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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f33afde --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #50486 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50486) diff --git a/old/50486-0.txt b/old/50486-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 8fc0a69..0000000 --- a/old/50486-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2221 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, -Science, and Art, No. 721, by Various - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science, and Art, No. 721 - October 20, 1877 - -Author: Various - -Editor: William Chambers - Robert Chambers - -Release Date: November 19, 2015 [EBook #50486] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHAMBER'S JOURNAL *** - - - - -Produced by Susan Skinner and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - -[Illustration: - -CHAMBERS'S JOURNAL - -OF - -POPULAR - -LITERATURE, SCIENCE, AND ART. - -Fourth Series - -CONDUCTED BY WILLIAM AND ROBERT CHAMBERS. - -NO. 721. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1877. PRICE 1½_d._] - - - - -TOYS. - - -Of British industries, not the least interesting to a large world of -readers, great and small, will be found the manufacture of toys. Mr -Bartley, in treating this subject in Mr Stanford's useful series of -Handbooks to British Manufactures, rightly assumes that objects which -are so inseparably connected with the happiness of our early life -cannot be held unimportant; while we need but mention the name of -Charles Dickens, in order to lend a charm to the avocations of a doll's -dressmaker and a journeyman toy-maker. Although the English productions -are almost entirely confined to a few special types of goods, which not -only hold their own among foreign rivals, but are largely exported to -the continent, we find that in London alone there are, besides various -importers of toys, eleven rocking-horse manufacturers, ten wholesale -dealers, and one hundred and fifty-one retail dealers, not including -the large tribe of small retailers, who combine other occupations with -the sale of toys. Though Germany, Switzerland, and France are the great -storehouses of all toys of which the material is soft wood, the toy -manufacture of London forms a large and interesting industry. - -Penny wooden toys are turned out of a manufacturing establishment -which consists of a toy-maker, his wife, and family. When the father -has finished his work on the lathe, the mother and children have each -their particular share in gluing, pasting, and painting. The material -for these articles are scraps of timber bought out of builders' yards, -the principal tools being the chisel and the lathe. Pewter toys are -made in London in very large quantities. At one establishment a ton -of metal is consumed each month in the production of Lilliputian tea, -coffee, and dinner sets. English taste may be gathered from the fact, -that the number of _tea_-sets made is nearly thirty times larger than -either of the other two. Twenty-three separate articles make up a set, -and of these articles two millions and a half are made yearly by one -house alone. The metal is provided from miscellaneous goods, such -as old candlesticks, tea-pots, pots and pans, bought from 'marine' -store-dealers by the hundredweight; and when melted, is formed into the -required shapes by different processes of casting in moulds. One girl -can make two thousand five hundred small tea-cups in a day. Putting -together the four separate pieces of a mould made of hard gun-metal, -she fills it with the molten metal, dips its mouth into cold water, -takes it to pieces, and turns out a cup that only wants trimming. - -Under the head of paper toys, miniature packs of cards demand a large -amount of material and labour. It is astonishing to read that one firm -alone in London turns out each year _one million_ packs of toy cards, -using five or six tons of paper for the purpose, on each sheet of which -are printed three packs in black and red. When these sheets have been -pasted on cards--called 'middlings'--one girl can cut up and complete -eight hundred and sixty-four packs each day, earning about one pound -a week. These cards are sold at twopence, one penny, and a halfpenny -a pack. The penny cards have, as might be expected, far the largest -sale with the public; the manufacturer getting five shillings for a -gross of twelve dozen, or somewhat less than half the retail price. -Many thousand gross of these little packs go to all parts of the world. -The twopenny packs are precisely the same as the penny packs, with -the addition of an ornamental paper back to each card. The demand for -these superior packs is small, for when the price of an article gets -above a penny, we read that it at once shuts it out from a certain -class of the buying public. The purchaser that will spend more than a -penny will spend sixpence. The spending public, it seems, go in sets. -There is the farthing set, mostly children, who patronise small shops -of toys and sweets; there is the halfpenny set; and the penny set. We -then jump to the sixpenny set. There is a very large manufacture of toy -picture-books which are sold at one penny, a halfpenny, and a farthing. -Even the farthing books have a picture on the cover printed in four -colours; and valentines printed from wood-blocks and hand-painted can -be sold for a halfpenny. - -Another large industry grown up or developed of late years is the -manufacture of india-rubber toys. The india-rubber, cut up into -small pieces, and formed, by the admixture of white-lead and other -substances, into sheets of a putty-like inelastic material, is fitted -into two pieces of an iron mould, variously shaped according to the -requirements of the toy, and then plunged into the vulcanising bath--a -vessel filled with sulphur and other ingredients. When taken out, the -india-rubber has become elastic, the two pieces of mould are unscrewed, -and the toy, after trimming and painting, is ready for use. - -Toy-boats, which in their construction go through fifteen different -hands, are very cheap, though the whole of the work is done by hand. In -one London manufactory as many as ten thousand sailing-boats are made -every year; upwards of five hundred twelve-feet lengths of three-inch -deals being used in their manufacture, and eight tons of lead being -required for their keels. - -We have left to the last place notice of the toy which is the -speciality of English toy-makers, the wax-doll. The wax, after being -melted in large vessels by means of boiling water, is poured into -hollow plaster-moulds made in three pieces, and laid in rows with the -crown of the head downwards. When the workman has filled from a can ten -or twelve of these moulds, returning to the first one in the row, he -pours back into his can as much of the wax as remains fluid; and so on -with the other moulds. Most of the wax is thus poured back again into -the can; but that which adheres to the mould has now become a hollow -wax head, thick or thin according to the time which elapses between -pouring the wax into the mould and pouring it out again. Then comes the -process of fixing the glass eyes, which, save the very best, are now -made abroad, the Germans having driven the Birmingham manufacturers -out of the field. The wax ridges left by the joints of the mould are -smoothed down, the surface is brushed over with turpentine to clean -it, and with violet powder to beautify it; and when the cheeks have -been tinted with rouge and the lips with vermilion, the head is ready -for the hair-dressing operations. For the best dolls, the wig is made -by a lengthy process of fixing one or two hairs at a time, so as to -give a natural appearance to the hair. In the common dolls, the hair -is more quickly put on in locks. The black hair, most of which comes -from abroad, is human; but the favourite flaxen curls are of mohair, -the silky wool of the Angora goat. _Composition_ dolls' heads are -made of pasteboard from iron moulds. The pasteboard is placed over a -mould representing half a head cut vertically behind the ear, and is -then forced by means of a pestle into every crevice. Another mould for -the other half of the head, is similarly filled; and when nearly dry, -the two halves are removed from the moulds and pasted together. The -head thus moulded, which becomes as hard as leather, is coated with -a composition of size and whiting, washed with oil and turpentine; -and then having received a pair of eyes, is dipped into a vessel of -melted wax, and re-dipped until it looks like a solid wax-head. The wax -is then cut from off the eyes, and scraped from the part of the head -which the hair will cover; and the head is then ready for painting, -powdering, and hair-dressing. A third class of dolls, known in the -trade by the misnomer of 'rag dolls,' is the pretty muslin-faced -creature with blue eyes and becoming cap. Her face is of wax, covered -with an outer skin of muslin, and is made by pressing a wax mask, -moulded in the ordinary way, into a mould exactly like the one in which -the wax was cast, over which is stretched a piece of thin muslin. In -this way the wax necessarily adheres so closely to the muslin, that -it becomes a sort of skin to the mask. These faces are nothing but -masks, and require the caps to conceal the junction with the skulls, -made of calico and sawdust, like the bodies. The bodies are mostly the -handiwork of women and the smaller members of the doll-maker's family. -The doll manufacturer gives out so many yards of calico which are to -produce so many bodies, the sawdust to be found by the maker. Then by -a division of labour in cutting out, sewing up, filling with sawdust, -and making the joints, many dozen bodies will be turned out by one -family in a week. The arms are a branch of the trade upon which certain -persons are almost exclusively employed. They are made of calico above -the elbow, of leather for the part below, and are paid for at the -incredibly small price of sixpence-halfpenny a dozen pairs; smaller -arms for very cheap dolls costing three-halfpence a dozen pairs. We -read that the hands, which thus cost each the sixteenth part of a -penny, have always a certain number of fingers! The materials are found -by the makers themselves; so when we consider that each doll sold to -the public for sixpence should not cost more than threepence in the -making, if the toy-merchant and the retailer are to earn a living, -there remains but a pittance to be earned by the Caleb Plummers and -Jenny Wrens. Though most dolls leave their first homes in an undressed -condition, the larger establishments employ many young women in the -dressmaking department of their trade. One article of dolls' attire -forms a distinct branch of trade--the little many-coloured leather -shoes, which are made from the waste material left by the makers of -children's ornamental boots and shoes. A thousand such pairs are made -weekly by one large manufactory in Clerkenwell. - -And now we replace our puppets in their box, grateful for having been -let into some of the mysteries of their creation, not only the more -ready to admire the charming little picture of the toy-maker, by John -Leech, in the _Cricket on the Hearth_, but more sensible of a sympathy -with doll-nature, and more certain that toys are as much needed for -old as for young. Happy is it if the toys of grown-up folks cause as -little mischief and as much pleasure as the innocent toys of childhood! - - - - -FROM DAWN TO SUNSET. - -PART II. - - -CHAPTER THE THIRTEENTH. - -When Deborah awaked, old Marjory was sitting watching over her; the sun -was still glorious on the woods outside, but the chamber was left in -grateful gloom. She could not even distinguish her father's picture; -but soon, clear and distinct through the gloom, laughed out the boyish -face of Charlie. Charlie? What had Charlie done? Mute and still, -Deborah looked up at her old nurse, while the darkness of reality -dawned on her wakening mind. - -'Thou'rt ill, child,' said old Marjory abruptly. - -'What makes you think so, dame?' asked Deborah faintly. - -'Why, thy face betrays thee; it is white as my apron, and thine was a -sleep o' sorrow. _I_ know it. Thou'lt eat summat now, an' no more o' -these airs.' - -'Have ye no letter or message for me, Marjory? What are you hiding -there?' and Deborah raised herself in feverish excitement. - -'Why, it's a letter that'll keep, I warrant me, my Lady Deb. It's from -the old man at Lincoln.' - -'Give it me, Marjory, and leave me, dear old dame. I wish to be alone.' - -So Marjory left her; but soon the old woman was knocking at the door -again with food and wine for Deborah. She found her sitting on the -floor white as a ghost. 'O child, thou'rt faintin' for good victuals! -There! eat and drink like a Christian. Why, bless thee, Lady Deb, dear, -I know the master's in his old quandaries. But don't take on, my Rose.' - -'Dame, come and comfort me. Pray, take that food away! Let me lay my -head on thy kind old breast. Thou'rt a mother to me, Marjory--always -wert. Dame, I've no dear mother!' - -The dame took her darling in her arms, and rocked her gently to and -fro, with the toil-hardened old hand stroking the girl's silken hair, -and her grave old face laid against it. - -'No; thou hast no mother, poor lamb; worse for thee.' - -'It's hard to know right from wrong, Marjory; but I am quick to decide, -and once decided, never falter. I try to do all for the best.' - -'I know it, I know it. But child, my Lady Deb, have no dealin's with -that old man Master Sinclair. He's a demon.' - -'Hush! or give the demon his due, Marjory. He has been kind to my -brother Charlie.' - -'For what? We all know it; all Enderby knows what he's after.' - -'That is no concern of Enderby's. I hate this gossip. Look you, dame, -if I choose to wed fifty such, it is no concern of Enderby's. If I did -wed Master Sinclair, it would be of mine own free will: let all the -world know that!' - -'But thou'lt never wed him, dearie!' cried the old nurse, in tremulous -breathless haste. - -'I do not answer you Yes or No; but I am my own mistress.' - -'Too much so--ever too much so,' muttered Marjory below her breath. - -'What say'st thou, Marjory?' - -'That thou wantest a strong kind hand over thee, bein' too headstrong -by half. I wish Master King was here; _he'd_ advise thee!' - -'Best not,' said Deborah, with a quick breath of pain. 'Let "Master -King" attend to his own affairs. Each one has his troubles. Nurse, love -me! I have need of it. O that I were a little tiny child again, when, -in affright or in distress, I wrapped these arms o' thine about me; -and they would seem to shelter me from all the world! O that thou wert -magician, fairy, to give me my childhood back! I was happy _then_.' - -'An' not now? What ails my bright bird? Is it Master Charlie?' - -'O Marjory, don't speak of that. Look you at his picture; look there! -Could those fearless eyes ever turn aside in shame or dread? Would -Charlie, with all his faults, ever bring _dishonour_ on us? Tell me -that?' - -'No, _never_.' The old face turned white, but did not flinch; Marjory -believed in the honour of her wild boy, as in her own soul. - -'Ah, Marjory, nurse, my darling! How I do love thee! No; never believe -that any but a black liar would ever accuse Charlie Fleming of a mean -low act. Wild, reckless he may be, but dishonourable, never! Ah, my -love, my comfort, our true and faithful friend, _we_ believe in Charlie -Fleming!' - -'Where is my boy?' asked the old woman, with troubled tears in her -eyes. 'Why don't he come to Enderby? They _will_ say strange things o' -him if he don't come home. Oh, he'll break his father's heart by bein' -so wild; but it's his father's blood that's in him.' - -'And his mother's too, for they say our sweet mother was a mad, mad -lass. Dame, who was she? What was my mother's name?' - -The girl gazed straight at the old woman till Marjory's eyes fell, and -the girl's fair face was flushed with crimson. 'I have never asked -you,' she said, 'not since I was a child; but who was my mother, dame? -Prithee, tell me. Ah, say not that there was shame! Poor and honest, I -care not; but naught of _shame_.' - -'No, my Lady Deb, no; naught o' shame. She was the child o' wedded -parents, I promise thee; she was lawful wedded wife, thy mother; but -if I was to tell thee who she was, Sir Vincent would strike me dead. I -cannot tell thee; there's my faithful promise given, not.' - -'I will not ask ye then. One day I will--must know. Does Charlie know?' - -'Ne'er from me or his father. But no one knows what Master Charlie -knows.' - -'There's my father calling me; I must go. Good-bye, dame. Pray for me.' - -Deborah went down into the hall. Sir Vincent got up and met her. He -shut the door carefully, and led her to a chair; he sat down opposite -her, and screening his face from the light with one great sinewy hand, -gazed out from under its shadow, as if he would read his daughter's -soul. For her part, she gazed at him with all her great and tender soul -in her eyes, her own despair forgotten in her father's. There was a -long silence between them, each gazing on the other, sorrow-stricken -and speechless. - -'Father,' said Deborah softly then, 'sweet father, have I not done thee -some good? See! here's the letter from Lincoln; and in three weeks -I shall be Master Sinclair's wife. It is my duty, father, my free -choice. My heart is very strong. Sweet father, thou'rt sad still, ay, -even heart-broken; I know thy face so well! I have saved Charlie. -Listen! This Master Sinclair puts everything in my power, makes me -absolute mistress of all he has. My first act will be to save us from -ruin; Charlie from ruin too. But tell me what more there is? What -serpent has wronged Charlie falsely? ay, _falsely_, for before heaven, -father, I would _swear_ that Charlie has done no dishonour! Sooner -would I doubt my own soul than his. He is incapable of double-dealing, -incapable of all meanness and dishonesty. To doubt him, to believe for -one moment that he could act dishonourably, is to believe that Charlie -Fleming is no son of thine and mother's; that this Charlie Fleming is -not the boy who has grown up under thine eyes and mine; graceless, -truly, but the very soul of honour. Even the masters at his school, -his tutors, his comrades who knew him best, have done him justice in -calling him honourable and true. Then doubt him not for one moment!' - -Under the fire and sweetness of her faith in her brother, Sir Vincent -waxed wan, and his fierce eyes grew dim with sadness. - -Laying one hand upon her hands, and shading his own face still, he -whispered brokenly: 'Believe on--hope on. Sweet child, sweet Deb, my -brave best one, I _must_ confide in thee, or my old heart will break. -This boy--this son, in whom I trusted--Ah me!' and with his clenched -hand on his brow and his eyes raised to heaven, the father gave a deep -and bitter sob--'has _betrayed_ me--_his father_!' With a strange -hoarse eager whisper, and eyes that gleamed like a madman's, Sir -Vincent leaned forward and uttered those words to Deborah. She, white, -still, waited without a word for more. 'I have seen the papers--Adam -Sinclair holds them--by which that boy of mine has anticipated my -death, and raised money upon Enderby; his writing--his name--Charles -Stuart Fleming. Adam Sinclair has got those papers out of Parry's -hands; and by marrying thee, my fairest and my best, he buys those -papers of Parry and destroys their shameful purport. But Deb--does -that wipe out the stain? Does that blot out the fact that that boy of -mine, deceiving and betraying me--ay, cursing my lengthened life, and -hungering for the old man's death--has got a hound to raise this money? -Ay, that hound has in turn betrayed him into Sinclair's hands; and -Charles Fleming's black-heartedness is laid bare to him and me.' - -'Have ye seen those papers, father, with your very eyes? And Charlie's -writing?' - -'Ay, ay.' - -Deborah panted, terribly white and wild she looked, with her hands -pressed on her side. Sir Vincent kneeled down beside her and laid his -head upon her shoulder. Bitter, bitter was that hour. - - -CHAPTER THE FOURTEENTH. - -Some days after that--it might have been centuries to Deborah -Fleming--she heard a peal at the great hall bell; and Kingston -Fleming, pale, disordered in dress, and haggard-eyed, entered the -library. Deborah was looking idly over the books, not reading; she -was stunned, and could neither read nor write; she scarcely had the -power of thought. One look at King, and she knew that he knew her fate. -'Deborah!' he said, roughly and hoarsely, 'you have played me _false_! -By words strong and binding as an oath, you told your brother you would -not wed Adam Sinclair--that no ruin, no misery, should lead you to so -ignoble a sacrifice. Is it then under the mask of doing good, ye do -this grievous evil? Soiling your soul, sacrificing your life, not to -save your father and your brother, for Charles Fleming would rather see -you dead than accept your bounty _then_, but to win rank and money--to -shuffle off this miserable coil of poverty, that wearies you; and to -sell yourself for gold and tinsel to this hoary reprobate! No good -intention, no amount of self-sacrifice, could justify so detestable a -deed.' - -Palely beautiful, but full of calm scorn, Deborah Fleming faced her -fiery and impetuous kinsman; before she spoke, her haughty eyes flashed -fire and disdain. - -'Kingston Fleming, are _you_ my brother? Are _you_ my guardian, my -master, or the master of this house, that you dare to insult me thus? -What earthly right have you to question or to jeer at me? Were I a man, -I would strike you on the face for this. Coward! Because I am alone and -a woman, you dare to insult me by these words! What if I choose to be -wed to Adam Sinclair, and to love his "gold and tinsel;" what is that -to you? What if I choose to "sell" my precious self for his name and -fortune; what is that to you? I have my father's consent; I am under my -father's protection; you have no earthly claim on me. Fair and friendly -have you ever been to me. Courteous has been your kindly interest in -me from childhood upwards; but scarcely enough so, to justify your -interference now. I thank you, Master Kingston Fleming, for your -anxiety on my account; but I'll thank you also to leave me and mine -alone.' - -Even in that wild moment, Kingston saw that she was trembling with -fierce passion--ay, she could have struck him; in that moment, she -_hated_ him. But Kingston too, goaded by his wild unavailing remorse -and love, mad with the knowledge of how cruelly his taunt had wronged -her, desperate at her beauty and her sacrifice, cared for nothing. -Dashing down his hat and whip, he caught her hands in his: 'Beautiful, -cruel, heartless, reckless Deborah! Child, I have loved thee--too late, -too late. I am _free_! I am free to woo thee; I am a free man now! -But when I come in mad haste to ask thy love and pity, I find thee -betrothed, and cast away, and _sold_! Listen! I would have _made_ thee -love me. No woman on earth have I loved but Deborah Fleming! I would -have _made_ thee love me!' - -Then, with a sharp bitter cry, Deborah wrenched away her hands. -Conscious of her brother's dishonour, sublime in the greatness of her -sacrifice, and her terrible secret and her suffering, she looked back -on Kingston only with passion and scorn, to hide the love that would -still master her, and hurled him back taunt for taunt. 'Ah! you are -a good one to preach honour and good faith to me! throwing over one -woman to woo another who is betrothed! I feel dishonoured even to have -heard your words of love, when I have plighted troth to Adam Sinclair. -But don't think to win or move me by thy treachery. Deborah Fleming -doesn't change her troth-plight every hour. Her vows once made, are -binding, binding till _death_!' - -'Then good-bye, Deborah.' He took up his hat and whip and strode to the -door. His looks were turned back on her, a smile was in his haggard -eyes--intense passion, love, and suffering; his face was pale as death. -His last sight of her was the proud erectness of her figure, and the -bright watchfulness of her beautiful haughty eyes, following him, and -burning on him. But when he was gone from her sight, the bells of -Enderby, as all through their interview, came clanging wildly out, -clashing on heart and brain. - -'I know not if I love or hate him most!' cried the girl, half mad with -her despair. 'I love him, and I hate him too!' - -Then rang out the bells of Enderby, loud and clear, the refrain, 'I -love him, and I hate him too!' Low in the lull, loud and clear on the -gale, 'I love him, and I hate him too!' - -Mistress Dinnage in those days was well-nigh desperate. After hearing -that Deborah Fleming was betrothed to Adam Sinclair and was to be -wedded to him in three weeks' time, she knew no rest. It was all -for Charlie, it was on his account; Charlie therefore must know of -this, and there would be an end of it. For two evenings Mistress -Dinnage watched for her lover in vain. She had talked herself hoarse -to Deborah; she had exhausted threats and entreaties: she might as -well have talked to the idle wind--and so she knew--as to Deborah -once resolved. On the third evening-watch, however, Margaret saw the -well-known form. She was out in a moment under the gloom of the trees -and the twilight. - -'I have somewhat to tell you, Charlie. Let me speak quickly and -clearly, love. Your sister Deborah is betrothed to Master Sinclair; -they are to be wedded in two weeks and four days. There have been sad -doings at Enderby. Your father! Ah! I dare not tell ye what I fear. -But oh! grievous trouble has he been in through tidings from Master -Sinclair about _you_! So Mistress Deborah promised then and there to -be Master Sinclair's wife. Oh, I tell you she is desperate since! She -loves another; I know it; but she gives up all for you and Enderby.' - -'Can this be true! Meg, I will kill him first. Has he betrayed me then? -What tidings has he sent?' - -'I know not; but of terrible losses, be sure. Ah, dear, are ye not in -terrible trouble, and waiting about for love of me? Stay no longer, -Charlie! Think not o' me; I will follow; I've got good courage. Release -sweet Mistress Deborah.' - -'How, quotha? Death only will release that mad reckless girl. Ah! I -might have known her.' - -'Neither prayers nor commands, Charlie, would she listen to; no, not -if you were rolling in riches now, she says she would not break her -oath. Charlie! O love, what do I urge you to! You must fight that old -man, and we must fly. Not to kill him, Charlie, hark ye!