he recog nised tho same yoting man who once before in the temple court prevented simon from beating him


a ray of soft intelligence flashed from his deep hltfo eye but that wjs all


ha ha


i it is you citizen lorinsaid simon thus directing the attention of fouquier tinville towards maurices friend


mysolf citizen simon replied lorin with his imperturbable assurance but as he was a man who whilst he did not feardanger would not aselossly seek it he profited by the circumstance to salute fouquier tinville who politely returned the compliment


you remarked i bolievo citizen said tho p ubi io accuser that the child was indisposed


are you a doctor


i have at all events studied medicine


well what do you discover


as symptoms of illness asked lorin


yes


i find his cheeks and oyos tumified his hands bloodless and emaciated his joints swelled and if i folt his pulse it would boat i am sure eighty flvo or eightysix times in a minuto


the child seemed insensible to the enumeration of his suf ings


to what causo can scienco attribute the pri soners condition


asked the public accuser


lorin rubbed the end of his noso murmuring to himself phillis would have mo court his ire but lorin fools not thal desire


my faith citizen replied ho at length i do not know sufficiently the little capets regime to be able to replyhowever simon listened attentively and secretly smiled to find his enemy thus committing himself


however continued lorin i believe ho does not take sufficient ccoroise


that i believn said simon the little beg gar does not wish to walk any more


the child remained insensible to the apostrophe of tho cobbler


fouquier tinville arose ap proached lorin and spoke to him in an under tono


no ono heard tho purport of his words but it was evident they assumed tho foi m of ail interrogatory


ho ho t said lorin


do you believo that citizen


it is a gravo charge against a mother


at all events said fouquier wo aro bout to know its ti uth


simon protends to have hoard him admit it himself and has promised to mako him avow it now


it would be hideous said lorin but it may bo possiblethe austrian is not exempt from sin but right or wrong it does not concern mo al though i must admit it is ratbor too strong a eli argo for mo


such as it is it has been so reported by si mon said fouquier calmly


i do not doubt that simon may have said so


there aro some accusations at which certain mon do not hesitate oven when they aro impossible


but do not you continued lorin looking keenly at fouquier a man of intelligence and probity do not you seo that to question a child as to details concerning her whom the most sacred laws of nature ordain him to respect is to insult all mankind in his person


the accuser did not frown but drow a noto from his pocket which he handed to lorin


tho convention said he commands me to investigate the case


the result does not con cern mo


i must do my duty


true said lorin and i grant that if the child ndmittod here tho young man hung his head down with disgust


besides said fouquier it is not on simons single accusation we proceed


see hero is tho public charge fouquier drew out a second paper and handed it to lorin


it was a copy of tho paper called la pre duchesne aud which was edited by hebert tho accusation was inserted thero and in fact regularly drawn up


it is even printed said lorin but that does not signify


until i have heard the child utter the accusationi mean voluntarily irbely and without being menaced


well


well in spite of simon and hebert i should doubt it as you do yourself


simon watched impatiently tho issue of this conversation


tho wretch did not understand the power intelligent mail possesses even in his glance


it expresses sympathy or bears tho im pression of subtlo hatred at one time it pos sesses a repulsive at another an attractive force which guides the thoughts or directs even the conduct of men until an equal or superior influ ence is encountered in the crowd


fouquier felt tho forco of lorins glance and wished lo be understood by the observer


the examination is about to commence said the public accuser


officer take up your pen


the latter had already written out the heading of the categoiical examination and had like all the others merely awaited tho conclusion of fou qtiiers and lorins conversation


the rhild alone seemed a strahgor to the scene in whiihhewas a pi incipal actbr having assumed thnt tony look which a flash of intelligence had only for an in btant illumined


silonbe said santerro


the citizen fou quier tinville is about to question the child


capet asked the accuser do you know what has happened to your mother


little louis from the paleness of marble changed to a burning i ed but made no answ er


do you hear capet


resumed the public accuser


the same silence


oh i ho hoars well enough said simon


but like the monkeys ho will not answer lest he should be considered a man and bo made to work


answer capet said santerro


it is the commission from tho convention who question you and ou ought to obey the laws


the child grow pale but made no answer


simon made an angry gesture


in all brutal and stupid natures rogo is a kind of intoxication accompanied by all the hideous symptoms of drunkenness


will you answer little whelp said simon shaking his fist


silonce i simon said fouquier tinville you havo not the right to speak


that expression escaped bim from the habit of using it at tho revolutionary tribunal


do you hear simon said lorin you are not permitted to speak


this is the second time i have heard you interrupted in the same manner


tho first time was when you accused the daughter of fison and when you had the satisfaction of causing her to bo beheaded


simon remained silent


did your mother love you capet


asked fouquier


continued silonce


it is reportod she did not continued the public accuser


something like a palo smile movod the lips of the child


but i tell you roared simon that ho told me himself thal she loved him too much


look you simon said lorin it is very an noying that little capet who issuch a tattler in private should become so silent in public


oh if wo wore only alone said simon


yes simon but unlortunately you are not so said lorin


oh i if you were alone bravo simon excellent pitriot i how you would thrash the poor childha


i


but you are not alone and you dare not behave so infamously before honest men who know that the ancients whoso model wo are respected the feeble


you daro not for you are not alone and my worthy man you aro not valiant enough to fight with children nix feet high


ah i mui mured simon grinding his teeth


capot resumed fouquier havo you con fided anything to simon


the


look of tho child assumed an expression of irony impossible to de scribo regarding your mother


continued the accuser


a flash of contempt passed over his counte nance


answer yes or no exclaimed santerre


answer yestthundered simon raising his strap against the child


the child trembled but made no attempt to elude the blow


t


tho spectators uttered a kind of cry of abhor renee


lorin did better than that ho sprang for ward and before simons arm descended he had grasped it


let me loose vociferated simon purple with rage


let us see said fouquier


there is no harm in a mother loving her child


tell us in what manner your mother loved you capet


it may be useful to her


the young prisoner started at tho idea of doing a service to his mother


sir said ho she loved mo as a mother loving her son


there are no two ways for mothers to lovo their children nor for children to love their mothers


and i little serpent maintain that you told me your mother you must havo dreamed that said lorin tranquilly


aro you often troubled with tho nightmare simon


lorin lorin said simon grinding his teeth


wellwhat after lorin


there is no chanco of beating lorin


lie however beats others when they aro mischievously wicked nor enn ho bo denounced for what i have done is in presonce of general santerro and fouquier tinville who approve of it and they aro not lukewarm patriots


are they


you cannot guillotine hira either as you did heloiso tison


it is annoying very pro voking poor simon


but so it is


a little longer wait a little longer replied tho cobbler gnashing his teeth uko a tiger


ah my dear friend snid lorin i hope with tho aid of the supreme beingah


you expected i was about to say god hope with his aid and my sabre to have all settled with you before that


stand asido


simon


you prevent rae from seeing brigand silence you prevent me from hearing said lorin overwhelming lum with a look


simon clenched his fists but as lorin said ho was obliged to content himself with that


nowlhat hollis begun to speak said san terro


ho will doubtless go on


proceed fou quier proceed


will you now answer


asked fouquier


but the child only resumed moro resolutely his silent mood


you see citizen you see said simon


i the obstinacy of this boy is strangu sad santerro disturbed in spito of himself with tho characteristic firmness ot the royal child


ho is badly advised said lorin


by whom asked santcrre


by his pnlron


you aceuso mo exclaimed simon you o nomico mo


ah i it is strange


lot us try mild means said fouquier turn ing towards the child whom any one might have thought to be completely insensible


como my child said he answer the national commis sioner


dont aggravate your caso by refusing useful information you havo spoken to citizen simon of your mother caresses and of how sho lovod you


louis cast a glance over the assembly which bocamo espressivo of deep hatred as it rested on simon but ho made no reply


aro you unhappy


asked the accuser aro you badly lodged clothed or treated


do you wish more liberty a bettor tablo another prison or another guardian


would you like a horso to rido upon or the company of children of your own age


louis still maintained that profound silonce which was only broken to defend his mother


tho commissioners wero dumb with astonish ment


so much firmness so much intelligence was incredible in a child


ha i thoso kings said santerre in a low voice what a raco


they are like tigers how ever small they may bo they aro full of mis chief


how am i to draw up tho verbal examination


asked the embarrassed scribe


it only remains to accuse simon said lorin there is nothing to write down


this will settle his business to a nicety


simon shook his fist at his implacable foo


lorin laughed


you will not laugh so said simon furiously when you sneeze in the guillotine sack


i do not know whether i shall precede or fol low you simon in that ceremony with tho per formance of which you threaten me


but i do know that many will laugh heartily when your turn comos


godsthat is in the plural simonyo gods but he will look ugly on that day


simon you will be perfectly hideous


lorin retired laughing heartily as he followed the commission which had nothing moro to do


they all departed together


as for the child when once freed from his exa mination began singing a melancholy little air which was a favourite with his father


cto he continued


captain thing my


by shallow li scr


j un a pc he has urged that there is very little in n namerciiiiiricini tins a rose by any other name would be equally odoriferous


i rim sufficiency barbs rous in my tastes to differ ruin the it the poetical philosopher and in defence of my own ideas narrate the following so try which is strictly historical new may be found in a few lines in several records of the french navy


it will at all events prove that a name may be a very dangerous


thing at times and place the owner of it in awkward paid income fortable predicaments


my illustration h not singular and is selected from many bec mas it contains certain subsidiary incidents likely to interest


