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'•>

NEW DOMINION STORY.

ELORA^, ONTARIO :

PRINTED FO^ THE AUTHO^, AT THE OliSMpVEli OFFICE.

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NEW DOMINION STORY.

•21

lap IN Tm BISf AHm

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BY J. W. GRIFFITH, M. D.

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T>T>x..™ ELORA, ONTAKIO :

PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR, AT THB 0J5^i?J?rj?/? OPFIC;

1868. . •

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EntOMd Mooitlinf'to Act of the ParliomepVof Canada, in the year of Our Lord 18(V8,
by J. W. Oriflitb, M.D., in the Office of the Minwtor of Agriculture. ' v

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PREFACE.

■^

rd 18ft8,

Truth, in many inHtances, is like niwUcino, oxoflo<lingly unpalatable when
admmigtoi-CHl by itself, but, if disguised and carefully mixed in a tasteful vehicle.
W usually acceptable and admirably borne even by liersons troubled with mock
modesty and tender nerves ; thus it is that the Author in the foUowinir paires
combines it with fiction. If some of the characters in this narrative do not hapm^n
to please the literary epicure, it is n6t intended that they should ; and if anyof
the scenes— all of which are drawn true to nature, without any attempt at color
°J ,rf'>i?*»--«.*'°»J*^ «*»<^'' **'e feelings of those who have hwl little or no experience
of life, then the writer is content, from the simple fact that the desired effect is
produced and the practicvl results ^lutary. That there are hundreds, yea thou-
sands, of living /«c «««/«, of Theoaoi-e Bloat running at large upon society and
infecting the youth of the land, no one need attempt to deny ; for, unfortunately
there are but too many to testify that, l^ce Harman Abbott, they have been
ensnaringly victunized at the hands of such men ; in that character, therefore I
have endeavprcd to draw a lift^like portrait, at least as far as was compatible with
the general features of the sto^. np. v ; *

vl!!Ti ^''"^^^^^y T«»-*J'«e the slory was first published weekly in the
Elom OW..r, whether the gr^^ part-if not the whole-was not true,: or
whether it was from inmgmatioa? because th^ftt, if fi-om the latter, they never keA
a^novel so^yery riaturalUml life-like. I shall state hoi-e, in case theii should bo
any who might 1« disposed to ask similar qj^tions, that it was not written from
any one caae which came speciall!/ ""«ler my notice, but from close ol«orvation of
comnmn^l ' ""^ ""''' ^""^^^ '^^'^ at imagery ^ I was enabled to

I have entitled it - A New Dominion Story," because I saw fit to bring the'
two chief heroes to Cana^lian shores ; aiid in giving the finishing toiich t? the

iw & "^.^"^ """^^J." t^P'*^') ^^^« endeavored to draw such a strike
contrast between them at the death-scene of Bloat, as cannot fail to recall to the
mind of the reader all he has perused, even from the forlorn Clam as she stood by

S V .S;r"°?'^l 't^;:^ '"''^^ *^l ^^.S^^^^^ ^ t^e impressive sight in the
b,«-ix5om. I should hav^ made the tale more Canadian in chamcter, such as
painting mqre minutely the peculiarities and numerous advantaais of the country
but conceived It to be out of place-running to extremes it mO^ be termed~hi
a work hke the pi-esent Shortly after I commenced wiiting^he story S^Send
who 18 considered a ready writer, and, if I am to judge from his physiog^, a sha™'
nipping cntic.^too, yolunteered the opinion, that it was easierVbegiA a noySl
than to complete one suqcassfully ; whereupon I ventured to offet on% also-T
don t remember whether it was with fear and tveml)ling-and unhesitatingly re-

that I feel highly favored andr gratified at the many flatteiing expressions ?f

opinion I have received regarding this little work, and sincerely hope that all who

peruse these pages will give the verdict in my favour, by acknowlediLg the moZ

therein conteined to be worthy of their notice: then, and only then, "shall iX
rewai-ded for my labour. ' , -^ ' "*"** ' "°

. > J. W. GRIFFITH, M. D.

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.A. •TVIi:\^ I>OIM[II^lOW STOIt,^*"

^ •

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

• *i

CHAPTER 1.

It was cJideiloHH Novcml)er wcntlioi- ;
the keen, mw wind Highing and moan-
ing at (Ulapitlatetl door-waya and sliat-
teretl windows of ohl tenement buildingH,
on Poverty Row, as if lamenting the
approach of Btern Winter to the |M)or
comfortless occnpants— sheltered, if ever
they are, under those weather-l)oaten
roof H^g^ fciirjif the homeless little ImiI-
^*''"*'iWand ragged shoe-hlack at street
C()rnef%, an<l sweeping through narrow
lauesand by-ways the loose accumulatccW
tilth of Englaiul's proud njetroiwlis—
Busmess was dull and flat, financioi-s
were predicting heavy pressure, Joint
btock Cony)anies rheumatic, hanks and
hankere tottering, commerce and tnule-
«t freezing point, Britisli llefonn o»e/y at
blood heat, and all Lomlou laden with
iniquity, sickened with its own pollution,
and weary with that never-tjuding rest-
lessness and that incessant bustle, relaxetl
and haggard-looking. Standing in the
vicuuty of a dark, retired-look iitg, two-
story building, appropriately situated in
an alley (where the sun sliines only at
midsummer) off one of the great thorough-
fares at tjie ' West End,' under the dim
gaa-hght, m a thinly-clml young female,
encpiiring, in whispering tones as if
^ashamed to be heard, from a little old
• woman in a long, ancient-made, black
icloak, who just came out of the place
referred to, by a half-painted side en-

cm nee

Tleiwe, ma'am, couM you tell me
whore thera's a imwn-officel I know
the city well enough, for I've been here
all my life, but never Imd occasion to go
to such places ; I'm told there's one close
by.' And then she drew a small brown
shawl, the oiily extm covering she had
for a cold, bleak night, over a faded silk
bonnet and care-worn face, probably to
hide the teai-s which now trickled down,
ami, when unhidden, glistened in the
flickering light of the gas-lamp.

' Why, yes, my dear ; that's one there,'
said the little old woman, pointing to the
veiy letired - looking building, which-
seemed to keep aloof from some second-
hand clothing shops by an intervening
passage, leading to a side entriince in-
tended for the class of genteel or respect-
able poor who think i)overty a disgrace
rather thtfti a misfortuiie, arul are ashamed
of it ; ' and iha pawnbroker is such a very
civil man, too, child. I was ii^*there
redeeming a few little things I got s^eij
shillings on a couple of months ago:' and
taking a bundle from uuder her cloak, •
she added : 'These are some little*
clothes^ you see, I'm obliged to raise a **
few shillings on once in a while. I put
'em by, you know, for that purpose this
long time, till we want a shilling, and
Mr. Tabb, the broker over there, always
gives me the same ; he never makes no
difference to me, you see, no matter how
often I bring the same little^ bundle to
his shop . — I'm an old customer to him, '

my child ; ahem!'

■sf ' ^^%

• HELP m THR DISTANCE.

Poverty in likn oHtiio : tliA longor wo
Rw fiuiuluir with it, th» iiifii-«« w« nra
inuml U) iUi w(Hw, iu niiHi.ry. uii.l itM
«l«gro.Itttion. TIh, „ia wotiuui voIuiiUmu-.
e<l « Rtiittnninit which tho young IVmnlo

hiMl not (1U1-<).| to V..||tU|-.», iMit ,IM if Hho

l«lt hJiv ought to miy M<.ni.ithing ftlK)ut
iior em»>i(i nho n.rimik.Ml, in u ton., of

who m>mm\ to hvnn,utl.iH,. wiH. I..... J ...; i ...... .''.'^.'* ''"'"'y-

Who msmml to hyniiMithiHo witli hi-r
I»i}rhn|m th<f ft-rling wax inutiiiif' -

•Well, niii'iim, wc'n* ir liic,.,| I'mi
ob-h-^tHl Ut fonio out to iii;;ht to i«iwn

— rlliy glMMJ (h-»!HH<)H.'

l*«K)r tiling ! how hn- )u.,ut fillo'd uii.|
ovorflowH,!, whih? hn,.Jly trili,,^, |„.,- ,„,.s.
H»ige to thv ol.l.woniuu '. for h\w k..Mk>.I

t^Wtuhmantii bi a grrot city, iiotiwxl Nhn
wwan iu«-x|H»n«mmJ vi/«iU)r, luid coming
muliil tho counUir to a hwtvy |NinnHlhJ
<hM)r h'.i.lih;^ to iin Hnt«, or o|.|.,.|oth«H,
r<«»ni, hUv Htu<l : 'JuNt Htrp in hor.», pIcuNo.
Ill WHit on you ; wliat iUt you wiHh to
wm'r 1 ',

Thn upplicimt untiol her mrrfully.

tiinininl ColKxirg (ln'Hs,'.s for Miu Tiihl/a
niHi.i.,.tion. Th..y h.cl cvi.h.iitlv Imm.ii
'Nomn timo' out of th.. niak.'r'H'h.uulH,
\.au.l, iiftrr Lving niiinilrly «'XttMiin.'.| Intth
insiih! Hu.l out, Mrs. 'I'al.l. ..flrrr.i, with a
•T^Mihir uir of hnsiiK-sH, the paltry loan of
* nin»Hin<l-Nix|K«ucc <m Vni.'

' ThatH a Hniail loan to offrr, ma'am,

r:;i";^. ''::!i:r:" •:'^^'' i!""v-'^-' "" ♦^--:''--- • --• tho young .onnu.:

Hont«nc«^ and, with a faint ♦ (;oo<| ni.»|,t
nmam,'Hlmturm'(l,lown this allry. huJ

' Vou'II ^ot no moriMui 'oni anywImM* '
HHi.l aMi-H. Tula, ; 'youHm thoy'rt- much
tim woi-Ho of wnar; wo couldn't really
uflor.1 any moro on Huoh goodH, a- will
you take it i'

' VV.dl -r-„„p..,,oso ni hov^^^nul

tIm jtpplicant in a low, pitiful t<mo, ciiHt-

„,. 1 • , . *;, —' .o ,,„,„, „-,,.,i I "n;; her toar fov«(rod ov<«h r(>n('('ti\«(lv .if

n^o^'tr^: z:^'C:i/';i''^^v " ' "'^ 7'^ <'--t-io,>ki4i^icl;:^lth-

tho Jn 1!:^; i::.;li";f :„:;.'.^.';..*';r .'"^•"r'*^ ;;;'; ;'»^ ';— •' •^-z ^ith the point of

K'l toro-tnigcr lumscd against' thosf palo
JiVH, iiH jl in doul.t wlM'th.'r to st-al tlio

enUn-od Tahh'H shon, l.y tl.o si.l,. .hn.r in
thodark paHSiig... ft wan fSatunlav night
ttlH-ays a husy timo- (the huNicst) with
Huch donhM-H an Mr. Tal.h ; for tho clock
MlH tho hour of midnight gnicrallv, I.;.-
»or« tho last paWncd artieht in numlHTcd

thoj-eon, paid hack to rcd.vn,, it may Im>
a piece of wearing appaivl for the next
<I«y (Sumhiy) out of the scanty earnin-H
of the week ; for oven jKncrty ^n Hm-
days w more «listingiiiHhal.le -thus the
pemiilesH are hometinu-s, from tlu^ pride

acceptance of Mrs. Tal.l/s offer.

'A'our names pleases' said Mrs. Tahh.

' (.'lara AI)l»ott,' was ^hv reply

A ticket. No. 301, withj.ine-an.l-

^ a,,,.™.,., _^;:, r„i;::: ^f :^.r„,Si,;iin--

cloth

Tho crowd of pawning and re leemin"
piteous-faced c«,stom^,-s, who st.,od in
fi-dm of a counter ahout flv,. feet hi-d.
bm t exj^re^sly to prevent light-fingered
customei^ fi«m helping the.nselves,' af-
forded the young woman no p ,ssil,le
chance of opening her parcel, neatly done
up m a large cotton ha.idkerclujrf, and
oftenng Its contents for Mr. Tal)l»'s in-
8I«ction Now Mrs. Tahh, who always
assisted her.hushand ou .Sattirday ni-dit-s
observed her waiting anxiousW to"'£ret
soinethmg on. the chattel security .Che
held m her gioveless and trembling white
h^nds; and with that practised shi-ewd-
neas which women especially acquire in
dealuig with their own sex at siich e.-

Chira Abbott, wh(Ks«. name wo now
Jiiiow, passed out in\o the alloy and
stopped at the corner, nearthcj same dim
giu^-light, to think of- tlu, various wants
Ih' .suppli,.d out of the trilh, she irot,
Mb,,,, mingling in the Jostling crowd on
tbe ^rrejit and busy thoroughfare.

U ever UnuUm is ' up and doing ' if

ever a dense, motley nia«s of livir..^

"»ovi„g humanity gets into pernetual

motion, It IS on Satunhiy night.- Ono

would almost i-nagine that all the buy-

lug, -selling, tmding and locomotion of

Uie fJnivev.se had absolut^jly to be ac-

cornplLshed within a few short houi-s on

a stated night (aiul that KSatunlay), with

no further opiK)rtunity of doing so, by

that coiLstayt Itui ' ^^-^ — ^

-.1

'■ymg to luul fro in

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11(1 coiiiiiitf
ImiiiiimINhI

li Mwli to

oiirofnlly.
k'o iH'iitly-

itly Im'«<ii
I'M IiiiiuIm,
iii«'«| lM)tli
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ly luuii of

, niiuiii),
C woiiniii.
lywImM*,'
'tt! nmch
t rcully
a^ — will

wl^iiiil

>ll<?, CIlHt-

ivoly at
i)f' flotli-
poiiit of
osf |»alo

<t'lll tlio

. Tul)h.

ino-and-
«l oW'r,
v(i now
i»y and
in<> (litn
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lu! /^ot,
uwtloa

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livirif,',
U«tual
Ouo
e Imiv-
ion of
lie ac-

Ul'S OH -

, with

HELP IN THE DISTANCE

^m^ry inmKiMiihfw iliroction ; tliat inU^r-
mingling of all nationii and lan)(Nag(>!t in
II uonf.iiHi.1 umlh^y mam; that mttlinK inoi.^^nt or hclplew diHtrcwi- ' noor follow I

Of c«m4«„ and .^,i wh..lH. anddutU..-! ,ht CInra • I wond^rV C «w Sin.

of hom^ h.H,fH a««u,Ht tho rou«h ,mivc. «on thin ovoning, and - ifthoro.anvohanl
imitt; iUo lMU>ih. diHmnlant H.)un.l of 1 ^t all.' ""ort .any otianoe

#oro to b« pooraJ out, aho auddmlj lmr»i

inio tt fl(M»d of teara, moved by a paaiiing

tlion^iht of hclpicfia diHtrciia; ' poor follow I'
*li<>ii..l.» /^u__ 1 I I •«^

auction Im'IIh, tlio h<HtiHi* voitTH of oyHtor
turn and fJNli woni.'n ; iliiMiYMi loning i
th<ur |Nir.»ntH in tli(» iii;,'litralfc whuio of
iMiHtl.., and crying in h(»p(.|,.HH dcH|Miir ;
until a mighty city i.s wi:i|.|M.d in'a l.iicf
HinnilM't- Unit is. if wrr it-Hlccps and
ohc iH tcniiM.iaiily rdifvcil l.y a Hhort

rcjoHc

(Mara AUhott puwlicd her way through
th« hiisy throng, and, after i>iirchiiHing
Honio little ncccHMaricM with her niiuMiitd
Mixpenfo (all to a'few jwnee), Hheri^tijrnetl
to h,.rhuniMc lodgings on KinHhury Hill.
A Hlim talh.w can(ile, pr<>sH('d intoShe
nock (.f a laj-ge l.lack lM)ttle, Ht(K)d upon
a licketty old tal.le, and threw a faint
light around he{- roonr- used its an apo-
logy for a parlour whose walls, almost
pafHirlcHH, showed nuiny secluded abodes,
for Hundry d.)niestic insrcts. A f.w
coals l.urne<l slowly in tlu! Hr.;-place, and
th(! lial.y of some eleven months, in the
dcdight of its haliyhcMxl, was playing with
Its fingers and laughing at its toes on the
tatteivd reniiMint of an old carpet, laitl in
the n«iddle of the Moor. I

' Has Mr. Ahhott hoeii here sinco I i
went out, Nelli.,/' said ('hua to a i.re- '
cOciouMjittledamseJ of twelve years\)ld
who liverl vith h('r mothe;- in an iul i
vcMitilated room on the same floor, and ;
wjio volunteered to mind bal.y— as sho '•
often did from a pleasure which little I
girls usually take in amusing themselves
with inTants, as large as lull-grown wax
dolls— while ClaiH was absent upoai her
errand of need. - .

'Yes, mem,' sjiid Nellio, ' but lie only
stopped a minute ; he wondered where
you were gone, and wiid to tell you he'd
not 1)6 m till late, ihem.'

Clam tflok little Charlie (the baby)
upon her knee, and ns she sat near a Hre
ot (lying esiljei-s, with her eli>ow restiuc'
upon the fe(^ble old table, sealed the love
Which a Mother cap only feel for her child
with a aoft ki " — ' — -

Now irnrman Alibott-her huHhnnd—
had he!d a n'Hp<!ctublo position, oh Imnkor'a
aoo .untaiit for Over tliroo yonra, but for
reanoiiM bent known to hineniploycrn, lout a
rcmmionih'vo poMt (considered cconomicnl-
lyW''aily three niontliH before thiri aniiio
Suturdiiy niiiht, when thcunawingof bun-
g<.'r caiim u|N>n them; and Clara, oh, who can .
t«;ll her anguiHh— as the only lilternutivo,
had Hiillied out at nightfall, hopclosa.and
forlorn, in (juost of n pawnbrokers.'
. Seated in un oa.sy chiiir, in hia inner of-
nee, .Mr. Theodore BIrwt, the Managing
Director of the Bank where HarmuR wua
employed, talked, or %iagin«d he talked
voVy pliiloMophically to George Sanson— a
friend of riarman'H, and a slight acyuain-
tence (more in a business way however) of
the official in question, on the Saturday
forenoon- who wiia evidentally there t3
plead in behalf of the di.^carded clerk,

••We have nothing particularly ngainst

Abbott that there is any necessity for men-

tioivng' at present, but stiil, there was a

I rcaKon, sir for hi.-i dismissal,' said Mr. Bloat,

I seeming to feel the wei;;ht of the assertion

I by tightly compressing his Ups and partly
knitting his shaggy , eye brf^fs; • hov/ever,
sir, you'IJ excuse me, I have no further
time to discuss the merits of your p'ea for
Abbott's reinstatement:' and drawing up
his chair to tbe writint-desk with an 'air of
assumed dignity as if the whole respon-
sibility of Britain's Finance depended on
him— that would have done honor to a -
Home Secretary, or Chancellor of Exche-
quer, he began to arrange some businefe^
papers. ^ " *

' Mr. Theodore Bloat was » man who
considered himself, in every sense of the
word, a gentleman, if not natural bom at
all events a created one, and finally believ-
ed that a small estate and tolerably good

II come as an cffioial, was worthy of much
reverence. It was highly instructive, in
studying Natural Philosophy, to notice t.b^

't'lW

•A'

fon^«. - -"«« "J*"" her laughing infant's inherent propensities of that indiv dual so
tender cheek, and, as .f the vials of griefj unmistakabirnlike to many irtheSior

c>>

>ii

..sMm

■'^.

■ .". 1 i |. ' l, i W»nj |iP )| i|i niii^

r '

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

animals. A graceful bow, or a deferential
saiuto, would produce muoh tension upon
selfHjoncoit, and inflate his ideas of fashion-
able pride. Now be eutertaiucd a false
notion, that none of the subordinates in
his establishment had any right whatever
to presume to ' mix in the same society' as
himself; their 'position,' he thoui^ht, did
not entitle them to enter into the aui^ust
presence of the « higliqr circles,' no matter
how • well brought up' or how liberally ed-
ucated, they Xfcrenothiiiff in his estimation
but bank clerks.* It was owing chiefly to
this fact that Harman Abbott was dismis-
sed from his clerkship (doubtful if there
was another reason), but yet Mr Theodore
Bjoat's act of sending him penniless upon
the tender mercies of a pitiless public was
done upon the pretence of Abbott's * fast
living,' and the temptations at hand being
. too great for his moral principles. Har-
man Abbott had no doubt indulged in the
follies of the fashionable world ; and iiifev5t-
ed by frequent intercourse at leisure hours,
with the empty vanity and silly pride of
foppish companions, he tried to • keep up
a good appearance' by the giving of even-
ing parties to thankless guests. — Harman
was now reduced, yes, he was on the brink
of starvation, and in a city of huge propor-
tion and untold wealth, but where the rich,
the fashionable and grandiloquent consider
not the needy ; no heartfelt sympathy for the

rcrfucw/, no bowelsof compassion for famish'-
iitg humanity.

^ To fashionuble^society Harman was now
therefore, d6adj ttota wordofpity spoken
not a sigh given, by those who, when recip^
lents of his insane hospitality, vowed cter
nal attachment and undying friendship
Becomiivg deeply sensijjle of his sad con-
dition, and with Ufs finer fceliniis Munted
by dissapointment, he walks wearily from
Sanson's house after hearing the result of
his interview with Mr. Tlicodore Hfoat-
and saunters into the spacious reading rooni
of the Polytechnic, to look over the'^lLst of !

advertigements of ^Wanted; in the daily i
papers. ^ •' |

' I say, Harman, how goes it? hav'nt
Been you for a month of Sundays,' .said an

:r.;:7^

^unsophisticated looki.-.g individual, who

was just after reading and inwardly dicrest-

. ing an cveni^ig edition of ' The Po.st,'"at a

long table near the entrance, and scanning
closely every new comer as he entered
through the heavy folding-doors of the
greit news depot. Harman turned and
recognized a former billiard-room companin,
Mr. Timothy Twizzle, a retired attorney
and solicitor in Chancery ; quite a matter
of fact-individual who, from remorse of con-
science— a most remarkable circumstance
indeed ! —had given up the sale of the -biys-
tcries of law' and the dealing out of legal
technicUlitics, and unintelligible trash in
an unknown tongue(«« as to give an idea of
importance to fegal drjcuments) toiching law
seekers at endless expense. This extreme-
ly conscientious member of a ' Carnedpro-
fcsi«ion' was now taking it easy on a legacy,
handed down to him after the unavoidable
death of his considerate grandfather!

* Ha Mr. Twizzle, you took me by sur-
prise, thought you were off on a pleasure
tour' said Harman.

• Only for a week or so,* replied TtW^zIe,
'returned some days ago.' 'Nothing,
literally nothing, I see of interest to night,'
said Mr Twizzle, ' there's a flatulent article
m the Times on Blight's speech last night,
on the licform iiill ; and a few effervescing
comments on my Lord Lyons' soft talk to
Louis Napoleon, when he pii-esentcd his
credentials, that's worth sotiie notice per-
hap.s.'

Harman and his acquaintance. Twizzle,
then left the Polytechnic, and at the- invi-
tation of the latter, strolled into a private
parlor of the ' Metropolitan' to enjoy a
cigar. While there, Harman, somewhat
abruptly, changed the previous topic of
conver!.ation by saying, 'well Mr Twizzle,
I suppose you're aware I've left the Bank,
are you not ?'

' Why bless me no, how's that Ahbott?'
'Left there three months ago, sir, said
Harman/ had to leave could'nt help it, was
sentrtirthe right about by that worthi/—
no I would rather say that, Judas— Theo-
dore liloat.' ,

' Ah ! and ijiloat actually dismissed you ?
not for" a criminal act of course, otherwise
I should have heard of it and you surely
never would have stood your ground ' said
Twizzle. But / know Bloat, continued
Twizzle, /read that man's character before,
Abbott', and flinging the

i. *

mouldering

1^-

T,*»^,-.w' i^.i" ':--.■

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

(1 Manning
le entered
orB of the
iiraed and
companin,
d attorney
) a matter
)rsc of con-
uuDistanoe
f the -mys-
it of legu!
) trayli in
an idea of
iching law
B extreme-
wiied'pro-
1 a le;j;acy,
lavoidabla
Lher.

le by 8ur-
i pleasure

I Tirazle,
Notliinjr,
to night,'
mt article
ist ni^ht,
ervescinj;
ft talk to
»ntcd his
»tico per-

Twizzle,
thor invi-
i private
enjoy a
omewhat
topic of
Twizzlc,
le Buuk,

Ubott?'
sir, said
p it, was
orthf/ —
-Tiieo-

edyou?
.herwino
surely
id ' said
ntinucd
• before,
ildering

i. «

:* *

Btump of a « regalia ' into the fire-f lace, he
settled himself in a comfortable sitting
posture, straightened his head, after giving
it a few tosses ( as if to halanc the brain
in iffeighing oocr a sQbjoct, ) then with a
spasmodic snuffle or twitch of the nose
( rather proi/oscis ) he continued, '(Jan
read men as well as books, Abbott,
jealousy engraven upon Ihs eye, my dear
sir; envy as bittir as gall, stamped upon
hi*forehcad-often did business with him,
found nothuig manly nothiii;j of the genuine
gentleman, nothing in short but a mind de-
.^ tbrmed witlgptfide and half made up, take
my word i'mm, Abbott deceit lies there
deeply buried, the poison of asps is under
his lips ' and you as well as others, in an
unguarded houi^ were stuug by the reptile,
— thuts the secret of your dismissal.

Twizzle sjjood up, and paced the floor of
.the Metropolitan-parlour, evidently like a
man who bubbled with upgovernabl'e rage ;
but after a few more tosses of the head
( lightly thatehed with steel-grey-hair ) his
features gradually bcc.mie unruffled, and
resuming hisseat he gently rubbed his fore-
head and brows with the finger-points — as
if carefully, examining the brain, the rcr
sovoir of thought and the mansion of red,-
son, t-» know whether it sustained any men-
tal damage from a momentary storm — then
glanced quite composedly at a large por-
trait of We-'lington hung over the mantel-
piece.

' Yes, Mr. Twizzle, you draw a true
picture indeed ; of Theodore Bloat, without
varnish ' said Ilarman ' you are riirht, he
was jealous sir, jealous of my sociafsta'nd-
ing, questioned my right to appear in good
society because I was only a bankers ac-
countant, while /te of course, was managing
Director ; he could not doubt my houj^ty^
I dare him to stuin my character of in-
tegrity, I defy him to brand me as a felon,
wh(/ then did he cast me adrift upon a
cold, cold world ? I am now in want, Mr.
Twizzle. yes, the last petmy spent, forsaken
oy friends, passed by like some worthless
menj.-il, but here's as honest a heart '—plac-
ing his hand upon his loft breast— 'as ever
be.it in mortals bosom.'

' Too honest perhaps to win his good
will,' said Twizzle. ' You understand me
don't you? if so, enough said.'

' Comprehend your meaning fully 'said
Ilarman.

Twizzle ordered a bottle of ale, and
while enjoying the beverage with Harman
he suddenly became sentimental. « I toll
you what it is, Abbott, fact are facts very
stubborn too, eh?' Then he gave his nose
that peculiar nervous twitch with the
favourite snuffle acquired by habit, before
saying anything serious. ' Pve studied
l^the various branches of human nature ; a
strauiie compound by the way, consisting
nowadays of moie ingredients than chan-
dler's soap grease, ay, and filthier too, and
1 emphatically say, without fear of con-
tradiction, that this aristocratic doctrine
of infinite superiority— not of intellect, you
know, for that's a gift of nature which all
should honor and one that countless riches
cannot purchase — is the summit of ab-
surdity,, breaks many a noble heart, saddens
nany a firei|de. The priceless jewel of
genius, Abbott, qan alone elevate man
above^his felloW, sociably speaking.'

; Taking another sip of ale, and with a
qujek waving motion of the hand— as if
enforcing a point of law in favor of a client
or keeping time galvanically with thought,
—he continued : 'aristocracy, indeed I an
institution established by act of Parlia-
ment in the middle ages for the special
benefit of the ' upper crust;' a cursed evil,
hereditary too, sir, and taught in our Col-
leges, . clothed in 'purple and fine linen '
faring sumptuously every day. often at the
expense of others. Seated in our churches
in rustling silk on crimson cushions, grow-
m.> up with youth into manhood, and
taking deep root in ant/ climate, if nurtur-
ed; a morbid desire, you see, to get every
body to worship us, il" we hold a good po-
sition in society, have ample means, and
are descended perhaps centuries back, from
a high family ; ' and Twizzle leaning back
with his hands dovetailed over the back
of hill head after a short pause said, ' a
grand deception, Abbott, blindfolds thou- .
sands.'

Harman remained silent and looked
thoughtful-

In a taw minutes Twizzle, who now
gracefully twirled around his finger, the
overhanging hairs ofhis thin dark whiskers,
and glanced a pair of keen blue eyes rapidly

.i'

Tr»'

/ ■ " ■ m ■

- l-f.

HELP IN'THE DTSTANCR

'•-

from side to side,— as if ho justjtave birth
to two thoughts, simultaneouHlyuhubst, and

* compared them, I efi»re dcoiding which to
express first —walking towards the window
and thence to the fire-place — us if nicasur-
ing the exact distance between ihcm— saiil
to Hiirman in a suppressed tone,' I really
feci for you uiy poor fellow, its hard, vera
hard, and if you won't tjiko it as an insult
— because it would p.iin n\-. to hurt your
•feelings even superficially— allow me to
presentyou with a small token of old Twiz-
zle's sympathy towards a friend w!)o but for al
villi lus treachery mi^lit .still bo » arniiig a
living and join his little faniily circle with
a merry heart— take it, Abbott, take it ;'
and going with an air of humiiity towards
Uarman, as if under a compliment to him
ho placed a sovereign in his hand.

Harman first hesitated to accept Twizzle's
unexpected gift of true kindness, but after

:; a moment's reflection being convinced that
he, ( a matter of fact individual ) meant
exactly what he said, and accordingly ro
ceived it, with a feeling of bashfulncss,
however, and with looks which more touch-
ingly spoke the language of the heart, than
any words he could find to express it.

'jKc/reoit'/ykind; truly a friend indeed;
will be ever indebted to you' said Har-
man.

* No not indthted to me ' replied T wizzle,
•remember it is a/ree gift.'

* Well I shall owa you at least a- debt
"^of giatitude,' said Harman.

A past life, late socifil enjoyments,
domestic comforts, fasi living and undue
hospitality seemed to flash vividly before
Harman in quick sttecession ; the ghost of
a well-furnished house haunted and .^tiilked
, round him, and now the dire necessities of
a changed life sat close by his side, ready
to be photographed; all which was noticed
by the penetrating eye of I'lmothy Twizzle,
for he said to Harman in a tone of en-
couragement — such as a skilful physcian
often does when administering to a mind
diseased :'

* Cheer up Abbott, come cheer up old
fellow,— why those downcast looks? why

' those hectic flushes ? a^ if you were under
sentence of death, shackled in an iron-
bound cgll, the night before the execution,
andyousaw thecitrpentercoming to measure

you for a coflin ; brighten up we cfiirnever
appreciate prosperity until we know ad-
versity ; never value the glorious sun-light
unless night covered us with the mantle
of darkness — that's as true as Euclid's
axioms.'

Just as they were aljout to leave the
•Metropolitan' Twizzlorecjucstcd Harman.
to conte to his house on the following
Thursdiiy, that ho expected an old friend
to be there, who, he was sure could give
Harman information of (Advantage to him
and after Harman had willingly appointed
to be there, Twizzle, before they parted,
said to him — ful]of meaniri<; at the time —

" The world is wide, Abbott ; if London
refuses you a living, seek it elsewhere.'

The language Was plain enough for Har-
man to understand, but still he could not
comprehend its meaning ; perhaps more
from the fact that he had liever entertain-
ed the idea of leaving a city, from which he
scarcely ever absented himself, to seek em-
ployment, and he had become somewbaC
infatuated with the thought that London
actually owed him a living and no where
else.

Harinan Al)lK)tt weiuled his way Ijomc!
— if such it could Ikj tk'.signjit(Hl— and
found Clam jiutting little Charli<; to
.sleep, with that well-kuowii lullaby so
soothing and sedative to iKilties, aiv-l
waiting anxiously for his return.

' I'm so glad you're come, Hannan,'
said Clam. 'You must surely feel
wearied ; i>crhaps weak, too, for want
of '

vOh— w(ai— a little— a— I feel a lilfJe
tired, my dear,' sjiid Hannan, internipt-
etlly, l>efore she l|ad fini'slunl hor sentenee,
a.s if he tried to banish from her mind
the eircumstance that he wsis feeble
through hunger, which probably he
would have felt less able to l)ear if he
had not sliJdi'eil a lx)ttle of Twizzle's ale
at the ' Meti-oijolitaii,* and which served
as a tonic to a foodless stonuich. ' But
where did you go, pet? I was here while
you were out, and Nellie Wiis taking care
of Charlie,' said Hannan.

' You know, Harman, we usetl the last
loaf yesterday ; we were out of evertjthim/,
and — if — something wasn't done, to Ixig
we'd have to —so — I ' — ami k1»p gave a

^fA^\

.^'^W:

..^>-

,' J.'SW"^*'-'

\^ v**^'.*''

■-*B I. .tH' ■

>Z'-*,p ij V '^t^T^^tII

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

ve cfiirnever
e know ad-
9US Run-Iight
I tlio nmntlo
OB Euclid's

to Icnvo tlte
itcd Iliiriiian
lio tbllawin{»
n old friend
e could fjivo
ita^e to hiui
ly appointed
tlicy parted,
lithe time —
t ; it' London
t elsewhere.'
ii<!h for Har-
he could not
irhaps more
cr entertain-
oin whic^i he
, to seek eni-
e soniewhaC
:hat London
id no where

Is way hoinc!
[njit<Ml— and
(Jharli<; to
I hillahy so
ImiMch, aiv"l
iurn.

>, Hannan,'
surely feel

0, for Want

I feel a It'fJjp.

1, internipt-
ler sentence,
>ni her imn<l

wsvs feeble
robahly lie
• l)ear if he
Swizzle's ale
Inch serveil
ijich. ' But
s here wliile
1 taking care

usetl the last

\ieverijthing,

lone, to Ixig

she gHA-e a

lonjf-drawn sigh — ' \cent out, aiid pawned
s. the Oobourg dresHespver at the * West
Eiid' fornine-and-sixpenco. Now, don't
])« angry with me. Sure ywi wattldn'ty
Hai-ntan ? Perhaps I can got them again.
Go(\ is gQo<l, yo»i kjiow ;' and she leaned
upon his arm and smoothed his hair —
tokens of a woman's tendftr love for t|io
huslwimt of her bosom.
. * Of course T couldn't be angry, C'laia ;
how or why should I be displeased with
"•vou for aw/ thing or ufmn nnt/ account ?
But the necessity to part with yolir ow|i
clothing — I mean that we should be
brought so low as to be obliged to do
something so wretched, so degrading, as
j/oii to go to a pawn-broker's. T/tat
pricks me to the heart, and is all that
could possibly displea.se"me.'

* Tliat nmy be,' said Clara, * but we're
told thai " necessity has no law," and
that "hunger breaks tltrough a stone
wall ;" and I lielieve it.'
^ And Clara, receiving fresh vigor and
dissiiwiting gloomy prospects — which she
sketched and erasetl, and then re-sketched
over and over, while alone watching her
infant sleeping so calmly — prepared a
meal with a liijht heart, forgetful of the
past, and hee<lless, it may be artificially,
of social trials, present and future.

' Look here, Clara,' said H^rnimn, with
a sort of forced yawn, and inwai-d smile,
' here's a plaster for a Avound, a gift from
a friend, my dear, very acceptable to us
now, isn't it?' and he drew frorp his
vest-pocket the sovereign he go/^from
Twizzle at the ' Metropolitan ;' saying,, as
he did so :

' Never was so much surjmsed In my
life. Met Mr. Twizzle, the lawyer, you
know, that u.sed to come to our house.'
Hermto drooped his head and t^ie voice
faltej^, and'^Clara, at the meiition of
mrhmke, (small woitls, but great enough
to wWfnd), still wore the same artificial
look of indifM-ence ;, and, after r^cover-
itig from a temporai-v despondency, he
continued ; ' You rerrffeinber him, don't
you ? he wasforid of chess, a good billiard
player too, and a man of sound judg-
ment ; but Lipstitch and Pen-ywinkle
nick-named him " Facts "—he 'was al-
Avays8ofull6ftJu^m.V

' Why, yes, certainly I remember hfm,
but I don't think he visited us for a
length of time before we came down in
the world,' said Clam. I was under the
impression he had left London altogethei*
— I distinctly reineml)er him, for, al-
though a perfect gentleman in manner,
*yet I fancied he was a little eccentric at
times ; but it mighf have been only fancy
on my part.'

' I sup|K)se you think you were
mistaken in taking him for an oddity
when you hear of his Jcindness to me
now; in a time of need, and have practical
proof of it, too,' said Harraan, * Whether
he lie eccentric or not, he's my, or rather,
our best friend in the city, an ornament
to the human i-ace, and solid upon every
subject. I met him at the Polytechnic
reailing-room accidentally, and he invited
me to the. ^' Metropolitan," and while
there I tpld him my story ; and after
discoui-sing quite logically and eloquently
upon Bioat's shottcomings, and dilating
largely upon matters and things in gen-
eml, he became deeply intergstetl"^ in my
case, and tendered me the sovei-eign as a
token of his sympathy.' ^ -

*An instrument in tHe hands of "a
friend who sticketh closer tlian a bro- *
ther," ' said Clara, in quite a religious
tone. ' David,' said she, ' says in that
Psalm so full of comfort, (the which I
read shortly before you came in), " God
is a very present help in time of trouble,"
and depend upon it, Harman, my dear,
he adopts ways and means to 3o so which
it would be absurd in us to ponjecture.'

Although Clara took part, usiially, in «-
her husband's gaities, still 'it was nets
because she took s})ecial pleasure ther6^ ^
from, or that a strong natural desire ,
possessed her to mingle in the frivolities '
of London life. She was amiable ; gen-
erally sedate, even in mirthful -society ;
had received an early religious training
imder the sole superintendence of an*
uneven-tempered old aunt — quite a strict
diciplinarian — after her fond mother's
death ; and, ifless influenced by Harman
— who looked upon ' church-going ' and
saying his prayers once a week according
to law, (especially upon fashionable oc-
casions) , more a s a t i me-honored custom

\ •'

..-•'

* V;

'■;isi'

■■- v^v-''

-. ...

.. ;■"■;■, .W'

*2j.^*««**«^^,.

BBSaB

*' ' '" tl^« ''"^^' "*V**' " * *'|f,1^'^ *^''' . «■ "■ "^ ^-^si. ■

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

than a duty lie owed to -his Go<I — would
have been considered, in the {;on<n-.il ac-
ceptance of the term, very rdujious. Now
that adverse circjinistancea stirrooudwl
them, Clara hcouichI to feel the force of
scriptural truths. Thus it was that she
reaul her bihlc alone in \wr lowly chalnVxir,
in converse with the Supreme Author,
and derived so much consolation froni
David's l*salms.

