The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-12-18
Selected Story.
TIE PARISH CLERK.
BY CHARLES DICKENS.

town, at considerable distance from London,
there lived a little man named Nathaniel Pip
kin, who was the parish clerk OF the little
town, and lived in the little high street, with
in ten minutes walk of the little church; and
who was to be found every day from nine till
four, teaching little learning to the little
boys. Nathaniel Pipkin was harmless, inof-
fensive, good-natured being, with a turned-up
nose, and rather turned in legs, cast in his
eye, and halt in his gait.
Happening one fine afternoon, in fit of
mental alb traction, to raise his eyes from the
slate on which he was devising some tremen-
dous problem in compound addition, for an Of
Tending urchin to solve, they suddenly rested
on the blooming countenance of Maria Lobbs,
the only daughter of old Lobbs the great sad
der, over the way. Now, the eyes Of Mr.. Pip
kin had rested on the pretty face of Maria
Lobbs many time and oft before, at church
and elsewhere; but The eyes of Maria Lobbs
had never looked so bright, the cheeks of Ma
ria Lobb; had never looked so rudy, as upon
this particular occasion. No wonder, then,
that Nathaniel Pipkin was unable to take his
eyes from the countenance of Miss Lobbs; no
wonder that Miss Lobb, Fl: ding herself stared
at by young man, withdrew her head from
the window cut of which she had been peep
ing, and shut the easement, and pulled down
the blind; no wonder that Nathaniel Pipkin,
Immediately thereafter, fell upon the young
urchin who had previously offended, and cuff
ed and knocked him to his hearts content
All this was very natural, and there's nothing
at all to wonder at about it.
1t Is matter of wonder, though, that any
one of Mr.. Nathaniel Pipkin's retiring dispo-
sition, nervous temperament, and most partic-
ulariy diminutive income, should from this
day forth have dared to aspire to the hand and
heart of the only daughter of the fiery old
Lobbs-of old Lobbs the great saddler, who
could have bought up the whole village at
one stroke of bis pen, and never felt the out
lay-old Lobbs, who was well known to have
heaps Of money, invested in the bank at the
nearest market town-who was reported to
have countless and ineXhaustible treasures,
boarded up in the little iron safe with the big
key-hole, over the chimney-piece In the back
parlor, and who, 1t was well known, on festive
occasions garnished his board with a real sill
yer teapot, cream ever, anu sugar-basir,
which be was wont, in the pride of his heart
to boast should be his daughters property
when she found man to her mind. 1 repeat
1t TO be matter Of profound establishment
and intense wonder, that Nathaniel Pipkin
should have the temerity to cast his eyes in
this direction. But love is blind, and Nathan.
iel had a cast in his eye; and perhaps these
two instances, taken together, prevented
his seeing the matter in its proper light s5..
Now, ii old Lobbs had entertained the most
remote or distant idea OF the state of the az
fections of Nathaniel Pipkin, he would have
exterminated the master from the face of the
earth, or committed some other atrocity
OF al equally ferocious and violent des-
cripion, for he was q terrible old fellow, that
Lobbs, when his pride was injured or his blood
was up. Swear! such trains of oaths would
come pealmg over the way, sometimes, when
he was denouncing the idleness of the boy ap-
prentice with the thin legs, that Nathaniel
Pipkin would shake in his shoes with horror,
and thehair of the pupils heads would stand
on end with fright. We'll, day after day, when
school was over, and the pupils gone, did Ma
Pipkin sit himself down at the front window
and while he feigned to be reading a book,
throw sidelong glances over the way in search
of the bright eyes OF Maria LobbS; and he
hadn't sat there many days before the bright
eyes appeared at an upper window, apparent
ly deeply engaged in reading too. This was
delightful, and gladdening to the heart OF Ma
thaniel Pipkin. 1t was something to sit there
for hours together, and LOOK upon that pretty
face when the eyes were turned down; but
Wen Maria Lobbs began to raise her eyes
from her book, and dart their rays in the di-
recion of Nathaniel Pipkin, his delight and
admiration were perfectly boundless. At last,
one day when he knew old Lobbs was out, Ma
thanicl Plpkm had the temerity to kiss his
han / to Maria Lobbs; and Maria Lobbs, In
stead OF shutting the window and pulling down
the blind, kissed hers to him, and smiled
Upon which Nathaniel Pipkin determined.
that, come what might, he would deyelope
the state OF his feelings without further de-
lay.
A prettier foot, gayer heart, more dim.
pied face, or smarter form, never bounded SO
lightly over the earth they graced, as did those
OF Maria Lobbs, the old saIdier's daughter
There was reguish twinkle In her sparkling
eyes, that would have made its way to far
less 81 5cepuble bosom than that of Nathaniel
Pipkin; and there was such q joyous sound
In her merry laugh, that the sternest nissan
tlrope must have smiled TO hear it. Even old
Lobbs himself, in the very height of his fefoci-
", couldn't resist the coaxing of his pretty
daughter: and when she and her cousin Kate.
an arch, impudent-looking, bewitching little
person-made dead set on the old man to
gether, q 70 say the truth they very often did.
ne could have refused them nothing, even had
they asked for portion of the countless and
lneXnaustlbe treasures which were hidden
from light In the iron safe.
Inc next day Nathaniel Pipkin saw old
LooDs so out upon his old grey pony, and after
cousin, the object and meaning of wbic,, Ie
could by no means understand. the bonv an
prentice with the thin legs, came over N CO..,
that his master wasn't coming homo tbat
night, and that the ladies expected Mr.. Pin oo
to tea at six precisely. How that the lessons
were got through that day, neither Nathaniel
Pipkin nor his pupils knew any more than Won
do; but they were got through somehow, and.
after the boys were gone, Nathaniel Pipkin
took till full six o'clock to dress himself to his
satisfaction; not that it took long to select the
garments he should wear, inasmuch as he had
no choice about the matter, but the putting
item on to the best advantage, and touching
them up previously was task ofno inconsid-
cable difficulty or importance.
There was very snug little party, consist
ing OF Maria Lobbs and her cousin Kate, and
three or four rOmping. good-humored rosy