at the very height of the revolutionary lever of and when nearly all the i all the ii is of old families find em e r ted found leisure to seek refuge in grindley and england from a torrent they had not the heart nor chivalry to stein there remains some few excep tions


a few like rouget de lisle the author of the marseillaise remained in the mother country and indifferent to the charges of govt runout where popular feeling had brought about determined to serve their native land no matter by what name the central its thorny might be designated


among these who did not consult this predilec tion as to whether it was less proper to serve the couventbn than louis xvi was a young noble by name count la rey louis de s


cyra designation is fitting for the day as would have been lord king charles st peter in the time of praisegodhanbones


in all appellations which relished on the old sure of things had vanished


the yard a citizen had effaced sir find driving schools scipio rienzi and other flames celebrated in history had taken the place of the venus and j request and especially the louiss which were held in abhorence


streets find towns to which saint was mixed had dropped the handle to their names while i runs and trees francis prominent by signs and all adopted patriotic designations


count le roy louis de st city r was a brave and able naval officer


by the a section of all the other nobles who had posed almost exclusively the officers of the navy before the revolution he found himself at fiveandtwenty captain of the magnificent frigate venus maimed by as terrible a crew as ever volunteered to eat up the england for their countrys good


he issue was what was called a cidivanttlmt is an ex morning an exnoble


all his subordinates were four others who had served before the mast and who had more experience than manner more nautical knowledge than theoretical education


the french navy was at his time under a strange discipline


the officers were appointed by the state but the crow always confirmed or rejected the appointments their will


the foremast men and petty officers were hot patriots wore red caps and find their clubs on board those of the extreme revolutionary party being always in the majority


long discuss sions were held on all points concern ing he service


the amount of respect to be shown to officers was rigorously discussed well as the amount of cb dinner


of course the superiors wire lines and should without mercy while in new ships wau it usual to touch the line when speaking to them


moreover the men freely asked a reason for any orders they received and until it was given refused obedience except in cases of urgency


this extraordinary position of affairs would at any other time have totally d organised the service and annihilated the efficiency of the navy but at this moment of brief but wild cat this season its effects were scarcely ever had luckily the system did not outlive the enthusiasm


the venus lay in the harbour of brest undergoing some necessary to attitude which promised to occupy a month and captain st cyr whose department this did not essentially concern resided ashore the more willingly that he was not quite as well as might have been wished


young handsome elegant in person and manners the cx noble was however sufficiently sensible to adopt all the habits of the times


it is as to his scrupulous observance of trifles and by other qualities that he had escaped prison and death altho gb healing


i i june which was in the days of ihiguilluliii a living and hourly condemnation


but the young man was mild tillable until unassuming


brave as a lien on his deck and obeyed with passive respect by his men he had never fought a duel


while his crew lind g mil answers enough for the newly raised universal use spoke their own language and whose manners were their own they never questioned upon the license of the times with st cyr


several infractions of discipline had been firmly punished by him after a trial before a jury of half officer half men who led by the calm statement of their captain always decided according to his opinion


but he never punished without good cause and was adored by his men who if they were licentiously free were illpaid and illfed enough to afford them an excuse for being unruly


on shore the captain was equally clever and popular


he lodged with a saddler named bernard and even took his meals with the family composed of the father mother and a very pretty daughter whose name had been changed from antoinette to lucrezia


lucretia was a charming innocence as the french say of nineteen sprigg


ly handsome goodhearted and pureminded her education had been neglected but captain c st cyr weds so good hut that for the eighteen months he inda


long after its lodged in the house he had amused him if by making up for this di helene


the family adored her lodger is worthy people always do when they have a nice young man under such paternal away but despite the republican seventy of the lungs and the undoubted civ ism of i citizen boulard they reverence the noble and despite all mu advances had never ventured on familiarity with him they delighted in his urbanity they proclaimed his admirable democratic miners everywhere but they one and all remembered the distance which society had placed between them only twentyfour months previously


old boutaid spoke to the young man with dogged respect the citoyenne or cilleries boutard with affectionate respect while lucrezia addressed him always as a being who was too great and mighty for familial luteicominuiiioii nothing that young st cyr could do altered his tale of things


every morning and every after


no in the young officer took his break


fast and humor with his landlord put i lue


a in the way of her m tidies and i then re ned to his own


he evening he spent partly at a club and partly at a collechoitoe where he read the news from paris now of a truly tremendous character


having perused the pipers chatted with the habitual visitors closely naval officers he returned to the rue du dix chestso called in commemoration of the th of august the date of the overthrow of the monarchy and capped with his hosts family


lls visits to his ship were performed at dawn


one day after dinner captain le roy louis de st cyr sat at the table of citizen boutaid longer than usual


he did not speak


he was in a profound reverie and his companions religiously respited his silence


the old man smoked away the mother knitted a stocking ibu daughter copied some manuscript music which the naval officer had borrowed from a friend


citroen routard suddenly exclaimed the captain starting from his reverie have you any objection to take me for a soninlaw


the honest saddler lit his pipe all to the ground and delivered it to atoms j the good wife dropped some two or three dozen stitches while luciera turned a white and red and smeared her whole paper with blows


monsieur le comte p said ihnitard looking will an air of regret at his favourite pipe


i think you said monsieur and count observed fat


cyr with good natured irony


i beg pardon ciloyen captains but why do you joke with me


citizen bustard or rather papa boutard i am so much in earnest that if you wont have me i shall use the right which the law gives me and taking your daughter by the hand ask the justice to unite us


but all joking apart my dear friend i love your child if she can find it in her heart to take me and you to permit our union this will be the happiest day of my life


but monsieur le comte this n im possible


your rank your family your ta h a cried captain st cyr stopping the bewildered saddler why you are talking treason by the yard


recollect that weare under a republic that all distinctions are abolished and that to say what you have st said in public would cost you your head


but swift said boutard more astonished than ever do i hear angrily i is impossible


and you child


the ciloy one boutird made no reply being too much astonished to speak while lucrezia bowed her head almost to the table as if wiping away the blows on her paper


a my dear friend continued st cyr yes or no


yes yes proud and happy father that i am


but speak eli id


it is for by o to at my r i have always been an obedient daughter and lucrem in a low and im ist stations c tone


a list is


not enough said the honest sijddt more calmly


i m read your j mother because she loved me and leliusshe wished it i hope as much i i do


and we have never reported my daughter my only child shall never marry in pit use her father


spi ak girl am i to be who i am ready i bonall a wish i never dared to hope for can now be realized


i speak lucrezia i put in the cap


on humbly


t i never ventured i couldnt hope said the daughter sobbing in her p m in the runs but i should is we did if the plan ind of a need any one else


this arises r of the agitated girl minami all paine


the una officer was


a car invited the parents delighted and lutiiaiawho had ikui inspected the longcherished pism n of the young count but who sent og highway di had fine mist mainly situated railhead intend ins msluieiwas painfully has passe much had the sense taken for by surprise u win the war he


captain went to his coluehoiiic which he found full


the end of the exking


trial was approaching and the public mind had been worked up to a perfect plenty of excitement


the pam pipers of the day were actually fought for by the eager qualities


the captain took his seat in a corner heard all the reports of the day and then entered into ton versauoii with some of half a mile in lulu tall as he is out and it young man a provision merchant of his own street advance towards him with some companions in loud conversation marcus brutus caucliard was one of the fol leaders of marie and president of the cordeliers club at pies


more from mad a d phrenzied ardour than cruelly he denounced all suspicious persons with eager and furious haste and had sent many a victim to the scaffold


his influence with the mob was great and though more moderate people were in the majority by dint of energy and liberal talking the minority was generally master


marcus aspired to the hand of lucretius and though always repelled by the young girl still looked upon success as certain


the imprudent and proud boutard had himself un deceived him and the enraged provision merchant went in search of his rival with a treacherous and base scheme in his head


i hast heard citizens pontius pilate said he to a hideous jew who was his ready offer festival for tomorrow


it is to celebrate the age of reason


we must have a better goddess than the theatre can give us who votes for lucrezia the beauty of brest


to be con linn ed


chapter ii


no no that nictule mils thce not


sketched for a maid of yore she lives no moie or duiker lot


wild flowrn


tlicy sought ife ruder air contagious ulilmtnu met me there where it i lie timid the virtues where


thou art not the


ltmarl


fitadam


tie opera was crowded sonlag in ill her glory the public conceived it impossible that higher glories could be achieved by llic human voice and the acclamations of n proud and noble assemblage the praise of the high born and enraptured audience fell sweetly upon the gratified ears of the songsters sated as they already were uitb almost superfluous commenda tion in a box on the second tier there sale a young female of surpass ing loveliness she was neatly yet so elegantly attired hat she seemed to be of a different stamp from those around her


it was edith hamilton


al her side sate her lover alas a lover no longer


captain mariien be was evidently proud of his companion and the battery of upturned glasses from fops alley amused him for mardcn was pleased that he could outvie every one in possessing so lovely a victim


to him it had been an ensy conquest how many such are constantly occurring


bow many more such must occur i mrs marden had taken edilh from a lowly station of innocent happiness she had cul tured the intellect improred the taste and embellished the understanding of the rustic but it was all superficial much to adorn but little to improve


in the humble situation for which providence had designed her edilh might have been admired contented and hnppy


a fashionable situation had implanted much good ond much evil it had placed the flowers of the hothouse on the brambles of the lifilh and although the plant had i become more showyit was less sweet


mrs maiden had chosen a fashion lie school for her protegee and her education was made up of accomplish incuts there was of course a result of some good points some bad ones


