mudfog+-第21节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



ferocious　countenance　by　the　mother；　who　arrived　in　the　melancholy

wash…house　just　as　he　had　so　settled　himself。



'〃Where's　my　boy？〃　shrieked　the　mother。



'〃In　that　copper；　boiling；〃　coolly　replied　the　benign　father。



'Struck　by　the　awful　intelligence；　the　mother　rushed　from　the

house；　and　alarmed　the　neighbourhood。　　The　police　entered　a　minute

afterwards。　　The　father；　having　bolted　the　wash…house　door；　had

bolted　himself。　　They　dragged　the　lifeless　body　of　the　boiled　baker

from　the　cauldron；　and；　with　a　promptitude　commendable　in　men　of

their　station；　they　immediately　carried　it　to　the　station…house。

Subsequently；　the　baker　was　apprehended　while　seated　on　the　top　of

a　lamp…post　in　Parliament　Street；　lighting　his　pipe。'



The　whole　horrible　ideality　of　the　Mysteries　of　Udolpho；　condensed

into　the　pithy　effect　of　a　ten…line　paragraph；　could　not　possibly

have　so　affected　the　narrator's　auditory。　　Silence；　the　purest　and

most　noble　of　all　kinds　of　applause；　bore　ample　testimony　to　the

barbarity　of　the　baker；　as　well　as　to　Bolton's　knack　of　narration；

and　it　was　only　broken　after　some　minutes　had　elapsed　by

interjectional　expressions　of　the　intense　indignation　of　every　man

present。　　The　baker　wondered　how　a　British　baker　could　so　disgrace

himself　and　the　highly　honourable　calling　to　which　he　belonged；　and

the　others　indulged　in　a　variety　of　wonderments　connected　with　the

subject；　among　which　not　the　least　wonderment　was　that　which　was

awakened　by　the　genius　and　information　of　Mr。　Robert　Bolton；　who；

after　a　glowing　eulogium　on　himself；　and　his　unspeakable　influence

with　the　daily　press；　was　proceeding；　with　a　most　solemn

countenance；　to　hear　the　pros　and　cons　of　the　Pope　autograph

question；　when　I　took　up　my　hat；　and　left。







FAMILIAR　EPISTLE　FROM　A　PARENT　TO　A　CHILD

AGED　TWO　YEARS　AND　TWO　MONTHS







MY　CHILD；



To　recount　with　what　trouble　I　have　brought　you　up　…　with　what　an

anxious　eye　I　have　regarded　your　progress；　…　how　late　and　how　often

I　have　sat　up　at　night　working　for　you；　…　and　how　many　thousand

letters　I　have　received　from；　and　written　to　your　various　relations

and　friends；　many　of　whom　have　been　of　a　querulous　and　irritable

turn；　…　to　dwell　on　the　anxiety　and　tenderness　with　which　I　have

（as　far　as　I　possessed　the　power）　inspected　and　chosen　your　food；

rejecting　the　indigestible　and　heavy　matter　which　some　injudicious

but　well…meaning　old　ladies　would　have　had　you　swallow；　and

retaining　only　those　light　and　pleasant　articles　which　I　deemed

calculated　to　keep　you　free　from　all　gross　humours；　and　to　render

you　an　agreeable　child；　and　one　who　might　be　popular　with　society

in　general；　…　to　dilate　on　the　steadiness　with　which　I　have

prevented　your　annoying　any　company　by　talking　politics　…　always

assuring　you　that　you　would　thank　me　for　it　yourself　some　day　when

you　grew　older；　…　to　expatiate；　in　short；　upon　my　own　assiduity　as

a　parent；　is　beside　my　present　purpose；　though　I　cannot　but

contemplate　your　fair　appearance　…　your　robust　health；　and

unimpeded　circulation　（which　I　take　to　be　the　great　secret　of　your

good　looks）　without　the　liveliest　satisfaction　and　delight。



It　is　a　trite　observation；　and　one　which；　young　as　you　are；　I　have

no　doubt　you　have　often　heard　repeated；　that　we　have　fallen　upon

strange　times；　and　live　in　days　of　constant　shiftings　and　changes。

I　had　a　melancholy　instance　of　this　only　a　week　or　two　since。　　I

was　returning　from　Manchester　to　London　by　the　Mail　Train；　when　I

suddenly　fell　into　another　train　…　a　mixed　train　…　of　reflection；

occasioned　by　the　dejected　and　disconsolate　demeanour　of　the　Post…

Office　Guard。　　We　were　stopping　at　some　station　where　they　take　in

water；　when　he　dismounted　slowly　from　the　little　box　in　which　he

sits　in　ghastly　mockery　of　his　old　condition　with　pistol　and

blunderbuss　beside　him；　ready　to　shoot　the　first　highwayman　（or

railwayman）　who　shall　attempt　to　stop　the　horses；　which　now　travel

（when　they　travel　at　all）　INSIDE　and　in　a　portable　stable　invented

for　the　purpose；　…　he　dismounted；　I　say；　slowly　and　sadly；　from　his

