Newspaper Page Text
JlfEDipop.
BY WALTER BESANT.
(’HALTER F.
ALL TilE PEOPLE STANDING.
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A~% HEN the sun rose over
U
ft B T\f y certain Sunday early in
L,. \ May—year of grace sev-
enteen hundred and six-
A' >A f i'fi t ty four —it was exactly
• four o’clock in the morn
y f xl / ing As regards the
coast of Northumber
land, Ik- sprang with a leap out of a per
fectly smooth sea into a perfectly cloud
less sky and if there were, as generally
happens, certain fogs, mists, clouds and
vapors lying about the moors and fells
among the Cheviots, they were too far
from the town of Warkworth for its peo-
ple to see them The long cold spring
was over at last, the wallflower on the
castle wall was in blossom; the pale prim
roses had not yet all gone, the lilac was
preparing to throw out its blossoms, the
cuckoo whs abroad, the swallows were
returning with tumultuous rush, as if
they had had quite enough of the sunny
south and longed again for the battle
ments of the cast le and the banks of Co
quet the woods were full of song; the
nests were full of young birds, chirping
together, partly because they were always
hungry, partly because they were rejoic
ing in the sunshine, and all the living
creatures in wood and field and river were
hurrying flying. creeping, crawling,
swimming, running, with intent to eat
each other out of house and home.
The eye of tfie sun fell upon empty
streets and closed houses—not even a
poacher, much less a thief or burglar, vis
ible in the whole of Northumberland; and
if there might be here and there a gyp
sies tent, the virtuous toes of the occu
pants peeped out from beneath the can
vas. with never a thought of snaring
hares or stealing poultry Even in New
castle, which, if you come to think of it,
is pretty well for wickedness, the night
watchmen slept in their boxes, lanterns
long since extinguished, and the wretches
who had no beds, no money and slender
hopes for the next day’s food slept on the
bunks and stalls about the market. Noth
ing stirred except the hands of the church
clock, and these moved steadily; the quar
ters and the hour were struck But for
the clocks the towns might have been so
many cities of the dead, each house a
tomb, each bed a silent grave. The
Northumbrian folk began to get up—a
little later than usual because it was Sun
day—first in the villages and farm houses,
next in the small towns; last and latest,
in Newcastle, which was ever a lie abed
city
Wark worth is quite a small town and a
great way from Newcastle. It has only
one street At one end of it is the church
and at the other end is the castle. The
street runs up hill from church to castle.
In the year 1764 the castle was more ruin
ous than it showed in later years, because
the keep itself stood rootless, its stairs
broken and its floors fallen in—a great
shell, echoing thunderously with all the
winds As for the walls, the ruined gate
ways. the foundations of the chapel, the
yawning vaults and the gutted towers,
they have always been the same since the
destruction of the place The wall flow
ers and long grasses grew upon the broken
battlements, blackberries and elder bushes
occupied the moat; the boys climbed .up
to perilous places by fragments of broken
steps, the swallows Hew about the lofty
keep; the green woods hung upon the
slopes above the river, and the winding
Roquet rolled around the hill on which
tae castle stood—a solitary and deserted
place Yet in the evening there was one
corner in which the light of a fire could
always be seen It came from a chamber
beside the great gateway —that which
looks upon the meadows to the south
Here lived the fugleman He had fitted
a small window in the wall, constructed a
door, built up the broken stones, and con
stituted himself, without asking leave of
my Lord of Northumberland, sole tenant
of Wark worth castle
When the first comers had looked up
the street and down the street, straight
through and across the other, and exam
ined the sky and inspected the horizon,
and obtained all possible infomnation
about the weather, they gave each other
the good morning, and asked for opinions
on the subject of hay* Then one by one
they went back to their houses—which
are of stone, having very small windows
with bull’s eye glass in leaden casements,
and red tiled roofs
Aftei breakfast, for two hours by the
clock, they fell to stroking of stubby
chins and to wondering when tfte barber
would be ready This could not be until
stroke of i), at least, because he had to
comb dress and powder first the vicar’s
wig for Sunday Heaven forbid that tlie
church should be put off with anything
short of a wig newly combed and newly
curled! And next the of* his wor
ship Cuthbert Carnaby. Esq., justice of
the peace, and second cousin to his lord
ship the Earl of Northumberland, newly
succeeded to the title When this was
dene the barber addressed himself,to the
chins and cheeks of the townsfolk, and
this with such dexterity and dispatch
that before the church bell began he hud
them all dispatched and turned off And
then their countenances were glorious.
