Harriot

“ Dorothea demanded, beginning to feel more and more apprehensive.
“I suppose somebody’s servant has run away,” Harriot answered, a little reluctantly. “Not ours,” she hastened to add. “Our people wouldn’t run away for anything. They’re too well treated.”
“Then there are some that aren’t well treated?” Dorothea’s tone was more coldly judicial than she knew.
“Oh, of course there are mean men everywhere,” Harriot explained. “Father says the worst treated servants are those that are owned by other negroes.”
“By other negroes,” Dorothea echoed in amazement. ”

“ Harriot published an account of this expedition in 1588, which was afterwards reprinted in Hakluyt’s Voyages. On his return to England, after an absence of two years, he resumed his mathematical studies, and having made the acquaintance of Henry Percy, earl of Northumberland, distinguished for his patronage of men of science, he received from him a yearly pension of £120. He died at London on the 2nd of July 1621. A manuscript of Harriot’s entitled Ephemeris chrysometria is preserved in Sion College ”

“ Harriot drawled scornfully. “Well, I didn’t mean it that way. If growing up means just falling in love, then—”
“What are you talking about?” Dorothea interrupted sharply.
“You,” Harriot answered blandly, munching one of the scorned pralines energetically. “I’ve been puzzling my head, trying to think who it could be. Of course there’s Val Tracy, but ’most everybody thinks he’s in love with April, and ’most everybody is, so I don’t be—”
“Stop talking nonsense!” Dorothea broke in again. “I’m not in love with anybody.” ”

“ Dorothea answered evasively.
“I don’t think so,” Harriot confided in an undertone. “I think he and April have had a tiff; and that’s funny, too; because of course I believed she was in love with Lee Hendon. Didn’t you?”
“Yes, indeed,” Dorothea replied enthusiastically, glad of one question she need not evade.
“Well, you can’t tell,” Harriot went on judicially. “When they get in love there’s no counting on what they’ll do, no matter who it is they’re in love with.” ”

“ Again she paused, but the only response was a widening of the girl’s smile, and Harriot grew slightly embarrassed; but she noted the well-made and rather fashionable clothes of this silent stranger and her regret continued to deepen.
“It’s a pity that man drove off so fast,” she went on, feeling that some one must talk. “Our horses have mostly been pressed, and I don’t know what I’ll find to send you away in, ’specially as mother and April are at the Ladies’ Aid meeting, sewing for the soldiers. ”

“ Dr. Pell remarked that had Harriot 'published all he knew in algebra, he would have left little of the chief mysteries of that art unhandled.' But Warner's promise (Epilogue to Harriott's Praxis, p. 180) of continuing his editorial labours remained unfulfilled.
Harriot's will was not found, but Camden states that he divided his papers between Sir Thomas Aylesbury and Viscount Lisle. Aylesbury's share, transmitted to his son-in-law, the Earl of Clarendon, never came to light, though diligently inquired for in 1662-3 by the Royal Society (Birch, Hist. R. Society, i. 120, 309) . ”

“ The posthumous publication of Harriot's ' Artis Analyticae Praxis ad JEquationes Algebraicas resolvendas ' (London, 1631) was due to Sir Thomas Aylesbury, who induced Warner, by the promise of the continuance of his pension from the Earl of Northumberland, to 'draw out some piece fit to be published' from his friend's manuscripts. This work embodies the inventions by which Harriot virtually gave to algebra its modern form. ”

“ Harriot Stanton Blatch dedicates to the women of Great Britain and France; to the women who through the years of the great war have stood as the second line of defense against the German horror which menaces the liberty and civilization of the entire world. ”

“ Hal May and Val Tracy could be heard talking earnestly to a stranger, but in so low a tone that the girls could not make out what it was all about. On either side of them, however, windows were opening and they knew that all the other members of the household were on the alert.
“Oh, I wish I were dressed!” Harriot cried, fidgeting about impatiently. “I wonder what they want here, anyway? They know we wouldn’t help to run off anybody’s servants. I’m going to slip something on and go down.” She ran out of the room, leaving Dorothea alone at the window. ”

