CHAPTER IV. THE GORDON FAMILY.

AweekortwohadpassedovertheheadofNinaGordonsinceshewasfirstintroducedtoourreaders,andduringthistimeshehadbecomefamiliarwiththedetailsofherhomelife.Nominally,shestoodattheheadofherplantation,asmistressandqueeninherownrightofall,bothindoorsandoutbut,really,shefoundherself,byherownyouthandinexperience,herignoranceofpracticaldetails,verymuchinthehandsofthosesheprofessedtogovern. Thedutiesofasouthernhousekeeper,onaplantation,areonerousbeyondanyamountofnorthernconception.Everyarticlewantedfordailyconsumptionmustbekeptunderlockandkey,anddoledoutasneedarises.Forthemostpart,theservantsareonlygrown-upchildren,withoutconsideration,forethought,orself-control,quarrellingwitheachother,anddividedintopartiesandfactions,hopelessofanyreasonablecontrol.Everyarticleofwear,forsomehundredsofpeople,mustbethoughtof,purchased,cutandmade,underthedirectionofthemistressandaddtothisthecareofyoungchildren,whosechildishmothersaretotallyunfittogovernorcareforthem,andwehavesomeslightideaofwhatdevolvesonsouthernhousekeepers. OurreaderhasseenwhatNinawasonherreturnfromNewYork,andcaneasilyimaginethatshehadnoideaofembracing,ingoodearnest,theharddutiesofsuchalife. Infact,sincethedeathofNina'smother,thesituationofthemistressofthefamilyhadbeenonlynominallyfilledbyheraunt,Mrs.Nesbit.Therealhousekeeper,infact,wasanoldmulattowoman,namedKaty,whohadbeentrainedbyNina'smother.Notwithstandingthegeneralinefficiencyandchildishnessofnegroservants,thereoftenaretobefoundamongthemthoseofgreatpracticalability.Wheneverowners,throughnecessityorfromtact,selectsuchservants,andsubjectthemtothekindoftrainingandresponsibilitywhichbelongstoastateoffreedom,thesamequalitiesaredevelopedwhichexistinfreesociety.Nina'smother,beingalwaysindelicatehealth,had,fromnecessity,beenobligedtocommitmuchresponsibilityto"AuntKaty,"asshewascalledandshehadgrownupunderthedisciplineintoaveryefficienthousekeeper.Withhertallredturban,herjinglingbunchofkeys,andanabundantsenseoftheimportanceofheroffice,shewasadignitarynotlightlytobedisregarded. Itistruethatsheprofessedtheutmostdeferenceforheryoungmistress,andverygenerallypassedthecomplimentofinquiringwhatshewouldhavedonebutitwasprettygenerallyunderstoodthatherassenttoAuntKaty'spropositionswasconsideredasmuchamatterofcourseasthequeen'stoaministerialrecommendation.Indeed,hadNinachosentodemur,herprimeministerhadthepower,withoutdepartingintheslightestdegreefromarespectfulbearing,toinvolveherinlabyrinthsofperplexitywithoutend.AndasNinahatedtrouble,andwanted,aboveallthings,tohavehertimetoherselfforherownamusement,shewiselyconcludednottointerferewithAuntKaty'sreign,andtogetbypersuasionandcoaxing,whattheoldbodywouldhavebeenfartooconsequentialandopinionatedtogivetoauthority. Inlikemanner,attheheadofallout-dooraffairswastheyoungquadroon,Harry,whomweintroducedinthefirstchapter.Inordertocomefullyattherelationinwhichhestoodtotheestate,wemust,afterthefashionofhistoriansgenerally,gobackahundredyearsorso,inordertogiveourreadersafairstart.Beholdus,therefore,assuminghistoricdignity,asfollows. AmongthefirstemigrantstoVirginia,initscolonialdays,wasoneThomasGordon,Knight,adistantoffshootofthenobleGordonfamily,renownedinScottishhistory.Beingagentlemanofsomeconsiderableenergy,andimpatientofthenarrowlimitsoftheOldWorld,wherehefoundlittleopportunitytoobtainthatwealthwhichwasnecessarytomeetthedemandsofhisfamilypride,hestruckoffforhimselfintoVirginia.Naturallyofanadventurousturn,hewasoneofthefirsttoproposetheenterprisewhichafterwardsresultedinasettlementonthebanksoftheChowanRiver,inNorthCarolina.Herehetookupforhimselfalargetractofthefinestalluvialland,andsethimselftothebusinessofplanting,withtheenergyandskillcharacteristicofhisnationand,asthesoilwasnewandfertile,hesoonreceivedaverymunificentreturnforhisenterprise.Inspiredwithremembrancesofoldancestralrenown,theGordonfamilytransmittedintheirdescentallthetraditions,feelings,andhabits,whichwerethegrowthofthearistocraticcastefromwhichtheysprung.ThenameofCanema,giventotheestate,camefromanIndianguideandinterpreter,whoaccompaniedthefirstColonelGordonasconfidentialservant. Theestate,beingentailed,passeddownthroughthecolonialtimesunbrokeninthefamily,whosewealth,forsomeyears,seemedtoincreasewitheverygeneration. ThefamilymansionwasoneofthosefondreproductionsofthearchitecturalstyleofthelandedgentryinEngland,inwhich,asfarastheirmeanscouldcompassit,theplanterswerefondofindulging. Carpentersandcarvershadbeenbroughtover,atgreatexpense,fromtheoldcountry,togivethefruitsoftheirskillinitserectionanditwasafancyoftheancestorwhobuiltit,todisplay,initswood-work,thatexuberanceofnewandrarewoodswithwhichtheAmericancontinentwassupposedtoabound.HehadmadeanadventurousvoyageintoSouthAmerica,andbroughtfromthencespecimensofthosematerialsmorebrilliantthanrose-wood,andhardasebony,whichgrowsoprofuselyonthebanksoftheAmazonthatthenativesusethemfortimber.Thefloorofthecentralhallofthehousewasacuriously-inlaidparquetofthesebrilliantmaterials,arrangedinfineblock-work,highlypolished. TheoutsideofthehousewasbuiltintheoldVirginianfashion,withtwotiersofbalconiesrunningcompletelyround,asbeingmuchbettersuitedtotheAmericanclimatethananyofEuropeanmode.Theinside,however,wasdecoratedwithsculptureandcarvings,copied,manyofthem,fromancestralresidencesinScotland,givingtothemansionanairofprematureantiquity. Here,fortwoorthreegenerations,theGordonfamilyhadlivedinopulence.Duringthetime,however,ofNina'sfather,andstillmoreafterhisdeath,thereappearedevidentlyontheplacesignsofthatgradualdecaywhichhasconductedmanyanoldVirginianfamilytopovertyandruin.Slavelabor,ofallothersthemostworthlessandprofitless,hadexhaustedthefirstvigorofthesoil,andtheproprietorsgraduallydegeneratedfromthosehabitsofenergywhichwerecalledforthbythenecessitiesofthefirstsettlers,andeverythingproceededwiththatfree-and-easyabandon,inwhichbothmasterandslaveappearedtohaveonecommonobject,—thatofprovingwhoshouldwastewithmostfreedom. AtColonelGordon'sdeath,hehadbequeathed,aswehavealreadyshown,thewholefamilyestatetohisdaughter,underthecareofaservant,ofwhoseuncommonintelligenceandthoroughdevotionofhearthehadthemostampleproof.Whenitisreflectedthattheoverseersaregenerallytakenfromaclassofwhiteswhoareoftenlowerinignoranceandbarbarismthaneventheslaves,andthattheirwastefulnessandrapacityareaby-wordamongtheplanters,itisnowonderthatColonelGordonthoughtthat,inleavinghisplantationunderthecareofonesoenergetic,competent,andfaithful,asHarry,hehadmadethebestpossibleprovisionforhisdaughter. Harrywasthesonofhismaster,andinheritedmuchofthetemperandconstitutionofhisfather,temperedbythesoftandgenialtemperamentofthebeautifulEboemulattress,whowashismother.FromthiscircumstanceHarryhadreceivedadvantagesofeducationverysuperiortowhatcommonlyfelltothelotofhisclass.HehadalsoaccompaniedhismasterasvaletduringthetourofEurope,andthushisopportunitiesofgeneralobservationhadbeens