The Crisis, Complete

l the story now, when his daughter-in-law is not by; and sometimes he tells it in her presence, for he is a sh

n descent had not yet begun to arrive at the Planters' House, to buy hunting shirts and broad rims, belts and bowies, and depart quietly for Kansas, there to

assing Louisville, which might have disgusted a Massachusetts lad more. A certain deck on the 'Paducah', which took him as far as Cairo, was devoted to cattle-black cattle. Eliphalet possessed a fortunate temperament. The deck was dark, and the smell of the wretches confined there was worse than it should have been. And the inc

f these valuable fellow-creatures. He reached out and touched lightly a young mulatto woman who sat beside him with an

zing the girl by the cheek, gave it a cr

at Cairo, and had seen that pitiful coffle piled aboard a steamer for New Orleans

e a mass of people was awaiting her arrival. Some invisible force lifted Eliphalet's eyes to the upper deck, where they rested, as if by appointment, on the trim figure of the young man in command of the Louisiana. He was very young for the captain of a large New Orlean

as speaking a few parting words to some passengers of fashion. The body-servants were taking their luggage to the carriages. Mr. Hopper envied the captain his free and vigorous speech, his read

s, this is not recorded. He gained the mouth of a street between the low houses which crowded on the broad river front. The black mud was thick under his feet from an overnight shower, and already steaming in the sun. The brick pavement was lumpy from much travel and near as dirty as the street. Here, too, were drays blocking the way, and sweaty negro t

e street, and straight at him. He dived into an entrance, and stood looking at the animals in startled wonder as th

attle had failed. The feeling of a stranger in a strange land was upon him at last. A strange land, indeed! Could it be one with his native New England

with a quizzical expression, was a gentleman. There was no mistaking the gentleman. He was cool, which Eliphalet was not. And the fact is the more remarkable because the gentleman was attired according to the fashion of the day for men of his age, in a black coat with a teal

ely drawl very different from the nasal twang of Eliphalet's

phalet. "From Wille

on the 'L

But why this

rushing mules had now become a distant roar, like a wh

" inquired the ge

" sighed

risp step sounded from behind and won

e Eliphalet jump. And he swung around to p

ony, "and how do you find yourself to-day, suh? A goo

ping the Colonel's hand. "Well, Colonel, I just called

ere set out,-a custom new to Eliphalet,-"Ephum, some of that very

hite as the Colonel's, appear

e Cap'n comin'," said he, with the privilege of an

lonel

Cap'n," said Ephum,

plied the Captain. "B

s,

ttle sweethe

ess your soul, sah, Miss Jinny's done gone to Halcyondale, in Kaintuc

e showed as much disapp

ll from New Orleans, which Madame Claire said was dressed finer than any one sh

heartily. "And she shall write you the

Here's a long life to Miss Virginia Carvel, and may she rule forev

entury," said

Pompeii," cried Captain Bren

said the Colonel, who was not hiding his pleasur

aptain put down h

er pa don't ruin her I eh, E

ige, I reckon h

, and continued: "Did I ever tell you about Wilson Peale's portrait of my grandmother, Dorothy Carvel, that I saw this summer at my brother Daniel's, in Pennsylvania? Jinny's going to look something like her, sir. Um! She was a fine woman. Black hair, though. Jinn

I heard on the levee just now about your shoo

e. His face seemed to grow l

" he replied (Captain Lige moved), "and he

did yo

aughed quietly a

little start, and put a bullet past his ear, just to let the tra

Hopper's eyes were glued to the mild-mannered man w

him on the 'Louisiana', I thought I'd made a mistake to let him run th

aptain's tur

to have hands, of course. But somehow I wish t

, "God made the sons of Ham the servants

If they all treated slaves as you do, there wouldn't be any cry from B

said Mr. Carvel. "I reckon you'll fi

Captain. "But you'll show

, and ran agai

e cried. "

this morning, Lige," said the Co

xclaimed t

looking for employment. Isn't that s

es

ld you take him?

that shot from his eyes was of an aggressive honesty; and

aid the

not,

been listening," said Cap

began to hum so

an owl, and the

church with the

' ther

abolitionist," said he

in keepin' slaves," Mr. Hopper re

ingly that the blood flew to Mr. Hopper's fleshy face. He mopped it with a dark-red handkerchief, stared at everything in the place save the gentleman in

r of the

" said Mr

s was downright directness, f

n, Massac

ver heard of

to work al

n you do

a store. I have kept book

the Colonel, kindly. The green eye

l you g

ised. "Well," said he,

whose motives could not be questioned. The one and sufficient reason for giving work to a homeless boy, fr

est of thunder clouds. And an act of charity, out of the wi

ecruit to the presence of Mr. Hood, the manager. And he spent the remainde

eds. In two days was Eliphalet's reputation for wisdom made. During that period he opened his mouth to speak but twice. The first was in answer to a pointless question of Mr. Barbo's (aetat 25), to the effect that he, Eliphalet Hopper, was a

oarding-houses. We've got a heap of Yankees in the town, and they all flock tog

rk. Eliphalet, indeed, never showed to better advantage. The shyness he had used with the Colonel, and the taciturnity practised on his fellow-clerks, he slipped off like coat and waistcoat for the battle. The scene was in the front yard of the third house in Dorcas Row. Everybody knows where Dorcas Row was. Miss Crane, tall, with all the severity

h?" said Crane. "I calcul

phalet. But training stood by him, and he showed no dismay. Yes, he knew the Salters,

o was it one of them Salters girls married, an

" was the p

" cried the spinster:

nded itself to Miss Crane. These courtesies, far from making awkward

ard you?" said she, a

could come to terms. And Mr. B

h as twelve dollars." And she added that

h positions and rented her large rooms. Since Mr. Hopper was from Willesden and knew the Salters, she would be willing to take him f

wn in a tiny bedroom under the eaves, still pulsing with heat waves. Here he was t

kneyed story it is! How many other young men from the East have travelled across the mountains and float

as in the throes of a Civil War; when the Stern and the Gay slew each other at Naseby and Marston Moor, two currents flowe

floating over wide prairies, until the two tides met in a maelstrom as fierce as any in the great tawny torrent of the strange Father of Waters. A city founded by Pierre Laclede, a certain adventurous subject of Louis who dealt in furs, and who knew not Marly or Versaille

and pies were plentiful, for it was a land of plenty. All kinds of Puritans were there, and they attended Mr. Davitt's