for instance i was strongly urged to lay in a good stock of tea and sugar as i should not find any on the road and yet throughout i was enabled to procure them at every posthouse


then again i was advise by an officer who had just arrived from moscow to buy a chain to secure the luggage behind the carriage as if i used the cord with which it was lashed i must expect to have the the portmanteaus stolen which he seemed to think would occur even on our way out of the town


at the first large town nikolaiev we accordingly bought a chain which however as it broke was never used yet so far from having anything stolen from us we never missed the smallest article although as has already been mentioned


our effects were left in the hind part of the carriage which stood in the road in front of the posthouse whilst we slept within


i at first felt nervous about them as the trunks contained money and examined them every morning and evening but at last i gained confidence by freedom from molestation and no longer felt anxiety on the subject


it is difficult to account for this incongruity in the reports of individuals who could have no interest in deceiving me and who evidently were desirous of giving me the best advice their experience could suggest


among other comforts of which we laid in a stock such as bologna sausages cheese white bread caviar etc there was a dozen of good sherry in stone bottles with which our very kind friend mr maberley an english merchant at odessa had presented me


this gentleman whose acquaintance i had the pleasure of forming during my residence in the town on hearing me express a wish to obtain a prayerbook gave me his own and i was furnished with a small testament by mr melvin who supplied the loss of the fifty copies of the bible which the society whose agent he was had sent from constantinople for the use of the crew of the tiger


we had had beautiful weather up to the time of starting and anticipated clear moonlight nights for our journey but unfortunately the weather changed and it began to rain previous to our departure and continued unfavourable for several days


this was inconvenient as we had no arrangement to take the servant into the carriage with us and he passed the first night wrapped up in my grego over his own clothes which saved him from being wet although his post was not the most agreeable


the next day we were enabled to take him inside by stowing away in a different manner the boxes entrusted to mr sharman for the grand duke constantine which contained various articles taken from on board the tiger such as the open list of the ships company and masseys patent sounding machine


our first check was at the barrier which is at the entrance and sortie of every town here mr sharman had to show his passport and we were questioned as to whether we had any contraband goods


lace was one of the articles specified and strange to say i might have had some if the box the fragments of which had been restored to me had been saved without breakage and plunder as i had had occasion to purchase some at malta


we were at last outside the gates of odessa and pursuing our route along the shore of the bay


during the night we had to cross several small inlets of the sea these were very shallow but extended some distance into the country


on one occasion the servant much alarmed awoke me exclaiming mr royer


mr royer


the horses are galloping forward as fast as they can and the carriage is going backwards


the fact was that as it was blowing pretty hard at the time the wind drove the surface of the water past the carriage in the direction we were going which had the effect of making the servant who was half asleep at the time imagine that our progress was in the opposite direction to that which we intended and the spashing of the horses in the water made them appear to be going faster than they really did


we changed horses several times during the night and at six oclock in the morning stopped at a little posthouse standing bleak and solitary the wretchedness of the scene was much increased by the heavy rain that was falling


to attempt to retain the names of the posthouses on the road would be an impossibility if not an absurdity


considering the peculiar position in which i was situated a natural delicacy prevented my keeping any strict account particularly of places not even marked upon the postal maps supplied by the government


here however we breakfasted our tea being soon made with the assistance of the samovar


this is one of the most useful of russian domestic implements and very superior to our english urn


so common is it in russia and in such general use that at the exhibition of it was neglected to be produced among the objects worthy of notice


a funnel that passes through the centre of the urn serves as a chimney to produce a draught of air so that three pieces of charcoal which are lighted outside the apartment soon burn brightly and in less than ten minutes the water boils and is kept at the boilingpoint as long as required


this is a much more simple and easy contrivance than our english urns which require the water to be boiling and a large fire to be ready to make the iron redhot even then the water is not kept long in ebullition and the whole requires much time and trouble to say nothing of the additional advantage of being able at the same time to cook an egg or even a chop or at least to keep your toast warm on the top of the funnel


it is very desirable that these samovars should be introduced into this country and i feel sure that any one who will undertake to place them fairly before the public and within reach of persons of moderate means will add much to our home comforts and will be amply repaid for his pains


no danger need be apprehended from the effects of the charcoal as the smoke of three pieces all that is required is very trifling and besides as we have already observed the fire being lighted outside the room no evil effects could arise from it


the fact of their being in such universal use in russia speaks volumes in their favour


as i am on the subject of teamaking i will remark that in russia where so much importance is attached to this beverage the teapot is placed on the funnel of the samovar to keep the tea as hot as possible and in some instances when the samovar was in use in another room of the hotel we were furnished with two teapots one fitting on the top of the other that the lower one holding hot water might keep the upper one hot which contained the tea


another observable circumstance is the russian custom of serving tea in glass tumblers


glass retains the heat better than earthenware and this perhaps is the reason of its being preferred with us however this would really be an objection many a time have i burned my fingers and wished i could be accommodated with a teacup an article i never saw during my stay in russia except at an english house


as milk is not generally used by the russians who say that they leave such slops for the women perhaps they prefer glass because it enables them to see the colour of the beverage they consume


instead of milk the juice and small slices of lemon with an enormous quantity of sugar are mixed with the tea to which they occasionally add rum or brandy so that after all it becomes in fact a glass of punch


after smoking a cigar we proceeded on our journey


the roads had become very muddy and the two outer horses on each side of the one which bore the shafts of the carriage splashed us in such a manner that we regretted not having brought veils with us as had been suggested for so frequent were the dabs of mud thrown in our faces that we at last desisted from wiping them off waiting until we reached some place where we might perform a regular ablution


the people of the country generally have curtains to this kind of vehicle and on my return from st petersburg the carriage in which i was conveyed was provided with them but as the weather was then sultry we preferred the clouds of dust to the confined air within the carriage and drew them back


as we proceeded the weather cleared up and about two oclock we reached a pretty little village on the right bank of the boug where we had to cross over to nikolaiev in a ferryboat


the cottages in this village were built with some pretensions to taste and had gardens with flowers acacia and poplar trees also helped to render the scene attractive after a drive through a district only partially cultivated with a few cornfields here and there and the country extending for miles without a bush or hedge


now and then we had passed a farmhouse or two but generally there had been an absence of any signs of life


the appearance of a government courier generally quickened the senses of the people at the post houses nor was the influence of authority lost upon the boatman at the ferry who on seeing the aiguillettes worn by my companion soon cleared the boat of other carriages which he was about to convey over the river in order to forward ours without delay


that portion of nikolaiev which we saw was built on high ground close to the river


this town was once a place of consequence but its commercial prosperity must have been sapped by the rivalry of odessa


lineofbattle ships are still built here and i had read in the papers of one having been launched soon after the battle of sinope and named in honour of that exploit but i much doubt the truth of the report as there did not appear to be any activity in the dockyard and i saw the ribs of a large manofwar which would taken more time to erect than had elapsed since the other was said to have been completed i only saw at nikolaiev a small steamer under repair


it took us about half an hour to sail across the river


we passed six russian menofwar moored across the stream below the town higher up there was a small government schooner and closer to the shore two austrian merchantmen


this russian squadron consisted of some frigates and corvettes in an efficient state if we may judge from their appearance aloft


they carried the ordinary russian flag which consisted of three colours white blue and red horizontally and not that usually borne by menofwar


i cannot account for this apparent deviation from the general rule but will relate the explanation given me by an officer at odessa on my inquiring how it was that none of the forts of odessa or eupatoria hoisted any flag at all even during the bombardment of the former city


he said that these places were simply commercial cities and not allowed to hoist the imperial colours which they were not capable of defending


the imperial ensign is white with a blue diagonal cross extending from corner to comer


i imagine that the squadron lying at nikolaiev had not its full complement of men and that this was the reason of its flying the national colours instead of the imperial flag which was carried by the schooner


on landing we found to our astonishment that no posthorses were to be had


we therefore left the carriage and luggage to the care of a soldier and proceeded in search of the hotel de londres which he had some difficulty in finding as it was in the town at a distance of a mile from the dockyard


we however enjoyed the walk which afforded us relief after sitting in a close carriage so many hours


the town of nikolaiev is regularly built as indeed are most modern cities in russia the streets run at right angles to each ether and their width length etc are fixed by decree of the government which takes all these matters under its especial care


while dinner was being prepared we enjoyed the luxury of a good wash of which as may be supposed we were much in need cooped up and splashed as we had been on the journey


the indifference of the people of this country generally to the use of water appeared to me most singular indeed i have sometimes fancied that they have an objection to it for instead of properly washing themselves i have often seen them satisfied with taking a mouthful of the element which they would spurt out upon their hands and then rub over their faces


there must of course be many persons in russia who form exceptions to this uncleanly neglect of the use of water but i speak only from the observations i was enabled to make during my personal experience in the country even in the hotels where they profess to give you the conveniences of a washhandstand the basins are of the size and shape of a piedish and the ewers like large english milkjugs


i called theplace an hotel at which we put up this title however it did not assume but was satisfied with the more modest denomination of traktir de londres which is i suppose a corruption of the german traktirhaus as it only professed to provide refreshments


it was some time before dinner could be prepared so that we had time to take a nap which greatly refreshed us


it was here that my companion purchased the chain i mentioned in a preceding chapter which we had been recommended to procure for securing our luggage behind the coupe


he was asked by the people who had crowded round him whether he intended to put it upon the prisoner he was much amused at this supposition and came and detailed the anecdote to me with much glee and good humour


