The Huron Signal, 1880-12-31, Page 2it14
•
1i111FQI1If1IF
sea raa 4 HULAS
CHAi'TER VM..
BAR .seat.
Walking dross ltthtweols, L ! U
toad me that Anemias had asked
be best man st. wedding.
I said 1 knew it, wish d be wwdd
neem
„Whys.,
Though the abrupt gusMi ora esrlsred
me, I answered`, of cots ti the Lath;
that if the best man wase n at himself. it
would be one of the ono. Oscan, and I
hated -"
"Soldiers!"
I told him ate& not kind' to ler always
throwing In air. Leath that. amfuttstsate
speech, that be ought not to tease me
rue•
Do I Mare ye.: t I was mot •was anf
ft." ` "And tris mune"
likely net, and I ala a great "llrilse
on for saloon ng mys elf to be we- . "Dom, Urquhart -what a uios nates"
TINEURO
there. 1 think u is, with few •
ata ice,
the greatest a1�1iprtums to an
Add. Few ass se esMdly
.or reseed valise awe ;favors
ainhum is ane, that wash
tun doss alit do them keno
childhood and youl►reagaasl•
a a it
stats
seas and d where
Rhe eagles d character se. off,
end itsaaclinetions to morbidness, slani-
tivenew, and egotism knocked dews. I
think,tt is a gnat wonder to see Treberes
such a pod fellow as he is, considering
he bsdbmsn an only child."
" Yoe speak es if you know what that
was yourself.'
No; we were orphans, but 1 had este
brothel?'"
This was the first tinge Dr. Urquhart
had reverted to any of his relatives, air
to his ;early life. My curiosity was
strong. I risked a question: was this
brother.elder or younger than he?
"Older"
SIGNAL, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31. 1880.
We wire 'very peaceful
.�; it felt abeam like a
wkicb hided it was with
este tie ugtited. Ths a w member of eau
setW�j �ss�rwsd toaske btmedf at essr—
lY.lis Lisa, and held her bend
mike ewer of bee spur -at whish I
pwluesi. boll mealy thI flew Dr. Urquhart smile.
asskeer► ell the uta. W atisteM he/ It was quite natural.
Vie, _ �saslop. mss lees realms than usual,
>y co smM.d . inns maybe, to her long letter and the
prsap.d of seeing Trends in a week; he
comes to the uparrage, of oourse. Poor
fellow! what • pity we tamest have two
weddings instead of one; it is rather
hard for him to be only • wedding guest,
and Penelope only a bridesmaid. But
I am ceasing to laugh at even Francis
and Penelope.
I myself, in my own little low chair in
its angle on the hearth -rug, felt perfect-
ly happy. Is it the contrast between it
and the life of solitude of which I have
only lately had any knowledge, that
makes my own home life so much sweet-
er than it used to bet
The gentlemen began talking together
about the difference between • this quiet
scene and that of November lsat year,
ail th such tri les; ut 11r. l'rquhart "It is common in the family. There was Sebastopol taken, the army was making
smut expect me to be es wise as hies- a Dallas.Urquhart, younger brother to ie up its mind to winter in idleness, as
pelf; he is a great Aeal older than 1." Sir John Urquhart, who, in the religiuua merrily as it could. And then Dr. Ur -
"Tell me, then," he continued, in that troubles seceded to Episcopacy. He quhart reverted to the tormer winter, the
kind tone which.always makes me feel was in le:e with a minister's sister -a terrible time, until its miseries reached
,something like a little pet dr eikey I once Preabytetian. She died broken-hearted, .sad touched the English heart at home.
had, which, if I called It across the field and in despair et her reproaches, Dallas And yet, as Dr. • T rquhart said, such
'would Dome and.layv its head con sit laud threw himself down a precipice, where misery scams often to evoke the noblest
-not that, donkey as I am, T iacliue to his whitened bones were not found till half of man's nature. Many ap anecdote
trouble Dr. Urgttbart in that way, "tell minty year' after. Is not that s roosnic proving this, he told about "his poor
ine what it is you do hate?"histuryf" fellows," as he called them; tales of hero-
• • l hate to have te.entertain ptrangers? I said raw anio and painful histories yes, patient endurence, unselfiabness,
'•Then you do .not consider me a were common enough; there had been and genenuity-such as, w the myste-
';tanger?" some even an our inatter-of-fact family. re.ew agency of Providence, are always
developed by that great purifier as well
as avenger, war.
