The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-10-07
MISS GAY.
BY MARCUS FALL.

One of the quietest places in the London suburbs
is AIanvile square Clapham 1t lies at the core of
a network of shady lanes and sequestered roads
where the thrush and the backbird sing in the quiet
evening The place is gathered into a peaceful
calm; and to find yourself in Manville square
after the dust and turmoil of the city, Is great
change as for the citizen of aseepy cathedral town
10 find himself on prairie with the feeling of in
exhaustible relief always arising from the absence
of walls But in Manvile square you find no sol
itude Iightly-swung broughams and landaus
and victOrias brush over the smooth roadway now
and then you can no fine day put your head
out of a front window without hearing the laugh
ter of r0sy-cheeked children and the patter Of tiny
feet. Here the sunlight seemed always to come
early and stay late. Summer loved the place,
and fingered longer here than even at Kew. The
square had no pretensiOns to splendOr or wealth
or fashion or distinction. The houses were mod
ern. well-built, wholesome and rOOmy. The grass
and shrubs in the enclosure were kept neatly and
efficiently, but there was no such prudery in the
gardening forbade cricket to fOuT-year-Old boys
or the laughing scamper of children through the
trees The genii of the place were peace and pros
porous plenty and courteous services. No angry
word ever invaded that Tempe OF London. No
dun ever east shadow on its clean tiagway or
wholesome grass.
The houses all belonged to one landlord, who
was a rich man and owned property in several
other parts of London. He had made one rule
ten per cent year less for his houses than he
could easily get, and to be much more particular
as 10 the people he accepted a tenants than most
landlords. 1t was not enough TO satisfy him that
the tenant was solvent and respectable; he would
also be convinced the applicant for house Of his
was free from anything which could make him a
disagreeable neighbor. Those who took houses
were to be clearly informed one Of the advantages
Of the place was that there were to be no dodgers
in Manville square.
When DR. STEPHEN Brooks took his house, he
la wit gaf a
paid hundred and thirty pounds year for a
house i'm the suburbs, he expected not to have
dodgers next door. Mrs. Brooks was delighted al
the stringency of this provlso. They had had q
hard fight in the world. They were childless
Neither was now young, and little respectability
becomes very acceptable in the middle life %
woman when youth and young matrOnhoOd have
been spent IN narrow ways
For ten years DR. Brooks and his wife lived
quiet, easy life i'm the square and then, when h'
was sixty and she fifty-five, he died. He haC
saved a little mOney-nOt much. When all debt
and expenses had been paid there was no mOr
than fifteen hundred pounds for the widow. He
friends recommended her TO give up this house "A
once, sell off what furniture she would not abso
lutely need, and take "A small house out farther
She wrote to the landlord and he replied, saying
he would be most happy to do anything he cou
for her He recommended her to do nothing def
mite for a day two, until he had called. BE
tween the dispatch of that letter and the visit &
Mrs. Brooks, the landlord was observed to call a
every house in the square. When he saw tn
widow, he was extremely polite and cOnsideratC
He hoped she would not consider il impertnen
on his part if he alluded to her affairs. He cOul
not help hearing people speaking of her. for sh
and her husband had been the most popular pee
pie in the square. Among things he heard tn
cause of her wishing to give up the house was
that her circumstances had naturally been reduce
bv her husbands death. He had ventured {
come with a suggestion, which, if she did not fee
disposed to adopt, she would, he felt sure, take a
well meant All the people in the square wer
most anxious she should not leave il, and woul
do everything in theirpoweT to help her. He, toe
should he 10th to lose an old and valued residen
Now, what he came prepared to do was to canc'
the sub-letting clause of her lease.
Thus it arose in the year 1879, in one house