The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1895-02-06
CHAPTER XXXVI.
THOMAS COMES BACK FROM THE DIX


Marina the Captain Diaz came to see me
and told me that friend of his was in
command of carak, which was due to
sail from the port of Vera Cruz for Cadiz
within 10 days, and that his friend was
willing to give me passage if 1 wished
to leave Mexico. I thought for awhile
and said that l would CO. and that very
night, having bid farewell to the Captain
ld"7. whom may God prosper for he was
..., rlM0ng many bad ones, set
- for /, last time in the
company CT 'tnlc me: Aants A weeks
journey took us safely down the noun
tains to Vera Cruz, q hot, unhealthy
town, with an Indifferent anchorage, much
exposed to the fierce northerly winds.
Here I presented my letters of recon-
mendatiOn to the commander of the carak,
who gave me passage without question,
laying in stock of food for the journey.
At length our voyage came to an end,
and on certain 18th of June found my
self in the mighty city of London.
In London I bought a good horse,
through the kind offices of the host of my
inn, and on the morrow at daybreak set
out upon the Ipswich road.
rode hard all that day and the next,
and my horse being stout and swift by
7:3O O'Clock of the eveningI pulled up up
on the little hill whence | had looked for
my last on Burgay, when l rode thence
Yarmouth with my father. Below
I'D reefs of the town. There
no oaks of buckingham
and the u; 80 tc',Cr of ST. Mary's
church. Yol.Ctr the 81 am of Waveney
wandered, and before NE stretched the
low lands, purple and golden, with
No ~ bloom. All was as it had
no change at all. The
un., o......, ".~ ~ r}rsclf dismount-
ed, and goint, To ii iTrn of water near the
roadway l looked at the reflection of my
own face. I was changed indeed. Scarcely
should I have known it for that Of the lad
who had ridden up this hill 30 years ago.
Mounting my horse, l pushed on again
at canter, taking the road past Wang
ford Mills, through the fords and Pirnhow
town, leaving Bungay upon my left. In
10 minutes I was at the gate Of the bride
path that runs from the Norwich road for
half mile or more beneath the steep and
wooded bank under the shelter of which
stands the lodge Of buckingham.
Now the lodge was before me. 1t had
changed no whit, except that the ivy and
creepers on it's front had grown higher
to the roof indeed-and l could see that
people lived in the house, for it was we'll
kept and smoke hung above the chin
neys. The gate was locked, and there
were no serving men about, for night fell
fast, and all had ceased from their labor.
Leaving the house on the right, l passed
round to the stables that are at the back,
near the hillside garden, but here the gate
was locked also, and I dismounted, not
knowing what to do. Indeed [ was so
unnamed with fear and doubt that for
awhile seemed bewildered and leaving
the horse to crop the grass where he stood
Wandered to the foot of the church path
and gazed up the hill as though I waited
for the coming of one whom l should
meet.
'~', IF { splendid chamber in Mon
Tcnoctitlan aud of my
1i.>. I'd and dream
ing ON ti..:' - =. was
the ood Tn>, ...t nluSt
be sacrificed, liz! slept in mL.... =
I slept Dire; med l dreamed that | stoc'
where I stood this night, that the scent OF
the English flowers was in my nostrils as
it was this night, and that the sweet song
of the nightingales rang in my ears as at
this present hour l dreamed that as l
unused and listened the moon came up
over the green ash and oaks, and, 10! there
she shone. I dreamed that l heard a
sound of singing on the hill.
But now I awoke from this vision OF
the past and of long lost dream, for as
stood the sweet voice of a woman began
to cino wonder on the brow of the hill.