IE""zPJrcIr"r'j AN INDEPENDENT FAMILY NEWSPAPER.
Vol. VI. Now X?loomflell, Tiicwclay, Jnnunrj' ,'(). 1h72. TVo. .
jljc IjloomiWir (pints.
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LIFE'S BURDENS.
0, little feet! that such long years
Must wander on through hopes and fears,
Must ache and bleed beneath your load;
1, nearer to the wayside inn
Where toll shall cease and rest begin,
Am weary, thinking of your rond !
O little hands ! that, weak or strong,
nave still to serve or ruU so long,
Have still so long to give or ask
I, who so much with book and pen,
Have tolled among my fellow men,
Am weary, thinking of your task I
O little hearts ! that throb and bent
With such impatient, feverish heat,
Such limitless, and strong desires j
Mine, that so long has glowed and burned
With passions Into ashes turned,
Now covers and conceals its fires.
O little souls I as pure and white
And crystallno as rays of light,
Direct from Heaven, their source divine;
Reflected through the mist of years,
How red my setting sun appears t
How lurid looks this soul of mine.
A Clever Escape.
A Dctcetivo Story.
T
THE TRAIN wan waiting to leave tho
station. There had lieen robberies on
the lino, and a detoctive was eagerly watch
ing the faces of the passengers, hoping to
catch tho thieves. I, the guard, was watch
ing things generally. Presently I caught
myself watching a girl who stood alone at
some distance. I wished I could have
gone straight to her, and put her into
one the most comfortable of the lino of
carnages at which she gazed so timidly.
Just as I hesitated, a Ycry romarkablo
figure elbowed its way to me; a stout,
grandly-dressed old lady, panting painfully,
and almost piercing mo with a pair of rest
less, half-opened eyes, that looked out
through the gold-rimmed spectacles perch
ed on her sharp nose. Two porters follow
ed her, ladon with bags, cloaks, umbrellas
and flowers the only flowers in tho station,
I oxpect, that winter night and one of the
men winked at mo over her head, whllo tho
other guarded hor treasures with a faco of
concentrated anxiety and thoughts en
grossed by possible fees.
" This is tho Loudon train, is it ga'ad ?"
she asked, peering sharply into my face
with licr half-closed eyes, as if she found it
difficult to distinguish me even through her
spectaclos.
From her whole attitudo I guossed her
to bo deaf, but I never guessed how deaf
until, after yelling my answer so loud that
f he engine driver must have heard it eigh
teen carriages of)', she still remained stonily
waiting for it.
Then she shook her head angrily and
waddled off, looking as acid an old party
as I should ever try to avoid. In at every
door she peered through her glittering
glasses, the two porters following her, until
she made a stop before an empty second
class carriage near my van, and with muuh
labor and assistance got herself and her
packages into it.
When I passed a few minutes afterward,
she was standing In the doorway, effectually
barring tho door to any other passenger by
her own unattractive appearand there, and
prolonging with an evident relish the anx
iety of the obsequious porters. The young
and protty lady had taken a seat in a for
ward carriage. !" ' '
I suppose, that, without .exactly being
aware cf If, J kept a sort of watch over
this carriage, for I saw plainly enough a
lazy young gentleman who persistently
kept hovering about it and looking in.
His inquisitive eyes had of course caught
sight of tho pretty face in there alono, and
I could see that ho vfas making up his
mind to join her; but he seemed doing it in
a most careless and languid manner. Ho
was no gentleman for that reason, I said to
myself, yet his dress was liandsome,and the
hand that played with his long, dark beard
was small and fashionably gloved. Glancing
still into the far corner of that one first
class compartment, he lingered until the
last moment was come; then, quite loisure
ly, he walked up to the door, opened it,
entered tho carriage, and in an Instant the
door was banged to behind him. AYithout
the least hesitation I went up to tho win
dow, and stood near it while tho lamp was
fitted in the compartment. The gentleman
was standing up within, drawing on a dark
over-coat; the .young lady in tho distant
corner was looking from tlio window as if
oven tho half darkness was better to look
at than this companion. Mortified a good
deal at tho failuro of my scheme for her
comfort, I went on to my van, besido which
the detective waited for me.