--not to kill -him; but to disable him for what life he has left! Think me merciless, -unwomanly; I care not, so that it saves her. Or stay, stay, Charlie! -Will ye use all your influence first to turn him? O ye can talk to -tenderness a heart o' stone! Talk to Adam Sinclair then till he melts -to pity; but set sweet Deborah free!' - -'_Talk_ to him!' said Charlie Fleming, with a short laugh; 'ay, I -will _talk_. But we have old accounts to settle first, old debts to -square. We have a little affair to settle between ourselves, Adam -Sinclair and I. Hark ye, Meg! He has accused me of foul play--not to -my face, not he! but behind my back. He has accused me of cheating at -cards--a dirty trick to brand on a man; and as ye know, love, whatever -Charlie Fleming's faults, he would scorn so foul an act. I don't mind -telling ye now, Meg, that I must wipe off this slander with blood. -All my comrades are up in arms at it; and even _now_ I am on my way -to Lincoln, to meet Adam Sinclair face to face; and in case I fall, -Meg--to bid thee now farewell.' He took her in his arms; he folded -back the long dark hair from the passionate face. In bitter wrath and -passion had she trembled at hearing of the foul slander put on his fair -fame; and her fiery spirit, following the spirit of his words, had -made her grasp his hands, and pant and frown in eagerness for revenge. -But when she pictured him dead--lying perchance beneath the old man's -deadly shot, stiffening in his blood, in the perished glory of his -youth and strength--then her woman's heart began to shudder and to -faint: she leaned on his broad breast and moaned. - -'What! sick?' he whispered. 'Faint? A little _poltroon_! The wife of a -Fleming must be brave. _Thou_ wouldst hate and despise Charles Fleming -if he could for one moment brook such an insult as this. Come; I meant -to bid thee good-bye, and hide this from thee; but now I have told thee -all, thou must face death with me, and take it as it comes.' - -'I know it! I know it! Not for one moment would I say aught but "Go!" -Yet, pity my woman's fears; think how long I have loved but thee! Ay, I -have kissed the stones where thy shadow passed! and to lose thee now, -_now_--my husband of but a week, my darling _husband_! Nay; I will not -grieve before 'tis time!' she cried with sudden fire, gazing up at him. -'See! I am so brave that I would fain be thy second, and see thy true -shot speed to that old coward heart! Oh, thou'lt kill him, Charlie, -thou'lt kill him, or hurt him sorely. A dead-shot he may be; but men -say thine is deadlier. Nay; do not laugh; I have listened, till I know -better than thou canst know thyself, all Charles Fleming's brave gifts. -They say thou'rt a deadly shot.' - -He stooped and kissed her. 'A deadly shot! Yes; I will shoot him for -love of _thee_. Better not mangle the old traitor; I will kill him -clean, or not at all. Thank heaven, if he kills me it will be clean! -Love, if I fall, don't weep; _I leave a hope with thee_.' These words -were whispered; she did not answer, she did not speak. - -A few more happy stolen hours, and he was gone. She went with him to -the gate in the woods, where he was wont to come and go, through the -mossed entrance and the tangled clambering ivy. There they stood, her -hand upon the gate; her dark head, that reached no higher than his -heart, laid there. The mute clinging hand did not escape him; every -motion, every gesture of his young love, was marked by his keen hawk -eyes, as if it were her last. He pulled open the stubborn gate; still -the two clung as if they would never part. - -'Sweet love, good-bye.' He listened for her answer, but only heard a -sob; kisses were Margaret's good-bye--kisses, and the deathless love -within them. Then her arms fell asunder, and leaning against the gate, -she let him go. With the iron grasped within her little hands, she -stood gazing through the bars and saw him wave adieu; still stood, -while the quick hoofs bore him far away; still stood, gazing for him -through the night, though Mistress Margaret Fleming (for Mistress -Fleming indeed she was) saw him no more! - - - - -COD-FISHING IN ICELAND. - - -Though the French are not naturally a maritime nation, there is a hardy -race of fishermen to be found on the coasts of Normandy and Brittany, -from whose ranks are obtained a large proportion of the hands that -are employed in the cod-fishing of Newfoundland and Iceland. Though -it is a painful and dangerous occupation, there are few that offer a -higher remuneration to the masters and crews; the shoals of fish are -inexhaustible, and the demand is always greater than the supply. - -It is, however, not always easy to get up the necessary complement of -hands; and captains sometimes have recourse to the unlawful acts of the -press-gang of former days. A ship ready to start will enter a little -creek on the coast of Brittany near an almost unknown village; and -after mass on Sunday, the captain announces at the church door that he -is in want of men for Iceland. The advantages are loudly proclaimed: -good food, good wine, brandy, meat three times a week, and above all, -an immediate bounty of from four to eight pounds, with future pay in -proportion to the results. The extreme poverty of the peasants makes -such a sum of money seem fabulous; they have only to say Yes. And yet, -how hard it is to them to leave their beloved home and speak the fatal -word! The captain knows how to overcome their irresolution. Installed -in a neighbouring _cabaret_, he patiently waits until some young and -vigorous men enter, when he pours forth all his eloquence, enumerates -the advantages, slurs over the danger and fatigue, shakes the gold in -his purse, orders an abundance of cider and brandy, and in the end, -draws his victims into the net. - -The engagement is signed; and the labourer, who has spent the winter -in collecting sea-weed for the fields and sowing his crops, leaves -the women to manage the rest. All being favourable, he will return in -September with twenty pounds in his pocket. A few voyages make him a -good sailor, when he can be drafted into the fleet at Cherbourg, thence -to be transformed into a servant of his country. - -From the difficulty of obtaining men, French shipbuilders reduce the -labour by mechanical appliances; so that five or six men will navigate -ships of two hundred tons. But in cod-fishing craft it is necessary -to have as many men as possible, and twenty are usually taken. The -arrangements are wofully insufficient. There are only sleeping-places -for a third; one sailor resting whilst two are fishing. Thus, after six -hours spent on deck without shelter from rain, wind, and snow, the -waves washing over and the heavy line in their hands, the men go down -stiff with cold and worn out with fatigue. Yet they must lie dressed as -they are, on a hard damp mattress; and frequently the clothes are never -changed from the beginning to the end of the voyage. - -After five voyages a man is authorised to take the command, and though -styled captain, he is nothing more than the head of the fishermen. -It is his work to keep the account of the number of cod caught; the -sailors taking care as they hook a fish to cut out its tongue and place -it in a bag hung to their belt. When the hour of repose comes the -tongues are taken to the captain, and about ten centimes is allowed for -each. The second in office is only chosen as being the most skilful -with his line; then comes the man who cuts off the cods' heads, opens -and prepares the fish for the salter; and lastly the one who lays them -in the barrels and closes them for sale. - -With this short description of the crew we will pass over the voyage, -as described by a French writer, M. Aragon, and take the reader to the -Icelandic coast, Patrix-Fiord, where a number of vessels are already -collected. Deserted during the past season, it now presents a scene -of the greatest animation. A man-of-war is there to provide for any -repairs that may be needed; carpenters and blacksmiths are busy doing -their work, the bay echoes with the noise of hammers and saws. Other -vessels, called _chasseurs_, come from France to take away the fish. -On the shore rises the little wooden hut of the _cocman_, a Danish -merchant who lives there during the summer months to trade with the -people and sell spirits. No night comes on to interrupt the incessant -labour; during the middle of May the sun is never below the horizon, -and but a few stars may be seen on the zenith about the end of June. - -Those ships that have chosen their position for fishing take down their -sails and lie as quietly at anchor as the wind will permit, the men -standing in a close line at the side of the vessel. They are clothed -from head to foot in knitted or flannel garments, with waterproof -capes and hats. A petticoat of strong linen is tied round the waist, -descending below the knees, and to preserve the feet from wet they wear -woollen stockings and waterproof boots. Thick woollen gloves lined with -leather save their hands from the injury of constant friction from -the heavy line. The whole forms a curious picture of ragged, patched, -greasy, well-tarred habiliments, which a comic pencil might rejoice -to portray. The men, indifferent to their appearance, seek only to be -saved from moisture. The lines they use are necessarily very heavy to -bring on board a fish weighing say forty pounds. There are two hooks -baited with the entrails of fish; but the voracity of the cod is such -that it is scarcely necessary to be too particular as to the lure. Thus -the men stand for six hours consecutively, gently moving the line, and -when a shake indicates a catch, lifting the heavy weight on board. - -The fatigue is very great, and much of it is pure loss, as the line too -often brings up another fish, called the flétan, which though very good -to eat, does not bear preserving. The sailors hold this interloper in -extreme aversion, as it often breaks the line by its weight, and gives -them much trouble to heave on board. - -Let us now take a glance at the scenery which surrounds these hardy -seamen. The coast is broken up into large gulfs, strewn with shoals and -reefs of a most dangerous character, where misfortunes are so frequent -that the place is called by the fishermen 'The Ships' Cemeteries.' -Enormous precipices line the coast, with heaps of volcanic stones, worn -by the action of the waves, lying at the foot. These rocks are cut -at certain distances into spaces like the mouth of an immense river, -called fiords, which communicate with the sea by a comparatively narrow -inlet, and spread out into a sort of lake, surrounded by vertical -and jagged rocks. The more sinuous the outlet, the more sure is the -anchorage; and in each bay there is generally found one sandy spit, -forming a sort of natural jetty, behind which the ships are secure, and -where the cocman builds his hut. Far away in the distance rises the -gigantic cone of the extinct volcano Sneffiels-JÅ“kul, whose summit is -covered with rosy-tinted snow. In the hollows of the rocks thousands -of sea-birds build their nests, to be slaughtered by the inhabitants -at a certain season for the sake of _fuel_, their flesh being utterly -unpalatable to the least fastidious appetite. - -One of the most important fiords is the Dyre-Fiord, where a small -hamlet of a dozen huts or _bÅ“rs_ is built in a large meadow. These -constructions are not easy to describe; they are low and massive, -formed of lava-stone and peat. To avoid cold and damp within, a very -small door opens into a dark narrow passage, towards which the rooms -converge. The walls and pointed roof are covered with turf, upon which -grows a thick crop of grass, making it very difficult to distinguish -the _bÅ“r_ from the field in which it stands. Within, the accommodation -is most simple--a kitchen and one sleeping-apartment, with closets -to contain provisions, clothes, and fishing apparatus. Beyond the -vegetable garden is a building for drying fish, the planks of which -are separated to admit the free circulation of the air. Here the -decapitated cod are hung, emitting a savour far from pleasant. The -heads form the food of the Icelanders with butter and milk; the fish -are sold for export. The sea-wolf is also largely eaten, though its -flesh is tough and rancid, the frequency of leprosy and elephantiasis -in the island being attributed to this unwholesome diet. - -Men and women, masters and servants, all inhabit the same room, -whilst cleanliness is not much attended to; but poor as they are, -and accustomed to great privations, they set an example of cheerful -contentment. The beauty of the young girls is remarkable; their fair -hair falls in long plaits, partially covered by a black cloth coif, -daintily worn on one side of the head, and finished at the top with -a tassel of coloured silk run through a silver or steel buckle, -which floats on the shoulder. It reminds the traveller of the Greek -head-dress; but the blue eyes with their sweet benevolent expression -soon recall to his mind their Danish origin. The dress is made of the -cloth woven in the country, and on festival days the bodice is gaily -adorned with silver braid and velvet, whilst the belt and sleeves -are ornamented with silver devices, beautifully chased and often of -great value. On wet and cold days the shawl becomes a useful mantilla, -completely enveloping the head, and defending the wearer from the -effects of the frequent storms. - -The people offer the most generous and cordial hospitality to all -travellers, and especially to shipwrecked mariners. An opportunity -for proving this hospitality once occurred in the open and dangerous -bay of the Westre-Horn, surrounded by breakers and reefs. Here forty -vessels were fishing on a fine morning in March, when the breeze began -to freshen. The cod was abundant, and the men were tempted to stay -too near the coast. All the vessels but five doubled the point; these -beaten back by the enormous waves, and not daring to raise a sail, were -broken on the rocks. Thirty men reached the shore, sixty-six found a -watery grave. The _Sea-bird_ struggled long, until breaking up, all -perished excepting the mate and cabin-boy; the former had received a -severe wound in the leg by falling on some broken glass. Tied to the -rigging, together they awaited their fate, frozen with cold, the waves -washing over them. After three hours the boy expired of exhaustion; -and the mate unloosing the ropes was soon thrown on to the shore. The -corpses of his friends were lying around him, the survivors having -gone inland for shelter; but with great difficulty he followed them, -crossing streams and marshes, sinking into ice and snow at every step, -his wounded leg torn by the sharp points. Six weary hours were thus -passed, when his heartrending cries at length reached two Icelanders, -who carried him into a _bÅ“r_ not far off. - -For five months these good people nursed and tended the sufferer. At -the end of that time he was still confined to bed, but the healing -had begun. A vessel was sent round to bring him away; yet his hosts -evinced much sorrow at the prospect of his departure. At their request -the captain left him one night longer, when the shipwrecked mariner -was escorted to the beach by the whole family, all manifesting a -deep emotion. After thanking the father, not only for his care of -the survivor, but also for the burial he had given to the victims of -the storm, the captain assured him that the French government would -indemnify him for the expense he had incurred; but the good man only -pressed his hand, declaring that he had done his duty, and deserved -neither indemnity, thanks, nor recompense. The Minister of Marine sent -a gold medal to him after hearing of his generous conduct. - -Robbery, murder, and theft are almost unknown in this peaceful little -country; not a soldier or policeman is needed even in the capital -Reikiavik; a fact which fully proves the virtues of the Icelanders. -Travellers have asserted that the hospitality was not quite so -disinterested as it appears, and there may be an exception in certain -localities, such as the road to the Geysers, traversed every year by -many tourists. Here the Lutheran ministers offer shelter in their -churches, which are transformed into hotels, and provide fish, milk, -and coffee for those who need it at a certain charge. Roads are -almost unknown; the configuration of the ground wholly prevents their -formation. The island has been the scene of such tremendous volcanic -action that the mountains are heaped together in the most fantastic -manner. From the glaciers which cover the summits of extinct volcanoes -rush torrents of water, bringing down the disintegrated rocks to -accumulate in the valleys below. - -Yet in the midst of these convulsions, Nature does not forget her -rights, and wherever a little earth can be found there grows a tuft of -grass. Meadows undulating with the rocky ground cover it with a green -mantle, and in summer the botanist will find most of the wild-flowers -which bloom in our temperate climates. During the winter, the water -infiltrating through the soil turns the whole into an impassable -marsh, where the unwary traveller may sink into quicksands of the most -dangerous character, since there is no exterior sign to denote their -existence. In a country whose natural configuration scarcely admits -of carriage-roads, ponies are invaluable, their robust constitution -defying alike climate and fatigue. Small in size, quiet and patient, -they resemble the Corsican or Pyrenean breed. Such is their docility, -that the most inexperienced rider may mount without fear, and trust to -their instinct in the difficult mountain passes. Three or four thousand -are exported yearly into England, where they are used chiefly for -coal-mines; and such is the estimation in which they are now held, that -their cost has largely increased. - -The eider-duck is one of the most profitable sources of revenue, and -strict laws prevent their wanton destruction. A gun is not allowed to -be fired near the places they frequent, for fear of alarming them; -thus they have become so tame that they allow themselves to be stroked -without fear. They choose the islands for their homes--where their -deadly enemy the fox cannot reach them--and the steep barren rocks -in the fiords. Many of the owners clear a thousand a year by the -sale of the down, without any expense. It is scarcely necessary to -make laws for the preservation of game, since shooting is a pleasure -the Icelanders wholly despise. The curlew, snipe, golden plover, and -wild-duck abound, as well as the delicate white partridge; but the -natives despise them as food, and prefer smoked or dried salmon, with -which their streams abound. - -In the middle of August the greater part of the French ships meet -in the Faskrud-Fiord before starting home. By this time the snow is -beginning to fall and ice to form around the bays. Detached icebergs -make their appearance in forms as singular as varied, sometimes -resembling fantastic animals or the prow of a ship. The anchors are -raised, and the convoy leaves the wintry shore; and anticipations of -home once more dawn on the weary fishermen. - - - - -THE ADMIRAL'S SECOND WIFE. - - -CHAPTER VII.--COMING-HOME. - -Preparations for the much-talked-of marriage are pushed on rapidly; -and before the spring flowers are making the slopes of Hayes Hill glad -with their brightness, the wedding--a very quiet one--takes place. -Laura Best is not present, though everybody says how charmingly she -has acted towards Katie. She called on the bride-elect, and on the -wedding morning a short perfumy note of congratulation and a handsome -set of opals arrive as a marriage gift. Sir Herbert is pleased at his -daughter's attentions to his bride, and is glad that after all such a -friendly feeling has sprung up between them. - -The fact is, Laura Best, finding that opposition cannot prevent the -marriage, has decided to give it her apparent sanction. Not for worlds -would she interfere with the happiness of the wedded pair or throw -unpleasantness on their path. So she quietly does all that is needful -in the way of proper attention, and then goes home to Hayes Hill to her -children and duties there. Yet in secret she bears a heavy heart with -her, and mourns over her father's infatuation. - -If the Admiral's wedding has been a quiet one, the home-coming is -destined to be quite the reverse. The whole town of Seabright wakes up, -and great preparations are made to welcome the pair. The ships in the -bay are illuminated, flags flutter in the breeze, and bells peal out -their jubilant chimes. - -Katie smiles proudly to herself as she walks through the lofty -apartments of Government House, and feels she is mistress there now. -It is pleasant to roam about everywhere, and know that she has the -right to do so; pleasant also to stand in the shade of the deep window, -and listen to the joyous pealing of the bells, which she knows are -pealing for her. Wealth and rank are in her grasp; she has entered on -the honours of her new position, and will rule with no timid hand. -Self-confident and fearless, she laughs to herself in utter exultation -at the warnings, the croakings, the forebodings that a while ago -assailed her. Walter Reeves is very angry indeed, when he finds out -how unceremoniously he has been set aside; and he is intensely bitter -against Katie in the first flush of his disappointment; so doubtless -it is fortunate for all concerned that his ship, the _Leo_, is ordered -off on a cruise in the Mediterranean. He will be away for nearly twelve -months, and surely in that time the most poignant heart-wound may be -healed. Besides, change of scene is all-potent in such cases! - -As months pass away, Lady Dillworth's tastes rapidly expand and assert -themselves; ere long she becomes the leader of society in Seabright, -and the most fashionably dressed woman there. Sir Herbert is generous -beyond measure; Katie must not have a wish ungratified, or a desire -unfulfilled if he can help it. And so the young wife, loving admiration -and homage with a wild passion, basks in them to her heart's content. -The semi-official parties at Government House, stately and dignified -as they were, rapidly give place to balls and quadrille assemblies, -to late hours and overcrowded rooms. The junior officers of the -ships rejoice at the change; while the older ones shake their heads -ominously, and gradually withdraw themselves from excitements that have -no longer any charms for them. - -Lady Dillworth is the belle on all occasions. Whether she entertains -the company with her rich voice as she sings for them, or delights them -with her sparkling conversation, or whirls with some favoured ones -through waltz or galop, she is ever the attraction of the evening. - -If the Admiral sometimes thinks there is rather too much gaiety, and -longs to have Katie now and then all to himself, he does not say so, -for he cannot bear to deprive her of any enjoyment on which her heart -is set. Often and often during the season, at Katie's old home, sounds -of the rattle of carriages come up to the cosy drawing-room, and the -lamps flash for a moment on the blinds. - -'There they go--another party at Government House, I suppose!' Mr Grey -will say, as he quietly looks up from his books. - -'Yes, my dear; Katie is giving a ball to-night, and such a magnificent -dress she has got for it! Sir Herbert grudges her nothing.' - -'So much the worse for Katie. Spending is an art easily learned; and -where in the world _she_ gained her education on that point, I am -puzzled to know. Not from you, Sarah; you were always economical.' - -'Katie's position is different from ours, dear; she must keep it up.' - -'But she has no need to keep up such an endless whirl. I wonder the -Admiral is not tired to death of it. _I_ should be, I know.' - -And so, all through the quiet night, husband and wife are roused every -now and then from their slumbers by the rattle of passing wheels; and -Mrs Grey sighs to herself about Katie's love for excitement, but will -not blame her aloud, even to her husband's ears. - - -CHAPTER VIII.--RETURN OF THE 'LEO.' - -December comes round again with its blustering winds and rude gales; -there is every prospect of a spell of rough weather, and Captain Walter -Reeves looks with intense satisfaction at his gallant ship the _Leo_, -again riding securely at her anchor in Seabright Bay. - -A season on shore just now, when festivities are about to commence, is -in his idea far preferable to being tossed about on a squally sea or -cruising about from port to port; so he congratulates himself on being -ordered home. He hears of the gay doings at Government House, and how -Katie is the reigning belle of Seabright; and he listens placidly, -without one throb of emotion. Time has proved a panacea. He has no pang -of regret that Sir Herbert is the husband of this very attractive woman -of fashion, instead of himself. As a matter of duty, he is on his way -to call at Government House, when outside a fashionable shop in one of -the streets he sees a well-appointed carriage drawn up, and in it he -catches a glimpse of a well-known form and face. An obsequious shopman -is standing on the edge of the curb-stone displaying some articles of -bijouterie; a coachman in dark livery, with a black cockade in his hat, -is holding the reins. It _is_ Lady Dillworth. There is no mistaking -her imperial manner, as she speaks out in that slightly commanding -voice; neither is there any mistaking her handsome face, her brilliant -eyes, her dark coronal of hair, as she sits there in her proud beauty. -Walter, as he crosses the street, takes note of her velvet, her -sealskin, and the feathers and the damask rosebuds in her bonnet, and -thinks all this suits the Admiral's wife very well. He hears her say -to the shopman: 'The price is eight guineas, you say. Are the stones -real?' - -'Yes, my Lady; and they are very fine and well set. You are the first -to whom I have had the honour of shewing them.' - -'Send one of them to Government House. Or stay,' adds she musingly--'I -want another for a present for a friend; so you may send me two -bouquet-holders.' - -'Sixteen guineas for such rubbish as that! I'm very glad the money -comes out of the Admiral's purse, and not out of mine. A poor -Commander's exchequer would not stand many such attacks as that,' -thinks Walter, rather ungallantly, as he now greets the occupant of the -carriage. - -Katie is surprised to see him, and says so as she holds out her -daintily gloved hand. 