' Twizzle aske^l me to fjo over to his
house on Thui-sduy,' said ITarmau ; ' ho
exjMicts some one there, who, lir thitiks,
can give nic valuable information. Jiiit
I don't know (exactly what \w means.
Something may ttn-n up ; who knows ?'
' ' You haven't said whether you got
Sanson to call on Mr. liloat,' said ('lara,
*and whether he coidd Ije softened down
and made to feel shamed of hiuiself *

'Sanson did see him this inorningj'
said Hannan, 'hut the intercession
availed nothing ; and as to making hhii
feel asl^arned of himself, haw I haw I liaw !
haw ! How you women tiilk sometim(?s !
why, you might as w(!ll think of trying
to make black white, ivs to make Theodore
Bloait a-shiimed of himself — for dismissing
me, at all events. He hiis no .sAso of
iiliame'in his waddling old carcase ; and
as for insults, you might hurl them at
Jiim by the hundred without wounding
a feeling, for, as Twi-zzle well said, he's
like a nesir relative to tlu; Bloat family,
the rhiiioceras — his coijscience, like the
hide of that animal, l)eing almost invul-
nei-able;'

'-What rea.spn did he give to Sanson,
then, for discharging you ?' asked C'luni.
* ' I don't think he gave any,' rei)lied
Harman. * Oh, well, of coui-se he sjiid
a good deal more than Sanson rei)eated,
no doubt, not wishing, through delicacy
of manner, to tell me all that passed ;
but from what he did tell me, I inftu-red
no S]:)ecial reason was given by Bloat. 1
expect his words were few, bul select, on
the occasion.'

On the following Tliui-sday Harman
went, according to previous ari-ange-
ments, to, Mr. Timothy Twizzle's resi-
dence, situated in a choice suburban
locality, and conveying at onco the im-

pression that the occu])aitt wivs a -man
who st(>adfastly l)elieved in eveiything
useful, but thought very little of any-
thing ornamentjil. The season was
son»»what prejudicial to the .external
appeai'ance of the house and its sur-
rouiHlings, for the poplars and other tall
treeSj planted close tog«ither in the short
avenue leailing to the front, and scattered
here and ther<^ like so many sentries
keeping watch at respective distjiuces, at
the rear, wei-e almost completely stripped
of tht'ir foliage ; and the iieatly-gravtflled
walksau(lwilt(!»lgr,(.ss-plots were invisible
now, covered with d<^c;iiying h^avtis. The
door was opened by a middle-aged wo-
man who t(»M, by her grejisy a])pearance
itnd over-heated face, that she was— or
ought to be—' the cook ;' but it appears
she had to inn-form the additional duty
of waiting'-maid, then at all events.

' Is Mr. Twizzle at home V said Har-
man.

Wiping the 7)ei-spiration off her fat,
good-huinoi'ed face with a long white
apron, as if .she was made of nothing but
flit, and drippetl away with tlu; heat, she
replied : . '"

' No, sir ; but he'll ^^o, in, in 'alf *an
'oiu*. Plejuse step in, sii".' -

Harman was conilucted to a plain but
substantially funiisheil i)arlor, and oceu-
pic^d die time until Twizzle returned by
minutely exauiining the anatomy of a
stuffed lajMlog— a favorite, in fact fpiitc;
a pet in his lifetime, of Miss Twizzle, (a
maiden sister of Timothy, of questionable
age), an<l which was quietly resting with
half-closed eyes on a cari>et of artificial
moss, on a small side-table intendetl for
a cemetery, with a card tied loosely round
the neck, on which wjis written in text
hand, ' Sacred- to the memory of Billy.'

In something more than half an hour
Twizzle returned, ami entering the parlor
said to Harman, in his wont<xl off-hand
style when nothing ini])oi-tiint Was under
consideration : , "

'Really, Abbott, I didn't look for you
so soon, and Tipshott, whom I spoke of
the other night, is not hei-e yet ; likely
he's at his cousin's for lunch. You'll
stoj), though, an<l tiike an Inimble dinner

■ /iUi- mi^^'^^^-Atr&JmSji^^^if^^

/« r ■

■ .#*k ■*■"

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

wiiH a -nmn
evoiythin;;
ttle of iiny-
4e>iNoii was
10 *xtevnal
nd its Hur-
ul other tiill
ill the Hhort
ml scrtttero<l
,»y HCtitries
listiinc'os, at
cly strippod
ly-grav(fll(»(l
■re iuvisiltio
«iveH. Tho
le-age<l wo-
a])])earanco
lit! waH— oi'
t it appoars
tional ihity
vonts.
' said Har-

off I»er fat,
lonj? wliito
notiiin*; but
lu! lieat, she

, in 'alf*au

a plain but
r, and oceu-
eturned by
atomy of a
n fact fpiit<5

Twizzlo, (a
[uostionable
•estinfj with
of artificial
itondetl for
osely round
ten in text
sf of Billy.'
alf an hour
n; the parlor
xxl off-hand
t was xuider

ook for you
I spoke of
yet>; likely
:h. You'il
nble dinner

with UH at 4 o'elock. No one here but
my sister — I mean no stranger.'

Timothy Twizzle was a bachelor in the
grey dawn of fifty, and likely to remain
so for the term of his natural existence.
He had an amusing aversion to squalling
litUe humanity, and a strong antipathy
to teething * little suckers,' as he always
called them. This was the real secret of
his single blessedness, not that he actually
disliked the fair sex, for that would be
nature ]:)erverted ; or that he was inca-
pable of admiring their graceful charms,
or sundry little amiabilities, for, on the
contrary, they often attracted him ; but
woman to him was ever and anon a
secondary consideration. SJie was "very
good in his eyes at a respectful distance,
but no further. To tsdk of marriage
made him shudder; and elopements, tales
of love and suicides from disappointed
matches, were to him ridiculous and dis-
gusting. Now Miss Twizzle (the old
maiden sister) held the same creed, and
also believed that it was a woman's duty
to render any little domestic service she
could amongst her own blood relations'
but could not see the propriety of being
bound to any man in holy wedlock. She
thought, indeed, that the world had
increased and multiplied sufficiently, and
if such a state of things continued much
longer there would be more vrickedness.
Let it be stopped, she said, and let all
the single men and women unanimously
agree to keep so, and then there would
be less sinners to be punished, forgetting
that people (or sinners) often die. This
was Miss Twizzle's logic — these her sen-
timents exactly.

While sitting at the dinner table Miss
Twizzle was very reserved, in fact at all
times so,, to strangers ; but when the
cloth was removed, and a ti-ay brought
with decanters and all the necessary ap-
pendages, on rising to retire to ,let her
brother and his guest (Harman) enjoy a
social glass, she i-emarked, rather sarcas-
tically for an old maid, and fixing her
plated spectacles securely in the right
place : •

* Better for all to be in celibacy ; much
better for some, Mr. Abbott. Wliat do
you think, Tirtiothy X _^^^

• As to hmn much better off some might
be who havt enteretl the matrimonial
state, it is exceedingly difficult to say,'
said Timothy, quickly.

•We often take a false fttep, ^iss
Twizzle,' said Harman, dryly ;/ and both
sexes unite for the he»l oftenei-'than " for
better or woi-se ;" b\it something occurs
to mar their prosi^cts, and then they
foolishly i-egret that they ivere ever
married.*

Early in the evening the servant came
to the dining-room door and announced
a gentleman in the adjoining room-

* Tell him to come in here— shew him
in here,' said Twizzle. ♦ Halloa ! Tipshott
—it's you, eh ?' said Twizzle, getting up
and meeting him as he entered the door.
' We've waited dinner some time for yoii^
but "you're just tn tinia to join us in a
glass. Allow me. Tip, (as Jie familiarly
called him), to introduce you to an es-
teemed friend, whom I invited to meet you
Ihis evening, Mr. Harman Abbotbt.
Harman — Mr. Henry Tipshott.'

After the introduction, Tipshott was
evidently ready to talk upon any topic
that came up ; he seemed highly pleased
when he had a chance of ^ying some-
thing, particularly if it' flavored of the
witty. He was a short, thick-set indi-
vidual, with hair the color of most new
bom infants' hair ; small black eyes,
peeping through a few stray lashes ; a
well-defined forehead, built in the Gothic
style ; apoplectic neck, and an incorrig-
ible tuft of hair--^placed there as a mark
of dignity— on the top of his head, that
no barber's ingenuity could ever prevent
from standing upright, and, what is still
more surjjrising, only grew a certain
length. One' would imagine that the.
subsoil of that patch on his cranium was
uncultivated, and yielded a scanty crop,
stunted in growth. Such was Tipshott,
who had evidently passed through the
experiences of some forty summers, and
had no doubt profited much by visiting
foreign countries, and contrasting their
habits, customs, peculiarities, advantages
and rft«advantages with his own native
land, the ' Isle of Man,' (he would hairdly

,i.V.ari* "^^^ S , \ "■-• V

JtMl III

aai-

f i "iii'rii"'

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

<^onsfent to say Great Brifkin). Enj^god
as a traveller far' a • roflpectably-Hizwl
wholefftile liouHo, dealing in fancy articles
and nick-naclcH at the owteni extremity
of buHiness in the gw^at inetroiM)liH, ho
was frequently in tlie habit pf making a
trip to that ' j?ood (?) and happy liuid '
on the other Ritle of tlie Atlantic, known
■ familiarly a.s ' Amencii,' — a sort of i»et
name given by Htrangt.'i-H t<l that coiititry,
but more correctly atisutning a hn^t of
honorary titles, without (nen the slif^ht-
efjt reganl for the feclinj^ of other na-
tions, since the original inhabitants be-
came civilized, and .the rising genemtion
there (it is to be hoped) diflpusively
christianized. ' ' ''.

There was something moving restlessly
in Twizzle's brain while l)oth his guests
discussed the cuiTent subjects of the day.
He did notseenv to tiikethe least interest
in the opinions offcretl by them alter-
nately, an4 disliketl prolmbly to be abrupt
in suddenly changing their tii)ic, fi"om a
sense of the breach of eticpiette, esi)eci-
ally in his own house ; and it was- evident,
he wished to be pissive, for he played in
a sort of mechanical way with a teasfwon
by striking the i)oint sevenil times agiiinst
the side of his tumbler, and, quite un-
concerned; filled or clouded the xxtova.
-with smoke from a long clay i>ii»e, as he
sat near th'e table. Availing himself of
a short silence, he laid his long clay on
the mantel-piece, and, prefiicetl by tlie
usual sentimental twitch of his nose,
remarked to IHpshott :

* Well, " Tip," how is business this
time 1 — eitpectktiona fully reifilized on tl^e
last trip f ^

' Our lin^ is a little dull just now,' re-
plied Tipsh6tt ; ' and as to my last trip,
j think the firm are perfectly satisfied.
Of course w^ get larger orders on the
Spring tour, but for this, season of year
(Autumn) we can't complain so far.'

'As your visits are frequent to our
Colonies across the Atlantic, I prasume
you can give ub some reliable infoi-mation
on their resources, and whether the in-
ducements held out for emigration are
worthy of attention T said Twizzle.

' WTiy, you Idon't mean to insinuate,'
said Tipshott, 1 ' that i/ou coiitemplato

being a settlor there l' anft, with a hearty
laugh, aildtMl : ' Not tired of Old England
yet, suf-ely 1 — (lon't wij,iit to leave for
your counti-y's gcwwl,,, 1 hope, eh f

' Come npw. Tip ; - I generally p»iy
your jokcs/Jiack with compound interest,
you know,' siid Twizzle. ' IJut I am in
eiiniost with you when J make those en-
jmiiies, and I do so in U^half of a friend
who w»'iy conteuiplate H<K)ner or later to
Seek a Fivolihootl in that quart<5r of tho
globe.'

' My knowledge of the cottutry is li-
mited, Aiert/ limitetl',' said Tijwhott ; '" but,
from what I occasionally learn, by k
passing observation, while doing business
there, I do unquestionably consider the
Colonies All'tl^ey're mid to be. Nothuig
colored^' Twizzle — nothing but a ])lain,
matter-of-fact statement ;' and with a
roguish twinkle of the eye, added, * such
as a ntan of your mathematical precision
would be disposed to believe. Now that
the chief Pi-ovinces are unitetl and a new
Dominion formeil, the resources of each
will become more fully developed ; and
any of tJiem, but especially the pi'eBiding
provinces of Canada (j>revious to Con-
federation), after which the yoxnig Do-
minion is called — now calkxl, since the
birth took place, Ontaiio and Queljec — ■
offer high inducements to certain classes
of emigrants, you see. I don't, go much
into the interior of that country, gener-
ally remaining along the frontier, and
visitiAg cities and towns of importance ;
however, I am prepared to say, that to
emigraiits from our overstocked country
to the youthful Dominion, who are wil-
ling to battle through privations, disap-
pointments, and not a Little self-denial at
the outset, tlie chances of complete suc-
cess in gaining, at the lowest calculation,
a sufficiency, and even an indepeiidency,
are much greater than to our Australian
mines, oi-, apart from British territory,
the tainted atmosphere of Yankee-land
— the free country, gentlemen,' endeavor-
ing to iiai-ticularize this sentence for the
sjXicial information of Twiizle, and hia
new acij[uaintance, Abltot, 'the land
which, it is published to the world, is a
nation of glorious liberty, where every
nuin can do as he pleases, and make ov

I-
I

->,•

I til

* in

s W

HELP IN THE DIttTANCB.

ith a hearty
Ad Kiiglaiid
leave for
ohf

lonvlly \w.y
11(1 intui-oHt,
(lit I am in

{«) thosH OIl-

' of a friend
or lateir to
rtor of' tho

tutry is li-
lott ; '" but,
earn, by &
ng business
insider the
Nothuig
ut a ])laiii,
uid with a
idtjd, 'such
Lil precision
Now that
and a new
ces of each
loped ; and
le pi-esiding
us to Con-
yoxiiig Do-
, since the
Quebec — ■
tain classes
I't. go much
try, gener-
antier, and
njK)rtance ;
\y, that to
:ed country
ho are wil-
lons, disap-
ilf-denial at
nplete suc-
^Iculation,
epeiidency,
Australian
h territory,
ankee-land
,' endeavor-
mce for the
le, and his
'the land
world, is a
here every
d make or

I'f'
!8

home, Canada would be my choice.

mould laws into every sha[)e under tho
sun to Ruit fallen huiaanity, but where
rerial castle-building is the national
talent ; wliere tho ottscouring of creation,
the dregs of society and tiseless ingrodi-
ents of every country, sway the Presi-
dent's i>ower, spurtj his ordoi-s, laugh at
his pie.suui[»ti()n, and kick hiiu overboartf
to liotit upon the troubled watei-s of an
iiulfpfmhid Republic ; and, if washed
upon Southern shores, leave his Demo-
cratic c^irciiso to the rehnitless fury of
the great American eagle. A banknipt
institution ! a tottering fabric, shaken
with revolt !'

' Uiwn my word,' said Twizzle, ''you're
getting eloquent, but rath^* loo [wintod,
Tip — too prejudiced against Americans
and Americanism, as if you had been
grossly insulted tliere on your travels,
and lield tho whole nation responsible
for it. Their foi-m of government differs
materially from ours, but we should not
' abuse them for their right of judgment
though, in the conducting of stjite affairs,
nor condemn the character of the people
if they thould happen to err politically ;
and you will readily admit, that nations
are like individuals, not favoi-ed always
with fortune. The Americans are con-
sidered, even by unfriendly powers, an
enterprising people, and business energy
characteristic of them through all finan-
cial difficulties. I'm not partial to their
pe.culiarities by any means, but I cannot
be a bigot— blindly so, at all events.'

' I appreciate their native industry,
and speculative genius, too,' said Tip-
sliott ; ' but what of that, when intestine
quarrels, engendered through an insatia-
ble thirst to monopolize power, by vola-
afcile capricious statesmen (so called),
mar their prospects, destroy commerce,
^nd give the death-blow to a fast-decaying
Republic 1 There can be no inducement,
therefore, to go tJiere. It may be bad
enough to i-emain here, kept alive by
subscription, but far worse to seek shelter
there, now, when the national resources
are well-nigh exhausted, and when i^at-
ters are not likely to improve until
another bloody struggle can only stop all
political feuds. If I looked for a/«r«r«;

Jlarman Abbott had nothing to say
during the discourse on emigration, but
occasionally looked suspiciously at Twiz-
zle, as if ho thought lie detected tho ob-
jOct of his special enquirit»« from Tipshott,
the traveller. He remained at Twizzles,
purposely, much longer that night than
Tipshott, with the intention of ascertain-
ing Twizzle's real meaning in i-egard to
the valuable information ho was to i-o-
ceive from a special visitor.

• 1 undei-sto^l you to say that your

friejid, the traveller, was to tell me of

something to my advantage,' said Har-

nian to Twizzle, shortly after Tipshott

I went away.

' And so he did,' replied Twizzle, ♦ but
not knowing who I referred to in my
enquiries, he did not certainly direct his
replies to you ; and you being ignorant
of my/nen<r« name, who, you remember,
I said contemplated emigrating to some
of the Colonies, did not adapt his views
of success there to yourself.'

jf ever a man looked utterly astonish-
ed, in fact stupidly so, it was Harman,
just at that moment of his existence ;
his countenance changed and every fea-
ture became paralyzed ; not because
Twizdo had so strangely revealed to him
the object he had in inviting him to meet
^iR|bott, but the thought of leaving a
city with innumerable attractions, and
its darling associations, being so suddenly
suggested to a bewildei-ed mind, and
without previous preparation— then the
id^vof being an emigrant to a wooden
country, and (as he thought, in spite of
Tipshott's oiunipn), only half-civilized,
from what he had heard house-pknts like
himself say, why ! it was too much for
his tender points to bear.

* I never thought of such a thing be-
fore,' said he to Twizzle. * If you had
mentioned it to me at the " Metropoli-
tan," the other night, Clara and I would
have talked over it, although I feel cer-
tain she never would consent to go to a
strange country, severed from evterything
near and dear to us, just upon the chance
of merely making a living. You ought
to know, Mr. Twiz;?le, that I am not cut
out for a rough, laborious life : and then

It's so low, so disgraceful, to have to do

■rWr " i ".iJ i1 . i|i l 'i|| 'l i( |i iii " « i'TIii i ri

}■■■

•-:

I 11

ii;

HELP IN THE PISTANCE.

s.-^

hard work to Bupport myself, for I Bup-
po8o I fthouUl Iw comi^lUxl to euKaK« in
manual laUir, and be a Hlave to inferiors
if I went there. No, Bir ; I might aH
well be transpoi'Ui 1 to a \m\a.\ settloment
like Botany Bay or. Van Dieman's
han.l.'

A very treaclHn-ows ilisease— fog on
the brain ; highly aecciptive, ami if not
removed in time liecomea incurable, even
with the most active remedies ; alarm-
ingly injurious and olwtructive to «m«-gy
of body and mind ; nuuiifesting itself by
a desire to walk in smooth* even, and
well-beaten paths, and a terrible aversion
to 'going up hill.' A wish to have
plenty, and live luxuriously, without any
trouble to obtain it ; »n irresistible ten-
dency to get. into debt' (for unnecessary
purposes) with r^o human probability of
over getting out'of it ; dej^nding upon
others to do evei-y thing ; feeling ashamed
of being seen doing sonip doniestic duty,
{>erhapH, in one's «wn liouse, or caiTying
small ijarcels, Ac, through the principal
streets, for fear of meeting an acquaint-
ance, if the patient thinks himself 'alx>ve
the common.' Tlie progress of the di-
sease may be known by the patient
dwindling away to only one idea, fit, in
some ca-ses, for his accustomed employ-
ment (if he has any), when first affected,
but gradually less fit, until at last he is
fit for notliing ; next he has no idea at
all — what he does lie does mechanically,
he is a nuisance to himself and others,
and a drone in society. Alas ! he is
fogged all over.

Harman Abbott took the disease in
youth, (aided by strong hereditary influ-
ence), from those of rij)er years ; and,
now that he was straitened, its baneful
effects told fearfully upon him. The one
idea with him, was— he was a banker's
accountant ; he could fill no other posi-
tion — he thould fill no less. Twizzle
listened attentively to Harman's objec-
tions ; he saw his weak {mints, and spoke
candidly to him, out of pure friendship :
' Common sense dictates, or ought to
dictate, to you the necessity to find a
remedy for your present condition,' said
Twizzl e, ' and ]K)8itively,' he continued.

step, or a surer one, towards success,
circumstanced aa you are, than to piUJi
your tent in the " New DominioH "Tip-
shott so pointedly describod. Tliat's the
oourne for you to take, Abbott, judging
from what I recently heard of ita pn)-
gress from credible sothcos. Ti|>shott
didn't go into detail, it is time, but ho
said enough to satisfy you tliat it is at
least worth a trial, and I cannot but
suppose you would find suitable occupa-
tion there in time. It ap{)earH to me
your vieyvs are contractiKl in mgainl to
this matter ; however, choose for your-
self. I gave you my opijiion freely ;
consider it well ; and if you conclude to
adopt it, notlmtg shall l>e lacking on my
part to further your efforts for help »»
the diatance.

So saying they parted for the night.
Abbott had somei distance to walk to his
lodgings from Twizzle's residence, but
instead of taking the leatUng streets on
his way home,- as one would naturally
supiMse, he preferred to cruise alon^ by
private residences in quieter localities,
whei-e he was likely to be free from con-
stant collisions with foot-jwasengers, and
have his attention less drawn to local
occurrences, than if he passed through
the ceaseless excitement of business
thoroughfares. Strange, but yet true,
that night' should cheer one more than
day, when the mind is heavy and the
spirits flagg^ In this respect it oft
refreshes, by being gratefully stimulant
and sedative : too gloomy thoughts are
apt to vanish then, or be laid aside till
daylight appears j and if they do return
are not half so depressing, Night, in-
deed, also plans more skilfully and plots' (
' with greater care than day, which has a
tendency in many to confuse and produce ^
over-excitement. And how acceptable ^
and renovating night is, after the irksome
duties of the counting-house, the toil of
the laborer,' and the general confusion of
business machinery closes with'the day;
a welcome visitor to the weary shop -
clerk and dragged-out letter carrier, or to
the little errand boy, (perhaps) with
MistPicd fwt ; a jjuccesslul lovt'-makn-

I do not tliuik vou can tiUce a \vIs«m-

te'TS?i|«r-3feS|'^|^'— !

mc: !^.y*^^?ij^^'.

[h Hiiccefw,
in to (litdi
iiio»"'Tij>-
Tlmt'B t\\f)
it, judging
of its pro-
TiiMhott
le, bnt ho
At it is at
»nnot but
ble occupa-
ars to mo
nigainl to
8 for your-
ion freely ;
jonclude to
<ing OH my
For help in

r the night,
walk to his
idence, but

streets on
1 naturally
le along by
r localities,
le from con-
lengers, and
wn to local
led through
jf business
t yet true,

more than
vy and the
ipect it oft
y stimulant
Noughts are
id aside till
«y do return

Night, in-
ily and plots" ;
which has a
and produce ^
r acceptable ^
the irksome
), the toil of
confusion of
ith'the day;
weary shop , -*
carrier, or to
erhaps) with
1 lovt'-niakci" —

•HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

alHO, l)ecauHo seductive, and winning in
its iufluonce — and on this account, alas !
too often, made the agent of ^itolen virtue,
lost chai-actiM- and disapiiointeil affection ;
a time courteil by niAny, who, when
bunlened with the daily cares and res-
ponsibilities of donieHtic life, seek a quiet
spot, at gentle moonlight, near a rijjpling
striMun, or walk slowly to the outskii-ts
of a noisy city to hreathe pni-er air, and
watch nature, a faithful timekeeper,
r<!tiring for her allotted portion of sleep.
When Harman Ablwtt was but a short
distance from Twi;iizle'8 tkntlistiirlied
alKxle, he (piickened his pace, held the
heatl and shoulders very erect, as if acting
under some hidden imp\ilse, so that any-
iKKly who met him must have mistaken
him for a militia man just coming home
from evenio^rill, or for a recently dis-
chargetl soldier of the line, who,,Jto dis-
guisdj the fact, had donne<l sorne poor
relation's secohd-hand suit. ,He walked
like a man who thought he was somebody
else, and forgot he was himself at all ;
'and he certainly looked— although it was
by the reflection of pale but kind moon-
light— as if the man had undergone an
entire change, but in some inexplicable
way. It was not the exterior, for he
wore the satne seedy coat with buttons
half stripped of the original covering, the
same identical withered black hat, once
a select article worn only on Sundays
going to church, or other special occa-
sions, but now used upon every occasion
and evert/ day ; and precisely the same
cream-colored kid gloves, bought at first
to be looked at and not to fit, but no\^
of many colore and forced to fit. Whei-e-
in, then, was a change effected 1 He
was not iirtMcicated, nor yet elated by
the modeiijpndulgence of ^A[igle glass
of weak punch with his friendTwizzle
^No; but his > troubled spirit became
tranquil, bright hopes revived him, better
prospects danced around him, and night
cheered him on the way. Resolutions
■were formed which he never coijceived
before, arid when he thought no one was
within heai-ing distance, talked to ^im-
self quite audibly— answering and n.sk».g

questions, and discussing pro. and con.,
with an imaginaiy companion, his pro-

IK)8ed emJjarkationforthe New Dominion.
An eccentric habit, an<l ditRcult to get
rid of— talking to one's-self ; and when
detect<«l in the act by soiue person un-
observed at the time, Vmt who suddenly
apjMjjirs in close pi-oximity with the
solihujuist, makes one alwished and silly-
looking. It would ueem that thoughts
generiite too (juickly, and by a mysterious
process find an outlet through the lips,
to avoid, it nuiy Ik), undue mental pres-
sure ; Imt indeed it is a habit, no matter
how peculiar some may think it, that
ap[)ears to be much cultivated in the
prtjsent day by iiopular preachers and
favorite platform sjjeakers j so we have
it from their own mouths : and yet, if
some people were to say of the Rev.
Peter Clinch, or the Rev. Moses Thun-
der, the spoutei-s of the age, ' Clever men,
fluent speakers, great omtors, but great
otldities for all that ; nnist Ite half-insane,
for they i»reach the sermons we hear to
themselves first, then ° to the chairs,
tiables, etc., of their private rooms,' others
WQuld ridicule the idea of insanity, and
pipwise the so-called benefits of talking,
laughing, acting and preaching to one's-'
self in order to put timidity, power of
deliveiy, proper selection of language
and various theatrical attitudes and
gestures to the test before appearing
conspicuously to a scrutinizing ptiblic.
If soliloquy be a symptom of insanity,
then half the worid is going mad 5 the
sooner an asylum is establishetl, without
reserved seats or accommodation, on one
vast scale, the better, foi^the ambition to
be popular, either in the pulpit or on the
platform, is exceeding great, so that tho
worid may yet be tormented with shoals
of raving maniacs. ^

Soliloquy is oft-times a betraying habit,
proving disagreeable ' and troublesome
when little secrets are exposed, which
we carefully lock iin from others, and
which it is much wiser that we should ;
or when future intentions are unwitting-
ly wafted to the ears of unseen listeners.
So it was with Harman Abbott, for an
individual who, from the nature of his

c alling, may bo anybody o r anything to
suit his purpose, and who seems capable
of ti-ansforming himself into various

:\-

HELP m THE DISTANCE.

ohftriMtera, from a Prime Miniiter down
to ^ pig-drivor or mt-ctitoher, or from a
gonuiiio chriHtian to a folon of thn (hwip-
«wt dyo, had followt^l liim tiiitil within
twenty minut«m' walk of \nn l(HlgingH,
whon ho tumcMl down an uninviting-
looking, narrow lano, and wont no onu
knowH whoni. This individual, hithorto
unolNtorvinl V)y llarnian, liow «merg«'d,
a8 if by Homo HuiMU-natuml agnncy, fitiin
the roar of a f»!W 'vacant ohl ImildingH
lately damaged by a neighlioring tire,
and Rtopping (piito Hhoi-t tvn Harman
came up, accosted him, and (wuuuumI Iuh
countenance in Huch a way, aH if lie <le-
Hired to fonu a short ac(piaintanoc.

• Mr. Harman A>d»ott, I think, lat<^ly
employed in the Middlesex Btuik,' said
the individual sharply.

•I'm tllfe Ji0r8on> sir,' i-ejtlitMl Harman,
■with a vacant stare at the sti-angor.

• Tlien I'm soiry to inform yen that
you're my prisoner,' sjiid he, [)hu;ing his
hand lightly on Harman'n shoulder.
' I'm officer Hollyliock, of the detijctive
force, B division, an<l an-est you as an
accomplice in the robbery of the Middle-
sex Bank last night, ujion a v^arrant from
the Loi-d Mayor. Just step down with
me to Bow street.'

* Surely you're mistaKQn in the an-est,'
said Harman excitetlly. 'Take me in
custody for th^^tJbl)ery of the Middlesex ?
Robbery A why, I never heartl of »i i-olA
bery being coinmitted thei*e ; have'nt'
lieon neai/ or in the Bank for months—
I declare solemnly I have'nt.'

Hollyhock reoA hi.s man, and politely
ofTerihff^his arm to |)oor Harman, said :
• That may all be, but there's no use in
parleying here. I have to do my duty,
HO come along ann in ami, a.s if we were
twin brothoi-s, and no one will 8U8j)ect
you are a jirisoner. Kindness and
eoui'tesyVw^ny motto, wlien I juiticipate
no ti-ouble with men who fivll into my
pins.*

* Can*t not \ie allowed to go to my
Jodgings and tell my wife of this unfor-

I tunate occurrence V ftaid Harman.

morrow morning that she is inferme*! of
it. Hlifl am visit you at tlu^ stiition.'

' lf|>oj» whose information am I af-
restcil f said Harman, a little more
collectiMl. ' I'm anxious to know, and
oikght to know, the |Nirticulaix'

• I'm not jMMinitUwl to give any expla-
nations or |iai-ti«;uIai*H in HUt;h .^*'^ hh
youiu V«)W will hear it all in the morn-
ing, when the caw* cont<v< up,' rejdied
Hollyhock.

If the shrewd detective hiwl not kept
up a constant (!onfab with his prisoner,
on the way to IJow str<!ot station, Har-
man would <loubtlesH have colla|>s(!d with
fear ami fright, Hollyh(M;k ctuididly
n^vealed to him the fiict that he lx>ul
overheard him solilmpiizing on emigrti-
ting to Canai^ with various other
subjects, while he noiselessly and . softly
kept at a safe distance iM^tind him ; and
he also pive him to undta-Hbtnd that h(»
tniceil him from Twizzle's house by that
extraonliuary cii-cumstanco. But how
did Hollyhock ft-ace hjm to Twizzle's
residi^nci^ ? •; That is a myst<ny y<!t un-
ravellotl, anil one which bjiiHed Abliott's
knowledg<! ofdettjctive skill ; the officer,
for what he (X)n8Mlor(Nl Hufiicittnt i-easona,
refuHfid to satisfy his prisoner on this
]ioint.

Bow St. — 1 1 -.30 p. m. Detective and
8up|KW(Hl robl)er arrived safely, and
seai-ch made bf the latttsr fi"om stem to
8t<^rn : fKMjkets turned inside out ; th«?
greawy lining of tlie witlieretl black liAt
memiessly ripiMnl up by Hollyluxjk and
examined for bank notes ; rents in that
seedy coat ma<le longer, padding torn
out, and overhauled by the nindile iin-
gei-H of Scai-ecrow, the station-office^- in
charge for the night, and formerly a
prominent member of the ' swell mob,'
alias pi-ofossional thieving club ; ]Kiliches
in divera j)la«)s scientifically diHseicted,
with sharp j»en-knives, from connecting
]iarts ; lioots jerked ofTuncei-emoniously,
and upjKjr-leather lining detached by
Hollyhock and examined with his eagle
eye. Those officii^ nuuiipidations of
Harman — a fi-eeman o nly o ne hour b e-

* Not a moment ejvn l)e given by me,'
said the dotoctive ; ' but I shall see to-

I-

fore, but now within the iron grasp of
tli^ law— residted in the discovery of

HELP IN TTIE DIKTANCE.

ifoniMHl of
tiition.'

mil T nY-
ittio inoi-o
enow, uiul

K.'

luiy «x|»lii-

h A!)M(^H IIH

1 th<« iiiorn-
!»,' ivi)li(^l

1 not k(>pt
H |>riHon«r,
tioit, Har-
a|>s<!d wiih
i ctuuiully
at hu Ittul
>u «iini>?m-

OIIH OtlltM-

and 1 Hoftly
him ; and
id that h()
IHO by that
But liow
J Twizzh^'s
ry y(!t un-
A AhlmtfH
tlie olKcer,

lit I'CtlAOllH,

er on this

tfxjtive and
ifcly, and
in Kteni to
B out ; tlio
black IiAt
lyh(x;k and
ntH in tliat
ililin«» torn
litnblu iin-
iii-offiyei" in
forniorly a
iwell mob,',
b ; ])sitclioR
y disHOcyted,
connoctinj^
imoniously,.
(tached by
1 his eaglo
dationH of
e lioiir be-

on gi-asp of
Iscovory of

two i»hillihg« ftmt n («w pence, an old
% iMHicil-tMMt, a Huiall «hip;iierr(K)ty|Nf Iik«v
mnn of a (htfunct M. I'., whom hi) funciiMl
wiiH a (liHtiint connexion of hin, a fnu;-
turwj «*y«->?huiH (form..|-ly hh«-.| Hft««r
iMinking houix), and Homo Uumi^ |ni|hu-m
nw'hiSH to hinw<'lf or anylxMly vUo. Th«<
jH)lUe and eoHrleom oJHw'i-h of tho hiw
wrn» conMi«lTmit«* enoii^^h to Hiipply the
iH'wIy initiuttnl (into thi'Hi'cn-t of wWh-
iiiK and mmhf of undrt^MHin^ l(M|;[(t>i*H; at
How Htrwt with thread and nwill<^ and
infornuHl him ooolly that ho was (|uit«at
I lilmrty to nipair all damajjfcs miuh* Ity
■ tho Hmrch himtelf. J'atchcM rt«placod
cluniHily, and all injurim that It waH
lK)H8ibh! to repair, in tim faded Huit, huI)-
miHHively mit to right by tho unfortunate
Abliott,

1 o'clock a. m. Abl)ott done up for
the night, on a hanl W(Hxlen l»ench, 8e-
cui-oly fastened to the floor by Imavy iron
clampH, in the farthest room of the
Htation— a select apartment, iiit«*nded for
the accommodation of g(>ntlemanly bur-
ghirs, high gi-atluatew in crime, etc, — over

Poor Harman's i-oposo was much dis-
turl)ed by dark pictures and vijuons of a
dreary dungeon at Wakefudd or perhaps
I a moi-e distant clime, as he lay couched
1 inside iron bars, on'a ciiminal's bed. To
anyone, but an inmate or guest, at Bow
street, during the hours of midnight, the
: scenes which occur are always worthy of
I observation; although frequently rovolt-
1 iug to ordinary human nature, still many
I excellent pmctical lessons may be learnetl
^^ therefiom. Constant arrivals of prison-
era (real or 8U8i)ected,) of every giiule,
X age, class and color, keep tlie sentinels of
I this estijldishment engaged in doing what
I hotetlceepere would call a smashing busi-
4 hess.

After Abl)ott was teimpomrily disposed
of as before described, a smart, thin-faced,
well builtman with black bushy whiskei-s,
dressed in a blue suit bi-aided heavily in'
front and around the cuffs and collar of
the coat, with silver-plated buttons, a
deep red sash tied round the waist with

-4

Steel sword and scabbard attached, and
a neatly-fitting black cloth cap with gold

band, came Into r»H!eption room No. 1

with a gait which indicated tluit he hail

a right to lie tliere. IfollyhiKik. Hcai-e

crow, and other |M>lice otticials nuie and

made their Halutations, shewing that a

NUiH.rior in the forct^ hiul just entered ;

it was the in8|M(ctor of the diviidon iroinir
the round. *

'Well, Hi)IIyh<M;k, what HU(d>Hn t Did
vou feritit out that fellow, AbUnt ]' stud
he.

* Yes, sir ; got him as tight as wax ;
Heai-clie<l him thoroughly, myself and
Hcarecrow, Imt found nothing of wmso-
quenc«». J»iit him by till moniing, sir,
in No. 7,' pointing to the dormitory in
question.

A hasty tap at the slide-window of the
I>oHce clerk's omce, in the outer wing of
the Btjition, announceil another guest for
the night.

' Who comes now ?' said a vinogar-
faceil, terrier-headed, low-sized package
of self-conceit, who answeiiul the s\im-
mons at the window, and seemed much
chagrineil at Ijeing disturkKl so often
from a ipiiot snooze on the office sofa ;
for he snarleil and growlwl at jioliceman
No. 329, m tlmt functionary insisted on
his recoitlirig the name, offence, etc., of
prisoner just arrived, upon the diary of
the establishment foAhwith, Wore con-
ducting his companiim (in nrtm) to the
female waiting room. Reconl maile,
slide- window quickly closed, and 329,
with his temper well tested, drags a
middle-aged woman, with dress all tatter-
ed, into the apartment just spoken of.

