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“One lingers thoughtfully among the ruins of Jamestown. It
is, of course, the mere site which will now interest you in its contemplation.
There is little or nothing to be seen. It is the association
only, the genius loci, that offers provocation to the contemplative
spirit. You behold nothing but an empty and longabandoned
nest; but it is the nest of one of those maternal birds
whose prolific nature has filled the nations. The ruins which
remain of Jamestown consist only of a single tower of the old
church. In the dense coppice near it, you see the ancient piles
which cover the early dead of the settlement. The tower is a
somewhat picturesque object by itself, though it depends for its
charm chiefly on its historical associations. It is enough of the
ruin for the romantic, and, seen by moonlight, the arches and
the “rents of ruin,” through which ivy and lichen, shrub and
creeper, make their appearance, are objects which fancy will
find precious to those even who never turn the pages of our
musty chronicles, and hear nothing of the mournful whispers of
the past. What stores of tradition, wild song and wilder story,
are yet to be turned up with the soil of this neighborhood, or
laid bare in the search among the ruins of this ancient tower.
Could it only speak, what a fascinating history would it reveal.
What glorious traditions ought to invest the locality. What
memories are awakened by its simple mention. What pictures
does it not paint to the fancy and the thought!”

“Talking of traditions of the `Old Dominion,' I am reminded
of one which was told me many years ago by a fellow traveller,
as we pursued our way up James river. He insisted that there
were good authorities for the story which I had rashly imputed
to his own invention. He was one of those persons who never

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scruple at a manufacture of their own, when the thing wanted
is not exactly ready to their hands, and I dare not answer for
the chronicle.”

“Let us have it by all means.”

The ladies seconded the entreaty, and our fellow-voyager began.

“You are aware,” said he, “that in the early settlement of
Virginia, as perhaps in the case of all colonists in a new country,
there is always at first a lamentable dearth of women. The
pioneers were greatly at a loss what to do for wives and housekeepers.
Nothing could be more distressing.”

“As Campbell sings it, of a more select region —

“Precisely! Our Virginians felt particularly lonesome along
the wildernesses of James river, as is the case even now with
our Californians along the Sacramento and other golden waters.”

“Nay, they are much more charitable now. The gold regions
are not so barren of beauty as you think. This may be
owing to the greater safety of the enterprise. In 1600 a young
woman incurred some peril of losing a scalp while seeking a
swain in the territories of that fierce Don of Potomacke, Powhatan.”

“The danger certainly was of a sort to demand consideration.
It was one which the old girls might be permitted to meditate
almost as cautiously as the young ones. At all events, our
`guid folk' in the Old Dominion felt the need of a supply, the
demand being no less earnest than pressing. They commissioned
their friends and agents in England to supply their wants with
all despatch, making the required qualifications as moderate and
few as possible, the better to insure the probability of being provided.
The proprietaries, after a solemn counsel together, arrived
at the conclusion that the requisition was by no means an
unreasonable one; a conclusion to which they arrived more
readily from the great interest which their own wives respectively
took in the discussion. Efforts were accordingly made
for meeting the wishes of the colonists. Advertisements, which,
it is said, are still to be found in the news organs of the day —
were put forth in London and elsewhere, announcing the nature
of the demand and soliciting the supply. Much, of course, was

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said in favor of the beauty and resources of the country in which
they were expected to seek a home. Much also was urged in
behalf of the individual settlers, whose demands were most urgent.
`They were of good health and body, very able and diligent,
men of moral and muscle, very capable of maintaining
church and state, and contributing in a thousand ways to the
growth and good of both.' Certain of them were especially
described with names given, not omitting sundry cogent particulars
in respect to their moneyed means, employments, and general
worldly condition. In brief, able-bodied, well-limbed and well-visaged
young women, were assured of finding themselves well
matched and honorably housed within the sylvan paradise of
Powhatan, as soon as they should arrive. The advertisements
prudently forbore to insist upon any special certificates — so
necessary when housemaids are to be chosen — of character and
manners. A small bounty, indeed, was offered with outfit and
free passage.

