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

AFTER MANY DAYS.

A CHRISTMAS STORY.

CHarradi I.
" Now. my father, that the ladies have left the
room, allow me to Rive you some information which
cannot but be interyting to you; sad I must premise
by saying that it am grievous to yourself and to me
also." a
"I noticed, George„that you seemed much excited
when you sat down to supper. You catne into the
home., too, in a manner which I wan inclined to
reprimand, especially as you hail evidently overridden
y On/ nag. However. let us base your sews: I trust
It may not be so serious as you portend."
Such was the precise arid distant manner in which
father and son converselin the time of Queen Anne,
Neither could be accused of a hard heart, or of a cool,
phlegmatic temper ; sad one of them was evidently
still excited. So strong is custom, that in those days
it froze the surface, when the interior was warm, and
the most affectionate sons addressed their fond
fathers with the title of "Sir." he scene lif -
s-creation c inuneneed above was an old house, built
j!lst after the terykle time if the Ware of the
when the first Tudor King sat upon the English
throne, and set an example of prudenee and thrift to
the nobles and gentry. It was a clumsy, old-fashioned
structure to view from without, and was increasingly
awkward, when considered internally as a residence.
Situated in one of the northern counties, it was quite
consonant in character with the murky atmosphere
and stubborn elements, being shaded and somewhat
sheltered by some large oaks and an occasional ash
tree ; its south aspect presented a pretty lawn, sur-
rounded by shrubberies, and cut out into fanciful
figures for flower beds, a good care being evidently
bestowed upon the gardeniag. It was here that
Sir James Ferrol and his family resided; they ha I
just concluded that supper meal, which would now be
called dinner; the ladies—his wife and six daughtere,
had just retired, leaving Sir James and his only sou
(la en, to the conversation which was so intensely in-
teresting to both.
Geerge exphtined to his father how he had been to
the county town that day upon some unimportant
little matters, ami had met the lawyer and agent of
the family, who hail carefully, and with much preface,
informed him that the bank, at which a considerable
stun of Sir James's floating money was deposited, had
broken up, and that the prospects were not at all pro-
mising of getting much out of the estate. The good old
gentleman was at first in a towering passion, h"nt with
the lawyer, and then with his son ; but after a time
becoming cooler, said that it was his own misfortune,
and not any one's fault, and ended by thanking his
stare it was not worse, and vowing he would not seem
at all down-hearted about it. So the matter was kept
very secret; and if George should even approach near
to the subject in conversation afterwards, his father
smuld stare at him, grunt impatiently, and be ill at
ease, until the matter under discussion should reach
further afield from the ticklish point. As evil fortune
would have it, this sum of money—some two thousaad
pounds—was really the proceeds of a good harvest,whith
was only completed a few weeks before the disaster,
and was what was relied upon to carry on the farming
which Sir James conducted himself to add to his setae.
The sum represented more than two thousand
pounds does now-a-days, and the good knight was
not in such easy circumstances that he could
afford to lows something more than a year's income,
and all his floating money, with his large family,
winter coming on, and no harvest until the next autumn.
It was an awkward—an expensive proceeding to ob-
tain money upon the security of his land; beside, it
was received -by him with the accumulated misfor-
tunes and extravagances of several genes atious, and
was somewhat encumbered; add to all this a proud
temper, and it is readily perceived that Sir James was
in a meet unfortunate imaitiola. On the market day
of the next week he was sure to meet one of his
own tenants, a well-to-do farmer, whom he was to pay
for a large flock of sheep he had purchased
from him, and which had been delivered, and
were already busy upon his turnips. To confess
himself unable to pay for these, and this to his de-
pendent mid inferior in society, was a hard point to
the knight. To return them would be disastrous,
as he could not buy others without money, and his
crops provided for them would be wasted. To keit?
away from market, and so keep out of the way of his
creditor, he scouted as paltry; and he did not think
the circumstances bad enough for him to blow his
brains out, and he finally determined to :met hiss
tenant on terms of equality—as man of business with
man ef business, and ask for thefarour of a little time
td'iminty.,.Threove-h hail f at
co
t succumb, no
o other
wan out of the
hiss
sun to accompany him, and keep him in counten'ance.
