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page-break-before: always; } + body {font-family: Garamond, Georgia, serif; text-align: justify; } + table {font-size: .9em; padding: 1.5em .5em 1em; page-break-inside: avoid; + clear: both; } + div.titlepage {text-align: center; page-break-before: always; + page-break-after: always; } + div.titlepage p {text-align: center; text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold; + line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 3em; } + .ph2 { text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold; font-size: x-large; margin: .75em auto; + page-break-before: always; } + .double {border-style: double;border-width: 4px; padding: 1em; clear: both; } + .x-ebookmaker p.dropcap:first-letter { float: left; } + </style> + </head> + <body> +<div style='text-align:center'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 78194 ***</div> + +<div class='tnotes covernote'> + +<p class='c000'><strong>Transcriber’s Note:</strong></p> + +<p class='c000'>New original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the public domain.</p> + +</div> + +<div class='titlepage double'> + +<div class='nf-center-c0'> +<div class='nf-center c001'> + <div>“<i>Familiar in their Mouths as HOUSEHOLD WORDS.</i>”—<span class='sc'>Shakespeare.</span></div> + </div> +</div> + +<div> + <span class='pageno' id='Page_553'>553</span> + <h1 class='c002'>HOUSEHOLD WORDS.<br> <span class='xlarge'>A WEEKLY JOURNAL.</span></h1> +</div> + +<div class='nf-center-c0'> +<div class='nf-center c001'> + <div><span class='large'>CONDUCTED BY CHARLES DICKENS.</span></div> + <div class='c001'>N<sup>o.</sup> 24.]      SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1850.      [<span class='sc'>Price</span> 2<i>d.</i></div> + </div> +</div> + +</div> + +<div class='chapter'> + <h2 class='c003'>ILLUSTRATIONS OF CHEAPNESS.</h2> +</div> +<h3 class='c004'>THE STEEL PEN.</h3> + +<p class='c005'>We remember (early remembrances are +more durable than recent) an epithet employed +by Mary Wollstonecraft, which then seemed +as happy as it was original:—“The <i>iron</i> pen +of Time.” Had the vindicatress of the +“Rights of Women” lived in these days (fifty +years later), when the iron pen is the almost +universal instrument of writing, she would +have bestowed upon Time a less common +material for recording his doings.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Whilst we are remembering, let us look +back for a moment upon our earliest schooldays—the +days of large text and round hand. +Twenty urchins sit at a long desk, each intent +upon making his <i>copy</i>. A nicely mended pen +has been given to each. Our own labour +goes on successfully, till, in school-boy phrase, +the pen begins to splutter. A bold effort +must be made. We leave the form, and +timidly address the writing-master with—“Please, +sir, mend my pen.” A slight frown +subsides as he sees that the quill is very bad—too +soft or too hard—used to the stump. +He dashes it away, and snatching a feather +from a bundle—a poor thin feather, such as +green geese drop on a common—shapes it into +a pen. This mending and making process +occupies all his leisure—occupies, indeed, +many of the minutes that ought to be devoted +to instruction. He has a perpetual battle to +wage with his bad quills. They are the +meanest produce of the plucked goose.</p> + +<p class='c006'>And is this process still going on in the +many thousand schools of our land, where, +with all drawbacks of imperfect education, +both as to numbers educated and gifts imparted, +there are about two millions and a +half of children under daily instruction? In +remote rural districts, probably; in the towns +certainly not. The steam-engine is now the +pen-maker. Hecatombs of geese are consumed +at Michaelmas and Christmas; but not all +the geese in the world would meet the demand +of England for pens. The supply of <i><span lang="fr">patés de +foie gras</span></i> will be kept up—that of quills, +whether known as <i>primes</i>, <i>seconds</i>, or <i>pinions</i>, +must be wholly inadequate to the wants of a +<i>writing</i> people. Wherever geese are bred in +these islands, so assuredly, in each succeeding +March, will every full-fledged victim be +robbed of his quills; and then turned forth +on the common, a very waddling and impotent +goose, quite unworthy of the name of bird. +The country schoolmaster, at the same springtime, +will continue to buy the smallest quills, +at a low price, clarify them after his own rude +fashion, make them into pens, and sorely +spite the boy who splits them up too rapidly. +The better quills will still be collected, and +find their way to the quill dealer, who will +exercise his empirical arts before they pass +to the stationer. He will plunge them into +heated sand, to make the external skin peel +off, and the external membrane shrivel up; or +he will saturate them with water, and alternately +contract and swell them before a charcoal +fire; or he will dip them in nitric acid, +and make them of a gaudy brilliancy but +a treacherous endurance. They will be sorted +according to the quality of the barrels, with the +utmost nicety. The experienced buyer will +know their value by looking at their feathery +ends, tapering to a point; the uninitiated will +regard only the quill portion. There is no +article of commerce in which the market value +is so difficult to be determined with exactness. +For the finest and largest quills no +price seems unreasonable; for those of the +second quality too exorbitant a charge is often +made. The foreign supply is large, and probably +exceeds the home supply of the superior +article. What the exact amount is we +know not. There is no duty now on quills. +The tariff of 1845—one of the most lasting +monuments of the wisdom of our great commercial +minister—abolished the duty of half-a-crown +a thousand. In 1832 the duty +amounted to four thousand two hundred +pounds, which would show an annual importation +of thirty-three millions one hundred +thousand quills; enough, perhaps, for the +commercial clerks of England, together with +the quills of home growth;—but how to serve +a letter-writing population?</p> + +<p class='c006'>The ancient reign of the quill pen was first +seriously disturbed about twenty-five years +ago. An abortive imitation of the <i>form</i> of a +pen was produced before that time; a clumsy, +inelastic, metal tube fastened in a bone or +ivory handle, and sold for half-a-crown. A +man might make his mark with one—but as +to writing, it was a mere delusion. In due +course came more carefully finished inventions +<span class='pageno' id='Page_554'>554</span>for the luxurious, under the tempting names +of ruby pen, or diamond pen—with the plain +gold pen, and the rhodium pen, for those who +were sceptical as to the jewellery of the +inkstand. The economical use of the quill +received also the attention of science. A +machine was invented to divide the barrel +lengthwise into two halves; and, by the same +mechanical means, these halves were subdivided +into small pieces, cut pen shape, slit, +and nibbed. But the pressure upon the quill +supply grew more and more intense. A new +power had risen up in our world—a new seed +sown—the source of all good, or the dragon’s +teeth of Cadmus. In 1818 there were only +one hundred and sixty-five thousand scholars +in the monitorial schools—the new schools, +which were being established under the +auspices of the National Society, and the +British and Foreign School Society. Fifteen +years afterwards, in 1833, there were three hundred +and ninety thousand. Ten years +later, the numbers exceeded a million. Even +a quarter of a century ago two-thirds of the +male population of England, and one-half of +the female, were learning to write; for in the +Report of the Registrar-General for 1846, we +find this passage:—“Persons when they are +married are required to sign the marriage-register; +if they cannot write their names, +they sign with a mark: the result has hitherto +been, that nearly one man in three, and one +woman in two, married, sign with marks.” +This remark applies to the period between +1839 and 1845. Taking the average age of +men at marriage as twenty-seven years, and +the average age of boys during their education +as ten years, the marriage-register is an +educational test of male instruction for the +years 1824–28. But the gross number of +the population of England and Wales was +rapidly advancing. In 1821 it was twelve +millions; in 1831, fourteen millions; in 1841, +sixteen millions; in 1851, taking the rate of +increase at fourteen per cent., it will be +eighteen millions and a half. The extension +of education was proceeding in a much quicker +ratio; and we may therefore fairly assume +that the proportion of those who make their +marks in the marriage-register has greatly +diminished since 1844.</p> + +<p class='c006'>But, during the last ten years, the natural +desire to learn to write, of that part of the +youthful population which education can +reach, has received a great moral impulse by +a wondrous development of the most useful +and pleasurable exercise of that power. The +uniform penny postage has been established. +In the year 1838, the whole number of letters +delivered in the United Kingdom was seventy-six +millions; in this year that annual delivery +has reached the prodigious number of three +hundred and thirty-seven millions. In 1838, +a Committee of the House of Commons thus +denounced, amongst the great commercial +evils of the high rates of postage, their injurious +effects upon the great bulk of the +people:—“They either act as a grievous tax +on the poor, causing them to sacrifice their +little earnings to the pleasure and advantage +of corresponding with their distant friends, +or compel them to forego such intercourse +altogether; thus subtracting from the small +amount of their enjoyments, and obstructing +the growth and maintenance of their best +affections.” Honoured be the man who broke +down these barriers! Praised be the Government +that, <i>for once</i>, stepping out of its fiscal +tram-way, dared boldly to legislate for the +domestic happiness, the educational progress, +and the moral elevation of the masses! The +steel pen, sold at the rate of a penny a dozen, +is the creation, in a considerable degree, of the +Penny Postage stamp; as the Penny Postage +stamp was a representative, if not a creation, +of the new educational power. Without the +steel pen, it may reasonably be doubted +whether there were mechanical means within +the reach of the great bulk of the population +for writing the three hundred and thirty-seven +millions of letters that now annually +pass through the Post Office.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Othello’s sword had “the ice-brook’s +temper;” but not all the real or imaginary +virtues of the stream that gave its value to +the true Spanish blade could create the elasticity +of a steel pen. Flexible, indeed, is the +Toledo. If thrust against a wall, it will bend +into an arc that describes three-fourths of a +circle. The problem to be solved in the steel pen, +is to convert the iron of Dannemora into a +substance as thin as the quill of a dove’s pinion, +but as strong as the proudest feather of an +eagle’s wing. The furnaces and hammers of the +old armourers could never have solved this +problem. The steel pen belongs to our age +of mighty machinery. It could not have +existed in any other age. The demand for +the instrument, and the means of supplying +it, came together.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The commercial importance of the steel pen +was first manifested to our senses a year or +two ago at Sheffield. We had witnessed all +the curious processes of <i>converting</i> iron into +steel, by saturating it with carbon in the converting +furnace;—of <i>tilting</i> the bars so converted +into a harder substance, under the +thousand hammers that shake the waters of +the Sheaf and the Don; of <i>casting</i> the steel +thus converted and tilted into ingots of higher +purity; and, finally, of <i>milling</i>, by which the +most perfect development of the material is +acquired under enormous rollers. About two +miles from the metropolis of steel, over whose +head hangs a canopy of smoke through which +the broad moors of the distance sometimes +reveal themselves, there is a solitary mill +where the tilting and rolling processes are +carried to great perfection. The din of the +large tilts is heard half a mile off. Our ears +tingle, our legs tremble, when we stand close +to their operation of beating bars of steel into +the greatest possible density; for the whole +building vibrates as the workmen swing before +<span class='pageno' id='Page_555'>555</span>them in suspended baskets, and shift the bar +at every movement of these hammers of the +Titans. We pass onward to the more quiet +<i>rolling</i> department. The bar that has been +tilted into the most perfect compactness has +now to acquire the utmost possible tenuity. +A large area is occupied by furnaces and +rollers. The bar of steel is dragged out of the +furnace at almost a white heat. There are +two men at each roller. It is passed through +the first pair, and its squareness is instantly +elongated and widened into flatness;—rapidly +through a second pair,—and a third,—and a +fourth,—and a fifth.—The bar is becoming a +sheet of steel. Thinner and thinner it becomes, +until it would seem that the workmen can +scarcely manage the fragile substance. It has +spread out, like a morsel of gold under the +beater’s hammer, into an enormous leaf. The +least attenuated sheet is only the hundredth +part of an inch in thickness; some sheets are +made as thin as the two-hundredth part of an +inch. And for what purpose is this result of +the labours of so many workmen, of such vast +and complicated machinery, destined?—what +the final application of a material employing +so much capital in every step, from the +Swedish mine to its transport by railroad to +some other seat of British industry? <i>The +whole is prepared for one Steel-pen Manufactory +at Birmingham.</i></p> + +<p class='c006'>There is nothing very remarkable in a +steel pen manufactory, as regards ingenuity of +contrivance or factory organisation. Upon a +large scale of production the extent of labour +engaged in producing so minute an article is +necessarily striking. But the process is just +as curious and interesting, if conducted in a +small shop as in a large. The pure steel, as +it comes from the rolling mill, is cut up into +strips about two inches and a half in width. +These are further cut into the proper size for +the pen. The pieces are then annealed and +cleansed. The maker’s name is neatly impressed +on the metal; and a cutting-tool +forms the slit, although imperfectly in this +stage. The pen shape is given by a convex +punch pressing the plate into a concave die. +The pen is formed when the slit is perfected. +It has now to be hardened, and finally cleansed +and polished, by the simple agency of friction +in a cylinder. All the varieties of form of the +steel pen are produced by the punch; all the +contrivances of slits and apertures above the +nib, by the cutting-tool. Every improvement +has had for its object to overcome the rigidity +of the steel,—to imitate the elasticity of the +quill, whilst bestowing upon the pen a superior +durability.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The perfection that may reasonably be demanded +in a steel pen has yet to be reached. +But the improvement in the manufacture is +most decided. Twenty years ago, to one who +might choose, regardless of expense, between +the quill pen and the steel, the best Birmingham +and London production was an abomination. +But we can trace the gradual acquiescence +of most men in the writing implement +of the multitude. Few of us, in +an age when the small economies are carefully +observed, and even paraded, desire to +use quill pens at ten or twelve shillings +a hundred, as Treasury Clerks once luxuriated +in their use—an hour’s work, and +then a new one. To mend a pen, is troublesome +to the old and even the middle-aged +man who once acquired the art; the +young, for the most part, have not learnt it. +The most painstaking and penurious author +would never dream of imitating the wondrous +man who translated Pliny with “one grey +goose quill.” Steel pens are so cheap, that if +one scratches or splutters, it may be thrown +away, and another may be tried. But when +a really good one is found, we cling to it, as +worldly men cling to their friends; we use it +till it breaks down, or grows rusty. We can +do no more; we handle it as Isaak Walton +handled the frog upon his hook, “as if we +loved him.” We could almost fancy some +analogy between the gradual and decided improvement +of the steel pen—one of the new +instruments of education—and the effects of +education itself upon the mass of the people. +An instructed nation ought to present the +same gradually perfecting combination of +strength with elasticity. The favourites of +fortune are like the quill, ready made for +social purposes, with a little scraping and +polishing. The bulk of the community have +to be formed out of ruder and tougher materials—to +be converted, welded, and tempered +into pliancy. The <i>manners</i> of the great +British family have decidedly improved under +culture—“<i><span lang="fr">emollit mores</span></i>:” may the sturdy +self-respect of the race never be impaired!</p> + +<div class='chapter'> + <h2 class='c003'>TWO CHAPTERS ON BANK NOTE FORGERIES.</h2> +</div> +<h3 class='c004'>CHAPTER I.</h3> + +<p class='c005'>Viotti’s division of violin-playing into two +great classes—good playing and bad playing—is +applicable to Bank note making. The +processes employed in manufacturing good +Bank notes we have already described: we +shall now cover a few pages with a faint +outline of the various arts, stratagems, and +contrivances employed in concocting bad +Bank notes. The picture cannot be drawn +with very distinct or strong markings. The +tableaux from which it is copied are so +intertwisted and complicated with clever, +slippery, ingenious scoundrelism, that a +finished chart of it would be worse than +morally displeasing:—it would be tedious.</p> + +<p class='c006'>All arts require time and experience for +their development. When anything great is +to be done, first attempts are nearly always +failures. The first Bank note forgery was +no exception to this rule, and its story has a +spice of romance in it. The affair has never +been circumstantially told; but some research +enables us to detail it:—</p> + +<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_556'>556</span>In the month of August, 1757, a gentleman +living in the neighbourhood of Lincoln’s Inn +Fields named Bliss, advertised for a clerk. +There were, as was usual even at that time, +many applicants; but the successful one +was a young man of twenty-six, named +Richard William Vaughan. His manners +were so winning and his demeanour so much +that of a gentleman (he belonged indeed to a +good county family in Staffordshire, and had +been a student at Pembroke Hall, Oxford), +that Mr. Bliss at once engaged him. Nor had +he occasion, during the time the new clerk +served him, to repent the step. Vaughan was so +diligent, intelligent, and steady, that not even +when it transpired that he was, commercially +speaking, “under a cloud,” did his master +lessen confidence in him. Some enquiry into +his antecedents showed that he had, while at +College, been extravagant; that his friends +had removed him thence; set him up in +Stafford as a wholesale linen draper, with a +branch establishment in Aldersgate Street, +London; that he had failed, and that there +was some difficulty about his certificate. +But so well did he excuse his early failings +and account for his misfortunes, that his employer +did not check the regard he felt +growing towards him. Their intercourse was +not merely that of master and servant. +Vaughan was a frequent guest at Bliss’s +table; by-and-by a daily visitor to his wife, +and—to his ward.