The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-01-04
Prom Dickens Christmas Story entitled MuSby
Junction
THE ENGrNEER'S STORY.

from dickens sIlrlSlHlia CsVt. NIN'NAS@ -ANo =.
Junction
THE ENGINEERS STORY.
Like "The Signal Man." which we pub
liShed several days ago, "The Engineer
Story" is Of q mysterious appari;ion
Matthew Price aud the Engineer had bee
raised together, loved each other as bro
theirs, worked together when men, ant
finally went to Italy 10 aid in putting new
railroad in operation, whore they both fel
violently in love with a most beautiful CO
quatte named Gianetta Coneglia. O
course they became cstraneed from one
another, and, each believing himself to b
the tavortc, when Price told the Engineer
that she had promised TO. marry him, the
Engineer called him "laT." IN the fight
which, cnsucd Price was So fatally wounded
lv stab that lie never recovered. lie
lived some time, however, and the kugi.
nccr devoted all his time to him. The TIVE
were once more thoroughly rec0ncied, and
had learned to estimate the coQuctte at
her true value. She soon became the
mistress of the Marquis, afterwards the
Duke of Loredano. We introduce the En-.
gneer after he had buried his friend:
He had hidden me seek her ont, aud he
the messenger Of his forgiveness. ! HAD
sooner have gone down 10 the port OF GenOa
aud taken upon me the serge cap and shot
ted chain oi any galley slave At his toll Ia
the public works; but, for all that, did
mv best to obey bin. ! went back, alone
aud on foot. went back, intending 10 say
20 her, "Gianersa Concglt, he iorgave
YOU; but God never VIII But She was
gone. The little shop was let To fresh
occupant and the neighhors only knew
That mother and daughter had left the
place quite suddenly, and that Gianetta
was supposed to he under the protection "
Of the MarcheSe Loredauo. How made
inquiries here and there-how heard that
they had gone 10 NapIcs-and how, being
restless aud reckless Of my time, worked
my passage in a French steamer, fol-
lowed her-how, having tound the Sump-
tuous villa that was now hers, | learned
that she had LEFT there some ten days and
gone To Paris, where the Marche>e was
ambassador for the Two SicilicS-how,
working my passage back again to Mar
settles, and thence, in part by the river and
In part 10y the rail, | made my way to
PArls-how, day after day, paced the
streets and the parks, watched at the en-
bassad"r's gates, followed his carriage, and,
at last, after weeks of waiting, discovered
her addreSs-how, having written to re,
quest an interview, her servants spurnea
me from her door and flung my letter IN my
face-how, looking up at her windows
then, instead OF forgiving, solemnly cursed
Der with the bitterest curses my Tong,
could devise-aud how, this done, l sh0oN
The dust OF Paris from my feet, anu oo
came a wanderer upon the face OF tue
earth-are facts which have now no space
to tell.
The next six or eight years OF my NE
were shifting and unsettled enough.
morose and restless man, TOOK employ
ment here and there, as opportunity oheieu,
turning nv hand to many things, ana
caring little what / earned, so long as the
work was bard and the change incessant'
First of an, engaged myself as chief en-
yinecr in one OF the French steamers ply
ing between Marseilles and Constantine
ple. At Constantinople changed TO one
of the Austrian LlOyd's boats, and worked
for some time 10 and from Alexandria,
Jaffa, and those parts. After that fell in
with a party of Mr.. Layard's men a
Cairo, and SO went up the Nile and took a
turn at the excavation Of the mound oil
Nimroud. Then became a working en-
gineer on the desert line between Alcxan-
dria and Suez; and by-and-by | worked
Ln,. IL
vice as an engineit,er on one Of the great
Indian railways. stayed u long time in
India; that is to say, | stayed nearly two
years, which was long time for me and
| might not even have left so soon but fol
the war that was declared just then with
Russia That tempted mt; for | loved
danger and hardship as other men love
safety and ease and rs for my life, | had
sooner have parted from il than kept 1t any
day. So | came straight back to England
betook myself 10 Portsmouth, where my
testimonials at once procured me the sort
of berth / wanted. ! went out TO the
Crimea in the engine-rOom Of one OF her
Majesty's war steamers.
served with the fleet, of course, while
the war lasted, aud when ii was over, went
wandering of again, rejoicing in my
liberty. This time | went To Canada, and
after working on railway then in progress
near the American frontier, presently
passed over into the States; journeyed
from North to South crossed the Rocky
Mountains tried month or two Of life il
the gold country; and then, being seized
with sudden, aching, unaccouutable long
ing to revisit that solitary grave So fal
away on the Italian coast, turned NY
face once more towards Europe.
Poor little grave | found it rank witt
weeds, the cross half shattered, the in
scription half efiaced. Ii was as If no on,
had loved him or remembered him. | wen
back to the house in which We had lodged
together. The same people were still liv
ing there, and made me kindly welcome
] stayed with them for some weeks.