Delaware weekly Republican. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1841-188?, 1857-05-21

nut the marvel continued and when twenty
years or more were past, Tommy was still
walking catalogue Of human woes. Every part
Of him seemed to go wrong except the heart.
ne was true to his only love, Susan Prodigy
i put Susan had left the village for long time.
S mad married one Dodger, a miller from
HhKeheld, and had forgotten all about Tom
my, the triher, and his proposal of marriage;
out Tommy had never forgotten her. In the
lnidst OF all his pains and diseases her image
Jay enshrined, the only bright thing that shone
upon Tommy's darkened life. he kept him
sell constantly informed of all her proceedings.
" men news came Of her to the village, Tommy
listened with more earnestness and interest
than any one else; and once, when he was alb
sent ior i've weeks, it began to be whispered
snat ne had been making inquiries where
"hkeneld was, and how the journey to so dis
tant place might be accomplished; and
shortly after that u rumor came to Susan Prod
ny rs mOtner, that stranger had stopped the
nurse: VINO was carrying Susan's child, and
hau kissed the baby and placed round its neck
a gold chain and a ring, with beautiful coro-
net on the seal, so that the mother flattered
herselt that the donor was a great lord, and
argued prosperity to her daughter from so
propltous an event. Tommy heard the report
win great satisfaction. stOdds splutterface!o
he said, as he lay groaning on his bed with
govt and rheumatism, in addition to angina
peciorts and spasms in the stomach. eel be
giad the nobleman's chain and ring, out o.
mothers old purse, is so highly valued. All,
susan Prodigy the miller never loved thee as
did-and it's very hard that l can't expect
10 e, I'VE more than few months, for l should
IKE TO see what comes o. thy fair child-the
nurse called her Susan Prodigy, which gave
me palpltation ofthe heart. o, il could live
twenty years to learn what fortune Details the
DARING Susan the second-but it amt o. no use
wishing. L shall be gone in three weeks"
But Tommy was again disappointed. Eight
cen years after his visit to Wakefield, he found
his way to Warwick, where, in st. Mary's
church, noble marriage was to take place.
stephen Honeydew was about to become the
happy husband of Susan Proddy's daughter,
lovely Susan Proddy Dodger; and from gal
lely at the side our friend the valetudinarian
was witness to the ceremony. Susan Prod
dy, now Mrs Dodger, had lost some portion
oil her youthful beauty, for she was now rather
crooked, and not SO graceful in her walk as
when we saw her crossing the churchyard with
the WATERFALL on her head. But in Tommy's
eyes she was Venus and all the Graces STILL
AS the procession went forth, he staggered
down TO the porch, and placed himself so ex-
actly in the middle, that the bride was forced
10 touch him with her sleeve as she glided past.
Inc touch of her arm gave him new life. He
ceased to cough for moment; q flow of warm
for the original Susan Prodigy, but a fat man at
her side pushed him out of the way.
Spludders ~ exclaimed the invalid, SCI
Always hated that miller-but what's the Use o.
hating, or liking eitherl can't have long to
live, only it would be so pleasant to survive to
see II there's ever family from this here we'd
dlng. III keep my ears open for this Master
HOneydew, but they cant keep open long,
I've got the collie, and knots on my ankles and
m nd in ints
and wen on my neck, and carbuncles on my
arm. SO must get home in tisle to die"
ferhaps all these diseases counteracted each
other, and left Tommy in perfect health. lie
found means before he left Warwick to forward
to the bride another ring which he had taken
out OF his mothers store a plain gold ring
with the commencement of the motto sHoni,'
perhaps it was the ring Of Richard himself, or
ut all events of a Knight of the Garter land
having placed this last memorial of his aifec-
ton for Susan Prodigy in the hands of her
daughter, he returned in peace to his native
village.
And did he die2 No. He had said he
would keep his ears open, but many things
passed in those agitating days of English his
tory which never reached the Shropshire viii
lage where the afflicted Tom resided. Mr.
Honeydew who had married Susan the second,
was constable and sherifl7s officer, who made
himself very useful to Henry the Eighth. He
terreted out rich abbots, and turned nuns out
OF their houses. He hanged refractory monks
with his own hands, and enriched himself with
the spoils of the monasteries. When q cloud
came over his fortunes in Mary's time he turn
| ed it aside by wearing white sheet, and ar.
| tor pensnce, being received into the holy
| church. He compensated for past sacrileges
by presiding at the Smithfeld fires. He broke
| Latimer's head with a blow OF billet of wood
| and pierced Cranmer with red-hot poker
He was servant Of his sovereign and his
| country, and thought obedience the first duty
| of subject.
When Elizabeth came into power he recant-
| ed once more, and was so useful in the dis
| cOvery of plots, and exactng fines from trail
| tors, that he died immensely rich, and was
buried in Westminster Abbey. OF all these
changes Tommy continued ignorant, He had
been surprised at the visit of certain commits
siens to purify the church of popery and break
all the crosses; and after few years he was
again astonished by another visit OF other COM
missioners to Introduce popery again, and re-
store crosses.
Z" Faddlekicks l'' he said to an officer of the
first commission, in the year fifteen hundred
and forty-four, Sc who sent thee here to break
off Brdget's nose and take away the thumb
nails of st. Jockster Of Coventry ~
"Whe but the great man Master Honey-
dew" replied the man, while he piled the
hammer, and split st. Bridget's shoulder into
fifty fragments. GO He is a stout and true-heart
ed Protestant, and high in favor with our
Lord the King.''
And in fifteen hundred and fifty-Rve he said,
By cross and pie who hath sent thee hith-
er with thy new painted wooden image2 The
old Bridget was good enough for we.''
81 am sent by Sir Stephen Honeydew,' re-
piled the man, fixing the saint against the wall
by long nail through her leg. "He is a true
nd hDl la oil md hs1rI,..
Lady the Queen
colds Wiggington = said Tommy, can this
be the husband of Susan Proddy's chidr And
| he made inquiry, and found that the daughter
Of Dodger, the miller of Wakefield, was Lady
lloneydew. one Of the grandest ladies about
the court.
Hath she ever a son p he inquired of the
workman, who was giving Bridgot's cheeks a
rub with sand paper.
Ay, marry, hath she,' he said, A poodlv
boy OF ten years old. He never misSeth a
burning of heretics; for areaey the saints
have gwen him spirit fthe true faith.'
/ wish could look on him afore de- said
Tommy; but there amt no chance. Eve
lost my teeth; my head be bald my back be
benti ha' no taste in my mouth; have sing
ing IN my ears I've congestion of the spleen;
I've soitening of the braini I'm afflicted with
dropsy; I've erysipelas in the face; I've got
lumber abscess and intermittent fever. l must
get me to bed, and die in day at iarthest.'
But Tommy was deceived once more. When
the churchyard of the village was filled with
two or three more generations of his cetempo-
raries; when Elizabeth was succeeded on the
seat which she had made throne by Scotch
pcdant who made it a schoolmaster's stool;
when all the England of his early days had dis
appeared, and the battle of Bosworth had be-
gun to be considered pretty nearly as ancient
as the battle Of Marathon, there came down a
gentleman to the little Shropshire village, and
inquired his way to Tommy's cottage.
How do, fatleri' he said, iauntily lifting
up his Spanish hat, and letting the feather
trail on the kitchen door. We have heard Of
thee at court, old gentleman, and the king