cuirasrde rs obrien captain th hussars ofu n ell general of brigade ofarrell captain direc tion de lyon ogorman bublieutenant srd regiment line oheron chef de bataillon citadale de lille okelly lieutenant rd regiment line oaialley colonel rd iregi raent line dillon chef de bataillon th regiment line dillon captain st legi ment line dillon arthur captaul th regiment cuirassiers dillon colonel th cuirassiers power charles st repiaent line power c a sub lieu tenant tlz regi ment


line swinev


lieutenant


th rein ment kennedy lioutenantcolonel shee i captain brady


officer dordnance c f


the emperor wounded at solferino


tha fieauh aeademie dei inscriptions


e f


ileles ltltrcs some time ago offered a priza for tjae beat


critical and historical ksaay on the tes i of ta koran


a considerable number of writings


e re acnt ia several of them bo good that it waa four id neces sary to give


three prizes instead of one


in


she tti tidg which tho aoaderny held on monday tl a week these prizes wsre publicly announced


tha jiirst was given to herr theodore nuldeclie assistant at the royal library of berlin ihebecond to sinor trlicbatl


amari of palermo lately appointed prof ei sor of arabic at the universiiy of piaa and tho tf liird to m aloys sprengar in the civil aervioe of i he jeaet india company


marie antoinette of the chevalier of the red house


chapter xi


continued from our last without taking into consideration the intoxica tion of the first interview maurice found his reception to be beneath his expectation and he calculated on solitary intercourse to regain the ground he hadlrt or which he had apparently lost in the course of his affection


but genevieve had her plan arranged she determined in not permitting a private teteatete knowing how far their sweet attractions were dangerous


maurice calculated on the following day but a friend no doubt previously invited had come to pay genevieve a visit and she had retained her


this time he could say nothing because he had no fault to find with genevieve


on leaving maurice was requested to accompany her relative home to the street des fosses st victor


maurice went away in a pet but genevieve smiled and maurice took it as a promise on her part


alas


maurice was deceived


the next day the nd of june that terrible day which saw the fall of the girondins maurice bowed out his friend lorna who wished to take him to the convention and lay aside every other business to visit his idol


the goddess of liberty had a terrible rival in genevive


maurice found her in the little saloon full of grace and attract tions but in her company he found a young woman marking handkerchiefs in the window corner and who never left them


maurice frowned genevieve saw the olympian was in a bad humour and redoubled ker atten tions but as she was not so amiable as to dismiss the young attendant maurice became a patient


and left an hour earlier than usual


all this might have been accidental so maurice re i served his patience


that very night affairs became so terrible that although maurice had lived for some time out of the turmoil of politics the rumours reached even to him


it required nothing less than the fall of a party who had reigned ten months in france to attract him from his love cares


the next day there was the same management visible on the part of genevieve


maurice perceiving this system had arranged his measures ten minutes after his ear rival maurice seeing that the young woman after having marked ten handkerchiefs took up six dozen napkins pulled out his watch arose bowed to genevieve and departed without saying one word


what was worse when going away he never once looked back


genevieve who arose to watch him across the garden remained for a moment pole nervous and confused then sank into a chair filled with con sternation at the result of her diplomacy


duiner entered at that very moment


is maurice gone asked be with astonish ment


yes stammered genevieve


but he had only this minute arrived


he had been here perhaps about a quarter of an hour


in that case he may return


i doubt it much


you may leave us magnet said dixmer


the waiting woman had taken this name through hatred of that of marie which she had had the misfortune to bear as well as the austrian


at the request of her master she arose and retired


well my dear genevieve are you at peace with maurice


quite the contrary my dear friend i believe we are at this moment on colder terms than ever


who then is to blame this time asked dixmer


undoubtedly maurice


let us see make me the judge


what said genevieve blushing cannot you guess as perhaps he is vexed


eh


it seems he entertains some whim concerning muguet


bah i truly


in that case you must send her away


i shall not deprive myself of such a friend as maurice for the sake of a chambermaid


i of said genevieve i do not believe he will go so far as to exact her discharge he will allow her what to be exiled from my apartment


and maurice is right said dixmer


he came to see you and not muguet


she need not therefore be here when he pays you a visit genevieve looked at her husband with astonish ment


my dear friend said she


genevieve interrupted dixmer believe that i had in you an ally who would perform the duty imposed upon you with greater facility and now on the contrary your fears redouble our difficulties


four days ago i considered all was arranged between us and now all has to he done over again


genevieve have i not told you that i relied on you and in your honour have i not said that it was necessary that maurice should become our friend more intimate and less distrustful than ever


oh i my god these women are an eternal obstacle to our projects good god


i have you no other method to grow a pose


i have already said that it would be better for all of us that maurice was kept away


yes for us perhaps but for her who is above all of us for her in whose behalf we have sworn to sacrifice fortune life and happiness it is necessary that the young man returns


do you know that turgy is suspected and that they speak of giving another servant to the princesses


tis welli shall remove margaret


oh i my god said dixmer in one of those fits of impatience so uncommon to him why speak of that why inflame my thoughts with yours


why create difficulties in the very heart of difficulty


genevieve act as an honest woman devoted to the duty you ought to perform that is all i have to say


tomorrow i take morands place in the engineering department


i shall not dine with you but he will there is something to be asked from maurice moran will explain it


think well genevieve on the subject for it is most important


it is not the end but the means by which to effect the last hope of this excellent noble and devoted manof this protector of you and me for whom we ought to sacrifice life itself


and for whom i would give mine exclaimed genevieve with enthusiasm


well this man genevieve i do not know how it is but you have not made maurice love him which is all important


after the bad humour in which you have put maurice he may refuse perhaps that which morand requires and it is necessary to obtain it at any price


do you wish genevieve to be informed as to where morand would guide your delicate feelings and sentimental disposition


oh sir exclaimed she


joining her hands and turning pale speak no more of that


well then resumed dinner kissing her brow be strong and reflective


so saying he departed


oh i roy god my god i murmured genevieve in agony what pain they inflict in forcing me to accept of this love to which my whole soul inclines i the next day happened to be a decade viz the th day each month being divided during the revolution into three equal parts and each decade answering for sunday


it was customary in dix


toers family as well as in the families of all the bourgeoise citizen shopkeepers of the period to have a larger and more ceremonious dinner on the decade revolutionarysunday thanonanyotherday


since maurices intimacy when once invited to this dinner he was never absent on that day although they only sat down to dinner usually at two oclock maurice generally arrived at noon


from the manner in which he had set out genevieve almost despaired of seeing him


in fact twelve oclock struck without maurice appearing then the halfhour then one


it would be impossible to describe what passed during this trial in genevieve heart she was at first dressed in the simplest manner possible then seeing he was late in coming she with coquetry the most natural form womans heart had put a flower in her breast another in her hair and waited still her heart every moment becoming more and more oppressed


in this way things passed on until the moment approached that they should sit down to table yet maurice did not ap


i pear


about ten minutes before two genevieve i heard a horses steps she recognised it as maurices


hereheisl she exclaimed


his pride could not contend against his love


he loves me i he j loves me i maurice leaped on the ground gave his horse to the garden boy and ordered him to wait for him where he was


geneveive saw him dismount and i observed with uneasiness that the lad did not lead the horse to the stable


maurice now entered


that day his beauty was resplendent his black coat waistcoat and chamois leather breeches showed off j his fine figure and limbs which might have been said to be designed after those of apollo


his fine hair thrown back discovered a broad forehead the type of a vigorous and powerful nature on entering his presence expanded genevicves heart and she received him radiant with joy


ah i you are here said she holding out her hand


j you dine with us dont you


on the contrary citizen said maurice in a distant manner i came to ask permission to as i sent myself


you absent yourself


yes the business of the section requires my attention


i was afraid you would wait for me and might accuse me of a want of politeness that is the reason why i came


genevieve again felt her heart compressed


good god i said she anddixmer who does not dine here diner who calculated on your return and who requested me to detain you here ah i theni comprehend your pressing invita tion madam it was your husbands command i do not understand that


in fact i shall never be arrested in my family


maurice but madam i must pause toonsideryour actions rather than your words


i understand well that if dixmer is not here i ought not to remain here his absence would be an overburden of uneasiness to you


why so asked genevieve timidly


because since my return you seem to make it your business to avoid me


i returned on your account and for you alone as you well know and ever since i have incessantly


encountered others beside you


come come said genevieve you are again vexed notwithstanding i do my best


no no genevieve you might do better still it is either to receive me as formerly or dismiss me altogether


come maurice said genevieve tenderly comprehend my situation divine my agony and do not act the tyrant with me


the young woman drew near and looked upon him sadly


maurice remained silent


what do you wish from me continued she


i wish to love you genevieve since i feel that i cannot now exist without it


maurice have pity


then madam exclaimed maurice jean only seek death


death yes death or forget you


you could forget me i exclaimed genevieve whose tears sprung from heart to eyes


oh i no no no i murmured maurice falling on his knees no genevieve


i may perhaps die but never cant forget


never i however resumed genevieve firmly it would be best maurice this love is criminal


have you said so to morand asked maurice restored to himself by this coldness


morand is not such a fool as you maurice and i never had occasion to indicate to him how he should conduct himself in a friends house


j i could wager answered maurice smiling with irony i could wager that if dixmer dines out morand will not be absent


