ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

"Oh, do forgive me. I suppose I am affected by the fright occasioned by the accident. I am deeply sensible of your kindness and attention, but it was a frightful upset. Who extricated me from the carriage?"

"Yes, it was a horrid affair. You will not, then, give me an answer to my anxious wishes? you will not say when you will make me happy?"

Affery interrupted Sarson with great feeling: "Not now, do not ask me to-night; I feel unnerved, agitated, unhappy;" and the young creature's tremulous voice be trayed intense emotion.

"God of Heaven! there is some cause deeper than I can fathom in all this," rejoined the sailor, emphatically. "I arrive on shore with hope and gladness; you meet me with your usual affection; we pass the day together, and after a certain period you become cool, silent, reserved, and you ascribe it to an accident by which you were not injured. Tell me, Affery, what all this means? You shed tears, and ask me who rescued you from the carriage. Of what consequence is it who did you that service?"

"No, it is of no consequence. Take me home-I feel ill-I cannot talk to you tonight-I am wretched."

"Well, be it so; you have deceived me, then-you prefer another," cried the young man, passionately." And yet beware; let no man dare step between us. It were better he had never existed."

Affery was silent.

"By the fathomless ocean I swear that I would perish rather than you shall be another's. Tell me," he continued, with vehemence," do you love another? let me know the worst. My rival's name?"

The young lady answered with calm dignity," This passion is unworthy and unkind of you. We ought to be candid with each other. Men arrogate to themselves a right to tyrannise over our sex; they honour us with their attention; they profess to love; if they do so, and truly, they expect to be loved in return. If a woman has never professed a preference, but has received attentions with calmness and good-breeding, she is considered to be engaged, and is demanded in marriage. Time passes, and she may find that the object who has professed an affection for her is unworthy or faithless, and she must either marry and be wretched, or mourn over blighted hopes."

"But, Affery, hear me!"

Miss Jeffery, however, proceeded without noticing the interruption.

"You have assumed I love you; I never said I did. I respect-I esteem your good qualities, but I should be committing great

wrong to you and myself if I gave you my hand with the feelings I now experience.

The sailor stopped, and turned to gaze on the speaker's face, with a confused idea that Affery had suddenly become transformed into another being, but the darkness would not permit his fiery eye-balls to penetrate the gloom between them. He stamped in agony, for he felt desolate.

"And have all my fondness and devotion been lavished on a heartless coquette? Who has thus robbed me of your affections? Affery, he cannot love you as I do. Pause ere you bid me despair; do not decide hastily, and I will kneel and bless you."

"Mr. Sarson, I asked for and expected candour from Your affection demands my esteem. you. am not an ingrate. I desire that you never resume this conversation. If I have mistaken my heart I will do your noble nature justice, and acknowledge my error; but seek not to know who your rival is, for there is no one to hate or dislike."

"Oh, Affery, how cruelly do you torture me for some imaginary affection. Chase away these feelings."

The pair were so absorbed by their conversation that they heeded not the path they took. Instead of the pavement next the screen, the couple had swerved from this platform into the common road. While Sarson was speaking, he tumbled headlong into the abyss below, dragging his companion with him.

A shrill scream from Affery was heard above the roaring waves, and the occupants of the pier paused in wonder. Crowds rushed to the spot to ascertain the cause. Two dark objects were perceived struggling in the fearful and filthy soil below, crying for help. The mud was deep, at least four feet, and there was little water in the harbour, and what did remain was running in small streams from the town, and not of the sweetest description.

There lay the unlucky pair struggling in the mud. There could be little danger in the soft position in which our couple were placed, excepting to their clothes. When the populace ascertained the cause of the scream, they were at first concerned at the accident, but being convinced that the sufferers were unhurt, they commenced laughing outright, which was by no means pleasant to the hardy sailor, who struggled to his feet, and lifting Affery in his arms, cried loudly for help for his fainting partner; at length a dredgerman, who was dosing in a skiff in one of the streams, came, but he would not touch the couple-yet, a moment before the accident, this man would have given worlds had he possessed them, to have clasped Affery's hand, now

he shrank from a contact with her as if she was infected with the plague.

Lights now gleamed in every direction, and when brought to bear on the three objects below, they exhibited the group which it was impossible to look on without laughter. In the fall the pair had sunk deep on their faces into the mire, which well near suffocated them; and there they stood four feet deep in the mud, and no one would help them out, notwithstanding Sarson offered liberally for assistance. The fact must be stated-most of the young men who stood gazing on the pair were members of the smugglers' band, and bore no good will to the chief officer of the Lapwing; and although there were many of them that admired Miss Jeffrey, yet it was a mortal sin in her to prefer their enemy to themselves.

