dant, except in the vegetable season, when it abounded in
esculent delicacies, Mr, Egerton never sold the delicious
productions of his garden, though his maligners, particu-
larly the losers in the ' Daily ' race, affirmed solemnly upon
all possible and impossible occasions, that he did. A gentle
nap followed the repast, which was always enjoyed in-an
upright chair in what Mr, Egerton was pleased to denomi-
nate his library, though how a room came to bear the blush-
ing honors of such a high-sounding title, in which book there
was none, remained to be explained, Mr, Egerton working
up all his literature at the public expense, bought no books,
hired no books, and subscribed to no newspapers.
At four in the winter, and five in summer, he might be
regularly seen in Washington street, solemnly bent upon ' a
constitutional walk' to the Roxbury boundary line, an undis-
covered bourne from which travellers do return. This he
regarded somethinn; in the light of a pilgrimage to Hvgcia,
without the accompanying peas in the shoes, and quite
equivalent to the possession of any cardinal virtue extant.
In fact, he absolutely believed it to be his duty to impress
upon the mind of the only woman to whom he condescended
to impart his sentiments on small matters, to wit, his own
sister, that she could not be regarded as strictly correct in
his eyes, if she did not go and do likewise. Mrs, Sanderson
28
THE BARCLAYS
concluded to pay this terrible penalty, and chose another
passage-way to heaven when she went forth, which was,
however, rarely, except on Sundays.
This grave excursion completed, (Mr. Egerton's vespers,)
he returned home, drank one small cup of very weak tea,
ate one morsel of dry bread without butter, by way of a sal-
utary example, and immediately retired into his ' library,'
with one candle, which, the maligners positively asserted, he
always extinguished the moment he shut the door of his
sanctum, and was seen no more. At nine of the old clock,
which stood on the first broad landing of the stairs and a
treasure of antiquity it was he ascended, with measured
steps and slow, to his dormitory, making his transit as im-
pressive and sonorous as he could, in order that his house-
hold might know he had retired.
No pleasant fireside chat for the bachelor !
Soon came the lamented flitting for Mrs. Sanderson, too
soon by far : such a distressing parting from even the bare
walls, which had witnessed her departed liappincss ! She
left the small, delightful dwelling where her every wish had
been gratified, nay, even anticipated, to enter a house to
which Catherine of Russia's ice palace was a comfortable
residence for that had lights and fires to live with an
unsympathizlng, avaricious "nd egotistical man, and that
man her own brother ! thereby duplicating her misfortune,
Mrs. Sanderson, moreover, believed that her relative would
prove to be no litting example for her children, for how was
she to hold forth to them the merits of the very qualities he
lacked .' How was she to bid them avoid the very sins their
own uncle, every day, committed before their eyes ? Oh !
there were trying moments, when she almost felt she could
not do this ; she could not enter her late father's house the
sacrifice was too great.
And then she remembered there was another Father's
house, even a heavenly one, of which the promise was
given, and that He would protect her darlings ; and she put
OF BOSTON. 29
her trust in Him. It was necessary to begin her arrange-
ments at the old place before the winter should set in : and
many were the alterations to be made. All clashing with
Mr. Egerton's inner life was to be avoided; the children
must be far removed from him, as he could not be supposed
to be very tolerant of noisy young things, with drums, fifes,
and penny whistles. But here her brother's habits, so very
methodically exact, were decidedly in her favor, as she
would only be obliged to keep the little boys quiet when he
was at home ; when absent, they might run wild about the
upper part of the house, in the large chambers and garrets.
The children would hardly ever behold their uncle, except-
ing at meals, and they must be commanded to be orderly
and quiet, which was all for the best. Then she must en-
deavor to give as pleasant a view of Mr. Egerton's peculiar
character as she could, always impressing upon their young
minds and hearts his great kindness in affording them an
asylum when they had no shelter ; and then they must re-
member how large and commodious was thai shelter, and
how infinitely charming the dear old garden !
So Mrs. Sanderson made surprising efforts, and had par-
tially succeeded in composing herself, when the hour arrived
for her departure, and she found herself once more in her
father's house. Alas ! groaned the bereaved young crea-
ture, if it were indeed my heavenly Father's house ! and
then she looked upon her boys, and mounted the grand stair-
case, and entered the sparsely furnished and frigid looking
chambers. Mr. Egerton was out on his constitutional walk,
and would not have omitted his ' vespers ' for all the widow-
ed sisters in Christendom.
