Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-08-24
THE GAZETTE.
WEDNESDAY MORNING. August -, 1879.
RENINIStENt'E OF EkSElNE


81 am told yon remember The late Lord
Ersk,nr." 'Rrmcmia.r h.m will, sir was
his reply, "kmrw him l,ns before Ia the
great man that he becanr.' lie was about
ninc "r ten years my senior. For long |
time nn one knew VIII" lac WAS. l,e used I"
go l,y the name Of the R~mIan, Mailman -
Most people were frightened 81 him. and
mn,hers used to make Il sort Of 'gey III him
to irigh.en their naughty children. III send
tr that u,ad gentleman. they used 10 say.
lie never >taid long ut II time. hut lie paid
Us a visit pretty often what did he do,
that people thought him mad" 3D.. sir
VIII, he would stand at the very edge OF the
clirf, where the flagstaff TOW stands, and
talk by the hour, sometimes for two three
hours together Aud 81, bud would te speak
at tilncs that you might hear him quarter
Of mile III. his rig tnrm moving above his
head, and his left hand clemched firmly an
his hip" The old man st'"h up and imlta-
ted the great orators attitude
AT low water he would g' anl stand on
those black rocks out y,nder. and talk, seem
in.ly t., the waves When he once began, he
never stopped till it was all "ver, and have
seen the perspiratinn running down his fore.
head even in cnJl weather. lie nrI or Kept
hi, hat on while he was speaking; hut IL
soon ,s lac was done he would pat It Oh, and
sometimes laugh heartily. lie used 1" talk
like II lnun who had s"mcthing I'll hts mind
which he could mol dvulge 6" h's fellow
creatures; and vet he did not seem I" care
who heard HIM speak. ] aud several other
Young mcu have been within six OF seven
wards 81 him, aud, although he SAW W., he
took no more notice al us than u We had been
IA parcel Of sticks Ur stones, aud went IN talk.
in. lust the same He had been down here,
oh and GA for more than two years before II
was known that he was tue lau,.'in barr'stcr
Erskine, and then it wasunty by IN accident
that we knew he was not mad. !"
.lI,w?" On one Sunday afternoon he
brought down with him u young gentleman,
Of all ut twenty years at aga. wh" walked
about the pier, while Mr.. Er>k,nc was max
inr IA speech cut ON the rcks. Ome ot the
men on the piei remarked to the young S"n-
tlen,am, What Il pity that such ii line man,
aud such ii pleasant spoken ma'i, "heh ne
is calm, should DC SD mad" Whereup"n the
Young gentleman roared with laughter, and
Thea let the cat out Of the bag, 10y sayln:s who
his frieud was. 1t was afterwards that
ami several others then here but h"M gone to
their account came to know HIM 81 well. =
Aud r,ght merry gentleman he could he.
too. Lord bles, Us, SIR! swift rs time hics,
it seems only as yesterday that lie would
come down here, and say u us. hs lac il'ade
his way down tu the cliff, with his hands III
his breeches packet, and walking like IL sa'l
or, The had been in hennvy, you know, Slr,)
Come along, my lads. and be the jury! am
g,ins to make another speech. Aud II
n, ,st beautiful thing IL was {" listen to nm.
One minute he would make you laugh hear
t.ly, and the next minute he'd bring the wa
ter nut, your eyes by the tender way IN which
he'd allude I" fading Hover or sickiy
child. There was one case ~ PARTICULAR l
remember 1t was al action brought against
Il Mr.. Somebody other. hy II lords eldest
sou for carrying of the wife. IL WAS most
beautiful ~ we told him when he asked
h,w we liked it. Blest if he didn't make
cut rs how the defendant was the lllused
party, and not the man ~ had lnst his vile.
Expensive ~ travelling MAS III those days,
five Of us went up to London t" hear HIM
speak that speecl, IN court. before the Judges
and the regular sworn jury; aud such n
crowd AS there Was Of lords and gentlemen,
Ia he sure!'
.And did Ls speak that same speech p l
asked. Yes. lm parts it was u little dill
ferent, and some things were added; but 1t
was. il the main, just what he said standing
on, on them rucks yoider. There Was II"
silly pride about Mr.. Erskine. sir. As soon
ns the case WAS over, and he Was coming cut
court, his quick eye caught sight Of Us; and
IN he comes, puts cut his hand I" each ut US
and SAVE: What. you here, my lads! Well.
follow me. And he walked of Ia the old pub
liz. h.u.e near the court, called The Chequers,
and orders two bottles ot port wine Tor u.s.
and while We were drinking 1t, explained "a
us how il were not possible for hun to win
the day: and that all the effect the speech would
have would DO to reduce the damages. ho
WAS mighty pleased to hear himself praised,
and seemed Just rs proud OF our approval rs
of any body else's. IL don't think, SIR. CON
tinued the old man, that Mr. Erskine ieit
any Of the fine things he said i'll his speeches.
IL was all acting with him; a"d Ill tell
yon why think 80. One day he MAS Walk
ins along the sands. slouting poetry out oi
IA book he was learning Of II. lar he iean
il over aud over again, and while he was d".
ing 81 he turned up his eyes. shook his head
and stretched forth his sht hand. ~ siIch
- way that you might have taken HIM i"r n
street larson Ii was u most serious SORT "i
poetry Ii was something about Farewell
the drums and files the balmerS nnd hiH
guns-aud the plunies aud The iea'her''
cooked hats and swords, and N,r'uus "ars
and the fair women-h"n"rs. deco'al,"n.--
and rewards. Oh, farewell. every thing
Alas! the poor fellow 3 occup"t'""s G""e!
Al, Of "A sudden, sir he shuts up the book,
clasps it under his arm. WHISTLE IA ~ ia
dances gracefully to it, and remarkably we'll
too, did he come the double shuttle. An
other time when he was reading nut poetry
saw him work himself up till the tears
actually rolled down his cheeks; and now
two minutes afterwards he Was playing at
FOUNDERS, with all the little bays On the
beach" Aud did Mr., Erskine Know !!
asked the old smnggler, that at first y"u all
though that he was mad ?" Yes, and "as
very much amused All - H." ;ci"h H"Irir