Year: 1876

| cntitlo this a legend-but in A
sense OF n memorial or a relation. r.fhrr
than an unauthenfic narrative. In tbe
Parish Church Of SWaHham. NorfoIi
County, England, I have seen A black
marble statue Of the tinker with ~
dog; and the story was Tins rrl,lo,i -
The sexton Of the church:


More than two centuries ago. a tinker


whose name was Chapmanl lived in
SEan ham. He dreamed one niRht that
voice said 10 him: go 10 London.
and on London Bridge you will meet 4
man who will tell you something 70
your advantage" And he awoke with
the words sounding in his ears. "Go 70
London Bridge" He fell asleep amin.
and the dream was repeated. but the
voice vas in louder tone. Avakipg In
morning, he told his wife the dreams.


The following night he dreamed again
that he saw q tall, grim figure glide in
TO the room with q rod in his hand. and
approaching his bedside, struck him a
heavy blow, and said, "Go on to Lon
don Bridge, and you shall hear some
thing you ought to know" He sudden
ly awoke, impressed as much with the
stroke OF the rod as with the dream. and
resolved to go, and putting in his pock-
ct all the funds he could get together.
and scanty sum it was, he started on his
journey, staff in hand, and being helped
along the road by chance rides, walking
and riding, he reached London Bridge
on the third day at sunset, but weary
and foot sore.


On each side of the old London
Bridge, at intervals, there were stone
recesses, with seats of the same mate
rial; on one of these he sat down to
rest; after brief space of time, stran-
ger passing paused, and stood face to
face with the tinker, and in a somewhat
hurried and excited manner said, "My
friend, am looking for you, to tell you
something for your good. I dreamed
three times, of course) that I should
meet man on this Bridge, and YOU an
swer the description given to me; 1 was
directed to tell you my dream, but l
was not to inquire whence YOU came.
but to give you my name and address.
and inform you that not far from your
house there was an old oak tree stand
ing, which particular tree would be in
dicated to you in some manner. but
what, know not; and that if you dig
at the foot you will find something
now. If there is anything to share, re-
member me, here is my address, 1 have
not moment more to spare. my duty
is done. Good day." The tinker would
have questioned him, but he was dumb
founded, and before he had power TO
speak the stranger had disappeared in
the crowd. After finding lodging for
the night and sleeping soundly, he
started next morning by the Swaffham
stage, and reached home after four
days pilgrimage. He related to his
wife the circumstances and result of his
journey. Next day, armed with spade
and mattock, and accompanied by his
dog, he went through the back door in
to the yard, and as he passed through
the gate, which separated his yard from
the field beyond, his dog thad the dog
dreamed too?) stopped beneath an Old
oak tree, and began to bark furiously.
then running to his master, returned 10
the spot, and repeating his barking and
scratching. The tinker thought this
was the tree, and commenced at once to
dig, and soon his mattock struck upon
something solid; clearing away the soil,
he found an iron chest, but as it was
daylight, thinking further operations
might be observed, he loosely covered
the earth over it again, and returning at
nightfall, secretly and safely removed
the chest to his dwelling. The lid
was securely locked, and completely ce-
mented with rust, but with considerable
effort he raised it up on its grating
hinges, and loi a mass OF gold and sill
yer coins glittered in his view; the gold
and silver were separated by partition;
he and his wife quietly slowed away the
coins in bags, and the next day he ex-
posed the chest for sale outside his
shop door. The chest had an inserip-
tion In slightly raised characters on,the
lid and the letters were much .defaced
by the rust. Soon two college BOYS
passing were attracted by sappearance.
''Eh?" says one, "what have we here?
Captain Noah's sea-chest-and what
droll inscription"


"where this one stood,


There is another twice as good"


Boy-like and needless, on they went.
while the tinker, Struggling his shoul-
ders, went and informed his wife what
he had overheard, and, though impa-
tent, he prudently deferred further
search till night, but he prepared his
pulleys and ropes, and attached them
to the tree in readiness for the intended
operation. Accompanied BY his dog,
who still seemed attracted to the spot,
he recommended digging, and at the
depth Of two or three feet, his mattock
rung again on iron, and discovered a
much larger chest than the other, which
by the aid of his apparatus, he brought
to the surface, and on a wheelbarrow
conveyed it to his home, and on opening