Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1905-07-13

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RSss-ssS Mary Cavendish just turned
SsxSxssJ Of eighteen. she and to-
gelAer one Sabbath morning in the
month of April were riding to meeting
in jamestown. We were all alone ex-
eept for the troop of black slaves strag-
Cling in the rear, blurring the road Gu
riousIy with their black faces. 1t sell
dom happened that we rode in such
wise, for Mistress Catherine Caven-
dish, the elder sister of Mistress Mary,
and Madam Cayendish, her grand
mother, usually rode with US Madam
Judith Cavendish, though more than
seventy, sitting q horse as well as her
granddaughter and looking. when
viewed from the back, as young as
they and being in that respect as well
as others a wonder to the countryside.
But it happened today that Madam
Cavendish had a touch of the rheumat-
les. that being an ailment to which the
swampy estate of the country rendered
those of advanced years somewhat liza
BILE, and had remained at home on her
plantation of Drake Hill. Catherine.
who was a most devoted granddaugh-
ter, had remained with her, although
suspected with some hesitation at al
lowing her young sister to so alone, ex-
cept for me. the slaves being accounted
no more company than our shadows.
Mistress Catherine Cavendish had
looked at me after a fashion which /
was at no loss to understand when 1
had stood aside to allow Mistress Mary
TO precede me in passing the door, but
she had no cause for the look nor for
the apprehension which gave rise to it.
By reason of bearing always my bur-
den upon my own back was even
more mindful of it than others were
who had only the sight of it, whereas
I had the sore weight and the evil as
peet in my inmost soul But it was to
be borne easily enough by virtue of
that natural resolution of man which
can make but featherweigLL of the
sorest ills if it be butput in the balance
against them. / was tutor to Mistress
Mary Cavendish, and had sailed from
England to Virginia under circum-
stances of disgrace being, indeed, a
convict.
| knew exceedingly well what was
my betting department when 1 set
out that Sabbath morning with Mis-
tress Mary Cavendish. and not only
upon that Sabbath morning, but at all
other times. Still | can we'll under
stand that my appearance may have
belied me. since when | looked in a
glass / would often wonder at the
sight of my own face. which seemed
younger than my years and was
strangely free from any recording lines
of experiences which might have been
esteemed bitter by any one who had
not the pride of bearing them
When nay black eyes, which had a
bold daring in them, looked forth at
me from the glass and my lips smiled
with gay confidence at me. l could
not but surmise that my whole face
was as a mask worn unwittingly over
a grave spirit
I rode a pace behind Mary Caven-
dish and never glanced her way, not
needing to do so in order to see her. for
] seemed to see her with a superior
sort of vision. compounded partly of
memory and partly of imagination. OF
the latter | had, not to boast, though it
may perchance be naught to boast of.
being simply kind of higher folly, a
somewhat large allowance from my
childhood. But that was not to be won
dered at. whether it were to my credit
or otherwise, since it was inherited
from ancestors of much nobler fame
and worthier parts than l, one of
whom, though not in the direct line
the great Edward Maria Wingfeld, the
president of the first council of the
Dominion Of Virginia having written
a book which was held to be notable
This imagination for the setting forth
and adjoining of all common things and
Nary Cayendish and