the uncommercial traveller-第4节

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Words　cannot　express　the　gratitude　I　feel　I　owe　to　you　all　for　your

benevolent　aid；　your　kindness；　and　your　sympathy。





MY　DEARLY　BELOVED　FRIENDS。　　I　arrived　in　safety　at　my　house

yesterday；　and　a　night's　rest　has　restored　and　tranquillised　me。　　I

must　again　repeat；　that　language　has　no　words　by　which　I　can

express　my　sense　of　obligation　to　you。　　You　are　enshrined　in　my

heart　of　hearts。



I　have　seen　him！　and　can　now　realise　my　misfortune　more　than　I　have

hitherto　been　able　to　do。　　Oh；　the　bitterness　of　the　cup　I　drink！

But　I　bow　submissive。　　God　MUST　have　done　right。　　I　do　not　want　to

feel　less；　but　to　acquiesce　more　simply。





There　were　some　Jewish　passengers　on　board　the　Royal　Charter；　and

the　gratitude　of　the　Jewish　people　is　feelingly　expressed　in　the

following　letter　bearing　date　from　'the　office　of　the　Chief　Rabbi：'





REVEREND　SIR。　　I　cannot　refrain　from　expressing　to　you　my　heartfelt

thanks　on　behalf　of　those　of　my　flock　whose　relatives　have

unfortunately　been　among　those　who　perished　at　the　late　wreck　of

the　Royal　Charter。　　You　have；　indeed；　like　Boaz；　'not　left　off　your

kindness　to　the　living　and　the　dead。'



