the brilliant era had arrived when an expensive foreign and civil war produced in certain quarters the excitement of that wastful fever which was named national prosperity


we have already noticed a particular winter in which the distressed state of the country had driven many of the higher orders of the provincial gentry into the town for seeurity against their poorer neighbours or in case of tlio worst extremity for protection from english troops against irish peasants


this was considered the gayest season that ever had been known in portmullina


yet there were many of the older stationary inhabitants like mrs rooney


wb un favourably contrasted the new times with the cordial union the free spirit of sociality add the prevading kindness of simpler days


it was true that new houses were built and new shops opened that a billiardroom and theatre wore talked of and a great addition was made to the old ballroom at the cross keys but with this fowls and turkeys and butter and bacon rose in price till they astounded mrs rooney and horrified judy gal lagher and though the balls were crowded with naval and military heroes and though their musical bands contributed to theelegence and refinement of the modern entertainments it was equally certain that the tickets were doubled iu price and only kept at so low a rate by necessity


it was now that the poison of party toasts and songs and tunes first crept in among the gentle men and that orange and green became distinguishing colours with the ladies and now first the few loyal and protestant fam iles who had hitherto lived in peace and harmony with their cath olic brethren were stimulate by the spirit and support of the military to split into a disiinct faction


florence obrien irish by


birth religion and educauon imperceptibly became about this time intensely so from feeling and perhaps prejudice and this was the more important as the fair rebel still maintained her ascendency and predominent station in that li i tie world the sphere an r vj x


u nuiuu iiuu


ueea ou auuuciuj uuu iiuu iierseil oeeii raised higher than ever by the homage of the gallant strangers


to those gentlemen of whatever rank and denomination it would have been unnatural unnatiotiai and iu fact impossible for good mrs rooney to have refused hospitality simply because they wero strangers and gentlemen and the possession of the loadstar accordingly made her humble home one of the most favourite and fashionable resorts of the officer in pbrtmnllina and this in spite of the green scarfs and bodices and inveterate and avowed national sympathies of florence


her immediate marriage with the major the captain the commander of the frigate or the gunbrig fcc c c consequently became part of the daily reports of the town and as such regularly travelled beyond the mountain where however larry llyan assured judith she was entirely forgotten for the squire never mentioned her name nor yet toasted her when bumpers were nightly flowing


now although judith would rather have seen her mistress married to the most dissipated irish squire in the kingdom than to the highest foreign english officer under the crown she was bound to resent this oblivion so she retorted mintion


her indeed


tlien sure he neednt


if she would not look the way he stood in his bright days how should she now with captains and colouels to pick and choose among one of them a lords son dancing with her every night and dancing after her every morn ng


the statement was in part too true and when dr fitz maurice the catholic clergyman all at once resigned his office of master of the ceremonies at the town assemblies as one no longer either fitting for him or agreeable to his taste in the disturbed and altered state of the community florence began to reflect thp t it was possible to be too gay and at tho same time not too happy


but it was not so easy even if it had been desired to escape altogether irom that gay society with which she was now bo completely identified and which was felt to be so imperfect without her presence that every temptation beset her


she deter mined however in future to enjoy those perpetual amusements more sparingly and read approbation in the eyes of dr fitzman riee when one morning she announced this resolution


save that my dissipation consists of cards dancing scandal and flirta tion and that of poor john jovie of murdering birds and hard drinking with the zest ol a little swearing and treason l ean really perceivo small dillerencu between our present modes of life said florence gravely treason


repeated the clergyman with art air


of astonish ment


yes against george iii his crown and dignity


so i


as uro you it is said in important quarters in this odious time of spies eavesdroppers and betrayers of fireside chat and perhaps squire joyce iu his mountainhold may over his cups talk over freely


fie is an irishman returned the priest in an cmpnthic nay we are all irishmen replied florence smiling which may not however be incompatible with a little discretion and com j monsense


there am i a notorious croppy who yet from herding with the loyal by eminence pass unsuspected and find means to put my unwary friends upon their guard


among that number i should never have suspected john joyce of corresponding with the french to set the shannon on fire nor yet which is about as probable to seizo the royal arsenal


mr joyce is quite innocent of such things but he has never yet obtained credit for half the judgment he possesses replied the priest who did not admire the new intimacies florence had formed among the enemy


want of understanding is not his defect


would that his will were but half as strong as his mind is naturally acute


or as his heart is good cried friendly mrs rooney


poor john is only too like his unfortunate country continued dr fitzmaurice overborne by oppression and greviously undervalued he has been brought at length to undervalue himself


with a little less selfdistrust or a good deal more assumption his might have been a different fate even with the ladies maam


but what threatens him now


nothing very important i daresay replied florence who felt something of the embarrassment of one who is talked at but the kind of persons that draw to his cave of adullam and his marked avoidance of the gentlemen in the confidence of the government nay even some treacherously reported idle con versations at his table have at this detestable time drawn slight suspicion upon him which it might be discreet that he should avoid by a little conformity or call it sociality


attendance at the balfto be given by the officers on the birtliday of queen charlotte will be held as a touchstone for the loyalty of all of us even yours my dear sir


and you would have mr joyce descend from his hold florence to see you dance with all those hanoverian officers


aid tlr priest


or say with herself rather cried mrs rooney and not the first time


florence looked unusually grave while she said i am afraid poor john will bespeak nobodys partner and spoil nobodys dancing


if he come at all it must be from policy not plea sure


for which policy he never yet did one thing in his life though if i wore at liberty to say florence obrien advised so who can measure the force of that old spell


you know better than do so lr


fitzmaurice replied florence carelessly as if a more direct caution might give undue importance to the affair which she probably thought no more about until in gaily leading down the first dance with one of her most devoted and assiduous young military admirers her eye sud denly caught behind a standing group what appeared the super miturally tall and thin figure of her early lover


mr joyce was yet in the garb of widowersliip


he was apparently insensible to everything around bending upon florence the same fixed melan choly look


of yearning yet desponding admiration which instantly recalled the morning of her fathers death


just so had squire joyce gazed upon her then the expression of his countenance betraying the same bewildering and passionate meaning


florence had not once seen him since their memorable parting upon the beach of the bay and how much of misery had lie tasted since then not the les bitter that it was to a great extent selfcreated i a crowd of new and of halfforgotten feelings rushed to the bosom of florence


her gay spirits flagged for once in her life she lost presence of mind and begged her partner to release her from her engagement for the next set


on being led to mrs rooney that worthy lady eagerly whispered florence my darling i have seen either john joyce tonight or his fetch


te t


t j


it tl


x


t


n


men x daresay idusi nave oeen nimseir maam vr no doubt of it but isnt it odd too


now florence dearest if john ask you to dance with him i am sure you wout refuse


the dawdle wife has been dead long enough now for decency


florence smiled at the blunt speech and slightly curled her lip while she replied that the squire was likely to find more congenial amusements than dancing and for the halfhour that she remained seated different gentlemen among the laughing english loungers explained that the jovial cheers irom below whieh at times were heard above the music proceeded from that famous good fellow squire joyce and a chosen band of stanch supporters of the bottle chiefly gentlemen of the country


mrs rooney gave these laugh ing informers no thanks for their information but as she saw there was no use in sitting longer waiting the squires appear ance she established herself at a quadrille table while florence in fresh spirits joined the dancers


florence appeared to have tired first and in about two hours she stole away to the card room of the inn in the opposite wing of the house to beg her friend to go home


from the days of her dancingschool which was held here all the backstairs and complex lobbies and pantries and siderooms of the cross keys had been familiar to ilorence ana at mis lime snunning a military escort she pre ferred threading those secret passages to the open approach where she was liable to be met by all sorts of people


in hurrying alon a dimlylighted andvory long passage a kind of cross backbone connecting the farspread modern wings of the house and which was now littered by tables benches trays bottles and baskets she came upon a recumbent figure that was recognised in the twinkling of an eye


was he asleep stretelied upon that bench


or was it rather the stupor of intoxication in which he lay over powered


florence feared the latter yet she stopped for a few seconds as if lleld by an irresistable imputae bending over the degraded man with a complicated emotion of regret compassion and scorn whieh became stronger and stronger and at last exquisitely bitter


it was a moment of intense feeling ere from another of those strange impulses by which passionate natures are liable to be stirred she suddenly dipped her fingers into a goblet of water that stood near and dashing the drops over his brow breathed in lovinganger and with a sad mockery of gaietv the wellremembered eastern adjuration to the transformed if you be a beast continue as you are but if you be a man in the name of god arise in the shape in which you were created in the end of the passage on the reflection that the object of her pity next instant florence hurried on but paused at the farther and vexation might expire in his present wretched condition and she could not bear to expose him to the ridicule of strangers and servants


it was not because she was not the child of a medical man but the daughter of a jovial irish country surgeon of thirty years ago that florence was skilled in such cases


a proull courage was her leading characteristic and she could had such been necessary have calmly performed the same humane office for the sleeping squire in the face of the ballroom that now with trembling finders she performed alone the cravat was quietly untied the shirt collar undone and florence started for an instant coloured deeply and hastily replaced the covering


the talisman j that guarded the breast of squire john was certainly that same wheat sheaf of her own childish golden hair which formed into a locket had been a girlish souvenir given to her friend honor


she looked at liirn again watchfuliy intensely and pitifully as he lay in breathless calm his lace save the forehead still concealed i


i i v cm


ii


i i ii


o uy uis nana one snatcuea the lignt and held it forward


it quivered on the orb of the big round tear that silently stole from beneath the overshadowing hand and florence fled


had he then been awake all the while


the idea was maddening for the moment


in five minutes afterwards


it was found that miss florence obrien had gone


homo without her usual military guard of honour


for lvany future days florence had a secret subject of perplexod rumination


that squire joyce in his fallen and hopeless condir biting still cherished her image was at least probable


