ahaaistari was about to fulfil his oath and go to die with his father at the torture fire when the sounds of the coming bravoa struck upon his hear


father laval addressed few kind words to the mohawk and left the lodge


the hurons bonnrt all those who were left at the village aild having heaped a nmss of fuel upon the fires to impress any returning stragglers with the idea that a strong force was still there leaving a broad trail to the edge of the forest on the south then doubling and striking into its depth towards tho northeast hastened rapidly on their return


the time which must elapse before any pursuit could begin would enable them to escape provided father laval held out


the party under watook had in order to be sure of the route of the mohawks proceeded to the scene of the first encounter and had there found the canoes which had been concealed in readiness for another foray


with fortunate precaution watook after observing the direction of the trail had sent these barks up a


stream which flowed into the st lawrence from the mohawk country


several days rapid journeying in which they sought little sleep or rest brought them to the spot where the boats were concealed


here they embarked and descending quickly to the st lawrence turned their course once more with saddened and chastened hearts towards the huron missions


to he continued


tbb life of hugh oneill


y john mitciiel esq


continued


chapter till


oneill in armsclonlibret a d ii


odonnell made the sime demands ns to garrisons and sheriffs and freedom of religion and further complained of his treacherous abduction find severe imprisonment and of a certain queens odonnell who presumed to claim his chieftaincy by english tenure


their terms in short were that nil pretence of english interference with the north should forthwith cease


the queens commissioners pretended to consider sooie of these conditions reasonable others they referred to her majesty but when they came to propose certain terms to tile confederates ns a kind of temporary arrangemetiuntilthe queens pleasure should be knownas that they should lay down their avms beg forgiveness for their rebellion discover their correspondence with foreign states and thelikci the chiefs rejected their proposals with scorn in morysons phraseoljgy the rebels crew insolent and the conference was hastily broken off oneill having agreed only to a short trace


the english deputy and his lawyers seeing they could do no better on the rd of september in the same year solemnly empanelled a jury to try oneill and his allies for what they termed high treason


the chiefs of the north in their absence were with the utmost gravity given in charge to this tribunal which sneedijy found them all guilty and oneill odonnell oruarc mac gwirc and mac mahon were forthwithproclaimcd traitors


oneill well knew that notwithstanding the overtures of peace norreys and usell were actively engaged in preparing for war


bagnal about the beginning of june had marched with a strong force from newry into mac mahons country relieved monaghan and compelled the irish to raise the siege and shortly after the deputy and general norreys made good their march erom dundalk to armagh after a severe skirmish with some irish troops at the moyry pass t on the approach of these forces oneill burned down dungannon and the neighbouring villages and retired into the woods hoping ly the show of terror and haty retreat to draw the enemy further into the difficult country and destroy them at his leisure


but russell contented himself with stationing h garrison at armagh nnd returned to dublin leaving the northern forces under the command of norreys


the castle of monaghan which had been taken by con oneill was now once nore in the hands of the enemy and once more was besieged by the iristi troops


norreys with his whole force was in full march to relieve it and oneill who had hitherto nvnided pitched battles and contented liimscif with harassing the enemy by continual skirmishes in their march through the woods and bogs now resolved lo meet this redoubted general fairly in the open field


he chose his ground at clontibrct about five miles from monaghan where a small stream runs northward through a valley enclosed by low hills


on the left bank of this stream the irish in battle array awaited the approach of norreys


we nave no account of the numbers on each ide out when the english general came up he thoughthimselfstrong enough to force a passage


twice the english infantry tried to make good their way over the river and twice were beaten back their gallant leader each time charging at their head and being tire last to retire the general and liis brother sir thomas were both wounded in these conflicts and the irish counted the victory won when a chosen body of english horse led on by segrave a meathian officer of gigantic bone and height spurred fiercely across the river and charged the cavalry of tyrowencommanded by their princein person


segrave singled out oneill and the two leaders laid funce in rest for deadly combat while the troops on each side lowered their weapons and held their breath awaiting the shock in silence


the warriors met and the lance of each was splintered on the others corselet but segrave again dashed his horse against the chief flung his giant frame upon his enemy and endeavoured tounhprsehim by the mere weight of his gauntletted hand


oneill grasped him in his arms and the combatants rolled together in that fetal embrace to the ground now gallant saxon


hold thine own no maidens arms are round thee thrown


there was one moments deadly wrestle nnd a deathgroan the shortened sword of oneill was buried in the englishmans roin beneath his mail


then from the f rish ranks arose such a wild shout of triumph as those hills had never echoed inllleccy of lwnkieirahm and their long inccs poised in eastern fashion hive their heads dnvrn swet the chivalryof tyrowcn upon the astonished ranks of the snxon


the banner of st george wavered nnd wentdown before that furious chirge


the english turned their bridlerein aid fled headlong over the stream leaving the field covered with their dead and worse than all leaving with the trisli a tempestthose equestrian statues became as winged demons and with their that proud redcross banner the first or its disgraces in those ulster wars


norreys hastily retreated southwards and the castle of monaghan was yielded to the irish


huh


roe odonnell was by this time master of all connaught except a few forts bat george bingham who commanded for the queen in the castle of sigo knowing that the mac swyncs were in odonnclls army and that the coasts of tyrconnell must be lying open to any sudden descent and having heard of the riches of rathmullan priory bethought himself of an expedition worthy of the pirate danes from whom he derived his race


he fittedout two vessels filled them with armed men and leaving sligo to be kept in his absence by ulick burke sailed ound the northern coast entered lough swillyplundered and destroyed the village of rathmullan and the cloisters of the carmelitef robbing the monks of their plate their vestments and sacred telics then on his way back to sligo he landed on torv island a place blessed says a chronicler by the h holy columba illustrious then with its seven churches and the glebe of the saint and the english burnedandruincdbothhousesandchurches plundered everything according to their wont carried off the flocks and herds and left no fourfooted beast on the whole island


tory never recovered from that hideous wreck


it is now a hare and dismal rock lashed bv the howling atlantic and inhabited by a few wretched fishermen


but still by the ruins of a round tower by its two stone crosses and the mouldering walls of its many churches attests the piety of the holy men who in days of old made a sanctuary of that lonely isle


the english pirate returned with his booty to sligo but the division of the spoil caused a jealousy in the garrison between the english and irish which ended in ulick burke and hie adherents filling upon and exterminating the saxons and their leader and then delivering up the place to odonnell


the castle of bally mote was alout the same time taken by red hugh from sir kichard bingham and given to its rightful owners the mae donoughsbo that on the whole at the close of the year the irish power predomi nated both in ulster and connaught circum sedgreium octodecim equites splendiili rcgil bttccumbuit ct sinum capitur


oscluvaw


for the mode of chrg ins used by the irieh cavalry with thei lances poised over the right shoulderbed spensers vibw


jzo he continued


ite unit ikrtijirs


the kiddyswell


chapter


iv


at tlie appointed hour of eleven oclock two figures climbed over tlie little gate that led into the parsons orchard casting such stealthy looks around that if it had been in september instead of april they might have been suspected of a design upon the apples


one was adurapy i little man close buttoned up to the throat the other lank and thin rrand to any one who had ever seen the resolute captain spong and the scientific dr gargle there was no mistaking them on the present occasion


a small carpet bag might have at first created a suspicion that they were intent on a journey but a different tale was told when the doctor took from it a pair of pistols and laid a variety of boxes and bandages and surgical instruments carefully on the ground


i half regret this business said the principal belli gerent with the smallest possible tremor in his voice


the fellow may perhaps come after all


and if he does said the man of skill you


shoot him of course


you had plenty of practice you recollect when you were called out at the time of the riots


not with ball my


dear fellow not with ball and besides


it strikes me


chat


i have perhaps taken too pro minent a share in this business for you must be aware that the insult was as much to you as to me


twas to the ladies first well are we to fight iu ttkeir fiaarrei after their beha viour last night f i think replied the doctor theyll repent of it when they hear who their friend the


general is and re member they have three thousand pounds apiece


oh


perfect ladies i hardly thiiak lies coming gargle look at your watch


five minutes past


wait just five mkutes more but hark


i heard voices


i say gargle couldnt we come nohow to a compro mise


coiildif t he explain and i explain as they do in public meetings eh


impossible how can you explain tabby


but come spong let us ibe off here come the ladies


the ladies cried the captain giverae the pistol gargle measure out the ground now


then im ready place your man amen


the captain drew himself up to his full height nearly five teet four and held ut the pistol firmly and steadily as if practising for an aim


it was certainly an heroic sight and the ladies were evidently struck by it


inhuman man


exclaimed miss jane i come to upbraid you for your conduct


madam permit me to observe that i have some busi ness to settle here yes madam business of importance you understand me


yes i understand you


but yau will be disappointed the general has thought better of e subject


safety of


the subject you mean madam he is a coward a swindler snd an impostor


i have proof he is no more a general than tarn a bishop


how piqofs enquired the lady somewliat staggered what is


he then


in all human probability a tailor replied the cap tain your gardener simon discovered a book of pat terns hi his gig and read his name on the flyleaf


aud what is his name i but no


i will not believe it sir your accusations are brought against him now to revenge yourselves for his having so nobly defended my sister and myself against your insulting designations


oh captain spong there was oiice a time i couldnt have be lieved it


i never called you any name but your own


it was that infamous impostor who said you were cats and tabbies


r


i


i t


i i


uciigiq auaicaiieciium to orders he insulted us lie ran up stairs he told you


infamous inventions of his own


you trusted him and repelled us that you had known so long and who once miss jane but that is over


he is a tailor madam


a conversation somewhat of the same kind had been carried on in a lower tone of voice by the doctor and miss elizabeth and that young lady broke in n her sisters


