elinor wyllys-2-第6章

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et　again；　not　exactly　by　accident　it　is　believed；　at　the　Sulphur　Springs；　in　Virginia。　His　good　opinion　of　Elinor　was　not　only　confirmed　by　this　intercourse；　but　his　admiration　very　much　increased。　It　was　only　natural　it　should　be　so；　the　more　one　knew　Elinor；　the　more　one　loved　her；　good　sense；　intelligence；　sweetness　of　disposition　like　her's；　united　to　the　simple　grace　of　manner；　peculiarly　her　own；　were　best　appreciated　by　those　who　saw　her　daily。　Quite　unaware　of　Mr。　Ellsworth's　views；　and　unconsciously　influenced　at　first；　perhaps；　by　the　fact　that　he　was　an　old　friend　of　Harry's；　she　soon　liked　him　as　a　companion；　and　received　him　with　something　more　than　mere　politeness。　〃It　is　always　pleasant　to　meet　with　an　agreeable；　gentlemanly；　well…informed　man；〃　thought　Elinor：　a　train　of　reflection　which　has　sometimes　carried　young　ladies　farther　than　they　at　first　intended。　Under　such　circumstances；　some　ardent　spirits　would　have　settled　the　question　during　a　fortnight　passed　with　the　lady　they　admired；　but　Mr。　Ellsworth；　though　he　thought　Elinor's　manner　encouraging；　did　not　care　to　hazard　a　hasty　declaration；　he　preferred　waiting　a　few　weeks；　until　they　should　meet　again　in　Philadelphia；　where　the　Wyllyses　intended　passing　the　winter。　But　unfortunately；　shortly　after　the　family　returned　home；　Miss　Agnes　was　taken　ill；　and　on　her　partial　recovery；　was　ordered　to　a　warm　climate　before　the　cold　weather；　and　Elinor　merely　passed　through　Philadelphia　on　her　way　to　the　West　Indies；　with　her　aunt　and　grandfather。　Mr。　Ellsworth　was；　of　course；　disappointed；　he　expressed　his　regrets　as　warmly　as　he　dared；　during　a　morning　visit；　in　a　room　half…full　of　company；　and　he　hinted　in　terms　so　pointed　at　his　hopes　of　a　happy　meeting　in　the　spring；　that　Elinor's　suspicions　were　for　the　first　time　excited；　while　those　of　Mr。　Wyllys　and　Miss　Agnes　were　only　confirmed。　Since　then；　Mr。　Ellsworth　and　Elinor　had　only　seen　each　other　once；　in　the　street；　until　they　met　on　board　the　steamboat；　on　their　way　to　Saratoga。

｛〃Old　Point　Comfort〃　=　a　sea…side　resort　near　Hampton；　Virginia｝



CHAPTER　III。　｛XXVI｝

〃Who　comes　here？〃　As　You　Like　It。

｛William　Shakespeare；　〃As　You　Like　It〃；　II。vii。87　or　III。iv。46｝

THERE　was　to　be　a　Temperance　meeting　at　Longbridge；　one　of　more　importance　than　usual；　as　a　speaker　of　note　was　to　be　heard　on　the　occasion。

〃Are　you　ready；　Catherine？〃　inquired　Mr。　Clapp　of　his　wife；　appearing　at　the　parlour…door；　holding　his　hat　and　cane　in　one　hand；　and　running　the　other　through　his　brown　curls。

〃Wait　one　minute；　dear；　until　I　have　put　a　clean　collar　on　Willie。〃

Little　Willie；　who　had　been　hopping　about　the　room；　delighted　with　the　importance　of　sitting　up　later　than　his　younger　brothers　and　sisters；　was　persuaded　to　stand　still　for　a　few　seconds；　while　his　mother　tied　on　the　clean　collar；　when　Mr。　Clapp；　his　wife；　and　eldest　boy　set　out　for　the　meeting…house；　which　they　found　already　half…filled。　They　were　beckoned　into　a　pew　near　to　one　already　occupied　by　the　Van　Hornes；　Miss　Patsey；　and　Charlie。　As　the　evening　was　very　pleasant；　men；　women；　and　children　crowded　in；　until　a　large　audience　was　brought　together；　urged；　as　usual；　by　different　motives；　some　came　from　curiosity；　others　from　always　preferring　an　evening　in　public　to　an　evening　at　home；　some；　from　sincere　respect　for　the　object　of　the　meeting；　many　for　the　sake　of　the　speeches；　and　many　others　merely　because　they　were　ever　ready　to　follow　the　general　example。　Mr。　Clapp　had　no　sooner　found　seats　for　his　wife　and　child；　than　he　began　to　look　about　him；　his　eye　wandered　over　the　heads　around；　apparently　in　quest　of　some　one；　at　length　his　search　seemed　successful；　it　rested　on　a　man；　whose　whole　appearance　and　dress　proclaimed　him　to　be　a　sailor。

