A Friend of the family. (Savannah, Ga.) 1849-1???, August 10, 1850, Image 1
VOLUME 11.
fdertcit ‘j&nrtnj.
A VILLAGE TALE.
The rooks are cawing in the elms,
As on the very day—
That mother dear,
When Lucy went away;
And April’s pleasant gleams have come,
And April’s gentle rain— *
leaves are on the vine—but when
ill Lucy come again ?
The spring is as it used to be,
And all must be the same;
And yet, I miss the feeling now,
That always with it came;
It seems as if to me she made
The sweetness of the year— —
As if I could be glad no more,
No\f Lucy is not here.
A year —it seems but yesterday,
When in this very door
You stood ; and she came running back,
To sav good bye once more;
I hear you sob —your parting kiss—*
The last fond words you said—
Ah! little did we think—one year,
And Lucy would be dead!
How all comes back—the happy times,
Before our father died ;
When, blessed with him, we knew no want,
Scarce knew a wish denied—
His loss, and all our struggles on,
And that worst dread, to know,
From home, too poor to shelter all,
That one at last must go.
How often do I blame myself,
How often do I think,
How wrong l was to shrink from that,
From which she did not shrink ;
And when I wish that I had gone,
And know the wish is vain ;
And say, she might have lived, I think, —
How can I smile again.
I dread to be alone, for then,
Bcfote mv swimming eyes,
Iler parting face, her waving hand,
Distinct before me rise;
Slow rolls the waggon down the road—
I watch it disappear —
Her lust *’ dear sister,’’ fond “ good-bye,”
Still lingering in my ear.
Oh, mother, had but father lived
It would not have been thus ;
Or, if God still had taken her,
She would have died with us;
She would have had kind looks, fond words,
Around h r dying bed—
Our hands to press her dying hands,
To raise her dying head.
I’m always thinking, mother, now,
Os what she must have thought;
Boor girl! as day on day went by,
And neither of us brought;
Os how she must have yearned, one face,
That was not strange, to see—
Have longed one moment to have set
One look on you and me.
Sometimes I dream a happy dream—
I think that she is laid
Beside our old village church,
Where we so often played ;
And I can sit upon her grave,
And with her we shall lie,
Af,ji from where the city’s noise,
And thronging feet go by.
Nay, mother—mother —weep not so,
God judges for the Lest,
And from a world of pain and woe,
He took her to his rest;
W hy should we wish her back again ?
Oh, freed from sin and care,
Let us the rather pray God’s love,
Ere long to join her there.
the summer sabbath.
Woods my church, to-day—my preacher
Roughs,
13 Rering high homilies through leafy lips;
i “urshippers, in every bee that sips
, Weet cordial from the tiniest flower that grows
■ the young grass, and in each bird, that dips
’ pinions in the sunshine as it throws
‘i showers upon green trees. All things around
re full of Prayer ! The very blush which tips
T n sn °wy cloud, is bright with adoration !
grass breathes incense forth, and all the
ground
8 “'dealtar; while the stillest sound
1 with praise. No profanation
l 4 ches the thoughts, while thus to ears and eye3
I
!>eltrtrii <Calt.
FATHER AND SON.
BY CHARLES DICKENS.
One evening in the month of
Pfarch, 179S, —that dark time in
’eland’s annals whose memory
overlooking all minor subsequent
h lutes) is still preserved among us,
N k \he year of the rebellion’—alady
pmd gentleman were seated near a
re * n °^"f as hi°ned din
| Tjy~ r ° oln a large lonely mansion.
I le J had just dined ; wine and fruit
Lf re ° n the table, both untouched
|J llle Mr. Hewson and his wife sat
!! len lly gazing at the tire, watching
1, s flickering light becoming gradual
■;. [ nore vivid as the short Spring
■'flight faded into darkness.
Ihuutrii ta jCitftatitrf, .?rintrg rniii Slrt, tjje pints nf dnnjifnntfe, (Dili) jhllumsjjip, Binsnnnj unit #titfral Cuttclligcita.
At length the husband poured out
a glass ol wine, drank it off, and
then broke silence by saving—
‘Well, well, Charlotte, these are
awful times; there were ten men
taken up to-day for burning Cotter’s
house at Knockane : and Tom Dy
cer says that every magistrate in the
country is a marked man.”
Mrs. Hewson cast a frightend
glance towards the windows, which
opened nearly to the ground, and
gave a view ot a wide tree-besprink
led lawn, through whose centre a
long straight avenue led to the high
road. There was also a footpaih
at either side of the house, branch
ing off through close thickets of trees,
and reaching the road by a circui
tous route.
