LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 262, 14 April 1875, Page 3

LITERATURE.

MADGE'S SACEIFICE.

By E. M. Alford.

Chapter I.

' I say, Kit, isn't this cozy ?' ' Awfully so !' responded the curly-headed youth appealed to, taking a pipe out of his pocket, and stroking complacently its highly polished surface.

The young people were ensconced on two crimson-cushioned settees, within one of those dear old open chimneys, so rare nowadays, with logs blazing brightly on the polished steel dogs between them. A very favorite resort of any of the family, when they could indulge in a firelight chat. The room on which the bright beams played so fitfully was most picturesque. Rather low, with great beams showing across the ceiling ; oak-panelled walls, oaken tables and chairs of various forms, and a polished oak skirting to the floor, with a well-worn Turkey carpet in the centre. The windows were heavily mullioned, and rejoiced in quaint old tapestry curtains, in keeping with the quaintness of the whole room.

' Yes,' went on the girl, meditatively, ' I don't believe there ever was such a dear homely home as ours. You can't think how often the thought of this chimney corner has kept me right at school, Kit, when I have been inclined to throw my lesson-books out of window, and scamper off on the moors. I do so hate poring over books when the sun's shining !' Kit shrugged his broad shoulders, and said, lazily : ' There, don'tj go lecturing me any more, Madge, for of coure it's double as hard for us men.' (Kit was barely twenty.) • Girls are made to keep quiet. But what's the good of having a broad chest and strong limbs, I should like to know, if the one is to get narrow, and the other limp, poring over books 2' And Kit stood up and stretched himself, knocking down an imaginary foe, with a fist, on either side.

Madge gazed up at him admiringly, but said quietly : 'lf I were a man, I'd work, though, Kit, at something or other. Do you know, I'm half ashamed of you, sometimes, when I see you lounging there so contentedly, while that dear father of yours is working so hard in his dull little study. If you don't pass, this time, I shall set you down as a dunce, or worse, when you know how they all pinch at home to keep you at college.' 'Talking of that, Madge, I want your advice,' said Kit, in the most affable manner. ' I've got myself into a bit of a scrape by not paying my tailor at Oxford. The fellow wouldn't wait, you see, and there were one or two other pressing trifles ; so I borrowed a few pounds—twenty, I think—of Tom Helston ; and he's so hard up now, poor chap, that he can't put his hand on a pound or two to come home for Christmas. His mother and Mary will be in a fine way about it.' 'Oh, Kit! how could you?' exclaimed Madge, the color mounting to her temples, and her blue eyes filling. ' Tom Helston, of all people; with his poor mother a widow, and pretty Mary going without a new dress for Christmas, even!'

Kit blushed this time, and said penitently, 'lama selfish, thoughtless brute, Madge ; but you'll help me through this once more, won't you ? If you don't \ stick to me, I shall come to grief for certain. There's nothing like being stuck to, for keeping a fellow straight." Madge could not restrain a smile at the comically dolorous tone in which this was said, and at the look of resigned despair on her brother's handsome sunny face as he appealed to her. • Oh! you are incorrigible, Kit ; but I'll stick to you, never fear, till I leave you in safer hands. But let me warn you that Mary doesn't approve of handsome donothings any more than I.' ' What on earth is that to me ?' said Kit, getting red, but not with anger. ' Anyhow, you'll manage about the twenty pounds, won't you? I haven't the face to ask the dear old governor for another advance just now?'

A pained expression passed across the sister's face as she answered, ' That's half cowardice, Kit. It's the doing wrong, not the confessing it, that we ought to shrink from, I think. Suppose, ntfw, you give up your pipe for the holidays ; that would go some way towards bringing Tom home; and I'll advance you two pounds out of my allawance to send him. We must see about the rest by-and-by.' 'Beggars musn't be choosers,'said Kit, with a shrug : " but I call it hard lines on a fellow. Anyhow, here goes !' and he threw the mahogany-colored meerschaum under the grate. Thereupon Madge rose, and .going to a neat little desk, took out two sovereigns, wrapped carefully in tissue-paper, stored away for some pet scheme of her own. She did not tell Kit, as she put them with a smile into his hand, that they were the scraped-together savings of the year, hoarded up with care for the pleasure of giving a Christmas-tree to the school-children this Christmas-tide. Kit drew down the fair face to his own and gave it a hearty kiss, and then rose, saying more gravely than was his wont: ' I declare, Madge, you're a regular brick, and I feel no end ashamed of myself. I won't make any more promises. Least said soonest mended; but you'll see if I don't turn over a new leaf.'