musings at that moment


gracious me jane


think what a cheat that man is i warned you against beiug deluded by his fine speeches


si


uyou wouldnitilisten


i deluded


exclaimed miss jane what do you mean


it was you that pressed him to come home and dine i never could endure the mans impudent looks


oh yes you could jane you didnt think his looks impudent last night


but before miss jane could summon breath enough to give the accusation a more vigorous denial the gentlemen interfered


spong threw down the pistol with great force on the grass and vowed that it would be the happiest hour of his life if he had been the means of exposing the arts of a swindler and after sundry explanations on all points in dispute it was resolved to proceed immediately to the house and count over all the spoons


for when people find their admiration in the smallest degree mis placed they are very apt to run into the opposite


extreme and if they dont find a man to be altogether a howard set him down at once as a thurtell


in the midst of their enquiries a vast number of soft speeches were made upon all sides the sisters thoughts flowed more strongly than ever in their old channels from having been for a short time diverted and by the time the search was finished and nothing found missing it had been resolved to send for tvvo licenses and have a double wedding on the very first opportunity


the old cook had been employed to place the precocious niece at school returned with satisfactory tidings of that young lady being in safe keeping and all went happy as a marriage bell


five days slipt on in the most elysian manner possible plans were laid for the future and the education of the niece was resolved in full conclave to be so vigorously attended to that she must pur sue her studies for many years at school


tlie gallant captain and miss jane where to inhabit tlie house as he was only in bachellors lodgings in the village and the mean time both gentlemen determined to keep a constant guard on the premises in case of the threatened return of tlie graceful individual whom they most ignorantlv called a cheat and a swindler


ifc was unanimously resolved that he should be at once refused admittance and if he persisted in forcing his way that he sliculd be handed over to the constable for insertion in the stocks filled with these satisfactory resolutions ami all the ardours of a pure and disinterested love the two pairs of lovers walked hour after hour in tlie garden or made a sentimental pilgrimage to the parsons orchard which had been the scene of eclaircisement and in short enjoyed themselves as much as the agitating delay of the license aud other matrimonial forms would allow them


they were returning ir high spirits from the parsons orchard miss jane leaning affectionately down for she was a few inches taller on the captains arm and listening to an epitaph which he had prepared for insertion in next months obituary miss eliza beth and dr gargle engaged in some equally interesting conver sation they had just crossed by tho little garden path and were going in front of the french windows the groundfloor when a wellknown voice saluted their ears


poh my soul ladies you take it rather cool gallivanting with your men just in front of the house


i wonder yon aint ashamed of it at your time of life


a scream from each of the indies so united as to have only the sound of one proved the effect of the generals eloquence


they looked to the window and there standing in a freeandeasy atti tude tho breast of his coat thrown wide open so as to expose the full expanse of his yellow waistcoat his hat set jauntily on one side of his head and his whole appearnnoe justifying his name of the kiddyswell stood our goodnatured friend apparently as much at home as if he had never lived anywhere else in his life


you infernal impostor pulled out the rather plethoric captain what right have you sir to go into that house


oho


youre the same old boy that called the respectable angels at your side old cats


ton my honour i ve a great mind to write to the emperor of russia about it


hell ba disgusted with your behaviour


we shall find means sir to punish you for this intrusion pursued the captain


dont mention it to the duke if you happen to be writing to him


and in the mean time dont you see a notice in the gaiuen that trespassers will be prosecuted


blowed if i stand a


set of


fellers coming here philandering with a set of old maids kissing and hugging in that disgusting manner


ill write to the society for the propagation of vice i will another scream and their two faces hid as if suffused with blushes proved the effect of these false accusations on the delicate minded ladies


advise you sir said the captain disregarding the attack to retire peaceably from that house or the constable shall be sent for


send for him by all means ill give you


in charge as a couple of rogues and vagabonds but goodbye


i cant stand here all day having my modesty shocked by your indecent behaviour


so saying he retired from the window leaving the party in blank amazement at his audacity


the captain and the doctor equally irate proceeded to the stable and armed themselves with hayforks and other agricultural wea pons and with the additional aid


of old simon who offered him self nothing loth as a volunteer in executing vengeance on the offender they tried to open the front door but in


vain


they tried the windows but they were all carefully fastened and finding all


other entrances barred they returned to the front knocker and made a prodigious noise in hopes of being admitted by the servants


in the midst of their noisy attack the kiddyswell opened the upper window and putting his head out affected great surprise


what


are you not gone yet


and you dearest miss jane have you


quite forsaken your general


cruel girl


and you miss elizabeth have you no regard for a governors son


false perfidious creatures


ill expose you to the queen of prussia and all your friends see if i dont


will you let us an sir yes or no j no i wont let you in sir


who the devil are you sir


you call yourself a captain but perhaps youre a housebreaker sir and that oilier highwayman calls himself an apothecary


how do i know what he is sir


hes ugly enough for any thing


pon my soul its very hard that a gentleman cant rest in his own house without all this disturbance after a journey too but ill prosecute you for an attempt to enter a dwellinghouse and if i can possibly make interest with the chancellor to hang you depend upon it i will


you are a brazenfaced rascal sir and ill send for the civil power and break into the house at once


and alarm my wife sir


poor little thing and she just newly come from school


for shame captain lord melbourne will be ashamed of you


his wife has he brought a woman with him


enquired miss jane in a whisper which however reached the ears of the kiddyswell


havent i


thats all a pretty little dear with crop hair and long trousers short blue frock and high pinafore i shes such an infant aint yon sarah


come and show yourself and ask your old aunties blessing and tell em all about our journey to etna green and thank them for taking care of your house so long and the good education theyve given you


saying this the kiddyswell brought forward to tho window a stout young lady in a blue frock and a very red face but whether from the fatigues of her journey or the trying situation she was in i cannot say and presented her to the astonished group below


he shield that turned people into stone could not have had a more instantaneous effect the pitchforks dropfc from the be jgerent hands of the petrified pair of woers and simon limped off into the stable without beat of drum


all were silent


at last the kiddyswell with his accustomed eloquence renewed the conversation


how unnatural in you not to welcome ns more kindly when we come home


pon my soul i feel as if i was an orphan


and you too dont you sarah


such coldness to near relations


no party in the state will believe it


sir robert will wonder lord john be horrorstruck and i shouldnt be surprised if oconnell scratched you out of his will but i think i hear wheels on the road and if so ill trouble you to be a little more polite for i expect my governor every minute


the anticipations of the kiddyswell were realized


the re spected mr hoggin buck senior came into the walk and was in troduced to the party below by his dutiful son who still kept his station at the upstairs window


by the extreme urbanity of that gentleman who had been informed by letter of the whole trans action


and his great knowledge of the world an arrangement was come to which apparently satisfied all parties especially the kiddyswell who saw himself at the summit of his ambition in possession of the house which had so long excited his envy


concluded


algernon de vere chapter iii


the swiftness and endurance of the australian horse nurtured upon the grasses f the primeval forest are proverbial


kidnyfatima it has already been incidentally mentioned weighed eight stone seven


algernon though of spare and graceful shape was a fourteen stone man


his arms accoutrements and jewellery could not have weighed less than three stone


it was under a burden of twentyfive stone seven therefore that the gallant bay carried her riders with the speed of the wind from the leaden hail of the vengeful volunteers


nor did her pace slacken when that immediate danger had been escaped


on on she flew for hours through the moonlit glades of the umbrageous bush


troops of startled kangaroos repeatedly leapt up on either side of her and springing into the trees with the agility for which these animals are so remarkable sought a needless refuge amid the topmost branches of the loftiest mims huge emub disturbed from their nests sailed majestically away upontheir stupendous pinions or with loud screams circled round the heads of the fugitives


the fleet and graceful platypusthe australian gazelledarted away on the riffht hand and on the left while the guana and other nocturnal bircfs startled the stillness with their not unmelodious cries


for many hours the mare galloped on with unabated speed


considerably over a hundred miles must have been traversed when she at length began to show symptoms of some distress


at a word of encouragement from algernon she put forth her mettle and sped on with renewed vigor


the eastern sky was already tinged with grey streaks when the bushranger at length drew rein


we approach the home of thy people my own kidnyfatima he said and may shortly expect to fall in with some outlying scouts from thy fathers forces


the white man flying from the tyranny of his own race seeks shelter amid the despised and persecuted aborigines and well he knows that there he will receive a welcome denied him and his own racealbeit the blood that rushes through his veins is noble nay roy he paused for looking down at the lovely burden in his arms he perceived that kidnyfatima hat


long since yielded to weariness and now slumbered peacefully and profoindly


mark ye this ye sleepless


tossing upon your luxurious pillow and vainly wooing the drowsy god upon your beds of down


natures child asked no other cradle than the back of the fiery charger as he rushed through the night and she had for many hours been plunged in innocent sleep


reining in his fiery mare algernon alighted and laid the slumbering girl upon a bank of spinifexthe softest and most elastic of all the rich australian grasses


he next proceeded to bubble the marean operation performed by attaching a bridle rein to her tail bringing it between her hind legs and taking two half hitches round her near fetlock


having thus provided for the comforts of his fair and liis marewhothe latter gave a loud joyous neigh and instantly began browsing on the sweet tops of the spinifexalgernon stepped cautiously forward and at the distance of about a dozen yards oame upon the entrance of a small rocky glen


here he gave a low whistle


in an instant from behind every bush and blade there bounded forth an armed and swarthy figure


a hundred lances were levelled at de veres breasta hundred clubs raised to fell him to the earth


he stood calm and motionless


noo loo loo weodoo marawatooughth coobrought said he in the soft and musical language of the aborigines


