Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 07
General
Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 07
Scottish Borders (Scotland) -- Fiction
When George arrived off Kingston, in Jamaica, he resolved upon pushing
his way, in one course or another, upon land; so, having bid his captain
good-by, and thanked him sincerely for the small trifle of saving his
life, he set his foot on shore, almost naked, friendless, penniless. As
he entered Kingston, he encountered a runaway steed, which, with a young
lady screaming on its back, was plunging forwards, and entirely without
control. George, acting on a natural impulse, threw himself in the way
of the unruly animal, and, by getting hold of the bridle, at last
brought it up; but not without several severe bruises, as he hung
betwixt its fore-feet, unable, for want of weight, all at once to check
the horse's career. The father of the young lady had now overtaken them;
and, having alighted, extricated first his daughter, and then poor
George Smith, from their perilous position. The young lady, who had in
fact sustained no bodily injury, was loud in praise of him who, by his
promptitude and intrepidity, had rescued her, in all probability, from
much serious injury, or even from death; and George was immediately
invited to accompany the party (for there was a well-mounted servant
likewise) home to their villa, in the neighbourhood of the town. As they
walked slowly (the young lady refusing to mount anew) up the rising
ground to the south of Kingston, George had sufficient time to unfold
the particulars of his short but eventful history; and to interest the
father not less by his good sense and sagacity, than he had the daughter
by his intrepidity and self-devotion. In a word, George found favour in
the great man's eyes, and was introduced to the overseer of an extensive
plantation, with instructions to have him clothed, employed as a clerk
or slave-driver, and properly attended to in all respects. This seeming
accident George used always to consider as one of those arrangements of
divine Providence, by which good is brought out of seeming evil; and a
total destitution of all the necessaries of life was in his case
prevented. For three years, George continued to act on these
plantations, receiving many acts of kindness from his really humane
employer; and waxing into vigorous manhood, without seasoning fever, or
any disease whatever. It was Mr Walker's habit (such was the name of his
benefactor) to have George up with him to dine every Saturday, when he
had renewed opportunities of becoming acquainted with the young lady
whom he had rescued; and who was now budding sweetly into the perfect
and accomplished woman. The distance in point of wealth, and
consequently station (in a country where wealth is the only rank),
betwixt George and Miss Walker, kept the eyes of the parent long blind
to the actual position of affairs. But true it was, and of verity, that
Miss Walker's heart was fairly won, and George's was as fairly lost,
without one word on the subject of love having been exchanged on either
side.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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