a new england girlhood-第2章

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e　happy　without　her　comradeship。

Every　phase　of　our　life　belongs　to　us。　The　moon　does　not；　except　in　appearance；　lose　her　first　thin；　luminous　curve；　nor　her　silvery　crescent；　in　rounding　to　her　full。　The　woman　is　still　both　child　and　girl；　in　the　completeness　of　womanly　character。　We　have　a　right　to　our　entire　selves；　through　all　the　changes　of　this　mortal　state；　a　claim　which　we　shall　doubtless　carry　along　with　us　into　the　unfolding　mysteries　of　our　eternal　being。　Perhaps　in　this　thought　lies　hidden　the　secret　of　immortal　youth；　for　a　seer　has　said　that　〃to　grow　old　in　heaven　is　to　grow　young。〃

To　take　life　as　it　is　sent　to　us；　to　live　it　faithfully；　looking　and　striving　always　towards　better　life；　this　was　the　lesson　that　came　to　me　from　my　early　teachers。　　It　was　not　an　easy　lesson；　but　it　was　a　healthful　one；　and　I　pass　it　on　to　younger　pupils；　trusting　that　they　will　learn　it　more　thoroughly　than　I　ever　have。

Young　or　old；　we　may　all　win　inspiration　to　do　our　best；　from　the　needs　of　a　world　to　which　the　humblest　life　may　be　permitted　to　bring　immeasurable　blessings：

〃For　no　one　doth　know　What　he　can　bestow；　What　light；　strength；　and　beauty　may　after　him　go：　Thus　onward　we　move；　And；　save　God　above；　None　guesseth　how　wondrous　the　journey　will　prove。〃

L。L。　BEVERLY；　MASSACHUSETTS；　October；　1889。


CONTENTS。


CHAPTER

I。　　　UP　AND　DOWN　THE　LANE　II。　　SCHOOLROOM　AND　MEETING…HOUSE　III。　THE　HYMN…BOOK　IV。　　NAUGHTY　CHILDREN　AND　FAIRY　TALES　V。　　　OLD　NEW　ENGLAND　VI。　　GLIMPSES　OF　POETRY　VII。　BEGINNING　TO　WORK　VIII。BY　THE　RIVER　IX。　　MOUNTAIN…FRIENDS　X。　　　MILL…GIRLS'　MAGAZINES　XI。　　READING　AND　STUDYING　XII。　FROM　THE　MERRIMACK　TO　THE　MISSISSIPPI



A　NEW　ENGLAND　GIRLHOOD

I。

UP　AND　DOWN　THE　LANE。

IT　is　strange　that　the　spot　of　earth　where　we　were　born　should　make　such　a　difference　to　us。　People　can　live　and　grow　anywhere；　but　people　as　well　as　plants　have　their　habitat；the　place　where　they　belong；　and　where　they　find　their　happiest；　because　their　most　natural　life。　If　I　had　opened　my　eyes　upon　this　planet　elsewhere　than　in　this　northeastern　corner　of　Massachusetts；　elsewhere　than　on　this　green；　rocky　strip　of　shore　between　Beverly　Bridge　and　the　Misery　Islands；　it　seems　to　me　as　if　I　must　have　been　somebody　else；　and　not　myself。　These　gray　ledges　hold　me　by　the　roots；　as　they　do　the　bayberry　bushes；　the　sweet…　fern；　and　the　rock…saxifrage。

When　I　look　from　my　window　over　the　tree…tops　to　the　sea；　I　could　almost　fancy　that　from　the　deck　of　some　one　of　those　inward　bound　vessels　the　wistful　eyes　of　the　Lady　Arbella　might　be　turned　towards　this　very　hillside；　and　that　mine　were　meeting　hers　in　sympathy；　across　the　graves　of　two　hundred　and　fifty　years。　For　Winthrop's　fleet；　led　by　the　ship　that　bore　her　name；　must　have　passed　into　harbor　that　way。　Dear　and　gracious　spirit！　The　memory　of　her　brief　sojourn　here　has　left　New　England　more　truly　consecrated　ground。　Sweetest　of　womanly　pioneers！　It　is　as　if　an　angel　in　passing　on　to　heaven　just　touched　with　her　wings　this　rough　coast　of　ours。

In　those　primitive　years；　before　any　town　but　Salem　had　been　named；　this　whole　region　was　known　as　Cape　Ann　Side；　and　about　ten　years　after　Winthrop's　arrival；　my　first　ancestor's　name　appears　among　those　of　other　hardy　settlers　of　the　neighborhood。　No　record　has　been　found　of　his　coming；　but　emigration　by　that　time　had　grown　so　rapid　that　ships'　lists　were　no　longer　carefully　preserved。　And　then　he　was　but　a　simple　yeoman；　a　tiller　of　the　soil；　one　who　must　have　loved　the　sea；　however；　for　he　moved　nearer　and　nearer　towards　it　from　Agawam　through　Wenham　woods；　until　the　close　of　the　seventeenth　century　found　his　descendantsmy　own　great…great…grandfatber's　familyplanted　in　a　romantic　homestead…nook　on　a　hillside；　overlooking　wide　gray　spaces　of　the　bay　at　the　part　of　Beverly　known　as　〃The　Farms。〃　The　situation　was　beautiful；　and　home　attachments　proved　tenacious；　the　family　claim　to　the　farm　having　only　been　resigned　within　the　last　thirty　or　forty　years。

