We and the World, Part I

to go in comp

cessity to g

dsw

id Charlie

nd eugenias, with their thousand arms, contrast with the elegant simplicity of palms; and among the airy foliage of the mimosa the ceropia elevates its giant leaves and heavy candelabra-shaped branches. Of some trees the trunk is perfectly smooth, of others it is defended by enormous spines, and the whole are often apparently sustained by the slanting stems of a huge wild fig-tree. With us, the oak, the chestnut, and the beech seem as if they bore no flowers, so small are they and so little distinguishable except by naturalists; but in the forests of South America it is often the most gigantic trees that produce the most brilliant flowers; cassias han

in this description, but he finished off with fluency, not to say enthusiasm. "'Such are the

the school-master's eye, who had paused in his plan

he exclaimed. "W

ut he only said 'Stuff and nonsense,' and that there was a better berth waiting for me in Uncle Henry's office than any of the Queen's

r the back of the chair, and looked at me with the watchful listening look his eyes always had; but I am not sur

to wish I had run away and enlisted, when I was with Quarter-master McCulloch, o

ca, is it?" said I, looking across to the big

ere short-sighted, or looking at something ins

poet

land of drow

wave before the

tles in the cl

hing round a

beasts and plants and tha

and the fishes of the sea are of all lovely forms and colours. And such corals and sponges, and sea-anemones, blooming like

to be picked up here and there, as some people buy old oak out of English farm-houses. It is very durable and deliriously scented. People used to make cedar b

drawn notes of admiration. The

ures indoors. Monstrous spiders, whose bite is very unpleasant, drop from the roof; tarantulas and scorpions get into your boots, and cockroaches, hideous to behold and disgusting to smell, invade every place fro

nce more, but this ti

and your brain feels mouldy too with damp heat, and you can neither work in the sun nor be at peace in the shade, you m

oo, but I s

re. Charlie, were those wonderful ants old Isaa

round I saw that his face was buried in the red cushions, an

he was in the way, and out of it all (from being a cripple), if we seemed to be very busy without him, especially about

d if it's because you think you won't be able to go, I don't believe the

I wish you'd put these numbers down, they'

anging by his side; and I suppose it was his attitude which made me notice, before he began to speak, what a splendid figure he had, and how strong he looked. He spoke in an odd, abr

e been out amongst other people, have you ever overheard them saying, 'Poor ch

hool-master, for what seemed a brutal insensibility to the lame boy's feelings. He did not cond

ning an old woman, in a big black bonnet, said, 'Poor soul!' so close to me, that I looked down, and met her withered eyes, full of tears-for me!-and I said, 'Thank you, mother,' and s

," I interpolated; but the schoo

shrink from the seeing and pitying. The weight of the cross spreads itself and becomes lighter if one learns to suffer with others as well as with oneself, to take pity and to give it. And as one learns to be pained with th

e wall. Charlie's big eyes were full of tears, and I am sure I distinctly felt my ears poke forwards on my head

a desk in a house of business. I adapted myself, but none the less I chafed whenever I heard of manly exploits, and of the delights and dangers that came of seeing the world. I used to think I could bear anything to cross the seas and see foreign climes. I did cross the Atlantic at last-a convict in a convict ship (God help any man who knows what that is!), and I spent the ten best years of my manhood at the hulks working in

't know, but I felt so miserable I could not help crying, and had to hunt for my pocket-handkerchief under the table. It was full o

d, as he leant back; "how co

gst other trades. For some mo

, and then he stopped short, an

must try to practise. Jack's eyes are dropping out of his head to hear more of Bermuda, and you

ted to have thanked him better, because he knew that Mr. Wood had talked about his having been a convict, when he did not like to talk about it, ju

used to tell us, and of the natural history lessons he gave us,

we're sure you're true." And the odd thing was that he made Charlie much more contented, because he