Japhet, In Search Of A Father Part 1 - Frederick Marryat (polar express read aloud .txt) 📗

Part 1 Chapter 8 Pg 36

Of Roast Pork Looks In That Window!"

 

"I Agree With You--Let'S Go In and Make A Bargain!"

 

We Bought A Good Allowance For A Shilling,  And After Sticking Out For A

Greater Proportion Of Mustard Than The Woman Said We Were Entitled To,

And Some Salt,  We Wrapped It Up In a Piece Of Paper,  And Continued Our

Course,  Till We Arrived At A Baker'S,  Where We Purchased Our Bread,  And

Then Taking Up A Position On A Bench Outside A Public-House,  Called For

A Pot Of Beer,  And Putting Our Provisions Down Before Us,  Made A Hearty,

And,  What Made Us More Enjoy It,  An Independent Meal. Having Finished

Our Pork And Our Porter,  And Refreshed Ourselves,  We Again Started And

Walked Till It Was Quite Dark,  When We Felt So Tired That We Agreed To

Sit Down On Our Bundles And Wait For The First Wagon Which Passed. We

Soon Heard The Jingling Of Bells,  And Shortly Afterwards Its Enormous

Towering Bulk Appeared Between Us And The Sky. We Went Up To The

Wagoner,  Who Was Mounted On A Little Pony,  And Asked Him If He Could

Give Two Poor Lads A Lift,  And How Much He Would Charge Us For The Ride.

 

"How Much Can You Afford To Give,  Measters? For There Be Others As Poor

As Ye." We Replied That We Could Give A Shilling. "Well,  Then,  Get Up In

God'S Name,  And Ride As Long As You Will. Get In behind."

 

"Are There Many People In There Already?" Said I,  As I Climbed Up,  And

Timothy Handed Me The Bundles.

 

"Noa," Replied The Wagoner,  "There Be Nobody But A Mighty Clever

Poticary Or Doctor,  I Can'T Tell Which; But He Wear An Uncommon Queer

Hat,  And He Talk All Sort Of Doctor Stuff--And There Be His Odd Man And

His Odd Boy; That Be All,  And There Be Plenty Of Room,  And Plenty O'

Clean _Stra_'."

 

After This Intimation We Climbed Up,  And Gained A Situation In The Rear

Of The Wagon Under The Cloth. As The Wagoner Said,  There Was Plenty Of

Room,  And We Nestled Into The Straw Without Coming Into Contact With The

Other Travellers. Not Feeling Any Inclination To Sleep,  Timothy And I

Entered Into Conversation,  _Sotto Voce_,  And Had Continued For More Than

Half An Hour,  Supposing By Their Silence That The Other Occupants Of The

Wagon Were Asleep,  When We Were Interrupted By A Voice Clear And

Sonorous As A Bell.

 

"It Would Appear That You Are Wanderers,  Young Men,  And Journey You Know

Not Whither. Birds Seek Their Nests When The Night Falls--Beasts Hasten

To Their Lairs--Man Bolts His Door. '_Propria Quae Maribus_,' As

Herodotus Hath It; Which,  When Translated,  Means,  That 'Such Is The

Nature Of Mankind.' '_Tribuuntur Mascula Dicas_' 'Tell Me Your

Troubles,' As Homer Says."

 

I Was Very Much Surprised At This Address--My Knowledge Of The Language

Told Me Immediately That The Quotations Were Out Of The Latin Grammar,

And That All His Learning Was Pretence; Still There Was A Novelty Of

Style Which Amused Me,  And At The Same Time Gave Me An Idea That The

Speaker Was An Uncommon Personage. I Gave Timothy A Nudge,  And Then

Part 1 Chapter 8 Pg 37

Replied,

 

"You Have Guessed Right,  Most Learned Sir; We Are,  As You Say,  Wanderers

Seeking Our Fortunes,  And Trust Yet To Find Them--Still We Have A Weary

Journey Before Us,  '_Haustus Hora Somni Sumendum_,' As Aristotle Hath

It; Which I Need Not Translate To So Learned A Person As Yourself."

 

"Nay,  Indeed,  There Is No Occasion; Yet Am I Pleased To Meet With One

Who Hath Scholarship," Replied The Other. "Have You Also A Knowledge Of

The Greek?"

 

"No,  I Pretend Not To Greek."

 

"It Is A Pity That Thou Hast It Not,  For Thou Wouldst Delight To

Commune With The Ancients. Esculapius Hath These

Words--'A_Shol_Der--Offmotton--_Acca_Pon--Pasti--Venison,'--Which I Will

Translate For Thee--'We Often Find What We Seek,  When We Least Expect

It.' May It Be So With You,  My Friend. Where Have You Been Educated? And

What Has Been Your Profession?"

 

I Thought I Risked Little In Telling,  So I Replied,  That I Had Been

Brought Up As A Surgeon And Apothecary,  And Had Been Educated At A

Foundation School.

