Evening star., 1898-11-19

this. I can say that the way you have
taken your disappointment has been one
of my chief comforts in our great sorrow
Don't talk as if l were a sort of little
TIN hero, mater, or else I'll have to leave
the room, for I'm nothing of the sort
really. If you only saw me at my desk or
fussing round the offices. passing the
time of day on corn, you would see that l
was simply born for business
Jack" said Mrs. Laycock, solemnly,
you have not been without faults, I'm
thankful to say. for you've been hot-tem-
pered, hotheaded, willful, and lots of
| things, but this is the first time you have
| been deliberately untruthful."
'Mothet, with all respect to you, | will
not stand this insult" and so he slipped
| down on the floor and caresse,, his moth
| er's hand. You think that I've no com
| mercial ability. Wait for the event 1t will
| be sWagger, You bet"
Il think everything that is good of you,
| Jack, as l ought. and your fa;ker did, but
l know that it was very hard that You
| could not go back to Rugby this autumn
and finish in the sixth. and &c to Cam
| bridge and study at Caius, your father S
| college, and get your D. and take up
| your fathers profession and the one you
| loved, the noblest a man can live and-die
in and there was a break in the widow s
| voice
"Of course, mater, that is what 1 would
have preferred, and it was a bit-stif when
| | knew that II all would have to he given
| up. but that was nothing to-losing father.
! And, besides. I think that may get on in
business aEd-help you, mother"
Your father had set his heart on your
being a doctor. and don't know whether
he ever spoke to you about it, but he
hoped you might become a specialist-in
! surgery, l thing; he said you had the hands
| at least for a good surgeon.
''It was his own hearts desire to be a
| surgeoa, pure and simple, and Mr. Hol-
| man, the great consultant. considered him
one of the best operators in the provinces,
| but he was obliged to be general practi-
| toner.
why? o, because he had no private
| n cans, and he had you and me to sup
port, so he couldn't run any risks; he had
| to secure a regular income, and there is
| something 1 wish you to understand, in
| case you should ever think hardly Of your
| father.
"Mother-as If 1 eould The very people
| on the street admired father: you know
| what they said in the Morning Trumpet
about his self-sacrihcing life, and his skill
| being at the disposal of the poorest with
out money and without price"
| Yes. the papers were very kind, and his
| patients adored your father, but l am GER
tain some of our neighbors criticised him
| because he did not make better provision
| for his wife and child. AS II he had been
eAtravagant or improvident, who never
| spent farthing on himself, and was al
| ways planning for our welfare
| "You are just torturing yourself with de-
| lusions. l am sure, mater. Did any single
|
his duty by us? I can't believe it"
| zone man did. at any rate, Jack and
that was our neighbor. Mr.. Dodson.'
! What did he say, the miserable old cur
| mudgeon? Did he dare to bring charge
| against father? 1 wish 1 had been with
J YOU
mo, it was not that he said anything;
| it was rather what he implied he lust
| questioned and questioned in an indirect
| fashion, all by way of interest in our
| affairs, but left the impression On my mind
| that he thought the doctor ought to have
done better for his family"
| What business had Mr.. Dobson to call
! at all and to ferret into our affairs who
| was never before in our house? If we
| needed help-which we don't-he Is the
last man In this district to give it. Do you
| know he's the hardest, meanest creature in
| Liverpool? He'll leave a cab thirty Yards
| from his house when he's coming from the
| station to keep within the shilling limit,
| and he goes down in the penny bus with
| the working women to save twopence"
There is a certain young corn broker"
| interpoiated Mrs. Laycock, who walks al
| the way to save even that penny, and 1
| don't consider him mean"
| THAT is economy, and indicates the be-
| ginning of a fortune, which will be shared
with certain sarcastic mater But Dod-
| son is millionaire, and has nobody de-
pending on him but an old housekeeper.
| Certainly. father was not economical by
| his standard"
Your father was most careful and thrift
ty," said the widow, eagerly "and that is
| what l want to explain. He had to borrow
| money to educate himself and that he
paid back. every penny, with interest
| Then you know, doctor cannot keep him.
tice--he only made f32 los. Cd. the year he
! began-and when he reached f23o he did n
IL foolish thing"
Let me guess. mater. Was it not mar