your lighter boxes of family papers went upstairs into a barmecide room that always had a great diningtable in it and never had a dinner and where even in the year ono thousand seven hun dred and eighty the first letters written to you by your old love or by your little chldren were but newly released from the horror of being ogled through the winlows by the heads exposed on temple bar with an insensate brutality and fero city worthy of abytsinia or ashantee


bu


indeed at thnt time putting to death was a recipe muoh in vogue wilh all trades uud profes sions and not leust of all wilh tellsons


death is natures remedy for all things and why not le gislations


accordingly the forger waa put to death ihe uttercr of a bad note wan put to daatb the unlawful opener of a letter was put to deith the purloiner of forty shillings and sixpence was put to death tbo holder of a horso at tellsona door who male olf with it was put to denth the corner of a bad shilling wan put to death tho sounders of thrcoloiiriha of the notes in the whole gamut of jrime were put to death


not tint it did the lea gool ii tba way of prevention it might olinqt hivo lmca worth remarking lhat ths fot wa exactly ihe reverse but it cleared off as to this world the trouble of each particular case aud left nothing bifg conneoted wilh it to be looked after


thus ielisou in its day like greater pace bnines hb contemporaries had taken so many livee that if the heads laid low btoro it lud been rauged temple dar instead of being privately disposed of they would probably havo excluded what little light ihe ground floor had in a rather signiltoaut nvm ner


crampsd in all kinds of dim cupboard and hutches at tollmens the odsst of meu carried on the buincs gravely


wnon tb took n young man into tellsonri london house they hid him somewhere till he was old


they kept him in a dark place like a cheese until he hsd the full tollsou flavor aud bluemould upon him


then ouly was ho pormitted to ba seen spectacularly pouring over large books aud casting his breeches and gaiters into the general weight of the estab lishment


outside tellsons never by any means in it unless called in was an oddjobmau an oca sional porter and messenger who served as the vijp iiii of lha house


he was never abseut dur ing businnsa hoard unless upon an errand and then he was represented by his son a grisly urohin of twelve who was his express image


peopw understood that tellsone in a btately way toler ated the oddjobraan


the house hid always tolerated some persrn in that capacity and timo and tide had drifted this person to the post


his surname was cruncher and on the youthful ocoa sion of his renouncing by proxy the works of darkness in the easterly parish church of hounds ditcb he had received the added appellation of jerry


tho scene was mr crunchers private lodging in hangingsword alley whitefriara the time half paat seven of the clock on a windy march morning anno domini seventeen hundred and eighty


mr cruncher himself always spoke of the year of our lord as anna dominoes apparently under the impression that the chriitian era dated from the invention of a popular game by a lidy who had bestowed her name upon it


mr crunchers apartments were not in a savoury neighborhood and were but two in number even if a closet with a biugle pane of glass in it might be couned as one


but thoy were very deoeatly kept


early as it was on tho windy march morning ths room in which he lay abed was al ready scrubbed throughout and betweea tfee cups and saucers arranged tor breakfast and the lumber ing deal table a very olean white cloth was spread


mr cruncher reposed under a patohwork counter pane like a harlequin at home


at first he slept heavily but by degrees began to roll and surge in bed until he rose absvo the surface with his spiky hair looking as if it must tear the sheets to rib bons


at whioh juncture he exclaimed in a voics of dire exasperation bust me if she aint at it agin


a woman of orderly and industrious appearance robq from her knees in a corner with sufficient haste and trepidation to show that she waa the person referred to


what said mr cruncher looking out of bed for a boot


youre at it agin are you after hailing the morn with this seoond saluta tion ho threw a boot at tha woman as a third


it was a very muddy boot and may introduce the odd circumstance connected with mr crunchers domestic economy that whereas he often came homo after banking hours with clean boots he often got up next moruiag to find the same boots covered with olay


what said mr crunoher varying his apos trophe after missing his mark what are you up to


agerawayter j


i was only saying my prayers


saying your prayers


youre a nice woman


what do you ineau bj flopping yourself down and praying agin me i waa not praying against you i was praying for you


you werent


and if you were i wont be took tho liberty with


here


your motners a nice womsn young jerry going a praying agin your fathers prosperity


youve got a dutiful mother you have my son


youve got a religious mother you hive ray boy going urd flopping h rself duwd and prayiug that tho broad audbutter uay bo snatched out of the mouth of her only ohild


master cruncher who was in his shirt toik this very ill and turning to hi mother strongly de precated any prajing away ot his personal beard


aud what do you ippose you conceited female taid mr cruuoher with uuoonsoious in emsistpnev ciat tho wo tl ol your ir r miy bs


name ths p ioo that joj put yrir prayer a


thpy only crno froa i e hsart jorrf tjey ore wnrl a aye thm lhat


worth no more than ilia repsatel mi cruncher


they aiut worth mush then


w


ihor or ro


i wont ba prayed agio i tell you


i carl


fffurd it


im not a going to be mod un lucky by yaur fueaibg


if you must gn fl piup ycureelr down flop iu favor of jour bus land nnd child and not iu opposition to era


if i had had any bit a unnalval wife and this poor boy bad bad any but a uu natral mother i might hive made some money last week instead of being counterproyiid aud countermined and religiously circumwonted into the worst of luck


buuut me said mr crun chcr who all thia time had been putting on his cblhee if i aint what with piety and one blowed thing and another been choused this last week into as bad luck us ever a poor devil ef a honest tradesman met with


young jerry dress yourself my boy and whilo i olean my boots keep ri eye upon your mother now and then and if you see any signs of more floppinjr givo mo a call


for i tell you here he addressed his wife once raorp


i wont be gone agin in this manner


i am as rickety as a hackneycoach im as sleepy as laud aiium my lines is slrained to that degree that i shouldntknowi it wasnt for the pain in em which was me aud which bumebody else yet im none the hotter for itin pocket and its my suspicion that youve been at it from morning to night to prpvent me from being the better for it in pocket and i wont put up with it aggerawayter and what do you say now i growling in addition


such phrase aa ah


yes


youre religious too


you wouldnt put yourself in opposition to the interests of your husband and child would you


not you i and throwing off other sarcastic sparks from tko whirl ing grindstone of his indignation mr cruncher betook himself to his bootcleauing and his general preparations for butuiew


ia the maan tins hia son whose hoad was garnished with tenderer ppikes and whoso younc oyea stood clorc by one another as his fathers did kept the re quired watch upon hfe mother


he greatly dis turbed that poor woman at intervals by darting out of his sleeping closet where ho made his toiet with a suppressed cry of you are going to flop mother


halloa father i and after rats ingthis fictitious alarm darting in again wilh an undutiful grin


mr crucnliers temper was not at all improved when ho came to his breakfast


ha resented mrs crunchers saying graco with particular ani mosity


now aggerawayter


what are you up to


at it again


his wife explained that she had merely asked a blessing


dont do itsail mr cruncher lookinabjut as if he rather expected to see the lof


disappear under the effljacy of his wifes petitions


i aint a going to be blest out of bouso aud home


i wont havo my wittlea bioit off my table


keep still


exceedingly redeyed and grim as if he had been up all uight at a party whish had taken anything but a coavtvial turn jerry crunoher worried irs breakfast rather than eat it


growling over it like any fourfootei inmate of a menokorie


towards nine oclock he smoothed his ruffled aspect and reseating as respectable and businebslike an ex terior as he oould overlay his natural belf wilh is sued forth to the occupation of tho day


it could bearoaly be called a trade ia spite of hia favorite deocriptien of himself as a honest tradesman


his stock consisted of a wooden stool made out of a brokenbacked chair cut down which stool young jerry walkieg at hi fathers side carried eveiy morning to beneath the bank inghoue window that was nearest tempe


bdr where with the adjitiou of tbe first handful of straw that oould be gleaned from any passing vehiclu to keep the oold and wet from lha oddjobmans feet it formed the encampment for the day


oa this post nt hii mr cruncher


wa aa well known to bleet street and the temple a the bar itself and was almost as illlooking


eacimped tit a quarter before nine in good time to touch his ibroo sornercil hat to the oldest


men fs


they pnsd in to tellsoua


jerry took up liia station on this windy march morning wih young jerry btanding by bim when not engaged in miking forays thruuih the bar to inflict bodily aud ikontiil rnjaiius of an acuto description ou pafsmg toys who were small enough for hi uuiable purpose fatlicr and son extremely lik eacb olber looking silently on at the morning traffic ia fleet street wilh their two heads as near to one another as the two ejes of each were bore a con uiderable resemblance to a pair of monkeys


the resemblance waa not lessened by the accidenai oiroumstnnce that the mature jerry bit and spu out blraw while tb twinkling eyes of the youthful jarry were ai restlessly watchful of him as ul everything olafi in fleet street


the buid of oua of tin regular indoor messen gers attached to tellfoiia establishment waj put through the door and the word was given porter wanted


hioray fatbur


heres an early job to bsgin wi h


having thus given his parent gol speed young jerry seated himself on tho stool entered on hia reversionary interest in the straw hu rathe hd been chewing and cogitated


always rusty


his fingers is always r tsty


muttprotl young jtrry


where does my father get all that iron rust from


he dont gat m iron rust hero


the fallacies of histouy


the massacre of glencoe


no student of english history should fail to read the opening article in black wood on lord macaulay and the massacre of glencoe


the writer of that very able paper may wo say professor ay toun brings forward a strong mass of evidence garbled by lord ma caulay all tending in its unadulterated form to convict wiuucm the third of having signed the order for the massacre with full cognizance of what he was doing


if the paper fails in any degree to establish this charge one thing at least it clenrly proves namely that lord ma caulay has been guilty of the grave offence of wilfully falsifying history