'I had no idea the _Leo_ had returned. Have you -been long here?' - -'I arrived only last night, and am on my way to Government House.' - -'How unfortunate there is no one at home! Sir Herbert went to Belton -Park this morning, and I am on my way to the station to meet a -friend who is coming to stay with me. By-the-by, you know the young -lady--Liddy Delmere. Do you remember her?' - -'Isn't she very pretty and a blonde?' - -'Yes; she has both those attractions.' - -'And doesn't she sing nicely?' - -'O yes! Liddy can sing if she likes; and her voice is not a bad -soprano,' replies Lady Dillworth with one of her brightest smiles. - -'Then I'm sure I've often met her at your house in former days.' - -'You had better come and refresh your memory this evening. We shall be -quite alone, and very pleased to see you at Government House.' - -Captain Reeves is of course delighted to meet Lady Dillworth on such -friendly terms. He accepts the impromptu invitation at once. - -The past, with its shadows and disappointments and jealousies, is gone -for ever. Better now to banish every recollection of it from his heart, -and meet Katie on an entirely new footing. - -As if by tacit understanding, they both decide this is the wisest plan. -They meet and separate as mere every-day acquaintances. Nothing can -be more unembarrassed than her ladyship's smile as she acknowledges -Walter's parting bow, and drives off, to the admiration of the staring -urchins in the street. - -'Quite alone' is a mere relative term with Lady Dillworth; for when -the footman throws open the drawing-room door on that evening to -announce Captain Reeves, the latter sees the room is already half full -of guests. Katie stands near the piano; her dark velvet dress falls in -sweeping folds, unbroken by flounce or trimming; the beautiful set of -opals--her step-daughter's wedding present--shine out with a subdued -light from neck, arms, and breast. Beside her is Liddy Delmere, who in -her bright blue silk dress, and with her sunny hair tied with ribbons -of the same azure tint, forms a contrast to her hostess, in which -neither loses. - -Ere long, Walter finds himself seated beside Miss Delmere, for they -have renewed their acquaintanceship with mutual satisfaction, and -plunge at once into discursive recollections of the past. - -'We had some pleasant times together in the days long ago,' begins -Walter. - -'O yes; I remember meeting you several times at Mrs Grey's, also at a -picnic on Bushby Plain, and at a gipsy party. Hadn't we capital fun -sometimes?' - -'Yes, really. What a pity these happy days are over. We never can -recall those bright fresh hours, when the heart gilds everything with a -magic glamour.' - -'Speak for yourself, Captain Reeves! For _my_ part, I enjoy things as -much as ever I did; and my heart "gilds" a good deal still. Do tell me -some of your adventures. What have you been doing all the months you -were away?' - -'Nothing worth relating. I neither discovered a desert island nor a new -race of savages. I really have no wonders to narrate.' - -'How marvellous! The very lack of incidents makes the thing curious. -Now, if _I_ had been cruising about in the _Leo_ for months, I should -have gleaned materials enough for at least two volumes of travels.' - -'Ah! you ladies draw largely on the imagination. My experience is just -this: I went away from England last spring; I return again in time for -the Christmas pudding.' - -'You sailors are all alike. I never met one yet who could give me the -merest sketch of his voyage--all seems a blank, but the going and -returning,' Liddy asserts laughingly. - -'We had some nice balls at Malta,' replies Walter, rousing himself with -a sudden recollection. - -'Had you? Who gave them?' - -'Sometimes _we_ did; and crowds of the prettiest girls I ever saw, -came.' - -'Very flattering to the givers.' - -'Oh, I wish you could see the _Auberge de Provence_ when it is made -ready for a ball; it looks just like a fairy scene. The old knights -of Provence would never recognise the place if they could return to -take a peep at it. As one passes through the hall, it appears like an -orange grove; the trees are full of golden fruit and fragrant blossoms; -and clusters of coloured lamps shine out like rubies through the green -leaves.' - -Walter is fairly launched into his subject now; one recollection -speedily calls up another, till Liddy and he grow eloquent, and enjoy -themselves amazingly. - -He begins describing some musical charades they 'got up' at Malta. - -'How nice they must be! But I can't quite understand them.' - -'We merely take a word, divide it, and make our singing descriptive of -the parts, instead of acting them out. For instance, take Ravenswood.' - -'A sweet word, particularly if one has to croak out a raven chorus! Oh, -I should like that extremely!' laughs Liddy. - -'Ah, no; you don't catch my meaning. We make quite a grand affair of -it, have a drop-scene, on which birds and trees are painted, and our -illustrations are from the opera of _Lucia di Lammermoor_.' - -'Quite a musical drama on a small scale, I declare! I wish we could get -up something of the sort here. I'll ask Lady Dillworth about it. And -here she comes.' - -Katie walks over, looking rather amused at the evident good -understanding between Liddy and Walter, as they thus interchange -recollections with much _empressement_. She seats herself beside them, -and the subject is discussed in all its points. Lady Dillworth enters -into it with impulsive eagerness. Already she is longing for something -new and fresh, something that will cause a sensation among the 'upper -ten' at Seabright. - -Several other guests join them, and ere long an animated group of -people are professing willingness to aid such a charming scheme; -anything novel is so attractive to those whose whole life is -excitement. Walter takes the initiative at once. - -'I have all the music we need. The bandmaster of the 25th arranged -it for me with the songs, duets, and choruses. It's capital for -drawing-room practice, if we can only get enough performers.' - -Everybody is ready to join, so the _rôle_ is settled on the spot. -Walter is to be Edgar; Liddy, Lucy Ashton. But here the young lady -enters a protest. - -'I don't wish to be Lucy. If you want me, you must let me be Lucy's -mother. I make a splendid old woman.' - -'Then who will be the unfortunate bride?--Will you, Lady Dillworth?' -asks Major Dillon, turning towards her. - -'O yes, if Miss Delmere objects.' - -So it is settled. Walter infects the whole party with his eagerness. -Scenes, music, costumes, and arrangements are talked over; and Katie is -all anxiety to carry out the plans with due effect. Walter is to bring -on shore the music-scroll and sketches of the costume; and the intended -performers are invited to meet him to-morrow morning at Government -House, for the first rehearsal. - -'Now _that_ affair is settled, we'll have some music,' Katie says, as -she rises and goes towards the piano. Walter follows her. 'Have you -forgotten all your songs, Captain Reeves?' - -'O no. How could I? _You_ taught me most of them,' he replies. - -'Will you try one now?' - -'Don't ask me to sing a solo. I should break down at once; but if you -will allow me to join you in a duet, I'll try to manage it.' - -Katie turns over a book of manuscript music, and they fix on _Then and -Now_. - -'The words are dreadfully stupid, but the air is pretty,' asserts Lady -Dillworth, as she runs over the prelude: - - We heard the tower bells pealing - On that soft summer night, - Your hand was linked with mine, love; - Your heart, like mine, was light. - We whispered low together - Of that hope and of this; - While far above, the joyous bells - Seemed echoes of our bliss. - - Again those bells are pealing; - We hear them now, and sigh; - No longer can their chimes, love, - Blend with our thoughts of joy. - Our lives for aye are parted; - And on the wintry air, - Those crashing sounds but haunt us now, - Like echoes of despair. - -The two voices ring harmoniously and plaintively through the rooms. -One could almost imagine the singers are actually using the 'past to -give pathos' to the words. But nothing is further from their thoughts. -Katie is only deciding that, after all, Walter's voice will 'do' -with hers in the duets of the charade; and Walter is wishing--just a -little--that Miss Delmere had retained the part of Lucy, as at first -proposed. - - - - -ELECTRICITY AS A LIGHT-PRODUCER. - - -It has long been the opinion of scientific people that in electricity -we have a power the development of which is only at present in its -infancy. The marvellous details of our telegraphic system constantly -remind us that there is a mysterious fluid round about us which can -to a certain extent be made subservient and obedient to the will of -man. This familiarity with that which would a few centuries ago have -been stigmatised as the outcome of sorcery, has led the ignorant to -place a blind belief in its powers. The subtle fluid has in fact taken -the place of the necromancer's wand, and is believed by many to be -capable of anything or everything. The electrician is thus credited -with much that does not of right belong to his domain, and the wildest -speculations are occasionally indulged in as to what next he will do -for us. That electricity will prove of far more extended use than the -present state of knowledge allows, we all have vague anticipations, -and among these is the reasonable hope that it will some day supersede -coal-gas as a means of artificial illumination. We propose, by a brief -review of the present position of electrical research, to point out how -far such a hope is justified by facts. - -Sir Humphry Davy was the first to discover that when the terminal -wires of a powerful electric battery were furnished with carbon-points -and brought into such a position that they almost touched, the space -between them became bridged over with a dazzling arc of light. The -excessive cost of producing this light (owing to the rapid consumption -of the metal-plates and acids which together form the battery-power) -rendered it for a long time almost inapplicable to any other purpose -than that of lecture-room demonstration. But it was evident to all that -a means of illumination so nearly approaching in its intensity the -light of the sun, would, if practicable, be of immense value to society -at large. Apart from its cost, there were many other hindrances to -its ready adoption. The incandescent carbon-points--which we may here -remark are cut from a hard form of gas-coke--were found to waste away -unequally. Some plan had therefore to be hit upon of not only replacing -them at certain intervals, but also, in view of this inequality of -consumption, of preserving their relative distance the one from the -other; otherwise the light they gave became intermittent and irregular. -These difficulties were met by employing clock-work as a regulator, -and more recently by a train of wheelwork and magnets set in motion by -the current itself. These arrangements naturally led to complications, -which required the constant supervision of skilled operators, and the -coveted light was necessarily confined to uses of a special nature -where the question of cost and trouble was unimportant. - -The use of the battery for the electric light has for some years -been almost entirely superseded by the magneto-electric machine. The -construction of this machine is based upon Faraday's discovery, that -when a piece of soft iron inclosed in a coil of metal wire is caused -to pass by the poles of a magnet, an electric current is produced in -the wire. The common form of this machine consists of a number of such -iron cores so arranged upon a revolving cylinder that in continual -succession they fly past a number of stationary horse-shoe magnets -placed in a frame round its circumference. By a piece of mechanism -called a commutator, the various small streams of electricity thus -induced are collected together into one powerful current. This -invention forms one of the most advanced steps in the history of the -electric light. But although it produces electricity without the -consumption of metal involved in the battery system, another element -of cost comes into view in the expense of the steam-power necessary to -work it; besides which the original outlay is considerable. - -In the year 1853 a Company was formed at Paris for producing (by the -aid of some large magneto-electric machines) gas for combustion, -by the decomposition of water. The Company failed to produce gas, -and what was perhaps more to the annoyance of the subscribers, they -failed also to shew any dividends, and the expensive machines were -voted impostors. However, an Englishman, Mr Holms, succeeded in -turning them to better account, and eventually produced by their aid -a light of great power. Mr Wilde of Manchester was another worker in -the same field; and improved machines were soon introduced to public -notice by both gentlemen. A few years after, the South Foreland and -Dungeness lighthouses were provided with experimental lights. (The -first-named headland had previously been furnished with an oxyhydrogen -or lime light, a source of illumination which is also open to the same -objections of requiring constant attention and renewal.) - -It is a matter of surprise to most visitors to the South Foreland -lighthouse to find that a small factory and staff of men are necessary -to keep the electric apparatus in working order. The extent of the -establishment is partly explained by the fact that, in case of -a breakdown of any part of the apparatus, everything is kept in -duplicate. Hence there are two ten horse-power steam-engines, and a -double set of magneto-electric machines, although only half that number -are in actual use at one time. The old oil-lamps are also kept ready, -in view of the improbable event of both sets of electrical apparatus -going wrong. - -Although lighthouses were the first places to which electrical -illumination was applied, there are many other purposes for which -that species of light is invaluable. One of the chief of these is -its use in submarine operations. Unlike other lights, being quite -independent of atmospheric air or any kind of gas for its support, and -merely requiring an attachment of a couple of gutta-percha-covered -wires for its connection with the source of electricity (which may -be at a considerable distance from the place of combustion), it -is specially applicable to the use of divers. The importance of a -means of brilliantly lighting the work of those engaged in clearing -wreck or laying the foundations of subaqueous structures cannot be -over-estimated. There is another service too in which we may hope -some day to see it commonly employed: we mean as a source of light to -our miners. For this purpose, the burner could be placed in a thick -glass globe hermetically closed; in fact the globe might even be -exhausted of air, for experiments prove that the light is in several -respects improved when burnt in a vacuum! The danger of fire-damp -explosion would by this means be almost altogether obviated; for -unless the glass were broken (and abundant means suggest themselves -for protecting it), no communication could be made between the light -and the gas-laden air of the mine. As a means of night-signalling, the -electric light can also be profitably applied. This can be done by an -alphabet of flashes of varying duration; the readiness with which the -light can be extinguished and rekindled by the mere touch of a wire, -rendering it peculiarly adapted for such a purpose; while the distance -at which it can be seen is perhaps only limited by the convexity of -the earth. Several of Her Majesty's ships are now being fitted with -the electric light, which is to serve both for signalling purposes, -and as a precautionary measure against the attack of torpedo-boats. -For military field operations a brilliant light is often useful; and -an electrical apparatus is in actual use by one of the belligerents -in the present war. In this case, the light is doubtless worked by an -electric battery, as a steam-engine is hardly a convenient addition to -the impedimenta of a moving column. - -Having called our readers' attention to the several special public uses -for which the electric light is available, we may now consider how far -it can serve us for the more common wants of every-day life. In its -crude state as we have described it, governed by such a touchy thing -as clock-work, it could not possibly compete with gas for ordinary -purposes. But one or two improvements have within the last few months -been made, which have led many to hope that the day is not far distant -when the light will become common in our streets, if not in our houses. - -These improvements are two in number. The one is a plan whereby the -electric current can be subdivided so as to serve a number of different -lights, and the other is an improvement in the arrangement of the -burner. The first-mentioned invention seems most certainly to bring -the system more on a par with gas-lighting, only that wires take -the place of pipes. But the second offers features of a more novel -character. The carbons, instead of being placed point to point, one -above the other, as in the old system, are put side by side and made -into a kind of candle. The carbons therefore represent a double wick; -while the portion of the candle usually made of tallow is made of -kaolin, a form of white clay used in the manufacture of porcelain. The -points are thus kept at a fixed distance apart; and as they burn, they -vitrify the kaolin between them, which both checks their waste and -adds, by its incandescence, to the light produced. The old difficulty -of keeping the carbons apart by the aid of clock-work, therefore -disappears. The invention of this 'electric candle' is due to a -Russian engineer, M. Jablochkoff. Another plan which is also credited -to the same inventor is that of doing away with the carbon-points -altogether, and substituting for them a thin plate of kaolin. The -light produced is said to be softer, steadier, and more constant than -that obtained by any previous method. Successful experiments with -M. Jablochkoff's invention both in France and England have shewn it -to be readily applicable to many purposes. It was lately tried at -the West India Docks, London, where its power of illuminating large -areas for the purpose (among others) of unloading ships by night, was -fully demonstrated. Moreover, its portability is such that it can be -carried into the depths of a ship's hold. We may mention as a result -of these experiments, that the various gas companies' shares have been -depreciated to a considerable extent. - -Meanwhile, improvements in the magneto-electric machine have not been -wanting; Siemens in England and Gramme in France have succeeded in -obtaining intense currents from machines far less bulky than those -of the old pattern. But still steam-power is required to set them in -motion, and until this is obviated, we cannot expect that the electric -light can become really available for more general use. The inventors -claim that their method of illumination is, for the amount of light -obtained, far cheaper than any other known, pleading that one burner -is equal to one hundred gas-lights. But we must remember that for -ordinary purposes this amount of light is far beyond our needs. In -factories where steam-power is already available, and where the light -would supersede a large number of gas-burners, it can of course be -employed with profit. Indeed we learn that at several large workshops -in different parts of France the light is in actual use with the best -results. Some of the railway stations both there and in Belgium are -also making arrangements for its immediate adoption. - -The problem, however, which has now to be solved is, whether the light -can be made available for domestic purposes. We fear that the necessary -motive-power presents an insuperable objection; for although, as we -have explained, one engine will feed a certain number of lights, it -will bear no comparison in this respect with the capabilities of a -small gas-holder. Besides which, a man would have far more difficulty -and expense in starting a steam-engine in his back-garden than he -would have (as is commonly done in country districts) in founding a -small gas-factory for the supply of his premises. Without losing sight -of the benefits which coal-gas has given us, we may hope that it is -not the last and best kind of artificial illumination open to us. It -blackens our ceilings and walls; it spoils our books and pictures, -besides robbing our dwellings of oxygen, and giving us instead a close -and unhealthy atmosphere. The combustion of electricity is on the other -hand, as we have already shewn, _independent of any supply of air_; -and instead of vitiating the atmosphere, it adds to it a supply of -that sea-side luxury ozone, which may truly be said to be 'recommended -by the faculty.' Besides these advantages, it can be used without -any sensible rise of temperature. Another great advantage which its -use secures is its actinic qualities, which would enable artists and -all whose work depends upon a correct appreciation of colours, to be -independent of daylight. - -In conclusion, we may say that, beyond the special uses for the -electric light which we have enumerated, and for which it has by -experience been found practicable, we see no likelihood of its more -general adoption until two requisites are discovered. The one is a -substance that will, without wasting away and requiring constant -renewal, act as an incandescent burner; and the other is a cheap -and ready method of obtaining the electric fluid. For the former we -know not where to look, for even the hardest diamond disappears under -contact with the electric poles. But with regard to the latter, we -cannot help thinking how, many years ago, Franklin succeeded by the aid -of a kite-string in drawing electricity from the clouds. Is it too much -to hope that other philosophers may discover some means not only of -obtaining the luminous fluid from the same source, but of storing it up -for the benefit of all? - - - - -JAPANESE WRESTLERS. - - -It is a fine clear day in February; and the bright sun shining without -a cloud to impede his rays, lights up the hull of H.M.S. _Lyre_, -swinging lazily round her anchors in Yokohama Bay. Scarcely a ripple -can be seen on the surface of the water, and numberless boats are -darting to and fro, conveying passengers from the various ships to -the shore. On board the corvette the blue-jackets and marines are -reclining about the forecastle smoking and sewing, for it is Thursday -afternoon, the day set apart in English men-of-war for the men to make -and mend their clothes; a concession which Jack values the more for the -privilege of smoking all the afternoon which accompanies it. Clearly -it is not a day for any one to remain cooped up in a ship, who is not -detained there by duty. So think we officers; for most of us have -shifted into plain clothes, and are ready to go ashore. The officer -of the afternoon watch, who is endeavouring to beguile the weary four -hours he has to spend on deck by levelling his spyglass at every object -far and near, looks gloomily at a party of us getting into a sampan, -and remarks, with a view to cheering us up, that the glass is falling -rapidly, and he expects dirty weather before the night; _he_ wouldn't -go ashore if he could, &c. But we have been at sea too long to be -persuaded out of anything by a little chaff; so with a parting joke at -sour grapes, we get into the crazy little sampan, and manage to seat -ourselves without capsizing her, a work of some little difficulty. The -four half-naked, muscular little fellows who form our crew work their -long sculls with great vigour, keeping time to the beat of the unwieldy -oars with a shrill monotonous chant, whose burden is 'Go ashore! go -ashore!' - -It is a glorious view that lies before us on that bright winter day. -The long esplanade, or _bund_, that fringes the shore is lined with -the tall white houses of the foreign settlement, to the southward of -which is the beautiful wooded hill called the Bluff, the white cliffs -of which are dazzlingly bright in the sunlight. The bungalows of the -foreign residents are for the most part on the Bluff, each house -inclosed in its own beautiful grounds; and here too, about two miles -from the settlement, is the race-course, an invariable accompaniment to -any large gathering of Englishmen in the East. Yokohama itself lies in -a valley between the Bluff on the one hand and the Kanagawa hills on -the other; but inland rises range after range of lofty mountains, and -towering far above everything is the snow-capped crest of Fusiyama, the -'peerless' mountain of Japan, which is forty-five miles distant from -the bay where our ship is lying. Fusiyama is a volcano in the shape -of a truncated cone, but no eruption has taken place for more than a -century; a fortunate thing for the country, as fifty thousand people -are said to have perished at its last great outbreak, which almost -destroyed the capital, Yeddo. Shocks of earthquake are very frequent, -though slight, in Yokohama and the neighbouring town, Kanagawa; in -fact, most of Japan is subject to these volcanic disturbances, which -occasionally cause great damage. It is on this account that the houses -are built generally of such slight materials, as they can endure shocks -which would infallibly overthrow any building constructed after the -European fashion. In the summer, when the snow has melted from the top -of Fusiyama, bands of pilgrims dressed in white, who have come from -all parts of the empire to worship the peerless mountain, throng in -great numbers along the roads at its base. At this season the ascent is -often accomplished by foreigners for the sake of the magnificent view -which is obtained from the summit on a clear day; though whether it is -worth while going through so much to obtain so little is of course a -matter of opinion. Many people will tell you they go up for the sake of -saying they have been there, forgetting that any one who has not been -there can as easily say the same thing. For my own part I never could -see the object of climbing a mountain only to come down again on the -other side, and therefore in my numerous excursions into the interior -of Japan, I gave Fusiyama a wide berth. Ponies are usually employed by -those who believe in the merits of four legs as compared to two; and -the deep ashes which cover the upper part of the mountain render this -mode of ascent preferable to the severe labour of climbing on foot. -The weather is so clear on the day in question that the deep gullies -down the sides can be easily traced by the naked eye as we are pulling -ashore. - -While we have been admiring the beauties of the scene, our sampan -has passed round the projecting arm of the English Hatoba, a stone -jetty which protects the landing-place from the heavy swell which -often sets into the bay; so we land and make our way to the bund with -some difficulty, owing to the crowd of coolies who are passing to -and from the merchants' godowns with heavy packages slung on bamboo -poles between two men. Now comes the question, how are we to pass our -time? for amusements are somewhat limited in a small settlement like -Yokohama. To be sure, we can go to the club and play billiards or bowls -or read the papers; but the afternoon is so fine that it seems a pity -to waste it indoors. We might spend a few hours very pleasantly in the -Benten Doré, a street filled with shops for the sale of lacquer-work -and curiosities of different sorts; but unfortunately it is nearly the -end of the month, and I need scarcely tell any one acquainted with -the manners and customs of naval officers that our dollars have grown -small by degrees and beautifully less, and we are anxiously waiting for -pay-day. - -The most popular idea seems to be to walk round the race-course to -Mississippi Bay, on the south side of the Bluff, the favourite drive -of the Yokohama ladies; but just as we have resolved on this, a man -passes making some proclamation in a high sing-song tone, which -seems to meet with general approval from the natives. On inquiring, -we find that he is announcing the arrival of the champion troupe of -wrestlers, who intend giving a performance that afternoon on a piece -of waste land just outside the boundaries of the foreign settlement. -Nothing could have happened more apropos; so jumping into some of the -odd-looking little hand-carriages which ply for hire in great numbers -about the streets of most Japanese towns, we are rattled along the -streets at a rapid rate by the active little drivers, who seem to -possess the enviable faculty of never tiring, for they trot along as -gaily at the end of a thirty miles' run over indifferent roads, as -when they started. On arriving at our destination, we find numbers -of natives on the same errand, 'gaily dressed in their Sunday best,' -entering an inclosure which has been hastily made out of long bamboos -covered with matting, to keep out the too curious eyes that would gaze -at the performance gratis. A payment of a quarter _bu_ each (about -threepence in English money) admits us to the interior, which presents -a very striking scene. Round the sides of the large inclosure are -numerous bamboo stages, crowded with the wealthier class of natives -and a few foreigners; while in the amphitheatre some thousands of -people are assembled, many of them women, whose gay robes set off their -attractions to perfection. - -Every one has his holiday face on, and the ceremonious politeness -which usually characterises the meeting of any Japanese, has for the -time given place to mirth and gaiety. Itinerant vendors of cakes and -sweets ply their trade among the crowd with much apparent success; -and here and there is a stall for the sale of _saki_, a strong spirit -brewed from rice, and much resembling inferior sherry in the taste and -smell. There is a total absence of intoxication, and I may say very -few drunken men are ever to be seen about the streets. By the time we -have mounted a stage, and settled down on the chairs a neatly dressed -_musÅme_ (young girl) has procured for us, the performances are about -to commence, and a man is giving out the names of the first pair of -wrestlers. - -In the centre of the amphitheatre a mound has been raised, on which a -ring has been formed by banking up the earth to the height of a few -inches. Two grave-looking elderly men, apparently the judges, now seat -themselves upon mats on the mound, and unfurling their paper umbrellas, -light their pipes, and commence smoking in dignified composure; while -the two wrestlers doff their _kimonos_ (robes) and enter the ring -perfectly naked but for a cloth round the loins. They are very far -removed from our idea of what an athlete ought to be, for though -muscular, they have an ungainly heaviness of figure. Weight is indeed -thought of such importance in these contests that men are fattened for -them like prize cattle, under the mistaken belief that such size is an -advantage to the fortunate possessor! - -A tedious preliminary performance has to be gone through before the -actual business of wrestling commences. Each man comes to the centre -of the ring, and squatting down in front of his antagonist, raises -each leg in turn, and then brings it down heavily on the ground, at -the same time striking his thigh smartly with his open hand. I suppose -this is meant as a sort of challenge; but it has an extremely ludicrous -effect, at least to foreigners, to see two very fat men so employing -themselves. Both men now quit the ring and take a draught of water -and a pinch of salt, while they rub their arms and hands with mud, in -order that they may get a better hold of each other's naked body. -At length they re-enter the ring, and the real struggle now begins. -They squat in front of each other like two huge frogs and strike their -hands together, at the same time uttering a curious hissing noise, -which gets louder and louder till they suddenly fly at each other like -angry cats. Heavy blows and slaps are exchanged freely in the effort -to close, but umpires are behind each shouting out cautions at any -attempted infringement of the rules on either side. When they have -fairly got hold of each other many a cunning feint and twist is shewn, -and the struggling bodies and limbs entwine so rapidly that the pair -look like one gigantic octopus. At length the bout is concluded by -one man being hurled bodily out of the ring into the crowd outside, -and the cheering from the excited spectators is absolutely deafening. -The victor stalks about the ring for some time in great dignity, -receiving the congratulations of his friends, and then repeats his -former challenge, striking his thighs heavily and crowing like a bantam -cock. Another wrestler, nothing daunted, at once comes forward to try -his fortune; while the vanquished combatant, who has picked himself up -amidst a running fire of chaff from the unsympathising crowd, resumes -his _kimono_ with an assumed air of indifference and vanishes behind -the spectators. - -Three men in succession did the first victor overthrow before he found -a foeman worthy of his grip; but he too in turn soon succumbed to a -fresh challenger. The judges during all the confusion maintained their -seats in great dignity, and smoked away with quiet unconcern while the -wrestlers strove and kicked beside them. Their office seemed to be to -settle any disputes; but it was almost a sinecure, as I saw hardly any -during the afternoon, everything being conducted with perfect fairness -and good-humour. All the hard work seemed to be done by the umpires, -who were dancing about each combatant in a perfect state of frenzy, and -their repeated screams of 'Anatta! anatta!' (Sir! sir!) when any unfair -movement was attempted on either side, soon reduced their voices to -mere croaks. To win a round, a man had either to lay his opponent flat -on the ground or thrust him out of the ring. Several of the first bouts -we witnessed were decided in the latter manner, a heavy man driving his -antagonist clean out of the circle by the weight and impetus of his -first assault. Any method whatever seemed to be allowed in catching -hold; I saw one man win a heat by dexterously catching his opponent by -the scruff of the neck and jamming his head on the ground, the whole -body perforce following suit. This seemed to be regarded as a sort of -'fool's mate,' for I noticed that the loser was much laughed at; and -although the same manÅ“uvre was attempted several times afterwards, it -was never successful. - -The light weights had their contest first; and then came the middle -weights, if such a term can be applied to men of fifteen stone at -least. But the real event of the day was the concluding struggle -between the champions, about a dozen in number, who would have passed -muster in any assembly where height and strength were the test. Not -one of them was under six feet in height, and most of them were -considerably over; one gigantic fellow must have been nearly seven -feet. All of them were disfigured by the same inordinate amount of -flesh; but the muscles of the arms and legs were very powerfully -developed, and the activity displayed in spite of their enormous size -was something marvellous. In one severe contest the gigantic champion -threw a lesser athlete clear out of the ring on to the heads of the -spectators below, overwhelming one of the unfortunate judges in the -transit. The latter, however, soon arose, gave himself a shake, and -resumed his pipe and seat, apparently none the worse for his rude shock. - -The final contest of the day, which took place just before dusk, -was between our friend the giant and the next biggest of the band; -and after a severe struggle, ended in the former being thrown as -scientifically as ever I wished to see. The earth shook with the -violence of the fall; but the vanquished hero picked himself up at -once, and with a good-humoured laugh at his opponent, resumed his -_kimono_; and the sports were concluded. - -Not the least amusing part of the afternoon's amusement was afforded -by a blue-jacket on leave from the _Lyre_, who threw his cap into the -ring, and wanted to try conclusions with the biggest man of the party -for a few dollars. A long and amusing conversation took place between -the sailor and the natives; but the challenge was not accepted, so -Jack put on his hat and walked jauntily away. He was a tall powerful -man, and I daresay could have held his own against the giant himself, -in spite of his inferiority of weight; for it is a well-known fact -that the enormous amount of flesh cultivated by the Japanese wrestlers -stands seriously in their way when opposed to a foreigner in good -condition. It is not very many years ago that a shining light of the -English Church in the East came to Japan and astonished the natives -by throwing some of their best men. No doubt, before many years, the -Japanese, who are very quick at seizing any new idea, will perceive the -folly of feeding their athletes to such a size, and follow the English -system of training. A very noticeable feature about these contests was -the perfect good-humour with which they were conducted, not a single -man losing his temper, in spite of the heavy blows and cuffs which -were exchanged with great vigour before closing with each other. While -discussing the afternoon's amusement, we walked to the bund in the -twilight, and a twelve-oared cutter soon took us on board in time for -dinner. Next morning at daylight we were under weigh for Hong-kong. - - - - -SHAMROCK LEAVES. - -A WAKE. - - -Tim Scanlan, while he lived, was only a labouring man; but he was well -liked in the country; and it was expected that his funeral would be -an unusually large gathering. Crowds flocked to the wake, and a great -provision of tea, whisky, pipes, and tobacco had been made. The widow -occupied her post of honour at the head of the coffin, and displayed -a fair show of grief, joining in with vociferous weeping whenever the -'keening' was led by the older women. She was young enough to have -been the dead man's daughter, having come to his house a 'slip' of a -servant-girl, whom he had married and ruled over very masterfully. - -As the night wore on, the whisky began to tell on those outside the -room where the corpse lay. The noise increased, and soon apparently -became loud enough to 'wake the dead,' as the saying is; for to the -consternation and amazement of every one present, the defunct, after -a deep sigh and sundry groans, opened his eyes and struggled up into -a sitting posture. When the startled company had recovered from the -shock, poor Tim was lifted out of the coffin; whisky was liberally -poured down his throat; and well wrapped up in blankets and seated in -the big chair by the fire, he gradually revived from the trance or -stupor that had been mistaken for death. The last of the guests had -departed from the cabin, and Tim, still propped up before the fire, was -left to the care of his wife. Instead of coming near him however, she -slunk off, cringing timidly away into a dark corner behind his chair, -whence she directed frightened glances at her resuscitated spouse. - -'Mary!' said the man in a stern voice. - -No answer. - -'Are you there?' peering round, his face quivering with anger and -weakness. - -'Yis, Tim, I'm here,' faltered Mary, without stirring. - -'Bring me my stick.' - -'Ah, no, Tim; no! Sure you never rose yer hand to me yet! And 'tisn't -now, when you're all as one as come back from the dead, that'---- - -'Bring me my stick.' - -The stick was brought, and down on her knees beside the big chair -flopped the cowering wife. - -'Well you know what you desarve. Well you know, you young thief o' the -world! that if I was to take and beat you this blessed minute as black -as a mourning-coach, 'twould be only sarving you right, after the mean, -dirthy, shameful turn you've done me!' - -'It would, it would!' sobbed the girl. - -'Look here!' gasped Tim, opening his breast and shewing an old tattered -shirt. 'Look at them rags! Look at what you dressed up my poor corpse -in; shaming me before all the decent neighbours at the wake! An' you -knowing as well as I did about the elegant brand-new shirt I'd bought -o' purpose for my berrin; a shirt I wouldn't have put on my living -back--no, not if I had gone naked in my skin! You knew I had it there -in the chest laid up; and you grudged it to my unfortunate carcase when -I couldn't spake up for myself!' - -'O Tim, darlin', forgive me!' cried Mary. 'Forgive me this once, and on -my two knees I promise never, never to do the likes again! I don't know -what came over me at all. Sure, I think, the divil--Lord save us!--must -have been at my elbow when I went to get out the shirt; tempting me, -and whispering that it was a pity and a sin to put good linen like that -into the clay. Oh, how could I do it at all?' - -'Now, hearken to me, Mary;' and Tim raised the stick and laid it on -her shoulder. She knew he wouldn't beat her even if he could with his -trembling hands; but she pretended to wince and cower away. 'Mind what -I say. As sure as you do me the like turn again, and go for to dress me -in those undacent rags, I tell you what I'll do--I'll _walk_.' - -'O don't, Tim, don't!' shrieked Mary, as pale as ashes. 'Murther me -now, if it's plazing to you, or do anything to me you like; but for the -love of the blessed Vargin and all the Saints, keep in yer grave! I'll -put the new shirt on you; my two hands 'll starch it and make it up -as white as snow, after lying by so long in the old chest. Yer corpse -will look lovely, niver fear! And I'll give you the grandest wake that -iver man had, even if I had to sell the pig, and part with every stick -in the cabin to buy the tay and the whisky. I swear to you I will, -darlin'. There's my hand on it, this blessed night!' - -'Well, mind you do, or 'twill be worse for you. And now give me a drop -of wather to drink, and put a taste of sperrits through it; for I'm -like to faint with thirst and with weakness.' - -Mary kept her promise; for such a wake was never remembered as Tim -Scanlan's, when, soon after, the poor man really did depart this life. -And the 'get up' of the 'elegant brand-new shirt' in which the corpse -was arrayed, was the admiration of all beholders. - - - - -CARRIER-PIGEONS. - - -The value of these birds as carriers of messages was interestingly -demonstrated at the siege of Paris, as it used to be in the French war -seventy years ago, before the invention of the electric telegraph. It -now appears that carrier-pigeons may be employed with advantage in -taking messages from boats engaged in the Scottish herring-fisheries, -when no species of telegraph is available. The following notice of the -fact occurs in the _Fishing Gazette_: - -'The experiment which was tried last year of employing carrier-pigeons -for the purpose of bringing early intelligence each morning from the -fishing-ground of the results of the night's labour, is again being -resorted to this season, and with the most satisfactory results. One -of the birds is taken out in each boat in the afternoon; and after -the nets have been hauled on the following morning and the extent of -the catch ascertained, the pigeon is despatched with a small piece of -parchment tied round its neck, containing information as to the number -of crans on board, the position of the boat, the direction of the wind, -and the prospects of the return journey, &c. If there is not wind to -take the boat back, or if it is blowing in an unfavourable direction, -a request is made for a tug; and from the particulars given as to the -bearings of the craft, she can be picked up easily by the steamer. The -other advantages of the system are that, when the curers are apprised -of the quantity of herrings they may expect, they can make preparations -for expediting the delivering and curing of the fish. Most of the -pigeons belong to Messrs Moir and Son, Aberdeen. When let off from -the boats, the birds invariably circle three times round overhead, -and then sweep away towards the land with great rapidity, generally -flying at the rate of about a mile per minute. Two superior birds in -Messrs Moir's possession have occasionally come a distance of twenty -or twenty-five miles in as many minutes; and on Tuesday one of these -pigeons came home sixteen miles in the same number of minutes. Another -of Messrs Moir's pigeons flew on board the _Heatherbell_ on Tuesday -afternoon off the Girdleness, bearing a slip of paper containing the -intelligence that the boat from which it had been despatched at 11.54 -had a cargo of twenty-five barrels of herrings. The pigeons require -very little training, and soon know where to land with their message. -A cot has been fitted up on the roof of Messrs Moir's premises at the -quay for the accommodation of the birds, and they invariably alight -there on their return from sea.' - -According to the London newspapers, there was lately an amusing -experiment to test the flight of carrier-pigeons against the speed of -a railway train. The following is the account given of this curious -race, which took place on the 13th July: 'The race was from Dover to -London between the continental mail express train and a carrier-pigeon -conveying a document of an urgent nature from the French police. The -pigeon, which was bred by Messrs Hartley and Sons of Woolwich, and -"homed" when a few weeks old to a building in Cannon Street, City, was -of the best breed of homing pigeons, known as "Belgian voyageurs." -The bird was tossed through the railway carriage window by a French -official as the train moved from the Admiralty Pier, the wind being -west and the atmosphere hazy, but with the sun shining. For upwards of -a minute the carrier-pigeon circled round to an altitude of about half -a mile, and then sailed away towards London. By this time the train, -which carried the European mails, and was timed not to stop between -Dover and Cannon Street, had got up to full speed, and was proceeding -at the rate of sixty miles an hour towards London. The odds at starting -seemed against the bird; and the railway officials predicted that the -little messenger would be beaten in the race. The pigeon, however, as -soon as it ascertained its bearings, took the nearest homeward route in -a direction midway between Maidstone and Sittingbourne, the distance -"as the crow flies" between Dover and London being seventy miles, and -by rail seventy-six and a half miles. When the continental mail express -came into Cannon Street station, the bird had been home twenty minutes; -having beaten Her Majesty's royal mail by a time allowance representing -eighteen miles.' - - * * * * * - -The Conductors of CHAMBERS'S JOURNAL beg to direct the attention of -CONTRIBUTORS to the following notice: - - _1st._ All communications should be addressed to the 'Editor, - 339 High Street, Edinburgh.' - - _2d._ To insure the return of papers that may prove ineligible, - postage-stamps should in every case accompany them. - - _3d._ Manuscripts should bear the author's full CHRISTIAN name, - surname, and address, legibly written. - - _4th._ MS. should be written on one side of the leaf only. - - _5th._ Poetical offerings should be accompanied by an envelope, - stamped and directed. - -_Unless Contributors comply with the above rules, the Editor cannot -undertake to return ineligible papers._ - - * * * * * - -Printed and Published by W. & R. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science, and Art, No. 721 - October 20, 1877 - -Author: Various - -Editor: William Chambers - Robert Chambers - -Release Date: November 19, 2015 [EBook #50486] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHAMBER'S JOURNAL *** - - - - -Produced by Susan Skinner and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_657" id="Page_657">{657}</a></span></p> - - -<h1>CHAMBERS'S JOURNAL<br /> -OF<br /> -POPULAR<br /> -LITERATURE, SCIENCE, AND ART.</h1> - -<div> -<h2>CONTENTS</h2> - -<p class='center'> - -<!-- Autogenerated TOC. Modify or delete as required. --> - -<a href="#TOYS">TOYS.</a><br /> -<a href="#FROM_DAWN_TO_SUNSET">FROM DAWN TO SUNSET.</a><br /> -<a href="#COD-FISHING_IN_ICELAND">COD-FISHING IN ICELAND.</a><br /> -<a href="#THE_ADMIRALS_SECOND_WIFE">THE ADMIRAL'S SECOND WIFE.</a><br /> -<a href="#ELECTRICITY_AS_A_LIGHT-PRODUCER">ELECTRICITY AS A LIGHT-PRODUCER.</a><br /> -<a href="#JAPANESE_WRESTLERS">JAPANESE WRESTLERS.</a><br /> -<a href="#SHAMROCK_LEAVES">SHAMROCK LEAVES.</a><br /> -<a href="#CARRIER-PIGEONS">CARRIER-PIGEONS.</a><br /> - -<!-- End Autogenerated TOC. --> - -</p> - - -<hr class="full" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/header.png" width="600" height="294" alt="Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science, and Art. Fourth Series. Conducted by William and Robert Chambers." /> -</div> - - -<hr class="full" /> -<div class="center"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="" width="85%"> -<tr><td align="left"><b><span class="smcap">No.</span> 721.</b></td><td align="center"><b>SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1877.</b></td><td align="right"><b><span class="smcap">Price</span> 1½<i>d.</i></b></td></tr> -</table></div></div> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<div> - - -<h2><a name="TOYS" id="TOYS">TOYS.</a></h2> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Of</span> British industries, not the least interesting -to a large world of readers, great and small, will -be found the manufacture of toys. Mr Bartley, -in treating this subject in Mr Stanford's useful -series of Handbooks to British Manufactures, -rightly assumes that objects which are so inseparably -connected with the happiness of our early life -cannot be held unimportant; while we need but -mention the name of Charles Dickens, in order to -lend a charm to the avocations of a doll's dressmaker -and a journeyman toy-maker. Although -the English productions are almost entirely confined -to a few special types of goods, which not only -hold their own among foreign rivals, but are largely -exported to the continent, we find that in London -alone there are, besides various importers of toys, -eleven rocking-horse manufacturers, ten wholesale -dealers, and one hundred and fifty-one retail -dealers, not including the large tribe of small -retailers, who combine other occupations with the -sale of toys. Though Germany, Switzerland, and -France are the great storehouses of all toys of -which the material is soft wood, the toy manufacture -of London forms a large and interesting -industry.