The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-12-27 00:00:00

VIE BLIND BRIDE,
' A CHRISTMAS STORY.

Prourrity dbtli but discover mu, but adoertity cloth best
.issmor eirtw."—Ltatv

Iff the goodold day. of a centUrYback,When "George the
1
~ II Tpud viu hio... Is wits, ueveriheicas, trite that
'I British planten grew rich upon Ilass•Krown prodisce .
r.ir 'and the staunch West Indian trailing ships maned
-10 freightson sugar and coffee without the Consclen,es of
the „wpera being the least affected by She wretched
e,,esiftion of the " nigger." on the other side of the
sider. .lt that time lirlitcl Occupied the position
,4 ~ewo of this ports On our wettern coast, and
eitt,heh •• shipshape and Bristol fashion " still remains
ee e reoeinro, Cii, feet has pused Away half A century
aAo. Liverpool and Glasgow have quite eclipsed the
dddaebliined port on the Avon, and we look back noon its
, ,eieu " anis almost as great a septa of its unreality a,,
that alto which we road the A raters,. N.lllf s and Fail rtm's
Pro!, et ioe hail not even a clause at that time, In
Ito tensile whi hit la now apprehended ; iurn, however,
grew rich or remained poor very much Upon the same print-
plea a obtain now.*-days.
e,, wash for sione and date Now let us bAroduce
me welters, merchant and al ip.oirner of Best .1, a man of
r.), ,nsers, goo I anios leilae of tile world, and comfort-
alile stream...eft In his younger days he had been op.
pronuad f e Ow sea (full called), and had risen from the
i is aet rank vn beard to be insulter of the ship , having been
!sagged la at the hawsrpipes, he wan politely invited out at
Use item winders This implied considerable industry,
paneveraore, and Nahum, ability, which had not forsake.
him Ceti he adopted ti 0 habits of a counting-how.. His
wife died when i oinparailvely young, leaving hum, however,
two children ; the elder, a daughter—Alice , the younger, a
risa —Charier.. The latter, both from a natural predispost
tic. and firm his father's wish, Was sent to senate. early an
age WI possible, nil bad Inherited, no it appeared, only a
portion of his father's qualities Charles wee it good•hearted
Ltd, and dutiful ; but the silver spot. In hie mouth when he
wee born deprived him if that necessity for energy which
Commonly accompules famOais
Alice Walters was 1n..,C. outride belle in the society in which
the family moved. and her good look. owed much to the
character and position oilier father in gaining the admiration
and courtesy of many worthy Brutol citizens. She was
rather more than ordlouily good looking would imply, and ,
had an intellectual activity which gave vivacity to her eye. '
and ii.terest to her words. It would be es arcely necessary to
adil that there were rivals for her love, her person, and her
presumed dowry. Mr. Walters was well advised In the
world's ways, and fool lilts daughter attentive to his
conmel, and • very goal man.ger of hie hose and belorgings
One of Mr. Walter's russet., trading td the West Indies
was under cc sumand of Captain Cockrane, • man of good
boldness ability ; sn I from his quick plumage., and careful !
subordination on board his vessel gave proof of able seaman- '
ship, and a capacity to command men. lie had coma from
the northeri, counties—the Eastern coast ports—and had
rapidly gsined the confidence id hi• owner—in fact, he might
be old to be commodore of Mr. Walter's fleet of Wont India-
men It was act to be wondered at, under the circumatancee,
lost Codas.e often accompanied Mr. Walter. to his home,
nor that, seeing Alice, he eny yeti her society, stud coffered
from a sort of softness of heart towards her. Co presume to
an utter of marriage be felt would lead to his being snubbed.
so he took up his position of an admirer without hope of
reciprocity, In a phil..phical spirit, like a shrewd, and pre-
pays. wise, man ef the arid—he would not put himself in
en undignified position, and so kept his feelings to himself.
There eta another rival, who was more In the same social
circle with Miss Walters—the son of • Brintol merchant of
good connectlosi, high cs mmercial standing, and respected
character. "Young Wutgarth," as he wu generally called,
to dhitiuguish him irons his father seemed to have s fair
prospect of whining the daughter of the old ship-owner. She
was a little distant to him, but this wits translated as such
copies. generally Is , and the gossips of the place di•played
heir wonderful foresight by ominous winks and frowns, and
undertone broken sentences. Mr. Walters was • silent, but
not inattentive witness of all this billing and cooing. he WY
following the training he tud received as • ship-muter—not I
to talk about It for an hour before, but to keep • good look out, I
and promptly order ehortentng gall, or putting the ship about,
schen he loud it needful.

