a new england girlhood-第36部分

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ves　Daguerreotyped　on　high！〃

My　sister　and　I　considered　it　quite　an　event　when　we　went　to　have　our　daguerreotypes　taken　just　before　we　started　for　the　West。　The　photograph　was　still　an　undeveloped　mystery。

Things　that　looked　miraculous　then　are　commonplace　now。　It　almost　seems　as　if　the　children　of　to…day　could　not　have　so　good　a　time　as　we　did；　science　has　left　them　so　little　to　wonder　about。　Our　attitudethe　attitude　of　the　timewas　that　of　children　climbing　their　dooryard　fence；　to　watch　an　approaching　show；　and　to　conjecture　what　more　remarkable　spectacle　could　be　following　behind。　New　England　had　kept　to　the　quiet　old…fashioned　ways　of　living　for　the　first　fifty　years　of　the　Republic。　Now　all　was　expectancy。　Changes　were　coming。　Things　were　going　to　happen；　nobody　could　guess　what。

Things　have　happened；　and　changes　have　come。　The　New　England　that　has　grown　up　with　the　last　fifty　years　is　not　at　all　the　New　England　that　our　fathers　knew。　We　speak　of　having　been　reared　under　Puritanic　influences；　but　the　traditionary　sternness　of　these　was　much　modified；　even　in　the　childhood　of　the　generation　to　which　I　belong。　　We　did　not　recognize　the　grim　features　of　the　Puritan；　as　we　used　sometimes　to　read　about　him；　in　our　parents　or　relatives。　And　yet　we　were　children　of　the　Puritans。

Everything　that　was　new　or　strange　came　to　us　at　Lowell。　And　most　of　the　remarkable　people　of　the　day　came　also。　How　strange　it　was　to　see　Mar　Yohannan；　a　Nestorian　bishop；　walking　through　the　factory　yard　in　his　Oriental　robes　with　more　than　a　child's　wonder　on　his　face　at　the　stir　and　rush　of　everything！　He　came　from　Boston　by　railroad；　and　was　present　at　the　wedding　at　the　clergyman's　house　where　he　visited。　The　rapidity　of　the　simple　Congregational　service　astonished　him。

〃What？　Marry　on　railroad；　too？〃　he　asked。

Dickens　visited　Lowell　while　I　was　there；　and　gave　a　good　report　of　what　he　saw　in　his　〃American　Notes。〃　We　did　not　leave　work　even　to　gaze　at　distinguished　strangers；　so　I　missed　seeing　him。　But　a　friend　who　did　see　him　sketched　his　profile　in　pencil　for　me　as　he　passed　along　the　street。　He　was　then　best　known　as　〃Boz。〃

Many　of　the　prominent　men　of　the　country　were　in　the　habit　of　giving　Lyceum　lectures；　and　the　Lyceum　lecture　of　that　day　was　a　means　of　education；　conveying　to　the　people　the　results　of　study　and　thought　through　the　best　minds。　At　Lowell　it　was　more　patronized　by　the　mill…people　than　any　mere　entertainment。　We　had　John　Quincy　Adams；　Edward　Everett；　John　Pierpont；　and　Ralph　Waldo　Emerson　among　our　lecturers；　with　numerous　distinguished　clergymen　of　the　day。　Daniel　Webster　was　once　in　the　city；　trying　a　law　case。　Some　of　my　girl　friends　went　to　the　court…room　and　had　a　glimpse　of　his　face；　but　I　just　missed　seeing　him。

Sometimes　an　Englishman；　who　was　studying　our　national　institutions；　would　call　and　have　a　friendly　talk　with　us　at　work。　Sometimes　it　was　a　traveler　from　the　South；　who　was　interested　in　some　way。　I　remember　one；　an　editor　and　author　from　Georgia；　who　visited　our　Improvement　Circle；　and　who　sent　some　of　us　〃Offering〃　contributors　copies　of　his　book　after　he　had　returned　home。

One　of　the　pleasantest　visitors　that　I　recall　was　a　young　Quaker　woman　from　Philadelphia；　a　school…teacher；　who　came　to　see　for　herself　how　the　Lowell　girls　lived；　of　whom　she　had　heard　so　much。　A　deep；　quiet　friendship　grew　up　between　us　two。　I　wrote　some　verses　for　her　when　we　parted；　and　she　sent　me　one　cordial；　charmingly…written　letter。　In　a　few　weeks　I　answered　it；　but　the　response　was　from　another　person；　a　near　relative。　She　was　dead。　But　she　still　remains　a　real　person　to　me；　I　often　recall　her　features　and　the　tone　of　her　voice。　It　was　as　if　a　beautiful　spirit　from　an　invisible　world　had　slipped　in　among　us；　and　quickly　gone　back　again。

It　was　an　event　to　me；　and　to　my　immediate　friends　among　the　mill…girls；　when　the　poet　Whittier　came　to　Lowell　to　stay　awhile。　I　had　not　supposed　that　it　would　be　my　good　fortune　to　meet　him；　but　one　evening　when　we　assembled　at　the　〃Improvement　Circle；〃　he　was　there。　The　〃Offering〃　editor；　Miss　Harriet　Farley；　had　lived　in　the　same　town　with　him；　and　they　were　old　acquaintances。　It　was　a　warm；　summer　evening。　I　recall　the　circumstance　that　a　number　of　us　wore　white　dresses；　also　that　I　shrank　back　into　myself；　and　felt　much　abashed　when　some　verses　of　mine　were　read　by　the　editor；with　others　so　much　better；　however；　that　mine　received　little　attention。　　I　felt　relieved；　for　I　was　not　fond　of　having　my　productions　spoken　of；　for　good　or　ill。　He　commended　quite　highly　a　poem　by　another　member　of　the　Circle；　on　〃Pentucket；〃　the　Indian　name　of　his　native　place；　Haverhill。　　My　subject　was　〃Sabbath　Bells。〃　As　the　Friends　do　not　believe　in　〃steeple…houses；〃　I　was　at　liberty　to　imagine　that　it　was　my　theme；　and　not　my　verses；　that　failed　to　interest　him。