30 THE BARCLAYS
CHAPTER IV.
We know not love till those we love depart.
L. K. L.
It was a cold, dreary and drizzling autumnal evening,
with a pestilent east wind blowing in every direction, when
Mrs. Sanderson reached the old house. She was met at the
grand front entrance by Dinah, Mr. Egcrton's black cook,
and Peter, the house servant, butler, valet and gardener ;
they both were over-delighted to welcome her and the boys,
whose arrival they had been anticipating with immense
pleasure.
' We've bell waitin and waitin hours for you, Miss
Emma,' cried Dinah, ' and begun to think you'd nebber
come ; but massy me, I'm thankful you're all here at last.'
Whereupon Dinah began to hug the little boys, but they
would not receive her enthusiastic demonstrations of aftec-
tion ; they were both weary and hungry. Mrs. Sanderson
had been busily occupied all the day, and, in fact for a
week, with but one awkv/ard servant, and, of course, all
their childish comforts had been abridged, and the last day
was like all such packing days, unendurable. iMrs. San-
derson, having been unwilling to forward a single package
before her arrival from the fear of annoying Philip, such
an awful personage was he, had arranged that all her etfects
should be sent the next morning in carts and wagons, and
had brought but the night gear of herself and children.
The French have a proverb ;>iat three removals are equal to
a fire ; Mrs. Sanderson fanc.cd her one a general confla-
gration, so many were the unlucky mischances attending
OF BOSTON. 31
it. And then she had so poignantly missed the comfortinfT
and protecting arm of him who was now powerless! and,
with a weight of grief almost too heavy to live and bear,
she traversed the large cold chambers of her once beloved
home.
In her lamented father's time there had been, in the front
chamber, a handsome grate ; it was still there, and she
asked Peter to bring her some coal, the evening promising
to be particularly damp and gloomy. ' None in the house,
Miss Emma,' was the answer. ' Could she not have some
wood ? ' she inquired. ' None cut short enuf, Miss Emma.'
The truth was, that both of these kind-hearted servants
would have rejoiced to make a bonfire for ' Miss Emma,'
as they always called their young mistress, but were fearful
their master would be angry, especially as he had only
ordered the beds to be arranged for her. Mrs. Sanderson,
perceiving at once how matters stood, proposed taking her
children down into the kitchen ; this proved exactly the
thing for all parties. The boys were delighted with the
old fireplace, the high settle, and the low seats, and were
shortly niched in warm corners, with mugs of milk and
portions of bread, and there they were undressed and soon
fell asleep, and were carried up stairs and comfortably laid
in their beds. Their mother, however, felt she could not
pass the evening in the kitchen, and she told Dinah she
would repair to her chamber, and if Mr. Egerton asked for
her company she would go to him, but that she could eat
nothing, her appetite having deserted her. Mr. Egerton
returned home. She heard him enter the hall ; she waited a
couple of hours for a summons to join him, sitting in the
most disconsolate and melancholy mood on the side of her
bed. He neither came nor sent any message, so the
bereaved young creature, having commended herself and
orphans to the Father of the fatherless, crept into her bed
and fairly cried herself to sleep like a little child. And this
was Mrs, Sanderson's first night in her brother's house !
32 THE BARCLAYS
The next morning Mrs, Sanderson was awakened by the
two boys running into her chamber in high glee. The sun
was shining brightly ; Peter had procured some coal, and
desired his mistress, through Dinah, to order her to make a
fire ; this was soon executed, and at least they were
warmed. Their respective toilettes finished, the young
things having been scrubbed and polished most accurately
by their careful mother, they all descended to breakfast in
the dining-room. Mr. Egerton received his sister solemnly ;
inquired the state of her health, and noticed very slightly
her children, who certainly looked sufficiently askance at
him, but had been instructed by their mother not to make
the least noise ; so things proceeded smoothly. The boys
ate their breakfast very deliberately, every now and then
casting sidelong glances apprehensively at the tall, thin
gentleman, who looked as if he had never bent himself in
his life. There is a spirit of free-masonry about the Ihtlc
people ; they know instantly who likes them and who does
not ; so the boys at once perceived intuitively that this grim,
severe looking personage was no decided admirer of juve-
nilities, and governed themselves accordingly.
