登陆注册
5168900000026

第26章 TWO AMERICANS(1)

Perhaps if there was anything important in the migration of the Maynard family to Europe it rested solely upon the singular fact that Mr.Maynard did not go there in the expectation of marrying his daughter to a nobleman.A Charleston merchant, whose house represented two honorable generations, had, thirty years ago, a certain self-respect which did not require extraneous aid and foreign support, and it is exceedingly probable that his intention of spending a few years abroad had no ulterior motive than pleasure seeking and the observation of many things--principally of the past--which his own country did not possess.His future and that of his family lay in his own land, yet with practical common sense he adjusted himself temporarily to his new surroundings.In doing so, he had much to learn of others, and others had something to learn of him; he found that the best people had a high simplicity equal to his own; he corrected their impressions that a Southerner had more or less negro blood in his veins, and that, although a slave owner, he did not necessarily represent an aristocracy.With a distinguishing dialect of which he was not ashamed, a frank familiarity of approach joined to an invincible courtesy of manner, which made even his republican "Sir" equal to the ordinary address to royalty, he was always respected and seldom misunderstood.When he was--it was unfortunate for those who misunderstood him.His type was as distinctive and original as his cousin's, the Englishman, whom it was not the fashion then to imitate.So that, whether in the hotel of a capital, the Kursaal of a Spa, or the humbler pension of a Swiss village, he was always characteristic.

Less so was his wife, who, with the chameleon quality of her transplanted countrywomen, was already Parisian in dress; still less so his daughter, who had by this time absorbed the peculiarities of her French, German, and Italian governesses.Yet neither had yet learned to evade their nationality--or apologize for it.

Mr.Maynard and his family remained for three years in Europe, his stay having been prolonged by political excitement in his own State of South Carolina.Commerce is apt to knock the insularity out of people; distance from one's own distinctive locality gives a wider range to the vision, and the retired merchant foresaw ruin in his State's politics, and from the viewpoint of all Europe beheld instead of the usual collection of individual States--his whole country.But the excitement increasing, he was finally impelled to return in a faint hope of doing something to allay it, taking his wife with him, but leaving his daughter at school in Paris.At about this time, however, a single cannon shot fired at the national flag on Fort Sumter shook the whole country, reverberated even in Europe, sending some earnest hearts back to do battle for State or country, sending others less earnest into inglorious exile, but, saddest of all! knocking over the school bench of a girl at the Paris pensionnat.For that shot had also sunk Maynard's ships at the Charleston wharves, scattered his piled Cotton bales awaiting shipment at the quays, and drove him, a ruined man, into the "Home Guard" against his better judgment.

Helen Maynard, like a good girl, had implored her father to let her return and share his risks.But the answer was "to wait" until this nine days' madness of an uprising was over.That madness lasted six years, outlived Maynard, whose gray, misdoubting head bit the dust at Ball's Bluff; outlived his colorless widow, and left Kelly a penniless orphan.

Yet enough of her country was left in her to make her courageous and independent of her past.They say that when she got the news she cried a little, and then laid the letter and what was left of her last monthly allowance in Madame Ablas' lap.Madame was devastated."But you, impoverished and desolated angel, what of you?" "I shall get some of it back," said the desolated angel with ingenuous candor, "for I speak better French and English than the other girls, and I shall teach THEM until I can get into the Conservatoire, for I have a voice.You yourself have told papa so." From such angelic directness there was no appeal.Madame Ablas had a heart,--more, she had a French manageress's discriminating instinct.The American schoolgirl was installed in a teacher's desk; her bosom friends and fellow students became her pupils.To some of the richest, and they were mainly of her own country, she sold her smartest, latest dresses, jewels, and trinkets at a very good figure, and put the money away against the Conservatoire in the future.She worked hard, she endured patiently everything but commiseration."I'd have you know, Miss,"she said to Miss de Laine, daughter of the famous house of Musslin, de Laine & Co., of New York, "that whatever my position HERE may be, it is not one to be patronized by a tapeseller's daughter.My case is not such a very 'sad one,' thank you, and I prefer not to be spoken of as having seen 'better days' by people who haven't.

同类推荐
  • 上清九真中经内诀

    上清九真中经内诀

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛祖统纪宋

    佛祖统纪宋

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 五杂俎

    五杂俎

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大方广佛华严经感应传

    大方广佛华严经感应传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说萨罗国经

    佛说萨罗国经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 逃婚指南之魔妃太轻狂

    逃婚指南之魔妃太轻狂

    一夕瞬变,所有的一切仿佛都回到了起点。可怜?这个词是给失败者的。怜悯?这个词是给可怜者的。这些我都不需要,我会用自己的手创造一片属于自己的天地人不为己,天诛地灭;人若犯我,我必百倍还之。可当那个看似清冷淡漠的男子出现时,她....才觉得世上原来还有最美好的事,那就是你!
  • “路克”带你环游世界(全集)

    “路克”带你环游世界(全集)