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Miss Bliss was a young lady of some attractions, +not the smallest of which was a handsome +fortune. Young Vaughan made the most +of his opportunities. He was well-looking, well-informed, +dressed well, and evidently made +love well, for he won the young lady’s heart. +The guardian was not flinty hearted, and +acted like a sensible man of the world. “It +was not,” he said on a subsequent and painful +occasion, “till I learned from the servants +and observed by the girl’s behaviour that she +greatly approved Richard Vaughan, that I +consented; but on condition that he should +make it appear that he could maintain her. +I had no doubt of his character as a servant, +and I knew his family were respectable. His +brother is an eminent attorney.” Vaughan +boasted that his mother (his father was dead), +was willing to re-instate him in business with +a thousand pounds; five hundred of which +was to be settled upon Miss Bliss for her +separate use.</p> + +<p class='c006'>So far all went on prosperously. Providing +Richard Vaughan could attain a position +satisfactory to the Blisses, the marriage was +to take place on the Easter Monday following, +which the Calendar tells us happened early +in April, 1758. With this understanding, he +left Mr. Bliss’s service, to push his fortune.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Months passed on, and Vaughan appears to +have made no way in the world. He had not +even obtained his bankrupt’s certificate. His +visits to his affianced were frequent, and his +protestations passionate; but he had effected +nothing substantial towards a happy union. +Miss Bliss’s guardian grew impatient; and, +although there is no evidence to prove that +the young lady’s affection for Vaughan was +otherwise than deep and sincere, yet even she +began to lose confidence in him. His excuses +were evidently evasive, and not always true. +The time fixed for the wedding was fast approaching; +and Vaughan saw that something +must be done to restore the young lady’s confidence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>About three weeks before the appointed +Easter Tuesday, Vaughan went to his mistress +in high spirits. All was right: his certificate +was to be granted in a day or two; his family +had come forward with the money, and he +was to continue the Aldersgate business he +had previously carried on as a branch of the +Stafford trade. The capital he had waited so +long for, was at length forthcoming. In fact, +here were two hundred and forty pounds of +the five hundred he was to settle on his +beloved. Vaughan then produced twelve +twenty-pound notes; Miss Bliss could scarcely +believe her eyes. She examined them. The +paper she remarked seemed rather thicker +than usual. “Oh,” said Bliss, “all Bank bills +are not alike.” The girl was naturally much +pleased. She would hasten to apprise Mistress +Bliss of the good news.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Not for the world! So far from letting any +living soul know he had placed so much +money in her hands, Vaughan exacted an +oath of secresy from her, and sealed the notes +up in a parcel with his own seal; making her +swear that she would on no account open it +till after their marriage.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Some days after, that is, “on the twenty-second +of March,” (1758) we are describing +the scene in Mr. Bliss’s own words—“I was +sitting with my wife by the fireside. The +prisoner and the girl were sitting in the same +room—which was a small one—and although +they whispered, I could distinguish that +Vaughan was very urgent to have something +returned which he had previously given to +her. She refused, and Vaughan went away +in an angry mood. I then studied the girl’s +face, and saw that it expressed much dissatisfaction. +Presently a tear broke out. I then +spoke, and insisted on knowing the dispute. +She refused to tell, and I told her that until +she did, I would not see her. The next day +I asked the same question of Vaughan; he +hesitated. ‘Oh!’ I said, ‘I dare say it is +some ten or twelve pound matter—something +to buy a wedding bauble with.’ He answered +that it was much more than that, it was near +three hundred pounds! ‘But why all this +secresy,’ I said; and he answered it was not +proper for people to know he had so much +money till his certificate was signed. I then +asked him to what intent he had left the +notes with the young lady? He said, as I +had of late suspected him, he designed to give +her a proof of his affection and truth. I said, +‘You have demanded them in such a way that +<span class='pageno' id='Page_557'>557</span>it must be construed as an abatement of your +affection towards her.’” Vaughan was again +exceedingly urgent in asking back the packet; +but Bliss remembering his many evasions, and +supposing that this was a trick, declined +advising his niece to restore the parcel without +proper consideration. The very next day +it was discovered that the notes were counterfeits.</p> + +<p class='c006'>This occasioned stricter enquiries into +Vaughan’s previous career. It turned out +that he bore the character in his native place +of a dissipated and not very scrupulous person. +The intention of his mother to assist him was +an entire fabrication, and he had given Miss +Bliss the forged notes solely for the purpose +of deceiving her on that matter. Meanwhile +the forgeries became known to the authorities, +and he was arrested. By what means, does +not clearly appear. The “Annual Register” +says that one of the engravers gave information; +but we find nothing in the newspapers +of the time to support that statement; neither +was it corroborated at Vaughan’s trial.</p> + +<p class='c006'>When Vaughan was arrested he thrust a +piece of paper into his mouth, and began to +chew it violently. It was, however, rescued, +and proved to be one of the forged notes; +fourteen of them were found on his person, +and when his lodgings were searched twenty +more were discovered.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Vaughan was tried at the Old Bailey on +the seventh of April, before Lord Mansfield. +The manner of the forgery was detailed +minutely at the trial:—On the first of March +(about a week before he gave the twelve +notes to the young lady) Vaughan called on +Mr. John Corbould, an engraver, and gave an +order for a promissory note to be engraved +with these words:—</p> + +<p class='c007'>“No. ——.</p> +<p class='c008'>“I promise to pay to ——, or +Bearer, ——, London ——.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>There was to be a Britannia in the corner. +When it was done, Mr. Sneed (for that was +the <i>alias</i> Vaughan adopted) came again, but +objected to the execution of the work. The +Britannia was not good, and the words “I +promise” were too near the edge of the plate. +Another was in consequence engraved, and on +the fourth of March Vaughan took it away. +He immediately repaired to a printer, and had +forty-eight impressions taken on thin paper, +provided by himself. Meanwhile, he had +ordered, on the same morning, of Mr. Charles +Fourdrinier, another engraver, a second plate, +with what he called “a direction,” in the +words, “For the Governor and Company of +the Bank of England.” This was done, and +about a week later he brought some paper, +each sheet “folded up,” said the witness, “very +curiously, so that I could not see what was in +them. I was going to take the papers from him, +but he said he must go upstairs with me, and +see them worked off himself. I took him upstairs; +he would not let me have them out of +his hands. I took a sponge and wetted them, +and put them one by one on the plate in +order for printing them. After my boy had +done two or three of them, I went downstairs, +and my boy worked the rest off, and the +prisoner came down and paid me.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Here the Court pertinently asked, “What +imagination had you when a man thus came +to you to print on secret paper, ‘the Governor +and Company of the Bank of England?’”</p> + +<p class='c006'>The engraver’s reply was:—“I then did not +suspect anything. But I shall take care for +the future.” As this was the first Bank of +England note forgery that was ever perpetrated, +the engraver was held excused.</p> + +<p class='c006'>It may be mentioned as an evidence of +the delicacy of the reporters that, in their +account of the trial, Miss Bliss’s name is not +mentioned. Her designation is “a young lady.” +We subjoin the notes of her evidence:—</p> + +<p class='c006'>“A young lady (sworn). The prisoner delivered +me some bills; these are the same +(producing twelve counterfeit Bank notes +sealed up in a cover, for twenty pounds each), +said they were Bank bills. I said they were +thicker paper—he said all bills are not alike. +I was to keep them till after we were married. +He put them into my hands to show he put +confidence in me, and desired me not to show +them to any body; sealed them up with his +own seal, and obliged me by an oath not to +discover them to any body. And I did not +till he had discovered them himself. He was +to settle so much in Stock on me.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Vaughan urged in his defence that his sole +object was to deceive his affianced, and that +he intended to destroy all the notes after his +marriage. But it had been proved that the prisoner +had asked one John Ballingar to change +first one, and then twenty of the notes; but +which that person was unable to do. Besides, +had his sole object been to dazzle Miss Bliss +with his fictitious wealth, he would most probably +have entrusted more, if not all the notes, +to her keeping.</p> + +<p class='c006'>He was found guilty, and passed the day +that had been fixed for his wedding, as a condemned +criminal.</p> + +<p class='c006'>On the 11th May, 1758, Richard William +Vaughan was executed at Tyburn. By his +side, on the same gallows, there was another +forger: William Boodgere, a military officer, +who had forged a draught on an army agent +named Calcroft, and expiated the offence with +the first forger of Bank of England notes.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The gallows may seem hard measure to +have meted out to Vaughan, when it is considered +that none of his notes were negotiated +and no person suffered by his fraud. Not +one of the forty-eight notes, except the twelve +delivered to Miss Bliss, had been out of his +possession; indeed the imitation must have +been very clumsily executed, and detection +would have instantly followed any attempt to +pass the counterfeits. There was no endeavour +to copy the style of engraving on a real +Bank note. That was left to the engraver; +<span class='pageno' id='Page_558'>558</span>and as each sheet passed through the press +twice, the words added at the second printing, +“For the Governor and Company of the Bank +of England,” could have fallen into their +proper place on any one of the sheets, only by +a miracle. But what would have made the +forgery clear to even a superficial observer +was the singular omission of the second “n” +in the word England.<a id='r1'></a><a href='#f1' class='c009'><sup>[1]</sup></a></p> + +<div class='footnote' id='f1'> +<p class='c006'><a href='#r1'>1</a>. Bad orthography was by no means uncommon in the +most important documents at that period; the days of the +week, in the day-books of the Bank of England itself, are +spelt in a variety of ways.</p> +</div> + +<p class='c006'>The criticism on Vaughan’s note of a Bank +clerk examined on the trial was:—“There is +some resemblance, to be sure; but this mote” +(that upon which the prisoner was tried) +“is numbered thirteen thousand eight hundred +and forty, and we never reach so high +a number.” Besides there was no water-mark +in the paper. The note of which a fac-simile +appeared in our eighteenth number, and dated +so early as 1699, has a regular design in the +texture of the paper; showing that the water-mark +is as old as the Bank notes themselves.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Vaughan was greatly commiserated. But +despite the unskilfulness of the forgery, and +the insignificant consequences which followed +it, the crime was considered of too dangerous +a character not to be marked, from its very +novelty, with exemplary punishment. Hanging +created at that time no remorse in the +public mind, and it was thought necessary to +set up Vaughan as a warning to all future +Bank note forgers. The crime was too dangerous +not to be marked with the severest +penalties. Forgery differs from other crimes +not less in the magnitude of the spoil it may +obtain, and of the injury it inflicts, than in +the facilities attending its accomplishment. +The common thief finds a limit to his depredations +in the bulkiness of his booty, which is +generally confined to such property as he can +carry about his person; the swindler raises +insuperable and defeating obstacles to his +frauds if the amount he seeks to obtain is so +considerable as to awaken close vigilance or +enquiry. To carry their projects to any very +profitable extent, these criminals are reduced +to the hazardous necessity of acting in concert, +and thus infinitely increasing the risks of +detection. But the forger need have no +accomplice; he is burdened with no bulky +and suspicious property; he needs no receiver +to assist his contrivances. The skill of his own +individual right hand can command thousands; +often with the certainty of not being +detected, and oftener with such rapidity as +to enable him to baffle the pursuit of justice.</p> + +<p class='c006'>It was a long time before Vaughan’s rude +attempt was improved upon: but in the +same year, (1758), another department of the +crime was commenced with perfect success;—namely, +an ingenious alteration, for fraudulent +purposes, of real Bank notes. A few months +after Vaughan’s execution, one of the northern +mails was stopped and robbed by a highwayman; +several Bank notes were comprised in +the spoil, and the robber, setting up with +these as a gentleman, went boldly to the Hatfield +Post office, ordered a chaise and four, +rattled away down the road, and changed +a note at every change of horses. The robbery +was, of course, soon made known, and +the numbers and dates of the stolen notes +were advertised as having been stopped at +the Bank. To the genius of a highwayman +this offered but a small obstacle, and the +gentleman-thief changed all the figures “1” +he could find into “4’s.” These notes passed +currently enough; but, on reaching the Bank, +the alteration was detected, and the last +holder was refused payment. As that person +had given a valuable consideration for the note, +he brought an action for the recovery of the +amount; and at the trial it was ruled by the +Lord Chief Justice, that “any person paying +a valuable consideration for a Bank note, +payable to bearer, in a fair course of business, +has an understood right to receive the money +of the Bank.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>It took a quarter of a century to bring the +art of forging Bank notes to perfection. In +1779, this was nearly attained by an ingenious +gentleman named Mathison, a watchmaker, +from the matrimonial village of Gretna Green. +Having learnt the arts of engraving and of simulating +signatures, he tried his hand at the +notes of the Darlington Bank; but, with the +confidence of skill, was not cautious in passing +them, was suspected, and absconded to Edinburgh. +Scorning to let his talent be wasted, +he favoured the Scottish public with many +spurious Royal Bank of Scotland notes, and +regularly forged his way by their aid to +London. At the end of February he took +handsome lodgings in the Strand, opposite +Arundel Street. His industry was remarkable; +for, by the 12th of March, he had +planed and polished rough pieces of copper, +engraved them, forged the water-mark, printed +and negotiated several impressions. His plan +was to travel and to purchase articles in shops. +He bought a pair of shoe-buckles at Coventry +with a forged note, which was eventually detected +at the Bank of England. He had got +so bold that he paid such frequent visits in +Threadneedle Street that the Bank clerks +became familiar with his person. He was +continually changing notes of one, for another +denomination. These were his originals, which +he procured to make spurious copies of. +One day seven thousand pounds came in +from the Stamp Office. There was a dispute +about one of the notes. Mathison, +who was present, though at some distance, +declared, oracularly, that the note was a good +one. How could he know so well? A dawn +of suspicion arose in the minds of the clerks; +one trail led into another, and Mathison was +finally apprehended. So well were his notes +forged that, on the trial, an experienced Bank +clerk declared he could not tell whether the +note handed him to examine was forged or +<span class='pageno' id='Page_559'>559</span>not. Mathison offered to reveal his secret of +forging the water-mark, if mercy were shown +to him; this was refused, and he suffered the +penalty of his crime.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Mathison was a genius in his criminal way, +but a greater than he appeared in 1786. In +that year perfection seemed to have been +reached. So considerable was the circulation +of spurious paper-money that it appeared +as if some unknown power had set up a +bank of its own. Notes were issued from +it, and readily passed current, in hundreds +and thousands. They were not to be distinguished +from the genuine paper of Threadneedle +Street. Indeed, when one was presented +there, in due course, so complete +were all its parts; so masterly the engraving; +so correct the signatures; so skilful +the water-mark, that it was promptly +paid; and only discovered to be a forgery +when it reached a particular department. +From that period forged paper continued to +be presented, especially at the time of lottery +drawing. Consultations were held with the +police. Plans were laid to help detection. +Every effort was made to trace the forger. +Clarke, the best detective of his day, went, +like a sluth-hound, on the track; for in those +days the expressive word “blood-money” was +known. Up to a certain point there was +little difficulty; but beyond that, consummate +art defied the ingenuity of the officer. +In whatever way the notes came, the train of +discovery always paused at the lottery-offices. +Advertisements offering large rewards were +circulated; but the unknown forger baffled +detection.