The Squire of Sandal-Side

im,-a special provi

nd yet love may

es she whom

monials, the excessive eating and visiting, would have been pronounced by every one very tiresome. Julius found it partic

arisome pretence of good wishes that mean nothing,"

bliged once in a twelve months to be good-natured, and give our neighbors a

hes mean

words are false words. There is a deal of goo

crocodiles remarked, 'Words mend

y will doubt a good wish that is father to a handsome gift; so, if you don't believe in good words, you have a very reliable substitute in good deeds. I saw how you looked when I said 'A merry Chris

as constantly put. "Your father and brother have been examining timber, and looking at the out-houses this morning, and I understand they were discussing the building of a conservatory for Charlotte; but I was left out of the conversation entirely. Is it fair, Sophia? You and I are the next heirs, and just as likely to inherit as Harry. More so,

e his conse

nd he was quite unreasonable when I alluded to money matters. I would not have believed that your father was capable of being so disagreeably haughty. Of course, I expected him to say something about our rights, failing Harr

Father would always do right. What I feel most is the refusal to give us our own apartments in Seat-Sandal.

But never mind, Sophia. I have always had an impression that this was my home. The first moment I crossed t

dea that they were being badly used. They talked over the squire's injustice, Mrs. Sandal's indifference to every one but Harry, and Charlotte's envy, until they had persuaded themselves that they were the only respectable and intell

airs of the estate with him, and this was not a kind of conversation they felt inclined to make general. It took them long solitary walks to the different "folds," and several times as far as

nd fears, and his promotion or marriage, were enough to fill the mother's heart. She was by no means oblivious of Sophia's new interests, she only thought that they could be put aside until Harry's short visit was over; and Charlotte's sympathies were also with Harry. "Julius and Sophia d

d pacing slowly up and down under the bare branches of the oaks. For a moment he also seemed annoyed at her intrusion on his solitude; but the next one he had tucked her arm through his own, and was looking with brother

, I begged her not to slight Sophia in such a way as that,-Sophia being the elder, you know, Harry. I cried about it until she was almost angry with me. Julius offered his hand to me first; and t

you would,

is tolerance. Many a time a day I have to tell myself that father is still alive, and

quire of Sandal-Side. He has doomed me to death in his own mind; and I believ

will be room enough and welcome enough for your

ome one else far away better,-millio

Harry. Have y

t think he will b

t w

re many

ch

is

we are not rich. But she is not your inferior

nd in all England there is

t be pleased. I am sure, Harry, that I shall love

ovingly down into her bright, earnest face. There was no n

ked you first

es

not have him? W

lius, and I did li

o is the so

head. In the folds and in the fields he is a master. His heart is gentle to all, and full of love for me. He has spirit, dint,[6]

h-count

u think I would m

rland

o e

arley, you might go farther, and fare w

but I

en are wort

want you to lik

chums. He is a fine fellow, and no mistake. I am glad he is to be my brother. I asked mother about

oin him, Charley," he said. "Every one is doing something of the kind now. Land and sheep do not make money fast enough for the wants of our present life. The income of the estate is no larger than it was in grandfather

us to do with

promise, Sophia's right with interest will be near three thousand pounds, exclusive of her share in the money grandmother left you. I am sorry to say that I have had something to do with making it hard for

g from his pocket an ivory miniature. He gave it to Charlotte, and watched her face with a

wered in a voice full of e

ountenance o

." Then Charlotte lifted the pictured face to her lips. Their confidence was complete; and th

marriage in the family," Sophia said, "and I think there ought to be a great deal of interest felt in it." And there was. Grandmother Sandal's awmries were opened for old laces and fine cambric, and petticoats and spencers of silks wonderful in quality and color, and guiltles

iked to think that he made Charlotte sorry for her rejection of his love, and wistfully anxious for the rings and bracelets that were the portion of his betrothed. Sophia soon found out that this idea flattered and pleased him, and it gave her neither shame nor regret to indorse it. She loved no one but Julius, and she made a kind of merit

serenity of her happy home was disturbed by a multitude of new elements, for an atmosphere of constant expectation gave a restless tone to its usual placid routine. And

ering drifts away; the cloudless moonlight nights, full of that awful, breathless quiet that broods in land-locked dales,-all of them, and all of Nature's moods, had become inexpressibly, monotonously wearisome before the change ca

