Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1860-06-02
THROUGH THE SNOW.

black satin and iiOwcry cnp-COmcS from her
housekeeping room twhere she has been con-
Sulting Betty, her cook, into the study of DR..
TubbS, her husband, who, up later than his
amiablc spouse, breakfasts lrisurclv, aud reads
his letters grmly, on this snowy Christmas
morning. lie is by no means prrpOSscssing
| looking gentleman, though his coat is supcriinr
and his wai>tc0at large.
"fvc ordered Betty" SAYS Mrs TubbS,
sinking into a chair, "to make the fellow Il
small Surt dumping no plumbS or currant> in
it, DIR. TuhbS; and Scnd it with raShcr of
bacon. The fat bacon, Dr. TuhhS the ham.
I like lean keep for the parl0r; for il u>hrrS
will stop during the holidays where they amt
wanted, they must take the consequences.
"OG course, my dear" answered TuhbS,
pompouSly, and at the san time winking ter
rbly lnr he has n v>innal Il, feet which always
keeps his cyclidS movin.I "Nour remark i,
mos. t.iudicious. Indeed, il the truth hc >rukcn,
even this prudential arrangement will be- I'M.
necessary; Tor think IT giving TRAY notice at
once. and getting rid oi him this very morn.
ing. For-iur- for THIS grttn..un rapid >vS.
ten Of his viii never do. fitroutin,lr>, Mrs.
IuhbS, We shall soon cease to be master and
mistress Of tin>hrn House, for here's letter
from the Bailcy's father, prai>ing his boy 5
rapid progress in arithmetic. Here's another
from Wiggctt's uncle, 10 say that Toms gene.
raj advance is excellent; and to crown all,
here third letter, from the Rev Dr. Pike,
canon Of Dildlcbury Cathedral, to say that his
grand.sone' progrc,S il The Classics is remark.
able, you'll remember, dear. that there are
four of these lads, and that thrv have learnt
as much t;rcgk and Latin i'll the half aS at
some schools they would have done in three
years Mind this, my dear, Now of course
boys getting along in this way will soon leave.
Instead Of having six Years out of 'cm apiece,
two will be enough under such forcing plan
There were the FleldingS, too; why did they
leave: Why that they could draw trees well
when they should have been still in lines and
cubes. I've told Gray of all this, times and
t+tetssl.ttt7 %tttitt--Er Ftttl<, with -ruthrtir
dignity, "hc minds me NO more than those
boys who call me 'Od Winkcr.' He talks
about moral honesty and trash Of that sort
instead of paying attention t. my brh, SITS. 50,
as this is the ca>r-and il don't do to let bows
cluraton get along like a stcam.cnsinc-l'h
dismiss him, antk-and-th> very morning
True, must givGSomc equivalent. as our ar.
rangemcnt was a months notice on either side,
and gratis board aud lodging during the win.
ter vacation. liut better a lost pound than
that this evil should make further head"
:" \ pound. We shall save dpuhle that in
the fellows board. Why. it wants Yet iNr
weeks to the end of the vacation, and this
say at ten ShllingS wcrk-will he two pounds
ten. Go and do it at once, Dir. TubbS, whilst
dress l,r church. And make haste; we can
then drive oil, and then be spared the NONSENSE
Of good hycs" On my way up stairs, doc.
tor. shall cnuntrrmand the Suct dumping"
Not wi,hnut some little hrSitatation, when
his wiitS eve is on him for his conscience,
scared a> it i, points how base his conduct is
TO one like Robert Grav-Dr TubbS draws
certain sovercgnS and >hllingS from his pri.
vatc drawer, and goes forth to the school.
room, where, 10y Il most economical scrap of
fire sits the gcn;cmanly usher His >lipprrcd
feet are on the hob, "A little pocket E>chvluS
in his hand, II short pipe in his mouth be-
hind him lies the wdc high >chool.ruum, he.
yond that the bare windows and the snowy
Yorkshire landscape ut wooded heights and
barren moorS.
"Faugh! smoke smelling like tavern"
are DR.. Tubh>' Introductory words aud then,
taking distant chair, he proceeds to business.
Ii is soon ciirctcd-aS most base things are
and to his infinite but secret chagrin; for he
expected dcmur and rntrraty. His u>htrs
manner expresses ScnSc of relief and release
True, were the pompouS pc,laSoguc n reader
of human hearts, he might have detected one
vibration of dcSolatc despair cross the clear,
bright, manly eye, when the first words of
dismissal came; but il is gone like an electric
FASH and he sees nothing before him hut the
serenity of Scll.reliant manhood. llurrving
over his gruir adicu, pockcting his receipt, and
haScly ohliviouS of all trays noble efforts to
increase his SchOol-which, when he came n
year ago, was sinking To the verge of ruin
the pompouS and shallow prdagnguc makes
his exit to 90 to church-a hollow convention.
aSt, not II sincere wor>hiper.
ReSolutc and brief as Young men are, GRAY
gathers up his few hooks from of the school.
room shelves, haStcnS up stairs packs his port.
manteau, and directs il to the nearest railway
station, puts the rest of his things in khan.
sack, and then going down stairs, he SrattrrS
few ShllIingS among thr servants, visits the old
varl.dng in his kennel, gives one look around
the 0ld-play ground, where he has passed 81
many sad aud weary hours, and then goes his
way, his knapSark on his shoulder, "A good
palStitStitk in his hand. There are some wor.
Thy souls To speak to in this primitive village
the parish clerk, the cuhhvr, the carrier
then he hurrirS onward with brisk step to.
ward the moorS, which lie SO high and far
away they must he crossed tn reach the rail.
way 10y which he intended to GO
Turning, hy and,by, out of the more beaten
highway, he proceeds down lane with hiyh
banks and hedgcrowS On either side. 1t lies
deep in snow, though travcr>cd by recent
wheels and winds away presently toward wood.
land and river scenery of exquisite beauty
though wrcathed in snow and criSpcl hy frost.
Here is cottage, old fashioned and SnhStan.
tial, an exquisite gardcnaround it, and clothed
with glowing pyracanthuS@' The berries are
maSsrd in coronalS; the leaves lie around in
beds of richest green. But the windowS-at
least toward the ane-arc Shuttrrcd; no one
seems Keeping Christmas within.
But as Robert Gray leans upon the paling.
looking toward little window that is now
powered with scarlet and grern-in summer
with the myriad waXcn trumpctS of the yellow
jasamine-a man plodS by and touches his hat,
"lf yer wanting Mr. Watson, sir" he
says, "you won't iiud him at home TODAY,
Him and the miSSiS he gone to see their Young.
est son. Old Tab the maid, : mnding the
house; but she's up stairs dressing | dusSay
now"
"WeU, Mr.. Watson deserves holiday.
Gone for long,"
"No; reckon they'll be home tomorrow.
Miss Mariana, the daughter amt wi en-
She's gone to Master Felding's, across the
moorS, to keep holiday wi the children. She's
partic'lar tavoritc thcre-a sort O. cousin to
the misSiS."
So saying, Hodge again touches his hat and
proceeds
When the honest fellow is out of sight, GRAY
opens the Cate gently and StcolS in Thon