‘Listen, James !’ she said, after a
pause : ‘what noise is that?’
‘Nothing but the sighing of the
wind among the trees. Come, wife,
you must not give way to imaginary
tears.’
But really 1 heard something
like footsteps on the gravel, round
the gable-end—l wish’—
A knock at the parlour door in
terrupted her.
‘Come in.’
The door opened, ami Tim Ga
han, Mr. Hewson’s confidential
steward and right-hand man, en
tered, followed by a fair-haired de
licate-looking boy of six years’ old,
dressed in deep mourning.
‘Well, G a ban, what do you want?’
Task your Honour’s pardon tor
disturbing you and the mistress;
but 1 thought it right to come tell
you the bad news I heard.’
‘Something about the rebels I
suppose ?’
‘Yes, Sir; I got a whisper just
now that there’s going to be a great
rising intirely, to-morrow; thous
ands are to gather before daybreak
at Kilcrean bog, where i’m told
they’ve a power of pikes hiding;
and then the’re to march on and
sack every house in the country.
I’ll engage, when I heard it, I didn’t
let grass grow under my feet, but
came off straight to your Honour,
thinking maybe you’d like to walk
over this fine evening to Mr. War
ren’s, and settle with him what’s
best to be done.’
‘O, James ! I beseech y T ou, don’t
think of going.”
‘Make your mind easy, Charlotte ;
I don’t intend it; not that 1 suppose
there would be much risk; but, all
things considered, 1 think I’m just
as comfortable at home.’
The steward’s brow darkened, as
he glanced nervously towards the
end window, which jutting out in
the gable, formed a deep angle in
the outer wall.
‘Of course’tis just as your Hon
our plases, but I’ll warrant you
there would be no harm in going.
Come, Billy,’ he added, addressing
the child, who by this time was
standing close to Mrs. Hewson,
‘make your bow, and bid good
night to master and mistress.*
The boy did not stir, and Mrs.
Hewson taking his little hand in
hers, said —
‘You need not go home for half
an-hour, Gahati ; stay and have a
chat with the servants in the kitch
en, and leave little Billy with me—
and with the apples and nuts’—she
added, smiling as she filled the
child’s hands with fruit.
‘Thank you, Ma’am,’ said the
steward hastily. T can’t stop —I’m
in a hurry home, where I wanted
to leave this brat to-night; but he
would follow me. Come, Billy ;
come this minute, you young rogue.’
Still the child looked reluctant,
and Mr. Hewson said peremptori
ly —
‘Don’t go yet, Gahan ; I want to
speak to you by and by ; and you
know the mistress always likes to
pet little Billy.”
Without replying, the steward
left the room ; and the next moment
his hasty footsteps resounded
through the long flagged passage
that led to the offices.
‘There’s something strange about
Gahan, since his wife died,’ re
marked Mrs. Hewson. “I suppose
’tis grief for her that makes him
look so darkly, and seem almost
jealous when any one speaks to his
child. Poor little Billy! your moth
er was a sore loss to you.’
The child’s blue eves filled with
tears, and pressing closer to the
I lady’s side, he said :
SAVAMAH, G 4., SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 1850.
‘Old Peggy doesn’t wash and
dress me as nicely as mammy
used.’
‘But your father is good to you ?’
‘Oh, yes, Ma’am, but lie’s out all
day busy, and I’ve no one to talk to
me as mammy used ; for Peggy is
quite deaf, and besides she’s always
busy with the pigs and chickens.’
T wish 1 had yo.u, Billy, to take
care ot and to teach, for your poor
mother's sake.’
‘And so you may Charlotte,’ said
her husband. ‘l’m sure Gahan,
with all his odd ways is too sensi
ble a fellow not to know how much
it would be for his child’s benefit to
be b rought up and educated by us,
and the boy would be an amuse
ment to us in this lonely house.
I’ll speak to him about it before he
goes home. Billy, my fine fellow,
come here,’ he continued, ‘jump up
on my knee, and tell me if you’d
like to live here always and learn
to read and write.’
‘I would, Sir, if I could be with
father too.’
‘So you shall; —and what about
old Peggy ?”
CC./
The child paused—
‘l’d like to give her a pen’nortb of
snuff and a piece ot tobacco every j
week, for she said the other day
that that would make her quite
happy.’