and her thoughts of him


they where now too frequent too constant at last and too absorbing not to alarm her pride


at times also she caught herself reflecting deeply oyer the pernicious influence of her poor fathers society upon the habits of the young man to whom he had beeu so strongly attached


what had mainly blighted his youth and marred his hopes


the unfortunate cir cuinstances in which he had been placed aided by an illstarred passion for herself


a few weeks subsequent to this dr fitzmaurice called one morning while florence was busy writing and among other pass ing oonversation inquired of mrs rooney with a careless airy when major bertie was expected back from england


this gen tleman was known to be one of the most devoted and assiduous and latterly was believed to be the most favoured of florences admirers and the good people of portmullina had sent him on furlough to arrange his marriage very mnch to their own satis faction


it had been remarked that she had received of late ail unusual number of forein letters and packets and had been lavish in her expenditure


such anamolies in conduct conld not be expected to pass without observation among the shrewd gossips of portmullina and though miss florence was a mighty high spirited patriotic irishwoman half a rebel in her heart and a whole one in her conversation a rich though elderly english major was no castaway but on the contrary a powerful converter


mrs roonoy unable to answer the question put by the doctor referred him to miss obrien who had just received a bulky pac ket which probably suggested the query and added with a mean ing smile so you have heard the gossip of portmullina too doctor


it is not easy t escape it maam and since what must bo will be i only wish the affair were over were it but for the sake of our poor friend beyond the mountain


i have nothing to say to him doctor nothing said the old lady severely


i wish he had kept to his mountaincabin and his mean ways and not have come down to portmullina to disgrace himself and his country before all these foreign english officgrs


after too i had prayed and half prevailed with my child to countenance him and to dance with him to make a beast and a spectacle of himself


no no i hare done with john joyce only too long did i stand his part


you are labouring under some grevotts mistake maam give i me leave to tell you or else which is quite as like some one has basely calumniated mr joyce


on the night to which you refer whatever potent draughts he imbibed they were vot those of wine


for that night i ean answer he passed it under my roof flo rence though without looking up from the paper suspended her writing and was listening perhaps unconsciously ay and as soberly as a man might well do


he was in fact in wretched health and spirits and of late at least anything but the reveller malice has represented


well well cried the old lady impatiently if my thoughts have wronged him i am sorry for it and if he has reformed the better luck is his own eh florence love i very odd though that he never looks the way of this house were it but for common civility to a relation


the rusty black of a brokendown irish squire might like my own threadbare cassock shame the searlet lustre of your drawing room in these changed days maam said the priest in the tone of pique which he often betrayed on this particular sub ject


but why for mr joyces salce do you wish to get rid of poor me said florence now folding her note and with a wellaffected gay indifference of tone


for both your sakes yonng lady retumed the priest sternly as if hurt by her levity


for my sake sir cried florence reddening with momentary passion


may i beg


of you to explain why for my sake dr fitzmaurice


the priest hesitated and mrs


roowey struck in indeed


florence dear the doctor is right and it is full time you knew your own serious mind among all these gentlemen


i have vowed never to mention squire joyce to her again or torment her more were the poor soul even in a condition to propose for any lady which he never will be for i know she hates and detests the very name of him


florence was impatient of this idle talk


advancing towards the priest she again repeated i will be answered dr fitz maurice w hat do your words import


yon are not used to speak either in idleness or spleen why for my sake is it desirable that i should marry major bertie and leave portmullina


for the sake of anothers peace mis florence obrien re plied the priest emphatically and of your own good name


the dilating eyes of florence flashed forth seborching wildfire and then smiling scornfully she replied my good name v this is a sorry jest dr fitzmaurice and one altogether unworthy of your wit and invention


my good name was my only heritage is my sole possession


what cowardly miscreant would rob an unprotected girl of that tell me the name of this shame to man hood you give me aright to be angry miss obrien returned the priest calmly but i will not give way tosuch emotions


if much enforced and moved by affection for you i may have said more than i intended i have said less than truth warrants


meddlers are busy with your conduct


to have been thought mercenary and meanly ambitious would once have been as mortifying to florence obrien as the charge of levity and coquetry


strange


florence that in your earlier years you should have shewn so much ay selfish prudence i may call it and care for your own exclusive happiness and fame where your fathers friend your doting admirer from boyhood your own countryman a gentleman of your own religion was concerned and such superiority tc straitlaced notions in your intercourse with those ominous strangers


there spolce the priest and the partisan thought florence yet her heart felt the reproach of selfish prudence and exclusive care for her own happiness though her understanding disclaimed it as unmerited


she was also aware that had the english officers been irish


catholic gentlemen she would have escaped with gentler rebuke but she remembered that dr fitzmaurice besides being her spiritual guide was one of the small number of her true friends and a gentleman to whom she was indebted for an hundred good offices and thousands of happy social hours long before thei gallant strangers who came to her country upon cruel an errand had been heard of and whom she seriously valued far before them all


these considerations reined in her spirit and with as much shew of amicable concession as pride would permit she sued for pardon and continued tomorrow is st patricks day


as a true irishwoman i am as much bound to attend the ball as john joyce is to share in the preliminary convivialities


you will grace it with your own presence doctor


it is a day of peace and oblivion


i shall dance above the grave ofour buried discords alternately with an english or scottish and an irish gentleman if you so choose


and as for those impertinent and contemptible meddler and her eyea again flashed out their lightnings not for them oh not for them but to satisfy my own mind may in future lead a more retired life than in this little dissipated flirting gossiping and now malicous town ha been possible of


late without greater fuss than i choose to make about what is im reality so trivial


mrs major bertie may do as she likes iu everything said mrs rooney laughingly and lay down the law


and miss florence obrien will meantime do as she likes rejoined florence


and be a law in some matters to herself


she resumed her writing and the priest aud his hostess talked of the change of times inwportmuiina


mrs rooney allowed that everybody had become much more genteol and the young ladies in particular had improved mightily in their dancing and were much better dressed but then everything hail become so monstrously dear that there was no living in comfort upon a small income


the priest asserted that if manners had become more polished morals had degenerated amouir all ranks an unfailing consequence of the presence of an english army in any country


disorder and corruption had crept in among his innocent flock and the young women in particular who had hithero been the most eiily led wee became tha most rofraetory


chapter xxiv


hepohts pigbess


in centaijf jtomely mlttkits of love hatbed jealousy and itnvenge


hallo pecksniffl cried mr jonas from the parlour


isnt somebody a going to open that precious old door of yours


f immediately mr jonas


immediately ecod muttered the orphan not before its time neither


whoever it is has knocked three times and each one loud enough to wake the he had such a repugnance to the idea of waking the dead that he stopped even then with the words upon his tongue and said in stead the seven sleepers


immediately mr jonas immediately repeated pecksniff


thomas pinch he couldnt make up his mind in bis great agi tation whether to call tom his dear friend or a villain so he shook bis fist at him pro tern


go up to my daughters room and tell them who is here


say silence


silence


do you hear me sir


directly sir


cried tom departing in a state of much amazement on his errand


youll ha ha hat youll excuse me mr jonas if i close this door amomenr will you said pecksniff


this may be a professional call


indeed i am pretty sure it is


thank you


then mr pecksniff gently warbling a rustic stave put on his garden hat seized a spade and opened the streetdoor calmly ap pearing on the threshold as if he thought lie tad from his vineyard heard a modest rap but was not quite certain


seeing a gentleman and lady before him he started hack in as much confusion as a good man with a chrystal conscience might betray in mere surprise


recognition came upon him the next moment and lie cried mr chuzzlewh


can i believe my eyes i my dear sir my good sir a joyful hour a happy hour indeed


pray my dear sir walk in


you find me in my gardendress


you will excuse it i know


it is an ancient pur suit gardening


primitive my dear sir for if i am not mistaken adam was the first of our calling


my eve i grieve to say is no more sir but here he pointed to his spade and shook his head as if he were not cheerful without an effort


but i do a little bit of adam still


he had by this time got them into the best parlour where the portrait by spiller and the bust by spoxer were


my daughters said mr pecksniff will be overjoyed


if i could feel weary upon such a theme should have been worn out long ago my dear bir by their constant anticipation of this happiness and their repeated allusions to our meeting at mrs todgerss


their fair young friend too said mr pecksniff whom they so desire to know and love indeed to know her is to love i hope i see her well


i hope in saving welcome to my humble roof


i find some echo in her own sentiments


if features are an index to the heart have no fears of that


an extremely engaging ex pression of countenance m r chuzzlewit my dear sir very much sol mary said the old man mr pecksniff flatters you


but flattery from him is worth the having


he is not a dealer in it and it comes from his heart


we thought mr


pinch said jiary


mr pinch would have arrived before us pecksniff


he did arrive before you my dear sir retorted pecksiiff raising his voice for the edification of tom upon the stairs and was about i dare say to tell me of your coming when i begged him first to knock nt my daughters chamber and inquire after charity my dear child n ho is not so well as could wieii


no said mr pecksniff answering their looks i am sorry to sny biic is not


it ismerelyan hysterical affection nothing more i am uot uneasy


mr pinch i thomas i exclaimed pecksniff in bis kindest accents


pray come in


i shall make no stranger of you


thomas is a friend of mine of rather longstanding mr chuzzlewit you must know


thank you sir


said tom


you intro duce me very kindly and speak of me in terms of which i am very proud


old thomas i cried bis master pleasantly god bless you


i tom reported that the young ladies would appear directly and that the best refreshments which the house afforded were even then in preparation uuder their joint superintendence


while be was speaking the old man looked at him intently though with less harshness than wab common to him nor did the mutual em barrassment of tom and the young lady to whatever cause be attributed it seem to escape his observation


