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

The People. Strange In This World,

That Wisdom May Cry In The Streets Without Being Noticed,  Yet Folly Will

Always Command A Crowd."

 

During This Address I Turned My Eyes Upon The Speaker. He Was An

Elderly-Looking Person,  With White Hair,  Dressed In a Suit Of Black,

Ruffles And Frill. His Eyes Were Brilliant,  But The Remainder Of His

Face It Was Difficult To Decipher,  As It Was Evidently Painted,  And The

Night'S Jumbling In The Wagon Had So Smeared It,  That It Appeared Of

Almost Every Colour In The Rainbow. On One Side Of Him Lay A Large

Three-Cornered Cocked Hat,  On The Other,  A Little Lump Of A Boy,  Rolled

Up In The Straw Like A Marmot,  And Still Sound Asleep. Timothy Looked At

Me,  And When He Caught My Eye,  Burst Out Into A Laugh.

 

"You Laugh At My Appearance,  I Presume," Said The Old Man,  Mildly.

 

"I Do In Truth," Replied Timothy. "I Never Saw One Like You Before,  And

I Dare Say Never Shall Again."

 

"That Is Possible; Yet Probably If You Meet Me Again,  You Would Not Know

Me."

 

"Among A Hundred Thousand," Replied Timothy,  With Increased Mirth.

 

"We Shall See,  Perhaps," Replied The Quack Doctor,  For Such The Reader

Must Have Already Ascertained To Be His Profession; "But The Wagon Has

Stopped,  And The Driver Will Bait His Horses. If Inclined To Eat,  Now Is

Your Time. Come,  Jumbo,  Get Up; Philotas,  Waken Him,  And Follow Me."

 

Philotas,  For So Was The Fool Styled By His Master,  Twisted Up Some

Straw,  And Stuffed The End Of It Into Jumbo'S Mouth. "Now,  Jumbo Will

Think He Has Got Something To Eat. I Always Wake Him That Way," Observed

The Fool,  Grinning At Us.

 

It Certainly,  As Might Be Expected,  Did Waken Jumbo,  Who Uncoiled

Himself,  Rubbed His Eyes,  Stared At The Tilt Of The Wagon,  Then At Us,

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And Without Saying A Word,  Rolled Himself Out After The Fool. Timothy

And I Followed. We Found The Doctor Bargaining For Some Bread And Bacon,

His Strange Appearance Exciting Much Amusement,  And Inducing The People

To Let Him Have A Better Bargain Than Perhaps Otherwise They Would Have

Done. He Gave A Part Of The Refreshment To The Boy And The Fool,  And

Walked Out Of The Tap-Room With His Own Share. Timothy And I Went To The

Pump,  And Had A Good Refreshing Wash,  And Then For A Shilling Were

Permitted To Make A Very Hearty Breakfast. The Wagon Having Remained

About An Hour,  The Driver Gave Us Notice Of His Departure; But The

Doctor Was No Where To Be Found. After A Little Delay,  The Wagoner Drove

Off,  Cursing Him For A _Bilk_,  And Vowing That He'D Never Have Any More

To Do With A "Lamed Man." In The Mean Time,  Timothy And I Had Taken Our

Seats In The Wagon,  In company With The Fool,  And Master Jumbo. We

Commenced A Conversation With The Former,  And Soon Found Out,  As The

Doctor Had Asserted,  That He Really Was An Idiot,  So Much So,  That It

Was Painful To Converse With Him. As For The Latter,  He Had Coiled

Himself Away To Take A Little More Sleep. I Forgot To Mention,  That The

Boy Was Dressed Much In The Same Way As The Fool,  In an Old Spangled

Jacket,  And Dirty White Trousers. For About An Hour Timothy And I

Conversed,  Remarking Upon The Strange Disappearance Of The Doctor,

Especially As He Had Given Us Hopes Of Employing Us; In accepting Which

Offer,  If Ever It Should Be Made,  We Had Not Made Up Our Minds,  When We

Were Interrupted With A Voice Crying Out,  "Hillo,  My Man,  Can You Give A

Chap A Lift As Far As Reading,  For A Shilling?"

