Year: 1869

had grown very surly oil late. "Ti.
all lie, I'll be bouRd.' That it aim


then. Mother were up TO the hous,
that very afternoon. and they said u:
how the doctor had most given hel
up, and the squire were in great
taking. l heard mother tell father
all about it, | sauntered on think
ling bitterly that here was another
blow coming, for the lady at the Hal


was kind to every one, and my moth


er was q favorite OF hers. You see
| thought only of myself, not of the
good hearted squire, nor OF the many
who would miss her. Trouble had
made me very selfish, and yet little
dreamed what that little bit of news
meant for me. Only day later
every one knew that she was really
dead. I heard it in the early morn


ing, as Twas taking down the window
shutters and that same evening, as
| sat at my bench in the work shop
one of the grooms from the Hall came
riding up to the door. My father
was standing there, and the man
gave the message to him. A coffin
did say that we were undertakers
as well as carpenters Pa coffin was
to be put in hand at once, for the
funeral would be in three days time
1t was very soon as the man said
but they thought it better for she had
died very suddenly. You'll 60
Phil..' my father said, looking at his
lame wrist. Now, he had mostly
taken that sort of work; but of late,
since his accident, it had once OF
twice fallen upon me. The squire
sent word to you,' / answered, 'and
your hand is pretty near well now


Hadn't you best go yourself p NAY,
nay, my lad,' said the old man; 'be
sure the squire heeds little enough
just now whether it's father or son
that knocks in the nails, and my wrist
is not good for much even now.
doubt it never will again you'd
best 60 So it fell out that it was
who went up to the house to measure
the lady--your grandmother, Miss
Hester, for her coflin.'


son the day before the funeral,
went for the third and last time TO
finish my work. AS | went through
the Hall, the study-door was pushed
partly open, and little child peeped
out l caught sight OF the darkened
room, and the squire sitting by the
fire with his head resting on his hand,
but he turned quickly, and called
the little lad, and the door was shut
to again. | can remember, as though
it were yesterday, the rosy little
face pccring ont at me, and the dull
muilicd sound Of my own tread as
went up through the silent house Ia
the room where the body lay. II
Was q large and lofty room and all
the furniture now i'll it, the great
carved bcd-stead, the chairs, yes,
and the windows too, were hung
with white, and folds Oh white muslin
had been thrown over the tail mir.
rors. Everything was white except
where the coffin stood in the middle
OF the room, and even there some
Lilies and white roses had been scat
tered. There she lay as | had placed
her the day before-thc lady who
used TO come smiling into our house.
and who had never met us without 4

kindly word. Death had not chang
ed her much, and her still face iook.
cd as calm and peaceful as ii she had
been sleeping. The housekeeper
had come up, and stood watching
while | softly swept aside the flower
blossoms, and set about my work.
Presently it was needful that i
should move one o. the hands which
were crossed upon her breast, and
as lifted it, saw glittering on her
little finger of the other hand dia.
mond ring. 1t had been hidden till
then, but l saw it now plainly
enough-a splendid ring, with two
sparkling diamonds, and an emerald
in the middle. l looked up in won
der at the housekecper, and she nod
ded sadly. Yes: it was fancy OF
my mistress's. The squire gave her
that ring the day they were married,
and she has worn it ever since. She
always said she would have it buried
with her when she died 1t was
not on her hand yesterday ! observ-
ed. NO the squire brought it up
last night, and put it on her finger
his own SELF 1t is beautiful ring;
and / bent down TO leok at it more
closely. Yes it's worth a small
fortune, as I've often heard my lady
say Mrs. Winter made no reply.
But l must go now. Shall you be
long about it, Morris p Not very
long ; and hastily took up one OF
my tools. Il will send Clara up to
give you any help you may want,
she said, and went away.


But when she was gone, l stoop-
ed down again for a third long stare
at that ring. Then l moved stel
or two back, and stood playing idly
with the hammer in my hand. IL
seemed to have bewitched me.
forgot everything till | heard a step
coming along the passage, and l had
just begun my work when Clara
came in. Itwas done. The nails
were screwed home, the sweet face
was hidden under the collin lid, ant
| was walking fast across the pari
in the cool evening twilight. L be
gan to whistle rs i strode along, tt
wonder whether my mother would
have waited supper for me; but il
the midst of my wonder, my thoughts
wandered Off TO something quite diff
ferent, something / didn't want tc
think of just then so l looked up al
the green oaks, and tried to guess a
their value but the next momen


came the recollection that the no
blest Of those BIG trees, with its hug
girth of trunk, aud its wide spread
Iino branches, was worth nothin:
compared to-well-to certain
bright stone which seemed to b
still sparkling before my eyes.


had been reared honestly, ii ever


lad had, and thief would have bee
: nigh as bad name to me as murder
er; but, yet, somehow, l couldn'
, for the life of me get that ring ou
of my head. l thought of it beinI
buried in the ground, doing no on
, any good, and of what l might d
, were it mine to sell. My mothc


shouldn't pinch and fret herself an
! longer to make both ends meet: m
a. ..ll.,t ciuh ac ha aa,y III