AN EVENTFUL CAREER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3210, 22 July 1878, Page 3

AN EVENTFUL CAREER.

» [by sniggerer.] Chapter the First. an effort at a start. " The rising sun thai gilds the vernal morn." 1 The refulgent orb of day rose up gloriously from behind the long ridge of blue hills forming the line of the fuv distant horizon as seen from our doorway, away down there in Sussex or somewhere. Old Sol had done so previously on many auspicious occasions »s he has ' done many times since; but he seemed to come up upon this particular morning in a style such as he had never displayed before, lie was in truth in rare good humour, smiling all over like. He seemed to embrace this pendant world in a wealth of rays, giving it a warm squeeze till it blushed and sniggered again. At his genial appearance the trees down in the plains began to shake themselves iront the damps and mMs of the night. And each loaf as it became tipp'd with radiance began to ilutter and rustle with present happiness. The fields of yellow grain — for it was summer — began to shine with the shimmer of burui-hed gold, whilst in the pasture lands, bordered with the trees alrvady ref erred to, the cattle were slowly getting upon their legs and sleepily stretching thems-

elves, the sward being cut into long strips of bright green verdure and dark shadow. The grass, heavy with moisture, was covered with, those " Stars of morning — dewdrops — which, the aun imparts on every leaf and flowers," and every blade seemed to bend its head as if weary with " the niurmur that springs from, the growing of grass," and would to sleep again. "Joyous the birds ; fresh gales and gentle airs whispered." Oh, come ! I think this is too mucli of the monkey. A confiding public will never take all that in. I propose the " waste " and start again. What do you say ? Agreed ! Chaptee I. " Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting. The soul that rises with us, our life's star, Hath had elsewhere its setting, And cometk?from afar." The sun rose in a delightful humour. The powerful king of day came up rejoicing in the east, and all nature 6miled in welcome. Down in the pasture lands the sleek cattle lowed forth in token of life. The cocks begaa. to crow from many a roost, and little Toby^ who had spent the night coiled up amongst some fresh pea straw, came into the roadway and shook himself. A funny, shaggy, little dog with a stumpy tail was Toby. Now, what was the cause of all this apparent; jubilation in Nature ? Well then, thus it is. In a cottage away down there where beauty had marked the place for its own, a little babe had just been born unto the world. A little babe, " a child that lightly drew its breath," " the sweetest thing that ever grew inside a cottage door," " a heart, the fountain of sweet tears, and love, and thought, and joy " ; and as he came he gave a crow so loud and long, that jolly old Sol who, just at that moment, was trying to balance himself on his rim on." the edge of the horizon, very nearly lost hia equilibrium and toppled down again. " Deary me," said Mary, who was going down the meadow to drive the cows in, ifc being milking time. " Deary me, what can be the cause of all this clatter ?" " Doan't cc knawah," said Bob, the big ploughman, who was on his way to hitch up his horses to their labour. " Whyah, Missus. Asians over theer in tha cottage as gotten a big youngster." And it was so. Chapter 11. " TFJien we are born, we cry, that m are coma To tliU great stage of fools." I said one here gave a crow. It was & dramatic crow. A deep, mysterious Mnd o£ utterance— as, who should say — Behold me ! " I am not upon the roll of common men.^ Indeed, it is said that even when "mewling and puking in the nurse's arms " he would open wide a pair of eyes of loveliest blue 5 ; stiffen up his little body as if conscious of aa innate superiority to sublunary things, and giving a start of a nature at once tragic and heroic, leave no doubt on the mind of a careful observer that he was destined to play many a brilliant part on the world's stage. Calmly his happy days flew on uncounted ia. their flight. In due time he cut his teeth* and many a table cloth and cover. We fear he was a robber of birds' neats ; we know h©> ran away from school. " I'll be no beggar's' drudge," said he, with a lofty scornof the poor schoolmaster. It was during hi»> schoolboy days that first he felt the influenea of love's power, to which he has been terribly susceptible ever since. When about eighfe years old a little rosy cheeked, brighteyed maiden captivated his too sensitive^ nature. He installed himself her knight andvchampion, and both in coming to, and going from school, he might have been seen dfe votedly by her side, guarding her tenderly' and ministering to her happiness in ginger bread nuts and lolly pops. Many a tough, contest, however, did his gallantry cost him, bufcin all his youthful encounters his wondrous length and strength of arm stood him in good, etead. As years flew on the intensely romantu* nature of the youth displayed itself in. &\ variety of ways. All his "tips" were spent" in the purchase of play books, and he becamo> possessed of an excellent and well thumbed' edition of a greater William whom he, eve*!, then, devoutly worshipped. At length, when, still a mere Btrippling, he became acquainted with some theatrical people, and his futurewas sealed. The promptings of inherent 1 genius would not be denied. "Here," he exclaimed, '• Here choose I, joy be the consequence." ' ; Chapter 111. • 7 " Heigh dilly / ho dolly 1 Heigh for the life of an actor." The attentive reader of "Nicholas Nickleby,'*: who has followed us thus far, will readily perceive the author of that charming volume has taken the liberty of using some of the scenes from the life of our hero for the" purpose of filling out the pages of his delightful work. Away down in the beautiful little town of Worthing in breezy Sussex, on (the 13th of August, 1837, did William Hoskins worthily make his first appearance as Hamlet the Dane. That it was an eventful night for him none of my readers need to be asaurecL With what careful dilligence was each acens. thought out, over and over, and the wearied brain still further racked to discover if anypoint were capable of yet further working up*. That 13fch of August -was a red letter day ha the career of our hero, just as another 13£ht of August yet in the future will become*. " There was a sound of revelry by night.'* The theatre was crammed with an enthusiastic audience. The boxes were filled with & galaxy of beauty, "and bright thelamps shone o'er fair women and brave men. A thousand hearts beat happily, and when music arose with its volupturous swell, soft eyes looked, love to eyes that spoke again, and allwenfc merry as a marriage bell." William Hoskin* was the hero of that night, as he has been the hero of many a brilliant gathering since* Now, after one and forty years of many a, busy changeful scene fond memory leaps the> gulf and recalls vividly all the pleasing incidents of that memorable triumph, never^ never to be forgotten while memory holds ifcss sway. Many were the bright glances of warm admiration cast upon the youthful figure of our hero upon that eventful night. (To be continued.) *