Japhet in Search of a Father

Japhet in Search of a Father

Those who may be pleased to honour these pages with a perusal, will not be detained with a long introductory history of my birth, parentage, and education. The very title implies that, at this period of my memoirs, I was ignorant of the two first; and it will be necessary for the due development of my narrative, that I allow them to remain in the same state of bliss; for in the perusal of a tale, as well as in the pilgrimage of life, ignorance of the future may truly be considered as the greatest source of happiness. The little that was known of me at this time I will however narrate as concisely, and as correctly, as I am able. It was on the I really forget the date, and must rise from my chair, look for a key, open a closet, and then open an iron safe to hunt over a pile of papersit will detain you too longit will be sufficient to say that it was on a nightbut whether the night was dark or moonlit, or rainy or foggy, or cloudy or fine, or starlight, I really cannot tell; but it is of no very great consequence. Well, it was on a night about the hourthere again Im puzzled, it might have been ten, or eleven, or twelve, or between any of these hours; nay, it might have been past midnight, and far advancing to the morning, for what I know to the contrary. The reader must excuse an infant of there again I am at a nonplus; but we will assume of some days oldif, when wrapped up in flannel and in a covered basket, and, moreover, fast asleep at the time, he does not exactly observe the state of the weather, and the time by the church clock. I never before was aware of the great importance of dates in telling a story; but it is now too late to recover these facts, which have been swept away into oblivion by the broad wing of Time. I must therefore just tell the little I do know, trusting to the readers good nature, and to blanks. It is as follows:that, at the hour of the nightthe state of the weather being also :I, an infant of a certain age was suspended by somebody or somebodies at the knocker of the Foundling Hospital. Having made me fast, the said somebody or somebodies rang a peal upon the bell which made the old porter start up in so great a hurry, that, with the back of his hand he hit his better half a blow on the nose, occasioning a great suffusion of blood from that organ, and a still greater pouring forth of invectives from the organ immediately below it. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 24470
Author: Marryat, Frederick
Release Date: Jan 31, 2008
Format: eBook
Language: English