</p> - -<p>Penny wooden toys are turned out of a manufacturing -establishment which consists of a toy-maker, -his wife, and family. When the father has -finished his work on the lathe, the mother and -children have each their particular share in gluing, -pasting, and painting. The material for these articles -are scraps of timber bought out of builders' yards, -the principal tools being the chisel and the lathe. -Pewter toys are made in London in very large -quantities. At one establishment a ton of metal -is consumed each month in the production of Lilliputian -tea, coffee, and dinner sets. English taste -may be gathered from the fact, that the number -of <i>tea</i>-sets made is nearly thirty times larger than -either of the other two. Twenty-three separate -articles make up a set, and of these articles two -millions and a half are made yearly by one house -alone. The metal is provided from miscellaneous -goods, such as old candlesticks, tea-pots, pots and -pans, bought from 'marine' store-dealers by the -hundredweight; and when melted, is formed into -the required shapes by different processes of casting -in moulds. One girl can make two thousand -five hundred small tea-cups in a day. Putting -together the four separate pieces of a mould made -of hard gun-metal, she fills it with the molten -metal, dips its mouth into cold water, takes it to -pieces, and turns out a cup that only wants trimming.</p> - -<p>Under the head of paper toys, miniature packs -of cards demand a large amount of material and -labour. It is astonishing to read that one firm -alone in London turns out each year <i>one million</i> -packs of toy cards, using five or six tons of paper -for the purpose, on each sheet of which are -printed three packs in black and red. When -these sheets have been pasted on cards—called -'middlings'—one girl can cut up and complete -eight hundred and sixty-four packs each day, -earning about one pound a week. These cards -are sold at twopence, one penny, and a halfpenny -a pack. The penny cards have, as might be -expected, far the largest sale with the public; the -manufacturer getting five shillings for a gross of -twelve dozen, or somewhat less than half the -retail price. Many thousand gross of these little -packs go to all parts of the world. The twopenny -packs are precisely the same as the penny packs, -with the addition of an ornamental paper back to -each card. The demand for these superior packs is -small, for when the price of an article gets above -a penny, we read that it at once shuts it out from -a certain class of the buying public. The purchaser -that will spend more than a penny will spend -sixpence. The spending public, it seems, go in -sets. There is the farthing set, mostly children, -who patronise small shops of toys and sweets; -there is the halfpenny set; and the penny set. We -then jump to the sixpenny set. There is a very -large manufacture of toy picture-books which are -sold at one penny, a halfpenny, and a farthing. -Even the farthing books have a picture on the -cover printed in four colours; and valentines<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_658" id="Page_658">{658}</a></span> -printed from wood-blocks and hand-painted can -be sold for a halfpenny.</p> - -<p>Another large industry grown up or developed -of late years is the manufacture of india-rubber -toys. The india-rubber, cut up into small pieces, -and formed, by the admixture of white-lead and -other substances, into sheets of a putty-like inelastic -material, is fitted into two pieces of an iron -mould, variously shaped according to the requirements -of the toy, and then plunged into the -vulcanising bath—a vessel filled with sulphur and -other ingredients. When taken out, the india-rubber -has become elastic, the two pieces of mould -are unscrewed, and the toy, after trimming and -painting, is ready for use.</p> - -<p>Toy-boats, which in their construction go through -fifteen different hands, are very cheap, though the -whole of the work is done by hand. In one -London manufactory as many as ten thousand -sailing-boats are made every year; upwards of five -hundred twelve-feet lengths of three-inch deals -being used in their manufacture, and eight tons -of lead being required for their keels.</p> - -<p>We have left to the last place notice of the toy -which is the speciality of English toy-makers, the -wax-doll. The wax, after being melted in large -vessels by means of boiling water, is poured into -hollow plaster-moulds made in three pieces, and -laid in rows with the crown of the head downwards. -When the workman has filled from a can -ten or twelve of these moulds, returning to the -first one in the row, he pours back into his can as -much of the wax as remains fluid; and so on with -the other moulds. Most of the wax is thus poured -back again into the can; but that which adheres to -the mould has now become a hollow wax head, -thick or thin according to the time which elapses -between pouring the wax into the mould and -pouring it out again. Then comes the process of -fixing the glass eyes, which, save the very best, are -now made abroad, the Germans having driven the -Birmingham manufacturers out of the field. The -wax ridges left by the joints of the mould are -smoothed down, the surface is brushed over with -turpentine to clean it, and with violet powder to -beautify it; and when the cheeks have been tinted -with rouge and the lips with vermilion, the head -is ready for the hair-dressing operations. For the -best dolls, the wig is made by a lengthy process of -fixing one or two hairs at a time, so as to give a -natural appearance to the hair. In the common -dolls, the hair is more quickly put on in locks. -The black hair, most of which comes from abroad, -is human; but the favourite flaxen curls are of -mohair, the silky wool of the Angora goat. <i>Composition</i> -dolls' heads are made of pasteboard from -iron moulds. The pasteboard is placed over a -mould representing half a head cut vertically -behind the ear, and is then forced by means of a -pestle into every crevice. Another mould for the -other half of the head, is similarly filled; and when -nearly dry, the two halves are removed from the -moulds and pasted together. The head thus -moulded, which becomes as hard as leather, is -coated with a composition of size and whiting, -washed with oil and turpentine; and then having -received a pair of eyes, is dipped into a vessel of -melted wax, and re-dipped until it looks like a solid -wax-head. The wax is then cut from off the eyes, -and scraped from the part of the head which the -hair will cover; and the head is then ready for -painting, powdering, and hair-dressing. A third -class of dolls, known in the trade by the misnomer of -'rag dolls,' is the pretty muslin-faced creature with -blue eyes and becoming cap. Her face is of wax, -covered with an outer skin of muslin, and is made -by pressing a wax mask, moulded in the ordinary -way, into a mould exactly like the one in which -the wax was cast, over which is stretched a piece of -thin muslin. In this way the wax necessarily -adheres so closely to the muslin, that it becomes -a sort of skin to the mask. These faces are nothing -but masks, and require the caps to conceal the junction -with the skulls, made of calico and sawdust, -like the bodies. The bodies are mostly the handiwork -of women and the smaller members of the -doll-maker's family. The doll manufacturer gives -out so many yards of calico which are to produce -so many bodies, the sawdust to be found by the -maker. Then by a division of labour in cutting -out, sewing up, filling with sawdust, and making -the joints, many dozen bodies will be turned out -by one family in a week. The arms are a branch -of the trade upon which certain persons are almost -exclusively employed. They are made of calico -above the elbow, of leather for the part below, -and are paid for at the incredibly small price of -sixpence-halfpenny a dozen pairs; smaller arms for -very cheap dolls costing three-halfpence a dozen -pairs. We read that the hands, which thus cost -each the sixteenth part of a penny, have always a -certain number of fingers! The materials are -found by the makers themselves; so when we -consider that each doll sold to the public for sixpence -should not cost more than threepence in the -making, if the toy-merchant and the retailer are to -earn a living, there remains but a pittance to -be earned by the Caleb Plummers and Jenny -Wrens. Though most dolls leave their first homes -in an undressed condition, the larger establishments -employ many young women in the dressmaking -department of their trade. One article of -dolls' attire forms a distinct branch of trade—the -little many-coloured leather shoes, which are made -from the waste material left by the makers of -children's ornamental boots and shoes. A thousand -such pairs are made weekly by one large manufactory -in Clerkenwell.</p> - -<p>And now we replace our puppets in their box, -grateful for having been let into some of the -mysteries of their creation, not only the more -ready to admire the charming little picture of the -toy-maker, by John Leech, in the <i>Cricket on the -Hearth</i>, but more sensible of a sympathy with doll-nature, -and more certain that toys are as much -needed for old as for young. Happy is it if the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_659" id="Page_659">{659}</a></span> -toys of grown-up folks cause as little mischief -and as much pleasure as the innocent toys of -childhood!</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="FROM_DAWN_TO_SUNSET" id="FROM_DAWN_TO_SUNSET">FROM DAWN TO SUNSET.</a></h2> - -<h3>PART II.</h3> - - -<h4>CHAPTER THE THIRTEENTH.</h4> - -<p><span class="smcap">When</span> Deborah awaked, old Marjory was sitting -watching over her; the sun was still glorious on -the woods outside, but the chamber was left in -grateful gloom. She could not even distinguish -her father's picture; but soon, clear and distinct -through the gloom, laughed out the boyish face -of Charlie. Charlie? What had Charlie done? -Mute and still, Deborah looked up at her old -nurse, while the darkness of reality dawned on -her wakening mind.</p> - -<p>'Thou'rt ill, child,' said old Marjory abruptly.</p> - -<p>'What makes you think so, dame?' asked -Deborah faintly.</p> - -<p>'Why, thy face betrays thee; it is white as my -apron, and thine was a sleep o' sorrow. <i>I</i> know it. -Thou'lt eat summat now, an' no more o' these airs.'</p> - -<p>'Have ye no letter or message for me, Marjory? -What are you hiding there?' and Deborah raised -herself in feverish excitement.</p> - -<p>'Why, it's a letter that'll keep, I warrant me, -my Lady Deb. It's from the old man at Lincoln.'</p> - -<p>'Give it me, Marjory, and leave me, dear old -dame. I wish to be alone.'</p> - -<p>So Marjory left her; but soon the old woman -was knocking at the door again with food and -wine for Deborah. She found her sitting on the -floor white as a ghost. 'O child, thou'rt faintin' -for good victuals! There! eat and drink like a -Christian. Why, bless thee, Lady Deb, dear, I -know the master's in his old quandaries. But -don't take on, my Rose.'</p> - -<p>'Dame, come and comfort me. Pray, take that -food away! Let me lay my head on thy kind old -breast. Thou'rt a mother to me, Marjory—always -wert. Dame, I've no dear mother!'</p> - -<p>The dame took her darling in her arms, and -rocked her gently to and fro, with the toil-hardened -old hand stroking the girl's silken hair, and her -grave old face laid against it.</p> - -<p>'No; thou hast no mother, poor lamb; worse -for thee.'</p> - -<p>'It's hard to know right from wrong, Marjory; -but I am quick to decide, and once decided, never -falter. I try to do all for the best.'</p> - -<p>'I know it, I know it. But child, my Lady -Deb, have no dealin's with that old man Master -Sinclair. He's a demon.'</p> - -<p>'Hush! or give the demon his due, Marjory. -He has been kind to my brother Charlie.'</p> - -<p>'For what? We all know it; all Enderby knows -what he's after.'</p> - -<p>'That is no concern of Enderby's. I hate this -gossip. Look you, dame, if I choose to wed fifty -such, it is no concern of Enderby's. If I did wed -Master Sinclair, it would be of mine own free -will: let all the world know that!'</p> - -<p>'But thou'lt never wed him, dearie!' cried the -old nurse, in tremulous breathless haste.</p> - -<p>'I do not answer you Yes or No; but I am my -own mistress.'</p> - -<p>'Too much so—ever too much so,' muttered -Marjory below her breath.</p> - -<p>'What say'st thou, Marjory?'</p> - -<p>'That thou wantest a strong kind hand over -thee, bein' too headstrong by half. I wish Master -King was here; <i>he'd</i> advise thee!'</p> - -<p>'Best not,' said Deborah, with a quick breath -of pain. 'Let "Master King" attend to his own -affairs. Each one has his troubles. Nurse, love -me! I have need of it. O that I were a little -tiny child again, when, in affright or in distress, -I wrapped these arms o' thine about me; and -they would seem to shelter me from all the world! -O that thou wert magician, fairy, to give me my -childhood back! I was happy <i>then</i>.'</p> - -<p>'An' not now? What ails my bright bird? -Is it Master Charlie?'</p> - -<p>'O Marjory, don't speak of that. Look you at -his picture; look there! Could those fearless eyes -ever turn aside in shame or dread? Would -Charlie, with all his faults, ever bring <i>dishonour</i> -on us? Tell me that?'</p> - -<p>'No, <i>never</i>.' The old face turned white, but -did not flinch; Marjory believed in the honour of -her wild boy, as in her own soul.</p> - -<p>'Ah, Marjory, nurse, my darling! How I do -love thee! No; never believe that any but a black -liar would ever accuse Charlie Fleming of a mean -low act. Wild, reckless he may be, but dishonourable, -never! Ah, my love, my comfort, our true -and faithful friend, <i>we</i> believe in Charlie Fleming!'</p> - -<p>'Where is my boy?' asked the old woman, with -troubled tears in her eyes. 'Why don't he come -to Enderby? They <i>will</i> say strange things o' him -if he don't come home. Oh, he'll break his father's -heart by bein' so wild; but it's his father's blood -that's in him.'</p> - -<p>'And his mother's too, for they say our sweet -mother was a mad, mad lass. Dame, who was she? -What was my mother's name?'</p> - -<p>The girl gazed straight at the old woman till -Marjory's eyes fell, and the girl's fair face was -flushed with crimson. 'I have never asked you,' -she said, 'not since I was a child; but who was my -mother, dame? Prithee, tell me. Ah, say not -that there was shame! Poor and honest, I care -not; but naught of <i>shame</i>.'</p> - -<p>'No, my Lady Deb, no; naught o' shame. She -was the child o' wedded parents, I promise thee; -she was lawful wedded wife, thy mother; but if I -was to tell thee who she was, Sir Vincent would -strike me dead. I cannot tell thee; there's my -faithful promise given, not.'</p> - -<p>'I will not ask ye then. One day I will—must -know. Does Charlie know?'</p> - -<p>'Ne'er from me or his father. But no one -knows what Master Charlie knows.'</p> - -<p>'There's my father calling me; I must go. -Good-bye, dame. Pray for me.'</p> - -<p>Deborah went down into the hall. Sir Vincent -got up and met her. He shut the door carefully, -and led her to a chair; he sat down opposite her, -and screening his face from the light with one -great sinewy hand, gazed out from under its -shadow, as if he would read his daughter's soul. -For her part, she gazed at him with all her great -and tender soul in her eyes, her own despair -forgotten in her father's. There was a long silence -between them, each gazing on the other, sorrow-stricken -and speechless.</p> - -<p>'Father,' said Deborah softly then, 'sweet father, -have I not done thee some good? See! here's the -letter from Lincoln; and in three weeks I shall be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_660" id="Page_660">{660}</a></span> -Master Sinclair's wife. It is my duty, father, my -free choice. My heart is very strong. Sweet father, -thou'rt sad still, ay, even heart-broken; I know -thy face so well! I have saved Charlie. Listen! -This Master Sinclair puts everything in my power, -makes me absolute mistress of all he has. My -first act will be to save us from ruin; Charlie -from ruin too. But tell me what more there is? -What serpent has wronged Charlie falsely? ay, -<i>falsely</i>, for before heaven, father, I would <i>swear</i> that -Charlie has done no dishonour! Sooner would I -doubt my own soul than his. He is incapable of -double-dealing, incapable of all meanness and dishonesty. -To doubt him, to believe for one moment -that he could act dishonourably, is to believe that -Charlie Fleming is no son of thine and mother's; -that this Charlie Fleming is not the boy who has -grown up under thine eyes and mine; graceless, -truly, but the very soul of honour. Even the -masters at his school, his tutors, his comrades who -knew him best, have done him justice in calling -him honourable and true. Then doubt him not for -one moment!'</p> - -<p>Under the fire and sweetness of her faith in her -brother, Sir Vincent waxed wan, and his fierce -eyes grew dim with sadness.</p> - -<p>Laying one hand upon her hands, and shading -his own face still, he whispered brokenly: 'Believe -on—hope on. Sweet child, sweet Deb, my -brave best one, I <i>must</i> confide in thee, or my -old heart will break. This boy—this son, in -whom I trusted—Ah me!' and with his clenched -hand on his brow and his eyes raised to heaven, the -father gave a deep and bitter sob—'has <i>betrayed</i> -me—<i>his father</i>!' With a strange hoarse eager -whisper, and eyes that gleamed like a madman's, -Sir Vincent leaned forward and uttered those -words to Deborah. She, white, still, waited without -a word for more. 'I have seen the papers—Adam -Sinclair holds them—by which that boy of mine -has anticipated my death, and raised money upon -Enderby; his writing—his name—Charles Stuart -Fleming. Adam Sinclair has got those papers out -of Parry's hands; and by marrying thee, my fairest -and my best, he buys those papers of Parry and -destroys their shameful purport. But Deb—does -that wipe out the stain? Does that blot out the -fact that that boy of mine, deceiving and betraying -me—ay, cursing my lengthened life, and -hungering for the old man's death—has got a -hound to raise this money? Ay, that hound has -in turn betrayed him into Sinclair's hands; and -Charles Fleming's black-heartedness is laid bare to -him and me.'</p> - -<p>'Have ye seen those papers, father, with your -very eyes? And Charlie's writing?'</p> - -<p>'Ay, ay.'</p> - -<p>Deborah panted, terribly white and wild she -looked, with her hands pressed on her side. Sir -Vincent kneeled down beside her and laid his -head upon her shoulder. Bitter, bitter was that -hour.</p> - - -<h4>CHAPTER THE FOURTEENTH.</h4> - -<p>Some days after that—it might have been centuries -to Deborah Fleming—she heard a peal at -the great hall bell; and Kingston Fleming, pale, -disordered in dress, and haggard-eyed, entered the -library. Deborah was looking idly over the books, -not reading; she was stunned, and could neither -read nor write; she scarcely had the power of -thought. One look at King, and she knew that he -knew her fate. 'Deborah!' he said, roughly and -hoarsely, 'you have played me <i>false</i>! By words -strong and binding as an oath, you told your -brother you would not wed Adam Sinclair—that -no ruin, no misery, should lead you to so ignoble a -sacrifice. Is it then under the mask of doing -good, ye do this grievous evil? Soiling your soul, -sacrificing your life, not to save your father and -your brother, for Charles Fleming would rather see -you dead than accept your bounty <i>then</i>, but to -win rank and money—to shuffle off this miserable -coil of poverty, that wearies you; and to sell yourself -for gold and tinsel to this hoary reprobate! -No good intention, no amount of self-sacrifice, -could justify so detestable a deed.'</p> - -<p>Palely beautiful, but full of calm scorn, Deborah -Fleming faced her fiery and impetuous kinsman; -before she spoke, her haughty eyes flashed fire and -disdain.</p> - -<p>'Kingston Fleming, are <i>you</i> my brother? Are -<i>you</i> my guardian, my master, or the master of -this house, that you dare to insult me thus? What -earthly right have you to question or to jeer at me? -Were I a man, I would strike you on the face for -this. Coward! Because I am alone and a woman, -you dare to insult me by these words! What if I -choose to be wed to Adam Sinclair, and to love his -"gold and tinsel;" what is that to you? What if -I choose to "sell" my precious self for his name -and fortune; what is that to you? I have my -father's consent; I am under my father's protection; -you have no earthly claim on me. Fair and -friendly have you ever been to me. Courteous -has been your kindly interest in me from childhood -upwards; but scarcely enough so, to justify -your interference now. I thank you, Master Kingston -Fleming, for your anxiety on my account; -but I'll thank you also to leave me and mine -alone.'</p> - -<p>Even in that wild moment, Kingston saw that -she was trembling with fierce passion—ay, she -could have struck him; in that moment, she -<i>hated</i> him. But Kingston too, goaded by his wild -unavailing remorse and love, mad with the knowledge -of how cruelly his taunt had wronged her, -desperate at her beauty and her sacrifice, cared for -nothing. Dashing down his hat and whip, he -caught her hands in his: 'Beautiful, cruel, heartless, -reckless Deborah! Child, I have loved thee—too -late, too late. I am <i>free</i>! I am free to -woo thee; I am a free man now! But when I -come in mad haste to ask thy love and pity, I find -thee betrothed, and cast away, and <i>sold</i>! Listen! I -would have <i>made</i> thee love me. No woman on -earth have I loved but Deborah Fleming! I would -have <i>made</i> thee love me!'</p> - -<p>Then, with a sharp bitter cry, Deborah wrenched -away her hands. Conscious of her brother's dishonour, -sublime in the greatness of her sacrifice, -and her terrible secret and her suffering, she -looked back on Kingston only with passion and -scorn, to hide the love that would still master her, -and hurled him back taunt for taunt. 'Ah! you -are a good one to preach honour and good faith -to me! throwing over one woman to woo another -who is betrothed! I feel dishonoured even to -have heard your words of love, when I have -plighted troth to Adam Sinclair. But don't think -to win or move me by thy treachery. Deborah<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_661" id="Page_661">{661}</a></span> -Fleming doesn't change her troth-plight every -hour. Her vows once made, are binding, binding -till <i>death</i>!'</p> - -<p>'Then good-bye, Deborah.' He took up his hat -and whip and strode to the door. His looks were -turned back on her, a smile was in his haggard -eyes—intense passion, love, and suffering; his face -was pale as death. His last sight of her was the -proud erectness of her figure, and the bright -watchfulness of her beautiful haughty eyes, following -him, and burning on him. But when he was -gone from her sight, the bells of Enderby, as all -through their interview, came clanging wildly out, -clashing on heart and brain.</p> - -<p>'I know not if I love or hate him most!' cried -the girl, half mad with her despair. 'I love him, -and I hate him too!'</p> - -<p>Then rang out the bells of Enderby, loud and -clear, the refrain, 'I love him, and I hate him -too!' Low in the lull, loud and clear on the gale, -'I love him, and I hate him too!'</p> - -<p>Mistress Dinnage in those days was well-nigh -desperate. After hearing that Deborah Fleming -was betrothed to Adam Sinclair and was to be -wedded to him in three weeks' time, she knew -no rest. It was all for Charlie, it was on his -account; Charlie therefore must know of this, and -there would be an end of it. For two evenings -Mistress Dinnage watched for her lover in vain. -She had talked herself hoarse to Deborah; she had -exhausted threats and entreaties: she might as -well have talked to the idle wind—and so she -knew—as to Deborah once resolved. On the third -evening-watch, however, Margaret saw the well-known -form. She was out in a moment under -the gloom of the trees and the twilight.</p> - -<p>'I have somewhat to tell you, Charlie. Let -me speak quickly and clearly, love. Your sister -Deborah is betrothed to Master Sinclair; they are -to be wedded in two weeks and four days. There -have been sad doings at Enderby. Your father! -Ah! I dare not tell ye what I fear. But oh! grievous -trouble has he been in through tidings from -Master Sinclair about <i>you</i>! So Mistress Deborah -promised then and there to be Master Sinclair's -wife. Oh, I tell you she is desperate since! She -loves another; I know it; but she gives up all -for you and Enderby.'</p> - -<p>'Can this be true! Meg, I will kill him first. -Has he betrayed me then? What tidings has he -sent?'</p> - -<p>'I know not; but of terrible losses, be sure. Ah, -dear, are ye not in terrible trouble, and waiting -about for love of me? Stay no longer, Charlie! -Think not o' me; I will follow; I've got good -courage. Release sweet Mistress Deborah.'</p> - -<p>'How, quotha? Death only will release that -mad reckless girl. Ah! I might have known her.'</p> - -<p>'Neither prayers nor commands, Charlie, would -she listen to; no, not if you were rolling in riches -now, she says she would not break her oath. -Charlie! O love, what do I urge you to! You -must fight that old man, and we must fly. Not -to kill him, Charlie, hark ye!—not to kill him; -but to disable him for what life he has left! -Think me merciless, unwomanly; I care not, so -that it saves her. Or stay, stay, Charlie! Will ye -use all your influence first to turn him? O ye can -talk to tenderness a heart o' stone! Talk to Adam -Sinclair then till he melts to pity; but set sweet -Deborah free!'</p> - -<p>'<i>Talk</i> to him!' said Charlie Fleming, with a -short laugh; 'ay, I will <i>talk</i>. But we have old -accounts to settle first, old debts to square. We -have a little affair to settle between ourselves, -Adam Sinclair and I. Hark ye, Meg! He has -accused me of foul play—not to my face, not he! -but behind my back. He has accused me of cheating -at cards—a dirty trick to brand on a man; and -as ye know, love, whatever Charlie Fleming's -faults, he would scorn so foul an act. I don't -mind telling ye now, Meg, that I must wipe off -this slander with blood. All my comrades are up -in arms at it; and even <i>now</i> I am on my way -to Lincoln, to meet Adam Sinclair face to face; -and in case I fall, Meg—to bid thee now farewell.' -He took her in his arms; he folded back -the long dark hair from the passionate face. -In bitter wrath and passion had she trembled at -hearing of the foul slander put on his fair fame; -and her fiery spirit, following the spirit of his -words, had made her grasp his hands, and pant -and frown in eagerness for revenge. But when -she pictured him dead—lying perchance beneath -the old man's deadly shot, stiffening in his blood, -in the perished glory of his youth and strength—then -her woman's heart began to shudder and to -faint: she leaned on his broad breast and moaned.