Eastover Court House; A Novel

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1901 Excerpt: ...He looked in vain for the teamster he had struck. There was no sign of life about the house. The negroes passed by, sitting woman fashion on the mules. Several touched the rags of their hats respectfully. Hugh found Major Tazewell in the stableyard, leaning on his stick and roundly berating a sullen negro. The major was old, but his voice was fiery and his temper shorter than ever. Nannie Tazewell was sitting on the front porch, sewing. Hugh lounged down on the steps, after greeting her, and fanned himself lazily. What have you done, this week? she asked. I?--nothing worth mentioning. Why? Her brows knit into a frown. Isn't there something worth doing? Is there? What, might I ask, have you done? Oh, I am a woman; we do nothing, except little things. Have you no ambition, Mr. Carrington? Are you content to sit down and idle away your youth? Oh, I am very glad to see you. Your visits are a great pleasure to father and me, you know that: but it seems to me you might fill a higher role than that of an agreeable guest. I don't mean to be uncivil, but I hate to see you throw away your life. As I understand political economy, Hugh said, the ordinary man labors because he must, that he may live. I can live without labor, so why should I toil in the heat of the day? I know nothing of political economy, she answered; but I should think the man who labors for that alone must be a very indifferent laborer. Surely there is the desire to labor for the accomplishment of something more than the mere living. I'm sure I don't know, Carrington said, unmoved. But you should know! You do know! I am not unacquainted with your past. You were once a progres...