a new england girlhood-第2部分

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int　of　view。　And　it　seems　to　me　that　every　young　girl　would　be　happier　for　beginning　her　earthly　journey　with　the　thankful　consciousness　that　her　life　does　not　consist　in　the　abundance　of　things　that　she　possesses。

The　highest　possible　poetic　conception　is　that　of　a　life　consecrated　to　a　noble　ideal。　It　may　be　unable　to　find　expression　for　itself　except　through　humble；　even　menial　services；　or　through　unselfish　devotion　whose　silent　song　is　audible　to　God　alone；　yet　such　music　as　this　might　rise　to　heaven　from　every　young　girl's　heart　and　character　if　she　would　set　it　free。　In　such　ways　it　was　meant　that　the　world　should　be　filled　with　the　true　poetry　of　womanhood。

It　is　one　of　the　most　beautiful　facts　in　this　human　existence　of　ours；　that　we　remember　the　earliest　and　freshest　part　of　it　most　vividly。　Doubtless　it　was　meant　that　our　childhood　should　live　on　in　us　forever。　My　childhood　was　by　no　means　a　cloudless　one。　It　had　its　light　and　shade；　each　contributing　a　charm　which　makes　it　wholly　delightful　in　the　retrospect。

I　can　see　very　distinctly　the　child　that　I　was；　and　I　know　how　the　world　looked　to　her；　far　off　as　she　is　now。　She　seems　to　me　like　my　little　sister；　at　play　in　a　garden　where　I　can　at　any　time　return　and　find　her。　I　have　enjoyed　bringing　her　back；　and　letting　her　tell　her　story；　almost　as　if　she　were　somebody　else。　I　like　her　better　than　I　did　when　I　was　really　a　child；　and　I　hope　never　to　part　company　with　her。

I　do　not　feel　so　much　satisfaction　in　the　older　girl　who　comes　between　her　and　me；　although　she；　too；　is　enough　like　me　to　be　my　sister；　or　even　more　like　my　young；　undisciplined　mother；　for　the　girl　is　mother　of　the　woman。　But　I　have　to　acknowledge　her　faults　and　mistakes　as　my　own；　while　I　sometimes　feel　like　reproving　her　severely　for　her　carelessly　performed　tasks；　her　habit　of　lapsing　into　listless　reveries；　her　cowardly　shrinking　from　responsibility　and　vigorous　endeavor；　and　many　other　faults　that　I　have　inherited　from　her。　Still；　she　is　myself；　and　I　could　not　be　quite　happy　without　her　comradeship。

Every　phase　of　our　life　belongs　to　us。　The　moon　does　not；　except　in　appearance；　lose　her　first　thin；　luminous　curve；　nor　her　silvery　crescent；　in　rounding　to　her　full。　The　woman　is　still　both　child　and　girl；　in　the　completeness　of　womanly　character。　We　have　a　right　to　our　entire　selves；　through　all　the　changes　of　this　mortal　state；　a　claim　which　we　shall　doubtless　carry　along　with　us　into　the　unfolding　mysteries　of　our　eternal　being。　Perhaps　in　this　thought　lies　hidden　the　secret　of　immortal　youth；　for　a　seer　has　said　that　〃to　grow　old　in　heaven　is　to　grow　young。〃

To　take　life　as　it　is　sent　to　us；　to　live　it　faithfully；　looking　and　striving　always　towards　better　life；　this　was　the　lesson　that　came　to　me　from　my　early　teachers。　　It　was　not　an　easy　lesson；　but　it　was　a　healthful　one；　and　I　pass　it　on　to　younger　pupils；　trusting　that　they　will　learn　it　more　thoroughly　than　I　ever　have。

Young　or　old；　we　may　all　win　inspiration　to　do　our　best；　from　the　needs　of　a　world　to　which　the　humblest　life　may　be　permitted　to　bring　immeasurable　blessings：

