The Arm Chair Library No. 79: The Haunted Homestead — page 22: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ating her patrimony. “On the contrary, she had one am- ambition that reached the height of a ruling passion—and that was to re- suscitate the dead soil of the planta- tion and to rebuild the mansion house. “All Ernest Van Der Vaughan’s property consisted in bank stock. All Madeleine’s estate was in worthless i land and negroes. But she offered i: him, as she would not have offered te any other than a Van Der Vaughan, Hin the fee simple of her plantation if he would only devote his money to the restoring of the worn-out fields and i the rebuilding of the homestead. iif “Ernest did not like the plan, and he told her so. He explained to her how, at one-tenth the outlay that he should have to make for manures and for labor to resuscitate this effete soil, | he would go to Iowa and purchase a iat large farm of the richest land and an build a comfortable dwelling-house and all needful offices around it. “But it was in vain that he argued with her. She was a strong-minded, self-willed woman, with one idea—one monomania—love for ‘Old Virginia, and especially for her own portion of the soil. She absolutely rejected the plan of emigration, and told Ernest, in the most decided manner, that, go where he might, she never would de- sert her birthplace. “She was the stronger of the two, and she prevailed. Ernest embarked nearly all his means in the doubtful enterprise of restoring the old worn- out fields and rebuilding the mansion, or, rather, I should say, repairing it, and building a new house beside jf. “Madeleine, on her part, kept her on word. She executed a deed conveying : the whole property to her husband. donment, tore that deed and de a, ane after he, in a fit of generous | fir B i ‘/. » F 1 ke fics 6 nak OL OM, Fe on 4 bed te keh i a ies roe MONG ofaee ee ae ae ae & : 2 |} LILA y - oe mae *. Bethy Loy Pan s8t ft ca ates oe * bet xf 5 Sees te Sy a eae eee 7, aes, a Ae 5. - bs aoe . = < Be each ets ona 20 THE HAUNTED HOMESTEAD. ree instant entertain the idea of alien- | threw it in the fire; she made a second cne, caused it to be recorded, and thus rendered it irrevocable before she told bition concerning her inheritance—an | him anything about it. “She went even further than this, and aided him in every possible way in his work of restoration. To re- trench expenses, so that every spare dollar should go to that enterprise, she discharged her housekeeper, re- duced her establishment of servants, ard took upon her own shoulders the additional burdens lately borne by those whom she had discharged from service. She worked hard and con- stantly. No one knew how severely she toiled—not even her hushand— until her labors seriously affected her health. Then Ernest Van Der Vaughan remonstrated. But she smiled and pointed to the growing fields and to the rising mansion. “Yet the restoration of the lands and the elevation of the house was 2 work of years. Often progress was ar- rested by the want of a i and then, though it cost the mistress many se- vere heart pangs, one after another of the old family servants were sold to raise the necessary amount, and their places in the field had to be supplied vy fresh drafts upon the small house- hold establishment, until at last the mistress was reduced to one maid of all work about her person. “T do not think that your citizens, Agnes, dream of how much labor de- volves upon the mistress of a large plantation in circumstances such a these. Even when assisted by an effi- cient housekeeper and many well- trained servants, the duties are oner- «ys Sometimes oppressive. Madeleine Van Der Vaughan had deprived her- self of nearly all help; but most will- tgly she bore her self-assumed bur- n, only showing distress when some ancial exigency compelled her to wound humanity. She gave her heart, SA apts Sahn | oe Zz . “* oe ry yr “ sd : aa ace gage bors ermine = — Ps a4 Very Seer BxeMt