the settler chapter vii


proceeds on his jourkiiv


on opening the door at the humble dwell ing at which lie had taken up his quarters for the night handy perceived that though the sky was beautifully illuminated the ob struction of tbe intervening mountains which confined the valley of wollombi prevented him from navine


fas a true dis ciple of zoroaster bo was wont lo do


his morning homage to the glorious orb of day but there was a calmness and freshness in that secluded valley that in a great measure compensated lor the deprivation of the con templations to which he had so long habi luulcu inmseir


me small portion oi allu vial ground so pent in by high mountains retained its moisture much longer than those parts of the country that are exposed lo the first rays of the sun and the vege tation in consequence looked most luxuri ant


having breakfasted as he had supped viz


on fine wheaten bread eggs bacon and tea and seen that his horse was in tra velling condition he proceeded on his route and was soon overtaken by a person tole rably mounted dressed something like a sportsman and his countenance decorated by the retention of what iu russia is con sidered a badge of office a full grown and carefully arranged moustache


handy at first mistook him for an officer of hussars in the rustic style of mufti in which officers of the army while enjoying field sports are permitted to indulge but he was unde ceived by the stranger informing him that he was an officer in the survey denartment that the mountain upon which the two high trees had been noticed was called warra wallong the lop of which liad been cleared of all the timber except those two trees by a strong road party for the purpose of forming a trigonometrical station that there were several other similarly cleared mountains in ainerent parts ol tbe country and that nothing delighted the itead of the department more llian to be perched upon one of these points where he sometimes remained the whole night


with respect to the road between sydney and wollombi it had been abandoned and that he had according to the instructions he had re ceived from head quarters demolished the huts in which the road parties had been lodged


indeed lie observed was ra ther surprised to see you who appear to be recently arrived in the country travelling in this direction as most people go to the hunter by sea now that steam navigation is established and which in fact is the reason for stopping the work on the road


a strange reason remarked handy a man is compelled to travel by sea whether he likes it or not and all the ex pense that has been incurred on that mas terpiece is actually thrown awav


ex actly so remarked the surveyor


by this time they approached an unfinished bridge the substantial stone piers being completed and ready for the superstructure which was intended to be of timber


the surveyor took ms leave after cautioning handy about the crossing places several of which would occur in the course of his ride and struck off to the right by a road which lead apparently through a valley as secluded as wollombi


handy journeyed on crossing and recrossing turning tlie points of the mountains passing unfinished bridges and the ruins of the rude huts that had been occupied by road parties and which were generally situated in sheltered vallies until at length he came to a country more open looking very like the thinly wooded portions ofun english park


here he fancied was some land tliat might suit his purpose and as he was examining it with a view of making a selection lie fell in with a small flock of sheep the shepcrd tending which informed him that his masters residence was about a mile distant in the direction he pointed out


tliither handy at once proceeded for the purpose of ascertaining whether there was any probability of his lo cating his family in the neighbourhood as it appeared by the public maps that all the lands on the banks of the hunter were al ready disposed of


as he approached the cottage the proprietor of winch a robust looking young man was walking up and down the veraudab for in newsouth walesa bouse without a verandah is considered un finished preparing a fresh charge for his short pipe which he held betiveen his two fingers


the cottage and establishment were precisely simitar to many wbich


handy had already passed viz a garden in front and a farm yard behind but situated in the midst of a beautiful country the ever living wollombi winding its limpid waters below the foot of the garden and backed up by a broken line of mountain of varied forms being the termination of several lateral ranges originating in tile great chain over ivbich


handy bad passed the previous day


the master of the house appeared totally insensible probably from long use to the scene around bis dwelling and received handy s salutation with a sort of sleepy indibercnce peculiar to that class of aus tralians styled country gentlemen


he seemed to think himself the monarch of all lie surveyed but neglected to avail himself of advantages which nature and the government had placed at his disposal bis whole mind seeming to be absorbed in sheep cattlehoresand his pipel stirely thought handy to himbelf


the world ii wide enough for hee nd me and took his leave


proceeding through an undulated and thinly wooded country on the right bank of tlie wollombi lie reached at a sandy point a splendid great road cleared of timber to the iireaaih of en hundred feet pnjwnggrplina on his left band a modestlooking cottage and a little farther on a light and rather elegant looking wooden bridge across the wol lombi which at this point as he was in formed by a person passing at the time was called cockfighters creek


near the bridge two roads branched off the great road crossing tlie hunter and then gradu ally ascending a high range of mountains the other continuing along the right bank of the river


handy chose the latter as being more level and inviting and in about an hour slow riding arrived at a pretty little plain overlooked by a small cottage kept in a state of neatness that indicated occupancy by a person of some what refined habits however humble his dwelling


a few yards beyond was a larger building in front of which were two or three troopers in undress who informed him that the place called jerrys plains was a station for the mounted police and that the small cottage was the quarters of their officer who was then from home


there is a sort of freemasonry among soldiers so that handys horse was soon disengaged from his saddle well rubbed down and luxuriating in bran and maize


while he was employed at a refection of damper butler eggs and a capacious bowl of milk which the wife of one of the troopers had set before him


the horses in new south wales are enduring animals when properly managed being a mixture of english arab and valparaiso blood


starling early in the morning varying the pace and making long halls in the middle of the day they will perform journeys of fifty miles with apparent ease


in the course of this days halt handy had learned from the troopers that an old brother officer of his had an establishment at about twentyfive miles distant over the mountains to the northward


thither lie then determined to proceed but as the journey was rather severe that day lie begged a nights hospitality under a few sheets of bark which formed the tempo rary residence of a youth apparently under sixteen years of age who was then com mencing as a settler and had taken up his position a few miles above jerrys plains at the foot of a moderately high and thinly timbered range of hills on the left bank of the hunter looking up a beautiful valley on the opposite side


he was then occu pied in the first process of australian cul tivation that of clearing his ground for tlie purpose of sowing wheat upon a plain formed of black mould upwards of twenty leet deep


tlie water in tlie river then a very narrow stream scarcely covered the horses hoofs the rest on a right bank was a pebbly bed fringed with casuarina the left bank was a mass of black earth the section of the plain to arrive at which a narrow ramp had been formed by the frequent passage of cattle at a point above where the ground rather declined


behind the young settlers wigwam was a snug looking sheltered valley where grew some trees of a form and foliage different from any that handy had hitherto met with these he was told were curryjong trees


tbe whole place presented an aspect so templing as to its capability for forming one of the most agreeable residences in that part of the country that handy be came absorbed in admiration but the drought sir the drought said the young settler to some observations handy ven tured to make


the rains which you have on the coast seldom reach much far ther than mattland and i may sow wheat on that plain that looks so rich and never reap a crop for i understand that one full crop in seven years is all that they can cal culate upon in this part of the country


sheep is the only slock that makes a return lo the farmer in these parts though my father always talks of cultivation but be will soon get sick of it


he lives in sydney and amuses himself with his fine theories but unless he change his plan and give me some sheep i am afraid he will soon ruin himself


it was now growing near sunset the horses were tethered on the plains great dark masses of clouds were gathering to the westward the air was sultry a distant rumbling was heard on rolled the accumu lated clouds and appeared to be gathering from every quarter till at length they came nearly overhead and then one vivid flash of lightning simultaneously wilh a deafen ing crash reft a huge tree asunder and scattered liis branches over the plain and within a few yards of the wigwam


tlie horses gave a bound but they were un injured some heavy drops of rain fell scarcely sufficient to coot the air flash after flash and peal afier peal continued in sharp succession each appearing more livid than the preceding one


at length the young settler and his guest retired to their berths the bed consisting of a coarse bag of cloth called osnaburgh filled with grass upon which was laid the only blanket the young settler could spare the rest was made up of the blanket which handy carried under his saddle and his cloak the saddle bags serving for a pillow


with this rough accommodation for which he was sufficiently thankful he slept as soundly as he had done at solomon wise mans


to ie continued


literature


the ministers wooing


a tale op new england by


mrs ii


slowe


continued from lite jigs of july


chapter ix


which treats of things seen


as for example the breakfast


it ia six oclock the hired men and oxen are gone the break fast table etand before the open kitchen door snowy with its fresh oloth the old bilver coffeepot steaming up a refreshing perfume and the doc tor sits on one side sipping bis coffee and looking across lhe table at mary who la in nocently pleased at the kindly beaming in hia plaoid blue eyes and aunt katy scud der discourses of housekeeping and fancies some thing muat have disturbed the rising of the creair as it is not so thick nnd yellow as wont


now the doctor it is to be confessed was apt to fall into a way of looking at people buch as per tains to philosophers and soliolats generally that is as if he were looking through them into the influite in which case his gaze became so earnest and intent that it would quiie embarrass an unini tiated person but mary being used to this style of contemplation was only quietly amused aid waited till some great thought should loom up before bis mental vision in which ease she hoped to hear from him


the good mn swallowed his first cup of coffee and epoke in the millenalani i eappese there will be mifch a funess and plenty ol all he necessaries aud conveniences of life that it will tot bs necessary for men and women to spend tbe grrafer part of r


ves n labor ia order to procure a living


it will net be necessury for each one to labor more than two or three it


a nt more than will conduce r n


i body adj vigour of mind and the rest oi their time they will spend in reading and con versation and such exercises s are necessary and proper to improve their minds and make progress in knowledge


