The Huron Signal, 1881-10-07, Page 2THh HURON SIGNAL, FRIDA ' 'OCT. 7, 1881.
!TANP AND TRUE!
.kr CLEARING oasH�'iiaLE of
; tiflOCERIES, 4** a
EADY-MADE CLTOHING,
BOOTS AND SHOES,
♦T
GEO1 ACBE O1�
(Sign of the Red, White and Blue.)
To Commence on Saturday, the ist day of October; and
be Continued until November 20th.
We ask the Public to consult their own interest. Call and examine for yourselves.
Come for Bargains. Look for Bargains
Ask for Bargains
And You will Get. bargains
You will Not be Disappointed
Extra hands will be employed during the Bale, so that Customers will be waited on with promptness.
Look for furtherA articulars on small hand bills.
GE 01a.G w44gx.4c H si O N.
That Lass o' Logic's
A STORY Or THE LANCASHIRE COAL MINER.
By FRascER HODGSON BURNETT.
CHAPTER VI.
"LOVE ME LOVE MY DOG."
Mr. Barholm had fallen into the habit
of turning to Anit'b for it, when he re-
quired information concerning people
and things. In her desultory pilgrim-
ages, Anice saw all that he missed, and
heard much that he was deaf to. The
rough, hard -faced men and boisterous
girls who passecl to and from their work
at the mine, drew her to"the window
whenever they made their appearance.
She longed to know something definite
of them—to get a little nearer to their
unprepossessing hie. Sometimes the
men and women, passing, caught glimp-
ses of her, and, asking each other who
she was, decided upon her relationship
to the family.
"Boo's th' owd parson's law," some-
body said. "Hoofs noan so bad lookin'
neyther,s if hon was na rich • bit o' a
thing."
The people who had regarded Mr.
Barholm wtih a spice of disfavor, still
oould not look with ill -nature upon this
pretty girl. The slatternly women
nudged each other as she passed, and
the playing children stared after their
usual fashion; but even the hardest -na-
tured matron could find nothing more
condemnatory to say than, "Hoo's noan
Lano•ahire, that's plain as th' nose on a
body's taus;' or, "Theer is as much on
her, at ony rate. Hoo's a bit of a weak-
ly -like sass wi out much blood i' her.",
Now and then Anioe caught the sound
of their words, but she was used to being
commented upon. She had learned that
people whose lives have a great deal of
hard, common discomfort and struggle,
acquire a tendency to depreciation al-
most as a second raters. It is easier
to bear one's own misfortunes, than to
bear the good fortune of better -used
people. That is the insult added by
Fate to injury.
Rugae wee a crooked, rambling, mess -
pained little plana from the one wide
street with its jumble el old, tumble-
down shop, and glaring new ones,
brrYM oft narrow, ep-hill ordown-hill
thoroughfares, edged by colliers' houses,
fA1h an ooesslossl tiny provision shop,
wham bread and boons were ranged
st ew& potatoes and flabby cabbages;
trrnftbologie•1 specimeni ...msde of pale
awed cake and adorned with startling
black currant eyes, resting unsteadily
against the window -pane; a sore tempta-
tion to the juvenile populace.
It was in one of these side streets that
Anice met with her first adventure.
Turning the corner, she heard •the
sharp yelp of a dog among a group of
children, followed almost immediately
by a ringing of loud, angry, boyish
voices, a sound of blows and cries, and a
violent scuffle. Anice paused for a few
seconds, looLing over the heads of the
excited little crowd, and then made Ler
way to it, and in a minute was in the
heart of it. The two boys whc were the
principal figures, were fighting franti-
cally, scuffling, kicking, biting, and lay-
ing on vigorous blows, with not unscien-
tific fists ! Now and then a tierce, red,
boyish face was to be seen, and then the
rough head ducked and the fight waxed
fiercer and- hotter, while the dog—a
small, shrewd, sharp -nosed terrier—
barked at the combatants' heels, snap-
ping at one pair,but not at the other, and
plainly enjoying the excitement.
"Boys !" cried Anice. "What's the
matter 1"
"They're feighten," remarked a phi-
losophical young bystander, with placid
interest—"sn' Jud Bates '111 win."
It was so astonishing a thing that any
outsider should think of interfering, and
there was something so decided in the
girlish voice addressing them, that almost
at the moment the combatanta fell back,
panting heavily, breathing vengeance in
true boy fashion, and evidently resent-
ing the unexpected intrusion.
"What is it all about 7" demanded the
girl. "Tell me."
The crowd gathered close around her
to stare, the terrier .at down breathless,
his red tongue handing out, his tail
beating the ground. One of the boys
was his master, it was plain at a glanoe,
and, se a natural consequence, the dog
had telt it his duty to assist to the full
extent of his power. But the other
boy was the first to speak.
"Why could net he let mea -be then r
he eked irately. "I was na dein' nit t'
Mtn."
"Yea, tha was," retorted his oppo-
nent, a sturdy, ragged, ten -year-old.
"Fay, I was net."
"Yea, the was."