</p> + +<p class='c006'>While this base paper was in full currency, +there appeared an advertisement in +the Daily Advertiser for a servant. The +successful applicant was a young man, in the +employment of a musical-instrument maker; +who, some time after, was called upon by a +coachman, and informed that the advertiser +was waiting in a coach to see him. The young +man was desired to enter the conveyance, +where he beheld a person with something of +the appearance of a foreigner, sixty or seventy +years old, apparently troubled with the gout. +A camlet surtout was buttoned round his +mouth; a large patch was placed over his left +eye; and nearly every part of his face was +concealed. He affected much infirmity. He +had a faint hectic cough; and invariably +presented the patched side to the view of the +servant. After some conversation—in the +course of which he represented himself as +guardian to a young nobleman of great fortune—the +interview concluded with the engagement +of the applicant; and the new servant +was directed to call on Mr. Brank, at 29, +Titchfield Street, Oxford Street. At this +interview Brank inveighed against his whimsical +ward for his love of speculating in lottery-tickets; +and told the servant that his +principal duty would be to purchase them. +After one or two meetings, at each of which +Brank kept his face muffled, he handed a +forty and twenty pound Bank note; told the +servant to be very careful not to lose them; +and directed him to buy lottery-tickets at +separate offices. The young man fulfilled +his instructions, and at the moment he +was returning, was suddenly called by his +employer from the other side of the street, +congratulated on his rapidity, and then told +to go to various other offices in the neighbourhood +of the Royal Exchange, and to +purchase more shares. Four hundred pounds +in Bank of England Notes were handed him, +and the wishes of the mysterious Mr. Brank +were satisfactorily effected. These scenes +were continually enacted. Notes to a large +amount were thus circulated; lottery-tickets +purchased; and Mr. Brank—always in a coach, +with his face studiously concealed—was ever +ready on the spot to receive them. The surprise +of the servant was somewhat excited; +but had he known that from the period he left +his master to purchase the tickets, one female +figure accompanied all his movements; that +when he entered the offices, it waited at the +door, peered cautiously in at the window, +hovered around him like a second shadow, +watched him carefully, and never left him +until once more he was in the Company +of his employer—that surprise would have +been greatly increased.<a id='r2'></a><a href='#f2' class='c009'><sup>[2]</sup></a> Again and again +were these extraordinary scenes rehearsed. +At last the Bank obtained a clue, and the +servant was taken into custody. The directors +imagined that they had secured the +actor of so many parts; that the flood of +forged notes which had inundated that establishment +would at length be dammed up +at his source. Their hopes proved fallacious, +and it was found that “Old Patch,” (as the +mysterious forger was, from the servant’s +description, nick-named) had been sufficiently +clever to baffle the Bank directors. The +house in Titchfield Street was searched; but +Mr. Brank had deserted it, and not a trace of +a single implement of forgery was to be seen.</p> + +<div class='footnote' id='f2'> +<p class='c006'><a href='#r2'>2</a>. Francis’s History of the Bank of England.</p> +</div> + +<p class='c006'>All that could be obtained was some little +knowledge of “Old Patch’s” proceedings. +It appeared that he carried on his paper coining +entirely by himself. His only confidant +was his mistress. He was his own engraver. +He even made his own ink. He manufactured +his own paper. With a private press +he worked his own notes; and counterfeited +the signatures of the cashiers, completely. +But these discoveries had no effect; for it +became evident that Mr. Patch had set up a +press elsewhere. Although his secret continued +as impenetrable, his notes became as +plentiful as ever. Five years of unbounded +prosperity ought to have satisfied him; but it +did not. Success seemed to pall him. His +genius was of that insatiable order which +demands new excitements, and a constant +succession of new flights. The following +<span class='pageno' id='Page_560'>560</span>paragraph from a newspaper of 1786 relates +to the same individual:—</p> + +<p class='c006'>“On the 17th of December, ten pounds was +paid into the Bank, for which the clerk, as usual, +gave a ticket to receive a Bank note of equal +value. This ticket ought to have been carried +immediately to the cashier, instead of which +the bearer took it home, and curiously added +an 0 to the original sum, and returning, presented +it so altered to the cashier, for which +he received a note of one hundred pounds. In +the evening, the clerks found a deficiency in +the accounts; and on examining the tickets of +the day, not only that but two others were +discovered to have been obtained in the same +manner. In the one, the figure 1 was altered +to 4, and in another to 5, by which the artist +received, upon the whole, nearly one thousand +pounds.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>To that princely felony, Old Patch, as will +be seen in the sequel, added smaller misdemeanors +which one would think were far beneath +his notice; except to convince himself and +his mistress of the unbounded facility of his +genius for fraud.</p> + +<p class='c006'>At that period the affluent public were +saddled with a tax on plate; and many experiments +were made to evade it. Among +others, one was invented by a Mr. Charles +Price, a stock-jobber and lottery-office keeper, +which, for a time, puzzled the tax-gatherer. +Mr. Charles Price lived in great style, gave +splendid dinners, and did everything on the +grandest scale. Yet Mr. Charles Price had +no plate! The authorities could not find +so much as a silver tooth-pick on his magnificent +premises. In truth, what he was too +cunning to possess, he borrowed. For one of +his sumptuous entertainments, he hired the +plate of a silversmith in Cornhill, and left the +value in bank notes as security for its safe +return. One of these notes having proved a +forgery, was traced to Mr. Charles Price; and +Mr. Charles Price was not to be found at that +particular juncture. Although this excited no +surprise—for he was often an absentee from his +office for short periods—yet in due course and +as a formal matter of business, an officer was +set to find him, and to ask his explanation +regarding the false note. After tracing a man +who he had a strong notion was Mr. Charles +Price through countless lodgings and innumerable +disguises, the officer (to use his own +expression) “nabbed” Mr. Charles Price. +But, as Mr. Clarke observed, his prisoner and +his prisoner’s lady were even then “too many” +for him; for although he lost not a moment +in trying to secure the forging implements, +after he had discovered that Mr. Charles Price, +and Mr. Brank, and Old Patch, were all concentrated +in the person of his prisoner, he +found the lady had destroyed every trace of +evidence. Not a vestige of the forging factory +was left. Not the point of a graver, nor a single +spot of ink, nor a shred of silver paper, nor a +scrap of anybody’s handwriting, was to be met +with. Despite, however, this paucity of evidence +to convict him, Mr. Charles Price had +not the courage to face a jury, and eventually +he saved the judicature and the Tyburn executive +much trouble and expense, by hanging +himself in Bridewell.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The success of Mr. Charles Price has never +been surpassed; and even after the darkest era +in the history of Bank forgeries—which dates +from the suspension of cash payments, in +February, 1797, and which will be treated of +in a succeeding paper—“Old Patch” was +still remembered as the Cæsar of Forgers.</p> + +<div class='chapter'> + <h2 class='c003'>THE TWO GUIDES OF THE CHILD.</h2> +</div> + +<p class='c010'>A spirit near me said, “Look forth upon +the Land of Life. What do you see?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Steep mountains, covered by a mighty +plain, a table-land of many-coloured beauty. +Beauty, nay, it seems all beautiful at first, +but now I see that there are some parts +barren.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Are they quite barren?—look more closely +still!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“No, in the wildest deserts, now, I see some +gum-dropping acacias, and the crimson blossom +of the cactus. But there are regions that +rejoice abundantly in flower and fruit; and +now, O Spirit, I see men and women moving +to and fro.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Observe them, mortal.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I behold a world of love; the men have +women’s arms entwined about them; some +upon the verge of precipices—friends are +running to the rescue. There are many wandering +like strangers, who know not their +road, and they look upward. Spirit, how +many, many eyes are looking up as if to God! +Ah, now I see some strike their neighbours +down into the dust; I see some wallowing +like swine; I see that there are men and +women brutal.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Are they quite brutal?—look more closely +still.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“No, I see prickly sorrow growing out of +crime, and penitence awakened by a look of +love. I see good gifts bestowed out of the +hand of murder, and see truth issue out of +lying lips. But in this plain, O Spirit, I see +regions—wide, bright regions,—yielding fruit +and flower, while others seem perpetually +veiled with fogs, and in them no fruit ripens. +I see pleasant regions where the rock is full +of clefts, and people fall into them. The men +who dwell beneath the fog deal lovingly, and +yet they have small enjoyment in the world +around them, which they scarcely see. But +whither are these women going?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Follow them.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I have followed down the mountains to a +haven in the vale below. All that is lovely +in the world of flowers makes a fragrant bed +for the dear children; birds singing, they +breathe upon the pleasant air; the butterflies +play with them. Their limbs shine white +among the blossoms, and their mothers come +down full of joy to share their innocent delight. +<span class='pageno' id='Page_561'>561</span>They pelt each other with the lilies of the +valley. They call up at will fantastic masques, +grim giants play to make them merry, a thousand +grotesque loving phantoms kiss them; +to each the mother is the one thing real, the +highest bliss—the next bliss is the dream of +all the world beside. Some that are motherless, +all mother’s love. Every gesture, every +look, every odour, every song, adds to the +charm of love which fills the valley. Some +little figures fall and die, and on the valley’s +soil they crumble into violets and lilies, with +love-tears to hang in them like dew.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Who dares to come down with a frown +into this happy valley? A severe man seizes +an unhappy, shrieking child, and leads it to +the roughest ascent of the mountain. He will +lead it over steep rocks to the plain of the +mature. On ugly needle-points he makes the +child sit down, and teaches it its duty in the +world above.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Its duty, mortal! do you listen to the +teacher?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Spirit, I hear now. The child is informed +about two languages spoken by nations extinct +centuries ago, and something also, O Spirit, +about the base of a hypothenuse.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Does the child attend?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Not much; but it is beaten sorely, and its +knees are bruised against the rocks, till it is +hauled up, woe-begone and weary, to the upper +plain. It looks about bewildered; all is strange,—it +knows not how to act. Fogs crown the +barren mountain paths. Spirit, I am unhappy; +there are many children thus hauled up, and +as young men upon the plain; they walk in +fog, or among brambles; some fall into pits; +and many, getting into flower-paths, lie down +and learn. Some become active, seeking right, +but ignorant of what right is; they wander +among men out of their fog-land, preaching +folly. Let me go back among the children.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Have they no better guide?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Yes, now there comes one with a smiling +face, and rolls upon the flowers with the +little ones, and they are drawn to him. +And he has magic spells to conjure up glorious +spectacles of fairy land. He frolics with them +and might be first cousin to the butterflies. +He wreathes their little heads with flower +garlands, and with his fairy land upon his lips +he walks toward the mountains; eagerly they +follow. He seeks the smoothest upward path, +and that is but a rough one, yet they run up +merrily, guide and children, butterflies pursuing +still the flowers as they nod over a host +of laughing faces. They talk of the delightful +fairy world, and resting in the shady places +learn of the yet more delightful world of God. +They learn to love the Maker of the Flowers, +to know how great the Father of the Stars +must be, how good must be the Father of the +Beetle. They listen to the story of the race +they go to labour with upon the plain, and +love it for the labour it has done. They learn +old languages of men, to understand the past—more +eagerly they learn the voices of the +men of their own day, that they may take +part with the present. And in their study +when they flag, they fall back upon thoughts +of the Child Valley they are leaving. Sports +and fancies are the rod and spur that bring +them with new vigour to the lessons. When +they reach the plain they cry, ‘We know you, +men and women; we know to what you have +aspired for centuries; we know the love there +is in you; we know the love there is in God; +we come prepared to labour with you, dear, +good friends. We will not call you clumsy +when we see you tumble, we will try to pick +you up; when we fall, you shall pick us up. +We have been trained to love, and therefore +we can aid you heartily, for love is +labour!’”</p> + +<p class='c006'>The Spirit whispered, “You have seen and +you have heard. Go now, and speak unto +your fellow-men: ask justice for the child.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>To-day should love To-morrow, for it is a +thing of hope; let the young Future not be +nursed by Care. God gave not fancy to the +child that men should stamp its blossoms +down into the loose soil of intellect. The +child’s heart was not made full to the brim of +love, that men should pour its love away, and +bruise instead of kiss the trusting innocent. +Love and fancy are the stems on which we +may graft knowledge readily. What is called +by some dry folks a solid foundation may be +a thing not desirable. To cut down all the +trees and root up all the flowers in a garden, +to cover walks and flower-beds alike with a +hard crust of well-rolled gravel, that would +be to lay down your solid foundation after a +plan which some think good in a child’s mind, +though not quite worth adopting in a garden. +O, teacher, love the child and learn of it; so +let it love and learn of you.</p> + +<div class='chapter'> + <h2 class='c003'>CHIPS.</h2> +</div> +<h3 class='c004'>EASY SPELLING AND HARD READING.</h3> + +<p class='c005'>An interesting case of educational destitution +presents itself in the following letter. +It is written by the son of a poor, but honest, +brickmaker of Hammersmith, who emigrated +to Sidney, and is now a shepherd at Bathurst. +While the facts it contains are clearly stated, +and the sentiments expressed are highly creditable +to the writer—showing that his moral +training had not been neglected by his parents—the +orthography is such as, we may safely +affirm, would not have emanated from any +human being with similar abilities, and in a +similar station, than an Englishman.</p> + +<p class='c006'>England stands pre-eminent in this respect. +The parents of this letter-writer were too +poor to <i>pay</i> to have their child taught, and +consequently with the best will in the world +to be an ordinary scholar, he is unable to +spell. The clever manner in which such +letters are selected as represent the sounds +he is in the habit of giving to each word, shows +an aptitude which would assuredly have made +<span class='pageno' id='Page_562'>562</span>with the commonest cultivation a literate and +useful citizen. More amusing orthography +we have no where met; but the information +it conveys is of the most useful kind. The +reader will perceive that the points touched +upon are precisely those respecting which +he would wish to be informed; were he about +to emigrate.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The epistle not only gives a truthful picture +of an Australian shepherd’s condition, but +is in itself a lesson and a censure on that want +of national means of education from which at +least one-third of the adult population of England +suffer, and of which the writer is an +especial victim and example:—</p> + +<p class='c007'>“Deer mother and father and sisters i root thes +few lines hooping to find you All well for I arr in +gudd halth my self and i wood root befor onley i +wos very un setled and now i have root i houp +you will rite back as soon as you can and send +how you all arr and likwise our frends and i am +hired my self for a sheeprd 12 munts for 19 pound +and my keep too for it wos to soun for our work +when i arive in the cuntry it is a plesent and a +helthay cuntry and most peple dows well in it +as liks onley it is a grait cuntry for durnkerds and +you do not Xpket for them to do well no weer +i have not got any folt to find of the cuntry for +after few theres man can bee is own master if hee +liks for the wagers is higher then tha arr at hom +and the previshen is seeper and peple do not work +so hard as thay do at tom and if any wne wish to +com com at wonce and don with it same as i did +and take no feer oof the see whot ever for i did not +see any danger whot ever and it is a cuntry that +puur peapole can get a gud living in hoostlue wich +thay can not at tom i arr vrey well plesed off the +cuntry and i should bee very happy if i had som +relishon over with mee and i am 230 miles up the +cuntry and wee had a very plesent voyge over in +deed and likwise luckey and vrey litle sickenss +and no deths deer mother and father i houp you +will lett our frends no how i am geeting on and +der frends you take no heed what pepole says +about horstler take and past your own thouths +about it and if any body wishes to com i wood swade +them to com con pepole can geet a gud living +there wer tha cant at tome and pepole beter com +and geet a belly full then to stop at tome and +work day and night then onely get haf a bely ful +and i am shuur that no body can not find any folt +off the cuntry eXcep tis pepole do not now when +tha arr doing well [price of pervison] tee lb 1<i>s</i> to +3<i>s</i> suuger lb 2<i>d</i> to 6<i>d</i> coofe lb 8<i>d</i> to 1<i>s</i> bred lb 1<i>d</i> +to 2<i>d</i> beef lb 1<i>d</i> to 2<i>d</i> mutten ditto baken lb 6<i>d</i> to +1<i>s.