Poor Relations

find something that excites the donor as much as it is likely to excite the recipient. In John's case this difficulty was quadruple

omen. Nor did he think that Harold would accept as worthy of American enterprise those more conspicuous portions of a diminutive Uhlan's uniform fastened to a dog's-eared sheet of cardboard, the sword belonging to which was rusting in the scabbard and the gilt lancehead of which no longer gave the least illusion of

" the ironmonger explained. "There was

lah when he was still in his 'tee

rap it up," he said,

?" suggested the ironmonger. "He'll be g

ess likely to appeal to ages outside that period. A younger child, for instance, might be tempted to put them in its mouth, even to swallow them if not carefully watched, while an older child might tread on them. Another advantage was that when the young lady for whom they were intended grew out of them, they could be put away and revived to adorn her mantelpiece when she had reached an age to appreciate the possibilities of a mantelpiece. John did no

oah's Ark," said

g lady. In fact Noah's Arks are considered all right for village t

octurnal apprehensions by dragging the toboggan across the twenty-acre field. Meanwhile, he should tell the fly to wait five minutes before driving slowly up to the house, which would draw the scent and enable him with Emily's help to reach his room unperceived by the backstairs. A heavy mist hung upon the meadow, and the paper wrapped round the toboggan

" he said to himself. "Where's the path got to now? I wonder w

lose at hand, a munching that was so

n tried to assure himself. "It seems very imprudent to le

heavy bodies moving

ay be frightened of me. Good heavens, they're all snorting now. Probably the best thing to do is to keep on calmly walking; most animals are susce

lf over the iron railings, and stood panting upon his own lawn. In the distance could be h

rightened them

d his defeat of the cattle John had seriously contemplated tobogganing downstairs himself in order to "surprise the kids" as he put it. But from his landing the stairc

home in such strange surroundings; nobody failed to point out to the lucky boy the extreme kindness of his uncle in bringing back such a wond

must have taken,"

n admitted. After all, so he had-a damned sig

now?" Harold as

ubtful when he saw her eyes glittering with feverish anticipation while he was undoing the string. He hoped she would not faint or scream with disappointment when it w

t," Edith

r; if he had made his will that nig

upon the table for general admiration. John wished he had not chosen the cat that seemed to

en to the atmosphere of a vicarage. "But they've practically given up making Noah's Arks in America, and you see, these china animals wi

heir box by now, but a few paws and ear

y light on her toys,

hat was the only thing that made me hesitate when I first saw

eralized, primly. "And she's given up biting her na

eve in Frida's sudden conquest of autophagy, but he w

with joy, but at any rate she had not burst into tears-she had not thrust the present from her sight with loathing and begged to be ta

mals like them in M

t slope of the downs behind Ambles, and that he would hit an oak tree at the bottom and break his

exportation of china animals from America nowadays.

row and look at Mr. Goodman'

his account, John felt inclined to shake him by the hand. Nor would he have ever supposed that he should one day welcome the prospect of one of Laurence's long confident

hat the conversation had been opened as successfully as a local bazaar. Not merely di

poured himself out a

nsiderable difficulty," he announc

s passbook instead of to the treasure of worl

you of some of the outstanding events and influences in my life. You will then be in a better pos

by Jove, it's lucky we did have dinner early. At this

heir talk, and he exchanged the trim Henry Clay he had already

it go out, of continually knocking off the ash, of forgetting to remove the band till it was smoldering, and of playing miserable little tunes with it on the rim of a co

'll find the

he Murillos were

ar with as little expression of anticipated pleasure as might be discovered in the countenance of a lodging-house serv

te a novel," said

looked

g of a play, but I shall come to t

n the joke. Sorry I interrupted you. Cigar gone out? Don't take a

rence asked in a

Oxford," John a

efer to them as my spiritual progress ... let it suffice that I found myself on the vigil of my ordination after a year at Cuddesdon Theological College a convinced Hi

party meant and was anxious to avoid being told, he said in accents that sought to convey relief at hea

you d

pared to go one jot or one ti

u mean," said John,

gnant, he added quickly, "Did I say the comp

s are the Eastw

all," John thought. "Wha

er Bread, and Vestments, but no

are the F

inclined

u said?" John gravely continued, flattering himself t

ble to claim the support of a number of authoritative English divines. I need

for his brother-in-law had paused again, an

with the divergences of opinion that u

s as far as I got. However, I have to get up the subject of religion very shortly. My next play will deal with Joan of Arc, and, as you may imagine, religion plays an important part in such a theme-a very important part. In addition to the vision that Joan wil

sently. What I am anxious, however, to impress upon you at this stage in our little talk is the fact that on the vigil of my ordination I had arrived at a definite theory of what I could and could not accept. Well, I was ord

