bond of common poverty has drawn together one human being any real authority over anin a way that large, well-to-do home circles other-personal character. can never quite understand. "We must not let the boy remain in debt; it would be such a disgrace to the family." "It is not the remaining in debt, but the incurring of it, which is the real disgrace to Ascott and the family." "Hush, Hilary," said Johanna, pointing to the opening door; but it was too late. Elizabeth, coming suddenly in, or else the ladies had been so engrossed with their conversation, that they had not noticed her, -had evidently heard every word of the last sentence. Her conscious face showed it; more especially the bright scarlet which covered both her cheeks when Miss Leaf said "Hush!" She stood, apparently irresolute as to whether she should run away again; and then her native honesty got the upper hand, and she advanced into the room. "If you please, missis, I didn't mean tobut I've heard "What have you heard — that is, how much?" "Just what Miss Hilary said. Don't be afeard. I sha'n't tell. I never chatter about the family. Mother told me not." Therefore, though the family means were narrowed, and the family luxuries few, Elizabeth cheerfully put up with all; she even felt a sort of pride in wasting nothing and in making the best of everything as the others did. Perhaps, it may be said, she was an exceptional servant: and yet I would not do her class the wrong to believe so—I would rather believe that there are many such among it; many good, honest, faithful girls, who only need good mistresses unto whom to be honest and faithful, and they would be no less so than Elizabeth Hand. The months went by-heavy and anxious months; for the school gradually dwindled away, and Ascott's letter-now almost the only connection his aunts had with the outer world, for poverty necessarily diminished even their small Stowbury society-became more and more unsatisfactory; and the want of information in them was not supplied by those other letters, which had once kept Johanna's heart easy concerning the boy. Mr. Lyon had written once before sailing, nay, after sailing, for he had sent it home by the pilot from the English Channel: then there was, of course, silence. October, No"You owe a great deal, Elizabeth, to your vember, December, January, February, good mother. Now go away." March-how often did Hilary count the "And another time," said Miss Selina, months, and wonder how soon a letter could "knock at the door." come, whether a letter ever would come again! And sometimes-the sharp present stinging her with its small daily pains, the future looking dark before her and them all This was Elizabeth's first initiation into what many a servant has to share-the secret burden of the family. After that day, though they did not actually confide in her, her mistresses used no effort to conceal that they had cares; that the domestic economies must, this winter, be especially studied; there must be no extra fires, no candles left" My good days are done." burning to waste; and once a week or so, a few butterless breakfasts or meatless dinners must be partaken of cheerfully, in both parlor and kitchen. The Misses Leaf never stinted their servant in anything in which they did not stint themselves. she felt so forlorn, so forsaken, that but for a certain tiny wellspring of hope, which rarely dries up till long after three-andtwenty, she could have sat down and sighed, Strange to say, in spite of Miss Selina's prophecies, the girl's respectful conduct did not abate; on the contrary, it seemed to increase. The nearer she was lifted to her mistresses' level the more her mind grew, so that she could better understand her mistresses' cares, and the deeper became her consciousness of the only thing which gives Rich people break their hearts much sooner than poor people; that is, they more easily get into that morbid state which is glorified by the term, " a broken heart." Poor people cannot afford it. Their constant labor "physics pain." Their few and narrow pleasures seldom pall. Holy poverty! black as its dark side is, it has its bright side too, that is, when it is honest, fearless, free from selfishness, wastefulness, and bickerings ; above all, free from the terror of debt. "We'll starve-we'll go into the workhouse rather than we'll go into debt!” cried Hilary once, in a passion of tears, when she was in sore want of a shawl, and Selina urged notonous life of the three sisters at Stowbury her to get it, and wait till she could pay for it. "Yes; the workhouse! It would be less shame to be honorably indebted to the laws of the land than to be meanly indebted, under false pretences, to any individual in it." And when, in payment for some accidental lessons, she got next month enough money to buy a shawl, and a bonnet too-nay, by great ingenuity, another bonnet for Johanna -Hilary could have danced and sung, sung, in the gladness and relief of her heart, the glorious euthanasia of poverty. But these things happened only occasionally; the daily life was hard still, ay, very hard, even though at last came the letter from "foreign parts;" and following it, at regular intervals, other letters. They were full of facts rather than feelings, simple, straightforward; worth little as literary compositions; schoolmaster and learned man as he was, there was nothing literary or