Thus jokes were bandied about until Sarson was well nigh distracted. He struggled again and again, and would have succeeded in extricating himself, but his partner in misfortune being rather enbonpoint, he could not move her an inch, so slippery was the crust on her dress.

For half an hour this scene continued, to the amusement of some of the spectators, and the concern of others. After a fierce struggle, Sarson was on the eve of success; he had succeeded in raising his luckless companion out of the soil, when his foot slipped, and down he fell on his back with the exhausted girl. This misfortune was met with the ribald mocking laughter of the smugglers.

When the spectators looked on again they were startled by perceiving the pair in the dredgerman's skiff, and a tall powerful man pulling up the stream for the shore, while the scoffing owner of the boat lay wallowing in the place just occupied by the pair.

The stream meandered close to the curved pier, and the lanterns were directed towards the skiff; the people scoured on t the boat, and, to their amazement, perceived Cumlin directing the skiff to the strand. On arriving at the quay, he assisted the sufferers on shore with kindness but observed a chilling silence. He took Affery, who was now senseless, into his muscular arms, from the powerless Sarson, and carried her into the Chequers, the mob following. After he had deposited her in safety with the widow, and perceived Sarson swallow a bumper of cognac, he stepped over the threshold, and, with a scowling brow, addressed the crowd in tones of anger and contempt:

Same on ye; are ye men, and could perceive your fellow creatures perishing for want of assistance? Are ye men, and could perceive a woman in danger, and instead of help tender your ribald laughter?

[ocr errors]

Are ye men, and would not succour an enemy in distress? Are ye sailors-ye disgrace the name, by forgetting that a tar and his sweetheart required aid and you refused it. Shame on ye, men of Folkstone, to permit an occasion to pass by to do a good action. Captain Sarson can now despise you you could have compelled him to ad.nire your generosity. Shame on ye, to permit me with sixty winters on my brow to rescue these unfortunates. Ye are cowards, and deserve not the name of men. Let every one of you approach me to-morrow morning, who has stood by and thus disgraced his name and nature, and your punishment shall be awarded."

With these remarks the old man, with flashing eyes, and a contemptuous curl of the lip, concluded, and entered the inn, where he found the benevolent landlady and her lovely Jane busy in cleaning the unhappy pair from the abominable filth.

Cumlin seated himself by the fire, called for brandy and water and a pipe, which he appeared to enjoy with great relish, although the hour was late. He had just left Poynder to find his way through this curious town to the Rose, when his eye was attracted to something unusual on the pier: with a quick step he was soon on the breakwater. A glance informed him the situation of the young officer and maiden. Disdaining to request any of his band to assist him in a duty he would not perform himself, he descended the steps to the harbour just as Sarson had made his last unsuccessful effort, when throwing the coward dredgerman into the mud, he with his astonishing strength seated the young woman in the boat, and then the sailor was as quickly placed by her side. This was done in an instant, and the skiff glided up the stream.

The men thus rebuked in front of the Chequers, shrunk from the indignant glance of Cumlin, for many were of his band and in his pay at that moment. The eagle glance of the smuggler informed him of this, and he meditated a severe punishment on these renegades to honour, generosity, and common humanity. Alas! a mightier power was at work, and dreadful was the retribution-But of this hereafter.

The fierce glance of the smuggler faded into that placid smile of satisfaction induced by a consciousness of having done his duty. The cognac may have induced some portion of his altered temperament, and the influence of tobacco, it is well known, will allay irritation as well as hunger; be this as it may, Cumlin was perceived by Sarson in another character as he entered the room. The smuggler rose, extended his hand, which the king's officer grasped with much emotion; while Affery,

who was followed by the gentle Jane

and her "mother,-presented her pouting ruby lips to the old man with blushing gratitude, and he pressed them. At that moment, that dark, stern man's countenance looked beautiful-sublime. He gallantly handed the young girl to a seat, and then resumed his pipe with a countenance softened and humanised.

Sarson looked at the smuggler with re gard, and his manly lips quivered as he thanked him for his timely assistance.

"Tut, tut, my fine fellow, mention not this trivial circumstance. A woman-a dark, loving, and a lovely creature-one like the children of my native land, lay helpless, and I should have been a poltroon -a coward, like those base hinds who stood grinning on—had I hesitated to rush to your rescue. By St. Jago! I will punish those rascals."

And his eyes gleamed again like coals of living fire.

66

"I cannot forget," returned Sarson, "the service you have rendered me and Miss Jeffery, and I hope you will allow me to thank you sincerely. I am no longer astonished at your influence over the fishermen of this coast; such generosity, determined courage, and recklessness of danger, deserve confidence, and I can only regret that your powerful energies are misdirected."

