Year: 1873

/ VINO could nnd no better use for his
fingers than to cut them off and send
them to his sweetheart but that the
idea was comic in connection with the
most pious and venerable lady who
taught the writer of these lines, in
early years, that his name was n. or
Nj" A person of greater mildness,
sweetness and dignity I have never
seen; the stateiiest of heads with the
most cordial and gentle smile upon the
lips. And this was the heroine of that
extravaganza of the old Bermuda days
Such the change which comes over us
between seventeen and seventy


Musing upon this comedy, go back
in thought to the Bermuda isles, and
live there for time in that domain of
sunshine. 1t is q land of the tropics
this group of fairy isles, where the
orange-tree blooms, and is weighed
down with its golden fruit where the
whole year is spring. and the blue
waves, rolling to the green fields dotted
here and there with the snow white
country seats, are stirred into silver
ripples by no breezes stronger than the
sweet south wind. The doLce far nj
e1lte reigns there, and Ariel and Caliban
are met with still on the sea-shore in
the glimpses of the moonl So the
poetry of the place and cline went into
the young hearts of the prisoner and
the maiden; there was a great wedding
at ''Tankfeld, with fddling and dan
cling, doubtless; his excellency, in ruff
fies, powder, and my knee-buckles, gave
away the bride and the little beauty.
opening her wings, passed over the
ocean like a sea-bird to the sunset-land.


This, may it please you, gentle reader,
is the history of my kr rse-buckles, which
are not of much value as gems, none at
all as articles of personal adornment,
and are useful only to arouse such idle
dreams as have indulged inf there
be any use in such. I stop dreaming at
last, and look at the old affairs, and
address a few observations to them as
though they were intelligent beings.
At present, venerable friends-I say
have no use for you. You are no longer
in fashion, and to be out of fashion is
said to be equivalent to being out of the
world. If I were to substitute silk
stockings for the garment now worn
upon that portion of my person, and
atfix you, o friends, to my knees, I can
fancy the sensation I should produce
among the ce'asOres n1OrUnl, the critics,
the !gGD1t1s, and the rest. No, no,
worthy knee-buekles II respect you,
am attached to you, will gossip about
you, and recall your past glories; but I
will not wear you, any more than will
wear the costume of half century
since which I have upstairs, or powder
my hair, or venture on ruffies I shall
continue to wear inoffensive sack-coats,
and cut my hair very short, and earn
estly strive not to differ from other
people. If it becomes the fashion,
propose TO enter bag with convent
ent holes for the feet and arms, shave
my head, and conform myself in ali
things to the habits of my neighbors.


All that old nonsense of costume, fine
courtesy of bearing, low inclinations,
and suave tones is done with, I fear
the old times are dead. And yet they
were pleasant, hearty, picturesque and
honest old times when my knee-buckles
clasped the stalwart knees of the portly
old host of the poor young prisoner;
when the mirrors of Tankfeld" re-
fected the fine pageant of a brilliant,
hospitable, excellent race of people as
sembled to greet with smiles the young
bridegroom and his bride.


All are gone now, and yet IN dreams,
as it were, some of the old sunshine
comes back. The orange blooms and
the blue waves murmur as they did in
the past, around the green isles set like
gems in the ocean.


I see all plain in the polished surfaces
of the Bristol diamonds of my own
knee-buckles