At a small I. we town lu South Wales, called at that ties
of day Fout-y.Cwm—whatever It may now be named—there
wits • very Brat-rate greromar si.hool, and the post of head.
muter or principal was held by the Rev Mr. Evans, a man
of an age rather en the juvenile side of middle life, and of •
temperament, quiet, learned, and me very attiring. His
occupation WAS not very conducive to cheerfulness. for teach-
ing school boys all day long must be uncommonly planking
and as he spent his leisure Lours principally to his study,
many of his neigboure were Induced to think him, If erudite,
at the some time gloomy and eccentric. lie was undoubtedly
a good scholar and an able teacher, as was proved by the
style of boys be turned out of his school—he wis • just
ett•,-n, and an honourable debtor, end he wee a clergyman;
but rneu said they thought he was a little foo close—nobody
could understand him. Mr. keens wee the standing enigma
to all the Inhabitants of Pont-y-Csvin. Ills father was •
clergyman in another pert of Wales, and had rather alienated
himself from his son, on account of his having become •
acboolmaster instead of a nreacher and the son in his turn
felt sore that the reasons which he had surged for his COn-
dues were not deemed of sufficient importance to obtain •
hearing frond hie Bate parent Is the younger md
cheerful part of hi. life, Mr. Evans hal frequent', event •
day or two at Mr. Walton' house, In Bread. on such male
dons as when he might be returning from his father's Weigh
parish to the University. M conies, he had been Intimate
with Alice, then q.tu a child, and wifla Charles, who was
still younger, and thrnugh the glom of sonic fifteen years
the bright picture of those happy days would loom out, and
rive him a relish to visit again the old trtends of his college
doll,
An acquaintancethip may, through various circumstance,
die out by absence of companionehlo, but a once true friend
will never be forgotten fr m one end of a life-time to the
other. It has been written, "The youth of friendship is
better than Its old age." When, however, the achoolmaskr had
determined to visit Bristol, and came up by coach, be was right
hospitably received. The chui of a secluded life seemed to
thaw upon him in the genial atmosphere which surrounded
him in We vscstioo, and he began, As men generally do when
the shell of their evary.d ay habit I. broken—he began to think
that perhaps some of his life thoughts" were not the con-
=treed wisdom of Solomon, and that perhaps his manners
and ways of We were not the moat happy that could be found,
and that perhaps he could take another view of the valley of
life, he might find other joys than those of a student.
" What 'urines manners our guest, Mr. Evans, ha.," mall
Alice to her tether. as they were one evening sitting alone ; "be
mom to go mooning about among the she, bborins, until he
forgets all about what Is going on vound him. lie is so
quiet and reserved too—not at all like what I recollect him
to have been when he used to come and see no formerly."
"Us does, my girl, eih' bit a strange absence of mind," re
plied Mr. Walters ; "but you must remember that his habits
and surroundings as a colt ry scho,lmaster, have a tendency
lo turn hind into a h .all In mind, body, end feelings. Von did
notse a child notice les thous/Millirem In former days, whin
has now developed into &imam a gloom, and certainly does
glee him a mmt eccentric aspect; I cannot say that tus
teaming at Pent)? Mem liaa Improved him."
Ile said," esntinited the dem/liter. "that he should like to
go down to the docks and see Captain Conkraue's ship, but
although I volunteered to be I.E. companion, he will be sure
to he lost among the busy dole gs among the ships at the
docks, or meet with some accident among the bale, and
pacitages knocking about."

