按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
articles of her furniture being sold for money to pay
her tithes。 It must have been an impressive picture；
and it was one with which the community became
thoroughly familiar； as the determined old lady
never won her fight and never abandoned it。 She
had at least the comfort of public sympathy； for she
was by far the most popular woman in the country…
side。 Her neighbors admired her courage； perhaps
they appreciated still more what she did for them；
for she spent all her leisure in the homes of the very
poor； mending their clothing and teaching them to
sew。 Also； she left behind her a path of cleanliness
as definite as the line of foam that follows a ship；
for it soon became known among her protegees that
Nicolas Stott was as much opposed to dirt as she
was to the payment of tithes。
She kept her children in the schools of the duke and
duchess until they had completed the entire course
open to them。 A hundred times； and among many
new scenes and strange people； I have heard my
mother describe her own experiences as a pupil。
All the children of the dependents of the castle were
expected to leave school at fourteen years of age。
During their course they were not allowed to study
geography； because； in the sage opinion of their elders；
knowledge of foreign lands might make them dis…
contented and inclined to wander。 Neither was com…
position encouragedthat might lead to the writing
of love…notes！ But they were permitted to absorb
all the reading and arithmetic their little brains
could hold； while the art of sewing was not only
encouraged； but proficiency in it was stimulated by
the award of prizes。 My mother； being a rather pre…
cocious young person； graduated at thirteen and
carried off the first prize。 The garment she made
was a linen chemise for the duchess； and the little
needlewoman had embroidered on it； with her own
hair； the august lady's coat of arms。 The offering
must have been appreciated； for my mother's story
always ended with the same words； uttered with the
same air of gentle pride； ‘‘And the duchess gave me
with her own hands my Bible and my mug of beer！''
She never saw anything amusing in this association
of gifts； and I always stood behind her when she told
the incident； that she might not see the disrespectful
mirth it aroused in me。
My father and mother met in Alnwick； and were
married in February； 1835。 Ten years after his
marriage father was forced into bankruptcy by the
passage of the corn law； and to meet the obliga…
tions attending his failure he and my mother
sold practically everything they possessedtheir
home； even their furniture。 Their little sons； who
were away at school； were brought home； and
the family expenses were cut down to the barest
margin； but all these sacrifices paid only part of the
debts。 My mother； finding that her early gift had
a market value； took in sewing。 Father went to
work on a small salary； and both my parents saved
every penny they could lay aside； with the desperate
determination to pay their remaining debts。 It was a
long struggle and a painful one； but they finally won
it。 Before they had done so； however； and during their
bleakest days； their baby died； and my mother； like
her mother before her； paid the penalty of being
outside the fold of the Church of England。 She；
too； was a Unitarian； and her baby； therefore； could
not be laid in any consecrated burial…ground in her
neighborhood。 She had either to bury it in the
Potter's Field； with criminals； suicides； and paupers；
or to take it by stage…coach to Alnwick； twenty
miles away； and leave it in the little Unitarian church…
yard where； after her strenuous life； Nicolas Stott
now lay in peace。 She made the dreary journey
alone； with the dear burden across her lap。
In 1846； my parents went to London。 There
they did not linger long； for the big； indifferent city
had nothing to offer them。 They moved to New…
castle…on…Tyne； and here I was born； on the four…
teenth day of February； in 1847。 Three boys and
two girls had preceded me in the family circle； and
when I was two years old my younger sister came。
We were little better off in Newcastle than in
London； and now my father began to dream the
great dream of those days。 He would go to America。
Surely； he felt； in that land of infinite promise all
would be well with him and his。 He waited for the
final payment of his debts and for my younger
sister's birth。 Then he bade us good…by and sailed
away to make an American home for us； and in
the spring of 1851 my mother followed him with her
six children； starting from Liverpool in a sailing…
vessel； the John Jacob Westervelt。
I was then little more than four years old； and the
first vivid memory I have is that of being on ship…
board and having a mighty wave roll over me。 I was
lying on what seemed to be an enormous red box
under a hatchway； and the water poured from above；
almost drowning me。 This was the beginning of a
storm which raged for days； and I still have of it a
confused memory； a sort of nightmare； in which
strange horrors figure； and which to this day haunts
me at intervals when I am on the sea。 The thing
that stands out most strongly during that period is
the white face of my mother； ill in her berth。 We
were with five hundred emigrants on the lowest
deck of the ship but one； and as the storm grew
wilder an unreasoning terror filled our fellow…pas…
sengers。 Too ill to protect her helpless brood； my
mother saw us carried away from her for hours at a
time； on the crests of waves of panic that sometimes
approached her and sometimes receded； as they
swept through the black hole in which we found our…
selves when the hatches were nailed down。 No mad…
house； I am sure； could throw more hideous pictures
on the screen of life than those which met our childish
eyes during the appalling three days of the storm。
Our one comfort was the knowledge that our mother
was not afraid。 She was desperately ill； but when
we were able to reach her； to cling close to her for a
blessed interval； she was still the sure refuge she had
always been。
On the second day the masts went down； and on
the third day the disabled ship； which now had
sprung a leak and was rolling helplessly in the
trough of the sea； was rescued by another ship and
towed back to Queenstown； the nearest port。 The
passengers； relieved of their anxieties； went from
their extreme of fear to an equal extreme of drunken
celebration。 They laughed； sang； and danced； but
when we reached the shore many of them returned
to the homes they had left； declaring that they had
had enough of the ocean。 We； however； remained
on the ship until she was repaired； and then sailed
on her again。 We were too poor to return home；
indeed； we had no home to which we could return。
We were even too poor to live ashore。 But we made
some penn