What is the crime ?— tlnmkenness,
and, as a natunil consequence, disorderly
conduct. What a sickening sjiectacle !
for 'now the brilliant light of the chan-
delier reveals a swollen face, besmeared
wit^i mud and bleedingfrom, wounds re-
ceived on. the sti-eet in her drunken
brawls; Wood-shot eyes inflamed with
drink, hair dishevelled, bonnet contused,
and every feature stained witK infamy.
and dissipation. She reels across the
floor, uttering fearful oaths, and is tlflN)wn
y pon a long piece of matting, (a ^iknpt
tor Uuly visitora), pbllutgfcp— — '^j^-
with the loathsome touc^c

^^^1^^

HELP IN THE DI8TANCR

thin Hex. Until nnwrntly nhf) wm ft
wuiitaii of Holier habita, n)ii||Mw.'UHi by a
Iarg« circl« of frinmlit, marriwl for »om«
ymnt, aiul now witb a family of fiyo
ohil(lr«n ~ all n»Kl<'ct«Hl anil lui^piKtwl in
beggary, thon in crime. H«<r IiiihImuuI
waM alw) of Ht4Muly, inituMtriouH t««ul«nci««,
luul a favoriU) among many up to a late
|ierio«l of hifi mnwt ; but in an evil hour,
unhappy man ! ho Mohl himiMUf to tho
devil — ay, he c\mM the Uirgain at nii»l-
night and gave a ile««l to Ium Sativnii:
Majmtv at the gambling table in the
jmblie houBO. Tlie ftrnt • glanH Uk> much'
waH then drank, afterwanU ' a gliuw too
much ' Wivoni,! timoa, then ' a gl>u« too
much ' all tho tin»e, uijil ho wtu» rtMlucod
finally to a wrot<|yBr sot ; Hhunned,
despiued, rejected, cufljud luul kick»yl
about like Homo half-dying or putrid
Ixiast, ho wallowH in the miw, and the
devil now laughn with delight at luH
pttTchaHO. A moiiHtroua folly, and de-
grading habit — tluH imbibing to intoxi-
cation, thia «lelil)erate taking away of
Benae and deatruction of reiiaon, this
blotting out of the line of demarcation
drawn by the Creator when he broathetl
into tnan'B nostrils tija breath of life, t<'
elevate and diatinguisfffiim from the brut<3
of the earth. Now there are many tl
grees of intemperance ; and hei,^^^o
giTuluates at all, in this Bi)ecigiMifcrime,
rateeta no difficulties in cpHl|)letiug a full
to ruin. Trutf it^^ is, the word
rneH8„xi»^itoxication, or intem-
rsh sounding, and humili-
tliyLin the better classes of
_ iety wh^miiulge to excess in an jmj-
cuatomed stimulant — perhaps on partic-
ular occasions, such as the meeting of
long-absent friends, or the wily inter-
course of jovial companions ; likewise to
those who cunningly manage, by a little
self-denial, to be patterns of sobriety in
public— tiieodium of theepithett/ruitArerrf
acting then as a check — but in their own
houses, or when they think they are
least suspected, besot themselves, drown
intellect, narcotize mental power, and
ftxhihit the animal propensities in full

hehjby.

ancn in iluo time given evidenco ^g«ii»»t
him: a >»l<Mit4Nl cheek, a huh'
pimpUxl f(M-e)itiad, and ni,
biWith, HiHMUt volumeM, ai
for doubj-uH UVthe (n4Jtliil>f
iMiiaonouH intluuni-u»i|jitn
The |H)wer <4 <'>yJMW »*♦ .uhnitUxI U)
Ihj great uniUjr ift^PPcumMtapceH, eitlmr
for g«KHl t»f>*vil ; but thew ^irniw to l>«
litth) dt^ibt on nmn'a muida, aiiaing from
otiuntleHH^IluMtmtionH of the fiu:t, that it
ia infiniUily gmwter, and wiehUxl with
much more coi-tainty, for the lattdr. It
ia eH|*««ially a») with intemiKinuictua the
ua«j of Hpirituoua Htimulanta a huH)»anu
giiMlually becomes a devottxl and anient
woi-ahippor of Hucrhua. At «one time
anuable, gentle, and an oniament to hia
Imuaehold, attaehwl to his children, and
warm with conjugal love ; now the whole
nmn ia cluinged, and everything around
him ; he ia irritable luid morose, or jMjr-
hapa rabid. The wife, if of keen and
tender senaibilitiw, foUowa in hi*
atei>R. 8ubH(Miu«fntly tilthrijidtrtimce,
want, misery an«l total /l^^jrtjfthe whole
domeatici Btructure,,-ehanicterizea t h o
Ho it waa with poor
his pnce ltyffi?<l wife, now
[toni anMpjiMHl
lescribtHl I:

(HH U

3elcgflB<

Kly at Bow street
iHjfore), a hon-id

instance of a hualmnd's example.

Harman Ablx)tt, as might be expect-
ed, passed a sleepleaa night on so himl a
l)ed as a bare wooden aeat, while the
forlorn Clara, ignorant of the pause of
his detention frem home, was weary of
waiting, watching, and forming numerous
conjectures as to his absence since tho
previous afternoon.

Hollyhock, in company w<th a profes-
sional brother, went to their lodgings at
early dawn, for two puriKwes, namely :
to announce to Clai-a the fact of her
husband's oi-reat^ and also to turn every-
thing , topay-tui-vy, so u^ to make tho
staireh for notes or 8i)ecie complete, be-
fore his anuignment at 10 o'clock that
morning. Clara i-eceived the intelligence
with composure, and in a manner that
reflected much credit \\\yon a woman's

■^

composition. Wo hysterical fainting, no
nervous agitation ; nothingfl^ut a spirit
of calm refdgnation to" that, as well as

play. In such instances, however, with
rare exceptions, this subtle habit indelibly
marksthe victi^n, and the whole appear-

rs:':-

^.ii.

Wy^W™^ 0™^|, •

lenc<t ^K^iitst

HEI.P m THft DWTANCE,

luiiroby.

luhnitUHl U>
ita|ict)H, ciUuir
e flMHIIH to b<)
, iii-iMitiK from
It) i'lict, that it
wit)l(lixl with
lio luttik-. It
|M)nuic(viM th^
It — a huMtiaiiu
kI Hiid anl«t>t
At noiio tiiiu)
uiiiieiit to luH
ohihtron, and
low the wholo
^thiiig around
oroHe, or jHjr-

of keen and
t) in hi>^f^
tbf 1pdtTl«!nco,
ytSftho whole
cterizPH t h o
waH with poor

fd wife, now
Bow Btitjet
ui-e), a horrid
iinple.

gilt be expect-
t on BO hiint a
sat, while the
r the pause of
wa8 weary of
dng nunieroHn
ance tiinco the

mrtth a profes-
eii' loilgingH at
osea, namely :
3 fact of her
to turn every-
j^to make the
complete, be-
o'clock that
the uvtelligenco
a manner that'
on a woman's

every othor mJHhap. The lioAntiiy ftir-
ni«hwl i-ooniH wer«« niiuttt«ly inN[N]oted
Hiid oonteati* explomi, but without ftv»il.

'!#■

cal fainting, no
)g4^ut a spirit
at, as well %i

Clam, with hor only child nesth^^I \n
her lKm«»Mi, huNtcnrd to Mow MirtMif,. to
enjoy a limit<Hl intciviuw with her k»f^-
InmuI, iitid c«)iis()l«» hiui with tcndur wor«lH
and •■'dM« his tlruopinji; Hpirit. 'Rp\
o'clock arrivcM, maKiMtrateH arc matvml,
ami ai| Knj(liMh court of Juntice opens-*
w itii Home pomp it iH tnic, but yet witl^
tliat dignity which Kervcs to dintiit^iiHli
it from Himilar tribunalH iu o{iiorjnmtt-
tri(m. The byHtnndiu^ and thfTliriminal
are here alike,j»tnicit.>wt{Ti a feeling of
ftwe aiitl»j»Wmiuty at the dc^alii'ig out of
evcu.haiid«d^jUHti(!e, frm from fear, favor
vfi\ffe(iium ; in hliort, it iH a terror to
evil door, and a ghulHonuj friend to
him who sutrei-H wrong. Abbott now
MtHUils charged with lieiug an lU'complico
iatho recent robUjry of the MiddleHox
H»uik— upon wlioHe information ? Uik)h
tlie sworn information of Tuentlare lUoiU.
Information duly mnl over, Abliott
promptly wqdieM, with a look of <leciHion,
* Not guilty. 'V\w accusation is grossly
rfals(!, your .worHliip-s.' Evidence pit>
cecdcil with :

Theodore Hloat oxauuned, — 'Am man-
ager of the Middlesex Hauk ; ftiel <piito
contidont-£ mn, a gcuitleman of the fii-st
water ; knpw the prisoner ; he wjis em-
ployed in our Bank for sonu? time j was
dit»mi8.s^d a few months ago.'

Presiding Magistmte,— ' What was the
cause of his dismisi^in'

('ITiiH was a poser, and a hard nut to
crack.)

« Well— some— BUS— pibion, that all

wasn't ftwec% right on his i)ai-t,' droned

out this gouty looking \vitness.
'Associate Justice,—' Was he guilty of

any dishonest act, to votu- knowledge,

when e:nployod in the Bank'?'

' None that we could directly prove.'
Magistmte,— ' Your evidence on this

point is not sutKciently clear. Give the

'1 am not n»«fMurJ| to «tat« tham
reiVMoriH to thiH (\niPt,' aiMM»«mi the wit-
maw, who at thk pMttt tallied m\\m\ a

ing, and
lUi a folded
of mooey
duvinghis
lunt could
and yet
►ver exam-
w>rreetly
of the

tnith.' * *

The Bench,- • It iiMbiiolutely neiM-

Kiry that ym# whouh^tnti. t^nm now,

Mr. Bloat; we cannot lowrtfmJ|^I«ying

With witnesseN in thin Wl^'
Witness, (putTing an'

occasionally tanninghiii

new8|iup«rj— • VjiHous

-ilftv'o lMHUijiHffinR(1'niv«/m«

^ twm of employment. No

1«J given of thmo deficie

the liooks in his mharge, w.
Jnetl, werO always found to
kept, and to ta.lly with
cMshier ; oonsider hia salary qpite sufll-
cient to have maintaine<l him^ ai inoder-
al^on, but not large enough to 9$fait of
fiMit living.' 1^

% the Bench,—' Tlien you ijin to
inAiuate that his habits were too extnv-
vajpiit to lie safely trusUnl ?'

Witness, (looking at the Court and
them at his cori>oi-ation) — « Ctji-tainly.y
yotir wTJfthips ; ampfe proof can be ob-^
tjiinei to that effect.'

TIw Court,—' What;.|l)out the charge
of rolling, Mr. Bloat? StJite the cir-'
cumstances.' "

Witoiess, (casting his eyes prayerfully <
upwaitl to the sky-light of the Court-
room, and dangling the guanl of an
Albert^watch-chain in his fingers)—' iW
porter dscoVered the safe of the outer
office broken open yesterday morning,

ro^wons to .the Bench for entertaining
Rusjucions agaiu.st the p:iHoner at that
time.'

and a i)ortion of a window-sash in the
messengers' room cut away, so as to effect
an entrance to the outside office through
their apartment ; the akrm was immedi-
ately given to me, and my son, (the
csishier) ; on examination of the safe, its
contents, amounting to 1745/. in pajier
and 1 23/. Q«. in specie wore found to be
abstmctiHl. It was deposited there the
preyiouH afternoon after the Bank waa
closed, and woidd Itave been conveyed
down to the vault the following morning,

as is usually done in our Bank.' .

The Court, — ' Have" you any evidence
tljat AbljotfSwas connected with the

*■

.(.

■'; I'M,!'';

: i

!■ i.
I ■:

>-i

T|^ -I

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

burglary t Mere auapicion is not axiffi-

cient.'

Witiieaa, — • Somo of a circumstantial
nature; it can be provetl that he has
hitherto b«m in want, and tluvt gold was
Reen with him at sonic time yesterday ;
also, that he intended leaving for distant

pai-ts.*

Nathaniel Hollyhock 8wom,-r*Am a
detective officer; am well up to the
system of nabbing ij have ft^w tnpials in
the force ; nabbetl the prisdiier liust nij,'ht
on his way, to his Iwlgings ; searcheil his
person at ti\e station, assisted by brother
Sau-ecix)w, and found the articles now
produced ; (the witness here hiid them
on the tjiWe, and when glanced at by
their woi-ships excite'd their risibility as
well as a titter amongst the audience ;
went to his lodgings on Fuisbury Hill,
turnetl everything inside out; but found
none of the needful.' ^

* How did you trace him through the

city ? Under what circumstances did you

midce the an-est ]'

Witness, (smiling infectiously, forthen

everybody smiled) — 'I accidentally heard

he was a,t lawyer Twizzle's.'

The Coui-t,— ' From whom ?

' From a gentleman at the East End,
a traveller, nam,ed Tipshott''

At the mention of Tipsh'ott's name,
Abljott, who V)efore leaned cal-elessly over
the front of the dock, now -siood straight,
looked and felt benumbetl all over; eyes
bui-sting from their sockets, and ' eacli
particular liair standing on end' like the
(piills of the fretful iwrcupine.'

' Calletl at Mr. Twizzle's, but found he
had left shortly befo\jp ; pumited the
lawyer a little, while standing in the
hall ; got enough out of hjm to answer
tny purpose. Kept in piisoner's patli
by making enquiry; spottetl him by
hearing him talk to himself of going to
Canada ; this circumstance tallietl with
Mr. Tipshott's information, and made
mo perfectly sure of my man. I then
' took him in custody.'

At this stage of the proceedings the

noble Twizzle, accompanied by a practi-

sing member of the bar, entered the

• Court, and the fomier advancing at once

to the front of the dock shook Abbott's
hand with much emotion, and engaged
his colleague for the defence. Mr.
Anthony Vipson rose and announced
himself co*msel for the pj-isoner, and
praved the indulgence of the Court for
one hour, to give him an opportunity of
speaking to his client— he would ask an
adjournment for an hour. Request
gnint(Hl. Twizzle, Vipson and accused
tlien went to a private upiirtment in tl.o
Station, to hold an interview ui)on tl.o
Uiiture of the evidence to be adduced f< i"
the defence. • Twizzle, much to his as-
tonishment, saw the Jiccount of Harman's
arrest in that morning's paper, -and thv.s
hastenetl with Vipsou to the Court. Tlic
hour expired, ca^e resumed, and several
flfnall-fry witnesses examinetl, to establish
the fact that the doors of the safe wevftj^
open, with the lock tui-ned out, on the'
following moniing. Vipson, rising ma-
jestically, and with an air of full satis-
faction in jimiping at a conclusion, ad-
dressed the bench as follows :

' Witli the permission of the Court I
shall read the evidence taken by your
woi-ships this mornhig before my arrival
here, and shall then call on such witness-
es in behalf of the tvccusetl as may be
deemed necessary.

Wi^tttm deiX)sitions handed to Vipson,
he reads some of them contemptuously,
and proceeds : ' The case now under the
considemtion of this Court is tus clear as
ci-ystal, to my mind at all events ; but in
oi-der to tlux)w sti-onger and more pene-
ti-ating i-ays of light ai-ound the scrutini-
zing qualities of this bench, I sliall first
call Mr. Theodore Bloat, a man of large
dimensidfts, both bodily and in very
decided SM^earing.'

Theodore Bloat re-called.
Vipfeon : • Wlio ])lac(Hl the money
{mid to Ije st<)l«n) in the safe of the outiu-
office, the previous afternoon T .•
' My son, the cashier.'
Vipson : ' Did yon see him do it?'
Bloat : ♦ This is insolence in the ex-
ti*enie.*

Vipson :, ' Answer, sir, on the peril of
your reputation being lost.' — (Vipson

■'^

was niu*take;n here,' for he never had a

■T*Vi

^^r>'

'•\'l^

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

•k Abbott's
nd engan[ed
(lice. Mr.

announced
isoner, aiul
3 Court for
)ortunity of
ould ask uii
Request
uid accused
ment in tl.o
V \\\)0\\ tl.o
adduced f< i"
h to his HK-
of Hannan'H
pr,>-a«d thv.8
Court. Tlie

and several
, to establish
,e safe wei ?g^;
out, on the'
I, rising ma-
)f full satis-
iclusion, ad-
i :

the Court I
:en by your
e my arrival
inch witness-
l as may be

«l to Vipson,
emptuously,
iw under the
is as clear a.s
ents ; but in
. more pene-
the scrutini- '
I sliall first
man of large
rtid in very

tho money
Q of the outcjr
nt ,.

im do it r
:c in the ex-

n the peril of

St.' — (Vipson

never had a

'■■fi'

'ffood reputation to lose, and what he now
poHHBssod it was a montl impossibility to
lo.Ho, unless he lost his life.)

Bloat : ' I did.'

Vipson : * Who locked it, after the
money (alleged to 1x5 abstnictpd by bur-
glavv) was deposited there?'

' My son ; then ho gave me the key.'

' Di(l youi'- son then leave the Bank ?'

* Cannot say.'

' On yonr oath, did yoia- Kon th^u lenvo
the T>ank, I repeat ?'

* I[e left the outer office.'

' How long did you remain in the;
outer office after the sdfe was locked by
yoiu' son V

' AlK)ut lialf an horn*.'

* How long did you remain in tho
otiter offico*after your son left (as yoi\

,^* About twenty minutes.*

> Then your sou stop[)ed ten minutes'
after he handed you tho key ?'

' Yes.'

'] thought you told me just now your
sou tJieu left (meaning immediately) after
ho lacked the safe V
' No answpr.

' What w^is your son doing during the
ton minutes T

' I don't remember exactl}'.'

' What werc^ ij/m doing during the
half hour V • -

* Arranging sonie papers.'
' What papers ?'

'Documents i-elating chiefly to divi-
dends.'

' ,^Vere yon the last person in tho outer
office tliat afternoon V

* I was.'

' Will you swear that the door of the
safe was locked at the time of your
leaving?'

'I will.'

* Will you swear that tlio money was
in the safe when you left V

Witness, (now grinding his wLsdom
teeth and shewing his fangs; 'How could
it bo otherwise, sir 1 tlie question is
silly.'

Vipson : • Keep your temper, Mr.
Bloat ; I. know your capacities, and can

-fit

you to a pin's [)oint. Give

me a

relevant answer.'

' Cei-tainly it was.' i

' After the half hour was up, did
leave the Bank V
' I did.'

* Did you go homo,' ^

'Not direct.' ^v

' Are you in the habit of ordering yoti^u
can-iage every afternoon after the Bank *
closes f ■

' Genemlly.'

' Dill you do so on that occasion T
'No.'

'Did you i-etui-n to the Bank, shortly
afterwai-dA, Ijcfore going home V

' I did.' . '. ..

'What fori'

' To get some private letters an<i pa-
pers I forgot in the office.'

' How long did you remain on your
return 1*
V ' I could scarcely say.'

' It is strange you can't tell ua this ;
you calculated the passing of time closely
in other matters. Come now, on your
oath, before God and this Court, how
long did you remain after your return to
the Bank ?'

' Well^it m-i-g-h-t have bfr^n — let
me see^twenty, or twen-ty-five minut«^ "
- — not more.' %

' Was the safe locked when you re-
turned,]'
'It was.'

' Would it have been possible for any
person but youi"self to have opened the
safe without much noise; and extract
the money, while you were in the estab-
lishment the second time T
' Decidedly not.'

' Then of coui-se, from this fact, yon
are fully prepared to swear that you left
the safe and its contents uutouchetl, and
quite secure, after your secoiid exifj from
the Bank?' > |

' Ye-es.' ■ ■■"■■ ...

' Do you possess any i-e-al estate ?*
'I do.'

' Is it encumljci-cd V . _ ■
-'No.' .■■
* Was it encumbered lately V
' To a cci-tain extent.'
' You have redeemed all moi'tgages, I

KSt

-.1..-. t»T

J» " <fn,-.t-'T>r ■

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

r !

\\\

-If

Suppose ; your land ia much i-elieved
*roin imtating claims now, is it not ?'

' Those are strictly private aftaii-s ; and
unless 1 am compelled to answer t!io
.questions, I ||^fuse. Very ungentle-
manly, Mr. Vipson — no connection with
the case at all.

Vipson, — ' The immutable and eternal
princip!&s*of justice ilemiind those en-
quiries, Mr. Bloat ;a p!iysiciaii, l>y virtue
ot his profession, is often csiUetl on to
exaniae hi.» jKiticnt.s on extieinely deli-
oite s»il>jects, auJ to touch exquisitely
tender parts, yea, even luw unprotecteil
surfivces, so as to arrive at a correct
diagnosis, and discover the true cause of
diseases and their ramifications, llius
it is witJh meml^i-s of the bar, who seek
the Heaven-bom pi-inciple of tndh, with
justice guiding the way, into the dark
recesses of treachery and falsehood. I
appeal to the Bench whether the last
qitestion is not legjii.'

Tlie Bench to Bloat,—' The question
conn.sel puts to you is qniie rtJevant ;
answer it.*

Bloat, — ' My solicitolr is attending to
the managpniont of hiy pix)perty ; I pre-
sume all encumbrances will be taken off
-—in— a short time.'

Vipson,^ — ' Do you supp2«e thei-e are
other persons connected with the (U/fyed
robV>ery besides the prisoner V

'I tliink so.'

' You don't tliink lie actually cut the
window-sash, entered the office, and ex-
tracted the money burglariously, do
you T

'No.'

' Nor I, eitlier ; but my object in
putting the last question is to know why
you <lid not put the police on the i^nt
of other suspeotetl partias, and I see by
your iiifonnation tliat you cliarge him as
an accomplice only ; do yoit susjiect any
others f

' None particularly.*

* Tlien why not suspect him of being
giiilty rftrec^y/ of the act ?

' Because I don't coasider lie has moiul
courage enou^ to be a thief or bui-glar
at midnight.' \

Theodore Bloat now .sat down after
undergoing .80 scorching an ordetU ; and

although the, day was chilly, with a
drizzling rain at intervals, and the air
aguishly damp and disposed to heav
liljeral siqiplies of fog, so that the iron
niilingof thedock and wall of Bow street
|tolici) court were cold and clammy, yet
this wellnlif-sectod witness bore evident
signs of containing too iniich animal heat.
1'liis, aft(!r all, is not to be wondered at,
when talking into coi.siilei-ation that there
stootl in an uncomfortjil.le standing pos-
ture, for two mai ^j^j[i ours,. a ludicrous
conqK)und of fiiti'^I^iPM^u porter and hanl
swearing ; wit|^^fess|^micixlly disprojjor-
tioncd to the {ibt^Hii^lMve, and. manifestly
of too slender a material to pillar the
hugh nrnss dependent thereon ; and then
the rigid examination V)y Vipson on un-
expected points, and the i>rying of the
learned counsel into tix)iiblesome little
links in the chain of untoward little cir-
cumstances ; — these combined causes,
therefore, produce! an overheating of
mind and body. I'lotit is far more con-
spicuous when he tivl:e.-J his seiit, and all
eyes in the Court i\,vv, more lirmly fixe I
ujion him now than when sttuiding in
the witness-l)ox ; he is a capital target
to fire at in a police court, and as a few^
dirty-faced stragglers, lesming -over Ihe
front of the gallery, lii-e down tqwn him
occiusionally, when anopyiortunity occui"s,
with very explosive exolamsitions and no
complimentaa-y epithets, lie seems to
writhe in inexpressible agony, and per-
s[>ires copiously (gi-eatly to his relief),
IKinting like an ill-made blood hound,
and biinging a silk handkerchief into
requisition at each gush of liquid rage,
blendetl with the oozuigs of a torturetl
conscience.

The most inqwrtant witness wiis the
Biuik watchman, who testificnl that he
went on duty at half-pa.st nine or ten
o'clock, and ssiw no pereon .j)rowIing in
the vicinity of the Bank, or attempting
to enter at any jxivrt, throxigli^the wight ;
ho thought it improbable; that any pei*son
could scale the high wall at the rear and
cut away the sash in the messjengers*
room without his l»eing attnictwl at once

by the circumstance.

■"^Ww '"'■

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

Sjiiffice it to say, that as tlie case atl-
vauceil it became, like the day on whicli
it, was tried, disagreeably misty, so far ad
that portion which consisted of Bloat's
evidence wjis concerned. It was well
for Abbott th»t Vipson was emi>Ioye(l
for the defence, inasmuch as the said
expounder of common and uncommon
law, lielievmg himself to l>e inspired by
Blackston^nd other high legal authori-
ties, and ordained expressly by nature to
disi)lay a gown and wig, was in those

days makingvery extraordinary exertions
to elbow his way through the crowd of
liungry attorneys, who may be seen con-
stantly tacking about petty coui-t-rooms
with shabby black bags filled with blank
subpwnaa — a bad pretence of having to
Im there on important caaes — upwards to
the more dignified title of ' Barrister-at-
Law. ' Stimulate I with the idea of such
pre.lestinated brilliancy amongst law
stars of the first magnitude, he grasped
eagerly at any case likely to give him
not<)riety, and on this occasion dilated
marvellously on the absurtlity of the
charge against his clien^ Holding in
both hands half a sheet of letter paper
soiled and wrmkletl through frequent
hiHuUing, containing stmy notes of
Bloat's testimony oii cross-examination,
taken by, an articled youth of attenuated
form seated close to the learned counsel,
Vipson, as if about to discourse upon the
doctrine of the Millenium and to imjirdis
on the audience (in Court) the absolute
necessity of having all the wrongs of the
human family put to right before that
eventful period arrived, appealed to plain
common sense, which he sincerely trusted
was the chief qualification of the Bench,
._, for if not he trembled at the consequen
■ ces and feai-ed the ends of justice were
in imminent danger ; he did not presume
to offer an opinion as to who the actual
perpetrators of the cowardly act were ;
it was not his duty to go over the long
list of pickpockets and other noHlity of
the same class, in order to conjecture
who the guilty parties might or might
not be in the mysterious ^air • but one
J^^^Y^g was as clear as the noon-dqjr sun.

[(wliich he regretted to find, aiow that he

I glanced at the window, was not as clear
as It ought to be), to establish the truth
of the comparison— one thing, then, he
would say wjw as clear as the sun, when
the atn^osphore ib free /ro?n haze ami
tmpenetrable/off, (hereby qualifyirtg the
illustration), namely, that his client was
as innocent of the foul charge as the babe
unborn, or the harmless and tender lamb
grazing in gi-een pastures. An alibi
could not be proved, except by the wife
of the accused, who in law was not per-
mitted to be a witness fof her husband ;
but it was not essential, even if it could
be proved. Evidence would be adduced
to shew the same destitute state of
the prisoner since the alleged burglary
occurred, then the total absence of money
on his person or at his lodging. It ha*l
been said that gold was seen with him
on the day following ; that fact could be
easily disposed of.^How did he get it 1
fi-om a gentleman in Court well known*
to the Bench. As to his intention of
emigrating to Canada, it was true, quite
true ; but ^e same noble benefactor of
the piece of gold was the first to advise
him to it, and before the Middlesex Bank
was miniis the amount, gone and vanished
from the place that shall, know it no
more, on the afternoon or the n--night
referred to. (The learned counsel here
coughed consumptively with futile efforts
at expectoration, looking imploi-ingly at
Bloat, as if expecting hilm in the gi-acious
fullness of his soul and philanthrophy of
spirit to remove the irritating cause of a
harrassing cough.) Very strange that
he should cough at this stage of his
oration, also very strange that he coughed
at Bloat — very remarkable indeed ! B^it
a cough is often convenient, often a tileT
graphic signal, and another i^eculiar way
of representing thought, particularly if *
shoi-t, dry and quick — j)e^ehance it was , -
so with Vipson. .^

Twizzle's evidence of course accounteil
for the piece of gold seen with Harman,
and also duly explained the contemplated
removal to a distant land, with which
the reader has been already made familiar
in the preceding chapter. '-

To the credit of the Bench be it said

«•»

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

aril

¥.

IJT

that, after the lapse of a moment from
the time Vipson resumed liis seat, and
all enquiry closed, their worships dis-
missed the case, allowing Harman A bbott
to 'breathe the genial air of freedom once
more, unblemished and unstained.

As this is probably the most convenient
and j^,pi)ropriate place in the" narrative to
introduce the reader to 6tlier charactors
of whom no me«ition has been made, au<l
wljo, if they do not figure so consjiicuous-
ly or phiy-such a prominent jMirt — in a
history of intricate and^ curious circum-
stances—as those already depicted with
a strict regard for truth, will nevertheless
attach increased interest to w^hat has
l>een recorded in the last few chapters, as
well as to incidents yet unfolded, the

■, author asks the reader for the present
to take leave of the chief actor — i-eadily
recognized in the person of the heavy-
laden Abbott — and accompany him
through tortuous paths at suspicious
hours, to witness the enactmAit of other
scenes ; and while thus forming new
acquaintances, under difficult circum-
stances, also invites him occasionally to
meet some of the familiar individuals
recenUy alluded to, antl of whom it is
desirable he should know something

• more, to enable him to fdl-m an unbiassed
opitiion before sitting in judgment on the
events of the ])a8t, and to some extent to.
anticipate those of the futiu-e.

On the south side of what may justly
be termed a second-class business stroet,
running obliqyely through the well-
known locality of Cheapside, over tlie
front window of a certain melancholy-
looking draper's shop was a small sign
board, spaiingly coated with paint,
originally white, but being exposed to
dust and smoke became the color of grey
' dawn, and bearing the inscription, in
full-grown letters of black, ' Fumislied
or IJnfumished Lodgings to Let.' This
notice to the passers-by and to all whom
it might concem,had jmssed unheeded so

/'long that the proprietor or landlord of
the said apartments began to tliink that
such superior inducements as he. was

y)nsiderate enough to — hold out — luid-

telligent lodging-seekers, otherwise iVp-
plications by the hour would cei-tainly
be nuulo, according to the instinictions
On the sign board, ' at the shop below.'
The anxiety to ront the aforesaid prenii-
ses was at length relieved, late in the
afternoon of a vei^y dull day, by two
plainly-dressed gentlemen (a i)olite title
much in vogue now-a-day.s), of the ros-
pootive ages — ;ju(lgiug by the protilo— of
thirty-live and forty, (if the certiticates
of baptism were examined, however, a
difference of ten years might be fomid to
exist), entering ' the f;hop below ' and
enquiring for the landlord of the rooms
al)ove ; whereupon at compact little
bundle of dry goods, perfumed as highly
as if the veritable Lubin himself had done
up his toilet and made him fragrant with
liis touch, answcretl to the name. It
was no less a jjeraonage than the draper
himself, Hjmeon Lazairus, Esq., an olv
stinate Jew and notorious wine bibber,
and who, when fairly under the influent e
of claret or Madeira, vowtnl venger.uec
upon every Gentile — believing at those
periods, by great force of imagination,
that he held real estate in Jer|cho and
the land beyond Jordan. So strong,
indeed, was he in this belief that he fre-
quently wrote epistles to ' men of old,'
entreating them to look after his property
in Lis native land, (another delusion).
Simeon, we say, was the landlord of ' the
rooms alx)ve,' and wide open now to
stiike a bargain and take in gentleman
tenants.

, ' No. 610, sir?' said the oldest of the
two customera to his Jewshi]). ' ,

' Yes, sii- ; that's my number, si
answered Lazarus.

* Got rooms to let, sir, comfortably
furnished ]' continued the applicant. .

' Yes, sir, veri/ comfortiibly fiu-nishe.l ;
ample accommodation, sir,' retunitH.! tlu5
man of cloth.

With a few moro introdxictoiy inter-
rogations, such as are usually put by
particular tenants to strange lantllords,
Lazarus was requested to shew the fur-
nished apartments, and, if the rent suited,
a decision wouTl be come to forthwith.

idvertise gratis, pro bono puhlico, were
lot and co"ld not be appreciated by in-

After going up several narrow winding
stairca.scs, which evidently liad not un-'

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

ilctest of the

row winding

dorgono rop.iir since tho erection of
Loudon, No. 2, upon the iiHho.s of No. 1,
tho Jew conihioto 1 his Gentile visitors
to a room in tlie fifth story of' the house
liirge enough for a family of seven, pi-o-
vidcMl that law and order were inaiutained,
and contjiiniug a large quantity of htnil.cr
in the shape of Irill-a-duien heaw, oliU
fjishiotied eliairs, with Icidcs and !ie tts
houeycoiabed by wood bugs and ants, the
lattetr displaying their nieehani'^in in
curious devices and tiny carsijigs on tlijo
mahogany feet and logu ; .-dso a clumsily
made centre-table, draped with cobwebs
of tlie finest texture, in which were
entangled hosts of ill-fate 1 lUes-^some
lately cajitureJ and struggling for life
in close embrace with large fat spiders,
when tho light appeare;! — others long
since put to de:(th, and now hanging
shrivelled from the ene.nys net ; a sleepy
old sofa, with distorted arms ; a lofty
w.irdro:.e (an excellent hiding-[)ljice for
glio.sts) ; and two lh)we:-pot stauils on
each side of a triangidar-sliapud win low.
These articles coinp wed the furniture of
room No. L Adjoining "was the bed-
room, contaijiing a .sleeping caravan of
elephantine diineusions, enshrouded in
curtain.s of blue glazed cotton ; d bed
heavily pregnant w.tli feathei-s, and slej)t
in (no one knows when) by .somelH) ty
alliijted with nightmare of St. Vitns's
dance,, for the i»edclothes an^i)illow:s
were all heajied or\jumble I to/5*^ther in
ludicrous confusion at the etige of the
bedstead, do.sc to the focjt-board ; a good-
humored old arm chair ; a wash or dres-
sing stiind, iliRimiatic in the lov/er ex-
tremities and minus i)iteher or basin ;
and a few pictures, portraits of Jews anil
their forefathers, liung rouufl tlio room.
To ordinary ijavtl^uHHit both th(j apart-
ments and furniture wuukl bo auytliin;'
but suitiible or inviting ; imc as the two
inilividuals, wJio now indili'sM-eutly .survuv
them, and to whom we have i»aid a
compliment by designating them, also as
gentlemen, may not be diilicult to please !
in the accommoilations tliey recpiire, mo
are not by any means suri)Vi,;ed to know
that tho term a of rentid v/e

furnished lodgings on tho night in ques-
tion. Repairing to a small ofKco off tho
aforesaid drai)er's shop, in company with
the new tenants, Bimeon proceeded to
dmw a lease of th^above premises, from
an old form in a very ancient Manual of
Coninu)n Law, published in the reign of
Cfeorge I.

' Now thffii, gentlemen,' said he, 'we'll
hmsh this little nuitter of business to-
niglit, and you can have peaceable pos-
session foithwith. A How mo to enquire
whether you both lease the premises for
one year, at the— the— 8\im of sixteen
pounds, lawful money of tne United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
— that is, whether you wish to be part-
nei-s, a firm or company, you underatand,
in the tninsaction — eh V

' Oh ! no,' replied the individual of
forty (?) ; ' tliis gentleman,' pointing to
his comiKinion of thii-ty-five (?), « is only
gjing to chum with me at times ; just a
friend of mine, sir ; nothing to do Avith
me at all in business relations. / and I
alone lease these rooms, Mr. Landlord.'

' All right, sir,' continued Lazanus.

Mr.-

re at

your name, 'sir? if it's conve-
nient.' ,-''

' iMr. Albert Cliook^' an.swered tl e
sole and actual tenant. \

' The indenture, accokling to law, in
such cases niade and provided, in the
reign of George I., was then duly di-awn
and executed in tlie presence of Mr.
Edward 8pry; Chook's friend and in-
tended chum. It may be added, that no
rent was paid in ndvtmce, terms very
suitable to. Mr. Ghook,' but not- as expe-
diiv.it for i\lr. Lazarus. Po.ssession was
taken the following morning by Chook,
viz. : he then entered in and dwelt thei-e,
aiul faded to put in an apijoai-ance to
anyone, tho whole of the fii-st day's
tenancy. Evening cajne, but he was
stiil invisi!)le ; at last, alwitthe hour of
nhie o'clock, sometime after Ljmmis and
most of the other merchants in that street
had closed their establishments, he pre-
sented himself at th« front door or
I)rivato entrance to the upper regions.

^iicu i yavvuuig, and tAvLsting himself into vari-

1^ 11 , V — .t« wii^.u j^'i>Muu-, Hiiu lAVLStinjj himseli into van-

demanded, and accepted, and that ;<ime>n ^ ous attiUules, very nmch lik" Tpelson
nicely gave pe.so.>iion of tho in tho iii^t stage "of malignanf^holcra. "

Lazanis as qu

r I

•i,i

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

While stanUiiig thorel Etlwaitl Spry, as
if by previouH api^intinont, wiilkwl
quickly up ; ami adtlit^ing Ciiook, in a
nuitllu!.! tone, with

' On time, 1 suppdjHo — tho cojust w
clear, is it T wont witlilhini up tin; loiij;,
(lurk» wimliu},' staircaso!^ to tho! vnirforl-
able apnrtni^atH Ix'foic nuuiti»)n»-*il.

* Mo8ef4ln tho huhuHlies !' saiil (Jhook,
wl^o, when they enteie(],| went all-foufH
upon the nleepy ohl sofa, and aftei many
vain attjiujpts'at lenj^tlj succtHMlcjl in
taking out his watch fi-om his
pocket.

in fancy print, * Best Malt Whiskey :

Shore k Co.,' iind that there is every

reason to suppose it wimjull of CIiooIU'h

great consoler when ' he entered in and

I tlwolt there,' at ctjck crjw. As we sjvid,

I. it was now empty, which Mtisfactorily

j accounts for ChiMtk's ' Iit<Tal sle<'p' and

niviiigs of Shak.sp(^ar(\ He slept in his

clothes, niiims hat, hoots and overcoat,

and male a pillow of the latter, in" the

bi-eust jKJcket of which Avas a small

edition of that author. Why wonder^

vest |- then at the effects producetl on a iKwitic

genius, by a l)otthi of whiskey, and Eng-

' Why, hang me ! Ned, «hic) if it ain't : larul's iJsird ? Neil Spry being strongly
(hio—hoo) nmr ten o'clock^ An — (hie) ] of opinion that an empty Iwttle w»ih a

— gels and minigttji-s of grace defend
(hie — hoo) us, Net^Spir — ry ! It's now
the very/ soak — (hue) — ing hour of miil-
night, all to something over two houi-s,
by this here (hue) old guager, (hohling
on to his watch) ; and 1, All)ei-t Chook,
of the city of (hue) L-1 — London, gentle-
man, asleep, literally asleep here since
cock-crow this nwning, but, what'«
worse, awake now^ulc) tQ sleep again ;
l)erchaHce to dr-ream of I^znt^us risintj
from below in pow — (hue)— dlered hair
and j)erfumed shro\id. Boo-o-o! I
fi-eeie with horror at the (huql thought.
Is tliat old malt 1 see Ijefoie me, the
cork towards my hand ? Ah ! let me
press thee to (hue — hoo) my lips, solace
of my grief — dejir com-f-fort of my soul.
I say, Ned, make youi-self at home, help
youi-self ; pass it this way, and pity a
(hue) bosom friend.'

