Part 8 (1/2)

In that day, however, a newspaper was a very different thing from what it has since become Then, journals were created iven as it actually occurred; whereas, now, the coe that any one can appreciate, when it is remembered to what a _competition in news_ must infallibly lead In that day, our own journals had not taken to ilish newspapers--talents and education are not yet cheap enough in America to enable them to ihts, as put in opposition to the press The public sense of right had not become blunted by fay was never heard for not enforcing the laws, that nobody cares for what the newspapers say Owing to these causes, I escaped a thousand lies about myself, my history, my disposition, character and acts Still, I was in print; and I confess it half-frightened h I had physical evidence of being alive and well

The owners questioned me closely about the manner in which the John was lost, and expressed themselves satisfied with my answers I then producedless than their amount on their security To the latter part of the proposition, however, these gentle a check for a hundred dollars on ht be paid atI had Clawbonny, and a very comfortable inco the sum, and tookourselves neatly, though always in sailor guise After this was done, we proceeded to the Albany basin, in order to ascertain whether the Wallingford were down or not

At the basin we learned that the sloop had gone out that very forenoon, having on board a black with his young master's effects; a lad as said to have been out to Canton with young Mr Wallingford, and as now on his way home, to report all the sad occurrences to the faot thus far back in charge of our chests, and was about to return to slavery

We had been in hopes that we s of our loss This intelligence was likely to defeat the expectation; but, luckily, one of the fastest sloops on the river, a Hudson packet, was on the point of sailing, and, though the wind held well to the northward, her ht he should be able to turn up with the tides, as high as our creek, in the course of the next eight-and-forty hours This was quite as ford could do, I felt well persuaded; and, ain to be landed on the western shore, Rupert and I put our things on board this packet, and were under way in half an hour's ti was my own anxiety, I could not keep off the deck until we had anchored on account of the flood; and much did I envy Rupert, who had coolly turned in as soon as it was dark, and went to sleep When the anchor was down, I endeavoured to i, I found the vessel in Newburgh Bay, with a fair wind

About twelve o'clock I could see theit, her sails disappearing behind the trees, just as I caught sight of the, I could not beashore half a mile above the creek, there was a farm-road that would lead to the house by a cut so short, as nearly to bring us there as soon as Neb could possibly arrive with his dire, but false intelligence The place was pointed out to the captain, who had extracted our secret froood-naturedly consented to do all we asked of hione into the creek itself, had it been required But ere landed, with our bag of clothes--one answered very well for both--at the place I haveturn about to shoulder the wardrobe, aent, as fast as legs could carry us Even Rupert seeood deal of contrition, as he must have recollected the pain he had occasioned his excellent father, and dear, good sister

Clawbonny never looked more beautiful than when I first cast eyes on it, that afternoon There lay the house in the secure retire to lose their blosso in the south wind, rese velvet; the fields of corn of all sorts; and the cattle, as they stood ru their existence in ence beneath the shade of trees, seemed to speak of abundance and considerate treat denoted peace, plenty and happiness Yet this place, with all its blessings and security, had I wilfully deserted to encounter pirates in the Straits of Sunda, shi+pwreck on the shores of Madagascar, jeopardy in an open boat off the Isle of France, and a miraculous preservation froreat distance frorove, in which Rupert and I had, with our own hands, constructed a rude summer-house, fit to be enjoyed on just such an afternoon as this on which we had returned

When distant froirls enter the wood, evidently taking the direction of the seat At the sa up the road fro at a snail's pace, as if the poor fellow dreaded to encounter the task before him

After a morove, and thus anticipate the account of Neb, who nised We met with more obstacles than we had foreseen or reot to a thicket close in the rear of the bench, we found that the black was already in the presence of his two ”young mistresses”

The appearance of the three, when I first caught a near view of them, was such as almost to terrifyas a black bottle, was almost of the colour of ashes The poor fellow could not speak, and, though Lucy was actually shaking hiet was tears These flowed froth the fellow threw hiroan

”Can this be sha run away?” exclaimed Lucy, ”or does it foretell evil to the boys?”

”He knows nothing of _the been with them--yet, I am terrified”

”Not on my account, dearest sister,” I cried aloud; ”here are Rupert and I, God be praised, both in good health, and safe”

I took care to remain hid, as I uttered this, not to alarirls shrieked, and held out their ar forward I know not how it happened, though I found, on recoveringLucy tothe same to Grace This littlehis own sister, as in duty bound, and as was irls shed torrents of tears, and assured us, again and again, that this was the only really happyon the wharf, nearly a twelvemonth before Then followed looks at each other, exclaes that had taken place in the appearance of all parties, and kisses and tears again, in abundance

As for Neb, the poor felloas seen in the road, whither he had fled at the sound ofsatisfied, in the end, of our identity, as well as of our being in the flesh, the negro again threw hi with delight After going through this process of negro excitement, he leaped up on his feel, and started for the house, shouting at the top of his voice, as if certain the good intelligence he brought would secure his own pardon--”Master Miles come home!--Master Miles come home!”

