Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-02-11
SsItftto Storp.
Meerschaum.
RI IIENRY kINGsLrY.

nj HENRI hINOsLtl
"Thc foam of the sea-" or, II you choose
the scum OF the sea, is the meaning OF
the name which poetical Germans gave to
this singular substance before English.
science stepped IN and call il SOAP
stone"
Forty years ago il was not much known
In England; now. combined with amber
II l. in the mouth OF half the LAWYERS
clerks In London. IL il wonderous We
hicle for tobacco; better even than the
root OF the brUyer or wooden pipe. which
ls made Of the root OF the Mediterranean
heath. but the name OF which has been
yulgariZed in'n - hrier-rnn, aud j. d.riy-
ed, after all, from the Welsh "brwg," 4"
heather. We repeat that mccrschaum J,
the best vehicle for tobacco. And now
the question rises. what l. the best tobac-
GO 10 put in II The mlder. We should LAY
The better. Such tobacco rs We have lust
lii will hurt no one. Pun, there goes the
cloud. How il rolls up aud ob,curcs the
prints Which hang before me the dead
emperor, with the crucihx on his breast
/, no longer visible; the woman looking
for the piece OF silver has her lamp put
out. Lord Duferiu. Bishop wilberforce.
sir Bartlett Frcre, Sir Gilbert Scott, have
disappeared; Anne Boleyn was being ar
rested just now; we suppose they have
carried her OF. The smoke swells like
iorm-clouds, aud rolls about Ike ocean
waves, with no obvious figure at first,
Stay; there is one forming. growing more
real every instant-now distinct as he Was
years ago.
\ boy; large for his age. say about
twelve, with very bold, fearless, coura-
geous, handsome features, and most re-
mArsable eyes; head well shaped and well
set on. curly crop of fine hair in want OF
the barber; dress, two garments only. a
ragged shirt with no buttons, and an old
pair OF fooImaI's breeches with but few
buttons.
There he stands at the end OF the bench.
just come in, holding his breeches and
shirt together with a clutch with his left
hand on his len hip. We have never seen
him before, on the tramp? No: his we'll
shaped feet shows signs OF it. a thief? No ,
he would be better dressed. Tired with a
| hymn-book upside down, he knows no diff
ference, but says he came there TO see if
the gentlemen would teach him something
\ TO get his living by. This demand for tech
nical education being pretermitted until
| the proper time, the boy is asked II he
knows any thing; he replies that he learn.
ed some Of the Catechism once. Here is
an opening.
hat Is your namei,'
! "Meerschaum."
"Oh gave you that name:"
| Judas Iscariot."
This would not do by any means. There
was burst of laughter from the more
boisterous of the Field Lane boys. and the
| interrogation was about to suggest amor,
private Interview, when Neerschaum ex.
| planned further, with the most perfect am
liability.
1T ain't his name, but they give hin
| that name because IL was wrote up similar
over his shop after the gentleman give nv
mother her trouble because Aker.
wouldn't give her evidence; which / could
| have given the same evidence as what he
did, but the magistrate wouldn't let me
cause he said l didn't know the nature o.
| an oath. | ought TO, for | have heard a.
many swore as he has. Known the nature
of an oath. why, l could swear as many a.
a clever gentleman like you. But fdont
do 1t. because Judas says God Will be an
cry with you for It, and"
Meerschaum was proceeding into theol
ogicai regions far beyond the farthes
flight of his questioners, when the Evening
hymn was started, previous to the clos
ing prayer, which WAS fortunate for one o
the two parties in conversation, at al
events. Before the boys were sent TO bee
the original interrogation OF Meerschauu
and the manager had an interview will
the boy.
Father had been a sailor drowned. Moth
er had been very kind to him, until tn,
judge gave her six years abont a bad hal
crown; they were always giving his moth
er bad money. ANY relations? An aunt
married At Gravesend. but no good, a
least to him. He wanted to learn a trade
Would he be good? II he hadn't wanted t.
be good he wouldn't have come here; if h
wanted to be bad he might have gone I.
heaps Of places. Wanted to be like hi
father; wanted to be like the good gentle
man that old Judas told him about-Jesu
Christ. What did he know about Him
Nothing. except he was q good gentleman
without any money; though he wou
have helped him to learn a trade if he ha
been alive, but he was dead now, thoug
Judas said he was coming alive agar
Wished he would come soon; thought. h
was very much wanted. Asked as to til
character of whom he had so often mer
toned as Judas, he replied that he was
general cove who lived i'm Gravel Ian
with young girl the same age rs hs
Meerschaum, was. The boy was dismis.
ed to bed.
The original interloctor and the manae
er merely nodded their heads at on
another. The former said the "Gres
Queen street, of course" and the the latte
said, "Of course" Then the interl0cut6
took his hymn-book and departed up Fa