new england presents probably the only exam ple of a successful commonwealth founded on a theory aa a distinct experiment in the problem of runmjr


xt was lor tms reason that the minds of its great thinkers dwelt so much on the final sola tion of that problem in thili world


the fact of a future millenium was a favorite doctrine of the great leading theologians of new england and dr h dwelt nnon it with ft rniot tkorfioluw i


indeed it was the solace and refuge of his eoul when oppressed with the discouragements which always attend things actual to dwell npon and draw out in detail the bplendors of this perfect future which was destined to glorify the world


nobody therefore at the cottage was in the least surprised when there dropped into the flow of their daily life these sparkling bits of ore which their friend had dug in bis ex plorations of a future canaan in fact they berved to raise the hackneyed present out of the level of mere commonplace


but how will it be possible inquired mrs scndder that so much less work will suffice in those days to do all that is to be done


because of the great advance of arts and sciences which will take place before those days said the doctor whereby everything shall be performed with so much greater ease also the great increase of disinterested love whereby tbe skill and talents of those who have much shall make up for the weakness of those who have less


yes he continued after a pause all the careful marthas in those days will have no excuse for not sitting at the feet of jesus there will bs no cumbering with much serving the church will have enly maries in those days


auib reward muoe wunont tne slightest per sonal intention called a carious smile into mrs scudders face vhich was reflected in a slight blubh from marys when the crack of a whip and the raltline of waggon wheels disturbd the conversa tion and drew all eyes to the door


there appeared the vision of mr zebedee mar vyns farm waggon stored witk barrels boxes and baskets over which candace sat throned tri umphant her black face and yellowstriped turban glowing in the frsh morning with hearty joyous light as she pulled up the reins and shouted to the horse to stop with a voice that might have done credit to any man livintr


dear me if there isnt candace said mary


queen of ethiopia said the doctor who sometimes adventured a very placid joke


the doctor was universally known in all the neighborhood as a sort of friend and patron saint of the negro race he had devoted himself to their interests with a zeal unusual in those days


his church numbered more of them than any in newport and his hours of leisure from study were often spent in lowliest visitations among them hearing their stories consoling their sorrows ad vising and direoting their plans teaching them reading and writing and he often drew hard on his slender salary to assist them in their emer gencies and distresses


this unusual condescension on his part was re paid on theirs with all the warmth of their raoe and candace in particular devoted herself to the doctor with all the force of her being


there was a legend current in the neighborhood that the first efforts to catechize candace were not eminently successful her modes of contemplating theological tenets being so peculiarly from her own individual point of view that it was hard to get her subscription to a received opinion


on the venerable clause in the catechism in particular which declares that all men binned in adam and fell with him candace made a dead halt i didnt do dat ar for one i knows


is got good memry allers knows what i does nebber did eat dat ar apple nebber eat a bit ob him


uoai ten me


r


it was of no use of course to tell candace of all the explanations of this redoubtable pabsage of potential presence and representative idea tily


and federal headship


she met all wilh the dogged nebber did it i knows shoud ave mem bered if i had


dont tell me


and even in the catechising class of the doctor himself if this answer came to her she sat black and frowning in stony silence even in his reverend presence


candace was often reminded that the doctor be lieved the catechism and that she was differing from a great and good man but the argument made no manner of impression on her till one day a faroff cousin of herb whose condition under a hard master had often moved her compassion came in overjoyed to recount to her how


owinir to dr hs exertions he had gained his freedom


the doctor himself had in person gone from house to house raising the sum for his redemption and when more yet was wanting supplied it by paying half his last quarters limited salary


he do dat ar aaid candace dropping the fork


wherewith she was spearing doughnuts


den im gwine to bliebe ebery word h does and accordingly at the next catechizinir


the doctors astonishment was great when candace pressed up to him exclaiming de lord bress you doctor for opening de prison for dem dat is boudd


i bliebes in you now doctor


ia gwine to bliebe ebery word you say


ill eay de catechize now fix it any way you like


i did eat dat ar apple i eat de whole tree an swallowed ebery bit ob it if you bay bo


and this very thorough profession of faith was followed on the part ot candace by years of the most atrenuous orthodoxy


her general mode of expressing her mind on the subjeot was short and definitive


law me whats de uoe


is set out to blisbe de catechize au im gwine to bliebe it so


while we have been telling you all this about her she has fastened her horse and ia twinmnir leisurely up to the hoase with a basket on either arm


good morning candace said mrs scudder


what brings you bo early come down fore light to sell my ohickena an egg g a ot money for em too


missy marvyn bhe sent miss soudder some turkeyeggs au i brought down bome o my doughnuts for de doctor


good folks must lib you know as well as wicked ones and candace gave a hearty unc tuous laugh


no reason why doctors shouldnt hib good tingb as well ab sinners is dere v and she fhook in great billows and showed her whito teeth iu the abandon of her laugh


lor bress ye honey chile


bhe said turning to mary why ye lo ks like a new rose ebery bit i dont wonder somcboiy was allers pryin an spyin about here


how ia your mistress candace v said mrs scudder by way of changing the subject


well porly rader porly


when massa jim goes pears like takin de light right out her eyes


dat ar boy trains roun arter his mudder lika a cosset he does


lor de house seems so still widout him cant a fly scratch his ear but it starts a bpdy


miss marvyn she sent down an says would you and de doctor an mies mary please come to tea dib arternoon


thank your mistress candace said mrs soud der mary and i will come and the doctor perhaps looking at the good man who had re lapsed into meditation and was cdfing his break fast without taking note of nnythiuy going on


it will be time enough to tell him of ii the said to mary when we have to wake him up to dross so we wont disturb bim now


to mary th prospect of the visit was a pleasant one for reasons which she scarce gave a definite form to


of course like a good girl she had come to a fixed and settled resolution to think of james as little as possible but when the path of duty lay directly along scenes and among people fitted to recall him it was more agreeable than if it had lain in another direction


added to this a very tender and silent friendship subsisted between mrs marvyn aud mary in which besides similarity of mind and intellectual pursuits there was a deep unspoken element of sympathy


candace watohed the light in marys eyes with the instinctive shrewdness by which her raco seem to divine the thoughts and feelings of their su periors and chuckled to herself internally


with out ever having beeu made a confidante by any party or having a word said to or before her still the whole position of affairs was as clear to her as if she hud eeen it on a map


she had appreciated at once mrs scudders coolness jamess devotion and marys perplexity ed inly resolved that if tbe little maiden did not think of james in bia absence it should not be her fault


laws


mies scudder she said ls right glal yous comia cause you hasnt seen how wes kind o splendifiod since massa jim come home


you wouldnt know it


why hes got mats from mo gadore on ail de entries and a great big un on do parlour and ye ought to ses the shawl he brought missus an all de curus kind o tings to de squire


tell ye dat ar boy honors his fader and mudder ef he dont do cufflu else an dats de fus com mandmsnt wid promise maam and to see him asettin up ebery day in prayertime so hand bome holdin missuss ban an lookin right into hr eyes all de time


i why dat ar boy is one o de lect its jest os clare to me and de lect bag got to come in dats what i say


my faiths strodg real clare tell ye she added with tha triumphant laugh which usually chorused her con versation and turning to the doctor who aroused by her load and vigorous strain was attending with interest to her


right candaoe ho aid


we a hpe you are hope dsctor


i dont hope i knovp


tell ye when i pray for him dont i feel enlarged


tell ye it goes wid a rush


i can fopl it rain up like a rushin mighty wind


i feels strong i thats right candace said the doctor keep on your prayers stand as much chance with uod as if you were a crowned queen


tha lord is no respecter of persons


dats what he ant doctor an deres whpra i gree wid him said candace ab she gathered her baskets vigorously together and aftp a sweeping curtby went sailing down to hi waegon lull laden with content shouting u hearty good mornin missus with tho full power of htr ful lungs as she rode off


p er her cheer as the doctor loosed after her the simple pleased expression with which ho hi gradually faded and there passed over his broad good face a shadow aa of a cloud on a mouutain what a shame it is he said what a scandal and disgrace to the protestant religion that chris tiana of america should openly practice end couq tenance this enslaving of the africans


i have for a long tjme holden my peace may the lord for give me


but i believe the time is ooming when i must utter my voice


i cannot go down to the arrvf r amng the shipping without thesa poor dumb creatures look at me so that i am ashamed aa if they asked me what i a christian minister was doing that i did not come to their help


i must testify


mrs scudder looked grave at this earnest an nouncement she bad heard many like it before


and they always filled her with alarm because


shall we tell you why


well then it was not because she was not a thoroughly indoctrinated antislavery woman


her husband who did all her thinking for her had been a man of ideas beyond kis day and never for a moment countenanced the right of slavery so far as to buy or own a servant or attendant of any krnd and mrs scudew hafl i rn


dedly along the path of hia opinions and practice dvnw to deolare the reasons for the faith that waa in her


but if any of us could im agine


an angel dropped down out of heaven with wings ideas notions manners and customs all fresh from that very different country we mieht easily suppose that the moat pious and orthodox family might find the task of presenting bim in general society and piloting him along the courses of this world a very delicate and embarrassing one


however much they might reverence him on their own private account their hearts would probably sink within them at the idea of allowing him to expand himself according to hia previous nature and habits in the great world without


in like manner men of high unworldly natures are often reverenced by those who are somewhat puzzled what to do with them practically


mrs scndder considered the dootor as a superior being possessed by a holy helplessness in all things material and temporal which imposed on her the necessity of thinkine and cahnf fnr him and prevising the earthly and material aspects of his aflairs