ah i genevieve


that is what will prevent me from loving you for moran will be here never quitting your side for a single moment


oh i no no continued beneath contempt i shall not love you or at least i shall not avow that i do love you


and i exclaimed genevieve driving to an extremity by this eternal suspicion and grasping the young mans arm in a sort of frenzy i swear do you bear me maurice and let it satisfy you for once and for ever i swear that morand never addressed to me a single word of love


morand never loved and morand never can love i swear this on my honour and on my mothers soul


alas alas


exclaimed maurice i wish i could believe you


i believe me poor fellow said she with a smile which for another who was not jealous would have appeared a charming avowal


believe me i besides do you wish to know more


well morandloved a woman before whom all other women are thrown in the shade like flowers eclipsed by the stars of heaven


and what woman asked maurice can thus surpass other women when amongst them genevieve is to be found


she whom one loves replied genevieve smiling is she not tell me the masterpiece of the creation


then said maurice if you do not love me i genevieve the you g woman awaited with anxiety the termination of the sentence


if you do not love me continued maurice will you swear at least not to love another


as for that maurice i swear most willingly exclaimed genevieve enchanted thatmaurice of his own accord afforded her an alternative in accordance with her conscience


maurice sensed genevieves two


hands which she had raised to heaven and kissed them ardently


well said he now i shall be good free confident and generous i shall smile and be happy


and you will demand no more said gene vicve


i will endeavour not to do so


now and genevieve i think it is mined cessary to detain your horse any longer


the section expects you


oh


genevieve i wish the whole world was waiting and that i could make them wait on you


footsteps were heard in the court


they confe to announce dinner said gene wave and they secretly pressed each others hand


it was morand who came to announce that they only waited for genevieve and maurice to be seated at the table


he also was dressed up for the occasion


j


to be continued


the fiction fields of australia


the gold finders


chapter


the third and last


he discovery of a manglefull of diamonds was not a circumstance that often occurred even in a land fall of wonders as victoria


nor did the discoverers fruitlessly waste their time in speculating upon the train of events which had led to the deposition of such stupendous brilliants in so mean a caslcet


there can be no doubt however that they were the family jewels of the russian prince who had entirely forgotten the fact of the deposit


trifling improbabilities of this kind occur in every work of fiction and still move frequently iii the every day experience of real life


the discovery had the effect of restoring the mental equipoise of the hitherto delirious jerome de st jones and ecstatic rapture radiated from the countenance of the lovely violet as she wit nessed the return of reason to the regal brain of her venerate lord


to her impassioned gaze his very hump seemed beautiful and his limp was instinct with grace


his wrath against the vintner vanished from his mind and he concentrated all his mental faculties upon the task of disposing of the diamonds


this he accomplished bv degrees carefully refraining from glutting the market and consigning some of the weightiest of the brilliants to trusty correspondents upon the various goldfields


a wealthy speculator in flour gave him a million and a half for one of the jewels and its fellow was disposed of for a similar amount to a retired slygrog seller


jerome found purchasers for forty or fifty but these were mere brilliants among the laundresses in canvas town and at the expiration of tliree weeks from the event narrated in the last chapter his passbook at the union bank exhibited the sum of is d


standing to his credit the proceeds of the first turn which he took at the two hundred guinea nevertheless violet was pained to observe a feeling of sadness gradually stealing over the mind of her master


he would sit lazing at his beautiful domestic for hours and days and weeks abstaining from sustenance and sleep drawing deep sighs and apparently incapable of summoning to his aid sufficient courage to enable him to shape his thoughts in speech


in vain did the graceful violet exert her unerring blandishments upon him


li vain did she wind her white arms around his neck and rain down tears of compassionpure and priceless pearls of pious pity upon his seamed and rugged forehead


in vain did she woo sweet music from her harp and lute and carol such strains as even alboni could not parallel


the corroding tooth of a silent sorrow was catmg into the heart of jerome de st jones and as the poet roger bacon finely observes in his new organ he iras like to die of a voiceless thought sheathing it when he should have sworn


at length he broke the speu which diffidence had imposed upon him and opened up the floodgates of his mind


he loved the gentle desdemonaviolet that is to say and could she accept his heart and hand with sterling in the latter


yes


with or without the dirty money


o rapture


or ats ovid sings verliuin persouale liigrata pntna fortunate puer orane quod exit in aiu


then from the lips of the accepted lover broke forth an avowal which might well plunge the beauteous violet in a stupor of amazement


he was a mussulman


could she and would she love him now


ay dearer than before


he wascould she bear to hear the whde truth


yes if it struck her speechless


he sultan of turkey


he had thrown aside the cares of state relinquished for a time his throne and prevailed upon ms twin bro her to occupy his seat


as jerome de st jones the ottoman lu er


in d resolved to taste the sweets of honest industry to adventiue n c fields of commercial enterprise and to lay the foundations of a fortune upon the basis of baked potatoes


but love and the mangle crossed his path and with the violet and the proceeds of the diamonds he would return to the sweet waters of the bosphorus


yet another revelation


violet the accomplished had her tender secret to disclose


impatient of the fr i n vention and the follies of civilisation weary of the gauds o f loathing the flatteries of royal and noble lovers she the sole daughter and heiress of the duke of westmoreland had emigrated as a s torage passenger to australia and bad taken service m the humble household whyslfsrproloiig a story which has already reached the climax at which all novelists determine their narratives iuu particulars of the marriage of the sultan and the lovely violet j u be found in every newspaper of the period and the tarnr despatchedl a special correspondent to describe their public entry into constantinople


and the rejoicings which ensued


when last heard of the imperial couple weie meditating a visit to england for the lrp of inspecting the sultanas family estates in westmoreland and further intelligence thereanent may be expected to arrive by the mail now due


s


it bfscted that there is no sort of connection between our story and its title punch can only say that the same objection would apply to a hundred other novels far inferior to his own


british extracts sporting recollections in vari ous countries


by m louis viardot


from the sunday times chapter viiirussia


arriving at st petersburg towards the end of autumn i was not obliged to submit as in austria to a tedious delay before i was per mitted to enjoy the pleasures of the field


the sporting season had however terminated and until the return of winter and the heavy frost and snow there were only hares and foxes to he had so that in default of other game i was obliged to be content with the sport that these might afford


the right of sporting over the large estate of prince l had been rented with a portion of his chateau by a party composed of french and russian gentle men who formed a fraternal association founded although in a land of castes and dis tinctions upon the purest equality


i had the happiness of being admitted into this agreeable society as a guest and was invited to join them in their weekly expeditions


the chateau of l is situated about twentytwo versts they reckon versts to a degree to the north of st petersburgh


the road to the chateau is exceedingly curious particularly in the immediate vicinity of the capital which for a population not amounting to five hundred thousand is of much greater extent than paris


we crossed the noble neva by a bridge of boats and on the further side of the river stopped to examine the little wood hut of peter the great when in he commenced the building of the great maritime city that was to disinherit moscow


here we were also shown under a shed the little decked boat built by peter him self at saardam and which being taken by the shipcarpenters as their model is called by the people the grandfather of the russian navy


three or four articles of simple furniture con structed by the czars own hands and a little image of christ which he always carried about his person exhibited in the eatingroom on a small altar before which burn day and night a number of wax candles are the principal objects of curiosity in the humble abode of this most extraordinary monarch during the time that he was planning and directing the forma tion of a new capital for the empire in the midst of a marshy forest


i shall however not pause to describe the novel features and objects that engrossed my attention until we arrived at the chateau of l where i must entreat my readers to fancy me forming one of a party of ten or a dozen pleasant companions seated to a capital dinner plentifully moistened with champagne and seasoned with wit and gaiety


the following morning at break of day the horns of the prickers awakened us and obe dient to the call we were all speedily assembled in costume de chasse with our fowlingpieces on our shouldeis


in the after season the forests are everywhere marshy and in many places overflown with vast sheets of water therefore instead of french gaiters and the german half boots the sportsman goes out with long leather boots similar to those worn by fishermen but light soft and completely impervious to damp


the majority of our party were mounted on little horses peculiar to the country not much larger than goats but ex ceedingly sure footed and intolerably slow


thus accoutred and thus mounted the chasseurs pass without apprehension the deepest swamps


i regret to say we did not employ dogs in our sport for in russia they know little or at least practise rarely that noblest and most exciting mode of chasing game with hounds


some difficulties indeed oppose themselves to this method in the first place during the winter the deep snow and hard frost would prevent dogs and horses being employed and then there is another reason that renders the chase by dogs dangerous in russia


the forests with few roads or tracks through them extend in succession and often without any interval for hundreds of leagues in every direction


no one ventures to penetrate them without experienced guides and should the eager hunters incautiously follow the track of a wolf or any other animal of chase into the depths of these vast forests both dogs and men would in all probability be lost in their soli tudes


it was a battue then that we were about making


the rendezvous was in a small neighbouring village which we soon reached


i was astonished on entering it to perceive in the single street a double file of men ranged three deep parallel to the houses and facing the road


there were between two and three hundred of them divided into companies of thirty or forty to each with their several colours the first rank being composed of very tall militarylooking men


behind them were grouped males of various ages from extreme old age almost to infancy


on seeing us approach they all took off their caps and stood in silence while we passed by