pecksniff he said after a pause rising and taking him aside towards the window i was much shocked on hearing of my brothers death


we hud been strangers for many years


my only comfort is that lie must have lived the happier and better man for having associated no hopes or schemes with me peace to liis memory


i we were play fellows once and it would have been better for us both if we had died then


finding him in this gentle mood mr peck sniff bernm to see another way out of his difti cnltiea besides the casting overboard of jonas


that any man my dear sir could possibly be the happier for not knowing you be re turned you will excuse ray doubting


but that mr anthony in the evening of his life was happy in the affection of his excellent son a pattern my dear sir a pattern to all sons and in the care of a distant relation who how ever lowly in his means of serving him had no bounds to bis inclination can inform you


hows this t said the old man


you are not a legatee


you dont said mr pecksniff with a me lancholy pressure of his band quite understand my nature yet i find


no sir i am not a legatee


i am proud to say i am nota legatee


am proud to say that neither of my children is a legatee


and yet sir i was with him at his own request


he understood me somewhat better sir


he wrote and said i am sick


i am sinking


conic to me


i i went to him


i sat beside his bed sir and i stood beside his grnve


yes at the risk of offending even you i did it sir


though the avowal should lead to our instant separation and to the severing of those tender ties between us which have recently been formed


i make it


but i am not a legatee said mr peckshiff smiling dispassionately and i never expected to be a legatee


i knew better


his son a pattern i cried old martin


how can you tell me thatf my brother hail in liis wealth the usual doom of wealth aud root of misery


he carried his corrupting influence with him go where he would and shed it around him even on his heartb


it made of his own child a greedy expectant who measured every day and hour the lessening distance between bis father and the grave and cursed his tardy progress on that dismal road


no cried mr pecksniff boldly


not at all sir


but i saw thnt shadow in bis house said martin chuzzlewit the last time we met and warned him of its presence


i know it when i see it do i not


i who have lived within it all these years


i deny it mr pecksniff answered warmly


i deny altogether


that bereaved young man is now in this house sir beeking in change of scene the peace of mind lie has lost


shall i be backward in doing justice to that young roan when even undertakers and coffinmnkers have been moved by the conduct he has exhibited when even mutes have spoken in liis praise and the medical man hasnt known what to do with himself in the excitement of his feelings


there is a person of the name of gamp sir mrs gamp ask her


she saw mr jonas in a trying time ask her sir


she is respectable but not sen timental and will state the fact


a line addressed to mrs gamp at the bird shop kingsgate street high holborn london will meet with every attention i have no doubt


let her be examined my good sir


strike but hear


leap mr chuzzlewit but look


forgive me my dear sir said mr pecksniff taking both his hands if i am warm but i am honest aud must state the truth


in proof of the character be gave himself mr pecksniff suffered tears of honesty to ooze out of bis eyes


the old man gazed at him for a moment with a look of wonder repenting to himself


how now i in this house


but he mas tered his surprise and said after a pause let me see him


in a friendly spirit i hope


said mr pecksniff


forgive me sir but be is in the receipt of my humble hospitality


i said replied the old man let me see him


if i were disposed to regard him in any other than a friendly spirit should have said keep us apart


certainly my dear sir


so you would


you are frankness itself know


i will break this happiness to him said mr pecksniff as he left the room


if you will excuse me for a minute gently


he paved the way to the disclosure so very gently that a quarter of an hour elapsed before he returned with mr jonas


iu the mean time the young ladies made their appearance and the table had been set out for the refreshment of the travellers


now however well mr pecksniff in his morality had taught jonas the lesson of duti ful behaviour to his uncle and however per fectly jonas in the cunning of his nature had learnt it that young mans bearing when pre sented to his fathers brother was anything but manly or engaging


perhaps indeed so singular a mixture of defiance and obsequious ness of fear and hardihood of dogged sullen ness aud an attempt at cringing and propitia tion never was expressed iu any one human figure as iu that of jonas when having raised bis downcast eyes to martins face be let them fall again and uneasily closing and unclosing his hands without a moments intermission stood swinging himself from side to side wait ing to be addressed


nephew said the old man


you have been a dutiful sou i hear


as dutiful as sons in general i suppose returned jonas looking up and down ouce more


i dunt brag to have been better than other sons but i havent been any worse i dare say


a patten to all sons i am told baid the old man glancing towards mr pecksniff


ecod said jonas looking up again for a moment and shaking his head


ive been as good a son as ever you were a brother


its the pot and the kettle if you come to that


you speak bitterly as in the violence of your regret said martin after a pause


give me your hand


jonas did bo and was almost at his case


pecksniff he whispered as they drew their chairs about the table i gave him as good as he brought eh


he had better look at home before he looks out of window i think


mr pecksniff only answered by a nudge of the elbow which might either be construed into an indignant remonstrance or cordial assent but which in any case was an em ehatic admonition to his choben soninlaw to e silent


he then proceeded to do the honours of the bouse with his accustomed ease and amiability


but uot even mr pecksniffs guileless merriment could set such a party at their ease or reconcile materials so utterly discordant and conflicting as those with which he had to deal


the unspeakable jealousy and hatred which tbat nights explanation bad sown in charitys breast was uot to be so easily kept down and more than once it showed itself in such intensity as seemed to render a full dis closure of all the circumstances then and there jiiijiubbiuie iu uc utuiucu


uc umukuud merry too with all the glory of her conquest fresh upon her so probed and lanced the rankling disappointment of ber sister by her capricious airs and thousand little trials of mr jonass obedience tbat she aimobt goaded her into a fit of mudnesb and obliged her to retire from table in a burst of liabsion hardly lesb vehcmcntlhan that to which she had abandoned herself in the first tumult of her wrath


the constraint imposed upon tbe family by the presence among them for the first time of


mary graham for by tbat name old martin chuz zlewit had introduced her did not at all im prove this stale of things gentle and quiet though ber manner was


mr pcaksniffs situation was peculiarly trying for what with having constantly to keep peace between his daughters to maintain a reasonable show of affection and unity in bis household to curb the growing ease and gaiety of jonas which vented itself in sundry insolences towards mr pinch and an indefinable coarseness of man ner in reference to mary they being the two dependants to make no mention at all of his having perpetually to conciliate bis rich old relative and to smooth down or explain away some of the ten thousand bad appearances and cotnbinaiionsofbad appearances by whiob they were surrounded on that unlucky evening what with having to do this and it would be difficult to sum up how much more without the least relief or assistance from anybody it may be easily imagined that mr pecksniff had in his enjoyment something more limn that usualportion of alloy which is mixed up with the best of mens delights


perhaps he lind never in hie life felt such relief as when old martin looking at bis watch announced that it was time to go


we have rooms he said at the dragon for the present


i have a fancy for tbe evening walk


the nights aro dark just now perhaps mr pinch would not object to light us home


my dear sirl cried pecksniff i shall be delighted


merry my childtbe lantern


the lantern if you please my dear said martin but i couldnt think of taking your father out of doors conight and to be brief i wont


mr pecksniff already had his bat in liis hand but it was so emphatically said that be paused


i take mr linch or pa alone said mar tin


which shall it be


it shall be thomas air cried pecksniff since you are so resolute upon it


thomas my friend be very careful if you please


tom was in some need of this injunction for he felt bo nervous and trembled to such a degree that he found it difficult to bold the lantern


how much more difficult when at the old mans bidding she drew her hand through bis tom pinchs arm


and bo mr pinch said martin on the way you are very comfortably situated here are you


tom answered with even more than his usual enthusiasm tbat he was under obligations to mr pecksniff which the devotion of a life time would but imperfectly repay


to be continued


chapter xx


new worknew friendsa new home


cyrus loxwood upon returning homer told his mother of his meeting with bertha of her sudden illness of the death of her father and what he had also learnt from john olave


if i knew in what way we could assist her he said we wouid do so poor


a we are but her spirit of independence i as rigid as our own


for i fancy


that mr wroxeter


to whom she seemed to be slightly known has offered her aid in this extremity but she has steadily refused to accept it in any shape


you dear mother might have a better chance of aiding a noble woman fronded we had the means


we are poor dear cyrus replied the mother thoughtfully for generous as our friend the major is the works absorb for the present all superfluity still leave the matter to me and i will go to her and see what can be done


mrs loxwood was as good as her word for she set off at once to the address cyrus gave taking with her half of mr wroxeters gift


she had never yet told cyrus of it and now her silence seemed to bear blessed fruit


on reaching the little shop fn bermond sey she fouud it closed as she bad ex pected and maggy in dutiful attendance but bertha was up and as maggy said w riting


she bears up wonderfully maam added maggy wiping the tears from her eyes considering how fond she was of the dear old doctor and he of her


but it all comes of her great spirit i think and so instead of returning home to shed a deal of useless tears at her old mothers hardness of heart she sat down to do some writing to make as she says the paymeht of the old doctors burial sure


but i fear with all this shell be sadly put about dear lady


well please let her know im here and say i am mr loxwoods mother


maggy went and delivering the mes sage soon came back and led mrs lox wood to a little upstair room where bertha sat


the latter looked ill and griefwornthis the more that her grief was suppressed by her sense of duty


at once she and mrs loxwood seemed friends


the one came in the name of her son and that was a sufficient pass port and the other received her in th fullest spirit of faith and friendship


to b eoatinusd


life and adventujifp ofwabtin


chuzzlewt by c dickeli esq


dmlimtdjnm our loill out upon the nnpry wind i liow from sigli injr it begun to muster round the merry forpe lumping nt the wickrt and prumbliiipc in tlie rhinvney nb if it bullied the jolly bellows for floinp unylliinjr to order


and ivliat nn impo tnt swnpper it wns tooj for till its noise for if it hail nnv influence on tlint hoarse companion it uns but to mnlie him roar


