ld I little knew or cared. My father lived his life, mechanical and steady as clock-work, and we two, John Halifax and Phineas Fletcher, l
wenty years old, and that John Halifax was-a man: the dif
dignity which the maturity of eighteen may be supposed to confer he had already in possession. Manhood had come to him, both in character and demeanour, not as it comes to most young lads, an eagerly-desired and presumptuously-asserted claim,
eamy mood, as he and I sat in our long-familiar s
e, John, but so it is
nd what
years were flowing, monotonous, dark, and slow,-as they mu
ne specimen of the no
ith every ill mood of mine. And I was grateful, with that deep gratitude we feel to thos
s. Phineas, here goes for a catalogue o
on't be
:-'Imprimis,' as saith Shakspeare-Imprimis, height, full five feet four; a stature hist
chief bone of contention-I hating, he rather admir
, delicate person, but
thank
, rat
mere s
ongated
hn, decided
minute longer. Thank you. To return: Imprimis and finis (I'm grand at Latin now, you see)-long hair, which, since the powder tax, has resu
ms of the divinity of womanhood. They began, and ended-mere dreams. Soon dawned the bare, hard truth, that my character was too feeble and womanish to be likely to win any woman's reverence or love. Or, even had this been possible, one sickly as I was, stricken with hereditary disease
hn. It had happened some months now, and was quite over and gone, so that I could smile at his fun, and shake at him my "bewitching" black locks, calling him a foolish bo
the tables. How o
Eighteen
how t
hat very creditable altitude, more tall perhaps than graceful, at present; since, like
remember that when I looked at him, and began jocularly
that I said, "Ah! David, yo
to the new world into which he was going forth; the wor
again flung himself down on the grass. "It tells well in the tan-yard. People wou
said to me that now he was no longer dissatisfied with your working at all sorts
ing my duty to myself any more than to my master, if I shirked h
which would often come when I looked at the lad, though he always combated it so strongly, that I often owned m
ster the day before-the subject of which she would not tell me, though she acknowledged it concerned myself. Ever since she had followed me about, very softly, for her, and
lain, and tell him so," and the like. From these, and from her strange fit of tenderness, I guessed what was looming in the distance-a future which my father constantly held in
o assist, and finally succeed him in his business, and that I set aside every dream of growing up to be a help and comfort to my fath
grave, sweet look-dearer sympathy than any words! Though he added thereto a few, in his own wise way; then
, met at dinner, the subject had passed into se
s eyes frequently resting, with keen observance, upon John Halifax. Could it be that there had recurred to him a hint of mine, given faintly that morning, as faintly as if it had only just entered my mind, instead of having for months continually dwelt there, until a
y-tower. We watched it from the garden, where, Sunday after Sunday, in fine weather, we used to lounge, and talk over all manner of thing
own into his eyes, deepening them into that peculiar look, worth any so-called "handsome eyes;"-"Phineas, I wonder how soon w
nk you
ead of rising to-morrow, and going into the little dark counting-house, and scratching paper from eight till six, shouldn't I like to break awa
r any
sometimes feel the wish to do it. I can't help it; it's my Apollyon that I have to fight with-
ght, he looked rather pale. He stretched his hand to help me
sitting meditatively over the fireless hearth-place, sometimes poking the great bow-pot of fennel and asparagus, as in winter he did
hn, twice over, befor
ht, lad! Stay! Halifax, what
should come in; I cleared off the we
how thee stand'st, and what further work thou art fit
hn," whispered I, "you may have y
nned a sweet lazy day under the Midsummer sky, in
ce grown wine for the rosy monks close by, and history avers, were afterwards watered by a darker stream than the blood of grapes. The Vineyards had been a battle-field; and under the long wavy grass, and the roots
tiful everything was! so very still! with the Abbey-tower-always the most picturesque point in our
azy figure beside me, which had considerab
A
wordiness, and never talked but when we had something to say. Often-as on this day-we sat for hours in a pleasant dreaminess, scarcely exchanging a word; neverthe
-eaten slowly and with graceful dignity, in order to make d
is rather dull? Shall we go somewhe
who might own to any age or any occupation. Their dress, especially that of the younger, amused us by its queer mixture of fashionableness and homeliness, such as grey ribbed stockings and shining
gentleman of his day," as loyal folk then entitled the Prince Regent, could not
stage will pass he
h THAT stage. Young gentlemen, excuse our continuing our dessert
edes" he was munching. I declined; but John, out o
se," he said; "I ha
person who has eaten turnips in your Norton Bury fields-ay, a
of the two wayfarers interposed
end by mentioning his surname; he is a great man now, and might not wish it genera
t I know it has since risen into note among the people of the world. I believe, too, its owner has carried up to the topmost height of celebrity always the gay, ge
you acquainted with my friend, Mr. William Shakspeare, young gentleman?-I must try to fulfil the other duties of existenc
lif
you
etc
who went partnership wi
puzzled, explained that I came from the same old stock as the brothers Phineas and Giles Fletcher. Upon which Mr.