" No go, you see," ho muttered crossly,
" and yet it seemed to mo so likely that
they'd take this train."
"I don't see how it should seem likely,"
I answered, for I hadn't gono with him in
the idea. "It doesn't seem to mo very
likely that three such skillful thieves as you
are dodging, who did their work in this
neighborhood so cloverly two nights ago,
should leave the station any night by the
vory train which the police watch with
double suspicion."
Having nothing hotter to do, I wondored
a good doal how these thieves could arrange
their getting away while tho walls wore
covered with tho description of thorn, and
every official on the line was posfcd in it.
Thero was no doubt about their being throe
vory doxtrous knaves, but then our detec
tive force was vory doxtrous too, though
they weren't knaves (and I do believe tho
greater doxtority is generally on the knavish
side), mid so it was odd that tho descrip
tion still was ineffective and tho offered re
ward unclaimed. I read over again tho
bill in my pocket which described tho rob
hers. "Edward Capon, alias Captain
Winter, alias John Pearson, alias Dr. Ciow;
a thick-set, nctivo man, of middle height,
and about fifty years of ago; with thick
iron-gray hair and whiskers, dark gray eyes
and an aquiliuo noso. Mary Capon,
his wife, a tall woman of forty; withahand
some, fair face, a quantity of very red hair,
and a cut across hor under lip. Edward
Capon, their son, a slightly built youth of
not more than fifteen or sixteen (though,
for tho matter of that, I thought he might
havohad cunning enough for twice his ago),
with closely-cut black hair, and delicate
features."
We all know the description wollenougli,
and for two days had kept our eyes open,
hoping to identify them among tho passen
gers. But our scrutiny had all been in
vain; and as tho train rushed on, I felt how
disappointed the police at Euston would be
when wo arrived again without evon ti
dings of them.
I was soon tired of this subject, and went
back to worrying myself about tho sad
looking, yellow-haired girl who had so evi
dently wished to travel alone, and been so
successfully foiled in tho attempt by that
intrusivo fop with tho handsome beard.
Foolishly I kept on thinking of her, until,
as wo woro dashing along llko lightning
through fho wind and darkness, only fifteen
or twenty minutes from Chalk Farm, the
bell in my van rang out with a sharp arid
sudden summons. I nover wondered for a
moment who pulled the cord. Instinctively
I knew, and it was tho carriage furthest
from my van! I left my place breathlessly
as tho engine slackened sjioeil, and, hasten
ing along the footboard, hesitated at no
window until I reached tho one from which
I felt quite sure that a frightened young
face would be looking out. My heart liter
ally beat in dread as I Btoppcd and looked
into the carriage. What did I see? Only
the two passengers burled In their separate
corners. The young lady raised hor head
from the book she held, and looked np at
me astonished childishly and wonderlngly
astonished. ' ' '
" Has anything happened to tho train ?"
she asked timidly.
The gentleman roused himself leisurely
from a seemingly snug nap. " What on
earth lias stopped us in this holo ?" he said,
rising; and pushing his hundsome face and
his long beard past mo at the window.
It was only too evident that the alarm
had not been given from this carriage; yet
the fooling had been such a certainty to me
that it was long before I felt quite convinced
to tho contrary; and I, went on along the
foot-board to other carriages vory much
more slowly than I had gone first to that
one. Utter darkness surrounded us outshlo,
but from the lamplit compartments eager
heads were thrust, searching for tho reason
of the unexpected stoppage No one owned
to having summoned mo until I reached
that second-class carriage near my own van,
(which I had hastened past before,) where
tho fidgety, doaf old lady who had amused
mo at Rugby sat alone. I had no need to
look in and question her. Her head was
quite out of tho window; and though sho
had her back to tho light and I couldn't see
her face, her voice was cool enough to show
that she was not overpowered by fear.