on inquiry i was told that this numerous and polite troop were our trackers


in france germany and other countries twelve fifteen or twenty men is thought sufficient for this service but in russia where everything is colossal it is deemed necessary to have ten times the number of men employed elsewhere for the same object


when our formidable troop began to move in military order towards the forest it was truly like a little army taking the field


the long line of trackers carrying hatchets at their girdles and sticks on their shoulders and marching in close ranks behind their colours under the command of chiefs resembled the infantry while the hunters who galloped at the extremity of the line might be taken for the cavalry of our army


on arriving at the appointed place the ar rangements for the sport were effected with remarkable order and great celerity


the hunters armed with guns and the trackers immediately divided themselves into two par ties taking opposite sides of a large area then while the former extended themselves in a right line at short distances in an open glade in the forest the others in closer order stretched into a semicircle that formed the arch of which the line of hunters was the chord


two colours were planted to mark the extremities of the area to be enclosed and the other colours ad vancing at regular distances directed the beaters in their progress through the wood


when all was prepared and every one was at his post the guns were loaded and the signal given to the beaters to advance


instantly a tremendous clamour spread from one end of the line to the other with the rapidity of an ignited train of gunpowder


savage hurrahs strange howlsindescribable noisesdeep toned shouts of menpiercing cries of chil drenbarkingsqualingshriekinggrowl inghallooingyelling and screaming amidst the noise of trumpets horns drums bells and rattles formed altogether the most deafening hurlyburlythe most horrible charivari that could possibly be conceived


at each shot that was fired from the opposite line the shouts and tumult were redoubled and thus the noise con tinued to increase and draw nearer until the trackers coming to the edge of the glade saluted the gentlemen hunters by taking off their caps


in this mobhunt they kill black heathcocks grey woodhens and white part ridges sometimes a wolf oftener a fox and very frequently hares


these latter are of two species the commoner kind is the white hare which from being fawncoloured during the summer becomes white by an almost instan taneous transformation at the first fall of snow


these hares are at least onethird larger than ours


the second kind rare in finland but very common in the steppes of eastern russia is that variety which turns only partly white and in midst of winter wears a kind of brown mantle on its back


it is called roussak and it even exceeds the other species in size being nearly as large as a fox in the body


these battues are rendered very agreeable by the manner in which they are made by the society they assemble together and by giving occasion for a pleasant journey or an excursion on horseback but as sporting parties they pre sent but small results for the great efforts and the heavy expense made to get them up


i recollect that the most delightful of our parties was one where twelve sportsmen killed that exact number of hares after a days toil


in this respect russia is far behind the game slaughters of germany and england


from the chase of the hare i will now pass to that of the elk which is known to be the stag of the north and is not met until we reach the niemen


it is not so elegant as the stag in its form or motions but it is much larger taller and stronger


its horns are also less lofty than the stags but they extend in much larger branches around its powerful head and enormous neck beneath which hangs a long hairy gland that looks like the bell we sometimes see attached to cows


its flesh is remarkably good to eat without possessing the delicious delicacy of that of the roe it is finer and more tender than that of the stag re sembling a fillet of beef heightened by a strong flavour of venison


its skin is twice as large and double the thickness of that of the deer of which it possesses all the softness and pliancy and when properly dressed is the cleanest the smoothest and the most wholesome coucher that a traveller can take with him to cover the wretched beds that he meets with in the inns on his road


but the chase of the elk cannot be followed with much chance of success until the winter be fairly set in and the earth is covered with snow when the hunters easily follow them by their large and deep tracks like those which a herd of cattle would leave behind them


the peasants dwelling in the forests have always amongst them some huntersi do not speak of poachers for in russia everybody even to the serfs is permitted to kill gamewho make a little livelihood of their industry


when they have tracked a bear or an elk they hasten to st petersburg to give notice of it to the city sportsmen finding it more to their advantage to do so than to kill it themselves the fixed price for an elk being fifty roubles and for a bear seventyfive roubles besides lesser ad vantages of various kinds


in the first week of december an inhabitant of the village of lipowki named dmitri came to announce the discovery of two herds of elks to m r t my constant compagnon de chasse


as this man was known by my friend to be one of the most intelligent and least deceitful of the ordi nary game purveyors he hastened to inform his friends and we were soon ready to


set out eight hunters with four sledges


the village of lipowki is versts from st petersburg frencli leagues which obliged us to set out the evening preceding the chase and in less than six hours we had reached the post station of pomerania versts from the capital


this almost incredible celerity will appear still more surprising when it is known that we performed the entire distance with only two relays of horses


certainly until the invention of railroads the sledge was the most rapid and commodious means of transport then known


those which carried us were travelling sledges diderent from the little sledge of the town and were formed like a half boat at the prow end


two leather screens shaped like bats wings protected the travellers from the hard snow thrown up by the horses hoofs while our automedon standing like an ancient charioteer with his arms stretched out and the reins rolled round his hands guided the three horses attached to the forepart of the sledge one of which moved in a long trot between the two others who gallopped on either side


this excellent vehicle is called a troika in which reclining in our warm pelisses we could sleep as easily as if we had been reposing on a soft ottoman


it was four oclock in the morning when we arrived at the posthouse of pomerania which like all those on the great roads of the empire serve as inns as well as stations for relays of horses


a heated apart ment and a bed was supplied to each of the travellers and for which we had nothing to pay


these stations are called the hospi tality of the emperor as they formerly used to call the caravanserais of the east open to all comers the hospitality of the caliph


we resumed our route at an early hour for we had still fifteen versts to travel over plain and through wood


we left our large sledges at the station and took instead the small village sledges drawn by a single horse and usually guided by an old man or a child to convey us to our destination


these little vehicles dash through barriers leap over ditches clear trunks of fallen trees and traverse riversor bridges far more dangerous than riverswith astonish ing rapidity


one can scarcely credit or ima gine how they do it


when the traveller sees before him the road he has to travel and be hind him that which he has passed at an im mense speed he might almost fancy himself carried like a knight errant of old in the magic car of some good fairy or wicked magician


we were met before daylight by our army of one hundred and fifty trackers who were wait ing for us at a cross road in the forest


i in stantly recognised in their brown complexions and robust forms the true muscovite race as distinguished from the fair and diminutive fin landers that compose the population to the very gates of st petersburgh


the women share all the toils of the men not excepting those of the chase and i do not exaggerate by saying that fully onethird of our soldiers were in petticoats


they wear great boots like the men or sandals of the bark of the birch tree fastened to the legs by straps fur caps on the head and caftans of sheep skins in the persian style


the accoutrement of the men is very similar but they add to it a girdle in which they carry the national hatchet which with their long beards bristling with hoarfrost and icicles gives them a strange but picturesque appearance


we hunters it is true did not exhibit a much more elegant costume such of us as did not wear the popular long sheep skin garment had great coats of seal skin or of dressed horse skin lined with fur


we had besides thick woollen stockings drawn above the knee and felt boots made of a single piece without seaman exceedingly warm chaussee in the snow and as easy to the feet as slippers on a turkey carpet


we immediately though the sun had not yet risen commenced opera tions by placing our male and female trackers who speedily surrounded the entire area marked out except the line reserved by the hunters


on the signal being given the noise and yel ling began with tremendous force but as this was not a battue of hares and small game we used rifle carbines loaded with ball which would have exposed the trackers to great danger had they advanced through the wood they were therefore obliged to keep their places and endeavour by their cries to make the animals quit their covert and approach the hunters a result which is seldom obtained without great delay


my position was most unfavourable for on drawing for places it had fallen to my lot to be stationed at the extremity of the line and i had been an hour at least on my post blowing my fingers and building castles in the air when i was startled by the report of a distant gun on my right then another and another until i had counted a dozen shots when five noble elks came bound ing across a little meadow not fifteen paces from one of our hunters who himself fired at them four shots which did not prevent the elks from breaking the line and escaping


two however were wounded and a peasant being sent in pursuit of them tracked them by their blood and towards evening succeeded in com ing up with the more disabled of the two and finished him with another bullet


the trackers brought our prize to us on a sledge before we departed


the sport of the morning finished we re turned to the village of lipowki where they had prepared breakfast for us in the isba of dmitri which like all the houses of the pea sants was constructed entirely of wood


the habitation of the family was on the first floor above the stable


our table was laid in a corner of the best chamber enclosed by two benches forming a sort of domestic little chapel in which burned perpetually a small lamp suspended before the byzantine images of the greek church


this custom of placing sacred images in the angles of the apartments is ge neral in russia it prevails everywhere from the imperial palace to the smoky cabin of the serf no apartment is without this religious talisman


when we had finished our breakfast and rested ourselves we prepared to go in pursuit of the second troop of elks which dmitri in formed us were located within fifteen versts of the village in another direction


there now remained but three hours of daylight and we had to transport to the place indicated our entire army of batteurs and prickers aug mented by fifty fresh recruits having found that the number we had in the morning were insufficient to enclose the area effectually


we were therefore obliged to freight all the sledges in the villagetwentyfive or thirty perhaps in which our trackers embarked five or six persons being crammed in and around each of these nutshell carriages


our flotilla started in gallant order and we completed twelve versts at the rate of ten knots an hour when we found that the sledges could not proceed any further through the wood


we were therefore obliged to alight and perform the distance on foot


i can never forget the savage aspect of the place where we stopped


it was nature wild uncultivated and abandoneddeprived of the care and presence of man


