Chapter I: Front Matter

MARION HARLAND’S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

THE STORY OF A LONG LIFE

HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS
NEW YORK AND LONDON
MCMX

Copyright, 1910, by HARPER & BROTHERS
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_All rights reserved_
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Published April, 1910

_Printed in the United States of America_

WITH
REVERENT TENDERNESS
THIS SIMPLE STORY OF MY LONG LIFE
IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF
MY FATHER

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE
I. FOREBEARS AND PATRON SAINT 1
II. LAFAYETTE; REVOLUTIONARY TALES; PARENTS’ MARRIAGE 16
III. A COUNTRY EXILE; DEATH OF THE FIRST-BORN; CHANGE
OF HOME; A FIRESIDE TRAGEDY; “COGITO, ERGO SUM” 27
IV. A BERSERKER RAGE; A FRIGHT; THE WESTERN FEVER;
MONTROSE; A MOTHER REGAINED 37
V. OUR POWHATAN HOME; A COUNTRY FUNERAL; “OLD MRS.
O’HARA” 52
VI. OLD-FASHIONED HUSBAND’S LOVE-LETTER; AN ALMOST
HOMICIDE; A “SLAUGHTERED MONSTER”; A WESLEYAN
SCHOOLMISTRESS 61
VII. MY FIRST TUTOR; THE REIGN OF TERROR 70
VIII. CALM AFTER STORM; OUR HANDSOME YANKEE GOVERNESS;
THE NASCENT AUTHOR 84
IX. A COLLEGE NEIGHBORHOOD; THE WORLD WIDENS; A
BELOVED TUTOR; COLONIZATION DREAMS AND
DISAPPOINTMENT; MAJOR MORTON 90
X. FAMILY LETTERS; COMMENCEMENT AT HAMPDEN-SIDNEY;
THEN AND NOW 104
XI. BACK IN POWHATAN; OLD VIRGINIA HOUSEWIFERY;
A SINGING-CLASS IN THE FORTIES; THE
SIMPLE LIFE? 110
XII. ELECTION DAY AND A DEMOCRATIC BARBECUE 117
XIII. A WHIG RALLY AND MUSTER DAY 129
XIV. RUMORS OF CHANGES; A CORN-SHUCKING; A NEGRO
TOPICAL SONG 143
XV. THE COUNTRY GIRLS AT A CITY SCHOOL; VELVET HATS
AND CLAY’S DEFEAT 149
XVI. HOME AT CHRISTMAS; A CANDY-PULL AND HOG-KILLING 162
XVII. A NOTABLE AFFAIR OF HONOR 171
XVIII. THE MENACE OF SLAVE INSURRECTION 186
XIX. WEDDING AND BRIDESMAID; THE ROUTINE OF A LARGE
FAMILY; MY FIRST BEREAVEMENT 196
XX. OUR TRUE FAMILY GHOST-STORY 203
XXI. TWO MONUMENTAL FRIENDSHIPS 218
XXII. THE “OLD AFRICAN CHURCH” 227
XXIII. HOW “ALONE” CAME TO BE 237
XXIV. THE DAWNING OF LITERARY LIFE 246
XXV. BROUGHT FACE TO FACE WITH MY FATE 254
XXVI. LITERARY WELL-WISHERS; GEORGE D. PRENTICE; MRS.
SIGOURNEY; GRACE GREENWOOD; H. W. LONGFELLOW;
JAMES REDPATH; THE “WANDERING JEW” 262
XXVII. MY NORTHERN KINSPEOPLE; “QUELQU’UN” AND LIFELONG
FRIENDSHIP 270
XXVIII. MY FIRST OPERA; “PETER PARLEY”; RACHEL AS
“CAMILLE”; BAYARD TAYLOR; T. B. ALDRICH;
G. P. MORRIS; MARIA CUMMINS; MRS. A. D. T.
WHITNEY 280
XXIX. ANNA CORA (MOWATT) RITCHIE; EDWARD EVERETT;
GOVERNOR WISE; A MEMORABLE DINNER-PARTY 288
XXX. A MUSICAL CONVENTION; GEORGE FRANCIS ROOT; WHEN
“THE SHINING SHORE” WAS FIRST SUNG; THE
HALLELUJAH CHORUS; BETROTHAL; DEMPSTER IN HIS
OLD AGE 297
XXXI. WEDDING BELLS; A BRIDAL TOUR; A DISCOVERED
RELATIVE; A NOBLE LIFE 304
XXXII. PARSONAGE LIFE; WILLIAM WIRT HENRY; HISTORIC SOIL;
JOHN RANDOLPH; THE LAST OF THE RANDOLPHS 313
XXXIII. PLANTATION PREACHING; COLORED COMMUNICANTS; A
“MIGHTY MAN IN PRAYER” 325
XXXIV. MY NOVITIATE AS A PRACTICAL HOUSEWIFE; MY COOK
“GETS HER HAND OUT”; INCEPTION OF “COMMON SENSE
IN THE HOUSEHOLD” 333
XXXV. THE STIRRED “NEST AMONG THE OAKS”; A CRUCIAL CRISIS 346
XXXVI. MIGRATION NORTHWARD; ACCLIMATION; ALBERT EDWARD,
PRINCE OF WALES, IN NEW YORK; POLITICAL PORTENTS 355
XXXVII. THE PANIC OF ’61; A VIRGINIA VACATION; MUTTERINGS
OF COMING STORM 363
XXXVIII. THE FOURTEENTH OF APRIL, 1861, IN RICHMOND 370
XXXIX. “THE LAST THROUGH TRAIN FOR FOUR YEARS” 382
XL. DOMESTIC SORROWS AND NATIONAL STORM AND STRESS;
FRIENDS, TRIED AND TRUE 389
XLI. FORT DELAWARE; “OLD GLORY”; LINCOLN’S
ASSASSINATION; THE RELEASED PRISONER OF WAR 399
XLII. A CHRISTMAS REUNION; A MIDNIGHT WARNING; HOW A
GOOD MAN CAME TO “THE HAPPIEST DAY OF HIS LIFE” 408
XLIII. TWO BRIDALS; A BIRTH AND A PASSING; “MY LITTLE
LOVE”; “DRIFTING OUT”; A NONPAREIL PARISH 417
XLIV. TWO YEARS OVERSEAS; LIFE IN ROME AND GENEVA 427
XLV. SUNNYBANK; A NEW ENGLAND PARISH; “MY BOYS”; TWO
“STARRED” NAMES 436
XLVI. RETURN TO MIDDLE STATES; THE HOLY LAND; MY FRIENDS
THE MISSIONARIES; TWO CONSULS IN JERUSALEM 448
XLVII. LUCERNE; GOOD SAMARITANS AND AN ENGLISHMAN; A
LECTURE TOUR; OHIOAN HOSPITALITY; MR. AND MRS.
MCKINLEY 457
XLVIII. THE CLOUDS RETURN AFTER THE RAIN; ABROAD AGAIN;
HEALING AND HEALTH; IDYLLIC WINTER IN FLORENCE 470
XLIX. THE GOING-OUT OF A YOUNG LIFE; PRESENT ACTIVITIES;
“LITERARY HEARTHSTONES”; GRATEFUL REMINISCENCES 481
APPENDIX 491
A FRATERNAL TRIBUTE
THE GOLDEN WEDDING