stranger from over the far waters morning flower thought once to avenge upon thee the wounds of the yoiing eagle


but blaekgown has pardoned the wrongs of the mohawk girl


thou hast told us of the glory of forgiving and loving our enemies tulhisaga thou art the enemy of the mohawk but morning flower doth not hate thce


heaven bless thee my child and lead thee through the merits of him who died upon the cross to the way of salvation preserving thee from trials and sufferings said the jesuit sadly but fer vently


the indian gill placed herself upon the grass and looked up into his face affectionately as if to a father and said as she caught the mournful ex pression upon the countenance of the priest blackgown thou hast told me that each one shall bear his cross as the saviour of whom thou spcakest bore his


blackgown tliou art bound unto thy cross


in a moment the sad expression passed from the features of the jesuit and with a holy enthusiasm he exclaimed


oh god


in the midst of sorrow and tribulation thou dost send down consolations unspeakable to thy servant by the mouth of this wild maiden thou hast uttered to me words of sweet and saving import thou hast strengthened me thou hast can soled


oh


how happy to bear my cross to suffur to suffer for thy sake


gentle maiden woman still


woman who did not shrink from the cross aiul its ignominy from the shouts and curses of the crucifier


woman still the faithful and the pure and the unswerving


woman the holy holy from the holiness of the stainless mother pure from the purity of the immaculate gentlest of gods creatures it was given to thee to be the angel of mercy and the comforter of the afflicted


kind uiitiden thou hast soothod the snd spirit may the mother most pure the ennobler of the sex the ever virgin intercede for thee


and then the spirit of the captive seeinei wrapt in meditation and he stood with eyes cast upwards and lips moving stilly


a holy and tranquil glow crept softly over the face of him who awaited a death of horrible torture


sweetly it grew upon that countenance tho beam of prayer and hope and joy spreading from feature to feature till nothing of eaith was left


upwards upwards soared the soul upon tho wings of love upwards until it


seemed already to be mingling its whispered orisons with the seraphic choir


hast thou looked upon sunlight stealing gently oer a shadowed spot


hast thou marked the sombre cloud disperse until nothing but the glad skies looked down upon thoo hast thou watched the shrouding mist vanish or


the pale hue of sickness brighten into the red glow of health


thus fled borrow and sadness from the captives face


tho untutored maiden luoked in wonder on tho change wrought as it were by one unconscious word


here sho sat looking fondly up to that glorious heavenly face catching from its pure mirror a reflection of holy thought


unconscious the jesuit stood visions of bliss hovered around him the gentle zephyr that fanned his check seemed beaten on by the wings of seraphs joyous songs broke upon his ear and clouds of incense floated sweetly over his wrapt senses


death and torture were before him but heaven was above him could he look downwards to the earth and its fleeting torments


o wonderful mission of christianity that which came upon eartli to raise man far above the very sublimcst idea of the heathen god to inspire him with thought above the power of mortality to give him a life which death could not extinguish a life beyond and above this earth a ray of the spirit of god


still unmoved the jesuit stood his head thrown back and resting upon the stake his body supported by the cords which bound him every function slumbering every energy absorbed


he was in truth only an imprisoned soul


welcome the knife welcome the torture welcome death by fire by steel by slow delay for the spirit is away upon its wings already soaring in preenjoyment with the blessed


what are a few short hours of suffering to the eternity of such bliss


oil yes


now welcome death for thou canst only be the usher of eternal life


like the shadow when the sunbeam has passed came back the thought of eaith to the soul of the priest


a deep sigh broke from his half closed lips how long


o lord


how long


awestricken sat the simple indian maiden as she gazed upon that countenance effulgent with ineffable happiness glowing with unearthly beauty


with parted lips and fixed eye she gazed reverently for woman blessed as the instrument of the great blessing to man catches intuitively the beam of heavens light and reflects it in her soul


mary


exclaimed the jesuit and the broken aspiration was finished unheard mary


repeated the indian maiden in her soft and musical accents


there was prayer in that whispered word prayer of the soul and it arose from the wild heart of the untutored indian from the soul of the ecstatic priest mary


at jiat moment came swelling from the prison house of the captive hurons the sound of a christian hymn


from deep stern voices came it but the melody ras sad and plaintive and varied with the varying measure of the rude unpolished verso


hear inother hear


hear queen of the bright and blessed


now that death is near the prayer to thee addressed


hear for the day is flying and thy pool children sighing bescecli thy aid in dying


hear motherhear


mother of mercy heal


the sun on eaith is sinking with mingled hope and fear thy childrens hearts are shrinking


mother heed the suffering child


beaten wounded bruised reviled tortured in the forest wild


mother mother hear


mother by his blood


mother by thy tears and sorrow


by the earths redeeming wood aid us in our strife tomorrow


win from


thy all conquering son by tho triumph he has won grace and strength to gain our own


softly hushed the sound of prayer and the notes died away but the still form of the indian girl scaicc moved waiting for the deeptoned music to awake again


it came not and she murmured in the air mother mother hear


the haughty bearing of lc loup had passed away the keen eye that had gazed unmoved upon the flashing tomahawk was dimmed and softened his head rested upon his breast


he was wrapt in prayer


he was the savage warrior no longer but the christian


at length from the council lodge came faintly swelling the voice of the young novice and alter nately responding the full chorus of the hurons


they were reciting the litany


sadly struck the tones of his young companions voice upon the ear of the jesuit


they wore weak and tremulous


morning flower listened was


it the warriors death song


never before in the villages of her tribe liad such chant been raised by those who were about to die


the jesuit and le loup joined in the res ponses and the solemn miserere nohis rose dis tinct and clear


the maiden hung in a wrapt at tention on the alternate sounds of many voices mingling in heartfelt prayer


thus passed the autumn sunset


ahasistari sat alone in his rocky hiding place


ever and anon ho cast a meaning glanco towards the west where the sky was yet tinged with gold although the orb of day had disappeared


then he rested his head upon his knees and remained im movable


his rifle lay at his feet and his remain ing arms upon it as if he had just been preparing them carefully for immediate use


twilight came still tho chief moved not


at length he arose and approaching the entrance of the cavern looked out upon the forest listening intently for some welcome sound nothing struck upon his ear save the rust ling of leaves and tho low swinging of the over hanging branches


there was silence in the vast forests the hum of the little insect as it uttered its eveniug prayer was the only sound of living thing that broke upon the bolitude


for a moment it seemed that a shadow of doubt passed across tho brow of the warrior


it occurred to him that his party might have been cut oft


ho could not doubt but that watook had collected a force and followed in pursuit and that quickfoot his first messenger had fallen in with them as otherwise the sagacious huron would have returned days ago to share the fortunes of his chief


perhaps his last messenger had missed the trail in the forest and for a time the chief almost regretted that he had not dared the risk consequent upon the concealment of so many men near tho village accompanied us it was with the advantage of their proximity in case a sudden opportunity of rescue presented itself


it was already time that the party should have reached tho place of his concealment which he had designated as the point of rendezvous


but hours might yet elapse beforo the torture would begin for although he did not know the exact result of the councils deliberation he felt that there was little doubt of tho condemnation of father laval and the othor prisoners and that their lives hung upon a thready liable to be broken at any moment by the whim or caprice of the savages


as he cast his eye around indistinctly it caught the radiance of a stream of light illuminating the mist that hung above the village


taking up his arms he descended to the forest below and a few moments walk brought him to a place whence he could catch a glimpse of the lodges and at the same time be near the path to the rendezvous


the glare of a large fire flashed up towards the darkening sky and tinged with red the waving branches of the forest


two figures were still bound to the stakes and groups of boys and men wero loitering about seemingly awaiting some approaching event


the hurons must speed on or they will come too late exclaimed ahasistari bitterly as he stretched himself upon the ground


the fire flashed out more brightly now for some hand had cast more fuel on it and the light of the flame played around the mild face of the jesuit as he stood bound to the stake


his high bold fore head seemed to catch the floating beams which lingered round it like a saintly halo of corning glory


ahasistari recognised the form of father laval even at that distance and looking for a moment in silence exclaimed


they will come too late


there will he one more stake and one more torture


my father i swear to thee ahasistari will share thy fortunes whether of death or life and he arose and turned towards the village


suddenly he paused and cast his eyes to the northeast as if he would penetrate the dark veil that stretched before him then he laid his ear to tho very ground and listened


at length casting his rifle upon tho sod he sat down and shrouding his face in his hands remained still and motionless as a statue it seemed as if tho mohawks were about to anticipate the hour of final torture


the prisoners were brought out one by one andi bounds to the stakes until the eight were occupied


jjhe crowd began to increase and new fires were raised


the women gathered the fngots nearer


father laval looked sadly upon these preparations but the huron le loup perceiving what was passing in his mind said in broken french not yet my father not yet


the mohawk is not so merciful


he loves hours of torture


oh god


give us grace to die worthily


ex claimed tho jesuit and then resumed his silent prayer


darkness was deepening but the lights of the blazing fire rushedjip fitfully to heaven casting a red gleam upon the scene around and making tho ferocious mohawks aa


they flitted about in their fell work resemble so many fiends at their infernal origies


the prisoners were stripped of their cloth ing and the work of torture began


snatching up burning pieces of wood tho savages held them close to the naked skin until its surface blistered with the slow heat then as tho swollen part became dead and senseless to the lesser torture they pressed the live coal into the raw flesh until it hissed and fumed and cracked while tho groan of intense agony arose from the lips of the white sufferers