there was nofc in newport a more hriringand reputable business at that time than the slave trade


large fortunes were constantly being turned out in it and what better providential witness of its justice could most people require


besidts this in their own little church bhe re flected with alarm that simeon brown the richest and most liberal supporter of tbe society had been and was then drawing all bis wealth from ths source and rapidly there flashed before her mind a picture of one and another influential per sons who were holders of blaves


therefore when the doctor announced i must testily the rattled her teaspoon uneasily and answered in what way doctor do you think of bearing testimony


the subject i think is a very difficult gne


diibcult


i think no subject can be clearer


if wi were right in our war foi liberty we are wrong in making slaves or keeping them


oh i did not mean said mrs scudder that it was difficult to understand the subject the right of the matter is clear but what to do is the thing


i shall preach about it said the doctor my mind has run upon it for some time


i shall show to the house of judah their sin in this matter


i fear there will be a great offence given said mrs scudder


theres simeon brown ono of our largest supporters ho is in tha trade


ah yes buthe will come out of it of course he will he ia all right all clear


i was delighted with the clearness of hib viewn the other night and thought then of bringing them to bear on this point only as others were present i deferred it


bat i can show him that it follows logically from hia principles i am confident of that


i think youll be disappointed in him doctor i think hell be angry and get up a commotion and leave the church


madam said tho doctor do you suppose that a man who would be willing even to give up his eternal salvation for the greatest good of the universe could hesitate about a few paltry thou sands that perish in the using


he may leel willing to give up his soul said mrb scudder nsively but i dont think hell give up his ships thats quite another matter ho wont see it to be hia duty


then maam hell be a hypocrite a gros hypocrite if he wont eaid the doctor


it is not chriatian charity to think it of him


i shall call npon him thia morning and tell him my inten tions


but doctor exclaimed mrs scudder with a start pray think a little more of it


you know a great many things depend on him


why


he has subscribed for twenty copies of your


system of theology


i hope youll remember that


and why should i remember that said the doctor hastily turning round suddenly enkindled hia blue eyes flishing out of their usual misty calm what has my system of theology to do with the matter


why said mra jscndder ita of more im portance to get right viewa of the gospel before the world than anything else ia it not


and if by any impruderoe in treating influential people thie should be prevented more harm thau good would be done


madam baid the doctor id sooner my bya tern should be bunk in the bea than it should be a millstone round my eck to keep me from my duty


let god take care of my theology i must do my duty


and as the doctor spoke he straightened him self to the full dignity of his height his facc kind ling with an unconboioub majesty and ob he turned his eye fell on mary who waa standing with her slender figure dilated ber large blue eye wide and bright in a bort of trance of solemn feeling half smiles halftears and the strong heroic man started to see this answer to bis higher soul in the bweet tremulous mirror of womanhood


one of those lightning glances passed between his eyes and hers whioh are iho freemasonry of noble bpirits and by a sudden impulse they ap proached each other


he took both her out stretched hands looked down into her face with a look full of admiration and a sort of naive won der then as if her inspired bilenoa had been a voice to him he laid his hand on her head and said god bleas you


ohild i out of the mouth of babes and sicklings hast thiu ordained strength because of thine enemies that thou mighteat still the enemy and the avenger


in a moment he was gone


mary said mrs soudder lying her hand oa her daughters arm the dcoo r lovea you


i know he doeb mother said mary innc cently and i lore him dearly ha is a uoblr grand man


mrs soudder looked kednly at her daughter


marys eye was aa calm as a june sky and hlie be gan composedly gathering up the tejojps


she did not understand me t loughs the mother


kate stafford


chapter ix


which when as that they followed had through out


the faery queene


the cat and candlestick kept by laurence cahill was soon found


st quentin entered and to his surprise found the landlord to be a respectable looking man


though the mention of his relatives seemed disagreeable to him he answered st quentins question tranfcly and at last volunteered the fol lowing account of his uncles disappear ance


a creditable family may have its black sheep as well as another as was shewn by my fathers brother dick cahill


he was a capital hand at mak ing locks and some said as good at breaking them


however that might be with his opening locks one day


he found a lock shut on him and out to this colony he came not at his own expense


weiir he got his ticket in time


at that time blacksmiths were scarce in the oolony


he could get money for picking it up which was quite the contrary to us at home


hearing this nothing would serve me but out i must come as an emigrant


i found him well off and with govern ment men assigned to hita which wasnt the hing to trust with a mail which had been one himself


hed fca been better without but of all the men the worst was a woman called smoky bet she was a clever stirring body though but queer oneregular queerand after a bit my uncle married her


young as i was i saw a djeal of what was going and she saw i saw it too and i left though i was getting good wages and well treated i will say that for the old man he was queer and cantankerous but he was always good to me


what with waste and drink and one thing and another money soon went and just after i got this house my nnele came to sydney looking very miserable


hed gone up to live where bet lives now


well uncle says i


how s missis


he spoke


sulky and savagelike


that was the lat time i saw him


just at this time there was ft robbery near where they lived


i heard this part of the story from one of the neighbours who came down to settle in my line


bespectable man too he is sir


quite in a small way but a respectable man as youd wish to see


they say murder always comes to light but the truth of this never will


the robbery was committed on sunday and on saturday bet was seen with this fellow gentleman tom whom she had persuaded uncle to call his nephewa precious sight better looking than any of his nephews ever were


he was a hand some villain


they said he was a gentle mans son


he seemed sometimes to look to great things and was deep and dangerous enough for any vfllany that served bis purpose


wellrshe was seen witb him a mile or so from home and so was my uncle


an old chap named parkhurst met him


he had been to tbe head of the river after them and was swearing and curs ing that it was awful


it was odd if they didt meet for they were going opposite ways the same road


neither the old man nor the young one was ever seen againthat is to be known for i do think i saw tom in sydney dressed like a gentleman but i wont be sure


the flood came down that saturday night and bet was found alone and tipsy at the old hut a few days after


she never said a word about the one or the other


shes always drunk or drinking but she has a heap of odds and ends that used to be the old mans and one is a knife he made


he was clever that way after an old fashioned pattern hed seen and parkhurst swears he saw it in his hand that morning saturday that is


st quentin thanked cahill for his information


he put some further questions but they were useless


the man had already told all that he knew


and now for breeza


aylmer was a magistrate and seemed well acquainted with the neighbourhood


the robbery must have happened after his arrival or very shortly before and he might giv him some information


he would se kate too once more


he reached breeza early in the morn ing of the third day


kates welcome kind but embarrassed gave new life to both hopea and fears


this day he would give to them and defer his com munication to aylmer till the evening when he might be sure of his undivided attention for st quentin felt that it would be difficult to gain the belief or entire interest of a man of his character


in so romantic and improbable a tale as he had to tell


what a fine view that hill must com mand said st quentin do not think i have seen it among your sketches miss stafford


i have sketched very little of late was the reply except in the immediate neighbourhood of the house


have you quite given up walking


you used to be fond of long walks


hope said aylmer that kate is at length convinced that it is impracticable for ladies in this country to walk alone


the observation sounded like a taunt


kate shuddered as she remembered the dreadful night of the flood and felt more unkindness than aylmer had intended


a few minutes afterwards st quentin asked her to accompany them bat hasty refusal was all she could find voice for


she regretted it as she watched them ascending the hill and grieved not only for the pleasant hour that she had lost but for the friendship which she feared had been shaken even by this slight incident


st quentin had evi dently observed the tone of aylmers remark and had visibly been hurt by her determination


she was in the verandah when st quentin returned


aylmer had staid to give some directions about the fencing


kate asked if the view had answered his expectation


no i was disappointed


after a few minutes he said this will be my last evening at breeza


indeed


am so sorry


the sincerity of her tone touched him a little


are


you really miss stafford


i could not have dared to hope so an hour since


you thought me illhumored or capricious


we are old friends mr st quentin and you must not go away with such an impressioti


johns very simple observation gave me great pain


st quentin seemed to look for an ex planation and kate felt inexpressible relief in trusting the secret which had long distressed her to a friend of whose indulgence she deemed herself secure


she gave him the whole history of the day of the flood and of grahams rob bery and confessed her own error in concealing what she knew


forgive me my dear miss stafford said st quentin


you were wrong not to acquaint aylmer with these circum stances


he was silent and kate felt mortified at the thought that he was inwardly blaming her


she was sur prised relieved and disconcerted at his question


have you ever seen these unfortunate grahams


the connection between kates adven ture and cahills disappearance was obvious


st quentin rapidly retraced the chain of circumstances which had led him on this trackthe finding of the pocketbook mrs cahills possession of it and cahills story


had the pocket book been among the things stolen from the grahams


and if so how had they obtained it


it was but a faint hope which led him to gain from kate all that she could remember or describe of their story and appearance


kate grew earnest as she spoke of mrs grahams grace and beauty of her patient and dignified endurance of the noble boy and his tender care for the little edith


of graham she said less but as st quentin led her from one detail to ano ther she mentioned the first time she had seen him and the singular coincidence of the shadows on the wall of the hut


you have a peculiar talent for re calling outlines miss stafford


can you give me the faintest trace of this said st quentin eagerly


kate did not think she could but st quentin put a card and pencil into her hands and aided by her recolliection of graham as she had last seen him she sketched the remarkable profile with tolerable accuracy