in a moment the uplifted weapons were dropped and algernon was welcomed with a multitude of friendly words and gestures


thanks fthanks my friends he said and muttered half to himself persecuted by the proud miscreants of his own race because at times he has administered a salutary bleeding to the plethoric sons ot wealth algernon de vere never fails of a welcome from the true hearts of the children of nature


waka laudu walla carabanathoolooloo said they


and here let me the great unknown author of algernon de vere let me who am not given to talking in the first person nor to digressions digress for a few moments to make an observation or cwo upon the properties of the low whistle


the natives it will be observed had heard nothing of the mares galloping hoofsnothing of her loud and joyous neighnothing of the words algernon had addressed to kidnyfatimanothing of the clatter of accoutrementsnothirg at all in fact until the low whistle was given when every mothers son ot two hundred and odd of them jumped to his feet as if he had had a pin stuck in him


strange as this may seem numerous examples may be adduced to show that it is not improbable


in fact i dont know how scores of excellent novelists would have been able to rescue their heroes from very embarrassing circumstances if it had not been for the peculiar properties of a low significant whistle or what answers as well a blast upon a bugle horn


when you are in alarm for some brave and virtuous gentleman who has been fighting for an hour or so against overwhelming odds and is on the very eve of receiving cut seven make your mind quite easy if he puts a bugle to his lips or gives a whistle


the miscreants always pay very dearly for that whistle


the hero who seemed nowherethe odds against him being say six to onenow becomes the favourite and twenty to six may be sately laid upon him for a score of devoted persons suddenly spring up from under the very legs of the combatants and before you can say jack robinson the ruffians fiud themselves kicking on their backs with large sword holes in their bodies


the effect of the blast on the bugle is not so instantaneous but quite as striking because it serves to illustrate not only the constant watchfulness and fidelity of those who answer it but also the peculiarly sagacious instinct which enables them always to keep just within earshot of his bugle though it may have been days or even weekb since they saw their master and have not the slightest idea of what has become of him in the meantime


the case of fitz james snowdons knight afterwards scotlands king was one in point


after he had been fighting for ever so long with roderick dhu who by the way was a most potent whistler himself he fitz james had a blast on hii bugle


he directly heard the galloping of horses hoofs and in less than no time he was surrounded by retainers all nicely got up in fashionable doublets and leading a spare horse ready saddled and bridled and as fresh as a kitten


yet these gentlemen must have been camping out for several nights and the horses can never have had the bits out of their mouths all the time for i am ready to stake my existenceor even the copyright of algernon de vereupon it that both horses and men were equally ready to answer his bugle at any hour of any twentyfour that had elapsed since he got lost in the scrub near loch katrine


but of all whistles and bugle blasts commend me to a whistle by night in the woods among savages


such a whistle did chingachgook give to rouse the slumbering mohicans while the inevitable leatherstocking came up rifle in hand at the familiar soundwhich he would have heard if he had been ten miles away you may depend upon it


at k sign from algernon two or three of the natives accompanied him towards the spot where he had left kidnyfatima reposing on the bank of spinifex


what was it as he advanced that sent so sudden a chill to his heart


was it the cold breeze of early morning


ah no


was it exhaustion consequent on that long night ride


was itbut why continue to ask whether it was a number of things which it wasnt


it was the mysterious sense of coming evil


between the heart of algernon and that of kidnyfatima there were marvellous and mystic ties of that as yet unexplained kind which we are content to call mesmeric


whatever thrilled one soul was felt by the other


when evil befell one the other received strange warning though the voice of nature failed to develope the character of the calamity that had befallen


stunned by the sudden conviction that some terrible grief awaited him algermm passed for a few seconds to gather strength and courage


as he did so a nocturnal bird of prey sailed slowly over his head and screaming harshly seemed to hover ominously for a few moments above the stricken man


a sudden gust of wind arose and made mournful music auiid the branches of the sheoaks which gave forth notes as wild and plaintive as those of an seolian harp


gathering what strength he


ould j will know the worst said algernon and he rushed towards the spot where he had left kidnyfatima


ah who can paint the sense of relief with which he found that for once his forebodings had misled him and that kidnyfatima was still safe asleep and snoring loudly


life and adventures of martin chuzzlewit


by c dickens esq chapter xxix


in which some people are precocious others professional and others mysterious all in their several ways


it may have been the restless remembrance of what he had seen and heard overnight or it may have been no deeper mental operation than the discovery that he had nothing to do which caused mr bailey on the following afternoon to feel particularly disposed for agreeable society and prompted him to pay a visit to his friend poll sweedlepipe


on the little bell giving clamorous notice of a visitors approach for mr bailey came in at the door with a lunge to get as much sound out of the bell as possible


poll sweedlepipe desisted from the contemplation of a favourite owl and gave his young friend hearty welcome


why you look smarter by day said poll than you do by candlelight


i never see such a tight young dasher


reether so polly


hows our fair friend sairah


oh shes pretty well said poll


shes at home


theres the remains of a fine woman about sairah poll observed mr bailey with gen teel indifference


oh thought poll hes old


he must be very old


too much crumb you know said mr bailey too fat poll


but theres many worse at her time of life


the very owls a opening his eyes thought poll


i dont wonder at it in a bird of his opinions


he happened to have been sharpening his razors which were lying open in a row while a huge strop dangled from the wall


glancing at these preparations mr bailey stroked his chin and a thought appeared to occur to him


poll he said i aint as neat as i could wish about the gills


being here i may as well have a shave and get trimmed close


the barber stood aghast but mr bailey divested himself of his neckcloth and sat down in the easy shaving chair with all the dignity and confidence in life


there was no resisting his manner


the evidence of sight and touch became as nothing


his chin was as smooth as a newlaid egg or a scraped dutch cheese but poll sweedlepipe wouldnt have ventured to deny on affidavit that he had the beard of a jewish rabbi


go with the grain poll all round please said mr bailey strewing up his face for the reception of the lather


you may do wot you like with the bits of whisker


i dont care for em


the meek little barber stood gazing at him with the brush and soapdish in his hand stirring them round and round in a ludicrous uncertainty as if he were disabled by some fascination from beginning


at last he made a dash at mr baileys cheek


then he stop ped again as if the ghost of a beard had sud denly receded from his touch but receiving mild encouragement from mr bailey in the form of an adjuration to go in and win he lathered him bountifully


mr bailey smiled through the suds in his satisfaction


gently over the stones poll


go atiptoe over the pimples


poll sweedlepipe obeyed and scraped the lather off again with particular care


mr bailey squinted at every successive dab as it was deposited on a cloth on his left shoulder and seemed with a microscopic eye to detect some bristles in it for he murmured more than once reether redder than i could wish poll


the operation being concluded paul fell back and stared at him again while mr bailey wiping his face on the jacktowel re marked that after late hours nothing fresh ened up a man so much as a easy shave


he was in the act of tying his cravat at the glass without his coat and poll had wiped his razor ready for the next customer when mrs gamp coming down stairs looked in at the shopdoor to give the barber neighbourly good day


feeling for her unfortunate situation in having conceived a regard for himself which it was not in the nature of things that he could return mr bailey hastened to soothe her with words of kindness


hallo


he said sairah


i neednt ask you how youve been this long time for youre in full bloom


all a blowin and a growin aint she polly


why drat the bragian boldness of that boy


cried mrs gamp though not displeased


what a imperent young sparrow it is


i wouldnt be that creeturs mother not for fifty pound


mr bailey regarded this as a delicate con fession of her attachment and a hint that no pecuniary gain could recompense her for its being rendered hopeless


he felt flattered


disinterested affection is always flattering


ah dear moaned mrs gamp sinking into the shaving chair that there blessed bull mr sweedlepipe has done his wery best to conker me


of all the trying invalieges in this wally of the shadder that one beats em black and blue


it was the practice of mrs gamp and her friends in the profession to say this of all the easy customers as having at once the effect of discouraging competitors for office and ac counting for the necessity of high living on the part of the nurses


talk of constitooshun


mrs gamp ob served


a persons conslitooshun need be made of bricks to stand it


mrs harris jestly says to me but tother day oh


sairey gamp she says how is it done


mrs harris mam i says to her we gives no trust ourselves and puts a deal o trust else vere these is our religious feelins and we finds em answer sairey says mrs harris sech is life


vich likeways is the hend of all things


the barber gave a soft murmur as much as to say that mrs harriss remark though not quits so intelligible as could be desired from such an authority did equal honour to her head and to her heart


and here continued mrs gamp and here am i a goin twenty mile in distant on as venturesome a chance as ever any one as monthlied ever run i do believe


says mrs harris with a womans and a mothers art a beatin in her human breast says she to me youre not a goin sairey lord forgive you


why am i not a goin mrs harris


i replies


mrs gill i says wos never wrong with six and is it likely maami ast you as a motherthat she will begin to be unreglar now


often and often have i heerd him say i says to mrs harris meaning mr gill that be would back his wile agen moores almanack to name the very day and hour for ninepence farden


is it likely maam i says as she will fail this once


says mrs harris no maam not in the course of nater


but she says the tears a fillin in her eyes you knows much betterer than me with your ex perienge how little puts us out


a punchs show she says a chimbley sweep a newfun landog or a drunkin man a comin round the corner sharp may do it and though my books is clear for full a week i takes a anxious art along with me i do assure you sir


youre so full of zeal you see said poll


you worrit yourself so


worrit myself cried mrs gamp raising her hands and turning up her eyes


you speaks the truth in that sir if you never speaks no more twixt this and when two sundays jines together


i feels the sufferins of other people more than i feels my own though no one maynt suppoge it


the families ive had said mrs gamp if all wos knowed aud credit done where credits doo would take a week to chrisen at saint polges fontin