the stern indian endured in silence


father laval as the red cinders pierced his flesh elevated his soul to god and dwelt upon the suflerings of him whose brow hail bornea crown of thorns whose hands and feet had been torn with nails whoso precious side had been opened witli a spear


jesus mary and joseph were ever on his lips and his upraised spirit seemed al last to forsake ami leave behind it


the sorrow and sufferings of eartli and to float already upwards through a soa of ineffable delights


rene bourdoiie reserved for future death did not escape from present torture


his tormentors surrounded him and forced into his tender skin small splinters of pitcli pine and when a number had been pressed in thus they applied blazing torches to the parts which obtruded and the dark flame ran swiftly from one to another along the bristling surface until it became a mass of fire


in vain the suffering youth struggled to escape his bands only permitted him to wind round and round the stake but whichever way he turned blows met him or blazing knots of pine


thus eight victims suffered ten thousand deaths were they enduring and yet so skilful is tha indian in his torture that death itself could not relieve them


the notice weak from his long fatigues yet sore from former wounds and suflerings at length became exhausted and hung supported by his hands alone


father laval moaning in the midst of his tormentors around the stake began to pray aloud the pale face warrior sings his death song said kiohba how many warriors hath ho slain


i how many scalps has ho taken


lie is a woman l a slave


a dog and the shouts of tho infuriated mob drowned tho voice of the priest


in the tent of kiodego the chief sat a wounded man faint and weak his form reclined against a pile of furs his hands covered hin facs his breathing was deep nnd stern but there was no oilier mark of life about him


at his feat sat an indian maiden morning flower was weeping


still on rang the furious shout of the wild savage on went the fearful torture tho fiendish danco


went on


but loudest of all arose above the tumult the shrill voices of the beldames as they galhcrod around le loup


the indian heeded them not j ho was preparing himself to die


then for a timo it seemed as if the frenzy of the mohawks war dying away but it soon broke out in renowed fury and tho various crowds drew oil to hurl the tomahawk


see said kiohba how a bravo can strike


and ho repeated the feat of skill he had before per formed


with a laugh of scorn another mohawk stopped forth and brandishing his weapon ex claimed


you have grazed his head i will drive the earn of tho blackgown into thu stake


the mohawk aimed at father laval who gazed upon him almost unconsciously


thu moment was one of deep peril no matter how skilful thenim a sudden motion of the victim an involuntarily start would instead of mutilation bring death


itwns a feat of nice and precise skill and tho mohawk measured his distance carefully and drew back his arm


suddenly the peal of a rifle broke upon the air nnd thennnotlier and another ill quick succession flashed from the rorestjanda wild and exulting shout broke


trot


down came the fierce mohawk another and another fell whilst the whole northern circle of the forest seemed hlaznrr with continuous flashes


hushed was the voice of the warrior mute the shrill tongue of women terrorstricken they clus tered together


their rifles and hows and arrows were in the cabins there was a scattering in wild affright o obtain their arms one figure alone sprang towards the bound prisoners tomahawk in hand


over the wide ppal of battle rose the firm voice of ahasistari and the hurons sprang out from their covers to ilia charar to strike the effective blow before the mohawks could rally


out from the impenetrable darkness hounded these dusky figures rushing on with wild and exulting shouts to cut off the entrance to the cabins one a little and youth ful form fiercely shaking over his head his small bteel axe leaped forward to the prisoners


watook was rushing to the rescue


kiohba pressed on in his fell purposes


he reached the side of the novice he wound his hand in his long hair ho hent lack his head and glaring fiendishly into his face lie seemed to make him die liy slow and fearful agony then his weapon flushed above him and came down with a sullen crash and the form of the poor novice sank lifeless supported by the withes that hound him to the stake


kiohba unwound liis hand from his locks and tore the scalp from his mingled brow theii he turned towards the jesuit


le loup struggled to burst his hands but liis iron strength would not avail him in helpless agony he had looked on


at that moment a well known voice was in his ear a single heavy stroke severed the cord that bound him and the tall huron tossing up his arms to heaven as if glorying in the thought of freedom once again sprang on to the rescue


the fierce mohawk was already by the side of the priest his arm was outstretched to aim the fatal blow when le loup like a wolf upon his prey bounded on him


down came the two power fnl savages the armed and the unarmed imtlife and retribution nerved the heart of the huron and strung his sinews


the weapon of kiohba was dashed from his grasp as he fell to the earth and he sought for the knife in his girdle


for a moment it seemed doubtful which would conquer


over and over the two rolled swiftly upon the ground


at length the hand of le loup rested upon the kiiife of his foe j in a moment moro


it glcnmed in the light and was buried in the heart of the mohawk


the strong grasp of kiohba relaxed and casting oft his


nerveless hand the huron arose from the fearful struggle


so rapid had it been that the last prisoner was just released


father laval cast himself upon his knees in i prayer while the hurons caught up what arms they could find and headed by le loup dashed on towards the spot where ahasistari and his followers lwere contending with superior numbers


the blaze of the fires cast a fearful light upon the hattle scene seeming to double the numbers of combatants and to swell their forms to gigantic size


two power ful mohawks were rushing towards their cabins for their arms the chief of the hurons intercepted them the first attempted to close with him but a single blow of the tomahawk stretched him lifeless nt his feet the second was upon him before he could recover from his effort and aimed a stroke at his head


the huron warded it skilfully and they closed


the struggle was terrific but was short and aliasistari as he quitted the dead body of the mohawk cast a glance upon the scene of hattle


fearful hail been the first onslaught of the hurons


they bad met their foes as in panic they hroke nwiy towards their wigwams and by the fury of their assault had driven them back to the open bpace


here


they began to rally and to fight with something of their accustomed bravery


an tndian taken by surprise can seldom recover and the mohawks waged an unequal hattle with their fierce and determined assailants but for their superior numbers the rout would have been instantaneous and terrific


they began to rally the women and children and old men appeared upon the scene the women hearing the rifles and the bows and arrows of the warriors


with renewed energy the mohawks fought armed as they svere with tomahawks and clubs scarcely a shot pealed upon the air and in the stem battle of man to man no cry broke forth


suddenly vpon the stillness caine the loud blast of a horn from the southern portion of the forest echoing and reechoing in the hills to the north then a terrific shout and high above the rest the battle cry champlaiu a nous


champlain


sweeping down the sward rushed a bandof dark figures that seemed in the flickering light of countless numbers while the loud and deafening blast of the horn still rang on and ever as it paused the battle cry champlain


champlain broke out


the mohawk warriors stood aghast


had the dead really arisen


had the great medicine ac cepted the challenge and called the mighty warrior from his tomb to the rescue


was ita ghastly troop with horrible sounds of unearthly import that came upon them


their arrrjs dropped nerve less andthey paused in their onslaught whilst the hurons


renewedheir exulting cries and charged oricc more upon them


the fire now


gleamed out fiercely stirred by


a passing breath of wind and the fitful light discovered to the frightened mohawks


the face and form of a white man bounding forward and waving his glistening blade above his head


mohawk dogs shouted the figure in the iroquois tongue as ho dashed into their midst striking down the first he met with his long and curved knife


the dead


exclaimed the paralysed mohuwks and broke away from the field of buttle


women and children old men and warriors mindful of the scenes of the council fled wildly off veiling their eyes from him whom they believed to have arisen from the tomb still in their cars rang the cry of champlain


chain plain


and the relentless frenchman with his hand smiting right and left pursued them


terror lent wings to their speed and they scattered deep in the forest


by tho homes of their early years by the council fire whore their fathers had satnpon


the turf where in childhoods hours they had sported still gathered a stern band of veteran mohawks


they were few


in number fewer than their foes but they were true and unyielding braves


for a moment when the rout began the hattle had ceased ami


two parties now stood gazing at one another in fierce defiance


the mohiwks were armed with ho wpapons but those of a hand tohand fight ahasistari casting aside his rifle with a noble generosity sprang forward to meet liis foe upon an equality o arms


knife in hand he grappled with a warrior his hurons followed his cxamplo and for a moment they were seen a struggling crowd of indistinguishable figures here and there with a convulsive spring some form would cease its motion and lie still anil silent as the sod it pressed


the rest still struggled on


at length from out the mclu crept an unarmed savage wounded coiled himself slowly along the ground as if in dying


t agony


he reached tho corner of the lodge and


passing behind its shadow sprang quickly to his feet


his eye ivll upon the kneeling figuro of father laval us he bent him over a dying huron and tearing oil a portion of his belt he stole quietly behind him


in a moment ho had gagged him in another lie was hurrying him rapidly in spite of liis resistance from the upot


the priest attempted to cry out but it was in vain and canting a lingering look towards lha group where his friends wore fighting wiiliin reoch of him yet ignorant of liis danger resigned himself to liis fate


le continual


marie antoinette on the chevalier of the red house


onlinued from colonial times sept baper


liii


on the rd day of the months in the year two of the united and imlhisihle french republic which corresponds with the th day of october obi style as the present one was then denomi nated an immense crowd had invaded since the morning every awulnble seat in the hall where the revnluitnnary tribunal sat


the passages in the palace of justice and the avenues leading to the conciergerie wereglutted with impatient and anxious spectators who rushed against each other with fury and pas sion like waves roaring ashore in succesion


i the burning curiosity which agitated the spec tators threw each wave of this turbulent sea now against the exterior and then against the interior barriers causing an ebb and a flow which on subsiding left the majority in their original position


those who were in the front however had as a sort of tax upon their good fortune to repeat all they heard or saw to those in the rear