"Well," said Antos, "what tees he do-
ing r
"Aye," grid the first younptet, "the
tell her if the am Who bit the 'first
puns, r excitedly doubling his fist
again. "1 didea."
"Nag, the didaa, but tha did wtawt
else. The pend at Nib wi' ,thy slog,
and hit him aside o' th' Ind, aa' then i
pursed thee, se' I'd do it agen fur
"Wit a minute," said Anioe, holding
up her little gloved hand: "Who is
Nib I"
"Nib's my dog." surlily. "An' them
as purses him, hes gotten to prow me."
Anice bent down and patted the small
animal.
"He seems a very nice dog," she said.
'What did you kick him for ?"
Nib's master was somewhat mollified.
A person who could appreciate the vir-
tues of "th' best terrier i Riggan," could
not be regarded with contempt, or even
indifference.
"He kicked him fur nowt," he an_
swered. "He's allus at uther him or
me. He bust my kite, an' he cribbed
my marvels, didn't he r appealing to
the bystanders. '
"Aye, he did, I seed him crib the mar-
vels mysen. He wur mad case Jud wur
winnen, and then kicked Nib."
Jud bent down to pat Nib himself, not
without a touch of pride in his manifold
injuries, and the readiness with which
they were attested.
"Aye," he mid, "an' I did na set on
him at first neyther. I nivver set on
him till he punned Nib. He may bust
my kite, an' steal niy marvels, an' he
may ca' me ill names. but he alarms kick
Nib. So theer !"
It was evident that Nib's enemy wu
the transgressor. He was grievously in
the minority. Nobody seemed to side
with him, and everybody sewed ready
—when once the tongues were loosed—
to say a word for Jud and "th' best ter-
rier i Riggin." For a few minutes
Anioe could namely make herself heard.
"You are a good boy to take care of
your dog," she said to Jed — "and
through fighting is not a gold thing, per-
haps if I had been • beg," gravely de-
ciding against monk session in one rapid
glance at the assay—"perhaps if I had
been a boy, i would have knight myself.
You are a coward," dm added. wills ia-
eisive awe to the dbr lad, who disked
sulkily out of sight.
"Owd Sammy Craddock," lounging at
hie window, clay pipe in hand, webbed
Anion as she walked away, and gave vest
'to his Mai gas is • shrewd chuckle.
"Irk ! eh !" be enerasenbd; •'so that's
th' owd prrsun's lass, is it 1 Wall, hoo
may be n' th' mese macs, Mat boo is as
o' th' same grain, T11 warrant. Hoo's a
rare an. boo is, far a wench."
"Owd 8ammy'e" amused shackles,
and esdara tteaa of "11 ! bee's a sus
ea—that hon ie—fes a waaeh." at hat
drew his wife's attention. The good
*omen panned epos bb sharply.
"Thera as .owd yoeaw-bead," she
mid. "What art the nimbus' oboist
now ? Who is it as is enema • rare on T.
Owd Sammy burst into a fresh chuckle
rubbing his knees with both bands.
"Why," said he, "I'll warrant tha
oou!d na guess i' tba tried, but I'll gi e
thee a try. Who dost tha think wur out
i' th' street just now i' th' thick of a
foight among th' lads ! I ,.know thou'st
nivver guet." '
"Nay, happen I canna, an' I dunnot
know as I care so much, neyther," tes-
tily.
'Why,• 'lapping his knee, "th' owd
parson's lass. A little wench not much
higher nor thy waist, an' wi' a bit o' a
face loike skim -milk, but steady and full
o' pluck as any owd un."
"Nay now, tha dost na say, so ? What
wor she doin an' how did she come
theer ? Tha mun ha' been dreamin'
"Nowt o' th' soart . I seed her as I
see thee, an' heard ivvery word she said.
Tha ahouldst ha' seen her ! Hoo med
u if hood lived wi' pads aw her days.
Jud Bates and that young msrplot o'
Thorme's wur feightin' about Nib—at it
tooth and nail—an' th' law sees 'em, an'
marches into th' thick, an' sets 'em to
reets. To' should ha' seen her ' an'
hoo tells Jud as he's a good lad to tak'
care o' bas dog, an' hoo does na know
but what hoo'd a fowt hersen i' his place,
and hoo cis Jack Thorme a coward, an'
+.urns her back on him, an' ends up wi'
tenpin' Jud to bring th' tarrier to th'
Rectory to see her."
