Year: 1871

W nat happened 10 lhe carpenter


A thick carpet had lately Isen put down
in the dining-room at the squre's residence, /
which was found to prevent the door from
opening and shutting easily, so Wedge, the
village carpenter, was sent for to ease it. At
six O'Clock, whilst he was still at work, car
riage wheels were distinctly heard, and the
squre's lady with her children came down
into the hall, ready to welcome home Mr..
Cary, who had been to town. Wedge, who
was working inside the dining-room, listened
with astonishment as he heard the shout the
children gave when their father stepped out
of the carriage. lie saw, also, through the
door crack, that the two eldest had caught
hold of his hands, whilst the younger ones
were clinging like little barnaces to his coat
tails; all dragging him along, as if, once hay-
ing got him into their net, they meant, spider
like, to bind him hand and foot, and deyour
him, as that interesting insect would great
bue-bottle, at their leisure.


That the squire's return should cause such
delight was a puzzler for our worthy friend
for had he not, with his own eyes, seen this
gentleman 60 off at hal-past nine in the morn
ing, no one could have persuaded him other


wise than that he must have been away


month"; to put it at the lowest figure. lie


saw, moreover, that the squire was holding
tightly in his hand little parcel which,
shaking off the children, by number of little
lodges of which loving fathers only know the


secret, he quickly united, for all the world as


if he were boy Of five years old land not


great man Of fourteen stone weight, who


could not wait moment for anything. In a


shorter time than we take to write 1t he pulled


out the contents and gave them to his wife,


with three distinct kisses. Wedge could


swear there were three, for he counted them,


and wondered how many more there were to


come


Soon the merry party went upstairs, the


echo of their voices died away, and Wedge


was left to finish his work on The door, whilst


his heart and conscience began their work on
him. He, too, had home and wife and


children he, too, had been away all day (


but the thought struck him uncomfortably
that his welcome home, if indeed he got one


at all, would seem poor and cold after that


which he had just witnessed This rehec-


ton was not so sweet as to make his work


20 smoothly; his saw seemed as blunt as Q


double-bladed sixpenny penkniie, and th'
wood of the chair, whose legs he was cutting
down, as hard as bog oak. In fact, he wa
feeling jealous of the squire and discomfort
ed with his own wife and children. Why
we're not they eager to rush out and welcom,
/ him. after the fashion of the squire's family
t He frowned as he thought how badly he wa
used and his saw grated away as though yer!
dull.


But conscience had word to say to him
f and said it loud enough too for him to hear
/ although he was making noise enough {
e prevent any one from trying to gain his at
v tention. 1t told him the fault was chiefly i
' himself for if his wife and children we're nc
/ like the squre's neither was his likeness to tina
q worthy gentleman particularly striking II
c couldn't blame his wife for not making enougl
o of his presents, for he well knew he neve


gave her any nor did he greet her wit
' those kind words which would not have taile
' to draw the same from her.


\ Wedge was good husband without bein
G kind one, spending his money for the mo!
4 part on his family in hard, business-lik
r kind of way, but showing no affection t
n wards his children, who consequently did NJ
/. love him.


n As Wedge walked home tools on his baol
4 he came across an old friend, carrying car
d fully dainty bunch of snowdrops in his b
It rough hand.


# "Here, WILL" he said, walking along
is the carpenters side, Ave just given trif
n for these Aowers-pretty bits of things, all
,e they for my wife makes so much Of ar
v little present | take her home she new
W minds what | bring her, SO long as give
\. to her myself, for to be sure | always tack
ID a little something in the shape Of a few XII
,r words, which makes the thing seem valuat
"a in her eyes. don't know how should 6
(. on sometimes, if it weren't for having Aowe
I. pretty handy you can get them for little
Y. nothing at any time, and yet they are mo
:" beautiful than anything we could make"
in Wedges road now lay in a different dire
to ton from his friends, so they parted compar
Id Joe Sparks putting couple Of snowdrops
so to Wills hand, supposing he would know W
ed enough what to do with them.


n Wedge turned the snowdrops over in
it hand and looked after joe who had neal


turned the corner what could the man me
On by giving him the snowdrops and never 81
wv ing word He couldn't have known wi
en- had Just happened at the hall ! yet it seem


strange that he should come up and say


this about presents just when Wedge v


thinking about that very subject, and enjt
Iat ing the excuse, too, "that he couldn't aiiC
Ito to buy his wife anything" But now havi
tie the snowdrops, and having heard 50 mu
| about them, il seemed as if nothing else wol
-as do but that he must give them to his wi


and this extraordinary proceeding would
de such new and extraordinary one that
ed very thought made him feel sheepish.
up Wedges wife was nice woman, but fam
,ht cares were weighing her down, SO that
he light was fast dying out Of her eyes, and
he color fading from her cheeks She wo
to not have minded them half nor even quar-
I'LL as much il, when Wedge came home,
nd could have told him all about them-for


to one he could have set things right,
he he had always pooh -poohed when she ventu
zig TO begin the subject, so that she had left


looking for help where there was none to
ng got. II seemed to Wedge that If he P
est down in hard cash for clothing, feeding /
Us schooling the family, he had done his sh
ok towards their bringing up. Such being
ar. state of things, you may we'll imagine
od surprised was Mrs. Wedge when she he
we a cheerful voice call out, Where are
at, Mary ?" But greater still was her aston
,ad nient when, on going to the door, her


band presented her with the snowdrops, decl
nd, ing as he put them in her hands, that, " be
yht tifal as they were he thought the rosebud
her arm beat them out and out" We