close to the door of the tribune a number of men were crowded to


gether violently contending for an inch of space in breadth or height


an inch in hreadth was important as it permitted a sight between shoulders of the corner of the hall and of the appearance of the judges


an inch in height was again sufficient to allow a view over head


not only of the whole court but likewise of the accused


unfortunately this passage to the court was made so narrow that one man with his broad shoulders and amis folded nearly occupied the whole of it stemming the moving tide which was ready to burst into the court had not this rampart of flesh and bone resisted


them


this man who stood unmoved and unshaken on the threshold of the tribunal was young and fair w hilst at each shock of the crowd he shook his long hair and glanced around him with a dark and resolute look


when the living barrier liad rpressed the impatient hy look and i force lie resumed his attitude of deep atten ticn apd immobility


a hundred times the compact mass had attempted to ovei thi ow lum for he was of great stature and those behind him found it impossible to see anything as we htve said a rock cnum not have rmained i more unshaken by their attacks than he did


at the


other ttremity of this living sea another i man worked his way through the mass with a i perseverance allied to ferocity nothing bad as yet ihecked him in his indefatigable efforts neither the blows of ihose whom he passed the i imprecations of those whom he suffocated nor the complaints of the women against whom he pressed in passingfor there were many women i in that as in all other clouds


blows he answered with blows imprecations he arrested by a fierce look before which the bravest quailed and complaints he received with an impossibility resembling disdain


finally he caine behind the powerful young mini w ho it might be said blocked up the en trance to the court


in the midst of general attention for all desired to winess the collision between such rude antagonists he attempted his usual plan which consisted in introducing his elbows like wedges between two bodies no matter how compact they might be and forcing i his way past them


this man was however of small size his countenance was pale and his limbs slender


nyuing a weakly constitution although the ex pression of his eye betrayed sufficient resolution scarcely however bad he touched the side of the tall young man before him than he sur prised at the aggiession turned quickly round and at the same moment raised his aim which in its discent threatened to crush his lash an tagonist


they both stood face to face


in stantly an exclamation escaped them both


they recognised each other


ahl citizen mauricesaid the slender young man with an accent of inexpressible grief permit me to pass you


let me see the court impjore


you may then kill me if you please


maurice for it was indeed he experienced a feeling of tenderness and admiration for the young mans imperishable devotion and indes tructible energy


whati you murmured he you here


what imprudence


yes am here but i feel completely ex


hausted


good god


she is speaking


let me see her let me h ar her voice


maurice moved aside and the young man passed him


then as maurice was at the head of the crowd nothing opposi d the view of him who had suffered so many blows and rebuffs to reach that point


the whole of this scene and the murmurs which it excited aroused the attention of the judges


the accused queen even glanced in that di rection and in front of all perceived and re cognised the chevalier


whilst sented in her iron chair something like a cold shudder passed through the queens frame


the trial which was presided over by pre sident hannam fouquier tinville being the prosecutor and chauveaulngarde the queens defender was pursued to the very utmost of the judges and the queens strength


during ali this time maurice remained im moveable where he was although the specta tors had been again and again renewed in the court and corridors


the ohevalisr supported himself against a pillar and seemed as pale as the stucco against which he leaned


the day passed away and was succeeded by the glooinv nyht


several candles burning on the jury table and a few smoky lamps cast an ominously red riflection on the noble counted ance ol the quien who always appeared so beautiful during the magnificent icies at ver ailles


mie snt there alone giving io the presidents questions a few brief und disdainful replies and occasionally leaning forward to whisper to her counsel


her fair and polished brow had lost none of its accustomed haughti


neis she still wore the striped stuff mourning which since the death of lier husband she would not change


the judges left the oourt to deoide on the i sentence and the sitting was at an end


have i sir appeared too haughty


asked the queen of ohauveau lauarde


ah madam answered he you are always right when you are yourself


look how haughty she is exclaimed a woman amongst the auditory as if the populnr voice hul answered the question which the un foi tnate queen had put to her advocate


the queen turned round to the woman


well antoinette continued the woman i repeat that you are haughty and that has been your ruin


the quen blushed


the chevalier turned towards the woman who hid spoken and said softly tihe was a queen


maurice grasped his hand


come said he in an under tone have courage enough not to saciifice yourself


ah aldurice j ou are indeed n man re plied the chevalier and you know yu also address a man


oh tell me tell me do you believe they will really condemn her


i do not believe so


i am sure of it


oh i and a woman exclaimed the cheva lier with a sob


nnt queen said maurice you said so yourself


the chevalier grasped maurices hand and with a strength the possession of which might have been quetioned he pulled him down so that he might whisper in his ear


it was halfpast three oclock in the morning wide gaps were apparent ainoinst the specta tors


several lights were extinguished here and there throwing several parts of the court into shade


the chevalier and maurice stood in one of the gloomiest parts


why are you here and what are you going to do asked the chevalier you who possess a lions heart


alas said alaurice i came hither to dis cover what hud become of an unfortunate woman


yes yes said the chevalier she whom her husband drove into the qieens cell


is it not so


she was arrested before my own eyes


genevive yes genevive


so genevive is a prisoner sacrificed hy her husbandmurdered by dixmer


oh


i


i understand it all i undi rstnnd it all now


chevalier tell me all that passed tell me w here she is tell me where i can find her


chevalier do you hear me


this woman is dearer to me than life itself


well i have seen her


i was present when she was arrested


i souuht to carry off the queen but the two projects which we could not communicate to each other caused both to fail


and you did not save genevive your sister


could i do so


an iron grating separated us


ah had you been there and could we have united our strength the cursed har would have yieldedand we might have carried off both


genevivefgenevive muttered maurice then gazing at the chevalier with an indes cribable expression of fury und dixmer what became of him


i do not know he fled on his side and i on mine


ah groaned maurice clenching his teeth


if i ever meet him yes yes i understand said the chevalier but genevieves case is not yet so desperate whilst that of the queen henceforwardoh maurice you are a man of a wann disposition powerful having many friends i implore you as i would my god maurice aid me in en


deavouring to ave the queen


do you expect lhai


maurice genevive supplicates you through me


utter not that namesir


who knows but like dixmer yon may have sacrificed the poor genevive


sir said tho chevalier haughtily i know howwhen uttuch niself to a cause to sacrifice only myself


at the moment maurice was about to reply the council chamber opened silence sir said the chevalier silence the judges are returning


and alaurice felt the chevaliers hand cold and trembling as it rested on his hand


oh murmured the chevalier oh


my heart fails me


take courage said alaurice and restrain yourself or you are lost


the judges in fact returned and the news of their entrance spread through their corridors and galleries


the crowd rushed in again to the hall and the lights even seemed to be blinkt d up for this solemn and decisive moment


the queen also was brought in


she stood up motionless and proudly her eyes fixed and her lips pressed together


the sentence condemning her to n penalty of death was then read lo her


she heard it without growing pale without a frown and without a single muscle of her face indicting the slightest emotion


she then turned towards the chevalier rnd gazed at him with a long and eloquent look as if to thank that man whom she had never known except as the living exemplification of sincere devotion to her and her cause


then leaning on he arm of the officer of gendarmes who commanded the armed forces she retired calmly and with dignity from the tribunal


maurice uttered a long sigh


god be praised said he there is nothing in the trial to compromise genevive and there i is still hope


god be thanked murmured the chevalier all is over and the struggle terminated


i have no poer to do niiyilimg more


courage chevalier said maurice in an under tone


will brave sir answered he and having i shaken hands each retired by adiffrent way


the queen was reeondueted to the concierge rie it struck four as the gates closed upon her


on the pont neuf alaurice was stopped by lorm sezing him in his anns halt i said he


no one passes here


why so


first tell me where you are going


homei may certainly return now that i know what has become of her


so much the better but you shall not go home


for what reason


the followingabout two hours ago the gensdarmes were there to arrest you


ah i indeed said alaurice


well that is a decisive reason for my returning


are you mad what will become of gene vive


truewhere shall we go then


to my lodgings


but that would compromise you


and that is a decisive reason said lorin como along


and he dragged him along with lum


cv be continned


the story of the campaign


written in a tent from tho crimea


from vlackwoois nagazint


fabt


continued from our latt


ciiaptett xxi


the second campaign


the oftropealcd question when shall we xcopen the five v was at length an swered


on easter sunday the tli of april orders wero given for commencing the caunonado at daylight next morning


the batteries were supplied with five hun dred rounds for each cud and three hun dred for each mortar and were fully armed with tho exception of tho batteries in the advanced parallels of ihc english attacks which were not ready for the reception of tho guns and mortals and which were not u be unmasked till tho fire of the vest should have enabled them to open with more security from the enemys riflemen in the pits nnd quarries


the morning of the th broke darkly in wind and rain


at the hour of eunrie a heavy mist covered the plains and objects were so indistinct that in traversing ground i was familiar with i lost my way for a short time but the sound of the guni guided me towards them


the order ts the artillery was to begin as soon as the objects to be aimed at were discernible and at twenty minutes past six the english guns as they caught sight of the opposing batteries opened their fire and the french boon followed


the russians were so com pletely unprepared that it was minutes before they began to reply


a strong south wind drove a flood of rain and a cloud of mist across the scene of contest


at times the heavy vapour jiid the view from tho spectators who had issued from their camps then the fog would lift in parts and reveal the rounded hills crowned with batteries and wrapt in tho smoke of cannon through which the led flashes incessantly darted again as a squall passed the view would dissolve and the combat seemed transferred to a world of shadows