our space will not allow us to notice more than one other article in a wellfilled number but wo cannot pass withouj special commendation so remarkable a specimen of sound and graceful criticism as the paper on the novels of jane austen


an improved axlebox for railway purposes has been described before the institution of civil engineers by mr curtis of which the merit con sists in the fact that by a centrifugal action the oil is constantly thrown over the upper side of the axle from the oil chamber to which it slowly trickles on its return filtering on the way through a piece of flannel which separates the impurities


this box has been for some time in use on eight railways in england and in one instance no fresh oil has been poured in for two months


should it be found to answer on further trial we ought not to hear of trains stopping as they do now to give time for the axles to cool


a letter in tho morning post from boston says mr heenan the pugilist and known as the benicia boy will pass the summer at avon springs where he will train for his fight with mr tom sayers


heenan has plenty of pluck but it was thought that in his fight with morrissey he showed a deficiency of phy sical power and that power training and time may supply


he has married his wife is an lii


literary lady but her name is never mentioned


perhaps she is one of the two llv who so astonished martin chuzzlewit and puzzled the hon


elijah pogram


she is said to feel confident of her husbands victory and to anticipate a great triumph over the britisher


so mr sayers must look out for the belt and his laurels


a most curious wager has just come oft in high life in paris


the old viscount de l has just won three thousand francs by playing at billiaids for thrirtysix hours without rest


the viscount is seventytwo years of ago his adversary tho marquis de c much younger man


the conditions included eating aud drinking but always to take place stand ing


at the end of twelve hours the marquis gave in and asked leave to continue with some game to be played sitting


this was acceded to bv tho viscount and piquet was fixed upon j


for twelve hours move the game was kept up when m de c fell asleep nnd the viscount wus declared the winner


court jounvil


a woman not young having heard of the success of kffie carstang in s


louis in reco vering dollars ivn lnr loym deter mined to proceed against a suitor of hor own


she accordingly consulted a lawyer in hioh mond submitting us iho main ovidenco of liis attachment the following billetdoux hat ac companied a bouquet of flowers


dear


i send u by the boy a buckett of flouys


they is like inv love for


the nito shaid menca kepedark the ilog fenil inencs i am ure slaivc


kosis red and poses pail my love for u shall never failo


wcw


vorc papir a curious dispute has nrisen between two english chemists in paris


mr hogg of tho rue castiglione celebrated for his genuine cod liver oil has dared to place over his door that ho purifies the humors calms the irritation and stimulates the torpidity of the british embassy whereupon mr horthose the other english chemist declares that he and none other is ap pointed to fulfil all these tasks and summons mr hogg to take down his signboard to declare that his shop is not the london dispensary and to pay heavy damages for usurpation of titles


mr hogg defends himsolf by deeiaring that london dispensary is a generic titlo for all chemists shops and that he is chemist to the british consulate whose health is quite as valuable to the british public as that of the em bassy and in short just the same thing


not at all returns the advocate engaged for mr shorthose and thereupon enters into a long discussion on the difference of these two institu tions which so exasperated tho court that mr hojrg was condemned to pay franc damages and being imprudent enough to appeal against the sentence found it increased to franca and condemnation to insertion of tho verdict four times in galignani and twice in a french journal


vice in schools and colleges


in a letter addressed by dr seymour to the earl of shaftes bury upon private lunatic asylums and the causes of insanity during the last twentyfive years the doctor says


in universities and the larger schools now called colleges the heaviest penalties ehould be attached to drun kenness in order to check it in the commence ment


of six very remarkable cases which came under my cognizance and in which somo died and the others exchanged a distinguished position and all the advantages of fortune and family for a lunatic asylum four had acquired the habit at a large public school and the others at the university


i was informed this year of no fewer than three belonging to one college in cambridge who died of delirium tremens under twentyone years of age


drinking in convivial parties has greatly diminished but drinking alone or en petit comite has greatly increased within the last thirty years


tho universal prac tice of smoking has also become a remote cause of insanity


to say that smoking in moderation like drinking wine in moderation tends to de stroy mind and body would be to assert what the experience of tkreefourths of the civilised world is opposed to


but no one who is conversant with disease can doubt for a moment that smok ing to excess or immoderately ends in destruc tion of mind and body


some of the revelations on this subject are startling


some young men still in their teens smoke or so cigars daily


some young gentlemen of rank have assured mo that at college they have smoked from in the afternoon until or in the morning for weeks together


the effect of excessive nmoking is to depress the circulation the heart becomes weak


irregular in its action and the pulse is scarcely to be felt


the patient becomes frightened and loses all resolution once a bold rider ho can not mount his horse a carriage passing him ra pidly in the street alarms him his appetite fails j his mind fills with horrors imaginary crimes and imaginary punishments


this slate of things sometimes continues for years


at length the patient dies often very often sud denly


tho case is explained


tho muscular structure of the heart of that organ which is to distribute strength and power to every part of the system is imperfect in its action the left side is thin aud in some cases in which sudden death has occurred there is little more than a strip of muscular fibre left on that side


excessive smoking is a now vice


how many young men at school and college used to smoke fifty years ago


some halfdozen


how many do now


the answer is legion


boys of twelve years old are seen early in tho morning walking the streets with cigars in their mouths


youths have consulted me who have just come from tho new schools now called col leges confessing that they havo been in the habit of smoking constantly and these are lads just hoping to begin the business of life


the means by which the destructive vices of ex cessive drinking and smoking can be most ef fectually checked in the universities of oxford and cambridge is not an easy problem to solve


these institutions have become so commingled with organised holbods of


pre cocious sensuality and brutalising indulgence that it will require nothing less than a tornado of public indignation to purify them


till this possible reformation is accomplished dutiful parents will avoid sending their sons to tho classic banks of isis or of cam unless their de stined career rendeis such a step a necessity


but it may be said are not the new london schools now called colleges to use dr sey mours exptessive though hardly respectful phraseology any better


do we not see as a daily abomination the beardless lads of kings college learning to smoke cutty pipes in drury lane and other low neighbor hoods


are not some low smoking shops and billiard rooms chiefly frequented by hospital pupils and the students attending the various courses of instruction in kings college in the strand and university college in grower afreet t


these disgusting exhibitions exist we admit


it is not in london only that excessive drinking and smoking have become prevalent as school vices


from information recently collected in paris liverpool manchester glasgow edin burgh aberdeen and other towns we have learned that the fact has been attracting general notice


in paris the puny euans de collegcon sundays and holi days in crowds spend all their pocket money m the estaminet


tobacco rather than alcohol is the boys bane in france


the remedies for juvenile follies and excesses are severe physical punishments when moral measures have iailed


let them be freely used by parents and others


this is the proper discipline for these mcorri gibles


the others the vast majority of the delinquent young gentlemen are probably amenable to reason and may yet bo saved if parents and teachers will affectionately and ear nestly explain the fearful hazards to which health and life are subjected by the abuse of tobacco and stimulants before the body is duly knit and matured


weather wisdom


the late marshal bugeaud says the emancipation of brussels when only a captain during the spanish cam paign under napoleon i once read a manuscript which by chance fell into his hands that from observations made in england and florence during a period of fifty yoars tho following law respecting the weather had bean proved true


eleven times ont of twelve the weather re mains the same during the whole moon as it is on the fifth day if it continues unchanged over the sixth day and nine times out of twelve like the fourth day if the sixth resembles the fourth


from to m bugeaud devoted his at tention to agriculture and guided by the law just mentioned avoided the losses in hay time and vintage which many of his neighbors expe rienced


when governor of algiers he never entered on a campaign till after the sixth day of the moon


his neighbors at excideuil and his lieutenant in algeria would often exchum how lucky he is in the weather


what thoy rewarded as more chance was the result of mere observation


in counting the fourth and sixth days he was particular in beginning ironi the cxict time of iho new moon and a hied tlnco miailers of un hour for each day for the greater lnngth of tho lunar as compared with the solar day


aifs iiui ftatrlja


the kiddyswell


chapter i samuel hogginbuck at eightandtwenty was the pride and ornament of the northern road


he had a spanking mare and a green gig and sat with a cigar in his mouth and his grey hat stuck knowingly on one side of his head the whip skilfully poised across his mares flank and his feet stretched out till they touched the inside of the splashhoard


it was impossible for any j person to look more completely genteel


he himself con j srsmtlv pvtirncco llio infnvnal nnnvriorinn fliof lio nrij a i kiddyswell and repeated this opinion so often and backed it with so many oaths that by universal consent it was the name he was known by


it was a beautiful sight to see the kiddyswell trotting along the road on a bright day of june


he seemed to have a secret con sciousness that he had a character to support and in the loneliest places was as erect and as punctilious in the set of his hat and arrangement of his legs as in the midst of fleetstreet


the milestones must have been astonished at seeing so welldressed a man apparently as anxious for their approbation as if they had each been a young lady with a fortune of five thousand pounds only milestones are exceedingly unlike young ladies whether with five thousand pounds or not for they are very unim pressible and accordingly they cared not a sixpence for all the airs and graces the fine clothes and graceful atti tudes of the kiddyswell


he was indeed a very hand some fellow


a large nose which had at one time appa xently determined to be an aquiline but had altered its mind and rolled itself round and round till it was difficult to discover to what order of figures it belonged was as in duty bound the principal feature of his face


when you met him full in front the nose assumed no particular appearance but was lost in the umbrageous forests that extended their depth of shade upon either cheek


itwas only when you got a glimpse of his profile that you were aware of the peculiar rotundity of the feature


and the kiddy swell took an amazing pride in displaying it to the best advantage


this desire was perhaps the cause of a peculiar habit he had of turn ing only one side of his face towards any one he con versed with the reason he assigned for it was that he was a little deaf of one ear but it was unanimously agreed qy all his friends that the excuse about the hear ing was a regular sham for that mr samuel hogginbuck heard as well as his neighbours except when he was not in the humour to hear


