Magnum Bonum

r father ca

f we could

sure to mee

in might hap

you?" asked Carey, sitting u

ly well now," said Mrs. Lucas, tender

d her hand

erday and last night. It hasn't been right of me

ink you cou

les. "But I must do it all now, and I will. I'll get up now. Oh! dear, if they only would let me come down and go about quie

tion Mrs. Robert Brownlow not to be too demonstrative; but it was a delicate matter in which to inter

of her not being strong enough to get up as she proposed; but how would it

moment, and two rough-headed, dusty little figures were seen for one moment, startling Mrs. Brownlow with the notion of little beggars; but they vanished in a moment, and were heard chattering up stairs with calls of "Mother! Mother Carey!" And look

ars! How did you come

Mother we have done such a th

added Armine, "and we must gi

Carey eagerly scanning her two little boys, who had a battered, worn, unwashed look that puzzled her as much as their sudden appearance, which indeed chimed in with the strange dreamy state in which she had lived ever s

u come, my

adn't any more money," said Armine. "I'm so tired." And he nestled into

each yesterday, and we saw a little boat-Peter Lary's pretty little boat, you know, that is

Jock, how

Allen and Young Pete,"

elves!" she s

his little sister Barbara, always seemed to live where dreamland and r

ats to the beautiful country, and that we ought to go after them, and there was the bright path

mischievous black head a little, as he felt her shudde

what a fearful thing! Th

ie? and the tide was going out, and it was so jolly; it seemed to take us just where we wa

tide, carry much drift to the base of this island, and she could

; I did, mother, and I made fast the boat to a lit

nd we think it must be an instinct vol

lots of jolly little

that now. Wh

ed, "when I'd made her ever so fast. She pulled up the sti

ould not

got black flags, and it was a very, very long time, but at last, just as it got a little darkish, and Armie was crying-poor little chap-that steamer came by that always goes between Porthole and Kyvemouth on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I hailed and I hailed, and they saw or heard, and sent a boat and took us on board. The people all came an

and there was a small junction station whence a branch ran to Kyv

arried on?"

ew father would say we must buy another, so I asked the captain what

was t

rriage, and lots of things; and he said, 'What! are those poor Brownlow's boys? bless me!' and he tipped us each. Allen and Bobus were to

ld go but a little w

tarting when we got in to Porthole, and somebody got our tickets for us, and Armie went fast off to sleep, and I, when I came to think about it, thought we would not get o

travelled

us a cup of tea. Then when we came to where they take the tickets, I think the man was going to make a row, but the guard came up and told him all about it, and I gave him my two half-sovereigns, and he gav

had nothin

ot out at Charing Cross, but

t, my dear, go and order

the others be dreadfully fr

tled her mother in

Allen! They must be in a dreadful sta

, which her friends had dreaded her seeing, was on, she hardly knew how, as she bade old nurse see to Jock's washing, d

s," and plunging to the depths

ne, you

the most part whenever they met, those tears and caresses, that poor Mother Carey so much fear

ne, you

ng for a form for telegraphing, when the door was opened, and in

all I ever tell that poor

ther Carey, and as Mr. Acton en

elegraph! They are safe! t

ittle imp, while the astonishment of his uncle and a

h, and said, "You have give

legraph to Clara at once. Ring the b

it having been concluded that, if they had been seen, the boat also would have been taken in tow, and not cast loose to tell the tale. The two elder boys were almost broken-hearted, and would have been wild to come back t

er care, and refusing when he tried to persuade her to accompany him back to Kyve. Neither would Janet return with him, feeling

ng," said Aunt Ellen, "afte

aid Carey. "You would no

ty, sweet, caressing Jessie was diffe

d up by his course of adventures, that he needed her care all the rest of the day. Nor would she have been fit for anything else, for when his aunt recommended a t

wistful eyes, and even in poor little Armine's childish questions, something less like blank desolation

er companion, and she came to the breakfast table with a freshened look, though with a tremulous faintness in her voice, and she let Janet continue tea maker, scar

sure which scandalised his wife, but which he preferred to tears; and as he believed her to be a mere child in perception, he explained down to her supposed level, while she listened

