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escape it. But young Harry with wonder- and (what matters far more) in true family ful quickness leaped (as he did, to save love, that fine and pure old gentleman, the me in San Domingo,) and sent the fuse much-troubled Sir Philip Bampfylde, over the side with a dash. Then Nelson this, I say, was the very first duty of a came up, for the firing was hot, and of fellow nursed by a general and a baronet course he must be in the thick of it, and through the small-pox; while it was also he saw in a moment what Harry had a feat well worthy of a master of a linedone, and he took down his name for pro- of-battle ship, which was not last in the motion, being just what himself would have battle of the Nile. And scarcely second loved to do. It will have to be confirmed, even to this was the duty and joy of reof course; but of that there can be no storing to their proper rank in life two question, after all that we have done; and horribly injured and innocent creatures when it turns out who he is." one of whom was our own Bardie. Therefore, upon the whole, it seemed best to go to work very warily.

"I am heartily glad of it, Captain," I cried; "The boy was worthy of any rank. Worth goes a little way; birth a long way. But all these things have to be lawfully proven."

"Oh, you old village-lawyer; as we used to call you, at Old Newton. And you deserved it, you rogue, you did. You may have lost your left hand; but your right has not lost its cunning." He spoke in the purest play and jest; and with mutual esteem we parted. Only I stipulated for a good talk with him about our measures, when I should have determined them; or at the latest on reaching port.

The boldest counsel is often the best, and naturally recommends itself to a man of warlike character. My first opinion, especially during the indignant period, was that nothing could be wiser, or more spirited, or more striking than to march straight up to Parson Chowne and confront him with all this evidence, taken down by a magistrate, and dare him to deny it; and then hale him off to prison, and (if the law permitted) hang him. That this was too good for him, every one who has read my words must acknowledge; the best thing moreover, that could befall him; for his body was good, though his soul was bad; and he might have some hopes to redeem the latter at the expense of the former. And if he had not, through life, looked forward to hanging as his latter end and salvation, it is quite impossible to account for the licence he allowed himself.

However, on second thoughts I perceived that the really weighty concern before us, and what we were bound to think first of, was to restore such a fine old family to its health and happiness. To reinstate, before he died, that noble and most kind-hearted man, full of religious feeling also, and of confidence that the Lord having made a good man, would look after him—which is the very spirit of King David, when his self-respect returns in a word, to replace in the world's esteem,

So it came to pass that I followed my usual practice of wholly forgetting myself; and receiving from the Honourable Rodney Bluett that most important document, I sewed it up, in the watered-silk bag with my caul and other muniments, and set out for Narnton Court, where I found both Polly, and the cook, and the other comforts. But nothing would do for our Captain Rodney - all young men are so inconsiderate except to be off at a racing speed for Candleston Court, and his sweetheart Delushy, and the excellent Colonel's old port wine. And as he was so brisk, I will take him first, with your good leave, if ever words of mine can keep up with him. But of course you will understand that I tell what came to my knowledge afterwards.

With all the speed of men and horses, young Rodney Bluett made off for home, and when he got there his luck was such as to find Delushy in the house. It happened to be her visiting-time, according to the old arrangement, and this crafty sailor found it out from the fine old woman at the lodge. So what did he do but discharge his carriage, and leave all his kit with her, and go on, with the spright foot of a mariner, to the ancient house which he knew so well. Then this tall and bold young Captain entered by the butler's door the trick of which was well known to him, and in a room out of the lobby he stood, without his own mother knowing it. It was the fall of autumnal night, when everything is so rich and mellow, when the waning daylight ebbs, like a great springtide exhausted, into the quickening flow of star-light. And the plates were being cleared away after a snug dinner-party.