&nd shone in the sun like unto the face
°f a mirror, and felt as smooth to
amoved finger as the chin ami a
Eiaid. Thus does art improve and cor
r cct nature The savage who wearetb
heard knows not this delight
it was a day on which something out of
the common was to happen, a day on
expectation wa3 on and
wbn at ’A o’clock the first stroke of the
church !><*!l began, all the boya with one
an 'he sa n* design turned their steps—
slowly at first , and us if the business did
not greatly matter, yet should be seen
into—toward the churchyard They were
all in Sunday best; their hair smooth,
their hands white, their shoes brushed
and their stockings clean, they moved us
if drawn by invisible ropes; as if they
could not choose but go; and whereas on
ordinary Sundays not a lad among them
all entered the church till the very last
toll of t lie bell, on this day they made
straight for the porch at the first, and this
although they knew that if they once set
foot within it. they must pass straight on
without lingering, into the church, and
so take their seats, and have half an hour
longer to wait in silence and good behav
ior with liability to discipline For a rod
is ever ready m church as well us at
home, for the back of him who shows
lumself void of understanding The
fugleman, who wielded that rod was
strong of arm. and no boy could call him
self fortunate, or botst that he had es
caped the scourge of folly till the service
was fairly done
Out in the fields, and in the fair mea
dows, and down the riverside, and along
the quiet country paths, and among the
woods which hang above the winding of
the Coquet, the sound of the bell quick
ened the steps of those who were leisurely
making t heir way to oil arch, so that every
man put best foot for’ard. with a
“Hurry up. lad! Lose not this morning’s
sight! Be in time! Quick, laggard!” and
so forth, each to the other
At Morwick Mill. Mistress Barbara
Humble would not go to church, though
her brother did Nor would she let any
other of the household go-, neither her
man nor her maid, nor the stranger, if
any, that was within her gates, but at
10:o0 of the clock she called them together
and read aloud the Penitential Psalms and
the commutation service.
The show, meantime, had begun. At
the first stroke of the bell there walked
forth from the vestry room a little proces
sion of two First came a tall, spare man
of 60 or so. bearing before him a pike,
tie was himself as straight and erect as
the pike he carried, he wore his best suit,
very magnificent, for it was his old uni
form kept for Sundays and holidays—tlfat
of a sergeant in the Fourteenth, or Berk
shire Regiment of Foot, namely, a black
three cornered hat, a scarlet coat, faced
with yellow and with yellow cuffs, scarlet
waistcoat and breeches, white garters and
white cravat. On the hat was in silver
the white horse of his regiment and the
motto “Nee aspera terrent." He walked
slowly down the aisle with the precision
of a machine, and his face was remark
able. because he was on duty, for having
no expression whatever You cannot draw
a face or in any way present the effigy of
a human face which shall say nothing;
that is beyond the power of the rudest or
the most skilled artist, but some men
have acquired this power over their own
faces—diplomatists or soldiers they are
by trade. This man was a soldier He
was bo good a soldior that Lo Lad Loon
promoted, first to be corporal, then to be
sergeant and lastly to be fugleman, whose
place was in the front before the whole
regiment, and whose duty it was to lead
the exercises at the word of command
with his pike In his age and retirement
he feted as the executive officer in all
matters connected with the ecclesiastical
and civic functions of the town, whether
to lead the responses, to conduct a bap
tism. a funeral or a wedding, to set a man
in the stocks and to stand over him. to
cane a boy for laughing in church, to put
a vagrant in pillory and stand beside him,
to tie up an offender to the cart tail and
give him five dozen, or. as in the present
case, to wrap a lad in a white sheet and
remain with him while he did public pen
ance for his fault. He was constable,
clerk and guardian of the peace.
