produced by david widger .
html version by al haines .
twice told tales
the seven vagabonds
by nathaniel hawthorne
" halloo !
who stands guard here ?
is the doorkeeper asleep ? " cried i , approaching a ladder of two or three steps which was let down from the wagon .
a small piece of silver was my passport within his premises , where i found only one other person , hereafter to be described .
perhaps the movable scene of this narrative is still peregrinating new england , and may enable the reader to test the accuracy of my description .
the spectacle for i will not use the unworthy term of puppet-show consisted of a multitude of little people assembled on a miniature stage .
" what an admirable piece of work is this ! " exclaimed i , lifting up my bands in astonishment .
and then with how fresh a feeling must he return , at intervals , to his own peculiar home !
the literary man now evinced a great kindness for me , and i ventured to inquire which way he was travelling .
" you are housed but just in time , my young friends , " said the master of the wagon .
" the sky would have been down upon you within five minutes . "
i , meanwhile , with many a wild and undetermined fantasy , was narrowly inspecting these two doves that had flown into our ark .
when we had travelled through the vast extent of the mahogany box , i looked into my guide 's face .
" where are you going , my pretty maid ? " inquired i , in the words of an old song .
" ah , " said the gay damsel , " you might as well ask where the summer wind is going .
we are wanderers here , and there , and everywhere .
wherever there is mirth , our merry hearts are drawn to it .
blessed pair , whose happy home was throughout all the earth !
" o maiden ! " said i aloud , " why did you not come hither alone ? "
while the merry girl and myself were busy with the show-box , the unceasing rain had driven another wayfarer into the wagon .
" it is a bill of the suffolk bank , " said i , " and better than the specie . "
as the beggar had nothing to object , he now produced a small buff-leather bag , tied up carefully with a shoe-string .
in this precious heap was my bank , note deposited , the rate of exchange being considerably against me .
here let me have credit for a sober fact .
but i must stop and see the breaking up of the camp-meeting at stamford . "
all this was a sort of happiness which i could conceive of , though i had little sympathy with it .
my reflections were here interrupted .
" another visitor ! " exclaimed the old showman .
it was a red indian , armed with his bow and arrow .
this son of the wilderness , and pilgrim of the storm , took his place silently in the midst of us .
the indian had not long been seated , ere our merry damsel sought to draw him into conversation .
at length , she inquired whether his journey had any particular end or purpose .
" i go shoot at the camp-meeting at stamford , " replied the indian .
" and here are five more , " said the girl , " all aiming at the camp-meeting too .
but , o , you would find it very dull indeed , to go all the way to stamford alone ! "
now , hoping no offence , i should like to know where this young gentleman may be going ? "
i started .
how came i among these wanderers ?
" but in what capacity ? " asked the old showman , after a moment 's silence .
" all of us here can get our bread in some creditable way .
every honest man should have his livelihood .
you , sir , as i take it , are a mere strolling gentleman . "
" either this , " said i , " is my vocation , or i have been born in vain . "
dreading a rejection , i solicited the interest of the merry damsel .
" mirth , " cried i , most aptly appropriating the words of l'allegro , " to thee i sue !
mirth , admit me of thy crew ! "
" i have espied much promise in him .
true , a shadow sometimes flits across his brow , but the sunshine is sure to follow in a moment .
he is never guilty of a sad thought , but a merry one is twin born with it .
this affair settled , a marvellous jollity entered into the whole tribe of us , manifesting itself characteristically in each individual .
the young foreigner flourished his fiddle-bow with a master 's hand , and gave an inspiring echo to the showman's melody .
" we 'll come among them in procession , with music and dancing , " cried the merry damsel .
casting our eyes northward , we beheld a horseman approaching leisurely , and splashing through the little puddles on the stamford road .
what puzzled us was the fact , that his face appeared turned from , instead of to , the camp-meeting at stamford .
" what news , what news from the camp-meeting at stamford ? "
the missionary looked down , in surprise , at as singular a knot of people as could have been selected from all his heterogeneous auditors .
i even fancied that a smile was endeavoring to disturb the iron gravity of the preacher 's mouth .
" good people , " answered he , " the camp-meeting is broke up . "
so saying , the methodist minister switched his steed , and rode westward .
our union being thus nullified , by the removal of its object , we were sundered at once to the four winds of heaven .
the old showman and his literary coadjutor were already tackling their horses to the wagon , with a design to peregrinate southwest along the seacoast .
end of the project gutenberg ebook of the seven vagabonds ( from " twice told tales " ) , by nathaniel hawthorne