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, ' iAmWJ?m mmi. devoted to ChrlsUaaitf;, Political Science; Agriculture and General IutelhWce,
,
J 1
4
4 'J
VbL.:iV.;..-NUMBERl:ft
ASIffiVltiE;;N AlfGUST-4; 1843.
WHOLE NUMBER 157
''fi i-!
J"
'5".tH iA
, . ' -
f
n,i. U nulilished kt Two Dotuu ai
Fifty CenU In dvnc-HW, Thn Dtxllm
' ha xnri nf the v nr.- r , '
Advettiuernonts iiiBcttcd at On Dollnt per iqtiare
continuance. Court Ordem will beytaifed
'wonty.fiv per cont. extra, v. -"
HIGHLAND 31ESSENGER.;
v
fcrrWay TTornlns;, Augitt 4, 1943.
' .:;' v; CUS SEW YCILm ;,ik ..a
.This week iesuo the first pumber ot 'the
fourth volume of our paper.' If our readers
think that th past has been characterised.
-ly many imperfections wd havo only to
ist, that, in that particular, we exactly
agreo with them ia ppinityi o let it all
pass, while wo look at what will probably
( hi the result of the mysterious future.
- The reader will find on, the list paga of
this paper the commencement of Biogra
phical Dictionary of tlte most illustrious
American characters, from' the earliest
period in Araericno history up to 1835. lit
has been compiled with,, great care and bo
t!..lJ" t-t."l I i i .U- - J;.' .L!.
liiue luuor oy euo m ,ui eunors 01 mis
paper, and may be relied on for correctness
It is alphabetically arranged, and will; wo
think, be found valuable for reference, The
publication will be carried on in this volume
antil.tt shall be completed j and this will
oueraa'additiboal Inducement to subscribe
for the paper, atthe commencement of the
When we snafl nave publisnea tne pio.'
graphical sketches' which we now have in
maouscript,and which come down to 1835
we design td continue jt down to the present
time, adding a sketch of distinguished living
Amercan characters. V, ? 1- St
" A considerable portion of. the "present
volume will bo devoted to agricultural mat
tert, and designed for the benefit of the
farming ''portion of the community. ' This
is a branch of business with which we pro.
foss to be, to 'some good extent, practically
as well , as theoretically acquainted We
shall continue to write and publish what w
may deem important to the public interest, ;
on the various questions of national policy,
and discuss' general, rather Jhan local or
prtyTol itics: v- fiT.v j
Wo earnestrV. wish to bear an bumble I
part in advancing tne general and true to
terests of our cbmnjon and beloved country,
and are deeply" conscious that this is to be
done only by the maintenance -of sound
political policy correct morals, persevering
industry, and a constant practice of econo
my Vice tvill "receive flo; '' countenance
from us, do matter in whom, or where, or
vnder whht circumstances it may be found;
and we shall oppose whatever we may think
calculated to injure the public weal', without
regard to names, sects, or, parties. ; t
".Eut'stay we will promise no more, but
let the reader wait and judge;' for himself.
k Tag ELECTiON.-The Congressional elec
tion cotr.es on this week , but too late lor our
paper to report thaesult hereaSbuts. We
Jthink of Jssulng an exlra to-morrow (Salur
day) evening or aoonMorjdaj- morning,
stating the result so far as heard from.
- f it ' j
' C5" A jolly, fun-loving old follow popped
into our ofCce the other dayrand occostedJ
W with WeTITairTI want to get hold of
your paper again, ' I subscribed lor two
years, but Cha last year I did without It, and
I can't stand it'any Iongerr-here's the
nioney for another year. " Send on my "pa.
per agiinT' ' ;; . ,?VH
. That's whaV we coll -doing 1 the'.thing
nicely.
CTWe saw the main eastern mail going
out from this lace the jbthor day lied on I
AJWclt-of-aloosaf horse. At least we
net it in this plight a short distance from
village. -inf ' - '',;
' , ;:t- ' --
F.Tfta ,wEAtaEE,-t-For ;tome time past
Ihere ha-teen triuch raid in these parts
lmo8t every day;- Fine for corn
wd potatoes, but unfavorable' for nousmg
-oa(s and hay, m ;'. .
j t w"rf 1 ' ," y
,-Otr We soe 'it soraewhejo stated that,
ince 1802, Washington City hasliad twelve
mayors. and that five , of them wero prln.