bis cheerful song tile loudpr nnd by conspquence to make the arc hum the brighter and the sparks to dance more pnily yet at lenplh they whizzed so inntlly round mid round that it was too much for such a eurlv irind to bear so off it fleiv with a howl giving tlie old siirn before the nlpliousrdoor such a cuff ns it went that the blue drnpon was more rampant than usual ever afterwards and indeed before christinas reared cleaned out of his crazy frame


it wb small tyranny for a respectable wind creatures as the fallen leaves but tliis wind happening to come up with a preat heap of them just after vpntiup its humour on the in mlled drajron did sodisperspaud scbiiit them that they fled away pell mell some here some there rollinp over each otlnr whirlhe round nnd round upon their thin edjies taking trantic flights into tiie air and playing all manner of shncjrdinnry gambols in lie extremity of their distress


nor was this enough for its malicious fury for not content with driving them abroad it charged small parties of them nnd hunted them into the wheelwrights saw pit and below the planks and timbers in tlie ynrd nnd scntterintr the sawdust into the air il looked for them underneath and when it did meet witii any ulieiv


how il drove them on and followed at their heels


i the scared leaves only flew tlie faster for all this nnd n tidily cliase it was fur they got into unfrequenled places where there was no outlet and where tlieir pursuer kept them ed dying round and round at bis pleasure and they rrept under the eaves of houses and clung tightly to the sides of hayricks like bats nnd tore in at open chamberwindows aiid cowered close to hedges aud in short went anywhere for safety


but the oddest frnt they achieved was to take advantage ot the sadden opening of sir


pecksniffs front door to dosb wildlv into bis passage whither the wind following close upon them and find ing ilir back door open incontinently mew out th


lighted candle held by miss pecksniff and slummed the front door against mr pecksniff u ho was nt


that moment entering with such violence ilint in ilie twiukliuc of nn eye he lay on liis lark at the bottom of the steps


being by this tiiup


weary of such trifling perform and tut untilit got out to sea where it met niih other winds similarly disposed and mnde a niglit of it


in the meantime mr pecksniff having re ceived from a shnrji angle in the liuttoni step but one that sort of knork on the benl which lights up fur the patients entefhiiiiniimil an imaginaiy general illumination of vpry bright shortsixes by placidlv staring at his own streetdoor


ami it would seem to have been uutlljnre lorhe continued to lie there out so much us wondering whether lie uas hurt or no mil her when miss pecksniff inquired through the keyhole in a shrill voice which milit have belonged to a wind in ils teens whos there f lid


lie make any reply nor when miss pecksniff opened the dour again nnd shading the cundle with her hand peered out and looked provoking round liiui and about him and over him dud everywhere but at him did he offer any remark oriudirate in any manner the least hint of a desire to be picked up see


you cried miss pecksniff to the catch u sirr rm slill mr pcksniff perhaps from having caught il already said nothing


pecksniff the said it at a venture tut there was appropriate matter in it loo for mr peck sniff bring in tbe act of extinguishing the cnndles before mentioned pretty rapidly and of reducing the number of brass knobs on his streetdoor from four or five buinlred which lad previously been juggling of tlieir own ac cord before his e in a very novel manner said to be coming round the corner aud just turning it


with a sharplydelivered warning relative to tie cage and the constable and the stocks aud the gallows miss pecksniff was about to close tbe door again when m r pecksniff being still at the bottom of the stpp raised himself on one elbow and sneezed


that voice cried miss pecksniff my parent at ibis exclamation another miss pecksniff bounced out of tlie parlour ami the to miss pecksniffs with many incoherent expressions dragged mr pecksniff into an upright po pal they cried in concert


pal speak pa i do not lunk so wild my dearest pa


i


but as a gentlemans looks in such a case of nil others n re ly no means under liis own control mr pecksniff continued lo keep his mouth and ins eyes very wide open and to drop liis lower jtuv somewhat after tlie manner of a tov nutcracker and as his hat hud fallen off and his fiicr was pale and his hair erect and his coat muddv the spectacle he presented was so very doleful lint neither of the miss pecksniffs could repress an iuvuluu arv screed thntlldisaid mr pecksniff im belter


hes come to iiimself cried the youngest miss pecksniff


he speaks again p exclaimed tbe eldest


willi tiliich joyful words lhv kissed mr pecksniff ou either cheek and bore him into the louse


presently llie youngest miss pecksniff ran out agniu to pick up his hat hie brown paper parcel his umbrella his gluveti and other small arlicls and ilnit duue aud the door closed both young indira applied themselves to lending mr pecksniffs wounds in the back parlour


they were not very serious in iheir nature being limited to abrusiuns on wliat the eldest miss pecksniff called tbe knobby pans o ber parents anatomy


buch as his kuees ainl etbous and to the development of sin entirely new organ unknown to iilirenologiblv on the back of his bead


these injuries having been comforted extcrnallv with patches of pickled brown paper aud mr pecksniff laving been comforted internally vitli some stiff braudy andwater tbe eldest miss pecksniff sat down to make the tea which was all ready


in tbe meantime tlie toungest m iss pecksniff brought from tbe kitchen a smoking dish or bam and eggs and setting tbe same before her lather took up ber station on a low stool at bis feet thereby wringing her eyes on a level witu the tea board


it must not be inferred from ibis position of humility that tbe youngest miss pecksniff was bo young as to be as one may suy forced to nit upon a stuol by reason of the shortness or her legs


miss pecksniff sat upon a stool because of her simplicity aud innocence which were very great very great


miss pecksniff bat upon a aioul because the was all girlish ness and playfulness and wildness and kit tenish buoyancy


she was the most arch and at the same time the most artless creature was tlie youngest miae pecksniff that you can pos sibly imagine


il was her great clurui


she ivas too fresh and guileless and loo full of cbildlike vivacity was tbe youngest miss peck sniff to wearcombs in her hair or to turn it up or to frizzle it or braid il


she wore il in u crop a loosely flowing crop which lad so many rov of curls in it lliat tlie lop roiv was only one curl


moderately buxom wa ber shape and quite womanly too but sometimes yes sometimes she even wore a pinafure aud


low charming tlmt


wan


i ob


she was indeed gushing tiling as a young gentleman had illumed iu verse iu tlie poetvcorutr of a pro vincial newspaper was the youngest miss mr pecksniff was a moral man a grave man a man of ncble sentimenib and speech and he had bad her christened mercy


mercy


i


oh what a charming name for such ft pure soiiled being us the youngest miss pecksniffl her bisters name was charily


there was a good thing


mercy and charity and charily with her fine strong sense and hpr mild yet not reproachful gravity was so well named nnd did so well set off and illustrate her sister i what a pleasant sight was that the contrasl they presented to see each loved and loving one sympathising with and devote


to and leaning on and yet correcting mid counterchecking nnn as it were anuuoung the other to behold each damsel in her very admiration of her sister setting up in business for herself on an entirely different principle wny and if the quality of the goods nl that establishment dont please vou you are respect fully invifid to favour me with o call


aud the crowning circumstance of ibe whole de ligblful catalogue was that both the fair creatures were so utterly unconscious of nil tliis


they bad no idea of it


they no more thought or dreamed of it tliou mr pecksniff did


nature played them off against each other they lad no baud in it the two miss pecksniffs


it has been remarked that mr pecksniff was a moral man


so be was


perhaps there never was n more moral moi tlian mr eck sniff especially in liis conversation and corres iotiijeiioe


it was once an id of him by a homely admirer tlinl lie lind n fortunatuss purse of fjoort sentiments in lib inside


in this purlieu ar he was like tlie girl in the fairy tale ex cept that if they were not actual diamonds which fell from liis lips they were the very brightest paste and slione prodigiously


he precept titan a copybook same people likened him to n dilfctiuiipost winch is always telling tbe way to a place and never poes there but i i


i i j i iijese were jjjs enemies i ills simaons cubi uy


his brightness


that was all


his very throat was moral


vou saw a rood deal of il


vou looked over a very low fence or white cravat whereof no man liad ever beheld the tie for lie fastened it behindhand tliereit lav a valley between two jutting heights of collar serene ano wuiskeness ueiore you


iiseemea say on the part of mr pecksniff there is no de holy caini pervades me


so did his hair just rrizzed with an irongrey which was all brushed off his forehead and stood bolt up rifht or slightly drooped in kindred action with liis heavv eyelids


so did his person which was sleek though free from corpulency bo did his manner which was soft and oily


in a word even bis plain black suit and btate of widoner aud dangling double eyeglass all tended to the same purpose and cried aloud


behold tbe moral pecksniffl tbe brazen plate upon the doorfwhich being mr pecksniffs could not lip bore this inscrip tion pecksniff ancitrrnct to which mr pecksniff on bis cards of business added and landsdrveyor


in one sense and only one he may be said to have been a land surveyor on a pretty large scale as an exten sive prospect lay stretched out before the win dows of bis house


oluisimhilcituraldoiugs nolhirijj was clearly known excnjil that he bud never designed or built anvlliiiijr bul it was generally understood that liis knovleile or tbe science was almost awful in its profundity


mr pecksniffs professional cnirawnients indeed were almost if notitirpk confined to the rccpplion of pupils fur tlie collection of rents with which pursuit beoccasionallv varied and relieved his graver toils can harlly be said to be a strictly architectural employment


flis genius lav in ensnaring parents and guard ians and in pocketing premiums


a young gentlemans premium beinjr paid and theyoun gentleman come to mr pecksniffs huuse mr pcasnin borrowed his ense of mathematical instruments if silvermounted or olbcrnise valuable euireated him from that moment to consider hinjjseif one of the fatnijy com plimented bim highly on his parents or guar dians as tbe ense might be and turned bim loose in a spacious roum on tbe twopuir front boards parallel rulers very slifflerged com asses and two


