Lost Lenore Part 60

At the conclusion of Norton's narrative, several of the company, who seemed to be restraining themselves with great difficulty, broke into loud shouts of laughter. Norton did not appear to be at all displeased at this, as I thought, unseemly exhibition!

I afterwards learnt why he had taken it in such good part. It was generally known, that he had been transported for robbing a postman; and the cause of their mirth was the contrast between the general belief, and his own special account of the crime.

For my part, I could not join in their mirth. His story had been told with such an air of truth, that I could not bring myself to disbelieve it. If not true, the man deserved some consideration for the talent he had exhibited in the construction of his story: for never was truth better counterfeited, or fiction more cunningly concealed, under an air of ingenuous sincerity.

Volume Three, Chapter XVI.

THE "ELEPHANT'S" AUTOBIOGRAPHY.

When tranquillity had been again restored, the "Elephant" was called on for his autobiography--which was given nearly as follows:--

"My father is a `squatter' in New South Wales--where I was myself born.

"At the age of seventeen, I was sent to England to be educated; and, being well supplied with money, the design of those who sent me was not defeated: for I did learn a good deal--although the knowledge I obtained, was not exactly of the kind my parents had meant me to acquire.

"I possessed the strength, and soon acquired the skill, to defeat all my fellow students in rowing or sculling a boat. I was also the best hand amongst them with a bat. I became perfect in many other branches of knowledge, of like utility. During my sojourn in Europe, I made several trips to Paris--where I obtained an insight into the manners and customs of that gay capital.

"My father had a sister living in London--a rich widow, who had an only daughter. I called on them two or three times, as I could not well avoid doing so. I was not infatuated with my cousin, nor did my visits beget in my mind any great affection for my aunt.

"Her husband had been dead several years before that time. He had been related to a family of t.i.tle, and on his death had left a fortune to his widow of about fifty thousand pounds.

"My father considered his sister a person of great consequence in the kingdom; and used to keep up a regular correspondence with her.

"When I was about twenty-two, I received a letter from him, commanding me forthwith to marry my cousin!

"He had made the match with my aunt, without consulting my wishes.

"The deluded man thought the plan he had formed for me, would make me a very great personage. But I could not regard the affair in the same light.

"Soon after receiving my father's orders, my aunt sent me a note-- containing a request for me to call upon her.

"I complied; and found that she considered the thing as quite settled, that I was forthwith to marry my cousin. In fact, my aunt at this interview had a good deal to say about preparations for the ceremony!

"My cousin was neither personally good-looking, nor interesting in any way. On the contrary, she had a disposition exceedingly disagreeable; and, to crown all, she was a full half-dozen years older than myself.

"Soon after that interview with my English relatives, I embarked for Sydney. I had been for some time anxious to return home. As I have told you, New South Wales is my native country; and I prefer it to any other. I had seen enough of Europe; and longed to gallop a horse over the broad plains of my native land.

"On my return home, and reporting that I had _not_ married my rich cousin, my father flew into a great pa.s.sion, and refused to have anything farther to do with me.

"I tried to reason with him; but it was of no use. It ended by his turning me out of his house; and telling me to go and earn my own living. This I did for some time, by driving a hackney coach through the streets of Sydney.

"My father, on finding that I was man enough to take care of myself, without requiring any a.s.sistance from him, began to take a little interest in my affairs. In doing so, he discovered something else--that caused him quite as much displeasure as my refusal to marry my English cousin.

"He learnt that I was making serious love to a poor, but honest girl, who, with her mother, scarce earned a subsistence, by toiling fourteen hours a day with her needle.

"To think I should let slip a woman with fifty thousand pounds--and who could claim relationship with a family of t.i.tle--and then marry a poor sewing girl, was proof to my father that I was a downright idiot; and, from that hour, he refused to acknowledge me as his son.

"When gold was discovered in these diggings, I gave up my hackney business, took an affectionate leave of my girl; and came out here.

"I've been lucky; and I shall start to-morrow for Sydney. I shall find the one I love waiting for me--I hope, with some impatience; and, if I don't miscalculate time, we shall be married, before I've been a week in Sydney.

"I am young, and have health and strength. With these advantages, I should not consider myself a man, if, in a new world like this, I allowed my warmest inclinations to be subdued by the selfish worldly influences, that control the thoughts and actions of European people."

