Sherry

“ What luck, Harry, if we make the next campaign together! The earl will surely go back to Flanders when the winter is over."
"I should like nothing better."
"Where are you staying?"
"At the Angel and Crown, in Threadneedle Street."
"You must leave that and come westward. Are you alone?"
"Sherry Minshull is with me at present; but he'll get work for himself as soon as I am settled."
"Sherry's a handy fellow; egad, I know no better! He'll tie a fly with any man, and is as good with sword or quarterstaff as he is with his fists. ”

“ What d'ye think, Sherry? I met the earl himself at Lord Godolphin's, and he has my name on a scrap of paper, and to-morrow or next day I shall hold the queen's commission, and then off with the troops to Flanders, and I shall make my fortune, man, and then——"
"Huh!" put in a voice from the doorway. "Haastige spoed is zelden goed."
Harry's excitement was dashed by the slow drawl of Mynheer Grootz, whose little eyes were twinkling as he puffed at his big pipe.
"Ay, a true word," said Sherebiah. "'More haste, less speed,' as the Dutch words mean put into rightful language. ”

“ He raced downhill towards Sherebiah, who was sitting on the bank still, placidly smoking his pipe; landscape had no charm for him.
"Sherry," said Harry in jerks, "Lord Godolphin or someone is driving down the road; highwaymen hiding in the reeds; in five or six minutes—come, come, we have no time to lose."
"Then we'll go home along," said Sherry, putting his pipe in his pocket as he rose.
"Nonsense! we can't slink away and leave them to be robbed." Harry took Sherry by the arm to drag him along. ”

“ My eyes were on the peg and the holes in the wall. Sherry questioned him. "Why do you spike the wall with the little red peg, Becodar?"
"The Little Red Peg, senor? Ah! It is not wonderful you notice that. There are eight bullet-holes in that zarape"—he pointed to the wall—" there are eight holes in the wall for the Little Red Peg. Well, of the eight men who fired on my brother, two are left, as you may see. The others are all gone, this way or that." Sherry shrugged a shoulder. "There are two left, eh, Becodar? How will they die, and when?" Becodar was motionless as a stone for a moment. ”

“ It is not uncommon to hear of a poet that he is a poet’s poet; of a musician, he is for musicians first and laymen after. So it is scarce matter for surprise to learn that a wine there is that is preeminently the wine merchant’s wine. That this should be Sherry is all but inevitable; for he carries not his credentials with him like the rest, but trusteth chiefly to the praise and the recommendation of another, and that other the wine merchant aforesaid. ”

“ When alone in her room, Sherry stood a long time looking out upon the hills and valley bathed in the moonlight, and listening to the voices in front of the house calling good-night as the guests separated to their rooms. Alex. seemed to be everywhere, and the last Sherry heard he was saying to Charley Reeves, “Good-night, old chap, I hope we shall all have a good time. I mean you shall.” In Alex.’s voice there was a richness and a heartiness which always rang true, and Sherry’s last thought as she fell asleep was, “If all the world were like Mr. Marsh there would be no lack of good times.” ”

“ Migwan clutched her convulsively. “There’s a man outside,” she panted, “that looks just like Hercules, and when I spoke to him he fell down on the ground!”
In an instant all was pandemonium. Everybody rushed for the kitchen door and ran out into the yard, where the figure of a man lay dark upon the snow. Sherry tore off his mask and flung it away, and bending over the prostrate man turned his flashlight full on his face. ”

“ The man hurried away.
"'Tis all ready, sir," said Sherebiah, coming up. "The road is blocked towards the bend, and the men be hidden in the wood. Med I ask, sir, if shouten would be any use?"
Harry smiled.
"We found it useful once, eh, Sherry? Certainly; when you see the flag go up, the more noise you make the better, especially if you can make a din with garden tools, or anything of steel." ”

“ Pledger had taken to Alex. as a young man “with as little nonsense as was often found in a city prig.” Every day she reported Sherry’s progress, and was the first to take the good news to him that the crisis was passed and Sherry much better. Then, sitting down beside him she began to talk of her uncle Crosby and his wife who died so young. ”

“ Barbados," returned the other. "My name, Jan Grootz."
"And it becomes 'ee," said Sherebiah. "Now mine bean't so good a match; 'tis over long for one o' my inches, and over proud for a man so meek: Sherebiah Stand-up-and-bless Minshull in the church book, but plain Sherry to them as I takes to, like young pa'son there."
Harry was roused from his reverie at hearing himself mentioned. ”