to us who remembered the din of the former cannonade reechoing through tho camps the noise of the present seemed trifling blown from ua as it was by the wind but to the inhabitants of sebastopol ho uproar that awoke hem must hare been appalling


three hun dred and sixty french guns and mortars bore on the town defences and parts of the outworltb english pieces on the mammelon malokoff sedan and barrack and garden batteries


the arrangements for maintaining our fire were much better now than formerly


caves in the ravine close to chapmans battery formed capacious and secure ma gazines from whence ammunition was drawn as required for the smaller ones in the batteries the explosion of which wonld consequently be of comparatively little im portance


the parapets had been height ened and strengthened and bombproof chambers had been constructed in rear of them to which wounded men were convey ed and their hurts attended to in security


the guards of the trenches were no longer stationed in the batteries which were ex clusively occupied by artillerymen but lined the parallels and thus did not on the first day lose a man the enemys fire being solely directed on he batteries


the russians did not commence or sus tain the firn with the vigour that was ex pected


the dreaded mammelon firtd but few shots and seemed to bo insufficiently manned only five or six guns from tho malakoff opened one face of tho redan grew almost silent in a few hours while the french breached the central salient in their front and greatly injured the bastion du mat


the storm of wind and rain continued all day and through it rushed as steadily the storm of shot


each uplifting of the curtain of fog showed the same unvarying circle of eddies of smoke drifting from tho allied batteries towards the russian works


our guns fired each about eight times in an hour at which rate no second of time would elapse without a shot


drenched to the skin and standing in thick mud the artillerymen and sailors worked their guns with admirable vigour


bad as the cir cumstances were for them the russian gunners lighting witli the wind and rain in their faces must have found the trial doubly severe


the losses in our batteries wero not heavy though the russian fire was well directed and dismounted several guns


at midday the desultory fire of the mamine ion altogether ceased and the work seemed to offer a tempting prizo to a bold assail ant


the fire of tho allied guns censed at nightfall but that of the mortars depend ing less on a sight of the object for its efficiency was continued with great regu larity throughout the night which was filled with tho roar of those great engines


the french had nearly morlare we mostly of larger calibre t an theirs


three largo seaservice mortars which threw their shells into the dockyard and arsenal buildings yards off were un serviceable throughout tho day in conse quence of the rain rendering the platforms so slippery that the handspikes could not be brought to bear on the vast beds next day the russian fire was much brisker though by no means so formidable us in the former bombardment


lieut


twyford of the naval brigade was killed on this day


on tho th the russian fire somewhat slackened and our own was rather dimi nished owing to several guns having be come unserviceable


tho mammelon scarcely fired at all the round tower only an occasional gun one perhaps every minute


tho trenches were still deep in


toiro


the great ravine by which the left attack was approached was so muddy that it


ww a labour to traverse it and it wne filled with he reverberations of tho can nonade and tho sharp jar of splinters the approaches to tho advanced batteries wero deep in sticky iud aud filled with pools


the night before an attempt had been made to take sixpoundersfrointlie first parallel to tho advanced batteries


but they had stuck so fast that


men were unable to aiovo one to its destination the dragropes giving way under the strain


the russians hearing the noise opened fire on them and knocked off tho muzzle of one which with the others was left in the second parallel till nihl when tho soil being somewhat drained tho battery was armed


four of its guns opened on tho following day but the russians replied with so heavy a fire as to silence them for the time


on tho th the six guns opened again and disabled some of tho russian pieces in he garden battery opposed to them


on the l h also they continued to bu worked throughout the day though bo heavy a fire was concentrated on them that the buttery was greatly damaged and the gun detach ments suffered much loss


the advanced battery of the right attack had also been armed with incli guns which wade ex cellent practice against the mammclon and round tower


tho two russian batte ries on the small hills opposed to the french works at inkermaua remained silent


during tho week the russian fire conti nued to decrease


their extensive batte ries far more powerful than ours never put forth their strength owing as was surmised to the paucity cither of artillery men or of projectiles


most of their guns were fired in turn bul at slow intervals as if a few undelachuients served them all tlicir practice was very good and had it been as warm and sustained as it was accurate would have occasioned us heavy injury and loss


as the cannonade went on day after day great impatience was manifested in the english camp


the french had been very urgent with us to begin and it was asked with reason why the fire had been com menced unless to be followed by an assault and if the assault was intended why was it delayed when our ammunition was ra pidly decreasing and our gunners worked beyond tlisir strength for they passed hours in he batteries then had hours relief and then returned to their guns and out of the hours remission nearly were spent in going to and returning from their camp so that they spent tcu hours on their legs which caused many to suffer so much from sore feet that they performed their duties with difficulty


it was evi dent therefore that even if our supply of ammunition had been unlimited our fire must soon slacken


it had already pro duced as much effect as could be expected indeed the practice was altogether ex cellent and as it was impossible to destroy or even effectually breach the enemys enr ih works at the distance wo were from them by any amount of fire it seemed i that a few hours more or less cannonade could not materially affect the difficulty of i an assault


however while we had still ammunition to sustain the fire for some dlays longer orders were given gradually to diminish it and it wns soon reduced to its former amount without tho attainment of any appreciable result from this expenditure of men and material


our approaches towards the redan con tinuing to be pushed drew near some rus sian riflepits one of which stood on ground that would be included in the next nights trenchwork and which it was therefore necessary to lake


a detachment of the th under lieutenantcolonel egerton sallied from the advanced trench on tho night of the lh before midnight aud without firing ft shot drove out or killed with the bayonet all the occupants of two pits and repulted the troops supporting them


captain lcmpriere was killed by tho enemys fire and towards one oclock col egerton had returned into the trench bear ing the dead subaltern in hit arms aud was showing to some other officers a bullet which had been flattened against his own pocketflask when the russians in front reopened their fire


as he hastened along the approach to tho open ground a hail entered his moutii and severing the cr tehrae of the neck killed him instantane ously


a man of ordinary stature would have escaped under shelter of the parapet of the trench over which egcrtons head rose for he was xery tall and one of tho finebt men in the army


the russians who had returned in force opened a heavy fire on our men in tho pits by whom it was returned as also from the advanced trerch and tho enemy after being in vain exhorted by their officers to close retreated leaving a good many dead


we continued to hold one pit


next night lie neighbouring one wns entered its occu pants retreating without a contest and leaving some dead russians in if killed on tho preceding night this latter pit wns destroyed


as our trenchworks were continued it seemed that the design now was to advance on the place m in the siege of a regular fortress where the operations arc certain in their progress and result which arc merely questions of tme


but here the case was widely different


in advancing on a regular fortress tho works of the be sieger arc not exposed to tho fire of those bastions or salients not attacked and his attention is directed solely on the two sa lients before him and tho ravelin or other outwork covering the curtain which con nects them tho number of guns in which being determinate they we always over powered by the superior number brought againbt them


the sap proceeds slowly and surely till sufficiently near when the breaching batteries or the mine open the road through the defences for the storming party


but the fortifications of sebastopol far from being regular extend along the whole length of the town and harbour


the town itself is to a certain extent isolated by the inner harbour and the french dad made there an attack as regular as the cround admitted of but tho barrack battery from the opposite side of the creek bore on their works as did the garden batteries in rear of the bastion du mat


great difficulty therefore attended tho attempt lo advance here by sap without attacking or silencing the barrack battery which in its turn was flanked by the redan which was supported by tho mala koff and so on in a sequence of as many links as that of the house which jsck built


thus in a regular attack an advance on all these points was necessary and thus was constituted rather than one siege a multitude of sieges


the capture of the mammclon and its two flanking hills be yond careening bay would have been a work of infinite labour and difficulty car ried on under heavy artillery fire aud would have been but a step towards the attack of the redan and ttound tower each formidable achievements and still the town would remain for a separate siege and this process demanded if successful in all its separate particulars many months to accomplish


in fact the appellation of siego applied to our operations may almost be considered a misnomer it may rather be said we wera attacking an intrenched position


under this view we had erred in distributing the fire of our artillery so widely and should rather have concentrated it on those points intended to be forced


nrd


when the enemys guns bearing on the ground to be advanced over were suffi ciently si cticed the attempt should hare been made to carry these points by assault


as the inner harbour divided the defences of the place if an assault were made on both sides of it the garrison must have divided their force when the two bodies could not have mutually assisted ench other the fire of he french having destroyed the bridge of boats and commanding the whale extent of the creek or they must have left one point inadequately guaided the forcing of which would have entailed u tiinatcly the loss of the whole of the defences south of the great bar lour


with our very superior numbers so many points might have been threatened that the garrison must have been subdivided into irony small garrisons and the real attacks might have been made with a disparity in our favour which would have promised well for euccfes


but if the assault were judged impractica ble there would seem to remain for the cap ture of tho city but one alternative viz


to invest the place either directly by marching down upon tho north siilr or by throwing a sufficient force across the roads from perekop and the sea of azoff to answer the purpose of on investment


this again involved besides the necessity of large reinforc niunt complex and doubtful operations marches into the interior flora a divided or inadequate base end battles in the field all which considera tions were taken into account in discussing the question of the assault


to be continued


the portland guardian and normanby general advertiser


published every monday wednesday friday


to protect our rightsnot to infringe upon those of others


wednesday november


adventures and observations in australia


by alister macalister gent chapter vi australia


although i do not propose to write a historical and geographical account of australia i think proper before proceeding farther to make a few general observations respecting the country


those who want fuller knowledge may consult with advan tage dr lang william westgarth and the hon


thomas mccombiemen who deserve well of australiamen who have ably served her in her legislatures and more ably by their writings