.
•' 1-Ja need not be quite no nervous about his safety, Alice
I suppose Captain Cockrene known eon are coming, and It
would has pity to dlaappoint htm of the visit."
Affairs seemed to be tending ton climax In Mr. Waiters
mind he Can In daily expectation that " young Westgarth
Walla be asking fir bin daughter's hand rand, without know.
ins a by, he was only half inclined to grant the re.tuest. Cont-
ralto wasmore a man to his mind for a son da law, only he was
so backward and mi dent he felt himself quire In the shade
beside one whom be considered would be thought so much
more eligible a match. Over this did:lathy the worthy old
shipowner had smoked many • clear, an I yet could not make
Op his mind Uncertainty of purpose was not one of his
Wings in fact he always deemed It oeeplcable not to be able
to arrive 'Oa ,lechlon, and yet he was in the old difficulty
between the 'two 5t001... "I don't like men who are two de-
monatrativo," he widild mutter to himself, "and pet I know
nothing aping the young fellow "

_ -
The outcome of the proposed vent to the docks, with sips-
clii to see Captaiu Cockrene's ship, woe that next Oa,
Ile Walters, his dattehter, Mr. Evan., and is o other bleeds
were seen walking over the plank t the vessel which IS;
mend just off the wharf it, the tick. fy the side of the t leer
Avon. It was about soon, but the captain had not teen
down to the ship, an unwonted absence in him case; all were
thappoloted that he was not there but Mr. Waiters did the
duties of the sailor in pointing oUt all objects of interest, and
explaining the technicalities; and they fount • negro sailor
on board who knew all the ins and outs of the cabin and
caboose. This blackle was a functionary of great importance,
Wing the cook, and, while in harbeur, the etewerd of the
//We'd of the Seac r he was credibly reported to be able to
make excellent soup "out of nothing,' and to nerve up
dinner out of • minimum of ingredients He sat some dale-
ilea on the cabin table, but told them, with • grin, that the
cap's" had the key of the wine locker, and so he could only
011ie them to coffee ; it was, however, a fragrant cup, the
Ardsc lust routed In the galley half an hour before.
one of the officers came on board In the midst of this sort
of plc-nic, and Informed them that Captain Cockrane and two
of the apprentices had sailed down the river In the gig "on
the previous day, and had eon rallied to return in time to receive
the company, but that be/tb, facer, supposed he had been
letainel, for It was blowing bait a gale out to the estuary.
Teta "gig " wee the captain's perectil.r boat, and he had
good skill In aallthg her, an accommishment not very com-
mon among "big ship sailors ;" the t.oat Was elegised as a fore
Isaiah schooner, and was a little heady, Ceptain Cockrane
Old set out to cross the estuary of the Severn to visit some
Meals, taking two of the ship's apprentices with him, and had
prolonged to himself to start front the other side at early dawn.
Mr. Walters expressed that be was not at all slifintsed at
Cockrue's noreapeearance, knowing the difficulty, not to soy
danger, of attempting to cuee over the channel in an open
boat In boisterous weather—they ell presumed that he Was
kept hem the homeward passage by stress of weather.
Now-a [hue a telegram would have been expected announc-
ing the (Ant :ulty, butte the eightetiv.h century news tra-
velled slowly, and people were not restless and Impatient
because they rtte not know what wee taking piece all over
the world, but waited, knot. hoz that time would exp'sin
riumy enigmas. The party on tie Mistre,s of the Seas laughed
over the idea of Coakraue finding himself caught in a trap of
hie own making.
As hoer. passed on and the gale dl.l not abate, the affairs
Of the mints g captain and his cempanions assumed a serious
complexion in the minds of their frien,is at Bristol. The whole
Wenders wag adj tn. ged as rash, ano theses-faring c menuntty,
wto, of course, Soon kuew ail about it, began to shake their
estuis and express hope for the best. it was at length deemed
Sight ty Mr. Welters to send a lugger acres to the utUe sea-
Port. essay to ascertain whether the three were safe, and If
solo bring them back If not, to assure these interested in
tte safety of Ilia adventurers that search ought to be made.
So the lugger was made ready and manned the black cook
GI the Mearege of Use 005. being one of her crew. He said
0 12,,c1sraee good sallor-mar," and his confidence in
ree BUCCelsol the expedition gave heart to all concerned in
AU was in Neonr et good 116WS, eicept the presentiments
which eceempany eialseidie•
Startle after the departure of the searching party a ship
came into port, twine beaten up the Bristol Ceanuel suite
Si th,._,l.eather, and bringing with her a boat which she hid
tp fined derelict and bottom up, having the name
"es lora of the S-ao, of Bristol," painted on the stern, ike
tees of this salvage watimmeeiatcly cenanuttleated to the
!dente—Mr. Walter.. Very little hope now remained, and
in frteada beews to appreciate h'.w meal they had lost
Cnckrene • his good qualities were looked upon as
en 11.1 never been left re ; and *II lamented his death in
real earnest.
•
The relative. of the two youths—the apprentices, were at first
Mtn, alMeat euraged at the Captain tor takini them on such
a b,. lii ec. every one now deemed it; they afterwards
depressed Bap grief, and made certain that all the petty had
et!' dr"clid. Mr, Walters and others assured the borrowers
parts might have escarxri with their lives, although
ooat was lost, gni promised to use his Interest and
:an's) in any plan ankh might appear }enable for their
'.„ecyvvY. Truth to sty, however, ht• own hopelessness of
--"*" sadly dinar/fled energetic action—where there is no
Payee-et of nieces& it does not take muck to annihUate a
weak c.azage.
In the meantime tha lugger had reached the opposite
"est, Out found no trace of the lost rasa—they had not
lwirliti—She gig had not been seen-ethingc looked very
he Neck cook, however, who was much attached
Lalonde Cockrane, having affection for his muter t.
Pr'reet him, and • cheerful and sanguine disposition to coot,
si'.eafersuaded the crew if the lugger to continue the search.
ci of course knew nethlng about the picking up of the
r!t, and as the weather was now more moderate, it was de-
-7Wlted to make a diligent search, and not to return to
a
eeetol witb half a story. Seeking for a lost man has itlways
eharm Sc ut it, beyond the ordinary etimulents to parse-
?,rance ahioci accompany a search for any treasure, the feel.
••.: of haring a good cause and one approved by all who look
all, gives heart and courage; and the feeling of humanity—of
ZmpathY f. rune tottering, residers all sorts of little details
d 0111,104 e (which would no otherwise deemed trivial), of
alitertuce.

