a new england girlhood-第29章

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that　it　should　be　unfamiliar　to　modern　girlhood；Ware's　〃Zenobia。〃　The　Queen　of　Palmyra　walked　among　us；　and　held　a　lofty　place　among　our　ideals　of　heroic　womanhood；　never　yet　obliterated　from　admiring　remembrance。

We　had　the　delight　of　reading　Frederika　Bremer's　〃Home〃　and　〃Neighbors〃　when　they　were　　fresh　from　the　fountains　of　her　own　heart；　and　some　of　us　must　not　be　blamed　for　feeling　as　if　no　tales　of　domestic　life　half　so　charming　have　been　written　since。　Perhaps　it　is　partly　because　the　home…life　of　Sweden　is　in　itself　so　delightfully　unique。

We　read　George　Borrow's　〃Bible　in　Spain；〃　and　wandered　with　him　among　the　gypsies　to　whom　he　seemed　to　belong。　I　have　never　forgotten　a　verse　that　this　strange　traveler　picked　up　somewhere　among　the　Zincali：

〃I'll　joyfully　labor；　both　night　and　day；　To　aid　my　unfortunate　brothers；　As　a　laundress　tans　her　own　face　in　the　ray　To　cleanse　the　garments　of　others。〃

It　suggested　a　somewhat　similar　verse　to　my　own　mind。　Why　should　not　our　washerwoman's　work　have　its　touch　of　poetry　also？

This　thought　flashed　by　like　a　ray　of　light　That　brightened　my　homely　labor：　The　water　is　making　my　own　hands　white　While　I　wash　the　robes　of　my　neighbor。

And　how　delighted　we　were　with　Mrs。　Kirkland's　〃A　New　Home：　Who'll　Follow？〃　the　first　real　Western　book　I　ever　read。　Its　genuine　pioneer…flavor　was　delicious。　And；　moreover；　it　was　a　prophecy　to　Sarah；　Emilie；　and　myself；　who　were　one　day　thankful　enough　to　find　an　〃Aunty　Parshall's　dish…kettle〃　in　a　cabin　on　an　Illinois　prairie。

So　the　pleasantly　occupied　years　slipped　on；　I　still　nursing　my　purpose　of　a　more　systematic　course　of　study；　though　I　saw　no　near　possibility　of　its　fulfillment。　It　came　in　an　unexpected　way；　as　almost　everything　worth　having　does　come。　I　could　never　have　dreamed　that　I　was　going　to　meet　my　opportunity　nearly　or　quite　a　thousand　miles　away；　on　the　banks　of　the　Mississippi。　And　yet；　with　that　strange；　delightful　consciousness　of　growth　into　a　comprehension　of　one's　self　and　of　one's　life　that　most　young　persons　must　occasionally　have　experienced；　I　often　vaguely　felt　heavens　opening　for　my　half…fledged　wings　to　try　themselves　in。　Things　about　me　were　good　and　enjoyable；　but　I　could　not　quite　rest　in　them；　there　was　more　for　me　to　be；　to　know；　and　to　do。　I　felt　almost　surer　of　the　future　than　of　the　present。

If　the　dream　of　the　millennium　which　brightened　the　somewhat　sombre　close　of　the　first　ten　years　of　my　life　had　faded　a　little；　out　of　the　very　roughnesses　of　the　intervening　road　light　had　been　kindled　which　made　the　end　of　the　second　ten　years　glow　with　enthusiastic　hope。　I　had　early　been　saved　from　a　great　mistake；　for　it　is　the　greatest　of　mistakes　to　begin　life　with　the　expectation　that　it　is　going　to　be　easy；　or　with　the　wish　to　have　it　so。　What　a　world　it　would　be；　if　there　were　no　hills　to　climb！　Our　powers　were　given　us　that　we　might　conquer　obstacles；　and　clear　obstructions　from　the　overgrown　human　path；　and　grow　strong　by　striving；　led　onward　always　by　an　Invisible　Guide。

Life　to　me；　as　I　looked　forward；　was　a　bright　blank　of　mystery；　like　the　broad　Western　tracts　of　our　continent；　which　in　the　atlases　of　those　days　bore　the　title　of　〃Unexplored　Regions。〃　It　was　to　be　penetrated；　struggled　through；　and　its　difficulties　were　not　greatly　dreaded；　for　I　had　not　lost

〃The　dream　of　Doing；　The　first　bound　in　the　pursuing。〃

I　knew　that　there　was　no　joy　like　the　joy　of　pressing　forward。

XII。

FROM　THE　MERRIMACK　TO　THE　MISSISSIPPI。

THE　years　between　1835　and　1845；　which　nearly　cover　the　time　I　lived　at　Lowell；　seem　to　me；　as　I　look　back　at　them；　singularly　interesting　years。　People　were　guessing　and　experimenting　and　wondering　and　prophesying　about　a　great　many　things；about　almost　everything。　We　were　only　beginning　to　get　accustomed　to　steamboats　and　railroads。　To　travel　by　either　was　scarcely　less　an　adventure　to　us　younger　ones　than　going　up　in　a　balloon。