Lietening, my cheek burned to think 1
had ebur said I hated soldiers. It is a
solemn question, too momentous for
human wisdoms to decide upon, and,
probably, never meant to be decided in
this world -the justice of cartage, the
necessity of war. But thus far I am con-
vinoed--a nd intend, the tint opportunity
to express my thanks to Dr. Urquhart
for having taught me the lesson -Mai to
set one's self is fierce aversion against
any class, ass class, is both foolish and maids, for we are to have healths drunk,
wicked. We should 'hate' nobody. The 1 speeches made, and all the rest of it.
christian warfare is never against sinner I Merev on us'. how will papa ever stand
but against sin. it!
Speaks of thestetistinof mortality in '('hese family events have always their
ink the honest eye(' dull and mean-
ingless, the wise lips jabbering foolish-
ness; the whule face and figure, instead
of being what on* likes to look at, takes
pleasure to es. in the same mein, evuh—
growtng ugly, irrational, disgusting --
more like a beast than a mail.
Yet some women have to bear it, Wave
to speak kindly to their husbands, hide
their brutishness, and keep them from
making worse fools of themselves than
they a m help. 1 have seers it done, not
merely by working -men's wives, but
lady -wives in drawing -rooms. 1 think,
if I were uuirried, and I eaw my husband
the lent overoome by vitae, not drunk,
may be, but just excited, silly, other-
wise than his natural self, it would near-
ly drive me wild. Less on my own ac-
count than his. To see him sink -not
for a great cruse, the height where my
love had placed him; to have to take
care of him, to pity him; ay, and 1 might
pity him, but 1 think the full glory and
passion of my love would die out, then
and there, forever.
Let me not think of this, but go on
relating what oecured to -day.
Dr. Urquhart's abrupt confession,
which seemed to surprise Augustus as
much as anybody,threw an awkwardness
over us all; we spped out of the sub-
ject, and plunged into the never-ending
theme --terse wedding and its arrange-
ments. Here I found out that Dr. Ur-
quhart had, at first, refused, point-blank,
his friend's request that he would be
best -roan, but, on my entreating him
this morning, had changed his mind. I
was glad, and expressed my gladness
warmly. I would not like Ih. Urqu-
hart to suppose we thought the worse of
him 'fur what he had confessed, or rather
had been forced into -confessing It was
very wrong of Lisabel. But she really
seemed sorry, and paid him special at-
tection in consultations about what she
thinks the important affairs of Monday
week. I was almost crass at the exem-
plary patience with which he examined
the orange -tree, and pronounced that
the buds would opeu in time, he
thought: that if not, he would try, as in
duty bound, to procure some. He also
heroically consented to his other duty,
of returning thanks for "the brides -
••No; a friend" But he wee slot so inquisitive as I; nor
I may say that, ho, short as our ao- should I have told him farther; we never
fluaintance dates, I have seem more of
)r. Urquhart, and neem to1 mow him
better than any man in the whole course
of my life. He did .not refuse the title I
gave him, and I think he was gratified,
hough he said only:
"You are very kind. and I thank you."
Presently I recurred to the subject of
. riiscuasion, and wished hint to promise
what Augustus, and Lieabel, and we all
lesired.
He paused a atoaner' and then said
' ecisively:
•'I will come.
"That is right. 1 knew we can always
epend on Dr. Urquhart's promises.
S%aa my gladnessovertoldt Would he
:oisconatrue it? No; he is too clear-sight-
ed, too humble -minded, Zeo wise. With
fin I have always the .feeling that I
. teed take nu trouble over what I do or
say' except that it should be true and
sincere. Whatever it is, be will judge it
fairly. And if he did not, why should 1
' tare) •
• Yes, I should care. I . 'ike hint -I
like hips very touch. It would be a com-
fort to me to have him for a friend. One
of my very own. In some degree he
treats We as such; to -day, for instance,
he told eve more about himself than he
ever did,.t. any one of us. It. came out
accidentally. I cannot endure a man Who,
at first acquaintance. indulges you with
autobiogrenhy in full. Such a man
must be either a puppy or an idiot.
Ah: there T am again at uy harsh
udgmenta, which Dr. Urquhart has so
tacitly repre 'ed. This good man, who
has seen more of the world and its wick-
, edness titan, ata ever likely to see, is
yet the moat charitable man I ever
.new. To return.