imagine a vast frozen morass overgrown with dry gaunt trees their branches pressed down with snow in which we sunk at every step to our knees and sometimes to our waists


the entire surface was strewn with fallen trunks of trees barkless stumps heaped up by branches and all the debris of a vast untrodden forest


it was a perfect chaos


we pressed forward notwith standing and urged on our trackers who men and women gathered up their heavy garments to facilitate their movements


day was now drawing to a close and it became necessary to increase our exertions but this unavoidable haste spoiled our sport for in surrounding a thick covert of fir trees our trackers were so excited that they commenced shouting before the signal was given the consequence of which was that a herd of fourteen elks dashed out of the wood before we were ready and escaped without a single shot being fired


this was a terrible disappointment we did not however lose courage but placing ourselves rapidly at about eighty paces distance from each other in an open space in the wood prepared to begin again


i had a better position than in the morning being placed near the centre of the line with my friend m r ton my left


the signal being made our two hundred batteurs commenced their clamour the women above all were desperately vociferous


but the day was fast closing and still nothing living issued from the dark forest before us


the suspense was agonizing


already had the sun sunk beneath the horizon night was approach ing and hope had begun to yield to despair when by a sudden generous impulse worthy of a true sportsman m r tdevoted him self to the general good and throwing himself into the wood caused the trackers to close in the circle and to renew their clamour


im mediately after i heard a shot at the extremity of the line followed by several others that i perceived with secret joy were approaching my post


at length i saw my right hand neigh


bour discharge his two barrels and at the same moment i beheld an enormous elk untouched by any of the hunters approaching me rapidly


he was not however bounding or galloping but moving in a long trot like an english horse


the course which he steadily kept brought him gradually nearer to our line until he came opposite my place


when not more than sixty paces distant i fired and he fell on his knees his head sank in the snow and he rolled heavily on his back


at that instant a second elk started from the covert nearly opposite to me and passed twenty paces further from me than his fallen companion


my second barrel was still loaded and i dis charged it at him he fell as if all his legs had been suddenly broken under him


one had been struck in the chest the other in the side


when i beheld these two huge animals stretched near each other in the snow before me my heart beat violently the blood rushed to my head and i felt that sudden dizziness that every enthu siastic hunter must have experienced at least once in his life


the hurrahs of my nearest companions brought around us all our party


the whole battalion of trackers also rushed to the spot and twenty hatchets drawn fromtheir girdles speedily cut down two young trees upon which the carcasses of the slain were sus pended by the feet and borne out of the wood by fifteen men each


meanwhile darkness began to envelope us and as our first battue had commenced before day the second was not finished until after nightfall


we lost no time therefore in returning to our sledges and regained in safety the post station of pome rania where we supped and started imme diately after for st petersburg which we reached at four oclock to finish the night be neath our own blankets


kate stafford


chapter iii


i t gone


theres nothing there


i


the waves have swept away the bubbling tide right crested waves how calmly on they ride


dana


we must return to the party whose esape from the storm we have described in the first chapter


no farther inci dent occurred till they arrived at their destinationa cottage on the banks of the maruah


it stood on a small estate purchased for aylmer by his agents


the place was sufficiently favoured by nature to encourage plans for improve ment and many were the schemes which had been projected on board ship


but the rain which had returned with violence prevented for the present any active operations


this state of inaction did not improve aylmers temper


the servants constantly wanted things which were to be found at the bottom of large packing cases and when these were un packed their contents were at the mercy of the children for the cottage afforded no room to put them away


kate was glad when the first fine day gave a hope of escape from the scene of confusion


a girl employed by mrs aylmer in the nursery the daughter of a respectable small settler had heard that her mother was ill and kate volunteered a visit to the old woman who lived at no great distance from the cottage though on the otder side of the river


taking the girl as a guide she began her walk


the morning was beautiful the young gum trees some very red and some a glad light greenthe bright verdure of the brush which skirted their path the not unmusical chatter of the j blue mountain parrots above her head all raised kates spirits


they crossed the shallow river as yet little affected by the rains on steppingstones


the deepbanks were covered with flowers


kate gathered the scarlet kennedea the purple sheepbine and a pale wild fuchsia with many beautiful white flowers whoso names were unknown to her


further on the path led through rich pasture land


kates mind had wandered back to home scenes and hope and recollection blended pleasantly with the enjoyment of the hour


she found poor old mrs parkhurst very ill


she staid for some hours rendering what assistance she could and then took her way homewards alone leaving sarah with her mother for it seemed impossible to deprive the old woman of her daughters services


the banks of the river were very steep and much overgrown by shrubs and brushwood


no path was yet worn to the steppingstones which were seldom used for there were other crossing places


kate swung herself lightly down by the branches of a tough shrub somewhat resembling holly


she had achieved nearly half the descent when resting for an instant on a large flat stone she looked up the river


from this point the stream in its ordinary state could hardly be seen


now a white sheet of foam came tearing onwards with a roar as of thunder


kate hastily reascended the bank and saw the torrent sweep by


the stone on which she had rested many feet above the usual level of the water was soon overwhelmed and now instead of the calm clear placid stream which she had crossed in the morning a dark river rolled along its mighty course


she stood for a moment uncertain what to do


she recollected hearing of a crossingplace which she might reach by pursuing the path she had left where a fallen tree hung from bank to bank high above the waters


but it would require her utmost speed to reach it and the sun was now sinking low


she hastened her steps and soon came in sight of the rough hridge


the stream here was still quiet for its devious windings made it some miles lower on its course though twenty minutes had enabled kate to gain it by land


the tree bent beneath her weight as she drew near the opposite bank


she sprang forward and fell on the soft grass


she sat down to recover herself and gazed upon the scene before her


soon the waters began to be troubled and the rushing of the stream came near


but kate heard a low rustling among the leaves distinct from the plashing of the water she would have fled but terror and fatigue seemed to rivet her to the spot


then came a murmuring sound as if from the rocks below an undefined dread took possession of her mind


the hoarse roaring of the stream now drowned all other sounds and the white horses of the flood became visible


the river rolled almost to her feet bringing a strange medley of offering


there were huge branches of trees garlands of rich flowers furze river weeds fragments of rock and all things lse incongruous


now there was a lull and kate dis tinguished the sound of human voices


she crept away a few paces for she feared to make any movement that should betray her


the voices were again lost and when heard again were harsh and gloomy and now when kate looked up a human figure was crossing the airy bridge by which she had herself passed over


she was as she believed con cealed from view by the branches of a native fig tree


he took his way up the bank and she lost sight of him


the voices became loud and angry but were more distant after the next roar of the flood all was still


kate had heard a crash a fall a shriek and something white was horne past on the darkened stream


kate could remember when she found herself at the door of aylmers house that she had sat for some timehow long she knew not listening to strange speech that her mind retained images but whether of words that she had heard or of her own wandering thoughts she knew not


fanny had been alarmed and had sent some hours before to seek for her


she was anxiously awaiting aylmers return from the nearest town whither he had gone on business when she was startled by kates sudden appearance


my dear kate how is this t crossed the river on a tree some time sincei have been very much frightened


pray let me go to bed


kate locked her door and sank down stupified hythe terror she had undergone


that shriekwould it ever pass away from her memory


kate was not much in the habit of blaming herself but now not even aylmer could have re proached her more severely


oh that she had told fanny she rose and stepped to the door


but how could fanny believe her


how could she believe herself


what had she heard


graham


it was the name of the man who had assisted them on the night of the storm


had she heard the name


for other names and other associations rose to her mind and were as vividly impressed


was it not the echo of her own thoughts


yet they would hardly have busied themselves with a name and an in dividual so little familiar


now she forgot all but one wild shriek and now she remembered all but could not separate what she had said to herself from what she had really heard


sleep brought no forgetfulness


again the river swept byagain she heard that dreadful shriek


graham crossed the tottering bridge and became transformed into the likeness of tom the fierce look ing man whom she had seen on the night of the storm


then graham was drown ing and as she tried to save him she began to sink into the deep waters


kate woke from her restless sleep thankful that it was but a dream but as memory separated the real and imagin ary a palpable and appalling gloom enfolded her and she felt as if she had committed some great crime


the still ness reminded her that it was sunday morning


how different from any she had seen and heard


how could she tell so vague and perplexed a story


bat it should be told and told now


she sought the sitting room where aylmer was usually to be found at this time


he was reading but looked up with an expression of grave displeasure as kate entered


she paused for an instant to collect her resolution and aylmers eyes were again fixed on his book


before she had found an oppor tunity of speaking fanny came in kate would not alarm her and was glad of the necessity for delay


she took her place at the breakfast table in silence


aylmer was the first to break it


fanny has been alarmed on your account


i am very sorry


how ill you look dear was fannys kindly meant but illjudged exclama tion


i am very tired answered kate


i am not surprised such tricks are not to be lightly hazarded


some con sideration is due to others if not to your self said mr aylmer


do not be too severe with her john she will never be so imprudent again especially as it annoys you dear s much


and all this because i walked homi alone and have caught cold though kate


oh if they knew


and when they know


after breakfast aylmer sauntered into the paddock


kate looked in the glass as she tied on her bonnet and no longer wondered at fannys observation on her pallid looks


she took the longest way to the paddock


aylmer was still there


she walked by his side for a moment in silence


oh she thought now for one kind word


was unwilling to say more before your sister who has already suffered much but i must request that you should not again under any cause take so unusual and even indecorous a step