.tors. If U be troe printers1 cannot com
plain of a. want of attention in those paru.
Sot upon second thought it Is by no means
tange, as Washington has been a most
Wellent place to fatten printers, and a well
fozi purse hat always been a pretty good
'.passport to office. ..-'' : '
j.-i insCELWEOUS,;,:
From Phamben CdiDgbh Journal. t
Enslga Martyn's First Scrape.
' I just ofneteen .when I saw myself
gazetted to an ensigncy in her majesty s
th Highlanders. Whata proud day
that was" for rrra!".. My-kind, 'good parent
ura rarw vumcM on inui prince 01 BU
talors, Buckmaster, and I hastened up to
London, 'determined to avail myself of it
to the utmost,. My outfit wag splendid.
Aiy epauiets wouia have suited a cantaxo
my. claymore was at least .three -inches
longer, and my satin scarf six Indies wider
than Jhe regulation ; and I sent to Scotland
for a Cairngorm brooch, as large as a eau
cef, to loop tho latter up with.' Before I
I had time to ehowfofT in my .uniform, I
was ordered to join the depot of my regi.
men: then, alas! .entombed in the depths
ot ireiana,; vyitn many a sigh, I was
obliged to relinquish dear Cheltenham in
all its gaioty. - One 'consolation,' however,
remained,' which was, the .certainty that
tuy departure would occasion the most pro-
found grief to some half-dozen belles. , On
my arrival in Dublin, I devoted a few days
to seo all that was to be seen, and then
started to join my depot, which was q Jar
tered in Birr," or. Parsonstown, as-it. is
sometimes called, chiefly celebrated for a
huge statue Of the famous Duke or dim
berland, and a superabundance of young
unmarried ladies. , I was agreeably dis.
disappointed in- the barracks,' which are
handsome and commodious.' In truth, I
had landed on the Green Isle with not a
few of the English prejudices which are so
generally entertained against Ireland. J
was received with the utmost cordiality by
mv brother officers, and for manv weeks
could "not help feeling a slight -degreo "of
pride when a soldier saiutea me. " . ine
well-appointed mess, too, had its charms,
where vail was. light-hearted gaiety ana
badinage.- V ''tfti'iY W
y 'About a month .after I had joined, I re
ccived by post the following letter :"
- Stock'wbu. Stseet, Gljuso. )
- :.: Juhf 3, 1839.
Mv Dearest Luce.- A clad and hanoie
woman was I to sea you had suckseded in
youre endeevors to get the appointment
you have so long bene trying about Y ure
own name, - too," in print ' Ynre mother
was sore overcome with joy.' 'But just. to
think you ar at -last an offisber..' -Wei,
William dere, you were in U rH, I w
ea, tnsteoct if-loyii liere, drawin teeth
for a sixpense, and bleedin and blisterin for
sometimes naething at al. : I wood havO
wrote, to you Jong ego, but thot you" wood
Boisomejittoi jjmo to.fciteV gown K and
get things made comfortaoel for mee In
baraks. Kite to mee, my dere husband,
and say whenl am to cum to you, ,for I
am werrying to sea you once more ; four
yeres is a long time to leeve yure wife and
bairns :' but as our neeybor Jenny Haivers
aais V. b for' the best,.: Yure mother is
quite wil ; only per site not quite as it used
to be. ISO more at present, out nopin too
here from you Aune. '' " ''' i ' ' ; ?
f -: Yiire lavio wife, tndoth, '
r.,4-;..-W:-Jti i Isabella Mahtin.:.; ,
The bahbys ar WJy-.niMi
This- elegant; epistle, diiccted to- Mr.
