The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-12-25 00:00:00

—Schiller.
" The wealthiest treasure to his lot shall fall,
Whose heart, receiving, still returneth all."
—Schiller.

Dr. Orvin had paid his last visit to Mr. Roslyn, and al-
most hislast also to any of his Ackland patients. Mr. William
Poulter, F.ll, C.S., who had long attended some of his less
serious cases, and superintended the preparation of the .
medicines sent out from Dr. Orvin's surgery, was at once
placed in charge of the Grange patients, and, before many
weeks, of the whole of the sick folks at Ackland. Poulter
was a young man of about eight-and-twenty, and was little
LOWn except as the able assistant of the still abler physician
who, for so many years, had been a welcome guest in the hos-
pitable homes of this northern village. LlAload dined once only
at the Grange, when Mrs Roslyn was livMg, and it was well-
known by Mr. Roslyn and Minnie that that far-seeing lady had
exprested the opinion that Fortner was a man of ability, and
" more honest than some medical men." No special regret
was felt therefore when the visits of Dr. Orvin were super-
seded by those of plain Mr. Poulter; and Nurse ventured to
remark to Minnie that the latter seemed glad to welcome
Mr. Poulter, and that she certainly was more cheerful in his
company than she had ever seemed in the company of the
eminent man whose love she had so unceremoniously re-
jected. As for Mr. Roslyn, he continued steadily to im-
prove; and, as Minnie often declared, "the change seemed
to come at the most critical moment of my life ; for, you see,
papa and I are all in all to each other, now poor dear Ned is
gone." Ned was mourned in two senses; he had been long
at sea and the owners of his vessel had, in the spring, re-
ceived news that the ship had gone down with all hands in
a West Indian tornado. This information had, however,
been carefully kept from Mr. Roslyn, lest his recovery should
be retarded. To him the visits of Poulter seemed strange
and uncalled for. He was now steadily mending, and
"What in earth has become of Orvin ? "—he would often ask
with a shudder.
"What has become of Dr. Orvin ?"—a reasonable question
which must now be answered. He reached home late on
Christmas Day, after his visit to the Grange, irritable and
sick. Shutting himself in his room he took refuge in copious
doses of whiskey, vainly striving to drown the thought that
he, Dr. Leonard Orvin, with a practice worth two thousand
pounds a year, and private property amounting to fifteen
hundred pounds annually, had been refused by the daughter
of a private country gentleman, whose expectations, under
most favourable circumstances, could not rise beyond a
paltry few hundreds a year. For the first few days he fre-
quently examined a small revolver which be kept in his bed-
room ; but his vexation somewhat cooled by-and-bye. At
the end of January he had a long inlerview with his solicitor,
and, as Spring approached, he left for Italy, Mr. Poulter
having by this time charge of all the doctor's patients.
At the Grange Poulter was a daily visitor, and evidently
watched with no ordinary interest the various phases of Mr.
Roilyn's disease, which had been for some time waxing
weaker and weaker under the combined forces of doctor,
nurse, and a good constitution. Minnie's health, too, im-
proved rapidly, and when the buds of May burst forth, her
usua lbloom returned, and Mr. Penner solemnly declared to
himself, after an unusually exciting game of chess at the
Grange, that he knew no do xer so beautiful as Minnie Roslyn,
whose hazel eyes, brown hair, and honest heart, had fasci-
nated him. At chess Minnie generally came off conqueror ;
and after an unusually long series of defeats, under each of
which Poulter seemed to give far more attention to his
opponent's comfort than to the due array of his own forces,
on one bright May day he owned himself beaten in all
respects, heart Included; and, his fair opponent having a
human heart of singular affection and honesty, a mutual
surrender was the happy result.
Mr. Roslyn was pleased because Minnie was happy; and
though his mind was not clear as to the cause of Orvin's
sudden disappearanoe, yet as he gained strength daily, and
saw all around him happy (including, of course, the sparrows,
which were fed every morning), he vigorously threw off any
gloomy reflections as to the possible consequences to himself
of Orvin's disappearance.
As for Mr. Poulter and Minnie, they were too happy in
their mutual love and confidence to allow any thoughts of
Dr. Orvin to trouble them. Poulter might have guessed the
cause of Orvin's vexation with the Roslyn's ; but his own
transparent character was too unsuspecting to attribute
motives on mere suspicion ; and as Minnie had carefully
avoided any distinct statement as to the relation between
herself and Dr. Orvin, Poulter learnt nothing at the Grange.
Yes, one little piece of information he certainly learnt ;
that one of the last things which Orvin said to Minnie was,
that her father's life had largely depended upon thkcare with
which his assistant had prepared the medicines 'prescribed;
and the gratitude of the loving family was now expressed very
frequently by Minnie in those charming moments of rapture
which young lovers improve so well—" My dear, we all owe
you much ; for I verily believe that, somehow or other, you
have saved papa's life, even when you scarcely knew us.
And then, why should you have fallen in love with use who
have so few accomplishments ? " This was always considered
so conclusive an evidence of the goodness of Mr. Poulter's
heart that Minnie never deemed it necessary to wait for a
reply. The question was generally followed by a very
pretty toss of a very pretty head, and the sudden bound of a
very beautiful girl to the performance of some duty in
another room; from which, however, she always returned
very quickly, looking on each occasion prettier than ever.
The symptoms of the approach of this delightful lovers' fun
became, indeed, so familiar to the mau whose daily
duty fell so largely among "symptoms," that he was able to
prevent being left alone at the end of the question ; for on
the faintest intimation that this "affection," as he called it,
was likely to return, his strong arms were placed lovingly
round the unresisting Minnie, whose loving eyes looked con-
fidingly in his, prepared, indeed, to accept thankfully and
loya.oy Suet, Lroa.b..,,nt as. in air Poulter's opinion, this
" ruming-away case" seemed to require.
In William Poulter's opinion, and the patient's likewise, it
was a cape which needed very frequent and careful atten-
tion!

