The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-01-21
WASHINGTON D. c, THURSDAY, JANUARY g1, 1855

1
should be at the pains of putting on too hot
coat on my account; but, otherwise, you ma
put it on hindsid before, or inside-out, or wit
your legs In the sleeves, or your head in tn
skirts, for any objection that have to offer t
your thoroughly pleasing yourself"
very good, Captain Maryon," says POI
dage, In tremendous passion. "Very good
Sir. re the consequences on your own head
Mr.. Kitten, as it has come to this, help me Of
with it."
When he had given that order, he walked Of
in the coat, and all cur names were taken, an
| was afterwards told that Mr.. Kitten wrot
from his dictation more than bushel of larg
paper on the subject, which cost more before
was done with than ever could be calculated
and which only got done with, after all, by beinJ
| lost.
Our work went on merrily, nevertheless, ant
the Christopher Columbus, hauled up, lay help
less on her side, like great fish out of water
"hiie she was In that state, there was feast
or ball, or an entertainment, or more proper
Y all three together, given US, in honor of tn,
ship, and the ships company, and the othe
visiters. At that assembly, / believe, say
all the inhabitants then upon the Island, with
out any exception. took no particular motto,
OF more than few, but found it very agree
able In that little corner of the world to see tn.
children, who were Of all ages, and mostly ver1
pretty-as they mostly are. There was one
handsome elderly lady, with very dark eyes anG
gray hair, that inquired about. / was tolC
that her name was Mrs. Venning; and hel
married daughter, fair, slight thing, was
pointed out to me by the name of Fanny Fisher
Quite child she looked, with little COPY Of
herself holding to her dress; and her husband
just come back from the mine, exceeding proud
OF her. They were good looking set of people
on TIE whole, but l didn't like them. ] was
out OF sorts; in conversation with Charker. ]
found fault with all of them. l said of Mrs
Venning, abe was proud of Mrs. Fisher, she
was delicate little baby-fool What did ]
think of this one? Why, he was a fine gentle
man. What did say to that one? Why, she
was a fne lady. What could you expect them
to De, asked Charker,) nursed in that climate,
with the tropical night shining for them, must.
cal intruments playing to them, great trees
bending over them, soft lamps lighting them,
hre-hles sparkling in among them, bright flow.
ers and birds brought into existence to please
their eyes, delicious drinks to be had for the
pouring oat, delicious fruits to be got for the
picking, and every one dancing and murmuring
napp'iy In the scented air, with the sea break.
ing low or the reef for pleasant chorus.
| says to Charker. Yes, think 90 Dolls
Dolls Not the sort of stuff for wear, that
comes ct poor private soldering in the Royal
Marines F"
However, | could not gainsay that thew were
very hospitable people, and that they treated us
uncommonly well. Every man of us was at the
entertainment, and Mrs. Belltott had more part.
ners than she could dance with though she
danced all night, too. AS to Jack, whether of
the christopher Columbus, or of the Pirate
pursuit party, it made no diference,) he danced
with his brother Jack, danced with himself.
danced with the moon, the stars, the trees. the
prospect, anything. didn't greatly take to
the chief ottlcer of that party, with his bright
eyes, brown face, and easy figure. / didn't
much like his way when he first happened to
come where we were, with Miss Maryon on his
arm. "Oh, Captain Carton" she says, "here
are two friends of mine He says, "Indeed ?
These two Marines meaning Charker and
friends Of Sminss; wnsh atney frat cama me
wonders of Silver.Store." He gave US q
laughing look, and says he, " You are in luck,
men. would be disrated and go before the
mast TO -morrow, to be shown the way upward
again by such guide. You are in luck, men"
When we had saluted, and he and the young
lady had .waltzed away, said, "You are q
pretty fellow, too, to talk of luck. You may
60 to the Devil /"
Mr.. Commissioner Pordage and Mrs. Com
missioner showed among the company on that
occasion like the King and Queen of q much
Greater Britain than Great Britain. Only two
other circumstances in that jovial night made
much separate impression on me. One was
this. man in our draft of marines, named
Tom Packer, wild, unsteady young fellow, but
the con of a respectable shipwright in Ports
mouth Yard, and good scholar, who had been
we'll brought up, comes to me after spell of
dancing, and takes me aside by the elbow, and
Gays, swearing augrily:
"Gill Davis, hope / may not be the death
of Sergeant Drooce one day"
Now, knew Drooce always had borne par.
tlcularly hard on this man, and knew this
man to be OF very hot temper so said,
Tut, nonsense don't talk so to mel II
there a man III the corps who scorns the name
of an assassin, that man and Tom Packer are
one"
Tom wipes his head, being in a mortal sweat,
and says he
hope so, but l can't answer for myself
Wnen he lords 1t over ME, as he has Just now
done, before woman. tell you what, Gill
Mark my words 1t will go hard with Sergeant
Drooce, II ever we are in an engagement to-
gether, and he has to look to me to save him.
Let HIM say prayer then, if he knows one,
LOT It's all over with him, and he is on his
Death-bed. Mark my words!"
did mark his words, and very soon after.
wards, too, as will shortly be taken down.
lhe other circumstan e that / noticed at
that ball was, the gaiety and attachment of
christian George King. The innocent spirits
that Sambo Pilot was in, and the impossibility
ne found himself under of showing all the little
colony, but especially the ladies and children,
how fond he was of them, how devoted to them,
and how faithful to them for life and death, for
present, future, and everlasting, made a great
impression on me- If ever a man, Sambo or
no Sambo, was trustful and trusted, to what
may be called quite an infantine and sweetly
beautiful extent, surely l thought that morn
ing, when did at last lie down to rest, it was
that Sambo Pilot, Christian George King.
This may account for my dreaming of him.
he stuck IN my sleep, cornerwise, and /
couldn't get him out. He was always fitting
about NE, dancing round me, and peeping in
over my hammock, though l woke and dozed
on again nifty times. At last, when I opened
my eyes, there he really was, looking in at the
open side OF the little dark hut; which was
made OF leaves, and had Charkers hammock
slung in it as we'll as mine.
"so,!eer!" says he, in a sort of low crosk.
"Yup!"
Halo " says ], starting up. "What ?
You are there, are you 2"
"lss," says he. christian George King
got news" .
what news has he got?n
Pirates out
l was on my feet in a second. So was
Charker. We were both aware that Captain
Carton, IN command of the boats, constantly
watched the main land for secret signal,
though, OF course, it was not known to such as
Us what the signal was.
Christian George King had vanished before