it affords me great pleasure to have this opportunity of commending their published works which present in an intelligible form much valuable and exceedingly interesting in formation australia lies in nearly the same latitude with the cape of good hope and brazil and is about equal in surface to fourfifths of the continent of europe


its extreme length from west to east is miles and its greatest breadth miles


this immense mass of land which has not un fitly been denominated a fifth continent is broken by few indentations of the sea


the gulf of carpentaria on the north and spenser gulf on the south are the only extensive bodies of water that obtrude into the land


there are however numerous inlets of considerable size which break the coastline and afford an easy approach to this stupendous island


early in the sixteenth century reports reached europe of the discovery of a new continent in the south


but both the spa nards and portuguese had been navigating the indian archipelago for nearly a cen tury before the name of any discovery became connected with australia


the unknown southern land terra australis incognita and the southern land of the holy spirit australia del spiritu santo are mentioned in their records but there is no record of their having landed on the coast


in the dutch yacht duyfen returning from an exploration of the coast of new guinea sailed into the great gulf of carpentaria but the wild aspect of the australian coasts neither invited settlement nor a long visit


however from this period spanish dutch and eng lish mariners continued to visit those seas


the adventurous dampier between and explored and surveyed a portion of the northwestern coast


the subse quent half century added little to the worlds knowledge of australia but in captain cook discovered the eastern coast from cape howe to cape york and named the country new south wales


many successive voyagers helped to trace the seaboard until at last captain stokes made the entire circuit of the island and first enabled the geographer to mark with accuracy the leading features of its gigantic outline


brave and intelligent men starting from different points have at various times attempted to penetrate the mystery of the australian interior but hitherto all of them have failed and a dark cloud con tinues to rest upon it


those of them who have adventured the furthest have de clared that they have been disheartened and turned back by a dreary monotous desert apparently of interminable extent


but it is cheering to be able to say that the idea of thorough exploration has not been abandoned


so far is this from being the case that even now attempts are being made with a view to this end


and i feel confident that the present adven turers availing themselves of past experi ence will be successful in the accomplish ment of their grand object


the general surface of australia is level but the country is not destitute of moun tains


in new south wales the austra lian alps rise to the height of feet and their summits are covered with ever lasting snow the liverpool range be tween sydney and moreton bay queens land attain an elevation of feet the blue mountains west of sydney and the grampians in victoria


other rises connect these and form a continued though tortuous chain from portland bay in victoria at a dis tance of from to miles from the sea to moreton bay extending upwards of miles


the western mountains never rise to more than feet and in no other division have eminences deserving the name of mountains been found


but we may remark that australia presents the largest extent of level surface to be found within the same compass in any region of the world


in the sloping lands and elevated valleys a rich dry prolific soil prevails


the rest of the island is in the mould of nature


we quote the following true and concise statements from an intelligent anonymous writer of the or species of plants described by botanists are already known to exist in australia


of these only are common to it and to other countries while are altogether peculiar to its extraordinary soil


thus this island contributes to botany nearly a twelfth of the plants known but they are generally of a very low order


ferns nettles flowers and grasses having the form bulk and habits of trees are abun dant hard timber with rosewood sandal wood and cedar are plentiful some trees yield the purest gums while the leaves of others are used as tea


the sassafras and casteroil have been discovered


on the northern coast palms flourish abun dantly and the tropical mangrove in those parts nearest the indian islands


with one exception all the trees of australia are evergreen


no dense woods have been found and the groves from a peculiar arrangement of their foliage present a strange appearancemany of the trees having their leaves hanging with the edge downward


flowering plants of exces sive beauty are found and the lily tulip and honeysuckle grow to the size of large standard trees


there are many odoifor ous shrubs which scent the air to a con siderable distance


in the interior immense numbers of prickly plants cover the ground binding down the loose soil and prevent ing that drift which distinguishes the deserts of arabia and africa from the australian wastes


large pastures form a prominent feature in the aspect of the country


flax tobacco a species of cotton tares indigo chicory trefoil and burnet an excellent substitute for tea are natural productions but of fruits and vegetables fit for human food there is a strange scar city


the pith of a reed is the only indi genous substance with which bread can be made and the only known fruits are rasp berries currants one or two tasteless ber ries and a species of nut


industry however has outrun nature and completed in sixty years the task which centuries would not have accomplished


every species of grain including maize is culti vated with success oranges lemons cit rons nectarines apricots peaches plums cherries figs mulberries quinces bananas guavas pineapples grapes and many others the produce of australian soil are sold cheaply in the australian markets and doubtless the luscious fruits of india will all shortly follow


but the colonists prefer pastoral industry for which indeed the land affords much facility though it is said that the keep of a sheep upon the natives grasses requires three times more the extent of ground which in a mode rately fertile district in england would fatten an ox in summer and keep two sheep during winter


the rivers are not numerous and few of them are navigable to any extent


the largest of these is the murray a broad and noble stream which traverses twelve hun ded miles of country and has become latterly a most useful and profitable highway


the zoology of australia is uncommon


fiftyeight species of mamalia are found of which fortysix are peculiar to the country having twelve only in common with other regions


kangaroos are almost the only important animals


similar pecu liarities are also noticed in the birds and reptiles


among rapacious birds eagles falcons and various species of hawks abound every where and owls of various kinds vultures are not met with


par rots are common and present considerable variety


some of them display a remark ably fine plumage


perhaps the most singular bird is the emu


it is about the size of and nearly as stupid as the ost rich it does not rise from the ground but with its long legs is able for a time to outstrip the fleetest horse


of fish and insects we have as yet no full and satisfac tory account


the crocodile or alligator and shark are found on the coasts and there is an abundant supply of wholesome fish for ordinary use


the australian seas have been long known as the occasional resort of immense shoals of whales dol phins c


the fishing in the seas of the southern hemisphere has been for many years actively carried on by several com panies in london and by the americans and the oils and produce find a ready market in all european countries and in the united states


it has been said that australia may well be called the land of anomalies


if we turn to the animal and vegetable kingdomswe have black swans white eagles crabs of an ultra marine colour those singular insects the walkingleaves cherries growing with their stones outside trees which shed their bark instead of their leaves quadru peds with birds bills and fish that are amphibious leaping over the ground by the aid of their strong spiny fins


the mineral riches of australia are abundant and are only being developed


iron tin lendand copper the finest in the world and need i say gold equally fine are to be found


limestone building stone of various descriptions roofing slate coal and clays fitted for the brick maker or the potter are invitingly plentiful


the climate of australia though from the extent of the country varying considerably agrees well with the european constitution


endemic diseases are scarcely known and climateric diseases are rare


and the best authorities affirm that by temperance and ordinary prudence a man may expect to see a good old age


seasons with little or no rain have been observed to occur every ten or twelve years and to be succeeded by a long tract of excessively wet weather which gradu ally moderates year after year until again the rains wholly cease for a time


another peculiarity is the abrupt transition from heat to cold caused by a change of winds


the northwest winds blowing over the great interior desert acquire such a degree of heat as to be unpleasant to man and animals and unfavourable to vegetation


the south eastern winds on the contrary are often cold and piercing when there is a sudden change from a hot northwest wind but in general the mornings and evenings are as pleasant as those of southern italy even the great heat which occasionally occurs does not produce the same relaxing and enfeebling effects on the constitution as the heat experienced in the indies


dews are common frost is little felt on the low grounds but on the high grounds it is frequently keen and piercing and there can be no doubt is on the whole favourable to health


the aborigines of australia belong to the ethiopic or lowest family of the human race


some have supposed that they belong to two races the malay and the african negro but their general characteristics identify them with the negro of new guinea


it is not improbable that the savages of the indian archipelago expelled by the superior civili zation of the malays put to sea in rude canoes and reaching australia took posses sion of the vast unpeopled wilderness


they are divided into numerous tribes and speak different languages


the dialect of the south is not understood in the north and that of the north is not understood in the east


each tribe has its own particular range or district and avoids contact with others excepting in the case of their petty wars


the colour of their skin is lighter than that of the african negro


many of the males are handsome and wellproportioned if we except the head


the face is almost invariably ugly to repuls iveness the nose large and flat the mouth greatly distended the ears long the forehead retreating and the chin highly protuber ant


the females who are in all things the slaves of their masters are if possible still more repulsive in appearance


they certainly differ considerably in appearance customs and manners but in general they are a poor degenerate race of beings of low habits living on the most nauseous food and in some though i believe in few instances they are cannibals


their dwellings are the most rude to be found among mankind


a few branches stuck in the ground and covered with green boughs or the bark of trees is considered a a perfectly satisfactory residence


they have no chiefs and the authority is vested in bodily strength alone


they have few or no traditions and scarcely any sense of natural religion


some of them indeed believe in a good god and a variety of evil spirits especially in an evil spirit in the form of a gigantic monster and when the winds moan at night they imagine it to be the voice of this monster and light up the plains to scare him away


many of them also believe that the white men are their former brethren returned back to earth and a curious story is told of one of the colonists in western australia being twice visited by a strange native who had heard that there had come to his land a lost brother


the native it is said travelled through a long extent of hostile country to behold the brother who had returned from his paradise beyond the sea blessed with the glory of a second life


they have been represented as thievish and treacherous but let it be added that in the settled district they are almost without exception strictly honest and truthful


they are lively and good hu moured and easily learn to read and write


but any attempts made to reclaim them have hitherto disappointed the hopes of the philanthropist


