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without care or trouble of any kind, save the agreable task of spending a thousand a-year—and now, alas! what a change! In an evil hour did he put any trust in the fond glances and sweet smiles of the "gentle Sophia." No sooner was the noose tied and the victim secured, than the "gentle Sophia" threw off her disguise, and appeared in her natural colours—a very dragon, a vixen-in fact, one of the most terrific of petticoat despots.

There was Mr. Watkins, one of the most respectable men on 'Change. Well: neclecting the sober and industrious pursuits to which he had dedicated his honest life for the space of forty years, in an evil hoor, too, was persuaded to bestow his fortune and his hand on an aristocratic beggar, who thought that the accident of being an earl's sister was more than sufficient compensation for the citizen's hundred thousand pounds. Mr. Wathins, from the very day of his wedding, was treated of course with the most sovereign contempt by his better half, and her noble circle of relatives and friends. Then, again, who could forget the melancholy affair of poor Melrush, who was trepanned into marring a “modest, timid girl, who ran away with a guardsman six months after the ceremony ? Bachelor Sam had gradually cut all sorts of parties except dinners. Balls he abhorred-the ball-room was, in his opinion, the most dangerous field of battle for the matrimonial belligerents. It was there, indeed, that the more formidable attacks mere made against inoffensive states-that castles, and halls, and country villas, were conquered, and taken by storm; to say nothing of the enormous booty gathered from the sacking and pillage of bank-notes, exchequer bills, bonds, stock, canal shares, and every other share under the sun. Sam knew full well that his friend Sir Edward Jasper had speedily surrendered his splendid manor of Hamfield, unable to sustain any longer the fire unremittingly shot from Araminta Newberay's conquering eye. He knew also that Caringly Castle, although strongly garrisoned by two elderly maiden aunts, and a bevy of portionless younger brothers, had, nevertheless, been taken by storm after a month's desperate flirtation, under the experienced generalship of Augusta Hunterman, and the garrison obliged to evacuate the place. He knew also that the mere skirmish of a quadrille and a waltz had sufficed in many instances to subdue a baronetcy, and that a galopade had run away with many a fortune imprudently entrusted to the care of foolish boys let loose from college.

Bachelor Sam detested public breakfasts, pic-nics, water parties, concerts, &c. &c. quite as much as balls, and for the very same reason. They were, in fact, the various stratagems and plans of attack employed in that most nefarious war-vulgarly called husband hunting. The opera did not fill our friend with so much alarm, because he considered himself safely guarded, having secured one of those strong positions called stalls, so very favourable to the preservation of bachelors. It is evident that the most determined eyehots fired from the boxes could produce no effect at such a distance.

With regard to dinner parties, Sam was exceedingly embarrassed how to act; 'tis true, that the danger incurred by so close an attack as a hostile neighbour at the dinner table was a thing to be well considered, hut then our friend thought it extremely hard to relinquish some of the very best works in gastronomic lore, because the temples of that admirable science happened to be profaned by the presence of unwelcome intruders. Bachelor Sam possessed, indeed, a profound respect and veneration for the culinary art-rather call it science-nay, the first of sciences.

The only thing which he could do was to take a middle term, and attend those solemn dinners, at which all the taddlers and bores are invited. Sam was content to endure long discussions on the Corn Laws, the East India Company, and Reform, coupled, as the infliction was, with most delicious filets and salmis of astonishing variety of condiment.

Bachelor Sam's mania increased every day, till the poor man could not endure the sight of a woman. On one occasion he hastily quitted a house where he was paying a visit, simply because Mrs. and Miss Robertson were announced.

Poor Sam! the sight of a pretty girl actually threw a cloud over his countenance. He was certainly more at ease in the company of those frightful creatures, whom nature, by some extraordinary caprice, has added to the feminine gender. Some thought that Mr. Snodgrass had a peculiar taste in beauty, for he was invariably seen courting in preference, the company of the most repelling ugly girls in the party. But even this portion of the sex he thought it highly expedient to cut, when, upon his having talked four times consecutively to Miss Catherine Crisp, two matrons began to wisper in his ear, that Miss Crisp was a most amiable girl-"Sweet angel," "Kitty will make an excellent wife." Such a kind heart-such placidity of temper-and then so excellently brought up," &c. &c. This was enough for Sam-from the unlucky moment that the officious dowager began to acquaint him with the merits of Miss Catherine Crisp, Sam made it a particular study not to come within perilous distance of the said young lady. Not because she had red hair-a yellow complexion-a pug nose-an exuberance on her back, and an absence in front-not because she had been pronounced one of the plainest women on earth; but simply because of her being amiable, possessing a good heart, good temper, and being likely to make an excellent wife. Such a capability was enough to counteract all the cardinal virtues in the estimation of Sam, and he accordingly shunned, with all possible care, this very ugly and accomplished

creature.

Sam's next resource was old women, and he was generally observed doing the amiable by some antiquated dame, whom the rest of the men studiously avoided. By this means Sam soonenjoyed an undisturbed monopoly of all the prosy, drowsy, foolish, palsied dowagers in London. They pronounced him a "very sensible man;"

but even among such very venerable company, the peace of mind of our friend was doomed to be disturbed. Sam, to his utter horror and consternation, found out some of these apparently unoffensive old ladies were most deep and dangerous foes, who were fighting under false colours in the cause of a portionless niece, or young protegée. From the moment of this awful discovery Sam resolved also to cut old women, and thus we see, that by his successive cuttings, he had now sent all the feminine gender to Coventry.