"Well," exclaimed Mrs. Craddock,
"did yo' ivver hear th' loike r
"I wish th' owd parson had seed her,"
chuckled her spouse irreverently. "That
is na i his Mine. Bid a waved his
stick as if he'd been king and council i'
one, an' rated 'em fro' the top round o'
th' ladder. He sans pt down fro' his
beech. Th' owd lad% dick sheer till he
gets • bit too hoary, an' then he'll coom
down wi' • crash, ladder an' aW'—but
the lav is a diluent mak'. '
Sammy being an oracle among his
associates, naw -comers usually passed
tbsoe1k his bands, and were condemned
or approved- by hint His pipe, and
his criticisms open society in general,
provided him with occupation. Too old
to fight and work, he was too shrewd to
be ignored. When he could not make
himself felt, he could make himself
heard. Accordingly, when he oonde-
msnded to inform a select sad mosd-
dentid andistios that the "owd parson's
lees was a rare inn, lass as she was"—
(the masculine opiuton of Riggin on the
subhset of the weaker sax was • lather
disparaging owe)—the chances of the
nester's daughter began, so to speak, to
"look asp," It Sammy Craddock towed
virtue in the naw -miner, it was possible
semi virtue might mist, at lead in a
negative form—and open enmity was
rendered unnecessary, and even impol-
itic, A faint interest began to be
awakened. When Anice passed through
the streets, the slatternly, baby -laden
women looked at her curiously, and in a
manner not absolutely unfriendly. She
might not be so bad after 411, if she did
have "Lunnon ways," and was smiled
upon by Fortune. At any rate, she
differed from the parson himself, which
was in her favour.
CHAPTER Y.
OUTSIDE THE HEDGE.
Deeplyas Anice was interested in J•.a::,
she left her to herself. She did r_ go
to see her, and still more wisely she
inat,aged to hush in her father any
as akening tendency towa'ids par.dnal.
visits. But .from Grace and Fergus
Derrick she heardwmuch of her. and
through Grace she co'ttrive t to convey
work and help to Liz, and encourage-
ment to her protectress. From what
source the assistance came, Joan did not
know, and she was not prone to ask
questions.
"if she ails, tell her it is from a girl
like herself," Anice had said, and Joan
had accepted the explanation.
n a very short time from the date of
their firstecquainiance, Fergus Derrick's
position in the Barholm household had
become established. He was the i.tau
to make friends and keep them. Mrs.
Barholm grew fond of him; the rector
regarded him u au acquisition to their
circle, and Anioe was his firth friend.
So, being free to oome and go, he came
and went, and found his unceremonious
visits pleasant enough. On his arrival
at Riggan, he had not anticipated meet-
ing with any such opportunities of en-
joyment. As had come to do hard work
and had expected a bard life, softened
by a few social graces. The work of
opening the new mines was a heavy one,
and was radered additionally heavy and
dangerous by unforaeen circumstances.
A load of responsibility responsibility
rested upon his shoulders, to which at
times he felt himself barely equal, and
whieh men of less tough fibre would
have been glad to shift upon others.
Natnrally, his daily cares made his hours
of relaxation all the more pleasant.
Mn Berbolm's influence upon him was
a putts and soothing one, and is Aaiee
be found a subtle inspiration. She
seemed to understand his trials by in-
stinct, and even the minutiae of his work
made t eedieivss curious', dear to her.
As to the people who were ender his
cnntrol, she was never tired of hearing
of them, and of studying their quaint,
rough ways To plena her he stored tip
many a characteristic incident, and it
was through him that abet heard most
frequently of Jean. She did nut even see
Joan for fully two months after her ar-
rival in Riggan, and then it was Joan
who came to her.
As the weather became more spring-
like she was oftener out in the garden.
She found a great deal to do among the
dower beds and shrubbery, and as this
had always been considered her depart-
ment, she took the management of affairs
wholly into her hands. The old place,
which hal been rather neglected in ,the
time of the previous inhabitant, began
to bloom out into fragrant luxuriance,
and pawing Rigganite`s regardiug it with
admiring eyes, The colliers who had
noticed her at the window in the colder
weather, seeing her so frequently from a
nearer point of view, felt themselves on
more familiar terms. Some of them
even took a sort u4 liking to her, and
gave Ler an uncouth greeting as they
went by; and, more than once, one or
another of them had paused to ask for a
Bower or two, and had received them
with a curious bashful awe. when they
had Leen leased over the holly hedge.
Having gone out one evening after
dinner to gather Bowers fur the house,
Anice, standing before a high lilac bush,
and pulling its pale purple tassels, be-
came suddenly conscious that some one
was watching her—some one standing
upon the roadside beyond the holly
hedge. She did not know that as she
stopped here and there to fill her basket,
she had been singing to herself in a low
tone. Her voice had attracted the
passer-by.
This paver-by—a tall pit gfirl with •
handsome, resolute face—stood behind
the dark green hedge, and washed her.
Perhaps to this girl; weary with her day's
labour, begrimmed with coal -dust, it was
not unlike standing outside paradise.
Early in the year as it was, there were
Bowers enough in the bads, and among
the shrubs, to make the spring air fresh'
with a faint, awed odour. Bat hire too
was Anioe in her soft white merino dress
with her basket of fewer, with the blas
bells at her belt, and her half audible
song. She drink Joan Lowrie with a
new scow of beauty and purity. As she
watched her, she grew disoontented—
restlsss—eoee at heart. She scold not
have told why, but die felt a esrWa
anger against berself. She had had •
hard day. Thing bad g•ye wroni at
the pit's mouth: thing bed gone wrong
et Mcrae. It was hard for her strong
nature to bear with La's weakness.
Her path was never smooth, but to -day
it had been at its roughed. The little
song toll upon ler ear with strong pathos.
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