The boy who followed him was a tall
and lusty youth past 16, who might very
well have passed for 18. a boy with rosy
cheeks, blue eyes and brown hair; but his
eyes were downcast, his cheek was Hushed
with shame because be was clad from
head to foot in a long white sheet, and he
was placed so clothed, for the space of
half an hour, while the bells rang for ser
vice in the church porch, and then to
stand up before all the congregation to
ask pardon of the people, and to repeat
the Lord’s Prayer aloud in token of re
pentance.
The porch of Wark worth church is
large and square, fifteen feet across, with
a stone bench on either side The boy
was stationed within the porch on the
e;istern side, and close to the church door,
so that all those who passed in must needs
behold him At his left hand stood tLs
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At his left hand stood the fugleman.
fugleman, pike grounded and bead drect,
looking straight before him. and saving
nothing except at the beginning, when,
discipline for a moment gave way to
friendship and he murmured; “Heart up.
Master Ralph! What odds is a white
sheet?”
The* he became rigid, and neither spake
no* moved. As for the penitent, he tried
to imitate the rigidity of his companion,
biri with poor success, for his mouth
trembled, ami his eyes sank, and his color
canie and went as the people, all of whom
h knew, passed him with reproachful or
pitying gaze The church and the porch
and the churchyard were a’l eyes, he was
himself a gigantic monument of shame
Here was a lad found out and convicted
on the clearest evidence and confession
he had made fools of the whole town, here
he was before all. undergoing the sen
tence pronounced upon him by his wor
ship. Mr Carnally, and a sentence so sel
dom pronounced as to make it an occasion
for wonder, and the offender was not a
gypsy or a vagrotn man. or one of them
selves, but young Ralph Emblet.on. of
Morwick Mill, and the offense was not
robbing, or pilfering, or cheating, or
smuggling, or beating and striking but
quite an unusual and even a romantic
kind of offetfse. for which there was no
name even, and an offense not falling
within auy law
Toward the close of the ringing there
entered the church, walking majestically
through the lane formed by the rustics.
Mr Cuthbert Carnaby, justice of the
peace, with madam his good lady He
was attired in a full wig and a purple
coat with laced ruffles, laced cravat, a
flowered silk waistcoat, and gold buckles
in Ins shoes, in his hand he carried a
heavy gold headed stick, and under his
arm he bore his laced hat. his ample
cheeks were red. and red was his double
chin Though his bearing was full of au
thority. his eyes were kind, and when he
saw the boy standing in the porch he felt
inclined to remit the remainder of the
punishment
“8o Ralph.” he said, stopping to ad
monish him. “thy father was a worthy
man. he hath not lived to see this But
courage, boy, and do the like no more
Shame attends folly Thou art young, let
this be a lesson After punishment and
repentance cometh forgiveness, so cheer
up. my lad. ”
“Ralph.” said his wife, with a smile in
her eyes and a frown on her brow, “1
could find it in my heart to tiog thee
soundly, but then thou art punished
enough Ghosts indeed' and not a maid
would go past the castle after dark, for
fear of this boy! Let us hear no more
about ghosts
She shook her finger—they both shook
their fingers—she adjusted her hoop, and
entered the church The boy’s heart felt
lighter; Mr Carnaby and madam would
forgive him His worship went on. bear
ing before him his gold headed stick and
walked up the aisle to his pew. a large
room within the chancel, provided with
chairs and cushions, curtains to keep off
the draught, and a fireplace for winter.