“The appeal to the gentle hearts and Christian charities of the
sex, was not made in vain. A goodly number soon offered
themselves for the adventure, most of whom were supposed likely
to meet the wishes of the hungry colonists. The standards were
not overlyhigh — the commissioners, appreciating the self-sacrificing
spirit which governed the damsel — were not disposed to
be exacting. There were some of the damsels of much and decided
growth — some were distinguished more by size than sweetness:
others again might—though they modestly forebore to do so—this
is the one failing of the sex — boast of their ripe antiquity; none
of them were remarkable for their beauty, but as all parties
agreed to evade this topic — for reasons no doubt good enough
in those days — we will not make it a subject of discussion in
ours. There was one only, among two score, about whom the
commissioners came to a dead pause — an absolute halt — and
finally to a grave renewal of their deliberations.

“The party thus in danger of rejection, was comely enough to
the eye, according to the standards adopted in the general recognition
of applicants. She was fair enough, and strong
enough, and there could be no doubt that she was quite old
enough, but there was not quite enough of her.

“She was minus a leg!

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“Was this a disqualification or not? That was the difficult
question. When first presenting herself, it was observed that
she had advanced a foot. The foot was a good one — a foot of
size and character, and the leg which accompanied it, and of
which more was exhibited than was absolutely necessary to the
examination, was admitted to be an unobjectionable leg. But
somehow, one of the commissioners begged leave to see the other.
This literally occasioned a halt. In place of the required member,
she thrust forward a stick of English oak, which might have
served to splice the bowsprit of a Baltimore clipper.

“There was a sensation — a decided sensation. The commissioners
were taken all aback. They hemmed and hawed. A
consideration of the peculiar case was necessary.

“`My good woman,' quoth one of the commissioners, who
served as spokesman. `You have but one leg.'

“`You see, your honor. But it's sure I shall be less apt to run
away from the guid man.'

“`True; but whether that consideration will be sufficient to
reconcile him to the deficiency.'

“`Why not?' answered the fair suitor, `seeing that I am a
woman for all that.'

“`But you are not a perfect woman.'

“`Will your honor be so good as to mention if you ever did
meet with a perfect woman?'

“This was a poser. The commissioners were men of experience.
They had seen something of the world. They were
all women's men. The woman was too much for them. They
went again into consultation. The question was a serious one.
Could a woman be a complete woman — a perfect one was not
now the question — who had but a single leg? The subject of
discussion was reduced to this: what are the requisites of a wife
in Virginia? The result was, that they resolved to let the
woman go, and take her chance. They could not resist a will
so determined. They were naturally dubious whether any of
the sturdy adventurers in the realm of Powhatan would be altogether
willing to splice with a lame damsel not particularly
charming, or attractive in any respect: but women for such an
expedition were not in excess. The demand from James river
for wives was exceedingly urgent; the woman's frankness pleased

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the commissioners, and her confidence of success finally encouraged
them with a similar hope on her behalf. They gave her
the necessary funds and certificate, partially persuaded that —


“`There swims no goose, however gray in state,
Who can not find some gander for her mate.'
And the cripple went on her way swimmingly.”

“And the event?”

“Justified the faith of the legless damsel in the bounty of
Providence. Very great was the rejoicing in James river, when
the stout vessel wearing English colors was seen pressing up
the stream. They knew what they had to expect, and each
was eager for his prize. The stout yeomanry of Jamestown
turned out en masse, each in his best costume and behavior; and
as each had yet to make his choice, and as a wife is always,
more or less, the subject of some choice, each was anxious to
get on board the ship in advance of his comrades. Never was
there such a scramble. Wives rose in demand and value; and
but little time was consumed in seeing the parties paired, and,
two by two, returning from the vessel to the shore. How
proudly they departed — our brave adventurers, each with his
pretty commodity tucked under his arm! The supply fell
short of the demand. There were several who retired with sad
hearts, and lonely as they came. All were snatched up except
our lame girl; but she was not the person to despair. She put
on her sweetest smiles, as the unsupplied seekers circled about
her. They had no objection to her face. Her smiles were sufficiently
attractive; but that leg of English oak, which she in
vain strove to pucker up under her petticoats. The truth had
leaked out; and it was no go. Though grievously in want of
the furniture so necessary to a warm household, it was rather
too much to require our well-shaped and dashing Virginians to
couple with a damsel of but one leg; and after circling her with
wobegone visages, half-doubting what to do, they at length disappeared,
one by one, resolved to await a new ship, and a bride
of adequate members. The prospect for our lame duck became
rather unpromising; but Fortune, amid all her blindnesses and
caprices, is usually governed by a certain sense of propriety and
fitness. It so happened that there was a cobbler in the colony,
whose trade had been chosen with reference to the painful fact

