The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1904-04-06
!: THE WEAKNESS
OF HENRY.
:NJJITDJJINy5j11 J111VJJlJJI NORTHUMBERLAND
By Arnold Golsworthy.

II ENRY BIDDOCK lived with his
IL sister Jane in the little cottage
that had been their home always
While he would hardly be considered
as rich man, Henryswas undoubtedly
we'll to do, and his wealth was all the
greater since, agreeably with the an,
Gent maxim, his wants were so few.
Beginning life in a small way, with a
general dealers store, retailing every
beer, Henry had saved money and
bought land and houses, till the extent
of his possessions made him quite a
considerable person in the village
Sister Jane was a year or so older
than Henry. She was a plain, honest
creature, quite above the ordinary fem
mime weakness of Disgusting her age
II in the course of conversation the
question of age arose, Jane would vol
unteer quite frankly-almost, indeed.
exultingly-the fact that she was Al!
Years and five months old, or whatever
the figure might be at the moment
the fractional portion OF the year be-
ing Invariably added with the most
conscientious eXactness. James age
was her one source of pride. AS a
girl, she had been taught by her par.
ents that the Difference of ler brother
was due to her on account of her
seniority, and, though Henry might I'LL
timate!y attain to the wealth of a
Croesus or the power of Caesar, she
was convinced that by the law of ma
-ture she must always be as emphatic
ally his superior as AZ is to A. When
their parents had died, Jane had taken
charge OF the home as matter of
course, and if Henry sat with his feet
on the polished fender, or strayed so
far from the path of rectitude as to
smoke in the drawing-room, he was
usually reminded of his offence with a
fitting emphasis. In spite of her un.
deniable conversational ability, how
ever, Jane had always been careful
and competent housekeeper, and,
whether Henry was disposed to admit
it or not, much of his prosperity was
due to the sterling character of his
watchful sister.
At AZ (and five months) Jane was
neither young nor beautiful. She wore
spectacles, her hair was wispy and
thin, and there was a flush upon her
face which she herself attributed to
chronic indigestion, and which was put
down by the uncharitable to bottled
ale And yet her life had not been en-
tirely free from romance. Once, in
deed, she had been engaged to be mar
Iied; but the blissful experience, after
.jolting for the best part of month
along the course of true love, termi.
mated abruptly and without appeal on
q fine summers evening. James strong
point was her extremely orthodox
piety, and on that fatal evening she
had been shocked to hear from her
lovers; lips the confession that on the
previous day he had regarded tic
weather as too fine for church, and
had gone fishing instead. Jane almost
.gasped for very breath as this fearful
blow came upon her. She talked to tho
young man as he sat penitently in the
drawing -room-talked to hin till he
could feel his ears singing and his
brain reeling, and confidently predicted
for him unhappiness and failure in this
world and acute discomfort in tile
next. When. in sheer desperation, the
young man made blind dash for the
door, Jane followed up her advantage
lemorselessly. She talked him across
the hall, up the front garden, and as far
down the road as sL9 Gould reasonably