Various　other　papers　were　read；stories；　sketches；　etc。；　and　after　the　reading　there　was　a　little　conversation；　when　he　came　and　spoke　to　me。　I　let　the　friend　who　had　accompanied　me　do　my　part　of　the　talking　for　I　was　too　much　overawed　by　the　presence　of　one　whose　poetry　I　had　so　long　admired；　to　say　a　great　deal。　But　from　that　evening　we　knew　each　other　as　friends；　and；　of　course；　the　day　has　a　white　mark　among　memories　of　my　Lowell　life。

Mr。　Whittier's　visit　to　Lowell　had　some　political　bearing　upon　the　antislavery　cause。　It　is　strange　now　to　think　that　a　cause　like　that　should　not　always　have　been　our　country's　cause；our　country；our　own　free　nation！　But　antislavery　sentiments　were　then　regarded　by　many　as　traitorous　heresies；　and　those　who　held　them　did　not　expect　to　win　popularity。　If　the　vote　of　the　mill…　girls　had　been　taken；　it　would　doubtless　have　been　unanimous　on　the　antislavery　side。　But　those　were　also　the　days　when　a　woman　was　not　expected　to　give；　or　even　to　have；　an　opinion　on　subjects　of　public　interest。

Occasionally　a　young　girl　was　attracted　to　the　Lowell　mills　through　her　own　idealization　of　the　life　there；　as　it　had　been　reported　to　her。　Margaret　Foley；　who　afterwards　became　distinguished　as　a　sculptor；　was　one　of　these。　She　did　not　remain　many　months　at　her　occupation；which　I　think　was　weaving；soon　changing　it　for　that　of　teaching　and　studying　art。　Those　who　came　as　she　did　were　usually　disappointed。　Instead　of　an　Arcadia；　they　found　a　place　of　matter…of…fact　toil；　filled　with　a　company　of　industrious；　wide…awake　girls；　who　were　faithfully　improving　their　opportunities；　while　looking　through　them　into　avenues　Toward　profit　and　usefulness；　more　desirable　yet。　It　has　always　been　the　way　of　the　steady…minded　New　Englander　to　accept　the　present　situationbut　to　accept　it　without　boundaries；　taking　in　also　the　larger　prospectsall　the　heavens　above　and　the　earth　beneathtowards　which　it　opens。

The　movement　of　New　England　girls　toward　Lowell　was　only　an　impulse　of　a　larger　movement　which　about　that　time　sent　so　many　people　from　the　Eastern　States　into　the　West。　The　needs　of　the　West　were　constantly　kept　before　us　in　the　churches。　We　were　asked　for　contributions　for　Home　Missions；　which　were　willingly　given；　and　some　of　us　were　appointed　collectors　of　funds　for　the　education　of　indigent　young　men　to　become　Western　Home　Missionary　preachers。　There　was　something　almost　pathetic　in　the　readiness　with　which　this　was　done　by　young　girls　who　were　longing　to　fit　themselves　for　teachers；　but　had　not　the　means。　Many　a　girl　at　Lowell　was　working　to　send　her　brother　to　college；　who　had　far　more　talent　and　character　than　he；　but　a　man　could　preach；　and　it　was　not　〃orthodox〃　to　think　that　a　woman　could。　And　in　her　devotion　to　him；　and　her　zeal　for　the　spread　of　Christian　truth；　she　was　hardly　conscious　of　her　own　sacrifice。　Yet　our　ministers　appreciated　the　intelligence　and　piety　of　their　feminine　parishioners。　An　agent　who　came　from　the　West　for　school…teachers　was　told　by　our　own　pastor　that　five　hundred　could　easily　be　furnished　from　among　Lowell　mill…girls。　Many　did　go；　and　they　made　another　New　England　in　some　of　our　Western　States。

The　missionary　spirit　was　strong　among　my　companions。　I　never　thought　that　I　had　the　right　qualifications　for　that　work；　but　I　had　a　desire　to　see　the　prairies　and　the　great　rivers　of　the　West；　and　to　get　a　taste　of　free；　primitive　life　among　pioneers。

Before　the　year　1845；　several　of　my　friends　had　emigrated　as　teachers　or　missionaries。　One　of　the　editors　of　the　〃Operatives'　Magazine〃　had　gone　to　Arkansas　with　a　mill…girl　who　had　worked　beside　her　among　the　looms。　They　were　at　an　Indian　missionto　the　Cherokees　and　Choctaws。　I　seemed　to　breathe　the　air　of　that　far　Southwest；　in　a　spray　of　yellow　jessamine　which　one　of　those　friends　sent　me；　pressed　in　a　letter。　People　wrote　very　long　letters　then；　in　those　days　of　twenty…five　cent　postage。

Rachel；　at　whose　house　our　German　class　had　been　accustomed　to　meet；　had　also　left　her　work；　and　had　gone　to　western　Virginia　to　take　charge　of　a　school。　She　wrote　alluring　letters　to　us　about　the　scenery　there；　it　was　in　the　neighborhood　of　the　Natural　Bridge。

My　friend　Angeline；　with　whom　I　used　to　read　〃Paradise　Lost；〃　went　to　Ohio　as　a　teacher；　and　returned　the　following　year；　for　a　very　brief　visit；　however；and　with　a　husband。　Another　acquain