of which gentle reader could fashion implant the most


on her parents death edilh had become ihe companion of her patron j ess


an introduction iuto society during this period and the flattering commendations bestowed ou her per son bad rendered her presuming ami after she had been initiated into theobservanccsof fashionable life mrs mardcn was attacked with a severe and sudden illness that rendered her life despaired of in a few days


her dependent situation emboldened capl miinlea


in his addresses lo the fa vourite


shall say it that for months ho had secretly offered the incense of admiration at the altar of bis victim until edith loved


he had offered her youth beauty and unconquerable love and before the remains of his mother were placed in ibe tomb he had promised edilh his protection or threatened to send her forth an insulted outcast into a harsh and cruel world


edith had not a friend she had no one to fly to none to counsel her


on the one hand she saw ihe gratification of every wish on the other wretched ness and suffering


here she look ed forward to the cold pity of a heartless world and there she be held the society and protection of one whom she loved andwlio she fondly believed loved her


it was a task to decide but with fashionable princi ples only could she think twice


it was soon over


she had become a thing she had once hardly dnred to think upon she was the guilty ob ject of a licentious passion and on her first appearance at the opera she was gratified al the sensation


she pro duced for she was talented imagina tive and vain


she learned lo think whatever is is right aud she con soled hersell iu her infamy by a sophistry so specious


there was another individual whose happiness was somewhat influenced by the fascinations of the beauty


jt was hylantl icrcival he hail been performing tlie duties of assistant lo tho parish doctor at c


when he first saw edilh at her pareuls funeral


he was struck with her beauty capli j vated by her manners and enraptured ivilh her society in a word he was in love yet before he had defined his passion even to himself edith had departed for ever from c


and many months elapsed before his duties allowed him to visit london


in lhat period the decease of an uncle had placed a competence within his reach and after inauy fruitless endeavours lo discover llio enslaver of his reason he saw heral tho opera on the evening of his first visit


the presence of marden whose character ho knew and the look of edith conjured up surmises thai he hardly dared lo think upon for being possessed of strong lecliiijis be had cherished in secret a passion for the beauty that now tinged li is character with the melancholy sorrows of hope deferred


he hardly dared to believe that she had fallen he could scarce trust his senses with a thought unworthy of one beloved he waited therefore the conclusion of the performance that he might trace her home


after a short anil secret watching perciva felt tho dreadful conviction forced upon him that she was fallen indeed


hut who that ever loved cati cherish harsh feelings against the object of that overwhelming passion


he knew her to be guilty in the eye of a world whose goodness is little but veiled guilt yet he wished lo know whether kdith was indeed the same and be lingered at the door of the house


til


he saw maiden lead her to a carriage and waiting lo catch the foolman he learned her address and retired


the scene was changed


lie was alone in a boudoir whose meanest object was calculated to please


ediths idea of ihe beautiful had bceu carried into effect as far as limitless extrava gance could conduce to perfection


the light fell through a painted win dow and disclosed an assemblage of all that is coveted or admired it was an apartment that contained every thing lhat could dazzle the senses or subdue the understanding


books of the rarest beauty pictures of the best schools sculptures of the finest taste and the boudoir opened into a conservatory whose choice exotics made the air redolent with perfume


percival looked around him with a pang


if edith had been bought she had certainly fetched a price but alas


what price can redeem ruined soul


and as he listened to the rippling of water and the warbling of the birds he lamented that one so favoured should now be degraded to be only the minister lo illicit desire


he shuddered when he thought of the prostitution of so much taste and he was lost in thought when edith entered


she was changed though still the same more lovely perhaps though less innocent


sue saluted him as a friend and as she reverted to old time a tear trembled in her eye and percivaps voice was less strong than usual


he felt the early wounds of his heart were already opened


bleeding forth a flood of anguished feelings and seizing her hand lie imprinted one kiss upon her cheek breathed one god bless you i and tore himself away


rimltkk ill


i neer without a big


beheld the tear on beaut c cheek to love and pity dear


nor hai ihe ruiue eet famed a fabled lay to chow the world how woman goes astray would not give a guileless bosom pain


nor on unspoiled honour cast a main


though time has graved his wrinkles on my brow and rndely chilled the hearts enraptured glow onie could love still highly piize the lair a friendly monitor cry


beware


for lliein i write fur them reeoid my lale as angels lovely but at mortals frail


buzour


percival had resolved on continu ing his medical studies and bad passed a season at llie hotel dieu and during the summer vacation he made a tour of germany switzerland and italy le had ever thought of one whom he had loved and he would have given worlds for an invisible cap that he might be conveyed whither he would


how otlen then would he have watched the course of edith hamilton


in his own mind he had often contrasted the race after plea sure enervating intoxicating and debasing with the serene course of a retired life where a due exercise of the senses produces enjoyment whilst i overexertion invariably leads to wcak ness of the spirit and a yearning after excitements still more cloying j at length he was at florence gay


i sunny florence the city of palaces and pictures the resort of the idle and ihe luxurious surrounded by vineclad mountains decked with in numerable villas and washed by the meandering arno


hero he rested for awhile examining its architecture i its sculptures and its beauties revel ling in a continued excitement of in i telleclual delight


one evening he was sauntering upon the prada wiling


away an hour in witnessing the sun setting gloriously behind the tuscan hills in a fit of musing he heard his native tongue spoken with ele gance unusual in a foreign clinic and looking round he beheld a party of


english walking on the delightful spot he had himself chosen


percival was pleased to find himself near those who reminded him of england


as they passed he thought them some of his countrys aristocracy for they bore with them ihe air of conscious rank and station and when percival looked upon he lady who formed the belle and who seemed ihe fascination of the group he recognised the well known features of edilh hamilton


she knew him too and with a look lhat none witnessed but himself she placed her finger on her lip


jn a few moments they had passed and percival returned home lo discover what was now the fate of the beauty


summoning an inquisitive fellow whom he had occasionally employed and who fulfilled the office of valet courier messenger or lacquey many of whom arc to be found in every place where english wealth is spent percival gave him directions to trace out the fair one and learn what he could of herself and her companions


he then went to the opera and found the object of his li st love decked out in the fullest elegance of capricious fashion and forming a source of at traction equal to ihe prinia donna herself buring the performance he refrained from noticing her more than common curiosity for a reigning belle might have prompted and he retired early to learn from his inquisitive at tendant lhat lady altonmorc and his lordship were slaying a few weeks at a villa in ihe campagna with a party of english


he lcarccd also that his lordship was un magnified and that his residence was a continued scene of every species of merriment and diversion


for a time percival wavered in his mind whether he should watch her progress or fly from her fascinations


he nail nerved ins heart sulhcienlly to feel no regret thai another revelled in the possession of those beauties which had once enslaved him but his was no transient passion he felt lhat her presence even now possessed a power of entrancing his senses and he feared lest be should be again suffi ciently unmanned to become the slave of passion


weighing his own feel ings therefore he resolved to fly from the presence of fi being whose power over him was too great for his com fort and taking a last walk ou the banks of the arno he started lo find himself in company with the assumed lady altonmore


she was alone


is it you edith


he inquired as she approached him and by her blush of recognition told that his appear ance at least was unexpected


is it you edith or am i suffering from mental delusion


am i sneaking to miss hamilton


you are right percival said ihe lady i am ihe same being hough am changed in name


you know in whos company i am stay ing


i do replied he


know him for one that never let fe male beauty or innocence stand in the way of his libertine passions as one that never yet shewed the the noble ness of nobility nor the honoor of high birth


arc you his wife edilh or percival lingered on the word


heaven forbid


ejaculated the unblushing lady altonmorc


wives are quite unfashionable in the present stale of society


the inarch of intel lect has taught the elili of the world that temporary marriages are by far the most agreeable


is this your opinion madam enquired percival or is a talc with which you would amuse me


thcro was a time when these were not your sentiments edith but you are changed now i see but little respect for the lesson of a dying parent


do you imagine and per cevals voice grew serious do you imagine that you will ever meet thai parent again if the commencement of your life be in the company of the libertine lord altonmore


forgive me if i create a momentary pang iu your bosom but i cannot endure lo see you participating in the licentious orgies of which common report an nounces you high priestess


there was a time edith when i would have given worlds for your compan ionship but now


he paused for edith was in tears and percivals check was blanched with mental suf fering whilst he spoke but after a momentary effort she resumed her gaiety


come come ryland she exclaimed no more of this you blame me because you have never been subjected to the same temptation


you think yourself good because you have not yet fallen


take care of yourself


you may live to pity me more than you con demn


am too old to take advice you loo young to give it


let us part friends


addio


to be continued


chapter ii


dear little baby


sweet pretty love


mamma did it come down from heaven above


oh if it did will not god take again the dear little baby to keep it from pain


anon


a few days after nurse took johnny up out of his mothers room


johnny laughed for he thought it very funny to be carried in nurses arms and very funny to leave the nursery in his cool nightdress and with bare feet and dis hevelled curls


nurse carried him into mammas room and put him on the bed johnny wondered why mamma was not up and why the shutters were not open yet and he was just going to ask when mamma told him to peep over on the other side and when he did he saw a little red baby snuggled up among the bed clothes


then johnny remembered his dream and clapped his hand and cried oh the good angel the good angel


and his mamma wondered what he meant and so he told her all his dream and oh mamma he said will the angel take away the pretty baby oh will she


and his mamma looked very sad and said i cannot tell my dear little boy but if your little sister does go back to god who gave her we must be glad because there she would have no sorrow in this world where every body has some


