Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-10-20
.eIIIsCELIANI. "


/ was born in one of the midland counties
Of England, miles away from the sea, in n
large old-fashioned house of Llack and white,
the upper story of which ovcrhung the lower
and the door Of which stood back in deep
porch The ioists and floors were of fine oak,
and all the tables bc,chcs. presses, indeed all
the furniture, was of oak, some of it rude and
clumsy. but the greater part. beautifully
carved.
Nv first not ION of Bible history waz taken
from my mothers bcdstcad which was entire
" Of oak. and carved all over with figures of
Angels. Adam and Eve the SERPENT, and the
Virgin and Child
The house was still called thr Old Hall, al
though it had become little better than
farm house. 1t stood at some distance from
the road-a gate ON the roadside led up a
paved way with row of sheds filled with
carts, plows, and farming implements on one
hand, and large cattlc-pond on the other,
into a spacious larm-yard, built round with
stables, barns and out-buildings, all wearing
an old Saxon stamp that have never seen
elsewhere \ wicket-gatc on the side of the
yard opened into large garden which fronted
the house. This garden had several broad
grave-walks, and two alleys covered with turf
and hedged with yew trees cut into all man.
ner of quaint devices. Beyond the garden
was an orchard containing, amongst other
trees some other old mulberry trees, which
my sister and myself were taught to regard
with grrat reverence.
Beyond this orchard. lay ploughed fields
and meadows. all belonging to my father -
No other dwelling was IN sight, except few
cottages belonging to the farm servants.
Nv father and mother were cousins, and
both descended from the same old Saxon fam
ilv, who had possessed their land long before
q In nT tpu tbp
property had dwindled down to the farm on
which ! was born. We had no rclations.--
There certainly was an uncle, merchant in
Liverpool, Of whom | sometimes hcard-but
he was nm oilSlIuut of q distant branch, and
being in trade was considered to have forfeited
all claim TO he considered one Of the family
! was the only SON ! had one sister two
years Younger than mysclf-a gentle, pretty
child, with long golden locks. She was called
! Edith. All the education | received, WIS two
wears at the grammar school, curious old
endowment. held by :. clerk in orders to
teach Latin and scholarship to all the boys in
the parish Of Lcdgeley Layer. There were a
dozen besides mysclf-and unless the master
had been endowed with the common sense to
teach us writing and arithmetic, and a few
common branches of education. ! done thint
we should have had more learning than Tom
Thumb carried In money from King Arthur S
treasury: which as every body knows, was "a
silver three pence. My companions were the
sons of small farmers, and came at intervals,
when they We're not wanted at home.
NV sister Edith never went to school at all;
! she STAYED at home with my mother, and vas
taught to be notable, As We continually
heard that we were all that remained of the
oldest family in the country,we learned to at
tach a Mysterious Importance to ourselves.
So we grew up, and did not find our lives
dull althoug,. my sister never left the house
/ except sometimes to 20 to church. When
myself was sixteen, had never been as far as
| DrAytpn l.cdgcley, though it wa- only twelve
| miles from lcdgeley Iavcr, which was our
market town. In those days people did not
go travelling and rambling about u. they now
do.
might be about fifteen, when one day my
father brought home a book of voyages ant
travels. as Il present for me had done som,
farm work in way that pleased him. 1t wal
the first new book out of shop | had evel
pUsscssed-and | read it aloud at night
whilst my father smoked in the chimney cor
ner, and my mother and sister were bus,
knitting and spinning.
That book made great impression upol
me. and set my mind thinking of foreigl
parts, and might have something to do Will
what am about to rclatc-mind, do not as
sert that it had am cautious how | asscr
anything but what know for fact,
The night on which | finished reading tina
book. was the thirty-frst of January-th
date is remembered by others as well ns my
self.
That night went to bed as usual, an
dreamed a long consecutive dream, such as
never dreamed before or since. | drcame
that my uncle at Liverpool, sent for Inc to &
II long voyge, ON some business of his an
then ! found myself standing on quay
where there seemed hundreds Of ships, an
all their thin upright masts standing like
forest of poplar trees in winter. | knew the
were ships, though had never seen one
| heard somebody say " this is Liverpool
do not rccollcct anything about my uncle
nor the business was going about ha
to go across several vessels into one that la
outside the dock sailors were going about
! ali directions. and there was great deal {
confusion. a large gilded fgure-head of
woman was at one end of the vessel, an
" Phubc Sutlific - was written under it
thought it was the likeness of Phoebe Sutliif
A ] had never seen the sea nor ship beior
:, but did not feel at all surprised at anythin
I. ] looked out on the green waves that we
ripping against the side of the vessel al
as far out as | could see, there was nothir
and natural, AMI the sun was shining qui
bright uuon some little boats with white S Ill
As the shil began to move, a voice calle
louud and clear, for us to stop, and your
n man with "a purtmantcau ul curious sha
, came sc:..I1,ing up the sides of our vess
&c out Of little boat he came up close
- where | was standing. lie was very han
.r some Young man, with n moustachc, and
re wore foreign cap,
We began to talk, but could never in 4
least rccOllcct what we said. suddenly
great storm arose, and every thing was da
V as pitch | heard the wind howl fearful
hut did not feel any tossing of the waves,
might have been expected, At last the
> came Il dreadful crash another vessel h
- struck against us, and We were borne do,
under the keel Of it. | found myself in t
4. water. The young man was close beside IN
and we floated, quite pleas ,ntly and eas
towards some rocks, which lay nrounda bea
tul green Island, where the sun was shinl
The rocks, when we came among them, W,
like the ruins of hundred old castles.
" These are the Rocks Of Scarlet in
Isle ot Man, said my companion " i
here, and yunder is my fathers house"
" hen we had clambered up the rocks, a
had reached the greensward, thought
was unaflr to move a step further. A VIII
house with gre n outside shutters and S
rounded hy u low wall. stood close at haI
but could not stir, and lay down on
ground iainting, though knew all that '
going on. My companion shouted and 50
men came uU he sent them to the VT
house In another minute, saw a bcauti
young woman clothed in white, with l.
black curls, standing beside us. With
was an old man.
How did You come here - said the
*, man, We were struck lay another vrs
and swan tu shore but this youth is dvi
=. tive him a cordial" " The youns lady stou
over me, raised my head and Nd, extend
her hand iuI dIinkirg EuIn, wnun tne ,
We were upon heg,n 10 quake, and tell WI
a dreadful crash into the SEA beu'ath.
The crash awoke me. 'lrang up III h
"a. witLont IN the least knowing where | "
"y Tie noise ! had lrard in my dream still c