Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
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— 150 —<br />
So he sat up at night <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>stead, and played after <strong>the</strong> family had<br />
g<strong>on</strong>e to bed, but that did not do, as it got <strong>the</strong> house such a bad<br />
name. People, go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g home late, would stop outside to listen,<br />
and <strong>the</strong>n put it about all over <strong>the</strong> town, <strong>the</strong> next morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, that<br />
a fearful murder had been committed at Mr. Jeffers<strong>on</strong>’s <strong>the</strong><br />
night before; and would describe how <strong>the</strong>y had heard <strong>the</strong> victim’s<br />
shrieks and <strong>the</strong> brutal oaths and curses of <strong>the</strong> murderer,<br />
followed by <strong>the</strong> prayer for mercy, and <strong>the</strong> last dy<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g gurgle of<br />
<strong>the</strong> corpse.<br />
So <strong>the</strong>y let him practise <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> day-time, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> back-kitchen<br />
with all <strong>the</strong> doors shut; but his more successful passages could<br />
generally be heard <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> sitt<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g-room, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> spite of <strong>the</strong>se precauti<strong>on</strong>s,<br />
and would affect his mo<strong>the</strong>r almost to tears.<br />
She said it put her <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d of her poor fa<strong>the</strong>r (he had been<br />
swallowed by a shark, poor man, while bath<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g off <strong>the</strong> coast of<br />
New Gu<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ea — where <strong>the</strong> c<strong>on</strong>necti<strong>on</strong> came <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>, she could not<br />
expla<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>).<br />
Then <strong>the</strong>y knocked up a little place for him at <strong>the</strong> bottom<br />
of <strong>the</strong> garden, about quarter of a mile from <strong>the</strong> house, and<br />
made him take <strong>the</strong> mach<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e down <strong>the</strong>re when he wanted to<br />
work it; and sometimes a visitor would come to <strong>the</strong> house who<br />
knew noth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g of <strong>the</strong> matter, and <strong>the</strong>y would forget to tell him<br />
all about it, and cauti<strong>on</strong> him, and he would go out for a stroll<br />
round <strong>the</strong> garden and suddenly get with<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> earshot of those<br />
bagpipes, without be<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g prepared for it, or know<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g what it<br />
was. If he were a man of str<strong>on</strong>g m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d, it <strong>on</strong>ly gave him fits; but<br />
a pers<strong>on</strong> of mere average <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>tellect it usually sent mad.<br />
There is, it must be c<strong>on</strong>fessed, someth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g very sad about <strong>the</strong><br />
early efforts of an amateur <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> bagpipes. I have felt that myself<br />
when listen<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to my young friend. They appear to be a try<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>strument to perform up<strong>on</strong>. You have to get enough breath<br />
for <strong>the</strong> whole tune before you start — at least, so I ga<strong>the</strong>red<br />
from watch<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g Jeffers<strong>on</strong>.<br />
He would beg<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> magnificently with a wild, full, come-to<strong>the</strong>-battle<br />
sort of a note, that quite roused you. But he would