I believe the company were a little disappointed in the "Elephant's"

story. From the remarkable character of the man, and the evidence of superior polish and education--exhibited both in his bearing and conversation--all had expected a more interesting narrative--something more than the tale he had told us, and which was altogether too simple to excite their admiration. Some of them could not help expressing their surprise--at what they p.r.o.nounced the silliness of the "Elephant,"

in "sacking" a fine lady with _fifty thousand pounds_, and an aristocratic connection, for a poor Sydney sempstress. To many of them, this part of the story seemed scarce credible, though, for my part, I believed every word of it.

Reasoning from what I knew of the character of the narrator, I felt convinced that he was incapable of telling an untruth--even to amuse his audience; and I doubted not that he had refused his rich English cousin; and was really going to marry the poor sewing girl of Sydney.

In judging of the Elephant--to use his own words--I did not allow my "inclinations to be subdued by the selfish worldly influences, that control the thoughts and actions of European people."

Volume Three, Chapter XVII.

SAILOR BILL'S LIFE YARN.

As the autobiography of the "Elephant," had been of too common-place a character to create any excitement, there was but little interruption in the proceedings; and Sailor Bill, according to the conditions, was next called upon to spin the yarn of his life.

Without any formality, he at once responded to the call.

"When a very small boy," began he, "I was what is called a gutter urchin, or `mud lark,' about the streets and docks of Liverpool. It was not exactly the business for which I had been intended. When very young, I had been bound apprentice to a trade I did not much like, and to a master I liked still less. In fact, I hated the master so much, as to run away both from him and his trade; and became a ragged wanderer in the streets.

"The profits of this profession were not so great, as to allow me to contract habits of idleness, though, somehow or other, I managed to live by it for nearly a year.

"I was one day overhauling some rubbish, that had been thrown into a gutter, when a man ran against me; and his feet becoming entangled in the rags that composed my costume, he was tripped up, and fell into the mud.

"He immediately got to his feet again; and shook me, until he was so exhausted and agitated, that he could do so no longer.

"While he was doing so, I was not idle. With my nails, teeth, and feet, I scratched, bit, and kicked him--with all the energy pa.s.sion could produce.

"My desperate resistance, instead of further provoking, seemed to make a favourable impression on the mind of the man: for, as soon as he had ceased shaking me, he declared that I was `a n.o.ble little wretch,' a `courageous little vagrant,' and many other pet expressions equally conflicting.

"Then taking me by the hand, he led me along by his side, at the same time questioning me about my home and parents.

"Having satisfied himself, that he had as good a right to me as anybody--and perhaps a better by my being in his possession--he continued to drag me onward, all the while muttering to himself, `Dirty little vagabond! give him in charge to the police. Spirited boy! give him in charge of my steward.'

"Favourably impressed with the general expression of his features, I offered no resistance to his taking me where he liked. The fact is, I did not care what became of me, for I was independent of either fortune or circ.u.mstances.

"I was finally carried on board of a ship; and handed over to the care of her steward, where, for the first time in three years, I had my body covered with a complete suit of clothes.

"The man who had thus taken possession of me, was a good-natured, eccentric old bachelor, about fifty years of age; and was master and owner of the ship, that traded between Liverpool and Kingston, Jamaica.

"I remained with this man seven years; and under his tuition, I obtained something of an education. Had I been his own son, he could not have shown more zeal, or taken greater pains to teach me.

"During all that time, his ship was my only home; and I had nothing to tempt me away from it. It was all the world to me; and of that world I was not long in acquiring a knowledge.

"I was about twenty-one years of age, when I was made first officer of the ship. My father--for as such I had got to esteem the man who raised me from rags, and out of mud, to something like a human existence--was going to make one more voyage with me, and then lie by for the rest of his life--leaving me master of the ship.

"We were on our return from Kingston, very deeply laden, when we encountered a severe gale. For some time, we allowed the ship to run with the wind--in order that we might keep on our course; but the storm increased; and this could not be done with safety. We were preparing to lay her head to sea, when a wave rolled over the stern, and swept the decks fore and aft. The captain--my generous protector--and two of the sailors, were washed overboard; and we could do nothing to save them.

All three were lost.