a girls' club or something? I know I always th

te to St. Thomas's, Kensington, and had hopes of ultimately being preferred to a living. I realized in fact that the East End was a cul-de-sac for a young and-if I may so describe myself without being misunderstood-ambitious curate. For three years I remained at St. Thomas's and obtained a considerable reputation as a preacher. You may or may not remember that some Advent Addresses of mine were reprinted in one of the more tolerant religious weeklies and obtained what I do not hesitate to call the honor of being singled out for malicious abuse by the Church Times. Eleven years ago my dear father died and by leaving me an independence of ￡417 a year enabled me not merely to marry Edith, but very soon afterwards to accept the living of Newton Candover. I w

egan to talk about his income; but the unexpected turn of

eology and philosophy I began to realize that there was a great deal of reason for modern indifference and skepticism. In other words, I discovered that, in order to keep the man in the street a Christian, Christianity must adapt itself to his needs. Filled with a reverent enthusiasm and perhaps half-consciously led along such a path by your conspicuous example of success, I have sought to embody my theories in a play, the protagonist of which is the apostle Thomas, whom when

d glass of port and waited for Joh

trics," John protested. "I really haven't considered the question. I know of course to

any of the vicarage furniture that you thought suitable-until it has been decided whether I am likely or not to have any success as a dramatist. I do not ask you to undertake the Quixotic task of trying to obtain a public representation of my play about the apostle Thomas. I know that Biblical subje

to leave your own v

s of her husband, owing as I say to her poisonous behavior following upon a trifling quarrel about some alterations I made in the fabric of my church without consulting her, I have been subject to ceaseless inquisition and pe

th?" Joh

e temptation to intrude upon the sanctity of her intimate beliefs. She sees my point of view. Of her sympathy I can only speak with gratitude. But she is still an old-fashioned belie

ou want to mov

to begin gradually to-morrow. I have informed t

, doubtfully. "She is really looki

-room Edith has been having her little talk with Hilda i

ittle talk, and determined to avoid for that night at le

Edith mildly, "isn't i

ptly what she was feeling; he was sure that in her opinion

indow and pulled aside the

e might have Primrose ha

als that John gave her. They are playing

ignant glance and that he had already referred the decision to her. At the same time he could not bring himself to exalt Hilda above Edith who was the younger and he was bound to admit the favorit

o girls have settled it

rved coldly that naturally it was for John to decide, but that if the vicarage

age furniture as is required can be sent here immediately? John and I had supposed tha

urse I can't help agreeing with her, that it is really asking too

by her husband under the light of a setting moon. "I dare say we can manage," he said, "and really, you know Hilda, it will do

pped. "I had the apples store

John cannot wish to attempt them to-night. Let us all remember that he may be tired. Co

ferring to their mother, and it seemed to set a seal upon his more intimate association with her family in the future. If any doubts stil

ed Frida, when they were gather

s present,"

s to the risk of being chipped. No doubt Harold will look after them for you in the interim-the short in

without any trace of affection in accent or expression, "I do think this invasion is an imposition upon your kindness.

ed, "a little suave and heavy like a cornflour

n his own benevolence, in which she

t of it. Indeed the only thing that really wor

abandoned all discussion of the vicarage and talked so long about Harold's inside and with such a passionate insistence upon what he required of sweet

l, so long as Edith was secure and happy such blemishes were hardly perceptible. He ought to think himself lucky that he was in a position to help his relations; the power of doing kind actions was surely the greatest privilege accorded to the successful man. And what right had Hilda to object? Good gracious, as if she herself were not dependent enough upon him! But there had always been visible in Hilda this wretched spirit of competition. It had been in just the same spirit that she had married Daniel Curtis; she had not been able to endure her younger sister's engagement to the tall handsome curate and had snatched at the middle-aged explorer in order to b

w smeared with cigar ash even now vividly haunted his memory; but the fierce old man had refused him the least temporary help and had actually chuckled with delight amidst all his pain at the thought of how his family would have to work for a living when he should mercifully be dead. Was it surprising, when that morning he had found at the office a communication from a syndicate of provincial papers to inform him of his story's being accepted, that he should have arrived home in the fog, full of hope and enthusiasm? And then he had been met with whispering voices and the news of his father's death. Of course he had been shocked and grieved, even disappointed that it was too late to announce his success to the old man; but he had not been able to resist telling Hilda, a gawky, pale-faced girl of eighteen, that his story had been taken. He could recall her expression in that befogged gaslight even now, her expression of utter lack of interest, faintly colored with surprise at his own bad

had said. "We shall want every halfpenny now that Papa is gone

ls at the cat. As soon as he had told Edith what had happened she had made a hero of him, and ever afterwards treated him with admiration as well as affection. Had she not prophesied even that he would be another Dickens? That was something like sisterly love, and he had volunteered to read

outh on the very threshold of old age, and had been spoiled, even by his cross-grained old father, in consequence: as for his mother, though it was out of her power to spoil him extravagantly with money, she gave him all that she did not spend on caps for herself. John determined to make inquiries about Hugh to-morrow. Not another penny should he have from him, not another farthing. If he could not liv

t he could really look round the garden and see what plants wanted ordering, tried to remember the n