The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-10-01
THE COAST GUARDsMANs TALE.


Good evening. A fine night, this"
YES, sir a niceish sort OF night Pity for us
we don't have more of them"
The scene was on the south coast of Cornwall,
where l had retired few days before the com
mencement Of the long vacation, To seek a short
repose from the turmoil aud worry of the law;
leaving behind me the old time-wOrn buildings of
LinCOlHs Inn, where the old sun-dial, with its
quaint motto, seldom looked at, and still sell
domcr heeded is perpetually reminding us of the
trail tenure by which We hold our lives leaving
the barrsters in their gowns and wigs, hurriedly
passing from courts to consultations (Or, in other
WorOs, from fee TO fee the lawyers in their black
dress, and with their bundles OF papers under
their arms and the office boys, with big bags,
stuffed full Oi-what il would be hard TO Cnume-
rae-briefs, cases, opinions, and all the other
multarious paraphenalia of the profession, evil
IDENTIFY looking upon themselves as no mean part
Of their respective establishments leaving all this
busy scene (and only too glad to do SOY, to seek
little rest and quiet, in about the quieest part
! Of England had taken rooms in a little village
| about half a mile from the sea- and the short
| walks gradually extended, the regular hours and
the quieness of everything internally and gX er-
! Dally was fast bringing me round again when
the circumstances am about to relate took place.
IL was fine moonlight evening, and l stood
/ gazing out OF my window at the few strangers
/ still passing up and down the village street, when
| a sudden wish came into my head TO take walk
along the cliffs by moonlight. had often thought
/ Of doing this, wondering what sort Of life the
coast-guardsmen had Of it-those men by whom
/ every inch of England, they say, is walked round
/ every night, rs they walk up and down, night
after night, and year after year and resolved
at last, to put my long -fancied scheme into exc
! CutiOn.
had been sauntering along for about half a
mile, looking at the blue waves, reaching far, far
into the distance, and chequered here and there
by the distant sail of some hshing-bo cleaning
silver in the moonlight, and at the long golden
track, reaching far away up to the base Of the
cliils-the footpath of the fairies, as had been
told long ago-and peOpling it, in my fancy, wi b
thp gVIT Of mir trtf nlN
q fantastic maze on the glittering surface, aud
calling 70 their sister spirits in the water below
when l was startled by an approaching footstep
| and looking up, saw a man close 70 me while the
| inviting smell from short pipe quickly recalled
me from my tancies 10 the sense of ordinary
existence.
All that l noticed of his dress was that he had
on a rough piOt-coat, with low hat, while q
thick walking-stiCk formed his only apparent
weapon of Otiense and defense. In short, il was
with him that the sentences "hrst above written
| were exchanged.
soon found that my new acquaintance was
one OF thai very body OF men thai had 50 often
pondercd about; and So having fallen into con-
Yersalion walked on n bit with him.
| 81 suppose you don't have much 10 do now
| besides walking up and down, do you :"
"Why no, sir. There's not as much firing as
there used 10 be, once on a rime, though have
seen some goings on in nay time-Mind where
| you are treading, sir :" he exclaimed. "rhe cliff
Is not very safe along the edge and if il gave way
You would be smashed ON the rocks below Ike q
poor fellow knew was some time ago. God rest
| his soul Z"
What Of him :" / said, "Dld any one fall
over there ?"
"Wby no, sir. He didn't exactly fall over,
and 10 wasn't over this cliff neither, but the one
we shall come 10 next. NV beat ends there. an /
as am bit before my time expect my mate
won't be up for ten minutes or so, and il you
like 10 hear the tale though IFS not so much after
all, will tell You on the spO. where IL all hap
Ecned. Indeed, to say the truth, / shall be very
". IA M nd
often as have waited there, ! am always glad 20
turn my back on it again.
We soon reached the bay by the light Of the
/ moon. After looking along the CIiH 10 see ID
there were any signs Of his companion, and not
finding any, he sat down on q stone, and /
LeLJtd cigar, and, taking my place beside him,
Ae began .-
"lt Is not so many years ago. sir, eight or nine
may De, When young gentleman came down here
as il might be you, 10 spend a month or so-our
Town being quiet sort Of place, like. He wasn't
bad looking sort of fellow, and had small and
white hands. Indeed, most people called him
handsome, though there was always q kiud of
/ look about his mouth didn't like 10 see. He was
staying up al the Miners Arms, and there soon
got tales about the town, Of the way be and two
or three other wild young fellows about here, as
there are everywhere, used TO go on; the sit
tiug up az nights, and drinking and card d-play-
. lug aud the wild freaks they used to b5 al /;
but as he always had plenty Of money, and
paid his bill every week III was by his own
. Wlah), PomarthCn, the landlord sir, never cared
I'd say uhylLlug TO MN, lie was close m m,
was POlmarthen, and no doubt he made plenty
of money out of his customers but II would have
been better for him If he had never let Mr. Hen
don under his IO0L. Ills daughJer-pretty Kate
IOmarlhen,a Jas she was alway scallCd-was the preg-
tCst girl for miles rOuud-t see you guess what's
C0mng-and many was the glass that had been
empiied in her honor, and many young man
would have given much tO have stood well in
her good gracesj but, though sho was biz Of
a iiiri, there was none that had ever found
favor in her ewes but Ralph TregarYu, likely
young fellow as ever was seen. Folks often
wondered how t was that Old Polmauhen ever
allowed his daughter TO engage herself 70
young Tregarya, who was only hshermani
but though the Old man loved money much,
he loved his daughter more; and though hear