or perhaps three tuber young gentlemen be improved liimsell for three or five years according to his ir icles in niakin elevulious ol salisbury cathedral from every possible point of sight and in constructing in the air a vusi quantity of castles houses of par liament and other public buildings


perhaps in no placein the world were o many geous mlinces ol tins cniiis erected as under mr pecksniffs auspices and if bul one twentieth liart ol the churches which were built iu that out


room


with onp or oilier of the m iss peck emffs at the nltnr in the act of marrying flit architect culd only be made available by tlie parliamentary commissioners iiomurechircles would be wanted fur at least fire crnturies


even llie worldly roods of which we have just disposed suid mr pecksniff glancing round the table when he had finished even aud egge suggested charity in a joiv and eggs


said mr pecksniff even they have their moral


see how they come and go ealoijgrsifrawle imlulifevu liaruihus fluids we gel the dropsy if it exciting liquids we get drunk


what a soothing reflection is thai


dont say m get drunk


pa urged llie eldeel miss pecksniff


when i say we my dear returned hr father i mean mankind in general the hu diviilunlu


there is nutliiiiu personal in mo nilitv my love liven such a thing us this siiidmrpecksniff laying the furefiiiier of his iffl luiiiil upun the bnnvn paper patch on llie top his heal siil casualty baldness though il bp reminds us lliat we are bul lie was going lo say worms but recollecting lhil ivrrms were not rellmklile for heads ol hair he substituted flesh uud uluod


which cried mr pecksniff uliera pause during which he seemed have been casting fully which is also verv soothing


mere my dear stir llie fire and throw up the cinders


the young lady obeyed and huviug done so resumed her sluo reposed one arm upon hrr faihrrs knee and laid her blooming cheek upon il


miss charity drew her chair nearer the fire as one prepared fur conversation aud looked towards her father


yes said mr pecksniff after a short pause during which he bad been silently smiling and shaking his head at the fire i have again been fortunate in die attainment of my object


a new iumate will very shortly


a youth papa asked charity


yees a youth aid m r pecksniff


he will avail himself of the eligible opportunity wb ch nuw offers for uniting tbe advanluges of tbe best practical architectural education wiiu luc comions a uoine ana tue constant association with some who however humble their sphere and limited their capacity are uot unmindful of their moral responsibilities


ob pal cried mercy holding uji her finjrer archly


see ajvci tiaeinem


ployful playful warbler said mr peck sniff


it may be observed in connexion iti bis calling his daugliler a warbler that she was not at all vocal but that m r pecksniff was in tbe frequent habit of using any wurd ibat occurred lo him as having a goud sound and rounding a sentence well without much care for its meaning


aud he did this su boldly and in such an impobin manner thai he woulu sometimes stagger the wisest people nith liis eloquence and make them gasp again


ilia enemies asserted by the way that a strong trustfulness in sounds and forms was tbe masterkey to mr pecksniffs character


is he handsome pat enquired tbe younger daughter


silly merry said tbe eldest merry being fond for mercy


what is ibe premium pal tell us that


till good gracious cherry i cried miss mercy uolding up ber bauds wioi the most winning giggle in the world what a merce nary girl you are oil you naughty thoughtful prudent thing


it was perfectly charming and worthy of the pastoral age to see how the two miss pecksniffs slapped each other after tbist and then subsided into nn embrace expressive ol their different dispositions


he is welllooking said mr pecksniff slowly and distinctly welllooking enough


i do nut positively expect any immediate pre mium with him


notwithstanding their different natures both charity and mercy concurred in opening their eyes uncommonly wide al tbis announce ment nnd in looking for the moment as blank as if their thoughts had actually had a direct bearing on the mainchaiice


bul what of that said mr pecksniff still smiling at the fire


there is disinte restedness in tlie world i liopet we are not all arrayed iu two opposite ranks tbe ofensive and tbe tfcfeusive


some few there are who walk brtwecii who help the needy as they go and lake no part with either side urapb i thers was somelhing in these morsels of philanthropy which reassured tbe sisters


they exchanged glances and brightened very much


oil i let us not be for ever calculating de vising and plotting ror the future said mr pecksnilf smiling more and more and looking joke with il em weary of sucb arts


if uur inclinatiunsare but good and openhearted let us grnlifv them boldiy though they bring upon us loss instead or profit ltb charity


glancin towards liis daughters for the first lime since lie had begun these reflections and eeeins iliit they boih smiled mr pecksniff eyed them fo nn instant so jocosely though slill with a kind of saintly waggishness thai tbe younger one was moved tj sil upon his knee forthwith put ber fair arms round his neck and kiss bim twenty times


during the wliolc of this affectionate display ehe liiughcd to a most immoderate extent in which hilarious indulgence even tbe prudeul cherry joined


tut tut said sir pecksniff pushing his latest born away and running bis fingers through his hair as he resumed bis tranquil face


what folly is this i lel us hike beed how we laugh without reason lest vte cry wiib it


what is llie domestic newssiuc yester day


john wesllock is gone i hope


indeed no said charity


and why not returned ber father


his term expired yesterday


and his box was packed know for i saw it in the morning suiidids in the ball


heslept last night at the dragon re turned the young lady and had mr pincli to dine with him


they spent the evening to gether aud mr pinch was nol home till very late


aim wlien l saw mm on ine siairsiuid morning


pa said mercy with her usual spriditlincss he looked oh goodness sucta moiister i with bis face all manner of colours and bis eyes as dull as if they had been boiled and his bend aching dreadfully am sure from tbe louk of it and his dollies smelling oh its impossible to say how slrong of here the vonmrladvshnddered of smoke and punch


now i think said mr pecksniff with his accustomed gentleness though still wilh the air of one who suffered under injury without complaint think mr pinch might have done better than choose for his companion one who at the close of a long intercourse had en deavoured as be knew to wound rov feelings


i am not quite sure that tbis was delicate in mr pinch


i am not quite sure that this was kind in mr pinch


i will go further and say i am not quite sure thai this was even ordi narily gratelul in mr pinch


bui wliil can any one expect from mr pinch cried charity with as strong and scornful an emphasis on the name as if it would have giveu ber unspeakable peaeure lo express il in an acted charade on the calf of that ay av returned her father raising hi iiand miljlv it u rery well to say what can we expert from mr pinch but mr pinch is a fellowcreature my dear mr pinch is an item iu tbe vast total or humanity my love and ue have a riirlit il is ourduty to expect in mr inch some development of tliose better persons inspires our humble selfrespect no continued air


pecksniff


no heaven for bid llnit i should say nothing can be expected from mr pinch or that i sliould say nothing can be expected from any man alive even tue most degraded which mr pinch is not no really but mr pinch baa disappointed me lie bus hurt me i think a liltle the worse of obi no no


to be continued


flatter utmplsrtrp qlortk


o


iirsonal adventures of misteri jiudiphrey


r old cunlosity siiopciiaprrn xv


often while they were yet pacing the silent streets of the town on the morning of their departure the child trembled with a mingled sensation of hope and fear as in some faroff figure imperfectly seen in the clear distance her fancy traced a likeness to honest kit


but although she would gladly have given him her hand and thanked him for what he had said at their last meeting it was always a relief to find when they came nearer to each other that the per


son who approached was not he but a stranger for even if she had not dreaded the effect which the sight of him might have wrought upon her fellow traveller she felt that to bid farewell to any body now and most of all him who had been so faithful and so true was more than she could bear


it was enough to leave dumb things behind and objects that were insensible both to her love and sor sow


to have parted from her only other friend upon the threshold of that wild journey would have wrung her heart indeed


why is it that we can better bear to part in spirit than inbody and while we have the fortitude to act farewell have not the nerve to say it


on the eve of long voyages or an absence of many years friends who are tenderly attached will separate with the usual look the usual pressure of the hand planning one final itorview for the morrow while each well knows that it is but a poor feint to save the pain of uttering that one word and that the meeting will never be


should possibilities be worse to bear than certainties we do not shun our dying friends the not having distinctly taken leave of one among them whom we left in all kindness and affection will often embitter the whole remainder of a life


the town was glad with morning light places that had shewn ugly and distrustful all night long now wore a smile and sparkling sunbeams dancing on chamber windows and twinkling through blind and curtain before sleepers eyes shed light even into dreams and chased away the shadows of the night


birds in hot rooms covered up close and dark felt it was morning and chafed and grew rest less in their little cells bright eyed mice crept back to their tiny homes and nestled timidly together the sleek house cat forgetful of her prey sat wink


ing at the rays of sun starting through key hole and cranny in the door and longed for her stealthy run and warm sleek bask outside


the nobler beasts confined in dens stood motionless behind their bars and gazed on fluttering boughs and sunshine peeping through some little window with eyes in which old forests gleamedthen trod impatiently the track their prisoned feet had wornand stopped and gazed again


men in their dungeons stretched their cramped cold limbs and cursed the stone that no bright sky could warm


the flowers that sleep by night opened their gentle eyes and turned them to the day


the light creations mind was everywhere and all things owned its power


the two pilgrims often pressing each others hands or exchanging a smile or cheerful look pur sued their way in silence


bright and happy as it was there was something solemn in the long de serted streets from which like bodies without souls all habitual character and expression had departed leaving but one dead uniform repose that made them all alike


all was so still in that early hour that the few pale people whom they met seemed as muclh unsuited to the scene as the sickly lamp which had been here and there left burning was power less and faint in the full glory of the sun


before they had penetrated very far into the laby


rinth of mens abodes which yet lay between them and the outskirts this aspect began to melt away and noise and bustle to usurp its place


somestrag


gling carts and coaches rumbling by first broke the charm then others came then others yet more active then a crowd