oh she must not go johnny said i will pray to the saviour who loves little children to leave her with us and keep her well


do so said his mamma but remem ber johnny love that jesus may love her so well as to take her to himself


if so we must thank him for his great love


johnny looked very sad for a few minutes and then he asked dear mamma must i have sorrow in the world too


i am so happy now


yes little one if you live but when you are older i will tell you of a great joy which jesus can give you and will give you if you ask him a joy which would drown all sorrow just as the great sea could drown your little boat if we were to put it on it


oh said the little boy i should like to go up to jesus and live with him and then i would ask him for the great joy and he would give it to me eh mamma


his mamma shuddered and looked pale and nurse came and said that he would tire her and so he kissed her and the baby and went back to the nursery to be dressed


little effie so the baby was called soon learnt to smile and hold out her hands to johnny and crow when he came near her


johnny thought there never was such a baby and he thought of her all day and dreamt of her all night


many a cloverwreath he made for the dear little thing and she would dance and laugh when he put them round her neck and catch his hand in her own little chubby fist and pull it to her mouth to feel for teeth never was such a baby


and she learnt to call mam ma and johnny too in her own baby way


but alas


baby fell sick and not all her mothers tears nor johnnys fervent infant prayers could keep her


jesus did love her so well as to take her to himself and when the trial came it was hard for the trusting mother to be re signed


johnny was almost heart broken for the loss of his little idol


fate on a threele gged stool


rf chapter i down in the westcountriethe lovely and still primitive d eyonwas


one of


the prettiest farms the lover of rural beauty might eyer behold


after crossing several pathfields where the fine devon cows were lazily grazing and lashing their sleek hides with their long tails you came to a hayyard only separated from


the others by a low fence and herein the goodly stacks rose side t v sf


with the ripe corn and all so compact so neatly ordered


a ypu stopped involuntarily admire and inhale the perfume of the lately mown hay


passing onward anotheryard attracted your attention


in sheds on both sides the handsome cows were tethered


awaiting milking time and lowing gently as a step ap proached in expectation of the milker


amongst the most impatient and the most beautiful was one saucyblack heifer with every point in perfect beauty


her wild eye wandered round as far as her tether would permit evidently seeking some one


from a neighbouring shed at last stepped that wishedfor one and a pleased gentle low came from the heifers stall


the person approached he was a country girl of about eighteen bearing about her all the air and look of the country and yet graceful the elasticity of youth in her light step laughter


and happinss in her bright eye nd joy and mirth in the voice which said what madgeblack madge


dost thee grow impatient lass


tile heifer lashed her sides contentedly as the girl casessed her


hodge will thee bring along the stool


she cried going to the entrance and calling to some one in the distance


mary dalton the speaker was a servant at the farm which be longed to the squire mr selby who resided about a mile distant


apremier girl few mi ht remember to have seen in her class sle


was not the refined milkmaid of romance delicate in complexion


slim and gracefully bending beneath her pail


no mary dalton


was not too tall round and well made cheeks like damask roses a pair of eyes like jet yet soft too and filled with that tempered


firet so beautiful in woman as indicative of a mild gentle and loving disposition


the tuckedup sleeve of her gown gave to view arms of ruddy health


vulgar no one could have called her hut a country girl in all her rustic beauty


a short wollen petticoat showed a wellturned legneatness itself the dark closefitting dress the skirt of which was drawn through the pockethole disclosed her rounded but not clumsy figure


a little cap closely plaited on thu cheek set off the raven bands smoothed straightacross the tem ple showing a handsome eyebrow something must here be saidi ll er parents


the father an mother lived in a small cottage a very small one tooa mib off the former had beeuaood labourer in his time but


drink that curse of so many had come over him and prematuro old acre


following in its wake hand in hand with sickness had made a helpless old manof hiim at sixty


his partner still toiled on a little plain sewing sometimes days work indoors at the faun or the squiresenabled them to live


then came marys earn ingsand they all found their way to herhoirie except the little she was forced to spend onher self


no one was so neat nor one so careful as she never a showy ribbon on no great change of dressand yet every one said when she walked out of church on sunday kow nice mary dalton looks


and well she deserved the re mark for a good quiet con science sat laughing on her brow and lit up the glance of her bright modest eye


we left her


calling hodge her fellow servant at the farm


hodge obedient to the call entered the shed carrying a half tilled pail of milk and the three legged stool in request


he was a tall young man some three or fourandtwenty pale with light hair a fine noble countenance and clear blue sad eyes


his figure denoted no ro bust health he stooned


which gave him an awkward look


but you forgot all when he smiled it was so sweet so calmwithal so sad when he looked on mary the sadness of a warm overflowing heart


n theest always hanging behind lazy sherieiihe


seated herself close to hlack madges full tiuiler


yet hersmhv belied the reproach


j thee doesnt think so mary i he replied placing a hand on her shoulder


she looked up their eyes met and her pretty lips parted in a merry laugh


there go along hodge she said and get on with the milking


theyll be calling after ee if ee dont


plenty of time ivnswered he


the masters gone up to see squire and the missis is having her bit of talk with one of her gossips just come in


so mary weilwhat hodge ph jist sit down beside thee here and well talk too


and suiting the action to the word he seated himself on the ground and looked up in her face which she saucily turned away at times looking upon him as he spoke earnestly to her


he spoke seriously of marriage


she did not falter or blush


it was an old accepted subject to her ear but she grew sad with his urging and shook her head


hodye she said thee mustnt talk of that now


ive told ee so


theres father and motherwhats to come of them if i marry


well mary we cotild always spare summut for them and if i took the cottage we wurspeaking of with the small bit of land why why maybe and the words came unwillingly from him they might live with us and the old man work a bit


that would never do hodge to begin with


father cant work much and thee and he mightnt agree about all things


she thought of the drink but though he well knew her fathers great fault she would not speak of him in blame even to her af fianced husband


no


she continued


we must wait a bit hodgeonly a little bit


she auded playfully for


ill tell thee secret


i have saved up a purse of my ownpresents ive had given me when ive carried up eggs and butter to the squires by some of the ladies there and gentlemen tooand she looked roguishly at lum who gave me halfacrown often for a smart ribbon


but what did want with finery


so i saved it all


father and mother know nothing about it and i mean to keep eveiy farthing j and when im rich enoughshe leaned forward and whispered langhingly in his ear buy the old cottage thelive in for them and then well marry hodge


thetemptation was irrisistible she was so near that hodge drew a little nearer with one arm round her waist and pressed her warm glowing cheek


alas


threelegged stools are faithless things totrust to


liers gave way


she madeau effort to save herself by catching the heifers leg black madge kicked out and over went the pail


hodge started up


mary looked aghast


just at that moment a shrill voice rose on the air and the speaker advanced towards them


it was the missis


her gossip had not been so satisfac tory as she could have wished


the dearth of scandal soured her temper and with a face red and furious she surveyed the culprits and the swimming ground


so ye be courting again she cried her hands on her hips you goodfornothing slut


what are you here for


mary was milking black


madgetwas i who should not have come here answered hodge


then get ye gone


replied the dame and you ye sly sweethearting lady look for another place for yell stay no more here i tell thee


away she turned and sped across the yard


hodge stood petri delahthe of ilia excellency


the governor general for iurt


curtis


fled


marys colour went and came at last she raised her apron and hurstintpears


away went lier golden dream of her fathers jiittageajrjvwt hdffethey must part she was dismissed


ifr thdames word wasawat the farm


hodge tried to calm herwounded heart even while his own was bursting and above her sobs rose the selfsatisfied lowing of mack madge who little knew the harm she had done


chapter ir


th e shades of night came on and hodge stood in the hayyard before mentioned impatiently watching in the direction of the farmhouse


a footstep advanced atlastit was marys she had been crying for her cheeks were pale and her eyes swollen


hodge took her hand and tried to comfort her even though his own heart sank with dread


mary had been endeavouring to soothe the dames anger but in vain


people said that farmer notts the dames husband could not live long and people also said that she had chosen his successor in young hodgeand thence arose


lier dislike to his courtship with mary dalton


be it as it may the slightest fault had ever been as a mountain in her eyes and the earliest opportunity was joyfully seized to dismiss her without some excuse she could scarcely have done so as mary was a favourite at the hall where all the prodoce of the farm went


and so she wont forgive thee mary said hodge sadly after a pause in their conversation


well ill just go up to morrow to feyther at squires andask him to say a word


the missis vont do it hodge answered she


i saw by her


look she means i should go


i dont know why she hates me socanst thee tell hodge


hodge looked down


he did suspect but would not cast so dark a thought over marys pure mind


she cannot hate thee mary he replied evasively


ill seefeyther tomorrow and see what he can do


lets in now my girl for she


maunt know weve been together


and with sad embrace they parted


it was the kiss which leaves no warmth behindit froze as it fellinfant of evil presenti ments


hodge jumped over the hurdles which separated the yard from the field and mary sadly crept hometo the home she would soon be leaving


as she passed through the yard black mad


e knew her step and lowed mary stepped beneath the shed and caressed her her heart was too good lo feel aiigry with the dumb brute which had caused her so much sorrow


black madge thee little knows what theest done lass she said i feel theest done me a harm that wont end well


and with a sigh she turned towards the farmkitchenher spirit quite broken


those of highest heart feel sorrow keenest when it falls upon themthey are unused to it


