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Show 138 RICITAHD JIURDIS. m·cn such portions of l•cr fatl•cr's version of the romance as lw hnd permitted to rc:tc1J her WI'S. 'l'hat night we rf'joiced in a w:ll'm supper, nnd, when it wns ended, I had reason to remark with delight the cOCct upon the whole llOnsciiO!cl of that govcruing- rh:tr·nctcr on the part of its ),cad wl1ich lwcl imprcs:;cd me nt first entering it. 'l'I1C supperthings seemed removed l1y magic. " ro h:ul scarcely left tile table, Mrs. Gntfton lcadiug the w11y, and 1:\kcn our jJI<\Ccs nrou11d t!Jc fire, when Julia took h<'r mother's 11Iacc nt tlJc wnitcr; and witlJout noise, bustle, or confusion, the 11latcs nml cups nnd S<tuccrs were wnshcd :u1d dcSjJatciJcd to their proper pl:lc<'s. A single servant only attended, mHl th is scrva11t seemed eudowcd with ubiquity. S he seemed to lwvc imbibed tl1e general habits of her superiors, and did quite as much, if uot more, th:tn would hnve Leon done Ly a dozen servants, and with infinitely less confusion. Such wns t1JC result of method in the princiJlrtl: there is a moral ntmosphcre, and we become acclimated, when under its action, precisely ns in the physicnl world. 'J'lJC slllve hnd tacitly fnllen into the habits nnd moods of tiJosc nbovc her - as inferiors arc very apt to do-and, witl10ut a Jesson prescribed or a rca1on spoken, she hnd JJeeded all lessons, nml felt, though she might not have expressed, tl1e rensons for all. The whole economy of the household wns admirable: uot an onh•r was given ; no hesitation or ignornncc of what wns needeJ, Rhown; but each seemed to know by instinct, and to perfOrm with satisV10tion, his or her se,·eral duties. Our repasts :t1·e seldom conducted anywhere in tho Southwest with a strict attention to order. A stupid slave puts everything into confusion, and we do not help the matter much by bringing in a dozen to l1er aid. The fewer servants about 11ouses the better: they learn to do, the more they arc required to do, and <lCfJu irc a habit of promptness without wllich a servant might be always uttedy wortiJ!ess. 'VLen the table was remo\'ed, Julia joined us, and we all chatted pleasantly together for tho S]Jace of an hour. As soon ns the conversation seemed to flag, nt a signal from Colonel Grafton, which his da.uglJtcr inslnntly recognised ami obeyed, sl1e rose, nnd, bringing a little stand to tlw fireside, on which lay several books, she 11rcpared to read to us, in compliance A FOIU~ST IIO~m. 139 . , , her f:lthcr-one w1,ic1'. he 1,ad ,,-jth one of the ftres\cl·<\!'l~~~c o:Lncl fol\owccl, from the ~r:~cllt~ insisted upon, :'\nd w lit re;u.\ tolC'rn11y. She 1\0W rc~ urfhc meHt of her b~·mg aU,le~o im JrcssiYcly. A passage fJom book sweetly, uuaflcdedl)' )Ct 11 for half nu hour; and the k Deserted Village" intcre:tel u~1onoo t.he men, ancl needlewo·\ 1 ' y for conversation a o - - 'mrwcssed me wtl l nHH e "a 13 t tbo wlJole SCC'IIC I ct- ·\mOJW the WOI IIClL u . t so uncommon in its nspe. ~leli .. bt-it wus so natural.') c. little effort, yet so comt~lclely. don~ with so muclJ case •. wJtl~ 6~ our ]Jost wl,en tlJe lad~es 11~\d Speaking of it i_n c~lllphn;~:\vhich struck me as cmbodyll~g ~~~~ r elirea, we receJve a. rlcp·t of moral priHciplcs, l:mch as .me]'· advalJtagcs of a whol~ lOS ol' their cold and frcczmg .( 1 y< lown in 1ooks, but wtthou~ aJ1~·afton " I ascribe tlJc happnlcss "Sir" said Colonel 0 . .' J• has always been a ucsses. ' · ·le ong;m. ~ f ·1 of my family to a ~'CI')' sunp lake m children love tbe ami y le·ulitl..,. endeavor wtth m~ to l~ 1well ~'\nywlJerc in a houschohl, fit~csill~. 1f the v irtues s. to.u '~'ac s nncl only found tl.Jem." , it is there. 'l'here ~ .ha' c .Jl f~'1 truth. I felt thell' force, . .md And there they dal dwo~~?\l.,'un inUced, was so absolutely o did my companion. I 1,, t I began to nppreheucl that lie :hanncu with Ju~ia On;ft~nb~t~:lhc<l, but his journ~y also.--;t would uot only forget us reader a('rreeing with m) se ' . ourney which, I doubt not, ~he 13u~ ,;c hnd consente~ to .I 11 1 ave us instantly res\ll!le.. 1 before we rctu·ell wou ( . ~~ . ··i ·ndl h ost that tHght; nm . . . Colonel stuy with our h c y . uiries touching }!lS debtor. . f wo mac1e all necess~ry l~~~tlc encouragement on the subject o Grafton gave my fnenc ' his claim. ·a "that I endorsed that mans " I am almost sorry," he sru'l ', it. not tlJ:\t I rcg:nn1the lo~s, note. I fear I shallltavc \~el:~~~re :eluctant hereafter to asstst but tl~<tt it will 1~1akc me. t manner. rl'he di:;honesty of OI~e othc~: poor men m the s.une the fortunes of a tlJOusnud oth~IS, beginner in this way aff~~ts \Jis or any failings of the ktnd. who are possibly free {J ~~ ,y ebbcr, he was my overseer, bu.t " rhen I signed the not~ or lf I hall found him honcst·-01' dis osed to set up for. hunsc.. dishonest. If he was, he hacl pl I hacl liCVCl' found lum . s· . he left me, how-rat lOr, 1 t conceal Jt. mce . 1 rogue's cunning enoug t ~- t of suspicion to tllC whole nCJg lever, he llaS become au o JeC |