“ I have been your rival, my dear Harriot; but when I found you were mine, wished you not to lose what I would have given the world, had I been the mistress of it, to have gained. The first moment I saw the too agreeable Mr. Trueworth, something within told me, he was my fate—that according as I appeared in his eyes, I must either be happy, or no more: it has proved the latter; death has seized upon my heart, but cannot drive my passion thence. ”

“ Then, having paid the driver, the newcomer sat down upon one of her brass-studded boxes with a sigh of relief.
“’Clare to goodness,” chuckled Mortality, “that fancy miss ac’s lack she’d done come to stay. An she don’t appear to have no folks neither.”
“She must have come to the wrong house,” Harriot whispered. She had watched the proceedings of the stranger with increasing interest. There were no congenial girls of her own age living near, and her cousin Corinne was too grown-up to have any fun with these days. Harriot would have been glad to find a playmate ”

“ Some time ago I read in the elegant and truly precious book that you have written on Algebra, about Descartes, this philosopher so extolled above all for having arrived at a very perfect system by his own powers, without the aid of others, this Descartes, I say, who has received in geometry very great light from our Oughtred and our Harriot, and has followed their track though he carefully suppressed their names. ”

“ She was not minded to tarry and give her aunt an opportunity to change her mind once more.
“Honey,” Mrs. Stewart began at once, the moment they were alone, “I sent Harriot away with Corinne on purpose. I have had some news that I am at a loss to know how to break to the family, and perhaps you can make some suggestion. It is not a matter to be gossiped about. Mrs. Hendon was buried yesterday afternoon!”
She stopped and looked at Dorothea as if she expected some demonstration of overwhelming surprise on the part of the young girl.
“Is that Mr. Lee Hendon’s mother?” Dorothea asked calmly. ”

“ He say yoh pa hisself wouldn’t ask him to hol’ the reins over only ole Mose, an’ he ain’t gwine’ disgrace the fambly that a-way.”
“Of course,” said Harriot, turning to Dorothea, “it does seem sort of humiliating for Uncle Jastrow, seeing what he’s used to driving. And I reckon he’s right about father. But he’s too proud of himself for all that. You would think that if we’re not too grand to ride behind old Mose he might be able to drive him. But come along. We’ll never get there if we don’t start pretty soon. I haven’t time to argue with Uncle Jastrow till we get back.” ”

“ While they were waiting for the trunks to be brought up Dorothea, yielding to Harriot’s insistent demands for the story of her adventures on the way from Washington, told briefly what had happened.
“It wasn’t very much,” she began. “Everything was made very easy for me, and all the people I met were so pleasant and kind, that it seemed as if I was finding friends wherever I went. All the Americans are like that, aren’t they? It’s different in England. ”

“ Dorothea answered half-shyly. Indeed this quaint little lady had the knack of winning those with whom she came into contact.
“Everybody loves Cousin Imogene,” Harriot declared. “You just can’t help it, you know.”
“The boys as well as the girls,” April laughed; “so look out for your beaux, Dorothea.”
“Do not believe all that they say, my dear,” Miss Imogene protested with the very faintest of becoming blushes. “They love to tease their old cousin. And now let me see the finery you have brought from the outside world.” ”

“ With that Harriot ran off again and left the two gazing at each in surprised perplexity.
“Could it be Aunt Decent?” Dorothea whispered.
“It might be,” Miss Imogene replied. “That old colored woman is a great power among the servants and she could be of a great deal of help to any one who needed it. I don’t know what to think, and after all, honey, these Red Strings are very secret and we’ll probably never know for sure. Perhaps there wasn’t one about here at all.”
“Mr. Stanchfield was so sure,” Dorothea began, but here they were interrupted, and the subject was dropped. ”

“ Indeed, Corinne’s announcement was a good deal like a dash of cold water in her guests’ faces; but she was evidently so much impressed by this latest war news that she could think of nothing else. It was as if she did not see Dorothea at all, and was for going on excitedly when Harriot cut her short rather tartly.
“Corinne, this is my cousin, Dorothea Drummond,” she explained. “Her father is English, but she’s for the South no matter what their Government may do. And anyway it is our duty to be polite to the stranger within our gates.” ”