 

"Ay,  Get Up,  And Welcome," Replied The Wagoner.

 

The Wagon Did Not Stop,  But In a Moment Or Two The New Passenger Climbed

In. He Was Dressed In a Clean Smock Frock,  Neatly Worked Up The Front,

Leather Gaiters,  And Stout Shoes; A Bundle And A Stick Were In His Hand.

He Smiled As He Looked Round Upon The Company,  And Showed A Beautiful

Set Of Teeth. His Face Was Dark,  And Sun-Burnt,  But Very Handsome,  And

His Eyes As Black As Coals,  And As Brilliant As Gas. "Heh! Player

Folk--I'Ve A Notion," Said He,  As He Sat Down,  Looking At The Doctor'S

Attendants,  And Laughing At Us. "Have You Come Far,  Gentlemen?"

Continued He.

 

"From London," Was My Reply.

 

"How Do The Crops Look Up Above,  For Down Here The Turnips Seem To Have

Failed Altogether? Dry Seasons Won'T Do For Turnips."

 

I Replied That I Really Could Not Satisfy Him On That Point,  As It Was

Dark When We Passed.

 

"Very True--I Had Forgotten That," Replied He. "However,  The Barleys

Look Well; But Perhaps You Don'T Understand Farming?"

 

I Replied In The Negative,  And The Conversation Was Kept Up For Two Or

Three Hours,  In The Course Of Which I Mentioned The Quack Doctor,  And

His Strange Departure.

 

"That Is The Fellow Who Cured So Many People At ----," Replied He; And

The Conversation Then Turned Upon His Profession And Mode Of Life,  Which

Timothy And I Agreed Must Be Very Amusing. "We Shall Meet Him Again,  I

Dare Say," Replied The Man. "Would You Know Him?"

Part 1 Chapter 9 Pg 42

"I Think So,  Indeed," Replied Timothy,  Laughing.

 

"Yes,  And So You Would Think That You Would Know A Guinea From A

Halfpenny,  If I Put It Into Your Hands," Replied The Man. "I Do Not Wish

To Lay A Bet,  And Win Your Money; But I Tell You,  That I Will Put Either

The One Or The Other Into Each Of Your Hands,  And If You Hold It Fast

For One Minute,  And Shut Your Eyes During That Time,  You Will Not Be

Able To Tell Me Which It Is That You Have In It."

 

"That I Am Sure I Would," Replied Tim; And I Made The Same Assertion.

 

"Well,  I Was Taken In That Way At A Fair,  And Lost Ten Shillings By The

Wager; Now,  We'Ll Try Whether You Can Tell Or Not." He Took Out Some

Money From His Pocket,  Which He Selected Without Our Seeing It,  Put A

Coin Into The Hand Of Each Of Us,  Closing Our Fists Over It,  "And Now,"

Said He,  "Keep Your Eyes Shut For A Minute."

 

We Did So,  And A Second Or Two Afterwards We Heard A Voice Which We

Instantly Recognised. "Nay,  But It Was Wrong To Leave Me On The Way Side

Thus,  Having Agreed To Pay The Sum Demanded. At My Age One Walketh Not

Without Fatigue,  _Excipenda Tamen Quaedam Sunt Urbium_,  As Philostratus

Says,  Meaning,  'That Old Limbs Lose Their Activity,  And Seek The Help Of

A Crutch.'"

 

"There'S The Doctor," Cried Timothy,  With His Eyes Still Shut.

 

"Now Open Your Eyes," Said The Man,  "And Tell Me,  Before You Open Your

Hand,  What There Is In It."

 

"A Halfpenny In Mine," Said Tim.

