LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1461, 22 October 1878, Page 3

LITERATURE.

AN EPISODE AT BLACKGANG CHINE. By the Author of 'Marley Castle,' ' cobrafin,' etc. I am a bachelor; but be it distinctly understood, by no means a very old one. I merely want to present myself as an individual of ripe judgment and large experience, contradistinguished from the raw material which we call a youth. Indeed it at first occurred to me to say that I was a man pure and simple ; but on reflection I fear that my friends (?) might take exception to that brace of adjectives, and pronounce it a double-barrelled misstatement. So I have left it unsaid. With regard to my outer man, I must confers that Nature dealt rather handsomely with me on tho whole, for she not only accorded me my proper allotment of limbs and features, but finished them all off in such a ca-eful and painstaking manner, that the result was eminently satisfactory, and gave no evidence whatever of being a piece of workmanship on which she had merely tried her ' 'prentice han'.' As to my circumstances, they were always so very easy, that the only embarrassment I ever experienced was an embarrassment of riches; for in addition to succeeding to a large fortune on my father's death, there was also a great mortality amongst my other relati.es, who, of course, would have lived for ever and a day if I had had a very fruitful vine on tho walls of my house, and an extremely limited exchequer ; but who, because I did not in the least want their money, all insisted on dying and leaving me handsome legacies and bequests. It thus came to pass that at rather an early age I felt myself the natural prey of unscrupulous spins and designing widows : and the consciousness of b9ing so, tinged and colored and gave a peculiar bias to my whole life, for, owing to the extreme and morbid dread I felt of being run down and captured nolens volens, i. was always more Or less ill at ease and out of my element when with the other sex, and only thoioughly comfortable and at home when with my own. I, however, ran the danger—yea, and T am proud to add, escaped it too—for many years ; and when I was at last delivered from it, it was by accident, and not by design, for a party of friends who were going on an exploring expedition to equatorial regi' nn asked me to join them ; and I not only went, but became so interested in the work that I remaiued abroad until my health broke down utterly, and I was at length told that I must hasten back to England at once, unless I wished to leave my bones to bleach on the sands of tho deseit. Now, as ill luck would have it, I took fever whilst oa my way home, and by the time I arrived in London I was so emaciated, and had got such a bad cough, that the doctor whom T consulted advised me to go to the Isle of Wight for change of air, particularly recommending Blackgang Chine, where, he assured me, I should find a climate exactly suited to my requirements in every respect. To Blackgang Chine, therefore, I accordingly went, and having put up at the charming hotel there, before many days were over j had begun to feel decidedly better and stronger ; for the gorse-seented atmosphere is not only singularly pure and fresh, but so soft and balmy as well, that every breath seems to oome with health andhealine on its wings. But besides that, I revelled in the wild beauty of the surrounding scene, which, though ba r e and rugged certainly, and rather sombre as regirda coloring, with its fantastic lights and shadows, its grand old green sand cliffs rising layer upon layer and higher and higher until they culminate in the majoe-tic escarpment of St. Catherine's Hill, and the ceaseless chime of the waves as they break in solemn music on the shore, is peculiaily striking and impressivo, and has a wondrous charm for one who, like myself, prefers Nature under her sterner and sublimer aspects. Of course each day when the coach csme over fiom Ventnor, and disgorged itself of its occupants at the hotel, the Si litnde of the pl.ee was invaded, and I might almost say desecrated. For that the name of the visitors to Blackgang Chiue is legion is abundantly shown by the testimony of the rocks, which are literally engraved from base to summit in ail directions with the autographs of Brown, Jones, Robinson, Smith, &c. But during the forenoon I generally had the shore all to myself, and every day regularly I used to take my lonely matutinal stroll there until the following incid nt occurred :

morniDg, when I went down as usual, although it had only been breezy up at the hotel, I found that on the beach it was blowing half a gale of wind. Indeed so strong was the blast, that it was as much as I could do, in my then weak state, to keep on my feet; while as to walking steadily, it was out of the question. However, the bretze was so refreshing and exhilarating that I mightily rejoiced in it for some time, and would no doubt have continued to enjoy it too—for the sensations it produced were indescribably pleasant—had not a sudden gust come and blown off, not only my hat, but a'so my wig ; for during the fever my head had been shaved.

Now it is admitted that no man, however grand or imposing he may be, can possibly look stately or dignified when running after his own hat; but when an unfortunate wight has to give chasi! to his wig as well, the. is of course additionally Still such things must be done sometimes ; and as I knew 1 should have to return to the hotel which was very full at the time—in a crestfallen condition, and with my diminished head looking as smooth and as bare as a billiard-ball unless I coull catch the fugitive articl s, 1 pursued them for a time, and with as much cehrity as I ooujd exerciec. But I wa« so unequal to running fast just then that I was booh obliged tj slacken my speed ; aud, in a state almost bordering on despair, I was each instant expecting to see my head gear blown into the water, when to my unbounded surprise some one else joined in the pursuit —namely, a lady, who hal been sitting behind a ledcrp of rock which had hidden her from my v'uw, and whose lungs and limbs we;-e evidently in good working order; for she ston succeeded where 1 haCi failed, aud in a few moments, J&ore came running up to me with my hat in one hand and my wig in the Ofjher.

