The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1855-03-10

A"c Seicr VI CLOCKS sat IN Tic shay OF
which he had spoken to AGONY Nirlaz. 1t was
dusky little concern, very loose on its
springs, and worn and rusty in its gear. 4,
) to the animal that drew it, Mr. Ben-Daou,l
mentioned BY the way that it was a discount
!; pony; having been taken as an equivalent
for cash in numbcrlcss bills negotiated in the
"csthampton garrison, and had probably
bcen worth, in his time, considerably more
than his weight in gold.
SAID pony. if he was rum 'un to look at
, which, indeed, he was, inc hairy where
he should have been smooth, and having oc
ca>'onal bald places. as though he were in the
, habit OF scratching himself with his hoots =
which hoots coupled with his whi,v-browi,
ankles, gave him the appearance OF having
indifferent bluc!ier> and dirty white socks on
was good 'un to 90 SO remarkably GOOD
was he in going. tla. he soon left behind. the
hlsh street of Bcllcriport. where the s!,on.
boys were s!cepiy taking down the shut ,rS
where houscmaids were painfully celebrating
the door>tcrs with hcarth-stoncs. to be soi]cd
by the first visitors dirty boots (>nch is the
way OF the world); where the milkm,n va,
making his early morning calls. and the uicht
Policemen were "oin" home from duty: and
the third licutenan. Of the B!un!crb rc-wbo
had been ashore on leave. and was a l;,l.
shaken about the eyes stiil-was Fastening TO
catch the beef boat" to convey him TO his
ship. Next, the town itself did the pony
leave behind the ou.>ki irts, the ontlyinc
villages. ;hc ruined storks and deserted
pound. the Port Ad.niral's villa all these he
passed, running as fast as a constable, or a
bill. until he got at last into broad white
road. which Aeon Nirlaz never remembered
to have seen before: road with hirh hcd.,e
on either side, and to which their seemed 70
be no end
Mr. Hen-Daoni drove the pony in iir>:-ra;c
style. His head. aid the animals. wac,cd in
concert ani the more he h,urishr,i his whi,..
the more pony went and both seemed TO like
II. The great white road sen: ur no dust
lis stones If stones it had. never grated nor
gave out a sound beneath the wheels of the
shay 1t was only very white and broad.
and seemed 10 have no end
Not ALWAYS white. however: for. As they
progressed it turned in color. first milky
gray. then wha: a s,hovlhovs cali. in conncc-
ton with the fluid served ont 10 Them a,
breakfast time. skv-blue then, dccp. vivid.
) celestial blue. And the high hedge on either
side melted 10y degrees into the same hue
and Aeon \irlaz began to feel curiou>v
fcathery about the body and breezy about the
lung. He caught hold of the elre of the
shay" as though he were afraid of fa,liur
over. lie shut his eyes from time TO time As
though he were dizzy. lie began to fancy
that he was i'll the sky.
There is Sky Fair, Mr.. Virlaz." Ben
Daoua suddenly sad, pointing ahead with
his whip.
NJ that moment, doubtless through the SUI
rcrior attractions of Sky Fair, the d,,,hy
SHAY" became of : o little accom-. to a,,,.
\'rlaz as TO disappear entirely from his >irh.
and mind. though he had left his nj ,htcan and
comb Chs little bag of money was saf. in Ii,
sdc-pockct. trust him). on the cushion. At
the same moment it must have occurred to
the discount pony to put himself out at !iyipo
IN some very remote corner cf creation. for
he vanished altogether too and Aeon Vir,az
almost tancied that he saw the beasts collar
tall fifty thousand iathoms five, true a, \
P'umo-lIne, into space: and the reinS. which
but moment before Bcn-Daoud had held.
'luttcrcd loosely away. like feathers.
lie found himself trca,,ins upon hard,
loose, gritty surface. which, on looking down
appeared like diamonl-,lust.
(Which is it" Mr. Ben Daoul cxplaincJ
when Acon-Nir;az timlIv asked him. .Chcap
as dirt here! Capital place to bring YOUR
cast-iron razors to be sharrencd, Mr.. virlaz." !"
The !jcwe'lcr it!t inclined, for the moment,
to resent this p!ca>cntrv so somcw!a: ,crso,l-
al tor to say truth the razors in which he
f dealt were not Of the rrimc>t steel.
There was great light The bri-hte,,
: sun .ht that Acom-Nirlaz had ever seen was
but poor far,hing candle comparc. to tli,
re>plentency. There was a great cate
, through which tLcy had to pass to the fair
The gate seemed to Aeon Nir!az as ii all the
jewellery and wrought gold in the world had
been hait-fuscd, hali-wcldcd together into one
, monstrouS arabesque or trcllis- There
} was little portcr's lodge by the gate, and a
; cunnlnS-looking little man by it, with large
bunch of keys at his girde The thin.
! seemed impossible and ii!iculou>. yet Aeon,
} N'raz could not help iancying that he had
. seen the cunning little porter i'ctorc, and of
. all places in the world, in London, at the
lookup house in Cur,itor Street, CHANGER,
Lane, kept 10y Mr.. MeiLibosheth, to whose
red-headed little turkey, Benny. he bore an
extraordinary resemblance.
Who is to tell Of the glories Of Sky Fair ::
Who, indeed, unless he had harp of cold
: strung with diamonds: Who is 10 tell of I'M,
long lines OF dazzlinsly white booths, hun
drcds, If not thousands, if not millions of
miles in extent, were jewels of surprising
size and the purcst wafer were sold by the
peck, like peas; by the pound, like spice nuts