"Dey went and called all de country Oh, my boys, I'm most done! "I'm here to-day, and gone to-morrow! I did not come for to stay for eber.' Oh-e-oh! Oh-e-oh! "So den dey tuk him to de gallows, Drive him down dere in a wagon. Oh, my boys, I'm most done! "Dey drive him down unto de gallows, Dey drive him down with four grey-horses. Oh-e-oh! Oh-e-oh! "(Price's Ben, he drive de wagon) Very sad loss to Major Prosser. Oh, my boys, I'm most done! " Dey drove him right beneath de gallows, And den dey hang him and dey swing him. Oh-e-oh! Öh-e-oh! "And dat de fate of de Nigger Gin'ral, Who almost ruined old Virginny! Now, my boys, I'm quite done!" "You 've quite done, have you Billy?" said Harness); "take my advice, and never begin again.' Eh, Mister Dick; you no ab song like dat in your budget; and I nebber give you de tune.' I hope you won't-but now I ll play you a tune which will beat you hollow." Hereupon, Dick Harness imitated the squeaking of pigs and caterwauling of cats upon his fiddle, so as to set every body laughing, except Opposition Bill, who pretended to be very sulky. Come, Dick, it's your turn now. Give us a regular forecastle song ? said Ben the whaler. "Well, then-here's one that 's been sung ever since the days of old Queen Anne. "It was one November-the second day- Which made the sea to run mountains high. "The tide of ebb, it was not done, But fiercely to the west did run; "You call dat singing! Stop now! I sing a song you nebber hear in all your life," cried Opposition Bill, tuning his fiddle. "And never wish to hear again, most likely," replied Dick. "Out with it, Bill! your face shines beautifully this morning." "I take de shine out of you, Massa Dick; now you listen." "Now your fader is asleep, maid, listen unto me; Will you follow in my trail to Ken-tuck-y? For cross de Alleghany to-morrow I must go, To chace de bounding deer on de O-hi-o. "And will you lub me truly, and kind to me will be, If I quit my fader's roof for Ken-tuck-y. And will you nebber leave me, if I consent to go "Man, I have dis purse of gold, half of it for ye, "De fader weighed de purse, he took his half wid lee, "Bravo, Billy, that's not so bad!" said some of the pen sioners. "I tell you, Dick, I take de shine out of you. You nebber believe, till I make you fall in my wake-and den you soon be where de little boat was-long way astarn." "I'll tell you what, Billy," said Dick Harness; "you do improve, and we 'll allow you to sing that song once more before you die, just by way of encouragement." Dick then played several flourishes on his fiddle. Opposi tion Bill tried to imitate him, but made sad work of it. It was near dinner-time, and the pensioners rose, and proceeded to the painted hall; for at that time they dined there, and not below in the crypts, as they do now. CHAPTER XVIII.....I get into very doubtful company. I am tempted, and, like a true son of Adam, I fall. The reader must have observed, that, under the tuition of Anderson, I promised to follow the right path, and, provided his good offices were not interfered with, there appeared little doubt but that such would be the case; but I was little aware, nor was he, that the humble profession which I had chosen for myself was beset with danger, and that the majority of those with whom I was associating, were the most likely of all others to lead me into evil. Why I had not hitherto been tempted can only be ascribed to my tender years. In fact, I had not been considered strong enough, or of an age, to be useful to them; but now that was more than thirteen years old, being moreover very tall and strong for my age, the hour of temptation arrived; and fortunate was it for me that, previous to this epoch, I had been taken under the protection of Peter Ander son. I have said, in a former chapter, that I was a regular mudlarker; so I was, as far as the ostensible occupation of those who are so denominated went, to wit; "picking up pieces of old rope, wood, &c.;" but the mudlarkers, properly speaking, at that time composed a very extensive body on the river, and were a more humble portion of the numerous river depredators, of which I may hereafter speak. A mudlarker was a man who had an old boat, generally sold by some merchant vessel, furnished with an iron bar full of hooks, which was lowered down by a rope to catch pieces of cordage, oakum, canvass, or other articles, which might fall overboard from the numerous vessels in the river. These were sold to the marine stores, such as were kept by old Nanny; but, as I observed, this was the ostensible mode of livelihood; they had other resources to which I shall presently refer. An old man of the name of Jones, who resided at Greenwich, was one of these mudlarkers by profession. He was a surly old fellow, his sharp nose and chin nearly meeting, and he usually went time. "Just you make a little farther off, old fellow," cried the mate of the vessel. "Wo'n't allow a poor old man to earn a few pence, I suppose," replied