The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-12
CHAPTER ILL.
TIT
NE PJAY OF ASSTFy CROSS-

THE PLAY ACTRESS OF ANsTEy CROSS.
have told you something about Friar's Oak
that, nv, memory goes back to the old place II
would gladly linger. for every thread which |
draw from the skein of the past brings out halt
a dozen others that were entangled with II. |
was In two minds when | began whether ! had
enough in me to make a book of, and now |
know that / could write one about Friar's Oak
alone. and the folk whom l knew in my child.
hood. They were hard and uncouth, some of
golden haze of time. they all seem sweet and
lovable. There was our good vicar. Mr.. %Jetier,
son, who loved the whole world, save only Mr..
and there was kindly MIR. Slack. who
was all mems brother. save, only Of Mr..
there was Monsieur Rubin. the French Royalist
refugee, who lived over on the P'angdean road,
and who: when the news OF a victory came in,
Bonaparte. and shaken with rage because we
had beaten the French. so that after the Nile
he wept for n whole day out of delight. and
then for another one out Of fury, alternately
%clapping his hands and STAN ping his feet, Well
ma sSm in Witch Il" hs j f%in N ISp fWiTIcd pfEiH s It'll, ns@ {. me- me-,
for cold and hunger could not cast him down,
though We knew tina, he hal his share of both;
manner of talking that 10 one dared TO offer
hun a cloak or a mcnl. | can sec his face now,
the butcher made him the present OF some ribs
of beef. He could not but take it. and yet
glance, over his shoulder at the butcher: and
he said Monsieur. / have \ dog" Yet 1t
was Monsieur Rudin and not his dog who
looked plumper for Il week to come.
Then | remember Mr.. Paterson, the farmer.
who was what YOU would now call n radical.
though at, that time, some called HIM u Priest,
ly'itc, and some n FoX-itc. and nearly every
body q traitor. II certainly, seemed Ia me ut
look siim when lie heard of a British victory.
and when they burnel his straw image M the
gate OF his farm Boy Jim, md | We're among
To confess HAT he was game, though he might
Re- II traitor. for down he, came strldtEV. int
bucklcd shoes. and the fire beating upon his
grih schooimustcr face. My wITd, how he
s E@,"I MI nais @GH n nwN glad iy we "T iiy,rs at last 10 I"
said he. You and those like YOU have born
preaching reacc for nigh 1000, wears, and
cutting Threats the whole time, If the money
that Is lost in taSinE French lives were spent
in saving English ones. Won would have more
right 10 burn candles in your windows, Whn
are YOU that dare e. conc her" To insults inv
HGidiRs m nJ I'VE are n" pe@p!e q Eng
,aF"q the ' Tory squire. ""i'Spa g 20" Eorso rae ian
cock lighting ne'cr do well, do You .prcsume
to talk for the rcoplc Of England They arc
scum. the bubble TIC, p,,2r lily trHth that
sure that we were not very wick III ourselves.
And then there "erc the smugglers. The
might ne no lawful trade ictwixt France and
England it Ind all 10 rMn tHaI c]nSnmel: I
dark night, ana, lying among the nrack"a, |
have seen. as many aS, seventy, mules and n
man at the head ~ each % hitting past me ms
but bore rs two ankcrs OF the right French
Cognac, or It's bale Of silk Of Lyons and lace NJ
Of H"' ihsm. and knew Knew r Fan iT;li .i@n., r T." ,r Gfna
officer. and | renenhCr the uirht they met,
DO You light, ban ASKED Tom Mes,
II wat a sad thing 10 do, he said afcrwcri,
for we tried IL out before" II was Tom WHO
natd a poet from brighton 10 write Inc lines