Elsie's Young Folks in Peace and War Read online

  CHAPTER VI.

  The young people had a merry time over their breakfast the nextmorning, rehearsing all they had gone through in their celebration ofHallowe'en, each one seeming to have enjoyed his or her part in it.They lingered over the meal, but soon after leaving the table scatteredto their homes, excepting Eva, who returned to Woodburn with Max andLucilla.

  On arriving there Lucilla hastened to the library, where she found herfather examining some business letters.

  "Good-morning, papa!" she said. "Here is your amanuensis, and haven'tyou something for her to do?"

  "Yes," he replied, looking up at her with a smile, as she stood closeat his side, "and the first thing is to give her father a kiss; thatis, if she will not find it a disagreeable task."

  "Anything else than that, father dear," she returned, bending down togive and receive a caress. "And won't you let me help, as usual, withyour correspondence?"

  "I shall be very glad to do so," he returned, rising to take the coverfrom her typewriter, and put the paper in place. Then she seatedherself and he began dictating. When they had finished, "Did you missme last night and this morning, father?" she asked.

  "I did indeed," he said; "but that is something I will have to get usedto, when Chester takes you from me."

  He ended with a sigh.

  "Oh, papa, don't sigh so over it!" she exclaimed. "You know it isn't asif I had to go away to a distance from you. I shall be close at hand,and you can call me to your side whenever you will."

  "Which will be pretty often, I think," he said, with a smile, drawingher closer to him, and caressing her hair and cheek with his hand. "Hadyou a pleasant time last evening? And did you go to bed in season, asyour father would have seen that you did had you been at home?"

  "No, I did not get to bed early, papa," she replied. "I thought youwould excuse me for staying up, for once, to try my fortune. For yousee, we all wanted to know who were to be our future life partners,Rosie telling us that there was 'many a slip 'twixt the cup and thelip,' so that our engagements didn't make us safe."

  She concluded with a light laugh and look that seemed to say she feltno fear that he would be seriously displeased with her.

  "You stayed up to try your fortune, did you?" he returned, with a lookof amusement. "Why, my child, I thought you considered it already made."

  "So I do, papa, and last night's experience only confirmed my belief."

  Then she went on to tell him the whole story, he seeming to enjoy thetale as she told it.

  "You are not vexed with me, papa, for staying up so late, just foronce?" she asked, when her tale was told.

  "No," he replied, "though I should be far from willing to have you makea practice of it.

  "'Early to bed and early to rise, Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise,'

  the old saying is, and I want you to be all three."

  "As you are, father; and I am the first, at all events," she returned,with a happy little laugh. "You have never had to pay a big doctor'sbill for me."

  "No; but to escape that is the least of my reasons for wanting to keepyou healthy."

  Just then Max came in with Eva, bringing a book on architecture.

  "Here are some plans for houses, father," he said, laying the book openbefore the captain. "Please look at this, and tell me what you think ofit, as in some respects it is what would suit us. You too, Lu. Eva andI like the most of it very much."

  The captain and Lucilla examined it with interest, and were as wellpleased as were Max and Evelyn. It was a matter in which they andChester also were deeply interested, and they were taking time andtrouble to make sure of having their future home all that could bedesired. It was not to be built in haste. They had agreed to takeplenty of time and thought in regard to all the interior arrangements,making everything as convenient as possible, as well as to theexterior, which they were resolved should be such as to cause thebuilding to be recognized as an ornament to its neighborhood.

  Chester was the one most anxious to get the house built and to securehis bride; the other three seemed well content to defer their marriageuntil the captain should give full and hearty consent.

  The exact spot on which the building should stand had been selected,and the plans for it almost matured, when there came an order for Maxto join a naval vessel about to sail for a distant foreign port.

  There was a tender and sorrowful leave-taking, and Max was absent fromthe home circle for many months.