wheres the patient going


asked swee dlepipe


into harfordshire which is his native air


but native airs nor native graces neither mrs gamp observed wont bring him round


so bad as that inquired the wistful barber


indeed


mrs gamp shook her head mysteriously and pursed up her lips


theres fevers of the mind she said as well as body


you may take your slime drafts till you flies into the air with effervescence but you wont cure that


ah said the barber opening his eyes and putting on his raven aspect


lor


no


you may make yourself as light as any gash balloon said mrs gamp


but talk when youre wrong in your head and when youre in sleep of certain things and youll be heavy in your mind


of what kind of things now inquired poll greedily biting his nails in his great interest


ghosts


mrs gamp who perhaps had been already tempted further than she had intended to go by the barbers stimulating curiosity gave a sniff of uncommon significance and said it didnt matter


im a going down with my patient in the coach this arternoon she proceeded


im a going to stop with him a day or so till he gets a country nuss drat them


country nusses much the orkard hussies knows about their bisness and then im a comin back and thats my trouble mr sweedlepipes


but i hope that everythink ll only go on right and comfortable as long as im away perwisin which as mrs harris says mrs gill is wel come to choose her own time all times of the day and night being equally the same to me


during the progress of the foregoing remarks which mrs gamp had addressed exclusively to the barber mr bailey had been tying his cravat getting on his coat and making hideous faces at himself in the glass


being now personally addressed by mrs gamp he turned round and mingled in the conversation


you aint been in the city i suppose sir since we was all three there together said mrs gamp at mr chuzzlewits


yes i have sairah


i was there last night


last night cried the barber


yes poll reether so


you can call it this morning if you like to be particular


he dined with us


who does that young limb mean by hus said mrs gamp with most impatient emphasis


me and my governor sairah


he dined at our house


we was very merry sairah


so much so that i was obliged to see him home in a hackneycoach at three oclock in the morning


it was on the tip of the boys tongue to relate what had followed but re membering how easily it might be carried to his masters ears and the repeated cautions he had had from mr crimple not to chatter he checked himself adding only she was sitting up expecting him


and all things considered said mrs gamp sharply she might have knowd better than to go a tiring herself out by doing any think of the sort


did they seem pretty pleasant together sir


oh yes answered bailey pleasant enough


im glad on it said mrs gamp with a second sniff of significance


they havent been married so long ob served poll rubbing his hands that they need be anything but pleasant yet awhile


no said mrs gamp with a third signifi cant signal


especially pursued the barber when the gentleman bears such a character as you gave him


i speak as i find mr sweedlepipes said mrs gamp


forbid it should be otherways


but we never knows wots hidden in each others hearts and if we had glass winders there wed need to keep the shutters up some on us i do assure you


but you dont mean to saypoll sweedle pipe began


no said mrs gamp cutting him very short i dont


dont think i do


the tor ters of the inquisition shouldnt make me own i did


all i says is added the good woman rising and folding her shawl about her that the pulls a waitin and the precious moments is a flyin fast


the little barber having in his eager curio sity a great desire to see mrs gamps patient proposed to mr bailey that they should accom pany her to the bull and witness the depar ture of the coach


that young gentleman assenting they all went out together


arriving at the tavern mrs gamp who was fulldressed for the journey in her latest suit of mourning left her friends to entertain themselves in the yard while she ascended to the sick room where her fellowlabourer mrs prig was dressing the invalid


he was so wasted that it seemed as if his bones would rattle when they moved him


his cheeks were sunken and his eyes unnaturally large


he lay back in the easy chair like one more dead than living and rolled his languid eyes towards the door when mrs gamp ap peared as painfully as if their weight alone were burdensome to move


and how are we by this time


mrsgamp observed we looks charming


we looks a deal charminger than we are then returned mrs prig a little chafed in her temper


we got out of bed backards i think for were as cross as two sticks


i never see sich a man


he wouldnt have been washed if he had his own way


she put the soap in my mouth said the unfortunate patient feebly


couldnt you keep it shut then retorted mrs prig


who do you thinks to wash one feate and miss another and wear ones eyes out with all manner of finework of that de scription for halfacrown a day


if you wants to be tittivated you must pay accordin


oh dear me cried the patient oh dear dear


there said mrs prig thats the way hes been a conducting of himself sarah ever since i got him out of bed if you ll believe it


instead of being grateful mrs gamp observed for all our little ways


oh fie for shame sir fie for shame


here mrs prig seized the patient by the chin and began to rasp his unhappy head with a hairbrush


i suppose you dont like that neither


she observed stopping to look at him


it was just possible that he didnt for the brush was a specimen of the hardest kind of instrument producible by modern art and his very eyelids were red with the friction


mrs prig was gratified to observe the correctness of her supposition and said triumphantly she knowd as much


when his hair was smoothed down comfort ably into his eyes mrs prig and mrs gamp put on his neckerchief adjusting his shirt collar with great nicety so that the starched points should also invade those organs and afflict them with an artificial ophthalmia


his waistcoat and coat were next arranged and as every button was wrenched into a wrong button hole and the order of his boots was reversed he presented on the whole rather a melancholy appearance


i dont think its right said the poor weak invalid


i feel as if i was in somebody elses clothes


im all on one side and youve made one of my legs shorter than the other


theres a bottle in my pocket too


what do you make me sit upon a bottle for


deuce take the man


cried mrs gamp drawing it forth


if be aint been and got my night bottle here


i made a little cup board of his coat when it hung behind the door and quite forgot it betsey


youll find a ingun or two and a little tea and sugar in his tother pocket my dear if youll jest be good enough to take em out


betsey produced the property in question together with some other articles of general chandlery and mrs gamp transferred them to her own pocket which was a species of nan keen pannier


refreshment then arrived in the form of chops and strong ale for the ladies and a basin of beeftea for the patient which refection was barely at an end when john westlock appeared


up and dressed cried john sitting down beside him


thats brave


how do you feel


much better


but very weak


no wonder


you have had a hard bout of it


but country air and change of scene said john will make another man of you


why mrs gamp he added laughing as he kindly arranged the sick mans garments you have odd notions of a gentlemans dress


mr leewsome ant a easy gent to get into his clothes sir mrs gamp replied with dig nity as me and betsey prig can certify afore the lord mayor and uncommon coun sellors if needful


john was at that moment standing close in front of the sick man in the act of releasing him from the torture of the collars before men tioned when he said in a whisper mr westlock


i dont wish to be over heard


i have something very particular and strange to say something that has been a dreadful weight on my mind through this long illness


quick in all his motions john was turning round to desire the women to leave the room when the sick man held him by the sleeve


not now


ive not the strength


ive not the courage


may i tell it when i have


may i write it if i find that easier and better


may you cried john


why leew some what is this


dont ask me what it is


its unnatural and cruel


frightful to think of


frightful to tell


frightful to know


frightful to have helped in


let me kiss your hand for all your goodness to me


be kinder still and dont ask me what it is


at first john gazed at him in great surprise but remembering how very much reduced he was and how recently his brain had been on fire with fever believed that he was labouring under some imaginary horror or despondent fancy


for farther information on this point he took an opportunity of drawing mrs gamp aside while betsy prig was wrapping him in cloaks and shawls and asked her whether he was quite collected in his mind


oh bless you no said mrs gamp


he hates his nusses to this hour


they always does it sir


its a certain sign


if you could have heerd the poor dear soul a findin fault with me and betsy prig not half an hour ago you would have wondered how it is we dont get fretted to the tomb


this almost confirmed john in his suspicion so not taking what had passed into any serious account he resumed his former cheerful man ner and assisted by mrs gamp and betsy prig conducted leewsome downstairs to the coach just then upon the point of starting


poll sweedlepipe was at the door with his arms tight folded and his eyes wide open and looked on with absorbing interest while the sick man was slowly moved into the vehicle


his bony hands and haggard face impressed poll wonderfully and he informed mr bailey in confidence that he wouldnt have missed seeing him for a pound


mr bailey who was of a different constitution remarked that he would have staid away for five shillings


it was a troublesome matter to adjust mrs gamps luggage to her satisfaction for every package belonging to that lady had the incon venient property of requiring to be put in a boot by itself and to have no other luggage near it on pain of actions at law for heavy damages against the proprieters of the coach


the umbrella with the circular patch was par ticularly hard to be got rid of and several times thrust out its battered brass nozzle from improper crevices and chinks to the great terror of the other passengers


indeed in her intense anxiety to find a haven of refuge for this chattel mrs gamp so often moved it in the course of five minutes that it seemed not one umbrella but fifty


at length it was lost or said to be and for the next five minutes she was face to face with the coachman go where ever he might protesting that it should be made good though she took the question to the house of commons


at last her bundle and her pattens and her basket and everything else being disposed of she took a friendly leave of poll and mr bailey dropped a curtsey to john westlock and parted as from a cherished member of the sisterhood with betsey prig


wishin you lots of sickness my darling creetur


mrs gamp observed and good places


it wont be long i hope afore we works together off and on again betsey and may our next meeting be at a large familys where they all takes it reglar one from another turn and turn about and has it busi nesslike


i dont care how soon it is said mrs prig nor how many weeks it lasts


mrs gamp with a reply in a congenial spirit was backing to the coach when she came in contact with a lady and gentleman who were passing along the footway


take care take care here


cried the gen tleman


halloo


my dea r


why its mrs gamp


what mr mould


exclaimed the nurse


and mrs mould


who would have thought as we should ever have a meetin here im sure


going out of town mrs gamp cried mould


thats unusual isnt it


it is unusual sir said mrs gamp


but only for a day or two at most


the gent she whispered as i spoke about


what in the coach cried mould


the one you thought of recommending


very odd


my dear this will interest you


the gentle man that mrs gamp thought likely to suit us is in the coach my love


mrs mould was greatly interested


here my dear


you can stand upon the doorstep said mould and take a look at him


ha


there he is


wheres my glass


oh


all right ive got it


do you see him my dear


quite plain said mrs mould


upon my life you know this is a very sin gular circumstance said mould quite de lighted