After Mr. Bamaby there walked into
the porch a man dressed in good broad
cloth with white stockings, and shoes
with silver buckles And his coat had
silver buttons, which marked him for a
man of substance His cheeks were full
and his face fiery, as if he was one who.
although young, lived well, and his eyes
were small and too close together, which
made him look like a pig It was Mathew
Humble. Ralph’s cousin and guardian
At sight of him the boy’s face Hushed
and his lips parted, but he restrained
himself and said nothing, while the fugle
man gave him an admonitory nudge with
his elbow
The man looked at Ralph from top to
toe. as if examining into the arrange
ments and anxious to see that all was
properly and scientifically carried out
“Ta-ta ta'” he said with an air of dis
satisfaction* “What is this? Call you
this penance? Where is the candle? Did
his worship say nothing about the candle?"
“Nothing.” replied -the fugleman with
shortness.
"He ought to have carried a candle
Dear me! this is irregular This spoils
all But— Ah!—bareheaded”—he stood
as far back as the breadth of the porch
would allow, so as to get the full effect
and to observe the picture from the best
point of view—‘An a long white sheet!
Ah! bareheaded and in a long white sheet!
Oh. what a disgraceful day! These are
things, fugleman, which end in the gal
lows For an Embleton. too! If the old
man can see it what will he think of the
boy to whom he left the mill? And to beg
pardon” —he smacked his lips with satis
faction —"to beg pardon of the people!
Ah. and to repeat the Lord’s prayer in the
church —the Lord’s prayer—in the .church
aloud! The Lord’s prayer—in the church
—aloud —before all the people! All! Dear
me—dear me!”
He wagged his head, as if he could not
tear himself away from the spectacle of
so much degradation Then he added
with a smile of perfect satisfaction a de
tail which he had forgotten
“Standing, too' The Ixuxi’s prayer—ln
the church —aloud—before all the people
—standing' This is a pretty beginning,
fugleman, for sixteen years
If the Lord’s prayer in itself were some
thing to be ashamed of he could not have
spoken with greater contempt The boy,
however, looked straight up into the roof
of the porch, made no answer nor seemed
to hear
The speaker held up both hands, shook
his head, sighed and slowly withdrew into
the church
Then there came down the street an old
lady in a white cap, a white apron, a shawl
and black mittens, an old lady with a face
lined all over, with kind soft eyes and
white hair, but her face was troubled.
Beside her walked a girl of 12 or there
abouts. dressed in white frock and straw
hat trimmed with white ribbon, and white
cotton mittens, and she was crying and
sobbing
“Thou mayest stand up in the church."
said the old lady, “when he repeats the
Lord’s Prayer, but not beside him in the
porch. ”
“But I helped him.” she cried “Oh, I
am as bad as be! lam worse, because I
laughed at him and encouraged hkn
“But thou bast not been sentenced.”
said the old lady “It is thy punish
ment, child—and a heavy one —to feel
that Ralph bears thy shame and his own.
too. ”
“I was on one side of the hedge when
Dame Ridley dropped her basket,” the
child went on, crying more bitterly *“*
was on one side and he on the other Oh!
