LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1522, 3 January 1879, Page 3

LITERATURE.

UNCLE BENJAMIN’S STORY. [“ Chambers’s Journal.”] ‘ Well, my dears if I must tell you a story, I will tell you what once happened when I was returning from India, now many years ago. With the earlier events of the story I was personally connected, and the rest was afterwards told me by one of the chief actors in it.’ So spake our dear old Uncle Benjamin, when on a visit to us_ last Christmas ; and we his nephew s and neices, who had been teasing him to tell us some of his adventures, delightedly composed ourselves to listen. ‘ I might,’ ho continued, ‘ call it a “ tale of circumstantial evidence but for reasons which you will no doubt afterwards perceive I prefer to style it “ Cast Down, but not Destroyed.’ ‘ The homeward-bound troop-ship Stirling Castle, Oaptabi Bowlby, was becalmed in the tropics. Ft three days there had hardly been a breath of wind, and the sea lay around her smooth as glass. But although all was so calm and peaceful outside, yet on hoard the ship a painful and intense excitement prevailed. General Page, one of the chief cabin passengers, had been robbed and nearly killed the night be‘ore ; and the person accused of the crime was Walter btevenson, a young lieutenant, and a general favorite of all on board. But to explain I must go back a little. Tne Stirling Castle belonged to the old Erst India Company, and Gen ral i’ago having retired from the service, was returning t > Old England, He was accompanied by his daughter Rose, a young lady about twenty tw • years of *ge, who without being exactly beautiful, possessed a vivacity and charm of manner which captivated all who approached her. ‘ There were several other olHcera on hoard ; but only two enter into the story ; the first being Col mel Morton, a very old friend of the General's ; and the other, the Lieutenant Stevenson above mentioned. C donrl Morton and the General had known each other in youth, their respective families owning neighbor ng estates ; they had gone out to India together, and now were returning home in company. And s’ ill another tie bound the tvyo, oil f lends together. Colonel .Mortyi had a son, and they hgd agreed that this Him should marry the General’s daughter, partly bec.'piso of their long standing friendship, and pnrtlv because the two estates unite i would make a very line property. Nay, the

General even went so far as to make his will, leaving all his property to Rose it is true, but appointing Colonel Morton sole trustee, and authorising him to use the influence the position gave him to bring about a match between the young people. ‘ Now. although this was known to Rose, yet it affected her very little ; she was a true woman, and would only follow the dictates of her own heart; and who shall govern the caprices of t.ho god of love ? Soon after leaving Calcutta jt was noticed that Lieutenant Stevenson was often seen in her company. Whether it was his handsome person, his bold frank bearing, or his general intelligence and affability that first attracted her, I know not, but certain it is their friendship quickly ripened iuto mutual love. Ere the Cape was reached they had confessed to each other, and the father was made acquainted with their feelings and wishes. Bat alas ! did the course of true love ever run smooth F As before mentioned, the General had his own idea with regard to Rose, and so he sternly refused his sanction to her engagement with Stevenson. 1 I now come to the dreadful circumstances mentioned in the opening of my story. There had been a good deal of merriment in the large saloon the night before; but because of his anomalous position with regard to Rose, Stevenson took very little part in it, and retired early. The General too, not feeling very well, had passed into hio cabin somewhat before his usual time, and soon after eleven o’clock entire silence reigned throughout the whole of the after cabins. So things remained until about five o’clock in the morning, when all were aroused by loud cries for help, proceeding from the General’s room Hurriedly throwing on a few clothes, several of the passengers hastened to the cabin indicated, and what a sight met their horrified eyes! Supported in the arms of Lieutenant Stevenson lay the General, his head bathed in blood. His closed eyes and pallid lips seemed to betoken death, except that his laboured breathing and deep groans showed that ho still lived. In another part of the cabin lay the body of the General’s servant, and examination showed that he was quite dead. Being very old, he had been unable to withstand the heavy blow dealt him. The ship’s doctor, Captain Bowlby, Colonel Morton, and many others were now collected in the cabin ; and after the doctor had takeu the wounded man in hand, the question was anxiously asked, how did it occur? As Stevenson was the one who had given the alarm, all looked to him for an explanation ; but what he had to toll was summed up in a very few words. He said he had been restless all the night, and bad got up early to see the beauties of a tropical sunrise; that passing the General’s door, he heard groans; that he knocked to see if he could be of any service; but receiving no reply, he had entered, and found things in the state they saw them,