The meal discussed, Mrs. Sanderson retreated into her
own fastnesses, and then soon appeared her own goods and
chattels, she having ordered them to be expedited when she
was sure of her brother's absence from home. The boys
were sent into the garden, and once there, required no pro-
tector, four high walls keeping them securely within bounds.
They were delighted with this arrangement, and, as their
mother snatched a moment now and then from her labors to
look tenderly upon her darlings, she felt most grateful to
her brother for the precious boon of that dear old garden.
And it was, indeed, a great resource, for she would
otherwise have been obliged to take her children out in
the streets for air and exercise, and, as she absolutely
loathed the idea of seeing or being seen, it was cheering
to know that she should not be oblicced to exhibit her
OF BOSTON. 33
wretchedness abroad ; thus she had a charming retreat in
summer for herself and children, and even a pleasant one
in winter. As Philip had not permitted her to sell her
furniture, she was almost embarrassed with the multitude
of her possessions ; but they were at last all safely landed
in the second story of her new old home without more
breakage than usually accompanies such a state of tran-
sition.
At dinner Mr. Egerton was politely attentive, asked no
questions, and appeared to take no interest whatever in her
arrangements ; the repast finished, he walked into his li-
brary, and Mrs. Sanderson repaired to her chamber. They
had tea quite early, after which her brother bade her good
night and retired. She heard him ascend the staircase at
nine of the clock precisely, and thus was concluded her first
day in her brother's house.
And the davs sped on in the same monotonous routine, as
days will ever, happy or unhappy as the case may be.
Mrs. Sanderson made a charmingly comfortable parlor of
, the jront chamber, arranged her piano, books, drawing and
working materials in a tasteful manner; the back one was
also furnished with her own belongings; the two in the third
story wci'e appropriated to the boys for sleeping and playing,
and all looked remarkably pretty. [Mrs. Sanderson invited
her brother to examine her apartments, but he courteously
declined, assuring her that ho presumed they were very
pleasantly arranged from Iicr well known taste, and never
was seen to enter them. AVhen all was completed and
nothing more by any chance remained to be done, then
came a reaction, and it seemed to the solitary mourner as
if the evenings would never come to an end. She had ever
been in the habit of retirino; at midniirht, as her denarted
husband, a little fearful of his matutinal defections, was
laughingly wont to say that he finished his day's work and
began another before he went to bed.' Accordingly, Mrs.
Sanderson could not close her eves before her accustomed
34 THE BAllGLAYS
hour. And oh ! how wearisome were those long, long even-
ings ! there seemed literally to be no end to them. She
could not, at that period, take any interest in books, her
Bible being the only one in which she ever looked ; she
dared not touch her piano lest she might disturb tire repose of
her brother, and was generally disinclined for all occupations.
So she passed her time in ruminating on her irreparable
loss. The days ])assed more swiftly as she was engaged in
watching and teaching her children; but the dismal
evenings !
Gerald, the oldest boy, was a delicate, pale child, who,
v/ithout being decidedly sickly, required great care and
attention, physically and morally, for he was at that early
age of seven, a period he had just then reached, a little
bookworm, preferring any thing printed to all the toys and
playthings in the v/orld. His mother had made every effort
to win him from his books unavailingly, and she was, at
last, obliged to take away his treasures daily, lock them up,
and insist that he should pass the greater part of his time
in the open air. Gerald was gentle and alfectionate to his
mother, but promised to be an absorbed dreamer. Charley,
an entire contrast to his brother and two years younger,
was blessed with a robust constitution and excellent health,
superabounding spirits, and adored his mother Vv'itli an
intensity of feeling that seemed far beyond his years ; he
v/as generous and high-spirited, and possessed the most
perfect temper and the sunniest smile that ever lighted up
the human face. Both these children were sufficiently
good-looking and promised to improve ; it is not the most
beautiful boys that make the fmest men, and there is often
a striking change, even in the eyes of the fondest mother,
from the loveliest childhood to very common looking man-
hood.