their services are occa sionally useful on stations and in the town ships but no dependence can be placed on their continuous labor and when the thought strikes them however inopportune it may be for the employer they are off and away to their free and wild life in the bush


from whatever cause certain it is that the original proprietors of australia are rapidly dying out and the day does not seem to be far distant when the sable brotherhood shall no more be found


sixteen years after cook had sailed along the east coast of australia and the war with america had closed the great outlet for the crime of the home country botany bay was fixed upon as a penal settlement


in the sirius and the supply sailed from britain with six trans ports and three store ships carrying the germs of the intended settlement


these were convicts men and women


captain philip who had been appointed governor was put in command of the squadron


they reached australia after a voyage of eight months and one week the governor was not satisfied with botany bay as a location and the fleet sailed in search of a better


pro ceeding a few miles further north to a place where captain cook had said boats might be sheltered a sailor named jack son declared that a capacious haven lay within the rocks that frowned above them


his superiors fortunately attended to his declaration and entering between the rocks discovered a safe and commodious harbour


many miles in extent


to this harbour they appropriately gave the name of the sailor and it is known at this day to all the world as port jackson


here was founded the city of sydney the mother city of australia


at the end of when the colony had been established four years the public live stock consisted of one aged stallion one mare two young stal lions two colts sixteen cows two calves one ram fifty ewes six lambs one boar fourteen sows and twenty two pigs


the cultivated ground amounted to acres of maize forty of wheat six of barley one of oats four of vines and eightysix of garden ground besides seventeen under culture by the soldiers of the colonial corps


many and great were the diflicul ties of the now settlement but they have long ago been surmounted and remain only as a tradition of the past


from this strange beginning have arisen six separate colonies new south wales victoria south australia western aus tralia queensland and tasmania embrac ing a white population of somewhere about one million and a half


these colo nies have their respective governors and their governments are now based on the re presentative system


all of them have prospered some of them like victoria in an astonishing degree and under wise le gislation they cannot fail to prosper more and more


the utmost freedom prevails


religionists are placed on an equality and state aid to religion which has ever and in every place been a cause of contention has ceased in south australia and is likely soon to cease in all the colonies


practical heathenism to a considerable extent there may be but it ought not to be


the bible and its minister might and should pene trate to the meanest and most obscure indi vidual


to suppose pressing religious wants is only to assume that a pressing duty and an important work remain to be performed by the philanthropic christian


the subject of education engages much of the public attention and is being daily more cared for


whilst the most noisy and active demagogues drive a poor and profitless trade and no encouragement is given to the indolent the discontented and the seditious honest industry finds coun tenance and support


night asylums for the destitute stranger and the beggared profligate lying in hospitals for friendless or erring women infirmaries for the sick and wounded and kindred charities are institutions in the centres of population and are liberally supported


in the nu merous cities and towns which have sprung up are to be found the literature the re finement and the luxuries of europe


the material condition of the people is not equalled elsewhere and considered in rela tion to population the australian commu nities are the wealthiest in the world


such is the present aspect of this noble land which waits for augmented numbers and which under the blessing of god gives promise of a still more glorious future


before proceeding with my adventures and observations in australia i wish to be distinctly understood that i am writing for two classes of readersfor the people of these colonies and for the people of the home country


if therefore i should occasionally speak of things which are common familiar and uninteresting to my brother colonists i beg of them to exercise a little patience in the remembrance that they may be neither common nor familiar nor uninteristing to our kindred in the united kingdom


as i am not composing a treatise on the exact sciences i shall not foolishly attempt to reduce my book to what some have called strict methodical order


and paying little respeot to those old and grey headed rules which have nothing to recommend them but the fact of their being old and greyheaded i shall endeavour in connection with my narrative to express as in telligibly as possible the recollected thoughts and feelings which may predominate in the moments of writing


alister macalister


martin chuzzuwit by c dickens esq


fcmlmvedfnmmirliut


chapter xlix


in which sihs


nabkis assisted by a tealot is tub oadsb of a divi sion between fbiendb


mrs gamps apartment in kingsgate strcet higb holborn wore metaphorically rninr a rolie of slate


it was swept and garnished for the reception ola visitor


tliat visitor was betsey prig mrs prig of bartlemys or as some said barklemys or as smne said bardleinys for by all these endearing and familiar appellations had the hospital of saint barlholomew be come a household word among tbe sister hood which uelsey prig adorned


mrs gamps apartment was not a spa cious one but to a contented mind a closet is a palace and tbe firstfloor front at mr sweedlepipes may have been in the ima gination of mrs gamp a stalely pile


if it were not exactly that to restless intellects itntleastcomprisedas much accommodation ab any person not sanguine to insanity coid have looked for in a room of ils dimensions


for only keep the bedstead always in your mind and you were safe


that wns the grand secret


remembering the bedstead you might even stoop to look under the little round table for anything you had dropped without hurling yourself much againbt the chest of drawers or quali fying us a patient of saint bartholomew by falling into the fire


visitors were much assisted in their niiitinnc ofrnrle in nrpserve oil uuflailut recollection of this piece of furniture by its size which was great


it was not a turn up bedstead nor yet a french bedstead ner yet a fourpost bcjstead but what i poetic ally called a tent the sacking whereof was low and bulgy insomuch that mrs gamps box would not go under it hut stopped halfway in a manner which while it did violence to the reason likewise endan gered the legs of a stranger


the frame too which would have supported the canopy and hangings if there had been any was ornamented with divers pippins carved in timber which on the slightest provocation and frequently on none at all came tumnnng down harassing the peaceful guest with inexplicable terrors


the bed itself was decorated with a patchwork quilt of great antiquity and at the upper end upon the side nearest to the door hung a scanty curtain of blue check which prevented the zephyrs that were abroad in kingsgatestreet from visit ing mrs gamps bead too roughly


some rusty gowns and other articles of thtlndy wardrobe depended from the posts and these had so adapted themselves by long usage to her figure that more than one impatient husband coming in precipitately at about the lime of twilight had been for an instant stricken dumb by the supposed discovery that mrs gamp had banged herself


one gentleman coming on the usual hasty errand had said indeed that they looked like guardian angels watching of her in her sleep


hut that as jure


gamp said was his first and he never repeated the sentiment though he often repeated his visit the cbhirs in mrs gamps apartment were extremely large and broadbacked which was more than a sufficient reason for their being but two in number


they were both elbowchairs of ancient maho gany and were chiefly valuable for the slippery nature of dieir seats which had been originally horsehair hut were now rnwred with a sliinv substance of a blueish lint from which the visitor began to slide j away with a dismayed countenance imme diately after sitting duwn


what mrs gainp wanted in chairs she made up in bandboxes of which she had a great col lection devoted to the reception of various miscellaneous valuables which were not nrall nrntactm ni tlit mod woman bv a pleasant fictionsecmed to think for though


every bandbox had a carefully closed lid not one among them had a bottom owing to which cause the property within was merely as it were extinguished


the chest of drawers having been originally made to stand upon the top of another chest had a dwarfish elfin look alone but regarfl oi iis sclulilj i nuu a imv vantage over the bandboies for as all the handles had been long ago pulled off it was very difficult to get at ils contents


this indeed was only to be done by one or two devices either by tilting the whole structure forward until all the drawers fell out to oother nr hv onenio


lhem sinelv with knives like oysters


mrs gamp stored all her household matters in a little cupboard by the fireplace beginning below the surface as in nature with the coals and mounting gradually up to the spirits which from motives of deli cacy she kept in a teapot


the chimney piece was ornamented with a small almanac marked here and there in mrs uamps own band with a memorandum of lie date at which some lady wbb expected to fall due


it was also embellished with three profiles one in colours of mrs gamp herself in early life one in bronze of a lady in feathers supposed to he mrs har ris as she appeared when dressed fora ball and one in black of mr gamp deceased


tbe last was a full length in order tliatthe likenesb might be rendered more obvious by tbe introduction of tbe wooden leg


j a pair of bellows a pair of pattenb a toastingfork a kettle a papboat a spoon lor the administration of medicine to tlie refractory and lastly mrs gamps um brella which as something of great price and rarity was displayed with particular ostentation completed the decorations of the chimneypiece and adjacent wall


to wards tbese objects mrs gamp raised her eyes in satisfaction when she bad arranged the teaboard and had concluded her ar rangements for the reception of betsy prig even unto the setting forth of two pounds of newcastle salmon intensely pickled


there now drat you uetsy dont be long


said mrs gamp apostrophising her absent friend


for i cant abear to wait i do assure you


to wotever place i goes i sticks lo this one motto im easy pleased it is but little as i wants but must hove that little of tb best and to the


minit when the clock strikes else we do not part ns i could wish but bearin malice iu our arts


her own preparations were of tbe best for they comprehended a delicate new loaf a plate of fresh butter a basin of fine white sugar and other arrangements on the same scale


even the snutt wiiu wnicu sue raw refreshed herself was so choice


iu quality thai she took a second pinch


theres the little bell a ringing now said mrs gump hurrying to he stair head and looking over


betsy prig my


wv ji


that there disapintin sweedle pipes i do believe


yes its me aid tbe barber in a faint voice ive just come in


youre always a comin in i think muttered mrs gamp to herself except wen youre agoiug out


i bautno patience with that maul mrs gamp said the barber


i say mrs gamp


well cried mrs gamp impatiently as she descended tbe stairs


what is it


yv by wot s tue man goue auu uecu uuum of to himself t


hes as white as chalk she added the latter clause of inquiry when she got down stairs and found him seated in the shavingchair pale and dis consolate