〃For　no　one　doth　know　What　he　can　bestow；　What　light；　strength；　and　beauty　may　after　him　go：　Thus　onward　we　move；　And；　save　God　above；　None　guesseth　how　wondrous　the　journey　will　prove。〃

L。L。　BEVERLY；　MASSACHUSETTS；　October；　1889。


CONTENTS。


CHAPTER

I。　　　UP　AND　DOWN　THE　LANE　II。　　SCHOOLROOM　AND　MEETING…HOUSE　III。　THE　HYMN…BOOK　IV。　　NAUGHTY　CHILDREN　AND　FAIRY　TALES　V。　　　OLD　NEW　ENGLAND　VI。　　GLIMPSES　OF　POETRY　VII。　BEGINNING　TO　WORK　VIII。BY　THE　RIVER　IX。　　MOUNTAIN…FRIENDS　X。　　　MILL…GIRLS'　MAGAZINES　XI。　　READING　AND　STUDYING　XII。　FROM　THE　MERRIMACK　TO　THE　MISSISSIPPI



A　NEW　ENGLAND　GIRLHOOD

I。

UP　AND　DOWN　THE　LANE。

IT　is　strange　that　the　spot　of　earth　where　we　were　born　should　make　such　a　difference　to　us。　People　can　live　and　grow　anywhere；　but　people　as　well　as　plants　have　their　habitat；the　place　where　they　belong；　and　where　they　find　their　happiest；　because　their　most　natural　life。　If　I　had　opened　my　eyes　upon　this　planet　elsewhere　than　in　this　northeastern　corner　of　Massachusetts；　elsewhere　than　on　this　green；　rocky　strip　of　shore　between　Beverly　Bridge　and　the　Misery　Islands；　it　seems　to　me　as　if　I　must　have　been　somebody　else；　and　not　myself。　These　gray　ledges　hold　me　by　the　roots；　as　they　do　the　bayberry　bushes；　the　sweet…　fern；　and　the　rock…saxifrage。

When　I　look　from　my　window　over　the　tree…tops　to　the　sea；　I　could　almost　fancy　that　from　the　deck　of　some　one　of　those　inward　bound　vessels　the　wistful　eyes　of　the　Lady　Arbella　might　be　turned　towards　this　very　hillside；　and　that　mine　were　meeting　hers　in　sympathy；　across　the　graves　of　two　hundred　and　fifty　years。　For　Winthrop's　fleet；　led　by　the　ship　that　bore　her　name；　must　have　passed　into　harbor　that　way。　Dear　and　gracious　spirit！　The　memory　of　her　brief　sojourn　here　has　left　New　England　more　truly　consecrated　ground。　Sweetest　of　womanly　pioneers！　It　is　as　if　an　angel　in　passing　on　to　heaven　just　touched　with　her　wings　this　rough　coast　of　ours。

In　those　primitive　years；　before　any　town　but　Salem　had　been　named；　this　whole　region　was　known　as　Cape　Ann　Side；　and　about　ten　years　after　Winthrop's　arrival；　my　first　ancestor's　name　appears　among　those　of　other　hardy　settlers　of　the　neighborhood。　No　record　has　been　found　of　his　coming；　but　emigration　by　that　time　had　grown　so　rapid　that　ships'　lists　were　no　longer　carefully　preserved。　And　then　he　was　but　a　simple　yeoman；　a　tiller　of　the　soil；　one　who　must　have　loved　the　sea；　however；　for　he　moved　nearer　and　nearer　towards　it　from　Agawam　through　Wenham　woods；　until　the　close　of　the　seventeenth　century　found　his　descendantsmy　own　great…great…grandfatber's　familyplanted　in　a　romantic　homestead…nook　on　a　hillside；　overlooking　wide　gray　spaces　of　the　bay　at　the　part　of　Beverly　known　as　〃The　Farms。〃　The　situation　was　beautiful；　and　home　attachments　proved　tenacious；　the　family　claim　to　the　farm　having　only　been　resigned　within　the　last　thirty　or　forty　years。