So Kit went off to the post-office, and Madge sat down by the fire again with a happy face. Not to think over her sacrifice, but to ponder long and earnestly on tha possibility of getting the rest of the money to pay off Kit's rash debt. Meantime, Kit passed out at the vicaraga gate in the winter twilight, and sauntered along past the church and the pretty cottages that bordered the village road, with its wide margin of sward and stately sheltering elms, to the post office. He had paused ere he reached it, however, before the most dainty of these cottages, and gazed in through the unshuttered window upon the coziest of parlors, where the firelight nickered on gilt-framed pictures and tasty furniture, and lingered lovingly around the bent head of a young girl as she knelt by the chair of an elder lady sorting some gay-colored wools on her lap. The elder lady was Mrs Helston, the widow of the late vicar, and the kneeling girl was Mary. Kit heaved a great sigh as he gazed. At any other time he would have rushed in upon them, sure of a kindly welcome. But now he dared not face their sad looks. His punishment had begun. Never mind ; tomorrow would bring Tom down, and then all

would be right. So thinking, he hastened on to the post office, and despatched Madge's savings.

He found his sister still over the fire on his return. Her pretty fair hair drawn up from her brow, as the little hands had worked in it thoughtfully, her blue eyes shining eagerly, her small mouth firmly set. " Kit, I've been thinking, and I've made up my mind. Tom must be paid whatever it costs, and father musn't be worried. You and I must do it, Kit. I have an idea. Have you V ' Not the ghost of one. I wish I had.' ' Well, you must sit here alone as I have done, and think hard till you've got one. And the first thing to-morrow you will walk with me into the town, won't you ? And then I shall see how mine will work.'

' All right, Madge. Do you know, I half think Tom's in love with you. He's always raving about your wonderful hair. You let it all down in the tableau last Christmas, as Undine, you know, and Tom can't forget it.' ' Can't he ?' said Madge, with a curious smile, as she left the room. Arrived at- her own room she shut herself in, and putting on a white dressing gown, unfastened the shining golden braids, and let the wealth of glittering hair fall like a cloak around her. Then she stood in front of the glass, and gazed long and earnestly. At last she turned away with a slight sigh of regret, saying aloud: ' Good bye, old wig ; good bye, young Madge. What a fright you'll be by this time to-morrow !' Chapter 11. A bright frosty morning, with a delightful freshness in the air which makes the heart dance with joy, whether it will or no. And there was no want of will in the two young people who set out together on their expedition to the three miles' distant town as soon as the breakfast was over.

Kit and Madge were the vicar's only children by his first wife, but there were three little ones by the present Mrs Mowbray, and Madge had early determined to work for herself and cease to be a burden on her father as soon as possible. With this view she had been actiug as pupil-teacher in a good school for the last year, and having now arrived at the age of eighteen, considered it high time to make her start in life. Kit was a source of anxiety and expense to the family, which was an extra inducement to Madge to exert herself. And she was glad of the opportunity of discussing her plans with him on this soul-cheering morning. Madge's enthusiasm inspired Kit, and the three miles' walk was quickly accomplished as the two chatted eagerly over their resolutions and plans for the future. * I felt uncommonly queer, I can tell you, Madge, as I looked in at Mrs Helston's window last evening, and for the first time in my life daren't go in, knowing how cutup they'd be to see me without Tom. I've been downright ashamed of myself ever since you gave me the money. And so help me, Heaven !' he added gravely, raising his hand for a moment, ' I won't run into debt again, come what may.' ' That's a good Kit; now I don't mind anything,' said Madge as she stopped at the chief hair-dresser's shop, with her face all in a glow. ' Now you go and read the papers,' she added, ' and I'll meet you in half an hour at the post office. And mind, Kit, when you see me, you're not to say a word.' Unsuspicious Kit went on his way, preoccupied with a plan of his own, namely—the selling of some new costly books, the thoughtless purchase of which during his last term at Oxford had helped to bring him into such straits, and driven him to borrow of his poor but generous-hearted friend. It was to spare the feelings of Kit's home people that Tom had lent the money; he was too prudent and thoughtful a son to have done so for any less purpose. But while Kit is eating humble pie at the chief stationer's shop, and arranging to part with his beautiful favourites at so much less than he gave for them but a few months before, Madge has entered the barber's with an inward shrinking, and is confronted with MrCoombe, the master of the shop. Madge entei-ed the inner room, feeling very shy and frightened, and utterly at a loss to explain her errand. But she sat herself in front of the mirror silently, the white cloth was thrown around her shoulders, the glittering braids let down, and then fortune favoured her. To he continued.