the wonder was at first to see a tradesmans window open but it was a rare thing soon to see one closed then smoke rose slowly from the chimneys and sashes were thrown up to let in air and doors were opened and servant girls look ing lazily in all directions but their brooms scat tered brown clouds of dust into the eyes of shrinking passengers or listened disconsolately to the milkmen who spoke of country fairs and told of waggons in the mews with awnings and all things complete and gallant swains to boot which another hour would see upon their journey


the quarter passed they came upon the haunts of commerce and great traffic where many people were resorting and business was already rife


the old man looked about him with a startled and be wildered gaze for these were places that he hoped to shun


he pressed his finger on his lip and drew the child along by narrow courts and winding ways nor did he seem at ease until they had left it far be hind often casting a backward look towards it mur murinog that ruin and selfmurder were crouching in every street and would follow if they scented them and that they could not bfly toofast


again this quarter passed they came upon a straggling neighbourhood where the mean houses parcelled off in rooms and windows patched with rags and paper told of the populous poverty that sheltered there


the shops sold goods thlat only poverty could buy and sellers and buyers were pinched and griped alike


here were poor streets where faded gentility essayed with scanty space and shipwreck means to make its last feeble stand but taxgatherer and creditor came there as olse where and the poverty that yet faintly struggled was hardly less squalid and manifest than that whiclh had long ago submitted and given up the game


this was a wide wide track for the humble followers of the camp of wealth pitch their tents round about it for many a mile but its character was still the same


damp rotten houses many to let many yet building many half built and moulder ing away lodgings where it would behard to tell which needed pity most those who let or those who camnle to take children scantily fed end clothed spread over every street and sprawling in the dust scolding mothlers stamping their slipshod feet withl noisy thlreats uipon the pavement shabby fathers hurrying withl dispirited looks to the occupation whichls brought lthem daily bread and little more manglingwomen washerwomen cobblers tailors chandlers driving their trades in parlours and kitchens and backrooms and garrets and some times all of tlhem under the same root brickfields skirting gardens paled with staves of old casks or timber pillaged from houses burnt down and black


oened and blistered by the flames mounds of dock weed nettles coarse grass and oyster shells heaped in rank confusion small dissenting chapels to teach with no lack of illustration the miseries of earthl and plenty of new churches erected with a little superfluous wealth to show thle way to hieaven


at length tlhese streets becoming more straggling yet dwindled and dwindled away until there were only small garden patches bordering the road with many a suinmerhouse innocent of paint and built of old tinmber or some fragments of a boat green as the tough cabbagestalks that grew about it and grotteod at the seams with toadstools and tight sticking snails


to these succeeded pert cottages two and two with plots of ground in front laid out in angular beds with stiff box borders and narrow paths between where footstep never strayed to make the gravel rough


then came the public house freshly painted in green and white with tea gardens and a bowlinggreen spurning its old neighbour with the horsetrough where the waggons stopped then fields and then some houses one by one


of goodly size with lawns some even witlh a lodge where dwelt a porter and his wife


then came a turnpike then fields again with trees and haystacks then a hill and on the top of that the traveller might stop and looking back at old saint pauls looking through the smoke its cross peeping above thecloud if the day were clear and glittering in the sun and casting his eyes upon the babel out of which it grew until he traced it down to the furthest outposts of the invading army of bricks and mortar whose station lay for the present nearly at his feet might feel at last that he was clear of london


near such a spot as tlis and in a pleasant field the old man and his little guide if guide she were who knew not whither they were bound sat down to rest


she had had the precaution to furnish her basket with some slices of bread and meat and here they made their frugal breakfast


the freshness of the day the singing of the birds the beauty of the waving grass the deep green leaves the wild flowers and the thousand exquisite scents and sounds that floated in the airdeep joys to most of us but most of all to those whose life is in a crowd or who live solitary in great cities as in the bucket of a human wellsunk into their breasts and made them very glad


the child had repeated her artless prayers once that morning more earnestly perhaps than she had ever done in all her life but as she felt all this they rose to her lips again


the old man took off his hatlihe had no memory for the wordsbut he said amen and that they were very good


there had been an old copy of the pilgrims progress with strange plates upon a shelf at home over which she had often pored whole evenings wondering whether it was true in every word and where those distantcountries with the curious names might be


as she looked back upon tile place they had left one part of it came strongly on her mind


dear grandfather she said only that this place is prettier and a great deal better than the real one if that in the book is like it i feel as if we were both christian and laid down on this grass all the cares and troubles we brought with us never to take them up again


nonever to returnnever to returnreplied the old man waving his hand toward the city


thou and i are free of it now nell


they shall never lure us back


are you tired said the child are you sure you dont feel ill from this long walk


i shall never feel ill again now that we are once away was his reply


let us be stirring nell


we mustbe further awaya long long way further


we are too near to stop and be at rest


come i there was a pool of clear water in the field in which the child laved her hands and face and cooled her feet before setting forth to walk again


she would have the old man refresh himself in this way too and making him sit down upon the grass cast the water on him with her hands and dried it with her simple dress


i can do nothing for myself my darling said the grandfather


i dont know how it is i could once but the times gone


dont leave me nell say that thoult not leave me


i loved thee all the while indeed i did


if i lose thee too my dear i must die


he laid his head upon her shoulder and moaned piteously


the time had been and a very few days before when the child could not have restrained her tears and must have wept with him


but now she soothed him with gentle and tender words smiled at his thinking they could ever part and rallied him cheerfully upon the jest


he was soon calmed and fell asleep singing to himself in a low voice like a little child


he awoke refreshed and they continued their journey


the road was pleasant lying between beautiful pastures and fields of corn above which poised high in the clear blue sky the lark trilled out her happy song


the air came laden with the fragrance it caught upon its way and the bees up


borne upon its scented breath hummed forth their drowsy satisfaction as they floated by


to beeontilued


the sydney hiraldwo per ceive that the proprietorship of the sydney herald has passed from the hands of mr stokes to those of messrs kemp and fairfax who being both prac tical men in their departments can hardly fail to turn the property to good account


architeciruii at jathurstat last tile town of bathlurst is beautified with a new catholic church raising its turretted head over the gaol wvall and service is to be performed there on next sunday


it is a costly buildmng in the ancient gothic style with splendid stained glass lights ex hiibiting various scriptural paintings and when finally complete will vie with any churchl of the same dinmensions in the colony


now that the catholics of this district hiave the opportunity of attending divine worship it is expected they will congregate and attend the religion of their forefathers


it is due to mr white the contractor to notice his talented efforts in erecting this church in so short a period wlhen labour was so difficult to be procured


corresprondent


nrews and rumours of the day


a librarian for the australian stsbscription library is advertised for letters applying for the situation to be sent to the secretary before the rd of march


the members of the cecilian society will hold a general meeting at the old court house castlereagh street on the th insta new race course one mile in circuit has been staked off at home bush farm about half way between sydney and parra


mnnmanttathe first alshow of the loral society will be exhibited in the sydney market lettes a tomorrow mr and mrs bushelles concert will be given at the victoria theatre tomorrow eveningsir thos


mitchell lady and family arrived in the colony on thlursday last by the mary


banonatyne


it is said that the tiger imported by the ship john barry from india has been purchased by a gentleman in sydney who intends to exhibit ltn on the sydney stage


inquasttsan inquest wasn held on saturday morning at the house of mr driver thiree luns tavern corner of king and elizabeth streets on tlhe body of an old man name unklowu who had expired in the hospital on friday morning


it appeared that deceased had been found by some constables on thursday night lying in pittstreet near hunterstreet in a state of insensibility and was conveyed to the watchhouse from whence ihe was removed to the hospital


dr harnett certified that death was occasioned by apoplexy and a verdict accordingly was returnedanother inquest was held on friday at winterups public house sussex street on thle body of robert rennie a settler at the five islands who died suddenly the same day


dr savage having certified that death was caused by apoplexy a verdict to that effect was recorded


a third inquest was hield yesterday at le hurnss parramattastreet on the body of a man named john mlurray a cooper who died in ithe benevolent asylum on jriday last


the jury returned a verdict of apoplexy induced by habits of intemperance


we maay seo the small value that god hathl for riches biy the people he gives them to


diogerns


taserr lttntpfrrg cloeri


personal adventures of masteri huimphfrey


hi old cuiriosity stiopchapter xxxiv


in course of time that is to say after a couple of hours or so of diligent application iliss brass arrived at the conclusion of her task and recorded the fact by wiping her pen upon the green gown and taking a pinch of snuff from a little round tin box which she carried in her pocket


having dlsponsed of this temperate refreshment she arose from her stool tied her papers into a formal packet with red tape and taking them under her arm marched out of the office


mlr


swiveller had scarcely sprung off his seat and commenced the performance of a maniac hornpipe when he was interrupted in the fulness of his joy at being again alone by the opening of the door and the reappearance of miss sallys head


i am going out said miss brass


very good maam returned dick


and dont hurry yourself on my account to come back maam he added inwardly


if anybody comes on office business take their messages and say that the gentleman who attends to that matter isnt in at preosent will you said miss brass


i will maam replied dick


si shant be very long said miss brass retiring


im sorry to hear it maam rejoined dick when he had shut the door


i hope you may be unexpectedly detained maam


if you could manage to be run over maam but not seriously so much the better


so im brasss clerk am i said dick


brasss clerk eh


and the clerk of brasss sister clerk to a female dragon


very good very good


what shall i be next


shall i be a convict in a felt hat and a grey suit trotting about a dockyard with my number neatly embroidered on my uniform and the order of the garter on my leg restrained from chafing my anele by a twisted belcher handker chief shall be that


will that do or is it too genteel


whatever you please have it your own way of course


as he was entirely alone it may be presumed that in these remarks mr swiveller addressed himself to his fate or destiny whom as we learn by the precedents it is the custom of heroes to taunt in a very bitter and ironical manner when they find themselves in circumstances of an unpleasant nature