poetical about Mr. Lyon; but what he wrote was like what he spoke, the accurate reflection of his own clear original mind and honest tender heart. His letters gave none the less comfort because, nominally, they were addressed to Johanna. This might have been from some crotchet of over-reserve, or delicacy, or honor -the same which made him part from her for years, with no other word than, "You must trust me, Hilary;" but whatever it was she respected it, and she did trust him. And whether Johanna answered his letters or not, month by month they unfailingly came, keeping her completely informed of all his proceedings, and letting out, as epistles written from over the seas often do, much more of himself and his character than he was probably aware he betrayed. nothing was changed: - except. perhaps, Elizabeth, who had grown quite a woman; might have passed almost for thirty; so solidly old-fashioned were her figure and her manners. Ascott Leaf had finished his walking the hospitals and his examinations, and was now fitted to commence practice for himself. His godfather had still continued his allowance, though once or twice, when he came down to Stowbury, he had asked his aunts to help him in some small debts-the last time in one a little more serious; when, after some sad and sore consultation, it had been resolved to tell him he must contrive to live within his own allowance. For they were poorer than they used to be; many more schools had arisen in the town, and theirs had dwindled away. It was becoming a source of serious anxiety whether they could possibly make ends meet; and when, the next Christmas, Ascott sent them a fivepound note-an actual five-pound note, together with a fond, grateful letter that was worth it all-the aunts were deeply thankful, and very happy. But still the school declined. One night they were speculating upon the causes of this, and Hilary was declaring, in a half-jocular, half-earnest way, that it must be because a prophet is never a prophet in his own country. "The Stowbury people will never believe how clever I am. Only, it is a useless sort of cleverness, I fear. Greek, Latin, and mathematics are no good to infants under seven, such as Stowbury persists in sending to us.” 66 They think I am only fit to teach little children—and perhaps it is true," said Miss Leaf. "I wish you had not to teach at all. I wish I was a daily governess-I might be, and earn enough to keep the whole family; only, not here." And Hilary, whose sole experience of mankind had been the scarcely remembered father, the too-well-remembered brother, and the anxiously watched nephew, thanked God that there seemed to be one man in the world "I wonder," said Johanna thoughtfully, whom a woman could lean her heart upon," if we shall have to make a change." and not feel the support break like a reed beneath her-one man whom she could entirely believe in, and safely and sacredly trust. CHAPTER VIII. TIME slipped by. Robert Lyon had been away more than three years. But in the mo "A change!" It almost pained the elder sister to see how the younger brightened up at the word. "Where to-London? Oh, I have so longed to go and live in London! But I thought you would not like it, Johanna." That was true. Miss Leaf, whom feeble health had made prematurely old, would willingly have ended her days in the familiar town ;-but Hilary was young and strong. Johanna called to mind the days when she too had felt that rest was only another name for dulness; and when the most difficult thing possible to her was what seemed now so easy to sit down and endure. round the table, none of them apparently liking to be the first to comment upon it. At length Hilary said, "I think that reference to poor Henry is perfectly brutal." "And yet he was very kind to Henry. And if it had not been for his common sense in sending poor little Ascott and the nurse down to Stowbury, the baby might have died. But you don't remember anything of that time, my dear," said Johanna, sighing. 66 "He has been kind enough, though he has done it in such a patronizing way," observed Selina. "I suppose that's the real reason of his doing it. He thinks it fine to patronize us, and show kindness to our family; he, the stout, bullet-headed grocer's boy, who used to sit and stare at us all church-time." Besides, unlike herself, Hilary had her life all before her. It might be a happy life, safe in a good man's tender keeping: those unfailing letters from India seemed to prophesy that it would. But no one could say. Miss Leaf's own experience had not led her to place much faith in either men or happiness. Still, whatever Hilary's future might be, it would likely be a very different one from that quiet, colorless life of hers. And as she looked at her young sister, with the twilight glow on her face-they were taking an even- "At you, you mean. Wasn't he called ing stroll up and down the terrace-Johanna your beau?" said Hilary, mischievously, hoped and prayed it might be so. Her own upon which Selina drew herself up in great lot seemed easy enough for herself; but for indignation. Hilary-she would like to see Hilary something better than a poor schoolmistress at Stowbury. No more was said at that time, but Johanna had the deep, still, Mary-like nature, which "kept" things, and "pondered them in her heart;" so that when the subject came up again she was able to meet it with