The long winter months passed slowly on ; Mr. Egertou
altered not, never becoming, more or less, communicative ;
he was always coldly polite and v.'cU bred ; sarcastic he
OF BOSTON. 35
must ever be, but, as he had no intercourse with any one
beyond the most formal interchange of common civilities,
he had nothing to do with the gossip of the town. He had
always regarded his sister as a very weak-minded woman,
to whom he should never dream of speaking on any subject
in which he was seriously interested; she had never trav-
elled, had never been in England, and consequently knew
nothing. The white cliffs of Albion were, to Mr. Egerton,
the Ultima Thule of creation ; no genuine John Bull, of the
purest water, could have worshipped more faithfully his
native land; every thing there was right, everything here
wrong ; and this was a truthful summing up of his prejudices.
Emma knew nothing of passing events, how could she ?
She lived within her own four walls and had always done so,
and, moreover, had never been in much society, even in her
own land.
The topics of conversation, introduced at the meal-time
liours, were consequently wretchedly circumscribed ; Mrs.
Sanderson's timidity and fear of her brother increasing the
difficulty of interchange of thoughts and opinions. Mr.
Egerton never condescended to give her any information,
and France might have had three kings and six presidents,
for aught she knew to the contrary, and ministries changed
in the land of her brother's adoration, and, in fact, the world
turned topsy-turvy without her becoming enlightened touch-
ing the facts.
At last, Mrs. Sanderson decided upon taking a very im-
portant step, and took in a newspaper ; her brother regarded
her with slight astonishment when she first mentioned some
event which had occurred in his beloved elysium across
the blue waters, and thenceforth spoke to her occasionally
of what was passing in foreign lands, seemingly having
conceived a less unfavorable idea of her intellect from the
circumstance of her reading a daily journal. Indeed, she
often marvelled that her hypercritical brother did not abandon
the land of his birth, which he professed to abhor, and
36 THE BARCLAYS
transport himself and his pretensions to a more congenial
atmosphere ; but this opinion she had hardly ventured to
mention in his august presence, apprehensive lest the idea
might occur to him that she had an idea of her own.
Mrs. Sanderson was perfectly aware that Mr. Egerton
entertained no very exalted opinion of the minds of woman-
kind in general, and a particularly small one of hers ; so
she never ventured upon any thing beyond commonplaces
with him ; thus he, living with a refined and accomplished
woman, knew absolutely nothing about her. }.Ir. Egcrton's
table equipage was very beautiful indeed ; his father had
been a great admirer of old plate, and the house overflowed
with it; the sideboard being, every day, loaded with costly
and rare articles, emblazoned with the family arms, which
having been duly exhibited dazzling v.ith brilliancy, were
carefully collected at night in two huge baskets by old Peter,
and secreted, in parts unknown, until morning light brought
them again into diurnal display. The napeiy of Mr.
Egcrton's board was also exquisite from its fineness and its
getting up ; to this Dinah contributed her important share
of skill. The meals were admirably prepared, and however
common the materials, the flavoring was excellent and the
cleanliness quite perfect ; to be sure they were limited to
the smallest possible quantity, and it could hardly be asserted
that there was a sufiiciency, but they were served with
extreme care and vast pretension.
Of Dinah and Peter, tlio two black servants, who have
already been mentioned as having received their young
mistress, on her arrival, so enthusiastically, all manner of
praises might be showered on them ; they were up betimes
in the morning, and busily occupied all day with their
master's concerns ; in fact, they seemed ubiquitous, and
might have been seen almost, like Sir Boyle Roche's bird,
in two places at once; and, at night, they had completed
the work of double their number. Perfect treasures, were
the pair, of fidelity, honesty and truth.
OF BOSTON. 37
Dinah, for many long years, had flattered herself that
Peter might be induced to tender to her, as a reward for her
constancy and devotion, his hand and heart. Somehow this
grand event never came to pass, yet she despaired none the
less, and went on hoping and trusting, as her sex are apt
to do.