 

"A Guinea In Mine," Replied I.

 

We Opened Our Hands,  And They Were _Empty_.

 

"Where The Devil Is It?" Exclaimed I,  Looking At Tim.

 

"And Where The Devil'S The Doctor?" Replied He,  Looking Round.

 

"The Money Is In The Doctor'S Pocket," Replied The Man,  Smiling.

 

"Then Where Is The Doctor'S Pocket?"

 

"Here," Replied He,  Slapping His Pocket,  And Looking Significantly At

Us. "I Thought You Were Certain Of Knowing Him Again. About As Certain

As You Were Of Telling The Money In Your Hand."

 

He Then,  To Our Astonishment,  Imitated The Doctor'S Voice,  And Quoted

_Prosody Syntax,  And Latin_. Timothy And I Were Still In astonishment,

When He Continued,  "If I Had Not Found Out That You Were In Want Of

Employ,  And Further,  That Your Services Would Be Useful To Me,  I Should

Not Have Made This Discovery. Do You Now Think That You Know Enough To

Enter Into My Service? It Is Light Work,  And Not Bad Pay; And Now You

May Choose."

Part 1 Chapter 9 Pg 43

 

"I Trust," Said I,  "That There Is No Dishonesty?"

 

"None That You Need Practise,  If You Are So Scrupulous; Perhaps Your

Scruples May Some Day Be Removed. I Make The Most Of My Wares--Every

Merchant Does The Same. I Practise Upon The Folly Of Mankind--It Is On

That,  That Wise Men Live."

 

Timothy Gave Me A Push,  And Nodded His Head For Me To Give My Consent. I

Reflected A Few Seconds,  And At Last I Extended My Hand. "I Consent,"

Replied I,  "With The Reservation I Have Made."

 

"You Will Not Repent," Said He; "And I Will Take Your Companion,  Not

That I Want Him Particularly,  But I Do Want You. The Fact Is,  I Want A

Lad Of Gentlemanly Address,  And Handsome Appearance--With The Very

Knowledge You Possess--And Now We Will Say No More For The Present.

By-The-Bye,  Was That Real Latin Of Yours?"

 

"No," Replied I,  Laughing; "You Quoted The Grammar,  And I Replied With

Medical Prescriptions. One Was As Good As The Other."

 

"Quite--Nay,  Better; For The School-Boys May Find Me Out,  But Not You.

But Now Observe,  When We Come To The Next Cross Road,  We Must Get

Down--At Least,  I Expect So; But We Shall Know In a Minute."

 

In About The Time He Mentioned,  A Dark,  Gipsy-Looking Man Looked Into

The Wagon,  And Spoke To Our Acquaintance In an Unknown Language. He

Replied In The Same,  And The Man Disappeared. We Continued Our Route For

About A Quarter Of An Hour,  When He Got Out,  Asked Us To Follow Him,  And

Speaking A Few Words To The Fool,  Which I Did Not Hear,  Left Him And The

Boy In The Wagon. We Paid Our Fare,  Took Possession Of Our Bundles,  And

Followed Our New Companion For A Few Minutes On The Cross Road,  When He

Stopped,  And Said,  "I Must Now Leave You,  To Prepare For Your Reception

Into Our Fraternity; Continue Straight On This Road Until You Arrive At

A Lime-Kiln,  And Wait There Till I Come."

 

He Sprang Over A Stile,  And Took A Direction Verging At An Angle From

The Road,  Forced His Way Through A Hedge,  And Disappeared From Our

Sight. "Upon My Word,  Timothy," Said I,  "I Hardly Know What To Say To

This. Have We Done Right In Trusting To This Man,  Who,  I Am Afraid! Is

A Great Rogue? I Do Not Much Like Mixing With These Gipsy People,  For

Such I Am Sure He Belongs To."

 

"I Really Do Not See How We Can Do Better," Replied Timothy. "The World

Is All Before Us,