第3章
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  shouldhavelikedtohavehaditotherwise,Imustsubmit。Ifeel,fromallIhaveheardofyou,thatyouwillseeitdonedecentlyandinorder。Littledoesitsignifytous,whenthesoulhasdeparted,wherethispoorbodylies,butwewhoareleftbehindwoulddoallwecantoshowhowwelovedthem。Thisisdeniedme,butitisGod’shandthatafflictsus,andItrytosubmit。SomedayImaybeabletovisitthespot,andseewherehelies,anderectasimplestonetohismemory。Oh!itwillbelong,longbeforeIforgetthatdreadfulnight!Istheresuchathinginthevicinity,oranyshopinBangor,towhichIcouldsendforasmallpictureofMoelfraorLlanallgochurch,aspotnowsacredtome?

  Anotherwidowwrites:

  Ihavereceivedyourletterthismorning,anddothankyoumostkindlyfortheinterestyouhavetakenaboutmydearhusband,aswellforthesentimentsyourscontains,evincingthespiritofaChristianwhocansympathisewiththosewho,likemyself,arebrokendownwithgrief。

  MayGodblessandsustainyou,andallinconnectionwithyou,inthisgreattrial。Timemayrollonandbearallitssonsaway,butyournameasadisinterestedpersonwillstandinhistory,and,assuccessiveyearspass,manyawidowwillthinkofyournobleconduct,andthetearsofgratitudeflowdownmanyacheek,thetributeofathankfulheart,whenotherthingsareforgottenforever。

  Afatherwrites:

  IamatalosstofindwordstosufficientlyexpressmygratitudetoyouforyourkindnesstomysonRicharduponthemelancholyoccasionofhisvisittohisdearbrother’sbody,andalsoforyourreadyattentioninpronouncingourbeautifulburialserviceovermypoorunfortunateson’sremains。GodgrantthatyourprayersoverhimmayreachtheMercySeat,andthathissoulmaybereceivedthroughChrist’sintercessionintoheaven!

  Hisdearmotherbegsmetoconveytoyouherheartfeltthanks。

  Thosewhowerereceivedattheclergyman’shouse,writethus,afterleavingit:

  DEARANDNEVER-TO-BE-FORGOTTENFRIENDS。Iarrivedhereyesterdaymorningwithoutaccident,andamabouttoproceedtomyhomebyrailway。

  IamoverpoweredwhenIthinkofyouandyourhospitablehome。Nowordscouldspeaklanguagesuitedtomyheart。Irefrain。Godrewardyouwiththesamemeasureyouhavemetedwith!

  Ienumeratenonames,butembraceyouall。

  MYBELOVEDFRIENDS。ThisisthefirstdaythatIhavebeenabletoleavemybedroomsinceIreturned,whichwillexplainthereasonofmynotwritingsooner。

  IfIcouldonlyhavehadmylastmelancholyhoperealisedinrecoveringthebodyofmybelovedandlamentedson,Ishouldhavereturnedhomesomewhatcomforted,andIthinkIcouldthenhavebeencomparativelyresigned。

  Ifearnowthereisbutlittleprospect,andImournasonewithouthope。

  Theonlyconsolationtomydistressedmindisinhavingbeensofeelinglyallowedbyyoutoleavethematterinyourhands,bywhomIwellknowthateverythingwillbedonethatcanbe,accordingtoarrangementsmadebeforeIleftthesceneoftheawfulcatastrophe,bothastotheidentificationofmydearson,andalsohisinterment。

  IfeelmostanxioustohearwhetheranythingfreshhastranspiredsinceIleftyou;willyouaddanothertothemanydeepobligationsIamundertoyoubywritingtome?Andshouldthebodyofmydearandunfortunatesonbeidentified,letmehearfromyouimmediately,andIwillcomeagain。

  WordscannotexpressthegratitudeIfeelIowetoyouallforyourbenevolentaid,yourkindness,andyoursympathy。

  MYDEARLYBELOVEDFRIENDS。Iarrivedinsafetyatmyhouseyesterday,andanight’sresthasrestoredandtranquillisedme。I

  mustagainrepeat,thatlanguagehasnowordsbywhichIcanexpressmysenseofobligationtoyou。Youareenshrinedinmyheartofhearts。

  Ihaveseenhim!andcannowrealisemymisfortunemorethanIhavehithertobeenabletodo。Oh,thebitternessofthecupIdrink!

