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FORT SUMTER.
WE are again enabled, through the
polite attention of officers of
Major ANDERSON'S command, to illustrate
FORT SUMTER. We publish on the preceding
page a large picture of the
COLUMBIAD which has just been placed in
position as a mortar; and above a VIEW OF THE SALLY-PORT, from the inside. The
question having been raised whether the guns at FORT SUMTER can reach the
City of Charleston, it may be interesting
to know that the problem has been solved, as the following letter from FORT
SUMTER explains :
"To the Editor of Harper's
Weekly:
"The Weekly of January 26 quotes
the Herald in proof that these guns can not send a shell to Charleston, and
gives very fair data for that opinion. But a
10-inch COLUMBIAD throws its shell easily
4828 yards.
" By making this shell eccentric,
at least 500 more can be gained ; and all intelligent artillerists know of
certain other expedients by which the difference between this total (5328 yards)
and 5500—the distance to Broad Street—can be overcome. Q.E.D. And we trust we
shall not be compelled to prove it practically."
GREAT EXPECTATIONS.
A NOVEL.
BY CHARLES DICKENS.
CHAPTER XVIII.
MORNING made a considerable
difference in my general prospect of Life, and brightened it
so much that it scarcely seemed
the same. What lay heaviest on my mind was the consideration that six days
intervened between me and the day of departure ; for I could not divest my-self
of a misgiving that something might happen to London in the mean while, and
that, when I got there, it would be either greatly deteriorated or clean gone.
Joe and Biddy were very
sympathetic and pleasant when I spoke of our approaching separation ; but they
only referred to it when I did. After breakfast Joe brought out my indentures
from the press in the best parlor, and we put them in the fire, and I felt that
I was free. With all the novelty of my emancipation on me, I went to church with
Joe, and thought perhaps the clergyman wouldn't have read that about the rich
man and the kingdom of Heaven if the had known all.
After our early dinner I strolled
out alone, purposing to finish off the marshes at once, and get them done with.
As I passed the church, I felt (as I had felt during service in the morning) a
sublime compassion for the poor creatures who were destined to go there, Sunday
after Sunday, all their lives through, and to lie obscurely at last among the
low green mounds. I promised myself that I would do something for them one of
these days, and formed a plan in outline for bestowing a dinner of roast beef
and plum-pudding, a pint of ale, and a gallon of condescension, upon every body
in the village.
If I had often thought before,
with something allied to shame, of my companionship with the fugitive whom I had
once seen limping among those graves, what were my thoughts on this Sunday, when
the place recalled the wretch, ragged and shivering, with his felon iron and
badge ! My comfort was that it happened a long time ago, and that he had
doubtless been transported a long way off, and that he was dead to me, and might
be veritably dead into the bargain.
No more low, wet grounds, no more
dikes and sluices, no more of these grazing cattle—though they seemed, in their
dull manner, to wear a more respectful air now, and to face round, in order that
they might stare as long as possible at the possessor of such great
expectations—farewell, monotonous acquaintances of my childhood, henceforth I
was for London and greatness : not for smith's work in general and for you ! I
made my exultant way to the old Battery, and, lying down there to consider the
question whether Miss Havisham intended me for Estella, fell asleep.
When I awoke I was much surprised
to find Joe sitting beside me, smoking his pipe. He greeted me with a cheerful
smile on my opening my eyes, and said :
"As being the last time, Pip, I
thought I'd foller."
" And, Joe, I am very glad you
did so." "Thankee, Pip," said Joe.
" You may be sure, dear Joe," I
went on, after we had shaken hands, " that I shall never forget you."
" No, no, Pip !" said Joe, in a
comfortable tone, "I'm sure of that. Ay, ay, old chap! Bless you, it were only
necessary to get it well round in a man's mind to be certain on it. But it took
a bit of time to get it well round ; the change come so uncommon plump; didn't
it?"
Somehow I was not best pleased
with Joe's being so mightily secure of me. I should have liked him to have
betrayed emotion, or to have said, "It does you credit, Pip," or something of
that sort. Therefore I made no remark on Joe's first head : merely saying, as to
his second, that the tidings had indeed come suddenly, but that I had always
wanted to be a gentleman, and had often and often speculated on what I would do
if I were one.
" Have you though ?" said Joe.
"Astonishing !"
"It's a pity now, Joe," said I, "
that you did not get on a little more, when we had our lessons here ; isn't it
?" " Well, I don't know," returned Joe. " I'm so awful dull. I'm only master of
my own trade. It were always a pity as I was so awful dull ; but it's no more of
a pity now than it was—say this day twelve month—don't you see?" What I had
meant was, that when I came into my property and was able to do something for
Joe, it would have been much more agreeable if he had been better qualified for
a rise in station. He was so perfectly innocent of my meaning, however, that I
thought I would mention it to Biddy in preference. So, when we had walked home
and had had tea, I took Biddy into our little garden by the side of the lane,
and, after throwing out in a general way for the elevation of her spirits, that
I should never forget her, said I had a favor to ask of her. "And it is, Biddy,"
said I, "that you will not omit any opportunity of helping Joe on a little." "
How helping him on ?" asked Biddy, with a steady sort of glance. " Well ! Joe is
a dear good fellow—in fact, I think he is the dearest fellow that ever lived—but
he is rather back-ward in some things. For instance, Biddy, in his learning and
his manners." Although I was looking at Biddy as I spoke, and although she
opened her eyes very wide when I had spoken, she did not look at me. " Oh, his
manners ! Won't his manners do then?" asked Biddy, plucking a
black currant leaf.