that sweet calmness which was her especial characteristic-the unruffled peace of a soul which no worldly storms could disturb overmuch, for it had long since cast anchor in the world unseen. The chance which revived the question of the Great Metropolitan Hegira, as Hilary called it, was a letter from Mr. Ascott, as follows: "MISS LEAF. “MADAM,—I shall be obliged by your informing me if it is your wish, as it seems to be your nephew's, that instead of returning to Stowbury, he should settle in London as a surgeon and general practitioner ? And then they fell to talking of that anxious question-Ascott's future. A little they reproached themselves that they had left the lad so long in London-so long out of the influence that might have counteracted the evil, sharply hinted in his godfather's letter. But once away-to lure him back to their poor home was impossible. "Suppose we were to go to him," suggested Hilary. The poor and friendless possess one great advantage-they have nobody to ask advice of; nobody to whom it matters much what they do or where they go. The family mind has but to make itself up, and act accordingly. Thus within an hour or two of the receipt of Mr. Ascott's letter, Hilary went into the kitchen, and told Elizabeth that as soon as her work was done, Miss Leaf wished to have a little talk with her. "Eh! what's wrong? Has Miss Selina been a-grumbling at me?" Elizabeth was in one of her bad humors, "His education complete, I consider that which, though of course they never ought to I have done my duty by him : but I may assist him occasionally still, unless he turns have, servants do have as well as their supeout-as his father did before him-a young riors. Hilary perceived this, by the way she man who prefers being helped to helping threw the coals on, and tossed the chairs himself, in which case I shall have nothing about. But to-day her heart was full of far more to do with him. I remain, madam, more serious cares than Elizabeth's ill-temyour obedient servant, per. She replied composedly, "PETER ASCOTT." ་ "I have not heard that either of my sisThe sisters read this letter, passing it ters is displeased with you. What they THIRD SERIES. LIVING AGE. 927 want to talk to you about is for your own good. We are thinking of making a great change. We intend leaving Stowbury, and going to live in London." "Going to live in London!" Now, quick as her tact and observation were her heart taught her these things Elizabeth's head was a thorough Saxon one, slow to receive impressions. It was a family saying, that nothing was so hard as to put a new idea into Elizabeth, except to get it out again. For this reason Hilary preferred paving the way quietly; before startling her with the sudden intelligence of their contemplated change. 66 Well, what do you say to the plan?" asked she, good-humoredly. "I dunnot like it at all," was the brief gruff answer of Elizabeth Hand. Now it was one of Miss Hilary's doctrines, that no human being is good for much unless he or she has what is called "a will of one's own." Perhaps this, like many another creed, was with her the result of circumstances. But she held it firmly. With that exaggerated one-sidedness of feeling which any bitter family or personal experience is sure to leave behind a strong will was her first attraction to everybody. It had been so in the case of Robert Lyon: and not less in Elizabeth's. But this quality has its inconveniences. When the maid began sweeping up her hearth with a noisy angry gesture, the mistress did the wisest and most dignified thing a mistress could do under the circumstances, and which she knew was the sharpest rebuke she could administer to the sensitive Elizabeth-she immediately quitted the kitchen. For an hour after, the parlor bell did not ring; and though it was washing-day, no Miss Hilary appeared to help in folding up the clothes. Elizabeth, subdued and wretched, waited till she could wait no longer; then knocked at the door, and asked humbly if she should bring in supper. The extreme kindness of the answer-to the effect that she must come in, as they wanted to speak to her, crushed the lingering fragments of ill-humor out of the girl. "Miss Hilary has told you our future plans, Elizabeth; now we wish to have a little talk with you about yours." "Eh ? " "We conclude you will not wish to go with us to London; and it would be hardly advisable you should. You can get higher wages now than any we can afford to give you; indeed, we have more than once thought of telling you so, and offering you your choice of trying for a better place." "You're very kind," was the answer, stolid rather than grateful. "No; I think we are merely honest. We should never think of keeping a girl upon lower wages than she was worth. Hitherto, however, the arrangement has been quite fair-you know, Elizabeth, you have given us a deal of trouble in the teaching of you." And Miss Leaf smiled, half sadly, as if this, the first of the coming changes, hurt her more than she liked to express. "Come, my girl," she added, "you needn't look so serious. We are not in the least vexed with you; we shall be very sorry to lose you, and we will give you the best of characters when you leave." "I dunnot-mean-to leave." Elizabeth threw out the words like pellets, in a choked fashion, and disappeared suddenly from the parlor. "Who would have thought it!" exclaimed Selina; "I