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him off, lest other eyes should see his condition as clearly as his
own . He said cheerfully—
lam also ready, sir, and will only make my bow to Mrs.
Mazyck.”
“Bow be- !” muttered the Major. “ You’ve been bowing
it all night with a vengeance.”
This was scarcely heard by more than the son and myself. His
sister, Miss Buhner, upon whom I was in attendance, now came up.
“Brother” said she, “hadn’t you better take a seat with us in
the carriage, and let Ned drive home with Tony only.”
“And why, pray,” he responded sharply, “should I change any
of my plans ? Am Iso old as to need back supporters and cush
ions ?or do you fear that I shall catch rheumatism ? Rheumatism
never ran in my family. No !no ! I drive home as I came —in the
buggy.”
There was no more to be said. The Major, giving himself a
fair start, crossed the room to Mrs. Mazyck and Beatrice, and to
each severally, in the deliberate style of King Charles’s courtiers,
made his elaborate bow, the right foot thrown back and toe turned
out, as the base of the operation, and the left foot drawn with a
sweep, so as to lodge its heel almost within the inner curve of the
right: arms describing the well known half circle, and body bent
forward, so as to enable the hands, if they so wished it, to rest
upon the knees. And the operation was over, and Ned and sire
passed out of sight, leaving Miss Bulmer in my charge. We did
not linger long after. I had a few more sweet words to exchange
with Beatrice—who treated me, evidently, with a greater degree of
kindness than her good mother was prepared to smile upon —and
to roll forth sundry sentences of rotund compliment to Madame
Agnes-Theresa, upon the performances of Paula, whose bright
eves returned their acknowledgments for a very different sort of ser
vice. They took their departure before us, and I saw them to the
carriage. It appears that Mrs. Mazyck had some private words
with Miss Bulmer, and detained her after the departure of most ol
the guests. Os course, I did not scruple to enjoy a corresponding
iete-a-tMe with Beatrice, and had no complaints to make of the
delay. This was much shorter than 1 could have wished, and, all
•>
too soon, I found myself in the carriage with Miss Bulmer, and
hurrying off for “The Barony.” Before we reached that place,
however, other adventures were destined to occur, and those of a
sort to require a chapter to themselves.
CHAPTER XI.
WHAT TURNS UP ON A DRIVE AND WHO TURNS OVER.
T o drive by night, two or four in hand, through our dim but
picturesque avenues of pine, faintly lighted only by moon or stars,
is an operation that is apt to try the nerves and skill of the city
!>red Jehu, accustomed only to broad streets, under the full blaze
of gas lamps every fifty yards. But to the country gentleman, the
hnng is as familiar as one’s garter, and without a thought of acci
dents, he will start fur home at midnight, the daikest night, or
fJ nve to a frolic five or ten miles off, and never give the mere com
passing of that distance a moment’s consideration. Persons bred
ia the country see farther and better than citizens. So do sailoi s.
THE GOLDEN CHRISTMAS.
Neither of these classes, accustomed to broad and spacious land and
w ater scopes, is ever troubled with the infirmity of nearsightedness.
This belongs wholly to city life, where the eye, from the earliest
period, is made familiar to certain bounds, high-w alled streets and
contracted chambers. A faculty grow s from its use and exercise,
and is more or less enfeebled by non-user. The eye, tasked only
w ithin certain limits, loses the capacity to extend its range of vision
when the occasion requires it. The muscles contract, and the
shape of the eye itself undergoes a change corresponding imme
diately with the sort of use which is given it. But, I digress.
Exercised in the w r oods, night and day, the country gentleman
never hesitates about the darkness, and starts for home, at all
hours. Nobody, therefore, leaving the party at Mrs. Mazyck’s,
between one and two in the morning, ever regarded the lateness of
the hour as a reason for not departing. Some few r old ladies re
mained at Mazyck Place all night. The rest, in backwoods
parlance , L put out ,’ as soon as supper w T as fairly over. Some had
a mile or two only to go, and others found quarters among the
neighbours, as is the custom of the country everywhere in the
South. Others pushed on for home, and some few went proba
bly eight or ten miles. We had barely five to go, and counted it
as nothing. The night was clear but dark. The stars gave but a
faint light, sprinkling their pale beams upon us through crow ding
tree tops. The young moon had gone down early; but the horses
knew the way as well as the driver, or better, and were bound
liomew'ards. Ours was a negro driver, and one of that class, with
ow l faculty and visage, which sees rather better in the night than
the day. It was this faculty, rather than his personal beauty,
which secured for Jehu —that w r as really his name —the honour
able place of coachman to Miss Bulmer. Off we went spinningly,
whirling out of the court and into the open road at a keen pace,
which promised to bear us home in short order. Miss 8., w T ell
wrapped up, occupied the back seat of the carriage. I took my
place with Jehu, preferring a mouthful of the cool, bracing air of
morning. Merrily danced the pines beside us, —oaks nodded to
us, doffing their green turbans as w”e sped; now we rolled through
a little sand hill, now” we dashed the waters up from the bottom
of a sandy brooklet. The faint light of the stars gives a strange,
wild beauty to such a scene and drive, and I was lost in mixed
meditations, in which groves were found pleasantly convenient,
and through which I caught glimpses of a damsel, well veiled,
coming to meet me, when I was disturbed in- my reveries by Jehu
suddenly pulling up the horses, and coming to a dead halt,
“ What’s the matter, Jehu ?”
“ There’s a break down here, sir,” quoth he, calling to the boy
to descend, who rode behind the carriage,—“ Go look, boy, see
w r hat’s happen.”
I could now distinguish a carriage ahead, and a confused group
beyond it. A lantern was borne in the hands of some person who
seemed moving with it across the road. Os course, I leapt down
in a moment, and, begging Miss Bulmer to keep quiet, and bid
din- Jehu keep back, I went forward to see into the extent of the
misfortune, and ascertain who were the sufferers by it. This was
nuickly knownbut, perhaps, I had better go back in my history,
and report the progress of those whom the matter most concerned.
I give particulars, now, which I gathered subsequently from certain
of the parties. , .
It appears that, from the moment of starting with his son, Major
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