Before we reached Ruckinnunt the sky
had clouded at er, and in an hour it was
a thoroughly ,wet afternoon. Penelope
went upstairs ti ' write her Sunday letter,
and Augustus pnd Liaabel gave broad
hints that they wished the drawing -room
all to themselves. Perforce, Dr. Urqu-
hart and I had to entertain ourselves.
I took him into the green house,
`vhere he lectured to me on the orchidae-
spm.k on this subject if we can help it
Even the Granton. --our intimate friends
ever since we came to live at Rockmuunt
-have never been made acquainted with
it. Arad Peeeelope said . there was no
seed to tell Augustus, as it could not
effect Kira, or any person now living,
and, for the sake of the fancily, the sad
story was better forgotten. I think so
tau.
With • sigh, 1 could not help observ-
ing to Dr. t rspahart that it must be •
very happy thing to have a brother -a
good brother.
"Yea Mine was the best that any
one ever had. tie was a minister of
the Kirk -that is he would have been
but he. died . "
"In Scotland?"
"No -at Pau, in the Pyrenees.
"Were you with him?"
•'I was nut."
This seemed a remembrance so acutely
painful, that shortly afterwards I tried
to change the subject, by asking a ques-
tion or two about haisself-and especially
what I had long wanted to find out -how
he came by that eccentric Christian
name.
"Is it eccentric? I really never knew
or thought after whom I was called."
I suggested Max Piccolomini.
Who is he, pray? My unprofessional
reading has been small. I am ashamed
to say I never heard of Mai Piccolomi-
ni. "
Amused by this nka•ie confession of
igeosence, I offeredestingly to give
him a course of polite 1iterstatoe, and be-
gin with that grandest of German dra-
mas, Schiller's Wallenatein.
"Not in German, if you please; I
don't know,• dozen words of the langu-
"Why, Dr. Urquhart, I must be a
great deal cleverer than you."
I had said this out of utter incredulity
at the ludicrous idea; but, to my sur-
prise, he took it seriously.
"You are right. I know I ata a
coarse, uneducated person the life of
an army.surgeon allows few opportunities
of refinement, and, like many another
ea and vegetation tf the tropics gener- boy, I threw away my chances when I
ally, to his own -content, doubtless. andhad them."
,ar
Itially to mine. . I like to hear his "At school?'
:.alki , so wise. yet so simple; a fresh- "College, rather.
Hess tdmost boyish, mons to linger in his
nature still, and he lits the thoroughly
hoyish peculiarity of taking pleasure in
little things. He spent half an hour in
reviving 'a hig brown .bee which had
grown torpid with cold, end there was in
his eyes a kindness, as ' ewer a huinan
creature, when he gave into my charge
his "little patient, whom I prom i.ed to
befriend. (There he is, peer old felow,
fast asleep to a flower -pot, till the first
bright morning I can turn hits out.)
"I am afraid, though, he will soon get
into trouble again, and not find an kind a
friend," said 1 to Dr. Urquhart. He
will intoxicate himself in the nearest
Hower -cup, and Beek repentance and re-
, storation too bite."
"I hope not," said the doctor, sadly
:and gravely.
I said I was sorry for having made a
jest upon„hie favorite doctrine, of re-
pentence and ristt•ratinn of sinners;
whish he seemed always both to preach
and to practice.
"Do ? Perhaps. Do you not think
t'e very much needed in this world?”
1 said I had not lived long enougb in
this bored to find one
"I forgot bow young yeti were."
He bat once in his direct way, asked
n►J' ago and 1 had told hien. mush 'dis-
posed likewise to
di.-posedlikewiseto return the geestion,bnt
was afraid. Sometimes I feel quite et
home with him, as if i could say any -
theca to hut, and then again be makes
me, loot actwlly afraid -thank gesdness
1 never was afraid of anyman yet, and
hope I never shall be --t shy and quiet
1 suppose it is became he is so very good;
because in his Wince my follies sand
wiokedsees ]nidi Oben heads 1 eerie
p ealig wend about them, or shout
myself d ea and arty think - not of
him so owe as of eserrthing higher and
better thea .dobe pis or Dm Surely
this clarinet be ttleesteg,
The bee eraseYsu seeded. we sat down,
silent. lista/mkt le die ala psalering no
the glass roil of the green - a it was
rather a dreary day f Nagar think'
of Limbel's loving rufous Ikea wee
for m.. and with that
nem, which 1 have often ended
Dr. Urquhart tumid my sad
away toy various iaismeaRew shah Tis
borne l'rurt, and the Mfr relaIlesief oar
Liss-- not many I said. slippilly
would have norther brother who edea, -in -
"Where did you go to college?"
