Another Lost and Found.
Quite as mysteriously perplexing and involving quite as much grief and joy as the event described on page 175, was the occurrence here recorded. It was indeed, an exciting scene that on the 21st of February, was witnessed at the St. Leonards station of the South-Eastern Railway caused by the loss and recovery of a purse containing about £10. This amount of money was the all of a journeyman tailor of the name of Cole or Coll, who had sold off his furniture, and who, that morning was betaking himself and his family to his native town in Devonshire. On arriving at Battle, Mrs. Cole was horrified to find that the money which she believed to have been about her person, had disappeared, and a respectable fellow-traveller was accused of stealing it. The accusation was indignantly repudiated by the suspected female; and as to travel so long a journey without money was not to be thought of, there appeared to be no alternative but to return to St. Leonards, and the next down train was made available for that purpose. On getting back to the station, the husband, who was suffering from pulmonary disease, and the little wife, by no means strong, were both apparently bewildered at what to them was a terrible loss. The station-master, Mr. Descon, and his assistants, deeply sympathising with the desponding couple, commenced a diligent search, which fortunately resulted in the finding of the lost treasure between the up-rails and the wall of the platform, where it had, doubtless fallen when its owner was getting in the train. The sudden change of feeling from intense grief to joy and gratitude can hardly be described, and must therefore be left to the reader’s imagination.
Entertainments.
Christys Minstrels gave three performances on the 30th of April and the 1st of May to large and delighted audiences. They were eleven in number, and their performances fully bore out the following announcement which appeared in the St. Leonards Gazette:-
“Christy’s Minstrels still retain
All the fame they first did gain;
And, no wonder, for ‘tis true
Imitators not a few,
Have gone over England’s land
With a much inferior band;
Thus the ‘Minstrels’, none the less,
Hold their prestige and success.
They can dance and they can sing ,
They can do ‘most ‘ebery ting’;
They can play grand overture,
Pleasing all most ‘sartin’ sure
Massa Wilson doth enlist you
With his ‘Willie, we have miss’d you’,
While of music’s rarest dish ,
None can serve like Steele and Nish.
Massa Moore’s ‘sensation song’
Makes you laugh both loud and long;
Then, as Rainsford, who so well
Sings the darkies ‘Toll the Bell’?
Dandy pumps or knicker-bocker,
Who can dance like Massa Grocker? –
Only one, that’s Massa Howard –
Praises, plaudits, on him showered!
Melville’s ‘Silver Moonlight winds’
Pleases e’er fastidious minds,
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