</i> poork lb 2<i>d</i> to 4<i>d</i> butter lb <i>6</i>d to 1<i>s</i> chees lb +4<i>d</i> to 8<i>d</i> pertos price as tome sope lb 4<i>d</i> to 6<i>d</i> +starch and blue and sooder home price candles lb +4<i>d</i> to 6<i>d</i> rice lb 2<i>d</i> to 4<i>d</i> hags hom price trekle +lb 4<i>d</i> to 5<i>d</i> solt lb 1<i>d</i> peper nounc 2<i>d</i> tabaker lb +1<i>s</i> to 6<i>s</i> beer 4<i>d</i> pot at sednay and up in the pool +1<i>s</i> spirts hom price frut happles pars horengs +lemns peshes gusbryes curneth cheerys cokelnut +storbyes rasberys nuts of all sorts vegtbles of all +sorts price of cloths much the same as tome stok +very resneble sheep 2<i>s</i> 6<i>d</i> heed wait about 80 +pounds fat bullket about 1000 wit 3<i>l</i> pour hors +from 2<i>l</i> to 10<i>l</i> ther is wonderful grait many black +in the cuntry but tha will not hurt any one if you +will let them aolne.</p> + +<div class='lg-container-b c011'> + <div class='linegroup'> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>traitment on bord ship,</div> + </div> + </div> +</div> + +<p class='c012'>wee arive in the 7 febery and sailed to graveshend +then wee stop ther 2 days then wee sailed from +ther to plymeth and wee stop ther 9 days and took +in loot more emigrant then wee sailed from ther +to seednay we arive to seednay 8 of June wee had +it vry ruf in the bay of biskey and three mor +places beside but i did not see any dainger of +sinking not the lest for wee had a vry plesent +voyges over in deed the pervison on bord ship +Monday pork haf pound pea haf pint butter +6 ounces weekly tea 1 ounce per week 9 ounces +daily biscuit Tusday beef haf pound rice 4 ounces +flour 1 pound per week Wendesday pork haf +pound peas haf pint raisins haf pound per week +cooffee 1 ounce and haf per week Thursday preserved +meet haf pound Friday pork haf pound +peas haf pint Sadurday beef haf pound rice 4 +ounces sugar three Quarter pound per week +Sunday preserved meat haf pound fresh woter +three Quarrts daily vinegar haf pint per week +Mustard haf ounce per week salt tow ounces per +week lime Juse haf pint per week my der sisters +i houp you will keep your selvs from all bad company +for it is a disgrace to all frends and likwise +worse for you own sellvs o rember that opinted +day to com at last tis behoups that wee shal bee +free from all dets o whot a glorious tirm it will +bee then wee shal feel no more pains nor gref nor +sorows nor sickness nor truble of any cind o whot +a glorious term it will bee then o seeners kip your +selvs out off the mire for feer you shuld sink +to the bootem the sarvents wagars of houstler +tha geets ges haf as much mour as tha gets at +tome and my sister Maryaan shee kood geet +16 punds a year and Sarah get 20 pound and +Marther get 8 or 9 pound and tha arr not so sharp +to the servents as tha arr at tome i houp you will +send word wot the yungest child name is and how +it is geeting on and send the date when it wos +born and i houp this will find you all weel and +cumfortble to. J. R.”</p> + +<div class='chapter'> + <h2 class='c003'>A VERY OLD SOLDIER.</h2> +</div> + +<p class='c010'>The following is a chip from a block +whence we have already taken a few shavings:—“Kohl’s +Travels in the Netherlands.” It +describes the National Hospital for the Aged +at Brussels. Some of the inmates whom he +found in it, though still alive, belong to history. +It must have been with a sort of +archaic emotion that our inquisitive friend +found himself speaking to a man who had +escorted Marie Antoinette from Vienna to +Paris, on the occasion of her marriage!</p> + +<p class='c006'>“The magnitude of the <i><span lang="fr">Hospice des Vieillards</span></i> +in Brussels,” says Mr. Kohl, “fully realises +the idea of a National establishment. +The building itself fulfils all the required conditions +of extent, solidity, and convenience. +The gardens, court-yards, and apartments are +spacious and well arranged. The sleeping +and eating rooms are large, and well furnished; +and it is pleasing to observe, here and +there, the walls adorned with pictures painted +in oil-colours. The inmates of this <i><span lang="fr">Hospice</span></i> +pass their latter days in the enjoyment of a +degree of happiness and comfort which would +be unattainable in their own homes. The +<span class='pageno' id='Page_563'>563</span>chapel is situated only at the distance of a +few paces from the main building, and is connected +with it by means of a roofed corridor; +thus obviating the difficulties which prevent +old people from attending places of public +worship when, as it frequently happens, they +are situated at long and inaccessible distances +from their dwellings. In winter the Chapel +of the <i><span lang="fr">Hospice</span></i> is carefully warmed and +secured against damp.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“At the time of my visit to the <i><span lang="fr">Hospice +des Vieillards</span></i> in Brussels, the establishment +contained about seven hundred inmates, of +both sexes, between the ages of seventy and +eighty. Of this number six hundred and +fifteen were maintained at the charge of the +establishment, and seventy-five, being in competent +circumstances, defrayed their own expenses. +That the number of those able to +maintain themselves should bear so considerable +a relative proportion to the rest, is a +fact which bears strong testimony in favour +of the merits of the establishment. Those +who support themselves live in a style more +or less costly, according to the amount of +their respective payments. Some of the +apartments into which I was conducted certainly +presented such an air of comfort that +persons, even of a superior condition of life, +could scarcely have desired better.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I learned from the Governor of the +<i><span lang="fr">Hospice</span></i> that the average cost of the maintenance +of each individual was about seventy-five +centimes per day, making a total diurnal +expenditure of six hundred francs, or of +two hundred thousand francs per annum. +But as this estimate includes the wages of +attendants and the expenses consequent on +repairs of the building, it may fairly be calculated +that each individual costs about three +hundred francs per annum. The <i><span lang="fr">Hospice</span></i> +frequently receives liberal donations and +bequests from opulent private persons.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“For such of the pensioners as are able to +work, employment is provided: others are +appointed to fill official posts in the veteran +Republic. Now and then a little task-work +is imposed; but the <i><span lang="fr">Hospice</span></i> being rich, this +duty is not exacted with the precision requisite +in establishments for the young, where +the inmates having a long worldly career +before them, it is desirable that they should +be trained in habits of regularity and industry. +The pensioners of the Brussels +<i><span lang="fr">Hospice des Vieillards</span></i>, enjoy much freedom; +and they are even allowed some amusements +and indulgences, which it might not be proper +to concede to young persons. For example, +they are permitted to play at cards; but it +will scarcely be said there is anything objectionable +in such an indulgence to old persons +who have run out their worldly course; for +even were they fated once more to enter +into society, their example could neither be +very useful nor very dangerous. Here and +there I observed groups of the pensioners, +male and female, seated at cards, staking +their pocket-money, of which each has a +small allowance, on the hazard of the game. +The penalties assigned for misdemeanours are +very mild, consisting merely in the offending +party being prohibited from going out, or, as +it is called, <i><span lang="fr">la privée de la sortie</span></i>. In extreme +cases the delinquent is confined to his or her +own apartment.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“It has seldom been my lot to visit a +charitable institution, which created in my +mind so many pleasing impressions as those I +experienced in the Hospital for the Old in +Brussels. It was gratifying to observe in the +spacious court-yards the cheerful and happy +groups of grey-haired men and women, sunning +themselves in the open air. Some were +playing at cards, whilst here and there the +females were seated at work, and men sauntering +about smoking their pipes and gossiping. +Every now and then I met an old man +whistling or singing whilst he paced to and +fro. More than one of these veterans had +been eye-witnesses of interesting historical +events, which now belong to a past age. +Several of them had served as soldiers during +the Austrian dominion in Belgium. Of these +the porter of the Hospital was one.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“The most remarkable character in the +whole establishment was an old Dutchman, +named Jan Hermann Jankens, who was born +at Leyden in the year 1735. At the time +when I saw him, he was one hundred and nine +years of age; or, to quote his own description +of himself, he was ‘<i><span lang="fr">leste, vaillant, et sain</span></i>.’”</p> + +<div class='lg-container-b c011'> + <div class='linegroup'> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>“<span lang="fr">Il nous rapelle en vain</span></div> + <div class='line'><span lang="fr">Apres un siècle de séjour,</span></div> + <div class='line'><span lang="fr">Ses plaisirs ainsi que ses amertumes.</span>”</div> + </div> + </div> +</div> + +<p class='c006'>“These lines were inscribed beneath his +portrait, which hung in his own apartment. +I remarked that the painter had not flattered +him. ‘You are right, Sir,’ replied he; ‘the +fact is, I am much younger than my portrait,’ +and to prove that he was making no vain +boast, he sprang up, and cut several capers, +with surprising agility. His faculties were +unimpaired, and he was a remarkable example +of that vigorous organisation which sometimes +manifests itself in the human frame; and +which excites our wonder when we find that +such delicate structures as the nerves of sight +and hearing may be used for the space of a +century without wearing out. Until within +two years of the time when I saw Jankens, +he had been able to work well and actively. +His hand was firm and steady, and he frequently +wrote letters to his distant friends. +When in his one hundred and seventh year, +he thought, very reasonably, that he might +give up work. ‘And what do you do now?’ +I enquired. ‘I enjoy my life,’ replied he; ‘I +saunter about the whole day long, singing, +smoking, and amusing myself. I spend my +time very gaily!’</p> + +<p class='c006'>“‘Yes, Sir; he dances, drinks, and sings +all day long!’ exclaimed, in a half-jeering, +half-envious tone, another veteran, named +<span class='pageno' id='Page_564'>564</span>Watermans, who had joined us, and who, +though <i>only</i> ninety years of age, was much +more feeble than Jankens.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I learned from the latter that he had had +fifteen children; but that of all his large +family, only one survived, though most of +them had lived to a goodly age. His memory +was stored with recollections of events connected +with the marriage of Louis the Sixteenth; +for, when a soldier in the Austrian +service, he had formed one of the military +escort which conducted Marie Antoinette +into France. He sang me an old song, which +had been composed in honour of the Royal +nuptials, and which he said was very popular +at the time. It was in the usual style of such +effusions; a mere string of hyperbolic compliments, +in praise of the ‘beauteous Princess,’ +and the ‘illustrious Prince.’ It sounded like +an echo from the grave of old French loyalty. +Jankens sang this song in a remarkably +clear, strong voice; but nevertheless, the performance +did not give satisfaction to old +Watermans, who, thrusting his fingers into +his ears, said peevishly, ‘What a croaking +noise!’</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Heedless of this discouraging remark, the +venerable centenarian was preparing to favour +me with another specimen of his vocal ability, +when the great bell in the court-yard rang for +supper. ‘Pardon, Sir,’ said Jankens, with an +apologetic bow, ‘but—supper.’ Whereupon +he hurried off in the direction of the refectory, +with that sort of eager yearning with +which it might be imagined he turned to +his mother’s breast one hundred and nine +years before.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“‘It is amazing that that old fellow should +have so sharp an appetite,’ observed the +petulant Watermans, hobbling after him in +a way which showed that he too was not +altogether unprepared to do honour to the +evening meal.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>This Hospital for the Aged is a sort of +National Almshouse not solely peculiar to +Belgium. Private munificence does in England +what is done abroad by Governments; but it +is to be deplored that a more general provision +for the superannuated does not exist in this +country. Workhouses are indeed asylums for +the old; but for those who are also decayed +in worldly circumstances, they cannot afford +those comforts which old age requires. +Except Greenwich Hospital for sailors, and +Chelsea Hospital for soldiers, we have no +national institution for old people.</p> + +<div class='chapter'> + <h2 class='c003'>THE HOUSEHOLD JEWELS.</h2> +</div> + +<div class='lg-container-b c013'> + <div class='linegroup'> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>A Traveller, from journeying</div> + <div class='line in2'>In countries far away,</div> + <div class='line'>Re-passed his threshold at the close</div> + <div class='line in2'>Of one calm Sabbath day;</div> + <div class='line'>A voice of love, a comely face,</div> + <div class='line in2'>A kiss of chaste delight,</div> + <div class='line'>Were the first things to welcome him</div> + <div class='line in2'>On that blest Sabbath night.</div> + </div> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>He stretched his limbs upon the hearth,</div> + <div class='line in2'>Before its friendly blaze,</div> + <div class='line'>And conjured up mixed memories</div> + <div class='line in2'>Of gay and gloomy days;</div> + <div class='line'>And felt that none of gentle soul,</div> + <div class='line in2'>However far he roam,</div> + <div class='line'>Can e’er forego, can e’er forget,</div> + <div class='line in2'>The quiet joys of home.</div> + </div> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>“Bring me my children!” cried the sire,</div> + <div class='line in2'>With eager, earnest tone;</div> + <div class='line'>“I long to press them, and to mark</div> + <div class='line in2'>How lovely they have grown;</div> + <div class='line'>Twelve weary months have passed away</div> + <div class='line in2'>Since I went o’er the sea,</div> + <div class='line'>To feel how sad and lone I was</div> + <div class='line in2'>Without my babes and thee.”</div> + </div> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>“Refresh thee, as ’tis needful,” said</div> + <div class='line in2'>The fair and faithful wife,</div> + <div class='line'>The while her pensive features paled,</div> + <div class='line in2'>And stirred with inward strife;</div> + <div class='line'>“Refresh thee, husband of my heart,</div> + <div class='line in2'>I ask it as a boon;</div> + <div class='line'>Our children are reposing, love;</div> + <div class='line in2'>Thou shalt behold them soon.”</div> + </div> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>She spread the meal, she filled the cup,</div> + <div class='line in2'>She pressed him to partake;</div> + <div class='line'>He sat down blithely at the board,</div> + <div class='line in2'>And all for her sweet sake;</div> + <div class='line'>But when the frugal feast was done,</div> + <div class='line in2'>The thankful prayer preferred,</div> + <div class='line'>Again affection’s fountain flowed;</div> + <div class='line in2'>Again its voice was heard.</div> + </div> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>“Bring me my children, darling wife,</div> + <div class='line in2'>I’m in an ardent mood;</div> + <div class='line'>My soul lacks purer aliment,</div> + <div class='line in2'>I long for other food;</div> + <div class='line'>Bring forth my children to my gaze,</div> + <div class='line in2'>Or ere I rage or weep,</div> + <div class='line'>I yearn to kiss their happy eyes</div> + <div class='line in2'>Before the hour of sleep.”</div> + </div> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>“I have a question yet to ask;</div> + <div class='line in2'>Be patient, husband dear.</div> + <div class='line'>A stranger, one auspicious morn,</div> + <div class='line in2'>Did send some jewels here;</div> + <div class='line'>Until to take them from my care,</div> + <div class='line in2'>But yesterday he came,</div> + <div class='line'>And I restored them with a sigh:</div> + <div class='line in2'>—Dost thou approve, or blame?”</div> + </div> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>“I marvel much, sweet wife, that thou</div> + <div class='line in2'>Shouldst breathe such words to me;</div> + <div class='line'>Restore to man, resign to God,</div> + <div class='line in2'>Whate’er is lent to thee;</div> + <div class='line'>Restore it with a willing heart,</div> + <div class='line in2'>Be grateful for the trust;</div> + <div class='line'>Whate’er may tempt or try us, wife,</div> + <div class='line in2'>Let us be ever just.”</div> + </div> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>She took him by the passive hand,</div> + <div class='line in2'>And up the moonlit stair,</div> + <div class='line'>She led him to their bridal bed,</div> + <div class='line in2'>With mute and mournful air;</div> + <div class='line'>She turned the cover down, and there,</div> + <div class='line in2'>In grave-like garments dressed,</div> + <div class='line'>Lay the twin children of their love,</div> + <div class='line in2'>In death’s serenest rest.</div> + </div> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>“These were the jewels lent to me,</div> + <div class='line in2'>Which God has deigned to own;</div> + <div class='line'>The precious caskets still remain,</div> + <div class='line in2'>But, ah, the <i>gems</i> are flown;</div> + <div class='line'><span class='pageno' id='Page_565'>565</span>But thou didst teach me to resign</div> + <div class='line in2'>What God alone can claim;</div> + <div class='line'>He giveth and he takes away,</div> + <div class='line in2'>Blest be His holy name!”</div> + </div> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>The father gazed upon his babes,</div> + <div class='line in2'>The mother drooped apart,</div> + <div class='line'>Whilst all the woman’s sorrow gushed</div> + <div class='line in2'>From her o’erburdened heart;</div> + <div class='line'>And with the striving of her grief,</div> + <div class='line in2'>Which wrung the tears she shed,</div> + <div class='line'>Were mingled low and loving words</div> + <div class='line in2'>To the unconscious dead.</div> + </div> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>When the sad sire had looked his fill.</div> + <div class='line in2'>He veiled each breathless face,</div> + <div class='line'>And down in self-abasement bowed,</div> + <div class='line in2'>For comfort and for grace;</div> + <div class='line'>With the deep eloquence of woe,</div> + <div class='line in2'>Poured forth his secret soul,</div> + <div class='line'>Rose up, and stood erect and calm,</div> + <div class='line in2'>In spirit healed and whole.