58 PRECIOUS STONES.
Worth
a passing notice is the fact that quite recently a fashion has sprung
up again of wearing Serpent-Jewellry for personal adornment. As a
current fashionable Journal states—" The Serpent insinuates itself into
lockets, rings, and bracelets, its venomous head alight with fiery
Rubies, and baleful Emeralds ; whilst its sinuous length is displayed
in silver, as well as in gold."
When
Martin Chuzzlewit and Mark Tapley, were making terms for a location in
the " Walley of Eden," of which fanciful (but as yet unredeemed, and
imaginary) settlement, glowing accounts, as if of a flourishing city
already in full swing, had been given them by Mr. Scadder, Agent to the
" Eden, and New Thermopyte Land Corporation Company " ;—Mark fell into
talk about " Eden " with a " military officer " ! " As thick as
scarecrows these officers be out here," says Mark to his master ; "
which scarecrows is a sort of militia themselves, being entirely coat,
and wescot, with a stick inside."
"
' Am I rightly informed, says the military gent, not exactly through
his nose, but as if he'd got a stoppage in it, very high up, ' that
you're a going to the Walley of Eden V ' Well,' says he, ' if you should ever happen to go to bed there ; you may, you
know, in course of time, as civilization progresses; don't forget to
take a axe with you.' I looks at him tolerable hard, says Mark.—' Fleas
I ' says I.—' And more,' says he.—' Wampires ? ' says T.—' And
more,' says he. ' Musquitoes, perhaps ? ' says I.—' And more,' says he.
' What more I ' says I.—' Snakes, more,' says he. '
Rattlesnakes ! You're right, to a certain extent, stranger. There air
some catawampous chawers (fleas)