his whiskers after extending to the root of the nose and projecting a vast expanse of hair under his chin were continued in a modified form across his upper lip by a belt of mustache


a smaller clump also showed to great advantage in the hollow above his chin so that it was evident to the most cursory observer that he had deeply studied the art of ornamentul planting


his neck belonged to that order of masculine beauty called bull it was very thick and rose from prodigious shoul ders and a chest to whose natural enormous dimensions he thought it necessary to add by stuffing his double breasted coat with two or three handkerchiefs leaving only a small portion of one of them generally a red bandana such as used to sell for half a guinea but now costs not more wholesale than fourandsixperiee pro jecting below the third button


a frame of herculean size with legs more indicative perhaps of strength than elegance completed the outward man of the kiddyswell and a very awkward man to quarrel with you may depend upon it the kiddyswell would have been


but fortunately his good nature was equal to his other perfec tions and his temper was kept in a perpetual glow of universal philanthropy by the sunshine of selfadmiration


r


there are no highways so pleasant to travel on in eng land as the fine smooth levels in the neighbourhood of towcester and few scenes are so interesting and varied asi those you meet with in driving through the crowd of villages that lie on both sides of the road


great hand some halls in stately parks are perhaps more numerous in other quarters but that vicinity has more than its share of jolly little snuggeries in their neat private grounds and whose villages composed of comfortable mansions fit for an alderman to retire to when his active labours lmve gained their fitting reward a plum and a tendency to gout


now a few people have travelled through a country without forming guesses as to the quali ties of a house from its outside appearance but the kiddy swell prided himself beyond all men on his knowledge of stoneandmortar physiognomy


he was a perfect lavatar in mason work


when he saw a fancy cottage in its small domain with diminutive fishpond slopingroofs innumerable gable ends and ivycovered porch he turned up his nose at it with a sneer of disdain spurting out something between his teeth about pride arid rheumatism small bedrooms and homemade wine for he had an in fallible knack of predicating from the shape of the walls and general appearance of a house what style the inhabi tants lived in


a good stout square house with low roof and substan tial pillars at the door was his peculiar delight


thats what i call reglar gentlemolly that is he would say no small beer there best of brown stout and old port wine


to claret and champagne houses he was not par tial their bow windows and trelliced walks and flights of hall steps repelled him french dishes and hock rot them


he would say plated silver dishcovers and powdered footmen ill be bound that ere house never asks a neighbour to step in to his mutton chop on the spur of the moment


no dass say now it sends out its cards a month before all stiffness cold plates and civiliy i hates it


so saying he would gracefully drop the whip on the side of his spanking mare and trot past the object of his i aversion as hard as she could go


but there was some residences that nearly tempted him to pull up altogether to enjoy a longer look at their captivating features


at one part of his journey there was one that always par ticularly struck him


it was a goodsized strawroofed house with closefitting verandah a good useful garden revealing a high fruittree brick wall behind and a neat commodious stable at one side


its walls were coloured yellow its walks trim and graveled seen through a honey suckle hedge that divided it from the shady lane led hos pitably up to the front door at which busy fancy always painted to the kiddyswell a rotund gentleman with a jocund countenance squeezing his hand and telling him dinner was that minute on the table


but fancy pursued her labours without ever calling reality to her assistance and the uninvited guest had always to pursue his journey leaving imaginary old gentlemen to announce unsubstan tial dinners to any person who might be contented with


such unsatisfying food


this cottage he had christened sirloin hall feeling convinced in his own mind if by j any fortunate event the abovementioned old gentleman ever fulfilled the expectation lie had so often raised that that noblest of dishes would be the staple of the feast


but the kiddyswell had cast a wistful eye on sirloin hall four times every year for four years and nothing came of it he began to consider the fat old gentleman a deliberate humbug and had even gone so far as to tell his spanking mare touching her on the flank at the same time with his whip that he considered the old miscreants conduct ungentlemoliy in the extreme


such were the feelings of mr samuel hogginbuck when on the morning of the th of april he left the village of oosley and reflected that in four or five miles after crossing the grand junction he should for the seventeenth time have a vision of sirloin hall


with a waywardness peculiar to great geniuses he made greater exertions than ever to astonish the natives as he called it


though he knew perfectly that there was no more chance of his getting admission to the house than of flying up to the moon


his hat was set with a more knowing cock than ever over his left ear his whip balanced with greater grace his body kept more upright and his feet more ex tended


all his books and patterns were carefully stowed away in the well of his gig which he had ingeni ously contrived to resemble a dog cart by sink ing a square portion of the body below the axle bar and haying a grating fixed in it as if for the admission of air


the deception was still further kept up by the kiddy swells powers of mimicry which were very remarkable in all respects but in giving the tones of a dog in all pos sible varieties of pleasure or pain very nearly miraculous


there were many real dogs that it would have improved very much if they had taken a lesson from his bark


oc casionally just before passing through a village he utter ed such a variety of canine sounds that the most exper ienced sportsman might have been deceived and been persuaded that two firstrate pointers were growling at each other below the seat


the wishedfor sport was drawing near at a turn of the road he knew he should be within sight of the neat iron gate that he should see the gravel walk the honeysuckle hedge the front door the hospitable phantome but no


he was determined to give way no longer to such absurd hallucinations and lighted a fresh cigar with the equanimity of a turk


the turn of the road was gained the gate was seen was passed the front door remained closed and several oaths gathered round the lower part of the kiddyswells throat and produced a fit of coughing from the impossibility of giving utterance to them all


when he had passed about a quarter of a mile and was about to lose sight for ever of the mansion to which he had become so romantically attached he turned right round in his gig to have a better view touched his mare somewhat angrily with the lash and was on the point of giving verit to a powerfully con ceived malediction when a sudden crash recalled him to himself a loud scream broke upon his ear and on looking round he say a pony and little carriage completely turned upside down and


a bundle of silk cloaks and green bonnets squalling most dreadfully in the ditch


to jump down from his gig and lift the living inhabitants of the said cloaks and bonnets from the somewhat unpicturesque attitudes into which the concussion had thrown them to restore them to a position on that portion of the body which habit has accustomed us to walk upon rather than keep elevated in the air to the discomposure of gowns and petticoats to swear at his mares weakness and promise by way of satisfaction to the ladies injured feelings to cut its hide into ribbons all this was the work of a mo ment


but it was the work of far more than a moment to bring the terrified ladies out of the belief with which they had apparently become imbued in the ditch that they were dead women and no longer inhabitants of this lower sphere gradually they returned to a knowledge of their position passing through all the various stages of every limb being crushed to atoms then both legs being broken then at least a couple of ribs and they both seemed somewhat disappointed when they perceived that they had received no damage whatever and that even the carriage had been tilted so neatly over that it had not received a scratch and that the pony lay as happily oh on its back kicking up its heels in the air on the high road as if it had been going through the laborious pro cess of turning over in its own soft paddock at home


gratitude is a powerful feeling in the female breast espe cially towards a young gentleman six feet high and endowed with the captivating qualifications of the kiddy swell


the ladies accordingly far from blaming him as the author of all the mischief considered him only in the light of their preserver


they saw him only in his grace ful character of their rescuer from an untimely grave in a dry ditch and never cast a thought on the furious jehu that had nearly trampled them in the mud


oh sir dont mention it


your kindness is too great


i dont know what we would have done if you had not fortunately been by said one


oh we must have lain in the ditch and perished


chimed in the other but you have saved our lives sir at the risk of your own


can we ever be grateful enough jane


no elizabeth


it is such an escape that wicked pony oh how i wish we were safe at home


is it far off ladies for if it aint any long way about i can take you both into my gig and drive you home with pleasure


oh no said both the sisters we wouldnt risk ourselves in a carriage again


our house is only a few yards off


the first round the corner


what said the kiddyswell the yellow house with the gravel walk honeysuckle hedge iron gate


say no more ill escort you there in a minute


heres a go


he added while he lifted up the pony and carriage blessed if the old boy wont shake me by the hand after all


he fixed his own mare to a gate at the side of the road took the bridle of the pony in his and offering each of the ladies an arm walked with great grace and polite ness towards sirloin hall


the two sisters clung close to his side as if they were afraid somebody else was going to drive them into the ditch and their short ejaculations to each other showed that they scarcely knew whether to wonder most to the misfortune they had experienced or the very agreeable acquaintance they had made


we were just hurrying home to dinner said miss elizabeth


just hurrying home repeated miss jane


we hope


dont we jane


v


yes we do we hope you will replied miss jane


you will stay and join continued miss elizabeth


tl


and join our party today concluded the younger lady


with all my soul replied the kiddyswell bowing alternately to the left and right but presenting his profile as much as possible to each


i shall be too happy


and perhaps we can get some yokel to bring along my mare


shes worth seventy guineas if shes worth a sliil


ling and has done me many a score of miles and will again please the pigs but heres the gate


your father i dare say will hurry to meet us at the door


we have no father said miss elizabeth we live here quite alone


quite alone


thought the gentleman a mighty nice place to hang up ones hat


and with this reflec tion he looked more particularly at his companions than he had yet done


miss elizabeth was tall arid thin with a high nose and lively grey eye


she seemed about five andthirty rather more starched in her manner and with a peculiar turn in the lip which in elderly young ladies who have begun to think there are no young men worthy of them indicates a consciousness of superior goodness but perhaps in miss janes case it arose from a constant habit of saying sharp and witty things for that young lady prided herself on her powers of repartee


pon my soul ladies said the kiddyswell on reach ing the front door i must send for my carpetbag for im in no fit toggery to present myself to the fair sex


this he accompanied with a bow that showed at once he was quite initimate at court