I　am　proud　of　my　unlettered　forefathers；　who　were　also　too　humbly　proud　to　care　whether　their　names　would　be　remembered　or　not；　for　they　were　God…fearing　men；　and　had　been　persecuted　for　their　faith　long　before　they　found　their　way　either　to　Old　or　New　England。

The　name　is　rather　an　unusual　one；　and　has　been　traced　back　from　Wales　and　the　Isle　of　Wight　through　France　to　Languedoc　and　Pied…　mont；　a　little　hamlet　in　the　south　of　France　still　bearing　it　in　what　was　probably　the　original　spelling…La　Combe。　There　is　a　family　shield　in　existence；　showing　a　hill　surmounted　by　a　tree；　and　a　bird　with　spread　wings　above。　It　might　symbolize　flight　in　times　of　persecution；　from　the　mountains　to　the　forests；　and　thence　to　heaven；　or　to　the　free　skies　of　this　New　World。

But　it　is　certain　that　my　own　immediate　ancestors　were　both　indifferent　and　ignorant　as　to　questions　of　pedigree；　and　accepted　with　sturdy　dignity　an　inheritance　of　hard　work　and　the　privileges　of　poverty；　leaving　the　same　bequest　to　their　descendants。　And　poverty　has　its　privileges。　When　there　is　very　little　of　the　seen　and　temporal　to　intercept　spiritual　vision；　unseen　and　eternal　realities　are；　or　may　be；　more　clearly　beheld。

To　have　been　born　of　people　of　integrity　and　profound　faith　in　God；　is　better　than　to　have　inherited　material　wealth　of　any　kind。　And　to　those　serious…minded；　reticent　progenitors　of　mine；　looking　out　from　their　lonely　fields　across　the　lonelier　sea；　their　faith　must　have　been　everything。

My　father's　parents　both　died　years　before　my　birth。　My　grandmother　had　been　left　a　widow　with　a　large　family　in　my　father's　boyhood；　and　he；　with　the　rest；　had　to　toil　early　for　a　livelihood。　She　was　an　earnest　Christian　woman；　of　keen　intelligence　and　unusual　spiritual　perception。　She　was　supposed　by　her　neighbors　to　have　the　gift　of　〃second　sight〃；　and　some　remarkable　stories　are　told　of　her　knowledge　of　distant　events　while　they　were　occurring；　or　just　before　they　took　place。　Her　dignity　of　presence　and　character　must　have　been　noticeable。　A　relative　of　mine；　who　as　a　very　little　child；　was　taken　by　her　mother　to　visit　my　grandmother；　told　me　that　she　had　always　remembered　the　aged　woman's　solemnity　of　voice　and　bearing；　and　her　mother's　deferential　attitude　towards　her：　and　she　was　so　profoundly　impressed　by　it　all　at　the　time；　that　when　they　had　left　the　house；　and　were　on　their　homeward　path　through　the　woods；　she　looked　up　into　her　mother's　face　and　asked　in　a　whisper；　〃Mother；　was　that　God？〃

I　used　sometimes　to　feel　a　little　resentment　at　my　fate　in　not　having　been　born　at　the　old　Beverly　Farms　home…place；　as　my　father　and　uncles　and　aunts　and　some　of　my　cousins　had　been。　But　perhaps　I　had　more　of　the　romantic　and　legendary　charm　of　it　than　if　I　had　been　brought　up　there；　for　my　father；　in　his　communicative　moods；　never　wearied　of　telling　us　about　his　childhood；　and　we　felt　that　we　still　held　a　birthright　claim　upon　that　picturesque　spot　through　him。　Besides；　it　was　only　three　or　four　miles　away；　and　before　the　day　of　railroads；　that　was　thought　nothing　of　as　a　walk；　by　young　or　old。

But；　in　fact；　I　first　saw　the　light　in　the　very　middle　of　Beverly；　in　full　view　of　the　town　clock　and　the　Old　South　steeple。　（I　believe　there　is　an　〃Old　South〃　in　nearly　all　these　first…settled　cities　and　villages　of　Eastern　Massachusetts。　The　town　wore　a　half…rustic　air　of　antiquity　then；　with　its　old…　fashioned　people　and　weather…worn　houses；　for　I　was　born　while　my　mother…century　was　still　in　her　youth；　just　rounding　the　first　quarter　of　her　hundred　years。