hodges father isaac stone was head gamekeeper at the hall an old esteemed servant of the squiresliving at one of the lodges leading into the groundstwith an old maiden sister for hs wife had died almost immediately after hodges birth of decline and it needed not much skill in surgery to guess that the germs of that fatal disease existed in her only child hodge the stooping shoulders clearsad eye and generally pale complexion denoted all the disposition in his frame to yield to his scarcely donnai t enemy


days passed


in vain the farmer even begged fer


marys stay


hodges father came and spoke for his child that was to be


this seemed but to make the dame more resolved she tossed her head reddened called mary a lazy creature and declared go she should


then she shall have a whoam with me answered isaac stone boldly


and the young folks shall marry at once


dame notts bit her lip


and then yell have the drunken feyther and lazy mother to keep she replied spitefully


the words told home


noa dang it


not they


he cried


the mothers a gude sort of a woman but th old manthat wont du dame


but mary doant want for a whoam whilst ive one i tell ee and he turned away


but mary would not leave her parents unprovided for


as hodges wife she should have other cares and possibly a young family no they must wait a while and she might go to another place there were others to be found and better ones but then she should not see hodge every daybut she could sometimes wherever she might he and then they were both so young and in two or three years she might save and do something for her parents and thus she tried to comfort hodge vhen she so much needed it herself


after a long sad conversation with himwhere the tearful eyes belied the effort of the lips to smileshe dressed herself in her neatest and best to go up to the hall as miss selby had sent to inquire for her


some work i suppose she said to hodge


i cannot find time to do much nowthe dame keeps me at something from morning to night i must give it to mother


and with that idea she started for the hall


mary worked very well at her needle and when in favour with dame fotts had been permitted to employ her spare moments in gaining a little more j for that long cherished object of her wishes her parents humble cottageby doing needlework in the evening


come in mary dalton


cried a gentle voice as a servant announced her arrival to miss selby


mary entered and dropped a quiet courtsey


another lady sat with the mistress of the hall in the pretty little breakfastparlour where they had evidently had a ttette meal


mary i am sorry to hear you haye lost your situation at the farm said miss selby the more so that lfeel


assured itn has been some unwilling fault of yours


indeed it has maam answered mary


i shall be sorry to loose your cheerful face in the neighbour hood though indeed you do not look very happy now added the lady


mary looked down and her lips trembled she felt ready to cry


kindness in our trouble always makes us feel thus


dont look so sad said miss selbys friend kindly ave havefound something for you


the girl looked up but could not speak


my cousin heremrswilmot for whom you have so often worked said the lady of the house likes you so much that hearing of your misfortune she is anxious to have you as second nurse to her child


marys face glowed with pleasure


mrs wilmot had always been so kind to her she could but smile and curtsey


and your wages said mrs wilmof shall be doubledfor we know how good and saving you are for your parents


the girls face beamedshe smiled her colour rose high as a ruddy peach and she gratefully thanked them both


j and when you are gone continued the last speaker miss j selby will give plenty ofwork to your mother to employ her


j when you are gone


struck alone on marys ear


gone


i where was she yoing


in an instant she remembered that mrs wilmot only came asavisitorto the hallbut resided in london that great wilderness to her thoughts


no homano parents noholge


what was the gay city to her


she dropped her eyes her


colour fled ashamed of its happy glow and the big tears stood in her eyes witnesses of her grief


even the best of the j rich can seldom enter into the feelings of the poorthey are crea tures apart


what knew miss selby or her fashionable cousin


j excellent as their hearts wereof marys humble affections


they would have smiled at her love for hodge and shrugged their j shoulders a mere cowherd in their eyesheavy dark and soul less


they knew her to be an excellent girl


mrs wilmot loved her child and justly deemed that he could not have a kinder nurse under her head one than maryand so she engaged her and when the poor girl looked within her mind and mentally saw the last of her green fields and her


hedgerowsthose animated yet inanimate loves of a country heartand her father drunken though he was and her dear old toiling mother and black madge and hodgethe dearest lastshe burst into tears and sobbed aloud unmindful of everything her white apron pressed to her eyes


come dont cry


exclaimed both ladies at once you will see your father and mother whenever i come down here said mrs wilmot


there go and come to me tomorrowi will arrange all for you then


mary could but utter thank you maam ill come to morrow and she left the room


she is a good girl said miss selby as the door closed


she seems an affectionate creature answered mrs wilmot searching in a small workbasket beside her on the breakfasttable


and just the personso neat and clean


have you seenmy patent pink shade augusta


she added in the same breath


divin


into the recesses of her basket


while she spoke thus poor mary had reached the avenue lead ing from the house


taking care to avoid the servants she had hurried on and leaning


against a tree sobbed her first tears of real sorrow for her grief had taken a formit was no longer a coming event casting its shadow beforeit had come


to ie continued


sporting recollections in various countries


by m louis viabdot


from the sunday times chapter ixrussia


were i to attempt a description of all the other methods of killing great and small game which prevail throughout the various coun tries from the black to the white seas that are united under the imperial crown of rus sia i should far exceed my limits


in the north towards the confines of europe they hunt the reindeer an animal which the lap landers have reduced to a domestic state and rendered it the camel of the icy deserts


in the south on the frontiers of asia the khans of the cossacks similar to our barons of the middle ages have their falconers and pursue their sport hawk on fist over the vast steppes or plains of their country


they have these birds of chase of various breedsaccording to the game that the season or the place pro duces from the diminutive sparrow hawk for quails and the falcon for wild ducks to the eagle of the strongest flight for attacking the wolf


apropos of the wolf i must not omit relating a singular mode of hunting this ani mal


the timeselected is a moonlight night and the hunter seated on a slight sledge takes with him a young pig and by pulling its tail and pinching its ears makes it keep up a continued squeaking


a small bag stuffed with straw is attached by a cord to the sledge and dragged along the snow about thirty paces behind the vehicle


should a wolf attracted by the tempting music of the grunting bait approach the sledge he takes the bag of straw for the pig and springing upon it with blind voracity the hunter in the sledge fires at and generally brings him down with a heavy charge of deer shot


i attempted this novel method of wolfhunting myself one clear cold frosty night in january in the sledge of a friend an old captain of the horse guards


we were accompanied by an old soldier in the dress of the samoieds which is a long narrow garment of reindeer skin doubled with the hair inside and outfur nished at the neck with a close hood for the head and at the arms with round gloves for the handsa costume impenetrable even to the rigours of a winter at the pole and much too warm for the climate of st petersburg


we had selected from a numerous family of young porkers one whose voice was deliciously piercing but fortune did not favour our designs


vainly we traversed the neva at a brisk pace from midnight until five in the morning vainly we tried the islands the woods the fields and even the ice in the gulph vainly our syren squeaked forth its shrillest music on land and seathe wolves were cautious as ulysses and closed their ears to the voice of our charmer and declined being shot upon any such pretence


nevertheless although this chasse en mu sique is uncertain in the neighbourhood of a great city it is generally successful in remote districts where it sometimes happens that the sport is reversed and the hunter becomes in his turn the hunted


we know that the wolves when pressed by hunger congregate in large troops and when half a dozen of these voracious animals invited by the cries of the pig assemble to the feast there is no other resource but to throw to them the lack less decoy and escape as fast as possible too happy if your horse does not take fright and overturn the sledge and leave you to be torn to pieces by your famished pursuers


in such a case firearms are useless for though you should hit one or two dead or wounded the others fall upon and devour them and the smell of blood gives them a horrible thirst for further carnage


i have heard of many accidents and of the destruction of men and animals by wolves but nothing so lamentable and astonishing as a wellauthenticated fact which happened during the memorable in vasion of russia by napoleon in


a detachment of eighty soldiers changing their cantonments were attacked in the night by a numerous troop of wolves and all devoured on the spot


amongst the debris of arms and uniforms with which the field of battle was strewn were found the bodies of between two and three hundred wolves killed by bul lets bayonets and blows of muskets but not a single soldier had survived to relate the particulars of this sanguinary conflict


a tumulary stone erected on the spot preserves the memory of this almost incredible event


we now come to the russian chase ar excellencenamely that of the bear which only takes place in the midst of winter dur ing the most rigorous cold weather when the thermometer sinks to or degrees of reaumur


at that time the most remark able phenomena are seen in the heavens


sometimesthe sun rises between two other pale suns or between two columns of fire which follow his course and mount from the horizon to the zenith then when night comes the whole sky becomes illuminated by the brilliant and fanciful lights of the aurora borealis


when the snow is very deep and hard and that it becomes impos sible to walk with the ordinary chausswes the russians attach to the soles of their felt boots or bark sandals long and slender pieces of wood like skates turned up at the toes which they call snow shoes


by means of these they can walk upon the surface of the frozen snow without sinking or slipping


but it is necessary that the wearer should be ac customed to them otherwise he runs consi derable risk by the toes of his shoes turning to the right and left and suddenly converting his legs into a pair of compasses expanded lo a very dangerous extent


a little cord is usually attached to the extremity of each snow shoe and by this bridle the wearer guides them like a pair of horses


the nimrods of st petersburgh ena moured of battues hunt the bear in the same manner as the elk and the hare


when the den of one has been discovered by the tracks of the animal which resemble those of a barefooted boy the bear is denounced to a sportsman who proceeds to attack him with two or three friends and a party of trackers who form a circle so close that scarcely any space except that in the line of the hunters remains unoccupied


at the terrible noise which suddenly breaks forth around his retreat the bear awakes from his hyperborean sleep takes his paws from his mouth leisurely shakes himself and decamps at full speed