William! Martin, Esq., th. regiment,
arsons town, was folded in a most, origi
nal manner, and closed with a red wafer,
which bore the unique and humble impres
sion of a thimble. . I examined the precious
mofceau minutely, and was not long in de
termining from .whom it came. ."Some
more of Lacy's confounded tricks ; another
of his numerous hoaxes," I exclaimed ;
and I resolved to "answer it in a manner
conforming'. As nearly as I can recollect,
wrote as follows: 1
t Adorable IsabeUdZYoiit letter lias civ-
en the greatest pleasure to your too long
separated 'husband. Come, dearest,' im
medratelyVrand completrirry 3iappiness.:
Without thee, life even a barrack-room
embellished as it always is, with upapered
walls, two wooden chairs, one small tnble.
and half a poker couid not longle sup.
portable. ' In the midst of my brother of
ficers, a set of unfeeling youths, who dance,
ride," shoot,1! and. smoke cigars, without a
single thought of matrimony I only sigh
anathink of. thee thee whose elegance
and accomplishments I have never seen
equalled in all myl wanderings. , Vo"1
then, my angel, and. never more be parted
frnrn-ouraflectionate husband,
: ; ; , ' WwyuAJt mabtii?., '
Mrs Wiiliani Martini - : ; : " "mt ''
r , Stock well Street, Glasgow,
honor done me, and kept bustling about,
arranging, rearranging folding and unfoI
ing, every article of my toilet) appendages
buu uuuorm. , v,8- , . ,,. f.
Recovering," by an efl!rt, my compos,
ure and breath,! desired Duval to look out
my most becoming- morning costume, re.
striding his services to at least twenty
minutes., I may, by; the; way,' remark,
and every ensmn in her maiestv a service
should profit by the hint, that it binvaria-
bly the best plan to allow your' valet to
cnopse your dress, r or bis own sake, he
will takd care to dress you well.! ' Omv
four morning ttowns, he selected a rose col-
ored satin orjo. An embroided dove-color,
ed cashmere waistcoat and velvet- slippers
completed a costume 'Which ne doomed
worthy ef the ' occasion. Entering ;my
sitting-room, I gave one hasty glance at a
rich silk dressy blushed, (remember I was
but nineteen.) made a profound bow. and
handed the lady a chair. 1 But, instead of
quietly seating berself, she rushed toward
me with the energy of a dancing bear, & the
rapidity of the Falls of Niagara, and giving
me a warm embrace, exclaimed, " Dear,
dear, WollyT in a- tone, and with an ac
cent, the vulgarity of which was unequalled.
Judge of my astonishment l.,It was too
dreadful" I extricated myself as well as I
could, and sunk half fainting on the nearest
chair.' " The idea 'rushed Into my mind,
that, in my apartment; and in propria per.
torn,, there was present she of the well
spelt letter. , It bad not been a trick aAer
all t Aq ins'tant sufficed to make pie fully
sensible of the awkward scrape into which
I had got, and at least a portion of its conse
quences, including the merciless jokes to
which it would necessarily subject me al
mess, and the more grave regard which it-
might extract from my eommanduig onicer.
I mentally execrated the rash folly of an.
swsring such a letter in such a style and
groaned to think I was only made aware of
this by experience. '., ,..' r.
. " Eh. Wully, how very braw ya've turn.
ed sin1 ye was made an offishcr! but I
daursay yell not deny that I'm weel yuton
mysei, and fit to be seen as your wife ony
day. My freends saw to that before I came
awa, for we hak mair sense than nokenr
that ye wad like to see. me descent-like
when ye introduisod me to your ,bi other
offishers and their leddies.' Eb, truly.
how glad I am to be here at last. 'and see
myaiBjWulIy again !1 r
Such was the address of my fair visitor.
Mr. Van Buren was quite sick some
jju since.; . Jlope he is' better by this time,
however.
This " rhapsody I carefully consigned to
the Jetter-serjeant,' being quitei confident
it would soon find its way back to the au
thor of Isabella's Tond effusion; . At mess
that evenine, I fancied I detected a lurking
smile of. intelugenco, pass. Detweerrtiacy-i
and Fower; I kept my own counsel, now.
ever, quite pleased with having paid, thesn
off with their own coin. A. few weeks
elapsed, and the angelic, deserted Isabella,
and her .epistle had been consigned to
oDiivioin.-wnen, very eany one morning,
Duval, my Swiss yalet, entered my bed
room, and, with an expression of, curious
and unwonted meaning, announced that a
lady wante4 to see roe.p . v, ., - '
TC " A lady wishing tosee roe!" I Cried):
" A lady wishing tosee m, and at this time
in the morning! ImposiMs' ; ,' "r '-i
f Fraimcnf.'" f exclaimed .Duval, with
that indiscribable shrug with which foreign
ers contrive to convey volumes. He was
evidently highly elated at the unexpected
chair, and arranged herself in it with an
air of the greatest possible freedom.
