The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-12-25
'ThE BANK PoRTER'S DAUGHTER.

81 Wangskaw's bank was ono Of the institn-
Eionssof Netheri.ld. 1t WINS Older than the
*Dldes sinhabitant 1t dGted from that far-a way.
4msty epoch, when the great grandsires OF
&those WHO now did business with it walked
those narrow streets with permke and sword
II and 2Euckled hoes, aud when the tals yet lin
geresrin mems months of the wild music acaTa
in the distance as Prince Charles ard his hign-
q landecs marched southwark through the hills
B on tteif road to Derby.
1t Was substantial red brick manson, WIN
Il stonH fscin gs, and was situate toward the
lc1eEx1aid OF Eigh Street, which was the iiai,i
artery Of the toWn. 1t was supported on Doth
sides by houses of lesser pretensions. indeed,
than itself, both in size and architectural GiS-
nifty, but still sufficiently ,"nteel and COM
Portable to be the homes of wei-to-do middle
class families. In those 0ldcn days tie bank
had been tue home of the Wansshaws, as wen
4 as their place of business, but for the last
twenty years the family, consisting OF TWO
Il brot only, Hosea aad Jeremiah. had re,
sided at Pulce House three miles away anu
no sil hit was more familiar to che inhabitants
VI of Ne.herfield than that OF the NanGshaw car
riage-roemy, comfortable, Old fashioned, on
h its WY to and fiom the bank.
y In the bank itself there was no lack o1>space
4 and comfort, that the firm had found an
other home. The whole of the ground hoor'
together with large portion OF the cei!arase,
was Leeaed for business purposes. The rooms
the first floor were chiefly used as RECEIPT ;cies
for tie books and documents having RELATION
to past Transactions of the rni. On this same
: floor Is as "a bedroom and small sitting room,
for TIE use OF the Junior CLERK OF the estaoi'Sh-
ment, W no, from time iinneni0ral, Eae oeSh
required to reside on the premises a Story
higher were the private apartments oi Mat ne"
Back:-ouse, head porter to NarGshaw ffo'h,
ers, and son and grandson OF aeiuIict he;i''
porters who had lived and died III the service
of the tirIu. Matthew was w'dowef, ou, ~ ~
had one child daughter, MGrth;', VINO D;ii
lust entered on her twentieth Year when she
comes before ms.
A f..ir-haired, pleasant-tempered girl was
Narth: Backhouse with manners and appear
that superior TO ICE pos. iioii'
1 She had Deeu carefully educated at the eN-
pense OF her godfather, Hosea NahSshaN,
with whom, also with his brother, she was ii
/ great iavor,e Martha might have had Wiae
choice of suitors. even IN Il small '""a IN"
81 Nethciiield, fpc thcrr Iuinur abroad
III whence propagatcd no one could have 'oiu
II that she was not forgotten III her Gouiathei
Twill bnt her affections were III the saie-l>'eP
ling OF viii TyahoId young man living al
ss9away. Every second Sunday Win walked o[ ct
Ito Nethertied TO spend the day with ms "I.
saSloyed, and trudged ,he twelve long miles "1eh
's again ut night, torthere WAS neither ran ho'
,|fcoach between the two towns.
& Mr.. Harry DacFes, he jnnior clerk VINO re
" sided the premises, was Il pleasant scar
1f8 grace OF twenty, whose natural incilEi't'""
WI SO wing an Unlimited quantl'S "I "l'" ""'a
ss5Eyyas IN some measure restrained by II sense :"
3 the Representatives, % his position, and ny t"t
fneed of Bis Keeping in what he called iit S""o
III books Of the Wan gshnw Brothers, AFTER "i''''
~ hours. M. Harry Dacres, Matthew bae,"'"f,
sfE and his daughter renamed the sole inmate. 9"
Aa the OH mansion. There was an lniet!"r d.
sf in II i4ded livery, who cleaned out 'hc "iho''
e and ATTENDED to the fires, but he never hS any
II chance, slept the Promises.
e# When Christmas Day falls on Saturday
- which was the case with this particular
81 Chris mas with which we have now to DO IL !,
Z SO far convenient that it affords harH-Wotk'o
"a people two whole days cessation from hhS
k ness Mir. Harry Dacres, considering nlihSel
# as of the hart-w orkcd, did not iaiI I" '.Es
# for and obtain. o four days holiday where"lti
81 to recruit mis- exhausted energies. Harry wa
NJ going To his home, forty miles away lie Wa'
a to start by the a p NJ. train on Christmas eve
* but he little dreamed, as he nodded Il slnlilht
n farewell to his brother clerks, that he stoo'
under the roof of Wangshaw brothers for th'
e last time. -
At the last stroke of five Matthew took dowI
3 his heavy bunch of keys and began the soemt
"a ceremonial of locking up the bank. The nsua
christmas turkey and half dozen Of port hat
fa been sent in by the firm The usual crisp hv
* nonnd note had been thrust into his unrelnct
= ant pain Therefore was the sonl OF Matthey
subremeIy content; and as he plodded wit
his bunch of keys from one room to another II
& 1rbistled softly to himself, and had pleasan
onticinatory visions of the morrows feast
81 when he had seen that every thing wa
& nronerly secured he went up stairs and had
cheerful cup of tea with his daughter Aite
" fea he strolled down to the "White Hart, Z
enjoy his evening pipe and glass of Rrog-
more than one glass probably, but all IN q sc
Iate and solemn cOnvivial fashion; for Mat
thew, in his most abandoped moments, heVe