The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-03-07
By WALTER BESANT.
CHAPTER Nv.
DRUsILLA's STORY.


] was born in Cheapside. almost be-
meath the bells of Bow on October s in
the year of grace 1853 being the fifth and
youngest child of Solomon Hetberinptop
and Prudence. his wife My father was
citizen and glover. a member of the
Honorable Company of Glovers. his amb
ton being always to be elected. before
becoming lord mayor master of his c.
pany These ambitions are laudable in !.
city merchant yet. alas. they are not
always attained and in nv unhappy
fathers case they were very far from
being reached as you shall presently hear
There is. ! am told some quality in the
London air which causeth the CITY. in
spite Of much that is foolish as regards
cleanliness. to be healthy place. and
favorable TO children So that. for nv
own part. though ] was brought up in the
very center and heart of the city. with no
green fields TO run in nor any gardens
save those belonging to the Diapers com
pany l. as we'll as my brothers and sis
tiers was healthy and well faring child
up TO the age of = when |, with all nv
brothers and sisters. was afflicted with
that scourge of mankind. smallpox This
dreadful disease. TO the unspeakable grief
OF my parents killed their four eldest
children. and spared none bur myself the
youngest and girl ! recovered so far
that although ! was weakly and ailing
for long time. was not marked by a
single spot or any of those ugly pits
which sometimes ruin many a woman s
beauty and thereby rob he- of that choic
est blessing, the love of a husband So
different. however was from the stout
and hearty girl before the smallpox. thai
my parents were advised that the best
chance TO save my life-this being for the
time their chief and even their only hope
was TO send me into the country. there
I" live in fresh pure air, running in the
sun and fed on oatmeal porridge good
MIX fat bacon and new laid eggs
Then my father bethought him of his
own mother who lived far away indeed
from London. namely at Warkworth. il
northumberland And he proposed to NJ
lIother that they should take this Ion;
l,Erney carrying me with them. and leav,
i..e for awhile III charge of my grand
mother which being done. and my healtl.
Slowing signs of amendment. they wer
c'ns,rained TO go back to their own bust
ness leaving me in good hands. yet with
>rrpwful hearts. because they were going
!ipnit without me And for six or seven
,.'ars ! saw them no more
No girl TO be sure had kinder treatment
Il ore lndulgent governess than myself
~ grandmo; her Dame Hetherington-
though not a lady by birth but only
farmers daughter-lived i'll the house
which stands outside the town beyond
The bridge among the trees
Ny grandmoth her WAS a wise woman
and reflected that. as was sent away FROM
London i'll order 10 recover my health and
grow strong | was allowed and encour
aged &c run about i'll the open air much
a. possible SO that as this part of Eng
land is quite safe, and there are here few
gypse> who mostly stay on he OF her side
OF Cheviotl MOI any robbers on the road
noi indeed any road al all 10 signify-l
very soon grew 10 knew the whole country
within the reach of a hearty girls feet
There is plenty to see. though this part
of Mort hum berland is fat while the resi-
Ii wild and mount ainous There are the
ruins OF the old cast about which il is
always pleasant for a child 10 run and
climb. OF for grown person 10 mediate
Oh the vanity of earthly things seeing
that this pile of ruins was once great
and stately castle. and this Creenswar,l
l., l. IL II co.
soldiers. who now are dust and ashes in
the grave yard From the castle one looks
down upon the Coquet which would ever
continue in my eyes the sweetest of rivers
even were | 10 see the far famed Iiber
or the silver Thames or the great Ganges
OF tile mysterious Nile. or even the sacret
Jordan
Higher up the river was Norwich Mill
where Ralph Embleion lived with hi.
uncle
Beyond the town half a mile out Il
sea lies the little island of Coquet RALPH
once rowed me across the narrow channel
and We explored The desert island an,
thought of Robinson CrlIsoe which he hae
read and told me BIZ, this WAS befor,
the time when We took TO pretending a
ghosts
In those DAYS which seem TO have bee
so happy and dare say were. Ralph W.
free. and could come and 20 as please
bin best save that lie went every NOR
ing 10 the vicar who taught him Latin
and Greek and sometimes remembered
but in kindly understandable advice %
Solomon The reason of this freedom
was that his uncle with whom be lives
loved the lad greatly. and intended gre.
things foi him, even designing that b
should become great scholar and go l.
Cambridge For once there was a membei
of his family who took to learning AIT
rose from being a poor scholar in ihai
university, which has ever been kind,
nurse or foster mother of poor scholars
to be doctor of divinity and bishop
but my Ralph was never to be a bishop OF
even a doctor of divinity And a sa
change was to happen al the mill
Everybody was our friend in those days
from MIR Cuthbert Carnaby. justice oi
the peace. and the vicar. down to Sailor
Nan and her lodger Dan Gedge, the
Strong Man Everybody had q kind word
lUi l-a-i,- >-sil uoo,ls soic Gie then bos.
wicked il was to run abort with boy OF
such unnatural depravity This as you
will see. was to come He was a tall DO,
for his years. and he was six years Older
than myself. which proves how good IA
tured he must have been. for few boys OF
10 or 10 care for the companionship of q
girl of or 10 As for bis face. il has al
ways been the dearest face in the worid
to me, and always will be. so that know
not whether other people would call it q
handsome face His eyes were eager as
(which was the case-he ALWAYS wanted