Though nigh confounded with the horror of
the occasion J I could not hem takinc a
hastyglance of Jhe. ..being., whoseemea to
have come on purpose to torment me, and
beheld a coarse woman about thirty, over
loaded with divers-colored 1 finery, and
bearing an aspect in which1 vulgarity was
strangely relieved by an appearance of ec
centricity. , Sho had a large face, of fair
complexion, slightly marked with small
pox, do eye-brows or lips, but a profusion
of wiry ringlets ; and I could observe, even
at (hat moment, that while all the rest of
her clothes, were of silk, she wore white
woolen stockings and thick-soled shoes.
She was evidently a woman of humble
rank, and 1 make no doubt, had actually
been deserted by some sort of husband ;
but then --unfortunate I, William Martyn,
Esquiref her majesty V h i , th was sot
the man I ... .. . , .f : .. !,:. .'
" Madam," said I J," this seems to be
a strange mistake oq your part , " but
ere I could complete the sentence '
"Oh, uae mista' ava, ' she broke in.
" How .can ye gang,' Wully, to say that!
tlae I no been sair eneuch tried already by
your leaving me sae lang wi' the bairns,
and are ye no gaun to bo kind ' too me
noo, and mak a' odds evens?" ' '
But, madam, you are mistaken, if you
f
suppose me to be your husband., I never
wwyoiLia my UfeJore,.a
ought to knowjfrom my appearance that
am not the man." , ,...,
V Ei,1 did ony body ever hear the like o'
that I" she exclaimed ; to gang and say ;
that you are no my man afier a'! This '
very bairn here our ain young, Wully
wad ken ye. let-a.bee mysei: u.it bad na
been that he was only a sookin wean when
ye gaed awa. And here she pointed to a
member of the company whom I had not
before observed namely a boy of about
five years old. who was making strenuous
efforts to got hold of my epaulets, as they
lay -on the table fortuOTtelybeyona; bis
reach, 'f -,4 .i . ' .. i.u
If-thW is your sbn, ma'am," said I,
I think he. is ' rather a witness against
than for you, as he shows, that it must be
several years since you were married: ;
Now, I am only nineteen last birth-day,
and, so far from being married years ago,
do not intend td be married for years to
come." . . : - ' -'
-,M Ah, but ye're my ain Wully for a'
thai," said she fr?,1 naerdoot something dif
ferent fra what he was when ye keepU'tbe
'pothecary shop f the Stockwell ; but then
it's only yonrbraws that hae changed ye.
We a . ken that .fine leathers make fine
birds, and that, infack, as Jenny Haivers
. . ...
says, dress is every ining.- i m no sure
but some o' my am auia neenors waa
scarcely ken mo, noo that I'm a dressed,
up Offisher'a leddy. But ye've just the
some bonny dark hair and whuskers that
eVer ye had, and the vera same, rollin ee
that first wan my puir vijrgln. heart," waes
me, that hao been a aesertea meeseraDie
woman for four lang year for want oye.
Ah, Wully, it was an ill turfl to gang awa
loavin- wife and bairns to take care o' their.
Sols, and scarcely write a scrape o' a pen
10 me sin' syne. I5ut let :A byganes be
byganes, noo. that I've gotten my, Wully
again, as the sang says.,, Somehoo, I aye
thought ye wad get on to be something af.
ter a', for ye had aye a notion a' being up
in the warld and glad am I to find that I
hinua been mistaW w : ,;
' i All tints was addressed to me with such
aq accompaniment of ooaking add ingrati.
ating looks,' winks and smiles, as would
have; at any other time, made me expire
with laughing. Alas! I fell but little die.
