Chapter 24
Corks and Curls
She pulled off the table cloth soiled with nausea and washed it in the kitchen basin. She used a metal hardboard and a bar of hard soap and hot water. Last year, she dried clothes out on the pasture grass but, now, she hung clothes on the clothesline William had set up behind their home. As she hung up the wet table cloth on the clothes line, the baby kicked, a thunking sound, the sound of new life.
Elizabeth walked with mindfulness to the parlor table and touched the unopened Corks and Curls box. Founded in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston in 1825, Corks and Curls had established itself as the premier watering hole for book lovers in New England. The bookstore carried works of Shakespeare, Chaucer, Austen, Bryon, Shelley and many other favorites of Elizabeth. She opened the Corks and Curls box and pulled out a package. Removing the binding, she pulled open the paper covering and saw what she had ordered: Justice Story's Commentaries on the Constitution (1833). She squealed with delight. William would love it! William often talked about General Fessenden's home library of law books. When they had traveled to Boston a few months ago, William and Elizabeth visited Corks and Curls. William lingered in the aisles thumbing through books in Greek and Latin before devouring Commentaries on the Constitution. It was a chance remark she remembered, that every lawyer should have Justice Story's treatise on one's book shelf at home. Second only to Chief Justice John Marshall, Justice Story was revered as the legal mind of his time. No one else had set forth and discerned the underlying theme of constitutional law with such brilliance and penetrating insight as U.S. Supreme Court Justice Story who remarkably found time to serve as Dean of the Harvard Law School, his second job.
Elizabeth thumbed through Volume 3 -- Article 1 The Legislative Power, Article 2 The Executive Power, Article 3 The Judicial Power, Article IV The States -- and thought to herself "It's all Greek to me!" She chuckled. "Take that Senator Lynch!"
What a splendid surprise for William! William would think Elizabeth so clever.
She checked to make sure there were three volumes in the set. She placed Volume 1 on the mantle. She placed Volume 2 right next to Volume 1. Volume 3 was last. Before placing Volume 3 on the mantle, she had an idea. Perhaps, she should not center the volumes on the mantle above the fireplace. It might be a better idea to place the volumes on the left edge of the mantle. That would imply these volumes were a work in progress and just the start of a new law library, a new home library to go with a new baby, a new family. Yes, they were giving birth to a wonderful future together. She moved volumes 1, 2 and 3 to the left edge of the mantle with a book stop in place. For good measure, she placed their autographed copy of Sketches of the Life and Character of Rev. Lemuel Haynes, A.M. by Rev. Timothy Mather Cooley dead center on the mantle, the book on its side with the title facing the parlor room. Over time, she imagined the mantle would be filled with law books, some Greek, some Latin, others in English.
She rested on her chair as she took in her handiwork.
"Rev. Timothy Mather Cooley, a good man," Elizabeth thought to herself. "A good man."
There was a knock on the front door. Elizabeth steadied herself before rising out of her chair. She walked to the door and saw General Fessenden, William's mentor and fearless champion.
"Where's William?"
"Can I come in? We have to talk."
"Of course."
Fessenden walked inside as Elizabeth closed the door.
"Have a seat."
Fessenden looked down and kept his thoughts to himself.
"General, can you keep a secret? Of course, you can." Elizabeth excitedly walked over to the mantle. "William shared with me that lawyers have a bible. And that bible is called a, a...."
"A treatise," filled in Fessenden.
"Well, I decided to surprise William. We were in Boston at Corks and Curls, the bookstore. You know Corks and Curls."
"Yes," replied Fessenden with no emotion.
"I ordered Story's Commentaries on the Constitution, all three volumes, just for our home." Elizabeth pointed to the mantle. "I debated whether the volumes should go in the middle but, since we're just beginning our lives together, I placed the volumes on the far left. Room for growth as William grows as a lawyer. What do you think?"
"We have to talk."
"Volume 1 - The History of the Colonies."
Fessenden said nothing.
"Volume 2 -- History of the Revolution and of the Confederation."
"Elizabeth...."
"Volume 3 -- The Constitution of the United States."
"It's about William," began Fessenden.
"About what? And where's William?" He should've been home a week ago."
Fessenden had seen men die in battle, but not like this.
He held Elizabeth's hand out of instinct."
"William drowned in a shipwreck off of the coast of South Carolina two weeks ago. I don't know what to say...."
"No, that's not right. That's a lie. I'm with child. We're going to have a baby in a few weeks. That can't be right."
"He's gone, Elizabeth. I saw his ship go down with my own eyes."
"No, No, No," as if she could beat back the news with her sobs. Deny what was. Her eyes filled with tears as she weakened and collapsed on the floor. She heaved with sobs and clutched at Fessenden's legs. In her grief, she turned on Fessenden. "You did this! You brought this misfortune upon us! You encouraged William. You showed William hope where there was no hope. I hate you!" She stood up and began to strike Fessenden. "We have a baby coming and you're telling me William's gone!"
"I hate you. I hate all of you abolitionists. You experiment with colored people and good family men lose their churches, their families, their fathers, their lives."
"No, Elizabeth, you don't know what you're saying." Elizabeth wiped the tears from her face. "Yes, I do know what I'm saying. You're not welcomed in our home. The Anti-Slavery Society is not welcomed in my home. Get out! Get out now!"
Fessenden expressed his hopes and prayers for Elizabeth and her unborn child. She watched him leave before slamming the door. She rushed towards the mantle and threw the volumes of Commentaries on the Constitution into the fireplace. She slammed her fists against the wall and cursed circumstance. "Oh God, Oh, God, Oh God! Why did you take William away? Why take my baby's father away? We were just beginning. Life was good and now this."
She wiped her face and, through her falling tears, wrote her mother-in-law, the white widow of Rev. Haynes.....Dear Mrs. Haynes, The love of my life is gone....
Wrecked Indeed!