</div> + </div> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>“Restrain thy tears, poor wife,” he said,</div> + <div class='line in2'>“I learn this lesson still,</div> + <div class='line'>God gives, and God can take away,</div> + <div class='line in2'>Blest be His holy will!</div> + <div class='line'>Blest are my children, for they <i>live</i></div> + <div class='line in2'>From sin and sorrow free,</div> + <div class='line'>And I am not all joyless, wife,</div> + <div class='line in2'>With faith, hope, love, and thee.”</div> + </div> + </div> +</div> + +<div class='chapter'> + <h2 class='c003'>THE LABORATORY IN THE CHEST.</h2> +</div> + +<p class='c010'>The mind of Mr. Bagges was decidedly +affected—beneficially—by the lecture on the +Chemistry of a Candle, which, as set forth in +a previous number of this journal, had been +delivered to him by his youthful nephew. +That learned discourse inspired him with a +new feeling; an interest in matters of science. +He began to frequent the Polytechnic Institution, +nearly as much as his club. He also +took to lounging at the British Museum; +where he was often to be seen, with his left +arm under his coat-tails, examining the wonderful +works of nature and antiquity, through +his eye-glass. Moreover, he procured himself +to be elected a member of the Royal Institution, +which became a regular house of call +to him, so that in a short time he grew to be +one of the ordinary phenomena of the place.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Mr. Bagges likewise adopted a custom of +giving <i>conversaziones</i>, which, however, were +always very private and select—generally confined +to his sister’s family. Three courses +were first discussed; then dessert; after +which, surrounded by an apparatus of glasses +and decanters, Master Harry Wilkinson was +called upon, as a sort of juvenile Davy, to +amuse his uncle by the elucidation of some +chemical or other physical mystery. Master +Wilkinson had now attained to the ability of +making experiments; most of which, involving +combustion, were strongly deprecated by the +young gentleman’s mamma; but her opposition +was overruled by Mr. Bagges, who +argued that it was much better that a young +dog should burn phosphorus before your face +than let off gunpowder behind your back, to +say nothing of occasionally pinning a cracker +to your skirts. He maintained that playing +with fire and water, throwing stones, and such +like boys’ tricks, as they are commonly called, +are the first expressions of a scientific tendency—endeavours +and efforts of the infant mind +to acquaint itself with the powers of Nature.</p> + +<p class='c006'>His own favourite toys, he remembered, +were squibs, suckers, squirts, and slings; and +he was persuaded that, by his having been +denied them at school, a natural philosopher +had been nipped in the bud.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Blowing bubbles was an example—by-the-bye, +a rather notable one—by which Mr. +Bagges, on one of his scientific evenings, was +instancing the affinity of child’s play to philosophical +experiments, when he bethought him +Harry had said on a former occasion that the +human breath consists chiefly of carbonic acid, +which is heavier than common air. How +then, it occurred to his inquiring, though +elderly mind, was it that soap-bladders, blown +from a tobacco-pipe, rose instead of sinking? +He asked his nephew this.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Oh, uncle!” answered Harry, “in the +first place, the air you blow bubbles with +mostly comes in at the nose and goes out at +the mouth, without having been breathed at all. +Then it is warmed by the mouth, and warmth, +you know, makes a measure of air get larger, +and so lighter in proportion. A soap-bubble +rises for the same reason that a fire-balloon +rises—that is, because the air inside of it +has been heated, and weighs less than the +same sized bubbleful of cold air.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“What, hot breath does!” said Mr. Bagges. +“Well, now, it’s a curious thing, when you +come to think of it, that the breath should be +hot—indeed, the warmth of the body generally +seems a puzzle. It is wonderful, too, +how the bodily heat can be kept up so long as +it is. Here, now, is this tumbler of hot grog—a +mixture of boiling water, and what d’ye +call it, you scientific geniuses?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Alcohol, uncle.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Alcohol—well—or, as we used to say, +brandy. Now, if I leave this tumbler of brandy-and-water +alone——”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“<i>If</i> you do, uncle,” interposed his nephew, +archly.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Get along, you idle rogue! If I let that +tumbler stand there, in a few minutes the +brandy-and water—eh?—I beg pardon—the +alcohol-and-water—gets cold. Now, why—why +the deuce—if the <a id='t565'></a>brandy—the alcohol-and-water +cools; why—how—how is it we don’t +cool in the same way, I want to know? eh?” +demanded Mr. Bagges, with the air of a man +who feels satisfied that he has propounded a +“regular poser.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Why,” replied Harry, “for the same +reason that the room keeps warm so long as +there is a fire in the grate.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“You don’t mean to say that I have a fire +in my body?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I do, though.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Eh, now? That’s good,” said Mr. Bagges. +<span class='pageno' id='Page_566'>566</span>“That reminds me of the man in love crying, +‘Fire! fire!’ and the lady said, ‘Where, +where?’ And he called out, ‘Here! here!’ +with his hand upon his heart. Eh?—but +now I think of it—you said, the other day, +that breathing was a sort of burning. Do +you mean to tell me that I—eh?—have fire, +fire, as the lover said, here, here—in short, +that my chest is a grate or an Arnott’s +stove?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Not exactly so, uncle. But I do mean to +tell you that you have a sort of fire burning +partly in your chest; but also, more or less, +throughout your whole body.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Oh, Henry!” exclaimed Mrs. Wilkinson, +“How can you say such horrid things!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Because they’re quite true, mamma—but +you needn’t be frightened. The fire of one’s +body is not hotter than from ninety degrees +to one hundred and four degrees or so. Still +it is fire, and will burn some things, as you +would find, uncle, if, in using phosphorus, you +were to let a little bit of it get under your +nail.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I’ll take your word for the fact, my boy,” +said Mr. Bagges. “But, if I have a fire burning +throughout my person—which I was not +aware of, the only inflammation I am ever +troubled with being in the great toe—I say, +if my body is burning continually—how is it +I don’t smoke—eh? Come, now!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Perhaps you consume your own smoke,” +suggested Mr. Wilkinson, senior, “like every +well-regulated furnace.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“You smoke nothing but your pipe, uncle, +because you burn all your carbon,” said Harry. +“But, if your body doesn’t smoke, it steams. +Breathe against a looking-glass, or look at +your breath on a cold morning. Observe how +a horse reeks when it perspires. Besides—as +you just now said you recollected my telling +you the other day—you breathe out carbonic +acid, and that, and the steam of the breath +together, are exactly the same things, you +know, that a candle turns into in burning.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“But if I burn like a candle—why don’t I +burn <i>out</i> like a candle?” demanded Mr. +Bagges. “How do you get over that?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Because,” replied Harry, “your fuel is renewed +as fast as burnt. So perhaps you +resemble a lamp rather than a candle. A +lamp requires to be fed; so does the body—as, +possibly, uncle, you may be aware.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Eh?—well—I have always entertained an +idea of that sort,” answered Mr. Bagges, +helping himself to some biscuits. “But the +lamp feeds on train-oil.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“So does the Laplander. And you couldn’t +feed the lamp on turtle or mulligatawny, of +course, uncle. But mulligatawny or turtle +can be changed into fat—they are so, sometimes, +I think—when they are eaten in large +quantities, and fat will burn fast enough. +And most of what you eat turns into something +which burns at last, and is consumed +in the fire that warms you all over.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Wonderful, to be sure,” exclaimed Mr. +Bagges. “Well, now, and how does this +extraordinary process take place?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“First, you know, uncle, your food is digested—”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Not always, I am sorry to say, my boy,” +Mr. Bagges observed, “but go on.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well; when it <i>is</i> digested, it becomes a +sort of fluid, and mixes gradually with the +blood, and turns into blood, and so goes over +the whole body, to nourish it. Now, if the +body is always being nourished, why doesn’t +it keep getting bigger and bigger, like the +ghost in the Castle of Otranto?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Eh? Why, because it loses as well as +gains, I suppose. By perspiration—eh—for +instance?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Yes, and by breathing; in short, by the +burning I mentioned just now. Respiration, +or breathing, uncle, is a perpetual combustion.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“But if my system,” said Mr. Bagges, “is +burning throughout, what keeps up the fire in +my little finger—putting gout out of the +question?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“You burn all over, because you breathe +all over, to the very tips of your fingers’ +ends,” replied Harry.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Oh, don’t talk nonsense to your uncle!” +exclaimed Mrs. Wilkinson.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“It isn’t nonsense,” said Harry. “The air +that you draw into the lungs goes more or +less over all the body, and penetrates into +every fibre of it, which is breathing. Perhaps +you would like to hear a little more about +the chemistry of breathing, or respiration, +uncle?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I should, certainly.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, then; first you ought to have some +idea of the breathing apparatus. The laboratory +that contains this, is the chest, you +know. The chest, you also know, has in it +the heart and lungs, which, with other things +in it, fill it quite out, so as to leave no hollow +space between themselves and it. The lungs +are a sort of air-sponges, and when you enlarge +your chest to draw breath, they swell +out with it and suck the air in. On the +other hand you narrow your chest and +squeeze the lungs and press the air from them;—that +is breathing out. The lungs are made +up of a lot of little cells. A small pipe—a +little branch of the windpipe—opens into each +cell. Two blood-vessels, a little tiny artery, +and a vein to match, run into it also. The +arteries bring into the little cells dark-coloured +blood, which <i>has been</i> all over the +body. The veins carry out of the little cells +bright scarlet-coloured blood, which <i>is to go</i> +all over the body. So all the blood passes +through the lungs, and in so doing, is changed +from dark to bright scarlet.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Black blood, didn’t you say, in the +arteries, and scarlet in the veins? I thought +it was just the reverse,” interrupted Mr. +Bagges.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“So it is,” replied Harry, “with all the +other arteries and veins, except those that +<span class='pageno' id='Page_567'>567</span>circulate the blood through the lung-cells. +The heart has two sides, with a partition +between them that keeps the blood on the +right side separate from the blood on the left; +both sides being hollow, mind. The blood on +the right side of the heart comes there from +all over the body, by a couple of large veins, +dark, before it goes to the lungs. From the +right side of the heart, it goes on to the +lungs, dark still, through an artery. It comes +back to the left side of the heart from the +lungs, bright scarlet, through four veins. +Then it goes all over the rest of the body +from the left side of the heart, through an +artery that branches into smaller arteries, +all carrying bright scarlet blood. So the +arteries and veins of the lungs on one hand, +and of the rest of the body on the other, do +exactly opposite work, you understand.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I hope so.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Now,” continued Harry, “it requires a +strong magnifying glass to see the lung-cells +plainly, they are so small. But you can fancy +them as big as you please. Picture any one +of them to yourself of the size of an orange, +say, for convenience in thinking about it; +that one cell, with whatever takes place in +it, will be a specimen of the rest. Then you +have to imagine an artery carrying blood of +one colour into it, and a vein taking away +blood of another colour from it, and the +blood changing its colour in the cell.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Aye, but what makes the blood change +its colour?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Recollect, uncle, you have a little branch +from the windpipe opening into the cell which +lets in the air. Then the blood and the air are +brought together, and the blood alters in +colour. The reason, I suppose you would guess, +is that it is somehow altered by the air.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“No very unreasonable conjecture, I should +think,” said Mr. Bagges.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well; if the air alters the blood, most +likely, we should think, it gives something to +the blood. So first let us see what is the +difference between the air we breathe <i>in</i>, and +the air we breathe <i>out</i>. You know that +neither we nor animals can keep breathing +the same air over and over again. You +don’t want me to remind you of the Black +Hole of Calcutta, to convince you of that; +and I dare say you will believe what I tell +you, without waiting till I can catch a mouse +and shut it up in an air-tight jar, and show +you how soon the unlucky creature will get +uncomfortable, and begin to gasp, and that it +will by-and-by die. But if we were to try +this experiment—not having the fear of the +Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to +Animals, nor the fear of doing wrong, before +our eyes—we should find that the poor mouse, +before he died, had changed the air of his +prison considerably. But it would be just as +satisfactory, and much more humane, if you +or I were to breathe in and out of a silk bag +or a bladder till we could stand it no longer, +and then collect the air which we had been +breathing in and out. We should find that +a jar of such air would put out a candle. If +we shook some lime-water up with it, the +lime-water would turn milky. In short, +uncle, we should find that a great part of the +air was carbonic acid, and the rest mostly +nitrogen. The air we inhale is nitrogen +and oxygen; the air we exhale has lost +most of its oxygen, and consists of little more +than nitrogen and carbonic acid. Together +with this, we breathe out the vapour of water, +as I said before. Therefore in breathing, +we give off exactly what a candle does in +burning, only not so fast, after the rate. +The carbonic acid we breathe out, shows that +carbon is consumed within our bodies. The +watery vapour of the breath is a proof that +hydrogen is so too. We take in oxygen with +the air, and the oxygen unites with carbon, +and makes carbonic acid, and with hydrogen, +forms water.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Then don’t the hydrogen and carbon combine +with the oxygen—that is, burn—in the +lungs, and isn’t the chest the fireplace, after +all?” asked Mr. Bagges.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Not altogether, according to those who +are supposed to know better. They are of +opinion, that some of the oxygen unites with +the carbon and hydrogen of the blood in the +lungs; but that most of it is merely absorbed +by the blood, and dissolved in it in the first +instance.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Oxygen absorbed by the blood? That +seems odd,” remarked Mr. Bagges, “How +can that be?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“We only know the fact that there are some +things that will absorb gases—suck them in—make +them disappear. Charcoal will, for +instance. It is thought that the iron which +the blood contains gives it the curious property +of absorbing oxygen. Well; the oxygen +going into the blood makes it change from +dark to bright scarlet; and then this blood +containing oxygen is conveyed all over the +system by the arteries, and yields up the +oxygen to combine with hydrogen and carbon +as it goes along. The carbon and hydrogen +are part of the substance of the body. The +bright scarlet blood mixes oxygen with them, +which burns them, in fact; that is, makes +them into carbonic acid and water. Of course, +the body would soon be consumed if this were +all that the blood does. But while it mixes +oxygen with the old substance of the body, to +burn it up, it lays down fresh material to +replace the loss. So our bodies are continually +changing throughout, though they seem to +us always the same; but then, you know, a +river appears the same from year’s end to +year’s end, although the water in it is different +every day.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Eh, then,” said Mr. Bagges, “if the body +is always on the change in this way, we must +have had several bodies in the course of our +lives, by the time we are old.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Yes, uncle; therefore, how foolish it is to +spend money upon funerals. What becomes +<span class='pageno' id='Page_568'>568</span>of all the bodies we use up during our lifetimes? +If we are none the worse for their +flying away in carbonic acid and other things +without ceremony, what good can we expect +from having a fuss made about the body we +leave behind us, which is put into the earth? +However, you are wanting to know what +becomes of the water and carbonic acid which +have been made by the oxygen of the blood +burning up the old materials of our frame. +The dark blood of the veins absorbs this carbonic +acid and water, as the blood of the +arteries does oxygen,—only, they say, it does +so by means of a salt in it, called phosphate +of soda. Then the dark blood goes back to +the lungs, and in them it parts with its carbonic +acid and water, which escapes as breath. +As fast as we breathe out, carbonic acid and +water leave the blood; as fast as we breathe +in, oxygen enters it. The oxygen is sent out +in the arteries to make the rubbish of the +body into gas and vapour, so that the veins +may bring it back and get rid of it. The +burning of rubbish by oxygen throughout +our frames is the fire by which our +animal heat is kept up. At least this is +what most philosophers think; though doctors +differ a little on this point, as on most others, +I hear. Professor Liebig says, that our carbon +is mostly prepared for burning by being first +extracted from the blood sent to it—(which +contains much of the rubbish of the system +dissolved)—in the form of bile, and is then +re-absorbed into the blood, and burnt. He +reckons that a grown-up man consumes about +fourteen ounces of carbon a day. Fourteen +ounces of charcoal a day, or eight pounds two +ounces a week, would keep up a tolerable +fire.