Reade_Very_Hard_Cash.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
brat, and kissed it.
'' wasn't only being friends, mamma," said
; " it was our sticking together so."
looking back on the story now ended, in-
cline to the same conclusion. my first
word was that . and her children were
bosom-friends ; and my last is to congratulate
them that it was so. of their various
trials and temptations, apd imagine what would
have become of them if family love and unity
had not abounded. little house was built
on the sure foundatioil. of true family affection :
and so the winds of adversity descended, and
the floods came, and burst upon that house, but f
could not prevail against* it ; it was founded on
a rock.
".
.
249
and a candle quite burned down : the grease had
mn into a circle.
as was that grease to the expired light,
so was the thing that sat there in human form
to the they had come to seek.
this many a day of charcoal fumes, but
preserved from decomposition by those very
fames, sat , dried into bones and
leather, waiting for them with his own
, and with theirs : for, creeping awe-struck
round that mummified figure seated dead on his
pool of sovereigns, they soon 'noticed in his left
hand a paper : it ^^ discolored by the vapor,
and part hid by th^ dead thumb ; but thus much
8hone out clear and amazing, that it was a bank-
er's receipt to , ., for 14,000,
^rawn at , and signed for
by . had drawn
back, and was hiding her face ; but soon curi-
osity struggled with awe in the others: they
peeped at the ; they touched the weird
figure. yellow skin sounded like a drum,
and its joints creaked like a puppet's. last
suggested that ought to
secure that valuable document.
", no," said ; " it is too like rob-
bing the dead."
" will," said .
he found the dead thumb and finger would
not part with the receipt ; then, as a trifle turns
the scale, he hesitated in turn : and all but
stood motionless, round the body that held the
, the soul of the lost , and yet still,
as in life, seemed loth to part with it.
came beside the arm-chair,
and said, "'m a man from foreign parts;
have no interest here but justice : and justice
'll dew." took the dead arm, and the joint
creaked : be applied the same lever to the bone
and parchment hand he had to the door: it
creaked too, but more faintly, and opened and
let out this :
^ m^acru^n^^'^ i?rL]6tm^i a nri
stately foot came up the stair, but no one
heard it. were absorbed in the strange weird
sight this great stroke of fate, or of .
" is yours, reckon," said , and
handed it to .
", no !" said . ": just
found a will, bequeathing all he has in the world
with his blessing, to .
sovereigns are yours, then. above all, the
paper: as your legal adviser, insist on your
taking it inmiediately . is nine points.
, it is actually yours, in virtue of this be-
quest."
solemn, passionless voice seemed to fall on
them from the clouds,
"; iTwMiNB."
.
before noon next day, on board the -
ture, the bell on which the half hours are struck
was tolled slowly to collect the ship's company ;
and soon the gaiijsways and booms were crowd-
ed, and even the yards were manned with sail-
ors, collected to see their shipmate committed to
the deep. came the lieutenants and mid-
shipmen and stood reverently on the deck : the
body was brought and placed on a grating.
, all heads being uncovered below and aloft,
the chaplain read the solemn service of the dead.
tears were shed by the rough sailors,
the more so that to most of them, though not to
the officers, it was now known that poor
had not always been before the mast, but had
seen better days, and commanded vessels, and
saved lives ; and now he had lost his own.
service is the same as ashore, with this
exception : that the words " commit his body
to the ground, ashes to ashes, dust to dust,'* etc.,
are altered at sea, thus: " commit his body
to the deep, to be turned into corruption, look-
ing for the resurrection of the body, when the
sea shall give up her dead, and the life of the
world to come." these words the body is al-
lowed to glide off the grating into the sea.
chaplain's solemn voice drew near those very
words, and the tears of pity fell faster; and
, an affectionate boy, sobbed vio-
lently, and shivered beforehand at the sullen
plunge that he knew would soon come, and then
350
.
he shonld see no more poor who had giren
his life for his.
this moment die ciqtain cune flying on
deck, and, jumping on to a gnn, cried sharplv,
'^ ! that hodr aboard.'
sharp of command cnt acrofls the
aolenm wonk and tones in the most startling
way. chaplain closed his book with a look
of amazement and indignation : the sailors stared,
and for the first time did not obey an order.
be sore it was one they had never heard before.
the captain got' angry, and repeated his
command loader; and the body was almost
jerked in board.