  For a time those left behind seemed to have lost much of their interestin the building of the new home. Then came the fall rains, after thatthe winter storms, and it was decided that the actual work should notbe begun until spring. Then Grace had a serious illness, which kepther in bed for several weeks, and she had hardly recovered when thelittle ones at Fairview were taken down with measles. They all passedthrough that trouble safely, but the weather had now grown warm enoughto make a more northern climate desirable, and they--the whole Fairviewfamily, accompanied by their grandma and the Raymonds--went aboardthe captain's yacht and sailed up the coast and the Hudson River toEvelyn's pretty home, Crag Cottage.

  That became their headquarters for the summer, though occasionalshort trips were taken to one or another of the points of interestin New York and the adjoining States. They all enjoyed themselves,though Chester and Max were missed--especially by Lucilla and Evelyn.Chester, however, joined the party late in the season, and was withthem on the journey home.

  Soon after their return, work was begun upon the proposed site of thenew double dwelling, the cellars were dug, and the foundation was laid.But the work proceeded slowly. Max was not likely to be at home againsoon, and it was well to take time to have everything done in the bestpossible manner.

  Evelyn and Lucilla had fully decided upon a double wedding, which ofcourse could not take place until Max obtained a furlough, and camehome for a visit of some weeks or months. Chester felt the delay hardupon him, but had to content himself with being allowed to spend allhis spare time with his betrothed.

  Fall and winter passed quietly. There were the usual holidayfestivities and exchange of gifts, then quiet home duties and pleasuresfilled up the days, and the weeks glided swiftly by.

  One morning in February the captain, looking over his daily paper,uttered an exclamation of mingled regret and indignation.

  "What is it, my dear?" asked Violet. "Something that troubles you, Iperceive."

  "Yes," he replied; "here is a piece of very bad news. The _Maine_, oneof our favorite battleships, lying at anchor in Havana harbor, hasbeen suddenly destroyed by a terrible explosion--wrecked and sent tothe bottom with 266 American seamen; only the captain and a few of hisofficers who were on shore escaping the awful fate of the others."

  "Oh, that is dreadful, dreadful!" cried Violet. "But how did it happen?What was the cause?"

  "That has yet to be discovered, my dear," replied Captain Raymond;"but I have little doubt that it was the work of some enemy among theSpaniards. They have been angry at the presence of the vessel in theirharbor--their newspapers calling it a taunt and a banter, for they knowour people sympathize with the Cubans. Somebody has done this evildeed; it remains to be discovered who it was."

  "This is Sigsbee's despatch to the government," he added, and readaloud:

  "_Maine_ blown up in Havana Harbor at nine-forty to-night. Many wounded and doubtless more killed or drowned. Wounded and others on board Spanish man-of-war and Ward Line steamers. Send light-house tenders from Key West for crew and the few pieces of equipment above water. None has clothing other than that upon him. Public opinion should be suspended until further report. All officers believed to be saved. Jenkins and Merritt not yet accounted for. Many Spanish officers, including representatives of General Blanco, now with me to express sympathy."

  "SIGSBEE."

  It was directly after breakfast and the family were all present.Lucilla and Grace seemed much excited, and little Ned asked anxiouslyif "Brother Max" was on that ship.

 
"No, my son," replied his father; "I am very glad to know certainlythat he was not. Have you forgotten that he is with Commodore Dewey onthe coast of China?"

  "Oh, yes, papa! I forgot where Havana was. I remember now that it isnot in China, but in Cuba."

  "Oh, that is a dreadful piece of news, papa!" said Lucilla, intones of excitement. "Won't it be likely to bring on a war withSpain--especially as we have been feeling so sorry for the poor Cubanswhom she has been abusing so terribly?"

  "I am really afraid it can hardly fail to cause war," replied thecaptain. "But that will depend very much upon the result of theinvestigation which will no doubt be made by our government."

  "Oh, I hope we won't have war!" cried Grace, shuddering at the thought.

  "War is a very dreadful thing," sighed her father, "but sometimesthe right thing on one side--that of those who undertake it for thedowntrodden and oppressed."

  "But we are not such folks, are we, papa?" asked Ned.

  "No, son; but the poor Cubans are, and the question is whether weshould not undertake to win their freedom for them."

  "By fighting the Spaniards who abuse them so, papa?" asked littleElsie.

