Home as Found - James Fenimore Cooper (ebook reader wifi txt) 📗

the "Letters," however, not one of

which had she read, or would she read; for this young lady had

contrived to gain a high reputation in her own _coterie_ for taste

and knowledge in books, by merely skimming the strictures of those

who do not even skim the works they pretend to analyze.

 

Eve had never before been in so close contact with so much flippant

ignorance, and she could not but wonder at seeing a man like her

kinsman overlooked, in order that a man like Mr. Dodge should be

preferred. All this gave John Effingham himself no concern, but

retiring a little from the crowd, he entered into a short

conversation with the young baronet.

 

"I should like to know your real opinions of this set," he said; "not

that I plead guilty to the childish sensibility that is so common in

all provincial circles to the judgments of strangers, but with a view

to aid you in forming a just estimate of the real state of the

country."

 

"As I know the precise connexion between you and our host, there can

be no objection to giving a perfectly frank reply. The women strike

me as being singularly delicate and pretty; well dressed, too, I

might add; but, while there is a great air of decency, there is very

little high finish; and what strikes me as being quite odd, under

such circumstances, scarcely any downright vulgarity, or coarseness."

 

"A Daniel come to judgment! One who had passed a life here, would not

have come so near the truth, simply because he would not have

observed peculiarities, that require the means of comparison to be

detected. You are a little too indulgent in saying there is no

downright vulgarity; for some there is; though surprisingly little

for the circumstances. But of the coarseness that would be so

prominent elsewhere, there is hardly any. True, so great is the

equality in all things, in this country, so direct the tendency to

this respectable mediocrity, that what you now see here, to-night,

may be seen in almost every village in the land, with a few

immaterial exceptions in the way of furniture and other city

appliances, and not much even in these."

 

"Certainly, as a mediocrity, this is respectable though a fastidious

taste might see a multitude of faults."

 

"I shall not say that the taste would be merely fastidious, for much

is wanting that would add to the grace and beauty of society, while

much that is wanting would be missed only by the over-sophisticated.

Those young-men, who are sniggering over some bad joke in the corner,

for instance, are positively vulgar, as is that young lady who is

indulging in practical coquetry; but, on the whole, there is little

of this; and, even our hostess, a silly woman, devoured with the

desire of being what neither her social position, education, habits

nor notions fit her to be, is less obtrusive, bustling, and

offensive, than a similar person, elsewhere."

 

"I am quite of your way of thinking, and intended to ask you to

account for it."

 

"The Americans are an imitative people of necessity, and they are apt

at this part of imitation, in particular. Then they are less

artificial in all their practices, than older and more sophisticated

nations; and this company has got that essential part of good

breeding, simplicity, as it were _per force_. A step higher in the

social scale, you will see less of it; for greater daring and bad

models lead to blunders in matters that require to be exceedingly

well done, if done at all. The faults here would be more apparent, by

an approach near enough to get into the tone of mind, the forms of

speech, and the attempts at wit."

 

"Which I think we shall escape to-night, as I see the ladies are

already making their apologies and taking leave. We must defer this

investigation to another time."

 

"It may be indefinitely postponed, as it would scarcely reward the

trouble of an inquiry."

 

The gentlemen now approached Mrs. Jarvis, paid their parting

compliments, hunted up Captain Truck, whom they tore by violence from

the good-natured hospitality of the master of the house, and then saw

the ladies into their carriage. As they drove off, the worthy mariner

protested that Mr. Jarvis was one of the honestest men he had ever

met, and announced that he intended giving him a dinner on board the

Montauk, the very next day.

 

The dwelling of Mrs. Hawker was in Hudson Square; or in a portion of

the city that the lovers of the grandiose are endeavouring to call

St. John's Park; for it is rather an amusing peculiarity among a

certain portion of the emigrants who have flocked into the Middle

States, within the last thirty years, that they are not satisfied

with permitting any family, or thing, to possess the name it

originally enjoyed, if there exists the least opportunity to change

There was but a carriage or two before the door, though the

strong lights in the house showed that company had collected.

 

"Mrs. Hawker is the widow and the daughter of men of long established

New-York families; she is childless, affluent, and universally

respected where known, for her breeding, benevolence, good sense, and

heart," said John Effingham, while the party was driving from one

house to the other. "Were you to go into most of the sets of this

town, and mention Mrs. Hawker's name, not one person in ten would

know there is such a being in their vicinity; the _pele mele_ of a

migratory population keeping persons of her character and condition

in life, quite out of view. The very persons who will prattle by the

hour, of the establishments of Mrs. Peleg Pond, and Mrs. Jonah Twist,

and Mrs. Abiram Wattles, people who first appeared on this island

five or six years since, and, who having accumulated what to them are

relatively large fortunes, have launched out into vulgar and

uninstructed finery, would look with surprise at hearing Mrs. Hawker

mentioned as one having any claims to social distinction. Her

historical names are overshadowed in their minds by the parochial

glories of certain local prodigies in the townships whence they

emigrated; her manners would puzzle the comprehension of people whose

imitation has not gone beyond the surface, and her polished and

simple mind would find little sympathy among a class who seldom rise

above a common-place sentiment without getting upon stilts."

 

"Mrs. Hawker, then, is a lady," observed Sir George Templemore.

 

"Mrs. Hawker is a lady, in every sense of the word; by position,

education, manners, association, mind, fortune and birth. I do not

know that we ever had more of her class than exist to-day, but

certainly we once had them more prominent in society."