this is the more probable from the circumstance of mr swiveller directing his observations to the ceiling which these bodiless personages are usually supposed to inhabit except in theatrical cases when they live in the heart of the great chandelier


quilp offers me this place which he says he can insure me resumed dick after a thoughtful silence and telling oelf the circumstances of his position one by one upon his fingers fred who i could have taken my affidavit would not have heard of such a thing backs quilp to my astonish


ment and urges me to take it alsostaggerer num ber one


my aunt in the country stops the supplies and writes an affectionate note to say that she has made a new will and left me out of itstaggerer number two


no money no credit no support from fred who seems to turn steady all at once notice to quit the old lodgingsstaggerers three four five and six


under an accumulation of staggerers no man can be considered a free agent


no man knocks himself down if his destiny knocks him down his destiny must pick him up again


then im very glad that mine has brought all this upon itself and i shall be as careless as i can and make myself quite at home to spite it


so go on my buck said mr swiveller taking his leave of the ceiling with a significant nod and let us see which of us will be tired first


dismissing the subject of his downfall with these reflections which were no doubt very profound and are indeed not altogether unknown in certain systems of moral philosophy mr swiveller shook off his despondency and assumed the cheerful ease of an irresponsible clerk


as a means towards his composure and self possession he entered into a more minute exami nation of the office than he had yet had time to make looked into the wigbox the books and ink bottle untied and inspected all the papers carved a few devices on the table with the sharp blade of mr brasss penknife and wrote his name on the inside of the wooden coalscuttle


having as it were taken formal possession of his clerkship in virtue of these proceedings he opened the win w and leaned negligently out of it until a beerboy happened to pass whom he commanded to set down his tray and to serve him with a pint of mild porter which he drank upon the spot and promptly paid for with the view of breaking ground for a system of future credit and opening a correspondence tending thereto without loss of time


then three or four little boys dropped in on legal errands from three or four attorneys of the brass grade whom mr swi veller received and dismissed with about as profes slonal a manner and as correct and comprehensive an understanding of their business as would have been shown by a clown in a pantomine under similar circumstances


these things done and over he got upon his stool again and tried his hand at drawing caricatures of miss brass with a pen and ink whistling very cheerfully all the time


hle was occupied in this diversion when a coach stopped near the door and presently afterwards there was a loud doubleknock


as this was no business of mr swivellers the person not ringing the office bell hie pursued his diversion with perfect composure notwithstanding that he ratlher thought there was nobody else in the house


in this however he was mistaken for jafter the knock had been repeated with increased impatience the door was opened and somebody with a very heavy tread went up the stairs and into the room above


mr swiveller was wondering whether this might be another miss brass twin sister to the dragon when there came a rapping of knuckles at the office door


come in i said dick


dont stand upon ceremony


the business will get rather complicated if ive many more customers


come in i oh please said a little voice very low down in the doorway will you come and show the lodgings


dick leant over the table and descried a small slipshod girl in a dirty coarse apron and bib which left nothing of her visible but her face and feet


she might as well have been dressed in a violincase


whly who are you said dick


to which the only reply was oh please will you come and show the lodgings


there never was such an oldfashlioned child in hter looks and manner


shie must have been at work from her cradle


she semed as much afraid of dick as dick was amazed at her


i havent got anything to do with the lodgings said dick


tell em to call again


oh but please will you come and show the lodgings returned the girl its eighteen shillings a week and us finding plate and linen


boots and clothes is extra and fires in wintertime is eightpence a day


why dont you show em yourselfi you seem to know all about em said dick


miss sally said i wasnt to because people wouldnt believe thie attendance was good if they saw how small i was at first


well but theyll see how small you are after wards wont they said dick


ah


but then theyll have taken em for a fortnight certain replied the child with a shrewd look and people dont like moving when theyre once settled


this is a queer sort of thing muttered dick rising


what doyou mean to say you arethe cook yes i do plain cooking replied the child


im housemaid too i do all the work of the house


i suppose brass and the dragon and i do the dirtiest part of it thought dick


and he might have thought much more being in a doubtful and hesitating mood but that the girl again urged her request and certain mysterious bumping sounds on the passage and staircase seemed to give notice of the applicants impatience


richard swiveller tlherefore sticking a pen behind each ear and carrying another in his mouth as a token of hiis great importance and devotion to business hurried out to meet and treat with the single gentleman


he was a little surprised to perceive that the bumping sounds were occasioned by the progress up stairs of the single gentlemans trunk which being nearly twice as wide as the staircase and exceed ingly heavy withal it was no easy matter for the united exertions of the single gentleman and the coachman to convey up the steep ascent


but there they were crushing each other and pushing and pulling with all their might and getting the trunk tight and fast in all kinds of impossible angles and to pass them was out of the question for which sufficient reason mr swiveller followed slowly behind entering a new protest on every stair against the house of mr sampson brass being thus taken by storm


to these remonstrances the single geqtleman answered not a word but when the trunk was at last got into the bedroom sat down upon it and wiped his bald head and face with his handkerchief


he was very warm and well he mnight be for not to mention the exertion of getting the trunk up stairs he was closely muffled up in winter garments though the thermometer had stood all day at eighty


one in the shade


i believe sir said richard swiveller taking his pen out of his mouth that you desire to look at these apartments


they are very charming apart ments sir


they command an uninterrupted view ofof over the way and they are within one minutes walk ofof the corner of the street


there is exceedingly mild porter sir in the immediate vicinity and the contingent advantages are extra ordinary


whats the rent said the single gentleman


one pound per week replied dick improving on the terms


ill take em


the boots and clothes are extras said dick and the fires in winter time are are all agreed to answered the single gentle man


two weeks certain said dick are the two weeks i cried the single gentleman gruffly eyeing him from top to toe


two years


i shall live here for two years


here


ten pounds down


the bargains made


why you see said dick my names not brass and who said it was


my names not brass


what then


the name of the master of thle house is said dick


im glad of it returned the single gentleman its a good name for a lawyer


coachman you may go


so may you sir


mr swiveller was so much confounded by the single gentleman riding roughshod over him at this rate that he stood looking at him almost as hard as he had looked at miss sally


the single gentleman however was not in the slightest degree affected by this circumstance but proceeded with perfect com posure to unwind the shawl which was tied round his neck and then to pull off his boots


freed of these encumbrances he went on to divest himself of his other clothing which he folded up piece by piece and ranged in order upon the trunk


then ihe pulled down the window blinds drew the curtains wound up his watch and quite leisurely and methodically got into bed


take down the bill were his parting words as he looked out from between the curtains and let nobody call me till i ring the bell


this is a most remarkable and supernatural sort of house i said mr swivcller as he walked into the office with the bill in his hand


shedragons in the business conducting themselves like profes sional gentlemen plain cooks of three feet high appearing mysteriously from under ground strangers walking in and going to bed without leave or license in the middle of the day


if he should be one of the miraculous fellows that turn up now and then and has gone to sleep for two years i shall be in a pleasant situation


its my destiny however and i hope brass may like it


i shall be sorry if he dont


but its no business of minei hiave nothing what ever to do with it


to be continued


lights and shadows of immigrant life


chapter vii


contents sickness overtakes george mortimer the distress of his wife the want of a friend the friendly missionary he undertakes to acquaint hayes of their condition the visit to canvas town immigrants troubles a friend in need is a friend indeed result of the visit of dr quinine c


through the frail walls of a respectable looking tent in canvas town was heard one evening by the passers by and those in the immediate neighborhood the low moaning of distress as if some one was suffering great pain mingled at times with the crying of young chil dren and the melancholy exclamations of a female voice


this was the tent formerly described and in which mr mortimer resided the acquaintance of mr hayes whose visit was described in a former chapter


poor mortimer from laboring beyond his strength at work to which he was not accustomed had been taken suddenly ill and had been lying in a state of great suffering for several days


his wife watched tenderly over him and did the best she could to alle viate his sufferings but the inefficient shelter from the cold blasts that now swept across the hill proved very detrimental to the sick man and only served to aggra vate the disease


mrs mortimer had indeed called in the assistance of a medical man who visited the en campment but he failed to give relief though he never forgot to demand his fee on the occasion of each visit


this with the cost of the medicines prescribed had made sad inroads on the little store of cash left in the possession of the unfortunate family and they were literally reduced to the last shilling on the evening in question


the illness of mr mortimer and his con sequent inability to earn anything to support them cutting off further supplies


what are we to do george bitterly exclaimed mrs mortimer there is only a shilling left to get food for the children and the medicine for you


oh


what shall we do


poor mortimer could only sigh deeply in the midst of his own pain which was aggravated by the thought of his dear wife and infant children enduring all the miseries of starvation


he could only reply by reminding his wife that he who cared for the humblest living creature in the universe would care for them and though apparently amid strangers some kind friend would yet assist them in their troubles


the thought however of their helpless condition over whelmed the poor suffering man weakened as he was by illness and he burst into an agony of weeping which only aggravated still farther the distress of his poor wife


at length composing himself he said if we could get any one to go over to collingwood to mr hayes i think he would assist us


he will not desert an old friend in need


but how are we to get any one to go to mr hayes exclaimed mrs mortimer


i would go myself but i cannot leave you and the children and you know we are acquainted with no one here besides though i could get a messenger none will go without being highly paid and we have no money


gods will be done said mortimer we shall see what tomorrow will bring forth


another weary night was passed by the poor sufferer anxiously watched over by his attached but wornout wife


the sun at last rose and lit up the tents of canvas town with his cheering rays but he brought no relief to poor mortimer who was fast sinking under the virulence of his disorder and agony of mind com bined


it was the sabbaith morning and a stillness reigned around


as the morning wore on however the bustle amongst the tents became more audible and as the day advanced parties in vehicles of various des criptions passed along through the street of touts on their way to st kilda and other places to spend the day as a holiday a practice but too prevalent in the colony leading to a large amount of dissipation and vice