you recollect said poll


you recol lect young


dont say young wilkins wotever you do


if young wilkins wife is took


it isnt anybodys wile exclaimed tbe barber


bailey


young bailey why wot do you rueau


lo say that chits been adoin of v retorted mrs gamp sharply


he uasn i oeen a uumg uujiuiib exclaimed poor poll quite desperate what do you catch me up so short for when you see mee put out to that extent that i can hardly speak


t


hell never do anything again


hes killed


the first lime i ever see that boy i chargedhim too much for a redpoll


asked him three halfpence for a penny one because i was afraid be would beat me down


but he didnt


and now hes dead and if you was to crowd all the steamengines and electric fluids that ever wos into this bhop and set em every one to work their hardest they couldnt square the account though its only a hapenny


mr sweedlepipe turned aside to die towel ana wipea ins eyes wiw u how did you ever come to hear itt said mrs gamp


who told you


i went out returned the little barber into the city to meeta sporting gent upon the slock exchange that wanted a few slow pi eons lo practise at and when id done with him went to get a little drop of beer and there i heard everybody atalking about il


its in the papers


you are in a nice state or coniugion mr siveedlepipes you are said mrs gamp shaking her head and my opinion is as halfadudgeon fresh young lively leeches on your temples wouldnt he too much to clear your mind which so i tell you


wot were they atalkin on and wot j was in the papers


all about it cried the barber


what else do you suppose


him and lus master were upsei on a journey and he was carried to salisbury and was breathing his last when the account came away


he never spoke afterwards


not a single word


thats tbe worst of it lo me but that aut all


his mastercanl be found


the other manager of their office in ihecity crimplc david crimple has gone off with the money and is advertised for wilh a reward upon the walls


mr moutague poor young advertised for too


some say hes slipped off to join his friend abroad some say be maynt have got away yet and theyre looking for him high and low


their office is a smash a swindle altogether


but whats a life insurance office to a met and what a life young baileys was


he was born into a wale said mrs gamp with philosophical coolness and he lived in a wale and be must take tbe consequences of secb a situation


but dont you hearnothink of mr chuszlewit in all this i


no said poll notbing to speak of


his name wasnt printed as one of the board though borne people ay ltwas ubt eoioetobe


some believe be was took in and some believe ne wan w


in


but however that may be they cant prove nothing against him


this morning he went up of his own accord afore the ij manor or some of them


city bigwige and complained that


bed been swindled and that jbese two persona had gone off and cbealid him and that he liad just found out that montagues name wasnt even montague but sometbinjg else


and they do say that he looked like death owing to bis losses


but lori forgive me cried die barber coming ck again w the sub ject of his individual grief whats his lookb to me


he might have died and welcome fifty times and not been such a losses


bailey i at this juncture tbe little bell rang and tbe deep voice of mrs prig struct into the conversation


to be continued


ftastlrtr iluatpbrrs wloclrk


o


personal adventures of master iiumphrey


thib old curiosity shopciaiteit xx


day after day as he bent his steps homeward re turning from some new effort to procure employment kit raised his eyes to the window of the little room lie had so much commended to the child and hoped to see some indication of her presence


his own earnest wish coupled with the assurance hle had re ceived from quilp filleo him with the belief that she would yet arrive to claim the humble shelter he had offered and from the death of each days hope another hope sprung up to live tomorrow


i think they must certainly come tomorrow ch mother said kit laying aside his hat with a weary air and sighing as he spoke


they have been gone a week


they surely couldnt stop away more than a weekcould they now the mother shook her head and reminded him how often lie had been disappointed already


for the matter of that said kit you speak true and sensible enough as you alwaysdo mother


still i do consider that a week is quite long enough for em to be rambling about dont you say so quite long enough kit longer than enough but they may not come back for all that


kit was for a moment disposed to be vexed by this contradiction and not the less so from having anticipated it in his own mind and knowing how just it was


but the impulse was only momentary and the vexed look became a kind one before it had crossed the room


then what do you think mother has become of em you dont think theyve gone to sea any how not gone for sailors certainly returned the mother with a smile


but i cant help thinking that they have gone to some foreign country


i say cried kit with a rueful face dont talk like that mother


i am afraid they have and thats the truth she said


its the talk of all the neighbours and there are some even that know of their having been seen on board ship and can tell you the name of the place theyve gone to which is more than i can my dear for its a very hard one


i dont believe it said kit


not a word of it


a set of idle chatterboxes how should they know


i they may be wrong of course returned the mother i cant tell about that though i dont think its at all unlikely that theyre in the right for the talk is that the old gentleman had put by a little money that nobody knew of not even that ugly little man you talk to me aboutwhats his name quilp and that he and miss nell have gone to live abroad where it cant be taken from them and they will never be disturbed


that dont seem very far out of the way now do it


kit scratched his head mournfully in reluctant admission that it did not and clambering up to the old nail took down the cage and set himself to clean it and to feed the bird


his thoughts reverting from this occupation to the little old gentleman who had given him the shilling he suddenly recollected that that was the very daynay nearly the very hour at which the little old gentleman had said he should be at the notarys house again


he no sooner re membered this than lie hung up the cage with great precipitation and hastily explaining the nature of his errand went off at full spead to the appointed place


it was some two minutes after the time when lie reached the spot which was a considerable distance from his home but by great good luck the old gen tleman had not arrived at least there was no poney chaise to be seen and it was not likely that he had come and gone again in so short a space


greatly relieved to find that he was not too late kit leant against a lamppost to take breath and waited the advent of the poney and his charge


sure enough before long the poney came trotting round the corner of the street looking as obstinate as poney might and picked his steps as if he were spying about for the cleanest places and would by no means dirty his feet or hurry himself inconve niently


behind the poney sat the little old gentle


man and by the old gentlemans side sat the little old lady carrying just such a nosegay as she had brought before


the old gentleman the old lady the poney and the chaise came up the street in perfect unanimity until they arrived within some half a dozen doors of the notarys house when the poney deceived by the brass plate beneath a tailors knocker came to a halt and maintained by a sturdy silence that that was the house they wanted


now sir will you have the goodness to go on this is not the place said the old gentleman


the poney looked with great attention into a fire plug which was near him and appeared to be quite absorbed in contemplating it


soh


dear such a naughty whisker i cried the old lady


after being so good too and coming along so welll i i am quite ashamed of him


i dlont know what we are to do with him i really dont


the poney having thoroughly satisfied himself as to the nature and properties of the fireplug looked into the air after his old enemies the flies and as there happened to be one of them tickling his ear at that moment he shook his head and whisked his tail after which he appeared full of thought but quite comfortable and collected


the old gentle man having exhausted his powers of persuasion alighted to lead him whereupon the poney perhaps because he held this to be a sufficient concession perhaps because he happened to catch sight of the other brass plate or perhaps because he was in a spiteful humour darted off with the old lady and stopped at the right house leaving the old gentle man to come panting on behind


it was then that kit presented himself at the ponys head and touched his hat with a smile


why bless me cried the old gentleman the lad is here i my dear do you see


i said id be here sir said kit patting whiskers neck


i hope youve had a pleasant ride sir


hies a very nice little pony


my dear said the old gentleman this is an uncommon lad a good lad im sure


pm sure ie is rejoined the old lady


a very good lad antd i am sure he is a good son


kit acknowledged these expressions of confidence by touching his hat again and blushing very much


the old gentleman then handed the old lady out and after looking at him with an approving smile they went into the house talking about him as they went kit could not help feeling


presently mr witherden smiling very hard at the nosegay came to the window and looked at him and after that mlr


abel come and looked at him and after that the old gentleman and lady came and looked at him again and after that they all came and looked at him together which kit feeling very much embar rassed by made a pretence of not observing


therefore lie patted the pony more and more and this liberty the pony most handsomely permitted the faces had not disappeared from the window many moments when l rchuckster in his oflicial coat and with his hat hanging on his head just as it had happened to fall from its peg appeared upon the pavement and telling him he was wanted inside bade him go in and he would mind the chaise the while


in giving him this direction mr chuckster remarked that he wished he might be blessed if he could make out whether he kit was precious raw or precious deep but intimated by a dis trustful shake of the head that he inclined to the latter opinion


kit entered the office in a great tremor for he was not used to going among strange ladies and gentlemen and the tin boxes and bundles of dusty paper had in his eyes an awful and venerable air


mr v itherden too was a bustling gentleman who talked loud and fast and all eyes were upon him and he was very shabby


well boy said mr witherden you came to work out that shilling not to get another hey no indeed sir replied kit taking courage to look up


i never thought of such a thing


father alive said the notary


dead sir


mother


yes sir


married again ell kit made answer not without some indignation that she was a widow with three children and that as to her marrying again if the gentlemen knew her he wouldnt think of such a thing


at this reply mr witherden buried his nose in the flowers again and whispered behind the nosegay to the old gen tleman that he believed that the lad was as honest a lad as need be


now said mr garland when they had made some further inquiries of him i am not going to give you anything


thank you sir kit replied and quite se riously too for this announcement seemed to free him from the suspicion which the notary had hinted


but resumed the old gentleman perhaps i may want to know something more about you so tell me where you live and ill put it down in my pocket book


kit told him and the old gentleman wrote down the address with his pencil


ihe had scarcely done so when there was a great uproar in the street and the old lady hurrying to the window cried that whisker had run away upon which kit darted out to the rescue and the others followed


it seemed that mr chuckster had been standing with his hands in his pockets looking carelessly at the poney and occasionally insulting him with such admonitions as stand still be quiet woaaa and the like which by a poney of spirit cannot be borne