give," impressively observed the Colonel, wondering at the languor of her acquiescence, a

ominal matter, a mere precaution. For my own part, I can only say that I shall be always ready

ext she was recollecting that this was no doubt the reason Joe had bidden her live at Kenminster, and in a pang of s

ed to the elder brother, and Mrs. Brownlow had sunk most of her individual property in the purchase of the house in which they lived. By the terms of Joseph's will, everything was left to Caroline unreservedly

feeling it her first and only home. "I ho

ll it to so much advantage as you would have

e practice. What he had thought the best offer was, however, rejected by her with vehemence. She was sure that Joe would never

ood practitioner and respectable man. He ma

," hastily int

" said the Colonel gravely. "Will y

st me, nothing should induce me to let that Vaug

s brother when Carey was a little impetuous or naughty, that she in

say, it may be wise to consult Dr. Lucas. Perhaps,

ine. "Have you a let

N

ch delicacy to begin about it so soon. I

he Colonel. "At the outside, you will not have more than five hundred pounds a year, and I fear you will feel mu

nts to Harry-to Dr. Drake-than to anyone, and he is just going to be married, and wan

w. "Remember that your children's interests are at s

ined than ever to submit her judgment as she said, "

the point, but whethe

!" cried Caroline, indignantl

me," exclaimed the Colonel trying hard to be gent

her in such a case would have taken a reasonable view, and placed the good of his children before any amiable desire to benefit a

Kenminster, an outlook which she contemplated as part of the darkness into which her life seemed to have suddenly dashed forward. One place would be

ack the keys he had taken from Janet, and said that perhaps she would prefer looking over the papers befor

ke each, other much the better for the interview, which had m

e papers, she sobbed with long-drawn, tearless sobs, "O father! O Joe! how could you bid me live there? He makes me worse! They will ma

gave a sort of nearness. There was a memorandum book which had been her birthday present to

sts on calling this possibility, of w

e me the power of persevering, to win, or to fail, or to lay the foundation for other men, whichever may be the best, with

y Magnum Bonum, the great good, which alone makes success or failure,

uprightness, affection, and loyalty of nature that made her anxious to do right, but devotion was duty, and not pleasure to her; she was always glad when it was over, and she was feeling that the thoughts which were said to comfort others were quite unable to reach her grief. There was no disbelief nor rebelli

rmured them over fondly, looked at them, and finally, for she was weak still and had had a bad ni

d on buying two little ships, which must necessarily be launched in the Serpentine. Their aunt could by no means endure this, and Janet did not approve, so there seemed to have been a battle royal, in which Jock would have been the victor, if h

ng there describing the intolerable naughtiness of that imp, who, not a bit abashe

lady, "that you will make them fee

lly, "I am afraid you have b

wretch, "it is just that she doesn't k

nging to his mother's skirts; "she thought

or you not to be obedient," s

couldn't

t?" both

ll in Piccadilly. Mother Carey, she t

he Duke of Bedford in th

f uncontrollable diversion in their throats, making Ja

y. I wish I could trust you to behave like a gentl

little steam-tug," and this was quite too much for all of them, producing an explosion which made the tall and stately dame look from one to another in such bewildered amazement, that struck the mother a

to her own room. Somehow Carey and Janet felt more on their ordinary terms than th

tine plans had been unjustifiable, and then she added, "My poor boy, I must punish yo

anything to me. I don't mind, if y

it of the ship, which he endured with more tolerable grace, because Armine observed, "Ne

the uncarpeted dining-room; but as she was going, Armine looked at her with his great

on her knees again to gather the little fellow

rt and Aunt Ellen," said Jock

t want many punishments. But now I must go to y

t boy, Caroline, or you will be sorry for it. My boys know that what I have said is to be done, and they know it is of no use to disobey. I am

began to perceive towards his brother's patients. Nor did he think ill of her plan respecting Dr. Drake; and said he would himself suggest the application which that gentleman was no doubt withholding from true feeling, for he had been a favourite pupil of Joe Brownlow, and had been d

aid, to which she replied, "That's ju

ld not be got ready for the family before the winter, so that the move could not take place till the spring. In the meantime, as Dr. Dra