"At St. Andrews"
The interrogative mood being on me
I thought I would venture, a question
which had been often on my mind to
ask--naucely, what made him choose to
be a doctor, which always seemed to nie
the most painful and arduous of pro-
fessions.
He was so slow in answering, that I
bevau to fear it was.one of racy too blunt
queries, and apologized.
"I will tell you, if you desire it. My
tuutive was not unlike one you once
suggested -to nye life instead of de-
stroying it; also, because I wished to
have my awn life always in my hand. I
cannot justly consider it mine. It is
To heaveu, I conclude he meant, by
the solemnity of his manner. Yet, are
not all, lives owed? And, if so, my early
dream of perfect bliss, namely for two
people to spend ,hair live. tovether in a
sort of domestic Pitcairn's Island,
cradled in $ spiritual Pacific Ocean, with
nothing to do but to love one another
must be a del.sion, or worse. I am
beginning to be glad I never found it.
Ws are not the birds and butterflies, but
the laborers of the earthly vineyard. To
discover ode's rig it work, and do it,
must be the grimul secret of life. With
or without love, T wonder? With it, 1
should imagine. But Dr. Urquhart, in
his plan of existence, never seems to
thilek of such an insignificant necessity.
Yet lot me not .peak lightly. I like
him --I honor him. Had I been his
dead brother, or a sister- - which he
never had -1 would have helped rather
than have hindered him, in his aelf-
meriarieg ewer. I would have scorned
to pot in Ley poor skim over him or his
saietpoe. It would have seemed like
Midas fon daily nye tke gold et tb.
eaauteasy.
And lara, Psairiag over all I have
hessikabode.vend sees in hien, die ee1(f
A.eY;11a bseuism. the religions perky
of hie alis --whish arae reseed In
even dm beat et Tr. -
hose to pm -
i t..o dsdMsL 4ale *Sing of
Umbel is iwesiem te shah I .all to
mead ens inches t of this day whish
.ttartlad, sheathed tae; mmeeraieg which
even now I ern warmly credit the
the army, •Dr. Urquhart surprised us by
stating how small a percentage--blea rue
I am beginning to talk like a blue -book'
-results from death in battle and from
wounds. And. strange as it may appear
the mortali►_: in a campaign, with x11 its
fatal chances, is less than in barracks at
hone. He has long suspecsed this, from
painful side. I em sure papa will feel
it. I only trust that no chance ubser-
vatiobs will strike home, and hurt him.
This fear haunted me no much that I
took an opportunity of suggesting to Dr.
Urquhart that all the speeches had better
be as short es possible.
"Mine shall be, I promise. Were
the accounts of the men, and having you afraid of it'I" asked he, smnhng; it
lately, from clear data, eaeertained its • was just before the horses were brought
accuracy, intend!' urging it at the Horse up, and we were all standing out in the
Guards, or failing there, in the public moon -light -for shame, moon, leading
press, that the causes may be inquired les to catch cold just before our wedding,
into and remedied. It will be at some land very thoughtless of the doctor to
personal risk -Government never likes allow it, too. I could see by his smile
being meddled with; but he seems the
sort of man who, having once got an
idea into his head would pursue it to the
death --and very right too. If I had
been a man I would have done exactly
the same.
All.this while I have never told -that
thing. It carne nut, as well as I can re-
member, thus:
Dr. Urquhart was saying that the
average mortality of soldiers in barracks
was higher than that of any correspond-
ing class of working men. He attributes
law." demos of my owe ease.
1 Yee cannot be in (answer We had all ,lathered rend shefere
I w 1 bed not been. and yet waiting papa a return from IM seamed
I act but speak my tenet that 1 service Penelope Umbel, 411=�ela�,
braless or sisters, ie Mw nt in blood. Dr Urquhart, andI: tb wLa bed
were Asa anything but a bleedad. cleared iii. and there was only • soft
"1 must emphatically diger held run drip, dap. on the glass ..f the green
that he was now quite himself again --
which was a relief.
"Oh, nonsense! I shall expect you to
make the grandest speech that ever was
heard. 'But, seriously, these sort of
speeches are always trying, and will be
so especially to papa.'
