University of Virginia Library

33. CHAPTER XXXIII.
In which Robin Day takes leave of his adventures and the
reader.

With the explanations contained in the preceding
chapter, I might terminate my narrative, as
there is nothing to follow, which might not be
readily imagined. Yet as a few words will complete
the story, it is but proper I should write
them.

As soon as I was well enough to be removed,
the whole party of friends whom destiny had thus
so strangely brought together, were carried by my
uncle to one of his estates, which, being near the
coast, we reached by water in a single day: and,
there we all passed a very happy winter, my uncle
having resigned his Intendancy at Pensacola, that he
might watch over my recovery, and repay by hospitable
attentions, and his warmest friendship, the
debt of gratitude he professed to owe the protector
of my friendless youth.

The spring saw Nanna restored to health, as
blooming and as joyous as my sister, who, with the
enthusiasm of her nature, soon became her warm
and devoted friend.

But the spring did not see her removed from us.
Dr. Howard had experienced the happy effects of
the tropical air upon the maiden's health, and was

easily seduced to prolong his stay—to talk even of
purchasing an estate, and submitting to an exile of
an indefinite period, in a climate so auspicious to
the life of his dearest child! And, besides, after a
great deal of discussion on the subject between my
uncle and him, between Isabel and Nanna, and
between Nanna and me, it was at last unanimously
decided, that there was no reason why they should
ever leave the island at all, or, at least, no reason
why Nanna should. In short, it was agreed, with
the full consent of Isabel, who merrily absolved me
of all the vows I had made her, that a match should
be made between Nanna and myself; and a year
afterwards, I had the happiness of leading her to
the altar, little Tommy, who, by this time was converted
into a Christian and a gentleman, although a
young one, playing the part of paranymph, while
Isabel, who had trained him with great care for the
purpose, appeared the happiest and most beautiful of
brides-maids.

If I had had my will in the premises, we should
have had a second wedding the same day. My
sister was not more anxious to make a match between
me and her friend, than I was, or would have
been, to make another between her and mine. I
should have been glad to bestow her upon my friend
Dicky; and, I have no doubt, she would have fallen
heartily in love with him, had he asked her;
because Dicky was, in reality, a very handsome
fellow; and what maiden could have resisted so
gallant a soldier? But Dicky was wedded to glory;
he was as ready as Othello to recount to Isabel the
histories of his wars, but he never cared to take her
in the pliant hour, like that worthy blackamoor;
and, in fact, I doubt greatly whether any, the remotest,
idea of love and matrimony ever entered

his warlike brain. He was never truly content,
until my uncle had packed him off, with his four
volunteers, the poor wreck of his company, and
with some valuable presents of horses and arms,
which I was now able to make him, to Mobile;
after which, we lost sight of him; though we heard
he rejoined the American army, and fought through
the whole of the campaign that terminated in the
brilliant victory at New Orleans. The next year
—a year, in the United States, of peace, of which
Captain Dicky soon grew sick—fortune opened to
him a new field of combat: he went to Mexico with
the celebrated Mina, with whom he might have
had the honour of being shot as a heroic freebooter,
with a bandage round his eyes, had not ambition
conducted him to an earlier and more glorious
grave. The same great spirit which carried him,
with a single company, into the heart of the Creek
nation, to snatch the conquest out of the hands of
his brigadier, was revived in Mexico; he took an
opportunity one day, to separate himself from his
commander, and set out, with a force of fifty men,
and the commission, or title, of Colonel, which
Mina had conferred on him, to liberate the Mexican
nation on his own account. He, doubtless, calculated
upon receiving great assistance from the
Mexican nation itself, and having his command
swelled by successive patriots into a countless army;
but before any reinforcements appeared, he had the
misfortune to be attacked by vastly superior numbers,
and was, with his whole company, cut to
pieces.

My brother Tommy, who, as his mind re-expanded,
betrayed a somewhat similar inclination for a
life of glory, has had a happier fate, but on another
element; for which, unlike me, he contracted a passion,

even under the rough tutelage of Skipper Duck.
His father, at his earnest desire, placed him in the
American navy, in which he is now a distinguished
officer.

Years have since passed away and effected other
changes in the circle of friends that originally graced
and gladdened my island home. My uncle and
father-in-law have vanished away; but they vanished
away in the fulness of years; and their places have
been filled by young strangers, who bear their names,
and the names of Nanna and Isabel.

With these around me, a loving wife and devoted
sister at my side, with peace, and affluence, and happiness
under my roof, and the wisdom of advancing
years stealing into my head, I can look back without
regret, and review with smiles, the tissue of
misfortunes by which I was led to such enviable
possessions; and Juan Aubrey can attribute his
felicity to the schoolboy follies and adventures of
Roibn Day.