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I had no idea we were such extensive +charcoal-burners,” said Mr. Bagges. “They +say we each eat our peck of dirt before +we die—but we must burn bushels of charcoal.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“And so,” continued Harry, “the Professor +calculates that we burn quite enough fuel to +account for our heat. I should rather think, +myself, it had something to do with it—shouldn’t +you?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Eh?” said Mr. Bagges; “it makes one +rather nervous to think that one is burning +all over—throughout one’s very blood—in this +kind of way.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“It is very awful!” said Mrs. Wilkinson.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“If true. But in that case, shouldn’t we +be liable to inflame occasionally?” objected +her husband.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“It is said,” answered Harry, “that spontaneous +combustion does happen sometimes; +particularly in great spirit drinkers. I don’t +see why it should not, if the system were to +become too inflammable. Drinking alcohol +would be likely to load the constitution with +carbon, which would be fuel for the fire, at +any rate.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“The deuce!” exclaimed Mr. Bagges, pushing +his brandy-and-water from him. “We +had better take care how we indulge in combustibles.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“At all events,” said Harry, “it must be +bad to have too much fuel in us. It must +choke the fire I should think, if it did not +cause inflammation; which Dr. Truepenny says +it does, meaning, by inflammation, gout, and +so on, you know, uncle.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Ahem!” coughed Mr. Bagges.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Taking in too much fuel, I dare say you +know, uncle, means eating and drinking to +excess,” continued Harry. “The best remedy, +the doctor says, for overstuffing is exercise. +A person who uses great bodily exertion, can +eat and drink more without suffering from it +than one who leads an inactive life; a foxhunter, +for instance, in comparison with an +alderman. Want of exercise and too much +nourishment must make a man either fat or +ill. If the extra hydrogen and carbon are +not burnt out, or otherwise got rid of, they +turn to blubber, or cause some disturbance in +the system, intended by Nature to throw them +off, which is called a disease. Walking, riding, +running, increase the breathing—as well as +the perspiration—and make us burn away +our carbon and hydrogen in proportion. +Dr. Truepenny declares that if people would +only take in as much fuel as is requisite to +keep up a good fire, his profession would be +ruined.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“The good old advice—Baillie’s, eh?—or +Abernethy’s—live upon sixpence a day, and +earn it,” Mr. Bagges observed.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, and then, uncle, in hot weather the +appetite is naturally weaker than it is in cold—less +heat is required, and therefore less food. +So in hot climates; and the chief reason, says +the doctor, why people ruin their health in +India is their spurring and goading their +stomachs to crave what is not good for them, +by spices and the like. Fruits and vegetables +are the proper things to eat in such countries, +because they contain little carbon compared +to flesh, and they are the diet of the natives +of those parts of the world. Whereas food +with much carbon in it, meat, or even mere +fat or oil, which is hardly anything else than +carbon and hydrogen, are proper in very cold +regions, where heat from within is required to +supply the want of it without. That is why +the Laplander is able, as I said he does, to +devour train-oil. And Dr. Truepenny says +that it may be all very well for Mr. M‘Gregor +to drink raw whiskey at deer-stalking in the +Highlands, but if Major Campbell combines +that beverage with the diversion of tiger-hunting +in the East Indies, habitually, the +chances are that the Major will come home +with a diseased liver.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Upon my word, sir, the whole art of preserving +health appears to consist in keeping +up a moderate fire within us,” observed Mr. +Bagges.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Just so, uncle, according to my friend the +Doctor. ‘Adjust the fuel,’ he says, ‘to the +draught—he means the oxygen; keep the +<span class='pageno' id='Page_569'>569</span>bellows properly at work, by exercise, and +your fire will seldom want poking.’ The Doctor’s +pokers, you know, are pills, mixtures, +leeches, blisters, lancets, and things of that +sort.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Indeed? Well, then, my heart-burn, I +suppose, depends upon bad management of +my fire?” surmised Mr. Bagges.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I should say that was more than probable, +uncle. Well, now, I think you see that +animal heat can be accounted for, in very +great part at least, by the combustion of the +body. And then there are several facts that—as +I remember Shakespeare says—</p> + +<div class='lg-container-b c011'> + <div class='linegroup'> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line in2'>“‘help to thicken other proofs,</div> + <div class='line'>That do demonstrate thinly.’</div> + </div> + </div> +</div> + +<p class='c006'>“Birds that breathe a great deal are very +hot creatures; snakes and lizards, and frogs +and fishes, that breathe but little, are so cold +that they are called cold-blooded animals. +Bears and dormice, that sleep all the winter, +are cold during their sleep, whilst their +breathing and circulation almost entirely +stop. We increase our heat by walking fast, +running, jumping, or working hard; which +sets us breathing faster, and then we get +warmer. By these means we blow up our +own fire, if we have no other, to warm ourselves +on a cold day. And how is it that we +don’t go on continually getting hotter and +hotter?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Ah!” exclaimed Mr. Bagges, “I suppose +that is one of Nature’s mysteries.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Why, what happens, uncle, when we take +violent exercise? We break out into a +perspiration; as you complain you always do, +if you only run a few yards. Perspiration is +mostly water, and the extra heat of the body +goes into the water, and flies away with it in +steam. Just for the same reason, you can’t +boil water so as to make it hotter than two +hundred and twelve degrees; because all the +heat that passes into it beyond that, unites +with some of it and becomes steam, and so +escapes. Hot weather causes you to perspire +even when you sit still; and so your heat is +cooled in summer. If you were to heat a +man in an oven, the heat of his body generally +wouldn’t increase very much till he became +exhausted and died. Stories are told of +mountebanks sitting in ovens, and meat being +cooked by the side of them. Philosophers +have done much the same thing—Dr. Fordyce +and others, who found they could bear a heat +of two hundred and sixty degrees. Perspiration +is our animal fire-escape. Heat goes out +from the lungs, as well as the skin, in water; +so the lungs are concerned in cooling us as +well as heating us, like a sort of regulating +furnace. Ah, uncle, the body is a wonderful +factory, and I wish I were man enough to +take you over it. I have only tried to show +you something of the contrivances for warming +it, and I hope you understand a little about +that!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well,” said Mr. Bagges, “breathing, I understand +you to say, is the chief source of +animal heat, by occasioning the combination +of carbon and hydrogen with oxygen, in a +sort of gentle combustion, throughout our +frame. The lungs and heart are an apparatus +for generating heat, and distributing it over +the body by means of a kind of warming +pipes, called blood-vessels. Eh?—and the +carbon and hydrogen we have in our systems +we get from our food. Now, you see, here is +a slice of cake, and there is a glass of wine—Eh?—now +see whether you can get any +carbon and oxygen out of that.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>The young philosopher, having finished his +lecture, applied himself immediately to the +performance of the proposed experiment, +which he performed with cleverness and +dispatch.</p> + +<div class='chapter'> + <h2 class='c003'>THE HOME OF WOODRUFFE THE GARDENER.</h2> +</div> +<h3 class='c004'>IN EIGHT CHAPTERS.—CHAPTER THE SEVENTH.</h3> + +<p class='c005'>It was observed by Woodruffe’s family, +during one week of spring of the next year, +that he was very absent. He was not in low +spirits, but absorbed in thought, and much +devoted to making calculations with pencil and +paper. At last, out it came, one morning at +breakfast.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I wonder how we should all like to have +Harry Hardiman to work with us again?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Every one looked up. Harry! where was +Harry? Was he here? Was he coming?</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Why, I will tell you what I have been +thinking,” said their father. “I have thought +long and carefully, and I believe I have made +up my mind to send for Harry, to come and +work for us as he used to do. We have not +labour enough on the ground. Two stout men +to the acre is the smallest allowance for trying +what could be made of the place.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“That is what Taylor and Brown are employing +now on the best part of their land,” +said Allan; “that is, when they can get the +labour. There is such difference between that +and one man to four or five acres, as there +was before, that they can’t always get the +labour.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Just so; and therefore,” continued Woodruffe, +“I am thinking of sending for Harry. +Our old neighbourhood was not prosperous +when we left it, and I fancy it cannot have +improved since; and Harry might be glad +to follow his master to a thriving neighbourhood; +and he is such a careful fellow +that I dare say he has money for the journey,—even +if he has a wife by this time, as I +suppose he has.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Moss looked most pleased, where all were +pleased, at the idea of seeing Harry again. +His remembrance of Harry was of a tall +young man, who used to carry him on his +shoulders, and wheel him in the empty water-barrel, +and sometimes offer to dip him in it +when it was full, and show him how to dig in +the sand-heap with his little wooden spade.</p> + +<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_570'>570</span>“Your rent, to be sure, is much lower than +in the old place,” observed Abby.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Why, we must not build upon that,” replied +the father; “rent is rising here, and +will rise. My landlord was considerate in +lowering mine to 3<i>l.</i> per acre, when he saw +how impossible it was to make it answer; +and he says he shall not ask more yet, on +account of the labour I laid out at the time of +the drainage. But when I have partly repaid +myself, the rent will rise to 5<i>l.</i>; and, in fact, +I have made my calculations, in regard to +Harry’s coming, at a higher rent than that.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Higher than that?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Yes: I should not be surprised if I found +myself paying, as market-gardeners near +London do, ten pounds per acre, before I die.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Or rather, to let the ground to me, for +that, father,” said Allan, “when it is your +own property, and you are tired of work, and +disposed to turn it over to me. I will pay +you ten pounds per acre then, and let you +have all the cabbages you can eat, besides. +It is capital land, and that is the truth. +Come—shall that be a bargain?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Woodruffe smiled, and said he owed a duty +to Allan. He did not like to see him so hard +worked as to be unable to take due care of his +own corner of the garden;—unable to enter +fairly into the competition for the prizes +at the Horticultural Show in the summer. +Becky now, too, ought to be spared from all +but occasional help in the garden. Above +all, the ground was now in such an improving +state that it would be waste not to bestow due +labour upon it. Put in the spade where you +would, the soil was loose and well-aired as +needs be: the manure penetrated it thoroughly; +the frost and heat pulverised, instead of binding +it; and the crops were succeeding each +other so fast, that the year would be a very +profitable one.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Where will Harry live, if he comes?” +asked Abby.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“We must get another cottage added to the +new row. Easily done! Cottages so healthy +as these new ones pay well. Good rents are +offered for them,—to save doctors’ bills and +loss of time from sickness;—and, when once +a system of house-drainage is set agoing, it +costs scarcely more, in adding a cottage to a +group, to make it all right, than to run it up +upon solid clay as used to be the way here. +Well, I have good mind to write to Harry +to-day. What do you think,—all of you?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Fortified by the opinion of all his children, +Mr. Woodruffe wrote to Harry. Meantime, +Allan and Becky went to cut the vegetables +that were for sale that day; and Moss delighted +himself in running after and catching the pony +in the meadow below. The pony was not very +easily caught, for it was full of spirit. Instead +of the woolly insipid grass that it used to crop, +and which seemed to give it only fever and no +nourishment, it now fed on sweet fresh grass, +which had no sour stagnant water soaking its +roots. The pony was so full of play this morning +that Moss could not get hold of it. Though +much stronger than a year ago, he was not +yet anything like so robust as a boy of his age +should be; and he was growing heated, and +perhaps a little angry, as the pony galloped +off towards some distant trees, when a boy +started up behind a bush, caught the halter, +brought the pony round with a twitch, and led +him to Moss. Moss fancied he had seen the +boy before, and then his white teeth reminded +Moss of one thing after another.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I came for some marsh plants,” said the +boy. “You and I got plenty once, somewhere +hereabouts: but I cannot find them now.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“You will not find any now. We have no +marsh now.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>The stranger said he dared not go back +without them: mother wanted them badly. +She would not believe him if he said he could +not find any. There were plenty about two +miles off, along the railway, among the clay-pits, +he was told; but none nearer. The boy +wanted to know where the clay-pits hereabouts +were. He could not find one of them.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I will show you one of them,” said Moss; +“the one where you and I used to hunt rats.” +And, leading the pony, he showed his old +gipsy playfellow all the improvements, beginning +with the great ditch,—now invisible from +being covered in. While it was open, he said, +it used to get choked, and the sides were +plastered after rain, and soon became grass-grown, +so that it was found worth while to +cover it in; and now it would want little +looking to for years to come. As for the +clay-pit, where the rats used to pop in and +out,—it was now a manure-pit, covered in. +There was a drain into it from the pony’s +stable and from the pig-styes; and it was +near enough to the garden to receive the +refuse and sweepings. A heavy lid, with a +ring in the middle, covered the pit, so that +nobody could fall in, in the dark, and no smell +could get out. Moss begged the boy to come +a little further, and he would show him his +own flower-bed; and when the boy was there, +he was shown everything else: what a cartload +of vegetables lay cut for sale; and what +an arbour had been made of the pent-house +under which Moss used to take shelter, when +he could do nothing better than keep off the +birds; and how fine the ducks were,—the five +ducks that were so serviceable in eating off the +slugs; and what a comfortable nest had been +made for them to lay their eggs in, beside the +water-tank in the corner; and what a variety +of scarecrows the family had invented,—each +having one, to try which would frighten the +sparrows most. While Moss was telling how +difficult it was to deal with the sparrows, +because they could not be frightened for more +than three days by any kind of scarecrow, he +heard Allan calling him, in a tone of vexation, +at being kept waiting so long. In an instant +the stranger boy was off,—leaping the gate, +and flying along the meadow till he was hidden +behind a hedge.</p> + +<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_571'>571</span>Two or three days after this one of the +ducks was missing. The last time that the +five had been seen together was when Moss +was showing them to his visitor. The morning +after Moss finally gave up hope, the glass of +Allan’s hotbed was found broken, and in the +midst of the bed itself was a deep foot-track, +crushing the cucumber plants, and, with them, +Allan’s hopes of a cucumber prize at the +Horticultural Exhibition in the summer. On +more examination, more mischief was discovered, +some cabbages had been stolen, and +another duck was missing. In the midst of +the general concern, Woodruffe burst out +a-laughing. It struck him that the chief +of the scarecrows had changed his hat; and +so he had. The old straw hat which used to +flap in the wind so serviceably was gone, and +in its stead appeared a helmet,—a saucepan +full of holes, battered and split, but still fit to +be a helmet to a scarecrow.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I could swear to the old hat,” observed +Woodruffe, “if I should have the luck to see +it on anybody’s head.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“And so could I,” said Becky, “for I mended +it,—bound it with black behind, and green +before, because I had not green ribbon enough. +But nobody would wear it before our eyes.