oh never mind your dress sir we are delighted to welcome our deliverer in any apparel he chooses but would you excuse me if i ask who it is we are indebted to for our preservation


ladies said the kiddyswell smilling his sweet est you see before you a general merchant who general merchant


oh dear


im sure were highly honoured half screamed miss jane in the extremity of her surprise


i thought from your appearance you were in the army but a general ho la


elizabeth looked on with extreme awe


she had never seen a general before except a print of sir thomas


s tions will show whether the peojple of the colony are content to receive it as it is or whether they arc desirous of its amendment


if the former they will vote for those candidates who will support the


act in all its integrity for the purpose of giving it as they say a fair trial if tlie latter they will vote for those can didates only who are determined to seek for its immediate altera tion and amendment


of this latter class of candidates i am one


should i receive the honor of being elected as one of your repre sentatives i shall do my best to obtain an immediate alteration vof what is termed the twothirds clauses and the clauses


affecting the distribution of electoral rights


i shall also yote for tho abolition of a nominated second chamber and for the substi tution in its place of one elected by the people as well as for a complete revision and if possible a reduction of the wrongfully obtained and most extravagant pension list


there are many other details of the act which call for revision and improvement to which i should devote my best attention


next in importance to the material interests of the colony s the land question a question


no doubt surrounded witl great and complex difficulties but all of which may be safely oyer come by judicious legislation i shall not now enter into any lengthy exposition of my views on this important subject they have been frequently expressed and long be lore the public


i will merely observe that shall advocate and support any measure which shall afford the greatest facilities for tbe colonists of small capital to obtain land on the easiest and safest terms for it is only by an industrious population extensively engaged i agriccltural pur suits


that ve can eyer hope to become a great and prosperous people


agriculture is the mother of the arts wherever she is encouraged tlie arts and the sciences flourish wherever she is neglected they jnguish and decay


the means of safe and speedy communication from all parts of the interior to


the metropolis of the country or other ports must claim a large share of the attention of the new parliament should i be ejected i would strongly advocate a system of cheap railways which i belieye may be speedily extended to nearly all parts of the interior without casting any extrordinary pecuniary burthens upon the shoulders of tjie people i should be decidedly opposed to incurring any debt for the formation of such railways as


i ani convinced that if a right system be pursued they may be made selfsupporting


i am an advocate for municipal institutions wherever they can he advantageously established believing as


i do that local wants and local grievances can only be supplied and remedied by local knowledge


i am friend to the centralization of power in the hands of the supreme government wherever it has been tried it has proved to be an evil


the more the people have of selfgovern pient the better will they be governed


with respect to religious endowments i am decidedly in favour of what is termed the voluntary system


in my opinion


religion ought to be entirely independent of state support but so long as the existing system continues in operation i would give to each denomination its fair proportion


yvhile however i would ou all fitting occasions advocate the voluntary principle i should ie altogether opposed to any interference with or abridgement of the salaries of those clergymen who are now receiving a stipend from the government


consider that such interference would be an act of the most gross injustice


i think however that the stipend should not be renewed to tho next incumbent but returned to


the revenue of the colony and thus pave the way to the gradual introduction of the voluntary system which i am persuaded would be found beneficial both to tbe clergy and the people


the question of education is one of vast importance one which will require a great deal of serious consideration


to make education truly national that is to say universal it must be based upon liberal and comprehensive principles so as to be brought wiihin the reach of all to whateyer sect or denomination they may belong


ignorance is the bane of society


education founded upon religion is the only sure guarantee for prosperity and free


dom


whilst it should receive the most liberal suppurt fro n tbe funds of the state it should be wholly free from the trammels or influence of the government or of any party and be placed under the management of a central board carefully selected from men of all creeds whose position and education would preemi nently fit them for so onerous and important a trust


these geutlemen are i think the principal topics to which it is necessary for me to allude in this address


i hope to be enabled to visit your district in the course of a short time when i shall be happy to explain more fully tlie principles i entertain and to answer any questions that my e to rae relative to the political views and opinions by which should be guided in the event of xny obtaining a seat in the legislative assembly


have the honour to be gentlemen your faithful and obedient servant edward john iiawksley


sydney january st


the guerillas daughter a tale op spain


by the author of letters of a atoiiowtiiniuc chapter i shortly after the brother of napoleon had usurped the spanish throne having occasion to forward a dispatch ot importance to llit commandantof burgos king joseph selected for the hearer the gallant colonel st muur tlto youngest and at the snnin time the hand somest officer in his sto


the utmost dispatch lieing required st maur took with him buta dozen picked men and quilting madrid at the northwest rodo directly foi ward towards burgos


his line of march lints necessarily included a portion of the castillan mounliins and towards the evening of the day on which lie hitl quilted mudiitl he found himsell


iti tolved in i heir gloomy passes


haing refreshed his little troop at a mise rable cuti where si ur nine and stale kid were the greatest luxuries the young officer returned his march and hy the liglitof the rising moon began to penetrate ihe wilderness before him


u ii moors of guerillas having been son in this vicinity had some lime before hecu preaont in madrid but as a few days


previous a strong detachment of french troops lad crossed the mountains from burgo it was supposed the roads must have been cflectually cleared and st maur roden willi little inxii ty for the safety of his dispatches or his parly but his security was fatally mistaken alter struggling up a precipitous and clrism like road that had the appearance of once having been tho bed of some mountain torrent the little troop suddenly emerged from their dark and perilous way into a scctio of singular and sinking beauty


this was a small plot of table land about an acre in area mil sur l oundell on all sides by abrupt lulls clothed in dark woods


on be opposite side of this lillie pi a foi ni was seen the continuation of the road whit h again plunged into the bowels ol rho mountains and presented to tho eye u black and fathomless abyss


ill moonbeams slept sweetly on the green carpet of this little ainpitliealte and as lim horses of his patty were much blown hy the difficulties of their ascent st maur called a halt and the men dismount ing


loosened the girths of their steeds hat they might profit as nine li as posible tro in their momentary rest


while u this unpre pared eondiiion a uddrn volley of musket r as poured upon the astonished troopers from tho suirounding woods and half their number were immediately stretched upou the turf st maur called lo hoise and icupinginto the saddle led tho remainder ol his parly forward at a gallop hut on reaching ihe opposite side l the area his career was suddenly stop ed by the projecting branches of a number of lirgohrccs thal felled across iho road wi h their branches outwards in the form of an abattit effectually blocked up the way


whilst endeavouring in vain to overcome this diffi culty the gre was still continued and a shot striking the gallant beas on which he rode st maur was precipitated to the earth


as ho lay half stunned willi the fall the fierce cries of death to the french


down with the invaders mingled with the juick clash of meeting steel resounded in his ears


disengaging himself from his fallen horse and drawing his sabre the gallant officer sprang to his feet and gave the aid of his arm to his sinking party


but alor was usles when opposed to such overpowering odds lhere were full fifty guerillas suriouiiding half a dosen fiench one after the other was cut down till none hut st maurand the ser geant of his party remained


yield and take life said the guerilla chief to st maur distinguishing him for an ifllcer by the bullion of his epaulets


st maur would gladly hat o accepted ihe terms but at that moment one of the guerillas a young man who had been cunspicuousin tbeuielee threw himself forward on iho colonel and attai ked him with the greatest fierceness


forbear


kiuaido hold


i say spare him he is worth a ransom


shouted the chief but ricardo suspended not a moment the fufy of his attack lill the poorbergeant pierced by a mortal thrust fell backwards between the coionel and his foe and received in his staggering body a deadly push intended for his commander at the samo


instant a blow on the head from the butt of a spanish musket deprived st maur of bis senses and terminated the contest


upon reviving st maur found himself m dnikness


and moving rapidly ho knew not how


ho very soon discovered howeer that his motion was dependent upon no agency of his own and a little examination showed him that he was lying upon a number of in torlacetl boughs which formed a kind of litter and which asborne by four sturdy guerillas


very shortly he perceived from the reduced pace of his bearers and the alteration in his position that they were acending a steep ac clivity and as they toiled lowly up glimpses of moonlight piercing the foliage of the trees revealed to him further particulars of his po sition and escort


besides his four bearers lie was attended by the guerilla chief and ricardo they walked on cither side of the litter and maintained a perfect silence occa sionally glancing at the prisoner hut cincing no symptoms of concern for his fa to


he whom st maur supposed to be the chief was a man of about fifty tall athletic and with rather a handsome expression of countenance


ri i cardo


so mod not above twenty not so tall as the other but robust and symmetrical in person with regular features and a face that would have been strikingly handsome bul for a certain sullen ferocity that characterised it


they wore both utlired in the pictiuesque ress of guerillas aud carried muskets on their shoulders


after continuing their ascent for about half an hour the party emerged from the obscure road they lind hitherto pursued into the clear radiance of iho moonlight


st maur with out tillering his posilion or betraying any symptoms of revival coud observe the scene


the space they were now traversing was tho sdc ol a green hill of gento acent and per fectly clear of wood being only covered by a oloso green turf


on tho summit of this piotty elevation wai a dark square tower one of llw se romnants of tho moorish rule which so frequently embellish tho mountain scenery of spain


this little fortress was based upon a rock whoso sides seemedneurly perpendicular ami from its posiion being above all the neighbouring heights musl have coin matul uti an extensive view


as the party approached it the deep baying of a dog was heard from the tower and st maur could now perceive a light streaming from ono of its apertures


upon reachiug the foot of tho rock the party commenced their ascent to the tower by an irregular and wind ing light of rudo steps hewn out of the tolid stone


having surmounted these they came loa narrow platform on whih a guerila stootl ns sentinel with his musket shouldered they were now at the foct of tho tower


it was a massive building of stone dark with into and the creeping ivy a low arched door led from the platform into the interior of the fortress and through this was st maur borne by his captors


