The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-30

through CL0 hculum OIL an agent. MT hcEOCAI
being an important man in the west country,
the Leigh family valued this privilege as highly
as ever hidalgo valued the one aforementioned.
Mr.. Herbert, refined, intellectual-lookng man
of about fifty, received the farmer kindly, and.
after the rent without asword as to abatement
or reduction had been paid in notes of the
county bank-dark and greasy but valued in this
particular district far above Bank of England
promises-landlord and tenant settled down to a
few minutes conversation crops and kindred
subjects. Then tie farmer unburdened his
mind
1--WE come to ask the favor of your advice,
sir, about my boy Jerry"
Yes" said Mr. Herbert, 81 know him-a
nice, goodlooking boy. / see him at church
with you, and ABOUT your place when pass.
| What of him2'
"Well. you zee zur" said the farmer speaking
with more Somerset dialect than usual, "he've
been at Bristol grammar school till just now.
Masters all send good accounts of him. don't
hold Wi too much learning, so thought 'twer
time he come home and helped me like. But
not bit O good he be on the warm; not bit,
Eur. Spends near all his time messing about
wi dirt!'
Doing WHAT" asked Mr. Herbert, astonished.
"A-mudd)ing and amessing with bits o clay.
Making little fggers, like, and tries to bake em
in the oven"
"Oh. see what you mean. What sort of
| fguresl"
"Al sorts, sir. Little clay fiegers of horses,
dogs, pigs-why, you'd scarce believe 1t, sir
| last week found him making the fgger of a
naked CONAN! A naked CONAN! Wy, the lad
could never a. seen such a thing"
Abraham Leigh waited with open eyes to hear
Mr. Herhert's opinion of such an extraordinary.
if not positively unusual proceeding.
Mr.. Herbert smiled. Perhaps your son is
youthful genius"
Genius or not, want to know, sir, what to
do wi him. Hows the boy to make living2 A
farmer he'll meyer be-
You follow me and 1 will show you some
thing"
Mr. Herbert led his guest to his drawing room
II room furnished with the taste of travelling
man. AS the farmer gaped at its spendor, he
directed his attention to tour beautiful statues
standing In the corners OF the room.
| II gave the man who made those 9700 for
| them, and could sell them to morrow for thou
sand if chose. That is almost as good as
farming, isn't itF'
| His tenants eyes were wide with amazement.
| "a 21.G00, sir" he gasped. ''Why, you might
have bought that fourteen acre field with that
These give me more pleasure than land re-
marked Mr. Herbert. But about your boy
when am riding by will look in and see what
he can do; then give you my advice"
The farmer thanked him and returned home.
AS he logged along the road to Watercress Farm.
he muttered at intervals: "a Thousand pound,
in those white igures Well, well, we'll, never
didr
Mr.. Herbert was man who kept a promise,
whether made to high or low. Five days after
his interview with Abraham Leigh he rode up to
| the door of the farm. He was not alone BY
his side rode gay, laughing, ight-hared child
| of thirteen, who ruled an induleent father with
| a rod of iron. Mr.. Herbert had been widower
for some years. tho girl, and boy, who was just
| leaving Harrow for the university being his
only surviving children. The boy perhaps
not all that Mr.. Herbert might have wished, but he
could see no fault in the precocious imperious,
| SnOj1t little maid who the SnpShina Of his
| life.
She tripped lightly after her father into the
| farmhouse, laughing at the way in which he
was obliged to bend his head to avoid damage
! from the low doorway; she seated herself with
becoming dignity on the chair which the
widowed sister who kept house for Abraham
Leigh rendered her with many courtesies. A
pretty child indeed and one who gave rare
promise of growing into lovely woman.
The farmer was away somewhere on the farm,
but could be fetched in minute if Mr.. Herbert
would wait Mr.. Herbert waited, and very
his tenant made his appearance and thanked his
! visitor for the trouble he was taking OF bis be-
| half
Now let me see the boy" said Mr.. Herbert,
after disclaiming all sense of trouble.
| Leigh went to the door of the room and shouted
| out Jerry, Jerry, come down. You're wanted,
my man."
In moment the Goor opened, and the cause
| of Mr. Leigh's discomfort came upon the scene
in the form of a darkeyed dark haired pale
physique went much credit to the countryside.
Yet. in some respects striknglooking if not
handsome lad The dark, eloquent eyes and
strongly marked brow would arrest attention;
but the face was too thin, too thoughtful for the
| age, and could scarcely be associated with what
| commonly constitutes good-looking lad. Yet,
regularity of feature was there and no one would
dare to be sure that beauty would not come with
manhood.
| He was not seen at that moment under advan-
| tageous circumstances Knowing nothing about
the distinguished visitors, he had obeyed his
| fathers summons in hot haste consequently, he
entered the room in his shirt-seeves, which were
| certainly not very clean, and with hands covered
with red clay. Mr.. Herbert looked amused, whilst
the little princess turned up her nose in great
| disdain.
Poor Abraham Leigh was much mystiied at
the unpresentabe state in which his showed
himself. To make matters worse, the boy was
not soed by honest, legitimate toll,
Tut! TUT" he said GROSSLY. "All of a muck as
usual"
The boy, who felt that his father had a right
| to complain, hung his head and showed signs of
retreating Mr. Herbert came to the rescue
Never mind" he said, patting young Leigh
on the shoulder; "he has been working in his
own fashion. have come on purpose to see
those modelings of yours. my boy"
The boy started one surprised His cheek
flushed, and he looked at the speaker with in
| credulity yet hope in his eyes
| Yes" said his father sharply. go and put
your hands under the pump, Jerry, then bring
some of 'em down. Mabbe, anyway they'll
amuse the little lady"
mo, no." said Mr.. Herbert "Tll come with
you and see them for myself Lead the way"
| Young Leigh did not speak, but his eyes
| thanked Mr.. Herbert That gentleman followed
him from the room, leaving the farmer to amuse
the little maid. He did this so far as he was
able by producing wellthumbed copy of the
Pilgrims Progress" the leaves of which Miss
Herbert condescended to turn daihtily over until
she was quite terrified by the picture of the
combat with Apollyon.
Meanwhile Jerry" with beating heart, led
Mr. Herbert upstairs to room destitute of
furniture, save old table and chair. A
bucket half full of common red clay stood in one
corner, and on the table were several of the
little clay figures which had excited the farmers
ire and CONSERVATION.
Crude dpfacfiva fnll of faDltS they