It was a silent ride to the market the next 'Wednes-
day, but the well stocked, and comparatively rich
tenant, was quite willing to meet his landlord, and as-
suming the equality which Sir James had so much
dreaded, almost forced upon him a sum of money,
which in fact saved the family from many privations,
and the father of it from disgrace ; for" financing" was
not so well understood then as it is now, ands man with-
out money was too often a man without food. This
good Mr. Temperley, the tenant, was in fact rich be-
yond his social position, and having hail much kind-
ness, in a patronising way, from his landlord, was
pleased thus to reciprocate, and show his gratitude—
though truth, to say, the acknowledgment was ten
times more valuable than the favours it recognised.

It came over dark android on Christmas Eve, of the
same year with which the rest of our story has been
associated ; George Ferrol was riding home by himself,
taking with him some intelligence and some money to
his father, for whom he had been conducting business
in the county-town. He was unattended, which was
quite his usual style, and also unarmed, a fact which
was far from showing his prudence on such an occa-
sion, in the "good old times," and when carrying back
with bias a valuable purse. He trotted leisurely out
of the town, and becoming aware, by his feelings more
than by his calculations, that he was solitary, and
almost helpless should he be attacked, he spurred his
horse into a good energetic trot, and this he kept up
until his spirits and his intrepidity returned to him ;
for in his natural state he was no coward.
Two highwaymen had gathered in the city that a
gentleman was tp return home southward by the main-
road that night, and that his pockets were well lined,
that he was alone and without arms. Under the cir-
cumstances, in those rude days, it is not to be wondered
at that he was intended for a victim—especially as
they wanted the means of a revel on the following
day Christmas. Ferrol was riding at his
swinging trot along the good broad Roman
road which would lead him home in about
another hour—on either side was a moor, or as it is
called in that part of the country a " growing
only heather, and stunted shrubby "wins," with an
occasional Scotch fir tree here and there—generally
they grow in small groups; the horizon was bounded
by an eminence, not very high or steep, and not very
distant, but eufficiently important to help the "murky'
evening towards darkness, and to prevent the eye dis-
tinguishing anything against the sky. Behind a
duster of fir trees the two horsemen were practically
hidden from an unsuspecting eye, and they waited
until their prey was fully abreast of them; the shout
of stop ! the impulsive spurring of the horse which
was the only answer, the premonitory warning of
"draw rein or we tire"! the sound of pistol shots—were
all forced into a moment's space; and before one could
count fifty the unharmed man was galloping with all
the speed which spurs could lend to horse, and excite-
ment could give to spurs, while the two others, sure of
their game, were urging their horsea and each other to
make quick work of the 'rascal," determining to
shoot him if they could not bring him to close quarters
any other way. A mile flew past in no time, and the
race was yet quite an uncertain one— another mile, and
Ferrol fay appreciating his danger, and the necessity
for extreme measures, nos beginning to fancy his horse
must have to give way ; he was not a man of in-
humanitr. but if it had been ordinary circumstances
he would have been justly condemned of cruelty to his
horse in urging it to such extreme, killing effort. As
matters were getting to the worst, he overrode on the
way his father' a tenant, Mr. Temperley, who, un-
known to George, hail been to the old city the same
day, and might have been his companion." "Why,
Mr. Ferrol, are you mad?" shouted out the farmer.
" Where are you riding to at that pace? Hullo !
Stop I"
"Come on, neighbour, come on," shouted Ferrol,
never slacking speed for an instant.
Temperley put his horse to the gallop at once, and
soon learned that two highwaymen were but half a
minute behind in hot pursuit.
"I have holster-pistols with me," said Temperley,
between the violent leaps of his powerful hunter;
"and I will not outride you, but stay by, if the scowl-
drels do not give up when they see there are two of 1.19."