 

"'Tis Well," Replied He; "You Have Then Commenced Your Studies In My

Glorious Profession; Still,  Have You Much To Learn; Years Of Toil,  Under

A Great Master,  Can Only Enable You To Benefit Mankind As I Have Done,

And Years Of Hardship And Of Danger Must Be Added Thereunto,  To Afford

You The Means. There Are Many Hidden Secrets. '_Ut Sunt Divorum,  Mars,

Bacchus,  Apollo,  Virorum_,'--Many Parts Of The Globe To Traverse,  '_Ut

Cato,  Virgilius,  Fluviorum,  Ut Tibris,  Orontes._' All These Have I

Visited,  And Many More. Even Now Do I Journey To Obtain More Of My

Invaluable Medicine,  Gathered On The Highest Andes,  When The Moon Is In

Her Perigee. There I Shall Remain For Months Among The Clouds,  Looking

Down Upon The Great Plain Of Mexico,  Which Shall Appear No Larger Than

The Head Of A Pin,  Where The Voice Of Man Is Heard Not. '_Vocito,

Vocitas Vocitavi_,' Bending For Months Towards The Earth. '_As In

Presenti_,' Suffering With The Cold--'_Frico Quod Fricui Dat_,' As

Eusebius Hath It. Soon Shall I Be Borne Away By The Howling Winds

Towards The New World,  Where I Can Obtain More Of The Wonderful

Medicine,  Which I May Say Never Yet Hath Failed Me,  And Which Nothing

But Love Towards My Race Induces Me To Gather At Such Pains And Risk."

 

"Indeed,  Sir," Replied I,  Amused With His Imposition,  "I Should Like To

Accompany You--For,  As Josephus Says Most Truly,  '_Capiat Pillulae Duae

Post Prandium_.' Travel Is,  Indeed,  A Most Delightful Occupation,  And I

Would Like To Run Over The Whole World."

 

"And I Would Like To Follow You," Interrupted Timothy. "I Suspect We

Have Commenced Our _Grand Tour_ Already--Three Miles Behind A

Hackney-Coach--Ten On Foot,  And About Two,  I Should Think,  In This

Wagon. But As Cophagus Says,  _Cochlearija Crash Many Summendush_,' Which

Means,  'There Are Ups And Downs In This World.'"

 

Part 1 Chapter 8 Pg 38

"Hah!" Exclaimed Our Companion. "He,  Also,  Has The Rudiments."

 

"Nay,  I Hope I'Ve Done With The _Rudimans_," Replied Timothy.

 

"Is He Your Follower?" Inquired The Man.

 

"That Very Much Depends Upon Who Walks First," Replied Timothy,  "But

Whether Or No--We Hunt In couples."

 

"I Understand--You Are Companions. '_Concordat Cum Nominativo Numero Et

Persona_.' Tell Me,  Can You Roll Pills,  Can You Use The Pestle And The

Mortar,  Handle The Scapula,  And Mix Ingredients?"

 

I Replied That Of Course I Knew My Profession.

 

"Well,  Then,  As We Have Still Some Hours Of Night,  Let Us Now Obtain

Some Rest. In The Morning,  When The Sun Hath Introduced Us To Each

Other,  I May Then Judge From Your Countenances Whether It Is Likely That

We May Be Better Acquainted. Night Is The Time For Repose,  As Quintus

Curtius Says,  '_Custos,  Bos,  Fur Atque Sacerdos_. Sleep Was Made For

All--My Friends,  Good-Night."

 

Part 1 Chapter 9 Pg 39

     In Which The Adventures In The Wagon Are Continued,  And We Become

     More Puzzled With Our New Companions--We Leave Off Talking Latin,

     And Enter Into An Engagement.

 

 

 

 

Timothy And I Took His Advice,  And Were Soon Fast Asleep. I Was Awakened

The Next Morning By Feeling A Hand In My Trouser'S Pocket. I Seized It,

And Held It Fast.

 

"Now Just Let Go My Hand,  Will You?" Cried A Lachrymal Voice.

 

I Jumped Up--It Was Broad Daylight,  And Looked At The Human Frame To

Which The Hand Was An Appendix. It Was A Very Spare,  Awkwardly-Built

Form Of A Young Man,  Apparently About Twenty Years Old,  But Without The

Least Sign Of Manhood On His Chin. His Face Was Cadaverous,  With Large

Goggling Eyes,  High Cheek Bones,  Hair Long And Ragged,  Reminding Me Of A

Rat'S Nest,  Thin Lips,  And Ears Large Almost As An Elephant'S. A More

Woe-Begone Wretch In appearance I Never Beheld,  And I Continued To Look

At Him With Surprise. He Repeated His Words With An Idiotical

Expression,  "Just Let Go My Hand,  Can'T You?"

 

"What Business Had Your Hand In My Pocket?" Replied I,  Angrily.

 

"I Was Feeling For My Pocket-Handkerchief," Replied The Young Man. "I

Always Keeps It In My Breeches' Pocket."

 

Part 1 Chapter 9 Pg 40

"But Not In Your Neighbour'S,  I Presume?"

 

"My Neighbour'S!" Replied He,  With A Vacant Stare. "Well,  So It Is,  I

See Now--I Thought It Was My Own."

 

I Released His Hand; He Immediately Put It Into His Own Pocket,  And Drew

Out His Handkerchief,  If The Rag Deserved The Appellation. "There," Said

He,  "I Told You I Put It In That Pocket--I Always Do."

 

"And Pray Who Are You?" Said I,  As I Looked At His Dress,  Which Was A

Pair Of Loose White Turkish Trousers,  And An Old Spangled Jacket.

 

"Me! Why,  I'M The Fool."

 

"More Knave Than Fool,  I Expect," Replied I,  Still Much Puzzled With His

Strange Appearance And Dress.

 

"Nay,  There You Mistake," Said The Voice Of Last Night. "He Is Not Only

A Fool By Profession,  But One By Nature. It Is A Half-Witted Creature,

Who Serves Me When I Would Attract