“ You, Soapy Dick you, we all knows 'ee for a addle-pate; else your hair wouldn' grow so fiery red. What do a bide-at-home like 'ee know o' high names an' titles? Addle be the true French for a bloomy cheek—Sherry Minshull telled me so hisself. Bean't that the true meanen on't, gaffer?"
"Sherry's yead be full o' rare knowledge, Mis'ess. But daze me, name or no name, 'tis all one: French her were, English her be; and if any twanken feller do say her bean't good, and comely, and a comforten wife for young Squire—why, old as I be I'll try the thickness of his poll, I will so." ”

“ At home the farmer may still have his foaming jug, but whenever farmers congregate together on occasions like this, sherry is the favourite. When calling at the inns in the towns on market days—much business is transacted at the inns—spirits are usually taken, so that ale is no longer the characteristic country liquor. With the sherry cigars are handed round—another change. It is true the elderly men stick to their long clay pipes, and it is observable that some of the younger after a while go back to the yard of clay ”

“ The manufactures are insignificant compared with the importance of the natural products of the soil, especially wines and olives. Jerez de la Frontera (Xeres) is famous for the manufacture and export of sherry. ”

“ It's perfectly clear to all the throng
Peter's been at the old brown sherry.
Old brown sherry is much too strong—
Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz.
Of all who thus themselves degrade,
A stern example must be made,
[Pg 538]
To Coventry go, you tipsy bee! ”

“ Sherry's in New York offered "Smiler" large sums of money to transfer his services, and he crossed the Atlantic with a little band of underlings of his own nationality. "Smiler" travelled first class, and the reporters on the other side not unnaturally took him to be an Indian Prince on his travels. ”

“ Sherman and Katy the money left by Amos Marsh in banks and stocks,—a 149sum sufficient to insure their independence the rest of their lives. The wrong had been righted. Maplehurst was virtually his, Sherry was his, and he was steeped in times so good that he occasionally trembled lest the cup he was drinking should be dashed from his thirsting lips. Sherry would prefer a more quiet life than Alex. who is the happiest when a great many people around him are having a good time as well as himself. ”

“ Escaping from Sherebiah's grasp, Aglionby stumbled away in the direction of the boat, the other two watching him in silence until the darkness swallowed him.
"Unthankful viper!" muttered Sherebiah.
"To save a foe's life is an injury never forgiven," said Harry with a shrug. "I'm shivering, Sherry: let us get back."
"Ay sure. But I'd like to know what be the true meanen o' this. To be saved out o' jail and then chucked into river—why, in a manner o' speaken 'tis out o' fryen-pan into fire. ”

“ After that, he drank all the rest of the sherry, and Mr. Hubble drank the port, and the two talked (which I have since observed to be customary in such cases) as if they were of quite another race from the deceased, and were notoriously immortal. ”

“ Just as the Dutchman finished his speech—the longest to which he had yet given utterance, and one that his slow delivery lengthened beyond its natural extent—Sherebiah turned round, tapped Harry on the shoulder, and in a low tone said:
"Summat's i' the wind."
"What do you mean, Sherry?"
"Wind yourself about and look down the road behind."
"Well, I see nothing—stay, there's a horseman just topping the hill, a good mile behind us: what of that?"
"Why, 'tis like this. He always is a mile behind: that's where 'tis. I seed him afore we come to Basingstoke ”

“ Moore drew the chairs into position by the table as Bessie laid the plates.
"You are to sit there, you disreputable old Hibernian," said he, assisting Sheridan to a seat on the right.
"Your place is there at the end, Fashion Plate. I 'll preside just opposite you across the festive board, and Bessie shall sit on your left hand."
"Is she heavy?" inquired Sheridan, interestedly, as he sat down.
"I 'm speaking metaphorically," the poet rattled on. "How goes the play, Sherry?"
"'Pizarro' is certainly doing a fine business," replied the aged dramatist. "The public likes blood and thunder." ”