“ To herself Val could not disguise what a joy it would be to see Harriott again; to show her Bran--the one tangible treasure snatched from the grudging hand of Fate; to open her heart a little to eyes that were lovingly tolerant, and would smile rather than condemn. Friendship should be always such a joy: clear water in sight of a thirsty soul--a tree under which to rest after long travel!
Harriott having speedily wired back that she and her girl were starting at once, via Southampton and Jersey, preparations for their advent set in at Villa Duval. ”

“ April remarked knowingly. “Merry can go as soon as I’m laced.”
“All right,” agreed the good-natured Harriot, “though I don’t see why—. Mammy says you’ll have a red nose ‘sho’ as you’he bohn’ if you wear your things so tight.”
“And she says you won’t have ‘a toof in yoh haid’ if you eat so much poundcake,” April retorted with a laugh. “You can go down to Old Miss, Merry,” she added to the maid.
But the door had hardly closed upon Merry when April turned a serious face to her sister. ”

“ The mention of April brought back to Dorothea’s mind the last glimpse she had had of her beautiful cousin the night before, and the events leading up to it.
“I wonder if they caught that poor man,” she said, all sleep gone from her eyes by this time.
“Oh, I don’t know. I hope not, though you mustn’t say so to April,” Harriot answered. “She’s so patriotic and loyal that it hurts her. I hope I’ll never have any love affairs.” ”

“ Then it was that Dorothea slipped into the breach.
“I can take care of Hal,” she told April. “If he needs anything that I cannot attend to, I promise to call you; so you can stay with Aunt Parthenia.” April thanked her cousin gratefully.
“I knew I could count on you,” she said, with something of her old warmth of manner. “I don’t dare to trust Harriot. She would be stuffing him with dried persimmons, like as not, the minute my back was turned. And the servants are no good with sick people.” ”

“ Dorothea suggested, and Miss Imogene, nodding her head in agreement, replied,
“We only hoped, honey, but it was most improbable. At all events we don’t know anything, we’ll just have to wait.”
The day passed slowly enough. Harriot attached herself to Dorothea but complained that her cousin wasn’t like herself.
“I bring you cake and you just nibble it as if you were at a party being polite,” she protested. “Then I beg Aunt Decent to make some goober pralines and you don’t even look at them. You’re getting just like April.” ”

“ If we all grow glum when everything is not going right how can we expect to win? We wouldn’t deserve to win. The Yankees have twice as many men as we have, you say. Well, we have Johnston! He’ll stop Sherman if he only had quarter what he has. We shall win in spite of all the croaking and croakers!”
She was half beside herself for the moment, almost hysterical, and realizing it, or perhaps fearing that she would break down and cry, she quitted the room in haste.
Harriot began to sob from excitement and sympathy for the sister she adored, and Dorothea put an arm about her comfortingly. ”

“ While preparing this second edition of Harriet's story, I have been much pleased to find that that good man, Oliver Johnson, is still living and in New York City. And I have just returned from a very pleasant interview with him. He remembers Harriet with great pleasure, though he has not seen her for many years. He speaks, as all who knew her do, of his entire confidence in her truthfulness and in the perfect integrity of her character. ”

“ But when I add that I have the strongest testimonials to her character for integrity from William H. Seward, Gerritt Smith, Wendell Phillips, Fred. Douglass, and my brother, Prof. S.M. Hopkins, who has known her for many years, I do not fear to brave the incredulity of any reader.
Governor Seward wrote of her:
"I have known Harriet long, and a nobler, higher spirit, or a truer, seldom dwells in human form." ”

“ But she didn’t have the heart to disappoint Harriet by not getting her an Indian legend to read in class the next day, so she sat down and manufactured one, which is as easy as rolling off a log for Migwan. Harriet would never know the difference, and neither would the teacher, off hand, and a made-up legend would save the day for Harriet as well as a genuine one. The chances were she wouldn’t be called upon to read it anyway. You never are, you know, when you’ve broken your neck to be ready. ”