It did not require .strong perception
on Ned's part to discover that Chp6k
was not only literally asleep, but literally
driuk all day ; and that now, at «. low
Calculation, he was unmistakeably half
* corned,' judgiirg from a fey quotations
of his from a new and impi^ved edition
of Shakspe^re, with variations, and hic-
cups. • It mtist be uhderstoou that an
empty white glass bottle, capable of
holding a quart, (perhaps uoli^i whiskey,)
sjtood on the centre-table, supported by a
white Paris hat and pait of dancing
bixrts, the latter placed there, no doubt,
by m i stake . — Now let it be known that

l6nely companion, and that a goo<l night-
cwp might l>e of service in disjielling
drwams of I^azarus's resurrection fiwu
1>^<)W staii-s, took Chook's liottle aim
wellt out to a ceitain dealer in litpiors,
etc., to get it replenished with the Iwist
distilled A No. 1, On Ned's i-eturn,
am[)le justice was done to tlip contents,
eiipecially by Chook, who, afijier several
unmesisured dosds, had l^id w^too much
stock for [)ri.vate use, and began to i-etail
it at Hi-st in small quantities and altertnl
(piality, then by wholesale (with strong
odour) \q»on the: overcoat. Sofa covering,
and floor around. Ned, who by thi^
time was someAvhat elevated, became
musical, and, j^fter his own ideas of flats
an<l sharps, sang fragmeritsfc^of familiar
and unfamiliar songs, to the s^me air
throughout ; it may be, added, at^ very
irl-egular intervals. Such enchanting
vocjil talent, accompanied at times witli
instrumental entertainment, in the sha[)e
of feet stamped furiously on the flooi',
was loudly and incessantly ap])Iauded
liy Chook, who now stood huggih^liis
lx)ots and ' balancing step, without gain-
ing gi-ound,' in front of the wafdrol)e.
An hour moro elapsed, and Messi-s.
Chook and Spry were laid side by side
under the table, Spry closing the pro-
grame of the evening, in a suppressed
voice, with a stiray vel-se of ' Nancy Till,'
' I'm afloat,' etc. When daylight came
neither of those gentry seemed to feel

arty bad effects from a night's debauch ,
but, after being refreshed by the wonted

!/■

on the said quart measure was inscribed,

■.■■.''■'■ . ' •♦

T. !• '._-. ,«^ -;, P'-p-v.- •

■4r-"Aii' •."■*i'« Tiiv •

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

morning nip, sallied out to th«ir respec-
tive saloons, to partake of breakfasfc—
saul meal to be charged, with many other
breakfasts, to a cun-ent account. Early
in the afternoon they returned to the place
^ from whence they came, which by-the-by
still smelt Chooky and noxious in the
extreme ; and, while seated on chair»
drawn close to the triangular window
engaged in a conversation that may give
some insight to the characters of those
men, their designs and antecedents.

V ?'i°**i ;. "^**®^® ^^^ rooms ain't so
ba<l for fellows of our standing in society
after all, Ned I think we hit the mai^
jmtti/ straight.'

Spry : ' No mistake in that ; quite an
improvement on the last place we hung
out at, anyhow— looks a kind of respect-
able^ you know.*

Chook : 'Respectable ? why, of course.
Can't do a respectable business unless we
put on airs and rent lodgingH respectablu
furnished. I reckon a gootl trade can
be done here, Ned, if we keep our eyes
skmned ; and by Jove we must work in
with old Lazarus, and see what the old
Jew is made of— do you see V

Spry: 'Yes, a tii>-top idea, Chook ;
and allow me, as a partner in the busi-
ness, to suggest the atlvisability of using
the same pack always among strangers
not among friends. "Honor among
friends" must be our motto, of courae
that's our principle exactly.'

Chook : * Delays are dangerous, and
this here tippling don't pay, no how,
when a fellow's depending on wind anil
weather for subsistence. I beg to move,
as a member of this fipm, that we trj^
our luck to-night in our new quarters
with them 'ere fellows at Bumble's
saloon. They seemed keen to try t/ieir
luck this morning, and I gave them our

busmess card and "

Spry : * Bimmss card ! ha, ha, ha— not
80 slow ! Give me a copy.^
.,S^??^H = ,'"Messra Chook & Spry,
610 Chizzle street, over S. Lazarus'6
shop. Office hours : from dark to day-
"g*^*' and if business be pressing, to

oWige customers, from daylight to dark."
iiut, as I was saying, they were keen for

a chance, and one of 'em was flush ; do
you second my motion, Ned l--if so it's
carried unanimously,' *

Spry : « Certainly; I agree to anything
with a si)eck of reason in it, if there's
money abroad.'

Chook : ' The same here, old boy; my
conscience is made of india-rubber, Ned,
good stuff" too, or it never would have
stood so much stretching. The fact is
if a man hasn't got a tough, pliable
conscience, now-anlays, he's a useless
animal. He lasts no time.'
. Punctual to the time for office business
announced on Chook's card, the two cus-
tomers at Bumble's saloon made their
appearance at 610, room 23, fifth story
and were poUtely ushered to seats at the
table by the worthy Chook. No direct
information has yet been given, respects
mg the trade or calling of Messrs. Chook
& Rspry ; but if the reader is in the habit
of drawing conclusions from circumstan-
tial evidence, there will be little difficulty .
in deciding that point. Seated, as wm
said, at the centre-table in the office of
the honorable firm, the two strangera
were hospitably treatetl from the poetic
quart bottle, placed on a flower stand
withm reaching distance of all hands,
and proceedings commenced by Chook
withdrawing from a side-pocket in his
undercoat a pack of cards, half defaced,
and smelling strongly of tobacco spittle.
Suffice It to say, that the aforesaid firm
and the two new customers played vig-
orously, drank freely, and swore without
reserve, until the sun, in all its bririit-
ness and splendor, shone high in the clear
blue heavens ; apd let it also be i«mark-
wl, that the two strangers hailing from
Bumble's saloon took their departure
Math crest-fallen faces, but still with looks
of defiance and devilish determination
to get entire satisfaction at another time.
Why so ? Because purses and pockets
were scientifically drained. To Chook.
and Spry the first jiight's receipts at 610 '
were encouraging and cheering to men
not long established in a lufeive call-
'""ihatisjta- " • • - t - ^

\k-

ing,t h at 18 to profe ss ionals <

"^ ft , « u n.u i n w pi^iB MB ionais 01 g/tctr stamp.
In due course of time they became re-
nowned amongst lovers of 'seven up/

■•/;■.

■ r-. '

4-*

, ^.., , |ilff»=^J-!^^r«*^,#L- "^1

HELP IN TIIE DISTANCE.

ilf

' whiBt,' « forty-five,' etc., as oxoewlingly
honomble playere, and for vwy |)olite
l)Oiiriiig. TliMo favorable occonipliHli-
mentH, together with natural tact f«)r
their trade, won them many tat, unsuH-
|M>cting patrons, moving chi«»Hy in the
higher circles of [»ndon ' hwcUh.'

Now it came to jwuw on a cerfciin
evening tliat whil(» they wit in i-ooin 2.'J,
counting the losses and giUns of the pro-
ce<ling night, a company of three in<li-
^ viduals, somewhat refined in appearance,
and sot off to a<lvantage with gandy
scarf-pins ami s|>arkling finger rings,
enqnired at Lazarus's sljop for the ofiice
of Chook & Co. A clerk of tlie drai>er
directed them, witli mathematical exact-
ness, to the fifth story, which, after many
stoppages, they reached, and, with the
aid of a lighted wax taper, found the
gentlemen sought for. It was manifest,
fronv the manner in which Chook ad-
dressed them,that they were hia acquaint-
wices of long standing, but jwrftfct
firangers to Spry. Yet the latter, witli
little regard to formal inti-oiiuction or
-''polite cei-emony, soon liecame on five
and easy terms yiiilx the three orna-
ments. /

'Happy to see you, gentlemen— very
happy indeed,' said Chook ; ' the elderly
gentleman 's not going to honor us with
his presence to-night, I see, Hav(^ y«iii
seen him tonlay, or does he know of our
new quarters T

One of /them, who appeared to be
rather moYe familiar with, tlie elderly
gentleman's movements than the others,
replied : * / saw him this morning, but
>)eing somewhat indisposed— not in trim,
you know, Chook, to t»ike a hand— he'll
be absent I presume on this occasion.'

It may be well to state that the elderly
gentleman referred to in those enquiries
was met by Chook on certjiin occjisions
in company with his then guests before

Ah the l>ewitching hours of night stole,
silently away at 610, Chizzle street, •an<l
the half-defaco<l p,ick was shuffled (with
sundry magic touches,) and ilistrilnite*!,
and re-shuttHxl ami then <lealtout again,
with the rustling of Iwink notes and
jingling of gold and silver from the ohl
centi-e-tiible to th<* lockets of the li^oky
playei-s whenever the announcenient was
made that game was up, the subject of a
recent robbery at the Middlesex JJank
wjis intiXMluetxl by one of the three
visitors, and joined in by the rest of the
party whenever their attention was not
particuhu-ly an-csted by iulv«'i-Ne iH)sitionH
of the games. H\ny e^■i(Iently took
deeiHsr interest in that topic than any
prewmt, for reasons Inist known to him-
self, a|i(l frwiuently api>eiiled to the com-
pirfty,,in a sort of general way, for tlwur
oi)ini^ns reganliug it. None, however,
I venturetl or cared to express their views
<lirectlyof the circumstances connected
with tlie investigation at How. street,
except Chook, who unhesitiitingly as-
serted his belief tha(t Ablnjtt wjis inno-
cent, fi-om what he had resul in the
newsi>aiHn-s conceniing the trial. The
three visitors had no «jiison to regret the
result of the night's procetHliugs, for
when the hist game Was played they
found their uniW fund much incre^ustnl.
This circumstance caus«»d Chook «t Spry
to insist ujion them 'tiying their luck '
again the following night, when they
secretly i-asalvetl to fierce the successful
playei-8, if not hy /ait means, most cer-
tainly hyfivul.

♦ N0W, gentlemen,' said Chbok, as they
were leaving^ the roomj ' actuate<l by

he (Chook) entered into partnershiJLwith
Spry ; but fitrther than this heOLl no
acquaintance <rith him, in fact scarcely
remembered his name. Still, imagining
that where they were the elderly gentle-

man ought to be also, Chook alluded, in
tones of regrei, to the fact of his absence.

nuinly motives ^nd inju-ed principles of
honor, I conceive it to be your Inmnden
duty, as loyal subjects of Her Majesty,
to return a friendly match, and give the
firm of Chook & Spry an opportunity to
redeem the losses of the night, as well as
the envial>le reputation of such illustri-
ous cai-d-playei-8 ; and you will give my
sincere regards to the elderly gentleman,
and state to him at the earliest opportu-
nity that it is the express desire of Chook

<fe Co. that he should honor ns with his
noble pi-esence, in company with you,

/ .■' .

\l-

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

to-morrow night, 'at tho uHual office
liOiirH.

'()h, yofl' mhUnl Spry,' 'invito tlm
eMwIy goritletiiaii l.y all m^iaiiH.'

llofoio tho coiniMiiiy w'iKiiatrd, on cIoho
oxanunation of th«i qimit hottht, it wuh
H;,iun fotnul to Ikj niinns th(. malt, and
acconiin^.ly Spry niov.Ml, Kocon.h^l l,y
ChooJc, that th» said Ujttlo Ins n.filhnl
With puro and unadnlt«!ratod infuHion. ^>(
malt, ami that a j?«n(;ral bi^^ drink wind
tip tho ainuHenn-HH. Caniod withont a
diHHonting voice ; wheitinpon Spry pro-
cured tho doHired iK^vehigo, t^id after the
llowinj,' l>owl wuH paK8<.d uronnd Ned led

Hie Old kngliHh Oenth^man,' with
medley chorus and deafening Hliouts
Having then dinperHed, CluM)k and Spry
retired for a snooze.

After awaking from a few lioui-s' slwp
or mther a drunken t<jrpor, tlie all-ah-
Rorhing theme of diHcourse was the defeat
of the priiceding night, which w.ih con-
Hulered l,y Chook to k, an auKpicions
circumstai*o,And Huggestiveof increased
patronage to men of such unparailele<l

i'?"";./V"l ''o^e^ty »«« the occupants of
010 Chizzle street, r)th story.

• I'll stake my hat and«'cra[>e (he was
m inourning for old losses) against your
tootR-picker, Ned,' sjiid t'hook, " 1 that
them ar' fellows come back to-night with
the elderly gentleman, l>rimful of the
yellow boys. The wind blows fair this
morning ; we ctust the net before they
left, and may safely draw in al)out mid-
night. Jerusiilem articliokes ! whi\t a
haul we'll make — ha !>(ia J lia !' "^

If Ned had stiiked his tooth-picker he
would have won Chook's hat and empe,
for the di-anght of vahiable fish diil not
tjike place as soon as expected. No
business -was done at the > furnished
lodgings' for the space of two weeks, at
the end of wliich time it was resumed at
the usual hour-— that is to say, when all
lawful bustle and stir liad entirely 'ceasetl
on the streets, and when those wlio
retired to l)ed, with a strong detemina
tion to "'"-- ' ,. . _ .

of Bacchus on the way to police stations.
A loud knocking at the street door, oc-
c»wione<l by its Iwing fmUnml inside ac-
ci.lentally, and thenjfore preventing any
o!ie requiring lulmittance from entering
siiwtully without firing a volltty at the
door jMinels, arousal the attention of
(hook, who sat in his own room ne«ir
the open wmdow with his dear ohl friend
the «piai-t bottle, close l^^sidt, him. An-
swering tho sunmions at the door, he #as
agi-eeably surprised to find one of the
t hix'e exi>ect<Hl visitors, accompanie<l by
the ehlerly g(mtleman. With the polite
Hillutiition of ' Welcome, gentlemen, I'm
really delighted to have the honor of—
yoiir illustrious presence,' he conductetl
thorn in single file to. the apartment with
which we are now tolerably familiar.
Wofl Spry, who was lying asleep half
undressed on the IkhI in the adjoining
i-^.om, and snorting after the manner of
a ceitam useful <iuadrnpcd, was awoke
by the moving of chairs and dragging of
the table across the floor to a moi-a com-
foi-table position in front of the sofa,
i resenting himself in tlio parlor 'en
dishabijle,' he at once became on terms
of friendship with the elderly gentleman,
but took no part in the amusements at
the table for rejisons l)est known to him-
self. He smoked incessantly, spat vio-
lently, and watchetl the elderly gentleman
with int«nise interest, aa he ' forked over '
certJiin bank biUsaiitlanoccasional yellow
boy (according to Chook's dictionary) to
Jus successful opponent.

sleep, were only disturbed %

Spry, after merging into* a sort of
brown study or sij^den attack of gi-ave
reflections, ibigned a. bad hearlaohe and
lioi)ed his absence would be excused for
the balance of the night. He returned
to ins bedroom, but not to sleep, aa will
be discovered by thoughts he gave vent
to while reclining partly on tlie bed, with
ills feet (juietly deposited in the old arm

lair. * -Wonders will never cease " is
an old saying, but too true to die out '
muttered he to himself. ♦ Well, I'm
pepperetl, and the old chap's here— on

ml
'I

groups Of noisy foot-passengers returning
from the theatres or other places of
amusement, pr by someiebellious devotees

■ 1 ',"

HELP IN THE DIRTANGE.

ihia very little oiroumstanoo hangs k tale.
Ho can't know me, if ao he'd haye Uien
for leaving these diggingHon double (|uick
time. No, I'm all sound yet ; the wig
and false moustache are proof against
identity; and Wow me if I don't mjt a
tnip that will catch the Lord Mayor
himself if ho nuts his foot in it' Leav-
ing 6 1 Chizzlo street, trith Spry and his
bedside reflections in one dopiirtnient,
and Chook with his senior and junior
companions in the other, wie fiasH the next
day through the neigh l)orhoo<l8 of Bl»u:k-
friars and llaymarket — localities usually
abounding with colonies of bell-men and
snwll boys carrying giant [)lacard8, and
obverse notices printed so large tbit he
" who ran might read, and posted on tho«i
walking sign-boards. The following Js
a verbatim copy :— ♦ £600 Reward,—
Wherew some person or persons did
feloniously take and extract, by forcible
means or otherwise, a large sum of money
from the'safe of the outer office of the
Middlesex Bank, between the hours of
^ o'clock p. m. on the 23rd inst. and 9
^'clock a. m. on the 24th : the Governor
ami Directors of thie said Bank do hereby
oflfeif ^he reward of £500 to any person
or i^rsons who shall give such informa-
tioi^ as >Yfji>ad tb the appi-ehension and
oonyictioifof the perpetrator or peq^e-
tratprs of the aforesaid act By oitler
of tfce Bank. (Signfed) Theodore Bloat,
Manager.' This annbuncement wo* cer-
tainly an inducement to sell the infor-
mation sought for, provided any one hatl
such precious material to offer in Bow
street or the Old Bailey market Perhaps
it may be called a failing of human
natur^that, when a large reward is
offered to the public on liberal terms,
there are many who strain points to
question the horfesty of certain acquaint-
ances of loose habits, and feeF persuaded
that if they are not guilty of robbing
banks or blowing up prisons they ought
to be, so that> good opportunity might
be afforded of making a small fortune by
their misdeeds, and afterwards make a
grateful acknowledgement th«r^o r b y

tors. This may be one of the errors' of
fallen humanity, but whether it is so or
not is rtot inifiortant to know ; it is re-
markably prevsiont, at all events, in the
[>rfe«mt day. As nmy natumlly !« ex-
pected, the opiiiions of a London populace
were well divided on the subjet;t of the
l)ank n)blmrai '^^^^^ ''"' announcement
on the pltt^ls was wi«lely circulated,
and a livelj^f interest t*^kon in a mystery
still unrav4»ejl. Some were unkin*!
enough to sug^wt tluit the thief might
I>OH8ibly 1)0 conne(;ted with the bank—
sqme of the clerks for example ; others
were unwilling to receiv« that opinion ;
.but amidst all this surmising and junip-
W^ at conclusions, and circulating of
^wgue rumors, there was one individual
who Isteadfastly l>elieved that he had
' sjiotted ' the guilty |iarty. Now as he
may Iiave some liope of obtaitfjng the
liberal j«e*ard_4nd we shall U» ghul to
hear of his success provided hcS continues
to play a skilful jiart—we are . quite
willing to leave the solving of the prob-
lem to his eminent shrewdness in the
sinister motives of others f not being
prejiared to divulge any facts as yet, nor
to make aatounding revelations, which
might, we fear, cause marriagetil)lo
daughters to faint and call for wine and
water, we will part with him for the
present, with many wislies that success
may crown his efforts.

obtaining a pardon for the wndenned
through influential friends at 1 ead piar

If the reader is losing his appetite for
residing in furnished lodgings and keep-
ing vei-y irregular hours, if he is tiled
of ascending dark winding staircases and
sitting at triangidar sha^ windows, to
watch from a giddy height the sea of
humanity heaving and rolling upon the
streets below ; if he is oppressed with an
atmosphere impregnated with noxious
gases and unwholesome vapours, if his
jyes are inflamed with4;h^ck black smoke
issuing in heavy volumes from gigantic
chimney stacks, locomotives and great

st e amships; and if he is confused with
the din and eternal clamor of city life,
then let him come, by special invitatiop,

& i

the errors' of'
hur it is no or
lOw; it IR re-
ovoiita, in the
unilly Im) ox-
iidon popuIaoH
uhject of the
niiuunceniont
\y ciit:ulate(l,

in a myHtery
•(rere unkind
I thief might

the bank —
nplo ; othors
liHt opinion ;
kg and junif>-
ircu biting of
le individual
that he had
Now OR he
htuitfing tlie
M \m glud to
h6 continuoH
e are .quite
of tlie prob-
InesH in the
' not being
» as yet, nor
;ion8, wliicli
aarriageul)lo
or wine and
him for the
bhat Huccess

HEU> IN THl: DIOTANCE.

appetite for
[8 and keep-
he is tii-ed
ureases and
windows, to
the sea of
? upon the
ied with an
th noxionH
urs, if his
lack smoke
'm gigantic
and great

fused with
f city life,
invitatio|>,

With the Auth.)r, to vJHit the ,iuiotor
Wenes of rural hon»«. AfU.r he wen.ls
his way through the groat Huirts of
C()mmerce, over thronged and over bust-
liiig, and then piuMoH by mngoH of dihipi-
datwl tenoinentH, hn is Homowhat roliovod
on finding himself in sight of the retreats
of fiishion and wealth, whoro ornamental
HhubJiornw and choice flower-giinlens
with artificial founUins <Ielight the eye •
next iMjrhups appear the less, pi-etending
aJKKles of H.dari«<l citizens or brokon-<lown
ofhcers of the army and navy r«,tire<l on
empty iwckets, enclosed with neatly-
tninmod hedges of hawthorn vr (pnckset-
then comes the ojKin country with the
humblo cots of hai>py- iKJiisants— happy
lM3causo away from the turmoil, wretch-
wlness ami crime of the neighlwring city
—having a small* vogotablo garden or
orchai-d attacheil ; the wide p.wturo
holds meltmg with richness, the wootlland
alive with the songs of birds, and the
crops with golden tassels waved by
llmvm'H bi-eath. How great the con-
tnist now ! Ijotween the sights and scenes
which we have just loft behind in the
grmt capitid and those ujion which we
now gaze, lofreshed, as we proceed, with
c(K)l dmughts from sparkling streams (a
rich treat to Londonei-s,) and smiletl at
•)y Nature and Nature's God. Health
officei-s may be regularly appointed in
ixjudon, and may no doubt be induced
to {.eiform faithfully the duties thereof
if the emolument is sufficient to maintain
i-ospectably an obstinate gout, or providetl
that tli6 city is free from disease known
or supposed to l)e contagious— in short
if nobody is sick of anything ; then and
onhj then are those diligent guardians
omnipresent, * fishing for compliments
upon their valuable services.

When we consider that a city of sucli-
<limension8 as the greft metropolis is
never exempt from somfe of the terrible
epidemics on the physician's long list,
and that it occasionally becomes rife with
a dire disease which cuts down with
feaifnl r a pulity the London t>oor ; some-

employmont every <lay in their roiipoctivo
districts. Those who are favoml with
ample means, supjK)! t tw<.oHt4ibIinhmonts,
yUt., a t<.wn and WHintry residenwj ; and
If smiUl iK)x, typhoid fever, or anything
else of the same family ap|iears, they
mvarial)ly flee to and sojourn at the
latter. Now, so it was with Theo<loro
llloat and hip hoiwehoId,at a time When
all l^ndon was iKxIhick, and a good imrt
of It move<l to <l«jMi-houses and private
vaults. Bloat, then, with other false
specimens of. aiistocratic pretensions,
fearing that his valuable life was at
stjike, loaswl a handHomo retreat, with a
few acres, alwit seven or eight miles
from Lomlon limits. Here he continued
to reside until the general health of the
town was completely restored, when he
rciturned to his former alnxle. However,
by the expi-ess desire of his eldest daugh-
tor he was induced to live alternately
at Ijoth ; and it is while enjoying the
pleasures of his country seat that the
Autlior willies the mulcr to partake of
Mr. Bloat's hospitalities and make him-
self at homo in every sense of the woi-d.
Amidst the chaririing l)eauties of Nature
and the scenesoftheopen country which
the Author has attempted feebly to des-
cribe, Mr. Bloat's house stood, at ^ polite
ilistjince from the road ; inside the en-
trance was a lodge, or imitation of a
liouse on a miniature scale, consisting of
two rooms or sentry boxes joined at right
angles. In this lived an infirm old man
with his wife, an active dame and his
junior by many years, on a pension of ,
hve pounds a-year for the term of their ^
natural existence, and the privilege of
being allowed to keep off beggars and
itinerant showmen from the sacred pre-
mises at the head of theavenlie. A
succession of genteel knocks at the«;ick«t, '
early one bright sunny morning, bi^bught
out Mrs. Hilks, the old gate-keeper's
bouncing wife, who with her wonted
good humor invitetl the person at the
wicket to come inside to the lodge.

As the applicant for aflmission didnot
appear, according to Mi-s. Hilks's judg-
ment, to belong to the class either of
^ijejjgai-s or itiuemnt showmen, she, with

■^,1

tim^ visitmg in its course the mansions

/of the rich, we most cei-tainly think the

officers of (jo<hI health might find suitable

-ijiK--- -^ . >

HELP INT tllK 1)IHTAN(;K.

much civility, RmnUNi h |nu«h to th«
Htnuigcir, who, it may tm witll now Ih)
Hiiiil, wiut H t«ll, athletic nuui of |H)lt<4*
and ooiirteoiiH t>mi-iiig : it ftict, (juito tlio
gontleinnu fn>m top to too.

♦ Mr. niortt iH at lion«% in ho notT m\<\
tho g«iitlcnuin to Mm. IlillcN.

• () yen, iilr ; he novor Imvw foy town
rtfoi* nine ho'clock,' H\nf n'plitl, with n
voi*y »?nu;eful Uiw.

* You'll huxcuHO ni«, nir,' nho oontiii-
u«l, ' for jiotHhuwiuK you hup th« lawn ;
hut wo 'avo Ktrict honloi-H to watch tlio
pito. Hif you'll Ik) ho g«x>(l hiw to>i
right Htmight hoii huntil yoti gut ho far
haa that thoru liulni trcMt, hand tlion turn
to tho loft-'aud ; go light thi-ough jf,]u'
hnvorgrtton harch l)y those J-eiti wee|»ing
willowH; you'll wfo tho lug 'ouho right
afon) you, witl» Mimtor Owrgo riding
hon 'i» 'obhy 'ohs hiji front hof tho
I)orch.'

With Huch ininuto dinn^tionfi tho gen-
tlonian ctudd hardly f^vil to navig^o us
far a8 the ' l»ig 'ouho/* atid ovon without
them he would not have l»oon lik<'ly to
go listray, unless he chanced to lo«lgo in
tho overhanging branclum of tho cy]»r<»HHo.H
or evergreens, now 8too|ung low, clotlunl
with rich and heavy foliage. True to
Mrs. Hilks's wonl, tho stmnger found
that, sure enough, there Was the big 'oune
and Maater George taking his morning
ride on an /Obstinate hobby, that seeniod
to try the temper of the ymmg equos-
trian to the uttermost ; for he drubl)ed
poor ho>)by unmercifully with a heavy
walking-stick about the head and shoul-
ders, until at last the spirited '. 'oss' made
a sudden leap into the air, suspending
the juvenile between heaven and earth ;
the next moment reversing the position
and causing Master George to kiss tlio
ground. Anived at the porch, the
stranger was mot by a liveried servant,
who was just coming out to remonsitmto
with the young rider on cruelty to ani-
mals, by special orders from Miss Ix)ui8a,
his eldest sister ; she having watched his

Mr. ThiKxlore FMoat, who ha<l juitt Antm
from the br«fikftt«t table, and wiuldhHl
with extra effort to the ilrawing room,
cliitl in a long morning gown ond shtKl
with cajMuiouH rtirp«*t hUh|¥u-h.;. Tho in-
troduction WttH (!«)nuiion(?o<l by the
Htranger handing to lUoat a SHiall P«»'.onwl
onv«'lo|K», cloHO 1 with a wnfor, und coJi-
tiiiniiig a nhoot of noto jmper written im
follows :--

' Bnght/in, Canton .llow, 29 July, T.7,
Dear Bloat : 1 havo nuuih i>l«'at^»re in
intruilucing to you tho Uwer, Mr. Tlios.
Flongby, an attatihwl friend and an<|uaint-
ance of our family for mftny yoirs ; ho in
now on a ploasuro trip, a»id, intotuls to
remain in rJlndon for a few we«*k«. U'm
ju-ownit BtateW health does npt rulmitof
his stopping inHho city, and, as I under-
stand you havo taken up a rosidenco for ^
the Huninier at Moss llose (!a«tlo, you
will do me a favor by oxt<»nding your
wont(Hl hospitality to him, and if yov!
have any loisure time take him i-ouujI to
soo tho cui-iosities of your grnit city.
You will (uid him a very agrciiiblo jM>r-
son, and a man of sujwrior intellect. 1
iim going to emViark for liermuda to-
jnonx)w ; will write w'hon I niturn.
(Jompliiiionts to tho Misses Hloat and
kind rogrmls to Edwanl. Yours very
tndy, L. Truppor. Thootl<»ro Bloat,
Esq., Moss' Rose C««tle.'

Bloat, after perusing the letter, receiv-
ed Mr. Flongby in a cordial manner, and
■ informed him, irfter making enquiry as
to when he left Brighton, etc., that ho
should l>o most happy to extend a heai-ty
welcome to him while recruiting lr!s
health, and that the hospitalities of Mokk
Rose Castle were open to any friend
introducQtl by Mr. Trupper. I)g(e en-
quiries were then made by Bloat as to
Mr. Plongby's luggage, and whether ho
came from London by the coach or plA-
vato conveyance. In reply to those,
Mr. Flongby said that ho came by tho
(iarly coach, but had left his portmanteau,
I etc., at the Bill Mall Hotel, as it cor-

pranks through her bedroom window. I taiuly would be an unpanlonable bi-each

The gentleman was usheretl to tho dniw-

ing room by the man-servant, alios the

"j butlw, and his presence announced to

j of etiquette to take luggage to a gentlo-
; man^s house before any introduction was
given; Now lot the reader imdei-stand

r'tt^A-

juitt riiwm
I wiuIUUhI
ring room,

and Hhtxl
. Tho iii-
l by tho
till c«i!ai-ml

litul coji-
writtcn im

' July, 'f.7,
Icrifhiro ill
Mr. ThoK.
I Hr.(|uaint-
ivi-H ; lu) in
intriidH to
H'kn> HiM
}t fuhnitof
iH I umler-
jiilcMCO foi* ^
!ftMtU', you
\(\inii yotu- '
uid if yov!
Ill i-ouiul to
fntii city.

(Hllblo JMM*-

tfllcct. I
n*niu<la to-

I niturn.

liloat and
fourH very
ore Bloat,

tor, rewiv-
lanner, and
enquiry as
c, that ho
ul a hcai-ty
iiitiiig h?s
iea of Moss
any friend

Moat as to
whether ho
ich or \fli-
r to those,
mo Uy tho
rtmanteau,
1, as it ciix"-

iible bi*atli
o a gentle-
hiction was
luulei-stand

IIRLP IN THE DISTANC'K.

that Mr. Thomas Flo
'ii[)|Nmdug«ii wort) oxa(!tl

by's travelling [ others to the immlMtr df twenty. W^^on,
yhere lie wiid, I tlientfori', it is oonHtdortNl that she was
regularly engag«Nl in such fashioimtiln
exerciso, and that she IumI a retinui) of
iimid-servantM, with a hiitler, to oxeeuto
all things lUH^Mwiiry a|i|Hn-titiniiig to tho
(Ustle, there is no reMon to su|>|iose tltat
the young lady's heiilth should alarm her
Bloat volunteered to cull for the lsiggii'.r)v friends from the ciuise she invartKhly
when returning that aftoriuKm to his NiHsigno*!. Mr. Flonghy, the new giuMt,
eountry seat. 'Ilie roa.lcr has as ynt no t pH^Hed away the time on the first cky of
knowledge of Mr. IMoat'sdonu'stic circle ; ' his V^sit very agitwahly with the young
in |»i-oc«Hling chapters he appeunMl only | ladies, x^ho wer<j fairly puz/led as to how

latter,
to bo.

ca(!lly Inhere he
naniely -at the Tall MalK llottd, and
that they >hrere atitlresseil 6b him and
lx)io the stamp of the milway Uiggugn
master at the London t«»rminus. I'lieMo
are facts imiiortant and interesting to
Utur in miiul. As would Imi HiipiM>si^l,

in a busine8»|..cftpacity as a liank oHicial, ; they coi*^ asa^rtivin whether he
, butitisex^HlientthatthefitniiIy(jurtain single, or double, and if not the h
should Ikj drawn at this point in tho • • •

m
narrative, and a peep taken at his house-
hold and the inauagoment of his private
aH'aii'S.

The<xloro Bloat was a ivi<lower of
nine yeai-s' standing, with a family of
live, consisting of throe daughters and
two sous"; the two eldest daughters were
of inarriageble ages (tin) \Author couUl
not find the parish regisUn-), and quite
accomplished in tho art of flirtation ; the
yolmgest, a lass of thirteen, frolicsome
and pretty enough to Ik^ prouti amongst
her ecpials in ago. Tho eldest son, Ed-
ward, «• young man of uninq^eachablc
character and Ciishier in the Middlesex
Bank, to whom some allusion has already
, Ijoen matlo ; and the youngest, Geoi^ge,
the hero of the hobby horse. All resided
with th^ father, excepting Edward, who
had been married a few months, and oc-
cupied a coipforttvble hoiise situated at a
ciyil distance from the heart of commer-
cial buzz. Tho elder daughter, Louisa,
(properly speaking tfie Miss Bloat,) su-
perintended the internal arrangment of
her father's hotise ; the duties of the
office were anything but arduous.al though
Louisa really believed they were, and
imagined her hcjalth was becoming seri-
ously affected in. consofpumce — in fact
this was the general subject of complaint
to all visitors at Mossllose Ciistle, and
the basis of every apology offered for not
nituniing their (ialla ; while at the same

wlietner he was anxious so
I/)uisa was {tariicularly keen to satisfy
herself on a point of such moment, bo-
cause if she discovm-od Mr. Flongby was
in single bliwsedness, dear hlea« her ! how
she could then coiputtte to i)erfection,and
very probtibly make some (leep impres-
siouH ; provided he was composed of soft
material. Yoimg laijies who st\idy flirta-
tion, as well as other absunl branches of
female education, seem to think that
they have an unquestionable right to
S|K)rt with the hearts of single gentle-
men, and toss round their afftHitions and
sundry little attentions like nursery
toys.

Mr. Flongby was sulwtantiaHy built, •
but too tall to make love to a dwarfish
young lady, such as Miss Louisa Bloaty .
in summer-houses or under the hawthbrii
or lilac, bath of which wiere her favorites
from the delicious perfume with which
they scented her retreats at eventide.
Mr. Flongby in the drawing room, or
Mr. Flongby in tho parlor, was, however,
quite adapted to Louisa's taste, for a
game at which two can play best when
BO iirtrnd(!ra or spectators come on tho
gi-pundr After lunbh both Louisa and
her next eldest sister invited Mr. Flongby
to see tho charms and l)eautie8 of tlio
gardens attached to. Moss Rose Castle ;
accoitlingly he accompanied them to
those choice abodes of flowers, lauded the
sdection , admired the .exotic s and hand —

<5.' .

;.^

. %'

■ 5

* '

tiine she occupietl eVery afternoon with
exemplary punctuaJity in jKiifhui visits
to the numlwr of a dozen and /■vttirnimj

led the violets, the migtiionette and
(lancing tassels of the fuschias, with such
tmn)^ial can! and gracefulness that Louisa

■^

^.'VH', \

'^:'-^J{

( I h^

I .

I-

R!"

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

and her sister became suddenly enamour-
ed of their lofty guest, and subsequently,-
during their walk through the groundn,
B^)oke of notliing but flowers and flower
language. Returning to the house, Mr.
Flongby resumed his seat in the drawing
i*oom, and Ixtuim by^ his special request
f.ivored him with sovei-al pieces of Italian
luusic on tlie pitmo. This over, Louisa
o[)eneJ tlio game by enquiring if Mr.
Flongby hail ever been in London before,
and he replied smilingly in the affirma-
tive.

' Then you do know something of our
peculiarities, Mr. Flongby — ^you ai-e not
an entire stranger to London life,' said
Louisa.

'^Well, not exactly, Miss Bloat,' he
replied.

Inquisitivcness was one of the principal'
ingredients in Miss Bloat's composition,
and no doubt indispensable to her as a
finished coquette ; so that the close ques-
tioning ui>on a variety of indifiei-ent '
subjects to which Mr. Flongby was ex-
ix)sed must not be a matter of surprise
to anyone,^' '•

' Brighton has many attractions for a
town of such inferior dimension's, has it
not, Mr. Flongby V she continued.

' Quite a varied a.ssortment, Miss
Bloat/ said he ; ' but I beg yonr pardon
fdr refuting the idea of inferiority; and
with yoiir permission I shall qualify the
expression by adding inferior in size, I
]^|:'esume you mean to London, but not-
inferior in beauty and fashion.'

♦Hem, upon my word you are un-
necessarily partial,' returned Louisa,
' prejtidioed 1 should say to home pro-
ductions, Mr. Flongby ; don't you really
think so f

'Not unless Uiey are manifestly su-
perior to those at a distahce,' answered
Flongby. '.

Louisa's tndn of interrogations was
now stopped by the butler coming to the
drawing room and handing her a very
handsome sweetrsmelling nosegay, in a
small basket of delicate bead work, care-
fully enveloped in a liberal supply of

cabbage leaves.

' Please, Miss Louisa,' said he, ' Kitty

Langton sent you hin these yore flowers
with 'er respects hand 'er compliments.'

' Kitti/ Langton /' exclaimed Louisa,
with a fi-own at the butler, at the same
time hastily ain-anging a few side curls,
' who is Kitty Langton V

* Don't you romemlier 'er. Miss ¥ said
the butler ; * the poor, woman wat lives
hup the road a close hon Squire Bent's
domain.'

' And what docs she meafi by making
me a present of flowers I should like to
know ? Veiy forward, veiy impertinent
indeetl, those poor people, if they get the
least Micouragement. Now, John, (ad-
dressing the butler,) you must go down
to the lodge aiid tell Mra. Hilks that I
am highly displeased at her allowing
such people to imiss the gate ;' she was
ordered strictly to stop those b^gars
and organ griudei-s ; and 10% does she
dare to disoliey ?

'Kitty is hawaiting to see you hin tho
kitcheri. Miss,' said John.

' These people are so very troubleaomo,*
said Louisa, addressing Mr. Flongby,
' that we mnsb s|^>eak shar])Iy to them :
so j)erhap8 you will excuse me, Mr.
Flongby, while I go to the kitchen to
reprrfve the old creature for her boldness.'

On Louisa entering the cooking de-
partment, Kitty, who was heljiing the-
mistressi of the roast to drink a weak
infusion of tea, instantly rose and curt-
ly ed to her ladyship, and hoped God
would bless her for her kindness to poor
decent folks.

* * Well, Kitty, what is wanting now V
said Louisa, and in the same breath con-
tinued : ' You know you mus'n't be
troublesome when visitors are here. I'm
angry and exceedingly annoyed indeed
at being disturbed in the drawing room
in this wa^ — sending me a nos^ay, and
a g^itleman present ; he'll have a fine
opinion of the visitors at the Castle.' —
Turning to the butler, who had just
returned from the lodge, 'I must say
I'm surprised, John, that you weren't
more thoughtful than to bring me such
a> present, from a poor creature like
Kitty, in the presence of Mr. Flongby.
Scse that you we more careful in future.'

' f-"«S"W''P'"t '

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

•e flowoni
pliments.*
1 Louisa,
the same
ide curls,

isR.?' said
wat lives
re Bent's

y making
d like to
pertinent
?y get the
olin, (ad-
go down
:s that I
allowing
-she was
) b^gars
does she

lu hin the

illleaomo,*
FlongUy,
k> them ;
me, Mr.
itchon to
boldness.'
jking de-
Iping the-
L a weak
Etnd curt'
oped God
» to poor

ng now V
■eath con-
us'n't be
ere. I'm
m1 iiideed
ing room
E^y, and
ve a fine
Z!astle.* —
had just
must say
I weren't
me such
ture like
Flongby.
B future.'

John, by a respectful nod and slidung
backwards of the right foot (popularly
called scraping), signified his intention
of adhering to those important injunc-
tions ; and poor Kitty was about to
make some explanations in connection
mth the nosegay, when Louisa in full
sail departed from the kitchen, looking
round her on each side bf her flowing
skirt as if admiring the sweeping capa-
cities of the inflated garment upon the
diminutive mistress of Moss Rose Castle.

While Louisa was absent from the
drawing room, Mr. Flongby amused
himself by looking at a book of photo-
graphs intended to represent members of
the Bloat family, those living and those
for several years dead.

• Well, really,' I fear you will think us
London bodies very rude, Mr. Flongby,'
said Louisa on her return.

