F. Colburn (Francis Colburn) Adams
Chapter 25
Tom received this in silence, and seemed hesitating between what he
conceived an imperative demand and the natural inclination of his
passions.
"Give me your hand, and with it your honor-I know you yet retain the
latent spark-and promise me you will lock up the cup--"
"You'll give a body a furlough, by the way of blowing off the fuddle
he has on hand?"
"I do not withhold from you any discretionary indulgence that may
bring relief--"
Tom interrupts by saying, "My mother, you know!"
"I will see her, and plead with her on your behalf; and if she have
a mother's feelings I can overcome her prejudice."
Tom says, despondingly, he has no home to go to. It's no use seeing
his mother; she's all dignity, and won't let it up an inch. "If I
could only persuade her--" Tom pauses here and shakes his head.
"Pledge me your honor you'll from this day form a resolution to
reform, Tom; and if I do not draw from your mother a reconciliation,
I will seek a home for you elsewhere."
"Well, there can't be much harm in an effort, at all events; and
here's my hand, in sincerity. But it won't do to shut down until I
get over this bit of a fog I'm now in." With child-like simplicity,
Tom gives his hand to the young man, who, as old Spunyarn enters the
cell to, as he says, get the latitude of his friend's nerves,
departs in search of Mrs. Swiggs.
Mrs. Swiggs is the stately old member of a crispy old family, that,
like numerous other families in the State, seem to have outlived two
chivalrous generations, fed upon aristocracy, and are dying out
contemplating their own greatness. Indeed, the Swiggs family, while
it lived and enjoyed the glory of its name, was very like the
Barnwell family of this day, who, one by one, die off with the very
pardonable and very harmless belief that the world never can get
along without the aid of South Carolina, it being the parthenon from
which the outside world gets all its greatness. Her leading and very
warlike newspapers, (the people of these United States ought to
know, if they do not already,) it was true, were editorialized, as