‘ There were many who shook their heads at thie tale, as it was well known the General had not an enemy in the ship, unless it might be the lieutenant himself, and most knew that the two were not on very good terms. Some one suggested suicide ; hut the doctor showed that the wound on the head had been caused by a blunt instrument, and was in such s position that it could not have been self-inflicted. And now suspicion grew stronger that Stevenson knew more than he had told. Men asked themselves * Who would be the gainer by the old man’s death?’ Stevenson of course ; as the only obstacle to his marriage with Rose would then be removed, especially as diligent search failed to discover the box asserted by Colonel Morton to contain the will. So things remained for several days, * Stevenson could not but notice the halfaverted glances of his fellow-passengerr, yet he treated the idea of being really suspected as preposterous. Rose was for the most part closely engaged at the bedside of her father, who still hovered between life and death. He was for a great portion of the time quite unconscious ; still there were intervals when he seemed to be aware of all that was passing. This being the case, it was arranged that ho should be asked in the presence of the principal passengers to name his assailant At the time appointed by the doctor as being a likely one to find the General fit to receive them, the cabin was filled by Captain Bowlby, Colonel Morton, and many others, among them being Lieutenant Stevenson. It was a scene solemn as striking, in that dimly lighted cabin. The patient with his bandaged head, and his face scarcely Jess pale than the sheet on which he lay ; the bystanders, with anxiety and curiosity strangely mingled in their faces, made up a picture not easily forgotten The time seemed propitious, as the General recognised Rose and several others around him ; but now a difficulty occurred ; the wound in the throat was in such a state that the doctor would not allow him to apeak. It was therefore arranged that paper and pen should be given him, and while one held him up, he should be simply asked to write the name of his assailant. “ And wa must be quick, gentlemen,” added the doctor, “ or the excitement of the scene may overcome him before you obtain what you want,” Thus urged, and all being ready, Captain Bowlby solemnly asked the patient if he understood what was required of him. A momentary b’ightening of the eye was answer sufficient and none doubted but that the author of the crime would soon be exposed. But alas 1 the will was stronger than the power; for when the General had painfully traced a few letters, the pen fell from his band, his eyelids closed, and ho passed into a state of complete unconsciousness. ‘ And what were the letters written? The culprit’s fate hangs upon them. Here they are, STE. What a pity there are only three and yet—when the Captain read out in a firm clear voice STE, all eyes involuntarily turned on Stevenson, as though there could be no doubt that he was the man, and that these three letters were as good as a whole name. And so it proved ; for on reference to the ship’s books and passenger list, no other name was found (either Christian or surname) beginning with Ste. Nor was this all; for just at this moment a man entered the cabin bringing the missing box, which he stated had been found hidden behind Stevenson’s bed. Examination shewed that the lock was broken and the will missing. So convinced was Captain Bowlby by this evidence that he exclaimed in stern tones : ‘ Lieutenant Stevenson, retire to your cabin, and consider yourself under arrest for the remainder of the voyage.’ It was done, and the once gay and still noble-looking Walter Stevenson was led away a suspected thief and murderer.