** him to my eaJban ; and nncorer his
face."
this time nothing could surprise
. sailors executed the order promptly.
** , pipe to duty."
the men were'di^sersing to their sever-
al stations, apologized to the
chaplain, and explained to him and to the of-
ficers. give his explanation in my own
words. the ship quiet, the purs^ went
to the captain down below, and asked him cool-
ly what entry he should make in the ship's books
about this , who was no more
than he was. '' do
jon mean ?" said the captain. the purser
told him that 's mess-mates, in pre-
paring him last night for interment, had found
a littk bag round neck, and inside it a med-
al of the , and a slip of paper
written on in a lady's hand ; then they had sent
for him ; and he had seen at once that this was
a mysterious case : thb lady spoke of him as her
husband, and skipper of a merchant ressel.
*' is that?" roared the captain, who
hitherto had listened with scarce half an ear.
" of a merchant vessel. , as sure as
yon command her 's frigate : and
then we found his shirt marked with the same
name as the lady's."
" was the lady's name ?'*
*^Lucy ; and is on the
shirt."
" didn't yon tell me this before?" cried
the captain.
"'t know it till last night."
' it is twelve o'clock. are burying
" ."
'^Liicy would never forgive me," cried the
captain. to the purser's utter amazement
he clapped on his cocked hat, and flew out of
the cabin on the errand have described.
now descended to the cabin and kx^ed :
a glance was enough : there lay the kindly face
that had been his friend man and boy.
hid his own with his hands, and moaned.
cursed his own blindness and stupidity in
not recognizing that face among a thousand.
this he was unjust to himself. had
never looked ib'mM^till now.
sent for the surgeon, and told him the
whole sad story: and asked him what could be
done. poor cousin had more than
once expreased her horror of interment at sea.
" is veiy hot," said he ; " but surely you must
know some way of keeping him till we land in
: curse these flies ; how they bite !"
surgeon's eyes sparkled; he happened
to be an enthusiast in the art of
'* him to ?" said ]
uously. "' 'll *in*lm him so thai
to looking just as he does i
by, never saw a drowned man keq
weU before ay, and two thoosanc
that, if you don't mind the expense
*' expense ! don't caie if
year's pay. think of nodnng
iny blunder as fiu- as can."
surgeon was delighted.
his subject, who lay on the captai
told that officer how he slu^ald p
have all the syringes," he said ; '* i
lection. shall inject the reins w.
patience : then shall remore the
viscera, and provided noC stint
and spices "
" yon carte blandie on the p
your preparations and send for him
me how you do it ; but do it. mi
tell poorLncy have got him, and
him home to her dead."
surgeon was gone about a f\
hour ; he then returned with two m
the body, and found the *^paiin sti
letter, viery sorrowful : but now an
ping his face or leg with a hearty
flies stung him.
surgeon beckoned the men i
pointed to the body, for them to cai
, as he pointed, his eye foUo
ger. fell on something that 'struck
enced eye as incredibte : he uttered
tion of astonishment so lond that
looked up directly from his letter ; ;
standing with his finger pointing a
and his eyes staring astonishmei
now ?" said the captain, and roae fin
': look: look:*
captain came and looked, anc
nothing at alL
" fly; the fly:" cried the sor
" . see one of them has been
for there's a little blood tricklincr.
low:" ^
" dead man can't bleed from th
in his skin, " said the man of art. *
captain, he is alive, as sure as we
and 's above. little insei
than us ; he b alive."
", don't trifle with me,
you at the yanl-arm. bless yo
it really possible ? some of
mirror; have heard that is a test.
be hanged.
was now flutter and bustle :
attempts were made to resuscitate
in vaiiL last the surgeon had an j
man was never drowned at all," said
sure of it. is cataleper.
way for a week. dead he is i
the douche.'' was then b^
stripped, and carried to a place whei
turn a water-cock on him from a ]
the surgeon had soon the happiness
out to the captain a slight on
in parts, caused by the falling water,
ceased with this: the only fear wn
should shake out the trembling lij
usage. laid him on his stomach