Mr. Hewson laughed, and Billy
prattled on, still seated on his knee;
when a. noise of footsteps on the
ground mingled with low suppress
ed talking was heard outside.
‘James listen ! there’s the noise
again.’
It was now nearly dark, but Mr.
Hewson, still, holding the boy in his
arms, walked towards the window
and looked out.
‘I can see nothing,’ he said, —‘stay
—there are figures moving off among
the trees, and a man running round
to the back of the house —very like
Gahan he is too !’
Seizing the bell-rope, be rang it
loudly, and said to the servant who
answered his summons:
‘Fasten the shutters and put up
the bars, Connell ; and then tell
Gahan I want to see him.’
The man obeyed ; candles were
brought, and Gahan entered the
room.
Mr. Hewson remarked that,
though his cheeks were flushed, his
lips were very while, and his bold
dark eyes were cast on the ground.
‘What took you round the house
just now, Tim ?’ asked his master,
in a careless manner.
‘ What took me round the house,
is it? Why, then, nothing in life,
Sir, but that just as I went outside
the kitchen door to take a smoke, I
saw the pigs that iShaneen forgot to
put up in their stye, making right
for the mistress’s flower-garden ; so
l just put my dud keen , lighting as
it was, into my pocket and ran af
ter them. I caught them on the
grand walk under the end window,
and indeed, Ma’am', I had my own
share of work turning them back to
their proper spear.’
Gahan spoke with unusual vol
ubility, but without raising his eyes
from the ground.
‘ Who were the people,’ asked
his master, ‘ whom I saw moving
through the western grove?’
‘ People ! your honor—not a sign
of any people moving there, i’ll be
bound, barring the pigs.’
‘ Then,’ said Mr Hewson, smiling
to his wife,‘the miracle ot Circe must
have been reversed, and swine
turned into men ; for undoubtedly
the dark figures I saw were human
beings.’
‘Come, Billy,’ said Gahan, anx
ious to turn the conversation, ‘will
you come home with me nowj? I
am sure *twas very good ot the
mistress to give you all them fine
apples.’
Mrs. Hewson was going to pro
pose Billy’s remaining, but her hus
band whispered: ‘Wait till to
morrow.’ So Gahan and his child
were allowed to depart.
Next morning the magistrates of
the district were on the alert, and
several suspicious looking men
found lurking about were taken up.
A bat which fitted one of them was
picked up in Mr. Hewson’sgrove; —
ibe gravel under the end window
j bore many signs of trampling feet ;
I and there were marks on the wall
as if gunshad rested against it. Ga
han’s information touching the in-
tended meeting at Kilcrean bog,
proved to be totally without founda
tion ; and after a careful search not
a single pike or weapon of any de
scription could be found there/ All
these circumstances combined cer
tainly looked suspicious ; Gut alter
a prolonged no guilt
could be brought home to Gahan, he
was dismissed. One of his exami
ners, however, said privately, ‘I
advise you to take care of that fel
low, Hewson. If I were in your
place, I’d just trust him as far as 1
could throw him and net an inch be
yond.’
An indolent hospitable Irish'coun
try gentleman, such as Mr. Hewson
is never without an always shrewd
and often roguish prime minister,
who saves his master the trouble of
looking after his own affairs, and
manages everything that is to be
done m both the home and foreign
departments,—from putting anew
door on the pig-stye, to letting a farm
of an hundred acres on lease. Now
in this, or rather these capacities,
Gahan had long served Mr. Hew
son ; and some seven years previous
to the evening on which our story
commences, he had strengthened
the tie and increased his influence
considerably by marrying Mrs.
Hewson’s favorite and faithful maid.
One child was the result of this
union ; and Mrs. Hewson, who had
no family of her own, took much
interest in little Billy,—more es
pecially after the death of his moth
er, who, poor thing! the neighbors
said, was not very happy, and would
gladly,it she dared, have exchanged
her lonely cottage for the easy ser
vice of her former mistress.
Thus, though for a time Mr. and
Mrs. Hewson regarded Gahan with
some doubt, the feeling gradually
wore away, and the stewaid regain
ed his former influence.
After the lapse of a few stormy
months the rebellion was quelled :
all the persons taken up were sev
erally disposed of by hanging,
transportation or acquittal,according
to the nature and amount of evi
dence brought against them; and
the country became as peaceful as
it is in the volcanic nature of our
Irish soil ever to be.
The Hewson’s kindness towards
Gahan’s child was steady and un
changed. They took him into their
house, and gave him a plain but
solid education ; so that William,
while yet a boy, was enabled to be
of some use to his patron, and daily
enjoyed more and more of his con
fidence.
