The Tale of Timber Town

l Var

cco, octaves of spirits, coils of fencing-wire, bales of hops, rolls of carpets and fl

one great hand on his capacious stomach to support himself as his laughter vibrated through his ponderous body, and then he said, "'Tear me, 'tear me, it all com' to this. 'Tear, 'tear, how it make me laff. It jus' com' to this: the Maoris have got his cargo. All Mr. Cookenden's scheming to beat me gifs me the pu

pockets, hat on the back of his head, and a complacent smile overspreading his face. As he paused at the end of the long alleyway,

e was the typical Jew of the Ghetto; crafty, timid, watchful, cynical, cruel; his gri

t in the meantime he is without his goods, and the money won'

k, and he began to pac

f with glass and boards from the rest of the store, opened on the street. It was a laugh the old man knew well

ed by a flush of carmine in the cheeks; her eyes were like two large, lustrous, black pearls; her hair, parted in the middle, was glossy and waving; her eyebrows were pencilled and black; her lips were as red as the petal

loor impatiently

-th

r dainty foot

d bird! I expect he

ng chuckle from ami

that!" she cried. But there was never

nd herself in a difficult country of enamelled ware and wooden buckets, but successfully extricating herself from this entanglement she ascended a spur of carpet-rolls, and triumphantly

ntless twisted lengths of clothesline, and with these dangerous projectiles she began to harass

andah-post? Go up, and help Miss Varnhagen down. Take care!-my 'tear Rachel!-look out for that bucket!-mind that coil of r

at, and the precipice of wool-bales in fron

enly turned upon her, would with the storeman's assistance be quickly set upon the top rung

d. "I think I'

y Rachel, yo

s a rock. No, Packett, you ca

el, you'll be kille

omise to do

ds. I can think of nothing while you are

sco's window. I sha'n't come d

ve. I will import you one for half the

t that watch at Tresco's, to wear going call

how much was

-five p

nd kill yourself afterwards to spite my poverty.

to have t

alk to me of the watch. Come down safe t

's what I came for. I shall

f no heart. You don

daughter, else you'd

y child, and next birthday you shall have a better watch than in all Tresco's shop. My 'tear Rachel, my 'tear child

ll give me

he watch. Come down now, wh

have it

ett. Oh! that bal

it me this mo

s, this

go home

efore d

ive me your hand.

ung; and while Packett held the top, and the merchant the bottom, of

n gave a sig

r do that ag

shall neve

your poor old fathe

e to use such means to

du

give me t

watch. I

go now, a

child,

ll pay at the en

, perhaps it will go towards a contra account fo

bye, f

n't you gif your old fath

barrel, and came towards the portly Jew. Her soft dress was crumple

af your old father. My liddle taughter, I gif

t it look well with a bran

ing, she won't climb on the wool

wear it this afternoon

while I make some more mo

ile into the face of the old Jew; and then the brigh

hild; you shall have everything you as

ther. Thanks

bye, R

r; the pigeon-like walk was resumed; and Rachel Varnhagen, wat

swinging, glazed doors of the Bank, and stood on the broad step without, at the witching hour of twelve, he twirled his small black moustache so as to display to advantage the sparkling diamond ring which encircled the little finger of his left hand. His Semitic features wore an expression

. Presently there hove in sight a figure that riveted his attention: it was Rachel Varnhagen, with m

over the street to meet

ful hurry. Where

y a gold watch and chain, you'd be in

precious jewel before he could say, 'Knife!' He'd never get a chance to change his mind. But he always says, 'My boy,

along: help me turn the shop u

und the Governor, Rachel? I

f bales and broke your neck. He'd say, 'Tha

wool gone up? I d

odge would say, 'Packett, take away the ladder: that nice young man must stay there. I

n't trouble me-

hink that. You couldn't bluff him into paying a shilling. But I manage him all

honeymoon out of him?-that w

y paused in

face. "Wouldn't it be gorgeous? But as soon as I'm married he will say, 'No, Rachel, my dear child, your poor old father is supplanted-your husband now has the

f one of Rachel's beautiful black eyes-his matrimonial intentions

turned into Tresco's doorway, and confronted the rubicund g

lly watch in your w

ly, Miss Varnhagen," replied

e! Let me see w

ron safe, from everywhere, and placed them in front of the pretty Jewess. Then he glanced with self-approval at the bank-clerk, and said: "I guarantee them to keep perfect time. A

g their dials, peering into their mysterious works. She had taken off her gloves, and her pre

e price?"

e years-jewelled throughout, in good, strong case-duplex escapement-compensation balance. Price ￡25." He held up a gold chronometer in

auged the taste of

the d

the ideal lady's watch,"

e chain," s

tch-guards from a blue velvet p

d by, and watched, as Rachel held the da

mith. "When a gentleman makes a present to a lady,

ed at Tresco,

st." She held out an elaborate chain, with a round bauble hanging from it. "If

up the watch in a qu

ward and took the watch, while the other held the chain. "There," she s

e young man's arm, and allowed him to tuck the watch

long over

rtainly should give her one on the cheek, as a reward. Don't mind

ed in wearing. Then she tapped the floor with the toe of her shoe indignantly, and said, looking straight at the goldsmith: "You lost your looks? What

e spreading across his broad countenance, "they were th

at spoilt them. But don't cry

t-there are compensations. The pr

the price-that'll interest my Dad. Send th

gnal for departure, the dazzling vision of