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

The Subject To Timothy,  Who Was My _Fidus Achates,_

And Bosom Friend,  That I Really Believe,  Partial As He Was To Me,  He

Wished My Father At The Devil.

 

Our Shop Was Well Appointed With All That Glare And Glitter With Which

We Decorate The "_House Of Call_" Of Disease And Death. Being Situated

In Such A Thoroughfare,  Passengers Would Stop To Look In,  And

Ragged-Vested,  And In Other Garments Still More Ragged,  Little Boys

Would Stand To Stare At The Variety Of Colours,  And The 'Pottecary

Gentleman,  Your Humble Servant,  Who Presided Over So Many

Labelled-In-Gold Phalanxes Which Decorated The Sides Of The Shop.

 

Among Those Who Always Stopped And Gazed As She Passed By,  Which Was

Generally Three Or Four Times A Day,  Was A Well-Dressed Female,

Apparently About Forty Years Of Age,  Straight As An Arrow,  With An

Elasticity Of Step,  And A Decision In Her Manner Of Walking,  Which Was

Almost Masculine,  Although Her Form,  Notwithstanding That It Was Tall

And Thin,  Was Extremely Feminine And Graceful. Sometimes She Would Fix

Her Eyes Upon Me,  And There Was A Wildness In Her Looks,  Which Certainly

Gave A Painful Impression,  And At The Same Time So Fascinated Me,  That

When I Met Her Gaze,  The Paper Which Contained The Powder Remained

Unfolded,  And The Arm Which Was Pouring Out The Liquid Suspended.

 

She Was Often Remarked By Timothy,  As Well As Me; And We Further

Observed,  That Her Step Was Not Equal Throughout The Day. In Her Latter

Peregrinations,  Towards The Evening,  Her Gait Was More Vigorous,  But

Unequal,  At The Same Time That Her Gaze Was More Stedfast. She Usually

Passed The Shop For The Last Time Each Day,  About Five O'Clock In The

Afternoon.

 

One Evening,  After We Had Watched Her Past,  As We Supposed,  To Return No

More Till The Ensuing Morning,  For This Peeping In,  On Her Part,  Had

Become An Expected Occurrence,  And Afforded Much Amusement To Timothy,

Who Designated Her As The "Mad Woman," To Our Great Surprise,  And To The

Alarm Of Timothy,  Who Sprang Over The Counter,  And Took A Position By My

Side,  She Walked Into The Shop. Her Eye Appeared Wild,  As Usual,  But I

Could Not Make Out That It Was Insanity. I Recovered My

Self-Possession,  And Desired Timothy To Hand The Lady A Chair,  Begging

To Know In What Way I Could Be Useful. Timothy Walked Round By The End

Of The Counter,  Pushed A Chair Near To Her,  And Then Made A Hasty

Retreat To His Former Position. She Declined The Chair With A Motion Of

Her Hand,  In Which There Was Much Dignity,  As Well As Grace,  And Placing

Upon The Counter Her Hands,  Which Were Small And Beautifully White,  She

Bent Forwards Towards Me,  And Said,  In a Sweet,  Low Voice,  Which

Actually Startled Me By Its Depth Of Melody,  "I Am Very Ill."

 

My Astonishment Increased. Why,  I Know Not,  Because The Exceptions Are

Certainly As Many As The General Rule,  We Always Form An Estimate Of The

Voice Before We Hear It,  From The Outward Appearance Of The Speaker; And

Part 1 Chapter 4 Pg 17

When I Looked Up In Her Face,  Which Was Now Exposed To The Glare Of The

Argand Lamp,  And Witnessed The Cadaverous,  Pale,  Chalky Expression On

It,  And The Crow'S Feet Near The Eyes,  And Wrinkles On Her Forehead,  I

Should Have Sooner Expected To Have Heard A Burst Of Heavenly Symphony

From A Thunder-Cloud,  Than Such Music As Issued From Her Parted Lips.

 

"Good Heavens,  Madam!" Said I Eagerly And Respectfully,  "Allow Me To

Send For Mr Cophagus."

 

"By No Means," Replied She. "I Come To You. I Am Aware," Continued She

In An Undertone,  "That You Dispense Medicines,  Give Advice,  And Receive

Money Yourself."

 

I Felt Very Much Agitated,  And The Blush Of Detection Mounted Up To My

Forehead. Timothy,  Who Heard What She Said,  Showed His Uneasiness In a

Variety Of Grotesque Ways. He Drew Up His Legs Alternately,  As If He

Were Dancing On Hot Plates; He Slapped His Pockets,  Grinned,  Clenched

His Fists,  Ground His Teeth,  And Bit His Lips Till He Made The Blood

Come. At Last He Sidled Up To Me,  "She Has Been Peeping And Screwing

Those Eyes Of Her'S Into This Shop For Something. It'S All Up With Both

Of Us,  Unless You Can Buy Her Off."

 

"I Have,  Madam," Said I,  At Last,  "Ventured To Prescribe In Some Trivial

Cases,  And,  As You Say,  Received Money When My Master Is Not Here; But I

Am Entrusted With The Till."

 

"I Know--I Know--You Need Not Fear Me. You Are Too Modest. What I Would

Request Is,  That You Would Prescribe For Me,  As I Have No Great Opinion

Of Your Master'S Talents."

 

"If You Wish It,  Madam," Said I,  Bowing Respectfully.

 

"You Have Camphor Julep Ready Made Up,  Have You Not?"

 

"Yes,  Madam," Replied I.