consequently the ponny being deterred by no considerations of duty or obedience and not having before him the slightest fear of the human eye had at length started off and was at that moment rattling down the street mr chuck


ster with his hat off and a pen behind his ear hang ing on the rear of the chaise and making futile at tempts to draw it the other way to the unspeakable admiration of all beholders


even in running away however whisker was perverse for he had not gone very far when lie suddenly stopped and before as


sistance could be rendered commenced backing at neamly as quick a pace as he had gone forward


by these means mr chuckster was pushed and hustled to the office again in amost inglorious manner and arrived in a state of great exhaustion and discom fiture


the old lady then stepped into her seat and mr abel whom they had come to fetch into his


the old gentleman after reasoning with the poney on the extreme impropriety of his conduct and making the best amends in his power to mr chuckster took his place also and they drove away waving a farewell to the notary and his clerk and more than once turn ing to nod kindly to kit as he watched them from the road


to be continued


a very interesting discovery was made on saturday last by some persons employed in brickmaking near the landmark about a mile and a half from fleetwood by their finding between and roman coins which appear in an excellent state of preservation


the coins it seems had not been perceived by the labourers until the clay had been so much worked as to be nearly ready for the moulder it is therefore by no means unlikely that many of the specimens have been already mixed up with the bricks that have been made and consequently will remain undiscovered for many years to come if they are ever found at all


they are of various reigns and rather larger than our sixpence


we have seen specimens of those of adrian nerva marcus antonius and sabina and among the whole number there will no doubt be many more varieties


it is stated that about of the coius have been sent to rossalhall and we suppose the rest have got dispersed among the co rious in such things


this discovery will we should think afford satisfaction to the rev w thornber the historian of blackpool confirming as it does in a very remarkable manner the opinion so confidently expressed by him of blackpool hav


ing been at one time a roman station or settlement


as no pains will now be spared in making further discoveries of these interesting relies it is not at all unlikely that we shall have to bring the subject again before our readers at no distant period of time


preston pilot


the late motion for a roman carnolsc curslain to clerkbnwell pnsson the committee of the catholic institute have passed a vote of thanks to mr tulk the mover to sir charles forbes thie seconder and to the other middlesex magistrates who voted in the minority on mr tulks motion for the appointment of catholic chaplain to the catholic prisoners in the hlouse of correction coldbath fields this vote has been communicated by the secretary of the institute to those gentlemen


the following is rlr


tulks reply it is a source of great satis faction to find that the endeavours of some of my brother magistrates and myself to procure the bene fit of a catholic chaplain for the catholic prisoners confined in the middlesex house of correction have met with the approval of the catholic institute of great britain


though the cause of justice was strong the force of prejudice was stronger and we have again to lament that men are not as yet able to see and feel that wvithout a catholic love for others and a deep reverence for thie rights of con


science christianity is a mnere word of no more intrinsic worth than sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal


the tables


mathbws and the silversa spoon


amongst mathewss pranks of younger days that is to say when he first came from york to the hay market theatre he was invited with f and some other performers to dine with mr a now an eminent silversmith but who at that period fol lowed thie businessof a pawnbroker


itso happened that a was called out of the parlour at the back of the shop during dinner


mr mathews with wonderful celerity altering his hair counte nance hat c took a large gravy spoon off the dinner table ran instantly into the street entered one of thie little dark doors leading to the pawn


brokems counter and actually pledged to the unconscious a hisown gravy spoon


mathews contrived with equal rapidity to return and seat himself having left the street door open before a reappeared at the dinner table


as a matter of course this was made tlhe subject of a wager


an eolairoissement took place before thie party broke mip to thie infinite astonishmnentof a


rabelais never accomplished a neater practical joke thian thisbentleays miscellany feb th fonce o hauita few years ago thie theatrical bookseller presented a check at the bankinghouse of sir william curtis and co and upon thie cashier putting thie usual question how will you have it replied cold mditlmoet rutgot


iiul


ltllel lrria ulocrt


personal adventures of master humphriey


tise old curiosity siiopoitapter xxix


unquestionably lmrs


jarley had an inventive geo bilis


in the midst of the various devices of at tracting visiters to the exhibition little nell was not forgotten


the light cart in which the brigand usually made his perambulations being gaily dressed with flags and streamers and the brigand placed therein contemplating the miniature of his beloved as usual nell was accommodated with a seat beside him decorated with artificial flowers and in this state and ceremony rode slowly through the town every morning dispersing handbills from a basket to the sound of the drum and trumpet


the beauty of the child coupled with her gentle and timid bearing produced quite a sensation in the little country place


the brigand heretofore a source of exclusive interest in the streets became a mere secondary consideration and to be important only as a part of the show of which she was the chief attraction


grown up folks began to be in interested in the brighteyed girl and some score of little boys fell desperately in love and constantly left inclosures of nuts and apples directed in small text at the wax work door


this desirable impression was not lost upon mrs jadley who lest nell should become too cheap soon sent the brigand out alone again and kept her in the exhibition room where she described the figures every half hour to the great satisfaction of admiring audiences


and these audiences were of a very superior description including a great many young ladies boardingschools whose favour mrs


jarley had been at great pains to conciliate by al tering the face and costume of mr grimaldi as clown to represent mr lindley murray as he ap peared when engaged in the composition of his en glish grammar and turning a murderess of great renown into mrs hannah moreboth of which likenesses were admitted by miss monflathers who was at the head of the head boarding and day es tablishment in the town and who condescended to take a private view with eight chosen young ladies to be quite startling from their extreme correctness


mr pitt in a nightcap and bedgown and without his boots represented the poet cowper with perfect exactness and mary queen of scots in a dark wig white shirt collar and male attire was such a com plete image of lord byron that the young ladies quite screamed when they saw it


miss monflathers however rebuked this enthusiasm and took occa sion to reprove mrs jarley for not keeping her col lection more select observing that his lordship had held certain free opinions quite incompatible with wax work honors and adding something about dean and chapter which mrs jarley did not understand


although her duties were sufficiently laborious nell found in the lady of the caravan a very kind and considerate person who had not only a pecu liar relish for being comfortable herself but for making everybody about her comfortable also which latter taste it may be remarked is even in persons who live in much finer places than caravans a far more rare and uncommon one titan the first and is not by any means its necessary consequence


as her popularity procured her various little fees from the visitors on which her patroness never demanded any toll and as her grandfather too was well treated and useful she had no cause of anxiety in con nexion with the wax work beyond that which sprung from her recollection of quilp and her fears that ihe might return and one day suddenly encounter them


quilp indeed was a perpetual nightnare to the child who was constantly haunted by a vision of his ugly face and stunted figure


she slept for their better security in the room where the wax work figures were and she never retired to this place at night but she tortured herselfshe could not help itwith imagining a resemblance in some one or other of their death like faces to the dwarf and this fancy would sometimes so gain upon her that she would almost believe he had removed the figure and stood within the clothes


then there were so many of them with their great glassy eyes and as they stood one behind the other all about her bed they looked so like living creatures and yet so unlike in their grim stillness and silence that she had a kind of terror of them for their own sakes and would often lie watching their dusky figures until she was obliged to rise and light a candle or go and sit at the open window and feel a companion ship in the bright stars


at these times she would recal the old house and the window at which she used to sit alone and then she would think of poor kit and all his kindness until the tears came into her eyes and she would weep and smile together


often and anxiously at this silent hour her thoughts reverted to her grandfather and she would wonder how much ihe remembered of their former life and whether he was ever really mindful of the change in their condition and of their late helpless ness and destitution


whets they were wandering about shie seldom thought of this but now she could not help considering what would become of them if he fell sick or her own strengthl were to fail hter


he was very patient and willing happy to execute any light task and glad to be of use but he was in the same listless state with no prospect of im provementa mere childa poor thoughtless va cant creaturea harmless fond old mnan susceptible of tender love and regard for her and of pleasant and painful impressions but alive to nothing more


it made her very sad to know that this was soso sad to see it that sometimes wlhen he sat idly by smiling and nodding to her when she looked round or when he carressed some little child and carried it to and fro as he was fond of doing by the hour together perplexed by its simple questions yet pa tient under tis own infirmity and seeming almost conscious of it too and humbled even before the mind of an infantso sad it made her to see him thus that shite would burst into tears and withdraw ing into some secret place fall down upon her inees and pray that he might be restored


but the bitterness of her grief was not in behold


ing him in this condition when he was at least con tent add tranquil nor in his solitary meditations on his altered state though these were trials for a young heart


cause for deeper and heavier sorrow was yet to come


one evening a holiday night with them nell and her grandfather went out to walk


they had been rather closely confined for some days and the weather being warm they strolled a long distance


clear of the town they took a footpath which struck through some plejsant fields judging that it would terminate in the road they quitted and enable them to return that way


it made however a much wider circuit titan they had supposed and thus thtey were tempted onward until sunset when they reached the track of which they were in search and stopped to rest


it had been gradually getting overcast and now thesky was dark and lowering save where the glory of thie depsrltng sun piled up masses of gold and burning bfire decaying embers of which gleamed here and there through the black veil and shbne redly down upon the earth


the wind began to moan in hollow murmurs as the sun went down carrying glad day elsewhere and a train of dull clouds coming up against it menaced thunder and lightning


large drops of rain began to fall and as the storm clouds came sailing onward others supplied the void they left behind and spread over all the sky


then was heard the low rumbling of distant thunder the lightning quivered and then the darkness of an hour seemed to have gathered in an instant