    《爱尔兰北西行:春山半是云》设定用一周假期,来周游爱尔兰岛的西部和北部。《浮游夏威夷:海天共蔚蓝》为读者提供畅游夏威夷主要岛屿的方式,以及享受最舒适假期的建议和最新资讯。《混沌浮山南:尼泊尔秘境》为图文并茂的尼泊尔游记,涵盖加德满都、帕坦、巴克塔普尔、博克拉、奇特旺等重要目的地的旅行记录。《浪漫夏威夷:海鸥带诗飞》选取夏威夷十座最梦幻婚礼殿堂、十种最浪漫的夏威夷时光、十家最美丽的餐厅、十家最舒适的酒店、十段蜜月旅程、十佳购物场所,为你打造一场无与伦比的夏威夷婚礼之旅。《西风裁翡翠:爱尔兰中南行》为读者提供了如何利用一周的时间在爱尔兰中南部进行深度旅游的独特线路。
  • 2020,期盼中国

    2020,期盼中国

    本书将晦涩的理论以通俗简洁的语言表达出来,为读者勾勒出了未来十年的发展图景。其间既有对中国经济、政治、文化、思想等总体方面的概括,又有各行业、各领域具体且精道的分析与预测。
  • 莲心劫

    莲心劫

    为了追寻爱情,放弃成仙的机会,成为凡人,只为在芸芸众生中找寻自己的爱人。
  • 香色满园:农妇要翻天

    香色满园:农妇要翻天

    摸个香炉都能玩穿越,身份农妇,未婚,还带娃!从单身贵族一下成为有娃人士,苏青媚表示太有挑战力了!日子清减,受尽白眼,爹不疼,娘不爱,兄嫂不亲,姐妹不宁!苏青媚嘴角直抽仰天长啸:这是人过的日子么?所以苏青媚为自己立下人生第一目标——马上有钱,马上有房,马上有对象!哦哦哦,应该是——种田养家,开铺子,闲来调香钓凯子,红红火火过日子!可是这是谁家的倒霉孩子,农妇还搞升级?莫名奇妙变逃奴,逃奴的主子是鸭霸,硬塞个令牌说:女人!不听话是要受惩罚的,比如捏断脖子啥的!无辜受累成逃妻,逃妻的男人是变态,扣个玉镯子说:我会用一百种一千种的法子来告诉你,哪一种濒临死亡的感觉最舒服!被偷心的男人是流氓,压着她的身子说:那天你强上了本公子就跑了,现在闺女都这么大了,你还不承认?某女想,长得这么俊,被强上似乎也不是不可能?“要是想不起来,本公子再让你强一遍!”某男无声无息的靠近,吐气如兰,“不,天天让你强!嗯?”某女还在想她这小胳膊小腿真能强得了他?天亮后,某女扶着差点被压断的腰欲哭无泪:流氓咱不怕,就怕流氓有文化!某男从背后拥住她:娘子!有家室的女人可不能再看其它男人,会长针眼的。某女:……推荐某漪精品完结文《农家药膳师》:本以为命丧车祸魂归西天的江云漪眼睛一闭一睁,穿越了!颤颤巍巍的茅草房,家徒四壁的农家院,面黄肌瘦的俩弟妹。亲娘亡故,亲爹无能,爷爷不疼,奶奶厌恶。心怀不轨的极品亲戚还肖想着那二亩薄田,三间破草房,把她弟妹卖了换成粮。————————江云漪怒从心起!第一药膳师的名头不是吹出来的!调养弟妹身子,扶持无能亲爹,整治极品亲戚。店铺遍地开,银子滚滚来,美男脱光来,某女惊吓。
  • 靠窗

    靠窗

    男孩毕业后意外成为了一个作家,然而在出版书目的过程中得知了妹妹跳楼的死讯。他着手调查妹妹死亡的原因却知道了一个令他更加震撼的真相。。。
  • 蜀山剑侠传7

    蜀山剑侠传7

    小说以峨眉弟子“三英二云”、“七矮”等的修真学艺、斩妖除魔为故事核心。“三英”之一的李英琼是整套小说的主角,小说详细描述了她从一个普通女子,经过无数次的机缘巧合,得到了长眉真人的紫郢剑以及白眉和尚的定珠,获得了圣姑的一甲子功力,最终成长为峨嵋派后辈中最杰出的人物……
  • 绛红色的山峦

    绛红色的山峦

    龙仁青,当代著名作家。1967年3月生于青海湖畔铁卜加草原1986年7月毕业于青海海南民族师范学校藏语言文学专业。先后从事广播、电视、报纸等媒体的新闻翻译(汉藏文)、记者、编辑、导演、制片等职,现供职于青海电视台影视部。
  • 重生之冷王盛宠恶毒王妃

    重生之冷王盛宠恶毒王妃

    她本是苏家嫡女,本应高贵风光的活这一世,却因为爱错了人,信错了人,害得苏家家破人亡……为她之人全部惨死,连刚刚生下的孩子自己都没有摸一摸便死在亲妹妹的手上,而自己最后被羞辱至惨死!她从未想过上天会给她再来一次的机会,重活一世,她必定要让欺辱她的人付出代价!她没想到会遇见他,那个寒冷至极,对世事冷眼相看之人,却对她温柔至极!因上一世的痛,她发誓再也不会爱上其他人,却没想到……一个一个阴谋被识破时,一个一个秘密也在慢慢展开,她以为所有人是她笼中鸟,却不知,她只是别人的一颗棋子……
  • 北洋新军阀

    北洋新军阀

    开局就给一块岛屿,一帮农民,四面八方不是建奴就是海,还有个磨刀霍霍的袁蛮子,就问你你怎么活下去。毛珏:“造船!”