</p> - -<p>'What! sick?' he whispered. 'Faint? A -little <i>poltroon</i>! The wife of a Fleming must be -brave. <i>Thou</i> wouldst hate and despise Charles -Fleming if he could for one moment brook such -an insult as this. Come; I meant to bid thee -good-bye, and hide this from thee; but now -I have told thee all, thou must face death with -me, and take it as it comes.'</p> - -<p>'I know it! I know it! Not for one moment -would I say aught but "Go!" Yet, pity my -woman's fears; think how long I have loved but -thee! Ay, I have kissed the stones where thy -shadow passed! and to lose thee now, <i>now</i>—my -husband of but a week, my darling <i>husband</i>! Nay; -I will not grieve before 'tis time!' she cried with -sudden fire, gazing up at him. 'See! I am so brave -that I would fain be thy second, and see thy true -shot speed to that old coward heart! Oh, thou'lt -kill him, Charlie, thou'lt kill him, or hurt him -sorely. A dead-shot he may be; but men say -thine is deadlier. Nay; do not laugh; I have -listened, till I know better than thou canst know -thyself, all Charles Fleming's brave gifts. They -say thou'rt a deadly shot.'</p> - -<p>He stooped and kissed her. 'A deadly shot! -Yes; I will shoot him for love of <i>thee</i>. Better not -mangle the old traitor; I will kill him clean, or -not at all. Thank heaven, if he kills me it will be -clean! Love, if I fall, don't weep; <i>I leave a hope -with thee</i>.' These words were whispered; she did -not answer, she did not speak.</p> - -<p>A few more happy stolen hours, and he was -gone. She went with him to the gate in the -woods, where he was wont to come and go, -through the mossed entrance and the tangled -clambering ivy. There they stood, her hand upon -the gate; her dark head, that reached no higher -than his heart, laid there. The mute clinging -hand did not escape him; every motion, every -gesture of his young love, was marked by his -keen hawk eyes, as if it were her last. He pulled -open the stubborn gate; still the two clung as if -they would never part.</p> - -<p>'Sweet love, good-bye.' He listened for her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_662" id="Page_662">{662}</a></span> -answer, but only heard a sob; kisses were Margaret's -good-bye—kisses, and the deathless love -within them. Then her arms fell asunder, and -leaning against the gate, she let him go. With the -iron grasped within her little hands, she stood -gazing through the bars and saw him wave adieu; -still stood, while the quick hoofs bore him far -away; still stood, gazing for him through the -night, though Mistress Margaret Fleming (for -Mistress Fleming indeed she was) saw him no -more!</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /></div><div> -<h2><a name="COD-FISHING_IN_ICELAND" id="COD-FISHING_IN_ICELAND">COD-FISHING IN ICELAND.</a></h2> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Though</span> the French are not naturally a maritime -nation, there is a hardy race of fishermen to be -found on the coasts of Normandy and Brittany, -from whose ranks are obtained a large proportion -of the hands that are employed in the cod-fishing -of Newfoundland and Iceland. Though it is a -painful and dangerous occupation, there are few -that offer a higher remuneration to the masters -and crews; the shoals of fish are inexhaustible, -and the demand is always greater than the supply.</p> - -<p>It is, however, not always easy to get up the -necessary complement of hands; and captains -sometimes have recourse to the unlawful acts of -the press-gang of former days. A ship ready -to start will enter a little creek on the coast of -Brittany near an almost unknown village; and -after mass on Sunday, the captain announces at -the church door that he is in want of men for -Iceland. The advantages are loudly proclaimed: -good food, good wine, brandy, meat three times a -week, and above all, an immediate bounty of from -four to eight pounds, with future pay in proportion -to the results. The extreme poverty of -the peasants makes such a sum of money seem -fabulous; they have only to say Yes. And yet, -how hard it is to them to leave their beloved home -and speak the fatal word! The captain knows -how to overcome their irresolution. Installed in a -neighbouring <i>cabaret</i>, he patiently waits until some -young and vigorous men enter, when he pours -forth all his eloquence, enumerates the advantages, -slurs over the danger and fatigue, shakes the -gold in his purse, orders an abundance of cider -and brandy, and in the end, draws his victims into -the net.</p> - -<p>The engagement is signed; and the labourer, -who has spent the winter in collecting sea-weed for -the fields and sowing his crops, leaves the women -to manage the rest. All being favourable, he will -return in September with twenty pounds in his -pocket. A few voyages make him a good sailor, -when he can be drafted into the fleet at Cherbourg, -thence to be transformed into a servant of his -country.</p> - -<p>From the difficulty of obtaining men, French -shipbuilders reduce the labour by mechanical -appliances; so that five or six men will navigate -ships of two hundred tons. But in cod-fishing -craft it is necessary to have as many men as possible, -and twenty are usually taken. The arrangements -are wofully insufficient. There are only -sleeping-places for a third; one sailor resting -whilst two are fishing. Thus, after six hours spent -on deck without shelter from rain, wind, and snow, -the waves washing over and the heavy line in -their hands, the men go down stiff with cold and -worn out with fatigue. Yet they must lie dressed -as they are, on a hard damp mattress; and frequently -the clothes are never changed from the -beginning to the end of the voyage.</p> - -<p>After five voyages a man is authorised to take -the command, and though styled captain, he is -nothing more than the head of the fishermen. It -is his work to keep the account of the number of -cod caught; the sailors taking care as they hook -a fish to cut out its tongue and place it in a bag -hung to their belt. When the hour of repose comes -the tongues are taken to the captain, and about -ten centimes is allowed for each. The second in -office is only chosen as being the most skilful with -his line; then comes the man who cuts off the cods' -heads, opens and prepares the fish for the salter; -and lastly the one who lays them in the barrels -and closes them for sale.</p> - -<p>With this short description of the crew we will -pass over the voyage, as described by a French -writer, M. Aragon, and take the reader to the Icelandic -coast, Patrix-Fiord, where a number of -vessels are already collected. Deserted during the -past season, it now presents a scene of the greatest -animation. A man-of-war is there to provide for -any repairs that may be needed; carpenters and -blacksmiths are busy doing their work, the bay -echoes with the noise of hammers and saws. Other -vessels, called <i>chasseurs</i>, come from France to take -away the fish. On the shore rises the little wooden -hut of the <i>cocman</i>, a Danish merchant who lives -there during the summer months to trade with the -people and sell spirits. No night comes on to -interrupt the incessant labour; during the middle -of May the sun is never below the horizon, and but -a few stars may be seen on the zenith about the -end of June.</p> - -<p>Those ships that have chosen their position for -fishing take down their sails and lie as quietly at -anchor as the wind will permit, the men standing -in a close line at the side of the vessel. They are -clothed from head to foot in knitted or flannel -garments, with waterproof capes and hats. A -petticoat of strong linen is tied round the waist, -descending below the knees, and to preserve the -feet from wet they wear woollen stockings and -waterproof boots. Thick woollen gloves lined -with leather save their hands from the injury of -constant friction from the heavy line. The whole -forms a curious picture of ragged, patched, greasy, -well-tarred habiliments, which a comic pencil -might rejoice to portray. The men, indifferent -to their appearance, seek only to be saved from -moisture. The lines they use are necessarily very -heavy to bring on board a fish weighing say -forty pounds. There are two hooks baited with -the entrails of fish; but the voracity of the cod -is such that it is scarcely necessary to be too -particular as to the lure. Thus the men stand for -six hours consecutively, gently moving the line, -and when a shake indicates a catch, lifting the -heavy weight on board.</p> - -<p>The fatigue is very great, and much of it is pure -loss, as the line too often brings up another fish, -called the flétan, which though very good to eat, -does not bear preserving. The sailors hold this -interloper in extreme aversion, as it often breaks -the line by its weight, and gives them much -trouble to heave on board.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_663" id="Page_663">{663}</a></span></p> - -<p>Let us now take a glance at the scenery which -surrounds these hardy seamen. The coast is -broken up into large gulfs, strewn with shoals -and reefs of a most dangerous character, where -misfortunes are so frequent that the place is called -by the fishermen 'The Ships' Cemeteries.' Enormous -precipices line the coast, with heaps of volcanic -stones, worn by the action of the waves, lying -at the foot. These rocks are cut at certain distances -into spaces like the mouth of an immense river, -called fiords, which communicate with the sea by a -comparatively narrow inlet, and spread out into a -sort of lake, surrounded by vertical and jagged rocks. -The more sinuous the outlet, the more sure is the -anchorage; and in each bay there is generally -found one sandy spit, forming a sort of natural -jetty, behind which the ships are secure, and -where the cocman builds his hut. Far away in -the distance rises the gigantic cone of the extinct -volcano Sneffiels-Jœkul, whose summit is covered -with rosy-tinted snow. In the hollows of the rocks -thousands of sea-birds build their nests, to be -slaughtered by the inhabitants at a certain season -for the sake of <i>fuel</i>, their flesh being utterly -unpalatable to the least fastidious appetite.</p> - -<p>One of the most important fiords is the Dyre-Fiord, -where a small hamlet of a dozen huts or -<i>bœrs</i> is built in a large meadow. These constructions -are not easy to describe; they are low -and massive, formed of lava-stone and peat. To -avoid cold and damp within, a very small door -opens into a dark narrow passage, towards which -the rooms converge. The walls and pointed roof -are covered with turf, upon which grows a thick -crop of grass, making it very difficult to distinguish -the <i>bœr</i> from the field in which it stands. -Within, the accommodation is most simple—a -kitchen and one sleeping-apartment, with closets -to contain provisions, clothes, and fishing apparatus. -Beyond the vegetable garden is a building -for drying fish, the planks of which are separated -to admit the free circulation of the air. Here the -decapitated cod are hung, emitting a savour far -from pleasant. The heads form the food of the -Icelanders with butter and milk; the fish are sold -for export. The sea-wolf is also largely eaten, -though its flesh is tough and rancid, the frequency -of leprosy and elephantiasis in the island being -attributed to this unwholesome diet.</p> - -<p>Men and women, masters and servants, all inhabit -the same room, whilst cleanliness is not -much attended to; but poor as they are, and -accustomed to great privations, they set an example -of cheerful contentment. The beauty of -the young girls is remarkable; their fair hair falls -in long plaits, partially covered by a black cloth -coif, daintily worn on one side of the head, and -finished at the top with a tassel of coloured silk -run through a silver or steel buckle, which floats -on the shoulder. It reminds the traveller of the -Greek head-dress; but the blue eyes with their -sweet benevolent expression soon recall to his -mind their Danish origin. The dress is made of -the cloth woven in the country, and on festival -days the bodice is gaily adorned with silver -braid and velvet, whilst the belt and sleeves are -ornamented with silver devices, beautifully chased -and often of great value. On wet and cold days -the shawl becomes a useful mantilla, completely -enveloping the head, and defending the wearer -from the effects of the frequent storms.</p> - -<p>The people offer the most generous and cordial -hospitality to all travellers, and especially to shipwrecked -mariners. An opportunity for proving -this hospitality once occurred in the open and -dangerous bay of the Westre-Horn, surrounded -by breakers and reefs. Here forty vessels were -fishing on a fine morning in March, when the -breeze began to freshen. The cod was abundant, -and the men were tempted to stay too near the -coast. All the vessels but five doubled the point; -these beaten back by the enormous waves, and not -daring to raise a sail, were broken on the rocks. -Thirty men reached the shore, sixty-six found -a watery grave. The <i>Sea-bird</i> struggled long, until -breaking up, all perished excepting the mate and -cabin-boy; the former had received a severe -wound in the leg by falling on some broken -glass. Tied to the rigging, together they awaited -their fate, frozen with cold, the waves washing -over them. After three hours the boy expired of -exhaustion; and the mate unloosing the ropes was -soon thrown on to the shore. The corpses of his -friends were lying around him, the survivors -having gone inland for shelter; but with great -difficulty he followed them, crossing streams and -marshes, sinking into ice and snow at every step, -his wounded leg torn by the sharp points. Six -weary hours were thus passed, when his heartrending -cries at length reached two Icelanders, -who carried him into a <i>bœr</i> not far off.</p> - -<p>For five months these good people nursed and -tended the sufferer. At the end of that time he -was still confined to bed, but the healing had -begun. A vessel was sent round to bring him -away; yet his hosts evinced much sorrow at the -prospect of his departure. At their request the -captain left him one night longer, when the shipwrecked -mariner was escorted to the beach by the -whole family, all manifesting a deep emotion. -After thanking the father, not only for his care of -the survivor, but also for the burial he had given -to the victims of the storm, the captain assured -him that the French government would indemnify -him for the expense he had incurred; but the -good man only pressed his hand, declaring that he -had done his duty, and deserved neither indemnity, -thanks, nor recompense. The Minister of Marine -sent a gold medal to him after hearing of his -generous conduct.</p> - -<p>Robbery, murder, and theft are almost unknown -in this peaceful little country; not a soldier or -policeman is needed even in the capital Reikiavik; -a fact which fully proves the virtues of the Icelanders. -Travellers have asserted that the hospitality -was not quite so disinterested as it appears, -and there may be an exception in certain localities, -such as the road to the Geysers, traversed every -year by many tourists. Here the Lutheran ministers -offer shelter in their churches, which are -transformed into hotels, and provide fish, milk, and -coffee for those who need it at a certain charge. -Roads are almost unknown; the configuration of -the ground wholly prevents their formation. The -island has been the scene of such tremendous -volcanic action that the mountains are heaped -together in the most fantastic manner. From -the glaciers which cover the summits of extinct -volcanoes rush torrents of water, bringing down -the disintegrated rocks to accumulate in the -valleys below.</p> - -<p>Yet in the midst of these convulsions, Nature<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_664" id="Page_664">{664}</a></span> -does not forget her rights, and wherever a little -earth can be found there grows a tuft of grass. -Meadows undulating with the rocky ground cover -it with a green mantle, and in summer the botanist -will find most of the wild-flowers which bloom in -our temperate climates. During the winter, the -water infiltrating through the soil turns the whole -into an impassable marsh, where the unwary -traveller may sink into quicksands of the most -dangerous character, since there is no exterior sign -to denote their existence. In a country whose -natural configuration scarcely admits of carriage-roads, -ponies are invaluable, their robust constitution -defying alike climate and fatigue. Small in -size, quiet and patient, they resemble the Corsican -or Pyrenean breed. Such is their docility, that the -most inexperienced rider may mount without fear, -and trust to their instinct in the difficult mountain -passes. Three or four thousand are exported -yearly into England, where they are used chiefly -for coal-mines; and such is the estimation in -which they are now held, that their cost has -largely increased.</p> - -<p>The eider-duck is one of the most profitable -sources of revenue, and strict laws prevent their -wanton destruction. A gun is not allowed to be -fired near the places they frequent, for fear of -alarming them; thus they have become so tame -that they allow themselves to be stroked without -fear. They choose the islands for their homes—where -their deadly enemy the fox cannot reach -them—and the steep barren rocks in the fiords. -Many of the owners clear a thousand a year by -the sale of the down, without any expense. It is -scarcely necessary to make laws for the preservation -of game, since shooting is a pleasure the -Icelanders wholly despise. The curlew, snipe, -golden plover, and wild-duck abound, as well -as the delicate white partridge; but the natives -despise them as food, and prefer smoked or dried -salmon, with which their streams abound.</p> - -<p>In the middle of August the greater part of -the French ships meet in the Faskrud-Fiord before -starting home. By this time the snow is beginning -to fall and ice to form around the bays. Detached -icebergs make their appearance in forms as singular -as varied, sometimes resembling fantastic animals -or the prow of a ship. The anchors are raised, -and the convoy leaves the wintry shore; and -anticipations of home once more dawn on the -weary fishermen.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /></div><div> -<h2><a name="THE_ADMIRALS_SECOND_WIFE" id="THE_ADMIRALS_SECOND_WIFE">THE ADMIRAL'S SECOND WIFE.</a></h2> - - -<h3>CHAPTER VII.—COMING-HOME.</h3> - -<p><span class="smcap">Preparations</span> for the much-talked-of marriage -are pushed on rapidly; and before the spring -flowers are making the slopes of Hayes Hill glad -with their brightness, the wedding—a very quiet -one—takes place. Laura Best is not present, though -everybody says how charmingly she has acted -towards Katie. She called on the bride-elect, and -on the wedding morning a short perfumy note of -congratulation and a handsome set of opals arrive -as a marriage gift. Sir Herbert is pleased at his -daughter's attentions to his bride, and is glad that -after all such a friendly feeling has sprung up -between them.</p> - -<p>The fact is, Laura Best, finding that opposition -cannot prevent the marriage, has decided to give it -her apparent sanction. Not for worlds would she -interfere with the happiness of the wedded pair -or throw unpleasantness on their path. So she -quietly does all that is needful in the way of -proper attention, and then goes home to Hayes -Hill to her children and duties there. Yet in -secret she bears a heavy heart with her, and -mourns over her father's infatuation.</p> - -<p>If the Admiral's wedding has been a quiet -one, the home-coming is destined to be quite the -reverse. The whole town of Seabright wakes up, -and great preparations are made to welcome the -pair. The ships in the bay are illuminated, flags -flutter in the breeze, and bells peal out their -jubilant chimes.</p> - -<p>Katie smiles proudly to herself as she walks -through the lofty apartments of Government -House, and feels she is mistress there now. It is -pleasant to roam about everywhere, and know that -she has the right to do so; pleasant also to stand in -the shade of the deep window, and listen to the -joyous pealing of the bells, which she knows are -pealing for her. Wealth and rank are in her -grasp; she has entered on the honours of her new -position, and will rule with no timid hand. Self-confident -and fearless, she laughs to herself in -utter exultation at the warnings, the croakings, the -forebodings that a while ago assailed her. Walter -Reeves is very angry indeed, when he finds out -how unceremoniously he has been set aside; and -he is intensely bitter against Katie in the first -flush of his disappointment; so doubtless it is -fortunate for all concerned that his ship, the <i>Leo</i>, is -ordered off on a cruise in the Mediterranean. He -will be away for nearly twelve months, and surely -in that time the most poignant heart-wound may -be healed. Besides, change of scene is all-potent -in such cases!</p> - -<p>As months pass away, Lady Dillworth's tastes -rapidly expand and assert themselves; ere long -she becomes the leader of society in Seabright, and -the most fashionably dressed woman there. Sir -Herbert is generous beyond measure; Katie must -not have a wish ungratified, or a desire unfulfilled -if he can help it. And so the young wife, loving -admiration and homage with a wild passion, basks -in them to her heart's content. The semi-official -parties at Government House, stately and dignified -as they were, rapidly give place to balls and quadrille -assemblies, to late hours and overcrowded -rooms. The junior officers of the ships rejoice at -the change; while the older ones shake their -heads ominously, and gradually withdraw themselves -from excitements that have no longer any -charms for them.</p> - -<p>Lady Dillworth is the belle on all occasions. -Whether she entertains the company with her rich -voice as she sings for them, or delights them with -her sparkling conversation, or whirls with some -favoured ones through waltz or galop, she is ever -the attraction of the evening.</p> - -<p>If the Admiral sometimes thinks there is rather<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_665" id="Page_665">{665}</a></span> -too much gaiety, and longs to have Katie now and -then all to himself, he does not say so, for he -cannot bear to deprive her of any enjoyment on -which her heart is set. Often and often during -the season, at Katie's old home, sounds of the -rattle of carriages come up to the cosy drawing-room, -and the lamps flash for a moment on the -blinds.</p> - -<p>'There they go—another party at Government -House, I suppose!' Mr Grey will say, as he quietly -looks up from his books.</p> - -<p>'Yes, my dear; Katie is giving a ball to-night, -and such a magnificent dress she has got for it! -Sir Herbert grudges her nothing.'</p> - -<p>'So much the worse for Katie. Spending is an -art easily learned; and where in the world <i>she</i> -gained her education on that point, I am puzzled -to know. Not from you, Sarah; you were always -economical.'</p> - -<p>'Katie's position is different from ours, dear; she -must keep it up.'</p> - -<p>'But she has no need to keep up such an endless -whirl. I wonder the Admiral is not tired to death -of it. <i>I</i> should be, I know.'</p> - -<p>And so, all through the quiet night, husband -and wife are roused every now and then from -their slumbers by the rattle of passing wheels; -and Mrs Grey sighs to herself about Katie's love -for excitement, but will not blame her aloud, even -to her husband's ears.</p> - - -<h3>CHAPTER VIII.—RETURN OF THE 'LEO.'</h3> - -<p>December comes round again with its blustering -winds and rude gales; there is every prospect of a -spell of rough weather, and Captain Walter Reeves -looks with intense satisfaction at his gallant ship -the <i>Leo</i>, again riding securely at her anchor in -Seabright Bay.</p> - -<p>A season on shore just now, when festivities are -about to commence, is in his idea far preferable -to being tossed about on a squally sea or cruising -about from port to port; so he congratulates -himself on being ordered home. He hears of the -gay doings at Government House, and how Katie -is the reigning belle of Seabright; and he listens -placidly, without one throb of emotion. Time has -proved a panacea. He has no pang of regret that -Sir Herbert is the husband of this very attractive -woman of fashion, instead of himself. As a matter -of duty, he is on his way to call at Government -House, when outside a fashionable shop in one -of the streets he sees a well-appointed carriage -drawn up, and in it he catches a glimpse of a -well-known form and face. An obsequious shopman -is standing on the edge of the curb-stone displaying -some articles of bijouterie; a coachman in -dark livery, with a black cockade in his hat, is -holding the reins. It <i>is</i> Lady Dillworth. There is -no mistaking her imperial manner, as she speaks -out in that slightly commanding voice; neither -is there any mistaking her handsome face, her -brilliant eyes, her dark coronal of hair, as she sits -there in her proud beauty. Walter, as he crosses -the street, takes note of her velvet, her sealskin, -and the feathers and the damask rosebuds in her -bonnet, and thinks all this suits the Admiral's -wife very well. He hears her say to the shopman: -'The price is eight guineas, you say. Are the -stones real?'</p> - -<p>'Yes, my Lady; and they are very fine and well -set. You are the first to whom I have had the -honour of shewing them.'