I　am　proud　of　my　unlettered　forefathers；　who　were　also　too　humbly　proud　to　care　whether　their　names　would　be　remembered　or　not；　for　they　were　God…fearing　men；　and　had　been　persecuted　for　their　faith　long　before　they　found　their　way　either　to　Old　or　New　England。

The　name　is　rather　an　unusual　one；　and　has　been　traced　back　from　Wales　and　the　Isle　of　Wight　through　France　to　Languedoc　and　Pied…　mont；　a　little　hamlet　in　the　south　of　France　still　bearing　it　in　what　was　probably　the　original　spelling…La　Combe。　There　is　a　family　shield　in　existence；　showing　a　hill　surmounted　by　a　tree；　and　a　bird　with　spread　wings　above。　It　might　symbolize　flight　in　times　of　persecution；　from　the　mountains　to　the　forests；　and　thence　to　heaven；　or　to　the　free　skies　of　this　New　World。

But　it　is　certain　that　my　own　immediate　ancestors　were　both　indifferent　and　ignorant　as　to　questions　of　pedigree；　and　accepted　with　sturdy　dignity　an　inheritance　of　hard　work　and　the　privileges　of　poverty；　leaving　the　same　bequest　to　their　descendants。　And　poverty　has　its　privileges。　When　there　is　very　little　of　the　seen　and　temporal　to　intercept　spiritual　vision；　unseen　and　eternal　realities　are；　or　may　be；　more　clearly　beheld。

To　have　been　born　of　people　of　integrity　and　profound　faith　in　God；　is　better　than　to　have　inherited　material　wealth　of　any　kind。　And　to　those　serious…minded；　reticent　progenitors　of　mine；　looking　out　from　their　lonely　fields　across　the　lonelier　sea；　their　faith　must　have　been　everything。

My　father's　parents　both　died　years　before　my　birth。　My　grandmother　had　been　left　a　widow　with　a　large　family　in　my　father's　boyhood；　and　he；　with　the　rest；　had　to　toil　early　for　a　livelihood。　She　was　an　earnest　Christian　woman；　of　keen　intelligence　and　unusual　spiritual　perception。　She　was　supposed　by　her　neighbors　to　have　the　gift　of　〃second　sight〃；　and　some　remarkable　stories　are　told　of　her　knowledge　of　distant　events　while　they　were　occurring；　or　just　before　they　took　place。　Her　dignity　of　presence　and　character　must　have　been　noticeable。　A　relative　of　mine；　who　as　a　very　little　child；　was　taken　by　her　mother　to　visit　my　grandmother；　told　me　that　she　had　always　remembered　the　aged　woman's　solemnity　of　voice　and　bearing；　and　her　mother's　deferential　attitude　towards　her：　and　she　was　so　profoundly　impressed　by　it　all　at　the　time；　that　when　they　had　left　the　house；　and　were　on　their　homeward　path　through　the　woods；　she　looked　up　into　her　mother's　face　and　asked　in　a　whisper；　〃Mother；　was　that　God？〃

I　used　sometimes　to　feel　a　little　resentment　at　my　fate　in　not　having　been　born　at　the　old　Beverly　Farms　home…place；　as　my　father　and　uncles　and　aunts　and　some　of　my　cousins　had　been。　But　perhaps　I　had　more　of　the　romantic　and　legendary　charm　of　it　than　if　I　had　been　brought　up　there；　for　my　father；　in　his　communicative　moods；　never　wearied　of　telling　us　about　his　childhood；　and　we　felt　that　we　still　held　a　birthright　claim　upon　that　picturesque　spot　through　him。　Besides；　it　was　only　three　or　four　miles　away；　and　before　the　day　of　railroads；　that　was　thought　nothing　of　as　a　walk；　by　young　or　old。

But；　in　fact；　I　first　saw　the　light　in　the　very　middle　of　Beverly；　in　full　view　of　the　town　cloc