CHAPTER XXXV.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 286, 1 August 1888, Page 6

CHAPTER XXXV.

MR TURNER'S GENEROSITY. On the morning following fche eventful circumstances related in fche last chapter, the sun rose bright and glorious. You of my readers who have lived in New Zealand know how delightful is a bright Novemi or morning, when your garden is resplendent with the rose, the pelargoinum, the heartsease, the columbine, and the innumerable flowers which combine to make your home a paradise. The balmy air i& ladon with fragrance, while the tui, from yonder clump of bush, sends iorfch his mellow notes as he flits from tree to tree. The stately tree-ferns wave their beauteous fronds in the morning breeze, and all nature smiles. Oh ! blessed land. There, in that secluded glen, the arum lily bloomy, mingling in wild hiMiriance with countless ferns, while the bright- tin ted 'periwinkle' nods its hiiry head with coquettish grace. And here, on this bank, in lich exuberance, ice plants abound, charming the eye with their gay blending of supeib colours. Astley, us he gazes around him inhaling the rich perfume, sendb up a fervent thanks giving to Cod, the gi\er of all good thing-;. His heart is full : he is happy ; — seienely happy ! Behold him, a;?he steps forward to meet that loyely form now approaching. How hi=* eyes sparkle, his fair, WAvy hair all sheeny in the morning &un. And there, among tho rose&. he take* her in his arms in a long, silent embrace, she the fairest rose of all ! c Oh ! A&fcley, I am t>o happy — so happy,' said Florenco, gazing tenderly into thos.o ! loving eyes bent to hers. 'And 1, my darling, my own, own da\l ing. Oh ! Home, do you not feel here, in this lovely spot, the giea I—the1 — the unbounded goodness of God ? It is to Him we owe all our happiness, my Flonie. Shall we not thank Him ? Shall we, even now, go on our knees on thit> mos-,y bank and oiler up our li^es to Him, asking His help to guide us, that we may do nothing to cause Him displeasme? Come, Flonie, come, darl- I ing.' I They knelt, side by skip, hand in hand, and there went forth to God fiom tho c two loving heai r o nn earnest tender of their two lives ; and when they arose, after asking His blessing and guidance, they knew each other even better than they hurt evei done before. Each kuew the other's soul — that all was pure within. Later in the day Astley was closeted with Mr Turner in his private office. He had been to see Carrie, and from her he had learnt the part she had taken with regard to L>akiu — how he had placed certain money, which be had stolen, it: her care ; how she had invested them with thepioceeds ot the sale of certain \ aluable jewels. What she purposed doing was to hand over the securities to Mr Turner, transferring them to him and trusting to his mercy. She begged Astley to intercede with him for her, telling him that she had utterly given up her old life, and that even though starvation i-hould look her in the face, she would accept her lot ; but to the old life sne would never return. She told him how his kind-ess to her, when she hud met with her accident, had tilled her heart with gratitude ; how, while thinking what she could do to in c ome way return his kindness, one of her visitors, a clerk in one ot the mercantile houses, had e.poken of him as the co respondent in the Ash ford divorce; how this \oung fellow had .said that many believed him entiiely innocent, and that it was supposed he had been the victim of a conspiracy ; how she had hunted up some papers containing the report of a divor c suit in which her sister had given evidence, and found it to be the &arne ; how she found some letters from her sister which she had care lossly thrown aside, intending to read them some day, in one of which ghe mentioned her marriage with the other -witness, Jonkyn, and their being well off, and in another that they were keeping a public house in London under an assumed name, and that she was very wretched and wished herself in the grave ; how her feUbpicions were aroused and she sent for him ; and how she had subsequently proceeded to England, found Jenkyn dying, obtained his confession, and returned, bringing with her her repentant sister. She begged him to help her with MiTurner to whom she intended to give up all, even her house an:l fumituie, which weie Dakin's first presents to her. All she hoped for now was that she and her sister might go away somewhere where they weie unknown, and obtain some humble omployment, no matter what, so long as it was honest. Astley assured her that she need not be uneasy a& to her future -saying that he would look after that, it" she would allow him. 'Nay, Miss Mander,' he urged when she remonstrated, ' I insist. Remember what you have done for me. Rut for your timely assistance, the tiuth might never have come to liyhb.' Thus we find A&tlcy with Mr Turner * And now I have told you all, I ask \on to have mercy/- Said Astley, ' if not for the sake of the poor, tempted creature, then as a personal tavourto me. Will you consider the matter ?' ' I am truly glad to hear this good news of your affair.s, my dear Berwick. I doubted you once you may remember. D n that fellow Dakin, it was all his doing ; I pay d n him ! And you would have me consider this woman's case, would jou?' Ah, well, I don't think much consideration is requisite.' ' Bui surely, Mr Turner — ' began Ashley, rising. 'Be seated, Berwick, and if you will be so kind, be silent a few moments.' S,g saying, Mr Turner wrote as follows :—: — ' Miss Mander e'e, etc., — Dear Madam, I have been informed by Mr Astley Berwick that you hold certain securities which yoapurpose transferring to me. Mr Berwick has made me acquainted with the whole of tho tacts connected with tho case, and, while thanking you for your intention and -appreciating your so evident earnestness in desiring to make restitution, 1 must firmly decline to become the transferred So far as I am concerned, I beg that you will no longer regai d yourself in the light of a debtor, and if I can in any way help you at this time or hereafter, I beg to say that I shall be most happy to do so.— l am etc., etc., Wm, Turner. 1 There, Berwick,' said Mr Turner, smiling as he handed the letter to Astley/ will that meet the case, do you think ?' Astley was astonished. From Mr, Turner's manner he had expected difficulty, if not tailure. But this 'Do you really mean this, Mr Turner?' he said when he had somewhat recovered from his surprise. ' Mean it ! Of course ; should I have written it if I did not ? Call' yourself a business man and ask such a question !' 'But, Mr Turner, it is too kind, too generous.'

