The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-28

AVA at one end. indeed, the %commandaut was
directing some changes In the rcsidency
earden beyond Prison Hill: and the gardeners.
being oil %convicts. had no choice but to
continue to obey. All other folks slumbered
and took their rest; Nackehu. the native
queen. In her trim house under the rustling
palms; the Tahitian Commissary. in his bs-
Tagged official residences: the merchants. In
their deserted stores, and even tho club ser.
want In the club. his head fallen forward ON
the bottle counter under the map OF the world
aud the cards OF navy officers. In the whole
length Of the shoresidn street. with Its scat
tered board houses looking TO tho sea. its
grateful shade OF palms and green Jungle OF
puraos. no moving fgure could DO seen. Only
at the end OF n rickety pier that once lin the
prosperous days OF the American rehellionl
was used to groan under the cotton OF John
Hart. there might have been spied upon a pilo
OF lumber the famous tattooed white man. the
Twin. curiosity of Tai-o-hac. His eyes were
open staring down the bay. He saw the moun-
tains droop. as they approached the entrance.
and break down In cliffs; the surf boil white
round tho two sentinel islets; anil between.
on the narrow blight Of blue horizon. Ca-pu up-
raise the ghost Of aer pinnacled mountain
tops. But his mind would taEe no account OF
these familiar features. as no lodged In and
out along tho frontier line OF sleep. and wax.
Ing memory would serve him with broken
fragments Of the past: brown faces and white.
of skipper and shipmate. king and cliief. would
arise before his mind and vanish: he would
recall old voyages. old landlalls in tho hour
of dawn: ho would hear again the drums
beat for n man-cating festival: perhaps he
would summon up the form OF that island
princess for the love Of whom he had submit.
tod his body TO the cruel hands OF the ~tattooer,
and now sat on the lumber ut the pier end OF
Tai-o-hac. SO strangea figure OF n European"
Ono glimpse now OF II Scotchtnan manifestly
drawn from life: tho hero's maternal grand.
father. u stonemason who made a fortune by
erecting buildings which combined u minimum
OF outlay with a maximum OF show. lie had .
notion TINT his grnndson's experience at the
E"oiedeS Bcnr Arts would qualify him to he.
come an architect. n torn synonymous in his
vocabulary with housebuildcr Of the type with
which he was himself familiar. 1t never o.
cured to the hero. being an American. to bS
ashamed Of his grandfather. although the lat
ter. MS we have said. had been a working mason
and had risen from the ranks rather by shrewd-
ness than by merit. We arc told that lin
his appearance, speech. and manners he
bore broad marks Of his origin. which were gall
aud NORWOOD to my Uncle Adam His nails.
in spite Of anxious supervision. were often in
conspicL Gus mourning: his clothes hung
about him in bags and wrinkles. like n plough
mans Sunday coat: his accent was rude.
broad. and dragging: take him at his best. and
even when he could be induced to hold his
tongue. his mere presence in Il corner OF the
drawing room. with his opon-air wrinkles. his
scanty hair, his battered hands. and the cheer
full craftiness Ok his expression. advertised the
whole gang for a scl!-made family. Ny aunt
might mince and my cousins bride. but there
was no getting over the solid. physical fact Of
the in the chimney corner
This worthy Scot took a great fancy to his
American grandson. and liked to have the
young man accom- runy him in his walks. The
purpose of these excursions was mot to seek
antiquities or to enjoy famous prospects. but
to visit, one after another. n series OF doleful
suburbs. for which it was the old gentleman's
chief claim to renown that he had been the
sole contractor. and too often the architect
besides. ! have rarely seen a moro shocking
exhibition; the bricks seemed to be blushing
in the walls. and tho states on the roof to have
turned pale with shame: but 1 was careful
not to communicate these Impressions to the
aged %artificer at my side: and when he would
direct my attention to some fresh monstrosity
perhaps with the comment. There's an idee Of
mines; its cheap and tasty. and had q GRAND
run: the idee was boon stole, and there's
whole deestricts near Glesgie with the goathio
adeetion and that plunth.' l would civllly
make haste to admire. and what l found par.
%ticularly delighted him) to inquire into the
cost OF each a~dornment." 1t was after our
hero's evacuation Of Paris. which. as We have
seen. no found untenable. that these excur-
sions took place. and it was on one OF these
occasions that his grandfather made him q
present Of $1,000 and urged him with this
capital to settle down in Scotland and pursue
the business OF a builder and contractor.
Here is his bit Of lowland Scotch In
which the proposal is unfolded: See
here. then. Jeannie's yin!. Am going
to give We n set-ofI. Your mither was always
my favrite. for A never could agree with
Aadam. A like ye fine yourself: there's nae
nonsense ABBOTT ye; ye've q fine ~nayteraI ides
of builders work: ye've been to France. where
they toll me they're grand ut the stuccy. A
splendid thing for ceilin's. the stuccy! and It's
a Vai!yable disguise, too: A don't believe
there's a builder in Scotland has used more
stuccy than me-. But. as A was sayin'. IL Yell
follie that trade. with tho capital that Am
Goin' to give yc. ye may live yet to be as rich
as mysel. le see. ye would have always had
a share OF it when A was gone: it appears
yo're needin' it now: We'll. yen get the less. -
is only Just and proper"
None OF Poe's storlcs has n more skifully
plot than that which is evol we'd In
the book before US. 1t is questionable whether
any reader will guess tho secret Of Tho
Wreck" before tho author Is ready TO explain
it. We havo carefully avoided casting any
light upon tho mystery beyond tho hint given
in the passage quoted at the outset from the
epilogue. When the veil is lifted it will un.
cover horrors enough to satiate the most
bloodthirsty devouIcrs of the police novel.
But although we are far from undertaking
the faculty OF arousing and sustaining GU.
riosity. this. rs our extracts will demonstrate.
is the len ST Of tha nntbnr'S mnr ita whioI, hay>
never been exhibited on so largo a scale or
SO effectively as In the present novel.