after giving her little children the scanty breakfast her nearlyexhausted stores enabled her to prepare for them and attending to the wants of her sick husband mrs mortimer sat down to think on what was to be done in their present destitute condition


the more she reflected the blacker and more dismal the prospect appeared


she was in the midst of strangers in a strange land unknowing and unknown no kind friend near her and the only one her husband could apply to was ignorant of their condition nor had they the means of acquainting him of their wants


truly the condition of the sick immi grant is a pitiable one and poor mrs mortimer felt bit terly the helpless condition she was in


her children were mere infants who required a large share of her attention and as she gazed first on her sick and suffer ing husband and then on her little innocents she groaned in bitterness of spirit and inwardly prayed for relief


while in a state of mind bordering on distrac tion she heard the canvas opening in the tent which she had carefully closed to keep out the cold air of the morning agitated and a mild voice exclaiming may i come in


drawing aside the canvas she beheld a hale and healthy looking though venerable man clothed in black and wearing altogether a more respectable appearance than the generality of the male colonists she had seen


bowing respectfully to mrs mortimer he told her that he was informed one of the inmates of the tent lay sick and as was his custom he had called to offer consolation and advice


come in sir said mrs mortimer glad to see some one whose appearance betokened friendly inten tions


come in sir my husband lies very ill indeed and has been so for several days now


dr odonoghue for it was he was both a missionary and a medical man who devoted his life to doing good and relieving distress wherever he found it


he en tered the tent ejaculating peace be in this dwelling and seating himself by the lowly bedside of poor mortimer he addressed to him words of comfort fitted to his condition which the sick man listened to with grateful attention and evident pleasure


in the most delicate manner dr odonoghue asked if they had any friends in the colony when mrs mortimer informed him that they had not


mortimer himself however thought this a most providential opportunity and told him of his anxiety to let his friend hayes know his state and he asked dr odonoghue if he knew him


i have not the pleasure of knowing your friend mr hayes replied dr odonoghue but if he is to be found in melbourne i will search him out


george mortimer thanked the kindhearted mission ary and handing him a card with mr hayes address on it told him he would do him an unspeakable favor if he would call on that gentleman at his earliest conve nience


i shall lose no time in doing that said dr odo noghue it shall be my first duty when i leave this and after some further conversation in which however mr mortimer carefully concealed their true state from


dr odonoghue that benevolent person rose to take leave not however without promising to call again in a day or two


dr odonoghue was too familiar with the state of many new arrivals at that period in particular not to see that the family he had visited though uncomplain ing to him were very much in want of some sympathi sing friend if not in destitute circumstances


he lost no time therefore in proceeding at once to mr hayes house to acquaint him of the state in which he found the mortimers


mr hayes and his family having been at church that morning were preparing to go out to see a friend at some considerable distance when dr odonoghue knocked at their cottage door


mr hayes know the doctor by report as well as by sight and therefore re ceived him kindly


how much was he shocked when informed of his errand and he learned with surprise and sorrow the melancholy condition of his old friend


mrs hayes felt an equal interest in the unfortunate mortimers and at once agreed to accompany her hus band to canvas town to see them


they therefore at once postponed their present intentions and with out loss of time were soon on their way to visit the mor timers


dr odonoghue walked part of the distance with them during which time he informed the hayes more minutely of the circumstances in which he sur mised the family were in at same time telling them that mortimer had not hinted to him that he was not well off


dr odonoghues experience in such cases only led him to suppose so


this hint of the worthy man was not lost upon mr hayes who had taken the precaution to put some money in his pocket in case it might be wanted


thanking dr odonoghue for his attention they parted and in a short time mr hayes and his wife were approaching the tents of the en campment


the tent of the mortimers was soon reached and on entering they were received with evident satisfaction by its inmates


poor george mortimer in the midst of his suffering gladly welcomed his friend


he extended his emaciated hand to hayes and weakly pressed that of the latter


his looks expressed his gratitude more eloquently than words could


as for mrs mortimer her feelings at the sight of the deeply sympathising mrs hayes found vent in a copious flood of tears


at length mrs hayes inquired how long mr mortimer had been ill and if he had received any medical aid


we have had a doctor who practises among the inhabitants of this place said mrs mortimer but i have very little faith in his skill


he seems to me to know but little of his profession


but some more experienced man must be got said mr hayes


mr mortimer must have the best advice that can be got


alas replied the afflicted wife how can we obtain medical advice when we have no money to pay for it


i will take that charge upon myself said mr hayes poor mortimer must not want for assistance on that account


as i go to town i will call on a doctor that i am acquainted with and send him over to see you


how shall we ever repay your kindness ex claimed mrs mortimer through her tears


god will bless you for it if we cannot reward you


do not name that my dear mrs mortimer said mrs hayes


i assure you we shall feel the greatest pleasure if we can assist you


hayes has been fortu nate himself and will gladly help an old friend


then in the most delicate manner she hinted that as they might be unable to meet present wants she quietly passed into mrs mortimers hand a five pound note desiring her to get whatever was necessary and let her know when it was exhausted


poor mrs mortimer was quite overcome at this in stance of her friends delicate kindness and frankly confessed that the expenses attending her husbands illness had exhausted the little funds they had left and that she had that morning expended her last shil ling in getting food for the childrens breakfast


in deed exclaimed mrs mortimer until your friendly visit we did not know what would become of us and we have no friends in this strange land but mr hayes and yourself


mortimer himself on his lonely couch could only look his thanks for this timely assistance but that look spoke volumes from a grateful heart


in the midst of this exciting scene the two eldest children were playing innocently on the floor of the tent


mrs hayes called to the little boy who came to her accompanied by his little sister


she patted his curly locks and asked him if he would go home with her for a few days and play with her little boys


i should like to go said the little fellow but you know papa is so ill and i could not leave him and you know mamma says i must be a good boy and play with amy


you are a very good boy said mrs hayes and i love you for your obedience to your mamma but i think you would be better to come with me for a few days


bursting into a flood of tears the little fellow ex claimed oh mamma i cannot leave you when papa is so ill and he sobbed as if his little heart would break


my dear child said mrs hayes do not cry so i have no wish for you to leave mamma if you would rather remain


when papa is better perhaps you will come


oh yes said the little fellow smiling through his tears i will be sure to come when papa gets well again


very well my dear child replied mrs hayes


i hope papa will soon get well and then you shall come and stay with me for a few days and i will give you pretty flowers


oh that will be so nice after papa is well you know and he turned to amuse his little sister who was clinging to his side during the conversation


mrs hayes felt deeply interested in the poor children and would gladly have taken the two eldest with her but she thought that as poor mrs mortimer seemed to feel the idea of parting with them even for a short time so much that she did not press it for the present re solved however that should any change for the worse take place she would charge herself with them till fur ther arrangements could be made


both mr and mrs hayes saw that unless some favorable change took place soon that mr mortimer must sink under the virulence of the disease


they also perceived from the wornout appearance of poor mrs mortimer from watching by her husband that she too would soon be laid on a bed of sickness they therefore proposed to procure a nurse to assist in the attention required and thus relieve mrs mortimer in her harassing duties


that lady could only express her grateful thanks to her kind friends and acquiesced in the proposal feeling convinced that her own health required attention for the sake of her infants


aware that little time was to be lost in sending proper medical aid mr hayes and his wife took leave of the mortimers whose gratitude was too deep for utterance and assuring mr mortimer that both doctor and nurse would soon be with them they were soon on the road back to town


mr hayes immediately called on dr quinine while his wife hastened to find out a suitable nurse as she promised


the worthy doctor at once agreed to go and see george mortimer and on mr hayes stating the circumstances the family were in and that his fee must be paid out of the bounty of private friends dont name that mr hayes said the kind hearted medico


i feel too much for many of those poor immigrants to withhold any service i have it in my power to render them


do not speak of fees at all events for the present


thank you doctor said mr hayes i shall call in the morning and inquire your opinion of morti mers case if you will allow me


by all means replied dr quinine i shall be happy to see you


good morning


mr hayes reached home before his wife but that worthy lady soon made her appearance with the satis factory intelligence that she had found a very respect able woman who agreed to go at once to canvas town and relieve mrs mortimer in watching the sick bed of her husband


these labors of love now accomplished hayes sat down in the midst of his family with evident and heartfelt satisfaction at having been able to assuage the sufferings of a family in which he felt a deep interest


he resolved to go as early as possible to town in the morning and ascertain from dr quinine the state in which he found george mortimer and mrs hayes he wished to go to see him so soon as her household duties would permit


when mr hayes waited on dr quinine the following morning that gentleman informed him he had visited mr mortimer and found him suffering from an at tack of fever brought on by cold and exposure to damp


he feared the worst as the disease was evi dently attacking the brain but that he had taken mea sures to avert such a calamity if possible though he was doubtful of success


he also considered he had been unskilfully treated which had aggravated the disorder but he yet had hopes


the nurse had as sumed her duties and he hoped some good might result from his measures


he also told mr hayes that he could have wished him removed to a comfortable house but that could not be done without great risk and all that could at present be effected was to make the tent as comfortable as possible


mr hayes heard the report of dr quinine with sin cere regret but yet hoped the best


he could not get over to canvas town during the day but as mrs hayes was to be there she would bring him her report and if necessary he could go in the evening and even remain all night with mr mortimer


the interest he felt in the case was intense so much so that during the day he felt it diffi cult to give his attention to his ordinary duties


he therefore experienced a great relief when the usual hour for leaving business arrived and he found himself on the way home to dinner and at length in his own house


mrs hayes had returned from canvas town


well my dear said hayes and how have you found the mortimers


very bad indeed replied mrs hayes poor george mortimer will not stand this complaint