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“That is why I suspect there are strangers +hovering about. We must watch.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Now Moss, for the first time, bethought +himself of the boy he had brought in from +the meadow; and now, for the first time, he +told his family of that encounter.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I never saw such a simpleton,” his father +declared. “There, go along and work! Now, +don’t cry, but hold up like a man and work.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Moss did cry; he could not help it; but he +worked too. He would fain have been one of +the watchers, moreover; but his father said he +was too young. For two nights he was ordered +to bed, when Allan took his dark lantern, and +went down to the pent-house; the first night +accompanied by his father, and the next by +Harry Hardiman, who had come on the first +summons. By the third evening, Moss was +so miserable that his sisters interceded for +him, and he was allowed to go down with his +old friend Harry.</p> + +<p class='c006'>It was a starlight night, without a moon. +The low country lay dim, but unobscured by +mist. After a single remark on the fineness +of the night, Harry was silent. Silence was +their first business. They stole round the +fence as if they had been thieves themselves, +listened for some time before they let themselves +in at the gate, passed quickly in, and +locked the gate (the lock of which had been +well oiled), went behind every screen, and +along every path, to be sure that no one was +there, and finally, perceiving that the remaining +ducks were safe, settled themselves +in the darkness of the pent-house.</p> + +<p class='c006'>There they sat, hour after hour, listening. +If there had been no sound, perhaps they +could not have borne the effort: but the sense +was relieved by the bark of a dog at a distance; +and then by the hoot of the owl that was +known to have done them good service in +mousing, many a time; and once, by the +passage of a train on the railway above. +When these were all over, poor Moss had +much ado to keep awake, and at last his head +sank on Harry’s shoulder, and he forgot where +he was, and everything else in the world. +He was awakened by Harry’s moving, and +then whispering quite into his ear:—</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Sit you still. I hear somebody yonder. No—sit +you still. I won’t go far—not out of call: +but I must get between them and the gate.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>With his lantern under his coat, Harry +stole forth, and Moss stood up, all alone in +the darkness and stillness. He could hear +his heart beat, but nothing else, till footsteps +on the path came nearer and nearer. They +came quite up; they came in, actually into +the arbour; and then the ducks were certainly +fluttering. In an instant more, there was a +gleam of light upon the white plumage of the +ducks, and then light enough to show that +this was the gipsy boy, with a dark lantern +hung round his neck, and, at the same +moment, to show the gipsy boy that Moss was +there. The two boys stood, face to face, +motionless from utter amazement, and the +ducks had scuttled and waddled away before +they recovered themselves. Then, Moss flew +at him in a glorious passion, at once of rage +and fear.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Leave him to me, Moss,” cried Harry, +casting light upon the scene from his lantern, +while he collared the thief with the other +hand. “Let go, I say, Moss. There, now we’ll +go round and be sure whether there is any +one else in the garden, and then we’ll lodge +this young rogue where he will be safe.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Nobody was there, and they went home in +the dawn, locked up the thief in the shed, +and slept through what remained of the night.</p> + +<p class='c006'>It was about Mr. Nelson’s usual time for +coming down the line; and it was observed +that he now always stopped at this station till +the next train passed,—probably because it +was a pleasure to him to look upon the improvement +of the place. It was no surprise +therefore to Woodruffe to see him standing on +the embankment after breakfast; and it was +natural that Mr. Nelson should be immediately +told that the gipsies were here again, +and how one of them was caught thieving.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Thieving! So you found some of your +property upon him, did you!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Why, no. I thought myself that it was +a pity that Moss did not let him alone till he +had laid hold of a duck or something.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Pho! pho! don’t tell me you can punish +the boy for theft, when you can’t prove that +he stole anything. Give him a whipping, and +let him go.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“With all my heart. It will save me much +trouble to finish off the matter so.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Mr. Nelson seemed to have some curiosity +about the business; for he accompanied +Woodruffe to the shed. The boy seemed to +<span class='pageno' id='Page_572'>572</span>feel no awe of the great man whom he supposed +to be a magistrate, and when asked +whether he felt none, he giggled and said +“No;” he had seen the gentleman more +afraid of his mother than anybody ever was +of him, he fancied. On this, a thought struck +Mr. Nelson. He would now have his advantage +of the gipsy woman, and might enjoy, at +the same time, an opportunity of studying +human nature under stress—a thing he liked, +when the stress was not too severe. So he +passed a decree on the spot that, it being now +nine o’clock, the boy should remain shut up +without food till noon, when he should be +severely flogged, and driven from the neighbourhood: +and with this pleasant prospect +before him, the young rogue remained, +whistling ostentatiously, while his enemies +locked the door upon him.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Did you hear him shoot the bolt?” asked +Woodruffe. “If he holds to that, I don’t +know how I shall get at him at noon.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“There, now, what fools people are! Why +did you not take out the bolt? A pretty +constable you would make! Come—come +this way. I am going to find the gipsy-tent +again. You are wondering that I am not +afraid of the woman, I see: but, you observe, +I have a hold over her this time. What +do you mean by allowing those children to +gather about your door? You ought not to +permit it.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“They are only the scholars. Don’t you +see them going in? My daughter keeps a +little school, you know, since her husband’s +death.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Ah, poor thing! poor thing!” said Mr. +Nelson, as Abby appeared on the threshold, +calling the children in.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Mr. Nelson always contrived to see some +one or more of the family when he visited the +station; but it so happened, that he had +never entered the door of their dwelling. +Perhaps he was not himself fully conscious of +the reason. It was, that he could not bear +to see Abby’s young face within the widow’s +cap, and to be thus reminded that hers was a +case of cruel wrong; that if the most ordinary +thought and care had been used in preparing +the place for human habitation, her husband +might be living now, and she the happy +creature that she would never be again.</p> + +<p class='c006'>On his way to the gipsies, Mr. Nelson saw +some things that pleased him in his heart, +though he found fault with them all. What +business had Woodruffe with an additional +man in his garden? It could not possibly +answer. If it did not, the fellow must be +sent away again. He must not burden the +parish. The occupiers here seemed all alike. +Such a fancy for new labour! One, two, six +men at work on the land within sight at that +moment, over and above what there used to +be! It must be looked to. Humph! he +could get to the alders dryshod now; but +that was owing solely to the warmth of the +spring. It was nonsense to attribute everything +to drainage. Drainage was a good +thing; but fine weather was better.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The gipsy-tent was found behind the alders +as before, but no longer in a swamp. The +woman was sitting on the ground at the +entrance as before, but not now with a +fevered child laid across her knees. She was +weaving a basket.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Oh, I see,” said Woodruffe, “This is the +way our osiers go.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“You have not many to lose, now-a-days,” +said the woman.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“You are welcome to all the rushes you +can find,” said Woodruffe; “but where is your +son?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Some change of countenance was seen in +the woman; but she answered carelessly +that the children were playing yonder.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“The one I mean is not there,” said Woodruffe. +“We have him safe—caught him +stealing my ducks.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>She called the boy a villain—disowned him, +and so forth; but when she found the case a +hopeless one, she did not, and therefore, +probably could not, scold—that is, anybody +but herself and her husband. She cursed +herself for coming into this silly place, where +now no good was to be got. When she was +brought to the right point of perplexity about +what to do, seeing that it would not do to +stay, and being unable to go while her boy +was in durance, she was told that his punishment +should be summary, though severe, if +she would answer frankly certain questions. +When she had once begun giving her confidence, +she seemed to enjoy the license. +When her husband came up, he looked as if +he only waited for the departure of his visitors +to give his wife the same amount of thrashing +that her son was awaiting elsewhere. She +vowed that they would never pitch their tent +here again. It used to be the best station in +their whole round—the fogs were so thick! +From sunset to long after sunrise, it had +been as good as a winter night, for going +where they pleased without fear of prying +eyes. There was not a poultry-yard or pig-stye +within a couple of miles round, where +they could not creep up through the fog. +And they escaped the blame, too; for the +swamp and ditches used to harbour so much +vermin, that the gipsies were not always +suspected, as they were now. Till lately, +people shut themselves into their homes, or +the men went to the public-house in the chill +evenings; and there was little fear of meeting +any one. But now that the fogs were gone, +people were out in their gardens, on these +fine evenings, and there were men in the +meadows, returning from fishing; for they +could angle now, when their work was done, +without the fear of catching an ague in the +marsh as they went home.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Mr. Nelson used vigorously his last opportunity +of lecturing these people. He had +it all his own way, for the humility of the +gipsies was edifying. Woodruffe fancied he +<span class='pageno' id='Page_573'>573</span>saw some finger-talk passing, the while, +though the gipsies never looked at each +other, or raised their eyes from the ground. +Woodruffe had to remind the Director that +the whistle of the next train would soon be +heard; and this brought the lecture to an +abrupt conclusion. On his finishing off with, +“I expect, therefore, that you will remember +my advice, and never show your faces here +again, and that you will take to a proper +course of life in future, and bring up your +son to honest industry;” the woman, with a +countenance of grief, seized one hand and +covered it with kisses, and the husband took +the other hand and pressed it to his breast.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“We must make haste,” observed Mr. +Nelson, as he led the way quickly back; “but +I think I have made some impression upon +them. You see now the right way to treat +these people. I don’t think you will see them +here again.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I don’t think we shall.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>As he reached the steps the whistle was +heard, and Mr. Nelson could only wave his +hand to Woodruffe, rush up the embankment, +and throw himself panting into a carriage. +Only just in time!</p> + +<p class='c006'>By an evening train, he re-appeared. When +thirty miles off, he had wanted his purse, and it +was gone. It had no doubt paid for the gipsies’ +final gratitude.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Of course, a sufficient force was immediately +sent to the alder clump; but there was +nothing there but some charred sticks, and +some clean pork bones, this time, instead of +feathers of fowls, and a cabbage leaf or two. +The boy had had his whipping at noon, after +a conference with his little brother at the +keyhole, which had caused him to withdraw +the bolt, and offer no resistance. Considering +his cries and groans, he had run off with surprising +agility, and was now, no doubt, far +away.</p> + +<h3 class='c014'>CHAPTER VIII.</h3> + +<p class='c005'>The gipsies came no more. The fogs came +no more. The fever came no more; at least, +in such a form as to threaten the general +safety. Where it still lingered, it was about +those only who deserved it,—in any small +farm-house, where the dung-yard was too +near the house; and in some cottage where +the slatternly inmates did not mind a green +puddle or choked ditch within reach of their +noses. More dwellings arose, as the fertility of +the land increased, and invited a higher kind +of tillage; and among the prettiest of them +was one which stood in the corner,—the most +sunny corner,—of Woodruffe’s paddock. Harry +Hardiman and his wife and child lived there, +and the cottage was Woodruffe’s property.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Yet Woodruffe’s rent had been raised; and +pretty rapidly. He was now paying eight +pounds per acre for his garden-ground, and +half that for what was out of the limits of the +garden. He did not complain of it; for he +was making money fast. His skill and industry +deserved this; but skill and industry +could not have availed without opportunity. +His ground once allowed to show what it was +worth, he treated it well; and it answered +well to the treatment. By the railway, he +obtained what manure he wanted from the +town; and he sent it back by the railway +to town in the form of crisp celery and salads, +wholesome potatoes and greens, luscious +strawberries, and sweet and early peas. He +knew that a Surrey gardener had made his +ground yield a profit of two hundred and +twenty pounds per acre. He thought that, +with his inferior market, he should do well +to make his yield one hundred and fifty +pounds per acre; and this, by close perseverance, +he attained. He could have done it +more easily if he had enjoyed good health; +but he never enjoyed good health again. His +rheumatism had fixed itself too firmly to be +entirely removed; and, for many days in the +year, he was compelled to remain within +doors, or to saunter about in the sun, seeing +his boys and Harry at work, but unable to +help them.</p> + +<p class='c006'>From the time that Allan’s work became +worth wages, in addition to his subsistence, +his father let him rent half a rood of the +garden-ground for three years, saying—</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I limit it to three years, my boy, because +that term is long enough for you to show +what you can do. After three years, I shall +not be able to spare the ground, at any rent. +If you fail, you have no business to rent +ground. If you succeed, you will have money +in your pocket wherewith to hire land elsewhere. +Now you have to show us what you +can do.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Yes, father,” was Allan’s short but sufficient +reply.</p> + +<p class='c006'>It was observed by the family that, from +this time forward, Allan’s eye was on every +plot of ground in the neighbourhood which +could, by possibility, ever be offered for hire: +yet did his attention never wander from that +which was already under his hand. And +that which was so great an object to him +became a sort of pursuit to the whole family. +Moss guarded Allan’s frames, and made more +and more prodigious scarecrows. Their +father gave his very best advice. Becky, who +was no longer allowed, as a regular thing, +to work in the garden, found many a spare +half-hour for hoeing and weeding, and trimming +and tying up, in Allan’s beds; and +Abby found, as she sat in her little school, +that she could make nets for his fruit trees. It +was thus no wonder that, when a certain July +day in the second year arrived, the whole +household was in a state of excitement, because +it was a sort of crisis in Allan’s affairs.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Though breakfast was early that morning, +Becky and Allan and Moss were spruce in +their best clothes. A hamper stood at the +door, and Allan was packing in another, +which had no lid, two or three flower-pots, +which presented a glorious show of blossom. +Abby was putting a new ribbon on her sister’s +<span class='pageno' id='Page_574'>574</span>straw bonnet; and Harry was in waiting to +carry up the hampers to the station. It was +the day of the Horticultural Show at the +town. Woodruffe had been too unwell to +think of going till this morning; but now +the sight of the preparations, and the prospect +of a warm day, inspired him, and he thought +he would go. At last he went, and they were +gone. Abby never went up to the station: +nobody ever asked her to go there; not even +her own child, who perhaps had not thought +of the possibility of it. But when the train +was starting, she stood at the upper window +with her child, and held him so that he might +lean out, and see the last carriage disappear, +as it swept round the curve. After that the +day seemed long, though Harry came up at +his dinner-hour to say what he thought of the +great gooseberry in particular, and of everything +else that Allan had carried with him. +It was holiday time, and there was no school +to fill up the day. Before the evening, the +child became restless, and Abby fell into low +spirits, as she was apt to do when left long +alone; so that Harry stopped suddenly at the +door when he was rushing in to announce that +the train was within sight.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Shall I take the child, Miss?” said Harry. +(He always called her “Miss.”) “I will carry +him——But, sure, here they come! Here +comes Moss,—ready to roll down the steps! +My opinion is that there’s a prize.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Moss was called back by a voice which +everybody obeyed. Allan should himself tell his +sister the fortune of the day, their father said.