The good Colonel sat at the head of his table, after the ladies' withdrawal, with that modest and graceful kindliness, which is the sure mark of true blood. Around him were a few choice old friends, such as only good men have; friends, who

would scout the evidence of their own eyes against him. According to our fine old fashion, these were drinking healths all round, not with undue love of rare port, so much as with truth and sincerity. Rodney made a sign to Crumpy (who had been shaking him by both hands, until the tears prevented him), just to please to keep all quiet touching his arrival; and to let him have a slice or two of the haunch of venison put to grill, if there was any left of it, and give it him all on a plate: together with a twelve-pound loaf of farmhouse bread, such as is not to be had outside of Great Britain. This was done in about five minutes (for even Mrs. Cook respected Crumpy); and being served up, with a quart of ale, in Crumpy's own head privacy, it had such a good effect that the Captain was ready to face anybody.

low

Old Crumpy was a most crafty old felwhich was one reason why I liked him, as a contrast to my frankness and he managed it all, and kept such a lookout, that no one suspected him of any more than an honoured old chum in his stronghold. Captain Bluett also knew exactly what his bearings were, and from a loftier point of view than would ever occur to Crumpy. A man who had carried a 50-gun ship right under the lower portholes of a 120-gun enemy, and without any orders to that effect, and only from want of some easier business, he (I think) may be trusted to get on in almost everything.

I do believe

did not quite catch about poor Rodney's recklessness. How like his dear father, to be sure! I see him in every word of it." "Auntie, the first time I read it was best. The second and third time, I cried worse and worse; and the fourth time, you know what you said of me. And I know that I deserved it, Auntie, for having such foolish weak eyes like that. You know what I told you about Captain Rodney, and begged you to let me come here no more. And you know what you said

that it was a child's fancy; and if it were not, it should take its course. The Colonel was wiser. Oh, Auntie, Auntie ! why don't you always harken him?"

"For a very good reason, my dear child - he always proves wrong in the end; and I don't. I have the very highest and purest respect for my dear brother's judgment. Every one knows what his mind is, and every one values his judgment. And no stranger, of course, can enter into him, his views, and his largeness and intellect; as I do, when I agree with him. There, you have made me quite warm, my dear; I am so compelled to vindicate him." "I am so sorry I did not mean know what I am, Auntie."

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you

My dear, I know what you are, and therefore it is that I love you so. Now go and wash your pretty eyes, and read that again. to me, and to the Colonel. Many mothers would be proud perhaps. I feel no pride whatever, because my son could not help doing it."

There was something else this excellent This was the very thing lady's son could not help doing. He -occurring to the mind of somebody sit-caught the beautiful maid of Sker in her ting, as nearly as might be now, upon a pure white dress in a nook of the passage, very beautiful sofa. The loveliest work and with tears of pride for him rolling that you can imagine lay between her from her dark grey eyes, and he could fingers; and she was doing her very best not help but all lovers, I trow, know to carry it on consistently. But on her lap how much to expect of him. lay a London paper, full of the highest authority; and there any young eyes might discover a regular pit-pat of tears.

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"Thank you, Rodney," Delushy cried; "to a certain extent, I am grateful. But, if you please, no more of it. And you need not suppose that I was crying about, about, about anything."

"Of course not, you darling. How long have I lived, not to know that girls cry about nothing? nine times out of ten at least. Pearly tears, now prove your substance."

My dear, my dear," said Lady Bluett, being not so very much better herself, although improved by spectacles; "it is a dreadful, dreadful thing to think of those poor Frenchmen killed, so many at a time, and all in their sins. I do hope they had time to think ever so little, of their latter end. It makes me feel quite "Rodney, will yon let me alone? I am ill to think of such a dreadful carnage, not a French decker of 500 guns, for you and to know that my own son was fore- to do just what you like with. And I most in it. Do you think, my dear, that don't believe any one knows you are here. your delicate throat would be any worse in Yes, yes, yes! Ever so many darlings, if the morning, if you were to read it once you like — and 'with my whole heart I more to me? The people in the papers do love you,' as darling Moxy says. But are so clever; and there was something I'one thing, this moment, I insist upon

no, not in your ear, nor yet through your hair, you conceited curly creature; but at the distance of a yard I pronounce that you shall come to your mother."