at other times he remainb gloomily in his fortress his nose to the wind and his ear on the watch without attempting to break the line


when it is a female bear with her young ones she frequently refuses obstinately to quit her den


the trackers are then obliged to approach nearer to her covert to fire shots in the air and even to dislodge her with sticks


sometimes the hunters attack a bear in its den and fire upon it when it rushes out upon them


but there is more danger and difficulty in this than the other methods


the approaches to the den are nearly impassable and defended by fallen trees or ewampy places full of snow where the hunter is exposed to all the rage of a terrible animal driven to extremi ties by his terror and his danger


bear hunting is undoubtedly the most perilous sport that a man can pursue in europe


the animal is strong active and provided with powerful arms his teeth how ever are less to be dreaded than his arms and his claws


when the bear finds himself attacked he rears himself upon his hind feet rushes upon his enemy clasps him against his breast and in that terrible hug crushes his ribs or tears open his skull as easily as a snuffbox


nevertheless in the more central provinces where the bears are numerous the woodcutters are frequently obliged to dispute with them the possession of the forest and then the attack is made with few preparations and less precaution


a bingle man with scarcely any arms except those with which nature has provided him fears not to attack one of these terrible ani mals


a peasant on discovering the retreat of a bear does not call any of his neighbours to assist him but alone undertakes the perilous enterprise of obtaining its skin


to defend himself he rolls a thick cord round his left arm and arming himself with a strong sharp knife or a kind of short iron fork he bravely proceeds to attack the furious solitaire accompanied only by a small dog who provokes and worries the bear by his barkings and bitings


when the bears anger is aroused he raises himself on his hind legs and rushes on the man who calmly awaiting the encounter yields to the terrible animal the arm defended by the cord and with his fork or knife which he has kept concealed lest he should be dis armed by a stroke of the bears paw strikes bim deliberately a deathblow in some part of the body where the skin will not be much injured by the wound


there is a village in the government of yarsostaff whose inhabitants derive their entire support from a curious trade in bears which they carry on


they take them while they are young and educate them with the muzzle and the stick and when they are tolerably well grown and have learned the russian military exercise they sell them to foreigners who visit russia especially to pur chase these accomplished animals


it is from this village that nearly all the learned bears have been brought that in other coun tries of europe exhibit their awkward graces to the sound of the fife and drum


it is not long since a most singular adventure hap pened in this village which was related to me by a person on whose veracity i place the utmost confidence


one fte day while the women were at church and the men at the cabaret all the bears in the place acting by some secret but wellunderstood concert re volted suddenly


the strongest of them having broken their bonds gave liberty to the weaker ones and all together uniting in a tumultuous band plundered the deserted village


then loaded with their booty they established themselves in an entrenched camp on a neighbouring eminence


the villagers at first thought to subdue them by force but they repulsed all the attacks of their former masters and even made some successful sorties so that it became necessary to blockade them regularly in their camp


then hunger and discord soon produced divisions amongst them and in a short time


all escaped to the woods


but once dis persed they were nearly all retaken one by one and treated by their angry captors with more severity than ever


although i frequently engaged in bear hunting expeditions i was uniformly un successful my lucky star seemed to have exhausted all its influence npon the elks and to have altogether abandoned me in my designs against the bears


once we went as far as the fortress of schlus selburgh where a bear had been tracked for us


the circle was formed and we had bim as we imagined secured within its limits but instead of coming when roused towards the hunters the bear forced the line of trackers passing close to a young peasant who threw his hatchet at him but without effect andso we missed our intended prize


in a second chase i saw a large bear killed who had lost one of his fore paws doubtless he had left it in some trap yet notwithstanding this hindrance in the pursuit of his prey he was one of the largest and fattest bears had ever seen


another time conducted by the same guide who had directed the former chase we enclosed in our circle a she bear and a cub nearly full grown


we were but three hunters and through courtesy my companions gave me the centre place but my ill luck pursued me the mamma bear was brought down by my righthand neighbour and her cub fell by the hand of my friend on my left while i remained like a man between two stools in the middle


however the greatest disappointment that i experienced was on one occasion when we were informed of a bear which had taken up its quarters near the village ot tehervino thirtyfive vests from pomerania


we started before day on the high road to moscow the snow was falling heavily and notwithstand ing the ability of our sledge drivers and the wonderful instinct of the horses we fre quently lost our road and wandered ascbance directed through the trackless snow


at length after eleven mortal hours in an open sledge we descried at a distance the green dome of the church of tehervino


while congratulating ourselves on this welcome sight a sledge approached us containing the pope and his wife


pope or papa the appel lation bestowed on a pastor or priest


all the priests of the greek church are married as none will be ordained until after their marriage


it was easy to recognise the reverend traveller by his tall fur cap his velvet robe his long beard and flowing hair which descended on his shoulders


on perceiving him my companions and even mir sledge drivers ground their teeth with sudden rage and muttered all together our sport is over


i could not under stand why meeting a priest should prevent us meeting a bear but i was informed that it was a most unlucky omen or rather so in fallible a prognostic of ill success that most hunters would under such circumstances instantly turn back


we however resolved to defy the augury and politely returned the gracious salutation of the pope in passing though my companions did not neglect to spit three times over the left shoulder to counteract the evil charm


we were how ever severely punished for having in the pride of reason opposed the decrees of des tiny for we had hardly proceeded thirty paces when our sledge was overturned by a large stone hidden in the snow the only one i believe in the whole province


on reaching the village we were surprised at not finding our trackers in order of battle and still more so when we beheld our guide seated before his door his head resting between his hands and his face elongated to a most rueful extent


he told us with many deep sighs that some neighbouring peasantshis jealous rivalshad driven the bear from the place where he had been lying in order to make him seek a retreat in another canton where they might sell him to other hunters


in short our chase as had been prognosticated was spoiled and the bear which we were so cruelly robbed of was on the following week sold to mr h an english gentleman who had resided some years in russia


mr h who was celebrated for his dexterity perseverance and courage in these dan gerous sports proceeded directly to the animals den accompanied only by a guide who carried two guns


the bear whose rest had leen so recently disturbed was in exceedingly illhumour he accepted the challenge to battle at once and advanced rapidly upon his enemy who discharged both barrels of his carbine at him


the two balls struck him he stopped for a moment growled fiercely and again rushed forward


mr h now seized his second carbine and sent two balls through the body of the bear who though desperately wounded and bleeding profusely continued to advance while his adversary coolly prepared to receive him with one of those long hunting poles armed at one end with an iron spikesuch as we see in the pictures of snyders and reubensthe other extremity of the weapon being fixed in the earth


rushing with his head down the furious beast threw himself upon the point of the spear and shivered the handle into splinters


then came the fearful struggle with the terrible animal in which mr h by repeated blows of his poignard succeeded in dispatching his formidable antagonist but so exhausted was he by his perilous combat that he fainted away on its fortunate con clusion


during the year following i took part in several bear hunts and saw a number of these animals killed but never had the good fortune to be more than a witness of the success of others


once essayed a sin gular method of killing a bear without wasting a grain of powder for in this case the bear commits a kind of suicide and offers himself a victim to the hunter


every one knows how fond the bear is of honey and with what dexterity he robs the nests which the bees form in the hollows of old trees


when a peasant finds a swarm of bees con structing one of these natural hives in the branches or the upper part of a trunk of a tree he knows that a bear will probably pay it a visit


he accordingly lays a very simple snare for him by fastening a large stone to the end of a strong cord which he attaches to the tree above the hive and allows it to hang below the tempting object


when the bear attracted by the odour of his favourite food climbs the tree to seize the booty he encounters in his way the obstacle of the stone which he puts aside by a gentle tap of his paw


the stone however in regaining its centre of gravity strikes him on the head


this disconcerts our robber who flings the stone backrather angrily but again it comes back and gives bim one on his nob with greater violence than before


his anger increases every time that the swing of this heavy pendulum hits him with greater force


the more he is struck the more en raged he becomes and the more he becomes enraged the harder he is struck


at length this ridiculous blind contest between the bear and the stone terminates generally by the former receiving such a violent blow on the head that he falls stunned at the foot of the tree when the hunters who are lying in ambuscade close at hand rush out and give him the coup de grace


one morning i received a note from my friend m r t desiring me to hasten to him as he had just been informed by a finnish peasant that a bear had been found at a certain place abut sixty versts from the city


hastily equipping myself in ray russian hunting costume i flew to the rendezvous and we were speedily en route


i need not describe our journey through the picturesque scenery of finlandwith the sun shining bright above us and sparkling upon the snow that lay everywhere around us


fancy us then arrived at five oclock in the after noon at the village of nnmaki


the bears retreat was at no great distance but we had only an hour of daylight remaining and it would have been impossible in so short a time to collect our armyof trackers and conduct our battue regularly


we there fore resolved to march directly to the assault and silently drew lots to decide who should have the honour of attacking the bear in his den


it is usual for the comrades of the fortunate hunter to spread themselves in the forest at one or two hundred paces from him to await the event and should the bear who has been wounded or untouched by the first hunter endeavour to escape the carbines of the corps de reserve put an end to his career


the envied straw was drawn by m g who instantly went forward with our guide having only a doublebar relled carbine for the attack


we three other hunters formed a semicircle some dis tance in the rear of our fortunate companion


i had hardly gained my place when i heard a shot then after a few minutes another report and soon after cries for assistance


without stopping to consider what the cause might be for this urgent call i plunged through the wood in the direction of the voice dashing through all obstacles and sinking at each step into the snow but still keeping my carbine above my head as julius caesar held his commentaries above the waves after being shipwrecked