" My dear Biddy, they do very
well here—" "Oh! they do very well here ?" interposed Biddy, looking closely at
the leaf in her hand. "Hear me out—but if I were to remove Joe into a higher
sphere, as I shall hope to remove him when I fully come into my property, they
would hardly do him justice."
" And don't you think he knows
that ?" asked Biddy.
It was such a very provoking
question (for it had never in the most distant manner occurred to me), that I
said, snappishly, "Biddy, what do you mean?"
Biddy having rubbed the leaf to
pieces between her hands—and the smell of a black currant bush has ever since
recalled to me that evening in the little garden by the side of the lane—said, "
Have you never considered that he may be proud ?"
" Proud !" I repeated, with
disdainful emphasis.
" Oh ! there are many kinds of
pride," said Biddy, looking full at me and shaking her head ; "pride is not all
of one kind—"
" Well ? What are you stopping
for ?" said I.
" Not all of one kind," resumed Biddy. " He
may be too proud to let any one take him out
of a place that he is competent to fill, and fills
well and with respect. To tell
you the truth, I think he is : though it sounds bold in me to say so, for you
must know him far better than I do."
"Now, Biddy," said I, "I am very
sorry to see this in you. I did not expect to see this in you. You are envious,
Biddy, and grudging. You are dissatisfied on account of my rise in fortune, and
you can't help showing it."
"If you have the heart to think
so," returned Biddy, " say so. Say so over and over again, if you have the heart
to think so."
"If you have the heart to be so,
you mean, Biddy," said I, in a virtuous and superior tone ; " don't put it off
upon me. I am very sorry to see it, and it's a—it's a bad side of human nature.
I did intend to ask you to use any little opportunities you might have after I
was gone of improving dear Joe. But after this I ask you nothing. I am extremely
sorry to see this in you, Biddy," I repeated. "It's a—it's a bad side of human
nature."
"Whether you scold me or approve
of me," returned poor Biddy, "you may equally depend upon my trying to do all
that lies in my power here at all times. And whatever opinion you take away of
me, shall make no difference in my remembrance of you. Yet a gentleman should
not be unjust neither," said Biddy, turning away her head.
I again warmly repeated that it
was a bad side of human nature (in which sentiment, waving its application, I
have since seen reason to think I was right), and I walked down the little path
away from Biddy, and Biddy went into the house, and I went out at the garden
gate and took a dejected stroll until sapper-time; again feeling it very
sorrowful and strange that this, the second night of my bright fortunes, should
be as lonely and unsatisfactory as the first.
But morning once more brightened
my view, and I extended my clemency to Biddy, and we dropped the subject.
Putting on the best clothes I had, I went into town as early as I could hope to
find the shops open, and presented myself be-fore Mr. Trabb, the tailor, who was
having his breakfast in the parlor behind his shop, and who did not think it
worth his while to come out to me, but called me in to him.
"Well!" said Mr. Trabb, in a
hail-fellowwell-met kind of way. "how are you, and what can I do for you?"
Mr. Trabb had sliced his hot roll
into three, feather beds, and was slipping butter in between the blankets, and
covering it up. He was a prosperous old bachelor, and his open window looked
into a prosperous little garden and or-chard, and there was a prosperous iron
safe let into the wall at the side of his fire-place, and I did not doubt that
heaps of his prosperity were put away in it in bags. "Mr. Trabb," said I, " it's
an unpleasant thing to have to mention, because it looks like boasting ; but I
have come into a handsome property."
A change passed over Mr. Trabb.
He forgot the butter in bed, got up from the bedside, and wiped his fingers on
the table-cloth, exclaiming, " Lord bless my soul !"
"I am going up to my guardian in
London," said I, casually drawing some guineas out of my pocket and looking at
them; "and I want a fashionable suit of clothes to go in. I wish to pay for
them," I added—otherwise I thought he might only pretend to make them, " with
ready money." " My dear Sir," said Mr. Trabb, as he respect-fully bent his body,
opened his arms, and took the liberty of touching me on the outside of each
elbow, "don't hurt me by mentioning that. May I venture to congratulate you?
Would you do me the favor of stepping into the shop?" Now Mr. Trabb's boy was
the most nudacious boy in all that country-side. When I had
THE SALLY-PORT AT
SUMTER.—INTERIOR.
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