portion to mirth at that moment; .Like
Frankenstein, when visited af home by Jiis
monster, I could think of no better course
than to leave my tormenter in possession of
the; ficldi v Jt happened, too,- that I 'was
epgnged tyat morning to breakfast with
Major Ellis, flie commanding officer at our
depotand to accompany him afterwards
upon; a shooting excursion. There1 -was,
therefore,' little time to argue Out the mat.
ter with my new Glasgow friend,'or td take
measures Of any other kind to assure her
of her error, or to get quit of her; ' This
a. -'. . . . . W
led me to a wrong step, which l afterwards
had reason to repent of, though I did it for
the best. ., With tne nope of Keeping her
absurd story, quiet, I asked hef to remain
in my lodgings till my return, under the
care of Duval, who undertook to get break.
last ready immediately for her and her lit
tie boy.' Then hastily accoutring myself
tor me ncio, i proceeded to ftius wag.
In the course of our forenoon a walk.
Eilis shot beaulifully, and quickly filled his
bag ; but I, though reputed bis equal, miss,
ed every bird I aimed at. This excited
his surprise, and in connexion with sundry
other marks of confusion in my conduct;
nduced him to ask if any thing was the
matter with me.. I had previously deter,
mined to keerj mv own secret, but it now
occurred to me that it might be as Well to
make a confident of the Major, as if was
not impossible that he might yot have some
thing more to do with, the case. I tbere.
fore related to him the wnolecircumstances,
only entreating that he Would not commu
nicate them to Mrs. Ellis, or to any other
person,' unless as a corrective to any less
faithful version of the story which might
become public He .agreed to this, and
we returned late in the morning to dress
for mess. Inquiring for my -unlucky vial
tor. I was informed by Duval that Madam
M.-yn,, ,IjhIliW pffniin'a Jnye. twinkled
as. he pronounced the name had left my
rooms soon after breakfast, and had not
since returned. ' It was almost with satis
faction that I found the immediate presence
of the incubus taken -offf but I could not
suppress a dread that worse was yet to be.
fall me. No sooner had I entered the anti
chamber, which served our mess as a
drawing-room, than I became mortifyingly
aware that the. whole , affair 'was blown
abroad. My appearance was the signal
for.a universal, peal of laughter, in which
Msjor Ellis himself could not help joining."
Inquiries after Mrs. Marty n's health, com.
menu on her youth, beauty, and elegant
style of speech, met me on every side. 4. 1
was ov.erwhelmed. andi jstunned insomuch
tha I scarcely knew which of my foes to
face; or reply tor or "whether it would.' be
moat advisable to treat the matter seriously
or to take it as a joke. As the dinner proceeded,-
I heard- no'.bing-but- ramentations
that they were likely so soon to lose me as
a regular member of. the mess; but all
agreed,, with, mock solemnity, that husbands.-
ought, to dine . with their wives, if
wives they had, and that many officers
were improved by domestic life, though it
was not the case with all. I soon ascer
tained that the fearful woman, on leaving
my lodgings, had found her way to the quar
ters of the commanding officer, where,
Ellis himself being from home. she. had
obtained an interview with Mrs. Ellis, and
dy) from Glasgow, to join you u your law.
ful wife. She insists that you are her bus.
band, and I must say it is odd that you I common reason.
was what I could cot account for on anyW
1 4'
!- .1
lowing it up with the most strenuous aver
mcnts that I was her missing husband, with
no .change but what dress and improved
manners might easily account for. - Mrs.
Ellis, a sharp, lively Irishwoman, fond of a
joke, and rather held in terror on that ac
count in the regiment, took up the case in
a moment, and with a serious air assured
the 'stranger that there was no fear but
Ellis would see her righted, supposing that
she could nihke good her claim. Though,
of course, feeling no doubt of my inno
cence, she could not suppress so glorious a
quiz against the fine young ensign, but im.
mediately commenced a round of morning
calls, to laugh it all over with the other la
dies of the depot. Is. phort, long before
our return from the shootingexcursion,
" this strange story of young Martyn and
a lady 1 from Glasgow" had been repeated
to everybody -connected with-the -regiment.
?J";,jU is e--;.V--j',.V1? ,-- -.