when i caine up to m g he told me that the cave contained not one bear alone but a mother and three large cubs


he had killed the she bear and one of the young ones with his two barrels and he had called to give me a shae of the sport by leaving for me the two remaining cuba


i approached eagerly the den which had been formed in the bottom of a natural ravine well sheltered by a thick cluster of tall fir trees


it was in ibis secure position that the ursine covey were nestled


at first could only discern a black mass without form or motion but i soon perceived on the left the old mother bear from whose eur a stream of blood wasissuing and close beside her the lifeless body of one of her cubs


the two surviving members of the family were huddled together and lay motionless on the opposite side of the den


now said m g i will disturb them by making a noise and striking the barrel of his carbine against a tree the largest of the two raised himself leisurely on his hind legs and looked earnestly at me


i took my aim coolly and lodged a bullet between his eyes


at the report of my carbine the third young bear sprang with a single bound out of the cave and betook himself to flight


following him with my eye as he momen tarily appeared and disappeared amongst the trees i at length got a clear view of him and with my second ball stretched him on the earth


for some moments he lay without stirring as if he had been dead then starting up recommenced his retreat he could however do little more than drag himself along the snow and i had little diffi in overtaking bim


when he saw me coming up with him he raised himself upright and placed his back to a tree awaited my assault with open mouth and open arms showing a terrible set of teeth and growling wiih des perate ferocity


to attack a full grown bear thus would be an act of extreme foolhardi ness for the hunter disarmed by a single blow of his paw would be seized and crushed to death in his fatal embrace


but as my opponent was not larger than a good sized newfoundland dog there could be no great danger in opposing myself to his fury and in spite of his claws and teeth plunged my sharp circassian blade to the guard in his breast


he fell upon his back but the force with which i had made the thrust caused me roll upon him with my face in the snow and nearly sink in it to the shoul ders


the savage animal although pierced through and nearly buried in a heap of snow still growled fearfully and i found it necessary to give him another taste of my poignard to quiet him


the chase was done and we prepared to carry off the victims of our successful arms


this was not eay of accomplishment through the thick wood rendered almost impassable by the interlacing branches of dead timber and old fallen trunks


luckily some woodcut ters drawn to the spot by the report of our guns assisted us in conveying the four dead bears to our sledges which we reached ex hausted by our hard labour breathless pant ing and inundated with perspiration as if it had been in the height of the dog days


the sun set at this moment


like a vast con flagration the whole sky was bathed in purple rays whose intense brilliancy reflected softly upon the immense sheet of snow the green cupolas and the white edges of the trees the whole visible world was dyed in the rich tint of the amethyst as we sometimes see in the pictures of tintoretto


it was during this magnificent spectacle that we reem barked in our sledge and at ten oclock reached the chateau de l


after a cheerful supper i lay down to sleep with unalloyed satisfaction for i had accom plished the ardent wish of my heart and could say i too have killed a bear


lucifer matcheswe have received several letters containing statements confir matory of the remarks which we made in our paper of last week upon the deleterious nature of the compounds used in the manu facture of lucifer matches and of their in jurious effects upon the constitutions of the persons so employed


one correspondent sends us the following detailed account of the process the process of making lucifer matches is somewhat as follows the matches or splints are prepared in bundles about five inches long and the same in dia meter


they are then dipped in hot sulphur about a quarter of an inch deep and when cold are rolled out to separate the matches one from another


they are then placed in frames or clamps each match separately and dipped in a blue or red composition being a mixture of glue with phosphorous and other deleterious substances after which they are placed in racks to dry when they are cut in half and put into boxes ready for sale


it appears the principal sufferers from the work are children from six to twelve years of age


the consequence to them is what might be expectedtheir appearance is wretched and emaciated in the extreme


they have to be at work generally before seven oclock in the morning and are kept at it until eight oclock or later in the evening and during the interval they seldom leave the shed they are at work in their only food being bread with a little cheese and some times a little cold meat which they bring with them in the morning


their employ ment during this period is filling clamps rolling matches c


the smell from the sulphur and phosphorous which must be kept warm is always of a suffocating nature and for all this they receive as our corres pondent informs us a miserable pittance averaging about two shillings per week


bethnalgreen and whitechapel are the places where such practices are pursued


if the legislature found it necessary to interfere on behalf of the factory children surely here is a case equally worthy of their regard


of course the education of the children is en tirely neglected


the subject is certainly worthy of consideration and we trust that some steps will be taken to put an end to so ruinous a system


sunday times feb


norwaya letter from christiana in norway of the nd ult says the herring fishery is very brisk and abundant and the fish of excellent quality


the temperature is so mild in the south of norway that the navigation has recommencedbtwt mes senger feb dssxmmin in scotlandon monday night a meeting washeld in great george street chapel when dr mackay addressed a large and respectable auditory at great length on the distress prevailing in the highlands and islands of scotland


he said that of souls inhabiting the highlands about are at this moment totally destitute of daily food and are supplied by charity and that number will in a short time be doubled


before next summer arrives the highlands and islands of scotland will contain totally dependant on charity


the failure of the potato crop has been universal through the highlands and the whole of scotland and the population of the highlands and islands are totally dependant upon that crop


from districts accounts have been received stating that potatoes formed seven eighths of the food of the people


this calamity has fallen upon a population who are totally destitute of money to buy other food and who have no resource in their extremity


the population of the highlands is divided into two classes of cotters paying na rent to the proprietor of the soil but being permitted to build buts and plant their little patches of potatoes which furnish them with the means of humble existence through out the year and of crofters or emull tenants paying rents of from s


to to the landlords but raising little more than is sufficient to meet those rents and their wants


this class too live almost exclusively upon potatoes


the loss had come suddenly and unforeseen


the highlands and islands never looked brighter and greener than during the past summer and in many loca lities the blight came in a single night


he had seen fields blackened which a week before were flourishing in luxuriance


the rev speaker detailed the circumstances and extent of distress existing in september in the island of mull scores of whose popu lation must have perished if not assisted with meal supplied by the committee and read another letter from a gentleman in one of the islands stating that in ordinary years the condition of the people is one of semi starvation


they had taken the utmost care in the distribution of relief to provide against fraud and no distinction of sect had been permitted to interfere in their operations


they had been endeavouring to get the able bodied poor to come into the lowlands to procure work and now upwards of three hundred were at work on railways and other works who regularly sent their earnings to their families at home


the reverend gentleman proceeded to give many distressing descriptions of the state of poverty in which the population of various localities were sunk and their excellent conduct under the pres sure of affliction and concluded by a powerful appeal for assistance in the efforts of the com mittee to save them from perishingliver pool albion feb


destitution in the highlands and refusal of labourers to take employ mentthe


lord provost and magistrates of perth have been in communication with va rious parts with regard to the actual state of the labouring classes in the western high lands and isles and several wellauthenti cated statements have been made showing the great caution which will be required in distributing relief particularly in districts where there is a large proportion of the male population able to work


for example it was stated to the magistrates by the overseer of one of the railways now in course of for mation in this county perth that he had lately been on a tour along the west coast of argyle inverness and ross shires in quest of labourers and offered to procure perma nent employment to five hundred men at two shillings a day and could not induce any to accept of it on the ground that they under stood they were going to receive a sufficiency of meal and provisions from government without any equivalent


this corroborates an apprehension which has been expressed by several clergymen in the north who after the eleemosynary aid which was given after the failure of the harvests of and found great difficulty in inducing the people to resume their former active habits after having been supported for a year by the public contribution for their reliefperth courier


ball in paris for the distressed irish and scotcha grand ball was given on friday in paris in favour of the british charitable fund


it was attended by lord and lady normanby and all the principal english residents in the french metropolis


a handsome sum was realised for the charily


atlas feb ib


denmarkwe learn from copenhagen th ult that the great belt which separates the island of seeland from that of fionia was entirely frozen over and that the passage was effected by sledgesbelts messenger feb


dreadful coal pit accidentan acci dent attended with the loss of six lives occurred on friday week at one of the darley main coal companys pits at worsbrough dale about four miles from the town of barnesley and ten from sheffield


some men who were employed in one part of the pit fired a blast of gunpowder for the purpose of bringing down a large piece of coal


shortly after the explosion a large mass of coal was found on fire and every exertion was used to stop op the driftways or roads through which air was admitted and to put otft the fire by throwing water upon it


the men were engaged in this manner from two oclock until four at which time instead of having checked the flames it was found that they were gaining upon them


exertions were made and in the course of some hours the bodies of six men were found and tbey were each removed to their homes


the other men eight in number escaped suffo cation only with great difficulty


the cause of the accident has not yet been ascertained


observer feb


reduction in the supply of corn to cavalry horsesin consequence of the present general scarcity of all descriptions of grain an order has just been issued from tbe horse guards to the colonels of all the cavalry regiments in her majestys service for a considerable reduction to be made in the supply of corn to the troop horses


heretofore the regulation was for each horse to have ten pounds of oats per day the quantity is now to be reduced to seven ponnds per day


in a cavalry regiment of eight hundred horses under the new arrange ment the saving of upwards of fifty bushels of oats will be the daily average and it is estimated that in ireland the total saving will feed individuals in each day


atlas feb


a mistakein the court of queens bench an action was brought by a house maid at the new hummums in coventgar den against mr hooper druggist in great russellstreet to recover compensation for an injury the plaintiff had received in con sequence of a bottle containing wrong medi cine by which her health had seriously suffered having been given to her