  "Yes."

  "What have they been doing to them, papa?" asked Ned.

  "Oppressing, robbing, murdering them, burning down their houses,forcing them into the cities and towns and leaving them to starve todeath there."

  "Why, papa, how dreadful! I should think our folks ought to go andfight for them. I wish I was big enough to help."

  "My dear little son, I am glad you are not," said his mother, drawinghim to her side and giving him a fond caress.

  "Why, mamma?"

  "Because you might be badly hurt or even killed, and that would breakyour mother's heart."

  "Then, mamma, I'm glad I don't have to go, for I wouldn't like to hurtyou so," said the little fellow, stroking and patting his mother'scheek, and gazing fondly into her eyes.

  "Oh, I hope it won't come to war for us!" exclaimed Grace; "though Ishould like to have the poor Cubans helped. Just think how dreadful,if Max should be engaged in a naval battle."

  "Well, my child, we won't borrow trouble about that," said her fathersoothingly.

  "And I hope there is not much danger, as he is away off in the Chinaseas," said Lucilla, trying to cheer Grace, though she herself hadlittle idea that he would escape taking part if there should be war.

  "In case of war, that will hardly excuse him from doing his duty," saidtheir father; "nor would our dear brave boy wish to be excused. But wewill all pray that he may be spared injury, if such be the Lord's will."

  "Indeed we will, in that case, pour out constant petitions for him--thedear fellow!" said Violet, with emotion. "But, Levis, do you think thiswill bring on war?"

  "It looks very likely to me," replied her husband, sadness perceptiblein both his countenance and tones. "And, really, I think it is our dutyto interfere for those poor, savagely treated Cubans. I think it ishigh time that this powerful people undertook their cause."

  "And I suppose the Spaniards are already angry with the Americans forsympathizing with those poor, oppressed Cubans," said Lucilla.

  "Yes," said her father, "and this awful deed--the blowing up ofour grand battleship with its hundreds of sailors--is doubtless anexpression of their ill-will."

  And that was not the thought of Captain Raymond alone, but of manyothers as well. The wrongs and sufferings of the Cubans had so touchedthe hearts of thousands of the Americans that they felt stronglyimpelled to make some effort to help them to win their freedom; andnow this wanton destruction of one of our favorite battleships--and,what was far worse, the lives of nearly three hundred innocentmen--so increased their anger and distrust that it could scarcely berestrained. Through all the land of the Americans there was a strongfeeling of indignation over the treachery and cruelty of the blowthat had destroyed that gallant ship and sacrificed so many innocentlives; but the people were sternly quiet while the Court of Inquirywas making its investigations. They were ready to punish the doers ofthat dastardly deed, but not without proof of their guilt. For fortydays they and their Congress silently awaited the report of the boardof naval officers engaged in examining into the evidences of the causeof the destruction of the _Maine_. Their verdict came at length, butin rather vague form--that, according to the evidence obtainable,the vessel had been destroyed by an explosion against her side fromwithout. So much was clearly proven, but they did not say by whom theevil deed was done. More than a week before that report came in, bothCongress and the people had been greatly moved by the speech of SenatorProctor, describing what he had witnessed in Cuba, the scenes ofstarvation and horror; men, women, and children robbed of their homes,their cattle--all their earthly possessions--driven into the towns andleft to starve to death in the streets.

  The senator's speech made a great impression, and there were otherson the same subject and in a like strain, delivered by members of thecommission sent to Cuba by the New York _Journal_.

  Some days later--on the 28th--came the report of the Court of Inquiryinto the _Maine_ catastrophe, and put an end to the patience ofCongress, which had long been ready to undertake the cause of theoppressed and suffering Cubans.

  It was not until noon of the 11th of April that the President's messagereached Congress. In that he turned over to it the whole policy of thegovernment toward Spain. Congress did not make a formal declaration ofwar with Spain until the 25th of April, but actual hostilities began onthe 19th. Indeed, four days before the declaration of war the UnitedStates navy began the blockade of Cuba, and captured a vessel on thehigh seas.