Miles Wallingford

Miles Wallingford

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Title: Miles Wallingford Sequel to "Afloat and Ashore"
Author: James Fenimore Cooper
Release Date: February 23, 2004 [EBook #11243]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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WALLINGFORD ***

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MILES WALLINGFORD
Sequel to Afloat and Ashore.
By J. Fenimore Cooper.
1863.

Preface
The conclusion of this tale requires but little preface. Many persons
may think that there is too much of an old man's despondency in a few
of the opinions of this portion of the work; but, after sixty, it is seldom
we view the things of this world en beau. There are certain political
allusions, very few in number, but pretty strong in language, that the
signs of the times fully justify, in the editor's judgment; though he does
not profess to give his own sentiments in this work, so much as those of
the subject of the narrative himself. "The anti-rent combination," for
instance, will prove, according to the editor's conjectures, to be one of
two things in this community--the commencement of a dire revolution,
or the commencement of a return to the sounder notions and juster
principles that prevailed among us thirty years since, than certainly
prevail to-day. There is one favourable symptom discoverable in the
deep-seated disease that pervades the social system: men dare, and do,
deal more honestly and frankly with the condition of society in this
country, than was done a few years since. This right, one that ought to
be most dear to every freeman, has been recovered only by painful
sacrifices and a stern resolution; but recovered it has been, in some
measure; and, were the pens of the country true to their owners'
privileges, we should soon come to a just view of the sacred nature of
private character, as well as the target-like vulnerability of public
follies and public vice. It is certain that, for a series of dangerous years,
notions just the reverse of this have prevailed among us, gradually
rendering the American press equally the vehicle of the most atrocious
personal calumny, and the most flatulent national self-adulation. It is
under such a state of things that the few evils alluded to in this work
have had their rise. Bodies of men, however ignorant or small, have
come to consider themselves as integral portions of a community that
never errs, and, consequently, entitled to esteem themselves infallible.
When in debt, they have fancied it political liberty to pay their debts by
the strong hand; a very easy transition for those who believe
themselves able to effect all their objects. The disease has already
passed out of New York into Pennsylvania; it will spread, like any
other epidemic, throughout the country; and there will soon be a severe

struggle among us, between the knave and the honest man. Let the class
of the latter look to it. It is to be hoped it is still sufficiently powerful to
conquer.
These few remarks are made in explanation of certain opinions of Mr.
Wallingford, that have been extorted from him by the events of the day,
as he was preparing this work for the press; remarks that might seem
out of place, were it not a part of his original plan, which contemplated
enlarging far more than he has, indeed, on some of the prominent
peculiarities of the state of society in which he has passed the greater
part of his days.

Miles Wallingford
Chapter I.

--"But I'll not chide thee; Let shame come when it will, I do not call it; I
do not bid the thunder-bearer shoot, Nor tell tales of thee to
high-judging Jove; Mend when thou canst--"
Lear.
It is almost as impossible to describe minutely what occurred on the
boat's reaching the Wallingford, as to describe all the terrific incidents
of the struggle between Drewett and myself in the water. I had
sufficient perception, however, to see, as I was assisted on board by Mr.
Hardinge and Neb, that Lucy was not on deck. She had probably gone
to join Grace, with a view to be in readiness for meeting the dire
intelligence that was expected. I afterwards learned that she was long
on her knees in the after-cabin, engaged in that convulsive prayer
which is apt to accompany sudden and extreme distress in those who
appeal to God in their agony.
During the brief moments, and they were but mere particles of time, if