On this page

• Text (1)

  Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

  • 

    Untitled Article

• Transcript

  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

    Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

    Untitled Article

    for his picture , and Gaston de Foix in a dark velvet doublet , painting itfor ,, save a little more Roman cast of countenance , Stanhope looked exactly like a Gaston de Foix usurping the easel of Titian . And finely he had painted his thoughtful friend . Finely , too , had he caught the wild life of the Campagna—of the Bocca di Cataro—of the Arabian desert—and of French Africa . But his pictures are not to be studied or described in haste . Some time , while he painted , we talked , and naturally our discourse fell upon the scene where we had last met . I spoke freely ; and was at once surprised and not surprised to find Conway defend where I attacked . It was not the first time that I , a vagabond , saw myself on the conservative side , while conforming Englishmen defended conduct subversive of the first principles of honour and faith . I attacked Elkanah Smith for remaining in the Church and practising Mussulman licences . " Do not speak ill of Smith , " said Conway : " he is a fine fellow—as liberal as his ruddy English countenance ; open-handed , bold , learned , refined . No doubt he ought not to have been in the Church , but rather in the army . However , you know , there was a living in his family . And if you are to judge all clergymen by their intimate views , what havoc you might make in our ranks . I have walked by the side of a clergyman performing the funeral service , and satirizing the company in the intervals . I have dined with a reverend cook ; with another whose cousin and mistress sat at the head of his table . But all these men performed the service creditably , and avoided the open scandals that get into the courts—too often . Smith is a fine fellow . And after all , what is the Church of England ?" " We could not answer ; but Conway supplied the answer himself : " It is a corporation of soothsayers . " I cannot tell you the jar which such a sentence caused in the Vagabond , coming , as it did , gravely and pleasantly over the white neckcloth of the English clergyman . I retorted with some severe strictures on the multitude of law-breakers , whom I divided into two classes of traitors ; those who think the law which they break to be right , and sin for selfish gratification , impudently violating conscience , and impiously trusting to " forgiveness for a fallen nature "; and those who condemn the law they break , but outwardly conform , in selfish dread of the consequences that attend first rebellion . Let them stand forth , I said , and their numbers would be sufficient to make rebellion revolution . Already , from my short , confined view of English society , I see it . " And the first man would be—destroyed , '" said Conway , in a harsh whisper , as if he felt the destruction upon him . " Nay , worse , they put our women and children before us . You tax us too hard , Tristan . " He rose to go , saying that he had already overstaid his time . The sound of the door closing after him had scarcely ceased , ere another door opened , and a tall fine girl , her bonnet and shawl in her hand , stepped with an air of familiar command from behind one of the pictures which somewhat hid us from her . She stopped on seeing me : it was Margaret Johnson , beautiful , grave , majestically confronting surprise ! She must have ; thought that Conway and I went away together . " We can trust him , " said Stanhope , kissing her hand . " Tristan , I will see you to-morrow . I did not expect to be interrupted ; but you will forgive ; such an interruption . " I took my leave at once ; a little protracting the farewell that I might well take in the full picture presented by that noble couple . I do assure you that the rough soldier-artist and the grocer ' s daughter formed a group that even a Giorgio and an Elena might not despise ; only , Elena bella , Margaret is more ; like one of your adopted country than you arc , sundarkened Saxon ! But how little , I thought , as I went away , does gentle and stern Mrs . Johnson , so " proper" in aspect and demeanour , know into what wild world of art her daughter h ; is escaped ! Well , a noble soul , I believe , has burst its prison , and ventured upon the broad winds ; and Stanhope is a grand iellow . Bui ; those poor . Johnsons—mortals with a young Ceres in their bouse ! A well-to-do grocer with an Olympian changeling amongst his 'daughters ! Mashallah ! Doubly interrupted , I bad forgotten to ask Hdwardes for the very thing I went about ; but I did not like to return , and thus I waited for a day . I shall go to-morrow . I went home straight to Edwardes's , feeling that I had dom : Yseult a wrong in forgetting for an instant what was even collaterally connected with her . 1 found that Yseult was out ; but , 1 was told ( hat a lady was waiting for me . As I entered the drawing-room the lady rose , and advanced towards me with an air more earnest , and familiar than commonly pertained to Miss Se : lby ; and yet it was she . My thought at ; once glanced toward Margaret , and I anticipated some inquiry about , her ; but I was mistaken : Miss Selby sat silent for a time ; then with uneasy efforts to get on , as if she would rather that , I should make the requisite disclosure than herself , she hinted at . something to be told—something that would surprise me ; though such things would happen " in the best regulated families . " fn reply to my courteous acquie secures , she grew more specific , and at last , let out . the full fact -Miss Johnson , not secretly married , nor indeed married at all , was exactly under the same ; expectation as the poor maid-servant , who bad been discharged that morning—though Miss Selby , 1 must , say , did not at all allude to that historical parallel , except , in saying that " circumstances" had caused great agitation to Miss Johnson , and so she had made that disclosure which had agitated Miss Selby still more .

