Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-01-01
THE GAZETTE.
FRIDAY MORNING, JANUARY l, 1858


CIAS. DlCkENS' CHRISTMAS STORY.
The Perils Of Certain English Prisoners"
forming the Christmas number oi Household
Words, Just published by Peterson, does
not alluuc, as was expected irrm the title, to
the Sepoy eatmeut Of the Euglish Prisoners
in India. Neither the King If Delhi, DOR
Mona Sabib is once alluded 70. The story
is dated AS far back as l7l4; the "perils"
were encountered in South Americo; tue mar
rat1r il Gill Davis, private in the Royal
Marines.
The story is Supposed to be related by tins
honest. brave, true.hearted, huml,lemlnded
man-taken down from his d'ctatlon, hy
lady, great many years after the events are
supposed 70 have occurred. Gill DAVIS can
neither read nOr write, and the lady mere
" transcrhes bis spoken words. Plain
they are, but to the purpose al-o-oiten RS
ing from truthful earnestness into somethlny
very like elooueuce. There is slIg ht dash
of sutdued bumor, also. Twenty-nlne years
old when these adventures tok place I'VE
NAV speak of them az real, Gill DAVIS spins
his tough warn in very sailoI-;ike manner.
What a number Of new characters he eXhlb-
it,, THERE'S Harry Charker, born cousIp to
Mr. John Bunsby well known t. the readers
of "Domby and Son" There is Christian
George King, who finally meets with his de-
se,ts. There is Mrs. BelltOi--here Is her
picture:
when we had looked about u, and were
getting sheepish, through tearing we were
troublesome, she turned US over to young
woman, Euglish born tut West India bred,
who served her rs Der maid. This young
woman was the widow of non-commls-
sioaed officer in a regiment of the line
She had got married and widowed at 81.
Vincent with only a few months between the
two events. She was little saucy woman,
with bright pair of eyes, rather neat lit
tie foot and figure, and rather neat iI'te
turned-up nose. The sort OF young woman, |
considered at the time, who appeared t H.
vite you to give her k'ss, and who would
have slapped your face had you accepted the
invitation"
This last touch is 10 the old spirit Of Boz"
Next is direct ancestor, we are sure, Ut Mr..
lite Bsrnacle:
"Mr. Commissioner Pordage kept in a red
aud black japanned box. like family lumt-
sugar box, some document or other which
some Samto chief or other had got drunk aud
split some ink over, as well as | could un
de stand the matter, and by that means had
given up lawful possession Of the leland
Through having hold Of this box, Mr.. Pord-
age got his title of Commissioner. lie was
STYLED Consul, too, and spoke Of himself as
'GOverDment.'
.'IIe was s,iF:jointed, higb-nosed old
gentleman, without an ounce OF tat on him,
of a very angry temper and very yellow
complexion. Mrs. Commissioner Pordage,
making allowance for difference of sex, was
much the same. Mr.. Kitten, small, young
ish, bald, botanical, and miueralugical gen.
tleman, also connected with the miue-but
everybody there was, more or less--was
Sometimes called by Mr.. Commissioner Por.
dage, bis Nict Commissioner, and sometimes
his Deputy Consul. Or sometimes he spoke
of Dir Kitten merely as being under govern
meat"
ibis man who wanted every thing done
"regular," and always would be cfhciul, to
the length Of putting on bis diplomatic GOAT,
when be had to transact business-"a blue
cloth one, gold laced, and with crown on
the button"-is representative Of the stiff
backed English official of other days, genus
not vet extinct There is Mrs. Pordage, who
mao SOME CuTlUuo lucdS dOOot thS bA''SN
respectability of her nigbt-cap (which bad as
many frills to it, growing 10 layers one inside
another, as il it was white vegetable OF the
artichoke sort, and she wouldn't take the
night.cap of, and would be augry when ii got
crushed by the other ladies who were hand
ing things about" There are Tom Packer
and Seargept Drooce. and the Pirate Captain.
Here is the laet:
.'By nation. be was Portuguese; ard, by
name, be was generally spoken of among bis
men as The DON He was a little, active,
weazen, monkey faced man, dressed 10 the
brightest colors and the finest made clothes l
ever saw. His three cornered hat was smart
" cooked on one side. Hi coat skirts were
s,iffened and stuck cut, like the skirts Of the
dapaies on the Mall in London. When the
dabce was given at the island, l saw no such
lace on apy lady's dress there az l saw on bIs
cravet and RIFLES. Round bis neck he wore
a thick gold chain, with n diamond cross
hanging from it, His lean, wiry, brown nm
gers were covered with rings. Over hls
shoulders and falling down in front to below
his waist he wore sort OF sling Ut broad
scarlet cloth, embroidered with beads and
little feathers, and holding, at the lower
part. four loaded pistols. two on side, lying
ready to either hand. His face was mere
skin and bone, and one OF bis wrinkled cheeks
had blue scar running all across 1t, which
drew up that part Of his face, aud showed bis
white shining teeth on that side of his mouth
An uelier, meaper, weaker, man monkey
TO look at, never cav; and yet there was
not ole of his crew, from his mate to his
cabin boy, who did not obey him as If he
had been the greatest monarch in the world
But we did not mean to 90 through the
whole gallery, and steadfasIly resist the
temptation of writing about the true heroine
OF the tale, Marion Maryon. Why need We!
By this time hundreds Of our readers have
got through the book. 1t was published IN
good time, to be read and talked about on
Christmas Day.
4 LEXANDR1A COUNTY COURT, pEclM
~ Der Term, lS.7-Ordered, That the sher'
III of this County proceed TO HlaE OFT, accord,
ing TO Law, all FREE NFGRoEs who have not paid