"I understand We must take care:
you are a thoughtful little lady." He
sometimes has called me "Little Lady,"
instead of "Mies Theodora""Yes,
our father will feel acutely this first
break in the family.
this to want of space, cleanliness, fresh I said I did not mean that exactly, as
air, and good food. it was not the case. And, for the fust
"Also to another cause, which you al- time, it struck me as sad, that one I
ways find flourishing under such circum-
stances -drink It is in a barracks just
as in the courts and alleys of a large
city -wherever you find people huddled
together in foul air, ill smells, and gene-
ral wretchedness -they drink. They
cannot help it, it seems a natural neces-
sity."
"There. we have the doctor , o his
hobby." Gee -up, doctor:" cried Augus-
tus. I wonder his friend stands his non-
sense ro good-humoredly.
"You know it is true, though, Tre-
herne," and he went on speaking to me.
"In the Crimea, the greati curse of our
army was drink. Dnnk killed more of
us than the Russians did. You should
have seen what I have seen -the officer
maddening himself with champagne at
the mess -table -the private stealing out
to a rum store to loose secretly over his
grog. The thing was obliged to be wink-
ed at, it was so common.'
"In hospital, too," observed Captain
Treherne, graduplly listening. "Don't
you remem r telling me there was not a
never knew, whoni I scarcely ever think
of, should be lost from among us, so lost
as not to be even named.
Dr. Urquhart asked me why I looked
so grave? At first I said had rather not
tell him, and then I felt as if at that
moment, standing quietly talking in the
lovely night. after such a happy day, it
were a comfort, almost a necessity, to
tell him anything, everything.
"I was thinking of some one belong-
ing to me whom nobody knows of, whom
we never speak about. Hush,' don't let
them hear.
Who was it 1 But I beg your par-
don, do not tell me unless you like."
From his tone -he thought, I know
he thought—Oh, what $ ridiculous,
impossible thing : Then I was determin-
ed to tell.
"It was one -who was papa's fav%,rite
-among us all.- 1
"A sister 1"
"No, a brother."
I had not time to my any more, for
they were just starting, nor am i mtisfi-
week passed that you had not cases of. ed that I was right in saying so much.
death solely from drinking?' ,, But the confidence is safe with him, and
"And, even then, I could not stop it, he will never refer to it; he will feel as
nor keep the liquor .outside the wards. we do, that a sabjeot so painful is best
I have come in and found drunken or- avoided, even among ourselves- on the
derlies carousing with drunken paitient•; whole I am glad he knows.
nay, more than once I have taken the
brandy bottle from under a dead man's
pillow."
' Ay, 1 remember," said Agustus,
looking grave.
!Umbel, who never liken his attention
diverted from her charming self. cried
saucily :
' All very fine talking, Doctor. but
yon shall not make me a teetotaller, nor
Agustin neither, I hope."
" I have not the slightest intention of
the kind, I assure you ; nor aloes there
seem any necessity. Though, for those
who have not the power to resist intoxi-
cation, it is much safer never to touch
stimulants.
' Do you not touch them 1"
" I have not done so for many years."
" Because yon are afraid 1 Well, I
dare say you were no better on than
your set b)n.
rr
1 T' I whispered, for I mw Dr.
Urquhart winos under her rude words;
bat
� t►we u no stopping that gOrr.tants,
den w confess, Doctor just for fen.
Paps is not Were, and well ted so tales
out d seiod-wen you ever in year
life, to w your own ug y word, dread 1"
rr Onon,.
Writing this, I can hardly believe he
said it, end yet la did, in $ quiet, low
voieet as if the aonfeaaien was fond
frons him ae a sort of voluntary expe-
ties.
Dr. Urquhart dr usk ! Wbat a fright-
ful idea ' i'nder what eiremmalaaoa
endd it possibly have happened ? Owe
thing 1 would stake my life upon -it
war happened but that once.
I have hese thinking, how horrible it
must be to sae anybody -ane rand for
Coming indoors, the girls made me
very angry by their jests, but the anger
has somehow evaporated now. What
does it matter ? As I told Lisabel,
friends do not grow on every hedge
though lovers may, and when one finds a
gond man one ought to value him, nor
be ashamed of it either.
No, no, my sweet moon, setting so
quickly behind that belt ref fin, I will
hke him if I choose, as I like everything
true and noble wherever 1 find it in this
world.
Moen. it is a good world, a happy
world, and grows happier the longer one
lives in it So I will just watch your
silver ladyship -a nioe "little lady" you
are tote -slipping away from it with that
atiitb6ed farewell smile, and then --i
shall go to bed.
To as rat..
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