</p> - -<p>'Send one of them to Government House. Or -stay,' adds she musingly—'I want another for a -present for a friend; so you may send me two -bouquet-holders.'</p> - -<p>'Sixteen guineas for such rubbish as that! I'm -very glad the money comes out of the Admiral's -purse, and not out of mine. A poor Commander's -exchequer would not stand many such attacks as -that,' thinks Walter, rather ungallantly, as he now -greets the occupant of the carriage.</p> - -<p>Katie is surprised to see him, and says so as she -holds out her daintily gloved hand. 'I had no -idea the <i>Leo</i> had returned. Have you been long -here?'</p> - -<p>'I arrived only last night, and am on my way to -Government House.'</p> - -<p>'How unfortunate there is no one at home! Sir -Herbert went to Belton Park this morning, and I -am on my way to the station to meet a friend who -is coming to stay with me. By-the-by, you know -the young lady—Liddy Delmere. Do you remember -her?'</p> - -<p>'Isn't she very pretty and a blonde?'</p> - -<p>'Yes; she has both those attractions.'</p> - -<p>'And doesn't she sing nicely?'</p> - -<p>'O yes! Liddy can sing if she likes; and her -voice is not a bad soprano,' replies Lady Dillworth -with one of her brightest smiles.</p> - -<p>'Then I'm sure I've often met her at your -house in former days.'</p> - -<p>'You had better come and refresh your memory -this evening. We shall be quite alone, and very -pleased to see you at Government House.'</p> - -<p>Captain Reeves is of course delighted to meet -Lady Dillworth on such friendly terms. He -accepts the impromptu invitation at once.</p> - -<p>The past, with its shadows and disappointments -and jealousies, is gone for ever. Better now to -banish every recollection of it from his heart, and -meet Katie on an entirely new footing.</p> - -<p>As if by tacit understanding, they both decide -this is the wisest plan. They meet and separate -as mere every-day acquaintances. Nothing can be -more unembarrassed than her ladyship's smile -as she acknowledges Walter's parting bow, and -drives off, to the admiration of the staring urchins -in the street.</p> - -<p>'Quite alone' is a mere relative term with Lady -Dillworth; for when the footman throws open the -drawing-room door on that evening to announce -Captain Reeves, the latter sees the room is already -half full of guests. Katie stands near the piano; -her dark velvet dress falls in sweeping folds, unbroken -by flounce or trimming; the beautiful set -of opals—her step-daughter's wedding present—shine -out with a subdued light from neck, arms, -and breast. Beside her is Liddy Delmere, who in -her bright blue silk dress, and with her sunny hair -tied with ribbons of the same azure tint, forms a -contrast to her hostess, in which neither loses.</p> - -<p>Ere long, Walter finds himself seated beside Miss -Delmere, for they have renewed their acquaintanceship -with mutual satisfaction, and plunge at -once into discursive recollections of the past.</p> - -<p>'We had some pleasant times together in the -days long ago,' begins Walter.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_666" id="Page_666">{666}</a></span></p> - -<p>'O yes; I remember meeting you several times -at Mrs Grey's, also at a picnic on Bushby Plain, -and at a gipsy party. Hadn't we capital fun -sometimes?'</p> - -<p>'Yes, really. What a pity these happy days are -over. We never can recall those bright fresh -hours, when the heart gilds everything with a -magic glamour.'</p> - -<p>'Speak for yourself, Captain Reeves! For <i>my</i> -part, I enjoy things as much as ever I did; and -my heart "gilds" a good deal still. Do tell me -some of your adventures. What have you been -doing all the months you were away?'</p> - -<p>'Nothing worth relating. I neither discovered -a desert island nor a new race of savages. I really -have no wonders to narrate.'</p> - -<p>'How marvellous! The very lack of incidents -makes the thing curious. Now, if <i>I</i> had -been cruising about in the <i>Leo</i> for months, I should -have gleaned materials enough for at least two -volumes of travels.'</p> - -<p>'Ah! you ladies draw largely on the imagination. -My experience is just this: I went away -from England last spring; I return again in time -for the Christmas pudding.'</p> - -<p>'You sailors are all alike. I never met one yet -who could give me the merest sketch of his voyage—all -seems a blank, but the going and returning,' -Liddy asserts laughingly.</p> - -<p>'We had some nice balls at Malta,' replies -Walter, rousing himself with a sudden recollection.</p> - -<p>'Had you? Who gave them?'</p> - -<p>'Sometimes <i>we</i> did; and crowds of the prettiest -girls I ever saw, came.'</p> - -<p>'Very flattering to the givers.'</p> - -<p>'Oh, I wish you could see the <i>Auberge de Provence</i> -when it is made ready for a ball; it looks -just like a fairy scene. The old knights of Provence -would never recognise the place if they -could return to take a peep at it. As one passes -through the hall, it appears like an orange grove; -the trees are full of golden fruit and fragrant -blossoms; and clusters of coloured lamps shine -out like rubies through the green leaves.'</p> - -<p>Walter is fairly launched into his subject now; -one recollection speedily calls up another, till -Liddy and he grow eloquent, and enjoy themselves -amazingly.</p> - -<p>He begins describing some musical charades -they 'got up' at Malta.</p> - -<p>'How nice they must be! But I can't quite -understand them.'</p> - -<p>'We merely take a word, divide it, and make -our singing descriptive of the parts, instead of -acting them out. For instance, take Ravenswood.'</p> - -<p>'A sweet word, particularly if one has to croak -out a raven chorus! Oh, I should like that -extremely!' laughs Liddy.</p> - -<p>'Ah, no; you don't catch my meaning. We -make quite a grand affair of it, have a drop-scene, -on which birds and trees are painted, and our -illustrations are from the opera of <i>Lucia di Lammermoor</i>.'</p> - -<p>'Quite a musical drama on a small scale, I -declare! I wish we could get up something of the -sort here. I'll ask Lady Dillworth about it. And -here she comes.'</p> - -<p>Katie walks over, looking rather amused at -the evident good understanding between Liddy -and Walter, as they thus interchange recollections -with much <i>empressement</i>. She seats herself -beside them, and the subject is discussed in all -its points. Lady Dillworth enters into it with -impulsive eagerness. Already she is longing for -something new and fresh, something that will -cause a sensation among the 'upper ten' at Seabright.</p> - -<p>Several other guests join them, and ere long an -animated group of people are professing willingness -to aid such a charming scheme; anything -novel is so attractive to those whose whole life -is excitement. Walter takes the initiative at -once.</p> - -<p>'I have all the music we need. The bandmaster -of the 25th arranged it for me with the -songs, duets, and choruses. It's capital for -drawing-room practice, if we can only get enough -performers.'</p> - -<p>Everybody is ready to join, so the <i>rôle</i> is -settled on the spot. Walter is to be Edgar; Liddy, -Lucy Ashton. But here the young lady enters a -protest.</p> - -<p>'I don't wish to be Lucy. If you want me, you -must let me be Lucy's mother. I make a splendid -old woman.'</p> - -<p>'Then who will be the unfortunate bride?—Will -you, Lady Dillworth?' asks Major Dillon, turning -towards her.</p> - -<p>'O yes, if Miss Delmere objects.'</p> - -<p>So it is settled. Walter infects the whole party -with his eagerness. Scenes, music, costumes, and -arrangements are talked over; and Katie is all -anxiety to carry out the plans with due effect. -Walter is to bring on shore the music-scroll and -sketches of the costume; and the intended performers -are invited to meet him to-morrow morning -at Government House, for the first rehearsal.</p> - -<p>'Now <i>that</i> affair is settled, we'll have some -music,' Katie says, as she rises and goes towards -the piano. Walter follows her. 'Have you forgotten -all your songs, Captain Reeves?'</p> - -<p>'O no. How could I? <i>You</i> taught me most -of them,' he replies.</p> - -<p>'Will you try one now?'</p> - -<p>'Don't ask me to sing a solo. I should break -down at once; but if you will allow me to join you -in a duet, I'll try to manage it.'</p> - -<p>Katie turns over a book of manuscript music, -and they fix on <i>Then and Now</i>.</p> - -<p>'The words are dreadfully stupid, but the air is -pretty,' asserts Lady Dillworth, as she runs over -the prelude:</p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">We heard the tower bells pealing<br /></span> -<span class="i2">On that soft summer night,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Your hand was linked with mine, love;<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Your heart, like mine, was light.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">We whispered low together<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Of that hope and of this;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">While far above, the joyous bells<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Seemed echoes of our bliss.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Again those bells are pealing;<br /></span> -<span class="i2">We hear them now, and sigh;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">No longer can their chimes, love,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Blend with our thoughts of joy.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Our lives for aye are parted;<br /></span> -<span class="i2">And on the wintry air,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Those crashing sounds but haunt us now,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Like echoes of despair.<br /></span> -</div></div> - -<p>The two voices ring harmoniously and plaintively -through the rooms. One could almost imagine -the singers are actually using the 'past to give -pathos' to the words. But nothing is further<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_667" id="Page_667">{667}</a></span> -from their thoughts. Katie is only deciding that, -after all, Walter's voice will 'do' with hers in the -duets of the charade; and Walter is wishing—just -a little—that Miss Delmere had retained the part -of Lucy, as at first proposed.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /></div><div> -<h2><a name="ELECTRICITY_AS_A_LIGHT-PRODUCER" id="ELECTRICITY_AS_A_LIGHT-PRODUCER">ELECTRICITY AS A LIGHT-PRODUCER.</a></h2> - - -<p><span class="smcap">It</span> has long been the opinion of scientific people -that in electricity we have a power the development -of which is only at present in its infancy. -The marvellous details of our telegraphic system -constantly remind us that there is a mysterious -fluid round about us which can to a certain extent -be made subservient and obedient to the will of -man. This familiarity with that which would a -few centuries ago have been stigmatised as the -outcome of sorcery, has led the ignorant to place a -blind belief in its powers. The subtle fluid has in -fact taken the place of the necromancer's wand, -and is believed by many to be capable of anything -or everything. The electrician is thus credited -with much that does not of right belong to his -domain, and the wildest speculations are occasionally -indulged in as to what next he will do for us. -That electricity will prove of far more extended -use than the present state of knowledge allows, we -all have vague anticipations, and among these is -the reasonable hope that it will some day supersede -coal-gas as a means of artificial illumination. We -propose, by a brief review of the present position -of electrical research, to point out how far such a -hope is justified by facts.</p> - -<p>Sir Humphry Davy was the first to discover -that when the terminal wires of a powerful electric -battery were furnished with carbon-points and -brought into such a position that they almost -touched, the space between them became bridged -over with a dazzling arc of light. The excessive -cost of producing this light (owing to the -rapid consumption of the metal-plates and acids -which together form the battery-power) rendered -it for a long time almost inapplicable to any other -purpose than that of lecture-room demonstration. -But it was evident to all that a means of illumination -so nearly approaching in its intensity the light -of the sun, would, if practicable, be of immense -value to society at large. Apart from its cost, -there were many other hindrances to its ready -adoption. The incandescent carbon-points—which -we may here remark are cut from a hard form of -gas-coke—were found to waste away unequally. -Some plan had therefore to be hit upon of not -only replacing them at certain intervals, but also, -in view of this inequality of consumption, of preserving -their relative distance the one from the -other; otherwise the light they gave became intermittent -and irregular. These difficulties were met -by employing clock-work as a regulator, and more -recently by a train of wheelwork and magnets set -in motion by the current itself. These arrangements -naturally led to complications, which required -the constant supervision of skilled operators, -and the coveted light was necessarily confined -to uses of a special nature where the question -of cost and trouble was unimportant.</p> - -<p>The use of the battery for the electric light has -for some years been almost entirely superseded by -the magneto-electric machine. The construction -of this machine is based upon Faraday's discovery, -that when a piece of soft iron inclosed in a coil of -metal wire is caused to pass by the poles of a -magnet, an electric current is produced in the wire. -The common form of this machine consists of a -number of such iron cores so arranged upon a -revolving cylinder that in continual succession -they fly past a number of stationary horse-shoe -magnets placed in a frame round its circumference. -By a piece of mechanism called a commutator, the -various small streams of electricity thus induced -are collected together into one powerful current. -This invention forms one of the most advanced -steps in the history of the electric light. But -although it produces electricity without the consumption -of metal involved in the battery system, -another element of cost comes into view in the -expense of the steam-power necessary to work it; -besides which the original outlay is considerable.</p> - -<p>In the year 1853 a Company was formed at -Paris for producing (by the aid of some large -magneto-electric machines) gas for combustion, by -the decomposition of water. The Company failed -to produce gas, and what was perhaps more -to the annoyance of the subscribers, they failed -also to shew any dividends, and the expensive -machines were voted impostors. However, an -Englishman, Mr Holms, succeeded in turning -them to better account, and eventually produced -by their aid a light of great power. Mr Wilde of -Manchester was another worker in the same field; -and improved machines were soon introduced to -public notice by both gentlemen. A few years -after, the South Foreland and Dungeness lighthouses -were provided with experimental lights. -(The first-named headland had previously been -furnished with an oxyhydrogen or lime light, a -source of illumination which is also open to the -same objections of requiring constant attention and -renewal.)</p> - -<p>It is a matter of surprise to most visitors to the -South Foreland lighthouse to find that a small -factory and staff of men are necessary to keep the -electric apparatus in working order. The extent -of the establishment is partly explained by the -fact that, in case of a breakdown of any part of the -apparatus, everything is kept in duplicate. Hence -there are two ten horse-power steam-engines, and a -double set of magneto-electric machines, although -only half that number are in actual use at one -time. The old oil-lamps are also kept ready, in -view of the improbable event of both sets of -electrical apparatus going wrong.</p> - -<p>Although lighthouses were the first places to -which electrical illumination was applied, there -are many other purposes for which that species -of light is invaluable. One of the chief of these -is its use in submarine operations. Unlike -other lights, being quite independent of atmospheric -air or any kind of gas for its support, and -merely requiring an attachment of a couple of -gutta-percha-covered wires for its connection with -the source of electricity (which may be at a considerable -distance from the place of combustion), -it is specially applicable to the use of divers. The -importance of a means of brilliantly lighting the -work of those engaged in clearing wreck or laying -the foundations of subaqueous structures cannot be -over-estimated. There is another service too in -which we may hope some day to see it commonly -employed: we mean as a source of light to our -miners. For this purpose, the burner could be -placed in a thick glass globe hermetically closed;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_668" id="Page_668">{668}</a></span> -in fact the globe might even be exhausted of air, -for experiments prove that the light is in several -respects improved when burnt in a vacuum! The -danger of fire-damp explosion would by this -means be almost altogether obviated; for unless the -glass were broken (and abundant means suggest -themselves for protecting it), no communication -could be made between the light and the gas-laden -air of the mine. As a means of night-signalling, -the electric light can also be profitably -applied. This can be done by an alphabet of -flashes of varying duration; the readiness with -which the light can be extinguished and rekindled -by the mere touch of a wire, rendering it peculiarly -adapted for such a purpose; while the -distance at which it can be seen is perhaps only -limited by the convexity of the earth. Several of -Her Majesty's ships are now being fitted with the -electric light, which is to serve both for signalling -purposes, and as a precautionary measure against -the attack of torpedo-boats. For military field -operations a brilliant light is often useful; and an -electrical apparatus is in actual use by one of the -belligerents in the present war. In this case, the -light is doubtless worked by an electric battery, -as a steam-engine is hardly a convenient addition -to the impedimenta of a moving column.</p> - -<p>Having called our readers' attention to the -several special public uses for which the electric -light is available, we may now consider how far -it can serve us for the more common wants of -every-day life. In its crude state as we have -described it, governed by such a touchy thing as -clock-work, it could not possibly compete with -gas for ordinary purposes. But one or two improvements -have within the last few months been -made, which have led many to hope that the day -is not far distant when the light will become -common in our streets, if not in our houses.</p> - -<p>These improvements are two in number. The -one is a plan whereby the electric current can be -subdivided so as to serve a number of different -lights, and the other is an improvement in the -arrangement of the burner. The first-mentioned -invention seems most certainly to bring the system -more on a par with gas-lighting, only that wires -take the place of pipes. But the second offers -features of a more novel character. The carbons, -instead of being placed point to point, one above -the other, as in the old system, are put side by side -and made into a kind of candle. The carbons -therefore represent a double wick; while the portion -of the candle usually made of tallow is made -of kaolin, a form of white clay used in the manufacture -of porcelain. The points are thus kept -at a fixed distance apart; and as they burn, -they vitrify the kaolin between them, which both -checks their waste and adds, by its incandescence, -to the light produced. The old difficulty of keeping -the carbons apart by the aid of clock-work, -therefore disappears. The invention of this -'electric candle' is due to a Russian engineer, M. -Jablochkoff. Another plan which is also credited -to the same inventor is that of doing away with -the carbon-points altogether, and substituting for -them a thin plate of kaolin. The light produced -is said to be softer, steadier, and more constant -than that obtained by any previous method. Successful -experiments with M. Jablochkoff's invention -both in France and England have shewn it to -be readily applicable to many purposes. It was -lately tried at the West India Docks, London, -where its power of illuminating large areas for -the purpose (among others) of unloading ships by -night, was fully demonstrated. Moreover, its -portability is such that it can be carried into the -depths of a ship's hold. We may mention as a -result of these experiments, that the various gas -companies' shares have been depreciated to a considerable -extent.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, improvements in the magneto-electric -machine have not been wanting; Siemens in -England and Gramme in France have succeeded -in obtaining intense currents from machines far -less bulky than those of the old pattern. But -still steam-power is required to set them in -motion, and until this is obviated, we cannot -expect that the electric light can become really -available for more general use. The inventors -claim that their method of illumination is, for the -amount of light obtained, far cheaper than any -other known, pleading that one burner is equal to -one hundred gas-lights. But we must remember -that for ordinary purposes this amount of light is -far beyond our needs. In factories where steam-power -is already available, and where the light -would supersede a large number of gas-burners, it -can of course be employed with profit. Indeed we -learn that at several large workshops in different -parts of France the light is in actual use with the -best results. Some of the railway stations both -there and in Belgium are also making arrangements -for its immediate adoption.</p> - -<p>The problem, however, which has now to be -solved is, whether the light can be made available -for domestic purposes. We fear that the -necessary motive-power presents an insuperable -objection; for although, as we have explained, -one engine will feed a certain number of lights, -it will bear no comparison in this respect with -the capabilities of a small gas-holder. Besides -which, a man would have far more difficulty -and expense in starting a steam-engine in his -back-garden than he would have (as is commonly -done in country districts) in founding a small gas-factory -for the supply of his premises. Without -losing sight of the benefits which coal-gas has -given us, we may hope that it is not the last and -best kind of artificial illumination open to us. It -blackens our ceilings and walls; it spoils our -books and pictures, besides robbing our dwellings -of oxygen, and giving us instead a close and unhealthy -atmosphere. The combustion of electricity -is on the other hand, as we have already shewn, -<i>independent of any supply of air</i>; and instead of -vitiating the atmosphere, it adds to it a supply of -that sea-side luxury ozone, which may truly be -said to be 'recommended by the faculty.' Besides -these advantages, it can be used without any -sensible rise of temperature. Another great advantage -which its use secures is its actinic qualities, -which would enable artists and all whose -work depends upon a correct appreciation of -colours, to be independent of daylight.</p> - -<p>In conclusion, we may say that, beyond the -special uses for the electric light which we have -enumerated, and for which it has by experience -been found practicable, we see no likelihood of -its more general adoption until two requisites are -discovered. The one is a substance that will, -without wasting away and requiring constant -renewal, act as an incandescent burner; and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_669" id="Page_669">{669}</a></span> -other is a cheap and ready method of obtaining -the electric fluid. For the former we know not -where to look, for even the hardest diamond disappears -under contact with the electric poles. But -with regard to the latter, we cannot help thinking -how, many years ago, Franklin succeeded by the -aid of a kite-string in drawing electricity from -the clouds. Is it too much to hope that other -philosophers may discover some means not only of -obtaining the luminous fluid from the same source, -but of storing it up for the benefit of all?</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /></div><div> -<h2><a name="JAPANESE_WRESTLERS" id="JAPANESE_WRESTLERS">JAPANESE WRESTLERS.</a></h2> - - -<p><span class="smcap">It</span> is a fine clear day in February; and the bright -sun shining without a cloud to impede his rays, -lights up the hull of H.M.S. <i>Lyre</i>, swinging lazily -round her anchors in Yokohama Bay. Scarcely a -ripple can be seen on the surface of the water, and -numberless boats are darting to and fro, conveying -passengers from the various ships to the shore. On -board the corvette the blue-jackets and marines are -reclining about the forecastle smoking and sewing, -for it is Thursday afternoon, the day set apart in -English men-of-war for the men to make and mend -their clothes; a concession which Jack values the -more for the privilege of smoking all the afternoon -which accompanies it. Clearly it is not a day for -any one to remain cooped up in a ship, who is not -detained there by duty. So think we officers; for -most of us have shifted into plain clothes, and are -ready to go ashore. The officer of the afternoon -watch, who is endeavouring to beguile the weary -four hours he has to spend on deck by levelling his -spyglass at every object far and near, looks gloomily -at a party of us getting into a sampan, and remarks, -with a view to cheering us up, that the glass is -falling rapidly, and he expects dirty weather before -the night; <i>he</i> wouldn't go ashore if he could, &c. -But we have been at sea too long to be persuaded -out of anything by a little chaff; so with a parting -joke at sour grapes, we get into the crazy little -sampan, and manage to seat ourselves without -capsizing her, a work of some little difficulty. -The four half-naked, muscular little fellows who -form our crew work their long sculls with great -vigour, keeping time to the beat of the unwieldy -oars with a shrill monotonous chant, whose burden -is 'Go ashore! go ashore!'