• Not at all, not at all,' he replied.

' O dear me,' said she, * a chapter of
accidents seems to be happening at the
Castle to-day 'j there is another, (looking
h3f8terically at Mr. Flongby and then at
the likeness book). What a naughty
girl Caroline is to bring that old-fashioned
collecfion of family likenesses to the
drawing room.'

' Some of them, nevertheless, cleverly
executed. Miss Bloat, if I'm a judge,'
said Flongby. '

• Yes, of course,' she returned ; « Papa's
is quite life-like, and Uncle Frederick's
extremely natural,., but as for the others
they are complete failures. . You will
recognize none there I presume- but
Papa J the artist is to be here next week
and will produce, >I hope, something
worth noticing.'

Louisa then rang the bell, and, when
John appeared at the door to answei* the
summons, she ordered him to remove
that old photograph case— which Flongby
luul replaced on the stand — to the other
room, and to give instructions to £I)on
to exclude parlor propei;ty frpm Such a
chaste apartment as the drawing room

Some conversrttion ensued, in which
] ouisa skilfully discovered, much to her

satisfaction, that Flongby was in the
unmolested enjoyment of single life, but
was unable to learn either directly or
indirectly whether he ytm desirous of
eflecting a change for better or worse — ■
on this point he was unfathomable.

Just as jFlongby was about to enter
into a debate with Louisa on the right'
of the Empress Eugenie to originate and
lead the ever-changing fashions of the
feminine World, and thus claim the credit
of beautifying and adorning the ugliest
specimens in it, Theodore Bloat arrived
in his carriage ; and the little exdtement
consequent thereon, with the stowiiig
away of Flongby 's luggage, gave an ab-
rupt termination to the tete-a-tete between
the new guest and his accomplished co-
quette. As is sometimes customary in
the higher cireles in England^ Bloat ^ve
a party at the Castle on the Wedn^ay
following Flongby's arrival, in honor of
his superior visitor, aa Flongby was
termed in the written invitation. To
all those present on ^e evening of the
entertainment Flongby was of course an
entire stranger ; not so, however, in the
revqi-s^, for to him each member of the
party (with the exception of a few ladies)
was well known and their countenances
strangely familiar. After the party
broke up and Flongby had retired to his
room, John the butler was dispatched to
his door to say that Mr. Bloat hivMelf
(meaning Bloat, senr,,) was going to
town with a few of the gentlemen on
particular business — it was then about
midnight — and that he need not be
alarmed if he heard the watch-dog bark-
ing or the bell ringing at an irr^ular
hour ; in reply to which yigrv considerate
premonition Flongby assured the over-
seer of the pantry that he should endea-
vor to lie as composed as possible, and
have Iris nerves well braced if the still-
ness of the night was disturbed by such
significant wiirnings.

* Bloat doesn't know me^ — none of them
know me,' thcmght Flongby, as he un-
dressed himself in front of a large mirror
in the bedroom^ as if to scan his own

•■%i

'■|1

countcnaince and make improvements^ or
alterations therein if necessary. ♦ He's

• ■IS" » « ■»

f-i

ft*-'.

»;

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

•vV

gone to town on particular business with
a few of the gentlemen ; yes ? well, let
me turn that over. An unusual hour
for business surely — must be only a pre-
text for leaving his home and family at
midnight ; pity, pity, pity ! whivt a pity !
and such a fine family, educated and
inter^ting too. Business in town ! ah !
one that may yet bring him to the gallows
and the^etc gentlemen along with him.'

So thought Flongby ; and well he
might, but his thouglits wei-e sacred and
securely locked up in a discerning and
secretive mind.'

He continued to partake of Bloat's
hoi^pitalities for the succeeding two
wedks, during which time high enconi-
ums were passed on him by the members
and servants of the household, and in
fact by intimate visitors at the Castle for
his gentlemanly deportment and abun-
dant stock of information upon a great
variety of subjects.

A few pages back it was said that
young ladies who study flirtation think
they may amuse themselves by sporting
with the Hearts of singlb gentlemen, but
it is not with every g^tleman's heart
they can play, nor is it with all i^ch
hearts they desire to do so. This was
evidently the case with Louisa and
Flongby; his manner was so utterly
devoid of anything borderisg upoii affec-
tftion, his conduct at all tiiihes so gentle
aiitd ^itu^ul, and his general bearing so
remarkably wiping, that he appearecl
to destroy in her that silly love for co-
quetry for which she had become dis-
agreeably noted in-^her circle of friends.
If Flongby had been at all inclined* to
make advances of courtship to her, ho
would have found tnany facilities open
to him ; but even were he in search of a
wife while taking, a pleasure trip, and
had (jhat peculiar sensation called love
kindled in his bosom by the many at-
tractions of Moss RosQ Castle and its fair
ones, a single incident occurred dui-in^
his visit which was sufficient to extin-
guish every spark of true affection-and
attachment for Louisa that might other

wise have ripened into unifiiiitakable^
love ; and that was the haughtiness of
spirit a£e exhibited to poor Kitty Lang-

ton, who with a grateful honest heart
sent her the nosegay to the drawing
room, accompanied by her compliments
and re8[iects. It will be remembered
that after Louisa went to the kitchen to
reprove Kitty for her insolence, ahd John
for not having a greater regard for the
sanctity of the drawing rqpm, Kitty was
about to offer some explanation (perha[)s
an apology, too,) when she left the kit-
chen abt^iiptly, quite unlike the genuine
lady, and thus deprived the good' old
soul of assuring her t|iat it was intended
simply as a token of respect and grati-
tiulsi to her and her pa]ia. Now Mrs.
Hilks had received jiei-emptory orders
not to admit Kitty or any such appli-
cants to the Castle whenever visitoi-s of
distinction, such as Flongby, honored it
with their presence ; if she did so, dis-
missal woWld inevitably be the result —
rather a fevere penalty and loss, the
income beingj^re jnyuntls a-year. — Kitty
Langton was a widow, in very poor cir-
ciimstances, having no one to depend* '
u{)on for support but an only son, a lad ,
of nineteen, who was hii-^ to groom the
horses, keep the cows in order, and make
himself generally useful at Squire Bent's
— -a worthy gent|||unan of considerable
means, living narflby the widow's lowly
cottage. A few days befor^'ifie present
of the flowei^s was made to Louisa, this
only son, Sam, was taken sick with ' a
bad cold,' as some people call it, for want
of a better name, and was obliged to be
absentifrom hia accustomed employment
for many days.' It was while he was
tenderly nui'sed and cared for under the^
roof of a fond mot|ier, somewhat infirm
and ripening intb o^ age, that poor
Kitty went to Squire Bent's one day to
ask the good lady of the house for a little
jelly for Sam, who, she stated, was suf-
fering from a severe cough, and that she
feared it would settle (that is the cough)
upon his lungs, and that she was advised
to get some black-currant jelly by a
-jaeighbor woman, and that the neighbor
woman recommended Iier to go to Mrs.
Bent, who always kept a good supply on^

hand. Kitty, like most women of her
age and station, had the faculty of ooni-
municating to othera all she knew and

^''■4lf/>rtr^\'-

•fW

*.' f

.'♦ •'■«,*

V TT

HELP INi THE DISTANCE.

heard, and sometimes what she didn't
hoar, especially in regard to relieving
suffering humanity, so that before direct^
*ly stating the object of her visit to Mrs.,
Bent she prefaced her discourse upon^
coughs" and colds by alluding to j)oor
Sam's cough and cold*; and how she had
, heard a. good many speak of hon:ehound!
and a vast number of other remedies ;
until finally she dilated upon the loosen-
ing properties, of bkck-currant jelly in
cases exactly like Sam's ; and then, in
short, that she was advised to apply to
Lady Bent for a cupful of it. Mrs.
Bent, not desiring to discuss the wonder-
ful qualities of the jelly, but considering
that poor Sam, faithful Sam, had a sort
of claim upon her kindness as one of the
employees, immediately ' went to her
pantry and'^complied with Kitty's re-
quest—saying, |« she handed her the
jelly : i

♦You had better go into the back
garden, Kitty, and pick a few flowers to
take home to Sam; the maid will go
with yoUiajftdshew you what to gather.
Mary, come here and help old Kitty to
m|^e a nosegay. Give her some of that
verbena and a ANfig or two^of myrtle ;
th^ are very refreshing in aside room.'

After the nosegay was gonveyed to
Sam, together with the cupful of jelly,
he proposed to his mother that she
should go over that afternoon to Miss
Bloaiis and make her a pfesent of the
flowers, as he was sure they had none so
pretty in the Castle gardens, and tteit
may be Miss Louisa would offer her a
f(?w delicacies when she heard her only
son was sick and unable to work. — She
consented, and the reader already knows
what followed.

The day after the entertainment Mr.
Flongby stroll^ down the avenue as far
as the lodge, viewing every shrub and
tree as he walked slowly along, and
sometigie^ stopping to listen to the chat-
tering of young red birds on the smaller
branches of aged oaks, and the^ anthems
of the green linnet and thrush, or the
modest but enchanting wrn gs o f t h e

a concert in the avenue of Moss Rose
Castle, and invited her best songsters
and sweetest warblers to fill the fragrant
air with melody. As he walked towards
the gate Mrs. Ifilks was in the act of
opening it, when a decently-atitired old
woman, clean and tidy in appearance and
thoroughly English in accent, begged to
be allowed to see Miss Louisa or Miss
Isabella, if it was only at ihe lodge.

' Now you see yere, Missis L^ngton/
said Mrs. Hilks, • I haint ha going to
get myself hinto any more trouble with
you or your folk wat's a halways a oomin
to see the ^ees hat the big 'ouse.'
' ' I dean't wsmt to go there^ my gwood
woman,' answered Mrs. Langton ; I anly '
want to see one or t'other of 'em right
yere, or if you be so gwood as to take
a message for me, I'll remember you in
my prayers, so I will. 1 ain't li^e some
of them are common folk what knows
nothin m^iP dean't know how to behave
afore quality ; ^Ise got some lamin, so I
'as ; I be in trouble just npw or I
wouldn't a come a n%h the place,' and
Mrs. Langton,be£ter known as old Kitty,
then sobbed aloud. Her heart almost
broke at being thus repulsed, and, hur-
riedly fixing her cap-stiings, she buried
her face, deeply furrowed with a widow's
cares, in her soft attenuated hands, and
cried in a muffled tone, • Oh, my Sammy !
my poor dear Sammy ! — my only child.'
Flongby stood leaning against a young
poplar, his heart-strings were touched at
the old widow's grief, and as he was
fortunately possessed of a clear memory
of events he recognized the name ♦ Lang-
ton.' « Then this must be the same old
creature who came with the flowers,'
thought he ; « if so she shall see Louisa,
and the cause of her grief be disoovere|{}.'
Flongby, stepping towards her, said in
tones of genuine sympathy :

♦ What is the matter, poor woman ?
You seem troubled.' ^

Kitty, drying her eyes as hastily aii .
possible, turned and made her wonted
resp^ful curtsey..

* Plfi aH ft , s i r , I b6 in trouble . — My son

blackbird perched upon the high limbs
of the cypresses. Flongby listened, any
one would— it seemed as if nature held

Sammy, ray pnly^iihild, is a dying I fear,
and I wanted tgf see the ladees to get a
doctor foi* him;^ - ' _ ,

_•«-/«■ t , ;

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

• Well, 8<^y here #i»mute,' said Flong^
by, * and I'll go up, to the house and
plead for you.' .

When he went up the avenue, Mrs.
HilkS, in a whisiiermg confidetitial sort
of voice, encouraged Kitty with the cer-
tainty of her getting a juiss when. that
gentleman spoke to Miss Louisa.

• They say, (a very indefinite expres-
sion used by dame rumour,) that there'll
be ha match between 'im hand MiSs
Louisa,' said Mrs. Hilks ; * hahd you be
ha kind hof civil, hAnd ha very re8j)ectful,
hand 'e may 'elp yo^ some : now mind
wat I say.' .

While waiting for a dispatch from the
• big 'ouse ' in reference to Kitty's prayer

'foi" an interview with the young mistress,
Mrs. Hilks, conceiving she could exercise
Uie right of private judgment in regard
w her own house, invited Kitty to a

■ seat in the lodge.

Flongby, on his i"etum to the house,

V interceded with Louisa in behalf of old

' Kftty, wherieupon John was dis)>atched

. t<) the lodge with a ticket of admission

> fjr her to the hall of the Castle. V .

' . ' Your son is dying, then, reaWy' dying,

Kitiy T said Louisa, who was now set off

in full afternoon costume and in waiting

for the carriage to convey her to the city

upon some special busineSs connected

with the Small Bonnet and- Crinoline

Abolition Socifety. ' If you think he is

/ not likely to recover, why-^-per — haps I

may call at Dr. Kike's when, I go to

London this ^temoon, -and ' fequest him

to see the bo^, if it is convenient.; "tliat

is, if he has no urgent case on hand«

, Kitty. Dr. Rijce is our family physician,

'^ anl for this reason no doubt he will ,at-.

tend promptly to all calls coming from

UieC^tle.' - / ,

- While the old widow reljited to Louisa*

the sufferings of the dying l)oy, and h<>w

her only means of support was al>Qut to

be.'snatched from ber by the iprael hand

and reflected its pale grim visage upon
those hollow cheeks and sunken eyeballs,
she remained silent and unmQved. If
sympathy existed at all, it laid dormant
in the heart of Louisa Bloat. Who can
listen to a widow's gi-ief ? who can hear
her choking sobs 1 wh9 can w^tch those
great tears trickling down her sadful
face, until it was bathed in dew-drops
from a fond parent's heart, and no' sym-
pathy be awakened, no kind words
spoken, no looks of pity giyjsaa', and no
oflers made to soothe or to heal a broken
spirit 1 Hearts stiff, rigid and cold as
an iceberg, and poisoned with that in-
toxicating passion, pride, are unmelted
and unmoyed by such tales of grief as
Kitty Ijangton told in the hall of Moss
Rose Castle. Loujsa, unless she was a
complete network of deception, was the
possessor of just such a heart as this y,
and thus she listened and looked, but
felt none of the stingings of pity nor of
the promptingsto aid the distres^.

Kitty Langton retun>ed home with
the faint hope that if Dr. Rike' should
be good enough to find it his convenience
to visit her Sammy, there might still be
some chance of recovery. Ix)ui8a was
actuated by the idea that, if there did
not exist a single ray- of hope in. his
case, Dr. Rike ought very properly be
called on, out of due regard to a rule of
polite ceremony,' that persons of acknow-
ledged respectability, or those in whom
they interested theniselveswith charita-
ble intentions, should call a physician just
in time to close the eyes of the dying.
Kitty formed different opinions in the
matteh She thought that the hand or
the look of a doctor, D»rhether of Dr. Rike
or any other member of the healing per-
suasion, was enough toSvprk mii-acles on
a consumptive patient, like her poor
Sammy, even if it toas-at the eleventh
hour. Consequently she watched all
that evening at the little front window
of her humble cottage, in eager -expocta-'
tion of the Dr.'s arrival. She spent-
some hours in making busy preparations
for the important evpnt> as it .would be

of Death, which for several days pl*§vi6us
had hovci*ed round the eraaciato^ form,

the first time in her life that ever such -a
dignified personage as a doctor honored

-•^'«,<-^)OT;

' I '. '

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

Age upon
. eyeballs,
[►ved. If

dormant
Who can

can hear
ktch those
er sadful
lew-drops
I no sym-
d words
\, and no
1 a broken
i cold as
I that in-
unmelted
: grief as

of Moss
he was a
, was the
; as this J
>ked, but
ty nor of
•cMlbd.
jme with
^' should
tivenienco
ht still be
ouisa was
there did
pe in. his
operly be
a rule of
•f acknow-
in whom
h charita-
sicianjust
he dying,
ns in the
i hand or
•Dr. Hike
saiing per-
liracles on

her poor
3 eleventh
itched all
t window
r -expecta-*
3he spent-
eparations
.would be

her lowly ^welling with his presence —
provided ' he cunie ; getting everything
into itH projior place tliat was alway.H out
of it befoiv, making several intprove-
i|(ient8 in the bod-hangingH, putting on
elean heA linen borrowed from good Mra.
Bent in a case of such emergency, wash-
ing several necessary urtick^s of house-
hold furniture that -never would have felt
soap and water if it had not Ixjeu for this
cleaning outer cleaning up ; shifting the
l)edsjt4<a(l on whicli the patient lay to such
jK)sitious as in her judgment, each time
it was , moved, was most likely to hide
the crippled Ipokifjg posts, and other
(I&tigureuieiits too ntimerous to mention,
fi-om tlie pi-aetised eye of a ^ntleman
like Dr. Rike ; tind coveiing an old deal
table, that was never covered l)efoi'e,
with a clean linen cloth, on whiph was
laid a dusty bible and an old family
cookery book. *' .

^t length' Dr. Rike arrivetl, and was
'i(iiet at the gaixlen wicket by old Kitty
with a reverential coui-teay. The patient
wasf minutely "examined by the doctor's
soft' tender hand in the region of the
lungs, where the disease, from prominent
syuiptoms, was supjwsed to exist. After
sundry well-direeted knocks with sharp
knucklei), followed by a few gentle taps
with finger ends all over the chest of
jKior Sam, the physician shook his head,
(quite an "omnious prdceetUng before
giving an opinion,) and compressed his
lips, (another intended to betoken pro-
found wisdom). A few questions were
puttol^itty by the (toctor, relative to
the length of time her son had been an
invalid ; then he held down his head,
and, shaking it violently, as' if his bmin
was haunted with unplesisant thoughts,
and adopted this experiment to clear
" thqm from, his mind, sJiid to Kitty : .

• My good woman, yoiir son is in, a
loyr state, very low indeed — in a gallopR.'
ing consum[)tion ; , Jungs' gone,' ^entirely
gone ; the ta»se is hopeless. 'Ifear I can
do ndithing.'

* Nothing, sir V ^aid Kitty, repeating
thfe yord. _1 »

So saying he Oilled for a ihju, ink »ui[tl
pajier, which Kitty very thoughtfidly
hiwl placed in retuliness ujton'aslielf, and'
wrete what apjjeared to be a spe^mon of
handwriting in the Malay or Japanese
language, but which was desigiiatetl by
liini a latin prescription for the apothe-
cary. , r

Uy. Rike was a favorite amongst nmhy,
4iud much esteemcnl, on account of his
wonderful success, noit ii} saving fife, but
ii) building up a most luci-ativo pi-actiee, .
which he acquired-^people whispered it
amongst themselves — by that valuable '
agent called tact He was everybody's
friend and nobody's "enemy. ; . and he pos-
' sessed the remarkable faculty of discover-
ing that every case he was requested to
attend, when other' brothera of the art
had been putting their skill to the test,
was' beyond the reach of his magic hand,
and that, if hjB hpd only been employed
in time, he doubtless could have battled
with death and disease and prolonged
many a. valuable life. In addition to
this he was giftetl with such acciirate
professional knowledge that all p^tie^ts
under his care who were quite lOcely %6
live, ,'when other i)eople thou^t not,
were pronounoed to be on the verge of
the gi"ave, and that the only salvation "
from being dbposited in the churoh-ys»d
was to follow his instructions without
any deviation^ whatever, ^ As a natural'
consequence, that class of Dr. Hike's
patients always recov&red, (so he termed
. it, and so they actually believed,) and
thus he won the cdnfidence of many, and
established the enviable reputation of
'an extraordinary clever man.'

Samuel Langton had vcme to the con-
clusion that he was to shuffle off his
moi'tal coil ei*e many days elapsed, ^for
Dr. Rike "said m, and whatever he said
must be true.-^ So, fearing that his
widowetl mother might be thrown upon
the . tender mercies of a poorhous^ or
some other charita,ble . institution, for
maintenance, he called her to the Inside
that night, ,after.the doctor's first visit,
and" in , a low tremulous vpice thu s a d —

■#-

iversuch-a
r honored

. ' Well;' it's not in my power to do
much, nia'am,'" i-eturned the doctor, ' but
,1 shall cfo fill I carij l>e assured.'

dressed the weeping pai-ent :
j '"^ ' Mother, there's no use anyhow ik
gitting nio med-cine. I aia't sick in my .;

'■5 \-

s- »»"•.' '•r.V

, .. :, .v-;*^^j|._^^i-,-^' ,„ .

HEtr IN THE DISTANCE.

body, mother — it's Hiuiitliiu* worae, a deal
woi-se than that ; but whon I'm goiiw
you shan't want, dear niothor — mind,
you slmn't want; and I'ra a-going to tell
you soniethin', but yoU must hover wiy
nuthin' to nolxxly alwut it. I've got
sonte money hid away in a little tin-box
right at the foot of the Squire's potato(!
lield. I've a-counted on it so oftjin th;it
1 know jest wh,at ort to be there, iind
there's exactly twenty jwunds, mother
JSo you go in the morning to wher"
say, and bring it along with you.'

Kitty, knowing tluit jtei-SDUS at th<^
point of death are oft*;n luumted with
strange delusions and become dreamy in
thought, imagined that the story which
poor Sam reflated about the ^iioiiey in a
tjn box was indicatiN e x)f his approacliihg
dissolution'; and therefore, with the
heart-rendhig exclamation of,

' Oh ! Sammy's a-'goihg now, he's a
' raving ! an' it's me wat will soon go arter
'im. Oh Sammy ISamj^iy ! !' she wrung
her hands like a maniac and nished over
to Mrs. Hilks's to alaiin her of the sad
■eV;pnt, and get the good gate-keeper's
.wife, if - iK>8sible, to aocompany her to
Sam's death-bed scene. /

MtSy Hilks being, unable to leave
without permisdon fftom the authorities
at Uie * big 'ouae,' ran hastily up to the
CM^le,a^ in breathless agitation solenm-
ly declared .to the servants in the kitchen
that Sammy Langton was a-dying for
certain, and that Kitty ran over for her ;
and ihat, she couldn't leave the lodge
afore Miss Louisa or Miss Isabella or the
Master himself — if he was home — would
consent to it. On application' to Louisa
{her father was alwent in the city on-
important business,) consent was given
to Mrs. Hilks to accompany Kitty, and
Ellen, the waiting-maid, was sent to kwq)
the gate during her absence at the
•• wi<low'8, (John, the butler, was absent
.on a courting expedition).

Flohgby was much atfcEMJhed to walk.s
or roams tJiirough the meadoyjs, and he
was just returning fi-om one of these

met the two women at a few yaixlafro"^
BloatV gaW; ; JIiu Hilks travtiUing at a
speed Ix'tween a dog, trot and a canter,
and fe itty in the rear hobbling along lu* «
iH'st she could, (she was rheunmtic for
years. (Flongby, j-ecognizing Mrs. Hilks,
st«pi>wi to enquire the cause of her exit
from her jiost so swiftly and s\uldenly;
iuid Mi-K. Hilks." identifying Flongby,
also stopped and replied to his enquiiV'';
wherouiMjii he offered to go back ."and
ascei-tain the condition of the jKwr wid-
ow's .son, so that all necessar/ assistance
slioulil be rendere<l in sjich a time of
n«!d. This act or oW'v.v of Flongby im-
modiatelv brought showers of IdeHHiiigS
ujKui his head from lx)th Kitty and Mi-s.
Hilks, ii;^a«n}uch as it was Hnanimously
agreed- it was so liumble and so kind for
any gentleman visiting at the Castle to
condescend to feel- for poor peojde's
trouble iik*e as Mr. Flongby did. When
Kitty returned home, in conqmny with
Flongby and Mrs. Hilks, Sam was still
itlive and likely to Ije for some time ; it
was evident, hoWver. that ihe mind was
iHOi-e disturbed than when relating the ^
stoiy of the hidden money to Ins sorrow-
ing mother, arising no doubt from the
circumstiince of her disbelief in his stiite-
meiit and the attributing thereof- to the
mental delusions prengionitory of death.
Mrs. Hilks, on looking steadfastly at
Sam, suggested that probably he would
die or get better at twelve o'clock, or ' the
turn of the night,' as she considered that
hour was criticaj^i long sickness, and
sure to bring a change for better or
Worse. At all events, if he was her. sou,
she would sit by the bedside and watch
him closely till twelve o'clock ; and, if
he didn't die then,- Kitty might make
her mind easy for twenty-four houi^
more. After giving utterance to these
sapient admonitions sJie recommended
Kitty to apply a little vinegar and water
to Sam's head, whenever he began to
speak of the money in the tin box — ^that
such an admimble remotly would cool the
fever of his brain and have the-astonish-

quiet wanderings, after the sun had gone
down low in the west and the faint light
\^f a young moon was beginning to 1>e
perceptible in a cloudless sky, when he

ing effect of ' making him die e asy.

Flongby endeavored to con.sole-the
widow })y expressing the l>elief that the
lad was not so near liis departure as she

■: ■ . ■■ ' ■.■■ ^:l3ii,. .. 'v - ~" ■.•...

n-iPry:

ilKLP IN THE UliiTANCE.

ling Ht a
* cant«n",
along iiH «
natic for
m. HilkK,
her exit
i\i<Ulenly',
Flongl.y,
enquiijw;
)ack ^an<l
K)or wid-
iHHiatance

time of
iigl)y im-
1)leHHiiigS
and Mi-8.
.niniouHly
I kind for
Castle to

people's
. When
any with
■was still
time ; it
nund was
ating the ^
is sonfow-
froni tho
> his'state-
of- to; tlie
of death.
Ifastly at
he would
sk, or ' the
lered that
ness, and
better or
IS her son,
,nd watch
; ; and, if
L^t make
3ur hours
; to these
mimended .
and water
l)egan to
box — ^that
Id cool the
j-astonish-

c asy.

insole • the
if that the
biVre as she

was 1«m1 to suppose fi-om any incoherent
stjitemtHits ^ made about the hiding of
nioiiey in a cei'tain spot, as he was often
jjrt'sent at dying scenes. , -

' The l>oy ,au*y bo asserting the ti'utli,'
said Flongby7^ ■* Who knows Imt oven
out of his scanty earnings he. was trying
to save something for you ?' addnissing
Kitty, 'and wanted to suii)rise yon at a
future day. You hatl better go in the
moining to the place he has descnl>ed,
or if su])ei'stitiou8 notions should prevent
you from doing so, /shall l)e very happy
to go in search of the box he spoke of.
Your case is hard, my poor woman ; n,nd
any favor that I can tlo for you shall not
be overlooked.'

-^ Kitty after, raining down innumerable
blessings u{)On her kind visitor, tluuiked
him and pi-oraised to direct him to the
foot of Squire Bent's potato field, when
he cam(! tlie hiixt morning. Flongby
then returned to the Castle, "

The next morning Flongby went to
Widow Lanjjtbn's, without having ccan-
municated to any of the Bloat family a
single item connected with his visit to
the sick boy on the preceding night, nor
his intention to institute a search for the
nibney at the time in questiob. Jiist as
he anticipated, he found IV^i-s. Hilkl^
predictions were unfulfilled in reference
to the astoiiishihg change in Sam, for
bettelr or worse, at * the tuni of the
night.' The night certainly turnejtl at
the pi'oper time, bvit Sam's disease —
whatever it might be—did not seem to
be governed by the mysteriaus law of
periodicity, and therefore changed hot ;
tor tlwre he lay in the same prostrate
state, yith the same ghastly look that
Flongby noticed on his fii-st visit, the
evening before. "^

' He'll cheat death yet,' said an old
man who. had come to see the sick youth,
and .who sat at the bedside as Flongby
entered the cottage. Tt w as S quire

favor from tho marked attention Sam
always bestowed upon the old gentleman
when enq)loyeil at the phice.

' I'm an old man, str.mger,' Jie observctl
to Flongby, ' and liave soen'lnany iK!Oj)le
— ay, scores of 'em ! — die, and die hard,
mark you, and some fine and eesy ; but
1 toll you, stranger, that ar child (turn-
ing to Sam) will cheat dc^ith this time
anyhow. What is he but a young plant,
that's l>eon^ badly nourished when fii-st
he sprouttnl- ? — not sap enough, you
undei-stand, from the parent tree to
make him grow into manhood, where he
ought to 1)0 long ago. Care and mora
bloOil's what the child wants.'
"' Tlie doctor.sjuis his lungs ai-e gone,'
intt'rj)oted Kitty, who stoo<l at the tire-
place and listenetl atttmtivery, so as to
c»itch every word tlmt fell like priceless
pearls of wisdom from the old man^s
lips.

' T^e doctor to the mischief!' retujued
he ; ' you people what's always foUeripg
arter the doctors, and a-putting all the
litlle faith ye ever had in whatever thfey
tell ye, will be a humbugged when w^e
doan't think ou't, Kitty — that's as true
as sunshine.'

When the old man left, Flongby dre>v
near to the l)edside, and in accents of
kindness questioned Sam upon the subject
of the treaiiure hidden in the tin box.
The statement he made to his mother on
the previous night was simply reiterated
to Flongby, who; fro^l the unhesitating
manner in which the patient spoke,
believed he uttered facts, improbable as
they might ap])ear,, and opined that he
was in full possession of his mentjal
faculties, in all due deference to the
wisdom of Kitty ov Mi-s." Hilks. Ac-
conliiigly, upon a detailed description
Uung procured from Sam as to the exact
sj)ot in thife ])otato tield, Fldngby wended
his way thither, through fields and many
iiigged pathways. Ar living there, he
proceeded to look aviongst some half-
decayed stalks and loose piles of bmsh
at the lower extremity of the ground,
wherei^i grew a luxuriant ci-op of the

ci-op

■ -tl

. /.

Bent's father, who at t^ie advanced age
of eighty-seven resided with his son, and
was somewhat pi-epossessed in the lad's

favorite esculent, when lo ! beneath .the
carious remains of a fallen tree, with
some pieces of wilted moss thrown loosely

HELP [N THE DrSTANCK.

over it, ho diHcovoretl aii^)l<l tin l»ox, at
one tinu^ tiH«<l ovi«leutly mh a iiKuchaut'K
moii«y holder, Imt through hjiig Hojr\iw
had become dinged and denude«l of itw
glosHy coat of _i«pan.

■ ' This,' thought he, 'luuHt be the verit-
able box that ix)or Sam ho minutely deH-
crilied.' From itw weight Flongbyjutlg«Kl
that it contained notuHthint/, \vlieth»?r
valuable or not wjih a uuittur of uncer-
taiutv ; but wlieu shaken, so tm to ancer-
tain if the contcntH were of a solid .sub-
stance or not, that familiar and agreeable
tinkling sound of coin was omitttnl wliich
to Flongby was suiticient evidence that
Sam had also de[>OHcd to the truth in that
part of his statement concerning the
twenty |)ounds ; and fairly concludetl
that the danger of the boy's death was
not -so eminent as one would be inductkl
to supjx)se from the exaggerated, or
i-ather supqi-stitious, ideas of his irtother,
aided and al)etted by the gate-keej^er's
wife. The l)Ox wiis insecurely fastened
by means of a piece of coitl tied tightly
around it. Now, as Flongby's curiosity
■was naturally exciteil to ascertain the
precise sjMJcies of coin it qontainetl, and
that such a justifiable desire could easily
be satisfitKl without leading to any sus-
picion that the box was ojKined ami con-
tents explored, he repaiiW to a secluded
spot in a neighboring field, and sitting
down on a graasy mound untied the coitl
and raised the lid.

• Good H-eavens !' exclaimed he, almost
bewildei'ed with astonishment, ' what is
this 1 — ;the lx)X thret* ]>ai'ta full of gold
and bank bills ! Hilly, innocent Sam !
little you know of money or tlie counting
of it'

Flongby then looking round in every
direction as if to see wliether any pei-son
approached or wtvs in sight in the ailjoin-
ing meadows, omjitied the money upon
the short gi-as-s, so as to count it and

replace it in the l)ox as he
the bottom of the lx>x was
gi-aved, the chances

did

so.
a name en-
were, some years

ago, for most of the letters were so badly
defaced that it was almost impossible to
decipher them all with tht; turketl eye.
Flongby, conceiving that a magnifying

glass of considerabh* jM^wer would render
assistance to the eye under such <lifticul- «
ties, brought one, which was always an
api>eudage to his |K)ckot, imme<liately '
into "se, an<l after getting it at a suitable
focus examined the half-oblitomt«<l lot-
tors.

' Can it 1)0 a di-eam, or is it the con-
juring up of future n-velations to an
anxious mind ujjset with surpiise V
thought Floygby, >is he rew\ • Midd s x
K nk. K49. No. 11.' Sovenvlofthe
lettoin wore totally unintelligible, but
others sufiiciently distinct through tho
glaws (to Flongby's mind at least,) to
admit of drawing the inference that tho
name wjvs no other than ' Middlesex
Bank.' The figure intei-voning 1 and 4
>)eing entirely enised, he naturally con-
jectttred it was originally 8, which, if
the sxipposition he correct, would give
the year 1849, in which the box pirobably
l)ecame 'the pTO|>erty of the Bank.—
Flongby countetl and re-countetl the
money as he sat paralyzed with».amaze-
ment on the grassy mound.

' Another 'link,' 'reflected he, iis he
'l^sindled the. clean glossy bills, payable at
the Middltssex Bank according to the
usual fonii with which everyone is, or
oxight to be, familiar. Twenties, forties,
fifties, hundretls,^ — a thousand pounds in
I)aper was re-dej)osited by Flongby in the
old cash box and still more to be counted
over. Again twenties, fifties, and Inin-
dretls more were consigned to their
shabby, dinged, denudetl resting i)lace,
until the total amount of 1868^. ds.
passed through the tine-pointed fingei-s
of the guest of Moss Rose Castle. ' The
very exact amount to a shilling,' muttered
Flongby to himself jw he closeil the lid
and re-tied it with the cc*<l. So this is
Sam's tmmtti poimds !' he began to con-
sider, y ' Foolish youth ! no dotiV>t he's
the duiKj of some seoiuuh'el of ri])er years.
Not a monuint nmst l»e lost ; i'll htisten
back to the cOttage and reach the bottom
of this mystery ; and, if I can fathom it
there., enongh's done.'

On his returning to Kitty Langton's,
Sam's dull heavy eyes s])arkled, as the
Viox wiis laid on the old deal table, and

,ft^

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

I (lifticul- {
wayH an
»o<liiitoly '
b Huitabln
ntwl lot-

tlio con-
iiH to an
urpnHo V
[idd H X
nvl of the
[tble, Init
>ugh tho
eaot,) to
that the
luldlcsox
; 1 and 4
ally con-
which, if
mid give
probably
Bank—
iiU%\ the
hj^aniaze-

M, ilfi ho
layablo at
g to the
me is, or
!B, forties,
pounds in
;by in tlic
e counted
and luin-

to their
ng ])lace,
868A C."*.
xi tingera
le. ' The
'muttered
»l the lid
So this is
m to con-
loubt he's
L]>er years,
i'll hiisten
he bottom

fathom it

.-X

tlu) widow overjoytul buret into tears and
in the zenith of her oQBtasy Hho\it(Hi,

' Praifw) be to Ood fot" thin ar' {tfCHent
to a jioor widow.' v'

* I found the l>ox, Sam;' said Plongby,
'just where you said, and I su|>{h)hu we
had better oi>en itr and seethatit'ii all
right.' . ' . >

Sam, in a weak, tremulous ^i^pice, con-
Hontei to the projiosition. The (Counting
process was then, again hurriedly and
iprinally gonq through with, a'nd ^k(^.8\im
total declared to Sam without the slight-
est symptom of suq)rise being manifi^ted
by flongby.

• You see,' observed he to Sam, * that
you're richer than you thought, but you
could never have learned to calculate
con-ectly ; in that box there's nearly a
humlred times twenty ; and as I have
ti^ken the trouble of getting it for your
moth<?r, according to your request, in ctwe
anything should Ifappei^ to you, my l)oy,
and feel much jnterestetl in yo»ir case,
allow me to ask you how and where did
you come by so much money 1'

* I'm glad you asked mQ, sir,' replied
Sam, ' for that's wat's a-preying on my
miud and a-putting me jjito this yere
awful bad state.'

• I can believe you, my poor boy,' re-
marked Flongby, ' and I'm certain you'll
improve quickly after you relieve your
mind of an uneasy burden. Come now,
Mra. Langton, draw up your chair and
pay attention to what Sam's going to
say.'

The febrile excitement conseqi^ent upon
the disclosure of so much nwney being
hidden by Sam, and the effmt to be tis
straightforward as the case would admit
of in rendering an accoimt to Floiiigby ,
produced a troublesgpe fit of coughing
in the harmless j|bth, which al)ate<l
however in the courae of a few minutes
imder the marvellous influence of a dose
of black-currant jelly, which relieved it
so much that Sam, after seveml attempts
to clear his throat, wIm able to proceed
with the history of the money ; and

gathering new strength — physical at
least— drew himself up in the bed and
gazed vacantly at Flongby, occasionally
glancing pityfully at his mother. "

* Almut two months agone, sir,' said
the lad, ' I was a-coniin' haum from the
Stpiirc's just at nightfall, and when I was
close on a g\m-shot from this yore cot-
tage a gen'ieman came a-<lrivin' up tho
roiul at a great s]>eed ; and when he
otme up to that there big stone wat lies
right on the rotul-side a-fronting the
white gate of the Scpiire's pasture Held,
ho upset, sir ; the carriage turned a-clean
over and the gen'ieman wat was a-<lriving
wtis pitched square into the ditch right
l>ack of the stone. He deedn't seem
a-mauch hurt, for he got straight up sir ;
but so soon as he was a-foot he wam't
able to stand. I said to myself, that
gen'ieman be drunk, he be tipsy, and
that's just wy he's a-upset. He got into
the cairiage again and turnetl round his
horse to go down the road. Well, as I,
was a-going to tell you, I came right
haum and slept yere till mornin'. I was
'bliged to be up at four o'clock^ sir, or
some hioi-nins a little sooner ; but the
next moi-nin', as I say, I was Srgoing
back to the Squire's to look arter the
cows, and jaust as I was a-going up to
the big wite gate 1 saw that ar very
same tin box, with the bo4^m up'ards,
a-lying right near the ditch. I toipk it
up, and when I got inside the gate I took
the string ott'and looked in it ; I mvf of
coui-se it was money wat wa^ in it, and
I counted on it. I was a-never very
good at calculation : you see^ sir, the
l)oys round here dean't knowmuch aboot
'rithmetic or sauch like, 'cause they ain't
sent reg'lar to school ; and I thought
N^hem/^as aboot twenty i^unds in it.
Well, sir, as I was argoing to tell you —
I raaust speak the truth — I thought mo
and my poor mother a-needed the money,
and Vhen 1 didn't steal it from anybody,
but jaust picked . it up a-right on the
road as if it was put in my way, I hid it
away, where you found it, sir. Axiid
when I got so sick, and the cloc,t6r A-gaye
me up for death, I jaust told the old
woman that I laid some money away at
the foot of the potato field ; thatt's how; I

Srr

came by that there money,

Sam, after giving the par^culars of the
case to Flongby, requested tis mother to
administer another dose of the jeliy^'in a

Langton's,
xl, as the
tublo, and

*3K-

""**!r'»

-^ -? ^'^' 7*r-5S^ »

■^fc j» |- VT^ 1 ^'■^'-^r!

