Half a Life-time Ago

brother’s mind. She would let him go and pursue some senseless bit of play, and wait until she could catch his eye or his attention again, when she would resume her self-imposed task. Michae

ree days; but it was of no use. When he came back, he saw that she had been crying till her eyes were all swollen up, and he gathered f

’t say again that I do not love you,” sai

t, when one fine day Michael drove up in a borrowed shandry, and offered to take Willie a ride. His manner,

lose sight of the lad, and have him back sa

fterwards she remembered that he had tried to veil it from her, and had assumed a grave appearance of sorrow whenever he caught her eye. He put up his horse; for, although he had three miles further to go, the moon was up — the bonny harvest-moon — and he did not care

rew near

e’s the first doctor in the county. I thought it were better fo

e glance of satisfaction, the same instant change to apparent r

never get better

ev

r to year. And he said, if he was us — you — he would send him off in time to Lancaster Asylum. They’ve ways there both of keepin

great self-constraint, forcing herself to speak coldly

te or two, her breast heav

y clever man,” said

ay think. And I don’t thank them that went and took my poor lad to have such harsh notion

I’ll not deny they are hard words to hear, but there’s sense in them, as I take it; and I reckon you’ll have to come to ’em. A

e only ones, you see. And mother did so charge me to have a care of him! And this is what

ie is a natural. I could hate myself for being happy with you, eve

er, Susan, and remember

e heiress of Yew Nook. He, too, should have land like his brother — land to possess, to cultivate, to make profit from, to bequeath. For some time he had wondered that Susan had been so much absorbed in Willie’s present, that she had never seemed to look forward to his future, state. Michael had long felt the boy to be a trouble; but of late he had absolutely loathed him. His gibbering, his uncouth gestures, his loose, shambling gait, all irritated Michael inexpressibly. He did not come near the Yew Nook for a couple of days. He thought that he would leave her time to become anxious to see him and reconciled to his plan. They were strange lonel

they would take thee to, or what they would do with thee. As i

r affectionate lad for her sole companion, served to deepen her solemn resolution never to part with him. So, when Michael came, he was annoyed and surprised by the calm way in which she spoke, as if following Dr. Preston’s advice was utterly and entirely out of the question. He had expected nothing less than a consent, reluctant it might b

ow on to keep thee fro’ going to America or Botany Bay this very night, if that were thy inclination. I will have no more of your threats to make me send my bairn away. If thou marry me, thou’lt help me to take charge of Willie. If thou doesn’t choose to marry me on those terms — why

anada, or Botany Bay, I reckon I’m free to live where I like, and that will not be with a natural who may turn int

rfectly composed and still. “Whatev

I’ll wish you a very good night.” He went out of the house door, half-expecting to

lone for a week or two, and give her time to come to her se

en a man came from a distance to bid for the lease of his farm, which, by his father’s advice, had been offered for sale, as he himself was so soon likely to remove to the Yew Nook. He had so little idea that Susan really would remain firm to her determination, that he at once began to haggle with the man who c

e had the relief of a good fit of crying; and after that, she grew softer and more tender; she felt how harshly she had spoken to him, and remembered how angry she had been. She made excuses for him. “It was no wonder,” she said to herself, “that he had been vexed with her; and no wonder he wou

eaves, in order that her eye might catch the first stir of the branches in the wood-path by which he generally came. Now and then a bird might spring out of the covert; otherwise the leaves were heavily still in the sultry weather of early autumn. Then she would take up her sewing, and, with a spasm of resolution, she would determine that a certain task should be fulfilled before she would again allow herself the poi

. Peggy understood her young mistress’s sorrow full well, and respected it by her silence on the subject. Willie seemed happier now that the irritation of Michael’s presence was removed; for the

id unobservant; for any one who had spent half-an-hour in Susan Dixon’s company might have seen that she disliked having any reference made to the subjects nearest her heart, were they joyous or g

he

, and he were there among the young folk, and very thick wi’ Nelly Hebt

pleasant excitement. Suddenly she turned from him, and burst into tears. She sat down on a stone by the wayside, not a hundred yards from home, and buried her face in her hands, and gave way to a passion of pent-up sorrow; so terrible and full of agony were her low cries, that the idiot stood by her, aghast and silent. All his joy gone for the time, but not, like her joy, turned into ashes. Some thought struck him. Yes! the sight of her woe made him think, great as the exertion was. He ran, and stumbled, and shambled home, buzzing with his lips all the time. She never missed him. He came back in a trice, bringing with him his cherished paper windmill, bought on that fatal day when Michael had taken him i

nt and her words as omens of the love that was broken, and that she feared could never be pie

ister with his wishes regarding Will, and the position in which he stood with Susan; and arriving at Yew Nook in the absence of the latter, he had not scrupled to conduct his sister into the guest-room, as he held Mrs. Gale’s worldly position in respect and admiration, and therefore wished her to be favourably impressed with all the signs of property which he was beginning to consider as Susan

vourable impression on the well-clad Mrs. Gale, dressed in her best silk gown, and therefore unusually susceptible to the appearance of another. Nor were Susan’s manners gracious or cordial. How

n to bring the girl to reason. There was no time to be lost. It had been prearranged between the brother and sister that he was to stroll out into the farm-yard before his sister introduced the subject; but she was so confident in the success of her arguments, that she must needs have the triumph of a victory as soon as possible; and, accordingly, she brought a hail-storm of good reasons to bear upon Susan. Susan

be engaged in, and said to him in a low voice, which yet not only vib

s your sister speak

en together before? had she not used the very arguments that he himself had suggested? Susan, on the contrary, looked

osition. He shuff

sk? My sister has

afflicted, you will help me to take that charge of him which I promised my mother on her death-bed that I would do; and which means, that I sh

but a trouble; his being here is a

le contempt at his evading her question mingling w

time I was here. I said I would ne’er keep house with an

Susan. And sh

would think you don’t love Michael, Susan, to be so stubbo

r me,” said Michael. “I d

l, who was lounging about in the kitchen, she went up-stairs with him and bolted herself in, straining the boy to her heart, and keeping almost

the door. I

see you, to wis

. Oh, Peggy, s

vant understood it. She sent them away, somehow;

er evening. But in the kitchen, to which she passed through the empty house-place, making a face of contemptuous dislike at the used tea-cups and fragments of a meal yet standing there, she found Susan, with her sleeves tucked up and her working apron on, b

ve time to get through with it to-night.” Her voice had a sharp,

ed so much occupied, she was surprised by a touch on her mouth of something — what she did not see at first. It was a cup of tea, delicately sweetened and cooled, and held to

u hast done well. It is not long t

old, Peggy,” sai

drunken she fell again to her labour, Peggy heating the hearth, and doing all that she knew would be required, but never speaking another word. Willie basked close to the f