Year: 1878




journey, nothing ever happened TO
me and then to think the very first time
this youngster goes he-but | must begin
at the beginning.


The way of our bank at Clarendon was
Just this. We had several branches at dis
tant places small towns, you understand,
where there is not enough business done
to pay for keeping a clerk constantly on
the spot; so we only had an Office, and
only opened it on market-days, once
week.


One of us used TO 90 over in the morn
ing and return at night. The railway
helped us to three of these journeys, but
the fourth, to Meresdene. had to be made
by gig The place lay fifteen miles off,
in the very bosom OF the downs. | had
to do the days business at Meres-
dene, but beyond bitter winds, snow, and
rain. nothing ever betel me, as | have
said, tor twenty years. In The summer it
was pleasant drive; in winter of course
in bad weather, it was an unpleasant one
that was all the impression it ever made
upon me. Young Chase, however. never
seemed to fancy it; from the first, when
ii was talked about for him to do, he did
not like the idea. lie told me so, and l
laughed at him. said, "Oh. you won't
mind il; after a bit you'll think nothing
of it, no more than do" You understand
he was not used TO the country he had
been born aud bred in London, and they
drafted HIM from our chief office there,
down here, for the sake of his health. He
had been ailing a long while; the doctors
said he ought to live out of town; and,
being trusty servant, and liked by our
manager, an exchange was arranged.


He had been at Clarendon about six
months, and did not seem much the better
tor the change. He was tall and muscu-
lar. but Il thin, pale-faced. large eyed fell
low, always fond of reading Shakespeare
and the like, and had dreamy. absent
kind of way with him at times; and was
particularly fond in his leisure, of wan
dering over our downs with his book He
often used to talk to me about them, say
ing how beautiful they were, and that no
sort of country that he had ever been in
had impressed him so much. | am afraid
that did not greatly sympathize with
him; the downs had never been anything
to me Indeed, | don't know that ever
gave them a thought, Till he used to speak
about them, and yet ! have lived hard by
them nearly all my life.


Well. as | was saying, he had been with





beginning OF November, when l was at
tackled by rheumatism. They said that
if did not take care should be laid up,
and that must not expose myself through
the coming cold weather. This led to
young Chase's having to do my work at
Meresdene So | drove him over one
week to show him the road, and the way
the work was done, that he might be able
IN taE 10. pIu no
for the rest of the winter.


Now it was when this was settled that
he first seemed to shirk the job. He told
me that he had been constantly dreaming
about the downs, and as he seemed to
say, one particular part of them. Mind
you, he had never seen the place, didn't
know there was such a place really; but
he said he had dreamt OF it over and over
again. and it always made him uncom-
Portable. 1t was deep chalk-cutting, ne
said, past which the road wound up the
side of hill from one of the bottoms or
valleys In "A sort OF way, he described
the place to me, but, bless your heart, i
never paid any heed to it didn't recog
| nize it AS any place | knew; and it was
only when driving him over to Meres-
dene, that | found out what he meant.
We were exactly half way on our jour-
ney. and had turned on to what are
known AS the Whiteways that is, several
narrow chalk tracks which show up very
white across the turf, and run side by side
with the road for some distance. as it de-
scends the steep hill past a great chalk
cutting. Ibis, perhaps, is the most soll-
tary and exposed part of the drive, and
lies on one of the highest ridges of the
downs. There is no habitation for good
mile on either hand Dene's Gate turn
pike, at the bottom OF the hill, being the
nearest aud when We came to the begin
ming o. the descent where we could see
down into the valley-there's splendid
view mind you, there--he almost fright
ened the lite out of me by suddenly
jumping up from his seat and exclaiming
There :, there it is that's the place;
that's the very place I've seen hundred
times before, in my dreams have seen
it every night, for month past ~
Sure enough, the road passes the chalk
cutting but had never thought any thing
OF that, and it never occurred to me AS
being the place he meant,


Well" said. "sil down; don't excite
Yourself like that, You'll upset the gig.
If it is the place, it wont bite you'll" And
then he sank down quietly by my side,
his chin dropped on his chest, one of his
dreamy fits came on, and he never spoke
another word till we reached Meresdene.


The little town was busy with the
sheep market, and he reused up through
out the day. He was always nimble at
his work. soon took in what was to be
done, and was quite comfortable until We
set out homewards. Then the dreamy fit
seemed to come on again. Ii was past
five o'clock, and getting dark. when We
stopped at Dene's Gate turnpike to light
our lamps. Soon after this, we began TO
ascend the hill, near the top of which is
he chalk cutting and the Whiteways. /
was on the lookout for what he would do
here, expecting some oddly. Tor he was
always odd; but he remained silent, and
beyond fidgeting in his seat, and looking
from side to side of the road. he did
nothing; and when we got back to Char
rendon, said: well. there's not much
TO be afraid Of in that days work, Is
therep


And now that YOU have seen the reality,
perhaps you'll leave off dreaming about