ays in beds of coal,
past little nooks where black men were at work, or resting on lumps of
coal dining on bread-and-bacon, and drinking cold tea; and then there
were tramways, and horses drawing the coal to the mouth of the pit, and
boys to drive the horses, and boys to hold lamps, and all around you was
black coal, save where it shone with the reflection of your light, and
beneath you trod in mud, all made of coal-dust and water, of a character
to ruin patent-leather for ever. I was not sorry, I assure you, when I
left the lower regions, and was hauled up to the light of day. Once upon
a time, an exciseman at Merthyr Tydvil was overcome by liquor (for
excisemen are but men) and fell asleep. Excisemen are not generally a
very popular class of Her Majesty's subjects, and there are many who owe
them a grudge. This was the case with our hero. Accordingly, the enemy,
in the shape of half-a-dozen dusky colliers, made their appearance, and
deposited their unconscious prize,

"Full many a fathom deep,"

as Mr. Campbell says, in a coal pit. Alas! the inspiration of wine is
but short-lived. From his glorious dreams of marble halls the exciseman
awoke; wonderingly he opened his eyes and looked around. Where was he?
To what dark and dolorous shades had he been conveyed? That conscience
which does make cowards of us all answered the question:--he had been for
his sins conveyed to that fearful locality which a popular clergyman once
told his hearers he would not shock their feelings by naming in so
well-bred and respectable an assembly; there he was, far away from the
light of the sun and the haunts of men. Everything around him was dark
and drear. At length a faint glimmer of light appeared in the distance.
It came nearer and nearer, by its light he saw a form he thought
resembled the human, but of that he was not quite sure. The exciseman
felt with Hamlet:

"Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damned.
Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell,
Be thy intents wicked or charitable,
Thou comest in such a questionable shape
That I will speak to thee."

Accordingly he spoke, and very naturally asked the new-corner, "Who are
you?" "Why, I was when I lived on earth an exciseman, but now I am--"
"You don't say so," exclaimed the interrogator, as sober as he ever was
in his life. But the joke had now been carried far enough, and the
exciseman gladly returned to the light of day, and t