 

"Then Do Me The Favour To Send The Boy With A Bottle To My House

Directly." I Handed Down The Bottle,  She Paid For It,  And Putting It

Into Timothy'S Hands,  Desired Him To Take It To The Direction Which She

Gave Him. Timothy Put On His Hat,  Cocked His Eye At Me,  And Left Us

Alone.

 

"What Is Your Name?" Said She,  In The Same Melodious Voice.

 

"Japhet Newland,  Madam," Replied I.

 

"Japhet--It Is A Good,  A Scriptural Name," Said The Lady,  Musirg In Half

Soliloquy. "Newland--That Sounds Of Mammon."

 

"This Mystery Is Unravelled," Thought I,  And I Was Right In My

Conjectures. "She Is Some Fanatical Methodist;" But I Looked At Her

Again,  And Her Dress Disclaimed The Idea,  For In It There Was Much Taste

Displayed.

Part 1 Chapter 4 Pg 18

 

"Who Gave You That Name?" Said She,  After A Pause.

 

The Question Was Simple Enough,  But It Stirred Up A Host Of Annoying

Recollections; But Not Wishing To Make A Confidant Of Her,  I Gently

Replied,  As I Used To Do In The Foundling Hospital On Sunday

Morning--"My Godfathers And Godmothers In My Baptism,  Ma'Am."

 

"My Dear Sir,  I Am Very Ill," Said She,  After A Pause,  "Will You Feel My

Pulse?"

 

I Touched A Wrist,  And Looked At A Hand That Was Worthy Of Being

Admired. What A Pity,  Thought I,  That She Should Be Old,  Ugly,  And Half

Crazy!

 

"Do You Not Think That This Pulse Of Mine Exhibits Considerable Nervous

Excitement? I Reckoned It This Morning,  It Was At A Hundred And Twenty."

 

"It Certainly Beats Quick," Replied I,  "But Perhaps The Camphor Julep

May Prove Beneficial."

 

"I Thank You For Your Advice,  Mr Newland," Said She,  Laying Down A

Guinea,  "And If I Am Not Better,  I Will Call Again,  Or Send For You.

Good-Night."

 

She Walked Out Of The Shop,  Leaving Me In No Small Astonishment. What

Could She Mean? I Was Lost In Reverie,  When Timothy Returned. The Guinea

Remained On The Counter.

 

"I Met Her Going Home," Said He. "Bless Me--A Guinea--Why,  Japhet!" I

Recounted All That Had Passed. "Well,  Then,  It Has Turned Out Well For

Us Instead Of Ill,  As I Expected."

 

The _Us_ Reminded Me That We Shared Profits On These Occasions,  And I

Offered Timothy His Half; But Tim,  With All His _Espieglerie_ Was Not

Selfish,  And He Stoutly Refused To Take His Share. He Dubbed Me An M.D.,

And Said I Had Beat Mr Cophagus Already,  For He Had Never Taken A

Physician'S Fee.

 

"I Cannot Understand It,  Timothy," Said I,  After A Few Minutes' Thought.

 

"I Can," Replied Timothy. "She Has Looked In at The Window Until She Has

Fallen In Love With Your Handsome Face; That'S It,  Depend Upon It." As I

Could Find No Other Cause,  And Tim'S Opinion Was Backed By My Own

Vanity,  I Imagined That Such Must Be The Case. "Yes,  'Tis So," Continued

Timothy,  "As The Saying Is,  There'S Money Bid For You."

 

"I Wish That It Had Not Been By So Ill-Favoured A Person,  At All Events,

Tim," Replied I; "I Cannot Return Her Affection."

 

"Never Mind That,  So Long As You Don'T Return The Money."

 

The Next Evening She Made Her Appearance,  Bought,  As Before,  A Bottle Of

Part 1 Chapter 4 Pg 19

Camphor Julep--Sent Timothy Home With It,  And Asking My Advice,  Paid Me

Another Guinea.

 

"Really,  Madam," Said I,  Putting It Back Towards Her,  "I Am Not Entitled

To It."

 

"Yes,  You Are," Replied She. "I Know You Have No Friends,  And I Also

Know That You Deserve Them. You Must Purchase Books,  You Must Study,  Or

You Never Will Be A Great Man." She Then Sat Down,  Entered Into

Conversation,  And I Was Struck With The Fire And Vigour Of The Remarks,

Which Were Uttered In Such A Melodious Tone.

 

Her Visits,  During A Month,  Were Frequent,  And Every Time Did She Press

Upon Me A Fee. Although Not In Love With Her Person,  I Certainly Felt

Very Grateful,  And Moreover Was Charmed With The Superiority Of Her

Mind. We Were Now On The Most Friendly And Confiding Terms. One Evening

She Said To Me,  "Japhet,  We Have Now Been Friends Some Time. Can I Trust

You?"

 

"With Your Life,  If It Were Necessary," Replied I.

 

"I Believe It," Said She. "Then Can You Leave The Shop And Come To Me

To-Morrow Evening?"

 

"Yes,  If You Will Send Your Maid For Me,  Saying That You Are Not Well."

 

"I Will,  At Eight O'Clock. Farewell,  Then,  Till To-Morrow."

 

 

Part 1 Chapter 5 Pg 20

     My Vanity Receives A Desperate Wound,  But My Heart Remains

     Unscathed--An Anomaly In Woman,  One Who Despises Beauty.

 

 

 

 

The Next Evening I Left Timothy In charge,  And Repaired To Her House; It

Was Very Respectable In Outward Appearance,  As Well As Its Furniture. I

Was Not,  However,  Shown Up Into The First Floor,  But Into The Room

Below.

 

"Miss Judd Will Come Directly,  Sir," Said A