</p> + +<p class='c006'>There were two prizes, one of which was +for the wonderful plate of gooseberries; and +at this news Harry nodded, and declared himself +anything but surprised. If that gooseberry +had not carried the day, there would +have been partiality in the judges, that was +all; and nobody could suppose such a thing +as that. Yet Harry could have told, if put +upon his honour, that he was rather disappointed +that everything that Allan carried +had not gained a prize. When he mentioned +one or two, his master told him he was unreasonable; +and he supposed he was.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Allan laid down on the table, for his sister’s +full assurance, his sovereign, and his half-sovereign, +and his tickets. She turned away +rather abruptly, and seemed to be looking +whether the kettle was near boiling for tea. +Her father went up to her; and on his first +whispered words, the sob broke forth which +made all look round.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I was thinking of one, too, my dear, that +I wish was here at this moment. I can feel +for you, my dear.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“But you don’t know—you don’t know—you +never knew——.” She could not go on.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“What don’t I know, my dear?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“That he constantly blamed himself for +saying anything to bring you here. He said +you had never prospered from the hour you +came, and now——”</p> + +<p class='c006'>And now Woodruffe could not speak, as +the past came fresh upon him. In a few +moments, however, he rallied, saying,</p> + +<p class='c006'>“But we must consider Allan. He must +not think that his success makes us sad.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Allan declared that it was not about gaining +the prizes that he was chiefly glad. It was +because it was now proved what a fair field he +had before him. There was nothing that +might not be done with such a soil as they had +to deal with now.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Harry was quite of this opinion. There +were more and more people set to work upon +the soil all about them; and the more it was +worked the more it yielded. He never saw a +place of so much promise. And if it had a +bad name in regard to healthiness, he was +sure that was unfair,—or no longer fair. He +and his were full of health and happiness, as +they hoped to see everybody else in time; and, +for his part, if he had all England before him, +or the whole world, to choose a place to live +in, he would choose the very place he was in, +and the very cottage; and the very ground +to work on that had produced such a gooseberry +and such strawberries as he had seen +that day.</p> + +<div class='chapter'> + <h2 class='c003'>THE SINGER.</h2> +</div> + +<div class='lg-container-b c013'> + <div class='linegroup'> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>Unto the loud acclaim that rose</div> + <div class='line in2'>To greet her as she came,</div> + <div class='line'>She bent with lowly grace that seemed</div> + <div class='line in2'>Such tribute to disclaim;</div> + <div class='line'>With arms meek folded on her breast</div> + <div class='line in2'>And drooping head, she stood;</div> + <div class='line'>Then raised a glance that seemed to plead</div> + <div class='line in2'>For youth and womanhood;</div> + <div class='line in2'>A soft, beseeching smile, a look,</div> + <div class='line in2'>As if all silently</div> + <div class='line'>The kindness to her heart she took,</div> + <div class='line in2'>And put the homage by.</div> + </div> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>She stood dejected then, methought,</div> + <div class='line in2'>A Captive, though a Queen,</div> + <div class='line'>Before the throng, when sudden passed</div> + <div class='line in2'>A change across her mien.</div> + <div class='line'>Unto her full, dilating eye,</div> + <div class='line in2'>Unto her slender hand,</div> + <div class='line'>There came a light of sovereignty,</div> + <div class='line in2'>A gesture of command:</div> + <div class='line'>And, to her lip, an eager flow</div> + <div class='line in2'>Of song, that seemed to bear</div> + <div class='line'>Her soul away on rushing wings</div> + <div class='line in2'>Unto its native air;</div> + <div class='line'>Her eye was fixed; her cheek flushed bright</div> + <div class='line in2'>With power; she seemed to call</div> + <div class='line'>On spirits that around her flocked,</div> + <div class='line in2'>The radiant Queen of all;</div> + <div class='line'>There was no pride upon her brow,</div> + <div class='line in2'>No tumult in her breast;</div> + <div class='line'>Her soaring soul had won its home,</div> + <div class='line in2'>And smiled there as at rest;</div> + <div class='line'>She felt no more those countless eyes</div> + <div class='line in2'>Upon her; she had gained</div> + <div class='line'>A region where they troubled not</div> + <div class='line in2'>The joy she had attained!</div> + <div class='line'>Now, now, she spoke her native speech,</div> + <div class='line in2'>An utterance fraught with spells</div> + <div class='line'>To wake the echoes of the heart</div> + <div class='line in2'>Within their slumber-cells;</div> + <div class='line'><span class='pageno' id='Page_575'>575</span>For at her wild and gushing strain,</div> + <div class='line in2'>The spirit was led back</div> + <div class='line'>By windings of a silver chain,</div> + <div class='line in2'>On many a long-lost track;</div> + <div class='line'>And many a quick unbidden sigh,</div> + <div class='line in2'>And starting tear, revealed</div> + <div class='line'>How surely at her touch the springs</div> + <div class='line in2'>Of feeling were unsealed;</div> + <div class='line'>They who were always loved, seemed now</div> + <div class='line in2'>Yet more than ever dear;</div> + <div class='line'>Yet closer to the heart they came,</div> + <div class='line in2'>That ever were so near:</div> + <div class='line'>And, trembling to the silent lips,</div> + <div class='line in2'>As if they ne’er had changed</div> + <div class='line'>Their names, returned in kindness back</div> + <div class='line in2'>The severed and estranged;</div> + <div class='line'>And in the strain, like those that fall</div> + <div class='line in2'>On wanderers as they roam,</div> + <div class='line'>The Exiled Spirit found once more</div> + <div class='line in2'>Its country and its home!</div> + </div> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>She ceased, yet on her parted lips</div> + <div class='line in2'>A happy smile abode,</div> + <div class='line'>As if the sweetness of her song</div> + <div class='line in2'>Yet lingered whence it flowed;</div> + <div class='line'>But, for a while, her bosom heaved,</div> + <div class='line in2'>She was the same no more,</div> + <div class='line'>The light and spirit fled; she stood</div> + <div class='line in2'>As she had stood before;</div> + <div class='line'>Unheard, unheeded to her ear</div> + <div class='line in2'>The shouts of rapture came,</div> + <div class='line'>A voice had once more power to thrill,</div> + <div class='line in2'>That only spoke her name.</div> + <div class='line'>Unseen, unheeded at her feet,</div> + <div class='line in2'>Fell many a bright bouquet;</div> + <div class='line'>A single flower, in silence given,</div> + <div class='line in2'>Was once more sweet than they;</div> + <div class='line'><i>Her</i> heart had with her song returned</div> + <div class='line in2'>To days for ever gone,</div> + <div class='line'>Ere Woman’s gift of Fame was her’s,</div> + <div class='line in2'>The Many for the One.</div> + </div> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>E’en thus; O, Earth, before thee</div> + <div class='line in2'>Thy Poet Singers stand,</div> + <div class='line'>And bear the soul upon their songs</div> + <div class='line in2'>Unto its native land.</div> + <div class='line'>And even thus, with loud acclaim,</div> + <div class='line in2'>The praise of skill, of art,</div> + <div class='line'>Is dealt to those who only speak</div> + <div class='line in2'>The language of the heart!</div> + <div class='line'>While they who love and listen best,</div> + <div class='line in2'>Can little guess or know</div> + <div class='line'>The wounds that from the Singer’s breast</div> + <div class='line in2'>Have bid such sweetness flow;</div> + <div class='line'>They know not mastership must spring</div> + <div class='line in2'>From conflict and from strife.</div> + <div class='line'>“These, these are but the songs they sing;”</div> + <div class='line in2'>They are the Singer’s life!</div> + </div> + </div> +</div> + +<div class='chapter'> + <h2 class='c003'>A LITTLE PLACE IN NORFOLK.</h2> +</div> + +<p class='c010'>Theodore Hook’s hero, Jack Bragg, boasted +of his “little place in Surrey.” The Guardians +of the Guiltcross poor have good reason to +be proud of <i>their</i> little place in Norfolk. +When the Guiltcross Union was formed, Mr. +Thomas Rackham, master of the “house,” +set aside a small estate for the purpose +of teaching the Workhouse children how to +cultivate land. This pauper’s patrimony consisted +of exactly one acre one rood and +thirty-five poles of very rough “country.” +A certain number of the boys worked upon +it so diligently, that it was soon found expedient +to enlarge the domain, by joining to +it three acres of “hills and holes,” which in +that state were quite useless for agricultural +purposes. Two dozen spades were purchased +at the outset to commence digging the land +with, and six wheel-barrows were made by a +pauper, who was a wheelwright; pickaxes +and other tools were also fashioned with the +assistance of the porter, who was a blacksmith. +By means of these tools, and the labour of +some fourteen sturdy boys, the whole of this +barren territory was levelled, the top sward +being carefully kept uppermost. We copy +these and the other details from Mr. Rackham’s +report to the Guardians, for the information +and encouragement of other Workhouse +masters, who may have the will and the +power to “go and do likewise.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>It appears then, that by the autumn of 1846 +one acre of the new land was planted with +wheat, and two roods twenty three poles of +the home land—the one acre one rood and +thirty-five poles mentioned above—was also +planted with wheat, making in all one acre +two roods and twenty three poles under wheat +for 1847. This land produced eighteen coombs +three pecks beyond a sufficient quantity +reserved for seed for the wheat crop of 1848. +The remainder of the land was planted with +Scotch kale, cabbages, potatoes, &c., &c., which +began coming into use in March, 1847. The +entire domain is now under fruitful cultivation.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“The quantity of vegetables actually consumed +by the paupers according to the dietary +tables only,” says Mr. Rackham, “is charged +in the provision accounts. Persons acquainted +with domestic management and the produce +of land are aware that, where vegetables are +purchased, a great deal is paid for that which +is useless for cooking purposes. In the present +case this refuse is carefully preserved and +used for feeding pigs, which were first kept +in April 1848. This accounts for the large +amount of pork fatted, as compared with the +small quantity of corn and pollard used for +the pigs. The leaves, &c., not eaten by the +pigs, become valuable manure. If the +Guardians would consent to keep cows, +different roots and vegetables might be grown +to feed them with; and these would produce +an increased quantity of manure, whilst an +increased quantity of manure would afford +the means of raising a larger amount of roots +and green crops, and secure a more extended +routine in cropping the land. This would +add to the profit of the land account, and +give much additional comfort to the aged +people and the young children in the workhouse.” +But Mr. Rackham is ambitious of a +dairy, chiefly for the training of dairy-maids: +who would become doubly acceptable as farm +servants.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Besides other advantages, the experiment +presents one dear to the minds of rate-payers—it +tends to reduce the rates. The average +<span class='pageno' id='Page_576'>576</span>profit per annum on each of the acres has been +fifteen pounds. Here are the sums:—The +profit of the first year was sixty pounds two +shillings and fourpence farthing; second year, +fifty-one pounds seventeen shillings and sixpence; +to Christmas, 1849, three-quarters of +a year, sixty-seven pounds two shillings and +one penny farthing; total, one hundred and +seventy-nine pounds one shilling and elevenpence +halfpenny.</p> + +<p class='c006'>As at the Swinton and other pauper schools, +a variety of industrial arts are taught in the +Guiltcross Union house, and the fact that +sixty of the boys and girls who have been +trained in it are now earning their own living, +is some evidence of the success of the system +pursued there.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Of one of the cultivators of this “little place +in Norfolk” (not we believe an inmate of the +Union), an agreeable account was published +in a letter from Miss Martineau lately in the +Morning Chronicle. It shows to what good +account a knowledge of small farming may be +turned. That lady having two acres of land, at +Ambleside, in Westmoreland, which she wished +to cultivate, sent to Mr. Rackham to recommend +her a farm servant. The man arrived, and +his Guiltcross experience in cultivating small +“estates” proved of essential service. He has +managed to keep two cows and a pig, besides +himself and a wife, on these narrow confines; +for Miss Martineau calculates that the produce +in milk, butter, vegetables, &c., obtained +from his skill and economy for herself and +household, quite pays his wages. This is her +account of him:—</p> + +<p class='c006'>“He is a man of extraordinary industry and +cleverness, as well as rigid honesty. His +ambition is roused; for he knows that the +success of the experiment mainly depends on +himself. He is living in comfort, and laying +by a little money, and he looks so happy that +it would truly grieve me to have to give up; +though I have no doubt that he would immediately +find work at good wages in the +neighbourhood. His wife and he had saved +enough to pay their journey hither out of +Norfolk. I gave him twelve shillings a week +all the year round. His wife earns something +by occasionally helping in the house, by +assisting in my washing, and by taking in +washing when she can get it. I built them +an excellent cottage of the stone of the district, +for which they pay one shilling and sixpence +per week. They know that they could not get +such another off the premises for five pounds +a year.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>This is all very interesting and gratifying, +but there are two sides to every account. +Supposing the system of agricultural and +other industrial training were pursued in all +Unions in the country (and if it be a good +system, it ought to be so followed), then, instead +of boys and girls being turned out every +three years in sixties, there would be accessions +of farmers, tailors, carpenters, dairy-maids, +and domestic servants every year to +be reckoned by thousands. Supposing that +every fourteen of the agricultural section of +the community had been earning fifteen +pounds a year profit per acre, we should then +have a large amount of produce brought into +the market in competition with that of the +independent labourer. When, again, the multitude +of boys had passed their probation, +themselves would be thrown in the labour market +(as the sixty Guiltcross boys already +have been), so that their older and weaker +competitors would, in their turn, be obliged +to retire to the Workhouse, not only to their +own ruin, but to the exceeding mortification +of the entire body of parochial rate-payers. +The axiom, that when there is a glut in a +market any additional supply of the same +commodity is an evil, applies most emphatically +to labour. In this view, the adoption +of the industrial training system for paupers +and criminals would be an evil; and an evil +of the very description it is meant to cure—a +pauperising evil.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The easy and natural remedy is a combination +of colonisation, with the industrial +training system. In all our colonies ordinary, +merely animal labour is eagerly coveted, and +skilled labour is at a high premium. There +a competition <i>for</i>, instead of against, all sorts +of labour is keenly active. Yet great as is +the demand, it is curious that no comprehensive +system for the supply of skilled labour +has yet been adopted. Except the excellent +farm school of the Philanthropic Society at +Red Hill, no attempt is made to <i>teach</i> colonisation. +The majority of even voluntary colonists +are persons utterly ignorant of colonial +wants. They have never learned to dig or to +delve. Many clever artists have emigrated +to Australia, where pictures are not wanted; +not a few emigrant ladies, of undoubted talents +in Berlin work and crochet, have always +trembled at the approach of a cow, and never +made so much as a pat of butter in their lives. +Still they succeed in the end; but only after +much misery and mortification, which would +have been saved them if they had been better +prepared for colonial exigencies. The same +thing happens with the humbler classes. +Boys, and even men, have been sent out to +Canada and the Southern Colonies (especially +from the Irish Unions), utterly unfitted for +their new sphere of life and labour.</p> + +<p class='c006'>If, therefore, the small beginnings at Guiltcross +be imitated in other Unions (and it is +much to be wished that they should be), they +will be made to grow into large results. But +these results must be applied not to clog +and glut the labour market at home; but to +supply the labour market abroad.</p> + +<p class='c006'>If to every Union were attached an agricultural +training school, upon a plan that +would offer legitimate inducements for the +pupils to emigrate when old enough and +skilled enough to obtain their own livelihood, +this country would, we are assured, at no +distant date be de-pauperised.</p> + +<div class='pbb'> + <hr class='pb c015'> +</div> +<div class='tnotes x-ebookmaker'> + +<div class='chapter ph2'> + +<div class='nf-center-c0'> +<div class='nf-center c016'> + <div>TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES</div> + </div> +</div> + +</div> + +<table class='table0'> + <tr> + <th class='c017'>Page</th> + <th class='c017'>Changed from</th> + <th class='c018'>Changed to</th> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class='c019'><a href='#t565'>565</a></td> + <td class='c020'>the deuce—if the brand—the alcohol-and-water</td> + <td class='c021'>the deuce—if the brandy—the alcohol-and-water</td> + </tr> +</table> + + <ul class='ul_1'> + <li>Fixed typos; non-standard spelling and dialect retained. + + </li> + <li>Renumbered footnotes. + </li> + </ul> + +</div> + +<div style='text-align:center'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 78194 ***</div> + </body> + <!-- created with ppgen.py 3.57i (with regex) on 2026-03-11 16:04:17 GMT --> +</html> diff --git a/78194-h/images/cover.jpg b/78194-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..7b6168e --- /dev/null +++ b/78194-h/images/cover.jpg |
