The daily press. (Cincinnati [Ohio) 1859-1859, 1859-04-06
From Chambers Journsl.I
THE uNHIAEp eERVANT.

the Introduction Of the power-loom, and the
consequent influx Of cotton goods, brought to
inevitable failure. He was an old man at the l
time, and though I do not think it broke his
heart, be lived only to see his affairs wound up,
paid all his creditors 10 tho last shilling, and |
died. leaving my mother and mo with no re-
source but to sell our furniture remove from
our convenient old house in CheepBide, where
he had carried on business and we had kved
as the best merchants families did in those
days, to find an humber habitation and work h
for our living. We he'd no relations who could
help us. My mother hsd rever been strong, and
was verging on dfty; but she was q woman OF
sense and spirit, who would not sit down and
lament over her misfortunes, without trying |
what co1Id be done. / was tho only child,
then 10 my nineteenth year, and pretty well
qualified to act as governess; but neither my I
mother nor could make up our minds to part; |
and Il seemed like god-send when Mr., Buck |
ellis, the auotioneer who sold our furniture,
called to say that Lord Yarmouth was DYER
tising for respectable person to take charge OF
country scat he had In County Norfolk. Ny \
mother Immediately offered her services, anG !
was accepted. His lordship'S man Of business
arranged every thing at his ofico in Chancery |
Lane. She was to have fifty pounds year, |
besides board and residence for herself and me |
at Fenham Hall, as they called the country
seat. The lawyer said Il was rather lonely, |
and Mrs. Weston would be the better for her |
daughters company; but one clause in the |
agreement rather surprised us-nsmely, that |
tho situation was not 10 be given up sooner
than two years.
"It is strange," said my mother, 'but we
want home. and oan not afford to be pariou
lar." SO she signed tho agreement, bought
come necossaries, and we set out for Lord Var
mouths seat In Norfolk.
1t was toward the end Of September; the
weather was unusually cold and cloudy, for
the season, and there seemsd every probability
Of an early winter, az we lourneyed northward
by stsge-coach and post -ohaise-for railways
were yet undreaned Of A greater change
from Cheapside could not be well imagined
than our new residence. twas large manor
house, and looked as II It had been built in
pieces. There was every variety Of arohiteo-
ture, from the early English 10 the latest
Stuart. The Oldest part, or northern wing,
bad been priory before the reformation, and
had still q monasto look about 1t; but the
whole formed strong, solid and lordly man
aion, situated on one Of those long stretches Of
level land 80 frequent in the east Of Norfolk;
twelve miles from Norwich, three from the
village of Fenham, and surrounded by an ex-
tensive park with giant trees, thick underwood,
and game enough to give the whole House Of
Commons weeks shooting. The gardens and
shrubbeTise, in design and extent, were worthy
Of the mansionj they had been laid out in The
old Hnglish style, and were tolerably we'll
kept, though somewhat overgrown, as If the
saTe and taste Of an ewner had been long
wanting. There was Lawn in front 60
large that 1t looked Like broad strip Of
nekdow- land, bounded by a lake which went
deep into the wood, and was frequonted by
innumerable waterfowl A carriage road,
shaded by great oaks, skirted the lake, and
led to the grand entrance; but the grass
was growing thickly about the steps,
and the hall door and bay windows looked
long shut up. There was noble gallery Of
piotares, and suites Of splendid rooms within,
all richly furnished, but in an antiquated fash
ion. Little of the furniture was newer than
Queen Anne's time, and most Of it belonged to
much earlier period. remember chambers
hung with real arras, Persian carpets, and cab
inets which the Dutch traders brought from
Japan in tho middle Of the seventeenth century,
with warrants for the same, in Dutch and Latin !,
duly deposited In their drawers. So much old
China never came within my vision, nor do 1
reoOlleot to have seen such 6ne specimens of
those 0ld-WOrld instruments-the dulcimer and
barpsiohord. The library was filed with the
fathers, the sohoolmsn, and works Of Catholic
theology. The gallery had family portraits In
every variety of costume, from knights In
plate -armor to ladies in sacks and high -heeled
shoes but the greater number of them were
not Of the Yarmouth line--they were all Hart
pell's-- and more melancholy, disappointed
faces l never sawJ but the strangest thing In
that gallery was magninoently gilt frame
hanging opposite the central door, with no pic
ture in IL. All the house was shut, but not
locked up. My mother and had free access
TO all its rooms and passages; and they were
many, OF all shapes and sioes, with no lack OF
private stairs, side doors, and very strong clos
sts Moreover, there was nobody but ourselves
on - premises, and the only person in charge
when we arrived was Ralph Rairbrother-a
man who acted in the double capueity Of stew
ard and gardener.
Ralph's hair was perfectly gray, but he was
still strong and aetve-a middle-sized man
with thin, muscular frame, a remarkably sober
look, and q reserved, taeiturn disposition. Hii
dwelling was large and very comfortable cot
tage, standing In a shady hollow where the
park and gardens met and managed by his only
daughter, Nelly, young woman who was dea
and dumb, but industrious, tidy, and apparently
i Intelligent.
His wife looked twenty years older than him.
self, and lived, whether from choice or neces.
Vity, in her bed, could never be sure, for the
good woman showed no designs of disease, and
could get up with surprising activity when il
suited her pleasure. Ralph was supreme ovei
all the outdoor concerns Of the hall. He em
plOyed and dismissed laborerS by his own au
thOrityj and Judging from their style of living
which was by no means economical his ser
vices were literally rewarded. But Mrs. Fair
brother was supreme over him; and II was gen
orally believed that whatever he said or did wa
under her special direction. She was a tai
wTnkled, sour-looking dame, possessed of sucl
an idea Of her own consequence that she do
spissd her husband, her daughter, in short, tn
whole Fairbrother race; and had an extraor
binary dislike to the prOprietOrs Of the hal
past and present. speaking Of them all In
eontemptuously familiar fashion, 30 differeI
from the usual tone Of family dependents, thi
my mother doubted her sanity particular
ON one occasion, whom she gave us TO undei
stand that she ought TO have been Lady va,
mouth. Mrs. Fairbrether was sane enougl
however, and willing enough also to tell Il
complete history of Fenham Hall, and how
came into the Yarmouth Family--which, by Il
way, was curious illustration Of what m,
viii do for the lands and rentals they mu
leave SO s00n.
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