'*^^ ■^'wf^^tfvssr^ft'^

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

iittlo colli wattif, that ho luigiit In) m-
frenluHl thei-ewitli ; lUi tiio dobilitatfld
Htatti of iiiiiul ami iKMly |)|()«1ii(:<nI Horu«
norvouH oxoiteinutit aftor |uuch H|Muikiri^.

' Well, Ham,' wud Flonghy, 'you know
onou)(h to lio awani that it'H uot i/otirH.
It may ite> truo that you did not get that
money dwhonoHtly, hut winomlKir that it
Indon^ to Homo one oIho, and that you
have no rij^ht whatovoi' to claim a Hhil-
ling in the 1k)X.' ' ^

' That'H jauttt wat's a ti"oul>ling on me,
sir,' returned Sam ; • and I was Boiry
aftorwarils that I didn't leave the box
right in the same place again.'-

♦ Now, Sam,' continued Flonghy, and
drawing up his chair closer to the l>etl-

jauHt hi<l it awtur ho ah my mother would
know nothing of wat 1 found on the
ixHul ; iMtciiUHo if I told her, Rir, nhe
would have talked it all over the neigh-
lH)rh(MNl, aii<l HO I never Hiiid nothing to
her until the doctor Hiiid I was ti-going
to die.*

* Yoti Hhall cot i»ito no ti-ofthle, my
l>oy,' r(>|)li(!d Klonghy. ' T«i|l <n'(»rything
you know concorning the g<»ntleman who
was thrown out of hin cjtrriagfi ;' uover
mind whetluir Iio'h tliQ owner of thift
money or not,-- -that nuitter can l>e eiuiily
aHcertaino<l. Tell me the truth-and no-
thing but the truth, Sam ; and if your
information^ [)rovoH of material value
hereafter you will l»e entitleil to the

Bide, ' if you can give me a descriiition handHonto Hum of t>vo hutulred and fifty

of that gentleman whom you Haw dfive
up the roatf in the carriage and upnet at
the big stone near your niaHter's jMHture
gate, or if yoti actually know who he'
^Ivas, and tell his name to me, you Hhall
be well rewaixled.'

Sam evidently conceived that tlje
matter was now aHsuming a serious tis-
„pect ; he renmined profoundly silent for
the space of ten minutes, at the expira-
tion of which time he demanded another
sip of the jelly water to moisten his
parched lips, and was on the eve of
returning to th% subject when a messen-
ger from Squire Bent's came to enquire
as to Sam's bodily health that morning,
and thus for a short interval interrupted
him in proceeding to enlighten Flongby,
— who by-the-by seemed strangely con-
cerned in the history of the hidden box,
—upon points pf such vital importance.

♦ If I should tell you who the gen'le-
man w;a8 wat fell out of the carriage,'
said Sam to Flongby, after the messenger
from-^uire Bent's had l^ft the cottage,
*I moight get into trouble about the
money ; for I think 'twas him wait owns
it, because the box you^'bee a-laid right
close onto the big stone, where the car-
riage ' upsei, ' and I thought every day
he -would ar<x)me around the Squire's to
know if anybody a^found it. — He deedn't

]>oun(lH through me, which in much liettor
than twnUy, you know.'.

Tliere was Homething so earnest in
Flongby's denifninor, mingled with a
restUiHS deaiixi to receive Sam's replies to
Hucli ntomontoiiH ipiastionH, that even the
simple-minded youth himself olwervetl it,
and apfjeareil to Ikj mystified by the pi-os-
jmct of l)ecoming heir to 250/. This
circumstance alone dispelled all fears
from his mind of prosecution. by law for
the offence of kee[)ing secretly what ho
coidd not claim as his own.

* Supposing I dean't live long enough,
sir, to get so much money, how woidd it
l>e then?' returned Sam.

' Yoiu" mo'tlier will l>e secured in that
amotint by me, in the event of. yoiir
death before circumstances of importtincn
t'-anspire,' observed Flongby.

' Well, if I ain't very much mistaken,
sir,' continued Sam, ' 'twas the gen'loman
of the Castle where you be visiting— Mr.
Bloat, wat's at a bank in the big city.'.

' What ! Mr. Bloat of Moss Rose
Castle over the way?' ejaculated Mr.
Flongby, affecting much sui-prise. ' Now
be careful, Sam, in givifig your opinion
in an affair of so much delicacy, l)ecause
remember you said that gentleman, was
unaWe to stand without support when
ho.roBe from the ground ; in other words,

never come, sir, nor nobody said nothing
aboiit that there box of money wat 1
counted as bean twenty pounds ; so I
i^ought 'twas no harm to keep it, and I

you firmly believed he was tipsy. I'
merely wish to bring that Httlj^ item of
the imfoi:1;iinate accident at thi^ big stone
to your recollection. Mr. Bloat is a

HELPIN'TItK DISTANCE.

highly rtwpoctiihh) inuii you know, 8aiii,
ho Ih a amtUtnan; and wo gonotiilly
conMidor that no Kontlonian would ovor
|Munnit hiuiMoM' to U? nrnw driving furi-
ously along HurNiliijtmty'^ highway in
Huch a Htato iih yous^ipniHent Mr. Bloat
t*) have been u|K)u that moniomhlo oc-
canion.'

' Woll, but you Raid I must toll you
nothing Init the truth,' itunark^nl Sam ;
' an«l 1 can alwayH truHt niymilf to do
that.' '

' Yen, yoH, and 1 liopo yoti wiU my

^Iwy.'Haid Flongby ; 'hut soinotimea wo

BiMMik nwhly, and' without due reflection,

»fnd therefore I suggested to you to 1hi

canjful, I)ecau8e it is quite possible you

■ nuiy 1x5 niistjiken or deceived in the per-

Hon.you saiw fall from the carriage. Now,

■once for all, ar^ you positive — do you

feel cei-tain that it wiis Mr. Blojit (the

ohl goutleman I allude^,) you sjxw, on

that evoning, upset near Squire Bent's

{Histure gate?'

' Indeed, sir, I am,' replieil Sam, ' as
sure of ^hut as much as anything -ever I
WJ18 in my life.' . .

Wliatever Flongby's object mighihave
l>oeu in J)rying so closely into the ait^n-
turos of the old tin l)ox aud the pai-tidl^-
lars of the upset by furious driving, etc.,
the last reply by Sam to the pointed
enquiry just quoted seemed quite con-
clusive to him, ami at the same time
1 furnished to him fresh food for reflection.
. Early in thQ.aftemdon of the same day
Flongby went to London by a road not
much frequented, and after remaining in
city a couple of hours, probaHy awaiting
the arrival of the western mails in ex-
pectation of receiving jettere from friends ;
returned, to the^^tle by*he evening
coach iufhich passed by that way. The
following day Flongby held a sliort in-
tervieyir with Sam, during which- he
adopted the precautionary measure of
lussuring the lad that unless the finding
of the box containing so much value was
kQpt a profound secret by him and his
— mother, the 250/. would not b o forth-

moHt intimate

their li|Mi even to the
f'iend in the noighlMrluKxI. True it ill
that Mi-H. Hilks, the gate-koeiwr's wife,
—by nature a garrulous specimen of the
fiiir sex,— hiul hojinl someiliing of the
b;)y's ravings (so she was Iwl to believe)
of the tin Ik>x and the twenty jHUindK
therein contiuiuid ; but, not dtHMning the
ci'XMiinstfinceof iwiy importance, with the
rtxception of thn probability that puch
oc(uirr<Mu.'es of inooheitincy wei-e ominous
of the thread of life Ijoihg shortly cut,
she subsequently passed it by unnoUcecl
and unconununicated. Not long after
Bloat'li^return to tlio Castle on the even-
ing of the day in question Flongby, with
many sincere (?) avowals of everhisling
fu^ndship juidexpitsssions of gratefulness
<or the ho8pita)i1<ies extended to him dur-
ing his very agreeable sojourn at Moss
Rose Cjuitle; took leave of Mr. Bloat and
tWe attnictions of his residence ; and as a
parting tokan of regard ami siKJcial atten-
tion by his Fashionable host was dtivon,
'"Rfi'tJi" included, in the carria<;e by John,
the bittler, to the Pall Mall Hotel.

In a soft-cttshioncfl, higl^Twickod chair
thore wit with Tolded arms, head bent,
aryfl chin envelope<l in an abundance of
snowrwhito linen shirt frills resting upon
the bosom, in the outer ofKce of the
Middlesex" Bank, at the hour of eleven
^'clock forenoon, on,, the day after Flong-
/by's departure from the Castle, Theodore
Bloat, thoughtfully gazing at a shef^'of
closely-niled naper with *a variety of
printed headings under which the res-
pective blanl/s were to be filled in by
handwriting. He looked long and stead-
fjustly at the sheet, not liecause he never
saw it l)efore, nor that the writing therein
to l)e executed demanded such intensity
of reflection, but because it hap[>ened to
be the most conspicuous object to his
view at the time. If anything else had
chanced to meet his fixed gaze just- at
that particular moment his e yes would

■^-i

^ . s?!

coming ; whereupon promises without
number -were tendered to him by both
Kitty ahtl her son, that not a sentence
or syllabic regarding it' shaj^^escajM)

ho doubt 1)0 as firmly rivetted as they
certainly were upon the sheet of bank
oli^e paper. While bq thus brooded
over the document in question— of which

■/■^

-■'J.Mi&,-

»¥3^^

^i^O-^ifK «^^

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

thoro were hoiiio five hundrwl w\mm oti
n high Hhelf in th« wiino office— :oflej of
th« IWik iiu!H««iiKeni iuliiiittiNl into liiH
pruHonct! » wi-tjiin iiulividual wIiohc
oountunanco w»ih Hlightly fainiliftr to
Bloat ; mion th«i entry of tliiB \w\-m\\,
and the ani>ounc«niont by th«i nH^HmniKiir
that ho (l<JHiml to Bjwak to Mr. iMoat,
the nmnagiir of tho iJ.ink i»iin«vliat«ly
i-ouwhI hiniKdlf or ci}uw out of the hwwii-
•OHt of hi-own HtiMli«»j«, and aoknowlcMlKod
the i>i-ef«)i>cG of the vihitor hy a f«M«l»h)
inclination of tho head, Kcarc«dy \)erc^i-
tiblw to any ono atHictwl with lihort-
gightodnoHS.

•A reward ha.^ >M!«n oflTorod hy thin
Bank/ coinnicncwd tho individual, wlio,
without hiuch cereniony, broached the
nature of his biiHinosH with BUnit, ♦ for
Buch infonnatioji as may U»ul to the ai>-
prchouHion and conviction of the jwrson
or iHJrsons guilty of the late roblxefy at
this Dank ; and ivs I have Huch infomia-
tion now in my poBBeHHion I come to
claim tho amount offered, of courHe by
fumiRhing ftetiRfactoi-y pi-oof that tlie
acttial perpetnitor ha« be«n clearly ti-aced
thi-ough information of the most reliable

naturi.'

' The Bank,' returned Bloat, ' will not
upon ani conHidemtion give the rewanl
offered liLtil the guilt of the |jei-son or
persona accused is duly establiKheil in a
Court of Assize. Then and only then
can the demand l>o matlo uj^n this Bank
acooi-<Ung to the terms maile known to
the public*

•True, indeed,' said the individiial ;
« your i-eaaons for refusal are unobjec-
tiolhable ; init in claiming the amount of
500/. I did not deuiand it from you at
this juncture in certain revelations con-
nected with the affair. Bf.ut I deem it
judicious, notwithstanding, to make my-
self known to you as a -claimant.'

« Pray, sir,' said Bloat, *upon what
authority do yon come here to lay a claim
which can only be satisfied by us at a
future time, if the charge against the

person accused, as I before said, should
be fully substantiated and a conviction
secured 7 No matter how reliable your
information may be, you are exceetling
pi-ematui e. Your wuntenance is a little

familiar to mo ; I'll Uike a note of your
call— -what in the name V

• Nathaniel Hollyhock, dettjctivo offt-
cor B division ; that, air, is mv nanui.
And I rejBfit't to wiy,' continued Holly-
hock, ttiking a oarefully-fohlwl pie<sn of
{Hiruhment with largo fleals of rod wax
attiu;h(Nl fix)ni hiM bifMst {HK^ket, ' that I
am (MHiMi here for another puri»oHe liesidoB
that wlii(!h I havr juHt statetl, and much
more seriiiuH t«M>.* p

• More meriuiM f retunuxl Bloat. • All
inde(Hl ! what may it Im*, if yoii ai-e pnv
|iare«l to tell % The l>ank threivtened with
further dtiproihitions, eh f

« No, sir,' nq»lie<l tho detective,. * no-
thing of that kind. It in hnmilirtting to
nu5 to l»e compelled to do my duty in
mmw, cjises — this is one of them. Necjw-
sity has no law, however, «uul justico
demands it. Upon this warrant,' coii-
tinuf^l Hollyhock, oi>ening it and exjios-
ing th« official fonn inside, at the same
time advancing towanls Bloat and [dacing
his hand ujk»n Tha<i^lore's left shouhler,
'I arrest you for the robl»ery of tho
Middlesex Bank, wijnmitteil seven weeks
ago. You'll please" lose no time in ac-
companing me to the projKsr (juarttir.'

• .VtV /' said Bloat, i-isijjg from \m easy
chair .an»l placing both hands over his
left breast as if to 'lull the heart that
jialpitatotl thei^ and bounde<l — yes ! and
would, if it were |)088ible, have leiiped
through his very ribs for fi-oedorn — ' *»V,
I say, leave n»y office ; you come here
under false pretences. Ymi a detective
offifeor and come to insult me ! Remem-
ber whom you address ; l)car in niind
whose presence you are in, sir.'

Bloat then pulled the bell-repe, au<l in
a moment a messenger answered tho
summons, and was coldly oitlered, in
conjunction with the i)orter, to ' remove
this insolent i)erson from the Bank, if
he does not leave immediately of his own
accoixl.' The me»ienger, who was inferior
in size to Hollyhock, was about to obey
his orders, when the latter, evidently
onjoyipg tho s cene of Blo a t's trep i d a tion .

with

noce

depii

his «,

" that

vain

caui

into

hell

the

for

and

ing

lligl

Bio

trac

off<«

oft

w«*

con

cha

H«

aco

apii

vie

. thn

• thr

kn<

ofi

ing

ant

tht

' Bl(

tlu

tin

ial

cle

tin

8t<

. dc

quietly and confidentially advised tho
subordinate to retire to his own depart-
ment and attend to his own business ;
and that, if he persisted in intecfering

"W/'

ne m ac-

I {iiH ejwy '„
over hiB
mri that
yoH ! and
e letifKHl

ime here

Jetective

Remem-

itl»tion,

UVA.V IN TIIK DISTANCE.

with him, he wouhl b© uiulMr th« iMunfuI
nuajwiity of «l»!|>«>HitinK him in a Mi;uilui'
(loiHU-tiuont to tlm functionary now in
hiH cuMto4ly. Tlu) MinHW!ng«ir, coutunving
that <liHt!i«ti«)n wuh tim IxitttM" i«irt of
valor, an<l Unng non-phiHstHJ lui to the
dume 9f tlio nnnpuH, riiHhwl wilUly out
into tii« corridor anil critxl hwtily for
liell>, ClerlcM HjinuiK from tlunr H«aU« at
th»i counting tahloH, ch««iU(iH pniHcfittul
for paymisnt woro thn>wn «l«>wn ha«tily
and th« applicantH for money loft stand-
ing outHi(h), in utter nHtoniHhnuint at the
flight of tlie officiula itiHido. At length
IJloat'H ortico iMicamo the centre of at-
traction ; htit no further re»iHt»nce wjih
ort"ered to Hollyhock, wKo at thiA 8t«igo
of the pi-ooeedftUgs Wiw fully recognized
hy many # iho clerks, «md if the truth
w»iH known l>y Bloat hiinwaf, from former
comrMunimtion with the deUictive in the
charge? (Mefeinred against the ill-fated
HiArman Ablwtt.

Hollyhock conducts his priBoner to
How street, and provides him with the
accommodations of the 'same iron-bound
apartment that Abbott, t\w unhappy
victim of his venom, recently occupied ,
thM' intelligence of the arrest dash^
• through the city, and startles not a few
knots of well-tlressed citizens, and grtwips
of ill-looking idlers might bo seen stand-
ing in the vicinity of newspai^r offices
and reading rooms, engjvged in discussing
tho probability and improliabihty of
Bloat iKiing the thief, or i-evelling over
the' fact of his arrest— thinking it sevvo<l
thrf 'gouty old knave ' right, and that it
was a just retrilnition for bringing a
false accusation against ^n imiocejit
clerk. Communications were opened
with Moss Rose Castle, relative to the
unfortunate event, on the receipt of
which Louiwa went into \uicontrollable
hysterics Hwl well-marked attacks of
iiijixred pryie altenmtely ; Is»ilKaia went
to" her Mlroom and wept bitterly ; the -
younger memV)er8 ,of the fanuly stocnl
stock s till a nd l amented aa Inist they

pluntp turkey to roast until helpleiwly
cimn-ud and blacken««l ; Kllen, tho wait-
ing maid, tritnl to feel as ImmI aH the rest,
but couhl not s«pieeze out a single tear,
fur whenever she api>li«Hl her hjuidker
chi<»f t«> tin* w)mer of her eye a nu)ist
Hp«it could ne'er \m seen U|H)n the cam-
bric ; an«I Mi-s. Hilks, in tho immensity
of h«!r' st)ul, opinwl that the maKt4(r must,
have emwnii's of the most inveUiratw
H|M)ci«5H— in fact tho thought of such a
thing would jiositively drive her niad,
unless she diligently niiwle ajiplication of
vinegar and watisr to the temples until
the oxtitoinent was abated.

. '> " » '>■

knew how ; "Johji, the butler, sat in the
hall and boo-hoo-ed convulsively long
and loud even to hoai-seness ; the cook
deserted ihe kitchen, and allowed a. fat

The investigation into tho grave charge
against no less a |>orsonago than Theotloro
BloHt, Esq., Manager of the Middles(»x ^_
Bunk, commenced before the Lord Mayor
at Bow sti-eet, the d«;y after the arrest
was mft<le by Hollyhock, and was con-
ducted with closed doors, in ortlor that
tho ends of justice— so the. authorities
mii,l__Hlu)uld nbt l>e fi-ustmted ; ^nd it
might \h^ a<lde<l, with proj.riety, in onter
that Mr. Bloats feelings should not 1)0
harrow«Ml and wounded by the uncompli-
niontary expressions of opinion in such
a crowd of ill-tongued 8i)ectatora as
usually frequent that well-known court,
des]>ite the efforts of police and staff of
officials. After an luljounimont of the
case from day to day, for the sjjace of a^
whole woflk, it was announced that n
Theodore Bloat, Esq., was fully commit-
ted for trial at tho ensuing Assizes upon
the astounding charge of conveying away
stealthily, and delilnirately applying to
liis own i«ivate use, 1868/. (is., wib
amount contained in tho safe bofoi'e
alluaoii to, and the property of tho Mid-
dlesex Bank. Bloat, l)e it said, protested
his innocence before His Worship the
Lord Mayoi-, and. endeavored in the most
di^iified manner imaginable to shew tlie
utter absurdity of such a charge against

/. •

* -

' n

■ X

X ^

4->

„ person of his elevated position and
exemplary moral rectitude. Sul)wquent
to his committal application wA«- ipade
to the Lord Mayor t6 lulmit the prisoner

><■

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

to bail ; it was (irmly i-efusetl, however,
upon the ground that, if the i-eqnest was
granted, meanH might in all probability
1)6 U8ed to cover certain naked facts ngly
and humiliating to such a gentleman us
Mr. BUwit. Therefoi-e he laid in dumnce
vile for the porio<l of two months.

TheCourtof Assize then opened, Chief
Baron Periwinkle jjresiding, an<l the
Loixl Chief Justice occasionally m'aking
his apjieamnctV on the bench when lie
had nothing more im]>ortant to attend
to: Upon the third day of the sitting^

• Bloat's case was called, when the coui-t
liouse was filled to sutibcation ; the
spacious corridoi-s wp«d blocketl with

. crowds of men and boys, pressing and
forcing their way to tlie jmblic entries to
the ooui"t, and beseeching the police
officeitt in charge of the doors to permit ,
them to obtain even a foothold inside.
Solicitors and their briefs, barristers with
wi^, and ix)bed in black gowns, and law

• office clerks carrying copies of suits with
pens behind their ears, seemed restless
upon theip seats, and might be seen going
to and fi'O from the court room into tlie
long passages leading to the street, at

: least thirty times in the hour. Tlie more
highly £aivoi'edcitizen|i were alio we<l, from
intimacy with some one high in authori-
-. ty, to take a seat in clo.se proxiriiity to
the judge's throne. The indictment 13
now read over, and the prisoner puts in
a plea of innocence, as might very natu-
rally be expected. Mr. Anthony Vipson,
who figured conspicuously as the able
advocate of Harman Abbott, appears as
counsel for the pi-osecution, and with

r peculiar feelings of delight, which he

.could scai-cely fin<Wwonls to express,

, opens the case for tfie crown.

lay it plesLse your Ijordshii) and
gentlemen of the jury,*^ said he, ' the
prisoner at the b?ir stands charged with
a felonious act, and in the opinion of
all respectable peoi)le a very ungentle-
manly one too, to say the least of it,
namely, that of appropriating to his own
iise, lor an intention to do so, that which
his Wn conscience — provided he ever
ny — told him was not his own ; by

living from the iK)Hition he held there,
in' a cowardly clandestine manner (calle<l
in the wowls of the indictment felonious
stejiling,) ,a large sum of money, the
proj^i-ty of the Middlesex Bank. Cast
your , eyes, 1 pray you, gentlemen, to-
wards tl)e dock ; scan ((very feature of
the unfortimate man, and say whether
you think a person of his gen|pel exte-
rior, his towering aspect and dignified
manner, although his {wsition is now de-
giuded, ^would or could possibly be guilty
of the crime. Allow me as you take a
bii-d's-eye view of the prisoner to antici-
[Mite your judgment on that point, by
saying that probably you would answer
me in the negative ; but alas ! gentle-
men, how deceptive is human nature,
and how full is it of subtlety and guile.
Were we to judge every fallen son of
Adam by his fine looks and his polished
demeanor, how sadly mistaken we would
be. I do not wish to poison your minds
nor t6 pi-ejudice you in the least agaiinst
the accused, before the evidence is ad-
duced for the crown and the defence, but
I hold it to be my boimden duty to state
to the Qourt, in opening the case, that
the fact of he who stands now at a crimi-
nal's post, endeavored to manufacture a
similar charge to that which is preferred
against' himself, not many months ago,
in the case of a late clerk in the Bank —
a ti-uly innocent man — without jone iota
of evidence to support Tiis accusations,
caniMt but militate Against him in your
minds. Crime is committed, gentlemen,
in iiine cases out of ten, clandestinely,
and at times with I'emarkable skill aijd
cunning ; the process of its detectioi} is
8)aionymous ; it must needs be conduct-
ed privily, and with well-devised plans,
otherwise that invaluable class of |)ublic
servants, called detectives, would Im>
totally unsuccessful in the jliscoverios
they make, which lus they become known
to us day after day make us '* freeze with
horror.'"* The prisoner is a man who
you will fincl, from the evidence given,
is like unto counterfeit coin ; his anter
cedents wih prove that to demonstration.
If w e are to giv e cred e nc e to th e vitness -

difi

conveying away from the very establish-
ment! which gav(> him a ftishionable

es who are here to bear testimony on
iK'half of the crown We are lH)und, we

.' .1 '

'W^

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

47.

are compelled, I Bay, gehtlemeji, to con-
Hitler him a bogus member in the ranks
of those who are singularly esteemecl for
integrity, high social standing and moral
worth. With them he aimed to inter-
communicate ; but in the name of all
that is pure, holy and just, I assert that
from henceforth, even should he leave
that dock acquitted of the crime of , theft
(robbery it cannot be defined,) his pre-
sence will be shunned by evqry right-
minded man — yea he of a clean spirit
will shrink back from his leprous touch.'

The first witness called was Nathaniel
Hollyhock, examined by Mr. Vipson.

' It was strongly suspected by our
department, after the investigation at
B(jw street into the charge against Ab-
i)ott, that the prisoner was the actutU
perpetrator of the robl)ery purporting Axt
be committed at the Bank by forcible
cnti-ance into the outer ofiice. I was
duly instnicted to sift the case ; from
enquiry as to habits, found he was much
addi^d to gambling ; discovered his
favorite haunts for this purpose, then
liecame a gambler myself at the expense
of the government ; fornisd an intimacy
with " an illustrious card player " named
Albert Chook ; professed undying love
— brotherly of course — for that gentle-
mnlh, and finally entered into partnership
with him at -GIO Chizzle street, fifth
story, where we were accommodated with
respectable furnished lo<lgings ; my name
thei-e was Ned Spry. Met the prisoner
at our lodgings ; recognize him distinctly
as " the elderly gentleman ;" know him
to have lost heavily night after night ;
he was always flush of si)ecie. A few
weeks elapsed and I dissolved partnership
with Chook ; conceived it expedient to

ieave the city to reci-uit my health ; went
ihei-efore to the desirable residence of
the piisoner upon a sjiecial introduction ;
was known there as Thomsis Flongby ;
must say I' enjoyed myself to peifection,
partook of all the deliaicit^ that Moss
Rose Castle could afford, made love to
the young ladies, and in fact felt as if I
was transported to a perfect little para-
dise

hock's evidence, changed from color to
color until all those of the rainbow were
admirably represented, and in a suffoca-
tive tone blandly asked the turnkey in
charge for a chair, (his own easy chair,
softly cushioned, would Kav^ been a rich
ti"eat now.) Examination continued :

The Chief Baron—* Did you make any
discoveries concerning the guilt of the
prisoner in the charge contained in the
indictment, by disguising yourself in the >
manner you describe 1 That's the point '
we wish to come to.'

' Yes, my Lord,' replied Hollyhock. %

Vipson, after watching His Lordship'»
countenance intently for a moment while
he was taking notes of the case, so as to
calculate the exact quantity of what the
Irish call blarney that the learned judgo-
was ca{Mtble of receiving and holding
.also, Said: " ,

* Your decisions, my Lord, are always
based on the most profound wisdom, and
your judgments upon all occasions meet
the approbation of tevery, intelligent
member of the bar. I am prepai-ed to
bow to your Lordship's opinicms ; but in
all due deference to the high and lofty
position . your Lordship holds in the
realm, and the distinguishecf^ reputation
you have as an able and learned expound-
er of law, I mnst humbly beg that the
witness, with the permission of your
Loi-dship, be allowecl to proceed with a
detailed history of the various plans he
saw fit to adopt in the detection of the
prisoner's crime, and the resiilts -^hioh
followed.'

His Lordship, (evidently tickled with
Vipson's high-soundingpraises) — 'Thank
you, Mr. Vipson, thank you. I'm much
indebted for such valuable compliments,
but would prefer that ypu should bo
more sparing of them in future ; if not
the large stock you appear to be in pos-
session of may get exhaustetl. Not quite
so heavy at <yiie time, you know, Mr.
Vipson, that's what I mean. In refer-
ence to the detailed history which you
desire to get from the witness, I conceive
it to be totally unnecessary ; it cannot
assist th e jiiry in e stablishing a point,

Tlie prisoner, at this stage of Holly-

nor is it of sufficient value to prolong the

•*:

# ° ' ■ , * *

.'^# ■■

HELP IN THE DISTANCHJ.

package wmpiHSil in lieiivy brown paiMii-
and Healed at tlie ends, from th,o lloor of
the witness-box.

The HcalH wore bi*oken by the Clerk of
the- Crown to whom the package was
liandedj and the box with contents ex-

the

time of the Court ; so I think we
better come at once to the nature of the
developments consequent uiwn the skil-
ful plftUB of the officer.*

Vipson— * My object, my Lonl, in

making the suggestion to the Court was ,

to shew that no undue advanfaige w,i8 pose* to the view of the Coui-t^

fciken to secure the reward offered by the, His Lordshii>-* Did you count

Bank ' money f

Tlie Judge— ' Yes, bujt that has no Witness— ' 1 did, my Lord.'

coilnection ^Wtth the guilt or innocent, The Clerk of tha Cwn wa« onleml

S the prisoner. Tlie deteptive systen. by the Jmlge t« a^eit^un the amount
has its evils, an'd is in »a»»ft respects con- | contame*} m the box.
dlnatory;however,in^c««elikethi8,it \ ' 1868Z. 6.,' said that functionary, in

cannot oi)erate to overthrow actual facts, a very audible tona • w,

3wed^Uie hnith is given.' The Chief Baron then exammod the

^Hollyhock's evident i-esumed. ' box both inside and out, and expressed

Vipin— ' Will you state V> the Court the opinion that it was exceedingly unlike

the revelations in this ca.se i-esultingfi-oni
the plans you devised while under dis-
guise 1'

Witn^s—' Cannot say that I made
any revelations in that way.'

Vipson — ' In what way then/

Witness— ' Accidentally, I niay say,
^hile disguised.'

iVipson — ' Oh, yon mejui to say that
youdiscovered what you did not exi>ect
— by cl^nce I pre.sutae.'

Hollyhwk— ' Just so.*
t Vipson-M^What were the accidental
revelations ?* \^ >»

Witness — * ThefiruHng of the nunmf,
the precise amounKof which the Baiik
was 'deficient.*

His Lordshii>— ' Th>\^iulhig of the
money did I undei-stand ybw to say T

Hollyh<x5kT^' Yes, my LoinL the find-
ing of the money ; liiat 'was 1% most
important of my accidental discov^es.'

Thefirulhtg of tits iiwney, mut^r^
the counsel for the defence ; tlie JUvlin^

''tff.A

'■%

a ma
kiiov
xhil
va

H^H^xhil
' force

Imnkable property.

A juror — ' Are you cei-toin you found
the money in that box ?

Witness — « Decidedly I am.'

Vipson — ' Do you suppose, from the
detective faculty you are gifted with, that
this tinbox belongs to tlie Middlesex
Bank?'

'I do.'

Vipson — ' Give your reasons for sup-

l)osiiig so.*

' I can give some excellent reasons,
sir. The name is eru/raved (it the liottom
of the box ; a few of the letters are bad-
ly defaced, but yet there is the ruwie.'

Vipson now looks into the em])ty box,
the Chief Bai-on follows suit, aii<l the
jury eagerly long for a i>eep ; but judge,
jury and learned counsel fail to decipher
the name or the year.

HpUyhock was amused at such wise-

■ acres being so completely baflied, so he

came to their assistance with his jjocket

glass, which convinced them, after much

xne counsel loi vnt; ucn^^v.^ , w.". ./-• — -TT glass, whicn convmcwi wiein, witci iiii.i.n
of themmey, ran in ar suppresseil tone %^inking ajid shutting of one eye, then

through the crowd

,VilJ8on— ' Turn to the jury ami state

how and where the money was found.'

Hollyhock — ' Found it in a |)ot^\to

field, the property, I think, of a Squire

Bent, a short distance front the i)risoner's

^country seat.'

' Vip s on — ' What cont a ined it ?'

tlie other, or sometimes l»dth by mistake,
that the inscription >vas- without doubt
• the na^ie of the' Bank with the year in
which it was made ^H well as the numl)er.
Chief B^ron— ' Did you know the box
of money wais in the field you spoke of?
I mean, did you go in searoh of it from

infoi-mation you received, or did you find
it entirely by accident 1 You will I hoiK)
V»e precise on this point.*

Sii

ci"edi

the I

)mrti

robb

♦1

indu
mon1
aaot
may

but :

scry

tl>«l
cion

l>elin

whei

eriqii

thlt);

< -^

at tl
furu
a no

, 'Tl
sma]
'attir
gran
state
defir

Witness — * An old tin box ; and here's
the article, money and 4ill,' said he,
stooping down aad lifting a medium-sized

sttvm
elbj'

.-■X^

l'^-,

I llooi- of

Clerk of
age wti8
pents bx-

)unt the

onloi-e*!
amount

inary, in

inod tho
(X])ro88od
;ly unlike

ou found

from tho
vith, that
liddlesex <

■<iV

I for sujv

; reasons,
le l)ottom
B aie bad-
mwie.'
n])ty box,
, aiid the
but judge,
) decipher

uch wise-
ed, Bo he
lis jKHiket
ifter much
eye, then
y mistake,
oxit doubt
le year in
le numl)er.

»w the box
spoke of 1
[)f it from
id you fi nd
will I ho\K)

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

'«• * f r \\. f

* I went in search df it, my Lotxl, from
information I ifioeived.'

The Awitness then stated the means by
-which he obtained clue of the hitUlen
lx)X, which it is not rtecessary to it?j)eat at
this jKiint of the narrative, as the reader
has been ali-eady made familuu'.witlTthe
chain of circumsttmces cmftiected there-
with.

Crosfi -'examinetl by Sir ' fVCatthew

, Ilooklebunk, thQ^jminsel for tli^ defence,

a man of no me^n talent, who- "was well

known to have tli.Q fjiculty of giving public

xhibitions of it to the liest [lossible

vantage.
You are emjdoye<l in the detective

sir, I believe.*

'Yes.'

Sir Matthew - * And considerkl a-:
ci"editiible officer, I apprehend V

'That is my hope and tnisb.' ]

Sir Matthew — ' You have sworn that
the pris(mer wiis susi>ected by your do-
imrtment after he accused Abliott pf the
robliery V

♦I have.'

"- Why were such suspicions aroused V

His Tx>r«lship, picking his teeth after
indulging in a Siuidwich in the ' i-efresh-
nient room, and smacking his lips for
another dose of clai-et-—' The witness
may answer the question if he chooses,
but 1 CiUinut ride a reply to be compul-
sory. It is not essential to know mht/
^he {M}lice authorities fprmed the suspi-
cion ; they employ cei-tain machiiieiy in
l>ehalf of justice aud produce the work
when completed ^ we have no need to
♦squire into the intricsicies of their plots.'

Sir Mathew lM)wed, and, dealing his
throat, pi-oceedetl :

* You told us you became a gambler
at the expense of the country and rente<l
fiirnisheil lodgings in conjunction with
a notoriously bad charsicter, did you not'?'

'I did.'

The court was now distiirl)ed by a
small msin, with large whiskei-s, stylishly
'attiretl, and occupying a seat near the
grand jury box, getting into a deplorable
state of excitement^ — fi"enzy it might be
define.!^— suddenly starting from Itis seitt,

cular table at which Sir Matthew Hook-' *^
lebunk stood ; then, in spite «f repeated
Tjries of ' onler, order,' shook a fist of
rather formidable dimensions hi the face
of the leame«l baronet, and in Mtentorian
ton<s declared that Sir Matthew, hatj
iittei-oii )^ most infamous falsehood—
whereupon the vahits and constables of
the court advanced t« take him in cub-- ,
to<ly for, so doing ami for so unparalleletl
a breach of the j^eoce in a British Court ^
of Assize. ^ ' "* :

'Jhe pei-son who thus insulted the dig-
nity of Her Majesty's tribunal was, to
the conii^)iete Vicyirilderment of a niun1>er .'
of the sjMjctatoi-s, i-ecognized its no other
than one of the chief directore of the
Middl(*sexJgAik, Sydney <J!luxall, Esq.
Ah the^rf^wdes were aliout to handle -^
Mr. ClI^pHwith anything but smooth-
ness, SirMatthew IRibklebunk .oitlered
them to desist, and His Lordship mildly
enqiiiled of Mr. Cluxall what he meant ^^
by giving such an exhibttion in the pu^
gilistic art l)efore the Queen's Bench, as
the unijpilonalde one which was just
l>ehcld at an uncomfort«ble distanc'eirom
tlie learned counsel's nasal organ,'

' He haJi stated, my Lord, that I, even
T, am a notoriously bad chai-acter, but I
say it— well, my Loixl, I admit I am
excited--! did it to catch the villain,'
(cries of ' oi-der,') i>ointing to the prison-
er ; ' yes, for the sake of justice 1 woih)
a blackguard's garb.'

' Hush, Mr. Cluxall ; never mind —
nothing more now; compose -yourself,'
said Hollyhock, lesming over the frpnt
of the witness 1k>x, and tossing.his head
in a conciliatory style. Vii;-

Sir Matthew Hooklebunk. came to the
• conch^sion that a commission of lunacy
wouhl l>e requiml to fcike care of Mi'.
Cluxall's affaii^, and that an asylum
would be the most appropriate place to
take care of Mr, Cluxall's pei-son. The
Chief liaron was disposetl to believe that
Mr. Cluxall was in all prolmbility 'three
sheets in the wind,' and in all posnibtlUy
/tmr. Some thought one thing, some
another, while many kn<^w not* what to

"."■■*

» i

'-^

' ^

, - » ^ ll

' S-t"'^

"A.

'.J^

H'',
M

--*^J

sttvmping his feet and unceremoniously
elb jwiiig hia way t3W.irds th.; s 'ini-cii -

think. Hollyhock, however, solved tho
pi-oblem.

-i&a

t V''

1 '--'

to-

U.J '

>^ 1 •

i, ,

HELP IN- THE DISTAl^CE.

♦Tfie Court I Lope will eartusd the
gentleman/ said the detective, w]\o was
still on the witness box, ' for his strange
conduct, his position is peculiar and hQ
happened to wj^ine into the court somewhat
—well, iny liord, there'* no doubt he's
very much exoitcdn^but aa the matter is,
exposed" I may as well inform the Court
that he is ^he gambler to whom, t alluded.
He Was my,;partner at (JhiMlc St»,imd
assumed the name o£, Albert Chook. The
gentleman pWd his p^Vt well ; he offered
to doisb. ' He it was who first cora'munica
ted 1^8 suspicions to 'our department, and
uponthiom we aoted!. I suppose he imagined
Sir Mathew Hooklebunk was aware of the
ph)t, and used lurong language i^inten-^

tionally. *

V Cross-examination was then resumed,

after the * Storm liad abated.' ,. - , ,

.. Sit Matthew— 'Welt, 1^88 about to
put sOi^ questions to you Concerning your
adventures at thfr, furnished lodgings, but
ill consequence of what has just occurred I.
Have changed my mind. That you found
money in that box may be true, and (hat
the box is the property 'of the Bank tnay
be equally , true, but are you in a position
to tell the jury on your, solemn with, that
the prisoner verily and truly had thrft box
in his possession with 'the contents inf the ^
vicinity of the sick boy's cottage, after the^^
charge of burglary was preferred against^
Abbott f ,

"The witness was about to reply, when
Vipson rose to object to the question of his
teamed friend and the gallant knight His
liordship beinjf appealed to,. ruled that Sir
Matthew should adhere to facts already
stated by t|ie witness.