Old Grumble, hauling up his grapnel, and directing me to pull under the bows, where he dropped it down again. I now perceived, as I thought, some signs passing between him and one of the men in the head; but if so, they were soon over, and Old Grumble continued his avocation till the sun set. "How long do you intend to remain here?" inquired I. "Oh! not much longer; but I must wait a bit." At last it was quite dark, and then Grumble pulled up his grapnel and dropped down nearer to the cutwater of the vessel. I soon distinguished a tinkling, as it were, of metal; and Old Grumble, holding up his hands, received some sheets of copper, which were lowered down by a rope-yarn. As soon as they were quietly landed in the stern of the boat, down came a bag, which he cast off and laid beside the copper. I was all astonishment; but still more so, when a large bag of some thing weighing very heavy was lowered down by a rope after the small bag. A low whistle was then given, and the words 'Monday night" pronounced in a whisper. Grumble whistled in return; and then, hauling up the grapnel, he told me to put out the oars and pull, while he took his grapnel on board. We then pulled down the river again, for the tide had turned; and as soon as we were clear of the shipping, I began to interrogate him. "Who gave you all these things?" "Who! why, that man. "But what did he give them you for?" "Why, out of charity, to be sure; but I can't talk now, I've no breath to spare. Let's pull ashore, and then I'll talk to you." As we pulled down, I observed that a lighter had broken adrift from her moorings, and was sweeping down the river with the ebb tide. "There's a lighter adrift," said I. "Yes," replied Grumble; "I'm too old for that work now; time was;—there'll be pretty pickings as soon as she gets down a little lower. The Light Horsemen have cut her adrift." "The Light Horsemen! Who are they?" "Bah! you know nothing;-I tell ye again, I haven't no breath to spare-I can't pull and talk too." I was convinced in my own mind that Old Grumble had not obtained the articles in the boat by fair means, and annoyed that I should have been made a participator in any dishonest dealings, I was resolved to question him closely as soon as we landed. There was no one at the steps; and when we beached the boat, I asked him whether he was going to take the things up to old Nanny's. 'Old Nanny! no. She's no fence now: she used to be a good one; but she was overhauled once or twice, and nearly sent on the other side of the water, and, since that, she 's satisfied with little articles, sure profit and no risk." "What do you mean by a fence ?" inquired I. "Why don't you know that yet, boy? Well, a fence is one who receives things that are brought for sale, and never asks no questions." "Well, but if these things were given you out of charity, as you say, why should you want to take them up to a fence, as you call it?" "I tell you what, Jack; I can't be answering all these questions here, where there may be twenty pair of ears a listening." "Well, and if they do listen, what is the harm, if we are doing what is right ?" a "It won't do to argufy here, I tell you. In my opinion, poor man who works hard to get some victuals to keep body and soul together is doing what is right." "Yes, if he works at an honest livelihood." "Don't talk so loudly about honesty; the very word is enough to make people suspect something not right. I'll tell you all, when you come up to my house; for you see, Jack, you must help me to carry these things up. D'ye think you can manage this bag of pease? Let's try!" Between us, dred weight, on my back, and I walked off with it: Grumble we contrived to get the bag, which weighed about half a hunfollowing me with the copper and the other small bag, which I afterwards found contained coppernails. When we arrived at his dwelling, which was as dilapidated and miserable as old Nanny's, he took out his key and fumbled a long while at the lock; at last he opened it. "You had better stay till I door, and told me to follow him. I went in, put down the bag, get a light," said he. In a minute he came with one to the and, some grains falling out, I took them up. "Why, this is coffeo, Grumble!" "Well, pease is our name for coffee, sand for sugar, and vinegar for rum, when we get any." "Well, but, Grumble, I wish to know how you came by these things." "I'll tell you, Jack, if you ask every body how they come by things, you will have enough to do; but the fact is, the man wants me to sell them for him." Why, y, you said he gave them to you out of charity!" "Oh, that was only because I could n't spare breath to tell you all about it." "But why should he lower them down in the dark, if they are his own property?" "Jack, I do n't ask whose property it is; all I know is that the man does. Why, Jack, if one is to be so nice as that, you I came by it honestly. I don't steal it, and I can't prove that can't go into a grocer's shop to buy