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It　so　happened　that　Aunt　Carola　was　at　luncheon　with　us　when　the　postman　brought　John　Mayrant's　answer　to　my　inquiry；　and　at　the　sight　of　his　handwriting　I　thoughtlessly　exclaimed　to　my　Aunt　that　here　at　last　we　had　all　there　was　to　be　known　concerning　the　Bombos　in　South　Carolina；　with　this　I　tore　open　the　missive　and　embarked　upon　a　reading　of　it　for　the　edification　of　all　present。　I　pass　over　the　beginning　of　John's　communication；　because　it　was　merely　the　observations　of　a　man　upon　his　honeymoon；　and　was　confined　to　laudatory　accounts　of　scenery　and　weather；　and　the　beauty　of　all　life　when　once　one　saw　it　with　his　eyes　truly　opened。

〃No　Bombos　ever　came　to　Carolina；〃　he　now　continued；　〃that　I　know　of；　or　that　Aunt　Josephine　knows　of；　which　is　more　to　the　point。　Aunt　Josephine　has　copied　me　a　passage　from　the　writings　of　William　Byrd；　Esq。；　of　Westover；　Virginia；　in　which　mention　is　made；　not　of　the　family；　but　of　a　rum　punch　which　seems　to　have　been　concocted　first　by　Admiral　Bombo；　from　a　New　England　brand　of　rum　so　very　deadly　that　it　was　not　inaptly　styled　'kill…devil'　by　the　early　planters　of　the　colony。　That　the　punch　drifted　to　Carolina　and　still　survives　there；　you　have　reason　to　know。　Therefore　if　any　remote　ancestors　of　yours　contracted　an　alliance　with　Kill…devil　Bombo；　I　can　imagine　no　resulting　offspring　of　such　union　but　a　series　of　severe　attacks　of　delir〃

〃What？〃　interrupted　Aunt　Carola；　at　this　point；　in　her　most　formidable　voice。　〃What's　that　stuff　you're　reading；　Augustus？〃

I　shook　in　my　shoes。　〃Why；　Aunt；　it's　John〃

〃Not　another　word；　sir！　And　never　let　me　hear　his　name　again。　To　think　to　think〃　But　here　Aunt　Carola's　face　grew　extremely　red；　and　she　choked　so　decidedly　that　Uncle　Andrew　poured　her　a　glass　of　water。

The　rest　of　our　luncheon　was　conducted　with　remarkable　solemnity。

As　we　were　rising　from　table；　my　Aunt　said：

〃It　was　high　time；　Augustus；　that　you　came　home。　You　seem　to　have　got　into　very　strange　company　down　there。〃

This　was　the　last　reference　to　the　Bombos　that　my　Aunt　ever　made　in　my　hearing。　Of　course　it　is　preposterous　to　suppose　that　she　traces　her　descent　from　a　king　through　a　mere　bowl　of　punch；　and　her　being　still　the　president　of　the　Selected　Salic　Scions　is　proof　irrefutable　that　her　claim　rests　upon　a　more　solid　foundation。



XXIV：　Post　Scriptum

I　think　that　John　Mayrant；　Jr。；　is　going　to　look　like　his　mother。　I　was　very　glad　to　be　present　when　he　was　christened；　and　at　this　ceremony　I　did　not　feel　as　I　had　felt　the　year　before　at　the　wedding；　for　then　I　had　known　well　enough　that　if　the　old　ladies　found　any　blemish　on　that　occasion；　it　was　my　being　there！　To　them　I　must　remain　forever　a　〃Yankee；〃　a　wall　perfectly　imaginary　and　perfectly　real　between　us；　and　the　fact　that　young　John　could　take　any　other　view　of　me；　was　to　them　a　sign　of　that　〃radical〃　tendency　in　him　which　they　were　able　to　forgive　solely　because　he　was　of　the　younger　generation　and　didn't　know　any　better。

And　with　these　thoughts　in　my　mind；　and　remembering　a　certain　very　grave　talk　I　had　once　held　with　Eliza　in　the　Exchange　about　the　North　and　the　South；　in　which　it　was　my　good　fortune　to　make　her　see　that　there　is　on　our　soil　nowadays　such　a　being　as　an　American；　who　feels；　wherever　he　goes　in　our　native　land；　that　it　is　all　his；　and　that　he　belongs　everywhere　to　it；　I　looked　at　the　little　John　Mayrant；　and　then　I　said　to　his　mother：

〃And　will　you　teach　him　'Dixie'　and　'Yankee　Doodle'　as　well？〃

But　Eliza　smiled　at　me　with　friendly；　inscrutable　eyes。

〃Oh；〃　said　John；　〃you　mustn't　ask　too　much　of　the　ladies。　I'll　see　to　all　that。〃

Perhaps　he　will。　And　an　education　at　Harvard　College　need　not　cause　the　boy　to　forget　his　race；　or　his　name；　or　his　traditions；　but　only　to　value　them　more；　as　they　should　be　valued。　And　the　way　that　they　should　be　valued　is　this：　that　the　boy　in　thinking　of　them　should　say　to　himself；　〃I　am　proud　of　my　ancestors；　let　my　life　make　them　proud　of　me。〃

But；　in　any　case；　is　it　not　pleasant　to　think　of　the　boy　being　brought　up　by　Eliza；　and　not　by　Hortense？

And　so　my　portrait　of　Kings　Port　is　finished。　That　the　likeness　is　not　perfect；　I　am　only　too　sensible。　No　painter　that　I　have　heard　of　ever　satisfies　the　whole　family。　But；　should　any　of　the　St。　Michaels　see　this　picture；　I　trust　they　may　observe　that　if　some　of　the　touches　are　faulty；　true　admiration　and　love　of　his　subject　animated　the　artist's　hand；　and　if　Miss　Josephine　St。　Michael　should　be　pleased　with　any　of　it；　I　could　wish　that　she　might　indicate　this　by　sending　me　a　Lady　Baltimore；　we　have　no　cake　here　that　approaches　it。





End