deal of the world," said John, smili
e something of
see now. What business do you think that Mr. Charles is
shou
h the middle of which ran a little stream down to the meadow's end, where, fringed and hidden by a plantation of trees, the Avon flowed. Here, too, in all directions, the hay-fields lay, either in green swathes, or tedded, or in the luxuriously-scented quiles. The lane was quite populous with waggons and hay-makers-the men in their
ems a crowd down in the meadow; and who is that man st
at? 'Tis Mr. Charles. How he's talking
hedge, and ran down the slope of the
bare-headed, and his hair hung in graceful curls, well powdered. I only hope he had honestly paid the tax, which we were all then exclaiming against-so fondly does custom cling to deformity. Despite
a field preacher? It seemed like it, especially judging from the sanctified demeanour of the elder and inferior person who accompanied
and decorum. His harangue, though given as a sermon, was strictly and simply a moral essay, such as might have emanated from any professor's chair. In fact, as
s twice
that gives and
est in the
urthened with a queer constraint, that now and then resulted in an irrepressible twitch of the corners of his fle
, John? Isn't
raceful action, polished language, and brilliant imagination, came to him as a positive revelation, a
rks and rakes, shook their old heads sagely, as if they understood it all. And when the speaker alluded to the horrors of war-a subject which then came so bitterly home to every heart in Britain-many women melted into sobs
ll not take from any one more than a penny; and then only if they are quite sure they can spare it. Thank you, my worthy man. Thanks, my bonny young
The honest folk trooped off, having no more time to waste, and left the field in possess
companion burst into roars of la
ws-I am not sure that it was only his brows-"
ir," said John, advanci
ert. "But starvation is-excuse me,-unpleasant; and necessity has no law. It is of vital consequence that I should reach Coltham to
re an
ease your
or pl
frets his hour
is seen n
much to soften both John's feelings and mine towards the "poor player." Besides, we had lately been
John; "all the folk here took
theology-only common moral
a moment, and
ut the scheme i
ars ago, as I told you, by John Philip-no, I will not conceal his name, the greatest
reverence. We too had heard-at le
I never saw. He turned "from grave to gay, from lively to severe"-appearing in all phases like the gentleman, the scholar, and
llowed where he led, I always
rook-side. Mr. Charles had washed his face, and his travel-sore, blistered feet, and we
en with the Thane of Fife-who, to-night, is one Johnson, a fell
y, no watch among his worldly possessions, and candidly owned the fact. But he made a near
are treat as 'Macbeth,' with-I will not say my humble self-but with that divine Siddons. S
twice before, when the actor urged us to accompany him to Colt
ad, waiting for the coach; "I have money-and-we have so little pleasu
al sense, I cannot say either whether or no it was an absolute crime; therefore, bein
n, save that he was too pleasant a man really to take offence at anything. His conversation w
road I was utterly ignorant of what he meant us
wn fare and that of Yates with their handful of charity-pennies, which caused a few minut
oulders, and looked hard into my face-his
, are yo
at
go to Coltham? Would it do you
with as hurried an affirmative. It was suf
too busy to be out of the tan-yard before midnight. We will be home soon af
over to help me up the coach's side.
or several miles he