The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-26
THE STORY OF MEG.

Meg was the daughter Of the rector Of
Nunthorpe, Mr.. Thirlwall. with whom /
went 70 study before college, when l was
n lad Of eighteen. He was not in the
beast a TYPICAL rector, being a scholar
rather than a clergyman and Meg .HaSa
SIN less like tire typical rector's daugh-'
ter. She did not visit the poor OF the
parish. She had always left all that TO
Mrs Pryde, who was the prop of the
church in Nunthorpe, and whom Meg
hated, for reasons
"She is setting her hideous cap with
primrose ribbons at my father" she said.
tBut she shan't have him-I'll die first"
Il was characteristic of Meg that she
mentioned Mrs. Pryde's intentions TO me
on the second day Of my abode there.
Most girls would have waited TO see II
! was 10 be trusted, but this did not seem
20 occur TO Meg. She treated me as
conrade al once-at first with a little air
Of good-humored patronage because l was
q year younger than she was, but this
was replaced by slight awe when she
found that / was what she called "aw-
fully clever"
Father will enjoy having you to
coach" she said candidiy. "All the other
boys who came have been such ldlots
They came 70 him to be done cheap, and
he couldn't afford not 10 take them. You
won't be nearly so much trouble, and yet
you're paying more. l think shall like
YOU. but you won't like me, because I'm
not a bit clever. I'm fOnder or novels
than anything. Have you read 'Cometh
up as a Flower That's what I've got
out Of the library now. Isn't 1t lovely!
And l like poetry. I'm reading Brown
tne's poems. There's The Cry OF the
Children; but haven't got very Tar.
Il like Robert Browning best, SAID 1,
rather priggishly perhaps, but 1 was very
young al TIE time. do you know any OF
his"
NO" replied Meg. This is Elizabeth
something Who was Robert BrownlnSf
Her father? Did he write books, 100
In truth, Meg's education had been
rincularly neglected though shs had been
60 boarding school somewhere or otheT,
which had left her mHd much as IL louhu
g. But soon / ceased 10 attach any IN
portance 10 her want OF lnlofh"Vuu'
which never embarrassed her In the
aitqhtest degree. She seemed to me 10
have what was better-a touch OF genius,
or at all events a curious wild charm OF
her own that would make her remfhl-
bered when wiser people were torgotteh.
IL BETRAYED Itself most. perhaps III hVs
playing and singing She had lFlSh nioou
tn her veins. and she used 10 sing AioSe
sad old Irish melodies in way that
thrilled one through and through. 90
not often think OF Meg now, put soihe-
times / dream OF her. and nearly always
she is singing one of those ees1e sohES'
NAV saw at once that l never tel IN
love with Meg. nor she with me; !hOusn
only eighteen, 1 was very nlu'n III IN
already, and never could De IN iVse N mir,
two or three girls together, IKE me ntIo
OF modern novel Meg, for her part
vas also otherwise involved. as VIII ap-
pear. and so we got on spiendl9'y'
! don't know whether she was mana
some. I only know that she hao WOMB
ful dark eyes-the saddest 4 p1NT -
49,, Vet she was not sad when ilrst
i,cw her but. as rule brmtui Of lie
spd cavetv. Occasionally. TO pc sure
fhcro we're fts Of wild depression put
these only seemed natural reaetIon
after nor cxuberant high spirits anu
,ad az her eyes were. there was generally
a CLINT OF hurnor in them. IKE suhpedi"
caught in the depths OF gray ata',,
# was not long before learnt Meg
secret nv something in her face when
over AIR Weston was mentioned. helns
in love fnvgeif ! could tell Inc hlkhs'
The Rev Marcus Weston was MI lhfh-
walls curate for the present peihb q
man who in the nature OF thlhss Mo"i"
not be a curate long. bul ne wac
friend OF the former curdte - anu mea
come partly 10 supply his place, parity
because the air OF Nunthorpe WAS Just
beginning 10 be celebrated, ana weston
was not a strong man. There could NOT
have been Two people more hopelessly
dlssimllar than Meg and he. lie was
gentle and sympathetic, far peyohu 'ne
majority OF men; yet under II all W..
was n Kind of hardness that did not exist
tn Meg's nature--so much wilder ana
more unruly. lie did not art WIN me
girls In the usual manner. but talked 70
them about the inhnite spiritual posi-
bilities that lay before them. lie be-
lieyed In every one; every one believed IN