" What a time you've been coming," sho
said. "Where is it?"
" Whero's what?"
But though I yelled tho question with
all my might and main, I belie vo I might
just as hopefully have questioned the telegraph-post
which I could dimly sco besido
us, and have expected an answer along tho
wires.
" Whoro's the small luncheon basket?"
sho inquired, pulling out her long purse
with great fussincss. "A small luncheon
basket, my good man, and make haste."
Shall I over forgot the sharp expectancy
of the old lady's eyes as they looked into
mine, first over, then, under, then through
hor glittering gold-rimmed spectacles?
What surprised me most particularly was
tho fact of hor decidedly not being, as any
one might suppose, a lunatic.
" Be quick with the small luncheon bas
ket, please," sho said, resignedly sitting
down, and pouring the contents of hor
purse out into her lap, "I'm as hungry as
I can bo."
I suppose that when sho looked up at
mo from the silver she was counting sho
saw my utter bewilderment, I didn't try
now to make hor hear, for I knew it to bo
hopeless for she raised her voico Biuldonly
to a shrill pitch of peevishness, and pointed
with one shaking hand to tho wall of tho
carriago.
"Look thoro! Doosn't it say "Small
luncheon baskets. Pull down tho cord."
I want a small luncheon basket, ro I pulled
down the cord. Make lmsto and get it mo,
or I'll report you to tho manager."
Seeing now that sho was almost as blind
ns sho was deaf, I began to understand
what sho meant. On tho spot to which
she pointed abovo the scat opposite her, two
papers woro posted in a lino ; ono tho ad
vertisements of " Small luncheon baskets"
supplied nt Rugby, the other, tho compa
ny's directions for summoning tho guard
and stopping tho train in cases of danger.
As they happened to bo placed, tho largo
letters did read as she had said:
"Small Luncheon Baskets. Pull
down the Cord."
While I was gazing from htr to the bills,
getting over a bit of my astonishment, and
sho was giving mo every now and then a
sharp touch on tho shoulder to recall mo to
my duty and hasten mo with her refresh
ment, we wero joined by ono of tho direct
ors, who happened to be going up to town
by the express. But his just and natural
wrath loud as it was never moved the
hungry old lady ; no, not in tho slightest
degree. She nevor heard ono word of it,
and only mildly insisted, in tho midst of it,
that she was almost tirod out waiting for
licr small luncheon basket.
With a fierce parting shot, tho director
triod to make hor understand that sho had
incurred n penalty of five pounds, but ho
couldn't, though ho bawled it at her until
the poor old thing perhaps mortified at
having takon so much trouble for nothing ;
perhaps overcome by hor hunger ; perhaps
frightened at the commotion sho saw
thong) i didn't hear sank back in her seat
in a strong fit of hysterics, and let the shil
lings and sixpence roll out of , her lap and
settle under tho seats.
It seemed to me a long time before we
started on again, but I suppose it was only
six or seven minutes' delay after all. I ex
pect I should have waited to explain the
stoppage to the protty young girl of whom
I considered myself a sort of pretector ;
but, as I said, she was at the very opposite
end of the train, and I was in haste now.
There must have been a good laugh in
several of the carriages when tho cause of
our stoppage got whispered about. As for
me, when I got back Into my van, solitary
as it was, I chuckled over it until wo stop
ped at Chalk Farm to take tickets,
" Of course you have the carriago doors
all locked, and I'll go down with you while
you open them one by ono. My men are in
possession of the platform."
This was said to mo by Davis, a detec
tivo officer whom I know pretty well by
now ; having had a good bit to do with him
about this Warwickshire robbery.
" It is no uso," I Raid, before we started,
"tho train was searched as you may say,
at Rugby. Every passenger has undergone
a close scrutiny, I can tell you. What
causes such a scientific preparation for us
here?"
