The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-08-06
THE PILOT
MASTER HUMPHREYS CLOCK.
BY CHARLES DIcKENs.-PARTs X. xl. XII.
THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP.
IAPTER THE NINTH.
MISCELLAN EO U S.

THE OLD Z u RIO 81 L ShOE'
CHAPTER THE NINTH.
The child, in her confidence with Mrs. Quilp,
had but feebly described the sadness and sorrow
of her thoughts, or the heaviness of the cloud
which oyerhung her home, and cast shadows on
its earth. Besides that, it was very difficult to
imnart to any person not intimately acquainted
with the life she led, an adequate sense OF ats
Gloom and loneliness a constant fear of in some
way committing or injuring the old man t" whom
she was so tenderly attached, had restrained her
even in the midst Of her hearts overftowIrg 6, and
made her timid OF alluslon to the main cause ol
her anxiety AMI distress
For. it was not the montonous days uncheck-
cred by variety and uncheercd by pleasant COM
panionship, it was not the dark dreary evenings
or the long solitary nights, 1t was not the aD-
sence OF every slight and easy pleasure Ior Which
Young hearts beat high, or the knowing nothing
of childhood, but its weakness and ITS easily
wounded spirit, that had wrung such tears from
Nell To see the old man struck dowR beneath
the pressure of some hidden grief, to mark his
wayering and unsettled state, to be asltaeed at
times with dreadful fear that his mind was
wandering, and no trace IN his words ana looks
the daygning of despondert madness; to watch
and wait and listen for confirmation OF these
things dav after day, and to feel and know that,
come what might, they were aloe al the world
with no one to help or advise or care about them
these were causes of depression and anxiety
that might have sat heavily on an older breast
with MANY influences at work to cheer and glad
den it. but how heavily on the mind of young
child to whom they were present, and who was
constantly surrounded by all that could Keep such
thoughts in restless action. ,
And vet, to the old mans vision, Nell was sui
the same When he could for moment olsen
gage his mind from the phantom that haunttd
and BRAIDED en- it ALWAYS, there was his young
Communion with the same smile aor him, the same
earnest words. the same merry laugh, the same
love and care, that, sinking deep into his soul,
seemed to have been present te HIM through nus
whole life and so he went ON, content TO read
the hook Of her heart from the page hrst present
ed to him, little dreaming OF the story that iay
hidden in its other leaves, and murmurlng within
himself that at least the CHILD was happy.
she had been once. She had gone singing
through the dim rooms, and moving with gay
and lirhtsome step among their trusty treasures
makine them older by heryoung life, and sterner
and mare prim by her gay and cheerful presence.
Rnt new the chambers were cold and gloomy land
xvho,, she left her own little room to whlleaway
fine tedioug hours, and set IN one oil them, she
was still and motionless as their manimate oc-
cupants, and had no heart to startie tne ecnoes
-f,oarse from their long salence-Wlth heI voice
T., ,,,s ae these rooms was q window locking
;nto +be street where TIE child sat, many and
mon, !, long and often far into the night,
.Io,,o and tbouohtfrl None are so anxious as
those who yyatch and wait, and at these times,
mournful fancies came focilng on her mlnd IN
crowds
She would take her station here at dusk, and
watch the people as they passed up and down the
street or appcared at the windows OF the oppo-
site houses. wondering whether those rooms were
as lonesome as that in which she sat, andSSheth
erfbase eo1,Ic felt it company to see her sitting
fbcre as she,did ONLY to see them look ont and
draw in their heads again. There was a crook
ed stack OF chimneys ON one OF the ro5ts' IN
which by often looking at them she had iancie',
noly faces that were froNning over at her and
irving to peer into the room, and she fett glad
when it grew too dark todnale them out, slough
she was sorry too, when tine man came 10 ight
the lamps in the streets, for it made it late, and
very dull inside Then she would draw an her
head to look round the room and see that every
thing was in lis place and hadn't moved and
Iools1,,r out in the street again, would perhaps
sec man passing with coffin on his back, and
two or three others silently following him to a
house where somebody lay dead, when Made
her sh.lddcr and think of suck things, until they
suggested afresh the old mars altered lace ana
manner. and new train of Hears and spec9la-
t;ons IN he were to die-f sudden illness had
bapne,,ed to him. and he were never to come
home aeain alive--iL one night he should come
home, and kiss and bless her as usual, and alter
she had gone to bed and had fallen asleep, and
was perhaps dreaming pleasantlys and smiiing an
her sleep, he should kill himself, and ms blood
come Creeping, Cfct1h1f5 VA w. -
own bedroom door! These thoughts were too
terrible to dwell upon, ans again she would have
recourse to the street, frodden by fewer feet
and darker and more silent than before. The
shops were closing fast, and lights began to SHINE
from the upper windows, as the neighbors Went
to bed BY degrees these dsgindlcd away and
disappesred, or were replaced here and there by
a feeble rush-canSlc, which ssas to burn all
,;gIt Still there was one late shop at ne great
{ distance, which sent forth rudy glare upon
ths nsyement even vet, and looked bright and
communicable. But in little time tins closed,
the fight was extinguished, and all was gloony
and quiet, except when some stray footsteps
sounded on the pavement, o. neiShoor, out
later than his wont, knocked ius!iy az MS mousse
door to rouse the sleeping inmates.
when the night had worn thus far (and sell
dom now until it had) the child would close the
sS;udoxv and steal softly down stairs, thinking
~ sh, went that if one Of these hideous faces be-
low which often mingled with her dreams, were
- meet her by the way, rendering itself visible
~, some strange light Of its own, how terrified
=. s.,o,,ld he But these fears vanished before
.,e1, t~;nmed lamp and the familiar aspect OF her
49, ~oom After praying fervently and with
49,. h,rst;ne tears for the old man, and the
ast.y.t;,,,, &c Ris peace of mind and the happi-
ness tLey had once enjoyed, she would lay ner
besd mon the pillow and sob herself to sleep, Of
te,, startne un again, before the daylight came,
10 listen for the bell, and respond to the lnas'a
~ summons which had reused her rom he'
slumber. 80
with Mrs Quilp, the old man, who had peen