</p> - -<p>It is a glorious view that lies before us on that -bright winter day. The long esplanade, or <i>bund</i>, -that fringes the shore is lined with the tall white -houses of the foreign settlement, to the southward -of which is the beautiful wooded hill called the -Bluff, the white cliffs of which are dazzlingly bright -in the sunlight. The bungalows of the foreign -residents are for the most part on the Bluff, each -house inclosed in its own beautiful grounds; and -here too, about two miles from the settlement, is -the race-course, an invariable accompaniment to any -large gathering of Englishmen in the East. Yokohama -itself lies in a valley between the Bluff on -the one hand and the Kanagawa hills on the other; -but inland rises range after range of lofty mountains, -and towering far above everything is the -snow-capped crest of Fusiyama, the 'peerless' -mountain of Japan, which is forty-five miles distant -from the bay where our ship is lying. Fusiyama -is a volcano in the shape of a truncated cone, but -no eruption has taken place for more than a century; -a fortunate thing for the country, as fifty -thousand people are said to have perished at its -last great outbreak, which almost destroyed the -capital, Yeddo. Shocks of earthquake are very -frequent, though slight, in Yokohama and the -neighbouring town, Kanagawa; in fact, most of -Japan is subject to these volcanic disturbances, -which occasionally cause great damage. It is on -this account that the houses are built generally of -such slight materials, as they can endure shocks -which would infallibly overthrow any building -constructed after the European fashion. In the -summer, when the snow has melted from the top -of Fusiyama, bands of pilgrims dressed in white, -who have come from all parts of the empire to worship -the peerless mountain, throng in great numbers -along the roads at its base. At this season -the ascent is often accomplished by foreigners -for the sake of the magnificent view which is -obtained from the summit on a clear day; though -whether it is worth while going through so much -to obtain so little is of course a matter of opinion. -Many people will tell you they go up for the sake -of saying they have been there, forgetting that any -one who has not been there can as easily say the -same thing. For my own part I never could see -the object of climbing a mountain only to come -down again on the other side, and therefore in my -numerous excursions into the interior of Japan, I -gave Fusiyama a wide berth. Ponies are usually -employed by those who believe in the merits of -four legs as compared to two; and the deep ashes -which cover the upper part of the mountain render -this mode of ascent preferable to the severe labour -of climbing on foot. The weather is so clear on -the day in question that the deep gullies down the -sides can be easily traced by the naked eye as we -are pulling ashore.</p> - -<p>While we have been admiring the beauties of -the scene, our sampan has passed round the projecting -arm of the English Hatoba, a stone jetty -which protects the landing-place from the heavy -swell which often sets into the bay; so we land -and make our way to the bund with some difficulty, -owing to the crowd of coolies who are passing -to and from the merchants' godowns with heavy -packages slung on bamboo poles between two men. -Now comes the question, how are we to pass our -time? for amusements are somewhat limited in a -small settlement like Yokohama. To be sure, we -can go to the club and play billiards or bowls or -read the papers; but the afternoon is so fine that -it seems a pity to waste it indoors. We might -spend a few hours very pleasantly in the Benten -Doré, a street filled with shops for the sale of -lacquer-work and curiosities of different sorts; but -unfortunately it is nearly the end of the month, -and I need scarcely tell any one acquainted with -the manners and customs of naval officers that -our dollars have grown small by degrees and beautifully -less, and we are anxiously waiting for pay-day.</p> - -<p>The most popular idea seems to be to walk -round the race-course to Mississippi Bay, on the -south side of the Bluff, the favourite drive of the -Yokohama ladies; but just as we have resolved on -this, a man passes making some proclamation in a -high sing-song tone, which seems to meet with -general approval from the natives. On inquiring, -we find that he is announcing the arrival of the -champion troupe of wrestlers, who intend giving a -performance that afternoon on a piece of waste<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_670" id="Page_670">{670}</a></span> -land just outside the boundaries of the foreign -settlement. Nothing could have happened more -apropos; so jumping into some of the odd-looking -little hand-carriages which ply for hire in -great numbers about the streets of most Japanese -towns, we are rattled along the streets at a rapid -rate by the active little drivers, who seem to -possess the enviable faculty of never tiring, for -they trot along as gaily at the end of a thirty miles' -run over indifferent roads, as when they started. -On arriving at our destination, we find numbers of -natives on the same errand, 'gaily dressed in -their Sunday best,' entering an inclosure which -has been hastily made out of long bamboos covered -with matting, to keep out the too curious eyes that -would gaze at the performance gratis. A payment -of a quarter <i>bu</i> each (about threepence in English -money) admits us to the interior, which presents a -very striking scene. Round the sides of the large -inclosure are numerous bamboo stages, crowded -with the wealthier class of natives and a few -foreigners; while in the amphitheatre some thousands -of people are assembled, many of them -women, whose gay robes set off their attractions to -perfection.</p> - -<p>Every one has his holiday face on, and the -ceremonious politeness which usually characterises -the meeting of any Japanese, has for the time -given place to mirth and gaiety. Itinerant vendors -of cakes and sweets ply their trade among the -crowd with much apparent success; and here and -there is a stall for the sale of <i>saki</i>, a strong spirit -brewed from rice, and much resembling inferior -sherry in the taste and smell. There is a total -absence of intoxication, and I may say very few -drunken men are ever to be seen about the streets. -By the time we have mounted a stage, and settled -down on the chairs a neatly dressed <i>musŭme</i> -(young girl) has procured for us, the performances -are about to commence, and a man is giving out -the names of the first pair of wrestlers.</p> - -<p>In the centre of the amphitheatre a mound has -been raised, on which a ring has been formed -by banking up the earth to the height of a few -inches. Two grave-looking elderly men, apparently -the judges, now seat themselves upon mats on -the mound, and unfurling their paper umbrellas, -light their pipes, and commence smoking in -dignified composure; while the two wrestlers -doff their <i>kimonos</i> (robes) and enter the ring perfectly -naked but for a cloth round the loins. They -are very far removed from our idea of what an -athlete ought to be, for though muscular, they -have an ungainly heaviness of figure. Weight is -indeed thought of such importance in these contests -that men are fattened for them like prize -cattle, under the mistaken belief that such size is -an advantage to the fortunate possessor!</p> - -<p>A tedious preliminary performance has to be -gone through before the actual business of wrestling -commences. Each man comes to the centre of the -ring, and squatting down in front of his antagonist, -raises each leg in turn, and then brings it down -heavily on the ground, at the same time striking -his thigh smartly with his open hand. I suppose -this is meant as a sort of challenge; but it has an -extremely ludicrous effect, at least to foreigners, -to see two very fat men so employing themselves. -Both men now quit the ring and take a draught -of water and a pinch of salt, while they rub their -arms and hands with mud, in order that they may -get a better hold of each other's naked body. At -length they re-enter the ring, and the real struggle -now begins. They squat in front of each other like -two huge frogs and strike their hands together, at -the same time uttering a curious hissing noise, -which gets louder and louder till they suddenly -fly at each other like angry cats. Heavy blows -and slaps are exchanged freely in the effort to close, -but umpires are behind each shouting out cautions -at any attempted infringement of the rules on -either side. When they have fairly got hold of -each other many a cunning feint and twist is shewn, -and the struggling bodies and limbs entwine so -rapidly that the pair look like one gigantic octopus. -At length the bout is concluded by one man being -hurled bodily out of the ring into the crowd outside, -and the cheering from the excited spectators -is absolutely deafening. The victor stalks about -the ring for some time in great dignity, receiving -the congratulations of his friends, and then repeats -his former challenge, striking his thighs heavily -and crowing like a bantam cock. Another wrestler, -nothing daunted, at once comes forward to try his -fortune; while the vanquished combatant, who has -picked himself up amidst a running fire of chaff -from the unsympathising crowd, resumes his -<i>kimono</i> with an assumed air of indifference and -vanishes behind the spectators.</p> - -<p>Three men in succession did the first victor -overthrow before he found a foeman worthy of -his grip; but he too in turn soon succumbed -to a fresh challenger. The judges during all the -confusion maintained their seats in great dignity, -and smoked away with quiet unconcern while the -wrestlers strove and kicked beside them. Their -office seemed to be to settle any disputes; but it -was almost a sinecure, as I saw hardly any during -the afternoon, everything being conducted with -perfect fairness and good-humour. All the hard -work seemed to be done by the umpires, who were -dancing about each combatant in a perfect state of -frenzy, and their repeated screams of 'Anatta! -anatta!' (Sir! sir!) when any unfair movement -was attempted on either side, soon reduced their -voices to mere croaks. To win a round, a man -had either to lay his opponent flat on the ground -or thrust him out of the ring. Several of the first -bouts we witnessed were decided in the latter -manner, a heavy man driving his antagonist clean -out of the circle by the weight and impetus of his -first assault. Any method whatever seemed to be -allowed in catching hold; I saw one man win a -heat by dexterously catching his opponent by the -scruff of the neck and jamming his head on the -ground, the whole body perforce following suit. -This seemed to be regarded as a sort of 'fool's -mate,' for I noticed that the loser was much -laughed at; and although the same manœuvre was -attempted several times afterwards, it was never -successful.</p> - -<p>The light weights had their contest first; and -then came the middle weights, if such a term can -be applied to men of fifteen stone at least. But -the real event of the day was the concluding -struggle between the champions, about a dozen in -number, who would have passed muster in any -assembly where height and strength were the test. -Not one of them was under six feet in height, and -most of them were considerably over; one gigantic -fellow must have been nearly seven feet. All of -them were disfigured by the same inordinate<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_671" id="Page_671">{671}</a></span> -amount of flesh; but the muscles of the arms -and legs were very powerfully developed, and the -activity displayed in spite of their enormous size -was something marvellous. In one severe contest -the gigantic champion threw a lesser athlete clear -out of the ring on to the heads of the spectators -below, overwhelming one of the unfortunate judges -in the transit. The latter, however, soon arose, -gave himself a shake, and resumed his pipe and -seat, apparently none the worse for his rude -shock.</p> - -<p>The final contest of the day, which took place -just before dusk, was between our friend the giant -and the next biggest of the band; and after a -severe struggle, ended in the former being thrown -as scientifically as ever I wished to see. The earth -shook with the violence of the fall; but the vanquished -hero picked himself up at once, and with -a good-humoured laugh at his opponent, resumed -his <i>kimono</i>; and the sports were concluded.</p> - -<p>Not the least amusing part of the afternoon's -amusement was afforded by a blue-jacket on leave -from the <i>Lyre</i>, who threw his cap into the ring, and -wanted to try conclusions with the biggest man of -the party for a few dollars. A long and amusing -conversation took place between the sailor and the -natives; but the challenge was not accepted, so -Jack put on his hat and walked jauntily away. He -was a tall powerful man, and I daresay could have -held his own against the giant himself, in spite of -his inferiority of weight; for it is a well-known -fact that the enormous amount of flesh cultivated -by the Japanese wrestlers stands seriously in their -way when opposed to a foreigner in good condition. -It is not very many years ago that a shining light -of the English Church in the East came to Japan -and astonished the natives by throwing some of -their best men. No doubt, before many years, the -Japanese, who are very quick at seizing any new -idea, will perceive the folly of feeding their athletes -to such a size, and follow the English system of -training. A very noticeable feature about these -contests was the perfect good-humour with which -they were conducted, not a single man losing his -temper, in spite of the heavy blows and cuffs which -were exchanged with great vigour before closing -with each other. While discussing the afternoon's -amusement, we walked to the bund in the twilight, -and a twelve-oared cutter soon took us on -board in time for dinner. Next morning at daylight -we were under weigh for Hong-kong.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /></div><div> -<h2><a name="SHAMROCK_LEAVES" id="SHAMROCK_LEAVES">SHAMROCK LEAVES.</a></h2> - -<p class='ph3'>A WAKE.</p> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Tim Scanlan</span>, while he lived, was only a labouring -man; but he was well liked in the country; -and it was expected that his funeral would be an -unusually large gathering. Crowds flocked to the -wake, and a great provision of tea, whisky, pipes, -and tobacco had been made. The widow occupied -her post of honour at the head of the coffin, and -displayed a fair show of grief, joining in with -vociferous weeping whenever the 'keening' was -led by the older women. She was young enough -to have been the dead man's daughter, having -come to his house a 'slip' of a servant-girl, -whom he had married and ruled over very masterfully.</p> - -<p>As the night wore on, the whisky began to tell -on those outside the room where the corpse lay. -The noise increased, and soon apparently became -loud enough to 'wake the dead,' as the saying is; -for to the consternation and amazement of every -one present, the defunct, after a deep sigh and -sundry groans, opened his eyes and struggled up -into a sitting posture. When the startled company -had recovered from the shock, poor Tim was lifted -out of the coffin; whisky was liberally -poured down his throat; and well wrapped up in -blankets and seated in the big chair by the fire, -he gradually revived from the trance or stupor -that had been mistaken for death. The last of -the guests had departed from the cabin, and Tim, -still propped up before the fire, was left to the -care of his wife. Instead of coming near him -however, she slunk off, cringing timidly away -into a dark corner behind his chair, whence she -directed frightened glances at her resuscitated -spouse.</p> - -<p>'Mary!' said the man in a stern voice.</p> - -<p>No answer.</p> - -<p>'Are you there?' peering round, his face -quivering with anger and weakness.</p> - -<p>'Yis, Tim, I'm here,' faltered Mary, without -stirring.</p> - -<p>'Bring me my stick.'</p> - -<p>'Ah, no, Tim; no! Sure you never rose yer -hand to me yet! And 'tisn't now, when you're -all as one as come back from the dead, that'——</p> - -<p>'Bring me my stick.'</p> - -<p>The stick was brought, and down on her knees -beside the big chair flopped the cowering wife.</p> - -<p>'Well you know what you desarve. Well -you know, you young thief o' the world! that if -I was to take and beat you this blessed minute -as black as a mourning-coach, 'twould be only -sarving you right, after the mean, dirthy, shameful -turn you've done me!'</p> - -<p>'It would, it would!' sobbed the girl.</p> - -<p>'Look here!' gasped Tim, opening his breast and -shewing an old tattered shirt. 'Look at them -rags! Look at what you dressed up my poor -corpse in; shaming me before all the decent neighbours -at the wake! An' you knowing as well as I -did about the elegant brand-new shirt I'd bought -o' purpose for my berrin; a shirt I wouldn't have -put on my living back—no, not if I had gone -naked in my skin! You knew I had it there in the -chest laid up; and you grudged it to my unfortunate -carcase when I couldn't spake up for myself!'</p> - -<p>'O Tim, darlin', forgive me!' cried Mary. 'Forgive -me this once, and on my two knees I promise -never, never to do the likes again! I don't know -what came over me at all. Sure, I think, the -divil—Lord save us!—must have been at my -elbow when I went to get out the shirt; tempting -me, and whispering that it was a pity and a sin to -put good linen like that into the clay. Oh, how -could I do it at all?'</p> - -<p>'Now, hearken to me, Mary;' and Tim raised -the stick and laid it on her shoulder. She knew<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_672" id="Page_672">{672}</a></span> -he wouldn't beat her even if he could with his -trembling hands; but she pretended to wince and -cower away. 'Mind what I say. As sure as you -do me the like turn again, and go for to dress me -in those undacent rags, I tell you what I'll do—I'll -<i>walk</i>.'</p> - -<p>'O don't, Tim, don't!' shrieked Mary, as pale as -ashes. 'Murther me now, if it's plazing to you, or -do anything to me you like; but for the love of -the blessed Vargin and all the Saints, keep in yer -grave! I'll put the new shirt on you; my two -hands 'll starch it and make it up as white as -snow, after lying by so long in the old chest. -Yer corpse will look lovely, niver fear! And I'll -give you the grandest wake that iver man had, -even if I had to sell the pig, and part with every -stick in the cabin to buy the tay and the whisky. -I swear to you I will, darlin'. There's my hand -on it, this blessed night!'</p> - -<p>'Well, mind you do, or 'twill be worse for you. -And now give me a drop of wather to drink, and -put a taste of sperrits through it; for I'm like to -faint with thirst and with weakness.'</p> - -<p>Mary kept her promise; for such a wake was -never remembered as Tim Scanlan's, when, soon -after, the poor man really did depart this life. -And the 'get up' of the 'elegant brand-new shirt' -in which the corpse was arrayed, was the admiration -of all beholders.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /></div><div> -<h2><a name="CARRIER-PIGEONS" id="CARRIER-PIGEONS">CARRIER-PIGEONS.</a></h2> - - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> value of these birds as carriers of messages -was interestingly demonstrated at the siege of -Paris, as it used to be in the French war seventy -years ago, before the invention of the electric telegraph. -It now appears that carrier-pigeons may be -employed with advantage in taking messages from -boats engaged in the Scottish herring-fisheries, -when no species of telegraph is available. The -following notice of the fact occurs in the <i>Fishing -Gazette</i>:</p> - -<p>'The experiment which was tried last year -of employing carrier-pigeons for the purpose of -bringing early intelligence each morning from -the fishing-ground of the results of the night's -labour, is again being resorted to this season, and -with the most satisfactory results. One of the -birds is taken out in each boat in the afternoon; -and after the nets have been hauled on the following -morning and the extent of the catch ascertained, -the pigeon is despatched with a small piece -of parchment tied round its neck, containing information -as to the number of crans on board, the -position of the boat, the direction of the wind, and -the prospects of the return journey, &c. If there is -not wind to take the boat back, or if it is blowing -in an unfavourable direction, a request is made -for a tug; and from the particulars given as to the -bearings of the craft, she can be picked up easily -by the steamer. The other advantages of the -system are that, when the curers are apprised of -the quantity of herrings they may expect, they can -make preparations for expediting the delivering -and curing of the fish. Most of the pigeons belong -to Messrs Moir and Son, Aberdeen. When let off -from the boats, the birds invariably circle three -times round overhead, and then sweep away -towards the land with great rapidity, generally -flying at the rate of about a mile per minute. -Two superior birds in Messrs Moir's possession -have occasionally come a distance of twenty or -twenty-five miles in as many minutes; and on -Tuesday one of these pigeons came home sixteen -miles in the same number of minutes. Another -of Messrs Moir's pigeons flew on board the <i>Heatherbell</i> -on Tuesday afternoon off the Girdleness, bearing -a slip of paper containing the intelligence that -the boat from which it had been despatched at -11.54 had a cargo of twenty-five barrels of herrings. -The pigeons require very little training, and soon -know where to land with their message. A cot -has been fitted up on the roof of Messrs Moir's -premises at the quay for the accommodation of the -birds, and they invariably alight there on their -return from sea.'</p> - -<p>According to the London newspapers, there was -lately an amusing experiment to test the flight of -carrier-pigeons against the speed of a railway train. -The following is the account given of this curious -race, which took place on the 13th July: 'The -race was from Dover to London between the continental -mail express train and a carrier-pigeon -conveying a document of an urgent nature from -the French police. The pigeon, which was bred -by Messrs Hartley and Sons of Woolwich, and -"homed" when a few weeks old to a building in -Cannon Street, City, was of the best breed of homing -pigeons, known as "Belgian voyageurs." The -bird was tossed through the railway carriage -window by a French official as the train moved -from the Admiralty Pier, the wind being west and -the atmosphere hazy, but with the sun shining. -For upwards of a minute the carrier-pigeon circled -round to an altitude of about half a mile, and then -sailed away towards London. By this time the -train, which carried the European mails, and was -timed not to stop between Dover and Cannon -Street, had got up to full speed, and was proceeding -at the rate of sixty miles an hour towards London. -The odds at starting seemed against the bird; -and the railway officials predicted that the little -messenger would be beaten in the race. The -pigeon, however, as soon as it ascertained its bearings, -took the nearest homeward route in a direction -midway between Maidstone and Sittingbourne, -the distance "as the crow flies" between -Dover and London being seventy miles, and by -rail seventy-six and a half miles. When the continental -mail express came into Cannon Street -station, the bird had been home twenty minutes; -having beaten Her Majesty's royal mail by a time -allowance representing eighteen miles.'</p></div> - -<hr class="full" /> -<hr class="full" /> - - -<p>The Conductors of <span class="smcap">Chambers's Journal</span> beg to direct -the attention of <span class="smcap">Contributors</span> to the following notice:</p> - -<div class="end_blockquot"> - -<p><i>1st.</i> All communications should be addressed to the -'Editor, 339 High Street, Edinburgh.'</p> - -<p><i>2d.</i> To insure the return of papers that may prove -ineligible, postage-stamps should in every case accompany -them.</p> - -<p><i>3d.</i> Manuscripts should bear the author's full <span class="smcap">Christian</span> -name, surname, and address, legibly written.</p> - -<p><i>4th.</i> MS. should be written on one side of the leaf only.</p> - -<p><i>5th.</i> Poetical offerings should be accompanied by an -envelope, stamped and directed.</p></div> - -<p><i>Unless Contributors comply with the above rules, the -Editor cannot undertake to return ineligible papers.</i></p> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<p class='center'>Printed and Published by <span class="smcap">W. & R. Chambers</span>, 47 Paternoster -Row, <span class="smcap">London</span>, and 339 High Street, <span class="smcap">Edinburgh</span>.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class='center'><i>All Rights Reserved.</i></p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Chambers's Journal of Popular -Literature, Science, and Art, No. 721, by Various - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHAMBER'S JOURNAL *** - -***** This file should be named 50486-h.htm or 50486-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/4/8/50486/ - -Produced by Susan Skinner and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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