    " And who , " I asked , "is to be recorded , in this case na « father ? " ' the Poor Miss Selby blushed , and replied that that was not the least pleasant part of the business , for the father was only a person in a ver " ^ ferior position—indeed , only a shopman , a person in Mr . Johnson ' s sh * " They had always regarded him as a person of very good principles , andT seemed a very well-disposed young man . Only now he was , natural ! ° very anxious , because he might lose his situation . ^' I saw that he could be of no help in the affair . "We sat silent for a f minutes , the silence broken half way by an apology , on Miss Selby's for troubling me at all with such a matter ; only , she said , eircumstan ' had conspired to induce me to take an interest in the family ; she felt « i did not know why , so much at home with me , and knew that she niio ] trust me , —indeed , she knew no one else whom she could ; and she ° dreaded these things becoming known to Mr . Johnson ; and as to the jm-l ' mother , it would kill her . More silence .

    " But Sophy is told , Sir , that there is one way out of her difficult y , which might remove it altogether ; and—and—in fact , that was more especially what I came to consult you about . " " And what is that way , Miss Selby ?" She did not answer , except in broken hints , that she found great difficulty in telling me ; she became paler than ever , and very agitated , and seemed almost as if she would faint . By help of my reassurances she recovered her voice , and then made many imperfect allusions , as if I understood what she would mean without my saying it . I really did not follow her . At last , she summoned a desperate courage , and said , " In fact , sir , what Sophy was told was that the child need never be born . "

    " Good heaven ! Miss Selby ! Who has told her so ?" " I see you disapprove—I am almost sorry I mentioned it . And yet , in such a distressing case—and the person who told her could not mean anything but the best . " [ " Mean the best !"—how often that phrase is used to cover some cruel or base subterfuge !] " It was , " continued Miss Selby , still much distressed , but speaking fast , as if to crowd " extenuating circumstances" upon me , " it was a very good and attached friend of hers , indeed , a clergyman ' s daughter . Yes , indeed it was ; and a most excellent young woman too , and well brought up . And she says that it is not so uncommon . I assure you she would

    not speak untruth , and she declares that a physician told her that women in the best circles , who—in short , if they expect to be confined in ' the season' do not scruple ; and they have no difficulty in finding a physician . And Miss , I should say , the clergyman ' s daughter herself , knew instances not unlike Sophy ' s ; and she says it is best ' not to permit a guest to come unbidden to the feast of nature when no cover is laid for him : ' those were her very words . I am telling you truth , " she said , misinterpreting my continued silence— " indeed I am ; at such a moment could I forget the truth ?" " I am sure you are true , Miss Selby . But are you aware that what Miss Johnson has been advised to do is a crime—a crime against the lans of your country ? And what is more , it is a crime not unfrequently

    punished—with transportation . " " Oh ! do not say such things ! How shocking . But surely a girl m Sophy ' s position , with the command of friends and means?—" " It is not the less a crime , dear lady , because Sophy ' s friends mig ht be able to hush it up . Good God , to think that the conscience should bo so depraved that detection alone and punishment arc dreaded !' My involuntary exclamation startled the listener : she was cast down > y

    fear and shame . , Taking her hand , and venturing to reassure her by a certain stern iriuitness , I asked her he > w it was that she , whom I now found inviting countenance to a crime , could have been so outraged at the fan <> poor servant girl ? At first she looked at me with astonishment , ft "J J not understand ; for poor Miss Selby ' s head could never have be : e ; n s , ei « > ^ » and her faded life , her stunted faculties , have left her little beyond u »« n j and her pocket-handkerchief to rely upon , and I was obliged te > wm v ^ the win . 's of her soul slowly unfolded themselves like a butterfly , damp "

    feeble from its chrysalis-shell . rff-rcnt At first she expressed nothing but wonder that I should be so < l l ' ^ from what she expected , when I was virtually a " forei gner , " an < » * bad all thought , " so free . " ¦ ^ ho " ' So free' ! " I exclaimed ; yes , Gexl forbid that I should be : ^ ^ bondage : which brings women like you to Hut we will no ^ more of that . 'Free' ! Yes , I would not yield allegiance to ''^ ^ . supersedes conscience ; which lets the trader cheat if be be not loU " ( iI 1 ( which makes the statesman erect time-serving into a state :- ]) O > ^ which punishes men and women for being men and women , all < | lUy < ler . men and women—which makes love followed up by hat * :, nm ^ ^ No , Miss Selby , I am an outlaw to such laws , a va K abolul / , *" , ' ,.,.,.., y <>" wonder that you in England do not rise up against a code- wine i

    to such intolerable devices . " . , , t so'" ' She looked at , me with a face of surprise , strangely growing " ^ ^^ ,, of terrified sympathy ; and there was a long silence :, w hicil > - ^ . ^ , broke . " I do not quite understand you , " sin ; said , " but i «« ^^ , » «(! we : re : more : right than I have been . Goexl bye ! " She took my ^ ' ^ still retaining it , went on as if her thoughts were turned upon u nc

    Untitled Article

    906 THE LEADER . [ Satur DaV

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 18, 1852, page 906, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1952/page/22/