The　meeting　was　opened　by　prayer；　two　different　ministers　officiating　on　the　occasion；　one；　a　venerable…looking　old　man；　offered　a　simple；　fervent；　Christian　prayer；　the　second；　a　much　younger　person；　placing　one　hand　in　his　waistcoat　pocket；　the　other　under　the　flaps　of　his　coat；　advanced　to　the　front　of　the　staging；　and　commenced；　what　was　afterwards　pronounced　one　of　the　〃most　eloquent　prayers　ever　addressed　to　a　congregation。〃

The　speeches　then　followed。　The　first　speaker；　who　seemed　the　business…man　of　the　evening；　gave　some　account　of　the　statistics　of　the　Society；　concluding　with　a　short　address　to　those　present；　hoping　they　would；　upon　that　occasion；　enrol　their　names　as　Members　of　the　Longbridge　Temperance　Society。

The　principal　orator　of　the　evening；　Mr。　Strong；　then　came　forward；　he　made　a　speech　of　some　length；　and　one　that　was　very　impressive。　Nothing　could　be　more　clear；　more　just；　more　true；　than　the　picture　he　drew　of　the　manifold　evils　of　intemperance；　a　vice　so　deceitful　in　its　first　appearance；　so　treacherous　in　its　growth；　so　degrading；　so　brutalizing　in　its　enjoyments；　so　blasting　and　ruinous　in　its　effectsruinous　to　body　and　mind；　heart　and　soulblasting　all　hopes　for　this　life　and　for　the　next；　so　long　as　it　remains　unconquered。　He　entreated　his　friends　to　count　the　cost　of　indulgence　in　this　vice；　loss　of　property；　loss　of　health；　loss　of　character；　loss　of　intellect　and　feeling；　loss　of　conscience；　until　roused　in　those　fearful　moments　of　terror　and　fury；　the　peculiar　punishment　of　drunkenness。　He　begged　his　hearers　to　look　at　this　evil　under　all　its　aspects；　from　the　moment　it　destroys　the　daily　peace　of　its　miserable　victims　and　all　connected　with　them；　until　it　leaves　them；　in　death；　without　a　hope；　exposed　to　the　fearful　penalty　of　sin。　As　he　went　on；　the　heart　of　many　a　wretched　wife　and　mother　acknowledged　the　bitter　truth　of　his　observations；　many　a　guilty　conscience　shrunk　under　the　probe。　He　then　made　a　just　and　reasonable　estimate　of　the　difficulties　to　be　resisted　in　conquering　this　evil；　he　did　not　attempt　to　deny　that　there　were　obstacles　to　be　overcome；　he　showed　all　the　force　of　bad　habit；　all　the　danger　of　temptationbut　if　there　were　difficulties　in　the　way；　it　was　equally　true　that　the　power　to　subdue　them　was　fully　within　the　reach　of　every　man。　He　went　on　to　represent　the　happy　effects　of　a　change　from　evil　to　good；　a　restoration　to　usefulness；　peace；　comfort；　and　respectability；　which　has　happily　been　seen　in　many　an　instance。　He　concluded　by　appealing　to　his　hearers　as　men；　to　shake　off　a　debasing　slavery；　as　Christians；　to　flee　from　a　heinous　sin；　and　he　entreated　them；　if　they　had　not　done　so　before；　to　take；　on　that　evening；　the　first　step　in　the　cheering；　honourable；　blessed　course　of　temperance。

Mr。　Strong's　speech　was；　in　fact；　excellent；　all　he　said　was　perfectly　true；　it　was　well…expressed；　and　his　manner　was　easy；　natural；　and　dignified。

He　was　followed　by　William　Cassius　Clapp；　the　lawyer　had　been　very　anxious　to　speak　at　this　meeting。　Temperance　societies　were　very　popular　at　that　time　in　Longbridge；　and　he　was；　of　course；　desirous　of　not　losing　so　good　an　opportunity　of　appearing　before　the　public　on　such　an　occasion；　he　thought　it　would　help　him　on　in　his　road　towards　the　Assembly。　Running　his　fingers　through　his　curls；　he　took　his　place　on　the　stage；　and　commenced。　He　was　very　fluent　by　nature；　and　in　animation；　in　fanatical　zeal　for　the　cause；　he　far　surpassed　Mr。　Strong：　any　other　cause；　by…the…bye；　had　it　been　popular；　would　have　suited　him　just　as　well。　In　assertion；　in　denunciation；　he　distinguished　himself　particularly；　he　called　upon　every　individual　present　to　come　forward　and　sign　the　pledge；　under　penalty　of　public　disgrace；　it　was　the　will　of　the　community　that　the　pledge　should　be　signed；　public　opinion　demanded　it；　the　public　will　required　it；　every　individual　present　who　neglected　to　sign　the　pledge　of　total　abstinence；　he　pronounced　to　be　〃instigated　by　aristocratic　pride；〃　and　would　leave　that　house；　stigmatized　as　〃anti…Christian；　and　anti…republican；〃　and　in　conclusion　he　threw　in　something　about　〃liberty。〃