this is the sort of thing my dear i wouldnt have missed on any account


it tickles one


its interesting


it almobt n little play you know


ah


to be sure


looks poorly mrs m dont he


mrs mould assented


hes coming our way perhaps after all said mould


who knows


i feel as if i ought to show him some little attention


he dont seem a stranger to me


im very much inclined to move my hat my dear


hes looking hard this way said mrs mould


then i will cried mould


how dye do sir


i wish you good day


ha


he bows too


very gentlemanly


mrs gamp has the cards in her pocket i have no doubt


this is very singular my dearand very pleasant


i am not superstitious but it really seems as if one was destined to pay him those little melancholy civilities which belong to our peculiar line of business


there can be no kind of objection to your kissing your hand to him my dear


mrs mould did so


ha said mould


hes evidently gra tified


poor fellow


im quite glad you did it my love


bye bye mrs gamp


waving his hand


there he goes there he goes


so he did for the coach rolled off as the words were spoken


mr and mrs mould in high good humour went their merry way


mr bailey retired with poll sweedlepipe as soon as possible but some little time elapsed before be could remove his friend from the ground owing to the impression wrought upon the barbers nerves by mrs prig whom he pronounced to be a woman of transcendant charms


when the light cloud of bustle hanging round the coach was thus dispersed nadgett was seen in the darkest box of the bull coffee room looking wistfully up at the clockas if the man who never appeared were a little behind his time


to be continued


stray notes for chance readers by lucian paul


no ithe boatswain


chapter i not many fathoms here sir said the old boatswain of the good ship mary jane as we neared the coast of south america not more than six i should say sir


a stiff breeze from the south filled every sail and though keeping close to the wind we careered along at the rate of eleven knots an hour


we are getting into shallow water sir continued our weatherbeaten friend them coasts are not chancy with the wind so


danger said i there can be no danger here the wind is steady and no rocks ahead


true but dont you see sir with all our efforts to press up against the wind and no ship could do it more gallantly than the mary jane we are rapidly making the land


there keep your eye for a few seconds on that point jutting out from the main landsee there it is on the lee bowand you shall have proof of what i say


well old fellow i for one am glad it is so delightfully refreshing after being weeks at sea to feast ones eyes again on the green earth


and then there is that magnificent sunset and i do declare there are human beings moving about the shore


look here


master we should not be living be ings many hours were it our fortune to be driven on these shores


ah i know them well


fever creeps along these low densely wooded flats like the heavy mists that float on sluggish streams and few european constitutions can resist its terrible attacks


in these parts i have always kept out to sea except once when compelled to put in to one of these dis mal deserted ports


i shall never for getbut it would be too long a yarn now master


look here sir dont you observe the water changing in color


the rocks shelve out here from the line of coast for several miles and besides all along these latitudes large ships are subject to awkward calms


i have known too ships windbound in this very bay for days together to the great risk of their being driven on shore and to the peril of all on board


were the wind to go round only half a point sir we should be in that predicament nowwheeeeblow ye favouring breezes


this conversation took place as i stood by the capstan examining with my glass the american coast a little to the south of pernambuco


landsman as i was and delighted beyond measure to gaze on the far extending beach and the distant uplands beyond which the sun was going down in a perfect hemisphere of glory i thought not of the danger


lost in ad miration even after my attention was drawn to it so pointedly by the old boatswain still it did not impress me as being either great or imminent


the old tar was right though


from the poop there came up against the wind the deep manly voice of the captain bout ship menin a mo ment


all hands were at work and sooner than you reader could reign up a fiery steed that gallant clipper ship of tons gave her stern to the shelving rocks and the feverhaunted shores of pernam buco


cleverly donehow she spins upon her heel why she has cut a perfect half circle in the water


that she does sirfrom a dozen voices at once


he knew these seas that old boatswain and kept a sharp eye on the dangers that were near


off we go on our new tack like an arrow speeding its way into fathomless space and as i left the fore castle my old friend in a gruff whisper but loud enough for all present to hear saidmaster you see i knows a thing or two


it was plain enough that the boatswain had seen better daysthat he had not been always before the mast


a more polished idiom sometimes burst through and mingled with the gruff grotesque language of the common sailor


well would it have been for himself and for others too had he navigated the sea of life with as much skill and had he been as careful to avoid the rocks and shallows that abound on its coasts


as i made my way to the poop the strange sounds of the only attempt at singing he was ever known to have made it was something between whistling and singing and was extremely ludi crouswere caught up and carried quite away by a sudden gust of wind wheee blow ye favouring breezes


chapter ii


glorious nights these captain little need to regret the absence of the moon the heavens seem even more lovely when lit up only by the soft light proceeding from these numberless stars


i miss the grand familiar constellations of the north ern hemisphere but here there is a gor geous profusion of stars of which dwellers in the north can form no conception


they are very brilliant and have you observed that many of thema much larger proportion than in the northern hemisphereshine in pairs


how i love those stars


often i throw myself on some heap of sails when all is quiet save the measured tread of the watch and the booming sound of the ocean swell as the ship darts onwards and gaze on that glorious canopy till the soul seems to leave this body of clay and the spirit holds real intercourse with those whose faces have been long hid from the bodily eye


one feels when gazing on these heavens as if god were at once nearer and further off


yestropical scenery is not uni formly so glorious as poets who have never looked upon it sing but there are scenes to be witnessed which far surpass anything which the imagination can con ceive and there art nightscenesthis is one of themin which it is impossible to mingle without catching something of the religious feeling


it makes ones blood tingle to the finger ends


i always think of home on these nights


and we paced the poop fore and aft for some time in silence


chapter iii


the sun had just dipt behind the western waters and his departing beams irradiated the bank of clouds that stretched along the horizon


what strange work the lord of day made of those clouds


the imagination ran riot in the scene


there in the foreground of the picture lay a silvery shore just like the one on which in the days of yore we have scores of times gathered shells and pebbles


not a doubt of it


and there is the shingly beach with its covering of long rough grass amid which we have sat with the friend of our heart looking out upon the boundless ocean till night descending a terrible solemnity spread over the scene and you felt as if face to face with eter nity


back from the shore you can trace over many a league park and lawn and terrace stocked with trees of every shade and flowers of every hue


inter spersed are italian villas with gay veran dahs ruined castles and battlemented walls and beyond all these stretch far away wooded heights grey mountain ranges and lines of audacious peaks piercing the very heaven of heavens


three such sunsets i have witnessed but only three


this night i sat till the scene dissolved that i might lose none of the beauty even though i knew that it was all the work of the imagination


by the way captain do you happen to know anything of the antecedents of that strange old fellow the boatswain


he has taken an unaccountable fancy to speak with me and you know that as by your kind permission i am often in the fore part of the ship he finds many op portunities and truth to tell i rather encourage the old garrulous fellow


i dont wonder i like it rather indulge him when circumstances will allow


he is not a firstrate hand but which of us would be if we were similarly placed


if he keeps himself sober it does not matter much the third mate is a choice hand and all goes well


there is always something you knowwell he was for many years in the merchant ser vice for a long lime was master of a large vessel and he knows i believe every inch of these seas from calcutta to the cape from the cape to st roque from st roque to the english channel


he had good luck and prospered but in his prosperity like many others he forgot himself became dissipated and lost his ship


he went from bad to worse and never came to his senses again till he was in means and character an utter wreck


he has had several opportunities of retrieving himself for he does not want for friends but he has apparently lost all power of selfcontrol


you cant keep him sober unless you keep from him all stimulants


yes poor clarkson is a wreck


indulge him he likes to be thought something


you can do it with safetynot ihe would presume too much


hows her head


soueast by south zur


no higher no higher


no higher zur


lynch have me called at four bells


should the breeze stiffen towards morning take in topsails


all right sir


and with a courteous good night sir


i was left alone on the poop with the starry night and my own medita tions


chapter iv


during the voyage to sydney i had many opportunities of indulging the harmless propensity of the old boatswain and many a long and wondrous yarn he poured into my willing ear


doubtless he thought me one of the best of mortals for he always found me a good listener


there are many besides my unfortunate friend who judge others by a standard not one whit more rational


what a propensity to be sure there is in some persons to talk


though communicative in a high de gree i observed that he was most guarded on the subject of his familyrelative and personal


but when i felt urged as was sometimes the case to draw his attention to that which i know had been his ruin and to point out the only safe course that lay before himto abstain in the strength of godhe uniformly listened with the deepest respect and with apparent sin cerity applauded the sentiment


little did i know at that timeit was near the end of our voyage that i had the facts detailed to melittle did i know at that time the terrible experiences he had passed through and how much more accurately he could judge of the evils of intemperance than i could


i had wit nessed much he had experienced more than i had witnessed


pity it is that so many have such large experience in this department of selfinflicted misery


but if men will be fools they must smart for it


that is the law you cant evade it for it is selfacting


we swept along the southern latitudes in fine style and for many days the cap tain was silent on the case of the boat swain although i knew right well from his manner on the occasion above referred to and especially the deep sympathy which he could not altogether hide that he knew more than he had communicated and which i believed he had a desire to communicate


we were off the south coast of tas mania and the wind was blowing keen from the far icefields


rain had fallen plentifully during the day and every thing about looked dreary and sad


the decks were insecure to all but experi enced seamen and every rope and sail was swollen and ding by the soaking rain