•' Vipson— 'I- shall inform 'the gallant
knight that other witnesses will depose to
the facts he alludes to; he will thcnliave
on opportunity of displaying his entangling

powers.'

The next witness called was" the sick
boy, Samuel Langton, who by the time
trial came off v^as quite convalescertt, in
open violation of the sentence of death
passed by Kitty and Dr. Rikel His evi-
dence in substance was similar to. ,the
— v oluntary statement made to Hollyhock ,

of the defence. The third witness was a
man who now appears to the reader as a
^ew character— a gardener who happened
to be standing .>clo.'«e by the scene of the ac-
cident, or gather the upset a t the big Stomj;
on the night in question. So soon as the-
inteihgence'Of the prisoner's arrest reached
him he madp hiinfifilf known to the police,
but it is Extremely doubtful whether much ,
reliance can be j^lacod upon his evidcncp,
esp"oially when ho gets into the clutches •
of Sir Matthew Hooklebunk,, upon cross- ^
^examination.'. ' .

Jonas Criff, swo!*n — examined by
Vipson.

''Live about 200 yards from Squire
' Bent's residence. Rerafenibet,the night of
the upset the lad, Sam Langton spoken 'of,
was going home at t^e time. Had been
in as ♦far as the Cit^. • Saw the carriagu
turn over; identified Mr. Bloat as being
in the carriage.

CroB^examinedV by Sir Matthew —
'Which fide of the road didjrou wall? op?' .
* ' Neither side.'
Sir Matthew — ^Neither nilc, that's

strange?' *

' Why, no 8ir, if aint strange,, for 1 .
walked in the middle.' ,

Sir Matthew— • Was the moon shining ?' ,

'Some.' - ^

'How much?', .

'Can't say, didn't measure it.l

'What quarter was it in? first or second?' ,'

' What quarter I t think it looked to be
right over the big elms opposit*? the
Sqjiire's gate.' * i"

'No; you don't understand Tne— how
oZrf was the moon ?! , • /

'Well now, Sir, you puzzle mo— I never
saw the register of its birth— I really thipk
if I knew the age of the mn I could tell
you, V

' How do you know it was the prisoner
that was upset that night at the pasture
gate?'

' Because I looked straighfat him.'

' W here was h^ when you first saw him ?'

* Trying Co get up.' * ;^ / '-
' Trying to get up— in what way?'

• W i th his hands and feet.'

alias Flongby, and not much to be elicited
from ht«i upon cross examination in favour

* With his hands and feet, eh ? how was
hQ trying to rise with his feet?' j

vkim'' - -'>

: -. ■■. •"

f ■

• V ^ ,'

» was a

ider as a

appenod
f theao-

ig fttonii;
a as .the

, reached

e pdlioo,
er much ,

jvidencp,

clutches •

on cross-
*

ined by

I Squire
anight of ;
K)ken 'pf,
lad been

.1 ■

carriagi!
as being

itthcw — ,

waHfop?' .>

c, that'fJ .

gc^forl. '.

•c -. .

t ■'

■.<«*''S

<f ■

shining

r second ?\
tkcd to be
08116? the

tne— how

(— I never

tally thifik

could tell

c prisoner
he pasture

him.'
saw him?'

i^ayf

•■^

"»t

HELP IN- THE DISTANCE.

51*

■ ' I-

/ ' By endeavouring to get them into the
' natural position.'

The Chief Baron liaving a public dinner
.to atteqd in honor of the committee ap-
. pointed to obtain, pure fresh water for the

Cityi iotorruptei Sir Matthew's cross-^
'Questioning, by adjourning the Court until

the following moVping. |-

- The cross-examination of the ganlener,
Jonas Criff, was resumed by Sir Matthew
HcM)kiehunk ujton the next day ; after
wjiich m^ny other witnesses testified to
all they ,kiiew concci*niiig tlie^ovil^.quali-

- ti(i8 of the prisoner, and. this closed the
ciise for the crown. ' ... •

POr the defence the first witness* called

was Mr. Timothy Twizzle, a character

who took a^prominent.part in the pro-

■ "cetdings related in the l^rst few chapters

■•o( the narrative. »', "„ ,' -..

' Sir Mijjtthew Hoofl^hunk-I-^* TJou are

a.i»rofessionHl man, I tipIieveT

'Twirale^* YouSnay terpvm'e sotif j^ou

'?*clioosfi ; I^n an. e>(-n^e'rAb'er of tl»« Imr.'

Sir %atttiew,^-' po y6u fe^ioW, the

of human, nature are comings to a high
8ta:te of p^rfectioa in th^ present d^,
jtherefore you are dubious- even of him
who wears .ahgelic looks and robes of
white 1' . "

' Exac%^ ; those nre my sentiments to
4 fet^r.' "^^-v ' * ^ ,v

> J3ut you'iiaj^n't 8J\id in what respect
youfAmd.himundesimble in biisiness.*
' ' His Xiordship i» singularly adhesive
in matterrof fact ; and. when I state that
•any reply I might malsO t(o"y,eur question
would have \no bearing whatever upon
the c»ipQ in pohvt,. I presUrite the Court
will not exftfet anything, further on that
■portiori of my evidence.. I should regret
iixiick t» occupy the time of. his Lordship
i\jid .^e'jury, for in 6rder to reply satis-
factorily to the enquiry. Sir Ma^ew, I
fear that pur eyes would get heavy^.and
^\^\^ stqM Softly o'er the whole tribunal,
before I concluded.' .^

After a number of other questionshad
been put to; -and answered by, the wit-
ness, tending to shew that the prisbnej-
wtus quite intoxicated on»'the evening in
, .qu6stjon," Mr. Twizzlewas further ex-

*'»a

prison* r I Have yOu any.iicqusuutance

, with ,mm 1' \. *•, » ^ • _+- . . .

Twizzlo— ' Yoi^' IJcnow himj but have ~fttninlStl as follows V—r^
no desire to improve oHr'''acq»lairitance.' ' Sir Matthew-—' H

'-Chief Baro|t-7::' No>^,' Mr. T^iz^ile,
keep to^ftciS^'if you.pJe»»se ; the last part
of your answer tb'tljp iearne'd counsel ^s
Kupei-fluQus,'' > • '*i ,

.The witness tuBned towairts the bench
ami hodtled assent. , - ^

' In what capacity did he first 'become
known to you.' ■ " - ' . ■

* As manager of tSie^ Middlesex BaVik.
. I transacted some business with h^ oc-

casionally, by virtue of his office.' Aji

* Did you not always find hirtj^to ne
everything desirable as a business man 1'

' No, I cannot conscientiously say I.

' How so, sir ? Was -he not stmight-
forward— cpnect, in monetary majAg;? *'

* Oh, well, *it was impossible • fuS^jm.
to be oth^i'wisc witb me. "J am never
disposed to ^yp any'man credit, if I onay
be allowed thfe term, for honesty or m-
tesrritv, until I have seen him tested
thovofor.

How long did you
remain at Bowie's that night 1'

^ Untii;a little after nine.* x

'Did ,the prisoner leave before you
andTipshottf ' • ' v "

■ ^'No } h^.was unable to move without
-ftsSistance.'^

' " Can you say how he went honie ]'
,' In his carriage,'
'Did you see him.get into hLs carrif^o V
'Idid.' ' ' - /, ^ '

. ♦ Did you see the* box* produced, in tlie
ca,rrtage when you stood by arid helped
hirii to get in?' .
.^_ 'I-didnot.' , ' -; '

' Did you observe anything on the seat
or the floor oT the carriage in, the shape
jii a package, parcel or buiidle !'

_^'-No:" ' / .' ' .,

, 'Did you see anything of the kind
with him or about his person, when in
the .billiard room or saloon V .'

'Idid not.' , / ' ,.

fcnbw where Tipshdtt is 1'

-■Sf,-- -

'i'

f i

■'mm

Do^yqn know

? how was

v{».

1 suppose that the deceptive qualities

He has been subjioouaed, but doesn't

i^\ yi

ICS^*7>iJl' 'fwl^*.'"

tUju)p>K2<->.' *fi.,fn^-\Y

W^^mn-*^m

'*/s

^' ■'-■'■ '

|V.j"^*'i''. ' ■;

r,>'

t. k

<:■

■ . i"

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

ai»iM«urf Ho w n traveller, and iiiH haix)'
to Hiiy ill what quarter he may l>o.'

The evi»l«iic«i lioiiig coiicIikUhI, Sif
MiiCtliew wiiH ii>r!(>ut t<) HUiii u|i the evi-
dence in liehrtif of Uie disfence, when Mr
Vi|Hi(>n, who wjiH |>i-e|Nii-inK ^ *'*' '* "I*
un behalf of the ciowii, , i-»m<» ,an<l \my-
elaiiiKHl the anival of TipHhott, wheit!-
iipoi) hix teHtiiuony wim ttiken iiiiiiKMli-
ately aiiil examination cuiKliicleil lYy
Vii>8on.

' You know the piiHonei- V v,

'Slightly.'

* You reineml)er seeinjjj him at a Hiiloon
in this city on the evening before the
alleged robbery of the Bank J' •

*ldo.'

•You were in company with Mr.
Twizzle }•

'Yen.'^ ■ ■ ^: - - • ■

VipHon, taking ui» the tin U^x and
handing it to the witnesH for close in-
H|)ection — ' Did you ever see that box
boforer
* ,,'! «Ud.' ■ ^ ■■^- ..■

♦ Are you iwsitive T •
, ^lain.' ^

,^ ' Tlie prisoner wiis drunk, wns ho
not?'

' There's no doubt on that i>oint,' (the
witness smiltHl.)

' Did you assist him into the carmge
A in company with Mr. Twizzle V

'Idid:^ ,

' 1 ask you on your solenin oath, <Utl

you or di»l you not see a 1k>x on the fl«xir

of the carriivge, when you were in the

* actof ai-ranging the cushions previous to

the iM'isoner getting iijside V

' Cei-tainly I saw a Imx there.*

^ Difl i;ou sen tfuit box tliere, on the
ifight and at the time in question ?'

Witness, tui'ning it over, and stretch-
ing his mouth to twice the original
lenjrth — ' That is the \h>k I ssiw in the
carriage.' — Gi*oat sensation in Court, and
y^expi-essions such as : ' Old villain ." ' Old
rattlesnake I' in under tones.

U[)bn Ijeiftg cr6s8-<!xaniined by Sir
Matthew, Tipuhott neither prcvai:icate<l

nor waveretl His testihiony on a mat-
ter of such iminense inqioi-tjince was then
umhakcu, namely, that he saw a tin 1m)x

in the jmsoner's caniage, and that thd
liox in court was the veritable article.
Both Hir Matthew and IiIh client hatl
many Iiojm's that, as the charge was not
sulmtiiutiated by sufficient evidenexi, the
Jury would of coin-se, by the diitH.-tion of
the leariKHl judge, nMider a favomble
verdict. When Ti^whott's eviih'iice was
„2iven. however, huge bhick clouds sei^nnxl
to iis(! over the countenance of the un-
happy Bloat, and Sir Matthew l)e«inm
melancholy and desixnulent. After each
couns<4 had biiefly iiddressed tlu? jury,
and the C'hi<'f ' Bai-on chai'g«Hl at some
length, the jury retire<l, and forty min-
utes aftei'wanls twue into court with a
veixlict o{ tfuiUy,

It may be well to stat^i that the CJhief
Baron tUstinctly chargwl to the eAwt,
that if the }ury wen* not fully satisfied
(»f the intentiov of the piisoner to steal
the money, they jnight acjuit bim on
that count ; ami if they lielievetl )tim to
have taken it, but iwt feloniously, they
might bring it in iih a bi-each :gk$0vX,
which Qffeiice could 1)0 d^sdt with in the
pmijer «jourt. t'

Vififtoh niovOil that the sentiMice of the
Could; l>e Jwss<>.l forthwith. Aw^ordingfy
tluvl<^»'ipl j'idge, l<K)king sympatludi-
cally at the prisoner, sjijd : 'TIuhmIoio
Bloat, after careful investig:xtion aiul
mature delil»ei-ation you au-e found guilty
of a cnme, a serious offence against tlie
laws of the conntry and against society
at large. I i-ejECi-et the {tosition you now
stand in; I feel for you inoi-e ke<!nly
l»ecause you are evidently an intelligtnit
man and. one who, from the stavtion. of
life you liehl, and the s])hei-e*in which
you moved, might l>e an ornament to
your fellow, nien. It apix-ui-s you have
l)e(% SiuUy mishnl by your own uncon-
tivlfeirevil dosirt>8 to loiwl a dis.sipato<l
I life ; your late ttiiwjr iKni^rs tt'stimony
! against you ; you have l»een in ihejiabit
j for >om*^ time,^^ast of deserting your
I family circle, night after night, for that
damiiaWe puii)ose of gambling. Instead
of mingling in the pleasni-es and enjoy-

ments of a cheerful home, when the
duties of the day wei-e over, you repaii-ed - ,;
to the haun^M of vice and pollution until

HELP IN THE DISTANCp. • •

you Bquandered probably all you were
honoHtly entitled to as an official of the
Bank. Then we hear of your property
being encumbered — why was this? I
have been looking for motives to induce
you to commit the crime- of wHich you
are found guilty, and* can find only one,
which is, that having been thus ensnared
by bas9 companions and pi-ogressively
bad' habita, you became embarrassed
tinancially, and in an evil hour was led
to do what must now inevitably result

in the deprivation
what is still more

of your liberty. But

I i^volting, and exposes

very clearly indeM the hidoousness of

your nattire," was the ^ttempt* on your

' piart to fasten your o'wii guHjt upon an

innocent person who, as far as we can

.leani, was dismissed Tropi employment
thrQugh you, actuated, v%en you did so,
by bitterness of spirit: Bitter words
and bitter acts Imrn like .caustic. in the
heart of ovory^ man, an^ cannot always
hi wasKctl away with the tears of repent-
ance. All the soiTow you could i>o8sibly
manifest, all the tears yoU could Mied

' now, would fail tp make amends for the,
injury you have do^e to that young man,
Abbott. Kbdoct, I pray you, upo« these
things. The sentence of the Court is,
thai you be imprisoned- in the convidt
caol at Wakefield for the te^m of thi-ee
years. .* ' . ;>

It may be added, that Bloat, upon;
*)eing asked in the u^ual way by the

of the Saiwrday Jteview that laid on the
table upon which he leaned. Twiade
chirped on, and Tipshott thought on, for
the space of a full quarter hour, when
the latter rose and paced the floor with
military precision and measured tread,
with elbows flexed and thumbs hooked
on the arm-holes of a black velvet vest.

♦ Say,* Twizzle, do you know what I've
been just pondering over 1' suddenly
observed he, as he thus perambulated the
richly carpeted floor of the room.

« God knows, Tip— 1 don't ; perchance
if I <lid I would be none the better.
Oh, likely some other artful dodge, or —
no, I couldn't say. What is it V

♦ Well, the money's got to be claimed,
and n»ust be handed' over, too^ in some
shape or other. You agree to that, don't

your

♦ Certainly I do ; I was the instigator.
I'll stand by what I have said, Tip, don't

be alarmed.'

♦ Yas, I believe all that, but as I was
going to^ say, loe or / may get into a
pretty tight fix, and quite possibly into
g^ clbse quai-ters as the old serpent him-
self (leaning Bloat,) if we are not ex-
tremeljj cautious. Caution inust be the
password. He's safely jugged, anyhow ;
80 fau, so good. The best joke of the
Season, Twizzle ; I'll give my head for a

f".

ttballifabetterw^ ever cAcked i,ii
»ndon.'

»i»^

At the residence of Mr. Timothy
Twizzle, in a bick parlor, sat Henry
Tipshott, the fancy goods ti-aveller, and
the chief witness against Thewloi-e Bloat,
with legs crossed and hands insei-ted iiito
his capacious trowsera pockets, on the'
evening of the day that Bloat had beeA
ordeml a change of air and scene by
Bai-on Periwinkle. Timothy Twizzle
. sjit there also, twiriing his whiskei-s and
wlns^iing , or rather chirpingr ^\^ ^}'^^

,«,...ft »c„. -r "V— -., ., I'll tellyou what it is,' said Twizzle,*

Crown Clerk if he had- anything to sajr^.v* our names will be immortalized, ay,
1>ofpre sentence was pass^, briefly i-e- -^anded do^n from generation to.gener-
plied,^ Innocent, so help me God.'^ , , ation as thfe two great philantrophists or

' benefactors of the human family, and the

destrwyerslpf all fac similes of Tlieodoro
Bloat ; but when the Home Seci-etary
orders his release— it just occum t» me

and ho re-appeai-s" in the city,, he may

have revenge, Tip. - Heaven protectus!
it m^y end in bkfodshcii, perchance in
mui-det— foul, cold-blooded miu^e?.'

' Murdffr'P repeated Tjpshott, placing
his light arm across Itis bi-east and strik-
ing over a deep Outside pocket with the
open hand, never, while th,at can do its
duty,' (a breech-loading i-evolver.)

thi r st fur blood,

■t

\ -

■^1

Revenge dothalw«iyH
. remarked Twizzle.

vei-ae of 'Home, sweet home,' keeping
time with his tingei-s uijon a at alp .copy I,

^ ^

iA ^^

— /

V J

»f>lf

HELP IN THE DIritANCE.

I' ^?'

■■■>■.

. >

Jadiglu

• Bloat'a will novor lie quenched with
mitoe/ cot) tinned Tiiwhott. ' Villain,
traitor, coward, robber^ ym robl>er, for
he haH robbed poor Ablx)tt of a gootl
name. When he retunui — mark me,
TwijMlc — well, I'll Hay no mow?. . iVn
too flippant at tiniOH ; but oidy for Ab-**
bott's sake wo would Jet the farce bo '
played out 500/. is in the way, you
see, and ho needs kis share. Were it
not for that, Wakefield might botu-d him
with all my heiu-t for the, term of his
life, much less thi-oe yeara. What do
you say, old boy T

* Oh, the same opinion hero,' quietly
returned Twizzle. ' Now U-t us ju-ocetnl
to business,' suggoste*! he. • Abbott
knows notliing of the plot, nor do I
intend that h<; slmll know either ; it is
unnoce8«ary tliat he hIiouUI. If we buc-
coed in obtaining the rewaixl before
lIollyho<;k> makes the demand for himself
and the sick boy, then the last and the
One great object is accomplished. He is
now chastised tor his ci-uelty to poor
Abbott. Object No. 1— he ih abased in
the'sight ofall men ; object No. 2 — it
wiir be of mateiial benetit to' Abbott, and
will enable him, to embark for a country
letter adapted for broken-down gentility
diverted of its pride than Londoiji is;
object No. S-i-it is the joke of all jokes
—the plan is e^ctfllen't. Tip — raising tKfe
fallen by pulling down the lofty.'

* Of course it is exquisite. It is hu-
le,. it is philantrophib,' returned Tip-
' t, at the saniietime eombing his front
locks with his fingers. * I' consider that
we afe most emphatically the heroes of
the age.i Oiir names ought to be eng^-av-
ed npon every tomb stone as the luo^iu-
ment of goodness, tSe standard of per-
fection.' . '

' I'm inclined to think,* paid Twizzle,
puckering his mouth as he smoke*!, * t^at
if Bloat comes back, ytmr name will at
all events be engraved on one tomb-stone-
Ho, ho, ho!'

' Such a thing 97iay come to pass, but.
it'% not very likely , friend ifwizzle,' said
Tipshott with a hwrse

cess of puffing aitd >vliilling and spittiiiS
followed in quick' succotmion. The luxury
of smoking feeing indulgnd in to satis-
faction, Twizzle pro[K)«ed that mat(fc)i-8 to
which the preceding cunvorwktiun or
dialogue alli\«lud should Ih) all arranged
for the next morning, after the Middlesex
Bank was opened ; in other wonh«, that.
ov<'rvthing ap[)ertttining to the i-emark-
able developments to be matle, and the
mystery to toe unmvellod, should be cut
forthwith, and allowed to \dry until
morning.

.' Now, Tipshott, yoti must bear in

mind that ,/ am the medium through

i whom you reveal certain facts,' said

j. Twizzle. ' I am supjiosed to l>e totally

( ignorant of anything you have done pr-

saw fit to do, «lo yon see ? It will then
\ rest with liie to exonewito you from the
charge of felony, and also hold tlio chiim
for the rewaitl of 500/. to bo just and
substantial. Another thinL' in our f kvor :
Sydney jOluxall if^ a nian to bo tiustod.
he's safe enough, and ho for one will
consent cheerfully to paying uh tlie full
amoTtnt if it were for'nothing else but
tjje richness of the jokie. My dear sir,
he will glory over it, aud rejoice at tho
game of retaliation.*

'When, then, shall I meet you again,*
enquire<l Tipshott, • and know the result
of all this ? I must keep, you know,' at
a civil distance until the coast in clear
and safe to be entered.*

*At jihis time to-moiTow evening,' re-
plied Tw izzle , looking at his watuli, ' I
shair meet you here ; and if success
crown our efforts, probably I shall hunt
up Abbott and have him [n-csotit to join]
us in A glass.' v - .^

Tipshott then left. ' '

A't the hour of seven by all the uner-
ring clocks of London, Henry Tipshott
wa* seated tho next evening in the bjiek
l>arlor of Timothy Twizzle's i-esidence in
acconlance with* the appointment an-

nounced— at— the-ewicl««ion-^-Uie-4a«t-

-wiH^

The operatioiv of charj^ri^ P'P^ with
newly-ctit tobacco was now commenced
by the two woilhies, wheroupon the pro-

•X

bhapter, Twizzle, on this occasion, was
not so remaikably punctual, for he failed
tO'put in an ap^xiaiuucc until the lazy-

*<^

<^\.

w^9^'?/.;^:

-I'

'/f'*::xii

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.'

looking, old-f,iHl,ion«<itune-keeper stand- ) regard to the promise fnftde to the Rudc

ing in his hall told thl> hour n^ \.;«»if K^., l^e *ui' l_;_ .• ..i.-n. ^^ • .

ing in his hall told the hour of feight

♦One hour exactly, Twizzle, ^Kjhind
time,' said TipHhott, a« the ex-mom Iwr of
tlip Ur walkcul languidly into the afoi«-
said room, and stretched himself a]b, fuH
length upon a spring sofa ; his genenil
fagged apiiearanoe and dustKwv^retl boots
indicating that lie had that day tried his
pedestrian abilities t^ the nttenn«Ht.

•Can't be helped,', i-ejoined ,Twizzlq';
' I should have been here to the vei^
minute, had I not been obliged to #alk
' all over this metropolis, from east to
Afest and fromnorth to 80uth,'in search
of Abbott. I-wenfr into every habitabfe
and uninhabitable-looking domocile on
^ FinsbtirV Hill ; next scoured St. Giles
and St^Sepulchre ; aird finallj^ exploi-etl
, Goldoi Square, where I' discovered him
in H reserved attic of a tumble-down
tonom(>nt,philosophizing from a fractured
.window [Mine upon the science of stone'
mjvsqnry, and* the atlhesive qualities of
mprtar ; a chimney stjusk of a bottle '
factory close by being in course of ei-ec-
tion. So I miiat say, without fear of
contradiction, that I feel positively tired,
•This will be a sufficionl^excuse, Tifn^r
the delay of an hour.' ■' "^

* Tlion it's a success? I juttgoiimust

• be so from jrour going in search of Ab-

l)ott,' said Tipshott. -

'* Success ! acowijpi^^eTntccess,' returned

Twizzle. 'Tlie^full amount of there-

wanl wilt be paid to-morrow, iand old

boy, before the claim is actually handed
over to me. And let me, w a friend
and fellow sinner, admonish you to cor-
roliorate, even to a hair's brejulth, the
statement I hav« this day sworn to, in
the «i.me otti<;e of the Middlesex Bank,
where Tlieodore sat, not many months
ago, with inflated nostiils and decomposed
pride.' ' t

'To corrohornte your statement 1—
how ? Do you mean to ilisinuate that J ,
am to make a oUuin breast of the joke 1
that I've got to make a verljal confes-
sion V '

' Cer^mly ; you can't' get out of it,'
replied T-wizzle.

.*In what way did you connefctme
With itl* enquired Tipshott with some
anxiety. - . • ' •

♦ In jjreciaeh/ the way you were con-
nectetl with it, anddn no other,' answereil
Twizzle. ' Tlie truth hail to bo told to
keej> our skirts clear.'

We have now reached a period in the
history of the events rega«ling, the rol)-
bery at.the Bapk which the reader will
unhesitatingly acknowledge to be a recoitl
of the most intensely interesting facts
that have yet been made known in con-
nection with the coincideiice of Bloat's
conviction. ,^ In short, |;he mysteiy of the
suspected robbery is solved, and the
header's aUxietv lis relieved- from

anxiety Ds relieved- from the

suspense in ^which he has been hitherto

. —-,„.„ — .mercilessly kept. Suffice it now to say,

^loat will besetafrhbei-ty mafewdays, j^that befor^ anything, further is given

«,. oA o««« »c +!.„ <•-„*„ ^ ._ 1 , regarding the subject of the dialogue

or 86 soon as the facts are communicated
to the Home Seci-etary, who of course
will forthwith oi-d'er his release.';

' Crood .'--splendid !— really excellent !'
continued' 'Jipshott. •.But jus to my
mifety : how Jibout that? Any danL'er

between Twizzle and Tipshott, a detailed
description ;of the • circumstances which
tranyjnroil at Bo^iirle's saloon on the night
before the citizens were startled with the
arinouncement that-a burglary was com-

ot--of iK^n^g seen noai- Bow street, that I mit1»d at the Middlnsex Bank willdulv

18, very near, eh ?_ a— a— what are tljo
particulars?' - . . ^ *

* Oh ! you needn't l)e in the slightest
degree alarmed for your safety,' leplied
Twizzle. ♦Cluxalli^in full ifcssession
of the plot, and through him information

will be ^ven to the Bank at .ft special
meeting of tlie directors this afternoon.
CluxalC however, gave%e to undwrstand

exj)lain that to, wliich Twizzle refers in
a very special manner at the second
meeting with. the fancy goods tmveller j
after which the writer >vfll re-intnxhiee
upon the stixge JIarmAn Abbott, who. ho
feels pereuatletl, ,will beSgfeeted with

many hearty M^eieomes and earnest de-
sires for his future welfare. ■

While Bloat was excessively under

■::f

•f'l

'I
'' r

•*-' .'^i^

. ^m

that Hollyhupk would fii-st Ixj notihed in Uhe influence of mm, us stated in twi*.

t - / v.- ■ ■ .

/. ".■

'it/, -

f->i^-» ■,

<1. T. " *V J

?-«t--f.,^|^'f#-;-.

5 •'.

HELP IK THK DISTANCE.

fp- ^

Ele'. evidence, ho at time. a«H«m«l a I eitJier aw.roachjjl or \<>i*«'»;«|.^ '»^ Jf^
n«iturewhichii.««pi«««lbys.na.ri8tmn i vicinity Hf- tho all«y or th« court Hav-

S^rSnationn, an':! even (.; othern, to ! ing tln.H J^^ ^^IJ^i «'«;": J^^^^^^^^

be the numt niouH, the mont contrite, an<l the keyii from hu. iik rt iwcket, and after

.^ubiily tho^mmbleBt attitSe in ^ 'X ^"^J" 7^^ « '^/r ^ "to t T
which a ,Ki>r n^ortal can' ,K,«.ihIy place | the exact ht for f « hn,t '.n^k to^^^^^^^
hininelf namely, on hiH l^Mulea kne.^* - ' iwuntemi. he at length, with hurne*
tlZl^tokeStheL m^piration, entere.1 the corvulor. nn.l

f«>marp^rim being, ana symbolic of fmm them^to the meBHenge.-H r.K,nK
^Tnw fruTpTt ami tliankf«ln.«« for No further oln^taclo wan offertHl l.y hmvy
r^Tt« no nuaS,r how nmall, for the folding doorn with huge "'»";'"« '^-^^
nmSit or the future. While Theo,lo,-e which w.u* not «tHily removed w»un the
KTwL in thiH penitent poHition, and ; gimt bunch of IceyH and a lightcvl w«x
for mighTany one 'coul.l tell might ;>om- tai^er^ere »'~"«»'t jnto reci«i«tipn. Tl«»
W« E bin Hecretly and inaudibly door of the outer olhce fticH o,K,n before
SayinThiH V^ye... Tipnhott evinced a | bin key-full hand, the Hale is unlockodi

strong desire to aasuit Bloat to do that
which Jamaica rum most strpnuously op-
poHod him iii doing, viz., to change to a
gittiiig or semi-recumbent attitude. —
JJow, according to pre-anrangement with
Twizzlo, the fancy goods traveller also.

with womlerful fiicility, and the familiar
amount of 1868/. 6#. eagerly g«iH|KHUnd
shufHed into the only convenient lurticle
just then at hand— that is to say, T\\y-
Bhotfs plug hat. • Now then,' naid Tip^
Hhott, as he went on tip-toe through the

S of rcSin L,vy h„,>oh of k,ys I- ,»>«« ontoWe w». -wan, of h.« »»«

several ilippiJigH first of a few fingers ami
then of the whole hand, he si^cceeiled
with much adroitness in extiucting
without the least intelligible or unin-
telligible manifestation on Bloat's pai-t
tliat his rum connMinion was in the act
of picking his pockets. Tliis done, both
Twizzlc and the amateur pick-pocket,
witli the greatest kindness and something

then, if I can only find something in
which to put this money, and get th«
sash in the messcftigei-s' i-ooia c\it away,
the plot is complete. Tljank heav««» if
no one has seen me ! if any ^ne U*"* ^
shall fall in|» the same pit that I am
now digging for the old Jutlas himself ;
ay, and get caught in my own tmp. But
no^^ui-age, Harry, courage |^ (placing

witli the greatest KmtineHM »iiu Buiuwwiiiig ..- ^ — —o-' - ..•" u_„ iv ti«,i««/I«
mor* thin- ordinary exertion, helped , his hand over the foi^head). Thy deeds
more ww-ii wi""i» j , '..„_'i.„ . > ,,oli;anf nnH Heaven favoi« the«

Bloat to the nearest couch, where he
re<^lined until the soporific ihfluence of
the i-um hjjd lessened materially, and
long enough to enaVile Tipshott to play
a very important \iaxt in the drama, as
will be seen directly. Tipshott, after
giving a helping hand to lay Theodoie
out for a tranquil sleep, left the saloon,
with Twijtslo in chai-ge until his letum,
and wende<l his way, just as the shiules
of evening fell, to a narrow by-way lea«l-
ing toil small court or flagged yanl in
which was the rear entrance to the Mi<i-
dlesex Bank. Arrived thei-e he st<ialH
Hoftly-on tii>-toe close by the high giim

looking old walls on either side ol the
by-way, and occasionally stops to.glance
furtively back and to see by the pale
moonlight that lio l)eing in human Nhai>e

are valliant, and Heu,ven favoi-s the«
when thy object is so praiseworthy as to
pull down the oppi-essor and luise the
oppi-essed. O Bloat, thy very counting
house despiseth thee ; these walls, couUl
they but speak, would cyy out against
thee ; tuid mark me, if thou couldst but
hejir me, by >^U that's gooil this night's
plot shall kill thee in the sight of all men,
and destroy thy accursed trencheiy an<l
deceit.' - '

After thus soliloquizing Tipshott, with
patient searoh, found tlie old tin box
underneath a pile o£ wiwte paper behind
the door, the money was glkdly consign

, n

fW»

etl to it immediaitely from the plug hat.
It might be a caiTse for sunnise ,>*rhy
TilMihott, in accomplishing the i)lot, did
not placi} the money in the-ca«l> box that

•^4,

Qca^.

"•^^^

^Wt..

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

WM fountl with thn Rfxtciifl inHiafl the
Hivfe, anil which wan thou iu tiaily V»* ''X
Ulinat and hig 8on ; but if any Huoh mir-
priH^ oxiBt, it will bo at onco nmiovtwl
wh«n it in stated that Tijwhott, with
mtioh forethought and Hkilftdit««i of
oporation, did not endoavor to connoct
Bloat in a wajr which, if be had \mm
truly g»iilty, he would not have
iHjen likely to connect hiinKoK ; theroforo
he nelecUxl the old Uu Iwx, but waa not
by %By moans aware at the time that the
engraving was there which was diacov-
ennl by the hawk's eye of Flongby aliaH
Hollyhock, and whicli told a Uile of such
infinite value to a successful issue of the
deep-laid conspiwMjy. Tipshott made his

splrators joined in a loud hMOij laugh
as the first act in the drama closed. The
se<iuel ia alremiy known so far aa tlje
liox (wntJiining the money being seen in
the carriage by Tiiwhott is concenM«l,
and from the facta just stated, there oau
l»e no difticulty in «lniwing the inferonto
tliat it was plncoil then; by the same
artful conspirator in onler that a well-
liuke<l chain of evidenc*? niight Im cun-
ningly deviswl and manufactured to
bring the jierijotration of the act directly
home to Bloat himself. Now this waa
the subject of the conversation between
TipHliott and Twizzlo at the residence of
the latter, after Bldat's conviction waa
Hocured. Sufficient hjui passed l>otwoon
them to lead to the assumption that by

exit as safely Jis he entered, but was only . . . -^

a few feet fiV>m the court yard alro.uly -divulging the plot and ^17 8;;^"'« *»^
alluded to when he bethought himself of only truthful intelligence of the loss of

the omisHion to cut a ]K)rtion of the sash
in the room through which an entrance
could with great facility bo effected to
the outwr office from the rear of the

building.

' What a hasty, excitable fool.I must
V)o !' whfc||)oml tipshott to himself as he
returned to \inlock the 'rear door and
VH-entei- the corridor. * If 'twas to take
me imtil midnight I'll do it, supposing
the watchman does come rouiul the
Orner periodically and strike his stick
with that groat heavy thud to warn all
eviUloers of his pi-esence ; bnt the Hloepy
oM ciu-se, I'll stake my exisWnce, will
never shew this court yard his face to-
night. And what if he did 1 I'd bribe
him, of oourw— I'd divulge the secret ;
and is t^ro an lione.st watchman in all
iLondori^t would seal his lips in such
a noble »ct hJ» tliis ?'

So saying, Tipshott, with the aiil of a
fe-* sharp instrnmonts, quietly cutaway
the lower sash, fastened all <Iooi-h— ex-
cept the safe, which was left open-- and
with the much-priBcd booty went back
to Bowie's saloon, where he found Twiz-
ile still true to his post, and Bloat in a
recumbent position, piteously moaning
in his «pirit, and sometimes spasmodi-
' ' ' The gi'eat

-/ — cally snorting oa he slept .
/ . bunch of keys were dexterously roplacetl^
in his trowsei-s pocket, and the two cou-

the mopey, the reward offered by the
Bank could very iwssibly Ije gained by ,
Twizzle as the informant. Tliis proved
to be the case ; for, upon Twizzle (X)aj|
veying the information to Hydney Clux«r
concerning the plot, the Bank, so 800|fc
as Tipshott had confessed all thinj^
necessary, paid the 500/. in pi'esencc of
Hollyhock (who by the way was much
chagrined at the strange turn of affahii,)
with the understanding that Samuel
Langton, the sick boy, was to get forth-
with the amount promised by the detec*
tive. The terms so proposed were readily
assented to by the conspirators, and the
day following the last meeting at Twiz-
zle's they became the bona fide possessors
of 250/., when the question drose as to
whether Abbott should be prascnte<l
with the full amount— tliat is, the 250/.
Twizzle considered ^hat as Tipshott wus
not a jjci-son of independent fortune, ami
i\n ho ha<l risked his own liberty, amidtt
many dangei-s, to punish an oppressor,
he at least wsis e ntitled to 50/. Tipshott,
however, in the manliness of his spirit,
spurned the pri^position.

' No,' said hei ; ' I would brand myself
as a mean dog, a miscmble poltroon, if I
was to take one farthing of the money.'
It only remains to be told, that when

the extnvonlinary revelations just quoted
wore made known to ♦he authorities, and

J^ K- ,.

^1|piL7 IV THE DI8TAN0K.

"wtARfaotory proof givon In nation th«ra>

to, BIcmt WM iwt at Ubortr ; a wonder-

■tticknn populacfl lioiiig iwlly <UHAj>|K>lnt-

"^ «1 at hia continuing a iwat to aooiety at

. Urge. ^

% ,1 ; 1

Dttrihg the i»<^rlo<l that olapawl itlnoc
wo took l«ttv« of llannan AltUdtho wiut
ntill unable to find permanent eniploy-
• mimt either in or out of tlie gnwt city,
doimnding the greatest part of the time
upon the liberality of a few generoua
hearts. Clara, hi« wife, and little
Charlie, the baby of eleven month«
when finrt he was introduced to the
reader, both went, it is firmly believe<l
' mnd mnoerely hoped, to a place whence
no traveller returns, and Abbott himself
had only a short time left St. Tliomas's
Hospital, where he laid for many weeks
ft victim to a malignant fever. All hopes
of being able to embark for a distant
land had well-nigh vanished, when the
2S0/. so ingeniously obtained by the two
«inoero friends was presented to him on
the morning after Twirale was paid by
the Secretary of the Bank. His joy, as
may well be imagined, was unspeakable
on. receipt of the money, but totally
ignorant of the plot or plans devised to
accomplish the object of his emigration.
A few weeks' preparation was made, a
small «irele of friends taken leave of— in
all likelihood for ever— a jovial night
tpent at the noble Twizzle's in company
with the daring and equally noble Tip-
■hott, and Harman Abbott, with sorrow
at bidding adieu to his benefactors, set
sail for the port of Queliec by the steam-
ship * Ranger.' After this com[>act and
well-built vessel, with ft human cargo of
178 passengers, had ploughed the British
Channel, leaped over the billows of the
Atlantic, was befogged upon the Banks
ofNewfoundland,and braved the dangers
of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, of which
^wafarers stand in so much di-ead, she
entered, much -to the joy of all on board,
the river of the same name. It is reviv-

4ia&

ing, it is ch ee ring, a f te r one h a s be e n
almost buried in the depths of the sea,
rocked to more than a heart's content on
huge inky waves, without a vestige of

knd to b« seen for tiays and envelopeil
in mist or imp«metrabl« fbg. to «t«nd by
the si<l« of the sliip aiul view the attract-
ive swinery on either side of this han<l-
some river. Mere the emigrant is first
initiaUnl into the stylo of architecture
and oxtemal arrangoiiK'snt of French
Canmlian \mam\i homos, which at some
{mints of the river can be closely o»m«tv<«1
by the passenger on deck, as the Hteiun<»r
glides smoothly and stea«lily along the
tranquil waters of the Ht. Uwronco.
Advancing up, the first stopping place
worthy of notice is Orosae Island, or
government Quarantine, quite a n^oes-
tary and useful depository for the unfor-
tunates who contract some infectious
sickness or disease on boards It ta^
small island, but prolwibly Uurge enou^
to affonl acoomnuKlation to all whom
the medical inspector may see fit in his
wiB«lom to invite, in many instances, for
» whole summer's residence in tliat rc-
tire<l i>ortion of the New Dominion.—
Tl>e hospital is admirably armuged, and
strict regartl pai<l to thorough vOntilation
in the respective wards. The trip fit)tn
the island to Queliec, some tliirty miles
up the river, if it be duiing the summer
months or as soon as navigation opens
through from the lakes, cannot fail to
impress the emigrant with the many
favors w'lich Nature seems to have be-
stowefl uiH)n the liorders of the upyier
section of this far-famed river. The
passenger nearing the ancient capital of
Quebec soon discovers it : the water is
alive with sailing vessels of all sixes,
from a proud three-master down to an
insignificant barge or weather-beaten
fishing smack ; some heavily lailen with
cargoes of lumber, and jnloted out from
the port a few miles down, others arriving
or pre[)aring to cast anchor, while more
are stationary for a time, ])erhaps to
undergo repaii-s. Close by the wharves
of the city, or lying out in the river at
the distance of a hundred yards or more,
may be seen mammoth steanislups with
maiwive machinery, constructed on vari-

otis principles, loailing and unloading
freight or provisions as the case may be,
and myriads of small boats with jabbering

■r

' 4

hAlf-broMl Prenohnifln tti oOttiniaml, in-
(HMnantly plying fnmi vwwol to vtwttel or
from tli« <|utiyM to ix^w arrivalM (yith of
■tmm and wiiUng nIuim. QtwliM b not,
nor n«vnr will 1ms hoUhI for th« regtilarity

•w '■/ " ^ 'Hmi^^

FTt^^:*

'" ' %'"' "*' ' ' ■ ' •■"^'■"^"

■ 4 *'

i HKLF IN THR DIBTANCE.

