The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-02-13
Half hour Portraits of Dickens
Greatest Characters.
.Conrinued from page I'M 1tei''/

fnisSionerS Of Paving -. l;c
PRAY mamma come away
pere1 Kate. frightened.
THAT'S just the way, complalheo
Mrs \ic5lel,y With proper lndlSil'-
ton. IF they had said that vas
niece TO a piping bullnnch'r "ii"'
would YOU care. +,a
BE mine, 81, mine exclaimed lile
old gentleman. -. !.
kate. said Mrs Nickleby, 1t IS
necessary for the happiness CO.. "il
parties that this matter shouln DC s.
at rest forever" Fixing her eyes niou-
estly on the ground. she thanked the
gentleman for his flattering proposals.
but told him that she had made up
her mind to remain a widow. on
may not suppose that / am the'notnei
of two Children" said she. Indeed,
many people have doubted 1t. but II
is the case and they are both grow
up. AS to my being young enough 70
marry again. that perhaps may De So
or it ma. not be; but said | never
would. and ] never will It's q very
painful thing to have to reject propoS-
ais and | would much rather none
were made; at the same time TINS Is
the answer that I determined long
ago to make, and this is the answer
that I always shall give.
Mrs. Nickleby addressed these re-
marks partly to the old gentleman
partly TO Kate and partly as sOlloquy.
During their course the sutton eVlnced
a very irreverent degree Of inatten-
ton. and suddenly. at their end. stood
on one leg and beloved most tear
fully
The next moment his ankles were
grasped from behind and he was
pulled down. His place was taken by
his captor, who touched his hat, and
| apologiZed to the ladies, explaining
that he was a lunatic. And a good
deal pleasanter out Of his senses, he is,
than he was in!'' said the man. He
was the cruelist. wickedist ont-and-
outerest old flint that ever drawed
| BREATH" With which confession Of
| faith the keeper withdrew.
Mrs. Nickleby had regarded the
| man with a severe and steady look.
| When he disappeared, she said:
''sha meful Shameful, It's some plot
| Of these people to possess themselves
Of his property. He may be little
| odd and Tightly perhaps; many Of us
are that, but mad. And express him
| self, as he does, respectfully, and in
poetic languages! And making offers
with so much thought, and care, and
prudence-not as if he ran into the
streets, and went down on his knees
to the first chit of girl he met, as a
| mailman would! No, no, Kate, my
| dear. there's a great deal too much
method in HIS madness, depend on
that, my dear"'
Mrs. Nicklebys children did not
share her suspicion and anxiety with
that f1lial sympathy which she had
the right to expect. She was forced to
bury In her bosom her fear that her
refusal might, indeed, have driven
the old gentleman to extremities.
This fear was justified soon in a
| dramatic and melancholy way. One
evening, when they had guests strange
noises began to issue from the chin
ney. Gradually the noises resolved
themselves into a highly melancholy
chant. much muffled and otherwise
affected by SCOT, but still rendering
quite plainly the touching song: Has
she then failed in her truth, the
beautiful maid l adore?"
Young Frank Cheeryble, one OF
!, the guests. reached up the chimney
and pulled hard at a pair Of legs
dangling in it. With clatter and roar
the old gentleman from next door
,, came f1oundering down
Stay" said Mrs. Nickleby to he,
astonished guests before they coulC
lay hands on him. She drew herself
up and looked around with a KIND
or bashful stateliness. This gentle
y man will understand me when T fol
/ MN that repeat the answer | gave
e nm the other day, though | believe
e him to be sincere when T find hin
: placing himself in such dreadful sit
uauons on my account l am Obliged
), 10 nm, very much obliged to him
T but l cannot listen to his addresses TO,
0 a moment"
e The gentleman, whose nose anf
cheekS were cmbellisheds with larpf
patches OF SCOT, honOred Mrs. Nickleh1
d with long stare, and asked her i
: she mad finished Laughing heartily
= ne gratlIed his hearers with a mos
l. melOdiOus below
! Mrs Nickleby shook her head .
- her guests to intimate that ,hara W.,
= nothing at all in this except sliph
: uegree 81 sccentricity. But it hap
pened that Miss La Creevy. one of ~,
guests. and lady fully as old :,
i Mrs. Nlckleby and not nearly 50 vonn,
IN looks, as Mrs. Nickleby often no.