sugar, or coffee, or know whether the people have come by the goods honestly pepper, or indeed into almost any shop, if you first want to before you buy of them." "Still, it is so plain, that the man must have stolen them." livelihood and support their families, if they refuse to get a discovered and punished ?” "That's very seldom, Jack; for you see we have receivers all down the river; some of them great men, and dining with the Mayor and Common Council; others in a small way; all sorts, Jack; and then we have what we call Jew Carts, always ready to take goods inland, where they will not be looked atter. Old Nanny was a receiver and Fence in a large way once." "Then the only honest people on the river are the water men. Here old Grumble chuckled. "Why, Jack, they be the worst of all for they be both receivers and thieves. Do you think the watermen live by their fares? If you do just wait *These remarks of Grumble were, at the time, perfectly correct: i viously to the West India, London, St. Katherine's and other decks was before the Wet Docks or the River Police was established. Pre having been made, all ships unloaded in the river, and the depreda tions were so enormous, that Mr. Colquhoun, in his work, has estimat ed them at half a million sterling, annually. At present, the river may be said to be comparatively honest; the police is strict, and the temptations are removed. on the steps one night, and you'll find that their night work is worth more than their day work is. We all must live, Jack; and now I have shown you a way by which you can earn more money in a night, than you can in in a fortnight by asking for half-pence. Here's five shillings for you, my boy; and when I want you again I'll let you know." 2. Taat qua la, keeps eternal fire in his calabash; he must keep it in the inside, or it will burn up the world. 3. Chum cu lo, plays on a smail drum or tom-tom. 4. Li tong pan, first inventor of swords; he carries a twoedged one, in his hand, with which he killed the Tsingquas. 5. Ho sing co, a virgin. who made an iron basket, which she could enlarge or contract at pleasure; by the extreme beauty of her person, the charms of her conversation, and the powers of music, she attracted the Tsingquas, who came into the basket, and were destroyed. Alas! the five shillings, so easily and so unexpectedly earned, did, for the time satisfy all my scruples: so easily are we bribed into what is wrong. I wished Old Grumble a good night, and left him. As I returned home, I thought of what he had said about night work; and, instead of making my way to 6. Tsou qua cow, had two pieces of wood fastened toFisher's Alley, I returned to the landing steps, resolving together, when he spoke he flapped them, and you might hear hear him at a wonderful distance. watch for a time and see what occurred. I thought of what had passed. I was not satisfied with myself. I thought of what Anderson would say; and I felt that I had done wrong. And then I attempted to exculpate myself: I could not prove that the things were stolen? I did not go with any intent to help in such a business. Old Grumble had only paid me for my work: but then, why did he pay me so much money? My conscience told me that it was because the dealings were unfair. I could not persuade myself that I was right. I looked up at the heavens,-for it was a clear night, and there was a very bright star just above me! and as I looked at it, it appeared as if it were an eye beaming down upon me, and piercing into my breast. I turned away from it and then looked at it again; still it had the same appearance: I thought it was the eye of God;-I trembled, and I resolved to reveal the whole to Anderson the next day, when I heard the sound of oars. I looked in the direction, and perceived a wherry with two men pulling in: I was down on the steps, under the shadow of the wall, and they did not see me. They landed, and handed out of the wherry three large and full canvass bags. 766 "It's more than we can carry," said the voice of a waterman I well knew: we must leave one in the boat; and be quick, for they are on our scent. Hollo! who's that? what are you doing here? Poor Jack, I declare." "Well, may n't I have a little night work as well as you?" "Oh! you've come to that, have you?" replied he. "Well, as you're waiting for something else, I suppose you could not help us with one of these bags?" "Yes I can," replied I, forgetting all my resolutions; "put it on my back, if it's not too heavy." "No, no; you 're stout enough to carry it. I say, Jack, can you tell us, does old Nanny fence again, or has she given it up?" "I believe she does not," replied I. "Well," said he, “just put the question to her to-morrow morning, for she used to be a good-un; now, follow us." I walked after them with my load until we came to a bystreet; at the shutters of a shop they rapped at the iron bar outside which fixed them up; the door was opened, and we put the bags down in the passage, walked