The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-12-26 00:00:00

THE STOUEBRIDOE

Mettles, Sir James's groom, who was sent for a con-
veyance, had only just reached the main road, when
he saw coming up a heavy travelling carriage. He'
determined to make use of this by all possible pro-
cesses, and was prepared to pitch the post-boy into the
ditch if he would not yield. His master need was all
he thought about, and in times like those, when con-
veniences were few, they partook more of the nature
of common property than now, just as hospitality,
and giving of alms is always more regarded in uncul-
tured and sparsely populated countries. l'pou the
shout of Mettles the (roach drew up, and the gentle-
man inside poked out tirat his pistol, and then his
head, to inquire what was the occasion of the hubbub.
The groom explained how that his master, Sir James
Ferrol (whom he supposed everybody knew at least by
repute), was nearly dead on the hunting-field, and that
he must have the coach for a few hours to take him to

Lom,othorpe.
"Where is Sir James? How has this occurred?
What has really happened?" asked the much-interested
inmate of the carriage. "You ride before the poetillion
as guide, and take us the speedieet way to the spot;
for I will go along with you."
"Are you a doctor, ?" asked Mettles, who was a
keen observer, and thought he saw an affection for a
lancet in the face of the traveller.
"I am; but drive away now, and waste no time."
The carriage had never been over such country
before. The surface over which Mettles rode so com-
fortably was anything but fit for a four wheeled car-
riage ; however, the party soon arrived at within about
fifty yards of where Sir James was lying, which was as
near as the vehicle could come. The subject of all this
excitement was now insensible. The doctor approached,
introduced himself in general terms, in a hasty man-
ner, to the assembled friends, by saying he was a sur-
geon,. and knelt down and felt the wounded leg, and
the side and arm. He went to the carriage, opened
one of his travelling packages, and produced his in-
struments. On coming back he took off his hat and
coat, and then George, who was all this time support-
ing his father's weight, was sure he recognised the
features -he was confident he had known the face
before. It was no time for talking; the wound was a
compound fracture of the lower part of the leg, and
although there was no other serious damage done, Sir
James must lose his leg from the knee downwards. The
next few minutes were spent in silence; and when the
doctor rose up again, and looked at Sir Janice and
George full in the face, the latter was startled to
find he wore the face he had seen in las dream! He
was overcome for a moment; but, without showing it,
regained his equanimity very shortly. It was so; this
strange physician, who had appeared so opportunely
at his brother's accident was no other than Dr.
Seemdus Ferrol.
When Sir James became again thoroughly conscious
of all that was about him, and saw his own brother
acting the doctor for him, he could hardly believe his
senses, and the assurances of those-around him that
the whole tragedy was a real fact and not a dream.
The smarting of his leg, and the soreness of
his whole body came however as convincing and
sensible proofs of the fact. The Doctor would not
allow him to talk while in that critical condition, and
withdrew himself from his brother's bedside as soon
as he was comfortably attended to at home.
"Do ou think that things will go hardly with my
father?" said George Ferrol to his uncle, as they
sat up looking into the great fire, long after the others
had gone to their rooms.
"Your good mother is very anxious indeed, George,
and I do not wish needlessly to increase her trouble,
but I am somewhat fearful of the result. However,
many s worse case has recovered." And then the
old Doctor went into minute particulars about cases
which had come under his own treatment, and which
had recovered—he seemed to delight in and glory over
all the details, and to expect the same interest in his
listener, who politely and patiently lent his ear to all.
As Dr. Sscundus was thus holding a sort of demon-
stration in anatomy, George was completely and un-
mistakeably convinced that the ghost in his dream
was the true far-simile of his uncle before him. He
could contain himself no longer, and exposed the
whole story to Dr. Secundus ; giving the date-of the
occurrence; entering into particulars of the first re-
cognition being coincident with the weight of his
father's body being upon him; considering he had
never seen his uncle before the dream at all, and that
beheld the letter refer' ed to --it must be supernatural,
he concluded—there could be no other explanation
of it.
The doctor looked at the gre on the hearth, then at
the candles, then at his hands —finally, taking a pinch
of snuff he ejaculated, "Strange coincidence! Very
strange coincidence." Another pinch of snuff, and
the doctor continued har,ping thinale, and muttering
the word " coincidence. ' At length he broke forth—
"It was on that very night, George, (I was in London)
that your father's letter reached me ; and I was so much
impressed with the feeling of your father, as therein
expressed, and his desire for sympathy, that I de-
termined there and then, just asyou dreamed it, that
I would come down and see you all."
Through the untiring zeal of Dr. Secundus, Sir
James recovered from his accident, although the
shakiug and bruising which he had experienced were
more dangerous really than the amputation; of course,
he had ever after to suffer the inconvenience of a
Iwooden leg.

circumstances. The one event could nat but suggest
the other, especially with the old saddle still
upon the wall. Having been brought up as 3 farmer,
Mr. Fern* found it easy to find some ',nest oecupa-
tion for Francis Temperley. He had a small house
vacant at the other end of his "home farm," and there
he put his prote:ge, in the capacity of farm steward, as he
was feeling the burden of a large farm upon himself,
and was glad to have some assistance as he grew older.
Not ver°V long after, the history of the old saddle was
told to Truiperley, and it then became apparent to
hint why he had front the first been so favourably
dealt with. The gratitude had extended to the third
and fourth generation.
- • •

I. Secundus Ferrol hail one son only, who at this
stage of our history died at a very advanced age; he
belonged to a generation which had passed away, but
left no family to continue his name, and enjoy his
property. James Ferrol, as the nearest relative, was
called upon to do the business for this branch
of the family, and found an immense quantity of old
papers of a private nature, which he must either ap-
propriate or destroy. Among them were some letters
of his grandfather's, Sir James, to his great uncle,
Dr. Secundus, and these he read at his leisure, more
from curiosity and veneration for the past than for
any other reason. There, however, he found the
identical communication which is referred to above—
which had been the cause of Dr. Secundus' visit to
the north just at the critical time of Sir James's acci-
dent, which George Ferrol had seen in his dream,
and which was now the cause of promoting the in'
terests of Francis Temperley. His landlord found him
• farm, and provided him with the means of entering
upon it; the highwayman adventure was the turning-
point of his life —fortunately, through its failure, the
turning-point in the right direction—and he knew
what it was to reap the fruits of a gratitud, which
only had an opportunity of showing itself to be still
alive, "After many days."