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Being debarred from his intercourse with one half of the human sqecies. Bachelor Sam found it exceedingly difficult to get comfortably through the four-and-twenty hours of the day. His anxiety now was how to kill time. He became, as a matter of course, most desperate club-man. He enrolled himself as a member of about half a dozen of those selfish establishments, and his whole day was spent in lounging, dangling, and lolling from one club to another. But a club is not unfortunately the only requisite for human happiness, and Sam was soon a prey to the most fatal of human miseries, ennui. Everything tired him, and, unless, when an unsatisfactory dinner gave him an opportunity to grumble and scold the waiter, the poor man was at a sad loss to know how to rouse his spirits from that state of morbid apathy into which they were gradually sinking.

Years crept on, and Bachelor Sam was certainly neither improved in tempernor in his way of living; the former had become morose and discontented, the latter was well calculated to bring an additional stock of ennui, with the unpleasant addtion of years. Strange to say, that in proportion as Sam disliked women, the more he became attached to good eating and drinking. His fondest affections were concentrated into that one darling object, and, sooth to say, never was a girl so devoutly loved by an enthusiastic admirer, as an excellent dinner was adored by Sam.

Fate, or destiny, or fortune, or the stars, had decreed that Mrs. Muggins should continue an inmate of the bachelor's residence, a much longer period of time than it was usual for any female to remain. But Mrs. Muggins was a woman of no ordinary merit: 'tis true she chanced to be on the wrong side of forty, and possessed the visage of a gorgon-'tis true, also, that she was exceedingly expert in scolding, and that she had a most invincible will of her own. But then she had qualities which more than counterbalanced these faults-if faults they could be called-considering the prejudice of Bachelor Sam against youth and beauty. Mrs. Muggins could talk copiously and eloquently on the deceits and utter worthlessness of the female sex; she never missed an opportunity of applauding her master for having escaped the arts of scheming women. Sam hemmed and coughed, and avowed that Mrs. Muggins was a very very sensible woman;" and moreover, although she had been ostensibly engaged as a housekeeper, she possessed such peculiar and decided abilities for cookery, that she took special care to superin

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tend this important branch in her master's domestic happiness. Her grateful master swore that he had found a treasure in Mrs. Muggins, and thus he continued for a long time-to grumble, and doze, and eat; and then to cat, and doze, and grumble.

But fate had dreadful calamities in store for poor Sam. Among the dainty dishes which the profound Mrs. Muggins was constantly inventing to tickle her master's palate, there was one that had won immense approbation-it was a peculiar sort of a pudding, which the amiable Mrs. Muggins had christened "Bachelor's pudding," in compliment to her master.

One morning Mrs. Muggins announced to Bachelor Sam that she must quit his service. Sam was thunderstruck-dismayednay, almost annihilated at such fearful intelligence.

"Quit my service, Mrs. Muggins! surely I've given you no cause for complaint?"

"No sir-but a powerful reason."

"Powerful reason! Now pray, good Mrs Muggins, don't be precipitate. I'll do any thing to render things comfortable to you. "But you can't sir."

"No! only mention your wishes-any thing to keep you in my house."

"But-but, sir—indeed, really-hem—the fact is, I'm going to get married."

Get married! Bless me! I'm ready to fall! Get married!" Bachelor Sam could scarcely believe his senses. Mrs. Muggins, however, reiterated her assertion, that there could be no doubt that she really intended to commit the rash act. Here was a fearful prospect; Sam's heart throbbed with agony-"Bachelor's pudding" was lost for ever-he could not recover the loss of Mrs. Mugginsshe was indispensabe to his existence.

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And whom are you going to mary? Do you love the man?" Why, as to loving-I've seen ANOTHER Whom I should prefer." "But would you really abandon me, good Mrs. Muggins?"

A very interesting dialogue now took place, and sundry equally interesting explanations came to light. Bachelor Sam foresaw that in his dreadful predicament nothing but a bold step could save him. It struck his active mind, that there was ONE very efficient means of securing the valuable Mrs. Muggins all to himself: He offered his

hand to the interesting virgin; and the virgin, after a world of blushing and modesty, accepted the said hand. Sam, after escaping innumerable dangers, married, at the age of fifty-eight, his housekeeper, and thereby secured a diectable dish of Bachelor's pudding" for the rest of his days!

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Much as has been said and written on the subject of prison disciplíne, there is one thing which seems to have been overlooked, to which the attention of the authorities might be called-the arrangement of the labor of the Road Parties.

It is well known that by far the greater number of the individuals who compose Road Parties, are men who have received a second sentence, or an extension of their former one in the Colony, and who are therefore placed under the control and discomfort of a roadgang for the sake of greater punishment than a bare twenty-five lashes, or a fortnight on the tread-wheel could be made. It is also well known that a few years ago the manner in which these men were allowed to prowl about the country, was subject matter of much complaint among the settlers, on whom the depredations they committed were incessant and unbearable. The indulgences which these men received, such as being allowed to work for the neighbourhood

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