"Hold, sir, not a word about misdirection to cloud our present harmony. I accept your thanks; and when you have seen as many years, and have suffered what I have endured, then I will take your counsel, for you will have earned a right to advise me. Alas!" he added mournfully, "may you never know the oppression I have experienced. May you never perceive tyranny and injustice paralysing the well springs of human actions, converting the milk of goodness into the gall of revenge, corroding, crushing, devastating fertile regions into sterility."

"Forgive me, sir; I know not your own personal misfortunes, or the land of your birth, but I can sympathise in your horror of tyranny; I hate it."

Cumlin laughed loud, and then with a scornful glance, said:

"Then the cause that leads monarchs to war must be bad. No citizen that ever lived would refuse to protect their native shores without impressment, and that war that requires force is a bad war. This country has depopulated and laid waste whole nations. From the shores of India to the fields of Spain traces can be discovered of devastations and burnings succeded not by the stillness of death but of desolation."

"You certainly would protect our commerce and our colonies when invaded," returned Sarson.

66

Certainly; and it is because I am friendly to the principles of reciprocity that I oppose the king's officers," cried Cumlin, laughing," and to afford the fair dames of this island with silks and the lovers of good brandy and Hollands with other medicines."

Sarson shook his head.

"Well, well, we cannot agree in this, and as it is late I shall take my departure, wishing when next we meet it may be under as amicable circumstances as we part."

The party separated to their several homes.

(To be continued.)

CHRISTMAS.

A DIALOGUE between OLD FATHER CHRISTMAS and a merry party assembled to commemorate his anniversary: with a New Carol, in the old style of composition, and adapted to several old tunes, relating the immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin-the appearance of holy angels to shepherds-and the birth of our Saviour; as paraphrased from the Gospels of Saints Matthew and Luke.

SCENE-A snug room in town or country, with a cheerful party seated round a blazing fire. Enter FATHER CHRISTMAS With a large bag thrown over his shoulders,

CONSTANCE.

Dear me here's Father Christmas come again,
With mirth and humour smiling in his train.

ALFRED.

We give him cordial greeting, and a hearty
Invitation to our merry party.

CHARLES.

"You hate tyranny, ha, ha! And yet you are a British officer, and force by impressment your countrymen from their domestic fire-sides to fight for their country, and if there be any disinclination in your victims to battle, you flog them with the Although his cloak is wet with snow and rain, horrid cat until the scuppers run with human gore. Oh, you hate tyranny!" "But it is the law, and as an officer I must obey it,"

[blocks in formation]

The law is bad, inhuman, and unjust." But," returned Sarson, we should not procure soldiers or sailors to defend our shores without impressment."

We love to see his jocund face again.
FATHER CHRISTMAS.

Belike ye do, my young and rosy friends;
I've just cal'ed in to warm my finger ends.
And in rough rhyme, spiced with some little reason,
Wish you my juveniles a happy season.
'Tis not my wont to see dull moments flag,
Have therefore brought a welcome in my bag;
Turkeys and geese. plum puddings, and mince pie,
Snug in the wrapping of my budget lie.

For, as 'tis known I come but once a year,
'Tis as well noted that I bring good cheer.
So bear the yule log to the glowing hearth,
And Father Christmas will enjoy your mirth.
First to the holy-tide meet deference pay,
Then glacsome mumming hall conclude the day.
In gladsome carol of bygone days called rude,
Before religion had put on the prude,

And doomed a blithsome heart and merry face
To wear a mask of sanctified grimace.

So tune your pipes, my pretty lads and lasses,
And he or she who in the hymn surpasses,
Shall be the ruler of this happy party.

[blocks in formation]

son,

And unto him the Lord shall give the good king David's throne;

And Jesus shall his name be called, Son of the Most High

To whom be praise for evermore, and glorions majesty.

Then Joseph, with his holy spouse, to Judah straitway went,

To put her privily away, it was his just intent, Until the angel of the Lord did unto him appear, And all that chanced did unfold, and bade him not to fear.

Fulfilled was the prophet's word, let all who hear believe,

Behold the Lord hath spoken it, a virgin shall conceive,

And in good time bring forth a son, godlike on earth to dwell;

Incarnate Saviour of the world-the great Emmanuel!

Now shepherds biding in the field, to guard their flocks at night,

Were sore afraid when they beheld, all beautiful and bright,

The angel of the Lord to them in glory's sheen appear,

Who joyful tiding did unfold, and bade them not to

fear.

[blocks in formation]

The conqueror (type of christian warfare) hail.
Which o'er erroneous doctrines must prevail.
Bid the grave doctor with his salves appear
To heal the sightless wounds inflicted here.
Let blustering Johnny Jack approach-the rest
May crack their hoarded nuts or pungent jest;
Repeat old legends, and, in short, advance
The night's hilarity with song and dance
As fancy dictates; bearing this in mind-
I wish no gloom or discontent to find.