the circumstances of the colony make it improper for a lady to walk alone i and i regret that you should have done so


i sought you john with what pain ful feelings none can tell


see the carriage fanny will be waiting


if you please catherine we will say no more on the subject


some subject of interest seemed to occupy the various groups who were seen conversing as they approached the church


after the service mr cresner the clergyman who was slightly known to aylmer came towards them and kate had to hear a story which changed irresolution into remorse


poor graham their acquaintance of the hut had possessed a little farm in the neighbourhood during the past week he had sold his stock and land for a sum much below their worth on considera tion of being paid at once


he had re turned from a journey the night before but finding that it would be dangerous to cross the river during the darkness had remained at a neighbours house he reached his home at daybreak and found that his house had been broken into that his wife


waa dangerously ill from fear and distress and that he was destitute for the small sum realized by his property had heen carried off to gether with every article of value that the house contained


this then was what kate had heard this cruel deed had been planned inlier hearing


some warningsome assist ance might have been givenand now it was too late


day after day went on and kate could j not resolve to break silence on this pain ful subject she quieted her conscience by determining to speak the whole truth should it ever seem likely to be useful and hy reflecting that on that night it must already have been too late for aid tole given even had her recollection been less confused or her ignorance of the neighbourhood less complete


florence de rohan


a fragment from the history of napoleon


concluded


in bitterness of heart he started up and paced the room with hurried steps


as he did this the very atmosphere seemed to teem with unnatural life


a mist came gradually up and a thou sand living shapes were in it


he saw forms and faces that he knew were amidst the dead and heard the moans of the dying and the supplications of the lost


his eyes wandered round with a vague gaze as if following some imaginary form


amidst those dreadful gazers was the noble victim to his late revenge the duke denghien in the pangs of dissolution


in vain he willed the apparition to be gone there it was and would abideits sad


re proachful look growing more reproachful still


napoleon now resorted to the excitement of stimulants to sup port his spirits


approaching a sidetable he filled a goblet with the sparkling fluid and swallowed its contents


when in the act of replacing the glass a distant clock tolled out with a piercing distinctness the hour of one


the tones aided by the lateness of the night fell mournfully upon his ear and as the echo ceased he started hearing a footstep on the stairs


to his surprise the steps neared his own door


a moment after one of his bodyguards stepped in


the entire expression of his countenance underwent lin instant change and he completely recovered the stern manner so habitual to hima manner to which may perhaps be ascribed no small part of the influence he exercised at will over inferior minds


the man handed to napoleon a note from the court physician


he snapped the seal asunder and read as follows sirei have been called to attend a lady of distinction who suffers from a lingering illness that must very soon prove fatal


it is her request that your majesty come to her immediately after this intimation is receivedmontesquieu


napoleon ordered out his carriage anda few minutes afterwards he descended the grand stairway on the steps of which lay scat tered a few sleepy guards


the coachman in waiting had already received his directions and as quickly as napoleon entered drove towards the pont royal and thence along the broadroad that runs parallel with the seine


there was that in the appearance of the nightthe plunging of the moon amidst sombre clouds the splash of the water of that shallow and untranquil river and in the fresh breathings of the air destined to feed the life of the morrowthat was grateful to his feelings


nature is ever refreshful after being shut out from the heart and her voice is ten thousand times sweeter to the wearied mind than the attuned symphonies of the most gifted min strels charm they ever so wisely


napoleon nevertheless could not avoid dwelling on the singu lar message he had received that mystery might soon be un ravelled


he was able to trace by his eagle glance some con nexion between his recent feelings and the object of his present visit


what this distinctly was he knew not


his surmises brought no satisfactory conclusion


suddenly his carriage rolled beneath a massive arch and a sidedoor opened on the lighted in terior of a mansion the outward appearance of which was one of age and gloom


napoleon as he set his feet on the steep and narrow steps felt for the first time a surprise at the alacrity and readiness with which he had obeyed the summons


still he had no misgivings and passed in


without making or receiving an inquiry he was ushered through a long narrow hall and up a flight of stairs


i may advance no farther said the domestic pointing expressively to a chamberdoor


napoleon at the pages pause imagined that he heard the suppressed sounds which usually precede a visit of death to the chambers of the sick and so softly did he step and unclose the door pointed out to him as to enter without apparent notice


the scene that presented itself was a strange one and to his mindnot yet relieved from the active terrors of the imagination an awfully impressive one


on a bed propped up by cushions lay the emaciated figure of a young female


the emperor almost shrouded in the gloom of curtains advanced to the bedside


the very first glance was enough to show him that in the midst of suffering and death he saw florence de rohan the betrothed of the duke denghien from whom he had last parted in the pride of health


there was a fearful history in those sunken temples nd wasted featuresa change which told napoleon in startlino accents what mental suffering had been compressed into that in turva


of time


he stood with arms folded across his breast and gazed upon the altered face of that dying girl


the heartrending appeal on that eveutftii night his signing of the deathwarrant and her words at painingwords so fearfully propheticall these were traced with indescribable rapidity on his mind


the hollow eyes of the invalid at length unclosed and strange to say lighted up with a ray of joy as they rested upon the em pero


this smile might be compared tothat which illumines the ocean in the pauses of its stormssad and unattractive in its sweetness


presently the low voice of florence was heard and napoleon bent forward to listen


pardon me sire


if on he verge of the grave i have so far forgotten the prerogatives of royalty as to sink for a moment the subject in the emperor


it needs not that i repeat to youwhat i have suffered since our interview for i will soon be in a land where the weary are at rest


this from one so frail and yot so resigned served as a crown ing stroke to the remorseful feelings of napoleon whose sinking head and continued silence told thc working at his heart


the sufferers face was suffused with a more lifelike tint as she wit nessed napoleons relenting manner and she spoke again with a sudden strength that apparently contradicted the professional knowledge of her medical attendant


as her tears fell softly upon napoleons hand she said


it is the living not the dead who need our grief and ask for sympathy support from above has enabled me to meet death with composure and before i depart from earth receive my forgiveness


i shall not have lived in vain if you bear this lesson of ambitions doings to your royal home


it may serve perhaps to curb you for the future and to instruct you that conscienceis ever true to her trust


ilemorse must visit the heart which yields itself to unrighteous dictates


as she paused and leant back childlike on her mothers bosom a faint but beautiful smile rested on her features as though of satisfaction at this interview with her destroyer


her respira tion grew fainter and fainter and her visitor felt the damp chill hand relax its hold


silently turning away napoleon left the room


we have seen how futile was the supplicating anguish of flo rence de rohan on that eventful night when her devoted affection drove her to the french camp on a vain errand of mercy


she had accompanied her attendant on leaving his presence almost without consciousness but from the moment she reached her own home amidst its many comforts she pined rapidly away disap pearing without whisper of complaint


yet over her deathbed hovered a glorious and assured hopethe hope of being united to that one spirit that had animated for her every earthly prospect


it was amidst the festivities that filled up the week of napo leons coronation that the ancient vault of the de rohan family situate in the cemetery of pre la chaise was opened and from one of the most magnificent mansions in paris issued a coffin


this was laid upon a plumed hearse and preceded by a long train of carriages amidst the emblazoned arms of which could be dis tinguished those of the french emperor


various causes were assigned to account for its presence at the interment of a member of the house of bourbon the most general conjecture being that he had overlooked political animosities in his desire to do honour to so much loveliness and goodness


it remains but to be added that the deathbed scene with whatever has concerned it never passed from the memory of the emperor that by his private confessions recently disclosed it served to cloud his most glorious prospects of ambition and to stir a baneful poison with every political triumph and when all his brilliant achievements came to noughthimself a prisoner restlessly pacing the harren summits of st helenait dwelt with the gloom of all his terrible remembrances


not for any mortal t pen is given the task to recount its still torturing signs in the hour of death or for any mortal mind to anticipate in its full reality the tribunal at which every secret work will be revealed days are gone by many a token long foretold but slighted yet now the seventh last seal is broken and the sun in blood hath set


while from the eye of the reader all record of this story fades away may not his heart treasure up its simple lessona lesson to warn us that human happiness comes neither from splendid talents nor brilliant achievements that intellect however exalted unless sanctified by pure and lofty purposes does little more than pre pare for its possessor a wretched fate


with every right judgment of events the mind improves and it is something to become free from those prejudices which have warped at times the best balanced minds when such have had oc


casion to pass judgment on the prominent names delivered up by history from her great treasury of wrecks


through the same gatetlie gate whose portals stand by the grave of all things earthlyhave gone the victor and his victims


the gates again close and we see nothing hear nothing


on the bright pathway illumined by tiie flames of vast cities and the buming torches of unnumbered soldiery darkness closes and night is come


oh


il we would pierce that heavy veil let us image in the sky of celes tial azure a martyrs bright crowna reunion of those whom mortal love was flt to gladden but who called hence and them selves thrice and inseparably blessed


the love of heaven con tinuous and unalloyed is the oil which hope pours on the flicker


ing flame that glimmers amidst this low terrestrial airfaith


pointing to the time when all the lamps ofgods kindling shall be lifted up beyond the firmament of stars and hung amidst the changeless beauty of the heaven of heavens


american notes for general circulation


by charles dickens


chapter ix


slavery


the upholders of slavery in america of the atrocities of which system i shall not write one word for which i have not ample proof and warrant may be divided into three great classes