" A telegraph received ton minutes ago,"
he answered. "It seems that two of the
thieves we are dodging aro in this train in
clever disguises. We have had pretty full
particulars, though tho discovery was not
mado until yon left the junction. Have
you noticed" he dropped his voice a little
hero "a young lady and gentleman to
gether in either carriage?"
I felt a bit of an odd catching in my
breath as he spoke. " No," I said, hastily.
" No young lady and gentleman belonging
togothor ; but there may be plenty in the
train. What if there aro, though? Thero
was no yonng lady or gentleman among the
robbors !"
"Among tho robbers," rejoined Davis,
with suppressed enjoyment, " was a wo
man who'd make herself into anything ;
and you must own that a gentleman with
a dark, long beard isn't bad for a lady
known to us pretty well by her thick red
hair and a cut on her upper lip."
"But the young lady ?" I asked, cogita
ting this. i
"Ah! tho young lady. True enough ;
well, what should you say, now, if I told
you she grew out of that boy with the
closely-cut dark hair that we are after?"
" Como along and we'll seo," he replied,
I did como along, feeling very stupidly
glad there was all tho train to search
before wo could reach tho carriago at tho
other end where sat the girl whom I had,
in a way, taken under my protection.
" When aro wo to bo allowed to leave
this train pray? Call me a cab," cried
tho deaf old lady, plaintively, as wo reach
ed her carriago, and found hor gazing out
in most evident and utter ignoranoo of all
that was going on around her. " I am
locked in, ga'ad. Do you hear?"
I hear, you, sharp enough. I only wish
ed sho could hear mo as readily. Davis
stood asido watching while I unlocked he
door anil helped her down. Then seeing
her helplessness, and her countless pack
ages, ho beckonod a porter to hor, winking
expressively to call his attention to a prob.
ablo shilling.
Carriago after carriago wo examined nnd
though Davis detected no thief, ho turned
away only more and more hopefully from
each. Ho was so sure they wero :hore and
that escape was impossible. Wo reached
tho last carriago in tho lino, and now my
heart beat in the oddest manner possible
"Is this compartment empty, then?"
asked Davis, while my fingers wero actual
ly shaking as I put my key in the door of
tho centre one. " Empty and dark ?"
" Even if it had been empty it would not
havo been left dark," I muttered, looking
In. "Hallo I what s came to the lamp?"
I might well ask what was como to tho
lamp, for the compartment was as dark as
if it never had bec-n lighted : yet had I not
myself stood and watched tho lighted lamp
put in at Rugby ? And tho carriago was
empty too I
" Why was this ?" asked tho dotectivo,
turning sharply upon me. " Why was not
the lamp lighted?"
But the lamp was lighted, and burning
now as sensibly as tho others if we could
but have scon it. As we soon discovered,
tho glass covered by a kind of tarpaulin,
iutonsly black and strongly adhesive, and
tho carriago was ns completely dark as if
no lamp had been there at all. Tho per
plexity of Davis' faco was ns great as my
own, when I told him who had traveled
here. "They couldn't havo loft the train
hero, at any into," ho said ; and I know
that as well as he did.
But you have guessod tho end. ' During
those few minutes that we stopped on the
line, the two thiovos darkened tho lamp
even after I had left them, and using thoir
own key had left the carriage under cover
of the durknoss j managing their escape in
their black dresses out in tho blackness of
the night as cloverly as they had managed
their theft Mid subsequent concealment.
But how eould they have dopendod on this
unusual delay this exquisite) opportunity
given them it the utter darknoss, close to
the city, yet at no station? . When I offic
ially made my deposition,' and explained
the cause of ur stoppage, something of the
truth seemed to break upon us all ; but it '
wasn't for a good while that it settled Into
a certainty. Then it got clear to every
body that the older scoundrel had duped
us more ingenously than the younger ones.
As the incapable old lady (deaf as a stono
and bo blind that she had to peer through
hor glittering glasses, with eyes always half
closed, and so hungry that she had to stop
the train for a luncheon basket) ho had
played upon us the neatest trick of all.