- *>

or oliMnlini^MH of iln
haliitantH, iNirticM

ClilltHl tll« IjOWIl^

oognisant of tlu
hrook th» iiuiult
it Tlio old c5»j)i
dettignnd by Natu

itH, and tho in-

1 in what in

III {MM-fiHttly

iihniiHdively

njay deem

u^quHHtionahly

\h\ a tirHtHslaNS

war pout and an invulnorahle point of
attttoK, (there are many aurviving who
can boar UjHtimony to tlio fact) ; but
really thcro in nothing else altout it tliat
demandM HiMwial attention. Thq appear-
ance from the river iii uninviting ; and
when one roatm through the ptiiceH i»f
biuiiiiflM the pulilic e<lifio(jii frown and
scowl ujion the paiwer-liy. When tlie

♦ Rangivr ' hatl i-ea<;he<l the port and auit
lier anchor at a oonvenient dintttnce fixjm
the long wharf, Hhe wiw besieged in the
twinkling of an eye with H«]»pliant liQat-
men, oninibuM drivei-H and hotel ruft
mo8t of tho«e in Vn-okcn or rather
«lei-ed EngliHh making despemte offortH
to i-end('r thomHflveB intelligible to the

* groenhoruH,' uh they were ^termed on
their first arrival in America.

Htirman Abbott, amidst tluH jarring
and jabbering of voiceH, Holtn^id a V>oat
in command of a swarthy individual who
fortunately spoke English fluently, and
who, as he informed Harman, was in
eveiy sense of tlie woixl a mongrel breed
half Canadian^ quirter American, one-
eighth English, a sixteenth Scotch, and
the same qutuitity of Irish. In this
boat Ablwtt went ashore, hag and lug-
gage, and for the use of such luid to pay
the veiy modest demand of one dollar.
So sooin as he found suitable hotel ac-
cotnmoilations he retired to his own room
somewhat homesick, intending to pui-sue
his journey westwai-d, whei-e he was
informed the English language was spok-
en in its purity, and not corrupted with
a new specimen of so-caljetl French

■I

After a brief Bojouni at Quebec, Ab-
-bott pursued his jouniey towawls the
.West on the lake steamboat calleil ' John

Munn,' a drowsy, droniid) hniklng sjied- .^

men of its kind, and one i\u%i might
rttmind a iHsrson verwnl in mvtliolj^ *^- n gt
some fabulous Structure of Oreoiim de-"^.
sign ; in fa«!t an • institution,' to use an
Ameritnui plinuie, trK> ancient in apiie«ir-
anee for a new cotintry, and too tardy
for ti/fuii p4M)ple. Tlie int<»rior arraiigo-
ment of thoK*^ iKiaU is much more at-
tractive than the ejk'rior would l«a<l an
inten'«t<i<l otMMirvwp) exjioct : the cttbins,
state MliH)|<lug rwms and eating ajiart-
menfc are titted up with st^M^ed ragard, ,
not only to the comfort anTconvenience
of the passengers, but to ploas«i the varied
tastes in ornamental painting and ptlior
artistic executions. Public accommoda-
tion in America— making use of the name -
in the widest stmse is couduct«<l ou^
most occasions, lK)th on land and water,s
upon thfe principle of unity, frewlom
(sometimes of an \inpleasant charact<ir),
and wjuality ; in short, after the manner .;
of the ♦ happy family,'— a well-known
motley collection which, by skilftd traiiv- .
ing, awjuire a forced friendship for each T
other and becomp familiarized with 'the , j^
strange ahd jKHjullar habits of eveiy
meinlier of the reconcile*! group. Noyr, . * '
so it was on the ♦ John Munn,' as she
(or he) sluggishly |>aildletl the way to the ■ .. \
city of Montreal, a place of world-wide
celebrity. '; «j

Abbott watched with intense interest, vWy
and not a little surprise, the operation of v.*.
setting the tables at meal houi-s, and the
accumulating thereon of ajl the delicacies
of the season, calculatetl to please the
most fostidiotis tastes, in such rich jiro-
fusiort and wonderful exactness. Some-
how or other ho preconceivetl the idea
that, when he purchasetl a /r«<-cla8s
passage to Monti-eal, he was for the time
being an individual of the/r»« water and
a gentleman, in the literal meaning of
tlie wonl, of ji»-«« rate staAding. EeiJy;
upliftetl many degrees in his own estimfc-
tion by this con8l<leration, he inferred
that a resor'^ed table and one particularly _
select in the arrangement thereof would
he allott e tl to him on board, th e 'John

vJI

Munn ' ; but lo ! to his infinite asljonish-
mcnt and much to his chagrin, he wai

i^Mmm

bfe.

■f

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

informwl by the nhaqi dinconlant Hound

of the waiter'8 bell that dinner (which

happened to Ininhe fi«t meal he partook

of on board) was ready for all ci\bin pas-

Bengera. Then followecl a jiei-feot siege

of Uie long UbleH, and a mighty nwh of

the lank and himgiy U^ obUiin .seats in

the vicinity of favorite diBhen and H\m<lry

little drtintieH. Thin waH too much for

Abbott's ideas of the ti-eatment which ;i

real live gentleman ought to receiv<>,

especially at the hands of strangers. He

could not restrain his feeluigs, and as he

stepped most reluctantly into the dining

saloon 'Se chance<l to meet the chit^f, or

ingpector of the staff ot' taUlo waitei-s.

^wito was up to his eyes in busineHH, and

■ometimes much higher, giving iuHtnic-

tions to his men relative to the nwift

performance of their duty, an<l to whom

ho ventilated his thoughtn on th« suhjoct

of complaint,

« Excuse me — I b<;g your pardon— but

allow me to entjuire^if there is not a

special table for me 1 '/am a first-class

passenger,' said Abbott. . . "

' A special table, sir !' returned the

chief, with as much amazement as if he

heard of his gbindmother's resuri-ectidh

from the dead. • A speciarone fo- pnu /

- Why, who the d^l are yotr, or who do

you wish to lief - * ^

' 'A gentleman, and a cabin passenger,

too,' replied Abbott, taking out hi.s ticket

and exposing the document, to the in-

Buppressible laughter of a few by'cstanders

who overheard the conversation.

•They're all gentlemen here, then,'
continued the chief waiter ;*' they 1>«]onf;
to the cabin as well as Voii. 1 guess
you're a greeny. Oo and s|t down right
t'lere,' i)ointing to' a vacantMcat op|>osite
the skeleton of W prairie cliicken, ' and
don't let decent folks see you make Ruch
a darned fool of youi-self.'

Several fat ladies of questionable age
^«eemed quit^ amused at the newly-im-
ported Englishman ; and one old grand-
mother, while in the act of draining the
bottoHLof herteacup, broke out into a
jolly haw-Kaw and positively filled the
veswel with laughter, followefl by a
gentleman op^wsite, with a face strorjgly

rrfcmbling a full pioon, getting into
p.ii-oxyBDis of short laugh»— -his loose
tat che«ik8 quivering and shaking like a
1k)w1 of new made jelly, ^^•om that time
forth until the trip to Montreal was
cempletetl AMiott became the object of
attraction on l»oani, and an excellent
target for public opinion to fire at with
an undoubted ceutainty of always hitting
tht! mark. Abbott notic*^! it, for he
could scarcely avoid it, and he begsn
with great earnestnesa of heart to wish
himself .l)ack to. the shores of Old Eng-
land, and regret even to soreness that he
had ever come to such an uncivilised

country. \ . t k

Montreal was reached by the 'John
Munn ' late in the afternoon of the next
day, and after discharging lier (or Aw)
cargo of i>assengei-s and freight proceeded
further up the river.

. A few weeks ela|>8e(l, and we find that
Abltott has taken up his aliode in To-
ronto, a city beautifully situated on Lake
Ontai-io, and designated— it is <lifficuit
to sjiy whether by the citi^zens or foreign-
<.ra— the ' Quetm' City of i-he West.' Jt
is very doubtful indecul if he could have
made a Wttet' selection' in the choice of
a Western town wherein to Ke^k a live-
lihpotlor even ren\unerative employment,
together.with^he -geniality of the social
atmosphere an<,l closer approximation to
l^ntish habits'^^d customs than will l>e
found in any other poi-tion of the ' New
Dominion.' If is universally m;know-
ledge<l to l)e. a handsome city, accordmg
to the i<f(»i.moHt people entertain of what
constitutt^s ojio. Oi^approaxihing it, the
first impiession of its ajjpeamnee from
the Vtay isi <h*^vl<3tty favorable, and it
may \^ tlnrt the r^utation it now enjoVii
for fairness and V)eauty was first acquired
in that way. Tif sj^ak candidly, how.
ever, Toronto will not l)ear close inspec-
tion'in point of the arrangement of rt«
streets and ro«\ilarity of the places of
business. The princii»al thorbughfares
or marts of commerce are contraeted, and
those stieets wliich contain none but
private residences somewhat stunted, in

size. This is an en

•or that miglit have

HELP t^ THE DIPTAIJCE.

nd thftt
in To-
rn I^ke
flitticuit
foreign-

IHt.' Jt

lUl liavo
loice of

a livo-
Dymeiit,
ift social
Httoii to

will l>e

ivcknow-

x;oi'<ti«(?
of what
g it, the
tee from
artd it
w enjoys

iiCquivetl
ly, howr
» inspec-
it of its
)lnces o£
ughfares
cted, and
lone bnt
itntod in
;kt have

been avoided. There are too many
Htreetfi of inferior width, at all eventii,
many pf which could be diapensed with
altogether, or tnigfU fuive beeti at the birth
of the city. Sulxiequent to the |)erio<l ^t
which it received the uncomplimentary
but still truthfnl ApiM?llatton of • Muddy
Little York,' of late years Toronto liHa
presented many advc^tages and bright
prospects to emigrants oo^nsiating chiefly
of the class of industrial mechanics and
tradesmen, l^s manufactories are nu-
merous ; its conitaiercial relatioius rapidly
on the increase ; and its inhabitants in-
defatigable in their exertions to vie wijth
other cities equal, or nearly so, in aiM
and population ; as well aa to receive'
with open arms the emigrant, no mattev
from whence he }iails, who is ready to
put hill own shouldet io the wheel and
lend a helping hand to move the macihiy
nery in th^ greai fabric of the New Do-
niimoB,^ To broken down respectability
or ska^y gentility, it offers no induce-
ment ; and yet it is strange, 'tis wondroi»
ftitrange, that Toronto unfortunately
nbounds with that worthless class of
/ citizens, sontetimes far too long to be
wholesome, and with which, after each
high tide of emigration, it w invariably
inundated.

I ' III I I !■ I>l'« 1 '^ ' 1 ' V

Now Harman Abbott had takeij ex
joollent care of the <noney which Twizzle
and Tipshott obtained, for him by means
of the plot al««ady related, therefore

. when he arrived at Toronto he was the
possessor of af trifle over 2001. stg. This

' amount, equivalent to one thousand

dollars of Canadian currency, promoted

him to a higher rank than the gentry to

which alluftion has just been matle,

^rue. it is, he was respectably connected,

' *and within a short time of embarking for
Canada, was unmistakably broken down ;'
tut at the period of which we now speak
he had a 0ood earn of motiey, and money
has power, incredible power which can
be wielded either for good or evil. Suf-
fice it t9 say, that with this amount at
his ooiliiraand he became insane, incurably

insane upon speculative projects, and
was induced rathy #i«veBt all available
fund* in matU^rs of this sort, ere he had
resided in Canada long enough to judge
the chances of success, than to seek em-
Sl)loyment ap[)ropriate to his abilities.
A wid accident, or jierhaps we may call
it a misfortune, occurred while he worked
hanl day after day and night after night
building castles in the air with the rem- >
nant of hi« money. He was robbed, it
was 8upi>osed by a fellow-boarder to
whom he imwittingly confided, amongst
many other things, the secret that he,
was rich, and the fact that his purse was
a ponderous article ; the result of such
ilijtpancy was that his cot\^dmtuU friend
disapiHjared one moonlight night, and «o
did the tftoney — the chances are at the
i^adie, time and with the same individual.
Abbott, now desiatttte of means, was. •
thrown npop the tender mercies of the
hospitable Torontonians who, so soon as
Uiey learned the history of the melwn- .
choly oceuttence, lost no tiitte in poming
to his 4kid. SuUequftntly, he procured
tempoiury occupation a* copying clerk,
in a solicitor'a office, the income of which
barely maintained him at v^ry humble
quarters in the city. A Oanadia^ win-
ter was now setting in with all its inten-
sity of cold and rigorous blasia, nayigift-
tion wws necessarily closedi business
stagnant, and the prospects as dreary and
as glodm^y'as tiiey could well be for the
unfortunate Abbott. s - .,

It was while thick black c^udji ttpus
overhung him that Ire resolyod to Ind
farewell to Toronto and pitch his tent in
another part of the vast dominion. Act-
ing partly on this determiuaticm and
partly upon thd advice of others, he
travelled some distance in a Western
direction upon the Grand Ti-unkBailroad
— the great connecting line- between •
Canada and the .eastern and western
States of America, and directed his course '
to a small town or incorporated village
that lay about twenty miles from the
line of railroad. The journey was |per-
formed in about five hours from the time,
of starting, in, a comfortaWy - seated
covei*ed stage fastened upon iton runnem
and dragged by four ring-boned ot bare-

,si ^-^.-''^y

''^;.

^PJ|9- »

.V i'/i

|'5?

18'

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

honed hornwi, all of which — with tih«
oxcoption of ono— wore capitil wlvertiHo-
mentfl that oata and ov«5ii a little hay
were wanted at their own wtaiilea ; and
y^^etook the trouh\f) of\ counting the
^ImKr of riliH visible, or rather con-
apicuonB to tlie nake<l eyo^ the conoluKion
wonhl lie that th^ sooner lM)th of tluwe
articles of horse diet were delivered, the
Imtter. The intermodiate» country dis-
playetl well-clearetUfamis, the fruits no
doubt of excessive hanlship and untiring
industry ; and those bmve old vetiMiins
of the forest who haire grown grey in the
service, and who perhaps, not more than
twenty years ago, were faint for fo<Ml
and wearied with the toil of the day had
not wherl to lay the head, may now be
seen driving a well-finished cari-ijige or
cutter, as the case may l)e, Jirith a noble
, span to the neai-est market, living monl,
• uments of energy and S'.ftal. Al)l)©tt,
itpon atriving at the conipact little vil-
lage of R , l-he place of liis destina-

tion pro tem, was smitten with a severe
attack of^home sickness^ tlie symptoms
of which were much aggravated* by
gloomy forebodings ftnd an unfavomble
impression of the pice at first sight.
The latter may very liftely have lieen
caused by the greater severity of the
climate than that oi his native land and
the wonderful and sudden changes of
weather so pecidiar to Canada, of which
a practical illustration w>is afforded to
him the morning after ho became a

townsman of R ^ : for at en^Jy dawn

the irfiy was dark and lowering, the air
chilly and damp— -at last min fell, which
partially dissolved the hard-cmsteil snow
that had for some time accnniuiated upon
the hill-sides aad waste places. Towards
evening the rain ceasetl, and gieat flakes
of gnow came tumbling down half melted
from roofs of houses and leafless branches
of lofty trees?:^^ in the marshes little lakes
were foi-med, and in the centre of the
village compounds of half-frozen snOw.
and mud. Upon the following morning
a sharp'A-ost set in and all nature seemed
to have undergone ift change. Standing
upon the summit 'of a hill overlooking
the chief part of the ^village, the eye
would view with admimtion the broad

fields and mgged wastes,' with their white
crystalized covering sparkling like diiv-
muuds in the blight HHiishino, which
eri'iwt was piwlucod by the previous vlay's
min drojm Imping an«l lK)uuding ati they
f«Jl* upon the frozen mass. Now it
clianct»4 that in the sjime qui«t little
tillage then? wtne merchants of every
gra<le, and shops or stores of every size,
frotii the dimiinitive i«)nny dej^sitory to
the conunodious warehouse with choice
assortments of goods for the -million. —
One of the mercantile fmtornity, claim-
ing to belong to the latt<!r cltws, but who
in reality wais relij.U!il to neither, U)ok it
into his hwMljihat lie'was born to be a
man of comfflfice, and that he was des-
tine<l to l>e, if the Fates so ndtSd it, the
possesstn- of |iO||ndless wealth. ActuattHl
by thesw f^f^essible feelings up m a
matter involving his future wtilfare, he

opeiHid an estjiblishmeiut in K , where

he informeiV the i)ublic he was prepared
to supply them, at the lowest prices in
the Dominion, with ready-made clothing
and other ai-^icles of tli(^ same class of
the most snperior ([uality ; always lid-
ding that, in cases of eniergeucy, tailor-
ing would, be done upon the shortest
notice. Christopher Frow was the sole
jiroprietor of this puV)lic, institution to^
clothe the naked, and at the time of
Abbott's arrival in the town was sonio
four years engagal in this worthy an<l
Christian calling, Imt for reasons which
shall shortly be mentioned he had l)y no
means realized his gigantic expectations,
nor is at all likely that, if left to hin»-
self, he ever wouhl'have succeetled oven
in keeping his head above the deej) water
of pecu^iai-y emlmrrassments. *

^fter Abbott had pii-takcn of some
refreshment at ' the best house ' in town
on the evening of his arrival, he was
endea;voring to drive dull carea^ay with
a glass of toddy'and aciffliprfecor^meml-,
ed by the hotel lujepet-to be of the pure
leaf all the way fPOm Havanna, in the
puUic reception or sitting room adjoin-
ing the bar. 'While thus enfJiged, a
light-complexioned> man, carelessly dres-
sed, and from the la^pwrnrance of his coat
I and whiskera was lately engaged in
' plucking some of the feathei-ied tribe,

¥'^

, ,\'

,»t

^* :"■*■ fc

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

oiitortMl and took IiIr Hcat in a luungiiig,
ho«<ll<)HH way, cIoha by the Rtov% with
Wh f«t!t «lovttt«d in»ou tho top thor«of,
aiul luH ciii> — at onit'tiniti RUppoHeil to Ik)
iiuwlci of fur, l»\|| n«)w might hiivo^KWin
,iniHtHk«ii for wiltcul iiiokh — very much
^incliuiHl to oncn^idu of tho hoa<l ; the
[Hmk ahnoHt ol)litenitiii<; tho atljaaMit
oy«. Extnicting a nhort clkj^ piiHt from
hiH voHt pocktit, he diHcoveixHl to ]j|^s (Uh-
appoiutmeut^that it wtw miuus tho to-
bacco, which h«J next prtxhiced in tho
Hhape of a hj^jllj-hiceratcd fraj^ment of a.
phig. Heli)ing hinmolf to a chew, lie
comn»mic(*d to Hro a well-tlivected volley
(if obnoxious 8])||blo against the newly-
paiKu-edwall and'Htfl|ve pipes, and oiKjned
a sort of social interview with AV>lK)tt hy
remarking that it wa» going to Ikj a very
severe flight, and tU^t"^ Canada was the
finest country on the glol)e, hut that the
climate didn't suit many^blks ; wliere-^,,
u'\)on Abbott readily adinittcHl the truth
of » the asseition, >ind added, that from
tho speciuien he ha«l while in the coun-
try he was confident it woidd never suit
him, that his cormtitutiou wosupt of the
Iwalthy stall ikrd, etc. *"

' Indeed,' remarked the gentleman
with the fjuidj at tht#same time nijjking
a violent effort by screwing up hW lips
to fire at a si)ittoon in a ft.r corner, ' A
' stnvnger here then 1 ain't long mit, I
guess ] . Going up the country ?-^ ped-
lar, or tmveller for whole'^iler 1'

The inteiTogations of the ^ chewing

individual followed in quick succession,

and wei"e deemed by the-' Londoner of a

most insulting character, esiKJcially the

,two last. J

' Yes, I'm a stranger, comparatively
speaking, to Cauiula,' replied Ablxrtt ;
' only out here a (ew m«iiths ; but I'm
neither^ going up nor dowii the country
at present. * This is my destination, at
least for a time ; nor am I a pedlar or \\
tmveller, 8if,"t wish you to understand.**
'Oh, beg pardon, friend ; didn't mean*
no insult, you know. Don't know who
you are nor what you are ; nor to be
honest don't care a'darn. But allow me
to say that, if you are g^ing to stop here
^#iiong white folks, you must be a kind
of civil, no odds who yon are.''

• I don't wiah to lie othoi-wiae,; ob*»rved
Abl)ott. • I've l)ccn well brought up,
Mj4j)l he<luc»ted to<), and l)elong to a very
'if^h family, bo it is not reasonabUi to
HUpiiose I shouhl bo anything but civil,
sir.'

' Tshaw ! Your' high family to tho
dogs !' returned the stninger. * Wo
don't pi-each no such tloctrine in this
country ; you can't come that game hert«.
MoiKiy rul(!S over allj and, if you've
plenty of tliat on hand, you may bmg a
little perhaps 'l>out yoiil- family and your
lariiin' and your thiH and that ; but if
you linn't got nuich of the chink, take a
friend's tulvice and dry up 'l)out relations
and qualifications in geneml^ ifewwy,
sti-anger, is tlie grand recommendation,
if a feller wants to cut a big figxire.'

< Well,' said Ablxitt, 'I liad money.
I nSly Siiy I was rich when I lauded in
Canada ; but I was unfortunately rob-
bed. Notwithstanding, 1 have a few
friends even in thW distant land, luul am
not destitute of recommelptdations equally
as gootl as money, — honesjt^llitid integri-
ty ; and as we have happflgd^jSl* got into

conversation about these' inOTTOrs, I will
inform you that I have h^re a testimo-
nial of charapter and written introduc-
tion to a g-Mitleman of gowl standing, a
letwling man in tliis place. 1 intend to
present it to him to-morrow ■ ^Perhais
yoii can tell me where he resides iiv the
town. Christopher Frow, Esq., is tho
name to whom this letter is addressed.'
« Whati' said the stranger, straighten- .
ing his cap and starting to the floor;
'why, / am the man ! That's my name,
tliere ain't no other here of the same.'

Abbott, with greater astonishment
than could be conceived, handed the let-
ter to Mr. Frow, who, when he read the
conteirts, informed him that he would
nftet him at the hotel the next day and
s])eak caanfidentially.— jBo saying he loft
aUritl>tly.

Christopher JSrow was exalted many
degi-eeS, iij his own-estimation, above his
mercantile brothers, afteV lie discovered
by Abbott's introductory letter that he

■f

.A*.-*'-, ."•f^'^^^r^j *

'■rl

p^i»fei

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

_,__.

> verily Mid truly wm ooiwidored a leading
man ; but, unfortunately, his loote lyibitH
of lato and hi« irmiintible (1) tendency

. to become frequently and iiyuriouiily
tight, precluded the powibility of hi«
attaining to Huch an enviable position In
the Heliaitive and ambitious little town

of R— ': The interview with Alrtwtt

Bubeequent to the catiual meeting at the
hotel revealed the fact, that if he -had
only kept within the [wths of Hobriety,
he would doubtless have been an impor-
tant element*«i» village form of govern-
ment Alas ! it was otherwise ; his
morning glass* was his only breakfast,
dinner time came, and brought a far
greater craving for another. His even-
ings, spent around taverns and drinking
saloons, were engaged in silly gossip, the
few sales of ready-made clothing gradual-
ly bMame fewer, and the orders for
making garments on the shortest notice
were, to use a familiar phrase, ' like
angels' visits, few and far between.'
J»oor Christopher was, therefore, at the

-^time of Abbott's amval, a helplessly
broken-down merchant— so everybody
thought in his own neighborhood. It
was universally believed that there was
no Mlvation from the miserable end
which awaited him ; his little shop win-
dow, berimed with dirt, whispered neg-
lect to the passer-by ; and the counter
aiid shelves, with clivers articles of
raady-made clothing strewed thereon, all
sprinkled and stained with mould and
dust, mourned because no customer came
to effect a purchase with the 'Bos.' In
, Christopher's absence none was there to
' attend to calls, save an only daughter of
ten years 4»ld, whose presence was of no
further use than the prevention of pett;^
larceny by any persons who might be
disposed to help themafelves withott fear
of detection. Christopher being a tailor,
people naturally fame to the conclusion
that his goose was a * gone 'one; and
also holding the title of merchant, they
as logically inferred, for the reasons just
given, that sooner or later he must shut
up shop. The Fates, however, did not
rule it 80 ; for when his goose had grown
ioy cold, and perchance in a few days
would have been pronpvinced ' gone ' by

the s|»eriff'8 auctioneer, and when the
shop was alKjut to l»e thtU by the sanj«^
obliging official, it w&n d«iOn)0«l that
CliriHtophor Frow must ydt prosper, and
that he must \te reucued from imjiending .
busincHs' dissolutipn by the i»or»on of
Harinan AbViott. fn a lucid interval,
one morning, a few weeks after Ablwtt's
entry to the village, as he sat on a three-
legged stool lieforo a cavernous-looking
desM in the shop, and looked swlly over ,
the diary and leilger of the past year ;
both of which essential records were
faithfully kept— that is so long as there
was anything to |^ iwonled— by an afr- '
commodating young clerk in an establish- '
ment opposite, the remuneration for
which was an annual suit of clothes ; a
thought struck him, and his conscience
sipote him at the same titne — and well it
was so, for were it not for this mental
assault, this striking and smiting of an
intangible, invisible jiower, Christopher
Frow would this day have been numbered
amongst the fallen to }na» own pernicious
habits.

« Wretch that I am !' said he, as he
turned over page after page and tjien
glanced round ujjon his limited stock ';
« ah ! — yes ; poor, miserable, degraded
wreteh — a leading man indeed ! Little
they know of me away from home ; but
let me see : there may be a chance yet,
it's not too late. Yes, sir-ree, I'vogotit!
Thisismy stock ; and supixwing I make
a sale of all to Ajbbott— that is a bogus
one — he then is sole proprietor ; I'm his
salesman. Secretly, I'm a sleeping part^
ner ; he keeps the books, does businesrf'
up Wwn, and I g^ve him half the profits,
and, to crown all, not a glass of liquor
shall pass my lips from this day forth ;
and who knOWs but Chris, may yet be
the first man in town 1— i-eeve, councillor
or magistrate, somefihing in that line
anyhow, supposing he shouldn't happen
to have much lamiii' itselfj for that ain't
of much ac<|)unt in t^ country when a:
man's doiixg well a*^ nudting- the,
chmk.' '

. Christopher, winding up these solemn
reflections, brought down his fist upon
the desk as a token of firm determination,
' and with a sgplden spring off the three-

■#/'iii

.*■■'■'■

tng.

"Ttr

■■' V,

■».»,

) solemn ^-j

* ■

HELP IN THE DISTANCE.

Inggod Htool went OHt to iii%kfi known
the propoHition. to \)>))ott. In lo<w tlmii^
ono hour fcho tertuM were pro[)o««l, thti
iMii-gain conoludml, and Hflcrottt conKdeil
tmtween Ah' ott an<l tho inorchant^ilors
Thn wlioWt (wt^iltiiHhiiKMit whh put to
i-igjit, th(t rotwly-inndf) clothing ittnovHUHl,
and the liegrimil} Hhop window lavod,
HJ^urtnl and i>oliiihiMl>' Tlie lat«< clothing
Htoro of ChriHtopher Frow ap)>ean!<t with
a now face and a new pro])n()tor, huHincHH
inci-eaiiieKl mpidly ; the Htoro in proctwH
of time, for the greaUwt part of the day,
wan inumlattxi with cuHtonuMn, chioHy of
the ragged tribe, aitd, w||h Uie aid. of a
few Hkilful joinrneymeii tailom, garmontH
;,of all doacriptioiiH, from the HUjKirtiiK?
Vedding'coat to the hijmy coarHO nn-
nienftQnaV)leH; were maile on incre<lil)ly
Hhort'^iotice. From tluH prospei-ouH ro-
Hult ill the a^aii-H of .Cliristopher, he wjvs
Hoon in a poHition to .licfuidjite all dj>i>t8,
and with the Hin-pluH fund which j^)liott
had faid up over and al>ove his neceHHary
expenditure had , largply increased tho
stock, andliecame ostiyisihly a pai-tncr
in the business. The firnj of Abl)Ott &
Frow waxed great m the eyes of all
whonfothey endfiLypred to iruii (of courao
in the clothing line), and witlui.» siji
months from the day on which Chnsto-
pher announced, to tlie public that lie
had formed a union witl^||[fcxperienced
hand all the way from the gi-eat city ofj
London, t|iey ei-ected amextenhivt^build-
ing, designed not only to clothe the
naked but to feed the hungry. Orna-
mental cahls and tastefully-printed hand
bills wer^^ circulated in the region r6und
aiwut, ' advertising the addition of the
. jn'ovisioh branch tb the clothing and
ft tailoring dfepartmei>ts.

While in this pro8})erou8 position.and
on the smooth road to aittuence, Abbott
j)ionsly conceivetl it to l)o light to faike
unto himself a wife ; he was now a
witlower of fiftieen month's standing, and
the probability is, had" ceased to moui-n
for the loss of the gentle and amiable •
Clara. If ow, in places ivith small pop-
ulations there is never any difficulty in
discerning a new comer, and until thfe
stranger becomes thoroughly installed
into the acquaintance and social pecuU-

srity of the natived thftrtiTin, there is al*
ways jin itching curiosity on their [lart'
particularly of thn female portion of the
ccmimunity, to pry into his antecodentH,
to sketch h is gen«nil ap|>earance, to no-
ticer' v«jry minutely how ho dr<M4Ho«, and
how he looks in ohuM|l) whuii Sunday
^num ; whotlier ho is Jmndsome or ugly,
whether he is nmpectiibly connected, and
last of *ll, whether he wahts a wife if
not alreiuly supplitMl. Abliott was sub-
joctefl to such scrutiny together with
many otlter little annoyances, until ho
had served a full apprenticeship' to tho

village of R ; at |he expiration of

which, and so«Hoon as he wtui known to
Im; Hii^cessftd, anxious mothers worked
haixl to make marriageable daughters
appear to tho Imii advantage, more es-
pecially on public occiisions, such as
loeal concerts, social tea parties, etc. —
Introductions to hiim were eagerly sought ^
by sevenil young ladies, who imagined
that, from cei'tain admiring glances he
was pletised to bestow upon them, per-
.haps in the same seat 'at church or tho
next Wje to it, he assuredly must bo.
> lovei|Micken ; each fair rival feeling
thaf^i^ was tlje more highly favored,
and the most pointedly noticed. One of
thieSOji after a^formal introduction and a
coui'tship of brief .(kiratioh, won his heart
and hand while playing an evening quiet
J Jte''"^ of love. ThemaiTiage ceremony
"jiloon fbllowedvtJtheM|S|ge Ijells rang out
meriily, the so^roblq||per gave |^lidlay
to his pupils, and the chiyjagn^lcipped
upon the green and raiiM|bicir little
voices in songs, of reioicing^TBrhe bridal
party passed by that way.^ Hainnan
Ablx)tt was i-everetl and beloyed by old
and young in the village of B— — , 'al-
though a resident there but a short,
period '; and no\y that he had married
quite an^llage favorite, an accomplisheil
young lady of nineteen and the dattghter
of the Reeve, who hf the way was ■ far
from being accomplished himself, his
popularity increased ||||S|tvhis business
prospects were daily mc^'i|^ring.

Some months a&er the nUarriage, while
Abbott was enjdying the convivialities
of an evening party at his fathei'-in-law's
house, the town constable calle to inform

.;.^

SI-;,

%
... .ri ■

•■ I*'(JWl,.:v,

,-<N

-f.'

?^i'<^

.4'

l)u tAvonii in a
[>fl^'told him
ho fwcortai
and liH4l tHv^HOwl

lit |[;«fiiw
.h\e, th«i^ "

■ ■■ m:

Mr.

Jkit)^

add

pro'
.h

'"^Ir^-'tASmi^ wiii^'bompafitiioiiau

^ilhd (?ene^^8ipWt- Tji^ old man lay

torpwflute upc%iho floor of U»e bar-ro6m,

" A 8^mll ®ndle andra i»WkffV% lite

[, b|i^ countenance .yom WiygiMiKtl.y,

lite bifow wrihkled^;with|,t^p' cares,

^rgooTe yearn or more, tne shjo^uld-

ew ^B50p^ from the i>onderov)i,« h^n\en

tof^i&i and .the clothing tatten>fl and

bhinl^g 41 shreddy andlob^el I'oor

*6|i rsoi^l ho was , indee*! dy»ng, 0fih\

,?vfiak^<?|i»8e, tmlA not positiivoly Iw, RH,itl ;

fl^ilwiyto lack of food, from a foit wdt^ls
h^ nu!i|)ly' uttered when bo^ie from the
Abroett6^hel)ar-room.. When the Reeve
Qp- his sqn-iri-law entfered, the bystand-
ePi, some of whom chafed the old ma^^'s^
hands and wet his lips with, fluted
Stinmlknts, mov^ aside. Abbott aid-
vanqed f^ looked pitifu^ at the.dea^h-
like fortii, but insiantl^^^Bbv back ii«,lo
with^fright and strick^ppfth surfiriHe.

'May, Heaven protect me! I know
that man^ exclaimed he, clasping \iis
h^ds. , ^h, surely it is— it" is— no, it
ccmnoi be ! Bnt still those features,
changed " though they may be, ai-e so
dnsadfully' real, sp horribly fanuliar !—-
let me take another look. Ah, yes, it
is none else than Bloat — Tlieodore Blpat,
my friends, a fellow-citizen of mine.
How he Came, or why he's herej is a
mystery to me.'

Abbott knelt beside him and gazed
silently at the darkened brow, as'nf to
assure himself that his recognition was
correct, and in a muffled toM called the
old man by his name. With feeble

thaw/ing'

! oh«, llfKrjnan !* he '*intitt«r»«»>y)
alinoiii impj^^tibl<> tT^dv£iJ«f?

,.-, J,

of the

Hl'()«t*./(%<^Py'ho;^^^^«^^i;h#>iH
wither*r haftd 1l^ j^W, who held it
with a soft aiuttender gnisp :

,' Life is ebbil^ ; I'll H<K«n l)egot|^.—
forgive niih, oM forgive nieHarmiwi, I
CJiu say no tf^^^ «iM)ke.the dying man.
• Fdrgive f^^ \ ym. Ootl forbid I
shquldnV i^aicUTO* a*» ho buried hjs face
in his hAhds.am?*bbeil aloud.

Then fareweli^rpyer,' uttcre<l Bloat,
he closdd .1»M:^eH and with a fow
hIWi gasps ga>;otilt t'hft ghost.

*^ lai-atlons Mrito ""^t'" the following'
day f^'the intenbiOTtt at tV exjKjnso of
his oi5» i^^rs^utctl clerk. Thefunoml
proc^ssjdtt of the late Manager of the
• Ml(ldlQ«ex\Bank consisted of elovpn |>er-
Hons, AWMjrto'oluntw'ring to jujtasehicf
mourner. T^^ljowtains of hini who at
one timjB livp4itiip>l"xury and fashion,
.hoMing ii sui>erwr jwHition in a gi*cat
metropolis, noW il^ onshroudetl in bog*;
gar's rags, in a'rougKanadecoffln, inside
the verdant, churchyarH^f thp village of

s releasK>i|oim Wake-

totally^)ankrupt,

lohl, and Rvj family

mercies of

luisa was^jCom petted

irvice of a" form

aid, and the oth

oSe Castle- -driven' to

_ limilar subordinate

[imself, having, con-

,li „8um of- money.

H^ot long aftJpr^
field prison,
hi^ effects seiz^
cast' upon thef.^
erous ~
to enga<j
sociate
membei-s^
the accept

to utter wan

probtAJ^ tbv§i

'obtain ih'^

, 'V

•»f '■' ''

positions.

trivetl .lo '^^ ijgpii L, » •" ,,

purchased a steerage passage to New
York, where he wandered klx)ut <lay .
after day in search of employment. Being
totally unsucoess^nl in this, her managed
with a i»lHi«^ of the small, pittanpejeft'
to«yeffect^^jj||Wsing into Canatla ; l^efo
he *trav||(H8llllfobt-sore and wearied for
many week8,.ja|iil he was finally reduced
4 ^'^ wending his way
noBpitabie, hamlet, to
and food, when he fell

%'*.

HELP IN THE DISTANCE

proHtrat4) with hunger and fatigue u|K)u
the Htroot of AhlHitt'H nilopUMl hoinjn and
died, after Imiiij? liom*) a f«w yanin, on
the J|t|*Wif««taiuo«l floor of a Ijar-room. —
Thai emiud the oaroer of Uuh unhappy

Abbott no longer feela hon«v«ick, and
when he dandlea a plump ro«y-ch«w5k«d
infant in hin arinH, witting by a bright
firoaide, he often lookM Jiack to the time
wluMi ho little expoctetl Hicr.P IH fKl

DlHTANCK.

■ ft.'. ,
»,■■

TIIK KND.

lan, I
man.

Ind I
i face

Bloat,
a few

nwing
aso of
inonil
if tho
in t>er-
nehicf
^ho at
.shion,
gi*cat
n bog*
inside
age of

Wake-^
krupt,

oth
veri to
•dinato
g, con-
iioney,
1 Now'
ut <lay

Being
imaged
ipeifeft'

; I^efo
led for
■educed
lis way
det, to

he fell

■\

■m

»*

'>»

■(&