 

"I suppose, sir," said Captain Truck, "that this Mrs. Hawker is of

what is called the old school?"

 

"Of a very ancient school, and one that is likely to continue, though

it may not be generally attended."

 

"I am afraid, Mr. John Effingham, that I shall be like a fish out of

water in such a house. I can get along very well with your Mrs.

Jarvis, and with the dear young lady in the other carriage; but the

sort of woman you have described, will be apt to jam a plain mariner

like myself. What in nature should I do, now, if she should ask me to

dance a minuet?"

 

"Dance it agreeably to the laws of nature," returned John Effingham,

as the carriages stopped.

 

A respectable, quiet, and an aged black admitted the party, though

even he did not announce the visiters, while he held the door of the

drawing-room open for them, with respectful attention. Mrs. Hawker

arose, and advanced to meet Eve and her companions, and though she

kissed the cousins affectionately, her reception of Mademoiselle

Viefville was so simply polite as to convince the latter she was

valued on account of her services. John Effingham, who was ten or

fifteen years the junior of the old lady, gallantly kissed her hand,

when he presented his two male companions. After paying the proper

attention to the greatest stranger, Mrs. Hawker turned to Captain

Truck and said--

 

"This, then, is the gentleman to whose skill and courage you all owe

so much--_we_ all owe so much, I might better have said--the

commander of the Montauk?"

 

"I have the honour of commanding that vessel, ma'am," returned

Captain Truck, who was singularly awed by the dignified simplicity of

his hostess, although her quiet, natural, and yet finished manner,

which extended even to the intonation of the voice, and the smallest

movement, were as unlike what he had expected as possible; "and with

such passengers as she had last voyage I can only say, it is a pity

that she is not better off for one to take care of her."

 

"Your passengers give a different account of the matter, but, in

order that I may judge impartially, do me the favour to take this

chair, and let me learn a few of the particulars from yourself."

 

Observing that Sir George Templemore had followed Eve to the other

side of the room, Mrs. Hawker now resumed her seat, and, without

neglecting any to attend to one in particular, or attending to one in

a way to make him feel oppressed, she contrived, in a few minutes, to

make the captain forget all about the minuet, and to feel much more

at his ease than would have been the case with Mrs. Jarvis, in a

month's intercourse.

 

In the mean time, Eve had crossed the room to join a lady whose smile

invited her to her side. This was a young, slightly framed female, of

a pleasing countenance, but who would not have been particularly

distinguished, in such a place, for personal charms. Still, her smile

was sweet, her eyes were soft, and the expression of her face was

what might almost be called illuminated As Sir George Templemore

followed her, Eve mentioned his name to her acquaintance, whom she

addressed as Mrs. Bloomfield.

 

"You are bent on perpetrating further gaiety to-night," said the

latter, glancing at the ball-dresses of the two cousins; "are you in

the colours of the Houston faction, or in those of the Peabody."

 

"Not in pea-green, certainly," returned Eve, laughing--"as you may

see; but in simple white."

 

"You intend then to be 'led a measure' at Mrs. Houston's. It were

more suitable than among the other faction."

 

"Is fashion, then, faction, in New-York?" inquired Sir George.

 

"Fractions would be a better word, perhaps. But we have parties in

almost every thing, in America; in politics, religion, temperance,

speculations, and taste; why not in fashion?"

 

"I fear we are not quite independent enough to form parties on such a

subject," said Eve.

 

"Perfectly well said, Miss Effingham; one must think a little

originally, let it be ever so falsely, in order to get up a fashion.

I fear we shall have to admit our insignificance on this point. You

are a late arrival, Sir George Templemore?"

 

"As lately as the commencement of this month; I had the honour of

being a fellow-passenger with Mr. Effingham and his family."

 

"In which voyage you suffered shipwreck, captivity, and famine, if

half we hear be true."

 

"Report has a little magnified our risks; we encountered some serious

dangers, but nothing amounting to the sufferings you have mentioned."

 

"Being a married woman, and having passed the crisis in which

deception is not practised, I expect to hear truth again," said Mrs.

Bloomfield, smiling. "I trust, however, you underwent enough to

qualify you all for heroes and heroines, and shall content myself

with knowing that you are here, safe and happy--if," she added,

looking inquiringly at Eve, "one who has been educated abroad _can_

be happy at home."

 

"One educated abroad _may_ be happy at home, though possibly not in

the modes most practised by the world," said Eve firmly.

 

"Without an opera, without a court, almost without society!"

 

"An opera would be desirable, I confess; of courts I know nothing,

unmarried females being cyphers in Europe; and I hope better things

than to think I shall be without society."

 

"Unmarried females are considered cyphers too, here, provided there

be enough of them with a good respectable digit at their head. I

assure you no one quarrels with the cyphers under such circumstances.

I think, Sir George Templemore, a town like this must be something of

a paradox to you."

 

"Might I venture to inquire the reason for this opinion!"

 

"Merely because it is neither one thing nor another. Not a capital,

nor yet merely a provincial place; with something more than commerce

in its bosom, and yet with that something hidden under a bushel. A

good deal more than Liverpool, and a good deal less than London.

Better even than Edinburgh, in many respects, and worse than Wapping,

in others."

 

"You have been abroad, Mrs. Bloomfield?"

 

"Not a foot out of my own country; scarcely a foot out of my own

state. I have been at Lake George, the Falls, and the Mountain House;

and, as one does not