Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1858-06-05
From Dickens Household Words.
HOW THE OLD LOVE FARED.
CHAPTER l.


HOW THE OLD LOVE FARED.
| CHAPrERL
One morning as the sun shonc glorious
from his blue home in the skies athwart rev
pale yellow clouds, its rays fell dshearteneo
and cold on some two or three hundred yaros
of murkey atmosphere, beneath winch lay
''rising town." =,
The streets something narrow, ana the
houses were curiously jammed, ana nad
permanently blackened look but what they
lacked in size and beauty, they compensated
for in number Sea -farng men stood talking IN
proups Mt the corners of the crossing. Every
nair of trousers in the place was more or less
| dauhed with tar and some OF those who
wore them were fine stalwart specimens Ol
the Saxon race with bulldog neck, handsome
snnburt face, and crisp, fiat, yellow curls.-
Small bod,es of five years old wore their ia.
thrr's sou-westcrs. One jostled another as
he passed along the street another one was
climbing ND a coast wall, in a sort of fly fash
ion. inserting his toes in invisible chincks,
and holding on by projections not to be dis
cerned by ordinary eyes. He fell more than
once from fair height, too but rose, moth
ing daunted, and doggedly recommended the
ascent. They wore reckless self-relant air,
and were, suppose. Of the proper stock to
make British sailors.
Standing rather apart, with folded arms,
and profoundly discouraged air young gen.
tleman was likewise gazing all around him.
He was broad-shouldered, rather under
sized, but not ill-made and muscular.
He had full blue eyes, quantity Of tair, Of
tawny red, a large mouth garnished with a
set of capital teeth. Naturally, his smile was
constant, bright and jovial and now it was
considerably overcast. He walked up to one
of the contractors with the air of man who
had made up his mind to last effort.
"Then you do not see any prospect of en-
ployment for me, Mr.. Longford p
"No, do not indeed, Selon. You see
Kenny manages it all. and he has the cash.
That place would have just suited you, and
you wonld have lone the work far better
than Renney'S nephew. Its not the right
place, Stephen, but the man is in the place
| and right will not turn him out, while might
keeps him in: Pm very sorry for it, Stephen,
but it cannot be hel lped.'
"Wcll good bye, then, Langford. | shall
be at Wendon on Sunday" They shook hands
and parted.
CHAPTERII
1t was Sunday in the old town of WendOn
and the cracked bell of large church was
changing forth its invitations to the people to
enter its open DOORS 1t was an old church
you might tell that by its strange, high,
bering pews, which no devout young Oxford
curates had yet swept, with here and there a
pane of stained glass in quaint pattern; these
were distributed with perfect irregular;ty.-
| These windows looked on to the backs of the
| gloomy houses and TO worn grave stones
where the forefathers of those who now stood
there slept.
| Just before the confession, pretty dark
eyed girl glided down the aisle, with rather
conscience stricken air,opened with some diff
ficulty one of the doors, and hid herself i'm
medately in the very highest pew-there
she knet down to say her short PRAYER
Within just as much time as suggested of the
idea that he had fingered outside in order not
to appear together, Stephen Sellon entered
and seated himselfin the adjacent pew. The
two behaved very well during the service, Ia
king only stealthy, innocent gances at each
other and even those at long intervals but
when the sermon was read and the benedic-
ton said the girl remained little longer than
|
for her when she rose. They walked silent
ly together out of church, and turned on to
a broad walk, shaded by trees, which border
ed the river on which the town stood. As
they got farther and farther away from the
departing congregation, Stephen being al
enterprising youth in all he undertook, pos
scssed himself of her hard, and pnt his face
under her bonnet to such fashion that she
could not choose hut look at him. And he
looked long, but not apparently making him
self the happier for so doing, for at the con
clusion he gave great sigh.
"Margaret my darling, I've no good news
for you. Ive been up to the dock works,
but the place that Ian gford hoped to give mt
is filled, and there's no chance of another
opening; they don't want your untried hand
there, and of brains there is plenty and over
They are hard men, Margaret they might
have given me trial"
81 But, Stephen" said the girl, and her voice
faltercd as he spoke, you know what yol
wish cannot be. l cannot leave my father he
is ailing sadly. think his poor eyes are
growing dim and naw he would rather bear
all bis beautiful music played to him than d,
it himself, and my idea, Stephen, my grea
hope is, that l may be able to teach his pu
pills for him.
"You would do it we'll, Margaret; yo,
have wonderful knack of teaching peo
ple,"
Margaret smiled there was peculia
mocking expression which semed like rip
pie upon her mouth. She became grav
again.
You don't know how hard l practc,
every night, and how l treasure up his in
structons. If can induce one or two fam
lilies to take his place. and then, when he is s.
old he can work no longer l can still SUP
port him as he had been accustomed to live
He has worked for met is fit that shoul
work for him."
"No, Stephen, we are too young to fette
ourselves with such uncertain prospects,
Alone we may struggle, and if we fall, W
fall alone, and drag down 10 others bu
were we married, and your employment s
uncertain, cares would come upon Us NOR
quickly than We could meet them. Believ
me, we are best SINGLE"
The was no seltishness about the youn
fellow, and yet, man-like, he could not forbes
the answer, margaret, you think more G
your father than you do of me. My youn
life-''he stopped abruptly.
should DE no good vile TO you, Otephe
if failed as daughter so do not press IN
more, dear Stephen. God knows am sore
ly tried already" and the pent up tears cam
4 at last.
Then Stephen inwardly called himself man
frightful names, of which inhuman wretc
and brute were the least severe, but he onl
said auibly.
Il know it, Margaret-forgive me-" an
J the words were hardly out of his mouth b'
il fore he was forgiven. l suppose, for tt
hand was again placed confidently in his
n He continued. q The worst of it is yet
n come, Margaret have undertaken to wor
e my way out to India, and the captain prom
IS ised to got me engineering work as soon
y we arrive. 1t is no degradation" he sa
:: stouty. 81 did hope to have begun high'
d up but I've never shirked work, and