1 Tut, tub, nonsense, man ! * Supposo ib is generous, did you think me incapable of a generous action? Besides it isn't generous, after all. When the money went, it was lost to the business. I never expected it back. We have gone on well enough without" ib, and have not missed it very much. No, it is nob so' very generous ; it may be kind, I hope it is. Those potfr creatures want someone to be kind to them j howcould they get along else when they turn honesb ? 1 know. 1 have seen one or two cases bofore — shunned by everybody, Christians and all, and ab last driven back to bheir old life ; that's ib, Berwick." ' T am afraid what you say is truo, sir, and am glad to hear you expresb yourself as you do with regard to these poor, unfortunate women. Young as I am, Mr Turner, ib is a subject bhat J have given much consideration to, trusting that by earnest thought I might arrive at some method of helping them. It is a difficult subject, but oh ! there is surely a lemody somewhere. At home we have our ' Refuges,' bub we fail in working the euro. It appears to me that society is greatly to blame, for, from what L can gather, many poor wretches have been driven back to sin by the " cold shoulder " of socieby — the false modesty which prevents apparent Chiisbians oncouraging a poor penitent sinner in right doing, for fear of contamination. Oh ! it is dieadful.' 'My dear Berwick,' exclaimed Mr Turner, ' my dear fellow, you de light me. We must talk of this agaiii : I have only half known you hitherto. But what am I to do with the letbei ? Shall 1 send it Mp, or will you take it?' ' Thank you, Mr Turner, 1 think it would pleace her if 1 to >k it invar If, and I would uith or do so.' ' You are liyht, Berwick. I sco you aro made of the right stuff all through — not afraid of scandal, eh ?' 4 The feai of scandal has uover pre\ented me doing my duty. I don't know that there ib any uarticular merit in that.' ' Keep on as you arc going, Berwick, and you'll do. It's a pity there are not more like you — trood-bye.' Astlcy left the little gentleman, highly pleased with the resulb of his en and, and having despatched tho good news to England — knowing what a joy it would be to Ins deal patents to hear of his clearance — piocecded to hi.sollice, and later conveyed Mr Turner s letter to Carrie.