they entered a largo square hall which was lighted by a lamp suspended from the roof and having as its solo furni ture a few benches and a massive oaken table


this apartment was probably used as the kitchen of the fortress for a blight wood fire blazed in ihe dinney and a large cauldron was suspended over it in attendance on the cauldron was a shriveled oltl woman ugly enough lo have been cook to pluto


st maurs bearer deposited him upon the table and after exchanging a few words with their chief quitted ihe apartment the latter then turned lo the old woman and dispatched her on some errand thus clearing the room of all but li cardo mid the prisoner


he then sealed himself on the table near the head of st maur and observing thal he had opened his oyes inquired in spanish of his wounds


st maur understood him perfectly well but i retended ignorance of the language and ave no reply


the chief then looked to wards ricardo and seemed as far as


looks could speak to n quire his absence but ri cardo appeared disinclined to take the hint


anti remained leaning on his muket at the loot of iho table


the sudden closing of a door was heard in a distant part of the build ing and the chief lising very unceremoni ously told ricardo to quit the room with a very ill grace the latter obeyed


as ricardo retired a door on the opposite side of the quadrangle o cn d and st maur was startled by the vision that appearod


this was a beau iful girl who entering the room sud denly glided across the loor to the old guerilla and throwing her arms about his neck kissed bim fondly upon each check


the old man strained her lo his bosom and his face as lighted up with a sudden gleam of gentian ss and deli lit


my good izi dora ho said


i tim happy for i seo you smile and gentle one thy father has had luck to night we have cut lo pieces a dozen french dog anti have made a good capture behold bim


lzidora turned at her fathers words and gazed upon the woiyided st maur


willi halfclosed eyes the latter returned the scrutiny


she was a beautiful creaturea true maiden of s aintall symmetrical and luxuriant in figure with an oval expressive face cheeks of a rich cloudy hue deepened by the mantling blood toa shadowy ciiuson lips like the ripened cherry in c lor and fulness and an eye black lustrous and melt ing


she was attired in a close iioddice ot scarlet that fi ted tightly to the shape and iqilaycd to full advantage ihe richness of her form a black silk petticoat desoended to without concealing her delicately turned ankles anti a dark gi eon slipper enclosed a faultless little fool iu a thin stocking of black silk


her hair was simply parted on her brow and descended in to long plaits down her back her graceful neck was not encum bered with any thing but a black ribbon which suspended a small golden crucifix upon her bosom her arms were uncovered and exhibited the most beautiful symmetry and roundncks


whilst st mtur was occupied in making these observations the beautiful lzidora was no less attentive to him


after gazing some time on his pale and handsome countenance abo sighed and slightly shuddered nt the sight of the blood which lay congealed in his hair and upon one sitie ot hi face


you um st use your skill upon him said the guerilla addressing his child his ran som will be rich if we can save his life


alas said lzidora ho louks not in a condition to dffir any thing not now replied the old man


but he rill when he comes lo himself you see he continued pointing to the epaulets he has rank ho shall pay us well for his life or or what asked lzidoramournfully


he shall fecel the eagles said ihe chief lzidora applied herself to her tak of dres sing the wounds of the captive with diligence and care


she cut away the ensanguined locks from his head quickly but tenderly anti the old woman before alluded to having brought bandages and a phial of balsam she applied them to the wound with all the skill and celerity of a practised surgeon soatloast thought st maur who had never had a wound dressed so much to his satisfaction before and as her taper fingers passed the bandages about his forehead he considered his broken head a most fortunate adventure


having finished her surgical labors lzidora in a sweet low voice asked her patient if he felt any other injuries


it was with great difficulty st maur restrained himself from answering her in good spanish that he never was better in his life but luckily remember ing the policy of concealment he held his tongue andouly answered the beautiful doc tress by a long and tender gaze which deep ened a little the color on her cheek


appa rently satisfied that he was not mortally wounded lzidora questioned him no farther but presenting a cup to his ups looked a re quest that he would drink had it been poison instead of good valencia as it was st maur would have swallowed every drop as after this pleasant draught the men wiro bud formerly borne him were summoned by the clinf and taking up the litter on which he still lay ihev carried himto a small room containing a bed on this the wounded st maur was deposited aud bein lett by his attendants he immediately fell into a prolound lumber


chapter li


as an officer of napoleon st maur had o course a pretty hard head and this quality o his cranium now did him yeomans service


tn a few days undisturbed quiet and the tentlcratlcntions of the gentle lzidora restored him tt his usual health by means of one of the guerillas band who spoke a lil lu french the terms of tbo ransom wero satisfactorily arranged and ricardo was dispatched willi the necessary documents from st maur to his friends to procuro the specified sum


in the interim the frenchman was loft a piisonerin his room guarded by a sentinel and attended by izidnri


the frequent opportunities thus i nord ed lo st maur of securing the favorable opinion of his fair nurse were not neglected


ho began lo learn spanish very fast anti made snell progress that in ihiee days he could converse ilttenlly in that language


ividora was delighted she at first thought it a miracle and io test his proficiency was con stantly talking to bim


she insisted on being informed how ho had learned so fasthe looked tenderly in her eyes


she could not understand bim and asked him who had taught bim he took her hand and answered love


she instantaneously comprehended him


in the confidence which was established betvvoen them lzidora gave her friend ihe history of her father


he was a poor hidalgo with the title of don hemiquez audrea at the lime of the french invasion occupied


little patrimony at the fool of the mountains


the french had made his home desolate and his only child andrea retired to ilia moun


tains anti soon collected around him a little band composed like himself of mon who had private injury as well as national animosity to stimulate their hatred of the invaders


but besides his enmity to the french there was another motive which tecommended to andr a the guerilla life he was immoderately fond of money and ho found that his new pro fession was better adapted for acquiring it than his former sleepy but perhaps honester life


and who asked st maur is ricar do


izdora blushedand looked again ile isa fiicnd she said of my fathers


and of thine too gento lzidora asked st maur


he is rich she replied with a sigh


and can his riches recommend him to thee


they do to my father


they were alone st maur approached her and holding her passivohand botween boiboi his spoko as he felt the language of love


she listened io bim and when at last his arm en circled her waist anti sim was pressed ten elerly uo his breast she did not repulse his cuibiace but dropping her mantling cheek upon his shoulder murmured words sweet and indistinct like the hum of bees among flowers


anti will you be mine said st maur


i will speak lo don henriqurz i am noble as himself and i am richho will not then rcftie


lzidora burst into tears


oh


she cried you know not my father ho loves me dom tyyesdeatly but rather than seo me ihe bride of a frenchman he would stab me in his arus


iknov him well


st maur kissed off her tears and assured as he was of her passionate heart had little difficulty in pcrmiaditiir her to escape with him from the tower


their plan was soon arrangetl anti was to be put into execution with the coming night


the moon was just riding over the moun tains when st maur opened his littlo case nient and cast his eye into lie shadow below


the rock on which the tower was built was nearly perpendicular and no hum m being could hope to survive ho desperate leap to the greund


the providence of womans love had furnished st maur with a cord of suffi cient length to reach front the window to the grountl


one end of this he made fast to a ring secured in the wall and the remainder he lowered gently down titi face of the rock


when all was out he held the rope in his hand for a few seconds till he distinctly felt a quirk sharp pull


immediately hecotu nienced his descent this wa not difpcult as sisted as he was by tho inequalities of the rock


he reached the ground in safety and found lzidora awaiting him ho pressed her eagerly to his heart but she gently reproved him and in a whisper told him to follow her


they descended the hill on vhich the tower wassituated without incurring much risk of discovery as the moon was yet low and her shadow lay upon that side of the mountain


the fugitives soon reached a narrow path that wound through a wood pursuing his with all peed after about an hours fatiguing walk they emerged upon the direct road to madrid


they now considered themselves in com parative s ifety a few miles further was a mountain farm where lzidora doubled not they could procure mules for the completion of their journey


in pious gratitude for their success the poor girl threw herself upon her knees in the flinty road and returned thanks to the virgin anti n whole army of saints for their friendly assistance gissing her crucifix at every pause st maur knelt by her ide and though his saintly acquaintance was not so extensive as lxidoras yet ho endeavoured to make up by fervency forhis defiency and every time that lzidora kissed the crucifix he kissed her refreshed hy these devotions they roe invigorated for the journey


this was per formed at a rapid pace for st maur was a good walker and lzidora had been so well trainetl in mountain exercise that shewas fully equal to him


they had continued thus pushing on rapidly speaking lillie and only stopping occasionally to look in each others eyes when the distant bayitig of a hound smote their cars


lzidora turned deadly palo and placed her trembling band upon the arm of her companion


they listened again came the fatal cry upon the wind


my father gasped lzidora and fell into her lovers arms


he endeavoured to reas sure her


look op love he said the house you told mo of is near


that cry if it tell of pursuit assures us it is yet far distant we shall have ample time to reach the farm you assure mc we are safe


be brave then sweet


for a little time and ill will be well


comforted by his words and supported by his arm the trembling girl again mastered her scattered strength and pursued their fight


but it was destined to a speedy interruption f


making a still tien turn of the road they saw full before them in the bright moonlight iii cardo


he had successfully accomplished his mission nt madrid an


i was now on his return willi theransom


the sight of the fugitives was lohis ferocious and jealous heart a vision of hell


d d frenchman


ho muttered lowering his musket


another moment ntid the ball had passed through st mams body but lzidora threw herself before him and caught tho muzzle of the presented piece in her grasp


st maur drew his sabre and sprang al the spaniard who snatching the musket hastily fioin the hands of lzidora in i his eagerness pulled tho triggervero the bar rel was level with the hotly of his opponent and the ball whitled harmlessly through the trees above