the sketch confirmed st quentins impressions


the features were those of the present holder of the title and estates of strathdean and this resemblance in outline between two persons whose countenances kate described as totally dissimilar connected with some other facts of her narrative convinced st quentin that captain william lennox and tom hailes were the persons who had met so strangely on the night of the storm


the circumstances of the sue cession were of course well known to hailes and having ascertained graham to be heir to the title and husband to the lady edith he had formed the daring scheme which for a time had succeeded


these thoughts passed rapidly through the brain of the young lawyer and we hope our readers will agree that they did credit to his penetration


they were now pacing the walk which led to the vineyard


before they re turned to the house st quentin had satisfied kates curiosity as to his motive for coming to australia


and now kate through your means one great object of my pilgrimage seems near its attainment


my success in the other depends on you alone


what more he said or she ans tfered we know not


when they entered the sittingroom fanny was making teaa duty which she seemed surprised that kate should have neglected


that aylmer was more quicksighted was proved by his last speech to fanny that night


of course dear you will miss her dreadfully but it must have been some day


it is a most desirable connexion and after all relieves us of a great charge


i shall write immediately to to inquire for a trustworthy person


who may take charge of the housekeep ing and assist yeu ia the care of the children


chapter xxii


the yorks and their friends


there was a good deal that was mys terious in the matter of mr yorks authorship


the first poem he had sent to the austinsjournal was excessively good


abstractedly it might be con sidered a profound satire on yorks own way of life for it was entitled labour is worship and it had likewise written under it the monkish saying laborare est orarc to labour is to pray and this class of praying mr york as certainly as much hated as he did all others


if this man wrote the poem of which there was ultimately much doubt he could at least describe the blessings of labour with a pen of rare felicity


other poems followed


the majority were of average merit some few very good though none reached the mysterious excellence of the first


with a footing thus obtained in austins journal mr york began to be regarded as an author by profession


at such times he condescended to leave off smoking and to work he elaborated divers tales essays and sketches but the whole were consummate verbiage and twaddle


the austins perceived this but for the sake of mr yorks mys terious excellence in the poetic art they bore with this strange difference ac cepted the best of his prose and gave him other kinds of employment in rela tion to their journal


mr york was thus much occasionally t from home during the evening


mostly during these absences which were evi dently watched for the gentlemen friends mrs york had so imprudently made at the play would call and send ing out for wine or spirits would sit and drink fill mr yorks return


at first the latter behaved somewhat rudely to them and appeared to be jealous of their attentions to his wife but his manner soon altered when he perceived what good cheer was provided tested prac tically how liberally it was dispensed and saw clearly that if they had motives for the acquaintanceship thus made they were not those that held the remotest connexion with any contemplated dis honour of his wife


there wa this ad vantage top accruing that mrs york attained to a felicity of mood never be fore known


as time wore on a new and deeper purpose made mr york rejoice that his wifes attention was by this means drawn from his own increased absences from home


his plea was business con nected with the austins journalwhat it was in reality we shall by and by see


the stage thus left clear for mrs yorks fashionable friends their real purpose was soon brought to play its part


the subject generally of mrs tadcasters lodgers was as it were in cidentally broached then the normans were spoken of and then it was an easy step to ask questions about normans gentlemanly lad


yes said mrs york in reply to her polite friend colonel montagu william is a nice youth


indeed he is greatly superior to the rest of his family who are persons of low station


indeed with the exception of mr york and myself the house is filled with persons of this class


but as soon as mr yorks lite rary engagements increase we shall move to more respectable lodgings


colonel montagu bowed and poured out mrs york another glass of wine


such a gentlemanly youth


he said ought to meet with friends who would be willing and able to give him the chance of a lift in life


has he any such


what is he


in vino veritas


and mrs york sip ping her port told all she knew of wil liam normans employment of his mas ter and of the riches and life as well as habits of the latter


i am glad to hear all this replied th colonel glancing at his friend more particularly as we know something of mr wroxeter


really


do you simpered gullible yet otherwise cunning mrs york then perhaps you will like to see william


he is a great favourite of mine and i shall be hearing his footstep on the stairs i dare say just now


this was precisely what was wanted though it was so artfully veiled


a sim ple if you please was the sole reply and this being permission sufficient for mrs york she rose softly opened the door and waited for the lacts return from office


then as he came upstairs he was lured into the room and the ac quaintance thus begot


on this occasion his stay was of short duration for his fathers stern enquiry from the landing above of william are you home ne cessitated his withdrawal though not before he had tasted wine and promised to go in on another evening


me did this again and again unknown to his parents and at the time the latter pro ceeded into kent the lads ruin seemed inevitable


in the meanwhile mr yorks acquain tance with bertha ripened


he met hex frequently of an evening at the austins pleasant teatable where he was so often a guest for the austins one interview with mrs york had made them fully re solve to invite her as little as possible to their house


her extreme vulgarity both in personal appearance and manner made


them dread a repetition of her visit and they sighed that the man who would write a poem so excellent as la bour worship should have made a mar riage so unworthy


of his mistake in this respect mr york had the bad taste to make the most


by sighs and shrugs and inuendos he gave those to under stand who were intimate with him how miserable his domestic life was and how both intellect and feelings were crushed by an alliance so uncongenial


persons less generous and noble than the aus tins would have suspected a man so weak as to complain of a misery of his own causing but full of reverence for the genius they believed this man pos sessed and aware of the keen suscepti bility of the poetic temperament they pitied sympathised treated him with all the tenderness of a dear friend and led the warmer hearted of their own friends to do the same


amongst these bertha flemingfor they had soon learned t love bertha to read the incorruptible in tegrity of her principles and honour the splendour of the intellect which was hers


bertha responded to their appeal with her usual enthusiasm for what was good and kind and treated mr york as an intimate friend


some of his opinions she did not like and njerciful in judg ment as she wished to he she was too severe a critic to think much of his prose writings still unsuspicious of business or evil intent in others she received these people on the footing of intimate friends and gave them entrance into the privacy of the home she hid from the eyes of so many


at first as i have said it was a hum hie home indeed one room and no more


but her literary work rapidly increased


she had newspaper work magazine work and upon gaining a re cognised place in the austins journal she changed her ahode and enlarged the amount of her accommodation


she had now two rooms in the house of a widow lady and the attendance of that persons servant poor maggy having found the distance too far to wait as constantly upon her young mistress as she desired


but she came often and was the most devoted of humble friends


the yorks had followed up their intro duction to bertha at the austins by an in vitation to dinner


willing to be cour teous she accepted it and the resources of mrs tadcasters knowledge in the culinary were called upon to the full


by the aid of borrowed crockery glasses knives and forks the table looked re spectable and mr yorks pecuniary means being at that time at a low ebb those classic volumes of which he made as conspicious a show as a grocer or ironmonger of his dummieswere great ly lessened in number


still there was the dinner and bertha was thus in troduced into the sanctuary of the yorks domestic life


the glimpse thus obtain ed was not a very favourable one or conducive to any desire to make a repetition


for though mr york was a very gentlemanly host enriched his after dinner talk with divers philosophic profoundities and mrs york was civil in an extraordinary degree the constant bickering and sotte voce contention of the miserable pair was anything but agreeable to their generous minded guest


she saw enough to convince her that fiff


york might claim some degree of sympathy from his observing friends it was not rightly to be given to any large extent and as after events proved with what sound sense and even good fortune she resolved to show no leaning to either side but steadily adhere to the simple purpose of befriending either if she could and in that way that should benefit both equally


not long after this occasion of the j dinner at mrs tadcasters lodgings mr j york began to call constantly on bertha


he came alone and usually of an even ing making his excuse some point of literary business for the austins some message from his wife or to ask her judgment on one of bis own manuscripts


this business whether pretended or not once effected he would broach one of his philosophic topics winding it always round to a point of sympathy for him self


this reached he would fix his eyes on berthas innocent and earnest face sigh deeply and ejaculate ah had such afate been mine


for a time bertha re mained blind to this mans real meaning or the purpose he held in view


in the meanwhile he made her talent serviceable to him


one evening in place of mr york came mrs york with her little grey eyes very red as though from weeping and with some sheets of blurred manuscript in her hand


after a great flow of tears she informed bertha that poor dear mr york was ery ill not able to rise from bedquite unable to do the weeks portion of his current tale in the austins journal


really am very sorry said poor bertha who was too noble and generous to have any suspicion of this base ruse what can be done


for the sake of the journal the tale must be carried on


let me see i am certainly very busy indeed overworked rather than otherwise still my dear mrs york if your husband thinks me sufficiently com petent i will gladly carry on the tale till he is better


i will i need scarcely say do it to the best of my ability


this was precisely what was wanted


mr york wished to take the austins money but not to work for it so over his pipe that aftrioon he had arranged this precious scheme and thus sent mrs york to be its propounder this she was with such admirable art with such a show of tears with such protestations of friendship and gratitude as to quite win berthas heart make her resolve tr effect mr yorks task a long as wa fully necessary


thus for weeks this fresh burden was added to her own and the reviews which had hitherto flagellated mr yorks prosy story began to praise its great advance m interest and spirit


the austins were likewise struck by the strange change that had come over mr yorks wordy prose and on this account were generous enough to add to the price they paid


one evening when maggy came she found miss fleming at her writing though weary and exceedingly ill


when questioning her young mistress as to why she did not lie down and take some rest the latter inadvertently let drop that the work must be done as it was for a friend who was very ill and had been so for three weeks