wrapt in a warm overcoat with my hands thrust to the bottom of the ca pacious pockets i determined to pace the deck with all the skill and caution of which i was master


vain resolution presumptuous attempt


lurch went the ship and quiet as a flash of lightning i was sent like a bit of straw right to the other side of the poop


what might have befallen me there i know not and it makes me nervous to conjecture had it not been that at that moment the cap tain caught me in his brawny arms and restored my lost equilibrium


lost your sealegs mr why this is a mere millpond there be thank ful that flesh and blood came between you and the bulwarks


hold on by my arm and let us take a turn or two


my seamanship was brought down a peg no matter


the captain began you must have observed by my ab rupt manner when speaking of poor clarkson sometime ago that there was something more than i on that occasion communicatedsomething more painful than anything that statement contained i know not why it should be and yet i feel as if i ought to tell you all


if i mistake not i read in your countenance the traces of severe suffering you too know something of the struggles and miseries of life


this was said half inquisitively


i as sented and he continued


well clarksoni must be brief after making two or three successful voyages thought of changing his condi tion


he resolved to marry and he found one willing to run shares with him in this venture in the shape of a beautiful young creature the only sister of my mother and her junior by just three years


he placed her in a comfortable cottage in one of the richest valleys in devonshire within a mile of the residence of a near relative of his own and after a few weeks he betook himself to sea again


it was of course necessary he should do this but his young wife felt it no easy matter to reconcile herself to the necessity


she did become reconciled though


necessity makes many of us stick to the sea i shall not run many more voyages to australia i can tell you


some day i shall run my last andwhy stay there to be sure


grand country


well voyages were made by clarkson successful voyages and years passed over their heads as they pass over other peo ples headsapparently happy years and now clarkson is blest with a son and daughter


i must shorten my story i shall tell it you in few sentences for i never can think of the matter without growing shakey and wonderfully uncom fortablewell as i was saying clarkson had two childrena son and a daughter


let time pass give her a good swing say that the former is twentytwo and the latter opening into nineteenoh my god what dangerous ages


i seldom pray but when i think of these youths and when caught as we sometimes are you know in a tremendous storm i make out this petitionlord lead us not into temptation


well clarksons son was twoandtwenty anda confirmed game ster and drunkard to boot


i cant tell you now by what processes he had gained so young this unenviable notoriety but this i much fear that the fathers exam ple had not been lost on the son


clarkson to my certain knowledge and in the face of the earnest remonstrances of friends indulged freelyhow freely he often did not knowboth in wine and cards when at home surrounded by his jolly com panions and you know the adagea bad example is easier followed than a good advice


he paused for a few minutes during which i did not interrupt the flow of his troubled thoughts


at last he added in a low sad voice do you remember the day we left the downs


you will recollect that i went on shore in the gig alone


that day i had an interview withno it would be more proper to say i had a sight of frank clarksona sullen idiot in asylum


o my cousin i loved you with the love of a brother


accursed drink


may


god have mercy on his soul


grief and indignation struggled within the manly bosom of the captain of the mary jane with both i am not ashamed to say that i truly sympathised


my thoughts grew painfully anxious regard ing the fate of the mother and daughter and yet i dared not invade the sanctity of his great but manly grief


i still clung to his arm although the sea was not now running so high and as if recollecting himself and coming back from a mental voyage into the days of youth and hope he gently pressed my arm to his side and resumed his sad story louisegentle lovely unsuspecting louisefell a pray to a clever scoundrel a companion of her brothers who under a bland exterior and many solemn pro testations of undying love and eternal devotedness inveigled her into a wedded life which lasted only for a week


the villain had a wife and four children from whom he was periodically absent in dis charge of his duties as commercial tra veller


the villaini involuntarily ex claimed


without taking the slightest notice of my exclamation he pro ceeded


brokenhearted she buried herself in obscurity and nine months later she and her innocent babe which just opened its eyes on this weary world and shut them for ever slept together in the lonely village churchyard where few strangers ever come


but one there is who pays her weekly visit mid rain and snow and frost as well as in summer weather to the grave that has no mark save the low bending yewbranch that shades its west ern end


the rustic villagers have come to know the main facts of her sad story and in many ways which she appreciates show their unaffected sympathy


even the romping children hush their noisy play as she passes by


does the mother livehas clarkson a wifedoes she livein one breath i put these and other questions not well knowing what i said so confounded was i at the captains abrupt but painful narrative


yes he has and she lives and though bowed down both in spirit and in body yet the village pastor says that she is calm and submissive to gods will and waits without a murmur for the day which cannot be far distantwhen her crushed spirit shall find unbroken repose in the bosom of her saviour


i myself on my last visit to the sweet devonshire valley overheard her repeating words with great depth of feeling which i gathered were words of holy scripture but with which seafaring men like me you know are not very familiaro lord how longcome come quickly lord jesus


they say that this and the like of this is all her talk now and yet they saythose who are constantly beside herthat she gives forth such a heavenly influence that her company is sought after as a choice treat


from being gay and thoughtless which she was in her younger years she has become possessed of a subdued thoughtfulness


her inborn pride and hauteur have given place to the meekness and grace of the true christian


the numerous and protracted trials which had she trusted to her own wisdom and strength must have driven her mad or dried up every feeling of human love within her nature have as the pastor says been a schoolmaster to bring her to christ in whose mercy she has found pardon and in whose sym pathy she has found strength and conso lation


she lives a saint on earththat


i know and the pastor saysand he ought to knowthat she will shine as a star in heaven for ever and ever


i had followed the captain with intense interest and my thoughts were now so busily engaged on the painful scenes through which he had hurried me that silence was a relief and enabled me to in dulge in that luxury of grief which the heart will claim as its due when brought face to face with the sorrows of humanity


i was roused to consciousness by the following sentences pronounced very slowly and apparently under search ing thoughts and as if spoken to himself how differently have these things in fluenced clarksonhe is blind to the fact patent to every eye but his own that this series of evils had its commence ment in his own free and easy habits


the idiotcy of the one child and the death of the other has not moved him to the slightest reflection


at least to the slightest reformation


but what fills me with the greatest amazement is that he is not sensibly impressed by the angel character of his wife


will it ever be i wonderwho knowsonly god does knowpoor clarkson


poor clarkson i repeated mechani cally for my mind was still busy with the past


how it was i did not then take time to consider yet certain it was that though neither on the captains part nor mine was there the least tendency to palliate his crimes and his cruelties yet our profoundest sympathies were drawn forth towards the old boatswain


chapter


v


a few weeks after our arrival in syd ney as i was one day walking by the circular quay i met my old friend the captain of the mary jane


our conver sation naturally turned on nautical mat ters and the reader will not be surprised when i say that special inquiry was made after the boatswain


i shall give the sequel in the captains own words


clarksonthe fool i i am provoked and grieved


i knew it would be so


what said i has he fallen again after all that has been said to him and the solemn promises he made that day we sighted the shores of australia


fallenhe is twice fallen this time lower he cant get now


he cant got further down than a prison and hard la bor im thinking


clarkson in prison


i exclaimed whenhowwhy i shall tell you in a sentence my time just at this moment is pressing


well the first time he went on shore he got dead drunk and for days he continued in the same state


i kept him as long as i could about the ship but he became so offensive that i was compelled to give him his choicesobriety or discharge


he chose the latter


how it fared with him for the weeks immediately follow ing i know not but last week he engaged with an american ship bound for new york


on the morning of the day she was to sail the crew mutinied and the punishraent awarded them this morning is six months imprisonment and hard labour


i was present when the sentence was passed


as the rough and desperate men most of them quite unabashed left the dock clarksons eye caught mine for the first and only time and i never saw a look so expressive at once of contrition and resolution


clarkson sober would have stood by the ships officers clarkson drunk was forward in the mutiny and ere this hour he has entered on his six months punishment


captain said i the way of the transgressor is hardand all that day my thoughts travelled between cocka too island and the feverhaunted coasts of pernambuco


windmill tower brisbane


chapter xxxiif


roifrnnn irocekdikos in edrn and a lltocehdinq out of it


mamin makes a discovers op some impoiitance


fhom m r moddle to eden is an easy and natural transition


mr moddle living in tbe atmosphere of miss pecksniffs love dwelt if he had but known it in a terrestrial paradise


the thriving city of eden wos also a terrestrial paradise upon tbe showing of its proprietors


the beautiful miss pecksniff might hare been poetically described as a something too good for man in his fallen and degraded state


that was exactly tbe character of the thriving city of eden as poetically heightened by zepha niah scadder general choke and other wor thies part and parcel of the talons of thut great american eagle which is always airing itself skyhigh iu purest tether and never no never tumbles dowu with draggled wings into the mud


when mark taploy leaving martin in the architectural and surveying offices had effec tually strengthened and encouraged his own spirits by the contemplation of tlieir joint mis fortunes be proceeded with new cheerfulness in searcn


oi iieip congratulating lilwsell as he wentalougon the enviable position to which he had at last attaiued


i used to think sometimes snid mr tap ley as a desolate island would suit me but i should only have had myself tu provide for there and being naterally a easy man to manage there would nt have been much credit in tlmt


now here i ve got my partner to take care on hes something like the sort of man for the purpose


i want u man as is always a sliding off his legs when he ought to the school of life that he s always a making figures of one in his copybook and cant get no further


i want a man as is his uwu great coat and cloak and is always a wrapping him self up in himself


and i have got him too said mr tapley after a moments silence


what a happiness i he paused to look round uncertain to which of the loghouses he should repair


i dont know which to take he observed thats the truth


theyre equally prepos sessing outside and equally commodious no duubt within being fitted up with every con venience that a alligator iu a state of uatur could possibly require


