CHAPTER IV. THE GORDON FAMILY.

tillfurtherenlarged,andthattact,bywhichthoseofthemixedbloodseemsopeculiarlyfittedtoappreciateallthefineraspectsofconventionallifehadbeencalledoutandexercisedsothatitwouldbedifficultinanycircletomeetwithamoreagreeableandgentlemanlyperson.Inleavingamanofthischaracter,andhisownson,stillinthebondsofslavery,ColonelGordonwasinfluencedbythatpassionatedevotiontohisdaughterwhichwithhimoverpoweredeveryconsideration.Amansocultivated,hearguedtohimself,mightfindmanyavenuesopenedtohiminfreedommightbetemptedtoleavetheestatetootherhands,andseekhisownfortune.Hethereforeresolvedtoleavehimboundbyanindissolubletieforatermofyears,trustingtohisattachmenttoNinatomakethisservicetolerable. Possessedofveryuncommonjudgment,firmness,andknowledgeofhumannature,Harryhadfoundmeanstoacquiregreatascendencyoverthehandsoftheplantation,and,eitherthroughfearorthroughfriendship,therewasauniversalsubordinationtohim.Theexecutorsoftheestatescarcelymadeevenafeintofoverseeinghimandheproceeded,toallintentsandpurposes,withtheperfecteaseofafreeman.Everybody,formilesaround,knewandrespectedhimand,hadhenotbeenpossessedofagoodshareofthethoughtful,forecastingtemperamentderivedfromhisScottishparentage,hemighthavebeencompletelyhappy,andforgotteneventheexistenceofthechainswhoseweightheneverfelt. ItwasonlyinthepresenceofTomGordon—ColonelGordon'slawfulson—thatheeverrealizedthathewasaslave.Fromchildhood,therehadbeenarootedenmitybetweenthebrothers,whichdeepenedasyearspassedonand,ashefoundhimself,oneveryreturnoftheyoungmantotheplace,subjectedtotauntsandill-usage,towhichhisdefencelesspositionlefthimnopowertoreply,hehadresolvednevertomarry,andlaythefoundationforafamily,untilsuchtimeasheshouldbeabletohavethecommandofhisowndestiny,andthatofhishousehold.ButthecharmsofaprettyFrenchquadroonovercamethedictatesofprudence. ThehistoryofTomGordonisthehistoryofmanyayoungmangrownupundertheinstitutionsandinthestateofsocietywhichformedhim.Naturehadendowedhimwithnomeanshareoftalent,andwiththatperilousquicknessofnervousorganization,which,likefire,isagoodservant,butabadmaster.Outofthoseelements,withduetraining,mighthavebeenformedanefficientandeloquentpublicmanbut,broughtupfromchildhoodamongservantstowhomhisinfantwillwaslaw,indulgedduringtheperiodofinfantilebeautyandgraceinthefullexpressionofeverywhim,growingintoboyhoodamongslaveswithbuttheaverageamountofplantationmorality,hispassionsdevelopedatafearfullyearlytimeoflifeand,beforehisfatherthoughtofseizingthereinsofauthority,theyhadgoneoutofhishandsforever.Tutoraftertutorwasemployedontheplantationtoinstructhim,andleft,terrifiedbyhistemper.Thesecludednatureoftheplantationlefthimwithoutthathealthfulstimulusofsocietywhichisoftenahelpinenablingaboytocometotheknowledgeandcontrolofhimself.Hisassociateswereeithertheslaves,ortheoverseers,whoaregenerallyunprincipledandartful,orthesurroundingwhites,wholayinayetlowerdeepofdegradation.Foronereasonoranother,itwasfortheinterestofallthesetoflatterhisvicesandcovertlytoassisthiminopposinganddeceivinghisparents.Thusanearlyagesawhimanadeptineverylowformofvice.Indespair,hewasatlengthsenttoanacademyattheNorth,wherehecommencedhiscareeronthefirstdaybystrikingtheteacherintheface,andwasconsequentlyexpelled.Thencehewenttoanother,where,learningcautionfromexperience,hewasenabledtomaintainhisfoothold.Therehewasasuccessfulcolporteurandmissionaryinthewayofintroducingaknowledgeofbowie-knives,revolvers,andviciousliterature.