not ultimately be as rich as he is, and come to have a house myself in New Court, Swithin's Lane, since I have begun with a much better start than he did. On my return home met Mr. Alderman Dewlap, who saluted me with his usual condescension-" Good morning, Snooks;" but instead of taking off my hat, and bowing with my customary 66 Thank ye, Mr. Alderman," I was determined to let him see that times were altered; so, egad! I gave him a familiar nod, and exclaimed, "How goes it, Dewlap?" Saw he was offended, but what do I care? A fellow with ten thousand pounds in his pocket is not to have his hat perpetually in his hand, like the city Sir Walter. Afterwards met my old acquaintance Jerry Fayle, who I suppose had got some inkling of my successes, for he touched his hat as he accosted me, and called me Sir, which I thought quite unnecessary, for after all I am still nothing more than a plain citizen. Thank God! I have no pride, though I am perfectly aware that a man with ten thousand pounds in his pocket, is not to be addressed with the same familiarity as a common shopkeeper. -Jerry told me he had just been ruined, completely cleaned out by an unsuccessful speculation in the funds. Serve him right!-It requires some talent to make a hit in this manner. Such simpletons as he is had much better stick to the shop, and work hard to support their wife and family, and so I told him. Thought he looked as if he wanted to borrow money, so pretended to see a friend, and bolted down Finch Lane. Thursday.-Dreamt last night that I saw the Cacique of Poyais, a dignified-looking copper-coloured personage, with a bow and arrow in his hand, golden shoes, silver gloves, and a tall plume of peacock's feathers upon his head, who, after giving me an order for a pound of eightpenny Muscovado sugar, and a quarter of eight shilling Souchong, made me a grapt of twenty thousand acres of land, the surface of which was so rich in gold and silver ore that it perfectly dazzled my eyes. A customer came into the shop while I was pondering upon my dream, and inquired whether I had any rice, when I replied, "Yes, Sir, a rise of five per cent, already."-" Psha!" continued the gentleman, "I mean Carolina rice,-have you any ground?" "Ground!" I ejaculated, “yes, Sir, twenty thousand acres in Poyais!" when the stranger, thinking probably that I was crazy, walked out of the shop. Same day Mr. Deputy Dump's servant brought me back a bill, wherein I had put down to his master's account fifty thousand loaves of sugar! Ludicrous enough, but how can one attend to these paltry affairs when the money comes rolling in by thousands ?-Indeed I shall probably give up the shop altogether after this account. Friday. The rise continuing, and it being now certain that I must realize a handsome property, I communicated the whole affair to my wife, who had hitherto known nothing of the transaction; when she rated me soundly for deciding upon any measure without first consulting her, but admitted that it had been a most clever and fortunate speculation, and instantly stipulated for four things,-first, that we should do no more washing at home-second, that she should wear white gowns upon the week day-third, that we should never have hashed mutton for dinner-and fourth, that we should give Mr. Davison, our lodger, notice to quit immediately, as she was determined to have as grand a party as Mrs. Tibb's, and we should of course want the firstfloor for the purpose; to all which propositions I willingly yielded my consent. Mrs. Snooks was decidedly of opinion, that I should wait till there was thirty per cent. profit, which would be fifteen thousand pounds gain, and which, added to the money deposited with the broker, would constitute a very handsome independence; and she informed me she had always set her heart upon a country-house at Homerton, with a white front, green door, and brass plate, having our name engraved in large capitals. She is certainly a woman of taste, -indeed, she has a right to be so, since her connexions are of the first respectability, and her uncle's wife's sister would have been Lady Mayoress, had not her husband died of a surfeit at a Grocers' Hall dinner, only one week before the ninth of November; but for my own part, I must say I particularly hate Homerton. Finding her, however, inflexible, I withdrew my opposition, not by any means out of deference to her opinion, for every man should be the master in his own house, but because I think people of property and respectability should never be seen wrangling and jangling like vulgar folks. Upon the same principle, I abandoned the idea of our setting up a gig, like Mr. Mordecai's, and yielded to her wish of having a one-horse chariot, like Mr. Lancet the apothecary, which she observed was truly keeping a carriage; and she resolved that her first visit should be to Mrs. Tibbs, on purpose to mortify her. She herself now laughed heartily at the idea of my ever again putting on a white apron, and though she admitted Alderman Dewlap to be one of our best customers, she thought I had treated him quite right, since her family was as good as his any day in the year, and people whose heads are a little up in the world, have no occasion to keep their nose to the grindstone. This day we mutually agreed that in order to distinguish ourselves from a herd of poor relations in very groveling situations, it was absolutely necessary to change our name, and as our money was made in the city, I proposed to take the addition of ville, observing that Snooksville had a very familyish sound; but my wife thought that a termination in real of any sort would only suggest the idea of a butcher. In confirmation of this, she reminded me that cousin Tom, who had been to Calais in the steam-boat, had there seen a large building, called the Hotel de Veal, because, as he was credibly informed, all the calves were slaughtered therein. I then hinted that we might append to my patronymic appellation the word scrip, which was the foundation of our fortune, and would form the very pleasing compound of Snookscrip; but as Mrs. S. thought that the founder of our prosperity ought to take precedence, it was finally agreed that we should be thenceforth called Scripsnooks, which, as she shrewdly remarked, was no change of the initial letter, and would consequently require no alteration in the marks upon our linen. Saturday.