As she approached, I noticed that ah* was small and slight, that hor rigure was beautiful, and that who vaj dressed in black, with that pretty little coquettish white border under her bonnet which denotes widowhood, but does notj disfiguro th.Q

widow, as those heavy monumental-looking piles of widte muelin which our grandmothers wore used to do. However, all desire to make further notes and commentaries on her was merged in astonishment when she drew near and raised her head; for directly she did ho, she started and I started; and, with an exclamation which was almost a cry of surp'ise, she said, ' Amory Smy the ! —Amory ! Is it, can it really be you, or am. I only dreaming ?' Now af ier having been called ' old fellow' and ' old man' for so many years that I had nearly forgotten the sound of my own Christian name, to hear it thus uttered by a very sweet woman's voice almost electrified me; but as soon as speech became a possibility I answered, ' Yes, Maida ; it is indeed I myself. But where have you fallen from ?—the clou Is I should think ; for I heard that you were in India.'

' Oh, I have been home for two years. But do tell me why you have taken to wearing wigs already ! Why not go bald ? Men do not look any worse for being bald; in fact I rather like it.'

I could not help laughing at this ; but I said, ' There is baldness and baldness, you must remember ; but when a man hasn't got a single hair on any part of his head, I quite agree with the old proverb, that he may lawfully wear a wig. I've had a fever, and my hair has not grown yet.' • Then I suppose you are here for your health ?' she added.

4 Ves ; and you ?' ' Oh, everyone comes to this place for health, and finds it too, for the climate is wonderful. But lam with aunt Jane, who still fancies she has every disorder under the sun, and her last craze is that she has lung disease. We only arrived very late last night, so that is why you did not see us before.'

My eyes then rested on her border with an inquiring look, and perceiving the direction of my glance, she answered the mute query cheerfully, and Baid, 1 Yes, I »m a widow—have been for four years ; and now I should be quite alone in the world < nly for aunt Jane, for when I came home I found all my people dead and gone. B'it then it's no wonder, after such a time. Would you believe it, it's eighteen long yens since I saw you last!' 'God bless me, so it is !' I replied ' What a gap in one's life !' 'A. tremendous one/ she assented. ' But do tell me all about yourself. I hope you haven't married and grown stopid. I always remark men are never worth much once they marry. Women, of course, are quite different.' ' Oh, I am perfectly unmarried,' I answered; ' but for the rest you must judge for yourself.' •Well,'she said, 'I remember I used to think you one of the pleasantest men I ever met—that is when you would venture to talk to me, which wasn't often, for you were terribly afraid of me in those days, don't yon remember ? But now, since I've grown old and ngly, I am not in the least dangerous, so 1 hope you won't be afraid of me any longer. I atsure you I'm warranted harmless now, perfectly harmless.' W hen she said this I could not help laughing again ; and as her pleasant voice, so long unheard, echoed in my ear, the tide of time appeared to flow back to the day when I heard that she was going to be mirried, and I seemed to feel once more the keen pang of regret I experienced when I found she was actually lost to me for ever ; for it was the narrowest possible shave that I had not fallen in love with her myself, asl always tacitly admitted that she was the prettiest, pleasantest, and most original girl of my acquaints- ce, and compared to all others, she invariibly seemed to me like a diamond among't common stones. But my wretched pride, tenacity, and over-sensitive-ness held me baek, because, as she was poor and I was rich, I feared she might possibly marry me for my fortune and not for myself, and that I could not stand the notion of, so I let old Colonel Freyne carry off the prize and take her to India, where I lost sight of her so completely that, with the exception of a vague rum- r that she was not happy in her married life, I had heard nothing of her from the day we parted, eighteen years before up to the time then present. Meanwhile we bad got up to Aunt Jane, to whom I had to be re-introiuced, and then Maida anel I sat down together, and began to compare notes and exchauge confidences ; that is to say, she gave me a sketch of her life, and I gave her one of mine, and whilst thus employed the time passed so pleasantly and imperceptibly away that we were both surprised when the arrival of the coaunpeople ticitly romindi d us that it was time to go back to the hotel for lunch. Of course I dined with my old friends in the public room that evening, and after dinner we went out for a walk, during which I fancied the scene seemed much brighter and fairer than it used to do when I was lonely and coinpanionlees. And then for many succeeding days we were so constantly together that, we were hardly ever apart; and to me the change was so delightful, and the existing state of things so satisfactory, that in looking back at that September now it appears to mo the pleasanttst month I ever spent in my life—a veritable green spot in the waste of memory. Nor, so far as I could judge, was Maida's enjoyment less great than my own either. But then why should it be ? For though it is true she was not young, though her morning song was husacd, and the early dew no longer glistened on the world around her, spring and summer have not an entire monopoly ot bloom and blossom; autumn has its (lowers as well, and though th"ir fragrance is peculiar it is very sweet; all the sweater, perhaps, because we ki;ow that winter is so near at hand.

Thus time gl : ded by smoothly, uneventfully, and delightfully, until one evening towards the end of the month—l shall never f irget that night as long as 1 live—a large party having started from the hotel for a moonlight walk on the shore, Maida and I, who soon found ourselves a little in the rear of the others, eat down on the second seat ti enj'y the charming view spread out before us. (Fair and friendly reader, should you ever go to Blackgang Chine, pray linger at that particular seat for a moment —remember it is the second as you descend from the hotel —and cast a sympathetic thought on me; for 1 assure you I suffered horribly whilst sitting there on the occasion in question. ) (To hr, continued.)