oh' oh! She said there were two ghosts —
I was one. ”
When they reached the porch the girl,
at sight of the boy in the sheet, ran and
threw her arms about his neck and kissed
him. and cried aloud enough for all within
to beam ,
“Oh, Ralph, Ralph, it Is wicked of
them!" ’ * *
These words were, heard all over the
church, and Mathew Humble sprang to
Ins feet, as if demanding that the speaker
should be carried off to instant execution
for contempt of court All eyes were
turned upon his worship’s pew. and I
know not what would have happened, be
cause his periwig was seen to be agitated
and the gold head of his stick appeared
above the pew; but luckily just then the
bells clashed all together, frightening the
swallows about the tower so that they
flew straight to the castle and stayed
there, and the vicar came out of the
vestry and sat down in the reading desk,
and, as was his custom, surveyed hi 9
church and congregation for a few minutes
before the service liegun
It is an old church of Norman work in
parts, patched up and rebuilt from time
to time by the Percies, but there are no
monuments of them Tlte vicar’s eyes fell
upon a plain whitewashed building, pro
vided with rows of ancient ami worm
eaten benches, woru black by many gen
erations of worshipers The choir and the
music sat at the west end hi front of
the chancel was a square space in which
was set a long stool While the vicar
waited the fugleman marched up the
aisle, followed by the hoy in the sheet,
and both sat on this stool of repentance
Then the vicar rose —lie was a benignant
old man, with white hair—and begun to
read in a full and musical voice how sin
tiers may repent and find forgiveness But
the people thought lie meant his words to
apply this morning especially and only
to the boy in the sheet This made
them feel surprisingly virtuous and in
dined to sing praises with a glad heart
So, too. with the lessons one of which
dealt with the fate of a wicked king All
the people looked at the hoy in the sheet,
and felt that, under another name, it was
his own story told beforehand prophet
ically, and when they stood up to sing in
thanksgiving, their gratitude took the
form of being glad that they were not
upon the stool When the psalms were
read the people paid unusual attention,
letting the boy have the benefit of all the
penitential utterances, but taking the joy
ous verses to themselves And the litany
they regarded as composed, as well as
read, exclusively for this convicted sinner
Among the elder ladies there was hope
that the offended ghosts might—some at
least—be present in the church and see
this humiliation, which would not fail to
dispose their ghostlinesses to a benevolent
attitude, and even influence the weather
It seemed to the boy as if that service
never would end To the congregation it
seemed, on account of this unusual epi
sode. as if there never had been a service
so short and so exciting
When the commandments had been re
cited. Ralph almost expected to hear an
additional one. “Thou shalt not pretend
to be a ghost.” and to he called on to pray,
all by himself, for an inclination of the
heart to keep that injunction But the
vicar threw away the opportunity and
ended as usual with the tenth command
ment
He gave out the psalm and retired to
put on his black gown The music—con
cisstinor of a v-inlin a trinlnneello and a
clarionet —struck up the tune, and the
choir, among whom Ralph ought to have
been, hemmed and cleared their voices The
Northumbrians, as is well known, have
good voices and good ears The tune was
“Warwick." and the psalm was that which
began
Lord, in the morning: thou shalt hear
My voice asoeml to thee.
The boy trembled because the words
seemed to refer to the part he was about
to play His own voice would, immedi
ately. be ascending high, but all by itself.
He saw the face of his cousin. Mathew
Humble, fixed upon him with ill concealed
and malignant joy Why did Mathew
hate him with such a bitter hatred? Also
he saw the face of the girl who had been
his partner, her eyes were full of tears;
and at sight of her grief his own eyes be
came humid
He did not take any part at all in the
hymn
When ft was finished, the vicar stood
in his pulpit waiting, his worship stood
up in his pew. his face turned toward the
culprit, in his hand his great gold headed
caue All the people stared at the culprit
with curious eyes, as boys stare at one of
their companions when he is about to be
flogged Just then the girl left her seat
and stepped deliberately up the aisle and
stood beside the boy in the sheet And
the congregation murmured wonder
The fugleman touched the boy’s shoul
der and brought his pike to tentiou
“Say after me. ”he said aloud Then to
the congregation he added “And all the
people standing
“I eonfess my fault." he began s
“I confess my fault,” repeated boy and
girl together
“And am heartily sorry, and do beg for
giveness
And then the Lord’s Prayer
The boy spoke out the words clearly and
boldly, and with his was hear! the girl’s
voice as well, but both were nearly
drowned by the loud voice of the fugie
maiL
It was over then. All sat down; the
girl beside Ralph on the stool of repent
ance. and the sermon began
When the vicar had drubbed the pulpit
to the very end of his manuscript, and the
service was over, the three stood up again
and remained standing till the people were
all gone
“Come, lass.” said the fugleman when
the church was empty, “w-e can all go
now Off with that rag. Master Ralph "
He unbent, his face assumed a human
expression, he laid down the pike
“What odds. 1 say. is a white sheet?