out again without a word and the door was immediately closed. "Well, Jack," said the waterman," I suppose we must tip handsome for the first time; here's ten shillings for you, and we'll let you know when we want you to be on the look-out for us." Ten shillings! and five before-fifteen shillings! I felt as I were a rich man; all scruples of conscience were, for the time, driven away. I hurried home rattling the silver in my pocket, and opening the door softly, I crept to bed. Did I say my prayers that night? No!! A CHINESE LEGEND. In the beginning of the world there lived Tsingquas, monsters, with men's faces and fishes' bodies, who desolated the face of the waters, so that no ships could sail; those eight persons who escaped their rapacity, by the charms of music, which they invented, attracted the savages from the seas, and killed them all. They are now goods, and live in Ti-shan, an island in the interior of China, very high and very large, from whence those divinities can mount to the sky, or, as they are very light, can live in the clouds. 1. Hong Chong li, by the flirt of his fan, could blow you to the end of the world, without killing you-unless he pleased. 7. Hong chong tsee invented a flute, the sound of which brought beautiful pheasants, and all other kinds of birds from the extremities of the earth. 8. Lum tsoi wo made a bamboo basket, in which was every kind of sweet-smelling flower; and when he took the top off, all the world was covered with fragrance, to the delight of its inhabitants. A GERMAN DUEL. "Oh!" said the German, with insolent coolness, "I remem ber-fair hair, blue eyes, and a charming voice." "Well, then," exclaimed Frederick, driven to fury, "it is she, with her fair hair, blue eyes, and an angel's voice, of It is for her that I now demand whom you have robbed me. my revenge, and, more still, for my blasted youth, my life embittered, months of anguish and despair, while you have hid yourself from me, like a coward." Hold, Sir!" interrupted the other, with the phlegmatic vanity of one proud of the reproaches and fearless of their consequences; spare your own breath and my time, I am ready to meet you when and where you please. I am always the willing champion of my own gallantries. What is your weapon-sword, or pistol?" "Pistols are surest and quickest. I wish to send a bullet through your heart "" "Your time and place?" "To-morrow, at day-break-five o'clock-at Ixelles under the Arbre-benit." Enough!" True to the desperate pledge the parties met next morning. The clock of the town-house struck half past four, when two individuals were seen by the sentinel at the Nomur gate, walking quickly through the heavy fog, such as is common to this climate, in the autumn season at that early hour. One was The other was young, an old and withered loooking man. were his features with the traces of passion and a life misspent. but who might have been mistaken for an old one, so stamped They followed the highroad of the surburb for some time, and then struck off to the right into a narrow and irregular path, bordered by a hedge, whence, from time to time, a bird made its escape with a faint chirp, frightened from its perch by the intrusive footsteps. This path led directly to the tree called the Arbre-benit, where the two friends soon arrived, and where they (I need not say that it was Frederick and his evil genius) were almost immediately joined by a third-he who had given to Frederick the friendly warning of Lorn's flight. In a few minutes Baron Lichtenstein and his two friends were on the spot. The distance was measured, the combatants placed, the weapons put into their hands, and they were told to fire at the fifth stroke of the Cathedral clock. The minute or two which was still wanting of the hour, was like an age of dread suspense to Frederick. His arm was almost upraised involuntarily once or twice, so anxious was he to fulfil his deadly purpose. The clock struck one. The sound was borne heavily on the breeze which blew from the city. The adversaries brought their pistols to a level.What a terrific time for preparation-for aim-taking. Two, three, four—five! The two shots were heard almost together. The German's bullet whistled passed Frederick's ear, and lodged in the trunk of a tree close behind him. The baron himself fell, shot through the heart! He sprang from the earth, staggered 308 To Fanny Ellsler-The Day was Dark-Battle with Wild Elephants. against a hedge, and expired instantly, his glazed eyes fixed on his enemy. Frederick was horror-struck. The last look of a man slain by one's own hand, is the most hideous spectacle in nature. "Let us be off!" said the old man, with a fiendish smile on his countenance; "you have done your work well!" "Leave me!" thundered forth Frederick; "leave me! You urged me to this; you are my evil genius-you have ruined me body and soul!" "Young man, we are never ruined but by our own doings -by our bad inclinations, vicious thoughts, and criminal passions." And with these words the old man walked away. Frederick's other friend, and the friends of the slain baron, hastily quitted the scene, and Frederick was left alone with the dead body. TO FANNY ELLSLER. LEAVING ENGLAND FOR THE UNITED STATES. BY RICHARD M. MILNES, ESQ., M. P. The Spring is in the South, but here, Yet if this sorrow must be so, THE DAY WAS DARK.