let me sec


i the citizen as lurned out last night lives under water in the right band dogkennel at the curner


dont want to trouble him if i can help it poor man for he is a melancholy object a reglar settler iu every respect


theres a uuuss with a winder but i in afraid of their being proud


i dont know whether a door aint too aristocratic but here goes for tbe first one i


he went up to the nearest cabin and knocked with his hauil


being desired to cuter he compueu


neighbour said mark for i am n neighbour though you dont know me i ve come a begging


hollo hal lo


am i abed and dreaming


he made this exclamation on hearing his own name pronounced and finding himself clasped about the skirls by two little boys whose faces he had often washed and whose suppers he had often cooked on board of that noble and fustsailing line of packet ship the screw


my eyes is wrong


said mark


i dont believe em


that aint my fellowpassenger yonder a nursing her little girl who i am sorry to see is so delicate and that aint her husband as come to new york to fetch her


nor these he added looking down upon the hoys aint them two youug shavers as was so familiar to me though they are uncommon like em


that must confess


the woman shed tears in very joy to see him the man shook both his hands and would not jet them go the hoys hugged his legs ihe sick child in the mothers arms stretched out her burning little fingers and muttered in her hoarse dry throat bis wellremembered name


it was the some family sure enough


al tered by the salubrious air of eden


but the this is a new sort of a morning call said mark drawing a long breath


it strikes one all of aheap


wait a little bit


i ma coming round last


thatll do i these gentlemen aint my friends


are they on the wishing list of the house


the inquiry referred to certain gaunt pigs who bad walked in after him and were much interested in the heels of the family


as they did not belong to tbe mansion they were ex pelled by tbe two little boys


i aint superstitious about toads said mark looking round the room but if you could prevail upon the two or three i see in company to step out at the same time my young friends i think they d find the open air refreshing


not that i at ull object to em


a very handsome animal is a toad said mr tapley silting down upon a stool very spotted very like a particklcr style of old gentleman about tbe throat very brighteyed very cool and very slippy


but one sees em to tbe best advantage out of dcors perhaps


while pretending with such talk as this to be perfectly at his ease and to be the most in different and careless of men mark tapley had an eye on oil around him


the wan and meagre aspect of the family the changed looks of the poor mother the fevered child she held in her lap tbe air of great despondency and little hope on everything were plain to him and uiade a deep impression on his mind


he saw it all as clearly and as quickly as with his bodily eyes he saw the rough shelves sup ported by pegs driven between the logs of which the house was made the flourcask in the corner serving also for a table the blankets spades and other articles against the walls the damp that blotched the ground or the crop of vegetable rottenness in every cre vice of the hut


how is it that you have come here t asked the man when their first expressions of sur prise were over


why we come by ihfc steamer last night replied mark


our intention is to make our fortuns with punctuality and dispatch and to retire upon our property as soon as ever its realised


but how are you all f


youre look ing noble t


we are but sickly now said the poor woman bending over her child


but we shall do better when we are seasoned to tbe place


there are some here thought mark whose seasoning will last for ever


but he said cheerfully do better


to be sure you will


we shall all do better


what weve got to do is to keep up our spirits and be neighbourly


we shall come all right in the end never fear


that reminds mo by the bye that my partners all wrong just at pre sent and that i looked in to beg for him


i wish youd come and give us your opinion of him master


that must have been a very unreasonable request on the part of mark tapley with which in their gratitude for his kind offices on board the ship they would not have complied instantly


the man rose to accompany him without a moments delay


before ley went


mark took the sick child in his arms and tried to comfort the mother but the hand of death was on it then he saw


they found martin in the house lying wrapped up in his blanket on the ground


he was to all appearance very ill indeed and shook ami shivered horribly pot as people do from cold but iu a frightful kind of spasm


or convulsion that racked his whole body


marks friend pronounced his disease an aggravated kind of fever accompanied with ague which was very common in those partb and which he predicted would be worse tomorrow end for many more tomorrows


he had had it himself off and on lie suid for a couple of years or bo but he was thankful that while so many he had known had died about him he had escaped with life


and with not too much of that thought mark surveying his emaciated form


eden for ever i they had some medicine in heir chest and this man of sad experience showed mark how and when to administer it and how he could best alleviate tbe sufferings of martin


his attentions did not stop there for he was back wards and forwards constantly and rendered mark good service in all his brisk attempts to make their situation more endurable


hope or comfort for the future he could not bestow


the season was a sickly one the settlement a grave


his child died that night and mark keeping the secret from mattin helped to bury it beneath a tree next joy


with all his various duties of attendance upon martin who became the more exacting in his claims the worse he grew


mark worked out of doors early and late and with the as sistance of his friend and others laboured to do something with their land


not that lie had the least strength of heart gr hope or steady purpose iu so doing beyond the habitual cheerfulness of his disposition and his amazing power of selfsustaiument for within himself le looked on their condition as beyond all hope and in his own words came out strong iu consequence


as to coming out as strong as i could wish sir he confided to martin iu a leisure moment that is to say one evening while he was washing the linen of the establishment after a hunt days work that i give up


its a piece of good fortune as never is to happen iu uic i sec would you wish forcircumstanees stronger than these


martin retorted with a groan from underneath his blanket


why only spc how easy they might have been stronger sir said mark if it wasnt for the envy of that uncommon fortun of mine which is always after me and tripping me up


tlie night we landed here i thought things did look pretty jolly


i wont deny it


i thought they did louic pretty jolly


how do they luok now groaned martin


ah said mark ah to be sure


thats the question


how do they look now


on the very first morning of my going out what do i do f stumble on a family i know who are constantly assisting of us in all sorts of ways frum that time to this that wont do you know that aint what id a right to ex pect


if i had stumbled on a serpent and got jit or stumbled on n firmnte natrinl nna gothowieknifed or stumbled on a lot of sympathizers with inverted shirtcollars and got made a lion of i might have distinguished mysell and earned some credit


as it is tbe great object of my voyage is knocked on the head


so it would be wherever i went


how do you feel toiight sir


worse than ever said poor martin


thats something returned mark hut not enough


nothing hut being very bad myself mid jolly to the last will ever do me justice


in heavens name dont talk of that said martin with a thrill of terror


what should i do mark if you were taken ill


mr tapleys spirits appeared to be stimu lated by this remark although it was not a very flattering one


he proceeded wilh his washing in a brighter mood and observed that his glass was arising


to be continued


chapter xxvi


as unexpected meeting and a promising pllosreot


the inws of sympathy between beards and birds and the secret source of that attraction which frequently impels a shaver of the oue to be a dealer in the other are questions for the subtle reasoning of scientific bodies not the less so because their investigation would seem calculated to lead to no particular result


it is enough to know that the artist who had the honour of entertaining mrs gamp as his first floor lodger united the two pursuits of barbering and birdfancying and that it was not an original idea of his but one in which he had dispersed about the byestreets and suburbs of the town a host uf rivals


the name of this householder was paul sueedlcpipe


but he was commonly called poll swecdlepipe and was not uncommonly believed to have been so christened among his friends and neighbours


with the exception of the staircase aid his lodgers private apartment poll sneedlepipes house was one great birds nest


gamecocke resided in the kitchen pheasants wasted the brightness of their golden plumage on the garret bantams roosted in the cellar owls had possession of the bedroom and specimens of all tbe smaller fry of birds cbirrupped and twittered in the shop


the staircase wss sacred to rabbits


there in hutches of all shapes and kinds made from old packing cases boxes drawers and teacbests they in creased in a prodigious degree and contributed ibeir share towards that complicated whiff which quite impartially and without dis tinction of persons saluted every nose that was put into swccdlepipes easy shavingshop


many noses found their tray there for all that especially on a sunday morning before churchtime


even archbishops shave or must be shaved on a sundayand beards mill grow after twelve oclock on saturday night though it be upon the chins of base mechanics who not being able to engage their valet by the quarter hire them by tbe job and pay them


oh the wickedness of capper coin t in dirty pence


poll sweedlepipe


the sinner shaved all comers at a penny each and cut the hair of any customer for twopence and being alone unmarried man and laving some con nection in the bird line polltrot on tolerably well


hewas ajittle elderly man with a clammy cold right band from which even rabbitb and birds could not remove tlie smell of sbaving soap


pijlhad something f the bird in his nature not of tie hafttor wgk but of the spnrrpw that builds inobimueystacks and inclines to human company


he was not quarrelsome tbiugb like the sparrow but peaceful jike the dove


in his walk lie strutted and in this respect be bore a faint resem blance to the pigeon es well aa in a certain prosinesb of speech which might in its mono tony be likened to the cooing of that bird


he was very inquisitive and when he stood at bis suopdour iii the eveningtide watching the neighbours with his bead on one side and his eye cocked knowingly there was a daah of the raven in him


yet there was no more wickedness in poll than in a robin


happily too when any of bis ornithological properties were on the verge of going too far they were quenched dissolved melted down and neu tralised in die barber just as bib bald head otherwise as the bead of a sbaved magpie lobt itself in a wig of curly black ringlets garted on one side and cut away almost to the crown to indicate immense capacity of intellect


poll had a very small shrill treble voice which might have led the wags of kingsgnte street to insist the more upon his femenine designation


he had a tender heart too for when lie had a good commission to provide three or four score sparrows for a shooting matcli he would observe in a compassionate tone how singular it was that sparrows should have been mode expressly for such purposes


tbe question whether men were made to shoot them never entered into polls philosophy


poll wore in bis sporting character a vel veteen coat a great deal of blue stocking ankle boots a neckerchief of some bright colour and a very tall hat


pursuing his more quiet occupation of barber be generally subsided into an apron not overclean a flannel jacket and corduroy kneeshorts