excuse me miss for asking but is it for that mr york


yes it is


but you must not tell any one maggy


he is ill and if it were not done he and his wife would want bread beside the injury done to the interest of others


he ill exclaimed maggy lifting up her hands for she had seen mr york on more than one occasion whilst waiting on bertha


why miss i saw him only yesterday coming out of a book sellers shop with a fine new book in his hand


you must be mistaken maggy


he is confined to his room and has been so for many days


im not mistaken miss as youll one day see i think


i dont like his looks at all


theyre very bad ones and if youll excuse my giving advice to one so good it will be to have as little to do as possible with these people


though youre as innocent as an angelyou may not escape their evil tongues


you are quite wrong maggy replied bertha a little coldly


mr york is very good man and i do not like the ab sent to be spoken against


this was all that was said and for week longer she carried on mr yorks literary labours


then positive illness necessitating it she wrote to mrs york to enquire if her husband were better and if so if he would be good enough to resume his task as her own health would soon compel her to lay it down


a very cold answer came from the pen of mr york saying he was a shade better in deed just able to get into his sitting room and as miss fleming felt tired of her friendly labours he would resume them in the coming week


from this time for a considerable period bertha saw nothing of them


yorks tale had come to an abrupt termination in the austins journal


in the mean while the loxwoodsboth mother and sonshowed her unbounded kindness


mrs loxwood brought a cab and took bertha home with her for some days to nurse and get her well


whilst there kitty newbud came often up and down as did her uncle and her aunt chloe


then there was good major ball full of kindness as he always was


his favour ite kitty played and sang to him walked out with him and it was evident to all with the exception of cyrus that if the old mans heart was set upon one thing more than another it was that kitty should bear the name of loxwood


but as natural events worked onwards this seemed less and less likely to be


the more that cyrus knew of bertha the more he silently admired her high principles and noblj mind more and more as they worked together towards the development of one of the greatest ideas of the age more and more as he explained and she disseminated through countless literary channels principles that would be active in ameliorating one of the greatest physical miseries and evils of the day the more he honoured her and his exeeeding love increased


but blind to these signs and if not so willing to appear as though she were she went onward with her worthy task of sympathy and aid conscious perhaps that the work of amelioration can only be efficiently and effectually served by an utter abnegation of the personal an d selfish


so she planted her feet firmly took up her cross to bear it onward and trusted to the ultimate results of work well and earnestly effected


there would be some moment of triumph she knew even in that hour vhen the closing light of this world would be irradiated by the opening light of a diviner one


the mysteries of paris


continued


the next morning m dharville was walking slowly in his sileeping apartment


the bed had not been usedyet the silken counterpane hung in tatters a chair and a little table were overturned near the fire place on the carpet were seen the frag ments of a crystal goblet wax candles half crushed and a candlestick i with two branches thrown in the corner


this dis order seemed to have been caused by a violent struggle


m dharville was about thirty years of age he had a manly counte nance of much character an agreeable ex pression but which was now contracted


pale and violent his neck was bare his waistcoat open his shirt torn appeared here and there stained withsome drops of blood his brown hair fell rough and tan gled on his livid forehead


afterhaving walked up and down for a long time his arms crossed his head down his look fixed and glaring m dharville stopped suddenly before the fireless hearth


he took from the marble chimney piece aletter which he read again with devouring atten tion by the dull light of the winter morning


tomorrow at one oclock your wile hasan engagement in the rue du temple no


follow her audyou will know all


as hlie read these words already so many times perused his lips blue with cold seemed convulsively to spell letter by let ter the fatal billet


on leaving his room instead of visiting madatre dllarville he walked to the hack stand near his house


scoachman by the hour


the carriage was driven off and soon arrived at a place where no one could go out of his doors without being seen by him


twelve oclock struck when the door of his house was slowly opened and the mar chioness came out


already


aih


i what attention


she feared to make the other one wait


the marquis partly pulled down the blind and said to the coachman you see that lady in the blackhat and black shliawl who is walking along the wall


yes


drive slowly andfollow her


if she goes to the hackstand follow the carriage she gets into


yes this is amusing


madame dharville went to the hack stand and got into one of the carriages


at the end of afewminoments to the great astonishment of the marquis the coachman took the road to the church of saint tho mas aquinas and stopped there


sthe lady has just got out at the church said the coachman to m dharville


sa criste i what a fine little foot all the sameit is very amusing


a thousand different thoughts agitated a dharville at first he thought that his wife seeing that she was followed wished to put a stop to the pursuit


then he thought that the letter was a calumny


if clemence was culpable why this false ap pearance of piety


was it not a sacri legious jesting


forla moment m dhar ville had a ray of hope so great was the contrast between this apparent piety and the act of which his wife was accused


this illusive consolation endured but for ashort time


his coachmanleaned over and whis pered the little lady has returned to the car riage


follow her


yes very amusing


very amusing p


the hack finally reached the rue du temple


monsieursaid the coachman they have stopped at no we are at no shall we stop also


yes


the little iddy has gone into no open the door


some seconds afterwards mdharville entered close on the steps of his wife


on reaching the landingplace what was the surprise of madame dharville to find herself face to face with rodolphe who splacing a purse in her hand said quickly your husband follows you and push ing her towards the staircase leading to the second story he added iapidly go up to the garret you have just time to succour an unfortunate family they arc called


morel


hiaving heard an unusual noise lm charles robert half opened his door


ro dolphe entered quickly and shut himself in with him at the moment the marquis reached the laudingplace


m charles robert magnificently dressed was stupified at the sight of rodolplhe


sir what is the meaning silence said rtodolphe in a low voice but with an expression that could not be mistaken


but what is all this said i charles in a low voice and turning pale


without answering him rodolpho opened the door


he saw descending in great haste and limping little tortillard holding in his hand the purse that rodolphe had just given to madame dharville


but continued m charles in an im patient manner will you tell me what this signifies


who are you and by what right it signifies sir that the husband of ma dame dharville has followed his wife to your door and that he follo re her up there


her up ahi cried mcharlesjoininghis hands interror but what will she do up there


never mind remain in your room and do not come out until the porter gives you notice


m and madame dharville descended she leaning on his arm


when they ar rived at the lodge the face of m dhar ville expressed profound happiness min gled with astonishment and confusion


clemence was calm and pale


welli mygood lady cried madame pipelot have you seen these poor morels


i hope they touch your heart


i i toldyou they were much to be pitied the last time you came to get inforination


m dharville looked at his wife with ad miration


let us go said madame dharvillo who suffered horribly from the constraint she lied imposed on herself since her en trance into the house she felt her strength giving way


let us go said the marquis and he added at the moment of leavinsg the alley clemence need pardon and pity i who has not need said she with a sigh


itodolphe came out of his retreat pro foundly affected at this scene a singular denouement of a mysterious plot which had raiser


so many diverse passions


chapter xiv


rural hiappiness


five oclock struck at the church of the village of boqueval the cold was sharp the sky serene the sun sinking slowly t behind the tall leafless trees which crowned the heights shed a purple tint over the horizon and cast his pale and oblique rays over the vast field hardened by frost


concealed during the summer in the midst of trees like a nest in foliage the farm to which la goualeuse had retired was open to the view when winter stripped it its veil of verdure


the course of the little river frozen by the cold resembled a long i riband of unwrought silver unrolled in the midst of meadows always green where some cows grazed while slowly returning to their shelter


brought back by the ap proach of night flights of pigeons settled down successively on the sharp roof of the it dovecot


a heavy cart drawn by three stout horses thick set with heavy manes shining v coats harnessed with ornamented collars trimmed with small bells and tufts of red wool was bringing a load of wheat from one of the mills on the plain


this heavy vehicle arrived in the court through the large door while a flock of sheep crowded through the side entrances


man and beast seemed impatient to escape from the cold ness of the night and to taste the delights of repose


the horses neighed joyously at the sight of the stables the sheep bleated in besieging the door of the warm folds s the workmen cast an impatient glance through the windows of the kitchen where the evening meal was in course of prepara f tion


there existed in this farm much re gularity and ordera minute and unusual r neatness


instead of being covered with mud scattered here and there and exposed ti to the inclemency of the season the hliar rows ploughs rollers and other imple ments of husbandry of which some were of i an entire new invention were arranged neatly under a large shed where the wag gouers came and placed the harness of their horses


the farmyard did not present to view those heaps of manure those ponds of stagnant water which disfigure the finest r farms of france


the lower court sur rounded by a green trellis received all the feathered tribe nud these came in every night by a small door opening on the fields


without descanting any further on the de tails we will


only say that in everything this farm passed for good reasons through out the country for a modelfarm as much from the order that was established there as by the excellence of its agriculture and crops and by the happiness and morality of the numerous persons who by their labour made the place of value lwe will tell byandby the reason of this prosperous superiority


iin the mean while we will conduct the reader to the trellised door of the lower court which yielded in nothing to the rest of the farm by the neatness of its roots coops and its little canal encased with small stones where flowed constantly pure and limpid waterjust then carefully clearedfrom the ice which might obstruct it


a hind of revolution suddenly seemed tob break out among the inhabitants of this lower court


the hens left their perches cackling the turkeys gobbled the guinea


fowls screamed the pigeons abandoned the dovecot and lit on the sand cooing


the arrival of fleur de marie was the cause of all these gay follies


watteau never could have imagined a more charm ing model if the cheeks of thile poor gouas louse had been rosier and fuller yet notwithstandiug her paleness and the thin ness of her ovalshaped thee the expression of her features the whole appearance of her person the grace of her attitude would yet have been worthy of the pencils of the great painter we have named