ricardo dropped his mukel and drew his sabre and a close conflict imme diately commenced but it was btiot


the superior skill of st maur enabled bim to twit the weupon from his adversarys grasp and ricardo stood defenceless before his enemy


st maur was about to plunge iho steel in his heart when lzidora shrieked spare him


spare him


the frenchman pnusctl spaniard he said if i give you life will you swear not to betray or puisne us i swear it ciied ricardo


enough an swered st maur jf lake your sword anti pur sue your way but renumber your oath


ricardo sheathed his rcc vered blado and passed on but lzidora shuddered at his part ing glance


by ibis time the cry of the hound was heard close at baud st maur saw it was in vain to j ursue lite open road as they must soon be overtaken and supposed he might find safety by securing some inaccessible position in the mountains


with this view he took hie trem bling lzidora in his arms and


lunged into the woqd that bordered tho road


in a short time theroar and thedah of a ni nintuin torrent met h sear and he immediately beat his steps in the direc ion of the sound


he soon reached the scene of tumult it was wild and gloomy in the extreme


a mass uf abrupt and jagged rocks stood before bim their sides hollowed into numerous caverns feahering their summitt lielwecn st maur and this rugged of natures building was an impenetrable chasm in the depths of which the roar of the torrent wns heard like the groans of a struggling giant


the chasm was many feet wi le at its narrowest part and al first appean d totally impassable but upon a closer examination st maur discovered a prostrate tree that had been uprooted by the wind aud which hail fallen across the abyss


this was a tearful bridge bulafter assuring himself that there was no other means of passing the chasm the intrepid frenchman resolved to cross it


ho determined first to the attempt alone and after straining to his heart ihe trembling lzidora and exer cising all his persuasion to induce her to re main lill he should have ascertained the se curity of tho footing be sat her down beside the chasm and sprung upon the prostrate tree ii swayed anil trembled beneath his weight whilst its circular surface afluded tho most insecure fooling the torrent roired below the wind whistled in gusts through the rocks and rendered his passage still mere difficult


bat ho was not lo be dismayed ho had laced death often in tho cause of glorywhat could he not dofor love


he passed the gulf in safety and found ou the opposite side a dark cavern that o


ile red the means of temporary concealment


returning over the chasm with renewed hope he raised izidora in his arms


she was deadly pale anti her hands hat cou vulsively grasped his neck ivero cold as ice but she neiiher spoke nor moved


trembling himself for ihe saletyof his precious burden st mour commenced iho perilous passage


the tree bent and shook yet more than be foreiho wind blow srtigeriho torrent howled more fiercely yet the bravo man kept his course


they had reached the centre of the trail bridge when on the wailing gusl carne tho bay of a hound lzidora started in lier loveras armshis equilibrium was de stroyedhe swayed back anti forth a thou


sand fibras ilaslied before his eyes the tor rout beneath like some enraged monster seemed to rear up for its prey and gnashed its horrid teeth and dashed ils envenomed foatii in his face reason forsook hima hor rible desperation alone animated his heart be dashed madly forward


had the hand of some pitying angel supported bimi he stood safe ou the opposite side of the chasmi lzidora had fainted st maur conveyed her into iho cavern and then endeavoured to dislodge the trco that had so essentially served him but all his efforts were in vain the fallen trunk was wedged immovably between two fragments of rock it could not be dis placed


s


maur desisted fiom his futile labour and listened the cry of the hound was approaching he cast his eyes around to as


certain his position anti then said to himself this pass must be defended


ho drew his sabre and sat down behind a mass of rock that concealed him frgfti any eye on the oppo site side of the chasm but a few minutes elapsed before the cry of the fatal bloodhound was again heard and evidently much nearer voices were soon dis distinguished and presently alter einer ing from the rugucd wood androa and ricardo stood upon iho opposite side of the chasm


false spaniard muttered st maur as he distinguished ti latter thou hast paid mu ill for thy life


andrea held in a leash the hound that had tracked the fugitives


it was a large noble specimen of its species and pulled hard at the leash as it endeavoured to struggle to the bridge


a flor a few momenta consultation tho chief slipped the dog and he immediately dashed over the fallen tree


st maur kept quiet lill the fierce beast had reached the side of the abyss and then willi a single welldirected blow of his sabre cleft his skull uttering one wild bowl ho tumbled into the foaming torrent


st maur could hoar the shout of his opponents as thuy saw the fute of their guide and ho saw them spring together upon ihe tree


ricardo was first closely followed by andrea they stepped firmly and quickly across as if accustomed to such dangerous footing


as they neared the brink st maur stood before them


his opponents were without irearms and he feared not the odds


situated as they were they seemed at his mercy but ricardo by a sudden and vigorous spring to one side ot the position occupied by st maur reached the rugged side of the chasm and clinging by his hands endeavoured to raise himself up


st maur turned aside to cut him down when andrea with the agility of a ligerpritog upon bini sword in hand and commenced a desperate assault


it required all the skill of st maur to oppose the fierce chief whilst in the mean time ricardo was struggling up aud wonld soon join ihe conflict


not a mo moni was to be ins and thinking that in a trial of physical strength he shouldhavethe advantage over old guerilla st maur sud denlysprung with his guardanti seized him inhis grasp


tho struggle was now close and deadly both had dropped their weapons each grasped tho other by the throat and each sought to bear his adversary to iho brink of the abyss


ricardo saw the slate of he contest and strained every nerve to gain the level rocic


and be would have succeeded his head was already seen abovo the edge of ihe chasm with rage and revenge glaring in his eye when lzidora rashed from the cavern snatched up ono of tho masteries weapons and plunged it in his throat


his hands re laxed thoir holdhe cast onehorrid glance upon tho franticgiiland fell backwards into the howling water


the death strugglo went on


st maur had fbuntl himself deceived in supposing his strength superior to the guerillas they were equally matched


they stood upon the very bri k of ihe abyss when st maur rousing all his energies for one desperate effort gra dually beut himself down and then with a sudden jerk lifted the guerilla from his feel anti hurled him into the gulf


but the con text was not yet decided so tenacious vas the grasp of andrea upon his ailvcisiys throat that when precipitated himelf into ihe yawn ing deep ho drew his enemy along with him


st maur hid baroly tim to seize a young mountain ash thal was rooted beside the abyss ore he found his footing gone and himself still in the gi asp of his desperate enemy dangling over the howling waters sustained alone by his frail h dil


since the blow w ieli had dsnissed ricar do to his accouir iidora had stood silently gazing ou tho falal struggle between her father and her lover


she seemed petrified with horror her face was of a deathly whiteness her eye fixed and straining from its socket every limb every muscle rigid and motion less whilst her long hair srenming in the wind gave a yet wilder horror


lo her appear


ance


but the moment the fierce eueiies disappeared over tho edge of the chasm she rushed forward and leaning ov r the brink gazed upon the still continued struggle


the righi hand of st maur grasped the bending ashhis the throat of his adversary the guerilla had seized the lower part of the same tree with his left hand whilst his right still clutched tho throat of st maur


so they hung and clung together and iho contest must bo determined by the tenacity of their grasp


but lzidora saw that the frail tree which supported the combatants was gradually losing its hold of the earth the root was parting from its rocky bed another moment both must perishowe might lie saved


the moon was shining brighly and is beams fell on her fathers face it was blackened with the grasp of his adv ersary but it was still the taee of her father


the face that had smiled upon the infant caressesthe face that her mother had loved j iho root was parting


m maurs face was turnedfrom her she could not see it


hark


the fmes crack the sabie is in her handit flashes in the moonlight it


descends pon the bund of fit


maur


the fingers aro hackedthey relax their grasp anti he swings now


only supported by hi hold on his enemy


but now his face is


turned upwards lie sees who li is slain him one look and he drops into the howling abyss


the strained ash relieved of half its burden secutely supports what remains anti the guerila struggles to the sido of his child


hu presses her in his arms nn i sheds warm cars upon her cheek but she still remains motionless still gaaea into that black gull still sees ho last look ot him she had loved and murdered


suddenly she springs to her feether hand is pressed lo her heart a wild long shriek bursts from her lips and she leaps iu o the abyss


the eagle roused by that shriek of death soars through the air anti answers it with his wild screamtlie tor rent loars tinthe guerilla stands aonc


calcutta rs it ispopulation


a belief had lung been prevalent that calcutta was a thickly popu lated town ami some entura es made the number of inha bitanis amount to nea ly half a million while in the loose language of conversation we have known double tint num ber mentioned as bein within the truth


recent and ac curate surveys however luve sufficiently established the fact that its resident population does not much deed two hundred and twenty thousandcomposed within the nioner limits of the citywhich stretch foi a dstauce of four miles along the banks of the river and to about one mile and a half at theare itest ext tision inland


the old euora upon ibis subject whence flowed so much exaggeration arose on doubt from an observamu on the part of the calculation of the immense number of daysojourners whom lliey un enquiringly took for regular inhabitants instead of discover ing them


io be the result of the vast influx of people f oni the adjacent villages who have employment town or who attend the maikcts with the produce of their gardens or fields and to procuie thoe necessaries which in the firs instance are all swept into the calcutta mailcet


from the cause the place appears to be swarming with population and as besides the men who happen to be unemployed ate more in the habit of lounging or lying about the streets than of keeping wibin theirhouses the observer who trusted lo his ejes merely fur ihe formation fa census would arrive at a farhigher calculation than the more systematic inves tigator iilto


censual ti ulh


i he following tabular estimates made in the year upon the recognised principles by the superintendent of police ond insetted in dr martins medical topography of calcutta exh bits at one view the numl er and classified description ot the then popula tion english prusians portugu fiench chinese


armenians jews western mahonedans bengal mahomedaos western hindoo bengal hindoos moguls payees arabs mugs madrassees native christians low castes total two hundred and twenty nine thousand