,07bvrtifYth—le Leuth
Party I the lusger—elntlnued the search all
.1,
ekast for about two dos cant,. to
likely little coves I.nd harbours, and making enquiries
Kst
ti,hyrwev. Th one had seen the wanderers, and the
tsal answer and advice from all hands, was that they sup-
s,sd they muss lA,o b.an mpg.' in the gale, and that the
'hang th• lulrges 0051440 wee to edam to BMW. You

me, mid the sinfilliblorts population. thaw shipsailms are
no it.. in a email Doak and would be luck, come to grief is
a squall or wind. Tie contrary opinion set forth aa ol
Confirm. was pooh-poohed--be might know well enough how
to sail the Mistrewo ci Ore Setts on the Atlantic, but MI open
boat ou he lirhtol Channel wee 4 nit° another matter.
dishear ened 51.1 worn ,•lit with constant watchfulness
and enquiry, the party in ihe lugger returned. lire black
nook who had been the mainspring lu all the undertaking,
went, as deputy for the whole crow, to tell Air Walters that
further search seemed hopelosa. When this Information
We. coupled with the finding of the host, all was Orem up
at MACS. it Itita floe days since the accident must have taken
place. MO all that remained now to be done was to ,31.11BC-
lure the manlier of death, and the nature of the accident to
the three lust men.

Envy is very subtile, and although it would be Unfair to
attribute to VVestgartii any joy at the accident which had
removed his rival ((or as such ho was half-disposed to regard
him), yet h., Imagined matters looked more prosperous tor
his "will suit towards Alice. Ile would not admit, to himself
von. that he was ploaaad. for lie was not of the Lama kind
II metal, )rt ills total had much of the dross .I self-set Icing
in It He felt Ito WAS WI Interior man to Coctrane, aud ye;
would not admit it.

Mr. gral.s, whilst sitting converging with Mr. Walters, in
the arching of the day the lugger returned. spiima up se U
sonic new Idea had taken pomesaun ,d Wm, awl asited to
see a reSrS ii Lilo Cae.t. No septeil Jill beou Wade,- Said
he, II ton south 0140 1.1 the eliatmel ; thore are sine
little c. ky Wets ell She Devonshire shore ,shio, are shot
elf from human itilercenrie. hut might still have Intercepted
a boat .Irlftlog to the Southward and westward Is the
chute ...Till the trial?"

