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Show ! THE SMUGGLER'S WEDDING. firing a Story of a hrlatuiai of th Long Ago. Down among the cliffs of Devon thosa mighty ones which gnard the southern Knglish coast, eastward from Sidmontb, and not far from the quaint, rock hound village of Vere fsaUd Venn, the comely, come-ly, brown haired fisherman's daughter, reigned over the sturdy hearts of th sea, subjugating alike the brawny flaher lad who swept the channel through tha starlight, nights of winter and the man-o' man-o' war's-man home 011 leave, while half tha coast guards lapsed into chronio jealousy, and a few wild .pints, t he special care of t he coast guards, who traded secretly with C'lierlmurg, were among her most ardent admirers. It was on Roliert Dare, young, handsome, hand-some, fearless and the most accomplished smuggler of the coast, that Isaliel's choice fell. Devonshire smuggling over fifty years airo was a daring, almost chivalrous, enterprise, and from this and other causes it was tolerated by the people. Many a magistrate has traced his cellar's pride to a Yere llshing boat, and a lord bishop hag sent from afar for the pale French essence en' it had blushed itself brown in bond. Nor were mysterious sources wanting to sup-lily sup-lily the means. When Robert Dare needed funds for a voyage he used to say that ha was "going ip the landslde a little," and that night he would come hack with tha needful. The third week in December, 1k:w, opened a cold, blustering time. Wreaths of fine snow wound round tha doorstepsaud hung over the small.diamond paiied windows of Vere. Times were hard; t he coast guards vigilant. Prudent must defer the marriage of Roliert and Isabel, which was to have come on at Christmas. I The cronies of the Ship Inn deplored tha prospect fur the poor and shook their heads in sympathy as mild expiation for their comforting "rummers" of grog. "(jood evening, doctor," squeaked old Solomon Quigley, the parish clerk, J r jrerri! 1r. idm-Uiy ram beaming in. For Dr. liowlhy-came from Hovey manor, whera J.ady l'e had commissioned him to buy a hundred and fifty geese for the Christmas j dinner of the needy. But Kxeterand Honi-ton Honi-ton had absorbed the supply, so said the farmera present. Then up sioke Robert Dare: "(Jeese are plentiful and cheap in France. I will get them by payment for my time." j Dr. liowlby assented, the company ap- 1 ' - r - "ip tain stared over his long clay pipe at Robert in a look of dazed solicitude. "Good night, my darling Relle," said Robert, kissing her at her father's cottago, "and may good luck attend me. I musj go up the landside a little to-night." The Seagull sailed out of the cove of Yere, and in due time sailed back again, a harbinger of good cheer for the poor. "A welcome cargo," said Dr. Bowlby, "Take care of thetn 3 JMght, Roliert." "Yes, a good selection," muttered tho grizzled captain, peering into tho recesse cf the boat, "ve ry good. There is abso lulely nothing but the geese," ha whispered whis-pered dejectedly to himself; then louder to his neighbor: "I say, Mr. Quigley, there is really nothing noth-ing but t he geese, yon know." "Nothing," piped Solomon, "unless there may lie any ganders among 'em." "Hah!" said the captain. And now tha Ship Inn is a bower of evergreens, for tomorrow to-morrow is Christmas eve. "I hear," observed Mr. Quigley In a low, commanding tone, as he slowly filled his pipe, "that Robert Dare and Isabel Venn are to lie married to-morrow." "Yes," said the doctor, glancing from the punch bowl to the captain; "by license." "I wish I may die," wheezed the landlord, land-lord, "if I warn't told that Robert had bought Rose cottage, in Seaford lane." "And he is gone off today for furniture, said the captain; "mysterious, very." "And quite a party is invited to the breakfast at Venn's afore they're off for a Ixmdon honeymoon," gasped the landlord. "There's the wkar and squire and tha doctor and the cappen and Mr. Quigley and I, and some of the littler folks." It was a pleasant wedding breakfast, in whii'h the joy of the young peoplo blended with the happy spirit of Christmas; the flag waved from the tower of the old gray church, aud the notes of the bells floated down the valley until they were lost among the rocks. "It is not true," said Robert In responding respond-ing to the toast of bride and bridegroom, "t hat I ha e purchased Rose cottage; we are going into an established busiuess at Exeter; but perhaps it is lit that I should explain pome of the features of my last trip across the channel. The sage and onions that will till the geese of our poor friend:, to-morrow will only succeed a far (tiftorent stllfliliL'. Mv neicliiiors all." and here Roliert. smiled brightly on the grizzled captain, '"stowed in each goose, aud now safe from the Philistines, was several guineas' worth of the most costly lace.'' IaiiiiI was the laughter and cheering, which only subsided as the last toast waa given: "A merry Christmas to all friends hera and everywhere, auu a happy ew Year I when it comes!" At this juncture tho g '-'.ed captain, who hud been misse l for a r:: :. cut, reappeared reap-peared wi'.hnilorid f.icoaud s''-.;-ish air. i lie had token oil his uniform j.':et witli j its gilt buttons and availed liimsa'f of tha' doctor's overcoat. Thus, with a ltgHtned conscience, he joined in the to.wt v..i its' "three times three." j The hen Is of several rcrpectc.l f :milies' In professional aud trade life in the west rl England are the sons and daughters of1 handsome Robert Dare and beautiful Isa-b Isa-b iVeuu. .foax ALDZS330VS. |