Phrenology　was　much　talked　about；　and　numerous　〃professors〃　of　it　came　around　lecturing；　and　examining　heads；　and　making　charts　of　cranial　〃bumps。〃　This　was　profitable　business　to　them　for　a　while；　as　almost　everybody　who　invested　in　a　〃character〃　received　a　good　one；　while　many　very　commonplace　people　were　flattered　into　the　belief　that　they　were　geniuses；　or　might　be　if　they　chose。

Mesmerism　followed　close　upon　phrenology；　and　this　too　had　its　lecturers；　who　entertained　the　stronger　portion　of　their　audiences　by　showing　them　how　easily　the　weaker　ones　could　be　brought　under　an　uncanny　influence。

The　most　widespread　delusion　of　the　time　was　Millerism。　A　great　many　personsand　yet　not　so　many　that　I　knew　even　one　of　them　believed　that　the　end　of　the　world　was　coming　in　the　year　1842；　though　the　date　was　postponed　from　year　to　year；　as　the　prophesy　failed　of　fulfillment。　The　idea　in　itself　was　almost　too　serious　to　be　jested　about；　and　yet　its　advocates　made　it　so　literal　a　matter　that　it　did　look　very　ridiculous　to　unbelievers。

An　irreverent　little　workmate　of　mine　in　the　spinning…room　made　a　string　of　jingling　couplets　about　it；　like　this：

〃Oh　dear！　oh　dear！　what　shall　we　do　In　eighteen　hundred　and　forty…two？

〃Oh　dear！　oh　dear！　where　shall　we　be　In　eighteen　hundred　and　forty…three？

〃Oh　dear！　oh　dear！　we　shall　be　no　more　In　eighteen　hundred　and　forty…four；

〃Oh　dear！　oh　dear！　we　sha'n't　be　alive　In　eighteen　hundred　and　forty…five。〃

I　thought　it　audacious　in　her；　since　surely　she　and　all　of　us　were　aware　that　the　world　would　come　to　an　end　some　time；　in　some　way；　for　every　one　of　us。　I　said　to　myself　that　I　could　not　have　〃made　up〃　those　rhymes。　Nevertheless　we　all　laughed　at　them　together。

A　comet　appeared　at　about　the　time　of　the　Miller　excitement；　and　also　a　very　unusual　illumination　of　sky　and　earth　by　the　Aurora　Borealis。　This　latter　occurred　in　midwinter。　The　whole　heavens　were　of　a　deep　rose…coloralmost　crimsonreddest　at　the　zenith；　and　paling　as　it　radiated　towards　the　horizon。　The　snow　was　fresh　on　the　ground；　and　that；　too；　was　of　a　brilliant　red。　Cold　as　it　was；　windows　were　thrown　up　all　around　us　for　people　to　look　out　at　the　wonderful　sight。　I　was　gazing　with　the　rest；　and　listening　to　exclamations　of　wonder　from　surrounding　unseen　beholders；　when　somebody　shouted　from　far　down　the　opposite　block　of　buildings；　with　startling　effect；

〃You　can't　stand　the　fire　In　that　great　day！〃

It　was　the　refrain　of　a　Millerite　hymn。　The　Millerites　believed　that　these　signs　in　the　sky　were　omens　of　the　approaching　catastrophe。　And　it　was　said　that　some　of　them　did　go　so　far　as　to　put　on　white　〃ascension　robes；〃　and　assemble　somewhere；　to　wait　for　the　expected　hour。

When　daguerreotypes　were　first　made；　when　we　heard　that　the　sun　was　going　to　take　everybody's　portrait；　it　seemed　almost　too　great　a　marvel　to　be　believed。　While　it　was　yet　only　a　rumor　that　such　a　thing　had　been　done；　somewhere　across　the　sea；　I　saw　some　verses　about　it　which　impressed　me　much；　but　which　I　only　partly　remember。　These　were　the　opening　lines：　〃Oh；　what　if　thus　our　evil　deeds　Are　mirrored　on　the　sky；　And　every　line　of　our　wild　lives　Daguerreotyped　on　high！〃

My　sister　and　I　considered　it　quite　an　event　when　we　went　to　have　our　daguerreotypes　taken　just　before　we　started　for　the　West。　The　photograph　was　still　an　undeveloped　mystery。