· BY EBENEZER ELLIOTT. The day was dark, save when the beam Lo, splendor, like a spirit came, While there I sat, and named her name, I started from the seat in fear; Like gather'd flowers half blown. And e'en the rose, which she had set, The thrush proclaimed in accents sweet, I think, I feel-but when will she No voice of cemfort answers me; BATTLE WITH WILD ELEPHANTS. On the 24th of September, at midnight, I received information that two elephants of uncommon size had made an appearance within a few hundred yards of the cantonments, and close to a village, the inhabitants of which were in the greatest alarm. I lost ne time in despatching to the place all the public and private elephants of the station, in pursuit of them, and at day-break on the 25th was informed that their very superior size, and apparent fierceness, had rendered all attempts for their seizure unavailing, and that the most experienced driver I had was dangerously hurt, the elephant by which he rode having been struck to the ground by one of the wild ones, which, with its companion, had afterwards retreated to a large sugar-cane adjoining the village I immediately ordered the guns to this place, but being de sirious, in the first instance, to try every means of catching the elephants, I assembled the inhabitants of the neigh bourhood, with the assistance of Rajah Rungnath Sing, and caused two deep pits to be prepared at the edge of the sugar-cane, in which our elephants and people, with the utmost dexterity, contrived to retain the elephants during the day. When the pits were reported ready we repaired to the spot, and they were with the greatest dexterity driven into them; but, unfortunately, one of the two did not prove suffi ciently deep, and the elephant which escaped from it, in the presence of many witnesses, assisted his companion out of the other pit with his trunk. Both were, however, with much exertion, brought back into the sugar-cane, and as no particutar symptoms of vice or fierceness had appeared in the course of the day, I was yet anxious to make another trial to catch them. The builders, therefore, were set to work to deepen the hole, and prepare new pits against daybreak, when I propo sed to make the final attempt. At four o'clock in the morning of yesterday, however, they burst through all my guards, and making for a village about three miles distant, entered it with so much rapidity, that the horseman, who galloped in front of them, had not time to ap prise every inhabitant of his danger, and I regret to say, that one poor man was torn limb from limb, a child trodden to death, and two other persons (females) wounded. Their destruction now became absolutely necessary, and as they showed no inclination to quit the large village in which the mischief had been done, we gained time to bring up the four pounders, from which they soon received several round shot, and abundance of grape each. The largest of the two was even brought to the ground by a round shot in the head, but after remaining there a quarter of an hour apparently lifeless, he got up again, as vigorous as ever, and the desperation of both at this period exceeds all description. They made repeated charges at the guns, and if it had not been for the uncommon steadiness and bravery of the artillerymen, who more than once turned them off by shots in the head and body when within very few paces of them, many dreadful casualties must have occurred. We were now obliged to desist for want of ammunition, and before a fresh supply could be obtained the elephants quitted the village, and, though streaming with blood from a hundred wounds, proceeded with a rapidity of which I had no idea towards Hazareebaugh. They were at length brought up by the horseman and our elephants when within a very short distance of a crowded bazaar, and ultimately, after many renewals of the most formidable and ferocious attacks upon the guns, gave up the contest with their lives. Nineteen four-pound shots have already been taken out of sheir bodies, and I imagine eight or ten more will yet be found. I have been thus particular, because I think the transaction worthy of being recorded, as well as from a hope that you will concur with me in the propriety of an application to the to the Government for the compensation for the damage suffered by the owners of the village of and Ooria, from the destruction of several huts and much cultivation. I have taken the necessary steps to ascertain the extent of the injury they have sustained, and shall have the pleasure of communicating to you the result. CHARADE....To I care