“Oh, what a shame!" And with that unfilial view of the subject, he rendered himself after all those mortal perils into the arms of his mother. With her usual quickness Delushy fled, but came back to the drawing-room very sedately, and with a rose-coloured change of dress, in about

half an hour afterwards.

"How do you do, Captain Rodney Bluett?"

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Madam, I hope that I see you well." Lady Bluett was amazed at the coolness of them, and in her heart disappointed; although she was trying to argue it down, and to say to herself "How wise of them!" She knew how the Colonel loved this young maid, yet never could bear to think of his nephew taking to wife a mere waif of the sea. The lady had faith in herself that she might in the end overcome this prejudice. But of course if the young ones had ceased to care for it, she could only say that young people were not of the stuff that young people used to be.

While she revolved these things in her tender, warm, and motherly bosom, the gentlemen came from the dining-room, to pay their compliments to the ladies, and to have their tea and all that, according to the recent style of it. They bowed very decently, as they came in, not being topers by any means: and the lady of the house arose and curtsied to them most gracefully. Then Rodney, who had found occasion ere this to salute Colonel Lougher and his visitors, led forward the maid, and presented her to them, with a very excellent naval bow.

thing to the son of my own sister. But, sir, it is not like a gentleman."

The old friends nodded to one another, in approval of this sentiment; and turned to withdraw from a family scene.

"Wait, if you please," cried Rodney Bluett. "Colonel Lougher, I should deserve your reproach, if I had done anything of the kind. My intention is not to defy you, sir; but to please you and gratify you, my dear uncle, as your lifelong kindness to me and to this young lady deserves. And I have chosen to do it before old friends, that your pleasure may be increased by their congratulations. Instead of being ashamed, sir, of the origin of your future niece or you my dear mother of your daughter, you may well be proud of it. She belongs to one of the oldest families in the west of England. She is the grandchild of Sir Philip Bampfylde of Narnton Court, near Barnstaple. And I think I have heard my mother speak of him as an old friend of my father."

"To be sure, to be sure! "exclaimed Lady Bluett, ere the Colonel could recover himself: "The Bluetts are an old westcountry family; but the Bampfyldes even older. Come to me, my pretty darling. There, don't cry so; or if you must, come in here, and I will help you. Rodney, my dear, you have delighted us, and you have done it most cleverly. But excuse my saying that an officer in the army would have known a little better what ladies are, than to have thrown them into this excitement, even in the presence of valued friends. Come here, my precious. The gentlemen will excuse us for a little while."

"Let me kiss Colonel Lougher first," whispered Delushy; all frightened, crying, and quivering as she was, she could not My dear uncle, and friends of the fam-forget her gratitude. So she bowed her ily," he began, while she trembled a lit- white forehead, and drooped her dark tle, and looked at him with astonishment; lashes under the old man's benevolent "allow me the favour of presenting to gaze. you a lady who will do me the honour of becoming my wife, very shortly I hope."

The Colonel drew back with a frown on his face. Lady Bluettt on the other hand ran up.

"What is the meaning of this?" she cried. "And not a word of it to your own mother! Oh, Andalusia, how shocking of you!"

"I think, sir," said the Colonel, looking straight at the youth "that you might have chosen a better moment to defy your uncle, than in the presence of his oldest friends. It is not like a gentleman, sir. It cuts me to the heart to say such a

"Sit down, my dear friends,” said Colonel Lougher, as soon as the ladies had left the room. 66 My good nephew's tactics have been rather rough, and of the Aboukir order. However, he may be quite right if this matter requires at once to be spread abroad. At any rate, my dear boy, I owe you an apology. Rodney, I beg your pardon for the very harsh words I used to you."

