Sir Cristifer; but still it was pleasant to hae saved a sixpence frae such an ill-mannered scoundrel as yon, an' so thought the leddy too, for, in the hurry an' stramash, he had forgotten her a'thegither. I needna tell you ony thing about the journey down, but it was a lang way o' gate, and altho' the ither leddy was particular kind, and telt me a' the places, as we passed along the road, I'll no say but at the end o' the day I was very ow'rcome with sleep. The ither leddy she fell asleep too; but, just when we gat within maybe three miles o' the town, there was the most awfu' firing o' guns that could be. We baith started up in alarm, and the firing still continued boom, booming extraordinar. "Oh it's the French, the weary French!" cries I, for I mindit o' the panick in Edenburgh in the year eighteen hunder and twelve, when a French fleet was reported to be down at the Bass; but my neighbour pat me in mind we were at peace with the French, and then she thought it wad maybe be saluting some ither fleet that was coming in frae foreign parts. "It'll be the Jennyveeve," thinks I; "Oh! I hope, mem, they dinna salute wi' cannon-balls, for I hae a nephew in a ship that I'm expecting is coming hame just about this time?". "Oh no," says she, "be quite easy;" but the guns still gaed on firing far faster than the Castle on the fourth o' June; an' I couldna rest till I fand out the occasion,-so I put my head out o' the window and skirled to the coachman, as loud as I was able -"Coachman!" says I, "what's a' the guns firing for the noo?" The coachman was a very ceevil man, as indeed a' the English coachees are, and says he, "It's the Lord Igh Hadmiral, maum, a-kimming hover from the Hisle of Vight." That was our king that is noo; and an awfu' pluffin o' the pouther they made about him. At last I got into the hotel, the George, where the coach stoppit, and they telt me the house was unco croudet, because the Prince was in the town, and a great army o' officers come to wait on him. But after a deal o' do, they said they wad pit me up, and so, after a cup o' tea, me and the ither leddy gaed out to see the town. Every body was fleein' about as if the enemy was at the gate, grand officers wi' their cockit hats, and epalits on their shoulders, and fine leddies walking about. Indeed, we were baith of us very delighted wi the sight. But I maun mak my story short; for, to tell you the truth, I'm no muckle used to the writin', and my fingers are getting unco stiff. Weel, the next morning I gat up, and after my breakfast, I askit the landlord if he could tell me ony thing about the Jenny veeve, for I expeckit her in about that time. He was a very polite man, and promised, the minute she cam into the “hoffing," which I thought was maybe some part o' the harbour, he would let me know. A' the forenoon I gaed walking about the town, ca'in' every noo and then at the hotel, just to ask about the vessel; but at last I thought I wad gang doon to the harbour myself. Weel, the first thing I sees is a gentleman wi' a prospect glass in his hand, and, after keekin' through it a lang time, he turned about to his friend, and said, "Jennyveeve in the offing; I know her by her trim." I gaed up till him, and askit if it was really the Jennyveeve frigate, and how far off the part o' the offing was she was in. He telt me she was just rounding St Helen's, and would be at anchor in two hours. Noo, a thought struck me, I would like to surprise wee Johnny; and as the sea was quite calm, and the day as warm as could be, I agreed wi' a man to tak me out to her in a boat. Away we went through the water, an' amang a' the ships, quite enchantit. I saw the Victory, where Lord Nelson was killed, and she lookit just like a three-story house in Abercromby Place. We sailed, and sailed, and at last we reached the side o' the Jennyveeve. A gentleman lookit ower the bannister at the side o' the ship, and I telt him I wantit him to let me come on board, as I had a friend in the ship, that I was very particular to see. Weel, he gaed awa' for a while, and then he cam back, and in a few minutes a stair was let down, and up I gaed, and fand myself on the floor o' the vessel, standin' beside the gentleman that had spoken to me first. I telt him who I was, and that I wantit to see wee Johnny Henderson, that was a bit middie in their ship. He said I wad see him belive, but in the meantime he wad introduce me to the captain-a nice, brisk little bustling man, though rather ower much given up to the swearing, he turned out to be. He was standin' on the raised up part o' the floor, giein' his orders, and speakin' to me, a' in the breath. "You want Mr Henderson, I think, madam? excellent young man -highly pleased with him"-and then he said something about the ship. "Oh, I was sure ye wad be that, captain, for I aye brought him up myself wi' the greatest care." The captain laughed and spoke very familiarly, as if we had known ane anither for long; but in a while he turned to the gentleman I spoke till, and desired him to send Mr Henderson. The gentleman-he was a lifetenant o' the ship-turned awa' in a moment, but as he passed me to execute the order, I could hear the birkie was humming the tune o' BlackEyed Susan. Weel, in a short time up cam wee Johnny; but I declare to ye, Mr North-Sir Cristifer, I should say I wad not hae known him, he was sae changed. He had grown tall and strong, and in naething like the