Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-02-13
ENSIGN RANSOM.

[ scarcely remember the starting point
of our conversation, though its scene
rises up before me vividly as memory
touches these magic plates which she
keeps stored up in her mysterious cham
Der.
There were several young people gath.
cred in Mrs. Martins ''parlor." Proba
bly, there was not another old lady In
London had such ''parlor." From
the long deep windows, the sloping
walls, the low ceiling, and the chirping of
birds. to say nothing of the scent of
wall flowers and MUSK, one fancied ones
self in the ground floor apartment of
some quaint country cottage. In fact, it
was room on the tOpmOst story of a
grand old house in an old city square.
In that house Mrs Martin had spent
the last happy married days of her early
woman hood, and there it was her wish
to remain till she died. The house was
far too large and too costly for widow
ed woman's sole occupation and so she
had retreated up and up until she
reached a solitude and silence which
the occupant of many country High
street might have envied. A perfect
curiosity was her little habitation, it's
walls covered with pictures, its corners
bright with dainty old china, its whole
replete with every simple comfort. The
old lady herself rarely went out now,
nat she did not lack visitors. There
were some with great names and great
powers who, in the world of fashion,
found no temptation to forget their old
friend; and there were many more,
bright saucy lads and sweet enthusiastic
girls, who found with her refuge and
a rest, where they could flutter their in
cipieDt wings safely and happily.
can only remember that, at that time
some great trial was running its course,
and all England was eager for the sight
of the evening papers, which one of us
had brought in, and the contents of
which we had been all eagerly discuss
ing, rashly giving our decided judg-
ments on points over which the jury of
twelve good men and true" would have
to spend many an hour of weary con-
sideration.
One witness came in for our special
animadversion. In her cross examina
tion some question had been put to her
which she mad declined to ans wer, and
on appealing to the judge whether she
was compelled to do so, had received an
answer in the negative.
1--WE all know what that means" was
the dictum of our juvenile leader, in
which we all heartily concurred. If
what she must have answered would
have been to her credit, she would not
have hesitated. whether the question was
justifable or not. We may be sure that
her answer would probably have evoked
some further question, with results still
more discreditable to her."
There was quite little chorus of as
sent on the point; only Mrs. Martin was
quite silent, and gave her knitting
kneedles peculiar shift, which we had
learned to recognize as what would be
described in parliamentary language,
"murmurs of dissent"
Don't you think so, too ?" asked one
of us, turning to the old lady with that
Difference which we always felt to be
due to her, even when her wisdom diff
fered from that of our contemporary
Solomon.
"My dear, it may be so-but it may
story on this very point. knew a gen.
tleman who was present when the Incl
dent happened"
not to be sighted, even when told to
WELL" said Mrs. Martin, .'rnany
years back, long before I was born, and
that is nearly sixty years ago, a young
man came out of little house at the
eastern end of a town by these There
was plenty of life and gaiety at the
town, which was eplivened by one or
two barracks, fort and castle. But
the eastern end was very poor, and
would have been quite lonely but for
the fishermen and their boats The
house from which the young man came
was beyond even this Ionely hustle, and
was little more than wooden hut, tarred
to defend it from wind and weather. Its
only near neighbor was q huge wind.
mill whose gaunt arms were almost over
its humble roof and though its win
doWs and door steps were clean and its
curtains white, it was clearly very
poor place, where none but very pool
i people would live.
| "But the young man who came ou