Things　that　looked　miraculous　then　are　commonplace　now。　It　almost　seems　as　if　the　children　of　to…day　could　not　have　so　good　a　time　as　we　did；　science　has　left　them　so　little　to　wonder　about。　Our　attitudethe　attitude　of　the　timewas　that　of　children　climbing　their　dooryard　fence；　to　watch　an　approaching　show；　and　to　conjecture　what　more　remarkable　spectacle　could　be　following　behind。　New　England　had　kept　to　the　quiet　old…fashioned　ways　of　living　for　the　first　fifty　years　of　the　Republic。　Now　all　was　expectancy。　Changes　were　coming。　Things　were　going　to　happen；　nobody　could　guess　what。

Things　have　happened；　and　changes　have　come。　The　New　England　that　has　grown　up　with　the　last　fifty　years　is　not　at　all　the　New　England　that　our　fathers　knew。　We　speak　of　having　been　reared　under　Puritanic　influences；　but　the　traditionary　sternness　of　these　was　much　modified；　even　in　the　childhood　of　the　generation　to　which　I　belong。　　We　did　not　recognize　the　grim　features　of　the　Puritan；　as　we　used　sometimes　to　read　about　him；　in　our　parents　or　relatives。　And　yet　we　were　children　of　the　Puritans。

Everything　that　was　new　or　strange　came　to　us　at　Lowell。　And　most　of　the　remarkable　people　of　the　day　came　also。　How　strange　it　was　to　see　Mar　Yohannan；　a　Nestorian　bishop；　walking　through　the　factory　yard　in　his　Oriental　robes　with　more　than　a　child's　wonder　on　his　face　at　the　stir　and　rush　of　everything！　He　came　from　Boston　by　railroad；　and　was　present　at　the　wedding　at　the　clergyman's　house　where　he　visited。　The　rapidity　of　the　simple　Congregational　service　astonished　him。

〃What？　Marry　on　railroad；　too？〃　he　asked。

Dickens　visited　Lowell　while　I　was　there；　and　gave　a　good　report　of　what　he　saw　in　his　〃American　Notes。〃　We　did　not　leave　work　even　to　gaze　at　distinguished　strangers；　so　I　missed　seeing　him。　But　a　friend　who　did　see　him　sketched　his　profile　in　pencil　for　me　as　he　passed　along　the　street。　He　was　then　best　known　as　〃Boz。〃

Many　of　the　prominent　men　of　the　country　were　in　the　habit　of　giving　Lyceum　lectures；　and　the　Lyceum　lecture　of　that　day　was　a　means　of　education；　conveying　to　the　people　the　results　of　study　and　thought　through　the　best　minds。　At　Lowell　it　was　more　patronized　by　the　mill…people　than　any　mere　entertainment。　We　had　John　Quincy　Adams；　Edward　Everett；　John　Pierpont；　and　Ralph　Waldo　Emerson　among　our　lecturers；　with　numerous　distinguished　clergymen　of　the　day。　Daniel　Webster　was　once　in　the　city；　trying　a　law　case。　Some　of　my　girl　friends　went　to　the　court…room　and　had　a　glimpse　of　his　face；　but　I　just　missed　seeing　him。

Sometimes　an　Englishman；　who　was　studying　our　national　institutions；　would　call　and　have　a　friendly　talk　with　us　at　work。　Sometimes　it　was　a　traveler　from　the　South；　who　was　interested　in　some　way。　I　remember　one；　an　editor　and　author　from　Georgia；　who　visited　our　Improvement　Circle；　and　who　sent　some　of　us　〃Offering〃　contributors　copies　of　his　book　after　he　had　returned　home。

One　of　the　pleasantest　visitors　that　I　recall　was　a　young　Quaker　woman　from　Philadelphia；　a　school…teacher；　who　came　to　see　for　herself　how　the　Lowell　girls　lived；　of　whom　she　had　heard　so　much。　A　deep；　quiet　friendship　grew　up　between　us　two。　I　wrote　some　verses　for　her　when　we　parted；　and　she　sent　me　one　cordial；　charmingly…written　letter。　In　a　few　weeks　I　answered　it；　but　the　response　was　from　another　person；　a　near　relative。　She　was　dead。　But　she　still　remains　a　real　person　to　me；　I　often　recall　her　features　and　the　tone　of　her　voice。　It　was　as　if　a　beautiful　spirit　from　an　invisible　world　had　slipped　in　among　us；　and　quickly　gone　back　again。

It　was　an　event　to　me；　and　to　my　immediate　friends　among　the　mill…girls；　when　the　poet　Whittier　came　to　Lowell　to　stay　awhile。　I　had　not　supposed　that　it　would　be　my　good　fortune　to　meet　him；　but　one　evening　when　we　assembled　at　the　〃Improvement　Circle；〃　he　was　there。　The　〃Offering〃　editor；　Miss　Harriet　Farley；　had　lived　in　the　same　town　with　him；　and　they　wer