not, since our lot is cast To stem the stream of life together, For summer sky, or winter weather; The lips I love-the eyes I dote on! Breathes out the same sweet comfort to me; Though fortune frown, or fate pursue me; Nor change, nor chance, that can betide me! And so we 'll reach some quiet nook Adown life's stream-our trust unshaken By whom we ne'er shall be forsaken : When sure to meet in Heaven to-morrow. Oh! pleasant is the gift of song! The fairy spell the rhymer borrows, STANLEY THORN. BY THE AUTHOR OF VALENTINE VOX. CHAPTER I. portrays, with other features of importance, the early characteristics of our hero. To those who had not the honor of being extremely intimate with Alderman Thorn, it will be necessary to explain that he was a man of considerable wealth, derived chiefly from a series of successful speculations in hops; that he married very early, with the immediate view of procuring the means of entering into those speculations; that at the expiration of fifteen years from the date of his marriage certificate he was generously and formally presented with an heir, whom he caused to be baptized by the name of Stanley, in honor of an aristocratic friend of that name; that he lived in purely aldermanic style until he arrived at the age of fifty-four, when he utterly repudiated not only all intoxicating liquors, but all animal food save that which existed invisibly in vegetables and water; that such total change of diet at his age brought on almost perpetual shivering, which, however, failed to induce him to forego his high resolve, but which gradually killed him; that while some held a minute post mortem examination to be essential to the promotion of the science of pathology, others held it to be essential by no means, it being clear that his living had caused his death, or, in other words, that his alimentasy canal had been completely frozen over; and gnally, that he was buried with appropriate -pomp, without the ice being thus sacrilegiously broken. Having performed the pleasing duty of placing these afflict ing details upon record to the perfect satisfaction, it is to be hoped, even of those by whom this worthy individual was held in high esteem, now becomes strictly proper to state, that at the period of the lamentable dissolution of the alderman, Stanley had just completed his fifteenth year, and that he had been for five years the absolute master of the house. Every member of the establishment feared him. No servant could remain in it three consecutive months, when he happened to be at home, with the exception of a boy, a somnambulist, whom Stanley called Bob, and who had become so attached to him, that he never appeared to be truly happy in his absence. This boy was an immense favorite with Stanley, and a fine time Bob had of it in consequence. The servant avenged Stanley's insults upon him, but not in Stanley's presence for albeit he assumed to himself the inalienable right of horsewhipping him daily if he pleased, if he saw any other creature touch him, or menace him even with a word, he would spring at the assailant like a tiger; and if he found it impossible to conquer alone, he would make Bob help him; and if both were unable to manage it, then they would retreat to devise a series of secret assaults, which never by any chance failed to reduce the enemy to submission. He gloried in conquering those whose physical strength was superior to his own; and, in order to qualify himself for this glory, his chief delight, when he had no immediate conquest to achieve, was to reduce Bob ostensibly to a mummy, by making him stand before him with the gloves-of course giving Bob perfectly fair play, although he dared to retreat no more than he would have dared to sell his soul-until Stanley himself became exhausted, which seldom, indeed, happened until Bob was nearly blind. Bob used at first to remonstrate against being thus victimized; for really it was not often that he could see with any pleasurable degree of distinctness, and never by any chance, when Stanley was at home, was he free from a cut lip, a swollen nose, or a black eye; but when he found all remonstrances utterly vain, he very valiantly made up his mind to do his best, and eventually became rather partial to the exercise; for it did occur occasionally, that he broke fairly through his opponent's guard, and if he succeeded in giving him but a scratch, he was content, although in such a case Stanley never dreamt of leaving off until Bob became densely deaf to time. This was, however, by no means the extent of the penalty inflicted on poor Bob: on every such occasion he was discharged. His mistress could endure to see him knocked about-she could endure to see him pommeled, yea, even to a jelly, with the most exemplary fortitude; but there are at all times bounds to human endurance, and hers could not go one step beyond that. She should not bear to see the sweet features of her own dear Stanley disfigured by even a scratch; |