The Somerset reporter., 1885-04-29

I y
| Npog-in the village only yesterday
~ you saw bis wretched home, you
~ not wonder These are your people,
James; once more | ask beseech-
IsMD 10 help Them for the sake Of our com
49, lord and MASTER
Aed we ar. 40 rich, dear fatherr plead
e. Margaret, Involuntary clas plug her
znsip Sir James closed his eyes YEARLY
- 9syed his hand.
Do6gh! Enough he said in the tones
4IDoe worn out with discussion. Il am
Gl 81 this. decline TO do more than
~ done
md have you forgotten exclaimed Mr..
efhep, rising, that you will have to an
~ 70. God for the way In which your
ouWArdship Las been employed? 10 give
yQ,9Ja accouDt-face to face with your
Mbsr.' What will it beY
- James face was purple now. you
feet yourself, Mr.. Staines, he said angri
u Il have not 10 give account to you at
- mte. When wish to do SO | will
seId for yon. In the meantime do not
desire your presence here
Forgive me, if l spoke with too much
warmth, returned the Young man, 'but
cannot recall a word l have said. May
God help the poor people!
Very sorrowfuly, and not venturing TO
speak to Miss Laurenne, Wlfred Stanes
was leaving the terrace but margaret held
out her hand a. he passed
Good bye she said softly. 4 am so
sorryv
Looking at her, the clergyman saw that
her eyes were full of tears.
Good bye, he replied, as softly as she
had spoken, a sudden moisture in his own
keen glance. God bless you!'
aC. Cr.-
That young man is DO longer a guest Of
ours. | desire you to consider him a stran-
egr from henceforth.
The sun was shining brightly the next
morning when Mr. Staines clmed down
the steep path that led, among pines and
beech trees, to the Dell. To all outward
seeming it was very fairy dell Tie de-
tached cottages-fve 10 number-with
their deeply sunken windows and doors,
their matched rorfs green with moss and
and lichens, were picturesque enough for
an artist But within All, what sights
and sounds of misery.
Yet The place was not at its worst for the
weather was warm and dry, and old Mat
thew Jones was more comloroe like, as
he said, in his hard bed. The old man did
not speak much, only groaned when the
pain shot here and there but the tall vi
rago, his daughter, did talk, and Sir James
would have considered her coarse indeed
if he could have heard the iuvectives she
hurled at him.
Nor were things improved in the next
cottage.
There young woman lay painting out
her life in consumption.
Mr.. Staines sat by her side and fed her,
gently as a mother might have done, with
some jelly he had brought. A few tears
fell ON his hand as she ate.
'You'er so kind, Sin " she said APOLOGIZE
cally.
Where is Tim?' said Mr.. Staines pres
emily.
'Oh, he've bin on the spree, SIR he said.
'He were that III as he said he couldn't
work wi'out a drop; and he hadn't over
drop, sir, but it got into his head, and then
MIR. Lack he turned him off for a week, so
Jim,s been real bad. He corldnt abide see
ing me like this, and he's ADDING nought,
sir, you see Eli, sir, God don't seem to
help the poor, He don'tH
'Noa, He doaD't! nor no one else doan't
neethur!' said a hoarse voice, and Jim
Saunders came slouching in, sober now,
but bearing the marks of recent intemper-
anoe as well as disease on his white face.
He knet down by the fire, shivering as
he spoke.
We'll, lad, it may be different in heaven
said his wife, anxious, woman like, to
soothe him.
Heaven! he replied, with laugh Not
it A fine figure the like o me nd cut there.
Why, old Lack turned me out o the church
porch Just now, where | was set resting
bit, and he said as warn't fit to be seen
out OF workhouse. Ii amt likely as they'd
a. me in heaven now-is it?' and he laugh
ed again bitterly.
The gates of heaven are open to all who
will enter said Mr.. Staines gently and
gravely; the Lord of that land says, HIM
that cometh to me / cW in nocise cast ous.'
Poverty will not keep u man out, but drunk
enness will, unless you are ready to give it
up
The inmates OF the other cottages, all
more or less sickly, inveighed against their
rich landlord bitterly.
Aye, and he lives in fine house and
wears fine clothes, he eats and drinks o
thu best, and we are nigh starving! eX.
claimed one poor mother nursing puny
infant But am thinking, Mr.. Stanes,
sir, as how it'll be black lookout for him
by ard bye. The wilder and orphan, the
sick and the dying will rise up agen bin
some day; aye and curse him to his face
just as Wilfred StaiDes, tired and sick
at heart, was turning in at the vicarage
gate, Miss Laurenne drove past In her pref
ty pony carriage.
soft color mantled her face; very
sweet smile parted her lips; and her eyes
told both pleasure and regret as she bowed
to the vicar-pleasure at seeing him. regret
because she might not stop and speak to
him as she had been wont to do.
atch fhp 10 q a
until it was out of sight, sighed as he went
in to his solitary meal.
III felt as if the sun had shone brightly
for moment, and then had set for for ev-
err.
Concluded next week.