CHAPTER IX.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2039, 1 August 1885, Page 5 (Supplement)

CHAPTER IX.

WEfcQOjMIKO A •ON-IN-LJLW/ But>ssW<Lt is one of the larg«si mano-fi|CtHr- • id-; towns in fhe middle of England; the population ii by no moans a distinguished ope —a tow of what we o&Med gentry, who consist principally of peopla who have made tfeeir fortune in the town and wish to snjoy it th>jre ; the remaining part of the population is made up of the peopla who woik in thi factories, and the tradespeople who suppiy them With the necessaries of life. Then these faotorp people aro ambitious ; .ameag them are many most intelligent men — men who read and think, who underptnnd 'policies, who hay« a good idea of hiitpiy; men who can hold their own in armament w:th thp^e who are supposed to be ranch sup^rfer ; in tact, the British workman shone in li-idfs-»vflll. The girla in the factory wan 1 , a clag3 quito apart : to begin with, thay were Lealthy, hearty, generous giria, fuM of lite anil l-» i _'hter, always feady to balp tsaob other with vi iney and kind Words, remarkably hiyh-jjpirtt J syjd independent; it was impossible wp,insnize thanu— th«y were quite aa gaqd a^ ai.y one else, and they did not hesitate in telling you so. Tn°y were ambitious, too, afia some of John D«rwent's hsut pupils lay among the factory girla of RudeaweU. Then some of the tradesmen's daugiiterslearncd dancing ; among them ho contrived to eke out a w ry Bj>are inaoraa. Hia wife helped liiui to the bast of her ability ; Bhe gave lemons to very fima.ll children. It wan by 110 means a pu 1 !'°«oua household, and John D:rwsnt hid <oinctLiing to do to find them all in broad. Ho t many times h«i anathematized tl.o fate th >t liad made him a dancing-master, win ulnll tell? Bis eonl vai indeed weary of ihe fray ; ho was tired of the sound of music, of the incessant fiddle; of the rush of feet, of the neverending one, two three ; he could have danced the quaJrilles in 14j sk-ep ; bis m»htmarea took the shape of waltz: a. He hod four children— Alice, line, Hcuiet, and Prank. Alioa, by tl>e genuro<ufry ef her uncle, was educated ; R-ve. a me, pretty, refined girl, had already sho«ra *,w.* artistic talent, and was able to many monoy by her desi^na ; Harriet wag a loud spoken, brusqi^, vulgar girl ; and Fra»k wa3 - what wwd eww be more expressive?— a bey. Tfcey v\iiro net a very happy family ; John Derwent, wiiro he bad & few miautes to spare from hi* b<i*ines3, spent it in rebelling »^.imt i&tc; Wa «ife was i*h?ayB complainiuß of her tot, and oi the mistake she hafl mad 4 in her marmae. 1133e wns the general ptaoe^maker. H*/n^''o despair waB that even the factory ginbetter dresaed than sbo herself; and LVa-ik '^rambled that ho oouli oot have thlu^-i h'l3 " other feUowß." Not a very invited circle for ths d&intv tastidioua heir of R^sen«ath to join ; and Alice's heart Bank when she thought of him in that bouse. " It will make him hate me," Hhe thought to herself ; " I shall lose my chance of wnning his love if he goec thore. I know my<olf thqi, although I loved them all so dearly, [ could not help growing tife£ of them, and feeling how muoh they jurrei upon mi." She had used all entoafciss, all prayera, all leaaoue, yet her husband only laughed He had a pretty, piotutesquo idea of hep family— of the dancing-master, weighed down with gratituelp— of the broken-down, hoil'BP, ladylike mother, who would look up tn K ( n «« the benefactor of the family— of the asters, who wonld worship him, as Alice did, with awe and iffecttoi. Lord Gar-^alo bt>£ enconntered m*ny things in his life, but ho^ivl certainly never loot vulgarity in its most coaipact form. Their w-;s great anxiety in the hou-e N>->. 31 Cscil-street, Riuhswell; the neiglibora could not imagiae what was about to happen; some eup.oeabSSt a ball, othpra a wedding. The cm l vms had been \va*h-d and darned, every available ppacoin the front of tlio )iousa tihat oould ba brightened bad been brightened, pvery picco of braaa shone re«»lendanUy ; indted Harriet and her mothei f^k nvthur inclined to mederato their ex°rli jm i , lest Mr. Nelson should be too o\erpovered. The Jaoloß in the front parlor aarpu wore adroitly covered, tbo oil-cloth washed— *k a . fiist time for many months; the piano, the greatest treasure they possessed, v\uj uncovered ; a new Bhapherdess was purchased, fo be placed on ike back parlor mantel pioeo ; and then the Derwente felt that ithuy could defy fate. " He muat be hard to please," avid Hettte, 4S Mrs. D-rvrent called Harriet—" he must be hard to please if this decs not iat>fy him." Alas for the heir of Ewnpath I There wm <i grand family consultation held as to .what would ba the beat thin^ for sapper ; John Dsrwwt was pleased tofiink that there nu ab-olate necessity for the purchase of 3omo lutilo luxury. Al ee had v.ntcen to^gay tbat ktt husband end hca-jclf \>\i.ild be there btf ae^vii io the ev<.*ipg, and Jin. Derwent <j»ul, uiturally enough, fce> would want something W> eat. " I should j, f. t ', with ham ai-il attUsaßes," %td Hettiu, who had ft gvc >t h\u.i> for those daintier. Her mother agreed, ol>sirviG c ' to John Dervrent that Hettie really wa» v blessing to them, she was so quick and : o decided, so ready of resource. Mr. Dexweut <iid aot sea mu<ih resource in sausages, but h*s said nothing. At a quarter to sevon the whole family asaeaibied m great fSrce in the frout parlor, and it was utmost as gcod aa a pi'-ty, Hettie said. Mid. Derwent looked round doubtluHy. 11 1 almost thiHk," she said, " that we ought to have a little wine." 11 A bottle of she»ry at one-and-sir," said the dafloing-master; "it would hare leokod btttej." " We have no deoantars, papa," Raid Fraok, the hope of the family ; " those who eannet afford decanters should not buy wine." He was instantly ordered to be sMent. t "The bare idea," Mra. Dersrent said, "of a boy like him interfering at a time like this." Then Mrs. Derweat declared that she felt qujte weak — tho excitement was really too much for her. She had never expected A daughter of Hera to marry bo well. Upon which Miss Hottie said, quickly : " Ah, that simply means an excuse fer having a little ' weak brandy and water,' mamma. I will get it for you." Bat all further sensation was put an end ro; a carriage d«w up to the door. Mrs. Derwent just i)cep?d out of the corner of file window, then eat down, looking very muoh overcome. >" Hettifc" she aaid, " I am all in a ttemble. ft is a private earrktge. What writ the aeighi bow say ?" "No CHQ caie V replied Hettio ; " bjat if Vlice has marri^ nome one well off, she is art angel, mamma, and I do not hesitate to siay so." " I do not see that marrying a rich rjoso makes her an angel," said Rose, quietly, (fo be continued.)