With these words he stood up, and bowed to his nephew; who did the same to him in silence, and then they shook hands warmly. After which the young Captain told his story, to which they all

listened in silence-five being justices of!
the shire, and one the lord lieutenant-
all accustomed to examine evidence.

"There is another thing to be done at once," cried Rodney Bluett, warmly "to pull Chowne's nose. And despite his cloth, I will do it roundly."

"My young friend," said the Lord Lieu66 prove it first. And then, I

"It seems very likely," said Colonel Lougher, as they waited for his opinion. "That David Llewellyn is a most shrewd tenant; fellow. But he ought to have said more think, there are some people who would about the boat. There is one thing, how-pardon you." ever, to be done at once - to collect confirmative evidence."

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LETTER FROM JEREMY TAYLOR. [The following characteristic letter from Jeremy Taylor, never before published, was kindly sent to me by a friend, for use in the PEOPLE'S MAGAZINE. ED. P. M.]

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It is creditable to the Prussians that in Prus- [ sia itself is published the severest criticism of the Prussian army, which abroad, and especially in England, finds too many indiscriminate admirers. In reference to the new version of the military penal code now in preparation, MADAM I received the letter you were a Prussian Captain has published a book called pleased to mention in your last & sent an an"Education and Discipline in the Prussian swer to yr second question which you prudently Army," of which some account is given in did ask upon the reverse of the other. The a late number of the National Zeitung. summe of it was this: that if you find your One of the chief aspirations of the author doubt quiet and resolved; the scruple that arises is that the gocd understanding which has at any time must be laid aside by the direct emexisted in Prussia between the army and the pire of the will without any further discourse of civil population since 1866 (but which notori- reason: For a scruple is an unreasonable fear ously had no existence before that date) may be and it commonly proceeds from a good but from perpetuated; and this condition of things is a fearful heart: It is a tendernesse of conscience, only, he thinks, to be secured by developing the but such an one as is more like a sore than the patriotism of the citizens and raising the moral delicacy of a good-constitution. It is not always tone of the soldiers. He protests against the a temptation to sin; sometimes it is; but it is popular saying that "the Prussian schoolmaster alwayes a needlesse trouble, & apt to tire a rebeat the Austrian schoolmaster at Sadowa,' ligious person & to make the service of God bewhich he considers not a true observation, but come a load. Madam if you dare trust your merely an effective phrase in the French style. reason, you may proceed to action; if you dare The Prussian soldier has no time, he says, for not, what will you be guided by? And you study during the short period that he remains must never inquire, if when you are answered with the colours; and in spite of compulsory you cannot be at rest: but that is the infelicity education, he often joins his regiment with only of a scrupulous conscience; it will take any anthe slightest smattering of rudimentary knowl-swer but trust none: there is a stone in the edge. Examining his soldiers year by year as they joined his company, this officer found that out of forty, about five or six could read and write well, and were in a position to continue their education. From sixteen to nineteen could read and write moderately well; while ten or twelve were only beginners, and one or more generally Poles - who can scarcely be expected to profit much by German schools-had learnt nothing whatever. Out of fifty recruits only one could say a single word about the war of liberation in 1813; and at most five were acquainted with the principal points in the national history of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It is surmised that these five had not

foot; if you hold your foot you cannot go forward; if you set it down, you cannot abide it. But Madam all the Divines in the world agree in this, that though a man may not doe any thing against a doubting conscience; yet against a scrupulous he may.

Madam

Your most humble and affectionate Servant (Signed) JER: TAYLOR. Aug. 29. 57.

THE Italian papers announce an open compepursued their studies so far as to reach the his- tition for a statue in white marble representing tory in detail of the 1813 campaign. The pub- Joseph Mazzini in proportions somewhat larger lished statistics on the subjeet of education in than life. This statue is intended to replace the the Prussian army are, it seems, very mislead-bust which was deposited at the Capitol on the ing, inasmuch as every soldier who possesses the least knowledge of reading and writing figures

on the list of those able to read and write. VOL. XXVI.

