Year: 1866

| Poslle eacn otner IOr so many years, and
he spoke out, but it was not a sentimental
grief. Eh, but she was fallen away to
nothing !; she var perfec' notamy. Small
hett shall l be to carry to the lictun,' says
she and she var that sure But it were
a fine berrir, chile, and a sight of woke,
and they all spoke as how she were ter.
riab'e good woman"


And so poor old Lizzie's funeral oration
was done.


Rachel Russell was very pretty girl
of the type common in those parts, small
and wellmade, with delicate, refined fea.
lures, and what would be called elegance
IN another class in all her motions and
looks. She was an orphan. There is moth
ing but association in names no high-born
sound was there to any one who heard hers
Russells were exceedingly common about
there, and no one saw anything the least
incongruous in dirty old Howard the black
smith,o Stanley the gypsy tinker in the lane.


Old Russell was exceedingly particular
about his grandchild no one was allow
ed about the place, and it was so lonely
that his task would have seemed easy but
as when flower comes out in the forest,
the bees appear where none were to be
seen before, so if there is a pretty girl,
those ne'er-do-weels young men will find
her out /; and poor Russell was sadly put
about 1t never seemed to occur to him. in
his horror at the species, that they were
necessary to replenish the supply of old
ones, who alone he thought worthy to in
| herit the earth


Their nearest neighbor was an old wood
cutter, widower, whose children had all
left him except the youngest, Maurice
He was tall, well-grown STRIPPING, about
one-and-twenty, with a pleasant face, not
in the least handsome with keen eye for
a stag, and the feetest runner in the parish
He was supposed to help his father in the
wood, and if thy both combined less law
full callings with their nominal one, No
Mans Land did not think the worse of them
Old Lizzie Russell had been very fond of
the striving woman who had died of hard
work, and Maurice and Rachel had known
each other from babies many were the
wood-yigeons' eggs, the feathers of wood
pecker and jay, that were among her trea-
sures in those old days. And now, if he
met her coming home with bundle from
the shop, four miles off, there was no harm
in his carrying it for her, or in his helping
with yoke of water from the little well at
the bottom Of the steep orchard for he had
been scarcely allowed to come within the
house since the old woman's death. Ev-
erything looked fair for the pair he had
never spoken word of love to her, howev-
er, they were still on their old friendly foot
ing, and old Silas, who did not like the
prospect of losing his grandchild, could not
have objected in the long run, when-there
was sudden change in the Government,
the Ministry resigned, and a number of
great people went in and out, with whom
Maurice and Rachel did not seem at first
to have much to do. There are many clev-
er books written to prove what small
causes led to great events etn uere Geau
turned out the Duchess of Marlborough
and changed the fate and policy of Europe.
My great work shows that great things
have a multitude of small tails which they
know nothing about. Among number of
changes and cries for reform, there had
been an outcry about the manifestations of
the Forest. The old ranger was dead, and
the new Ministry appointed fresh one,
who began his reign as is the fashion of
new brooms. The keeper of that part of
the district was very worthy old butler
belonging to the last dynasty, who never
stirred out after eight o'clock, and knew as
much about woodcraft as cobbler.


He and his wife lived about mile and a
half further in the wood, at lodge in a
most beautiful situation on hill overlook
ing the country for miles round. Great
sweeps of wood alternating with wild
heathery commons stretched out to the
Channel, the blue sea and the beautiful
lines of the Isle of Wight beyond -" the
Ic1a nd nd xubit ta
sail like gulPs wing here and there. 1t
was surrounded by tufts of beech and holly
set on the short green sward, the boughs
from which strewed the ground, cut in win
ter as fodder for the deer, who loved and
frequented the spot, and were to be seen
flashing in and out of the glades between
the groups of trees which are scattered
about as in magnificent park.


On this pleasant place of much play and
little work came the terrible shadow of re-
form. But abuses were long-lived in those
days. and after much talk of stricter man.
agement in little while matters subsided,
and the anticlimax of the magnificent plans
Of improvement was that the under-keeper
was desired to take an assistant.


He was not long in appearing,-one
Ralph Leverton, the son of a small farmer
few miles of, shrewdly suspected of hav-
ing the best possible chance of circumvent-
ing the poachers by being well practised
in all their ways. He was very good
looking fellow, tall and straight, with curl
ing black hair, and keen eyes and in his
black velveteen coat, and long CATERS,
looked the very ideal of young game
keeper.


He was known to most in the village,
but he graduated, as it were, ON the first
Sunday after his appointment, when the
congregation were much disturbed by dis
cussing him outside in the church porch,
and watching him how he Joined in the
hymns.


After church he seemed to think that so
great man might pick his company and
as Rachel was decidedly the prettiest girl
there, he joined the old clerk at the first
stile, ostensibly to inquire about deer's
run near the house, and walked home with
them, Rachel keeping shyly by her grand.
father with her prayer-book wrapped in
red pocket handkerchief The old man,
however, did not ask him in when they
reached the cottage, and rather fought shy
OF his new acquaintance.