United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Fiction
He forthwith struck a match and lighted one of his candle ends, which he
fixed on the ledge of the rock by holding it inverted for a few minutes,
then on the hot drippings placing the taper erect. He had shielded it
with his hand during this process, and on perceiving no draught
whatever, looked up in amazement at the strange surroundings--a rugged
stone tunnel stretching far along into the dense blackness of the
distance, fifteen feet in height, perhaps, and of varying width,--about
ten feet where they stood; evidently this was an offshoot of some
extensive subterranean system, not uncommon in the cavernous limestone
country, therefore exciting scant interest, and perhaps never heretofore
explored, even in part, save by Julius and the Devrett boys when it
might be made a factor in Christmas fun.
"De Lawd-a-massy," exclaimed Uncle Ephraim, looking about in awe and by
no means prepossessed in favor of the aspect of the place. "Is disher de
bestibule ob hell?"
But the attention of Julius was concentrated on the portmanteau, a very
genteel-looking receptacle, which when open disclosed the garments that
Uncle Ephraim considered so comical. They were, indeed, a contrast with
his standard of proper attire for a "gemman of quality"--this being the
judge's fine black broadcloth, with a black satin waistcoat and stock,
and with linen laid in plaits, the collar standing in two sharp points.
But for the first time that day Julius had a sudden hope of deliverance.
No kaftan, kimono, nor burnoose as he had feared, but he was turning in
his hands a soft, rough-surfaced tweed of a dark fawn color, with tiny
checks of the style called invisible, the coat bound with a silk braid
on which Uncle Ephraim laid a finger of doubt and inquiry, looking
drearily up into the young man's face. For this was a novel finish
indeed in those days.
"These are of English make," said the discerning Julius, beginning to
understand that the foreign "heathen land" to which old Ephraim had
referred was England. Julius now remembered that his cousin's
brother-in-law, James Wrayburn, had been sojourning there at the time of
his death. The garments had lain in the garret for more than a year, but
in those days so slow was the transmission of styles across the Atlantic
that the cut was by no means antiquated, indeed was in accord with the
fashion that was familiar on the main street of the town. There was a
hat of soft felt of a deep brown, and the old servant had added from the
trunk two or three white Marseilles waistcoats and some neckties and
linen.
"Dee got on good new boots," he observed, glancing down at the young
man's feet.
"Ought to be--cost me six hundred dollars!" said Julius.
"Lo!--my Heabenly Friend!" exclaimed Uncle Ephraim, falling back aghast,
unaccustomed to the inflations of the currency of the Confederacy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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