I returned home that night with a burn
ing heart, furious with my brother officers,
at Mri."Ellis7and, aboya.a ar my odious
Scotch visitor. . At aa early hour next
forenoon, 1 had a note1 fromi the Major,
begging me to step across the way, and
when 1 obeyed the summons, the first ob
ject -which met my eye in his parlor, was
the frightful Isabella. ' Mrs. Ellis received
me with an affectedly rigid and serious airy
as if she felt that things were looking very
bad for me1 and even Ellis was scarcely
so cordial, as; usual: 1 1 saw' that I Was to
be put upon trials but bought 'U,best to
submit to the inquest with- a good grace.- i
Well, Martyn, thi is really a strange
circumstance." Here comes a lady (a slight
elevation of tho eye-brows at the word la-
should have., written a letter ackn woledgiog
her sa your, lady, and requesting -her to
come to you. 1 know you say that 'you
thought her epistlo a boax of your brother
officers 1 but how am I to be sure of this T"
' I could not believe him half in earnest
but his address was annoying in any shape
in which I could take it, and 1 hardly knew
how to treat the matter,' so ridiculous at
once serious had it become ;tr, ' k t
j I assure my dear Msjor,? said I, "that
I have given you a a candid account of the
affair of the letter. I wish my hand hadi
been burnt when I wrotelit but certainly
it was only with a view to turn back a bad
joke upon its. authors - If it has been the
means or bringing this lady so far. from
home, I am sorry for it, and I shall be bap.
py to make a proper reparation for the
consequences of my unlucky jeu e? espril,"
.Aib, ye re just my am Wully, now,"
interrupted the fair claimant, or pfaintm.
aa I may rather call her in the presentcir-
cumatance. , .." Come, come, my dear, ac
knowledge - me for your leddy at ance and
make nae mair woark about it. Ain,
Wully, : Wully, did I ever think to be dis
owned by ye,, wheqjanglsyne ye used to
court me on the Sunday nights, walking
along the Gallowgate, or when we were
l.rin MnSAl'IVin An t.i I. .1. m 1 1, a
Stockwell after we wfcre "married i It has
been a sair weddiehood to me sin1 syne
this four lang year : but ye'll make it op
to me yet And the bairns, puir -things,
we'll hae them, a brought here; 6n4 they'll
be sae glad tosee their papa again.-r The
best o' our days are before us, Wully, my
dear, if ye'll only listen lo reason, and own
me as your lawfu' wedded wife, as I am."
" Come, now, Martyn," suid-Mrs. Ellis,
with the face which I knew she always bad
when bent on tormenting any poor wretch
with-her wit ; " if this lady is really Mrs.
Martyn, why not say so at once? we'll all
be glad to soe .her in tho regiment;, and
consider what a lot of young recruits she
brings with her.- I "would say it is most
likely you are her husband, as I never knew
any wife who might not have sung, as Mrs.
Gordon sometimes does , . ' : v
, WeD would I my line low ken, .
?' Araang ten tbouaand IIhlandmeo. .
Certainly aha should Vi w baat And re
ally U would be a greath8jdship to have
come all the way from Glasgow, in search
of a missing husband, anV not get himaf.
ter all.- I fairly let you know I'm of Mrs.
Martin's narlv , ,
i My dear Mrs. Ellis,V said 1 imploring
!tr thlO lsl wAll11tf nrk rtat i r mAtta
the poor-woman has surely been sufficient."