the little round lihat of marie displayed her fine forehead with her bands of flaxen hair


like almost all the peasant girls of the environs of paris under this hat she wore arrayed very smoothly and fastened behind her head with two large pins a red t indian handkerchief whose square ends fell gracefully on her shoulders a pic turesque and graceful headdress which even italy and switzerland might envy us


a fold of white lawn crossed on her bosom was halfconcealed by her apron of brown linen a dress of blue cloth with tight sleeves set off her fine figure under which might be seen very white stockings hidden in little black wooden shoes trim


med on the instep with a piece of lambskin completed this costume of rustic simplicity to which the natural charms of marie gave additional ornament


holding in one hand her apron by the two corners she took from thence handfuls of grain which she distributed to the winged crowd by which she was surrounded


a pretty pigeon of silvery whiteness with beak and feet of purple more audacious or more familiar than the rest after having fluttered for some time around marie settled at last on her shoulder


the young girl accustomed doubtless to this cavalier treatment did not discontinue throwingthe grain with a liberal hand but half turning her sweet face with its enchanting profile she slightly raised her head and smilingly extended her rosy lips to the little coral beak of her friend


the last rays of the setting ann shed a golden beam on this charming picture


while la goualeuse was busy with her rural occupation madame georges andthe abbe laporte curd of the parish seated at the corner of the fire in the little saloon oi thetarm were talking of marie a subject of conversation always interesting to them


the old curate pensive thougatful his head down and his elbows on


his knees extended mechanically before the fire his trembling hands


madame georges occu pied with her sewing looked at the abbd trom time to time and appeared to be wait ing for an answer after a moments si lence he said you are right madame georges we must inform hi


rodulphe if he questions marie she is so grateful to him that per haps she will avow to her benefactor what she conceals from us


f ft is true then this night i will write to the address she gave alle des veuves


poor child continued the abbe she ought to be so happy what sorrow can be preying upon her now


nothing seems to drive away this sadness not even her application to her books


she really has made eatraordinary progress for the little time she has been studyiiig


is it nut so monateur


to learn to read and write almost at once and to know enough of laccotuts to assist me in keep ing the books of the fiarm and besides the dear soul aids mne so actively in every thiing that i am at once touched and asto nished


she fatigues herself so much in spite of me that i am uneasy about her health


happily this black doctor has quite reassured us as to this slight cough which so much alarmed us


he is so good this mdavid he is so much interested for her


but that is the case with every one else who knows her


here each cherishes and respects her


at this moment la gonaleuse entered the room


where do you come from my child


asked madame georges with an air of interest


from the fruitstore madame


after having closed the doors of the lower court


the fruit is well preserved except a few which i have taken out


why did you not tell claudine to do it marie


you were too much fatigued


no no madame i enjoy myself much in my fruitery the odour of the ripe fruit is so delicious


you must some day monsieur le curd


visit the fruitery of marie said madame georges you cannot imagine with how much taste it is arranged garlands of grapes separate each kind of fruit and these are again divided into compartments by borders of moss


oh monsieur le curd i am sure you will be very much pleased said la goua leuse ingenuously


you will see what a fine effect the moss has around the red apples ind golden pears


the curd looked at madame georges smilingly and said to marie i have already admired the dairy which you direct my child it would be the envy of the most fastidious dairywomen one of these days i will go and admire your fruitery and the red apples and golden pears


but here is the sun almost down you will only have time to conduct me to the parsonage and return before night


take your cloak and let us go my child


but i think the cold is too sharp some one from thefarm will accompany me


al


you will render her very unhappy said madame georges she is so glad to


accompany you every evening


monsieurle curd added la goualeuse raising her large blue eyes towards the priest i shall think you are notpleased with me if you do not allow nme to accom


pany you as usual


i poor child take your cloak then quick quick and wrap yourself up well marie hastened to throw over her shoul ders a sort of pelisse with a hood made of coarse white woollen bordered with a black velvet riband and offered her arm to the curd


happily said he it is not far and the road is safe


as it is a little later to day than usual replied madame georges do you wish that some one from the farm should got with you marie i they will think me a coward said marie smiling


thank you madame do not trouble any one for me the distance is so short only a quarter of an houri shall be back before nightfall


i shall not insist for dieu merci


we never hear of any vagrants in this neigh bourhood


if it were notsoi would not accept the arm of this dear child said the curd al though it is of great assistance


the abbe left the farm leaning on the arm of marie who regulated her light step by the slow and painful movement of the old man little dreaming of the danger which awaited them


chapter farewella word that hath been and must be a word that makes us linger yetfarewell


cuilde iiakold


the bright sun beaming through the fissure of the slab wall earl awakened the travellers


aylmer found his horses were uninjured and one of the men un dertook with the help of a few yards of rope to make the carriage serviceable the woman produced some damper and strong tea as a breakfast for her visitors


graham had already taken his de parture


the heavy rains had produced their usual effect in brightening and refresh ing the foliage the sunbeams were tempered by the mist which like a veil of silver gauze hung round the moun tain


the organ and bellbirds blended their plaintive notes for at the hour of dawn may sometimes be heard the sweet concert of birds at all other times so indescribably wanting in these vast forests


gladly did aylmer place hi charge once more in the carriage and the strange people they had seen their nexplieable conduct their sinister coun tenances made fanny and even tho chil dren feel that they had escaped some threatening danger


kate and ay liner had been better aware of the perils which at one moment seemed so imminent and were at a loss to account for the sudden change of purpose in the people of the hut


ere we follow the immigrants to their new home we must retrograde in point of time and introduce kate stafford about a year before we found her with her sister a traveller in the wilds of australia


our reader must if he pleases imagine a spacious lofty but somewhat gloomy room belonging to a house in square one of those localities which are inhabited almost exclusively by profes sional men


a sobersuited law library was arranged in oldfashioned bookcases uovering two sides of the large room the rest of the furniture was in accord ance with the studies stiff and formal but as if in a charmed circle near the fire were arrangements which though sufficiently simple told that womans hand had been there


a low couch a loungingchair a lootable on which were flowers drawing materials and work boxes an embroidered screen and many such important trifle gave this part of the room a habitable social look


on a couch sat a lady of about thirty and on a cushion at her feet reclined the slight girlish form of kate stafford


her companion looked at her fondly and a sigh escaped her


kate raised her head and looked slowly round the room as if each object possessed some wellremem bered interest peculiar to itself


and so mary you seriously advise me to go with john and fanny to this far country


my dearest child my heart bleeds when i think of our separation but you must be aware that you are too young to be placed at the head of our dear uncles establishment and my marriage which i trusted would afford a home for you now precludes the possibility of our remaining together


my husbands father insists on our residing with him


he is peculiar and say no more dear mary i understand all that but our welsh cousins why should i not joiu them


our welsh cousins are excellent people but too primitive for you


your future must be thought of


you would lose caste with them


well casta must be a very fine thing to be worth keeping or seeking at the antipodes if indeed such a distinction prevails there at the sacrifice of leaving kith and kin


you will be accompanied by near and dear relations gently interposed mrs emerson


yes fanny and her children but john is no relation of mine nor is he a favorite and what is of more conse quence i am no favorite of his


you are not prejudiced kate


what can you desire in a protector which john has not


he is so perfectly gentleman like


or i imagine our sister would not have married him


so upright and honorable


no wonderful result of good educa tion and good parentage


but dear mary let us talk of other things i shall have plenty of time to discover and con template johns virtues at least if i augur rightly of my new existence it will not abound in subjects of interest and john may become one


fancy his hearing me call him a subject


kate looked up


she saw tears slowly cours ing each other down her sisters cheek


she rose and threw her arms round her


mary my dear sister do not cry so bitterly


i see much reason in all you urge find am ready to comply with your wishes


there now do as you have ever done since i was a spoilt child let me talk and i shall be much more tract able afterwards


at this moment mrs emerson was summoned to leave the room


kate sat in the same position for a few moments then hiding her head in the arm which she had thrown on the couch she gave way to more emotion than she had dis played while mrs emerson was present


so absorbed was she in thought that she was not aware that her sister had been succeeded by one scarcely less dear one who had ever supplied the place of one parent as her sister mary had of another


her uncle took the hand which hung listlessly at her side


my little kate


in tears


why since your canary died i have never seen your bright eyes so dimmed


kate could not speak for some moments


at last she said


mary says i ought to go with john and fanny and im not inclined and thats all the matter


and enough too


i cannot see why you should not stay with me


what can i do in my lonely home without marys sweet voice and your merry laugh


i shall tell them all that you cannot leave me


we shall keep house together ad mirably


it is an adjudged case


but kates strong good sense shewed her that this could not be


mr stafford was an old bachelor a lawyer in much practice his house was the resort not only of his own profession but of clever men of every class and kate knew that at eighteen she was not the proper mis tress of the establishment which her uncles ample means and liberal disposi tion afforded


she quietly pointed this out to mr stafford


but all i wish is that they would not dwell so constantly on the advantages of this australian scheme without allowing me to speak of the disinclination which i cannot help feeling


you know dear uncle that i am not fond of retirement i have no wish to see interminable forests nor to enjoy the silence and solitude that reign there


i am quite satisfied with the kan garoos in the zoological gardens and tho stuffed platypus in the museum