LIVING AGE.

Pall Mall.
1205

17th March, 1872. The competition will close on the 18th June this year._Designs are to be sent to 81, Via della Croce, Roma.

From Dark Blue.
A BILLET AT CARRIGAHINCH.

WE had been expecting a move for some time, and at last the order came. We were to start at dawn next day for Dublin, en route for Scotland. It was unanimously resolved that we should make a night of it - not go to bed at all in fact, so that we might the more fully enjoy the company of Captain Jack. We determined to detain him till the very last moment.

Notwithstanding the perpetual drain upon his resources since our arrival, he was brimful as ever of anecdote and fun; but there was on this occasion a mutual feeling of regret at parting, which each of us endeavored vainly to conceal, and which saddened us somewhat.

I proposed a round of toasts in due form, and at last, when I considered him equal to a sustained effort, I toasted him.

"Gentlemen," said I, “a full bumper! Fill! I give you the guest of this and of many pleasant evenings: The health of Captain Jack, of ours.' May we meet again, and that soon. When the time arrives for each of us to retire from the service, may our actions shed an equal lustre upon the regiment, and our successors keep our memories as green as we shall keep his.'

There was a pause after due honours bad been paid. The captain rose to his feet uneasily.

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table, helped himself to a fresh cigar from my case, and took a light from the hand of his next neighbour.

"Did I ever tell you anything about Carrigahinch?" he inquired, during the preliminary puffs.

"Never," said I; "we have only a promise that you would do so."

Leisurely he took the cigar now from his mouth, turned it to see if it was well aglow, replaced it between his lips — giving it a few rapid twirls with his finger and thumb as he did so took one long whiff, and then began.

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"The place was a hot-bed of Orangeism, and we were sent there just before the July Anniversaries,' as they are called. There are two of these in that month on the first and on the twelfth. The authorities anticipated riots, and sent us there as a precautionary measure.

"The population consisted of about a third who shouted To hell with King Willliam!' and two-thirds who shouted 'To hell with the Pope! '

"Confound it!- don't you know," he said; "'pon my life and credit I feel quite "It was quite an uncommon thing to see unequal to the occasion - I do indeed. I a soldier in Carriganinch. There was a don't deserve it. I am sure I shall miss tradition that a troop of horse once galyou all most confoundedly — a deuced deal loped through the main street-in at one more, I dare say, than you will readily be-end and out at the other in the 'troulieve. I can't make a speech, you know, bled times;' but the oldest inhabitant had and what's more, I don't mean to try. not seen an entire company actually quarYou young fellows are so much better up tered there. Now a great and striking to that sort of thing than we old stagers. change had come over this little communiI pledge you my word, old as I am, I never ty. They had begun to hate one another made a speech in my life, and I'm not go- for the love of God. It was found necesing to make an ass of myself at the end sary some time before our arrival to apof my days. You must excuse me." point a permanent resident magistrate for the district, and he was kept busy every court day in trying to settle cases arising out of party riots. From having been a sane, sober, steady-going people, they became suddenly rabid and wild, and the worst features of party intolerance and party strife began to manifest themselves.

We did excuse him, but we did so on the implied understanding that he was to give us some more of his military experience in Ireland before the night was out.

"Meanwhile," said I, "here's to the memory of the faithful, the matchless Tim!"

"Ah!" sighed the captain, thoughtfully and solemnly filling his glass, "here's to him with a heart and a half! I ne'er shall look upon his like again!

Sadly, but withal steadily, he raised the wine to his lips, gazed for an instant into the empty glass as he replaced it on the

The

"All this arose from a very simple and apparently harmless transaction. newly-appointed parish priest had a 'mission,' and invited two Dominican fathers to preach at Carrigahinch. On these occasions the proceedings are rather sensational. There is confession, absolution,

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