it was in this latter costume but with bis apron ginled round bis waist as a token of his having shut up shop for tlie night that be closed the door one eveniug some weeks after the occurrences detailed in the lost chapter and stood upon tbe steps in kingsgatestreet listening until the little cracked hell within should leave off ringing


for until it did this was mr sweedlepipes reflection the place never seemed nuiet enough to be left to itself


its the greediest little bell to ring said poll that ever was


but its quiet at last


he rolled his apron up a little tighter as he said these words and hastened down the street


just as he was turning into holboru he ran against a young gentleman in a livery


this youth was bold though small and ivilli several lively expressions of displeasure turned upon him instantly


now stoopid cried the young gentle man


cant you look where youre a going to eh


cant you mind where you re a comine to eh


f


what do you think your eyes was made for eh


ah


yes


oh


now then i what i polly why it ant you sure cried poll


it cant be you i


no


it ant me returned tbe youth


its my son tny oldest one


hes a credit to his father aint he polly


with this delicate little piece of banter he halted on the pavement and went round and round in circles for the better exhibition of his figure rather to the inconvenience of the passengers generally who were not in an equal state of spirits with himself


i wouldoc have believed it stid poll


what i youve left your old place then


have you


have iv returned his young friend who had by tins time stuck his bands into the pockets of his white cord breeches and was swaggering along at tlie barbers side dye know a pair of topboots when you see em polly


lonk here


beautiful i cried mr swecdlepipe


dye know a slapup sort of button when you see it


said the youth


dont look at mine if you aint a judge because these lions heads wab made for men of taste not snobs


beautiful cried tbe barber again


a grassgreen frockcoat too bound with gold and a cockade in your hat


i should hope so replied the youth


blow tbe cockade though fur except that it dont turn round its like ttie wenlilator that used to be in tlie kitchen winder at todgeres


you aint seen the old ladys name in the gazette have you f


no returned the barber


is she a bankrupt


if she aint she will be retorted bailey


that bisness never can be carried on without me


well


how are you


oh im pretty well said poll


are you living at this end of the town or were you coming to sec me


was that the bisness that brought you to holhorn


i havent got no bisness io holborn re turned bailey with some displeasure


all my bisness lays at the west end


ive got tbe right sort of governor now


you cant see bis fuce for his whiskers and you cant see his whiskers for the dye upon em


thais a pen tlemnn oiit it


you wouldnt like a ride in a cab would you


why it wouldnt he safe to offer it


youd faint away only to see me a comiu at a mild trot round tbe corner


to convev a slisht idea of the effect of this approach mr bailey counterfeited in his own person the action of a hightrotting horse and threw up his head so fcgu in backing against a pump that be shookis bat off why hes own uncle to capricorn said bailey and brother to cauliflower


hes been tlirnugh the winders of two chaney shops since weve had him and was sold for killin his missis


thais a horse i hope


ah i youll never want to buy any more red


polls now observed poll looking on bis young friend with an air of melancholy


youll never want to buy any more redpoll now to hang up over the sink will you should think not replied bailey


rectlicr so


i wouldnt have nolhirg to say to any bird below a peacock and hed be wulgar


well bow are you oh


im pretty well said poll


he answered the question again because mr bailey asked it again mr bailey asked it again because accompanied with a straddling action of the white cords and a striking forth of the topboots it was an easy horsefleshy turfy son of thing to do


wot are you up to old feller


asked mr bailey wiih the same graceful rakishuess


he was quite the manabouttown of tbe con versation while the easyshaver was the child


why im going to letch my lodger home said paul


a woman i cried mr bailey for a twentypun note i the little barber hastened to explain that she was neither a young woman nor a hand some woman bat a nurse who had been acting as a kind of housekeeper to a gentleman for some weeks past and left her place that night in consequence of being superseded by another and a more legitimae housekeeper to wit tbe gentlemans bride


hes newlymarried and he brings bis young wife home tonight said the barber


so im going to fetch my lodger away mr chuzzlewits close behind the postoffice and carry iir box for her


jonas chuzzlcwits v said bailey


ah returned paul thats the name sure enough


do you know him f ob no cried mr bailey not at all


and dont know herf not neither


wiy they first kept company through me amost


ah said paul


ah said mr bailey with a wink and she aint badlooking mind you


bat her sibler was the best


she was the merry one


i often used to have a bit of fun with tier iu the hold timesl


mr bailey spoke ob if be already bad a leg and threequarters in the grave and this bat happened twenty or thirty years ago


paul swcedlepine the meek was so perfectly con founded by bis precocious selfpossession and his patronising manner as well as by his boots cockade and livery that a mist swam before his eyes and be saw not tbe bailey of ac knowledged juvenility from todgera com mercial boarding house who bad made bis acquaintance within a twelvemonth by pur chasing at sundry times small birds at two pence each but a highlycondensed embodi ment of ull the sporting grooms in london an abstract of all tlie stableknowledge of tbe time a something at s highpressure that must have bud existence many years and was fraught with terrible experiences


and truly though in the cloudy atmosphere of todgerbs mr baileys genius had ever shown out brightly in this particular respect it now eclipsed both time and space cliealei beholders of their senses and worked on their belief in defiance of all natural laws


he walked along tbe tangible and real stones of holhornhill an undersized boy and yet be winked the winks and thought tbe thoughts and did the deeds and said the sayings of an ancient man


there was an old principle within him and a young surface without


he became an inexplicable creature a breeched and booted sphinx


there wab no course open to the barber but to go distracted himself or to take builey for granted and he wisely ctiobe the latter


mr bailey was good enough to continue to bear him company and to entertain him as they went with easy conversation on various sporting topics especially on the comparative merits as a general principle of horses with white stockings and horses without


iu regard to the style of tail to be preferred mr bailey had opinions of his own which he explained but begged they might by no meanb influence his friends as here he knew he bad the mis fortune to differ from some excellent authorities


he treated mr swecdlepipe ti a dram com pounded agreeably to his own directions which le informed him had been invented by a member of the jockey club and as they were by this tune near the barbers destination be observed that as he bad au hour to spare and knew the parties be woulj if quite agree able he introduced to mis gamp


paul knocked at jonas cliuzzlewila and on the door being opened by that lady made the two distinguished persons known to one another


it was a happy feature in mrs gamps twofold profession that it gave her an interest in everything that was young as well as in everything that was old


she received mr bailey with much kindness


its very good im sure of you to come she saij to her landlord as well as bring so nice a fliend


but im nlraid that i uiubt trouble you so far as to step in lor me young couple has not yet made appearance


theyre late aint they


inquired her landlord when she bad conducted them dowu stairs into the kitchen


well sir considerin the wings of love they are said mrs gamp


mr bailey inquired whether the wings or love had ever won a plate or could be backed to do anything remarkable and being informed that it was not a horse but merely a poetical or figurative expression evinced considerable disgust


mrs gamp was so very much aston ished by bis affable manners and great ease that she was about to propound to her landlord in a whisper the staggering enquiry whether he was a man or a boy when mr sweeilleuipe anticipating her design made a timely diver he knows mrs chuzzlewit said paul aloud


theres nolbin he dont know thats my opinion observed mrs gamp


all the wickedness of the world is print to him


mr bailey received this as a compliment and said adjusting bis cravat reether so


as you knows mrs chuzzlewit you knows praps what her chrisen name is


mrsgamp observed charity said bailey


that it aint cried mrs gamp


cherry tlien said bailey


cherrys short for it


its all the same


it dont begin with a c at all retorted mrs gamp shaking her head


it begins with a m


whew i cried mr bailey slapping a littl cloud of pipeclay out of his left leg then hes been and married the merry one


i as these words were mysterious mrsgamp called upon hin to explain which mr bailey proceeded to do that lady listening greedily to everything he said


he was yet in the fulness of his narrative when tbe sound of wheels and a double knock at the street door announced the arrival of the newlymarried couple


begging him to reserve what more be bad to say for her bearing on tbc way borne mrs gamp took up tbe candle and hurried away to receive and welcome tbe young mistress of tbe house


jgraskt iitstitpbrris elloftt


personal adventures of master humphrey


tiib old curiosity pciiapttr xlvi


they arranged to proceed upon their journey next evening as a stage waggon which travelled for some distance on the same road as they must take would stop at the inn to change horses and the driver for a small gratuity would give nell a place inside


a bargain was soon struck when the waggon came and in due time it rolled away with the child com fortably bestowed among the softer packages her grandfather and the schoolmaster walking on beside the driver and the landlady and all the good folks of the inn screaming out their good wishes and fare


wells


what a soothing luxurious drowsy way of tra


veiling to lie inside that slowlymoving mountain listening to the tinkling of the horses bells the occasional smacking of the carters whip the smooth rolling of the great broad wheels the rattle of site harness the cheery good nights of passing travellers jogging past on little shortstepped iorsesall made pleasantly indistinct by the thick awning which seemed made for lazy listening under till one fell asleepi


the very going to sleep still with an in distinct idea as the tead jogged to and fro upon the pillow of moving onward with no trouble or fatigue and hearing all these sounds like dreamy music lulling to the senseaand the slow waking up and finding ones self staring out through the breezy curtain half op ned in the front far up into the cold bright sky with its countless stars and downward at the drivers lantern dancing on like its namesake jack of the swamps and marshes and sideways at the dark grim trees and forward at the long bare road rising up up trp until it stopped abruptly at a sharp high ridge as if there were no more road and all beyond was skyand the stop


ping at the inn to bait and being helped out and going into a room with fire and candles and winking very much and being agreeably reminded that the night was cold and anxious for very comforts sake to think it colder than it was t what a delicious journey was that journey in the waggon


then the going on againso fresh at first and shortly afterwards so sleepy