Roundabout Papers - Penn State University

Roundabout Papers“Manfroni, or the One-Handed Monk,” and “Life in London,or the Adventures of Corinthian Tom, JeremiahHawthorn, Esq., and their friend Bob Logic?”—absurd.I turn away abashed from the casement—from the Pantiles—nolonger Pantiles, but Parade. I stroll over theCommon and survey the beautiful purple hills around,twinkling with a thousand bright villas, which havesprung up over this charming ground since first I sawit. What an admirable scene of peace and plenty! Whata delicious air breathes over the heath, blows the cloudshadows across it, and murmurs through the full-cladtrees! Can the world show a land fairer, richer, morecheerful? I see a portion of it when I look up from thewindow at which I write. But fair scene, green woods,bright terraces gleaming in sunshine, and purple cloudsswollen with summer rain—nay, the very pages overwhich my head bends—disappear from before my eyes.They are looking backwards, back into forty years off,into a dark room, into a little house hard by on theCommon here, in the Bartlemy-tide holidays. The parentshave gone to town for two days: the house is allhis own, his own and a grim old maid-servant’s, and alittle boy is seated at night in the lonely drawing-room,poring over “Manfroni, or the One-Handed Monk,” sofrightened that he scarcely dares to turn round.62