Another evening, the twentieth
anniversary of that with which this
narrative commenced, came round.
Mr. and Mrs. Hewson were still hale
and active, dwelling in their hos
pitable home. About eight o’clock
at night, Tim Gahan, now a stoop
ing, grey-haired man, entered Mr.
Hewson’s kitchen, and took his seat
on the corner of the settle next the
fire.
The cook, directing a silent sig
nificant glance of compassion to
wards her fellow-servant, said :
‘ Would you like a drink of cider,
Tim, or will you wait and take a
cup of tay with myself and Kitty ?”
The old man’s eyes were fixed on
the fire, arid a wrinkled hand was
planted firmly on each knee, as if
to check theirinvoluntary trembling.
‘l’ll not drink anything this night,
thank you kindly, Nelly,’ he said,
in a slow musing mariner, dwelling
long on each word.
‘ Where’s Billy,’ he asked after
a pause, in a quick hurried tone,
looking up suddenly at the cook,
with an expression in his eyes,
which, as she afterward said, ‘took
away her breath.’
‘Oh, never heed Billy! I sup
pose he’s busy with the master.’
‘Where’s the use, Nelly,’ said the
coachman, ‘in hiding it from him ?
Sure, sooner or later he must know
it. Tim,’ he continued, * God
knows ’tis sorrow’ to my heart this
night to make yours sore, —but the
truth is, that William has done
what he oughtn’t to do to the man
that was ail one as a father to him.’
‘What has he done? what will
you dor say against my boy?’
* Taken money, then,’ replied the
coachman, ‘ that the master had
marked and put by in his desk ; for
he suspected this some time past,
that gold was missing. This morn-
ing ’twas gone ; a search was made,
and the marked guineas w’ere found
with your son William’
The old man covered bis face
with his hands, and rocked himself
to and fro.
‘ Where is lie now’?’ at length he
asked in a hoarse voice.
‘Locked up safe in the inner
store-room; the masier intends
sending him to gaol early to-morrow
morning.’
‘He will not,’ said Gahan, slow
ly, ‘ kill the boy that saved his life !
—no, no.’
‘ Poor fellow’! the grief is setting
Ins mind astray —and sure r.o won
der!’ said the cook, compassion
ately.
‘ I’m not astray !’ cried the old
man, fiercely. ‘ Where’s the mas
ter?-—take me to him.’
‘Come with me,’ said the butler,
* and I’ll ask him will he see you?’
With faltering steps the father
complied ; and when they reached
the parlor, he trembled exceedingly,
and leant against the wall for sup
port, while the butler opened the
door, and said :
‘ Gahan is here, Sir, and wants to
know will you let him speak to you
for a minute ?’
‘ Tell him to come in,’ said Mr.
Hew-son, in a solemn tone of sorrow,
very different from his ordinary
cheerful voice.
* Sir,’ said the steward, ad
vancing, ‘ they tell me you are going
to send my boy to prison,—is it
true ?’
‘ Too true, indeed, Gahan. The
lad who was reared in my house,
whom my wife watched over in
health, and nursed in sickness—
whom we loved almost as if he
were our own son, has rohhed us,
and that not once or twice, but many
times. He is silent and sullen, too,
and refuses to tell why he stole the
money, which was never withheld
from him when he wanted it. 1
can make nothingof him, and must
only give him up to justice in the
morning.’
O
‘ No, Sir, no. The boy saved
your life ; you can't take his.’
‘You’re raving Gahan.’
* Listen to me, Sir, and you won’t
say so. You remember this night
twenty years? 1 came here with
mv motherless child, and yourself
and the mistress pitied us, and
spoke loving words to him. Weil
for us all you did so! That night
—little you thought it! —I was ban
ded with them that were sworn to
take your life. They were watch
ing you outside the window, and 1
was sent to inveigle you out, that
they might shoot you. A faint heart
I had for the bloody business, for
you were ever and always a good
master to me ; but I was under an
oath to them that I darti’t break,
supposing they ordered me to shoot
my own mother. Well! the hand
of God was over you, and you
wouldn’t come with me. I ran out
to them, and I said— ‘ Boys if you
want to shoot him, you must do ii
through the window,’thinkingthey’d
beafeardof that; but they weren’t
—they were daring fellows, and
one of them, sheltered by the angle
of the window, took deadly aim at
you. That very moment you took
Billy on your knee, and 1 saw his
fair head in a line with the musket.
