The Press., 1895-09-26


 other-there is famous clnmp of frs, which have been represented by painters over and over again. Benches have been placed under these trees, where one can sit and have very fine view indeed, with the Tendon lake in the middle dis tance, and range of hills beyond, and fields and rills between.
 On one of these benches were sitting this evening two-Adam and Eve, boy and girl-newly entered into paradise Others were sitting there as well-an ancient gentleman whose thoughts were 70 years back, workingman with a child of on his knee, and beside him his wife, carrying the baby. But these lovers paid no heed to their neighbors, They sat at the end of the bench. The boy was holding the girls hand, and he was talking eagerly.
 "Lily,'', he said, ''you must come some evening to our debating society when we begin again and hear me speak. No one speaks better. That is acknowl- edged. There is to be a debate on the house of lords in October I mean to come out grand. When I'm done, there will be mighty little left of the lords. y He was a handsome lad, tall and well set up, straight featured and bright eyed. The girl looked at him proudly. He was her own lad-this handsome chap, Not that she was bad looking either. Many an honest fellow has to put up with g girl not nearly so good looking, if. you were to compare.
 He was clerk in the cit,'. She was in the postofice. He atte nded at his office daily from half past to 6, doing such work as was set before him for the salary of 91 week. She stood all day long at the counter, serving out postal orders, selling stamps, weighing letters and receiving telegrams. When l add that she was civil to everybody, you will understand that she was quite superi- or clerk-one of the queens lucky bar gains. It is not delicate to talk about 3 young lady's salary; therefore I shall not say for how much she gave her serv- ices to the British empire.
 He was 8 clever boy, who read and thought That is to say, he thought most do. As he took his facts from the newspapers and nothing else and as he was profoundly ignorant of English history, English law, the British con- stitution, the duties of citizen, and the British empire generally, his opinions, after he had done thinking, were not of so much value to the country, it is be- ieved. But still a clever fellow and able to spout in a frothy way which carried his hearers along, if it never convinced or defeated ln opponent
 To this kind of clever boy there are always two or three dangers. One is that he should be led on to think more and more of froth and less of fact; an other, that he should grow conceited over his eloquence and neglect his busi ness. A third temptation which pecul- iarly besets this kind is that he should take to drink. Oratory is thirsty work, and places where young men crate are often in immediate proximity to bars. As yet, however, Charley was only 20. He was still at the first stage of every thing -oratory, business and love, and he was still at the stage when every thing appears possible-the total aboh- tion of injustice, privilege, class, capi- tai, power, oppression, greed, sweating, poverty, suffering the simple proc ess of tinkering the constitution.
 "Oh," he cried, five shall have the most glorious, the most splendid time, Lilyl The power of the people is only just beginning; it hasn't begun yet. We. shall see the most magnificent things. " He enumerated them as above indicated. We'll, it is very good that young men should have such dreams and see such visions. never heard of any girl being thus carried out of herself. The thing belongs exclusive ly to male man in youth, and it is very good for him. When he is older, he will understand that over and above the law and the constitution there is something else more important stil1-namely, that every. individual man should be honest, temperate and industrious. In brief, he will understand the force of the admonition, "Be good, my child, or else you will become an intolerable nuisance to everybody"
 The sun sank behind Harrow on the Hill. The red light of. the west famed in the boys bright eyes. Presently. the girl rose.
 "Yes, Charley" she said, less sym pathetic. than might have been expect ed; "yes, and it will be a very fine time if it comes. But don't know. People will always want to get rich, won't they? think this beautiful time will have to come after us. Perhaps we had better be looking after our own nest first. ''
 "Oh, it will come-it will comeP'
 ''I like to hear you talk about it, Charley. But if we are ever to marry if l am to give up the postofice, yon must make bigger screw. Remember what you promised-the shorthand and the French class. Put them before your speechifying
 "AH right, Lily, dear, and then we will get married, and we will have the most splendid time. Oh, there's the most splendid time for us-aheadH CHAPTER II.
 It is six months later and midwinter, and the time, is again the evening, The day has been gloomy, with 8 fog heavy enough to cause the offices to be lit with gas, so that the eyes of all, London are red and the heads of all. London are heavy.
 Lily stepped outside the -postoffice, work done. She was going home.
 At the door stood her sweetheart, waiting for hor Gho tocoadt hoy. had