WTr% think, ’twas a show for the lads
which they haven’t had for many a year.
And May nigh gone already, and never a
man in the stocks yet. and the pillory rot
ting for want of custom, and never a thief
flogged, nor a bear baiting If it twasn’t
for the cocks of a Sunday afternoon and
the' wrestling, there would have' been
nothing for the poor fel lews but your
ghosts te keep 'em out of mischief And.
lad.” he pointed in the direction of the
mill, “your cousin means more mischief
It was him that laid information before
his worship
“OIW” said Ralph, clutching his fists.
“Ay. him it wa.% and his worship
thought it mean, but he was bound to
take notice, for why says his worship,
‘he can’t let this boy frigkfceu all tLo
rr.rdds out of their silly senses Yet. for
his own cousin and his guardian' that’s
what his worship said
•Oh!' Again Ralph clinched his lists
“Should 1. au old soldier, preach tnuTim?
Never But seeing that your cousin is no
rightful officer ol yourn. nor yet comrnis
sioued to carry pike in your company.
why. I. for one”
“What, fugleman?"
“I. for one* if I was a well grown boy.
nigh upon IT, the next time he gave
orders for another six dozen, or eveu t hree
dozen. I would ask him if he was strong
enougn to tie up a mutineer ."
The boy nodded Lis head
“Cousin tbof he he." continued the
fugleman, “captain or lieutenant is he
not
The boy had by this time divested him
self of his sheet, and stood dressed in a
long brown coat and plainly cut waistcoat,
he. too. wore silver buckles to his shoes,
like his cousin, but not silver buttons,
his hair was tied with a black ribbon, and
his hat was {Tain. without lace or orna
ment
\\ hen his adviser had finished, ho
walked slowly down the empty church,
hand in hand with the girl
In the porch he stopped, threw his arm
round her neck and kissed her twice.
“No one but you, Drusy.” he said,
“would have done it I’ll never forget
it, nev%r. as long as I live Go home to
granny, my dear, and have your dinner ”
“And you will go home, too. Ralph?”
“Yes. lam going home I’ve got to
have a talk with Mathew Humble "
Left alone in the church, the fugleman
sat down irreverently on the steps of the
pulpit, and laughed aloud.
“Mathew Humble,” he said, “is going
to be astonished. ”
CHAPTER ri.
THE ASTONISHMENT OK MATHEW HUMBLE
Ralph walked homeward with head
erect, eyes Hashing and clinched lists. He
was thinking what he should do. how he
should begin his mutiny; what would be
the issue of the fight Whatever the
result, there would be joy in bringing, if
only for once. hand. fist, or stick into con
tact with the face or figure of his cousin
It was he. was it. who informed against
him to his worship? It was no other than
his cousin who had compassed this most
disagreeable of mornings And now.
doubtless, he waited, with a great cane,
his arrival at home, in order to administer
another of those “corrections” of which
he was so fond Hitherto. Ralph had sub
mitted quietly; but he had been grow
ing; he was within a month of 17; was it
to be endured that he should be beaten
and flogged like a child of 10, because his
cousin hated him?
When he left the fields and turned into
the lane leading down into the river, he
began to look about among the trees and
underwood as if searching for something
Presently he espied a long, pliant alder
branch in its secoud year of growth which
seemed promising He cut it to a length
of about three feet, trimmed off leaves
twin's, balanced it critically with &
tentative nourish or two in the air
“As thick as my thumb," he said, “and
as heavy as his cane Blow for blow.