the first are those more moderate and rational owners of human cattle who have come into the possession of them as so many coins in their trading capital but who admit the frightful nature of the in stitution in the abstract and perceive the dangers to society with which it is fraught dangers which however distant they may he or howsoever tardy in their coming on are as certain to fall upon its guilty head as is the day of judgment


the second consist of all those owners breeders users buyers and sellers of slaves who will until the bloody chapter has a bloody end own breed use buy and sell them at all hazards who dog gedly deny the horrors of the system in the teeth of such a mass of evidence as never was brought to bear on any other subject and to which the experience of every day contributes its immense amount who would at this or any other moment gladly involve america in a war civil or foreign provided that it had for its sole end and object the assertion of their right to perpetuate slavery and to whip and work and torture slaves unquestioned by any human authority and unassailed by any human power who when they speak of freedom mean the freedom to oppress their kind and to be savage merciless and cruel find of whom every man on his own ground in republican america is a more exacting and a sterner and a less responsible despot than the caliph ha roun alraschid in his angry robe of scarlet


the third and not the least numerous or influential is composed of all that delicate gentility which cannot bear a superior and cannot brook an equal of that class whose republicanism means i will not tolerate a man above me and of those below none must approach too near whose pride in a land where voluntary servitude is shunned as a disgrace must be ministered to by slaves and whose inalienable rights can only have their growth in negro wrongs


it has been sometimes urged that in the unavailing efforts which have been made to advance the cause of human freedom in the republic of america strange cause for history to treat of sufficient regard has not been had to the existence of the first class of persons and it has been con tended that they are hardly used in being confounded with the second


this is no doubt the case noble instances of pecu niary and personal sacrifice have already had their growth among them and it is much to be regretted that the gulf between them and the advocates of emancipation should have been widened and deepened by any means the rather as there are beyond dispute among these slaveowners many kind masters who are tender in the exercise of their unnatural power


still it is to be feared that this injustice is insepa rable from the state of things with which humanity sad truth are called upon to deal


slavery is not a whit the more endurable because some hearts are to be found which can partially resist its hardening influences nor can the indignant tide of honest wrath stand still because in its onward course it overwhelms a few who are comparatively innocent among a host of guilty


the ground most commonly taken by these better men among the advocates of slavery is this it is a bad system and for my self i would willingly get rid of it if i could most willingly


but it is not so bad as you in england take it to be


you are deceived by the representations of the emancipationists


the greater part of my slaves are much attached to me


you will say that i do no not allow them to be severely treated but i will put it to you whether you believe that it can be a general practice to treat them inhumanly when it would impair their value and would be obviously against the interests of their masters


is it the interest of any man to steal to game to waste his health and mental faculties by drunkenness to lie forswear himself indulge hatred seek desperate re venge or do murder


no


all these are roads to ruin


and why then do men tread them


because such inclina tions are among the vicious qualities of mankind


blot out ye friends of slavery from the catalogue of human passions brutal lust cruelty and the abuse of irres ponsible power of all earthly temptations the most difficult to be resisted and when yo have done so and not before we will inquire whether it be the interest of a master to lash and maim the slaves over whose lives and limbs he has an absolute control


but again this class together with that last one i have named the miserable aris tocracy spawned of a false republic lift up their voices and exclaim public opinion is all sufficient to prevent such cruelty as you denounce


public opinion


why public opinion in the slave states is slavery is it not


public opinion in the slave states has delivered the slaves over to the gentle mercies of their masters


public opinion has made the laws and denied them legislative protection


public opinion has knotted the lash heated the brandingiron loaded the rifle and shielded the murderer


public opinion threatens the abolitionist with death if he venture to the south and drags him with a rope about his middle in broad unblushing noon through the first city in the east


public opinion has within a few years burned a slave alive at a slow fire in the city of st louis and public opinion has to this day maintained upon the bench that esti mable judge who charged the jury im panelled there to try his murderers that their most horrid deed was an act of public opinion and being so must not be punished by the laws the public sentiment had made


public opinion hailed this doctrine with a howl of wild applause and set the prisoners free to walk the city men of mark and influence and station as they had been before


what class of men have an immense preponderance over the rest of the community in their power of repre senting public opinion in the legislature


the slave owners


they send from their twelve states one hundred members while the fourteen free states with a free popu lation nearly double return but a hundred and fortytwo


before whom do the pre sedential candidates bow down the most humbly on whom do they fawn the most fondly and for whose taste do they cater the most assiduously in their servile pro testations


the slave owners always


hear the public opinion of the free south as expressed by its own members in the house of representativee at washington


i have a great respect for the chair quoth north carolina i have a great respect for the chair as an officer of the house and a great respect for him personally nothing but that re spect prevents me from rushing to the table and tearing that petition which has just been presented for the abolition of slavery in the district of columbia to pieces


i warn the abolitionists


says south carolina ignorant infuriated barbarians as they are that if chance shall throw any of them into our hands he may expect a felons death let an aboli tionist come within the borders of south carolina cries a third mild carolinas colleague and if we can catch him we will try him and notwithstanding the in terference of all the governments on earth including the federal government we will hang him


public opinion has made this law


it has declared that in washington in that city which takes its name from the father of american liberty any justice of the peace may bind with fetters any negro passing down the street and thrust him into jail no offence on the black mans part is ne cessary


the justice says i choose to think this man a runaway and locks him up


public opinion impowers the man of law when this is done to adver tise the negro in the newspapers warning his owner to come and claim him or he will be sold to pay the jail fees


but sup posing he is a free black and has no owner it may naturally be presumed that he is set at liberty


no he is sold to recompense his jailer


this has been done again and again and again


he has no means of proving his freedom has no ad viser messenger or assistance of any sort or kind no investigation into his case is made or inquiry instituted


he a free man who may have served for years and bought his liberty is thrown into a jail on no process for no crime and on no pre tence of crime and is sold to pay the jail fees


this seems incredible even of america but it is the law


public opinion is deferred to in such cases as the following which is headed in the newspapers


interesting lawcase


an interesting case is now on trial in the supreme court arising out of the fol lowing facts


a gentleman residing in maryland had allowed an aged pair of his slaves substantial though not legal freedom for several years


while thus living a daughter was born to them who grew up in the same liberty until she married a free negro and went with him to reside in pensylvania


they had several children and lived unmolested until the original owner died when his heir attempted to regain them but the magistrate before whom they were brought decided that he had no jurisdiction in the case


the owner seized the woman and her children in the night and carried them to mary land


cash for negroes cash for negroes cash for negroes is the heading adver tisements in great capitals down the long columns of the crowded journals wood cuts of a runaway negro with manacled hands crouching beneath a bluff pursuer in top boots who having caught him grasps him by the throat agreeably diver sify the pleasant text


the leading article protests against that abominable and hellish doctrine of abolition which is re pugnant alike to every law of god and nature


the delicate mama who smiles her acquiescence in this sprightly writing as she reads the paper in her cool piazas quiets her youngest child who clings about her skirts by promising the boy a whip to beat the little niggers with


but the negroes little and big are protected by public opinion


let us try this public opinion by another test which is important in three points of view first as showing how desperately timid of the public opinion the slave owners are in their delicate descriptions of fugitive slaves in widely circulated newspapers secondly as showing how perfectly contented the slaves are and how very seldom they run away thirdly as exhibiting their entire freedom from scar or blemish or any mark of cruel in fliction as their pictures are drawn not by lying abolitionists but by their own truthful masters


the following are a few specimens of the advertisements in the public papers


it is only four years since the oldest among them appeared and others of the same nature continue to be published every day in shoals


ran away negress caroline had on a collar with one prong turned down


han away a black woman betsy


had an iron bar on her right leg


ran away the negro manuel


much marked with irons


ran away the negress fanny


had on an iron band about her neck


ran away a negro boy about twelve years old


had round his neck a chain dogcollar with de lampert engraved on it


ran away the negro hown


has a ring of iron on his left foot


also grise his wife having a ring and chain on the left leg


ran away a negro boy named james


said boy was ironed when he left me


committed to jail a man who calls his name john


he has a clog of iron on his right foot which will weigh four or five pounds


detained at the police jail the negro wench myra


has several marks of lashing and has irons on her feet


ran away a negro woman and two children a few days before she went off i burnt her with a hot iron on the left side of her face


i tried to make the letter m ran away a negro man named henry his left eye out some scars from a dirk on and under his left arm and much scarred with the whip


one hundred dollars reward for a negro fellow pompey years old


he is branded on the left jaw


committed to jail a negro man


has no toes on the left foot ran away a negro woman named ra chel


has lost all her toes except the large one


ran away sam


he was shot a short time since through the hand and has se veral shots in his left arm and side


ran away my negro man dennis


said negro has been shot in the left arm between the shoulders and elbow which has paralysed the left hand


ran away my negro man named simon


he has been shot badly in his back and right arm


ran away a negro named ar thur


has a considerable scar across his breast and each arm made by a knife loves to talk much of the goodness of god


twentyfive dollars reward for my man isaac


he has a sear on his fore head caused by a blow and one on his back made by a shot from a pistol


ran away a negro girl called mary


has a small scar over her eye a good many teeth missing the letter a is branded on her cheek and forehead


ran away negro ben


has a scar on his right hand his thumb and fore finger being injured by being shot last fall