" I mutt be n, fool," laid Mr Walters "roluldering the
number of times I have palmed up on shipboard, I ought to
have remembered this. You are right, my good friend, and
any chance Is good enough to melte an attempt upon. To-
night shall not puts over without action being taken. lii
have the same party sent out after 'be tide turns. The
negro cook shall accompany them. f that black!e had
kn3wn more of geography, he would not have let his ready
wit slip so foolishly as I have allowed mine to do. This sad
event has quite stunned my brains. I will go at once and
put matters in motion."

83 Alice cud Mr. Evani were left alone to talk over the
chances of success and con over the chart. The more they
considered the matter, the more likely appeared the conjeo-
- Mr. Evans, though Lot at all a salt-conceited man,
did COTicrstulate himself upon so valuable a supposition : and
forgetting his usual taciturnity, quite overflowed with ex-
pressions of hope, and' the prompting. of a passionate Impa-
tience of the result.
To be bed, the captain and the two apprentices were
found by the men ou the lugger They had been, as had
been imagined, on oue of the little Islets, and had been
unable to make themselves seen by any vessel passing ; and
owing to the rouchuess of the weather had not attempted to
swim on shire. Like many sallon, they were poor swimmers,
all three of them, and were not at all fond of drowning!
For it,. days they had remained pent up this way, with no
prospect bat death, from want of food—without shelter
and, worst of all, without water, exoept the little they could
collect from ail falling rain

Captain Coffkrane and the two youths, when they landed
at Bristol, were taken up at once to Mr Walters' house, who
was pleases] to off or an asylum to what looked more like
three corpmfs than three men Five days and nights of such
exposure had almost quenched the spark of life but they all
Ultimately recovered, although one of the lads had • severe
fever, from which he escaped barely with his life. The sect-
dent occurred to this way—the boat was capsized in •
sadden squall, and the three were cast out into the water;
they hung on by the overturned bat, and drifted with her
down to the islets upon which ths y were found. The boat
had drifted out further to sea, with the current or tide,
and that was how the Inward bound vessel had come across
tto beating up the estuary.
As may readily he imagined, Mr. Evans was univenally con-
gratulated upon his hstpy llhossght his friendship, too, with
Sir Waiters had matured Mu atremith during Ids stay In
Bristol, and the circumstances of recovery from death of the
lost captain had tended much to cement the friendship of all
three. The reflex action, which the actual expression in
deed of kindly feelings towards another, had been at work In
Mr Walter's case, and he felt all the more strongly attached
to those whom he hod benefited. The good thot was in all
these friends showed Itself when their common distress urged
their mutual sympathy.
The echo fimaster's vacation, however, wee drawing to a
close and it was now about time that the 314.treim of the
Sea,stgaln vh,fuld go to sea—so the friends must part, and
leave Alice Walter. and her father to their quiet town life,
while they went to stern duties, and old cares.

B. ire leaving Bristol, however, the three adventurers In
the little schooner gig were quite liontsed. Every one bad
now an invitation to give than, not from any peculiarly
friendly sentiment, but from the strange (urination which
surrounds all who hove been saved from the jaws of death.
Sev..ral good citizens, friends of Mr. Walton, presented the
master of the Mistress of the Seas with a new, most elaborate,
and deftly constructed boat, to take the place of his lost gift.
It was a beautiful piece of workmanship, and as strong nit
could be made, and a handy sea boat.
I. you the return of Mr Eviu s to Pont-y•U•m all tidings
appeared as when he had left them, the school reassembled,
duties recommenced, and as he was note man who associated
eery freely with those in the same little town, he was unite
unaware t f Ste storm which was about to break over hie
bent. He was a man of thoughtfultiou, and on point.
was Int in advance of his age fact, while at Bristol, his
abLerrence of slavery had brought him Into contact with no
eery kindly feelings with sore retired West India planters,
who upheld the practice and theories of slavery They, go ui
souls, saw the good side of the system, and being men of
humanity, their slaves Lever suffered from oppression, and
habit had staled In them any sense of b jastice feipliod In
Etch bondage Mr Evans' political views, though not
stroug!y expressed, were Quite opp 'red to those current hi his
own LI .ss .4 society. Shallow.mhided men were apt to
consider him a mischievous dreamer. and It appeared now
that the Inhabitants of l'ont-y.ewm had worked themselves
up into • state of indignation against him, which culminated
In a determination to get rid of him out of the Coen

