Shanty the Blacksmith | Page 5

utter a moan,
when thrown across its mother's lap? Urged then by anxiety, he left his
anvil, approached the woman, and stood awhile gazing at the child,
though unable for some minutes to satisfy himself, or to put away the
horrible fear that he might perchance be looking at a body without life.
Mr. Dymock was acting the part of bellows-blower, in order to assist
some work which the young stranger was carrying on in the fire. The
lad who generally performed this service for Shanty, had got
permission for a few hours, to visit his mother over the Border, Mr.
Dymock having told him in all kindness that he would blow for him if
needs must. But the fitful light--the alternate glow and comparative
darkness which accompanied and kept time with the motion of the
bellows, made it almost impossible for the old man to satisfy himself
concerning his horrible imagination. He saw that the infant who lay so
still on the woman's lap, was as much as two years of age; that, like the
woman, it had dark hair, and that its complexion was olive; and thus he
was put out in his first notion, that the child might perchance be a
stolen one. But the bellows had filled and exhausted themselves many
times before his mind was set at rest with regard to his first fearful
thought; at length, however, the child moved its arm, and uttered a low
moan, though without rousing itself from its sleep; on which Shanty,
being satisfied, turned back to his block and his horse-shoe, and
another half-hour or more passed, during which the tempest subsided,
the clouds broke and began to disappear, and the stars to come forth

one by one, pointing out the direction of the heavens to the experienced
eye of the night-walking traveller. The woman observing this, arose,
and taking the sleeping babe in her arms whilst the other child clung to
her cloak, she thanked the blacksmith for the convenience of the shelter
which he had given her; when he, with the courtesy of one who, though
poor and lowly, had been admitted to high conference with his
Redeemer, invited her to stay longer--all night if she
pleased,--regretting only that he had nothing to offer her but a bed of
straw, and a sup of sowens for the little ones.
"For which," she replied, "I thank you; what can any one give more
than what he has. But time is precious to me, this night I must be over
the Border; mind me, however, I shall remember you, and mayhap may
call again." So saying, she passed out of the shed, almost as much
disregarded by Dymock in her going out, as she had been in coming in.
And now, for another hour, the strokes of the hammers of old Shanty
and the young stranger might have been heard far over the moor in the
stillness of the night, for the wind had entirely died away, and the fitful
glare of the forge, still shone as a beacon over the heath. At length,
however, the job which the stranger had undertaken was finished, and
Dymock, having given him a silver piece, the only one in his pocket,
the young man took his leave, saying as he went out, and whilst he
tossed the silver in his hand,--"Well, if I have not got what I came for, I
have got that which is as good, and in return for your civility, old
gentleman," he added, addressing Shanty, "I give you a piece of advice;
nail the horse-shoe, which you would not spare to me, over your own
door, for I tell you, that you are in no small danger of being
over-reached by the very warlock, who has haunted my steps for many
a day."
So saying, he went gaily, and with quick step, out of the shed, and his
figure soon disappeared in a ravine or hollow of the moor.
In the mean time, Dymock and Shanty stood at the door. The former
being full of excitement, respecting the wonderful sagacity of the
singular stranger, and the other being impatient to see the master off, as
he wanted to shut up his shed, and to retire to the little chamber within,

which served him for sleeping apartment, kitchen, and store-room, not
to say study, for our worthy Shanty never slept without studying the
Holy Word of God.
But whilst these two were standing, as we said, at the door, suddenly, a
low moan reached their ears, as coming from their left, where the roof
of the shed being lengthened out, afforded shelter for any carts, or even,
on occasion, waggons, which might be brought there, for such repairs
as Shanty could give them. At that time, there was only