Mr。　Clapp　sat　down　amid　much　applause；　his　speech　was　warmly　admired　by　a　portion　of　his　hearers。　All　did　not　seem　to　agree　on　the　subject；　however；　to　judge；　at　least；　by　their　manner　and　expression；　for；　during　the　delivery　of　their　brother…in…law's　oration；　Miss　Patsey　Hubbard　seemed　to　be　generally　looking　down　at　the　floor；　while　Charlie　was　looking　up　at　the　ceiling：　and　there　were　many　others　present；　who　thought　Mr。　Clapp's　fluency　much　more　striking　than　his　common　sense；　or　his　sincerity。　It　is　always　painful　to　hear　a　good　cause　injured　by　a　bad　defence；　to　see　truth　disgraced　by　unworthy　weapons　employed　in　her　name。　It　would　have　been　quite　impossible　for　Mr。　Clapp　to　prove　half　his　bold　assertions；　to　justify　half　his　sweeping　denunciations。　Still；　in　spite　of　the　fanatical　character　of　some　of　the　advocates　of　Temperance；　who　distort　her　just　proportions　as　a　virtuelovely　in　her　own　true　characteryet　drunkenness　is　a　vice　so　hateful；　that　one　would　never　wish　to　oppose　any　society；　however　imperfectly　managed；　whose　object　is　to　oppose　that　dangerous　and　common　evil。　Let　it　not　be　forgotten；　however；　that　total　abstinence　from　spirituous　liquors　is　not　the　one　great　duty　of　man；　intemperance　is　not　the　only　sin　to　which　human　nature　is　inclined。　

Mr。　Clapp's　speech　was　the　last　for　the　evening。

〃I　wish　you　joy；　Mrs。　Clapp；〃　said　Mrs。　Tibbs；　leaning　forward　from　the　seat　behind　the　lawyer's　pretty　little　wife；　and　nodding　as　she　spoke。

〃I　really　congratulate　you；　Mr。　Clapp　has　surpassed　himself；　such　animation；　such　a　flow　of　eloquence！〃　added　Mrs。　Bibbs。

Kate　smiled；　and　looked　much　gratified；　she　evidently　admired　her　husband's　speeches　as　much　as　she　did　his　hair。

The　moment　for　enrolling　new　names　had　now　come；　numbers　of　the　audience　went　forward　to　sign　the　Total　Abstinence　Pledge。　There　was　one　worthy　woman；　a　widow；　sitting　near　Miss　Patsey；　whose　only　son　had；　during　the　last　year　or　two；　fallen　into　habits　of　intemperance；　his　attention　had　quite　lately　been　attracted　to　the　Temperance　Societies；　he　had　read　their　publications；　had　been　struck　by　a　short　speech　of　Mr。　Strong　on　a　former　occasion；　and　his　mother's　joy　may　possibly　be　imagined；　as　she　saw　him　rise　and　add　his　name　to　the　list　of　members　engaging　to　abstain　from　intoxicating　liquors。　There　were　several　others　whose　hearts　were　cheered；　on　the　same　occasion；　by　seeing　those　they　loved　best；　those　over　whom　they　had　often　mourned；　take　this　step　towards　reformation。　Among　the　rest；　a　man　dressed　as　a　sailor　was　seen　approaching　the　table；　when　his　turn　came　he　put　down　his　name；　and　this　was　no　sooner　done；　than　Mr。　Clapp　advanced　and　shook　him　warmly　by　the　hand。

〃Who　is　that　man；　Catherine；　speaking　to　Mr。　Clapp？he　looks　like　a　sailor；〃　inquired　Miss　Patsey。

〃I　don't　know　who　it　is；　some　client　I　suppose；　William　seemed　very　much　pleased　at　his　signing。〃

Mr。　Clapp；　after　shaking　hands　with　his　friend；　the　sailor；　made　his　way　through　the　crowd；　until　he　reached　the　pew　where　his　wife　and　little　boy　were　sitting。　Taking　Willie　by　the　hand；　he　led　him　to　the　table；　placed　the　pen　in　his　fingers；　and　left　him　to　write　William　C。　Clapp；　jr。　as　well　as　he　couldno　easy　matter；　by…the…bye；　for　the　child　was　not　very　expert　in　capital　letters。　As　Willie　was　the　youngest　individual　on　the　list；　his　signature　was　received　by　a　bu