The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Black-Sealed Letter, by Andrew Learmont
Spedon

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Title: The Black-Sealed Letter
Or, The Misfortunes of a Canadian Cockney.

Author: Andrew Learmont Spedon

Release Date: June 6, 2006 [eBook #18514]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

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Tales for Canadian Homes.

THE BLACK-SEALED LETTER;

Or, The Misfortunes of a Canadian Cockney.

by

ANDREW LEARMONT SPEDON,

Author of "Canadian Summer Evening Tales," "The Canadian Minstrel," &c.

Printed for the Author,
by Mitchell & Wilson, Montreal.
1872.

How slight a cause may change our life
Beyond its own control,
Produce a cordial to the heart,
Or canker in the soul.

The Black-Sealed Letter;

OR,

THE MISFORTUNES OF A CANADIAN COCKNEY.

CHAPTER I.

Old London!--city of cities!--whose foundations were laid when the
ancient Briton in his martial glory prowled among the dense forests
whose foliage darkened the waters of the Thames, long ere the foot of
the adventurous Roman had touched the shores of Albion; or the Dane and
Saxon had established themselves within the strongholds of the British
isles. Who has not heard of this great old city, teeming with human
life, and filled with the extremes of wealth, poverty, righteousness and
iniquity? Who has not heard of its eminent statesmen and its
distinguished authors:--its time-honored institutions of religion,
literature and jurisprudence: its antiquated buildings, themselves
volumes of history written the eventful finger of time:--its massive
warehouses; and also its magnificent mansions, wherein peers and princes
banquet in luxury:-