stripling he had been, save in his bonny, wild-looking blue ee;—but when he saw me, and rushed forward and kissed his puir auld auntie, I kent he was the same warmhearted creatur he used to be-I'll no say but I grat wi' perfect happiness at seein' the lad again--and I think Johnny himsell was unco near the greetin'. The captain and the ither gentleman had gaen awa, which was very considerate, but they soon cam back again, when they saw us in conversation. "Oh, Johnny," said I, "what a great chield ye have grown! the breeks that I mended for ye 'll be o' nae use to ye now, and the sarks 'll be perfectly thrown awa." He began to laugh, when I said this, wi' the same wild laugh he used to do at hame; and said, "What! auntie, always thinking about the pence yet?"" It'll maybe be the better for you some day, if I do; for, if ye're no greatly changed, a bawbee aye burned a hole in your pocket unco soon." But now began a great blazing awa o' the guns, much the same as the day before; a' the ships get tin' covered up wi' the smoke, but sometimes atwixt twa o' the clouds we could see a boat rowed wi' somebody in't o' great consequence, and some ither boats followin't to keep it company. I telt them it was the Lord High Admiral, the King's brither, seein' the ships; but the captain cried out, it was very unlucky he had not known of it before-but that they must exert themselves noo. Accordingly, he ordered every one to his station, to get the ship in the grandest order, in case the Prince should come on board to inspect her. So for a good while I was left to my ain reflections. It was just astonishin' to see how neatly they gaed about it-a' as quiet an' active as possible, nae clish-maclaver gaun on amang the men, like what ye hear whan a wheen women's brushing up a dining-room or washin' a stair. I stood for a lang time, and admired the quickness o' their motions, and the ship at last lookit just like a new preen. The guns in the ither ships were still firin' awa at intervals, and we were very near to them noo, and could see every thing that gaed on. The boat we had seen before, keepit rowin' frae ship to ship, and aye the guns keepit blawing on, till my very een grew sair wi' the winkin'; for it's onpossible to keep the een open when such a great thud o' sound comes blash upon yer ear; it was for a' the world just like a skelp on the cheek o' the head. Weel, when I was tired wi' joukin' my head, an awfu' fear cam' upon me, that the guns in our ain ship wad be oblegated to be fired; an' I weel kent, that if I wasna killed by the burstin' of the cannons, I wad die o' the fright. So, says I to the captain, "Oh, Captain Pagan, Captain Pagan, do ye think ye'll hae to fire aff the guns o' the ship? It'll just kill me outright." Then he laughed extraordinar, and said, "Fire!" said he; " yes, egad, old Billy's a bluff one, and if we don't give the royal salute, he'll blow us up sky-high!"-" Oh Lord hae a care o' me!" says I," he wad surely never do such a cruel thing as blaw us a' up for no firin' a salute? Oh, they're weary things, thae salutes, baith for auld and young!" I sat down just perfectly owercome wi' my apprehensions, when, to my great delight and astonishment, wee Johnny comes up to me, and tells me, that a flag or signal o' some sort or ither was put up, to gie them to understand that the Lord High Admiral didna want to be saluted; but he wad just come in about half an hour, and see how they were after being three years from home. Weel pleased, as ye may imagine, was I to hear the news; for I made sure a' danger was over; and I couldna help thinkin' how very kind it was in the Prince, no to let the sailors, poor fellows, run the risk o' firing, noo they had come sae near to the shore in safety. But just in the midst of my keckling and rejoicing, up comes wee Johnny again, and tells me, that as the Admiral didna like to see petticoats on board, I must be stowed away into some quiet corner where his Royal Highness wadna see me. Oh! I was willing to gang ony place, I was sae perfeckly happy to have escaped the guns. But oh, Sir Cristifer! whar do you think that neer-do-weel callant persuaded me to be hidden? There wasna a single part o' the ship, he said, that the admiral wadna see in a jiffey; he wad gang intill every corner, till no a mouse wad be in the haill of the vessel that he wadna ken whar its hiding-hole was; so, after threeping and telling me every thing was safe, he just prevailed on me to slip intill ane o' the guns. Weel, he telt me, and swore till't, that no salute was to be fired, and that there was no chance o' my being fund out in such a place as that; and so, at last, in great fear and trembling, I let him lift me up, and put me, feet foremost, into ane o' the cannons at the side o' the ship. Ye ken what a wee jimp body I am; and I assure you I've lain in mony a waur situation than yon; I couldna turn myself, to be sure, but I was in safety, and the Prince, they telt me, wadna stay more than twenty minutes. Weel, I hadna been lang in the gun when I heard the patter of oars in the water below where I was; then I heard the boat stop; and syne I heard a great stamping on the floor, or the deck, as they call it in a ship. Then the noise all ceased for maybe a quarter of an hour, and then the stamping began again. And as the party stood very near whar I was, I could even hear a wee o' what they were sayin'. I could just catch a voice nows and thens sayin' something about damnation-an' I was sure frae the rest that I heard, that it was the Prince was speakin'; but the captain gied as good as he got, and spak' a great deal about damnation too; so that really whether they were swearing, as sailors generally are in the habit of doing, or expounding a text, I couldna weel determine; but, however that may, there gat up a great laugh, and the Prince seemed unco weel pleased, by the tone o' his voice. But oh, Mr North!