“Don’t say that now,” replied the gratified housekeeper, whose whole face glowed with delight at the compliment, than which Kate knew no other could possibly have been more agreeable.
The conversation now became more general. After awhile, Kate said, addressing Mr. Herman by the familiar name she had been accustomed to use when a child—
“How are the deer now, Uncle Lawrence? I think I remember something of having heard, when in England, that a very severe winter had destroyed large numbers. Mr. Herman,” she continued, turning to the Major, “is the best hunter we have in all West Jersey.”
“They are getting pretty plenty again,” answered her host. “That is, for one who knows where to look for ‘em. But for others, they’re as scarce as ever. I took several loads of venison to town last winter, and got good prices—the war don’t seem to make much difference,” he added, slyly, “to the nabobs.”
“You farm this place also?” said Major Gordon, interrogatively.
“Yes! we farm a little. Enough for our own use, raising a bit of rye, a few potatoes, and some corn. The boys do most of it, though, to give them justice. We don’t want much, we simple folk,” he continued, “so that we easily manage to live on what I bring from the woods and what the boys raise. Mother there keeps us pretty well supplied with linsey-wolsey. Whenever I go to town with venison, I bring back a few nice things for her in return; and I shouldn’t wonder now, if we could look into some dark corner of her closet, if we wouldn’t find even some tea, whigs as we all are. How is it, mother? Is the tea there? And did I buy it for you, or did it come from this saucy tory, Katie.
“We get along, too, as well as the rest, so far as I can see,” continued Mr. Herman; “At least I often think so when I’m in Philadelphy. We haven’t as much money, to be sure; but then we’ve no vessels at sea, like Mr. Morris and others there I know, and can sleep soundly, in spite of storms and British frigates. Then we’ve fresher air than they can have, let them build as big houses as they will. I never cross the ferry but I don’t for awhile think the air’s pisened, for what with the vegetables rotting in the market, and the sewers that empty on the river front, the whole place smells dreadfully, leastways to a man from the woods. Before the war broke out, some of my acquaintances there, rich men, you know, used to come down here to hunt awhile, once a year. It was a sight to see ‘em eat,” he continued, with a low, chuckling laugh. “I’ve known ‘em, after a tramp in the woods all day, when there’s been no luck, sit down to a piece of cold pork, that they wouldn’t look on at home, and eat it as if it had been the best saddle that was ever sarved up. Then, to see ‘em drink our water! When they’ve had a hot run in the woods, they’d kneel right down by the side of the road, and lap up like a dog the water running from a cedar-swamp; and they’ve told me they never drank Madeery, not Port, that was half as good.”
“Yours is the true philosophy,” said Major Gordon, “and the world would be all the better if there were more who followed it. I confess,” he continued, turning to Kate, “that there is an independence and content about it, which strongly tempts a soldier.”
“Yet yours is a grand profession,” said Uncle Lawrence, “at least in times like these. The trade of a soldier is the meanest alive; think of the Hessians coming over to murder at so much a day; but when a man takes up arms for his country, and to drive out an invader, he’s doing a brave deed.” And the old man’s eye gleamed. “I was out in the Trenton campaign myself, for that was a time when even age couldn’t excuse staying at home, unless to them as were tired of liberty. I’ve one son now in the army, and another will ‘list as soon as he’s big enough, if it’s the Lord’s will,” and he looked up reverently, “that the war should last that long.”
In similar conversation nearly an hour passed, by which time the rain ceased, and the sun shone out again brightly: and Kate now rose to go. As she stood at the door, while the horses were being brought around, the birds sang merrily in the orchard, and the rain-drops sparkled in the grass.