CHAPTER IV.
"Woe, I see the wild wind wreak
Its wrath upon thy rosy bloom;
Winter plough thy rounded cheek,
Cloud and darkness close in gloom."

Schiller.

" Lovers' lives are cast among roses ;"—this may be so,
indeed it probable is ; for the sweetest roses are often the
most thickly beset with thorns. The love of Poulter for
Minnie Roslyn. however, knew no drawback. It was one
ciear, cloudless, midsummer day. Nipple's love also was
just of the sort from which true happiness springs—a trust-
ful, honest, hopeful love, which makes English homes the
happiest, and which accepts with equal frankness the wealth
or the poverty with which they are associated. Poulton*
never once thought of Minnie's pecuniary expectation's, and
Minnie loved ['miner no better for the foci that at the end of
May Dr. Orvin, who still remained abroad, intimated by letter
his determination to retire from practice, presenting his
Ackland connection to Mr. Poulter as an acknowledgment
of his services. Of course Minnie was delighted at the
thought that she should be able, as Mrs. Poulter, to minister
to the wants of the poor; and her father, who was by this
time BO far recovered as to be able to walk unaided, and to
revel among the flowers in his beautiful garden, was pleased
to know that Orvin's place would be filled by a respectable
man of whom his departed wife thought well.
To tell the truth, however, he had never expressed
real gratification at Minnie's engagement to Mr. Poulter.
Pe had acquiesced in it, and was thankful that Minnie's
fresh colour had returned, and that she seemed quite
happy. But Orvin's disappearance was so mysterious to
him, and his continued absence so thoroughly inexplicable,
that Mr. Roslyn shuddered with dread when the news
reached him that Dr. Orwin had transferred his practice
to Poulter.
"It is very strange that Orvin should have left without
seeing me,' he said to Poulter "We have always been
friends; and indeed there are certain business transactions
which remain still unsettled," he continued.
"Well, in truth, I know nothing of his private affairs,"
Poulter replied; "I only know that he seemed very ill
after he returned from the Grange on Christmas Eve, and he
scarcely seemed right afterwards. Minnie says that his con-
duct was most strange, and that he seemed anxious about
both you and her."
"I can understand that my case has somewhat puzzled him,
but I believe he paid you a high compliment when he was here
last. Be has evidently every confidence in you," Mr.
Roslyn added. This was followed by an awkward pause,
during which Mr. Roslyn took in his hand, with a sort of
unconscious affection, the tiny green bud of a standard
rose ;—(for they were in the garden)—when suddenly Mr.
Poulter exclaimed, "Why, hare comes Mr. Begly! Perhaps
he comes on the business which you have mentioned. I will
leave you for the present" Mr. Begly was Orvin's solicitor,
and the nature of his communication may be inferred from
the fact that, after a few minutes' conversation Mr. Roslyn
was carried indoors insensible. Be was carefully taken to
his bedroom, and Poulter was quickly in attendance. "It
is nothing more than might have been expected, when
asked, after so serious an illness, to go into busine es matters,"
Mr. Poulter urged; and as his presence was needed else-
where, Mr. Roslyn was soen left to the care of Minnie and
Nurse, Mr. Begly waiting for some time in the drawing-room.
Poor Minnie was horror-struck at this sudden relapse, but
was comforted by Poulter's assurance that the symptoms
were not serious.
Minnie after some titre joined Mr. Begly, and ventured
to ask the nature of his conversation with her father. "Well,
you see, Miss," he replied, "you ladies don't understand
business, and so it's of no use for me to explain matters much.
Maybe, however, you'll see a little way into the thing when I
tell you that Mr. Roslyn owes Dr. Orvin a good deal of
money ; and, as the doctor is settling up, we're bound to get
Mr. Roslyn to settle up. In fact, Miss, we hold the securities,
and now we're obliged to realize on 'em." This was so much
Greek to poor Minnie, who would have given anything she
had for Poulter to have been there and to have explained all
to her. The only fqrther explanation she received from Mr.
Begly, however, was that with the exception of about one
hundred and fifty pounds a year their property now belonged
to Dr. Orvin, and that immediate arrangerueuts were being
' I made ror the sale of the house and its belongings.
Poor Minnie! In the evening when Mr. Poulter came, the
story was rehearsed with swollen eyes and a throbbing
breast; but there was no help for it. Poulter had no control
over Orvin, knew nothing of his affairs, was not himself pos-
sessed of much property, and was imperfectly acquainted
with use world's sharp practices in money matters. Of canna
he comforted Minnie with renewed assurances of his love,
and suggested arrangements which would at once secure to
them protection ; but she would dedde nothing. She wept
bitterly, in spite of his entreaties, and only ceased when she
remembered that her father again needed her care. Mr.
Poulter, before leaving, re-assured her as to ,her father's
state, and with a more prolonged and more affectionate adieu
than usual, they parted with a reluctance they had never
known before.