Primitive　ways　of　doing　things　had　not　wholly　ceased　during；　my　childhood；　they　were　kept　up　in　these　old　towns　longer　than　elsewhere。　We　used　tallow　candles　and　oil　lamps；　and　sat　by　open　fireplaces。　There　was　always　a　tinder…box　in　some　safe　corner　or　other；　and　fire　was　kindled　by　striking　flint　and　steel　upon　the　tinder。　What　magic　it　seemed　to　me；　when　I　was　first　allowed　to　strike　that　wonderful　spark；　and　light　the　kitchen　fire！

The　fireplace　was　deep；　and　there　was　a　〃settle〃　in　the　chimney　corner；　where　three　of　us　youngest　girls　could　sit　together　and　toast　our　toes　on　the　andirons　（two　Continental　soldiers　in　full　uniform；　marching　one　after　the　other）；　while　we　looked　up　the　chimney　into　a　square　of　blue　sky；　and　sometimes　caught　a　snow…　flake　on　our　foreheads；　or　sometimes　smirched　our　clean　aprons　（high…necked　and　long　sleeved　ones；　known　as　〃tiers〃）　against　the　swinging　crane　with　its　sooty　pot…hooks　and　trammels。

The　coffee…pot　was　set　for　breakfast　over　hot　coals；　on　a　three…　legged　bit　of　iron　called　a　〃trivet。〃　Potatoes　were　roasted　in　the　ashes；　and　the　Thanksgiving　turkey　in　a　〃tin…kitchen；〃　the　business　of　turning　the　spit　being　usually　delegate　to　some　of　us；　small　folk；　who　were　only　too　willing　to　burn　our　faces　in　honor　of　the　annual　festival。

There　were　brick　ovens　in　the　chimney　corner；　where　the　great　bakings　were　done；　but　there　was　also　an　iron　article　called　a　〃Dutch　oven；〃　in　which　delicious　bread　could　be　baked　over　the　coals　at　short　notice。　And　there　was　never　was　anything　that　tasted　better　than　my　mother's　〃firecake；〃a　short…cake　spread　on　a　smooth　piece　of　board；　and　set　up　with　a　flat…iron　before　the　blaze；　browned　on　one　side；　and　then　turned　over　to　be　browned　on　the　other。　（It　required　some　sleight　of　hand　to　do　that。）　If　I　could　only　be　allowed　to　blow　the　bellowsthe　very　old　people　called　them　〃belluses〃when　the　fire　began　to　get　low；　I　was　a　happy　girl。

Cooking…stoves　were　coming　into　fashion；　but　they　were　clumsy　affairs；　and　our　elders　thought　that　no　cooking　could　be　quite　so　nice　as　that　which　was　done　by　an　open　fire。　We　younger　ones　reveled　in　the　warm；　beautiful　glow；　that　we　look　back　to　as　to　a　remembered　sunset。　　There　is　no　such　home…splendor　now。

When　supper　was　finished；　and　the　tea…kettle　was　pushed　back　on　the　crane；　and　the　backlog　had　been　reduced　to　a　heap　of　fiery　embers；　then　was　the　time　for　listening　to　sailor　yarns　and　ghost　and　witch　legends。　The　wonder　seems　somehow　to　have　faded　out　of　those　tales　of　eld　since　the　gleam　of　red…hot　coals　died　away　from　the　hearthstone。　The　shutting　up　of　the　great　fireplaces　and　the　introduction　of　stoves　marks　an　era；　the　abdication　of　shaggy　Romance　and　the　enthronement　of　elegant　Commonplace　sometimes；　alas！　the　opposite　of　elegantat　the　New　England　fireside。

Have　we　indeed　a　fireside　any　longer　in　the　old　sense？　It　hardly　seems　as　if　the　young　people　of　to…day　can　really　understand　the　poetry　of　English　domestic　life；　reading　it；　as　they　must；　by　a　reflected　illumination　from　the　past。　What　would　〃Cotter's　Saturday　Night〃　have　been；　if　Burns　had　written　it　by　the　opaque　heat　of　a　stove　instead　of　at　his

〃Wee　bit　ingle　blinkin'　bonnilie？〃

New　England　as　it　used　to　be　was　so　much　like　Scotland　in　many　of　its　ways　of　doing　and　thinking；　that　it　almost　seems　as　if　that　tender　poem　of　hearth…and…home　life　had　been　written　for　us　too。　I　can　see　the　features　of　my　father；　who　died　when　I　was　a　little　child；　whenever　I　read　the　familiar　verse：

〃The　cheerfu'　supper　done；　wi'　serious　face　They　round　the　ingle　form　a　circle　wide：　The　sire　turns　o'er；　wi'　patriarchal　grace；　The　big　ha'　Bible；　ance　his　father's　pride。〃

A　grave；　thoug