ly'decelved already. Upon my soul, I'm
sorry tor per, and 1 11 give her enough to
pay for the expenses of this expedition, and
a little more, if she'll -only go back . and
trouble me no more. - My family is not
known to a by ono here : but I have only
to write to Cheltenham, to get evidence of
my having been a boy at Sandhurst at the
time when this lady alleges I was keeping
shop with her in some confounded street
in Glasgow," " '-
Well,'i-eaid the Major, " let Us hear
what Mrs. Martin says to this.'! ' . t- "
. " Oh,oh, what a hardened heart he has I"
blubbered forth the lady in question,.." To
offer me siller to gang awa and no trouble
himheirl'mllfTnarricd Wife" 6ssure
mem, as ye're your ain gudo gentleman's 1
ihats what lea adding insult to injury,
mem ; and nae honest woman can stand it
Isn't his name the same? '.And did we no
hear, first, that he had got or was geiiin'
into the service, and then see him put into
the papers as a full ensign in tho th ;
and then, was na there my letter answered
by him as my dutifu', lovin' husband, and
a the rest 9 . And is he no the vera man,
there where he stands joost the exack
hicht, the eedentical face, and figure a1
the samej in fack, but the bits, o' fine claes
he's got on noo, as richt ho should. My
friends never misdootcd that he was my
maq when .they saw the letter nnd that
Was the reason they nmua up i lock, o'
siller to fit me decently out as an offisher's
leddy ; but hae nae I the evidence o' my
senses into ,the bargain?-.,ph, , Wully,
ye're surely my ain man, and the bairns'
father,' and ) can 'nae longer keep frae
fawing i'your eirms, strong and maun hae
her way.fi,-'-"; 1 '- a'-- . '.
And, ere I was aware, the fair tigress
had actually precipitated herself upon me,
and taken me firmly round the neck, while
her slobbered face' and dirty, crumpled-up
handkerchief reposed upon my bosom; It
was thd most embarrassing situation ima
ginable, for I was obliged to give her some
support, to save' the poor creature from
falling ; and on the other hand, there stood
Mrs. Ellis declaring that it was the most
affecting reconnaissance and reunion she
had ever beheld. ; : Was ever a gay young
ensign in such a dilemma before ' Uut I
was now beginning to do a utile savage at
my situation, and strong and decisive mea
sures were evidently becoming-necessary.
- " Woman !" 1, said, "take yourseit
away from me, and give up this shocking
humbug, or I'll have you taken before a
magistrate,' whatever Major Ellis may say
or do. 1 I'm not to be hoaxed any longer in
this way, I assure Jfou. So be off, I tell
you again. Do you hear me!" " ; t
But the poor creature had before this
time fainted in my arms, a cloar proof, bt
least, that she fully believed niu to be tier
husband, though how she could mistake a
mere stripling for a man who," from her
own account, must have been at least thirty,
4
theory . consistent with ber possesion of. ' - t
There, hewever, was ' , a4-
sha in 4 genuine swoon, brought on evi- . "'
vumij uy uie .JUiensiiy oi . iter iceiings. 4
Things had now reached a most distressing ,
crisis to alt of us, and even Mrs. Ellis ' . '
seemed affected. Between concern fipr my1 aJ
own honor, the sense of the ridiculousness j4t ,'
of my ailuatibnland pity for the unfortunate W gi
woman, I knew not what to do or. say .-"T ",
when, just as my burden was coming to her tf 'Z"i
senses, enters" Curran, my groom, with a-ST--'v
look which from the first I thought a herald' -p
of reliefs and addressing hfmself, to Ma'i'of -'J,
Ellis,' said, '. Plnze you, air, I think we've v '
found the aal husband. We ve bcerf on -
the puzzle all the rflorning, ye ace, about'. v , y
tliis mighty oddrbusiribss, 'Ond now wVo f'
sure got light onV! : L .V 11 - v
, Well, my' good fellow" tell us.wha s ...
you know.; .--ri''.'.-. 4 , .
Why, then,-.Major, this lady's right '
enoughr about her husband having joined '
the th ; but sorra a right she is u bout . ,
the man ; that's all. It's not Ensign Mar-- .
tyn at nil, d'ye see, but William Martinay
poor private, like my sell, in vaptain uor 4," k
don? company.' - , '., - Wr 5 "
" Can it be" possible I was the simulta" '.. '
neous exclamation of tho whole party, ex. .
cepting Mrs. Martin, who seemed to listen
in a kind of credulous bewilderment,- ; , , ' ' -
"By the powers, it's as tru as hy !
name's Phil Curran.; We thought the tel.
low. looked rather quare this morning, and ' "
his wishins to be excused from.parado '- !
couhrmed us, your honor. So, Bill, says
we, what if you are that lady s husband the
sell of thee And he looked quite red,
then, your honor, So we all fell upoaliim
for desairting so swate a creature and her
four small childher into the bargain, and it
all ended in his not being. ableto say ho
was not tho woman s husband, sorra tuke 't .
