he went on eating as before.
When Phonny got pretty near to the horse, he began to walk up slowly
towards him, putting out his hand as if to take hold of the bridle and
saying, "Whoa--Dobbin,--whoa." The horse raised his head a little
from the grass, shook it very expressively at Phonny, walked on a few
steps, and then began to feed upon the grass as before. He seemed
to know precisely how much resistance was necessary to avoid the
recapture with which he was threatened.
"Whoa Jack! whoa!" said Phonny, advancing again. The horse, however,
moved on, shaking his head as before. He seemed to be no more disposed
to recognize the name of Jack than Dobbin.
[Illustration: CATCHING THE HORSE.]
"Jemmy," said Phonny, turning back and calling out aloud, "Jemmy!
what's his name?"
Jemmy did not answer. He was fully occupied in getting into the wagon.
Beechnut called Phonny back and asked him to hold his horse, while he
went to catch Jemmy's. He did it by opening one of the bags and taking
out a little grain, and by means of it enticing the stray horse near
enough to enable him to take hold of the bridle. He then fastened him
behind the wagon, and putting Jemmy's two bags in, he turned round and
went back to carry Jemmy home, leaving Malleville and Phonny to walk
the rest of the way to Mary Erskine's. Besides their ride, they lost
the remainder of the story of Sligo, if that can be said to be lost
which never existed. For at the time when Beechnut paused in his
narration, he had told the story as far as he had invented it. He had
not thought of another word.
CHAPTER II.
THE BRIDE.
Mary Erskine was an orphan. Her mother died when she was about twelve
years old. Her father had died long before, and after her father's
death her mother was very poor, and lived in so secluded and solitary
a place, that Mary had no opportunity then to go to school. She
began to work too as soon as she was able to do any thing, and it was
necessary from that day forward for her to work all the time; and this
would have prevented her from going to school, if there had been one
near. Thus when her mother died, although she was an intelligent and
very sensible girl, she could neither read nor write a word. She told
Mrs. Bell the day that she went to live with her, that she did not
even know any of the letters, except the round one and the crooked
one. The round one she said she _always_ knew, and as for S she
learned that, because it stood for Erskine. This shows how little she
knew about spelling.
Mrs. Bell wanted Mary Erskine to help her in taking care of her own
daughter Mary, who was then an infant. As both the girls were named
Mary, the people of the family and the neighbors gradually fell
into the habit of calling each of them by her full name, in order to
distinguish them from each other. Thus the baby was never called Mary,
but always Mary Bell, and the little nursery maid was always known as
Mary Erskine.
Mary Erskine became a great favorite at Mrs. Bell's. She was of a
very light-hearted and joyous disposition, always contented and happy,
singing like a nightingale at her work all the day long, when she
was alone, and cheering and enlivening all around her by her buoyant
spirits when she was in company. When Mary Bell became old enough to
run about and play, Mary Erskine became her playmate and companion,
as well as her protector. There was no distinction of rank to separate
them. If Mary Bell had been as old as Mary Erskine and had had a
younger sister, her duties in the household would have been exactly
the same as Mary Erskine's were. In fact, Mary Erskine's position was
altogether that of an older sister, and strangers visiting, the family
would have supposed that the two girls were really sisters, had they
not both been named Mary.
Mary Erskine was about twelve years older than Mary Bell, so that when
Mary Bell began to go to school, which was when she was about five
years old, Mary Erskine was about seventeen. Mrs. Bell had proposed,
when Mary Erskine first came to her house, that she would go to school
and learn to read and write; but Mary had been very much disinclined
to do so. In connection with the amiableness and gentleness of her
character and her natural good sense, she had a great deal of pride
and independence of spirit; and she was very unwilling to go to
school--being, as she was, almost in her teens--and begin there to
learn her letters with the little children. Mrs. Bell ought to have
required her to go, notwithstanding her reluctance, or else to have
made some other proper arrangement for teaching her to read and write.
Mrs. Bell was aware of this in fact, and frequently resolved that she
would do so. But she postponed the performance of her resolution from
month to month and year to year, and finally it was not performed at
all. Mary Erskine was so very useful at home, that a convenient time
for sparing her never came. And then besides she was so kind, and so
tractable, and so intent upon complying with all Mrs. Bell's wishes,
in every respect, that Mrs. Bell was extremely averse to require any
thing of her, which would mortify her, or give her pain.
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