Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-10-09

ABANK NOTE IN TWO hal YES.


Wet and dreary. It is midnight; tn
scene is Kirlington, on the London ant
Northwestern the time, quarter to eleven
just after the night mail has flashed through
without stopping bound for Liverpool ane
the north. The railway oficials-pointsmen
signalmen, porters, platelayers collect
ing, preparatory to going off duty for tht
night; o., -, o.-,
upon the platform.
"I saw him in the hut just after the quar-
ter to eleven went through. Can't have come
to any harm, surely" .
"No he said he'd seen something. It was
a basket, common white wicker basket
with lid fastened down by string. What
did it contain? Refreshments? Dirty clothes
What? -........
A baby-a child half dozen weeks old
no more. A pink and white piece of human
china as fragile as Dresden, and as delicately
fashioned and tinted as biscuit or Rose Pom
padour. ....
"Where did you come across it p asked one
"Lying on the line, just where it fell
Perhaps it didn't fall, perhaps it was chucked
out. What matter? I've got it, and got tc
look after it, that's enough for me. Some
day maybe I'll come across them as owns it.
and then they shall pay me and take it back ;
"Is there nothing about him? Turn him
over" .....
The little mites linen was white and Of fine
material, but he lay upon an old shawl and d
few bits of dirty flannel All they found was
a dilapidated purse, common snap lock bag
purse, of faded brown leather. Inside was a
brass thimble, pawn ticket and the half Of
a Bank of England note for Gl00.
"What goods half bank note to you ??
"Half loaf's better than no bread"
ayes, but you can eat one, but you can't
pass the other. Won't you catch it from
your wife? How'll you face her, Dan
Whatll she say?"
She'll say done quite right" replied Dan
stoutly. "She's good sort, God bless her."
$50 are you, Dan that's a fact. God bless
you, too," said more than one rough voice in
soflening accents. perhaps the brat'll bring
you luck after ALL"
Winter-tide again six years later, but this
season is wet and slushy. Once more We
are at Kirklington, long struggling village
which might have slumbered on in obscurity
for ever, had not the Northwestern line been
carried close by it, to give it place in Brad
shaw and certain Importance as a juno
ton and centre for goods traffic. But the
activity was all about the station. All the
permanent officials had houses and cot
tages there; in the village lived only the
field laborers who worked at the neighboring
estate, or sometimes lent their hand for s
Job of navying on the line. The poor folk
had a gruesome life of it, hand. d.to-moutf
struggle for bare existence against perpetua
privation, accompanied by unremitting toll
A new parson-Harold Treffry had come
lately to Kirklington. He was an earnest
energetic young man. who had won his spur!
in an East End parish, and had now accepted
this country living because it seemed to ope1
up new field of usefulness. He had plunged
bravely into the midst of his work; he wa
forever going up and down among his parish
toner's, solacing and comforting, preaching
manful endurance and truthfulness to all.
He is now paying round of parochia
visits, accompanied by an old college chum
who is spending Christmas with him.
"Yonder," said Trefry, pointing to a thir
thread of smoke which rose from some gaun
trees into the sullen, wintry air, "yonder i
the house-if indeed, it deserves so grand
name-the hovel, rather, of one whose case
the hardest of all the hard ones in my unhap
py cure. This man is mere hedger AM
ditcher, one who works for any master, mos
often for the railway, but who is never certain
of Job all the year round. He has
swarm of young children and has just lost hi
wife. He is absolutely prostrated-aghas
probably at the future before him, and 81!
utter incapacity to do his duty by his mother
less little ones Jack!' said the parsor
stopping short suddenly, and looking straigh
into his companions face, 81 wonder whethe
you could rouse him? If you could only &c
him to make sign: to cry or laugh, or tax
the smallest interest in common affairs. Jac
believe you're the very man. You nigh
get at him through the children-that maj
velous hank .panky of yours-those surpris
ing tricks-a child takes to you naturally d
once. Try and make friends with these. Pei
haps when the father sees them intereste
and amused he may warm little, speal
perhaps approve, perhaps smile, and in tn
end give in, Jack, will you try?"
Jack Newbiggin was by profession cor
veyancer, but nature had intended him for
new Houdin or Wizard of the North. H
was more than half professional by the tim
he was full grown. In addition to the quic
eve and the facile wrist, he had the rarer gift
of the suave manner and the face of bras
He had even studied mesmerism and clai
voyance, and could upon occasion surprise HI
audience considerably by his power.
They entered the miserable dwelling togetl
er. The children-eight Of them-were ski
mishing all over the floor; They were III
manageable, and beyond the control of tn
eldest sister, who was busted in setting out til
table for the midday meal one other chill
of six or seven, bright-eyed, exceedingl
beautiful boy, the least-were not nature
yagaries well known-not likely to be Dor
among and belong to such surroundings, stoo