declare the girl was crying." No mistake about that; though when, a few minutes after, Miss Hilary entered the kitchen, Elizabeth tried in a hurried, shamefaced way to hide her tears by being very busy over something. Her mistress took no notice, but began, as usual on washingdays, to assist in various domestic matters, in the midst of which she said quietly,— "And so, Elizabeth, you would really like to go to London ? " "No! I shouldn't like it at all; never said I should. But if you go, I shall go too; though missis is so ready to get shut o' me." "It was for your own good, you know." "You always said it was for a girl's good to stop in one place; and if you think I'm going to another-I aren't, that's all." Rude as the form of the speech was-almost the first rude speech that Elizabeth had ever made to Miss Hilary, and which under other circumstances she would have felt bound severely to reprove, the mistress passed it over. That which lay beneath it, the sharpness of wounded love, touched her heart. She felt that for all the girl's rough manner, it would have been hard to go into soon to be familiar no more-thinking anxher London kitchen, and meet a strange Lon-iously, in spite of herself, upon those two or don face, instead of that fond homely one of three years, and what they might bring. Elizabeth. It happened to be a notable day-that Still, she thought it right to explain to sunshiny 28th of June-when the little, her, that London life might have many diffi-round-cheeked damsel, who is a grandculties, that, for the present at least, her mother now, had the crown of three kingwages could not be raised, and the family doms first set upon her youthful head; and might at first be in even more straitened cir- Stowbury, like every other town in the land, cumstances than they were at Stowbury. was a perfect bower of green arches, garlands, banners; white-covered tables were spread in the open air, down almost every street, where poor men dined, or poor women drank tea; and everybody was out and abroad, looking at or sharing in the holidaymaking, wild with merriment, and brimming over with passionate loyalty to the Maiden Queen. "Only at first, though, for I hope to find plenty of pupils. And by and by our nephew will get into practice." "Is it on account of him you're going, Miss Hilary?" "Chiefly." Elizabeth gave a grunt, which said as plainly as words could say, "I thought so," and relapsed into what she, no doubt, believed to be virtuous indignation, but which, as it was testified against the wrong parties, was open to the less favorable interpretation of ill-humor-a small injustice not uncommon with us all. I do not pretend to paint this young woman as a perfect character. She had her fierce dislikes, as well as her strong fidelities; her faults within and without, which had to be struggled with-as all of us have to struggle to the very end of our days. Oftentimes not till the battle is nigh oversometimes not till it is quite over-does God give us the victory. Without more discussion on either side, it was agreed that Elizabeth should accompany her mistresses. Even Mrs. Hand seemed to be pleased thereat, her only doubt being lest her daughter should meet and be led astray by that bad woman Mrs. Cliffe, Tommy Cliffe's mother-who was reported to have gone to London. But Miss Hilary explained that this meeting was about as probable as the rencontre of two needles in a hayrick; and besides, Elizabeth was not the sort of girl to be easily "led astray" by anybody. "No, no; her's a good wench, though I says it," replied the mother, who was too hard worked to have much sentiment to spare. "I wish the little 'uns may take pattern by our Elizabeth. You'll send her home, maybe, in two or three years' time, to let us have a look at her?" Miss Hilary promised, and then took her way back through the familiar old town-so That day is now twenty-four years ago; but all those who remember it must own there never has been a day like it, when all over the country, every man's heart throbbed with chivalrous devotion, every woman's with womanly tenderness, towards this one royal girl, who-God bless her!—has lived to retain and deserve it all. Hilary called for, and protected through the crowd, the little, timid, widow lady who had taken off the Misses Leaf's hands their house and furniture, and whom they had made very happy-as the poor often can make those still poorer than themselves-by refusing to accept anything for the "good-will" of the school. Then she was fetched by Elizabeth, who had been given a whole afternoon's holiday; and mistress and maid went together home, watching the last of the festivities, the chattering groups that still lingered in the twilight streets, and listening to the merry notes of the "Triumph" which came down through the lighted windows of the Town Hall, where the openair tea-drinkers had adjourned to dance country dances, by civic permission, and in perfectly respectable jollity. "I wonder," said Hilary-while, despite some natural regret, her spirit stretched itself out eagerly from the narrowness of the place where she was born into the great, wide world; the world where so many grand things were thought and written and done; the world Robert Lyon had so long fought with, and was fighting bravely still "I wonder, Elizabeth, what sort of place London is, and what our life will be in it?" |