The St. Cloud journal., 1867-11-14
PHILIP LANGTON.

"Now hush my dearie, hush, there's
a man !! Your mother is a poor crea-
ture, but she can take care of her little
lad yet, and she will. 1t will never be
she that will sit by and see him thrash
ed-not for all the Langtons and all
the book.learning in England"
| The speaker sat in her cottage kitch-
en-, in en- arm; chair by the fresidc,
plating straw-a feeble sickly-looking
woman, with a querulous face. She
had fretted herself into ill health two
years ago when her husband died, John
Morton, tie Brent fisherman, who had
lost his life one Wild night coming
home round the headland with his la
den boat; and she was never likely,
with her indolent and repining nature,
to be anything but an invalid nov for
the rest Of her days.
On a stool at her feet sat the boy
whose unmerited whipping she bewail-
ed-a small child; dis6gured by abuu-
dant weeping. The, e,room had also one
other occupant, dark-eyed girl of niue
teen or twenty; who sat in the window
sewing. .
She sat sewing, but she let her work
drop down upon her knees as Mrs. Nor:
ton spoke, and raised a face that was
full Of a strange kind Of pain.
"Nlother," she said, in a low intense
tone. II could not help it,"
"You didn't try TO- help it," Mrs.
| Morton retorted quickly. "You would
n't care if Langton broke every bone
in his ody-as he nearly has done
bad luck to his ugly face,'' she cried
bitterly.
"Mother, hush
As Mrs. Morton spoke those last
words the girls eyes had flashed, and
her fingers had contracted almost con.
vulsively. --'. =. =.
And yet few others-men or women
lin the parish would have been much
concerned at far greater amount Of Vi
tuperation passed upon Philip Lang
ton; few who had had any dealings
with him would have been disposed to
stand up very warmly in his defense
He was not popular man in Brent.
He had come to the place year agt
to be master Of the village schvol-tht
rector's school, as it was called
High testimonials had procured hin
the appointment, nor indeed were hi
abilities ever questioned they were al
that could be desired, and more thar
were needed for the post. He wa
found, however, to be violent-tempered
naughty, reserved, independent, and, h
soon got an i'll name alike with recto
, and scholare.. ~.
He had been born and brought u
as gentleman His father and moth
er had died when he was child q
eighteen he had quarreled with the uu
Gle under whose guardianship he ha
been brought up, and utterly withou
il. resources of his own had left his house
. and from that time to this bis life la
been a restless battle. He was clever
= ambitious, determined,- frieni
less. In twelve years, spite of his ia
ents, he had risen to no higher po.
than this humble one Of schoolmaste
In the same school at Brent, thre
months after the arrival Of Mr.. Ian;
> ton, Margare: Morton had been appoin
ed mistress. She was young to hol
such a post, but since her fathers deaf
6. the support of both her mother an
brother had fallen almost entirely upo
her; and this circumstance, when ii
place became vacant last winter, ha
given her, in the estimation of the kin
= hearted rector, a strong claim to tt
" appointment. She had besides bee
= monitress in tho school for some year,
|, she was a good girl, too, and cleve.
. the rector liked her, and before 81
had occupied her new post for mon'
it became clear that the whole scho
was of one feeling with him.
l say she was clever. In ve
short time Philip Langton d'scover'
or that. Presently, moved, l suppose,
at some feeling Of kindness, he offered,
er she cared for it, to help her to advan
ng her studies. Perhaps. she, too, h
some ambition, some desire to be Il
d, future time more than village soho,
In, teacher. Bo that As it may, she 4
'esptsd hi. otter, and she had 10" bs