among this great variety of the human race there is little or no collsion in the important struggle lor the obtainraent of subsistence and hence in a great measure arises ihu blessing of internal public tranquilily which is uniformly expetienced in lins magnificent yet motleypeo led capital


no one class inlet fires io any objectionable way willi the pursuits or another but on the contrary the course of occupation causes eich class to assisi the others for the promotion of its own individual interest and caste climate and prejudice effect as true and politic a division of labour as meditation and design luve be n able to do in kngland


in india the system basils evil as well as its good


the evil is ihe prevention ol competition and improvement in ihe different profusions to which the natives incline


in england every man can follow any trade he pleases bul in india the son olthe tailor may not becomuathoemaker nor must the family of the blacksmith recruit the ranks ol the carpenter


if a washeiman were starving for wautof employment he would never dream of turning baiber though in his neighbourhoud there might be a paucity of the chattering tribe nor would a starving barber seek a livelihood by starling as a watercarrier


we have here rpoken of the classes of tribes hut among the ti ibes themselves lhere is nearly the same separation of pursuit and the same variation of means of attaining the one great and cottnion endof subsistence


when the reader pe rused the numeiical list of which we have been bri fly describing the component parts be was probably struck with the small number of english which indeed are bareu in proportion to the remainder of honest jack falstaff bread to his more latgely patronized sack and it undoubt


edly forms a political picture of the highest inteiest and without parallel in history to find a small knot of men ap parently differing but in complexion and that perhaps a disadvantage in a climatic point ol view from the masses around them aid yet holding those thousands and lent of thousands in unsruggliug subjection to their political will


hut the philosopher ii aware that these men though phj ijcally infeiior to the multi ude around them are points compared with that multitude in intellect and knowing that knowledge a power he ceases to wonder at their high supremacyoikntal utrald for june


personal adventures of master humphrey


the old curiosity shopchapter xxxix


all that day though he waited for mr abel until evening kit kept clear of his motllers house determined not to anticipate by the slihtest approach the pleasures of the morrow but to let them come in their full rush of delight for tomorrow was the great and long looked for epoch in his life tomorrow was tile end of his first quarterthe day of receiving for the first time one fourth part of his annual income of six pounds in one vast sum of thirty shillings tomorrow was to be a half holiday devoted to a whirl of entertainments and little jacob was to know what oysters meant and to see a play


all manner of incidents combined in favor of the occasion not only had mr and mrs garland forewarned him that they intended to make no deduction for his outfit from the great amounot but to pay it him unbroken in all its gigantic grandeur not only had the unknown gentleman increased the stock by the sum of five shillings which was a per feet godsend and in itsell a fortune not only had these things come to pass which nobody could have calculated upon or in their wildest dreams have hoped but it was barbaras quarter toobarbaras quarter that very dayand barbara had a half holiday as well as kit and barbaras mother was going to make one of the party and to take tea with kits mother and cultivate her acquaintance


to be sure kit looked out of his window very early that morning to see which way the clouds were flying and to be sure barbara would have been at hers too if she had not sat up so late overnight starching and ironing small pieces of muslin crimp ing them into frills and sewing them on to other pieces to form magnificent wholes for next days wear


but they were both up very early for all that and had small appetites for breakfast and less for dinner and were in a state of great excitement when barbaras mother came in with astonishing accounts of the fineness of the weather out of doors but with a very large umbrella notwithstanding for people like barbaras mother seldom make holiday without one and when the bell rung for them to go up stairs and receive their quarters money in gold and silver


well wasnt mr garland kind when he said christopher heres your money and you have earned it well and wasnt mrs garland kind when she said


barbara iheres yours and im much pleased with you and didnt kit sign his name bold to his receipt and didnt barbara sign her name all a trembling to hers and wasnt it beautiful to see how mrs garland poured out barbaras mother a glass of wine and didnt barbaras mother speak up when she said fleres blessing you maam as a good lady and you sir as a good gentleman and barbara my love to you and heres towards you mr christopher and wasnt she as long drinking it as if it had been a tumblerfull and didnt she look genteel standing there with her gloves on and wasnt there plenty of laughing and talking among them as they reviewed all these matters upon the top of the coach and didnt they pity the people who hadnt got a holiday i but kits mother againwouldnt anybody have supposed she had come of a good stock and been a lady all her life


there she was quite ready to receive them with a display of teathings that might have warmed the heart of a chinashop and little jacob and the baby in such a state of perfection that their clothes looked as good as new though heaven knows they were old enough


didnt she say before they had sat down five minutes that bar


baras mother was exactly the sort of lady she expected and didnt barbaras mother say that kits mother was the very picture of what she had expected and didnt kits mother compliment barbaras mother on barbara and didnt barbaras mother compliment kits mother on kit and wasnt barbara herself quite fascinated with little jacob and did ever a child show off when he was wanted as that child did or make such friends as he made and we are both widows too i said barbaras mother


we must have been made to know eachl other


i havent a doubt about it returned mrs nubbles


and what a pity it is we didnt know each other sooner


but then you know its such a pleasure said barbaras mother to have it brought about by ones son and daughter that its fully made up for


now ant it


to this kits mother yielded her full assent and tracing things back from effects to causes they naturally reverted to their deceased husbands respecting whose lives deaths and burials they compared notes and discovered sundry circum stances that tallied with wonderful exactness such as barbaras father having been exactly four years and ten months older than kits fatlher and one of them having died on a wednesday and the other on a thursday and both of them hiaving been of a very fine make and remarkably goodlooking with other extraordinary coincidences


these recollec tions being of a kind calculated to cast a shadow on the brightnessof the holiday kit diverted the con versation to general topics and they were soon in great force again and as merry as before


anmong other things kit told them about his old place and the extraordinary beauty of nell of whom he had talked to barbara a thousand times already but the last named circumstance failed to interest his hearers to anything like the extent he had supposed and even his mother said looking accidently at barbara at the same time that there was no doubt liss nell was very pretty but she was but a child after all and there were many young wvomen quite as pretty as she and barbara mildly observed that she should tlhilnk so and that she could never help believing mr christopher must be under a mistake which kit wondered at very much not being able to conceive what reason she bad for doubting hiim


barbaras mother too observed that it was very common for yoing folks to change at about fourteen or fifteen and whereas they had been very pretty before to growv up quite plain which truth sihe illustrated by many forcible examnples especially one of a young man who being a builder wih greats prospects had been particular in his attentions ton barbara but whom barbara would have nothing to say to which though everything happened for the best she almost thought was a pity


kit said he thought so too and so he did honestly and he won dered what made barbara so silent all at once and why his mother looked at him as if lie shouldnt have said it


however it was high time now to be thinking of the play for which great preparation was required in the way of shawls and bonnets not to mention one handkerchief full of oranges and another of apples which took some time tying up in conse luence of the fruit having a tendency to roll out at the corners


at length everything was ready and they went off very fast kits mother carrying the baby who was dreadfully wide awake and kit hold ing little jacob in one hand and escorting barbara with the othera state of things which occasioned the two mothers who walked behind to declare that they looked quite family folks and caused barbara to blush and say now dont mother


but kit said she had no call to mind what they said and indeed she need not have had if she had known how very far from kits thoughts any lovemaking was


poor barbara


at last they got to the theatre which was astleys and in some two minutes after they had reached the yet unopened door little jacob was squeezed flat and the baby had received divers concussions and bar baras mothers umbrella had been carried several yards off and passed back to her over the shoulders of the people and kit had hit a man on the head with the handkerchief of apples for scrowdging his parent with unnecessary violence and there was a great uproar


but when they were once past the payplace and tearing away for very life with their checks in their hands and above all whenthey were fairly in the theatre and seated in such places that they couldnt have had better if they had picked them out and taken them beforehand all this was looked upon as quite a capital joke and an essential part of the entertainment


dear dear what a place it looked that astleys


with all the paint gilding and looking glass the vague smell of horses suggestive of coming wonders the curtain that hid such gorgeous mysteries the clean white sawdust down in the circus the company coming in and taking their places the fiddlers look ing carelesely up at them while they tuned their instruments as if they didnt want the play to begin and knew it all beforehand


what a glow was that which burst upon them all when that long clear brilliant row of lights came slowly up and what was the feverish excitement when the little bell rang and the music began in good earnest with strong parts for the drums and sweet effects for the triangles


well might barbaras mother say to kits mother that the gallery was the place to see from and wonder it wasnt much dearer than the boxes and well might barbara feel doubtful whether to laugh or cry in het flutter of delight


then the play itself


the horses which little jacob believed from the first to be alive and the ladies and gentlemen of whose reality beocould be by no means persuaded having never seen or heard anything at all like themthe firing which made barbara wink the forlorn lady who made her crythe tyrant who made her tremblethe man who sung tlhe song with the ladysmaid and danced the chorus who made her laughthe pony who reared up on his hind legs when he saw the murderer and wouldnt hear of walking on all fours again until he was taken into custodythe clown who ventured on such familiarities with the military man in boots the lady who jumped over the nineandtwenty ribbons and came down safe on the horses back everything was delightful splendid and surprising


little jacob applauded till his hands were sore kit cried ankor at the end of everything the threeact piece included and barbaras mother beat her umbrella on the floor in her ecstacies until it was nearly worn down to the gingham


in the midst of all these fascinations blarbaras thoughts seemed to have been still running upon what kit had said at tea time for when they were coming out of the play she asked him with an hysterical simper if miss nell was as handsome as the lady who jumped over the ribbons


as handsome as her said kit


double as handsome


oh christopher


im sure she was the beau tifullest creature ever was said barbara


nonsense i returned kit


she was well enough i dont deny that but think how she was dressed and painted and what a difference that made