" The only weapon 1 have, gasped Ferrol, "is my
iron-headed hunting whip."
So for two minutes the friends galloped on together,
CHIPTER IL and Temperley looked to his weapons. His horse was
coming events cast their shadows before." in no distress, WI it had only just broken into the race,
Not many days after the occurrence of the events but, like a true friend, he VMS determined to stay by
recorded in the last chapter, Sir James Ferrol sat clown his companion, come what might.
in his library, with much deliberation, to writes letter "Hear him roaring! My horse is fairly pumped
to bia brother, a physician in London. These brothers out! It's all up with him now!"
had been separated from childhood, seeing one-another These words were scarcely out of Ferrol's mouth,
only at long inervals—their feelings, opinions, and when down fell his horse, helpless, and quite
occupations were quite unlike, the one being a polished doubled up, like a limp cloth, all of a heap; it was
wan of the town, the other a somewhat rough, country well it slid not roll over its rider. Temperley pulled
gentleman. However, they were always brotherly, up as soon as he was able to cheek his horse; but
and were confident of each other's good wishes and not before the pursuers were on their man. The
kind offices ; and so, in his pecuniary difficulty, and iron-headed whip knocked the first pistol right
Ills uncomfortable position as a borrower, James would out of hand, and Temperley then "let blaze," which
communicate with his brother Secundus. After much somewhat astounded the highwaymen, and made
preliminary arrangement, making of pens, trying of them draw back. Upon second thoughts, know-
ink, and adjustment to the light, Sir Janice wrote as ing they had much to lose and perhaps little plunder
follows in his dignified and old-fashioned strain : to take, and considering the dang,er of attacking a man
"My dear Brother,—l have long past entertained with at least one loaded pistol, they rode off, much
a great desire to see you once again, for my to the comfort of the two companions, who thought
health has not been as is customary with me. themselves well out of the difficulty. Ferrol'e horse
This may partly arise, my dear Bsother, from same round enough (after bleeding a little) to be got
some pecuniary difficulties, which lately
home at a slow walking pace, but was never the same
have
arisen to me, partly through unforeseen circum- beast again. His master looked upon him as an old
stances, although at the same time I cannot, in good friend, and gave him a pensioner s stall in the stable
faith, quite exonerate the judgment of my old legal
for the rest of his days. The saddle hail received the
adviser, with whom you are also familiar. You will first pistol ball fired right in the wood of the bow, and
be astounded to know that it has been through the was preserved as a family record of the event for
generosity of one of my own tenants that the family generations. It wag fortunate for the heroes in this
has been retained in its honourable condition—one adventure that buster pistols were rather clumsy and
Mr. Temperley, whom I commend, with all his family inaccurate weapons in those old times, and that flint
and descendants, to your esteem and good offices, and steel would not always fire the priming at the
should an occasion ever arise when you bay exhibit "first intention."
them. As the distance between us is so considerable, It is not to be wondered at that Temperley's courage
I fear to put more particulars into writing upon this was well praised and his friendship under such trying
subject, but am in hopes that when the Sluing time, circumstances appreciated by all the Ferrol family.
or Summer at latest, shall be come, we may meet to The debt of gratitude which the old knight had long
converse yet again. My Son is the only member of recognised as due to his deliverer from trouble was
our family who has been made aware of these drown- strengthened and increased through the deliverance of
stances, and it is to him, should my life and endea- his son from death by the same hand.
yours fail me, that the task devolves of not only pay- Companionship in peril—the sharing together of a
jag an honourable debt, but of recognising in a fitting danger, or a fear, always cements a friendship, and
manner so generous an action." George Ferrol himself could not banish from his mind
Sir James continued in laborious correspondence that his father's tenant was his true-hearted friend,
all the morning, entering into family details, and and if not his absolute deliverer from death, was the
giving expression to opinions, ideas, and pieces of ex- occasion of his escaping from great danger of violence,
perience, which are seldom to be found in modern if not murder. The escape certainly added colour to
family letters, but which in firmer days made these the festivities of that Christmas.