Where on earth wero tho thick iron-gray
hair and whiskers by which we were to
havo identified him ? But by the time the
police saw the wholo thing clearly it was
too late to follow up any clue to him.
The cab which had taken tho cccentrio
old lady and her parcels and flowers from
Euston was lost in tho city and could not
be tracked. A high reward was offered
for information, but no ono ever won it.
My firm belief is that it was no legitimate
ly licensed cab at all, but ono belonging to
the gang, and part of tho finished fraud..
I verily behove, too that somewhere now
though perhaps on- tho other side of tho
channol,thoso three practiced knaves enjoy
a hearty laugh over that December journey
by night-express.
Davis still assures me, with tho most
cheerful confidence, that ho shall yet havo
tho pleasure some day of trapping three of
tho most expert and skilful thieves in.
Britain. I wish I felt as suro of it.
A Terrible Fight with Lions.
From a recent English paper, we copy
tho following graphic account of a fight
with wild beasts.
A dreadful scene happened in Mandors
Mcnagorio, Market square, Bolton, Thomas
Maccarto being attacked and killed by lions
as ho was performing in their midst. It
was the last evening of tho exhibition, and
Maccarto undertook to give an extra per
formance. In tho cago where ho entered
were five lions. Tho animals had boon put
through their leaping exorcises, when Mac
carto noticed that one, a full grown Asiatic
was restive, and showed his tcoth. lie
drow his sword and pointed it threateningly
at tho lion's mouth. His attention being
thus diverted from tho other animals, a
young African lion crept stealthily out from
tho group and sprang towards Maccarto,
seizing him by his right hip and throwing
him down. At the samo timo tho Asiatic
lion fastened itself upon his head, tearing'
off a portion of his scalp. A sceno of tho
wildest confusion eusnod womon scream
ing, and men running about hi all directions
in search of weapons. It is usual in Blun
der's mcnagorio to keep a number of irons
continually heated for emergencies, but on
this occasion they had been removed, and
fresh irons had to bo placed in tho firo.
Maccarto fought desperately with his
sword, inflicting some fearful gashes on the
faces of both lions. Ono of tho other lions
now seized the unfortunate man by his only
arm, fracturing the bones, while another
toro a piece of flesh out of his thigh. Ma-'
carte retained his presence of mind, and
called out to tho men to firo amongst tho
animals. Revolvers and rifles were accor
dingly procured, and whilst some fired
blank cartridges full in tho faces of the in
furiated beasts, others probed them with
heated irons, stabbed thorn with forks, and
boat thorn with a ladder and iron scrapers.
Evontually a slide was introduced between
the bars of tho cago, behind which Mr.
BirchalL the agent, and John Ryan, ono of
the keepers, drove four of tho lions. At
tho fifth lion more shots wore filed, but it
was not until the heated bam wero applied
to tho nose of the animal that it relinquish
ed its hold and rati behind the partition.
Maceurto thou staggered to his feet, but ero
ho could reach the door, and before the
slide could bo closed, tho African lion again
rushed out, seized tho poor fellow again by
tho foot, and dragged him back into the
cornor among tho other animals. Agaiu
tho frightful struggle went on. Maccarto
was dragged up and down tho cago by tho
head and tho legs three or four times, tho
floor being completely saturated with his
blood. Some rifles loaded with shot were
now discharged among tho savage brutes,
ond with sevoral irons, now heated to a red
glow, they wore boaton InU a corner and
tho partition closed against' them. Mac
carte was then released, still conscious.
As he was borne to the infimary, he ex
claimed to a fellow workman; " narry I
am done for." In addition to tho back
part of the scalp, all tho flesh had been
torn from the thighs, the right arm was
fractured la two places, as weir as badly '
lacerated from the shoulder to the hand- '
the chest had been lacerated, and the bones
of thepolvis had pieces bitton out of them.
lie died In ten minutes aftor his admission
to the infiimary. :