CHAPTER V.
"Love sighs through brooklets silver.clear,
Love bids their murmurs woo the vale;
Listen, 0 list 1 Love's soul ye hear
In his own plaintive nightingale.
No sound from Nature ever stirs,
But Love's sweet voice is heard with hers."
—Schiller.
It was in the month tit July; and Bracken Dale, a beau-
tiful valley in the centre of one of England's northern
counties, looked the very picture of repose. The bills
ou all bides were covered- with timber, evtry leaf
flulveribg with joyous life under the gentle West wind and
the loving inp.ishiu,e which kiwied them, day by day, into
grander tints and into mare luxuriant vigour. Ferns of.varied
forms and habits. waved graceftilly beneath, and white and
purple foxgloves nodded -smilingly to each other as the
zephyrs stirred their fairy finger-bells, from wbieb a lively
imagination extracted.. airs of heavenly sweetness, which
played in gemtle undertones in the great chorus- of the birds
overhead. Rippling Streams in which trout- and grayling
played, added their peaceful babble to the general murmur
of Joyous lift ; and a contented but poor peasantry tilled
their garden plots and wove their stockings in hatipy
ignorance both of the wealth and the vice of city life.
It was to this peaceful dale that the Itoslyns removed from
the Grange only a few days after the change in their circum-
stances had been explained to them. Like wi4e folk they
refused to wait and see the scattering of their household.
, goods.at the ruthless fall of the auctioneer's hammer; but
1 a few days after the visit of Mr. Begly, they accepted an
Invitation to an old friend in Ackland, whence they removed
some days later, to Violft Cottage, in Bracken Dale. No
one in Ackland kneWtheir destination; and the Grange was
left nntoitched in the hands of Begly, down even to the
rninutt,t details. One treasure only was rescued from the
general wreck, and that was due to the delicate thoughtful-
ness of an unknown yet well-known friend. A large hl ack mas-
WI which had been M.lnnte's mate from childhood was pur-
chased and sent to her before they left Ackland, The history of
the transaction was a mystery ;a servant of the house in which
they were staying found the faithful creattire standing close
to the door, wagging his tail and listening to every fo.,tfalL
A ticket tied to his collar bore the inscription, ..minnie, a
present, from a friend." Poor Minnie burst into tears, for
she had no doubt as to the thoughtful donor7iii warePoulter's
1 handwriting.
Alter the first shock produced by the announpement of Mr.
Begly, Mr. Roslyn steadily gained courage 16 look -calmly
Upon his circurrustancen_and limiter saw him and Minnie
constantly, offering such advice as his little experience
afforded.
Minnie, however, grew every day more thoughtful, and
even somewhat reserved ; and when old Ponto marched