Neter was a mere unless nable or unrietteous Weed
of opt reesiou perpetr •te., : tit the result of this bigotry war,
Pat after. sh,rt time, Mr. Evans found he mast ',sign
tin vet as I.ll,oimacer there, sod had a lirellhote., sod
• duty, elsewhere.

Now thatthe ground ea. clear of all opposition—for Cock-
rune Lad gone to the West Indies iu his thip—Westgarth waa
constant in his attention to Alice Walters, and aithough Maey
were not formally affianced, no one topposed but that It
would ultimately be "s match." 11,wever, ths young gentle-
man was reckoning without his hoot, and bad not observation
enough to discover that mere poll:enese end amiability on
the part of Allot could not fairly be translated Into alrectl,n.
Ile had to doubt of whining hie canto when he thought It
time to put it forth ; and Mbeit, as Mr. Water. had mused
hinmelf, 'be knew nothing against Car young fellow,"

So matters quietly pasaed until the rattan ot the !ingress
of the Seas from her vm age ; she had made good paasages,
and good Irtights ; had sugared no misadventure, aad Captain
Cockrane was again a gutst at lir. Walters'.

A day wee appointed for a lunch on board this ship, and
Hi. time. lialf to Cr w, half in j he. Contrition promisi-d CO
he flora to receive his company this taoe, nod ex, lied LI.
regret that Mr. Evans could not none of the party. But
tine° Ids leaving Ponies C win, nu olio kne w what had lo come
of the schoolinatter. Hit lather, who had been so estranged
from dim in former days, knew nothing of biro, and now that
he was loat began to exhibit more latent affection than he
w, Old hove been awaited with bet.re the mystery own, to
his ears.

But to return to the pleasure party on the ship. Alice
waa tripping across the deck to look over the bulwarks at
the grand idoat whlchrhad been presented to C clerane, when
she caoght her foot on coo ething on the deck, and fell with
her brow right ace, as the rail of the bulwarks It was too
sudden for her hands to leave her head, and she was raised up
quite senseless frdm the deck. She was bleeding from the
epee, and did not recover from the stun until medical help
was brought. According to the custom of the times she was
bled, and borne home, leaving many a sorry heart among her
friends. She bever saw dO)llkht afterwards ! The blow had
blinded her for life !

ilow mai • circumstanm may change the tenor of half •
dozen lives. Although no very long sickness ensued, and
the doeton &tenni, eel that the wont of the accident was
now past, the blindness was a terrible s Motion for Alice, and
perham equally painful for her father. Wmtgarth looked
upon fueproepects rather gl,omily, and was so disappointed
of his hopes, that he determined to his own mind not to
marry • blind wife. Ile might be right In he determination
—let lookers on judge for toemeelves—but he was not quite
satisfied with himself and let he did not live the girl deeply
enargtt to take born. rho w.e.

Wt-stgarth was not Whaled with himself at his own
thoughts ; it stung him too when he thought how often Alioe's
harp cad accompenied his own voice to word, which he now
gave the lie V, and which he h• I no Idea were CO hodow
when he utttred them—such sentiments as rum Moore has
since espressed In his times

" Relieve me. Lind those endearing young charms,
Which I gaze on so fondly today,
Were to change by to-morrow, and fleetin my arms,
Like fairy Rifts f g attin away :
. . .

I boassoahlet still be adored as thLs moment thou art,
Let thy loveliness fade as It will,
And around the dear ruin, each wish of my heart
uld entwine twit verdantly gill.°
Ile could not bear to remain In Bristol any longer, and so
made up his mind to take a voyage to Porn, by &vessel which
was Boon to leave London for that part. In a few da)s alter
his deternihiati di he was speeding down Channel, with a
sore heart, and a sorry conceit of himself and his conduct.

