In the Year of Jubilee

he completion of fifty years of Progress. National Progress, without precedent in the history of mankind! One may say, indeed, Progress of the Human Race. Only

ancy and Jessica listened to him. They were ready to start on the evening's expedition, but Hora

nce between our newspapers, all our periodicals of to-day, and those fifty years ago. Did you ever really consider, Miss. Morgan, what a marvellous thing one of our great newspa

his pointed nose; glistened in his prominent eyes. He had a tall, lank figure, irreproachably clad in a suit of grey: frock coat, and waistcoat revealing an expanse o

inese Empire, with four hundred MILLION inhabitant

u know?' a

t's one of the benefits one gets from Carlyle. Carlyle teaches one to see the marvellous in everyday life. Of course in many things I don't agree with him, but I

d moved his lips as if sav

were put end to end,'-he paused between the words, gravely,-

no idea, M

sitively! Forty

u know?' a

stated i

mby beamed upon them with the benevolence of a m

which usually distinguished him; his face was stained with perspiratio

I am. Are

ou have kept us waiti

. Couldn't ge

her the command of his tongue, an

hat. 'Seven o'clock. We ought to be at Charing Cross

ancy to follow with her brother, as they walked rapidly towards Camberwell Green. Horace kept humming popular airs; his h

er the procession. We had a splendid vie

anny g

here; you don't want me to-night. You won't mind if I get lost

to meet her aga

ce n

say, Barmby, just a moment; if any of us should get sepa

's no fear

h, you know. Suppose we say the place where the trams stop, s

s agree

am-car bells. Public-houses sent forth their alcoholic odours upon the hot air. Samuel Barmby, joyous in his protectorship of two yo

would rather be outside, wouldn't yo

y mood, Nancy would have resented this hustling of her person by the profane public; as it was, she half enjoyed the tumult, and looked forward to get more of it along the packed streets, with a sense that she might as well amuse herself in vulga

the Soap and the Jam-'God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoso believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' Nancy perused the passage without perception of incongr

ssica Morgan. She caught

o, it's the Greenland birch. Its full-grown height is only

jest seemed to involve her in too much familiarity with Mr Barmby; f

s, and walk about, with intervals devoted to refreshments, for several hours more. Beyond sat a working-man, overtaken with liquor, who railed vehemently at the Jubilee, and in no measured terms gave his opinion of our Sovereign Lady; the whole thing was a 'lay,' an occasion for filling the Royal pocket, and it had succeeded to the tune of something like half a million of m

as still broad daylight; the sun-a potentate who keeps no Jubilee-dropping westward amid t

to leave us?' Nancy i

, or somewhere

y me ti

but Nancy turned and bade him attend upon Miss. Morgan, saying that she wished to talk with her

pular leader planning a great demonstration. 'Miss. Lord, we will be direc

ter? Let us go straight on and

elves up to the occasion! We can't be wron

d girls, who yelled in chorus the popular son

not forget me, Think s

his enthusiasms of the Young Men's Debating Society. The glow of midsummer had entered into her blood; she resolved to taste independence, to mingle with the limitl

he broad pavement at Whiteh

see you here? Shouldn't have dared to think

to know him at the house of Mrs. Peachey, where from time to time she had met various people unrecognised in her own home. His tongue bewrayed him for a native of some northern county; his manner had no polish, bu

sked, when he saw that Miss. Lord

ven a glance at her

oing our way,

Miss. Morgan, of whom he sought information con

told me you cared no more for the Jubilee than for a dog-fight. Of course I wasn't surprised; you'v

t care for

I'm not so prejudiced as to deny that. He's the kind of chap I should like to get hold of, and have a bit of a talk with, and ask him what he thought abo

Jubilee specul

e on record waiting for the man who can supply the drink for total-abstainers. And this friend of mine had it. He gave me some to taste one night, about a month ago, and I roared with delight. It was all arranged. I undertook to find enough capital to start with, and to manage the concern. I would have given up my work with Bullock and Freeman.

hy

d anywhere. And to think that he had absolutely struck oil, as they say; had nothing to do but sit down and count the money as it came in! That's the third man I've known go wrong in less than a year. Betting and embezzlement; betting and burglary; be

d and indignant that this acquaintance of Miss. Lord's was not presented to

rsation, and had dropped behind, at this point found an opportuni

ere's your

t say anything. Will you do

I will. W

sued in a

er it is really Fanny, or some one else. He said they were to meet in front of the

e la

ut how am I to

Street at nine o'clock,-by Pete

round at that moment, saw him go. Engrossed in thought of Nan

g any further?' he said,

N

r. Lord?' excl

ered from both male companions, made light of the matter; Horace could take care of himself; they h

d, she rather liked him; but his presence would have hindered the escape for which she was preparing. Poor Jessica might feel it something of a hardship to pass hours alone with

d of thing? The popular taste wants educating. My idea is that we ought to get a few leading men Burne Jones and-and William Morris-and people of that kin

nything popular,' Jes

we who enjoy advantages of education, of culture, ought not to allow them to

o to see the proces

r example; I mean this morning; of course I wouldn't have missed this evening for anything whatever. But somehow, one feels it a sort of duty to see something of these great public holid

proposed a return westwards; the clubs of Pall Mall and of St James's Str

berality, 'we must think of some light refreshment. We

sweep her away. In Pall Mall, Barmby felt it incumbent upon him to name the several clubs, a task for which he was inadequately prepared. As he stood staring in doubt at one of the coldly insolent facades, Jessica gazing in the same direction,

acked her more tightly among the tramping populace. A procession, this, greatly more significant than that of Royal personages earlier in the day. Along the main thoroughfares of mid-London, wheel-traffic was now suspended; between the houses moved a double current of humanity, this way and that, filling the whole space, so that no vehicle could possibly have made its way on the wonted track. At junctions, pickets of police direc

id not think, and her emotions differed little from those of any shop-girl let loose. The 'culture,' to which she laid claim, ev

ough it were a matter of course. The young man, scrutinising her with much freedom, shaped clerkly compliments, and, in his fashion, grew lyrical; until, at a certain remark which he permitted himself, Nancy felt it time to shake him off. Her next encounter was more noteworthy.

e me alone,' said Nancy, loo

ed struck by her manner of speech,-'of

ary to speak to a polic

and fell aside. And Nancy felt that, af

any for the next hour, until she chose to bring the escapade to an end. And indeed, save by a disagreeable struggle, she could hardly change the direction of her steps. It was probably past nine; Crewe might have got tired of waiting, or