The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1890-12-26
TIE sMueeLeR,s WEBBING.
Being story OF Christmas of tho
Long Ago.


Long Ago.
tCopyrght by American Press Associationl
Down among the cliffs of Devon--those
mighty ones which guard the southern
English coast eastward from Sidmouth,
and not far from the quaint, rock bound
village of Nere-lsabel Venn. the come
", brown haired isherman's daughter,
reigned over the sturdy hearts of the
sea, subju.ating alike the br;Iwny fisher
lad who swept the channel through the
starlight nights of winter and the man
o'-war's man home on leave, while half the
coast guards lapsed into chronic jealousy.
and few wild spirits, the special care of
the coast guards, who traded secretly with
Cherbourg. were among her most ardent
admirers
1t was on Robert Dare, young hand
some. fearless and the most accomplished
Bmugglcc of the coast that Isabel's choice
fell Eevonshre smuggling over fifty
years ago was Il daring, almost chivalrous,
enterprise and from this and other causes
it was tolerated by the people Many Il
magistrate has traced his cellars pride to
We're fishing boat, and a lord bishop has
sent from uiar for the pale French essence
ere it had blushed itself brown in bond. Nor
Were mysterious sources wanting to sup
ply the means. When Robert Dare needed
funds for II voyage he used to say that he
was "going up the Landslide little" and
that night he would come back with the
needful The third week in December,
1888, opened cold, clustering time.
Wreaths Of fine snow wound round the
doorsteps and hung over the small, diamond
paned windows of We're Times were hard;
the coast guards vigilant. Prudence must
defer the marriage of Robert and Isabel,
which was to have come off at Christmas.
The cronies of the Ship Inn deplored the
prospect for the poor and shook their heads
in sympathy as mild expiration for their
comforting RUNNERS" of grog.
Good evening, DOCTOR" squeaked old
Solomon Quigley, the parish clerk, as
genial DR.. Bowlby came beaming in. For
DR.. Bowiby came from Bovey manor, where
Lady Lee had commissioned him to buy
hundred and fifty geese for the Christmas
dinner of the needy. But Exeter and Honi-
ton had absorbed the supply, so said the
farmers present. Then up spoke Robert
Dare;
'Geesc are plentiful and cheap in France
will ret them by payment for my time"
DR.. BOWlby assented, the company ap-
plauded, and the gri2zled coast guard cap
tain stared over his long clay pipe at
Robert in n look OF dazed solicitude
Good night, my darling Belle" said
Robert kissing her at her fathers cottage,
"and may good luck attend me- | mus
go NJ the Landslide a little tonight"
Tie Saagull sailed out of the cove of
Tere aud in due time sailed back again,
a. harbiuger of good cheer for the poor.
a. welcome cargo" said DR.. Bowlby.
''TaSe care of them tonight, Robert"
"Ics, Il good selecton," muttered the
griz2!ld captain, peering into the recesses
of the boat, very good There is ALSO
lutely nothing but the geese" he whis
pered dcjcctedly to himself; then louder to
his ueislUor:
Il say Mr.. Quigley, there is really moth
ing but the geese, you know"
Nothing" piped Solomon, "unless there
may lie any gamblers among 'en."
BAH" said the captain. And now the
Ship Inn IS Il bower Of evergreens, for to-
morrow is Christmas eve.
II hear" observed Mr. Qugley in a
low, commanding tone, as he slowly filed
his pipe, "that Robert Dare and Isabel
Venn are to be married tomorrow"
eyes, said the doctor, glancing from
the punch bowl to the captain; "by
license"
81 wish may die" wheezed the land
lord, 'f | warn't told that Robert had
bought Rose cottage, in Seaford lane"
"And be is gone off today for furniture"
said the captain; mysterious, very"
"And quite a party is invited to the
breakfast at Venn's afore they're off for a
London honeymoon" gasped the landlord.
''There's the vicar and squire and the
doctor and the cappen and Mr.. Quigley
and |, and some of the littler folks"
1t was pleasant wedding breakfast, in
which the joy of the young people blended
with the happy spirit of Christmas; the
flag waved from the tower of the old gray
church, and the notes of the bells noated
he, tla.,
among the rocks.
at is not true" said Robert in respond
ing to the toast of bride and bridegroom,
''that have purchased Rose cottage; we
are going into an established business at
Exeter; but perhaps ii is fit that should
explain some of the features 81 my last
trip across the channel. The sage and
onions that will fill the geese of our poor
friends tomorrow will only succeed a far
different stuGing. My neighbors ALL" and
here Robert smiled brightly ON he grizzled
captain, ''stowed in each goose, and now
safe from the Philistines, was several
guineas' worth of the most costly lace"
Loud was the laughter aud cheering,
which only subsidized as the last toast was
given
"a merry Christmas TO all friends here
and everywhere, and happy New Year
when il comesw
At this juncture the grizzled captain
who had been missed for moment, reap
peared with n forid face and sheepish air
He had taken of his uniform jacket with
its gilt buttons and availed himself of the
doctors oyercoat. Thus. with lightened
conscience, he joined in the toast with it's
"three times three"
The heads Of several respected families
IN professional and trade life in the west
of England are the sons and daughters Of
handsome Robert Dare and beautiful Isa
bel Venn JOHN ALDERGRovE.
CONCERNING THE MlsTLEToE.