The sun., 1904-06-05

presenting the grapes. what. grapes!
For me7 Oh. nun-num! Was dying Tor
some Come inl Come in!' So saying,
Mrs. Seymour led the way into the parior.
Topped down on the hearth rug, and be-
gan to devour Reade's peace Offering there
and then The grapes disappeared with
remarkable rapidity. -Now help me light
the flre," she said. Its our slavey's day
out. and have to get the dinner ready
Reade set to with a will, but made rather
a mess Of It, They got lots Of fun, how
ever, out OF his bungling. More than that,
in the fulness Of time this identical in
cident suggested the rattling comedy scene
(Which she played to perfection afterward)
between NellGwyn and Charles II. in THE
Kings Rival BY the time they had fin
ished kindling blaze. she had pumped
him dry about his birth. parentage and
education. When the fire was in full blast
she said: 'Now Of with you to Covent
Garden and bring me another bunch OF
grapes exactly like the first. Then away
you 60 home, slip on dress coat. and by
the time you get back dinner will be ready.
her deshabille and was transformed into
Duchess Dinner was on the table. and
there we're three gentlemen waiting for
him. Permit me. she said. to introduce
my family. Ahem! Mr.. Seymour, my
husband. and his and my friends, Capt.
Curling and Augustus Braham. Gentle
men, Mr.. Charles Reade, D. C. L.. A. double
s. and a lot Of other things in the Univer-
sity OF Oxford" The unceremonious in
PRODUCTION put them at their ease at once,
and they all laughed consumedly. Thus
began" says Reade. -an acquaintance
which was destined to form a turning
point in my career. In a weeks time
became member Of that happy family,
and to this day bless the hour which led
me to Jermyn street. for there found the
wisest counsellor. the truest friend, that
ever crossed my path in life"
VI.
A few years later when Seymour died.
his two friends. Curling and Braham. went
their several ways; and Of course, had con-
ventions been observed. Charles Reade
would have gone his way also. Mrs. Sey-
mour's younger sister, who had married a
minister of the Kirk Of Scotland, hurried
from North Britain to enforce les conren-
ances, and offered home in the Manse.
Mrs Seymour thankfully accepted the
offer. but the thought Of losing her threat
ened to make Reade a raving maniac; and,
after a long struggle between duty and
pity, she resolved to sacrifice her reputation
on the altar Of devoted affection. 1t was
we'll understood, however, that she was
to pay half the cost Of the joint household,
and that she and Reade were to remain
what, hitherto. they always had been. on
the footing OF friends, not lovers. That
the conditions OF this irregular, but not
reprehensible companionship were faith
fully observed was never questioned by
those admitted to Reade's intimacy: nor
will any fair minded reader Of this narrative
harbor doubt upon the subject. Yet.
although they never lived as lovers, that
they loved each other is induhitable What,
then, can be said for such union. which
seems upon it's face. to have been the ne
CATION Of happiness? Reade would have
had an overwhelming answer. had any
one ventured to quote in his hearing the
familiar lines:
or love that never found his earthly close
wha, sequel. Streaming eyes and breaking hearts'
Or all the same as II he had no, been'
we can see NeAue Tet,dfiu1S Wii1 nutIlAty
the next to nothing that he had achieved
before he met her; then. sweeping his arm
around the shelves OF his library. groanine
beneath the successful books penned at
her suggestion and under her sympathetic
guidance-and. lastly. murmuring in graft
tude the words, 81 sequellom guerra, cir
Gums pire' II Is but the truth that the bare
enumeration of the novels and plays pro-
k,, L. l~.k, hA
came under Mrs. Seymour's influence.
until 1870, when she died, should suffice to
rear to her splendid monument These
works include Christie Johnstone' the
novel;. 1T is Never Too Late to Mend"
doth novel and play. white Lies, which.
in its dramatic form, was called The Double
Marriage; Love Me Little, Love Me Long"
THE Cloister and the HEARTH" Hard
Cash, Griffith Gaunt, Foul Play novel
and play, Put Yourself in His Place."
Wandering Heir Terrible Temptation"
a Smpleton.- A Woman Hater- and the
extraordinarily successful drama. Drink
based on Zolas -LAssomoir,- besides
innumerable short stories contributed to
magazines
What Charles Reade thought of her and
owed to her is best recorded in the beautiful
and touching epitaph which he inscribed
upon her tomb in Willesden churchyard,
whittier he was soon to follow her: Here
lies the great heart of Laura Seymour.
brilliant artist humble Christian a chari-
table woman, a loving daughter, sister
and friend, who lived for others from her
childhood. Tenderly pitiful to all Gods
creatures, even to some that are frequently
destroyed or neglected, she wiped away
the tears from many faces, helping the poor
with her savings, and the sorrowful with
her earnest pity. When the eye saw her
II blessed her. for her face was sunshine,
her voice was melody. and her heart was
sympathy. Truth could say more. and
Sorrow pines to enlarge upon her virtues;
but this would i'll accord with her humility.
who justly disciaimed them all, and relied
only on the merits Of her Redeemer. After
months OF acute suffering, bowing with
gentle resignation. and with sorrow for
those who were to lose her. not for herself.
she was released from her burden, and
fell asleep in Jesus, September 37th. 1879.
Blessed are the merciful. for they shal
obtain mercy Matt. v. ~ This grave
Was made for her and for himself by Charles
Reade. whose wise counsellor, loyal ally.