As fortune would have it, the if i.beress of the dealt, Captain
COctrane In command, was destined &so for a trading voyage
n the West Coast of South America, with probability of tourh-
ing the Peruvian shore. So again father and daughter were
eft at Os, to w.mder were Sir. Evans could be, and wish the
travellers good speed.

- -
.' What can have become of Mr. Miran.," said Alice Walter.
to tor lather. I.ou.told.me—lt must be ale..reella mo -that

left his school at Pointy-cam, and I really thought
that hen he had this enforced leisure he would came and see
I would have Invited him, although perhaps he ought not
to need any such formality, hut he wrote me in the
eve of departure, so I knew not where to address hlm. I am so
sorry that he will not accept the ordinary dulle, of a clergy-
man, for then eomething might he done for him ; but he will
not, for some reason occult o me, and will not accept any
occupation except that of a tutor or schoolmaster I sincerely
win!', Alice, that I woe able to be of some autatauce to dim."
During the interval of time between his leaving Pointy
OM and his making himself known to his friends in Bristol,
Even. was wandering ever the couotry, not knowing what he
should do. He was also so overcome by the tn atment
that he had received from his fellow-townemen, that it re-
quire.' some time to quiet his Indigestion; he was far from
being of cynical disposition, and so felt the injustice which
they inflicted upon him more than a man of more callous
feeling, would have done. He had, Indeed, travelled up to
Meted, with the intention of visiting his true and dawn h
friend, Mr. Walters, but shrunk back, from steeling which he
could not explain, even to himself, and had travelled
on again Into Devonshire. He remained in the country for
ewe time, living at small Inns In the lesser town. and 'lll-
-IQes, and hoped to mature some plan of action before his
badly-filled purse ehould be quite empty. It often happens
that superior men, when thrown upou their own resources
under such circumstances as this, are more Inapt in forming
a slew planet life, than those who have not half the mental
calibre, nor half the acquirements, nor half the power of
work. Ile had gradually pused down to the south coast of
Cornwall, and was lodging at a small inn, not far from the
coast, Just about the date that Mr. Walters and his daughter
were consulting together as to what could possibly have be-
come of him.
As Evens wee walking one day along that "iron-hound
coast" of Cornwall, sometimes upon the rocks at the level of
the sea, sometimes high up upon the cliffs, which
afforded a magnUtc-nt view of homeland beyond head-
land Jutting their dark, hard, cold spurs Into the
sea—as was walking, he became aware of • party
of men landing casks out of a boat. This was in an
cut-of-the-way place, where a comparatively smooth coast
line et ctrcled a little bey—not much more than a cove—
and where the rocks role almost perpendicularly a few yards
from the high water level They were landing brandy—ln
fact, they were in the act of smuggling. Custom so far spoils
the tine edge of feeling, that smuggling, holing so common In
those days, was hardly looked upon as wrong; although known
to be illegal, Is was far from disreputable, end almost all who
lived within • few nines of the sea were participators In the
breach of the law, either I u "ruining In" brandy themselves,
or in buying that forth dr use which they knew had not paid
duty. Mr. Evans, trute to tell, was not shocked, for he had
heard much about it . nor was he much afraid of receiving
harm at the hands of those whom he found there Illegally
engaged.
To be brief, however, the sinuggiers, always apprehensive
of danger, an/ no quick of ear and eye, found he was near;
and, uot Blithe hie appearance, and fancying he looked
like one who might Inform against them, they made him
theft prisoner, spite of his proteetations.
Poor Evans was led up by the cliffs, and the whole party
soon puseu into a large cave in the rocks; it had but •
saiallentrance, however, and Pile was shut off by means of a
large piece of stone which served as a door. This door
revolved upon a rude sort of pivot at the foot of it. and was
so nicely balanced that It would open from without to the
pressure of the hand, although of many tone weight. From
within, no human power, except perhaps by aid of
mechanics, could possibly move It. The door war opened
from without as they passed in, and when they again left the
place. Kenllll was ordered to remain, or threatened with
death If he made any resistance. He was thus alone, • pri-
soner without hope of escape, In total darkness ; but they
had left him food. From the words which had passed among
the smugglers, although spoken In the original old Corulah
language to hide their remarks from the stranger, Mr. Keane
coencMed VIM they meant him no personal hann, and would