him for a skulker as he is. 'V - ' ! 1
i " Bring up the fellow here instantly," 1 ,
cried the Major, and we'll have the af,"
fair settled one way or the other at once." . m
While this, order" was in the. course of ...
being executed, I learned that private Man?
tin was a superior sort of man, though of 4 .
reverend manner, who was supposed to
have seen better days, and to have enlisted
under want. He had conducted himself
since he joined the regiment with so much .
propriety, thai all his comrads thought him n
in the fair way of that promotion for which
an education somewhat better than theirs . -- -,
seemed to qualify him. No one had,.nny
thing to say against him, except thaj he . '
kept himself much apart from his comrades, , .
though this' they excused, in consideration '
of his having onco been better than they.
All this was Stated In presence ah hearing .
of Mrs. Martin, who said, Weel, it'll bo -
a sair dooncome if my man's only a provat ; . ,
but yet it's better to hae a man o' some , ,
kind,-than be a widow bewitched, that's u
neither flesh, fish nor gude red herrin'. :' f
Jenny Haivers hersel' wad allow that.' " f .
Martin soon appeared, and, when Con. , '..'....y -fronted
with the fair lady of tho Stockwell ' 1 ;1
looked as sheepish as I ever saw any niao " ;
look in my life.; It was rather odd that he "
did bear a considerable resemblance to mo, 'J
though-1 flatter-myself," att deoccd a-'---f-r -
interval in some respects. '""""' V ; .
" Now madam," said Ellis, -"will you ' ' r
please say if cither of these men is your L
husband, and which of thcm.'t ' ' . I
- Aih,"1osh,' Major; I'm -sure-that taa:--" "
' them maqn Be the man ; but it's ill,to
say .whilk ano it is.' I ho ensign s sic a ; -bonny
lad, and sae like what my Wully "A- "
was when I married' him, that I could - - V;
maistly swear he's the. thing yet But W '
again, when I take a look o' the lothcr ane,
faith I believe I've been mista'en, and this
iamy'WuIIyaftera'1'L
To cut this matter short." said Martin,
" I confess4 myself to bo thi4. woman's
husband. I can only say, in excuse of
my conduct, that it was misfortune in busw
pess-which-torat made mo leave-ft'
had some hopes of finding a new opening
jn Ireland, where 1 had some frjnus, and.
came here to see aAer it, but yas diss point
ed. vlnstead of being ablo to send for my
wifo and children, 1 was intlia greatest
poverty myself, being only employed some. '
times as a clerk by butchers. Fromshamo,. '
I ceased ; to write to her ; and besides, I
heard that her brother, who was, in tolera- '.
ble circumstances, had taken charge of
her. , At last I was obliged to enlist as a
common soldier.MYet still I intended, if I
evergoLpromotion, to ask hnr to join me.
This is the plain truth, anrl the whole
truth, I assure you, gentlemen. I am re'
ally sorry that Mr. Martyn has been put t'
so much trouble. It is partly owiqg to my v.
wife being not so sharp in the judgment us
you all must have seen. If ho considers
thifr and my own misfortunes, I hope be-
will excuse us both. '' , T
' A-weel, weel, Wully," said his wife, .
shaking hiraby the hand, (hpw cool, Com.
pared with-the accolade- she bestowed upon'
me !) we'll just make it a' up, and re
sell my braws, and take up my quarter i'
the barracks, and aibliiis ye'll boas goq1
an ensign yet as Mr. Martyn there, apd ' .
sae I may be an offisher's leddy after aV'
Matters were now accommodated to the ,
satisfaction! jaf all parties, qd it only re- 1
mains for me to say .that we soon got Mrs,
Martin and her blooming prog tmfcujii
fortably stHtlod. . M flxn Ins hk guVn
couple of chequvs acrois Wt f.:;a, audjiyi
wil'u w"ili .1 iitien bryiiU piu;pct!ti.jiv '-'--;
Licy and i'oWer were confouiiudly tri-"'"'H.
zical upop me for a month or I wo; but it's now
all pretty well blown over, and a bosom oT
true Mrs. Martyn iyet in.thodustiny.
-:-TT"
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VI.
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