Cousin Mathew This will curl round his
shoulders and leave its mark upon bin
legs ”
Morwiek Mill stands upon the River
Coquet, about two miles from Warkworth
You can easily get to it by following the
banks of the river, which is perhaps the
best way, though sometimes you must off
shoes and stockings and wade across knee
deep to the other side
The mill consists of a square house upon
the edge of the river, with a great wheel
on one side, and almost all of the water of
the river is here diverted so as to form a
sufficient power for the mill wheel At
the back of the mill, which is also a sub
stantial dwelling house, is a great careless
garden, with pigsties and linnies for cat
tle. and vegetables and fruit trees, and at
the side are two or three cottages. where
live the people employed at the mill All
the fields which lie sloping up from the
river side belong, as well, to the owner of
the mill The owner at this present
moment was no other than the scapegrace
Ralph, and his cousin. Mathew Humble,
was his guardian, who had nothing at
all in the world of his own but a
little farm of thirty acres The thought
of this great inheritance, compared
with his own meager holding, filled the
good guardian’s heart with bitterness,
and his arm. when it came to correction,
with a superhuman strength He would
be guardian for four years more, then lie
would have to a strict account of his
guardianship, and the burden of this ob
ligation, though he had only held the post
for two years, filled him with such wrath
and auxiety that he was fain, when he did
think upon it. which was often, to pull
the cork out of a certain stone jar and
allay his anxieties with a dram of strong
waters He was very anxious, because
already the accounts were-confused, the
stone jar was always handy; therefore, lie
had become swollen about the neck and
coarse of nose, which was a full and prom
inent feature, and flabby, as well as fiery,
about the cheeks In t hese times of much
drinking many men become pendulous of
cheek and ruddy of nose at 40 or so. but
few at 26 Mathew was not at this time
giuch more than 26, say ten years older
than Ralph
The kitchen, dining room and sitting
room of Morwiek Mill was a largo, low
room, with one long window At the
sides of the room and between the great
joists were banging sides of bacon and
hams, besides pewter pots and pewter
dishes, brightly polished wooden platters,
china crips, brass vessels, whips, bridles,
a loaded blunderbuss, cudgals. strings of
onions, dried herbs of every kind, and all
the thousand things wanted for the con
duct of a household. At one end was a
noble fire of logs burning in an ample
chimney, and before the fire a great piece
of beef roasting, and now. to outward
scrutiny and sense of smell, ready to bo
dished A middle aged woman, full,
comely and good natured of aspect, was
engaged in preparation for that critical
operation This was Prudence, who had
lived at the mill all her life
She looked up as Ralph appeared In the
doorway and shook her head, more in pity
than in reproach And she looked side
ways, by way of friendly warning, in the
direction of the table at which sat an
other woman of different appearance She
was perhaps five m >ix and thirty with
thin features and sour expression, not im
provi-d bv a east in her eye This wag
Barbara. sisTet of Mathew Humble, and
now acting in the capacity ul mistress of
Morwiek Mill, toi her brothel was not
married She had open before her the
Bible, and she had found a most beautiful
collection of texts appropriate to the case
of fools in the book of Proverbs The
table was laid for dinner with pewter
plates and black handled knives and steel
forks The beer had been drawn, and
stood in a great brown jug foaming with
with a venerable silver bead Ralph ob
served without astonishment that the
plate set for him contained a piece of dry
bread, ostentatiously displayed It was
to be his dinner
This pleasing maiden. Barbara, who re
garded the boy with an affection almost r.3
great as her brother s that is to say. with
a malignity quite uncommon, first pointed
with her lean and skinny forefinger to the
page before her. and read aloud, shaking
her head reproachfully
“ ’As a man who easteth firebrands, ar
rows. afid death, so is the man that de-
BRIGHT bits.
A suicide in the City of Mexico chose
to leap from the bell tower of the cathe
dral, a fall of lb!) feet. It was histori
cally bloody ground, being the spot
where thousands were sacrificed in Aztec
times.