why you are a good deal better looking than her barbara


olt christopher i said barbara looking down


you are any day said kit and sos your mother


poor barbara


i what was all this thougheven all thisto the extraordinary dissipation that ensued when kit walking into an oystershop as bold as if he lived there and not so much as looking at the counter or the man behind it led his party into a boxa private box fitted up with red curtains white tablecloth and cruet stand completeand ordered a fierce gen tleman with whiskers who acted as waiter and called himhim christopher nubblessir to bring three dozen of his largest sized oysters and to look sharp about it


yea kit told this gentlemen to look sharp and he not only said he would look sharp but he actually did and presently came run ning back withll thie newest loaves and the freshest butter and the largest oysters ever seen


tlhent said kit to this gentleman a put of beerjust ss and the gentleman instead of replying sir did you address thlat language to me only said pot o beer sir


yes sir and went off and fetched it and put it on the table in a small decanter stand like those which blind mens dogs carry about the streets in their months to catch the halfpence in and both kits mother and barbarasamother declared as hie turned away that he was one of the slimmest and gracefullest young men they had ever looked upon


then they fell to work upon the sltpper in earnest and there was barbara that foolish barbara de claring that she couldnt eat more thaoi twoi and wanting mnore pressing than you would belidve before she could oat four though her mother and kit a mother made up for it pretty vwell dind ate and laughed and enljoyed thetuseflves so tiroroughly that it did kit good to see thems and made himu laughl and eat likewise from strong sympathy


ibut the greatest miracle of the night was little jacob who ate oysters as if he had been born and bred to the business sprinkled the pepper and vinegar with a discretion beyond his years and afterwards built a grotto on the table with the shells


there was the baby too who had never closed an eye all night but had been as good as gold trying to force a large orange into his mouth and gazing intently at the lights in the chandelierthere he was sitting up in his mothers lap


staring at the gas without winling and making indentions in his soft vinge with an oystershell to that degree thlht a heart of iron must have loved him


in short there never was a more successful supper and when kit ordered in a glass of something hot to finish with and proposed mr and mrs garland before sending it round there was not six happier people in the world


but all happiness has an end hence the chief pleasure of its next beginning and as it was now growing late they agreed it was time to turn their faces homewards


so after going a little out of their way to see barbara and barbaras mother safe to a friends house where they were to pass the night kit and his mother left them at the door with an early appointment for returning to finchley next morning and a great many plans for next quarters enjoyment


then kit took little jacob on his back and giving his arm to his mother and a kiss to the biahy they all trudged merrily home together


to be continued


ilcaiter pltitpbrrig eiorct


i personal adventures of masfer hum pitrey


titi old curiosity siiopchiaprter xxiv


it was not until they were quite exhausted and could no longer maintain the pace at which they had fled from the race ground that the old man and the child ventured to stop and sit down to rest upon the borders of a little wood


here though the course was hidden from their view they could yet faintly distinguish the noise of distant shouts the hum of voices and the beating of drums


climbing the eminence which lay between them and the spot they had left the child could even discern the fluttering flags and white tops of booths but no person was approaching towards them and their restingplace was solitary and still


some time elapsed before she could reassure her trembling companion or restore him to a state of moderate tranquillity


ilis disordered imagination represented to him a crowd of persons stealing towards them beneath the cover of the bushes lurking in every ditch and peeping from the boughs of every rustling tree


he was haunted by apprehensions of being led captive to some gloomy place where he would be chained and scourged and worse than all where nell could never come to see him save through iron bars and gratings in the wall


his terrors affected the child


separation from her grandfather was the greatest evil she could dread and feeling for the time as though go where they would they were to be hunted down and could never be safe but in hiding her heart failed her and her courage drooped


n one so young and so unused to the scenes in which she had lately moved this sinking of the spirit was not surprising


but nature often enshrines gallant and noble hearts in weak bosomsoflenest god bless her in female breastsand when the child casting her tearful eyes upon the old man rememsbered how weak he was and how destitute r and helpless he would be if she failed him her heart swelled within her and animated her with new strength and fortitude


i we are quite safe now and have nothing to fear indeed dear grandfather she said


nothing to fear returned the old man


no thing to fear if they took me from thee


nothing tofear if they parted us


nobody is true to me


i no not one


not even nell


oh i do not say that replied the child for if ever anybody was true at heart and earnest i am


i am sure you know i am


then how said the old man looking fearfully round how can you bear to think that we are safe when they are searching for me everywhere and may come here and steal upon us even while were i talking because im sure we have not been followed said the child


judge for yourself dear grand


i father look round and see how quiet and still it is


we are alone together and may ramble where we like


not safe could i feel easydid i feel at i ease when any danger threatened you


true true he answered pressing her hand but still looking anxiously about


what noise i was that


a bird said the child flying into the wood and leading the way for us to follow


you remem ber that we said we would walk in woods and fields and by the side of rivers and how happy we would i beyou remember that


but here while the sun shines above our heads and everything is bright and happy we are sitting sadly down and losing time


see what a pleasant path and theres the bird the same birdnow he flies to another tree and stays to sing


come


when they rose up from the ground and took the shady track which led them through the wood she bounded on before printing her tiny footsteps in the moss which roseelastic from so light a pressure and gave it back as mirrors throw off breath and thus


she lured the old man on with many a backward look and merry beck now pointing stealthily to some dlone bird as it perched and twittered on a branch that strayed across theirpath now stopping to listen to the songs that broke the happy silence or watch the sun as it trembled through the leaves and steal ing in among the ivied trunks of stout old trees opened long pathsof light


as they passed onward parting the boughs that clustered in their way the serenity which the child had first assumed stole into her breast in earnest the old man cast no longer fearful looks behind but felt at ease and cheerful for the further they passed into the deep green shade the more they felt that tihe tranquil mind of god was there and shed its peace on them


at length the path becoming clearer and less in tricate brought them to the end of the wood and into a public road


taking their way along it for a short distance they came to a lane so shaded by the trees on either ihand that thley met together over head and arched thie narrow way


a broken finger post announcedthat this led to a village three miles off and thlither they resolved to bend their steps the miles appeared so long that tlhey sometimes thomght they must have missed their road


but at jast to their great joy it led downward in a steep descent with overhanging banks over which tihe footpaths led and the clustered houses of the village peeped out fromt thie woody hollow below


it was a very smaill place


the men and boys were playing at cricket on the green and as the other folks were looking on they wandered up and down uncertain whete to seek an humble lodging


there was but one old man in the little garden before his cottage and him they were timid of approaching for ihe was the schoolmaster and had school written up over his window in black letters on a white board


he was a pale simple looking man of a spare and meagre habit and sat among his flowers and beehives smoking his pipe in the little porch before his door


speak to him dear the old man whispered


i am almost afraid to disturb him said the child timidly


he does not seem to see us


perhaps if we wait a little he may look this way


they waited but the schoolmaster cast no look towards them and still sat thoughtful and silent in the little porch


he had a kind face


in his plain old suit of black he looked pale and meagre


s


they fancied too a lonely air about him and his house but perhaps that was because the other peo l ple formed a merry company upon the green and he t seemed the only solitary man in all the place


they were very tired and the child would have been bold enough to address even a schoolmaster a but for something in his manner which seemed to denote that he was uneasy or distressed


as they stood hesitating at a little distance they saw that he


i sat for a few minutes at a time like one in a brown study then laid aside his pipe and took a few turns s in his garden then approached the gate and looked t towards the green then took up his pipe again with a sigh and sat down thoughtfully as before


as nobody else appeared and it would soon be dark nell at length took courage and when he tad resumed his pipe and seat ventured to draw near leading her grandfather by the hand


tile slight


i noise they made in raising the latch of the wicket t gate caught his attention


he looked at them kindly but seemed disappointed too and slightly i shook his head


nell dropped a curtsey and told him they were poor travellers who sought a shelter for the night which they would gladly pay for so far as their means allowed


the schoolmaster looked earnestly at her as she spoke laid aside his pipe and rose up directly


if you could direct us anywhere sir said the child we should take it very kindly


you have been walking a long way said the schoolmaster


a long way sir the child replied


youre a young traveller my child he said laying his hand gently on her head


your grand child friend aye sir cried the old man and the stay and comfort of my life


come in said the schoolmaster


without further preface he conducted them into his little schoolroom which was parlour and kitchen likewise and told them they wore welcome to remain under his roof till morning


before they had done thanking him he spread a coarse white cloth upon the table with knives and platters and bringing out some bread and cold meat and a jug of beer besought them to eat and drink


the child looked round the room as she took her seat


there were a couple of forms notched and cut and inked all over a small desk perched on four legs at which no doubt the master sat a few dogseared books upon a high shelf and beside t them a motley collection of pegtops balls kites fishing lines marbles halfeaten apples and other t confiscated property of idle urchins


displayed on hooks upon the wall in all their terrors were the cane and ruler and near them on a small shelf of its own the dunces cap made of old newspapers and decorated with glaring wafers of the largest size


but the great ornaments of the walls were certain moral sentences fairly copied in good round text and wellworked sums in simple addition and multiplication evidently achieved by the same hand which were plentifully pasted all round the room for tile double purpose as it seemed of bearing tes timony to the excellence of the school and kindling a worthy emulation in the bosoms of the scholars


yes said the old schoolmaster observing that her attention was caught by these latter specimens


thats beautiful writing my dear


very sir replied the child modestly is it yours


mine


he returned taking out his spectacles and putting them on to have a better view of the triumphs so dear to his heart


i couldnt write like that nowadays


no


theyre all done by one hand


a little hand it is not so old as yours but a very olever one


as the schoolmaster said this he saw that a small blot of ink had been thrown on one of the copies so he took a penknife from his pocket and going up to the wall carefully scraped it out