a part of the bone came out


he has also one or two large scars on his back and hips


detained at the gaol a mulatto named tom


has a scar on the right cheek and appears to have been burned with powder on the face ran away a negro man named ned


three of his fingers are drawn into the palm of his hand by a cut


has a scar on the back of his neck nearly half round done by a knife


was committed to jail a negro man


says his name his josiah


his back very much scarred by the whip and branded on the thigh and hips in three or four places thus j m


the rim of his right ear has been bit or cut off


fifty dollars reward for my fellow edward


he has a scar on the corner of his mouth two cuts on and under his arm and the letter e on his arm


ran away negro boy ellie


has a scar on one of his arms from the bite of a dog


ran away from the plantation of james surgett the following negroes randal has one ear cropped bob has lost one eye kentucky tom has one jaw broken


ran away anthony


one of his ears cut off and his left hand cut with an axe


fifty dollars reward for the negro jim blake


has a piece cut out of each ear and the middle finger of the left hand cut off to the second joint


ran away a negro woman named maria


has a scar on one side of her cheek by a cut


some scars on her back


ran away the mulatto wench mary


has a cut on the left arm a scar on the left shoulder and two upper teeth miss ing


i should say perhaps in explanation of this latter piece of description that among the other blessings which public opinion secures to the negroes is the common practice of violently punching out their teeth


to make them wear iron collars by day and night and to worry them with dogs are practices almost too ordinary to deserve mention


ran away my man fountain


has holes in his ears a scar on the right side of his forehead has been shot in the hind parts of his legs and is marked on the back with the whip


two hundred and fifty dollars reward for my negro man jim


he is much marked with shot in his right thigh


the shot entered on the outside half way be


tween the hip and knee joints


brought to jail john


left ear cropt


taken up a negro man


is very much scarred about the face and body and has the left ear bit off


ran away a black girl named mary


has a scar on her check and the end of one of her toes cut off


ran away my mullatto woman judy she has had her right arm broke


ran away my negro man levi


his left hand has been burnt and i think the end of his forefinger is off


ran away a negro man named washington


has lost a part of his middle finger and the end of his little finger


twentyfive dollars reward for my man john


the tip of his nose is bit off


twentyfive dollars reward for the negro slave sally


walks as though crip pled in the back


ran away joe dennis


has a small notch in one of his ears


ran away negro boy jack


has a small crop out of his left ear


ran away a negro man named ivory


has a small piece cut of the top of each ear while upon the subject of ears i may observe that a distinguished abolitionist in new york once received a negros ear which had been cut off close to the head in a general post letter


it was forwarded by the free and independent gentleman who had caused it to be amputated with a polite request that he would place the specimen in his collection


i could enlarge this catalogue with broken arms and broken legs and gashed flesh and missing teeth and lacerated backs and bites of dogs and brands of redhot irons innumerable but as my readers will be sufficiently sickened and repelled already i will turn to another branch of the subject


these advertisements of which a similar collection might be made for every year and month and week and day and which are coolly read in families as things of course and as a part of the current news and small talk will serve to show how very much the slaves profit by public opinion and how tender it is in their be half


but it may be worth while to in quire how the slave owners and the class of society to which great numbers of them belong defer to public opinion in their conduct not to their slaves but to each other how they are accustomed to re strain their passions what their bearing is among themselves whether they are fierce or gentle whether their social cus toms be brutal sanguinary and violent or bear the impress of civilisation and refine ment


that we may have no partial evidence from abolitionists in this inquiry either i will ones more turn to their own news papers and i will confine myself this time to a selection from paragraphs which appeared from day to day during my visit to america and which refer to occur rences happening while i was there


the italics in these extracts as in the fore going are my own


those cases did not all occur it will be seen in territory actually belonging to legalized slave states though most and those the very worst among them did as their counterparts constantly do but the positions of the scenes of action in re ference to places immediately at hand where slavery is the law and the strong resemblance between that class of outrages and the rest lead to the just presumption that the character of the parties concerned was formed in slave districts and brutalised by slave customs


horrible tragedy


by a slip from the southport tele graph wisconsin we learn that the hon


charles c p arndt member of the council for brown county was shot dead on the floor of the council chamber by james r vinyard member from grant county


the affair grew out of a nomina tion for sheriff of grant county


mr e s baker was nominated and supported by mr arndt


this nomination was opposed by vimyard who wanted the appointment to vest in his own brother


in the course of the debate the deceased made some statements which vinyard pronounced false and made use of violent and insulting language dealing largely in personalities to which mr a made no reply


after the adjournment mr a stepped up to vinyard and requested him to retract which he refused to do repeating the offensive words


mr arndt then made a blow at vinyard who stepped back a pace drew a pistol and shot him dead


the issue appears to have been pro voked on the part of vinyard who was determined at all hazards to defeat the appointment of baker and who himself defeated turned his ire and revenge upon the unfortunate arndt


the wisconsin tragedy


public indignation runs high in the territory of wisconsin in relation to the murder of c c p arndt in the legis lative hall of the territory


meetings have been held in the different counties of wisconsin denouncing the practice of secretly bearing arms in the legislative chambers of the country


we have seen the account of the expulsion of james r vinyard the perpetrator of the bloody deed and are amazed to hear that after this expulsion by those who saw vinyard kill mr arndt in the presence of his aged father who was on a visit to see his son little dreaming that he was to witness his murder


judge dunn has discharged vinyard on bail


the miners free press speaks in terms of merited rebuke at the outrage upon the feelings of the people of wisconsin


vinyard was within arms length of mr arndt when he took such deadly aim at him that he never spoke


vinyard might at pleasure being so near have only wounded him but he chose to kill him


murder


by a letter in a st louis paper of the th we notice a terrible outrage at bur lington iowa


a mr bridgman having had a difficulty with a citizen of the place mr ross a brotherinlaw of the latter provided himself with one of colts revol ving pistols met mr b in the street and discharged the contents of five of the barrels at him each shot taking effect


mr b though horribly wounded and dying returned the fire and killed ross on the spot


terrible death of robert potter


from the caddo gazette of the th instant we learn the frightful death of colonel robert potter


he was beset in his house by an enemy named rose


he sprang from his couch seized his gun and in his night clothes rushed from the house


for about two hundred yards his speed seemed to defy his pursuers but getting entangled in a thicket he was captured


rose told him that he intended to act a generous part and give him a chance for his life


he then told potter he might run and he should not be interrupted till he reached a certain distance potter started at the word of command and before a gun was fired he had reached the lake


his first impulse was to jump in the water and dive for it which he did


rose was close behind him and formed his men on the bank ready to shoot him as he rose


in a few seconds he came up to breathe and scarce had his head reached the surface of the water when it was completely riddled with the shot of their guns and he sunk to rise no more


murder in arkansas


we understand that a severe rencontre came off a few days since in the seneca nation between mr loose the subagent of the mixed land of the senecas quapaw and shawnees and mr james gillespie of the mercantile firm of thomas g alli son and co of maysville benton county ark in which the latter was slain with a bowieknife


some difficulty had for some time existed between the parties


it is said that major gillespie brought on the attack with the cane


a severe conflict ensued during which two pistols were fired by gillespie and one by loose


loose then stabbed gillespie with one of those neverfailing weapons a bowieknife


the death of major g is much regretted as he was a liberalminded and energetic man


since the above was in type we learned that major allison has stated to some of our citizens in town that mr loose gave the first blow


we forbear to give any par ticulars as the matter will be the subject of judicial investigation


foul deed


the steamer thames just from mis souri river brought us a handbill offering a reward of dollars for the person who assassinated lilburn w baggs late go vernor of this state at independence on the night of the th instant


governor baggs it is stated in a written memoran dum was not dead but mortally wounded


since the above was written we re ceived a note from the clerk of the thames giving the following particulars


gov baggs was shot by some villain on friday th instant in the evening while sitting in a room of his own house in independence


his son a boy hearing a report ran into the room and found the governor sitting in his chin with his jaw fallen down and his head leaning back on discovering the injury done his father he gave the alarm


foot tracks were found in the garden below the window and a pistol picked up supposed to have been overloaded and thrown from the hand of the scoundrel who fired it


three buck shots of a heavy load took effect one going through his mouth one into the brain and another probably in or near the brain all going into the back part of the neck and head


the governor was still alive on the morning of the th but no hopes for his recovery by his friends and but slight hopes from his physicians


a man was suspected and the sheriff most probably has possession of him by this time the pistol was one of a pair stolen some days previous from a baker in inde pendence and the legal authorities have the description of the other


rencontre


an unfortunate affair took place on friday evening in chatresstreet in which one of our most respectable citizens re ceived a dangerous wound from a poig nard in the abdomen


from the bee new orleans of yesterday we learn the following particulars


it appears that an article was published in the french side of the paper on monday last containing some strictures on the artillery battalion for firing their guns on sunday morning in answer to those from the ontario and woodbury and thereby much alarm was caused to the families of those persons who were out all night preserving the peace of the city


major c gally commanding the battalion resenting this called at the office and demanded the authors name that of mr p arpin was given to him who was absent at the time


some angry words then passed with one of the pro prietors and a challenge followed the friends of both parties tried to arrange the affair but failing to do so


on friday evening about seven oclock major gally met mr p arpin in chatresstreet and accosted him