, w

s, can spring

s she stood watchin

fells, and the yellow primroses blowing under all the hedges. I want to see th

never was so tired o

difference lately,

ll was, that it might have been so different. Why had the lovers set themselves apart from the family, had secrets and consultations and interests they refused to share? How had it happened that Sophia had come to consider her welfare as apart from, and in opposition to, that of

with a sad air of apology. "I have noticed even the ro

l the straw you can, and put it down at the foot of our tree; but don't dare to peep into the branches, or offer us any suggestions about the nest,

ver loved by any human heart before! They would think that she never had been happy before. Nay, then, she sets more store by the few nick-nacks Julius has given her than all I have bought her for twenty years. When

and two sprang into Charlotte's to meet them. She clas

e you better. You are my first love; the very first creature I remember, father. One summer day you had me in you

mmer day, Charl

of scent. I can smell them yet. The sunshine, the roses, the sweet

ome new make of children. I could not have believed then, that they would ever give me a heartache, or have one themselv

and save a little. Mother and you and

l be the losing of all I have to send away. It is very

thought, as she picked her way among the stones and débris of the winter storms. The country was yet bare; the trees had no leaves, no nests, no secrets; but she could see the sap running into the branches, making them dark red, scarlet, or yellow as rods of gold. Higher up, the p

he lifted her head, and saw her. Their meeting was free from all demonstration; only a smile, and a word or two of welcome, and yet how conscious of affection! How satisfied both women were! Ducie went on with her task, and Charlotte stood by her side, and watched her drop the brown seeds into

little fear and annoyance came into her face. "You a North-country woman, Ducie," she said, "and yet going to bring sn

hink of flowers that way,-m

grave. It is ill-luck to bring them where there is life and love and warmth. It will do you no harm to mind me; so be said, Ducie. Besides, I wouldn't pull them anyway. There was little Grace Lewthwaite, she was always gathering the poo

llid blooms almost remorsefully back upon the earth from which she had taken them. A strange melancholy filled her heart; although the

ngs that might be better. I thought when he went to Bradford," continued Ducie, "that he would at least be learning something that he might be the better of in the long end; and that in a mill he would over-get his notions about sheepskins being spun into golden fleeces. But h

the small, womanly ruse, and waited no other answer. "What is the matter with the squire, Charlotte? Does he think that Stephen isn't good enough to marry you? I'll not say that Latrigg evens Sandal in

of Julius. As for myself, I felt as if Julius had been invited to Seat-Sandal that he might make his choice of us; and I took good care that he should understand from the first hour that I wa

han sweet-hearting. I hear tell that he is very rich; but Steve is not poor,-no, not by a good deal. His grandfather and I have been saving for h

hall marry Steve i

er. Have you heard a word about Steve's father? My trouble is long dead and buried, but there are some tha

u ran away with

, I

d mother opposed you

at also

d, called Matt Pattison, y

that

killed yo

; it was a wet, cold morning, with gusts of wind driving the showers like a solid sheet eastward. We had a hard fight up the breast of the mountain; and the house looked bleak and desolate, for the men were all in the barn threshing, and the women in the kitchen at the butter-troughs. I stood in the porch to catch my breath, and take my plaid from around the child; and I heard father in a loud, solemn voice saying the Collect,-father always spoke in that way when he was saying the Confession

and kissed him again and again, and from that moment he loved him with all his soul. He never cast up to me the wrong I had done; and by and by I told him all that had happened to me, and we neve

ther trusts in. Besides, Stephen is too proud and too honorable to have any underhand courting. When he can walk in and out Seat

e, now, they are not very pleasant to him. I remem

m. The brave fellows, travelling the mountain-tops in the fiercest storms to fold the sheep, or seek some stray or weakly lamb, are very different from the lank, white-faced mannikins all finger-ends for a bit of machinery; aren't they,

. The squire and I are old, old friends. Why, we pulled primroses together in the very meadow Steve thought of building in! I'm not the woman to put a mill before a friend, oh, no! And in the long end I

for a deal falls to my oversight now." And she rose quickly fr

the sheep up

hear the ti

at wander o

bells the s

ily the sou

e shepherd o

sheep! Their

over all

gill and ta

what their

e sheep upon

it with a low, sweet monotony that recalled, one knew not how or why, the co

and it annoyed her the more, because she found every one pleasantly excited over a box of presents that had just arrived from India for Sophia. She knew that her depression would be interpreted by some as envy and jealousy, and she resented the false position it put her in; and yet she found it impossi

amount of "claim" in them, which no one liked very well to submit to. And yet it was difficult to resist demands enforced by such remarks as, "It is the last time I shall ask for such a thing;" "One expects their own people to take a little interest

house inside out. As for the gloomy old church, it looked like a festal place, with flowers and gay clothing and smiling faces. It was the express wish of Sophia that none of the company should wear white. "That distinction," she said, "ought to be res

dream of,

ants and the villagers; and the tin-tin-tabula of the wedding-peals. Before four o'clock the last guest had departed, and the squire stood with his wife and Charlotte wear

and sleep. Then Charlotte called the servants, men and women, and removed every trace of the ceremony, and all that was unusual or extravagant. She set the simplest of meals; she managed in some wa

ipe to this sense, and was happie

ly one more daughter to marry. I should think a matter of three

such a bride or such a bridal in Sandal-Side before. Still, I am tired, and I feel just as if I had h

g, a christening brings us a feast. On the Sabbath we say our li

we will both feel better after a ni

ght, which was, "Nay, nay; we have mortgaged to-morrow. Debt and fear, and the penalties of