LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 104, 30 September 1874, Page 3

LITERATURE.

THE SHRIMP FISHERS,

[From Bow Bells.]

One fine morning in July, many a year ago, two ladies were walking on the beach of a fashionable watering-place in the south of England. They were simply dressed, and seemed to enjoy the fine sea-view and bracing air with all the zest of these to whom a quiet, country ramble was a novelty. It was early in the day, some hours before the time when the gay world think it correct to be seen abroad, and the ladies had strolled on for a considerable distance without meeting anyone, when their attention was attracted to a little girl who was seated on the wet sand close to the water. She was pale and thin, and her clothes, although clean, were miserably scanty and worn-looking. She was intently gazing at the rippling waves of the advancing tide, moving backwards occasionally as the water reached her. ‘ What are you doing there, my little girl?’ asked the elder and stouter of the ladies. ‘ Waiting for my brother, ma’am. ’ ‘ Where is he?’ ‘ Out in the water, please, ma’am, fishing for shrimps.’ And the child pointed to a small dark object standing in the water, a long way out from the shore; which, when it approached, proved to be a boy, holding a shrimping net over his shoulder.

‘ Have you many, Tom?’ asked his sister, eagerly. ‘ Pretty fair, Sally—about as many as will make a sixpenny dish.’ ‘ Oh, then, we’ll have some supper tonight!’ cried the girl, clapping her hands. ‘ Arc you ever without supper, child?’ ‘Very often, ma’am, when mother is too ill to go out to wash, and when Tom can’t catch any shrimps. ’ In reply to further questions from the lady the children told her that their father had been dead for some time, and that from illhealth their mother was able to earn but little ; that on this day, however, she had gone out to do some washing, and would not return until evening; that they lived in a a small cottage about half a mile from the shore ; and that, finally, they had had no breakfast this morning, except a very small bit of dry bread each.’ ‘ Describe to me exactly where your cottage is,’ said the lady. The little girl did so. ‘Now,’ said the lady, ‘ here is a shilling for your shrimps. ‘You can take them to Martin’s, the baker’s, leave them there, and say that Mrs Wilmot will send for them. ’ ‘ Oh, thank you, ma’am !’ cried both the children; ‘ and shall shall we leave the change there for you, too ?’ ‘ What change ?’ ‘ Sixpence, ma’am. You gave us a shilling, and the shrimps are worth but sixpence. ’ The lady smiled. * You may keep the sixpence,’ she said; ‘and here is another shilling which I will give you to perform an errand for me. ’ ‘ Oh, thank you, ma’am. ’ ‘You will take this letter, and put it in the post, in the village of Longlands, three miles off, May I depend on you doing so quickly and carefully. ’ ‘ You may, indeed, ma’am. We will go with it at once. So the little girl taking the letter, and the boy shoulding his shrimping net, set off with joyful hearts to execute the lady’s commission, conversing on the way about the way about the pleasant surprise it would be to their mother in the evening, to find they had earned ‘ two whole shillings. ’ ‘We can’t exactly say earned either, Sally,’ remarked Tom; ‘for I’m sure we’re doing but little for it. ’Tis all that kind lady’s goodness in giving it to us. ’ ‘Now,’said the lady, who called herself Mrs Wilmot, ‘ the coast is clear, Maria; let us go to these poor children’s cottage, and see if they have spoken truth. I hare often, as you know, given away large sums in charity, without taking the trouble to investigate whether they were well spent or not. Now, this I begin to think was wrong, and that more real good may be effected by a small sum judiciously expended on the deserving poor, than by large ones lavished in indiscriminate alms-giving. 1 ‘ I fully agree with you,’ said her companion; and both ladies proceeded in the direction pointed out by Sally. After a pleasant walk they reached the cottage, having easily recognised it by the description. It was small and low, but newly-whitewashed, and very clean. The latch yielded readily, and the ladies entered. There was but little furniture in the cottage—a deal table, two or three chairs, and a press-bed, formed nearly the whole. In the grate, a few embers were burning, and over them was suspended a pot filled with hot water; a wooden box containing some coals stood near the fireplace. ‘This, I suppose,’ said Mrs Wilmot, looking at the pot, ‘ was prepared for boiling the shrimps. I think it would be great fun to put something more substantial in it, and make the poor widow fancy that some fairy had visited her abode in her absence. What do you say, Maria ! shall we turn ourselves into market-women for the nonce? You know it will not be the first time that I have acted such a character to the life.’

‘ I will do anything you like,’ replied her friend : ‘ but how shall we commence ?’ ‘ Just look about for a basket, while I make up the fire. ’ And taking an old black shovel with her jewelled fingers, she very dexterously put on some coal, and arranged the fire, so as to ensure the pot boiling, but not too fast. * Well, Maria, have you got a basket ?’ ‘Yes ; here is an old one in this cupboard But, poor creatures ! I don’t see a vestige of anything eatable in the house. ’ ‘ Oh, we’ll soon remedy that, ’ said Mrs Wilmot, merrily; and taking up the dilapidated basket, she swung it on her arm, and walked out.

‘ I’ll be the servant, Maria, and you shall be the lady. This reminds me so of old times,’ she added, in a saddened tone,’ ‘ when 1 used to go to market for my poor mother, and be so happy on pay-day, when I could take her home a sweet-bread or chicken.’

They walked on until they reached a butcher’s shop. * Good morning,’ said Mrs Wilmot. ‘ I want the best leg of mutton you have got.’ Ho calf that had ever fallen beneath the butcher’s knife could have possibly exhibited a more innocent look of open-mouthed astonishment than did that worthy at his customers’ entrance. He bowed very nearly to the ground.