-there, I've forgotten yer teetle again-just fancy my feelings when I heard the captain ask leave to salute his Royal Highness as he went away! Oh dear me, thinks I, I'll be sent fleein' thro' the air frae the mouth o' a gun! And what sort o' death is that for a decent auld maiden leddy to dee! Oh that I had never set my foot intill a ship! And wi' that I tried to scream to them to stop, but my throat was sae dry I could mak' no sound;-I tried to creep out, and hoped to tumble intill the sea and be drown'd; but I couldna move hand or fit, I was sae jammed intill the gun. And noo, tho' I was mair than half dead, I had a terrible consciousness o' every thing that was gaun on. I heard the party gaun down into their boat; I could fancy I saw them laughing and chatting awa' sae happy and contentit; and there was I, stuck into the mouth o' a gun, ready to be fired awa' in honour o' the Lord High Admiral!!! I thought I could see the very part o' the wall about twa miles aff that I wad reach to, and yet I hadna power to cry out and tell the Prince the jeopardy I was in. But very soon a greater degree o' the fear cam' ower me, for the ship shook and staggered as if a great blow had been hit, and then cam' a roar o' the cannon, and I felt that the bitterness o' death was begun; then gaed aff anither and then, in the pauses between, my ears were preternaturally sharpened, and I heard a voice saying, "Oh, auntie, farewell-but don't be very much alarm'd, for she is not loaded with ball,-and you've a chance of being picked up by the boats." Then gaed aff anither gun, and I felt by the sound they were coming regularly up the row where I was-and then I heard the captain, standing just at the end o' my gun, say to the man that was firing them *aff—" Here-run out this old jade!" Mercifu' me, could the cauld-hearted vagabond be speakin' that way o' me!" Raise up her breech a little, and lay on!"-Here my senses a' thegither forsook me-to be spoken o' in such an undelicate manner before sae mony great starin' menfolk, was waur than being shot out o' the gun; and being perfectly owercome wi' shame and fright, I sank into a dwam. The rest o' the story is very soon told. The vagabonds kent a' the time they were never gaun to fire her aff; but the captain and that good-for-nothin' creatur, wee Johnnie, did it a' for their ain amusement. However, when they gat me out o' the gun, they really behaved sae weel, and made sae mony kind speeches about it, that I coudna find it in my heart to be angry. So I just forgied them baith; but if ever ony body catches me playing hideand-seek in the body o' a gun, they've my free leave to fire it aff, and send me fleein' to the back o' Beyont. And noo, Sir Cristifer, I hae gien ye the account o' my adventure, that ye wantet. Ye maun mak a' allowances for the spelling and the language o' this account; for the real truth o' the matter is, that if I tak' either to writin' or speakin' o' the English, I dinna come nearly sae good a hand as when I think and write in my ain native tongue. So, wi' best wishes to yourself, and to Mrs G. the next time ye see her, I remain, My dear Sir Cristifer, Your affectionate friend and COMMUNINGS WITH THOUGHT. BY MRS HEMANS. Could we but keep our spirits to that height, RETURN, my thoughts, come home! BYRON. Ye wild and wing'd! what do ye o'er the deep? Swifter than shooting star, Swifter than lances of the northern light, Through the bright battle-clime, Where laurel-boughs make dim the Grecian streams, And reeds are whispering of heroic themes, By temples of old Time: Through southern garden-bowers, Such as young Juliet look'd from, when her eye, Watch'd for the starry hours: Through the North's ancient halls, Where banners thrill'd of yore, where harp-strings rung, But grass waves now o'er those that fought and sungHearth-light hath left their walls! Through forests old and dim, Where o'er the leaves dread magic seems to brood, Rises the pilgrim's hymn: Or where some fountain lies, With lotus-cups through orient spice-woods gleaming! Return, my thoughts, return! Cares wait your presence in life's daily track, Oh! no, return ye not! Still farther, loftier, let your soarings be! Go, bring me strength from journeyings bright and free, Go, seek the martyr's grave, 'Midst the old mountains, and the deserts vast; Follow the wise and brave! Go, visit cell and shrine! Where woman hath endured!-through wrong, through scorn, By promptings more divine! Go, shoot the gulf of death! Track the pure spirits where no chain can bind, Higher, and yet more high! Shake off the cumbering chain which earth would lay AN old man on his deathbed lay, an old yet stately man; His lip seem'd moulded for command, tho' quivering now, and wan; But his pale brow still austerely wore its native mastery. There were gorgeous things from lands afar, strewn round the mystic room; And sculptured forms of olden time, in their strange beauty white, 2 |