The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-12


half-mocking, but altogether loving. face;
and, as the rector entered, its lips parted
with.
We'll, father"
We'll, Rose-it is well"
Il don't believe it,
'Assuredly it is, daughter. Why, I
showed the obstinate old fellow how
useless was his persistence; the necessity
for the change; and what do you think 1
did besides2''
Told him he was standing in the light
Of the whole parish ' suggested Rose
teasingly.
Mo- said her father, gravely. Though
that should not have been omitted But
have actually promised them a gift of
80 If they would marry. and Joe would
step aside for some younger and more
competent man"
And you believe Joe Dayy will do
this"
Certainly he will"
Certainly he will not, Father, moth
ing but death will ever loosen his hands
from the tenor bell of Stithney church
And that poor, half-demeuted old Polly
Treenoodle would shed her last drop of
life blood, before she would let him do
it"
Nonsense, Rose! We shall have no
further annoyance from that quarter"
why, fother, you don't know old Joe
and old Polly. When VIII Hardy was
down here from London-yOu know he
has a genuine literary penchant for odd
characters - / made him acquainted
with them both. He said there was the
stuff in the old couple for a grand ro-
mance!"
The rector laughed goodhumoredly and
ventured the opinion that if the young
London literator, William Hardy, based
his hopes for literary fame on the por-
trayal Of such pair. he had better take
a haberdasher's clerkship for a livelihood
at once.
But, father, you don't understand
them" urged the rector's daughter
'JOe's love for those bells amounts to a
madness. In proportion to his very igno-
rance is his intensity of idolaJry for them
TO him, they are wife, home, love-all
And old Poll has but one duh, dead, end
less hope before her, TO minister in some
dumb way to his passion for them. So
VIII Hardy says, and / believe it, too"
''Well, well. we'll" exclaimed Rector
Dunlea obviously, just as stamping,
sturdy footsteps were heard approaching
over the graveled walk.
He parted the vines at the open window
and looked out. Hand in hand old Joe
Davy and old Poll Treenoodle were APP
preaching the door The rector noticed
that Joe was very stern and white and
he asked him kindly:
We'll, Joe, what can l do for you nOw?"
Its naught- tina can de for me- passeH-
Its sumet we s'll do for tha!'
About the bells" This to Joe; and
then to Rose behind him: You see ne
has come to give in, like the good fellow
that he is"
About tn beels;" he answered laconi-
cally
We'll, Joe2'
"Weel, passon, Poll an neil bren buy
tn heels fra Lunnon. Poll ha' saved a
prill "a bit Of gold) fra growder sellin',
an | ha' saved a scubmaw "a little
wreckage) fra tn sea. Wen bren tn
heels fra Lunnon-an' passon, Gods word
ont! I'll ring EN- Z tn eend i"
He said this determinedly and fiercely
and old Poll chuckled hoarsely and
strangely, as still clutching each others
hands, they turned on their heels
and stumped proudly away
Rose Dunlea came close to her fathers
chair, gently pressed her pretty finger
tips over his astonished eyes, and as she
bent and kissed his flushed forehead, she
softly murmured:
What does father think of viii Har-
dy's judgment now"
II think he said, feeling as he
raised his own hands, and held his daugh-
tNl . Abl a AAIpiIGnb WuCIb SlG udu low
ingly placed them, that God alone can
fathom the depths of the lowliest human
heart"
No power could turn the old lovers
from their purpose. The village folk
laughed and jeered, but they went bravely
on and on. Shaving and starving, Poll
dug and sold her Rrowder, adding fiercelv
and savagely to the hard-earned hoard
Savagely and tiercely, too, old Joe braved
IF
Cove to Narration, and the sea, as if re-
sponsiye to his daring, gave its richest
harvest TO his furious quest
Their baans (bans) will be caa'd DOT
above their greaves ~ the villagers would
whisper as they wagged their heads
TIL brave beels III bring tina curse on
Stithney" others would gravely
prophesy.
AVID rat tina heels :" still others would
mutter; they'll crumble like growder
an rot like fish; fatched (got) by sech
betwattled hoddymandoddies (crazy sim
pletons) ~
Despite the croaking of the villagers,
the new bells for Stithney came at last
from London, and old Joe and Poll, feud-
ing all sacrilegious hands from their shin
ing forms, saw them safely put in place
But the full peal remained unheard. All
entreaties that it be rung were uuheeded.
ClNl JUG tLlAlllpu was 70 We ldU IN sue n
surprise to the Stithneyans as they had
never before experienced He Changed
away with old time ClamOr upon the three
ancient bells bat the new ones were mute.
AT Christmas, not before, should the glo-
riOus peal be heard
Meantime the bent old ringer stole Sc
cretly 10 Crowan, to Helsuon and to St.
Hilary and there, night after night, prac-
tlced with the ringers and trained his
own ringers on the tunefnl numbers of
"Hark That News "Hark The Herald
and Hail Smiling Morn, " while a hag-
gard old woman always sat shiveriug and
mite but radiant in the dark shadows of
the towers, and when the ringers were done
the same trembling old form trudged be
side Joe Davy over the drearv roads or
through tue ghostly lanes, back to dark
old Suthney hamlet.
Three days before Christmas old Joe
had set up the bells of Stithney. anu.
after locking fast the church tower. so
that no envious hands should endanRer
his great triumph at midnight Of Christ
mas eve, he FASTENED back to the shore
| and his boat for another short cruise for
fish, the proceeds of which We're TO be ey-
pended upon his ringers for their pay
ment and good cheer, so THAI Stithuey
| should assuredly hear the bravest
| change-ringing that Cromwell had ever
known.
This sitting up the bells as may not
be generally known, is a common custom
among the peal ringers Of England, when.
as at midnight of Christmas or New
Years eve on tho oe,.a cipp % ..,.., .