  ButIbowsubmissive。GodMUSThavedoneright。Idonotwanttofeelless,buttoacquiescemoresimply。

  ThereweresomeJewishpassengersonboardtheRoyalCharter,andthegratitudeoftheJewishpeopleisfeelinglyexpressedinthefollowingletterbearingdatefrom’theofficeoftheChiefRabbi:’

  REVERENDSIR。IcannotrefrainfromexpressingtoyoumyheartfeltthanksonbehalfofthoseofmyflockwhoserelativeshaveunfortunatelybeenamongthosewhoperishedatthelatewreckoftheRoyalCharter。Youhave,indeed,likeBoaz,’notleftoffyourkindnesstothelivingandthedead。’

  Youhavenotaloneactedkindlytowardsthelivingbyreceivingthemhospitablyatyourhouse,andenergeticallyassistingthemintheirmournfulduty,butalsotowardsthedead,byexertingyourselftohaveourco-religionistsburiedinourground,andaccordingtoourrites。MayourheavenlyFatherrewardyouforyouractsofhumanityandtruephilanthropy!

  The’OldHebrewcongregationofLiverpool’thusexpressthemselvesthroughtheirsecretary:

  REVERENDSIR。Thewardensofthiscongregationhavelearnedwithgreatpleasurethat,inadditiontothoseindefatigableexertions,atthesceneofthelatedisastertotheRoyalCharter,whichhavereceiveduniversalrecognition,youhaveverybenevolentlyemployedyourvaluableeffortstoassistsuchmembersofourfaithashavesoughtthebodiesoflostfriendstogivethemburialinourconsecratedgrounds,withtheobservancesandritesprescribedbytheordinancesofourreligion。

  Thewardensdesiremetotaketheearliestavailableopportunitytooffertoyou,onbehalfofourcommunity,theexpressionoftheirwarmacknowledgmentsandgratefulthanks,andtheirsincerewishesforyourcontinuedwelfareandprosperity。

  AJewishgentlemanwrites:

  REVERENDANDDEARSIR。Itaketheopportunityofthankingyourightearnestlyforthepromptnessyoudisplayedinansweringmynotewithfullparticularsconcerningmymuchlamentedbrother,andIalsohereinbegtoexpressmysincereregardforthewillingnessyoudisplayedandforthefacilityyouaffordedforgettingtheremainsofmypoorbrotherexhumed。Ithasbeentousamostsorrowfulandpainfulevent,butwhenwemeetwithsuchfriendsasyourself,itinameasure,somehoworother,abatesthatmentalanguish,andmakesthesufferingsomucheasiertobeborne。

  Consideringthecircumstancesconnectedwithmypoorbrother’sfate,itdoes,indeed,appearahardone。Hehadbeenawayinallsevenyears;hereturnedfouryearsagotoseehisfamily。Hewasthenengagedtoaveryamiableyounglady。Hehadbeenverysuccessfulabroad,andwasnowreturningtofulfilhissacredvow;

  hebroughtallhispropertywithhimingolduninsured。WeheardfromhimwhentheshipstoppedatQueenstown,whenhewasinthehighestofhope,andinafewshorthoursafterwardsallwaswashedaway。

  Mournfulinthedeepestdegree,buttoosacredforquotationhere,werethenumerousreferencestothoseminiaturesofwomenwornroundthenecksofroughmenandfoundthereafterdeath,thoselocksofhair,thosescrapsofletters,thosemanymanyslightmemorialsofhiddentenderness。Onemancastupbytheseaboreabouthim,printedonaperforatedlacecard,thefollowingsingularandunavailingcharm:

  MaytheblessingofGodawaitthee。Maythesunofgloryshinearoundthybed;andmaythegatesofplenty,honour,andhappinessbeeveropentothee。Maynosorrowdistressthydays;maynogriefdisturbthynights。Maythepillowofpeacekissthycheek,andthepleasuresofimaginationattendthydreams;andwhenlengthofyearsmakestheetiredofearthlyjoys,andthecurtainofdeathgentlyclosesaroundthylastsleepofhumanexistence,maytheAngelofGodattendthybed,andtakecarethattheexpiringlampoflifeshallnotreceiveonerudeblasttohastenonitsextinction。

  Asailorhadthesedevicesonhisrightarm。’OurSaviourontheCross,theforeheadoftheCrucifixandthevesturestainedred;onthelowerpartofthearm,amanandwoman;ononesideoftheCross,theappearanceofahalfmoon,withaface;ontheotherside,thesun;onthetopoftheCross,thelettersI。H。S。;ontheleftarm,amanandwomandancing,withanefforttodelineatethefemale’sdress;underwhich,initials。’Anotherseaman’had,onthelowerpartoftherightarm,thedeviceofasailorandafemale;themanholdingtheUnionJackwithastreamer,thefoldsofwhichwavedoverherhead,andtheendofitwasheldinherhand。Ontheupperpartofthearm,adeviceofOurLordontheCross,withstarssurroundingtheheadoftheCross,andonelargestaronthesideinIndianInk。Ontheleftarm,aflag,atruelover’sknot,aface,andinitials。’Thistattooingwasfoundstillplain,belowthediscolouredoutersurfaceofamutilatedarm,whensuchsurfacewascarefullyscrapedawaywithaknife。Itisnotimprobablethattheperpetuationofthismarkingcustomamongseamen,maybereferredbacktotheirdesiretobeidentified,ifdrownedandflungashore。