In a fewus four, who reible answers Glad was I to ascertain that the girls had been spared the news of our loss As for Mr Hardinge, he ell, and busied, as usual, in discharging the duties of his holy office He had told Grace and Lucy the na of the painful glimpse he had obtained of us, just as we lifted our anchor, to quit the port Grace, in a solemn manner, then demanded an outline of our adventures As Rupert was the spokes been in athe sweet countenances of the two painfully interested listeners Rupert affected h I remarked that he dwelt a little particularly on the shot which had lodged so near hiris's fore it made as it approached, and the violence of the blohen it struck He had the i on the other side of the top, when the shot passed through my station; whereas I do believe that the shot passed nearer to me than it did to himself It barelyover by the top-ed The fellow told his story in his oay, however, and with so much unction that I observed it made Grace look pale The effect on Lucy was different This excellent creature perceived hed, and, interrupting her brother, told hih about the cannon-ball; now let us hear of so else” Rupert coloured, for he had frequently had such frank hints from his sister, in the course of his childhood; but he had too much address to betray the vexation I knew he felt

To own the truth, my attach off ofthe voyage--had shi+rked so much duty, most of which had fallen on poor Neb--and had been so little of the man, in practice, whoue--that I could no longer shut my eyes to some of his deficiencies of character I still liked hiuardian's son, and Lucy's brother Then I could not conceal froid sense, a lad of truth He coloured, exaggerated, glossed over and embellished, if he did not absolutely invent I was not old enough then to understand thatbut truths distorted, and that nothing is more rare than unadulterated fact; that truths and lies travel in company, as described by Pope in his Temple of Fame, until--

”This or that unmixed, no mortal e'er shall find”

In this very narration of our voyage, Rupert had left false is He had made far more of both our little skirlected to do justice to Neb in his account of each of the affairs

Then he commended Captain Robbins's conduct in connection with the loss of the John, on points that could not be sustained, and censured him for measures that deserved praise I knew Rupert was no seaman--was pretty well satisfied, by this time, he never would make one--but I could not explain all his obliquities by referring thenorance The manner, moreover, in which he represented himself as the principal actor, on all occasions, denoted so much address, that, while I felt the falsity of the impressions he left, I did not exactly see the enious, indeed, was his ether, or what _seehtthat which, in sober reality, I knew to be false I was still too young, not quite eighteen, to feel any apprehensions on the subject of Grace; and was too ard either with any feelings very widely different from those which I entertained for Grace herself

As soon as the history of our adventures and exploits was concluded, we all had leisure to observe and comment on the alterations that ti the oldest, was the least changed in this particular He had got his growth early, and was only a little spread He had cultivated a pair of whiskers at sea, which rendered his face a little more manly--an improvement, by the way--but, the effects of exposure and of the sun excepted, there was no very e in his exterior Perhaps, on the whole, he was iirls fancied this, though Grace did not say it, and Lucy only half admitted it, and that with rown, standing exactly six feet in hteen But I had also spread; a fact that is not coe Grace said I had lost all delicacy of appearance; and as for Lucy, though she laughed and blushed she protested I began to look like a great bear To confess the truth, I ell satisfied with my own appearance, did not envy Rupert a jot, and knew I could toss him over my shoulder whenever I chose I stood the strictures on h no one was so hed at as myself, in that critical discussion, no one cared less for it all Just as I was permitted to escape, Lucy said, in an under tone--

”You should have staid at horadually, no one would have noticed the told how much you are altered, and that you are a _bear_”

I looked eagerly round at the speaker, and eyed her intently A look of regret passed over the dear creature's face, her eyes looked as penitent as they did soft, and the flush that suffused her countenance rendered this last expression al At the same instant she whispered--”I did not really mean _that_”

But it was Grace's turn, and reat i as she was, she had lost irlish air, in the sedateness and propriety of the young wo more of these last than is common; but they had now coht alirlish, frivolity In person, her i delicacy rather left an i was more intended for another world, than this There was ever an air of fragility and of pure intellectuality about my poor sister, that half disposed one to fancy that she would one day be translated to a better sphere in the body, precisely as she stood before human eyes

Lucy bore the exa about _her_ to create any miraculous expectations, or fanciful pictures; but she was evidently fast getting to be a very lovely wo with the feelings of her sex, gentle yet spirited, buoyant though eful, but natural and yet constant feelings in her, kepthu, a firmer or more consistent friend, or a more accurate thinker on all subjects that suited her years and becae, never existed Even Grace was influenced by her judgh I did not then kno uided by her sis, and to reason on their consequences

We were ht of repairing to the house Lucy then reminded Rupert that he had not yet seen his father, who from his horse at the door of his own study That he had been apprised of the return of the runaways, if not prodigals, was evident, she thought, by his iveness and blessing Mr Hardinge received us both without surprise, and totally without any show of resentment It was about the ti this expectation realized, as a er to his nature We all shed tears, the girls sobbing aloud; and ere both solemnly blessed Nor ae when the cant of a pretending irreligion--there is as much cant in self-sufficiency as in hypocrisy, and they very often go together--is disposed to turn into ridicule the hu of the Alh the ministers of his altars; for kneel I did, and weep I did, and, I trust, the one in humility and the other in contrition