those grim heads on the old carving ho looked at the cornices and mantel pieceare quite ugly enough for my taste and i do not desire to see their prototypes in the aborigines of new hol land


but i am quite ready to go with fanny


i shall be wanted to play the part of tho naughty boy in the childrens stories to contrast her sweetness and submission and to add the tauce piquant which john will require


i wish it were not so my kate but i fear you have j udged rightly


i must stay no longer now you are cheating me or rather my clients of my time


i caine to tell you that your old friend st quentin is returned from the con tinent


has bis cousin returned with him that very handsome and pleasant person lord gerald


no poor fellow st germains left him at nice


his health is still very precarious


am very sorry poor lady strath dean


yes it is a sad trial to a mother and she has known much sorrow


when i first saw lord gerald and lady edith j i thought them the most beautiful chil dren i had ever seen


when i saw her last she was about your age kate


poor thing


she was beautiful and happy then


kate was too much accustomed to her uncles habit of thinking aloud ever to ask a question but her curiosity was aroused


beautiful and unhappy the sister too of such a charming person


what a foundation for a romance


mary must know the story and to mary she applied herself


she married against her fathers will my love and he has never forgiven her sooa after their marriage captain len nox joined his regiment in india and lady edith accompanied him


the climate did not suit her health and on that account i believe he returned


it is supposed he went to new zealand many years have passed since they have been heard of by the family


lord strathdean interdicted all communication with theui


and never mentions her name strange to say captain lennox who i should have told you was a distant re lation of her own is now by the death of several persons next in succession to the titles and estates after lord gerald


it is now i fear too likely that ho will eventually be the heir


st quentin was announced


kate was alone in the so called drawingroom


katemiss stafford i hardly know you


you are so grown so you have been abroad and have seen so much that your old friends are for gotten mr st quentin


not forgottenthat can never be but altered was the word i was going to use and your ceremonious manner gives ine courage to finish the sentence


kate looked at the fire


shall be more altered before i see merry england againsho said


explanation was prevented by mrs emersons entrance


she greeted her guest warmly and enquired after his cousin lord gerald


ah poor fellow not yet restored though the physicians are sanguine


i was sorry to leave him


those recept acles for invalids are melancholy places to be in by ones self


the climate of australia is like that of the south of france


asked kate


the answer produced another question and st quentin heard with surprise of kates approaching banishment


to be continued


ip e t perennials no lit


by patty parsley


chapter i twas but a deed of duty done nought but a man should do why then to you hath my spirit gone why fiy my thoughts to you


alas


on this earth are so fewso few


who the manly dictates of duty do


anon in the front balcony of a house in one of the suburban streets of sydney sat a young girl looking forth upon the life below


a halfdrawn curtain screened her from the passersby whilst it per mitted her to see clearly all that was passing


and so minnie conner laid her head on her hand and watched passively the varying scenebut if she watched with her eyes her thoughts were evi dently wandering


ah she whispered with a thrilling distinctness that told how the words were cutting their way from the heart


ah ye have all souls you people down there but well i know that almost all of them are asleep or at least drowsing


do i not know that you have hushed them down and lulled them with promises of gold and honor and earthly weal


do i not know that you have drugged them with your sophistries until they have forgotten the beyond from which they came and to which they must return


oh man man i blush to be of your kin


yes yonder comes one unspotted stillthat laughing dancing child


little pure happy one i would i were like you


yet no no she said after a sobbing pause far better to be at the end of life than at its beginning


oh to fly away and be at rest


this was a strange reverie for a young firl to indulge in but minnie conners ot might justify it


she was not pretty only gentlelooking not wealthyonly breadwinner not demonstrativeonly loving not selfconfident but very re tiring and so it happened that she passed through the world in a very quiet manner


she was loved by her own family cer tainly but it was with a very coldseem ing kind of loveaffection i mean


but ah dear me within that little cold form beat a true loving heart that panted for caresses and yearned to be the blessing of some dear ones life


ah i me


poor minnie it is raven locks and sparkling eyes and rosy lips and tink ling gold and costly dress that bless mens lives nowadays not such plain little things as you even though your love was as true and pure as yonder blue arch of heavenas full of smiles as that arch of stars on a summers eve


but minnie had a sister who was as richly gifted with all attractions as she por child was


sadly destitute


the ebn ringlets and sparkling eyes and glittering smile of cora conner had won the heart of a rich bachelor uifcle and he saying it were a pity that his petty sparkler should go unwed for want of a portion had placed her name in his will for no inconsiderable legacy and then kindly died out of the way to enable her to enjoy it


but to come back to minnie


suddenly over her face fell even a sadder shade into her eyes came even a deeper sorrow as they rested upon an object in the street below


and well might sadness seize any who looked upon that sorry sight


slowly and unsteadily advancing cam on a womana woman my friends whc had once been an undefiled and innocent child who had once been a joyerus laugh ing girl who was still a blooming and rosy woman but disgraced by liquor unwomanised by drink unhumanised in that she had drowned in the burning fluid the soul that distinguishes the human form from animal creation


she carried a baby in her afm which even in her bewilderment she carefully tended and at last finding that she could no longer hold it with safety she sat down on a bank at the roadside


minnies heart waft touched and she sat almost unconsciously watching the poor woman and supplicating the god above to destroy the fiery monster who thus debased the nlbthers of the land


perhaps she should have actedper haps she should have attempted to save the woman from the jeers of the street but she shrank from the task an almost hopeless one and only sat and thought


she is my sister descendent of one com mon parenthelp her oh father god


for a moment minnies eye roved from i the painful sight and rested on one more


pleasing


often had she watched the rapid step of the figure that was coming nowoften glanced at his downcast earnest thoughtful face and thought well never mind what she thought reader


most likely it was of her plain faee and insignificant little figure


at any rate she smiled as she saw him


he came on swiftly but on reaching the un fortunate creature who crouched by the path he stopped suddenly


stooping he said a few words of enquiry evidently and then turning to some bystanders he appeared to direct them for immediately she was supported to a more grassy softer and more retired seat


after a few words he turned away again and went back with speedier steps on the path he had eome


thats not the way to his teatable soliloquised minnie hell be back presently and she waited his reappearance


she did not wait long


a streetcab drove up and the stranger jumping from it stood by with patience while the woman and baby were lifted in then giving some directions with pay ment to the cabman turned as it drove away to his homeward path


wellthere was nothing in itnothing at least but what passes day by day in this medley world but minnie rose with a sigh half gladness and half sadness to enter the house


god bless him she said aloud for his noble deed


and grod bless him said a laughing voice beside her for his noble face minnie


cora had stood at the window behind her all the time


the mysteries of paris


continued


the conversation between madame dharville and rodolphe which again urned towards their future plans for re ieving misery was interrupted by the en trance of m dharville pale and pro foundly affected his eyes wet with tears


the marquis said to rodolphe giving him the letter he had just received monseigneur here is the infamous letter which i received just now before you


i pray you to burn it after you have read it


oh this is infamous


cried rodolphe ndignatly


well there is something still more in famous than this anonymous scurrilityit s my own conduct


a little while ago instead of showing you this letter frankly i concealed it from you i pretended to be calm while i had jealousy anger and despairin my heart this is n tall shame


fully concealed myself behind this door to listen to youto spyyes i have been wretch enough to doubt your honour


oh i the author of this letter knows to whom he addresses it he knows how weakmy head is


well monseigneur say after hearing what i have just heardfor i have not lost a word of your conversationought i not


on my knees ask for pardon and pity


and i do it monseigneur


i do it clemence i have no more hope but in your generosity


ah mon dieul my dear albert what have i to pardon said rodolphe extend ing both hands with the most touching cor diality


now you know our secrets i am delighted


and you clemence will you pardon me also


yes on condition that you


will assist me in assuring your own happiness and heextended her hand


ma foi my dear marquis cried ro dolphe our enemies are unlucky thanks to them we are only the


more intimate from the past


it would be dificult to describe the tu multuous and contrary sentiments which agitated m dharville when he found him self alone


he acknowledged with joy the falsity of the accusation against rodolphe and clemence but he was also convinced that he must renounce the hope of being loved by her


the more that clemence had shown herself resolute to do good the more he reproached himself for having with culpable egotism linked this unhappy young woman to his fate


he fell into a state of sadness of inexpressible despond ency there is in a life of opulence this terrible disadvantage nothing turns the attention nothing protects the mind from brooding on its sorrows on itself


being able to possess all that gold can procure it desires or regrets that which gold alone can not procure


after a sleepless night of bitter reflection the agitation of m dharville ceased as by enchantment and he awaited the day with impatience


the events of the next day were recorded in a newspaper paragraph in the following words yesterday an event as unfore seen as deplorable agitated the whole fau bourg st germain


one of those acts of carelessness which every year cause so many fatal accidents has led to a most la mentable result


m le marquis dharville possessor of an immense fortune hardly twentysix years of age noted for the ele vation of his character and the goodness of his heart married to a lady whom he adored had invited a few friends to break fast


on leaving the table they passed into the sleeping apartment of m dhar


ville where were displayed several valuable arms


in showing some of them to his guests m dharville in jest placed a pistol which he did riot knoiw was loaded to his lips


it went offl and the unhppy young man fell dead with his skull frac


lured i the consternation of his surround ing friends may easily be imagined to whom hut a moment before in the bloom of youth lie had just been conversing of his projectsfor the future


we quote the papers to show that general belief attributed the death of m dharville to a deplorable accident