F. Colburn (Francis Colburn) Adams
Chapter 73
A BOTTLE of wine, and the mild, persuasive manner of Mr. Snivel, so
completely won over George's confidence, that, like one of that
class always too ready to give out their heart-achings at the touch
of sympathy, and too easily betrayed through misplaced confidence,
he commences relating his history. That of Anna is identified with
it. "We will together proceed to New York, for it is there, among
haunts of vice and depravity--"
"In depth of degradation they have no counterpart on our globe," Mr.
Soloman interrupts, filling his glass.
"We came up together-knew each other, but not ourselves. That was
our dark age." George pauses for a moment.
"Bless you," again interrupts Mr. Soloman, tipping his glass very
politely, "I never-that is, when I hear our people who get
themselves laced into narrow-stringed Calvinism, and long-founded
foreign missions, talk-think much could have come of the dark ages.
I speak after the manner of an attorney, when I say this. We hear a
deal of the dark ages, the crimes of the dark ages, the dark
idolatry of darker Africa. My word for it, and it's something, if
they had anything darker in Sodom; if they had in Babylon a state of
degradation more hardened of crime; if in Egypt there existed a
benightedness more stubbornly opposed to the laws of God-than is to
be found in that New York; that city of merchant princes with
princely palaces; that modern Pompeii into which a mighty commerce
teems its mightier gold, where a coarse throng revel in coarser
luxury, where a thousand gaudy churches rear heavenward their
gaudier steeples, then I have no pity for Sodom, not a tear to shed
over fallen Babylon, and very little love for Egypt." Mr. Snivel
concludes, saying--"proceed, young man."
"Of my mother I know nothing. My father (I mean the man I called
father, but who they said was not my father, though he was the only
one that cared anything for me) was Tom English, who used to live
here and there with me about the Points. He was always looking in at
Paddy Pie's, in Orange street, and Paddy Pie got all his money, and