are you mr arpin yes sir


then i have to tell you that you are a applying an appropriate epithet


i shall remind you of your words sir


but i have said i would break my cane on your shoulders


i know it but i have not yet received the blow


at these words major gally having a cane in his hands struck mr arpin across the face and the latter drew a poig nard from his pocket and stabbed major gally in the abdomen


fears are entertained that the wound will be mortal


we understand that mr arpin has given security for his appearance at the criminal court to answer the charge


affray in mississippi


on the th ult in an affray near carthage leake county mississippi be tween james cottingham and john wil burn the latter was shot by the former and so horribly wounded that there was n hope of his recovery


on the nd in stant there was an affray at carthage be tween a c sharkey and george goff in which the latter was shot and thought mortally wounded


sharkey delivered himself up to the authorities but changed his mind and escaped


personal encounter


an encounter took place in sparta a few days since between the barkeeper of an hotel and a man named bury


it ap


pears that bury had become somewhat noisy and that the barkeeper determined to preserve order had threatened to shoot bury whereupon bury drew a pistol and shot the barkeeper down


he was not dead at the last accounts but slight hopes were entertained of his recovery


duel


the clerk of the steamboat tribune informs us that another duel was fought on tuesday last by mr robbins a bank officer in vicksburg and mr fall the editor of the vicksburgh sentinel


ac cording to the arrangements the parties had six pistols each which after the word fire


they were to discharge as fast as they pleased


fall fired two pistols with out effect


mr robbinss first shot took effect in falls thigh who fell and was unable to continue combat


affray in clarke county


an unfortunate affray occurred in clarke county mo near waterloo on tuesday the th ult which originated in settling the partnership concerns of messrs mckane and mcallister who had been engaged in the business of distilling and resulted in the death of the latter who was shot down by mr mckane because of his attempting to take possession of seven barrels of whiskey the property of mr mckane which had been knocked off to mcallister at a sheriffs sale at one dollar per barrel


mckane immediately lied and at the latest dates had not been taken


this unfortunate affray caused con siderable excitement in the neighbourhood as both the parties were men with large families depending upon them and stood well in the community


i will quote but one more paragraph which by reason of its monstrous ab surdity may be a relief to these atrocious deeds


affair of honour


we have just heard the particulars of a meeting which took place on six mile island on tuesday between two young bloods of our city samuel thurston aged fifteen and william hine aged thirteen years


they were attended by young gentlemen of the same age


the weapons used on the occasion were a couple of dicksons best rifles the distance thirty yards


they took one fire without any damage being sustained by either party except the ball of thurstons gun passing through the crown of hines hat


through the intercessionof the board of honor the challenge was withdraw and the difference amicably adjusted


if the reader will picture to himself the kind of board of honour which amicably adjusted the difference between these two boys who in any other part of the world would have been amicable adjusted on two porters backs and soundly flogged with birchen rods he will be possessed no doubt with as strong a sense of its ludi crous character as that which sets me laughing whenever its image rises up before me


now i appeal to every human mind imbued with the commonest of common sense and the commonest of common humanity to all dispassionate reason ing creatures of any shade of opinion and ask with these revolting evidences of the state of society which exists in and about the slave districts of america before them can they have a doubt of the real condition of the slave or can they for a moment make a compromise between the institution or any of its flagrant fearful features and their own just consciences


will they say of any tale of cruelty and horror however aggravated in degree that it is improbable when they can turn to the public prints and running read such signs as these laid before them by the men who rule the slaves in their own acts and under their own hands


do we know that the worst deformity and ugliness of slavery are at once the cause and the effect of the reckless license taken by these freeborn outlaws


do we not know that the man who has been born and bred among its wrongs who has seen in his childhood husbands obliged at the word of command to flog their wives women indecently compelled to hold up their own garments that men might lay the heavier stripes upon their legs driven and hurried by brutal overseers in their time of travail and becoming mothers on the field of toil under the very lash itself who has read in youth and seen his virgin sisters read descriptions of runaway men and women and their disfigured persons which could not be published elsewhere of so much stock upon a farm or at a show of beasts do we not know that that man whenever his wrath is kindled up will be a brutal savage


do we not know that as he is a coward in his domestic life stalking about among his shrinking men and women slaves armed with his heavy whip so he will be a coward out of doors and carrying cowards weapons hidden in his breast will shoot men down and stab them when he quarrels


and if our reason did not teach us this and much beyond if we were such idiots as to close our eyes to that fine mode of training which rears up such men should we not know that they who among their equals stab and pistol in the legislative halls and in the counting house and on the marketplace and in all the elsewhere peaceful pursuits of life must be to their dependants even though they were free servants so many merciless and unrelenting tyrants


what


shall we declaim against the ignorant peasantry of ireland and mince the matter when these american task masters are in question


shall we cry shame on the brutality of those who ham string cattle and spare the lights of free dom upon earth who notch the ears of men and women cut pleasant posies in the shrinking flesh learn to write with pens of redhot iron on the human face rack their poetic fancies for liveries of mutilation which their slaves shall wear for life and carry to the grave break living limbs as did the soldiery who mocked and slew the saviour of the world and set defenceless creatures up for targets


shall we whimper over legends of the tortures practised on each other by the pagan indians and smile upon the cruelties of christian men


shall we so long as these things last exult above the scattered remnants of that stately race and triumph in the white enjoyment of their broad possessions


rather for me restore the forest and the indian vil lage in lieu of stars and stripes let some poor feather flutter in the breeze replace the streets and squares by wigwams and though the deathsong of a hundred haugh ty warriors fill the air it will be music to the shriek of one unhappy slave


on one theme which is commonly be fore our eyes and in respect of which our national character is changing fast let the plain truth be spoken and let us not like dastards beat about the bush by hinting at the spaniard and the fierce italian


when knives are drawn by englishmen in con flict let it be said and known we owe this change to republican slavery


these are the weapons of freedom


with sharp points and edges such as these liberty in america doth hew and hack her slaves or failing that pursuit her sons devote them to a better use and turn them on each other


pet perennials no iv


mislabelled should be v by patty parsley


chapter i


indent i said to other lands ill roam where fate may smile on me love i said farewell my own oid home


and i said farewell to thee love


gerald griffin


the scene was a private room in lon don hotel the speakers a maiden lady of two score and ten and a sparkling glossytressed darkeyed damsel whose rich full accent betrayed that she was a daughter of the green isle


so perhaps was the elder lady but if so a long residence in the metropolis and the struggling life of an unprotected female amid its sharp takecareofnumberone everymanforhimself atmosphere had dashed the rich brogue that fell from the lips of the younger with a gush that if sounds may be compared to tastes re sembled the ruby red wine had dashed in the elder that brogue with the vinegar and quinine of life


i wish i could undo it said the younger lady sadly


oh dear aunt was it needed that i should put thousands of miles between me and all that i love


and all you love leonora


why who have you to love but me and your self and perhaps


yes yes i know there is no other interrupted leonora hastily blushing as she spoke but aunt honor do you think i would not be happier if i were nearer to you and then why should i go thus far from my own dear home


aunt honor an irish girl never left the old land without a tear yet


and poor nora justified the last remark as far as she was concerned by shedding a pearly shower


you silly child cried aunt honor sharply how much love can you feel for an old woman whom you have not seen since you were a three years old urchin


and as for this sentimentality about your native land its only what all girls indulge in and will wear off in time


i cried myself too she added reflectively when thirty years ago i came over to england as governess to lady fitz osborne but all that is over now and i am content to be my ladys companion and scapegoat on which she vents all her capricious illtempers


but my little nora there is a better fate for you


you are pretty alanna the old lady ventured the endearing term as one which would be likely to soothe her romantic little niece with its home sound and it succeeded in some degree and that i must confess is more than i ever was and though it is a long way to australia yet you will soon reach it and once there mrs markhams pretty governess will soon win a rich and noble husband


dear reader miss honor had an indefinite thought that sydney streets are paved with gold and moreover she had a strange way of spelling nobility and virtue and all good attributes with four letters thus god so in her mind never were such noble golden people as those of australia


and then leonora she continued you can coax into bringing you back again to your own green isle of which you are so fond


ah dear aunt sighed nora i do not care for wealth and there are noble hearts already in old ireland without going out of it to seek for them


pooh pooh


aunt honor looked vexed and after an ineffectual effort to do nothing more than look so she burst forth with i wish connor oconnor were at the bottom of the sea with all my heart


it is only charitable to say i do not believe you aunt dear returned nora with a wan smile but if he were so


nora oneil would have a strong induce ment to walk quietly over the ships side some fair night


for shame girl for shame cried the aunt but nora only continued


i won der he did not answer my letter


i wish he had answered my letter


its clear why he did not


hes only too glad to get rid of nora oneil that he may be off with the old love before he is on with the new


i dont believe it i do not believe it norah cried vehemently but oh what ever is the reason i shall never never see him again


and she indulged in another outburst of sorrow with all the passionate force of her nature


after a time she arose quietly and took a last cold farewell of her aunt


chapter i


an ordinary sorrow of mnnfc life a tuie of silent suffering hardly clothed in bodily form


woirlsuoria fdith hamilton was a beauty a blonde of the most exquisite beauty a violet breathing its sweetness be neath the shadow of village inno cence unseen unsullied and un known iter mother had lived its the service of the lady of the manor and contracted notions above the station in life which she held above all things it was her pride that edith should be educated


alas