The record-union., 1897-08-22
1.-THE GILLY-FERS." !"

Ihere was perhaps nothing of which
the inhabitants of Thornleigh were
more proud than the stocks which
adorned the green in the center of THEN,
village. Some of the elders could even
remember the days when poachers and
tramps and drunkards used to be con-
fined in them, and pelted by the youth
of the neighborhood with cabbages and
rotten eggs. But the stocks-as an in
stitution-had fallen into disuse even
in Thornleigh, and no one but old Jack
utherfOrd-"Gilly-f'e Jack ashe was
caIled-ever sat on the queer old bench
which former generations had polished
till it cleaned again. He found it a
convenient resting place sometimes
while he munched his ''baggin'," for it
was in the neighborhood of his WORK,
and, moreover. a sunny and cheerful
spot When Jack was not digging a
grave for anybody, or ringing the
church bell or cutting wallf1owers. he
earned his living by mending the roads.
That is to say, in summer he swept up
| the dust and in winter he scooped the
water out of the puddles with his SHOW
el; and sometimes he found an old shoe
or two or brimless hat, which came in
handy for filling up the ruts; or if he
i chanced upon a very bad piece. he
/ scratched up a few stones out of a more
| level portion and laid them in the deep
/ est holes. The Thornleigh people did
not like paying rates, and Jack never
/ had anything to mend the roads with:
therefore the Local Board thought he
/ did very we'll as it was, and so did Jack
himself, and the Squire (who was Chair
mani laughed when he found himself
nearly bounced out of his dogcart. and
said it was good for the liver to be Jolt
ed a bit.
Jacks home was quite at the further
end of the village-a one-storied red cot
tage. so old that the walls formed all
kinds of curious curves and angles. and
every variety of moss and lichen ap-
peared to flourish on the thatch.
/ The small-paned windows were al
most filed with scarlet geraniums. and
| the tiny garden without was as bright
with sweet williams and stocks and old
fashioned moss and cabbage roses. The
sweet, cool, delicious little monthly rose.
too, bloomed gaily there nearly all the
/ year round. But the pride of Jacks
heart and the chief source of his income
was the little field of wallflowers, or. as
they We're called in Thornleigh. sgillv-
fers," which lay at the back of his
house. Wallfowers of every shade.
from brightest yellow to deepest choeo-
ate-brown-rows and rows of them.
Poor old Jacks back ached as he waded
among them when they were in season.
his clasp-knife crunching through their
leafy stalks, the basket on his arm
growing fuller and heavier, till at last
it could hold no more, and Jack.
Strengthening himself and signing.
would slouch over to Margary. turning
out the sweet-smelling heap on the table
" here she sat punching them for mar
l1et They were sweet The scent of
them used to hang over the entire VIII
/ lage. Everyone knew Jacks gilly-f' er
f1eld-it was quite feature in the place.
/ Neighbors passing to and fro and farm
] ers driving by would point out the gill
I ly-f'e ers'' to each other, till at last the
cottage itself, and even the old couple
to whom it belonged. came to be known
! by that name. Margery, indeed. con-
sidered as an Individual, and not as her
husbands better half. could not have
/ claimed any special title, but collective
/ " they We're called THE Gilly-fers, =
and "Gilly-fer jack was as we'll known
in the neighborhood of Thornleigh as
the stocks themselves.
Margery was the most mother7y OF
wives, and was accustomed to devote
much of her time and thoughts TO the
education of Jack; and Certainly as
she said enphatically many a time, If
he did not know his duty it would not
be for want of hearing about it, As
j a rule Jack obeyed her in all things
even to taking off his clogs before he
| crossed his own threshold and to wear
ing one of his wife's aprons on Sun
days to preserve his best clothes. But
unfortunately in one of two points he
fell short of her ideal. There was his
pipe. to begin with. In spite of every
thing Margery could say he would per-
sist in sswearin his brass on 'baccy,
and many a sly whiff did he enjoy seat
ed on a corner of the stocks after a
furtive glance round TO make sure that
his ''missus' was not in sight There