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MANY SLIPS BETWEEN THE CUP AND THE LIP.

We have an amusing instance of the truth of this proverb in the following story, which we quote from an old London newspaper :-A gentleman residing at Hearne Bay-a sea-bathing place on the coast of Kent, and a favourite resort of the Londoners-left the Tower-stairs by one of the Margate steam-packets, one fine Saturday morning in the month of September, having previously written home to his family at Hearne Bay, to say he should certainly be with them by dinner-time that same afternoon. Precisely at four o'clock that afternoon, the steamer was off Hearne Bay; and if the Hearne Bay boatmen would but have put off in the teeth of a stiff nor'-easter, and have pulled only three miles and a half over a bit of a heavyish swell, the gentleman might have been safely delivered at home just in pudding-timeprovided he did not get swamped by the way. But the boatmen would not put off at all, which certainly was very stupid on their parts-for the steamer would not have had to wait much more than an hour for them; and in the meantime, to prevent the said stiff nor'-easter from driving her bump ashore, she could have easily let go her anchor, and have remained where she was quite comfortable-provided the anchor would hold. However, the gentleman had only to go on with her to Margate; and as there would still be time enough for him to get back to Hearne Bay, by coach, before the pudding was cold, he did not much care. Well, they were very soon off Margate; and no doubt the Hearne Bay gentleman, together with all the other passengers, would have been punctually landed there, only the steamer happened to come there just in the tail of the ebb tide, so that there was not water enough for her in the harbour; and the waves, under the influence of the nor'-easter aforesaid, were kicking up their heels so furiously upon the jetty,

that the captain judged it would be the safest way for all parties to go on to Ramsgate. Now, as it is not much more than about three leagues to Ramsgate, she would have run down there in no time to speak of, only, as the wind blew right in-shore, she had to stand out to sea some two or three leagues more, just by way of avoiding running her nose against the North Foreland; but, nevertheless, she got into Ramsgate harbour nearly a quarter of an hour before eight o'clock at night; and there was a whole shoal of shandrydans waiting to carry the passengers back overland to Margate. 'Well,' thinks the Hearne Bay gentleman, though I did not get home to dinner, yet, if I set out for Margate directly, I shall be there in time for the Canterbury coaches, and one of them will drop me near my own house in good time for supper; so let me have my luggage, captain,' said he to the captain of the steamer.

'Why, sir,' says the captain, 'you see we are all in the dark now, and it will be a difficult matter to find your luggage among such a heap as we have; but we shall be up at Margate with the next tide, and if you are gone, I will take care to send your luggage after you-we shall be sure to be there before midnight.'

'Good!' said the gentleman, and away he rattled in one of the shandrydans, and got into Margate very comfortably, not more than ten minutes after the last Canterbury coach had left it. This vexed him a little, especially as he knew his family would feel alarmed at his absence; but consoling himself with the certainty of getting home next morning to breakfast, he took his supper, and went to bed. Next morning (Sunday) he was up at five o'clock, and down at the harbour to get his luggage out of the steamer; and as she was not yet come round from Ramsgate, he had a nice opportunity of seeing the sun rise, and of stretching his legs on the cliffs. But he had not walked more than three hours, when it occurred to him that if he walked much longer, he should hardly get home to breakfast; and as it also occurred to him that there was something in his luggage which he could

not well go home without, he thought he would run over to Ramsgate and fetch it. So he got into a shandrydan, and away he went; but he was saved the trouble of bringing his luggage back himself, for the steamer had gone out of the harbour with it, just five minutes before he got there; and of course he had nothing to do but. to rattle back to Margate again. But the shandrydan driver drove at such a rate, that he got back to Margate at least an hour and a half before the steamer, and in the meantime all the morning Canterbury coaches had left. So the Hearne Bay gentleman had only to wait in Margate for the evening ones; and he got home to supper on Sunday night, instead of to dinner on the Saturday-that was all; and if that is not very near the time specified,' we do not know what is.

END OF VOL. XV.

CHAMBERS'S

POCKET MISCELLANY.

VOLUME XV I.

EDINBURGH:

PUBLISHED BY WILLIAM AND ROBERT CHAMBERS.

EDINBURGH:

PRINTED BY W. AND R. CHAMBERS.

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