Artful,bold,anddaring,hisresidenceforayearataschoolwassufficienttoinitiateinthewayofruinperhapsonefourthoftheboys.Hewashandsome,and,whennotprovoked,good-natured,andhadthatoff-handwayofspendingmoneywhichpassesamongboysforgenerosity.Thesimplesonsofhard-workingfarmers,bredinhabitsofindustryandfrugality,weredazzledandastonishedbythefreedomwithwhichhetalked,anddrank,andspit,andswore.Hewasaherointheireye,andtheybegantowonderatthenumberofthings,tothemunknownbefore,whichwenttomakeupthenecessariesoflife.Fromschoolhewastransferredtocollege,andthereplacedunderthecareofaprofessor,whowaspaidanexorbitantsumforoverlookinghisaffairs.Theconsequencewas,thatwhilemanyanorthernboy,whosefathercouldnotaffordtopayforsimilarpatronage,wasdisciplined,rusticated,orexpelled,asthecasemightbe,TomGordonexploitedgloriouslythroughcollege,gettingdrunkeveryweekortwo,breakingwindows,smokingfreshmen,headingvariousspreesindifferentpartsofthecountry,andatlastgraduatingnobodyknewhow,exceptthepatronprofessor,whoreceivedanextrasumfortheextradifficultiesofthecase.Returnedhome,hewentintoalawyer'sofficeinRaleigh,where,byapleasantfiction,hewassaidtobereadinglaw,becausehewasoccasionallyseenattheofficeduringtheintervalsofhismoreseriousavocationsofgambling,andhorse-racing,anddrinking.Hisfather,anaffectionatebutpassionateman,waswhollyunabletocontrolhim,andtheconflictsbetweenthemoftenshookthewholedomesticfabric.Nevertheless,tothelastColonelGordonindulgedtheoldhopeforsuchcasesmadeandprovided,thatTomwouldgetthroughsowinghiswildoats,sometime,andsettledownandbearespectablemaninwhichhopehelefthimthehalfofhisproperty.Sincethattime,Tomseemedtohavestudiedonnosubjectexcepthowtoacceleratethegrowthofthosewingswhichrichesaresaidtobeinclinedtotake,underthemostfavorablecircumstances. Asoftenhappensinsuchcasesofutterruin,TomGordonwasamuchworsecharacterforalltheelementsofgoodwhichhepossessed.Hehadsufficientperceptionofright,andsufficientconscienceremaining,tomakehimbitteranduncomfortable.Inproportionasheknewhimselfunworthyofhisfather'saffectionandtrust,hebecamejealousandangryatanyindicationsofthewantofit.Hehadcontractedasettledill-willtohissister,fornootherapparentreasonexceptthatthefathertookacomfortinherwhichhedidnotinhim.Fromchildhood,itwashishabittovexandannoyherineverypossiblewayanditwasforthisreason,amongmanyothers,thatHarryhadpersuadedMr.JohnGordon,Nina'suncleandguardian,toplaceherattheNewYorkboarding-school,wheresheacquiredwhatistermedaneducation.Afterfinishingherschoolcareer,shehadbeenspendingafewmonthsinafamilyofacousinofhermother's,andrunningwithloosereinthecareeroffashionablegayety. Luckily,shebroughthomewithherunspoiledagenuineloveofnature,whichmadetheruralhabitsofplantationlifeagreeabletoher.Neighborstherewerefew.Heruncle'splantation,fivemilesdistant,wasthenearest.OtherfamilieswithwhomtheGordonswereinthehabitofexchangingoccasionalvisitsweresometenorfifteenmilesdistant.ItwasNina'sdelight,however,inhermuslinwrapperandstrawhat,topatteraboutovertheplantation,tochatwiththenegroesamongtheircabins,amusingherselfwiththevariousdrolleriesandpeculiaritiestowhichlongabsencehadgiventhezestofnovelty.Thenshewouldcallforherpony,and,attendedbyHarry,orsomeofherservants,wouldcareerthroughthewoods,gatheringthewild-flowerswithwhichtheyaboundperhapsstopforadayatheruncle's,haveachatandarompwithhim,andreturnthenextmorning. Inthecomparativesolitudeofherpresentlifehermindbegantoclearitselfofsomeformerfollies,aswaterwhenat