post；　and　looking　mournfully　about　him　as　if　in　dismal　recollection

of　the　old　roadside　public…house　the　blazing　fire　…　the　glass　of

foaming　ale　…　the　buxom　handmaid　and　admiring　hangers…on　of　tap…

room　and　stable；　all　honoured　by　his　notice；　and；　retiring　a　little

apart；　stood　leaning　against　a　signal…post；　surveying　the　engine

with　a　look　of　combined　affliction　and　disgust　which　no　words　can

describe。　　His　scarlet　coat　and　golden　lace　were　tarnished　with

ignoble　smoke；　flakes　of　soot　had　fallen　on　his　bright　green　shawl

…　his　pride　in　days　of　yore　…　the　steam　condensed　in　the　tunnel

from　which　we　had　just　emerged；　shone　upon　his　hat　like　rain。　　His

eye　betokened　that　he　was　thinking　of　the　coachman；　and　as　it

wandered　to　his　own　seat　and　his　own　fast…fading　garb；　it　was　plain

to　see　that　he　felt　his　office　and　himself　had　alike　no　business

there；　and　were　nothing　but　an　elaborate　practical　joke。



As　we　whirled　away；　I　was　led　insensibly　into　an　anticipation　of

those　days　to　come；　when　mail…coach　guards　shall　no　longer　be

judges　of　horse…flesh　…　when　a　mail…coach　guard　shall　never　even

have　seen　a　horse　…　when　stations　shall　have　superseded　stables；

and　corn　shall　have　given　place　to　coke。　　'In　those　dawning　times；'

thought　I；　'exhibition…rooms　shall　teem　with　portraits　of　Her

Majesty's　favourite　engine；　with　boilers　after　Nature　by　future

Landseers。　　Some　Amburgh；　yet　unborn；　shall　break　wild　horses　by

his　magic　power；　and　in　the　dress　of　a　mail…coach　guard　exhibit　his

TRAINED　ANIMALS　in　a　mock　mail…coach。　　Then；　shall　wondering　crowds

observe　how　that；　with　the　exception　of　his　whip；　it　is　all　his

eye；　and　crowned　heads　shall　see　them　fed　on　oats；　and　stand　alone

unmoved　and　undismayed；　while　counters　flee　affrighted　when　the

coursers　neigh！'



Such；　my　child；　were　the　reflections　from　which　I　was　only　awakened

then；　as　I　am　now；　by　the　necessity　of　attending　to　matters　of

present　though　minor　importance。　　I　offer　no　apology　to　you　for　the

digression；　for　it　brings　me　very　naturally　to　the　subject　of

change；　which　is　the　very　subject　of　which　I　desire　to　treat。



In　fact；　my　child；　you　have　changed　hands。　　Henceforth　I　resign　you

to　the　guardianship　and　protection　of　one　of　my　most　intimate　and

valued　friends；　Mr。　Ainsworth；　with　whom；　and　with　you；　my　best

wishes　and　warmest　feelings　will　ever　remain。　　I　reap　no　gain　or

profit　by　parting　from　you；　nor　will　any　conveyance　of　your

property　be　required；　for；　in　this　respect；　you　have　always　been

literally　'Bentley's'　Miscellany；　and　never　mine。



Unlike　the　driver　of　the　old　Manchester　mail；　I　regard　this　altered

state　of　things　with　feelings　of　unmingled　pleasure　and

satisfaction。



Unlike　the　guard　of　the　new　Manchester　mail；　YOUR　guard　is　at　home

in　his　new　place；　and　has　roystering　highwaymen　and　gallant

desperadoes　ever　within　call。　　And　if　I　might　compare　you；　my

child；　to　an　engine；　（not　a　Tory　engine；　nor　a　Whig　engine；　but　a

brisk　and　rapid　locomotive；）　your　friends　and　patrons　to

passengers；　and　he　who　now　stands　towards　you　IN　LOCO　PARENTIS　as

the　skilful　engineer　and　supervisor　of　the　whole；　I　would　humbly

crave　leave　to　postpone　the　departure　of　the　train　on　its　new　and

auspicious　course　for　one　brief　instant；　while；　with　hat　in　hand；　I

approach　side　by　side　with　the　friend　who　travelled　with　me　on　the

old　road；　and　presume　to　solicit　favour　and　kindness　in　behalf　of

him　and　his　new　charge；　both　for　their　sakes　and　that　of　the　old

coachman；



Boz。









Footnotes：



（1）　This　paper　was　written　before　the　practice　of　exhibiting

Members　of　Parliament；　like　other　curiosities；　for　the　small　charge

of　half…a…crown；　was　abolished。



（2）　The　regulations　of　the　prison　relative　to　the　confinement　of

prisoners　during　the　day；　their　sleeping　at　night；　their　taking

their　meals；　and　other　matters　of　gaol　economy；　have　been　all

altered…greatly　for　the　better　…　since　this　sketch　was　first

published。　　Even　the　construction　of　the　prison　itself　has　been

changed。



（3）　These　two　men　were　executed　shortly　afterwards。　　The　other　was

respited　during　his　Majesty's　pleasure。











End