The Dickinson press., 1891-03-28
CHILDREN MAKE HIS HEART GLAD.
strong had L

SA1L-l'kE.> +n!tNs Hlo 1EAis 3l1hDs
morning as he led the responses, and gen
erous were his bows at the end of the serv-
ice when clergyman and people ven home
in their new garments to the family din
ners of the season.
Near The church, and standing in it's
grounds, was the rcctory. AS / looked on
the grand old church the voices of the
chimes came floating out from the tower,
and were borne down the valley to gently
echo among the rocks and be lost in the
signing of the surf. Exquisite was their
melody as it called up cherished thoughts
and touched with subtle thrill sweet men,
cries of yore. At the plaintive
of the bells Il retrospect of life was before
me, almost weird in it's pathos and it's
power.
AS the last notes died away there was Il
movement behind me, and looking through
the branches which hung about the seat l
saw the figure of n man with folded arms
leaning against n tree. He was young and
tall, and was gazing on the scene below.
Presently lie turned his face toward me;
it seemed possessed by deep emotion, and
it was the face of Mr.. Chichester Lee. l
have never forgotten its expression. Seen
i'm that place, at that time, it spoke, as
plainly as if the words were written in the
history of the mans life, of sweet rcmem-
brancc and of cruel despair. 1t challengcd
my sympathy, and by manuvering a little
l made my presence known; then approach
ing the young fellow l referred to my having
seen him ut IIoniton. He replied politely,
and in IL few minutes Mr.. Chichester Lee
and l were sitting together on the old scat
Oh the brow of Briarcombe hill.
Slowly at first, then faster as his conf
dence was aroused, and faster still us free
dom came to imprisoned feeling, he told
his tale. His father, II generous, hosplta-
BILE clergyman, had been rector of Briar-
combe. His mother, a French lady, who
had been govcrneSs i'll one of the county
families, had been much respected for the
alminbility and womanly grace which
shone in the duties of the %rector's wife.
Educated at home and INDUCED as child
and boy, matters had gone on smoothly
enough until his nineteenth year, when Il
Capt. Jacklcigh, IL dashing, glib tongucd
stranger, but who had never thought it
necessary to define the branch of the scrv-
ice he had llonored, took apartments ut
Briarcombe.
inexperienced and impulsive he had
fallen under the spell of Jackleigh's in
huence, had made appointments With him
unknown to his parents, had been initiated
as a distinguished favor into the mysteries
of a limited club in q neighboring city,
where there were three or four other Capt.
Jacilleighs and three or four other Chi
chester Lees, and where the Jacklcighs
Won the money of the Lees. Then there
was debt. the borrowing of some money
and more entanglements, with it's result
ing relnorsc. Keenly present was the love
of home and affection for his DarenEs
and horror of exposure. Then there was
an excuse to leave home for q little while
only a little w~hilc-weeks elapsed, letters
were written, then other explanatory
letters which he thought would hayc been
answered i'll pity and forgiveness, and no
answers came to any of them.
Instead of Investigating the silence he
construed it us meaning hopeless resent
ment. He was alone in London-London
in November-in u little coffee house in
Drummond street, Euston square A few
cabmen and two or three railway porters
were eating hurried dinners, which were
brought them by Il jaded maid of all work
in those intervals in which she was not
fetching their porter from a neighboring
tavern. Hastily finishing a wretched meal
and counting the little money he had, he
took his sachel, and in a few minutes was
in Euston station and on his way to Liver
pool. From Liverpool he worked his way
to New Zealand. Two years after, on a
starry night, at a sheep station, the yearn-
ing for home overcame him.. He had saved
a little money, and took the first ship for
England. Before reaching Briarcombe he
learned all there was to know of his fami-
ly. His letters had never been received.
The friend to whom he had inclosed them,
and whose intervention he desired, had
sailed for India shortly after his depart
ure. His mother had died of consumption
q year before his return, still believing in
him and praying for his home coming.
Shortly after paralysis, followed by dis
tressing mental failure, took his fathers
life.
The rector had no means beyond those
arising from the living, and the failure
of his mind had caused the household man
agement t devolve on needless servants.
Bills accumulated and every vestige of
personal property had fallen under the
hammer. Without he had Joined
the strolling players. The young man,
avoiding recognition, had now come to
look upon his old home, to kneel in the
churchyard at the graves of his parents. to
sit screened in the church gallery and start
at the new voice in one desk, and melt at
the sonorous amens of poor old Abel Brown
in the other. Watching an opportunity,
he had entered the rectory grounds, The
name of his pony was still over it's stall in
the stable, and the head of a fox, which
had been killed in the gorse behind us,
was where we had nailed it on the door.
Then back by the cricket field and the
trout stream, under the rookery, and up
over Briarcombe hill; then a last look
at the dear old village before trying Ex-
cter OF Plymouth, or any other place
boasting a "Theatre Royal"
AS he paused, the Ginning Of the bells
once more fell on the stiffness of the val
ley, and their spell was again upon him
and upon me. The early days came back
to me-my poverty, the devotion of my poor
old aunt, the drear little room in Philadel-
phia, Tx attenuated tutor and his cotton
enshrined bones. Isaw the three portions
of the temporal and the wings of the
sphenoid that were to have borne me to the
exacting labor and patient self denial
which constitute the chief distinctions of q
country DOCTORS life. And these visions
brought to mind the better opportunities
which poor young men have to work up to
professional life in our w country than
they have in Europe. Among other fan
cies it seemed t. me thai the poor