Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-06-10
CHAPTER III.
THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF MATHEW HUME

Ralph walked homeward with head
erect, eyes flashing and clinched fists. He
was thinking of what he should do; how
he should begin his mutiny; what would
be the issue of the fight. Whatever the
result, there would be joy in bringing, If
only for once, hand, fist, or stick in con-
tact with the face or figure Of his cousin.
1t was he, was it, who informed against
him to his worship? 1t was no other than
his cousin who had compassed this most
dissgreeable of mornings. And now,
doubtless, he waited, with great cane,
his arrival at home, in order to administer
another dose of those corrections" OF
which he was so fond. Hitherto, Ralph
had submitted quietly; but be had been
growing; he was within month OF II;
was il 10 be endured that lie should be
beaten and logged like child of 10, be-
cause his cousin hated him?
When he left the fields and turned into
the lane leading down into the river, he
began to look about among the trees and
underwood as if searching for something
Presently he esp;ed long, plant alder
branch in its second year of growth which
seemed promising. He cut it to length
of about three feet, trimmed of leaves and
twigs, balanced it critically with a tenta-
tive flourish or two in the air.
Gas thick as my thumb" he said, land
az heavy as his cane. Blow for blow,
Cousin Mathew. This will curl round
mis- shoulders AMI leave its mark upon his
legs"
Norwich Mill stands upon the River
Coquet, about two miles from Warkworth.
You can easily get to it by following the
banks of the river, which is perhaps the
best way, though sometimes you must OIL
shoes and stockings and wade across knee
deep to the other side.
The mill consists of a square house upon
the edge OF the river, with a great wheel
on one side, and almost all of the water of
the river is here diverted go as to form q
sufficient power for the mill wheel. At
the back of the mill, which is also sub
stantial dwelling house, is great careless
garden, with pigsties and linnies for cattle,
and vegetables and fruit trees; aud at the
side are two or three cottages, where live
the people employed at the mill. All the
fields which lie sloping no from the river
side belong, as well, to the owner Of the
mill. The owner at this present moment
was no other than the scapegIace Ralph,
and his cousin, Mathew Humble, was
his guardian, who had nothing at all
in the world Of his own but little
farm of thirty acres. The thought
of this great inheritance compared
with his own meager holding, filed the
good guardians heart with bitterness, and
his arm, when it came to correction, with
superhuman strength. He would be
guardian for four years more; then he
would have to give strict account Of his
guardianship; and the burden OF the obi,
CATION, though he had only held the post
for two years, filled him with such wrath
and anxiety that he was fain, when he did
think upon it, which WAS often, to pull
the cork out of certain stone jar and
allay his anxieties with dram OF strong
waters. He was very anxious, because
already the accounts were confused; the
stone Jar was always handy; therefore he
had become swollen about the neck and
coarse of nose, which was full and prom
ineut feature, and flsbby as well as fiery
about the cheeks. In these times of much
drinking many men become pendulous O.
cheek and ruddy of nose at 40 or so, but
few at o.. Matthew was not at this time
much more than 20; say ten years oldel
than Ralph.
The kitchen, dining room and sitting
room of Norwich Mill was a large, Low
room, with one long window. AT TIL
sides of the room ard between the grea
oists were hanging sides of bacon ant
hams, besides pewter pots and pewte
dishes, brightly polished wooden plstters
china cups, brass vessels, whips, brides, {
loaded blunderbuss, cudgels, string o
onions, dried herbs Of every kind, and al
the thousand things wanted for the con
duct of household. At one end was ,
noble fire of logs burning in an ampl
chimney, and before the fire great piect
of beef roasting, and now, to outward
scrutiny aud sense of smell, ready to b,
dished. A middle aged woman, full
comely and good natured of aspect, wa
engaged in preparation for the critical op
Grafton. This was prudence, who haC
lived at the mill all her life.
She looked up IS Ralph appeared in TIL
doorway and shook her head, more in pity
than reproach. And she looked sideways
by way of friendly warning, in tn,
direction of the table, at which sat anothe
woman of different appearance. She was
perhaps, five or six and thirty, with thin
features and sour expression, not improved
by q cast in her eye. This was Barbara
sister of Mathew Humble, and now act
ing in the capacity Of mistress of Morwicl
Mill, for her brother was not married
She had open before her the Bible
and she had found most beautiful
collection of texts appropriate to the case o
fools in the book of Proverbs. The tabl
was laid for dinner, with pewter plates art
black handled knives and steel forks. Th'
beer had been drawn, and stood in grea
brown Jug, foaming with venerable silve
head. Ralph observed without astonish
ment that the plate set for him contained
piece of dry bread, ostentatiously displayed
1t was to be his dinner.
This pleasing maiden, Barbara, who re
gsrded the boy with an affection almost n
great as her brothers., that is to say, witt
a maligniiy quite uncommon, first pointeC
with her lean and skinny forefuger to TIL
page before her, and read aloud, shaking
her head reproachfully:
GAS man who cssteth firebrands, ar
rows, and death, 20 is the man that de
ceiveth his neighbor, and saith, Am no
in spori?'"
Solomon must surely have had Ralph il
his mind.
Then she pointed with the same fDge
to door opposite, and said, a smile o
satisfaction stealing over her countenance
'Go to your guardian. Go to receivi
the wages of SIM"
"Those, Il" said Ralph, with alight laugh
feeling confidence in his alder branch
''are not a floggiug on this occasion, but
fight"
Before she heard his words, or had be
gun TO ask herself what they might mean
because she was 50 full of satisfaction witt
her texts, he had flung his hat upon chat
! and gone 10 the next room. If Barbara hat
been observant, she might have remarked
beside these extraordinary words, certain
brightness of the eyes and setting Of tn
mouth which betokened the spirit Of re
sistance.
The inner room was one occupied ami
used by Mathew alone. II contained al