Gladys, the Reaper

tters of interest to her, and those belonging to her. In a small bedroom over a little huckster's shop, an old man lies dangerously ill. By his side is seat

ntains apparently few comforts for o

ut, and returns, almost immediately, followed by Rowland Prothero. H

shed to see Row

takes the seat vacated

Howel. They are cousins of the Protheros, Mrs Jenkins being Mr Prothero's first c

Rowland kneels beside his bed, the better to hear what he has to say. He appears, however t

back, Mr Rowland, and

ar it; it must be a g

l be spending my money that I have

do good with it

er! Spend the beauty gold! Will you pr

ould it not be better to pray to God to guide

o keen black eyes upon him, and, as he half raised himself in bed, displayed a withered face, the

ou your father there's more gold than he is thinking of; and Howel'll be a husband for any one, mu

you say, there can be no objection; but he must prove it first. Would you like me to rea

n mortgages on Davies, Llansadwn, and Rees, Llanarthney-there's more on loan to Griffiths, Pontardewé,-Jones, Glantewey,-Pugh the draper, Ll

r you, Uncle Griff; or

ome of it. But you may be writing down a little. Here, in that che

nd fumbling amongst them, gave one to Rowland, with which he o

ck!' cried the old man, again h

nd was utterly astonished to find that he had soon written down between sixty and seventy thousa

th Jenkins, ten thousand pound out of the aforesa

all, Uncl

ha'n't sa

e box o

owland's hand, and fixed

what there is, without the box, and without more mortgages and loans; but don't you

nd pr

fell back

soon you may be called to your account, to say exactly

e, six, even ten per cent.; none wrapped up in a napki

u? Think; oh think, of the great Judge, and great Med

nds, and looked upwards, in unutterable

to die, but you

ed with a candle in her hand. The old man r

e-candle,'

ast drawing in, Mr

r effort to rise and extinguish it himself. 'The ruling passion st

e for the dying. The terrified wife knelt down by the bed in the deep gloom, and in the stil

th and life of him who had made gold his god. For some time they feared to rekindle the light, but at last they ventured. It was but to witness the last dread pangs of one who had made wife

in. Light and dark were alike to him. Save that he grasped something in his right hand with an iron hold, rea

death was deserted, and the wretched clay of the miser, decently covered with a white sheet, lay heavy and still, where t

begun and continued for half-a-century or more, sat the widow, surrounded by a sc

and had endured patiently all these years what seemed past endurance in expectation of the closing scene. She had married and lived upon the prospect of his death, and it was come at last; and now that it was come, the awfulness of that last struggle overpowered her, and she wept and lamented as copiously as if

old woman soothingly, as the widow rocked herself

tea,' said another, 'it

soul,' said a third, whose conscience

said a fourth, entering with a comfortable glass of

will be to you now!' sa

n and water; 'but I am seeing no use in takking on so. When John Jones died, he was leaving me with ten children, and they h

of it. Revived by the beverage, she responded to the condolences of her friends by more rockings, sobs,

ne from another, when he was no bigger than that," says I, to my poor Griffey; "oh, annwyl! we have only wan child, let him be a clargy, or a 'torney, or a doctor, or something smart," and says he, "I can't afford it." He was rather near or so, you know, was my poor Griffey; but I never was letting him rest day or night, and the only thing he wasn't liking was being much talked over. So says I, "Come you, Jinkins, bach,"-he liked t

al instrument seems to have met with a companion in this tiny apartment. Here are a violin, violoncello, horn, and cornopean; there an old Welsh harp and unstrung guitar. On this shelf are pipes of all sorts and sizes, forms, and nations-the straight English, the short German, and the long Turkish; on that are cigar-boxes, snuff-boxes, and tobacco-boxes of various kinds and appearances. Scattered about the room are play-books without number, from Shakspeare to the dramatists of the p

eat things of its inmate. All we shall here say is that he is one who has t

with a tendency to curl; he has what might be termed poetical eyes, bright, piercing, and very restless; the sharp, aquiline nose of his father, slightly modified; and a mouth and brow which curl and knit in a manner that may be poetic, but might be disagreeable, under less soothing influences. That he is ve

h a time. He, too, is sufficiently good-looking, with an open, though grave, cast of countenance, fine, soft, hazel eyes, and a tall, manly figure. By 'sufficiently good-looking,' I

as well as at the more advanced grammar school of their little town. Howel was always able to beat Rowland in swiftness, whilst Rowland effectually distanced Howel in the long run. It was Rowl

o an attorney-but is in no apparent danger of becoming one-has written various articles for the county papers, and has had the pleasure of seeing them printed; has acquired a smattering of several languages, and various styles of music; and has proved himself an admired beau amongst the ladie

ubtless be seen hereafter, for, at four or five and twen

ered by his uncle and aunt into a resolution, when he grew old enough to resolve. As they very nearly adopted and educated him

since they managed to gain a scholarship at school, which helped him at Oxford. He was called proud and obstinate, and he was both. Pride and obstinacy were the

unnoticed. His friends do not anticipate anything remarkable, but they expect him to be slow and sure. He did very well at college, but ga

ome mental peculiarity, he cannot fall in with those who are immediately about him; and consequently i

else, the course of years will show th

d still in one of his rapid walks across the room, 'you

ly. 'At present, all I wish you to do is to pay your debts,

e my own master now. At all events, I can

r good, now that you are your own

what he was, and, I suppose, nobody expects me to live in the same l

e was you

urn as others do for a parent, you will be disappointed. He never showed me one t

andsomely provided for, and with his last w

that I am not steady? But how do

e was worth. I will give it you at

not

. Part of his property is written down, but a box of gold and some other sums he did not name. After that last sad scene one can s

pression that I was not shocked and frightened with what we have just seen. It is one thing to read

th if you would

orward to some enjoyment without robbing my own father, or getting my mother to

l began his restless walk again.

ly broke in Howel

ank you,' answere

or a long time? will y

promise

me cannot be mentioned to my cousin? I wi

e unkind. If only you would give up your old l

the paper you wrote for my father, and

y you may know that I wish you well. I

me one else! I cannot bear to be al

t me rea

n the corner of the room. Rowland took a small Testame

eading Howel