it was proved that the woman whom plaintiff had sent for the medicine had taken the wrong bottle off the counter by mistake and yet the jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff giving damages which are considered exces


sive liverpool albion


printed and published by richard jokes at tbe maitland mercury office high street west maitland


marie antoinette or the chevalier of the red house


continued from colonial times jan well said she when she had finished


well i think maurice lincey is an honest man answered genevieve with the utmost calmness and that we have nothing to fear on his part


v you believe that he is ignorant of the persons you visited at auteuil


urn perfectly sure why then has he adopted this sudden determination


did he seem to you yesterday too cold or more moved than ordinary


no i believe he was the same


think well genevieve before you answer me because you ought to know that your answer will exercise a vast influence over our projects


s


i


if i wait a moment said genevieve with an emotion which broke through all her efforts at composure was a moment


good answered dixmer with a slight muscular spasm very good try and recollect yourself genevieve


a yes yes i do recollect yesterday continued she with a certain hesitation maurice was foolish a little bit of a tyrant in his friend ship and sometimes we have been distant for whole weeks


nothing but a pet then probably so


genevieve in our position understand me it is not a probability but a certainty that we must have


well my friend i am certain


this letter then is merely a pretext to avoid the house easy dear friend how can you expect me to say so because i would not ask it of any other woman save yourself


it is a pretext said genevieve looking downwards


ah i exclaimed dixmer


then after a moments silence withdrawing the hand from within his waistcoat with which he had com pressed the beatings of his heart he placed it on the back of his chair


will you do me a service dearest asked dixmer


what asked genevieve turning round with astonishment


this must be fathomed


maurice is perhaps more advanced in our secrets than we suspect


that which you believe to be a pretext may be a reality


write a note to him


me exclaimed genevieve starting


yes you


tell him that you opened the letter and that you demand an explanation


he will come


you can then question him and easily divine what is the matter


certainly not said genevieve


i cannot do what you say and i shall not do it


i dear genevieve when such immense interests depend upon the game we play how can you recall before such a miserable consideration us pride


sir i have given you my opinion concern ing maurice


he is honest chivalrous but he is capricious and i do not wish to subject myself to any other servitude than that of my husband


this answer was given with such calmness and firmness that dixmer saw at once that it was useless to insist further


he said not a word but looked at genevieve without seeming to do so passed his hand over his humid brow and retired


morond awaited him anxiously


dixmer recounted word for word the conversation which had ensued


good answered morand


let us think no more about it


rather than produce a shade of anxiety in genevieves mind rather than wound her pride i would renounce


dixmer placed his hand on his shoulder


you are a fool or you do not know what you are saying


what dixmer you believe that you chevalier are no more at liberty than i to give the rein to the sentiments of the heart or the impulse of affection


neither you nor i nor genevieve belong to ourselves morand


we are things summoned to defend a principle and principles rest on a foundation which they crush morand started and remained silent it was a dreamy and dolorous silence


then dixmer left morand


i have several orders to give said he in a perfectly calm voice i shall leave you


morand stretched out his hand to dixmer and watched him retiring


poor dixmer said he


i was afraid that in all this he was the person who would risk the most


dixmer entered his workshop gave general orders read the journals ordered a distribu tion of bread amongst the poor of the district and returning to his house he threw aside his working dress replacing them with avisiting suit


in about an hour later maurice was interrupted in the height of his reading and cogitation by the voice of his servant who leaning towards him said in a low voice citizen lindsey a person who pretends that he has some very important business with you is waiting for you at home


maurice returned and was much surprised on entering to find dixmer installed at his house and thumbing over the journals


he had interrogated his servant the whole of the way but as he did not know the master tanner he could give him no information


perceiving dixmer maurice paused on the threshold and blushed in spite of himself


dixmer arose and held out his had smiling


what fly bit you before you wrote that letter asked he br in the young man


in fact my dear maurice it sensibly affected me


i a lukewarm false patriotism you wrote


come come you cannot repeat such accusa tions to my face


admit rather that you have sought a quarrel


i will admit all you desire my dear dixmer for your conduct has always been that of a honourable man


but nevertheless i have taken a resolution and it is irrevocable


how so asked dixmer


by your own admission you have nothing wherewith to reproach us and yet you break with us


dear dixmer believe me that to act as i have done and to deprive myself of such a friend as yourself i must have very sufficient reasons


yes but at all events resumed dixmer affecting to smile the reasons are not those you stated in your letter those were merely a pretext


maurice reflected an instant


hear me dixmer


we live in an epoch when any doubt expressed in a letter should and ought to torment you


i know that


it would not then become a man of honour to permit such a load of inquietude to rest upon you yes dixmer the reasons which i gave were only a pretext sie avowal which ought to have cleared the of dixintironlyserved to darken it


briefly then the true motive


i cannot tell you replied maurice


nevertheless if you knew it you would approve of it i am certain


dixmer pressed him


do you absolutely wish it


yes answered dixmer well replied maurice who felt a great relief in approaching the truth this is it


you have a young and beautiful wife and although celebrated for her virtue my visits to your house might i every differently interpreted


dixmer grew slightly pale


indeed said he in that case my dear maurice the husband should thank you for the injury you have done the friend


you understand observed maurice that i have not the futurity to suppose that my presence may be either dangerous to your peace of mind or that of your wife but it may afford a source for calumny and you are aware that the more absurd it is the more likely is it to be believed


child said dixmer shrugging his shoulders


child as much as you please but separated we will not be the less friends for we shall have nothing wherewith to reproach each other


whilst associated well associated matters might become envenomed between us


do you think maurice that i could pos sibly believe eli good gracious i but why have you written instead of coming to inform me maurice simply to avoid what is passing between us at this moment


are you vexed maurice that i love you sufficiently to have come here to demand an explanation quite the contrary exclaimed maurice and i am most happy i assure you to have seen you once more before we part for ever


for ever citizen


we however love you well


dixmer pressed maurices hand between his own


maurice started morand continued dixmer whom the starting had not escaped but who however made no remark morand repeated to me again this morning do all you can said he is to bring back dear maurice


ah i sir said the young man contracting his brow and withdrawing his hand i did not suppose i was so far advanced in the good opinion of citizen mor and


you doubt it asked dixmer


me


i neither believe nor doubt i have no reason to question myself on that head


when i visited you dixmer it was on your own and your wifes account not on that of citizen morand


i admit it said maurice smiling bitterly


letts now return to the object of my visit


maurice bowed after the manner of one who has nothing more to say but who listens


you mean then that you have done


yes citizen dixmer


as well let us see


let us speak frankly


why do you pay any attention to the vain chatter of idle neighbours


come come have you not your conscience and genevieve her honesty


i am younger than you said maurice who began to feel surprised at dixmer insisting so much and i perhaps see matters with an eye of greater susceptibility i therefore declare to you that the reputation of such a woman as genevieve should not be even stained by the vain scandal of her idle neighbours


permit me then dear dixmer to persist in my original resolution


come said dixmer


since we are in a train of admissions admit more


what asked maurice blushing


what would you have me avow


that it is neither politics nor the rumours of your attentions at my house that have caused you to quit it


what is it then


the secret which you have penetrated


what secret asked maurice with such a simple expression of curiosity that the tanner was reassured


the smuggling affair which you have penetrated that evening on which we made our singular acquaintance


you have never pardoned me that fraud and you accuse me of being a bad republican because i use english materials in my tannery


my dear dixmer i swear to you that i had completely forgotten when visiting your house that it belonged to a smuggler


truly in truth


you have no other reasons then for forsaking my house than those you have stated


on my honour well maurice continued dixmer rising and warmly shaking the young mans hand i hope you will reflect and reconsider this resolution which has given us all so much pain


maurice bowed without making any reply which was equivalent to a final refusal


dixmer went away in despair at his want of success in preserving his intimate relations with a man whom circumstances rendered not only useful but almost indispensable to him


maurice was agitated by a thousand different desires


dixmer prayed him to return genevieve might pardon him


why should he then despair


loris in his place would have found a hundred aphorisms in his favourite authors


but there was genevieves letter that formal dismissal which he bore with him next his heart along with the few lines he received from her on the morning after he had rescued her


more than that there existed that stubborn jealousy against the detested morand who was the first cause of the rupture between himself and genevieve


maurice then remained inexorable in its determination


but it must be said that he felt a void in not being able to visit as usual the old street st jacques


when the hour approached on which he had been accustomed to set out he sank into a profound melancholy and from that moment he ran through all the phases of grief


every morning he expected on awakening to find a letter from dixmer and he acknowledged that although he would not comply with a personal invitation he would cede to a letter


every day he went forth with the hope of encountering genevieve and he arranged before hand a hundred excuses for addressing her


every night he returned home with the expectation of finding the messenger who had unconsciously brought to him that sorrow which had ever since been his constant companion often too in his moments of despair nature revolted at the idea of enduring that torture which could not be shared by her who produced it


but the first cause of all his torture was morand


he then formed the project of seeking a quarrel with morand


but dix mers associate was so feeble so inoffensive that to provoke or insult him would have been cowardice on the part of such a colossal person as maurice


lorin often happily called to distract his friends chagrin who without denying never explained to him the reason of it


he however endeavoured by every practical and theoretical means in his power to restore the sorrowful heart of his friend to the cause of their country


but although circumstances began to be very serious and in any other state of his mind would have dragged maurice into the whirlpool of politics that original activity was i not restored to the young republican which made him a here on the th of july and the th of august