Then one shall afterwards his cap hand round.
To hold the free-gift shillings, crowns, or pounds;
For, while ye're sheltered from the tempest's roar,
Forget not those who roam from duer to door,
By hunger or by destitution led,

They beg the pittance of their daily bread.
From your abundance ye may well bestow
The trifling alms that dissipates their woe,

I'm more than eighteen hundred years of age-
Older than each one present, I'll engage;
Your venerated ancestors I knew,

When they were young and blooming like to you.
I was their guest, as I am yours to night,
When halls were festive and when hearts were light,
And now to visit other homes must go,
But first, with leave, 1 bang the misletoe;
Once worshipped by the Druids, as 'tis now
Mine and each lover's consecrated bough.
And this the privilege-beneath its shade
Each favoured youth may lead his favourite maid,
And there, without coquettishness or frown,
Salute the lips of her he deems his own.

A prophet now, full clearly I discern
Changes will happen ere my next return:
From the pure intercourse of friendship here,
Love will spring forth enduring as sincere ;
And frequent tinklings from the temple's bell,
Of many happy marriages shall tell.
The maiden now, the matron then, may bring
Her first-born dear vexatious manuikin,
Whom Father Christmas will engage to bless
With health, and every mundane happiness,
As he doth each who the auspicious rite
Of ancient usage celebrates to night;
Unbias'd by the innovating cry
'Gainst Christmas mysteries and revelry.
If mock refinement to oblivion send
Such recreations as religion blend,
And old observances and feasts eschew,
For pastimes more attractive, because new;
If sabbath-concerts, lecture-rooms, and cards,
Claim their more intellectual regards,
Be it the pride of all assembled here,
To greet me with fresh honours every year,
And spout the welcome adage that ye wot-
"Let Father Christmas never be forgot!"

J. A. S.

NEWLY-INVENTED KNIFE FOR

PAPER-CUTTING.

A patent has been taken out by Mr. Perkins, of Dudley-street and Stockwellcommon, for an improved apparatus for cutting paper. As it is likely to be found of considerable importance to the trade, a correct representation of it is given herewith; and a description of it, being an abstract of the patent, follows.

Mr. Perkins claims to have invented a novel arrangement of machinery, by which an horizontal saw-blade or knife is put in motion and brought gradually through a

pile of paper, pasteboard, parchment, cloth, or other materials placed beneath.

The cut offers a side-view of the ma

[graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][merged small]

chine, and the letters AA mark the castiron side framings. BB are the standards cast in one piece with the framings. In the centre of these standards is a slab b, to receive the ends of the press-follower C, which is furnished with a screw c, working in a socket d, in the head D of the fram ing. To the upper end of the screw c a fly lever is attached, by the rotation of which the press-follower C is brought down and made to hold the paper, &c., firmly on the bed of the machine. EE are brackets carrying the horizontal shaft F and crank shaft C. At one end of the shaft F the fast and loose pulleys ee are keyed, and to the other end a handle is at tached. Motive power may be communicated either by a steam-engine or by manual labour. g is a cog-wheel, keyed to the shaft F, and is in gear with the pinion h on the crank shaft G. i is a fly-wheel steadying the motion. The connecting rod k communicates a lateral motion to the saw or cutter H, which works in guides in the standards BB. In the sides of the guides a series of studs are screwed, which project inwards and ebut against the cutter to steady its motion. I is the bed upon which a wooden table for receiving the paper is placed, and is supported by a ledge on each side of the framing AA. In front of this framing, and working in bearings whereon

is a horizontal shaft K, which carries two segment racks, and about midway of the length of this shaft, there is a weighted pulley m keyed. There is also a ratchet wheel, n. Attached to the inner side of the framing A are the guide-rods pp, upon which a vertical rack, qq, furnished with lugs or ears, slides. These racks are counected by an horizontal rod r, to each end of which a vertical rod is jointed, the upper ends pointing to the cutter.

The paper, cloth, &c., being placed on the machine by first raising the cutter H, which is done by depressing the lever o on the shaft K, thus actuating the segment racks, and raising the racks qq with the bar r, the vertical rods and the cutter. The press-follower C is then brought close on the paper. Rotatory motion is thus given to the cog-wheel g by means of the handle for the pulley e and the pinion h, taking into the wheel g the crank-shaft G, which will communicate the required lateral motion to the cutter. Should the knife be insufficient to cut pasteboard, &c., a weight is applied to the pulley m. When the cutter has been passed through the paper, &c., its lateral motion may be stopped by throwing off the driving strap from the pulley, or staying the winch handle. The press-follower C is then raised by reversing the motion of the screw c, and the cut

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »