New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-10-17
THE DISINHERITED.
CHAPTER l,

tAatlEh l.
what, Dick" said my father, looking
grimly at me across the fireplace; s'then
your hearts set on rOving?"
why, yes, father" replied ~ can't
abide this dead-alive place; but shall not
90 away till you're better"
'The place was good enough for thy grand
father and me" went on my father, speak
ing in resentful tone; Nbut there's no
brOokiRg We young folk. Well, you'll see
me under the sod anyhow before you start
on your travels again"
Something sneering in my fathers voice
struck me with little apprehension. | felt
sort of misgiving lest it might prove that
l had been too long rowing already, for
had been for two years away from my faith
er's roof-tree.
There was no great lore or confidence be.
tween my father and myself. He had taken
little care of rue in my boyhood, and
should have grown up altogether neglected
and uneducated had it not been for brother
of my mOther's-she had died in my in.
fancy-wbo had insisted upon my being
sent 70 grammar school. Here / had got
on well. and might have won scholarship,
but my father withdrew me Just before the
examination, and brought me home to live
at Halton.
1t was dull, dreary little township,
Boosting of one long village street, situated
in secluded valley among wild Yorkshire
moorlands. A beck or rivulet ran shrough
the valley, and that, widened,out into pools
and reservoirs below the village, supplied
with water two large factories. The main
part of the village consisted of low stone
cottages, the residences of the factory
operatives. Then there was nv fathers
large square house, also built Of the gray
limestone of the district, with courtyard
at one side, containing ooachhouse and
stable, and a large bare garden behind it,
A public house at the top of the street, and
two or three houses OF moderate size occu-
pied by. the upper men Of the factories, COM
posed the rest of the village. The church
was seven or eight miles away. There was
no doctor within five miles, and the nearest
lawyer lived at Slapton, small market
town some nine miles distant.
Soon after came home from school my
father engaged new servant, house.
keeper. Her name was Hannah. She was
fine, buxom young woman, but gifted with
very violent temper. She soon began to
domineer over me, and bitter quarrels were
the result. My father took her part always,
and my only ally was young maid, Sarah,
who was also one of her victims.
AT last l ran away, and took refuge at the
house Of my uncle, who was dissenting
minister at York. By his intervention an
arrangement was come to. My father con.
sented to allow me q hundred year to live
away from home, and / went abroad with
the son of rich merchant, one of my I'M
cle's pupils. Once upon my travels had
little thought of coming back to gloomy
Halton. With stick and knapsack /
traversed the whole continent of Europe,
and was meditating farther progress into
Asia Minor, when was recalled to England
by the news of my fathers alarming illness
1t was thought that he was dying, and he
earnestly desired to see me once more.
rallied little, and the end did not seem
imminent, He had still atrenpth enouph IN