Now Peter was a remarkably shrewd and cunning old
fellow, and knew, and had known, and would know, for
a long time, that he was an immense gainer by this simple
delusion of his sable companion; so he did not absolutely
bid her despair, but led her on through flowery mazes fronri
year to year, always insinuating, without absolutely assert-
ing, that the pleasant goal might be reached at last. And
she, the deceived, permitted herself to be deluded, and
served him and humored him in all his innumerable caprices,
and encouraged his whims until she had fairly spoiled him,
as far as she herself was concerned. A slave to the lamp
of African Peter was Miss Dinah, and seemed actually to
rejoice in her bondage and hug her chains. Peter might
rule with a rod of iron, but so Mr. Egerton did not. Dinah
thought her master the very first gentleman in Boston, for
she asked, ' Was he not doin' most noflin from mornin' till
night r ' But, nevertheless, in her domains, he had no con-
trol ; he was a terrible personage in her eves out of the
kitchen, but in it, ' nofiin.' And the gentleman, being
perfectly aware of the consideration in which he was held,
and comprehending fully the admirable management and
economy practised in his culinary department, never ven-
tured to intrude therein ; so all things proceeded most
smoothly.
The winter wore sluggishly on, and it was in this dreary
season that the gold-seeker's emissary had been captured
during a thaw, and Mr. Egerton substituted for his body-
guard a superb Newfoundland dog, called Tiger, who proved
a source of immense satisfaction to the juveniles in his
establishment.
4
38 THE BARCLAYS
At last, the much desired Spring began to appear, if
Spring it can be called, which is Summer, for the months
set down in the calendar, in Massachusetts, as appertaining
to the coy goddess, are much worse to bear than those be-
stowed upon their frosty and snowy predecessors. If, by
any process hitherto untried in the alembic of time, the
months could be transposed, and May, the poet's delusion,
be introduced into July, how pleasantly might we concur in
all the glowing imagery and fascinating pictures presented
by the verse writers. None can surely forget the days when,
the heart and head filled to repletion, with flowery and
showery visions, all manner of projects were formed of
sallying forth ' a Maying.' The excursion finished, having
risen at four of the clock, the perpetrators of this bold deed
of high daring, returned home in a state pitiful to behold,
with benumbed hands filled with bare willow sticks, and
most unbewitchingly blue noses, and popped into their beds,
and enjoyed such respectable naps before breakfast.
There remains a small crumb of comfort, however, for
the New Englanders, it being almost as difficult to be abso-
lutely certain of catching a glimpse of the ' heaven-born
lady ' in other climes as here, though, it must be confessed,
she nowhere behaves herself quite so ill. In the south of
France, she at times conceals herself in a total eclipse: in
beautiful Naples, her worshippers are one day treated to a
snow-storm, and the next to a sirocco, and are gravely
counselled to betake themselves to Athens, in search of the
eluding nymph, and once there, ' Living Greece no more,'
strongly and impressively recommends Egypt.
With the bursting forth of the leaves, it is hardly worth
one's while to be too particular or critical as to the precise
epoch, but simply luxuriate in this enchanting season when
all Nature awakes to wondrous beauty, and be correspond-
ingly grateful for blessings received. At this season Mrs.
Sanderson found plenty of occupation in the garden, for
OF BOSTON. 39
both herself and children ; she procured for them strong
working materials, and small as were the boys, they did
good service. They were taught to be industrious and use-
ful, and, under the united efforts of mother and sons, assisted
by Peter, the spot assumed the most enchanting aspect.
40 THE BARCLAYS
CHAPTER V.
' The life and felicity of an excellent gardener, is preferable to all
other diversions.' Eveltx.
The beautiful trees blossomed in all their affluence of
flowers in tlic dear old garden ; Nature smiled and made a
bountiful display of all her countless charms ; and Mrs.
Sanderson's heart and feelings expanded with the gay and
vernal season. The children and their canine friend, Tiger,
gambolled amid the pleached alleys, and the dog's shaggy
coat was covered with snow-white cherry blossoms. The
birds returned to their pleasant liaunts amidst the shrubbery,
and the humming-bird nestled in the lilac; and as the weeks
rolled on, fresh gratifications appeared in the luxuries of
their simple board, which would never have been seen, but
for the favored spot from which this family derived so
many pleasures. ]Mrs. Sanderson almost lived in the open
air, a circumstance which tended to improve her health, and
consequently her spirits. She had ever been a quiet gentle
creature ; so very unobtrusive that no one had taken the
trouble, except her departed husband, to discover her many
charming qualities ; and every one wondered when he mar-
ried her, how the liigh-spirited and gay Gerald Sanderson
could have chosen so tame a woman. But we are all rather
inclined to like our opposites in character ; at least, one
would imagine this to be the case from the extraordinary