* Why, your ’ he began ; but a significent gesture from Maria restrained him. ‘ This lady, Mr Brown, is Mrs Wilxnott,* she said, ‘and we are in haste. Can you let us have the mutton immediately ? ’ ‘ Oh, certainly, ma’am. I beg your ladyship’s pardon a thousand times, but you see Again was his eloquence checked by a frown from Maria ; while her friend, taking out a splendid purse, whose network veiled without hiding the number of golden coins within, said, with an amused look, * I shall pay you now, Mr Brown ; and as the leg of mutton seems really a fine and heavy one, I think, instead of carrying it myself, I shall ask you to let one of your messengers bring it for me to the grocer’s, where I want to make some purchases.’ ‘Oh ! certainly, your—madam,’replied the butcher, with another low bow. ‘ Bill! Bill! make haste, I say; slip on your best coat, and carry the basket for the —for this lady,’ he added, with a parting salutation, even more profoundly reverential than the former ones, as the ladies left the shop. They then, attended by Bill, went to the grocer’s: where Mrs Wilmot procured an abundant supply of tea, coffee, and sugar, which were nicely packed in the basket with the mutton. The basket, 1 should mention, was a new one belonging to the butcher, for poor Widow Jones’s one being of much too frail a nature to sustain the mighty joint, was left at Mr Brown’s. There was still a vacant space which Mrs Wilmot speedily filled with bread, cheese, and bacon. Master Bill had to invoke the aid of an auxiliary ‘boy,’ and between them they carried their substantial freight in safety to the cottage. At the door, Mrs Wilmot paid them handsomely, and dismissed them. She then placed the leg of mutton in the pot; but, struck by a sudden thought, toook it out again. ‘ Help me, Mary, to pour off this hot water, and to fill the pot with cold. I find I have nearly forgotten how to do ‘ plain cooking,’and was near spoiling Mrs Jones’s supper, by putting the leg of mutton down in boiling water.’ The pot being satisfactorily arranged, the ladies proceeded to lay a clean, coarse cloth, which they found tidily folded up on the table. They then placed, in tempting order, the bread, cheese, and other contents of the basket; completing their arrangements by filling a kettle with water, from a well near the cottage, and placing it on the fire to boil, in company with the iron pot. Then carefully fastening the door, they walked away, talking gaily of the pleasant surprise which awaited the widow and her children. ****** Let us now turn to the interior of a splendid mansion, situated about three miles from Widow Jones’s cottage. It had been taken for the bathing season by the Duke of St Albans; and on that evening the Duke and Duchess were entertaining at dinner a number of distinguished guests. It was nine o’clock, and the company was still at the table, when a slight disturbance was heard in the ante-room. ‘ "What is the matter, Curtis ?’ said the Duchess, addressing the servant who stood behind her chair. ‘ Please, your Grace, I shall inquire. ’ And, having left the room, the dignified official returned in a few moments, and reported to his lady that a poorwoman, who had somehow obtained admission into the hall, was most urgent to see her Grace, and would not go away, although repulsed by the attendants. ‘Let her remain,’ said the Duchess; ‘I will speak to her presently.’ And, rising from the table, she retired with the ladies. ‘ Show she poor woman up,’ said the Duchess, as soon as she and her guests had reached the drawing-room. There was a brief delay; and then were ushered into the splendid a decent-looking though poorly-dressed woman, and two children. They paused, awe-struck, at the door, and the Duchess advanced toward them, with a kindly smile. ‘Oh, mother,’ whispered Sally, “that’s the very lady that bought the shrimps. ’ ‘ And that gave us the two shillings,* added her brother. ‘ Oh, your ladyship—your Grace,’ said Mrs Jones, ‘ I could rest satisfied to-night without knowing whether it was you that came like an angel, and left us all the fine provisions in our cabin. Mr Brown’s boy Bill told me it was your Grace that bought ’em ; but indeed I could scarce believe him only for the children knowing you now.’ The Duchess laughed heartily at the amazement of her noble guests. ‘ I hope the leg of mutton was a good one, Mrs Jones?’ she said. ‘I assure you, ladies, ’tis not the first time I have bought and boiled one—it was not often that poor Harriet Mellon, the actress, could boast of having anything so good for dinner. But, Mrs Jones,’ she continued, ‘I have made many inquiries about you, and have heard a satisfactory account of both you and your children. Come to me to-morrow, and I will do something for you, which you will like as well as even Mr Brown’s leg of mutton.’

Then cutting short the poor widow's almost incoherent thanks and blessings, the Duchess dismissed her, and spent the remainder of the evening in gay conversation with her guests. True to her promise, on the folio-wing day she made arrangements for placing Tom and Sally at respectable schools, and provided amply for their mother’s comfort. The boy and girl grew up extremely well-conducted, and being well settled in life, fervently and gratefully blessed the memory of their benefactress —the generous and eccentric Harriet, Duchess of St Albans.

A Sacramento gentleman lately saw a little boy leaning against a post in the eastern portion of the city, puffing energetically at a full-grown cigar, and succeeding in drawing from it quite a volume of smoke. He felt such evident interest in the job he had undertaken that the citizen concluded to interview him, and accordingly, drawing a cigar from his pocket, went up and asked for a light. The boy acceded to the request with an assumption of manly courtesy, which he probably had studied carefully, and seemed to feel gratified at attracting attention. Then ensued the following conversation:—“Well, young man, where do you buy your cigars?” “I buy’em downtown; pay ten cents apiece for ’em.” “Do you buy many at a time?” “ Ho, not many; I buy one at a time most oftenest. ” ‘ ‘ Does your father know you smoke?” “Oh, yes.” “ How old are you?” “ Six years.” “ And how long since you learned to smoke,” ‘ ‘ About five years, I guess. ”