“ He come th’u in de night an get inter de house, but he cain’t find her. He see dere’s people sleepin’ in all de spare rooms dat uster be empty, and he cain’t go lookin’ round. He left dem footprints on de stairs, Mis’ ’Lizbeth; it ain’t blood; it’s paint. Dey’s a ole jar of paint down dere in de passidge, and he knocks it over and it breaks and he steps inter de paint.”
“But Hercules,” interrupted Sherry, “how did he get into the passage from the outside? The way is blocked.” ”

“ Here a noble avenue of lime trees brings us to Shere church, a building as remarkable for the beauty of its situation as for its architectural interest. The lovely Early{88} English doorway, the heavy transitional arches of the nave and the fourteenth-century chancel are still unhurt, and among the fragments of old glass we recognise the flax-breaker, which was the crest of the Brays, one of the oldest families in the county, who are, we rejoice to think, still represented here. Shere itself is one of the most charming villages in all this lovely neighbourhood. ”

“ A new Cherry had been born, a Cherry always beautiful, always resourceful, always admired. Busy with Martin's trays, out in the garden searching for shy violets, conferring with the Chinese boy, pouring tea for afternoon callers, Cherry was newly adequate and newly happy. ”

“ So Cherry felt very comfortable in the bright morning, as she marched along, munching a big slice of bread and butter with great zeal.
She went home at ten, and though she had to take one market-basket empty—for she was still a little hasty in her expectations—the other was quite full of such delicate, fragrant, rose-tinted arbutus as grows only, I believe, in Clearpond.
Once home, you would have thought that Cherry would have thrown herself on the lounge to rest, for she was pretty tired; but she did no such thing. ”

“ If any touch of the romantic which we find in Shelley is a matter of heredity, we must trace it to this able, daring, restless, and magnificent old grandfather, who was the beau ideal of an English squire—the sort of squire who had added foreign graces to native sturdiness. But young Shelley, the future poet, seemed scarcely to be English at all. As a young boy he cared nothing for athletic sports. ”

“ Tree vigorous, productive, bears early; fruit above medium in size, obtuse-cordate; suture indistinct; stem long; cavity wide, moderately deep; skin tender, translucent, sulphur-yellow, nearly entirely washed and spotted with red; flesh tender, pale yellow, juicy, sweet, without sourness; stone medium egg-shaped; ripens early in July. Pointed Guigne. P. avium. 1. Prince Pom. Man. 2:119. 1832. This cherry is so named because part of the style becomes hard and ligneous forming a sharp point at the apex of the fruit. Fruit cordate; color red on a yellow ground ”

“ It is not very strong, but very pleasant. The Cherries, when they are taken out, may be distill'd, and will yield a fine Spirit.
In some places, where there are Laurels grow wild, without Cutting or pruning, I mean, the Lauro-Cerasus, as we find in many old Gardens, that Plant is apt to bear Berries, which in reality are Cherries, from whence it has its Name; these Berries, or Cherries, are ripe about this time, and make a fine Cordial, if we infuse them in Brandy for two or three Months with a little Sugar; this will have a Flavour of Abricot Kernels, and be of a rich red Colour. ”

“ A bad cold the Greys always call a Shelley, because of a famous cold old Lady Shelley had when she came to stay with them. This was the Lady Shelley who, when her carriage, full of people, upset, and there was a great entanglement of legs, called out to the footman, who came to extricate them, ‘John, the black ones are mine—the black ones are mine.’
“Warkworth, Oct. 6.—It is very pleasant being here with my kind Clutterbuck cousins, [6] and this old-fashioned house, though small, is most refined and comfortable, with its pervading smell of rose-leaves and lavender.” ”

“ Therefore, on the appointed morning, early in September, a pleasant peal of five bells (not as yet silenced by force or law) gave due notice from the tower of Cheddar church that the day of fairings and gilt gingerbread had arrived; but although a certain quantity of booths had been erected, only one, and that but scantily supplied, was set apart for the profane display of those glittering temptations. Among the farm servants standing for hire, there were no stout young carters with their whips, no hale shepherds with their crooks and green sprigs in their hats ”

“ Mr. Shever was of the opinion that "tea and shrimps, with a song afterwards, was the correct sort of thing;" while Jerry suggested "tea and muffins, with a dance to follow,—the whole to wind up with a glass of punch." On this coming to Mrs. Shever's ears, she at once adopted the idea as an entirely original plan of her own, and declared "if Mr. Shever did not order a fiddler and a harpist, she would forthwith pack up, visit her mother, and remain there until the Stinger had sailed." ”