You　have　not　alone　acted　kindly　towards　the　living　by　receiving

them　hospitably　at　your　house；　and　energetically　assisting　them　in

their　mournful　duty；　but　also　towards　the　dead；　by　exerting

yourself　to　have　our　co…religionists　buried　in　our　ground；　and

according　to　our　rites。　　May　our　heavenly　Father　reward　you　for

your　acts　of　humanity　and　true　philanthropy！





The　'Old　Hebrew　congregation　of　Liverpool'　thus　express　themselves

through　their　secretary：





REVEREND　SIR。　　The　wardens　of　this　congregation　have　learned　with

great　pleasure　that；　in　addition　to　those　indefatigable　exertions；

at　the　scene　of　the　late　disaster　to　the　Royal　Charter；　which　have

received　universal　recognition；　you　have　very　benevolently　employed

your　valuable　efforts　to　assist　such　members　of　our　faith　as　have

sought　the　bodies　of　lost　friends　to　give　them　burial　in　our

consecrated　grounds；　with　the　observances　and　rites　prescribed　by

the　ordinances　of　our　religion。



The　wardens　desire　me　to　take　the　earliest　available　opportunity　to

offer　to　you；　on　behalf　of　our　community；　the　expression　of　their

warm　acknowledgments　and　grateful　thanks；　and　their　sincere　wishes

for　your　continued　welfare　and　prosperity。





A　Jewish　gentleman　writes：





REVEREND　AND　DEAR　SIR。　　I　take　the　opportunity　of　thanking　you

right　earnestly　for　the　promptness　you　displayed　in　answering　my

note　with　full　particulars　concerning　my　much　lamented　brother；　and

I　also　herein　beg　to　express　my　sincere　regard　for　the　willingness

you　displayed　and　for　the　facility　you　afforded　for　getting　the

remains　of　my　poor　brother　exhumed。　　It　has　been　to　us　a　most

sorrowful　and　painful　event；　but　when　we　meet　with　such　friends　as

yourself；　it　in　a　measure；　somehow　or　other；　abates　that　mental

anguish；　and　makes　the　suffering　so　much　easier　to　be　borne。

Considering　the　circumstances　connected　with　my　poor　brother's

fate；　it　does；　indeed；　appear　a　hard　one。　　He　had　been　away　in　all

seven　years；　he　returned　four　years　ago　to　see　his　family。　　He　was

then　engaged　to　a　very　amiable　young　lady。　　He　had　been　very

successful　abroad；　and　was　now　returning　to　fulfil　his　sacred　vow；

he　brought　all　his　property　with　him　in　gold　uninsured。　　We　heard

from　him　when　the　ship　stopped　at　Queenstown；　when　he　was　in　the

highest　of　hope；　and　in　a　few　short　hours　afterwards　all　was　washed

away。





Mournful　in　the　deepest　degree；　but　too　sacred　for　quotation　here；

were　the　numerous　references　to　those　miniatures　of　women　worn

round　the　necks　of　rough　men　（and　found　there　after　death）；　those

locks　of　hair；　those　scraps　of　letters；　those　many　many　slight

memorials　of　hidden　tenderness。　　One　man　cast　up　by　the　sea　bore

about　him；　printed　on　a　perforated　lace　card；　the　following

singular　（and　unavailing）　charm：





A　BLESSING。





May　the　blessing　of　God　await　thee。　　May　the　sun　of　glory　shine

around　thy　bed；　and　may　the　gates　of　plenty；　honour；　and　happiness

be　ever　open　to　thee。　　May　no　sorrow　distress　thy　days；　may　no

grief　disturb　thy　nights。　　May　the　pillow　of　peace　kiss　thy　cheek；

and　the　pleasures　of　imagination　attend　thy　dreams；　and　when　length

of　years　makes　thee　tired　of　earthly　joys；　and　the　curtain　of　death

gently　closes　around　thy　last　sleep　of　human　existence；　may　the

Angel　of　God　attend　thy　bed；　and　take　care　that　the　expiring　lamp

of　life　shall　not　receive　one　rude　blast　to　hasten　on　its

extinction。





A　sailor　had　these　devices　on　his　right　arm。　　'Our　Saviour　on　the

Cross；　the　forehead　of　the　Crucifix　and　the　vesture　stained　red；　on

the　lower　part　of　the　arm；　a　man　and　woman；　on　one　side　of　the

Cross；　the　appearance　of　a　half　moon；　with　a　face；　on　the　other

side；　the　sun；　on　the　top　of　the　Cross；　the　letters　I。H。S。；　on　the

left　arm；　a　man　and　woman　dancing；　with　an　effort　to　delineate　the

female's　dress；　under　which；　initials。'　　Another　seaman　'had；　on

the　lower　part　of　the　right　arm；　the　device　of　a　sailor　and　a

female；　the　man　holding　the　Union　Jack　with　a　streamer；　the　folds

of　which　waved　over　her　head；　and　the　end　of　it　was　held　in　her

hand。　　On　the　upper　part　of　the　arm；　a　device　of　Our　Lord　on　the

Cross；　with　stars　surrounding　the　head　of　the　Cross；　and　one　large

star　on　the　side　in　Indian　Ink。　　On　the　left　arm；　a　flag；　a　true

lover's　knot；　a　face；　and　initials。'　　This　tattooing　was　found

still　plain；　below　the　discoloured　outer　surface　of　a　mutilated

arm；　when　such　surface　was　carefully　scraped　away　with　a　knife。　　It

is　not　improbable　that　the　perpetuation　of　this　marking　custom

among　seamen；　may　be　referred　back　to　their　desire　to　be

identified；　if　drowned　and　flung　ashore。



It　was　some　time　before　I　could　sever　myself　from　the　many

interesting　papers　on　the　table；　and　then　I　broke　bread　and　drank

wine　with　the　kind　family　before　I　left　them。　　As　I　brought　the

Coast…guard　down；　so　I　took　the　Postman　back；　with　his　leathern

wallet；　walking…stick；　bugle；　and　terrier　dog。　　Many　a　heart…broken

letter　had　he　brought　to　the　Rectory　House　within　two　months　many；

a　benignantly　painstaking　answer　had　he　carried　back。



As　I　rode　along；　I　thought　of　the　many　people；　inhabitants　of　this

mother　country；　who　would　make　pilgrimages　to　the　little　churchyard

in　the　years　to　come；　I　thought　of　the　many　people　in　Australia；

who　would　have　an　interest　in　such　a　shipwreck；　and　would　find

their　way　here　when　they　visit　the　Old　World；　I　thought　of　the

writers　of　all　the　wreck　of　letters　I　had　left　upon　the　table；　and

I　resolved　to　place　this　little　record　where　it　stands。

Convocations；　Conferences；　Diocesan　Epistles；　and　the　like；　will　do

a　great　deal　for　Religion；　I　dare　say；　and　Heaven　send　they　may！

but　I　doubt　if　they　will　ever　do　their　Master's　service　half　so

well；　in　all　the　time　they　last；　as　the　Heavens　have　seen　it　done

in　this　bleak　spot　upon　the　rugged　coast　of　Wales。



Had　I　lost　the　friend　of　my　life；　in　the　wreck　of　the　Royal

Charter；　had　I　lost　my　betrothed；　the　more　than　friend　of　my　life；

had　I　lost　my　maiden　daughter；　had　I　lost　my　hopeful　boy；　had　I

lost　my　little　child；　I　would　kiss　the　hands　that　worked　so　busily

and　gently　in　the　church；　and　say；　'None　better　could　have　touched

the　form；　though　it　had　lain　at　home。'　　I　could　be　sure　of　it；　I

could　be　thankful　for　it：　　I　could　be　content　to　leave　the　grave

near　the　house　the　good　family　pass　in　and　out　of　every　day；

undisturbed；　in　the　little　churchyard　where　so　many　are　so

strangely　brought　together。



Without　the　name　of　the　clergyman　to　whom　…　I　hope；　not　without

carrying　comfort　to　some　heart　at　some　time　…　I　have　referred；　my

reference　would　be　as　nothing。　　He　is　the　Reverend　Stephen　Roose

Hughes；　of　Llanallgo；　near　Moelfra；　Anglesey。　　His　brother　is　the

Reverend　Hugh　Robert　Hughes；　of　Penrhos；　Alligwy。







CHAPTER　III　…　WAPPING　WORKHOUSE







My　day's　no…business　beckoning　me　to　the　East…end　of　London；　I　had

turned　my　face　to　that　point　of　the　metropolitan　compass　on　leaving

Covent…garden；　and　had　got　past　the　India　House；　thinking　in　my

idle　manner　of　Tippoo…Sahib　and　Charles　Lamb；　and　had　got　past　my

little　wooden　midshipman；　after　affectionately　patting　him　on　one

leg　of　his　knee…shorts　for　old　acquaintance'　sake；　and　had　got　past

Aldgate　Pump；　and　had　got　past　the　Saracen's　Head　（with　an

ignominious　rash　of　posting　bills　disfiguring　his　swarthy

countenance）；　and　had　strolled　up　the　empty　yard　of　his　ancient

neighbour　the　Black　or　Blue　Boar；　or　Bull；　who　departed　this　life　I

don't　know　when；　and　whose　coaches　are　all　gone　I　don't　know　where；

and　I　had　come　out　again　into　the　age　of　railways；　and　I　had　got

past　Whitechapel　Church；　and　was　…　rather　inappropriately　for　an

Uncommercial　Traveller　…　in　the　Commercial　Road。　　Pleasa