LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 470, 17 December 1875, Page 3

LITERATURE.

DR SEYMOUR.

Continued i

There was a look of wounded pride in the girl’s face as he thus left her. She bent forward her graceful head, and gazed after his retreating figure with a glance of mingled amazement and grief. Hot tears filled and dimmed her soft eyes, and she pressed her hand hastily to her heart. Something nestled there underneath her dress. Pussy came to her, purring and clawing, but she sat her clown very decidedly upon the rug, and went away to h' r own room. The Doctor, on his part, hurried home as soon as he could. The letter he had received back burned his pocket. Nevertheless, h« felt very thankful that it was in his own possession, rather than in another’s. H*

drew it forth angrily, when he was safe within his private room, and, without so much as bestowing a glance upon it, he E’ ed the offending envelope behind a miniature upon his chimney-piece. If a fire had been burning upon the hearth at the moment, it would soon have been consumed within its flames. He had promised Miss Pemberton that he would call in again that evening to see her, as he would be passing by her gate. He was sorry now for having thus pledged himself. She was better, and there was no real necessity for his doing so. Now that Miss Pemberton was in a convalescent condition, her maid n > longer forbade those whom she called * outsiders to visit her mistress’s room. Indeed, on the following day, she even requested Nellie to sit with her lady during the servants’ dinner hour. The invalid was asleep, really at first, fictitiously later. Her niece had a book in her hand, but a voice from the bed suddenly exclaimed, in kind persuasive tones, ‘ Nellie, my dear, why are you crying ?’ . . , , • I am not crying, was the very hasty reply made -to the appeal. Only a single tear had fallen, so the speaker felt herself righteously justified in her assertion. ‘ Oh! Then the slater should come and mend the bouse ; the rain must-be coining through the roof, and right down.’ ‘ You know it is a fine day, with a lovely sun shining,’ the tormented girl said, bursting into a little odd, choked laugh, but a small shower of drops fell now upon her cLI*6S9« ‘I am glad to hear it; I want to get up presently. But what is the matter, Nellie ? Has Jim been kissing you again without leave ?’ * I may as well tell you now, Ellen. 1 I have been wanting to do so all along. I must have your opinion and advice.’ * Tell away, my dear. Ido love giving advice when the receiver doesn’t want me to take any.’ Miss Pemberton sat rrp. She was quite hot and eager for a little excitement. ‘ I got this letter by the post yesterday, her niece said, tearfully. ‘ See, isn’t it quite plain and clear ? and yet—and yet—-he has been here three times since, but avoids me. He never looks at me, I think. He doesn’t seem in the least to want or expect any answer. ’ Miss Pemberton read the letter through, and examined it carefully. ‘ Have you answered it ?’ she asked at last. * I would sooner die than do so now ?’ was the hot reply. The two consulted long and anxiously upon this very mysterious matter. The result of their confidences was not enlivening. ‘ I’m sure, my dear, it would be a fair mercy if either of us broke the spell and went in for marriage. We are such determined old maids. I don’t know what will become of us, unless one sets the other a good example soon. Nevertheless, I must now tell you my mind plainly. It is my firm belief that the doctor never wrote this letter. You may be sure the whole thing is a hoax of Cousin Jim’s, I told you he was up to some kind of mischief the other day. I saw him observing the Doctor and you that last day the two dined here together. ’ * But the handwriting !’ ‘ Pshaw ! That goes for nothing. A man with no great brains for anything in particular can nearly invariably do just whatever he likes with his hands. Jim always was great at letter writing, since the first day I knew him, and that is a long time ago. No doubt he can copy any one else’s hand just as well as Dr Seymour’s. Besides, for the matter of that, writing is by no means such a very decisive affair as some people think. I could almost as well as not swear in a court that this had been directed, for instance, by Ah! well, it is of no use bringing up old stories. I have had my day. I suppose. What a fool one is, to be sure, when one is a girl like you ! Not that 1 am so very ancient now, of course, but still —after all, it was very nice to have had so much in one’s hand, even though it was all thrown away. Heigh-ho ! Certainly the writing is curiously like. That makes me all the more sure Jim is at the bottom of the business. Geoffrey was his cousin, although he was no relation of mine. The same blood is in their veins. Do look, Ellen, and'see whether this attack has brought anymore grey hairs.’ ‘ Oh, no ! ’ Ellen replied, absently, after a very cursory examination into this interesting subject. There was a little less depression to be observed now in her tones, but her face was flushed and indignant. ‘ And what are we to do to punish this abominable Jim V she asked.

‘Cut him, of course,’ was the prompt reply. ‘ When next he calls, bid Mary say we are not at home to him ; and tell the servants to manage so that 'while the door is open he may be sure to overhear one of them saying something which will let him perfectly understand that we are all the time within, and disengaged.’ (To le continued.')

An Elizabethan cottage at Southleigh is attracting the attention of archaeologists. According to the local papers, among the carving is the emblem of St. Luke, and the shields have the crosses of St. George and Bt. Patrick, or St. Andrew, painted on them. This is supposed to be a portion of the reredos of the ancient altar of Southleigh Church. The date is said to be about Edward Vl.’s time, and it is probably a relic of the taste and munificence of the Bonvilles, the ancient lords of Southleigh.

The Mersey Dock and Harbor Board have sold to Mr Thomas Cope, of the firm of Cope Bros and Co, for the sum of £153,000, a very large block of vacant land, about 68,000 yards, or a little over 14 acres in exient, situated in the centre of the great system of docks at that port. It is Mr Cope’s intention to build on this land an immerse tobacco warehouse. It will be the largest in the world, and the estimate for the building alone is £IBO,OOO, making in all, with the cost of land, £383,000. “ A new university, ’ the Athencevm hears “is to be established in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. through the munificence of a Quaker gentleman, the late Mr Hopkins, who bequeathed for the purpose the enormous sum of 7,000,000d01. There are to be twenty-five professors. Professor Gilman, late of the University of California, has been appointed president,” The North German Gazette , referring to the different comments of the press with regard to the journey of the Emperor to Italy, says “ There has never been any question of his Majesty going asfar as Borne ; in fact, at the time when the journey was first proposed, the King of Italy himsell expressed of his own accord a wish to meei the Emperor in Upper Italy."

“ Russia,” says the St Petersburg Journal, “cannot assume a defiant tone without creating distrust on the part of Turkey, thus allowing the latter a reason for evading the introduction of reforms. An understanding seldom attained has, on the contrary, been established with respect to the Oriental question, which will induce the Sultan really to undertake reforms. This is the only rational way for a peaceful settlement of the question.”

It is a well ascertained fact that housewives are seldom out of temper on a washing day, if they get well on with their work. But if they have obtained inferior soap, and their hands are chafed therewith, there is generally a late tea, and the fireside is not pleasaut until the children are got to repose. When purchasing soap, if you ask for the star brand, and see that you get it, there will be no fear of late washing or chapped hands, as the greatest care is taken when it is being manufactured to render it free from all injurious properties. Besides, it is the best, the bars are the largest, and it is the cheapest soap in the market. Try, and you will be convinced.— f Advt. ]