-Found Capel Court this morning in what is technically called a panic-Poyais Scrip falling one per cent. every five minutes-all sellers and no buyers: the knowing ones who had been laying bets that it would be up ten per cent. this week, proving to have been secret sellers, and banging the market without mercy; while the Bulls were running about in great consternation seeking in vain for purchasers. All my imaginary profits having disappeared in about half an hour, I determined at all events not to sacrifice the money I had deposited with Mr. Mordecai, and scampered to his office in great perturbation of mind, that he might sell any Scrip at any price he could get. Not finding him at the counting-house, I hurried back in a profuse perspi ration to the Stock Exchange, and after repeating this process five or six times without catching a glimpse of him, had at last the unspeakable mortification of being informed that he was a lame duck, and that he had not only waddled but bolted; or in other words, that this "remarkably prudent young gentleman" had run away, after having lost every thing, and had left nothing whatever to his numerous creditors, but his bright pea-green, tilbury, upon which, however, an attachment was lodged by the groom in the sky-blue livery with silver shoulder-knots, for arrears of wages! Sneaked homewards, calling in my way to countermand a pipe of port, which I had been ass enough to order upon anticipation. Entered my shop as if I were going to be hung; took up a dirty apron of Jem's which I tied round me, and began cutting up a sugar-loaf with great humility and compunction of spirit. My wife breaking into the shop as she beheld this apparition from the back parlour, I began to break to her our misfortune while I was breaking the sugar, when she flew into such a rage that I verily thought she would have finished by breaking my head. She would not have minded it so much, she said, but that she had lost the opportunity of mortifying Mrs. Tibbs, and that our best customer, Mr. Alderman Dewlap, had sent for his bill, declaring his intention of giving his custom to another shop. This she attributed to my impertinence, and insisted upon my writing him a submissive apology, which I sturdily refused doing, declaring I would be the master of my own house, and that though I was ruined, I would not be humbled or hen-pecked. Very angry words ensued, but I carried my point with a high hand, for instead of writing to the Alderman as she ordered, I called upon him, and made him a very humble apology in person. STANZAS. "WHEN shall we two meet again?”— Oh ask the breeze that bears me on Over yon blue and pathless main, And it will tell how soon! Go ask the waves that roar Round my bark as she holds her way, On the beach where thy footsteps stray— While the rude wind whistles loud, And their crests are white with foam, To a cheerless lonely grave?— Can the pilot tell thee when I have watch'd yon clear blue sky, "When shall we two meet again ?” And must I answer thee?Oh ne'er! oh ne'er! till when Our spirits are set free! Then the evils being over That around us now are cast, And smile upon the past. Go ask the destined wretch, Its fruitage, and be free :- Upon his pallid face, Through which his soul may seem Shall bless, and cling to thee- "When shall we two meet again?"— Oh in that question all That tell of grief and pain Upon my spirit fall! In childhood first we met, When our hearts were free from care, And I remember yet How those days were bright and fair; And hadst thou ask'd me then, I could have answer'd thee. But those words have now a tone For they speak of days long gone, As the passing bell that tolls To the prisoner doom'd to die, When each echo as it rolls Through his cell tells his hour is nigh; So sound those words to me, Like that heavy and slow death-bell, And I only can answer thee In that one wild word, "Farewell!" Π. Σ. ration to the Stock Exchange, and after repeating this process five or six times without catching a glimpse of him, had at last the unspeakable mortification of being informed that he was a lame duck, and that he had not only waddled but bolted; or in other words, that this “remarkably prudent young gentleman" had run away, after having lost every thing, and had left nothing whatever to his numerous creditors, but his bright pea-green tilbury, upon which, however, an attachment was lodged by the groom in the sky-blue livery with silver shoulder-knots, for arrears of wages! Sneaked homewards, calling in my way to countermand a pipe of port, which I had been ass enough to order upon anticipation. Entered my shop as if I were going to be hung; took up a dirty apron of Jem's which I tied round me, and began cutting up a sugar-loaf with great humility and compunction of spirit. My wife breaking into the shop as she beheld this apparition from the back parlour, I began to break to her our misfortune while I was breaking the sugar, when she flew into such a rage that I verily thought she would have finished by breaking my head. She would not have minded it so much, she said, but that she had lost the opportunity of mortifying Mrs. Tibbs, and that our best customer, Mr. Alderman Dewlap, had sent for his bill, declaring his intention of giving his custom to another shop. This she attributed to my impertinence, and insisted upon my writing him a submissive apology, which I sturdily refused doing, declaring I would be the master of my own house, and that though I was ruined, I would not be humbled or hen-pecked. Very angry words ensued, but I carried my point with a high hand, for instead of writing to the Alderman as she ordered, I called upon him, and made him a very humble apology in person. STANZAS. "WHEN shall we two meet again?". Over And it will tell how soon! Go ask the waves that roar Round my bark as she holds her way, On the beach where thy footsteps stray While the rude wind whistles loud, And their crests are white with foam, To a cheerless lonely grave?— And o'erwhelm his gallant crew. |