elaborate epistles, family histories, local newspapers, The two highwaymen were not known by those
pheyehological studies, and carefully composed essays, whom they had followed, and the wild country round
Such letters are to be found in aluioet every fancily, I about was quite an asylum to any of their craft who
treasured by descendants, as worthy exponents of the was bold enough to dare what common people shrunk
characters and times of their progenitors of two or from. The clattering of the irons on more than one
snore generations back, gibbet among those desolate "hinge," was quite suffi-
This letter took some considerable time to reach cient to remind the outlaws of what they might expect
London, but it did no quite safely, and was received by shauld they succumb; besides, there was a sort of
heroism about their rascality which never fails to
Doctor Secundus Ferrol with much pleasure and in-
daring, and casts a halo of romance in the popular
terest It was getting lath in the autumn, and the two
mind, over all sorts of unlawful and cruel practices.
brothers looked forward to seeing one another fare to
The people rather liked highwaymen in those tones.
face so soon as the roads were passable for so long a
journey—nearly three hundred wile:. George Ferrol
was not aware of his father having written to his uncle,
the physician, and as he had never seen Dr. Secundus,
but had from his youth heard wonderful things about
him, his boyish niind had made twine most grotesque
imaginings, which more mature years hail failed to
eradicate—for no either reason than that there was no
other mental portrait to supersede the old one. He
had, however, a great desire to visit his uncla in the
metropolis.

About this time, a few weeks before Christman,
George Ferrol had a most strange dream, which puzzled
him for a considerable time, and at length met with an
explanation which was to him compl. te, though very
grievous. He imagined himself in his own bed, at
home, in his father's mansion; anti there appeared
before him a tall man, of very grave countenance,
having the fashionable great wig, with curls down upon
his shoulders, and a gold-headed staff in his hand. The
appearance was melancholy, almost vexed in its ex-
pression, with thin, strong lips, keen eyes, and a
straight, bony, but full sized nose. The hand was
stretched out towards the dreamer, holding a letter,
which George recognised, inhiosleep, RA in his father's
handwriting. He could not read it, but distinguished,
amidst the occular mistiness whieh usually aecom.
panics such dreams, the words at the top, "My
dear Brother." The figure Reenter' to approach
to him nearer and nearer ; its eves shone into,
and through his, into his brain beyond ; the fea-
tures became net, rigid, and more stern, but the
bilious complexion and keen eye was not cadaverous,
only mesmeric and piercing. Ity-and.by the contonr
of the fans .became changed, the figure aim slightly
, altered; then the features became gradually trans-
formed to those of )in own father, Sir James, to whom
hejmagined he had at first perceived a general like-
ness. 'Eventually the figure, and face, and gesture,
were the fac-aimile of his father, and as it approached
Its face to his. its eyes to his, he was terrified into a
fvlingof petrifaction; immovable he lay upon his beck,
while the breath, as he thought, of the ghost stifled
his own respiration, till at length it fell prone right
upon him, lull weight, and without putting forward
the arms to break the fall. The collision in the dream,
for it was as vivid to him DA reality, awoke him. Ile
could not see any appearance; there was no sound but
the beating of his own heart. Feeling the necessity
for some action, after so terrible a startle, he sat
Up in bed, and began fumbling for the flint and steel
t", Ntrike a light. His fingers had lost their energy; he
could not even open the tinder-box, and when at last
he succeeded in this his whole frame trembled so
that he could not strike a single spark for some
time. However, as he woo not seally wanting
in courage, he ultimately overcame this nervousness,
lit a rushlight, and commenced a quiet search of his
room. It would be difficult to say what it was he ex-
pected to find, and the question had very indefinitely
occurred to him ; not bringing anything new to light
by his searching, he soon gave it lip, and very properly
concluded that be had bad an unusually vivid dream,
or perhaps that some rats had been playing the fool
with him in his sleep, lie accordingly put out the
light, and lay down again; his trepidation soon left
him, he became calm, then wandering in his thoughts,