‘ Bat did every one btdievo him guilty ? Not so. Need I say that the exception was the one whose opinion ho prized more than all the rest—namely his beloved Hose Assured of her belief in his innocence, and strong in his own consciousness, it mattered little to him what others thought j and so, when he pased from the cabin, his eye quailed not, nor did his tali form lose one inch of its height. * 1 must now in very few words pa=s over more than a month The good ship had steadily pursued her way, and was rapidly approaching the cud of the voyage. No event of importan -o had occurred since the scene depicted above. The old general, contrary to all expectation, gradually became stronger ; but alas 1 as his bodily health improved so did it become the more manifest that his mind was gone The blow on the hea l had been too much for him; and th ugh Iris life was spare i, and his strength, oomparativ ly speaking, restored, yet it was only to be an imbecile ; simp’e and harm ess it is true, but none the leas an imbecile. Stevenson, confined to his cabin, had—as much as prudence and her duties to her father allowed—been cheered by visits from the noble girl. These visits were necessarily few and short, hut still they » ore sufficient to assure him of hor un ? ying love and confidence. She c n‘d not hut confer that appea r ano a were very much against him, and that a dark cloud overshadowed him ; yet she could not for a moment believe that he, whom she thought the very embodiment of all that was good, could be guilty of so foul a crime. What tongue can tell tba pleasure these sweot usa gave to yceveuson ! Sunpuitysd by them and his o,wn inner c rirciogaycrja he could defy the rest. Thn hf.hVmtcß ,ig.iinst him might nii clear,,

and his chances of refuting them apparently very small, yet his trust in God was never shaken ; ho knew there must be another explanation of the evidence, and he believed in due time the explanation would appear. ‘ Such was the position of affairs when the Stirling Castle arrived in the Thames. Stevenson was taken before the magistrates, and upon the evidence already narrated was formally committed for rial, some of the principal passengers bein bound over to appear when called upon. I will not attempt to describe the parting between the lovers ; it was hard to bear ; hard for Rosa, although she was going to a comfortable homo, surrounded by friends, but bow doubly hard for Stevenson, who was not only parted fiom his heart's idol, but was going to a Mon’s cell with a stigma on his name. What wonder that be was overcome, that his courage failed him, that he fairly broke down, But over this I draw a veil; manhood’s tears are terrible to see, and can only flow from a heart’s agony. ‘ Rose, too, was fearfully prostrated and almost heart-broken; but like a brave little woman as she was, she collected herself, and knowing her lover’s safety depended on her exertions, she set herself firmly about the task. Now it happened that Rose had a god-father, with whom she had bsen a great favorite before she went to India. This was Dr. Bailey, a man of considerable repute in hia profession. As a girl Rose had always been accustomed to take her joys and griefs to him sure of a welcome. No wonder then that in this the sorest strait of her life she should fly to her most valued friend. She did so ; and there sitting at his feet, as in old and happy times, she told him all—told of Stevenson’s nobleness and worth, of his love for her, and—blushing the while—of her love for him. Then she spoke of the murder of the old servant, and her voice trembled as she told of the horror of that night; then she passed on to speak of the suspicious against Stevenson; not one fact did she conceal; but her voice was no longer low and trembling, but firm and indignant that any should so judge him. But how quailed her heart when she looked up and saw the grave and doubtful expression on the good doctor’s face; and when he repeated her words and reminded her of the will, of Stevenson’s presence in the cabin, of the empty box found in hia room, and above all of the writing by the General, all pointing so conclusively to Stevenson, she saw at once that he also believed her lover guilty. For a moment her own heart and her faith almost failed her, and she too felt inclined so yield to the weight of evidence. But shaking off the feeling with a shudder, as though some noxious reptile had touched her, she poured out such a passionate flood of eloquence in defence of her lover, that the doctor catching her enthusiasm was compelled to yield to her powerful conviction. Seeing this, Rose fell on his breast, and in a passionate burst of tears kissed him and called him her good kind friend, 4 When they were a little calmer the doctor said: “Although we may believe him innocent, yet our belief will not save him unless we can bring forth proof. I will come round and see my old friend the General.”

‘ Alas!’ said Rose, “ that would be useless, Ho remembers nothing, and even if he did, his evidence is strong against Stevenson, But come by all means.” ‘ I will. In the dim light of the cabin he may have been mistaken in his man.’ ‘ Rose shook her head, and yet oven this tiny ray of hope sent a thrill through her heart. “My father may have been mistaken,” she whispered to herself; but again her spirits sunk when she remembered his condition. (To he continued ,)