Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-09-03
THE COAST churchman's TALE.

From Dickens Ooce Week.
"GoOd evening, sir"
"Good evening. A fine night, this
s.Yes, sir,-a nieeish sort of night. Pity
for us We don't have more of them"
The scene was on the south coast OF Corn
wall where had retired few days before
the commencement of the long vacation, TO
seek short repOse from the turmoil ana
worry of the law; leaving behind me the old
time worn buildings of Lincoln's Inn, where
the old sun-dial, with its quaint mottO,~ sell
dom looked at, and still schooner needed, SO
nernetually reminded US OF the frail tenure
nv which we hold our lives leaving the bar
risters. in their gowns and wigs, hurriedly
nassing from courts to consultations, Tor, III
other words, from fee TO feel the lawyers,ln
their black dress, and with their bundles OF
paners under their arms; and the Office boys,
with big bags, stuffed full Of-what 1t would
he hard TO enumerate-briefs, cases, Opin-
IONS and all the other multifarious paripher
MALTA of the profession. evidently looking up
ON themselves as no san part OF their res
pectiye establishments; leaving all this busy
scene land only too glad to do SOL to seek
little rest and quiet, in about the quletest
mart of England | had taken rooms in
little village about half mile from the sea
and the short walks, gradually extended, the
thing internally and externally was fast bring
ING me round again, when the circumstances
| am about to relate took place.
Ii was a fine moonlight vening, and stood
gazing out of my window at the few strang-
ers still passing up anu down the village
street, when a sudden wish came into my
head TO take walk along the cliffs by moon
light. ! had often thought of doing this,
wondering what sort of life the COast-guards
men had of it-those men by whom every
inch of England, so they say, is walked round
every night, as they pace up and down, night
after night, and year alter year; and so re-
solved, at last, to put my long fancled scheme
into execution.
had been sauntering along for about llalf
mile, looking at the blue waves, and che
duered here and there by the sail of some
fishing boat, cleaning silver in the moonlight,
and at the long golden track, reaching from
far away up to the base of the chtfs-the
fOotpath of the fairies, as | had been told
long ago-and peOpling it, in my fancy, with
the light spirits Of the air, tripping along III
MANY fantastic maze, on the glittering sur
face, and calling to their sister spirits III tie
waters below, when was startled by ali APP
preaching fOOtstep, and, looking up, saw a
man close TO me, while the inviting smell of
short pipe quickly recalled me from my
fancies to the sense of ordinary existence.
All that noticed OF his dress was that he
had on a rough pilot coat, with low hat,
while thick walking-stick formed his only
apparent weapon Of offence and defence. In
short. il was with him that the sentences
first above written" we're exchanged.
soon found that my new acquaintance
was one of that very body of men that had
so often pondered about; and so, having
/ rra a
with him.
81 suppose you don't have much TO do now
besides walking up and down, do you ?"
s'Why, no, sir. There's not so much doing
as there used to be, once on time, though
have seen some goings on in my tme-NinC
where YOU are treading, sirm he exclaimed
"The cliff is not very safe along the edge
and if il gave way YOU would be smashed vi
the rocks below, like a poor fellow / knew
was some time ago. God rest his soul !"
"What of him ," | said. did any ON,
fall over here's"
.sWhy. no, sir. He didn't exactly fal
over, and it wasn't over this cliff, neither
but the one we shall come to next My bea
ends there, and, as l am a bit before m!
time, expect my mate won't be up for tel
minutes or SO and if you like to hear tn,
tale. though it's not so much after all, / will
Indeed. to say the truth, l shall be very glaC
of your company, for its a whisht+ spot, and
often as / have waited there, | am AWAY,
glad to turn my back on it again"
We soon reached the bay by the light o
the moon After looking along the cliff, t,
see if there were any signs of his companion
and not finding any, he sat down on a stone
and lighted cigar, and, taking my place
beside him, / began
alt is not so many years ago, sir, eight OF
nine, maybe, when a young gentleman came
down here, as it might be you, to spend a
month or Sour town being quiet sort OF
pIace. like. He wasn't a bad-looking sort Of
fellow, and had small and white hands. In
deed, most people would have called him
handsome, though there was always kind OF
look about his mouth l didn't like to see.
He was staying up at the Miners Arms, and
there soon got tales about the town, of the
way in which he and two or three other wild
Young fellows about here, as there are every
where, used 20 go on; the sitting up at
nights, the drinking and card playing, and
the wild freaks they used to be at But as
he always had plenty of money, and paid his
bill every week, Git was by his own wish)
Polmarthen, the landlord, sir, never cared to
say ANYTHING to him. He was a close man,
was Polmarthen, and no doubt lac made plen-
ty of money out OF his customer; but 1t would
have been better for him if he had never let
Mr.. Henden under his roof. His daughter,
pretty Kate PolmartheR as she WAS always
called, was the prettiest girl for miles about,
Il see you guess what's cOming) and many
was the glass that he had emptied in her
honor, and many a young man would have
given much to have stood well in her good
graces but though she was a bit of fiirt,
there was none that had ever found favor in
her eyes but Ralph Tregarva-a likely young
fellow as ever was seen. Folks often won
dered how il was that old Polmarthen ever
allowed his daughter TO engage herself to
Young Fregarya, who was only a fisherman
but although the old man loved money much,
he loved his daughter more; and though
hear there was some trouble about it, vet, in
the end, he gave way to her in this. Ii was
not long, however, after Mr.. Hendon came
down here, that change seemed TO come ewes
poor Kate. She would sit silent for hours,
and If Ralph came to try and cheer her up,
she would speak sharply and harshly to him,
and then sometimes burst into a Hood of
tears, and beg his pardon, and kiss him, and
tell him that he was the dearest and best of
men, and that she was not worthy of him.
was great friend of his, and / gathered
most Of this from him at the time, poor fell
ELK hoe momsnto pendent sternitas.