Spoiled by time: Free Lunch Expert
(to bartender) —“These encumbers uin t
as fresh as they might be, Mr. Bat-keep.”
Bartender —Tiny were fresh enough when
you began on the lunch, but how longdo
you expect cucumbers to remain fresh?”
—New York Sun.
Mrs. Pompano—Mary Ann, just ruu
across the street and ask that man with
a whitewash bucket if he is engaged.
Mary Ann (returning alter an animated
conversation with Julius IMumbob) —
Please, mum, he says he's been married
for twelve years.—Drake's Magazine.
“What a.simple and modest bathing
suit Miss Spider always wears,” remark
ed the minister. “Yes,” replied Miss
Vivacity, unconsciously. “You will al
ways find a girl modest at the seaside
when she weighs only eigty-five pounds.”
—Puck.
Youth — I’ve got some poetry here I'd
like to have you look over. Editor —Yes,
sir. Have you got your license with you?
Youth—My license? Editor—Yes; your
poetic license. Youth —N-n-no. I didn't
know I had to have one. Editor—We
never look over any poetry without first
seeing the poet's license. Good day.—
Time.
Full of business—“Mr. Sampson asked
me to be his wife last night, papa.”
“And what did you say?” 1 told him
I could have ttie usual thirty days or o
per cent, off for cash, and then he stop
ped and apologized. What am I to
think of him, papa?” “Think of him,”
shouted the old man. “That young fel
low is full of business, and you can't say
‘yes’ too quick.”—Grip.
TRY IT ON Cfl.
To the man who has tried every other
remedy for Blood Poisons, we commend
the following experience of a well known
woman.
SHE HAD TRIED EVEKYTHIG ELSE.
Clover Bottom, Sullivan County, Tenn.,
June IS, 1887 —Blood Balm Cos., Atlanta,
Ga: Sir:—l have been thinking of writing
to you for some time to let you know of
the wonderful cure your B. B. B has affect
ed on myself and daughter. She, a girl of
16 years, was taken with a very sore leg
below the knee. I called on the very best
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they tended on lier for four years to no
purpose. Her leg got worse every year
I used about BO bottles of other medicine
to no purpose. I lie doctors said the only
remedy left amputation. That we all was
onposed to I was in Knoxville the Sfh of
January, 1886, and while buying a bill
ot drugs called for a go id blood purifier,
and Messrs. Sanford, Chamber-arid & Cos.
recommended the B. B. B. I purchased
one half and zen bottles, -.nd to my utter
surprise after using three or Fmr bottles
my girl's leg was entirely leded. I also
had a very ugly running sore on the ca f
of my leg and one bottle cured it, after
having tried all other remedies I wish
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tried three or four other purifiers but the
B. B B is the only one that ever did me
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this and Washington couiitv, also all over
Virginia. R. S. Elsom.
BLOOD TAINT FROM BIRTH.
Boonville, ixd., January 2b, IS,->7
I shall overpraise the day that you gen
tlemen were born, and shall bless the day
that vour medicine was known to me. I
had blood poison from birth, an I so much
so that all the doctors of my town said I
would be crippled for li e. They said
I would lose my lower limb. 1 could not
stand in my class to recite ray lesson*,
eleven bottles of your Balm cprfcd me
sound and well You can use inf name
as you see fit. In my case, there were
knots on my shinbones as large as a hen s
Ppwr
Yours, MirtleM. Tan nek.
THIS FOR FUN.
All who desire lull information about
the cause and cure of Plood Poisons.
Scrofula and Scrofulous Swellings, Ulcers,
Sores, Rheumatism, Kidney Complaints,
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copy of our 82-page Illustrated Book of
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Address, Blood Balm Cos.,
719-lrn Atlanta, Ga.
Dy-i'.epsia, Desi*ur, Doath.
These are the actual steps tVhich follow
indigestion. Acker’s English Dyspepsia
Tablets will both check and cure this most
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