  ItwassometimebeforeIcouldsevermyselffromthemanyinterestingpapersonthetable,andthenIbrokebreadanddrankwinewiththekindfamilybeforeIleftthem。AsIbroughttheCoast-guarddown,soItookthePostmanback,withhisleathernwallet,walking-stick,bugle,andterrierdog。Manyaheart-brokenletterhadhebroughttotheRectoryHousewithintwomonthsmany;

  abenignantlypainstakinganswerhadhecarriedback。

  AsIrodealong,Ithoughtofthemanypeople,inhabitantsofthismothercountry,whowouldmakepilgrimagestothelittlechurchyardintheyearstocome;IthoughtofthemanypeopleinAustralia,whowouldhaveaninterestinsuchashipwreck,andwouldfindtheirwayherewhentheyvisittheOldWorld;IthoughtofthewritersofallthewreckoflettersIhadleftuponthetable;andIresolvedtoplacethislittlerecordwhereitstands。

  Convocations,Conferences,DiocesanEpistles,andthelike,willdoagreatdealforReligion,Idaresay,andHeavensendtheymay!

  butIdoubtiftheywilleverdotheirMaster’sservicehalfsowell,inallthetimetheylast,astheHeavenshaveseenitdoneinthisbleakspotupontheruggedcoastofWales。

  HadIlostthefriendofmylife,inthewreckoftheRoyalCharter;hadIlostmybetrothed,themorethanfriendofmylife;

  hadIlostmymaidendaughter,hadIlostmyhopefulboy,hadI

  lostmylittlechild;Iwouldkissthehandsthatworkedsobusilyandgentlyinthechurch,andsay,’Nonebettercouldhavetouchedtheform,thoughithadlainathome。’Icouldbesureofit,I

  couldbethankfulforit:Icouldbecontenttoleavethegravenearthehousethegoodfamilypassinandoutofeveryday,undisturbed,inthelittlechurchyardwheresomanyaresostrangelybroughttogether。

  Withoutthenameoftheclergymantowhom-Ihope,notwithoutcarryingcomforttosomeheartatsometime-Ihavereferred,myreferencewouldbeasnothing。HeistheReverendStephenRooseHughes,ofLlanallgo,nearMoelfra,Anglesey。HisbrotheristheReverendHughRobertHughes,ofPenrhos,Alligwy。

  Myday’sno-businessbeckoningmetotheEast-endofLondon,IhadturnedmyfacetothatpointofthemetropolitancompassonleavingCovent-garden,andhadgotpasttheIndiaHouse,thinkinginmyidlemannerofTippoo-SahibandCharlesLamb,andhadgotpastmylittlewoodenmidshipman,afteraffectionatelypattinghimononelegofhisknee-shortsforoldacquaintance’sake,andhadgotpastAldgatePump,andhadgotpasttheSaracen’sHeadwithanignominiousrashofpostingbillsdisfiguringhisswarthycountenance,andhadstrolleduptheemptyyardofhisancientneighbourtheBlackorBlueBoar,orBull,whodepartedthislifeI

  don’tknowwhen,andwhosecoachesareallgoneIdon’tknowwhere;

  andIhadcomeoutagainintotheageofrailways,andIhadgotpastWhitechapelChurch,andwas-ratherinappropriatelyforanUncommercialTraveller-intheCommercialRoad。Pleasantlywallowingintheabundantmudofthatthoroughfare,andgreatlyenjoyingthehugepilesofbuildingbelongingtothesugarrefiners,thelittlemastsandvanesinsmallbackgardensinbackstreets,theneighbouringcanalsanddocks,theIndiavanslumberingalongtheirstonetramway,andthepawnbrokers’shopswherehard-upMateshadpawnedsomanysextantsandquadrants,thatIshouldhaveboughtafewcheapifIhadtheleastnotionhowtousethem,Iatlastbegantofileofftotheright,towardsWapping。

  NotthatIintendedtotakeboatatWappingOldStairs,orthatI

  wasgoingtolookatthelocality,becauseIbelieveforIdon’t

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