The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-03-11
CHAPTER VII.
AT BEAk HOUSE.

After church-attended by Dick in
compliance with what he termed pa
ternal prejudicesn-a light luncheon
(. ,.lNed at the vicarage; then the
young man had no choice but to tear
himself away from the manifold attrac-
lions of the home circle, not less to his
personal chagrn than the despair of the
fair sisterhood, but ii had been prevl-
ously arranged that the young man was
to dine on Christmas Day with his pat
ron. Sir Jasper Earle, at Bleak House,
an appropriately named residence situ-
ated in a lonely spot some half-doZen
miles from Durham Vicarage.
In this direction, then, a couple of
hours after noon. Dick turned his
horses head, and after little more than
an hours ride passed in at the grim for
bidding iron gates guarding the en-
trance to the now drear and leahess
avenue, which conducted up to the very
doors of the baronial mansion.
To the young mans infinite relief he
found the stern old widower not alto
gether solitary: certain Doctor llol-
lingshead, London physician of some
note, having arrived from town the pre-
yious day in order to spend Christmas
with his old friend, and this pair of
cronies," as Dick forthwith irreverent-
" dubbed them mentally, sat together
before dreary spoonful of fire in the
vast and parsely-furnished library, en-
joying melancholy tete-a-tete over
cigars and a glass of sherry, when the
young fellow suddenly intruded. Din
ner had been ordered mt five O'Clock in
order TO enable Dick to join party of
skaters upon famous sheet OF water
known as Burnham Lake, in the
/ .rrAnnIg nf adjoining mansion
whose owner had issued tickets of lnvi-
tation to the neighboring gentry, en-
| Joining them to make free use of his
lake whilst the frost lasted. Here the
| girls from the vicarage were to adjourn
after evening service; skating by torch
light was to be de rigucur, this long
promised al treScO entertainment having
been the theme of universal discussion
since first the ice gave hopes of bear
ing" over Christmas Day.
Supported by the prospect of ultimate
escape to this scene of festivity, Dicl
resigned himself as gracefully as cir
cumstances would permit to present
boredom, and drew in to the circle a
Sir Jasper's invitation, slipping a glass
of best pale Here's, and listening in re
spectful silence to the prosings OF hi
elders.
DIR. IIollingshead was relating drear,
stories of the prevailing destitutiol
among the poor in town; disease wa
rife, additionally aggravated by the un
usual rigor of the season; the hospital
were full to overlooking. and no les
than three deaths from starvation ha
been reported during the current week
1t made man uncOmfortably reflect
i've, the doctor added, sitting at his cas-
in land of plenty, for ii was surel
difficult to enjoy ones glass of wine an
Christmas fare, recollecting that at tha
very moment there We're thousands {
ones fellow-creatures actually famisi
ing for mere want of daily brea'
scarce stone's-throw from one
doors.
lie was tOlerably callous and indi
ferent. he went on to say, after near
twenty years professional experienc
yet he confessed that he had been pail
fully affected before leaving town Il
very day before by a certain case whit
had come under his immediate motto
A wretched woman-an organ-grin
; er, or something of the sort-had bee
picked up by the police, swoOning
| the streets, and brought in due cOur
to st. Georges Hospital, where it HI
/ fallen TO the duty of DIR. llollingshe;
4 to attend her.
: 1.-The poor creature was terribly EN-
ciated," he continued, land had b
n three half-pence in her possession. ii
n clothes were n mere collection OF ral
the skin barely covered her bones; y
r she had been exposed to the terril
d frost of Wednesday last, during the G
tire day, and when she died, post-mC
!, TEN examination proved that the sto
y ach must have been empty for da
Q past. The miserable wretch was L
d Willingly in the last stage Of consum
ton; the best of nourishment, care, I
tention, and warmth could at best |
J. have prolonged her life for few wee