Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1861-04-13

/
sent to DR.. Marttinet's, at Rilston Kagster
in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
81 have no fault to find, looking back
through the vista of great many check,
cred years, | have no fault to find with
DR.. Martinez. We were, on the whole,
very happy at Rilston Kagstcr. We had
good deal of roast mutton a good deal
OF boiled mutton; and good deal of a very
suspicious fluid, which was supposed to be
milk-and-water good deal of propria
q"@ marib~s, 'Pinnock's Goldsmith En-.
held Speaker, hair.cutting, and church.
Twice every Sunday did we march down
the centre aisle of st Mary's church, Ril-
ston kagstcr, and twice every Sunday did
we take notes Of the wears or curates dis.
course, to be reproduced in our own form,
as our evenings amusement and cdfcation.
It's my private opinion that both the vicar
and the curate thoroughly detested U.S.
Imagine four and thirty boys glaring at
you all the time you preached, and four
and thirty pencils scribb ing your words
down on scratchy paper almost before they
dropped out Of your mouth. That's what
the curatc and the vicar, mean the vicar
and the curae, had to endure every Sun
day from DR.. Martinct's pews. But, on
the whole, say was not unhappy Du-
ring the half year lessons, and half year S
exercises, the half years p,opria quo
m"rab~s and Enfield Speaker, bad marks
and good marks, stolen fcasts in dimly.
lighted dormitories, prisoners base, and
hy the garter,i the great bare playground
| was tolerably happy. But Christmas
that Christmas to which thirty one out of
four-and thirty boys looked forward with
such rapture; Christmas, that for those
thirty one young persons, meant home and
love and roast turkeys and unlimited wedg.
es of rich plum pudding, smothered with
brandy sauce, and handfuls of chestnuts
and piles of golden oranges, and bilious
attacks, and kisses under the mistlctoe frora
pretty cousins, and blindman's bluffs, and
hunt the slippers, and so many, many glo.
rious things, which to myself and the two
pupils from Demerara were nothing but
strange words; Christmas was sad and
a cruel, and bitter time"
swell, one particular Christmas a,
| have special reason for remembering.
l. was fine, clear, frosty day; such q
Christmas day rs don't remember of late
years-a day which has gone out of fashion
| think, along with blue coats and brass
buttons, stage coaches, watchmen, fve.ac
comedies, and the agricultural interest,"
y very cold day, too, MOTTO. be. .trheG
with, thorough going December day The
West Indian pupils were as red about the
) tips Of their noses as We Indan pickles
of the Chill nature. We shivered all churci
! time, in the long, bare, lonely pew, witt
the draught from the door cutting the fig
urc of eight between our poor little legs
and we alternately scratched and blew up
on the chilblains on our hands, excep
when the Doctor looked at us, when by {
powerful effort of nature, we sat preternat-
urally still ,and tried to look as if We Were
warm, and had never shivered in our lives
Now, opposite to our pew was situated tht
,, pew of retired naval officer, of the name
of Bowster. have reason to believe sine,
that he was halfpay lieutenant; but
know we all of us thought at Dr. Martin
cts that he was an admiral at the yer,
least, and that even then, he had beer
neglected by Government in not bein,
) something still higher. Drake, Nelson, an'
Bowstcr, were all we knew OF naval he
roes; and Bowster was our favorte of tn
three. If anybody had told us that h
had not been present at Trafalgar, or tina
: Nelson could have won that victory with
u ), out him, or that every man could hav
i done his duty, and come up to the expcc
: tations of England without him, l do no
think that persons life would have beel
worth much. We believed, l repeat, il
Bowster; he was red, and stout, and jol
', ly, and had a wooden leg, and, except il
= church, never was seen without telescop
and had flagstaff at his country cottage
three miles out of RilSton Kagster, and HI
swore very much, and talked in a loud
> gruf voice and, moreover, had the rep
utation of being able to drink any man il
the East Riding under the table, and &c
up sober himself; SO he entirely came u
y to our idea of the naval commander, anc
9 We worshipped him accordingly.