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that he had no leg at all. He, poor fellow, needing a wife as
much as any of the rest, had but little hope of having his wants
supplied by the present consignment. It was doubtful whether
he could have ventured to hope under any circumstances —
still more absurd to hope when the supply was small, the seekers
many, and all in the market before himself. And when he
saw those returning who had failed to secure companions, he
naturally gave up all notion, if he had ever dared to entertain
any, of gratifying his domestic ambition. But as these disappointed
adventurers crossed him on their return, and saw the
wistful eyes which he cast upon the vessel, they bade him derisively
go and seek his fortune.

“`Now's your chance, old fellow!' He soon gathered the
intelligence, and at first his soul revolted at the idea of coupling
with a lame woman.

“`A woman,' said he to himself, `gains enough when she gets
a husband. She ought to be finished at the least. Nothing
should be wanting.'

“But a moment's reflection made him more indulgent. He
seized his crutches and made toward the vessel. Then he bethought
himself again and made toward his cabin. But the
tempter prevailed, and he hobbled slowly forward. With help
he was at length brought into the vessel and the presence of
the waiting spinster.

“She had been long enough on the anxious benches. They
had been a sort of torture to her patience as well as her hope.

“`Why,' said he — as if only now apprized of her deficiency —
you've got but one leg.'

“`And you've got none,' she answered pertly.

“This threw him into a cold sweat. He now feared that he
should lose his prize. `What of that?' said he — `better a lame
donkey than no horse. Is it a match? I'm for you.'

“It was now her time to demur. She walked all round him,
he wheeling about the while with the utmost possible effort, to
show how agile he could be, legless or not. The man was goodlooking
enough, minus his pins; and after a painful pause — to
one of the parties at least — she gave him her hand.

“The cobbler's rapture was complete. A chair was slung
down the ship's side. Scarcely had this been done when

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one of the former seekers reappeared. He was now willing to
take the lame damsel; but our cobbler suffered no time for deliberation.
He did not dare exercise any foolish generosity in
leaving it to her to choose between the two.

“His choler was roused. It was his betrothed to whom the
wooer came, and, with a tremendous flourish of one of his
crutches, our cripple made at the intruder. This demonstration
was sufficient. He was allowed to retain his prize. The candidate
hurried off, cooling his thirst with whatever philosophy
he could muster. When the bridal took place, many were the
jests at the expense of our cripple couple. Even the priest
who united them was not unwilling to share in the humor of the
scene, making puns upon the occasion, such as have been cheapened
somewhat by a too frequent circulation.

“`I know not, good people,' he said, `whether you can properly
contract marriage, seeing that you both lack sufficient
understanding.'

“`No man should marry with a woman,' said one of the spectators,
`who teaches the utter uselessness of his own vocation.'

“`And why they should be married under a Christian dispensation,
I can not see,' was the comment of a third, `seeing
that neither of them are prepared to give proper heed to their
soles.'

“`It will be a marriage to bind,' said a fourth, `seeing that
neither can well run away from the other.'

“`She won't trouble him long,' said he who had come a
moment too late, — `she has already one foot in the grave.'

“The crutch of the cripple was again uplifted.

“`Parson,' said he, `make us fast, please, as soon as possible.
I reckon, if there's but one leg between us, there's no law
agin our children having a full complement.'

“Whereat the betrothed blushed prettily, and the ceremony
proceeded.”

Our companion's narrative might be all true, for what we
know. Its elements were all probable enough. But the story
rather whet than pacified the appetite; other legends were
called for, and the following legend of Venice, founded also on
history, succeeded to that of the Virginian.

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