I don’t know exactly then what 1
said or did, but I remember I caught
the man’s hand threw it up and poin
ted to the child. Knowing 1 was a
determined man, 1 believe they
didn’t wish to provoke me ; so they
watched you fora while, and when
you didn’t put him down they got
daunted, hearing the sound of sol
diers riding by the road, and they
stole away through the grove. —
Most of that gang swung on the gal
lows, but the last of them died this
morning quietly in his bed. Up to
yesterday he used to make me give
him money, sums of money to buy
his silence —and it was lor that I
made my boy a thief. It was wear
ing out his very life. Often he
went down on his knees to me, and
said : ‘ Father, I’d die myself, soon
er than rob my master, but I can’t
see you disgraced. Oh, let us flv
the country!’ Now sir I have told
you all —do what you like with me
—send me to gaol, I deserve :t —
but spare my poor deluded innocent
boy !’
It would be difficult to describe
Mr. Hewson’s feelings, but his wife’s
first impulse was to hasten to liberate
the prisoner. With a few incohe
rent words of explanation she led
him into the presence of his mas
ter, who, looking at him sorrowfully
but kindly, said :
* William you have erred deeply
but not so deeply as 1 supposed.—
\our lathe 7 ’ has told me every thing.
I forgive him freely, and you also.*
The young man covered his fat e
with his hands, and wept tears more
bitter and abundant than he had
e\ei shed smco the day when ho
followed his mother to the grave.---
He could say little, but be knelt on
the ground, and clasping the kind
hand or her who had supplied to
him that mother’s place, lie mur
mured :
‘ Will you tell him I would rather
die than sin again.’
Old Gahan died two years after
wards, truly penitent, invoking bles
sings on his son and on his benefac
tors ; and the young man’s conduct
now no longer under evil influence,
was so steady and upright, that his
adopted parents felt that their pious
work was rewarded, and that, in
William Gahan, they had indeed a
son.
JVhat shall 1 tell ‘em 1 think. —
We could wish that every perkin,
inquisitive, mischief-making old
maid, or “benign cerulean” of kin
dred propensities, would oblige and
benefit themselves by reading the
following anecdote:
A calm, blue-eyed, self-composed
and sell-possessed young lady in
this village received a long call the
other day from a prying old spinster,
who, after prolonging her Slav be
yond even her own conception of
the young lady’s endurance, came
to the main question that had brought
her thither.
“ I’ve been asked a good many
times if you was engaged to Dr.
G . Now if folks inquire again
whether you be or not, what ahull I
tell them J think
“ Tell them,'” answered the young
lady, fixing her calm blue eyes in
unblinking steadfastness upon the
inquisitive features of her interro
gator, “ tell them that you think you
don’t know, and you are sure it is
none of your business!”
The Though ful Barber. — There are
boys who think themselves men,
and who go to barbers’ shops to he,
as they say, “hared.” We have
heard of a juvenile who went to he
scraped, and the barber, having ad
justed the cloth, and soaped his
smooth skin, left him and went loun
ging about his door. As soon as the
young “gent” saw him sauntering,
he impatiently called out, “well,
what are you leaving me all this
time here for ?” “I’m wailing un
til your beard grow’s l” replied the
witty barber.
“I say Pat,” said a Yankee to an
Irishman who was digging in his
garden, “are you digging a hole in
that there onion bed/” “No,” savs
Pat, “I am digging out the earth
and laving the hole.”
The Oliver Branch tells a capi
tal story on a sarcastic old fellow,
who, being asked one day by par
son A. if he had any treasures laid
up in Heaven?—replied with a dole
ful look, “Sartain, sartaiu; l guess
they must he there, if any w here—
l hain’t got any laid up at home.”
Viscount S. once met M. de V.,
and said to him, ‘ls it true, sir, that
in a house w here I am thought to
be witty, you said tliat i had no wit
at all f
M. de V. answered :—‘My lord
there is not a word of truth in the
matter. 1 never w r as in a house
where you were thought to be witty,
and l never had occasion to tell any
body you had no wit at all.’
‘Sir,’said a pompous personage,
who undertook to bully an editor,
‘do you know that l take your pa
per?’ ‘l’ve no doubt you do take
it,’ replied the man of the quill, ‘for
several of my honest subscribers
have been complaining lately about
their papers being mission in the
morning !*
The Lynn News editor entertains
the opinion that pork sausages in
warm weather not a Jew-dish
ous repast,
NUMBER 23.